#oh no you sweet precious child... :c :c :c

[chaoscheebs]

Jounouchi, bby... :c

[rie-092]

LITTLE SIBLING.

⟡﹒yandere! older brother x fem! reader

summary : your older brother thinks that your boyfriend wasn't good enough for you.

during his childhood, yohan davis really wanted a little sister. a sweet little sister that he can protect and adore forever. but, that dream was shattered when his dad died and he had already accepted the fact that no matter what happened, he won't be able to have a little sister. because he can't force his mom to remarry just because of his selfish desire after all.

and let's be honest here. with yohan's handsome face and those captivating (e/c) eyes of his. even when he was a child, everyone adored him. and maybe that was the main reason why he became like— this. uh, a spoiled son who was able to get whatever he wanted? aside from little sister, of course.

but then, when he reached the age of 15, his mom got remarried. he was excited, for his mom and for the chance that he can achieve his dream through his new dad. yep, he knew how obsessed he was with having a little sibling. everyone, except his mom (since she thinks that it was a cute thing but clearly it's not) has pointed it out to him. but he didn't care since in his eyes, it was unfair for him that his friends had little siblings that they could adore and spoil.

and yohan fucking celebrated when he got the news of his mom being pregnant a year later. he basically ran to his new dad and hugged him tightly and started to thank him and his ehem, let's forget about the last part. anyway, after that sudden revelation, yohan had started looking for good names that he could give to his younger sibling. he also looked for some cute toys and clothes but let's forget about it.

yohan, during his little sibling's birth stayed at the hospital. he didn't give a fuck about what other people were saying when he did all of his homework at the hospital while waiting for his parents and his new little sibling. and boy, oh, boy. yohan teared up when he saw you for the first time. you were so cute, so precious, so adorable and the most innocent thing on this planet.

“ so, how about you give her a name, son? ”

that was what he was waiting for. with a smile, he kissed your forehead as he told them the name that he had come up with after the 9 months that he spent thinking a name that suits you. (first name), his little sister. don't worry, your big brother will give you everything that you want and he will do everything for you.

expect that this guy will be quite overprotective when it comes to you. don't complain if you aren't able to play with your peers or if he doesn't let you go out and lock you at home. he was just worried! you're too innocent! what if you got kidnapped when he wasn't looking?! oh, and when he realized that you're allergic to (insert food here)? that day, you weren't able to see that thing inside your house again since yohan really threw a fit in front of your parents exclaiming that if they served you that kind of food again, he would run away and he will bring you with him.

but aside from his obsession, overprotectiveness and overbearing personality. yohan was a good older brother for you. he was much better than your classmates' older brothers. when the truth is he just engraved the 'he's the best older brother in the world' idea on your mind during your early childhood so that you will stay with him forever

anyways, much to his disappointment, when you became a teenager you found yourself a boyfriend. and that angers yohan. i mean, why do you think that boy deserves you? gosh, he was the one who raised you and he knew that boy wasn't deserving of you! he did his best to make you dependent on him. he cooked for you, washed your clothes and even made sure that you didn't know how to do housework! do you think that boy will do that for you? yeah, no.

expect that yohan will always roll his eyes when you mention your boyfriend whenever you are with him. this guy shamelessly stalks you when you are on a date, and when he sees that your boyfriend is about to kiss you? he will immediately call you to cut off that dirty romantic atmosphere that disgusting guy created. that guy bought you a gift? don't worry, your brother will give you a more extravagant the next day.

he will do anything to make you see that you made a wrong choice of getting into a relationship with someone. look, he knew that his obsession with his little sister was because his friends and bandmates always pointing out to him. there was some point when they asked him if he romantically saw you but that only disgusts him. the hell are they talking about? why would he romantically see his little sister? do they think that he's a sick freak? that's disgusting.

sure he stalks his little sister, sure he makes her dependent on him, sure he manipulates his younger sister that he's the kindest soul alive, sure there are some points that he commits crime for you. but anyways— he only did that because you were his little sister. his innocent and fragile little sister that he needs to protect!

and when the news about your boyfriend cheating on you reached his ears. he was fucking happy! see? he told you, that guy wasn't good enough for you! oh, his poor little sister. the only thing that he did when he saw you go home crying was to hug and comfort you but of course, while he manipulates you thinking that other guy aside from him and your dad was like that. a fucking freak that will only hurt your feelings.

ah, of course! do you think that he'll forget about that ex-boyfriend of yours? of course, he won't! because yohan, with a 'little talk' made sure that guy won't be able to approach you again. oh? you're worried when he came home bloodied and had a bruise on his cheek? this guy will tell you that your ex suddenly punched him out of nowhere when he talked to him when the truth is he beat that guy half to death. hehehe, and seeing you believed him made him smile widely. ah, it seems like you're really stuck with him from now on. and yohan was willing to sell his soul to a demon just to make sure this would last forever.

“ big brother's doing this for your sake so listen to me, okay? ”

[kaiser-author-san-iii]

Star Light, Star Bright | Fatui Harbingers x (Fem)Creator!Reader

A/N: holy Tsarista, I did not think that it would be this popular. Thank you so much!! It's been a couple months since I got into Genshin, but I'm glad that the Harbinger trailer dropped cause otherwise, this probably wouldn't have existed lol. I apologize for the late update. I have been quite stumped in the plot and just taking a moment to come up with one. If I didn't tag everyone, I'm sorry! DM or reply to be added to the taglist! :3

Summary: Caring for children is hard, but it's especially hard when around the Fatui. Getting isekaied was the last thing on your mind after landing in the icy tundra of Snezhnaya all while your nephew is with you. What will happen when you encounter not only a Fatui Skirmisher but a Fatui Harbinger?

Tags/warnings: female reader, God!reader, Cult AU,

Not edited or beta read, we die like Signora.

First>> Next>>

Masterlist>>

Chapter 2: The Creator's Welcome

Silence.

What could be said while the entire palace and the surrounding area waited with bated breath for their Grace to awaken?

They were fervent - they waited to leave and search for the "meaner" that has done harm to their Beloved but that would leave their Previous Grace with only the Heir for company and guard.

The Precious Heir - they have heard of them only from what was written centuries ago. He was beautiful - he was innocent and was crying for their Grace to wake up all while the Harbingers stood by with the Tsarista finally making her appearance, rushing towards the bed that their Grace rested in, bending the knee and holding their hand.

"Your Grace. Your Excellency. Oh, my Beloved Creator. What has that Meaner done to you?"

Nugget never left your side as he clutched onto your waist, but being careful with your arms as he was told by the blue-haired man with the mask. He was a doctor and clearly knew what he was talking about so the little one made sure to listen well. The Doctor man and the others gave them a room which is what his Auntie expected and though he was focused more on taking care of you, it was nice to wander around the room all while the Harbin Gingers (It was some word that he had trouble saying) always came to check on him and his auntie and even gave him coloring books and sweets and fruits. It was all so good and he made sure to save you some whenever you were going to wake up.

But he especially loved the Tsarista and Columbia (Colombina)

They were very nice. They held him when you were still asleep and he couldn't be there for the operation.

For what seemed like forever, when it was only a matter of four days, the bed shifted as Nugget was reading the latest book that the guy with the funny hat gave him. He wanted to read it to you when you woke up and his wish was soon coming true as he felt movement and looked over to see your [E/c] eyes. He gasped and immediately snuggled into the sheets and wrapped his small arms around your waist.

"Auntie! You're awake! You're awake!"

Soft wet globs of tears started to stain your shirt as you looked down at the child who held you tightly and didn't want to let go. It would have been endearing if it wasn't for the fact that you had almost died from possible blood poisoning from ignoring your wounds. Your Nephew remembered seeing a lot of gold and despite still learning, he knew for a fact blood was red.

Carefully holding him up and ruffling his hair, you kissed his forehead and wiped his tears away.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Nugget. I promise, I'll be sure to look after myself but my main concern was you."

That response earned a pout but your nephew thought it was good enough for now. If you weren't healthy and in one piece, how are you supposed to find a husband or a wife?!

"Just don't go to sleep anymore or at least for a long time. You made everyone worry!"

"Everyone?"

At the mention, your Nephew saw the clear confusion on your face and smiled brightly, but with a glint of mischievousness as he swiftly, with his small feet could go, hopped out of bed but careful to stay clear from your arms, rushed to the door and yelled out.

"Auntie [Y/n] is awake!" he said with a bright smile that was quite contagious, but it was last minute that you saw a figure by the door, or make it two figures. They had hoods over their head but it was the masks that covered their identities - the sheer happiness was clear from their body movements and one of them rushed out to who knows where while your nephew ran back to your side and started to share all the books he's read while you were recovering.

He's always had trouble reading so it was a feat itself to see him now reading at his supposed grade level. He still had trouble with certain words but nothing to worry about.

While trying to process all that was happening around you, you heard multiple footsteps before the door flew open, and in walked in about a dozen people.

Your face heated up at seeing all the gorgeous faces quickly surround you, pulling your nephew close to your side, weary of what else could happen. But you could have sworn that there was a hint of sadness in their eyes from your pull away from them.

"Don't be scared. They helped us! They helped you! Especially the Doctor man." Your nephew grinned as he held your hand and decided to make you sit up and face the group properly and pointed at the Doctor. The Doctor that he mentioned was practically preening from the praise like a peacock showing off its feathers.

The grip on his hand lessened as you looked at all twelve people one by one. It didn't take a rocket scientist to distinguish the power that they all radiated. Though at the time, you didn't know of the power you held yourself.

The elegant lady with long white hair, icy blue eyes, and who seemed to scream 'Ice Queen', slowly walked up to your bedside with a gentle smile as her hand moved to slowly hold yours. Now, you wouldn't have minded if it was your nephew or family, but this was a stranger. A stranger with a very firm grip despite how delicate it was.

"Now. How shall we punish the meaner that's done this to you?"

Eh?

-x-

It was... a change to have people cater to your every whim despite half of them being just jokes like bringing you the finest gem. The honor of bestowing such a gem was by none other than the 9th Harbinger, Pantalone.

Your nephew was having a great time, especially when he got to get along with a majority of the Harbingers and the Fatui, who took the mission of entertaining Nugget very seriously.

Once your arms were good as new, you asked for the group of Fatui soldiers that you and your nephew first encountered. At first, they were adamant about having you and Nugget leave the palace but you needed to get back to your car and get the rest of your things.

But funnily enough, you don't remember a palace or an organization going by the Fatui in your life...

Not to mention, these people seemed to recognize you and your nephew despite you two not knowing any of them.

If you thought of it more, a headache occurred and the Tsarista was adamant in asking you to save your energy and that it didn't matter if you recognized them. That all that mattered was that you and the Heir were fine.

While bedridden, your Nephew had the privilege to waltz around like he owned the place and even got you some books to read in the meantime. You saw mentions of a Divine Creator, a God-like figure that was first in creating the world around you and beyond, the one that made the stars and skies. A Divine Creator from the Beyond gave life to a speck in the skies and named it Teyvat and thus, its first child was born.

During a certain period when the Creator was roaming freely, they announced that their sister was with child and so, the Creator named the unborn babe the Heir to Teyvat.

The book was quite the read and wanting to know more about why the people around you and Nugget called you the Divine Creator and the Heir, you took it around with you.

"Your Grace, you must bundle up. Snezhnayan winters are quite brutal. People freeze to death here, quite literally in fact." announced a Fatui sniper, the one that first saw you and Nugget as he came behind you and placed a coat, courtesy of Pantalone of course, on your shoulders and your nephew too.

Stepping out to the brutal snow, instead of the harsh snow that you were expecting, it was a light snowfall that shocked the group of Fatui that decided to travel with you.

[Nephew's Name] stepped out from behind you and cheered happily as he rushed out to the snow and started to play, making snowmen and snow angels with, of course, the Fatui looking out and being won over by the child's heart-felt giggles.

They were all trying to make sense of why the snowfall was reduced to just light snow instead of the blizzards they're used to until they recalled that their Divine Grace and the Heir were right here with them. Teyvat was the Divine Creator's first child and as the loyal child it was, it could always sense where they were. Though Snezhnaya was the domain of the Tsarista, the Cryo Archon, the Divine Creator's word was Law.

Ehe.

Everything came to a slow stop as the world first heard the giggle from the Creator and with each step that you had taken, noticeable patches of green started to appear and grow more and more. The chilled winds of winter called down as the grey skies parted to make way for the rays of the sun.

The Tsarista felt the pause of winter, looking out that the frozen lands of her region have warmed up to what it had been long ago before her ascension.

Her Grace has given warmth back to the frozen tundras of Snezhnaya to the point that the flora and fauna basked in the sunlight. "Nugget. Be careful. The snow is melting."

And like that, the snow stopped melting just enough for your nephew to enjoy making snow angels.

'Welcome to Teyvat, Divine Creator!'

TAGLIST:

@lizzhearthz, @yoshikuno , @anonclyde , @khalhaimdad, @ellenoir

@yunsblog030 , @lsleepysimpl, @potol0ver, @kitty-chan33

[fairyhaos]

Ꮺ cold ice, cinnamon smiles // lee seokmin

dokyeom x gn!reader, 1.6k words

tags: 1800s britain au, christmas au, ice skating, fluff, meet cute, strangers to lovers, seokmin is the 3 c's: cute and clumsy and chivalrous

warnings: none

notes: merry christmas everyone ^_^

summary: winter is a harsh time of the year, cold and merciless, but what happens when you meet a boy who has a smile warm enough to melt the coldest of ice?

When the weather gets cold enough, sometimes the river Thames will freeze over.

It’s utterly delightful, because it allows you to take out your skates, dress up as warm as possible, and spend several hours on the ice that had once been the river, breathing in the bitingly cold air and sighing in content.

This year, it's right on Christmas Eve, so it means there's the gentle, warm scent of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting through the air from the Christmas fairs set up along the river, as people skate over the recently-frozen surface, spending some time before their cherished holiday out on the ice.

There’s the chatter of children as they slide delightedly over the ice, the laughter of teenagers as they slip into each other, even the fond chuckles of adults as they help each other stay upright.

Your parents are out on the river somewhere, too, skating hand in hand, in their own world away from the shrieks and laughs of the public. 

It’s sweet.

Closing your eyes, you tilt your head back, gliding effortlessly across the river, cheeks stinging with cold but your mind feeling blessedly content when—

“Oh, do watch out!”

Your eyes fly open just in time to see a flurry of brown wool collide with you, and your hands shoot out almost instantly, staggering back a little to catch the person who had barrelled into you.

The stranger yelps, stumbling into your hold, and it’s a good thing that you’re a decently good skater because otherwise this person would have sent you both flying across the ice.

“Sorry, sorry, oh good Lord, I’m sorry,” the person apologises profusely, leaning out of your arms as soon as he gains his balance, brushing his hair out of his face with a finger, eyes wide and earnest and apologetic. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to just slam into you like that.”

You smile, ready to brush away his apologies, because really this could happen to anyone, but as you look properly at the stranger, your breath hitches in your throat.

Dark, soft hair falling into big, gentle eyes. Warm twinkles in his irises and winter-ruddy flushes of red on his cheeks that make him look like some sort of delicately crafted doll, and when he smiles shyly, it's like a ray of white gold light spilling over the grey landscape of winter.

This man is beautiful.

And he’s still apologising, over and over, and he’s brushing down the sleeves of your coat, checking that you’re okay, and you want to laugh a little because goodness, it seemed that this stranger was cute and beautiful.

“No, no, don’t worry about it,” you say, resting a hand on his arm to stay his fretful movements, smiling. “It’s okay, I’m completely fine.”

The man pauses, looking at you with worried eyes. “Are you sure?” he says. “You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

He goes back to patting you down again, and if it were any other man, you’d feel outraged at how he’s touching you so easily like this, but his hands are nothing but a gentle pressure over your arms, your shoulders, and the concern emanating from his touch.

“I’m okay, truly,” you say, laughing a little. “I’m strong,” you add, when he looks at you disbelievingly. “My mother has been teaching me to skate since I was little girl. We have a lake in our estate, you see, and in the winter, it always freezes over.”

His eyes widen at your words. “E—estate? Are you—oh, dear, which Lord is your father?”

He looks panicked, eyes widening even further and face falling in fear that he’s damaged the precious child of some haughty and terrifying aristocrat, and it’s so painfully adorable to you that you laugh again, shaking your head.

“No, no, nothing like that. My family and I are just… reasonably well-off,” you say. He still looks like he doesn’t believe you, though, so you stick a hand out. “I’m Y/N. Just plain old me, no fancy titles or anything. I promise.”

The man looks down at your hand, and then up at your face again, and something about your faintly smiling expression must convince him you’re telling the truth, because he grasps your hand firmly, eyes shining.

He doesn’t shake your hand, however, and adjusts his grip to delicately hold your fingers, bending down, making your eyes widen.

Gently, his lips brush against your knuckles, and he looks up at you with golden eyes. “Lee Seokmin,” he introduces, voice soft. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Heart in your throat, you can hardly take your eyes off of him as he smiles, a warm curling of his lips, warmer than the warmest cinnamon scent, glowing in the dim English winter light. Speechless, you watch as he straightens, still holding your hand, and he opens his mouth to say something before suddenly his eyes widen, and he tips backwards, a startled cry leaving his mouth.

Almost in slow motion, you feel yourself tug forward too, and the entire world falls to a hush as you collide into his chest, falling, falling, falling to land right on Seokmin as his back hits the cold ice of the Thames.

Seokmin blinks up at you, and his hair is a feathery soft mess around his head, the white ice giving him an almost angelic glow, and when his lips part around a soft “oh” you can’t help your gaze unintentionally flicking down towards the soft pink of his mouth.

And then everything hits you at once—especially the fact that you’re lying on top of him, in public—and you hurry to scramble off, cheeks flushing with more than just the cold.

“I’m so sorry,” you say, face heating up horribly fast, “I—Are you okay?” You hold out a hand to him, and after a moment of rapid blinking, Seokmin takes it, shakily getting to his feet with the help of your steady hands.

He really is rather wobbly on his skates. You wonder why he’s out here in the first place.

“No, goodness, I’m the one that’s sorry,” Seokmin says, and his cheeks are red too, redder than they were before the fall. “I’m so sorry for pulling you down with me.” He rubs at his cheeks, the action bashful and adorable as you worriedly brush ice flecks from his coat. “I really am rather terrible at skating.”

He looks down, embarrassed, looking rather like a dejected puppy, and you resist the urge to lean over and ruffle his hair.

Instead, you just hum, looking him up and down to avoid lingering to long on at the small pout forming on his face, lest you suddenly lose all self-control and try to kiss it away.

“I could teach you?” you offer. “Because luckily for you, I am rather good at skating myself.”

It’s honestly rather adorable how quickly he perks up at that, beaming. “Really? Oh, are you sure?”

You laugh at his eagerness, nodding. “Of course. We can’t have you colliding into any other people here, can we?”

Seokmin flushes, but his irises are shimmering awfully mesmerisingly, and as he smiles at you, you can’t help but do anything but smile widely back.

You’re about to say something when there’s a shout of your name in the distance, and you look behind you to see two familiar figures, waving and calling for you to come over to them. 

“Y/N, dear, it’s getting late! We ought to go home now,” your mother calls, and your heart sinks.

Seokmin seems to hear them shout too, because he chuckles a little regretfully, face falling, and he looks so sad that your heart squeezes painfully. “I suppose you need to leave,” he says. “It’s a shame I won’t be able to have my much-needed skating lesson from you.”

You turn back to Seokmin. “Wait, Seokmin—”

Before you can say anything, he grasps your hand gently, his fingers unusually warm despite the freezing temperatures that you’re currently standing in. And then he leans down (carefully, this time) and kisses your knuckles again, feather light.

“I hope to see you around, Y/N,” he says, and begins to shuffle away.

He doesn’t get far before you glide over and grab his collar insistently, almost making him fall over yet again.

He doesn’t, though, because you’re holding tightly, bringing his face close to yours.

“Meet me again,” you say, almost pleading. “Will you—will you please come here again tomorrow? I know that it’s Christmas Day tomorrow, and you’ll be spending time with your family but do you think you could? I… want to see you again.”

Seokmin’s eyes widen, and his face is so close that you can see the way his eyelashes flutter slightly, warmth spreading across his cheeks.

“Besides,” you add, flushing yourself, “I still need to teach you how to not fall for anyone else.”

It makes Seokmin laugh, a bright, ringing sound that makes you feel oddly giddy, and his face is crinkling into the most beautiful smile as he nods, still laughing.

“Of course,” he says, that gorgeous smile lighting up his entire face. “Of course, I’ll meet you here. You can teach me to fall for you only.”

It makes you blush, but when Seokmin leans in, tilting his head and pressing a brief kiss to your cheek, it has you blushing even harder than you even thought possible, eyes widening as the pressure is there and then gone, replaced with Seokmin’s bright eyes and his bright smile and his bright voice, gradually moving further away.

“Tomorrow,” he promises as he begins to shuffle away again. “I’ll meet you here tomorrow.”

You watch him go, giving him a shy wave, before finally he disappears amongst the crowd of people. Heart beating unusually fast, you turn to go as well, and the ruddiness of your cheeks is not just from the cold.

Giddy, you think of Seokmin’s lips on your cheek and your knuckles, of his fingers holding yours.

It makes you smile. Looks like you have a Christmas date.

fics tags: @jeonginssa @weird-bookworm @minhui896 @bunnyiix @slytherinshua @haowrld @belladaises @moonlitskiiies @mirxzii @zozojella @kawennote09 @thedensworld @a-wandering-stay @abibliolife @doublasting @wonranghaeee @icyminghao @sweet-like-caramel @your-yxnnie @evasaysstuff @odxrilove @kyeomyun @crackedpumpkin @jeonride @kellesvt @sakufilms @eightlightstar @onlyyjeonghan @aaniag @amxlia-stars @raevyng @isabellah29

[centrally-unplanned]

Adam Tooze giving some pitch-perfect pornography targeted at me specifically with Israel's "Gaza 2035: A three-step master plan to build what they call the Gaza-Arish-Sderot Free Trade Zone", capped with an AI generated Gaza-Dubai:

I'm in love, this is so glorious. "The world if Israel could play around with Gaza like a little set of Legos" tell me this is not identical energy:

Except its not a shitpost its an actual report from the Office of the Prime Minister. And folks we have got it all! The most convoluted administration system you could possibly imagine for no reason:

The new free trade zone would be administered by Israel, Egypt, and what the Israeli Prime Minister calls the Gaza Rehabilitation Authority (GRA)—a proposed Palestinian-run agency that would oversee reconstruction in Gaza and “manage the Strip’s finances.”

A cutesy little minimalist graphic of all the brand new industries that will magically become globally competitive in export markets because Israel says so:

The beach resorts are in my beloved!! But what are the little factories you ask? Oh nothing, just electric car production facilities!

Remember, before building your first factory, you need 18 Burj Khalifas. We economists call this "infrastructure development", take notes.

It will have high-speed rail through its center, oil projects on the coast, and of course, I'm saving the best for last - a rail project to NEOM:

 🥳The 🥳Line 🥳Mentioned 🥳

The legend on the map literally just says "a mega project" like, oh yeah, one of those! See em all the time.

Now, you might be asking - Ash, if this is your goal wouldn't you have not destroyed every square inch of habitable urban infrastructure in Gaza and shredded their economy into scraps of paper soaked in blood if your plan was to Singapore-on-the-Sea the place? You sweet summer child, those apartments? They are apartments of the past, darling, you don't need organically developed urban ecologies built over time to compliment human habitation. That is for fucking libs. All of this "war" thing was just set-up to create a blank slate for the construction of The Line 2: Its Definitely Real This Time!

I am going to murder James C Scott myself just so I can hover this plan over his corpse and watch the sheer hubris of this monument to the state's desire for legibility and technocratic solutionism resurrect him from the goddamn grave.

"Well....at least after all this they would have to recognize Palestine as a stat-" Woah woah woah woah, hold on:

The final stage would be when Palestine signs the Abraham Accords signaling “Palestinian self-rule,” albeit without statehood

Lets not...lets not get overambitious here. Baby steps, you know? We have to be careful.

Anyway this is the most ludicrously ill-considered and ill-presented reconstruction plan I have ever seen in my life and I shudder to think that, instead of it being an off-hand drip of propaganda intended solely to brush off nosey reporters and diplomats, it might actually be serious. Bibi hasn't let me down yet on the "thinking things through" front!

But tbc if this was fiction - instead of a ruthlessly grim reality - the Regional Deputy Minister of Trade charged with implementing this technocratic abortion would be my precious little blorbo and I would stan her to hell and back.

[windwheeler-aster]

mistletoe shenanigans

summary: while preparing for your holiday party, it seems that eula had hung up some mistletoe. perhaps you’ll get the chance to use it before your guests arrive?

masterlist | advent calender

pairing: eula x reader

reader info: uses gender neutral pronouns (they/them), reader is in an established relationship with eula, and reader is not traveler

word count: 602 words (2 mins~)

genre: romance, fluff

format: one shot

warning: brief make out session

a/n: eula makes me so soft omg !!! why don’t i write for her more tf?!?!? um, anyway, please enjoy this as we kick off the advent calender💖

Eula inched herself higher off the ground, standing on the tips of her toes. Her face scrunched up, adorably so, as she hung up the small plant, a pretty red bow tying it all together. She stepped back to admire her work, placing her hands on her hips as she puffed out her chest in pride. 

“Hey babe. Whatcha doing?”

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she yelped, her shock fading away when she turned to you. But Eula’s heart returned to its usual pattern whenever around you; steadfast and strong, like a drum’s beat.

“Hello, dear,” Eula smiled, slipping a hand under your chin to tilt your cheek to her. She pressed her soft, pink lips onto your cheek. “Have you set up the rest of the decorations?”

You began to list them off with your fingers as Eula gazed at you with such adoration, “I got the star on the tree, cookies have been decorated, — yes, I did wait for them to cool—, and I did one final clean of the house.”

Eula smirked and gave your forehead a kiss, pressing you to her chest, “Thank you, dear. I know it’s a lot to do, but I really do appreciate it.”

“Don’t worry,” you assured her, and then you looked up to see the mistletoe she had placed overhead. “What’s that?”

“Oh, just some mistletoe,” Eula murmured, a faint blush decorating her pretty face. “I thought it might ‘spice’ some things up for the party.”

“Isn’t the party just going to be your work friends?” 

“Well, yes. But it’s good to have some office gossip, isn’t it?”

You laughed, leaning into your girlfriend, “Eula, oh my goodness.”

“What?” she asked, confusion laced in her tone, “I have a lot of bets on my office’s romances, love. Don’t judge.”

“Oh, no judgement here, sweetie,” you assured her. You looked up at the mistletoe, and then murmured, “Although…”

“‘Although’?”

“Although, I’d like to use the mistletoe before our guests do,” you looked into Eula’s eyes, like two sunsets with blazing passion reserved only for you. “What about you, hun?”

She smiled, ever so sweet and precious that it made your heart ache. How did I get so lucky? You both think, bashfulness consuming you and Eula for each second that passed. But then Eula leaned into you and gently tilted your chin so her lips met yours. 

“I’d like that, dear.”

As you two kissed, a gentle sound passed from her lips as Eula finally made contact. Her hand crept around to the small of your back, supporting you in case your knees gave out from the passion. Your lips ached and burned, even as they pressed into Eula’s— as though they longed to kiss the very soul of her. Then the kiss grew with more passion, before fizzling out just as quickly.

Eula tilted her head to the left, your nose and hers bumping into each other. She let out a gentle “oops” and pulled away, a worrying gaze on your girlfriend’s face. Using her gloved hand, she caressed your cheek as you willingly melted against her. 

Then, there was a familiar “ding” from the front door.

Eula smiled. Her face was now brimming with excitement, excellently paired with her flushed cheeks. Although you had seen every expression on Eula’s face, and although you were excited for your guest’s arrival as well, you so desperately wished they weren’t here. You longed to live in a moment like this, for forever. 

“Come on, love,” Eula whispered, breathless and full of child-like and endearing joy, “time to greet our guests.”

taglist:

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thank you for reading 💖 all forms of interaction to my posts are appreciated 💖

[gulnarsultan]

When Modern Reader is living in Kings Landing with Targaryens, I think that the reason why Lady Joanna died is because of Yandere Rhaella. Allow me to explain and describe, when Modern Reader was writing a letter to yandere platonic Lannisters, Yandere Rhaella appeared and started to get “clingy” with Reader, not letting her finish her letter. Modern Reader at that time was a little braver and asked the Queen “My Queen, can you please not touch me, I’m uncomfortable with it.” Yandere Rhaella turns Reader around and grabs her by her chin, chuckling darkly “You do not command me what to do, Sweet girl.” And Reader push the Queen away a little “I-I’m not c-commanding you, I’m j-just tell you I’m uncomfortable. Besides I need to finish letter, my mother-“ Yandere Rhaella covers Reader’s mouth and grabs her throat violently “Don’t. you. dare. to say her name.” Then Queen looks at Reader’s letter and smirks “Oh, don’t worry Sweet girl…” She gets closer I’ll finish your letter and send a little gift to t your…mother.” The next thing happens is the Queen drags Modern Reader to her chambers and starts biting her. Modern Reader was begging the Queen to stop and accidentally hit her, realising what she has done she apologises for it, only to receive a slap on her cheek. Yandere Rhaella pushes Reader on her bed, straddling her stomach and pulls out a dagger, leaving wounds on her face, breast, meanwhile Reader continued apologising and begging to stop. Then Rhaella noticed a necklace with Lannister sigil on Reader’s neck and took it off of her. Then… well you know what happened afterwards. Yandere platonic Lady Joanna received a letter from her precious child and a box, when she was inside her chambers, she was reading a letter and was smiling, but her expression changed when she was reading next words (Yandere Rhaella’s handwriting) saying “Congratulations, Joanna. Your daughter became a woman. You “saved” her back then, but you won’t save her now. There’s something you should know, your daughter raised a hand on me, so I punished her for this. I must say she’s so beautiful and her sounds were mesmerising. You have no idea just how much I enjoyed fucking her, especially to know that was her first time. So despite that she hurted me, I was gentle with her at first. Then I was fucking her harder and harder. Oh, you should’ve seen her face. But enough of it. She and I send you a gift, it’s inside the box. Your Queen and Y/N (Modern Reader’s name). Then Joanna opened the box and it was dragon figure and inside of its mouth was necklace with Lannister sigil. Joanna demanded to talk with Tywin. When he came, he saw how Joanna was crying, holding a letter, then he noticed dragon figure with necklace. “She did this, Tywin. Our child. Our sweet girl. She hurted her and did th-this with her, she raped her, Tywin. She did it.” and Tywin shushing and holding Joanna close, telling her “I’ll find a way.” Then Joanna replied “Promise me, you’ll get her out. Promise me you save her, please, Tywin, you need to-“ “Sh-sh, I promise.” After that Tywin read the letter and noticed fresh drops of blood (Reader’s blood). The next two days Joanna died.

The reason why Yandere Rhaella was acting towards Joanna is because of the jealousy. Joanna was married to a man who loved her and treated her well and she has children who love her and all. The necklace with Lannister sigil was a gift from Joanna and Tywin towards Modern Reader.

So sad. However, you are right. Because of the letter, Rhaella is a jealous and nasty scumbag😡Joanna gives birth prematurely. (Tyrion) Tywin's hatred towards the Targaryens increases. The Lannisters will do anything to get their revenge. Tywin will keep his promise to his wife.

[relatable-trxsh]

What Kind of Help?

A/n: Hello! I wanted to take a small break from my Bellamy fic and post a Loki fic!!

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Summary: Y/n Stark runs into some family problems so Loki Helps out.

warnings: Fluff, the word "Ass"

“A ‘C’ isn't good enough y/n!” Your dad Mr.Perfect Tony Stark said. You groaned loudly rubbing your face. 

“Dad I’m in college! Why are you still even keeping track of my grades?!” He laughs dryly.

“Because you're getting C’s! Does Banner need to touter you like in high school?” You let out an exasperated yell.

“Its organic chemistry a ‘C’ is pretty damn good! AND it was a ‘C+’! Damn near a ‘B’!” Your father goes to argue back but his favorite adopted child walks in.

“Ahh Peter, what did you get in Organic Chemistry?” Peter looks between the two of you, both faces red from yelling.

“Uhh…I don't know if I want to answer that because judging by Y/n’s face she might destroy me.” You grit your teeth. “Answer the question Peter,” Tony says impatiently.

“A ‘B+’” He mumbles.

“See Peter didn't /nearly/ get a be he got a ‘B+’” You look at your father in disbelief and teleport to the only person you could stand being around right now. Your best friend Loki.

As soon as your feet touch the ground in his dark room you start pacing. Loki jumps a little at your presence before standing and walking over to you, gently grabbing your face making you stop walking. 

“My sweet darling what is wrong?” You let out a shaky breath avoiding his eyes. “My precious I need you to tell me what is wrong.” Your eyes finally meet his and all of the anger in your chest.

“Help me my family is driving me insane!” Your arms fly up and dramatically fall at your sides.

“What do you mean by help? Like ‘kill my family and help me dispose of the bodies’ help or ‘ come make me an excuse to leave’ help” You contemplate his options for a moment before shaking your head.

“Make an excuse for me to leave. Please. Dad is on my ass for getting a ‘C+’ in one of my classes and is comparing me to Peter again. I feel like such a fuck up and honestly, sometimes I think Tony regrets adopting me.”  Loki says nothing, he just pulls you into a tight hug.

“Go back downstairs I’ll be down in 15 minutes.” He gently wipes away tears you didn't know had fallen before gently kissing your cheek. You take a deep breath before nodding.

“15 minutes you promise?”  He holds out his pinky.

“I know this silly human thing means a lot to you.” You chuckle and wrap your pinky around his before teleporting back downstairs. Tony stands there arms crossed with Pepper who gives you a sympathetic look.

“Y/n what have I told you about teleporting away in the middle of a conversation?” you cross your arms.

“As far as I’m aware the conversation was over.” Tony opens his mouth to argue but Pepper kicks him in the shin.

“Ow!” He takes in a deep breath. “I understand college may be hard but I need you to try harder.”

“Tony!” Pepper yells. “Y/n you are doing great I got a ‘D’ in organic chemistry What Tony is trying to say is-” Before she can finish Loki walks in can grabs your hand.

“I am terribly sorry to interrupt this clearly crucial family meeting but I do need to steal Ms. Stark away it is ever so important.” 

“Uh no we need to talk about touters.” Tony protests.

“Touters can wait, Tony, Y/n go enjoy your time with Loki.” Loki nods before grabbing your hand and pulling you away. 

Once outside the Stark Tower, you hug Loki. 

“Thank you!” The two of you start walking and you start to feel a little anxious. Loki always made you feel this way, well more so butterflies. Every time he touches you, kisses your cheek, or calls you a cute little name that he calls no other woman.

“You know you don't have to hang out with me Loki. You can go back to your room.” He chuckles.

“Oh beautiful girl of course I want to spend my time with you, I have a whole evening planned.” You blush and look at your feet. 

Your evening was spent getting food and walking around before Loki takes you to a private little dock where you put your feet in the warm water.

“Tell me, if your fight with your father so ofter why do you come home?” You bite the inside of your cheek.

“Because you’re home…If I left and never looked back I would never see you. Plus the avengers need all the help they can get.” You add the last part trying to not get too sentimental. Loki smiles at your words.

“I will always be by your side.” You smile at his words looking up at him. Loki looks down at you between your eyes at lips. You cheeks wear on fire as you both close the distance.

[setoangel01-fanfiction]

To You, I Will Always Return

Fandom: Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy XVI

Pairing: Clive Rosfield x Jill Warrick

Rated: T

Story Summary: Thinking all was lost, Jill wept. The world had been saved, but at what cost? What good was a world if Clive wasn't in it to share it with her? …But even as Metia's red light flickered out, the sun still rose the next morning, bringing a shining light back into her darkened world.

....

MAJOR SPOILERS for the ending of FF16! Stop reading now if you haven't finished the game! 

....

The agony was unbearable.

Akin to a festering open wound on her chest that had her heart locked in a vice grip. The grief of it all had her gasping for air, choking for oxygen amidst the myriad of uncontrollable sobs she poured out into Torgal's warm fur.

No…

It couldn't be.

…Clive couldn't be gone…

Yet as she witnessed Metia's star fade completely from the sky, it was as if her heart was ripped completely out of her chest. All the hopes and dreams she threatened to picture spent at his side all turned to nothing but ashes scattering amongst the slightest breeze. The dark bearing clouds that plagued the sky faded and dissipated before their eyes, the world had been restored and renewed…

But it didn't matter.

Nothing did, for she had lost him again…

This time for good.

A crescendo of grief overtook her body, shaking uncontrollably as her legs finally collapsed underneath the sheer magnitude of her intolerable grief.

"C-CLIVE!" Jill sobbed brokenly into Torgal's furry neck. The sound muffled little of the echoes of her shattered voice amidst the throngs of silent people witnessing her heart's destruction. Lost in a chasm of darkness, the lack of her light, the truest of friends and only true love she'd ever known…

It was insufferable.

Jill's fingers fisted into Torgal's fur, pulling the large wolf against her chest and allowing her howls to join his own. Visceral, broken, like her very soul was being wretched from her body to join his wherever he went.

The wolf's howls soon tapered off into a soft whine, whimpering as he nuzzled his face against her hair in commiseration of their shared misery. And with such precious little left of her heart, she held the last piece tight against her chest, feeling as if she'd let him go, she'd shatter into a million pieces.

…Torgal was all she truly had left now…

The gaping hole underneath her sternum where Clive's light resided felt as cold as Shiva's Diamond Dust. The other half of her soul vanquished as if it had never been there. This chasm of black, of nothingness, where there once remained so much light, happiness and absolute love had been extinguished as Metia went dark.

No...

It was not supposed to end this way…

Closing her eyes, two more tears joined the many salty warm tracks lining her ruddy cheeks. In the serene darkness behind her eyelids, she once again watched the moment Clive had said his goodbyes. Warm heavy hands upon her shoulders, his confession of love, his sweet kiss and that wonderful hug she that never wanted to pull away from. His warmth, his smile, his smell, the taste of his mouth that still lingered faintly on her tongue…

…Never would she experience them again…

Clive was gone - he was dead…

Oh Founder, how could this happen?

Lost in agony, the despair so visceral she was almost numb. The pain of his loss far exceeding any physical wound or emotional trauma she'd ever sustained. Clive had been her world ever since she was a child. All her aspiring hopes and lofty dreams lay nestled within in those dark blue eyes and loving arms. Losing him those egregious 13 years was absolute hell. Yet as he walked back in her life, it was like the sun out came from behind the clouds, shining on her face and she was finally able to bask in his radiant light…

But not anymore…

Even if their world was saved - hers was over.

For a world without Clive Rosfield in it was not a world she wanted to live in…

Clive had given his all, his everything. Had fought, sweat and bled tirelessly to save those who didn't even want to save themselves. He worked his fingers to the bone to finish the work his father and Cid had started. To give everyone, Bearers and Non-Bearers, Princes and Paupers alike, something precious few ever had in life - a choice. A choice to live and die how one wanted. To do more with their existence than merely scrape by to survive til the next passing day…

Clive fought for true freedom and he won.

Yet the cost to gain this freedom was far too steep.

It was Clive who paid the ultimate price. He fought for them all, yet who was supposed to save him? Giving him Shiva, all the other Eikons and their seemingly limitless power joining Ifrit's chosen…and it still wasn't enough to bring Clive, Joshua nor Dion home safely…

It wasn't fair!

Not one bit…

But then again, when has life ever been fair for them?

With nothing left to do - Jill wept.

Cold bitter tears that stung her flesh as even her Eikon Shiva's power began fading much like the others - along with the crystal that shattered in the sky - taking her heart along with it.

Clive had made a promise to her. He promised that he would always return to her. In turn, she made him a promise that she would always be waiting for him no matter how long it took…

...This was the first promise he'd ever broken.

Yet as she pressed her face into her last remaining tie to the past, Jill swore she would keep hers. Fruitless as it may be. She would wait for him until her dying day, she'd wait forever if only to see his face once more at the end of it all.

"…Oh, Clive…" she whimpered his precious name into Torgal's fur. Hands weakly shaking as they clung to the final piece of their shared past, of the future that was free from the crystals and their magic that now felt so utterly bleak. She told Clive before he left that she would only cry when the clouds disappeared and the sun returned. So she did just that.

Openly, she sobbed. Rivers of tears soaking into Torgal's pelt as the wolf howled and whimpered in obvious grief. Time seemed inconsequential in those moments. So numb and utterly broken, shattered with no hope of repair; as if a stray wisp of wind would shatter what remained of her soul.

"Why? …Why did you have to go? W-Why, oh why didn't I go with you or make you stay?" she sobbed brokenly into Torgal's throat. So many questions with answers that would never come.

All her dreams, all the new memories she'd wish to make with him were nothing more than dust and ashes. A future she was unsure of but the only certain thing she'd wanted was him always beside her…

Torgal suddenly tensed against her. His haunches rising and Jill was shaking as she pulled her face from the divot of salt water and snot she'd pressed into his fur. As if in a trance, her crystalline eyes opened and her heart ached fiercely when upon opening her eyes, she was met with the sunrise.

"No matter how dark the night, the dawn will always rise…"

Those words she spoke felt so paltry in the face of her grief now. For what was a sunrise without Clive to greet the new day with her? To wake up next to him with his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. So many mornings she left him snoozing in their warm sheets while she left to grab a quick cup of coffee or tea to share. Her laughter tickling her lips upon returning to the room to witness Clive fruitlessly trying to tame his sleep-ruffled hair. Without all the leather, metal and armor, he looked so unbearably soft in the dawning light. Cobalt eyes sleepy and hands warm as he greeted her with a tender smile, pulling her in for a hug and kiss every single sunrise. Those precious few times they were able to quietly make love before anyone would be knocking at his door would do nothing but haunt her now.

The room they shared would remain as a memorial; his tomb. Four walls only serving as a painful reminder of everything, and everyone, she had lost.

Clive and Jill would share no more mornings on the deck or her sipping wine as he chugged lager late into the evening. No playful sparring matches with either their swords or elements in the afternoons nor shared kisses in the gardens they'd come across in their travels. There would be no more new adventures awaiting them on the horizon nor stories from their childhood to reminisce about as they grew older or to one day tell their children and grandchildren…

Jill's lips trembled as more tears felt like molten lava down her cheeks and quivering jaw.

All she had left of Clive were mere memories now. Such precious few moments that would fade in time until she would hardly remember what his face looked like or the timbre of his calming voice. With time, her mind would forget the sensation of being able to witness his radiant warmth of his smile or laughter. Never again experience the greatest love she'd ever known.

It was gone.

The brightest light she'd ever known snuffed out as easily as a small flame upon a frayed candle wick.

...Clive was never coming home…

"RUFF!" Torgal barked loudly and Jill backed up as the frost wolf shook her arms free. Her trembling fingers fell from his fur as she could do little more than flail as she fell onto her rear as she lost her grasp.

"Torgal?" she whimpered. "W-What is it, boy?"

It was only that moment when she realized everyone in the Hideaway was speaking, some even yelling. A cacophony of noise that her grief had been blocking out. Jill's heart pounded in sudden fear, with the final crystal gone didn't mean safely. All too aware of the increasing possibility of an invasion here at the Hideaway, especially now that Clive wasn't here to protect them...

A calm swept over her unlike any she'd felt before.

No.

Clive died to save the world, to save this place, and she would rather join him in death than let anyone tear down all he had worked tirelessly to build. Clive's sacrifice would not be in vain, for she would do everything in her power to make sure the home and life they built together would survive til the next sunrise.

Jill's tears instantly quelled for those could wait until after it was all over.

Knees shaking, Jill stood to her numb feet. Reaching down, she grasped her sword that lay discarded at her side, ready and willing to face whatever hell was coming to their shores. Jill wiped the tears from her blurry vision before peering quickly at the horizon. Silently awaiting a hoard of sea-faring monsters or that damned god Ultima taking whatever precious remained to her in this realm.

Icy blue eyes remained steadfast out for movement on the ocean's edge to see what fate had in store for them when she heard Gav suddenly bellow out in a broken sob, "C-C-CLIVE! IT'S CLIVE!"

A full body shiver went through her body as she looked at the man, the eyeglass contraption Mid made falling from his hands and she followed where his trembling finger was pointed.

Jill's sword made a harsh clank as it hit the wooden deck and she ran.

Never in her entire life had she'd run so fast before. Heart throbbed and pounded against her sternum as the dawning light scattered across the shape of the boat slowly drawing towards their man-made shores. Old Man Obolus was standing near the moor and he didn't even say a single word to stop her as she untied his beloved boat from the dock. Torgal and Gav like fire chasing her heels as they jumped into the boat beside her.

Without even speaking a word, Jill and Gav gathered an oar each, both in complete sync as they quickly paddled toward the figure on the horizon like hell himself was on their helm. Jill wasn't even aware she was crying again until she had to choke back another sob. Gav wasn't faring much better, the two sharing such grief and loss that this shining hope seemed far too good to be true. The hope she was certain had been extinguished was a flickering candle flame that grew into an inferno as the man shadowed by the bright light of the sun grew ever closer.

Torgal was barking something fierce, the wolf looked ready to jump and swim the rest of the way if need be.

Jill shared the sentiment.

"Could it really be him?" Gav spoke next to her, his only remaining eye overflowing with equal portions of grief and hope. "I'm not just seeing what I wish to see. Am I, Jill?" A sob left his mouth, his eye growing hazy with so many conflicting emotions. All the years sharing nights and drinks. His encouragement. The fact Clive called him his brother... The baby boy Edde delivered named "Clive 'Cid' Dominique" in their infirmary was a testament to the effect Clive had on them all.

"I don't know..." Jill gasped.

Only moments before, they were both so certain that Clive's story was over. His chapter was done and now they would have to go on and pick up his mantle. To live the legacy he left behind yet as the figure became clearer and clearer, it appeared his story had still to be finished.

It was really him…

"CLIVE!" Jill wailed out his name, throat aching against the sob that leeched out her throat as she let go of the paddle and ran to the stern. She nearly tripped at the sudden jar to the left before Gav quickly took both oars in his hands to put them back on course.

He drew ever nearer and this close she saw Clive was only rowing with one hand while the other oar was tied to his forearm with a cloth. Suddenly worried he was horribly injured, Jill gathered whatever power over ice she still retained and used it to push them closer to Clive's boat. Heart hammering as his blurry features cleared into that face she loved so much - one she swore she'd never see again.

Clive looked towards the both of them, the softest smile gracing his face as he let go of the paddle to wave at them.

Jill couldn't wait any longer.

No further hesitation, Jill leaped out of the boat, her feet causing small patches of ice to form as she bolted the small distance to him. As she got within only a few arms length away, Jill stumbled. Leather boots, pants and the bottom of her dress sinking into the saltwater before she found herself suddenly in the most wonderful place in the world - right into Clive's arms waiting arms.

Jill fell apart. "Clive…" she screamed his name into his skin, "Oh, my love. I- I thought you were…" she couldn't finish.

Tears she swore had run out streamed in currents down her face as she wrapped her arms across his shoulders and wept into his chest, Trembling hands placed between his shoulder blades as she memorized the sensation of his beautiful heartbeat against her palms. The proof that Clive was here - he was alive. Sweaty, filthy and bleeding, but he was alive…

So wonderfully alive.

"Jill, oh, milady. I missed you…" his voice was sweeter than the most talented choir as he held her close. The smell of sweat, leather, blood and sea salt leeching heavily from him - she never smelt anything so wonderful.

Torgal barked, the large wolf jumping into their boat, rocking them back and forth and soaking them with sea salt water droplets from his fur and his flurry of slobber as his tongue lapped furiously at Clive's bearded face.

Jill's sobs became tearful laughter at his nauseated expression that melted so quickly into fondness as he pulled the sopping wet dog into their hug. In her peripheral vision, she saw Gav finally approach and park next to Clive's vessel, the tears leaking down his good eye didn't deter from the smile on his face as Clive reached towards him and pulled him into their group embrace.

The few minutes of pure utter relief and bliss didn't last long though.

"Wait… W-Where's Joshua and Dion?" Gav's sudden question was like being plunged into a bath of ice water.

As if realizing his brother nor the Prince had returned with him, the small smile that had taken refuge on Clive's face suddenly faltered and fell. An anguish so deep overtook those cobalt depths as tears welled and finally slipped down his scarred face.

Instead of a verbal answer, Clive merely shook his head in grief and absolute misery. His lower lip trembled as his eyes slipped down to his feet and it was obvious by his expression alone what had taken place.

The sudden euphoria at having Clive back in her arms suddenly felt soured for Joshua and Dion deserved just as much as a happy ending as the rest of them…

It was in those few moments of silence when Jill suddenly noticed the strange parlor of Clive's left hand. Shivered upon seeing the bone white skin and stiffness like stone. The curse of a Bearer, a Dominant, of magick leaving another form of its wretchedness upon Clive's skin.

"Oh, Founder, no…" she whimpered, hand reaching out to touch the hardened hand. Squeezing the unforgiving flesh between her fingers in the hopes that this wasn't happening. If Clive returned only to be taken by the dreaded curse…

"Don't worry. It's only the hand…" Clive explained. Tears still leaking down his face, Clive smiled at her and Gav. Showcasing the grief that lay in those weary eyes, he still continued to smile. "It won't spread. I promise."

"But, how, what…" Gav's words tapered off as Clive pressed his only working hand on Gav's shoulder and squeezed.

Clive's eyes flickered out into the waters, to the sky where the crystal once resided but was now gone, "Dion sacrificed himself. He bravely kept Ultima occupied while Joshua and I escaped to the inner crystal. The Prince died a hero's death to save us. And J-Joshua… He - Joshua saved me… I was nearly dead but he used whatever power remained in him…so in turn that I could fight for us all." Clive whispered and all Jill could do was rub his back as his breath hitched and his words faltered. "They were both so brave. A-After Ultima fell, I… I was certain I would follow them in death. To destroy the crystal once and for all, I had to absorb Ultima to obliterate what was left of the magick."

"Fuck…" Gav gasped.

"I… I was so sure that I was dead, or dying. All I remember was light before I somehow washed up on the beach. Hand turned stiff from the curse, I could do little other than merely lay there on the sand. Waves lapping at my feet when I found myself looking at the moon…and at Metia…" Clive's cobalt eyes found her icy blue, "I was asking you if you could see it too… Then I closed my eyes, fully expecting to never open them again…"

Jill's lip trembled, "Oh Clive…" she whimpered, trembling as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek and soft sweet mouth before pressing her forehead to his and shaking against his fragile strength.

Torgal whined softly, his head buried in Clive's lap as he nuzzled his body fully between Clive's legs.

Gav reached over and pressed his forehead to Clive's temple. "I'm so glad you did…"

Clive wrapped his arms around both of them, "When I woke up, I was at the same beach. Barely a moment had passed since I had closed my eyes and yet there sat a boat that I swore wasn't there before and I was only a short ride away from home. ...So strange. It was almost as if nothing happened or changed." Clive lifted his stiff hand, "other than this…and this…"

Jill watched with bated breath as with his remaining functioning hand, Clive pulled out a glowing phoenix feather from his satchel.

The ethereal light leaching from the otherworldly feather bathing Clive's face in an array of warm colors. All different shades of amber and burning flames leaving ghostly imprints on his skin as the power inside of Clive lay dormant and nearly powerless reacted to its warmth regardless.

All was quiet for a moment before Clive suddenly screamed out his brother's name in a heartwrenching sob.

Broad shoulders trembling like a leaf and Jill immediately wrapped her arms around him. Pulling his face into her breast as she allowed him to fall apart for the brother he so desperately loved and so tragically lost. Clive pressed the feather to his chest, weeping and sobbing as if he would never stop. His sodden tears soaking her shirt as he grieved for the life Joshua would never get to live.

All Jill could do was join him in his misery.

Tears slipped down her face as she recalled that kind-hearted young man who fought so valiantly and ended up dying for them all. Remembered him also as the sweetest little boy she watched grow up in Rosaria. The little boy who always had a smile on his face and such joy in his eyes even as he was always physically hurting and sickly. To witness the bond Clive and Joshua shared, the unbreakable chain that tied them together remained steadfast even the years they were apart. Only for Joshua to bravely give up his life so that his beloved brother, his first Shield, could live on.

Gav bit his lip, hands reaching to Clive to comfort him yet he pulled away. Biting his lip, he wiped away the tears remaining in his eye before grabbing the discarded oars in his hands. Without a word, he began steering them back towards the Hideaway - back towards their home.

"I'm so sorry…" Jill sobbed into Clive's hair, the flecks of blood, sweat and sea water brushing against her cheek only made her hold him all the tighter.

Clive cried, his breath hitching as he burrowed into her warmth as if she was the only thing keeping him tethered to the earth. His lips trembling against her collarbone as his tears soaked her skin. All she could do was run her hands over his back, his head, through his hair in comforting circles. The rocking of the boat as Gav made for the Hideaway allowing her to cradle Clive closer as he cried. The heartwrenching sobs eventually fading to gasping cries, his body lax in her hold as he finally grew quiet in her arms.

Clive pulled back from her slightly only to adjust so his head rested comfortably on her shoulder. His arms wrapped and resting on the small of her back, his cursed addled hand slightly digging into her spine yet she would never have him move it. Jill looked at his face, her thumb brushing across his cheeks to wipe his numerous tears that leaked from his half-lidded eyes. The grief was suffocating but in those deep blue eyes she'd loved her whole life, there was still a spark. Glowing Phoenix Feather resting against Clive's heart as he set his gaze towards the rising sun.

The vision of its gentle rays much like the spread wings of a beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes and pulling itself further into the sky in order to watch over them all from its perch in the heavens.

"...J-Joshua…" Clive whispered against her skin, eyelashes fluttering before fanning out against his scarred cheek as his eyes slipped shut. "Thank you, brother…for everything…"

With only a few more whimpered gasps leaving his lips, Clive had fallen asleep.

Jill's eyes rested on Clive's face for a long moment. Merely enjoying the warmth of his breath, the smell of his skin and the heartbeat pounding against her own.

Her prayers had been answered. Clive was here - alive. Never again would she want for more…

Holding Clive all the tighter, her icy blue eyes slid to the sky. Taking in the sun resting its comforting rays on their shoulders, its light warm like a gentle hug and always steadfast presence that would never leave.

The Phoenix Feather on Clive's chest suddenly glowed and Jill smiled.

"Yes. Thank you, Joshua…" Jill whispered, the words carried into the breeze and hopefully to wherever his spirit resided. Thin pale fingers slipping through Clive's tangled raven locks as he slept against her chest. "Thank you for bringing him home…" Tears slipped down her face as she pressed her cheek against Clive's warn hair and quietly wept for the wonderful friend and brother that had been lost to such blind hatred. She closed her eyes and prayed that Joshua would find peaceful rest, would reunite with his father and know that he was so loved and would never be forgotten.

Joshua deciding to lay down his life brought Clive back to her and Jill swore that she would never take that for granted nor forget his nor Dion's ultimate sacrifice.

None of them would…

As the Hideaway grew closer and the varying emotions from the faces of all their awaiting friends showcased relief, happiness, grief, and hope all in equal measure, Jill merely held Clive's sleeping form tighter against her chest.

Joshua Rosfield gave them all a second chance, and this time, none of them were going to take a single day for granted.

[pitchannawarmsourblackhearts]

A: "Ugh, I hate [Person B] so much" C: "But they're so sweet and nice to you." A: "Yeah, exactly. That's so hateful of them." :3

(Wrote this while I was tired, but I hope you like~)

“Come near my sister again,” the little ice queen threatened. “And I’ll make certain you are entirely forgotten by every child of the world.” Sending him a chilling look that she no doubt imagined was intimidating, she lifted her chin, turned on her heel, and walked away towards her sister and the Guardians.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Pitch called after her, in a quiet but mocking tone. 

Elsa stopped and turned around to argue, an annoyed expression on her face. Bunny grabbed her shoulder to stop her and the tooth fairy brusquely shook her head in discouragement of any more fighting between the Arendelle queen and the Nightmare King. 

But Princess Anna moved around her sister to prevent any further conflict and piped up, “Thank you for letting me stay and see the night mares, Pitch. It was a magical visit.” A smile, innocent and genuine, spread across her lips that lit up her pretty face. He halted, something in his chest twisting at her words. It felt something like anger, but not quite.

“Anna, don’t talk to him,” Elsa scolded, but gently took her sister’s hand to pull her away to Bunny’s portal. She whispered something in Anna’s ear with an affronted look on her face. Anna listened, half-heartedly anyway, but she met Pitch’s eyes before the queen pulled the princess through the portal, giving Pitch a little wave before she disappeared in it, green skirts trailing after her. He felt something akin to disappointment upon seeing his captive gone… that captive had been overly talkative, curious to a fault, and frustratingly persistent in her attempts to have a friendly conversation with him. She was a pest, but at least with her as his prisoner, it had shaken up the painful monotony of his immortal life and duties as the Boogeyman. Amusement was something he always prized.

“I think that was a blush on your face, Pitch.”

Whipping around, the king saw a ragged young white-haired boy leaning against the wall of his underground palace. “You’re late, Frost. Or maybe it was hesitation to join the fight?” Pitch ignored Jack’s remark and smirked at the boy. “Understandable.”

“No hesitation here,” the urchin smiled right back. “Why would I wanna interrupt your sorry excuse for a date? Especially with a princess?” There was some sarcastic emphasis on that last word.

After an honestly stunned pause at hearing the question, Pitch barked out a nasty laugh, and found himself unable to stop, until he finally managed to let out a sigh. “Oh, Jack. I thought the princess was the picture of naivete, but…”

“Okay, okay, I get it. You don’t wanna talk about those soft feelings. You’re a scary monster with scary monster feelings.” Jack gave a shrug. “I was going to jump in with the others, but when I saw the look on your face, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s precious… he’s kidnapping her because he’s got a crush’. But we can just keep it between ourselves.” Giving Pitch a little wave with two fingers off his forehead, Jack smiled and headed for the palace door to fly home.

The smugness of the boy irritated Pitch. He was a good several hundred years Pitch’s junior. Pitch tolerated Jack the most easily of all the Guardians and their allies, even liked the easygoing boy in a way… but sometimes Jack had a way of getting deep under Pitch’s skin, no matter how often the Nightmare King tried to get under Jack’s. 

Quick as a star being snuffed out, Pitch vanished into one of the innumerable shadows to appear in Jack’s path. The boy did not jump in surprise as he’d expected, but kept his little smile on his pale face.

“Maybe torturing both of you would make a fine pastime, Jack,” Pitch said, considering, as he looked down his long nose at the boy. “I wonder how soon it would take the Guardian of Fun to crack upon hearing a young girl’s screams of terror, day in and day out… Should we find out?”

Pitch’s teeth showed as his lips curled, and the blackness around them in the gloomy lair swirled about the two menacingly. Jack held up his staff defensively, but did not look at all frightened.

“Hey, you don’t need to get hissy with me. Just stop taking Princess Anna. She’s a nice girl, and her sister is our ally now.”

“I will take anyone I please,” Pitch did indeed hiss, and reached out to hold Frost by the throat. “And there’s only so much you Guardians can do before I take not only the Princess, but her entire kingdom for my fearlings and night mares, if I should wish.”

It was Jack’s turn to burst out laughing. In a rare moment of shock, Pitch loosened his grip on the boy’s throat, and Jack promptly pulled himself away and stepped back a few feet, but even being almost strangled didn’t stop his laughter.

“Oh, man… you have it bad. What have you really been doing with her every time you kidnap her, Pitch?” Jack leaned against his staff for support while he chortled as this realization came over him.

Stumped by this boy’s refusal to be cowed or let the issue go, a childish feeling overwhelmed Pitch. He was too annoyed to feel ashamed of it. Centuries of the Guardians feeling entitled to respect from him, but never returning the favor.

“You stupid boy,” his voice came out in a dangerous growl. “She, the queen, all of you- inspire nothing but the utmost hatred from me.”

He had dreamed of a hundred ways to defeat them all, and almost told some of the particularly frightening ideas to Jack, but was interrupted.

“Why do you hate her?” Jack’s laughter had finally died down, but he stayed leaning on his staff with a maddening look of analysis on his face. “She’s a great girl. Real sweet. We know from what she’s told us that she’s the perfect houseguest when she’s here with you.”

Fed up with this, the King of Nightmares shot every shadow in every direction with a stomp of his foot. That had finally shaken Jack up a little. The boy stopped using his staff for support and held it in a fighting stance, looking around, as Pitch had faded back into the darkness. Only his voice remained.

“And that hateful girl refuses to show me the fear and respect I deserve.” The velvety voice seemed to come from everywhere. “I am the Boogeyman, Jack Frost. Those who do not fear me will be reminded why they should… in the DIREST of ways.” A chaotic storm of shadows shot towards Jack, who was forced to flee. Pitch let him go. He was unnerved by how easily he lost his calm with this interaction. Normally, Pitch had control of every conversation he had.

Unless that princess was in it, or it revolved around her.

Fresh anger boiled in his chest upon Jack’s words coming back to him.”You have it bad.” The foolish boy had successfully gotten a rise out of him. But why? This slip of a girl had no hold over him. How could she? A mere mortal princess with a head full of dreams and a soft heart. It was why she was so enjoyable to prey upon; in his palace, she was at his mercy, and he had the pleasure of trying to break that pitiful optimism and love.

Although he had not yet succeeded.

Phasing through the shadows to enter the room he’d let her have as her own chambers, he saw she had left a dark green ribbon on the floor. The one that had been wound through her burnt orange hair. Without really thinking, he reached down to pluck it off the floor and rub it between his fingers. It had a silky sheen to it, not unlike the young woman’s hair, and the deep green had made her coppery freckles stand out.. He supposed it had fallen out the one of the first nights he had kidnapped her and they’d had their scuffles. The first couple of times, the princess had fought him like a wildcat as she attempted to find a way out of his labyrinth of a palace to no avail, till she realized he did not actually mean to kill her. 

He regretted being so lenient on the girl, because somehow along the way she seemed to… like being there with him. She smiled at him so often. No sane person waved to the Boogeyman. What was he doing wrong? What was wrong with her?

He gripped the ribbon like a talisman, feeling a storm of irritation and other things he didn’t quite identify. Leaving the room to phase into the main hall, pacing. Whatever the reason for her unending defiant cheerfulness, he would see that he put a stop to it the next time he spirited her away.

Besides, he had a personal item that belonged to her. Peering at the ribbon through the scant sunlight filtering through the openings that passed as windows high above, a small grin grew on his face. He’d return it to her castle soon… and return her to the black chamber in his lair.

[azurecanary]

Things i loved about this week's Ahsoka, again in no particular order:

JACEN MY SWEET PRECIOUS CHILD

You know Chopper would commit (another) massacre to protect that kid

Oh so Leia wasn't the only one whose warnings about the Empire/First Order were ignored by Mon Mothma. Hmmmmmmmm

God i loved Huyang. David's really playing him like if the Tenth Doctor was also C-3PO. (I do wish he played him with his Scottish accent tho)

"I don't want Sabine to be a Jedi" HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

That said my theory that Sabine has uber repressed Force abilities seems to be coming through

Every time Marrok talks I'm straining my ear to try and hear Sam Witwer's voice. (Y'all even the helmet looks like what i think it is)

Ahsoka space fight was not on my bingo card but i accept it.

PURGILLS PURGILLS PURGILLS PURGILLS

Idc what anyone says Natasha and Mary both play Sabine and Hera perfectly

There is some difference between Rosario's Ahsoka and Ashley's Ahsoka but that's to be expected given what has happened since TCW and Rebels

[iced-sweet-dt]

Could I perhaps request something sweet/fluffy (non-shippy!) with c!Dream and c!BBH, pls? 🥺👉👈 Only if'n you want to, though!

Absolutely, thank you for voting!

(Vote Fundy & Dream in this poll and send me proof to get a short story!)

“Dream?”

The man in question sat on top of the Community House, watching as the sun steadily sank lower in the sky, the beginnings of golden glint flickering on the water below. He half-turned, toying with the mask in his lap as if to hurriedly re-equip it.

“Oh! It’s just you, Bad.” 

He scooted over and patted the spot next to him on the stone frame, which Bad gratefully lowered himself onto, staring out at the oncoming sunset. Together they watched it silently, lost in admiration.

“You know,” Bad started ponderously, “you’ve really built something special here, Dream.” He swept a clawed hand across the painted horizon, where their small collection of buildings gave way to rugged hills. His tail swept a low arc in tandem. “It could even succeed Munchy someday.” “Really?” Dream looked at his adoptive parent, surprised. “You really think so?”

“Maybe one day. Something so well-run and precious… Well, they don’t come often.” 

And Dream knew Bad had the centuries of wisdom to back that up. He slipped into a daydream--tens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of people working, playing, living in the world he’d set aside for his friends. His very soul thrummed, the land crying happily in anticipation of a found family of however-many-people needed to find joy here. He didn’t even realize he was crying himself until Bad was reaching over and wiping the tears from Dream’s cheeks, hand-in-hand. 

“You okay, Dream?” he asked worriedly, reminding Dream of the many times he’d gotten injured as a child, and how Bad’s steady presence comforted and provided for him endlessly. He smiled despite the tears, and Bad gave a fanged smile back.

“Yeah, I’m just, I’m just so happy,” he sniffled.

Bad patted him on the back and allowed Dream to lean into him, taking in their familial comfort as they had many times before. When the Dream Team had struck out on their own--determined beyond compare to find their own place and make a name for themselves--many tears had been shed during that watershed moment, as Bad’s youngest finally left the nest. 

And now here they were, together again, a bright and shining future awaiting them.

“I’m so proud of you, my son.”

[aimportantdragoncollector]

A questionnaire for my favorite? Thank you so much, even the effort you put into the questions is lovely. Oh this looks like fun, so I couldn’t resist ~

1. Green and actually the exact same shade like Yoichi

2. Yes, very fertile. My whomb reminds me every month of its fertility with a bloody slaughter fest

3. It would be fine,  but probably not necessary. Green eyes, slim built, same hair structure... 

4. Tracking devices and cameras are very important for the... safety of children. Better safe than sorry

5. Absolutely, I hate my job anyways and kind of want to see the world burn, so as long as the house got a window from which I can see the fire, staying at home is fine

6. Adopted children are fine, especially when they are as cute as Yoichi. Biological children in addition would be nice though

7. I can cook japanese and western meals as well as a few korean meals. I’m also great at baking sweet treats. I’ve been told that my chocolate cake is to die for ~

8. I prefer to finish stories, but only if they seem to be worth my while. If the story takes a turn I don’t like I just toss it and remember it for what it’s worth before it turned to shit

9. Honestly it depends on the tie and the man. If the tie isn’t worth the man, the man shouldn’t feel obligated to sink on the level of such pesky fabric. If it is a really stunning tie though, it could elevate his elegance. Although there aren’t many ties that rise to the occasion 

10. Demon King, no explanation needed

11. No! Family is so precious even if they need a bit of extra-love or hard-love. It is important to me that family knows how much I love them. 

12. Taking care of more children would be fine, even if it is only temporary, especially if I am allowed to... handle them... if they don’t know what is best for them. Tenko seems to be a lovely child, so of course I could take care of him, too. We could play some video games? Are +18 rated gory shooters still considered cool for children his age? 

13. All Might is naive and longterm thinking is a major challenge for him. Of course he is a ‘hero’, but aren’t heroes the nail in the coffin for this society? 

14. Spikey hair is so basic. Soft short curls are more handsome

15.  Answer C. Obviously. The more bank vaults, the more storage room for precious possessions and loved ones

16. 3 out of 10. There are still people fancying the heroes, but enough people recognize the loop holes and dark pits in the system. I would like to contribute to make the world a 1 out of 10. 

17. C would be fine if daddy truly knows best. B would be naive because there would be an obvious power imbalance and it wouldn’t be because of the age gap.

18. We can start with option B and if this doesn’t work, we will end up with option C. But I’m sure that no child of mine would want to be a hero. 

19. Again: we can start with B, if B doesn’t work we can try A and if A doesn’t work, C is the solution

20. Yoichi is really a cute name, so of course, Yoichi is perfect

21. Answer C, of course. We can do this as foreplay, too. 

22. HOT! HOT! HOT! 

23. Answer C. I would be disappointed if he was just a low level villain though. 

24. Black is my color, especially if they are floaty clothes with snug waists. Aside from that, black is a great contrast to my very pale skin and makes my green eyes pop. 

25. Answer B. True love surmounts even death

26. I’ll try to keep this short since I don’t want to steal to much of his time just in case I’m not his time. If he would like to meet though, I’d be honored to give him a lenghty reminder why he is perfect. 

First of all his charisma got my attention. Dark, menacing... and that voice. A perfect deep rumble that is seductive and soothing all the same, but can turn intimidating within a second. His character is truly remarkable. I like a man that just takes what he wants and is not afraid to dream big and live up to his potential. He has the power to change the world and intends to do so. Such drive and dedication. His vision for the future and intellect, the curiosity and capability he puts into collecting and learning to use all those quirks is amazing. The love he has for his family is truly remarkable. It’s sad that his family doesn’t reciprocate the love, yet, he truly deserves it. I would love to support him in his efforts and meanwhile he could have my love, too. 

So... what does he think? Should I pick out my nicest black dress for a dinner date or will I end up dead in a ditch with my quirk stolen? 

In any case I wish you a nice day and thank you in advance, I already had a great time filling out the questionnaire ~ 

Finally, someone with the same green eyes as Yoichi! This was finally worth All for One weeding through all the quiz answers and hunting down those who mocked him.

All for One also wants to see the world burn, and he likes his loved ones to stay safely at home, so you two are very much on the same page. In addition, he’s finally found the perfect cook with a wide range! He’ll be happy to make other people die for your chocolate cake.

When you said “If the story takes a turn I don’t like I just toss it and remember it for what it’s worth before it turned to shit” then All for One got up and pumped his fist. Yes! Finally someone gets him! The story Captain Hero was great when the Demon King was invincible but it all went downhill after Captain Hero got several bullshit powerups in a row. Plenty of other people agreed online that Captain Hero got too many deus ex machinas, Yoichi.

All for One is willing to let you fasten his ties because you flattered him so much.

All for One approves of your family values and he’s happy to give permission for Tenko to play gory shooter games. He also appreciated your trashing of All Might and spikey-haired menaces.

Finally, someone who appreciates bank vaults! Someone who wants to help All for One make society even worse! Someone happy to help him vault the children! Someone who appreciates trashing All Might as foreplay! Someone who has standards and only dates top villains! Someone who looks good in black! Most importantly, someone who understands that Yoichi is the perfect name!

Your score is perfect. Your simping made All for One’s ancient heart beat faster. He’s a little in love with you already. It appears he’s coming to pick you up for a date…right now. He can’t wait a moment longer to meet you. Good luck!

[freakystrashdump]

🔮The Oracle Bakery🔮

Emperor Belos|Phillip Wittebane/OC

Slow burn, enemies to lovers, Belos is a content warning by himself

Read on AO3

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Chapter 7: Old Friends, New Friends

The journal was an absolute treasure, more precious than any of the human books and thingamabobs she had acquired from the Owl Lady throughout the years. It was an obvious labour of love, the illustrations filled with detail and the text, oh the text! It was written in a way that's both easily digestible and informational, on top of being incredibly flowery and picturesque. 

As soon as Selena was back in the bakery, she excused herself to her little apartment, letting Katya (who had finally came in apparently just a mere 15 minutes after she left) run customer service again while the kitchen took care of everything else, and was inhaling the journal, page by page by page. And by the Titan, she could wax poetic about all the ways she was in love with this book.

And she couldn’t put her finger on why , but something about the illustrations and the text, it felt almost…nostalgic? 

She wondered if the Emperor ever wrote a children's book under a pen name, something she may have come across in the library at a younger age. I mean, he wasn’t always an Emperor, right? Or maybe he just had a classical artstyle, probably one he copied from the same books she may have read as a child.

Selena promised to return the book in a decent enough time-frame, refusing to hog it for too long. Both because it would be considered rude and because she felt uncomfortable keeping something from the Emperor in her home, no matter how amazing the thing may be. So she was thinking of maybe taking the Friday off and putting together a three day weekend, to dedicate it to copying everything she could need from it.

As she read (and re-read) the journal, only coming down to the bakery once around lunch time to find a pastry to be her meal and check in on Katya, the light from outside turned to a more golden hue and the shadows grew longer and darker.

A knock on the hatch door broke her away from the journal “It’s open!”

The hatch lifted to reveal Katya, out of the apron uniform and with a rucksack on her back “Hey, it’s closing time boss, I’m about to head out.”

Selena’s head quickly turned towards the nearest clock, her eyes instantly widening when seeing how late it was “Oh, oh wow. Yeah, it really is closing time. Damn, I lost track of time.” Katya climbed up fully, sitting on the edge of the hatch opening. Her eyes zeroed in on the journal in the witch's hands.

“Yeah, you full on zoned out my dude. What is that book you’re reading, anyway?” As soon as she asked, Selena shut the journal audibly.

“Something to help with the human recipes.” she quipped “It’s an old book of ingredients from the Imperial library I was allowed to borrow. The Emperor insisted I take it so I can make him more diverse snacks.”

Katya’s jaw dropped “Wait, he let you borrow his book? The Emperor?”

“Yup.”

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same witch? Emperor Belos, really tall and really scary?”

Not missing a beat, Selena shrugged nonchalantly “He’s suffering from a massive sweet-tooth, I guess.”

The bard clicked her tongue in annoyance “I don’t like this.”

“No one is happy about this, least of all me.” Selena put the journal away in her nightstand and made sure to lock the drawer. “But that’s life, sometimes it sucks and sometimes it really sucks.” she turned back to Katya “Anyway, thanks for today, you’re free to go. Actually, I’m gonna be taking a three day weekend, so I’ll see you again on Monday!”

“Wait, for real?!” Katya seemed to forget her previous worries, eyes sparkling with excitement “Aw nice , boss! I’ll finally have some time to catch up on my writing~” she winked and started going back down, super excited to start her extended weekend “I cleaned up and everything, so don’t worry about that! See ya boss!”

And just like that, she was gone. Though she didn’t close the hatch door behind her, annoyingly so, making Selena grumble at the realisation she was going to have to get out of her little blanket nest she made in bed to do so. While she hated omitting the truth from Katya in this manner, no matter how much she disliked the Emperor, a secret she promised to keep was not one she intended to blabber. And besides, she wanted to be kept in his good graces. 

Keep your enemies close, as they say.

She continued snuggling in her perfect blanket nest for a bit longer, the cup of tea she made still deliciously warm where she held it on her lap. Even without the journal as an excuse, she grew more content with the idea of a long weekend. Sure, they worked short hours during Saturdays and were closed Sundays, but three full days off? Man, that’s lush. She couldn’t wait to sleep in and just stay in her pyjamas. It’s been a while since she actually took a surprise holiday weekend like this. Despite the warm feeling that thought gave her, a shiver still shook her body, forcing her to remember the open hatch. 

Oh right. She should really close that, the draft coming through was becoming noticeable.

Letting out a loud groan of annoyance, she dragged herself out of bed and the countless pillows surrounding her, the blanket still tightly wrapped over her shoulders to tactically keep as much warmth as possible from escaping. Too lazy to put on slippers, the socks she wore cushioned each step against the hardwood floors. Knees and ankles creaked in protest as she crouched down, leaning over to grab the hatch door…

…Only for her heart to freeze and drop all the way down to her knees when she caught a glimpse of a figure standing near the ladder downstairs, hidden in shadows.

The scream of terror died in her throat, only coming out as a particularly sharp inhale of air, the split-second of fear made her feel like jumping out of her skin, and without even thinking about it she summoned the spirit out of her ring, the violet apparition body-slamming into whoever was standing down there in a blink of an eye and pinning them to the floor.

The person flattened to the floor let out a pained grunt. A very…familiar, pained grunt. It made her pause completely, blinking owlishly as she tried to make out who it was that broke in.

“...Darius?” she gasped out as the fear left her struggling to catch her breath.

Looking up at her from under the spirit who left him unable to move, was Darius Deamonne, managing to look both grumpy and unamused “Good evening, Lena. Quite the welcome, I must say.”

~*~*~*~

Selena invited him up, of course. As soon as she helped him back up from the floor where she had pinned him down to earlier, that is. Both witches grumbling at each other in aggravation: Selena scolding Darius for breaking in after closing hours, and Darius very displeased by the violent way he was greeted. “You nearly gave me a heart attack! Has no one ever taught you not to sneak up on people in their home?!” Selena hissed and put a cup of tea in front of him. No matter how mad, hospitality was ingrained deep into her brain. “How did you even get in?!!”

Darius rolled his eyes “I morphed in through the kitchen passage, of course."

“You morphed in through the-” Jaw dropping, Selena squinted her eyes at him “How do you know about the kitchen passage?”

“Oh come now, Lena, Sitrie lived in this apartment during our mentorship years, do you think he wouldn’t have told me about it?”

The girl felt like she was taking crazy pills "Darius, you broke into my house! I have no doubts you and Alador used to sneak in to hang out here while my brother used the apartment, but I live here now. Me. Not Sitrie. You can't just waltz in-"

"Please, like I would ever willingly hang out with that hack -"

"Ap-ap-ap!" She tutted loudly, cutting him off "I don't care about your weird rivalry with Alador, we aren't discussing that right now. We are talking about how youbroke into my home and youscared me nearly to death!" She let out a sound, somewhere between a groan and a screech, wishing to take a pillow and scream into it right now, but it would be rude. Instead, she let herself fall into the chair opposite of her uninvited guest, who just stared at her with an unamused look.

Darius watched as she put her head in her hands, messy mop of hair completely obscuring her face "Are you quite finished?"

Selena gave an affirmative grunt, straightening up in her seat and fixing her hair. One deep breath, hold it in - one, two, three - and let it out. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening, Darius?"

He seemed to regard her for a moment or two, gears turning in his head as the younger witch put all her energy not to flinch under his glower. Even back in the day, whilst she was a giggly crushing school girl, Darius intimidated her, more so than Alador. And with time spent apart, his overpowering aura only grew and became more suffocating to deal with. Just by being in the same room, one was forced to acknowledge his presence.

“I think we both know why I’m here.” he drawled, one hand raising up to turn the cup of tea she served earlier so it wasn’t so obscenely askew “How long have you been the Emperor’s private little delivery girl, Selena?”

It’s not that she wasn’t expecting this to come up, not at all, but did he have to phrase it that way?

Somehow looking to distance herself, Selena leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, her body language instantly becoming closed off and protected “I wouldn’t call it that…” she muttered, trying not to portray that he was definitely riling her up.

“What would you call it then, if I may ask?” the conjurer raised one eyebrow, lips in a snarl. The condescending tone of his voice did little to quell her temperament.

“I deliver pastries, that’s it!” she finally snapped back “I am not his private little delivery girl , and I’m not his little baker or whatever other demeaning name pompous men will think to use on me next!” she hunched up her shoulders, nails digging into her arms “I am doing my damned job! Hell, I didn’t even want to do this in the first place! The Golden Guard had to snitch on me to Belos, now I’m stuck making deliveries whenever his majesty demands it!” Finishing her tirade, she slumped back into her seat with enough gusto to make the chair scrape loudly against the hardwood floor. And both stayed silent, uncomfortably so. Her own breathing sounded offensive to her with how loud it sounded. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Selena cleared her throat “It’s been…a stressful couple of weeks, now I'm blowing up at you. I’m sorry."

Darius let out a sigh "No, I feel the apology should be coming from me." He sounded sincere, toning down his usual arrogance quite noticeably "Let us try this again, with cooler heads: How did you get roped into this?"

And with cooler heads, and apologies offered, she told him. The entirety, from the beginning; from the Golden Guard who heckled her over wild witches and Midnight, to her trying to win her way over in to his good graces with a bribe of baked goods made according to a human cookbook, to those same baked goods making it into the clutches of the Emperor, who has developed a taste for them and an interest in her. Which is where she was now, the only person allowed to deliver from her bakery, straight into the Emperor’s awaiting arms. And she wasn’t gonna lie, it felt good to let it out, all at once, to someone other than Katya.

She left out anything inconsequential, naturally. Darius didn’t need to know about the Emperor’s trip to the human realm, nor the journal he gave her, he didn’t need to know about Midnight, and he definitely didn’t need to know about the Emperor’s peculiarly weird…fondness of her.

The coven head seemed deep in thought as he tapped his index finger against the rim of the cup of tea, wheels turning in his head.

“That is…” he clicked his tongue, picking out his words carefully “...unfortunate, to say the least.” Selena let out a humm in agreement with his quite perceptive conclusion “And I don’t assume there is any way to bail out of this arrangement, either.” when she shook her head no, he sighed “No, I thought not.” finally picking up the cup of tea Selena made for him earlier he continued “How are your folks handling this?”

“They don’t know.”

He paused just before the cup reached his lips “They don’t know?!” The tone was both surprising and accusatory. 

Darius knew her family, and very well if he might add. Ursula’s children were all incredibly protective over their mother, a fondness that he himself saw how it grew after the untimely death of their father, and for it they made sure to be honest and open with their mother about everything happening to them. If not with their mother - which only would happen if they were scared it might stress her out - then it was shared between the siblings themselves. They were close-knit, to the point even he had been somewhat envious of it.

Sure, he thought, he didn’t keep in close contact with Sitrie as they grew older, and with it meant he hadn’t seen much of his mother or two younger sisters, but this was incredibly out of character. 

“No, are you insane?! If mom knew, she’d absolutely lose it.” Selena ran her hand through her hair “She was okay with handing me the bakery so I’d stay out of trouble, not land myself in…whatever this mess of a situation is!”

Ah, so it was a “don’t stress mom out!” situation. That made more sense. “You realise it’s only a matter of time before Magnus finds out, right?”

“Yeah, but my uncle isn’t a blabbermouth. He kept a lot of stupid things I did while under his mentorship a secret, so I’m hoping when he does find out, he won’t go running to mom instantly.” she crossed her arms, grimacing 

“I think this may be a bit too big for him to stay quiet for long.”

“...I know.”

The conversation died off after, both mulling over their tea in their thoughts.

“He seems…” Darius seemed to hesitate, as if unsure how to put it in a non-offensive way “... fond of you.”

“He is not!”

The speed and intensity at which Selena barked that out actually made Pip wake up from his little nest on the night table near her table. Grumpy from being awoken, he let out a weird guttural caw, as if chastising Selena for being so loud.

“Lena, a blind man could see it, plain and apparent as the light of day.” he continued, the woman instantly letting out an indignant gasp “It’s obvious you have earned yourself a spot in the Emperor’s good graces. Better in his good graces than in his bad ones, that’s certain.” he muttered out the last one as he finally, finally took a sip from his tea “Oh, this is really good, actually. What blend is this?”

“Oh, it’s a black tea blend with calendula and moonflower.” she chirped enthusiastically, only to frown “Hey, don’t change the subject!”

“I don’t need to change the subject, there simply isn’t much to discuss.” Darius concluded, taking another sip “The Emperor finds your presence to be pleasant , which isn’t something many people on the Boiling Isles can say. You can pretend it isn’t so until you turn blue in the face, but there is no escaping the facts.”

Selena tsk’d in annoyance “He’ll grow bored, I’m sure.” the witch scoffed “Of me, that is. Like a shiny trinket that’s turned dull with time, so will the novelty of a baker making human pastries wear off. Not like I’m particularly interesting, apart from that.”

The other witch chuckled deeply, amused by her words “I do admire your self-deprecating optimism, quite a fun oxymoron to behold.” with that, he reached one hand over the table, putting it over her own which she held in a fist on the wooden surface, giving a reassuring squeeze “However, if the Emperor’s… company proves to be overwhelming, know that the palace has friends you can count on.”

It was an earnest gesture, one that made Selena’s heart clench involuntarily. She couldn’t help the smile that took over her face, suddenly feeling incredibly safe. Returning the gesture, she put her free hand over his “Thank you, Darius.” she replied softly, fearing that being louder would ruin the heartfelt moment.

Allies- no, friends , in the palace.

Knowing that, the morning ritual suddenly didn’t feel so daunting anymore.

~*~*~*~

Selena had sent him off not too long after that, letting him finish his tea and packing him some leftover pastries for later. Darius tried declining, but it fell on deaf ears, the woman already pushing the box into his hands and saying she wasn’t having it and to stop complaining. He got intense flashbacks to all the time her mother would do the same when he was younger, it was the same flavour of aggressive kindness. While Darius was fully ready to just use his abominations to transport through the passage, the Fortuna made him wait, saying he could use the trap door like a “normal person” and not “goop around”. So he was forced to wait, visibly annoyed, as Selena cleared out the pots and pans that were in the cupboard where the hidden passage was. He hated walking through the grimmy passageway, it was full of dirt and cobwebs and crawling creatures, all so filthy . But, there was no arguing with Selena, it would seem.

Since when was she so bull-headed? The Selena he used to know couldn’t be assertive to save her life, she was a timid, nervous wreck of a teenager, too worried about doing anything foolish others could tease her about.

Then again, he thought, she was a teen. It’s been a lot of years since then.

“ If you plan on visiting, I’d prefer it if you tried using the front door.” Selena huffed at him, a bit out of breath after finally cleaning everything out and removing the fake bottom. “However, I suppose just starting to randomly visit, especially since I think there still might be scouts around my house, is not optimal, so I’m gonna be keeping the hidden entrance clear from now on.” she stood up and cleaned the dust off of her hands before crossing them, giving him an annoyed frown  “Just try not to sneak in like a mad man like you did today. My heart can't take it.”

“Of course, of course.” he held up his hands defensively “You are really on edge, though, you should try looking into some self care. A spa day would do wonders on your fraying nerves.”

“I thought you were breaking in. No amount of magic mud on my face would help with that stress, Darius.”

Already half-way in, Darius gave her a smart aleck look “Don’t knock it till you try it, kid .” almost on cue, he saw her anger flare up again. She was super easy to rile up, if one knew where to push. The moment didn’t last long, as Darius felt someone grab his legs from below and pull him down the hole, a yelp of surprise escaping him as it did. And once again, he found himself hitting the floor back-first, only this time it was worse somehow, as his fall stirred up a cloud of dirt and dust, leaving his pristine clothes absolutely filthy.

“Huh–huh-huh, oh you’re just a little kid , so funny - I pay taxes, jerkwad.” he heard Selena mock him from above.

The cloud made him hack and cough and he quickly sat up, trying to lift his head above it. He saw Selena’s Spirit retreat back up into her ring as she hung above through the hatch. The blasted thing pulled him down. It had enough decorum to gently put down the box of snacks, tho.

“Truly you are a beacon of hospitality.” he deadpanned. Selena scrunched up her face indignantly before sticking out her tongue “And so mature! Surely, you showed me.”

“Oh! Just-shut up!” she huffed. The hatch shut and Darius was left alone in the passageway. As the darkness enveloped him, so did his face twist into an uneasy frown. 

He didn’t like this. Not at all.

The second he saw her, marching into that throne room like a fury from hell, he recognized Selena. How could he not, sure she was much older, her hair shorter and eyes now sparkling behind a pair of glasses, but you don’t forget the annoying kid sister of a childhood friend that easily, especially one that was persistently trotting behind like a little lost duckling, her long braids bouncing with every exaggerated tiny step she took.

A little duckling who seemed to have grown into a swan…with the temperament of a ferocious goose-beast.

Whose sole presence was enough to stop the Emperor in his tracks and abandon Darius solely for her company.

This…was a development that complicated things in ways he never would have thought possible. Emperor Belos doesn’t grow such fascinations easily. Not since he had known the man. Not since his late mentor had known the man, either.

He remembered his mentor saying “The Emperor is not a kind man, Darius. Not to no one.”

And yet there he was, body language changing, voice softening, a tone he never heard from his lips before, all as soon as the youngest Fortuna had his attention.

Despite life giving way to a growing distance between the two, Darius felt a certain sense of loyalty to his old friend, and not only to him, but his family he knew well. Even to his annoying baby sister. And seeing the claws of Emperor Belos dig into her shoulders as he pulled her close, threatening to almost hide her under his cloak like a trinket he selfishly wanted to keep for himself, to engulf her whole and hide her from sight. Her eyes widening in shock, grip so hard it made her fingers turn white, form so small next to him. 

It made him filled with unease and anger. 

Those wretched claws, that once were digging into his mentor, ones he was certain were responsible for him leaving this world far too soon, were now moving their grip to another person he promised a long time ago to keep safe.

It made him feel sick.

Despite Selena being adamant about not telling her family, Darius was not going to sit idle and wait - he’d make sure Magnus found out. The Fortuna was one of his rare allies at the palace, along with Eber, and so he knew his schedule well. He would make sure he was there at the same time as Selena. That way, he wouldn’t break Selena’s trust, at least, not in a way she’d find out. Eberwolf, as well, he mussed, he’d tell the beastling to keep an eye on her.

The iron claws of the Emperor were already too deep in for him to remove without causing damage.

All he could do now was make sure the talons didn’t rip through the ribcage and tear into the heart.

[ferne-exst]

A two part Revalink drabble that was going somewhere, but then didn’t.

Inspired by “Socks” by Dominic Fike

-

The hero of Hyrule stared at his shoes. He looked like a child, and not a young man that had slain the universe’s greatest evil three years ago.

I’m messy. Simply said, reeking with shame.

“Oh, do I know.” Revali said without missing a beat. The hero’s head did not raise. He actually seemed to wilt even more.

And irresponsible. I irritate you.

“Very much so.”

And I have twigs in my hair.

“That will be a real pain in my feathers to extract once we’re home, yes”. Revali said with exasperation, but with not an ounce less of fondness.

Link then huffed in frustration; whatever plan he had was definitely not working; whatever cryptic message he was trying to say wasn’t being understood. He finally looked Revali in the eye, to shoot him a glare of all things.

A real one, this time. His thick eyebrows were furrowed so hard, the skin between them wrinkled. And his lips weren’t pulled into that little pout Revali liked, but a tight, angry curl. The Rito just rolled his eyes.

“If this is an attempt to scare me away by listing all your flaws,” He moved closer to the hylian, beginning to almost circle him, “it’s not going to work.”

“I’m afraid I’ve come to love every little irritating thing about you.”

“You’re correct. You are messy, and some days, you make me want to pluck every feather out of my head out of stress. And you have many twigs in your hair.” His face wrinkled with disgust as he ripped one loose, leaves and all.

“But I’ve already made up my mind to clean up your messes for the rest of my life. And to preen this rats nest of yours even after it’s turned gray. And I do not see that as a burden, but a reward, and it is something I look forward to very much.”

He cupped Link’s face in his hands and gave him a doughy smile. Link could only stare back, mixed with a whole bunch of feelings

“And I’m - although I hate to admit it,” he let out the most dramatic sigh, that almost made Link chuckle even in his terrible mood, “a bit abrasive, over critical, certainly not the most sociable, and judgemental. Even though most of the judgment is warranted!” That last part did succeed in getting a small laugh out of him. Revali basked in it with pride, and he made sure the last part of his speech was extra sweet.

“Yet you continue to love me as I am, in my entirety. Why do you feel as if I’m not already devoted to giving you the same treatment?”

“Well, nice try. But you’re stuck with me.” He said with probably the cheekiest smile Link had ever seen on him. It made his heart ache. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything in return.

“Which honestly is a privilege more than anything.”

——

“Are you serious?”

Link just nodded his head in agreement, with a pleasant smile on his face. The same gleeful response he’s been giving his partner for the past ten minutes. It’s driving Revali mad.

Every flaw you have is a part of you. And I love you, so the rest doesn’t matter. Link shrugged, like that made perfect sense to him. Like he - a single little Hylian - had cracked the key to love, one of Hyrule’s greatest mysteries. To hell if he was one of Hylia’s favorites, she couldn’t have possibly whispered the secret of love into his ear.

Could she?

“That’s ridiculous.”

I don’t think so.

“You’re crazy.”

Maybe.

“You can’t say that, you don’t love everything.”

I do

Revali looked scandalized. “You can’t love my attitude.”

I do

“Or when I insult your hair, or your posture.”

The Rito had begun quickly pacing around the room in his stress and confusion, circling Link like a really confused hawk might its prey. Link just sat in the center, watching him circle around content, singing the same phrase.

I do.

“I’m completely sour, I’m insufferable.”

No matter what the Rito bit at him, Link didn’t budge. The warmth in that upturned gaze never faltered, and he smiled at him like a precious gemstone that he had found.

Even when he was thrown the harshest jabs or complaints Revali could muster, and his face scrunched up in anger at some of them, Link’s eyes still shone with an undying fondness. As long as Revali looked into his eyes, he’d know that there was someone madly in love with him. Any doubts of ever being loved could be thrown to the wind.

[gracifleur]

“Rules”: repost with the information of your muse, including headcanons, etc. If you fail to achieve some of the facts, feel free to add some other of your own! When you’re done, tag 15 other people to do the same!

tagged by:  @arvend​ the best, the one, the only, the legend. tagging:  idk who did this bc i wasnt around so im tagging everyone my brain can think of. @vilestblood @redfabled @valorxdrive @volot @iruludavare​( but for sarana @floaroanemoia​ ) @silverformed​( also do it for mister bite chomp @koraichalcum​ ) @status-condition​( uhhh spins the wheel syca.. more & also uhh gold. they wont the lottery today ) @deimantaimis​( both boys ) @scarletooyoroi​( ur here twice look at that ) @aachromaa​ @ironbundled​ @vastcourage​ & YOU IDK

B A S I C S

Name:   Im Shea Age:   eternally 15 Birthdate:   03/20 hisui era sinnoh Species:   pkmn-human chimera hybrid created by arceus, mostly pkmn Gender:   genderless, nonbinary to humans Orientation:   aro-ace Profession / Titles:   deity of gratitude, love pokemon, caretaker of the creation trio of sinnoh, protector of the lake legendaries, child of space-time, holy mighty hisui, arceus-boon, child of shaymin, keeper of flower paradise

P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair:   a dusty pink of similar hue here, varied shoulder to midback length, often pulled back in ponytails or buns half or full. while it is thick it’s lightly wavy, more because of being tied back. but sits heavy. a hair pin that resembles a gracidea flower is always pinned somehow in her hair, it’s of a crystal appearance & is made of the same material that the orbs of the creation trio hold. Eyes:  a green-blue mix, with a glowing yellow circle around the pupil. similar to this here. the colors of blue & green tend to shift mysteriously. shea however describes herself as having green eyes & pays attention to the shifting, the blue, or the yellow ring. Skin:   a pale complexion despite how often she’s outside. yellow undertones & she tans easily. cool tones, not warm. Height:   5′4″ Weight:   135lbs -- muscle &chub

F A M I L Y

Siblings:   dialga, palkia, giratina, technically all shaymin Parents:  arceus, but shea does use volo’s name to fake paperwork. Any Pets?  her pkmn. && shaymin sorta. listen,

S K I L L S

pkmn wrangling; the act of handling & calming down alpha or legendary pkmn. pkmn training. lockpicking. crafting. survival. camping & foraging. gardening. cooking, situational. being precious & adorable despite brattiness. problem solving. adaptability. athletic. idk i cant think of more rn shea’s a good skillful idiot

T R A I T S

STRENGTHS.   compassionate. clever. courageous. dedicated. disciplined. empathetic. energetic. focused. friendly. grateful. hopeful. humorous. inquisitive. inspirational. leading. lovely. motivated. open-minded. outgoing. perseverant. persistent, like holy shit oh mygod persistent. resourceful. these are just skills. man im not putting more. WEAKNESSES. cocky little shit with an ego & a sassy mouth.

L I K E S

Colors:   pink, greens. pastels. lavender. Smells:  florals, earthy. petrichor. a forest right after rain. a garden after a light mist or in full bloom. Textures:  clean linens. cotton. the softness of flower petals. Drinks:   fizzy light refreshing sodas. tea, floral & sweet fruity & tart.