#this is either first spring and/or false spring

[veradune]

Beautiful day for a wander, I even witnessed a wild Canadian shopping cart in it's natural habitat.

[thesweetnessofspring]

Drives me crazy that Katniss will be called an unreliable narrator (when she's not) but Coriolanus Snow skates by without anyone saying boo about him being an unreliable narrator.

Like all it takes is being written in 3rd person? Our girl gets called unreliable for having opinions and whiny nepo baby Snow isn't for the exact same thing??? And his opinions contribute to continued violence in Panem???

Oh but it's in limited 3rd, it's soooooo different. 3rd person is always so reliable! 🙄

[snoopyhq]

Can I request smut headcanons where his gn s/o worships Jayce, Viktor, Steb, Vander, Silco, and Ekko's bodies please?

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ the altar is my hips, even if it's a false god

type: misc. arcane characters x gn reader

summary: different body worship with different arcane men

warning: explicit content, mentions of restraints (silk), guided masturbation, mirror play (i think?? idk the name. uh, involves mirrors. viktor's part), implied sex positions, etc. i don't think i can write full blown smut, mainly because i'm not practiced, so i'll try to make it as romantic as i can with extra zealous passion

minors dni, thank you !!!

word count: 1555

a/n: false god is objectively a banger and is one of lover's most underrated tracks.

dividers used made by @/diviniyae

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ JAYCE

he's getting tied to the bedposts

no rope, no handcuffs, no nylon

red silk ribbons adorn his wrists and ankles, contrasting the warm brown of his skin like a trail of your freshly applied lipstick

which is now making its way down the column of his throat

he needs the stability and reassurance

you're restraining his limbs, not to hinder his movement, or as a play on his autonomy, but to hold him down so you could hold him close to you and dote on him like he deserves

he's completely shameless his breathy whimpers and gasps

which is great! it's exactly what you want

you want him to feel safe enough to express himself with you, especially during such an intimate setting

he's the most beautiful canvas in the world, and you're going to turn him into your next masterpiece

he's a marked up mess by the end. lovebites litter his inner thighs and upper body, and god forbid you's skimp out on his neck

each one is a physical reminder of the message you want him to carry with him everyday

i love you, jayce talis. don't you ever forget that

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ VIKTOR

mirror, mirror on the wall. who's the fairest of them all?

it's viktor

this man would be living off work if he could. he doesn't take the time necessary to just spoil himself, so you're taking matters into your own hands

quite literally

after weeks of contradicting schedules, you both have a couple nights completely free

the floor length mirror had its cloth taken off and now stands opposite your shared bed, gleaming faintly in the dim light

you'd taken off his clothes too, slowly, murmuring praises about each newly revealed part of his body

viktor isn't one to blush, but your words always make a softie out of him

you sit behind him, your legs on either side of his as you two look at your reflections. he wants to look away, but your encouragement keeps him from shying away from the revelation of his naked form

your hands find his, and as the jazz music continues its sensual crescendo, you trail them down down down, letting the tips of his fingers ghost over his skin in a featherlight caress

you're kissing his neck and telling him just how great he's doing and how gorgeous he is, and how much he deserves to see himself from your point of view (i love you chappell roan)

his head is thrown back. his soft brown locks are on your shoulders, shifting slightly with his labored breaths as he finally takes the time to love his body the way you always have, with your steady hands over his, guiding his motions and coaxing him to climax

you see now, viktor? can you see just how beautiful you are to me?

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ STEB

i'm sitting here cycling through a myriad of options for him

my first thought was hot springs, but then hmm. gross lowkey. i am a hot springs enjoyer, leave the scenic nature place alone! i berated myself

and then i moved on to a luxury bath

but then i remembered outdoor jacuzzis are a thing, and baths inside in like a house or apartment kind of became boring compared to this

so picture this: outdoor jacuzzi, secluded in the shade of your guys' garden

the giant trees sway in the wind and the sunlight filter through the leaves to create dapples that dance on both your slick skin, your hands on either side of his face as you two move in sync to the slow lapping of the water

he isn't a vocal one, but he has his tells

the way his breath hitches, the half closed eyes, the fluttering his gills when you add extra emphasis on the next roll of your hips

this man's an enforcer (unfortunate)

the stress of work often carries over to other aspects of his life, but he's been trained to remain stoic in the face of adversary

these stolen moments of intimacy are the few times he truly relaxes. be gentle and patient with him, and you'll have him beyond whipped

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ VANDER

the only vanderbilt i know is vander built like the man of mine and sza's dreams

more surface area = more space to love on. btw

being a single dad most of his life is stressful, even more so when you combine it with the leadership needed to keep the lanes in order

the worship you bring him is akin to one for a wine god

you're both getting blacked out wasted

it sounds irresponsible, but hear me out

a space where he doesn't have to be the responsible, upstanding adult in the room, where he can just go buck wild and release his inhibitions? that would fuck so hard, ok

especially having you as his drinking/party buddy

the amount of dirty dancing you'd be getting into with the drinking games available would make a sailor blush

the bedroom is empty, and the commodities of the bar have found their way to this little haven

pour out a cup for this much needed reprieve

maybe upon him too while your clever tongue provides the drunken declarations of love

the only vanderbilt i know is vander built like a fucking snorlax

more surface area = more space to love on. btw

being a single dad most of his life is stressful, even more so when you combine it with the leadership needed to keep the lanes in order

the worship you bring him is akin to one for a wine god

you're both getting blacked out wasted

it sounds irresponsible, but hear me out

a space where he doesn't have to be the responsible, upstanding adult in the room, where he can just go buck wild and release his inhibitions? that would fuck so hard, ok

especially having you as his drinking/party buddy

the amount of dirty dancing you'd be getting into with the drinking games available would make a sailor blush

the bedroom is empty, and the commodities of the bar have found their way to this little haven

pour out a cup for this much needed reprieve

maybe upon him too while your clever tongue provides the drunken declarations of love

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ SILCO

it's a game of tug-of-war

silco is a drug lord and basically rules the underground. he's not relinquishing power without a fight

crafty wit? physical passion? maybe even a game of chess. you choose

the game changes every time, which he finds refreshing and mentally stimulating

it eventually gets to a point where you're finally given the reins

your neck is covered in hickeys and there are scratches down your back by the time it gets there, but they're routine by then

you didn't leave him unharmed either

you may both be panting from the adrenaline and exhilaration, but the true reward comes from the deprivation of senses you love so much

the blindfold goes over, and silco's yours for however long you want to go tonight

you worship him the same way a feral animal would

it's pure instinct and desperation and hurts so good

the consequences can be felt in full later

when you've had enough of your fun, you finally remove the blindfold and let him see the wreck he's made of you, and you of him

make sure to remind him with extra kisses to the left one that he's the apple of your eye, no matter how rotten

aftercare. duh.

he's gotten his hands on the finest creams and bath oils, so you get cleaned and patched up in luxury. rivals a piltovan spa, really

the settle down from such ferocity to something so tame is the perfect balance for your stormy relationship

˚ ♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ EKKO

worshipping ekko is an event that takes place over the course of the entire day

you've planned it down to the letter

similar to vander, he's in charge of so much and takes care of so many people, so you wanted to be the one pampering him for once

breakfast is brought to him in bed, and the watching the sunrise is a relaxing start to the day

here comes a medley of dates

a walk down his favorite street and hitting the shopping district

you insist he get himself something from at least three different stores

then treating him to lunch before heading off on your hoverboards as you guys race through the sky

back home, you'd put together a skincare basket to do together. the whole routine of exfoliate, moisturize, and then the face masks

you talk about the exciting day you just had, fingers intertwined the whole time until it's time to take the masks-and clothes-off

he doesn't let himself relax often, but around you?

completely gone

you make slow, leisurely love, taking every second as a chance to appreciate him, his body, his voice and that brilliant mind of his

everything about him really

as for aftercare, you'd go to the kitchen, and cook a simple meal to enjoy together before falling asleep right in the living room, too tired to trek back to the bedroom

he's the little spoon tonight

you left no room for argument, wanting to be the one to cradle him close to you and make him feel just as safe and protected as he makes you everyday

[jjwolves]

Hey could you write how bbq ena would react to a reader who's body is slowly starting to change to fit in her world like their arms start to look like her meanie side or something along those lines

NEW LOOK, SAME GREAT TASTE ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

What: 5 Headcanons of ENA The Worker X Reader Who Is Slowly Changing Into Someone In Her World

Who: ENA from ENA Dream BBQ (By Joel G)

How Much: ~800 words, ~3 mins

Credits: Image Banner -> Joel G

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

When you first entered ENA’s wonderland, you suspected that spending time in this world would corrupt you, slowly but surely altering you by way of magic spell or reality shift. There was no way that something as normal as you could possibly go on existing unchanged. You confided in ENA about your worries one day when you two were picking out Golden Ratios to bring home from the Oblique Patch. She took out a clipboard and began scribbling something on it as she inquisitively circled you. “I’m not so sure that this is a trend you need to be on the lookout for. According to findings from my focus group, you would already be terminated by this property if this were the case. I’d know from experience.” She stopped her note-taking to squat down near a perfectly angled spring, curling to infinity. You got down to her level. “Hmm… This one has been selected!” You went to touch it, but ENA activated pale mode. “WAIT, ARE YOU KIDDING?! This is a sorry excuse for a ‘perfect angle’, look at THAT one over there, for crying out loud!”

So, your magic theory was a bust according to your beloved huckster. The scientific method demanded that you create a different theory (not that you had a control group to compare to). The new theory went as such: this world changed you, sure, but not all at once. And not magically, either. It did so experientially, and slowly. You began to suspect this one day, when, while fishing for a memory with ENA so that you could find your apartment keys, part of the ledge gave way and a romantic date with the acidic ocean was nigh. It smelled like vinegar. Thinking quickly, ENA snagged the back of your shirt and managed to hoist you to safety. “Watch where you cast the line! You could’ve been pickled, damn it!” You meekly apologized, your arm tingling. ENA noticed the effects of the ocean’s brief contact with your arm and, while Meanie lost steam, Salesperson grew worried. “Y-your arm… It’s losing funds…” You looked down to confirm. Yeah, it was; already, your arm was losing definition and becoming blocky. Cracked. You joked that you two were matching now. Meanie wasn’t having it. “Don’t joke like that! You could’ve been an acid statue!”

ENA’s pale claw started to cup around your blocky hand. When you would look back at ENA, she gazed at you like this display of affection was the most natural thing in the world. No, not just natural, but necessary. Your hands fit together perfectly, like a ceramic puzzle, and you figured such a beautiful feeling was reason enough.

Once, you and your girlfriend had to journey through a tunnel which would take you across the sky so that you could catch a taxi. The walls were made of waterfalls, and it was pretty, sure, but it hid danger. One minute you were running hand in hand with ENA. The next, you were being attacked by antique divers’ helmets come to tentacle-abundant life. “GET BENT!” ENA slashed through several of them with her handfan, flashing war, spraying ink. Amidst the carnage, one of the helmets was knocked out of the air and fell directly onto your head by accident. When you two got home, ENA did her best to remove it but all was naught. You guessed you had to wear this thing from now on—it’d be an adjustment, but you’d adjusted before. “The helmet doesn’t do you justice, you know. It’s false advertising.” ENA whined. Normally you’d whine, too, but you were on your acceptance streak and you didn’t want to break it. “LEMME SEE YOUR STUPID FACE!” Wrenching the helmet around, once again, did no good.

Over time, this world took its toll on you. At one point, a wizard turned you into a decorative lamp and ENA only had the spoons (literally) to turn half of you back. She didn’t hesitate to spend them if it meant helping you, and you didn’t hesitate to choose your head—you liked having thoughts. “Look on the bright side. Eh? Eh?” Later on, you touched a meteorite with your bare hands and gained a permanent green outline. “Going green? How ecological.” You got home with ENA one day and looked in the mirror. You looked a lot like one of the odd strangers who’d run up to you to spout nonsense—a blocky arm, an antique diver’s helmet, the legs of a silver tripod and a stylized outline which bordered your form. You said that you didn’t know how to feel. ENA felt for you. “You’re not all that different. You just look as trademark as you are on the inside.” ENA tenderly kissed your awkward helmet and ran her cool claw over your blocky knuckled. You shivered. “This place changes everyone. Think of it like this: NEW LOOK, SAME GREAT TASTE!” You startled and laughed so hard you choked on your spit. She always knew how to lift your spirits.

[rosie-writings]

You Need a Melody

Kinktober Day 1: Dirty Talk

Summary: In the middle of an investigation, you lose focus because Colby doesn’t understand the effect his voice has on you, so he ends up bringing you back to his hotel for the night but not without tormenting you for the rest of the job.

Warnings: Semi Public smut, Unprotected sex, Voice kink, Dirty talk, Degradation, slight Praise kink…

Words: 8.1k

Title is from ‘Higher’ by Sleep Token

Note: I chose a to write about a real investigation from their channel to aid with inspiration. Not knowing that it was a sad ending, I diverted from the video midway through because it felt disrespectful to not due to the nature of this story.

There was something about the sound of it that put my stomach in a twist breathing alone couldn’t undo.

The wind was still cool enough for us to pull on our jackets by the time the sun tapped the horizon, and I was impressed I made it that long without it considering my arms crawled with goosebumps from the moment we stepped out of the car. I blamed it on the crisp spring New York air. 

No one else had goosebumps though, so then I decided to pretend like I was sensitive to the cold. But I wasn’t often bothered by the cold. 

“What does the C and M stand for?” Sam asks as he points to the clear K and M on the door.

”That’s definitely a K—“

”Kall… Me… Kris,” Kris says, cutting me off, and follows it up with a dramatic gasp.

”Oh, so it’s all about Kris now,” Colby laughs but instead of saying anything else, Sam shoves the camera in Colby’s face.

”I see a scary man, do ya’ll see that scary man?” Colby says as he stares into the setting sun. His eyes are blank as he stares at them as if not a thought is behind that poor man’s eyes. 

“What did you take?” Kris bursts out laughing.

”He doesn’t have to take anything to look like that unfortunately,” I laugh. 

“Goddamn,” he laughs before he turns around and busts the door open.

”Ladies first!” He says happily and Kris complains about walking in first. We all pause laughing as Kris walks in looking very similar to the girl standing emoji.

“You can go next, Sam,” I sigh as I shove him. The camera shakes in his hand and he gasps.

”Actually you can!” He says and grabs my wrist and yanks me through the threshold. My nose scrunches as I’m dragged across the wood of the porch. 

I’m hyper aware of the low laugh on my other side as I’m shoved into the same course Kris first took.

As we snoop around the house, Sam and Colby also explain some of the history of the house in between jokes. Something about putting Sam and Colby, Kris and Celena, and I in the same house either scares the ghosts away or gives us a false sense of security because there was more messing around and teasing one another than real investigation for the first twenty minutes. I didn’t have a problem with that.

I am convinced there are no ghosts in this house when all five of us get along like this. I also am sure that I would be the one replacing the ghosts for content because if I had to withstand listening to Colby speak like this for another day, there is no promising I would come out of this house alive.

It took going up to the top story for it to start though.

Dizzy, Kris plops into a chair and Celena sits next to her. Sam, Colby and I stand around her as she catches her breath.

”It could have been slight vertigo, this house is twisty and we just went out on that balcony, and seeing the elevation…” I suggest.

”That’s true,” Celena says. “You also get like this when suspicious things happen at my house.”

”It’s also really hot up here,” Colby says. I don’t say anything. I think Sam says something next. My heart skips. I pretend like I’m not sure why as I shift on my feet as Colby sways close to me subconsciously.

We continue on and go downstairs to talk with the owners of the house and go over precise history about the house. 

Later, Celena and Kris explain what happened to them, and we immediately snap into investigation mode.

For a while, the irrational sensations that trail through my body every time Colby, honestly, simply makes his presence known, fade, and we get a more in depth tour. Many things happen, Kris hears something, there’s something that sounds like thunder; it’s hard to remember everything that happened because that much happened.

Until the owner told us the ghost’s story in the basement, and the lights flicker every time he mentions specific things about the ghost.

I’m not sure why the antics upped in that moment, but in my mind they did. Hearing footsteps and seeing flickering lights was enough for my stomach to recoil. On top of the things I witnessed, Celena explaining the ghosts she noticed in her mind's eye did me no favors. 

My knees tremble by the time we make our way to the top floor.

As we film in the dark, the only light in the room pouring from the camera light, it seems harder to speak. 

At least for me.

Sam and Colby orchestrate the interview with the ghost, and I’m silent for the entire time. Celena and Kris intervene intermittently, but my throat twists within itself with every answer we receive from the so-called ghost.

Colby is also a hair away from grazing my arm every time he speaks and moves naturally. So maybe it was that.

It’s not that anything more than friendly happens between Colby and I; recently his voice has just done something a little more than friendly to me. I’m not sure if that makes it better or not.

Especially if we plan to film during a particular time of month, I mentally prepare myself to be left dizzy and overwhelmed.

And definitely not due to any paranormal activity.

”New piece of equipment, doesn’t have batteries, so I have to go get batteries. I’ll be back in a moment,” Sam explains to the camera as Colby films him. 

“Oh… okay,” Colby chokes out with fear. 

“Oops sorry,” Sam says with a high pitched voice as he leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Colby comedically turns the camera to me and zooms out and I stand there perfectly straight and still as the light over exposes my body like a beacon.

Colby bursts out laughing and I whine as I close my eyes from being blinded.

”Sam deserves to get murked by ghosts if he’s leaving us alone in here,” I complain.

”Kris and Celena are alone in the creepy doll closet upstairs, so it could be worse for us,” Colby says and instantly, the erratic beating of my heart returns. I swallow tightly.

His voice sounds different when we’re alone, but no one would ever find me trusting my perception when I’m alone with him. I stay still, listening to anything that might happen in the room as we wait for Sam to return. My heart hammers in my chest, and my eyes don’t leave Colby as he flips the camera to face him and speaks to it.

An aching courses my body as he speaks. 

Maybe he did have a different tone in his voice. We were alone with the camera, so it felt less like putting on a show since there were three less people taking up space in the frame. 

Or maybe my body wants to believe he spoke differently now.

”Literally saw a woman— whoa I’m white,” Colby gasps as he turns the camera and sees himself in the viewfinder. I laugh once, stifling my movement because one, I’m in a house full of ghosts and two, I’m being filmed alone with Colby. 

No, I don’t trust myself right now.

And then I hear it. My body lurches in the direction of the low bang and Colby instantly turns the camera towards the bar meaning he heard it too.

”It sounded like a footstep right there.”

”The ghosts are spying on us,” I say lowly. 

We both keen our attention behind the bar for a few more silent seconds.

”It really sounds like something is right there, and the footsteps trail that way,” Colby explains to the camera as he points down the corridor and across the wall where it dumps into the hallway outside of the room we’re in.

”The ghosts are waiting outside to get Sam when he comes back,” I say. Colby turns to me.

”Why would they wait for him if we’re in here already?” 

“Because you have a camera,” I laugh. “I thought we’ve established multiple times in this video alone that these ghosts especially hate cameras since everything huge we’ve captured has been when the cameras are off.” Colby puts down the camera for a second, and I hear the faint noise of the recording ending.

I’m not sure why my heart jolts.

We’re thoroughly alone now.

”Yeah? You think the ghosts will do something huge now that I turned it off?” I can tell by his light eyes that his words had no underlying meaning, but his voice could never be innocent to me. Especially not when he drops it to that smooth and low tone he always adapts to when we’re alone.

I convince myself it’s his real voice and not fluffed up for the camera.

”It would make sense if they did,” I say, but I don’t need to say anything else because the same rolling thunder sounds we heard in the walls happens right above our heads in the ceiling. It starts over Colby and finishes in a few paces, over me. 

“Celena and Kris are two stories above us, not one,” Colby says distantly as he still looks up to the ceiling. I don’t say anything because my eyes are snagged on the length of his throat as he speaks up towards the aged drywall.

”Told you things happen when the camera is off.” Maybe I should work on the filter on my voice as well, because his eyes snap back down to mine as he hears my words. I swallow again. We already established that it is hot in his house, maybe I just need water.

Colby parts his lips again as his eyes are slightly darker than I’ve seen them all night.

The door opens and we both jump around. Sam walks into the room with the batteries and Colby quickly starts the recording again.

“So we need to stay very still,” Sam explains, and he turns on the white rem pod looking piece of equipment. As they speak, we have to stay as extremely still as possible or else the pod will shrill to life. I almost need to hold my breath when Colby asks questions. His voice is low but smoother than usual; it’s all I can ever describe his voice as. But when he asks questions to the ghosts in the night, I can hear another layer of velvet that…

I need to hold my breath as we stand here perfectly still, to say the least.

My body is on fire already. I don’t want to know what changing my clothes later will entail.

”Do you know if there’s members of the Kriescher family in this house? If so can you go up to this table so this device goes off?” Sam asks. 

It’s silent.

”Okay, so he doesn’t know anything about the murder, but he’s not alone so—“

The rem pod shrills to life and green floods the room.

”Boom, confirmed,” Sam says. I glance at Colby who looks at the rem pod. The green light paints his face as he thinks for a moment.

”Charles or Edward, I don’t know… I still saw a physical person. Let’s go see if Celena and Kris got the same things,” Colby says. And we pick up our things to go back two floors up.

My hands shake as I grab my things and I can’t stop thinking about the heat deep in my body. 

I’m hyper aware. I’m sensitive. Those are two things I’ve never dreamed about calling myself, but the way Colby’s hand drags against mine, or the way we brush past each other have to be charged more than they ever have been.

Charged with something. Maybe it’s all me and my hormonal anticipation and he’s completely oblivious.

He never realized the complexities of his voice.

“Welcome to the seance room,” Sam sighs as he walks into a dark room illuminated by a dozen candles around the room and in a circle around a white poster board and planchette. My stomach twists and it’s then and there that I may need to go to therapy.

We sit in a circle. My knee taps Kris’ knee and Colby’s knee as we sit in a close circle and Sam opens up the seance. 

“Charles or Edward, we invite you to use us to draw any clue as to what happened to you. Edward, give us a hint,” Colby says next to me as all our fingers touch the planchette, and it begins moving.

Maybe we all need therapy because two drawings later, we think the ghost has drawn a gun and a man’s face with blood pouring from it.

“Oh my god, I’m going to be sick,” Celena says, and Kris freaks out. They explain that they pieced together a story in the closet upstairs.

”The husband knew! He knew that the affair with the doctor and his wife was going on, so he put it on a piece of paper that if he was going to die, it was the doctor’s fault.” Celena says.

”That’s confirmed though,” Colby says.

”What is?” Celena gasps and my stomach twists.

”The doctor is the one who confirmed he was dead.”

”I literally saw that the body was alone and the doctor was checking it and he found the paper and disposed of it so no one knew! He killed himself in the woods with the gun in a way to make it look like a murder, and left the note in his pocket to frame the doctor since he had an affair anyway,” Celena explains.

A rush of flickering light coils through the room, and goosebumps that run bone deep cover my skin. Kris draws in a harsh breath as the candles flicker and Sam jolts in shock.

”It matches up perfectly, the way the gun is pointing to the man and the way the blood is falling,” Sam explains as they point to the drawing.

I’m perfectly quiet, overwhelmed by how much Celena and Kris uncovered.

“That is insane,” Colby says as he turns his head, and I feel his breath on my skin making chills race down my spine. Then I hear the thunderous rolling behind us again; the reason his head turned. But I don’t look at it, because at this point, Colby’s voice on my skin makes it recoil more than the sound of the paranormal. When I don't look behind just as the rest of us do, Colby looks down at me and I look back at him.

I need to keep myself in check and hold my breath when he looks at me so intently within the candle light. His eyes look much darker with the orange light despite the fact they are the purest blue I’ve seen.

The others turn, and it takes physical labor for me to look back at the planchette in front of us. 

It takes another beat for Colby to finally pull his eyes from me.

His knee doesn’t leave mine for the rest of the seance.

The next investigation we start is with a deck of cards. 

Sam sits at the head of a table with Kris and Celena on either side of him. Colby and I sit on the other end as Colby films.

“If there is a spirit who wants to talk to us, they can see the cards,” Sam explains as he lays out three lines of six cards in between the girls. “What we’re going to be doing is that you guys will intuitively move your hand over the cards and turn over the one you feel like the ghost wants you to flip. If the card is a heart, the answer is yes. If the card is a spade, it’s a no. If the card is a diamond, it’s maybe, and the club is I don’t know.”

I take a breath because it feels like it’s necessary, and when I see Colby shift, I look at him subtly. He glances at me as well, and something about the glint in his eyes makes me look away and blink quickly.

”Charles and Edward, if you’re talking to us and the one depicting a framed murder, we have some questions we’d like to ask. The first question is, are there spirits that would like to talk to us through this game?” Sam begins the gam.

Celena felt the inclination to turn over a card.

It was a spade.

”Oh…” Colby breathes deeply, and I shift in my seat as if his breath was personally intended for me. 

“It’s highly advised to not continue with the game if they say no…” I roll my eyes with a smirk at Sam’s comment because we all know he won’t stop like the dumbass he is.

The sounds and motions around us intensify until the mirror shakes behind Sam. His eyes go wide and Colby gasps a ‘whoa,’ and I’m more caught off guard by the heat in my clothes.

For the fourth time.

”Did Edward know about an affair between the doctor and Frida?” Sam asks.

Celena draws a spade.

”Oh, who are we talking to that wouldn’t know?” Sam asks softer, more distant as he thinks.

”Rob?” Celena whispers.

”Are we talking to Rob?” Sam asks confidently.

Celena draws a spade.

Colby’s head turns to the side as he shifts in his seat. His eyes are on the cards intently as I see his mind rolling with thoughts about the game. 

I stifle as I feel his arm relax over the armrest of the chair. 

His fingertips graze over my thigh right above my knee.

I become more still than I have all night.

Of course I decided to wear shorts earlier that afternoon.

“Maybe Frida,” Sam says.

”Maybe it is because she didn’t want to talk about it,” Kris suggests.

”Is this a female spirit we’re talking to?” Sam asks louder.

Kris draws a heart.

”Yes,” Sam says with excitement.

”So it could be Frida,” Colby’s voice raises and my thigh subtly jolts up into his fingers as he speaks and moves. He doesn’t recoil his hand.

His fingers move across my skin absentmindedly.

A current of chills make their way through the lines of my skin. I’m even more excited to change my clothes when this night is over.

”Is this Frida Kreischer?” Sam asks.

Celena draws a heart.

”Yes,” Sam exasperates with a sigh.

”Yes, we’re finally talking to her,” Colby sighs excitedly, and my stomach tightens at his breathy tone. I flinch and look at him for half a second because where did that lighter and breathy tone come from? My heart pounds now.

First my skin, then my stomach, and now my heart; Colby is ruining them all tonight.

I really need to get a psychiatric evaluation if he’s affecting me like this more so than literal ghosts in an old mansion.

”She married that doctor six months later…” Colby whispers animatedly, reminding us that she really doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Did Edward Kreischer die by the hand of a family member?” Sam asks.

Kris draws a diamond.

”Oh… maybe, she doesn’t want to say,” Colby says as his head turns thoughtfully. I bite my tongue when his fingers swirl higher up my leg.

”I’m just going to go for it…” Sam sighs quietly. “Edward Kreischer, did you try to frame the doctor for murder?” Sam asks.

Kris draws a spade.

”So then the mystery still stands?” Sam asks lowly.

”Freida Kreischer, you’re not the only spirit talking to us, are you?”

Celena draws a spade.

Colby’s fingers push into the thick of my thigh.

My toes curl.

”Is it true that Freida and the doctor were having an affair?” Sam pushes.

Kris draws a diamond.

”She really really doesn’t want anyone to know,” Celena exasperates under her breath.

”Was Edward Kreischer murdered?” Sam says.

And Celena draws a diamond.

”Oh my—“ Colby laughs breathily, and my own breath hitches as his fingers move again as he readjusts how he sits. They fall in between my legs now under the darkness of the table. “We’re also the first people to document this, so maybe they’re telling us to keep our mouths shut,” he suggests. His voice is normal and low as if nothing is going on.

“Yeah,” Kris agrees, and Sam closes the game.

I suck in an uneven breath as Colby’s fingers tightly graze my core over my hot shorts when he draws his hand away to stand and clean up.

As we move on to our final investigation, we get our things together in the dining room. I shove the extra lights in the backpack and the smaller tripod as well. I turn to grab the other tripod and Colby is there, putting something in his backpack as he looks up at me.

I could have fallen to the floor from the dark look in his eyes.

”Is it still warm to you?” He asks. I know it’s supposed to be polite words in his mouth, but that tone annihilates any kindness whatsoever.

”I’m not sure,” I say back quietly, lowly. Colby stifles, his head turns to the side slightly. His eyes drape over my body.

”Hm…” I swallow tightly as I tear my eyes away from him and I look to the floor and turn to follow our loud friends. He holds my arm and my body is on fire. “And I’m not sure why you’re avoiding the question?”

”I’m not sure why it’s a deal for you,” I say smoothly, looking back at him with dark eyes. He visibly swallows. His eyes still tear me apart, slicing to the bone.

”It would be a deal to you if you had just felt how turned on I was in the middle of a seance of all things.” My vision blows for a moment, and a scoff huffs out of my dry lips.

”What- What are you even saying?” I choke out as I try to pass him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Celena following the other two out the door.

”Maybe I’m saying I just felt how hot you were under those shorts and I’m trying to figure out why.” My hands are trembling more than they have all night. Chills fall across my body, amplifying this heat in my shorts all over again as I feel his breath on me. 

“Colby-“

“If it’s not because of me, you’d be out the door already. You wouldn’t have let me touch you the way I did during the card investigation.” But my heart already throbs desperately as he speaks to me like this. My chin quivers as I try to form words, but he seems to have taken all of them. “What? Have nothing to say for yourself?” My eyes gleam up at him thickly.

”Stop talking,” I choke out and he pauses.

”I’m sorry, I’m not trying—“

”No,” I whisper quickly. “It’s not that.” Colby’s eyes narrow as he tries to figure me out.

”Not like what?” I sigh impatiently and look back up at him.

”We should go—“

”No,” Colby demands. “You-You like when I talk to you like that, don’t you?”

”Colby,” I sigh breathlessly, and my heart stops as he says it. His eyes glaze over.

”Go. Follow them,” he commands me, and I quickly obey. My body trembles as I hurry out of the door and meet the other three towards the cellar where we plan to perform the last investigation. 

The three didn’t question why we dragged a pace behind them.

We split. 

Celena and Kris do the Estes method in a corner of the cellar.

Sam records himself with the rem pod sitting alone in the room right above Celena and Kris to find the consistencies between their experiences. 

And Colby and I do the Estes method between the entrance of the cellar and the first floor of the mansion since the furnace is right next to it, and supposedly the ghost Colby is trying to talk to died in the furnace.

My hands shake as he gives me the blindfold and he notices. I hold my breath as I glance at him one last time before I pull it over my eyes. I hear an uneven breath between Colby’s lips. Then he puts the headphones on me.

His fingertips gently graze my face as he pulls his hands back. My lips part. 

The radio starts.

I don’t hear Colby at all, but the words pour out of the radio. I know this supposed ghost talked a lot, so I should have expected it. It distracts my burning for a while, and I’m nearly over it until I feel the tap on my shoulder. I hesitate and draw in a breath when I feel his fingers graze up to my face again. 

I timidly raise the blindfold off me.

Colby stands in front of me.

I look up at him.

”Did-Did any of that make sense?” I ask timidly.

”Yeah,” he says as if it’s an afterthought. My heart pounds as I feel his fingers on my chin still, and I look over seeing the camera turned off. I look straight back up at him from where I sit.

”You’re very good at this,” he says, and a tsunami of fire extinguishes the remaining sense in my body. On my body. His low voice twists my stomach and I shift in my seat. I gasp as I feel him yank my gaze back up towards him since he never took his fingers off my chin. “You look very obedient… sitting there and saying what the box is telling you to.” His voice is so smooth like velvet my chest heaves.

”Colby,” I sigh his name as I shift in my seat. He crouches down in front of me.

”What? Is it suddenly hot in here again?”

”Don’t-Don’t speak to me like that.” His eyes glint and he smiles evilly.

”So it is my voice then? Is that why you’re blushing and dazed?”

”Colby,” I choke out again, slightly louder. He leans forward to ground me again. To keep me from squirming and retreating out of the chair.

”I never took you as such a dirty girl, getting so turned on just from someone’s voice in the middle of a haunted mansion. What’s wrong with you?” He antagonizes me. His voice is breathy but dark and I’m drowning in it. 

My chest heaves and I can’t even speak.

”Have you even paid attention this entire time? Do you even know what state you’re in? Or are you too busy being a slut and imagining a bunch of nasty things because my voice turns you on?”

”Fuck- Colby—“ I gasp as he cuts me off with his hand on my thigh. My lips part and Colby leans forward. Only centimeters are between our parted lips. His eyes glint down my face and he smiles slightly as he sees the dazed look in my eyes and the desperation on the tip of my tongue.

”Tell me what you’ve been thinking about?” I figure out the game he’s playing. His fingers lightly swirl around the end of my thigh, momentarily dipping in between my thighs before going back to the top.

”No,” I whisper breathlessly.

”No?” He asks, turning his head. The lightness of his voice makes my thighs push together. He looks down to them briefly before smiling. “You want to just listen to me talk to you then?”

”Colby…” I think my breath doused with a whiny tone sounds like a beg to him.

To which I’m grateful for because I don’t think I can form another syllable.

”Fine,” he says, pausing and swallowing tightly. “If you can’t tell me what dirty thoughts you’ve been having about me, I’ll figure it out myself.” I swallow hard when he pauses.

”I didn’t even know if I could have made it to this mansion the first time I saw you in the hotel. For as fantastic as you look in those shorts, I wanted to rip them off you.” I whine timidly as his fingers swirl over my thigh and raise higher up my hot skin. “I imagined taking a break and letting you ride me in the car before going back to this job because I couldn’t focus. Do you even understand how hard it is to focus when you’re around?” I cry out when he squeezes my thigh harshly. His lips get nearer to mine. “Do you know how much of a fucking whore you have to be for me to be so distracted and turned on in the middle of a haunted and insanely active mansion?”

And then I moan when his fingers press into a sensitive part of my thighs. He stifles and adjusts the way he’s crouched in front of me. His hand sits on the arm of the chair in front of me and he leans closer.

”Tell me what you’ve thought about tonight,” he says darkly. 

There was no room for defying him.

”Your voice,” I choke out again.

”What about it?”

”It’s so- It- It turns me on, I’m so wet when you talk to me like that.”

”Yeah?” He says sweetly even though his voice is still dark with a heaviness I had never heard before. 

There was no getting out of this situation alive, I thought.

”I can’t believe how wet you think you are when I wasn’t even trying to turn you on. You want me to talk to you like I’m trying now?”

”Colby,” I whine. I can’t handle it.

”I’ve thought about putting my fingers inside you since you let me touch your thighs like a slut in the other room. I’ve wanted to tear your clothes off and feel how wet you are for myself. And to think it’s all because of my voice…” He scoffs. “You’re such a fucking slut and I think you deserve a lot more than just my fingers.”

“Colby please,” I whine as my hips squirm. I gasp when his hand on the arm of the chair falls to my hip tightly.

”Don’t writhe like a slut, I haven’t given you anything yet,” he fires at me under his breath. “You want me to make you come?”

”Y-Yes, Colby please—“

”If you’re good for me, I’ll make you come all night when you come back to my hotel room.” I grit my teeth as I realize he will make me wait for a few more hours. “Be a good girl and be patient.”

”Colby,” I sigh breathlessly. He looks down in between my thighs again where his hand trails across my skin. I gasp when his fingers trail lighter. 

“Fuck, baby. You’re so hot, it’s making it difficult for me to even be patient.”

”Please,” I choke out.

I gasp when he actually touches me over my jean shorts. My back slightly arches.

”Fuck… I can feel how hot you are through your clothes,” he whispers. I roll my hips forward into his fingers. His breath is shaking as he leans over me, and his free hand goes back to the arm of the chair as he raises up to his feet. “You sound so pretty when you’re frustrated.” I whine when he slides his fingers up and down my core. He knows it’s not enough to pleasure me enough to make me come, but enough for me to squirm and gasp for more.

”If you want, you can grind on my hand and take it for yourself, but I’m not giving you anything until later. You think you can get away with thinking like a slut this entire night? In public too?” I bite back a moan at the tone of his hostile voice. I grind my hips forward into his hand and he drags in a breath. “God, you really are such a pathetic slut for me aren’t you? You can’t even be patient and wait for tonight, you’re just grinding on my hand because you’re so desperate for it you can’t control yourself.”

”Colby,” I sigh his name as my head tosses back. Pleasure wells through me at the sound of those words coming off his voice thickened with arousal. And I thought he could never sound better.

”Yeah,” he teases with a sigh. “Moan my name like the slut you are. I can’t believe it’s so easy to get you out of your mind like this.” My thighs tighten around his hand when I hear him sigh. It was almost a moan. My nails dig into the edge of the chair as my back arches and my hips grind on his hand faster. The pleasure builds and is so unbearable; the dry friction of my jeans jamming into me over my soaked underwear is mind numbing. 

With Colby’s voice in the mix of it, I’m a mess.

”God, you’re ruining me. Can’t wait to tear you apart in my bed. Look at me. Look at me now,” Colby demands, and my glossy eyes stare back at him in a haze. “You’ll look at me when I tell you what I’m going to do to you when we get back to the hotel.” I whine in response as I obey him. “I’m going to taste you and make you come on my face before I fuck you hard from behind. I’m going to stuff your face in the pillows too because I bet you’re so unbearably loud and we don’t want to disturb the entire hotel. You can barely hold in your little gasps now, what makes me think you can handle it when I touch you for myself?”

Tears are in my eyes by the time they snap shut. I bite my lip harshly as my pleasure coils to a point and I come on his hand. He sucks in a breath as my hips tremble and my thighs snap together and pull his hand further in.

”Fuck—“ He chokes out under his breath. He keeps his hand there so I can grind on it, coming down from my high.

My eyes open blearily, but I’m completely unsatisfied. I didn’t come very hard and my arousal ached for more. 

I was more concerned about the fact that the denim was a deeper color now. Colby recoils his hand with a teasing smirk. Then he stands up. 

My heart skips harshly in my chest when I realize how hard he is, and he turns away from me taking a breath himself. My body still trembles as I’m frozen to the chair. My breath heaves as I watch him intently. He turns back around with closed eyes. He pulls his jacket back on, hoping it would cover his arousal.

”Get up,” he demands. I ignore the jello that replaced my knees and I get up and follow him out of the entrance to the cellar.

My night is a blur.

We finish the video with Sam’s organization alone; he does the outro with Kris and Celena as Colby and I clean up and get the things into the car. My arms shake when I’m with him and I don’t dare say a word. I can’t even look him in the eyes.

His eyes are all over my body though. Analyzing. Planning.

My body tenses and nearly keels over when he’s near me. 

There’s an edge to his voice now. Everytime he speaks, my legs get weaker.

In the car when we grab food before going to the hotel, Colby tells Sam to trade rooms with me. I planned to sleep on the couch in Kris and Celena’s room as they took the bed. The girls were quiet if they thought anything of it. I think Kris shot me a look but I couldn’t handle it and didn’t make eye contact with anyone for the rest of the drive. 

I can’t hear anything except Colby’s voice and my erratic breathing by the time we close the hotel door behind us. I turn to him like a deer in the headlights and he drops his bags aimlessly; his eyes firm on me as he walks up to me.

A noise shoves out of me when he grabs my face with both hands and I bend backwards as he leans over and kisses me hard. 

It’s not like fire anymore, no. Explosions happen behind my weary eyes, and I realize he wasn’t joking about earlier. It’s not that I assumed he was joking, it’s that I’ve never felt this side of him.

I’ve never dealt with the pure desperation and intensity that seemed to loom in his veins. 

I moan into his mouth and kiss him back even harder than he first kissed me. He steps back as he moans, and he licks into my mouth. I cry and moan and whine against his mouth when our tongues slide together, and maybe he was right that I’m acting like a slut. I didn’t mean it. 

The world stops spinning when he pushes me back on the bed; my feet still on the floor.

”Such a fucking slut, I can’t believe how much you’ve turned me on,” he breaths shakily over me. My own heart follows my erratic breathing as he harshly peels my jacket away and leaves me in the cropped shirt and short jeans shorts I wore. He kisses, moreso bites, down my stomach and the hem of the denim before he falls to his knees in between my legs. 

“Colby—“

”Lie down,” he spits as I go to sit up. His fingers drive into the thick of my hips. I whine and obey. Like always.

He undoes my shorts before he pulls them down and off my legs. Then he draws a sharp breath between his teeth.

”Fucking hell, look at you. Your pussy is so drenched for me even still,” he mutters, not even peeling my underwear off my slackened puffy arousal. My hips writhe as I feel his breath on my core. His nails drive into my sides. “Be a good girl for me or I won’t let you cum.”

”Okay,” I say highly, and I hold back my whining and writhing of my hips. 

“Fuck,” he sighs as he pulls my underwear down and tosses them to the floor. Then, I hold my breath as he blows lightly on my arousal. The cool air sends moans through me and it takes every cell in my body to not squirm. “The fact that it’s my voice that gets you this wet is what’s blowing my mind.” 

I cry out when his tongue licks me once, twice. 

And my hands are in his hair.

Thank god he doesn’t care because he parts my thighs more and lets them rest on his shoulder as he moans into me and sucks me hard. My hips thrust against his face as he eats me out and he doesn’t stop me at all. It makes his tongue work harder and his mouth close around my hot arousal tightly until I see stars.

”Fuck, Colby oh my god—“ I choke out as my hips squirm under him and he groans harshly, pinning my hips down. 

I can’t even open my eyes as the moans and gasps pour from me; he eats me our just as he promised and it takes all but a couple seconds before the pleasure starts coiling. He pulls away for a moment and looks up at me with a look darkened with lust. It sends me spiraling.

”Fucking hell, you taste so good.” I whine when his fingers tease my entrance. “I could drown in your pussy forever. You would love that wouldn’t you? You’re such a desperate little thing anyway, I’d be surprised if you didn’t.” I can’t answer him because next thing I know he’s eating me out again two fingers deep. 

“Fuck Colby—Yes thank you, thank you,” I moan as he fingers me harder. His free hand comes up to the side of my thigh over his shoulder and squeezes tightly.

I still feel his breath and moans on me and that’s what makes my head spin. 

His fingers curl against that perfect place inside me and his mouth is unlike anything I’ve felt before. It takes two minutes and I’m coming on his face just like he promised.

When I’m still trembling and moaning, he stands. He pulls his jacket off and then his shirt and the room goes black. 

It’s only him in front of me and it’s like every one else had died.

”You realize you’re mine now, yeah?” He asks breathlessly. I nod incredulously, my fingers tightening around the bedding under me.

”Yeah, good.”

Satisfied with that answer, he undoes his jeans but doesn’t deal with taking them them off. 

“God, I know I said I’ll take you from behind, but wait a second,” he sighs and I gasp when his tip glides through my arousal. “Yeah, holy shit I need to fucking watch you take it when I fuck you hard. You think you can still handle it baby?” He teases and I glare up at him even though there’s no chance in hell I want him to actually stop speaking.

”Give it to me,” is all I can get out and so he does.

It’s like I meet god before I take my next breath. 

He fills me up so perfectly I can’t contain myself or fit myself in the obedient box he forced me in earlier. I moan loudly and arch my back. My fingers try to pull him closer and instead, he grabs my hand and holds tight, moaning as he fucks me off the edge of the bed hard. 

“Oh my god, you feel so good—“ he gasps as his eyes roll back. I watch intently as his hair falls in front of his face as he thrusts harder. The angle has me speechless and I can only take what he wants to give me. He finally yanks my legs up, feet from the floor, and pushes my thighs back and my back arches as a loud gasp is fucked right out of me.

”Colby, oh my god—“ I whisper, afraid of what sound would come out of me if my voice was any louder. 

“Holy shit, you talk about my voice all the time but yours is going to make me come so fast.” I moan louder as I hear him speak to me like that and I relax.

I take everything he gives me as his eyes rake over me; taking in my appearance as he knows he sends me to heaven and back.

”Get on your hands and knees,” he finally spits out. I scramble to the head of the bed and I lower to my shoulder, staring back at him over my raised hips. “Goddamn, you’re really a little slut for me aren’t you?” He says with a voice so low I nearly fall over again.

He’s on his knees behind me and he fills me without warning. I gasp and moan loudly. I’m dizzy again when he fucks me, but this time the loud moans are uncontrollable. 

“Holy shit,” he moans and he grabs a fist full of my hair at the roots and yanks me back to him. “You’re so easy, I knew you’d be fucking loud, stupid slut. Now, what you’re going to do is take it like a good girl and let me fuck you and come on my cock listening to my voice, you think you can do that for me?” His voice is so calm and smooth it nearly puts me to sleep.

”Yes, I’ll be so good for you.” He moans and kisses my neck sweetly. Few times in return, his pace slow and pleasuring behind me as he thrusts in and out.

”Good,” he simply says before he shoves my face back into the pillow. At the same time, he fucks into me so hard I moan before I even feel it completely. My body is on fire as he fucks me hard, and this time his own moans fill the room. “Oh my fucking god, your pussy was made for me, baby. You feel so damn good I don’t think I can go without it again.”

I think I moan his name.

”Think about you all the damn time. Especially when I’m alone. Always think about what it would be like to make you fall apart. I didn’t think it would be this easy and entertaining. I’m fucking addicted to you, baby,” he moans as he keeps thrusting hard. I can’t feel anything except the ecstasy he demands me to take. Fire coils in my core and trails down my thighs as they shake with pleasure. It builds and builds but doesn’t end.

”Please,” I moan into the pillow, wanting more than anything to come hard around him. I jut my hand down in between my legs but he sucks in a harsh breath and takes a break from pinning my head into the pillows. He grabs both my wrists and holds them down, pinned to my back with one of his hands. Then with his free hand, he shoves me back into the pillows.

”No way, I said you’re coming on my cock and listening to my voice. You acted like such a whore today, what am I to think other than the fact that you can come listening to it alone?”

I whine as tears fill my eyes.

”Now fucking feel it. Don’t you feel how good it is? You’ve never had anyone fuck you like this before, have you? You were so desperate for it, you knew I’d be able to because you’re so obsessed with my voice. You close baby? Close to showing me how much you need me?”

I whine and moan louder, my hips squirm as I try to tell him that I’m close.

”Holy shit, the way your pussy grabs me— I can feel how close you are, you just got so much tighter. You better fucking come when I tell you to because I won’t last much longer.” 

“So close—“ I moan into the pillow in rhythm with his harsh thrusts deep in me. I tighten around him purposefully and he moans louder. His moans make me shake. I can’t even see; they’re blinding.

”My god… you’re so hot I’m so close actually…” He moans quieter, and the pleasure builds and I can barely hold it anymore.

”Please let me come,” I beg him as I turn out of the pillow to catch my breath.

”You want to come on my cock for me? Just from my voice, yeah?” He asks breathlessly and sweetly. Too sweetly for him to be fucking me like a slut right now.

”Yeah, please,” I ask nicely as my moans fade into desperate whines.

”Fuck— Squeeze me tight then, baby. Show how much you want to come. If you come for me I’ll fill you, okay? I’ll give you all my come.”

”Oh fuck,” I gasp and my thighs are shaking.

”Come for me now, baby. Come now,” he desperately moans, unable to wait any longer.

And thank god the sound of his real moans, louder and deep, push me over the edge.

I come so hard around him, I push my face into the pillows myself to block my moans from waking up unsuspecting people in the hotel. I tighten around him and he gasps as he lets go of my hands. He holds himself up as his orgasm wracks through his body, and I try to keep quiet and let him use me even though I’m coming so hard I can’t even breath.

”Holy shit, holy shit—“ He gasps breathlessly as he stills his hips and gently holds mine. His thumb brushes over my skin lightly as he coaxes me from my violent high. I turn my head to the side, facing him. “Are you alright?” He asks, panting and quiet.

”Yeah,” my voice breaks. He leans over and kisses me face.

”If I knew you felt this way about my voice I would have said something a long time ago.”

”The problem is you did and I’ve been going crazy for you since then. You’re just too stupid to have seen it.” Colby’s breath hitches as I say that and he laughs before he thrusts inside me deep again. I gasp loudly and arch my back.

”Maybe don’t talk to me like that when I’m this deep inside you.”

”You’re an idiot.”

✧˖*°࿐

Sam and Colby Taglist (Comment to be added):

@a-random-google-user

@graceciesiels22

@honestlybabymiracle

@xxsecretscenekidxx

@thedeadlynights

@glittervame

@rockwyu

@worldlxvlys

@benbarnesprettygurl

[starry-eyer]

lysa and lyanna are, in a sense, two sides of the same coin—both victims of their father’s ambitions (and their society) who share some very important parallels: they dared to get pregnant out of wedlock. they dared to want their bastard child. they dared to (try to) pick the man they’d share their lives and bodies with.

they committed the grave and oh so terrible offense of being active agents in their own lives. and for that, they were punished. women are commodities in westeros—their value resting in their marriageability, and their marketability for marriage depends on a few important factors: their virginity, their beauty, their status, and their fertility.

so a highborn woman having a bastard in this world is a massive f u. it disrupts an entire system dependent on women’s submission and forced participation where men benefit from their oppression and the idea that women exist to secure alliances through their bodies. it shakes a patriarchy that relies on control—control of bloodlines, inheritance, and legacy.

the tragedy of lysa and lyanna is that they were always doomed by the narrative—they were part of the generation that couldn’t overcome their rotting and oppressive society. theirs was the generation of the false spring, not the true one—their fates are ones the next generation is meant to overcome.

but what truly interests me is the way lysa and lyanna contrast.

both characters belong to the bael/stark maiden archetype. lyanna and rhaegar fit this mold almost perfectly. but lysa and petyr are a failed, mismatched version. petyr wanted catelyn (who became lady stark), but ended up with her sister instead. lysa wanted petyr, a bael-ISH figure, but he never loved her.

their failed reiteration of the archetypal relationship was solidified by these facts: petyr thought he’d taken catelyn’s maidenhead, not lysa’s. their first time wasn’t even consensual. and their child was killed in the womb. it was no romance—it was never real the way lysa wished for it to be.

and yet, the most significant contrast between lyanna and lysa lies in their relationship with their fathers.

lysa trusted her father. she told him about her pregnancy, hoping it would mean she could marry petyr. i doubt she ever imagined he would harm her, but that’s exactly what hoster tully did—he gave her moon tea to abort the child, to preserve her value, promising her trueborn children. then he married her off to jon arryn—a man even older than hoster himself—who married lysa for duty, for the swords of house tully to win the rebellion for his boys (ned and robert), and because he needed a fertile wife to get children on. lysa had made a grave mistake by trusting her father, her patriarch.

lyanna, on the other hand, clearly understood that her father would never prioritize her happiness over what he could gain by marrying her off. her clear lack of trust in the men of her family is paramount to understanding why she escaped.

but lysa stayed, and went from her father’s hands into jon arryn’s. lysa married for politics and suffered for it, losing child after child. so when jon arryn tried to take her last child from her, she did what was once done to her: she poisoned him. lysa reenacted the violence of her past to protect her son.

lyanna ran, and later died giving birth to her son. it was a gendered death, but it was also her choice. love didn’t save her, but duty wouldn’t have either. and at least she died in the tower of joy, surrounded by winter roses, making ned finally see, forcing him to not ignore her wishes, forcing him to promise her... in the end, she still had to rely on another man—on the new stark patriarch—but this time, she was heard. basically, she got lucky here.

the themes explored through the bael/stark maiden archetypal relationship are about agency, loss, and how the westerosi patriarchy twists the relationship between fathers and daughters—a mesh of love and objectification as this is a system that demeans women to a life of commodity.

lysa and lyanna’s stories are having a conversation about the violence of the patriarchy and the risks it poses to women if they trust or defy it. these two female characters are reminders of what happens to women who dare to want, and their ends are ones the current female protagonists are meant to avoid and overcome—to prevail where lyanna and lysa lost.

if lyanna’s defiant choice to run helped spark robert’s rebellion, then lysa’s trauma fueled actions helped spark the war of the five kings (to be clear: i don’t think either of them actually caused these wars). i’d say the critical focus of the narrative is on the world that made lyanna and lysa’s choices fatal and catastrophic in the first place. and the fates of these two female characters were direct consequences of the commodifying of women.

[shhhsecretsideblog]

I squat between your spread legs as you push. Your huge, bare belly tenses around your womb with every effort you make to birth the head of our baby.

The cool mountain air and smell of spring leaves might have been calming if this was at all intended. We came up here to get labor Kickstarted, not to have the baby for God's sake. I should've turned us around when you started clutching your belly. I should've turned back when I realized there was no way your cargo pants were damp from sweat. But what could I really have done? We've had several false labors so far, you're stubborn as hell, and this labor progressed faster than either of us were told. Not even one damn hour and you're already crowning.

Your back arches suddenly, the head surges forward with a gush of fluid into my waiting hands. Your effort sends the shoulders and the rest of the big body into my hands. In less than a few moments they begin to cry loudly.

I can hardly allow myself to feel elated. We're in the middle of the wilderness with a newborn, you exhausted and no cell service. It takes all of me not to lose it at this moment.

I just need to get down the ranger cabin to get help. Despite your protest, I hand you our baby and lift you to your feet. I support your weight as best I can. You hold our new baby with one hand and rest your other arm around my shoulder. The walk is longer than it was coming up and the afterbirth is taking way too long to come out in comparison to how fast your labor was.

"It hurts..." You mumble and I try to pick up the pace.

We finally make it to the ranger cabin and your loud groans are more than enough to make the ranger investigate.

"My wife just had our baby, the afterbirth is stuck or something please help!" I yell.

The mountain ranger nods and runs to our aid. Your moaning even louder now and your knees begin to give. The mountain ranger rushes to help me usher you and our newborn into the cabin. We lead you to a couch and you immediately plop down with your legs spread.

The ranger aids our baby first, then he examines you. His face goes rigid as he palms the still swollen skin of your belly.

The mountain ranger turns his gaze to us and then looks again at your still large belly. "You sure yall were only having one baby?"

Just when he says it, your water breaks again.

We all look at the puddle on the floor, the breaking of the second waters almost comically timed.

“What… no… that’s not possible… mnghhhhh!” My sentence is cut off as another contraction squeezes my belly and everything inside. There was no way it was twins; they would have seen two babies on the ultrasounds, they would have heard two heartbeats… it just wasn’t possible. And yet, the moment the ranger asked the impossible question I could feel it - movement. There was still movement inside my big belly.

“Oh god, babe… I can feel it. I can feel another baby. And they’re coming down… hoooo”

Your face was white as a sheet as you looked between the newborn in the ranger’s arms and my squirming labouring body on the couch. Despite your obvious shock, you bent down and held my hand and stroked a dampened strand of hair behind my ear. “I guess we’re having twins then. Its okay just breathe through the contractions, just like you did before.” You try to coach me through yet another birth.

The ranger quickly called an ambulance but given our location it wasn’t going to be here for at least 45 minutes. The baby in his arms was crying and wouldn't settle. You tried, swaying the infant in your arms and cooing softly, but to no avail.

“Give her here.” I breathed heavily after an aggressive contraction. You handed me the newborn and put the babe straight on my chest and she latched immediately. She was hungry.

“You’re a natural.” You smiled with affection at your new family.

I started to whimper and groan when the next contraction hit. You offered to take the babe but I didn’t want to let her go, she was happy feeding. The unfortunate side effect of breastfeeding triggered more contractions. The noises I was making quickly turned primal as the head of my daughter's sibling pushed into the birth canal. I needed to move, the sofa was putting too much pressure on my pelvis. I threw my arm out towards you and shuffled painfully on the couch. You seemed to instinctively understand what I needed; to squat. You helped me off of the sofa to drop into a deep squat, my back against the edge of the couch, my knees jack-knifed apart. You squatted in front of me and held me steady, I grabbed onto your shoulder with my free hand, the other supporting the suckling baby.

“Ooooohh it’s coming down…gnnnhhhh!” I grunted suddenly and the baby shifted further. “Mnnnghhhh c-can you see it?” I panted.

“Not quite honey, oh wait! Yes. The top of the head, I can see it. Do you need to push?”

“Mmmm n-not yet…. Trying to wait… let the baby come down b-bit more… oh god it’s so big!” I cried out. “How did I not know there were two in there!?”

“They were obviously very good at hiding.” You tried to joke, not dwelling on the frightening fact we were coming out of these woods with two babies.

“Hoooo okay… okay…. There it is-mnnnghhhhhh!!!!!!” The baby and my body decided it was time and I found myself pushing. Hard.

The ranger came and took the baby from my arms when I started pushing, you stayed poised between my legs for the second time that day ready to deliver a baby.

“I can see hair, they’ve got hair! Keep going darling! Push!!!” You cheered, watching the bulge get bigger as the baby parted my lips.

Bracing my hands on my thighs I grunted and mooed with every push, bringing the surprise baby to a full crown in next to no time. “Get it out, get it out!” I cried, my body already exhausted and sore from the first birth and doing it all over again was too much for me to bear.

“It’s coming, just breathe, and push. Slowly darling, gentle pushes.” You instructed as your hand cupped the full crown.

I struggled to calm my breathing, my body trembling with the efforts of labour.

“Hey.” You said softly, “you’re doing brilliantly. You got this.” And you leaned forward to kiss me. A reassurance washed over me, your comfort and support and love all conveyed within the kiss.

I felt calmer, more in control, when the next contraction struck and I gave it my all on the next push. The head flew out with a gush of fluids and before you could check for a chord the rest of the baby slipped out into your waiting hands.

“A boy! We’ve got a boy!” You exclaimed with a tear in your eye, pulling the baby up and placing him straight on my chest.

“Hey little guy…” I said as I took in the first glance of my newborn son.

The ambulance arrived 20 minutes later, checking all three of us over and delivering the placenta, before taking our new family to the nearest hospital.

[these rp asks are giving me life!!! More like this please!]

[mostbored69]

Through Ashes, New Light (Kinich x Reader)

The war against the abyss seemed to have affected every miniscule part of life and land in Natlan. Huge patches of greenery were burned to a crisp by Pyro vision holders fending off the monsters, houses and infrastructure affected by their flames as well, fighting tooth and nail for the survival of innocent bystanders and other warriors alike. The water of the Toyac Springs, after the initial impact, has yet to return to its normal vibrancy of blue, and the remnants of abyssal corrosion is very much still evident even with the help of the Meztli tribe’s manipulation and constant care of the water. Broken Geo structures littered the paths connecting each tribe. Thrown around in defense, perhaps, or simultaneously shattered with whoever’s spine was thrown against the hard rock. The war continued in the scenery. Every corner, inside and out, reeking of death.

Despite the power of elements obvious in each destruction, you only ever saw green. Dendro, vines, foliage, flashing before your eyes until you had stood in a healthily blooming forest surrounded by the screams forever burned into your memory. Your heart had never beaten anywhere this fast before. Like about to give out, or run away, without the rest of your body able to follow suit. Trapped, by the vines. It was all there had been, until nothing remained but a cold breeze where before your family stood.

You’d heard of Kinich before, very few people hadn’t. The Malipo, the hunter, and even fewer people had ever interacted with him personally - you included. It had come as a shock when the debris slowly settled and the vines retracted their grip, a while longer until you had the courage to open your eyes again, to be met with his heaving and bloodied frame. Sweat fell from his forehead, accumulated seemingly before he’d gotten here in the first place. His presence and state was proof enough of an appalling catastrophe developing throughout the nation in the most brutal manner, so seeing him alone drained you of hope faster than the cries of your tribe. People were still dying, right beyond the horizon. It did not end with your family.

Kinich had slowly turned his head towards you, breathing still heavy while the look in his eyes was utterly indecipherable. You wondered now, as you stared at your reflection in the water, if he had been equally puzzled by your expression: if it was just as empty and dazed, and what exactly either of you had witnessed already in this bloodshed. The void clearly present laid your hearts on your sleeves. It did not have to be said out loud, exhibited in any way for you both to understand the cloud of tragedy hovering over this land.

That day, you hadn’t spoken a word to each other. He had left quickly for everything else demanding his attention, the list must've been infinitely long, so the second you had found yourself alone again, the true realization of danger and loss began to sneak up your spinal cord with no care for the wound on your leg. Limping away still meant getting away, as far as possible from the continuing screams, the blood-soaked grass and the rubble of what was once your home. Had he blinded your sight for this reason? The worst thing was somehow gone: the bodies.

After encountering a group of survivors, your body couldn’t take much more in the false safety. The second your shoulders relaxed as you sat down, with someone tending to your leg and your eyes closing automatically, was enough to pass out despite the still lingering danger. Talking to them again days later when the rain had washed away most remnants of blood, you came to understand how they, too, had no hope of getting away. They had huddled together inside a decrepitated hut until… well, you’re not quite sure. Asking around produced contradicting or outright implausible answers, which naturally wasn’t a surprise considering the chaos all around. You had no reason to dig further. All that mattered was gone, and an explanation couldn’t satiate your doom.

Every tribe had since been working hard to rebuild what was lost, but they considered the people most affected by this war to be better off using the time to heal however much was possible. It’s still unclear whether this was a blessing or a curse, since not being distracted by the truckload of work meant sitting alone with memories and the purple water. It reflected your face like a mirror. Many people sat here day in and day out, and none of them would ever make a single sound. You recognized some faces from time to time: a mother without her child you’d seen crying in town, a man who’d walk home with a handful of wildflowers once a month, sometimes twice, for his wife, now not batting an eye at the succulent next to him. Everyone knew the lineup, though no one had the guts to speak. At least without a tone they’d use for a wounded animal.

Movement caught your eyes from across the water, solely a quick glance, a quick flash of color, made your skin crawl. For a couple seconds, your sight is replaced by a grayed memory of Kinich, who struggled to catch his breath and whose tight fingers around his weapon were stained at the tips. The picture faded in and out of focus until both the memory of him and the physical him turned their heads towards you in that blank expression, saying everything and nothing at the same time. You wondered what Huitztlan’s equivalent of sitting by the water was, whether or not he indulged. Whether no one dared to speak to him, either.

You’re first to look away. Back down at the water, there was no reason to hold eye contact. You had wanted to thank him many times, ask him of any details he remembered and if he was willing to share them, though you realized how much you’d hate to be asked that yourself. It seemed like a slap in the face were you to talk of anything other than the victory, and it’s evident he did his share of hard work for it. Even now at your tribe, not at home to bask in the dark under the sun.

Come to think of it, Kinich was really here despite that expression, similar to the husband and the mother and you. Was he indeed so strong to keep going just like that? You’d not heard much news of who exactly the other tribes have lost, though the total was high enough to doubt someone wasn’t impacted in any way. Especially him who traveled across the nation, a witness to the full extent of destruction during the havoc. He’d seen first-hand all the deaths you were now mourning as a people, and still he found the strength to come back in a feat that was unfathomable to you. Perhaps gratitude was appropriate, and he should at least know that much.

Your head shot up, fully expecting to find him waiting in the distance, but truly you had no idea how long you’d been in your thoughts for. He was gone already, and the sky had darkened with rain clouds. Instinctively, your shoulders slumped back down in disappointment, immediately relenting to the passed opportunity until you had enough of the plethora of horrible feelings that had been eating away at you. That much time couldn’t have passed, if you’re fast enough now. So, getting onto your feet swiftly, the chase after Kinich began.

While your legs carried you over the bridge as fast as possible, past the workers and the clerks who were barely evaded, all you could think about was what to say exactly. Thanking him for saving your life in a way it didn’t stress you both out any further seemed to be an impossible task, from words to pick and tone to choose to where to put your hands, there was no time to read up on etiquette as the clouds grew thicker and the path grew slimmer. Finally, up in the distance, there he was. Steady pace, you’d reach him soon, but the words chosen were not perfect yet.

He turned around once he heard you approach. Out of breath, winded, you clutched at your chest as you caught each other’s eyes, for the first time with emotion. Confusion against determination, it said less of your feelings than the blank stares you were used to, while a stone fell from your heart the second you spoke to him for the very first time. “Thank you, Kinich. Thank you so much.”

The rain began falling, first slowly but soon picking up in intensity. The surviving greenery around the path knew to cherish this blessing as nature stilled within the sound of heavier and heavier rain. The oddest thing, however, was that he, too, stilled. Unbearingly so: your fingers fidgeted nervously when silence is all you’re met with. At least his confusion subsided to be replaced with a calmer expression, but you wondered if it could’ve stemmed from the simple realization it was no monster who had run up on him. There went not wanting to stress him out further. Running at him crazed was possibly worse than a slap in the face.

“I’m sorry,” you said, though the sound did not even reach your own ears due to the rain. He titled his head, unclear whether he hadn’t understood you or why you would apologize, and when he turned from the path to slowly trott over to the mountain side, all left for you to do was follow him bewildered from a distance.

Natlan’s terrain presented many hideouts for the rain - in some cases, for danger - within the rock of its mountains. You’d heard stories of traveling merchants stuck in caves until a storm had passed, some trapped until a group of predators decided on a different hunting ground, or simply to cool down after long stretches. It was enclosed enough to feel safe, but remained a good view of the circumstances outside. The rain at the cave entrance flowed like white curtains in the wind. Like snowed in, a particular sense of privacy built itself up when you watched him sit down on the ground, both drenched by this point, without sparing you another look for reassurance, whether you were supposed to follow him in here in the first place.

There were no suitable words left in your arsenal to even spark small-talk, so for the first couple minutes he was plagued by a looming silhouette, standing somewhat awkwardly in the only source of light. Your plan to do this dignifiedly had failed from the very start, although luckily that fact was not apparent to you. It was the first interaction you’ve had in a while. Doing so to begin with was enough to convince of adequacy.

“The rain’s quite heavy, and shouldn't last too long. It’s safer to wait it out than go back.” While it was pouring buckets outside, the echo of his voice in the cave still made him audible enough for you to look up, sounding like a memory rather than the present. Unsure if it needed an answer, you remained silent for a while. “...You ran here. I don’t think that’s smart.”

The statement confused you more than anything, but it soon cleared up when his eyes wandered to your leg and approximated the area where the wound had been: given how it’s now smooth, he held his tongue. Water was a great, natural healer, and the experts in the tribe made quick work of any such trivial injuries once the chaos died down. It was never a reason to worry, and definitely not the cause for your pale complexion that day.

With a sheepish smile still feeling foreign on your lips, you answered him: “It’s taken care of, no fear. Thanks for your concern, but you saved me from any other wounds.” Regarding you for so long it rather pressured you to sit down as well, he eventually looked off to the side and offered some much needed breathing room. The rain’s white noise filled your ears like a daze, mixed together with the dreamy sound of your voices echoing off the hole in the mountain created a serene canvas. Almost scary, living in a memory.

“What’s your name?”

“Y/n.”

“You lived far from the tribe, there weren’t as many monsters and even less people. It wasn’t a hotspot at all, so there was not much for me to do. Should you regard me as some savior I’d advise you not to. There’s little glory in war-”

“They still died, you know? There was not much for you to do but it was enough to kill them - kill me as well, had you not shown up. Please don’t speak in that manner.”

He turned to look at you slightly surprised. Perhaps the first time someone didn’t watch their tone carefully when speaking to him after the tragedy, they’d usually smother people with either admiration or worry once they noticed that empty look, warriors and victims alike, as if it hadn’t come from the same, underlying causes. Both seemed to be the wrong reaction, however, for both reminded of death.

A considerably long pause began to drag before he finally spoke up. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you’d like to hear from me, so I went with my perspective.” You tried to force another smile while you leaned back against the cold rock, the drenched fabric of your shirt clinging onto the wall. This time, the smile was a bit easier to bear.

“You’re Malipo, I understand. There isn’t any particular thing I want to hear from you, not anymore at least.” The sight of the rain was captivating enough to steal your scattered attention, being given another small, though needed break in conversation. No longer used to holding one for so long, it took more energy than ever just thinking of words that fit whatever you tried to convey despite there not being much left on the tip of your tongue. It felt somewhat desolate again, in this memory.

“You weren’t supposed to go anywhere. The area was clear, there was no one to tell you where to evacuate, and after all, your leg was wounded. I don’t leave the wounded behind just like that, but when I came back, you had already run off - I hoped you had, but there was only blood. Later, at the stadium, there was no sight of you.”

“...I don’t remember much of it, if I may be honest, although it seems I give you quite the scare. Excuse me.” With much less devoid pupils, the difficulty of understanding one another spiked the more, especially when, after careful consideration, you locked eyes. “In fact, I’d like to forget about it for now.”

The quiet persisted long after the rain stopped. You weren’t sure who left first, from the dazy scene back out into the open, but the sun had already begun setting when someone stirred. Relenting, like the quick shower.

From a tranquil sort of view, the seasons seemed to change overnight. Leafs fell in the softest breeze, and the water lulling in the distance drew autumn in a soothing light. The weather had been working for every tribe’s benefit, not too cool and not too hot, since after all the work was done, it offered an opportunity to enjoy the newly rebuilt infrastructure and bask in the water that had returned to normalcy. The world appeared ready to let go, with news spreading that this upcoming spring should blossom beyond any records for a grim reason somebody’s yet to admit, but they tried their hardest to force the earth back in its usual rotation, ecstatic for ordinary days to return. You were uncomfortable, more and more. They looked too ready and too sure.

One good thing about so much rebuilding having been done was the fact these streets and houses were often vastly different from before. Old and jagged wood had been replaced, stained and sun-bleached tapestries made anew - while the patterns and general shapes stayed the same, the tribes must’ve looked the way they did in the time of the first heroes. So untainted, though now it was a simple illusion. However, the new view made you able to return and live, without horrible daydreams, in your old home. The unfamiliar house had never been so quiet.

A saving grace in terms of somehow integrating back into society was bestowed by an older shopkeeper who had lost the only employee under his wing: his own son. As tragedy often did, the tribe fit back together like a mismatched puzzle. You looked at each other and saw the dead, but no matter how bizarre, it was the only thing remaining to keep some going and fighting against the pressure deep in their stomachs, that, indeed after a closer look at their reluctance to smile as brightly as before, was still present. A zeitgeist ingrained in the whole generation.

Working with the shopkeeper had its advantage far beyond a sense of family. The man was older, his body not cut out anymore to be marching off for goods or lifting them in the first place. Though lovable, even communication was past his time, so it left only you for the task. Each assignment felt like a vacation away from personal tragedy, and correspondence with the Scions of the Canopy offered the rare chance of stumbling upon Kinich every once in a while, both at his tribe and at yours. They said he’d been busy these days, whenever you asked for his whereabouts. You smiled and nodded, smiled and nodded, since a truthful reaction was not appropriate considering you could barely call him a friend.

It had been weeks since you saw him last. The nagging feeling you’d get every time a courier came without having required his help, or walking back after delivering some goods and being let down when there was no glimpse of him, accumulated throughout weeks to the point even starting a new day felt too much of a hassle. Something made your heart throb whenever he’d stop by and politely keep a conversation with the old shopkeeper. You’d stand off to the side, exchanging some words of courtesy and maybe, if you were lucky enough, your eyes would meet and you could give him your best attempt at a smile. Each time it became more genuine. You had hoped he noticed the change, like a child showing off their drawing.

The skill to smile slowly regressed as you made your way back to the People of the Springs, carrying the hefty bag filled with Yumkasaur fur and Koholasaur scales (ethically sourced, as the old man would say). Kinich was still nowhere to be found today, and on top of that the delivery was misscheduled. The merchants for this order weren’t even at the Scions of the Canopy to pick up their stuff, which meant you had to carry it all back due to - not pointing fingers - a particular someone’s bad ears and/or memory.

When you at last returned to his storefront, the sweet old man was sitting with an apologetic smile and a cold cup of soda awaiting you personally. No possible way you could be mad, not after what you’ve done for each other, though the exhaustion and persisting annoyance had you drop the backpack and grab the cup, bowing down to him briefly before turning on your heel and heading back from where you came. Tomorrow it would be all forgotten, but today you were off work. He’d go back home soon as well, the sun slowly setting left no other choice but to call it a day.

Home… or house, although further from the tribe, was no struggle to get back to after having done a thorough job warming up your legs already. The view on the way was as scenic as it got for now, birds chirping, water flowing, no stairs to climb even inside. Before it fell into itself your parents’ home had two floors indeed, whilst during the Great Renovation you had practically begged everyone helping to keep it a small bungalow, a bunker against the empty space that would have otherwise haunted you into insanity, which turned out to be the right thing to do when they had refused your help over and over for the sake of ‘healing’. A bedroom, maybe, and a bathroom, and a kitchen, please. They had made those weirdly spacious, feeling pity.

The goats your family kept used to mow the lawn for free, ethically sourced labor, to quote, though not so much on your part. They required a crazy amount of work and care, things you had barely left for yourself by the end of the day, so the hard decision to give them away into better hands had soon fallen with teary eyes and a snotty nose. It was for the better, you still told yourself, for they were loved and brushed and fed after surviving such disaster, and the lawn was overgrown with wildflowers that popped in color year-round in a strange and ironic tradeoff. You’d never seen him as someone who would keep goats, the husband. Sometimes you braided the grass in between the flowers leading up to the door, perhaps it made her happy, leading up to the one step of the entire house, before the entrance. Occupied now, by Kinich.

His attention was fixed on the dewy grass - the braid had loosened over time - as the sun illuminated tiny water drops on each blade. The light hit his face now almost at eye level, and what a sight that was for sure. You had tried your best to extend every conversation with him, whether about the sweet tea the old man made on especially hot days or a group of saurians behaving strangely near the tribe’s borders, while some of these were even held when you could catch him in private, although since the night of the war, there had yet to be a moment you two were truly alone. Until now at sunset, back where it had begun. With no way to have prepared for this and no manual to follow, the only option was to improvise.

You had spotted Kinich somewhat late, and not expecting him whatsoever made your approach no surprise. Fairly sure he heard the ever-so-soft footsteps in the grass, since sticks and dead leafs betrayed any newcomer to even mild attention for the surroundings, similar to how the deer sounded in the morning whenever you left your window open. He didn’t look up, however, not until you stood before him.

Another inanimate expression that could’ve taken you hours to analyze was met by your confused gaze and tilted head, but, like him, no words. There was no real reason to lock the front door - any potential abyss monster in this area would’ve been strong enough to rip it off its hinges, and anyone picking the lock was an idiot for picking the house with the least appeal -, so you trotted inside after a couple moments.

“You can come in, Kinich, it’ll be dark soon. All the bugs crawl towards the light.” With that, you turned on the lamp in the kitchen, already brighter than the remainder of sunlight and backlit his sitting frame through the open door. He did eventually listen and grabbed a seat by the table, awkward in unfamiliar terrain. Some color returned to his face as you put your belongings on the counter and faced him, shoulders forcefully relaxed and trying out another form of a smile. Drained from the whole day made it a challenging task.

“I haven’t been around for a while and there’s still a lot of work to do, but today I finished a mission and had some freetime.” You could only nod to this. Not on close enough terms where you could expect an explanation for his whereabouts or even reveal what kind of frustration it caused, anything else felt wrong. He leaned back into the chair a bit, keeping his eyes on you. Only after making sure he truly was not getting another response did he continue, but the pause alone was enough to make your fingers fidget. “People said you’ve been asking for me. Is something the matter?”

Even trying your best to keep your tone as casual as possible, it appeared to not have been enough to fly under the radar, and looking back it should’ve been obvious by the way you scanned through the crowds before giving up and asking outright, although for some reason you hadn’t considered the possibility of him finding out and acting on it. In truth, there was no real reason for your curiosity. It wasn’t worry per se. He was a grown man with a huge sword and a vision, but it wasn’t for loneliness either. The sight of him here, in and of itself, was easing to the heart no matter how bashful the confrontation, and before you could begin to stammer over an explanation, he slowly rose from his seat. “Y-yes, I did ask, but nothing’s the matter. You didn’t have to come all the way here or wait for me. I’m sorry.”

Walking into the light calmly, it shone on him from above and drew a soft shadow across his features. He gave a gentle smile that took you by surprise, and you wondered if it was as rare of a sight as you thought it to be. Who had been lucky enough to see?

“Why did you ask for me, then? I’m back on my normal schedule and have time to spare, if there’s anything you need me for, please don’t he-”

“No, no, you’ve done enough for me,” you interrupted, waving your hands in front of your chest and shaking your head. It was more than just the truth, Kinich really had done all he could and the longing for a glimpse of him was not something you were entitled to, but here you stood in front of him, about ready to explode. A soft sigh left your parted lips. With confusing feelings, your shoulders slumped. “I… I think I just missed you. There’s not much to my day but you’re always a great addition, I looked forward to whenever we met. If it comes off as strange, please know it’s not my intention.”

Saying these things out loud made your skin crawl, it didn’t matter if they were the truth or not. All those days were still spent on keeping an eye out for him, if not in your tribes then on the paths between them, and the nights continued in the absence and disappointment that made your body roll into itself on the bed, under the covers, so maybe you did miss him. It only made sense. According to the look on his face, he wasn’t yet convinced either.

Your breathing turned shallow when he stepped a little closer, causing dizziness with every second devoid of a reaction to the point your cheeks slowly reddened and your eye contact began to waver. Even knowing who he was, the presence of a man without anyone else around felt partially imposing and intimidating, more so because you had no real experience. Now struggling to improvise, the ball was in his court.

“You missed me… yes?” He used a tender tone, though it did not help with your burning face and sweaty palms. A hesitant nod was all he got and tilted his head - perhaps he wasn’t all that scary -, causing a strand of hair to fall into his face. Handsome, too, it was a fact you hadn’t really sat down to unpack just yet, but having it now thrown back at you held the potential to make your knees buckle and voice quiver were you to try and speak. Trying to push that thought aside, you had to manually focus on his next words. “So… what can I do? You still called for me, Y/n, is it just to look at me?”

The use of your name, the way he casually let it fall from his lips as if there was never once to wonder whether he’d remembered it in the first place, made your eyes widen ever so slightly and the rest of his sentence fade into oblivion. Unfortunately, that is, since you continued to remain silent and observe him. His skin, that had tanned during whatever mission had kept him occupied and wandering through the land, and the tight muscles under his shirt moving rhythmically with his breathing, the soft strand of hair, the growing smile the longer you thought about this, all in focus.

Meeting his eyes for the first time in a while, they seemed to have undergone drastic change. The rare instances of genuine interest in his demeanor had not prepared you for the warmth that was apparently possible, that drew you in, so without approval from your brain, you took a step forward. Still leaving space that neither were able to close so far.

“There’s nothing I want, just… you.” Attention pulled to his lips when he sighed, you quickly looked away to not give the wrong impression. It wasn't an annoyance in his tone, something else entirely that you could not confidently place, and if you weren’t a deer in the headlights right now you would’ve appreciated the soft care he put into each of his actions. Genuine: you wanted to be the same.

“You didn’t seem to be a clingy girl. It must’ve been frustrating, then, all this time. I apologize.” His words took you aback once more, unsure whether you had to defend yourself or not, but his face revealed not a hint at a joke and begged to wonder what responsibility he thought to have for someone he happened to save one horrible day. You didn’t want him to do more. Not him, not the people of the tribe, not your friends or the old man, they had all done enough. So why was he still looking at you like that? A different kind of pity, without reminding of what you lost.

In the end, it was you who closed the gap. Slowly, at first, but you couldn’t take it anymore. Throwing your arms around his neck, he wrapped his hands around your waist in a tight and surprising embrace. It happened before you could realize, dragging on silently for longer than you could’ve hoped, and the stress of the past weeks visibly diminished into thin air as you fully relaxed against him. It did something to the both of you. The unexpected proximity gave way to a handful of new sensations - your warm body against his, the smell of your sun-soaked hair, standing on tiptoes to bury your face into the crook of his neck, and in turn you got to feel the gentle stroke of his fingers on your back, drawing circles that crawled up your spine.

It was only a matter of time before you pulled away slightly, just enough to look him in the eyes. The air you breathed began to mix, hot, steamy, you had never been this close. As if scripted, both of your gazes were pulled down to each other’s lips, parted and waiting painfully, though it was another gap someone had to find the courage to close. This time, luckily, it was him pulling you back in, not even with enough time to spare for another thought when he saw the way your chest rose up and down, those soda-tinted lips he could taste on your tongue, the sweat, still glistening on your skin. How could he have the heart to deny such delicacy, knowing his presence casted those shy smiles and red cheeks? Precious, he only wished to have known sooner what exactly you needed.

Full version on AO3 (linked). Thank you very much, have a good day and stay safe!

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: tardigrades

Last week on Wet Beast Wednesday I covered the largest animals to ever exist on our planet. This week I'm going to pull a full 180 and cover the smallest animals yet on this series. Meet the tardigrade, the internet's favorite micro-animal the is said to be basically immortal. How true is that? Let's see.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade. It looks a lot like a potato with eight stubby legs tipped with long claws. At the front is a small, circular mouth. It has no other discernable features. In the background are bits of plant matter that look like seaweed at this scale. End ID)

The tardigrades are 1,300 known species (and probably a lot of unknown ones too) in the phylum Tardigrada. They are also part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa, which are animals that grow by molting their outer cuticles or exoskeletons. In particular, the tardigrades are believed to be a sister group of the arthropods, the group that contains crustaceans, insects, isopods, and a lot of other things. Tardigrades are truly tiny, the largest species reaching a whopping 1.5 millimeters in length, though most species reach no more than 0.5 mm. They have round, segmented bodies with four pairs of legs that end in either claws or suction discs. The body segments consist of a head, three body segments with a pair of legs each, and a caudal segment with the final pair of legs. The first three legs are used for movement while the final pair points backwards and is used for grabbing onto substrate. All of the body segments except for the final one correspond to segments found in the head section of insects. Tardigrades are missing many hox genes, genes that direct the body plan during development. Their ancestors may have had a body plan more similar to insects, but the loss of the hox genes has compressed them into walking heads with a bit of butt. The mouth is tubular and sucks in food. In the mouth are stylets, needle-like structures used to pierce food objects. Once food is drawn into the mouth, a structure called the buccopharyngeal apparatus activates. This is a combination of spines and muscle that acts like an inner jaw that pulls food into the digestive tract. The buccopharyngeal apparatus is distinct enough to be used as a major identifying feature between species. Tardigrades are translucent and many images you've seen of them have false color to show the details or are 3D models based on scanning electron microscope imagery of them. Tardigrades molt their exoskeletons multiple times (up to 12) during their lifecycle. Some species are unable to poop normally and instead all their waste is discarded during the molt. It was formerly believed that tardigrades could exchange genes with each other without mating, a process called horizontal gene transfer that is seen in bacteria, archaea, and other micro-organisms. It has since been discovered that while still capable of horizontal gene transfer, it is quite a bit rarer in tardigrades than we thought.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade standing on a bit of plant matter. This one has a closed mouth with a ring of triangular tooth-like structures. It also has two simple eyes that look like black dots. End ID)

The name "tardigrade" means "slow walker", which is fitting as, despite their eight legs, tardigrades have a slow and awkward gait. This is the result of their legs being unjointed, only able to pivot at their connection to the body. Their gait has been compared to that of bears, hence why they are often called water bears and their discoverer, Johann August Ephraim Goeze, called them "kleiner wasserb��r", meaning "little water bear". Tardigrades are found worldwide and have inhabited virtually every habitat, from the tops of mountains to the deep sea, from hot springs to the antarctic, from freshwater to saltwater. The one thing they have in common is a need to stay wet. Tardigrades can survive out of water as long as they can stay moist and are often found in mosses, hence another common name: moss piglets. The majority either eat plants or bacteria, but some will feed on smaller tardigrades or other micro-animals. Their famous survivability makes it easy for tardigrades or their eggs to be carried to new habitats by larger animals or other phenomena. Tardigrades are one of the first micro-animals to colonize a new habitat and they are a pioneer species, the first species to colonize a new environment and whose presence makes that environment fore suitable for other species to follow. Tardigrades are a major food source to other micro-animals and larger organisms. Most species have distinct males and females, though a few reproduce through parthenogenesis. In most cases, molting female will lay her eggs in her shed cuticle and males will them fertilize them. Other species have a form of internal reproduction. Males and females will court each other before mating and females will usually allow multiple males to fertilize her eggs. Female tardigrades are typically larger and more abundant than males. Eggs can take up to 14 days (species dependent) before hatching. All tardigrades of the same species have the exact same number of cells as each other. They are also born with the same number of cells they will have as an adult. Their growth is driven by enlargement of the existing cells rather than cellular reproduction making new cells. The lifespan ranges between a few months to a few years, depending on species.

(Image: a color photo of a tardigrade. It is a pale, translucent white, making it hard to make out details. Its body is curved, with the front end pointing at the camera. It has two simple eyes. End ID)

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade egg. It is round but covered in small pores and conical structures. End ID)

The most famous feature of tardigrades is their legendary durability. It is commonly said that tardigrades can survive just about anything (except for the things that are actually trying to kill them. They are prey to a lot of species after all). Among the things they can survive is extreme heat, extreme cold, dehydration, extremely high and low pressure, exposure to ionizing radiation (that's the scary kind), low oxygen environments, environmental toxins, heavy impacts, and the vacuum of fucking space. While the can survive in extreme conditions, tardigrades are not considered extremophiles. True extremophiles thrive in extreme environments and are negatively impacted by leaving them. Tardigrades can survive in extreme environments, but are negatively impacted and can't survive as well there as they can in less extreme places. The main trait that has allowed tardigrades to survive all five mass extinctions in history is cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is the rare ability for an animal to enter a state of dormancy where their metabolic processes come to an almost complete stop. While in cryptobiosis, metabolic activity drops to 0.01% normal and water content drops to 1% normal. In this state, the tardigrade is called a tun. Tardigrades usually enter cryptobiosis in response to arid conditions. One experiment showed that a species of tardigrade could last for at least 30 years in this state and return to normal lifestyle functions when exposed to water. Tardigrades will also enter cryptobiosis in response to low oxygen, toxic chemical exposure, increased or decreased temperature, and excessive salt content in the water. Tardigrades also show extreme resistance to both high and low pressure. They can live in 0 atmospheres of pressure and some species can survive up to 6,000 atmospheres, more than double the pressure at the bottom of the Marianas trench. More interesting is their ability to survive dangerous radiation. They can survive 1,000 times the dose of gamma radiation that humans can. Early tests focused on tardigrades in cryptobiosis and concluded that the extremely low water content of a cryptobiotic tardigrade doesn't leave much opportunity for the radiation to react with the animal. However it was later found that active and fully hydrated tardigrades are still considerably resistant to radiation. Studies into this resistance indicate that tardigrades can very efficiently repair damaged DNA and have unique proteins called Dsup that provides additional protection. Dsup introduced to human cells has provided additional protection against x-rays.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tun - a tardigrade in cryptobiosis. It is smaller and very wrinkly, with the legs and mouth retracted into the body. End ID)

Tardigrades were the first animals to be exposed to the vacuum of space. They were exposed for 10 days, some in a state of cryptobiosis at the time of exposure and some still active. It was found that they were able to survive the vacuum when shielded from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, with those already in cryptobiosis doing better. Upon being rehydrated, many were able to resume normal life functions and successfully reproduce, though others died after being rehydrated. Those that were exposed to UV radiation fared much worse, with only a few hydrated individuals surviving. The individuals in cryptobiosis had a lower survival rate when exposed to UV than those not exposed to UV and were less successful at reproducing afterwards. Studies of tardigrade's space survival abilities and resistance to radiation could go a long way in helping human space travel. One of the largest dangers of space travel is that space is full of nasty radiation from the sun that Earth's magnetic field protects us from. Some scientists speculate about the possibility of accidentally seeding other planets or moons with tardigrades or other space-resistant organisms. This is a problem because introducing Earth life to other world has the potential to damage any native ecosystems and if we find life in space in the future we don't want to have to figure out if it's something we accidentally put there. While tardigrades could likely survive on other planets, they would eventually die without a food source. Some sources reported that tardigrades may have colonized the moon after an experiment with them crashed. Unfortunately, the moon is not crawling with tardigrades now. It's way too dry for them to exit cryptobiosis even if they survived the crash, which they probably didn't.

(Image: art of a tardigrade floating in the vacuum of space. End ID. Source: University of California - Santa Barbara)

[rainystarters]

๋࣭ ⭑𓆩✧𓆪🗡ྀ࿔ 〖 stories and songs . . . 〗 a collection of sentence starters inspired by various codex entries from the dragon age rpg series. some prompts usfw. adjust details as necessary.

the wind that stirs their shallow graves carries their song.

heed our words, hear our cry.

oh, fair damsel of the garden!

surely your work is far too vital to be interrupted by one like me.

i was a fool to pluck that flower.

you are not a man known for your honor.

you allowed me to live once, and so now i do the same for you.

i am humbled by your words.

but some things cannot be repent.

there is something in here with us.

death is certain, either way.

you have been my rock and my shield.

strike true, do not waver. and let not your prey suffer.

as the sapling bends, so must you.

you are lost, and soon you will fade.

go forth and claim the empty throne of heaven.

you have brought doom upon the world.

magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.

they shall find no rest in this world or beyond.

there is but one truth.

all things in this world are finite.

each night in dreams you may always remember me.

the light shall lead you safely.

i am but your faithful servant.

if blood must be shed and used, so be it.

step away from this folly, before it consumes us all.

i long to dance with you beneath the moonlight.

do not despair. for it is not you, it is of me.

my most heartfelt apologies for the ripped bodice.

such depravity i have never been forced to suffer!

let them hunt, and dread finding me.

truth will hold you for that is what truth does.

i shouldn't have doubted your resolve.

please accept my humble apologies.

in truth, it is i who has been most vulnerable.

the seals are already weakening.

it must be protected at all costs.

of unknown metal and magic keen, a finer blade there's never been.

any army is only as good as its equipment.

blessed by the vine in spring, i shall not fear the winter's sting.

only fools ignore the history of the ground they walk and the people they meet.

i could use an extra pair of eyes to keep watch at night.

i hope they found peace.

blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter.

in blood, my will is written.

we are forever in your graces.

the oath you have taken is all but broken.

can you be forgiven when the cold grave has come?

once we raised up our chalice in victory.

why change the past when you can own this day?

the wolves are our allies.

always keep an eye out for the noble owl.

nothing burns like the first cup.

gallows master, hold they hand. hold it back awhile.

look away, look into the sun.

you know we all are dying.

alas, i cannot stay.

we'll beat down the bastard, and then we'll get plastered!

what of the old secrets the burn in our hearts?

now we pray for a dawn that will never arrive.

but it is our blood he seeks.

you will realize the smiles are false, and behind them lies revenge.

for all your fancy intrigue, you have spent your life creating nothing of worth.

it moves on without you, uncaring.

who could bear the weight of a people destroyed by his hand?

what was your vision of our purpose?

so buy the lads a round.

i'm ashore for the night and seeking company.

i'd still rather die.

why be what i am when i can be more?

have you threatened to cut out anyone's tongue today?

for have i not grown in skill and measure?

binding a demon of higher power is dangerous...

let it be my choice to have served and died.

i'm not staying to watch you die like a fool.

the undead you have been fighting are people i killed with my own hands.

here is my soul, trapped in a cage of bone.

turn around, face the shadows. don't blink.

just going to lie here for a while.

chopping off their heads should do the trick.

i am empty, filled with nothing.

arrogance becomes our end.

i'm here to die. but i won't go quietly.

i don't want to die like this.

cry for the past; only there does glory dwell.

so the forest grows, a reflection of our might.

mourn the past and all that was left there.

mastery of the self is mastery of the world.

suffering is choice and we can refuse it.

pride disguises itself in its surety.

[aishangotome]

Azel Radwan: Dramatic Ending Ch. 25

Dramatic Ending Ch. 24 Premium Story

Thank you @passthechloroform for providing the video for this chapter!

♡———♡

The moon set, the sun rose, and began to set again.

On the day of the end –– I was walking through the wilderness with the Owner.

We pressed on, using a stole to protect ourselves from the desert path we had become so accustomed to.

Emma: It’s come into view.

At the end of our hurried journey was an oasis bathed in the twilight.

A settlement had been built around a large spring, and people were going about their daily lives.

Perhaps because this place was far from the city, the news of the end hadn’t reached it, and it was peaceful.

Akatsuki: The map says it’s further ahead.

Emma: Um… Is it that building?

We stood before a relatively luxurious building in the settlement.

There were no guards in sight. I inserted the key I had been given earlier into the lock and opened the door ––

Clavis: Haha, that makes it 49 wins and 49 losses, doesn’t it? I never thought you’d be this good at card games.

Luke: I’m getting tired of this.

Clavis: We agreed on the first to 50 wins, didn’t we?

Luke: Never heard of it. Sleeping would be more productive than entertaining you.

Clavis: Don’t say such sad things. Is it okay for your brother to cry?

Luke: You’re annoying…

Luke: Wait, why are you here, Emma?

(Thank goodness… It seems like they’re both safe.)

Luke, who had thrown his cards on the table, rested his head on the back of the chair and looked at me.

Clavis didn’t seem particularly surprised either, greeting me with his usual suspicious smile.

Clavis: An envoy of the Living God?

Emma: Correct. I have a message for you two.

*flashback to last night*

Azel: I’ll give you this.

In an indescribable atmosphere, somewhere between sorrowful and embarrassed, Azel dropped a key into my palm.

Emma: What’s this key for?

Azel: Haven’t you forgotten about the guests from Rhodolite?

Emma: …!

Azel: They’re in a building owned by the Tourism Bureau, some distance from here.

Emma: …Didn’t you say you weren’t aware of the movements of foreign guests?

Azel: I said I wasn’t aware of “everything,” not that I didn’t know where they were.

(He played dumb when I mentioned Silvio.)

-

Azel: Perhaps they were individually asked to do some errands.

Azel: More precisely, not “them,” but maybe just Luke.

Azel: Perhaps their disappearance this time is related to that.

-

Emma: About Obsidian…

Azel: That’s true. If Obsidian interfered with the end, my plan would be ruined.

Azel: Prince Chevalier is sharp. He sent the suspicious guests to a remote location just to be safe.

Azel: However, they haven’t made any particular moves since being confined.

Azel: I thought Luke might do something… Well, if it’s just a false alarm, then that’s fine.

Azel: I have to thank them for also playing the role of dispersing the city’s soldiers.

Emma: …With this key, I can save them, right?

Azel: That’s right. Leave as soon as the sun rises.

Azel: You should be able to reach your destination by nightfall.

Emma: Does that mean…

(Even though the apostle’s problem has been solved, I can’t see it through to the end?)

I clenched the key so tightly that it dug into my skin.

Azel: If you don’t go, I won’t guarantee the safety of the guests.

Emma: …To think you would take them hostage at the very last moment.

Azel: You wouldn’t abandon them, would you, kind Miss Emma?

Emma: At least tell me why.

Emma: Why can’t I stay until the end?

Azel: …

Azel took a breath and averted his gaze.

Azel: The end sounds nice, but what I’m about to do is a grand death.

Azel: Unless you have the noble hobby of wanting to see blood, it’s best to avoid it.

(…!)

Emma: Even though you… hate blood…

Azel: It doesn’t matter once I’m dead.

(…It’s not a beautiful death that might scar you.)

The tears that had finally subsided threatened to spill again, and I furrowed my brow.

Azel: By the way, you don’t have the right to whine.

Azel: I haven’t used your “Special Service Ticket to Grant Any Wish,” have I?

Emma: …Can I cry a little more?

Azel: You never run out of tears, do you?

A hand reached behind my head and pulled me closer, my forehead pressing against Azel's chest.

I felt like I had been given permission to cry as much as I wanted, and my vision blurred even more.

Azel: You should go back with the Rhodolite bunch.

Azel: Akatsuki alone would be enough, but you can never have too many bodyguards.

Emma: …Those two… haven’t fulfilled their purpose yet.

Azel: Then tell them this.

*back to present*

Emma: “The tri-nation alliance begins with the end of Tanzanite.”

Emma: “The country you should be investigating is not this one, but another.” …That’s what he said.

With a tingling sensation in the back of my nose, I closed my eyes and relayed Azel's words exactly.

Clavis: That’s quite a kind warning from Azel.

Luke: That God, he tricked us, but he’s awfully sweet to you.

Clavis: This is love.

Luke: Alright, alright. That’s all you’ve been saying.

Luke: What are we going to do now?

Clavis: If we’re taking God’s message literally, it’s “get out of the country now,” right?

Clavis: We’re at a disadvantage right now. It’s a fact that we’re involved with Obsidian.

Clavis: This is probably where we should back down.

Luke: Well, that’s a reasonable judgment.

Clavis: But Luke, if you haven’t finished your business, you can still stay.

Luke: ………… No.

Luke: I don’t have any business. Let’s get out of here.

(It’s all going according to Azel's plan.)

(…Don’t think about it, Emma. I cried enough yesterday to last a lifetime.)

Emma: We’re going to head to the port and return home. Are you coming too, Prince Clavis and Prince Luke?

Luke: We are.

Luke got up from his chair and suddenly noticed the bag I was carrying.

Luke: Hey, have the contents of your bag changed?

(Ah…)

*flashback*

Luke: I told you I would carry it for you, Emma.

Emma: Thank you. But this is my first trip, so I want to carry the luggage myself.

Emma: Selling books in a foreign land, buying them…

Emma: I’m really looking forward to seeing how much the contents of my bag will change between when I leave and when I return.

*flashback over*

Emma: …Yeah.

(The books in my bag were replaced as I carried out the Owner’s errands.)

(But more than that…)

I unconsciously touched the unicorn earring cuff.

The parting gift that Azel gave me is worth more than what can fit in my bag.

Emma: It’s changed.

(The weight of my bag is completely different now compared to when I came here.)

(That’s how many memories are packed inside.)

Clavis: Haha, it’s not often that you have such a hard-earned experience that you cry your eyes out.

Clavis: I hope it will become a good treasure for you in the future.

(…Clavis and Luke might have an inkling of the reason for my tears.)

Emma: You’re right.

Emma: …I’d like to cherish it.

-

We borrowed camels from the settlement and headed for the port through the desert.

It was the Owner who first noticed the anomaly.

Akatsuki: …The sky.

(The sky?)

When I looked up at the sky, I immediately understood what the Owner meant.

Emma: The moon…

The beautiful full moon that illuminated our journey gradually lost its light and was covered by a red shadow.

The surroundings were engulfed in a faint darkness, and we silently gazed at the sky.

(“When the moon disappears… the people will awaken from their long dream”…)

(Just as prophesied… the moon has disappeared.)

The sound of my heartbeat echoed in my chest, heavy and sharp.

Clavis: Oh, so this is the so-called end.

Luke: That’s pretty convincing.

Akatsuki: …Indeed. God calculated this.

Emma: Calculated?

Akatsuki: For several years now, God has been asking me for various astronomical books from all over the continent.

Akatsuki: His purpose wasn’t the wisdom of divination, but probably the records of the moon.

Akatsuki: Based on past records, he calculated the exact time the moon would become like this.

(Can he really do that…? …Azel is truly extraordinary.)

Clavis: As expected of God. This isn’t something a mere mortal could do.

Clavis: Such a perfect disappearance of the moon is a rare sight.

Clavis: It’s the perfect prop to make people believe in the end.

(Right now, Azel is…)

The red moon looked like blood.

I couldn’t bear it when I imagined Azel, the incarnation of the moon.

A single tear escaped and fell onto the dry sand.

Fortunately, no one noticed my tears in the moonless desert.

(Please…)

(May the people awaken from their eternal dream, just as Azel wished.)

-

––During the long voyage, I had a dream.

Emma: …This place again.

The dreamland I stepped into after a long time was still the same half-baked world, with only a few roses blooming here and there.

I felt like there were more roses than in the scenery in my vague memories, but that was all.

I casually walked to the end of the path and stood before the oak table.

(I don’t remember it well, but… I should have met someone here several times.)

I looked around, but there was no one in sight.

The lonely rose garden swayed in the wind, carrying faint sounds.

(…The incarnation of the moon is also the God of dreams, right?)

(I wonder if I can meet him. Even if it’s only in a dream…)

Even though it would be an illusion that disappears like a bubble when I wake up, I found myself sincerely wishing for it as the days passed.

(I haven’t actually seen Azel's death with my own eyes, so honestly, it still doesn’t feel real.)

(Since I can’t get any information about Tanzanite while I’m at sea…)

(I cling to the hope that maybe he’s still alive.)

(...)

(Is that why I’m seeing strange hallucinations?)

I felt like… I saw familiar hair growing from the rose hedge in the distance.

It was an unnatural sight, as if someone was buried there.

(No way, that can’t be true. No one would dive into a rose hedge.)

(But… this is a dream, isn’t it?)

(Anything can happen in a dream.)

(...............)

Emma: That’s… really absurd, isn’t it!?

When I called out into the distance, the hedge shook noticeably.

I hurried over and peered in, and there was a suspicious man with his back hunched.

Emma: …What are you doing, Prince Azel?

Azel: No…

Azel: …You’ve mistaken me for someone else.

Emma: I’ve been wanting to see you for so long… and you say I’ve mistaken you for someone else?

Azel: You have. I’m not your acquaintance.

Emma: …It’s alright, it’s not embarrassing, so please come out.

Azel: Don’t grin… Please don’t grin. I beg you, my spirit will die.

(It really is Azel.)

(…Since this is the dream world, it’s okay to be a little forward, right?)

I hugged Azel, who finally emerged from the hedge, still covered in leaves.

Emma: Why were you hiding?

Azel, without chasing me away, awkwardly looked to the side.

Azel: What if I was just in the mood to?

Emma: You get into a rose hedge because of your mood?

Azel: …Is there something strange about that?

Emma: Everything is strange.

Azel: …

Azel: It would be awkward to meet so easily after making you cry so much.

(I see… That’s so like Azel.)

Emma: I’m happy.

Azel: Is that so?

Emma: Are you blushing?

Azel: Yes, that’s an insult.

Emma: You’re being childish.

Despite his prickly words, Azel put his arm around my back.

Being embraced like this vividly reminded me of our last parting.

(If dreams are a mirror reflecting my heart, then surely the Azel I’m seeing now is also a convenient illusion.)

(But even so…)

Emma: …Hehe.

Azel: What’s so funny?

Emma: I just thought it was funny how realistic the “it would be awkward to meet” part was, even though this is supposed to be a dream.

Emma: It’s as if the real Prince Azel is here–

Azel: That’s impossible. I’m dead.

My words were denied without a moment’s hesitation.

Emma: Let me dream, even in a dream.

Azel: Haven’t you dreamt enough already?

(…Does this mean that my understanding of you is so deep that I can dream of Azel, who is no different from the real one?)

(I don’t want this dream to end.)

The more I realized it was a dream, the more likely I was to wake up, so I tried to numb my thoughts as much as possible.

The silence, broken only by the rustling of leaves, enveloped us for a while.

Azel: Hey… Can I talk about a hypothetical situation?

Emma: …?

Azel: Suppose I’m still alive and dreaming somewhere.

Azel: Maybe our dreams are mixed together, and that’s why we were able to meet like this.

Azel: Assuming that’s the case, what would you do if you found me next time?

Emma: Of course, I’d demand compensation.

Azel: …Huh?

Emma: It’s a natural claim since you made me cry so much.

Emma: It would make paying off the remaining debt a lot easier.

(Though I have a feeling that if I’m with Azel, I’ll soon be in debt again.)

Azel: What if that debt was gone?

Emma: I’d be happy to have it paid off, but I don’t think that will happen.

Azel: Why?

Emma: Because you’re good at making me go into debt, Prince Azel.

Emma: I feel like I’ll get another invoice.

Azel: …

Azel: Would you dutifully pay off a new debt too?

Emma: Of course.

Azel: Even if it’s a scam?

Emma: …I’d gladly accept it.

Emma: Because…

I lifted my face, which had been pressed against his chest, and peered into Azel's eyes, which had a clear outline despite being in a dream.

Emma: If I were to go into debt again, I think it would be Prince Azel's way of saying “stay with me.”

Azel: ............

Azel: That’s not true.

Emma: Even if it’s not… I still want to be with you from now on.

Emma: There’s no other reason for me to pay off a scam-like debt.

Azel: …

(You’re so easy to understand.)

Azel, his cheeks flushed, lightly pecked my lips as if to distract me.

(…This is a… dream, right?)

(But if he’s really… really alive ––)

Azel: ………… Sigh.

Emma: Why are you sighing?

Azel: It’s nothing. Just…

Azel: Don’t forget the offerings.

-

After returning to Rhodolite, my daily life at the bookstore resumed.

I switched with Rio, who had been looking after the store, and the events in the Land of Illusions became a distant dream.

But –– I occasionally received suspicious letters.

The letters, with no sender’s name, described the current state of Tanzanite and always ended with “don’t misunderstand.”

Written in illegible handwriting except for the first letter of each sentence, these letters prevented the illusions from fading into a dream.

*flashback*

Azel: Tanzanite itself is a dream to you.

Azel: When you wake up, you’ll forget everything and return to your everyday life in Rhodolite.

*flashback over*

(Even though you said that…)

(…Even though you said “goodbye” to me.)

(Your words and actions never match.)

(You’re so stubborn.)

-

––And then, six months later…

Emma: Here we are!

Using every trick in the book, I was once again lured to the desert country, and the first place I headed to was the solitary castle.

When I looked back, Kamal, who had guided me to the gate, was waving.

I waved back and stepped inside the familiar solitary castle.

(In Tanzanite, it seems God really did die.)

(That day of the end… Azel was killed by someone on stage.)

The people still respected God.

However, it seems they had accepted the reality of not being able to rely on divination and had begun to seek knowledge.

The letter mentioned that a new bookstore had opened, along with a map.

It included the usual phrase: “You must be interested. You should visit it sometime.”

(I’ll visit that bookstore later…)

There was no sign of anyone in the entrance.

Even when I stepped into the corridor on the right…

Even when I peeked into the kitchen, the master of the temple maintained his silence.

(To think you’d go out of your way to write so many letters and then decide to be absent.)

It seems the people who accepted God’s death no longer visit this temple.

However, there were clear traces of life in the kitchen.

A mountain of fresh ingredients caught my eye, and I could almost hear a hallucination telling me to “hurry up and cook.”

(…It can’t be helped. I’ll use that tactic.)

-

I knocked and entered Azel's room.

I looked right, I looked left, and after confirming that there was no one around, I put down my bag and took out the offering.

What I had prepared were simple meat skewers made using the castle kitchen.

As I opened the package, a delicious aroma that stimulated the appetite filled the room.

Emma: Well then… Let's eat!

???: No, wait, that’s absurd!

(Ah, he was easier to lure out than I thought.)

Azel, who seemed to have been hiding in the shadows of the room, jumped out and snatched the skewer from my hand.

Even though it was the first time we had seen each other in a while, it didn’t feel like it had been “a while” for some reason.

(Is it because I’ve had dreams about Azel several times…?)

Azel: Is it customary to eat offerings in Rhodolite?

Emma: Of course not, but I was about to tearfully eat it to lure out the Prince Azel who can't be honest.

Azel: Who "can't be honest"? I'm a ghost now, so I can't just appear before you easily.

Emma: So, Mr. Ghost can eat offerings?

Azel: I can. Didn't you know that?

His face looked somewhat awkward, and even though I knew he would sulk, I burst out laughing.

Emma: There are a lot of inconsistencies.

Azel: …Shut up.

Azel held the skewer in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on me.

Despite eagerly requesting the offering, his current interest seemed to lie elsewhere.

Azel: I can't believe you actually came.

Emma: After all that appealing for me to come, I couldn't not come.

Azel: Who made such an appeal?

Emma: Prince Azel did.

Azel: I don't recall doing that.

Emma: I even brought all the letters.

Azel: I don't know what you're talking about.

Emma: …I thought you'd say that, so I won't mention it any further…

Azel: …

Emma: I do think you could have told me from the beginning…

(If I had known that dying was just a “pretense,” I wouldn’t have cried my eyes out.)

Remembering the sorrowful farewell, I couldn’t help but complain.

Azel: Could I really say “actually, I’m not going to die” in that sorrowful atmosphere? Of course not.

Azel: Besides… I didn’t intend to see you either.

Emma: But you called for me?

Azel: I didn’t call for you, it was unavoidable.

Azel: …You said you wanted to be with me, didn’t you?

(I… think I did…)

(…It’s hazy, but I think I had a dream like that.)

Azel: You heard my wish. So, I have to hear your wish too for it to be a fair trade.

Azel: This is my pride as a creditor, and it certainly doesn’t mean I wanted to see you.

Despite saying he “didn’t want to,” Azel moved closer to me, not to the skewer.

(Logically, I think Azel believes that the fewer people who know the truth about God’s death, the better.)

(Especially since I have connections with the princes of Rhodolite, there's also the risk of other countries finding out.)

(But his heart hasn't caught up, so he's always inconsistent.)

When I accepted the kiss, Azel put down the skewer and began to greedily devour me.

Even though his words said the opposite, I could hear his heart saying "I wanted to see you."

Azel: Could you put up some resistance? I won't be able to stop.

Emma: That's… impossible. I don't dislike it…

Azel: ......

I was pushed onto a nearby bed and assaulted with kisses once again.

(…S-So obvious, and yet… so stubborn…)

When I opened my mouth, our intertwined tongues brought with them unfamiliar sensations.

I was engulfed in conflicting emotions: embarrassed yet blissful, my body burning hot yet not wanting it to stop.

Large hands casually unbuttoned my blouse, loosening my clothes.

Emma: Is this okay?

Emma: …I’m expensive, you know?

(If you’re going to do this…)

(…I will never let go. I won’t let you go.)

At my words, spoken with a hint of warning, Azel's eyes widened for a moment, and then he gave a mischievous smile.

Azel: In that case, allow me to tell your fortune once again.

Azel: This time, not with the Standard Plan, but with the Professional Plan.

(That’s…)

(Just how much will the invoice be?)

––The curtain of night fell, and the divine moon ascended into the sky.

..............

(Huh… That’s…)

It seemed I had fallen asleep, and I was wrapped in a blanket as if to protect myself from the cold.

When I sat up, I saw Azel sitting on the edge of the bed.

(He was awake the whole time.)

(…He seems to be lost in thought.)

I wrapped the blanket around myself so it wouldn’t fall off and crept up behind him.

Just as my finger was about to touch his shoulder, his mystical eyes caught me.

Azel: …What is it?

Emma: I was trying to surprise you… That’s a shame.

Azel: ………… Sigh.

(That’s strange…)

Emma: Why are you so sulky?

Azel: I’m not sulky.

Emma: Yes, you are.

Azel: …

I hugged Azel from behind as he turned away sulkily.

(He seems more awkward than in a bad mood…)

The silence stretched on, and I poked his cheek with my finger as if to urge him to speak.

I poked and poked him meaninglessly, partly to get back at him for all the times he had done the same to me, and finally, a deep sigh escaped Azel's lips.

Azel: …I just don’t understand.

Azel: I don’t like you or anything…

(He’s still saying that.)

Emma: If you tell me we’re “not lovers” after this, I’ll cry.

Azel: .......

Emma: Are we not?

Azel: ………… We’re not… Maybe…

(He finally admitted it.)

Even though Azel's “affection” is obvious, it always takes a lot of effort to get him to say it out loud.

Emma: In that case, there’s something I want you to say.

Azel: No.

Emma: I think you already know what I want you to say…

Azel: I don’t.

Emma: .......

I continued to poke and poke his cheek, and Azel's brow furrowed.

Azel: I’ll never say it, not even if my mouth is torn apart.

Azel: That I love you, or anything–

Emma: …Ah!

Azel: Ah, no, that was…

Emma: That was?

Azel: …

Azel: ............

Azel: It’s not true, but it’s not untrue either, damn it.

(Someday, I want Azel to know that love isn’t “violence.”)

(Love may be something that torments people like a curse…)

(But the happiness of this moment is definitely love too.)

.

.

.

Dramatic End Ch. 25 His Side Story

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to leave me a tip here or buy me a coffee through the "Leave a Tip" button on my navigation bar!

[star-girl-05]

Nowhere To Run

Yandere Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

*Warnings: Abusive Relationship, Suicide*

~★~❤︎~✦~

"Now, love, let’s go over the rules."

You were an average college student, surviving on no sleep and instant noodles. Just someone trying to navigate the ups and downs of college.

Now, though, you’re trying to survive him.

He was so charming when you first met him. A pretty face with a BRITISH ACCENT. You fell for his sweet words—like a fool. Those once poetic words, curdled. 

All it took was one fight—where you threatened to leave—and he snapped. You barely grabbed your purse when he flashes across the room with inhuman speed. Then… nothing.

Next thing you know, you’re waking up in a large bed. Under different circumstances you would have appreciated the luxurious bed. The soft blanket soothing you into a false comfort. The whole room was lavished, a deep burgundy fluent throughout the room. As soon as your eyes catch the wooden door in the corner of the room. You're springing from the bed, the urge to escape this horror overwhelming. Yet just as your hand is about to graze the doorknob you're stopped. An invisible border prevents you from reaching it. You try to push past it, your body refuses to obey. You cry helplessly banging your fist against the wood. You glare at the doorknob, hatred burning behind your eyes—when suddenly, it turns. You jump.

"How are you feeling, love?" His accent once made your heart flutter. Now, it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

He moves closer, either ignoring or oblivious to your discomfort. When he reaches out to touch your cheek, you flinch.

He only smiles.

"There’s no need to be afraid… as long as you behave." His voice darkens.

Rage ignites at his words, burning through your veins like wildfire. How dare he? All rational thought crumbles beneath your rage, and before you can stop yourself your hand is in motion—but just like before, he moves unnaturally fast, catching your hand mid-air. His grip bruises your wrist.

You stare at him, countless questions flashing through your mind."How?" you mumble, voice trembling. 

"I’m a hybrid—a vampire and a werewolf." You just stand there, mouth slightly open. He’s serious. To prove it, his eyes flash a golden yellow. Terror claws through you.

Monsters are real—and one has just kidnapped you.

"Now, love, let’s go over the rules."

It’s been three months.

Three months of living with the unsettling knowledge that supernatural beings exist. That one has taken you. It only truly sunk in when he first bit into you, draining you till you became dizzy. 

It became a ritual of sorts, he’d drink from you most nights. Always leaving you weak, you’ve fainted a few times. When you wake, he’s holding you against his chest, hands stroking soothing circles on your back. While he murmurs soft apologies into your hair. 

He does the same when he grabs you too tightly, his fingers digging into your flesh. You swear he forgets you’re human. On one occasion he gripped your wrist with such force he snapped it. The sickly crack still haunts you. His apologies muffled by your gasps and cries. You clutch your injured wrist watching in horror as he rips into his own flesh. The metallic taste of blood fills your mouth as he forcefully pushes his wrist against your mouth. 

That’s when you learned his blood could heal.  

While the pain was gone, the fear was ever present. From that day forth you did your best to follow his rules, in fear of setting him off. Not that it helped. His moods were unpredictable. Sometimes, he was sweet, offering glimpses of the man he pretended to be. Other times—most of the time—he was bitter, angry, possessive.

You’ve grown accustomed to the metallic taste of his blood.

The days blur, you used to keep track. Now it seems pointless.

Everything is pointless.

In the beginning, you thought that if you followed his rules, he’d grow bored of you. That hope vanished when he proposed. You wanted to say no—every part of you screamed to reject him. The look in his eyes told you it wasn’t a choice. So you nodded. Your voice refused to speak the words aloud. That night, you stared at the ring, the weight of your reality suffocating you.

You’re trapped.

He’s never going to let you go.

And no one is coming to save you. You chuckle, bitterly. Even if you did escape, he’d find you.

There is only one way out. You never thought you’d even consider something so drastic. Yet here you are.

Tying the knot.

You can’t bear another day in this hell. 

The moment Klaus sees you hanging there, your body unnaturally still. He doesn’t think, he just moves tearing the fixture from its place as he yanks you down, pulling you into his arms. His breath is uneven, desperate as trembling fingers search for a pulse. Nothing. His chest tightens, a sharp, twisting panic enveloping him.  

Then—one thought pierces through his hysteria.

His blood.

The blood he forced you to drink just yesterday.

He laughs. Still clutching your lifeless body, amusement written all over his face.

Now, you'll truly be with him—for all eternity.

[thebunnybabyblog]

7th year (18yr old) Snape and his girlfirend smut please ❤️

In the soft grass (fluff/smut 18+)

Thank you so much for my first anon ask!! I was so happy to write this one! To me i totally think teen Severus is a shy guy. Fumbling hands but still there to hold yours when needed! I wanted to give him a first time that is filled with sunshine and laughter instead of keeping him in a dark dungeon like I would for adult Severus. He deserves a sweet first time and I hope that’s what I gave him! Anyway smut under the cut! Thank you again!!

Severus and reader are both 18!

Spring was in full swing and the halls that were usually buzzing with chatter and hurried feet rushing to classes now echoed as you made your way through them alone. This break was just like the many others before it, quiet. Holidays were never much to be celebrated since your arrival to Hogwarts those many years ago so you always opted to spend them here just to have some time for yourself. A time to feel as if you had free reign to explore and drift around without the chance of bumping into someone you knew. Though there was one person you never minded bumping into, Severus.

Most people around you had a weird and often false view of him so you were always met with bitterness when he would be brought up in conversation, but you knew it was all a lie. After the incident in fifth year with James Potter you couldn’t hide in the shadows anymore. Being a Hufflepuff made it difficult to be friendly with Slytherins because you felt as if you were worlds apart and honestly you were afraid that all the rumors would be true about him; but, seeing him in the air helpless and exposed something in you snapped. Ever since that day you never left his side.

At first he was not totally welcome to the idea of some random Hufflepuff following him around, part of you thought that he thought this was all some big joke and he'd end up as the punchline in the end. You knew that wasn’t the case and you tried your best to ease any worries and after fifth year ended and sixth started up you were still there waiting for him. He knew he at least had you to look out for in the crowded halls, someone to run to when the world got too dark. Now in your seventh year the love you had for him bubbled up and out your ears.

After fifth year Severus started staying back at Hogwarts over breaks, as his life at home wasn’t much easier back there either. You were honestly happy he started staying even if you knew the reason why wasn’t a pleasant thought. It would make tears peek their heads when it would fill your mind but it made it just that more important to make these breaks special.

Skipping along the halls you made your way to different spots you knew he could be hiding out at. Not that he was hiding from you but he was still a person who valued their alone time, and you respected that, but, you were getting bored. It made it a little fun game of hide and seek he didn’t know he was playing. You started with the usual places like the great hall and the library but you are met with empty rooms. After a while of normal search you started to look in the more hidden places around Hogwarts, your search still comes up empty.

“Ok sev where the hell did you run off too?” you say to yourself trying not to get annoyed but your legs were starting to get tired. You decide to make your way outside and have a look around the grounds and you finally see him laying out near the far side of the lake far from the castle's view . You didn’t notice at first but as you were running up to him you saw the book he had been reading sprawled open in the grass. You slowed yourself as you realized he had dozed off under the warm sun. A smile spread across your face as you looked down to his peaceful face. You slowly crept up beside him and sat down on the soft grass below.

The scowl that always seemed permanently plastered on his face was gone and he looked as if he was finally enjoying some sleep for once. He always complained about his lack of sleep and the nightmares that plagued his mind at night, so even though you were bored you wouldn’t dream of waking him up now. You weren’t bored now anyway as all you needed was to be in his presence. You laid back and looked up to the clouds as you listened to his breathing in your ear.

It was a perfect spring day, one of those days early into spring that's unusually warm and makes you crave summer just around the corner. You watched the clouds shift in and out of different images and watched birds play in the air. You had been laid there lost in thought for around 20 minutes when his breath became flustered beside you. Not wanting to startle him awake you slowly moved your head to look up to him only to be met with the most devious sight. Still fast asleep his chest heaved up and down, the scowl had returned to his face but it was different than normal. His pale cheeks were now flushed pink and his eyes were winced closed tightly. As your eyes moved down his body you couldn’t help but notice him straining tightly in his pants.

Embarrassed, your sight shot back up to the blue skies above you. You felt like your body had turned to stone as you were afraid any movement would wake him. You couldn’t lie seeing him like this was driving you crazy. There was no doubting you were absolutely in love with him but you had never managed to exactly tell him that. It wasn’t like it wasn’t blatantly obvious to everyone else, but Severus wasn’t exactly a master at people as he was about potions and spells.

Your heart beat fast as the thoughts of what he could be dreaming about that put him in such a... state. He was a guy who was hard to read so even after a few years of friendship you still didn’t know a whole bunch about him. You couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness when the thought of Lily being the reason behind it. You hated the way it made you jealous but it did, even though they haven’t spoken since fifth year it still was something you thought about more often than you'd like.

“Y/n...” Severus breathed out.

Your eyes moved without command, straining to look over without moving your body. You froze a moment to see if he was still asleep or he was waking up and had just noticed you. You were only met with more labored breathing and a soft moan that was hummed into the air. He was definitely still asleep and your heart was beating through you chest at the thought you were what he was dreaming about.

Something in you snapped when you heard your name slip through his lips once more. Like your body was possessed you shifted to your side so you could lay facing him as you propped your head up on your hand. Your elbow dug into the cool grass below as you gazed down to his sleeping face.

His sharp features looked as if they were carved out of ivory. Black hair sprawled out around his face like spilled ink. It was hard to believe that people looked at him and were able to think anything other than that he looked like a fallen angel from heaven. He was filled with so much mystery and it always intrigued you and right now your name rolling off his tongue intrigued you the most.

You watched his chest rise and fall as his breathing became more uneven. He stirred in his slumber and his body moved and now was facing you. Your face practically hovered over his and you couldn’t help but blush looking down at him. You would do anything to just lean down and kiss his soft lips that seemed to beg for the warmth of another.

Without thinking you began to lower your face to his and your lips grazed ever so gently across his. Just enough to feel him there but too shy to put your all into it. Even though you were as gentle as possible his brow furrowed and his eyes fluttered half open blinking a few times to regain his sight.

He looked up to your face not quite sure who he was looking at first as the sun was now directly behind your head but as he regained his conscious brain he was quick to see it was you who now towered over him. A blush spread across his cheeks as you smiled down to him.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” You chuckled down to him. “Oh y/n… how long have you been here?” He questioned as he shuffled to try and hide what was screaming for attention between his legs. “Oh a good while actually” you cooed down to him “you seemed like you were having such a great dream I didn’t want to disturb your restful slumber.” You could tell that Severus knew he was caught as you were not one to be able to hide when you knew something you probably shouldn’t.

“So what were ya dreaming about?” You questioned as innocently as you could. “Oh nothing.” He coughed out turning his head to look down at the grass he was now fiddling with between his fingers. “Hmm, it didn't seem like nothing but I guess if you don’t wanna tell me.” You replied, shocked with your boldness. He just seemed so shy and cute all of a sudden not quite knowing how to react to the situation.

You didn’t want to push him if he was uncomfortable so you sat up and supported yourself with both arms as you leaned and looked out to the lake. Severus was shy and normally you would like to poke him for it but you had never seen him aroused before and were afraid of how he’d react if you made a bold assumption.

“It’s so beautiful out here today,” you said to relieve the tension “spring is just filled with so much life. I feel so connected to the world around me. Like even the ground under me is alive and I’m alive with it.” Your fingers rubbed into the grass below as you took a deep breath in and looked up to the sky above.

Unbeknownst to you all Severus could even notice was you. He watched in awe as you glowed in a warm halo of sunshine, hair flowing freely in the light breeze. He always thought to himself how when you entered a room you filled it with the warmth of the summer sun but he was the chill of a winter's night. He imagined how if he touched you he would melt away instantly.

He looked down at your bare arm and his eyes traveled down and rested on your hand petting the grass close to his hand. His fingers inched closer at a snail's pace desperately aching for any form of physical touch. Just when he didn’t think you’d ever make contact, your fingers caressed the top of his longest fingers.

You both jumped a bit from the sudden contact, you turned your head to look down at him and saw his big black eyes looking up at you with so much neediness behind them. His cheeks blushed pink as he slightly invaded his fingers more into yours. Your fingers moved aside to allow his to mingle with yours and soon you were both intertwined.

Now that you were connected you felt more comfortable to ask the question that was already answered again. “Sev, what were you dreaming about?” You spoke just above a whisper. He looked away in embarrassment and muttered out, “well… you of course.”

“Of course” you screamed in your head. Like it was blatantly obvious and clear, as if he had hinted it many times before. You knew he liked you more than him just tolerating you but you never dreamed he would see you more than just a friend. “Of course?” Is all you could respond.

He just sighed and looked back up to you, a lock of hair falling into his line of view. Without thinking your free hand reached over and gently began to tuck it behind his ear, he pushed his cheek into your touch and fluttered his eyes closed. He savored in your soft touch and warmth. You couldn’t help but leave your hand atop his cheek and look down at this touch starved boy below you.

You’ve waited for a sign for so long that he was ready for you. Ready for you to give him all of your love, a way to sneak to a spot in his heart. You brushed his sharp cheekbone with your thumb slowly and lowered your face to his. You could feel each other's breaths on your skin as you breathed each other in. The smell of deep forests and herbs filled your nose and spring meadows and citrus filled his.

You don’t quite know if it was you that filled the gap between your lips or if it was him but before you knew it your lips were pressed down on his. The kiss was full of shy innocence but also overwhelming need and desire. His face was still cradled in your touch and your fingertips skimmed through his hair lightly as you deepened your kiss.

Without breaking contact you leaned yourself down to where you were now laying flat in the grass and he was positioned above you slightly. He broke the kiss to look at you sprawled out under him. Your cheeks flushed pink and lips plump and wet. You looked up with half open eyes and said,

“You know, I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for ages now.” You chuckled at the shocked expression he wore. His hair had fallen back in his face so again you reached up and pushed it behind his left ear. “I love your hair but I love it more when I can get a clear view of your face. You are so handsome, Severus.” You whispered up to him with a smile.

He moaned into your touch as he heard your words escape your mouth. Without words he moved his way back down to your lips and melted into you. You could tell he was nervous but he was so needy. It felt as if he was trying to remember every single second that passed by, remember just exactly how your lips felt against his. Your right hand wandered through his hair as your left found itself gripping his arm that was holding him up slightly.

Your shyness had officially left the building by this point, you had waited so long for this and you were already past the point of no return so you crept your knee between his legs and pressed into him. He took a sharp breath in as you made contact with the ache behind his trousers. You smiled into his lips as he pushed himself forward into you more.

Slowly you rocked under him allowing a bit of friction to his member. A moan passed his lips and it shocked him. His eyes bolted open only to be met with yours looking back at him with hearts in your eyes. You pulled away from him and said “Sevvie, will you be my boyfriend?” Your question would have even shocked you if you weren’t so drunk with love.

He looked down at you in shock and awe. His face became even more flushed than it already was before. He gulped and you watched his prominent Adam’s apple move along his throat. For a moment you were afraid that his answer was no as he just stayed there looking down at you. You began to get flushed by the silence and blushed hard.

You opened your mouth to backtrack and tell him to forget you said anything but his forehead pressed against yours, “Of course you silly girl, I’ve wanted you ever since you came rushing up to me in fifth year.” You giggled at his response as you savored the warmth that filled your heart. His hair brushed against your face and it tickled as it slipped down your cheeks.

You looked lovingly into each other's eyes, the fresh spring breeze causing his hair to flutter in the wind. You looked up to him in awe, someone with such a damaged past but still filled with so much light and softness. Even if you were the only one who could see it, it didn’t matter, you knew it was there and was real, it didn't matter if others couldn’t seem to see it.

Slowly he brought his head down to yours and your lips met once more. You made out in the grass as the world seemed to stop around you both. Full of love and passion you both explored each other's bodies as your lips furiously fought with one another. Your knee still pressed into him; he slightly rocked himself against you.

You could tell he was nervous as he was touching you because everytime he seemed he was going to touch your chest his hand retreated in hesitation. After the fourth time of feeling his fingertips brush against the wire of your bra, you grabbed his hand and steadied him before he could make his retreat.

“It’s ok Severus, I want you to touch me.” You said as you broke away from your kiss. Eyes wide he looked down at your form, your flushed face, eyes full of drunken love, messy hair sprawled out around you like your aura was spilling out of you.

He couldn’t believe this Hufflepuff, that is so full of love and light, could look like this because of him. He couldn’t help but feel like this was a dream he was inevitably going to wake up from. You could tell he was becoming flustered and didn’t know how to process what was happening, so you took the lead.

You let go of his hand and smiled up at him as you slowly began to unbutton your blouse. He watched you as you slowly slipped the buttons from each hole until your top had fully fallen open on both sides, exposing the simple bra underneath. You had never done this before but you knew that you were ready and wanted it more than anything.

His hand trembled in yours as you grasped it again and gently placed it upon your breast. His eyes shot back up to your face and looked as if he needed confirmation once more. You met his worried eyes with a tender expression, “Severus, I promise it’s ok. I want you more than anything.” Your tender words filled his ears and he looked as if he were about to cry.

His lips came crashing back down to yours as his large hand began to knead into you. You couldn’t help but to moan into his mouth as he unknowingly tweaked your nipple between the fabric. His lips moved down to your neck and kissed a path from your ear to collarbone. Your arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, hands resting on his sharp shoulder blades.

You giggled out as his hair tickled against your bare skin. You could feel him smile against you. Oh how you wished he’d smiled more. He lit up more than just a room when he did, he lit up your heart more than anything. You giggled more to keep him smiling against you in his kisses and started to rolled around playfully in the grass.

Eventually in your roll in the grass you ended up on top of him. You were both laughing that you both momentarily forgot about your shirt open in front of him. Preached atop his lap you glowed like a goddess in the sunlight that was now on its course to start setting. The once blue skies now started to shift into soft oranges and pinks as the clouds shifted like cream in a sherbet sky.

You looked down to him with his raven hair a mess with a few blades of bright green grass planted in it from your tumble around. His face flushed with laughter and love he looked up to you with his nighttime eyes. His large crooked nose and plump just kissed lips begged to be kissed again. You just loved looking at him, he was like looking into space itself. So mysterious but breathtaking all at the same time.

It was in this moment you would give all of yourself to him, right here and right now. You had always held out hope he would be your first and right here alone by the lake under dreamsicle sky’s was the perfect time to do it. Without breaking eye contact you slowly slide your shirt down your shoulders and onto the ground below.

He watched in awe desperately trying to remain eye contact as your hands slid behind your back and unclasped your bra. The bra soon found its friend on the ground next to you both. There you were half exposed to your best friend both unable to move. His eyes scanned your body trying to memorize every single curve and detail.

Slowly his hands reached back to you and the tips of his finger grazed your skin. It sent shivers down your spine the way his cool skin touched your heated chest. You found yourself moving against his groin as his hands pressed in deeper. Soon his fingers found your nipples and he hesitantly took them into his grasp. Softly bringing them both between his fingers and rolling.

You moaned above him and your hands found a place on his chest. You quickly found his buttons and began to work your way down his chest. He chuckled at your shaky hands as they maneuvered down him. “You seem more excited than me all of a sudden.” He laughed up to you.

Seeing he was able to regain some of his sarcasm, you replied back “hmm I don’t think that’s possible.” And rolled your hips against his clothed member sharply and he let out a breathy moan as his head faced up to the sky. A devilish smile met your lips and you began to trace the marks on his ivory chest. Every ridge and scar was touched with love as you moved across his chest.

You were filled with so much lust looking at him react to your touch. Every furrow of his brow or twitch of his cock between your legs. You slid back enough to expose the waist of his pants. Fingers grazed his belt and found the metal buckle and undid it from his waist. Slowly bringing your fingertip to the button you suddenly found your steady hands shaking.

Severus noticed your sudden hesitations and placed his hands atop yours and just like you had done for him before said “y/n, it’s ok I want you to touch me.” You looked back up to him to see a soft smile gracing his usually stone face and you felt at ease. You undid his pants and slide both them and his underwear down releasing him from his prison.

He slapped hard against his stomach. You could tell his dream and your romp in the grass had really done a number on him already. His tip was blushed more than his cheeks and it leaked precum. He moaned under his breath as it hit his stomach. Now propped up on his elbows he looked at you as you sat there looking down at him.

You had never seen one like this up close. You had seen them before but only from stupid boys at parties drunk whipping them out at their friends, but never hard begging for attention, your attention. You couldn’t hide your wide eyes and blushed face looking down at him. His hand found your cheek and brought you back to his lips.

His kiss was tender and sweet, losing yourself in the moment your hand found itself gripping the base. He sucked in sharp, afraid you hurt him you pulled away from his lips. “Sev i… I’m sorry, did I do it wrong?!” You asked, before your hand could release him his hand held it in place. “Gods no, please y/n don’t stop please.”

His almost begging tone sent you into overdrive and your hand started moving on its own. You watched his head fall back and his face tighten as your hand moved up and down his length, spreading precum with each pump. His moans were deep in his throat. You had only pumped around 20 times when his hand made its way back to yours.

“I… if you don’t stop now I’ll cum. I want to touch you first before that.” He said shyly. You blushed at his words and stopped your hand. He leaned you back down in the grass and kissed your lips. “Is it ok if I take off your umm panties?” He asked not making eye contact this time. You shook your head nervously but full of excitement.

His fingers walked their way under your skirt and curled around the waist of your panties. He slowly slipped them down your legs and onto the pile of discarded clothes. Your skirt was pushed up around your stomach and he looked down to your fully exposed body. You swore you heard a whimper escape his lips as he soaked you in.

He looked back up to you with wanting eyes and you nodded back at him as permission. His finger found your wet folds and glided between them. You shivered once again to his touch and let out a small whine. This left hand met yours and you interlocked fingers as his right found your clit and made circles into you.

Your moans now had a mind of their own and freely slipped from you. Your sounds were driving him wild as his cock began to twitch on its own. His middle finger stopped its circles and found your entrance. Slowly dipping it past the gate he entered you. Your hips bucked into his hand as he began to move it in and out.

Soon you were a moaning mess under him as he started to pick up pace. Your enthusiastic moans gave him a sudden confidence boost as he began to stop second guessing every action he made. He brought another finger to your entrance and slowly slipped it in with the other. Your eyes winced together at the sudden change but were quickly reverted back to the flushed state you were in before.

“S…Severus, y..your fingers feel so g…good.” You choked out. He moaned to your words of encouragement. His hand became wet from your juices eagerly flowing out of you and into his palm. “P…please put it in me. I…I’m ready I need it.” You begged up to him.

His fingers halted and he looked back up to your face in amazement. “Are you sure y/n? I don’t want you to feel like you have to.” He said half expecting you to tell him “actually you’re right I’d rather die!” But you needed him more than anything else, you were so full of love for him that it was boiling over like an unattended potion. “Please.” Was all you were able to say.

He moved to now be directly in front of you and started to line himself up to you. “Before I umm do it y/n, I just want to tell you that I’ve never done this before so please tell me if I uh do anything wrong.” He said looking down ashamed. “Sevvie” you spoke softly “I haven’t done it either but there is no one on this earth I’d want to do it with more than you. You just wanting to be with me is enough.”

Leaning down to your lips he kissed you deeply in response. While not breaking the kiss he pushed into you slowly. Your tight pussy screamed as it stretched around his thick length despite to adjust to him. He held you tightly trying to comfort you through the pain but also trying not to cum right then and there.

He was all the way in and stopped to give you both a moment to compose yourself. “Gods y/n you’re so tight.” He gritted through his teeth. A whimper escaped you as his words met your ear. Arms holding him tight, you rolled your hips telling him he could move once again. Without hesitation his hips began to work and started to slide in and out of you.

You moaned into his shoulder as he picked up his pace above you. With each thrust he grunted low in his throat. Your pussy clenched hard around him and invited him in as deep as he could go. His fingers made their way back down to your clit and started rubbing circles into you. The faster his cock moved inside you the faster and sloppier his fingers became.

You could tell he was trying to keep it all together but as you looked up to him his once pale face looked as if he had just run 20 miles non stop. He couldn’t hold back his moans and they melted into yours. The once quiet lake was now filled with young love. “Sev please don’t stop.” You begged as you could now feel the heat rising up in your stomach.

This was nothing you had ever felt before. Of course you had done it alone in your bed at night most likely thinking of Severus above you just like this but this was something you never expected. You were fuller than your fingers had ever made you feel before and his big fingers against your clit working circles into you was about to tip you over the edge.

“C…lose sev!” You yelled out has his hips slapped hard against you. His lips found your neck and he sucked into your sensitive skin. You let out a scream as you came undone under him. Your hips push hard into his as you met his thrusts. The way you pulsed around him sent him over the edge and he bit into your neck as he filled you with his warmth.

Slowly his hips came to a halt as he rode out his orgasms inside you. You both lay there taking in the bliss of the moment. You looked up to the sky as your hands worked their way into his hair. Slowly petting and twisting his strands around your finger.

You couldn't believe that it had finally happened, better than you could have ever even hoped for. Tears couldn’t help but leave your eyes, when he pulled away from your embrace he noticed those tears. “Oh gods did I go too hard?! Are you ok? I’m so sorry! I… I didn’t mean too!” He sputtered out fast.

Laughter escaped your lips as you watched the frantic Severus above you. “You’re so stupid sometimes” you said to him “I’m not crying because I'm sad I’m crying because I’ve never been this happy!” You hand caressed his cheek, he smiled into your touch. “You silly girl, you scared me for a second.” He laughed in embarrassment.

He slipped out of you slowly and watched as his mess slid out of you. He couldn’t help his cock from twinging at the sight. You just looked so beautiful there all flushed for him and him alone. You both found your clothes and laid looking out to the sunset now casting colors across the lake.

“Do you wanna share a cigarette?” He asked you. You giggled at his plain words as if he wasn’t just deep in your guts only a moment ago. “Yeah I’d love to.” He reached into his pocket and pulled a pack out. Anytime Severus was outside his cigarettes were never far behind. He lit it with his wand and took a drag.

Smoke filled the air above you as he passed it over and into your hand. You brought it to your lips and let it fill your lungs, as you exhaled you asked “so how did that compare to the dream?” He chuckled at your question and said “well it’s nothing compared to that so I’d give it a solid 9/10 since it was still with you.” You both stayed there a while as you watched the world change around you filled with love and belonging.

[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 39

ao3 link| part 1 . . . part 36, part 37, part 38

It’s the last day of school. Their last day of freshman year. It’s chaotic as hell.

The day is only a half day, so it’s basically a nothing day. Not just basically, it is a nothing day. Finals were over, grades will get mailed out in a week. There’s really no reason for kids to show up. Except if you’re looking to get the perfect attendance award. Dustin was striving to actually get it this year, but then spring break happened. Everyone’s attendance being fucked up with promises of a fix, but no real hope that it would actually happen.

But that didn’t matter right now. All that mattered were the seniors sitting out in the field practicing for graduating tonight. Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan all sitting in alphabetical order, listening to the principal drag on about who knows what.

They were graduating, that’s all everyone cared about.

Not the empty chairs left for the people who were lost through the years of this crap. Or the empty chair that shouldn’t be empty, but the person who is still very much alive refuses to sit on it. Refuses to walk at all. After talking about it for years.

They’re forgiving Eddie’s grades and letting him graduate. Now that it came out that he was in fact not a murderer. That he saved some people along the way and was “just hiding thinking he would be the next target”, which wasn’t all that false, they could let him graduate. Give him believable passing grades and let him walk.

Even though they really didn’t want to. But it took Nancy giving them hell and a visit from the police chief for them to actually do it. Then another round of it to make sure he was invited to his own graduation.

Now he won’t even go to it.

Not like Dustin blames him. He still can’t walk without crutches and has just started to be able to stand for more than a minute without any aids. His joints still act up depending on the day, and the scar tissue is still bright red. Not to mention the fear that things will be thrown at him when he crosses. Forever marking him as the villain everyone thinks he is.

He hates that people can think they know all of a person just from headlines. Especially when they have no clue what they’re talking about. Eddie wasn’t a monster or a villain. He was a hero. And no one will ever know that.

The last bell rings, and everyone floods into the hallways. Out the doors and to the busses and parking lots. Home for three months with freedom to do whatever they wanted.

The party gets crammed into the back seat of either Lucas’ mom’s van or Nancy’s back seat. All heading over to Steve’s house to celebrate the end of school.

It’s been about two weeks since “the big one.” Two weeks since Dustin saw just how bad Steve’s migraines really get. And how out of the loop he’s been. But he’s better, for now. Steve insisted that he was better.

Dustin’s been staying over almost every weekend. To monitor both Steve and Eddie. See for his own eyes that everything was getting better. That he wasn’t dreaming. This was real.

Eddie’s muscles are slowly getting back to where they once were. He’s able to do a lot of things that he wasn’t before. It’s the pain that really keeps him from doing much. Still learning how to manage something that will never go away.

Steve hasn’t had another migraine. At least one large enough to make it noticeable. He hasn’t missed a shift, has been picking Dustin up from school without a problem. Has been helping Eddie with his physical therapy. Even started going out on his absurdly early morning runs again. Going back to normal.

Their normal, at least.

Nancy pulls up Steve’s driveway and parks. Everyone spilling out and heading through the open door. Right out to the back to the pool. It’s the first time Dustin’s ever seen it filled. He’s really excited.

The rest of them come a few minutes later. Lucas stopping in the kitchen to force Steve to take the money his mom gave for the pizza. Insisting that they help out with the food. It takes a little convincing, but Steve takes the money.

Everyone gets changed, some of them just wore their swimsuits under their clothes to school and heads out to the back. Dustin the last one, stopping when he hears the conversation coming from the living room.

“I can’t believe you filled in the pool again,” Nancy says. Voice filled with minor sadness. “It’s been empty since-.”

“Yeah, I know,” Steve replies, sympathetically. “But, I thought it was time.”

“Not to mention,” Robin teases. “It’s for Eddie.”

“Oh,” Nancy joins in. “For Eddie.”

Steve sighs. “You both need to stop. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Yeah right,” Robin continues. “I see the way you two are acting around each other. Nothing is happening, really?”

“And what’s stopping you?”

“A lot of things, actually.”

Dustin hears footsteps coming. He slides open the door and heads outside. The air already way too warm for it just being June.

What were they talking about? Does he even want to know?

Cause it sounded like Steve might-. But Steve wasn’t gay. As far as Dustin knew, he really shouldn’t assume. But he’s been with so many girls. Had that whole thing with Nancy during spring break.

So he wasn’t gay. Because Dustin knew that those feelings were real. Unless. Could Steve really fake it all that time?

A beach ball makes contact with his face. Literally stopping his thoughts.

“Dude, get in here already,” Lucas yells. Having a smug look on his face. Of course he was the one to throw it, anyone else would have missed.

“Seriously,” Mike adds. “What’s taking you so long?”

Dustin rolls his eyes. “I’m coming, Jesus.”

Almost immediately as he steps into the pool, someone jumps on his back and shoves him under the water. He shoves them off, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “What they fuck?” He pushes Mike back.

Mike is laughing, not regretting anything. Lucas and Will join in. Max making a big show of laughing while sitting on the edge of the pool. Only El is trying to hide it, but even she is giggling into her palm.

Dustin rolls her eyes and swims to the deep end in protest. They all groan and continue to make fun of him. Lucas chasing after him to try and drag him back.

It’s probably the first time in months that Dustin’s smiled this much. His cheeks hurt and his throat is dry from yelling so much. But he doesn’t care. They were back. Different, but back.

He doesn’t know how much later it is, but they get hungry. He volunteers to go inside and see if Steve has ordered the pizza. He only makes it to the hallway before he hears voices again.

“Would you back off,” Eddie snaps. “I don’t need you hovering.”

“Sorry I was trying to help,” Steve replies. Annoyance in his tone.

“Well I don’t need it. I can do it by myself.”

“You are so fucking stubborn.”

There’s a thud. Like someone just slammed something on the counter. “And you’re such a fucking nag.”

“Fine.” There’re footsteps coming toward the door. “Hurt yourself more, just don’t blame me when you do.”

“I won’t,” Eddie yells after him.

Steve comes into the hall, seeing Dustin in the hallway. He takes a deep breath, the anger going into hiding. “Did you need something?”

The words come out stilted. Dustin knows he doesn’t mean them to, but they do.

“We were wondering when the pizza would get here.”

The bell rings. Answering his question for him.

“Tell them to get out of the pool. We have to go in an hour.”

Dustin nods, heading back outside. The conversation he overheard still replaying in his head.

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[shegatsby]

Hello there!

Saw that your requests are open, so I thought I'd leave this here. What about a Hannibal x reader who is a lot like Amy Dunne (Gone girl)? Sorta like friends to enemies to lovers vibes.

Like, she is trying to escape the life she once had under a new identity. She wants a second chance ig. However, upon meeting Hannibal, the nosy bastard just can not stop himself from looking into her and only becomes even more intrigued when he notices her lack of well... authenticity?

She feels threatened by Hannibal just as much as she is attracted to him. Does she flee once more? Do they have a confrontation? Does he try coax or manipulate her back into old habits? Do they form some sort of alliance? Ugh if only I had the creativity and the ability to make choices when it comes to these things! (Totally up to you if you want to add fluff, or smut, or angst, btw)

Anyway, thank you :)

A/N: Hi! Thnak you so much for this request, it was interesting to write. Take care. xxx

Warnings: Smut! Unprotected sex! Minors get the f out or else!

Her mind was a dark place when it comes to men, if she avoided them her entire life none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t have to run to a different state and change her entire identity.. she cursed under her breath when she sat on her new couch in her new home. Now she was in Wolf Trap Virginia, it was moderately cold in winters and it was winter, she moved here in the spring. In the spring it was beautiful, she had always loved flowers and plants, sometimes she wished to be a plant and connect to the soil, it would be a lot easier than this. She bought this house with the money she had from her husband, ex husband who supposedly went ‘’missing’’ one day and left her, she had an excuse to start a new life and that she did. She didn’t want any former friends or family members to contact her thus the change came with its glory. New hair, new style of clothing, new house, new environment.

The house she bought was old and that’s why cheaper than others so she still had some money left, the only problem was that she had to renovate it on her own, sometimes she had cable issues or pipes were making noises etc. However, this time her luck was on her side because she met someone. One night a dog came up to her door, it was a cold night and she let the dog in, it had a name tag but no address so she thought the owner would look for it soon and she was right. The owner of the dog was her neighbor Will Graham, their houses weren’t that close but she had seen him at the supermarket or driving. He offered to help her with fixing the pipes etc. and she offered nice chats and warm meals. Over time they started to share information about each other, of course everything she said was false but Will was honest, he was a university teacher in the department of criminology also he was working for the FBI. She had wondered if Will ever saw her husband’s missing case. Their friendship developed and she started to go to his house, it was Christmas when she met him,

 Doctor Hannibal Lecter.

Will invited her for Christmas dinner and said his other friends and colleagues would be there, mostly FBI, at first she hesitated but wouldn’t be fun for them to be in a room with a killer, little did she know that she wasn’t the only killer in the house.

She wore a nice sweater and black pants, she was simple yet pure looking. She didn’t drive to his house but walked, it wasn’t close but it wasn’t far either. Light snow was falling from the sky, she liked snow and Christmas time, Will’s house was decorated nicely, it looked colorful and warm.

She held her breath and knocked on the door, soon Will answered, holding a mug, he looked cute in his brown sweater and his messy hair, ‘’Glad you could make it.’’ He let her in.

One by one Will introduced her to the others, it wasn’t crowded, before Will could speak the man standing before her extended his hand, ‘’Doctor Hannibal Lecter.’’ She shook his hand, ‘’Y/N,  nice to meet you.’’ She said shortly, feeling uncomfortable under his questioning gaze, Will’s boss Jack joked, ‘’Don’t worry Ms, Doctor Lecter loves to carry his psychiatric work to his social gatherings.’’

‘’A Psychiatrist? I must be careful in this room.’’ She thought to herself.

Rest of the night went smoothly, at the dinner table she had a nice chat with others especially Alana Bloom, she made her feel comfortable, however she kept feeling Dr. Lecter’s maroon gaze and every time she looked at him was watching her, he wasn’t shy of eye contact either. Y/N not saying her last name didn’t go unnoticed by him and he captured her under his observation. She looked extra careful, speaking slowly and choosing her words meticulously. Will and others were smart but they didn’t share his twisted mind and intellect.

After dinner people started to have conversations privately and she got a glass of eggnog and standing by the fire place, Will’s dogs sleeping at corners of the house, ‘’I haven’t got your full name Ms?’’ she heard his deep voice, he had a subtle accent underneath, maybe he was running just like her?

‘’Oh?’’ she asked turning to him, ‘’I apologies, its Y/N Y/L/N.’’ she smiled gently but her eyes were dead, he could see, ‘’It rhymes, your parents must have a good sense of humor.’’ He commented, she could understand that he was intrigued by her, he made a mental note to dig into her social media accounts and thanks to his work with the FBI he had access to search for people’s ID.

‘’May I ask,’’ he began wondering, ‘’what is the true nature of your relationship with Will?’’ because Will never mentioned her till tonight. Her eyes were on the flames, ‘’One night, his dog wandered to my door and he came back to take him, we have been friends since then.’’ She turned to him, there was a warmth to her eyes with the memory, Hannibal was sure now that she wasn’t a sociopath. She could feel things, it could come in handy one day.

‘’Such a sweet story. Will is very fond of his strays.’’ He threw a bait to see if she was going to get angry, because his comment had undertones. ‘’Aren’t we all?’’ she replied quickly. She was smart.

After that night she wished she never saw him again but fate had its own story. The very next day she received a note on her porch, it was printed, ‘’Save me a dance, Fondly.’’ As soon as she read it she dropped the note and called Will. Recently there was a killer on the loose, he was targeting young women who live alone. At first the women find the note and then they are kidnapped within few days, later they end up dead. It could be a stupid prank but she had to be sure, Will brought his team to investigate, the people you dined with yesterday evening now were in your living room questioning you. How odd.

‘’Can you tell us everything Ms Y/L/N?’’ Jack Crawford asked with his professional voice. She told them everything which wasn’t much, Will was sitting next to her, holding her hand in a friendly manner but it irritated Hannibal for some reason he couldn’t place and it made him more irritated. ‘’She has to leave, immediately.’’ His sudden comment made everyone look at him, ‘’Our killer is moving quickly these days. She should be in a protection program.’’ He was saying this on purpose, because he had a plan. ‘’You know what happened last time.’’ Jack replied calmly and yet she could sense that the last woman was most likely dead now. ‘’Before you can arrange accommodations she could stay with me, no one would suspect a thing.’’ Hannibal’s suggestion made her froze, she turned to Will to say something and Hannibal understood her intention and added quickly, ‘’Will lives too close to Ms Y/L/N, the killer is also a stalker. He knows your friendship with Will.’’ He was making sense which she hated. ‘’Ms Y/L/N, please pack yourself a bag.’’ Jack’s final decision was made and she had no choice. She had to survive.

The journey to Hannibal Lecter’s home was a long one, at first Hannibal explained the case to her and they talked about it for a while and then she fell asleep, in this state Hannibal could examine her face closely, she looked like an angel, so soft and innocent but he knew deep down she had deep secrets and he couldn’t wait to reveal them. He enjoyed this game and he wasn’t going to let go of her anytime soon.

His house made her feel like she shouldn’t touch anything, just sit straight and observe. He had expensive taste when it came to architecture and interior design,  paintings on the dark blue walls, every room had a marble fire place, the carpets felt soft under your feet.

‘’This is your room.’’ He walked her in the guest room, it had a queen sized bed with beige sheets, side tables, a big wardrobe which she didn’t even need because she brought a tiny bag, thankfully the room had bathroom and toilet side, in the bathroom there were various hair masks, face masks, shampoos and scrubs etc. ‘’I called a friend to bring these skincare products, I didn’t know which you usually use so my friend got various types. I hope they will be useful.’’

His gesture made her think about him again, it was nice but was he too enthusiastic?

‘’Thank you Doctor.’’ She replied shortly, ‘’Please, call me Hannibal.’’ He gave her a small smile, ‘’I’ll let you freshen up and dinner will be ready shortly.’’

‘’Its okay you don’t have to-‘’ he cut her short, ‘’Please, you are a guest under my roof, and I love to cook for my guests.’’ And he left without letting her speak, she took a long shower to relax and wore a long t-shirt and leggings, his house warm and she was getting more comfortable. She walked downstairs and Hanniabl’s high senses picked up on her fresh skin, she smelled of vanilla and he liked it very much. ‘’Dinner is ready.’’

He also freshened up, he was in more casual clothes but he still looked sophisticated, ‘’Smells delicious.’’ She commented and watched Hannibal pull up a chair for her, ‘’Tastes delicious too.’’ She could hear him close to her ear as she sat, he smelled manly and dominant. He sat to his place, and they started to eat, dinner was a warm soup ad fish with fresh bread, salad on the side and red wine. The fire place was lit in the dining room they were eating, ‘’Hmm,’’ she hummed when she tasted the fish it was so soft and tasty, ‘’You like it?’’ Hannibal shifted in his seat when he heard her, is dark mind went to imaginary intimate scenes with her… imaginary and yet for a second he craved them to be real. He had to give her credit she was a beautiful woman with a feminine aura, but he could sense that she was hiding things from her past and he had to know.

‘’Yes, Hannibal. Thank you.’’ She smiled kindly to him, ‘’How long do I have to stay here?’’ she asked curiously, ‘’As you know Jack is the head of the FBI, he has to make sure he finds a safe and secluded place for you and then I will help you move there. But these processes take time, a lot of paper work so you will be here for a while. I hope you will like it.’’ He explained, testing the waters.

‘’I like your home, especially the interior design, I love paintings, I often visit museums actually.’’ And the conversation of fine art and literature started. She was a well read woman which he admired and liked very much, they exchanged ideas about famous novels and later he played some music for her, he could play harpsichord and he played Vivaldi’s Winter. She sat near to him by the fire with a glass of red wine in her palm, it was delicious, she liked the atmosphere he provided.

The days have passed and made them grow close to each other, with time she started to cook dinner for him when he came from work, she started to clean the house, organize and help him host when he needed. She wondered why Jack still couldn’t find a safe house for her when in fact he kept sending houses to Hannibal via e-mail and Hannibal found excuses and declined on behalf of her, she had no idea about this. It had been a months since she moved in with him, in the mean time the killer didn’t kill no woman, he was silent and she prayed for him to be like that for a while.

One day Hannibal forgot to bring his laptop with him to his work, he left in a hurry because it was related to another case, he kissed her cheek, said goodbye and left, it became their custom. They were growing close but neither of them took a huge step, after he left she tidied around and was looking for a recipe and noticed that his laptop was open and he forgot so she went on Youtube, soon there was an email notification and she hesitated for a moment and then clicked on it. It was from Jack Crawford, sending him yet another safe house and she could feel her heart drop to her feet, she read all of the emails between them and Hannibal declining all of the houses Jack sent. Suddenly she felt trapped by a man.. again. That was the reason she had to killer ex husband and flee. He was an abusive man with drugs and often abused her and cheated on her, one day she had enough, she didn’t remember how she did it but when it was done her husband was on the floor with 50 stab wounds, she kept him in the freezer for a week, didn’t know what to do with him, she cleaned the entire home, burnt every piece of clothing that had blood and she melted the knife she had used, after contemplating for a week she burnt his finger tips and took off his teeth, just in case if his body parts were found she didn’t want any identification to be found.  Some of his parts were rotting under soil and some were deep in a lake or river, she survived and she was going to survive again.

She closed the email tab, and started to cook, she had a plan but so did Hannibal.

Hannibal had already learnt her past, one night after drinking few glasses of strong wine she told him where she was born and said she was divorced and that’s all he needed to know. Thanks to his connection to the FBI it wasn’t so hard to find her old ID. Yes, she was married once despite her young age, the husband was missing and she left their state and travelled all the way to start a new life. He knew that she was the one who made him go ‘’missing’’ and he found himself getting excited. Usually people get caught in their first kill because it is always a sloppy job but she managed to live and make every detail disappear from the public eye. He was just waiting for the right time to expose that he already knew. Tonight was the night.

He came back from work a bit late but as soon as he opened the door his nostrils picked up the delicious scent coming from the kitchen, since it was two of them most of the time they started to eat in the kitchen by the tall window looking outside and chatting about their day.

He walked to the kitchen and there she was, she was wearing a long black dress, covering her entire body but her curves were crystal clear, she was an astonishing woman and Hannibal was the one who could witness it. He was glad she killed her husband because he wanted her all to himself.

‘’Welcome back love.’’ She said and smiled, ‘’You go ahead and freshen up and then we can eat together.’’ He wasn’t an idiot, he picked up on her coldness, she was colder than usual. ‘’See you in a bit.’’ Hannibal replied and went upstairs, as usual he freshened up, didn’t forget to hide a small knife under his sleeve and came back to the kitchen, she smiled but it didn’t reach to her beautiful ears, he sat carefully on the kitchen stool, she brought the food, ‘’How was your day?’’ she asked casually, Hannibal’s eyes first roamed on her body, the white apron wrapped her body tight and made her body look pleasing, she looked much healthier than before, he did a great job taking care of her and so did she. Hannibal’s friends, especially Will and Jack kept mentioning how much Hannibal changed, there was a color to his face and his manners were warmer than before.

They chatted for a while, and then he watched her place her fork and knife on the empty plate, she drank her wine, ‘’I don’t want to beat around the bush anymore,’’ she began and Hannibal knew something was about to happen, ‘’you left your laptop and I saw the emails Jack kept sending you. You were declining his safe house offers for me.’’ Her bluntness made him more attracted.

‘’Give me a good reason.’’ Her voice was daring, he knew if he cannot give a good reason she is going to do something.

He could feel the cold blade in his sleeve, ‘’I simply do not see those houses fit. My house is the safest for you.’’

She stood up, ‘’You think you can put me in a cage!’’ her voice was threatening, ‘’I was trapped before and I’ll not be trapped again!’’

He knew she was traumatized by her marriage and she didn’t want to relive it, he could see it.

‘’That wasn’t my intention,’’ he stood up as well, there was space between them, she took off her apron and threw it on the floor, ‘’I’m leaving.’’ And as soon as she turned he grabbed her hand and made her clash onto his torso, ‘’You are not going anywhere darling.’’ He was so calm it made her question if he was human or not. ‘’Let go of me Hannibal!’’ she managed to get out of his grasp but this time he held her waist and pulled her again, he hugged her from behind, ‘’You cannot leave!’’ she could feel the blade and with a swift move she got the knife, it was sharp so it cut her finger, immediate blood running down her finger and coating her hand in crimson, ‘’Get back!’’ she tried to stab him but the knife was slippery in her hand, ‘’You cut yourself.’’ His voice was so soft and caring, tears running down her cheeks ‘’Please,’’ she begged, ‘’I can’t do it again..’’ she couldn’t help the tears, she couldn’t relive her past.

Hannibal was quick, he trapped her between his body and the kitchen island, he threw the knife on the floor, ‘’Listen to me Y/N.’’  their bodies were pressed, they were breathing heavily, ‘’I won’t do anything to hurt you,’’ she searched his maroon eyes, under the yellow warm lights she could see his dilated pupils, like a man who was drugged, ‘’I am not the man you think I am, I will never do anything to hurt you.’’ He was holding her firmly on both arms, ‘’I did everything for you!’’

She was trying hard to find a lie, or something suspicious in his eyes, but he was telling the truth.

She found herself hugging him, it had been so long since she hugged someone, maybe… maybe this could be it. He was startled at first but then he hugged her back, as they parted he captured her lips, he had wanted to do that for so long. The kiss was so passionate it knocked the breath out of her, his lips were plump and delicious, he was perfect.

As they were kissing their hands were exploring their bodies, his torso and arms were so firm and manly his hands went to the skirts of her dress, pulling up, she let him. Her hands went to his belt and he helped her, Hannibal had to be honest, he had been imagining this scene for weeks, he wanted to be at the comfort of his bed but both of them couldn’t wait that long for they were desperate.

He was biting her lips, moaning like a mad man, when her hand went to is boxers and she felt how hard he was and she moaned into his mouth which made him get more exited, she pumped him through his boxers, Hannibal wasn’t like this usually but something in her brought his dark animalistic side to the light and he felt like himself, without faking to fit in with the society. She was eager to pull his pants and bowers down and he quickly pulled everything down, she broke the kiss to look at his large cock, it was just as she expected, large and clean, his tip was covered in pre-cum, she looked up to meet his eyes, she could see the hunger and need, Hannibal made her sit on the kitchen island and positioned himself between her legs, he brought her black panties to the side, when he started to tease her with his tip she was a moaning mess, ‘’Hannibal..’’ she moaned in protest, it had been so long since she had slept with anyone.

He looked at her divine face, cheeks flushed, mouth parted, ‘’Do you want me?’’ he asked with a low baritone, ‘’Yes, please.’’ She replied eagerly and he slowly pushed his cock in her soaking core, Hannibal almost came with the contact because she was so tight it was unbelievable.

The blood on her hand dried but left marks on his clothes, neck, cheeks, he deeply buried himself and moaned in satisfaction, she was gripping him tight, he pulled back completely and pushed again and started a rhythm. His balls were slapping her, wet noises filling the kitchen, ‘’Kiss me.’’ She begged and he complied willingly, he was like a wild animal, she could feel his cock tearing her insides, when he grabbed her boob tightly they both felt the wetness growing inside her, even though they were fully clothed they didn’t care. He let his tip hit her insides fiercely and she had to break the kiss to moan loudly, he was hitting the spot which his ex husband could never do, this was something she was experiencing for the first time and her eyes rolled back, her head falling back and Hannibal buried his head to the crook of her neck, he kissed her neck, biting her and leaving bruises. ‘’Hannibal…’’ she moaned his name over and over again.

She was getting tense which Hannibal noticed and he soothed her, ‘’Shhh, let go, don’t be afraid..’’ he knew she was holding back and with his encouraging words she came in gush of water, it was her first time squirting and it was intense, Hannibal caressed her face, her hair and let her live it, experience it for the first time, he pulled out and didn’t mind the mess she made, matter of fact it was hot and he wanted to continue fucking her and leave her seed in her, would she allow it? He wanted to try.

When she relaxed a bit he pushed back in, he wasn’t done with her, and now she was more sensitive, the tiny voices she was making pushed him over the edge and he came inside her really hard, he was a moaning mess and she loved it, she kissed her as he came, when they were done she kissed her gently, he was still buried deep, ‘’It’s okay.’’ She said, noticing the worry in his eyes, he kissed her back, Hannibal knew that after tonight he wasn’t going to let her ago.

She was his.

Thank you for reading. :)

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Nighttime

Crossed out Masterpost

Heavy footsteps slowly made their way up the stairs, the clanking sounds echoing through the silent hall as they drew nearer on the steel grated walkway.

The owner of those boots didn’t care it was nearing midnight, nor did he seem in a hurry. He took slow deliberate steps, knowing he had an audience who were all listening with bated breath. He knew most would still be awake, at least those with a guilty conscience, waiting, waiting for the inevitable, and praying for the footsteps to pass by their cell.

Lucas too lay wide awake, facing the cell door, seeing the drawn out shadow draw nearer through the bars.

He racked his brain, trying to remember if anyone else had drawn Nero’s attention today, had done anything to deserve a nighttime visit. When he couldn’t think of any – the day like all others had passed in a hazy blur – he tried to remember if there was anyone locked away in solitary.

Two out of three options he came up blank and the third option became very real all of a sudden.

Would it be him? Would this be his first visit, finally finding out – unwillingly – what happened behind those closed doors, what caused the begging and the screaming, what was the prime cause for the impeccable record of this prison’s stats for good behaviour?

Something heavy started forming in his stomach, something that spread to all his limbs. He shifted on his bed, the flimsy mattress barely protecting his bruises from the harsh, cold metal underneath, and kept a close watch on the shadow that now drew nearer.

Had he done anything today? Besides being his usual nuisance? He hadn’t talked back (hadn’t had the chance, really), mouthed off, or tried to instigate a fight. All in all, a quiet day. So by that logic, he should be safe. Should. But he knew Nero didn’t need a reason. And that he could hold onto a grudge, coming back with punishment for something that happened days ago. He relished in the false comfort and striking when the victim thought he was safe.

Yet everyone awake was now thinking back on their sins, severely questioning their safety, and praying they would be spared that night.

The shadow was now right outside his cell and he was sure he just made eye contact with the beast. Either time slowed or the man had stopped. But then he blinked and the shadow had passed his door. Clanking footsteps following in its wake.

His shoulders relaxed. And Lucas found himself exhaling his dread.

A couple cells ahead the footsteps stopped. Sounds echoed through the hall, a lock springing open, the creak of the door; the soft prelude. Then soft begging and sobs, whispered pleads. A harsh command. Then quicker footsteps, stumbling along with Nero’s marching, another choked off sob, whispered “please, please, no, I’m sorry, please, I’m so sorry!” as they got closer.

"Quiet."

The begging stopped instantly.

The command wasn’t made out of concern to others, nor to not disturb their night’s peace or to remain undetected. Begging just was useless here.

Lucas saw the two dark figures go past, noticing how Nero used his favourite method of transportation: a vice grip on his victim’s neck and simply pushing them along.

A door slammed shut. Then there was silence.

Lucas pressed his pillow over his head, tried to calm his beating heart, to convince himself the storm had passed and he could go to sleep. Unfortunately, he knew the silence was a short lived one.

That it would soon be filled again. By muffled distant screams.

-

Continued here