#short little dabble

[draconic-ichor]

Sunlight

Short dabble

Morgott

Warnings: strong language, cannon typical violence, brief mention of blood, brief mentions of trauma

Might work on this a bit more in the future…but for now: feedback appreciated

Sunlight was coveted.

That ever golden brilliance that rivaled that of the Erdtree when it peeked through the sewer grates, sending a resplendent disparity among the constant gloom. Sunlight brought health and strength, the omen not understanding the science behind it but noticing its effects. The older, much bigger and brutish, stock would guard the common areas of sunlight; spending the days basking in it.

Morgott remembers being small, growing sick and stunted in the darkness. How he first felt true jealousy when watching the older omen laze like cats. All the while he was forced away, forced back into the dark.

When he became big himself, he fought back. Not to those that truly wronged him, or to the suffocating structures that placed him in such a horrific circumstance…but to the other omen, the ones with a face he could sink his claws into.

The fight was long and gruesome. By the time Morgott stepped into that coveted shaft of sunlight he was covered in a crimson sheen of blood. He blinked up into the brilliance…

…and found it lacking.

All the years sat waiting, building this to a revered place of standing, even measuring it up to the fabled healing rays of the Erdtree. To find only a simple beam of light. No more, no less.

It was bitter.

But that was long ago…

Warmth sank deep into his bones, a salve to ancient aches. The grasses swirled around him with a gentle breeze. The time in the darkness, deep below the capital, memories now. He’d been free of those shackles, if more physically than metaphorically, for years; taking up his birthright and becoming sole protector of the Erdtree.

While the veiled monarch was hidden behind the safe walls of the capital, Morgott could explore the lands he was kept from under his alias: Margit. The knights did not dare question the omen when he would wander away from the protection of the capital, fully unaware it was their king slipping away again.

Morgott lay upon the ground, allowing himself the simple pleasure of sunbathing, his eye closed to the warm brilliance overhead. This was one of the few comforts he awarded himself, stealing time away just to lay against the earth and clear his head.

If only his younger self could see him now: living in the sun and free to wander the countryside if the will took him. He hummed a bit, hand fanning out to smooth over the grasses beside him. Air heavy with nectar and the scent of everything growing filled his nose… yes, if only his child self could know….

Blinking open his good eye, he realized just how long he’d been there by the suns high point above him. For all the musings of freedoms he truly had little, his duties keeping him quite busy.

Morgott rose with a groan, stretching and hearing his old bones crack in protest. Picking up his cane he started on his way, passing a flock of sheep, their dark wool a heavy contrast to the golden yellow of the grasses they grazed upon. The ram stood at attention, eyeing Morgott up and down.

The omen paused, almost chuckling at the indignant stomp the ram gave as a warning.

Brave little creature indeed…

Morgott thought, deciding to move on when the ram bleated at him. He came to the side of a stream, kneeling down; the stones were tumbled smooth from countless years along the same banks. Dipping his hand into the clear water, Morgott marveled how clean it was, how this simple pleasure was taken for such granted. Cupping his hands he took a long drink, savoring the sweetness. Further downstream he could see a clutch of juvenile land octopi playing about in the shallows, their joyous chirps just audible on the breeze.

He sat back on his haunches, taking in a deep breath. Even in the shattering, life still found ways of going on. Creatures with no memory of the time before, to idea of what was lost.

Blissful.

[bigmammallama5]

every time you post your pottery i’m so amazed at the ways you choose to decorate it. like the little roses and fish on the side of the two boxes you just posted or the elegant angles of the stems from the pumpkins you did awhile back or the glaze colors you choose and how you mix and place the different elements/colors/textures. i know you’re a professional artist but it’s just so beautiful and even though i’ve come to expect it somewhat it still feels like each new piece has something new to admire. i’m glad you choose to share some pieces here

thank you??? this is such an incredibly sweet message! i cant take credit for the fish pot this evening, that was the one my student made with bare guidance from me (she did so good for her first time touching clay!!), but the one with the square pattern was mine <3

i love the little details and how you can carry an element of design through even a small cup or mug, or how the line of a handle or pumpkin stem affect the profile. i wasnt always a professional artist and there are still many days where i feel just as inexperienced as a beginner, but there's always something new to learn or new to try and i love sharing what make and i learn with yall <333

[wooly-nooly]

Im just an empty pit with some cool caves and critters but if you’ll be water then we could be a lake and grow a biome just as nice as an ocean ecosystem, but more contained, and just for us and our lake creatures

[atozfic]

the grip ghostface wy has on me. and the plot in general. i am so. Compelled. mean dom wy who wants to treat u right? i am ballistic.

take your time w the follow up because i am Seated. [i'll be signing off with 👻 so u know it's me shjdbhjsahj]

—👻

listen... did ghostface!wy kill your friend/ex-roomate in front of you? maybe.

should he really try find a more effective, less-murdery way of getting your attention? again, maybe.

but he's shy! he's a baby! he's a pathetic man who radiates wet cat vibes!

(also thanks so much for all your asks, it's been a while since i've felt excited about a fic on this account & your asks have just been so fun to answer <3)

[twpsyn-who]

"Why did you choose to join the Scouts, anyway?" it was a question that has been bugging Stiles for awhile now, ever since that night.

"I mean, don't get me wrong-" he began before Derek could get any words out, "- but you never made any indication that you would join Scouts. It doesn't make sense, you're in the top ten. The Big Ten. You know, the elite ones who get the secret third option?? Why not join Lydia and finally live an easy life? If I were you- like, with your life story and everything not just your body and flexibility which, by the way, should be illegal- I would have chosen that. Give myself a break, you know?"

It wasn't until then that Derek regarded Stiles with his attention. There was something in his eyes, an intensity that Stiles would sometimes catch glimpses of any now and then but it has never been pushed so forward into his hands. He could barely breathe while looking into them, getting lost in the forest that was hiding inside Derek Hale's eyes.

"Everyone I care about is going there." the answer came so nonchalant from him, like the confession wasn't life changing. But Stiles found his answer not in his friend's words, but while finding his way out of Derek's eyes.

"Because you're going" it went unsaid, locked deep inside the greens and the browns. In the way the eyes softened for a moment when he said 'care' and tried to break contact on 'going there' before thinking better of it. In the little frown while saying 'everyone', like that wasn't the right word but he didn't- or couldn't?- say anything else.

And Stiles? Didn't know what to do with that confession. With the knowledge that Derek gave up everything just to stay stuck with skinny, defendles, most likely to end up Titan food during his very first expedition outside the walls, Stiles.

Because Stiles was ready to die just for an eclipse of freedom, but was he ready to take Derek with him?

[homoeroticvillain]

i once again am filled with the want to dress like an evil scientist

[immortal-legend]

I'm soooooooooo glad you are back on tumblr, wish you all the best!

Thank you, love! I'm really happy just lurking for now; found a love for reading again and will likely share random thoughts about books and perhaps some fanfiction if/when I get back into it.

Husband and I were talking, and I said I don't know if I want to write smut again, and he was like "yeah, well if and when you do end up writing it, remember that each male character must have a 10 inch dick, and it needs to be 50 inches in diameter for it to be sexy", and I was like "that's not sexy, that's hip dislocation" and he almost fainted laughing with how matter-of-fact I was about it.

(yes, he's read my smut when I first started dating him almost 4 years ago, and he is an admirer of the written sexiness)

[aquarius-stories-and-story-ideas]

Esther's nightmare.

(This goes with a drawing commission I requested. This stems from an anime I really like called ‘Ghost Hunt’. I’m not into horror, but I really like that show. Also, the power Black Hat used to calm Esther down was inspired by a scene in a Villainous fan comic created by Deviantart user jade-alexandria. The lullaby Black Hat sings is from Inuyasha. I tweaked it a bit so it would fit the dabble a bit better. The commission pic can be found here: https://aquarius-stories-and-story-ideas.tumblr.com/post/712466316424101888/yet-again-i-commissioned-paimaniagalaxia-i-think.

TW: This dabble contains blood, horror, and disturbing scenes that may not be suitable to more sensitive readers. Discretion is advised.)

Esther sat on the bathroom floor and stared at the bag of lavender in her hand. Black Hat was still recovering from his illness and she didn’t want to disturb him with nightmares of that blasted mansion. He needed as much rest and quiet as possible. While she knew why it was essential to help her friends uncover the mystery of the disappearances in that place, she wondered if going was a good idea.

“Well, what’s done is done.” She sighed. “No use thinking about the past.”

Since she didn’t have a humidifier or an essential oil diffuser she resorted to eating the lavender raw. After all, it was known for relaxing people. So, it had to work in its raw form, right?   

With a deep breath, the small pre-teen downed the lavender and got ready for bed. As she settled in her bed she made herself think of positive things. Kittens. Fluffy clouds. A nice rainy day. Anything to keep herself from thinking of that haunted mansion.

Esther snuggled deeper into her cotton-white sheets. ‘Just relax and think about something nice.’ She thought. ‘Go to sleep and everything will be okay.’

As she felt herself drifting off she felt her entire body stiffen. ‘Wait! Why can’t I move?!’

Her attention was directed to the door as it opened. Two men shrouded in darkness entered her chambers. ‘I can’t talk. No. Not again! Not now!’

The two men approached her bed and she began to panic. ‘Why are they here? This has to be that blasted dream again!’ They each made a move to grab her. ‘No! Stay away! Don’t touch me!’

Esther screamed as they grabbed ahold of her arms and dragged her out of bed. Her legs were dangling in the air just like last time. ‘No! Let me go! Get out of my Uncle’s house! You’ll disturb him! Please, let me go!’

Everything went black when they carried her out of her room and closed the door. When she came to she was in a sitting room with a roaring fire. A chair faced the fireplace and next to it was a small table with a glass of wine on it.

‘It’s the same room as last time. That wine is there too. Is this a dream just like last time?’ 

She was carried to a pair of double doors and the men opened them. On the other side was an indoor garden with hedges. When she straightened her legs her toes brushed against the ground. Upon looking down she saw bloodstains in the dirt. Fear gripped her entire form. ‘No. This is the same dream. It has to be. Uncle Black Hat would never let these kinds of people in his home and let them touch me, right?’

As she was dragged through the garden she couldn’t help but feel repulsed by the sensation of the two men gripping her arms. Normally she would enjoy the feeling of being carried. But, this isn’t what she wanted. Everything was happening just like the last time she had this dream. This was a dream, correct? If not, then she was toast!

When the three of them came to a white door one of the men opened it. A rush of wind slammed in her face and a familiar smell filled her senses. ‘It smells like blood! Wait, I can smell it and I’m not in that mansion. Oh, my word! Am I really dreaming?’ 

As they made their way inside Esther noticed the wooden walls and flooring. The small preteen noticed open doors as they walked. One room contained dead bodies and another was filled with skeletons that were set up like trophies. ‘These are the same rooms as the one in that mansion. I can’t be back there. That’s in Japan and I’m in the Bermuda Triangle.’

Her thoughts were interrupted when they began approaching a green door at the end of the hallway. ‘No! Stop! I don’t want to go back in that room! No! Please!’

When they carried her in there she was met with that chilling sight again. A table with restraints was in the middle of the room. A bathtub and a bucket were both filled and stained with blood. Before she could explore any further one of the men ripped off her pale yellow and yellow flower themed pajamas. In its place was a white kimono.

‘I’m wearing that same kimono.’ She lifted her foot as she felt something cold and sticky underneath it. ‘I can feel it!’

One of the men grabbed her long, shiny, ginger hair and started to drag her to the table. She could feel herself tracking bloody footprints as she was forced to walk backward. 

“What are you doing to me?!” She shouted, suddenly finding her voice.

She was slammed onto the table and she felt the edge cut into the back of her neck. Small drops of blood from the wound could be heard dripping onto the floor. Her emerald green eyes widened in panic as the restraints were tightened across her body. Before she knew it, she was completely immobilized. The tightness of the straps could be felt on her entire form.

‘I can feel it. I can feel and smell everything just like last time. Am I really dreaming or is this real?’ Upon hearing the snapping of rubber gloves she looked to see the two men trotting toward her. Even looking at them upside down the sight was bone chilling. ‘If this is a dream, I have to wake up before I disturb Uncle Black Hat. If I’m not, I have to think of something fast.’

One of the men held a sharp knife in his hand. A familiar disturbing voice could be heard in the room.

“I don’t want to die.”

‘No.’

“I don’t want to die.”

‘Please.’

“I don’t want to die!”

‘Help.’

The man with the knife grabbed her hair and yanked it down, exposing her neck even more. He raised the weapon and brought it down on her exposed skin. Just as he was about to slit her throat red smoke filled the room. The tightness of the restraints vanished and everything went black.

In Black Hat’s office the master villain was sitting at his desk while Flug was helping sort out some papers. “Sir, you really should be in bed resting.”

“I’m fine, Doctor.” He responded as he filled out some paperwork. “My fever has been gone for over twenty-four hours and my cough is under control. If my fever returns I’ll go back to bed. Besides, there’s work to be done.”

“I understand that, my Lord. I’m merely suggesting this for Esther's sake. She’s awfully worried about you.”

“I know. I hate seeing that poor girl worried for my sake. Tomorrow I’ll make sure to-”

He was cut off when a blood-curdling scream rang through the manor. Flug yelped and Black Hat jumped, causing him to break his pen. His blood turned to ice upon hearing that scream. “ESTHER!”

In a flash, he teleported to her room and immediately found her in bed. He rushed over to her to see her eyes wide open and screaming. Black Hat’s eye glowed red and he lifted a claw to his throat. Red smoke emitted from his mouth and blew it onto his niece. As the smoke washed over her she began to calm down. She stopped screaming and closed her eyes.

He took a breath as he finished calming her down and his eye returned to normal. The small preteen stirred and woke up. Sweat could be seen on her face and she looked around. Black Hat offered her a gentle smile. “Hey there, sweetheart. Were you having a bad dream? You were screaming in your sleep.”

She sat up and everything came rushing back to her. Tears filled her eyes as she recalled everything. A hand flew to her mouth as she started gagging. Black Hat grabbed her and rushed her to the bathroom. He held her hair back as she heaved into the toilet.

He rubbed her back as she threw up everything in her stomach. After dry heaving a few times she shakily straightened up and flushed the toilet. A thin layer of sweat covered her body and she was trembling. Black Hat gently pulled her onto his lap. Concern covered his face as he tried to soothe his terrified niece “My dear girl, what happened? What did you dream about that has scared you so much?”

She shook her head and buried her face in his chest. Tears spilled from her eyes and she grabbed handfuls of his trench coat. This broke his heart as he hugged her back. “Oh, honey. Ssshhh. Ssshhh. It’s okay. I’m here. Uncle Black Hat is here. You have nothing to fear. Nothing will happen to you as long as I’m around.” He glanced at the bathtub. “Do you want to soak in a bath before returning to bed?”

When she saw him looking at the bathtub she tightened her grip on him. “NO! Not the bathtub! I don’t want to go near it!”

This surprised the master villain. “What? But, why are you suddenly afraid of it? You’ve never-” He stopped himself when a thought crossed his mind. “Wait. Does the bathtub have to do with that scary dream?”

She nodded. “It’s more than that. The dream is only part of the reason.”

He scooped her up in his arms and stood up. Walking back into the bedroom he decided to push his luck. Summoning a rocking chair between the window and bookshelf, he sat down in it and settled Esther onto his lap. He held her with one hand and settled his other on the armrest as he began rocking ever so slightly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She was silent for a few moments. “I…I went to Japan to help out some friends while you were resting. We were called to the former Prime Minister's home to help out with a paranormal case. The entire house was like the Winchester mansion and huge. I-I dreamt I was dragged into a bloody room. I was strapped down to a table and a man was…he-he was a-about to-”

Esther suddenly burst into tears and buried her face in her Uncle’s chest again. Black Hat rubbed her back as she sobbed. It shattered his heart seeing her like this. “Ssshhh. There, there sweetheart. It was just a dream. It wasn’t real.”

“It was real!” She shouted. “There was a monster in that house killing people! I saw the memories of a spirit and he almost killed me for real!” She took a sharp breath. “I…I thought I was going to die.”

This shocked Black Hat and pure anger bubbled up within him. Someone tried to murder his little Esther? They dare lay their filthy hands on his baby?!  

Esther taking another sharp breath snapped him out of his vengeful thoughts. He could worry about that later. Right now he needed to coax her to calm down and get her back to sleep. He pushed the rocking chair to rock a bit more and began gently singing lullabies to her. It didn’t matter if this took all night. Calming his precious niece down was his top priority.

After a while, he noticed that she was finally calming down. He wiped away her tears as she snuggled against him and closed her eyes. He could tell she was drifting off. One more lullaby should do it.

“~Cast away your worries, my dear

For tomorrow comes a new day.

Hold to me, you've nothing to fear

For your dreams are not far away.

As you lay your head and you rest

May your dreams take over my love.

Listen close, my dearest girl

For your destiny lies above.

Though the world is cruel

There's a light that still shines

In the darkest days of our lives.

When all hope seems lost

And you can't find your way

Think of me as you look to the sky.

Child mine, your future is bright

For my blood runs through your veins.

In dark times, I pray you will fight

For the world will soon know your name.~”

Black Hat looked down to see Esther sound asleep. He gently smiled as he stood up. He tucked her into bed and softly kissed her on the forehead. “May your dreams be more pleasant this time, my little Esther. Sleep well and never forget I love you.”

As he closed the door behind him he saw Flug standing in the hallway. A worried look could clearly be seen on him despite the paper bag on his head. “Is she okay?”

The master villain sighed. “I coaxed her to go back to sleep. It seems she had an adventure while I rested.” A serious look crossed his face. “Flug, I want you to look up the house of the former Prime Minister of Japan.”

This took the scientist back. “The what? Sir, if I may ask, why?”

Black Hat flashed his signature villain grin and drooled. “Someone in that house tried to murder Esther. I’m going to teach them what happens when you mess with my baby.” 

[rawliverandcigarettes]

genuinely I do not understand why skylines is my most popular fic 😭

[ochibrochi]

spontaneous magic manifestation was NOT mentioned in the parenting handbook 😬

I know this isn’t how magic in dc works, but the fact that Damian’s ancestry includes some pretty powerful magic users is… INTERESTING 🤔? Drabble under the cut!

I wanna preface that I'M NOT SAYIN' that Damian should/does have magic powers, but there’s still so much unexplored potential with Damian's character, and the thought that he has a dormant adeptness in magic is somewhat compelling to me. Most importantly it would FREAK! BRUCE! OUT!!!!! What is this, magic puberty 😭??

By DC laws, anyone has the ability to learn magic, but it is also possible to be an innate ability. The Al Ghuls are no strangers to the occult-- Ra's has had increasingly been portrayed as a magic user, and the recent establishment of his mother being a sorceress/witch?? Even Talia dabbled in a bit of magic, I think. There is a catch that their power is suggested to be due to Lazarus exposure, but for arguments sake let's say the Al Ghul lineage is inherently proficient in magic (and Lazarus exposure simply enhances it).

I can't recall "magic" being a part of Damian's training/upbringing (I'm still slowly catching-up on Damian comics so apologies if I miss any canon examples of magic use). Not sure why Talia wouldn't want her little "heir to an ancient assassin empire baby" to learn magic, but it would at least give reason to Damian not knowing about his magic potential, or lack of interest in it.

Through the power of pseudo storytelling, what if Damian's encounter with Mother Soul could have triggered a manifestation of magic that was once dormant; like a pressure cooker waiting to explode with energy when it hasn't been given a safe outlet.

I've yet to read a satisfying arc where Damian truly gets to contemplate his Al Ghul roots outside of "dad is good guy, mum is bad guy". Damian's initial character growth stems from him running away from, and renouncing his association with the League (i.e. "I'm nothing like you, mother and grandfather!").

The most recent thing I've read was Robin (2021), and whilst Damian is much more cordial with his mother, there's still an emotional distance and sense of distrust/resentment (for good reason, even if the context was some cartoonishly evil writing). But there is a silver-lining that they still appear to be fond of each other, in a melancholy kind of way.

Realizing he's "genetically" primed for magic would be especially confronting to Damian. There's no denying his Al Ghul blood, forcing him to confront a facet of himself he can no longer ignore or reject. A family that he likely has to approach for help/guidance.

Damian is put in a position of acknowledging this power could be used for good, to be stronger, to fight crime, balancing it with the implication that what he possesses could be rooted in dark magic (Lazarus enchantment).

If he decides to embrace it, would that be too much of an endorsement of the Al Ghul's dark occultism? Can he separate the two ideas? What if he can't control it? What if he accidentally hurts someone? What if has the ability to save someone where his other skills fall short?

Ideally, I'd love for this hypothetical story to lead into Damian exploring his Al Ghul heritage more intimately, historically, and spiritually (à la RSoB: Year of Redemption adventures). Another little coming-of-age self discovery journey.

I have my own little personal thoughts on what Damian decides to do with his magic powers, but I'd like to leave that open to interpretation... By the end of it I hope that he will at least find some forgiveness over resentment, and a balance between accepting that side of his family a little easier. It is finally a sense of inner peace :)

Any thoughts? Did I get any characterisation wrong? Let's talk over on my DC blog @arkhamochi! I'm currently trying to read all Damian-centric comics until I catch up with the current run. I'm hungry for discussion and analysis!!!!!!

[allurilove]

Yandere Ghost x you

Rated 18 + — mature short content !

Includes: A little introduction to very pretty and demure yan ghost x gender neutral reader, perverted behavior, mentions of cheating and murder, he wants to be your one and only.

Yandere ghost had been alone for five hundred years. He had seen many people come and go, and none of his lovers had last long. They were all peaceful people who accepted death and their untimely demise, and no matter how hard he would beg for them to become a spirit and stay with him—they chose to go to heaven. Yandere ghost was scared to let go. He wanted to be on earth forever.

Yandere ghost had the prettiest hair that rivals the finest silk. Before he had died, he was a paramour. He fell in love with a married woman that made him want to be the best version of himself. He started to learn all the beauty secrets he could, traveling around the globe for the best ingredients for his skincare and hair. He dabbled in makeup, adding a bit of rouge to his cheeks and stained his lips pink. He took care of his body well. He used sugar to wax any hair on his torso or legs, and slathered scented creams he made himself so he smelled rosy. He made sure he would massage his legs and face after he woke up, and put ice on any puffy areas.

Yandere ghost was murdered by his ex-lovers husband. He didn’t like to dwell on his death, and he hadn’t exactly been truthful to you about it as well. He didn’t want you to think lowly of him for being the “other woman” and breaking a relationship apart. But, when he does get unwanted memories from that unfortunate night, he appears in your bedroom. You could feel his presence whenever he comes and goes, his cold hand would gently tug at your blankets, and you shivered as his body slowly sided next to yours. He would play with your pajamas, kiss your cheeks and bite on em. Not too hard, but enough so he could see his teeth marks.

Yandere ghost was grateful that you weren’t creeped out by the sight of him rubbing his cheeks on your inner thigh. He liked resting on your lower half since it was so unbelievably warm. He liked pressing his tongue against the crotch, and he smiled often at the wet spot that usually formed down there. He doesn’t want to be too forward with you, so simple touches like these was all he did. He kissed the fabric of your underwear, trailing upwards to your midriff, and his fingers grazed over the soft skin of your thighs. Yandere ghost was more active during the night time, and he preferred to keep himself hidden from you. Sometimes, he would pop out if you had another man over. His beautiful face would twist into disgust, and for a brief moment, he would reveal the most ugly parts of himself to the man he considered to be “trespassing.”

Yandere ghost was a little mischievous and jealous man. He didn’t like seeing you with anyone else because he had felt like you were the one. Yandere ghost was a man of many talents. He could rip his body into half on command, his intestines hanging like strings, and his mouth could detach from the jaw. He often liked to scare the men by hovering over them, his eyes wide and white without a pupil on sight, and his breath that reeked of spoiled fish would waft into their nose. If that didn’t work, he would beg them to free him from this house, and scream that there was a curse for any man that stepped foot on this land. He would crawl on the ground, sobbing endless black tears. Every time they would snitch on him… yandere ghost just disappeared immediately. He wouldn’t want you to see this jealous side of him.

[draconic-ichor]

Curiosity

Short little ficlet

Warnings: strong language, mentions of urination, public urination, non sexual discussions of genitals

Summary: Magnus suddenly realizes some physical differences between omen and humans while out with Lír.

Maddox, Magnus, and Lír went to the market square together. In part to keep Magnus out of trouble, and to also get the three to bond a bit seeing as Lír was becoming closer to their sister. Just breaking into adulthood, Magnus was still very new to most things and held a hearty amount of curiosity for the world around him.

Lír found this out the hard way…

He had to make a quick stop in one of the communal restrooms, bladder aching. Magnus had followed while Maddox hung back to wait.

Lír found an empty stall opening, undoing the ties of his pants and gingerly getting to business. Normal behaviors.

Magnus glanced over the partition wall as he waited, but what he saw changed the quick stolen glance into a double take. He turned, leaning over the wall a bit to look closer, curious.

“Is it always out like that?” He asked.

Lír jumped, almost splashing his boots. Turning away from the others gaze he stammered, “What are you talking about?”

“It’s outside.” Magnus informed, asking, “Is that normal?”

“I’m pretty sure.” Lír’s face was red as he hurriedly shook himself so he could tuck away his cock from Magnus’s gaze.

“Mine’s on the inside.” Magnus went on, oblivious to the other’s discomfort, “Iv never seen an outside one.”

“What do you mean it’s on the inside?!” Lír cried, a bit too loudly.

A few of the other patrons eyed the pair, causing Lír to redden further with embarrassment.

“Yes, look.” Magnus offered excitedly.

Lír pushed past him, firmly declining.

Hand already on the ties of his trousers, Magnus insisted, “No look, it’s inside.”

“I’m not looking.”

“Oh come on, Iv seen yours.” Magnus whined, tailing as the other hurriedly went for the door.

“Not on purpose!” Lír explained, busting through the doors and back into the sunlight.

Maddox waited for them under a tree, rolling his eyes and huffing, “What took you two so long?”

“His cock is on the outside!” Magnus exclaimed.

Lír covering his face as Maddox pinched the bridge of his nose. The bonding not going quite to plan.

[yan-randomfandom]

Yandere!Stanford Pines x Doctor!GN!Reader

warnings: obsessive thoughts, implied self harm

If I made one for his brother, then I should also make one for this silly guy. Bro is needy just like his twin

Ford is an intellectual who can invent new machines, find new discoveries, and defend himself from danger.

But you know what he can't do?

Rest. He never seemed to take a break from his obsessions.

Which is why, in the middle of the supermarket, as he was waiting in line to pay for his products, Ford dropped dead. Not literally dead (but it might as well be called that), he suddenly fainted after years of exhaustion caught up to him.

Ford slowly woke up to the gentlest touch he had ever felt in years.

"You're awake," you murmured, settling your palm on his forehead. He's still warm.

He tried to sit up, but you quickly pushed him down again. "Hey, you can't do that! Your body is completely debilitated!"

"Debilitated?" he mumbled, continuing to wince when he heard you tell a nurse to call the Pines family. He briefly glanced around, realizing he's in a hospital.

You turned back to him, your stern eyes fixed. "You're lucky I, a doctor, was back there. I did a check up on you, and good god, your body is filled with wounds, some open, and there's a concerning underwhelming amount of essential chemicals!"

Ford paused before huffing, his eyebrows furrowed. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can handle myself—"

"And the way your wounds are treated is nothing short of clumsy! It's like a middle schooler did it!"

Welp, you made him speechless. Did he seriously get compared to a middle schooler?

And yet, whatever you just said or did that day, Ford couldn't get you off his mind. He blankly stared at his scars when he got home on the same day.

It got worse when his twin brother, Stanley, decided to personally hire you to take care of him after another episode of fainting. Initially, Ford was very annoyed, but as time went on, he learned to appreciate you.

Maybe more than appreciate, really. He found himself wanting more of your care.

Your company was surprisingly pleasing. You and Ford talked more about the human body, which is admittedly a little neglected since he was too focused on science and magic on the outside. He never really had anatomy in mind.

When you perform your treatment on him, Ford can't help but feel... needy. A strange feeling of want.

You took a curious look at his extra finger, rubbing your thumb over it. He melted under your touch. "Interesting."

Again, he's never felt careful and gentle hands on his skin for over 30 years. (Dipper has sweaty hands. Mabel is quite jittery. Stan has the roughest skin anyone can have.)

It's a nice change of pace. The way you handle him.

Heck, he usually doesn't like it when someone 'demeans' him (this is about you comparing him to a middle schooler), but you're different. You can't keep your mouth shut, can't you?

Well, he certainly relates to that.

Besides, you make it up to him with praises during the painful parts of treatment. Such subtle words, yet he folds so easily.

Dipper noticed he's becoming more... sloppy during their missions. His grunkle has more injuries than usual.

Then again, Ford is really the only one forcing himself to work. No matter what the rest of the Pines say.

Dipper's mainly just making sure he won't die. Maybe the fact that he's old is catching up to him?

"I might have to keep this up for the rest of my life if you keep this up," you sighed, shaking your head as you dabbled some ointment on his wound.

Ford chuckled, staring at your concentrated face. "Maybe I wouldn't mind."

[crystalflygeo]

Mark of an Archon ft. Venti / Zhongli / Ei / Focalors / Nahida / Neuvillette + gn!reader

cw/tags: Mostly suggestive but nsfw in some parts (mostly Zhongli, Neuvillette) marking, kissing.

notes: Alright so... this is different from anything I've written before but I got inspired by the concept of the elemental symbols used as marks by the Archons to denote those important to them. Just short fluffy little dabbles I guess, first time writing everyone except the dragon men heh. I tried REALLY HARD to keep this gender neutral and be inclusive in descriptions but regardless, reader bottoms lmao. Hope y'all like it. (Y'all will NEVER guess where did I get the inspiration for all the marks' placements hehe) Edit: Y'all I have never played obey me WHEEZE the marks placement actually comes from a very old magical girl anime I loved as a kid XDDDD (except geo, it was on the belly button but-//hit)

It is said that the Archons place a mark on the body of their loved ones. A symbol of protection, perhaps of “ownership”, imbued with their elemental energy. Legends has it that they remain mostly invisible to the naked eye, glowing brightly only when the Archon in question touches it, but leaving behind a distinctive trace able to be identified with elemental sight.

However, none of this has been proven at all, and remains mostly as a fantastic tale, just a rumor…

Or is it?

-Barbatos

Venti’s mark rests between your shoulder blades, the small Anemo sigil emulating tiny wings in the most appropriate of places. It makes him fond of calling you his “angel”, though, you know it cannot compare to his own real wings... it makes your heart flutter nonetheless.

It remains mostly covered, and yet without fail, Venti’s hand would always gently rest on it before his hand slides over to your shoulder or waist. At this point the touch soothes you and you’ve come to expect it every time you enter Angel’s share and bright Aqua eyes land on you.

In the dark of night, those precious moments of closeness and passion among the bedsheets, Venti’s nimble fingers, calloused by the Lyre and the bow alike, trail along your spine and stop at the mark, before he leans in and places a kiss on it.

For the God of Freedom to brand someone like this… it would seem as a contradiction, but you know it to be his blessing, his vow to you and your love. As his lips go up to your shoulder and his hands slide down to your waist, sneaking between your legs, he closes his eyes and hums a soft tune.

-Morax

The Geo mark is found on a rather unusual place, and to tell the truth, it even embarrassed you a little at first. The golden diamond placed just below your navel, partially hidden by the line of your underwear. When asked about it, Zhongli simply murmured something about dragon mating, fertility or virility… his cheeks dusted red.

You admit though, that once you get used to it, you do find yourself idly tracing it from time to time. Sometimes it seems to glow softly, or feel warm, perhaps responding to the Archon when he thumbs gently at it, contrasting and comparing with his own blackened arms, etched with veins of gold. Amber eyes staring up at you with love and desire as he places a kiss on it making you shiver.

Zhongli constantly wants to mark you more, in all sorts of ways. Drape you in silks and cover you in gemstones and gold. Leave bite marks along your skin. Douse you in his scent. It appeases his draconic instincts. But nothing compares to that little geo sigil, a personal indisputable claim, tattooed on your skin.

In a way, the mark could be taken as the God of Contracts’ signature and an unbreakable oath to you, his mate. It makes the dragon purr as he rolls his hips into yours, sinking deep inside you and making you whine as his palm presses against it.

-Beelzebul

Right at the center of your collarbone, like a pendant held by an invisible necklace, that is where the Electro mark was placed by Ei. Sometimes it’s a real shame it can’t be seen normally by humans, it would make for a pretty nice tattoo…

It’s not like the Electro sigil is rare to see anyway, quite the contrary, a rather popular choice and common sight all over Inazuma with deep cultural and religious meanings alike honoring Her Excellency. But one look from a youkai or one of the mikos at Narukami shrine and you know this is different.

Ei could act aloof and have a hard time expressing or understanding feelings, but the way she looks at you as she straddles you… dark violet hair cascading down her back and sides, hands roaming your chest and settling at your shoulders. She pins you there under her intense purple gaze and then bends forward to kiss at the sigil before moving to your lips.

The Goddess of Eternity considers her choices deeply and rarely ever goes back on her word or breaks a promise, and that is what she bestows upon you with her mark, a promise. Of love, of respect, of loyalty. Who would’ve thought the Electro Archon could be so… passionate?

-Focalors

You couldn’t believe just where Lady Furina had placed a pretty, blue, Hydro symbol on your skin. When asked about it she’d just giggled and said everything had a reason when it came to divine marks such as these… then proceeded to not explain at all. But seriously, your inner thigh?!

You could only sigh but smile softly at her antics as she laid across the couch, head rested in your lap, taking a nap by using your thighs as pillow, or demanding to be fed more sweets and sputtering indignantly when you poke at her nose or cheek instead, blushing.

She often drives you insane, paying special attention to the hydro marking with kisses and nibbles when you need her lips to go just a little more to the side… but oh, how she enjoyed teasing and riling you up. Mismatched blue eyes blinking coyly under thick eyelashes.

This is Lady Furina’s pledge to you, her word of honor as the Goddess of Justice, to love and cherish you no matter what. For despite her innocent act, she is guilty of having fallen for you.

-Bonus: Buer (Platonic)

Many people underestimate and doubt Nahida. A grave sin, in your opinion. When she places her mark of Dendro softly in your forehead, you feel nothing but pride, willing to follow and defend her and her teachings, for it is an honor to be her acolyte.

You see her wisdom in her actions, in the contemplating looks at her beloved city and people, in the way she always tries to solve problems and learn from difficulties, in her kindness, gentleness and little smiles. You see her love in the way she helps the elderly and soothes the children, in the candied ajilenakh nuts she shares with everyone, in the sparkle of her unique green eyes.

Like any other Archon, her nation and all its inhabitants are like her children. Despite her preferred appearance, the way she holds your hand as she guides you along and brushes at your hair gently with comforting words and praise feel more akin to a mother.  

Just as you trust her, she trusts you, that is the covenant her sigil represents. And in the eyes of the Goddess of Wisdom, one day you’ll reach the sky and stars above.

-Bonus II: Hydro Dragon Sovereign

You stare at the sigil in the palm of your hand. An ancient symbol of power, no doubt, but with a meaning long since lost to time and shrouded in mystery. Yet, its significance is crystal clear to you: “I am yours as you are mine.”

The way the Iudex would always, without fail, hold your hand gently and kiss your palm instead of the back of it as it was traditional would no doubt confuse some people, but it makes your heart skip a beat. This special connection, the knowing look from those gorgeous lavender eyes and the hidden smile pressed against your skin…

Your back arches with a moan as Neuvillette ruts softly into you, slow and reverent, peppering kisses and nuzzling at your neck. His hand takes a hold of yours, fingers intertwining and you shiver as the marking in your palm seems to react. Your grip his hand tighter, canting your hips as well and surrounding him with your legs, asking for more, more, more-

It’s unknown if one day his kind will return to power, just as it’s impossible to predict the flow of the elements and the energy in leylines or just what the future will bring. But for Neuvillette, having you by his side feels like the most refreshing spring water and makes life that much sweeter.

[brittle-doughie]

Since we had that story of Y/N Cookie wanting to keep the Ancients from going out and getting themselves killed up against Dark Enchantress Cookie, how about something similar with the Beasts?

>The Beasts get corrupted

>Y/N Cookie, not corrupted, tries to fight them, and fails

>cue them starting to die

>Beasts start panicking, completely overestimating how much Y/N Cookie could take

>Y/N Cookie, in their last moments, wishes they could’ve done more to help the Beasts not get corrupted before finally going

>Witch(es) stumble upon this scene, seeing their greatest cookie having been crumbled, along with whatever other carnage is around

>cue literally everything else

Being sealed away with the guilt of spilling jam from the cookie you all loved the most fresh on your mind? They are NOT gonna be doing so hot in there.

The Tale of the Forced Hand (The Five Beasts)

Witch’s Castle witches are pretty neat.

“The story begins when this very Silver Tree was only a small sapling…When the World of Desserts was at its infancy.”

“The Witches baked six Cookies to help them in their creation of the world.”

“..harness the radiance bestowed upon you for the betterment of this world…”

“And the six Cookies imbued with absolute powers walked Earthbread as almighty envoys of the Great Creators.”

“Knowledge, Volition, Compassion, Happiness, Change, and Solidarity.”

“The Dessert World bound by these Five Virtues was nothing short of paradise.”

Gingerbrave and Wizard Cookie chimed in with their responses.

“So those six Cookies were the original owners of the Soul Jam?”

“Huh…Those “Six Virtues” are different from those of the Soul Jams. There’s six of them, yet only five today…”

“The Virtue of Compassion is what held the other Virtues so closely together, cherishing each of them equally as much.”

“Alas, for they and the perfect age were short-lived. Absolute power begets nothing but arrogance. It inevitably corrupts its wielder, bringing them to the most tragic of ends…A fate even the Witches were unable to foresee.”

“One by one, the Five, once regarded as saviors of the Cookie World, gradually turned to Darkness. And thus, the Five Virtues, too, became distorted, twisted…reduced to Deceit, Apathy, Sloth, Destruction, and Silence….”

Strawberry Cookie shuddered in worry at the mere mention of the fallen virtues.

“Deceit, Apathy, Sloth, Destruction, and Silence..that sounds really scary…

“Wait, what about the Virtue of Compassion? They weren’t evil too, were they?”

“The Virtue of Compassion was able to prevail against their descent into Darkness with their Soul Jam, whereas now the Five Beasts, the apostles of evil, began their dark crusade…”

“The Witches asked of Compassion to protect the Cookie World from the Beast Cookies, lending them what strength they could give.”

“Compassion fought bravely against the Beasts, blocking each of their blows and resisting their sickly whispers…But it was only a matter of time before Compassion slowly began to whittle…”

———————————————————————

“Come on, snap out of you all! This isn’t what you guys once were!”

“What’s the big deal, silly willy~ There isn’t anything wrong with dabbling yourself in a little bit of Darkness, you should try it with us!”

“No! This isn’t you! You were all my best friends! Come to your senses! Now!”

“It pains me to see you still cling onto false hope that you’re different than the rest of us, darling~ Can you just let go and become who you really are? For me~?”

“I can’t…I cannot forsake my oath to protect the Cookie World. You all know that! Cookies that want happy lives, don’t you want that?”

“They will all meet the same fate in the end, reduced to nothing…the futility of all this should be clear to you…”

“As if! It isn’t pointless to live life the way you want it to! It’s how you spend it and make the most of it!”

“They will all crumble in the end, so why not give them a little push! You’re starting to really aggravate me now, Y/N Cookie!”

“I won’t let you hurt them and I don’t want to hurt you all any more then I have to! Please, don’t do this…”

“……”

“Your silence says everything I need to hear from you. I tried…but I will put a stop you no matter if I’m reduced to bits!”

———————————————————————

“Woah….What happened to them?”

“The Virtue of Compassion fought for as long as they were able, their dough slowly whittling away with every blow that dealt to them. The Beasts have overestimated just how durable their former friend was…and they perished right in the middle of the circle….”

———————————————————————

“Ok, ya silly goose! You can stand right back up now! You put on a great show, let us give you a round of applause!”

“Darling, we know we haven’t hit you too hard. You can join us and we can all be together once more as Beasts…”

“Hmm…they don’t seem to be responding to us…”

“Hey, Y/N Cookie. Quit being soft and get up already, you’re..starting to worry me a bit here, you know.”

Silent Salt Cookie knelt down and placed their thumb on your wrist…jumping back when they feel nothing…

“Ahaha! Okay! This isn’t funny anymore, you softie! You win! Stand up on your two feet now! I’ll make you if you don’t!”

“D-Darling? P-Please get up. Look, I’m sorry for what I said earlier, I-WE just really wanted you to join us…”

“Burning Spice Cookie, just how hard were your strikes to their dough?

“D-Don’t put any type of blame on me! All of you were just as rough with them as I was!”

“….!”

The Beast Cookies rushed to their fallen friend in the center, clearly distraught on their faces…

“Y/N Cookie, if you don’t stop playing jokes with me right now, I’ll never forgive you!”

“Darling! Wake up! I-I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have hit you so hard! Please wake up! You have to! Don’t leave me alone!”

“It was pointless to try and stop us, Y/N Cookie. Yet…my heart cries and aches, why did you have to resist….please, wake up…”

“God DAMN IT. I-I went too far, I shouldn’t have been so brutal with my swings and now look at you, your dough..damaged and ruined….because of me….”

“….Hmph….”

Silent Salt just lowered their head to look at the ground, feeling nothing but shame and remorse for what they had done…for what they all had done….

“I wish…I could’ve done more for you all…I wished…that I had loved all of you more…to not…end up like this...”

“…..I’m sorry…..”

———————————————————————

“The Witches couldn’t bear to see what fate had befallen their creations, made even more distraught at the loss of their greatest creation among them all…they punished the Beasts by sealing them away deep within this land…”

“And planted the seed of the Silver Tree to ensure their evil power never sees the light of day again. Right where the Virtue of Compassion was laid to rest, so that at least a part of them can live on….From then on, this land where the Beasts were put to sleep, was called Beast Yeast.”

“The Witches then gathered the last vestiges of power bestowed upon the Beasts, untouched by their corruption. They further cleansed, purified it, and in the end…Soul Jam was created. The purest Soul Jam was meant to be earned by Cookies who had proven themselves worthy.”

“All, but Compassion. For their purity simply could not be remade again. The Witch who personally baked Compassion had locked herself away in grief after the loss of her cookie and took the knowledge of the recipe and baking of Compassion with her…”

“So, there can never be another cookie like Compassion?”

“It’s what they say, but all life powder returns to the earth. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the Virtue of Compassion may return in some form, someday…”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Y/N Cookie, who was casually eating some food offered to them by the Faeries.

“…..What?”

[not-neverland06]

hi!! Given my obsession for Hugh jackman I am CRAVING for some Leopold X reader (from Kate & Leopold)! Maybe with some little angst but happy ending??

I love your blog!! Have a wonderful day 😽💐💓

Leopold Mountbatten x fem!reader a/n: I don’t know how controversial this is going to be and I don’t care. I could never finish the movie because I hated Meg Ryan in it so much. It’s so odd, I’ve loved her in everything else she’s been in but she made it such a hard watch. Maybe it’s because she reminds me of my grandma in the worst way lol, but I finished it for you anon sorry this was a little rushed Anyways, hope you enjoy lovelies Summary: Your neighbor went back in time and dragged someone back with him. He's irritatingly polite and far too interested in your way of life. What are you meant to do when you fall for a man who was never even supposed to meet you?

“Hello, madam, please I need your help!”

You’re used to crazies, it is New York after all. But they’re not usually shouting at you through your window. Especially not when you’re on the sixth floor. You look away from your coffee and glance towards the fire escape. 

There’s an oddly dressed man with red eyes waving at you through the dirty glass. You offer him a tentative wave back and he nods aggressively. “Yes, hello, I need your assistance.”

“Um,” you shake your head, “Sorry, I don’t have any drugs dude.”

“No,” he places his hands pathetically on the glass and shakes his head. “Please, I have been kidnapped.” Finally, you take a step closer to him. You can tell now that his eyes aren’t reddened from any medicinal fun, he probably got pepper sprayed. 

Your friend did it to you once when you tried to surprise her on her birthday and you’ll never forget just how awful you looked afterwards. You can see him a bit more clearly now. Whatever odd costume he’s got on, it looks good. Genuine and clean. 

Not like most of the street performers you see in Times Square. Besides, he doesn’t have that maddened look in his eye that makes you worry he’s going to come inside and kill you. Tentatively, you open the window. 

He’s leaping through in a second and you jump back with a yelp. He turns towards you and his eyes widen before he quickly turns away. “My good lady, where are your pants?”

“Uh,” you glance down at the oversized shirt you’re wearing and the tiny shorts underneath. Admittedly, it’s a little skimpy, but you’re not walking around naked. You’ve heard of committing to the bit, but this is a bit much. “On,” you tell him, walking around him and trying to stand close to the phone. 

“Ma’am-” He’s cut off as someone slams their fist on your front door. You keep a weary eye on the man while you unlock your door. 

“Hey,” Stuart smiles at you. His eyes drift slightly past your shoulder and he goes barging into your apartment. “Leopold! What did I say?”

You huff and glare at Stuart’s frantic back. “This is yours?” Stuart nods and rushes Leopold out the door. You don’t miss the pleading, while slightly scandalized, look he sends you. 

You slam the door closed behind them, shaking your head and going back to your morning paper. You doubt you’ll be seeing him around again. 

You know, it’s just your luck that your upstairs neighbor is a scientist, one who happens to dabble in the art of time travel. And it’s just your luck that he had to fall down a damn elevator shaft. 

Now, according to him, you have to care for someone from a different century so he can make it back to his time portal in, well, in time. This is fucking ridiculous. “I’m going to kill you, Stuart.”

“Look, they’re going to take my phone but he really cannot-”

It goes silent on the other end. You shout his name a few times but hear nothing in response. You assume the hospital staff has finally gotten sick of his shenanigans and has taken his phone. You slam your handset down with a huff and look towards the living room. Leopold hasn’t sat down since you walked in and it’s unsettling. 

“So,” you start and his attention snaps towards you. “1876, huh?”

He nods and you roll your eyes with a scoff. “Oh, this is insane. This is insane,” you mutter to yourself, walking towards Stuart’s door. Leopold gives you a concerned look before quickly following after you. There’s a part of you, and you hate that part, that actually believes some of this. 

Stuart is a brilliant, though flawed, scientist. You don’t doubt that he might have actually unlocked the secret to traveling back to the past, but it’s such an insane idea to try and wrap your head around. 

“Come on, we’re leaving.” You know that Stuart doesn’t want him out of the house. Tough. You’re not going to just stay inside and wait until he can supposedly go back to the past. You don’t give Leopold any time to process your answer, already out the door and heading towards the stairs. 

“You know,” he starts as he catches up to you. “You are quite rude.” Your first instinct is to snap back at him. But you take a breath and stop yourself. 

You’re desensitized, ridiculously used to just how awful New Yorkers can be to each other. And whether this man is truly from the past or not is up for debate. But he is polite and earnest, and you have no reason to be a bitch to him. 

“I’m,” the words are hard to come by but you force them out anyway, “I’m sorry.” He looks genuinely surprised by the apology and it only makes you feel worse. “This is just an insane idea to try and grasp.”

He chuckles softly, smiling as he glances down at his feet. “Yes, how do you think I feel?”

You’re sure it’s not his intention, but you only feel like more of an ass. If this is hard for you, whatever he's going through is a hundred times worse. You weren’t forcefully ripped out of your own time and shoved into another you don’t understand. He’s still trying to comprehend the television.

Though, you’re sure being a scientist has helped him in marginally understanding how all of this is possible. “How do you like the future?” It sounds awkward and stiff, but you haven’t had to talk to anyone in a really long time. 

Your interactions are pretty limited at the book shop considering no one ever comes in. They all order online nowadays and all you really have to worry about is organizing shelves. You’re embarrassingly rusty when it comes to conversing. 

And his propensity towards eloquence only makes you feel worse. “I must admit, some of your inventions have been quite fascinating. I’m especially fond of your showers.”

Your face scrunches slightly at the mention of hygiene and you nod, “I bet.” Before either of you can attempt to salvage this horrible attempt at conversation your phone starts ringing. “Hold on one second,” you tell him. You walk a few feet away from him but you can still feel his eyes boring into your back as you move away. 

“Hello?”

There’s a frantic shout of your name down the line and then the distinct jingling of keys. “I need you to cover the shop. Marcy just went into labor and I’ve got to go!” Paul doesn’t give you a chance to respond before he hangs up. 

Your jaw gapes and you stare down at your phone with shock. You know Paul and his wife had been expecting, but had it really already been nine months? Has your life become so monotonous and dull that nine months doesn’t even register for you?

It’s a depressing thought. One you’d rather not linger on. “What was that?”

You scream, though the people passing by don’t pay you any mind, and jump away from Leopold. “Jesus, where the hell did you come from?”

Leopold flinches away from you and his face is just as aghast as yours. “Good heavens, what is the matter with you? Do you respond to anything as a sensible woman might?”

“I resent that.” You tell him bitterly. Though, he does make a good point. You’ve been on edge constantly. You always seem to be more anxious than you are happy. It’s not a good state to perpetually exist in. “I need to go into work.”

You don’t want to outright say that he needs to go back to the apartment. It feels a little mean, but you’re hoping he’ll catch onto your tone of voice. 

His entire demeanor perks up and he smiles at you. “Wonderful, I am dreadfully curious as to what you do.”

You open your mouth to correct him, let him know he’s not coming. But he’s staring at you with such hopeful eyes that you cannot find it in yourself to turn him down. He seems so excited, you’re sure he won’t be when he gets to your cluttered little bookshop. You let out a weary sigh, “Fine. Okay.”

You walk towards the curb, hoping to hail a cab. But Leopold’s hand gently wraps around your elbow and tugs you in the opposite direction. Your eyes widen in response to his boldness. You thought touching a woman he wasn’t courting would cause someone like him to combust. Seems he didn’t mind breaking the rules sometimes. 

You make a mental note of that for later. You don’t know what you’re going to do with the information, but you find it intriguing. Maybe the modern world was rubbing off on him more than he’d like to admit. 

“We should take this,” he stops you in front of a horse-drawn carriage and you immediately begin to shake your head. 

“No, Leopold, these are just tourist traps-”

He doesn’t let you finish, opening the carriage’s door and gently nudging you inside. “Nonsense! This is far more enjoyable than those yellow monstrosities.”

“Taxi,” you correct. You turn towards the carriage driver and give him directions to your bookshop. “Ink and Tea on Fifth.” He nods and the carriage rolls forward with a lurch. You grip the cushioned seats and pray you don’t get motion sickness. 

“Ink and Tea?” Leopold inquires. “Are you a journalist?”

You smile and shake your head. “No, nothing so fancy. I just help take care of an old bookshop. They were supposed to extend the shop when it first opened. They were going to build a space for people to get pastries or drink tea, but it never happened and the owner was too lazy to change the name.”

It feels a little humiliating to be talking about your minimum-wage job to a renowned scientist. He’s invented or is going to, elevators. He doesn’t care about your stupid shop. But he doesn’t look particularly judgy of you. If anything he seems to be endeared to you the more you talk. 

Normally, you’re oblivious to these sorts of things. But it’s nearly impossible for him to hide. He’s not shy with his attraction, never taking his eyes off of you and hanging onto your every word. You’re not used to such outward attention. 

You look out of the carriage, pretending to take in views you’ve already seen a thousand times. “This city is incredible,” he wonders aloud. His awe is palpable. 

Your nose wrinkles and you shrug. “It’s dirty and the people are intolerable.”

“Must you always be so pessimistic?” You snap your mouth shut and feel embarrassment creeping around you. You’ve never had someone point out when you’re being negative, but he has a point. 

You used to view the city through the same rose-colored glasses. Something’s broken inside you in recent years that has just taken the joy out of life. Everything is grey to you now, until Leopold, nothing spectacular has ever really happened to you. 

The carriage comes to a stop outside the shop before you can respond to him. You want to deny what he says, but you can’t. Your attitude is almost always unnecessary. You think sometimes you might just be trying to see if everyone feels as miserable as you do or if there’s just something wrong with you. 

“Come on,” you tell him, getting out and paying the driver. He wanders towards the shop, eyeing the displays in the window curiously. 

“These are wonderful,” he tells you, pointing to the way you’d made the books look like they’re floating above the shelves. It was just some silly little thing you’d tried to get more people in the shop. It’d worked for about a month. 

“I did that,” you unlock the door to the shop and open it for him. But he doesn’t walk in immediately, instead, he lingers in the doorway. He offers you a soft smile and you can’t help but return it. 

“You’re more creative than you give yourself credit for.”

Your eyes widen as you watch him walk inside. He keeps making these oddly astute observations about you and it’s throwing you off your game. You barely know this man and you’ve always been good at keeping yourself aloof and vague. Yet, he seems to read you like you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve. 

“Feel free to…” he’s already made himself comfortable somewhere in the back and you trail off. “Look around,” you finish lamely. His form is lost somewhere in stacks of books and cluttered shelves. 

You know most of the classics and history books are kept towards the back. You wonder if he’s reminiscing or getting a headstart before he gets back to his time. You smile at the thought and walk behind the counter, sitting on the stool and preparing to finish off the rest of the day.

Leopold is still somewhere lost to you an hour later. Occasionally you’ll hear a page flip or the clatter of a book being reshelved, but there are no other signs of life. Not until the bell above the door rings. 

“Clark,” you smile, sitting up straighter as your friend walks through the door. “What’re you doing here?”

He gives you a crooked grin and shrugs. Just over his shoulder, you can see Leopold’s head pop over a shelf, he looks between you both, eyes narrowing with disdain. “Paul told me you’d be here, figured you might want some company.”

“Actually-” you start, but another voice cuts you off. 

“Leopold Mountbatten,” he comes around the corner, hand outstretched as he comes in between you and Clark. “And who might you be?”

Your brows furrow in confusion at the interaction. Leopold seems oddly hostile and Clark looks strangely caught off guard. “Um, Clark. Nice to meet you, man.” He shakes Leopold’s hand but his grip is weak and it only lasts for one awkward half-second. 

It’s uncomfortable to watch them try and interact and it only gets worse when they turn towards you. Clearly, they want you to tell them who the hell the other guy is. But you feel like that might just make the situation worse. 

Besides, you were pretty content with it just being you and Leopold, you don’t need Clark coming in here and riling things up. “You know, Clark, I’m set here. You can just go home.” Your tone leaves no room for argument but you know he wants to. 

“Alright, I’ll just call you later, I guess.” He throws one last skeptical look at Leopold before finally slinking back out of the shop. 

“Neither of you should be alone without a chaperone present.” Leopold bluntly scolds you without even waiting a second before Clark is gone. It catches you off guard and you scoff. 

You motion between the two of you, “We don’t have a chaperone.” 

Leopold shrugs, “Yes, well, I’m not courting you.” It shouldn’t, because he’s right, but that stings. He is attractive, surprisingly so. You have this odd belief that anyone from his century had to be at least a little ugly. But he’s near perfect. 

Hearing him tell you so bluntly that you’re not courting hurts a little. Though, you can’t blame him. You must be dramatically different than the women he’s used to. From your manners to how you dress, you’re practically an alien. 

You stand up from behind the counter and walk towards the cart of books that need to be shelved. “Clark is a friend. Nothing more.” You’ve never once been romantically interested in your friend. He’s attractive, but he’s not really your type.

Apparently, British men from the nineteenth century are. Which does not bode well for your romantic prospects once Leopold is back home. “It is plain for anyone to see how he wants you. Don’t let yourself be blinded by naivete.”

“Naivete?” you scoff and turn around to glare at him. “Don’t pretend to know anything about me, alright? I’m not some maiden in a frilly dress who needs a chaperone.” You can see that your words affect him. He looks a little taken aback by your anger and so are you. 

It’s misplaced. You’re not mad at him, just mad that you even like him. “Just go read or something, Leopold.” You dismiss him more rudely than necessary and hide yourself behind a few shelves. The rest of your workday is spent in a tense silence that makes your stomach churn. 

You’re nearly ready for bed when something slips under your door with a slight whoosh. You turn towards it, frowning when you see a little envelope with a wax seal on the ground. You pick it up and let your finger slip under the paper, opening it to find a letter with your name on it inside. 

The handwriting is impeccable, with a gracefulness to it that you’ve never seen before. You don’t have to read for very long to know who it's from. Leopold writes poetry about the color of your eyes and the way your lips curl when you smile. And then he ends it with a vague, nearly ominous, invitation to dinner. 

You can’t help but smile to yourself, changing out of your pajamas and slipping into something a little nicer. A few minutes later you’re climbing out your window and taking the stairs up the fire escape to the roof. 

You don’t believe your ears at first, thinking the music must be coming from another apartment. But when you make it up to the roof there’s a violin player there waiting for you. He smiles happily at you as you approach. 

You spin in a slow circle, taking in the sheer amount of flowers littered around the roof. You don’t know how he managed to afford all of this. He transformed the barren and empty rooftop into your own little paradise. Candles lit and a live musician playing for you. 

You’ve never had anyone do something like this for you, ever. It’s a little hard to accept that someone would be willing to put this much effort in for you. “I wasn’t entirely sure you would come.”

You turn around and Leopold is waiting behind you, that familiar smile playing on his lips. You aren’t aware of the grin forming on your face in response. You don’t have much control over that when you’re with him. 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He looks like he wants to respond but at the last moment thinks better of it. He instead pulls your chair out for you, helping you into your seat. “This is nice,” that feels too underwhelming a word for such an incredible gesture. 

You sigh and frown as you try and find the right words. You don’t notice him sitting down across from you. You only look up when you feel him placing his hand on your own. “It’s alright,” he assures you. 

It’s still so odd how he can know you so well after such little time. “This is incredible,” you tell him, undeterred by his attempts to soothe you. “No one’s ever done something like this for me.”

He looks like he takes personal offense to that and it makes you laugh. “You deserve far more than this. Sadly, it seems Stuart’s pockets do have limits and I’m afraid I would have put him into debt if I’d gone any further.”

You have the perfect mental image of Stuart coming back from the hospital only to find his science project has robbed him. It makes you laugh and you squeeze his hand once before drawing it back into your lap. He lets his touch linger on you for a long moment, seemingly reluctant to pull away. 

“No,” you tell him, “this is perfect.” 

You fall into a comfortable silence for a little while. Conversation mostly drifting toward what his life was like as a duke. You don’t have much to say about your own life. It’s been incredibly normal and you’re a little sad to find that you don’t have one good thing to share with him. 

Nothing comes to the front of your mind. 

Inevitably, you drift into the topic you’d both been so adamantly avoiding. “Has Stuart said when you’d need to return?”

Leopold’s grip on the fork tightens and for a moment he refuses to meet your eye. “Monday, I’m afraid.”

“Oh,” your eyes widen and you feel something burning at the back of your throat. Monday, the same Monday that’s two days away. 

“Dance with me,” the suddenness of the demand catchers you so off guard that you forget the tears. He stands, holding out his hand to you. You almost say no, you can’t remember the last time you danced and you doubt it’s going to be pretty. 

But he whispers your name and something about his tone tells you to take the chance while you have it. You slip your hand into his, letting him pull you to your feet. He doesn’t sweep you off your feet and dance the night away. 

Instead, he holds you close and you sway together. Like moving even an inch away from each other would hurt. “You could come with me,” he tells you. And you know immediately what he’s talking about. 

You also know it could never happen. Going to the nineteenth century is insane. Even considering it should be enough to have you sent to a psych ward somewhere. Especially not for a man you’ve known for less than a month. 

You try and tell him that you can’t, but he stops you. “I know, a preposterous idea. I just wanted to think about it.” You look up at him and find that you can’t take that away from him. There’s nothing wrong with imagining what it could be like with him. Even when you know it can never happen. 

You dance like that for a little while longer, swaying against each other while the violin plays in the background. He whispers your name and when you gaze up at him this time, there’s a certain look in his eye that you know is reflected in your own. 

He dips down, lips caressing yours gently before he’s pushing more firmly against your own. The world stops. Cliche, you’re aware. For the first time in years, though, you’re alive. You feel something other than the dull monotony of life. You feel excited and terrified all at once. Because you know you can never have this feeling again. 

You will never meet another man like Leopold who ignites this spark of life and passion within you. Never has a man been able to make you doubt every decision you’ve ever made with just a kiss, but here he is. 

Your arms lift like you might try and draw him in closer. His hands come up, taking yours in his gentle hold and squeezing. He pulls away from you and reality comes crashing back down. You’re not in love, you can’t be. You’ve only just met him a few days ago. 

Yet, here you are, wondering if you might actually want to leave everything behind to be with him like the great romances authors write about. He smiles at you and there’s a bittersweetness to it, a final farewell that you know will break whatever is left of your heart. 

He lifts your knuckles to his lips, pressing his lips against them like he never wants to part. “Goodnight,” he whispers your name and backs away from you. You watch him go, watch him leave, unable to muster up any words for him. 

You can’t think of anything that would ease this gnawing ache inside of you. Nothing to soothe the pain for either of you. You let him go because you know if you asked him to stay he would. And how selfish of you would it be to let history unravel simply because you fell in love? 

Monday. It is Monday. You’ve been coming to terms with that all weekend. You don't want to think about the fact that Leopold will be gone tonight. Your time together was so brief but you feel like you’re never going to get over losing him. 

Before the night was over on Sunday, a note was slipped under your door. This handwriting was messy, it made you think someone other than Leopold had written it down, but you don’t know who it could have been. 

It was a date and time, jump off the Brooklyn Bridge at this time on Monday night. Only an idiot would jump off a bridge because of an ominous note slipped under her door. But you haven’t been able to take your eyes off of it, not since you first picked it up. 

Leopold had invited you to go with him. And while you might not have said no, the insinuation was clear. Your eyes dart to your clock. If you left now, you could still make it in time. What an absolutely ridiculous thought. 

So, why are you running out the door without locking it? Why do you not care who slips into your home now? There’s this sense of finality within you that lets you know you’re never going to see that place again and that’s okay. 

You never truly felt comfortable in your life. You always thought a part of yourself was missing. Or that you were always running late for something. You think you understand what you were feeling now. 

The thing you’ve been searching for your whole life wasn’t halfway across the world, a hundred thousand miles from you. He was on the wrong side of time, or you were, at least. 

You manage to snag a taxi to get to the bridge but there’s a traffic jam. You’re forced to jump out of the car and run through the different lanes of blocked traffic. People shout at you. Your cab driver screaming after you about your fare. You don’t care, the only thing you can think about is the note crumpled in your hands and the clock counting down how long you have to jump. 

You’ll either be on the news tomorrow as an unfortunate suicide. An idiot who accidentally threw herself off the wrong side of the bridge. Or, you’ll see Leopold again. 

You reach the ledge and you can’t hesitate. If you do, you won’t jump in time. You close your eyes, holding your breath like you’re jumping into your neighbor’s pool. Air rushes around you, whipping at your hair and skin violently. 

It’s not until you hear someone shouting down at you that you realize you’re not dead. You’re lying in the middle of a dirt road, a group of people staring down at you with concern in their eyes. 

You only have to take in the clothes they’re wearing to know you’ve made it. Before they can react you’re leaping to your feet and running off. You know you’re near the Brooklyn Bridge, or where it’s supposed to be at least. You know enough about the area to remember where Leopold’s house is supposed to be. 

You’re covered in sweat and red mud. The people you pass by in the streets hide behind their hands and whisper about you. You’re not making a good impression on your future neighbors, that’s for sure. But, honestly, all you care about is making it back to him. 

You see people congregating outside his uncle’s home. You know there’s a party inside, that he’s supposed to be announcing who his wife will be. You barrel through the people outside, shoving through the crowd and running up the steps of the house. 

You can hear Leopold’s voice as you run, “The woman I’m going to take as my wife is-”

There’s a loud gasp as you come panting into the room. You can’t catch your breath long enough to speak but it doesn’t matter. The crowd is parting around you and Leopold is smiling down at you. He says your name and there’s nothing else that matters about the world around you. Not when you finally found each other. 

end. — I do not own the characters or the movie Kate & Leopold, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.