#these are sanded but not polished and they already look so cool!!!

[blackbackedjackal]

Got some more test print pics 👀!!

[mappingthesky]

can u make a tiny tinyyy blurb of nymphia being carried by pj? 🥹 nymphia just looks so cute being carried in her recent ig story :"))) <<<33

behold: the nymphia being carried blurb (or: you can’t help but become the sun)

this is actually short and im actually half asleep so pls forgive me if it is choppy. perhaps i will come back and polish tomorrow… but probably not <3 love u thank u for reading <<3

It’s been one of those beautiful, bleary sort of summer days. 

They’d gotten up early, because Nymphia had her heart set on the beach, and Jane had promised. Truth be told, the beach wasn’t her thing; She’d rather be luxuriously lazy in the air-conditioned cool of her living room, or a movie theater, or taking aimless laps around the mall to people-watch and shit-talk. Nonetheless, Nymphia isn’t the kind of girl you say no to. Not even close. She’s the kind to make you appreciate the sun for making her jet hair shine a secret shade of brown, for making her eyes go the color of toasted caramel, for the way it kisses her skin and turns her to pure gold. The kind of girl who turns every aimless activity into an adventure, who takes the last thing you’d ever want to do and transforms it into the very thing you’ve been needing for the entirety of your life. How could you say no to a girl like that?

And so they’d packed up the car and driven the forty minutes there - Jane behind the wheel, and Nymphia leaning over to turn the volume up and kiss her cheek, teasing Jane lovingly for being so dishonestly grumpy and so secretly happy. Jane couldn’t even hide it, because she couldn’t imagine a better soundtrack to her summer than Nymphia’s spotify playlists, Nymphia’s singing along, Nymphia’s shrieking laugh and silly, sweet nothings. 

Side by side on beach towels in the sand, they lay on their bellies beneath the sun.  Jane gazed over at Nymphia - her long hair in a high ponytail, her old Hollywood sunglasses perched on her button nose, her delicate fingers working sunscreen into her skin. “What?” she’d asked as she brushed her fingers across Jane’s cheeks, having insisted that Jane needed more. Jane leaned in to kiss her, dotting her face with white. 

The day seemed never-ending. The sun was still high in the summer solstice sky when they’d trudged their way back to the car, Jane’s blonde hair already a shade lighter and her cheeks somehow still reddened. They were tired in the way that only the sun can make you - dazed and happily, desperately sleepy. The forty minutes back to town was decidedly quieter, as Nymphia had dozed off mere minutes after they’d gotten on the interstate. Jane looked over to where Nymphia slept with a gentle hum, smiled to herself, and leaned over to turn the radio down.

The white hot fever of the day had finally broken into dusk by the time they made it home. The sky was indigo blue when Jane pulled into the drive, and Nymphia still hadn’t stirred. She was quiet all while Jane turned the car off and got out, whining softly when Jane opened the passenger’s side door and tried to coax her from her sleep.

“Hi, my love,” Jane cooed, brushing the hair from her face with the sort of tenderness you reserve for someone not quite ready to be woken - soft, soothing, a little apologetic. “We’re home.”

Nymphia’s eyes opened with a wince. She groaned, well and truly worn-out, and let her eyes fall shut again. 

“C’mon sleeping beauty,” Jane tried again. “Let’s get you inside.”

It was no use. Nymphia shook her head, her lips pouty with sleep and eyes remaining closed as she mumbled a mere, “Can’t.”

“So, what?” Jane crossed her arms, going serious in the face of Nymphia’s silly. “You’re just gonna sleep in the driveway?”

Nymphia nodded, her face flush against the upholstery, eyes unopening. “Mm-hmm.”

“Okay. Have it your way.” Jane started to turn, reaching for the backseat when Nymphia stretched her arms out.

“No,” Jane groaned at the wordless demand. “Nymphia. C’mon.”

Nymphia’s bottom lip curled out, her eyes blinking open just long enough to work their magic. “Please.”

Jane tried, but her no’s were met with more pouts that shouldn’t be nearly as persuasive as they are. It's no use feigning indifference, because Jane’s heart isn’t in it. It’s no use, because they both know she’d do anything. It’s no use, because Nymphia’s not the kind of girl you say no to. Not even close. 

“Alright,” Jane sighs like she’d want it any other way. “Up.”

Nymphia brightens immediately, emitting a soft and bright squeal when Jane leans in and scoops her from the passenger's seat with relative ease. Her arms fly around Jane’s shoulders as she’s held to her chest, wholly and completely cared for. Nymphia tucks her face into Jane’s neck as she carries her up the driveway, smiling against her skin with blissful, sleepy satisfaction. 

“You’re so spoiled, you know that?” Jane says, and Nymphia can hear the shake to her head, can hear the smile she’s holding back. 

Nymphia wraps her arms a bit tighter around Jane’s neck, buries her face a bit deeper, imagines the closeness of their hearts as she hovers in Jane’s hold for a few more moments. “I know.”

[liminalpebble]

Between the Lines, Chapter 1 (An AU Loki Story)

Masterlist

AO3 link

Pairing: Femme reader x Loki Pre-Thor 1 AU

CW: Allusions to sexual slavery dubcon/noncon within the society. Power imbalance. Eventual smut with questionable consent. Minors DNI.

AN: This will be a multi-parter but not a particularly long one, so if I leave you hanging between chapters, I promise it won't be particularly long before it all comes together.

Between the Lines

Summary: The exchange of concubines amongst the noble houses of Asgard is nothing new to the royal family, however, it is to Asgard's solitary younger prince. Since Loki had always openly declared the tradition barbaric and loathsome, he shocks the court to its core when he changes his mind.

The trickster had yet another surprise in store when he selected you, a librarian from a noble house to occupy his bed.

You're stunned, intimidated, even afraid, of the sly second prince, but you know as well as anyone that to deny a royal decree is to court death.

And so you go, only to find that this mysterious man is not at all what you expected.

Chapter 1

The stiff satiny material of the fine gown chafed at the tender skin of your throat, your neck, your collarbones. It itched, it tore, it pricked, all for the sake of being attractive. The absurdity of it irritated you just as much as the starched bodice locking you in. It was a far cry from the comfortable cotton clothes and soft sweaters you'd wear to work in the archives each day...your beloved sanctuary of books and dark wood shelves. You already missed the sweet, musky smell of pages and wood polish embracing you as you cataloged and discovered...every day you discovered, learned, waltzed with beautiful words on illuminated manuscripts and lovingly preserved them. But not anymore. Those joyful days were apparently behind you.

You swallowed at the boulder of sorrow in your throat, but failed to erode it. A chilly draft swept through the cavernous, gilded hallway; grazed over your generous amount of exposed skin; a horrible, unwanted, vulnerability. Yet, even as you shivered you could feel nervous sweat blossoming. Your hands shook.

You'd heard stories...everyone had. Stories about the pleasure slaves the older prince surrounded himself with; the beautiful young women he subjected to his whims like play-things, and he was notoriously rough with his toys, like a spoiled brat. The thought made you shudder. Still, a quiet hope fizzled in your chest saying, maybe he's not like his brother. Everyone certainly says he isn't.

Each flickering torch sat fast in its sconce along the expanse at perfect intervals, each clicking footstep marked the uniform persistence of every second, measuring your progress towards his chambers like the tick of a clock.

As you faced the threshold to his chambers, Loki watched the last of grains of sand settle at the base of an hourglass on his desk. You clapped the heavy doorknocker and it rang like the deep chime of an hourly bell. It had the same grim finality. Time's up, it said.

“Enter,” ordered a silky, baritone voice from the other side.

At least the girl is punctual, Loki mused as he set a ribbon between the pages and closed his book.

You braced yourself, struggling to remember the precise instructions. You tried to look regal as you opened the heavy door, tried to sound confident, unwavering, but you knew your voice would falter...you hands would shake.

You knelt, averting your eyes so you could only mark his tall form gliding closer in your periphery, an elegant dark line interrupting the golden glow around him.

“Your Majesty, I come to serve.”

You twitch as long, cool fingers coax your chin upwards. His eyes meet yours, staring down through long dark lashes. Two aquamarine searchlights; unnervingly placid and frigid like a winter sea, and every bit as deadly and beautiful...every bit as likely to drown you in his undertow.

“Hmm. You are so so frightened, aren't you darling?”

“Uh...no...Sire...I just...”

He smirks...a singular, humorless curl at the corner of his thin lips. “Now, now. No lying. I can always tell.”

His long hand cages your cheek, moves in a serpentine arc to comb into your hair, then grip firmly. It's a sharp gesture, like fangs snapping shut. It stings, but if feels so alarmingly good that it punches the air out of your lungs in a helpless little gasp.

He smiles with teeth now as he watches your lips part; a gentle expression but unmistakably carnivorous. Blood wouldn't look out of place in a mouth like that, you think, and he's going to eat me alive.

You finally dare to look fully. He's all jet black hair, sharp angles, and tightly woven garments; precise and lethal and calculated. Fear boils up, hot and insistent, but with something alien simmering beneath it...something pleasurable, and you could swear he knows. He sees it. You wouldn't be surprised if his sharp ears could even hear your pulse quicken, maybe even hear you thoughts. The old saying volleyed around your memory.

Where there are wolf's ears, wolf's teeth are near.

The bone-color fingers release and glide over your cheek, your supple lips, down the path of your chin, and the valley of your throat. Two fingers travel at a leisurely pace over the cusps of your breasts, a ghost of a touch over your plump, corset-tightened flesh, quickly retracted.

He clears his throat, then takes your hand carefully and guides you to stand. Those bright eyes stab even deeper from such a close distance, like a good dagger. But you're chocked when his expression turns soft, the lines around his eyes creasing as his tight-lipped smile turns genuine...real.

“Come. It will be a long night, and we have so much to learn,” he purrs out as he guides you further into his world.

@lokischambermaid @lokisgoodgirl @peaches1958 @thenerdyoldersister @thedistractedagglomeration @muddyorbs @mischief2sarawr @icytrickster17 @goblingirlsarah @sweetsigyn @unlucky-number-13 @mochie85 @acidcasualties @alexakeyloveloki @loz-3 @jennyggggrrr @ladyofthestayingpower @mischiefmaker615 @loopsisloops @sailorholly @coldnique @smolvenger @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @gigglingtiggerv2 @anukulee @azula-karai-27 @eleniblue @marcotheflychair

(if you want to be added or subtracted from this list, please let me know. I know I always forget someone or add someone who doesn't want to be and it all get lost in the tags soups, so I apologize in advance.)

[lunchtimebedamned1997]

Cosplay WIP and Doodle Dump >:3

Haven't really been working on a bunch of digital art lately bc I've been busy working on cosplays and crying over Stolitz XD

But I thought I'd show you all what I've been working on since I'm really excited about it! <3 (So many updates :D)

Let's start with Helluva doodles!

I finally started drawing Blitzø and Fizzy-Frog! <3 Fizzy looks so much healthier in the newst ep I could CRY ohhh my goddd. And both Fizz and Blitzø look so dapper! Little cuties! Little cuties who are friends again! My heart!

Next up: Cosplay props!

We've got a lot of stuff for the Vees, and then a liiiitle bit of Angel Dust progress to show y'all!

Let's start with Vox since I only have one main thing I've made so far!

I had an old pair of headphones that stopped working, and I'd already worn them to costest Vox (since I'm not going for the TV screen approach) and so I thought I could give them a makeover! I decided to do the symbols from his silly little hat, and paint the microphone tip to resemble the little red bauble at the end of his antenna!

I just sanded the labels off, painted everything in acrylic and then sealed it with clear nail polish, pretty simple stuff, but I'm really pleased with the effect! And I think it will be a nice touch for the costume! <3

Now onto Valentino! I have the most stuff for him so far bc everything that wretched man owns is cool AF and I wanted to make, like, all of it XD

I started with the guns from 1x02 ala: "Which of these makes me look sexier ;3" since I thought they were both pretty iconic and I definitely want to film that little clip once my cosplays are ready to go hehe

(My reference Image ^)

This pink one is definitely my favorite, both in the show and based on how it came out in the end! I've only ever built one propgun before this for Jinx, so it was really fun to get back to it again! Lots of math and measurements, but luckily I'm a little racoon creature who hordes recycling like my life depends on it XD Even though he actually bedazzles another gun in the meeting room in 1x02, I was not about to make a third one in the span of two weeks, so I decided to just put it on one side of the pink, and I really love it tbh!

The gold and grey definitely looks a bit more... cardboard-y, but I'm okay with it tbh, I don't love the design of this one as much, so I probably won't be using it on it's own as often as the pink! But I still think it turned out well overall! Especially bc by the time I got to this one my exacto-blade was crapping out on me hardcore lmao

I also have two hand options ready for Valentino! I noticed that sometimes he has gold claws, and sometimes his hands are fully black, so I thought it would be good to have a couple options!

I went ahead and ordered some pleather gloves which I think work really well for him on their own, but then I also took some fake nails and layered them with gold acrylic paints and clear nail polish to make his 'actual' hands. I figured if I need a particular close-up for a shot it would be really cool to use black facepaint on my skin, and then have these nails stuck on! I just used eyelash glue to test out affixing them last night, and I think it actually worked super well!

Since the nails are pretty, well, claw-like I don't want them on all the time, but I still need them to stay when I'm moving around in costume, and I think the eyelash glue is kind of the perfect things for my at-home cosplay needs! I'd definitely want to do something stronger if I was going to a con in these, but yeah - XD I'm rambling, anyways -

Let's move onto Velvette!

I had an extra set of gold nails I'd made, that I was originally planning on attaching to the gloves (I did not like how that looked lmao) but I didn't want them to go to waste, so I used some of the little gems and do-dads that I had laying around to make them match one of the bra-tops I'm planning to use for Velvette! (Yes that sparkly orange and pink thing on the left is what I tried to match it to!)

I have a plethora of blank fake nails now, so I think it would be really fun to make a pair that matches each of Vel's outfits! I hyper-fixated on nail art for a couple years when I was a kid, so I'm really excited to play with those skillz again lmao - especially because I can use acrylic paint for these instead of nail polish which really cuts down on cost and expands my color ranges exponentially!

The last thing I have to show you for the Vee's specifically is the wigs I ordered for them! (I want to scream, I'm so excited!!!!)

(All of these are from Wig Is Fashion btw, notspon or anything I just have really loved their wigs so far! I really hope these three work well!)

Finally, my gloves for Angel and a couple of my colored lights for filming came in, so I just threw on one of the outfits I have ready for him, the wig I styled, and the gloves to get a feel for how it was coming along :3

I think I want to get different little shorts for this look (maybe pleather?) and figure out a couple other details to add in, because I feel like there is currently too much 'blank' space in the look. I'm sure that will be lessened by the makeup, set, etc. But I want to make sure the extra looks I have for characters still feel 'designed'/styled well, obvi.

Anyways! Lots of work to do, and I still need to buy a new sewing machine so i can make some of the actual outfits from the show, but it's all a process lmao

I'm planning a full-on Angel CMV atm, as well as a ton of other videos, but that's all a ways away lmao, I wanna really put effort into it which means time haha

I did already post some little Cherri, Angel, Vox and Charlie closet-costests to my TT if y'all are interested! I've also made Millie and Blitzø horns, but tbh I just can't be assed to get pictures of all of that rn XD if you look at the most recent (as of rn lmao) 'cosplay updates' vid that's up, you can see the horns, wigs etc that I didn't show in this post!

My main links are all right here if you want 'em: https://lunchtimebedamned.carrd.co/

And with that I'm going to go have brain-off time LMAO I've been working non-stop for weeks on this. I'm also sorry to anyone waiting for the Ch.4 update on The Space Between Us, this chapter is deciding to be very slow-going and difficult. IRL stuff is probably heavily contributing to that, but oh well. Know that I am working on it <3

[monstercampus]

ellie... may I please know more about Chaos or the pixies? 🥺 pleaseeeee 🥺

of course my love!! <3 sorry it got so long ehe 👉👈

The pixies live in a pixie-specific dorm (which is basically a large birdhouse that Sheela and Huxley built) since they're all very close and tend to stick together as a pack. The ones you've met already are a group of six, but there's more pixies on campus if you know where to look. They aren't necessarily students, but aren't necessarily staff either; pixies tend to hole up wherever they fancy, and since they're quite rare and one of very few monster species that aren't governed by anyone but themselves, they're allowed to come and go as they please. Plus, they're considered to be good luck by most, so even their mischief is tolerated to a high degree since it's considered just part of their nature. They're usually pretty docile but since your arrival they've gotten.....more active than usual.

See, pixies have a long history with humans, but due to the current state of the monster-human world and the scarcity of the pixies themselves, they rarely if ever get to interact with humans like their ancestors did. It's one of the reasons that faeries, a sub-species of the pixie grouping, are so rare too nowadays--faeries are almost always born from a pixie-human union, so despite their long lifespans the race of faeries is slowly dying off. So the pixie girls on campus are eager to find ways to get close to you, partly because they're absolutely fascinated with humans...and partly because they'd like to recruit you, such a nice and pretty human, to make nice and pretty faerie babies that will revive their population! <3 Pixies are creatures of ecstasy though, and they can get easily distracted, so needless to say they might need a little time to get around to that while they're busy messing around with you and figuring out what you like. But lucky for you, pixie dust is a very potent aphrodisiac for humanoids--and lucky for them, they're small and sprightly enough to get under your clothes even while you're in the middle of class, just to give you a little pep boost for the day ♡

Chaos is a household curse and very well-known in myth, but very, very few have ever had the displeasure of meeting him in person and lived to tell about it. Chaos is one of the last and oldest titans known to both gods and man, imprisoned in The Pits in the deepest, darkest area of the Underworld for thousands upon thousands of years. Aside from being an immortal god whose actions are impossible to predict, Chaos was imprisoned for eternity for the crime of murdering the old gods who once ruled over the Holy and Unholy lands. Although many believe his treason was borne out of nothing more than a destructive, rageful urge and acted upon by impulse, scholars have uncovered many old tomes and ancient texts penned by godly scribes about Chaos' life as a free god; including the snatches of records that indicate that Chaos once had a lover and home he was wholly devoted to. Although the general public tends to prefer the simpler ideology of Chaos being an unpredictably evil god punished by the forces of good, it's been well-established in record that Chaos' story is much more...elaborate than that, and it roughly follows as such.

Eons prior to common memory Chaos once walked the earth as divinity in human form, freshly separated from his sibling Creation where they once were inseparable. Feeling a sense of dread and loneliness at walking the world alone that he helped shape, Chaos wandered until he stumbled upon a treasure in the sands of a beach; a pearl nestled safely inside a rugged oyster, perfectly shaped and smooth and cool to the touch. New to such a natural wonder and unable to resist the pull of a prize that had manifested without his or Creation's influence, Chaos claimed the pearl and carried it up the mountains he had made his home to the highest peak. There, he held out the polished treasure that he had kept so safe and warm to the sun, and with the radiance of the holy lands shining down a spirit sprung from the pearl! The glow of the holy lands spun that spirit into human form out of its light, and with the pearl nestled safely in the crest of their newly-beating heart, a new divinity entered the world; Eden, the first valkyrie of the gods and the first creation made from both earth, heaven, and underworld influence.

At first sight Chaos fell to his knees and wept, his loneliness forgotten, and he grew deeply infatuated upon the first touch of their hands as Eden helped him to his feet. The two were soon lovers and built a home for themselves, happy and content with their simple lives, until the old gods called Eden back to attend to their duties as a valkyrie. They were forced to fight the battles of the old gods and would return to their husband Chaos broken and exhausted, but never able to refuse the will of their deities who had given them life and love, and never without a smile on their face for him and him alone. Eventually the old gods demanded Eden's permanent return to the heavens and were stoutly refused, thus in petty retaliation they subdued Chaos and murdered his beloved spouse as punishment, stripping their immortality from them and casting their body into The Pits to suffer for the couple's shared act of defiance. And in a grievous rage, Chaos broke his shackles and rampaged through both the Holy Lands and the Underworld, slaughtering the old gods and each and every divinity that served them until he grew tired and slow from his injuries. In that moment of weakness the remaining deities cast him into The Pits to be sealed away forever and never return to the surface, destined to be bound by chains and tortured for all eternity as penance in a contract bound forevermore.

But as he wandered there, small and alone once again, he discovered a treasure--the pearl that once served as the heart of his beloved Eden, still warm but cracked and chipped from wear as it lay within their broken body. As the gates to The Pits closed for eternity, Chaos tearfully wrenched it from their breast, held his pearl aloft and begged one last time for mercy, not for him who would accept his suffering but for his paradise not yet lost. And just as his fate was sealed, the pearl was plucked from his hands and spirited far, far away from the Underworld; dropped into the vast ocean of the earth and sunk to the very bottom like a stone, Eden's restless spirit tugging at their shape to search vainly for their fallen husband. With time they settled in exhaustion, and for millennia they were left in the deep, dark coldness of the sea, the water and grit and current polishing them down, down, down until they became nothing but a handful of stardust glittering amongst the waves. And when time came, Creation returned to their side after rescuing them from death and scooped up what remained of Eden in their hands, lifted their palms to their lips, and blew that glittering stardust gently into a cloud that swirled and bound itself into a soul borne anew. With all but the smallest drop of immortal ichor remaining in their veins, Eden the valkyrie was rebirthed and given new life, all but that one drop and the same form they took remaining.

Some say that it was Creation's gift to their fallen brother who still endured endless torture in The Pits, growing larger century after century as his titan blood boils in rage and agony, his chains growing with him yet The Pits themselves eventually growing small in comparison to his enormity. Although close followers of Creation insist that their craft takes form regardless of any personal desire, as Creation itself is a god void of nearly all emotion. Either way, Eden supposedly walks the world in present day, void of memories of their past life and of their dear husband, of the life they once dreamed of and lived together in harmony. Some rumour that Chaos' eyes that were stolen long ago during his enchainment was to eliminate the possibility of him recognizing his newly-reincarnated spouse, for if he ever knew for certain that they live there would be no force that would keep him locked away a moment longer. But were they to be recovered and returned, if Eden themselves were to find their way back to the husband they never knew they lost, the world would undoubtedly witness the return of the most feared, most villainized god from myth and fairy tale alike, and would see firsthand the unbridled ecstasy and arrogance of Chaos claiming for good what he was willing to blight all existence for.

[fiberturkey89]

The slate beast yawned once the sunrise bathed him in its warm embrace, opening his massive jaws which displayed deadly serrated teeth. A low growl leaving his maw, he shut his jaws with a light pop of air. Licking his chops he shifted in his nest, rolling onto his side.

Grass and sand shifted to accompany his weight, the saurian rubbing his face into the moss beeding with a low hiss. Normally, he'd be dormant in the day, only coming awake when the sunset arrived and filled the land with its cool breaths.

Today was different however, he could smell her approaching- with something important that would require him to leave the semi-shaded comfort of his nest, he slowly rose from the ground and shook himself free of any loose grasses, sand and more that could affect the companion Lisbeth was arriving with.

Slowly, he trudged out of his cave and descended down the hill to greet the Elemental of thunder and lightning- curious as to why she had a hatchling with her.

Perhaps that was the reason she had not visited in the previous Withering and Cold Season.

____

Gently bouncing the little bundle of joy on her hip, Lisbeth hummed a soft song- one that her late mother had often done for her.

Her hair bounced and swayed softly in the wind as yellow and blue eyes stared at her- two small hands curled around her scarred and calloused fingers. Leaning against the tree that had been planted long ago..

It hasn't seemed so long now, but it certainly felt like it! She grinned, and her baby grinned back. "Ooh, aren't you the sweetest thing! Yes, yes, you are! Taking after daddy and mommy both."

Her child cooed, blinking. Trying to mouth on her finger- she silently thanked herself (and Cliff) for making sure to remove any nail polish and fakes.

"He thinks that just because I don't have a human guardian that it doesn't really count, but you'll see him here in a second!" She chirped, her intuition right on cue as the familiar heavy footsteps of the slate saurian appeared.

"Hi Roja!"She looked up with a smile as Roja's head came around the corner with a low huff, eyeing her then the little bundle of sweetness in her arms. "Come meet your nephew or niece in arms!"

Coming closer as he crouched, sniffing cautiously, he then sat down slowly. Acting as a barricade of muscle and scales by curling around her and her baby. "Cliff and I had decided to have a kid, this is them! I haven't thought of a name yet, but I can already imagine them being great with people like their dad and mom, aim't that right, my little chick?" She cooed.

The blue maned carnivore extended his neck a little closer, carefully trying to peer into the her arms without being a disturbance- she giggled, getting up carefully and walking over to him. "Its the closest I've got to a name but Wren is looking like a winner between me and Cliff."

Both infant and saurian fell silent as their gazes met, eyeing one another. Yet her baby babbled, letting go of her finger and trying to reach out for the larger being they could see. Babbling and cooing in curiosity. "See? They like you, big blue!"

The carnivore gently pressed his snout to her arms, the near featherlight touch not surprising to her. "Nomad" despite being the figurehead of strength and loneliness was capable of acts of tenderness. "It's okay! I got you," she giggled, angling her child so that the tiny hands could brush against the grey scales.

They went still, one out of fear he had done something wrong as he eyed her with concern- and the other out of wanting to know what it was. "Pfft.. I've never seen you look so worried!"

Nuzzling against one of their cheeks, she gave a soft peck to the temple as the baby babbled in joy. Feeling her heart swell up with pride and joy, she held them closer. "My little Wren.." she whispered, ooh how she wished Cliff came along!"

Letting them play with her index finger, she gazed at her perfect child lovingly. "Your daddy doesn't really like my friend."

Roja lowly hissed through his mouth. The soft exhale from his nostrils, however, caused Wren to babble in excitment. Mumbling and moving their hands around in maybe play.

She enjoyed how her three of her five favourite beings were able to get along. While she would like Spark to come down from the trees, she was just glade he was nearby and watching. The little Glider always vigilant.

Even when they hung out with a descendent of Dragons before them. Smiling as Roja came back and allowed her baby to run their small hands across his smooth scales.

Something chirped above her, and she glanced up to see that it was a Blue Jay. She tilted her head, then glanced back at her baby and the saurian.

"Maybe Jay would be a nice name.. what do you think?"

The Phantom rumbled in partial agreement, and she smiled. "I'll talk to Cliff about it,"

He was going to agree.

[caramel-catss]

warm afternoons and cool waters

on ao3

word count: 2.3k

link and marin take a break together after a dungeon; link's awakening mermaid au

thanks again to @deuynndoodles for the awesome idea and sorry for tagging you on like three platforms at once lol

Marin and Link sit just outside the Key Cavern. Link soaks her tail in the water while Marin sits on the dirt, sandals off; her ankles are dipped into the miniature lake. Link pulls her tail to her chest, picking off dead scales. Marin holds the Sea Lily’s Bell. She lightly shakes it back and forth, listening to the ting sound it makes.

“Where did the Owl say to go next, again?” Marin asks. She places down the bell next to the two other instruments the pair have collected. Link looks up. She swims to where Marin is sitting, resting her elbows to hold her up on the sand.

Waterfall, Link signs. 

Marin’s lips purse. “There’s so many waterfalls here, though. I wonder which one he means?”

Link makes a shrugging motion. Depends on what you define as a waterfall. Half the island is underwater, anyway.

“That’s true.” Marin hums to herself, thinking for a moment. “Well, Animal Village is all above-ground; that’s why all those land animals settled there in the first place.”

Link nods. She pushes herself back towards the middle of the water. Link dips her head backwards, wetting her hair. The hot sun had been drying it for the past fifteen minutes; Marin can already feel the sunburn forming on her arms.

Marin watches as Link then sinks entirely below the water. This isn’t the cleanest lake out there, but it’s crystal-clear like all of Koholint’s waters, and Link’s been using it to wash off the blood on her. The two had spent a good four hours inside the Key Cavern this morning. Marin has to admit there’s a good amount of grime on her as well.

Link propels herself around underground, enjoying her freshly picked tail. Marin grabs Link’s satchel from where she had placed it down earlier. Well, more like thrown it down; once they left the dungeon, the first thing Link did was dive into the lake.

As Marin rearranges the items in Link’s bag, she takes out little pieces of junk. A rock that fell in. A fairy, who Marin releases since Link isn’t looking. A small key…? Roc’s feather is a little curvy and tangled in places, so Marin smoothes it out.

“We have an extra key,” Marin comments. Link is still underwater, but she had already proven that she can hear Marin regardless. Link’s hands surface - just her hands, the rest of her still enjoying the cool water.

Spare for next dungeon, I guess.

Marin tilts her head. “Do keyholes stay shaped the same in each dungeon?”

Link stays still for a second. …No.

Marin snorts. “A gift for Tarin, then?”

Yeah, he’s already worried about you. It won’t just freak him out more. Marin giggles at Link’s silent deadpan.

“I’m with an adventurer! A hero! I think I’m safe enough.” Link’s hands drop back into the water, and Marin can barely catch the redness on her cheek. “Welllll, aren’t you the Hero of… of however you pronounce that sign?”

Link surfaces, eyes drifting away from Marin. She’s flustered. Her hands form the sign Marin referenced, and then she continues, but they also call me the Hero of Legend.

“Well that’s a very grand title, Hero of Legend,” Marin giggles. “I’m impressed.” Link flushes harder, placing her hands over her face. Outwardly, Marin smirks, but inwardly, she tries not to squeal. Link looks so cute like this. Oh, Wind Fish, save her!

Stop looking at me like that, Link signs, but it’s weak. …Embarrassing.

“Um, oops!” Marin replies, laugh turning nervous as she scratches her head.

Link huffs, not actually angry. Marin places back down Link’s pack. She moves to the instruments, polishing the Sea Lily’s Bell with her shirt. Link sputters a bit more before returning to swimming.

Some minutes later, Link appears in front of Marin.

I’m thinking, Link starts. What if there’s a dungeon that’s underwater?

“What do you mean?” Marin replies.

All the dungeons on my first adventure were, Link explains. Including in the Dark World.

Marin’s only heard a little about the Dark World, but the thought makes her puzzle. Yes, it would make sense, with Koholint being half land and half water. And everyone but Marin and the animals are mer. Whoever designed the dungeons must have at least had merfolk in mind, since the Wind Fish is the siren god, right? Plus Link had only been in fully underwater dungeons before…

Link is here to retrieve her voice; as a siren, she’s supposed to have a song that can enchant people. But she has none. She can’t speak. In the beginning, Link explained that she had heard of the legends of the Wind Fish, God of the Sirens, before. She had actually been on her way to Koholint when she lost consciousness and washed up on the beach. And what a sight when Marin found her - only normal mer live on Koholint, so Marin had never seen a siren before. But with one look at Link’s tail and fins, she knew Link had to be one.

Marin’s been tagging along with Link on her adventures. Link had apparently never been on land before Marin took her home (minus the rabbit thing). Marin also is one of the only people around who knows sign, since she was mute as a child. And so Link and Marin had been through three dungeons, now, Link slaying monsters as Marin teaches her how to walk.

“This is really fun,” Marin thinks out loud. Link tilts her head, eyes confused. “Sorry, my thoughts drifted.”

Adventuring, you mean? Link questions.

“Yeah,” Marin replies. “And… being with you. Your life is really interesting. I’ve just been living on this island and singing to myself… I never knew there was so much to explore.”

Link seems surprised, furrowing her eyebrows together like the words “adventure” and “fun” being in the same sentence is paradoxical. Her mouth opens, then closes. She raises her hands.

Fun? She questions.

“Um, yes? Is that weird? Haha…”

No, no, Link’s motions fly at rapid pace. Then she slows down. I… had a different experience first adventuring.

“Oh,” Marin says, a little saddened. “I’m sorry that it…”

Sucked, Link supplies, for lack of a better word. Marin forces down a snort.

“Sucked,” she echoes. “I’m sorry that it sucked.”

Link shrugs. It’s fine. It’s more fun with you, too. I like being with you. She dips underwater again, leaving Marin sputtering.

“L-Link!” Marin exclaims. She feels her face grow hot. Bubbles appear at the water’s surface, betraying Link’s giggling. The siren’s head slowly comes back up, but only to her eyes, which look up at Marin.

Marin throws her head back and forth, trying to shake off the blush. Her fingers fidget with her pendant. Link continues to stare at her, pupils shining in the sunlight.

Suddenly, after a silence Marin wouldn’t dare break, Link shoots up out of the water. Her hands wrap around Marin’s wrist and pull. Marin lets out a gasp as she’s brought forward. The long-forgotten Sea Lily’s Bell falls on its side; it rolls into the pile of their things.

Splash! As Marin falls into the water, she becomes infinitely more grateful that she chose shorts over a dress this morning. That was for the dungeon, but apparently a cute mermaid is far more dangerous.

Marin surfaces, running a hand through her now-tangled hair. Her fingers eventually find her hibiscus, now displaced, and she throws it over to everything else. 

“By the Wind Fish, Link!” She complains, but she’s laughing. Link laughs, too. It’s one of the only sounds Link can make, and it’s Marin’s personal favorite.

Link quickly signs something vaguely forming had to, and then she’s swimming away from Marin, unceremoniously splashing the girl in the face with her tail. Marin squeals as she ducks away. She dives down, because if Link wants to start a splashing war, she is on!

Marin, the only human in a village of mer, naturally has grown up as a good swimmer. But compared to Link and her tail, she might as well be standing in place. Link leads Marin in circles until the islander tires and gives up. She clutches the side of the lake as she takes deep breaths. Once Marin surrenders, Link cautiously makes way to her, only to be rewarded with a weak splash by Marin’s hand.

“You… deserved that,” Marin huffs between breaths. Link only smiles.

I don’t know what you mean, Link signs. I did nothing. Marin rolls her eyes.

Marin pulls herself back onto land, rolling over and laying on her back. She’s instantly and harshly greeted by the sun. Marin groans and looks around for shade, but she has no such luck. Unless a dungeon still actively populated by monsters counts, because that’s only a few paces away.

Link starts to get herself out of the water, too. She has a bit more trouble than Marin, so the later offers her hand. Link takes it, grateful.

Marin lets herself dry out in the sun. Link decides to do the same, apparently, because she lays down right above Marin. The girl can feel Link’s warmth, and Link’s so close that her wet hair brushes against Marin’s ear. Marin closes her eyes and hums.

She’s able to get through her ballad a few times before Link taps her on the shoulder, prompting her to open her eyes. Link’s fingers are reached above her.

Hey, let’s go to Mabe, Link says.

“Why?” Marin asks, stifling a yawn. She gets sleepy in the afternoon sunlight.

You know the library, the one above water? I have the Pegasus Boots now so I can get the book on the shelf.

“Ooh, that’s true. Alright, we can detour there. Then should we go to Animal Village?”

Yeah. Also, the book could have something important about the waterfall.

“Has that… specific thing happened to you before?”

Reading something and it helping me open a dungeon? Yes.

“Huh.”

Don’t forget I’m a siren who turned into a rabbit… weirder things have happened.

Marin giggles. She remembers how embarrassed Link was when Marin first asked what her moon pearl was. “True~!”

Link has to poke and prod at Marin a few times before the girl relents and sits up. Link had already dried off her tail and gone back to having legs. She smoothes down her skirt and tunic, and then helps Marin to her own feet.

Marin puts her shoes on, then bends down and gathers Link’s pack of materials. Link takes Marin’s and fills it back up with the Instruments of the Sirens. The enlarging enchantment on the fabric will always confuse Marin, and she still doesn’t quite trust it. The girls trade packs.

“Okay,” Marin begins to recite their schedule. “So we’ll head back to Mabe, probably have a late lunch with Tarin, get the book, and if there’s any more time in the day, should we start for Animal Village?”

Could we get a room for the night if we did? Link asks.

“I think so, the animals have let me stay before.”

Link ponders for a bit. Wait, I want to look back at the Dream Shrine.

“Oh? Why?”

There’s a tent thing in there, and I have these now. Link motions to her pegasus boots, clicking her heels together. Marin giggles and nods.

“So we go to the Dream Shrine, too. I guess we’ll just stay home tonight, then?”

Link smiles. I like your dad’s cooking.

Marin snorts. “Then I guess we’ll be in Mabe!”

Link’s smile brodens, and she actually hugs Marin. The latter rolls her eyes but accepts it. Tarin’s cooking isn’t bad, yes, but Link can praise it a little too much at times. It makes Marin worry about what Link eats on the road.

“Okay, okay, Link,” Marin says after Link’s hug lingers. But she doesn’t make an attempt to pull back, and Link doesn’t either. Marin can smell Link’s hair, recognize the special scent of merfolk. Her tunic is still damp, but her hat is perfectly dry; she had actually remembered to take it off first this time. Marin can feel herself already getting lost in Link’s touch, in Link, and-

Marin pulls away like Link is fire. Link seems to jolt back at the same time, and they stare at each other.

“Um,” Marin says. And she realizes that with as much as they dance around each other, both Link and Marin are too nervous to ever actually say anything. (That’s okay, though. They’re both bad with words. But Marin can sing, and Link can touch.)

Link blinks. She acquires a sudden interest in the sand next to Marin’s sandals. Marin doesn’t know how to continue this, and her face is getting warmer every second; she eventually puts all her energy into forcing herself to move.

Marin quietly hops to the first landmass, hearing Link follow behind her. As they continue forward, Marin begins to sing. She can’t help it (and she wants to make the atmosphere less awkward). The air becomes calm and serene. Link’s shoulders always relax when Marin sings.

The duo have nearly made it to the actual path when Marin feels a brush against her hand. She looks down to find Link’s palm, her fingers spread in offering. Marin accepts it.

Link’s skin burns against hers, but Marin is fine with that. Link’s hands are calloused compared to Marin’s soft ones. Marin rubs her finger against the roughness. Link doesn’t move her hand away, but her eyes widen slightly. 

All the way back home, Marin and Link stay holding hands.

That night, in Marin’s family home, she lays on her bed without sleeping a wink. Link snores softly next to her, curled up in a soft blanket. 

Staring into the ceiling, all Marin can think about is the siren who washed up into her life. And how she will never, ever, lose her spot in Marin’s heart.

[burnwater13]

Greef Karga speaking with the Mandalorian on Nevarro, after they succeeded in shooting down Moff Gideon's Tie Fighter. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 1, Episode 8, Redemption. Calendar by DateWorks.

Grogu had heard everything Greef Karga and Cara Dune had said to the Mandalorian just before they left Nevarro. He thought it was pretty funny that anyone who had started the day before betraying them was now a good friend again. Was that why Cara agreed to stay behind? To make sure that the Bounty Guild leader kept his word? Grogu supposed that could be true. Or she just wanted her chain code fixed. 

He wasn’t sure if the Mandalorian believed either of them. He just wanted to leave Nevarro and get rid of Grogu and it had to be done in that order apparently. 

Okay, okay. It wasn’t like the bounty hunter was just going to dump him on some planet in the middle of nowhere and just leave. The Armorer had been pretty specific and if there was one thing that Grogu had learned through this mess was that Din Djarin (funny name, another he’d learned) would do whatever the Armorer told him to do. It was like she was his version of Master Yoda. Grogu couldn’t think of even one Jedi who had been willing to just ignore a direct order from the ancient Jedi Master. 

Of course he could think of two Jedi younglings who’d managed to do that and not get caught. At least they hadn’t been caught immediately. By the time they were, well, it was too late for scolding to matter much to either one of them. The thing was done, for better or worse.

It all started when Ian was complaining that it was really hot in the temple and he wished there was someplace they could go to cool off. Grogu had suggested that they go to the Arboretum. The temperature control always worked there to maximize the benefits to the plants. Ian’s all too predictable response had been that he wasn’t a plant.

Then Grogu suggested that they go to the exercise rooms and take a quick dip in the swimming pool. It was kept at a comfortable for most temperature that encouraged rigorous practice of various swimming strokes. Ian had laughed and said he wanted to relax someplace cool, not exhaust himself with exercise. Plus, swimming like that was boring. There were no waves, no sand, no critters. Boring. 

Exasperated with his friend shooting down all of his ideas, Grogu suggested that they go surfing in the reflecting pond in the Great Hall. They could even go sledding if they froze the whole thing over using the Force. To Grogu’s dismay Ian stopped pouting and huge grin covered his friend’s face. 

Grogu had been joking. Master Yoda had already told the two of them if he ever found them freezing the reflecting pond again he’d have them clean the entire exterior of the Temple buildings using just a tooth polisher. Grogu had explained that they had moved the beautiful fish that occupied the pond before they froze it, but surprising no one, Master Yoda was not the least bit pleased by that information.  

At that time they had both promised never to use the Force that way again and they managed to keep that promise for a pretty good amount of time. It must have happened at least three weeks earlier and Grogu was pretty sure that was a record for them obeying a direct order from any of the masters. But that record was at direct risk. Ian liked the idea too much. And not just the idea about freezing the pond. He wanted to combine the two ideas Grogu had mentioned. He wanted to surf the frozen pond. 

Grogu had tried to explain that there was no way to do that. To surf you needed waves. The reflecting pond was flat. So people could look into and see their reflections. They couldn’t do that if a huge wave was crashing down on them. 

That’s when he thumped his shoulder with glee and said, “That’s why we’ll freeze the gigantic wave just as it crests! It won’t crash down on anyone that way!”

Fortunately, right after he made that statement, one of the other younglings came running up and told them both that Master Beq was calling a special meeting of their group of learners. Grogu was relieved. He and Ian would have to go to that and hopefully Ian would forget all about the giant frozen wave.

The meeting was more like an opportunity to lecture the younglings about guests who would be visiting the temple the following day and that they were emissaries from Naboo. Apparently the Queen and her retinue were coming for a visit and to certain matters with the Jedi Council and the younglings were expected to behave, well like the Jedi they would one day grow into. 

Grogu had nodded and tried to look extra solemn. It was clear that Master Beq was aiming that advice right at him and Ian. There was no way that Grogu wanted that kind of trouble. Upsetting a delegation from any place outside of Coruscant was never a good idea. Even Ian looked kind of solemn. 

But he had just looked solemn. They had gone back to their classes, eaten their meal, done their evening exercise, and went back to their dorm to sleep. At least Grogu had intended to sleep. It became clear when he was rudely awakened in the middle of the night that Ian had absolutely no intention of sleeping. Or forgetting what Grogu had said earlier. 

With friends like Ian, you didn’t need to be chased by Imps… well, that’s what Grogu would have told the Mandalorian, if Din Djarin hadn’t been so focused on getting the Razor Crest all set to leave Nevarro. Grogu was certain that at some point in time, Greef Karga, being a good friend and not at all the cause of so much trouble in their life, would ask the Mandalorian to help him with something easy, admonishing his dad, ‘You worry too much. This will be a like taking out a womp rat from a T-16’, or words to that effect. 

If they were very lucky when that happened, they’d find their guests from Naboo standing in front of the ‘Great Wave’ that was frozen in the Great Hall, and commenting that it was very considerate of the Jedi to welcome them with a depiction of their most famous art installation. The Gungans were very pleased to have their work recognized that way. Grogu’s teeth hadn’t stopped chattering for a week and Ian had just smiled at a job well done.

Greef Karga speaking with the Mandalorian, while Cara Dune stands nearby, on Nevarro, after they succeeded in shooting down Moff Gideon's Tie Fighter. Image from The Mandalorian, Season 1, Episode 8, Redemption. Calendar by DateWorks.

[ughtoomanyfandoms]

Preacher’s Daughter (The Last of Us) - Joel Miller: American Teenager

PREACHER’S DAUGHTER American Teenager

series masterlist

Pairing: Joel Miller x OC

CONTENT WARNINGS: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI, DEAD PIGEON unprotected sex, religious trauma, gore, violence, swearing, explicit content, sexual violence.

Word Count: 11.8k

Read on AO3 and Wattpad

PREACHER’S DAUGHTER American Teenager

NOVEMBER 2001

The blaze of the torch and heat of the flame is drowned out by the blaring of music through her headphones. Keeping a steady hand and a focused eye on the soldering work she was doing, the ambient noises of the jewelry shop became a distant drum in the background. She had worked her hands raw and rough from polishing and sanding all day, so she sought respite in the tedious soldering work on the jewelry piece she just started.

Finishing the soldering job, she quickly quenches the piece and takes it to the crock pot to begin pickling. As the song blasting through her headphones fades out, she can barely hear her name being called over the music. Quickly, she pushes her headphones from her ears and turns to see her boss waving for her attention.

“How long have you been calling my name?” She lets out with a chuckle.

“Don’t worry about it,” her boss responds with a smile. “I thought you were off at four? It’s a little after five right now.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” she responds. “Totally lost track of time. I’ll start wrapping up and head out.”

Her boss gently tells her to lock up after herself and enjoy her night. Waiting for her piece to finish sitting in the pickle, she begins to clean up her work bench. Quickly locking up, she exits onto the streets of downtown Austin.

She’s walking for a little bit

“Lianne!” A voice calls out. Turning to see who called her name, she sees a bushel of brown curly hair bouncing its way towards her. The young girl is almost unrecognizable. Sarah Miller must have grown four inches since Lianne last saw her before moving to New York. She was no longer the little girl whom she used to babysit, but now has grown into a lovely young lady. Having only seen photographs of Sarah that she had received amongst numerous letters from the girl still could not prepare her for how tall the girl had gotten. While being away for college, her and Sarah still kept weekly contact with phone calls and being each other's pen pals.

“No way,” Lianne laughs out, finding herself already embraced by the tall girl. “Who is this beauty? Sarah Miller? You have gotten way too big.”  

Two men follow behind Sarah, and Lianne has to do a double take to realize it’s Sarah’s father, Joel, and his brother, Tommy. Her chest fills with a warm comfort as she sees the older man break into a smile.

“All three Miller’s?” Lianne exclaims. “What are y’all doing here in the city?”

“We were just makin’ our way to dinner,” Joel says with a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“Come with us!” Sarah bursts, excitedly latching onto Lianne’s arm.

Before Lianne can even think of a response, Joel is saying, “The more the merrier,” and Tommy is pressuring her to join them. Finally agreeing, she’s walking arm and arm with Sarah towards the restaurant.

The drinks are brought and set on the table, and Lianne immediately wraps her hands around the glass in front of her, the coolness soothing to her fingers. Joel brings his glass up to his lips, keeping his eyes on Lianne as she casually glances around the restaurant with the smallest smile on her face. As he sets his drink back down, his eyes cast down to her ringed fingers around her glass.

“You’ve got workin’ hands now,” Joel speaks as he notices the cuts and calluses on Lianne’s fingers. She looks at her worn hands and picks at the green metal shavings stuck beneath her fingernails.

“Yeah, being a bench jeweler is tough shit,” she says with a sigh. Lianne reaches over to Joel and flips his hand over, laying her own hand next to his. “But look, we match now.”

“Yeah,” Joel chuckles. “Being a contractor is tough shit,” his eyes sparkle as he throws her words back at her.

“Language,” Sarah warns, taking a sip of her drink. Lianne only smiles more as she nudges Sarah with her elbow.

“So you two still doing freelance work?” Lianne asks as she looks between the two brothers.

Joel opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by his brother which doesn’t go unnoticed by Lianne.

“We’ve been trying to do as many jobs as we can,” Tommy begins to explain. “Joel here has been readin’ up on doin’ his own thing… Startin’ his own business.”

“Oh, really?” Lianne says with a raise of her brows. “Would you two do it together or would it be a one man show?”

“You know Joel doesn’t work well with others outside his bubble,” Tommy taunts his older brother.

“I wouldn’t even say I work well with you,” Joel mumbles into his glass, the smirk on Tommy’s face growing.

“Well,” Lianne interjects. “If y’all need a welder… I know a guy.”

“I will definitely keep that in mind,” Joel responds, his dark eyes twinkling at Lianne. After a moment of looking over the restaurant’s menu, Joel continues. “So where are you staying now that you’re back in Austin?”

“I just have a studio apartment outside of the city,” Lianne replies, looking up from her menu at Joel. She catches the slightest smile at the corner of his lips as she turns to look at Sarah. “Which y’all are more than welcome to come by any time. It ain’t much but the building has some fun hang out areas.”

This excites Sarah, the girl slightly bouncing in her seat. “Oh, yeah! That sounds so fun! Can we go, Dad?”

“You don’t have to ask him,” Lianne says as she gently nudges Sarah. “You can seriously come over whenever you want.”

“Aren’t you a big-city girl now?” Tommy asks. “I mean, you lived in Manhattan. Would’ve thought you’d be living here downtown.”

Joel stiffens at this, and he clears his throat in his brother's direction. Unphased and smiling, Lianne answers in her cheery voice.

“The city just wasn’t for me anymore,” Lianne begins. “As much as I loved it, I’d rather not be right in the middle of the hustle and bustle anymore, you know? It’s nice to work in the city, that’s not a problem. But it’s just nice to get a little bit away from it all and take a break. Plus, I don’t care for being around tall buildings that much.”

The waitress appears then, making Lianne grateful for the questions to finally not be about her as they order their food.

“What about you, Sarah?” Lianne starts. “What’s new? Talking to any boys or-”

“No.” She is immediately cut off by Joel and Tommy sharply answering the question for Sarah. She can’t help but laugh as she looks at the poor girl who just crosses her arms.

It was as if the connection between Sarah and Lianne never faltered. The space and time that was between them over the last three years seemed to be nonexistent as the two fell right into place with each other. It was as if nothing ever happened, and Lianne’s body was radiating with happiness as she found herself content being in the presence of all three Miller’s.

Dinner flies by, the four of them lost in conversations that became scattered in all dimensions. Laughter would fill the air, and Lianne and Sarah would lean into each other and try to cover their laughs. To feel at home with the Miller’s was a blessing to Lianne. Having been out of their immediate lives and the city of Austin for so long had created a bundle of nerves in her when she first moved back. But having been able to unexpectedly run into her favorite people within the few days she had been back had her at ease in an instant.

“So, are you having a graduation party?” Sarah asks, her eyes beaming. Heat rushes to Lianne’s cheeks, and she tries to hide herself by staring into her glass. She chews on her lip before peeking up through her lashes.

“Actually,” Lianne starts slowly. “I didn’t graduate.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asks.

Lianne doesn’t want to respond, the hesitancy creating a thickness in the air. “I dropped out,” she finally says, almost in a whisper.

“Wait, what?” Tommy asks, almost startled. “Why?”

Joel hasn’t brought himself the courage to elaborate on his reaction. To be shocked was an understatement, and he found a tingle of anticipation in his chest. He couldn’t take his eyes off the woman in front of him, watching the warmth wash over her cheeks. His intense stare didn’t help Lianne. He had adjusted from his relaxed state of leaning back in his chair to now almost sitting on the edge of his seat, arms leaning on the table.

Lianne didn’t want to tell them. The three people around her had been like family to her before she moved away, and they had all been so excited for her to move to the big city and create something for herself and her passion for jewelry. How could she tell them that she couldn’t do it anymore because, what? She was afraid? That she had been there that day in lower Manhattan? That her ex’s brother had been brought home in a box and she couldn’t bring herself to go to the funeral? She didn’t want to think about it anymore. That’s why she came back home. She couldn’t even begin to think of the attention it would bring to her in the conversation. She just wanted to keep the smiles on their faces, not wanting any sympathy from any of them.

All she can do is let out a long sigh as she tries not to let her eyes begin to tear up.

“It was a fun experience and everything,” she begins. “It’s just that it wasn’t really my year. It was just time to go home.”

A silence falls over the group, and Lianne can’t help but let the awkwardness of it claw at her skin.

“Plus,” Lianne adds with a smile, trying in any way to lighten the mood. “It’s warmer here in the winters. Didn’t think I had it in me to tough out another New York winter.”

After dinner, the group decides to head back to Lianne’s apartment to see it for the first time. Sarah is insistent that she rides with Lianne, and Lianne is more than happy to have her tag along. Parting ways, Joel and Tommy climb into Tommy’s truck and begin following Lianne in her little red sedan.

“God damn,” Tommy says on a sigh as he runs his hand down his face.

“What?” Joel asks, keeping his eyes on the car ahead.

“Lianne sure has… grown up,” Tommy replies, a smirk growing on his lips. “You know what I mean.”

Joel rolls his eyes in annoyance at his brother. “Come on, man. Don’t say shit like that.”

“Oh, come on,” Tommy presses. “You have eyes, man. You’ve seen her. All I’m sayin’ is that she got hot.” Tommy eyes his brother, trying to get some kind of reaction from him.

All Joel can do is scowl as his grip gradually tightens on the steering wheel. He and Tommy talked about girls all the time when it was just the two of them. But talking about Lianne like this just felt different to Joel. And what he hated the most, but would never admit, is that his brother was right.

“Sorry it’s kind of a mess,” Lianne says as she enters her apartment. Moving boxes still unopened are stacked in piles. Only a mattress with a pillow in the middle of the floor is on display, along with a green velvet couch alongside the wall. “I’ve really only been in town for a week, and I’ve been working a lot, so…” Lianne continues to explain as the Miller’s enter her apartment.

The three of them say their own “don’t-worry-about-its” as they enter the tiny apartment.

“Has your dad been helping you move in?” Joel asks as he examines the counters in the kitchenette area, running his hands over them.

“No,” Lianne draws out. “I haven’t told him I’m back yet, so it’s just been me and my boxes.”

Sarah takes immediate action, saying they’ll help her start unpacking right away. As much as Lianne protests, the Miller’s decision outweighs her own as they all begin digging through boxes. The girls take over the boxes full of clothes, while Tommy and Joel begin unpacking and assembling the little furniture that Lianne has. Soon, the kitchen cupboards are full of plates and bowls, and drawers are filled with silverware and miscellaneous supplies.

“Thank you guys so much for helping,” Lianne says, placing her hands on her hips, feeling accomplished with the hard work they put in. “There has to be some way I can repay you.”

“Mmm, you can’t,” Sarah says with a mischievous smile. “We won’t let you.”

Lianne places her hands on the young girls shoulders and begins pushing her towards the door. “It’s been so great seeing you all again,” Lianne says before she sighs. “You really have no idea… “

The three guests make their way out into the hall, but not before Lianne eagerly tells Sarah to give her a call whenever she wanted to get together.

Over the weeks, Joel had been in and out of her apartment. Making sure the counters were level, fixing a leaky faucet, even retiling her bathroom floor. He heard her complain about the humidity one day, and he was over there that night checking her air conditioning unit to make sure it was satisfactory.

Lianne turned down the volume of the radio as her car approached the Miller’s home, only for Sarah to immediately reach over from her position in the passenger seat to turn the volume up even louder, beaming a smile to Lianne. Sarah’s friends in the back of the car sang their hearts out as Lianne finally parked on the street in front of the house. The evening sun radiated its way into the car, bouncing off of Sarah’s curly hair.

It was surprising to Lianne that Sarah had kept the tape that Lianne’s group of friends from high school made in their shitty little garage band. Sarah loved it and had almost worn the tape out completely. What had Lianne almost in tears was that as soon as the tape began playing in the car, all of Sarah’s friends knew all of the words, too.  

The group of young teenage girls giggled and smiled their way out of Lianne’s sedan as they grabbed their shopping bags. Lianne smiled and waved to Sarah as she got out, but Sarah peered back in through the open window.

“You should come in!” Sarah invites with a bright smile. “Dad will want to say hi!”

Agreeing to come in for a few minutes, Lianne follows the group of babbling girls into the house. The aroma of sizzling ground beef and frying peppers instantly hits her.

Sarah has made her way to her father, kissing him on the cheek and saying hello as he works over the stove. Sarah says something to him, and his head turns in Lianne’s direction, his dark eyes taking her in and a smile forming on his lips.

“Hey, look who’s here!” He says. Sarah turns and leaves her fathers side, making her way upstairs to join her friends, but not before she waves to Lianne. “Have a seat,” Joel continues. “I was just finishin’ up dinner.”

“Oh, no. I don’t want to be a bother,” Lianne says, waving her hand in excusal. “I just wanted to pop in and say hi.”

“I’ve made plenty,” Joel persists. “I got a house full of girls to feed.”

“And you want one more to stick around?” Lianne teases.

“Eh, what’s one more,” he says with a smile as he pears over to her. “Besides, I’d like the company.”

Accepting Joel’s gracious offer, Lianne sits at the small table and Joel urgently brings a neatly plated dish to her.

“Hope you’re hungry,” he says with a smile as he returns to fix his own plate.

“Starving,” Lianne states. She relishes in the first bite, eyes closing as a hum leaves her mouth. Joel hears it and lets it ring through his ears as he brings his own plate to sit across from her at the table, and the slightest tingle shoots up his spine.

“How is it?” Joel asks her before even thinking about taking a bite of his own.

With her eyes still closed in satisfaction, she replies with, “So fucking good,” around a mouthful of food. Joel only chuckles, but can’t stop the thought of her saying those words as he… He tries not to relish in the thought, pushing it as far from his mind as he can.

“Sarah ain’t botherin’ you too much, is she?” Joel asks her, trying to keep his mind in the present. “You two spend a lot of time together. I’m sure you’d wanna spend your time hanging out with other people your own age.”

“Oh, God, no,” Lianne responds. “It’s nice having her to hangout with. Reminds me of simpler times.”

Lianne’s response stirs something in Joel, pulling at his chest. From the conversations they’ve had about her living in Manhattan and going to college, he knows there’s an unsolvable pain lingering in her. How she lights up about talking about being Sarah’s babysitter in high school and being in a band, and how she seems to almost disappear as she talks about college. He wants to beg her to let him in, to share that pain with him, let him take on some of it as his own.

“So things with your dad are…” Joel says instead.

Lianne let’s out a soft snort as she replies. “Questionable to say the least.”

“How so?”

“Well, I mean, you know, I grew up. The whole cliche college thing, being independent and finding myself. I separated myself from the church and he obviously did not take that well,” Lianne begins to explain. “After that he hasn’t reached out to me. And I guess I didn’t want to reach out to him either. But he called me after, in September… And I finally  let him know I was back in Austin. He’s wanting me to come back to the church, but I just can not go back there.”

“So you’re not going to church at all?” Joel asks, surprised.

“I wasn't in New York. But as happy as I am to be back in Austin, it’s been kind of tough. I started going to a new place a couple weeks ago. Just for some peace of mind I guess.”

“You just go by yourself?”

“Yep, just me,” she sighs. “There’s a sermon tomorrow morning at 8:15 if y’all would ever wanna join. But I totally get if that’s not your thing.”

“No, I’d love to,” Joel responds eagerly. “Me and Sarah. We’d love to.”

Lianne beams at him, and the two finish their meals in small conversations. By the end, Lianne has to excuse herself. Although she’s hesitant in doing so, she’s excited to spend the rest of the night with her friends. After helping Joel with the dishes, he follows behind her and walks her to her car at the end of the driveway.

“Y’all do too much for me,” Lianne says with a smile as the two of them reach her car. “I really need to start repaying you guys.”

“We like doin’ it,” Joel responds, a fond smile appearing on his face. “If you need anything, just call me.”

Lianne’s car engine comes to life and she’s immediately rolling down her windows. Joel stands and watches in the driveway, his hands in his pockets.

“You’ll be able to go to church in the morning after being out all night?” He calls out to her.

“Yeah, don’t you know?” She says as she flashes Joel a smile. “I’m basically a pro at this.”

The downtown bar was absolutely packed. Lianne had fallen into step behind her three friends as they made their way through like a pack of sardines. Phoebe, the one leading the group, had begun b-lining straight towards the bar with Julien, the petite dark haired girl behind her, as soon as they stepped foot in the place. Lianne had grabbed Lucy’s arm, the friend right in front of her, and told her she was going to find a high table for the four of them to occupy.

Settling in on one of the stools, Lianne scans her eyes throughout the place, a content smile slightly forming on her lips as her eyes land on her friends. Her view is blocked gradually as a tall, light-haired man approaches the table with a friendly smile.

Phoebe was the one that always assumed the worst in a situation like this, but Lianne just reciprocated the smile.

“You here all alone and you ain’t even drinkin’?” The man says as he finally reaches the table.

Lianne shakes her head with a smile. “I ain’t alone,” she points to her friends who are finally making their way over to her from the bar.

“Well, what’s your poison?” The man says to Lianne. “Lemme get you a drink.”

“She’s driving,” Lucy says as she takes her place next to Lianne. “But you can get us drinks.”

The man smiles at Lucy, and turns to wave over a few of his friends. They kept their word and bought the next round of drinks for the girls, and then the next round, and then the next. At some point during the night, Phoebe and Julien had gotten up to do karaoke with a few of the guys. Phoebe and Julien, ever the life of the party, continued to be swayed with drink after drink from the man and his friends, becoming completely obliterated.

“Okay, okay!” Lucy shouts to get everyone’s attention. “The girls and I were having a writing session today and we want y’alls input. We were talkin’ about times where we thought ‘Oh, shit, we’re all gonna die.’” Lucy and the girls let out a few drunken giggles. “I wanna hear your ‘We’re all gonna die’ moments and feel inspired by your stories.”

Lianne nearly froze on the spot, her blood running cold and her stomach turning.

The guys begin talking immediately, stories about getting caught and running from the cops, riding broncos and nearly getting trampled to death.

Turning expectantly to Lianne, the light hair man questions her. “What about you, sweetheart?”

Julien groans from her spot next to Lianne, gagging exaggeratingly and the pet name. Lianne just laughs and falls into her friend’s side.

“I mean,” Lianne starts as she wraps her fingers around her cup of water. “The whole thing in New York. I thought the world was ending that day-“

“What, you mean the towers?” One of the guys asks, his words slightly slurring together. “We were all scared that day. That’s a universal experience.”

Before Lianne can reply, Phoebe is at her service.

“She was there, you asshole,” Phoebe snaps. All of the men’s eyes are on Lianne now. Her cheeks heat up and she wants to disappear, but Julien gently leans her head on her shoulder, keeping her steady in the moment.

“Oh, shit,” the light haired man says. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine now,” Lianne nods. “Looking back at it and knowing what happened, it’s kind of silly to think we were all going to die.”

A moment passes, stabbing Lianne in the gut.

“But,” she continues, changing the subject. “I used to have these dreams as a kid. They were always the same. Just a lot of fighting, blood, screaming. Mostly just men tearing each other a part. I had no idea where I was or what they were fighting about, but I knew I was fighting with them. Or against them. I just remember having the feeling that we were all going to die… and then I would wake up.”

There’s a brief moment of stillness amongst the group, when one of the men slowly let’s out, “Damn, that’s crazy.”

“You know, I might like you less now that y’all know me so well,” Lianne just let’s out a chuckle and clutches her drink. The conversations move else where, and Lianne spends the rest of the night mothering her drunken friends.

“What else is there to do ‘round here?” The light-haired man has to shout to Lianne over the noise of the bar, leaning in closer to her. “Me and the boys are ranchers out in the Hill Country, so we don’t come into the city too often.”

“Well,” Lianne starts. “What is it y’all like to do?”

Before she can get an answer from him, Julien has pushed up to her other side, breath reeking of alcohol and her eyes bloodshot. Lianne turns to her friend and a wave of worry washes over her at the morbid state of her friend.

“I threw up,” Julien says, trying to keep her eyes focused on Lianne. “Outside.”

Lianne runs her hand over her friend's long dark hair and turns back to the man.

“I think that means it’s time to go,” she says with a friendly smile. Before the man can say anything to try to get her to stay longer, she’s scooping an arm around Julien’s back and making her way to Lucy and Phoebe. Phoebe is in as equally bad shape as Julien, but as soon as the four of them are met back together as a group, Phoebe and Julien fall into a conversation of blissful laughter.

“Do y’all need a ride?” The tall man calls after her. “Or let me help y’all get to your car, at least.”

Lianne waves him off, insisting that she has everything under control as Julien drunkenly clings to her.

It would have seemed a nearly impossible feat to get all the girls to Lianne’s car, but after what felt like a full marathon they finally reached Lianne’s car. Helping everyone in, situated, and buckled was another near impossible task, like wrangling a gang of monkeys with their arms flailing about. Finally in the driver’s seat, Lianne turns the key to ignite the engine. Only silence is what’s to follow. She tries the key again, more sputtering and no roar of the engine.

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Lianne mumbles.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy says from the passenger seat.

“My car must be dead or something, it won’t start.”

“Does this mean we have to get out of the car?” Julien whines, throwing her head back against the headrest.

Unfortunately, Lianne helps the girls out of the car and back onto their feet. Not sure what to do and how to get her friends home, Lianne thinks about the offer that man had made her at the bar about taking them home. She more than considers it, but he’d been driving that night and it could all just be too risky.

Luckily having parked right by a payphone, Lianne dials the only number she has memorized and prays that they answer. After the fourth ring, the person on the other line picks up, taking a moment before speaking into the phone.

“Hello?” Answers a groggy voice, deep and raspy from sleep.

“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, Joel, I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Lianne whispers in a rush.

“‘S all right,” Joel replies, his voice more urgent and awake now. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, everyone’s good. We were just leaving the bar but my car won’t start. I wouldn’t have called but I assumed Tommy would also be out drinking tonight, and you’re kinda the only other person I know in town.”

“Which bar are you at?”

Lianne tells him the bar, and he immediately tells her he’s on his way. Trying to rangle in the drunk group of girls, Lianne assists them all back to the bar. Stumbling and cackling the entire way, Lianne tries to direct her friends closer to the building in hopes of a bench for at least the inebriated girls can sit still without the possibility of falling over and getting hurt.

Lucy being the least drunk of them all, besides Lianne, is almost carrying Julien as they all near the entrance of the bar. Lucky enough, there is a bench out front. Annoyance sneaks it’s way into Lianne as she realizes the occupants of said bench are the same guys from earlier who had brought them all drinks. As the girls get closer, the broader of the men nudges his friend next to him and nods in the girls direction. The two on the bench get up and gesture to it, allowing Lianne to quite literally dump a drunk Phoebe onto the bench. Julien and Lucy fumble their way onto the bench as well, the three girls leaning into each other as their laughter is uncontrollable.

Lianne waves a thanks to the men who offered their seats, and they take that as a sign to initiate conversation. Zoning in and out of conversation, Lianne leaves it to her girlfriends to entertain the guys with their drunken chatter. After a while, the group is suddenly flooded in a white light of headlights as Joel pulls up to the bar. He steps out of the truck with a sense of urgency, but upon seeing Lianne’s smiling face, his shoulders relax and his once unknowingly clenched jaw drops lightly. Pulling the girls away from the guys, Lianne helps them up into Joel’s truck in a hastily manner, exhausted and just wanting to lay down.

“They give you much trouble?” Joel asks as he starts the truck back up. He looks over to Lianne as she puts her seatbelt on, watching her arms move across her body.

“These three?” Lianne asks with a laugh. “Nah, they ain’t too bad.”

She turns to see Joel has his mouth open as if to say something else, but no words come out. His eyes shift briefly to the group of men still standing outside the bar, just for a second. Lianne follows his gaze.

“Oh, them?” Lianne says in realization. “They ain’t too bad either. Bought the girls a couple of drinks and talked to us for a while. So much for a girls night.”

This made Joel laugh. Satisfied with Lianne’s answer, he puts the truck in reverse and reaches his hand to settle on Lianne’s headrest as he turns around in his seat. The proximity of his hand so close to her is enough to intoxicate her.

After a few moments of silence on the drive, Joel finally asks, “Where am I taking you to?”

“Everyone’s just staying at my place,” Lianne replies. “So you can just take us there. Thanks again for picking us up.”

The three girls in the back are still lost in delirious conversation, Lucy barely hanging on to consciousness as she attempts to keep up with Phoebe and Julien’s intensity.

“Y’all have fun tonight?” Joel says with a smile as he looks at the three in the back through his rear-view mirror. He’s answered by all three of the girls at once, each trying to talk over each other as their hands move in dramatic storytelling. Joel’s smile widens as he looks at Lianne, who closes her tired eyes in a soft laugh.

Eventually parking in front of Lianne’s apartment complex, Joel gets out of the truck and begins helping the girls out, careful not to let them fall from the truck. Lianne has Julien’s arm draped over her shoulder as she helps her to up the stairs to the front of the complex.

“Do you need help gettin’ them up there?” Joel asks.

As Lianne insists that she’s got it under control, Phoebe leaves her spot from Lucy’s side and latches herself onto Julien, almost knocking the trio over. Lianne let’s out a loud laugh with Julien, and Joel can’t help but lean against his truck and smile.

“Thank you so much again, for everything!” Lianne calls over her shoulder as she approaches the front door of the building.

Joel just waves. He can’t help but chuckle as he watches the four try to meander their way up the steps and into the building. It isn’t until he sees the door close behind him that he hops back in the truck and drives away.

Lianne has thrown Phoebe and Julien onto the mattress, which now thankfully has a bed frame thanks to Joel.

“Lianne,” Phoebe starts. “That man is hot.”

“That man is old,” Julien says, her lips curling up in partial disgust.

“That’s, like, the perfect combo,” Phoebe responds. “Plus he obviously wants to hook up with you. Who the hell wakes up at three in the morning to pick up a bunch of drunk girls?”

“Don’t put that in my head,” Lianne groans as she tucks blankets around Phoebe. “Joel’s a gentleman.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe mumbles as drowsiness consumes her. “A hot gentleman.”

“An old gentleman,” Julien pipes up from her spot next to Phoebe.

“Y’all just shut up and leave Lianne alone,” Lucy says from her spot on the couch. “Just be grateful we aren’t still sitting stranded at that bar.”

Lianne can’t help but think about how quick Joel was to come to her and her friends aid that night. She even found herself questioning if he was worried or not when he had found them there at the bar. She thinks again of how his hand was so close to her in the truck, how his hands gripped the steering wheel, how the crinkle of his eyes melted her to the bone. How she often catches his deep brown eyes peering up at her from behind his lashes, and how those same eyes could look while he…

A pit of fire lights in her gut and a shiver runs down her spine. Tossing and turning and being surrounded by bodies built an irritating frustration in her. Finally getting up, and knowing damn well she had to be up early for church - with Joel - she found herself in her kitchen and losing herself to a bottle of whiskey. The whiskey that Joel had gotten for her as a housewarming gift.

Picturing Joel in his Sunday best for tomorrow’s sermon made Lianne want to rip her hair out. It was the one thing that was completely out of character for Joel, but it was still so domestic, and that’s what was driving her crazy. He was going tomorrow because she had asked him to.

And he hadn’t hesitated on saying yes.

The sunlight burning her eyes, even though they’re shut, wakes Lianne from a terrible sleep as she lets out a long groan. Slowly, she lifts her head from the table, not daring to open her eyes in the bright sunlight. Rubbing at the back of her neck, she looks at the oven to check the time.

“Shit,” she mutters as she jumps up, pounding in her head bringing her back down to her seat. She forces herself to get up and heads to her small bathroom, quietly hurrying around her knocked out friends. She roughly pulls the brush through her hair and rinses her mouth with mouthwash, the sharp minty flavor making her gag over the sink.

Sneaking back into the main room, she pulls a blue velvet wrap-around dress out of her closet and quickly ties it around her. From the coat hanger, she slips into a burgundy blazer which also happens to be velvet. Too worried about the time to bother with the conundrum of wearing two items with the same fabric, she quickly slips on a pair of flats and pulls her long hair out from her blazer.

“Velvet on velvet,” she hears Lucy say from the couch. “That’s hot.”

“Shut up,” Lianne teases. “Go back to sleep, I’m going to church.”

Not needing to be told twice, Lucy salutes to Lianne and rolls back into a peaceful sleep. Envious, Lianne grabs her bag and glasses and heads down to the street below. It isn’t until she’s outside, head pounding and sunglasses barely doing their job at blocking out the sun, that she remembers last night. Her fucking car is still at the bar.

“Shit,” she says again, more urgently this time. Running a hand through her hair, she begins to run to the bus stop at the end of the street. Fighting back the need to expel the liquor from her gut, she waves down the bus just in time. Out of breath and trying to hold herself together, she leans against the metal pole in the bus aisle, the coolness helping relieve her nausea as she leans her forehead against it.

“You look like crap,” Sarah says as she examines Lianne. Having gotten off the bus and hiking her way to the church, the wind had Lianne’s hair ran through by the time she got there. Dehydrated and sweaty, she was barely making it up the steps to the church.

“Hey, now,” Lianne huffs out as she reaches Sarah and Joel. “I crossed mountains and oceans to be with you here today.”

She hears Joel let out a chuckle, which finally allows her eyes to drag over to him. Just like she suspected, his Sunday best. A soft white button down tucked into a pair of dark jeans, covered by a black suit jacket.

“Oh, Joel,” she almost hums. “You even went through the effort of doing your hair. And I look like this.”

He lets out a loud chuckle as his cheeks turn red from the compliment. “Come on, you look real nice, Lianne.” He says it with a sarcastic smile, but still can’t help the heat that rises to his cheeks.

“Whatever,” Lianne sighs, making her way between the pair. “I need to sit down.”

Making their way into the church and grabbing a seat, Lianne can’t help but to feel that little bit of longing pulling at her heart. Being surrounded by a room full of faces that she doesn’t know, yet still expecting to see her father up at the front of the aisle. The thought is dizzying, but she grounds herself in the seat next to Sarah and pushes away the longing before it turns into pain.

Throughout the service, hymns are sung, and the constant up and down has Lianne almost bent over, gripping her knees as she pushes herself to stand. The swirling pit of her stomach making her want to heave each time she stands.

Singing along with the hymnal choir, Joel doesn’t utter a sound, purely focused on hearing Lianne sing next to his daughter. He becomes so intent on her voice that it almost becomes the only noise he can hear. Lianne tries not to notice his intense stare, but nevertheless his gaze causes her cheeks to flush.

At one point during the service, Lianne looks to Sarah to whisper something to her, but the poor girl has leant her head against her father’s shoulder and dozed off. She looks up to Joel, a warmness in her eyes. He just gives an apologetic shrug, but his eyes soften as he looks at his sleeping daughter. A bubble begins to grow in Lianne’s chest as she watches how Joel looks at Sarah, a kind of bubble that she is still unsure of.

Sarah had called earlier that day. A few weeks ago she had given Lianne a coupon to their favorite restaurant in hopes they could go together. Sarah was able to catch Lianne on the phone during her lunch break to set up a time for the two of them to go get dinner tonight. And that’s where Lianne was headed right now.

Stepping off the bus, Lianne made her way through the warm summer air and felt grateful to be back in Austin. The summers in New York were nice, but the wind in the city was the death of her. The still warm air of the western night clung to her skin and carried her to the Miller’s house. Reaching the door she let a rhythmic knock make it’s way through the door. In the stillness that followed, she hesitated to knock again. As she decided to try to ring the doorbell, the door was pulled open by a freshly-dressed Joel, wet hair combed back. The fresh scent of his shampoo wafting over Lianne, almost making her dizzy.

“Oh, hey,” his eyes warmed into a smile. “What’re you doing here?”

Lianne’s eyes sparkled as she smiled in response. “Sarah called earlier. Her and I were going to get dinner at that restaurant we like near the city. I told her I’d come pick her up after work so we could go together.”

Joel’s brows knit together as he looks over his shoulder back into the house. “Sarah ain’t home tonight,” he says, turning back to Lianne. “She’s at a friend’s house for the night.”

“Oh!” Lianne starts to rummage through her bag and pulls out a slip of paper. “Well, she gave me this coupon that’s only good for a while and she suggested we go tonight.”

Joel lets out a low chuckle and rubs at the back of his neck. “Of course, she did,” he mumbles.

Lianne pauses for a minute and chews at her lip before sending a squint towards Joel. “Well, what are you doing tonight? I still have this coupon, and I’d hate for it to go to waste.” She smiles as she flicks the coupon through the air. “Come on! My car’s in the shop, so if you fly, I’ll buy.”

“Sure, why not,” Joel shrugs with a smile. He has to stop himself from immediately walking out the door with her, trying to take his time getting his keys and locking up.

At first walking side by side to Joel’s truck, he beats her to it and opens the passenger door for her, even offering his hand to help her step up into it. This most simple and kind gesture has butterflies stirring in Lianne’s stomach that she tries not to let spill out.

The ride to the restaurant was relatively quiet, Joel’s radio of old country music softly filling the air. At the restaurant, the conversations consisted mostly of their days at work. Joel had been finishing the decking on a new house in an up and coming subdivision. Lianne had been working on a custom chainwork piece for a client of the shop.

They exchanged their own stories of the scars on their hands, either getting bashed by a hammer or burnt with a torch. Reminiscing on younger days with Sarah, and how she was still a die hard fan of Luanne’s old high school band with the girls. It was even decided between Lianne and Joel that the band of girls would play together again at Sarah’s next birthday party.

Having had enough of the dim atmosphere of the restaurant on such a beautiful day, Lianne had convinced Joel to stop at the ice cream shop next door for dessert. But it was Joel who suggested they sit on a bench outside at the nearby park to eat their dessert as they watched the sunset. And that’s where Lianne found herself now, spooning out her ice cream and soaking up the golden sun.

“It’s been real nice having you back here,” Joel finally says. It’s a thought that he’s been keeping to himself over the weeks Lianne has been spending with him and Sarah. For a moment he felt selfish that Sarah was absent tonight, and that he got to spend this night just him and Lianne. Keeping it subtle, Joel continues. “Sarah’s missed you quite a bit.”

Lianne smiles as she scoops out another spoonful of ice cream. “It was a really hard decision to come back home,” she starts. “But now the more I’m here the more I feel like I made the right decision.”

Joel gives her a knowing look. His gaze never leaves her, and her skin prickles with the intensity of his stare. She finally turns to meet his gaze to see his eyes squinting in curiosity.

“Go ahead,” she lets out. “Ask away, I’m an open book.”

“Why did you really decide to come back home?”

She turns away from Joel, squinting into the sun as it starts to set. “I had been living with my boyfriend - my ex, now -  and some friends in the city when the planes hit. I lost a few people that I knew that day, and my ex lost his brother and things between us started to get really bad. After September I started to really go downhill. My grades got worse, I could barely leave my apartment. I couldn’t really eat or sleep. By the end of October I just couldn’t do it anymore. I just wanted some normalcy.” She glances down at her ice cream before looking to Joel to say, “And I feel really normal with you and Sarah.”

Joel’s fingers twitch with the want to run his hands through her hair and hold her. He compromises by laying his hand and the bottom of her neck. Her skin can’t help but burst into red flame at the contact of his rough hand.

“Well, like I said,” Joel says after clearing his throat. “It’s been real good having you back around.”

Lianne smiles back in response, happiness blossoming in her chest. She scoots closer to Joel and rests her head on his shoulder. The happiness in her chest spreads to Joel, blossoming just as much as he rests his head on hers.

The post-dessert drive is spent in a relaxed quiet, the hum of the radio consistent under brief small talk. Not quite ready to say goodbye to her and return to the silence of his home, Joel had offered to fix them a few drinks back at his place, which Lianne of course accepted. Apparently he can make a killer Olde Fashioned.

Having been sipping on her drink that Joel had made her, she sets the half full glass down on the coffee table that sits in front of the couch. Joel sure knows how to make a strong drink, the liquor causing a warm buzz to flow through Lianne. Leaning back into her spot on the couch, Lianne suddenly realizes just how close the two of them are together on the couch.

He’s just a reach away, and she finds herself only half listening to what he’s briefly saying. His elbow is perched on the back of the couch and he rests his head against his closed hand. Lianne could get lost in his deep and dark eyes, and she finds her gaze fighting to stay on his eyes and not become distracted with the movement of his mouth.

Letting what little liquid courage she consumed take control for a moment, Lianne swiftly moves forward to gently press her lips to Joel’s. He becomes rigid, frozen by the gesture and it has Lianne pulling away quickly, a hand raising to her mouth.

“I- I am so sorry,” Lianne says in a hushed tone, dread rising from her stomach which pushes her to rise to her feet. Panic begins to spark in her, moving her feet forwards and away from the couch.

She doesn’t feel Joel move from his position on the couch to immediately tail after her, catching her arm when he gets closer. Turning her towards him, she lifts her gaze to meet his, his brows slightly knitted together as he stares intently into her. His hands slowly come up and rest on either side of her neck, and he’s still just staring at her, and it’s killing her. She wants him to say, “Hey, it’s okay. Happens more than you think.” Or, “I appreciate it, but there’s no way in hell.” She just wants him to say something, to say anything so that she can be free of his grasp. Slowly, he pulls her into him and encapsulates her lips with his own. Soft, sweet, but underneath it all, full of need and hope. Only after a moment does he pull away to look at her, his eyes drifting to her lips, needing them again.

“There was no way in Hell I was going to make the first move with you,” he whispers as he lets out a small chuckle.

Before he can say anything else, Lianne is grabbing his shirt and pushing her lips back to his. His hands make their way to tangle in her hair, pulling her even closer into him. The push and pull of their bodies becomes dance-like, slowly moving towards the stairs with Lianne’s full intent to get Joel up them.

Joel isn’t just nice. He’s not just a gentleman. He is a man who is able to say no. And he isn’t saying no right now.

“I want to take this slow with you,” he whispers as he holds her face in his hands. His eyes roam her face, trying to take in every little detail and figure out what she’s thinking. She’s looking at him with hooded eyes, and he swears his heart stops in his chest.

“I think we’ve taken it slow enough, Joel,” is all she has to say before he’s crashing his lips back onto hers. His name falling softly from her lips makes him weak in his legs, his arms, anywhere that once stood strong melted by a single breath.

The two of them had managed their way to dance their bodies through the living room, up the stairs, and into Joel’s bedroom. He tried apologizing for the mess, but Lianne had fervently replaced his words with her lips as she moved her hands to feel him.

It might have just been the drink Joel had fixed her, but she felt drunk in the presence of him alone. A wave of confidence came over her, flaring a sense of urgency within her. She needed him to see her. She needed to show him how good she could be for him, how soft and ready she was for him. Reaching out, she brought his hands to the bottom of her shirt. She looked back up to see his soft gaze on hers, a look of almost uncertainty in his eyes. Lianne nodded to him, encouraging him that she wanted him to undress her. Slowly, he lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head. As soon as he went to toss it to the floor, Lianne was unbuttoning her pants and discarding them to the side. Standing, she was again met with Joel’s soft gaze, his mouth softly ajar and his dark eyes furrowing in anticipation. His breathing had hitched, unnoticeably, for just a moment as his heartbeat grew louder. Slowly, Lianne reached behind her to unclasp her bra, her fingers gingerly pulling the straps down her shoulder and tossing her bra onto the floor.

“Jesus,” Joel sighed, his jaw becoming slack and his eyes becoming soft. He gently reached out to graze his fingers over her collarbone, slowly dragging his hand down her side to rest on her hip. “You… you are going to be the death of me.”

Lianne smiles, trying to hide the blush that rises in her cheeks. Joel silently began to work on undoing the buttons of his shirt. Lianne finally reached to him and helped him tug it off, letting her eyes trail over his exposed skin. With no fabric to cover him, the quick rise and fall of his chest only became more apparent to Lianne as she observed him.

Lianne gently set her hand on his bare chest, feeling his heart race under the warm skin, and she smiled. She watched as Joel’s tongue darted out to quickly wet his lips, and she didn’t hesitate to wrap her hand around his neck to pull him closer to her. His rapid breaths fanned against her face, making her stomach drop in anticipation. She slowly leaned forward to drag her lips across the skin of his neck. The scent of his cologne still lingered on his skin, and Lianne inhaled deeply, wanting to drink all of him in. She finally began to press soft kisses along his jaw, trailing them lower to the pulse point in his neck.

One of Joel’s hands landed heavily on her waist and he wasted no time rubbing encouraging circles over her hip with his rough thumb. She hummed against his skin, pressing her chest against his. Trying as best she could to keep her hand steady, she trailed her fingers down his chest, slowly finding her way to the buckle of his belt. Joel shivered lightly, the grip on her waist becoming tighter. She slowly began to undo the buckle, watching his eyes for any sign that he wanted her to stop. His eyes remained focused on her working hands, until he finally pulled them up to meet her eyes, his mouth parted in an attempt to keep his breathing steady. Seeing the expression on his face, Lianne gave him a small smile before finally unbuckling his belt and pulling the zipper down. She pressed through her hesitancy, and unknowingly held her breath as she rested her hand over his pants. Joel’s breath hitched and his hand slid around her back to hold her tighter to his chest. With her face now hidden in his neck, Lianne couldn’t see his reaction, but took the firm pressure of his hand on her back as a sign to continue. She palmed him gently through his pants, listening to the little puffs of air that rushed out of his nose as he kept his breathing calm, planting sweet kisses onto his neck and shoulder.

Wanting more, Lianne pulled away and let her hand fall away from him. Before she could begin to sink to her knees, Joel pulled her close to him again, hands cupping her face as he hungrily pressed his lips to hers. In swift movements, he had her spun around and on her back on his bed, hovering over her as they both moved their way to the top of the bed. Joel settled between her legs, placing his palm on her stomach to trace up to her chest. Lianne’s heart pounded heavily in her chest, and she was aching for him, almost begging him with her eyes to just do something. To do anything.

Joel was suddenly on her, fingers tracing over her nipples and palming her breasts before connecting his lips to her skin. Lianne let out a heavy sigh, running her hand over Joel’s shoulder to the skin on his back to hold him closer to her. His teeth began to graze her sensitive skin, causing her back to arch up off the bed and press into him. Continuing his movements, he shifted his intentions to her other breast, closing his eyes as he wet her skin with his mouth. His free hand began drifting down her stomach as she moved beneath him, his fingers tickling over her skin. Finally reaching her underwear, he cupped her through the fabric. Uncontrollably, her hips stuttered upward to press further into his hand, and he groaned into her chest.

He murmured sweet phrases into her skin, unbeknownst to Lianne as her heartbeat drummed loudly in her ears. Continuing to trail kisses across her chest, Joel pulled the fabric of her underwear to the side, finally touching her with no barrier. He groaned as he dipped a finger between her warm folds, gliding it up and down along her core. Swirling the tip of his finger around her, Lianne let out a stifled whimper as her hips began to grind desperately against his hand.

Bringing his face up to rest beside hers, Joel kissed her tenderly on her temple before murmuring into her ear, “I want to taste you.”

Lianne didn’t say anything, silenced by the feeling of his fingers against her until he pushed for a response by whispering her name in her ear.

“Need to hear you say it,” he whispered. “Tell me what you want.”

“Anything,” she replied breathlessly. “Please. Do whatever you want to me.”

“You sure about that?” he murmured, only getting a nod in response. He let out a soft chuckle before saying, “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Joel spread her legs apart, fingers digging into her skin as he held her thighs against the bed. Joel let out a deep moan that echoed through the room as he took in the sight of her before him. To Lianne, his movements were a slow torture as he leaned down, pressing sloppy kisses onto her hips, moving to the inside of her thighs, until his hot breaths were finally fanning across her core.

The moment his tongue was on her, fire raced through her veins and she knew there was no going back after this. A sigh of relief slipped from her lips, and her head tilted back as he licked a long stripe up the entire length of her. A muffled but raspy groan vibrated against her as Joel pressed messy kisses against her. Finally gaining enough willpower, Lianne looked down and gasped at the sight of Joel’s eyes already on her, watching her reactions to him.

“Taste so fuckin’ good,” he mumbled against her, causing her to twitch at the feeling of his lips brushing against her clit. He continued his circular motions until she was moaning his name, her thighs tensing against his hold, her muscles screaming to hold him against her.

She whispered his name repeatedly until it didn’t even feel like a word to her, but more of a prayer. His tongue continued to relish in her, until she was begging for him to let her come. Joel moved his hands to grip her hips tightly, lips and tongue working together to make every muscle in her body tighten until she was gasping. Lianne had latched her fingers into his hair to pull him impossibly closer as his mouth moved against her.

“Joel,” she groaned, only earning a hum in response as his movements never ended. “Fuck, Joel, I’m-”

He moaned eagerly into her, and that was all she needed to be thrown over the edge and into her orgasm. Her body was on fire, vibrating against him as she trembled against him. Joel’s hands held her hips steady with a deadly grip, never letting go until she began to relax into the mattress.

Still gasping for air, Lianne reached down and pulled Joel to her, melting her lips against his. His growing cock brushed against her thigh, the fabric of his underwear scratching her soft skin. She reached her hand down between them, slipping her fingers into his waistband to feel him. He gasped at her touch, eyes following her hand down to where she touched him. His eyes were deep and dark as they returned to look into her own, causing the fire to ignite once again in the pit of her stomach. She needed him. She needed all of him, now.

With quick movements, Lianne hastily shuffled out of her underwear, Joel following suit and shuffling out of his own. She could see him now, letting out a soft gasp as she took him in her hand again. Lianne moved with the intent to flip onto her stomach, but Joel stopped her by catching her hips with his hands.

“Just like this,” Joel murmurs, kissing along her jaw. “Wanna look at you.” Heat rose to her chest, her heartbeat increasing with his soft words.

Joel’s hand came up to rest against her hair, gently taking a handful of her hair to get lost in. His eyes were pleading to her as he nodded to her, giving her all control over him. Slowly, she brought him to her, sliding his member in between her wet folds. A mumble of curses left Joel’s lips at the sensation, and he rested his forehead on hers to steady himself. She lifted her hips beneath him, her eagerness escaping her as she bit into her lip. Slowly, she began to push the tip of him into her, watching Joel’s face for any sign of hesitancy. She grips her other hand onto his shoulder in anticipation as his fingers tighten their grip in her hair. His eyes met hers, and he could see the fire within them and the flush of her cheeks. Without thinking, he pushes himself fully in her, the two of them gasping at the sensation of their bodies connecting. She pushes her chest up into him, drunk on the sensation of the stretch that he’s created within her.

“Christ,” Joel huffed, letting them both get adjusted to the feeling of their bodies connected. Lianne wrapped a leg lazily over his waist, urging him to continue, while Joel equally as lazy ran his free hand down her side to palm at her flesh. Slowly, he pulled back from her before pressing back into her, catching her gasp with his lips. Her hand moving to his hair was the silent confirmation he needed to continue, pulling almost fully out of her before moving into her only slightly harder, beginning a tender and steady pace.

His hand that was tangled in her hair moved down to grip the base of her skull, his thumb resting on her jaw as he rocked his hips into her. He whispered gentle praises into her skin, making her skin burn. Still sensitive from her previous orgasm, liquid heat spread through her abdomen and curled in her veins, turning her entire body into a mess beneath Joel. He took his time with her, pressing kisses anywhere he had access to, his pace only picking up slightly. He finally stretched a hand down to where the two of them connected, rubbing needy circles into her clit. The sudden motion had her tightening around him, causing small grunts to leave his chest.

“That’s it, baby,” he murmured as he watched where he slipped in and out of her. “Takin’ it so well.”

Small curses left her mouth and she gripped his arm tightly as she felt herself nearing her end. She was overwhelmed with his essence, feeling him everywhere so perfectly connected with her. His fingers on her clit pressed harder, causing her head to spin before the coil in her stomach snapped. All air left her body, her back arching off the bed and further into Joel, his name barely a whisper falling from her lips. Her orgasm rocked through her body to the bone, all feelings fleeting as her vision blurred and her legs went numb. Joel’s pacing stuttered and he had to grip the pillow next to Lianne to keep from ripping into her flesh. After trying to hold out to help her come back from her high, he urgently pulled out and painted her skin with his spend.

Breathless and sweaty, Joel all but fell onto her, resting his head on hers as her hand weakly raked through his dark hair. Joel had tried apologizing for not asking her where he should finish, but she only chuckled at him, the vibrations of her chest radiating into his, causing him to laugh quietly as he nuzzled into her neck and kissed a mark into her throat.

The two laid there trying to catch their breath, completely blissed out to form any sort of thought. Joel had rolled onto his back, pulling Lianne into his side. One hand played gently in her hair, while the other pulled her leg up to his waist to trace delicate patterns into her skin. Lianne’s hand had come up to his chest, reciprocating the act of dancing patterns into his skin. Her movements slowed and her body became heavy while Joel continued to run his hand through her hair as he watched her drift to sleep.

The morning sun slowly began to creep its way into the room, lingering around the blissful state of the night before. The two were still fast asleep, both on their stomachs. Joel had one arm tucked under his pillow, the other outstretched for his hand to rest against Lianne’s back, their legs wrapped over another to keep each other close.

Joel had woken before her, eyes blinking open at the sight of the sleeping woman before him. She was facing away from him, but after last night he felt the freedom to gently run his hand up the bare skin of her back to land in her hair, gently playing with the ends. The motion had softly awoken Lianne, and she stirred gently as she turned against her pillow to face Joel. A beam of light slowly began to inch across her face, and Joel once again found himself breathless.

“Hi,” she said with a smile, barely above a whisper. Joel couldn’t even try to stop the smile that snuck onto his face.

“Hi,” he replied gently, taking the time to brush the hair from her face and behind her ear. He nestled himself closer to her, pressing kisses to her shoulder. Moving her arms from under her pillow, Lianne reaches out to him and pulls him closer to her. Joel gently pushes her to roll onto her back as he hovers over her, leaving kisses along her neck as he begins to nestle between her legs, becoming oblivious to the world and to time.

The phone on the bedside table rang violently, snapping Joel back into reality. He lets out a defeated groan, and Lianne chuckles at him as he begrudgingly pulls himself away from her to reach for the phone. Before he can even say hello, the voice on the other end is talking rapidly.

“Oh shit, Sarah, I’m so sorry,” Joel says, bolting from the bed. “What time is it? I’m on my way right now, I’ll be there soon.” He hangs up the phone and tosses it onto the bed. He moves from the bed and tries to find some clothes before explaining to Lianne. “I forgot she wanted me to pick her up at 8.”

“What time is it right now?” Lianne says, eyes wide and she makes her way to slip her underwear back on.

“Almost 8:30,” Joel replies flatly.

“Shit,” Lianne mutters, shaking out her shirt that was crumpled on the floor. “I gotta work at 9.” After shoving her arms in the sleeves of her shirt, she turns to face Joel. “How do you wanna do this?”

He thinks for a minute, zipping his pants before replying. “I can take you home first if you want, then I’ll go get Sarah.”

“My place is on the other side of the city. You said you’re on your way right now, won’t that take too long?” Lianne questions.

Joel lets out a deep sigh as he looks at her, chewing the skin of his thumb as he thinks.

“Don’t worry, I can just take the bus,” Lianne says assuringly as she slips her pants back on.

“Hell no,” Joel says firmly. “I’m not having a nice lady spend the night and then expect her to take the bus.”

“So you want me to pick up Sarah with you?” Lianne asks, her brows raised in surprise.

Joel only nods silently in response.

“Won’t she ask questions?” Lianne asks.

“She doesn’t have to know anything right now, not if you don’t want her to,” Joel says, making his way to the bedroom door, but stopping to plant a quick kiss to Lianne’s forehead. “We’ll figure it out.”

Lianne can only nod, grabbing the rest of her things as she follows Joel down the stairs and out to the truck. The ride to get Sarah is silent, not even the radio is on to cover up the rapid beating of Lianne’s heart. She never felt uneasy like this the mornings after, but it felt as if she was doing the walk of shame right to Sarah, which made everything so much worse.

Pulling up in front of the house that Sarah had stayed out, Joel didn’t even bother getting out of the truck, just blaring on his horn. Lianne had moved to unbuckle herself and move to the back, but Joel had stopped her and told her to stay in the front.

She wants to rip her hair out. She wants to bang her head into the dash in front of her. Dread keeps building and building and wants to push its way out of her at the idea of Sarah getting any idea of what happened. Her heart won’t stop pounding in her chest, but looking out the window and seeing Sarah’s sleepy yet smiling face puts her slightly at ease.

As Sarah gets closer to the truck, she finally sees Lianne in the passenger seat. Her face scrunches in confusion, but only for a brief second, before waving to Lianne and crawling into the back of the truck.

“Hey, girl,” Lianne says to Sarah over her shoulder, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

“Hey,” Sarah smiles. “What’re you doing here?”

Lianne catches Joel’s eye for a moment as she turns back around to face the front. Joel puts the truck in drive and begins to drive away.

“Well, you ditched me last night on our date,” Lianne teases. “So I had to take your old man before that coupon expired.”

“Did you spend the night?” Sarah asks.

“I had some drinks last night. Thought it was best to just sleep it off.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, and Lianne found it to be better to tell her just a teeny bit of the truth. Sarah had given her an incredulous side-eye from the back seat, her brow arching in a suspicious look.

Sarah had kept the ride entertaining with her stories from the past night, keeping the ride across the city full of various conversations. Joel had finally pulled up in front of the small jewelry store Lianne worked at, and as soon as she stepped out of the truck Sarah was scrambling to get to the front seat of Joel’s truck.

“Thanks for the ride,” Lianne said with a smile, peering back in through the truck window.

“Anytime,” Joel calls back. “And thanks for dinner!”

Lianne gives a small wave to him as she reaches the door of the shop. “Anytime,” she replies, the small smile never leaving even as she disappears behind the door.

Next to Joel, Sarah lets out a loud huff.

“What?” Joel asks, impatience in his tone.

“It’s like I’m invisible,” his daughter responds dramatically. Joel doesn’t respond, just rolling his eyes as he puts his truck into drive, pulling away from the store and letting the memory of last night with Lianne linger in his mind.

[infraaa]

Hi ^_^ LITERALLY JUST ANYTHING LOTUS DRAGON I DONT CARE WHAT IT IS IM GONNA START VIOLENTLY FOAMING AT THE MOUTH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, thank uuu 😋

『you just gave me a looooot of power…. normally I would go back and ask for the reader’s pronouns but,,, ill let it slide just once 🤭』

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐇𝐎𝐍-𝐉𝐈

lotus dragonxgn!reader (non descriptive— pronouns not set)

baker’s notes // this is actually inspired off of the ruined temple in Japan by the same name. You can find an article about Shihon-ji here if you wanna keep reading about it. This was fun to do, thank you loves!

Who knew what perfection amongst ruins could clash the way they do?

You, a simple historian, have been everywhere. From the heat of the hot sands, to the coolness of the cacao kingdom, all in search of historical remnants worthy of study. You would walk the ends of earthbread to find something truly remarkable, and every time you did you would gain a giddy feeling in your chest You we’re sitting with some of the locals of a new location you were visiting one day, sharing a cup of finely brewed tea. Elders sat at the table with you, recounting an old fable that they were taught as children. You listened intently to their words, wanting to grasp this opportunity to see a landmark that struck history in these gorgeous lands.

The Lotus Paradise was a cooler land akin to a fine zen like marsh, filled with lily pads adorning the most beautiful flowers, croaking frogs and the cleanest of lake water. The air was cool and crisp, smelling slightly of freshly bloomed wildflowers and a perfume lingered in the air… something fresh, yet not very recognizable, not even to a local.

Being told of a distant prefecture some ways away from the legendary Lotus Palace, you were told of a temple that was the resting place of revered poets. You gasped in excitement, and prepared immediately to set out to locate this said temple. In kind, the elders you were acquainted with gave you a boat to sail on through the waters of these lands so you wouldn’t tarnish your already crisp crust. And off you went, with the boat in kind you gave them fair for their generosity, and they waved you off on your expedition across the Lotus Paradise.

A tape recorder in hand, and a backpack at your feet on this meek, yet strong boat, you calmly floated through the clean clear water, looking around at all the lush plant life and trees that coated the evergreen ground. Even for a lake it wasn’t humid, it was just right as a breeze gathered in your hair, making you smile and take in the scenery. Not so far off you saw a few signs amongst some of the trees to your east. This drew your curiosity, and through the croaking frogs you were able to find a small yet withered dock, setting your boat to rest there. You took your compass out of your pocket and took to walking, the thick grass reaching your ankles, slightly coated with dew from days prior. Following the signs with Japanese print, eroded away and chipped by the rainy days of centuries passing by, you came across the temple… except the temple was… destroyed.

All that remained of a once great temple was two columns of wood, connecting a third at the top, and a wooden sign at the bottom. The rest of the wood and other supplies used to make this temple were nowhere in sight. This was the temple they were talking about? You crouched to get a better look at the sign. It used to be well polished as it sat there on the ground amongst loose twigs and leaves. The wood was chipped, you could see the patches of polish still trying to cling onto the wood as though it was loyal to it ever since they met during creation. The kanji, 藤原清輔家集、albeit withered, still clung to the wood in faded black ink, engraved for all eternity. The same kanji was found on a stone tablet leaning against a nearby tree.

Suddenly, amongst the light breeze you heard the soft sounds of the strumming strings of a mandolin. You looked over your shoulder to see a large flat rock by some trees, and positioned on the rock was a beautiful cookie, strumming their mandolin with steady darkened teal fingers, clean nails gracing the strings with each pluck and caress. They smiled softly, enjoying the sense of peace. Pearly white sleeves hung loose on their arms, as sea blue hair decorated their lily adorned head. They suddenly looked to you, stopping their movements. With a gentle smile they blinked towards you. It was the Lotus Dragon themselves, motioning for you to come greet them.

You slowly walked to the gentle dragon and bowed in respect. “Your Grace,” you whispered amongst the trees. The leaves could make anything echo outward with a small gust of wind. You had to be careful. To be seen in such a place with such a cookie— no, with the ruler of the Lotus Paradise… that would mean tragedy for your morale. “Might I ask what brings you here?” The dragon’s sea blue reptilian pupils fixed on you in a bid of focus, curiosity lingering on their perfect features. “I was drawn here because of a historical artifact. I wanted to check it out for my records.” They nodded, and with a gentle huff they slithered off of their rock, moving towards the abandoned temple with earnest. “This temple here?” The dragon attempted to confirm, which allowed you to answer with a quiet nod of your head. You followed the dragon with a curious twinge in your step. They smiled and looked to you, looking over their clean shoulder. Sweeping shiny hair from their face, they held their kimono sleeve with a steady hand. “Indulge in me for a moment.” You nodded, wondering what the dragon was about to reveal.

“A long time ago, when dragons ruled these lands with iron wings,” the dragon started slithering towards one of the columns of the temple, “there was a family that lived here in these forests. The Kukonomi clan, as they were referred to, was known to be one of the most prestigious artistic clans of their time, and they would often gather and drink tea, soft floral wines, and recite poetry here. Here, where this wooden plaque sits, lies one of the poets, named Kukonomi no Hitomaro, and was revered within this focal point as a veneration, that being this temple, as a god of poetry. Unfortunately,” they took a moment to catch a breath, sliding over to the other column and taking it with sharp nails, being ever so careful of the eroded marks, “in the middle of the Dark Flour War, an army of the north took refuge here and often fought off Southern forces. However this resting spot was never it’s true location. This temple was relocated here out of respect to the Kukonomi clan, and these grounds were taken into the care of many other poets along it’s time, and was later abandoned at the start of the Peace Era, after the war.” You looked to the dragon with amazement as they told this tale, recording it secretly on your tape recorder for further documentation. Your arm tensed behind your back, causing them to smile upon noticing this bodily function.

“What do you think, little one?” Lotus asked, slithering over to you with curiosity. Really what they were trying to do was get a hold of your tape recorder without making it obvious. You giggled nervously, yet excitedly at the actions of the dragon and put your free hand to your cheek. “What a wonderful story, great dragon. You surely are packed with knowledge.” They chuckled and swept you from your feet, making you yelp with surprise, dropping your tape recorder on the ground beneath the two of you. Putting you down, they picked up your tape recorder with a graceful bow. The looked at the small device in their hand as they once again chuckled lowly under their breath. They pressed a little red button at the top, stopping the tape recorder from taking in any more audio into its tapes. You suddenly felt your face rush red with fresh jam as your hand shot up in nervousness, “I’m sorry, great dragon, I didn’t mean to-“ “Now now, calm down little one.” You stopped, and looked to the dragon with wide eyes. “If this helps you understand the Lotus Paradise’s lush history, then I will permit this.” You smiled thankfully as they handed you back your tape recorder, and in taking it you bowed deeply at their mercy. “Thank you, oh great dragon, for sparing me.” They laughed at you, and waved a hand. “You’re too delightful, rise, little cookie.”

They soon sent you off after spending time with them, sitting with them on their chosen rock amongst lush trees and patchy yet somehow evergreen grass. They strummed their mandolin, humming softly in your company, sometimes adding words to their melodies. And when the time came, the sun setting on the fresh horizon, they send you back on your boat, back to the main village closer to the Lotus Palace, with the elders and the other common folk, before muttering to themselves,

“And furthermore, little one… you can call me Lotus.”

[divinesouldariax]

Consider also, 75 from physical I Love Yous with Laudna and Imogen

75. Painting their fingernails because their hands are too shaky.

I know you said Laudna and Imogen, but Ashton just kinda snuck his way in here and I couldn't get them to leave lmao <3 Unsteady hands crowd, make some noise! Also whoops this was sent in literal months ago ~Martin

P.S. Apologies if tumblr nuked the formatting on this, I couldn't figure out how to fix it in the 10 minutes before I leave for work.

Word count: 1,770

Content warnings: mild internalized ableism

Send me these? (different prompt list but still)

*

Laudna had just about the steadiest hands that Imogen had ever seen. Maybe it was something about her heart rate being so low, or so many years of experience with detail work crafting and mending things, or maybe it was just a trait she had always possessed, but she could tend to the smallest tasks with exact precision.

Right now, that task was painting Imogen’s nails. Laudna had been so excited by the shimmery black nail polish they'd found in a shop they wandered into that morning, and Imogen had suggested that Laudna paint hers as well. Laudna had beamed. But Imogen didn't really want the same black paint, so she had bought a few other colors as well.

One of Laudna's cool hands was supporting Imogen's, and her delicate fingers held the small brush that was coating Imogen's nails in sky blue polish. Laudna was humming happily. Smiling, Imogen leaned her head against the wall and let her mind relax.

The rest of the group were in the room as well, resting in the heat of the afternoon. Chetney was sanding something in the corner, his thoughts focused and bent on a stubborn gnarl in the wood. Fearne was taking a nap on one of the beds, dreaming about swimming by a waterfall, and Orym was sitting next to her and stretching, the rhythm of the Zephra'atam flowing through his mind. FCG was by the window, peeking out through the crack in the curtains, watching for birds a little nervously. Ashton, who was sitting in the chair near where Imogen and Laudna were on the floor, was drowsy as well, and not thinking about much, but Imogen did pick up something a little strange. Jealousy, maybe?

She looked over at him. They were staring down at the hole in their vest that he was trying to patch, having turned down Laudna's offer to fix it with magic. But as she watched, Ashton glanced over at her and Laudna. His eyes widened briefly, and a spark of embarrassment flooded through his mind as they saw Imogen looking back. Quickly, he turned back to his work.

Imogen fought a smile. Ashton, she said softly into his mind.

For a second, they ignored her. What? he replied eventually.

She wiggled the fingers of the hand Laudna had already finished so he could see them. I bet she'd do yours next if you asked.

I don't-- An incoherent jumble of thoughts followed as Ashton put the mending down and rubbed their forehead. Imogen waited patiently as he gathered themself. Oh, you're awful, you know that?

I know, Imogen said, amused. Don't be embarrassed. You want her to paint your nails?

Ashton shifted. They were looking down at their hands now with a weird expression. Imogen felt nostalgia that was closer to sadness from them, and she frowned. I used to like having them painted, he said. I'd do it myself. Hands are too fucking shaky to do that anymore, though. Paint would get fucking everywhere.

Imogen had noticed the shakiness in his hands before, of course. Hers often trembled as well. Is that why you make a point of fixing your clothes by hand, even though it takes a while? she asked.

Just to prove I still fucking can? Yeah, pretty much.

You know, Laudna's doing mine 'cause my hands shake, too, Imogen said gently. She saw a little tension leave their shoulders. It's that part that you're embarrassed about, not that you want them painted, huh?

Ashton shrugged tightly. I don't like needing help for something that simple, they admitted, and Imogen got the feeling that it wasn't something he would ever say out loud.

I'm not gonna make you, Imogen told him. But I do think it would make Laudna happy if you asked her to.

"There, we'll let that dry and then do another coat," Laudna announced. "How does it look?"

Imogen held her hands up to the light. Several nails were a little wet, but it still looked lovely. The blue stood out against the lines of purple electricity that crackled under the skin of her hands. "I love it," she said sincerely. "We got a little time to wait, then?"

"Mm-hmm, we'll give it five minutes or so," Laudna said.

She's got tiiiiime, Imogen said, teasing a little.

Ashton didn't answer her in her mind. A few seconds passed, and she was about to drop it, but then he cleared his throat and said, "Laudna, want to do mine too?"

Laudna, Orym, and Chetney all looked towards him. Imogen felt a radiating defensiveness from Ashton, but she knew nobody was going to prove that wariness right.

"I would love to!" Laudna said enthusiastically. "What color would you like? Imogen bought several!"

Ashton squinted at the collection of paint. "I mean, I've got a whole thing going on," he said, gesturing at themself. "So, same color as you, I think."

"The black? Alright! Come sit with us down here?” Laudna invited.

They nodded and got off the chair, tossing the mending onto the seat and sat down on the floor in the corner next to Imogen, who scooted over to give him space to face Laudna. “Sorry if I move too much,” they mumbled. “Hands kind of do their own thing sometimes.”

“If the brush slips, we can just wipe it off,” Laudna replied easily. “Bring your knee up and put your hand down on it, maybe? Would that help it be steadier?”

Imogen smiled at how gentle the suggestion was–Laudna had said the same thing to her the first time they’d done this. She sent a wave of pure affection in Laudna’s direction and saw the corner of her mouth turn up.

Ashton pulled one knee up close to their chest, wincing, then rested their right hand down on top of it. When Laudna carefully slipped her fingers under his, lifting them up one at a time to apply the first coat of black paint, Imogen saw his forehead crease, and his hands twitched a few times, smearing the paint occasionally, but they were watching her work intently and didn’t pull away.

“There, done with that hand,” Laudna said.

Imogen reached her hand out. “I can clean up the edges,” she said, and when Ashton didn’t even hesitate to give her his hand, she felt a little twinge of pride. It had taken so long to get them to be okay with being touched, and it was a special kind of honor to be allowed to do so when she knew that it could cause a lot of pain. She prestidigitated the smudges around his cuticles while Laudna started painting the nails on their left hand.

That one seemed to be a lot worse in terms of the twitching and shaking. Which made sense, most of the injuries were on the left side of his body. Still, Imogen couldn’t help but wince when their wrist kind of jerked involuntarily away from Laudna.

“Are you alright?” Laudna said softly.

“Fine,” Ashton almost snapped.

Laudna paused, and Imogen tensed slightly, but then she just went back to painting. “You know, the black looks really good, but I bet purple would as well. Matching your hair.”

Ashton let out a little laugh even as their hand shuddered again, and Imogen relaxed. “Sure, maybe next time.”

Fearne had woken up from her nap, and was peering down at them from over the edge of the bed. “Oh, that looks like fun,” she sighed. “Laudna, will you do mine?”

“Of course!”

“Maybe you can do everyone’s!” Fearne added. “Fresh Cut Grass doesn’t have nails, but–”

“You could paint something on my hands anyway,” Letters remarked. “That could be pretty.”

“Orym, Chetney?” Fearne said hopefully.

“Nah, it’d chip off too fast on me. But I might borrow those paints and the tiny brushes,” Chetney said. “You got red?”

“Kind of a dark maroon?” Imogen said, looking at the little glass paint bottles. “Nothing bright.”

“Dark maroon works.”

Imogen sent the bottle floating over to the windowsill. Chetney gave her a nod as he snatched it out of the air.

Laudna had finished Ashton’s left hand as well, and as Imogen was cleaning it up, she grabbed the paints and climbed up onto the bed with Fearne. “I’ll come back for a second coat for both you and Imogen in a little while,” she told him.

Ashton nodded awkwardly, looking at his nails. “Thanks,” he said.

“Oryyym,” wheedled Fearne.

Imogen felt a spike of fond amusement from Orym. “What?” he said.

“Will you let Laudna paint your nails?” Fearne said.

There was a pause. “If you promise not to ever tell Opal, because if she finds out that I let somebody paint my nails and it wasn’t her, I think she’d probably murder me,” Orym said lightly.

Ashton was still examining their nails. Imogen couldn’t read his expression, so she reached out in his mind.

You alright? she checked.

Mm-hmm.

I think we’ve started a trend, Imogen said with a giggle. Just you wait, even Chet’s gonna give in eventually.

Ashton smiled slightly. Think the paint would stay on his claws as a wolf?

Imogen laughed out loud, covering her mouth. Oh, gods, that’s an image.

I bet that’s really why he doesn’t want to, Ashton continued. But I really want to know now. Think Laudna could paint them in his sleep?

Oh, Ashton, that’s mean if he doesn’t want it, Imogen giggled.

Just one, even! Fearne could do it, Chetney wouldn’t mind.

That’s probably true. Imogen got distracted by an increasingly heated conversation between Laudna and Fearne about whether Orym should go with the dark green or try to break out of his usual color scheme. Fearne was very insistent that he should try the purple, and Orym was just leaning back against the wall and wasn’t offering an opinion, but seemed to be enjoying the discussion.

Ashton looked like they were watching, too, but they spoke to her again in her mind a minute later. Thanks, he said.

What for?

Getting me out of my fucking head about it.

Imogen reached out for his hand. He let her take it. Careful of their nails, though they were probably dry by now, and she laced their fingers together. Both of their hands were a little shaky, and no less so for being together, but it was still nice. Side by side, the similarities of the gold scars and the electric purple veins were striking. I get it, she said simply.

Ashton squeezed her hand and said nothing. It was obvious anyway that he understood.

Send me these? (different prompt list)

[kosomolski-dolls]

Bjd dyeing tutorial

Text version under the cut 💕

Disclaimer: dyeing can damage your doll, either through the color or the heat. Please continue with caution.

What you need:

Dye for synthetic fabrics. I use Rit Dyemore because it's liquid and you won't have a problem with non dissolved powder. It also smells a lot less than for example iDye poly

Rubbing alcohol and magic eraser sponges to clean up excess dye

A pot to dye in. I use an enamel pot because that's what Mismantis on Instagram advises and I know everything from her tutorials. I assume the dye might react with metal. Either way, do not use that pot for food ever again!!

Thread or wire and wooden sticks to hang your doll parts

Your doll.

Make sure your doll is clean!

If it's a new doll, clean with water and soap to get rid of residue like mold release.

If the doll had been painted and sealed before, make extra sure to thoroughly remove it!

I cannot stress this enough, if there is sealant residue, the resin will not take the dye!

Bring your water to a boil, mix your colours and a teaspoon of dish detergent and you're ready to start.

Keep your water simmering but not boiling. The bubbles will get dye all over the place.

Now take a small, straight piece, like an arm, and dip it. The piece should float under water, and not touch any sides of the pot. It will leave marks.

A piece like that would be easy to clean if the dyeing isn't successful. Some resins don't take dye well, they get blotchy and uneven. So if that's the case, get some nail polish remover and dip the piece in it for some seconds and scrub it off, tadaa, dyeing undone.

Keep your phone or anything to stop time close and dip your piece in 10 second sections until you reach the colour intensity you want.

Don't dip too long, the heat can deform the resin, making joints not fit into each other again, or the wire/thread can leave actual dents.

I usually do dips of 30 - 60 seconds max. If I need darker colours I'll add more dye or do another dip after the resin has cooled down.

After you're happy with the tone, throw the pieces into the bowl with water (it should be kinda warm, so the temperature difference isn't too big.)

Now repeat that with all parts.

Rule of thumb, bigger/ thicker parts may take longer than the smaller parts, so check after the time is up, and if necessary do 5 sec dips until it's the same color as the rest.

Take a magic eraser and rubbing alcohol and clean the parts. This will take off the excess dye that will be on the resin.

It will smoothen a lot of uneven spots and streaks. If too much dye comes off, you might have to dip again. But don't skip this step. Otherwise excess dye might stain clothes.

After that, you're pretty much done. Let your doll dry thoroughly so you won't get a moldy elastic later.

Things that can go wrong:

If the resin is uneven, there's literally nothing you can do. It might show in uneven coloring, streaks, spots, that don't go away with the rubbing alcohol.

This is my Unoa that I dyed. The legs got these uneven streaks, and the head has spots that didn't take the dye. The hand was unevenly sanded from company.

Even if it might get out of the pot and look normal, as soon as you clean excess dye with the alcohol, it will reveal the areas that didn't take the dye.

You can kinda see on the left picture already that it's a bit uneven, but after cleaning, some parts were just the original colour again.

You cannot prevent this, sadly.

So if you want to dye a doll, keep in mind that it might happen.

Dolls I've dyed that took the colour perfectly:

Fairyland

Fairy Castle

Souldoll

Charmdoll

Dollzone

Iplehouse

Luts

And lastly: the finished dolls from today

[trashyswitch]

Day 12: Bites/Nibbles

Elliot goes out for Spirit's Eve, dressed up as a classic vampire. After doing some Spirit Eve activities, he sits down and takes a rest. But someone comes up and surprises him! Who in the world could it be?!

FAHCK I'M LATE AGAIN. XD I hope you enjoy! Shoutout to Drew, who loves Stardew Valley! <3

Elliot was walking around in his Dracula costume, holding the cloak up to his face in signature Dracula fashion. He smirked from behind the cloak and did his own version of Dracula’s evil laugh in the mirror. Yes…this man is a bit obsessed with the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. He had read the book countless times at this point, and had always aspired to dress himself as the legendary vampire. With the cloak over the suit and his hair slicked back with gel, he felt ready for this year's spirit’s eve. 

Besides the long hair, Elliot wanted to be true to the original Dracula. He had bought himself tons of black and red fabric earlier this fall, and had sewn together the cloak himself. The collar, and the shoulder cuts were sewn together with the help of the player’s sewing machine. It worked exceptionally well, and he ended up with a wonderful cloak he was oh so proud of. That cloak with the tuxedo he kept in his closet for ages, made the perfect costume. And of course, no dracula costume could be complete without his fake fangs! And for extra effect, Elliot had trimmed his nails into a pointy shape at the front and put clear nail polish on them a day prior. So even his nails were evil. 

At about 10pm, Elliot left his cottage with his black dress shoes in his hands. He did this because he didn’t want his good shoes to get covered in sand. He walked up the beach’s passage and headed up the bridge to the main town, where everything was covered in spooky things and pumpkin carving tables. 

He smiled brightly as he saw different people in different areas of the town. It was late at night with only the festival lanterns to light up part of the streets. It was cool to see, and it made Elliot more and more excited. 

Elliot walked around for a bit longer, and took the time to do some of the activities. He took some time to carve himself a pumpkin vampire friend, before putting it on display nearby. He took his shot at the haunted maze to get the golden pumpkin. But he only got halfway before needing to turn back. 

He also took the time to check out the shop. There, he could get a gravestone decoration, a jack-o-lantern, a jack-o-lantern recipe (He left this for the player to discover), and a witch-looking scarecrow. As much as he loved the witch scarecrow, he decided not to buy it due to how much space it would take up in his house if he tried to put it away. 

As he walked around, people complimented him on the costume. Abigail asked him to do the Dracula evil laugh, which he happily performed for her. Sebastian gave him a smile and a nod of approval as he passed him, and Penny playfully warned Jas and Vincent about the evil vampire that roamed the streets of Pelican Town on Spirit’s Eve. Elliot could not be more proud of himself for a job well done. 

Elliot sat himself down and sighed softly. He adjusted the cloak around his arms to keep himself warm in this cool weather, and looked around for a bit. It was already 10:45, and he still had more than an hour left to enjoy the evening. It was a half moon outside, meaning no one should turn into a wolf tonight. There were also some pretty bright stars out in the sky…to the point where if you tried hard enough, you could see one or two constellations. He spent a bit of time trying to find a constellation he recognized well. 

Suddenly, someone had grabbed his sides! “BOO!” 

Elliot jumped. “aaAH!” He yelled. 

But the surprise didn’t stop there…cause those same hands started fluttering and squeezing his sides and lower back. 

“HehEHE- GAHahaha!” He reached for the hands, but found that the cloak was preventing him from removing them. “Uhunhahahand meee!” He yelled. 

The mysterious tickler then brought itself up to his neck and started playfully nibbling on his neck. “Omnomnomnom.” They mumbled playfully. 

“NahaHAHAHA! WAIT! NAHAHAHA! NAHAT THEHEHERE!” He shouted. 

A few of the townsfolk turned around to see what was going on, but smiled when they saw who was causing all the commotion. A couple townsfolk even laughed at them. 

The mysterious tickler somehow managed to make the situation more evil by tickling his sides AND nibbling playfully on his neck. “Omnomnomnomnom.” The tickler nibbled. 

Trying to figure out who it was, he attempted to feel the person’s face. But the only thing Elliot was able to feel was hair and a pair of faux fluffy ears. Wait…Ears? He felt the fluffy ears a small bit more. They felt husky-esque. Was this person dressed as a wolf?! 

“IHI DEHEMAHAHAND YOU TO STAHAHAP THIS IHIHINSTAHANT!” He ordered. 

“Or what~?” The tickler asked, revealing themself through their voice. And this voice revealed itself to be a girl’s voice! “You’ll bite me?” She asked, digging her fingers into the sides of his back. “Suck my blood?” She asked next. “Turn me into a vampire-wolf?” She concluded. 

He arched his back for a moment, before doubling over and covered up his face. “THEHEHERE’S NOHO SUHUCH THIHIHING!” He yelled back through his hands. 

“Not yet, anyway~” She teased. 

“Is this a sign you two will marry and have children together?” One of the townsfolk asked. 

The female tickler paused her attack and looked around. “What?! No!” She yelled. “Who said that?” She asked.

A few townsfolk turned around and moved out of the way, to reveal the Mayor hiding within the crowd, covering up his smile with his hand. The Mayor waved his hand. “Sohorry, sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I crack myself up sometimes.” The Mayor admitted. 

When he felt physically recovered, Elliot turned around and finally got a good look at who the mysterious tickler was. And…It was Leah! And not only was Leah wearing a werewolf costume, but her face was painted into the colors of a werewolf too! And…It looked really nice, actually. 

“L-Leah?!” Elliot asked. 

Leah looked at Elliot, and blushed a bit. “H-Hi! Sorry Elliot.” She leaned on the bench. “I thought it was the perfect time of the year to play a practical joke on you.” She admitted. 

Elliot smiled a bit. “Well, you certainly made a fool of me.” Elliot admitted awkwardly. 

Leah widened her eyes. “I did?!” She reacted, suddenly showing immense guilt. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to embarrass you, I-” 

Elliot shook his head. “No no no, you did no such thing. You spooked me well, and I’m trying to congratulate you.” He told her. 

Though the words dismissed the rest of the townsfolk, Leah still looked guilty. So he took it upon himself to cheer her up a little. “Now: I suppose some tasteful revenge is in order?” He asked with a smirk. 

Leah widened her eyes and looked at him with sweat drops falling down her face. Two seconds, and she was already growing nervous. 

“But maybe later.” Elliot replied. When the townsfolk started to go back to their usual activities, Elliot brought his voice down to a whisper. “I think it’s better if the werewolf and the vampire commence such revenge in more of a private manner.” He admitted. 

Leah smiled and nodded her head before leaning in. “My cottage is always open.” She whispered. 

Elliot smiled and nodded his head. “That sounds suitable.” He replied. 

The two adults moved through the darkness and walked down south to Leah’s cottage. They met at the cottage in the pitch black, and Leah unlocked the door. She opened the door, turned on the lights while Elliot closed the door. 

With the door closed, Elliot snuck up to Leah and shoved his fingers into her armpits. “Peek-a-boo!” He declared, wiggling and digging his fingers in her underarms. 

“BahaHAHAHA! Rihihight ihinto it, ahahare wehehehe?” She asked. 

“You betcha!” He replied. “And I’m gonna make every little moment count.” Elliot declared before taking in a breath and beginning to nibble and nom at her neck like an evil vampire. 

Leah threw her head back and laughed gleefully. “HAHAhahahaha! Hehehehehe! Hehehehe- Nohohohoho!” She laughed, hugging her arms against her own chest. 

“‘No’? ‘No’ what, my little werewolf?” He asked in a teasy, dracula-esque voice. 

“Nohohoho nihibblehehes!” she said through her giggles. 

“No nibbles? No nom-nom-nommies?” Elliot asked with a smirk. 

“Shuhuhut uhuhuhup, yohohou ihidiot!” She reacted. 

Elliot gasped and placed his hand onto his own chest. “Did you just call THEE COUNT DRACULA…An Idiot?!” He reacted. 

“Yehehes! Whahatcha gohonna dohohohoho ahahabout ihihit?” She asked. 

“I’m gonna do this:” Elliot picked her up bridal style and blew a big raspberry onto her belly. 

She SCREAMED and cackled, wiggling in his grasp like a sunfish out of water. “NAHAHAT THAHAHAHAT!” She shouted. 

“Okay! Then I shall move on to my backup plan.” Elliot started nibbling and making om nom noises all over her belly and sides. “Om-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom-nom. Om-nom-nom-nom-nom. Such delicious blood from this gorgeous werewolf~!” He teased. 

“NAHAHAHAHAHA! HEHEHEHEhehehehe!” Leah continued to laugh. “Such a cute little werewolf. Makes me wanna keep you as my pampered pet.” He teased, putting her onto the couch and scratching her jawline like he would to a dog. 

She curled into the touch and giggled a little, finding his touches more tickly than soothing. When he brought his hand back, she playfully went for his finger, and tried to ‘bite’ him. But she intentionally missed his finger by a mile, showing she was playing by smirking and giggling at him. 

Elliot gave her the side eye, before chuckling with a smirk of his own. “Ah ah ah. Be nice.” He warned. 

She giggled and stuck her tongue out. “Nnnno.” She replied with a proud grin. 

He brought himself closer. “I’m sorry, what was that?” 

Leah giggled and covered her mouth. 

“I’m sorry, I still can’t hear you. What did you say?” He asked. 

Leah’s giggles turned to laughter as she uncovered her mouth and slapped her thigh. “Gohohohod dahammihihihit!” She reacted. 

“I still can’t quite hear you. What are you trying to tell me?” He asked, bringing his face way too close to hers. 

Leah was cackling by this point, and forcefully pushed his face away from hers. She clapped her hands together as she let herself laugh. She loved this feeling of just laughing for a while. It felt really good, and she wanted it to last for the rest of the night. 

After a couple hours, Elliot wished her well and left her for the night to walk back to his cottage. Leah got out of her costume, washed the paint off her face, showered, and went to bed listening to the crickets of the Spirit’s Evening night. 

[seokiloquy]

Pearlescent Pt 1 - Iwaizumi Hajime

Au: Merpeople

Requested (kind of)

Tags/Warnings: GN!reader, That’s about it.

Word Count: 1.8k

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 | Pt 5

You had seen him a few times while wandering up and down the length of the beach. A towel draped over his legs and a pile of seashells in his lap, the boy would pick one up, scratch at it with a small pocket knife, and then feed a small string through the carved hole. He seemed rather stoic in his concentration, brows pushed down and mouth curved in a natural frown. As you passed, you noticed his hair becoming more spiked as it began to dry off.

“Your eyes aren’t glued. Look somewhere else,” Hanni hissed, digging an elbow into your side.

Your head spun to her. “I— What— No—”

“Don’t try to deny it. Since we got here, you’ve hardly picked up a single piece of trash. Your pockets are filled with beach glass and seashells, and you’ve been staring at him every chance you get,” she scoffed with a teasing grin. “When I asked if you wanted to go swimming, you just said, ‘huh, okay, ya.’”

“And?” Your voice raised.

“You can’t swim.”

“Good point. Look,” you huffed, glancing over your shoulder at the boy, “he’s just interesting? He looks good, and he’s making something.”

Hanni sighed, “You have a type for scary-looking buff guys with a hobby.”

“That’s not true!” You shook, causing the glass and shells in your pocket to jingle.

“Don’t lie. If you’re not going to pick up trash, at least do something productive and talk to him.”

“No way.”

Hanni’s eyes flicked over your shoulder. “He’s looking at you?”

“Heh?” You turned around, catching the boy’s eyes as he paused his craft. “Shit, he is. Hanni—”

“Cool, have fun!” She printed off the bag of garbage bouncing against her hip.

“Hanni!”

You were left with a heavy stare shared with the stranger as he threaded his shells blindly. Raising a brow, he nodded, gesturing to the plot of sand beside him. With pinched lips, you came to the startling realisation that he had heard everything.

Kicking through the sand, you rushed to sit at the man’s side. “I’m so sorry. That was so rude of me. I didn’t mean to be a creep.”

“It’s fine.” He wore a sharp grin, flashing his polished teeth. “I people-watch too.”

“It’s not exactly people-watching if it’s just one person.”

He laughed. “What’s your name?”

“(L/N), (Y/N). What’s yours?”

“Iwaizumi, Hajime. What brings you to the beach?”

Sighing and glancing back to where Hanni ran off, you adjusted your position to get your feet in the warm sand. “Yearly clean up. My class got sent to the beach to pick up garbage.”

“Well, it looks much cleaner than normal,” he tried to compliment.

“Hardly to do with any of my efforts,” you said, reaching into your pockets for the collection you gathered while walking along the shore. “I’ve been a bit distracted by something else.”

“Me?”

“Beach glass and seashells.”

“And me.”

You sighed, dropping the small objects into a small pile in the sand. “So what are you making anyways?”

“A gift. Though it seems all the good specimens have been collected already.” He looked at your pile with a grin.

Arms raised in surrender, you kneed the pile forward. It crumbled. “All yours. I don’t even know what I’d do with it all.”

Instead of picking a piece from your collection, Iwaizumi reached to his side and pulled a string out, slicing it down before handing it to you. “You can make your own.”

Raising a brow, you glanced at the thread. “Are you going to show me how? That looks a bit complicated.”

“I could, but shouldn’t you return to class?”

You didn’t even check before denying.

You went back every day during summer vacation. If the sun was out and the weather cared enough, you would wake up, get dressed and run out the door before anyone could wish you good morning. 

It was a change of pace, but it was all made worth it when you arrived at the sandy shore of your town and caught a glimpse of Iwaizumi working away on his gift.

“Are you here every day?” You asked after a couple days while trying your best to match his skill level at making these necklaces. 

“Pretty much. You can often find me on the sand if I’m not in the water. Or the other way around.” He tied a knot in his string before lifting up the design. “Tada.”

The shells and pieces of beach glass were primarily blue and white with the occasional earthy tone. They were all small, each around the size of your pinky nail and formed precisely with a practised hand to not make them break. Your necklace couldn’t even be compared with its clunky wrapping and forgotten pieces that broke in the process and couldn’t be added.

“Is the pearl in the middle?” you asked, brushing the pad of your thumb against the round surface hanging from the bottom by a bent wire. 

“Sure is.”

“Where did you get it? There’s no way you just found it on the sand, and pearls are expensive.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I just found it. I had to hunt for it.”

“Hunt?”

“Clams are sneaky little things.”

You blinked at Iwaizumi. “You’re saying you dove into the water and hunted clams to get pearls?”

“Ya.” He pointed down the length of the shore where the beach turned into a rock ledge. “There’s some over there every once and a while.”

“You’re insane.”

The rock ledge was infamous for causing broken bones and bruised brains. It wasn’t much trouble if you were even the tiniest bit careful. But often, teenagers found themselves calling the emergency line after a risky fall.

“Don’t worry, I don’t jump in.”

“Then… how do you get there?”

“By swimming, of course.”

You blinked at him, jaw slack. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

“Then don’t say anything.” Grinning, he lifted the necklace and wrapped it around your neck, tying it in a knot.

“I thought you said it was a gift,” you said, adjusting it to lay comfortably before fiddling with the pearl in the middle.

“It is a gift. For you.”

As school started again, you saw Iwaizumi less and less. Besides the fact that every day was spent going to school and doing homework, you found that the times you would walk by the shore and glance over the sand, there was a severe lack of Iwaizumi’s presence.

To make up for not seeing him, you ensured that his necklace was always with you. It was always in reach for you to fiddle with. However, after being told off by your phys-ed teacher, it remained tucked into your uniform and out of sight.

Hanni encouraged you to check on your way back home. Just to see if he would be there, Just in case, because, just maybe, he would be.

He wasn’t there when you arrived. Nor was he appearing from any corner or street. No one was there. With the cold wind and overcast, you should have expected the beach to be relatively empty. But this was where Iwaizumi spent most of his time. Pausing for a moment, you fiddled with the pearl on your necklace and looked toward the rock ledge he had pointed out. If you were lucky, maybe he would be searching for more pearls.

Looking down the jagged edge of the stone wall, you pursed your lips and couldn’t help but think you were being ridiculous. Iwaizumi, as kind as he had been, was practically a stranger. A stranger that was able to woo you with his sharp features and ability to wrap and thread a beautiful piece of jewellery.

The water was splashing against the stone edge with every gust of wind. The movement disguised any visibility deep below the water’s surface. Had it been a nice day, you would have been able to see deeper. 

At the sight of a fish jumping above a wave, you lowered yourself to get a closer look, curiosity piqued. There was something, a shadow moving slowly beneath the whitecaps. The more it moved, the more fish jumped from the water. Shuffling to where people climbed out of the water, you cautiously took steps down, sitting on them to avoid losing balance. 

The fish kept leaping above the waves before crashing into them again. As you got to the bottom and sat comfortably on the most extensive flat ledge, another rocketed from the shallow depths and launched itself at you. You screamed as the footlong creature landed in your lap, immediately soaking through your uniform.

It flopped around, wriggling and smacking you as it desperately tried to aim toward the water, but it was futile without any limbs to propel it off you. You grabbed it, shutting your eyes as it wobbled in your grip, risking a smack to your face. Holding it out, you hoped that once you let go, you and it would be free from each other’s presence. 

You released your grip.

“Thanks!”

You screamed again. Thinking that suddenly you had fallen into a fairytale and accidentally kissed the fish like it were a prince disguised as a frog. But no.

“You’re a fish!”

“Not really,” Iwaizumi said, holding up your still squirming, scaly friend. “This is a fish.”

You coughed, trying to catch your breath. “You’ve got a tail!”

Pale blue, with a skin-like sheen similar to a dolphin, Iwaizumi’s torso stopped and turned into a long, finned tail of a merperson.

“I do.”

“You’re a fish.”

“A merman,” he huffed, brows pinching. He lowered his arm holding the fish, and raised the other, showing off a clam with a dark shell. “Were you looking for this?”

He seemed too relaxed. While you were feeling your heart pounding against your ribs, Iwaizumi waded in the water casually, with an almost bored expression.

“Uh, no. I was looking for you. You mentioned hunting for clams, so I thought….” you gulped, blinking. “Has this happened to you before?”

Iwaizumi huffed and swam forward, propping his elbows on the rock by your side. “Not to me. But a friend of mine can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble, so I’ve gotten used to the possibility that it could happen. You’re taking it much better than most, though. We usually have to erase their memory.”

You choked. “You can erase people’s memory?”

“No. But we can be very persuasive.”

His smile was too sharp, eyes curving with his cheeks.

“So…like a siren?”

“We’re the same, really.”

You shut your eyes, leaning back against the rock wall as you raised a hand to your chest so you could feel your racing heart.

“You still have the necklace.” Iwaizumi had his cheek pressed into his forearm, shoulders scrunched to his ears as he gave you a soft smile with pointed teeth. “Good.”

“Good? Should I be concerned?” You asked, fiddling with the pearl.

“Not if you don’t want to be.” He dropped the clam by your hip before pushing off the rock ledge. “Go to the beach tomorrow! I’ll be there. And don’t take off that necklace!”

Before you could ask anything else, he dove into the water, tail flicking up behind him. He was gone.

Post-secondary sucks. I wrote this a day before and the day of posting. It’s…. Probably gonna have a second part cause ya. - Bacon

Posted: 20/11/2022

[therapardalis]

[[Repost of an old thing Inspired by shieldagentilona back in the day!]]

Shuff-shuff-shuff-shuff-shuff … The soft, endless beat of the paddles stirred the water, dipping and rising above the rumble of the engines. Birds called as they passed overhead, and the hot desert wind whistled through the ropes and rings of the canvas shade cloth covering the steamer’s upper deck.

Thera leaned with her elbows on the polished wooden rail, a rose-pink cocktail balanced in her hand. It wasn’t a Christie novel this time around, but she was dressed almost as if it were - a full, flowing beige skirt and white blouse, a scarf tied loosely  about her neck.

“On this day,” The choice to speak may have been a surprise, given the quiet of the past little while, but so she began with her voice low and lilting, “in 1922, a man named Howard Carter, who’d spent a great deal of time and money on the secrets of this land, was leading a team of diggers in the Valley of the Kings. One of them called him over … they’d found a stone step buried in a pile of debris. They dug the sands away and found another, then more. And those stairs,” Her lips curved, eyes distant as if looking into memory, “led them to a discovery of riches that no-one had seen for thousands of years.

"The tunnels were blocked, they discovered - even the paths dug by ancient grave-robbers had been carefully repaired … who knows?” Amusement, as she turned to put her back to the rail and take a sip of her drink, “Maybe they were trying to keep the little bugger in?”

——

((Mun note - On November 4th 1922, the first step that would lead Howard Carter’s team to the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered. I didn’t actually know this date until I was already writing this back in 2018 (I think), which is kinda cool.))

[ourimpavidheroine]

thanks so much for your answer! the wu story looks great and i’m also excited to see more poppy and jai. rest assured there are some of who really do enjoy the later generation stories! take your time writing and i hope the move goes as smooth as possible.

I know it's practically my own fiction at this point rather than fanfiction but I enjoy writing it so it's always so lovely to hear when readers enjoy reading it as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to come and let me know. I really appreciate it!

And here, just a little snippet of the Jai and Poppy fic. Just for you.

She had stopped by the front desk at the Imperial Jade hotel to check and see if he’d already arrived when she heard the familiar stomp stomp stomp of Jai’s footfalls across the marble floors. Finally! The damnable man had point blank refused to let her pick him up in the family airship, insisting he’d make his own way there. His fucking funeral. He'd told her he was taking a train and then one of the public airships that took him across The Great Divide and over the Serpent’s Tail, landing outside the city near the former Lower Ring, which of course meant yet another train across the city itself. Public transportation was slow, dirty and full of who the fuck knew who. She had no idea what he was trying to prove with any of it, unless he wanted to make sure she was aware he was a stubborn idiot. He had no need to prove it. She already knew. His insistence on said public transportation - Paid for by the mine! What was the point of all of it! He could have saved the mine money by going with her on her airship! - meant she’d left two days after him and even at that she’d been cooling her heels in the Upper Ring all morning, waiting for his train to arrive so she could make sure he didn’t try to wiggle out of checking in under the Beifong name. Granted, she had taken advantage of the time to do a little shopping but that wasn’t the point, was it?

She turned to greet him and nearly choked. Someone please tell her he wasn’t going to wear that same hideous off the rack suit to their meetings for the potential new refinery. Please. Not to mention he’d clearly been traveling in it, if the embedded wrinkles and sagging droop of his shirt were anything to go by. He must have something else to wear, even if she saw only two bags in his hands.

No. Wait. That wasn’t a bag. That was a wicker basket. No. He had not. He wouldn’t dare.

It must have shown on her face because he stopped in the middle of the lobby to glare at her.

“What?”

*******

There she stood, in a stylish dress that clung to her everywhere, leaving absolutely nothing up to the imagination, in that vibrant red silk that was her namesake, a matching hat trimmed with red silk poppies tilted saucily over one eye. And heels, of course, these in red as well, impossibly high as per usual. She was staring at him - no scratch that, glaring at him - with that single eyebrow cocked up, her mouth making the most ladylike moue of disgust he’d probably ever seen. She submerged herself in profanity like the most hardened of his miners but there was no mistaking Poppy Beifong for anything but a lady.

Damn the woman anyhow.

Her gaze moved from him to the basket he was holding in his left hand. Her lip curled up at that.

“What?”

She scoffed and put a hand to her chest. Her hands were gloved, of course, but he’d lay every yuan he had that her fingernails had been polished to match. “Tell me you did not bring that beast.”

He glanced down at the basket. “He doesn’t like it if I leave him behind.” The truth of the matter was that he couldn’t leave Mao at home. He’d tried to pay extra just to have someone feed him and change his cat sand once a day but had been refused by everyone he’d asked. Mao had gotten himself a bit of a reputation at the mine. And in any case, Mao liked to travel. Mostly.

“Unbelievable,” Poppy said, and turned to the woman behind the reception desk, the one who had already checked her in a few hours earlier. “This is Jai, he has a reservation under Beifong as well. He’ll apparently need a box with cat sand in his room.” She flicked her hand. “And some sort of food for the cat, I assume.”

The concierge shot a very quick look at the basket, which had started to rattle and growl. Mao wanted out. “It will be our pleasure, Miss Beifong.” She fussed with a large book for a few moments. “Mister Jai is registered in your suite, Miss Beifong.”

Poppy froze. “I beg your pardon?”

He frowned. “I think there’s been a mistake.”

The concierge shook her head. “Your reservation is for the Grand Secretarial Suite, Miss Beifong, as is Mister Jai’s. We received your bags from the private airfield and our staff already took the liberty of taking your things there for you.” She looked pointedly at his hands, like she wasn’t sure if he had anything else than Mao’s basket and his single suitcase and didn’t want to ask.

Poppy’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. We were meant to have two rooms.”

The concierge flipped through the book again before glancing up apologetically. “I’m afraid there is only the one room.” Her glance ricocheted between the two of them. “Of course it is a suite, with two bedrooms.”

Poppy gritted her teeth before pasting on a smile. “I see. And who, do tell, made these arrangements?”

The concierge pasted on a smile in return. “They were the arrangements that were made before you arrived, Miss Beifong.”

Rage practically radiated off of Poppy in waves. “Indeed. And let me make a guess. There are no other rooms available tonight in the hotel?”

The concierge dutifully went through the book again, although he was sure she knew exactly what was or wasn’t available already. “I am afraid not, Miss Beifong.”

“Of course there aren’t.” Poppy’s black eyes were snapping. “Well. If you could ensure that someone brings the cat sand and food as soon as possible I would be grateful.”

“Immediately, Miss Beifong.” The concierge quickly passed Poppy two keys. Poppy took them into her hands and swung around to march across the lobby, not even looking to see if he was following her.