#self ship fanfiction

[canon-can-fight-me]

Familiar Faces

Pairing: Kai3po

Word Count: 916 Words

Summary: C-3PO has a chat with a stranger. All aboard the angst train!

Warnings: Spoilers for St.ar Wa.rs Episode IX (Ri.se of Skyw.alker), mentions of loss.

“Excuse me…”

Blue eyes glance up meet his photoreceptors, and with her attention now on him, the droid continues.

“I don’t believe we’ve met quite yet.” He extends a hand to the woman, seated on a bench, sketchpad in hand.

“I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations.”

The woman stares at him for a moment, expression unreadable, before she holds out a hand, using the other to steady the sketchbook now resting in her lap.

“…Kaiyo.”

The name seems familiar, though he’s not sure why. Perhaps it was just one of the many names of the resistance members his new friend R2-D2 had told him about.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Kaiyo,” he says, hand still in hers. He stiffens as he notices the ring on her finger before her other hand returns to rest in her lap. He debates asking about who holds the other ring, but quickly decides against it. Instead, he gestures to the sketchpad.

“May I ask what it is you’re working on? Are you an artist?”

Her lips quirk up in a smile that fails to reach her eyes.

“You could say that…”

She hesitates a moment before motioning for the droid to sit down, shifting her body to give him a better view of her sketchpad.

“Ah, is that…a starspeeder?”

“Mhm,” she affirms, turning the page to reveal more mock up sketches. “Ever since the fall of the First Order, I’ve had some more time on my hands.”

“This is quite an exquisite design, I must say,” Threepio compliments, “I am by no means an expert on starspeeders, but this one looks unlike any I’ve ever seen.”

He notices the human flush, what he has come to understand as a response to deep embarrassment…or flattery.

“Thank you. Well, you’re right, it doesn’t exist…yet. I’m working with a friend of mine who’s more adept at this kinda thing. They’re going to handle most of the actual inner workings. But…” she sighs, smiling, “I love creating new designs.”

The woman continues to eagerly show him more sketches, some of starspeeders like the first one, and others random drawings of wildlife, plants, and creatures. She seemed closed off at first, but she prattles on with an infectious enthusiasm that the droid can’t help but be drawn to. He feels as though he’s known her for longer than five minutes, combined with distant glimpses of her around the base. However, he was only activated a few weeks ago; such a thing, though strange, simply isn’t possible.

Kaiyo has flipped to another page, though she abruptly stops her excited rambles, eyes suddenly hardened at the sight of what’s on the next page. He looks down to see what the fuss is about and…oh.

“Is that…a self portrait?”

He is mainly able to tell because of the ponytail, though the anguished looking woman on page has a striking resemblance to the one sitting next to him, stiff as a board. Her eyes dart from the page to him, hand poised above the page like she wants to rip it off, crumple it up, or burn it. Maybe all of those things. Instead, she sighs.

“I didn’t mean to show you that. I…drew it as a form of self expression.”

He’s almost afraid to ask. After all, prying into one’s personal affairs is improper. However, he doesn’t need to pry when the words come pouring out of her like a leaky faucet.

“I drew it shortly after the battle on Exegol. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of us were happy to finally see the actual end of Palpatine, but…” she traces the portrait’s face almost as if she’s trying to comfort the sketched version of her.

“No war is won without costs. And he was a hefty one.”

“He?”

Her eyes widen, shaking her head as she realizes her slip up.

“Um…no one, I shouldn’t have said that…uh—“

“It’s perfectly alright if you don’t want to talk about it, Miss Kaiyo.”

“I haven’t for a while—or at least, it seems like it, but…” she fiddles with her ring, pointedly avoiding his attentive gaze.

“My husband…made a sacrifice. It saved the galaxy, and it was by no means the wrong choice. I’m…glad he did it.”

The shininess of her cheeks say otherwise.

“I’m sure that was difficult to learn of…but I’m sure it was a choice he made not just because of the galaxy, but because you’re a part of it, too.” He pauses. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss.”

She says nothing in return, even when he instinctively reaches up to swipe away a tear. His hand is metal, so it doesn’t help much, but it’s the gesture that counts, or so he thinks. Kaiyo seems to agree, reaching up to grasp his hand, still holding her cheek. She seems to lean into his touch, and it feels familiar, it feels natural, it feels—

“Threepio!”

Kaiyo yanks herself away at the sound of footsteps, quickly rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. The young recruit bows in apology for interrupting, explaining that the droid’s presence was requested by General Organa herself. The droid follows, bidding her goodbye, and Kaiyo watches. Her eyes flit down to the sketchpad, and in a fit of frustration she shuts it, tossing it next to her on the bench.

Dammit, Kaiyo. You’re supposed to be moving on from this. But how can you move on from someone who is only partially gone? The same person, just without everything that made him yours?

Note: I made this with the thought of “what if Threepio didn’t get his memory restored?” Because I think about that a lot and I enjoy the angst.

[of-comfort-and-love]

Hairstylist Prince

A/N: After coming across this post, I was hit with a flashback on an older fic I wrote 3 years ago that I didn't post on here.

Well technically I did post it on my fanfic sideblog but tbh that place kinda ded so...

Anywhoooo!

Have this oldie but goodie. I still have that one unfinished draft I need to post; hope I'll get that one done soon... 🤞🏾

"O-ow!", I winced as I felt something pinching my ear. Except it wasn't a pinch. It was my mischievous boyfriend of mine nipping on my ear.

"You were sleeping again.", Tokiya teased as he pecked the spot that he bit.

"N-no, I was...meditating, that's all."

I had gotten my hair washed earlier and the next step was to blow dry my untamable mane before straightening it. With the new hairdryer brush I got, I'd be able to get both tasks done in no time. Thanks to some help from Tokiya, the process went by a little quicker.

"If you want to take a nap, you can. I will wake you up once I'm finished.", he explained as he brushed through another section of hair. Moisturized, of course.

"You know, you didn't really have to go through all of this trouble. I can't even do my hair at my age. Embarrassing, right?", I joked, hoping that he wouldn't hear over the blaring noise of the electrical brush. But I was wrong.

"Nonsense, my love. It's no trouble at all. Besides, I'm more than happy to help if it means I get to show off how beautiful my girlfriend is."

I soon winced. Not from the brush's heat- from Tokiya's sudden compliment drop.

"Once again, you're the worst.", I scoffed, ignoring his small chuckles at my flustered self as he continued brushing out my hair.

[eternally-smitten]

JanAUary - Fake Dating

pairing: Natalie x Roman Roy

summary: Natalie does Roman a huge favor by pretending to be his girlfriend for a party but it doesn't help her self esteem much

content warnings: suggestive language, angst

word count: ~1.5k

author's note: i think i went a little nuts on this one not gonna lie but hey baby's first fake dating fic LOL

“Ugh, you are such a dick.” Natalie sneered, cradling her drink in her hand, “Why did you even need me to play girlfriend for you? You could’ve gotten the same shit from a cheap hooker.”

Roman groaned and rolled his eyes, “You were free, that’s why.”

“You’re just proving my point.” She huffed and shifted uncomfortably.

“Why did you even agree to this if you’re going to complain the whole time?” He asked, his eyes scanning over the crowd to see if anyone noticed how she was acting.

Natalie shrugged, “I have low self esteem and I’m masochistic, I guess.”

Today was the day she did Roman one of the biggest and stupidest favors of all time: pretend to be his girlfriend for a party. It felt juvenile and truly, it was. This was the sort of thing that reminded her of high school. Natalie was shocked she even went through with it but in her defense, he was very insistent. He said something along the lines of how it was just for looks and how it would make the both of them appear good. He asked her, no, he begged her to play along just for the night. She was resistant at first but with his ceaseless pleading and puppy dog eyes, Natalie eventually caved. Not without a price, though. Before finally agreeing, she gave him a cold, hard look and spat out, “You owe me. Big time.”

Roman rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly realizing how much of a jerk he was being, “Can I, um, get you a drink? Or something?”

She glanced at the drink she had in her hand, “No, thanks. I’m good…” She watched a group of people pass them, “...Darling.”

“Do you have to say it with such contempt? Can’t you make it sort of believable?” His lip curled, “Jeez, I’m starting to regret asking you to do this.”

“What a coincidence! I’m starting to regret agreeing to it. So, at least you’re not alone.” Natalie sighed, “Whatever. We’re here now and you’re going to make it up to me later. Might as well make the best of it.”

“What on earth do you want me to do to pay you back, anyway? The suspense is killing me.” Roman said nervously, covering it up with a small laugh.

She shrugged, “I dunno yet. It’ll come to me, don’t worry. I’m not gonna forget.”

“Seriously? I ask you for one favor and suddenly, I owe you restitution?”

“Retribution.” Natalie corrected him.

“What?”

A small, frustarted sigh escaped her lips, “Nevermind.”

Roman gave her an annoyed glare, “Okay, little miss English major. My point is, are you seriously going to hold this over my head?”

“Yes, actually. Having me as your play pretend girlfriend for your stupid, fancy party is asshole behavior and I think I deserve a little prize for taking a blow to my self confidence.” She growled, not being able to hide her vitriol anymore.

He suddenly got quiet and softened his gaze, “...I just wanted to look good to Dad, I guess.”

She clicked her tongue, “Glad to know I was your perfect fake option.”

He wanted to reply to her and give her some sort of reassurance but a group of people, including his family, were heading over to where the fake couple stood. Roman cleared his throat and straightened his posture, beckoning Natalie to follow his lead. She groaned quietly before doing the same, jumping a little when he hesitantly put one of his hands on the small of her back.

“Hi, hello, hiya,” He greeted, “Nice get together, huh?”

“So, Rome,” Shiv ignored his question, ��Who is this? Now, I know you of all people couldn’t land a girl for longer than three days without making her turn tail and run.”

He awkwardly laughed at her comment, “Uh, no, she’s stayed for four days so, take that.”

“I’m Natalie,” She introduced herself, extending her hand outward.

Shiv shook it, giving her a smirk, “Hmm, I feel like you’re too normal for him. Too pretty, too.”

“Now, don’t inflate my ego.” Natalie giggled, “I’ll let it get to my head much like the alcohol.”

“So, why Rome?” She asked genuinely with the rest of the group behind her agreeing.

Roman’s breath hitched. He hated these types of questions. Especially now, knowing exactly how Natalie felt about him in this particular moment. Not only that, but he was used to being the butt of every joke ever told in his family, so he expected her to be no different.

Instead, she laid her free hand on his chest and grinned, “What’s not to love? I mean, look at him! Taking me to such a fancy event to show me off! Isn’t that just sweet?”

Shiv snorted, “More like expected of us.”

“Well, still.” Natalie shook her head, “Not to embarrass him but gosh, I don’t think I’ve ever met a man as handsome as him before. I just love his eyes.”

Roman felt like he was glued to the floor. She was saying kind things? About him? After he was being so unkind about this whole situation? He couldn’t believe it. He was convinced her hand was burning a hole in his suit with the way his chest felt warm under her touch. It felt kind of…nice?

“I’m awfully lucky to have landed such a guy, you know?” She continued praising him, “He’s such a darling.”

Darling.

That word again.

Only this time, she didn’t say it with disgust in her voice. He knew she was pretending because that’s what he asked her to do but the way she said it so sweetly had him fooled for a minute. It actually felt like he was adored by her. His entire world stood still for a few moments while strange thoughts flooded his head. If this is how loving she was when she was acting, how far off would her genuine affection be?

“Earth to Roman?” Shiv snapped her fingers in his face, “I’ve been trying to talk to you.”

He shook his head, becoming embarrassed that he was obviously spacing out, “Sorry, you talk so much I almost fell asleep there. What were you saying? Something, something, politics, something, right?”

She laughed at him, “Well, what I was saying was that she seems good for you. You guys look nice together. I just hope you don’t find some way to self destruct and fuck it all up.”

“Too late.” He thought to himself but instead, said, “Yeah, yeah, as if I want marriage advice from someone who cucks her own husband.”

“Be nice!” Natalie playfully shoved him, “But I think I should get going. I’m getting a bit tired. I loved meeting you all!”

Everyone waved and said their goodbyes before heading their separate ways. Once his family was out of sight, they let go of each other and went back to an embarrassed silence.

“You’re welcome, by the way.” Natalie spoke first, having a hard time making direct eye contact with him.

“Yeah, uh, thanks.” Roman looked at his feet, “You did good.”

She scoffed, “Maybe I should’ve gone to school for acting instead of English, huh?”

He halfheartedly laughed at her joke, “You could’ve gotten an Emmy with that performance you did.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Hey, uh,” He started to ask as she started to put on her coat, “Did you mean all that stuff back there? Like, the nice stuff?”

She gave him a weird look, “I mean, I do think you have nice eyes if that’s what you mean.”

His cheeks felt a little warm at that, “That’s kinda what I mean. I’m talking about the other stuff, too.”

“Well, it’s not like we’re actually dating, so I kinda tacked on all that 'He's such a lovely boyfriend' crap.” She admitted, “Sorry if that was too much or anything. I figured you’d want that since you asked me to do this.”

“No, no, you did fine, trust me.” Roman waved those words away, “I guess I just want to know if you actually meant what you said. That I’m darling and stuff.”

Natalie paused, not quite sure how to answer. Truth be told, she thought he was an ass. But at the same time, he was awfully endearing. When he wanted to be, that is. She cleared her throat and put her coat on, “Yeah, I think you’re very darling. I think anyone that ended up with you would be very, very lucky. Have a good night, Rome. Remember that you owe me one.”

“Y-Yeah, you too. Don’t worry, I won’t.” He said as she walked out the door.

Roman stared at the door she walked out of, almost hoping she’d come back to talk to him some more. He knew better, though, and eventually returned to the event. Although, he wasn’t present for it mentally. Shiv’s words kept running through his mind. Maybe he did what he does best and hit self destruct on one of the truest friendships he’s ever had. Maybe he also destroyed whatever chances he had with her romantically now, too. Only he could decide if he wanted to fix that or not.

tag list: @blood-moon-ships @bobmckenzie @kylars-princess @gideongrovel @felixrichtershubby @fates-theysband @nonesenseships @bioexorcizm @weirdgirlgf please lmk if you want to be added/removed! :)

[dolls-self-ships]

Two Birds One Storm

heyyyy this is my first fic in a while also it’s not finished yet this is only part one so it’s a quick read if you’re interested! <3 inspired by this prompt by otp-fanfic-ideas

“Oh my, would you look at that?”

Mac raised her head with a slight curious hum in her throat at the sound of her voice, she looked over to see her .. em.. friend, sitting by the window of her hut, which was being rapidly spotted with heavy raindrops, making an aggressive tap.. tap tap.. tap.. tap tap sound on the glass.

Mac felt startled, she could have sworn she calculated this weeks weather to a T, and all accounts showed nothing but sunshine, but sometimes Mother Nature had a way of being particularly unpredictable. Either that or she had miscalculated, but Mac would rather believe the first thing than the second one.

“Why, it’s just raining cats and dogs” Daphne tsked, still observing the grey sky and the cloudy mist that now covered the island.

“Oh aye” Mac agreed as she joined Daphne at the window, looking up to study the clouds herself. “And that great big one looks like a cumulonimbus. An et looks like there’s more rolling in fast as et is.”

Daphne looked at her, a little confused at first but trying her best to remember what kind of cloud that was. She had been getting used to Mac’s way of putting things into very technical terms, on top of her thick Scottish accent- of which both she found endlessly charming- and she would hate to make Mac repeat herself, as she often had to.

After a couple seconds, Daphne was almost certain she remembered. “That means uh.. thunder right?”

Mac smiled at her, and nodded in approval. She gave a little "mhm!" as in 'that's correct!'.

"I must say hen, you're catchin' on faster than Mr. Rhodes ever did. Yer a fast learner!" Mac praised her with an approving grin and a wink. Daphne felt a small sense of pride swell inside of her when Mac said that, partially because she liked the feeling of being better than Rocky at something, but also because she liked that Mac felt understood by her.

“Maybe because we spend so much time together" she giggled.

Mac felt a little bit of a rush from that, a warmth filled her cheeks as she nodded. "Aye, that too." She looked back out the window,

After a few moments of staring out into the rain, it slowly began to dawn on Daphne that her hut was all the way on the other side of town, and getting there would be like hell in just the rain alone, let along when the storm starts picking up. She gently cleared her throat and stammered "W-well, I-I should probably start headin' out now"

Mac was shocked, what on earth was she saying? She couldn't go out in this weather. "What? Now? I donnae think that's such a good idea, lass."

Daphne sighed "If I don't get goin' now I'm not gonna make it home" she said, shaking her head, "and I would hate to be a bother to you"

The rain started to pick up more, followed by a loud crash that startled the two. Both their heads turned quickly back to the window, and their eyes slowly travled upwards to see clusters of rain clouds, more and more packing in as if they all had a personal vendetta against this one specific chicken-housing island. They could see tiny flashes of light coming from between the cracks of plush looking grey forms in the sky, but it wasn't sunshine like one would hope, the flashes were erratic and white, the lightning had already begun to start up.

"Hen, I cannae let you go out in that, ye could ge'y knocked over by de wind, lost in all de fog, shrivel up like a wee raisin from all the rain, catch hypothermia-"

Daphne watched as Mac counted on her fingers all the possibilities she could face if she went outside at this time, in an effort to get her to stop, she placed her wings overtop of hers.

"Alright, alright, I get it, I just.." She paused, shifting in her seat and taking a breath “I just don’t wanna impose, that’s all”

Mac shook her head. “Even if that was, hen, there’s no wey that wee half-built bit wuld keep you warm enough in this.”

Daphne hummed, looking back outside as she saw the first bolt of lightening hit the water around the island. She wasn’t able to get out a response in time as Mac has already gotten up from her seat.

“Sit tight while I put de kettle on.”

As Mac left to the kitchen to get started, Daphne watched her with guilty eyes. She didn't know what it was, but everytime she was being waited on by someone, it always felt off. Wrong somehow. She hated making people go out of their way for her, she didn't like the feeling that she was causing trouble or making someone get up, even when it was a simple of a task as brewing tea. So, she quickly got up from her seat.

"Wait" She followed after her,  Mac turned over her shoulder from where she stood, already at the counter with the kettle going, which had already begun to make its low steaming sound, a high pitched, barely audible 'phhhwwwwtttt' sound. Daphne came up beside her and plucked two tea bags from the little display Mac had placed on the kitchen top. Peppermint- Mac's favourite. "I'll get these for ya"

Mac smiled, holding out her hand to grab the two little bags. "Thanks hen" she said, reaching for them a bit further than she intended, and accidentally brushing her hand over Daphne fingertips.

phhhwwttt

Mac jolted, a gasp hitched in her throat. Her teeth clenched as she flinched her hand away, feeling that familiar warmth in her cheeks again. Her eyes flickered between her recoiled hand and Daphne’s face, hoping that she could read her expression just enough to predict what was going through her mind at that moment.

Ppppphhhwhwwttttt

Daphne wasn't all that suave either, she didn’t say a word, but her eyes spoke volumes. They wouldn't leave the spot on her hand that Mac accidentally touched, it was like she could still feel a ghost of what the sensation was like to have her feathertips brush hers. It was still warm. Still comfortable.

PPPPPHHHHWWWTTTTTTT

Her eyes darted back up to the maroon combed hen, who then turned away from her shyly and said in an awkward tone and held out her hand, palm up, instead for Daphne to place the bags in.

"Ah... sorry"

It was up until then that Daphne had completely forgotten about the tea.

“It’s alright…”

click

The water was ready.

[sapphire-heart-tippy]

Day 12: Taking a warm and relaxing bubble bath after a long day.

Vanilla, Tippy, and Bel all walk through the front door after a very tedious day of running errands. 

“Ugh, I need a drink.” Bel wrings out his hair from the rain. Vanilla does the same and sets aside his broken umbrella,

“Me too, babe.”

Tippy shakes his hair and body like a dog that just got out of the bath. Vanilla puts his hands up in a vain attempt to shield himself from getting even more soaked. Tippy’s hair puffs up into tight curls that cover his eyes,

“Much like my middle school wardrobe, I have ripped genes.” Tippy blows his curly bangs out of his eyes, only for them to fall back into his eyes.

“I think you look cute with curly hair, Tip-” Bel is interrupted by a wet sock being flung into xis face. Bel takes the sock of xis face and pouts, “No need to be so cranky about it, hmph.” 

Vanilla sighs and steps into the kitchen,

“Alright, you two. While I’m getting the wine and cookies ready, you both draw us a nice bubble bath.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, Vans!” Tippy says, messing with one of his curls.

“I’ll get the face masks!” Bel claps their hands. The other two head into the bathroom, where they have a normal shower, and a very large hot tub-like bath tub. Tippy turns on the hot water, Bel opens the drawers looking for which face care masks to use,

“Hmmm… volcanic rock activated charcoal deep cleanse black head destroyer clay face mask? Or holographic double sprinkle sparkle bubbling rainbow unicorn peel off mask? OR should we go with the classic aloe vera vitamin C vitamin D vitamin A collagen plus leave-on all night face mask?”

“Yes!” Tippy isn’t paying attention to what Bel is saying. He sprinkles in some little bath rocks, pours some calming lavender bubble bath into the tub. Bel purses their lips,

“Alright, I guess we’ll just have to use whichever… I’ll be the one to have the honor of wearing the unicorn one, of course. Because I deserve it!”

"Can I have the blue one?" Tippy points to the volcanic clay mask jar.

"I'm not sure it's going to be blue, considering it's activated charcoal, babe." Bel scoffs. They open up the jar and… it's a bright blue clay inside!

"Haha! Told you so!" Tippy sticks out his tongue. Bel takes a glob of the clay mask and starts rubbing it on Tippy's face,

"Yeah yeah, enjoy."

Vanilla walks in holding a tray of treats,

"How are my handsome boys doing? Are you both behaving in here?" Bel and Tippy both nod. Vanilla chuckles and starts taking off his clothes. Bel and Tippy do the same.

Vanilla steps into the bathtub and happily sighs,

"Aahhh… wait." As Bel and Tippy get in the bath at the same time, the water level rises and spills bubbles and water all over the floor. "Wait wait! Let me drain it-... first." Vanilla pouts as his partners lay in the large bathtub together with him. Tippy and Bel both have face care masks on, which amuses Vanilla. Vanilla puts one on himself. After a while, they all take off their skin care masks and decide to just play and lounge in the nice hot bubble bath together.

Vanilla watches Tippy play with the bubbles and listen to Bel talk about some juicy gossip xe overhead. Tippy places some bubbles on Bel's head and laughs. Bel giggles and makes Tippy's hair into a bubble mohawk. Vanilla smiles at the two, completely enamored with them. He leans over and kisses Tippy on the lips, then kisses Bel,

"What the heck would I do without you two?"

"Probably, like… cry." Bel teases him.

"Oh yeah, Vans. You'd cry!" Tippy laughs. He moves over to Vanilla and holds onto him,

"Well… I'd cry if I didn't have you either."

Bel does the same and puts their arm around Vanilla,

"Yeah… I'd shed a tear here and there maybe." 

Vanilla wraps his arms around his two partners,

"I love you guys so much."

"I love you too, Vans!" Tippy nuzzles up against Vanilla's shoulder.

"I love you too, Nilla!" Bel kisses Vanilla's cheek. Bel and Tippy hold hands as Vanilla has both of his arms around them. They all sigh and enjoy each other's company and the relaxing bubble bath.

The End

[lake-archive]

A Fool For His Birthday

AO3 Link - A Shared Love Between Our Posse (Masterlist)

Fandom: Hypnosis Mic

Characters: Gentaro Yumeno, Ann Wolff (OC)

Pairing: Genann (Gentaro/Ann) (Developing)

Synposis: April Fool's Day but also the birthday of Gentaro Yumeno. And having both of those days overlap can be causing more trouble than expected. At least it is all in good fun~

Words: 3,659

Being greeted with this sight was something Ann had not necessarily expected. Especially not at his home, Gentaro’s home. They had somewhat announced it, not wanting to barge in from one moment to the next.

“Hey, Gentaro. Is it ok if I come to visit you after lectures today?”

“Visiting me? What gives me the honor on such a day? Wouldn’t you prefer to avoid me~?”

Given it was the first of April as well as his nature, maybe… But he just so happened to be born on that day. So they really couldn’t… “Oh c’mon! I don’t see a reason to! Can I come over or not?”

“Very well. But don’t make it too long. Ramuda and Dice pushed me into some plans for that evening.”

“I know. Ramuda is also making me attend…”

“Of course he would. What a troublesome boy.”

“It’s just how he is.” Though their first boyfriend had insisted more than usual… What was up with that? They could only wonder… 

Even the argument ‘How about you three have some ‘bro time?’ did not work. Because all Ramuda answered there was ‘Oh we’re getting plenty of bro time! Plus, it's Gentaro’s birthday! Pleeeaaase!?’. … He himself did have a fair argument though… 

“Then I assume we could head to his studio together later.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

“I’ll look forward to it then. See you later, Ann.”

So regardless of anything, Ann still had plans to see Gentaro one on one, mainly to not be hit with a wave of embarrassment when handing him their gift… Which was difficult to pick out. Then again, in the end they didn’t necessarily pick something out. 

Or… Well, they did but that was just a notebook, really, fitting in a small story within its pages. And they sadly had to admit that this was their emergency solution. All because they just couldn’t think of anything else… Outside of watermelon slices but… Firstly, it’s not summer. Secondly, that’s boring. At least the chocolate on Ramuda’s birthday required effort. And they didn’t want to slack off in Gentaro’s case either.

So they recalled one of the things he seemed to really enjoy and concluded that it might be a fun idea to write a short story, dedicated to his eyes only. Not just that but… Perhaps try themself on a doodle here and there. But that was also the thing, it was impossible to hand it over when Ramuda and Dice were around. Especially if the two saw the poor attempts of their illustrations. They already wanted to sink into the ground knowing that Gentaro would see them while reading the story sometime… Ah, the entire thought was embarrassing! Not just that but he was going to see their handwriting as well! Maybe they had gotten a little too ahead with this. Besides, what if he doesn’t like it!? That was perhaps their biggest fear at the end of the day, one which would make their stomach turn.

And that was why they had been pacing back and forth in front of his apartment door, unsure if they should even enter. Maybe they should just drop the notebook and run. Run as fast as possible and say that they only had enough time to drop their gift. But no, that’d be inappropriate! They should give him their gift to him in person. Yeah, in person! Besides, they had already agreed to pay him a visit so it would be impossible to back out now!

Alright, deep breath… And just get this over with! Yeah, just get it over with! It’ll be fine. It’ll be just fine…

So, a quick knock. “Hello! Gentaro!”  They began, knocking once more. “It’s me, Ann! I’m here!”

“Oh!? Wait wait wait Ann!?” They heard him say surprisingly… Panicked? That was a first and unusual. “Ah, what terrible timing!”

Terrible timing? “Is something wrong? Do you need help with something?”

“Ahaha… W… Well… You could say that but—”

“Then go on, open the door. I’ll help out however I can!”

“It’s not exactly that but…”

“You don’t want me to come in?”

“It’s not…” A quick break, a short moment of silence before he continued after a short sigh. “Listen, you may come in. But promise me one thing.”

Promise something? What is he scheming now? That’s what they were wondering. “What is it?”

“Don’t freak out when you enter…”

“Don’t freak out? Why?”

“You’ll see! Just promise me that first!”

“Ok fine fine! I promise!”

“Thank you. Now, you may open the door. It is open.”

What had Gentaro been up to today, on his birthday nonetheless? But honestly, they should not even be surprised. It was April Fool’s as well, it may as well be a holiday for him or something like that. So they opened the door cautiously. 

A quick gaze up, as if checking for anything up there. They wanted to believe that he would not step that low but you could never be sure with him, so they rather double checked. But nothing. A few glances to the side… Nothing seemed to be amiss. Alright, the coast was clear.

So they entered, one step inside, just in case, slow and steady. Was something on the ground they didn’t see? They didn’t know yet but were cautious nonetheless… But nothing. It was safe to walk on it. 

So they soon were standing in the hall, looking around for a moment though a little puzzled. “Gentaro? Where are you?” Maybe he was stuck somewhere?

“Ahaha… W… Well… You might want to go into the living room to find out.” Ann heard him chuckle, though sounding very nervous, more than usual. Something was off here… Very… 

“Why?”

“It’s best to see it instead of me explaining it all to you.”

They only shrugged at this point yet knew that discussing it was futile. So they may as well. Just what was going on here? They couldn’t really tell…

And yet, they would figure it out soon enough. Because they were heading straight to the first room on the left lacking a door, taking a glance into the living room. They saw nothing off at first. Everything seemed in place, literally. Nothing off here, at all. None. Na—

That was until they took a look at the couch seeing… A tiny rabbit on the sofa!? Light brown fur and green eyes, sitting there, sniffing around. They were staring a little in disbelief, almost dropping the notebook yet managed to catch it at the very last second. What… Was a rabbit doing here!? Why!? How!? 

“Uhm… Did someone gift you a pet?” They asked, looking back into the hall, hoping that he was in another room. Someone gifted him a pet, right? That had to be it. It just had to! And yet—

“Firstly, it’s rude to not look at someone while they’re talking to you!” They heard his voice say very sternly, making them turn back. Wait, the voice was coming from the living room after all!? Where— “Secondly, I’m not a pet. It’s me, Gentaro. And someone apparently thought that it was funny to turn me into a fluffy creature!”

Hold on, what!? “W… Wait… You are saying…” Ann stuttered as they took a few steps closer, to the sofa. Carefully to not scare the little bunny on it. And once they were close enough they kneeled down, to come face to face with said bunny, staring at it and only seeing how it was moving its head around while moving its nose. Actually… From up close, it was an adorable little fella. If Gentaro would stay like that then maybe— Ah no! What were they even thinking!?  “You’re messing with me, right?”

“Me!? Do I sound like I’m lying!?” Was the only thing they heard as a response, as if he was offended.

“I mean, you love to lie…”

“Hah, alright. That is a fair argument. However, I’m not joking in this instance. Sure, this body is warm and I do not feel uncomfortable but I cannot stay like this.”

He… Was serious? He was being serious… No, this was almost like some fairytale. No way. “Mhm… Right…”

“I mean it! I cannot work as a bunny, can I?”

“Well, you could work at a petting zoo. The kids would love you~” They decided to tease, even if just for this moment. They may as well. 

“Ann, don’t even joke about things like that…” He said however, sounding surprisingly deadpan. “I would just bite every kid in sight trying to touch me.”

“Oh come on, don’t make them cry. Not even Ole does that.” Yeah, instead he recently liked to sleep at the end of their bed and bite into their toes when he saw the feet peeking out… Ole is an old man but still a cat, and that was a rather painful reminder. Anyways… 

“I’m stating facts…”

“Besides, you could have an easier life. Think of all—”

“Stop joking around and help me turn back!” He interrupted, sounding desperate, perhaps a little embarrassed. That was a first. 

And yet, she chuckled. It was a sight they would never get to hear again after all. “Alright alright. Let’s find a way to turn you back into the same old guy.”

They were about to get up, wanting to discuss this and yet– “Actually, I might have a plan.”

They got curious, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“You are accustomed to fairytales, aren’t you?”

Fairytales? What was this going to turn into? “Yeah, my parents read me some all the time.”

“Does that include The Frog Prince?”

“That’s basically a classic where I’m from. What’s up with—”

“Try kissing me.” Gentaro interrupted, sounding blunt, cold and saying this with no hesitation. This made Ann nearly trip over, shocked with wide eyes.

“Wait… What? Hold on!” She nearly shouted yet kept calm the moment they still noticed the tiny bunny. Right, they couldn’t startle him now… 

“Is that not how the princess breaks the frog’s spell?”

“Wha– No! Well… Ok yes but in the original not. She threw him against the wall.”

“Huh… That will hurt but… Alright, go on. I’m ready.”

“ Are you crazy!? I’m not throwing a bunny against the wall!”

“Not even if—”

“Not even then!” This sounded insane. They’re not going to do that! What was going on in his mind, agreeing to this so easily!? Seriously… 

“Fine! I’ll try a—” And yet, they had risen their voice all of a sudden, noticing the moment they saw the bunny hop down, away from the sofa. Instead of waiting they had reacted right away, dashing right after it for a few seconds after having placed the notebook onto the table. “Wha— Stay here! This isn’t funny!”

“Ah, apologies! But you were loud, my ears!”

“I’m sorry but what you suggested was crazy! Now get ba—” Though before they could say anything further, or rather wanted to finish their words, they noticed something when running right past the sofa. Something stuck out there… Something black. It was as if these were parts of some clothing, a fabric they were all too familiar with. They only stared at it for a short moment before their expression turned from worried to blank… Literally. Of course… Yeah, that checks out.

So they took a few steps closer, right behind the sofa themself and spotting someone all too well, having his back pressed against the sofa and sitting there, not looking up. At least not yet. And when he was about to speak again they interrupted him fairly quickly with their own words, anything but impressed.

“You really think this is funny, don’t you?”

Though instead of a quick gasp they only heard a chuckle. “Looks like I’ve finally been caught.” He commented before turning towards them, looking up to face them with his usual smirk, shrugging. “Though I’m surprised that you didn’t try to check sooner Ann~”

“Ah— That—”

“Did you really believe my little lie here~?”

“N… No! I… Er… Just wanted to play along!” 

“Of course, play along.”

“It’s true! Nothing more!”

“Right, right. I believe you.” And yet, it sounded as if he didn’t.

“Ugh… Sh… Shut it!” This was embarrassing in the end…

A few minutes forward, the bunny had been placed somewhere where it could be getting some rest after all this running, away from the two who were about to converse. When Ann had asked Gentaro where he got it from he said that he took it in for a few days. Someone had asked him to take care of it and would pick it up later. He owed that person a favor so he could hardly decline. Plus, the little fella was adorable, no denying. And that is also why he had been home for now, awaiting the person to arrive and pick their little friend up. 

“You could have warned me beforehand…” They sighed, both having decided to sit down on the sofa, right next to each other. Ann had decided to lean a little backwards, arms crossed. This was just… A lot. That guy…

“Haha, forgive me. But I couldn’t resist. Today is April Fool’s Day after all.” He reminded them with his usual smile, much to their own dismay. “And you fell for it.”

“I said tha–” They were about to protest again, yet that proved useless. They knew. “Nevermind.”

“Now, may I ask what even brings you here? I did not expect you to announce your visit so suddenly.”

Right, their visit… As to why they were here. They had almost forgotten to be honest. And once they remembered they were about to grow red from all said embarrassment. Because once reality kicks in that this will be in Gentaro’s hands right this second… They became a little hesitant again. And yet, they couldn’t just back out now. 

Though they did not say a thing, not at first at least. They were looking around, stuttering for a moment before eyeing the notebook on the table for a few seconds. They were looking back at Gentaro for a moment, seeing him waiting ever so patiently for their answer. Then again, he might have a clue now… There was no use hiding it from him, was there? Yeah, no use at all.

“I… Well… You know what day it is, right?” They began slowly, their voice shivering a little. “And I don’t mean April Fool’s…”

“Oh yes, of course I know. You are speaking of my birthday, aren’t you?”

They nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh, have you decided to grant me a wish in private?”

“Wha— Wait, that—”

“Then we should certainly talk about that kiss from earlier.” He said with no shame, teasing. And yet… It sounded so serious. Wait no, that was just his way of playing games in the end, wasn’t it!? He even leaned a little forward, to make matters worse.

It led to them trying to back away yet knowing they would just fall over if they did, being cornered. So they weren’t even trying. Besides, he was only close enough yet had not touched their lips with his own. It should be fine… He’s just messing with them a little. “It’s not like that! I mean it is related to your birthday but—”

“Oya? Are you denying me a wish on my very own birthday? You’re a cruel one~” He sounded hurt, the fake kind.

“Tha— I just… Guh… I wanted to give you something!” They said when suddenly grabbing the notebook, pulling it in front of their face. They just couldn’t look at his face, not like this. This was getting more and more embarrassing by the second. In fact, they had to make sure now that he was not seeing their face whatsoever. Really,  this guy… Things have changed between the two but also not really, haven’t they?

“Ah, a gift. That is what you meant.” They heard him say, hearing the sofa making some noise, him most likely backing away, somewhat. 

They lowered the notebook a little as a result, sighing before handing it over to him, no questions asked. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure what so I thought of… Well… Writing something. Hand written that is.”

“Hand written? For… Me?” He asked as they felt him taking the notebook, then hearing it open. No, they saw it actually, him skimming through the pages. Witnessing it first hand made them feel even more embarrassed than before now, to the point their thoughts were racing… Goddamnit. 

“Yeah, for you. I… Hope it will be al—”

“Oya? And you can draw too.” He interrupted, sounding fascinated. Ah— He’s seeing the drawings, isn’t he!?

“I just… Thought maybe… Ok listen I’m not that good at it but I was thinking of… Giving it a personal touch! Go on ahead and laugh or something! I—”

“Oh no, it’s not bad at all. I was just surprised that you can even visualize what you’re thinking.” He interrupted, chuckling, then closing the notebook finally, placing it back onto the table. “Allow me to read it in peace later. Unless—”

“Please, take your time reading it!” They didn’t need to hear him reading their writing out loud. That was the last thing they needed to hear! 

“Still, going through so much effort… It is not a giant special occasion.” 

“A… Are you kidding? Of course it is. Besides… It’s only fair, isn’t it? Putting effort into a gift I mean…”

“If you say so. But really, you didn’t have to do that.” He assured them, or tried to.

“It’s fine, really. No trouble at all. I did it because I wanted to!” They insisted. 

“Alright, I will not argue. I thank you all the same.” 

And then a moment of silence between the two again… Ah, this was really something else… The two of them, alone right now. And there was still a bit of time left before they would head to the studio Ramuda owned. Not like they could go anyway thanks to the rabbit anyway bu—

“Although, back to the kiss…” Ann suddenly heard Gentaro bring up, facing them directly yet again. Hearing him say that made them squeal in place for a short moment, staring at him intensely. 

“P… Please don’t joke like that!” They tried to reason with him, only to see him leaning forward yet again. 

“Joke? Who said I was joking?” He countered, all too serious sounding. That had them look at him with wide eyes, feeling just how they warmed up by then. Wait a second— 

“Hah!? It has to be! Not funny!” 

“But what if I’m not?” And he only got closer.

“That…”

“Say, would you not grant me that one wish?” He asked, his voice in a sudden whisper. He… Was he serious? Was he? Wasn’t he? What was he getting at!?

Though… The argument… It was tempting. And he had been asking earlier. It’s just a kiss right? Ah wait, should they even consider? But he was close and— Ah, why were they even thinking about it? The two had kissed before. One time in the bookstore, the other time at the train station. It should be fine… Right? Was it? They would lie if they said that the urge had not overcome them… And they could use his reasoning as an excuse… Maybe? 

Oh they should just admit that they wanted to kiss him… 

So they suddenly did. Just when they saw him, his mouth opening, about to say something to them they suddenly leaned a little forward, right in to press their lips against his own. 

It was short, though more than a mere peck. His lips were soft, the taste exactly what they remember. It was hard to pull back honestly, hence why they may as well be almost glued onto his lips. But they pulled back shortly after, not wanting to make this too long. And needless to say… His reaction had been unexpected.

He was staring at them, as if in disbelief, and they could see him all red. It was a first, not something they had seen before. Ever. And moments later he even put his hand over his mouth before making one of his fingers trace over his own lips. He didn’t say anything, only staring at them for a moment before suddenly leaning away from them and turning his face into the opposite direction, as if trying to hide his face.

And it left them… Confused. “Gentaro? Is something wrong?” They asked him, a little worried. This reaction was unusual, even for him. Just what was he—

“N… No. No no no! Nothing is wrong!” He responded, as if trying to keep his cool, though failing miserably. Why was he getting so worked up all of a sudden?

“You sure? That—”

“Just… Uhm… I… Being so bold.”

“Bold? What do you mean?”

“Ah— It’s… Nothing! Just thinking aloud!”

The first time they had seen him like this. “W… Wasn’t that your birthday wish?”

No response, only silence on his end. Though he turned back soon enough, eyeing them with… Still an intense redness? Yeah, he was red beyond belief here, redder than red even. 

“I… I know what I said but it was a—” He wanted to say yet he didn’t finish it. In the end he just didn’t finish it. No, he kept silent for a moment before they spotted him with a different face altogether. A smile? Was that what they saw?

“No, nevermind. I won’t complain. I think I got pretty lucky.” 

“Lucky?”

“Please, do not question it.” He said, turning back with his face in their full view once more. A smile so gentle yet genuine, one of the most genuine they had seen of him. Perhaps he was just really happy at the moment. They could only guess and yet… Even if only for this very moment… 

“Thank you for granting my birthday wish.”

[satoruswaifu]

𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

it's my hubby's birthday and THANKFULLY i managed to write a what was initially supposed to be little something just in time!! as always, this is all fluff, no angst in this town, folks. cws: one tiny curse, an even tinier suggestive thing (satoru jokingly asking if he gets nudes and that’s about it lmao), and a brief mention of pregnancy + talks of children at the end! word count: 1016

"I’ve got everything I want in one little package."

Sera blinked up at him — confused for a moment. She had taken that moment of tranquility, embraced in his arms as they watched the snow tumble to the ground just outside their office, as the perfect opportunity to ask about Satoru’s birthday wish.

"I’m talking about you, dummy," he explained, leaning in to place a tender kiss on her forehead.

"As sweet as you are, that doesn’t help me at all." She pouted.

It's like this every year, really. At this point, Sera shouldn’t expect anything anymore. There’s nothing Satoru ever asks for, except her love and attention. All of which he already has.

"Well~ Sorry, wife. It is what it is."

She thinks back on that particular conversation whilst aimlessly wandering the streets of Tokyo, heart thumping wildly in her chest. Mochi is undoubtedly her husband’s favourite desert, so that will be a part of his present — as always.

But what else could she get him? Sera wants to do something special this year. Something new.

Her eyes observe each and every shop she comes across, carefully scanning for that something…

…until she finally finds it.

"Happy Birthday, ‘toru." 

Sera probably tried wrapping up her present at least three times until it appeared neat enough to give her husband. One half of the tape is already peeling off — washi tape never really sticks and she always forgets to buy proper one — but the white bow distracts from her awful wrapping-skills, at least. Satoru leans back against his pillow and grins lazily, He opens the present as carefully as possible, all whilst pressing kisses to his wife’s temple.

"Didn’t have to get me anything, sweet thing."

She remains cuddled into his chest, wrapped up in his arms. Sera observes the way Satoru tries not to tear any of the wrapping paper, despite it being destined for the trash can. She’s learnt a few years ago that he doesn’t want to ruin her "marvelous" work and effort.

What he ultimately holds in his hands is a book - but not just any book, as he soon discovers. Inside is a vast collection of photos taken over the years they’ve spent together, with dates and little notes attached. There’s the first selfie they took together at the amusement park. A picture Haibara had to force Nanami to take at the fast food restaurant they went to (they were fighting with french fries, don’t ask). A photo they took on the day they moved in together. One when Satoru got his license to teach, and another one from the day Sera got hers. Even photos of their students are there, both the first and second years, and everyone had written something. Even Nanami.

It's a little collection of everything.

Whilst flipping through the book, Satoru has become awfully quiet. Sera grows the tiniest bit worried when he is half-way through the journey of what is their relationship reflected in pictures. She looks up at him to gauge his reaction, only to notice his jaw clenched and his pale blue eyes brimming with tears.

"Satoru?" Sera finally murmurs, adjusting her position to get a better look at him. She places a hand on his cheek, eliciting a chuckle.

"Shit, Sera. You’ve really done it now." 

Satoru hides his face in the juncture between her neck and shoulder, visibly trying to keep the emotions that wash over him at bay. 

"Is the present that bad?" Sera jokingly asks, running her hands through his white locks and kissing the crown of his head. Her love wraps around him like the warmest, fluffiest blanket.

"Yeah. Awful," Satoru replies, his voice dripping with similar sarcasm. The book is then left on the nightstand for now, in favor of having his hands free to hug Sera properly. She showers him with all she has, all the love, care and understanding he needs. She scratches the trimmed hairs of his undercut just right, murmurs the most soothing words into his ear (I love you, I love you, I love you) and makes him melt atop her.

"It’s cheesy, but… I’m so glad you exist, Satoru. So glad you’re here with me."

"Think I deserve a little cheese on my birthday."

"I’m glad you think so, ‘cause I got you a cheesecake, too."

Now, Satoru peeks up at his wife with furrowed eyebrows, disbelief obvious on his face. Sera snorts and shakes her head.

"Okay, I didn’t. I bought that one cake selection thing, with seven different flavours."

That gets Satoru all excited, of course.

"We should definitely eat cake now."

"Satoru, it’s eight in the morning—"

And with a pout; "It’s my birthday!"

Sera couldn’t say no to him even if she tried. She wanders off to the kitchen, and they eat half-frozen cake on their bed.

A comfortable silence settles between them, but not for long.

"Thank you, Sera. For the present. It reminds me of how lucky I am."

His wife hums in response, before smiling. "Did you flip trough the whole thing yet?"

Satoru's eyes widen in surprise, a telltale sign of him having missed one significant part of the book. He picks it up with lightning speed, and flips through it again.

"Oooh, what is it? A few hidden pages filled with your lovely nude..."

Her husband falls silent once more. After a few blank pages, a new section seems to begin, titled "Our own little family." To say his jaw drops to the floor would be an understatement.

"But... you're not pregnant, right? Or are you?" Satoru asks, and the hopeful glimmer in his eyes causes Sera's heart to swell with affection.

"N-no, no," she murmurs, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "I was just thinking... when we decide to... you know..."

When. It's not an "if" anymore.

Satrou all but tackles her in a hug. The cake is swiftly forgotten among the kisses he then showers Sera with — kisses of gratitude, no doubt.

Sera knows he is excited for their future, just as excited as she is. If not more.

[jukeboxuniverse]

Prompt 23 - Holding hands under the table

My f/o is Nicodeme Savoy from the webcomic/series Lackadaisy! He works as a hitman for the speakeasy Marigold- is very brash and loud despite the fact that he’s supposed to be discrete with his hits. He works alongside his younger sister, Serafine, who shares his personality but is definitely the brains of the two- and Mordecai, who’s very calculated and skilled in his job.

Nico grew up in the Bayou with his sister, having been raised by Voodooiennes and growing acquainted with the wildlife. He particularly likes reptiles

My s/i is a snow leopard college student named Walker Brightman, who also loves animals and studying them. He’s very socially awkward, not knowing people or social cues very well. To continue paying for school, he studied alcohol fermentation and started his own gin joint where he sells alcohol to his classmates. Him and Nico met when Walker was dragged to the speakeasy Nico works for and won him a game of pool

Lackadaisy takes place in the Prohibition Era, so Walker and Nico holding hands under the table could be them trying to be discrete about their relationship? I don’t know, I’ll leave that up to you!

-@floofselfshipblog

i hope you like it <3

@floofsselfshipblog

Nicodeme’s paw weighs heavily in yours. He’s uncharacteristically quiet at the moment, chewing thoughtfully on the toothpick he lets droop out of his mouth. His whiskers twitch occasionally, the only acknowledgement that you really need of his awareness of you and your presence. That, and the rough pads of his paw, gently holding onto you.

It’s dark in the speakeasy now, the reason your current entanglement has yet to be discovered. Secrets are easiest to hide in dark corners, under tables. They’re also easy to hide when most of the cats around you are delirious with contraband liquor.

You watch the side of Nico’s face as he demolishes his toothpick, not using it for its intended purpose but instead chewing it to splinters. His eyes flash over to meet yours. It catches you off guard for him to look directly at you, and not only because he sees you. His eyes are a sharp gold, bright and intoxicating. It’s like staring into the sun, so bright that you can’t look away and leaving an imprint on your vision behind in its wake, so it’s still there when you close your eyes.

His pupils dilate noticeably when he looks at you. His nose twitches and you watch his lips curl into a smirk. He’s caught you staring. He winks, one of his ears twitching.

“See somethin’ y’like, cher?” He purrs, voice low and soft. His words drip heavy with a deep, honeyed southern accent. The flavors of Louisiana are inescapable when he speaks, which sends shivers through you. The whisper is for you, too. Nobody can hear him but you. He quirks up one heavy eyebrow at you, insufferably beautiful even when he’s taunting you.

Of course you do. You always do. He knows that. You want to tell him, you want to shout it from the rooftops. Instead, you squeeze his paw firmly. It’s a simple touch but it conveys all that you really need to.

[herr-aka-somecutenerd]

Comfort

Fear and Hunger Enki self ship fanfiction

TW: alcohol mention, bad mental state

Fluff

"… Our arrangement was a temporary one from the beginning."

"Dark priest... Are you telling me you cannot contain your fear and dark emotions? I was always under the impression that it was the source of your spite towards the world. The source of your strength."

"... Who is saying I cannot contain my posture? It is simply my time to part ways with your lowley band of motley crew. Travelling together serves no purpose for me anymore--"

"För guds skull! Spare us from your words. You are only telling those lies to yourself. No one else buys it."

It was a long path through the dungeons already. No surprise that all of us, even including Enki, the dark priest, were on nerves. This hellhole seemed like having its own mind, tricking us with our darkest fears, testing our limits in brutal ways. No one was here to judge anyone, though, but Enki's statements were clearly irrational right now and... felt like he was getting emotional, in his own way. Ragnavaldr made his attempt to highen his spirit, being one of the the strongest ones in our party, both physically and mentally.

"Tch. ... Fine. Have it your way... You convinced me of your guts at the very least."

"Hah, that's the spirit!

Despite that, Enki still seemed clearly stressed, pressing his hand to his forehead, showing signs of severe headache.

"I think we should make a halt", - D'arce spoke, on which everyone agreed.

The room we picked seemed like someone's abadoned room where a person would live and study, as there was a bed, writing table and also lots of bookshelves and some other things worth for living. The room was connected with something like a kitchen with a still working oven.

"I'll go cook something", - Ragnavaldr stated, disappearing in the kitchen's doorstep.

Enki silently sat on the wide bed, still trying to gather his mind with a distressed look on his face.

"Dude, you need some booze or somethin'?" - Cahara spoke to dark priest, to which he replied with his usual cold gaze, yet this time it was also somewhat tormented. He didn't say anything.

Cahara sighed.

"...Silence is a sign of agreement".

With that, the mercenary also headed to the kitchen in hope to find some storaged wine or any other alcohol.

There were five of us left: me, Enki, D'arce, the girl and Moonless - the last two ones were sleeping on the carpet, girl peacefully laying on top of the dog while she didn't mind at all.

Seeing Enki struggling was painful for me. I still didn't quite uinderstand why I was so attached to him, but something about dark priest clearly attracted me. I could feel the loneliness and betrayal behind his rudeness and coldness. As Rag said, it was like Enki had some spite on this world, and surely it couldn't come from nowhere.

I decided to be brave and sat beside the long-haired man. Usually he would ask to leave anybody who intruded his personal space, but at the moment he wasn't in his usual state. Plus, recently I noticed that he seemed to be less irritated by my presence than anyone else's.

"Enki..." - I spoke, not quite sure on what to say and how to act. I didn't have any plan in my mind actually. Perhpas...

I gently touched his shoulder, to which he reflexively shrugged.

"I understand how you feel... It's okay and nothing to be ashamed of. This place is horrible. It tries to drive us mad".

Enki doesn't react to my words.

I gently stroke his shoulder, hoping this will comfort him.

"If there's something I can do to help..."

The room went silent for almost a minute. Some idea popped in my head... no no no, am I going crazy too? This is too embarassing, and he'll hate me for that, he won't like the idea itself and...

"Enki..."

I pat on his shoulder for him to look at me, which he does. His tortured gaze breaks my heart. I open my arms, shyly welcoming him for a hug. Enki looks at me with what seemed like a "really?" expression.

"Are you perhpas losing your mind at this moment as well?" - he spoke, despite probably meaning to sound rude, instead his tone was more likely tired.

"Well... I'm not forcing you to, but... you know... hugs, despite how simple and banal they can be, can easen one's stress greatly. You just need to try!"

I'd expect him to say something like "No, I'm good" or something like that... and he'd definetely said that if he wasn't so tormented by his own mind right now, I guess.

"...Fine", - he says after a short pause, despite not moving in an inch.

Recieving his permission, I gently wrap my arms around him, feeling every of his bone stick out even through the cloth of his robe. Enki seemed uncomfortable at first, but eventually he seemed to relax. I put my hand on top of his head and pushed it tenderly, making him lean hisd head to my chest. I started to stroke his hair. As I expected, they were silky and soft. I was having best moment of my life right now, as dark priest seemed to not mind my touches at the moment. I felt a little guilty, thinking that as if I was taking benefit from the horrible situation, but still it looked like I still helped the man through his hard moment.

I'd never expect our first hug to be like that... Well, I'd never expect us to have any hug at all, so I wasn't the one to complain.

"How are you, Enki?" - I asked quietly, trying to sound comfortable.

Enki grimaced.

"Be silent... please", - as if recognizing he's being rude again, priest added a quiet "please" at the end.

"Alright..."

I took it as a sign he's getting better.

A few moments have passed before silence was broken.

"Hey, I've actually found some-- oh", - Cahara stepped into the room, holding a bottle of whickey, when he noticed the scene. He was confused, embarassed and... sly at the same time.

"Ooh, should've I come much later?~" - he both asked and teased. D'arce, who has been patching her wounds pretending to not paying attention to our cuddling session this whole time, shushed at him with a strict look.

My face reddened and I reflexively loosened my embrace on Enki, to which dark priest looked at Cahara discontent.

"Okay, okay! Have some private time! I'll leave the bottle here', - mercenary said, placing mentioned whiskeyu bottle at the table.

"Cahara, for Alll-Mer's sake..." - D'arce got up and left with Cahara to the kitchen, giving us both some space as well and to talk to Cahara about limits.

When we were left alone, Enki finally spoke: "...I'm feeling better".

Hearing that was a relief, and I smiled at him, before blushing at his coming quite words which I've heard from Enki for the very first time.

"...Thank you".

[eternally-smitten]

JanAUary - Book Store Au

pairing: Natalie x Herbert West

summary: Herbert visits the book store he goes to the most to visit his favorite person, Natalie, and to look for a specific book

word count: ~1.2k

author's note: i couldn't not do this prompt with Herbert...it's too perfect for him! i also couldn't resist adding a too obvious reference LOL

The weather was absolutely wretched this afternoon. Dark gray clouds blanketed the sky and snuffed out any sunlight that desperately tried to peek through. The wind was bitter and unforgiving, almost burning the cheeks of anyone who dared try to brave it. The rain splattered against every square inch of ground below it and made sure that there wasn’t a spot that wasn’t wet.

This all caught Herbert by surprise, even though it shouldn’t have. He heard the forecast this morning when he woke up but chose to ignore it. Part of him hoped that they were exaggerating and the other part didn’t care to listen or prepare. He had things to do and a little rain wasn’t going to get in his way.

Except, this wasn’t just a little rain and it proved to be hard to ignore. Nevertheless, Herbert forced himself to walk through it to rush to his safe haven as a full time medical student: the book store.

Did he ever buy anything? On very rare occasions, yes. It was usually a shock when a title in that place caught his eye enough to pay for it. Despite that fact, he was still a regular. He frequently showed up to that little hole-in-the wall book store because it was his favorite studying spot. That and one of his favorite people, Natalie, worked there.

He finally reached his destination and practically lept inside to get away from the rain. A puddle started to form where he stood and he could feel the water beads running off of his skin. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling but he did what he could to pay it no mind because today, he was on a mission. His shoes squeaked loudly as he walked and the noise echoed throughout the small, empty store. He had to take his glasses off briefly to be able to see because of how the water covered the lenses.

Natalie leaned over the counter she was stuck at to look at him, “Jeez, I’m shocked you even came in today.”

“How did you know it was me?” He asked, feeling embarrassed that he looked so disheveled.

“Who else would stop here in such horrible weather besides Mr. Herbert West?” She reached in her pocket for a soft cloth meant for cleaning glasses, “Here, maybe this will help.”

“Thank you,” Herbert pinched the cloth between his fingers and immediately wiped his lenses with it. 

Natalie leaned against the back of her hand, “So, what’s the agenda today? Are you going to take over your usual spot or are we going to engage in some rare small talk?”

He cleared his throat and handed the cloth back to her, “I’m looking for something, actually.”

“Oh, really?” She sounded excited, “What are you looking for? I need to know. Maybe I can help you find it.”

He let out a condescending chuckle, “I won’t need any help. I believe I can find it on my own, thank you.”

Natalie shrugged, “Alright, you know where to find me if you can’t.”

Herbert waved her off and went to search the aisles of books, his shoes squeaking every step of the way. He searched the long and empty aisles, whispering the title names as he passed them. Finally, he found the section of last names he was looking for. The books haven’t been touched in so long that a thin layer of tan dust covered the parts of the spines that stuck out slightly. One of his pointer fingers ran itself along the spines as he looked around, feeling the engraved letters on the hardcover copies. He stopped where he thought he was supposed to be but where a book should’ve been, there was now an empty spot.

A lone, clean spot where a dust covered book was supposed to be. Herbert asked himself if he went down the wrong aisle or even mixed his alphabet up but no, this was where the book he wanted was. He pursed his lips and walked back to find Natalie to ask for help for the first time since he’s been a regular. 

She heard the sound of his wet shoes approaching her before she could even see him and looked up, “Looking for something?”

Before he could respond, Natalie pulled a thick book from under her seat and dropped it on the counter. It landed with a loud thud and a small cloud of dust flew around them. His eyes scanned the cover and yes, this was exactly what he was looking for! He traced the gold lettering with his fingers. The Complete Fiction of H.P Lovecraft. But how did she-

“You mentioned wanting it in passing a bit ago.” Natalie answered before he even asked, “Someone tried to snag it before you did. I had to come up with some lie about us having that specific book being placed on hold and so I couldn’t let them buy it.”

“You…for me?” Herbert questioned softly.

She nodded happily, “On top of that, I might have already um, sort of paid for it already for you.” She stumbled over her words, a bit sheepish about her confession.

“I don’t have to pay?” He couldn’t believe it. Not only did she hide this book away from other customers for him, he didn’t have to pay for it either. 

This was so thoughtful of her to do something so kind for him, he couldn’t help but crack a very odd smile. He went to grab it to put it in his bag but Natalie had the same idea and reached out for it at the same time. Their fingers softly grazed each other, which made her cheeks flush to a light pink. Herbert, still smiling, chuckled quietly as he took the book from her.

After securing the book in his bag, he turned to her, “Thank you. This was sweet of you.”

“I was happy to.” She played with the ends of her hair, “You’ve always been a good…friend to me. Consider this a thanks for giving me something to look forward to in this boring job.”

Herbert fidgeted with his fingers excitedly, “What time do you get to leave?”

“Um, well, it’s supposed to be five but since no one but you really comes here, I’ve been bunking off kind of early.” Natalie confessed with a laugh, “I’ve been leaving about an hour or two early. No one has caught on yet.”

“Then, would you like to meet up whenever you get off?” He asked, feeling a bit bold, “Maybe we can get coffee? I mean, tea. I know you don’t like the stuff.”

“You remembered!” She grinned, “I would love to!”

“Great,”

“Great! Looks like I’m leaving early again tonight.” She snickered.

He nodded, “Four it is. Thank you again, I can’t wait to read this.”

Natalie gave him a warm smile, “Of course. Now, make sure to bring an umbrella later!”

“I will. Goodbye.”

“Bye, Herbert.”

He left the warm, dry sanctuary that was the book store and forced himself to go out into the wretched weather once more. It didn’t matter to him anymore, though. His new book was safe and sound in his bag and technically, he now had a date. Visiting her despite the weather was a wonderful idea.

tag list: @bobmckenzie @kylars-princess @blood-moon-ships @fates-theysband @felixrichtershubby @gideongrovel @weirdgirlgf @nonesenseships @bioexorcizm lmk if you want to be added/removed! :D

[denjirv]

༺ღ༒ Crossed Paths༒ღ༻

Denji spends his days waiting for someone after school

⏤͟͟͞͞☆A/N: In gonna be honest this is just to help me characterize my self insert but if you just wanna read it like a y/n stuff then keep in mind this time "reader" is afab for this one!

No CW warnings just purely SFW with minor implications of a not so great living situation but nothing explicit  “And then she’d just called me a loser again and left! What a asshole” “All cause I said you went to a different school” There was a moment of silence as the teen leaned against the brick wall, crossing his arms. Only silence fills the air before he turns and sees a camera recording him. “Hey are you recording?!” The camera panned down to a pair of dirty black mary janes with white socks as the cameraman giggled. “Haha I’m sorry!” The camera was turned off by the sound of a click and the small light going dark. “You know when you put it like that it does sound ridiculous” Denji sees the young girl in front of him. The girl in the navy blue sailor uniform, she placed her camera back into her school bag. “It's the most obvious lie no one will fall for that” The blonde school boy scoffs offended but she did have a point, he’s just one not to admit it easy. “Well you know what-” He argues back but before he can think of anything he pauses and looks away from her in defeat. “You’re right” he hung his head low as the young girl held in a giggle. “You’re cute, Denji but not the brightest. '' Denji looks up, pointing at his girlfriend as he furrows his brows. “Didn’t you tell me yesterday that you got a low grade in your math class?!” Denji finally had the upper hand as the girl left shocked but also putting up a feigned upset face. “Hey listen, math is hard! I’m just better at other things' ' She leaned her face forward to him, crossing her arms as her foot was inches away from Denji’s converse. “Oh yeah like what?” Denji inched his face closer to hers, only their eyes being the only thing they saw. A small staring contest happens before the brunette girl laughs. Denji watches her hugging her stomach as she was sent into a giggle fit, her rosy cheeks getting redder with her smile being almost a trigger for him to smile as well. “Ok ok fine I guess that’s pay back for my comment earlier” Denji’s attitude brightens up as he puffed his chest out with his hands on his hip. He’d always been rather eccentric but that’s what Kanna loved about him. Later on the two walked their way back to Denji’s apartment. Opening the door to meet her eyes on multiple eager huskies and a single cat sleeping on the couch with a small child sitting there. “Woah hey there you missed me?” Kanna drops her bag as she starts to pet each of the giddy dogs licking her cheek. “Ahhh doggy kisses!” falling back on the wooden floor she feels all of the dogs overwhelming her with attention. But once Denji called them all over so that he could feed them she sees the small child staring at her. “Nayuta sweetie” Her tone shifted once she started to head towards her on the couch. She sounded more sweeter and even motherly with the way she spoke to Nayuta, must be the maternal instincts kicking in early. “How are you? Is your brother treating you well” Nayuta nodded her head before silently leaning against her shoulder, she stared off to the cartoon playing on the tv as Kanna gently stroked her hair. “I thought you came here to spend more time with me?” Denji pouts, puffing up his lower lip almost like a child as the dogs were greedily eating up the brown kibble from their bowls. “Well you also have a little sister I don’t wanna leave her hanging” Kanna made a kissy face at Denji but all he could do was ignore her rather obvious attempts to butter him up into a better mood But even at the moment of what to those might seem like chaos Kanna looked back at the tv screen as she leaned into the cushion of the couch. For once in a while it was as if time slowed down and she was happy. She can feel Nayuta moving in her arm as she got more comfy position to settle in She won’t say it much but for once Denji gave her something she wanted, an outlet. Away from school, away from her mother. She felt like she was in a dream. As the hours went by, filled with laughter and content silence she realized she was running almost past her curfew. “Tomorrow I’ll try stopping by” Denji kissed Kanna’s forehead as he smiled softly at her, by now the skies that were once blue were an orange decorated with pink clouds. “Just try not to leave dirt marks when you climb into my window you loser” She laughs as she kisses him back, a farewell kiss as she waved silently at the sleeping Nayuta using the cat as a pillow. She leaves his apartment complex with a smile on her face though as soon as she reached her home she felt something in her chest Pain? Dread? She still hasn’t figured that out especially by the sound of her mother’s voice coming from the house. Standing in front of the door she takes a deep breath and leaves her dreamworld and into reality. “Mom, I’m home”

[nimue-at-night]

Making Out

Fandom: Ensemble Stars

Characters: Amagi Rinne, Original Character

Pairing: Amagi Rinne/Original Character

Tags: Established Relationship, Making Out, Rough Kissing, Kissing, Gentle Kissing, Surprise Kissing, French Kissing, Sexual Tension, Resolved Sexual Tension, No Sex, No Plot/Plotless, Tongues, No Romance, POV Original Character, Sub Amagi Rinne, Horny Amagi Rinne, Horniness, POV Third Person Limited, Suggestive Themes, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, OC x Canon

Words: 1,093

No summary, just making out. Self indulgent (and it did not leave my head I'm sorry). Guh I wanna make out with Rinne so bad, I admit, aaaa!

While there is no sex involved this work is a little suggestive. Due to the nature of this blog I would like for minors to not interact with this post however!

Honestly, it was hard to pinpoint the start to this situation, if there had been a start to begin with. It had all happened from one moment to the next, to the point the details had become a little blurry in the end and were quickly forgotten. If asked Ann could honestly not respond anymore why they were suddenly laying flat on the futon with their back and Rinne Amagi towering right over them. He stared right down at them, his face as red as his own hair, or almost as much. His own eyes were wide as he stared down, the gaze focused on them. He let out light breaths while seeming to shake, at least what they were able to spot. After all he had cornered them in a way as his hands were right next to their head, one on each respective side. Were they truly any better though? 

Not at first, no. In fact they were laying there, not moving an inch as their own breathing escaped their lips. It may as well have been a stare off at that point, the two of them being so red it was a surprise that they had not turned into tomatoes or something like that. And both were visible wrecks, at least Ann could tell Rinne was. And they were not much better off, given they were just staring while feeling like some heater, their own lips trembling. This situation was new to the both of them. 

They had kissed before, a few times. It was nothing but small pecks or one surprise–kissing the other when the mood was right yet in a situation like this? That had never occurred and neither looked like they knew how to handle this. Then again, at first glance it was surprising for someone like Rinne maybe, given how loud and bashful he usually was. However, when keeping in mind that it had been Ann who initiated the first kiss and left him in a blushing mess shortly after for a few seconds this might not be too surprising. After all, he was all bark sometimes but biting? That was a different story. He would never admit to this of course, at least not in public. This was no exception. 

He was all stiff, one could already tell with the blank eye. When Ann’s own gaze wandered they could spot him clutching onto the futon’s blanket, trying to keep steady so he did not fall down onto them. His face may as well be the equivalent to a grimace, trying to look cool and keep calm yet he was bad at hiding it. He was a mess, wasn’t he? He didn’t know how to react to this. Honestly, he may as well be looking funny now and yet oddly adorable all the same. He might deny it but for them, this was very fitting. He liked to play the tough one and enjoyed the feeling but he was not always in such a position. They were secretly glad however because it made them calmer as a result, knowing not just they were nervous. It’s not like he was unwilling either, given he had not pulled away and just now had made a small attempt to get closer to their face, or rather their lips. Yet he froze not even halfway there, trying to collect himself. It was an amusing sight and the last push they really needed.

Because it left Ann time to collect themself if they were completely honest. Sure, it was still a little nerve wracking but it was not unmanageable. And thus, before the tall redhead could even see it coming they extended their hands to his face, grabbing both of his cheeks before facing his face right down. It had him caught off guard and he was about to ask what this was all about and yet he would not get the chance to ask. He did not have to honestly as the couple’s lips met each other soon enough. 

The brunette had closed their eyes shortly after and moved their arms over his shoulder, around his neck, wrapping both around him. They had even been a little sneaky and decided to not let him escape, thus wrapping their legs around his waist to pull his body completely down and trap him. He could not lose a word and had to endure this sudden move. And yet he would not dare to pull away, not even for a moment. They could only imagine his expression yet would be unable to see it with their eyes closed. Then again, given that they soon felt his own vigor with his lips and mingling with theirs made it obvious how he started to lose himself. It was more than a small peck or deep kiss… Well, it was still a soft yet deep kiss but the heat may as well be rising between them, especially when both of their clothed bodies were pressed against one another. 

They rubbed their own body right against his, even if slightly and softly, hearing groans coming from his mouth, right into the kiss. It made them chuckle in place before slowly pulling out their tongue and brushing against his lips. They could feel him shiver for a moment, caught off guard and opening his mouth ever so slightly which allowed them entrance. They took the chance right away and let their tongue slide inside his mouth, pressing against his own tongue and mingling the two together. 

They heard a surprise gasp from his lips and yet he did not pull back. Instead he played along as soon as he was able to, perhaps trying to get some control over the situation but it was all futile in the end. He would just end up following their lead and they could feel the frustration in his movements. Especially once they clutched onto them at their vulnerable areas and made them gasp lightly all the same, his fingers brushing against their body. Yet that frustration made them chuckle. He may be the one on top but they were the one making sure he stayed in place. And the fun would not stop there. At least when it came to snatching one kiss after the other. No need to become more than a little handsy at the moment. 

But imagining how adorable Rinne will be once the two would get down to do the deed eventually… It was an imagination they would probably not stop feasting in for some time.

[sapphire-heart-tippy]

Day 10: Going to an orchard to pick some lovely crispy apples, perfect for Autumn treats.

“Hnnngh!” Tippy tries to reach for an apple to put in his basket. “Almost… got it…!” Suddenly he is boosted up and able to reach, “Whoa! Heheh, thank you, Vanilla.”

“Absolutely, honey bun.” Vanilla chuckles, holding Tippy by the hips. Vanilla gently sets him down and pats his head. Bel tosses an apple up and down in their hand and looks at it, shines it on their shirt and looks in the reflection,

“Absolute perfection.” 

Vanilla and Tippy walk over to Bel, holding their baskets. Bel tosses his apple into his basket,

“All in a day’s work!”

Tippy looks into xis basket,

“Uh… you only got one apple in there, wibny.”

“So?” Bel checks xis nails. Vanilla playfully bonks xim on the head,

“So…We might not have enough to make some cinnamon apple treats, dear.” 

“Well, what if I just want one?” Bel teases. Vanilla raises an eyebrow at them and crosses his arms.

“Oh alright,” Bel throws up his hands in an exaggerated way, “I guess I’ll go get some more.” Bel picks up Tippy,

“Wha- hey!” 

“I’ll be using this little creature to do all the work for me.” Bel holds Tippy up into a tree.

“There are leaves in my freaking sweater!” Tippy calls down to his partners.

“Go get me some apples, apple getter!” Bel grins. Vanilla sighs, face palms, and shakes his head. Tippy is pushed up further into the tree by Bel. He’s brought back down and holding armfuls of apples and one in his mouth,

“Mmmf mmm hmm?”

“Perfect!” Bel drops Tippy and claps xis hands.

“WAUGH- oof!” Tippy falls to the ground, making leaves fly up. Bel looks wide eyed,

“Sorry…” He guiltily grins and chuckles at Vanilla

Back at home

Vanilla, Tippy, and Bel all walk through the front door holding their baskets of apples. They all set them down on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Vanilla sighs happily,

"Okay, now let's go ahead and make some little treats."

"Let's try to make some cinnamon apple pie tarts! Those are always so good." Tippy tells his boyfriends. Bel giggles,

"Should I make some hot chocolate while you two do the baking?"

Vanilla gently tugs them on the back of their shirt and pulls them close,

"Oh no no no, don't think you're going to get out of helping us again, Mister." Bel blushes a bit,

"My my, you were always the commanding type, Nilla." They giggle at him. Tippy chimes in also giggling,

"Vans is always so bossy!"

"Yeah, and I command you both to give me some sugar." Vanilla smirks. He leans down and gives Tippy a tender kiss on the lips, then leans in to give Bel a kiss on the lips as well. Tippy grabs the sugar container,

"Or did you mean this?" 

Vanilla takes it,

"That too, sweetie pie. Alright, let's get to baking."

The three lovebirds begin cutting up the apples, making the tart crust, and fixing the filling. After a while, the tarts are in the oven and the three are covered in flour and cinnamon. Tippy licks the apple filling off of the spatula. Vanilla dusts off his apron a little bit. Bel picks out some flour from under his nails. Tippy looks up,

"Bel, you have flour on your nose!"

"What?" Bel becomes cross eyed trying to look at xis own nose. Vanilla laughs and Bel puts xis hands on xis hips,

"Hmph. Oh yeah?" Bel takes a pinch of flour and flicks it in Vanilla's face, making him squint. Tippy bursts out laughing. Vanilla sputters and a little cloud of flour comes off his lips. He looks down at Tippy,

"Oh you think that's funny, Termite?" He gets a mischievous grin on his face. Tippy gasps, then Vanilla flicks some flour onto Tippy's face.

"Pleh! Oh, you're gonna get it, Lucky Charms!" Tippy laughs and flicks more flour at Vanilla. Bel playfully pouts,

"Aww, I want a silly nickname."

Vanilla looks over at him,

"Hmm… you probably wouldn't want the names I used to call you behind your back." Bel puts his hands on his hips,

"Uch!"

Tippy holds onto Bel's arm,

"How about Bels and Whistles?"

"What? No way!" Bel pouts. Vanilla holds onto his other arm,

"How about Prince Glitterpants?"

"Ugh, now you guys are just making fun of me." Bel huffs. "I only wore those pants once and you never let me hear the end of it, Leotard Boy."

"Yeah, well, you just hush." Vanilla kisses Bel's cheek. Tippy nuzzles xis arm, then wraps it around himself. Bel sighs,

"You both are like, total jerks, but I love you anyway."

"Hmhm, we love you too, Glitter Boy.” Vanilla teases them and kisses their nose. Bel pouts but kisses Vanilla back. 

Soon the apple pie tarts are finished, and the three gentlemen happily munch on them while sitting on the couch watching Halloween movies

The End

[lake-archive]

A Game Of Pretend

AO3 Link - The Love Antics Of Dark Mages Masterlist

Fandom: Puyo Puyo

Characters: Schezo Wegey, Minako (OC), Nyeli (by @watersofcamelot) (mentined)

Words: 1,381

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A knight… The little fella sure has an interesting take on what a knight is. Honestly, the first few seconds Schezo could not believe his ears. A knight… He and a knight… That could not be further from the truth. Such imagery is not something befitting for him! Well, that and it just was not true in any way. Someone chivalrous, of good nature, sweeping in when people are in need… This is not something anyone would describe him as. And he himself would also not make such a bold claim. After all, he was not like a certain justice seeking fool and will never be… 

It was just too far–fetched. He was anything but a knight! He was a dark mage first and foremost, a man practiced in the dark arts and always seeking for more and more power! Hunting for more, day by day! So hearing anyone call him that… It had put him off a little, he had to admit. He didn’t even know how to respond to it. Then again, maybe he would have said something with less hesitation if it had literally been anyone else. But disappoint a cute, little guy like this? No, he couldn’t. 

Not when seeing him so insistent. Not when seeing him so eager. Not when seeing his utmost desire. It was hard to resist because one wrong word and his world might have come crumbling down right then and there. And at the end Schezo just couldn’t bring it over himself. He should have but he couldn’t. Because the next image flashing into his head was the tiny one, with drooping ears and eyes filled with tears, the look of shattering disappointment. So in the end he had first said it without thinking, promising to teach the tiny cat–like creature. 

But once it had kicked all in he was hit with a wave of regret, wondering just what he had gotten himself into. A knight… Him, having to teach someone the ways of a knight. How could he do that if he wasn’t one? After all, he had been robbed from this opportunity for ages now. Having once been naive, claiming to ‘ become a man to achieve great things ’ and promising to never use dark magic ever again after escaping that dreaded place he had been trapped in…

And yet, it had not come to this. And it was eating him up, also literally. Bit by bit, piece by piece. He could feel how it was all devouring him to no end, all on the inside. It was sometimes hard to keep a straight face, to not just fall into other habits, habits he swore off some time ago. Even if it slowed it all down, it was better than succumbing. 

Oh where has this all gone? “ I won’t use dark magic ever again after I escape! ” Shallow words nowadays, more than shallow. A false promise… Preventing him from ever achieving more. This is not what a knight should be doing after all… Let alone a hero.

And yet, the lie had carried on. Which one? All of them. Schezo was doing nothing but playing a game of pretend. But if it was for the little one… He had to endure. He swore himself to endure the pain, all of it. It should be fine. It will all be fine. Besides, he was no stranger to regular training. And such training was one every knight had to go through. Or had he been wrong about that?

Honestly, he was just taking a wild guess at this point. How was he supposed to know any of this to begin with? He had never been there and he will never be there. But that was beside the point, was it not? Yeah, besides the point… But good luck explaining that to his ‘big sister’ at least that was what he assumed she was.

The white haired woman he had found in his cave, having collapsed from hunger weeks ago by then. Apparently she had caught wind of Schezo’s current actions and honestly it may not even be a surprise. And even then, she was glaring at him that time, her red gaze sharp. Usually it would leave him unfazed and he would have told her off… But her question cut deep, even if she didn’t know.

“What’s this about a ‘knight’ I hear!?” She asked, raising her voice a little bit. She was clearly not pleased, at all. “What nonsense were you telling Nyeli!?”

“I wasn’t telling him anything!” Schezo responded, almost defensive sounding. 

“Right, telling him nothing! What are you up to!?”

“I’m being serious here! I was not telling him anything at all! No fairytales, no stories, no lies! He came to me!”

“That…” She went silent for a short moment, as if considering his words for a moment before sighing, though agreement audible. “Alright, fair. That does sound like Nyeli after all. But that still won’t explain why you were lying to him.”

“Are you asking me to make a child cry?” He countered, slightly annoyed. “Are you asking to be punished by my sword!?”

“P… Punished by your—” She was close to repeating before becoming silent for a very short moment, only staring… Staring and staring… That was until he saw her face turning completely red, matching her eyes even, and she suddenly raised her hand, pointing a finger right at him, then continuing to shout. “Excuse me!? Watch your mouth or I will teach you myself what actual dark magic tastes like! Creeper!”

For a moment he wondered why she was so upset… Until he noticed, quickly correcting himself. “Hold on, no! That’s not what I meant at all!”

“How else am I supposed to understand your—”

“What I meant was that I will handle you myself if—! Wait…”

“That doesn’t sound any better!” She only became louder.

All he could do was sigh by then. It was best to not try correcting himself or the third time might become the worst. He was not about to have the conversation derail into that, far from it. “Nevermind… In any case, I’m not going to crush his hopes like that.”

Finally, the woman in front of him was calming down. She lowered her arm and her expression became a little calmer and her volume decreased when she spoke up next, though she seemed a little confused. “Not crush his hopes? Nyeli’s?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? I won’t make him cry. And if he wants to learn, then so be it. I’m not going to disappoint him now.”

“Dis… appoint? So… You are doing that for his sake?”

“For who else’s?” His own? She shouldn’t make him nearly laugh like that… If he could, that is. “So, will you keep your mouth shut or do I have to beg you on my knees?”

“B.. Beg? As if—”

“I will if I have to if it means you shut your yap and don’t tell him about anything.” He said, ever so serious. He probably shouldn’t and having to live with this title is going to crush him one way or another… But he was not going to crush a young one’s dreams like that. He couldn’t bring himself to do that. And if he had to do anything to get her to be quiet… Then so be it. “Don’t tell him about this conversation we just had, ever. Just let me train him, alright?”

A moment of silence, he could feel her gaze one way or another. And yet, his own did not change. He meant every word he just said. Every single one. So… In the end… Could he get her to agree? The answer was obvious…

“Fine, I won’t. But it’s also just for Nyeli’s sake. Not to entertain whatever game you want to play.”

Of course she would phrase it like that… “I’m not playing any games here!” He corrected for a moment, though at the end added a little more softly: “And… Thank you.”

Assuming a role he will never be… And yet, this was going to be something Schezo has to learn how to handle… He should be fine however, shouldn’t he? Yeah… He’ll learn how to deal with it, one way or another.

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