#sunny shouts to the void

[thdebtcollector]

if i had a nickel for every queer horror character ive seen with the surname Blackwood i'd have two nickels

link to the martin art

[elluminis]

One of my kids wanted me to find a very specific my little pony song and she is so lucky that I was uniquely situated to know what she meant

[jeysbvck]

haaaaaate that i have to wait a day to watch it's always sunny why can't i just watch now :(((

[bigblackbutterfly]

Started watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And 5 episodes in it’s reminding me a lot of those ads for games that just make you mad so that u’ll play them.

I feel like I spend half the episode chanting ‘no, no, no.’

The other half I’m laughing, but so far it’s very cringe.

Obviously it’s an older show so it’s got some dated terms that I’m willing to over look, but some of these story lines man. Why.

Season one of any show is always a bit off though. I still want to see where it goes.

I’d really like to see all the memes. Lol.

[sukunasstarlight]

crab salad toast my beloved

[marzywuz]

Shout out to all my starburst omori fans all 12 of you you guys keep me sane

[sillylittlestoryblog]

Keeping me warm

Part 1

Trafalgar Law x Reader

Warning: None I guess. Maybe awkward writing because I wrote this at 3 am while I couldn’t sleep ( it was storming ) and english isn’t my first language. Plus I haven’t written anything in ages so pls don’t judge to much.

Summery: basically just fluffy and angsty thoughts while freezing. Idk lol (I need sleep)

If you however do enjoy this, positive words are great for anyone’s mental health. Have fun.

The howling of the wind was unbearable. The crew members sat close together in the dark cave. It had been two days since the raging ice storm. Of course, no one had planned to stay in this place for so long. But just the thought of going outside into the cold made even the bravest pirates' legs shiver.

After even the stubborn captain of the Straw Hat Pirates had admitted that it no longer made any sense, everyone realized that they would have to sit out this storm.

The cave came in handy. Together with the Heart Pirates, the Straw Hats had anchored on this winter island.

The Sunny had been through a lot and Franky had actually planned to get some material for repairs in the small fishing village. Since only a few days had passed since the last major battle and the Surgeon of death was still busy patching up crew members, his crew was more than happy to take a break. A few days off couldn't hurt anyone.

You remember how Nami had been upset, crying that she would rather have stopped off at a nice summer island or at a luxurious spa. A vacation wasn't often granted to the Straw Hats. You had comforted her and said that a bit of snow could certainly be fun.

And oh how wrong you were.

You regret your words of encouragement as you sat shivering between your friends. An icicle hung from Usopp's nose as he desperately tried to warm himself by the small campfire.

"I'm hungry," Luffy's voice penetrated the silence. He said what everyone was thinking. Sanji was still trying to conjure up something edible from the few remnants that had survived the avalanche. But even the usually so positive cook didn't really know how to help himself.

Bepo and Chopper had suddenly become the most popular crew members. Everyone was secretly hoping to snuggle up in their warm furs and perhaps sleep despite the loud storm.

The only one who seemed to be able to sleep without the warmth of the two was Zoro. Once again, you envied him for having the talent to sleep in any situation.

Your eyes glanced over to the other pirate crew. Captain Law was sitting on a rock, looking into the void. He also seemed to be cold, but tried to hide it. Under no circumstances could he show any weakness. That would only make the situation worse and ruin the group‘s mentality. He scowled at the other captain, who kept shouting for food and jumping up and down. How could he still have that much energy ?

Law just rolled his eyes whenever he thought of the strawhat.

His mind wandered again and he looked in the other direction as unobtrusively as possible. From his seat, he had a good view of everyone. So he could keep a good eye on each member of his crew. At least that's what he told himself.

He also wanted to keep an eye on you.

Trembling, you sat between Nami and Robin. The older one had taken off her dark cloak and wrapped it around the three of you like a blanket. It was a nice gesture, but it didn't seem to do much good. But at least you weren't as stubborn as some others. The cook had refused to lean against one of the other men, preferring to rather run off to the other corner of the cave on his own. He must have been freezing, Law saw him looking enviously at the floor where Zoro had been snoring quietly for hours.

Yesterday, the motivation had been a bit higher. Everyone was sure that the storm wouldn't last that long and that the sky would soon be clear again. But this was the Grandline after all. No one could really predict the weather conditions.

Brook had wrote a little song, strawhat-ya had bounced happily back and forth and the cooks of both crews had roasted fish over the campfire.

You had smiled from time to time.

A warm feeling shot through Laws body.

Your eyes had sparkled in the light of the fire and he had to turn his gaze to you again and again. You were so beautiful.

Before you became part of the friendly crew, it had always bothered Law to spend too much time with the Straw Hats. They were loud, inconsiderate and constantly meddled in other people's problems. Above all, the parties that the rubber man regularly announced were law's worst nightmare. Loud singing, food and booze everywhere and always the strangest of people. He would much rather be in his study or in a quiet library, hoping desperately to escape the chaos.

But this feeling changed abruptly after you became part of the crew. He spotted you straight away. He quickly noticed a new face. And what a face it was. He had wanted to talk to you all evening. But someone was always glued to you, if it wasn't Nami, the captain or Chopper, it was the annoying cook who jumped around you with hearts in his eyes. Asking you for company, mixing you special drinks or turning up with a hot soufflé in one and a bouquet of flowers in the other hand.

Law had been uncomfortable, but he hadn't dared to speak to you. Nico Robin had told him over dinner how much you liked to read and that had only increased his interest.

Yet he hadn't made any effort to talk to you. You probably hadn't even noticed him.

You had noticed Trafalgar Law immediately.

Of course you knew his Wanted poster, as well as the many stories about the captain of the Heart Pirates. Luffy was always talking enthusiastically about Tra Guy and the other Nakama usually had the best stories to tell. Franky once told you how intelligent Law was, when you painted one of the rooms on the Sunny together. Usopp told you how badass his powers were. And Chopper had raved to you about his medical talent.

Since then, you had often asked the other girls about him. With completely neutral intentions, of course.

That's why Nami and Robin weren't at all surprised by the way you looked at him when you first met. Nami had rolled her eyes and laughed: "You look at him like you're Luffy and he's a piece of meat." You had sent her a dirty look, but your body had already betrayed you. Your cheeks were warm and your heart began to beat a little faster. Robin had just giggled and left you two alone.

When you thought back to that evening, your face flushed again. You sincerely hoped that you hadn't made a fool of yourself.

In the cold cave, these thoughts were the only thing that seemed to keep you warm. Again and again your thoughts seemed to wander to him. A glance in his direction couldn't hurt, could it?

Cautiously and not at all obviously, you let your eyes wander.

Your eyes wandered over the body in the dark coat. How you wish you could put it on your own body now.

His dark hair peeks out from under the white cap he always wore. You had to remind yourself of Nami's words two days ago. Maybe she was right. On a warm island, you would certainly have had the chance to see Law without his hat. How much you would have liked to see all of his hair. And you also felt that his eyes were always shrouded in shadow.

Eyes that you wished you knew the color of.

Eyes that always seemed to avoid yours.

Eyes that could never lose focus while in a fight.

Eyes that just swept over your body.

Eyes that met yours all at once.

Your head quickly turned to the side. Was he looking at you?! Just pretend you were doing something else. Had Robin been talking to you? You desperately tried to get your friend's attention. You feel like you've been caught. The familiar feeling of warmth returns even stronger than before. Robin had definitely been the wrong choice for your excuse. She couldn’t have been talking to you, of course, if you hadn't wasted your time ogling Law, you would have noticed how Robin's dark hair had landed on your shoulder. She'd been sleeping quietly next to you for a few minutes.

Damn. Now you were sure. He had caught you. Cautiously, your gaze drifted back.

Law's gaze was also averted but his cheeks were blushed. And his gorgeous eyes had disappeared behind his cap again.

Law's chest was suddenly incredibly warm. Why hadn't he been paying more attention? Of course you'd catch him staring at you. Hopefully you didn't think anything bad of him. Nothing would be worse than that.

You were probably used to being stared at. The cook could hardly take his eyes off you three Strawhat ladies. But had Law just looked at you the same way? As he pulled his coat closer around him, he hoped fervently that his eyes didn't turn into hearts every time he looked in your direction.

With the most serious expression he could fake in this moment, he tried again.

But he hadn't expected your eyes to still be on him. Law was turning as red as a tomato. The warm feeling was everywhere again. And now he really couldn't be sure if his gray eyes hadn't turned into big hearts.

Because you were looking at him. And he looked back.

A small smile flitted across your face.

And Law awkwardly smiled back.

The cold and the storm were long forgotten. While the others were freezing and dreaming of warm summer light or cozy blankets,

two pirates were infinitely warm.

[licorice-tea]

Don’t Fall In Love With Me (Yet)

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x reader

Content: strawhat!reader, gender neutral reader, feelings and fluff (my faves🤞🏽), so much tension, no resolution of that tension… yet😏, lowkey “i hate everyone but you” trope, very brief mention of some canon typical violence, but no actual violence <3

Word Count: 1.3k

A/N: lalalalala i love law😇 i actually wrote about twice as much as what’s here to begin with, but i felt like it was too long for one post, so i might upload it as a second part later if anyone wants that! as always ty for the love, and i hope you enjoy! (did i write this instead of finishing part 3 of my Zoro mini series? perchance. (that will be up soon though!))

Part 2

It’s a day like any other on board the Thousand Sunny- calm waters, music, occasional shouting, and just one abnormality. Law, captain of the Heart Pirates, is a guest on board the Strawhat Crew’s ship in the aftermath of Dressrosa. And despite their hospitality, he finds practically everything about life on board their ship to be draining…

Every potentially quiet moment is interrupted by the crew’s shenanigans.

For starters: the cook and swordsman argue over every little thing, and most of their arguments escalate into fights. The navigator is actually a petty thief or a con-artist at best, and her double, the sniper, takes it upon himself to cause dangerous explosions at least once a day. The musician is an incredibly loud pervert, though the shipwright is somehow even louder and more dramatic. The archeologist is alright- she’s quiet, but Law finds her constant observation more eery than comforting. And the captain is still somehow convinced that his doctor could be used as a source of “emergency food.” Then there’s you; the one who brings whatever you’re working on at the time up to the deck so you can work in the sunlight, wears your weapons like they’re accessories, who only takes breaks from working to visit with your nakama, and always offers a charming smile when you catch Law staring… which happens multiple times in the course of the day.

Law is often irritated, rigid, and cold- so different from your own optimistic and nonchalant demeanor. At breakfast, he doesn’t talk much. Just eats his meal and thanks Sanji before excusing himself to go pour over anatomy books from the ship’s library. He does so for hours, not once joining the Strawhat Crew on deck or even taking time to explore the ship on his own. Nami frequents the library, as well, but she’s taken to drawing maps in her room or on deck since their guests arrival. When night begins to settle overhead, he may return to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, before going right back to his work.

At first, one might have been inclined to think Law didn’t like y/n at all. They can often see his gaze trained on them form from the corner of their eye, but chooses to ignore it sometimes and address it with a smile others. He almost never speaks to them if possible, only offering a nod or a mumbled response to whatever they says. But, he goes out of his way to sit by them at mealtimes and to find himself in the same narrow hallways as them, so that their arms brush. Those are the moments he obsesses over in his mind while he dozes off from his textbooks- the feel of their skin against his, and their kind acknowledgements- always void of harsh judgment.

It’s not just the lack of cruelty in essentially eveything they do, to Law; it’s the presence of love. Love for their nakama, their work, people and places they barely know, even him. He doesn’t recall ever having met someone so full of love that goes beyond superficial kindness- because they can be sarcastic and moody at times- besides perhaps Corazon.

And to y/n, there’s just something about Law that peaks their interests. Maybe it’s the feeling of having someone new around, or something even more indescribable and foreign to the pirate.

Zoro is asleep in the men’s cabin tonight, so y/n is keeping watch. It’s the usual arrangement for the 2 night owls of the crew- when Zoro has truly exhausted his body, he sleeps below deck with the others, and y/n has no trouble staying up through the night.

They turn on some quiet music on their speaker, a must have for any music lover. For a while, they just watch the sea and sky. Nights at sea are like a blackout. But, there is no need for light with strong eyesight and the even stronger moon and starlight.

So it’s no surprise that they see, just out of the corner of their peripheral vision, the top of a white and black speckled hat bobbing up and down as it moves toward the kitchen. Y/n’s eyes widen ever so slightly and their breath catches in their throat. The guest makes them feel silly, in a way, for not being able to discern their own feelings toward him, nor his toward them. They get so caught up in their thoughts about him that eventually they give up. Y/n shakes their head, mentally chastising themself for even being embarrassed or flustered in the first place. And with that confidence boost, they decide to go talk to him.

Next thing they know, y/n is standing before the kitchen door with no plan in mind for what they’re going to say to their crew’s ally. They open the door, but he doesn’t look up from the coffee brewing on the stove.

Y/n clears their throat to announce their presence, and Law whips his head around to see who it is. They offer a friendly smile and a little wave.

“Hi.” They speak softly, as if afraid to break the peace of the night.

A beat passes with no response from Law. Internally, he wishes they hadn’t walked in on him at this moment. The light from the overhead lamp catches in their eyes, and he feels entirely too seen. Not in the way he feels seen by someone like Robin, though, whose constant observation makes him feel uncomfortable; like one wrong move and he’ll have hell to pay for. No; y/n sees him and he’s scared that he might start spewing nonsense to avoid revealing his feelings. And suddenly his cheeks are on fire, and everything is quiet, and all he can focus on is the stars in their eyes that he tries so desperately to look away from.

They tilt their head, likely in concern, and he pulls himself out of his thoughts to mumble, “Hey.”

“Cant sleep?” y/n questions, their starry eyes (as described by Law) flickering over the coffee pot on the counter and back to him.

Law shrugs, then pulls his hat lower over his eyes to hopefully hide his warm face. “I wasn’t trying to sleep.”

“Hm…” they hum in response, “Want to keep watch with me then? If you aren’t busy.”

He thinks they’re just being friendly, like always. When they first met, Law was confused. It made no sense for someone so mild mannered to have a bounty of well over 500 million (now almost double that amount in the time that’s passed), though he didn’t doubt that looks could be deceiving. But even in the midst of battle, of which the two had been in several together, they refused to take kill shots or anything of the sort. So he was still unsure of how they had earned such an impressive reward for their capture. Still, they clearly had a high regard for life, and he had come to learn that they truly were just that kind hearted, not to mention witty and generous. And judging by the “Sora: Warrior of The Sea” sticker he’d noticed on small a journal they carried, which was one amongst many; a bit of a nerd, too. All of these things and more had made Law secretly impartial to them. Or at least, those were the reasons he has listed in his mind to make sense of these feelings.

So he nodded, much to their surprise, and mumbled again “Sure.”

The curve of their smile opens up into a grin, and y/n leaves while fully expecting Law to follow (whenever his coffee was ready.) Which, he does.

[rottenpumpkin13]

I'm curious, what do you think was the WORST injury Zack had and SOMEHOW got away with it? You can go Hurt/No Comfort if you want we're all collective masochists in the end

Have it your way >:^) - also this took so long because I wrote a version that was not a fun read for the Zack enjoyers and had to tone it down asdfghjk

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

He vaguely recalled reading an article about comatose patients: how their consciousness, though unresponsive, remained active—suspended in void between life and death, poised to be drawn toward one or the other. Comas were like waiting rooms, and he almost wished he had something to occupy his mind—a magazine, a comic book, even a crossword puzzle, despite his usual disdain for them; anything to drown out the voices that began at precisely 4 PM each day.

Angeal was always the first to arrive, the squeak of his boots unmistakable against the polished hospital floor. He would listen intently as the supervising nurse provided updates on the condition—“No significant changes in his neurological status, the expected timeframe for him regaining consciousness remains uncertain.” But Angeal's positivity never wavered. "He will," he would insist, bless his ignorance, "Zack's strong.. He'll pull through this, I know he will."

In the first week, Zack wanted to shout, “Hell yeah I am! Watch, Angeal, I’ll be out of here in no time!” By the third week, it was as if he’d lost his voice—both literally and metaphorically. Zack prided himself on his perseverance, as if he were born with sunny-tinted glasses that allowed him to pull through everything without a fight.

Scraped knees as a child became cool battle wounds in his childhood; timeouts transformed into prisons the warrior he pretended to be had to escape; and the vegetables his mother forced him to eat were poison he had to avoid at all costs. Naturally, the waiting room analogy was what he clung to in order to stay sane.

Next came Sephiroth, heralded by the unmistakable clatter of his shoulder guards—a sound Zack likened to a cat bell, one he’d be sure to tease Sephiroth about when he woke up. Sephiroth never asked the nurse for updates; Angeal must have already filled him in. Instead, he would walk silently over to the bed, place a hand gently on Zack’s forehead, and whisper softly: “I miss you. Get well soon,” before carefully adjusting his blankets, making sure Zack was comfortable.

Inside, Zack was desperately screaming, "I will, I promise!" but Sephiroth couldn't hear him. By the fourth week, the harder Zack tried to scream, the further he felt from reality.

Then came Genesis, his presence inundating the room. He spoke to Zack as if he were awake, greeting him with a cheerful, "Good evening, Puppy," and proudly asking, "What do you think of my new coat?" Zack wished he would never stop talking. Genesis would then sit beside him and read aloud from Loveless. Zack suspected it was Genesis’ version of a prayer, and for that, he didn't mind at all.

And then there was Cloud. Zack's longing to scream out surged whenever he caught the meek shuffle of Cloud's boots, followed by the faint squeak of him thanking the nurse before entering. Cloud would meticulously style Zack's hair, crafting his signature spikes with care, as if determined to preserve Zack's essence even in his incapacitated state. His touch was gentle as he spoke to Zack as though he were awake and listening intently. Cloud would vent about his rowdy squad mates, grumble about his stern commanding officer, and lament the monotony of patrol missions where he strived to do his best

And then came the most difficult confession.

"I'm gonna stop trying out for SOLDIER," Cloud admitted one day, his voice soft as he tended to the flowers by Zack's bedside. "Tryouts are approaching, but… it just wouldn't feel right without you. Not that I'm all that confident I'd make it anyway, but I can't bring myself to do it without you here."

If Cloud could glimpse inside Zack's mind, he'd hear him screaming.

He was so helpless, trapped inside that cage, that body that wouldn't just WAKE UP. He needed to get up, he needed to be there for Cloud, and for Angeal who wasted so much time training him, and for Genesis who was finally starting to warm up to him, and for Sephiroth, who’s friendship he valued so much.

But it was useless.

He wanted to give up.

So he did.

He caved, and let the darkness take him.

But it rejected Zack. As much as death teased and loved to embrace him, it eventually always spat him out again. And maybe that was Zack Fair’s curse, cemented when his eyes fluttered open one morning.

Hovering above him was the unmistakable silhouette of a SOLDIER. With great effort, he lifted his heavy eyelids, only to find Kunsel standing before him, his appearance clearly older than the last time he had seen him. Zack should have noticed the calendar hanging on the wall, its numbers spelling out the year "0007."

Yet, instead of acknowledging the date, Zack's trembling voice broke through the silence. He questioned Kunsel, struggling with each word. He asked about Angeal, Cloud, Sephiroth, and Genesis.

Kunsel looked grim before replying.

“There was a mass desertion at SOLDIER years ago.”

[sunshinegat0r]

This one is completely self-indulgent for me to make myself feel better. Recovering from surgery is hard, and it’s okay to cry about it and let yourself feel shitty! And then pour all your feelings into a comfort fic with your fave and toss it into the void! I promise it’s softer than the content warnings make it seem. I've been staring at this all weekend and I'm ready to let it go. :)

Scars ~ Zoro x GN!Reader

CW: Body dysphoria, discussion of medical issues, surgery, illness, scarring. Reader is GN but one gendered term is used at the end (girl). WC: 1,859

Music played softly in the room you and Zoro shared on the Sunny, the phonograph giving it a fuzzy quality. It was a subtle backdrop to your sniffles as you cried quietly on the bed, a stuffed animal clutched tightly to your chest, tears dripping steadily onto its plush head. Other items littered the modest room, gifts from your friends and crew mates to distract or help you through the recovery process. The phonograph was from Brook, the plush from Nami - Robin had, of course, given you plenty of books to read in bed. Sanji kept you well-supplied with soft foods, easy to swallow, whenever you had enough appetite to eat them. Usopp and Franky had even teamed up to build an attachment for your bed that adjusted the angle of the mattress so you could easily sit up. All of these physical signs of their love helped make the bedroom feel less like a prison and more like a safe nest during the weeks since your surgery.

Although staying cooped up anywhere for so long would doubtless be a drain on your mental health. There wasn’t a porthole in the room so you weren’t even sure what time of day it was. Since you could hear muffled shouts through the thick wood of the deck above, you assumed it was daytime - Luffy was probably up to something, maybe pulling Usopp and Chopper into his antics. You thought it had been long enough since your last attempt at a meal that Sanji would be sending something down - hopefully with Zoro, you weren’t feeling strong enough to face anyone else right now.

Sure enough, the bedroom door soon swung open, revealing a shirtless green-haired man balancing a tray of food on one hand. You dragged your gaze up to meet his. The feelings that skipped through your heart were relief… and a little bit of guilt and shame. That he had to see you this way. That you couldn’t get it together and relieve some of the burdens in your relationship he had taken on while you were recovering from the surgery.

Not that he would ever voice any complaints about your situation. Zoro gave you everything you asked for and more with a tender stoicism that you tried to ground yourself with. He was there when you woke up coughing in the middle of the night, bringing you ice chips. He massaged your calf muscles, sore after spending weeks in bed. He even tried to keep the rest of the Strawhats from pestering you too much - although you knew they were just worried about you (you think he even growled at Brook once when the musician wouldn’t leave you alone).

Now, Zoro took in your dull stare and disheveled state, slipping into the room and gently closing the door behind him. Frowning, he crossed the small space quickly and set the tray onto your crowded bedside table. Your lover crouched in front of you, taking hold of your hands, pulling them towards him. This loosened your grip on the stuffed toy and it fell to the side, bouncing onto the floor, revealing your chest and neck.

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt anywhere?” Zoro asked you briskly but not unkindly. His eye danced across your body, checking for any bleeding or other abnormalities. Chopper had told him a few things to look out for in these next few weeks, but he didn’t see any signs of them. Finding none he relaxed slightly and met your gaze as you shook your head the tiniest amount.

Slowly you raised your head to stare at the wall behind him, straightening your bruised and scarred neck, baring it to the swordsman. It looked different than the last time he had checked on you, more pink and somewhat cleaner.

You cleared your throat, cheeks red with embarrassment, and in a small voice told him, “The glue was starting to peel a lot, so I started picking at a corner, and then… I couldn’t help myself once it started, and I peeled the whole thing off. Chopper said it would start to flake off around now anyways…” You couldn’t make yourself look at his expression. Closed your eyes as you spoke. “It didn’t hurt, but when I looked in the mirror afterwards, I- I had gotten so used to seeing it the way it was. And now it looks so different, and-” Fresh tears rolled down your cheeks, thick and fast. You felt ridiculous. Zoro’s grip on you tightened, his thumbs starting to rub soothing circles on the back of your hands.

You took a deep breath, unable to stop crying but trying to steady yourself. “It’s so much more raised than I was expecting it to be, so much more… obvious,” you whispered. “My skin feels weird and it’s just freaking me out, and once I started crying, I just… I just-”

“Shhh,” Zoro hushed you gently, rising from the floor and gathering you into his arms as your tears turned into sobs once again. He didn’t say anything beyond making comforting noises and hums, letting you feel them rumble through his chest. His arms were strong around you, his body emitting a steady warmth that seeped into your cold limbs, warming you to your core. He let you cry yourself out, releasing all of your panic, sorrow, frustration from the past few weeks. Frustration with how slow the recovery process was. With how it felt like every time you took a couple steps forward, you took even more back again. At how you sometimes felt like a stranger in your own body. Zoro held you as you hiccuped your way through all of your emotions, providing a solid sense of stability for you to anchor yourself. One arm always remained firmly around you but the other slowly trailed caresses down your back, sending distracting and calming sensations through your body.

Finally your tears subsided and you lifted your head from his chest, heavy and exhausted. “Hey,” he whispered as his brown eye met your puffy ones.

“Hi,” you mumbled back, indulging in a long blink when he leaned in to press a loving kiss to your forehead. “I’m sorry I’m being such a baby about this-”

Zoro sternly says your name, exasperated. “You just had major surgery not even one month ago. Your body is healing, but your mind has to heal too. You need to give it the time it needs.”

“You’re one to talk,” you mutter. “How many times has Chopper said the exact same thing to you? And how many times have you listened?”

Zoro grinned at you, the expression lifting your mood more than anything else. “Don’t act like we’re the same,” he teased. “Besides, I give my body exactly enough time to heal before I start training again.”

“Bullshit!” you squawk indignantly, slapping a hand weakly against his chest. He chuckled at your protest but didn’t argue back. With your hand on his bare skin, you let him distract you from your malaise a little more. “…Where’s your shirt?”

He grunted, nodding his head to the side table. You saw a rumpled shirt you hadn’t noticed before next to the tray of food he had brought in. “Luffy was pigging out, as usual, and spilled a whole plate on me. I was going to work out after I checked on you anyways, figured I didn’t need it.”

You deflated at the thought of being left alone again so soon. The soothing tones from the phonograph wended their way to your ears, filtering through now that you had calmed down somewhat. You looked up at the swordsman, hesitant but hopeful. “Zoro… Would you dance with me? Please?”

And how could he resist when you asked so sweetly? Wetness still clung to your lashes and, despite the redness, your eyes sparkled when you looked at him. He couldn’t believe you thought yourself weak when, when Zoro looked at you, he saw the strongest person he’d ever met. The path from illness to diagnosis to treatment to, finally, recovery, had been such a whirlwind. And yet you’d still found moments to smile and laugh, to comfort him when his own paranoia got the best of him, when he struggled with being unable to protect you from your disease. When he felt that he wasn’t strong enough.

Unable to deny you anything, Zoro slowly stood from the bed, pulling you with him, never letting you leave the circle of his arms. The music drifted from one song to another, perfect for swaying together. Nimble on his feet during a fight, Zoro was all lefts when it came to dancing anything more complicated than a shuffle. You didn’t mind in this moment, too pleasantly surprised that he agreed without protest and tired from crying to move much yourself.

Your arms wrapped around his waist and you laid your head back against his chest, fitting in neatly right under his chin. You could hear his heart beating steadily, a metronome in your ear, and tried to match yours to it. He rested his head on top of yours and lazily started to sway with you. His grip was firm and protective, holding you close. The bedside lamp glowed with a cozy yellow light that made everything fuzzy - perfectly matched to the phonograph’s crackle. The world seemed to be slowing down to give you a chance to breathe.

His golden earrings chimed softly as he spoke, keeping his chin planted on the crown of your head. “Thought you’d trust my word when it comes to stuff like this. I’ve got plenty of experience with scars.” His tone was teasing, but it did give you pause.

With your face directly on his pectoral it was hard not to look at the giant scar that roped across his body. You brought your hand around to trace curious fingertips along it. Zoro wasn’t exactly one for any type of special skincare, so his scars all went untreated once the bandages were removed. No skin strips to lower them, no creams to make them more subtle or blend with his skin. And he had so many of them - his chest, of course, and his eye, but also scattered across his arms and legs. Each one was a story that he had survived. That he had succeeded in protecting what was important to him, and come out stronger for it.

Zoro continued to rock you as your fingers roamed. He could feel when you finally gathered your tumbling thoughts, your body tensing and relaxing as you let out a long breath of air.

“Well, at least it’s not on my back,” you finally stated, voice wobbling, halfway between joking and serious.

The swordsman raised an eyebrow at that before a laugh burst out of him, startling you from his chest. He cupped your cheek with one large hand, leaning down to brush his lips against yours. It’s like his smile transferred from him to you because you were wearing a slight grin when he pulled away. Zoro knocked his forehead against yours, still smiling proudly as he murmured, “That’s my girl.”

Tag List: @zoros-sheath

[flowersandbigteeth]

Your villainous voidbeast husband takes you on an outing

Voidbeast (Valerian) x female reader

General Plot: Valerian takes you someplace special and you have breakfast together

Word Count: 1k

W: sfw monster fluff, yandere behavior

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Six

Valerian brushed your cheek and you roused from where you were sleeping on his chest. With a blush, you wiped the drool you’d gotten on his robe away and peered up at him. 

“Are we there?” you asked, rubbing your bleary eyes. 

Valerian smiled at you, taking in your rumpled morning face. It was incredibly cute the way your nose crinkled when you were sleepy. 

“Take a look,” he said, gesturing out of the carriage window. 

You scooted closer and leaned over to look outside. 

“Wait! We have to stop!” you gasped.

He chuckled.

“Just a little while longer, my sweet,” he said, smoothing your hair under his big hand, “we’ll arrive at the overlook soon.” 

The carriage took you around a bend, driving you back into the forest and you lost track of the beautiful view only to gasp all over again when you emerged. 

Valerian called the vehicle to a stop at a small grassy clearing and helped you out. 

You broke away from him before he could stop you and went running to the edge of the cliff nearby. 

“This is amazing!” you shouted into the void below you. 

Stretching out before you was a deep canyon that went so far down it was pitch darkness at the bottom. What was fantastic about it, however, was as the sun rose into the sky it lit up the glittering layers of rainbow colored rock that striped the face of the cliffs. The bands of color went on as far as you could see in both directions, looking like something you might make from Legos, not a natural occurrence. 

Valerian’s heavy footsteps approached from behind you and he dragged you anxiously to his chest. 

“Don’t get too close to the edge,” he warned, clutching you to him as if you were going to throw yourself over the side. 

“How is this possible?” you asked. 

Nothing like this existed on Earth when you lived in your time. 

“Humans, actually,” he said, “though they never intended to make something so beautiful, of course. The bands you see are made of layers and layers of tainted earth from wars long past. Many, many times humans have destroyed themselves, turning the planet all sorts of colors. After a while it built up into this…Look at the top.” 

He pointed to the last layer before the dark topsoil. It was electric blue. 

“That was the last war,” he said, “they dissolved themselves with a gas and it left nothing but blue ash behind. The survivors lived in underground bunkers for generations before they emerged.” 

The spectacle was a little darker, now that you knew the truth, but it was still stunning. Each civilization had become nothing but a sparkling strip of color. 

“Come,” he said, “the servants packed breakfast.” 

He laid out a blanket on the grass and arranged a basket full of goodies next to you. The sky turned from its golden morning hue to the perfect blue of a sunny day. You shoved a crusty pastry in your mouth and chewed happily as the birds gathered around the two of you looking for treats. 

Valerian's eyes watched you intensely and you averted yours, blushing, your cheeks stuffed. 

“I’ve watched you for so long,” he said, “but it's completely different being here with you.” 

He drew a hand over his eyes for a moment and coughed out a laugh. 

“You know I thought of approaching you normally, changing myself into a smaller, more palatable version of myself for you,” he said, “for a while I really thought that was the way to go. I could approach you at that cafe you worked at, become a regular…ask you out to a movie one day. I could give you a fantasy of normalcy.” 

His four pupils narrowed as he focused on you. 

“But this…this is soooo much better. I’ve never been accepted before…only feared, but for some reason you don’t fear me.” 

Your jaw froze mid chew and you realized what he was saying was true. 

You’d been frightened and disoriented at first, but Valerian himself didn’t scare you. Your feelings were scary, the future was scary, but he was not. Even his more monstrous form was more startling than anything. Now that you’d gotten used to it, you were confident he would never physically harm you and his growling and gnashing was all for show. You swallowed. 

“I honestly can’t tell you which would have been better,” you admitted, brushing aside his last statement, because you weren’t sure how to respond to it.

“I miss my family…but I never would have known the truth of the world. I would have lived my life oblivious to all of this…wonder in the universe. Now that I know, I can’t say I want to go back to ignorance.” 

Valerian hummed to himself, pleased. It wasn’t a confession of love, but he’d shown you something you’d never seen before and sparked your interest. It was deeply satisfying.

“There are so many things I want to show you,” he said, “there are other planets than Earth…other civilizations. We could live as gods on any one of them.” 

You hid your smile. Inflicting his temper on a potentially innocent civilization was dubious, but it amused you that his mind immediately went to establishing himself as a deity. He wasn’t exactly the good guy you’d always pictured yourself with. 

“That’s really not necessary,” you said quickly, “I mean the “living as gods” part…it might be nice to peek in on aliens once in a while though.” 

“Whatever you wish,” he said grinning and handing you another pastry, “you should eat more. Your frail human body needs nourishment.” 

“I am not frail!” you pouted, taking the pastry anyway.

“You are tiny with teeny little bones…delicate…little breakable bones,” he pointed out and then he frowned, looking at you thoughtfully. 

The look worried you a bit. 

“I’ll have to fix that…” he said to himself. 

“What?” you asked. 

He smiled at you, flashing his large, sharp teeth. 

“Nothing,” he said, “eat up! When you’re done I’ll take you to the bottom of the canyon.” 

“How?” The canyon looked endless. 

He snorted as if the question were stupid. 

“I’ll fly,” he chuckled.   

You chewed quickly, eager to get going. 

[thdebtcollector]

Adamandi reference

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1120 - Initial Thoughts

And we're here again

Back from Break and Ready for a Robot Rumble The transmission continues and the Gorosei are converging, but the crew are still looking for a a way out

Let's see what we have going for us this time

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Relase

Yamato's problem with the kids is swiftly resolved with Denjiro's appearance, now the Daimyo of Kibi

Oda's notes mentions Rayquaza which is my favourite legendary Pokémon so I gotta shout that out

And with the title being 'Atlas' I think we know what's gonna happen

26 years ago in Punk Hazard, Clover comes to visit Vegapunk to help him research the Void Century

You can see a head at the top of the giant fence, which I would assume is one of the Numbers, the one in the Bruce Lee suit back in Wano I'd guess

Also Vegapunk's artificial dragon is diddy sized

Since he works for the Government, Vegapunk of course says no, wondering why Clover keeps getting released

Of course he's the smartest man in the world, so he quickly surmises that Clover is likely attempted bait for his associates

He insists that the past should be left behind, but Clover has personal reasons for investigating it

He knew someone who was a D. his older brother!

Claíomh D. Clover, surprised but should've expected an Irish name from him, Claíomh or Claidheamh means 'Sword' btw

His unnamed brother was killed in front of him for being a D, he lied and told the killer it was just a friend

'How am I meant to accept a world where you can die for having the wrong name?' - tragic given that he died uttering a name

Taken aback, Vegapunk tells Clover to leave, forgetting what he heard and telling his old friend to stay safe

'The voices of the past call out to you' - again with the heavy hitters Clover

Insisting that he will uncover history to the point he will be unable to be ignored, we flash forward to the Ohara Incident, where he uncovered history to the point where he was unable to be ignored

Fuck you and your bowl cut Caesar, revelling in the fact that Ohara got nuked

And excuse you that ain't some brat that is Nico Robin my (at that point in time, future) wife

We see another internal thought from Vegapunk while at Ohara, sad that Clover and the scholars chose death, hoping that someone would continue where they left off

And back to the present, Vegapunk's transmission echoes Clover's words about the voices of the past, but also that History is written by the Victors

Zeff cameo, also Tequila Wolf shown again - Oda keeps having it show up what is the secret?

Also my wife Nico Robin, still listening while having to handle her past trauma as Vegapunk notes how history is erased or rewritten, but still lives on in the survivors and the oppressed

Zoro and Jinbe didn't latch onto the ship as planned, because Lilith is objecting the plan to leave now

She has done all the math and the wind direction, calculating that any change of direction caused by V. Nusjuro can be fatal since it'll change the landing position

But up comes Atlas, and she smacks the shit out of Lilith

The crew is naturally confused, but Lilith is KO'd and something switched off in her head

'I'll leave her in your hands, take off! I'll make sure you make it in One Piece' - ...is, is that a roll credits moment?

The KOing of Lilith was tactical though, since she switched off her connection to the main hub - causing York to believe Lilith is dead

V. Nusjuro makes a charge as the Straw Hats ready their Coup de Burst, but is met by a charging Atlas

V. Nusjuro cleanly takes the arm of the Vegapunk of Violence, but she doesn't need that arm to do what needs to be done, as she pulls the Gorosei away for the Sunny to fly off

Back down below the Navy have to take in the fact that it's a full blown Kaiju movie going on right now

Luffy, Sanji, Franky and the Giants have the classic One Piece 'boys love robots' moment

Emeth speaks to Joy Boy, glad to meet them again

Luffy though, confused, doesn't know that he's being addressed

Even centuries old giants are able to do the 'oy' backhand gag

Noting that the Gorosei are Joy Boy's enemies, Emeth resolves that they are their enemy, and they are glad to fight for Joy Boy again

Ju Peter and Warcury are still very willing to put down Emeth, and end Vegapunk's transmission

But Luffy and the Giants are making their leave, as Brogy asks if Emeth's a friend

Luffy notes that it said it was protecting 'some guy called Joy Boy'

But here's the interesting part, the Giants didn't hear a voice: that was the Voice of All Things, perhaps even a voice of the past huh?

Still a kid, Bluegrass attempts to refocus the Navy back on the longboat

Vegapunk's closing words mention that people should have the right to learn from the past, from all perspectives

Ju Peter preps a big human teeth chomp, but Emeth is readying an attack

Sanji and Franky await the beam or a rocket punch, but instead they get a fizzle

Blue balled, Emeth gets its arm bitten off, the 900 years have done a number on the weapons it had

Saturn meanwhile comes charging, leaping off Ju Peter to land on the longboat

His main focus seems to be Kuma and Bonney, but Sanji spots the Sunny taking flight from up above

The trajectory seems good but the distance is still short

and not far behind V. Nusjuro cuts through Atlas, mocking her attempt at a grand sacrifice

but Atlas' expression turns soft, and with a smile she notes she's simply lending a hand

And from her death, the explosion propels the Sunny towards the sea

Usopp and Chopper doing right by thanking Atlas, as York revels in being the 'Last Vegapunk' - only to be corrected by V. Nusjuro

Emeth realises that it has rusted for too long, but there was a time Joy Boy spoke of, and they wonder if they can 'use it' for this moment

During all this, Vegapunk notes how Roger and his crew must know the full story, that they must've heard it from the 'purest source possible', and that it may end up determining how things transpire in the future

Prisoners cover the final panel

Oh shit he did say it, the government did try to keep it under wraps: Gol D. Roger

Well it looks like it's curtains for Emeth. We pour one out for Atlas, the first Vegapunk Luffy met, who was nothing but welcoming to him, who fought even when outmatched against Lucci, and sacrificed themselves to help the Straw Hats, just as Edison did.

Last chapter many were suggesting Bonney4Nakama, but I wonder if this chapter does anything for Lilith4Nakama. She was a bit argumentative, but it is still a hell of a feather in the cap to have a Vegapunk on your team, even if it is Grand Fleet. Plus she is the most pirate of the Punks, looting ships for resources and funding, and as the 'evil' one the WG would spin the story so she can't persuade the world about what truly happened.

This chapter had some good stuff when it came to the importance of history, it could've been very easy for Ohara to have been forgotten to the story, but Oda maintains it as a centerpiece of history, the destruction of Ohara literally triggered so many other smaller events that have snowballed and come to bite the Gorosei. Emeth speaking using the Voice of All Things is interesting too, because Zunesha did that as well, the Sea Kings did that too, did Joy Boy unite all races under this voice perhaps? And what is it really?

Questions upon questions, but now that Luffy has heard the name Joy Boy I wonder if he will at one point try to inquire into it, Robin has been quietly soaking up this knowledge, it is a lot to take in but it also feels like she will have more things she can reveal to the crew from it.

The Sunny makes it to sea though, Saturn seems to be the last obstacle (Egghead has been pretty cyclic; Lilith and Atlas were the first met Vegapunks but were also the last allied Vegapunks, Saturn was the first Gorosei obstacle and now he's the last), who does it fall to in order to stop him? Sanji is due a moment that's not undercut by failure, but it can also fall to Kuma to push away the first true obstacle and mastermind behind every tragedy in his life one last time, his powers are designed to push things away.

There seems a tiny bit left of Vegapunk's transmission and I'm still waiting on why it needed a video feed, but it would bode to finish on a strong closing argument.

[jeysbvck]

looks like the google drive i had for its always sunny has disappeared and disney plus lied when they said they were releasing the episode alongside the us 😑😑😑

[sweetestofchaos]

Blackthorn Ch 14 | M.YG

Pairing: Crown Prince Dragon!Yoongi x Crown Princess Impundulu!Keena  Genre: Soulmate AU | Arranged Marriage AU | Fantasy AU | Fluff | Angst  Word Count: 10.6K  Warnings: Mentions of Terminal Illness | Kidnapping | Attempted Rape | Physical Violence | Shifting | Murder | Blood | Prince Yoongi Gets His Scar Rating: 21+

My Gift To You Part 2 - The young royals sneak out of the palace and go to the night market.

a/n: Like before I will put a warning where the violence/ar starts and ends with ⚠⚠⚠. The fighting and Yoongi's eye injury will be described but I will not go into too much detail about the attempted rape.

a/n 2: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for making the banner. Thanks to @theharrowing for being the beta this chapter.

Harrow and Hali both took time out of their lives to listen to me rant and overthink about different parts of this. I made things 10x harder for myself and they both just said "stop. take a minute and rethink this. do you need shit to be this complicated? can you simplify it?" and guess what? I damn sure could and I did. So thank you so fucking much to the both of them!

a/n 3: @minisugakoobies, my darling Sunny is heaven sent! She helped me with the fight scene. So huge shout out to her!!

a/n 4: The awesome scar free Yoongi edit in the banner is made by @colormepurplex2. Character asks and the taglist for Blackthorn are always open!

Taglist: @thickemadame ​​@loisje123

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Previous | Next

Prince Yoongi held out his hand and Hoseok placed something in his palm. He walked to the Princess and took her outstretched hand in his own before he kissed her knuckles. She still wore his rings on her left hand and he grinned since her right hand was bare. Silently, he raised his hand and slipped a gold ring onto the Princess’ ring finger. Her eyes widened and Prince Yoongi winked as he released her hand. She looked at the ring in awe, it was a plain gold band that split into tiny branches that held an emerald-cut smoky quartz gem the size of a lima bean.

“Shall we, my gem?”

Hidden from the eyes of the crowd, Prince Yoongi stood with Princess Keena at the base of the steps leading towards the arena. Aga and Hoseok were on high alert as the cheers from the townspeople reached the high heavens. Music played loudly, and the Princess could feel the beat in her bones. The Prince squeezed her hand lightly, brought her fingers to his lips, and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

“We will part for only a moment, Princess. Two blinks and you will be back by my side where you belong.” The Prince explained with a soft smile on his face as his thumb brushed over the rings on the Princess’ fingers. 

“You have nothing to fear.”

Princess Keena nodded her head and allowed for Yoongi’s hand to pull away from her own. Their fingertips bent to catch each other’s and the Prince smiled reassuringly. As his hand dropped away from the Princess, Aga and the other guards crowded around her, barricading the space with their bodies. Yoongi held his head high as he ascended the steps, his face void of emotion as the crowd's sounds and chatter became louder. 

The music switched, signaling the entrance of the Prince and once more the crowd fell silent as the eunuch spoke loudly.

“His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince Yoongi!”

The sun above caressed the Prince’s face as he emerged from the shadows, the bold colors warmed his skin as they absorbed the heat from the rays and the scales on his jaw caught in the light. A vision of raw power and perfection, just as a Prince should be. A few bodies in the crowd leaned in and whispered to each other in the stands about the Prince’s attire. It was bright and unfamiliar, a style that many (if not all) had never seen before.

The Prince stood before his parents and bowed to show his respect. The Empress’ eyes flashed gold and Prince Yoongi stood in front of his throne with his back facing it. Emperor Min motioned for his son to take his seat and cleared his throat before he stood to address the people.

“The sun shows us favor by shining us with its light! It is a most joyous day in the Min Empire, my dear subjects!” Empire Min clapped his hands together once before he folded them within his robes and smiled. “Today marks a new era for the Min Empire!”

All around everyone started to cheer, a new era meant an increase in imported goods and money. A new era was good health and longevity to all. A new era was something none of the commoners in attendance were expecting. Emperor Min sat back down and nodded his head to the eunuch to continue on.  Standing tall, the eunuch unrolled the scroll in his hand a little more and held it out in front of himself, making sure not to block his face as he read the written words.

“His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince Yoongi is to be wed in the seventh month as in accordance with the unification to the land to the east, the Escistan Kingdom. As peacetime reigns over our lands, war rides the coattails with an unrelenting force.”

The news of the Prince’s engagement was cause to celebrate. There would be a Princess in the palace, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. She was from the Escistan Kingdom, a land unknown to most of the common folk. However, at the mere mention of war the crowd started to grow uneasy. News of the West’s plight against the Escistan Kingdom was common knowledge. The foreign land had many sought-after resources, magical and null alike. An alliance with the Escistan Kingdom would open up a new trading route and bring in more wealth for the people of the Min Empire. 

“Standing beside our allies of the Escistan Kingdom to show a united front in the face of an impending war-” the eunuch paused for dramatic effect and Empress Min laughed to herself. 

“To show those in the West that we stand strong, Her Royal Highness Princess Keena has accepted His Imperial Highness’ hand in marriage!”

Upon hearing her name, Princess Keena took a deep breath in and gathered her skirts in her hands. The wind picked up and flower blossoms rode the breeze by the entrance from which the Prince first came. The Princess rolled her shoulders back and held her head high as she took the steps one at a time to reach the balcony of the pavilion where the royal family all sat. Dogwood petals danced around her as she stepped into the light and the eyes of every person burned deep in her heart. If the Prince was a vision of power then the Princess was that same vision wrapped in beauty and elegance.

The Princess squeezed her skirts and relaxed her hands before she allowed the material to fall loose. The sun greeted her with open arms while a cool breeze pushed her towards the waiting royal family in a spotted blanket of petals. In front of the Emperor and Empress, Princess Keena crossed her arms over her chest and bowed. Empress Min smiled softly at the show of respect from the Escistan Kingdom. She is proud that Keena is willing to incorporate her nation’s practices into what she has been taught during her stay in the Min Empire. 

Emperor Min bowed his head and the Princess turned on her heels to face the crowd. Prince Yoongi rose to his feet and strode over to stand by the Princess’ side while the eunuch continued his speech. He listed off the Princess' credentials, the status of her homeland, her role within her nation, her achievements, and much more. By the end of the speech, the crowd was impressed.

The Princess of the foreign nation was a woman for the people and within the Min Empire that attitude would take her far. As the young royals stood side by side, everyone took in their appearance. The Prince’s attire complemented the Princess’ in style and color. The unknown style of some of the garb was contributed to the Princess’ homeland of Escistan. A few of the women in the crowd wondered to themselves if the fabrics and styles would be something they would see sold at stalls in town at some point. Maybe not as bold in color but the style was in favor, the skirt of the Princess’ outfit looked easy to walk in.

“I give you, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Yoongi and Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Keena!”

Princess Keena did not miss the change of her title, the new power suddenly granted to her as the arena ruptured into loud cheers and claps. People shouted their joy and excitement as they watched the royal family all sit together. Dancers and musicians went back into the center of the area and put on a show. The Princess was surprised to see Ellarian and Kwangseon in the mix of bodies. Ellarian took the lead as she leapt and twirled with the other women while Kwangseon kept the tempo on his Janggo. Princess Keena tapped her fingers to the beat and when the Prince noticed, a smile pulled at his lips.

He leaned over and whispered in the Princess’ ear, “Are you enjoying yourself, my gem?” 

The way the sun kissed the scales on the Prince’s jaw, a mini rainbow appeared on the Princess’ neck and the Prince smiled as he nuzzled his nose underneath her ear. So close to the gland at her neck, the Prince inhaled deeply and smirked as goosebumps rose on the skin underneath him. The sweetened tang of citrus doused in honey blanketed the Prince’s mind and he purred, his inky eyes swirling with gold as he tried to pull himself away. Princess Keena rested her hand on top of the Prince’s and laced their fingers together.

“Behave, my Prince.”

The Prince growled as the Princess squeezed his hand lightly and she turned her head to face him. His nose skimmed her cheek and pressed into the corner of her mouth, she was thankful that no one was truly focused on them. Without a word, the Princess kissed the Prince’s nose and snuck a quick kiss to his lip. Ginger, spicy and warm, surged around the Princess and Hoseok coughed from somewhere in the distance.

“Focus, young ones.” Empress Min’s voice was as firm as it was teasing, just enough to pull the Prince from his muddled headspace.

“Apologies, mother.” Prince Yoongi muttered and pulled away from the Princess but he refused to let go of her hand.

The announcement celebration came to its end soon after. The royals took their leave, the Emperor and Empress arm in arm while Prince Yoongi offered his hand to the Princess. Hoseok resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his friend's display of affection while Namjoon and Seokjin giggled with each other. Aga shared a knowing look with Hoseok as the two followed the family downward. At the bottom of the steps, out of the people’s sight the Emperor and Empress embraced the young royals.

“Welcome to the family my dear,” Empress Min cooed as she cupped the Princess’ face lovingly. “You will bring a new chapter to this world and I am eager to watch it unfold.”

“Easy, deartheart.” Emperor Min placed a hand on his wife’s lower back as he stood by her side. “They still have much to learn. Let us not rush the process and-” A sudden cough interrupted the Emperor's words and he quickly covered his mouth as he fell into a fit. Empress Min rubbed his back and motioned for guards to step in.

Daehyun came forward and helped support the Emperor before Hoseok pulled a starstone from the jumeoni at his hip. He crushed the stone and blew the dust over the Emperor silently. Empress Min gave everyone a tight smile.

“Worry not, His Majesty is fine. The pollen in the air is heavy today.” 

Princess Keena nodded her head and squeezed the Prince’s hand when he didn’t respond to his mother’s words.

“Give His Majesty our regards and rest well,” Princess Keena bowed her head and the Empress smiled before she took off to her husband’s chambers with guards behind her. 

Prince Yoongi watched as his mother disappeared with a frown on his lip. A gentle pressure wrapped around his fingers and he glanced down to see that the Princess had placed her hand in his. Her fingers were so small compared to his own and he sighed as the frown melted from his face. Raising her hand to his lips, Prince Yoongi kissed the tips of the Princess’ fingers and smiled.

“Shall we walk in your garden, my gem?”

The Princess stared into the Prince’s dark eyes and squeezed his hand lightly before she tugged it down to their sides.

“It is as much mine as it is yours, my Prince.”

The grin widened on the Prince’s face and he nodded his head silently. Together, arm in arm, the young royals strolled the pebble paths, crossed the bridges over gurgling waters, and admired the colorful flowers as they walked from the palace front to the eastern wing. The place where the seventh garden, filled with Blackthorns from the Princess’ homeland, created the perfect picture of peace.

The sweet almond scent from the blackthorn blossoms filled the air and intermingled with the flowers scattered throughout. The faintest echoes of rushing water hid in the canopies of the trees and the Princess felt herself breathe for the first time today. 

All worry vanished from her body the moment she stepped foot on the lush green grass of the garden. She loved this place more than anything in the whole palace (excluding the Prince). This was a place of silent devotion, filled to the brim with a tenderness that only the young royals could truly appreciate together.

Hoseok and Aga spaced out the other guards in the garden, making sure to give the simulated couple their space. If the Prince sat on the ground with the Princess between his legs, arms wrapped around her waist as they shared whispered words, the guards turned a blind eye.

Aga gazed up into the sky and inhaled the scents of his homeland. His chest ached for a short moment before he closed his eyes and drank in the warmth of the sun. Once the Princess was wed to the Prince, Aga would go back to Escistan. He would leave the Princess to Hoseok, who in Aga’s eyes was more than capable of protecting her. He would leave Mingi as the head of the Princess’ guards and put Chan as his right hand. Together with the rest of the guards, the Princess would be safe. Standing by the Prince’s side, the Princess would be happy.

"Rete tann mwen, mon amour. Jis yon ti tan ankò." 

Aga opened his eyes at the sound of movement from his right and Hoseok was making his way over. Aga rolled his shoulders and glanced at the young lovers, lost in their own world, hidden from the many eyes of the palace.

“We must head back soon.”

Hoseok’s voice was soft and low as if he spoke any louder he would disturb the atmosphere that the Prince and Princess had created. Aga nodded his head in agreement. A luncheon was scheduled for members of the council to pay their respects to the young royals. It was within two hours and the couple parched under the tree needed to freshen up before they stood before the council members. 

Grunting, Aga made his way over to the young couple and offered the Princess his hand to help her up. The Prince stayed close by the Princess’ side as they traveled back to the palace arm in arm. They spoke in hushed whispers and the Princess’ suppressed giggles made those around them smile. How light the palace had become since the Princess’ arrival. A true breath of fresh air and eased the worry of most servants. 

Outside of the Princess’ chambers, Prince Yoongi lifted their clasped hands to his lip and whispered tender words that made a wide smile pull at the Princess’ lips. Heat warmed her face and she was quick to slip into her room, a hurried wave over her shoulder as her handmaid swarmed her. The door shut with a firm thud and the Prince sighed.

“Let’s get this over with, Hoseok.”

Prince Yoongi nodded to Aga and the other guards before he disappeared into his room beside the Princess’ two yards down. Once in his room, the Prince freed his hair from its bun and Hoseok pulled it into a low ponytail that rested against the Prince’s back. They sat on the settees and couches in silence, letting the events from earlier play in their minds.

In the Princess’ room, she was stripped of her clothing and led into the warm waters of her bathing room. Hyejin used a loofah to exfoliate the Princess’ skin before she washed away the light layer of sweat and makeup. Sweet almond and mint oils were mixed into the water creating a soothing aroma that made the Princess sink into a peaceful headspace. The Prince’s words from the garden played in her mind and she smiled to herself.

“Wait for my word. You will know when it’s time.”

For the next few hours, Princess Keena was pampered by her handmaids and dressed in a beautiful rosewater and lilac bazin brocade boubou. The sleeves were wide and flowing, creating a wing-like appearance as the Princess moved about her chambers. Her braids were piled into a high crown-like bun on the top of her head with two single braids framing her face at the sides. Butterfly and daisy-shaped meori-kkoji were played in her hair for added splendor before rouge was brushed onto her cheeks and lips. The Princess’ eyes were lined in black kohl, elegant wings drawn at the ends.

Prince Yoongi wore deep blue baji with a thick golden band at the bottom with a matching jeogori. Two four-toed dragons were stitched into the shoulders of the jeogori. The Prince’s long blonde hair wrapped and pinned at the top of his head in a black sangtugwan with his golden dragon donggot to bring attention to the two dragons that gleamed on his shoulders. Gold hoop earrings rested in the Prince’s ears and many chunky gold rings decorated his fingers. He was ready and with one final touch to her outfit, so was the Princess.

In the hall when the young royals stood before each other, the Prince smiled at the sight of his betrothed. She was a vision, pure and sweet in colors that pulled an angelic hue from her skin. The side of Prince Yoongi’s lips lifted as he noticed the familiar norigae that hung from the Princess’ hip. The white moonstone and golden tassels complemented the softer colors of the Princess’ garb and a low rumble crept from the Prince’s throat.

“Your beauty never ceases to amaze me, my gem.” 

Prince Yoongi spoke calmly as he offered his arm and Princess Keena rolled her eyes playful as she slipped her arm in the crook of the Prince’s elbow.

“I could say the same for you, my Prince. Blue is a handsome color on you.”

Hoseok cleared his throat and the Prince frowned at the interruption. Smiling, Hoseok motioned for the couple to move along.

“We need to go now, your Highness.” 

On the way to the luncheon General Daehyun informed Hoseok that the Prince’s parents would not attend the luncheon but gave their best wishes. As acting host, the Prince sat proudly in the Orlilurth Throne, and when Princess Keena moved to sit beside him in a beautiful hand-carved throne that was smaller but no less regal looking, a deep growl echoed in the hall.

The Princess stood unphased in front of the smaller throne and all eyes were on the young royals. Prince Yoongi’s eyes started to swirl with gold as he rose to his feet and took a few steps to stand in front of the Princess. Wordlessly, the Prince grabbed the Princess’ elbow lightly and guided her to the Orlilurth Throne. His hand slid down the length of her arm and their fingers linked together loosely. The command was silent, a deadly dare for those around to voice their concerns. No one moved and no one breathed as the Princess sat in the Orlilurth Throne and crossed her hands in her lap. 

Prince Yoongi huffed out a thick plume of smoke from his nose and motioned for someone to take the smaller throne away before he sat beside the Princess. After the show of dominance, official after official stood and bowed to show their respect. The vein in Hoseok’s temple was throbbing but he stayed quiet and watched as Prince Yoongi kept his face blank while Princess Keena sipped her tea. She smiled politely and listened to the spoken promises and superficial wishes of good health with tender eyes.

The people before her were not the ones who would sit in power once Prince Yoongi took the throne. Their sons, nephews, and cousins would take their place and pledge their loyalty to Prince Yoongi’s reign. For now, the young royals played their part and accepted the endless praise. Aga and Hoseok kept a close eye on everyone in the room, with so many new faces before the Princess, Aga felt on edge. His time spent in the palace consisted of training guards, war meetings, and watching over the Princess. There were many in this room that Aga had yet to meet and they could be a threat. 

Green-lentil jelly, pancakes, and sashimi were shared with the council members. Along with honey glazed duck, spiced jams, sweet breads, flan, pork dumplings, somen noodles in a tasty and creamy sesame miso soup, and much more. Dancers in elegant peony pink and baby blue hanbok performed a feather dance and kept the council entertained while musicians played music. The meeting hall soon filled with laughter and loud voices as the council members started to relax and enjoy themselves. 

Prince Yoongi paired a slice of beef with gat kimchi and cleared his throat softly, “My gem?”

The Princess pulled her eyes from the dancers and the smile that graced her face made the Prince’s neck heat as he stared at her. He held his chopstick in his hand, the end pitched a nice mouthful of food and he leaned closer to the Princess.

“Try this, I think you will like it.”

Princess Keena made sure that her sleeves were out of the way before she leaned forward and allowed for the Prince to feed to her. The meat was tender and melted on her tongue while the gat kimchi held a slight crunch before it slid down her throat. The Prince stared at her expectantly and she smiled.

“That was not the kimchi I’ve had before.”

The Prince grinned, pleased to see the Princess reach for more of the beef and gat kimchi. He informed her that it was the Emperor’s favorite type of kimchi and that his mother, the Empress, disliked it very much.

“And you, my Prince?” 

Prince Yoongi took a sip of his water and looked at the kimchi before he turned to the Princess to see that she had her own hand held out towards him. He licked his lips and leaned in, not once taking his eyes off her. As his lips wrapped around the beef and gat kimchi he winked with thin golden bands circled around his irises. Swallowing down the food, Prince Yoongi allowed for himself to move closer to the Princess, their thighs touched as his nose brushed against her temple and he purred low in his chest.

“I can think of something far superior.”

The side-eye from the Princess wasn’t missed by the Prince and he chuckled as he pulled away, his face pleased and smug as one side of his mouth turned upward. Princess Keena slowly turned to face the Prince and clicked her tongue before she spoke.

“There is a saying in my land,” Princess Keena lifted a cup to her mouth and sipped her tea. “Silans, tou, se yon lang.”

The Prince’s brows pulled together in confusion and the Princess smiled as she motioned for Aga to come to her side. “Silence, too, is a language.” 

As Aga reached the Princess’ side, she rose to her feet and bowed her head.

“I will retire for now, Your Highness. I must check on Cookie.”

The Prince watched as the Princess was led away and he laughed to himself. He could smell the Princess’ arousal the moment he invaded her space. Sitting upright, Prince Yoongi looked out at the council members and motioned for Hoseok. 

“Yes, Your Highness?” 

“Have Seokjin take over in my stead. I have prior engagements I must see to.”

Hoseok stared at the Prince for a while and sighed when his emotionless expression gave nothing away.

“As you wish.”

The Prince rose to his feet and everyone in the room quickly scrambled to their feet. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked out at the council members.

“Enjoy your meal and drink to your heart's content. This feast was a great honor to spend with all of you here today. As the great ones before me, I wish you all a good time. I must take my  leave for now.” Prince Yoongi spoke clearly and watched with dark eyes as everyone in the room bowed. He smirked in amusement and turned on his heels before he left the meeting space with Hoseok at his side. Seokjin sat at the bottom of the stairs where a chabudai table and chair was placed. The throne was left empty and as everyone took their seats, Seokjin smiled and raised his cup as a silent toast. 

Since the announcement in the morning and during the luncheon, the Princess’ maids and other attendants have moved most of her belongings into her room within the palace. The butterfly house was still the Princess’ cherished getaway but now that her title had changed, she was expected to stay in the palace with the other royals even with Agust’s recurring appearances.

At the butterfly house, the Princess sat outside and watched Cookie as he chased a butterfly. The boubou from earlier was replaced by a cream blouse with wide sleeves and a scoop neckline that had a soft geometric pattern. A peach wrapper sat on the Princess’ hips, an overall simple look compared to what she wore during the announcement ceremony. 

San and Kai are on guard. The pair shared a knowing look as they watched the Princess admire the flowers that Namjoon had planted.

San was nervous and excited for tonight. Together with Kai and Minho, the three made sure that everything would be perfect for the Princess’ first unofficial visit into the town. The night market was a major event in their town. Merchants and entertainers came from all over to share their goods and stories. There would not have been a better time than tonight to sneak the Princess out of the palace.

Footsteps crunched on the walkway and Princess Keena looked up, a smile spread wide on her face.

“Seokjin!”

Seokjin was dressed down from what he wore in the early morning like most of the palace staff that held positions of power. A white cross-collared shirt dropped into a white skirt with a thick pale grey silk belt wrapped around his waist. He wore a scalloped seashell-colored open cross-collared jacket over top that had pale grey and cream rumen flowers stitched along the wide sleeves. His dark bangs framed his face while the rest of his hair was pulled into a high half bun, half ponytail style that had a good portion of his hair cascading down behind his shoulders.

A wide smile took over Seokjin’s face as the Prince called his name and he continued his way to her. Once in front of the Princess, Seokjin bowed and clapped his hands.

“You looked stunning on that stage, Princess. You looked regal and elegant, a true blood born leader.”

“You flatter me, Seokjin.”

“Nonsense, Princess. You had everyone on their toes. The women of the court have yet to shut up about your attire. They are already requesting the style.”

Princess Keena felt her face warm at the news and shook her head softly. Seokjin jumped at the sudden weight on his foot and when he looked down, Cookie was sitting on his toes. Bending down, Seokjin scooped the tiger cub up with a huff. 

“He has gotten bigger since I last saw him.” Seokjin spoke as Cookie head butted his chin. “Soon none of us will be able to carry him.”

“I’m sure my guards will be able to handle Cookie. He’s just a big baby.”

The Princess reached out and scratched behind Cookie’s ears as she spoke and smiled at Seokjin.

“What brings you to the butterfly house?” 

Seokjin set Cookie down and offered his arm to the Princess, “Since His Highness is busy with his own tasks, I thought I would offer to keep you company.” Seokjin explained as the Princess slipped her arm into the crook of Seokjin’s elbow. “I really must apologize for not taking the time to visit more often.”

“You are a busy man, Seokjin. Why should I fault you for doing your job?”

Seokjin’s cheeks flushed at the Princess’ words and he started to walk along the path through the garden.

“You are too kind Princess. Your gentle candor is refreshing.” Seokjin watched his steps as Cookie ran around them in circles. “His Highness was blessed by the ones before us to have you intertwined into his life. Together, with you by his side-” Seokjin grins and chuckles, “I see a long and beautiful union for all of us.”

Seokjin had spent a few hours with Princess Keena. At some point Kai left his post by the Princess’ side; he felt unwell. Minho took his place and San knew that it would soon be time for the night’s operation to begin. 

Conversation between the Princess and Seokjin was easy. As the sun started to sink in the sky, the Princess voiced that she had felt unwell and when Seokjin offered to escort her to her chambers, Minho and San took over. They reassured him that the Princess would be okay and that he need not worry about her care. Seokjin watched as the trio walked back to the palace and he chewed on his bottom lip in worry.

In the palace, Hoseok and Aga were informed of a sudden council meeting to discuss the ongoing war and strategies to ensure an overall victory. When Hoseok left his post, Kai slipped into the Prince’s room with a small bag hidden within the belt of his outfit. Prince Yoongi sat alone in his chambers behind his desk with a scroll in front of him. Upon Kai’s arrival, the Prince rose from his seat and motioned for the guard to follow him into his bed chambers. 

In the room, Kai removed the bag from his belt and laid the contents out on the Prince’s vanity. Charcoal and commoner clothing were bundled together neatly and the Prince was impressed. Kai helped the Prince strip out of his regal clothing and carefully dressed him in the simple hanbok before he removed all the jewelry. He sat in front of the mirror and watched as Kai came up behind him. In his hands was a small cup of water and he set it on top of the vanity before he grabbed a brush and detangled the Prince’s hair. 

Once the Prince’s hair was knot free, carefully Kai pressed the charcoal stick to the blonde hair. Again and again, Kai repeated the process before he ran a fine toothed comb through the Prince’s hair to fully cover the hair. Gone were the blond strands, now replaced with flat ink black. Prince Yoongi was fascinated as he turned his head from side to side to get a better view of his dark hair. Kai pulled it into a high bun that sat on top of the Prince’s head with a simple black cloth tied around to keep it in place.

As he stood from his seat, the Prince smoothed out his hanbok and gave Namjoon a tight-lipped smile. 

“How do I look?”

Kai eyed the sand-colored jeogori that hung from the Prince’s shoulders. The matching baeja was simple enough with a white trim along the hem. The beige baji paired well with the straw jipsin shoes. The dark strands of hair really made all the difference and Kai nodded his head, pleased with the Prince’s disguise.

“I would give you a few coins if you asked.”

A smile stretched across the Prince’s face at Kai’s words and he laughed. 

“Everything else is ready for tonight?” 

“Yes, Your Highness. I recruited the help of Byulyi to assist the Princess in dressing.”

The Prince narrowed his eyes as he frowned, unimpressed with the news of Byulyi now knowing about his plan. He didn’t want more people to know about his whereabouts, but it couldn’t be helped. The Princess did indeed need help to get ready and that was a fact that the Prince had not accounted for.

In the Princess’ chambers, Byulyi helped her into the hanbok that the Prince had gifted to her a few nights ago. The other handmaids were dismissed by the Princess in fear that she would get them sick as well. Byulyi had been the first to speak up about staying behind and passed a note to the Princess while she clasped her hands tightly. The Princess agreed with little to no argument and the others left with low bows.

The sand-colored jeogori with its thick beige cuffing fitted the Princess loosely and the beige pleated chima swayed around her feet. The cognac colored norigae was carefully attached to the Princess’ skirt by Byulyi before she was led over to the vanity. Byulyi pulled the Princess’ braid to the back of her head and twisted them into a single plait that rested against her back. The cream silk ribbon with gold larch and lupine flowers embroidered at the ends was tied to the bottom of the plait to complete the look.

As the Princess walked over to the tri-view mirrors, she smiled at her overall appearance. Her makeup had been removed and replaced with a simple neutral smokey eye and a rose tinted balm to her lips. The only jewelry that she wore were the two rings with thin gold bands and three white scolecite gems on each that the Prince had gifted to her. The engagement ring was tucked away with the rest of the jewelry for safe keeping. Princess Keena had been reluctant to remove the precious gift but Byulyi had reassured her that it would be safer to leave it behind.

Out in the hall, Wonho and Jooheon stood guard. They were determined to make sure that the Princess wasn’t disturbed while she rested and recovered from her sickness. Inside the Princess’ chambers, Byulyi lit a candle and walked over to the closed window. As she opened it quickly and stood with her back facing the Princess. Silently, Byulyi covered and uncovered the flame six times before she blew out the candle and walked away from the window. The Princess was confused but Byulyi gave her a knowing smile.

“Be safe tonight Princess and have a wonderful time.”

Byulyi draped a dark cloak around the Princess’ shoulders and carefully lifted the hood over her head.

“Where am I going, Byulyi? His Highness didn’t tell me anything.”

“You will learn in due time, Princess.”

A soft knock at the window made the two women turn around and Princess Keena was surprised to see San standing in the window; his calcite eyes glowed in the darkness. 

“Time to go, Princess.”

Byulyi and San helped the Princess climb out the window and Byulyi wished them luck once more before she closed the window and covered all the sunstones for the night. Princess Keena stayed close to San’s side as he led her through a series of twists and turns until they reached a small cluster of trees. It was dark and grew darker still. As they approached, shadows started to move and the Princess’ steps faltered.

One of the shadows stepped out of the darkness and as it was bathed in silver moonlight, the Princess’ mouth dropped open in awe. There stood the Prince dressed in clothing that did not befit his status and his blond hair was gone. Dark inky locks gleamed in the moonlight, and the Prince’s lips were turned upward as he extended his hand outward towards the Princess.

"Ann ale."

Colors. So many colors, sounds, and scents surrounded the Princess as she walked beside the Prince in the busy streets of the town’s night market. The main market was lit up with sunstones that were strung up high from stall to stall. A web of lights encased in handcrafted lanterns of different colors. Hand-carved and painted signs with the names of products and pricing covered all the stalls while some had no signage. Minho and San kept ten paces from the young royals as they explored the wonders of the night market.

“Ddeokbokki! Fresh ddeokbokki!”

“Bindaetteok! Nice hot, bindaetteok!”

“Samgyupsal! We have samgyupsal!”

In the distance, a pansori told the story of how the Min Empire came to be while another one sang about the war in the West. People moved to and fro, stall to stall with baskets filled with goods. It was exciting and the Princess took it all in. The Min Empire at night was beyond her wildest dreams. Intoxicating scents of perfumes and oils danced in the air and mingled with the sweet aromas of the food. The floral and spicy scent led lonely and stressed women and men alike to the middle of town where The Vine, a prosperous inn known for its more carnal pleasures, resided.  

The building was three stories high with thick wooden posts painted a deep blue out front to hold up the impressive nameplate. The whole building was a mix of blues, creams, and golds. Splashes of brighter colors were hidden away in the rooms reserved for private use. A group of four, two women and two men, stood outside of The Vine to entice those who passed by. Their grabs were soft muted tones of pinks, reds, purples, and blues. Their necks were exposed and if their robes slipped from their shoulders, a helpful hand would fix it.

The Prince had spoken with San and Kai about The Vine, he knew to avoid that area and the walkways were wide enough to do so. Princess Keena pulled at the Prince’s hand and he allowed himself to be dragged to a vendor that sold norigae. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back as the Princess asked the merchant questions and silently inhaled the sweet tang of honey-dipped tangerines. The satgat on top of his head hid his face from those around him, only showing his mouth when he lifted his face enough to speak to different vendors. 

Prince Yoongi felt himself cross his eyes for a moment as a norigae was suddenly shoved in his face. He blinked a few times and carefully took the knotted silk in his hands. The craftsmanship was impressive and the colors were complementary to a few of his darker outfits in the palace. Red and gold silk rope was woven together in an intricately knotted design with three hanging tassels at the bottom, red on one side and gold on the other.

“The little lady has an eye for the best!” The merchant praised and Yoongi raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention to the Princess.

“My wife finished that one this afternoon, it took all month to make.”

The Prince reached into the waist of his hanbok and wrapped his fingers around his jumeoni that held his money. He asked the price and paid for it without blinking an eye. Princess Keena leaned into his side and the Prince swallowed down a pleased rumble in his chest. The merchant placed the norigae into a small wooden box and wrapped it in a tan cloth. Before he could hand it off, Prince Yoongi gave the merchant a nameplate and asked to keep it on hold. Anything that was purchased in the night would be picked up later on in the week to avoid any suspension. 

Princess Keena slipped her hand into the Prince’s and together they walked to a stall that made the Price smirk. He recognized the name of the stall, it was the vendor that sold the sweet treats. He had a few tables set up for people to sit down and enjoy their food to which Prince Yoongi pulled the Princess in that direction. They sat across from each other at a table and the Princess looked around excitedly. Her eyes were wide as they bounced from place to place. The light of the sunstones reflected in her eyes and the Prince found himself reaching his arm out across the table. 

Princess Keena grinned down at his hand and cupped the back of his hand in hers. Using her other hand, she traced invisible shapes into the Prince’s palm with the tips of her blunt nails. A pleasant shiver crawled down the Prince’s back and he carefully removed his hat, placing it on the seat beside him. He made sure to choose a table that wasn’t in the direct light of the sunstones so that he could enjoy this moment.

“Are you enjoying yourself, my gem?”

“There are no words to express my gratitude...Yoongi.”

The Prince’s fingers wrapped tightly around the Princess’ fingers and he purred. He brought the Princess’ hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips one by one. He never took his eyes off hers and smirked as silver started to quiver to life in the darkness.

A waiter came over to take their order and the Prince rattled off a few different treats. Everything was picked with the knowledge that he had gained over the time spent with the Princess. Hotteok, danpatjuk, yakgwa and manju with a pot of tieguanyin tea on the side.

In the palace, Hyungwon and his assistant Yunho, a dwarf cyclops, tended to the Emperor as he laid in bed. Empress Eunkyung sat at his bedside, eyes bloodshot and puffy from her endless crying. The Emperor was ill and his sickness incurable. From Hyungwon’s examinations and tests, Emperor Chungho had three months to live; six at the most. It was a sickness of his lungs and from what Hyungwon saw, they were slowly withering away bit by bit. The blood that the Emperor coughed up was proof of his lungs' degenerative state.

The news was swiftly delivered to Hoseok and Aga as they exited the war meeting together. They decided to tell the young royals together in hopes that they would be able to comfort each other. Prince Yoongi wasn’t in his chambers, the guards at his door informed Hoseok that the Princess had fallen ill, so His Highness had gone to stay by her side. Aga bristled at the news but kept his thoughts to himself. They made their way to the Princess’ chambers where Chan and Jooheon stood guard.

“Why was I not informed of the Princess’ state?” Aga glared at the two guards and Chan stood his ground.

“Byulyi said that she sent word to you already. Had she not?” 

Aga and Hoseok shared a look before they pushed open the doors of the Princess’ chambers. Byulyi scrambled to her feet and bowed to both Aga and Hoseok.

“It seems to be some miscommunication, Byulyi.” Hoseok didn’t take his eyes off the maid as he spoke. “Word of the Princess’ illness had not reached us and yet the Prince is here with her?” Hoseok clicked his tongue and took a step towards the bed chambers.

Byulyi stepped in his way and crossed her arms over her chest. “I was giving strict orders from His Highness to not allow anyone to disturb his and the Princess’ slumber.” 

“Oh?” Hoseok raised an eyebrow and took one step forward to crowd Byulyi’s space. “And will you take responsibility for my important notice being ignored for the sake of beauty sleep?”

Byulyi’s gaze wavered. What news did Hsoeok speak of? Could she risk it? It had only been a few hours, two at the most since the young royals left the palace. She wanted them to enjoy their freedom a little longer. Squaring her shoulders, Byulyi narrowed her eyes.

“I will.” 

Hoseok huffed, annoyed but impressed. He licked his lips and glanced over his shoulder to Aga who stood by and watched the whole encounter. He nodded his head with a sigh and turned his attention back to Byulyi.

“Forgive me, my dear.”

Before Byulyi could react to Hoseok’s words, he had dug his fingers into a pressure point and caught Byulyi’s limp body in his arms. Scooping her up, he carried her over to the couch and placed her down gently. Aga opened the door to the Princess’ sleeping chambers and the squawk that left his mouth made Hoseok cringe. Aga stepped out of the room and charged to the front of the room. He ripped open the doors and grabbed Chan by his shoulders. Chan hissed in pain as he was slammed into the stone wall.

“Where are they?!” Aga’s voice was an airy mix of whistles,  a song of death that only came from the lips of a citron crane.

Jooheon moved to pull Aga off of Chan when Hoseok held him back. The heat that seeped through his robes and singed his skin was uncomfortable. Flames danced in Hoseok’s amber eyes as he glared at Jooheon.

“Answer the question, kid. Where are the Prince and Princess?” 

The beat of the drums rang throughout the night. Armed guards filled the streets of the night market and stopped anyone who had their face covered. The Prince and Princess were missing from the palace. Any other time, Hoseok would have searched for the young couple without a fuss but with the news of the Emperor’s impending demise, he had no time for subtlety. Minho and San were easily recognized by the other guards and led back to the palace. They both thought to put up a fight but feared the young royal’s cover would be blown. 

In all the commotion, Prince Yoongi pulled the Princess away from the main street and ran between buildings, back towards the palace. The backways were dark and some smelled of waste and spoiled food but the Prince paid no mind to it once he heard additional footsteps echo around him. Someone, maybe three people from the missteps, were following them and Agust coiled himself tightly around Yoongi’s heart. Slowly a gold ring brightened around Yoongi’s iris and his hold on the Princess’ hand tightened. 

A body suddenly dropped from the rooftop followed by two more and Yoongi growled in warning. Footfalls from behind made his back stiffen and he shoved the Princess closer to the wall beside them. His satgat had fallen off his head and hung at his back thanks to the beaded gatkkeun that was attached to it. Prince Yoongi narrowed his eyes and bared his elongated fangs as the footsteps behind him came to a stop. They were surrounded and the Prince wondered where Minho and San were.

“Hand over the girl and we’ll let you live, boy.”

From the accent that the words were spoken in, the Prince knew that these bandits were not from town. As he took in their garb, he noticed that they were dressed in darker colors and wore black leather trousers but what stood out was the scabbard on their waist. The hilt was an ivy white while the sheath was black with golden metal plating. The craftsmanship reminded the Prince of a dagger that he once saw in a book about the West. He narrowed his eyes and positioned himself between the men, ten he counted, and the Princess.

“If you want to leave with your pathetic lives, leave now!”

The men all laughed and drew their swords and daggers all at once. Prince Yoongi cursed for not arming himself with any weapons for the night. Princess Keena pressed herself closer to the wall to shield her back and watched as the men all readied themselves to attack. 

One man lunged and the Prince sent him flying into the building across from them with a single kick to the man’s stomach. His skull hit the wall with a loud crack before he slumped to the ground. Another charged at the Prince and threw a punch that the Prince caught. He pulled the man in closer and sent his knee into the man’s chest three times before he shoved him away.

Prince Yoongi settled into a fighting stance and two men charged at once with their swords. He  shifted their attention to him as he moved out of the way so that the Princess wouldn’t be hurt. He blocked their attacks with his forearms before he kicked them away and smirked. Three out of the four men were groaning on the ground and slowly picked themselves up. A taller man, the leader, if they had to guess, narrowed his eyes and spit on the ground.

“Kill ‘im.”

⚠⚠⚠

Four of the men rushed in and the Prince was caught off guard for a moment. He thrusted his arm out to catch the wrist of the closet man, twisting the man's arm at an awkward angle for the sword to drop. The sickening crack of bone breaking made the Princess wince and cover her mouth as the food from earlier threatened to come back up. The man staggered back, holding his injured arm while the Prince fended off the other three men with the stolen sword. Another man snuck against the wall and kept to the darkness as he crept towards the Princess. 

The clinking of swords echoed in the night and Hoseok’s ears were ringing. The market was a mess with thugs and lowlifes attacking vendors for their goods. It was chaos and Hoseok was worried for his friends. He had not seen any trace of the Prince nor the Princess and something deep in his gut felt wrong. The sky above came to life, stars snuffed out by thick wafts of clouds. The air smelt of petrichor, dense and electric as thunder rolled about. 

A sudden squall of wind, chilling for the warmer night sent a shiver down Hoseok’s spin. A storm was coming and it wasn’t natural. Hoseok gathered the Princess’ guards, even though he felt like everything was their fault and motioned for them to follow him.

“Circle back to the palace! Split up and check the backways!”

The Prince was panting as he punched another man in his face. His fist hurt but he ignored the pain as someone came at him with two swords. Prince Yoongi grunted as he blocked the double blades and fought to keep his balance. The man before he was larger but the Prince remembered his training with Aga.

He let the man gain the upper hand by letting his arms give out before he kicked out his leg and swept the man’s feet out from underneath him. Using that same momentum, the Prince thrusted the blade forward right down into the man’s stomach and yanked it upward, like he had gutted a fish.

“Yoon-!”

The Princess’ voice caught Yoongi’s attention and he saw that she was now surrounded by three men. He hadn’t realized that the men he had fought had put such a distance between himself and the Princess. He took a step in the Princess’ direction and two more men attacked him. As he fought, one pulled a dragger from his hip and lunged. Yoongi was able to block the sword but the dagger was longer than normal and gave the other man the chance to get too close. The blade striked the Prince and his vision blurred, scarlet red. A sudden warmth with a stinging undertone, radiated along the right side of his face.

The Prince gripped his face with one hand. Blood seeped through his fingers and trickled down his wrist as he swung his sword blindly in the other, staggering backwards. He tripped over one of the fallen men and before he could catch himself one of the men grabbed his head from behind and smashed it into the closest wall. 

What little vision he had blurred even more and the Princess’ scream echoed in his ears. He struggled to stay upright and the man behind him slammed his head once more into the wall. Black spots entered the Prince’s vision and as he crumbled to the ground, he felt Agust’s claws as they sank deep into his heart.

Worry not, Princeling

Three men were left behind to check on the well-being of the others that were injured by Prince Yoongi. They paid no mind to the broken body that laid battered and bruised, bleeding out onto the dirt. If they had known who he was, they would have run long before they dared attack. Now? Now it was too late. Obsidian was flooded with pure gold, inky black iridescent scales covered more and more pale skin in larger patches and the pink tongue was now indigo and forked.

One man passed over the Prince’s body and spit at the ground in front of him. He noticed that the Prince was still breathing and glowered at the younger man. He squatted down before the Prince and pulled a dagger from his hip. He moved the satgat out of the way and grabbed the topknot that kept the Prince’s hair out of his face with a sneer.

“Enjoy living in disgrace,” the man sniggered and chopped the Prince’s topknot off without a second thought. 

The bun was clutched in the man’s fist and he laughed loudly, pleased with himself. However, the victorious joy was short-lived once he noticed the black scales on the Prince’s neck and face. With the satgat no longer blocking the Prince’s features, the man saw small black horns, almost like thorns that framed the Prince’s eyebrows and two thick black horns that weren’t there before. He swallowed thickly and dropped the topknot on the ground before he scrambled to his feet.

An iron-like vice gripped his ankle and he froze. Long, pointed nails seemingly dipped in tar pierced the skin and the man groaned in pain as he felt his muscle and bone rub together. The bone snapped and the man cried as he fell to the ground. The other men, now four in total, rushed over. They watched uncertain, swords raised in defense as the Prince picked himself up off the ground. His black hair hung around his ears unevenly and stuck to the bloody mud on his face. 

This was not the same man they had tried to kill. This, this was a monster.

Agust grinned at the men before him; his pointed teeth gleamed a wicked red from the flood that trickled into his mouth. He licked his lips and spit the bloody dirt on the ground. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers a few times, his pointed nails glossy and soaked in blood. 

He blinked once and he was in front of the men, nearly nose to nose. He growled as he grabbed one man by the throat and threw him through the wall of the building nearby. The other men dropped to their knees and begged for their lives. Agust squatted down in front of them, setting his elbow on his knee before he rested his chin in his palm.

“And why sssshould I ssspare your livessss?” His words were strung together with a hissed lisp that encased the men’s heart in pure dread.

“T-The girl!” One blurted out to save himself. “I-I know where they took the girl!”

Agust’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits and he lashed out without a word. The man’s whole body went rigid and he looked down slowly as he started to shake. Agust’s arm, up until his elbow was in the man’s chest. His heart beat dully in Agust’s bloodied hand that stuck out his back. 

The other two men watched in horror as Agust ripped his hand out and squished the man’s heart right before his very eyes before he died. He turned his gaze to the other men left and they begged for their lives. Agust enjoyed ripping them limb from limb. The only other survivor was the man who had the crushed ankle and Agust dragged him by the front of his shirt.

“Ssshow me where they took my treasssure!”

A downpour drowned out the muffled shouting that came from inside a storage room behind The Vine. The building was surrounded by lilac and clematis flowers with a cluster of yew trees that casted eerie shadows against the walls. 

Inside the tree men from the alleyway argued with each other about what to do with Princess Keena. They had tied her hands together at the wrists, behind her back and had her knelt on the cold hanji paper-covered floor. Water dripped from her hair and dripped onto the floor. A puddle had started to form where she knelt in silence.

They had not expected the man she was with to put up such a fight and cut their numbers down so quickly. The leader of the group was sure that the man was dead by now but he required a greater sum of money for the inconvenience of having to replace two of his men.

Money was heavy on his mind but as he looked at the Princess, unknowing of her true value, he licked his lips. The hanbok she wore was soaked through. The light beige color had darkened to a brown and clung to her body. The Princess kept her head down, her eyes closed as she willed Ceyeh to slowly come to the surface.

Princess Keena knew a bit more than the very basics of fighting. She could hold her own well enough against one person, but not three. Ceyeh had been a warrior in her time and knew how to protect the Princess at the cost of someone else’s life. It was a price she was willing to pay if need be. 

Behind closed eyes, silver curled and spread through the irises of the Princess. Ceyeh pushed the Princess’ conscious state of mind behind her. Warm brown and soft grey feathers wrapped around the Princess’ subconscious and held her tightly. 

“Not gonna scream for help, girl?” 

Ceyeh ignored the voice that spoke to her as she controlled her presence. No feathers sprouted from her skin and she focused on the shift of her nails. The nail bed turned a deep grey and the rounded tips grew into pointed talons. 

The leader of the group grabbed a fist full of Ceyeh’s hair and jerked her head up. The watery blue silver of her eyes caught him off guard and he grinned wickedly.

“A shifter? Never had a taste of one before.”

The man’s breath was rancid, teeth rotted and many missing. He gripped Ceyeh’s face in his hand harshly and turned her head every which way. He examined her and watched as goosebumps rose on the exposed skin of her shoulder.

“A nice consolation for the death of my men. It has been some time since I’ve last touched someone so-” 

As thunder roared overhead the trees outside hit against the building. Lightning lit up the sky and casted their shadows against the wall. Ceyeh glared up at the man and he looked over his shoulder at the other two men in the room.

“Did you hear that?” 

The men looked at each other confused.

“The thunder?” 

The man in front of Ceyeh spit on the ground and threw her body to the floor. He had heard something in the thunder.

“I think our men are back. Shall we give them a show?”

Ceyeh silently sliced through the rope that bound her hands as the man above her talked. If it was a show they wanted, it was a show they would get. Ceyeh caught the rope in her hands and dropped them on the ground before she made her move. The leader moved faster, he had her pushed onto her stomach and straddled her waist. He leant down and chuckled in her ear as he held her head down against the floor.

“Nice try girlie.”

He licked the side of her face, the warmth of his saliva cooled quickly as he pulled away with a pleased hum. 

“Hold her down!” He ordered his men and they moved quickly. Both men grabbed one of Ceyeh’s arms and pinned them down while the leader pulled his dagger from his hip and cut into the fabric of her hanbok. Ceyeh struggled as she tried to pull herself free but the men were surprisingly much stronger. It had been a long time since she last had to defend herself like this.

“Oh ho!” The man sneered as he looked at the markings on Ceyeh’s back. “What filth is this?” His rough fingers touched the raised marking on Ceyeh’s back and Ceyeh fought harder to get free. “Such a pretty face for a disfigured body.”

A hand pushed the skirts of her hanbok up and Ceyeh clenched her teeth. Feathers started to sprout along her ears and corners of her eyes. Her leg shifted as she dug her talons into the floor and readied herself for the pain she was about to inflict on herself. Brown feathers started to grow from her shoulders.

As they hardened, a crash filled the air as a body dressed in the men’s garb went soaring through the only door of the storage room. The body smacked into the wall, a single hole held the limp body in place by its smashed head. Blood dripped down the wall and splashed onto the floor in crimson pearls.

Through the petrichor, as Agust encroached on the storage house, he smelt the fermented and sour scent of the Princess. She was in danger and Agust growled as he heard a man’s voice over the rain. He dragged the man from the alleyway through the mud, not once caring that his broken ankle was jostled about. He broke the man’s jaw to keep him quiet and once the storage house was pointed out, Agust snapped his neck without a moment's hesitation.

⚠⚠⚠

As the scent of tangerines turned sharper and grew more bitter, Agust had enough. With no warning, he chucked the man in his hands through the doors of the storage room with such force that he became one with the wall. A grand improvement in Agust’s eyes, though before he could voice his musings he took in the sight before him. Princess Keena was pinned to the floor, her skirt was pulled up past her thighs and a man was straddling her from behind. As the man jumped to his feet, Agust caught sight of the off-colored markings on the Princess’ back and thick black smoke spilled from his mouth as fire burned in his chest.

Screams echoed in the night, suffocated by the howling winds and cherry-sized raindrops. Blood dripped from the ceiling and pooled onto the floor under torn limbs. Agust blinked once, twice, thrice before the sweltering heat in his chest settled into a dull flame. Golden eyes shimmered in the night, reflective as light flashed outside. His hair was plastered to his face, wet from the rain and blood that had started to clot. 

Agust cracked his knuckles and wiped his hands on his blood soaked trouser before he ran a semi-clean hand through his hair.  The choppy strands irritated the cut on his eye. The sound of shuffling caught his attention and he turned on his heels sharply with a growl in his throat. 

Silver and gold, two colors that had not existed in the same space in eons, meat silently. Agust’s body was frozen as glistening tears spilled from those all too familiar silver pools. A single drop of blood plopped down from the ceiling and splashed on the Ceyeh’s cheek. A small river of tinted red streamed down her face, yet she made no move to wipe it away. 

Agust stepped forward with a hand raised and Ceyeh���s arm shot out with a startled gasp as she took a quick step backwards. The distance wasn’t much, a handful of footsteps yet Agust felt that there were whole continents between them.

“My moon?”

[drpeppertummy]

marianne swooping in like an angel to save sunny from his woes via Stuff Him Silly

[hunger, stuffing, tummy rubs]

Sunny lay curled up in bed, hugging himself tightly. When he was little, and his nonstop hugging became a problem in school, his mother had taught him to hug himself when he needed one. He'd taken her advice, but, of course, hugging oneself doesn't fill the same void as being held close by somebody else. He sniffled, wrapping his arms as far around himself as they would go, squeezing until his entire torso ached. It didn't help.

It had been a long, difficult, miserable day. He'd woken up feeling sad and grumpy after a restless sleep. He'd tried to make himself a nice breakfast to turn the morning around, but, ever distractible, he'd burned it to the point of near-inedibility, sealing the course his day was set to take. He'd been shouted at by more than a fair share of rude customers at work, and even with Giuliana sticking up for him, he could only take so much. There had been little during the day to cheer him up. There had, however, been plenty of drops in the heavy bucket that was weighing him down. A snippy message from one of his brothers scolding him for letting his niece come home with paint on her shirt, a fall on a slippery floor that had left his knee sore and bruised, a long walk home in the pouring rain while his forgotten umbrella sat safe at home. It was far from the worst day of his life, but it most certainly had not been a good one.

On top of everything else, which would have been plenty on its own, part of the reason Sunny was so upset was his empty stomach. The restaurant had been unusually busy, and he'd barely had time to pause for lunch. Between that and his ruined breakfast, he'd barely eaten a thing all day. His head and his belly ached, and he felt exhausted and miserable. He'd have liked nothing more than to call up a friend and get some dinner together, but nobody was around. He didn't have it in him to get up and go out alone, nor did he have the energy to make anything, so in bed he remained, feeling sad and hungry and overall awful.

His belly rumbled, and he glumly wrapped his arms around his sunken middle. He badly wanted to feed himself, but he just couldn't make himself move. The lousy day had taken all his energy away. His eyes dampened, and his breath hitched in his throat, and before he could stop it, he was crying into his pillow, his aching body shaking with each choked sob. He lay there and cried for some time until he had no energy left to do even that, and then he simply lay there, limp and drained, hiccuping and snuffling into his damp pillow.

Suddenly, the phone rang, startling Sunny out of his teary stupor. Sniffling, he picked it up, wiping his eye. It was Marianne. He held it for a moment, confused; she usually worked Sundays. He answered the phone.

"Hello?" He'd hoped his voice would come out smooth, but it cracked badly as he spoke.

"Sunny honey? You alright?"

"Yeah," he sniffled, his voice still wobbly. "What's up?"

"Well, I was just callin' to see if you were around," she said. "And you sure sound like you could use a little company. You busy?"

"No, I'm around."

"Mind if I come over?"

"I'd love that," he said, almost too eagerly.

Having perked up considerably at the idea of spending time with Marianne, Sunny had dragged himself out of bed and changed from his work clothes into a cozy sweater and jeans by the time she arrived at his door. He still looked thoroughly beaten down, though, his hair disheveled and his face flushed from crying, and she wrapped him up protectively in her arms the moment she saw him.

"Oh, Sunny honey, you look like you've been through the wringer," she exclaimed, squeezing him so tightly he could barely breathe. He clung to her and melted into the warm hug, laying his head against her shoulder. His belly rumbled loudly against her, and she smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she said, running a hand along his side and letting it come to rest on his hollow tummy. "Come on, cutie pie. Let's get some food in that poor little tummy."

"I thought you were workin' tonight," said Sunny as they made their way to the kitchen.

"I took the day off," she said, throwing an arm around him. "Needed a little break, y'know what I mean?"

"Boy, do I," he said, bumping his head against her shoulder. Marianne gave him an affectionate squeeze around the waist, then gently pushed him into a chair.

"You wait right here, pumpkin pie." She planted a warm kiss on his forehead, then turned away to start sorting out dinner. It was only a moment before he was up again and at her side.

Together, with a lot of hugging and teasing and goofing around, they made a big late-night breakfast of eggs, pork roll, and pancakes. Sunny's belly had been growling practically nonstop throughout the process, his mouth watering at the smell, and each impatient rumble had been met with a playful poke or tickle from Marianne. Physically, he still felt horrible, but he'd cheered up drastically just having spent time with her.

It wasn't long before they were sitting at the little kitchen table together with their plates, a bottle of syrup between them. Barely able to keep the drool from falling from his mouth, Sunny dug in, his empty stomach eager to get some relief. Marianne couldn't help but chuckle at his ravenous frenzy.

"Thanks for comin' over," he said with his mouth full.

"You know I'm always happy to come spend a little time with you," she said with a smile. "You're my little cutie pie." Sunny blushed lightly and swallowed his mouthful with a loud gulp. He was already beginning to feel better, and as his belly filled up, he slowed his pace. Marianne, who hadn't been nearly as hungry, was taking her time with her food, enjoying it and the sight of Sunny eating. She took a certain pleasure in noticing that he was slowing down, that he wasn't even halfway through his meal and would likely find himself struggling to finish by the end of it. She would have no trouble finishing her own food; she was a big woman with an appetite to match, and putting away a good-sized plate was no challenge. For Sunny, however, it would be a much more difficult feat.

Sunny paused for a moment, holding a hand against his tummy. A gurgle bubbled up inside him, and he let out a soft burp. He was beginning to feel full. He still had a ways to go on his dinner, though, and he wasn't about to quit now. He forced up another little burp, punctuated by a quiet sigh, then dug out another bite of pancake with his fork. Marianne kept a watchful eye on his belly. The sweater he'd put on was large and loose, concealing his skinny figure for now, but she suspected it wouldn't be long before the bulge of his full tummy was visible against the soft fabric.

Unable to resist, Marianne moved her chair closer to Sunny's and slipped an arm around his waist, resting her hand on his belly. While the sweater kept it hidden, she was pleased to find that it felt slightly rounded under her hand, a subtle curve pushing out against her palm. She kept her hand there, enjoying the feeling of his belly rising and falling with his breath, and he leaned against her, laying his head on her shoulder.

"Getting full?" she teased, giving his tummy a gentle pat.

"No," he fibbed, and she laughed.

"Good, because you've still got a lot left."

As a matter of fact, Sunny was beginning to feel very full. He'd slowed down considerably since his initial starved frenzy. Now he was picking cautiously at his food, hoping to finish without pushing his stomach too far too fast. The pancakes alone would have been more than enough to fill him up; with the added protein of the eggs and the pork roll, he wasn't sure he'd be able to finish. He had about a third of his plate left--a decent-sized portion of the pancakes, one of the two eggs he'd started with, and a tiny scrap of pork roll. The pork roll was easy to polish off, dipped in the egg yolk for good measure, and then he finished the egg. His belly felt tight and strained now, bulging firmly over the waist of his jeans, and he paused to bring up a small burp. It didn't free up much space.

Marianne watched as he began another effort against his pancakes, enjoying the feeling of his taut belly pushing out against her hand. She snuck it up under his sweater, holding it against his warm, hairy skin, and a light blush crept onto his face. He looked up at her, his big dark eyes still red around the edges, and was promptly met with a soft kiss. He set his fork down and wrapped his arms around her. She returned the hug, engulfing him in her sturdy arms and holding him tight, drawing a tiny groan out of him as his too-full tummy was compressed.

"Think you're gonna be able to clean your plate, sweetheart?"

"I don't know. I'm really full," he confessed sheepishly. She let him go and he leaned back in his seat, his round tummy poking out in front of him. Gently, she placed her hands on his sides and gave it a light squeeze. He whined softly at the pressure, and a tiny burp escaped him.

"Ooh, you really are stuffed," she remarked, giving his belly an approving pat. It gurgled uncomfortably in response. "Think you can squeeze in just a little bit more?" Sunny considered that for a moment. His stomach felt stretched taut, straining against everything that had been crammed into it, and he didn't think it could stretch much further. Looking up at Marianne's pleading face, though, he couldn't say no.

"Maybe just a little," he finally agreed.

"Oh, Sunny honey, you're such a good boy," she beamed, taking his jaw in her hands and kissing him on the cheek. His heart fluttered. Still holding his chin in one hand, she took his fork in the other and brought a bite of pancake to his lips. Obediently, his big eyes locked with hers, he opened up for her and ate.

"You just let me know when that little tummy can't take any more, alright, cutie pie?" He nodded, chewing slowly, almost hypnotized by her stare. His belly felt just a little more strained with each bite, slowly growing tighter and tighter. Marianne moved her hand from his chin to his tummy, rubbing gently as he ate, savoring the feeling of the uneasy gurgles rumbling against her palm. Suddenly, a hiccup jolted his full belly against her hand. He groaned, holding his arms cautiously around his middle.

"Aww, sweetheart..." Marianne set the fork down again and held his tummy with both hands. It tensed sharply with another hiccup and let out a strained gurgle.

"I d-hic-don't think I can eat any more," said Sunny, looking tired. "I'm too full."

"I'll say. Your poor belly feels like it's about to pop," said Marianne. "I'd get you some water for those hiccups, but I don't think you could even handle that." He hiccuped again, the movement this time dislodging a small burp, followed by a soft grunt of discomfort. His belly grumbled unhappily.

"Here, sweetheart, why don't we go lie down," she said, standing up and taking his hands. "Get you a little more comfortable, hm?" Obediently, he stood and followed her as she led him back to bed. She gently guided him onto his back, his round tummy sticking straight up, and then she pulled his sweater up out of the way, fully exposing his swollen middle. She unbuttoned his far-too-snug jeans, squeezing ever so slightly as she did, and he couldn't hold back a soft whimper at the painful pressure. She leaned down to plant an apologetic kiss on his bulging tummy and then sat beside him on the bed, rubbing the taut skin. He gazed up at her with soft eyes, his sleepy silence interrupted here and there by a hiccup and the quiet gurgles of his belly as it worked on the big dinner. "I'm glad you c-hic-came over," he said, his voice almost a mumble. He couldn't find the words to say more, but she could see the rest in his eyes--thank you for feeding me, thank you for loving me, thank you for being my friend. He felt warm and cozy despite the dull ache in his overstuffed tummy, and the miserable day he'd endured now seemed a distant memory, the pain and frustration having long since melted away. Smiling fondly, Marianne leaned down to kiss him. Then, she lay down beside him and pulled him into a warm embrace, which he gladly returned. They remained like that until he fell asleep in her arms, and, after some time, lulled by the sound of his stomach and his quiet snoring, she drifted off as well.