#with a tone of wondrous awe

[hellishfig]

me finding out that cassandra and ankarna got divorced: oh! gay divorce! beautiful

[babyhatesreality]

OKAY HOW ABOUT A LITTLE ONE THAT LOVES SHARING HER FOOD WITH EVERYONE IN THE ROOM AND ESPECIALLY WITH HER DADDIES

Soo maybe a scenario or headcanon where the reader start with sharing her veggies with her daddies but after a while she start sharing food that she likes so when there at the avenger tower and its Lunch time she wanna give petie and the other a bit of her food and wann give her daddies a bit of her favorite food so she grabs a bit and hold it to her daddies mouth 😻

Oh, this is an adorable thought, you cute Nonnie you...

Sharing is Caring

Pairing: Daddy!Stucky x little f!reader

Warnings: DDLG (SSC), f! reader, reader is named but name scarcely used, language, fluffity fluff fluff fluff.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN MEDIA CONSUMPTION. THIS STORY IS SFW- THE REST OF MY BLOG IS NOT NECESSARILY SO. MINORS DNI. I DO NOT CONSENT FOR MY WORK TO BE STOLEN, COPIED, OR TRANSLATED ONTO ANY OTHER SITE BUT MY OWN. Likes, comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated.

Bucky had never seen your eyes so wide before. He chuckled softly, thoroughly enjoying your incredulous delight.

"Dat's....for me?" you asked in a hushed tone, completely in awe of something so wondrous.

Bucky had to bite the inside of his cheek from outright laughing. They had found some individual snack packs of mini Chips Ahoy cookies the last time they went grocery shopping, and had packed them as a post-lunch treat today. They'd brought you up to the work floor with them, as it was just boring paperwork today. Knowing how much you loved your cookies, the small bags seemed like a good idea to try. They had no idea you'd react with such reverence.

Your little mind was BLOWN. A whole bunch of little chocolate chip cookies in a pretty blue bag, and all for you??? It was too much. You were overwhelmed with the indescribable majesty of it all.

"Yeah, it's for you, munchkin," Bucky said gleefully, his grin threatening to split his face. "You can have the whole bag since you finished all your fruit." He opened the bag and held it out to you.

You took it as carefully as if it were a Faberge Egg. Bucky had to pretend like he had an itchy nose- using his hand to cover his mouth as your complete and total wonder was so damned cute that it was making him giggle like a schoolgirl. He wondered how long you'd actually be able to keep quiet about this.

He didn't have to wonder for long.

You shrieked with absolute delight, jumped up and down, and then absolutely hurtled yourself at Bucky, who caught you with a laugh. "TANK YOU TANK YOU TANK YOOOOOOOU!" you screamed delightedly, hugging your Daddy as hard as you could. You let him go and popped one cookie into your mouth. It was so little and it was so good and it was the BEST. You looked back into the bag. There were SO MANY in there. You carefully extracted one, and held it up to Bucky. "Here, Daddy!"

Bucky smiled and shook his head. "Those are yours, baby, they're for you."

"But I wanna share!" you said, jumping up and down. "C'mere! Open!!" Laughing at your sweet impatience, Bucky leaned down and opened his mouth as requested. With a squeal of delight, you popped it into his mouth, then surprised him with a quick kiss on the nose. "Tank you!! Chew good!" you shrieked over your shoulder as you tore out of the room, on a mission. You just heard Bucky laugh at your instructions as you skidded into the next room.

"GUYS LOOK!" you shrieked with joy, holding your small bag aloft. Peter, Wanda, and Pietro turned around, curious, but were just as excited as you were when they realized the treasure that you held. You shared one with each of your friends, in turn, before running out of the room and back to Papa's office. You yelled 'hi' to all your friends and family as you ran past them in your delight, and they all knew you well enough to step to the side as you barreled down the hallway to your destination.

Steve sighed patiently. He could hear you blazing your typical path of destruction towards him. He loved your carefree and playful spirit, but was constantly afraid that you were going to get hurt in your exuberance. You flew into his office, looking more wound-up than usual.

"Hi Papa! Guess what??"

"Hi Baby. Whatever it is, it must have been important for you to be running around the floor like that."

"Oh. Oops. Sorry, I forgotted again."

"Yeah, I figured. What's up, pup?"

You giggled at the little rhyme and the resigned but loving look on his face. "Lookit da COOKIES!!!" You made a show of clearly walking- not running- towards him, and he grinned at the strained look on your face as you fought against your natural cheetah instincts. Once you got next to him through, you flung yourself into his lap, scrambling and squirming to pull yourself upright. Steve gave you little assists here and there, and put his arms around you once you got to your destination. "Here, I wanna share with you please!"

"That is so sweet, baby, thank you." He couldn't say anything else as you dug one out of the bag and tapped it against his lips. He made a funny face at you, then started pretending that his lips were glued together. He tilted his head at your, his eyes playfully twinkling. You giggled, then laughed as he teased you by not opening his mouth, and playing like he couldn't. You ended up smashing the cookie flat to his lips and pressing it in, not letting up, screaming with laughter. Finally Steve "pried" his lips apart and let you push the cookie in, then tickled you as you continued to laugh like crazy.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on in here?" A deep voice startled you. You stopped laughing, twisting around. "There's not this much happiness allowed on this floor." Nick Fury was standing there with his arms crossed, but you could see a hint of a smile on his face. You hopped off your Papa's lap and skipped around the desk to stand at the Director's feet. Ever since he'd declared you a part of the family, you absolutely LOVED him and always enjoyed a moment to bask in his coolness.

"Hi Mr. Nick!" you said happily, completely unaffected by his tough guy demeanor. "Here, I wanna give you something!" You held up a cookie to him. You might not have been afraid of him, but there was no way that you were going to ask him to open his mouth like your Papa and your Daddy.

Nick took it from your hand with a low chuckle. "Well, thank you, little one. How'd you know I love mini cookies so much?" He looked at you curiously when you got a very, very serious look on your face.

"I am about to blow your mind then," you said, completely solemnly. You held up the cookie bag for him to inspect, inwardly thrilled. You knew that you were about to change Nick Fury's life forever with your little blue packaged miracle.

[littlemissthunderstorms]

a little sub alex drabble for you guys since i’ve been gone for a while!! enjooy

2008 alex x reader

———

“i know baby, i know,” you cooed, cupping alex’s face. he was a sight for sore eyes, curls disheveled and damp, mouth parted, little whimpers escaping his lips from how full he felt.

you couldn’t get over how much you adored pegging him. he was always so whiny, so perfect for you and it never failed to have you soaking through your underwear.

slowly, you thrusted your hips forwards, alex’s hand that wasn’t resting on your waist flying to grasp yours. you interlocked your fingers with his, kissing his open mouth softly. “doesn’t hurt too bad?” he shook his head. “just a little- s’ good though,” he panted.

“okay,” your eyes flickered across his face. “you just tell me if you want me to stop or anything, alright?” he nodded quickly, signaling for you to start moving again. you pulled out slowly, thrusting in a bit harder this time, evoking a lusty moan from him.

“thatsss it,” you crooned, snapping your hips against his again. he whined and fisted the sheets, a sheen of sweat on his forehead glistening in the soft lamplight. it’d only been around two minutes and he was already an absolute mess. “momma faster please,” he cried, nearing release.

you leaned in closer so your body lay atop his. your index finger softly traced his shiny lips before sliding into his mouth. alex’s lips immediately closed around your finger, his whimpers muffled, eyes saueezed shut. “hey.”you patted his cheek. “look at me.”

his eyes opened and your heart almost melted at the sight, all caramel and swirly and wondrous and lust blown, staring straight up at you, like a baby deer. now that you had his eyes on yours, you thrust the silicone cock right up against his prostate, eliciting a loud gasp from him. his mouth parted, your finger pulling out and tracing his own saliva down his bottom lip.

“m’ close,” he whined. “i know, i know,” you panted, taking his wrists and pinning them on either side of his head. “you like it when mommy fucks you like this?”

he whined louder, nodding and whimpering until spit dribbled down the side of his face. “aw baby boy,” you thrust hard and fast, making sure you were hitting his prostate just right. it seemed to work because five seconds later he was writhing under you, his moans high pitched and desperate.

helping him get there, you wrapped a hand around his straining cock, spitting on it and stroking with the same pace as your hips. “momma that feels so-“ alex was cut off by a moan, his eyes rolling back as he came all over your hand and his stomach. you helped him ride out his high until his whimpers decreased and you pulled out.

you didn’t let go of his cock though. it was still half hard, cum dripping down the sides. alex’s eyes were shut, he was panting heavily. such a pretty sight, the warm toned lamplight dancing so beautifully across his sweaty skin, his curls damp and sticking to his face, the way his pretty mouth parted in a gasp when you moved your hand, stroking his cock once more.

you kissed the tip, licking up the cum on his stomach while your hand moved up and down his length. alex whined, already hard again but he was still a little overstimulated from the intense orgasm. “cmon baby boy, give me one more, yeah?”

he nodded and you smiled, twisting your free hand in his dark hair and pulling him in for a dirty kiss, making sure he tasted his own cum on your tongue. it wasn’t long before he was whimpering into your mouth again, nearing release. “oh that’s it honey,” you whispered, grinning at him.

your hand moved quickly, thumb sliding across his tip and wiping off pre cum every time your hand made its way up. you shuffled down, moving one hand to sensually stroke his lower stomach, pressing down a bit and moving further down to the inside of his thigh. alex’s back arched when you spit on his cock, cumming again. he moaned as he spurted cum all over your hand once again, tears falling down his soft cheeks as he whimpered.

he babbled something incoherently, but you wanted to make sure he wasn’t hurt or anything so you asked him to repeat it. “h- hold me please,” he cried, snuffling through his tears. “shit, baby yeah.”

you quickly lay atop the pillows, holding alex so his head rested in the crook of your neck, his chest against yours, arms wrapped around your middle. “you did so good baby, was that okay for you? i didn’t hurt you did i?” he quickly shook his head. “no, s’ so good.”

you nodded, kissing his hair and rubbing his back soothingly. you felt the rising and falling of his chest get a bit slower, his heart beating calmly against yours. his soft, gentle breaths fanned across your neck and he turned his head, pressing sweet little kisses along your jaw.

he sat up, practically straddling you and cupped your face, leaning in for a desperate kiss. once he pulled away, wiping drool from his mouth, he rested his head on your shoulder, arms around your neck. “will you do me one more favor?” he asked

“what is it?” you leaned your head against his.

“well it’s just that you haven’t gotten to cum yet and i- i um- i want you to sit on my face.”

———

taglist (let me know if you’d like to be added/removed)- @ultragirrl @inmyownfantasywrld @almluv @raven-ql @ohladymoon @yourstartreatment @missbabyjay @andulina567 @blair-s-world @rentsturner @indierockgirrl @kittyrob0t @averyzversi0n @michelleisheres-blog @kennedy-brooke @madeinuk @mathdebate00

[flowerandblood]

Glass Cuts Deepest (10)

[ professor! • Aemond x student! • female ]

[ warnings: kissing, panic attack, mention of rape, fluff, angst, indecent student-teacher relationship ]

[ description: A female painting student is finally able to choose the specialisation she has dreamt of - stained glass. She wants to become a student of the best specialist in this field, but he, for some reason, refuses to accept female students into his workshop. She finds out that he once slapped a female student of one of the other professors. Nevertheless, she makes an attempt to find out what happened then and to convince him to teach her. Slow burn, sexual tension, dark, agressive Aemond, great childhood traumas. ]

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

_____

He had never felt as calm and happy as he did that morning when he returned to his room − he couldn't get rid of the smile of pride and satisfaction at the thought that he had touched her, that he had brought her to orgasm with his very words, kisses and the touch of his hand.

He could still hear her surprised sobs of pleasure as fulfilment shook her body, as she sought refuge in his arms.

She was so polite and obedient, keeping her hands where he told her to, even though he knew it was difficult for her, she didn't touch him, allowing him to focus entirely on her and her pleasure.

He had never touched a woman of his own volition before her.

He wondered how it had come so easily, practically effortlessly, and realised that he had not associated this type of touch with Alys.

When she came to him then it wasn't him touching her, she was the one touching him, she was the one in control.

However, Wright then gave herself completely to him, allowing him to touch her as he wished, still clothed without making him feel threatened.

He realised that this could have been the solution to his problem, that maybe when he was the one in control of what was happening, his body wouldn't react with panic and bring up those awful memories.

When they went to the church to see how the installed stained glass windows looked like he felt a kind of pride, seeing how the golden background around the Mother of God with the child shimmered in the sunlight, giving a truly heavenly impression.

He couldn't look away from the face he had painted, simultaneously embarrassed and delighted by the sight, realising something, interjecting a word from the bishop who had just praised his student's project.

"In Christian iconography and theology, the Virgin Mary is supposed to be the personification of the New Eve, transformed from a woman who was tempted into a woman who contributed to human salvation. Her son, Christ, was instead to be the new Adam, which is why often in crucifixion paintings we see a skull under his feet on the ground that is meant to symbolise Adam's tomb, on which his cross grows like a tree." He said calmly, pretending that he just wanted to add some interesting information on the subject, but when he glanced at Wright he saw her lower her gaze quickly, trying to hide the smile of embarrassment and the redness of her cheeks.

He knew he was talking about her.

She was his Eve.

She was his salvation.

He had fallen in love with her.

"Indeed, the professor is right, Our Lady and Christ are the announcement of a new paradise, but also of the good news that the exile and wandering of mankind is over, that the gates of heaven have been opened to them again." Said the bishop in a light tone, acknowledging his point, snapping him out of his reverie with his next question.

"Who painted the face of that wondrous Mother of God that shines so luminously before us?"

He looked at him in surprise, feeling his heart pounding fast, and grunted quietly, not wanting to show his sudden nervousness.

"Me." He said indifferently and dryly, standing with his hands folded in front of him, and then he saw the priest's gaze quickly shift to his female student. He felt a tightening in his throat, knowing that he already knew.

Fuck.

Was Cregan guessing too, or was he just pretending not to see it?

How could he have been so stupid to let this happen?

He swallowed loudly, glancing at Wright and felt a cool sweat on the back of his neck noticing how she had gone pale, not a trace of her joy and contentment from a second ago.

She didn't look at him.

Not when they left, not when they drove back to the hotel, not when Cregan suggested they celebrate her success with dinner. He was willing to do it, he was proud of her, but she just said thank you, smiling sadly, and said she was tired and would go to her room now.

She was heartbroken and it was his fault.

As soon as he had showered and changed he was immediately outside her balcony door, knocking on her window, devastated at the thought that she might not want to see him anymore, that he had screwed things up so badly.

He was relieved when he heard movement on the other side, and then the door opened. He saw the look on her face, sadness, tiredness and resignation, and felt a tightness in his throat. He closed the door behind him, looking at her, all tense.

"What's going on?" He asked immediately, feeling like his heart was about to jump out of his chest, his breathing uneven and accelerated.

He felt even worse when he saw that she looked away and pressed her lips together, clearly feeling uncomfortable that she wanted to tell him something that might hurt him.

"He knows. He knows it was my face you gave to your Virgin Mary." She muttered in despair and took a step back as he moved towards her. She didn't move away when he grabbed the nape of her neck and pressed his forehead against hers, shushing her silently as he traced the skin of her warm cheek with the fingers of his other hand.

"− shhh −" He whispered, hearing her accelerated breathing, seeing her look on the verge of crying, feeling painfully remorseful that he had put them at risk himself.

He didn't know then what would happen, didn't know he could ever have her.

"− it won't work − someone will catch us − we won't hide −" She whispered in a breaking voice, tear after tear running down her cheek.

He felt a sting in his heart at the thought that she was terrified, that she had realised what a threat this was if someone caught them. He pressed his lips together, knowing that he was the one who had the least to lose, that he was finished anyway, that he wanted to leave anyway, but she was going to study there for three more years.

He didn't want anyone to think that she owed her place and victory in the competition to the fact that she was warming his bed.

Helpless, he hushed her once more, drawing her to him, embracing her with his arms and cuddling her into his chest. She clung to him immediately, placing her hands on his t-shirt just as he had shown her the day before, hugging her cheek to his torso, breathing raggedly through her cry.

"Just tell me if you want to try." He whispered, stroking her hair and back in a calm, slow motion. He felt her freeze, her breathing sped up − she herself no longer knew what she wanted and the thought was breaking his heart.

"I'm scared." She whispered in a trembling voice. He grasped her cheeks gently in his hand and lifted her face to look at him.

"I'm scared too, but that's not what I asked you." He said calmly, looking at her tenderly.

He was scared too.

He had been scared all his life.

But he wanted to try.

He could see that she didn't know what to say, that she was heartbroken and terrified, that she needed comfort and reassurance that he wouldn't leave her, that he wouldn't expose her to mockery and gossip, that he would protect and care for her, that he wouldn't treat her like a pretty toy that he would abandon as soon as he got bored.

He felt that he had to explain to her how he felt about her, that he had to somehow put into words why it was all so important to him, why she was precious to him, why he needed her so much.

"I don't know if you believe in God, but I do. Despite what has happened to me, I believe in him and that he is merciful. I also believe that he put you in my path, that he made me choose you because you are his gift, that he knows neither of us wants to do anything bad. I have never had the opportunity to care or look after anyone before in my life, but I want to do so for you. My sketches, your face that I painted, was an expression of my desperation and suffering, but this is the last time I let anyone see what I feel for you. This is the last time I put you in danger." He whispered in a trembling voice, tucking an unruly strand of her hair behind her ear in a tender, soft gesture, literally letting out his thoughts, his feelings.

Despite what had happened to him, he was a person of faith, attending church and praying.

His faith was instilled in him by his mother, taking him to church with her every Sunday. Aegon and Helaena did not want to go there, but he did. At first, it was because he had her all to himself then, that it was their time, that he was then her only child to whom she gave her attention.

But then he began to find some kind of relief in this, in the thought that his suffering was not worthless, that it had some meaning, that he may not have had a good father on earth, but he had one in heaven.

Seeing his suffering and loneliness, he sent him, like to Adam in Eden, his Eve, so that he would no longer be lonely, and with her he sent him that wonderful feeling that had to come from him, because it was too beautiful, too warm, too good.

He saw her draw in the air loudly at his words, her gaze warm and tender, filled with pain and affection at the same time, from which he felt tears under his eyelids.

"Please, protect me." She mumbled at last, and he sighed loudly in relief and smiled tenderly, stroking her cheeks.

"I'll. I promise." He whispered, feeling heat filling his heart at the thought that she trusted him, that she believed he was capable of it, that his feelings for her were sincere.

They leaned towards each other tentatively and then their lips came together in a hot, wet kiss that made his head spin, her scent and taste filling all his senses making him feel throbbing in his sweatpants again.

After what had happened the day before, he felt more confident.

He thought he wanted to do it.

"− do you want to finish what we started yesterday? −" He asked quietly and she nodded, smiling so sweetly, so innocently, that he felt like devouring her.

They kissed again, deeper and more passionately, and then he took her hand in his, leading her slowly towards her bed, sitting down on it, looking up at her from below.

She stood before him, beautiful and warm, just his, and he had all night to explore her body.

He bit his lower lip feeling the painfully pleasurable pulsing of his manhood again, pleased with how automatically his body responded to her closeness.

"Can I stroke your cheek?" She asked uncertainly and he swallowed loudly, looking at her surprised.

You are such a pretty boy, Aemond.

He wasn't sure if he wanted it or not, but he thought it was just a touch on the cheek, no big deal − he knew how warm and soft her hands were and he decided he wanted to feel her.

So he nodded and swallowed loudly, closing his eyes, pressing his lips together because as soon as he felt her touch, he saw her, pulling off her nightshirt, a shapely, ripe body that might as well have belonged to his mother.

He saw her large breasts, her wide hips, her womb.

Why are you so tense?

"Are you okay?" He heard another soft, warm voice and nodded, figuring he could stand it, that she wasn't doing anything wrong after all, that she was just touching his fucking cheek.

But instead of her hand, he felt her hand, her hand stroking him as she rode him, as her body fell against his manhood with a loud, sickening click, and she panted in delight.

Look, see?

You wouldn't be so hard if you didn't want it.

It's okay, sweetheart.

He felt tears under his eyelids, pressed his lips together and shook his head, grabbing her wrist.

"− no − I − I'm not − I'm sorry −" He mumbled out brokenly and felt her pull away from him immediately, but he was no longer there, with her − he was in his hotel room there, during their family trip to the seaside, he was alone in his bed when she came to him and refused to leave his mind, his heart, his body.

It wasn't better at all.

Nothing was better.

Nothing had changed.

He couldn't not think about it.

He burst out sobbing, heartbroken by this discovery, by the realisation that he could only touch but not be touched, that the physical tenderness of the girl he adored was unwanted to him, made him uncomfortable, made him want to run away. He couldn't cope with that thought, that terrifying realisation that this would probably never change.

That forever again the touch of her hand on his bare cheek, his arms or his torso would remind him of her.

That he would never let her touch him down there because it would remind him of her.

That he might not even be able to look at her beautiful, gorgeous naked body because it would remind him of her.

He wanted to die.

"− I'm begging you, don't apologise − I'm the one who's sorry − so much has happened, I shouldn't have asked for this − forgive me, I didn't mean to hurt you −" Her terrified, distraught voice roused him from his lethargy. He chuckled despairingly under his breath, revealing his face to her, shaking his head.

"− hurt me? − you can't even touch me − fuck! −" He growled in despair through his tears, running his hand over his face, feeling his whole stomach clench, his body quivering, knowing it was a panic attack again and that she had just witnessed it, that after what she had seen she would understand what she was dealing with, how fucked up he was.

She couldn't even touch his fucking cheek because he was starting to shake and cry.

How were they going to have a normal relationship?

How could he make her persist in something like this, feeling perpetually rejected and unwanted?

He thought it was all her fault, that stupid whore − he felt anger and hatred, words began to fly out of his mouth on their own, the things he had never told anyone about gushed out of him like the poison that had bubbled up inside him all these years.

"− that whore − then when she came to me − she touched me, she fucking touched me everywhere − my cheeks, my shoulders, my chest, my stomach, my −" He couldn't finish, gasping for air, his voice breaking through the fact that he was crying and couldn't breathe, looking at her, seeing her terrified, hot gaze full of concern and understanding.

She was listening to him, she was beside him, kneeling on the ground beside him like Mary Magdalene beside Christ, not daring to touch him.

He drew in a loud breath and raised his hand, as if he wanted to explain something to her, to point out the source of the whole problem.

"− she touched me everywhere − e v e r y w h e r e − as if she wanted to contaminate my body − to make sure that no one would ever touch me after her again −" He muttered in a breaking, angry, embittered voice, running his hands through his hair, only now understanding what she had done to him, how much she had deconstructed him as a person.

For years he had told himself that he simply hated women and didn't need them, that he was capable of satisfying all his needs himself, but now he realised that this wasn't true, that he was protecting himself this way from disappointment, that subconsciously he knew he wouldn't be able to bear the touch of anyone else.

He saw her cover her mouth with her hand, crying as he did, her eyebrows arched in anguish, in disbelief, the pain in her eyes from which his own heart squeezed.

"− she destroyed me as a man − as a boy − you were right − it doesn't make sense − you don't deserve this, you will only face rejection from me −" He muttered, burying his face in his hands again, heartbroken at the thought that he hadn't been able to give her what she needed, that he would never change, that he would never be normal again, that what had happened to him couldn't be fixed.

He felt worse and worse, he felt the contents of his breakfast in his throat, his heart was pounding so hard he felt like he was about to die, he was shivering all over, cold sweat running down his back.

"− you said you would never touch a woman before me, and yet you've been sleeping in the same bed with me for the past two nights − you've been holding my hand and kissing me − you demand too much of yourself and you think I demand the same, but that's not true − I just want you to be there for me −" She said in a quick, breaking, soft voice from which he felt warmth in his chest − he drew in air loudly, clinging to her words, wanting to believe her, wanting to hope.

And then he felt a contraction in his stomach.

He knew what it meant.

His body had always reacted the same way since that evening.

"− I − I − I think I'm about to throw up −" He mumbled and heard her pick herself up quickly, running somewhere, taking a moment to hand him the vase.

He just managed to turn away from her, not wanting him to look at it, and threw up, trembling all over, breathing loudly, embarrassed, humiliated, weak and distraught, feeling that he had just shown her his worst side, the one he was most ashamed of.

He thought that after something like this she would never want him again.

That she would only be with him out of compassion.

"− I'll stay with you − I'll take my duvet, we'll go to your room and I'll lie down on the armchair next to you − I'll be with you, okay? −" She whispered in a trembling voice, and he felt a tightening in his heart at the thought that his guess had come true, that she felt sorry for him, that she would now feel responsible for him like a mother for her child rather than a woman for her man.

Still, he needed her like he had never needed anyone else in his life, so he nodded.

He rinsed his mouth and the vase in her bathroom, not even looking at his reflection in the mirror out of shame, unable to believe that he had got a panic attack because she had touched his cheek.

He left her room without a word.

He only checked that they had both closed the door behind them and lay down on his bed, feeling completely lifeless, weak and resigned.

Empty.

He saw her sprawled in an armchair near his bed covering herself with a duvet and thought it was pathetic that he, as a man, was supposed to sleep here and she was supposed to lie there in discomfort and watch him as if he were six years old.

He stood up abruptly, frustrated by this thought, walking over to her.

"− you'll be uncomfortable there − lie on the bed, I'll sleep in the armchair −" He said indifferently, but she furrowed her brow and shook her head, covering herself more tightly.

"− no −" She said in a tone that he knew wouldn't convince her, and he no longer had the strength to argue with her.

"− come to bed −" He whispered resignedly, going back and laying down on the bedding. He heard her objection caused by fear that she would make him uncomfortable again, but he interrupted her in mid-sentence by saying that he wanted her close to him.

After a moment, she stood up uncertainly, circling his bed, and he felt the mattress bend under the weight of her body, which lay somewhere far away from him.

He swallowed loudly, feeling shame and sadness, thinking about how he would never be a man again in her eyes, how pathetic he was. He felt tears under his eyelids again and cried like a small child, clenching his lips, not letting any sound leave his throat. He swallowed loudly, drawing in air deeply.

"− will you stroke my head? −" He asked in a breaking voice, remembering that when he was a little boy and was afraid of darkness, his mother would come to him and stroke his head until he fell asleep.

"− I don't want to hurt you again −" She whispered uncertainly, and he felt a tightening in his heart at the thought that she clearly resented herself for wanting to touch him, as if touching his cheek would be some perverted crime.

He squeezed his eyes shut, swallowing loudly, feeling his body tremble, having the feeling that he was cold.

"− please −"

He heard her shift, moving closer but so that her body wasn't touching his, and after a moment he felt her tiny fingers comb through his hair in a soft, calm motion. He felt a pleasant shudder, some kind of reassurance at that familiar, longed-for touch that combined his pleasant memory with her scent and touch.

He heard her want to say something, sensitive to any movement of his, but he didn't let her.

"− don't stop −"

So she continued stroking him, with an unhurried, tender movement of her hand trailing over his head, playing with his short hair making him finally start to calm down, his heart no longer pounding so fast, his breathing no longer so loud.

"− I will watch over you all night − no one will come in here − no one will touch you − you are safe − try to sleep −" She whispered tenderly with a certainty that surprised him − he felt a sudden tightness in his throat, one solitary tear ran down his cheek at her words.

No one will come in here.

No one will touch you.

You are safe.

He hadn't even realised how much he needed to hear it.

He sighed quietly, feeling some kind of relief, as if her reassurance had made his whole body relax.

He believed her.

No one would come in here.

No one would touch him.

He was safe with her.

He closed his eyes, concentrating only on the tender, gentle, feel-good touch of her fingers, on the smell of her body and her shampoo, on the fact that he could feel her breath on his neck.

She was beside him.

He slept restlessly and shuddered every time he woke up feeling her touch, terrified, but as soon as he turned his face towards her and saw her lying next to him immediately felt indescribably relieved.

In the morning, turning around and noticing that she really was awake, that at his slightest movement she opened her eyes and her hand began to stroke him again, he felt a squeeze in his heart.

"− sleep −" He whispered quietly, but she only smiled softly and shook her head as if she was happy to be with him. He felt hot in his heart, felt the need to touch her.

"− embrace me − I want to feel you close −" He murmured, moving closer to her, and she put her arm around him, lifting herself a little higher, pressing her cheek to the top of his head, brushing his hair. He murmured contentedly, snuggling his face into the hollow of her neck, his nostrils filled with her wonderful, longed-for scent.

He slept a stony sleep for the next few hours.

A knock on the door woke them and they both shuddered, terrified.

"Aemond, we have to go to breakfast. I knocked on Wright's room, but I think she's still asleep too. Did you guys forget to set your alarm clocks or something?" He asked amused and they looked at each other with big eyes not knowing what to do, he could see that she was afraid to move from her place.

"− you go on your own, I'm almost ready −" He said loud enough for him to hear and Cregan just sighed heavily and said he would wait for them at the restaurant.

He ran a hand over his face as he heard his footsteps moving slowly away, and then he glanced at her. They looked at each other for a long moment without speaking, tenderness, warmth and concern in her gaze.

He touched her cheek and ran his thumb over it − she closed her eyes, cuddling her face into his hand, stroking it with her fingers.

"− come here −" He hummed tenderly, drawing her to him, sinking into her mouth in an innocent, warm, wet kiss that had nothing of sexual desire in it, only pure longing for the closeness of beloved person.

He brushed the tip of his nose against hers and kissed her again, just as tenderly, purring contentedly when her free hand ran through his hair. She pulled away from him, pressing her forehead against his, trailing her fingers along the back of his head.

"Can I do that?" She asked softly, and he snorted at her question.

"You've been doing that all night at my request." He said softly, and she furrowed her brow, stroking him tenderly.

"I prefer to be sure. I don't want my touch to stop being…pleasurable to you." She mumbled, and he ran his thumb over her lips, not wanting her to say more, understanding what she meant.

"Your touch, your presence is the thing I crave most. I fear nothing so much than that you will no longer desire me after what you have seen." He said with a frown, and she shook her head hurriedly, kissing him quickly and lightly, looking at him again as if she wanted to show him with this gesture that he was completely wrong.

"I've never wanted anyone in my life like I want you."

_____

Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess

[llondonfog]

Listen, will I ever be unemotional about Lilia being constantly surprised by Silver's love/care/worry for him? No.

Lilia has lived a lifespan beyond the possible contemplation of any mortal and even those of his own kind— fae children speak the name of General Vanrouge in hushed, awed tones, their country's valiant hero who served to protect them all in the wars with humanity. His status is legendary (they don't know how his bones ache at night), his reputation of a fierce warrior and shrewd tactician proceeding him no matter where he travels (they don't realize he wakes from dreams more often than not with shouts tangled in his teeth and a hand reaching for a sword that's no longer there).

Not only is he a trusted advisor to his country's ruling family once he retires from the warfront (a shock to all— General Vanrouge has become synonymous with bloodshed and victory; how will the country survive without its greatest defender?), he serves as a guardian to their only heir after an unfortunate fate has befallen the prince's parents. It's not a role he can imagine himself ever to be properly suited for (can he hold a creature that's only known innocence and peace? does he have the right to?), but the Queen is a dear friend by now, and far be it from him to refuse such a sorrowful request.

And yet, despite his days spent with the princeling, guiding and shaping the capricious future of their kingdom, he has no family to truly call his own. He would never encourage the child to call him Father or step into a role where one had been before him; Malleus' parents were brilliant, bright beings in their own right, their son should not be allowed to forget them.

It is not until he stumbles across an abandoned human child on a spring day in the woods that he will finally understand what the poets mean when they speak of a love so unconditional, no storm could ever douse its spark. The irony could not be lost upon him— he has slain countless thousands of this infant's brethren, and it smiles up at him as if Lilia has hung the moon in the sky and painted the stars there just for its happiness. It's a smile that exists only for him, for Lilia, orchestrator of tragedies. A smile that sees through every mask he has for every role that he plays, and finds a home within the tainted nature of his soul.

The boy loves him, wants to protect him, wants to worry for him in ways that no child should have to sacrifice for their parent. And as much as it's wondrous, it's so very, very frightening.

[windsweptinred]

I wrote this for a fun little flower prompt challenge between myself, @bobbole and @rriavian. 😊🌸

This Bobble's prompt: Holly -The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and you - Destiny and Daniel

(This went a whole lot more angst ridden (and longer) than I was intending bobbole. Fear not, there's going to be some comfort with that hurt.. Destiny really is going to try! Warnings for Mother Night being Mother Night.)

 Little Brother 

"Greetings to you, my Mother."

Destiny of the Endless paused in the entrance of Mother Night's inner sanctum. It was a place awash with the grandiose beauty of her domain. Wondrous to behold, yet undercut by an all encompassing frigidity, an eerily eternal silence, horrific for the senses to experience . A place of awe and dread that perfectly reflected its mistress. 

Night stood in the centre, an imposing figure, instructing all about her with a commanding idleness. She acknowledged his presence with little fanfare, gracing him with a smug smirk. 

"Destiny, you've come to visit me. How delightful." Her honeyed tone was imbued with a cutting sarcasm that Destiny recognised all too well in young Desire's own barbed compliments. Crossing his free arm about his book, he inclined his head, nonplussed at her taunts. 

"You called for me, I came."

"Oh Destiny, always so pragmatic. " She sighed disdainfully. "You have far too much of your father in you." She moved leisurely to join him, sweeping a finger along the spine of his vast book, flicking maliciously at the great chain that bound it to him. Eyes alighting with glee as its metallic clink echoed around the vast, shadowed chamber. Then with an affected air she pinched at his cheeks, cooing tenderly, "An unfortunate eventuality. But you are still my stalwart boy. Yes?" She grinned excitedly, straightening his robes in an overly maternal display. "You have brought him, haven't you? My dutiful Destiny."

A brief flash of something that could have been reluctance passed over Destiny's face. Before he swept aside to reveal the slight, white figure concealed behind his cloaked frame. 

Unwittingly finding himself the centre of attention, Daniel, the new Lord Shaper, King of Dreams, Master of Nightmares, Dream of The Endless, visibly baulked. Fretfully he swept a curl behind his ear, fingers continuing to twist and tug at his white locks in an anxious manner. His starlight eyes dashing hither and there in an obvious show of apprehension, before hesitantly glancing up to meet Night's gaze. He gave a slight smile, a hopeful, frail little thing and bowed his head in regard. 

"Lady Mother." He addressed her with a timid reverence. 

Night stared at the man clothed in white before her with an unimpassioned air, before turning to her eldest. She waved an enquiring hand towards Daniel, face twisted in an obvious show of revulsion. 

"What have you brought me Destiny?" She enquired, her voice laced with faux curiosity. 

Destiny's brows twitched in aggravation. 

"You asked for brother Dream, mother. And here he stands before you." 

Night turned with great reluctance towards Daniel again and gave him a critical glance. He shrunk under her gaze, eyes dimming, fingers grasping at his long sleeves as if seeking some form of comfort from them. 

Night gave a sickly sweet smile. 

"Why, my foolish eldest….This is not Dream." She started towards Daniel, who curled further into himself as she approached. "My most cherished, most precious child."

Grasping his chin cruelly, she twisted it this way and that, before flinging it to the side with the ferocity of a slap. 

"This… base THING you have presented is not my little Night Terror!" 

She curled her lip and turned up her nose. "It reeks of scorched humanity!"

She turned away from him then, dramatically throwing herself into Destiny's arms with a pitiful wail. Completely unconcerned by the tear that trailed a delicate path down Daniel's pale cheek. 

"Oh you are a cruel boy to taunt your mother so." Night fisted Destiny's robes, dangling forlornly from him, letting out woeful, overdramatic cries. "They take my sweet Dream from me and suppose 'THAT' will be compensation enough. 

All the while, Destiny stood, expression unaffected. His unseeing gaze fixed on the slowly crumpling form of his brother. 

"Your behaviour is unbecoming." He reproached her steadily. 

Rearing back with a snarl, she shoved him viscously. Sending him staggering, desperately trying to maintain his stance and grasp of his book. 

"How dare you! Ungrateful, spiteful child!" 

With that, she rounded on Daniel, sweeping towards him with furious intent. 

"And you! How dare you look at me with his eyes. You are not worthy of my starlight!" 

She gave his head a hard smack, watching as the deep black of his irises bleed to verdant green in shock. 

"Keep them green!" She demanded spitefully. "Like the provincial little planet that birthed you."

She gave a dismissive wave of her arm, turning her back on both of them, a silent but clear sign for them to leave her presence. 

"Begone with this dust born Dream, eldest." She ordered with steely absolution. "I do not want it in my presence again!" 

For a while, the deathly silence of Night's realm hung over the trio, thick and suffocating. Before Destiny let out a loud, aggrieved exhale, moving towards the younger Endless, who stood, near bent double with grief. Daniel's eyes gleamed and chin wobbled precariously, yet he held his composure with an admirable will. 

Raising his arm, so his long sleeves draped like a protective barricade between supposed mother and child, Destiny gestured towards their exit. 

"Come," He instructed. "We will take our leave of this place."

He watched as Daniel gave one last, despondent look towards Night before giving him a mournful nod in agreement. When, however, after several moments the younger had made no move to leave, Destiny sighed, grasping one slender wrist in a firm but gentle hold. "Come Dream." He said pointedly. And in a flurry of pages they left the realm of Night behind them. 

…………….

The landscape unfurled around them like an opening book. Infinite darkness gave way to a hazy grey blue sky and the sharp cool of night lessened to a comfortable chill that tickled at the nose and fingers. The smell of foliage, half living, half dead, musty, yet comforting filled the air and in the distance, childish cries of joy could be heard accompanying the screech of ancient swing sets. A small park, tranquil and picturesque in its autumn hues. 

Despair seemed to consume Daniel all at once, his strength fleeing him as he slumped dejectedly onto a nearby wall. "I never asked for this." He muttered, voice thick with misery. "Yet they treat me as if I struck his killing blow for my own advantage…. I never asked for this."

Destiny inclined his head as if conceding a truth. "And yet you are, always have been and always will be Dream of the Endless." He stated, in a tone that left little room for argument. "A fact Night knows all too well. This was a chance for her to act out her own selfish dramatics. Nothing more." 

Daniel raised two pleading, wet, life-green eyes to meet Destiny's vacant pupils.  "I am no good at this."

"And yet you will be."

Daniel leant forward, resting his head against the ancient tome Destiny held to his chest. 

"I will never be him." 

"No." Destiny confirmed resolutely. He felt the younger sag at his words. 

"But you will be you, and that, in time, will be better." 

Daniel pulled away, regarding his older brother with a small, sorrowful smile. 

"Do you think so?" He asked, voice quivering. 

"I do not think, I know. I am all that is between the beginning and end. I am every tomorrow, every path ventured. Every fate foretold. I know this." 

He raised his free hand to rest it atop of his younger siblings head. "I am your elder brother, and I know this." 

Daniel clutched briefly at the others sleeve in a silent show of thanks before Destiny withdrew his arm. Finally acknowledging their surroundings, he glanced around them, taking their surroundings in curiously. 

"Where are we big brother?" 

"Where you need to be." Destiny answered cryptically, turning to the regard the misshapen gravel path that lay to their right. 

Daniel quirked his brow inquiringly, following the elders gaze as a woman he knew all too well, rounded the corner. 

Lyta Hall had changed little since he had last seen her. Still a statuesque beauty, despite the air of  inconsolable grief that hung about her like a shroud. Though today, she seemed somewhat content. Swinging the light grocery bag that she carried in time with the light tune she hummed to herself, taking in the autumnal serenity of the park. That was, until her gaze alighted on them. 

Her eyes widened in astonishment, the bag she clutched, slipping from her shock slack fingers and landing with a squelching thud which promised irrevocably ruined products.

"Daniel?" She asked in disbelief. Both stared at the other, amazement and apprehension intermingled across their features.

She reached out towards him, almost instinctively, "Daniel… my baby?" She asked, soft, desperate and hopeful. 

Daniel shook his head frantically, expression screwing into one of abject misery. "I'm not, I'm not…" He tried to  grind out until his resolve finally broke. The first anguished sob fell from his lips, followed by another as his body crumpled in on itself. He slipped from his perch on the wall, descending to the ground… Only to be swept up into Lyta's waiting arms. Tenderly tucking his head beneath her chin, she rocked him soothingly like a babe in arms. 

"Don't cry, don't cry." She murmured to him. Running gentle caresses through his white locks, sweeping away his tears devotedly and placing loving kisses to his brow. Completely oblivious and uncaring of the commotion they were causing in the otherwise tranquil park. "It's alright, it's alright. My baby. Don't cry.  Mummy's here. Mummy's got you. Don't cry."

Destiny spared one last glance towards once mother and once child. Daniel had curled eagerly into Lyta's maternal hold, clutching desperately at her as his heartache poured from him. Neither spared the elder Endless a glance, lost entirely in each other's embrace. 

"Be well, little brother." He wished the young dream Lord earnestly. 

And then, he was gone. 

(I had to really hold back from making Destiny too sentimental in this, make him act how he would act and not how I wanted him to act. Poor Daniel. I love him so but I don't half make him suffer in fics. 🙈) 

I'm posting this here rather than on A03 as I want to work it into the next chapter of what was 'Dandelion Wishes' …Now, 'Turn of the Wheel' . It needed renaming to match the entire theme of the fic. 😁 Anyway, I hope you…is 'enjoyed it' the right phrase? 😅) 

[pool-floatie]

Starlet- Oneshot

Kids im back with the milk-

I am working on so much behind the scenes shit right now but this got done first, next we will probably get more bloodlusty vampires unless I suddenly decide different.

But GUYS I FINALLY WROTE COMFORT-

Like its angsty at the beginning but they need a reason to be comforted- d Uh

Please for the love of mE - emjoy :3

All Akari needed was the stars, they were a constant in an ever changing world, listened to her problems when she had no one else, creating beauty even in the darkest of times.

What she really needed right now though... Was a hug... A friend... Someone to tell her that things would be ok...

All she wished for in that moment was for that to be..

The trail of a comet flashed above her for a brief moment, wisping away almost as quickly as it had appeared.

she heard a vast wind rush overtop the trees, turning to look she couldnt see anything, -there wasnt any wind before... - She thinks.

A deep chuckle riverbates through the still air surrounding her, and she stiffens.

"So you're the mortal who summoned me... Such a strong pull, and such a bright aura, oh! lavender colored, what a sight ~ you certainly are quite a wondrous little thing, my, my...."

A shift in the air brings Akari's attention in front of her and her jaw drops taking in the sight.

There stands an enormous glowing being, bright white with flecks of golden stardust about them.

Their body starts to form and become more detailed and she can see their face and body take shape. Six limbs- four arms and two legs- take shape out of the glowing mass, Sharp white eyes open, a flowing tuft of hair floats above them, gently swaying like flames atop their head, and stardust dots their body like golden freckles.

"Oh, h-hello.." Akari said awestruck and nervous

"Hello little one, apologies for the exciting entrance." it said a bit embarassed trying to hide its excitement

It kneeled down and leaned forward trying to see the little human better, one pair of arms resting in their lap while the others rested, palms down in the grass

" its good to meet you, starlet, you may address me as Libra." it said in its airy tone.

Akari sat confused, but decided that this dream could be fun to engage with.

"Akari" she said, sticking out a hand towards the being.

Libra stared down at them and blinked in confusion.

" ah! This is your earthling welcome, yes!" they realised.

They reach out to the small woman, pinching her whole hand and part of her arm, before lifting it up and down slowly.

Akari grinns, the contact making her hand tingle with warmth.

Libra releases them and Akari thinks she sees a smile on their bright face.

"So... why exactly are you here?" Akari asks looking quizically up at them.

" you ,, dont know? You summoned me here with your wish!"

"My,,, my wish?? I didnt make any wishes ... "

Libra looks puzzled for a moment.

Akari goes to speak, but they stop as libras eyes glow blue, making a strange buzzing sound. They are no longer focused on akari, completely still.

After a few seconds Libras eyes blink back to white.

"ah! wow~ a rarer case indeed! It seems it was your emotion and thoughts that powered the wish, I knew I felt that strong energy in you, but enough to power a wish without a word being spoken ... " Libra said in awe.

"huh... Oh!- oh... "

Akari sighed, remembering her earlier feelings, her frustration and sadness.

"I, I think I know... what it was..." she said, resigned.

Libra tilted their head, giving the human a look of concern.

Akari didnt really want to tell a cosmic being a hundred times her size about her life problems.... But this was a dream anyway so...

"I have to move again..."

"mmm.. No thats not it .... Your aura didnt flare up...." they quickly interject

Libra looks down at the human with pity, truly wanting to help her. They lean forward a tad more.

" Whats really troubling you, little one?" they ask gently

Akari flushed in embarassment and shame, would this cosmic being judge her? Well...

"One of my roommates outed me as gay and now all the girls in my dorm think im a pervert-" Akari blurted

"They already started spreading rumors about me and reporting me to the landlord for stupid shit- so, I'm leaving before it ... gets worse...."

"Oh my... Thats certainly a predicament..." it sympathised but seemed confused , they continued.

"... Is humanity against happiness?" they asked mournfully, their light dulling a bit, seeming to know more than they were letting on.

Akari looked thoughtful for a moment, the cosmic beings words resonating with her.

"Wow,,, thats a... way of putting it... I mean, yeah, heh, every politician is against the queer community, anyone I try to get a job with or if I- lm just trying to find somewhere to fucking sleep, someone takes issue with 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 about me!... even when I tried to tell my family, they rejected me, too, haha! so yeah, your right, we fuckin' hate happiness."

She laughed a bit unhinged-ly while describing the absurdity of it all, the people she had encountered, the trials of her life, it seemed impossible to talk about without turning it into humor.

Akari rested her head atop her knees, looking goomily past the starlike being and letting out an indignant huff before falling onto her back and closing her eyes.

A moment passes and akari thinks she sees the immense light shift before she feels that same warm feeling, but, around her body?

Without a moment to think her body is hoisted up. As her eyes open she sees the towering form of libra, now holding her in their enormous open palm.

They flash her a pitying look before facing up, the other upper hand cupping around the confused human. Before she can even say anything, Akari is pressed down into the palm, the G force making movement near impossible, she cant see where they are going, only seeing the white light emenating from the enormous beings hands, she can only trust that the weird dream entity is as benevolent as they seem.

Akari can feel them coming to a slow stop as the force lets up and allows her to move again.

She tries to sit up, dazed , as Libra's hand lifts off her.

Looking around she can see nothing but immense darkness save for the being of pure light that holds her.

She turns to face said being, who looks excitedly at their passenger.

"hello little starlet~"

Libra said, its two overlapping voices echoing eachother.

"Hi, where the hell are we." akari snips, a bit jittery.

Libra dims again, shepishly pointing down with their upper hand while their lower pair fidgets nervously.

Akari gives them a confused look before they carefully creep towards the edge of her cosmic captors' hand.

Gripping the sides, they look over.

And immediately jump back, seeing 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 below them.

" ah, I see." she says calmly.

"Just a few questions for ya;"

They inhale

"Why in the s h i t did you do this and also 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 ?"

" aha! Its all ok! You can breathe just fine, please dont freak out!!"

Dispite being concerned about oxygen, Akari starts to breathe rapidly.

" theres no way im - in space right now - oh my god i - could die."

At this point they had completely forgotten that they were supposedly dreaming, focused more on the 'being manhandled by a cosmic giant' and the ' being in space millions of miles above the earth' thing.

"Human please relax, I brought you here to relax.." libra tries to explain

" this is not - relaxing!'

She says between breaths.

Libra looks disappointed, this was such a nice spot to stargaze, they really wanted the human to see...

But there was something else it Could try.

Gently, the glowing being closed their upper hands over the panicking form in their palm.

Before she could react to being enclosed, Akari again felt that immense warmth that could melt her, all over her body it felt tingly and content, she felt her muscles relaxing despite herself.

Finally she let herself be consumed by the feeling, relaxing and not worrying about any perceived danger that had her brain reeling just moments before.

Just as she did this, the lovely warmth started to dissipate, pulling off her despite her grabbing onto one of libras bright digits, a silent request for them not to stop.

Libra snickered at the cute display, bringing the girl out of her stupor.

She jerked her hands back and tried to suppress the enbarrased blush that filled her face.

" Sorry..."

Libra said

" N-no your fine" she said sheepishly

" No.. For scaring you..."

"Ah, that. Well,, uh I guess you can fly us to space and shit and im assuming you ...Magicked me to be able to breathe despite lack of oxygen?"

" you got it!" they affirmed, their cheerful tone reappearing.

"And I had good reason to bring you here! Look !"

Their lower arms gestured to the darkness before them as they beamed down at the little human.

".... Uhhhh... Wow?" akari said confused

"can you see something I cant?" she questioned, looking back at libra.

"Oh! right."

Libra dimmed, voluntarily this time, until they were only about as bright as a glow stick.

Finally, akari could see why even a cosmic being would appreciate such a place.

From earth, smog and light pollution would block most people from clearly seing such things.

But here, above the ozone layer, Akari could clearly see the milky way, its soft trail across the sky lived up to its name, fading softly at the edges into the rest of the cosmos.even still it was so stark, the white path cut the sky open like a geode, its center sparkling with stardust that flashed different colors as if it was being turned in the light.

She stared in awe as Libra looked on with a soft smile, occasionally sparing a glance at its little passenger to make sure they were alright.

They let the moment pass before speaking.

" Starlet. In the vast expanse of the cosmos, there are disasters , black holes, collapsing stars and other destructive things..."

Its three free hands gestured wildly, illustrating their words.

"But even from those, beauty is born. This nebula, your galaxy, was created from a collapsed star, it exploded, causing all around it to be thrown into chaos and confusion."

A look of sorrow flashes on libras face for a moment.

" But still, your planet thrived, using what was left to build a new world; one filled with life, with community, with love. Life does find a way."

They offer a gentle smile in reassurance.

" I believe you will find that.... your life does as well." they conclude.

Looking back to her newfound friend, akari feels her chest warm, swelling with an overwhelming feeling.

She lunges at the curled fingers, giving the pointer and middle the hardest squeeze she could manage, doing her best not to tear up.

Libra gushes at the adorably sweet gesture, and they cant help themself.

They pull the human close to them, belringing her into their chest, close to their glowing core.

Akari feels herself enveloped again, a simmilar feeling as before, but now filled with adoration and positive energy coursing through them, an immense, all consuming, all encompassing hug of pure affection and amorousness.

Unlike the melting, relaxing feeling before, she now felt a stronger sense, she felt Libras intention, its emotion and power guiding her thoughts and feelings, helping her to embrace and bring forth her inner strengths, akari could feel her self esteem break through the shroud of frustration and pain that had entrapped it, it swelled within her and she felt empowered, appreciated, and... 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥.

[therealtruealiyah]

NOVA - enticement

Without a word, skipping a beat, or any kind of thinking at all, Raine ran toward Nova and jumped into her arms. Nova kissed her deeply, wrapping Raine's legs around her waist to secure her properly.

"I'll take that as a yes." Nova pulled back with a smirk before Raine attacked her lips with her own once more. After what seemed like an eternity of breathless, nasty, hot tongue sex, Nova set Raine back upon her feet and took a step back with a satisfied smile. Raine gasped for air, never breaking eye contact with Nova and never, ever wanting to.

"I was beginning to think you were ghosting me." Raine began.

"When we're having so much fun? Never. There were just some… things I had to take care of. You must understand that what I do will keep me away from time to time. You must be alright with that."

"What do you do?" Raine narrowed her eyes. In one swift motion, Nova came forward and leaned down so that she and Raine were at eye level.

"You. As hard as you want me to, my love." Nova growled in that sexy, low, English accent of hers. Raine was— once again— speechless, breathless and wet. So very wet. She could do nothing but stare into the eyes of her fucking maker, mouth slightly agape, drool beginning to trickle off her lips.

Nova was highly entertained.

"You were so kind as to allow me into your home... why don't you come into mine?" Nova whispered, leaning in even closer.

"O-okay." Raine's voice shook with anxiety, not knowing if that were literal or metaphoric, yet craving every bit of it.

"Are you on the schedule here for tomorrow?" Nova straightened her posture.

"Yea- uh, yes. I am."

"Not anymore." Nova's tone elevated a bit, just enough to startle Raine.

"I-I'm not?"

"You're not coming in. They can figure it out without you."

"May I ask why?"

"Because you'll be with me, my love." Nova offered her hand very shortly before Raine eagerly took it. "Make sure you lock this hellhole up on our way out, darling. Wouldn't want complete strangers wandering in."

"Yes, Nova."

______________________________________________

Raine sat in awe, braids whipping through the wind as she watched the scenery change over and over again. This was her first time in a convertible and she wanted the entire experience.

"Whoa! Is this your house?" Raine exclaimed, glitter in her eyes as they slowed to a stop in front of a gigantic modern home. Nova chuckled, pulling her clutch to park.

"No, darling. I have to make a quick drop off. Wait here." Nova instructed, hand brushing Raine's knee as she retrieved a little black pouch from the glove box. Raine could barely make out the golden lettering sewed upon it.

N.M.

N.M.? Raine thought curiously as she watched Nova disappear up the long driveway.

"I wonder what was in that pouch." Raine mumbled to herself. No more than three minutes later, Raine gaped at the wondrous sight that was Nova as she strut perfectly back toward her. What a sight it was. She hardly even noticed the thick yellow envelope in her hands.

"You ready?" Nova grinned as she slid back into the drivers seat of her '98 cherry red drop-top Chevrolet Corvette and secured her seatbelt over her beautiful torso. Nova placed the envelope in between her seat and the gearshift.

"You know my last name, but you never told me yours." Raine said without hesitation as they sped off.

"It isn’t polite to peek, Raine Jackson." Nova scolded in a firm tone.

"I-I'm sorry... I just..." Raine looked down at her hands in her lap, embarrassed.

"Morningstar." Said Nova.

"Huh?"

"My last name. It's Morningstar." She repeated matter-of-factly.

"You're fucking with me." Raine smiled, unbelieving.

"You think?" Nova cocked an eyebrow in Raine's direction, clearly enjoying this unsolicited chess match that she was definitely winning.

"Nova Morningstar..." Raine spoke it softly, as if to summon her. Not just physically, but in all ways.

"I plan on making you moan it later." Nova cut her eyes at Raine, a wicked grin splayed across her lips. "Here we are. Home sweet home."

Raine snapped out of her trance long enough to take a look around. When she did, her jaw dropped.

"No way! You live in Condos de Luxe? I heard there was a three year long waiting list to get housing in this community! How'd you...?"

"Nova does not do lists, my love." Nova spoke for herself, coming to park in the middle of an open 3-car garage.

"Who are you?" Raine's curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know. She needed to know. Who is this woman, really?

However, Raine was not nearly ready enough to find out exactly who... she... was.

[bawdy-booster]

Crowded Touch

You covered your face with your shawl as a thick mist poured out from the lamp, hazy and smoky with such an intoxicating presence that it felt like even a whiff of the fumes would leave your mind spinning.  You tightened the shawl as the mist gathered in front of you, coiling itself to form as that awful djinn appeared once more before your very eyes, their toned figure billowing out into a smoky tail that wafted throughout the room.

“Come now, master~”  They beckoned once again to you, “This is all about give and take.  You give me three wishes you want me to grant, and I, the Great Djinn Nihar, shall take you on a trip of your wildest desires.  That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?”

You shook your head in disbelief.  This djinn had gotten you close to giving yourself away to their wanton desires, and you were determined to make sure they wouldn’t get a second chance at it.  You would resist whatever attempt they’d make to turn you into their pet pleasure-toy or go mad trying.

You squirmed as their smoky form crowded in close to you, dousing you in their beautiful smell that made it oh-so-tempting to tear that shawl keeping such magical pleasures at bay.  The Great Djinn sized you up, looking over your tensed body amidst their expansive form.  “Alright then, Master,” they tutted, “How about this?  I shall count to three, and if I haven’t gotten you to Relax yet, I shall leave you be.  But if I have…”  The Djinn flashed a coy, predatory grin at the thought, “I shall grant your wishes.”

Every thought in your mind told you there was some trick up their nonexistent sleeve, some ploy to get you under their spell and enthralled as their little puppet.  You knew they would do everything in their phenomenal cosmic power to make you theirs, and yet…

There was always the chance they failed, right?

“One…”

You jumped as a pair of misty hands clasped onto your shoulders, kneading deep, spiraling rubs into your weary body.  They touched their way over your shoulders and up your neck with a gentle caress, numbing your senses until they melted like putty under their agile spell.

It felt so wonderful… but you had to remain vigilant!  This was obviously part of her plan to coax you into letting your guard down and submitting yourself to their desires!  Even if it did feel nice for your touch-starved body to be held in their embrace, there was nothing this djinn could do to sway you from your resistance.

“Two…”

Two more pairs took to your form, tenderly feeling over your weary arms.  They danced dexterously up and down your arms, tracing delightfully dizzying patterns over your body.  They worked synchronously with one another, starting at your hands, then working slowly, methodically up to your shoulders, where they’d meet with the singular pair caressing your head and shoulders.

Your hands squirmed for something to grab onto, only to lock fingers with a hand from each pair on your arms as they rubbed themselves over you, blocking out all sense of touch bar their hypnotic manipulation of your limbs.

It felt so blissful, so tempting to surrender to Nihar’s invitation to surrender.  But still, you resisted, your mind racing against that soothing feeling that ensnared your senses in their touch.  Even if you did… feel… so good…

“Three…”

Three more pairs of hands descended upon you, taking eagerly to knead your writhing legs.  A pair each ensnared a leg beneath their fingers, feeling over your calves up to your thighs.  It felt so good to be felt up and worked over, your mind paid no thought to where the third of these new pairs had gone… until you felt them clasp firmly at your chest.  

Beneath your shawl, your gasp turned into a wondrous moan as the hands on your chest quickly put themselves to work, feeling all over your core body.  They cupped at your chest, dancing over your nipples.  They traced down your sides, groping at your hips.  They teased and tortured your navel, their light touch unraveling you in their expert grip.

It felt so… It felt so…

SNAP!

All the hands massaging you tore away from your body in a single instant, before snapping in synchronized unison.  Hypnotic Bliss poured into you from all sides, drowning all sense of resistance before their many hands descended upon you once more, crowding over every thought in your mind that wasn’t about the Great Djinn Nihar and how much they cared about you.

“See, Master?” Nihar soothed, “That wasn’t so bad.”

As their hands descended upon your shawl, crowding around to pull away the cloth covering your face, the last thoughts of your resistance cried out for you to tear yourself away from their touch, to avoid their blissful coaxing and teasing of your senses.  But as the shawl left your face, every sense of resistance was smothered under the blissful fog that crowded over your mind.  An empty grin curled up your lips as you basked in the presence of the Great Djinn Nihar.

You wished for nothing more than to be breathing in their fragrant mist…

You wished for nothing more than to be massaged by their many hands…

You wished for nothing more than to be their pampered plaything for the rest of your life…

And they were happy to grant all of your wishes for you~

[emmithar-blog]

Sneak peek of a current wip! Yes, I'm still writing, though slowly. I want to finish before I start posting as it seems I have less mental energy to keep up with a schedule. In the meantime, enjoy!

-----

“Morning,” Arthur returned, drawing near, scrutinizing the display laid out before them. There was a scattering of herbs and leaves, and mushrooms and berries among other things laid bare out on cloth by his side. “What you have going on here?”

“I have taken the liberty of making breakfast,” Albert tutted proudly, his shoulders squared and chest puffed out.

Arthur stared at him a moment. “For us or the horses?”

His shoulders slumped a touch. “Why us, of course! Nature is a wondrous thing, Arthur, if you care to look closer. Just take a gander, if you will; Macrolepiota procera, or more commonly known as the parasol mushroom, with a distinctive nutty flavor, and here we have some Daucus Carota, the most economical carrots you'll find. Far richer in flavor than buying at one of those stalls in town. Of course we can't forget Vaccinium, or the succulent Rubus Idaeus, which will offset the earthy tones with a touch of sweetness. Add in some Salvia Spathacea and why, you've got yourself a feast my dear friend. A feast fit for kings!”

“That's an awful lot of words to say you done went and picked some weeds,” Arthur pointed out.

[laurel-resting]

variant - a moment of a character discovering variations of things (cloth, flavors, fabrics, weapons) they've not seen before

{-continues creeping after gatheredfates to leave more asks-}

Kupa gazed down at the displayed baked treats in awe; awkwardly, Rhotrael lingered a few steps away, keen to move onto the other stalls but wanting to give her companion time to take in her new surroundings.

“Kupa, come on- we can come back later to get something. The stall I need isn’t too much further.”

She needn’t have spoken; Kupa was utterly enthralled with the pâtissière detailing the nuances between each cupcake flavour. 

Like a moth drawn to flame- like a moogle to sweets, Rhotrael thought.

It was Kupa’s first time at the Gridanian Stalls and it had been slow going. They had stopped at every stall in the Rosewood section for Kupa to peruse, and Rhotrael was fast getting impatient. They were so close- so close- to where she needed to go. 

Yet her companion, excitable and easily distracted, had insisted on interacting with everyone and everything; running her fingers over the bolts of cloth at the tailor, holding a bejewelled ring to the light to catch how it refracts, testing the balance of a knife at the battlesmith.

The pastries, though? 

This was the last straw. 

Rhotrael took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, scrunching her eyes closed. She took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. 

Another deep inhale. Hold for two counts. Slow, steady exhale.

She needed the short moment to think over what to say. It couldn’t be too harsh, she shouldn’t let her frustrations get the better of her.

“Kupa,” Rhotrael began again, her voice taking on a tone of gentle admonishment, “I’m going to the alchemy stall and will come find you once I’m done-”

“-Rho, do you have a headache?” Kupa’s voice was soft, slightly confused. Opening her eyes, Rhotrael saw the viera looking up at her in what she guessed was concern. Rhotrael blinked, realizing the world was blurry due to her glasses being in her hand, not on her face, and hastily put them on again.

“You were doing that scrunchy face thing- you said you had a headache the last time you did that.” Kupa continued, her earnest brown eyes worried. She was holding two halves of a cupcake; one held close to her with clear nibble marks on it, the other carefully placed on a napkin that she was offering to Rhotrael with her off hand.

“No, no. I’m fine, just a little worn out. Anyways- what is this?”

“Oh- it’s rolanberry! Here, try it!” Rhotrael accepted the cupcake and inspected it closer. 

It was a thing of beauty; a warm, light pink sponge cake with some kind of red jam in the middle. A cleanly cut swirl of light buttercream sat atop it, dusted with sprinkles; the same buttercream and sprinkles that covered the corner of Kupa’s mouth.

“I see. Where did you get the gil to buy this?”

“I ran some errands for Mother Miounne yesterday afternoon.”

“Ah. That explains that, then.” Miounne was always eager to put keen adventurers to work. Maybe it would burn off some of Kupa’s energy? Accepting the cupcake, Rhotrael continued,

“Listen, I need to get to the alchemy stall- can we please prioritize that, and we can eat while we walk?” 

Kupa nodded excitedly and fell into step beside her as they moved on from the stall; the viera woman chattered enthusiastically about wanting to learn how to bake between bites of her cupcake.

All was new. All was exciting! Who knew the world held such wondrous things?

AAAAA

Thank you for your patience with this, lovely ♥

[paintedscales]

FFXIV Write 2023 :: Day 22

Prompt :: Fulsome Characters :: Nomin tal Kheeriin, Alphinaud Leveilleur, Dulia-Chai, Chai-Nuzz Word Count :: 2,330

FFXIV Write 2023 Master List

A loose towel was draped around Nomin’s shoulders as she sat outside the showering rooms that Eulmore had that were mandatory for those coming in from the outside. She had scrunched her nose at the sight that surrounded her ever since stepping foot through the threshold into the impressive structure that made up the city. Green marble, golden accents, ruby red walls tinged with the floral scent of roses... It would have been wondrous were it not for the horrid living conditions of Gatetown and the added desperation of Kai-Shirr wanting to get in so that he could live among his friends.

Hells…even hearing how Tristol had lost the will to paint had been heartbreaking to Nomin. She would not have been able to imagine not being able to love painting -- recreating settings and sceneries to reflect upon and remember… She wondered if Alphinaud had felt the same, for the two of them had often indulged in art, different as their subjects may have been. And so, with the idea that they were both painters -- Alphinaud the expert in painting people, and Nomin his protégé who specialized in landscapes, they had their cover story for entering into the otherwise secretive city.

Nomin leaned her head back, the back of it hitting the wall behind her. She had been waiting for Alphinaud at this rate, his reluctance to take the opportunity when they first got there delayed them in meeting with their new charge.

Leaning down somewhat, Nomin took a small sniff of her clothes. They did reek of sweat and earthy tones…though she supposed that was what the perfume was for. If she was supposed to look and smell her best, Nomin thought to herself that she and Alphinaud both could have been provided some appropriately-sized clothes to wear. Or there could have been something nearby to wash their clothes without bringing them into the showers with them.

Scoffing to herself, Nomin lazily spritzed the perfume upon herself. The scent of roses only became stronger, not that she minded. It was, perhaps, the only decent thing so far that she found herself amicable toward.

When Alphinaud finally left the showers with his clothes back upon his person, a towel upon his own head, and a liberal spritz of the provided perfume, Nomin got back up on her feet and looked down at him. She noted the well-used brush within his grasp, thinking back on what Tristol had said about ‘sending them back to that awful place.’ For a place so lavish and desired to leave such an impression…it had left a rather bitter taste at the back of Nomin’s throat.

“Well, that was bracing! I believe the lingering smells of the road have been successfully expunged.” Alphinaud said, looking up at Nomin. He then adjusted the tome at his hip; “shall we go and present ourselves to our new patrons, then?”

A sigh fell from Nomin’s lips, reluctance in answering Alphinaud right away.

“... Something still troubles you,” Alphinaud observed. “What’s on your mind?”

“This place…” Nomin started, shaking her head somewhat. “Sorry, I don’t mean to halt our progress now that we’re standing here. Just…this place feels a bit too good to be true, does it not? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this short of the Vault back in Eorzea. I don’t even think that could hold a candle to how…opulent this all feels.”

Nomin gestured vaguely around them at all the things that she had come to notice.

“Hm…” Alphinaud brought a finger to his chin, his expression falling to pensiveness. “Quite…’tis all steeped with this fulsome luxury that, from what we already know, leads to living in a contented state of indolence.”

Nomin tilted her head somewhat, hearing something she had never properly heard before. She then asked, knowing that Alphinaud would likely be more than happy to inform her: “‘fulsome’? Forgive my ignorance…I’ve never learned this word in the common tongue alongside the language of my people…”

“Ah, pray forgive me. What I mean is that this is all in such excess -- and perhaps sickeningly so. Hells, it could encompass all the meanings of the word that are logged away in the dictionaries of Sharlayan’s libraries…” Alphinaud sighed in a frustrated manner. “Alas, it does us no good to stay here in stagnation. We should find someone to direct us to the Chais that we might learn aught more of this place.”

“The faster the better…” Nomin replied, nodding in agreement. “Let us be about it, then.”

Removing themselves from the entry to the showers, Nomin and Alphinaud found a Eulmoran guard that kindly provided them a basic layout to the city. With a small word of thanks, the two had climbed a number of stairs -- a ‘fulsome amount’ as Nomin so mentioned to Alphinaud just to ensure that she had the meaning of it correct. And what a fulsome amount it was, as it proved to have been a test of endurance for the both of them; Nomin less so, but she could still feel her heart’s beat having picked up as kept her breath practiced.

Waiting a moment for Alphinaud to compose himself, the two had made their way around the Canopy, asking around if anyone knew where the Chais were. The two had been pointed in the direction of a large eatery filled with tables and decor that had been as equally gaudy with its golden accents. It had been made even more of an eye sore with the bright light that filtered in through the windows, only serving to make the glint of them worse.

The table that had their quarry sitting at it, Nomin noticed, had been full of what looked to have been fresh fruits. A plump looking miqo’te -- mystel -- had been sitting there with her husband -- a smaller man with spectacles that sat on the bridge of his nose. They had taken note of their guests, the woman gazing over them curiously.

These must have been the Chais -- Chai-Nuzz and Dulia-Chai.

“Ooh? Who’s this then?” Dulia’s voice carried, her tone light and somewhat shrill.

Bowing to them in respect, Alphinaud’s tone had changed as he addressed them: “Lord and Lady Chai, pray forgive our intrusion. I am given to understand you were in search…of an artist?”

Nomin’s lips twitched before she simply pursed them to force herself not to smile in amusement at how Alphinaud had carried himself. A small hint of his younger self had come out in that moment, not that Nomin would ever tell him.

“Ahh, you must be the new, uh…” Chai-Nuzz spoke, trailing off.

“Oh, goodness me! What an adorable boy!” Dulia exclaimed with a giggle, now having come to process Alphinaud and Nomin’s arrival. “That silken hair, those pearly cheeks…oh, and you even smell wonderful -- like a bed of flowers!”

Dulia had leaned in, smelling the air happily before looking at her husband and cheerfully stating: “I approve of this one, dearest! I am positive he will paint us the most delightful pictures.”

Nomin had been uncertain if Dulia had been saying that simply because Alphinaud had tickled her clear maternal sense, or if because she was absolutely certain that, because they stood before her table, he must have been a devoted artist. Either way, it looked like there was at least one obstacle down…

“I, um, er, y-yes… Ahem. Well, as long as he paints better than that talentless wretch we sent packing last week…” Chai-Nuzz spoke, clearly wanting to at least be on his wife’s good side more than anything.

Momentary amusement quickly gave way to a scowl of disdain. For both Nomin and Alphinaud, it seemed.

And so there was the second obstacle…

“Wonderful, wonderful! Welcome to Eulmore…um, er…” Dulia started, looking at both of them expectantly.

“Alphinaud, if it please you, my lady. And this…is my assistant.” Alphinaud introduced.

“A pleasure. My name is Nomin.” With her words, Nomin offered a bow.

“Your…assistant?” Chai-Nuzz looked incredulously between them, failing to hide that same incredulousness from his tone. “I’ve heard of folk bringing in family members, but this seems a bit irregular. Aren’t you a little young to have a protégé?”

“We are family in all but name, my lord. Though we share no blood, we have stood by each other through life’s many challenges, resolved to prevail together -- or not at all,” Alphinaud said in earnest response. “Of all people, ‘tis she who best understands my work. With her unique insight guiding my hand, the art I create is sure to satisfy your expectations.”

Nomin glanced at Alphinaud. The sincerity within his tone as well as the way he worded his response was heartwarming to her. She would have smiled in warm fashion had she not wished to play at stoicism if only to prevent herself from ruining their overall facade in being there. In fact, she had even reached for her bag, there had been at least two or three paintings done upon hide that she had safely stowed away.

“So what do you learn from him, Nomin?” the Chai-Nuzz asked. He pointed that self-same look of incredulity in Nomin’s direction.

Producing from her bag one of her rolled hides, Nomin spread it open to reveal a painting of a nightly vista found on the Steppe if one were to travel the Tail Mountains. The colors upon the hide were a culmination of browns, purples, pinks, blues with spatterings of white for stars. Clearing her throat as she showed off her own work, Nomin went on, “though Master Alphinaud and I differ in our technique and subject matter, I learn much from him in the matter of emotion. How these vistas I paint make me feel, and how I would wish to provide that for those would would gaze upon my work.”

“Oh! Dearest, look!” Dulia exclaimed, clapping her hands together with joy. “Why, the sky in this painting is so vast and beautiful! Just like in the books I read when I was just a little girl! Young Alphinaud must be talented if this is the work of his protégé!”

Relief wound itself around Nomin’s heart. Of course, her skill in painting landscapes would have no bearing on Alphinaud’s skill in painting people. She would have to hope they were ignorant in the lifestyles of artists to overlook that much.

“Would you like to keep it?” That question alone had been a knife to her own stomach as Nomin uttered the words. However, she spoke them as a means of good faith to keep both she and Alphinaud as on a good side of the Chais as possible. Even if she hated parting with the paintings she made as a means to record her memories of places.

“You would let me keep it?” Dulia gasped.

“A present, and a token of my appreciation to see us well here in Eulmore.”

“I would love it! Ooh, I know just the place to hang it, too!” Dulia looked between both Nomin and Alphinaud, a crinkle at the corners of her eyes as she smiled widely. “Such a gift…and manners, besides! To have two wonderful painters in our midst! I am so excited to see what young Alphinaud has in store for us!”

Alphinaud, however, nodded with a pleasant look upon his face. “I will certainly do what I can. I am ever so lucky to have been blessed with such an assistant who can provide me with such artistic insight as you can see for your very self. As I said, she is the one who best understands my work. Once the picture for you two is begun, of course, I shall have no need of her constant encouragement. And so I wondered, rather than her being in your way, might it then be permissible for my assistant to explore the city she has so longed to see? Out of gratitude for her priceless contribution to my art, I thought it only fair that I make this humble request on her behalf.”

Nomin slowly looked in Alphinaud’s direction. Would they have even bought tha--

“Oooh, did you ever hear of such devotion! Of course your assistant must have her wish! She shall be free to roam to her heart’s content!” Dulia cooed before she looked in Chai-Nuzz’s direction. Her tone then became expectant as she addressed him, “...Isn’t that right, darling?”

“Uh…” Chai-Nuzz was taken out of his thoughts, his mouth falling slightly agape at the prospect. “Oh, yes. Yes, of course, dearest. Q-Quite right.”

Once the Chais had been more enraptured with speaking amongst themselves, Alphinaud met Nomin’s gaze. His expression became determined before he walked forward and cleared his throat. He addressed Nomin, putting that pleasant smile on once more: “now you’ve the opportunity to experience Eulmore, I suggest you make the most of it. Explore the city, top to bottom.”

Alphinaud needed to say no more to Nomin as she nodded. After all, their experiences in Ishgard and Kugane both, had left them with some knowledge on how to carry themselves. If Tataru were here, she would have happily gone to the places that would have provided the most amount of gossip. And it seemed that Alphinaud was on the same page.

“Try wandering around the market stalls, mayhap…? Such colorful places are usually filled with colorful characters, and I know how much you enjoy a myriad of colors,” Alphinaud said. “I would appreciate, of course, if you could share any discoveries with me in turn. We should both learn as much as possible about our, ahem, ‘new place of residence.’”

“I’ll leave you to it, then…” Nomin said, offering another polite bow to both Dulia and Chai-Nuzz. “Thank you again for allowing me this rare opportunity. I shall make the most of it.”

Turning heel, Nomin strode off. She certainly intended to make the most of every second she and Alphinaud had within the impressive walls of the fulsome image that was Eulmore.

[herewegatherblobs]

Amor Vincit Omnia (English Translyrics)

In the so solemn, silent overture, the velvet curtains rise at last, Let the music speak of this fated rendezvous (This meeting between moments and forever) Now, let it begin.

Display it proudly in these barren halls, the gallery we call "life," These gorgeous, gleaming collections. The scarlet roses' flame - blazing with dazzling passion, The blue night's drowsy clouds - heavy with grief and anguish, Hatred and delight - all these flowing, different melodies, I Will weave them all, and with pride, I will clothe myself.

Chorus 1 For we all have been granted this impulse to paint with all these clashing, discordant tones, All these feelings, combined, are the impulse we call "life"! (The endless pounding of the burning-bright soul) The art of the mind cannot just be confined to the dull gardens of the real, "living" world All this beauty must overflow into the skies. . . (This light is the echo of chance and eternity.) Now, can you see it for once, that glorious, dazzling light?

The ink dries on these last words as I write that this play will end right here. Perhaps no one will stay to watch to the end. Even so, I'll compose another. It is only from this fruitless, thankless pursuit; this endless, burning desire, That true, brilliant art is fashioned.

My childish fantasies - the purest of ideals, All my broken dreams - the brutal truth of being, Colours and contours - all the lovely and the hideous facets of me, Coalesce and shine bright as I Dance upon this stage.

Chorus 2 For we all have been that hopeful child in the crowd, sighing as amazed tears fall. Let these feelings ignite, as the impulse that we call "love"! (The endless heartbeat of the adoring soul!) If there is any point to this human life, it must be found here in this wondrous cheer, So accept this beautiful wish of the soul. (This fated bond of chance and eternity) Now, can you see it at last, this glorious, dazzling light?

Art, in its pure and truest form, is the union of two souls; it is not made by the artist's will alone! Your feelings as you watch hold value, too; and as these feelings meet mine, I shall call their union "love"!

This is what being born as "human" entails; these are the hopes that bind us, as one, So together, let's praise this miracle of us. . .

"Amor Vincit Omnia"

Final Chorus Yes, we all have been granted this impulse to dream of visions with which to adorn the world! So wear your clashing desires with boundless pride, Until the world is so full of love, it overflows, and awes our hearts anew. (Every meeting of souls echoes onward.) Yes, I know that you see this perfect, dazzling light!

(Lyrics are based on Google Translate and the video by lucidstars on YT, but I've added my own spin to things! I love doing translyrics for Valkyrie, and I have a couple I will maybe eventually post) (also i will maybe do an actual english cover of this song soon but college is painful)

[legendsofmyriad]

Legends of Myriad: Arc One - Chapter 27: The Waters of Skuld - Part 2

Chapter 26 | Chapter 28

Arc One Masterlist

-- -- -- -- --

Lilith rubbed her hands together and smuggled them under her sleeve cuffs as the bitter winds nipped mercilessly at any exposed skin it could reach. Like flags in a concentrated breeze, the dwarven braids swayed and their golden beads clacked. A piercing howl assaulted the assembly and arms flinched to bat away the spray of dirt and snapping leaves. 

“You nervous or something?” Lofran said from beside the waiting mage. “You’ve spent the past ten minutes squirming like a mud beast in heat.”

Throwing him an unimpressed glower, Lilith cleared her throat and stuffed her hands behind her back, doggedly fighting the urge to fidget further. “I’m not nervous. It’s brisk is all.”

“Shouldn’t a soldier of your reputation be able to withstand the cold?” he teased. “Here I was thinking mage warriors would be stoic and unyielding, yet in the face of a bit of wind, you fumble about worse than an irritated child.”

“Are you trying to insult me?”

“Not at all, Commander Cleaver,” Lofran laughed. “Just having a little fun.”

“If only you knew the fun we mages have,” Lilith quipped, triumph swarming when the curious sweep of the leader’s eyes offered her an upper hand. She kept her own gaze forward, fixated on the trees where Bartholomew had vanished hours earlier. “The beauty and the chaos we can create. I have seen fire burn in a kaleidoscope of colours, watched healers bring back fatalities on death’s doorstep, felt the pain it inflicts and bear the scars of its malevolence.” 

In a soft lull, the flurries hushed. Lilith synchronised each breath as though she herself compelled the elements, and commanded them to slow. “Do you feel that?” 

“What?” Lofran asked. 

“Exactly. No wind.” With a pointed finger, she connected with her silent spell and sent ripples overhead. “I slowed down time and used the excess to form a barrier. Nothing can get in. Not even the weather.”

“But are we able to leave?” 

“Of course,” Lilith said, undoing the enchantment. The screeching gusts and creaking boughs resumed their protest. 

The tension discharged from Lofran’s muscles with the exhaled breath he had been holding. To think that she had used her power without him, or any of the other guards realising, both intrigued and frightened him. And it took something truly extraordinary to shake Lofran Redblade. “You hold a tremendous force within you,” he said, his usually gruff tone tamed into awe. “Great and dreadful indeed.”

Once the last few crackles burrowed into the gaps between her fingerless gloves, she shook the rest off, ensuring they couldn’t wriggle under the fabric. “You grow used to it after a while.” 

Ahead of them, Nestor planted his ceremonial spear into the mud with a deliberate thump and motioned into the forest, startling many in the gathered group. “I see them,” he declared. “There. Look!”

Two figures wandered through the underbrush, sunlight winding like a mangled halo around their forms until the natural shade brought them into view. Lilith remained still, her heart soaring as she curbed the overwhelming urge to sprint to the woman who had nurtured and protected her. 

Lofran stepped forwards, his jewellery and multitude of buckles creating a symphony of jangles with each stride. “Welcome back, Professor Spark,” he said and diverted his focus to the representative accompanying him. “You must be Farina Canaris. It is an honour to receive you into Thuldran, my lady.”

Farina’s pale yellow gaze assessed the welcoming party, and she lowered her head to the territory’s leader. The wind that tormented everyone else seemed to avoid her as though it didn’t dare disturb the sleek black curls over her shoulder or the loose, flowing sleeves of her dress. 

“I must express my gratitude to you, Elder Redblade, for allowing me to marvel at such a wondrous city,” she said, tender as summer silk. Every set of eyes lingered on her, but the ones she sought were not vibrant green, calming blue, or earthy brown. They were the richest violet, dappled with lilac, and when she found them, her smile could have warmed the entire planet for weeks. 

“There she is,” the councillor beamed, cupping Lilith’s wind-flushed cheeks and kissing her forehead. “What trouble do you have for me this time, little sunray?”

“No trouble,” Lilith promised. “Has Bartholomew explained the situation?”

“He has, and I am here to help in any way I can.”

“That is music to my pointy ears,” Lofran said over the cacophony of rattling armour as the guards assembled into formation. “Come. Negotiations wait for no-one.”

Lilith stayed close to her guardian as they navigated uphill paths and sprawling stone bridges. “I’m sorry for disturbing you,” she said, peering at their guide who was animatedly conversing with Professor Spark about the intricate architecture. “I didn’t know who else to call.”

“Do you honestly think I would miss an opportunity to see you?” Farina replied. “The council wish to commence trade and build alliances as quickly as possible, so you have done me a favour. Your actions in opening the gateways created a fresh era of hope for us. New friends and allies will allay concerns among our citizens.” A glowing butterfly, no bigger than her palm, circled her shoulders as though to bask in her soothing power and dipped below the bridge barrier. “You blame yourself for the war, but there were many involved in returning magic to Solgarde. I take full responsibility for my part, and so does Altair, and Azra, and the council.”

“The entire council?” Lilith asked sceptically. “Because they have a tendency to shift accountability onto others and dodge liability unless it benefits them.”

“I understand your difficulties with them, but it is essential for us to mend the fractures together. Otherwise, we leave the door wide open for another authority like the Exalted. Alliances such as this will aid in healing.”

Grumbles simmered in the depths of Lilith’s throat, but she swallowed them down. No matter how much she had resisted and clashed with the council, cooperation was the key to restoring Solgarde. She would have time to argue with them later; for now, she needed to comply with whatever they ordered until her home was fixed again. 

As they reached the central hall, Lofran promptly took charge, settling himself into the largest chair at the table and ensuring refreshments were served before discussing his conditions. Arrangements were thrown back and forth in an almost dizzying trade of terms, promises securely established and concessions allowed in the spirit of a newfound friendship. 

“I can see why Commander Cleaver spoke so highly of you,” Lofran said as he downed his third tankard and mopped the foam from his bristled moustache. 

“Once the water has been collected, I shall organise for the zedite shipment to reach you within three days,” Farina agreed. “We will even bring it straight to your door if that is more convenient.” 

Lofran’s infectious smile reached his ears, and he leaned in closer, hands clasped and planted firmly on the table in front of him. “That is a kind gesture, my lady, and one I appreciate. Rest assured, I’ll get the medicinal supplies ready for you to take back as soon as the zedite arrives.”

“Then that is settled,” she said. “If you ever want to establish consistent trade agreements in the future or would like to negotiate a potential alliance, I am more than willing to sort it out for you personally.” 

“I shall hold you to that, Lady Canaris.” Lofran rose from his seat and the chiselled legs squeaked on the polished boards. “With passage between worlds possible again, it is important to determine these alliances now. We honest folk can’t let the gateways fall into the wrong hands.” 

* * *

“All it took was a rope, twelve tons of explosives, and a diving suit,” Nestor laughed. “You can imagine the look on Elder Redblade’s face when we returned, covered in damp grit and water, looking like we’d just been eaten by a river monster and spat back out.” Amusement shuddered through his ribs and he cast a sideways glance at the mage clutching the saddle seat. “She won’t bite you. Forest arachnids are tame. If she had any objection to us being up here, she would make it perfectly clear.”

Lilith loosened her grip a little until the blanched white of her knuckles returned to a faded pink. The sway closely resembled that of a clicker horse, but it was faster. Each set of four hairy legs thumped in perfect rhythm, stirring up the undergrowth and kicking up dirt. 

“Everything here works in unity,” Nestor continued, easing on the reins to guide the procession towards a more open trail. “The things we do every day sustain the forest and the life within it. In return, the creatures here allow us to pass through their territory should we need to. Even help like Jacina.” He patted the arachnid’s back and leaned in to whisper a few dwarven words to her. 

“I didn’t realise she had a name,” Lilith said. With a hint of hesitation, she immersed her hand into the prickly bristles beside her leg. The warm skin it grew from resonated with a vibrant energy, integrated with the pulse of the forest. 

The creature emitted a series of fluctuating clicks, and Lilith retreated. 

“Don’t panic,” Nestor chuckled. “She’s purring.” 

“Oh.” She nestled her palm into the silvery fuzz, and Jacina purred again. “I never would have believed it if someone had told me a few months ago that I would be collecting magical water while riding on the back of a giant spider. I have seen many things my people would consider otherworldly, but this…” Her eyes chased the patches of sunlight as they filtered through the rifts in the overhang. The blood red leaves of this section of wood collided with one another as if engaged in a fierce battle for survival. The winners settled down and basked in the glow of victory, and the defeated twirled in disorienting circles before coming to rest beside the pale white roots. “This is truly something else.” 

“There is a peace here,” Nestor agreed. “A harmony.” 

“Couldn’t have put it better myself.”

“I am glad you think so, commander. We are proud of our home.”

I wonder what it feels like to be this proud of your homeland, Lilith wondered. Amidst the chaos of the purge, she found solace in the unity of the mages who banded together, disregarding their disagreements to conquer a mutual foe. But she also harboured a deep sense of shame that some of them had willingly joined forces with their enemy, embracing the belief that their power was too dangerous and should be eradicated or controlled. 

The dwarves cherished their home and the enchanting creatures that resided in it. Nurtured the world and cared for it together in peace. True peace. It wasn’t the empty promises of deceitful politicians, but a symphony of harmony that inspired them to thrive and bloom. To align with nature instead of dominate it. 

“You’re quiet,” Nestor said, interrupting her musing. “Not fallen asleep, have you?”

“No,” Lilith replied. “Just thinking.” 

“You see that light over there?” Using a gloved finger, the captain guided her gaze towards the silver glow holding its own against the burnished sunlight. “That’s our destination.”

The procession came to a halt as they approached the pool, the guards creating a gap for Nestor and Lilith to continue on their own. The boles of the trees became whiter, as if they had been forever kissed by the frost of winter, and the leaves deepened to a sinister crimson. From inside a chalky ridge face, a sheet of water splashed into the basin below. Stones of varying sizes protected the edge, smoothed by time and weather, glistening and sodden. 

“I’ll wait here,” Nestor said, careful not to jostle Lilith as he supported her onto stable ground. “You need anything, just shout.” 

Her long coat swept the fallen leaves as she neared the bank of the water. The magic within swelled, charged with a power so ancient it smelled of musty, old books and damp cave systems. 

She positioned herself beside the protective rock barrier and retrieved a small vial from her jacket. With a steady hand, she dipped it into the cool surface and filled it almost to the brim. As she tightened the metal cap, a flicker of movement caught the fringe of her vision. Keeping her movements deliberate, she returned the glass container to her pocket. 

In a dash so quick it could rival the speed of her magic, a tiny fluttering creature poised in front of her face, humanoid but winged, like a river bug.

“She takes the water,” it giggled. “She took it.” 

Others joined from the shadows of the ridge, wings shivering so rapidly that it was impossible to see the membrane and blood that formed them.  

“I have the permission of Elder Lofran Redblade of Thuldran,” Lilith informed them. 

“Oh, we know about that,” the sprite smirked. “And about you, Sunbreaker. You will split so much more than suns.” A chorus of trilled snickers accompanied the flurried splash of imbued water as more came to taunt her. “Both parts of you, breaking in two. Rip. Break. Tear.”

They burst into laughter once more, and Lilith rose to her feet, lips set firm and her jaw clenched. 

“It has already happened,” the sprite said, the amusement fading with a tickled sigh. “Can’t stop it now.” 

In a playful flurry, the group of sprites scattered behind the waterfall, disappearing in a giggle at her fate. 

Lilith’s chest heaved and fell in short bursts. She forced herself to release the tension, first her jaw, then her shoulders, controlling each inhale and exhale until her body settled. 

“Don’t listen to those troublemakers,” Nestor said staunchly from behind her. “Water sprites are tricky creatures and like to have fun with outsiders.” Waving towards Jacina, he led her away from the mirror pool. “Nobody controls your fate but you. Whatever they told you, pay their words no heed. You hear me?”

Lilith nodded, but she wasn’t wholly sure what she was agreeing to. Despite the mischievous giggles of the sprites, their warning vibrated within her, puncturing the very essence of her being and leaving her with an unsettling sensation that was proving difficult to calm. 

At the Thuldran boundary, the small group dismounted, settling their arachnids into their cavern stables with the handlers and continuing on foot. As the sun dipped and the first stars peeked over the billowing horizon, the city descended into a tranquil hush. Doors shut for the evening as night wafted its blanket and set it across the land, window light and humming bugs guiding the captain, the mage and their procession. 

“I can feel you thinking about what those water sprites said,” Nestor griped. “I told you, they are not to be trusted. They saw an outsider and spotted an opportunity for a bit of fun.”

But what if they’re right? Lilith’s mind cried. I’ve already caused so much harm. Am I truly destined to create more? Her head reeled, thoughts zooming at lightning speed and whenever she tried to catch one, to rationalise with it, it slipped between her fingers with a cruel laugh and joined the rest of the fray again. 

“If it will ease your worries,” Nestor offered, “they have predicted many things that never came true.”

“Never came true, or didn’t manifest in the way you interpreted?” Lilith asked. 

At that, the captain puffed out his chest, as if preparing to deliver an important statement, but ultimately deflated with a reluctant exhale. “Look, you are the one who controls your fate. Stuff happens that is out of our control, but what matters is how you respond to it. Are you going to let those pests get to you?”

“No.”

“There then. Best thing you can do is forget about them.”

Lilith wasn’t sure she could ignore those trill, foreboding words competing with the flutter of their wings, but Nestor had a point; with the safety of every soul in Myriad at stake, she couldn’t afford to waste time fretting. 

As they arrived at the courtyard outside the central hall, their triumphant return was met with a thunderous applause and clatter of weaponry on armour. 

“I knew you would get it,” Farina declared, embracing her ward. “Haven’t I always said you are capable of anything you put your mind to?”

“More often that I can count,” Lilith responded with a fond grin. 

Councillor Canaris delicately set her slender fingers on Lilith’s cheeks, leaving a faint trail along her cheekbone. While she may have been able to fool others with a cheerful facade, that trick had never worked on her. She recognised the doubt in the tension in her shoulders and the slight bob of her throat. “What’s the matter, dearest one?” she spoke softly and quietly. “Has something happened?”

Lilith scuffled her boots, the fragile twigs and dense dirt crunching beneath the worn soles. In her peripheral vision, she caught Nestor’s watchful glance and the discreet shake of his head. Hurt and death lay in her wake, churned up and spat out in her quest for freedom, and although she wanted to follow his advice and erase it from her memory, the mere prospect of history repeating itself left her soul aching. 

“There were some water sprites at the mirror pool,” she explained. “They made cryptic remarks about my future, but Captain Nestor advised me to pay no attention to it. According to him, they find it funny to tease outsiders.”

“The captain is a local and knows what he is talking about,” Farina said. “We should trust in his knowledge.”

In Farina’s glossy golden eyes, Lilith caught the telltale glint of concern, the curl of her lips slower than usual and the reassuring smile faltering a few inches before it came to an uncertain stop. But it wasn’t the prophecy that weighed on her mind. It was her. Her ward. The girl she had been tasked with caring for who had blossomed into a daughter. Farina may have known her well, but Lilith also understood her guardian better than anyone else, and in that moment she saw the motherly worry ingrained on her face. 

Before they had the chance to exchange another word, Bartholomew and Lofran appeared from the hall, drawn by the noise outside. The professor’s features lit up with delight when he spotted the filled glass vial, his hands clapping together in a gesture that seemed to ignite the very essence of the night sky. 

“Speaking of trust,” Farina continued, “do you trust Professor Spark?” 

“Strangely enough, I do,” Lilith answered. Her attention drifted to the man in question as Lofran briskly patted him on the arm and released a boisterous laugh. “I can’t quite explain it. You know how there are people you meet and you swear you’ve already met, but you don’t recall ever seeing them before?”

“Like a blood-calling?”

“I suppose that’s one way of describing it.”

Farina hummed under her breath, her eyebrows furrowing as she pondered the enigmatic professor and his valiant quest to safeguard the nine worlds under his watch. While she entrusted Lilith’s judgement, she found it increasingly difficult ignore the restless churning in the pit of her stomach, a persistent thorn that warned her he was concealing truths. “There is something about him that makes me uneasy,” she admitted. “Please be vigilant. It’s easy to be misled by appearances.”

“I’ll be careful,” Lilith promised. “You know me. I’ve always got a trick or two up my sleeve.” 

-- -- -- -- --

If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider reblogging. Reblogging helps to get work out there and seen.

[setoangel01-fanfiction]

Through the Jungle

The Prodigal Son - Chapter 2 (Previous Chapters)

Fandom: FFVII

Pairings: Zack Fair x Aerith Gainsborough (Zerith) and minor Cloud Strife x Tifa Lockhart (Cloti)

Rated: T

Story Summary: Zack Lives AU. Leaving the Golden Saucer behind, the group heads to Zack's hometown of Gongaga, where after nearly a decade apart, Zack finally reunites with his parents.

Chapter Summary: Arriving on the shores of Gongaga, the group make their ways through the perilous jungle awaiting them.

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

"Damn…" Cloud muttered softly from the driver's seat when the buggy came to a full stop. The tires jostling slightly atop the sandy beaches near the entrance to what could only be gateway to the dense Jungles of Gongaga.

Zack allowed a smirk to cross his lips hearing Cloud's awed tone as well as the similar reactions crossing the expressions of all the other passengers that were all unabashedly staring at the absolutely impressive jungle awaiting them. Widened eyes and gaping mouths of his companions had him feeling relieved to see the sheer majesty of his home hadn't changed much since he left it behind a decade ago.

For a few blissful seconds, Zack took it in himself as the group exited the buggy to get a closer look.

Feet firm on the sandy beach, a dainty hand suddenly grasped at his arm. He looked down to see his girlfriend's awestruck expression, marvelous emerald eyes wider than he could recall them being, peering eagerly at their surroundings.

"Wow! Oh Gaia, everything is so…green!" Aerith chirped happily with an adorable little bounce in her step. Her exhilaration was palpable and Zack couldn't be happier about seeing the wondrous expression gracing her beautiful face.

A low whistle sounded beside them, "Gotta agree with ya' there, girlie. Fuckin' hell, I don't think I've ever seen so many damn trees in my entire life," Barrett muttered, reaching out to touch a nearby frond as if in a hypnotic daze.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Zack suddenly yelped, grasping Barret's outstretched arm before he could make a terrible mistake.

"Da fuck!?" Barrett yelled, pulling his arm back from the plant as if he had been burned.

Zack chuckled nervously, "Sorry but you'd thank me if you'd seen what even touching that shit does to your skin!" Zack shuttered in remembrance when he learned that lesson the hard way as a boy, "It'll give you the itchiest most annoying rash you'll ever get in your life! Believe me! You gotta avoid the plants with the thorns and red tipped leaves, but those bluish ones beside it are alright, though." As if to showcase his truthfulness, Zack brushed his glove-less hand against said greenery with a fond smile on his lips.

Yuffie guffawed at the horrified look that still hadn't left Barrett's face. The man in question swatting at her before the self-appointed 'most beautiful and greatest ninja of all time' promptly bent over with her nauseous stomach roiling unhappily at the sudden movement.

"Serves ya right, ya brat!" Barrett shook his fist at Yuffie, who while acting like she's only seconds from certain death, still somehow found the energy to stick her tongue out and flip him off.

Aerith giggled into Zack's bicep as Tifa rubbed the loudly whining Yuffie's back.

"So…anything else we need to watch out for here, Zack?" Nanaki's soft drawl asked from near his left hip as the feline sniffed cautiously at a patch of bright purple flowers.

Zack hummed, putting his hand up to his chin and peered around. "Well…Yeah. There's some more plants I'd steer clear from but it's mostly the fiends you gotta watch out for. The Kimera bugs are bloodthirsty bastards, there's also these giant flying jellyfish that love to paralyze you with cheap-shot lightning attacks…Oh! And whatever you do, stay the hell away from the Touch Me Frogs! We don't have any Maiden's Kiss on us and if we were all attacked together by a nest of 'em, that would be really, really bad news..."

"...Maiden's Kiss?" Aerith asked with a curious tilt to her head.

"Yeah! It turns you back to normal when you get 'Frogged'!"

Cloud stared at him strangely for a moment before he felt compelled to ask, "…'Frogged'?"

Zack blinked stupidly at him. "Yeah. The Touch Me's will actually turn you into a frog. Can't tell you how many times it's happened to me…" he admitted while scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

Yuffie huffed out a laugh, "Now that, I believe," which Zack would have given her shit for (and an atomic noogie) if she didn't look so damn miserable with her greenish complexion and arms wrapped protectively across her stomach. "Urk…Nope. No more laughing…Bad idea."

Tifa peered in concern at the teen for a moment before she suggested, "Alright then. I say it's a good idea to stay clear away from weird plants and any monsters, especially those frogs, until we can stock up on that certain potion."

"Uggghhhh…" Yuffie moaned as she leaned her head miserably against Tifa's shoulder.

"...And maybe we could also stock up on some stomach medicine while we're there," Tifa continued, allowing the loudly grumbling Yuffie to lean her slight weight on her.

"Hell yes..." the Wutain groaned into Tifa's generous chest as the older woman comforted her with gently pats to her back.

"Oi! Dat's a fine idea dere, Lassie!" Cait Sith piped for the first time since they arrived, the quick-footed robotic feline suddenly launched upwards and made himself quite comfortable atop Barrett's shoulder, much to the latter's dismay.

"Hey! What the-!? Whataya!? Urg!" The dark skinned man cut himself off, glaring certain death at the robot. Yet Cait Sith remained unfazed, merely smiling in the face of his anger, Barrett muttered, "fuckin' cat…" under his breath rather than knock his furry ass to the ground.

Zack thought the scene was strangely sweet.

All the while, Cloud peered out at the group as if in deep thought before glancing back toward the jungle. The blonde looked way out of his depth and uncomfortable which was odd considering how quick he assumed the leader role under Zack's advisement. Yet now he seemed hesitant at the prospect of the looming vegetation when he turned to peer back at Zack.

"That's the plan then. Looks like you're in the lead, Jungle Boy." Cloud announced.

Zack laughed loudly at the sudden declaration, slapping Cloud hard on his un-armored shoulder before he eagerly took over the leader role of the group with Aerith always faithfully by his side. Her adorable giggles and bouncing steps right beside his own.

"Damn straight I am, you Mountain Hick!" Zack called out to the blonde over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Tifa's affronted voice called back.

"Not you, Teef! Now, come on, everyone! Let's mosey!" he stated happily to the rest of the party.

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

Cloud stood there for a moment, merely rubbing his sore shoulder, and while trying to hide it, he couldn't help but smile at Zack and Aerith's retreating backs before following them into the jungle.

"Oh my!" It was Tifa's voice that broke out when they first saw the field of bright pink mushrooms lining a mossy cliff-side. The excitement encapsulated her cherry-cola eyes and a huge smile gracing her lips as the group approached Gongoga's world famous import hidden deep inside the jungle."These are Gongaga mushrooms, right Zack?" she inquired, peering questioningly over her shoulder at him. The martial artist was already kneeling next to a large patch of the smaller mushrooms resting right underneath the shade of one a thousand times larger.

Zack knelt beside her and once he saw they were indeed the correct mushrooms and not some poisonous look-alike imposters, he happily replied, "Yep! These are Gaia's famous Gongaga Mushrooms! In fact, this is the only place on the planet they're grown."

"Really?" Cloud asked curiously as he squatted down near Tifa to get a closer look.

"Yeah. Something about the temperature and soil I think makes them only able to flourish here," Zack replied as Aerith plopped herself in the thick grassy patch beside him, green eyes wide as she brushed her hands over the bright pink fungi and marveled at the size of one of the nearby giants.

"They're such a pretty color too!" Aerith added while Nanaki walked over to sniff at them curiously; the feline 'hmmed' lowly in his throat as if pleasantly surprised at their rich meaty aroma they exuded.

"Wow." Tifa mused softly on the information, gentle smile never fading as she lightly ran her fingertip along the edges of a few. "I've always loved to cook with them! They add such amazing flavor to every dish, but in Midgar they're always so expensive the rare time I seen them come to the markets. I could only afford to use them in a few dishes on a couple special occasions."

Zack watched with barely concealed giddiness as Cloud peered at Tifa's contemplative expression, those light blue eyes of his doing nothing to hide his obvious adoration for the gorgeous brunette. The way Cloud and Tifa shyly danced around each other, yet were so damn in love that anyone with eyes could see it, was as cute as it was frustrating to witness.

Seemingly psyching himself up, the blonde ex-infantryman gently nudged at Tifa's shoulder with his own before offering, "Hey, uh, why don't we stock up on some of them here? I'm sure they're a lot cheaper since they're grown here."

"Hmm, you're right. Maybe they even have them dried to make them more portable," Tifa wondered with a dainty finger pressed to her chin.

"Yeah, and uh, I'm sure the dishes you make for us on the road would be even better," he quickly cleared his throat and looked away with cheeks that nearly matched Tifa's eyes, "You know, if that's even possible."

Tifa's eyes widened at the sudden compliment but a warm smile quickly overtook it instead, "Thanks, Cloud. I think I'd like that…" she shyly responded.

Zack and Aerith watched their interaction with bated breath, and once it was over, they shared a pleased look and quietly fist-bumped at the progression those two were making.

Of course the adorable moment didn't last long when Yuffie suddenly piped up, "I don't get it," she grumbled, bouncing a few (most likely stolen) materia on her knuckles as she waited for them all to get a move on, "What's so special about a bunch of pink mushrooms?"

Zack smirked at the ninja, "Just wait til you taste my mom's cooking and then you'll see."

Barrett chuckled, tapping Yuffie's shoulder that sent the thin teen nearly careening into a nearby tree, "Damn straight! There is truly nothing that tastes as good in the damn planet like home cookin'." The older man pursed his lips, "Hey, uh, SOLDIER boy, I shoulda brought this up earlier, but do ya think your folks would be alright with all of us bargin' in on them without any warning?"

Zack quickly stood to his feet and offered his hand to Aerith as he replied, "My mom always was looking for any excuse to cook so I'm sure they won't mind." His voice was steady even if Zack himself remained unsure of his parent's reaction to his sudden presence. Wanting to put his friends at ease and wipe the concerned look Aerith shot his way, he continued, "We didn't have the biggest house so we might have to eat outside or find other lodging to fit us all overnight, but hell, we're used to doing that already so it shouldn't be a big deal."

Barrett's brows pinches for a moment. "Hey, Zack, ya know we wouldn't wanna to intrude if ya want some time alone with yer folks either." Barrett said with a kind, fatherly expression Zack wasn't used to seeing aimed at him since Angeal died. The very same look his father bestowed upon him while resting a firm yet comforting hand on his shoulder after gifting him his first real sword on his 13th birthday.

Now Angeal was dead (by his hand no less) and he'd left his father a week after that night without a word. All of it given up more than 10 years ago for a dream that ended up in a hellish cacophony of greed, delusion, betrayal, and concluded in a town filled with fire and smoke.

A sharp wave of grief of the past 10 years hit him abruptly, yet before he could think of anything to reply to the kindness he didn't deserve held in Barrett's eyes, Yuffie interrupted.

For once, Zack was damn grateful for the distraction.

"Ughhh! Great! Than let's hurry the hell up and go already! Anything to stop staring at a bunch of dumb mushrooms, ya old fogies!" Yuffie piped up, her arms now full of the protesting Cait Sith who was the latest victim of her Materia "borrowing" scheme.

"Hmm. Yes. Let's continue. I'm rather intrigued. I'd love to see how they taste when cooked, especially if it's as good as Tifa states." Nanaki commented, licking the edge of his mouth where a pink speck of mushroom fell to the ground by his feet.

Zack looked down in bewilderment hoping eating them raw had no adverse effect on the large feline but decided not to say anything and to merely keep an eye on him.

Shaking off any lingering feelings of his past coming back to haunt him, Zack slipped back on his normal happy puppy mask and stated, "Alright, alright, hold onto your Chocobos, Yuff."

"Stop calling me that, ya jerk!" she grumbled but Zack continued unperturbed.

"I promise we'll leave real soon but we can't show up empty handed! C'mon, give me a hand with picking some of these!"

Cloud looked skeptical yet he followed his friend to the patch of mushrooms regardless, "Wouldn't your folks already have some?"

"Probably, but the ones that grow furthest from the village always tasted better in my opinion. Now come on, there's a special technique to picking them so they don't break!" Zack motioned for the others interested in learning to join him near a large cluster of the pink beauties situated in a little alcove a few yards away. The plump pink flesh perfectly ripe and the woodsy smell lingering near them was rich and aromatic.

Perfect for picking!

With that, Zack showed the group the specialized Gongaga technique for picking the mushrooms so the tops and stems were left attached and completely undamaged. Zack's smile grew as Aerith and Tifa both did it perfectly on their first try and gave each other a high five in celebration. Yet Cloud wasn't as lucky for he broke his first mushroom right in half while angrily swatting at the mocking Yuffie, who wasn't any better when her mushroom practically exploded into pink chunks of shrapnel. At least Nanaki was happy not to waste the rare fungi and ate the pieces.

Barrett and Cait Sith seemed merely happy watching it all unfold.

Zack leaned back on his heels as they continued their mission. A gentle smile curling his lips at getting to watch his girlfriend and friends as they (after another brief instruction) began gathering the mushrooms like seasoned pros. Yet his unperturbed mask he relied on far too much lately faltered slightly once he realized he was actually happy for any excuse to help delay the trip to his hometown just a little while longer…

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

A plethora of Gongaga mushrooms safely stowed away in Barrett's knapsack, the group continued into the denser region while trying (and failing) to avoid the fiends along their way.

Clusters of large Kimera bugs were easily dispatched while they almost got overtaken by Grangalan, the annoying egg-like creatures that reproduced faster than Grassland rabbits. As they got deeper into the thick foliage, they ran into a few nesting Mastodons they fortunately slipped past without fighting. Unfortunately, in a case of bad luck named Yuffie Kisaragi, they landed in a field of poisonous plants called Frightflowers. The evil flora were a pain in the ass if they weren't killed immediately and if it wasn't for Aerith's masterful Ensuna casting, the fight could have been deadly with their poison effect alone.

When all was said and done, nearly all of them were nursing more than a few new scrapes and bruises they didn't bother wasting potions on, but thankfully, nothing worse than that. Zack was merely grateful that they hadn't run into any Touch Me Frogs, but in an effort to avoid their spawning areas, it still stalled their progress more than he'd like.

Zack had also forgotten how strenuous traversing this jungle could be. Hanging ropes and vines, rickety wooden ladders, tons of hiking mountains and crossing fast-moving rivers greeted them the further into the jungle they went. And while himself and most of the group could easily handle the extra physical strain, it was obvious his girlfriend was quickly falling behind.

Flushed cheeks, sweat heavily lined her brow and her wispy chestnut locks were flattening as the exertion plus the humidity in the air began to wilt down her energy to a mere whisper of what it was mere hours prior.

Zack tried his best to take plenty of rest stops so she could have a moment to catch her breath, but it was an uphill battle. They were also losing daylight and it was a special kind of hell to get trapped in the jungle after nightfall where you couldn't even see your own damn hand in front of your face. Not to mention, the hungry nocturnal fiends he'd rather not deal with in the inevitable low lighting.

"I'm so sorry, Zack." Aerith's voice tore him from his musings. The last Cetra breathing heavily as she plopped down on a downed tree log and looked so incredibly miserable that it hurt his heart. "I know I'm slowing everyone down, it's just… Ugh! I thought after a few weeks of non-stop traveling I wouldn't be huffing and puffing like this anymore. I feel so weak…" she grumbled angrily while wiping her perspiring forehead with the back of her trembling hand.

"What are you talking about!? You just saved our asses back there! Don't even think that you're weak because you're one of the strongest people I know!" Zack chided while sliding to sit next to her and wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder.

Aerith smiled at the statement but he still saw the doubt in her eyes and it broke his damn heart.

Zack bit his lip, yet before he said anything further, he lifted his blue eyes to the figures of the rest of the group standing at a nearby creek filling their canteens with fresh water. Seeing they weren't in hearing range, he continued, "I'm serious when I say you're actually doing great, sweetie. Traversing these jungles isn't easy whatsoever and the heat and humidity only makes it that much worse, especially if you're not used to it."

"I still feel bad… It's like everyone is always catering to me because I can't keep up," Aerith muttered lowly, playing with the ends of her frayed braid in an effort to keep her eyes away from Zack's concerned expression.

Zack pursed his lips, hating to see the self-deprecating look on her face and wanted nothing more than to reassure his angel, "That's not true! We've stopped plenty of times for the others. There's Barrett for instance in the Shinra tower with the giant ass flight of stairs and Yuffie whenever she needs to hurl every damn time she steps into a moving vehicle."

"Yeah, but that's not the same," Aerith pouted.

Zack bit his lip for a moment before he asked with a soft smile, "Hey, did I ever tell you about my friend Satatoro?"

Aerith's eyes perked up at the sudden new information he was sharing and he cheered inside at the interest in her pretty green eyes. "No, you didn't."

"Well, we both were born here and were friends since before we could walk. We were both so determined to join ShinRa to become First Class SOLDIERS yet he'd always be focused so much on strength and trying to pack on muscle that he never even bothered to do cardio to build up his stamina. The dude would nearly pass out when going for a light jog to my secret workout spot!"

"...So, you're saying I need to work on my stamina, hmm?" she teased lowly while brushing her hand on his thigh, loving to watch the adorable shade of coral red fill the apples of his cheeks.

Zack chuckled, "Babe, all I'm saying is that he lived here his whole life and he would have given up on this trek hours ago and yet here you are still pushing through!" he grasped at her wandering hand and held it against his chest, smiling so tenderly it made her heart throb against her sternum. "You're doing wonderful, Aeri. Don't you ever think otherwise. …Promise me?"

Aerith pursed her lips indecisively yet Zack didn't give, his big pout and patented puppy dog eyes she could never refuse had her throwing in the proverbial towel. Zack could be the most stubborn man on the planet when he set his mind to it. The Last Cetra finally relented with a sigh. "Fine. I won't say that anymore, okay?"

"Great!"

The Flower Girl huffed out a laugh before smiling at her wonderful and encouraging boyfriend. She quickly leaned up to place a quick kiss on the edge of his smiling mouth before resting her slight weight against his unmovable muscular frame. Bonelessly, she leaned against him, not even bothering to hide how absolutely exhausted she was anymore. "While I know I'm doing okay for making it this far, I still feel like shit for slowing us down… and now I can't feel my feet anymore."

Zack peered at her in concern before a brilliant idea popped into his head that had him smiling.

"...What?" Aerith asked when noticing him staring at her with barely restrained glee.

"I think I can help with that!"

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

"...Are you sure this is okay?" Aerith asked, her thin frame cradled tenderly in Zack's arms in a bridle carry, the Buster Sword strapped to his back didn't allow for piggy back rides after all.

"Any excuse I can carry you is valid to me, babe," Zack sent her a bright smile down at her. "Besides, once we get some Chocobos, it'll be a helluva lot easier to traverse this terrain. Believe it or not, but they can even jump on the giant mushrooms to get to the tops of some of these cliffs! I think you'll love the color of their feathers too. They're a green super similar to your eyes, but of course, your eyes are much prettier," he winked at her.

Cheeks warming at his flirty words, Aerith smiled. "Wow, really?" she asked, glancing at the giant mushrooms and all the unexplored areas they could reach using those.

"Yeah… I wonder if my Chocobo is still around…"

"You had a Chocobo growing up? You never told me that!" she slapped his chest lightly and sent him a pout.

"Sorry!" Zack chuckled when she tried to pinch him. "I thought I did but must have forgot to mention it, but yeah, I did! Raised him since he was a chick. I named him Mochi after my favorite treat my late grandma used to make me all the time as a kid."

"Oh my! How cute!" Aerith's beamed, instantly picturing a tiny Zack running around with an adorable green Chocobo Chick following faithfully behind him. She hoped his parents had pictures she could see of that!

"He certainly was. We were both always getting into trouble but it was fun. I hope he's still around. He was kind of a wild bird so he might have taken off when I left, but if he's still around, you can ride him around. It would make the trip a lot easier and I'm certain he'd fall in love with you just as quickly as I did." he said with a tender smile.

Aerith eagerly returned it, her heart thumping at just how happy Zack made her without even trying.

The love and adoration he showcased with every little act of kindness and encouragement he bestowed upon her without asking for anything in return. He truly was the sweetest, gentlest, most wonderful man on Gaia filled with a heart of pure gold. She truly felt like the luckiest woman on the planet to have a love like hers, one that fought fate to make it back to her... And now she was on a journey with him and all her new friends and heading towards the place Zack grew up! Somewhere he always talked about and now she really was here with him at her side…

It was as if all her tiny wishes had come true.

Overcome with the sudden rush of emotion, she burrowed further into his embrace.

The close contact and warmth of his body filling her lungs like a haze, she couldn't help but reply, "I dunno, Zack," The Flower Girl whispered lowly while leaning her head into the comfortable crook where his neck met his shoulder. Resting her flushed cheek on the thick woven black turtle neck until her nose brushed across the skin of his jaw. Aerith bit her bottom lip when she felt Zack noticeably shiver at the unexpected intimate contact. She leaned closer until her mouth brushed against his ear. "I think I prefer you carrying me better."

Zack swallowed thickly, his flushed cheeks and darkening blue eyes peering down at her; the expression on his face filled with so much love and admiration it made her head spin. "Yeah?" he asked, glancing down at her lips and holding her just a little tighter against his chest.

"Yeah…"she whispered, leaning closer to him.

Yet before their lips could meet, Yuffie ruined it with a groan.

"Alright! Alright, lovebirds! We get it! You're in love and don't get enough 'alone time'," Yuffie announced crankily from right behind them, angrily stating some words with finger quotes, "But please, for the love of Leviathan, just stop it! I'm nauseous enough already without you guys always finding every damn excuse to suck face."

"Excuse me?" Aerith reprimanded with a rare glare.

"Yuffie! Leave them alone! They're cute!" Tifa chided, lightly smacking the teen on the shoulder.

"Heh. Yeah, yeah, Boobies, I bet pretty soon you and the Chocobo over there are probably gonna be following SOLDIER and Pinky soon enough and then I'll forcefully be subjected to more PDA no one asked to see!"

Tifa's face turned an alarming shade of red and Cloud actually stumbled over a blade of grass.

"Fuckin' hell, girlie! That's enough out of you! If you're mouth is working that good, you're not walking fast enough!" Barrett pushed the teen forward while rolling his eyes at her non-stop antics that were getting rather exhausting, "The faster we move our asses, the faster we'll be there! Now, hurry up!"

"Dat's right, lassie! According to my calculations, we should be arriving fairly soon!" Cait Sith piped up from his perch on Nanaki's back, the cat doing his best to stay away from Yuffie's grasp and from losing anymore Materia to the sticky-fingered teen.

Zack bit his lip to stop from grinning like a madman at how, when things quieted down again, Cloud and Tifa glanced at one another before looking away with their lips curved in shy smiles. Nanaki brushed by his leg and flashed him a conspiratory grin. Zack peered back at Aerith to apologize for their ruined moment and hoping to get it back, yet all of a sudden, he froze when Cait Sith's words finally settled low in his gut.

The damn robot cat was right.

The widening of the brush and a more well-worn walking paths were becoming clearer the further they continued. More and more of the areas they passed and the sight of them mixed with all the years he spent growing up, the same locations and sites were ones he saw frequently. The cliff-side his dad would take him on short camping trips over the weekend. The creek him and his childhood friends would go and catch fish during the long summer. The fields his mom would take him to pick mushrooms and other vegetables for dinner. That familiar patch of giant mushrooms him and Mochi would jump off of to go explore the topside mountains.

…Fuck.

They were getting close.

Within a few minutes, they'd turned another corner past two tall grassy cliffs and a beautiful clear waterfall pouring loudly into a shallow river when Zack's heart nearly trembled at seeing the green tops of trees give way in the distance to painfully familiar domed roofs…

Gongaga was right there.

The anxiety he'd held down for nearly the whole journey was now boiling like Ifrit's fire deep in his stomach, twisting his gut uncomfortably as the wooden gates of Gongaga slowly came into view in the distance.

Yet before he could commiserate on this any further, Zack's SOLDIER senses rushed into high gear.

With one swift move, he'd gently placed the confused Aerith back on the ground and silently maneuvering her to stay behind him. With a flex of his bicep, the Buster Sword was off his back with a satisfying shing sound and he'd instantly taken a protective stance in front of the most important person in his entire life. The others nearby noticed his alarm and immediately jumped into action.

Within seconds, the entire group was aiming their various weapons at the figures that suddenly appeared out of the thick brush that surrounded them.

Zack cursed himself for not noticing them sooner but regardless, he was ready for anything they could throw at him.

Yet any fight or flight response honed from years of being in SOLDIER and that hellish year on the run fighting for his and Cloud's survival faded completely away when he saw the familiar face of the leader, someone he never thought he would again in this lifetime.

"...Cissnei?"

[clottedcreamtea]

Chapter Six

SCHOOL IS HARD!!!! it is SO hard and so is getting over a breakup when my ex says he wants to try again so i just have to be patient omg its awful and so sad. here is chapter six. sorry I've been gone.

"Clotted Cream Cookie,” King Dark Cacao Cookie’s voice boomed through the fortress. “I despise you the most out of any Cookie I’ve ever met, and yet you dare visit my kingdom with no notice? What compels you to commit such an act?”

Royal Milk Tea Cookie cringed at the beginning of the exchange. Clotted Cream Cookie had not dealt with things as delicately as he’d liked to at the beginning of the Council with the Ancient Heroes, and Dark Cacao Cookie did not take well to the young Consul. A grudge had been held ever since.

“I understand I am not welcome, but my friend here, the official representative of the Crème Republic, is in dire need of assistance,” Clotted Cream Cookie got to the point as quickly as he could manage, ushering the shorter Cookie forward.

“Assistance, you say?” Dark Cacao Cookie’s demeanor shifted, likely because he had never met Royal Milk Tea Cookie before, and had no need to be hostile. It wasn’t a welcoming tone in the least, but it was far less aggressive.

“Yes, your highness. My mother, a Cookie of the Milk Tribe, made a wish with a dragon and has since broken her end of the deal.” Royal Milk Tea Cookie saw the king’s eyes widen as he spoke. “In response, the wish dragon has begun to terrorize kingdoms, striking the Republic first. If I fail to find Oat Milk Cookie before it reaches the Vanilla Kingdom, the dragon will crumble me, and may crumble others in its path.”

The many guards surrounding Dark Cacao Cookie’s throne all looked toward their king, hopeful he would have a solution.

“I haven’t heard that name in years,” The king simply said, eyes closed as he reminisced.

“What name, your majesty?”

“Oat Milk Cookie,” Dark Cacao Cookie clarified. “She was a Milk villager that had helped me when I was down on my luck so many years ago. She had a child… Milk Tea Cookie.” The king smiled sadly. Royal Milk Tea Cookie stiffened at the mention of his given name. “It’s been too long since we spoke. I understand she has fled her home, though I did not know it was in response to a wish she did not care to pay the terms.”

“Do you know where she’s run to?” Royal Milk Tea Cookie pressed, but the king shook his head.

“I am sorry, young Cookie, but your mother is nowhere near my nation, and I lack the time to search the land for you. My people need protecting if a dragon is to soon approach.”

Captain Caviar Cookie approached the young representative, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, kid. I’m sure the Hollyberry Kingdom will be housing her.” The assurance was appreciated, but Royal Milk Tea Cookie knew that there was no guarantee Oat Milk Cookie would be anywhere nearby. He nodded, though, and began to think about the next nation to search.

“Thank you, Dark Cacao Cookie,” Royal Milk Tea Cookie bowed his head, turning to leave the fortress. “We will be on our way toward the next nation.”

“No, please, Milk Tea Cookie,” Dark Cacao Cookie spoke, standing from his seat on the throne. “You are a child of the Dark Cacao Kingdom. How long will your journey last?”

Royal Milk Tea Cookie thought back to the beginning of the trip across the sea. “I think we have six days to make it to the Vanilla Kingdom, your majesty.”

“Well, before you continue your quest tomorrow, how about we welcome you home with a wondrous feast?” Dark Cacao Cookie boomed, joyful. Many of the guards seemed put off at this excitable demeanor.

“Oh!” Royal Milk Tea Cookie was flattered, glad that he had a positive reputation with at least one head of a nation. “Home? Well, of course! We would be glad to stay within the walls of the Dark Cacao Kingdom’s borders for the night.”

“Excellent!” Dark Cacao Cookie’s face was no longer tense and wary, but now beaming with hospitality. “Watchers, find rooms for our guests. A feast will commence at sundown!”

Several guards appeared from out of nowhere, each escorting a pair of Cookies further into the castle, toward what appeared to be dorms for the guards.

“Please,” the guard escorting both Royal Milk Tea Cookie and Clotted Cream Cookie began. “Allow me to escort you to the nicest of our rooms, often saved for couples just-wed!”

“Oh, no, we’re not–”

“You need not hide your love for each other, young Cookies!” The watcher assured. “I am the kingdom’s Cupid Cookie! I can smell love from a mile away. Please, settle in while the cooks prepare supper.” The door shut behind her, and the pair of Cookies were left with a large, plush bed, golden lighting within the room, and a large window right behind the bed, showcasing the intense blizzard that had just begun.

“From a mile away, she said,” Clotted Cream Cookie laughed. “Do you believe that?”

“Absolutely not,” Royal Milk Tea Cookie unclasped his cape, revealing long white sleeves and fleece-lined tights beneath his heavy velvet dress. While the outfit looked ordinary, the representative had known to dress for the weather. “Maybe she can smell it from a couple of feet away, tops.”

Clotted Cream Cookie chuckled, settling onto the bed and motioning for Royal Milk Tea Cookie to do the same. Rolling his eyes, the shorter of the two joined his friend on the soft sheets, laying back and closing his eyes.

“Financier Cookie said that you two truly care for each other. Is she right?” Unable to see the change in Clotted Cream Cookie’s face, Royal Milk Tea Cookie simply shook his head, understanding the silence that followed as an answer. “I hope you make each other happy, then.”

“No, Royal Milk Tea Cookie, you don’t understand. Yes, I care for her, but I don’t care for her the same way I care for you,” Royal Milk Tea Cookie was pulled upward into a sitting position, hands clasped with Clotted Cream Cookie’s and their faces inches apart. “We were so close as children, and after our parents’ argument, I never forgot you or wished you weren’t in my life.

“Financier Cookie loves me, that I know,” Clotted Cream Cookie said sadly, “and I would be a terrible Cookie to throw her feelings away by simply declaring I did not love her. She is one of my closest friends, and I do care for her, but,” The Consul pressed a hand against the younger Cookie’s cheek, directing his face to look him right in the eyes. “I care about you, Royal Milk Tea Cookie. With all my dough.”

The shorter of the pair shook his head and pulled his hands away from the blond Consul. “No, Clotted Cream Cookie.”

“No?”

“No! You can’t wait an entire decade and then decide you prefer me over someone who hasn’t left your side since we were children. It isn’t fair.”

“Not fair?” Clotted Cream Cookie scoffed at the remark. “What’s not fair is that I was blackmailed into getting engaged to a girl I despised following me around everywhere!”

Royal Milk Tea Cookie’s face fell slightly. “Blackmailed? What are you talking about?”

The blond Cookie rolled his eyes, standing up in frustration. “Your parents, the ones we’re currently searching Earthbread for? Elder Mille-feuille Cookie knew that you were the child of legend. The lower city had heard about it the moment you were delivered to the Republic. It spread like wildfire, a lower Cookie becoming so fortuitous.”

“You knew about the legend? You knew I wasn’t Oyster Cookie’s son?” Royal Milk Tea Cookie felt his jam boil, standing up as well, though he was still nearly a head lower than Clotted Cream Cookie. “You knew and you just let everything play out?”

“I was a child when my father told me, Royal Milk Tea Cookie,” Clotted Cream Cookie sighed. “I didn’t want you or Oyster Cookie to have any harm come to you. My father said if I didn’t accept the proposal that he’d tell everyone. What else was I supposed to do other than just agree to the proposal?” Clotted Cream Cookie had tears forming in his eyes, tone growing emotional as he went on, voice breaking toward the end. “What else was I supposed to do?” He repeated. “I was a child.”

A pause took over the room. Reality sunk into Royal Milk Tea Cookie, and he understood the conflict. Clotted Cream Cookie’s engagement wasn’t out of love, but out of protection for his friend. Elder Custard Cookie had manipulated his son to no end, and now everyone was facing the emotional consequences.

“I’m sorry,” Was all the shorter Cookie could manage. “I didn’t know…”

“It’s alright.” Clotted Cream Cookie wiped his eyes and cleared his throat, regaining his composure. “No one knew. Once Elder Mille-feuille Cookie was banished, I had thought the engagement would come to an end. Mille-feuille Cookie had no power, so my father wouldn’t achieve a higher ranking position after the marriage.”

“But it wasn’t about power anymore, was it? You said Financier Cookie really cares about you, didn’t you?” Royal Milk Tea Cookie pieced together. “Elder Custard Cookie wasn’t telling you to do it anymore. You just would have felt guilty if you asked to end the relationship.”

Clotted Cream Cookie nodded. “Yes. And it is true…Financier Cookie truly cares about me. She always has, I suppose. I just was always after you.”

Before he could form another response, Royal Milk Tea Cookie was interrupted by one of the servants in the castle announcing the feast was ready. 

“I supposed we should make our way to the dining hall, shouldn’t we?” Clotted Cream Cookie smiled, though Royal Milk Tea Cookie could tell it was full of bittersweet sadness. The engagement was one-sided, but there was no calling it off. Financier Cookie was kind and meant no harm. She truly cared about the Consul, and without a reciprocated want to end the engagement, houses Custard and Financier would soon be one, regardless of whether or not an increase in political power was on the table.

The pair exited the room, making their way down the long hallway until they came upon King Dark Cacao Cookie, who was waiting calmly for his guests.

“Milk Tea Cookie,” The king’s voice was deep and hoarse, but kind. “I would like to invite you to sit by me, toward the head of the table. I have quite a few things to discuss with you if that’s alright?”

Looking toward his companion, Royal Milk Tea Cookie received a nod from Clotted Cream Cookie. The pair separated, allowing Royal Milk Tea Cookie to sit beside King Dark Cacao Cookie, and Clotted Cream Cookie sat alongside his fiancee at the opposite end of the table.