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#the rona made me do it
delicatetaysversion · 9 months
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tag limit hit ho gayi yaar
#haan toh main kya bol rahi thi.#haan unhone sab itna jaldi kiya cheek pe kiss bhi kiya i was like arey please no aap rakho itne saare paise i can't 😭#cause she already bought me that hoodie for like 700 rs#she was like i can't be here for your birthday na#bhai meko toh rona hi aa gaya itna saara pyaar i swear mere parents ko iska 1% bhi nahi hai mujhse😭😭#and money has been tight bachpan se cause shit happened in like 2013 or something and since then we've all been single#mindedly striving for highest paying jobs best education and now that she's finally there (touchwood)#i think it means a lot to her being able to spend money freeely for her loved ones#and with her idk i do believe that she loves me yes because she said ek baari when she was crying because kuch kuch hua tha#but also attending meeting office ki online rote hue sob karte hue kyunki parents time dekhkar thodi na ladte hai#and i didn't know how to help her and i knew they were. fighting subah se and she hadn't eaten anything so i made her cornflakes ka doodh#(her fav) and gave it to her table pe but it just made her sob much much harder and she couldn't drink it😭#but later on she said ki im so thankful i have you mujhe dikh raha tha ki you wanted to help but you didn't know kaise karu still you tried#and just you being there was enough in that moment#like i don't know why im thinking all this today maybe because bua is here home and she was home that time too it happened in front of her#all this she's the only person who knows what kinda shit dad does#and just. past few weeks i really genuinely wanted to kms like i would sit in morning class and i would look down at my hands and see the#veins and think one cut and it would all be over you're so tired i know you can rest now#it got so bad that i started wearing full sleeve clothes only so i couldn't look at them#but now. i won't say it's completely gone that feeling but like#i want to live because so many plans i have to with my sister how can i leave her alone#like not just for her but for me for us i want us to be happy together like we planned#like yk us as a unit doing things we've always dreamed of visiting places and bachelorette parties and clubbing and living with her and her#bf/husband when i need somewhere to run to and going on a no budget shopping spree and storing ice cream tubs in our house#like they used to do in american movies and her having kids me getting over my disgust for them helping her raise them clean them being#the masi and#I DON'T KNOW OKAY OMG😭#i felt so loved finally after a long time SACH MEIN real way mein#oh pata hai she also offered to pay mere tui ki fees bc i was complaining to mom ki papa kaise taunt maarte hai😭#like it's 20 fucking thousand waise toh kam hi hai but as a salaried person it's still a lot 😭
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bythewillows · 1 year
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I had a dream abt my childhood best friend.
It was fun, we were on a field trip and just hanging out, taking weird little pictures at a table in a quaint little restaurant with maybe two other friends. It was mushroom themed. In the dream, I wanted to ask how she'd been doing—whether she moved away already, whether she'd gotten into college and which course she decided to take, whether she was still playing a MOBA game that ended up being the last tidbit I knew about her—but I didn't. I remember not being able to say anything. We took lots of pictures.
She brought savory chips and I brought salty chips. We shared both bags amongst our table, and I remember her calling her mom and saying that she'd have to take the chips back home (her bag was still more than half full near the end). Then I remember stuffing my face with her chips to help lessen the amount in the bag. I even wanted to say, "it's fine, I can take it home for you."
I don't like chips. Especially the thick, crunchy, too-much-flavoring kind she'd brought. But I remember my cheeks being almost painfully full as I chewed, bursting with the flavors I didn't like, trying to get the bag at least halfway, and she laughed. "I thought you didn't like chips," she'd said. I really didn't, I wanted to answer, I just don't want you to go home with them.
But my mouth was full, and there were still a lot of chips left in the bag, so I didn't say anything. I remember being really, really sad. Which was weird. In the dream we were meeting up, she was there for one last hangout before I moved away, and I asked if it was ok to show the stupider looking photos to our other friends. Going through the gallery, I realized some of the pictures we took ended up fading into ones of the scenery, not of our faces.
She was leaving. There was no time to retake them. The dream was ending, and it hit me that none of it was real, that we don't have any plans to meet up because we haven't talked in over two years. And it's weird how desperate you can get at the end of a dream. I remember asking her, "would it be ok if I messaged you later?" Knowing that it wasn't about the pictures, or about the big bag of thick, crunchy chips I was holding in my hand to take home. Knowing that it's been almost three years now, actually, and the last time we texted she'd picked up my kaomoji habit when I thought she didn't even use emojis. She said she didn't like texting. Back then I'd thought it was weird I was surprised, since we'd been considered an inseparable set for five years. She was my best friend, after all.
So would it be ok if i tried now?
She was wearing a dress the color of the tangerines we have at home, and I was gripping her skirt.
The dream ended before I could hear an answer.
I woke up, went back to sleep, and had another one abt chocolate-flavored mochi and escape rooms.
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countrycrackheads · 7 days
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sugar service
pt. 1
cw: didn’t proof read this, cussing, writing practice. best of luck.
“Hot damn!”
“Smash, smash, smash, uh… yeah, him too. Smash.”
You rolled your eyes, stifling a laugh as the other waitresses eyed your table. The three of you were waiting at the hostess post on a particularly slow day. The only customers was your table of four. Some older guys your friends just couldn’t seem to get enough of.
“Please,” you mumbled. “They’re old enough to be our dads.” Your eyes flicked up from the magazine in your hands to your coworkers. The three girls were giggling and occasionally glancing over their shoulders.
“Yeah, that's the best part!” Your coworker, Rona replied before glancing back again. “Older guys are experienced and typically have pretty big… savings.” She grinned at you, her eyes narrowing coyly.
“God-!” you scoffed, choking down your surprised guffaw. “You guys are unbelievable.”
Ignoring their giggles and teasing, you push yourself off of the wall you were leaning against to approach your table. Your eyes roamed over the four men, taking in how their shirts clung perfectly to their muscles. A few gray hairs here and there, but their physiques certainly made up for their age.
Caught up in your ogling, you slammed your hip into the corner of their table. The oldest of the men quickly grabbed the edge of the table to steady it.
“Fuck…” Your hand immediately slapped over your mouth in shock, remembering that you were in front of customers. The men chuckled, eyeing each other before turning back to look at you.
“Careful there, sweetheart. Can’t ’ave a pretty little thing like you bruising up,” one of the men, a particularly dashing man with a mohawk, chastised you. His eyes scanned yours before slowly raking down your form.
Letting out a shaky sigh of relief that they were cool and not some uptight old asses, you smiled. A genuine smile, not the customer service lip curl you were so used to doing. “I would like to apologize for that, gentlemen.” After a few seconds, you quickly added, “Please don’t tell my manager.”
With languid waves and laughs, they shook their heads and sipped their beverages in amusement. “There ain’t anything to tell.” A man with a scarred face stared, boring his eyes into you. He seemed to be deep in thought before giving his head a slight nod—something the other men quickly noted.
“Thank you.” You took a deep breath now that the anxiety of possibly losing this shitty job passed. “Is there anything I can get you, gentlemen? Drinks, dessert?”
“Your number?” He looked at you expectantly, a handsome man. The youngest of the bunch, no doubt.
Dealing with flirty old customers was a piece of cake. It’s what got the tips going. But typically they were vile old men you would never touch with a 10-foot pole. These guys were quite palatable. Very palatable.
“Well,” you laughed nervously. Perhaps Rona had a point. These men had a way of making a girl’s tummy flutter like it never has before. “Unfortunately, I can’t give you that, sir.”
“Kyle.”
“Pardon?” You blinked at him, furrowing your brows.
“Call me Kyle.” Another dashing smile sent butterflies thrashing in your belly.
“None of that sir shit. Makes us feel too damn old.” The men grumbled with bitter chuckles. “Johnny.” The man with the mohawk dismissively pat your hip, gripping the tender flesh of your forming bruise. “That old sap is John. And the brooding fella is Simon.”
“Piss off,” Simon grumbled, certainly living up to the broody title.
An amused giggle shook her shoulders, your hand subconsciously resting over Johnny’s. “It’s lovely meeting you all. So how about that dessert?” You inquired, grabbing the paper centerfold that listed off the desserts of the weeks. “The chocolate chunk brownies are pretty good and the cheesecake here is lovely paired with...”
The men rose from their table, completely ignoring your rambles. “That won’t be needed, love.” John’s hand rested on your shoulder, perhaps a bit too close to your chest.
“You give us a call when you’re ready.” Johnny stood beside you, his breath flicking against the shell of your ear. His hot, tipsy breath made you shiver and recoil.
Kyle only chuckled, gracefully slipping a business card into your pocket. “A pretty little thing like you shouldn’t be working.” There it was again. That dashing smile that turned your knees into jelly.
“Give us a call.” Simon grumbled from the table. Glancing at him, you noticed the thick wad of cash he was leaving behind on the table.
“Sir, that’s too much.”
“Enjoy your tip.” Johnny pat your hip dismissively, sauntering away shortly after. John and Kyle followed behind him.
In complete disbelief, you nervously laughed. “Holy shit…” You shakily picked up the wad of cash left behind on the table. Simon quietly stood behind you, casting his shadow over your body. His eyes slowly raked down your back.
“See you ‘round,” he mumbled, not surprised as you jumped out of your skin in shock at his presence. Moments later, he was out of the place, nothing left but an empty establishment.
With shaky fingers, you plucked the business card out of your pocket.
Sugar Service Call (555)141-6157
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kyuushi · 4 months
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I present... the character relationship chart from the second official fanbook! Thanks again to the Kyuushi Discord server for the scans, Aroshi for help with cleaning, Shells for proofreading, and Crimson for Mebi's "fry" 😆❗
Like last time, there are some notes under the cut!
Mippiki: As a reminder, this word is a combination of "three people + one small animal (armadillo)" and refers to Rona, Draluc, John, and Hinaichi.
Little-big Bro: Himari calls Rona "chii-nii" (小兄) to differentiate between him and their eldest brother, Hiyoshi. Ironic considering their heights…
God of Popularity Polls: In case you're wondering who that random old man is with arrows to Rona and Draluc, that's him, the God of Popularity Polls. Ura-Shinyoko stole his seiyuu in the anime…
Bio-employees: Autumn is capable of just growing living entities like Rokumon and Chinoike in their lab. Very normal publishing company.
Cement: Chinoike's gimmick is that he only speaks in wrestling terms. I don't know anything about wrestling myself but Google tells me that a "cement style" wrestling match is a serious match where both parties do their best to genuinely win, as compared to an exhibition type match which is more staged/for fun?
Niga, Sanga: Kuwabara and Sanzu are a ninja and kunoichi respectively. Their village names are parodies of the famed Iga ninja. Ni means 2, san means 3.
Useful mobs: Mob = background character. Bonnoki and the fandom's beloved bg boys Miki Kanae and Yoshida Terukazu-san❗❗ There's lore behind these 2 but I won't get into all that here, I just want to mention that Yoshida-san is based off a real person's art. Hopefully we'll get to see the 3rd useful mob in a relationship chart someday!
Piyo-chan: Ventrue accidentally made himself appear as this cute bird avatar on a Noom (Zoom parody) call with the other old bloods. They'll never let him live it down.
Black Silhouette: This is the three brothers' mother, Gabriella! Her face was hidden for quite some time before she finally made a fully drawn appearance in chapter 297.
As always please do take my translations with a grain of salt; I'm just a fan translator and while I did have someone help me with proofreading, the possibility of mistakes remains. If you have any questions or comments feel free to reach out to me here on tumblr or on Discord, @ ash in the Kyuushi server.
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jstarr86 · 3 months
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Credit to this fine ass muse and the idea randomly stumbling upon those gifs from night one of making Heymans nightmares.
She stood leaning one arm on the counter as she leaned towards the mirror trying to finish her makeup. Her half of the duel sink of the bathroom a cluttered mess of various hair and makeup items she’d used the past two hours while getting ready. She heard footsteps and felt the heat from his body. Bare feet basketball shorts, no shirt. She looked at him in the mirror as his head tilted and his dark eyes trailed over her frame
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“Where you goin?” He gruffly asked. Voice a bit lower than normal.
“Out with a few of the girls, Rona invited me out.”
“Whatchu wearin?”
“My dress.”
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“I know damn well you don’t think what you got on is a dress.” She rolled her eyes at him as he spoke and continued to line her lips. Nothing that different from her day to day, just a bit more sultry and smoky. His head tilted again as he looked her over. He wasn’t very happy that much was written in his body language, and she wasn't gonna lie and say him acting territorial and a bit jealous wasn’t sexy it was because he normally didn’t. Occasionally if a guy pushed up on her he’d do the normal can I help you shit or walk up and kiss her or something but never like this never a you can’t wear that. If anything his ego liked showing her off
“Yup.” She replied leaning back and slowly cleaning up the mess she’d made. She put everything up and grabbed perfume, one of the ones he liked the most. She watched his face twist up a bit as he sniffed the air.
“You wearing that perfume.” He grunted. She smirked shaking her head stepping around him and out of the bathroom stopping at the closet walking in her half as she grabbed the shoes she’d wanted to wear, a pair of strappy heels. She slipped them on bending and wrapping the band around her calf as she tied it hearing him behind her “you not going out looking like that.”
“I’m a grown woman.”
“Yeah you grown but you ain’t fixin walk out the door in that.”
“And exactly how is that for one and two you not gonna stop me three you ain’t my daddy and four I’m goin.” She went to move when his hand gripping her bicep in a firm yet gentle manner stopped her. eyes rising to meet his, an intensity in his eyes the small dark smirk sexy as fuck but that sent a shudder down her spine. Him looking all of the intimidating that he did week in and week out for work, only this time that predatory gaze was directed to her and it definitely had her feeling some kind of way. I
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“You not leaving in that.”
“I’m going out, I'll be back later.” She challenged defiantly. He tilted his head looking over her, her bottom lip going between her teeth. She grabbed her purse and went to step around him when his hand stopped her making her head tilt as her eyes ran up his torso, his dyed beard those plump lips into those intense ass dark brown eyes that bore into hers anger and frustration in his face and eyes.
“You forget you not single anymore.” She rolled her eyes sarcastically holding up her left hand, the ring on her finger catching in the light.
“Does it look like I forgot I’m not single.” She gasped as she tried to move and got pressed into the wall, his hand against her collar bone and lightly on her neck.
“Now ain’t the time to be a smartass.”
“I know it’s the time for me to be leaving.” She pushed him as she walked out of the closet but shrieked as she was shoved towards their bed where she fell catching herself on her hands, his hand in her back keeping her down. “Man move.”
“You heard me.” She gasped when he roughly smacked her ass hands roughly rubbing the spot after. He muttered something but she couldn’t make it out; she couldn’t speak Tongan. A couple words or phrases but no where near the fluidity he could after all it was his first language. His fingers running up the back of her thigh until he reached the hem of the dress pushing it up over her ass as she heard him all but growl his hand grabbing a handful of her ass as he roughly kneaded the flesh. “Ass practically hanging out.” She moaned softly biting her lip as she moved her head glancing back at him a cocky smirk on his face, eyebrows knitted together, he was pissed but turned on. His fingers ghosting over the lace, that she knew was dampening by the minute with his aggression. He chuckled his eyes meeting hers, the annoyance clouded with lust. “Should’ve taken you while your sexy ass was bent over the counter.” She took a breathe as her mind betrayed her showing a mental image of him having her bent over their bathroom sink watching him in the mirror as he brought them both to ecstasy making her watch every little thing he was doing to her. Her hand hitting the mirror and sliding as she looked for something to ground her as he tried to put her into another world. It sounded sexy as fuck. “Wet as hell guess you liked that hmm.”
“Shut the fuck up.” She gasped as he slid inside her suddenly. When the hell did he even lower the shorts or boxer briefs enough.
“I’d tell you to shut up but I like the noises you make.” He grunted. The man fucked good, really good. Honestly it was more than good, always had been. He was the kind of man that had a woman worshiping whatever would listen after he dicked you down. Each stroke hitting her gspot and she swore she could feel him in her stomach that coupled with the way his hips rolled, he was going to make her cum so fast. His hand holding her hip one sliding up her back and holding her shoulder as his thrusts grew in power, where was the guy with the mortal Kombat voice ‘finish her’ cause this man was hitting all kinds of fatalities on the pussy. She moved her hand back trying to push his stomach to get him to ease up, her body overloading as she tried to find a way to fight off what he was making her feel. “Move ya damn hand.”
“Baby.” She whined
“Move ya-“ he stopped talking grabbing her wrist and pinning her arm behind her back as he used it as leverage.
“Ughh mmmm.” She moaned out
“Not so cute now with ya smartass are ya.” He grunted out between thrust. His hand moving from her shoulder and to her throat as he leaned her back against him. Thank god she was in heels cause other wise she don’t think she’d bend the way he currently had her arched back into him. “You sound so pretty moaning for me.”
“Baby.”
“Nah ain’t no baby. You gonna take all this dick like you was talkin all that shit.”
“Fuck.” She moaned out. Her free hand grabbing his forearm that was between her chest. Something to ground her and if it wasn’t him she’d be worried about falling or something but she knew in his arms she was safe.
“Feel so fucking good. You gonna cum.”
“Tama.” She hissed as he hit her ass hating when she said his ring name, she’d do it just to annoy him sometimes. His action made her moan out his cocky chuckle reverberating in her ear.
“What you call me.”
“I-mmmm fuck.”
“Yeah you did this just so I’d ravage ya ass hmm. Needed daddy hit that shit right.”
“Daddy.” She whined out her body shaking. He grunted straining and she felt his hand tighten slightly.
“Fuck.” He grunted “cummin all in daddy’s dick hmm, what you thinkin you bout honoring that and have every man all over you. Gonna have me killin a man.” His hips slamming into her a hard grind extenuating his thrust and letting her feel all of him every inch and vein as he laid claim to her body. Trying to put a new meaning to the term rearrange your guys because right now it felt like he was doing just that and so much more. Something that felt damn near foreign between work and parenthood. It seemed like either it was a quickie and a stolen moment or they’d be interrupted if they even made it that far. She tried to press back against him but he damn near made it impossible “feel so good around me.” She came shaking but he didn’t stop, if anything her orgasm seemed to fuel him as he pounded into her harder and faster sending her sensitive body into overdrive. She practically collapsed on the bed as he roughly fucked her into another orgasm before rolling her over. She knew she had to look fucked out hair a mess and she probably had mascara at the least running down her face.
“Pate.”
“I like the dress but you can’t wear that without me.” He tugged it mouth finding her nipples as he slid back inside her as she gasped her nails raking his chest as he bent forward her legs going over his shoulders as he pounded into her. Like he was branding her pussy with his dick
“Shit maybe I should dress like that more if this is what I get- shit.” She yelled out as he moved his head biting the inside of her thigh.
“I fuck you feel my so good you gonna cum again baby.”
“Yes!” Her head fell back as she arched into him “Alipate.” She moaned out in a drawn out moan as she came her nails raking down his back as he grunted in pain his hips moving faster as he chased his own nut
“Fuck take this dick.”
“Ahh.” She moaned out again his orgasm making a mini one slam into her, his head in her neck kissing and sucking gently. His hips slowing in their movements.
“You ok.”
“Mm fuck I hate you.” She laughed out
“Nah you dont. You love daddy and his dick.” She rolled her eyes as he moved them to lay better in the bed. She sat up tossing the dress that had been bunched around her waist. Her phone ringing in her purse, easily Sarona or one of the girls seeing where she was. He leaned over grabbing it as he held her ankle untying the heels on ger feet before dropping them on the floor.
“Hello, yeah she here. Nah she ain’t coming nowhere tonight. What you mean why? Yeah I’m serious she’s got a date with my dick she can have girls night some other night.” He hung up tossing the phone and laying with her
“You didn’t just say that.”
“I did and it’s true. You still wanna go.”
“No.” She replied yawning as he smirked
“Yeah done knocked that ass out with the dick.”
“You didn’t win this argument.” She muttered, closing her eyes. His fingers trailing her spine and his heartbeat in her ear was making her sleepy.
“Oh I definitely won.” He replied kissing her head as his free hand cradled her thigh to him as he let himself fall asleep satisfied he’d gotten his way and her to himself. The red dress that drove him insane a heap of clothing on the floor he’d pick up when he woke up but not until after he had her again
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billyharringson · 1 month
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I've got the 'rona and feel like a bag of crap, so I haven't been able to write much these last couple of days. That being said I've had like three Harringroveson ideas pop up in my head, and it might be the fevers fault but I think they're pretty good. I'm probably going to save them for the Metal sandwich bingo but here's a little thing that I jotted down before I forgot it.
--
"Okay, so if you really wanted him that badly then why have you never made a move?" Eddie asked, arms crossed defensively over his chest. And despite how obvious a deflection it was, Steve couldn't see any reason why he shouldn't answer honestly.
"Because Billy looks at you like you're the reason the sun comes up in the morning." He said, watching with some satisfaction as Eddie's face dropped slightly and he finally looked a little sheepish. "And don't try and act like you don't feel the same way. I've seen you. The way you touch him, not even sexually. I don't think you realise you're doing it, but you'll just grab him when he walks past you. Take his hand or touch his hip or something. It's like you need to remind yourself that he's real. That he's real and he's yours."
Steve sighed, flopping down into the arm chair, resting his head in his hand. "I wasn't about to come between that. I love him and if you make him happy, if he loves you then that's enough for me."
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silentmoths · 1 year
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At your beck and call
Its moth, crawling out of the covid cave to drop this and then going back to bed.
wont lie this idea has been on my mind for the better part of a week, but between work and then being smashed by the ol' rona I havent had the energy, plain and simple. but I'm starting to get that back.
sorry if it seems a little rushed, brain wanted it OUT.
Butler! Zhongli x CEO (Afab) Reader.
Nsfw, does this count as office AU? i think it does?, humiliation kink if you squint?, aftercare because even when he's mean zhongli is an aftercare king.
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You had never entertained the thought of hiring a live-in personal butler until one of your friends had mentioned it. She’d gone on and on about how her much time having one had saved, and how it gave her the peace of mind to relax every once in a while, a luxury you can't remember the last time you afforded as the ceo of a major company, sure you had secretaries, but they only worked within the firm, and your life?
God you needed a secretary for life.
Even then. It took you a few more months to finally cave and look into it. The agency you find has raving reviews; there’s an interview process, which takes another few weeks for you to finally sit down and do. They ask you many questions about your lifestyle, and what you need out of their service, and then it’s left in their hands.
And so, a week later, you receive a knock at your door.
Tall, sharp features, immaculately dressed.
But his eyes.
Holy shit his eyes.
Molten gold, almost shimmering in the morning light as your new butler bows to you.  One gloved hand over his heart.
“Good morning Miss. My name is Zhongli.The agency has analysed your lifestyle and have thus extended your contract to me.” He explains.
Well damn, in the looks department alone you’d be leaving them a five-star review.
Your first proper morning with Zhongli working for you was…hectic.
Your morning alarm didn’t go off, thankfully your body-clock was pretty on point, but still, you’d slept in ten whole minutes, throwing off your schedule.
You barely even noticed that your clothes had already been laid out in the bathroom as you whirlwind through your bedroom to get ready, simply picking up the neatly folded pile as you went.
You resign yourself to a breakfast smoothie as you flurry into the kitchen, you simply didnt have any time to cook, and you’d have to clean the blender when you got home-
“Ah, good morning Miss. I trust you slept well?” Zhongli asks as he places down a plate of bacon and eggs at your usual spot in the breakfast nook. You stop, blinking at him with wide eyes.
“W-whats that?” you ask him, brain still not quite with it yet.
“Breakfast?” He counters with a tilt of his head. “Simply one of my duties.”
Right…
Right you had a secretary for your life now…
And fuck, he could cook.
You don't remember the last time you’d sat down, in your own house, eating a hot, home cooked meal for breakfast…usually it was toast, or if you didn’t have time to sit, the aforementioned smoothie that you really hated, but it was better than nothing, because when else would you have time to eat during the day?
But no, breakfast had been made for you, served with coffee and even the morning newspaper. Zhongli looks…immaculate as always, smile on his face as he cleans up and announces he will be awaiting you in the car.
That first day…no, the first week was such a learning curve… between him driving you everywhere, keeping you blessedly on time for your meetings, he also seemed to know exactly what you needed, sometimes before even you knew.
He sometimes appears with a small plate of cookies, and a mug of hot coffee, made just the way you like it,  just as your mood was beginning to wane, and immediately you feel better. 
As the weeks stretch on and deadlines draw closer, you find that he’s also an amazing sounding board, and your nights become a little less weary with someone else there to fill the silence, even as he silently goes about tidying your home, he’s never too far away.
Something around the latter half of the year just really made all your client’s extra demanding. 
Your staff were overworked.
You were overworked.
You find yourself staying up later and later into the night, going over plans and documents, trying to sort all of this…this mess into something cohesive for both yourself and your poor staff.
You rub at your temples with a ragged sigh. What time was it now? You don't think you want to know… 
A soft clink beside you draws your attention to a fresh cup of tea and you startle.
“Oh, Zhongli…I-I thought you’d be asleep by now..” you murmur softly, leaning back in your chair. Your butler simply smiles at you, even now at god-knows-what time passed midnight, he was still dressed in his usual work suit. “You should be too, Miss.” he tells you softly, but not condescendingly, like a worried friend.
“I cant yet.” you sigh, motioning to the armageddon of papers strewn across your desk “I need to get this sorted before the next review meeting but…augh I dunno…I just…I cant concentrate.”
“That would be because you are stressed, and tired.” Zhongli points out, chuckling softly at your side eye before he shifts, walking around your desk to come to a stop behind your chair. “Here… perhaps this will help…” he murmurs more to himself than to you, and suddenly his hands are on your shoulders, lithe, careful fingers pressing into your trapezius muscles. You grunt and wince a little, having been totally unaware of how tense your shoulders had been until now.
“Shh, just take a deep breath and relax.” Zhongli’s deep voice rumbles behind you as he slowly massages at the tension, his hands are gentle, but expert, and it takes you longer than it should to realise that he's not wearing his gloves for this. “Now…tell me what the matter is…”
With another set of eyes, and a clear explanation of what you need, by the time he’s worked all the tension from your shoulders, you’ve finally got a clear plan, and immediately set to work sorting and organising the moment his warm, surprisingly soft hands finally leave your shoulders.
Once all is said and done, you turn to your butler.
“Thank you, Zhongli…I…don't think I could have done that without you here.”
You’re met with a dashingly handsome, genuine smile, and a graceful bow of his head.
“It was my pleasure, Miss. I am here to aid your every whim.” 
Meeting after meeting after meeting.
If you had to speak to one more person demanding things of you and your company today, you were going to scream. The sight of your black sedan, waiting dutifully for you outside the sliding glass doors at the end of the day was almost enough to make you cry as you all but collapse into the back seats with a groan.
“How were the investors today, Maam?” Zhongli asks, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he watches you in the rear-view.
“They could invest in some chill.” you mutter, taking a few moments before forcing yourself to sit up, knowing full well Zhongli wouldn’t move this car an inch until you had your seatbelt on.
“I hazard to say you could also do with, as you say, some chill.” He adds as he easily merges into the busy afternoon traffic. “You’re working yourself to the bone.”
“It’s just another month.” you sigh “investors always get antsy this time of year…”
“You said that last month too, you know.”
“Did I?” you groan, pinching the bridge of your nose “Hey…when we get home…could I have another one of those massages?”
You loathe to admit how…reliant you had become on Zhongli’s ability to get the tension out of your shoulders, ever since that first night when he’d helped sort out your work with you, you’d been asking every other day or so for one, it was just so nice to relax into his care while you vented the day’s frustrations away, or soundboarded with him.
“Oh I think I can manage that.”
“Where would I be without you…?” you mumble softly as you let your eyes shut for a moment, just a moment to rest your aching eyes.
As it stands, that moment ends when Zhongli’s gentle hand on your arm rouses you. “Wh-wassgoinon?” you mumble, looking around.
“We’re home, Miss….you looked like you needed the rest so I didn’t rouse you.” Zhongli murmurs softly, reaching past you to fetch your bag.
He smells of tea, and spices…warm…comforting. 
You groan softly as his fingers press insistently into your shoulders.
“You’re extra tense today…” Zhongli murmurs softly, leaning over to look you in the face “are you alright?”
“I-I…yeah…just…stressed I think.” you sigh, leaning your head to the side so he can get better access to your neck. You’d never admit it, but you were pretty sure at this point you were just craving his touch, you just…didn't have the time for skinship these days, how you’d managed to survive before hiring him? You had no idea.
Behind you, Zhongli hums.
“May I try…something different?” He asks quietly, rather unlike him, usually when he did something, he did it with confidence that you would be alright with it, and so far he’d never been wrong…why ask now? “I think your stress runs deeper than a simple shoulder massage can handle.” he adds when you look over your shoulder at him. 
“I mean…I trust your judgement Zhongli…whatever you think I need…” you mumble.
You expect a change in his technique, maybe working a little further down your spine perhaps?.
Not to suddenly be thrown forward, chest pressed against the dark mahogany of your desk by a single,strong hand against your spine to keep you there as you gasp in shock. 
“Z-Zhongli!?” you gasp, looking over your shoulder at your calm, gentle butler. 
Only to find a sharp, seductive smirk plastered to his lips. His golden eyes are dark, predatory, you should be afraid.
Keyword: Should.
You watch, dumbstruck as he licks his lips, ripping your jeans straight off your legs like they were nothing, his ungloved hand grazing up the back of your thigh, and that touch alone has your eyes rolling back and a half-bitten moan falling from your lips. Gods how long had it been?
“Hmm, needy little thing, aren’t we? Thrown against your desk by your own butler and you don't even have the decency to be afraid?” Zhongli chuckles darkly as he shoves two fingers into you; the mix of pleasure and pain is enough to have your spine arching “Looks like I was right…you do need more than a little massage hm?”
“G-god…please…” you whine, the humiliation of the situation only making you hotter as he roughly thrusts his fingers, occasionally scissoring them to stretch you open, his other hand shifting from your spine to wrap around the base of your neck, holding you still as he works you open. 
This new, rougher side to him…you didn’t know you wanted it...but god damn he was driving a hard bargain, plus it’s not like this wasn't something you may have thought about on a rare occasion or three… you’d just expected it to be…slower, gentler, but this? You could work with this. 
“Please…? Please what?” he purrs, leaning over to nip at your ear “what do you want from me? I am at your every beck and call.” His words are low, dangerous, but genuine, and you shudder.
“You-!” you choke “please g-god, Z-Zhongli I want you to fuck me-”
One moment there’s fingers, the next moment nothing, and you want to cry, the petulant whine only being held back by the sound of a belt buckle.
“Well, I suppose it’s a good thing I’m at your service.” 
And then he roughly bucks his hips and good gods. 
Considering he wore such fitted trousers, where the hell had he been keeping that??
That mix of pleasure-pain is back, but more intense this time; you definitely had not been wet enough, and yet? You wouldn't have wanted it any other way, the pain added it’s own flavour to your desire as Zhongli pins you against your desk, breathing ragged into your ear as he wastes no time, setting a brutal pace from the start that has papers and stationary clattering off your desk. 
“So tight” he hisses “how long has it been since you’ve had a good fucking?” 
Something about Zhongli swearing like that feels so wrong, but oh, so right in the moment.
For a moment, paperwork and meetings are the furthest thing from your mind as Zhongli shoves you even further onto your desk, free hand hiking your hips up so he can slam into you all the harder, the only sounds emanating within your study are the wet slapping of skin, and your cries of ecstasy. 
He’s not gentle, and deep, deep down, you’re glad for it.
You needed this, spending every damn day for the last five years telling everyone else what to do? You needed this…loss of control.
Much like everything else in the last six months, Zhongli knew exactly what you needed, when you needed it, and before you even realised you needed it. 
“Whats the matter? Nothing to say?” He grunts into your ear as he grinds himself so deep into you, you’re seeing stars. “You’re always so talkative…”
You can only moan pathetically in response, eyelids fluttering as he fucks you down into the table, his words are harsh, and humiliating, but all they do is draw your orgasm closer, barely even registering what he’s saying.
Your orgasm hits you like a freight train, one moment you’re seeing stars as your butler bullies his massive cock into you, the next minute your world turns white.
“Shh, try not to move…I wasn’t gentle with you.” Zhongli’s tone is back to being kind and gentle after…how many orgasms did he just force you through? You’d lost count…all you know was that it had still been light out when he’d first shoved you down…now as he passes by a window with you cradled gently in his arms, it was pitch black outside.
Gentle lips press to your temple as he perches on the edge of the bathtub, holding you on his lap with one arm while he reaches over to get the water started. Wetting a washcloth to clean away a good portion of the mess beforehand.
Your body aches, but in the best possible way. You feel…breathless and comfortable, fuzzy. 
You wince as he lowers you into the hot water, your muscles tensing at the sudden heat before relaxing again. Zhongli watches you with a soft look. Even coming off the back end of some amazing sex, he still somehow managed to look stupidly put together, if not even more alluring with his lack of suit jacket; it had been abandoned sometime during round… three you think? One moment it was on, the next moment, you’re being pressed onto your back, the jacket is gone, and he’s rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows and you’re at his mercy.
The lip of a water bottle presses to your lips, his other hand gently supporting the back of your head as you drink.
“How do you feel?” he asks once you’ve drunk your fill for now, like that switch that had turned him from the kind and courteous butler you had known to….whatever that zhongli was, had never flipped at all.
Despite this, you smile at him.
“I feel like…I need to ask you to do that again more often, Zhongli.” 
To his credit, your ever-so-handsome butler laughs. It’s a warm, hearty sound, one that fills you with no small amount of joy.
“I am here to serve your every beck and call, I’m sure I can work this into the schedule.”
Taglist: @stygianoir @meimeimeirin @ainescribe @dustofthedailylife @rjssierjrie @crystalflygeo @angel-of-requiem @asoulsreverie @zomzomb1e Want to be added to the list? shoot me an ask~
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idrellegames · 11 months
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Was doing the whole Aeran fight scene bit and chose the second option when he says his whole "don't look" thing... when I tell you I was STUNNED when he said that all I was good at was making a mess (and honestly, if I wasn't trapped in the clown car I would have pursued the Veyer route after that just to piss him off some more lol.) The fight scene was so well made, kudos to you for making it so realistic 👏
The Episode 2 fight was one of my favourite scenes to write, although it was a lot of work and very emotionally draining at times. The option you took has a few different variations in its initial flavour text, depending on what events happened in Episode 1.
If Aeran rescued the MC from Kane in the Rat Alley fight and the MC also blacked out at the end of Episode 1, he says this:
“You’re right, $firstname,” he says finally. “You do things your way, I do them mine. But I’ve spent the better part of two years looking out for you, covering for you when things go wrong. You’d be dead two times over in Rona alone if it wasn’t for me. You act like you’re [text differences based on mentor choice] Varyn’s only / Cenric's / Sero's living legacy, but you’re more mercenary now than Wayfarer. The only thing you’re good at is making a mess.”
If the MC was injured or blacked out during the Count fight at the end of Episode 1, he says this:
“You’re right, $firstname,” he says finally. “You do things your way, I do them mine. But I’ve spent the better part of two years looking out for you, covering for you when things go wrong. The Count would have killed you if it wasn’t for me. You act like you’re [text differences based on mentor choice] Varyn’s only / Cenric's / Sero's living legacy, but you’re more mercenary now than Wayfarer. The only thing you’re good at is making a mess.”
If Aeran rescued the MC from Kane in the Rat Alley fight, but they are otherwise unscathed during the fight with the Count, he says this:
“You’re right, $firstname,” he says finally. “You do things your way, I do them mine. But I’ve spent the better part of two years looking out for you, covering for you when things go wrong. Remember Kane? You would have died in Rat Alley if it wasn’t for me. You act like you’re [text differences based on mentor choice] Varyn’s only / Cenric's / Sero's living legacy, but you’re more mercenary now than Wayfarer. The only thing you’re good at is making a mess.”
If none of the above are true, he says this:
“You’re right, $firstname,” he says finally. “You do things your way, I do them mine. But I’ve spent the better part of two years looking out for you, covering for you when things go wrong. You act like you’re [text differences based on mentor choice] Varyn’s only / Cenric's / Sero's living legacy, but you’re more mercenary now than Wayfarer. The only thing you’re good at is making a mess.”
I'll admit that the last one lacks the impact that the former ones do and relies a lot on the assumption that Aeran has been watching the MC's back, even if he didn't have to outright save their ass in Rona. But I'm fine with it. If anything it may colour the MC's experience of this conversation in a different way and push it in a different direction.
Even if you are a permanent member of the clown car, I would definitely recommend checking out Veyer's scene - if only for the wonderful mess it makes in Episode 3 if the MC sleeps with Veyer while their romance with Aeran is still open.
Incidentally that is one of the routes available to play in the current Episode 3 alpha build on Patreon, alongside the aftermath of Aeran's romance and/or friendship reconciliation scenes! 💗
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scotianostra · 14 days
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September 10th 1985 saw the birth of Nicola Ann Raphael.
It's not easy putting together a post like this but it's such an important subject we can't just ignore it because it makes uncomfortable reading. Believe me when I say I shed tears researching this, anyone who has lost a child will find it difficult to read this, whatever the circumstances, believe me, speaking from experience it lives with you forever.
On June 24th 2001, Nicolas mother, Rona started her day as normal, she made herself a coffee and waited for Nicola to appear from her bed, by the afternoon there was still no sign of her, so she went upstairs to check on her, it would be a day no parent should encounter, Rona knocked and knocked but got no response. Worried that something must have happened, she forced herself into Nicola Ann’s room. Sadly, she had come far too late. Nicola had taken 40 of her mother’s Coproxamol painkillers before going to bed the night before. She was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.
As a child, Nicola was a bright, friendly child who had a flair for the unusual and a penchant for being more than a little individualistic. She had attended the local schools Millersneuk Primary and Lenzie Academy. It was when she began attending Lenzie Academy though, that things began to take a turn for the worse.
Perhaps it was because of her individualism, or perhaps it was her taste in not only Goth music, but also her Goth-inspired fashion sense, but Nicola’s fellow high school students didn’t seem to like her very much. She was bullied constantly at school, and it was a burden which she bore in silence for a very long time. Nicola Ann's is also notable in that it represented an early wave of media coverage of bullying by way of texting/mobile phones.
15-year-old Nicola Ann Raphael had committed suicide by overdose because she could take it no longer. Though her parents didn’t know it at the time, the reason for Nicola’s suicide was chiefly due to the bullying behavior of her classless classmates. They would soon learn not only that, but also that there were people who could have helped ease the verbal abuse against their daughter and did nothing.
Nicola’s suicide had shocked the nation but what was even more shocking about her death was that the teachers in her school knew about her classmates’ bullying and did nothing to stop it. It wasn’t just verbal abuse either as it turned out, but physical as well. Nicola lived under the threat of physical violence simply because she liked a certain style that they considered outside the norm. One girl said that they approached the head of the school who said it was our own fault because of the way they dressed. They went to him again and his solution was just to stay away from them bullies. They weren't reprimanded at all.
What is even more sickening about this is that even in death Nicalo was not left alone, a year after her suicide someone defaced her grave and items placed there were stolen, this is really sad as I have a friend who has had items stolen from her daughters grave, how can people do this??!!!
Nicola had been set to attend a Marilyn Manson concert a few weeks after she had committed suicide. Manson, who is an alternative icon, was one of her favorite artists. When the singer heard what had happened, he dedicated his song “The Fight Song” to Nicola Raphael and even met her mother after the concert.
In June 2003, Nicola Raphael’s story was featured on Tonight: GIRLS AFRAID “A report on the dramatic increase in bullying by girls. ” The program saw both bullies and their victims being interviewed and included an interview with Rona Raphael as well. It was designed to show two sides of the story.
Nicola was an organ donor and after her death, many of her organs were sent to folks who were in desperate need of them. Her heart was frozen and used to save the life of a toddler. A few years after her death, a BBC TV documentary on organ donation entitled Life on the List saw the Raphael’s meeting one of the recipients, a young boy named Jack.
There is a good post on the Alterophobia blog with links to articles regarding Nicola Ann's suicide here.
http://alterophobia.blogspot.com/.../tragic-suicide-of...
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gozine-translate · 10 days
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Terminally-ill Genius Dark Knight - 154
154. Hell Party [2]
In the past, 72 high-ranking demons were sealed away by Solomon. Naturally, their infamous is well-known across various countries.
Calamity. Just the word itself is enough to remember them.
The tragic moments when the barrier between the human world and those demons was shattered. Although three sword emperors and four sages succeeded in stopping this, the impact those demons had across the continent was shocking.
Millions of humans were massacred. Followed by horrifying human experiments and the mass production of demons’ followers and servants, the demonic humans. Demons were truly a calamity on a whole different level.
So, surely what does Nox’s seemingly casual talk in front of his comrades mean?
-- I’m going to kill them. And for that, I need you all to be here.
His words made it impossible for anyone to stay calm. How can young master, known as a troublemaker from a noble family, be so confident about exterminating the 72 demons, which is considered the worst calamity? This is a feat not even the most shining heroes, whose names are remembered across the continent, have achieved. He’s barely an adult, a boy who hasn't fully developed his skills, clearly there are limits to what he can do. Yet, there was not a hint of hesitation in his determination.
His comrades couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. How far is Nox seeing, and even though he has enough already, why is he throwing himself into such a dangerous endeavor?
It was natural for them to be suspicious of Nox’s true nature.
But among them, only Rona was different. If it was her, who had a connection with his past, she could guess what was going through Nox’s feelings right now and why he made such a decision
'Madam's death… That must have been what changed Young Master. There’s no doubt about it.'
It was the death of Nox’s mother, the mistress of the Reinhaver family. That tragic event must have shattered the once warm-hearted young master, planting within him a blind thirst for revenge against the demons. Therefore, this must have slowly broken him, leading to the person he is now.
'Young master'
Then, what should I do here?
Rona couldn’t help but think. What can she say to young master now to stop him? How can she let him know how futile and meaningless the desire for revenge is? Rona knew she was overstepping, but she couldn’t help but worry since she genuinely cared for him.
"Young master."
She grasped her skirt tightly and looked at Nox intently. In the past, and even now, he has shown warmth to everyone within his circle. But the current Nox clearly seemed unstable. As if he could slip away like sand through one’s fingers at any moment. From the beginning, he had always drawn a subtle line even with his comrades, not allowing anyone to cross it.
The current Nox was a stranger to her.
After a brief hesitation, Rona spoke with firm resolve, facing his lavender eyes.
"Young master, I’m sorry… but I’m against this. I know I don’t have the right to stop you, but…"
Another moment of silence. Although she was still conflicted, her intention was clear.
"Please, try to understand my feelings and the promise I made to the late Madam. I beg you, could you reconsider just one more time?"
"It’s already decided."
But Nox’s resolve was firm. Shaking his head, he said,
"It’s inevitable. It’s not for personal reasons, I announced the extermination of the 72 demons for external reasons, and you can't do anything about it"
Rona’s delicate brow furrowed as her head drooped. She had known from the start that he wouldn’t give her the answer she wanted. Still, she had clung to a tiny bit of hope. Relying on the young master’s warm heart is her own selfishness.
A moment later. She finally asked the last question she couldn't hold
"Even if…I were to leave your side?"
"I’d make sure you don’t get hurt. Of course, if you really wanted to leave me."
He spoke with such certainty, as if he was sure Rona couldn’t leave him. Unfortunately, even if he truly thought that, Rona couldn’t deny it.
After all, she couldn’t really leave young master.
They had spent too much time together, and she had to keep the promise she made to the late madam, who had taken her in when she was nothing.
'That’s not all, but… Anyway, I have to do what I can now.'
Before she knew it, out of nowhere, she had this thought, she wanted to understand why she had to stay by his side, no, why she wanted to.
To do that, she couldn't help but once again become the good (?) but slightly mischievous maid and look at him as she did before. Even if it meant putting on a persona.
After thinking it through, Rona lifted her head and smiled brightly.
"I'll follow you. There's no way I will give up such a good job as being a maid at the Reinhaver family!"
The moment Rona's cheerful voice echoed.
[A new character trait has been added to 'Rona de Nero.']
[Character Viewing System is automatically activated.]
["Blind Faith" and "Mediocre Acting" traits have been added to this character.]
"Well… I might not know about difficult things, but I'm on your side no matter what, husband!"
In the somewhat tense atmosphere, Erina interrupted with a cheerful grin. May also nodded firmly with a determined expression.
"My life was already doomed in Chaders. There's no way I wouldn't follow you now, young master. Besides… it makes me anxious to leave this friend behind."
May said this as she wrapped her arm around Erina’s shoulder, her tone implying as if she had no other choice, but her actions suggested otherwise. Erina's face quickly filled with tears, as if she was about to burst.
"May… you care about me that much?"
"Don’t think I said that because you're such a troublemaker, okay?"
May sighed as she pushed away Erina, who hugged her while rubbing her face against her. Anyway, the two had made their decision to follow Nox until death. Erina, who had become a prisoner of love(?) had no other choice, but May voluntarily chose to stay by Nox's side.
Before Nox could shift his gaze to the next person, a head of warm red hair moved toward him. Kushan Adrian. He also wanted to voice his opinion.
"Forgive me for saying this, but this is an extremely dangerous and absurd endeavor. Given that we’ve been manipulated by the 72 demons before, your decision sounds even more perilous, and I think that’s the reality"
Kushan paused briefly, seemingly finalizing his thoughts, before continuing.
"However, if you must go forward, if this endeavor has meaning in itself, if it doesn’t matter even if it all falls apart…"
Kushan's red eyes gleamed intensely.
"We from the East will follow you unconditionally, young master. As long as I’m alive, our dynasty will not forget the hope and grace you’ve given us. I was saved by you"
It was a rather burdensome stance. Naturally, Nox was likely screaming internally at this point. But whether it was due to the [Master of Acting] trait working properly, Nox accepted it with a calm smile.
It almost made the others feel like he had known all along that things would turn out this way. There was only one unable to adapt to this situation, the newly enslaved Prim
'…Are they crazy? Taking on the 72 demons? No matter how strong that guy is, it’s impossible… Could he really be an amazing person? It seems like I should be careful and resist moderately'
The option of not resisting wasn't even on the table. Unaware that Nox could read his thoughts completely, Prim made his decision on how to act.
Zitri, watching her young master’s decisions, also decided to respect Nox. Unlike Rona, from the beginning, she saw the Nox that was different from the rumor, so she calmly accepted and decided to follow him.
'Like everyone here, I’m the same. My life was abandoned, and if it's young master Nox who is the one who gave me a second chance… I have to trust and follow him.'
The moment Zitri made this resolve.
Nox suddenly looked at everyone and began to speak.
"Now, I’ll explain my plan. I won’t repeat myself, so listen carefully."
-------------------------------------
Quite a long time passed. After finished talking with my units. I’m lying quietly on the bed in the Sidus' Hall room. Sleep won’t come easily. The events I’ve gone through so far flash through my mind like a revolving lantern, piercing through my past. And then, a nagging thought heats up the sides of my temples.
'… Am I doing well now?'
Did I make the right choice?
After putting the people I've brought into my circle in danger. Is this the right choice? If it's not, am I just sacrificing them for my own safety?
No one knows that I’m Yoochan inside. Only I know that.
So, every time moments like this come, I wonder. What if I were truly Nox?
If I were, could I have formed deeper bonds with my comrades? Instead of forcing sacrifices, could I have entrusted them with my back and moved forward together?
Honestly, I don’t know.
'… No time to be sentimental. I know what I need to do now.'
Exterminating the demons. Reach the end of the story.
And maybe, the next story that something even I haven’t seen yet, Standing at the start and end of the second chapter.
Countless thoughts crash over me like waves, shaking the boat that is me. My secret that I can’t tell anyone.
The loneliness stemming from it sometimes drags me down into the mire.
"Well, nothing I can do about it."
I just chuckle bitterly and let it pass. The current situation, and the abnormal relationships I’ve built by deceiving others.
Then, suddenly, a thought intrudes into my mind.
"… At some point, it seems I’ve also been influenced by Nox."
Inner Lunatic.
I've been gradually getting used to being possessed in the body of the worst villain in the game I loved. The biggest proof of this is that I'm starting to see people as tools to be used.
But I can't give up on my goal of regaining my memories. I need to find out how this game is connected to me.
'I have to do whatever it takes to achieve that.'
This deep sense of urgency too, it probably because there's something out there that I don't know yet. So, right now, the only choice is to keep moving forward.
I stare out the window for a while before finally closing it.
I, who was once an outsider to this story. Now truly feel like I've become a part of this game world.
-------------------------------------
The next day. After finishing the basic academy classes, I met with a person I've been anticipating in the private training room. If you were playing the game, you wouldn't encounter this person at this point. True to her name, one of the strongest characters in Inner Lunatic is standing right in front of me.
"…."
A drop of cold sweat ran down my back before I knew it. Even though I anticipated this, encountering an unpredictable variable this early still makes me nervous. Bright orange hair that looks like it’s soaked in the sunset, and vertical pupils in her eyes, a woman with voluptuous body. She stares at me with interest while licking her lips.
Next to her is another one of the strongest characters in the world, Noah von Trinity. Behind them, Professor Lars standing there, dripping with sweat
"If you had told me in advance that someone so important was coming…"
Professor Lars stammers in surprise. But the woman continues to look at me with amusement and asks directly,
"I heard you have my orb."
Straightforward speech. As expected. If this is Astrid von Kaliud, one of the four sages I know, then this is exactly how she should be. No explanations, just pushing forward at her own pace. Despite the overwhelming pressure of her mana, I pretend to keep my composure, acting as Nox, and reply,
"Nice to meet you."
"I already know that you know who I am. No need to pretend otherwise."
"Hihi, didn’t I tell you? This is going to be interesting!"
Noah chimes in playfully from behind. Astrid gives a faint smile.
"I don't care about that. First, take off your clothes."
"…yes?"
Even I couldn't help but flinch at that. Sure, she was lazy and did things her own way in the game, but this suddenly?
Astrid looked at me with an unreadable expression, as if it was tiresome. The front of her outfit opens slightly. But her gaze stays fixed on the front, not moving at all. Astrid calmly places her hand on my jaw and says calmly
"You're going to learn it, no? Magic."
A faint orange glow lingers in Astrid's vertical pupils. I had no choice but to nod.
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aurkitnarulaoge · 7 months
Text
Things my friend group has said that made me question my life choices:
*imitating Daya bhabhi* "He Ma Majati!!... Bhala kare pitaji..."
"Bhagwan bhi banane ka copyright nahi leta, maa-baap to phir bhi insaan hain."
"Nark me maroge." "Yamraj se flirt kar lenge."
"Titanic kaise dubi thi?... dub dub dubbak dub."
"Haye rama ye kya kya hua kyu— muskaan joothi hai~~"
*to english teacher* "Roz roz kyu chale aate ho ma'am?"
*to our physics teacher* "aye haye chunri teri lageni gulabi sharara"
"Bas college degree mil jaye— phir ek amir bap ki aulad ko dhamkake shaadi kar leni hai maine"
*to class topper* "Tu to bewajah badnam hain, ye physics wali to zyada pakati hain."
*to English teacher* "Principal se taarif dilwaenge to games doge?"
"Bas ek bar MLA ban jana hain." "Kyun?" "Wo lal batti wali gadi ke andar parde kaise lagate hai dekhna tha."
"Drugs ka dhandha karenge. Paison se science degree khareedkar chief minister ban jaege— main Kerela ki tu Tamil Nadu ki." "Ghar se bohot door nhi padega?" "Helicopter helicopter~~"
"Aao kabhi haveli pe."
"Padhai? Wo kya hai?"
"Johnny Johnny?" "Yes papa?" "Doing drugs?" "Yes papa." "Tabhi gender nhi bta pa raha mera baccha..."
"Jaanwar janwar mat kr fir katungi to rona ayega."
"<name> mera bhai hain. Desh ka sipahi hain. Bolo mere saath <insert gaaliyaan>"
"Abe <censor> ki <censor> ki <censor> <censor> ke <censor> <censor> <censor> ke choohe!!! Himmat hain to samne aakr bol!!!"
"Bottle mein daaru bhar kr aate ho kya? Ye kaisi harkatein kar raho ho?" "Dekha? Ishiliye sasti lene ke liye mna kiya tha."
"He bhagwaan hai kaha re tu?"
*to maths teacher* "Bas ek aur baar wo question repeat kar do to bell baj jayegi."
*to bio teacher* "nanna re nanna re nanna re na na re class me mat aana class me mat aana~~"
*in basketball court* *to boys* "half court ki line de hi u-turn le lo aaj hum 3X3 khel rahe hain."
*leaving class to go home* "Itni khgushi... itni khgushi mujhe aaj tak nhi hui— are hamari prem bhai kidhar gayi?"
"HAMARE JAISA BOLO!!! BOLNA SEEKHO!!! BHUKH ANDOLAN KARO!!!"
"Dono taraff pahadon ka vaas hain."
"Chemistry ab nhi hota. Chalo sanyaas lete hain. Sab apna apna katora leke aana."
"Gaaliyon aur song lyrics yaad karne me phd ki hai."
Etc. Etc.
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simswwdcc · 7 months
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KARTER GUTHRIE
Karter is not a very nice guy, he spent his entire childhood lying and hitting people. He hated his classmates at school because they beat him. He swore his entire life that he would take revenge on his colleagues.
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SPECIFIC CREDITS (HAIR BY @hezeh)|(CLOTHES BY @rona-sims)|(MASKS AREN'T INCLUED)|(TATTO BY @ms-marysims)and bunch more, without you guys this wouldn't be possible.
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MADE THIS SIM LISTENING TO:
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bhryn-art · 4 months
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SHE LIIIIIIVES
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Okay so there's been some time since I last used my Tumblr, and I guess we'd better chat - HI, how are ya? This will be a decent chat, I'll do us all a favour and pop it behind a careful little barrier so you can read at your leisure. Before that! WHERE AM I? Find me at these places: TWITTER/X: Bhryn BSKY: It's still Bhryn CARA: Take a wild guess - Bhryn Ao3 (it's ALL Fire Emblem not sorry!): Bhryn Astairre What's happening with Bhryn/Ferai? Well...
It's been a long time coming, but I think almost anyone who had been close to me has known this was going to turn up one day. And hey, I had a good long run. I never finished Endwalker. I got to around level 77? I think? And I just... didn't feel it anymore. I told myself I'd go back when my interest picked up. It never did. I instead became a lot more invested in other things, and took a huge break from everything to try dealing with my declining health. To that end; thank you, for all the wonderful friends I made on FFXIV, for the fun times we had. But it's time I moved on. I have no immediate or long term plans to return to FFXIV, and I wish everyone who still plays a great, fun time with the game going forward. I won't say for certain that I'm leaving, but I know for now, it's far back on the shelf for me. A large part in this is my decline in health. I'm currently bedbound - I wasn't a couple of years ago, but times change! You just have to roll with the punches. One of these is having a frankly rubbish laptop that wheezes when I play Content Warning and Lethal Company. I dread to think how on fire it would be if I tried even loading the FFXIV benchmark! I also made the choice to get a Steamdeck rather than a new laptop. This laptop still runs my art programmes and lets me write and talk to friends, so I don't need the upgrade badly (I say, side-eyeing the loud and grating noises it keeps making on waking up from sleep with nervousness). The other big punch is the worsening of my hands. Years ago I mentioned to my friends and followers that my EDS was never going to settle for just being a pain in my hip, knees, neck... any joint basically. EDS was always going to be a slow progression. I fought hard against it, and I'm still fighting! To the best of my abilities! But there came a point when finishing off a piece of work for a client, that I realised I simply didn't have the physical stamina or the dexterity in my hands/fingers to do long term brief work anymore. This loss of skillful motion has affected me playing games. I used to joke about having 'old lady reflexes' but honestly, I really do have them now! So I stripped back artwork to be 'just for me, just for fun'. The same for games. Anything that I cannot play well on a controller? Not worth it. I can play Ninja in ffxiv on a controller, but we come back to my Craptop Self Immolating if I tried. So what happens now to me? Now, I try and relax best I can (I caught the Rona four weeks ago, I'm still sore throat and itching in my chest/wheezing/terrible crackling in my chest) and work on my surroundings to give myself the best chance going forward to improve my life. This tumblr, when I made it, it was for me to play my FFXIV character. I have a couple of choices open to me, but I think I would like to change it completely over to an art and writing blog, just in general. To do that, I would have to go and take my username from my old blog and put it on this one. OR, I let this stay as an idle blog and dust off my old tumblr and move ahead with that. I'm still undecided! But, whatever I choose, I want you to remember; You're great. Be kind, do kind things, leave the world better than how you found it. You got this. You always did. With love; Me xxx
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iftitah · 2 months
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okay so 3 weeks in college has started collegeing thoda bht. i've been selected into 2 committees abhi tak, cultural + the ngo. and they're both v active so it's cool plus 15 august is coming soon. i'm drowning in projects and pprs and research work 😔😔 how can they expect a literal baby to do all that like make it sense bhai it's only been 13 days for me 😔 anyways the campus is v green and it has a lot of snakes too. mess is BAKWAS except aloo poori (my love). my steps went from 10 to more than 8000 per day in a month. like that's proper crazy. anyways some people are nice here some are mean and rude and shit and all the bad words u can think of. i DO NOT understand sociology bhai pta hi nhi kya chal rha hai mereko rona aa gya tha pehle din. seniors are v cool too they're helpful and nice except obv a few. sir maam wala culture hai plus jis din meri intro hui uske agle din someone complained so it's like proper banned now 😔 even tho it was sm fun. i got termed as the storyteller even tho i was making half the shit up just so they could think i'm good at that😭 also made us imitate trains and phatak + basic wali cheeze it was nice plus weather was good too. i have to go to mess now for dinner and i don't want to kyunki its literally like you've told a 5 yr old to cook 🙏 can't wait for sunday also i'm surviving on 5 hours of sleep 😋
im so proud of you that seems a lot honestly but it's just your very regular college life sigh there's always going to be that one person that complains instead of enjoying like damn learn some tolerance and all the things you don't understand maybe just give it some time? once stuff is done it starts coming in full circle until then enjoy the nice weather and take lots of sleep whenever you can <3
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heyjude19-writing · 4 months
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Di you have any favourite playlists or songs that give u Drarry vibes?
I love hozier songs they remind me so much of Drarry.
oh do i!
also yes, i associate most of hozier's songs with drarry (dramione is florence and the machine 🤷‍♀️)
so billie eilish's new album has a lot of songs that immediately exploded my little drarry brain, so give that a listen (especially 'BLUE')
anyway, here's the playlist i recently made for Unknown / Nth: -What Kind of Man - florence and the machine -Raincatchers - birdy -Make Up Your Mind - florence and the machine -Who We Are - hozier -A Car Crash for Two - gia ford -yeti - paris paloma -Lost Cause - p!nk -The Night We Met - amber run -Torture - liz longley -The Last Dance - amber run -Lose Control - teddy swims -Darker Things - lily kershaw -Talk - hozier -In Your Eyes - rona mac -Our Song - p!nk -Unknown / Nth - hozier -Francesca - hozier -All I Wanted - paramore -All Through the Night - anna nalick
Happy listening!
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im-a-wonderling · 1 year
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White Moves First, Part 2 ~ Edmund Pevensie
I’ve had this part written for a while but needed to work up the motivation to post it, so here it is. Here’s the part where jealous Edmund comes in. I hope you like it @emotionallyattachedteen​! 
Summary: Despite the distance between their two lands, Y/N, princess of Archenland, is close friends with King Edmund the Just. But when push comes to shove, will friendship turn to more?
Warnings: none
Word count: 3.4k
White Moves First masterlist | Main masterlist
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With the care Rona applied the rouge to my cheeks, one would’ve thought the whole evening revolved around the perfect pink tint of my cheeks. Prince Rabadash wouldn’t magically love Archenland because of the ministrations of my lady’s maid. 
Honestly, I wasn’t sure there was anything that could divert him from the path of war. 
When my cheeks were rosy enough, Rona finally abandoned the pot of the dark pink powder, her fingers fluttering to my hair. 
I opened my jewelry drawer, my hands hovering over the various rings, brooches, necklaces, and hair pieces. Selecting a dainty silver bracelet, I slid it onto my wrist, secretly hoping Prince Rabadash hated silver. 
A knock sounded against my door. “Are you decent?” my father’s voice called from the other side.
“Let him in,” I murmured to Rona, who scurried off to do just that. Instead of greeting my father, I continued where she’d left off, placing little clips to hold my hair in place. The ball would start soon, and it would not do for the princess of Archenland to be late.
“Y/N?” My father’s form appeared behind me in my mirror.
“Yes?” I said, focusing on one lock of hair that refused to lay right. 
My father didn’t reply, and that was when, in the mirror, I spotted the box he held tightly to his chest. I swiveled to face him, noticing for the first time how nervous he looked. “What’s going on?”
He took a deep breath. “You are the one female member of our family.”
I raised my eyebrows. Had he just noticed this? “Yes…I am.”
Never had my father seemed so uncomfortable in all my life. “The prince—Prince Rabadash—you know, the prince coming tonight?”
“Yes? What about him?”
“A-and you’re the princess...”
I placed my hands in my lap. “Father, please just say what it is you want to say.”
My dad leaned against my four-poster bed, looking quite like he wanted to be anywhere else. “You’re a woman now. And Prince Rabadash is a man.”
A sinking feeling started in my gut as I started to see the direction my father steered in. “What is it, exactly, that you want me to do with the prince?”
“I want you to stay close to him. Let him avail himself of your goodwill and beauty.”
My stomach turned over. “You want me to cater to the man who might declare war on us?” 
“Honey draws more flies than vinegar.” Despite his words, my father, the king of Archenland, couldn’t meet my eye. 
I wanted to scream no, refuse him, scold him for even asking in the first place. Why did I have to be honey? Why wasn’t he lecturing Corin on his vinegar tendencies? 
But I knew my father. I knew being king meant Archenland needed to be the most important thing. More important than family or his pride.
Now it seemed I had to decide if it was to be more important than my pride.
My father stepped forward, lifting the lid of the box. If I hadn’t been preoccupied, I would’ve gasped at the sight of the dainty tiara that rested inside. 
“I think we both need your mother with us for tonight,” my father said. 
I looked up at him. “This was…?”
“Your mother’s,” he confirmed.
I gently lifted the tiara from the box, my eyes outlining the shapes and twirls made out of silver, diamonds, and sapphires. 
“After we were married and before I became king, this is what she wore to formal events.” My father took the tiara from my hand, and I faced the mirror as my father gently lowered it onto my head. It matched beautifully with the gentle, dusty blue of my dress. “She would’ve wanted you to have it, probably long before now, but I–” He swallowed. “I couldn’t part with it.” 
A lump grew in my throat. “Father–”
My father straightened, awkwardly wiping his hands on his pants. “I will, uh, I will see you downstairs.” And with that, he left. 
Rona came forward, adding more pins to my hair to hold the laurel of precious stones in place. Her steady fingers made quick work of it, but even if I’d had a critique, I wouldn’t have the capacity to express it.
My father rarely spoke of my mother, and I had no stories of my own to tell nor trinkets to treasure. For him to give this to me now…
I wasn’t born yesterday.
I knew this gift was intended to soften the blow of what he was asking for. The stunning tiara, nestled on my head, laughed at me. 
My mother would never have been put in this position. She’d never stepped foot in court until after she and my father were married, so she would’ve never been a human sacrifice to a visiting royal. It wouldn’t be proper for a married woman—the queen, no less—to spend more than a dance with an unmarried prince. 
However, for me, a young and available member of royalty? 
Rona took a step back. “There,” she said with satisfaction. “Beauty befitting a princess.” 
I let out a large sigh, studying my reflection, and she frowned. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, Rona, thank you. That will be all.” She smiled, looking pleased before picking up the discarded gray gown I’d worn earlier. 
I rose from my seat, positioning my shaking hands in a docile hold. 
This prince clearly possessed few virtues, if any, and I had no desire to be around the man who was threatening my country’s safety. 
But my father was right, and in his words, I found my task for the night. 
Be honey. 
-
“Presenting the royal family of Archenland!” 
I hung back slightly, allowing my father and then my brothers to enter the ballroom first, as was the custom. 
My favorite place to play as a child was this ballroom. It didn’t matter if the windows were covered with curtains, the candelabras were extinguished, and dust covered the floor; I still loved to play in the dimly lit space. Corin never wanted to dance with me, and Cor hadn’t returned to us at that point, so I would bring my doll with me. Unfortunately, Miss Strucker was a slow learner when it came to the steps of a ballroom dance. 
I smiled gently at the memory as I followed my family into the already crowded room. 
Growing up a motherless princess, I was well accustomed to stares and whispers, so I barely noticed the whole court’s attention shifting to me. The weight of their attention didn’t cause any coils of distress, nor any bending of my neck. I kept my head held high, and my eyes peeled for the Calormen prince.
The member of royalty my eyes fell upon, however, was not a spoiled, vengeful prince, but a king standing strong and tall. 
Edmund. 
A crowd of young ladies crowded around him, and to anyone else, the king most likely looked pleasantly intrigued by the attention. But I knew him well enough to know how his skin crawled with all the attention. As I watched, Elizabeth, the daughter of one of the nobles in my father’s council, laughed about something, her hand coming to rest on his arm. 
I pressed my hand to my lips, stifling my laugh of amusement.
Could it be considered treason to make one’s princess snort at such a formal event? 
 “Your Highness.”
It took a lifetime of tutors and study in social grace to elegantly face the speaker, but even all those lessons couldn’t keep my heart from hardening upon the sight of the lavish fashion of Calormen.  “Prince Rabadash, I presume.”
The prince smiled, revealing his teeth in a gesture quite like a panther mid-snarl. “Princess Y/N.” His hand shot out to clutch mine, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. 
Now whose skin was crawling?
“Would you like to dance?” he asked.
Not particularly.
“If his highness insists,” I said with a slight smile. 
“I most certainly do.” The prince took my outstretched hand and led me out onto the dance floor. The music started, leading us in the whirling routine of a foxtrot. “You are a beautiful dancer, my lady,” said the Calormen prince, his voice slipperier than butter.
I thought of Miss Strucker and smirked. “Isn’t that a requirement for anyone of our status?
“One would think, but my poor toes have been trodden on a fair amount of times in my lifetime.” 
Was the prince being...pleasant? I’d anticipated social hurdles, yet the prince had sought me out for a dance and was making conversation. What was his game? 
“I suppose one of the many hazards of our station involves the sacrifice of our toes.” I waited, hoping the prince would catch the hint. 
“Ahhh, I would guess you’re right.”
I waited for more, but the prince remained silent. “But dancing is hardly one of the more dangerous requirements for a member of royalty,” I said. Prince Rabadash tilted his head to the side. He wanted me to say it. To spell it out. 
I didn’t even hesitate. 
 “For instance, declarations of war.” 
“Ahh, so the lady is aware of the perilous relationship between our two countries?” the prince asked, as if he were saying it to another courtier instead of to me.
My hold on my temper slipped. “Is that surprising, considering the lady is from one of the two countries in question?” I asked haughtily. 
A smile spread across the prince’s face. “I like you, Princess Y/N.”
“That was not my intent,” I replied before I could stop myself, revulsion tingling underneath my skin. 
“And yet it happened all the same.”
I sensed an opening. I knew what my father would say…but I also knew what Edmund would say, and Edmund’s voice matched the one in my heart. “If you like me, are you going to try and take over a country so you can steal me away in the night?” 
Rabadash’s eyebrows lowered dangerously. “Hopefully,” he said, his tone dark and icy, “you’d give in before we reached that point.”
I only barely suppressed my shudder, refusing to show him any kind of weakness. I switched tactics. “Since I’m favored, may I request a boon?”
“And what would that be?”
“Peace.”
The prince lifted his chin so he was looking down his nose at me. “Like everything else in life, peace requires negotiation. And, unfortunately, you have nothing to negotiate with.”
He was wrong. 
I possessed one thing to barter away: the thing my father quite possibly hoped I would use to my advantage when he gifted me the tiara currently weighing my head down. 
Honey. 
Not necessarily nothing, like Rabdash said, but nothing I could bring myself to give. 
“If it’s a negotiation you want,” I said loftily, “then it’s the king you should speak to.”
The corners of his mouth spread, revealing a sliver of his flaxen teeth. “I’d much prefer to continue talking with you, if you don’t mind.”
I did mind. I minded terribly. 
Be honey, I told myself over and over again. Be honey, be honey, be honey. 
“It would be my honor,” I said, the words barely making it through my tightly clenched jaw. 
Prince Rabadash’s smile widened. 
-
Edmund considered himself to be a courteous man, one of good stock and stature. He always chewed with his mouth closed. He allowed others to speak first, and he tried his best to uphold his responsibility as king to make others feel safe and valued. He paid attention. He offered good advice. Indeed, there was not a single rule or common courtesy that Edmund didn’t follow to the letter.
Which is how he knew exactly how rude he was being when, instead of engaging in conversation with the multitude of young ladies crowded around him, he was watching Y/N’s pathetic excuse of a dance partner. 
It was a terribly important evening, to be sure, but Edmund wasn’t part of the Archenlandian royal family, so he didn’t have to play host. He also held zero interest in the courtiers around him.
His only concern was the enemy in this ballroom parading as a friend.
He didn’t trust Rabadash whatsoever, and so, he wasn’t going to take his eyes off the prince once. 
That plan went up in smoke the moment he arrived, as the female members of Archenland’s nobility descended on him like vultures. He’d been waiting anxiously for Y/N to arrive. He wanted to make some excuse to duck out of the conversations to go be with her, but when she appeared like a pastel goddess, his thoughts got scrambled. 
Before he could properly rearrange them, Prince Rabadash whisked her off to the dance floor. 
In Anvard, tradition dictated that a man, be it slave or king, could only dance with the queen or princess for two dances in a row before graciously taking his leave. 
Prince Rabadash was on his fourth and showed no sign of stopping. 
Edmund’s hands clenched.
The prince’s hand was on Y/N’s waist.
That waist was too good for any hand, Prince Rabadash’s least of all. 
Edmund stared at the offending appendage, past caring about the discomforting bodies clad in opulence surrounding him. 
He wasn’t the only one paying attention. On the opposite side of the ballroom, he saw Princes Cor and Corin muttering to each other, glancing at their sister. King Loon mingled with his courtiers, but would habitually look over his shoulder at the Calormen prince with his daughter. All the other nobility didn’t even try to be sneaky with their scrutiny, and Edmund knew they were wondering the same thing he was.
What was he doing dancing with their princess? 
“Pardon me, ladies, but I must speak with my brother alone.” 
Edmund could only tear his eyes away for a second to confirm that Susan was the one shooing all the other women away before returning his attention to the prince. 
“You look unwell,” his sister said by way of greeting. 
Edmund shifted, clenching his jaw. “I think something’s not agreeing with my stomach.”
“Oh, did you eat something bad?”
Edmund watched the Calormen prince spin Y/N once, twice, three times, each spin seemingly swirling his own insides. “Something like that.” 
Susan looked in the direction he was. “They’re just dancing.”
“He’s practically drooling all over her,” he snapped, a flush of heat flashing through him. “It’s distasteful.”
“It’s not distasteful for the prince to show interest,” Susan said quietly, likely trying to bring him back from the edge, to remind him of reality despite how they both felt about Rabadash. “To anyone else, it just appears to be the beginning stages of a courtship.”
The word nearly made Edmund choke. He whipped his head around to glare at his sister. “Under absolutely no circumstances will Y/N be courting Rabadash.”
Susan fixed him with a look he didn’t understand but knew enough to fear. “Y/N might not be courting,” she looked back to the prince and princess, “but Prince Rabadash certainly is.”
A horrible thought occurred to Edmund.
By saving Susan from Rabadash’s clutches…was he sacrificing Y/N?
Was Rabadash exchanging one woman for another? 
With an audible swallow, Edmund turned his attention back to the dancing pair, drawing close to the ending of their fourth dance. 
Y/N curtsied, but instead of offering her the answering bow, a cruel smile spread across Rabadash’s face. As her head was bowed in respect, he looked at her like he was going to eat her, like she was some cheap liquor to be greedily consumed instead of savored.
Edmund’s stomach roiled.
The next thing he knew, he was halfway across the ballroom. 
He wished he could blame it on the music, claim that the music possessed him somehow, but the music dropped out at the end of the song and had yet to start up again. As Prince Rabadash opened his mouth, Edmund smoothly slid in between them, offering his hand to Y/N.
“Your Highness, can I have the honor of the next dance?”
Edmund could’ve sworn he saw a flash of relief in Y/N’s face before she nodded, putting her hand in his. He turned slightly to guide Y/N to a different part of the dance floor and caught sight of the prince’s frown.
That’s right, he thought to himself as a sick satisfaction tolled through him like the booms of a grandfather clock. Go find someone else to slobber over.
The music started up. With Rabadash’s predatory look seared into his brain, Edmund gave a generous bow in response to Y/N’s curtsy. He took her hand in his, pulling her close enough for him to rest his hand firmly on her waist before leading her in the waltz.
“Is there a reason you decided to interrupt?” Y/N asked evenly, her eyes fixed on some point over Edmund’s shoulder.
Was she upset to no longer be dancing with the prince? Was Susan right? Were the two of them courting? Edmund forced a smile. “I consider it my sacred duty to keep you from princes dripping with contempt and saliva.”
Y/N raised her eyebrows. “Do you really think I have no prior experience with men drooling all over me?”
“Are you seeking to set off my gag reflex?” Edmund replied, the sting of bile indeed rising in his throat.  
Y/N searched his face with twinkling eyes, her appraisal making Edmund squirm slightly. “You’re jealous,” she said slowly.
Edmund’s jaw nearly dropped. “Well,” he said shortly, “the prince is attracted to you.”
Y/N rolled her eyes. “Now you seek to set off my gag reflex.”
“I’m telling the truth,” Edmund insisted. The princess just shook her head, and Edmund couldn’t leash the words. “It’s so obvious!”
“Calm down, before that vein in your forehead bursts.” 
“I’m being perfectly reasonable!”
Y/N raised her eyebrows. “You know, if you don’t calm down, people are going to start staring.” 
“We’re royalty,” Edmund muttered. “They never stop staring.” Nevertheless, he took some deep breaths, recalling his renowned sangfroid. “I’m sorry.” 
Y/N grinned, a strangely wild expression in the context of such finery. “What could His Majesty possibly be apologizing for?”
“For losing my temper.” Edmund smiled sheepishly. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice.” Y/N squeezed his hand. It was a subtle gesture of comfort strong enough to begin releasing the strained knot in Edmund’s chest, freeing his words. “The prince tried to abduct my sister because he was going to force her into marriage. To see my closest friend dancing with him–” Edmund summoned all his effort to keep his grip on Y/N’s waist and hand light in spite of his anger. “It is almost unbearable.”
Y/N’s eyes narrowed slightly. 
Panic crashed over him, and he worried he’d said too much.
But then the hand positioned on his shoulder glided closer to his neck. “I understand completely,” she said. Edmund felt the evening’s tension roll away. How could she conduct herself with so much grace after having to dance with Rabadash, to have the prince’s hands touching her skin? Her mother must’ve been an angel for Y/N to possess such patience and compassion. 
Y/N glanced over Edmund’s shoulder again. “Truly, Prince Rabadash is an ass.”
Edmund started, appalled to hear such a word from a princess’s lips. “Y/N!” 
Not a whit of shame or contrition resided in her expression as she said: “He is!” 
Edmund laughed, loudly and with a sense of newfound wonder. 
He’d always appreciated her quick wit and unfailing grace. She’d always been his equal, capable of going toe to toe in anything. 
But her words shone a new light, illuminating a part of her he hadn’t ever seen before. She could get him to relax and laugh in a way no one save for his siblings could. And they’d known Edmund his whole life, whereas Y/N only got to talk to him whenever he was in Archenland. 
As Edmund spun with Y/N in the center of the dance floor, he wondered how she brought clarity to everything in his life and yet simultaneously created some sort of muddling fog to his brain. 
The music drew to a close, the silence after somehow sorrowful. “Another dance?” Edmund suggested. 
Doubt filled Y/N’s eyes. Her hand lifted to gently touch the beautiful tiara nestled in her hair.
It was a different tiara than Y/N’s normal one, Edmund realized with a start. Judging by the way she ran her finger over the exquisite jewels, it was precious to her for something other than its monetary value. 
“I’m sorry, Edmund,” she said, her voice low enough to make him feel like her confidante. “I have to go be honey.”
Before he could ask what that meant, she curtsied and left the dance floor. 
Edmund watched her go. 
She was only three paces away from him when the Calormen prince swarmed back to her side, hovering over her like a pesky fly. 
A strange feeling wormed around in his gut. He couldn’t explain the nature or the cause of it. All he knew was this feeling was growing at an alarming rate. 
Only time would tell if it became problematic.
-
Part 3
Taglist:
@thelastpyle​ @valiantlytransparentwhispers​
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