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the-blind-geisha · 10 days

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My Love will Burn Brighter than any Star

Desc: Even if the world would shun their love, Pascal and Vivi continue to thrive ever brilliantly in this war torn world they live within. Nothing and nobody will tear them apart.

In a moment of worry that he may have stolen her wishes, Pascal works to rectify that—to remind his beloved how much he loves her.

A/N: This piece was commissioned by the ever talented Dawn! I absolutely adored writing these two!! Thank you so much for trusting me with them! ♥ Vivi belongs to her!

Pairing: Pascal x OC

Rated: SFW

Words: 7,427

The night was beautiful from what any memory or book could show her.

Small, precious specks of what looked like glittering gems in a sky made of beautiful blues, dazzled many pictures either handmade by humans or old photographs taken so far back in time. Stars, they were called, and so many theories regarding their creation, their lifespan, and mythology lined the pages of the book she held.

She knew of them from her time in the Kingdom of Night, but most of those memories she wished more than anything to fizzle into oblivion. All the same, very few books she was allowed in regards to what stars even were, what their purpose was and beyond.

In the past, she never truly took time to admire such a thought. The sun was always there at her back for better or for worse when passing through into the Kingdom of Day. Now, being the guardian of Pascal’s Village, she couldn't help but find herself restless.

It wasn't something that clawed at her like the dread that often found her in the middle of the night when she fled from her own place of creation. More her mind and heart worked in unison to stir up the beautiful future that she now would have.

The familiar grinding of gears called to her attention, as the ever gentle voice of her lover beckoned to her.

“Oh, uh, you’re out here? At this hour?” Pascal couldn't help but be a bit confused, as he carefully approached her. “If you need to nap or anything, I will gladly assist you!” While Vivi would nap at different times of the day, it had gotten to the point where Pascal took note of those times. It was a precious moment he valued above all else.

Mainly, because he wanted to make sure he was never disturbed in helping the one he loved to rest for a moment.

Vivi looked over at the machine who, to her, was more than that—he was her savior, her world, her everything. She stifled a small laugh at his concern, opening her hand for him to take.

Pascal assumed that meant she wanted help standing, and without any hesitation, attempted to do so.

“No, no,” she giggled with a gentle look. “Care to join me? I would love for you to.”

The gears in his legs grinded a bit as he took a seat beside her to the best of his ability. Rarely did Pascal ever need a reason to sit, but he had found living with her he was experiencing the need to do brand new things—things he otherwise wouldn't have cared to do to begin with.

“Normally you’re napping by now.” His hands found hers, pulling them close to his cylindrical body. It had become a bit of a habit of his as of late, as if there was something in him that was urging the sensation onward. “Is something troubling you?” It was there his eyes caught sight of the book she held. “Oh, that one is really interesting! I am certain you’ll like it.”

Vivi couldn't help but smile, appreciating his sweet nature that was as constant as the sun itself. “I just thought I would enjoy the starry skies for a moment—even if it can only be in this book. It seems that there was a time humans would wish upon those little stars in the sky.” Her eyes turned back to the sky above. If there was anything she missed from the Kingdom of Night, it was the glittering jewels all above her. “Maybe I’m being sentimental, but I can’t help but think about all those wishes I gladly gave them, hoping for a life like this before finding a lunar tear.”

“Wishing on the stars?” Pascal paused in thought about what she meant. During a moment of silence, it was there the light, which represented his eyes, upturned to show he was smiling. “Kind of similar to those lullabies I once read to the children, right? I believe a lot of them represent wishing upon a star and hoping your dreams come true.”

She had searched through his library of books at times, and while she knew the gist of each fairy tale that was meant for the children to read, all she could do was nod as only a few came to mind.

“I’ll have to read them someday to the children.” Her feet kicked back and forth as her mind continued to wander. “I am not sure why… nobody really told me about making such wishes on these stars. It was only the lunar tear I knew about when it came to such stories.” She paused, eyes shifting about in thought. “Did you ever just wake up one day and realize there’s a new memory inside of you that almost feels like a dream?”

The question wasn't meant to be seen as literal, but she figured someone like him would catch onto that.

Pascal scratched the side of his face, pondering such a question. “If you mean when I disconnected from the Machine Network…I can’t say I have. Though, reading all the books I’ve been able to find has been very enlightening in a way! I don’t doubt some of those stories have embedded within me somehow.”

There were times Vivi forgot Pascal was a machine. There was so much within him that felt so much more, as though she were talking to a soul that embodied the very being in front of her. Anybody could argue that wasn't the case with facts of the life around them, but she would gladly ignore all of it. Souls must have held some sort of meaning if human beings held them in such high regard.

Maybe he did indeed hold such a precious item within him.

The silence made Pascal tilt his head. “Do the stars give you comfort?”

Offered such a question, she twisted her mouth to the side as if to dismiss the very thought. However, her eyes ventured back up to the sky again, her hand caressing the photos within the pages of the book. “I wouldn't say that.” Giving a playful look at him, she continued, “If there is any being on this earth that gives me that joy and comfort, it is you.”

As if shocked by those words, Pascal shifted back before a soft hum that sounded of excitement rumbled from his metallic body. “That brings me so much jubilation that I don’t think any book could describe on my behalf how I truly feel!” The hands of the machine moved towards her hair. The tips of, what could be described as fingers, brushed against a few loose strands before resting upon her cheek.

Her grasp wrapped about his, holding it close. What any being would see as cold and lifeless held so much warmth and comfort in her mind. “I guess because the lunar tear is so hard to obtain, I can’t help but wonder if the stars can be a better place to send my wishes.” It was there she looked down at the book within her lap. “I just wish even during the day you could see them.”

There were very few things she missed about that horrible place she came from, but the stars were a constant hope shining through the darkness of her life. Vivi couldn't deny she missed them sometimes, even if a new ray of light and hope found her—with first the lunar tear, and then her now husband.

“You can make as many wishes as you want with the lunar tear I gifted you,” Pascal insisted, recalling all too easily the bookmark he gave her. “There’s even the two from our wedding! I am certain that any wish will continue to come true if you keep them close.”

She smiled at the thought. “But I worry of putting too many burdens on that flower. The stars… they’ve burned for centuries, and even if one should die, another is born in its place.” She leaned against him, admiring the view from where the two sat, as she shut the book in her possession with that beloved bookmark being mindful of the page she last left off on. “A flower will wilt and die out, and if one is not careful, the whole lot of them will disappear.”

How Pascal even managed to find the three was a question she had been eager to ask him. But even so, she felt the answer would merely be simple and that only the few remained. That now, such a rare treasure, was in her grasp alone. More than ever, she wanted to take care of those flowers—never burden them.

Holding her close to his body, Pascal could be heard humming in thought. “That is true. But, in the meantime, I can always do my best to make your wishes come true.”

Again, Vivi couldn't help but stifle a playful laugh. “You’ve already done that, and so much more.” Her eyes closed, as exhaustion found its way to her. “My wishes are more coming from that of protection—protecting you, the children, and this village of ours.” She was too tired to really explain herself. She didn't want to trouble him at all with the thoughts she saw as silly.

But more than anything.

She wanted to protect their future together. And, no matter what, she would see to it that happened.

Vivi didn't have to say a word. Pascal knew her well enough by this point to realize she was tired, and the want to nap was upon her. He looked at the book about the galaxies and stars that decorated them, gently pulling it away from her lap to gaze over the pages that she was reading.

“I’ll just continue where you left off, if that’s okay.” The words were said with such gentle joy that Vivi couldn't help but smile as her eyes closed.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “That would be delightful, as I get to hear the most precious thing speaking to me.”

Blushing wasn't a thing for machines. But an easy way for Vivi to tell she had flustered Pascal, it was the sudden acceleration of the gears in his body. Even the mechanical form was good about heating up just a bit over its normal rate to send such a hint to her.

It was these simple acts that brought her joy.

┌── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┐

“Are you certain you will be fine on your own for a bit?” It was a question Vivi always had to ask, as she knew Pascal wasn't one to raise any weapon in a desperate attempt of defense. His words were the most powerful thing on his side. Regardless, she often worried what would happen if she walked away from the village just to run a few errands or even make certain nothing came to harm their home.

But she had to protect them—all of them—no matter what. Pascal saved her, and she loved him more than the sun or the moon. He was her own light.

“We should be just fine,” Pascal insisted with his eyes upturned to show he was attempting to mimic the sight of an Android smiling. “I will miss you dearly while you’re away, but I must stay here and make sure the children remain safe.”

Vivi wished she could do both—run errands for the village and protect them—but it was times like these she had to put trust in her partner. Her fingers gripped upon her spear as she nodded. “I won’t be long. I promise.”

The village children began to chant in excited unison with their arms raised in delight. “Auntie Vivi! Auntie Vivi!”

“We will protect your flowers, Auntie Vivi!”

“We will water them as you taught us!”

The joy those simple words meant to her. Just seeing the children so excited to do anything to help her in return was more than she could express. “I am certain Uncle Pascal will be more than happy to help you all while I am away, children.”

Her voice was warmer than the sun, leaving Pascal stunned for a second before returning to the scene unfolding around him. “Oh, of course! I will watch them closely, and aid them with their chores.” It wasn't the proper words he was looking for, but it was close enough to what he meant to say. “Afterwards, we’ll have today’s lesson.” He turned to the children, opening his arms to try and rouse delight. “How does that sound, children?”

There was another buzz of excitement, allowing the anxieties within Vivi to subside. “I shouldn't be long. I will return shortly.” Just as she was about to turn and head towards the Resistance Camp, she paused and hurried back towards Pascal.

The machine was shocked by the sudden change in direction, only to relax when he felt her arms tightly around him. New emotions blossomed within his mechanical form every day when it came to her. Feelings and actions he only read about were almost surging through his core. It felt as though they were becoming second nature, or something he should have realized was within him this entire time.

How a miracle such as her was able to cultivate this experience like she did her garden was a mystery the universe would never unravel. No book would tell such a truth for him either.

“I love you,” Vivi spoke in a whisper, but even the children could no doubt hear the loving words.

“And I love you, more than the sun itself,” Pascal insisted in return. His eyes closed, as he pressed his face against her lips, imitating that of a kiss.

A small spark ignited between the two as they shared a meaningful kiss. It would be enough to carry her through to the Resistance Camp, no matter how long it might feel being without Pascal at her side.

The children could be heard making a sound akin to giggling, as if they had been silently cheering the two on for quite some time. Even if they were slowly learning the ways of humans and the world around them via Pascal and Vivi’s teachings, there were some emotions that almost felt as though they were there all along.

Reluctantly, Pascal released his wife but not without at least keeping his hand within hers until she was too far away for him to hold onto her anymore. With a wave goodbye, he too did his best to imitate such an act with the limbs he was given before watching as the forest embraced her.

His eyes closed, and what could be seen as a sigh of comfort shook his body. He knew he would see her again.

That was all that mattered to him.

It was a trip she had made often enough. Besides, she was no damsel. If anybody or anything dared to try and end her, she would make sure they found themselves wishing they never raised their weapon first.

The calm and gentle expression hardened, leaving Vivi very focused and keeping herself occupied on all sounds around her. She had to gather a few materials from the Resistance Camp. It was on her husband’s behalf she was willing to do so.

“Any materials would do just fine, but I’m looking for… certain gear parts,” she remembered Pascal explaining.

“Certain gear parts? Whatever are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing! Nothing! I just have something in mind I wish to make!”

The memory still made her smile as she shook her head. “He’s a dreadful liar at times, but even so—I don’t think I’ll be able to understand what it is he’s looking to craft. Perhaps it’s something for the children.”

While she knew she took a big place in his life, it was the children that he adored equally. Perhaps he wanted to surprise her with the idea later.

The moment the camp came into view, Vivi sighed her relief as she greeted each member one by one in passing.

“Daffodil~! What brings you out this way?” one of the androids asked in a rather sing-songy kind of tone.

“Just running some errands,” she answered with a gentle expression. While she only heard that name around a few about the camp, it was still one she would respond to. Even if Vivi held a higher and more joyful meaning in her mind.

As the excitable chatter rang about the Resistance Camp, there came a gentle voice that called to her in a rather excitable yet soft manner. “Vivi, it is good to see you again.”

“Eh?” Pausing in her stride, it was there she saw Lily not far from the shade of the buildings. “Oh, Lily! It is wonderful to see you as well!” Vivi closed the distance between them so as to not let their talks carry too far.

The resistance leader smiled, head tilted to the side as if she were eagerly awaiting some sort of update from her personally. “I’ve not seen you here in awhile now. In fact, I’ve not seen Pascal either!”

The mere mention of her husband’s name made her grip tighten upon her weapon. Not in a fit of fear or anger—more in loving want to have him close by.

“I can assume he couldn't join you,” she said with laughter in her words, but there was something in the way she was talking that felt as though she were hunting for something.

“Oh, eh, no. I mean, one of us has to watch the children.” Vivi moved a stray hair from her face, as her body warmed at the thought of the ones she held dear.

It was there Lily seemed to be shocked at something. As if, whatever it was she was looking for, she got her answer without a single word.

A ring. A wedding ring… Lily witnessed as the light kissed the gorgeous band in that single act, and while shock stole any words that dared to surface, it was there a gentle breath of delight passed her lips. She wanted to say ‘congratulations’, but perhaps now wasn't the best time for that.

Lily would wait to see if Vivi ever brought it up first.

“I see.” Her smile brightened, leaving the Flowered Guardian confused for a moment. “You both had been gone for some time, I was about to send someone out to check on you!” All of those worries subsided, and Lily now felt silly for ever fearing the outcome.

Especially after the advice Pascal often asked Rose for in regards to Vivi. She had been told quite a lot, but swore secrecy as who knew what anybody would think of this union.

“So, what can I help you with?” Lily asked. “Is it oil? Minerals? A weapon or two?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you might have a few gears that I can buy off of you?”

The Resistance leader blinked in confusion. “Gears? Seems you’re looking for specific types with that kind of tone.”

It was there Vivi thought of the best way to describe it. “I believe Pascal wanted something that was similar to that of a clock. He said, kind of like the ones that make up parts of his arms, but not too large in size.”

Lily cocked a brow at the description, rubbing her head in thought. “I am going to assume he means something that fits in the palm of your hand, huh?” A smile crept across her lips with a shrug. “If that’s the case, then yes. We have more than enough of those.”

She wondered if she should say something about the ring. It would be easy enough to pass it off as a mere decoration, but Lily wasn't certain how many she could fool with that line alone.

It was there she decided to break the urge to remain silent. “By the way…” She leaned in closer, whispering to Vivi with her hand cupped to the side of her mouth so nobody could dare even read her lips, “Congratulations on your wedding.”

“Eh…? Eh?!” Realizing that she forgot to take her wedding band off, Vivi swiftly tucked her hand into her clothing to try and hide the sight of it. Every part of her body felt like it would shut down. Even her knees felt as though they had locked up.

Shit. Dammit! Of all the times to forget to remove her wedding band, this had to be one of them?!

Even if Lily was smiling, that smile now felt as though it held any meaning. Vivi couldn't think straight. Her voice quieted as she bit at her lower lip. “....Tell no one of this!”

Lily shook her head, raising her hand to do her best to subdue the rising fear she could obviously see and hear. “You need not worry. I won’t utter a single word.” She motioned for Vivi to follow her. “I would tell you that you can stay put while I fetch what you need, but I am sure that will just rouse suspicion about what you’re up to.”

She was teasing. Vivi caught onto that, but also, there was some buried truth in there. The last thing she wanted was to have someone wondering why she was standing there with her hand tucked so carefully into her clothing. No doubt someone would assume she was injured and not willing to speak of it.

Able to find her feet once more, she swiftly followed behind Lily while her eyes looked about the camp, as she was now on high alert. No matter what her mind and body were telling her, she needed to fetch those items for Pascal. “I thank you for this. I know nobody would truly be accepting of such a thing.”

The Resistance Leader waved the thought away. “You have every right to be worried,” she whispered back. “But as I said: your secret is safe with me. Don't worry about it.” She made it into one of the nearby buildings, sifting through a few of the many pieces of scrap and metal that she had yet to really take note of what could be used or sold. It was there she plucked a gear piece from the pile that easily fit between her index and thumb fingers. “Is this it, perhaps?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Vivi cheered. “I am certain that’s what he is after.”

Without warning, Lily tossed it in her direction with a playful smile the moment she saw the fellow android catch it within fail. “All yours. How many do you need?”

“I think he said two should be enough, and just whatever scrap of metal I could get my hands on.” Knowing that Lily was willing to part with the gears, she didn't want to feel as though she were freeloading off of the Resistance. “But please, I don’t wish to take all of your precious scrap!”

“Well, you help us out too, you know? Besides, I’m allowed to give away a freebee or two. I guess consider it a very late wedding gift.” It was there Lily playfully winked, stepping to the side to let her look through at her leisure. “Making something, is he?”

Vivi held the precious gears in her hands before looking through the remaining scrap that Lily had offered. “I am going to assume it is something for the children. Honestly, he’s not told me what it is yet.”

“Strange behavior for a machine, I will say.” Lily tried not to sound as though she were being dismissive of Pascal’s actions. If anything, she was surprised by it. The machine truly proved that love could change any being—machine and android alike.

However, there was a moment that the gentle expression of the Flowered Guardian fell into that of the all too well known hardened look that would make any fearful they may have overstepped their boundaries.

“I mean no disrespect, of course,” Lily swiftly corrected, raising a hand as if to surrender to the very sight of the android. “I just find it interesting that he would go through such lengths for a mere project, is all.”

Vivi relaxed hearing the explanation, the smile returning. “He’s a man of many talents, and whatever it is he wishes to make, I am so very excited to witness the outcome.” Grabbing up the remaining piece she felt would be perfect for Pascal’s private invention, she tucked it all away safely so that nothing would be lost. “This should be all I need.”

Pascal’s thoughts began to race as he watched the children very closely, just to make certain they watered his wife’s flowers as they both taught them. If I could make a field of Lunar Tears, I would gladly do it for her, he thought to himself. But, I wonder what it is she’s looking for when it comes to her wishes.

The memories he had pleasantly stored away surfaced once more as the machine tapped one hand against the side of his face.

So many of those thoughts were pleasant. At least, from his perspective. He always made certain she was happy as her joy meant more to him than anything on this earth. The mere thought of Vivi looking at him so kindly made the machine bundle his hands near his face and try to stifle a joyful noise.

“Oooh~!” he hummed aloud, “I am sure it’s just something I need to give her personally, maybe? I have little doubts she’s unhappy with the life I have provided her.” A sigh reminiscent of love echoed from his body. “With a smile like that, how could she be unhappy? I will do whatever I can to cultivate that smile of hers like she does these flowers!”

“Uncle Pascal. Uncle Pascal,” a few of the children chanted as they approached him.

Returning from his daydreaming, he answered, “Yes? What is it, children?”

“Look what we found.” It was there they pulled their hands away from the item they had been carrying so carefully, showing a flower that had an interesting color to it that Pascal had to admit he had not seen in the garden at all as of late.

He had seen it before during his many years of creation, but not recently.

The beautiful leaves were heart-shaped, as the blossoms looked tie-dyed with blue and white streaks. The center itself almost appeared to be a type of purple in color. “Oh my, that is a beautiful flower,” he praised. “May I see it for a moment, children?”

It was kept in a pot, making certain that it could still thrive as the children were aware of how to move about flowers without harming them. Pascal, more than anything, wanted to be sure that the children knew that all life had a purpose, that no matter how big or small, there was value in everything. When it came to Vivi’s garden, it was the perfect way to teach and show that.

“It’s pretty. Very pretty,” they all agreed, handing it over as he asked.

The moment the precious flower was in his possession, Pascal got a better look at it. He tried to remember the exact name of it, as he often read a lot of the books regarding flora whenever he had the time; especially with Vivi.

“What is it, Uncle Pascal? Is it a special flower?”

“I believe it’s called an Asagao—a Morning Glory, in other words.” The lights within his eyes upturned to express a smile. “I think humans, long ago, thought this flower was hard to come by. So, yes! It is indeed a special flower!”

The children began to make sounds that anybody could see as an attempt to imitate a child’s laugh. They were excited they found something so precious.

“This wasn't the only one over there, was it?”

“No. No.”

It was there one of them pointed towards the flowerbed that Vivi often kept watch over. Much to his relief, he saw that another was just trying to bloom as well. “That is truly wonderful! I am certain Auntie Vivi will love to hear this news.” It was there he walked over to where the flower was uprooted and motioned to the empty spot in the dirt. “Now, we should put it back. It can’t thrive without help from its friends and the world around it.”

“Shouldn't we give it to Auntie Vivi?” They offered, a bit confused as to why Pascal wouldn't want to do such a thing if the flower was so rare.

“Oh, no, no, children,” Pascal insisted with a raise of his hands. “We should let it live here where it belongs. I think Auntie Vivi would like that the most, don't you agree? That way, whenever she comes out here to these flowers, she can be reminded that her hard work created such a beautiful life.”

The children seemed to look at one another, as if confused about something.

“So, come now. Let’s put it back. You remember how, right? It’s like what you just did, but in reverse. Here, I’ll guide you if you need any help.” Once more, he couldn't help but attempt the gentle expression of a smile when it came to the light in his eyes. “Just always be careful. Even if some would think flowers are just plants without a purpose, they—like all things on this earth—need to be treated with love and kindness. They are part of this world. Even if it cannot speak, it would be dreadful to ever harm it.”

Pascal watched closely, mind still wandering back to the Lunar Tear and how he wished more than anything he could give his wife countless wishes and stars to have all her wants and desires come true. When the children finally were able to loosen the soil and be mindful of the roots, he suddenly had an epiphany about something.

“Oh—oh no!” he gasped, making the children pause in what they were doing. Realizing that he slightly startled them, he apologized and waved his hands from side to side. “I-It’s nothing, children! Forgive me! My mind was somewhere else for a second.” He clasped his hands and nodded at their actions. “You’re doing great. Keep it up!”

With the beautiful flower joining the rest, Pascal motioned back towards the shade.

“Let’s prepare for our lesson today. How does that sound?”

“Lesson! Lesson!” They all cheered, excited to know what it would be.

“Mhm! Now, I’ll be with you in just a moment. I need to make sure everything has been taken care of here.” The children wouldn't be too far away from where he was keeping his eyes on things. Besides, he needed a second to think to himself without distressing the children by accident.

When they all hurried to where the lesson would be taught, Pascal tapped the mechanical fingers together as if feeling a bit guilty about something.

“Lunar Tears can only grant one wish… right?” His eyes looked to the bright sky above, wishing he could see the stars. “Did I accidentally steal Vivi’s wishes?”

When he found her, battered and nearly broken, the first wish he wanted was to see to it she made it out alive. He didn't know her, but that didn't matter. Pascal knew she deserved better than whatever fate had tried to offer her.

So he wished for that.

When she asked for him to marry her, he already had one of the Lunar Tears in his possession, and when he found the other, he continued to wish for their union to remain a strong and joyous one.

He sighed to himself, wanting more than anything that he could find another just for her and her alone to have and wish upon if she wanted. “They’re so difficult to find,” he thought aloud to himself, venturing towards the children. “If I could, I would just leave for a moment to search the places where I found the ones I did.”

Shaking his head, he turned his hands into what could be seen as fists. But he was determined to give his beloved bride something she could cherish forever.

“I’ll think of something. I have more than enough time!”

After the lesson was over, Pascal found himself rummaging through many of the books that he read to the children or to himself. There was one in particular he was hunting for, and he was hoping he could remember the name of the right one.

“Simple machines through the centuries…?” He muttered aloud, flipping through a few of the pages carefully. “Maybe this one…”

If there was one thing Pascal learned, it was that humans often called machines different things. Some of them once were used to help with day to day activities back before his creation while now, it seemed they all mostly referenced his own kind.

It took a bit of flipping through the pages before he was finally able to come across what he was looking for—a camera.

There were so many different versions of a camera, and while he had heard of such a device over the years, he never actually got to have his hands on one. It wasn't really something he needed, but he still thought their creation was an interesting one.

If a painter could capture a single idea with a few mindful strokes of a paintbrush, then a photograph could take an exact copy of a moment in time and let it linger for all to see. There were times he wished he owned one, just to take as many photos as he could regarding the children and his wife.

“If I could make one myself, I’d do it.” He really didn't want to bother the Resistance Camp or Vivi in regards to finding one for him. The pieces he was asking her to fetch for him now were for something completely different. “But what I’m about to make… It kind of needs a photo or something like that.” The thought to have someone get more parts for him to try and make a replica of one came to mind. “Maybe I can find a way to break down the device and its creation if an old scrapped one can’t be located.”

Excitement rang out about the village, as the children chanting Auntie Vivi could be heard from all over. Pascal put the book away on a nearby desk before hurrying out to meet his beloved.

Vivi’s expression softened the moment she saw the children waving and calling out to her from across the bridge. She waved back, smiling only bigger than before when Pascal came hurrying to meet her.

“Oh, thank heavens you’re okay!” Pascal often said such a thing in reflex. It wasn't that he doubted his wife’s ability to handle herself, it was just the world he did not trust.

Seeing her husband, she hurried all the faster to his side. Without a second thought, she found her arms wrapped ever tightly about him with her cheek nuzzling against his face. “I know I was gone for only a few hours, but it felt much longer without you there.”

Hearing such a thing, Pascal’s arms wrapped tightly about her. While he had been lost in his own thoughts, they were all of her. “You were with me this entire time,” he admitted. “There’s not a single moment I’m not thinking of you.”

Being reminded of that tender thought, her embrace only tightened before she reluctantly pulled away. “I got the items you asked for.” She uncovered the gears and scrap that she thought he might want for this project of his.

“Oh, these are perfect!” Pascal cheered in delight, taking them into his possession. “Thank you ever so much, Vivi!”

Hearing the joy in his tone made her heart flutter as she gave that smile that filled his memories rather fondly. “Of course, my dear. Anything for you.”

He motioned for her to follow, heading back to the makeshift home that was created and decorated over the years to be more for him and his wife alone. “I am so sorry to trouble you with fetching these for me, but I couldn't very well make the project without them.”

“No trouble at all, but…” The moment his back was turned to her, she reached out and gently placed her hand upon the large exhaust pipe on his back. “...what exactly are you making?” Vivi was hardly offended that she wasn't told. She just found it interesting he had yet to tell her what his plans for it were.

Hearing her ask such a thing, his words fumbled about as if looking for the right answer without spoiling too much. “Oh, uh… You see… umm…It’s something special—for you—and I can’t have you knowing what that something is, or it will ruin the surprise!”

“A gift? For me?” Her body warmed as she folded her hands near her chest. “But you’ve already given me so much, Pascal. You know this isn't necessary.”

“But I want to!” he insisted, turning around to grab her hands. Looking into her beautiful eyes, the gears within his body began to ramp up in excitement. “I umm.. You know those stories about how humans often kept something precious of their loved ones close?”

She nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

“I want to give you the same thing. I want a constant reminder of myself to be with you—always.”

The words were so kind that her cheeks flushed the moment she felt his hand upon her cheek.

“Oh! By the way, the children found a new species of flower blooming in your garden.” Pascal grabbed up her hands once more, hurrying her back outside to take her to the mourning glory they found.

The moment Vivi’s eyes laid upon the beautiful flower, she smiled at the gorgeous colors that mixed brilliantly with the rest. Taking to her knees, her fingertips touched the petals and the joy within sparked all the more. “A morning glory,” she whispered, knowing right away what it was. “Oh, how wonderful! The people who thrived her centuries ago believed this flower had gone extinct, didn't they?”

Pascal hummed, trying to recall the information in his data. “I think the words of the books said that it was here on this land that it thrived the best. This type of mourning glory was just harder to come by in other parts of the world.” The lights in his eyes upturned to express a smile once more. “But, given its rarity, I wouldn't doubt that is what the humans believed at one point.”

“But it is thriving,” Vivi said with a smile that made Pascal’s robotic body accelerate with delight. “And I know it will continue to, just as I continue to under your love and care.”

No matter how many times she said it, Pascal had a hard time believing he was so lucky to have found her—to have found and been given her love. “Oh~! Vivi,” he hummed, bringing his hands close to his chest, lacking the right words to even respond for a second. “I must say that I ummm… I need a second to work on your gift! Mind if I borrow some of the children for it? I can actually get it done much faster with their aid.”

Her hands on her hips, she gave a teasing look that almost appeared as though she were scolding him. “All of this for a gift. What are you up to?”

He swayed from side to side. “Nothing~! Nothing!” It was that same sing-songy response that made her smile and laugh a bit to herself. “Besides, the faster I get it done, the sooner you’ll see!”

“Alright then.” Her words were gentle, merely teasing him all the more with a sigh to follow. But the moment her eyes met with his, he couldn't help but be energized to work on it all the more. “I’ll wait. Patiently.”

It was there he managed to pull out the astrology book he had been hiding on his person to hand over to her. “Here! Read this in the meantime! I promise I won’t be long!”

Without another word, he turned and ran swiftly back to their bedroom.

She couldn't help but laugh once more. The way he was behaving was almost like that of a young man trying to impress his crush. It was adorable, only encouraging her love for him all the more.

Vivi didn't care to keep track of the time. The moment she sat down to begin reading the book, some of the children that weren't helping Pascal came to join her. Reading to them and teaching them about the stars that were once easily seen at night was always a delight. Hearing them attempt to generate the sound of glee always made her smile.

“Auntie Vivi! Auntie Vivi!”

The children that were with Pascal suddenly came running to her, sounding excited about something. Marking her place in the book, she closed it. “Oh my, what is it?” Brushing the grass from her backside, she smiled warmly.

“It is ready! It is ready! Come with us!”

Pascal’s gift was finally done. Her heart was racing as she gripped upon the binding of the book tightly. “Alright! Take me to him!”

The children grabbed her hand and escorted her back to the bedroom, but once outside the door they waved their hands as if asking her to stay for a second. One of them scurried inside, just to make sure they would be okay to send her in.

Waving both hands, they imitated a giggling noise as they waited for her to enjoy the view that would unfold.

The moment she stepped foot into their bedroom, she found her breath stolen from her. There were paper stars made of various colors of paper that hung from the ceiling with string or any material the kids or Pascal could get their hands on. With the curtains drawn to make it a bit darker inside, it tried to imitate the idea of the night she once knew.

“We thought this might help with your desire to see the stars!” Pascal said, stepping to the side to let his wife enjoy the view. “I also wanted to give you something to look up at and wish upon.” He rubbed the back of his head nervously. “I just really wanted to give you something special. Somewhere you can place all your wishes and dreams.”

“Oh my… All of this, for me?” She looked at him, so overwhelmed with emotion she wasn't sure what to even say at first. “Oh, Pascal…”

“But that’s not all!” he interrupted swiftly, holding his hands together as he moved them outward with a bow of his head. When he opened them, it was there that a handmade heart shaped locket appeared in his grasp. “This is what I was working on, but it’s a bit… incomplete!”

She had only seen images of these on humans. Rarely had she seen one in reality. Grabbing up the precious item, she pressed the top button and watched as it swung open to reveal that it was indeed empty inside.

But that didn't matter. Tears welled up in her eyes as she covered her quivering mouth.

“I-I promise when I find or make a camera, I’ll be able to have a picture of us in it! But for now I—.”

“—It’s perfect, Pascal.” Vivi’s words trembled as she cradled the locket close to her chest. “Just knowing you made this is more than enough for now.” She brought it close to her cheek, nuzzling against it. “I will cherish it and keep it with me always.” Extending her hand, she asked, “Will you do the honors and help me put it on?”

Pascal made a sound of delight, taking the chain and carefully putting it in place upon his beloved. He was mindful of her braid, making certain nothing got stuck in the clasp. “There.”

Her hand touched the treasure, looking at him with tears of joy still cascading down her cheeks. “Well? What do you think?”

“You’re as beautiful as ever, and, no matter what…” He rested his face gently upon her forehead, continuing, “...I will always make your dreams come true.”

#nier automata #pascal #pascal nier automata #pascal x oc #oc x canon #yumeship #fluff #love #romance #I adore them #commission #story commission #mywriting #oreana writes #THANK YOU BESTIE. I LOVE THEM

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silverhallow · 2 years

Note

So I fell down the rabbit hole that is the Royal Court's archive, which has over 70 photos of Princess Estelle, who as we know I have declared is the twin of baby Sophie... ENJOY!

Paws Sophie at different ages? Adamant to help papa:

Look at this adorable hat (I say whilst dying of the cuteness):

Paws Sophie again but I mean, come on:

But this right here, surely that's AWOA:

Last but not least, one of the iconic Estelle photos:

Photo 1:

Sophie at three years old determined that she was going to pick and carve her pumpkin herself this year. Richard tried to talk her out of it but found her in the garden picking it up, so he reluctantly went and got her little wheelbarrow that was given as a present to her by her Aunt and she was excited as she allowed to take it back to the house then ended up exhausted half way back up as the pumpkin weighted more than she did.

Photo 2:

Teenager Sophie determined that she was being part of the apple and pear picking and Richard reluctantly lets her join in and she ends up getting the most out of everyone by shaking the trees rather than picking and Richard just stands there shocked as Sophie beams at him

Photo 3:

Sophie helping her Grandma Sarah making gingerbread cookies and deciding that she wants to eat the dough instead

Photo 4 and 5:

Obsessed with the ducks, Sophie kept pestering her dad to take her to the duck pond as they didn’t have one. Her Aunt used to call her “Little Duck” as a baby as she used to waddle around and Sophie thought it was hilarious.

So for her 5th Birthday, Richard decides to surprise her, and he has a duck pond put on the farm and he takes Sophie for a walk on the morning of her birthday and shows her it… these are the photos he takes of that day.

Photo 6:

Sophie’s first autumn… she loves the colours of the leaves and the pretty colours but she’s like 6 months old but Esme thinks it’s just the cutest thing ever

Photo 7:

Sophie’s 10th birthday when Richard gave Cinderella her beloved horse which other than her ducks, was Sophie’s most favourite present.

Photo 8:

A Work of Art Sophie, her first Christmas back in England and the presents of her father and Grandparents and Sophie spends all day painting.

Photo 9:

Snow days were sophie’s favourite and she spent the entire day running around after her Aunt making snowmen and throwing snowballs at her Papa

Photo 10:

Sophie when she was obsessed with the Wizard of Oz and red shoes and refused to wear anything but them as she’s helping make the Christmas decorations.

Photo 11:

PAWS Sophie learning to ride her bike, absolutely BUZZING with life as she’s pottering around the farm on her bike

Photos 12 & 13:

Sophie’s first birthday, Esme taking photos of her little princess giggling as she rams cake into her face

Photo 14:

PAWS Sophie is captured by her Aunt as she’s pottering around the farm and comes across some dandelions and in a fit of whimsy decides to blow one just as her aunt captures a photo. Years Later when Benedict sees the photo he can’t help but be impressed and somehow, when Vivi is about the same age, he captures Vivi in exactly the same pose…

#Ask ash #Paws for thought #a work of art #bridgerton #Sophie Beckett #Richard Gunningworth #benedict bridgerton #Benophie

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hooniee · 4 years

Text

— ꒰‧⁺apartment 15 *ೃ༄

↷ jake x reader ⋯ ♡ᵎ

↷genre: fluff | romance ⋯ ♡ᵎ

↷warnings: kissing scene | mentions of a box cutter! ⋯ ♡ᵎ

♡ :: i see requests are open cutie <3 may i pls request fluffy jake helping you move into a new apartment? love you vivi !! @jakeysim

⇢˚⋆ ✎ hi ate gill!! thank you for being my first request both times, it’s a big honor to write for you BIURBEFIUERBIW🥺, i hope you like it and i love you more ate <333

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .*

your arms felt strained, bearing this remarkably heavy box. last time you checked, you didn't recognize this box when you were relocating the things into the moving truck. it was signed with jake’s name in messy black marker.

jake probably threw a bunch of his things inside last minute. who knew what he would have in here? from his physics textbooks to his cap collection, anything was likely.

“do you need help bun?”

jake said from behind, carrying small boxes filled with some miscellaneous things that jake insisted were "very important". you let out a gasp of relief when he took it from your hands, wasting no time to massage your arms.

“what’s even in here? it’s so heavy babe”

jake smiles, knowing precisely what's inside but he wanted it to be a surprise. he had gathered all these items to make a perfect little box for you when you would move into your apartment together.

“it's a surprise, i'll show you later! we have to finish unloading first”

you were eager, hastily scrambling to your feet and grabbing more boxes to load into the house. it wasn't physics books. what sort of surprise would physic books be? undoubtedly jake's idea of a surprise.

the last few things were finally scattered in the place you would call the living room and the both of you had collapsed on the plastic-wrapped mattress, yet to be moved to the shared bedroom.

both of you didn't converse for a while, attempting to catch a breath from moving. you had begun loading the house at 1 pm and it was around 6 pm by the time you guys were finished. you and jake still had a bunch of belongings to organize.

“we did it," jake says

you turn to jake, smiling and he returns the gesture, high-fiving each other in achievement.

the mattress was uncomfortable with being sweaty and there being a plastic cover on it, but you scooted closer to jake. you placed your head on his chest and his arms snakes around your waist. you both gaze at the ceiling as jake taps a rhythm on your hip.

“ah right! you wanted me to show you what was in the heavy box from earlier right?”

jake remembers your curious eyes when he told you it was a surprise. he wanted to show you as soon as possible. you nod to him, and he immediately gets up from his position. he clutches the heavy box with a grunt, making sure to grab a box cutter while he’s up.

he gently settles the box down in front of you. what you hadn't noticed was on the side of the box, there was a sticker labeled "FRAGILE”

he delicately slices off the tape that coated the whole box. what kind of box needs this much protection?

dust molecules spiral in the air causing both of you to cough. he must have had this box crammed away for a while to have it collect this much dust. he opens the box to expose the inside and you look over to it, gasping when seeing the content.

the box was packed with memories from the book you guys were assigned to do together which is how you guys met. to be honest, jake wasn't the worse person you could be paired with, within english class. he was friendly and worked hard so you wouldn't have to sustain the project by yourself.

jake had scheduled meetings at his house and you had the honor of meeting his mom and layla. you quickly fell in love with the boy who sat in the front of your english class. he asked you out after taking you on an ice cream date and your world became the most dazzling planet out there from that day on.

to the letter, you wrote to him on your third anniversary. you poured all emotions you could in the letter for him. jake deserved more and sometimes, you believed you couldn't give it to him yet he always ensured that you gave more than the world.

you provided him home; a home that he could always run back to when the world was ungracious to him, a home that was filled with love and laughter, a home that he entirely wanted, and that was something that would be more than enough for him.

you glance over and a petite black, velvet box catches your eyes. you've never seen such a box and you never gifted jake something small enough to fit in a box like that, not that you knew of.

“what is this?”

you pick up the box that was soft at your fingertips. it was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and had a tiny engraving of 'parks,' a popular jewelry brand. did you buy jake something from 'parks' and you didn't remember? you were as forgetful as dory sometimes.

before jake abruptly grabs it from you. he stumblingly hides it behind his back and clears his throat. his face gets a rush of blood and he can feel himself become warmer than the sun.

you tilt your head, not knowing why he swiftly grabbed it. you try to move around to see what it was hiding behind his back before he does this weird motion to hide it. at this point, you resembled two idiots dancing side to side from each other.

you laugh and jake giggles, giving up at this relentless dance, and pulls it from behind his back.

“i was going to give this to you later but since you saw it, i guess i’ll give it to you now”

jake lays it in your hand and you open up the box, allowing out another gasp. inside the box laid an elegant silver, thin banned ring, with a small diamond on the top. on the side of the ring, it had a little j carved in to give a special touch to the simple ring.

you look up to him, sensing your eyes pooling tears. you take an unsteady breath in, trying to soothe the stinging of tears in your eyes.

“is this what i think it is?”

jake smiles at your reaction, the response he had hoped for. he wasn't intending on proposing so soon into moving in with each other but he forgot that he put that in the box. he originally was going to hide it but you, being a smart person, would be able to find it even if you weren't trying to.

he had a couple of choices of people to give it to so that they could store it until he was ready. his best friends; sunghoon park, jay park, heeseung lee. he quickly realized it wouldn't be a good idea of trusting them with a ring. jay would lose it, sunghoon would unexpectedly throw it out and heeseung would probably find a way to pawn it for money.

jake looks over to you. as tears glide down your cheek, yet you’re ethereal in jake's eyes. you're still anticipating his answer and he belatedly nods before speaking.

“can i have the honor of marrying you?”

your body moved faster than your brain did. you didn’t need to think twice before launching yourself into his arms and tackling him to the bed, giggling and responding with ‘a thousand times yes.' you can feel the vibration of him laughing along with you. you rested on him until he pulls away from you and grabs the box.

he takes the ring and delicately slips it to your ring finger. it was a foreign feeling to have the cooling metal on your finger. you glance at the ring, giving him one of the biggest smile you could manage. jake admired the way it fits on your finger, it looked right.

you tenderly cup his face and graze your thumb across his cheek, noticing some tears gather in his eyes. you could feel your own eyes well up while peering into the precious eyes you fell in love with. your eyes both filled with so much love and adoration.

he quietly leans in to connect your lips together. you tense at the unexpected kiss; electric shock in the best way possible. your soft lips secure against his that tasted like cherry lip balm. you both move in sync, formulating a rhythm that was unbreakable between the two of you. he took his time to make sure that you could feel the overflowing love, translated from his lips onto yours. you felt his fingers wander onto your waist. he pulls you in closer and you comply, getting lost in the euphoric feeling

you pull away for breath and you both burst out in giggles, not being able to contain the joy that beams from the two of you and your apartment. you lean your forehead on his, nose bumping, tending for a softer kiss. your lips gingerly grazed against his lips again like a pair of butterfly wings, accompanying with feathering kisses all over his face while he giggles. the heart knows when the search is over and jake's heart knew.

apartment 15 belong to the sim’s now

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alkhale · 4 years

Note

so... that new his dark materials on HBO got me feeling some things and thinking... Memos HDM AU?

Memos His Dark Materials AU Ko-Fi Request

(for context for the excerpt down below this, when someone’s daemon makes contact with another person’s daemon, it’s considered very personal and intimate. This is normal between family members and very close friends or loved ones, say, Luffy’s daemon would probably touch all his nakama’s left and right just fine, but for certain others, this may come as a bit of an alarming little sensation for them since people feel what their daemons feel and the same vice versa as extension of their souls)

- Hoku’s daemon is a white panther named Hau.

The two of them don’t get along very well and tend to get on each other’s nerves due to personal reasons. They’re capable of being a fairly good distance apart even though this isn’t normal and considered painful for most people. They sort of trained themselves to be able to be apart because they felt following their independent values was most important. It’s a bit of a messy situation but they’re the first ones either of them would turn to no matter what. He has the same marking she has painted around the curve of his left eye because it’s tradition for Pokians to paint it onto their daemons when they come of age. All daemons from Artopoki are also always colored white just like their hair.

His name means “happiness” in Hawaiian.

- Mahina’s daemon is a white horse while Manu’s is a small white wild cat. Mihawk’s is a massive, massive ink black raven named Sable. She and Mahina’s daemon got along really well.

- Shank’s daemon is a reddish tinted lionness who goes by Reina. Hoku and Hau are a bit smitten by her but Hau kind of hates Shanks, maybe not hate but he tends to be on the more skeptical end of him versus Hoku being a little doe-eyed for the man. Hau loved Mihawk though. Mihawk was the first person to ever touch him outside of Hoku’s parents (human to daemon contact is a super big deal when it’s not family or intimate loved ones, daemon to daemon is a little more tolerable but raises some brows)

- Luffy’s daemon settles as a springy lionness name Soleil who he calls Sol. She’s very energetic and can’t really read a room but she makes up for it with energy. She and Luffy are two peas in a pod.

- Nami’s daemon is an orange fox named Riki, the greatest thieving duo across the East Blue.

- Zoro’s is a massive bengal tiger named Masumi and she’s got a much more approachable personality than her counterpart but tends to be just as lazy and ferocious.

- Usopp’s is a chameleon by the name of Emmo. She’s a bit of a coward too but she’s funny.

- Sanji’s is a beautiful, rather stunning lady jackrabbit by the name of Celine who loves beautiful people and kicking. She seems a little wiser than Sanji.

- Brook’s is the skeleton of a songbird named Aretha. They’re the strangest case on the Grand Line because of his devil fruit. She sings beautifully for a pile of bones though.

- Franky’s is a female beaver named Aspen, they’re pretty much carbon copies of each other.

- Robin’s is a black owl named Yuval. He’s on the quieter side and tends to creep people out on first glance but he’s a very gentlemanly owl.

- Ace’s ends up settling as a red and black lynx by the name of Iskra. Sabo’s is a peregrine falcon named Brisa.

- Vivi’s is a fennec fox named Seti.

- I couldn’t decide of Kid’s should be one hell of a murderous honey badger with attitude named Naga or a crocodile or a bear. Any of those three felt pretty right but I lean more toward the honey badger HAHAHA.

- Law’s daemon is a snow leopard named Estrella. These two are an especially dangerous duo and Estrella tends to be a bit more on the mysterious side at first.

- - - - - - -

“Your blood,” Shank said, cupping her cheek. “Is worth treasures more than his.”

Hau bit at Shanks’ cloak, snarling as a white husky in protest, trying to pull him away. Reina watched him in utter amusement.

Steam exploded from Hoku’s ears, her entire face flushing red.

“Oops, hey, someone get Makino! I’m worried dove’s got a fever!”

- - - - - - -

“It’s nothing but a childish crush,” Hau said pointedly to her, perfectly aware of the fluttery, gross feelings inside Hoku spilling over to him. He walked after her, lashing his tail angrily while Hoku stared up at the sky in a daze. Shanks had just given them a living, ripe kiionohi tree. “He just thinks we’re cute kids. He likes teasing us. This is how he took Luffy!”

Hau worked over-time to remain as indifferent toward Shanks as Hoku originally wanted to be. Hoku had just given up and rolled over to the fact that Shanks was just… so hard to dislike. Was there even a reason to dislike him? Sure, she still got jealous that Luffy was so damn fond of him, but when Luffy was always pulling her around despite that, promising she was his first before anyone else—

“Are you listening to me?” Hau hissed at her, biting her ankle in protest. Hoku looked down at him. “I don’t like him! He’s just another schmuck! Nothing’s gonna happen anyway! Dream on! We’re just kids to him, got it?”

“I know that,” Hoku snapped, cheeks flushing. “I-It’s just adoration. Childish adoration. What do you think I’m gonna do, ask him to marry me?”

“No,” Hau muttered, “but don’t get any ideas.”

“I’m not,” Hoku snapped back at him, lightly nudging his paws. Hau swiped at her. “He’s just… he’s just charming, is all. And you’re one to talk, you know. You look at anyone that’s willing to scratch your ears like they’re god!”

“I don’t let people scratch me behind the ears!” Hau protested. “No one’s allowed to touch me!”

“Yeah,” Hoku snorted. “Except Luffy, right? I feel what you feel too, dumbass. Think about how it feels for me to get scratched behind the ears too, okay?”

Hau grumpily settled down onto his haunches, stubbornly looking over to the side, “But it’s Luffy.”

Hoku could understand that, but it didn’t make the sensation any more normal. Actually, I might be starting to get used to that. Luffy’s so damn touchy it’ll kill me. She didn’t even flinch anymore when Hau and Soleil were pressed tight together, rolling around or tumbling about each other or cuddled up in a pile. Luffy’s warm fingers patting Hau’s head, hefting him up into his arms—that was still something she was getting used to.

Or Hoku, cupping Soleil’s head in her hands, pressing a kiss to the top of the daemon’s head, committing utter taboo. Hoku, letting Soleil cozy up to the crook of her neck, shove her face into Hoku’s hand, weave between her fingers while Luffy laughed beside them—

The four of them, touching each other’s daemons, each other’s partners, each other’s souls—

But I am getting used to it. Hoku shivered. Never touching anyone’s daemon, huh?

Hau lashed his tail, “I won’t let Shanks touch me, you can count on that.”

“You’re just jealous,” Hoku said. “Luffy and Soleil already said we’re first. And it’s not like Shanks is going to be here forever, he’s a pirate, remember?”

Hoku rubbed the side of her arm, looking down at her shoes, “He’s just… he’s just become Luffy’s idol. You see how he looks at him—Luffy knows what he wants to do now ‘cause of him.”

Hau huffed, whiskers twitching. Hoku gave him a little shove and Hau shifted into a bull, ramming at the back of her knees as Hoku laughed, shoving back at him.

Shanks was just a bit of fun, that was it.

- - - - - - - -

But Reina didn’t play by the rules.

“You’re getting faster, little dove.”

Hoku almost screamed. Her heart lodged into her throat, forcing her to choke as Mau nearly clattered onto the dirt from her hands had she not hooked it last minute. She apologized to the amused blade, checking for scratches and trying to work out a game plan in her head.

Hau frowned. As deep of a frown as an unhappy skunk could make, sitting by a log and looking pointedly Reina’s way.

She didn’t know when Shanks’ daemon had made her way over to them or where Shanks was, probably with Luffy to be honest, but there Reina was, living up to her name.

The lioness daemon was stretched out onto a fat slab of rock jutting upwards from the ground. Luffy used it as a launching platform a lot when they were playing. Her red-gold body rippled, leisurely soaking up the sunlight.

Hoku’s fingers itched.

Reina watched them with golden irises.

“Thanks,” Hoku said, trying not to be awkward but feeling very much so. “I’m not there yet though.”

Reina’s chest rumbled, a deep sound that made Hau wrinkle his nose in protest. She laid her head down onto her paws, rolling over onto her side. Hoku noticed the scars lining her softer underbelly, the notch missing from a piece of her flicking tail.

“You’ll get there,” Reina said soothingly. “Why don’t you take a break?”

I feel like I’m talking to the devil. Hoku shivered. Temptation incarnate. “I haven’t hit my number of swings yet.”

“Shanks and Luffy are playing by the harbor,” Reina almost purred. “Don’t you want to join?”

Hoku frowned at her boots. Yes. “No. I’m glad Shanks is taking up all his time.”

Reina’s ear twitched. Her eyes glimmered playfully. Hoku felt as though if her feet weren’t planted firmly to begin with, she’d already be making her way over to the lioness for no reason other than the fact that Reina seemed to be beckoning her over.

“How come you two can be so far apart?” Hau blurted. Hoku shot him a look of disbelief.

Reina’s whiskers twitched in amusement.

Hau hunkered down, waving his big bushy tail. “I-Isn’t it painful? It’s weird, daemons aren’t supposed to be able to do that.”

“You two seem to be able to go fairly far,” Reina murmured. “Is that not strange?”

Hoku and Hau flinched.

Reina laid her head down onto the rock, letting the sun color her pelt. She looked crimson gold in the sunlight. “He and I simply found it in ourselves to promise to live our lives to the fullest and the freest.”

Reina seemed to smile, lips pulling back to show her fangs. “Besides, like this, I can be with Luffy and he can be with little dove at the same time, hmm?”

Hoku and Hau blinked in confusion. They looked at each other and back to Reina who’d rolled over to show them her back, settling down for a nice, long nap.

“Finish up those swings, dove,” Reina purred. “Then let’s play.”

I miss Luffy. Hoku miserably flattened herself down against the grass, Mau propped up onto a trunk beside her. Hau was chirping haughtily in the tree branch above her, flapping his white wings even though he was supposed to be a toucan. I always run off even when he’s playing with Shanks. Maybe I should just suck it up and have fun with them too. Or, not fun. Just… spend time. Yeah.

Hoku groaned, rubbing her sweaty face with her hands.

“About time,” Hau chirped at her. “Let’s go! I don’t care if Shanks and everyone else is there, I want to see Luffy and Sol.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hoku snapped. “I heard ya. You just want to get touched again.”

Hau flattened, ruffling his feathers, “That’s not true!”

It absolutely is. Hoku sighed, preparing her aching muscles to lift her sluggish body up. Hau was practically touched starved and Luffy’s generous pats were like a drug. He did a good job making sure Shanks never got near him though. Hoku didn’t even flinch. Touching other people’s daemons is still such a weird feeling though, I can’t get used to anyone else but them.

She’d only ever touched Sable twice. Ki and Kekoa didn’t count because they were family. Soleil was the only one she ever really touch-touched, and even then, it was still a sensation Hoku felt all the way to the tip of her toes and down to her bones. Intimate.

Bet no one else has a daemon willing to get himself pet. Hoku peeked through her fingers at Hau who jumped from the branch and shifted into a little white butterfly. He’d turn into a dog later because it was easier to play with Luffy like that. What daemon goes up to someone to get themselves touched?

Some taboos just weren’t meant to be crossed.

A shadow fell over Hoku’s face and she blinked, moving her hands away to look up.

Reina looked down at her.

Hoku froze, stiff against the ground like a corpse. Her heart hammered stupidly loud in her chest, loud enough to burst through her ears. From this spot, she could make out every fine, red-gold hair smoothed over Reina’s slender face. She could see the dark lines that traced her feline gold eyes, followed the slope of her muzzle, to the long, elegant whiskers—a few cut short, and the few scars that lined her soft nose.

This was the closest she had ever been to the daemon.

She could sense heat from the lioness, hulking power and muscle. Reina’s killing paws sat on either side of her head. She could crush Hoku’s skull without much effort. Rip her throat out. In another world, Hoku would be fearing for her life—even in this world, Hoku was still fearing for her life, but, but, maybe death at the hands of such a beautiful, powerful daemon couldn’t be that awful.

Hoku waited, staring at Reina with wide eyes.

Reina blinked once, slowly. Something like amusement seemed to shift over the fine hairs on her face and she lowered her head over Hoku’s. Her body seized up, unable to breathe.

And then languidly, a warm, wet and scratchy pink tongue rolled once across her face, down her forehead to her lips and over her chin. Reina pulled away, satisfied, looking down at Hoku’s disheveled, slightly wet face and bulging eyes before calmly sauntering off, hips swaying.

It took her a moment. A good, solid moment. Her heart did something funny, her body frozen stiff and ascended to some other plain of existence, her mind whirring and still buzzing from the electricity of the slightest contact with—

Someone else’s daemon—

Reina—

Shanks’ daemon—

Touched—

Hoku’s face blushed a bright, scarlet red. She grabbed her face with her hands and rolled around in the dirt like the little bug she was.

Hau jealously nudged her face with his little ferret nose, huffing and puffing in displeasure.

She’d never been touched by someone else’s daemon before.

- - - - - - - -

The final nail into her own coffin was done by Hoku’s own hands.

At the crack of dawn, when the light was just beginning to crawl its way out of the horizon to peek over into the sky. Just hours before, Hoku had finally shown Shanks the book, speaking with him in the low light of that bar and making a total fool of herself—enough for Hau to tease and taunt her about it for hours until they fell asleep.

She woke up earlier than Luffy today, leaving him snoring in her hammock with Soleil sprawled as a baby badger over him. Hau woke up, slithering into her shirt and keeping himself warm by her stomach as they walked out into the forest.

Reina was already waiting for them.

“Dove,” Reina greeted, velvet voice carrying over as Hoku trudged through the dewy grass. Sunlight was warming her pelt, heating it up like a forge and turning the red-gold of her pelt darker and brighter.

Hau muttered a low, half-reluctant protest. Yesterday, Luffy had picked him up, holding him close and willingly thrusted Hau toward Shanks like some kind of sacrificial offering.

Shanks didn’t take the daemon, simply grinning in understanding at Hau’s horrified expression. Her daemon had never felt more betrayed.

“Hau, you gotta get along with everyone!” Luffy laughed. “Don’t be dumb like Hoku!”

Hoku couldn’t stop the greedy, uncontrollable itch in her fingers.

“...good morning,” Hoku mumbled, tucking hair behind her ear out of habit. Reina was stretched out, regal and picture perfect on that same slab of stone. Dawn was rising over the fine curve of her spine and the lioness kept her gaze on them evenly, waiting as Hoku slowly came to stand beside the slab of rock.

Reina’s ears swiveled forward. She watched Hoku, eyes glittering. A soft sound left her parted jaws.

Hoku hesitantly took a seat on the rock, a few inches away from Reina. She could feel heat rising from the daemon, her head turning to follow Hoku as they stared at each other.

She weakly raised one hand. Hau’s heartbeat matched her own.

“Could I… Could I draw you?”

Reina’s jaws parted to let out a soft rumble. Her body curved more, keeping Hoku in the middle. Her paws stretched out and Reina kept her eyes evenly on Hoku’s.

Hoku softly set her hand down on Reina’s side. Warmth flooded into her fingertips, spreading up her arm and making half her body feel almost numb with the sensation. Hoku’s head spun, buzzing with that vibrant thrum of energy as Reina’s pelt shifted under her fingertips. Hoku daringly let her hand come down Reina’s spine, feeling the muscles and scars in one gentle stroke.

Reina’s scratchy tongue dragged over Hoku’s hand in approval.

“I hope that man is deep, deep asleep,” Hau muttered. Hoku agreed.

She thought her heart was going to burst.

- - - - - -- -- - -

“This place is crawling with marines now,” Smoker said. “What are you going to do? Let them arrest you like some kind of washed up drunk?”

Hoku lightly pushed the glass in front of her. The bartender nervously refilled the glass, jumping in fear when Smoker glared daggers at him.

“Hoku,” Smoker said.

The woman kept swallowing mouthfuls of the whiskey in her cup, ignoring him. Blanca’s fur had settled over her back, smoothing out. His daemon watched the woman before them in silence, looking at Hau and then back to Hoku.

A soft sound left Blanca’s lips. Smoker shot her a warning look. The smoky colored husky daemon lowered her tail.

“What happened to all that spunk?” Smoker continued. “You don’t give two shits if I cuff you and take you in from here?”

Hoku didn’t even turn to look at them. She kept her shoulders hunched, curling in on herself over the bar’s countertop and refusing to meet the gazes burning into her back. The empty glasses spread out across the wood counter beside her, the heavy smell of alcohol settling amidst the cigarette smoke.

Hau kept silent at her feet, curled up and head low. Smoker observed the daemon carefully, noticing the matted fur, the dirt stains in the crisp white that used to be his go-to for hunting them down in the crowd. His unsheathed claws, caked with dried dirt and blood. The cleanest spot was the blood red ink curled over his half-hidden face under the countertop’s shadow.

A new spot was inked into his fur. A small, blood red flame right where the muscle of his shoulder blade bunched under his right foreleg. Smoker’s eyes traveled upwards to the matching red flame inked into Hoku’s skin over her right shoulder blade.

“This is it?” Smoker said gruffly.

Hoku snorted. Blanca shot him a look, gray eyes hard to read but Smoker never needed to read her eyes, he could hear her thoughts loud and clear in his own head, in the space they shared.

“Who cares,” Hoku muttered bitterly. “You got what you wanted.”

Blanca fell silent. Smoker shot his daemon a sharp look, but she refused to meet his gaze, tail limp behind her and ears pricked far forward, focused on the woman before them.

Hoku bowed her head. Her hands went up, carding through her hair, holding them there as though she were cradling her head in her hands.

“You won,” Hoku whispered.

His daemon took a step forward.

“Blanca,” he warned.

The husky kept her muzzle shut, looking at him.

“Smoker.”

Smoker tossed his cigar to the side. His gloved hand clenched into a fist before it loosened. Smoker let out an aggravated sigh, shaking his head. He took a step forward, raising his hand up.

Hau’s growl ripped through the air like a knife. A single, resounding warning. Smoker glanced down to the daemon, glaring at them with icy venom, fangs and claws bared. Blanca lowered her head only an inch, her only way of showing they meant no harm. Hau pulled his lips back into a louder snarl, tail lashing in aggravation.

Hoku glanced down to her companion, frowning for a moment before she raised her head and looked back at Smoker.

Tears continued to trickle from the corners of her eyes. They slid down the curve of her cheeks, dripping down her chin. Hoku watched him in silence, expression unreadable.

The admiral hesitated for only a second. Blanca let out the softest, softest whine.

For a moment, Hau’s body untensed, staring. The foggy look started to clear. Hoku’s brows creased and Smoker reached out with his gloved hand one more time.

The doors to the bar slammed open.

The light winked out from Hoku’s eyes. Hau stood onto his paws, head lowered, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

His men flooded the dimly lit room, raising their guns and shouting out orders as Smoker cursed in his head and Blanca’s ferocious barks of protest flooded the room over his, ordering the marine daemons to stand down.

Smoker lurched, eyes snapping in surprise to where Hau suddenly had Blanca pinned to the wooden floorboards of the bar. His daemon was silent, rigidly looking up at Hau with her teeth barely bared, body still while Hau’s jaws were wrapped around her neck. Smoker felt his teeth on his own, Hoku’s dead eyes looking at all of them.

“Go ahead,” Hoku said coldly. She turned to the marines by the door, half-smiling. “Just don’t forget, Hau’s got one more life over her.”

Blanca kept silent, staring imploringly at Hau. The panther ignored her gaze, keeping his jaws buried in the scruff of her throat, waiting. Smoker stared hard at Hoku and she kept her gaze on his men, expression devoid of emotion.

-- - ----- ----

“Estrella,” Law drawled, ice dripping with the roll of his tongue.

His daemon pounced.

They poor no-body marine dog never stood a chance.

--- --- ---- ---- ---

“No,” Law said. “This is rehab.”

He kicked Hoku’s lower back, sending her flying down the stairs with an ungoldy screech and down into the boiler room. Penguin and Sachi peeked their heads around the corner, staring down into the darkest depths of their sub while Law shoved a hand into his pocket.

“Is she still alive?” Penguin asked.

“She’s got a couple, right?” Law asked Hau. “Which one was that?”

Hau flicked his tail tip, the only sign of his annoyance. Estrella watched him with peering eyes, following the sway of Hau’s haunches as he slunk down the steps into the boiler room after Hoku.

“Fuck you, Law!” came the ghostly holler. “I’m going to blow up your submarine! You forgot I’m suicidal, asshole!”

Law looked satisfied, turning his back on them and closing the boiler room door. To Sachi and Penguin he added, “Make sure she doesn’t come out until she’s done.”

---- --- --- --- ---

Law froze, his entire body stiff as ice.

He took a moment, reassessing the sensation he felt unfolding in his chest. He considered it carefully, made sure this… this feeling was not a mistake, that he had not wrongly interpreted the shared sensation between himself and his daemon. He picked it apart in seconds, slowly, rigidly turning his head to the corner of the deck.

It was dark, only a single headbeam lit from the corner pathway of the submarine. The deck on top of the rounded hull was bathed in darkness, but even in the thin light, he knew down to his bones he was not seeing wrongly.

Law gave the woman beside him one discreet, searching glance.

Hoku looked completely and utterly unaffected. He watched her a second longer to make sure it wasn’t an act, but her careless, bored demeanor showed truthfully she had no inclination whatsoever to sharing his barely, barely startled turmoil. Hoku looked completely at ease, still squinting in the distance to see if she could make out the constellation they’d just discussed, mouth moving around the dried fruit she’d just popped into her mouth.

Law carefully, with great composure, withheld the light, creeping shiver that traveled down his spine. He narrowed his eyes, looking back, but Estrella coyly kept her mind blank, hiding all of her thoughts from him the way they’d taught each other to.

There, against the side of the entry doorway, the two of them laid.

Hoku’s daemon had stretched out, directly in the middle of the deck to keep the perfect distance away from either side of the railings. His long, furred body turned a pale, ghostly shade of white under the moonlight, large paws hiding pearl white claws. Hau’s side rose and fell in lazy slumber, his tail stretched out behind him like a white whip, ears twitching only occasionally.

But the issue was who was beside him.

Estrella had silently made her way from Law’s side across the deck to his. Her lithe, powerful feline body almost nearly matched his in size. Law watched her with rapt, rigid focus, brows furrowed in dark disbelief as his daemon purposefully ignored his silent prodding.

She stopped inches from Hau’s form, sitting on her haunches, tail curled neatly over her paws. Hau’s ear flicked once in her direction to signal he’d noticed, but kept his eyes closed. Estrella stared down at him, icy gray gaze that had stared back as she ripped throats out of marines and pirates and their enemies alike, becoming almost clear.

Estrella rearranged herself, laying down on her stomach barely a centimeter—a heavy, tense centimeter Law could feel—from him. She folded her paws neatly over each other, staring out seemingly in boredom. Her striped black tail flicked from side to side, occasionally brushing against Hau’s limp one. A ghost of a touch.

Touch.

His daemon. Estrella.

Hau didn’t move, tail limp, body relaxed. Estrella turned her head to look down at the other daemon, expression carefully blank. Her tail curled and then the tip of it brushed against Hau’s flank. His fur seemed to shift, bright, scarred pink nose twitching but he remained relaxed. Estrella seemed pleased by this and her tail promptly laid out beside his own, curling idly over his.

Touching.

Law looked back at Hoku and she reached for another dried fruit, popping it into her mouth. She shuffled through her bag, debating whether or not to shove a handful more. Oblivious.

Is your connection to your daemon that terrible? Law almost bit out. Almost. It would have come out calm and cold and collected. Are you that dull? Is it that messed up? Are you an idiot—

He went rigid, gripping Kikoku with white knuckles.

Law exhaled, slowly. He carefully turned over his shoulder, inch by inch, glaring daggers behind him.

Estrella didn’t even blink at him, eyes trained sideways and away. She looked silver against Hau’s snow white. Her long, raspy pink tongue slid out languidly from her mouth in soothing, relaxed motions. It showed off the dangerous curve of bone-crushing fangs. But Estrella’s tongue was now running over the top of Hau’s face, over his ears, around his neck as she turned her face and—

“Are you grooming him?” Law spat out in disbelief at her.

The snow leopard lazily flicked her tail behind her in response. Hau yawned, stretching his paws out, unbothered, and resumed his slumber as Estrella continued her grooming, content.

Law ripped apart the shudder that almost raced down his spine. He shoved the sensations traveling from Estrella and Hau’s shared connection, the low buzz of energy, of electricity that came when two daemons touched each. A feeling he’d only ever felt when Corazon’s Rosa would curl her soft, furry body up around Estrella—

He grit his teeth, squaring his shoulders and forcibly maintaining his composure as he promptly knocked Kikoku against the metal railing once.

Hoku looked up, brows creasing. A fruit stuck out from between her lips. She gave him a look, as though he’d done something wrong for disturbing her.

Your daemon is touching my daemon.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Hoku asked.

Do you not feel what I feel?

Law gave her a flat look. Hoku continued to chew.

Go get your daemon—

“Hoku,” she and Law both looked down. Hau’s voice was smooth and not too low, like a melted rumble. He came up to her leg, pressing his big head against her hip and curling his tail over her leg. The white panther daemon blinked blue eyes up at them. Law could see gold.

Hau seemed to examine Law for a moment before his long whiskers twitched. The white panther blinked once. Law stared back at him, curious about the eye contact someone else’s daemon was making with him.

Without even pausing, Hoku’s hand ran over his face, pushing past his soft ears and turning against his cheek to scratch under his chin. Hau lifted his head for better access, a loud rumble filling the air.

Several feet away, Estrella slowly made her way toward them, nonchalant and shifting mass of silver and black fur. She didn’t even acknowledge the icy daggers her other half was fixing her with, haunches swaying as she came up and sat down loyally by Law’s feet. Estrella looked up at Hoku, whiskers twitching.

“What game are you playing?” Law thought at her.

“Nothing,” Estrella thought back at him, innocent. “Nothing at all.”

---- ----- -----

P.S - If you guys like this au, highly recommend checking out 500shadesofblue’s story “Echoes” on ao3, super good.

#memos #memos au #hdm au #daemons #straw hat crew #shanks #trafalgar law #mihawk #mahina #manu #hoku #ko fi requests #smoker

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snusbandxknifewife · 4 years

Text

Photo Fic 2: Electric Boogaloo

Ok so this is the sequel to the first fic I ever posted on this account. (If you wanna read that one first, click on the photo fic tag at the bottom.) I think it’s cute as hell and I’m soft about it so 🥺 Jude and Cardan wanting to take pictures together makes me 🥺🥺🥺

~~~~~~~~~

In the year after Cardan and Jude took their very first photos in a photobooth, photography became a bit of a fascination in Faerie. Jude didn’t intend for it to happen, but what royalty does tends to become the fad in the kingdom.

It started when they’d bought a Polaroid and began to take pictures of one another, eventually amassing so many that they’d dedicated an entire hall to photos of them. It was both of their favorite place in the entire palace, where they both went to see the other smile and drown in happy memories.

Then a servant had left a door open and a visiting dignitary had seen inside. After that, word quickly spread around the kingdom of the King and Queen’s portrait hall: the place where they’d managed to capture pieces of real life. Jude and Cardan had sighed and agreed to throw the doors open, allowing people to tour the wonder.

(Of course they’d continued to take dumb photos and risqué ones too, but they were much better at hiding those. Jude was insistent that only the dramatic or kickass photos get sent to the hall.)

They’d graduated to a better camera and they’d started to send requests for Vivi to print them. As the photos got bigger and more detailed, the people of Elfhame grew more impressed. All over the kingdom, tinkerers and witches and everyone in between began trying to craft devices that would capture photos in ways the mortal devices couldn’t. It had become a fierce competition, one that amused both Jude and Cardan.

Now, on Cardan’s birthday, the entire kingdom was watching with bated breath. The Living Council had announced a competition to find the best camera creation and, in addition to all the gifts people were bringing for the king, the great hall was full of photographs. The king would be choosing the most realistic picture, and he’d also be awarding the most beautiful one.

Jude sat on her throne, her red empire waist dress floating down to her feet and glittering in the light. She’d worn it at Cardan’s insistence; since he’d announced that their subjects would undoubtedly be taking pictures of them and he wanted his wife to shine just as much as her.

Beside her, Cardan smiled and greeted the family of a soldier from the Court of Termites. Bomb took their gift and stacked it on a table to the side of the royal dais. The picture they brought with them is a gorgeous rendering of a hill overlooking a lake at sunset. It appears to be painted, the work of an extremely diligent artist who had undoubtedly spent days getting everything right.

The photos people came with weren’t all actual photographs, most were art pieces, but it made Jude smile. She couldn’t help but feel proud at the fact that she’d inspired her kingdom to try something they’d never really focused on before. At least she knew she wouldn’t have to keep going to the mortal world to get pictures with her husband. She’d be able to stay in Faerie, safe in what she was familiar with, and she’d still be able to capture important moments in her life.

Still, she’d had to go to the mortal world to get the gift she wanted for Cardan. She’d done that a few times in the past year—her husband’s favorite had been the pinup shoot she’d done about five months prior—and he had a habit of rotating the framed pictures of her he kept on his desk.

She knew she’d have to stop eventually, so she took all her chances while she still had them. She was glad that the timing of this one has worked out.

Time passed and she played the dutiful queen and adoring wife, dancing with Cardan and eating to her heart’s content, greeting her subjects and accepting gifts that didn’t come with any strings attached.

Cardan watched her over the top of his chalice, grinning at how effortlessly she swayed across the floor. With her head held high and her shoulders back, she commanded the whole room without a word. His wife was gorgeous, she was his everything.

Eventually their people became antsy, looking around at the pictures hanging all around the hall and wondering who would be announced the winner. Members of the Living Council were interviewing everyone who’d put in an entry to find out how they made their picture as Cardan led Jude to look at each piece. They’d make the decision on the most beautiful picture alone, and they’d take the Living Council’s input on the best camera entry.

Jude’s favorite was definitely the picture someone had turned in of a revel from a few weeks back. It had been outside, everyone barefoot and dancing until the sun had long come up. The picture showed a dance floor lined with faeries in all manner of dress, watching on as she and Cardan danced. Her dress that night had been a spring green piece with a dangerously low back and skirts that danced around her ankles. Her husband, shown smiling as he swung her around, had a ruffled shirt open low on his pale stomach and breeches of forest green.

Cardan’s favorite was a picture put in by a guard, one that showed his wife dressed in fighting gear as she practiced out in the gardens; her hair sticking to her skin and her face fierce as she lunged towards her sparring partner. He always adored little reminders of how deadly his wife was, loved to see glimpses of the creature that he’d managed to tame, the one who’d tamed him in turn.

They retreated to their thrones to deliberate as Cardan opened gifts. The whole hall went silent, watching the king’s reaction to each parcel. While gifts had to be freely given, everyone knew that those who gave the best gifts would be looked upon favorably.

Jude watched the room for threats as her heart began to race. She knew that the last gift Cardan would open would be the one from her. She’d made sure that Bomb arranged everything that way.

She’d worked her ass off to keep her gift a secret from him. Cardan had been a pain in the neck for WEEKS, trying to catch her in a slip up. She had to engineer a diplomatic mission for him to go on just so she could sneak away to the mortal world and she’d threatened a few lives to keep it from him. Thankfully, it would all be over in a few hours.

Cardan opened all manner of magical gifts: cloaks meant to make the wearer invisible, doublets of impenetrable spider silk, jewelry that helped you understand and speak other languages. Everything he was given was gorgeous and unbelievably expensive.

Everything except for one thing.

Cardan was just about to grab the parchment from Randalin that announced the best camera so they could make their announcements when Jude stopped him.

“Cardan, you’ve got one more gift,” she gently announced and his brows furrowed. One, Jude was hardly ever gentle and two, he had opened everything he’d been given.

Bomb walked up and handed Jude a box, one made of lush purple velvet and wrapped up in a bow of the cleanest white satin.

“What on Earth?” Cardan tilted his head to the side as he accepted the gift, his long fingers wrapping all the way around it as he tried to weigh it to guess what was inside.

“Consider it my entry into the photo contest,” she grinned, only confusing him more.

He pulled the bow off and the entire crowd watched closely. Some were intrigued, others were angry—nobody had been told the queen would be submitting a photo—and others were just being quiet to avoid the ire of the royal family.

When Cardan took the top off the box, he found a picture frame upside down and he snorted. It was just like Jude to prolong the drama.

Jude grabbed fistfuls of her fluffy tulle skirt and bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to make it bleed. She knew that she’d have to explain what it was and that was making her nervous enough to shake.

She’d debated for hours if she should give him his birthday gift in private or if she should do it at his party. Eventually, at the insistence of Vivi and Heather, she’d taken the plunge and decided on a public announcement. She knew everyone would find out eventually.

“It’s.....a photo?”

Jude snorted at Cardan’s evident confusion as he looked at the black and white fuzzy picture, no larger than his hand. She’d put it in a pretty white frame, one that she would eventually write a name on.

“You’re right, my love,” she agreed. “It’s a photo from the mortal world. You see, mortals have figured out how to take pictures for medical purposes. They can use special devices to see inside the body.”

He looked to her, delicately clutching the frame in one hand. She fought the urge to laugh at how he still hadn’t put two and two together. Out in the crowd, faeries were tittering amongst themselves, trying to figure out what their queen has given their king.

“Is this a photograph of you?” He turned back to the picture, gripping it in both hands again and turning it like a different angle would make it make more sense.

“Sort of,” she shook her hand in a so-so gesture. “I’d say I’m the background of the photo. You should be focusing here.”

She walked over and pointed, her nail with its unchipped purple paint tapping against the glass over a strangely shaped white blob. Cardan naturally leaned closer to her, as he always did when she got near, one of his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close as he tilted his head and squinted his eyes.

Silence stretched out for a few more seconds before Jude, near giddy with mirth, stepped away from her husband.

“Maybe it’ll help if you know where the photo was taken,” she offers as she grabs the frame from his hands. Cardan, his mind still swimming with possibilities, allowed her.

Then, as his wife turned the photo to face him and drew it back so the frame was flush against her lower abdomen, his jaw dropped.

If she was the background, and the photo was taken inside the body—

“Jude, gods above, how long have you known?” Cardan’s eyes welled up with tears and he fell to his knees, his hands coming up to cup his wife’s hips and his thumbs running over where the frame covered her stomach.

Just that quickly, her throat closed up from emotion and all she could do was nod. Cardan grabbed the frame from her and tucked it against his heart as he pressed his face into her skirts, trying to kiss her stomach and hide his crying all at the same time.

Some faeries had put the clues together and were watching with gaping mouths, unsure of what to do as their king hugged their queen.

Then, Jude pulled Cardan to his feet and she turned to the crowd. “The gift I present to my king and husband is the first photograph of our child, which grows inside me as we speak.”

And, just like that, the entire hall erupted with celebration. Most of their subjects had grown to love their new king and queen and, even if that weren’t the case, a pregnancy was always cause for celebration among the fertility-challenged fae. A royal baby, especially so early on in both the king and queen’s rule and their marriage, was unheard of.

Randalin—who looked a bit annoyed at not being informed of the royal pregnancy before the court was—led the partygoers in a toast, one that Cardan happily joined in. Beside the beaming king, Jude raised her glass of water in solidarity; no wine for her for a few more months.

“How long?” Cardan asked her, near giddy with excitement.

“The doctor said twelve weeks,” she whispered back, wrapping her arm around her husband’s hips as they raised their glasses again. “I’ve suspected for a month or so. I should’ve known sooner, but my first missed period was during that last uprising attempt, so I was a bit distracted.”

Cardan held out the photo and Jude pointed out the body parts that were already forming. When she told him that she’d be going back, that he’d be able to come with her and hear their baby’s heartbeat while it was still inside her, he nearly began to bawl again.

“When do we announce the winners?” Jude asked, thinking back to that gorgeous picture of them dancing.

“I can’t think of anything more beautiful than this.” He held up the photo of their baby and Jude blushed, elbowing his side and telling him to be serious.

Cardan told her that he was being serious and she bit her lip, looking down at the photo she’d already stared at so much.

The party would grow into a week-long celebration of the new heir; a practice run for the celebrations that would rock Elfhame when the child was born. Eventually, both the faeries who made the two pictures Jude and Cardan had enjoyed the most were made aware that their works were hanging in the royal picture hall and another faerie who’d made the best camera was given a job by the Living Council and they became the first official royal photographer.

Elfhame would grow to love photography, all because of a mortal queen who wanted a picture with her husband.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hnnnnng pregnancy announcements are so cute lol

Tag list: @cardan-greenbriar-tcp @hizqueen4life @slightlyrebelliouswriter23 @thewickedkings @aelin-queen-of-terrasen @cheekycheekycheeks @queen-of-glass @b00kworm @doingmyrainbow @andromeddea @jurdanhell @thesirenwashere @sweetlyvillainous @clouds-and-peonies @clockworkgraystairs

#cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #tfota #jurdan #judecardan #photo fic #tyrannosaurus lex writes #pregnancy announcement #im SO fucking soft for this

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yamithediaperdork · 3 years

Text

Cutest widdle champion part 2

To say the last 24 hours of Umbraby's life had been interesting would be a understatement. Having gone from one of the most handsome and dashing Starlit angel knights in service of his god he was now now basically a toddler and was learning to deal with the enhanced powers his new form gifted him with, as well as the limits and draw backs.

He was stronger then before of course but that came with a lost of reach, His flying skills were vastly improved and he was a aerial ace now but that had come with a lose of speed and balance while on the ground, due to his new stubby legs and well the thick massive diapers his Goddess (Who insisted on being referred as mommy now, a term and arrange he was rapidly warming up to) had made clear he needed.

As a godly force he had never learned to use the potty and in such a small body well, let's just say he had gone though more then a couple of diaper changes. (he wasn't keeping count though Mommy was, but she was nice and didn't bring it up.)

The other Starlit angel's, those that reminded loyal to their diminished goddess had been confused when she had invited them to meet her new champion. Quick beat, the second in command asking if she was allowed to just abduct a helpless little boy from the mortal plain, and asking if Allimir had been made aware of this.

upon finding out the former head of the knights had been given a promotion and was in fact the cute widdle guy being cradled by the goddess and being bottle fed, all worries were addressed and some chuckles rang out among the knights, as well as comments about how adorable and cute the former captain was.

"Congratulations on your promotion friend. You deserve." Quick beat said, smiling widely and while there was hint of teasing in it, the other angel meant it, and even offered to take over feeding his friend.

well fed and a diaper change later, Lulnyq didn't want there to be any doubts that her chosen form for the new champion was a mistake and also wanted to give her cute widdle champ a chance to adept to combat in his adorable new body and so arranged a series of matches between the starlit angels as Umbraby sat in her lap, sucking his thumb with the winners of each match then getting a chance to spar with the former captain.

Umbraby naturally struggled with the first few matches but before long was dominating the fights, even the one against the now captain of the guard quick beat and sharing a hearty handshake with his friend, a awesome moment somewhat marred by the fact that Umbraby had started to soil himself again and cried for mommy.

deemed ready for his mission he was escorted by Mommy and all his 'brothers and sisters' as he saw them now, Clad in his heroic champions grab and playing with his cloak as mommy worked to prepare a portal to take him to the exact location where her three worshipers were waiting.

"i didn't have a temple in the area the tournament is being held, but the three children you'll be meeting know everything about you and were more then willing to host you. they know about your 'needs' and don't mind handling that so make sure your on your best behavior." Mommy was saying, kneeling down and putting her hands on his shoulders and trying to ignore the soft comments about her ample backside coming from the other starlit angels. "Your representing mommy..heck all of us." She added and kissed Umbraby's forehead.

Maybe it was his small size, maybe it was he'd never actually left the realm before, but Umbraby suddenly felt more like Allimir, as in less of a champion and wanted to cry and toss his arms around his goddess, his mommy and beg to stay. to offer up the role of champion to anyone else.

Mommy clearly could see what he was thinking and gave him anther kiss , this time on his cheek. "You'll be ok little champion. I stocked everything you'll need in your cloak, and you can call upon them as needed. in fact the cloak itself can shape change into a soft and warm blankie should you find yourself missing us."

Reach into the cloak herself she pulled out a soft and cute bat stuffie and offered it to her scared widdle champion who hugged it and seemed to draw courage from it.

"There's a book in there about the other god's and their champions, more about the rules, Your weapon Night Blade and of course the most important thing.." And she paused and winked before finishing. "Lots and LOTS of extra diapers." She giggled and tickled his tummy.

Allimir blushed and went to argue, but one does not merely ignore the tickles of a mommy, let alone a goddess.

with some last words of encouragement from his brothers and sisters, and a last second diaper check from mommy, Allimir/Umbraby took a big breath and stepped into the portal, not quite sure what to expect.

Dwere nibbled on her lip, checking a wall clock. The goddess had said to expect the champion half a hour ago and she couldn't be out of bed much longer as it was nearing the nightly bed check.

14 year's old and average size for her age, she had her long brunette hair loose around her shoulders and was in a light black nightgown with it being so late.

She was a priestess in training at the wayward soul's Orphanage and the only worshiper of the night goddess in the city (or for a good 400 miles around at that)

As a priestess she wanted to be there when Allimir arrived and greet him but at the same time while some of the non priests or priestesses in training were given more leeway on night time wandering (it still wasn't smiled upon) it was a very big nay nay.

"I hope he shows up soon, oh gosh, what if he doesn't show up!? Those papers i forged will be left with no child to prove an-" she started to whine and then suddenly the back of her nightie was lifted and her modest white bloomers were suddenly yanked up between her cheeks and Dwere had to clamp her hands over her mouth to keep from shrieking.

"Relax will ya, he'll git here when he git's here!" Giggled the prankster of the gathered gathers, A dirty blond 4 year old who hair was cut short because she loved to play in the dirty and would get tangled with leaves and the like and this just saved time.

Vivi was her name, and unlike the girl ten years her senior she was clad in just layers of faded white cloth diapers, secured with a oversized safety pin.

She was yanked out from under the nightie by the third and final member of the group, who was chuckling softly and trying and failing to scold Vivi.

Dressed in a pair of tight olive green shorts and a faded white top, his hair was in a semi mohawk and was light grey, contrasting with his light grayish skin as a half drow.

"Vivi, I think we've had this talk before, you can't -snk- just go around yanking on peoples undies." Selen scolded, picking her up and cradling the four year old in his strong despite his slim frame arms.

Dwere turned around, fire in her eyes and Vivi say the wisdom in seeking shelter in the arms of the slightly girlish half drow.

"Gosh, I'm Sooooo sorry Dwere." Vivi said, the words and tone making you think she was but the HUGE grin on her face as the oldest of the three (Selen being 7) glared and yanked at her crack.

And wouldn't you know it, with her back to the area where the champion was suppose to show and a hand digging at her wedige, the portal opened and out came Allimir, who paused for a moment, watching Dwere and tilting his head, then rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh.. Is that how you greet people on the mortal plain?" he asked cutely, and started to turn around and grab at his behind.

"NO!"

One misunderstanding explained later, and introductions made, Allimir had lots of other questions for the trio even as he hugged his stuffie and looked around the room.

"ok..First question.what's with all the mini prison beds in the room and that large table over there?" he asked, pointing at cribs and then a changing table.

"heh, never seen a nursery before?" Vivi asked. "It's where diaper butt like you n me sleep! Those are called cribs, and that's a changing table where they can put you while changing yer diapies." Vivi said, then after a second added. "Oh you'll be bunking with me by the way, but don't think you'll ever out do me when it comes to booms!"

"Vivi! we do NOT challenge a champion of our goddess to a boom boom contest!" Dwere hissed, not for the first time wishing there was a minimal age requirement to worship the goddess.

"Though you gotta admit that would be cute to watch.. from a distance." Selen chimed in.

"I'm sure that the champion of the goddess does NOT go boom boom th-" Dwere started and then was cut off.

"Actually I'm open to any and all challenges, and I was told I was a super duper big boomer by mo- I mean my goddess and fellow Starlit angels." Allimir chimed in and smiled.

"..Can we PLEASE try and get off the topic of boom boom diapers?" Dwere asked, face palming.

"ehehehe sorry. Ok, why so many beds when it's just the three of you, and are you two diapered as well?" Allimir asked, thinking this was just the three kid's home.

"Oh sweetie, this is a orphanage. a nice and open one that that offers training in priest and priestess's and offers training for any religion. they keep a big nursery because you can never be sure HOW many babies they'll have in here. Normally most of the kids here are potty trained by 2 or three at the latest bu-" Selen was explaining when Vivi cut him off

"But who wants to give up AWESOME diapies n' being able to just go whenever fer icky undies and having to sit on a smelly potty?" Vivi giggled.

"..what's a potty?" Allimir asked. " I just learned about getting rid of body waste like, 24 hours ago.."

"And now you being in diapers makes sooo much sense." Dwere said, then wrinkled her nose as a smell started to fill the nursery. "Speaking of.. ok which one of you?"

"heh, if it was ME ya would know it." Vivi said and winked, turning around and wiggling her butt and slapping it.

Allimir meanwhile was hiding his face in his plushie and whining softly.

"I'll handle changing him, you better get moving double time Dwere, it's almost bed check." Selen said, nodding at a clock and goiving over to the changing table, then frowning as he looked in the compartment for diapers.

"oh uh.. yeahhh they hafa wash more diapies because I kinda you know.." Vivi said said sheepishly.

"We CAN NOT leave a champion in stinky diapers!" Dwere whined, panicking and getting ready to offer her Nightie for the cause when Allimir chimed in.

"it's s'ok, I got this." he said, setting his Bat plushie down and then reaching into his cloak as the three mortal watched, eyes going big as saucers and he pulled out a spare diaper. "Mommy looks after me!" he beamed happily.

with the with the champion changed and Vivi seeing she had some serious competition in the nursery, the champ and the brat were put in her crib and quickly conked out, Allimir sucking on his thumb and hugging his stuffie while Vivi hugged a silver fox plushie, though instead of sucking on her own thumb she was sucking on Allimir's.

Dwere made it back to her own room just in time and had to explain why she was so out of breath and getting a lecture on proper behavior for young girls, but otherwise was left alone with cheeks burning red.

Selen was spotted in the halls and started to get a semi lecture on wandering the halls before saying he heard some of the little ones crying and wanted to help out and changed the diapers. Thankful to not have to do the dirty deed themselves, the caretakers who'd caught him let him go with a pat on the head and telling him what a good boy he was.

All was calm and good, at least until the next morning.

Vivi couldn't be sure exactly what time it was, having not bothered to learn how to read anything as of yet, but she was woken up by the panicked screams and whimpers of terror of Allimir and sat up in their crib, rubbing a eye and basking in the morning sunlight.

Despite the crib rail still being up, she was alone in the crib, and as she listened, she could make out the cry's of terror from UNDER the crib and pulled herself up, JUST too short to get out of the crib on her own.

"Allimir? Buddy? what's wrong?" She called out, trying to get her face between the bars so she could look down, though the bar's were JUST too close together.

"S-Something awful and strange is happening! it's some sort of energy attack or something!" Allimir Cried out.

"Huh? I don't see anything.." Vivi said, turning her head towards the window.

All she saw was a bright and sunny day out.

"But..but..it's so bright out there!! What's going on!?!" Allimir whined and whimpered, choking back a sob of terror and doing something else, as the smell reached Vivi.

Ironically it was as the funk reached her it clicked what was going on.

"Heh..hehehehehehehe Allimir that's called daylight. didn't you have that back home?" She giggled, thinking of how silly it was. "Daylight can't hurt you..well as long as your not out in it too long." Vivi added, thinking of the time she had played outside all day and gotten wicked sun burn.

The sniffles slowed down and Allimir slowly came into view, coming out from under the bed and locking his tear filled eyes with Vivi's amused ones.

"Y-You promise?" he asked, hovering in the air, making his diaper droop more then it normally would of as he hiccuped and ran a arm across his eyes.

"Swear by the goddess." Vivi said and gave him a warm smile, then added "but you better get your stinky butt back in here, if a caretaker find your hovering that's gonna be all SORTS of questions."

Allimir nodded slowly and floated back into the crib, though he made a grossed out face as he plopped down on his muddy back side, Just in time as the door opened and in came one of the adults.

"Oh great..anther stinker.. as if there weren't enough of them in here." The balding older man said, rolling his eyes.

"heh, G'morning ta you took Kalect!" Vivi giggled, then turned to Allimir. "That's Kalect and he's the one who gets the pleasure of wiping our BUTTS!"

Hearing the utter delight in Vivi's voice and seeing the older human frown, Allimir couldn't help but break into a fit of toddlerish giggles.

One series of diaper changes later and Allimir was trying to get used to the outfit he'd been dressed in, Mortal clothing was just so weird!

his own clothes had been taken away to be washed,save for the cloak which he had turned into a blankie and the caretaker let him keep with him at least.

but bow he was in a pair of grayish white socks, a white diaper shirt and a pair of shortalls over them, and was trying to adjust to the mortal diapers that just didn't feel right on his sensitive booty and had him wiggling like he had ant's in his pants. (he hadn't told to take out extra diapers when he'd gotten his change the night before and a look from Vivi told him that offering one now might not be a good idea)

"How are you not bugged by how rough this material is!?" Allimir whined for the forth time as Vivi in just her diapers (they had given up long ago on trying to dress her for the most part) snugged.

"I never knew anything else. but hey, your a CHAMP right?" She said, putting a arm around him and pulling him in. "You gotta get used to a little discomfort."

"Ngggh.. I suppose that tr.." Allimir trailed off, as his nostrils flared and then he covered his nose and gagged."whats that awful stench!?! I thought a poopie diaper was bad!" he cried out.

"Heh, this is where all the stupid big kids go tinkle and boom boom. it's called a bathroom." Vivi explained then added. "and NOW you see why I just go in mah diapie."

"Really, I thought that's just because you like tormenting other people." Selen said, coming out and smirking, and getting a raspberry blown at him but no denial from Vivi.

"How's my favorite little pamper packers?" he asked, Bending a knee and drawing both of the diaper butts in for a big hug.

"Eh, We're ok..Right Allimir?" Vivi said the asked, she had agreed to keep his little fit to herself to help him save face.

"Uhh yeah! Totally! no crying fits or hiding under the crib here!" Allimir said, blushing and giving a shaky grin, and making Selen raise a eyebrow.

"where's Dwere?" Vivi asked, trying to change the topic.

"oh she got roped into helping make the morning portage to teach her purity or something like that." Selen said and shrugged. "Anyways, ready for your first taste of mortal food little guy?"

"Yeah!" Allimir said, giggling and holding up his arms to be carried.

To be continued

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rnufharose · 5 years

Text

Blood, Sweat, and Tears - Chapter 9

Words: 2.2k

Trigger Warnings: None

︻デ═一 ♥

He opened the door to the spare bedroom, pulling the curtains apart to allow the sunlight in. The bed was yet to be graced with sheets and a comforter and the empty closet will be out to good use once she arrived. Staying here would be for her protection, but he wasn't entirely sure how he would get her to come here. He knew with one look, she would be scared.

"Sehun-ah," Chanyeol stepped into the room and the younger male faced him. "So... she'll be using this room, huh?"

"She might as well," the raven-haired hitman shrugged. "Its the only room in this apartment that hasn't been touched since I moved here." He crossed his arms and sucked in a breath through his teeth, his face scrunched with perplexity. "Although... I'm not entirely sure how we'll get her to come here."

"Make an ad," Chanyeol suggested. "You're looking a renter. Once she sees the listing, she'll come here."

"But I don't want to lie to her," Sehun muttered, looking down, and Chanyeol tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat, tilting his head.

"You know we've committed a lot more serious crimes than lying," he spoke solemnly. "And this is a kind lie. She'll know you're doing it for her own good..."

"I just don't want her to feel like a prisoner," He lifted his gaze, staring toward the other male with a frown. "She's been through enough already and she knows I'm around. That look on her face when she saw me... it still haunts me."

"I know," Chanyeol nodded in understanding. "But really, she'll be fine. If you're willing to protect her, then that's more than enough. And I think I can help you!" He added with a smirk, and Sehun narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

"You're not going to do something foolish, are you?"

"Yah, relax! I'm your hyung and you can trust me," he made his way out of the room, his smile growing wider once he saw the big fluffy white bichon laying on the carpet with his tongue hanging out. "If we're going to win her over, we'll need something cute to do it, and you have something cute."

︻デ═一 ♥

Haneul couldn't live in The Magic Shop's storage room after what happened the night before. After closing, Jungkook had taken her to his place, offering her the spare room, the fear of her getting hurt chipping away at his thoughts. He knew she wanted to find a way to get on her feet but he truly wanted her to stay with him as long as she pleased, but the girl proved to be very stubborn.

The door to the brownstone apartment was open, and Jungkook was in the kitchen making himself some iced tea while Haneul sat on the steps of the front porch, scrolling through her phone as she looked through listings for affordable apartments. So far, she could only find seedy one bedroom apartments in the poor part of Seoul where gang activity was prominent, or ridiculously expensive ones in Gangnam that only celebrities could afford.

"Dammit," she mumbled, putting her phone down for a moment and running her fingers through her hair.

Jungkook stepped outside, taking a seat beside her and sipping his iced tea. He noticed the defeated expression she harbored, his eyes filled with concern, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, smiling half-heartedly. "I'm just trying to get out of your hair... I don't want to burden you..."

"You're like my little sister," he told her. "You can never burden me. In fact, I want you to stay. Live here for as long as you like. Plus, the apartment feels less lonely with you here..."

"Jungkook," she began, but she couldn't find the words to continue. After all the trauma she had faced, she felt she needed to face this on her own. She didn't want to drag her loved ones into her problems, even if it meant she had to distance herself from them. Maybe coming to Seoul was a mistake, she thought. I should have used the money I had to leave the country...

"You want a fresh start. I get it," he said as if he had read her thoughts. "but being alone won't give you that, Neullie." He stood again, looking down at her and giving her a smile. "Anyway, if you change your mind, that'll make me very happy. There's leftover iced tea so hurry inside if you want some." He made his way through the door, leaving her alone on the steps once more, and she made an affirmative sound, staring out toward the street and apartments that lined the other side of the pavement.

Chanyeol stood a few feet away, watching the young man retreat inside, and the girl picked up her phone again, going back to looking for more apartments. Vivi was on his leash, walking once the tall male made his way down the sidewalk, posting a flyer that he and Sehun had made onto one of the posts near the brownstone.

Once he was close enough, he was able to get a glimpse of the girl that his friend had begun to protect. Chanyeol had to admit, she looked very cute. She had a sweet look about her—one that must look beautiful when she smiled, her face round, framed by long silky hair, her eyes doe-like and colored chocolate. However, he noticed the sadness they harbored, the light that once graced them gone. Her lips appeared thinner and her cheeks lacked some color. She looked miserable, like the traumatic experiences she had encountered had begun to take a toll on her. She looked so small and afraid, ready to break, but the tight grip on her phone, the way she furrowed her brows, keeping herself from crying, made him realize she was trying to be strong.

That she was willing to hold herself together after everything she had been through.

Haneul's mind began to wander, her thumb no longer moving along the screen of her phone. She took into account Taehyung's words from yesterday, telling herself to run if she saw any illegal activities... and if that guy ever came back. "Sehun..." she mumbled his name absentmindedly before his blank face appeared again, his cold gaze piercing through that other man, his black hair falling along the sides of his face. She jolted in fear, dropping her phone onto the pavement, the screen now severely cracked. Her heartbeat was elevated, and she breathed heavily, growing slightly as she stared at the damaged screen. The hair on the back of her neck stood and she shuddered, her trembling hand reaching for her phone.

While she was distracted, Chanyeol deliberately let go of Vivi's leash, and the big white bichon came running toward her, his white tail wagging and his tongue out. He stood on his legs and pressing his pawns against her.

The brunette raised her brows, all thoughts of her phone long gone once he yipped sweetly, and that brought a small smile to her face. "Oh, hi!" She cooed, rubbing his fur.

Now was his chance. The tall male pretended to hold a frantic face, running toward the steps of the brownstone until he stood doubled over before the girl. He prayed this would work. "Vivi-ah!" He huffed, feigning relief before standing straight, looking down at the dog. "Sorry about him! I'm looking after my friend's dog while he does his work today. He seems to have taken a liking to you."

"It's fine," Haneul said once she looked up at the man. She giggled when she saw his floppy ears and dimples. His face was a nice change from what she saw yesterday. "He's adorable... they both are." She looked at the bichon.

I feel bad... but she bought into my lie. "Thank you," the male laughed, satisfied that she was at ease around Vivi. His plan was working, but he hoped that with this, she would be able to look into the apartment listing. Maybe she won't be so afraid when she began living with Sehun. He looked at her cracked phone, keeping up with their conversation and tilting his head. "How did that happen?"

"I just dropped it," she said while scratching Vivi behind the. "I was preoccupied and I may have scared myself... I was looking for an apartment to move into so I wouldn't be a bother to my friend."

"Is that so...?" He hummed, giving her a smile of encouragement. "I know you will. Don't lose hope. Who knows? The perfect apartment may be closer than you think." He grabbed the bichon's leash and tugged on it gently, "Vivi-ah, let's get going. It was nice meeting you, little miss."

"You too," she nodded once and darted her gaze back to Vivi, giving him a wave. "Have a good day, little Vivi!"

Vivi gave one last yip toward the girl before walking away.

From the other end of the block, at the corner of one of the buildings, Sehun watched as Chanyeol approached him, staring back at the girl for a moment. His face softened when she looked back at her phone, that fleeting smiling of hers gone. He was disappointed she stopped smiling but once she began living with him, he would make sure to protect that smile.

Chanyeol rounded the corner, his smile fading once he stood before the younger male, handing him Vivi's leash. "It's done... now, all that's left is for her to look at the flyer and go to your apartment."

"Good. I don't think it will be long as before she notices the listing for the apartment," Sehun knelt down to pet Vivi, a gentle smile on his face. "She'll be away from the crime and no one will think of finding her there." He turned back to the brownstone, and he found Ha-Neul's eyes on the flyer. She stood up from the steps, walking toward the electrical post and pulling off the tape gently. She read the listing carefully and her shoulders weren't so tense. It seemed she was considering looking into the apartment. This lie would have to continue, but Sehun hoped she would understand.

︻デ═一 ♥

Haneul was able to find the apartment in a clean part of the city. She was careful to traverse there, although she knew Jungkook would flip if he found out she went alone after everything she had been through. Even so, she had to do this on her own. She couldn't depend on her friends all the time.

She entered the building, looking around the lavish lobby, the reception desk void of any receptionist. The elevator doors were a shining silver and she walked toward them, her shoes clicking quietly against the immaculate floor. She stepped inside once the doors opened, riding the ascending shaft in silence until she came to a rather lavish hallway. What is...? She thought. The apartment building's interior wasn't at all what was described to be on the flyer. Maybe it's a scam, she continued down the carpeted floor, the lights dim and the walls colored brown with potted plants beside each door. Apartment 707.

She found the door to the apartment, which lay at the very end of the hallway. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer, prompting her to knock again. Once more, she didn't hear anyone on the other side. The brunette decided to grab the handle, and the door pushed upon, her eyes widening slightly. The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted with a clean apartment, a wide glass pane showcasing the city skyline. The large living room harbored leather couches, a coffee table and a TV hanging on the wall. The contemporary kitchen had white cabinets and an electric stove, and there was a water dish meant for a dog. There were two bedrooms in the hallway, and she deduced that someone was already living here.

Maybe it was a scam after all. She sighed and faced the door, ready to leave.

"I see you found my listing, but you're not going to inquire about it?"

Haneul froze in place, her body growing stiff and her grip on the doorknob growing tighter. She knew that voice.

It was him.

Sehun.

She should have known better. She should have suspected this wasn't real. Now she was about to be killed again and no one would know that she disappeared. She could feel her hands shaking, fear in her eyes, and she didn't dare turn to face him.

Sehun stepping from around the corner into the main room. He had changed out of his black suit into more casual clothes as to not intimidate her with his usually serious image--a white buttondown and black pants, his long hair slightly matted, the free strands falling along his forehead.

She was here. She stood right there, in front of him and he could feel a sense of respite in her presence. Now he could tell her why he truly wanted her here. Now he could protect her. Now he could apologize for lying to her. The last thing he wanted was for her to run away.

#sehun #oh sehun #exo sehun #sehun smut #exo #exo mafia au #eventual smut #Eventual romance #eventual fluff #eventual happy ending #sehun x oc #sehunxoc #romance #fluff #sehun fluff #fluff smut #kpop smut #sehunsmut #smut

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braveskyered · 5 years

Text

Knights (Part 12)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

I’ll just keep biting my tongue,

‘Til all you want is done, alright!

Part 12: But I’m Afraid, Afraid of Losing You

- - - - - - -

“Vivi, please. You have to remember. You need to remember him!”

“Augh... Arthur, for the last time, I don't. Just, please stop.”

Arthur lowered the strip of photos from Vivi's sight with confusion and despair. Why is this happening? Lewis is missing, Vivi can't remember him or whatever happened that night, while Arthur himself lost his left arm and couldn't remember what happened, either.

It's rough. Vivi seemed content to go about on her own, but whenever an image of Lewis is seen, his name is heard, or even anything that could associated with her love, Arthur always saw that bit of purple haze forming over her eyes, preventing her from actually seeing or hearing.

Arthur would be lying if he said that he wasn't jealous of Vivi and Lewis. Before Lewis and Vivi started dating, it was the three of them. A trio of friends. A trio of adventurers like the Three Musketeers or something among those lines. Vivi, Lewis, and Arthur. A friendship of three was enough. Then the two got together, and before he knew it, he was left out from the pack without him realizing it at first, and when he did, he felt a tightening feeling in his chest. It felt wrong, it hurt, it caused him so much pain.

Why? Why does it hurt so much? Weren't they all friends?

Arthur wanted to ask to them about it, but he knew all it would do is bring discord. His pain didn't matter, he is just an extra. What is he supposed to feel? What is he supposed to do? He felt some happiness over the development, but at the same time, he felt so empty. They were going on like they forgot about him, as if his friendship with them never existed, and that hurt even more. The pain felt so bad that he considered leaving the Mystery Skulls after they handle one more case.

One last case for him, and he will leave. Maybe talk to his uncle and see if he might have some answers.

And then everything went wrong.

He couldn't leave Vivi alone. Not after what happened. Lewis wouldn't want that. Until Lewis either comes home or is found, Arthur swore to take care of Vivi in his place. It was the least he could do for them. That's what friends do, no matter how one feels.

...Right?

So Arthur tried, again and again, to get Vivi to remember. He would show her pictures in multiple albums, the many pictures they took while on their adventures, tell her stories. Tell her happy memories, sad ones, funny ones, strange ones, frightening ones, memories of Lewis in general. But no matter how often Arthur tells them, Vivi would always forget by the end of the day if not within the hour while suffering from migraine-like headaches.

Lewis would be devastated at being forgotten. Arthur couldn't allow that to happen, he wouldn't allow that to happen. It's not fair that he could remember him while Vivi could not, and Arthur saw how much it pained Vivi when she couldn't remember. She would look at the photos on her own at times, and even though she sees the many images of Lewis, she still cannot remember what Lewis even looked like.

It's just not fair.

There were moments where it seemed like even he was forgetting Lewis, and he hated it. He needed to find Lewis, he has to find him. He can't forget him. If he does, then Lewis will never be remembered, never be found, never get the closure he and everyone else so desperately need.

Even if it's only to make the pain in his chest finally go away at the very least.

The Yukino family is grateful that Arthur helped with Vivi's care in the many times they couldn't. Her mother, known for her sunny and bright demeanor, cried and cried upon seeing Vivi's lack of memory and the blank look she displayed. Her father, known for his no-nonsense approach, could only watch with muted despair when any attempts at getting his daughter to recall what happened result in failure. Her grandmother being unusually quiet instead of showing her usual crankiness and skepticism. They could only feel relieved yet guilty when Vivi could easily recall them once Lewis is out of the discussion.

The Pepper family. Oh, the wonderful family known for their sweet and spicy personalities. The father and mother that took in a lost child as one of their own, and in just over a decade to find their loved one gone and missing. They didn't know what to think upon realizing that Vivi couldn't remember, that their sweet son had been forgotten. They could only be grateful knowing that Arthur remembered, but it wasn't enough to ease their hearts. Their three little girls are too young to understand what happened, other than that their big brother is missing.

Uncle Lance broke down upon seeing Arthur in the hospital bed, the only time Arthur ever saw his uncle shed tears. Arthur was told that he would've died had he not received immediate treatment after the animal attack. Arthur remembered being in shock upon realizing that his arm is just gone, and went hysterical upon seeing Mystery and he didn't know why before being sedated.

The hospital was hell. Arthur hated it. Despised it. Loathed it. Felt undeserving of the services. Vivi needed it more than he did due to her unusual selective amnesia. Lewis needed it more than he did.

But Lewis isn't here.

Arthur screamed with wailing grief. Not wanting to accept it.

As soon as he got out of the hospital, he worked himself to the bone to make that prosthetic arm that soon became his trademark. A trademark he hated. He hated associating it with Mystery, who gave him a special strain of fear that would not go away.

During the time it took to go through the physical therapy, Arthur would help Mr. and Mrs. Pepper by watching over their three girls. Belle, Cayenne, and Paprika were all too young to fully understand what happened to Lewis, other than that he is not home for the time being. Belle seemed to have an idea what is truly going on, and the expression Arthur saw on the eldest girl’s face made his heart ache. A child like her shouldn't have to go through the loss of a loving big brother. He tried to distract her by showing her some simple toys that ran with gears, and taught her how to take them apart or put them together.

Cayenne didn't prank him at all when the first one she did after Arthur got out of the hospital nearly ended in disaster. Seeing Mystery's head covered with red sauce was enough to make Arthur pass out with terror, and Cayenne, realizing the severity before her parents could scold her for it, refrained from doing any pranks on him since. Under normal circumstances, Arthur would've welcomed it, but it didn't feel right without Lewis being there to scold and give the middle child attention like he usually does. He couldn't help but actually feel slightly disappointed when he found that Cayenne hadn't spiked his milkshake with hot sauce for once.

Paprika. Oh, sweet little Paprika. The youngest one who adored Lewis and Arthur, often asking the former for rides on his shoulders, the latter for help on fixing her toys. Arthur knew that out of all of them, Paprika took Lewis's disappearance the hardest. Who would be there for her the next time she has a scary dream when her parents, already in grief from the news regarding their son, would be exhausted from managing and cooking from seven in the morning to four in the late afternoon?

Arthur knew that he isn't anywhere as ideal as Lewis for the three little Peppers, but he tried to help fill the void for them until their brother is found.

Because that's what friends do.

As soon as he was able, he started his search. He had to look for Lewis. Vivi only went with him so he wouldn't crash and burn, and she is all for paranormal investigations. She made a cheerful comment saying she's eager to go on a mission that Arthur accepted for once.

They searched through so many places. Places they remember looking through, places they previously investigated, places they were going to investigate, areas that seemed out of place.

But they couldn't find the cave.

Arthur did his best to protect Vivi, who often went into things head on without considering the dangers, in Lewis's place. When the van mysteriously broke down in front of that haunted mansion, Arthur went along with Vivi and Mystery to see if any clues to Lewis's whereabouts might be in there or even if someone might be willing to help, but things started to spiral downwards from here on out.

When that ghost declared to it was Arthur it hated the most, Arthur knew he had to get Vivi out of here. If she were to get hurt by the ghost armed with fire and powers that defied all sense, he knew Lewis wouldn't forgive him if Vivi got hurt. That heart had to be a trap. There are ghosts and spirits and monsters out there that would tempt unwitting and desirable people with a “treasured” item to lure them to their doom, and Vivi just about had that heart in her grasp.

Arthur didn't think twice when he moved to grab Vivi's hand and take her away from the danger. It's what Lewis would've done, and Arthur knew Lewis wouldn't forgive him if he left Vivi to be taken by that ghost's trap.

Sure enough, that ghost wasn't happy when Arthur took away its prey. The resulting explosion only served to prove that the ghost is more dangerous than they can handle.

They barely managed to escape with their lives. Arthur shoved Vivi into the van and drove off with a high speed. How the van is working again in the spur of the moment, Arthur has no idea. He's pretty sure the transmission got chewed up because of it, but once they're in a safe area, he can pull over to fix it with the meager tools he has until they drive back to Kingsmen Mechanics.

He hoped Lewis is okay. He hoped Lewis will be okay with him for trying to hold the fort in his place. He hoped Lewis will be thankful that Vivi is safe.

He hoped that Lewis will be happy with his efforts to bring them all together again.

Still... maybe once they find Lewis, they might be able to come back for the ghost and hopefully help it. No matter what, a ghost should always be able to find rest.

Lewis always had a way with words, and he has been able to help convince more than a fair few ghosts into letting go and moving on. Maybe Lewis can help convince the ghost that Arthur isn't to blame for its hatred.

…

But then...

It burned.

“I-I can't trust this. I don't trust this at all,” Arthur shook his head while holding a small business card with four logos with a shaking hand.

Arthur and Elaine were in the living room sitting on the sofa. He tried to keep his breath steady, but he can only do so much.

“But the letter's from your uncle, right?” Elaine rose a brow as she read the letter again, “The one you've been sending letters to all these years?”

“Well, yeah, but... It's just... why now? I haven't sent him a letter in almost four months. It's just...” Arthur let out a breath of resigned frustration and set the card on the counter, “I don't like this. I don't like this at all. It's just... the fact that they found me is--”

“Are you thinking of going?” Elaine thankfully cut him off.

He struggled to keep the tears from forming, “Are you? We never involved anyone from my side at all. I didn't want anyone from Tempo to know.”

Arthur could only stare, a feeling of dread bubbling up in his throat.

For over seventeen years, Arthur had been away from Tempo. For fifteen years, he has been married to Elaine. For fourteen years, he has been a father to boy and girl twins and a little girl. For over seventeen years has he been safe. For all that time with Elaine, he has been happy. Some problems here and there, sure, but it was happy.

So why? Why is someone from Tempo here? He looked down slightly with a glowered expression while trying to keep his nerves from betraying him.

“Arthur,” Mr. Yukino slowly shook his head and smiled while looking relieved, “It really is you. Is this where you've been all this time?”

“You need me to explain the program to you, 'Mr. Snowfield'?” Arthur narrowed his eyes, “For your 'grandson,' if memory serves me right?”

“N-nani?” He blinked, confusion spreading over his face, “Ah... What?”

Arthur took his cell phone out from his pocket, pulling up the university's app. While on the pretense of searching through the app, he made a move to try sending a text to Elaine, hoping that she can get Gwen and Percy out from the school before Mr. Yukino notices. He has to get the kids out of here. If anyone from Tempo finds out about them, who know what could happen?! He will not let those monsters take them!

“For starters, your grandson will need a transcript from--”

Mr. Yukino grabbed his shoulder and held up a yellow envelope, “Arthur, I'm not here for that! I finally found you, just hear me out! We need your help! Please!”

Who gave you the right to touch anyone?

Automatically, Arthur swatted Mr. Yukino's hand away. He wasn't allowed to be near Vivi, even when she was the one to reach out. No doubt it extended to Vivi's family, as well. It didn't matter if Mr. Yukino looked conflicted or hurt, Arthur didn't want to risk the wraith's wrath.

“What,” Arthur spoke through gritted teeth, “Are you doing. I am not going--”

“Then at least read this! Please!” the older man pleaded and held the envelope out to him again, “It's from your uncle!”

Mr. Yukino tried to make another grab at Arthur. Arthur's sight became distorted as that damned voice echoed with his heartbeat.

“Arthur--”

Who gave you the right to be near her?

“GET AWAY FROM ME!”

“What's going on here?!”

Arthur is really glad that his boss had returned upon hearing the commotion at that time and allowed him to take a two week leave. He doesn't have to come back until finals week to recover. He had no idea what happened to Mr. Yukino after security escorted him out, but Arthur couldn't bring himself to care now that he has been found.

Why? After all this time, he has been happy living this life. Away from his toxic past. Why did someone from back then have to find him now? He had thrown it all away and left like they wanted! Even now, they still try to forcefully bring him back?

“Still, you trust your uncle, and he's asking that you come visit him for Thanksgiving,” Elaine said, “I don't think that's out of the ordinary. We don't have our reunions at Thanksgiving, anyway, so we can go to this. We can just visit him and no one else.”

“Elaine, even if I did consider going, I wouldn't dream of bringing you guys with me,” Arthur gripped at his sleeves and shivered, “I mean, what are they going to do if they see you all? I don't want to imagine what might happen if those monsters got a hold of the kids.”

He tried to blink back the tears, but soon they started falling. It's over. His life with the Knights family is all over now that someone from Tempo has found him. He didn't even know how Mr. Yukino did it. He thought he was so careful. Where, when, and how did he mess up? Whatever it is, it's the reason it's all over for him. Soon, he will never be able to hold Elaine again and see her smile, or encourage Gwen and Percy all the way, or be there for Vivian whenever she cries. Soon, he won't live to see another day, live to see the kids grow up, live to--

His thoughts were interrupted when Elaine took his hands to hers.

“Your uncle also requested in his letter that we bring the kids along,” Elaine shrugged, “Gwen and Percy are fourteen, and they've had about seven years to refine and control their power, so I'm not worried about them. We'll have to make some extra protection charms for Vivian so she doesn't hurt herself or others, but I can ask either Mom or Aunt Morgan to come with us as a safety precaution. I'd bring Eleanor, but she's still in Montana with her husband.”

“S-Shouldn't we just not go? And if we did, we can't take Vivian. She's only three, she's too young to control herself even with the charms if one of us isn't around.”

Because out of all three, Vivian is the most vulnerable.

Elaine gave him a look as if he stated something ridiculous, “Arthur, you know very well that Vivian gets antsy when you're away. Besides me, you're the only one who can truly calm her down when she's upset or loses control of herself. And who can say that she won't try to escape and follow us all the way to Tempo? She's done that once before while you were at the university, remember?”

“Well, yeah, but I don't have powers like you guys do. I can't protect you from the monsters that are there!”

She rose a brow, “Arthur, who do you think you're talking to?”

Arthur blinked, then slapped a hand against his forehead. He felt like an idiot. Did he seriously forget in his panic that Elaine comes from a family of monster hunters?! Now there's nothing that could convince her to stay away from Tempo! If he goes back, then it's only a matter of time before that wraith finds him to finish him off, or that kitsune that took his arm will come back for more.

“Elaine, you don't understand, I--”

“Arthur. Elaine.”

Both Arthur and Elaine looked to the side to see who called to them.

“Nana Niniane,” Elaine moved her hand away from Arthur's face as the old woman approached, “When did you get here?”

“I heard from your mother that Arthur is having some trouble, so I came here to see what the commotion is about.”

Arthur occasionally forgets that Niniane can basically come in and go as she pleases. No one seems to complain about it, though.

Elaine held out the letter to her relative, and Niniane took her time to read it. The old woman's brow slowly rose, but otherwise her typical frown didn't change.

* * *

Arthur,

I know that it has been many years since I have last seen you, and months since your last letter. I have long accepted that you will not come home, but I've heard you have a family over there now. Will you and your family come over for a Thanksgiving visit at the very least? Your kids should have a break from school by then, don't they? I just want to see that you're okay and meet the people that have made you happy with my own eyes.

There are so many things I want to ask, but over the years I have accepted that I will not get any answers. I do have an idea on why you left, and in the chance that it is true, I will not involve the Peppers into that matter. However, I do ask that you do not blame Nobuhiro Yukino for this, for he and his family will not involve themselves in this either if that is what you wish.

I'm not sure if Nobuhiro said anything, but we all need your help. You're the only one who can help us make things right. Although it may not solve everything, I do want everyone to obtain closure, including yourself. We all just want the sadness and misunderstandings to end.

Even if you don't consider Tempo your home anymore, know that you will always have a place to return to here at Kingsmen Mechanics.

I miss you, Arthur. I really do.

- Lance Kingsmen

* * *

“I see here that this letter isn't stamped,” Niniane viewed the letter with distaste before glancing at Arthur, “I take it it was hand delivered?”

Reluctantly, he nodded.

“And who is this 'Nobuhiro Yukino' that is mentioned in the letter?”

“The father of someone I used to know, and the one who found me,” he trembled, “I don't know how he did it.”

“I see,” Niniane set the letter aside and picked up the card, “And these four logos?”

As much as Arthur didn't want to answer, he knew that Niniane wouldn't accept his reasoning, “The wrench with the crown is the logo for Kingsmen Mechanics. It's the auto repair shop my uncle owns that doubles as his house, it's also where I used to live. The snowflake is,” he sighs, “The crest of the Yukino family. Nobuhiro is from that family.”

“And the half-black, half-white skull and the odd question mark?”

Arthur turned away while grasping his left forearm. He tried not to tremble, but the areas where he suffered those awful burns around his shoulders, chest, and neck began to ache. He tried to answer, but all that came out was a shaky breath.

“I see.”

He looked up and saw Niniane look at the card with disdain.

“So these two indicate the monsters that hurt you. Abused you, even. All for something you had no control over if memory recalls.”

Elaine gently tilted Arthur's head to her direction, and gave him a questioning look to him and his prosthetic. He knew what she was going to ask. He narrowed his eyes in hopes of avoiding her gaze, but soon nodded slowly. Elaine, to her credit, held a steady expression.

“Arthur, do you really not want to see your uncle again? This may be your only chance, and you've been hiding away from your past for all these years. You escaped from your abuse,” Elaine bit her lips, “But you had to deal with so many nightmares as a result. I feel that if we don't go and help confront your fear, you'll never be able to fully move on.”

He gritted his teeth. He couldn't deny it. He wanted to see Lance at least one more time.

“My star,” he felt Elaine's hand lift his chin to her line of sight, “I'm well aware that it was those monsters that hurt you, and I promise you that if they're still there, and if they try anything, I will do everything in my power to protect you. I just want you to heal. You've been here for me, so now I will be there for you.”

The tears started to fall again. He couldn't let Elaine or the kids go to Tempo. If that wraith is still around, and he's sure it is, he feared that it will only be a matter of time before he is taken prisoner by it for its own amusement like it was before. Percy heavily resembles him, and Arthur knew that the wraith will make his son suffer the same fate should it encounter him. Who knows what it could do to Gwen, who might also be tortured just for being his daughter. He definitely didn't want to imagine what would happen if the wraith ever gets it hands on Vivian, who is too young to properly defend herself.

And if that kitsune had any motives against the children, it might hurt them and then not regret it for a second like it did against him...

“Arthur, my knight, do you remember what we promised each other on the day we got married?”

He looked up at her.

“That no matter what obstacle comes in our way, we are to take them head on together,” she gave him a resolute nod, “So I will go with you to Tempo.”

Arthur was about to protest again before cutting himself off. He knew he ran out of arguments to present to Elaine and Niniane. Soon, he gave out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.

“I'm,” he held a hand over his face before moving it away with a heavy breath to grasp at the wedding ring he wears as a necklace beneath his shirt, “I'm not fully on board with this, but you're right. We might as well just get this over with. We'll go. If anyone is to get hurt, it'll most likely be m--”

“I will not let anyone or anything harm my family,” Niniane spoke with a sharp tone, “If anyone tries to harm you, I will to see it that they will regret their actions.”

Elaine rose a brow, “All right, but I was planning on asking Mom or Aunt Morgan to come with us.”

“You may always ask if either of them wishes to come. However, the both of them are busy maintaining the family shop and taking care of your grandmother, who is not in a state to be traveling. Tom and Miles are also busy with their jobs, and they have already been signed up for plans that allow them to visit their side of the families for Thanksgiving. Besides,” Niniane leaned down to Elaine, “You will need help caring for little Vivian.”

Arthur and Elaine looked at each other.

Elaine shrugged, then conceded, “Very well. You have my thanks, Nana Niniane,” she turned to Arthur, “We do need to let the kids know about this sometime soon.”

“It may be better to tell them now,” Niniane looked up at the ceiling with a brow raised, which lead in the general direction to the bedrooms, “Provided they are still awake, that is.”

Arthur, with his heart already feeling heavy enough as it is, started to make his way up the stairs with Elaine following behind him while Niniane stayed behind. He heard some fast movements, but didn't think anything of it when he knocked on Gwen's bedroom door and opened it.

“Oh, you're all here,” Arthur smiled at the sight of Gwen and Percy playing with Vivian and her tinker toys, or at least looked like they were about to start, “We need to talk for a bit.”

The twins looked at each other and blinked, while Vivian stood up and slowly walked to Arthur, grabbing at his clothes. Smiling slightly, he picked her up, then sat down on Gwen's bed.

“What's going on, Dad?” Percy asked.

“It's been decided that we're leaving to meet with family on the Friday before Thanksgiving,” Arthur said, “But it won't be with your aunt Eleanor or uncle Nick or with everyone else you know. Instead, we'll be visiting...” He really didn't want to say it, but he gave out a deep sigh, then started talking again, “We'll be visiting your grand uncle Lance in Tempo, Texas.”

The reaction is immediate, both Gwen and Percy did a double take, while Vivian looked up at him.

“Wait, we have another grand uncle besides Miles?” Gwen asked, “How come he wasn't at the family reunions?”

“Those at the reunions are all from my side of the family,” Elaine explained with a patient grin, “The grand uncle we'll be visiting is from your father's side. In other words, we'll be visiting Arthur's uncle in a little over a week.”

“Grampa?” Vivian mumbled.

“No, Vivian, 'grand uncle,'” Arthur corrected, “I'd rather we do not involve my parents in this.”

“What happened to them?” Gwen asked.

“Let's just say... the less we talk about them, the better,” he looked away, “I haven't spoken to them ever since I was eighteen. I'd rather keep it that way.”

Arthur noticed that Elaine gave the twins a look that told them not to press further. Vivian, who is no doubt too young to properly understand what is going on, gripped at his shirt and looked up.

Arthur's chest ached at the sight. For a brief moment, he wished that Vivian wasn't born at all, since it would mean that she wouldn't be around to see all the horrors that he will face as soon as he reaches Tempo. He does agree with Elaine that the twins can handle themselves, but with Vivian at the tender age of three and having trouble controlling her power, he knew that's she's as helpless as a normal three-year-old could get.

“Tempo is about a fourteen hour drive away from here, so it will take us two days to drive over there. We'll have to stop by a motel on the halfway point,” Elaine explained to the kids, “Like I said, we'll be leaving the Friday before Thanksgiving, and be there by Saturday evening. We'll be spending a week there and leave on Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. Do you get what I'm saying so far?”

The twins nodded, as did Vivian, although Arthur figured she's just copying her siblings.

“So what I need the both of you to do is to get your laundry done by Thursday, and gradually pack some changes of clothes. I will be sure to find a hotel that has a laundromat nearby so we can wash them when needed. You're welcome to bring at least two of your projects in this trip to show your grand uncle, but I do ask that they're not to be too big to fit in the van. Do you understand?”

The twins nodded again.

Arthur then spoke up, “The desert surrounding Tempo is known to have paranormal elements. There may be more there ever since I left, so I don't know how strong they are,” he held his left hand out to the twins, “So when we get there, I want you to stay close to me and your mother. And if by some chance you can't, always stay close to each other, and help protect Vivian. Understand?”

Gwen and Percy looked at each other with a concerned look, then Gwen took his hand and nodded.

“We'll be careful, Daddy.”

“That's a promise we'll keep,” Percy added as he also took Arthur's hand, “We'll make sure Vivian stays safe.”

“Pom-ise. Pom-ise,” Vivian leaned closer against him.

Arthur gave a small breath of amusement at Vivian's attempts to speak a new word and smiled ruefully.

Gwen. Percy. Vivian.

How he wished they wouldn't become involved with anyone from Tempo.

It was at this moment that he knew, that he could only protect this happiness for so long.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

All because he said didn't want it.

It may have been something he wanted at one point, but didn't know for sure. He didn't understand why he felt so alone despite being with those he thought were his best friends.

No, he knew why, but that's not how it should work. It's all wrong.

The punishment from the vengeful wraith hurt so badly, for both his body and his soul. He knew he deserved it, since he is the one who killed his best friend while under the demon's influence, but he didn't want the pain anymore after so many times. He already knew what he did, the sin he will forever bear for the rest of his life and beyond. Falling victim to possession, unable to fight it off, unable to throw himself off to save his friend despite his efforts.

His heart ached painfully enough.

Why did everything go so wrong? Why did they have to ask that question?

He couldn't take it anymore.

There's no one who could help him.

For almost half a year, he could let them do whatever they wanted with him.

But he couldn't let them have the only thing he has left, not after all this.

With a heavy heart, before he could fully process what he was doing, he had gone to the bank and withdrew a decent amount of his savings, went to Kingsmen Mechanics to pack the tools, clothes, and other minor essentials that he could, put Galahad in a travel cage, bought a bus ticket, started to leave, and...

“Arthur, where are you going?”

Arthur saw his uncle give him a concerned look, which isn't something the older man is known for doing.

“Hey, I...”

“Where are you going?” Lance repeated, “You don't need to take a bus to get back home, I could just drive you back.”

“N-no, it's not that,” Arthur shook his head, “It's just... They're not expecting me back until Thursday, so I thought I could take the next two days to give myself some... time alone. To think.”

“Like a vacation?” Lance blinked, thrown off by his nephew's words, “I guess that could do you some good. Where at?”

Arthur didn't answer. He hoped he didn't have to say anything to his uncle, but he knew he had to leave soon, “Just anywhere but here, really.”

“Wait, Arthur,” Lance grabbed Arthur's arm, “What happened back at Lewis's place?”

Arthur is glad that Lance grabbed his left arm, or else Arthur would have cried out in pain and drop Galahad's cage. The bruises on his arm, chest, neck, and back hurt so much, and he knew that if Lance caught on, then Vivi's remaining happiness will shatter for good. It would be cruel to tear the Peppers apart again.

“We had a disagreement about some... future possibilities,” Arthur tried to answer as truthfully as he could without disclosing the actual reason. The best lies always have some truth mixed in, “I just need some time for myself to clear my head.”

“Arth-”

“Lance, please,” he set Galahad's cage aside on a nearby table and looked at his uncle dead in the eye, “I need this. I just, I just want to be able to think about things without anyone saying anything. I just need some time away from here. I just...” His breath hitched, “I need a break, Lance. Please. I'll even call you once I reach my destination.”

Destination. Hah! Not even Arthur himself knew where he is going, and he already removed the SIM card from his phone. He just wanted to get away from Tempo before the Mystery Skulls catch on and not find him to drag him back like a prisoner. He won't let them take the only thing about him that's left.

His uncle looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but instead the older man took Arthur into his arms. Arthur stiffened and bit his tongue to stop himself from grunting in pain.

Lance isn't known for being directly affectionate, so why is he...?

“Call me if you ever need anything, Arthur. Okay?”

Arthur nodded, and with only last look at Lance, he left Kingsmen Mechanics with his backpack and Galahad in tow.

I have to hurry. Hurry. Before they notice.

“Wait.”

Arthur turned to his uncle again, who held a set of keys.

“I'll drive you to the bus stop.”

Thankfully, Lance didn't ask any questions after that. With his uncle's help, Arthur made it to the bus stop with a few minutes to spare. Seeing Lance wave at him is the last thing Arthur saw before he turned away as the bus left with him inside.

I'm sorry, Lance. Arthur looked down at Galahad gnawing on a seed. But I can't ever come back here.

This is it. He made the final step of boarding the bus and riding on through. There is no turning back now. With this decision, he has abandoned everything he knew. His home, his only family, the van he spent so much time maintaining... and the ones he thought were his friends.

...No, he knew he is hated now. Hated for not handing it over when they asked for it. Hated by everyone when everything went wrong because he is so weak.

When the bus left the town border, Arthur started humming to himself. At first it was just random notes, but before he knew it, he started humming the tune that the Deadbeats would sing. His voice trembled as he hummed, trying to conceal the nervous yet relieved and gleeful laughter bubbling up in his throat, his breath hitching as tears of relief began to fall.

He is finally, finally out of the hell that was his so-called 'home.'

His humming stuttered.

T-this time I m-might just d-disap-p-pe-e-ear~

The next two days passed without incident, but Arthur knew that the day he would be returning to Tempo, and thus lose everything, is getting closer by the hour.

His nightmares returned with a vengeance once again. The wraith would torture him and attempt to take the children, all three being depicted as defenseless babies at different times, or he would have his throat bitten in half by the kitsune that took his arm, or he would be tormented by the sight of blackened green while hearing the screams of the Mystery Skulls.

He didn't want to wake Elaine every hour of the night for her to be there for him, so he tried to tough it out by staying awake all night to watch over Vivian as she slept. It didn't go as intended, of course, since Elaine soon caught him still awake and would coax him to bed. Arthur could only tremble as Elaine held on to him throughout the night before sleep finally claimed him.

Arthur went with Elaine to Four of a Kind Queens to give himself the opportunity to teach Vivian about the family trade. Elaine went into the front with her aunt and mother to do the main work, while Arthur remained in the always closed off fifth garage, showing Vivian various wrenches, screwdrivers, and other tools that were relatively safe to show to a three-year-old. The little girl took a liking to a small combination wrench, and Arthur made a mental note to look for a toy resembling it later before he leaves for Tempo.

It would be the last thing he could gift her. He wondered if Vivian will remember him once he dies, then made the sad conclusion based on her age: Probably not.

“What are you doing here?!”

Arthur and Vivian jumped and turned to the door.

“M-Mama?” Vivian sounded scared. It made sense, because Elaine isn't known to raise her voice around others. Even when angry, Elaine is usually the whole “tranquil fury” type of woman.

“Please, I just need to talk to Arthur! I--”

“We are not interested! You have already left the letter to us! Leave at once!”

Arthur's blood went cold upon hearing the foreign voice. Mr. Yukino found out about this place, too?! Why?! He left Tempo because they wanted him to! Why are they trying to contact him after so long?!

Not taking a chance to think twice, Arthur took Vivian inside Vivienne's home. The last thing Arthur wants is for Vivian to get scared, or expose his daughter to the man searching for him that is just inside the shop's lobby. He hoped that Vivi isn't with her father, otherwise that meant the wraith is with her, and that will mean that the wraith will take away his only reasons of living, and--

“Arthur? Is everything all right?”

He set Vivian down and saw Vivienne approach him with her wheelchair. The old woman that is his grandmother-in-law, nearly reaching ninety years of her life, gave Arthur a look of concern.

“Yeah, it's just,” He tried to answer her truthfully, but struggled to find the right words, “It looks like there's an unwelcome customer in the shop.”

Vivienne rose a brow and looked at the doorway.

“I see. I will go and look,” she started to wheel her way to the garage before stopping to give Vivian, her great-granddaughter, a gentle poke on her cheek as a sign of affection, then left to see the shop lobby. When the door opened, Arthur could hear the yelling persist.

“-- don't understand! My mother Fuyuko had--!”

Arthur picked up Vivian again and went into the living room, further away from the shop, and sat down on the sofa with Vivian in his lap. He's is glad that Gwen and Percy are at the university for a Saturday club activity, and that they won't be back for another few hours. The last thing any of the kids need is hearing the crazy drama going on.

...all because of him.

His chest ached, just like how it used to do so many years ago. Placing a hand over his face, Arthur tried to keep his emotion under control. He took slow breaths, knowing it wouldn't do if Vivian saw him break down.

Soon, in less than a week, Arthur's life will be lost.

“I love you, Vivian. You know that, right?”

Vivian looked up at him with an unreadable expression. Smiling sadly, Arthur's brow furrowed as he held her close, rubbing the back of her head.

“Daddy?” Vivian reached up to touch his face, “Love Daddy?”

He put his hand over hers. Sometimes, it's easy forget that she's only three. He often wonders at just what goes through her mind at times.

“Yeah, Vivian. Love you, too.”

…

The timer keeps going down.

“Arthur?”

He looked up, seeing Elaine smile at him sadly.

“Mama,” Vivian reached out.

“My knight,” she said as she held her daughter's hand and look at him, “How are you holding up?”

“I'm... all right,” he nodded a little and released Vivian from his arms so Elaine could hold her, “I... What happened at the shop?”

“You remember that Nobuhiro Yukino guy that approached you at the school two days ago?”

He tensed, then nodded again.

“He really wanted to talk to you, but I know you have no intention of doing that. Once he got the hint, he did one thing that might throw a wrench in our plans of going to Tempo next week.”

“...What did he do?”

“He hired us for a job to... help someone, so to speak. There's a ghost in Tempo that's been sealed in an old mansion inside a forest within the Tempo outskirts. He wants us to help it find eternal rest.”

Wait, what?

“Arthur, I have to ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly.”

Reluctantly, he answered, “What do you need to know?”

Elaine looked like she is struggling to speak, then took a deep breath and asked.

“Before you left Tempo, did you know anyone named Lewis Pepper?”

…

Why?! Why did this have to happen to us?

Why did everything have to go so wrong?!

Did we think that little of him?!

…

Why didn't we listen?

The danger was so obvious.

And yet...

…

HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!

YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY?!

I CURSE YOU! I CURSE YOU!

…

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Maybe there’s no guarantee...

Part 13: How Unlucky...

#mystery skulls animated #msa fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #msa arthur #arthur kingsmen #msa #elaine knights #msa knights

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distractedhistotech · 5 years

Text

Before MSA + 1: Planning

Arthur thought he may have made some friends.

There was Vivi who sat in on his religion lessons and then talked with him about them. Uncle Lance had even started picking him up later during the week. On the weekend, Arthur found himself spending a couple of hours talking about religion and then myths and then ghosts, and it felt so natural.

And then he started school. He should have entered in 7th grade, but the teachers told him that he tested high enough that he could skip a grade. Since Vivi was in 9th grade, that seemed like a good idea at the time. He didn’t think he’d make friends at school.

And then a couple of 6th graders sat at his table on the first day of school and spent the whole lunch speaking with him. And they did it the next day, and the next, and the rest of the week. Then the next week. Then they started meeting before lunch started. Then Lewis started bringing lunches for Arthur. Then Sydney started bringing comics and videos for Arthur to borrow.

And Arthur realized that he wanted to spend more time with them.

That was kind of tricky though. He spent most of his time after school learning from Mr. Yukino, and he didn’t really want to explain to Lewis and Sydney why he needed those lessons. They’d been so accepting so far, but he didn’t want to push them.

He guessed that they could maybe spend time with each other on the weekend, but he had no idea how to go about that. He guessed they’d spend time at someone’s house, but he didn’t know how to ask. Would their parents be all right with a strange kid spending time at their house?

Arthur only had one person he was comfortable with asking. “Vivi, how do you ask someone if they want to spend time with you?” he asked as soon as Mr. Yukino ended the religion lesson.

Vivi blinked and then grinned. “Arthur! Did you make a friend?”

“Maybe. Plural.”

Vivi squealed and gave him a hug. “Oh, I’m so proud of you! Talking to people and making friends!”

“They, uh, actually just sat at my table and wouldn’t leave,” admitted Arthur.

“But still, you talked to them. You didn’t leave or turn them away,” reasoned Vivi. “That’s wonderful!”

Arthur blushed. “I-thanks. I think?”

“So, what are they like?” asked Vivi. “C’mon details!”

“They…their names are Lewis and Sydney. They’re a boy and a girl. Lewis is really tall. Sydney’s small. Sydney talks about pretty much anything. Lewis adds to what she talks about. Sydney really likes comics. Lewis likes…Japanese cartoons.”

“Anime,” corrected Vivi. “Some people really take offense at calling anime Japanese cartoons.”

“Do you?” asked Arthur.

“Normally, yes,” admitted Vivi. “But you’re kind of a special case. You didn’t even know anime was a thing until a few months ago. Now, tell me more about these two.”

“Lewis likes cooking. Sometimes he’ll bring food for Sydney and I. Sydney says he should use his free time to have some fun, but Lewis says cooking is fun. He has to cook separate dishes for Sydney because she’s a vegetarian.” He grinned. “Sydney isn’t a very good cook.”

Vivi took a moment to memorize and appreciate the rare smile on Arthur’s face. “It sounds like you guys are getting close. Do I need to be jealous?” she teased.

Arthur’s smile was instantly wiped away and replaced with panic. “N-no! You’re my friend still! I just kind of want to be friends with them too!”

Vivi pat his back. “Relax. I’m joking. You can be friends with all three of us.” She grinned. “Actually, why don’t you bring them over here?”

“No!” Vivi and Ben both jumped at Arthur’s shout. He winced. “No, not yet. I’ll have to explain to them why I’m getting lessons from your dad, and I don’t want them to know about the…” Arthur swallowed. “It…It was a cult, wasn’t it?”

Whoa. That was the first time Arthur had ever acknowledged he’d been in a cult. At least around Vivi. He looked like he was about to cry. Vivi wrapped him up in a hug and rubbed his back for a bit. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re out of there. You’re safe. Nobody has to know about what happened to you if you don’t want them to.” She paused. Actually, if he really wanted to be friends with these two, he would probably have to tell them eventually. Maybe not now, maybe not even for a few years, but if Arthur didn’t want to lose their trust…he’d have to come clean. But for now, it was way too soon. “Is there any reason we can’t go to their houses or your uncle’s?”

Arthur sniffled. “There’s not room at the garage, and Uncle Lance will be working. And I’m a stranger. Their parents wouldn’t want me around their children without supervision, would they?”

Vivi chuckled. “Oh, Arthur, if that was an issue, no one would ever make any friends.” Her father had left them alone after all. “If it bothers you that much, you can ask if they want to meet up at the local arcade. I’ve been meaning to take you there anyway.”

“That’s where they have a bunch of videogame machines that you have to pay to play, right?” asked Arthur.

“Pretty much. Don’t worry. It’s pretty cheap,” reassured Vivi.

“Uncle Lance has been giving me…he called it an allowance. I don’t know why he’s giving me money.”

“Eh, some people make their kids do chores in exchange for spending money, and some just give ‘em money,” explained Vivi. “He might change that once you get more comfortable living with him and have more free time. Or if you really misbehave, but I can’t imagine you doing something bad enough to lose allowance privileges.”

“Um, well, I have money for that.” Honestly, Arthur hadn’t used any of the money Uncle Lance had been giving him. He didn’t have anything in particular he wanted to buy, and Uncle Lance was supplying him with everything he needed.

Vivi nodded. “Okay, so, just ask Lance for permission since you’ll have to go on the weekend or skip a class. Then ask Sydney and Lewis if they want to hang out outside of school.”

Arthur bit his lip. “What if they say no?”

“What if they say yes?” countered Vivi. “You gotta at least try.”

Arthur swallowed. “Right. You’re right. I’ll…I’ll talk to them about it.”

Arthur brought it up the next day before he could lose his nerve. “I want to hang out with you guys after school, but I don’t know if you’re allowed to have strangers over so we could go to an arcade, and maybe my other friend Vivi could come with us?”

Sydney and Lewis blinked at Arthur. “Wow, you talked even faster than me just now,” commented Sydney.

“Oh, uh, should I say it again?” asked Arthur. He wasn’t actually sure he could though…

“That’s okay. I think I got it,” said Lewis. He turned to Sydney. “Would you mind?”

“Nope, but how would that work?”

Lewis winced. “We’ll have to go to my house because I look after my little sister for my parents,” he explained. “I guess we could go to the arcade during the weekend if Sydney’s mom or dad wouldn’t mind looking after Belle.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay! I don’t mind going to your house,” said Arthur.

Lewis chuckled nervously. “Um, yeah, that’s, uh, because you don’t know. I live in a former funeral home.”

Arthur blinked. “Oh.”

“That’s got a cemetery right behind it,” continued Lewis.

“Oh…” Arthur was starting to get a bit nervous.

“It’s haunted,” interjected Sydney.

“The house or the cemetery?” asked Arthur.

Sydney nodded. “Yes.”

Lewis chuckled nervously. “I’ve lived there since I was a little kid, and Sydney’s been coming over for almost as long. It’s perfectly safe,” he reassured Arthur. “It just makes some people uncomfortable.”

Arthur nodded. Just hearing about it was making him uncomfortable. Plus, what sort of effect would he have on the haunting? What if he attracted something nasty? Or made the ghosts already there violent?

Sydney noticed the subject was bothering Arthur and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the ghosts,” she promised.

Lewis nodded. “The ghosts are less active when Sydney’s around for some reason. We don’t know why.”

Sydney leaned in close to Arthur. “I think they’re scared of me,” she whispered conspiratorially.

Arthur blinked and studied Sydney. She was smaller than usual, skinny, no muscle tone, had a large pair of glasses, and pretty much no attention span. She wasn’t that scary unless you were afraid of talking to people. Actually, she was kind of adorable when she wasn’t being overwhelming.

She’d definitely take offense to that.

“I…” Arthur took a deep breath. “Vivi likes ghosts,” he admitted.

“Oh, right Vivi. You’ve mentioned her a few times,” said Lewis. “She’s a few years older, right?”

“She’s 14,” clarified Arthur.

“Okay, that might be a bit iffy,” admitted Lewis. “But I’ll ask my parents if she can come too. I’ll let you know what they say.”

Sydney’s hand shot into the air. “And I’ll bring videogames and comics and videos and DVDs! Maybe we’ll find something new you like!”

Arthur nodded. “Right…Thank you.” He couldn’t quite bring himself to say how much it meant to him.

He hoped they saw it anyway.

#mystery skulls animated #msa + 1 #au #Arthur Kingsman #Lewis Pepper #Vivi Yukino #sydney scoville jr.#grrlpowercomic

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burmecianblackmage · 6 years

Text

KNOW THE MUN - for real! - THROUGH MUSE!

Tag muns you want to know better; repost - don’t reblog.

What inspired you to try/create that muse/s: The year is 2013, and yours truly is a more or less active player on a german site called Legend of the Green Dragon. After having started with a mage character back in 2006 and eventually retiring him, I’ve been playing a young Samurai for a good year and a half, maybe already two, and I am a member of a small guild. It is a guild of similar characters, allowing for their stories to mix and mesh rather fluidly. One of them becomes my boy’s teacher, the other his rival that always tries to one up him when it comes to a certain lady corsair, who after a while falls for my boy. And there is also another girl, older than my boy, that used to be his new master’s sole student (and love interest), and that is mad furious about having to share her esteemed Sensei’s attention with my character.

It is with the mun behind said girl that I am talking, sitting in a little cafe with her as I am on my way back from visiting some people in Germany and decided to stop by. After all, since the guild meet.up the year before, we’ve been rather close friends, capable of both talking about serious stuff and worries as well as brainstorming some delightful nonsense.

One of these nonsense thoughts we have comes up when we discuss Final Fantasy, especially my fondness for Black Mages and FF IX. Having played the game as well and having taken a deep liking to the character of Freya, my friend remarks that she feels her part had been too small ultimately, and that it’s a shame we never got to explore Burmecia and the Burmecians more. And that’s when it happens:

“What if there was a Burmecian that was also a Black Mage? A Burmecian Black Mage?”

It is a couple weeks later when I am back home already and have mostly forgotten about it that I receive a message from my friend, with a dA link attached. A link to this sketch.

Initially, nothing comes from the idea, but I hold on to the sketch. And then one day, when upon lamenting the decline in activity on LotGD, a friend suggests roleplaying on tumblr, and I start to ponder what kind of muse I could play, I remember the sketch.

The basic concept for Sceada (whose name was lazily picked identically to my uername on most sites, I have to admit) takes less than two days to take shape, and on February 4th 2014, I first throw my new creation at another roleplayer and their muse - which, most fittingly, happens to be Freya Crescent.

And from there on out, the little Burmecian Black Mage as well as his backstory and characteristics continued to grow andfrow, further taking shape before ultimately arriving at what you are looking at today - and from here on out, he’ll keep growing further...

What is inspiration for that muse/s: To a large extent, Sceada is an amalgamation of mriad stories I read, as well as several mangas(animes featuring wizards and spellcasters, and last but not least the question, how an adult Vivi might be. There’s constantly stuff influencing and inspiring new facts and developments about him, be it from music that touches me, narratives that move me or even random ideas that come up in conversation, Much of Sceada has been shaped by both what happens to him in plays, as well as what people have come up with together with me.

There’s even some crucial facts about him that only came about because of an at first glance unrelated comment by someone, like for example, Sceada not being a “real” Burmecian, and actually having a non-Burmecian father. That initially came about courtesy of a remark about how he didn’t really look all that rat like, and more like a, I quote, “a damn Tree-Kangaroo” - a sentiment I do not really agree with, but even so... it inspired his mixed parenthood, which in turn developed into an explanation on why he can use magic. Funny how that sometimes goes, huh?

Thread/AU that made you really happy: Currently, I’d have difficulties naming a favorite AU, simply because I don’t seem to have any left running anymore. Sure, I could count the ships as respective verses/AUs, but nah. Those are still the same Sceada. So yeah...

I was always fond of the group verses, and the interactions born from those. Especially Pledged Prelude back in the day offered me a lot of great interaction, and has proven to be a big part of the foundation on which Sceada is ultimately built. Though, strictly speaking it was no AU, and is part of his canon, so well.... I don’t know. Crystathereum was fun, but sadly didn’t get underway as much as we all hoped it would, and the same goes for Crowned Reveries. They allowed me to meet new people, and gave me some fun plays, but ultimately they didn’t stick as long as I’d have hoped.

Speaking of favorite threads, there’s some that come to mind. From the AUs, the battle between Victoria F. Stein and Sceada in Myrefall was a clear favorite, as it highlighted not only a lot about Sceada’s skills but also about his character, and featured some truly interesting - and disturbing - choices on his end. Setting your own clothes and fur on fire so you won’t get ripped to shreds by a blizzard full of icy blades? And then actually managing to save the city he despised as a direct result of that move and the static electricity it built in the storm clouds overhead? Talk about crazy, and crazy fun to write.

There’s naturally also a ton of shipping threads on that list. I always especially adored the interactions between Sceada and Leonora, his first love, and how much he grew from them. Another favorite is Sceada finding Mara after a nightmare, and despite them not being a couple yet comforting her with the words “Nothing you confess could make me love you any less”, I really liked the feeling of that one. Or Maria opening Sceada’s eyes to the fact that Black Magic need not mean destruction necessarily. Selphie telling him she wants children with him, and the lead up to him wanting them to. Sceada finding Fran in the forest after she removed herself due to being in heat. Sceada inviting Maria for Valentine’s Day as friends and realizing slowly that there might be more between them.

I could go on for hours. But for now, let me end this list with saying that there’s many more that could be on here, so many more that were accumulated over the four and a half years I’ve been here by now (and even more if we add my other blogs, because everything with Edea and Kamiizumi was just so great <3), and I’m sure that list will only grow. I’m confident that before long, many many more memorable plays could be added here, with all sorts of partners.

Something really special on your wishlist: Hmm... two things come to mind rather quickly for that. One would be to see Sceada actively teach someone about Magic as a mentor or even professor of sorts. I want to see him pass on his knowledge, see him be an example for the next generation and perhaps even admired by his students - or by his protege, should he only have one student. It’d definitely be interesting to see him in such a role.

Likewise, I really want to see him in a fatherly role. This can be by becoming an actual father, or in others words, by having a child with someone he holds dear, but I can also see it with him watching over someone else’s child, for whichever reason it happens. Did he adopt them? Did their parents leave them in his care while they left for a couple years? Did he find them alone and abandoned? Did he save them from an abusive household? I’d be down for anything in that regard. And I’d really like to see not only the happy sides of being a father, but also the awkward and sometimes uncomfortable sides. The thought of Sceada having to give a child the talk is particularly amusing to me, I have to admit...

Thinking about it now, there’s two more I could actually mention, albeit briefly: I’d like to see the conflict between Sceada and his mother unfold, and not just in drabbles but in actual plays with people witnessing it and being an influence. And if possible, I’d like to explore a polyamorous Sceada one day, as I feel it could suit him well - or, at least, have him confronted with the idea, and realize why he finds it appealing, but potentially not the right thing for him. That’d work too.

Something you are looking for in short future for your muse: Finally making some progress with his Journey. I’ve been awfully slow with it for numerous reasons... *sigh* Also, in some of the ships, there are a number of small... let’s call them milestones for now, that I’d like to reach. But those will develop at their own pace.

Share something related to your muse!

While I was in rehab, my girlfriend had a plush made of Sceada for me, based on one of my favorite art pieces of him. Gotta say, I’m really fond of this one.

And for something only slightly related to Sceada, I want to say that it still baffles me that people would pay money to commission art of my little Burmecian. Seriously, that’s a big deal for me, you guys. Now, for several reasons I may not be capable of showing all of it on this blog (especially the two most recent pieces *cough*), but it is always certain to make me extremely happy.

What do you think about character’s design/how do you came up with this: Both the plays and ideas have shaped Sceada into who he is today and what he looks like. And quite frankly, even if I could start over anew, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What your muse teached you: It’s less my muse that thought me this and more the muses that interacted with him, but... Everyone deserves to be loved, but that does not mean that you deserve a specific person’s love. Loving yourself and accepting who you are is important. And there are always many sides to a situation. Just because something was devised for destruction does not mean that it can only bring harm, that it cannot protect what we cherish and hold dear.

What is roleplay for you: In equally parts a place where I am allowed to dream, as well as an escape from the real world. It is where I can meet people and bond with them, and write a story no one person could ever write on their own. It is my hobby and my joy, and sometimes, it is also my pride.

Just say something nice about another mun!: I’ve met many a wonderful friend on here, and it would not be fair to just pick one from out of them I feel. So I’ll use this opportunity to tag some people, both ones I actively talk to a lot and those I sadly haven’t as much anymore. So, consider this a shout-out to @artemisxbow @thislovelylady @containyourmainposure @sunny-explosions @dovsebrii @rosalia-the-guardian @riotxblade @the-shadow-of-a-wielder and @not-a-rogue

tagged: @rosalia-the-guardian here: [x], plus I saw it from several others

tagging: I think most of the people that I would nominate and that are active already did this one, so... I’ll pass the tagging for today. If you see this and wanna do this, feel free to tag me though~

#RequestsHeeded #Mun Info #Muse Info #this got rather long... apologies for that x.x

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theartificialdane · 6 years

Text

Galactica, part 253

Vows has been exchanged, but what happens next? Follow along as we have dinner, drinks, speeches and everyone is invited to ring in the new years with our favorite couples.

Thank you @veronicasanders for working on this with me, and thank you to everyone else for your patience <3

[Oh look at you my little girl! You were so beautiful up there.] Raja smiled, bending down so her mother could hug her, the two embracing each other tight, Mani barely making it to her daughters chest. Everyone else was leaving the room, getting carefully rushed out for cocktails by Raven’s bridesmaids, the entire thing running smoothly.

[I’m 43 mom.] Raja laughed, only her tiny mom still insisting on calling her and her brother small.

[Oh hush you, you will always be my little princess.]

[Of course.]

Raja didn’t know she could feel such happiness, the fact that Raven had said yes, the fact that they were now legally married still feeling like a dream. Raja touched her wedding ring, twisting it slightly, the metal a comfort, a physical sign of Raven’s love for her, and the promise they made each other.

Mani took a step back, dapping her eyes. [Dad would have been proud.]

Raja froze, looking down at her mother. [I-] They never really talked about their dad, Raja’s heart breaking every time she thought of him, the fact that he had been dead for 11 years not making it any easier, most of all because Raja wasn’t sure that her mother was right, wasn’t sure he would have been proud of her. Her and Sutan had spent so much time hiding so much of what they were from him, Raja never even getting the chance to introduce him to Raven, her dad never getting to walk her down the aisle, Raja never getting the chance to know if he would have accepted her love of girls.

Her train of thought was broken by her mother's gentle touch, Mani taking her hand.

[He would.]

[If you say so.]

***

“Everyone please move closer together.”

Fame rolled her eyes. “How many pictures do we need?”

“Let her have her fun, Famie Dear.”

Detox smiled, hosting Grace higher up on his hip, the little girl’s fingers in her mouth, her mom quickly tugging on her elbow so Grace could look good for the almost endless photoshoot. The photographer was catching the wedding party, making everyone get together for several combinations of group photos.

“I’m just saying. We didn’t have anywhere near this many pictures at my wedding.”

Detox snorted, almost dropping Grace, while Patrick rolled his eyes. They both knew Fame was lying through her teeth, Patrick and Fame’s wedding almost as grand as the one they were at now.

“Okay, maybe we did.”

“And you better own it, blondie.”

Fame smiled, running a hand down Grace’s back, the little girl as bright as sunlight, and Fame knew she would have every single photo from the day framed and put up at the farm. Of course she would. These people were her family after all, and the ones she loved most in the world.

***

“Does my makeup look okay?”

“Let me check.”

Raja leaned in for a kiss, and Raven pushed her away, a shriek leaving her, followed by a happy laugh. “Raja!”

“You told me to check!”

Raven shook her head, the two of them standing together for the several photographers they had hired, Sutan and Violet on each side of them, Raven insisting on the pictures. Violet laughed slightly, quickly stepping in front and opening her bag, pulling out a small mirror so Raven could see herself. Raven checked her reflection, happy with what she saw, but she was still slightly annoyed with Raja.

“Everything has to be perfect you bitch.”

“Excuse me, that’s Mrs. Bitch. I’m a married woman now.” Raja put her arm around Raven.

Raven rolled her eyes, but leaned into Raja. “Alright Mrs. Bitch.” Raven smiled, Mrs and Mrs Bitch. That would make great throw pillows the next time she redid their living room.

***

Bianca walked into the ridiculously over the top (true to form) cocktail hour, scanning the room for Courtney. She spotted her with Adore by a tower of sushi and strode quickly over. As she approached, she gave Adore a warning look and a “get lost” gesture. Adore kissed Courtney on the cheek and scurried away.

“Adore! Where are you-“ Courtney stopped talking as arms slid around her waist.

“I’m sorry,” Bianca whispered, lips against her ear.

After a beat, Courtney replied, “I know.”

“Baby…” Bianca fingered one of the delicate silver straps of Courtney’s dress, hot breath on her neck. “Please…”

Courtney turned around to face her.

“Let’s not worry about it right now, okay? It’s a party. Let’s just have a good time.”

Bianca searched Courtney’s green eyes. She seemed far away, defeated. Bianca tilted her chin up.

“Baby, I really am sorry. Truly.”

Courtney sighed, leaning her head against Bianca’s, wanting nothing more than to melt into her arms until all of her doubts faded away.

“Yeah, me too,” Courtney replied, giving Bianca a soft kiss on the cheek. “Let’s...can we talk more tomorrow, when we get home?”

“Alright,” Bianca agreed, relieved just to be holding her again.

Across the room, a young woman watched them, running her hands through her glossy cascade of blonde hair.

***

“Ladies and gentlemen, please give a huge welcome to our beautiful brides...Raja and Raven!”

A thunderous cheer echoed through the hall as Raja and Raven sailed into the room, giddy and laughing, arms around each other. As glowing and beautiful as ever, Raja pushed Raven out in front of her, directing the crowd to continue cheering for her as she basked in the applause.

Adore turned to Jinkx and giggled, commenting on how of course they’d had a wardrobe change for the party.

“Alright folks,” the DJ continued. “Let’s keep the love going while these stunning ladies share their first dance as married women…” He began to play Jessie Ware’s Desire, turning up the music while the brides took to the dance floor.

You're my desire And this, I always know You've been admired And do you see me glow?

Raven laughed, so happy they had found the time to go to the dance classes together. She allowed Raja to pull her closer, the other woman leading, in total control of everything that happened, and Raven couldn’t wait to follow Raja’s lead for the rest of her life.

***

Raven’s head was swimming, the night going so well, everyone pulling at her all the time, congratulating her, telling her how beautiful she was (which she already knew thank you very much), and how happy her and Raja would be (which she also knew). She was drunk on champagne, her dinner dress looked fucking amazing, her boobs had healed perfectly and Raven felt like a goddess. They were finishing up the meal, the speeches even making her cry a time or two, and Raven had started to look for Raja, so they could go change their clothes a third time. Raja had laughed the first time Raven suggested it, but she had been shopping for it for over a year, and there was no way she wasn’t going to wear each and every dress she had brought for the party. This was /her/ night, and she was going to look like perfection from every angle the entire time.

Raven was just about to signal Juju that they’d like to start getting ready to change again, when Raven noticed that Violet was only picking at her food, Sutan’s arm around her shoulder, but he was clearly caught up in conversation to his right, happily chatting away. Had Violet looked sad all evening? Why was she sad? Didn’t she realise this was Raven’s wedding?

Raven was just about to be mad, when she remembered what had happened the day before, Violet trying so hard to do the speech Raven had asked of her, and then suddenly disappearing, after Courtney pulled her from the podium. Had Raven even said anything? She tried to think back, but all she could think of was how mad she had been at her mom, yelling at Bianca over her girlfriend going rogue, and then, she remembered. Raja coming to her and telling her that Violet wouldn’t do the speech at the reception. Raven felt a slight twist in her stomach. Who had even told Violet that she didn’t need to do it, anyway? Raven knew she had most likely forced Violet to do it in a fit of inspiration. She had those, and sometimes she could be quite aggressive in getting her way. Had they asked Sutan to do the speech instead?

“Hey Vivi?”

Violet looked up, surprise clear on her face at being spoken to. “Yes?”

“Thank you for being here.”

Raven watched the total confusion, Violet clearly not understanding what she was saying, but then, she smiled.

“Thank you for having me.”

***

“Oh god this is so good!” Pearl laughed as she cleaned her plate for the third time, and Laila was in utter awe. She had never seen Pearl eat that much before, a warmth tight in her chest as she watched her girlfriend actually not only enjoy, but also finish the food in front of her. “Why did we ever leave yesterday?”

“You insisted on it.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Pearl smirked, and Laila gulped as Pearl caught her eyes, the other woman looking at Laila as if she was a prey animal. “I did.”

***

“Hello everyone.” Sutan stood up, Raja groaning, but her smile absolutely betrayed her. “I’m Sutan Amrull, and as Raja’s brother, and her best friend, I figured I had to say a few words today. I’ll try to keep it brief.” Sutan reached into his suit, pulling out a few cards. “But I promise nothing.”

The entire hall laughed, a few of them even booing, but it was all in good nature.

“Raja, Raven, I have had the privilege of seeing two people, as perfect as you, not only meet in this crazy world, but also meet at the exact right time. It’s no secret that neither of you have ever been low maintenance. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that you’re both the bossiest bitches around, but somehow, that doesn’t matter when you’re with each other.” Sutan smiled. “Life is short, and today you promised to stay together through sickness and health, and after almost a decade together already, I can’t think of anyone else for either of you.” Sutan lifted his glass. “To the brides. May they live forever!”

***

“Raja, today you married your- wait, wait, I told myself I wasn’t going to cry.” Fame took a deep breath. “Raja, today you married your best friend-” Fame began crying for real.

Everyone chuckled as she tearily finished her toast, allowing Patrick to take her hand and hand her a tissue.

“Thank you so much, Fame, that was beautiful,” Adore said from the stage, where her band was just finished setting up. “You mushy bitch.”

Fame laughed, wiping her eyes.

“Hey also, who’s ready to fucking party?” Adore asked sweetly, as the band began to play. “Dance, motherfuckers!”

***

“Dance motherfuckers” was the most aggressive way Trixie had ever been told to have a good time, but he didn’t mind it at all. He had a baby free night, and an excuse to rock out with the people he loved, even dancing a few dances with Fame. He was sweaty and giggly from the alcohol he had drowned during dinner and cocktails, and he would most likely regret it all tomorrow, Ivan in a new phase of his life, were annoying dad was the funnest thing he could think of, but as Trixie pulled Katya closer, he didn’t care at all.

***

Courtney danced with Alaska and Tati, twirling and laughing, finally letting go of some of the tension she’d been feeling all day. Once Adore had taken the stage, the real party had begun. They were mostly singing covers, with a few of Adore’s original songs tossed in, and Courtney was filled with relief for the opportunity to really move.

She noticed Violet over by one of the bars with Sutan and Karl, taking a prim sip of her champagne and appearing slightly bored. Catching her eyes, she shimmied over and grabbed her by the hand.

“Come dance with us!”

“Oh, I don’t know if I- You’ve already done so much for me-”

“Pleeeeease?” Tati added, batting her lashes and taking Violet’s other hand, Violet’s face instantly going bright red.

“O-okay.”

Giggling self-consciously, Violet allowed herself to be dragged onto the dance floor, following Tatianna like a little lost puppy.

“I figured you could use a break from the grown-ups for awhile,” Courtney whisper-yelled over the music.

Violet laughed, slightly giddy as Tati began to twirl her around, the other girl’s perfume pleasantly invading her senses.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime!” Courtney gave Violet a quick kiss on the cheek and continued to grind against Alaska happily.

Courtney watched Bianca out of the corner of her eye. She’d seen Celia gliding over, a little tipsy, and then the gorgeous blonde was sliding an arm around Bianca’s neck. She bristled slightly, letting out a relieved sigh as Bianca carefully detangled herself and sent Celia on her way, rolling her eyes at Jinkx and continuing their conversation.

Maybe she’d been too harsh with Bianca last night, Courtney thought guiltily. Maybe she’d imagined her girlfriend’s flirting as overblown, because of how annoyed she was to begin with.

Courtney looked back over to Tati and Violet, thrilled that her friend seemed to be helping the brunette loosen up. She flashed Violet a wicked smile, as she bumped hips with Alaska. Thank god for the dance floor.

“Oh look, our stunning brides are back!” Adore called into the microphone. “Please let’s give a huge cheer for Raja and Raven, who have changed for the third time tonight. Raven, your ass looks perfect.”

Raven giggled, waving and blowing kisses, as she and Raja sailed onto the dance floor to join their guests.

***

Patrick slid into his seat beside Fame, handing her a glass of champagne.

“Remember our wedding?” Fame asked, smiling.

“Of course.” Patrick smiled back and puts his hand on the table, letting Fame take it, their rings clinking together. Patrick was so happy to be there with her. He could tell that Fame’s sentimental side had been triggered by the surroundings. All tension from their Christmas vacation seemed to evaporate. “It was one of the best days of my life, and way better than this whole extravaganza, just a humble wedding of us, your dad’s mansion, close friends and family and around 6000 chickens.”

Fame laughed. She scanned the crowd, hoping to see her best friends looking as happy and content as she felt. There was a beautiful, dark-eyed woman by the bar who averted her eyes when Fame looked her way.

Fame leaned over to Patrick, whispering in his ear. “What do you think of the woman over there in the blue dress?”

Patrick swallowed, unsure if this was a test. “She looks...uh, very…”

“Let’s seduce her,” Fame continues, now smirking wickedly.

Patrick clears his throat, one eyebrow lifting.

“I’ll follow your lead…”

***

Juju re-entered the ballroom; she’d just spent nearly an hour putting her three youngest kids to bed, with no help from her husband, and she needed a drink in the worst way.

As if reading her mind, Detox sidled up to her with a martini, looking tipsy and very pleased with himself.

“So, where do you wanna go on vacation?”

“What do you mean?” Juju laughed, taking the drink and kissing his cheek, letting him guide her to the dance floor. Detox pointed to the side of the room and Juju noticed a few iPhones out, despite the security guards who had confiscated their own phones earlier.

“Matthew Sanderson, are those reporters?!”

“No, they’re freelance writers who happened to also have enough waiter experience to be hired as catering.”

Juju hit him and Detox laughed again.

“Come on little bee, don’t be mad! Better we get the scoop than those pretentious assholes from Vanity Faire.”

Juju huffed but lets him pull her in.

“You better take us somewhere real nice.”

“You, me, our demon kids and two nannies. Believe me, this night is going to cover your wildest dreams baby.”

***

“Who knew you’re more than just a good designer!”

“What do you mean?”

Violet yelled over the music, her and Tatianna still dancing together.

“You’re a really good dancer!”

Violet blushed as Tatianna complimented her, then said, “And you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!”

Violet wanted to slap her hands over her mouth, her eyes going wide. What the fuck? Had she really just said that out loud? But Tatianna just laughed, still dancing.

“Thank you! I understand why Sutan loves you!”

Sutan. Her Sutan. Her Sutan who didn’t know that she was angry with him.

“I have to go!”

***

“Max!!” Raven squealed as she spotted the tall britt, his almost white hair making him stand out like a lighthouse. “Max!” Raven threw herself at the photographer, happily wrapping her arms around him. “You have to take our picture! Please please please please.”

“Isn’t that why you invited me?” Max laughed, clearly enjoying Raven’s excitement, the two of them knowing each other extremely well from all the hours they had spent in Max’s studio, shooting Galactica collections. He was also one of a very select few of trusted people allowed to have a camera inside the ballroom.

“That, and the fact that you’re the most beautiful Brit in all of Manhattan, now take some pictures of me and my wife!”

“Tonight is your night, Mrs. Amrull.”

***

“I love this party!” Pearl laughed, her body swaying back and forth. The dinner had been dreadfully boring, her boss crying and Laila not budging on her ‘no sex at an actual reception’ police, but this party was the best ones Pearl had attended in years. She had even cheered from the first row for Adore’s band, the woman smiling at her when she danced to the music. “Laila! We have to watch the ball drop!”

“That happens on Times Square, you idiot.”

“Raven had a perfect replica made for the ball room so that no one had to look away from her and Raja’s New Year’s kiss. Now come on!”

***

“Can I have this dance?”

“You better.”

Raja smiled as she took Raven’s hand, the two of them walking into the dance floor, Raja gently grabbing Raven’s hip as they started to sway together to the tones of the song Raven had picked for their first dance. Raja was beautiful, and Raven couldn’t stop looking at her, her wife, her legally wedded, amazing, beautiful fantastic wife. Raven knew they were being filmed, her years as a model giving her an almost sixth sense for finding any and all cameras, but it didn’t matter, not when she had Raja with her, the other leading her like she always did, and like she always would. The guested started counting down, midnight and the near year coming closer and closer, the seconds ticking past.

“I love you..”

“I love you too.”

Raja smiled and leaned forward, the glitterball exploding as their lips met and the clock struck 12.

“Happy New Year.”

#galactica #au aag verse #rpdr fanfiction #my fics

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sanjiafsincedayone · 7 years

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Luffy – A “Brief” look

Now, I’m going to be posting a series of short discussions on my own personal thoughts about each strawhat. I will start with Luffy and work my way towards Brook. These posts will just explain some of my thoughts regarding each character. The posts will vary in length though, because for some characters I will find more things to talk about.

Luffy – A Brief (yet not so brief) look

Luffy is my third favorite strawhat and in my opinion the perfect main character for One Piece. He’s funny and uniquely written and you can’t help but love his carefree nature. He’s stupid in the most adorable way without it ever feeling old or forced, and I think Oda has done an excellent job with balancing Luffy’s goofiness with seriousness properly showing that Luffy definitely deserves to be the captain.

Much more on Luffy and his relationships with his nakama under the cut.

I think Luffy’s dream and his endless love for adventure makes everyone love him, both fans of the manga and within the manga itself. The way Luffy just lives his life the way he wants while being straightforward about both his likes and dislikes makes him such an honest character and also a character that is very easy to understand. This is one of the main reasons for Luffy being such a good main character, at least that’s how I feel. I’m not saying he doesn’t have complexity at all, but the fact that he is so easy to understand makes him approachable by all types of readers.

Oda has also done so well with how he’s showcased Luffy’s relationships with both his nakama and with characters outside of the crew. In particular (besides with his crew) I liked how Oda portrayed his relationships with Vivi, Jinbei and Law. And his backstory with Shank but in particular with Ace and Sabo makes Luffy such a well-developed character. I love Oda’s story of Ace and Luffy and it had such an emotional impact because we got to know their relationship so well. We understand where Luffy comes from perfectly and can see how a lot of his reactions and actions stem from his past.

My wish is for Oda to keep developing Luffy’s mature side (without letting his natural personality suffer of course) and also for him to showcase more of Luffy’s strong bonds with all of his nakama. In general I think Oda has focused less on the strawhats’ bonding and more on gags after the time-skip, but I also think he’s done this much less with Luffy compared to the rest. But I guess I just want even more development of Luffy’s relationships to his nakama, some more than others. I don’t really have that much to complain about so this is just nit-picking.

Luffy’s relationships with the crew:

Zoro – Zoro and Luffy have a strong bond of trust between each other that I really admire, but Zoro is also there as a support and as someone that can push Luffy in the right direction. It’s really noticeable that Luffy is much younger and less mature than Zoro, but in the end Luffy definitely has what it takes to be a captain that Zoro can respect. I really like their interactions, though I feel like they haven’t really had that many good ones after the time-skip.

However, Zoro’s sacrifice for Luffy in Thriller Bark will forever be one of the greatest scenes and most emotional moments in the manga. Zoro putting Luffy’s dream above his own was a great showcase of Zoro’s belief in Luffy as well as their strong bond. I also think that Zoro understands Luffy pretty well, even though they both definitely view and deal with a lot of things very differently. I also love how Luffy seems to see Zoro as really stupid, and that is such a funny joke when considering Luffy’s character.

Zoro of course also falls victim to a lot of Luffy’s shenanigans and personally one of my favorite gags is Zoro accidentally getting hurt because of Luffy, and then Zoro wanting to kill Luffy because of it. Too bad this hasn’t really happened in a long time. I feel like Oda should take a look back and perhaps remember how funny Zoro and Luffy can be together, because even though I love the strong bond they have I really miss their less serious interactions a lot.

Nami – Luffy is Nami’s saviour and this too is a strong bond built on trust. That is their foundation, but they also see things very differently which causes Nami a lot of worry and trouble. Nami nagging Luffy and trying her best to control him but failing has slowly turned into her just simply giving up in trying to talk her captain out of things. They bicker a lot and despite Luffy being so out of control it’s Nami who seems to be able to at least somewhat keep him from going too far at times. Basically her fists are one of few things that can actually tame Luffy.

I really like their relationship and think that Nami and Luffy together can be pretty funny, but I prefer their serious moments together. Arlong Park and Nami getting saved is the best arc of the East Blue Saga in my opinion. The way Luffy managed to get under Nami’s skin and show her that pirates can be good was such an emotional storyline to follow. I like that Oda keeps showing this even after Arlong Park, instead of just leaving it at that. But sometimes I feel like their bond won’t be able to develop properly because of how very different they are. They pretty much view everything differently, and even though they interact a lot they don’t actually seem to have that many normal conversations, which is a shame. There is so much trust and caring between them, but definitely a lot less of understanding on a general level compared to between Zoro and Luffy for example.

Nami and Luffy have a great bond and many good moments between them, I just wish their dynamics (mostly the gags) wouldn’t feel so repetitive sometimes. But this is actually more of a general problem after the time-skip and doesn’t only apply to Luffy and Nami.

Usopp – Putting Usopp and Luffy together will always be hilarious. But I also love the focus Oda gave these two during Water 7 and Enies Lobby. It’s one of the best mutual developments I’ve seen in the whole manga. Putting a strain on their relationship and showing how their insecurities and stubbornness made them clash but also grow closer was such good writing on Oda’s part. It showed both of theirs weaknesses and flaws, but they also really grew as characters because of their fight.

Usopp almost idolizes Luffy at times, and probably felt very lacking in comparison, but they also have a very easy-going type of relationship. They are like brothers who have tons of fun together and the gags that come out of their differences – aka Usopp being scared vs Luffy being reckless – are some of the best in the manga.

I’m a little bit sad that we haven’t seen that much between them since after Enies Lobby, and I definitely want Oda to write more of the simple moments in between adventures with the crew because I feel like those are the times that Usopp and Luffy’s close bond and love for each other really shows. They’re like best friends and brothers and because Luffy is such a carefree person I think that the worry-wart Usopp can overcome a lot of things just by having Luffy by his side. One of my personal favorite duos in the crew and definitely both a well-developed and fun to watch relationship.

Sanji – Another strong bond and a relationship that also has gotten a lot of development in the recent arc. There is a mutual trust and respect there, but unlike Zoro I’d say that Sanji is quicker to tell Luffy off. He sees Luffy as his captain and looks up to him a lot, but he also seems to be the one in the crew that controls Luffy the most (besides perhaps Nami). I guess I could say that while Luffy is Sanji’s captain, Sanji is Luffy’s boss, does that make any sense? Either way I find the moments of Sanji reprimanding Luffy really funny, but I again really love when they show the trust they have for each other.

I find it so interesting that many of Luffy’s moments with Sanji have been strictly between the two of them. The fact that the Baratie arc and Sanji’s introduction was mostly just between him and Luffy, and now the big scenes in Whole Cake Island between them are also mostly just between them. It makes their development almost seem private, and in a way it is, because Luffy is definitely the person that Sanji has allowed to get the closest to him. They are both dreamers and I think these two in particular have been connected because of their dreams, which is something Oda focused a lot on in the Baratie arc.

In a way Luffy is also Sanji’s saviour and someone I think Sanji feels grateful but also indebted to. Luffy knows Sanji really well and I think the way he more than anything wants Sanji to see his own worth is really great. I also love the fact that Sanji is the one Luffy compliments the most and how well Oda showed in this arc how important Sanji really is to him. It’s a really unique type of bond, and I think Oda has put a lot of thought into their dynamics based on their backgrounds. I love it, and I wouldn’t mind getting even more of it.

Chopper – Luffy’s immediate interest (after deciding not to eat him) in a talking cool transforming reindeer is of course funny, but including Chopper in the crew for me was a really good chance to see Luffy actually acting like an older brother from time to time. The way he manages to get past Choppers protective walls and truly show Chopper that there is a place for him together with the strawhats is probably my favorite introduction arc out of the whole crew.

The two of them having fun together and the way Luffy teases Chopper is really just cute to watch. They share a lot of similarities because of their younger age and fun-loving nature, and also how they both like food and sweets so much. I just kind of wish that they got more development in their relationship. I suppose it’s comfortable the way things are right now, but sadly I have not seen many deep moments between the two of them after Drum Island.

Still, Chopper admires Luffy a lot, and the naive nature of Chopper in combination with Luffy’s unorthodox ways leads to a lot of small but funny gags. Luffy and Chopper are together the clueless combo, and I think those jokes are pretty funny but I really feel like I haven’t seen that many moments between Chopper and Luffy recently, though the Whole Cake Island arc has done a pretty good job of bringing back their interactions. In particular I love the two of them just running off and eating everything, I just feel like I haven’t seen any real moments between them in a long time. They still interact of course, but I feel like it’s a lot less after the time-skip which is a shame.

Robin – Luffy and Robin don’t really interact all that much, but there are plenty of more quiet moments from both of them that show how much they care and treasure each other. They are completely different people, but Robin mostly just find Luffy amusing and is simply happy to be his nakama.

I find Robin’s introduction very interesting, and I love how Luffy completely disregards her wish to die in Arabasta. I don’t think that scene in particular made Robin and Luffy’s bond grow, but rather it was just the start and slowly over time Robin came to think of Luffy as someone important, almost without her realizing it. Her story in Water7 and Enies Lobby is also a great show of Luffy’s character and I think that once again Luffy’s accepting nature and ability to understand others was showcased wonderfully as Robin finally realized she’s also allowed to be happy and there are people she can trust.

But other than that I fail to come up with many things to say about their bond. I know it’s there and I know it’s strong. I loved Robin’s obvious change after Luffy finally got through to her and made her realize her own worth, but because of their lack of interactions we rarely get to actually see it. If we compare it to how Luffy has dealt with Sanji in the current arc the differences are pretty huge and in my opinion the bond between Luffy and Robin lacks a lot of personal bonding. It’s difficult to explain, and of course the dynamics are very different but to some extent I still feel that Robin hasn’t really let Luffy in on a personal level even if the trust, respect and love is all there.

Franky – To Luffy Franky seems to be that cool uncle that is hilarious just being himself. But I also think that out of all of his nakama, Luffy’s relationship with Franky is the least developed. It’s almost odd, because Franky didn’t really have many interactions with Luffy before he joined, and I think that shows. If anything Luffy got a better development with Iceburg and that always struck me as quite odd. Their relationship is of course still good and has definitely grown stronger over time, but initially Luffy and Franky didn’t really get to know each other that intimately before Franky joined.

Their interactions can be quite funny with how Luffy just finds Franky cool and kind of unsuspectingly hilarious sometimes, but I really wish that Oda would put some more focus on developing their bond. It almost feels like it’s a bond that’s just supposed to be there, but we don’t really know how it actually developed except by fighting for the same cause and Franky being moved by Luffy’s dedication to Robin and his crew. I don’t really know what to think, but I really think Oda should at least add a few more meaningful moments between them.

Brook – I love Brook and I love Luffy and these two seem to feel the same way about each other. Meaning that just like me they find each other hilarious. It’s not so much that their interactions are funny as it is how they each find the other one really funny. They think the other one is hilarious and in that way without really interacting much I just think their reactions to each other are funny.

However I still think that there is a profound relationship and mutual understanding between them. Brook really admires Luffy and acknowledge him as his new captain and a true friend who instantly showed Brook he was welcome. Luffy of course is just overjoyed with getting someone as strange as Brook as nakama, but quickly also realizes both Brook’s strength and his kindness.

Both of them also share strong bonds with Laboon which connects them even more, and I also love how Luffy and Brook are both so carefree in certain ways. I feel these two are truly similar in a wear-their-heart-on-their-sleeves kind of way. I also love how we can see Brook’s love for Luffy and how he returned to the strawhats after the time-skip so excitedly despite not having known them for very long. Still, similarly to Franky, sadly Brook has not yet had much opportunity to further develop his bond with Luffy through deeper interactions after his initial introduction.

All in all Luffy has a strong bond and great trust between him and all of his nakama, but because of the story’s structure Oda has definitely focused more on the original five from East Blue. I understand this decision, but I still hope that Oda will use a little less time on gags and fighting and more time for Luffy to deepen his bonds with at least some of his crew-members in future arcs.

I love Luffy a lot and it’s obvious that Oda does too, I think he’s a great main character for a shonen manga and his charm definitely has gotten to me. I could go on, but this is supposed to be brief after all.

I hope you all enjoyed this little piece on Luffy. Of course this is all based on my own personal opinion, but please feel free to discuss this with me and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading. :)

#monkey d. luffy #character analysis #one piece #StrawHat Crew #nakama #zoro #nami #usopp #sanji #chopper #Nico Robin #franky #brook #manga #relationship analysis #eiichiro oda

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delightfulpersonwombat · 4 years

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8.17.20 -- Alana

Dear Vivi,

I never expected you to actually address what I wrote. For you to do that, you have to be able to address yourself and the cacophony you let rip you apart in your own head. You have to acknowledge that other people care about you and want you to heal. You have to allow yourself to want to be healed.

Oh, sorry, was that too much? You need to hear it. I need to be the one to tell it to you. Others need to be able to tell you that the thoughts in your head aren’t rational, and that you need to get them out so that they aren’t worsening your mental state. Whether you get them out to other people or in a journal, you’re getting them out.

I’ve had some time to think things through. How similar you and I are in the fact that we both faced trauma and came out survivors. That we both have demons in our closets that we think would scare others away, so we pretend they aren’t there. I use my charm and my effervescent personality to make everyone believe they are my best friend while revealing nothing of myself. You use your anger as a shield and block any sort of curious interaction with evasion and quite terrible lying. We both foolishly believe that we aren’t letting people in, but we are.

We need to drop that with each other, though. We’re both insightful enough to know when the other one is trying to pull something. And, besides. Westra would want to make sure that out of everyone, you and I looked after each other, both mentally and physically. That’s why she made me a ship. So that when we’re ready, we take everyone with us to somewhere else. Or, I take you on as my first mate and we go be vigilantes together. In either case, she would not want her wife or her sister to be fake with each other. She would not want them to be as closed off as possible with each other.

You’re wise enough to already know that, Vivi. Your grieving does not need to make you immature. Listen to your wisdom instead of ignoring it. Because that is the opposite of wise. Stop being stubborn; Robin would not think you’re being a bother and you know that. I am not one who cares for gods, but I know that he is your friend first.

Act like he is a friend and a friend that you need so that you can be a friend for him when he needs it.

As for your new companions, I for one am glad that you do have eyes on you. I know your self destructive habits. I know that you seek out people who want nothing more than to hurt you. You are in complete control and you choose to let them beat you with all of their strength. You blame yourself and rip yourself apart when they take choice and control from you. They turn into savage monsters and they hurt you in a way you never choose or want, all while you are saying no. You don’t ever deserve that, but you put that task on your shoulders as a way for you to rid the world of monsters, but also as a way to deal with monsters. I am not seeking to blame you for what befalls you; they are the monsters that choose to hurt and control in the most foul of manner. I am versed in their ways, as you know of my past.

It is not going to help you heal if you fall into those habits. There are better ways to catch those monsters where they do not need to break you before you kill them.

You have a network of others who would also stop you from falling back into those habits. Volanti, for one. He is traveling and has his own network of criminals, and would hear about some of the monsters that are turning up dead. Robin is connected to you and would hear about it as the dead made their way to his judgement.

You are not alone. You do not need to go down that path. You have people who need you, too. Don’t act like you are the only one in the world who is suffering right now. Your suffering is great. You are allowed to grieve. You are allowed to be angry. You are allowed to cry until you can’t cry anymore. But you’re not allowed to be self destructive.

So, no. In conclusion, while I never expected you to address what I wrote, I am not accepting that for much longer. Like I said. You don’t have to talk to me. You need to talk to someone, though. You need to heal.

But, we’ll talk more about that at another time. In another letter. It’s something to look forward to, is it not? You can’t see my expression right now, but I’m grinning at this thought. You’re probably scowling and are probably telling yourself that you’re not going to write back ever again. But, you’re going to. You’ll be petulant the entire time, but you’ll do it.

Because you know I’m right in what I am saying.

Anyway. You’ll want to know about my travels with your party. Which is quite a lovely group. Zealous keeps reading the blank wisdom book you gave her. Maybe she is imagining words to be there and she is filling a journal with the wisdom she has come across over her years? I’m not quite sure. She is not the brightest star in the night sky, but she has a purity about her that I can’t help but adore.

We spent the night at the encampment with the elves, rising early to get a start on the day. We wanted to meet with the three we had encountered the night before. Elimindreda’s father, Captain Faraday, and Lord Dormiyar. We chose to speak with Elmindreda’s father first. He didn’t have much in the way of information on our mission of why we came to Chult, though he still chose to express his displeasure of it. He did inform us that they were working to prevent this evil from becoming like the evil that just attempted to take over the world. They were trying to put preventative measures in place so nothing like that last war happens again. Elimindreda spoke with her own father while the rest of us remained quiet. She is of nobility and stature and the party sees her as the leader. I also agree with their decision on that.

She took the lead on speaking to Captain Faraday. Captain James, while not a captain of a ship, is a captain in command of an army. He is scummy and skeevy and a schmuck, all while being sexist and speciest all at the same time. One of the few humans there, he let us know that his second in command, Charlotte Talro’a, had far more information than he did. And, upon meeting her, we realized her to be far more competent than he could ever pretend to be. Sure. My perspective on that might be warped due to my opinions of James, but that does not make them wrong in any way.

We spoke with Lord Dormiyar last, and found that his intentions are not completely altruistic. He wants to get his people out safely, but he doesn’t want to actually put the work in himself and save the people. He’s claiming to not have the resources to go after the cultists in the North. Yes. Those humans my familiar had seen? Are apparently cultists that sacrifice to their gods, Tiamat and another strange god, is what we learned. Dormiyar wanted nothing to do with the group and didn’t seem to be really set on working to help them. A real leader goes in and fights with her people. Or his, in the case of him. Self preservation, sure, but we all just survived a war. Cultists are nothing compared to what your party has faced and taken care of. Yet, he was sitting here in the safety of his encampment while his people were outside of it, being sacrificed left and right.

We didn’t learn much from him either, other than we knew that we needed to check out what was up North. In meeting with Charlotte, we knew that if we were to travel to the Heart of Omu, we needed a guide. Zombies, zombie dinosaurs, and vampires roam the jungles. She was not willing to be our guide, but might know of someone who could guide us. The problem was, everyone was up North and potentially might have already been sacrifice fodder for the cultists. But, since we’d already found out all we needed to know, we headed North to try and see if there were potentially any still amongst the living.

We did learn one thing we didn’t know before. Azrael had contact with the being we’re searching for roughly seven to eight months ago. Westra was infected around that time. I was infected not long after that.

In getting to the North encampment, there were signs of sacrifice and warning everywhere. Mutilated body parts, no longer whole bodies, littered the ground and hung from the trees. There were body parts strung over archways--gates and doors--and it was hard to tell if there was anyone living there. It looked as though a cult had taken over, poisoning the land and killing the people that resisted or got in their way.

So of course, we have to investigate.

A few of the masked cultists burst out from around the gate. They seemed to be keen on the idea of sacrificing us to a goddess by the name of Reiagian. I’m not the religious type. I’ve studied the texts briefly, as I study quite a few things. Being a diplomat requires a brain. Regardless, that is not a name I’d ever come across. In your limited religious knowledge, does that name sound familiar to you?

The cultists decided they were going to attack us. I tried to convince them all to just let us in and that a fight was not needed. Only one of them seemed to agree with this plan, so we let him go about his merry way. He was probably horrifically murdered later, but I’m getting to that.

The rest didn’t really stand a chance. I was not going to cast the spirit blast spell again, as it’d brought back to many painful memories. I did not want to bring them back up, especially after having the endless nightmares the night before. I instead focused on quelling the storm inside of me; I needed to find a way to get it out. I used the lyre harp to bring forth a witch bolt and used my own magic to twin the affect. Had an enemy been standing within ten feet, they would have also taken damage.

Cultists cannot be reasoned with. They have partaken of the chalice and given their soul to whatever false gods or evil gods they worship. I have parlayed with ones who supported Strahd and his measures. Bites or no bites, the control and pull of a cult isn’t broken by negotiating and diplomacy.

To be honest, I don’t know why I’m trying to explain myself. My reason for fighting. You’re a monk who throws herself into battle after battle, just for a reason to parkour.

A golden dragonborn appeared after we took care of the last cultist--Hallda had animated the ballistas and had them make out with each other, which was effective and utterly excessive at the same time. Zealous kneeled, as this dragonborn was beautiful to her. Reiagian chose to speak in draconic, believing that no one else spoke it. It seems false gods have as much hubris as real gods. I couldn’t help but imagine your reaction to Reiagian.

I grew tired of listening to Reiagian trying to get Zealous to have us all bow or kneel to her. This was a waste of time, to be quite honest. She was not going to give us answers, even if we had questions for her. We were not dragonborn, nor did we speak draconic, or so she thought.

So, I tested the waters. I called her out on being a false god in draconic, and she acted just as I thought she would. She used her breath weapon on me. I am not unaccustomed to that being a reaction from someone who is called out--attacking, not breath weapons--but it confirmed that there was not going to be reasoning with her. She grew panicked not long after that and fled, Zealous following her.

Behind us, we heard and smelled a presence. There was movement, and Elmindreda turned around, her axe in hand. The smell of rotting meat wafted in the air all around us.

Was this the godkiller Ailuin had mentioned?

Elimindreda began to speak in elvish, and I listened, not saying a word. The godkiller had a job to do here. To kill the false gods. She told Elmindreda that she would spare the sacrifices, as they weren’t pretending to be gods. She didn’t seem to want to attack us, so we let her go on her way. Moments later, the sound of attacking and screaming filled the air. Blood was flying everywhere. A female, pale elf with a long sword emerged, covered in blood and viscera. Alongside her were two copies of herself. She wondered why we were here. We chatted a bit with her. Or rather, Elimindreda and Hallda did. I didn’t engage.

Vivi...I can’t put my finger on it, but something seems off about her. I don’t trust her. While she didn’t harm the would be sacrifices, something just didn’t feel right with the godkiller. And, yes. I agree. It is a pretentious title to go by. But it was more than that.

Gods are immensely powerful. Not just their blood, which she says her sword thirsts for. It’s her companion and her friend. The sword. Not god blood. Anyway. Gods. Dying. They are beyond powerful. Their entire being. Their essence. The magic inside of them.

It doesn’t just die.

You all have killed a god. You used his ashes in a cure that is powerful beyond measure. I know; I’m holding it while Mim is assisting with the child we found. None of you really talk about the fact that you have killed a god and that it was you all that helped Robin back onto the throne and made it so that he could fix the Underworld. Or at least, that’s a summarized version of what you’ve mentioned to me in the past. This godkiller seems keen on spreading that, though. That she is a godkiller. And she seems to be just fine with it.

It’s unsettling. And that isn’t the only unsettling thing about her. But it’s a big one. Even as someone as nonreligious as myself finds this godkiller’s line of work to be questionable at best. Who is she to call a god a false god? Who is she to kill a god and go after them? Do gods not have champions? Wouldn't a godkiller go after them...

You are Grima's...well, Robin's champion, are you not?

Vivi, Robin is a true god, right?

She leaves, and we transport all of the people back to Lord Dormiyar’s encampment. We bring the people in to be healed and I work with everyone who has been corrupted, using the orb. I could...I could feel the pull of the corruption slightly, but I think that was due to the mana poisoning I have. It burned through my veins, and I had to take a break in between each person, as the mana inside of me wrecked havoc in my mind.

It took everything I had not to call to the mana inside of me and let it mix with the corruption inside of them. To then pull it out and have little corrupted mana puppets that could easily....

Having a cup of tea and a few drags of a blunt in between each person was the only way I was able to get through that, if I am being honest. Vivi. How did holding onto the orb effect you? You guarded it and was the one who used it. What did you see? Experience? You’re normally very empathetic. Does it affect me because of the mana poisoning? Or did it affect you, too? You never talked about it before, and maybe I should have asked. But I am asking now.

We managed to find a guide. Kelliear Barthan. She needed to heal up a bit, but she promised to guide us through the jungle. We also met back up with James. It turns out, his speciest side came out now that we’d taken care of the problem to the North for him. This time, vampires were his subject of ire.

He believes that all vampires deserve death. Not undeath. Death. The thing is...he does not know a monster from someone afflicted by vampirism. He has not had the bites of a monster unwillingly received done to him. I nearly removed my scarf to show the scars from Strahd’s teeth to this captain of sexism and cowardice. He, however, did ask of us to find the Crimson Carnivale. More specifically, their leader, Orsova Thorne. He prefers that we stake them all. I would like to tell Captain Faraday where he could shove his stake, but that is not very ladylike.

Great. Vampires. Hopefully this batch will not be monsters like the ones we dealt with at the port, even if captain jackass can't differentiate between vampires. Perhaps these ones are like the ones you have met in other places. Or like Scarlet. Perhaps they are not the monsters that I have grown so accustomed to seeing. To interacting with.

I expect you to write back, Vivi. And not just about whatever information you found. I want to know how /you/ are doing. How you are working towards your goals. Give me something that shows me that I made the right decision in letting you leave and take the open space in your party.

Love,

Captain Diminski-Stormwood

PS: Perhaps you should do that when you return if you miss him so much.

Yeah. I said it. Get over it. You miss your party.

#writing #longform

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exosmutxoxo · 8 years

Text

Baby Boy

A/N: Okay, firstly, I have zero knowledge when it comes to mommy kinks so please forgive me if this smut is not the most accurate mommy kink you’ve read. Secondly, I wanted to include a sex scene in this smut but I found that if I added it in, it felt a bit overdone if you know what I mean. Thirdly, since some of you mentioned that I should try writing in second/third POV, I decided to make a first attempt at it! This one is in second POV and it worked out well, so thank you to the anon who gave me this suggestion x lastly, remember to leave me some feedback in the ask box, okie? <3

Pairing(s): Sehun x Reader

Warnings: Mommy kink, stripteases

Genre: Light smut

Requested: Yes

Summary: Baby boy Sehun just needs some love and attention from his mommy.

Word Count: 2129

To those who know Oh Sehun well, he’s a young and handsome young man without a care in the world, choosing to spend his youthful years by getting drunk on tequila and getting into harmless trouble with his usual gang of friends. To the eyes of the outside world, he’s a completely normal twenty-one-year-old living a completely normal life. He goes to work daily, he owns an adorable dog named Vivi and he has decent fashion sense. Oh, and he also has a mommy kink. Wait a minute, that last bit doesn’t sound too normal for a twenty-one-year-old man, does it?

At twenty-six years old, you have dozens of men falling for you, willing to kiss the ground you walk on, to which you are fully aware of. To your own eyes, you’re actually decent-looking. To men, however, you’re practically a goddess. Unfortunately for at least half of the male population, you only have eyes for a particular man. Or to be more specific, a particular boy.

Oh Sehun, five years younger than you and utterly drop-dead gorgeous, is your boy toy. Honestly, you have no flipping idea when he developed a fetish for older women but along the way, you started growing attached to the idea of pampering a man younger than you are. As far as it gets, you have to admit that it’s pretty weird for a carefree young woman like yourself to fall in love with the idea of babying another legal adult; you should be running around in lingerie and shaking your ass in the faces of men older than you are, indulging in impulsive flings and breaking hearts everywhere you go.

But instead, you find yourself veering down an entirely different path. Instead of soaking in the comforts of another man’s care, you end up devoting all your time and attention to a boy with a mommy kink.

“Have you been a good boy, Sehunnie?” You coo down at the young man chained to the bed frame, squirming beneath your adoring gaze and stripped down to absolutely nothing, basking in his naked glory. He emits a whine, straining against the restraints of the handcuffs holding him down and stares up at you with puppy eyes, his alluring lips pushed into a suggestive pout.

“I’ve been a complete angel, Mommy”, Sehun protests sulkily, deliberately fidgeting in the hold of the cuffs and causing the clinking of metal against the bed frame to resonate throughout the room. The little brat knows very well how much his struggling drives you a little insane so like the little devil he is, getting on your nerves is his top priority right now.

“Good boys don’t kick up a fuss, baby boy”, you reprimand him, gesturing to the cuffs keeping him tied down.

“But they’re uncomfortable”, he whines, “and I wanna touch you but these stupid cuffs won’t let me”.

A few years ago, you would’ve been aghast if you knew that pampering a male adult with a mommy kink would result in consistent whining and pouting and endless fussing but you’re not who you used to be so you’ve grown to accept that Sehun is never going to kick his ‘I want it my way’ attitude. Plus, you have to admit to yourself that it’s actually really cute.

Yeah, you’re that far gone.

“Let’s make a deal, shall we?” You smile down at him sweetly, watching with relish as he perks up with interest, the familiar twinkle returning to his eyes. “If you behave”, you continue, “Mommy will reward you. How does that sound, baby boy?”

Sehun considers your offer carefully, sucking on his lower lip thoughtfully. “What kind of reward?” He asks curiously.

“Anything you want”. You simper down at him, to which he practically melts at. A quick glance down at his crotch tells you a lot about what’s going through his mind at the moment; his cock gives an excited little twitch at the promise of a reward and you can’t help but mentally pat yourself on the back for getting him wrapped around your little finger. Who’s to say you’re not a great mommy? You’re the fucking greatest.

“I want a striptease, then”, Sehun abruptly demands, not taking a no for an answer. “And I want these cuffs off”. As if to prove his point, he rattles his wrists in the handcuffs noisily, much to your huffiness. Determined to not let his bratty nature get to you, you fold your arms and eye his naked form sternly.

“On one condition”, you state in your best ‘authoritative mother’ voice. “You don’t get to come until I allow you to do so”.

Before Sehun can come up with another whiny remark, you dive onto the bed and take his half-erect cock in your warm hands, running your fingertips over it lightly. Instantly, he hardens even more in your grasp, his breathing getting ragged. Satisfied with his flustered response, you lower your head and blow out air from between your pursed lips onto his length, watching Sehun’s face in delight as he scrunches up his features awkwardly.

Turning your attention back to his cock at hand, you drag the back of your wrist down the erect length, resulting in a high-pitched whimper from your baby boy. He throws his head back against the mountain of pillows, struggling in the cuffs’ restraints and breathing growing ragged as he makes a desperate attempt to control his raging hormones. You know at the back of your mind that Sehun is someone who comes easily so you use that little fact to your advantage, utilizing your magical fingers to the fullest.

Pressing your thumb against his tip gently, you observe as pre-come starts to form against the pad of your finger, white and glistening in the warm bedroom light. Sehun starts to grow fidgety, his whimpers escalating to whines. “Don’t tease me, Mommy”, he begs, “Sehunnie needs to come soon”.

“You don’t come until I say so”, you reiterate your point fiercely, giving his cock a hard tug to which he arches his back off the mattress needily, crying out like the baby he genuinely is. “Do you understand me, baby boy?” You add, softening your tone when you catch sight of how blotchy his face has grown.

He nods feverishly, tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes. “Yes, Mommy”, he whispers, “I’ll be a good boy just for you”.

And just like that, your hearts melt into a puddle of motherly goo at the sight of his pitiful expression; lips pushed into a childish pout, eyes downcast, hair all ruffled like the little boy he is deep down. How could you resist those puppy eyes? And that innocent, angelic expression? He’s your baby boy, how could you torment him like this?

Relenting, you pull your hands away from his already leaking cock and reach up to undo the cuffs with a snap, shooting a reassuring smile down at him. “Mommy won’t put you through that torture anymore, okay?” You croon, carding your fingers through his ruffled hair. “Go ahead and get comfortable in the chair over there. I’ll give you a striptease soon”.

Absolutely delighted at getting his way once again, Sehun is off the bed in an instant and dashing over to the chair positioned at the other end of the room, everything hanging loose in a very provocative manner. Making himself comfortable in the chair and splaying out his legs so that his erect cock is on full display for your eyes only, he gazes up at you expectantly, eyes wide and mischievous grin playing on his rosebud lips. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s in his naked glory with all his parts hanging free, he would be the perfect picture of innocence.

But you knew better. Oh Sehun is anything but innocent, especially when it comes to sex. He’s bratty, whiny, demanding and a little selfish at times but then again, he’s your selfish boy toy and you wouldn’t swap him for any other man in the world.

So you proceed to pamper him, donning on your sexiest lingerie and planting yourself in front of him with your hands propped on your hips confidently as you eye him challengingly. “Hope you’re all prepared, baby boy”, you tease and watch with satisfaction as he practically swoons at the sensual sight of you.

“I’m always prepared for my Mommy”, he breathes, wild eyes raking down your hourglass figure feverishly and drinking in every inch of you hungrily. The erotic excitement in his eyes sends a jolt of pride through you, prompting you to square your shoulders and stride up to him without an ounce of doubt, shaking back the waves of your hair proudly.

This is your golden opportunity to show Sehun how lucky he is to have a ‘mommy’ like you; towering great height (even without kitten heels), luscious hair, unwavering confidence. He can’t get a better sugar mommy than you and you’re determined to show him that tonight.

So without wasting anymore time, you start to sway your hips teasingly as you approach him, taking your lower lip in between your teeth and never breaking eye contact with him. You’ve completely and utterly enraptured the poor boy, causing him to follow your every minute move with those jaw-droppingly stunning dark eyes of his, tongue hanging out greedily like a dog getting ready for dinner.

Encouraged, you tilt your head to the side with playfully feigned innocence, allowing your jet-black curls of hair to cascade down your bare shoulder like an ebony waterfall. Following that, you slowly run the palms of your hands down your thighs, letting your eyelids drift shut as you do so. You lose yourself in the moment entirely, touching yourself with your feather-like fingertips and swaying your hips in time to the raw and sensuous music you’ve conjured up in your own head.

Your fingertips trail down your thighs and back up again, running over your stomach and gradually moving up to your breasts. In your mind, you pretend it’s Sehun touching you; trailing those sinful hands of his over every inch of your burning skin, making you feel good.

The heavy, ragged breathing coming from your baby boy spurs you on to weave your hand down to the space in between your legs, cupping your own soaking womanhood through the damp material of your lacy panties and emitting a moan at the physical contact. All you’re craving for is the touch of your baby boy but you immediately reject that thought; it’s your night to put on a show for him, to please him and not the other way round.

Sehun, on the other hand, is completely immersed in you, eyes as wide as marble and tongue sticking out lustily. His cock has reawakened, stiff and leaking pre-come at the tip, and you feel yourself flush with pride. Switching it up a notch, your hands proceed to slowly undo the straps holding your lingerie together, allowing them to slide off your shoulders suggestively as you keep your unwavering gaze fixated on Sehun’s face.

He runs the tip of his tongue over his lips at the sight of your agonizingly slow striptease and you can’t help but purse your lips into a pout, tossing a wink in his direction. “Do you like this, baby boy?” You murmur, dropping your voice to an octave lower and drinking in the way he practically pants in need, perched at the edge of the chair.

“Take it all off, Mommy”, he begs. Without tearing his gaze away from you, he takes his stiff cock in his hand and starts to stroke it feverishly. For a moment, you pause to watch as he jerks himself off to you and a mixture of amusement, pride and longing courses through your veins; that’s your boy right there, jacking off to you desperately and in need of your touch, and you can’t help but feel like such a proud mommy.

Grinning to yourself, you undo one last strap and allow the lingerie to fall to a puddle at your feet. There you stand, completely bare and naked and exposed in front of Sehun and the ravenous expression on his handsome features is all it takes for you to fling yourself into his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing your lips to his in a heated kiss. He reciprocates, immediately turning to putty in your hands.

He leans in to you, putting his mouth near the shell of your ear. “Ride me, mommy”, he whispers seductively, running his hands down your bare sides greedily.

You smile at that, desire sending shivers throughout your entire form. “I thought you would never ask, baby boy”.

#exo #exo smut #sehun #oh sehun #sehun smut #exo k #exo m #smut #kpop smut #exosmutxoxo #mommy kink #sub! sehun

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