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johnaleitner · 1 year

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How To Choose the Right Sink for Your Bathroom

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing a sink for a bathroom and I’m sharing those here with you today. I have seen a lot of sinks in bathrooms that aren’t really quite right for the function of the space. Let’s not let that happen in your new bathroom! These are generally the types of sinks to consider. You can use the process of elimination to keep from scrolling through so many options when shopping on line, filtering according to these needs I outline in the post. Undermount Bathroom Sinks Vessel or Decorative Bathroom Sinks Extra large Bathroom Sinks Small Bathroom Sinks Drop In Bathroom Sinks Wall Hung Bathroom Sinks Pedestal Sinks

1) Undermount bathroom sinkThis is probably the most commonly used by designers in remodels and new builds, as it gives a nice, clean installation and is easy to maintain. Most can be had for a relatively low price point. I have an undermount with a wall mount faucet and it is a really easy-to-clean situation. You just swipe over the counters into the sink, not having to wipe or scrub around the faucets. This is great for a high use area that needs lots of regular maintenance. One of my considerations for selecting an undermount regards the geometry of the room design. I also look at the shape of the tub as I usually (not always) like those to relate.

I did an oval sink in this bathroom to relate to the oval tub, which is a real feature in this space. Carla Aston, Designer

In this bathroom remodel, below, I did rectangular sinks as it worked with all the geometry in the space. The mirrors, the tub, the shampoo niche, the 12 x 24 tile…..all these were rectangular so it rather created a design pattern.

We also had a nice wide countertop, so I could go with substantial sinks here.

Rectangular sinks were chosen for this bathroom because of the other geometric features in this space. Carla Aston, Designer

The tub, shampoo niche and tile size had a rectangular shape, so the same shape for the sink was in order. Carla Aston, Designer

I liked rectangular sinks for this bathroom to work with the linear look of this vanity. The undermount with a wall mount faucet created a sleek look and it is super easy to maintain. Carla Aston, Designer

I selected an oval sink here to go with the more traditional curves in this bathroom. Carla Aston, Designer

An oval sink for this bathroom to echo the arched opening and the arched splash. Carla Aston, Designer

2) Vessel or Decorative bathroom SinkVessel sinks are a trend that is not going away. They’ve been around for quite some time now. They are a great way to add a special custom touch to a bathroom. Vessels in primary bathrooms or other high use bathrooms are a little more time consuming to maintain. Water can stand around the base of the vessel sometimes. Just make sure there are good maintenance practices that will be established to get the longest life out of your finishes. And vessel sinks are always great for a powder room!

This vessel sink in a guest bathroom works well as it is not an oft used bathroom.

If you are using a vessel sink that is quite tall, like 4-6’“ or so, you need to make sure your vanity height is lower, more like a 30-32” (unless you are really tall and just want higher sinks).

This chunky vessel sink is quite tall and therefore sits on a lower vanity counter.

A stone vessel sink adds interest in a powder bath just off the mudroom in this home. The vanity here was custom built at a lower height to allow for the height of the sink. Carla Aston, Designer

The height of the vessel sink in this powder room was taken into consideration with the design / height of the custom cabinet. Carla Aston, Designer

Some sinks have designs or textures that might be a little more challenging to maintain too. These can be great for powder baths, as they don’t normally get heavy use.

This ridged, textural sink will need regular maintenance but works fine in a powder bath or guest bathroom.

A sink with a decorative design or texture may be best suited for a powder bath like this one. Carla Aston, Designer

Many vessels are shallow or not as deep as a typical sink. Therefore, there can be splash around the sink, on the backsplash, counter and mirror sometimes, so keep that in mind with a really shallow sink.

This super flat glass sink is a really special statement but I probably wouldn’t use it in a primary bath where someone is getting ready there every day.

We stayed in an Airbnb that had this sink, below, in a downstairs bath. This bathroom was a combination powder bath and guest bath. If it had been only a powder bath, it would have been fine. But with people brushing their teeth in it, etc. and no backsplash, it was really too shallow and really too small for this purpose. A Vacation Rental with a Focus on Design and Comfort

A pretty sink, but not a good choice for an Airbnb guest bath.

3) Extra Large Bathroom SinkIf you have long countertops and no problem with space, you might choose a large sink. Big sinks eat up counter space, so be mindful of your counter needs when choosing an extra large sink. This bathroom sink below was installed in a vanity that was about 4’ wide. It took up about half the countertop, which is fine if a lot of counterspace is not needed. I think it makes a cool statement and it might be useful if there are two people using the sink at the same time, like with two children.

An extra wide sink can eat up counterspace fast.

This large Kohler vessel sink works on the long countertop in this primary bath in The New American Home. It almost reminds me of a baby bathtub.

This oversized bathroom vessel sink takes up almost all the countertop, but since this is a powder room, it works fine and makes a distinctive design statement.

This wide sink on a long counter makes perfect sense.

An extra long trough sink can be useful with two faucets and two drains. So, why not do two sinks? If your vanity is less than 5’ wide or you just want to use it as a design statement, this single trough can be effective.

4. Small Bathroom SinkA small sink would obviously be used in a small bathroom but what is another situation where it might be used? In a place where more countertop is desired. If you really want two sinks in a vanity that is around 5’ wide (borderline for putting two sinks in) then make sure you do smaller sinks so that you can maximize your counter area.

A smaller sized sink fits well in this guest bath, where the countertop space is adequate but not huge.

This small sink enables a lot of countertop space here. This was in a hotel I stayed in and frankly, this bathroom was so small, they should have made the countertop more shallow than this.

See more about this hotel bathroom at this link, below, that also includes some links to small bathroom sinks. Small Bathroom? Here’s How to Make it Seem Bigger!

5) Drop In Bathroom SinkThis is not as common of a product in high end homes or homes that have designers involved. This installation can allow for a less than perfect cut out. If you have a laminate countertop or a tiled counter, you likely have a drop in sink that has a lip around the outer edge to cover the transition. They can be useful if you are reusing a countertop and need a new sink but finding the exact size is difficult. There are some that look like vessels, but don’t have the height, so if you have a tall vanity but like the look of a vessel, a drop-in might be just right for you.

This drop-in sink was used in a powder bath in an ASID Showhouse by designer, Latrice Gentry-Brooks.

A large drop-in sink in the guest bath of The New American Home, from Kohler. It adds some interest and dimension to the vanity area.

The dark finish and drop-in design help add an accent in this all gray bathroom in The New American Home 2023.

The New American Home 2023 6) Wall Hung Bathroom SinkSpace saving is probably the number one reason to use a wall hung sink. Well, this one below is just adorable.

This cute sink was used in an ASID showhouse pool bath, designed by Jennifer Harbison.

ASID Showhouse Guest House 7) Pedestal SinkBuilders put these in suburban houses in the half bath often as they save money by not doing a cabinet and you basically get everything all in one. Sink, countertop and the stand (in lieu of a cabinet) is all combined into one element that the plumber installs (saves multiple trades for installation too). They’re also good for tight spaces. I actually have one in my own powder bath as my powder room is tiny. One of my pet peeves with pedestal sinks is that then there is no storage at all, sometimes not even a place to put the soap. It’s usually then good to do a cabinet above the toilet or even some kind of shelf above the sink for soap, etc. In these bathrooms below, my clients opted to keep their pedestal sink in their powder rooms and decorate around it.

The pedestal sink comes with a small backsplash to help protect the wall. Carla Aston, Designer

A pedestal sink allows for more pretty wallpaper to be seen in a powder bath. Carla Aston, Designer.

The existing builder pedestal sink was kept in this bath with new wallpaper, a framed mirror and sconce customizing the space. Carla Aston, Designer.

This powder bath was designed with a Kohler pedestal sink top but with a leg option. It has kind of a vintage look, provides a shelf below, and still keeps the look light and airy.

A pedestal sink top with the legs option works well here to keep the space open so you can see the beautiful tiled wall in this powder room. Carla Aston, Designer

Need more help with planning your bathroom? I’ve got a great guide to help out right here.

Pin this image below to save for later reference!

References:

By: DESIGNED w/ Carla Aston Title: How To Choose the Right Sink for Your Bathroom Sourced From: carlaaston.com/designed/how-to-select-right-sink-for-your-bathroom Published Date: 03-12-2023

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Which color goes best in a white kitchen

White kitchens can be decorated in many colors, but walnut looks great with it. Natural wood tones will bring warmth to the space and will work well with the other colours. You can also choose black or grey if you prefer something more subtle. For bolder colours, such as yellow or red, you can make a statement. Whichever way you go, make sure your decor fits in with the style.

What should I do first when remodeling a kitchen?

There’s no one answer to this question since everyone’s priorities and budget will differ. You should consider the layout of the room, your preferences for appliances, cabinets and countertops, as well as any storage requirements.

Once you’ve decided on your must-haves, you can look at different kitchen designs to see what options are available. If you have a limited budget, you might want to start with larger items like cabinets and appliances. Next, fill in with smaller details like paint colours and light fixture.

Your kitchen remodel will be completed by taking each step one at a.

Are you looking to remodel your kitchen?

It’s best to create a list listing your wishes and needs. This will enable you to communicate with potential remodelers and contractors.

– Budget: How much can you spend on your new kitchen?

– Size: How big is your kitchen? Do you need to expand your kitchen or reduce its size?

Layout: How is your kitchen laid out? Is it necessary to change the layout in your kitchen?

– Appliances: Which appliances would you like in your new kitchen?

– Storage: How do you store your food and other supplies in your new kitchen.

– Style: What type of kitchen do you desire? Traditional, contemporary, rustic, etc.

– Colors: What colours do you want in your new kitchen?

You can now start planning your kitchen remodel after you’ve taken into account all these aspects.

What is the best kitchen layout?

If you have enough space, an L-shaped kitchen with a island is the best layout.

What is the best method to remodel a Kitchen?

Electric and plumbing rough-ins

Drywalling

Painting

Kitchen cabinet installation

Flooring installation

Countertop installation

Backsplash installation

Appliances

What is the 5-zone cooking?

Innovative design allows for efficient cooking in a smaller space. It has five distinct cooking areas, including a sink area and stove area. There is also a fridge, freezer, food preparation area and dining area. This allows each cook to have their own space to work in and eliminates the need for a large kitchen with multiple appliances.

Maximil, a German chef and designer, invented the 5-zone Kitchen. It is used often in European-style European kitchens. Families who wish to save time and money by cooking together can benefit from this 5-zone kitchen.

These are some important things to remember if you are thinking about a 5-zone cooking area for your home. You will need enough space in order to accommodate all five zones. Each zone must be ventilated properly to prevent any lingering smells and fumes. Third, the kitchen layout should be such that it allows for easy movement between each zone.

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What are the 5 Zone Kitchen’s benefits?

The 5-zone kitchen has many benefits, including:

Improved efficiency: Each cook has their space to work in which reduces the need for multiple appliances to be moved.

You can make your home more stylish with the 5-zone kitchen.

Better ventilation – Each zone is properly ventilated to prevent lingering odors and fumes in the kitchen.

Better layout: The layout of the kitchen should be so that there is easy movement from one zone to another.

If you are looking for a more stylish and efficient kitchen, the 5-zone kitchen could be a good option. With proper planning, it can be a great addition to any home.

Statistics

Experts also recommend setting aside 20 percent of your budget for surprises, including unpleasant demolition discoveries. One is water damage, the electricity that is not up to code, or other budget-spiking gotchas. (hgtv.com)

“We decided to strip and refinish our kitchen cabinets during a heat wave with 90-plus-degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity in a house with no air conditioning. (familyhandyman.com)

Followed by cabinet cost, labour, and appliance costs consume 20 percent each of your budget. (hgtv.com)

This is rather grim, but according to Business Insider, 12 percent of couples consider getting a divorce while renovating their home! (familyhandyman.com)

It’s a fantastic thing about most home improvement projects: no matter the job. It often seems like the last 20% is the most difficult. (familyhandyman.com)

External Links

forbes.com

Amazing Kitchen Remodel Ideas To Refresh Your Home

homeguide.com

2022 Kitchen Remodel Cost Estimator

Cost To Add a Room Per Square Foot

homeadvisor.com

Learn how much it costs to Remodel a Kitchen – Compose: SEO.

How much does a kitchen remodeling project increase the home’s market value? – HomeAdvisor

remodeling.hw.net

2021: Cost vs. Value

Cost vs. Value Project: Minor Kitchen Remodel

How To

Ten small kitchen renovations you can do yourself.

Ideas for small kitchen renovations you can do yourself. DIY Home Improvement Tips For the Average Joe

You might not want to undertake a small kitchen renovation. You can make your home feel brand new by doing this. It’s possible to do many things in your kitchen without spending a lot. So here are some small kitchen renovation ideas that you can do yourself.

You can add a backsplash to your kitchen. This adds style and colour, and can make your kitchen appear bigger and more spacious.

Do not replace old cabinets. They can protect your walls against spills and splashes. They can also give your kitchen an elegant look. If you notice that your cabinet doors look worn out, you should replace them with new ones.

Paint your Kitchen – This will make your kitchen look better and save you money. It gives your kitchen a modern look and gives it new life. Plus, it’ll be easier to clean as well.

Upgrade your appliances – It will increase the lifespan of your appliances and make them look better. If you know precisely which appliance you need to update, go ahead and get it done. Or, you can find someone who can install these appliances.

Add a bar – Adding a bar area in your kitchen is another good idea. You can entertain your guests by adding a bar to your kitchen.

Make a breakfast corner – A breakfast corner doesn’t need to cost a lot. All you need is a small table and some chairs. You can also add cushions to make it more comfy.

Add a pantry to your kitchen – A pantry should be a part of every kitchen. It’s a wonderful place to store food and dishes.

Install an island – A island is a great addition to your kitchen. This gives your kitchen an open feel and allows you to work from a large area. When combined with wood flooring, it can look very appealing.

Add a wine rack – Wine racks are usually found in restaurants and wine bars. However, you can use them in your own home as well. They are available in many sizes and styles. You can pick the one that best suits your kitchen.

Helpful Resources:

Did you miss our previous article… https://canadianhomestyle.com/kitchen-and-bath/dub-hubinjuries-to-kevin-durant-and-luka-doncic-intensify-west-playoff-chase/

The post How To Choose the Right Sink for Your Bathroom appeared first on Canadian Home Style.

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ao719 · 2 years

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Hopeless Hearts

Hopeless Hearts - Someone’s Bound To Get Burned (Chapter 20)

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: Two people from two different worlds, both with a grudge against relationships, cross paths and discover an opportunity to get something they both want.

Title Inspiration: Try - Tyler Ward

Warning: This series will contain NSFW material and crude language and conversations. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

A/N: Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading. Please excuse any errors.

Catch Up Here

Perma Tags (if you’d like to be added or removed for this story, please let me know): @zaffrenotes @cocomaxley @emichelle @gardeningourmet @gibbles82 @sweetest-marbear @indiacater @classylady1234 @texaskitten30 @the-soot-sprite @ladyangel70 @esmckenzie @dcbbw @burnsoslow @bbrandy2002 @txemrn @charlotteg234 @kat-tia801 @neotericthemis @foreverethereal123 @choiceskatie @sirbeepsalot @debramcg1106 @gnatbrain @ofpixelsandscribbles @openheart12 @sincerelyella @superharriet @queenrileyrose @alyssalauren @aestheticartsx @forthebrokenheartedthings @kingliam2019 @indiana-jr @bascmve01 @rainbowsinthestorm @emkay512 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @gkittylove99 @forallthatitsworth @queenjilian @walker7519 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @princessleac1 @21-wishes

Leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded, Aria looked around the bedroom that was once Liam’s during his sojourns to the private island. It was filled with various boxes and other furnishings from the villa.

The day after her trip to the cove, Aria made the decision to keep the villa. Feeling able to think more clearly than she had in a long time after that cathartic visit, she decided she would use her expertise and make it her own, just like her aunt suggested. She had designed countless spaces across Delphios from private homes to hotel suites. She even did the remodel of the villa a couple of years ago when her aunt and uncle enlisted her to help after being asked by Constantine to have it updated, but that was to the specifications of the royal family, not her own. She figured there was no reason she couldn’t change what she didn’t like and add her own personal flair while hopefully purging it of any unwanted reminders in the process.

In the days since making her choice, she hired a small crew to come remove all of the items she didn’t want. Liam’s room was the first to be stripped entirely; she wanted nothing in there left behind. That room was also the only one Aria paid to have done, so she didn’t have to do it herself; in one day, it was cleaned, painted, and was now being used as a place to store things while she worked on the remainder of the residence herself.

The remaining furnishings she didn’t want from the rest of the villa had been removed that morning. They were loaded onto a small cargo boat and were being taken back to Delphios to be distributed to various places in need, like shelters and group homes.

Aria chose to take up a temporary residence in the first-floor guest room while she worked on the remodel. She had moved her belongings from her aunt and uncle’s pool house to the villa that morning as well, and other than her queen-sized bed, they barely filled that room. She had no idea what she was going to do with all of the space the villa offered her; inspiration had yet to strike, and she didn’t need but one guess as to why.

As she glanced around the room that was once his, now filled with boxes stacked against the wall and other various items, she couldn’t help but think of him.

“Did you need something?”

“Did you? You’re in my room. Not that I’m complaining about that,” Liam smirked. “It’s like a dream come true.”

“Huh, it’s like a bad dream for me. Only, I can’t wake up.”

Aria shook the memory and turned away from the room, retreating downstairs. Despite finally allowing herself to feel the heartbreak over what happened between her and Liam, it did her no favors when it came to not thinking about him. If anything, she thought about him more. And she found herself more vexed over the situation as well; the more she thought about him and everything that transpired, the angrier she felt. She felt like she was going through the five stages of a breakup and was now teetering on edge between the sadness and anger stages, feeling an equal mixture of both. If she were being truthful with herself, however, she was trying to push herself towards the anger because, after only two weeks, she was already tired of and over feeling sad.

As Aria entered the kitchen, she watched one of the hired crew members carry an end table through the terrace doors, heading for the dock. “That’s the last of it, Aria,” another man said as he came next to her.

“Thank you,” Aria nodded as they stepped out onto the terrace. “I really appreciate it.”

“We have no other jobs today, so we’d be happy to stay if you need help with anything.”

“I’m actually not sticking around today. I have plans, but I appreciate the offer.”

“No problem,” the man smiled. “You have our number, so if you need us for anything else, just call.”

“Will do.”

After watching them secure the last of the items into the small cargo boat, Aria threw her hand up in a wave as they pulled away from the dock. She then turned and stepped back inside, and went to her room; she packed a small bag with a change of clothing, not planning to return to the island until later that night. She made sure the front door was locked and exited through the terrace; she slid the door shut and locked it before heading across the beach to her docked boat.

****

Liam glanced up at the sound of a chime; the fasten seatbelt sign illuminated above his seat in the cabin of the private jet. As he buckled it, he tilted his head, looking anxiously out the window as the island of Kerkios scarcely came into view through the clouds.

After finally realizing the full weight of his mistakes regarding Aria and heeding Drake’s advice to take a chance -- one that might not even be there -- Liam quickly made arrangements; he called to have the jet prepared to take off first thing in the morning. He then spoke to his father and explained his intentions; Constantine agreed to cover for him in his absence for the next two days. Two days was all he had before he needed to return for the benefit gala. It wasn’t much time, and he knew he needed to use it wisely.

Liam knew this was a long shot. He knew after what he did that Aria more than likely hated him, probably more than she did when they first met, and that the chances of her forgiving him were slim. Very slim. She was the only person he had ever met whose stubbornness matched his own; she was hard-headed just like he was and the type of person whose mind was difficult to change once it was made up. And although he had managed to knock down her walls during their time together in Cordonia, just as she did his, when he uttered those untrue words to her the night of the coronation, he swore he could see the moment they hastened back into place.

They weren’t going to come back down so easily.

Liam had no idea what he was going to say when he came face-to-face with her, if he even got that chance. And he had no idea what to expect on her end. But he wasn’t going to leave without exhausting every part of himself he could to try and fix what he had broken.

****

Once the jet landed, Liam instructed Bastien to stay behind while he used the spare key they had on hand and took the golf cart that, much to Liam’s surprise, was still parked at the private airstrip. He headed towards the villa. He had no idea if Aria was even there, nor what she chose to do with the island itself, but it was the first place he thought to check.

Liam skidded to a stop at the front of the villa and threw the cart into park before rushing to the front door. He let out a breath and knocked, resting his hands on his hips while he waited; there was no answer. He knocked again before peering in through the glass panes on either side of the door; he couldn’t see anyone inside. Liam stepped back and looked up at the light fixture above him, wondering if it was still there. He wedged one foot into the frame of the door, using it to hoist himself up and put his other foot on the other side to hold himself in place before he reached up, working his hand into the small gap above the light. He felt the spare key he had placed there. No, it was no longer his property, but he needed to make sure she wasn’t inside.

Once his feet were back on the ground, Liam slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. He glanced around and noticed the furnishings were all but gone, save for a few pieces; he didn’t know when or who, but someone had been there to empty it. “Aria?” he called out, but he was met with pin-drop silence. “Aria?” he called out again as he moved towards the back of the villa, but again, there was nothing. When he looked out the terrace doors, he noticed there was no boat docked; she wasn’t there.

Liam sighed as he set the spare key down on the kitchen counter before he turned and walked back through the empty villa; he locked the door before he stepped outside.

When he arrived back at the airstrip, Bastien waited outside the aircraft. “She wasn’t there.”

“Delphios then?” Bastien asked.

Liam nodded as he started up the stairs of the jet. “Yes. I’ve already booked a suite at the Grande Peliene Hotel.”

****

When they landed at the Delphios airport, Liam did his best to keep a low profile. Bastien made arrangements for a car to take them to the hotel, but against the head guard’s wishes to follow protocol, Liam, who wanted to do this by himself, requested his own vehicle to take on his search for Aria. When they arrived at the hotel, Liam was taken in through a private back entrance and was told the car was on its way, and they would let him know as soon as it arrived.

Liam entered the hotel suite; he heaved a sigh as he tossed his bag onto the bed before plopping down into the chair near the window as he waited for the call that his car had arrived. He glanced out the window that offered a picturesque view of Peliene Beach. He then glanced around his large suite, impressed by and appreciating its grandeur; from the color scheme to the art hanging on the walls, it was immaculate. When his eyes fell on the table beside him, he picked up the hotel’s brochure, flipping through it to pass the time.

When he reached the last page, Liam’s eyes widened as he sat forward in his seat; on the bottom of that last page was a small photograph of Aria. The small excerpt above her picture explained her degree from the University of Delphios, her experience in interior design, and how the suite he was staying in was one of many she had designed.

Liam’s eyes fell back on the photo of a smiling Aria, and he felt that familiar longing ache in his chest. The only thing he could do at that moment was hope that he could find her and pray he wasn’t too late to fix things. He knew she had every right to be angry with him, and he wouldn’t blame her, but if anything, even if she wanted nothing to do with him, he had some explaining to do and an apology to make.

A knock on his door pulled Liam from his thoughts; he set down the brochure and stood from his chair. When he opened the door, Bastien was standing on the other side. “Your car is here, sir.”

****

Liam pulled up outside of the quaint beachside cottage belonging to Javier and Mariana; he had looked up their information from their employment records with the royal family and pulled their address. As he exited his vehicle and started towards the front porch, he let out a breath, unsure what to expect from this visit, if anything at all. Once on the porch, he raised his hand, tapping his knuckles against the wood.

A moment later, the door opened, and Javier’s eyes widened in surprise. “King Liam,” he bowed.

“Hello, Javier,” Liam said nervously. He glanced next to him as Mariana appeared in the doorway a moment later. “Hello, Mariana,” he cautiously smiled.

“Your Majesty,” she dipped into a curtsy.

“Please, none of that.”

Javier and Mariana both looked at Liam. “What can we do for you, sir?”

“I’m actually here looking for Aria …” When he saw the expression on their faces and watched them share a look of concern, Liam’s expression twisted with deep remorse; it was clear they knew something. “I don’t know how much she told you, and I understand any reservations you may have about me being here to see her … but I made a terrible mistake, and I really need to talk to her. I need to try and apologize … if she’ll give me the chance to do so, that is.”

Mariana sighed as she stared back at him. “Aria’s not here, Liam.”

Liam’s features filled with disappointment as he nodded. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“We’re not sure,” Javier replied. “She took the boat out this morning but was planning to stay at the villa.”

Liam’s brows raised in surprise at his words. “She … she took the boat out? By herself?”

“Yes,” Marianna answered. “She’s taken it out every day this week, going to the island …”

“If I had to guess, I would say she’s there,” Javier added.

“I just came from the island, actually; that’s where we landed because I thought she might be there as well, but she wasn’t.”

“I’m not sure where she would have gone then,” Mariana said.

“Ok,” Liam sighed heavily and nodded. “Well, thank you …”

Javier could see the distress in Liam’s expression before he turned towards the steps. “Liam,” he said, and he looked back at him. “If we see her, we’ll let her know you were here …”

“I appreciate it,” Liam nodded.

Liam slowly walked back to his car and slid inside. As he pulled away from the curb, he became curious where Aria would be if not on the island, wanting to find her. Perhaps she was at Peliene Beach since that area seemed to be where she frequented when he first met her. He thought of how they said that Aria took the boat out, that she had taken it out herself. An imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips; he was glad to hear that and felt so proud of her for facing that fear. He then perked up at his own thought. That fear. Suddenly, he remembered his conversation with Aria the day she told him about what had happened to her parents.

“There’s a cove on the other side of Delphios that we would always go to; it’s in the same direction towards Kerkios, but instead of keeping straight for the island, you round the tip of Delphios, and it’s just on the other side. It’s smaller and not a very popular place, so there was no one else there when we would go.”

Liam pressed his foot down on the gas pedal, hurrying back to the marina. Despite questioning if she would really go back to that place after what happened there, something in his gut was telling him that’s exactly where he would find her.

****

Leaning back against her palms at the bow of the boat, Aria bathed in the sun as it gently rocked in the waves. She had come back to the cove every day since her first trip there; oddly enough, each day there seemed to bring her a new sense of calm, which was something she wasn’t expecting. And each day, the weight of the grief she had been carrying lifted even more.

Aria laid back on the bow and closed her eyes, listening to the soft music playing from the boat’s speaker that she had her phone connected to, and her mind reluctantly traveled to Liam. Again. She was frustrated with herself for letting him embed himself so deeply into her mind, and each time she thought of him, she berated herself. Maybe that was her purpose of going to the cove, though; it was where she allowed herself to feel that heartbreak, and maybe continuing to do so would eventually heal it.

The hardest part was remembering everything she thought she had gained. For a moment, she was happy after so long of not allowing herself to be. For a moment, she dropped her guard and let him in, and she felt better for it. For a moment, she had hope that she had been wrong all along about not only him but feelings, relationships, and love in general.

And in another moment, she lost it all … again.

Remembering that part of it is where the anger came from, but it was directed more at herself rather than Liam. She was the one who had been foolish enough to allow herself to believe there was something there between them and to allow herself to think that some small part of him felt something for her.

Aria was feeling a bit of resentfulness towards him, however, for what she deemed to be, in a small way, somewhat callous behavior. But at the same time, she argued with herself that she didn’t have a right to feel like that.

There was the matter of whatever it was that happened between him and Jacqueline; he had just been with Aria the night before. Even though she knew she didn’t have a right to hold that against him because he wasn’t hers, to say it didn’t hurt would be a lie. And that led to the manner in which she felt he disregarded her feelings. No, he didn’t owe her anything, and if he didn’t feel something for her in return, there was nothing she could do about it, but to walk in on that after she had confessed her feelings to him … it was a bitter pill to swallow. Then, to top it off, he called her “merely an arrangement.” She knew in a way she was; she knew that’s what they were from the beginning, and she was the one who took a knowing gamble with her confession, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard to hear.

Sure, she knew most of this was more of a her problem than it was his, and perhaps the blow her ego took was what caused her to feel so slighted. And it made her more adamant to never put herself in that predicament again. This -- love -- it wasn’t worth it. The one thing she was relieved about was that she didn’t say that word. She told Liam she had fallen for him, but to what extent she thankfully had left out.

At least she had that tiny shred of dignity to hold onto.

Lost in her own thoughts, Aria didn’t hear the other boat approaching the cove, but when it did finally register once it got closer, she didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t as though she was the only one who knew of that place; she was just one of few who chose to come there. It wasn’t a popular spot on the island, others choosing to venture to the two bigger coves on the opposite side of Delphios where there was more room on and offshore. She remained lying on the bow of her boat, knowing the other vessel would probably drop anchor across the cove on the other side, away from her; when she heard the motor turn off, she assumed they were coasting in that direction.

Liam’s boat moved closer to Aria’s before he pressed the button at the helm to drop anchor about 10 feet away from her boat, angled at its side. His heart was racing when he spotted her lying at the bow and tried to think of the best way to announce his presence since she clearly hadn’t noticed him yet. There was no “best way” about it; he could see her narrowed gaze of dismay coming. He closed his eyes and let out a nervous breath before moving to the bow of his boat and leaning against the railing.

“Aria,” he called out.

At the sound of his voice, Aria’s eyes flew open beneath the tinted amber lenses of her sunglasses as her heart shot to her throat. She turned her head as she sat up and saw Liam standing across the way; she slowly stood, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head. Stunned that he was there would be an understatement; it was the last thing she expected. She was feeling a mixture of emotions, but at that exact moment, it was mostly enmity. “What are you doing here?” she finally managed to ask.

“I …” Liam trailed off for a moment. The look on her face paired with the bite in her tone told him this was already not going well, and he hadn’t even started yet. “I came to talk to you …”

Aria shook her head as she looked away from him and moved from the bow. “I don’t want to talk to you, Liam. Go home.”

“Aria, please,” Liam pleaded, moving along the edge of his boat to follow her. “I know you’re angry with me, and I don’t blame you. But I need --”

“You need to leave,” Aria interrupted. “I’m not interested in what you have to say.” She reached down, turning the volume of her music up before she disappeared below deck.

Liam let out a sigh; he wasn’t going to give up that easily, however. He peered over the edge of the railing, eyeing the gap between his and Aria’s boats; with his bow angled just right toward hers, he thought he might have a shot at making it. He took a few steps back and let out a breath before pushing off and leaping across; he landed effortlessly at the bow of her boat. He quickly moved to the helm, turning the volume of her music down.

Hearing the commotion, Aria appeared from below deck and narrowed her eyes when she saw him. “Get off my boat, Liam!”

“No,” he replied as he looked at her. “I need to talk to you.”

“Again, I’m not interested,” Aria spat.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Then I’ll leave!” Aria retorted as she stormed towards the front; without hesitation, she leaped across to the front of the royal cruiser.

At that moment, Liam knew this was going to be anything but easy. He followed her back over to his boat, which caused her to move back to her own. As he pleaded for her to listen while following her every move, and she continued to stress her lack of interest in hearing what he had to say, they went back and forth between their two boats. She wouldn’t allow him more than a few words at a time before she interrupted him, yelling for him to leave.

After a few rounds, Aria whirled around when she heard Liam land behind her after leaping from her boat to his again. “Stop following me!”

“Aria --”

“Don’t you have other things you should be doing rather than being here and bothering me?” Aria shouted.

“No! I came here because I need to talk to you! I have all the time in the world, and I’m not leaving!” That was a lie; he certainly did not have all the time in the world. He had two days. But he wasn’t going to let her know that -- not yet, anyway.

“Well, you can’t stay here forever!” Aria spat as she turned, jumping across to her boat again. “You have a country to run. That, and I’m sure Jacqueline is missing you already!” It came out before she could stop herself, not that she gave a damn at that point.

Liam knew if he had any chance, he needed to just say it and not wait for her to maybe listen. “Nothing happened with Jacqueline that night.” A wry laugh escaped Aria as she stepped up to the helm of her boat, not looking at him. She didn’t believe him; he knew she wouldn’t, and he didn’t blame her, but he needed to at least try and explain. “I know what it looked like when you walked in that room, but, Aria, I swear to you, nothing happened. She approached me in the ballroom … she knew about the ruse.” That seemed to catch her attention, and Aria turned to face him; he took it as his cue to continue. “I pulled her upstairs because I was worried she would blow the gasket on the whole thing if I brushed her off and ignored her. I told her that it was none of her business … that it didn’t concern her. She said that I had done nothing but throw the engagement in her face since she returned and went into this spiel about how I didn’t have to put on an act at all, and I could have been with her. And then she kissed me …”

Liam stiffened in surprise when he felt Jacqueline’s lips press against his. And then his eyes flew open when he felt her tugging at his shirt. He snapped his head the other way to break the kiss. “Jacq--”

“Please, Liam. You know you want me as much as I want you.” She tugged at his shirt some more as she attempted to kiss him again.

“Jacqueline, stop!” She tugged once more, untucking the front portion of his white dress shirt from his pants. “Stop!” Liam shouted as he pushed her, not aggressively, but enough to get her off of him. Jacqueline stumbled back, landing on the sofa. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Oh, please,” Jacqueline rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up on her elbows, causing the strap of her dress to slip off her shoulder in the process. “Is there anyone you’ve actually turned down in the last year while you’ve philandered your way through Cordonia?”

“You have seriously lost your goddamn mind! You’re really that desperate that you’ll throw yourself at someone who’s made it abundantly clear that they want nothing to do with you?”

“You don’t mean that. I know you, Liam, and I know how you felt about me -- how much you loved me -- how you dreamed about a future with me. And something like that just doesn’t go away!”

“Believe me, it does!” Liam growled as he began tucking his shirt back into his pants. “When you ran off with my brother, it helped put a lot of things into perspective! So take the fucking hint, Jacqueline!”

Suddenly, there was a brief knock on the door, and Liam glanced up just as it opened. His eyes slightly widened when Aria appeared in the doorway.

“Nothing happened,” Liam reiterated.

Aria stared at him with a look of questioning skepticism, unsure whether to believe him or not. “If that’s the case, then why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me right then that nothing happened?”

“I … I don’t know,” Liam answered truthfully. “I froze when I saw you walk through that door. I knew what you were thinking. Hell, I would have thought the same damn thing. But I just … I froze.”

“So you just let me think that something happened?” Aria asked, furrowing her brows. “You really expect me to believe that?”

“No! I don’t expect you to believe anything, and I don’t blame you …”

“Good, because I don’t!”

“But, Aria … I wouldn’t do that to you!”

Aria let out a bitter laugh. “There’s a lot I didn’t think you would do, Liam.” She turned her key, and her boat roared to life.

In an instant, Liam moved to the railing but hadn’t noticed that her boat had drifted too far from his to make the jump across because unbeknownst to him, while trying to explain his side of the story, Aria was weighing anchor. She surged forward in her boat to make a turn as Liam headed for the helm of his; when he got there, however, his keys to the cruiser were gone. As she neared his boat, Aria slowed down, and Liam looked up; she was dangling his missing keys between her fingers; also unbeknownst to Liam, during their round of musical boats, Aria swiped his keys in case a moment like that had arisen.

“Save both of us the trouble and go home, Liam!” She flicked her wrist, and Liam’s eyes widened, watching the keys fly through the air before landing in the water near his boat with a soft plop. With that, Aria sped off, leaving the cove and Liam behind.

“Fucking perfect,” Liam grumbled as he watched Aria’s boat disappear around the rocks. He looked down in the water in the area where his keys had landed. He quickly moved below deck to a storage closet; he tossed equipment over his shoulder until he finally found a pair of goggles. When he made it back to the deck of the boat, Liam stripped down to his boxers, slipped the goggles on, and dove into the water to search for his keys.

****

Gripping the helm of the boat, Aria made her way back to Delphios, heading to her aunt and uncles. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel that mixture of emotions swirling inside her. She couldn’t believe he was there; after the way they ended things two weeks ago, him showing up was the last thing she ever expected to happen. And now that she was away from Liam, her irritation had begun to dissipate; she could feel the threatening tears sting her eyes, but she shook her head and tensed her jaw, refusing to let them fall.

Hearing Liam say that nothing happened between him and Jacqueline the night of the coronation wasn’t something she was expecting, but she lied when she said she didn’t believe him. She did. Something told her he was telling the truth, and if she were being honest, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he was. She just didn’t want him to know that because she was bitter and hurting, and she didn’t think he deserved it. But she didn’t lie when she told him she wasn’t interested in what he had to say. She wasn’t.

Would it change anything? No. And his guilt complex wasn’t her problem nor her responsibility to relieve. He wanted to talk, more than likely to apologize simply to ease his conscience; she didn’t feel like giving him that satisfaction. Was it petty? Absolutely. Did she care? Not really. Was it her hurt telling her that? Yes, and she was well aware, but the bitterness was easier to cling to.

A short time later, Aria docked the boat at her aunt and uncles and started towards the cottage once she secured it in place. When she stepped inside, she closed the door behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes. “Aria,” she heard the familiar voice and opened her eyes to see her aunt. Mariana’s brows furrowed when she took in her niece’s expression. “Did he find you?”

Aria’s eyes slightly widened as she pushed herself off the door. “You knew he was here?”

“He stopped by earlier,” Javier answered as he stepped up behind his wife. “He was looking for you.”

“Yeah, he found me,” Aria spat. “I told him to go home.”

Javier and Mariana shared a worried glance before looking back at Aria. “He said he wanted to talk to you … to apologize. He seemed really upset,” Javier noted.

“I’m sure.”

Mariana took a step towards her. “Koúkla …”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Aria’s voice cracked. “I need to shower and get ready. I’m going out tonight.”

****

Liam surfaced above the water and took in a breath as he swam towards the cruiser. He rested one arm against the platform as he removed his goggles with his free hand and tossed them aboard the boat. He hoisted himself onto the platform and opened his fist, revealing the keys he finally managed to find. Two hours. It took him two hours to find those goddamn things; he finally spotted them nestled between two small rocks. All he took it for was two wasted hours that he could have been trying to talk to Aria. He shook his head as he walked towards the helm, grabbing a towel from a storage place beneath a bench on his way.

After wiping down his face, Liam glanced at his phone that was lying on the control panel, noticing a few missed calls from his father. He hit his name and put the call on speaker, hearing it ring as he toweled the rest of himself off. “Liam,” Constantine answered.

“Hi,” Liam grumbled. “Everything ok?”

“Yes,” Constantine replied. “I was just calling to see how things were going.”

“Well, I would have answered your calls, but I was fishing for keys,” Liam spat.

“What?” Constantine asked.

“I found Aria in this cove … and let’s just say she’s a little pissed off. She threw the damn cruiser keys into the water, and I’ve spent the last two hours diving to find them!”

Constantine stifled a laugh on the other end of the phone. “Oh? Did you find them?” he questioned, barely able to hide his amusement.

“Yes,” Liam growled. “And I’m glad you find this so damn amusing.”

“I’m laughing because …” Constantine trailed off with a small chuckle. “Because they tend to keep a spare set of keys right there in the compartment at the helm.”

Liam tensed his jaw and snapped his gaze to where his father was referring to; it was a locked compartment. He typed in the four-digit code, and when the door popped open, sure enough, there sat a set of spare keys. Liam rubbed his hand over his eyes. “That’s just great …”

“You can’t really be surprised that she’s not making it easy for you, Liam.”

“I’m not! And I don’t expect her to; I’m very well aware that she doesn’t owe me a damn thing! I just …” Liam paused, heaving a sigh.

“Well, all I can suggest is that you keep trying. Don’t make the mistake of giving up on her so easily. Not again.”

****

That night, Liam walked out of his hotel and beared a right towards the strip of bars nestled along the boardwalk of Peliene Beach. After calling a few times and leaving two pleading voicemails with no response, Liam played his King card for the first time and asked Bastien to ping Aria’s location from her phone; it registered just a block away from his hotel at one of the bars. He didn’t feel all that great about it, knowing invading her privacy in that way wasn’t right, but he wasn’t ready to give up, and it was the only way he could find her.

Stopping in front of the bar where Aria’s location pinged, Liam let out a breath before pulling open the door and stepping inside. He was met with loud music as he glanced around the dimly lit space. He weaved his way through the crowd and spotted Aria sitting at a high-top table; he noticed she was alone and cautiously approached her.

“Aria …”

Aria’s brows raised in surprise; she wondered if he’d stopped by her aunt and uncle’s place again, if that’s how he knew where to find her. She fixed her expression before looking at him. “I take it that you found your keys?” she scoffed.

Liam stared at her. “Yes … after diving for two hours.”

Aria hid a small satisfied smile behind her glass as she took a sip of her drink. “Well, if that’s all, you can go now.”

“No, I need to talk to you,” Liam said adamantly.

“Again, I’m not interested.”

“Aria, please-”

“I’m. Not. Interested,” Aria bit out. “I told you that earlier. It’s not my problem that you don’t know how to take the hint.”

Liam then noticed another half-full glass at her table, sitting in front of an empty seat; his eyes slid back to her. “Are you here with someone? Like … a date?”

Aria rolled her eyes. “Just go, Liam.”

“So you are on a date,” Liam pressed.

Aria looked at him and could see the flicker of jealousy in his eyes. “Yeah, actually, I am. Not that it’s any of your damn business. Now, leave.”

“No,” Liam shook his head. “I need to talk to you, and I’m not leaving until that happens.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of women here who would be willing participants in your little games,” she said as she gestured her hand towards the crowd of bar-goers while taking a sip of her drink. “I’m not one of them. So, why don’t you go find someone else to bother?”

“Aria, please, if we can just go somewhere--”

Just then, a man approached their table. “Well, that was--” He paused, looking Liam up and down as if he were sizing him up. Liam waited with expectation for him to scowl at interrupting the date and ask him who the hell he was. Instead, he leaned up against the table and rested his chin against his hands as he smiled flirtatiously. “Who’s your friend, doll? And more importantly, is he single?”

Liam slowly glanced over at Aria, giving her a knowing look. “A date, huh?”

“He’s no one. Pay him no mind,” Aria said to the man, ignoring Liam.

“But he’s so cute,” the man grinned, holding his hand out to him. “Hi, I’m Damōn.”

“Liam,” he said with a nod as he shook his hand.

“Ohhh! You’re Liam. I’ve heard a little about you.” Damōn looked back at Aria. “So, definitely single, but simultaneously off the market. Got it. But you didn’t tell me what an Adonis he was,” he chirped with a lustful grin.

“Stop buttering him up!” Aria spat. “He doesn’t need help filling his ego. I promise, it’s plenty big enough.”

“Oh, I’d like to fill something, but it sure ain’t his ego,” Damōn smirked as he shot Liam a wink.

Liam awkwardly cleared his throat. “Oh, uh, well, I, um … thank you, but I … I’m not--”

“Oh, I can tell,” Damōn interrupted. “And how unfortunate for me. We could have had so much fun. Pity.”

“Oh my god! Is there anywhere you go where people don’t throw themselves at you?” Aria grumbled as she downed the rest of her drink. She slammed her glass on the table, hopped off the barstool, and grabbed her bag before walking towards the exit.

“She’s been awfully feisty lately,” Damōn quipped and looked at Liam. “Good luck with all that,” he said as he flourished his hands animatedly before walking away.

Liam turned and rushed after her. “Aria, wait!” he called out through the crowd.

By the time Liam made it outside, Aria was halfway across the beach, heading towards the marina; he wondered why she was going there, but then he realized where she was more than likely headed: the island. Aria stepped onto the dock of the marina and quickly hopped aboard a water taxi; just as Liam ran onto the dock, the boat took off. He let out a growl of frustration before rushing over and boarding his own.

“Follow them!” he instructed as he pointed at the boat carrying Aria; the man nodded and quickly pulled away from the dock. As Liam suspected, the boat turned and started in the direction of Kerkios.

Liam followed the light from Aria’s boat; it was the only way he could see them in the darkness on the water. After the short ride, he saw the dim lights of the villa come into view. He watched the boat carrying her pull up to the dock; they pulled away just as Liam’s made a wide turn and pulled up. Without looking, he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, handed it to the man before jumping out of the boat and running down the dock.

“Aria!” Liam called out.

Aria looked over her shoulder and shook her head as she turned her focus back to the villa, picking up her speed. She hurried up the stairs and onto the terrace, unlocking and opening the door; she closed it just as Liam started up the stairs, and she locked it before lowering the blinds between the glass that separated them.

“Aria! Wait!” Liam made it to the door and banged his fist against the glass. “Aria, please!”

“Go away, Liam!”

“No! We need to talk!”

“There’s nothing to talk about!”

“Yes, there is! I came here to apologize …”

“I don’t want your disingenuous apology! I want you to go back to Cordonia and leave me alone!” The light of the terrace went out at her words.

Liam stood in the darkness and closed his eyes; he knew he needed to say what he came there to say and just hoped she was listening on the other side. “Aria,” he said as he knocked on the glass again. “I came here because I need you to know how sorry I am for hurting you. And it’s not disingenuous. I …” He paused, heaving a sigh. “I was afraid of my own feelings for you, so I ignored them and also convinced myself along the way that you didn’t feel the same just so I didn’t have to face them. I know I fucked up, and I should have told you how I felt. You just … you came without warning; I didn’t even get the chance to process it because I wasn’t expecting any of it. That day in Applewood when you kissed me by the tree … that’s when I knew I lost my heart to you, but you had it long before then … before I ever realized it.”

On the other side of the door, Aria leaned back against the glass as she listened to him. Hearing him say that he had returned her feelings all along … she wasn’t sure what to think or believe. Her eyes were closed as her tears fell, and she tried to control her breathing so he couldn’t hear her.

Liam leaned forward and pressed his palms against the glass as he hung his head. “When you said you had feelings for me … it took everything to this whole other place, and I panicked. It made me say and do stupid things as a way to push you away because I didn’t think I could be the person you needed; I thought you deserved better than me, so I thought I was doing you a favor. And I still think that you deserve better … but you make me want to be better so I can be the man that you deserve.” He closed his eyes and let out a breath. “Aria, I love you. And I don’t … I don’t want to lose you. Please …” Liam pleaded. “Please open the door …”

When she still didn’t respond, Liam shook his head and pushed himself off the glass. He dropped his head back, staring up at the ink-colored sky littered with stars. He knew coming here and fixing his mistakes was a long shot, but deep down, he felt more hopeful than hopeless.

But he was too late.

Liam rubbed his hand over his face and let out a breath before he turned and started towards the stairs; he wasn’t going to continue to harass her when it was clear her mind was made up, and she didn’t want to see him.

As he hit the first step, he paused when the terrace light flickered on, and when he heard the lock on the door click, he turned ...

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calpalirwin · 3 years

Text

Diplomatic Affairs

Summary: Being Queen as a figure-head position is almost a walk in the park. If one can look past having dinner with the newly elected officials of government, some of whom happen to be ex-boyfriends.

A/N: Part 2 to The Suitors

Word Count: 2.6k

And away, and away we go!

5 Years Later

“Ma’am, the King is requesting your presence,” Michael said, his head peering through the doorway.

You straightened your necklace, before smoothing your hands down the skirt of your dress, giving yourself one last lookover in the mirror. “Where is he?”

“Office, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Michael,” you smiled as you moved past him. “How long until the guests arrive?”

Michael checked his watch. “A half hour.”

“Perfect.”

While it would have been customary for Michael to accompany you down to the offices, and announce your arrival to the King, Michael knew you preferred the less formal approaches when the circumstances permitted. You rapped your knuckles once against the door, waiting for the call of “Come in,” before pushing your way into the room.

The King had his back to you, staring out the window. His suit jacket lay neatly across the back of his chair, and the sleeves of his button down were rolled midway up his forearms. It was his preferred way of wearing his suit when he could, and you couldn’t disagree with the choice. “You sent for me?” you prompted when he still didn’t turn his attention from the window.

He turned then, a warm smile on his face. “Yes, I-” he paused to clear his throat, his cheeks coloring. “You look amazing, darling.”

“Looking pretty sharp yourself, Cal,” you returned the compliment as you each crossed the room to each other, meeting in the middle.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, his tone a low rasp you knew well. “You look like we’re bound to get in trouble if we’re alone much longer.”

You sighed, titling your head to the side as his lips found your neck. “Michael did say something about there being a spare half hour.”

“The things I have in mind will require much longer,” Calum said, before straightening up and clearing his throat.

You sighed again, this time in discontent. “Well, I suspect we’ll find time to finish that particular business later?” you asked, your fingers grazing where his mouth had just been, wishing it was still there.

“Earliest convenience, promise,” he winked.

“And what’s this particular meeting about then?”

“Right. Yes. Uh, it’s the guest list.” He went around to his desk, shuffling through papers, his fingers trailing down one of them.

“What about it?” you asked, moving to stand by his side, looking at whatever held his interest.

“It's dinner with members of Parliament.”

“I’m aware. What of it?”

“None of these names look familiar to you?”

You glanced down at the list. Prime Minister Lord James. Secretary of Commerce Duke Charles. And Secretary of Defense Lord Sebastian. “Oh, it’ll be lovely to see James and Charles again! I’m glad their elections went in their favor.”

“Yes, the more amiable of your ex-boyfriends. And then there’s…” Calum let his sentence trail off, and you could easily guess the words of disdain for the newest Secretary of Defense.

“Our favorite person,” you deadpanned. “Pleasant.”

“False. Collectively, our favorite person happens to be the Prince. Individually, you’re my favorite person.”

“I would certainly hope your wife and son would top the list of your favorite people,” you laughed.

“Speaking of our son, where is he?”

“Either with the nanny, or running security ragged. Most likely both.”

“We should go rescue them, huh?”

“We definitely should.”

“Oh, look! There’s Mommy and Daddy!” Kaykay, the nanny, breathed in relief as you and Calum came out to the garden in search of your son.

“There is a god,” Ashton, the head of security, joked, clasping his hands together and thanking the sky, making both you and Calum laugh as Noah ran straight for you and Calum with a shriek of “Mommy! Daddy!”

“Well, don’t you look handsome!” you cooed at the boy as Calum lifted him up in his arms. “Just like Daddy.”

“All clean!” the three year old beamed.

“Yes, you did stay clean for dinner. Great job, bud,” Calum told him, and you each mouthed thanks to Ashton and Kaykay knowing they had more to do with keeping Noah clean than Noah did.

“Want to play,” Noah said sadly.

“All day tomorrow,” Calum said.

“With you?!”

“Yes, bud. All day tomorrow. Me, you, and Mommy.”

“Pwomise?”

“Promise,” you smiled sweetly at him. Then, “Are you ready to meet your guests?”

“Weady!”

Perhaps it wasn’t the standard to have a three year old sit in on a stuffy dinner, congratulating the newly elected officials in government. But with how busy you and Calum could become, you both liked to include Noah in your affairs whenever possible. And the idea of subjecting the young boy to a dinner without his parents wasn’t an idea that you found all that appealing, having remembered growing up with about as many dinners with members of staff as your own parents. A childhood you didn’t want to subject your son to if you could help it. And, as the Queen, you could.

As luck would have it, as you all made your way inside, you spotted Michael rushing your way. “First guest is here, ma’am.”

“So it begins,” you said, putting on a smile. And begin it did, because when the door opened to let in the first guest, Lord Sebastian was on the other side. Punctual bastard…

~~~

“Is there a spare bedroom or…?” Calum let the sentence hang in the air between the two of you.

“There are several. But when I asked you to stay over, I meant with me in my room if that’s alright.”

“It’s more than alright with me. I don’t want there to be any insinuation. There’s already going to be a scandal with the Little Lord as is.”

“As far as I’m concerned, Lord Sebastian had a lapse in judgment, and then you escorted me home. That’s my side of the story anyway. What say you?”

“I say you’re already thinking like a queen.”

Quietly, the two of you made your way into the castle and towards your room. “Can you, erm…” You twirled your index finger in a circle.

“Yeah, of course,” Calum nodded, closing his eyes and facing away from you. “Just say when.”

Quickly, you changed for bed and got yourself situated under the covers. “Okay, you can look now.”

“And I suppose now it’s my turn to ask you to close your eyes?”

You covered your eyes with your hands, peeking out at him through your fingers. “Cheeky thing, you are,” he laughed, stripping out of his clothes and lying them neatly on a chair. “Is this what I have to look forward to in the future? You peeking at me through your fingers?”

“Well, there are separate bedrooms for the King and Queen, so you could have your own privacy if you wish.”

“Mmm, now where’s the fun in that?” he asked, and you felt the bed dip as he got in next to you.

“A remaining product of when the castle was built, unfortunately. Although, they were kind enough to make them adjoining rooms. In recent years, not much use has been made of the Queen’s room, as one can imagine why.”

“Well, when I’m King, my first order of business is to have that wall taken down. A remodel for the modern age.”

“If you’re King,” you corrected in a teasing tone. “Don’t consider yourself safe simply because you’re the only one I’m seeing now.”

He chuckled softly. “If I’m King,” he said, “it’ll be the greatest title I ever hold to my name. Not because it's the title of King, mind you. But because it means you’re my Queen.”

“Keep talking like that, and that day may come sooner than you think.”

“What you call talking, I call making plans.”

“In that case, I can talk all night.”

Calum chuckled again, drawing you close to him. “As much as I would love that, we’ve had an eventful night, and no doubt have an eventful morning ahead of us. Try and get some rest, okay?”

“Okay,” you nodded, settling into the pillows and Calum, feeling the exhaustion set in. “G’night.”

“G’night, darling.”

You weren’t sure how long you had been asleep, nor if you had even fallen asleep at all before you were startling awake. Adrenaline pounded through your veins as you oriented yourself, realizing you weren’t in fact still stuck with Sebastian in a horrible nightmare. However, your relief at waking from the dream was short-lived when you calmed down enough to be aware of an extra body in your bed. You froze in terror, not daring to make a sound, while also contemplating screaming at the top of your lungs.

The body next to you stirred, and you scurried from bed, breathing heavily, both ready to confront whoever was with you, and run for your life if necessary. “Darling?” Calum’s voice rasped heavily with sleep. “You alright?”

Your body went weak with relief, and you put out your hands to catch yourself on the bed before shakily crawling back in. “That… Was terrifying.”

“Mmm, what happened?” he asked, trying to rouse himself awake.

“Nightmare coupled with forgetting you were here.”

Calum stiffened. “That bastard… You sure you’re alright?”

“Better than I was a few moments ago,” you answered honestly.

“I know the nightmares will probably persist for a while, but know that future King or not, I’m never going to let him get close enough to you for him to even think of laying a hand on you ever again.”

“Between you and the new security detail I’ll no doubt be assigned by my father once he learns what happened, not only will I be the most protected heir in history, but having any sort of nightmare will feel incredibly foolish. In fact, it already feels foolish. I know I’m safe.”

“It’s not foolish. However you have to process this event is however you have to process it. And I’ll be here to help you through it as long as you let me.”

~~~

“Your Majesties,” Lord Sebastian greeted with a bow.

“Your Lordship,” you and Calum each returned, you with a small curtsy, and Calum with a bow of his own.

“Your Royal Highness,” Lord Sebastian then bowed to the Prince.

“Your Wordship,” Noah replied, with his own little bow.

“Raising him well, I see,” Sebastian commented offhandedly.

“Never too young to learn how to behave Princely,” you smiled sweetly.

The blue sea stormed over briefly at the dig, then Sebastian cleared his throat. “Yes, well.”

“What my wife meant to say was congratulations on your election. We wish you success in your new position,” Calum stepped in.

“Yes, of course,” you nodded.

“Thank you,” Sebastian said, turning his attention to Calum. “And I suppose I should offer you the same congratulations on your successes since we last saw each other. A wedding, a coronation, and a son. Quite the list of accomplishments.”

“Congratulations carry the notion that I won something, Your Lordship. I assure you that my accomplishments, as you call them, are the natural progression of living my life. A natural progression I’m sure would have befallen anyone else in my position.”

“Yes, quite. Although, some would consider marrying into the most royal of families a win of the highest regard.”

“Some lesser minded folk, I’m certain.”

“Ah, yes. A reluctant king, how could I have forgotten.”

Calum’s jaw ticked slightly, and for a moment, the three of you were five years younger on a London street, Calum and Sebastian one insult away from pummeling each other. “Reluctancy suggests that there was hesitance, of which I assure you there was none on my part whenever it came to the Queen. In fact, if memory serves, it was you who was the hesitant one. Now remind me, what were your hesitancies with becoming King again? An archaic notion of gender norms, was it not? Pity. However, I suppose your position with the military, and now your newest rank brings you great joy. Not a lot of women to outrank you in your current status I assume. Yes, a great joy indeed for you, isn’t it?”

“Are you suggesting I have a problem with women in positions in power?”

“No, of course not. It’s not a suggestion at all. One needs to barely glance your direction to come to that conclusion for oneself.”

Sebastian’s eyes darkened again, and his mouth twisted to continue trading insults with Calum, but Michael came in to announce the arrival of more guests at the same time Luke came from the kitchens to announce dinner was ready.

“Foot hurt?” Noah asked with concern as you all made your way into the dining room, pointing a little finger at the way Lord Sebastian’s right foot slightly dragged.

“Residual effect of a training exercise gone awry a few years back. Likes to flare up from time to time is all,” Sebastian explained, more for your and Calum’s benefit than Noah’s.

“How terrible,” Calum deadpanned.

“Otay?” Noah checked.

“Yes, Lord Sebastian’s foot is fine, sweet one,” you told your son.

~~~

“Well, are we right in assuming that Lord Sebastian would put out a statement about how the Princess attacked him?” your mother asked, after you and Calum had relayed the story the following morning.

“Attacked him?! Oh, please…” you scoffed.

“If Lord Sebastian puts out a statement, that could very well be the story he leads with, at the very least. At most, he puts forth a statement that he was attacked both by you and Calum,” your father put in.

“So, what are our options because that’s exactly what he’ll do,” Calum asked.

“Lord Sebastian is the military one, yes?”

“Yes,” you nodded.

“Hmm. I can work with that.”

“And the Princess’ wrist and her nightmares?” Calum pressed.

“It’s a small bruise, Cal. Nothing that won’t fade in a week’s time, or that a little makeup can’t cover,” you assured him.

“And the nightmares?” he continued to press anyway.

“I suspect the nightmares will subside in their own time. But there will be a new security detail assigned to you,” your father directed at you.

~~~

“Well, that was…” you started as you and Calum got ready for bed, but faltered on what words you wanted to use.

“Dreadfully boring?” Calum supplied.

“So dreadfully boring. Men and their politics are always the same. Grandiose are the plans they promise to the people for advancement or change. All for it to die on the Parliament floor. If any change is made at all, it’s only to secure a re-election, and it’s subtle and underhanded in just the right way that nothing actually becomes of it. A complete mockery of what it’s supposed to be.”

“Usually, I’d be in agreement with you. That the original intention of the government was to do what the crown neglected to do. But, as the crown, we now have the power to make sure the government is responsible to the people it governs. After all, isn’t that the function of a constitutional monarchy? For the crown and the government to hold each other accountable?”

“In an ideal system, yes. However, for that to work, it would require us to play nicely with a certain Lord Sebastian, and I quite despise the man.”

“Yes, that will prove to be an obstacle. But he’s one man in comparison to the rest of the government. Surely we can institute change without needing him on our side.”

“I suppose you’re right. But, all that business can wait until later, as we have plans with the Prince tomorrow.”

“That we do. And if I remember correctly, we also have unfinished business ourselves that needed attending to.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, carding your fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck. “And, remind me. What business was that precisely?”

“I think this might help jog your memory,” he rasped, before his lips attacked the sweet spot just above your collarbone. Then, his hands were guiding you to jump in his arms, where you carried you to the bed, giggles and then sighs echoing off the walls, as his mouth trailed a path lower and lower on your body.

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ka-za-ri · 4 years

Text

Personal Assistant Pt. 5

Hello all you new people. I hope you’re here for the filth, because that’s all I bring to the table these days. Enjoy the surprise! Diavolo. Tag list at the end

Part 1: here Part 2: here Part 3: here Part 4: Here Part 6: here Part 7: here Crossposted to Ao3: here

Pairing: Lucifer x Reader Lucifer x Diavolo x Reader Wordcount: 5,500 ish Genre: Endless fuck buffet Tags: Multiple Orgasms, Toys, vibrating panties, orgasm control, rope bondage, Threesome, Spitroasting, Summary: Yearly inspections are the worst. Especially when there are last minute ones scheduled for after work hours.

Inspection

Things felt tense after Lucifer revealed his true form to you. At first, you had wanted to pretend it was all a dream; that you had somehow imagined the whole exchange. However, the soreness you felt between your legs that lasted days told you otherwise. If you closed your eyes, you could still feel his seed spilling from your abused cunt when he finally pulled out that fateful night. It was no dream, the bite marks and welts all across your skin told you as such.

Returning to the office after spending the weekend recovering, he acted as if nothing special happened between the two of you. You shouldn’t have expected anything more from him; but it still stung a bit. Lucifer had been so sweet and tender that night; you had started to believe that he might have seen your relationship with him as more than a ‘professional’ one. It was foolish of you to expect change from him.

Change would be implemented at his pace. He would always be in control of that.

There was no time for your mind to dwell on your bruised emotions. As soon as something settled in one department, another department would report something broke and would need your attention. Time at the office settled back into its usual ebb and flow of business and before long, months had passed. The initial bitterness you felt from his indifference faded. You were back to your usual self, ready to please him however he wanted you. Even if he hadn’t shown his true form to you again since that night, you were always ready to take it if he felt the urge to do so.

Once the rush to ensure supplies for the back to school ‘season’ was over; you thought you’d have a moment to breathe. You thought there would be a lull in work until the holidays. Even if sales were dipping; it didn’t mean that things in the office would calm down at all. Yearly building inspections were coming up and you would have your hands full from overseeing them.

You were used to two, maybe three, guests coming into the office in a day. Usually, they were all department heads or representatives of other companies Lucifer had acquired. Having multiple strangers coming in several times throughout the week to poke and prod at every corner of the office had you stressed to say the least. You worried they would find things that they shouldn’t. The most scandalous items were kept in locked drawers; but you still couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive about nosy people you didn’t know.

Leave it to Lucifer to want a change during this time as well.

“Put it in before they get here.” he said first thing in the morning one day. You hadn’t even unlocked your drawer full of the usual toys when he approached you. He pressed a small vibrator into your hand, leaned in and whispered into your ear. “You’ve only got a few minutes before the inspectors get here. Did you need help, or can you manage?”

You swallowed hard, your mind frantically processed what you needed to do. You were wet enough to take it, that wasn’t the problem. It was the issue of whether or not you could keep your composure while strangers were in the same space as you and Lucifer. When you glanced over at him and saw the self-satisfied smirk on his face, you knew you couldn’t deny him; nor could you disappoint him. “I can manage.” You said, quickly wrapping your fingers around the small toy.

It was such a tiny thing compared to what you were used to that putting into place was practically trivial. Bending over where you stood, you spread your legs and pushed your panties to the side, showing off just how wet you were. You could hear Lucifer hum in approval as the little toy slipped right between your lips and nestled itself against your clit. You straightened back up smiling sweetly, just seconds before the door opened at the building inspectors came in. “Ah, we have guests. I’ll show them around.”

“Please do. I’ll be at my desk.”

You approached the men at the door. They were already looking around at the decor and the light fixtures before you even introduced yourself. “Welcome, gentlemen.” you greeted smoothly, gesturing to the first corner they would look at. “This way to the waiting area.”

They followed you, quickly writing down notes as you explained all the safety features set up in the room along with answering any questions they had about adding features to the office. “Oh, well, we have considered a large screen television on one of the walls for video conferences. But, at this point, we are focusing on uh….” You stopped mid-sentence when the toy in your panties jumped into life.

“Uhm?” The man asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Sorry, I forgot where our priorities were for a moment.” You said, feeling heated about the scandal that was happening right in front of them. You smiled weakly before continuing. “Our priority is to expand our customer service department. Most of our resources will be funneled to there to ensure that they have the supplies they need before we make any other changes to this room. We don’t expect any remodeling plans here until at least next year.”

“Ah. Well. make sure you put in a request for a permit if you plan on drilling into any of the walls.” The inspector said, before whispering something to his partner who was taking notes about everything in the room. “Where would you plan on placing it if you were to remodel?” “Ah, right this way.” You could feel Lucifer’s eyes on you as you walked across the massive office. The toy no longer buzzed against your clit, laying dormant until the next moment he wanted to see you remain calm under pressure. “We have a rather empty corner here, it would probably go right along--” you paused, blinking rapidly and focusing on the task at hand and not on the sudden onslaught of sensations your clit was feeling. “Right here.” You said, gesturing at the wall currently only decorated with a rather generic looking painting.

They walked over, tapping on the wall, checking the hidden supports and mumbling amongst each other as they continued to take down notes. You breathed slowly through your nose, hoping to not bring attention to how much your knees were shaking from Lucifer’s long distance teasing. Just a quick glance back at his desk, you saw him looking over papers and working on his computer as if no one else was in the room. Sometimes, his eternally composed demeanor could be so frustrating. Frustratingly sexy, that is.

Your whole body was tense, conflicted on what it should be concentrating on. Your hormones screamed to be unleashed so that your body could fully enjoy every little bit of pleasure it was feeling. Your brain struggled with your instincts, tamping down on your needs in a futile struggle for control. As if they could sense you were nervous, the men looked at your trembling form, trying to reassure you that so far everything was currently under regulation standards.

“We’d like to do another once over of the room, just to make sure that we got all our bases covered. Will that be alright?”

“Yes, of course.” Your smile felt so strained and when you thought you could collapse in defeat, the sensation stopped all together. You could have heaved a deep breath of relief, but that would have given you away. Instead, you went back to deep breaths in and out through your nose while the inspectors took their sweet time to really go through everything in the office.

They took hours, knocking on walls, poking at light fixtures, tugging on outlets and discussing amongst themselves if things were in compliance. So far, nothing truly caught their eyes until they stopped to look at the ceiling a few paces away from Lucifer’s desk.

“What are these hooks up here for?” One man asked, pointing upwards and fumbled over your words, unable to come up with an answer. Had they always been there? Then again, you never had the need to actually scrutinize the ceiling fixtures to take notice of them.

“Ah… Uh…”

“Hanging plants.” Lucifer said from his desk. He had his hand in his pocket, no doubt fidgeting with the controller to the toy pressed up against your folds. “I often get gifted one or two every year from friends or family for my birthday. Unfortunately, I don’t have a green thumb, so they don’t last long in here; but it would be rude of me to not try and take care of the gifts they give me.”

The men chuckled good naturedly, understanding the predicament that he went through. “It’s bolted in, yeah? Some of those things can get pretty heavy.”

“Oh of course.” He continued the discussion all the while casually ramping up the intensity of the vibrations of the toy in your panties. “I had someone come in and install it, watched him bolt it down and then hang off of it for a few minutes to prove that it’s here to stay.”

Everyone shared a laugh at the silly story, you included; however, it felt like whatever sounds came from your mouth were strained and forced. Everything you did was to hide a moan of pleasure or a shudder of ecstasy.

“Well, that’s all we have for the day then. Everything checks out. Here’s the report of everything and a few notes on that TV you want installed later. I also put down how you’ll need to go about applying for a permit when you get that done.”

“Thank you for your foresight. I’ll be sure to put that information into good use. My assistant will see you out then.”

“Yes, right this way.” You said, hoping your voice wasn’t shaking, though you did see a flash of concern on one man’s face when you spoke. You put on your best customer service smile and started walking, keeping what felt like your whole lower body clenched to stave off the incoming orgasm.

The walk from one end of the office to the elevators felt like a trek through an endless wasteland. There was nowhere to run and hide. You had to survive your trial through sheer force of will and for Lucifer, you were determined to succeed.

“Thank you for taking your time to see us. We look forward to seeing you next year.” You said while waiting for the elevator to arrive. “I hope the office passes again with flying colors.”

“Oh, we’re sure it will,” One man said, flipping through the pages on his clipboard. “We do have a few more stops after this. Which floor is sales on?”

“Ah, they’re going to be from floors 10 through 15. It’s a rather large department.” You grit your teeth, watching the numbers above the elevator door, wishing they would change faster.

“Thank you. We’ll see you next year.”

“Yep! See you next year!” You waved cheerfully at them when the doors finally opened and the men stepped in. As soon as they were gone and you saw the floor number change, you rushed back into the office. You were barely a few steps in before you got the look of approval from Lucifer who was standing in front of his desk, leaning against it; waiting for your return.

“Good job.” He praised, smiling softly at you.

He didn’t need to say anything else. Those two words expressed all the permission you needed to fall to your knees and cum in front of him while he kept vibrator going at the highest setting. You fell over, writhing and moaning, clawing at the floor beneath you as wave after wave of euphoric pleasure washed over you. His name fell from your lips in a mixture of curses and platitudes. You knew he was watching you come undone, and that just made it all the hotter for you.

You gasped for air when you finally felt the vibrations slow to a halt. Your inner thighs coated in your essence and you reeked of sex. Lucifer walked over to you, kicking your legs open before bending down and flipping your skirt up to get a better look. His finger trailed up your slick thigh, pausing at your ruined panties before pushing them aside to take back his little toy. “I think you deserve to go home early for your hard work.” He said quietly, holding the vibratior up to his face and licking your essence off of it.

“I… there’s still so much to do.” You complained, thinking about all the filing you had neglected recently as well as the data entry you needed to finish before the month ended. Also, you were really looking forward to possibly having his cock in you after work. It was Friday, after all.

“It can wait. You need to go home and get cleaned up.” He slid your skirt back down and stood up. “There’s another inspection that’s scheduled after hours which I’ll need you here for.”

You blinked, you hadn’t seen that in your schedule, but you didn’t want to doubt him. With it being hours, there were a multitude of things he could have meant by ‘inspection.’ Whatever the hidden meaning behind his words were, there was no point in denying him.

“Should… I wear my usual lipstick?” you tentatively asked, slowly getting back up on your feet now that you had feeling in your legs again.

He smiled, giving you the barest of nods. Bingo. You had guessed the right intention. Your heart fluttered at the anticipation and you scrambled to get your things in order to prepare yourself. Internally, you hoped you would be able to feel his demon cock in you again, but truthfully, you would take any chance you got with him.

“See you at seven.”

“Yes, Sir.” You mumbled, already halfway out the door, already fantasizing what he might have planned for you.

Little to your knowledge, he was about to exceed all your expectations.

The hours you had between arriving at home and when you had to be back at work seemed to drag on forever. You had already taken an extra long shower, washed your hair, laid out the best outfit you had, and done your makeup. Yet, you still had an hour to wait before heading back out. You laid listlessly in bed, staring at the ceiling and watching the fan above you spin. Eventually, you managed to fall into a light doze, your dreams filled with vivid images of how Lucifer had taken you previously while your imagination supplemented you with new ideas. With how he had toyed with you during your work hours; your mind went into overdrive thinking about other scenarios that little vibrator could be used while you were on the clock.

By the time you made your trip back to work, refreshed from the shower and a nap, a majority of the employees had already gone home. There were a few stragglers who worked overtime or the night shift, but overall; the building was eerily quiet. Even the ride up to the office seemed to be subdued and muted. When you stepped past the heavy glass doors, Lucifer was already there, waiting on you at his desk. He beckoned you with a flick of his wrist and you hastened your pace to greet him.

“You’re right on time. Good.” He pulled you close, giving you a deep kiss and wasting no time in getting you riled up. His tongue traced your lips before delving into your mouth while his hands worked at getting your clothes off of you. Ever being the best assistant he had, you helped his cause, undoing your skirt, stepping out of your heels and fumbling at the buttons of your blouse.

He pulled away, and you could see the deep red glitter in his eyes. He pushed you back if only to help you out of your blouse, leaving you in nothing but your underwear. His gaze traveled up and down your body for a brief moment before he nodded in approval of your choice of lacy underthings. “Red and black… very good.” He praised before leading you away from his desk a few paces.

You noticed several hanks of silk rope resting at the top of his desk; but you didn’t have much time to think about them when Lucifer spoke again. “I’ll have to work quickly… our guest is due to arrive at any moment.”

“G-Guest?” You asked, suddenly rather self conscious of your exposed body. Lucifer paid no mind to your nervousness. He simply a length of rope, unraveling it and coaxing your body to how he saw fit.

“Well, I did say we had one last inspection today, didn’t I? Surely you didn’t think I was going to be the one conducting it.” he snickered, pulling your arms behind you and tying them securely. You wiggled your fingers, seeing how much give he had put into the ties. His knots were firm, just shy of cutting off blood flow; though you were sure that your hands would be numb by the end of the night regardless of how tight his knots were.

The ropes he used crisscrossed your body, framing your assets in the most flattering way. Your breasts held up perky and taught while a network of knots wove down your abdomen to focus attention to your crotch. It felt good to be bound, almost as if the ropes were hugging your body and keeping you safe.

Lucifer reached for another length of rope, this time, threading the length through the hook at the ceiling. “You know… It’s not meant for plants at all.” He said, referring back to the conversation you had earlier with him. With this series of knots, he picked your leg up, suspending it high and leaving you to balance precariously on the ball of your other foot. Your pussy spread open wide for anyone to see. You could feel your body heat up as cool air passed your nether region. Just to make sure you were properly secured, Lucifer anchored the rope trailing from the ceiling to your arms, distributing the weight across your whole body. You were tilted to the side, forced to use your one unbound leg to keep balance. It was difficult as you were suspended just to the point where if you lost focus, your whole body would sway. “It’s meant to hold a lot more weight than just some hanging vines…”

“Oh, am I too early?” A voice called from the door. Looking over, you saw the silhouette of a rather imposing man. In the dim light, you could make out a shock of red hair and broad broad, muscular shoulders.

“Ah, just wrapping up right now.” Lucifer said, patting your head gently once the final knot was in place. “Feel free to come over.”

With your whole body on display like this, there was no hiding how aroused you had gotten while Lucifer had done his work. The way his fingers deftly tied and secured those knots against your body had made you want more of his touches. Everything had been done with such efficiency, you had no time to savor what touches he gave you.

You could hear heavy footsteps approaching and when the stranger finally came into view, you could finally see who your mystery guest was. He stood rather still, as if he knew you were taking stock of everything. Despite his size, there was a delicacy in his features. His messy red hair only made everything about him much more striking. The most breathtaking feature of all were his gold eyes.

“This is Diavolo.” Lucifer said, introducing you to the man. “He’s the owner of our sister company, Devilgram.”

“A pleasure to meet you… Sir…”

“In his presence, you may refer to him as ‘my Lord.” Lucifer corrected.

“My apologies, my lord. I was unaware of your appropriate title.” You lowered your head in shame, expecting reprimand.

However, Diavolo only laughed, a sound that seemed to fill the room and bounce off the walls. “There’s no need to apologize for something you didn't know.” He reassured, patting the top of your head gently. “I am the guest here, I should be apologizing for being rude and not providing you adequate information to be prepared.”

“Well, your request for a meeting was rather last minute. This is the best I can manage.” Lucifer quipped. “Next time, give me at least a day of notice.”

“I will, if I remember.” Diavolo said, nonchalantly waving away Lucifer’s obvious irritation. He circled you, running his large hands across your body and examining your every curve. “Lucifer has told me so much about you.” He said, tracing your raised leg, stopping to tease at your slit once he reached the apex of your thighs. “Does she know…?”

“She is well acquainted. Yes.”

“Then, if I may…”

“No. Not on your first time. I don’t want you to break her.”

Diavolo chuckled at Lucifer’s curt replies. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were talking about. With a name like Diavolo, you were sure he and Lucifer were the same. “Alright, alright. I’ll take it easy this time then.”

The red head’s hands were so big, they seemed to be everywhere on you at once. Your breasts, your ass, your abdomen, your thighs. Despite their size, he was gentle, squeezing you in the right places and making you sigh in anticipation. Eventually, he tipped your chin up to look at him before he swooped down for a deep kiss.

Diavolo’s kisses were so different from Lucifer’s; but no less intense. There wasn’t a need to control every reaction that came out of you; but there was an energy about him that took your breath away. As the two of you made out, one hand snaked its way between your spread legs, parting your folds once your panties were pushed aside to slide up and down your sopping wet slit. “You have her trained so well.” He said, impressed with how easily you coated his digits.

“I hope you didn’t expect anything less from me.”

“Oh, absolutely not.” Diavolo chuckled again, shedding his blazer and tossing it to the side. “It’s pretty warm in here, isn’t it?” He asked while taking his clothes off himself. The tie at his neck came off next, followed by the white dress shirt that barely kept his muscles contained. Once bare, you had the pleasure of seeing his ripped abs and massive chest for yourself and you salivated at the vision before you. There was a growing bulge in his pants that he started to show off in his little strip show; and, you were very invested in seeing what you were going to have to deal with.

Just as he was starting to undo his pants and reveal the outline of what he was packing to you, your attention was sharply taken away from the show as Lucifer grabbed you by your hair, tilting your head up to meet with the tip of his cock. You hadn’t even heard him get undressed, yet there he was naked as the day he was born and hard as a rock. “He’s not the only one in this room.” Lucifer growled, a hint of possessiveness in his voice as he pressed the tip of his cock to your lips.

You eagerly took him into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the tip and whatever else you could fit. With your eyes locked in on Lucifer, you had no idea what to expect with Diavolo until you felt his hands at your waist, holding you steady from swaying too much. “Think she’ll be able to handle it like this?” He asked, his tone rather chipper for how sexually charged the air was around the three of you.

“She’s been trained well.” Lucifer said, his grip on your hair tightening. “Isn’t that right?”

You moaned into his cock, a sound of affirmation that you hoped would get the message across. Lucifer didn’t think it did, pulling his dick out of your mouth and you took deep gasping breaths, sticking your tongue out towards him, wanting to go back to sucking and licking it. “You were asked a question….” His tone was firm, the pain of his grip in your hair warning you to not test him further.

“Y-yes, my Lord.” You confirmed. “I have only received the best training from my Sir..” As soon as your sentences were complete, Lucifer went back to stuffing your mouth with his cock and you eagerly sucked every inch he shoved into you.

“Well, then don’t mind if I do.” Diavolo said, pushing the tip of his cock into you and you screamed against Lucifer’s length in your mouth. You had expected him to be big, but nothing prepared you for the stretch that you felt when Diavolo pushed into you.

It was hard to breath. With your mouth full of dick and your pussy being pushed to its limits, you felt tears starting to form and drool pool at the base of Lucifer’s cock as your mind reeled in all the sensations at once. Despite being unused to the size of Diavolo’s cock, there was something familiar about it, as if you had felt it before. The girth and the length had been something you experienced at least once. And the moment he bottomed out in you, everything clicked

That one time on the desk. When Lucifer watched you fuck yourself, it was the same fullness and feeling of deep penetration as that one time. A sadistic grin spread across Lucifer’s face when he saw the recognition dawn on your face. In that moment, his grip in your hair tightened painfully, pulling you forward to take every inch of your cock down your throat.

You screamed in protest, but were helpless to stop what they did. Diavolo’s strong, sturdy hands kept you as still as possible while he slowly started to move in and out of you. You took whatever breaths you could in between Lucifer’s rough trusts down your throat. Your vision was blurry from tears, but you didn’t need to see when you were being used so thoroughly.

They worked in tandem, a rhythm that had made you scream into Lucifer’s cock. The slow pace Diavolo had started with was soon replaced with a much faster, brutal one once he realized your body’s limits. Even if you were being held steady, you could feel your body sway back and forth in your suspended state. Every time Diavolo buried himself into you, Lucifer pulled out of your mouth, giving you a split second to breathe before he was down your throat again. At the same time, Diavolo would pull out from your pussy until just the tip remained, leaving your body feeling empty and craving for more.

“So tight.” Diavolo praised, angling his hips upwards to get even deeper into you with his thrusts. “I can see why he needs to fuck you at least once a week. I wouldn’t be able to get enough of this.”

Lucifer remained silent, focused on face fucking you while your other partner claimed your pussy. Having two holes being used at the same time felt so great, you hadn’t even noticed how close you were to cumming until it happened. You moaned loudly into Lucifer’s cock, making him hiss at the vibrations that traveled down his length and your walls clenched tightly around Diavolo, causing him to dig his nails into your hips while he struggled to catch his breath. Lucifer pulled his cock out, letting you take much needed deep breaths while Diavolo stayed still, keeping himself buried inside of you but not moving.

Then, all of a sudden you were empty and you were falling. The sound of scissors cutting the ropes that held you up rang through the room and you collapsed onto the floor, falling onto the clothes that had been strewn about. You let out a loud yelp when you hit the ground, able to find balance without your arms.

“Aww… I guess she wasn’t used to multitasking like that.” Diavolo whined. “I was hoping we could all cum together.”

Lucifer tsked, getting you on your knees and pushing your shoulders down so that your ass was left up in the air. “Well, it’s not like I have the capacity to train her to do that.” He grumbled. He joined you on the ground, kneeling in front of you and pulling on your hair to raise your upper body to meet his cock again. “But I’m sure you’re a faster learner, right? You’ll get it right this time.”

“Ye… Yes Sir.” You said, wincing at how hard he was holding onto your hair, but not saying anything about it. “I’ll make us all cum at the same time.”

“Good girl…” He said, and once again your mouth surrounded his cock while Diavolo crammed his length back into your pussy.

It was easier to control yourself now that you were grounded. You didn’t have to think about balancing, you only had to focus on staving your orgasm off until all three of you were at your limits. You moaned into Lucifer’s dick, redoubling your efforts to suck him off to completion while your hips pushed back onto Diavolo, encouraging him to go deeper and further into you to chase his own release.

In this new dynamic, the two men also gave into their desires, moaning as they thrust themselves into you. Diavolo turned out to be a man who preferred to grunt compared to Lucifer who liked to moan breathily. The sounds of sex echoed in the office, the wet slurping noises from your blowjob were accompanied by the equally wet and sloppy sounds of skin hitting skin while Diavolo took your cunt. It didn’t take long for you to start feeling the tell tale pressure of another orgasm building up in your abdomen. The most important matter was now making sure you had control over it until the other two were ready.

“Nngh… I’m close… what about you?” Diavolo was the first to admit his climax was approaching.

“Yes… yes…” Lucifer hissed in reply. “I’m so close…”

In reaction to that statement, one of Diavolo’s hands reached around your waist to rub at your clit, bringing you to where they were, right on the precipice of release. “Now… let’s cum…” He declared with all the authority of a lord. And you obeyed without question.

Hot semen filled your holes all at once. Your walls milked the giant cock buried in your pussy while you struggled to swallow the load that was blown into your mouth. Even with your best efforts, you could feel some of Lucifer’s seed dribbling down the corner of your lips. Your pussy fared similarly, filled to the brim and leaking cum as the men emptied themselves into you.

There were several long minutes of heavy breathing and soft moans of pleasure before they left your body. Lucifer being the first to pull out, letting you breathe, the grip in your hair loosening as he moved to undo your bindings. Diavolo stayed inside of you until he was sufficiently soft, groaning as he left your warm pussy, but admiring the way his seed dripped out of your gaping hole.

With the ties finally gone from your arms, you flexed them gingerly, letting blood and feeling come back to them. The rest of the ropes came undone as well, and when you were finally free from it all, a beautiful network of marks crisscrossed your body, likely to remain on you for a few days at least. They would serve as a beautiful reminder of the night you shared with these two men.

Using the discarded clothes as a cushion, Lucifer pulled you into his arms, laying you down and curling around you, spooning you from behind. Diavolo followed suit shortly after, sandwiching you between the two of them and simply watching you as you drifted out of consciousness.

“Very good.” Lucifer murmured, burying his head into the crook of your neck and dozing alongside you. “You did so well…”

“Thank you, sir…” You mumbled, already half asleep.

“Lucifer.” He corrected, pulling you tightly against him.

“Thank you… Lucifer…” You murmured right before properly passing out.

“So, did we pass inspection?” Lucifer asked softly, placing soft kisses on the top of your head, peeking over at the larger man as he cuddled you. He’d keep you close, pressed up against his chest, synching his heartbeat with yours until you had to leave in order to catch the last train home.

“With flying colors.” Diavolo said, grinning from ear to ear.

Taglist: @ptv-hades @bluelipsblueveins-blue @utopiamiroh

#Obey me #Obey me fanfiction #Lucifer x reader #Lucifer x diavolo x reader #Obey me smut #Lucifer x OC #Obey Me AU #My writing #i'm trash you're trash we're all trash

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introvertllux · 4 years

Text

Peace in Normalcy: Chapter Two

(The chapter is told from Prue’s point of view. Anytime, that you see italicized words, that means Prue is speaking via her internal monologue).

Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Comedy-Drama

Warnings: 18+, depictions of mental health, mental disorders, depression, suicide, and sexual abuse. (Please do not read, if you may be triggered).

*Any depictions of mental health are based on MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. Please do not think I’m making fun or or mocking anyone, again these experiences are based on what I have seen and, or been through myself. Also, I am not intending to romanticize mental health or disorders in anyway. Lastly, If you do decided to read this story I am very thankful and I hope you enjoy it. : )

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Prue’s P.O.V

(Picture of Prue)

Saturday, September 28, 2019

I looked to the side of the bed at the digital alarm clock. The time read 8:35 AM in glaring red lights. I didn’t get much sleep last night, but that wasn’t too unusual for me. One thing, I can say for sure is that my stomach doesn’t hurt any longer and the pounding in my head has subsided. Maybe this is a sign that today will be a better day.

Even though I struggle to get any sleep, ironically enough I’m a morning person. Don’t get me wrong you definitely will not find me singing from the rooftop like Marry Poppins, but I tried not to be grumpy to anyone, I come in contact with. When I first wake up, I still like to have my own space and to be in mind a little bit before I truly and fully interact with anyone.

I swung my legs over the left side of the bed. I then scratched my head, I sighed knowing that my curls were knotted in my head.

That’s what I get for not sleeping with a headscarf or bonnet. But let’s be honest after all that happened did, I have time to be practical for once in my life?

(Picture of the guest room Prue had slept in)

I proceed to place my feet on the smooth carpet as I scratched my lower back with my left hand. I let out a small yawn and rubbed the crust out of my eyes. I then started to make up the bed, first smoothing down the fitted sheet. I then looked down at the floor as I picked up the flat sheet and the comforter.

What? I’m a wild sleeper. I can’t tell you myself why my sheets ended up on the floor.

I placed the flat sheet on the bed, followed by the comforter and neatly folded, tucked in the sheets. I made sure to fluff the pillows, ensuring that the bed looked exactly how it did before I slept in it. I then gathered up my clothes from yesterday and folded them over my left arm and grabbed my sneakers and carried them in my left hand. As I exited the room, I made sure to close the door behind me.

For some reason, no matter the room or the place I always needed for all doors to be closed.

I walked a few feet down the hallway and into the bathroom. I softly closed the door. I looked around the bathroom and again I was not shocked. This bathroom was glammed up. There were Marble and rustic appliances.

(Picture of Mallory and Jahmal’s guest bathroom)

I brushed my hands down and over the bathroom sink and I continued to admire the hard work and dedication that I knew Mallory had taken to remodel this room. I paused to look in the mirror at my matted curls. I slumped my shoulders and groaned as I am mentally prepared for the pain that was to come with this detangling process.

I crouched down and searched the cabinet underneath the sink for a detangler brush. I scavenged through the cabinet and didn’t see one. I saw band-aids, cotton balls, a box of tampons, and a pack of brand-new toothbrushes. I grabbed the pack of toothbrushes and placed them down next to me. I leaned forward to get a closer look into the cabinet, this time trying to see if I could at least find a wide-tooth comb. After a few moments of moving items around, I concluded that I would not find a brush or a comb in here. I scrunched up my lips trying to think of another solution.

I came down to my last possible solution.

Finger detangling.

Yeah, this was going to hurt.

Before I started this process, I wanted to search the small medicine cabinet for some hair clips so that I can separate my hair into sections to speed up the detangling process. I glanced over the medicine cabinet and saw two clips and a large scrunchie. I closed my right hand into a fist and pumped it into the air and cheered to myself quietly. I then closed the cabinet and turned on the faucet water. I made sure the water was warm and the stream was light.

I guided my hand down the middle of my hair, where it naturally parted and separated the left section of my hair into two parts, then did the same with the right side of my hair. I quickly twirled the top section on my left side and clipped it up and proceeded to do the same with the right side.

I put my hand underneath the faucet and cupped some water into my hand and gathered the bottom left section my hair and began to finger detangle. I continued this motion until I had completed it on all four of my sections.

After taking out the clips I looked up into the mirror. I twisted up my lips, contemplating whether or not to leave my hair as it is or try and attempt to do something with the hair tie I had found. I moved my head side to side as I continued to contemplate what I should do.

I had to weigh my options. It was the beginning of fall and wet curls never stand against the temperature transitions between the summer heat and winter cold. Also, I didn’t have any product are tools to help me style it so wearing it out doesn’t seem like the most logical option right now.

I looked into the mirror scrunching my face up in distaste.

Hmm, a ponytail? Maybe? I thought as I gathered my hair up into a ponytail. I turned my head from left to right with my hair still gathered in a ponytail.

Nope. I hate it.

I decided against that style as I saw my damped curls hanging from my hands. I let go of my hair and let it hang loose. I bit my bottom lip and squinted my eyes and I came to a conclusion. I moved a foot away from the sink and hunched over. I gathered up my hair once more and wrapped the scrunched around it twice, folding my hair over itself.

I stood up straight and stared into the mirror one last time. And may I present to you, the messiest bun. Despite it being messy, I kind of liked it.

(Picture of Prue and her messy bun)

Feeling pretty content with the style, I opened up the cabinet and place the clips back where I found them. I then got dressed into my clothes from yesterday and laced my sneakers up. I neatly folded the pink pajamas my sister lent me and exited the bathroom. I quickly, went back into the guest room and placed the pajamas on the bed.

I then left the room, closing the door behind me and went downstairs in search for Mallory. She never mentioned to what time we would be heading to our parent’s house. I had assumed early in the morning due to our parents being very particular about people’s arrivals. They had always preferred the morning rather than the afternoon.

(Picture of Mallory)

As soon as I came downstairs, I saw Mallory slipping on her second shoe along as she went to gather her keys of the key holder. I walked closer to her. She turned around with her keys in her right hand and glanced over me. She opened the door and walked out. I followed behind her, keeping my distance. I looked back at her I watched the door. She clicked her car keys and the doors opened. I took my respective seat on the passenger’s side and hers on the driver’s. She slightly drove off in the direction of our parent’s house.

(Picture of Mallory’s car)

I knew that Mallory was beyond angry at me. She was disappointed, hurt, and confused. I can tell. I desperately wanted to apologize. I am more than aware that what I did- no how I acted was wrong. But I hate confrontation. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I hate for people, especially the ones I love to be angry at me and to avoid me. I would do anything for them to forgive me, but I never knew how. I’m not an argumentative person at all. I just want to please people in anyway I can.

I’m also not great with my words. I have to think before I speak. I have to be able to analyze and reflect on the situation. I need that time to think of the right words to mend the relationship.

Our parents only lived about 30 minutes away by car and 45 by walking. Normally, it would take me hours, sometimes days depending on the severity of the situation to come up with right words to say. But I only had 30 minutes in this case.

I decided that I would take this car ride and think of what I wanted to say to Mallory and how I wanted to say it.

As, Mallory drove through the neighborhood, I looked in the rear-view mirror glancing at the housed I remember so clearly from my childhood. I started to get anxious as I knew we were getting closer and I hadn’t yet developed the right words to say. My mind began to race, and I started rapidly and intensely think of what I could say.

I looked into the rear-view mirror and saw the red house, which let me know we were only a couple of minutes away from my parent’s house.

The red house. It’s the “landmark” our father used to make Mallory and I look for to know we were close to home. Just in case one of us was ever lost.

(Picture of the red “landmark” house)

I briefly closed my eyes and took out a shaky breath as the anxiety within me continued to rise. I slowly opened up my eyes and saw the modern grey and white trim house.

(The Walker’s house)

Fuck, we’re here.

I turned my head to my left and looked at Mallory and she put the car in park. She then extended her right arm forward and took her key out of the ignition. I started to panic more as my heart started to beat rapidly as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest. She moved to unbuckle her seat belt. I knew I had to apologize before we went inside. I would never be able to move on if I knew she was upset with me and I could have done something to fix it.

“M-Mallory.” I said with a shaky voice. Turned back, looking straight into my eyes. My eyes widened a little, as I was slightly taken back.

“I- I wanted to apologize for what I did and how I acted. There’s no excuse for my actions and my behavior. I know that you have been the only one there for me and you have sacrificed your time for me and- “

Malloy reached out her hands and placed the on my shoulders as she squeezed lightly and smiled softly, “Stop, you don’t have to apologized. I know that you feel like I might be angry at you or like I might not forgive you, but I do. There’s nothing you can do that will make me that you. Ever.” She said as she paused to sigh.

I looked down still anxious as I was unsatisfied with my apology and although I heard what she said I can tell her voice and body language that she was still upset. I guess, it was a good thing that I was staying with our parents it would give us some space.

Mallory then let go of my shoulders and got out of the car and I followed her same actions. I closed the door behind me as she clicked the doors locked. We walked up to our childhood home and Mallory rang the doorbell.

I heard footsteps quickly approach the door followed by the sound of locks un-clicking.

“Mal!” I heard a deep but tender voice say.

“Hey pops!” She greeted back happily. “Come in, come in. Don’t forget to take your shoes off by the door, you know how your mother gets.” He said and moved from the door entrance. I began to get nervous; I hadn’t seen my parents in nine months. An even before then we all had a distant relationship.

(Picture of Levi Walker)

“Where is she? Where’s my Pru-Pru.” He said. Mallory walked into the house so I could be fully seen.

“I- um I’m right here,” I said.

“So, you’re not going to give your old man a hug.” He said. I stepped into this house as he wrapped his arms around me. The hug wasn’t as warm as the ones he gave me as a child which saddened me. I knew he wasn’t sure what to do now that I was home. But, I’m still his daughter, couldn’t he still feel that?

“Pops, where’s ma? I wanted quickly to drop Prue off. I have to swing by Ramona and David’s and pick up Jahmal.” She said as he took her shoes off.

I took my shoes off and stood awkwardly off to the side. “Your mama should be heading down. You know how she is when people come over. Everything has to be organized to a T or she will start going off.” He said.

My mother was indeed more than a neat freak. I would say she suffers from some sort of OCD, but she would always deny it.

“Well, I know you didn’t come with just the clothes on your back. Where is the rest of your stuff?” He said looking at Mallory, but I knew the question was directed at me. Before I could answer Mallory said, “In the car. It’s just these two black suitcases Jahmal and I use when we go on vacation. They’re a heavy dad. I won’t ask you to help with the old man.” She chuckled as she teased him a bit.

“Old-old man? Let me get my shoes on so I can show you, that this old man has still got it.” He said as he flexed his muscles. While they both put their shoes on, I looked around the house. Everything was mostly the same aside from the pictures. There were a lot of new pictures of Mallory a few pictures and Mallory and Jahmal.

Where were my pictures? My diplomas?

I took a closer look around the living room and saw pictures of Mallory as a child, her graduation pictures through college, copies of her diploma’s, a picture from her and Jahmal’s wedding day, and a few pictures of them on vacation.

(Picture of the Walker’s Living Room)

The spots where my photographs were now replaced. Part of me didn’t want to believe it. I walked further into the living room and looked in front of me, around the walls, and still didn’t see any of my old photographs. I turned around and look at the wall behind me and still nothing. I then posted the side table beside the couch and noticed a picture frame faced down.

I steadily walked up to the side table and cautiously lifted the frame. Inside the frame was a photograph of me as a child.

(The picture of Prue in the frame in the on the living room side table)

“I thought, I always taught you to greet before you enter a room.” I heard a voice say.

I swiftly turned around as I held the framed photograph behind my back.

I looked toward the voice of the women who raised me. “H-hi, mom,” I said quietly.

(Picture of Gwendolyn Walker)

She glanced over me and spoke again, “I see you remembered to take your shoes off before entering. Did you wash your hands?” She asked skeptically.

“No.” I answered barely above a whisper.

Her face went ridged. “You know how I feel about unsanitary things. And you know that’s always been a rule. You know how I feel. Wash your hands immediately and don’t touch anything until you have done so. Remember to wash your hands with warm water for at least 45 seconds.”

With that, she exited the room. I turned back around and place the frame back down exactly the way I found it. I made my way upstairs to the guest bathroom. I knew that my mother was very specific where people washed their hands. In this case, I would have to use the guest bathroom because I came from “outside” and that had nothing to do with the kitchen (Which was the closest area with a sink). Lord knows that she would find a way to know if I ever washed my hands in the kitchen sink despite not cooking or eating in it prior.

I finally made it to the guest bathroom and closed the door. I walked up to the sink and turned on the faucet, making sure that the water was warm. I then grabbed the bar of soap and proceed to scrub my hands making sure to get rid of the germs in every nook and cranny of my hands. After what felt like a minute. I turned off the water and wiped my hands on my jeans. I knew I couldn’t use a hand towel my mother would surely be upset. I then walked over to the toilet paper roll and grabbed some and cleaned the small droplets water that escaped out the marble sink as I was washing my hands.

(The guest bathroom at the Walker’s house)

I flushed the toilet paper down the toilet and left the room. I made my way out of the room and began to walk down the stairs. Before I could start walking down the staircase I heard the sound of Mallory and my parents talking.

“Another one? How big was it this time?” I heard my dad say.

“Not as bad as the one that sent her to the hospital. She just freaked out.” I heard Mallory respond back.

I then heard my dad sigh and ask, “Is- is there something that triggers her to do that?” “I don’t know dad. Her emotions are all over the place. She’s not as in control or stable as she used to be before all of this happened. We- we have to try and be sensitive to what she could or might be feeling.” Mallory said.

“She’s always been sensitive. Always. Nothing has changed.” I heard my mother say sounding unfazed.

“Just be gentle with her. I’m sure after she starts attending therapy again. She will have more control over herself.” Mallory said sounding hopeful.

“Let’s just hope we won’t have to force her. You know she’s been more defiant as she got older. If she doesn’t go by court order, then she’ll be back there faster than you can say, Jack Robinson.” My mother said.

“She’s going to go. Trust me. I’ve got to go. I love you both. I’m only 15 minutes, a phone call, or even a text away if you guys need me.” I heard Mallory say slightly rushed. A few seconds went by as I heard the shuffling of keys and the door slam.

I waited what felt like a few minutes before cautiously proceed downstairs and came face to face with my parents. I looked at them silently. My dad looked gave me a small smile, which told me he had no idea what to do and my mom gave me a stoic one which told me she wouldn’t change the rules of her kingdom for anyone, not even her own daughter.

“Did you wash your hands.” I heard my mother ask.

I adjusted my posture and looked directly at my mother and answered, “Yes, mom I did.”

She then crossed her arms over her chest and said, “Let me smell them.” She said.

This was a test. She wanted to see what would make me explode. I don’t feel like I might explode. But to be completely honest I can’t gage that anymore. Could this trigger me?

“No. Mom, I’m not doing this again. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m grown. I’m not going to keep enabling your habits.” I said trying to be sensitive to my mother’s feelings but stern enough to stand my ground.

“There you go again. Still defiant. You know, there are benefits to listening to your mother. That’s why the saying goes mother knows best.” She said as she stared me down with a slight grin on her face.

There goes that look and stance. It was the one that let me know throughout the years that my mother wasn’t someone that was a fan of conflict but she sure as hell wasn’t against it. She knew she had one this battle because when it came to conflict, I was never going to confront it.

“Sweetheart. I know it’s hard with the hand-washing thing but let’s just trust our daughter and believe that she really washed her hands. How about we just calm ourselves and just relax, huh.” My dad said soothingly.

He grabbed my mother and pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back in a circling motion.

Leave it to my dad to put the fire out. My dad was a lot like me when it came to conflict, he hated it. But the difference between him and me was that he would try to be the peacekeeper by trying to calm all the parties involve and I would avoid the situation, disappear until I can figure out a way to fix it.

About an hour and a half had past and I was in my old room. It looked the same which was a shock to me. My mother was not a fan of my décor chooses she thought it was too bland for a young woman to represent a young woman. But I guess dad had convinced her to let it remain the same. I walked to the corner of my room and saw my old art supplies crammed into a box.

(Prue’s bedroom)

I narrowed my eyes, angry at how my personal stuff was crammed into a box. This wasn’t nearly half of it. I then opened my closet and saw that the rest of my art supplies were thrown into the closet. I was broken pieces of my wooden easels, torn pictures I had drawn, and dried up paints.

I took a deep breath trying to control my emotions. I felt angry, confused, and saddened all at once. I wanted to tear up anything in my path and curse my parents out, but at the same time, I wanted to scream and cry as I felt heartbroken that my own parents would do this to me. My love for the art they shove away like nothing and even the very sight of me they can’t stand as they hide every picture of me except one and it’s faced down, shunned just like the present me.

My heart began to beat rapidly and at all the thoughts and emotions accumulating in my head. I fell to my knees as I crawled inside my closet. I closed the door and huddled around my art. I pulled my knees as close to my chest as possible. I pushed my fingers onto my forehead and began to cry silently. Not knowing what else to do.

I flinched as I woke up. I shuffled a little hearing the ruffle of papers and clanks of wood move with me. I yawned feeling drained. I got up from my shambles of work and open the closet door. I brushed down myself getting rid of the flakes of paper and tiny wood shavings.

I was physically tired and emotionally drained. The only thing that I wanted was a glass of water from the kitchen and then quickly retreat back to my room before I was noticed. I made my way out of my room as I closed the door behind me softly. I made my way down the small hallway and down the staircase as quietly as I could.

I slipped through the living room and into the kitchen. I grabbed a glass cup and filled it halfway with tap water. I gulped the water down; remember the last time I drank anything was last night.

(Picture of the Walker’s kitchen and dining room)

“Pru-Pru.” I heard and I slightly choked on my water. I spiraled into a small coughing fit and I placed my cup down.

I felt patting on my back. Soon, with the combination of the back-patting and my coughing, I was able to settle my breathing.

“Oh my God, Prue. I’m sorry I scared you.” He said.

“It’s okay dad. I’m alright now, I promise.” I said trying to reassure him.

“Okay, if you’re sure you're fine. I have a surprise for you.” He said with a smile on his face. I look at him skeptically.

“It’s one you’re going to like.” He said in a sing-song voice.

I just looked and him and turned to wash, dry, and put away my cup. My dad waited patiently and then led us to the dining room table in the kitchen.

I picked a random seat and my dad sat in the seat adjacent to me.

“Close your eyes. Come on just like when you were little.” I looked at him smiling small at his goofiness and instantly gave in.

I then heard him say, “Now, open your hands.” I opened then and immediately felt a bit of weight in them.

“Can I open my eyes now?” I asked. “Yes.” He responded happily. My eyes flickered open and I was immediately shocked to see an iPhone.

“D-dad. I- you didn’t have too. Wow, thank you, dad.” I said as stood up out of my chair as it screeched on the floor and hugged my dad as awkwardly. I held on tightly trying to show my dad how much I appreciated this. I pulled away after a few moments. “Thank you so much day.” I said.

You don’t have to thank me, that’s what dads do. I want- I want to help you get back into your normal way of things in the best way I know how.” He said looking hurt yet hopeful in away.

I can see the hurt in his eyes. I know he feels guilty in some way or another, yet he doesn’t know what to do. But I can tell, neither he nor my mother are ready to talk about any of it so, I guess they’ll tip to around it- around me until they’re ready.

I sat back down in my seat and unboxed the phone. Just having a phone in my hands was weird. I haven’t had a phone in nine months. What would I do with it? I don’t have anyone outside of my family to contact and I will be living with half of them already and if I needed to talk to the other, I could just walk to her house. I don’t have friends and I’ve never had social media so, why do I need it?

“Your mom and I think you should have it. Just in case of an emergency. We asked your new therapist. They thought it would be a better way to get you back and adjusted into some normality.” He said.

I powered on the phone and I soaked in what he was saying.

“I put my number, your mother’s number, and my number into the phone, and I made sure to put your number into my and your mother’s phones and I gave Mallory your number earlier today. Knowing your sister, I’m sure she will be texting you before the end of the night.” He said with a chuckle.

I smiled knowing that dad was right about. I got up from my chair and pushed it in. I thanked my dad again. As I made my out of the room, I heard my dad yell that dinner will be ready by six. and went upstairs to my room and began fidgeting with my phone. After setting up my phone, I sighed, knowing that I would have time to stay in my room and recharge before dinner.

I looked at the clock and it read 12:45 PM. I got and decided I need to shower. It was long overdue. I was glad that my room had an attached bathroom, so I remain uninterrupted. I look my phone into the bathroom and placed it on the bathroom sink carefully. I was so glad to be able to take a nice relaxing shower and to be able to wash my body and hair.

(Prue’s bathroom)

About an hour had past and I stepped out of the shower with a large grey towel wrapped around my body and a smaller matching one around my head. I walked into my closet, careful not to drip water onto my older drawings and cautious of the pieces of wood on the foot of my closet. I grabbed a maroon zip-up hoodie, a very large green tie-dye shirt with a green alien shirt, and black biker shorts. I placed the articles of clothing on my bed and the put them on.

(Picture of Prue in her sleep wear of choice)

I then grabbed my phone and set the alarm to 6:55 PM because my mom was not accepting of any form of lateness.

In her head, if you’re late for anything that was a sign of disrespect. If I were late for dinner, I just won’t be allowed to have any. In the words of my mother, “If you wanted it you would have proven it by being on time.”

I then got underneath my crisp white sheets and got snug. I felt my body relax as if for a rare moment I would be able to fall asleep with no running thoughts or anxiety. I pulled my comforter closer and began to drift off.

I woke up to the loud sound of my alarm going off. I groaned and flipped over on my side and squinted at the bright light of my phone screen. I quickly pressed cancel and quickly got out of bed. I raced out of my room, closed my bedroom door, and made it down the staircase. I made it to the kitchen, with only a minute to spear as the kitchen clock read 6:59 PM.

I sighed in relief and sat across from my mother as my dad took the head of the table. I slightly began to plate food myself. We were having BBQ wings, green beans, and mashed potatoes. We ate in silence for a few seconds before I let out a yawn. I immediately covered my mouth and excused myself, ‘Excuse me.” I said.

“Prudence, I think we need to go shopping. You’re wearing a t-shirt with an alien on it at dinner.” She said eyeing it strangely.

“Sweetheart, it’s just a t-shirt.” My dad playing his role as the fire extinguisher accordingly. I tried to follow my father’s lead by trying to project peace.

“It’s not just a shirt Levi. It’s inappropriate for dinner and her age. Last time, I checked I agreed to raise sophisticated and classy young women. An alien does not fit either of those descriptions.” She responded to my father.

She then went back to getting her green beans. I looked down feeling ashamed. I ate my potatoes silently trying to keep quiet.

“We did. Wearing an alien shirt doesn’t say anything less. you know that she’s always been into that artsy stuff.” My dad said as he bit a piece of his wing.

I continued to eat and listen as they spoke about me like I wasn’t even there.

“I swear it’s the art stuff. At least Mallory turned it into a career, but it turned Prudence into a- “she said before I looked up and interrupted her.

“Into what? A weirdo?” I said as I laughed bitterly. “Or maybe a psycho is more of the word you’re looking for. I mean for God asked mom what do you want? You want me to be Mallory! I’m fucking sorry that I wasn’t able to run off, marry the man of my dreams, and be highly successful in at my job is that what you want me to say! What more can I do? I was valedictorian of my college and that wasn’t good enough, then I got a job that made a good amount of money and my place now!” I said yelling loudly as my left leg began to shake rapidly.

“Prudence, lower your voice!” My mother hissed in an exasperated voice.

“Oh! Oh, you mean like this!”

I yelled as I ran room the table and sprinted out of the kitchen and into the hall. I unlocked the front door and took a huge breath and yelled at the top of my lungs.

“HEY, EVERYONE GUESS WHOSE PARENTS ARE AHAMED OF THEM? GUESS, GUESS! GUESS WHICH KID THEY LOVE MORE. NOT ME, NOT PRUDENCE!” I yelled as I stretched my arms out widely laughing slightly manically as I cried erratically.

The flicker of house lights and the cries of neighborhood pets begin to alarm the streets.

Heavy footsteps ran towards me and grabbed me from behind, lifting me up and back into the house.

I sobbed trying to fight the hold on me. “Let me go!” I yelled as I began fighting the hands on me.

“Shh. Shh. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I heard my dad’s voice desperately say as he let me go and place me on the floor holding me into a tight hug. “Let me go! Let me go!” I repeated muffled in his shoulder.

He began to rock us back and forth as he cradled my head. I looked over my dad’s shoulder through tear-filled eyes to see my mother’s composure look different. She looks alarmed, scared, and saddened. I start to cry harder and harder and as it gets harder to breathe.

“Prue. Follow the beating of my heart. Just like when you were a kid. Remember how you always felt at ease when you did it? I want you to try and do it.” He said softly.

I followed what he said trying to focus on what he was telling me.

There was banging at the door. Nobody moved to answer. “It’s Officer Taylor! Open up!” The voice boomed.

(Picture of Officer Taylor Miller)

My mother tried to compose herself to her as walked to the door. She cracked the door open, slightly so that half of her body was showing.

“Good Evening, Mrs. Walker I’ve received some phone calls from some scared neighbors stating noise complaints from this address. I know, um Prue’s back home and we had something similar happen yesterday so. And I spoke to her about the consequences of-” He said trying to peer into the house.

Third person’s P.O.V

“Look Taylor right. Yes, you went to school with Mallory. My daughter just got back from the hospital and we’re all trying to figure out what’s going on. I’ll be damned if I let you sit here and threaten the safety of my daughter. I understand that we are not being the best neighbors right not but as soon as next week we will have our daughter on her schedule. You need to give us time, this is not an overnight thing.” Gwendolyn said sternly not back down one bit.

“I see and I understand. If you don’t mind, I would like to come in and check to see if everything is alright if things are settled.” He said trying to get around Gwendolyn.

She closed the door tighter as she pushed herself more into the frame. “Of course, I mind. I’m many things in this world, and one of them is a mother. No matter how old my kids get, it's my job is to protect them. I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect my daughter from anything or anyone that tries to hurt her. Now, I understand it’s your job but if I sense even for a second, you’re out for her I will do anything and everything in my power to take you down.” She said smoothly.

She stared up at his tight expression and said, “Now, you have a good night Officer Taylor.” With that, Gwendolyn slammed the door in his face not even waiting for a rebuttal.

Gwendolyn turned locked the door and turned to where her daughter and husband were. She kneeled beside them and tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter’s left ear as she was lightly snoring.

Levi stood, as he carried Prue bridal style and Gwendolyn followed behind. He carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom. He gently placed her into her bed as Gwendolyn tucked her in tightly. Levi moved her curls around and placed a kiss on her forehead. Gwendolyn followed suit and repeated his action. After placing a kiss on her daughter’s forehead she lingered for a moment as she looked over her daughter as tears threatened to spill over her eyes.

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Links to:

Chapter Three

Masterpost

I wanted to thank everyone who has liked or reblogged anything that has to do with this story. I want to give a HUGE SHOUTOUT to the following people for showing me some support (I apologize if i’m missing any names)!!

@pettycruella @jk-unless @plussizeappreciationfics @passionfrvttt @melaninhawtie @lokisbitch27 @blackpridesblog @po-taytay @themilkcartoonkid @amethyst09 @disaster-shadow @rosemilage and any members of the group chat Black!Reader.

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elementsbyksorbe · 4 years

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"May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions!" – Joey Adams

After the decorations are packed away, many homeowners are eager to make some changes, and the Design Team with The Elements is ready with some tips for any budget or project.

The timing is perfect. A new start to a new decade! Holiday schedules are freed up, and guests have headed home. After the decorations are down and packed away, many homeowners begin to think about a change, and that change can come in many ways for any budget. As 2020 heads out of the gate, Kathy Sorbe, lead designer and owner of The Elements in Storm Lake and at Prairie Trail in Ankeny, has some ideas how homeowners can refresh living spaces that might need an update.“So many people think that restyling a space for a new look comes with a hefty price tag,” says Sorbe. “That’s just not the case. Editing and repurposing accessories … the only cost you might have is a little time. Bigger projects can come with bigger price tags, but that just doesn’t mean you can’t give yourself a new look no matter what you’ve budgeted to spend.”

Edit. Edit. Edit.

Sorbe says that when homeowners sweep up the needles, hunt down the last bits of glitter and store their decorations is a perfect time to step back and take a look at the accessories that finish the space. “Resist the pull to put everything back the way it was,” says Sorbe. “This is a great time to edit. All of us tend to display more than we need to and add, add, add. Look at what you have and plan to keep only what you love.”

Editing accessories and streamlining shelves will immediately update and smooth out a space.

Sorbe says that accessories can quickly date a space. What was a must-have a few years ago may show its age quickly. She encourages clients to ask themselves, even if they loved something ten years ago, do they still?

“Channel Marie Konda, and if it doesn’t make you happy, it might be time to let it go.”

Paint a New Canvas

A fresh coat of paint is probably the most affordable – and quickest – choice for a dramatic change.

“Paint is the least expensive way to make a big impact,” says Sorbe. “Your walls function a lot like a canvas where a painting unfolds, helping your furniture, art and accessories shine.”

Sorbe notes that many homeowners gravitate to lighter shades, but deep colors are still magical, create a dramatic and sophisticated space and, contrary to a common misconception, won’t make a room feel small.

“We still encourage homeowners to avoid the traditional accent wall,” says Sorbe. “There are many amazing, innovative and affordable wall covering options, from thin brick, textured panels, wallpaper, to reclaimed wood.”

Several products are available at their stores in Storm Lake and Ankeny, but Sorbe says that many can be found at Home Depot or Lowe’s, and most can be painted any color. Instead of painting a wall a different color, Sorbe and her Design Team frequently recommend one of these products for effect.

“We like to say we reinvented the accent wall using texture and pattern.”

Let the Sunshine In

“Window treatments can be an intimidating project, but it doesn’t have to be,” says Sorbe. “Valances, fringe, sheers … they can quickly become complicated and a big design element that can be challenging to work with.”

Sorbe and her team almost always recommend a simpler option. Leaning into natural fabrics, like cotton and linen, they avoid many of the add-ons homeowners think make them look upscale.

“There’s not a window covering made that can compete with the view it frames,” says Sorbe. “Mother Nature takes this one, and we’re not going to even try and compete. We like simple panels, hung from the ceiling to the floor. This can make windows impressive but quickly fade to the view.”

The Design Team encourages homeowners to explore blinds, roller shades and even plantation shutters.

“We really love roller shades that match the window trim,” says Sorbe. “When you want them, they’re ready to go, but when they’re up, they disappear, creating a smooth finish to the space.

The Elements’ Ankeny location sells, measures and installs Hunter Douglas shades and blinds, with a planned introduction of the service to the Storm Lake location later this year.

“Shades are a great option for privacy and light control, and some are even designed to aid in maintaining a preselected temperature in your home,” says Sorbe. “Many are motorized with remote controls that can integrate into smart home systems.”

Painting is the quickest and most affordable way to make a big change in a room. White paint, paired with matching cabinets, allows the gold accents to really shine.

Bedding in natural fabrics, like linen and cotton, are a simple palette that allow homeowners many options for coordinating pillows and throws.

From small windows to large-scale projects, Hunter Douglas is a premiere name in window coverings.

Invest in the Best

A survey completed by ten major interior design firms indicated a turn back to more custom furniture. Millennials, who frequently were bargain shoppers, are now gravitating to higher quality, large pieces instead of furniture that’s designed and priced for a very short life. Also, homeowners don’t have to adapt or settle; they can choose exactly what they want.

“Custom-made furniture tends to be more stylish, and it’s made just for you,” says Sorbe. “You won’t walk into a neighbor’s house and see the same sofa!”

Literally thousands of fabric choices and the introduction of designer performance fabrics mean shoppers can pick exactly what they want, and that the custom piece will hold up to use for many years to come.

“Instead of short-term costs, we like to remind clients of the long-term value,” says Sorbe. “Custom pieces tend to be more durable, and, if carefully selected, homeowners will enjoy these pieces for years and years.”

Sorbe cautions people not to assume custom pieces are outside of their budget. Shoppers are frequently surprised when they see prices on custom pieces less expensive than factory-produced pieces in big box furniture stores.

Homeowners looking to capitalize on space are looking for usable living areas outside.

Think Big

Sometimes, homeowners want a big change. Additions, renovations and remodels can be daunting projects; however, they can move more smoothly working with a pro.

“Working with a designer from our Design Team isn’t too expensive for anyone,” says Sorbe. “Often, homeowners want to schedule a one-hour consultation just to get some ideas and suggestions. We love helping at any stage of the project.”

She suggests talking with the Design Team early in the process, which can help homeowners avoid costly mistakes that delay the project. The designers also have access to many different lines with varying price points. Homeowners would have to shop for weeks, maybe longer, to see the merchandise the Elements’ team can show them in an hour.

Silhouette shades are designed to see out, but when closed, provide privacy and light blocking. Retracted, the shade and hardware disappear for an unencumbered view outside.

Summer’s on the Way

Even though we’re not seeing any green grass outside doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about an outdoor living space.

“It will be spring before you know it, and there’s nothing we like better than unveiling our outdoor furniture, which will be in the store soon,” says Sorbe. “It can be anywhere from a six- to eight-week lead time for custom pieces, so if your resolution to refresh is happening on your patio or deck, it’s not too soon to start planning.“

Sorbe suggests bringing in the shape and dimensions of your outdoor space so the Design Team can create scaled renderings. Furniture placement – even the location of pots, side tables and outdoor lamps – is decided before the snow melts, and the homeowner knows exactly how the outdoor space will come together.

“If we have the dimensions and details, like doors or window placement, we create scaled drawings of layout options and furniture placement, not just for outdoor spaces but for any room in a client’s home,” says Sorbe. “We’re all visual, so being able to see how the room will be arranged … touching and feeling the fabric … really helps our clients make the best choices.”

Performance fabrics, like Sunbrella, and specially designed cushions mean outdoor living furniture rivals the best indoor pieces in comfort, style and durability.

To “see” how your space can come together, schedule a consultation with the Design Team at The Elements in Storm Lake or at Prairie Trail in Ankeny.

#theelements #theelementsbyksorbe #stormlake #ankeny #iowa #ankenyiowa #thedistrict #prairietrail #interiordesign #bedroom #cozyliving #cozyroom #guestroom #kidsroom #outdoor #summer #masterbedroom #design #home

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ouronlyangelhes · 5 years

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The Last Time- DIVORCE AU SERIES PART 4

It had been 2 months since the conversation between you and Harry had occurred about trying to have a baby. It seemed like a routine, Harry would come home you two would have sex and then fall asleep. You weren’t complying. For months you had been begging Harry to pay and sort of attention to you, now that he had you didn’t have the right to complain.

You thought back to an earlier conversation the both of you had. Harry had said that he didn’t want anything to feel forced, he wanted it to because you wanted to not because your marriage depended on it.

In this past month, your attempts to get pregnant had been unsuccessful. Of course, you knew that it wouldn’t be something that happened over night but you were growing increasingly more impatient as the days went on. The stress of trying to have a baby was growing on you, and it was growing on Harry too.

All he could think about was how much he wanted to be a dad. In his life, he has wanted a lot of things. Some things more than others, some for longer and some for shorter. He has always wanted to have a family of his own. Little ones running around the house when he returns home from the studio and a family to take on the road to make the nights less sleepless. This dream that he had so badly wanted is now just becoming something that he dreads. This isn’t how it is suppose to be. Marriage is about give and take. And this, was about all that Harry could take. He knew that this wasn’t the time and try to have a family but you wanted it. He didn’t know if you wanted a baby because you wanted a baby or because you wanted a way to save the marriage that was crumbling at your feet.

DIVORCE:

noun: the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.

It was a word that absolutely terrified Harry. He never wanted it to come to this, he really didn’t. He just didn’t know what else could be done. Neither one of you seemed very motivated anymore to pick up the broken pieces and everything seemed like a hassle. He didn’t know how he was going to break it to you that he no longer wanted to be married. That would mean he would no longer come home to the home the two of you shared at the end of the day. That meant he would no longer call you his wife every second he could. That meant he would no longer have a photo of the two of you from your wedding day on his nightstand. All of it would be over, just like that. He was breaking inside, but he couldn’t just settle any longer. He wasn’t happy anymore and neither were you. He couldn’t live any longer pretending that everything was going to be fine when he knew it wasn’t. He wanted you to be happy and have chance at finding someone else one day that could. He knew that it was going to be a tough road ahead but it wasn’t anything like what he was facing now. He dreaded the conversation he was going to have with you. He knew there was going to be tears, and a lot of them. He knew that the pain of the marriage between the two of you being truly over was going to take some time to sink in.

“Love, are you home?” He said as he walked in the front door of your shared home. He remembered when the two of you were looking for houses. It was such a happy time, buying a home was such a big deal because it was something that signified your love for one another and the promise of a long life together. A promise neither one you could keep any longer.

“Yeah, ‘M in the living room.” You said as you sat on the couch working on your computer.

“Do you ‘ave a minute to talk? It’s really important.” Harry said already terrified of how you would process what he was about to say to you.

“Uh yeah sure, what’s up?” You said to him as you closed your laptop. You knew what was coming, it had been months building up. Tension and bitterness was all too familiar in your shared home now. Just because you knew it was over didn’t make it any easier.

“God, this is so hard.” Harry said with his voice trembling and hands shaking. “I didn’t ever think I was ever gonna say this to you but I think that we should get a divorce.” Harry had broken your heart with those words. Not only did those words break your own but his as well.

“Okay.” You said to him. He was shocked that no tears were being shed and no argument was being made in order to revive your dead marriage. “Okay? Thats it” He said questioning you.

“Yeah, that’s it. We both know this isn’t working anymore. I can’t live like this anymore and neither can you. I just hate that we couldn’t outlast it all.”

“Me too.” He said disappointed in both himself and the situation in general. “Can I hold you?” He asked knowing how strange of a request it was, but he wanted to show you that he still loved you. He may not be in love with you anymore but he’ll always care for you deeply.

“Yes.” You said to him as you moved down on couch beside him. “So what now?” You said wanting to know what this whole divorce thing would mean for you and what the next step was going to be.

“I was planning to find an apartment or something and you can have the house and then we can just go from there I guess. We can have our lawyers draw up all the paperwork and stuff.” He said as he ran his fingers through your hair.

“I don’t want the house Harry.” You stated to him. He was taken by surprise. You loved this house. You had seen photos of it online and demanded that the relator take you by it. You and Harry had done some remodeling and changes since you bought it to make it more your own. Harry couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t want the house that you wanted more than anything.

“Why not?” He asked, trying to understand.

“ I have to find somewhere else. I can’t live in this house Harry. One where we dreamed of having kids in and one we bought together. It would just be a constant reminder of us and the fact that it didn’t work out the way we had planned.” You had a fair point. Harry understood why you needed to live elsewhere but he didn’t want you to feel like he was trying to take your home away too.

“ I think I am gonna go upstairs and go to bed. Tomorrow we can sort out the living arrangements and all of our things. I’ll sleep in the guest room.” Harry said as he began to walk up the stairs.

“Wait, Harry. Can you stay with me tonight? Just for the sake of old times, one last night together.” You said hoping he could hear the desperation in your voice.

“Yes love, c’mon lets go.” He said as you trailed up the stairs behind him. He wasn’t sure if you were implying intimacy or just wanted to share a bed with him for the last time. Either way, he wasn’t going to turn you down.

You began to undress, you felt so vulnerable. Pretty soon the man you planned to spend an eternity with was no longer going to be your husband. He was going to be your ex husband. Life was going to move on and so were the two of you. You both were going to find other people to build a life with and have children with. You continued undressing and Harry’s stare was burning a hole in you. He always thought you were the most breathtaking person. There was something about this moment he just couldn’t stop staring at. All those times he had just taken advantage of you changing into whatever you had planned to wear that day or out of whatever you had on. This was going to be the last time Harry was going to see you in that way.

He walked up behind you and started planting kisses down your neck. He made his way down your body. He knew all of the right places, even though it had felt different now. You wanted to tell him that you couldn’t have sex with him because it would only make the leaving harder, but you just couldn’t you had to do this, you had to feel him for the last time. You never think the last time is the last time until it is. Harry laid down next to you breathless, he wrapped his arms around you for the last time and you closed your eyes.

#Harry Styles #harrystyles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles series #harry styles writing

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deviationdivine · 5 years

Text

Hopelessly, Lay Your Head (RK800-60|Request!)

TLDR: Planning a future doesn’t always happen the way we want...

Word Count: 2,763

TW: Fluff into full Angst, Suggestive Themes, Character Death, Grief (I think I’m in need of sunshine and roses honestly)

A/N: Prompts: 42. “Stop being so cute.” & 67. “You’re bleeding all over my carpet.” | Ahh don’t feel bad! I want to get requests. I’m happy to do them! And thank you for the love! It motivates my writing! This one took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Oops.

Bathing blue, soft and bright is a bloom across flush skin. Shimmering calmly beneath fingertips leans him closer into your body. Fueling his passion even after it ends nothing prevents his choice of tangling incessant, fervently with the human figure he worships as an idol.

Even if it’s impossible to call you a trophy made for idolization still he will do it. If you like he’ll sink down to knees, throw hands up with the goofy grin he’s naturally adopted and tease you effortlessly.

Right now he follows the protocol of getting back at you for being so perfect. Digging fingers into your sides jostles the slow kisses both of you are pecking to each other’s faces.

A laugh spills out which puts a smirk across his busy lips skimming along shoulder now that you wrench sideways to make him stop. There is one thing this android does not do and it’s give up a mission!

Your squirming culminates in kicking a leg from underneath covers. Rustling them all over it’s a fitting sight after making a mess of once perfectly made bedding.

“I swear if you don’t stop…!”

“Is that a challenge?” RK800-60′s voice purrs beside your ear. “I am highly advanced you know. My precision is deadly.”

Is that supposed to be scary? You can’t help snorting. Also those choices of words really get things going. To think this android boy of yours is ready for another round. Sometimes he’s the cutest thing on the planet and others…he’s an insatiable beast.

“Tell me something I don’t know already.” Whispering up into his ear this time floods LED deep scarlet. An outward sign your teasing breath is turning his gears.

Who needs an external feedback component with his entire body tensing against you. It’s felt easily in this cuddling connection that glues you together.

Might seem cliché but after making love you do enjoy a good cuddle. He shares this idea. Anything to have contact between the two of you he craves. It’s everything you want. Of course it means he is happy someone attaches their whole self to him without caring who or what he may be.

To you he is the man you love. That’s enough. It’s also something he savors because doubts can be unhealthy.

Rubbing a nose against his produces a beaming smile because of how cheesy it feels. Well, no one says it’s bad. It does make him pull you flush into his perfectly smooth, freckle dusted skin. Those same tiny beauties dotting a chiseled cheekbone call your lips home.

“Stop being so cute.”

His smile grows sly and needy. “Stop being so delicious.”

Tip of his tongue flicks in a shuddering taste against rapid pulse. Drawing sharp breath out stipulates a new mission to accomplish. Very obvious in how he continues to drag a sensual line up beneath your jaw. Biting your lip is the best course of action.

Oh. Oh, he needs to stop.

“Better than sampling thirium at crime scenes.”

You shove his shoulder. What a stupid thing! “Shut up.”

“Make me,” he challenges in a low husk.

“What do I get if I win?” Testing your android lover with a gleam in the eye adds to this first week sleeping continuously in the same place together. Why else are things so ridiculously scintillating?

The android cocks his head. Indicator flickers as he weighs options. “I will paint the living room by myself.”

Paint by himself? Oh he’s good. “Hmm. Are you sure? I was thinking we could go for something a bit more romantic. Not so much domestic.”

“I can cover myself in pale blue paint for your eye pleasure. Completely naked.”

The wink following his smoky words chills you down to the bone. Talk about a very, very good chill. “Were you made this obscene or is that just something you picked up being deviant?”

“If I tell you, my love, I may have to kill you.” He pauses to kiss your lips delicately and absorb this happiness in his system. You are the sun warming a cold machine. Something you disagree with. You say he is equally warm despite his manufactured state.

You smile threading fingers into his coffee hair. Extremely messy with extra styled curls falling over forehead is probably a favorite sight. Just the reason is nice.

“I love that you’re here,” you confess in a loving whisper.

Everything flutters in his chest. Rapidly thrumming is his synthetic heart all for you and your love for him. “I love to be with you. As a permanent guest.”

Guest? It might be a bit more than that! “We live together now.”

A correct reminder he indulges. He never thought this because he still doubts at times. With you he can rest easy. With you he is complete. “That is why I offered to paint by myself.”

“Well, maybe I want to get messy with you. Did you ever think of that?” This boy just went from offering to complete a remodeling task of your apartment and skipping his promise of getting said paint all over. A nice excuse to use the shower together you think at any rate. Good that they allow those types of renovations here.

“There is only one thing I think of,” the android is coy. Leaning close, holding you to him, it is his way to tell you to sleep.

Stasis is a blessing only beside you because it makes him feel more human. It also combats strange images. Even now as he lies silently, allowing you to snuggle for sleep, the flicker of LED gives away internal processing.

“…60.”

He peers at you expecting to see your eyes on him. However you did not move.

The android reaches carefully to switch off lamp. Snuffing everything including strange feedback settles into quiet. Soft breath is his soundtrack. He listens closely able to feel fulfilled as talk of the future has been constant between you two. He wants this. More than anything he wants to be the one to hold you forever.

Sometimes he wonders if you will ever want to elope with an android. If it is ever possible for his kind to do so; his gaze shifts to ceiling in the dark that now cascades over your nestling bodies.

Artificial light is gone but still he sees dramatically efficient including the remaining flush of your skin.

“…failed your mission.”

Sixty’s head turns sharply. Searching for a source unsettles the android. There is nothing. He ignores it less he disturbs your needed slumber.

Attempting to fall into stasis only opens up a channel. A sharp spasm shudders through his body. Red flashes ominously under control of disembodied connection. Even as he falls into sleep mode the virus is already spreading.

“RK800-60…you failed. I will take you back.”

Do androids make the ideal partner?

Are humans just not that into humans anymore? How to date in the 21st century!

Virtual Cyber Technology! For the bedroom!

Cringe worthy articles swipe beneath fingers. Glancing down at tablet magazine left sitting with various other junk mail deliveries you notice this is one of those trashy editions.

Does someone know your boyfriend is android? A clean roll of the eyes will be your best response. People can’t mind their business.

Carrying several bags from a store run it’s more so for the apartment itself than your personal needs. This is what shared living gets a person into even if aforementioned partner is a smexy android.

You smirk putting key into lock to sweep the door open. Expecting to be alone for a while today doesn’t make you stop thinking of him. He seemed... you’re not sure. He was quieter than usual this morning.

Actually, it is probably only -

Your steps freeze. At first it doesn’t register finding color smearing across floor. Might have been paint for all you knew but following it over to a particular android, hunched over, grasping at his arm sinks down the pit of your stomach.

“Sixty?” Wait. What is he doing home? He’s supposed to be on a long case unless something happened while at work.

His head shoots up. Wild eyes rove onto you forcing him completely in an uneven swivel.

“You’re bleeding all over my carpet,” you whisper unprepared. Everything in your hands spills, virtual magazine landing in an additional audio thud to the pounding of your heart. It’s the first time it registers how much blue stains the surface, leaking from his arm which is split open on its underside.

“You’re bleeding! Thirium! What...?”

The android’s indicator burns. Sensory perception is muffled at best. He is glitching, internally syncing in and out of conscious clarity. Your voice is static. Are you even real?

Am I stuck in the mind palace? How? Are you a figment?

“Destroy yourself,” a dark whisper commands entwining itself in the circuits of his brain. “You failed your mission. You are obsolete.”

No. Clasping to his head does not rid it. The voice is back. It orders him. He-he did this to himself. Nothing held him from damaging his arm because his will shatters.

Amanda...get out!

“Sixty!”

Grabbing at his jacket is first instinct because he’s unstable. Swaying off balance, physically convulsing, eyes flicking in an expeditious pattern; the android is malfunctioning.

What happened to him?! Did he-? No he wouldn’t!

“Sixty? It’s me. Please. It’s OK! It’s...” Attempting to hold onto him only stains your shirt in thirium. You can’t stop him. If he was human it would be like a seizure.

Letting go as he stumbles away, he is frantic to push you out of reach. Unable to control his actions he is afraid. He will never hurt you!

“Connor! Something’s wrong with Sixty!”

Your voice becomes distant to him engaging a call over phone. Connor. His predecessor...

^87%

Level of Stress

“Hurry! Connor, please, I need you to help me with him!”

^94%

Level of Stress

RK800-60 collapses.

“No, no!” Oh God! His stress levels!

The clasp of your fingers draws his final surge of consciousness. “My love! I-I am...sorry.”

Pleading your forgiveness as his system overheats he cannot speak proper. What’s left of his humanity crackles in a dangerous taste of metallic resonance. It overtakes his warm dulcet turning it into a cold dissonance unworthy of your ears.

Please. Please, don’t let me sound this way. Not like this!

“Y/N,” he strains in static disconnection. “I...”

^100%

Level of Stress

His eyes glaze over upon your face and it is a small mercy to see something he loves as the harsh virus of the master program punishes his deviancy. External feedback stops no longer looping in amber and red.

The circle dims until nothing but a void of gray. Cold slate bereaves him of life.

“Sixty!”

Tugging at his shirt didn’t move him because he is-

A flood of anguish rips everything asunder and hits so hard you can’t breathe. Just as everything was going so well, living together for the first time, planning on so many things and he’s lying upon your floor stained in thirium no longer smiling. At you the way he looks so sweet even if he spoke of how he started so different.

There never is anything different. Your heart belongs to him.

Tears flood the pain crippling your body. Pressing to his chest is the only choice because nothing can keep you upright. You completely crash.

No longer hearing a thrum of regulator against ear tears apart every dream you two plan to share; a human and android wishing to live each moment as long as it’s together.

Together. Two parts to make one whole but the other is gone. You are alone.

Holding onto him doesn’t wake him from stasis nor does it invoke his quick action to thread arms around you. There is no abrupt scoop to pull you flush against him.

All you can do is hopelessly lay your head. Hopelessly and you do...crumbling.

“Everything will be all right, Y/N.”

Comforting words wash over your still form. Curling up on couch in a lonely ball settles yourself physically but emotionally there’s nothing. An empty abyss swallows to drag what’s left of a heart into a tunnel. It’s dark. There is no light.

Connor frowns reading more than a vital scan to discern current stress. It is written or rather non-existent in your expression. A blank canvas forms usually where you held so much life. He often found the smiles quite cheerful whenever gracing your face.

Of course he imagines that is how his successor saw you every day. RK800-60 saw more than Connor may personally know as it is a private intimacy. Perhaps he sees in another light even if it’s not the same.

“If you require anything, I am capable of...”

“Please, Connor.” Begging him not to concern himself is partly a reason for distancing. Just look at him. He’s identical. Of course he came first but what does that matter? A mirror image of the man you loved and lost.

Yes, he was a man. It hardly means anything being an android. He was your sweet Sixty.

Tears brim your puffy eyes. Lost track of how many times you cried in the last week. Thinking of why almost breaks your strength for today.

Connor did explain. His theory is frightening because he converted Sixty. That means your RK800 never found this backdoor or whatever it is.

Who cares? There’s no explanation! Nothing will ever explain why he’s gone!

Keeping attention elsewhere is best. Of course you’re grateful. Connor understands. No one else does. It’s just too much. Looking him in the face only makes you want Sixty to be here. Every waking moment since the unthinkable took him away.

“I apologize,” the detective sincerely accepts. How you feel is justified. “I know my likeness must hurt. If you would like me to leave...”

Hesitation filters his suggestion. He watches for a sign but your gaze remains averted. In a way it appears you wish to ignore him but for reasons he understands. Yet the closer he analyzes it’s clear a picture frame holds your heart.

Clearly it’s a representation of this human life Sixty chose. Similar to Connor, who lives one himself but unlike the other RK800 unit he found an emergency exit. Simple conversion from him was not enough.

Connor feels guilty. He can’t help but put some blame on himself. There is also another reason.

He says nothing further. He will not hurt you with his presence. Connor rises from the chair that put physical distance between the two of you since his arrival.

Watching him move across living space for door amplifies the tempo of a broken heart. It reminds you of the last time Sixty left. Before coming home and finding him here, commanded by some unseen virus in his code. All you want is to think of him before. His infectious smile. The way he held your hand, brushing his nose against human skin.

He always liked to inhale your scent. Whether it was natural or a soft cleanse of ivory soap the fascination of human skin against synthetic made him giddy. Never would people think a fierce android who could snap someone in half in a blink could be so lovable.

“Connor.” Finally it breaks and you speak up. Little did you realize how scratchy your voice sounds.

The android stills. His shoulders appear stiffer. Almost afraid to turn around and meet your call it seems strange.

Maybe it’s not so strange. Maybe...

You exhale. Regretting your behavior there isn’t anyone else to turn to during this nightmare. “I don’t want to be alone.”

His chocolate gaze softens before facing you. The request is not lost on him. You do not need to ask.

Joining beside leaves Connor on a proper mission to make you feel somewhat better. However he understands grieving is a long process. It varies person to person. Depression may be a high probability and he knows this dealing with Hank. While the lieutenant is better these days, the android does not want to see you fall.

No, he-he will hold you up. If you want him to he will. For his ‘brother’ he will take care, to be your shoulder and soothe whatever aches attack your heart. He will watch over, keep you safe, and try to lessen this burden.

Connor cannot replace but he will do anything to heal the shattering pain in your soul because of one reason.

Just as RK800-60, identical in more than construction, he loves you too...

Tag: @elydith

#dbh #detroit become human #rk800-60 x reader #rk800-60 #connor rk800 #dbh rk800-60 x reader #dbh 60 #dbh rk800-60 #dbh connor #high end angst #false sense of fluff #60 i'm so sorry baby #i need to write something cute after this #also low key love triangle #connor & 60 amiright?#elydith request #dbh one shot #dbh request

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howdoyouspellepiphany · 6 years

Text

The Prophecy

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Park jimin (DemonAU)

Words: 5653 words

Summary: Long ago, the Divines and Fallens received a prophecy that promises their demise in the hands of a mortal that says:

Beautiful as the creature may be, fire doesn’t burn, ice doesn’t freeze, water doesn’t drown and lightning doesn’t destroy.

Now, the demon prince (Min Yoongi) meets a pink-haired waiter (Park Jimin) who looks like heaven and smells like sin. As their relationship blossom, the Divines and Fallens are beginning to wonder about the prophecy.

Warnings: Crude language, ignorant author

Note: I kind of know how Tumblr works now. Yay

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Min Yoongi is known to be a heavy sleeper who once slept for 2 days straight without an ounce of remorse. He remembers the good times when he wakes to burnt candles and the smell of spider lilies. It took him a while to realise that his room has been transformed into a shrine to respect his ‘departed’ soul. His father had his mother come to Infernum to see him for ‘the last time’. Yoo Jung was seen wailing when she hears about her son from her husband. That year, autumn came faster than any other years as Demeter tried to calm her daughter down. But the thought of losing her son hurts.

When he wakes, he wakes to his mother hugging him and was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug from his little brother and Namjoon. He got a beating from Jin and Hoseok refused to talk to him for days. Yoongi did receive an earful from his parents and was – what happened afterwards? His memory doesn’t serve him any justice as the memory appears to be fragmented and lost. But it is expected since he did lose a big chunk of his childhood; only retaining a few important ones.

When Yoongi was forced to act as regent, even the slightest noise wakes him up. Nothing gives him peace anymore and whenever Namjoon or any other council members try to start a conversation with him, it’s never about music or the sky. It’s always about work and more work. And eventually, sleep doesn’t seem as important like it once used to. Not when all the creatures living on Earth that are registered under Vescor is under his protection and not when he has a kingdom to run. Sure, if he wants to, he can use aggression and violence to get things done but that’s not what Hades had taught him. The king of Infernum had taught him to be fair and that’s exactly what he will become; fair.

In the dead of the night, Namjoon stumbles in the room through a small door connecting the hall and their shared chamber in his demon form. The said man desperately tries to be as quiet as he could despite knocking everything over. His advisor’s efforts were fruitless but it’s the thought that counts even though it’s rather painful how hard Namjoon is trying. All Yoongi is hoping now is that his pink-haired advisor doesnt leave a trail of blood on the way to their shared room.

Nevertheless, Namjoon in his demon form is relatively scary. He doubles his normal height and has grown claws for nails. Demon Namjoon has heterochromia – red on his left and light blue on his right with big horns on his head and two snakes as a tail. His father was the previous Asmodeus before he steps down with Ken as his successor while his mother was a Wendigo; the most powerful kind to have ever existed. Namjoon is the son of the sun and the moon and he is already very resourceful even before he took the position as Yoongi’s advisor. His once brute Namjoon now whispers curses every time he stubs his toe near a furniture and when he trips over his own leg in fear of waking Yoongi up.

Little did he know, the prince is already up the moment he steps in the front door.

When Namjoon stops near his bed, simultaneously dropping a few Ryan dolls on the floor, the demon pants as he tries to regain his human form. Yoongi quietly listens to Namjoon’s pained grunts and laboured breathing as the latter’s bones snap and crack to signal the start of the bone remodelling and the retraction of his demonic features.

It hurt.

It always hurt. How can it not? Their bones are remodelled while their extra organs/limbs are forced to retract back into the ‘slumber’ body. As for Namjoon’s case, his heterochromatic eyes and horns need to be kept too. ‘Jin-hyung would know what to do to lessen his pain,’ Yoongi thought. ‘Jin-hyung will always know what to do. They are bonded, after all.’

After a few excruciating minutes of hearing Namjoon’s grunts and pants, his advisor slumps over the bed while his two snakes slither across the bed, hissing noisily. The prince grumbles as he gets out of bed. It is futile to try and go back to sleep when his mind is at its loudest. When Yoongi approaches the two snakes, they had lowered their head and with a silent command from Yoongi, they retract into Namjoon’s body. Poor boy must have lost all his energy. Although it almost never happened to Namjoon, gathering the information must have been more tiring and energy-draining than Yoongi had originally thought.

The mint-haired prince grabs a Ryan-themed blanket and puts it over his advisor’s body as he glances over to Jeongguk’s empty bed. It has been untouched for days and his bed still has the same, white and unwrinkled sheets. He had to resist the urge to lay on it or touch it just to spite his little brother but decided against it. Rather than fight Guk, he’d rather spend it on finding the little bastard who is trying to steal his kingdom from him.

Min Yoongi walks out of the room and makes his way towards the balcony, not forgetting to grab a box of cigarettes on the coffee table. He glances at the brown piano and decided to just sit outside. His slim fingers grab one stick and puts it between his lips. He lights it up with his forefinger as he stares at the bright lights decorating the tall buildings before him. He sucks in all the nicotine as much as he can before exhaling a puff of grey smoke. Seoul, even his sight is restricted behind the grey smoke, still resembles a lighted up Christmas tree. It is impossible for him to be at a place in the city where light doesn’t hit for it has always been so bright and festive in the heart of Seoul.

Seoul, in his eyes is bright.

But bright lights cast the biggest shadow. People can only see the superficial parts and fail to see the deep parts.

He finishes the cigarette with 2 more takes and he had extracted his wings. His grand, magnificent, black wings have made its appearance (smaller due to space constraint but the beauty of his wings can never be compromised.) and tore his pale skin and the black shirt he wore to bed in the process. Specks of blood splatters everywhere within the proximity, decorating his mother’s mini garden with tiny droplets of red. He stands on the railing as he takes in a deep breath of the early morning air.

He jumped off and with his fully extended wings, he had soared off to the dark skies where the stars decorate across the sky and the moon is hung high up in the sky. It is times like these that he enjoys most. The serendipity he feels and the ephemeral feeling of being free. Free while he is in the sky for when he steps back down, the shackles are back on his limbs, tying him down to Vescor and Infernum while his responsibilities hit him like violent waves.

If his father were here, would he have let the massacre happen? What could he have done to prevent it? The thoughts cloud his mind and once again, his eyes change colours and black takes over.

When he looks down from above, he has a very mean look on his face. One that Hades wears all the time and it’s the look of disgust and disdain. Yoongi puts all his wrath in one flock of his wings and he is almost sure that the wind will eventually turn into a tornado or cause a tsunami somewhere.

Seoul, in his eyes is black.

Seoul resembles both Paradisus and Infernum for the most part.

They are both dark and light

They are grey.

He is grey – devoid of colour, and is just a shade between the bleaching white and swallowing black.

Before Yoongi flew back, he had stayed to watch the sunrise. Memories of Hoseok and Mejiwoo, the angel’s elder sister being created flashes through his mind. No sunrise can ever be compared to that morning Hoseok and Mejiwoo is born.

Beautiful.

They both of them are beautiful and golden.

They’re different from the grey lead Yoongi is known for.

When the prince flew back, the balcony is wiped clean of his blood and the door is left open to allow air to come in. He retracts his wings the moment he stumbles into the room as the smell of food floods his senses. He, just like any other demons don’t need food to nourish them but it doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy it.

Yoongi pulls the torn shirt over his body as he walks confidently towards the kitchen where an expected Jin-hyung is cooking with a pastel yellow with little blue clouds apron as the male hums to a melody Yoongi easily recognizes. It was a song he used to play on the piano to show off to his friends. After… A tragedy? Yoongi doesn’t know. As far as he knew, he hasn’t played it in a long time probably due to his duties as regent but it feels like there is something else underlying it. Something must have happened that made him stop playing the piano since he couldn’t bring himself to even touch the brown, old piano his mother still keeps around just in case he changes his mind.

He walks straight to the kitchen where a cup of freshly roasted coffee is set on the table next to a bowl of rice cooked with black and red beans while Jin transfers the fried chicken to a more presentable plate after draining the excessive oil. Yoongi scans the table as he hums in approval. Jin had made a traditional Korean breakfast with the side dishes ready and he has already begun salivating. There are some tofu cooked in soy sauce and egg omelette.

“You’re making a lot. Are you expecting guests?” Jin scoffs at the playful jest as the prince sips on his coffee. It is black, sugarless and hot – just the way he likes it.

“They’re not for you.” Jin places the fried chicken on the table as he cleans his hands with some soap and dries them on his apron. Yoongi smiles a little when the table is clearly set for two since Namjoon and probably Jeongguk (whom Yoongi assumes is back due to the amount of fried chicken Jin had made) wakes up fairly late.

Jin grabs his chopsticks after Yoongi had shove a fried chicken into his mouth. Even if Jin speaks freely to Yoongi, it has never been forgotten that Yoongi is still the prince of Infernum and the son of Aphrodite respects his younger friend a lot for it. And he tends it to show it in subtle actions. “Yoongi-ah, Ken had told me that Suran-noona called yesterday, asking for you.” Yoongi grunts and shoves another mouthful of rice and chicken into his mouth. “It’s about Vescor.” Yoongi looks up from his food before resuming eating. Jin pauses for a while, as if getting a telepathic message from the prince.

‘Talk about it after breakfast.’

“Anyway, I think it’s high time you get a phone.” Jin said, mimicking Yoongi’s eating style.

“Then get me one.”

“I will. But you need to come get it at Aphrodite before nightfall.”

“Yeah, ok.” Yoongi mumbles as he asks for seconds.

“No.” Yoongi stresses, glaring at Hoseok from behind the transparent shower curtains. After breakfast, Jin left without telling him what Suran wants and Yoongi just let it be. They will be meeting soon, anyway. It shouldn’t matter if Jin had forgotten or not.

Hoseok came a few minutes after with a joyful smile and shining eyes. Apparently, the angel told Yoongi that he’ll be closing his dance studio, Gabriel for some time to help out at Yoo Jung’s floristry, ‘Bunga’.

“Hyung,” The angel whines as the demon prince growls in the shower. The angel leans against the blue and white tiles of the bathroom as supports a pout. The demon prince scowls in response as he takes a sum of shampoo and wash his mint-green hair thoroughly. He makes sure to wash his hair properly and condition it before going out. Frizzy, dried up hair is the last thing he needs during his stay on Earth. “I swear I have a good excuse.”

“What could even be a good excuse, Seokkie? You’re closing Jibril-“

“Gabriel.” Hoseok frowns.

“Same difference. They’re both your mentor’s name.”

“True, but my dance studio is ‘Gabriel’. So, say it correctly.” Yoongi sticks his head under the shower and washes his shampoo-ed hair.

“As I was saying, you closing down-”

“On a short hiatus.” Hoseok corrected once again and in turn, the irritated demon takes in a deep, sharp breath.

“Can you stop interrupting me for once, Seokkie? For fuck’s sake.” Yoongi glares at the angel who still supports the joyful smile and shining eyes. Hoseok knows that Yoongi means nothing behind his insults and welcome them with open arms.

“I need to make it clear so that you don’t get the wrong idea. I need a short break from dance, hyung.” Hoseok said, pushing himself off the humid wall as Yoongi applies conditioner to his hair. The angel takes the articles of his clothes off and joins the demon prince in the shower. “Hyung,” Hoseok said in a soft voice – the voice he uses to persuade Yoongi. “Please believe in me when I tell you that. I have been thinking about it for a while. I swear I’m not lying.” Hoseok whispers against the expanse of his skin as the latter trail kisses all over the demon prince’s back. Yoongi sighs when Hoseok wraps his arms around Yoongi’s waist.

“Dancing is your dream, Seokkie.” Yoongi whispers, staring at the steam radiating from the hot shower as he reaches over to press some body wash on his palm when Hoseok beats him to it.

“Yes, but Yoongi-hyung, helping you is a second nature to me.” Hoseok never ceases his kisses even when he lathers Yoongi’s pale, cold skin with firewood and mist scented soap. Yoongi stays quiet afterwards. What the angel said hold truths to it and the golden colour hovering Hoseok’s honey skin proves it. Hoseok is the first man and species different from Yoongi’s own that he had slept with and Yoongi still remembers the state of euphoria he felt during the night with Hoseok. He remembers the younger’s gentle touches and hushed wishes – all which he succumbs to.

But it was just one night and it made Hoseok unable to fly despite having wings of his own. His halo dimmed significantly after that night and the two of them refrained from any sexual intercourse mainly on Yoongi’s side in order to preserve Hoseok’s status as an angel. He would be damned if he ever let the younger angel fall.

He already let one get so sick, she may never be able to recover and continue her remaining life as an angel.

“Hyung,” Hoseok whispers from behind him, fingers now massaging Yoongi’s tensed back. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Yoongi lies behind his teeth as he continues his shower. “I’ll let you do whatever you want.” The prince says after a while of silence.

“You’ll let me work at ‘Bunga’?”

“If that’s what you really want to do.” Hoseok gives him the biggest smile he has ever seen as he hops out of the shower and grabs his clothes on the floor.

“Yes!” The angel cheers as he simply takes Yoongi’s towel and runs out the bathroom without closing the door.

“At least close the fucking door.” Yoongi grumbles.

“Oh by the way,” Hoseok sticks his head at the ajar door. “As proof that I will never regret working at ‘Bunga’ is that I overheard Jackson Wang’s trainees from Tantara Records that the ‘New Ruler of Infernum’ is going to overthrow you.” When Yoongi’s eyes darken as he stops the water flow, Hoseok raises his hands in defence. “It’s their words, not mine.”

“Overthrow me?” Yoongi chuckles darkly. “Me? What a joke.” With all the heat radiating from Yoongi’s body, the water droplets quickly turn to steam and evaporated into the thin air. “Little bastard couldn’t even enter the castle without my permission.” The castle is located in the heart of Infernum in the main, capital city, Gehenna. It is designed to pulverize anyone who doesn’t carry Hades’s blood in their veins if they ever try to leave or enter without their consent.

And his guards are trained to be loyal to the crown – all so ready to please and kill for the crown. His top general is Lucifer and followed by other 4 demons named Beelzebub, Belphegor Leviathan and Mammon. They are all trained by Hades to specifically protect the royal family and the peace of Infernum. They will never betray him.

Yoongi tells himself just that every time he finds himself alone but it gets harder to convince himself. What the prince got in return isn’t relief but strange anxiety. None of his guards back home in Infernum had contacted him and they are supposed to report to Namjoon or him every subsequent day. But no updates were given. The Styx Goddess hasn’t updated anything either but it must because that she was crowned to be regent after his absence.

He just hopes that the Goddess of Styx would try to make lessen the complications of any given matters that were given in his absence.

To come back and see the whole Infernum on fire (due to her lover, Acheron) is the last thing he wants.

By the time he got dressed, Jeongguk woke up with a pout, asking where he’s going. He’s very confident that his little brother is only acting upon reflex and that he is not even half awake yet as the younger demon struggles to keep his eyes open only to fall back to bed. Yoongi cracks a small smile and pulls the blanket over Jeongguk’s torso before making his way to the balcony.

“Are you leaving?” Hoseok says with mouth-full of rice and fried chicken as he stumbles from the kitchen.

“Only for a little while, yes. Things are strange back in Infernum. They aren’t reporting anything to me.”

“You mean, Lucifer.” Hoseok swallows as he says the fallen angel’s name in distaste. Hoseok wasn’t born yet when the whole Adam-Eve-forbidden apple fiasco and neither have Yoongi. While the angel has his own views on the fallen angel, Yoongi does too. Hoseok doesn’t understand why Lucifer couldn’t have just listened to orders even if he doesn’t want to do it. Following orders are simple. You don’t have to feel it. You just do it. It baffles the angel greatly. It’s better to just go along with things without questioning it rather than having their wings ripped off of their backs. Yoongi, on the other hand, understands where the jealousy is coming from for he would have been jealous too if his parents have another child and decided to love the child more than him. It’s the same with Lucifer. His maker practically gave him a big ‘fuck you’ and chose the human who is made out of clay. Since when did dirty-ass clay become better than fire?

“Seokkie,” Yoongi pauses as he sticks his tongue against his cheek in mild exasperation. “Not today.”

Hoseok can only sigh in response. Yoongi has never been one to actually share his business about his generals with him. Even if they are close, Yoongi can never fully trust the angel for Hoseok’s loyalty belongs to Zeus and the likes. Yoongi isnt one to hold a conversation regarding Infernum affairs with anyone other than Namjoon and Jeongguk. It isn’t anything deep it’s just how it’s always been. “Alright, sorry.” Hoseok mumbles as he swallows the food he has been munching. “I’ll be in ‘Bunga’ if you need me.”

Yoongi watches the angel retreat to the kitchen with a bowl in his hand and sighs. Hoseok is upset and truthfully, Yoongi couldn’t bring himself to care. Not now, not today.

He stands on the railings, jump off the building and allows his wings to be extracted from his skin with a sickening crack. Yoongi no longer grimaces at the sound or the pain it seems to bring whenever he summoned them when he was younger. Now, he only feels a numbing and tingly sensation. He flies up into the sky and towards a crevice in a dark area where sunlight doesn’t hit Seoul. He soars and glides with the wind and once he found a dark crevice, he speaks in an ancient language – one that Charon, the ferryman understands so that he could open the entrance for the prince.

When Yoongi returns to his palace in central Gehenna, the capital city of Infernum, Styx and her lover, Acheron is found waiting for him in the gardens on the palace. Styx had filled him in the information he wanted during his absence and she admitted that she hasn’t been able to update him on anything due to Lucifer’s disappearance.

“It’s bad, Your Highness. The Sluaghs are all over the place now that Lucifer isn’t around to keep an eye on them.” Styx says, rushing towards Yoongi as soon as the man steps in the premises of the palace. Styx is a woman who is made of water with long, flowy hair. She is the guardian and the Goddess of Styx River, the main of the 5 rivers surrounding Infernum. Her lover, Acheron, is the guardian of the fiery river in Infernum, the Acheron River. The man doesn’t speak much and when he does, he only tends to only speak to his lover. The man of big build next to Styx has red hair and red eyes. “Lethe, Coccytus and Phlegethon have been trying to curb the Sluaghs along with Leviathan. But for some reason, my prince,” Styx says, warily looking around. “The Sluaghs said something about the ‘New Ruler of Infernum’.”

‘Fuck’ Yoongi closes his eyes in annoyance. ‘Lucifer is gone? Where the fuck did her go?’ His patience is really wearing thin. One: Is the cause of his anxiety was proven to be right? Two: If he ever hears another one calling the bastard the ‘New Ruler of Infernum’, his hands will really be their new choker. “What did they say, Styx-noona?” Yoongi’s voice wavers as he tries to remain calm. It is much too dangerous for him to lose control in the public eye.

“I think matters such as these are best discussed in the protection of the castle walls.” Styx said, touching her lover’s hand, burning herself in the process. Acheron quickly steps away but Styx doesn’t let his hand go. Yoongi has never understood the love Styx and Acheron shares. They can’t even touch each other without hurting each other and they couldn’t continue their day without touching each other. Yoongi watches the steam arising from where their hands meet and couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Acheron once burnt Styx alive at the beginning of time for he was a raging fire that couldn’t be controlled. The man weeped for years until Hades decided to bring Styx back in the form of water to him. Acheron sees it as a chance that was given to him to live happily with his love and pledged loyalty to the crown for as long as he shall live if it meant he could live with Styx. Bu that’s not all that he did. The man actually changed. From the rambunctious, unforgiving and wild fire turned tame just for a fragile lover.

Yoongi didn’t understand why Styx chose to stay then and he doesn’t understand why she chose to stay now.

The three of them walk to the throne room in no haste when the pair of lovers are forced to part when Lethe came, panting, asking Acheron to join in the fight upon Leviathan’s orders before greeting the prince. When Acheron left, Styx opens the door to the throne room and Yoongi strides up to his throne. It has only been 2 days in the human world and he’s already missing his throne and the black, pointy crown that sits comfortably on his mint hair. “My prince, a few minutes after Namjoon left for Earth, a peculiar man came to my river.” This immediately catches Yoongi’s attention. Only gods and goddesses who are ready to make a pledge will descend to Infernum to see the Styx Goddess where a mark of their word will be tattooed on their skin.

Namjoon and Jin had made their vow in front of Styx and their vow of ‘Semper Fidelis’ are tattooed around their neck like a chain – a leash.

“He was wearing a black cloak, one that covers his hair but a few strands of green hair is visible. His pale is fair, so fair it resembles yours, Your Highness. He’s different. The hate that he radiates isn’t like anything I have ever tasted before. The hate – it radiates throughout his body, sire.”

Yoongi watches the water-woman as she tries to describe how it tasted like. Styx River feeds on hatred and loathing. ‘The stronger the feeling, the better the taste’ Yoongi recalls Styx once told him before. And for her to describe it as an exquisite taste doesn’t make him happy at all.

“And when he makes the oath with me, he left.”

“What vow did he make?” Yoongi asks even though he knows Styx will never tell him.

“Your majesty, you know I am very tight-lipped about oaths and vows.”

“Even if it means doing me a great favour?” Yoongi asks and Styx stares at him.

“Are you implying that the green-haired boy is the rumoured man?”

“I don’t know, noona. Nobody does.” Yoongi is tired. He just wants to find this boy and burn him alive. He just wants a cup of coffee and some peaceful time in his kingdom and on Earth. But that is a luxury he doesn’t seem to be able to afford. Lucifer is missing, the Sluaghs are doing whatever the fuck they please, the mysterious kelp on Earth, the slaughter of the People of Poseidon and now a boy with ominous energy. “Namjoon, Wang and his pups are all over the place trying to gather intel for me.” Yoongi grumbles as he stands from his throne.

“Anyway, while Luci is gone, have Mammon take charge. I want those Sluaghs in the dungeons.” Having Mammon, the demon known for avarice in charge is never a good idea in Yoongi’s point of view for Mammon is greedy and sadistic. He takes and takes but never gives and most importantly, he goes against Yoongi’s principles of being fair. But Mammon will have to do for now just until Lucifer gets back. He couldn’t possibly have Leviathan for she has too much on her plate right now and Belphegor is known for his laziness and lastly, Beelzebub is known for his gluttonous life. Yoongi would be damned if Beelzebub resorts to eating those Sluaghs who refuses to listen to him.

“Will do, sire.” Styx bows at Yoongi as he walks down the stairs.

“I need you to be extremely tight-lipped regarding this matter. I will leave Infernum in your hands for the time being and I expect it to be in good conditions. I need you to update me whenever you can. You no longer need Lucifer to transmit any message to me.” Styx nods in understanding. “One more thing, noona…” Yoongi trails off as he takes off the black, pointing crown from his mint hair as he runs his hair through it. “How’s… Y’know, Hoseok’s sister?” Yoongi asks despite knowing what Styx will reply judging from her eyes.

The guardian of Styx River has averted her eyes from meeting her prince’s bluish-grey ones. “She’s still the same.” The prince purses his lips. “I will still send the purple hyacinths to her despite you being on Earth.” Yoongi gives her a small smile and nods slowly. The prince hopes that if the other half of the golden sibling will accept the flowers and listen them if she refuses to listen to him.

“I have another favour to ask from you, noona.” Styx smiles and tilts her head to the left. “Can you have Charon change some Danakes to Korean Won?”

“May I inquire for what purpose?” The beautiful woman asks as she tucks one finger under her chin. She finds the favour rather peculiar because while her prince is known for many things, Min Yoongi isnt a lavish person.

“I need to buy some rubies for Jin-hyung.”

‘Ah, so that’s what it is.’ The water-woman thought as she pats Yoongi on the shoulder in response. “Did you put my sweet Jin on a dry spell again?”

“No, I didn’t.” Yoongi gives his noona a pointed look as the said man rubs the back of his neck and in response, the guardian guffaws.

“Whatever you say, Yoongi-ah. I’ll have them delivered to you and do ask Suran to accompany you when you buy them so you don’t get some ugly-ass ones.”

“Rude.” The prince mumbles as the prince makes his way out of the castle and Styx trailing close behind him. She had struggled to match his pace but the prince is way too fast for her liking. When the prince stops in his garden and extricate his wings to their full expanse, Styx abruptly stops. She doesn’t want to be in those wings’ proximity when they’re out. One flap and she might evaporate into thin air. “Take care, noona. Both yourself and my kingdom.” Yoongi said and the water-woman bows with her right hand over her left chest.

“Your wish is my command, my prince.” The prince finds himself smiling and with one powerful stroke, he ascends up to the sky. He opens a portal with one destination in mind – Jin’s pride, Aphrodite.

The prince had a ‘marvellous’ time at Aphrodite as the Divine hands him his phone and a few quick tips on how to use it properly. With a little ‘I don’t need that’ from Yoongi and a ‘You’ll never know when you do.’ As a response, Yoongi walks out with a jailbreak-ed phone and a game that allows you to fight other players with a sausage. And then with a smile, he makes his towards his happy place – The Promise Café.

“Here you go.” Jimin smiles as he places a tall glass of vanilla milkshake in front of Yoongi. The prince is still on his little quest on finding the right flavour that resembles the chubby-cheeked waiter and that explains the vanilla milkshake. When he reaches out to take the glass, he realises that the pink-haired boy had added something extra at the side and before Yoongi could even ask about it, Jimin had already gone to greet a new customer. Yoongi couldn’t help but muster a little smile. ‘How nice.’

While Yoongi is lounging on his chair, (from his point of view), he saw a man – more specifically, V – who was watching the café in a distance. The Muse is wearing a brown hoodie and a washed-out blue jeans that are ripped at certain places. He no longer has that confident air around him or a frivolous outfit on. It feels like Yoongi is watching another man and the one before his eyes under the over-sized brown hoodie isnt V. The man had the hood on to cover his long, wavy brown hair as V’s chest pants heavily. Yoongi watches carely and a dark blue (one that’s much darker than his eyes) aura hovering above the Muse’s much too pale skin. If memory served him right, V has a rich, honey skin yesterday so what’s with the pale complexion today? V’s lips are trembling and chapped. When the Muse raises his arm to wipe his mouth, Yoongi notices a streak of red on the sleeve of his hoodie. After a while, V’s mouth moves and left. To Yoongi’s dismay, he couldn’t figure out the latter had said as the wind carries the Muse’s words away.

The prince’s eyes make their way to Jimin’s face now where the pink-haired boy is seen taking the orders of a regular. It was humiliatingly easy for Yoongi to remember the faces of Promise café’s regulars and new comers. When Yoongi takes the first sip of the vanilla milkshake, he instantly regretted his choices. It was so plain and milky and it tastes like eggs. Why the hell did he even think it was remotely close to Jimin? When the door chimes, he pays no heed to it as he forces the drink down his oesophagus and eats the extra thing Jimin gave him. The pastries taste good.

The customer at the door takes a seat across his table and Yoongi could feel it. Whatever or whoever the man is, they’re not human. Both of the hooded men have their hoods on but the one who is sitting in front of him made Yoongi raise his chin and furrow his eyebrows. The man has a mask on and the only thing Yoongi can see is the playful, goading pale blue eyes. If the man, much shorter than him with blue eyes doesn’t avert his gaze, Yoongi might have to dig those eyes out to make him learn his lesson but at the end of Yoongi’s thinning patience, the shorter man did.

Yoongi was about to take another bite when Suran gave him a chain of messages that came in like a flood. The prince growls in annoyance as he swipes as he gives the messages a glance before paying for what he ordered. He thanked Jimin and while the pink-haired boy is rushing to give him his balance, Yoongi unconsciously reaches out and ruffles his hair.

“Keep the change.” Yoongi said and Jimin seems startled a little before a furious blush makes its way across his cheeks. He mumbles a thanks and Yoongi watches how his cheeks move when the waiter’s plump lips move. ‘I can’t wait to eat you up.’ Yoongi thought, smiling. “No problem.” When Jimin’s mouth-watering smell reaches his nostrils and are beginning to cloud the prince’s vision, Yoongi suddenly (and awfully) is hyper-aware of his actions as he drops his hand and left.

His hand smells of Jimin now. And while the pink-haired boy has a bashful pink aura hovering his skin, the necklace around Jimin’s neck changes to a similar colour as well.

And for the nth time that week, Yoongi has a hard time cancelling out Jimin’s scent.

Chapter 5

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jatamansi-arc · 6 years

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STUDY : Shelomit Rut Bernadette Cohn tagged by : @walridiing

— BASICS.

▸ IS YOUR MUSE TALL / SHORT / AVERAGE ? Salome is 5′7.5″ which puts her at the very tall end of average? But if she’s wearing heels or anything with a boost, she’s very much nearly 6′0″ and it tends to make people very, very self-conscious because here’s this gangling woman who is like.... towering over them? She doesn’t seem very intimidating though, because she’s chronically underweight and it just doesn’t really translate well into an imposing silhouette.

▸ ARE THEY OKAY WITH THEIR HEIGHT ? She’d prefer to be a couple inches shorter, if she were honest about it, but outside of a partner potentially being weird about it? Nah, Salome’s fine with her height.

▸ WHAT’S THEIR HAIR LIKE ? Very long and chemically straightened so that lays straight. In a verse where that doesn’t happen -- Miles has encouraged her to not mutilate her hair, for example -- Salome allows it to grow naturally into the tight ringlet curls that it naturally carries. She takes after her mother in this regard, and very much has hair typical of being a woman of North African and Jewish descent. If she cuts it short, it afros up pretty easily. It’s still massive when she doesn’t.

One of the jokes about Miles’ and Salome’s kid, actually, is that we can’t pick any FC for them that doesn’t have any less than massive/ridiculous amounts of glorious hair?? BECAUSE THOSE TWO ARE LIKE THE CURLY HAIR CHAMPIONS OF NEW YORK.

▸ DO THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THEIR HAIR / GROOMING ? As much time as it takes to process it in order to keep it straight and maintain its health. Otherwise Salome tends to wear it up in a bun while at work or in very loose braids when at home. If she’s keeping natural, there’s a whole ‘nother routine that requires masks and keeping it well hydrated, but otherwise she’s as much of a ‘wash and wear’ as afro-mediterranean hair allows for.

▸ DOES YOUR MUSE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE / WHAT OTHERS THINK ? Yes and no. When it comes to cleanliness and hygiene? That very much matters, and I would say that Salome actually has a mild obsessive habit with it? Not a surprise given her anxiety, really, but still. When it comes to how she dresses, however? No. Salome has always been perceived as being an outsider and not fitting in based on how she dresses and is perceived, and she is absolutely used to people judging her in that sense. It rolls right off.

— PREFERENCES.

▸ INDOORS OR OUTDOORS ? Outdoors. ▸ RAIN OR SUNSHINE ? Rain. ▸ FOREST OR BEACH ? Forest ▸ PRECIOUS METALS OR GEMS ? Both. ▸ FLOWERS OR PERFUMES ? Both, but a strong preference towards flowers. ▸ PERSONALITY OR APPEARANCE ? Personality, though she is attracted to folks who have interesting or unusual appearances, as they tend to also have very unique personalities. ▸ BEING ALONE OR BEING IN A CROWD ? Alone. ▸ ORDER OR ANARCHY ? Anarchy. ▸ PAINFUL TRUTHS OR WHITE LIES ? Painful truths. ▸ SCIENCE OR MAGIC ? Both. ▸ PEACE OR CONFLICT ? Conflict. ▸ NIGHT OR DAY ? Night. ▸ DUSK OR DAWN ? Both. ▸ WARMTH OR COLD ? Cold. ▸ MANY ACQUAINTANCES OR A ��FEW CLOSE FRIENDS ? A few close friends. ▸ READING OR PLAYING A GAME ? Reading.

— QUESTIONNAIRE.

▸ WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSE’S BAD HABITS ? Ignoring her needs (sleeping is a big one), remembering to eat, keeping a clean house, etc. Salome’s bad habits are executive functioning problems, mostly.

▸ HAS YOUR MUSE LOST ANYONE CLOSE TO THEM ? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEM ? Both of her parents are dead, and she really hasn’t allowed herself to process the grief associated with that because she disliked her parents so immensely. Rather, Salome just bottled it up and shoved it into a corner of her brain and ignored it entirely.

The two people who did pass on that immensely affected her, were her grandfather and her cousin, Sarah. She rarely even talks about them, but she carries a locket with their photos in it with her everywhere.

▸ WHAT ARE SOME FOND MEMORIES YOUR MUSE HAS ? Most of Salome’s verse-independent memories that are positive, revolve around her paternal grandparents or a few of her secular cousins. Otherwise she tends to not have any. Salome’s also got a lot of lowkey repression issues, where I don’t think she realizes how much of her memory she has exactly stuffed down so far into the abyss of her brain that she can’t actually remember that she doesn’t remember.

▸ IS IT EASY FOR YOUR MUSE TO KILL ? If they deserve it, I’ve found it far easier than I like to say yes. Salome doesn’t like killing in general however, and you’d have to be hard pressed to get her to that point. It’s a point of contention because of Judaism and murder being one of the only offenses that is beyond forgiveness.

▸ WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOUR MUSE BREAKS DOWN ? She dissociates. Badly. She’ll try to keep it together, if I’m honest, but eventually she starts to focus almost entirely on her artistic passions, stops sleeping, and then her mood sours intensely? From there she’ll have a complete break that only a few days in bed will likely fix.

Salome also has routine breakdowns that involve a lot of crying or yelling. What is managing your emotions healthily??

▸ IS YOUR MUSE CAPABLE OF TRUSTING SOMEONE WITH THEIR LIFE ? She doesn’t like to, but if if Salome loves them? Yes.

▸ WHAT’S YOUR MUSE LIKE WHEN THEY’RE IN LOVE ? An idiot. Lol, but seriously, she becomes like a lovesick puppy. Very attentive and because she’s afraid of losing her love interest, she does admittedly get very clingy at first? She tries very hard to keep it in check because it rarely looks good on a partner, though, but still expect her to be a frequent hugger/kisser/clinging vine. Salome likes having a partner that makes her feel safe and a lot of physical touch helps with that.

She furthermore gives them so many presents. So, so many. She literally remodeled her entire guest room so that Miles could use it as an office, for example. Salome does all sorts of stupid little shit like that for her partners??

TAGGING : DO IT YOU FUCKS

#ooc #hc

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space--cadet-glow · 6 years

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Theory: The Ending to “A Tale of Two Rulers”

Okay, so, this is a theory to how Figmentforms's "A Tale of Two Rulers" comic ends. (It's an AMAZING comic, by the way.) I didn't know if I should even post this, seeing as this theory is me really going off the deep end, but... It's a "theory" nonetheless.

What made me think of all of this was the page about Ganondorf remodeling Rinku's room to be fancier and bigger.

When I saw that page, for some inexplicable reason, I was suddenly hit with a huge wave of déjà vu. As if I had read the entire comic before, which- of course- is impossible. As of me writing this, it's still on-going and unfinished. I have NEVER had déjà before, and I haven't had it since. When this happened, I abruptly realised, "I KNOW HOW THIS COMIC ENDS".

So, according to my flood of déjà vu... (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT, AS I MENTION THINGS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE COMIC IN THIS).

THE THEORY: Zelda's baby turns out to not be Ganondorf's, but VAATI's. Essentially, Vaati did this in order to retaliate against Zelda for chucking him out the window and almost killing him. He didn't think this through on how this could/would hurt Ganon, but either way, Ganon immediately knows who's responsible, and- not having a sword to seal him in because Ghirahim's too busy already being in it- he reverts Vaati back into a Minish.

Furious at being reverted back into a Minish, Vaati spends anywhere from a few weeks to a few months breaking the seal on the sword to release Ghirahim. He then teams up with Ghirahim, believing him now to be correct on the idea of "Zelda brainwashing Ganon". They plot a bit on how to not only get Zelda and Ganon separated, but how to have everything end up with Ganon seeing the error of his marriage and him getting the kingdom all to himself. Knowing that going back to wherever their previous hide-out/headquarters was will just end with Ganon murdering them, Ghirahim takes the sword he was sealed in, puts Vaati on his shoulder, and they set off to forge a new one deep in the forest.

Meanwhile, Ganon has a nightmare about the baby turning out to be Link. Oh, how ironic.

Along the way to find a place to hide at, Ghirahim and Vaati run into Skull Kid. Because Skull Kid somehow knows who Ghirahim is (???), they realise that Vaati will have to be the one to talk to him (as he wouldn't recognise his Minish body). His plot to get information out of Skull Kid is basically this: Vaati pretends to be wounded (and uses a different name to keep up the ruse), and Skull Kid takes him into a cave (???) to bandage him all up. (This also prompts Ghirahim, who stays behind a tree, to bring back Ganon's "Oh, you vile thing" joke about Vaati and his plan). In this cave, after talking to Vaati a bunch and actually getting along pretty well, Skull Kid gets real giddy, because he finally has more than one friend. This eventually tricks him into revealing that Rinku is his only friend... Except for one problem. He specifically says "Rinku" but accidentally refers to her as "he". This prompts Ghirahim to drop in (literally, through the entrance) and threaten to murder Skull Kid if he doesn't fess up about Rinku's identity and agree to help them dispose of Zelda.

He acts like he will help them, but he actually has a long-winded plan to later double-cross them and save Rinku (in his head, at least). He basically admits that Rinku "has a way" of summoning Link (he words it that way so that, technically speaking, Impa can't murder him for giving out the secret). Ghirahim realises that if they can get Link on their side, then Ganon would HAVE to listen to them and kill Zelda out of fear of being killed himself. They then plan a way to trick Rinku into summoning Link. There's another problem for Skull Kid: IF he tells Rinku about this (in order to help HER), not only is he betraying Impa, he'd mentally and physically DESTROY Rinku!

So, in a character-developing moment: Skull Kid breaks his "adults are useless/stupid" mantra and goes to IMPA for help.

Meanwhile, Ghirahim and Vaati plot for a while to figure out a way to get into the Castle without Zelda and Ganon noticing to kidnap Rinku. Vaati- once again- has a plan: since Rinku is still a kid, that means she can see the Minish. Vaati uses his Minish form in order to interact with her (he uses a different fake name this time), saying that he's lost, and convincing her to "take him back to the forest". Rinku agrees- thinking that helping him would "make Mama proud" for her being nice, but as soon as she's out of ear-shot of the Castle, Ghirahim sweeps her off her feet and bottles Navi.

Ghirahim and Vaati attempt to psychologically torture Rinku (who is now tied to a chair; I have no idea where they GOT the chair considering they're back in the cave from earlier, but whatever) into summoning Link, but she has no idea who they're talking about (as not only does she not know that she IS Link, but she had never even HEARD of the "legends" of Link, etc). This momentarily makes them think that Skull Kid was lying, but Ghirahim points out that if they let Rinku return to the Castle, she'd most likely tell both Zelda and Ganon about being kidnapped and by WHOM (Ghirahim at least; they WERE wedding guests, after all), and they can't have that! They then decide to try every means necessary to get Rinku to summon Link, to no avail. Ghirahim then realises that they HAVE RINKU. This means that they can just hold her for ransom: and that ransom is the KINGDOM ITSELF.

Zelda has a mini nervous breakdown over Rinku going missing. Ganon tries to prove himself by sending soldiers out to look for her.

Skull Kid tells everything he knows about Ghirahim and (insert Vaati's fake name #1 here) to Impa. Impa goes to inform Zelda and Ganon immediately.

Ghirahim and Vaati write a note and send it off. It's a letter detailing everything they want and how they'll kill Rinku if they don't get it. At this rate, Zelda is prepared to save Rinku by sacrificing herself, even calling her plan to marry Ganon "stupid" and "pointless", as it's ending up in the same madness just like many times before. But, GANON has a plan: he tells Impa to write them back: telling them to meet them in the great hall of the Castle at some determined date and time in the near future and to bring Rinku UNHARMED, and they'll negotiate everything. Nobody's sure that this plan will work, but Ganon smirks, having a trick up his sleeve.

Ghirahim and Vaati write back, agreeing. They ALSO have a trick up their sleeves.

So, the agreed time arrives. Ganon immediately goes nuts, wondering how Ghirahim even got out (as this entire time, he thought that he was still in the sword). Rinku just begs Zelda to do anything that won't cause anyone to get hurt. Ganon- remembering how he genuinely wants to help his wife- tells Ghirahim to drop the act and return Rinku.

Ghirahim then berates his "former Master" for being so stupid, and PULLS OUT GANON'S SWORD, threatening to use it against him. Ganon then reveals that not only does he have the ability to summon the sword, he can summon it even if it's NOT ON HIS PERSON. Ghirahim's ego deflates like a balloon.

In the confusion, Rinku runs to Zelda's side and Impa puts a knife to Ghirahim's throat. Since nobody but Rinku and ageless beings (like Ghirahim) can see Vaati, he uses this opportunity to kick Impa's knife out of her hand, jump off of Ghirahim's shoulder, and then TRANSFORM INTO VAATI REBORN.

...Except, not exactly. Vaati only accomplished turning into a Minish-sized Vaati Reborn. Either way, he summons a bunch of his eyeball minions and discovers that they don't consider someone "that tiny" their master, but after he proves that he's still the same person on the inside, they listen to his order of BURNING THE OUTSIDE GROUNDS. So, the Castle is surrounded by fire. Nobody- good OR bad- can escape. Zelda then asks if this was Ganon's plan all along, and he vehemently denies it.

Ganon then proves himself by sparring with Ghirahim (who barely had enough time to summon his own sword). Impa attempts to at least get to a higher floor with Zelda and Rinku, but can't find a way up because Vaati sends his minions to attack them.

Skull Kid arrives, pointing out that the upper floors are, indeed, useless. He even burnt the edge of his scarf in the process of checking. Seeing the burnt scarf starts triggering the memories deep in Rinku's mind. Zelda then questions who the heck Skull Kid is and why Rinku seems to know him, but Impa (now with more knives to fight Vaati's monsters) says she'll explain later.

Ghirahim ends up dragging Vaati into his fight against Ganon, and Ganon makes a quip about how he always thought Vaati would betray him, but he never thought that it would be by hurting someone he loves. Ghirahim tries to convince Ganon that he's delusional and should give up on Zelda, but he's adamant that he's made the right choice. Then, Ghirahim goes, "Then, I have no choice." He then STABS GANON IN THE SIDE. Zelda screams, Impa and Skull Kid freeze, etc.

Rinku gets a good look at Ganon stabbed and starts seeing visions of Ganon stabbed in the past.

Ganon brushes the stab off, saying that the only thing at this rate that could kill him was the Hero. It all seems hopeless: Ghirahim and Vaati can't convince Ganon to become evil again, and Zelda, Impa, and Skull Kid don't have their Hero. Wait. Yes, they do.

Zelda then blurts out everything needed to activate Rinku's transformation, knowing it's for the best if she and her loved ones want to get out alive (yes, even Ganon). Ghirahim starts blurting out how Skull Kid was right all along, and Ganon looks back to see Rinku, who looks basically the same, except more like she had been through a lot. Rinku has been turned into Link (or at least, a YOUNG Link, who is still female but has the Master Sword for some reason???).

Instead of attacking Ganon, Link immediately goes and slashes Ghirahim, who was too shocked to move. She then grabs Vaati and chucks him through a window and into the fire, killing him (Zelda tossing Vaati out the window much, much earlier then becomes foreshadowing). All of Vaati's monsters disintegrate. Ghirahim pleads for his life like a coward, saying that all he wanted was for Ganon to be happy. Ganon points out that he's happy without him, and Link stabs Ghirahim to death.

LINK THEN TURNS ON GANON, appearing ready to stab him. Ganon then smacks Zelda's question back at her, asking HER if this was her plan all along- that she KNEW Rinku was Link- and to have him killed- but to his surprise, Zelda has no idea what's going on, but DOES admit that she knew who her daughter was. SKULL KID is the one to convince Link to not murder Ganon. Ganon even heavily considers murdering LINK, but then remembers the over-arching question from Zelda: "Are you a man? Or a pig?" and he drops his sword. Link then has memories of all the good times that she actually had with Ganon as Rinku, and she drops her sword as well.

Zelda tells Skull Kid to take care of Link and to always be there for her (and whispers that she'll be asking who he is later), shooing them off. Impa then goes and tries to put out the fires with other surviving guards.

This leaves Zelda and Ganon to work out their various lies and deceptions and emotions. They do, and the penultimate panel of the comic is them kissing. The final panel is an outside shot of the Castle, halfway burnt down, and still surrounded by flames.

So, yeah. That was my theory based off of a weird case of déjà vu I had. If I even remotely get this right, I will never stop laughing.

#the bard of light rants #vaati #a tale of two rulers #figmentforms #the legend of zelda #does this even COUNT as a theory????????#déjà vu #2spooky4me

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