#xerxes break fanfic

[lana7779]

People should really be careful when saying things like "hey, you should write (insert the randomest idea)", because by god, I will make it happen.

So here we are, 2.5k words of Gil taking out Break's hairpins...

Yuuuup... That's all this is...

Pulling out your partner’s hairpins as a metaphor for sex.

Gil was angry. Overall, relieved, of course, but still, very angry that Xerxes didn’t tell him. Didn’t tell him that he was blind, and carried that weight in secret. 

After Yura’s mansion when they got back the Rainsworth mansion and the debrief was over, they each went to their rooms, but Gilbert followed Xerxes to his. 

When he arrived, he saw the blind man fumbling with his hair pins, turned away from the mirror on the dresser because he no longer needed it. That angered Gilbert even more. He stalked into the room, not bothering to keep his presence a secret and slammed his hands down on either side of the Mad Hatter, trapping him with his body against the wood behind him. 

Break jumped a bit at the abrupt sound, Gilbert’s anger radiating off of him practically like heat. He kept his hands by his hair, looking in the direction in which he could feel the younger was near him. And he was so damn near. The reason Gilbert’s anger was comparable to heat is because he was indeed close enough to feel every fibre of Gil’s being. 

Gilbert probably felt like he could get this close only because Break couldn’t actually see him. Whatever the reason, his presence was penetrative, though not unwelcome. It was his favourite little pathetic Gilbert after all… What could he possibly do to him that Sharon already hasn’t put him through with her harisen? Although, being this close to the Raven, he truly did not know what to expect. So he pretended as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Aside from that loud bang of Gilbert’s hands against the dresser. 

The Raven breathed heavily, composing himself to not scream at his mentor in such close proximity. It would be rather counterintuitive to yell at someone whose all other senses except for sight were sharper now. Or could Break be going deaf as well and wasn’t telling him that either? 

Either way, all that came out of him was a measured sentence, the only question that he needed confirmation on from the source himself. Head bowed in front of his mentor, he asked. “You really can’t see… Can you?”

Despite showing the best fighting Gilbert has seen from his teacher in a while, the sight of the older fiddling with the hairpins was quite pitisome. At this point, he was wondering if eyesight was truly the issue or just lack of skill in the hair department. 

Break thought of a million different ways to retort to that question. To tease Gilbert about barging into his room like that and to now be bent over him like so. He wanted to. He really did. But at the end of the day, he could not be more grateful to the person that saved him from committing an irreversible mistake. He lowered his hands from the back of his hair in defeat. In an unnaturally small voice, he confirmed the younger’s suspicion. “No.”

Break both heard and felt the sharp inhale that Gilbert took. It was so… desperate… as if a part of Gil hoped for the opposite answer. But there he was, disappointing his subordinate. 

At this point, Gil decided to look up into Break’s unseeing eye. It was so unnerving, because Break looked back at him, and for a moment, he thought he could see recognition and some sensory input, but no. The iris was unfocused, not looking him directly in the eye as one would in this close proximity. Break was just doing his best estimate to figure out where he should be looking. 

Gil let out a defeated sigh, seeing how there was nothing to be fighting here for. No bargaining nor anger will do him nor Break any good here. He took a long look at his mentor and the situation they were in. He was in Break’s room, effectively pinning him against his own dresser, a blind man, no less. How opportunistic of him… Granted, had he tried to do so earlier, it would have definitely ended with his being thrown out in the most creative ways Break could conjure at the time. Now though, all Break did was stand there, accepting fate for what it was. 

Gil leaned forward to look behind Break’s head at the mess that was created there after a whole evening, which also happened to include a fight. With his breath ghosting over Break’s ear, he asked quietly. “How did you even get them in there?”

With Gil this close, Break suddenly felt uneasy, a slight heat rushing through his body. They’ve never been this close before outside of training and fighting. There was something… intimate about this moment. Not only that, but Gil’s sudden change in tone. Going from angry to soft after Break’s confession really put him through some mental hoops. 

This close to Gilbert, he could smell the lingering scent of his cologne mixed with cigarette smoke. He tried not to inhale too deeply so as to not appear as if he was actively sniffing his student. Though, he dared say, the scent was pleasant to his taste. However, the warm breath on his ear… there was nothing he could have done to suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. In hopes that Gilbert wouldn’t notice, he answered his question. “Sharon…”

But Gilbert noticed. How could he not, being this close to someone, and being the one with eyesight. Break’s visible bodily reaction was very noticeable and Gil couldn’t help the smile that passed on his lips. He brought a hand up to hover over the back of Break’s hair, trying to find the best place to start with the hairpins

Break only continued to talk in an effort to disguise his growing comfort at being this close to another man. “She really likes all things dress up and hair, so naturally she was the one to--ahh…” 

Gilbert finally touched his hair, barely, but still noticeable enough to make Break lose his train of thought and gasp in awe over how nice the sensation felt. 

Gilbert pulled his hand back when he heard and felt the gasp. He only touched a few of the strands to see if they were a good beginning spot, but Break’s reaction made him hesitate. “Hm? What is it?”

“Nothing!” Break shook his head, embarrassed with himself at his own reaction. ‘What the fuck was that?!’ 

“Alright… you let me know if I’m hurting you, okay?” Gil reassured and went back to being infinitely close to Break. 

“Mhmm,” Break hummed his agreement and immediately fought back a low whimper once Gil’s hand actually fully immersed itself in his hair. What was this boy doing to him???

When Sharon played and fiddled with his hair, it didn’t feel like much. Just a necessity he had to sit through. But with Gilbert… the whole ordeal felt different. He was oh so aware of their proximity, but also there was something about knowing that Gil’s rough gun handling hands were doing the most miniature of tasks such as taking hairpins out of someone’s hair...

His mind swam. Maybe he should just call Sharon in here and get this over with, with no further complications to their relationship. Instead, he found himself gripping Gilbert’s forearm unconsciously, tilting his head in the direction of Gilbert’s head. What was wrong with him?

However, shortly after he realized he was holding onto Gil’s arm, Gil used that arm to return his hold on him. Recognizing this, Break’s thoughts shifted to, ‘what is wrong with him???’

Gil didn’t understand why Break suddenly decided to hold onto him, but he felt it would only be right to return the favour under the pretence that this way Break would hold still better and let him focus on his task. Or maybe he was hurting him, and Break was too proud to admit it, but instead transferred that pain into gripping him? This particular pin was a tad more tangled than the rest and he was really fumbling with it. Especially one handed, since he dared not let go of Break with his other hand. It was comforting in a sense, to them both, to be holding each other during this task.

Feeling Gil’s hand in his hair felt unlike any sensation he’s ever witnessed. No longer caring about why he was feeling this way, Break decided to just let himself get swept away in the soothing sensation of having someone fiddle with your hair. Since his hand was gripping Gil’s arm, he focused on how the muscle moved beneath the coat and skin. How firm and sturdy Gil felt in his hold. How strong his student has grown from the small and scared child he’d met a decade ago. 

He found that oddly comforting and unconsciously began leaning forward into Gil. He noticed that Gil pressed firmer into him as well, almost leaning his chest on his shoulder. ‘What is he doing…?’ 

Only being able to use one hand made the task more difficult, so with no other option, Gil decided to get his mouth involved. To do that though, he had to really lean into Break to be able to grasp the hairpin with his teeth. They could just change positions, but… somehow that felt like more work and he was comfortable enough as it was. Plus, he was practically already there. “Lean forward more, I can’t see…”

Break’s eye widened, and while he was dumbfounded, Gil used his hand to push his head into his shoulder. He gave a surprised gasp, his hand gripping Gilbert more earnestly now. His breathing picked up at being so intimately close to Gilbert, even closer than before, which is already the closest they’ve ever been. Now he was forced to inhale the scent of Gil’s coat, and to be practically embraced by his student. What a peculiar situation…

Now having a better visual on the back of Break’s head, Gil held onto the clump of messy hair with his hand and leaned in with his face to grasp the pin by his teeth. He felt Break stiffen underneath him and smirked to himself. This must be something new for his mentor as well. He had to admit, he rather liked this arrangement, for once putting Xerxes Break in an unfamiliar territory and watching him squirm as he was now. 

With the first pin successfully out of the white hair, he leaned back. Ideally, he’d have loved for Break to see him with his prize between his teeth, but alas, he will need to compensate. He pulled back slowly, talking lowly around the pin in his mouth, with his breath brushing right up against Break’s ear. “I got it…” 

Break bit his lower lip to fight back another involuntary whimper at both the sensation and action. ‘Did he just take it out with his teeth?’ He was able to deduce that much from the way Gil spoke, and how close he felt the younger’s face to the back of his head. He tried not to show his bafflement in his voice. “That one was really stuck in there, eh?”

Gil dropped the pin onto the dresser and leaned back in to get the other ones. “Mhmm,” he hummed. “The rest should be easier to get out.”

Break squeezed Gil’s arm when he felt Gil’s hand go back to touching his hair. “It’s okay, take your time…”

And so Gil did, take all the time in the world, slowly pulling out pin by pin, leaving Break to gasp, tremble and pant in his arms. After a few particularly gorgeous sounds from the older, Gil couldn’t help his own heart rate spiking, leaving him to breathe shallowly, which Break picked up on and played off of. They did not need to speak aloud to let their bodies talk for themselves. Especially when Gil’s hand would travel in between pins, just casually massaging gently the back of Break’s head. That bit in particular made Break lose composure and gasp louder than normal and grip Gil’s arm tighter. He even tried tilting his head back in pleasure a couple of times, but Gil just pushed his head right back against him, as that hindered the progress on getting the hairpins out. 

Another moment that made Break forget what was happening was when Gil would deliberately breathe against his ear hotly and sweetly. For no other reason, just because. Just because Break’s reactions likely fueled his own internal sensations, which he wasn’t hiding as well as he thought. Break could both feel and hear it. 

Particularly when Gil would get too close and actually faintly brush his lips against Break’s ear, making them each gasp in surprise, but carry on as if nothing happened. 

Soon enough, Break returned to looking more like himself with his scrunkly looking hair and the pile of bobby pins laid on the dresser beside them. Break wasn’t quite sure what to do now that that was over. As much as he enjoyed the moment, it was rather… peculiar, in the best sense of the word.

He still did not let go of Gil. Gil tried leaning back as soon as he was done, but Break kept a firm hold on him. Break’s next words surprised him. “This doesn’t have to mean anything, right?”

They just shared the most intimate moment of their lives with each other, gasping and trembling in each others’ holds without speaking a single word of it, the arousal running high between them, and Break was still holding onto him with an unyielding grip. 

Gil leaned back in to be eye level with Break again, face to face for the first time since he started pulling out the pins. “Just helping a blind man with his hairpins. Nothing more.” He whispered sweetly. 

He leaned in closer to Break’s face so that their noses would be barely touching and their lips hovering just over one another. Break was about to tilt his head to make their lips touch when Gil whispered reassuringly. “You can let go of me now…”.

Break hesitated for a split second, but did as was told. What a silly thing he did, holding onto Gilbert like that. He promptly released his grip and looked away, hand coming to hold the edge of the dresser he was still leaned back against. 

He expected this to be that, and for Gilbert to turn around and leave. That’s why despite Gil leaning away from his face, he was surprised to feel Gil caress the back of his head one last time, twirling a strand of his hair between his fingers before finally stepping away from him completely. 

With his unspoken message delivered, Gil walked out of the room quietly. If Break wanted more, he knew where to find him. 

[phmonth]

Pandora Hearts Month 2023 Prompts!

Wonderful art made by @retracexcviii for last year's secret Santa!

What is Pandora Hearts Month? Pandora Hearts Month is an event that celebrates, well...Pandora Hearts, the manga created by Jun Mochizuki! Each day is a new prompt. The first three weeks celebrate the three main trios, and the fourth is a bonus week that celebrates any ships/friendships/ot3s fans chose and love--or simply any characters not covered by the other weeks! You can create edits, fanart, drabbles, fanfictions, amvs and mms...whatever you can think of, really!

Pandora Hearts Month 2023 Prompts:

Golden Trio Week (Alice, Oz and Gilbert), October 22nd-28th:

Day 1, Sunday Oct 22nd: Coat

Day 2, Monday Oct 23rd: Autumn

Day 3, Tuesday Oct 24th: Precious

Day 4, Wednesday Oct 25th: Raven

Day 5, Thursday Oct 26th: AU

Day 6, Friday Oct 27th: Blue

Day 7, Saturday Oct 28th: Sun

Rainsworth Trio Week (Sharon, Break and Reim), Oct 29th—November 4th:

Day 1, Sunday Oct 29th: Silver

Day 2, Monday Oct 30th: Fragile

Day 3, Tuesday Oct 31st: 🎃 Candy 👻

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 1st: Affection

Day 5, Thursday Nov 2nd: Grave

Day 6, Friday Nov 3rd: Moon

Day 7, Saturday Nov 4th: Winter

Tragedy Trio Week (Lacie, Jack and Oswald), Nov 5th—Nov 11th:

Day 1, Sunday Nov 5th: King

Day 2, Monday Nov 6th: Lyrics

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 7th: Spring

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 8th: Gold

Day 5, Thursday Nov 9th: Guilt

Day 6, Friday Nov 10th: Pocketwatch

Day 7, Saturday Nov 11th: Stars

Fan’s choice Week, Nov 12th—November 18th:

Day 1, Sunday Nov 12th: Hat

Day 2, Monday Nov 13th: AU

Day 3, Tuesday Nov 14th: Meadow

Day 4, Wednesday Nov 15th: Rose

Day 5, Thursday Nov 16th: Lonely

Day 6, Friday Nov 17th: Contract

Day 7, Saturday Nov 18th: Book

(If you want to use other prompts to make a Halloweeny piece, feel free! You don't have to save that for Halloween day!)

When you post, please remember to:

Tag me @i-prefer-the-term-antihero, @phmonth, and/or @this-idiots-left-eye in your posts to make sure I reblog them! (My main blog is your best bet).

Tag #phmonth23 in your tags! I will go through that tag and check if I've missed any direct tags. (If you don't see your piece reblogged on this blog after doing both these methods, please dm me!)

Either put a link, or a “read more” on long fics (or long posts in general), so they're easier to reblog!

NSFW content is allowed, but please make sure it’s clear it’s NSFW/tagged that way, and is beneath a read more so anyone who doesn’t want to see it doesn’t have to!

I also made a collection on Ao3 for writers! Don't hesitate to add your fics to it!

Don’t forget to join our discord if you haven’t! It’s a fun place to discuss the series and more easily share your creations!

You are free to have fun with this!! As I said, as long as you tag it, NSFW is allowed! Tagging ships is nice too. You can pretty much do whatever you want with the prompts!

As long as you make sure the characters from the trio are your main focus, it’s okay to use other characters in your creations too!

You can join any time, and use as many or as few prompts as you want! You don't have to post on the exact day if you can’t make it! I’ll reblog things late!

Since we live across the world, you are free to post whenever the day is for you. I myself will be making posts according to my time, which is Central Standard Time in America. 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send an ask here, or post in the #questions channel of the discord!

P.S. About the Phmonth22 prizes:

Some of you may recall me posting about wanting to add a raffle aspect to Phmonth22, with the 15th anniversary merch as prizes. The prizes finally arrived!

Once the setup for Phmonth23 is done, I plan to gather up the names of everyone who posted for Phmonth22, and raffle off the two prizes: one for artists, and one for fic writers!

(Do note, however, that you will have to pay for shipping, especially if it needs to be sent internationally! )

Lastly, Vncmonth!

You guys voted to have a Vanitas no Carte month, like last year! Not sure when that'll be, I'm thinking January-February. I will work on that prompt list after the setup here is done as well!

Feel free to get started on making stuff early! (But please wait to post until the month has started!) I'm so excited to see what you make! Thank you for all your support!

i-prefer-the-term-antihero

[ayxi12wo]

I came up with a plot for a maxi break x rufus fic, I scribbled a couple of scenes in my notes, I also recorded everything on a dictaphone, then I drew it and I started crying. All this was accompanied by the songs of Maya Kotovskay and Fleür

I realized that in order to write this the way I want it to be, I need to read all the Old Testaments, the Gospel and the Koran + watch the analysis and actually understand

[aliflower88]

Royai Fanfic Recommendations:

I've posted this in parts before but since it's royai week I thought I'd do a complete fic rec list, enjoy!!

Delicate:

Summary: Riza's upbringing leaves her with scars.

  Most have already read this one since it's so popular, but if not it's a character study of Riza that spans from her early childhood to post-canon. It honestly gives so much more depth and meaning to Riza's character as well as her relationship with Roy.

 Our embalmed hearts, our desolate kingdoms

Summary: "He leans back, palms connecting with the concrete, and looks up over their city, their desolate kingdom. In the rain, Central City might as well be the ruins of Xerxes, empty and grey, and he and she may as well be the last two people on earth."

Or, Love in the Time of Giant Robots

   This fic is an Evangelion au and it absolutely destroyed me. The way the relationships between the characters are written is so complex and interesting. It’s a fantastic slow burn and story overall. (And it’s still really great even if you've never watched Eva.)

Dismantle the Sun

Summary: Dairut is a crossroads. A settlement on the border of Amestris and the Great Desert, a hub of Ishvalan and Xerxian history, it is a place caught between past regret and future hope.

In Central City, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye prepare to return to Ishval for the first time. In Resembool, Edward Elric navigates the complicated minutia of his personal life, but remains unable to shake the feeling that his work in Amestris is not yet finished. In Dairut, Miles and the new Muhaddith break ground on Al’Arshif, the sacred Archive, in the hope of restoring a sense of continuity to their long-suffering people.

Then archeologist Winnie Stokes uncovers an ancient relic in the desert. Then a mysterious cult called the Risen strip Captain Hawkeye from the Flame Alchemist’s side. Then something monstrous begins to stir in the mind of Selim Bradley. Five years after the Promised Day, Ed, Roy, and Miles must face an evil of apocalyptic scale, before it destroys everything they’ve worked for, and everyone they hold dear.

Dairut is a crossroads. But Dairut is also the end of the line. Things are changing in Amestris, and not everyone will survive.

   My all-time favourite post-canon fic! It has stunning writing and a super well-thought-out plot. It's so much more than royai and even if that is all you're looking for I still urge you to read this incredible story.

The Amestrian Candidate:

Summary: General Roy Mustang—charming, intelligent, heroic—is predicted to be the next Fuhrer of Amestris. But a series of acts of terrorism drive the General into a ruthless race against a magnetic opponent. Mustang and his team scramble to salvage a campaign in the face of rising nationalism, scandal, and international tension. If they succeed, they can save an infant democracy from collapse. Mustang must consider what and whom he is willing to sacrifice, and he must ask himself the most difficult question of his life: can one be a good politician and a good man?

  This fic has an intriguing plot and painfully realistic post-canon politics. I always have preferred romance within a larger plot and this story executes that perfectly.

Homefront:

Summary: Miss Riza's arrival in Resembool has the potential to ruin everything.

  Riza becomes Ed and Al’s caretaker after their mother passes. This fic is wonderful, it feels historically accurate which is great and if you are a fan of parental Riza then you'll definitely enjoy this.

We That Are Young:

Summary: It's a well-known fact that innocents make poor soldiers. Fortunately, Riza Hawkeye's childhood was not entirely innocent. She had to grow up fast... though she wasn't the only one. The early years of the Colonel and his First Lieutenant.

  I believe this was written before Brotherhood so there are a few discrepancies between this and canon but it's definitely still worth the read. The fic details Roy and Riza’s life from ages 3 and 8 to 13 and 17. And is a wonderful coming-of-age story though upsetting at times. 

Beautiful People 

Summary: Soon after the conclusion of the Ishvalan Civil War, Captain Maes Hughes receives a phone call in the middle of the night. The message is short, concise... and perhaps the most terrifying thing Hughes has ever heard.

Hawkeye's apartment. Now. Come alone. Someone has been hurt.

A promise was once made amidst the sands of a distant desert land: oaths will be upheld, and secrets will be scorched away. The sinful had waited too long; Roy Mustang was indebted to his promise, and Riza Hawkeye had come to collect.

  This is probably my favourite depiction of Roy burning Riza's back that I've read. It's super intense and vivid, I really loved it!! 

Baby Your a Haunted House: 

Summary: Riza Hawkeye, aged 11, knows two things:

1. Roy Mustang is a useless city-kid

2. There's a haint in the woods

Roy Mustang, aged 15, knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's no such thing as ghosts.

  This fic has excellent writing and a wonderfully creepy atmosphere. I've re-read it many, many times. (also I adore feral young Riza and this definitely delivers on that.)

When Thou Shalt Come To Judge the World By Fire

Summary: Roy was silent, unable to answer. Hughes was right. There hadn’t been any other girl for him, not really. Something about her. Something about Riza Hawkeye that made her so much more than a memory.

Hughes leaned against the bar, shadows lengthening on his face. “So, what was it? What ruined dating? A regret, or a promise?”

   Pre-canon royai with absolutely gorgeous writing! I adore the depiction of each period in their lives from the time they spent with Berthold to Ishval to before Ed and Al. It's all done perfectly. 

Order 3066

Summary: Everyone who returned from Ishval changed, and Riza Hawkeye was no different. She caused more deaths than any other person - not only with her own hands but also with the weapon she unleashed upon the world. No one could return from a massacre like that the way they were before.

  This fic is a really good exploration of Roy and Riza's time in Ishval. The characterization is great and their descent into war criminals is very well done.

Atlas

Summary: After six years apart, intelligence agent Roy Mustang attempts to rebuild his relationship with a former partner. But when past and present intertwine, their reunion triggers one of life's most difficult decisions: duty or family.

  The dual timeline of younger royai and older royal in this au is super interesting. This fic is exciting, heartwarming and a really well-crafted story.

Not All of Me Will End:

Summary: Nothing remains of her but what must be left behind.

  In this fic, Riza gets cancer and passes away. I rarely feel sad when reading or watching emotional things but this made me cry. It's beautifully written and made in a way that feels so personal, as though Riza was a real person. It’s a difficult read but ends on a relatively hopeful note.

The Lathe of Hell

Summary: 1908 • Ishval

An uneasy ceasefire grips the ruins of Ishval, but near the medical station at Daliha, Amestrian soldiers are dying. Desperate to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the 27th Infantry Division sends Riza Hawkeye and Solf J. Kimblee to smoke the assassin out.

But Roy Mustang suspects Kimblee's aim isn't the death of one rogue Ishvalan.

For Hawkeye has a secret, one the Crimson Alchemist hungers for... a power forged in fire.

This is one of the two great labyrinths into which human minds are drawn: the question of duty versus predestination...

There is an old story... perhaps you've heard of it. A man falls asleep and loses his way on the journey through life. He encounters a poet and the two begin a series of travels through Hell where they witness the many punishments for those who disobeyed God during their lives.

   I adore Kimblee in this fic. I know this list is about royai but seeing him interact with them is super interesting. 

Ex Tempore 

Summary: Riza Hawkeye comes into the possession of a family heirloom upon her grandfather's final words: "Keep him safe." Confused and grief-stricken, Riza finds herself pulled in time to Prohibition Era New York, recovering from a gang-related firefight under the care of Dr. Roy Mustang, a reluctant member of the Hughes-Mustang crime family and a self-proclaimed guardian to two boys by the names of Edward and Alphonse.

    This is a 1920s mafia/time travel au, it has such a fun premise that is executed really really well.

Here Dead We Lie

  Following a disastrous operation in Aerugo, Colonel Mustang wakes from a coma to discover his world has fallen apart. Under the shadow of the state, he tries to find impossible answers before it is too late.

   I don't have much to say about this one except that it's very good and has a brilliant story but is also very very dark so be warned before starting this fic. If angst is your thing though definitely check it out!

[nekonom26]

In a futile attempt to escape from my stress, i decide to reread an old manga: Pandora heart. (It's from the same author of the case study of Vanitas, the magnificent Mochizuki Jun.) That series have been a faithful companion in my teen and i really love it.

All of this to say, i rediscover one of my favorite ship:

xerxes break x reim lunette

I'm rereading all the fanfiction that exist about them. I finding again the fanfic that i loved once and falling in love with them again.

I'm giggling so hard and my happiness level is going through the roof.

So moral of the story, reread, rewatch old thing that had bring you joy in the past to kick your stress's ass.

[utaoutauhito]

tagged by @stierhai and @clockworkspider

Rules:  Share the first line of ten of your most recent fanfics and then tag ten people. Don't have ten? Not to worry, just share what you have.

for most of them I took “first line” to mean “first sentence,” but I put the whole first line of dialogue for 7 because it felt weird to just put the first sentence. what I learned from this is a lot of my first sentences feel like absolutely nothing out of context though so maybe I really should have just left it at two words lol

1.  Xerxes woke up in the middle of the night. (coal mine - Reim/Break)

2.  Nero lived an unremarkable, unmemorable life. (runoff - Nero/Bradley)

3.  Some say that the Monkey King was born from the union of a celestial mountain and the heavens. (A Thousand Steps - Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang)

4.  It took hours of arguing with Seteth to let Flayn go on the group camping trip, and hours longer to get him to let her have her own tent, but in the end he finally agreed—on the condition that his own tent was set up right next to hers. (Masters of Stealth - Claude/Flayn)

5.  The mist-blanketed mountain peaks of Gusu were home to a powerful, but reclusive guardian. (Renewal - Jin Guangyao/Lan Xichen)

6.  After months of grueling work and research (during which Nie Huaisang had come to the conclusion that programmers seemed to all be the most obnoxious and frustrating people on the planet), he was finally putting the final touches into place. (waifu for laifu (and beyond) - Jin Guangyao/Nie Huaisang)

7.  "C'mon, Daozhang. I hear your school takes in people from all backgrounds. Shouldn't you welcome an orphan delinquent like me with open arms?" (no title - Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang)

8.  Before his mother passed away, Meng Yao once planned on becoming a doctor. (The Curious Case of a Satisfied Cat - Meng Yao/Su She)

9.  After his promise to bring Nie Mingjue Xue Yang’s head, Jin Guangyao sometimes sits two seats away to play the guqin. (Murk Song - Jin Guangyao/Nie Mingjue)

10.  Around his mid-teens, Rath went through one good growth spurt that put him above most adults, and then never grew again. (go home - Rath/Wil)

interesting that the majority of these have some kind of indicator of time or timeframe, I’ve never noticed I did that before. (as an aside, I updated go home in the midst of my mdzs fic phase, but the first chapter and thus the first line quoted here was written several years prior... so I guess I’ve been doing this for a long time...)

I’m not going to tag anyone because I use tumblr so infrequently I don’t even remember people’s tumblrs. if you see this I tag you

[archerinspace]

Meeting In-laws [Brikila fanfic]

I haven’t written fanfic in five thousand years but here’s the product of absolute brainrot.

Context: They are now about 20/21 yrs old and this is basically a good end where they actually find out how to activate the tablets and set everything right again and Cleo has gone home to her proper time/place. Brian and Akila have now put time into actually working out a romantic relationship though they’re still kind of nervous about it.

A vevosian, cyborg and one of the last xerx bots, at least in body, stood at the door of a yellow orange house covered in vines and other vegetation. It was connected to the Savior Institute, a place run by Theoda and Pothena Theoris. Surrounding it were more giant plants and behind it a forest known to be filled with Brian's worst nightmare so he didn't even dare turn around to think about it. 

The doorbell rang to the Theoris household as the two mothers were greeted with their daughter, her now serious boyfriend Brian and their beloved robot son. Akila had somehow convinced said boyfriend to not wear such formal clothes and helped him pick out some more casual ones for everyday instead of wearing a lab coat all the time. He had compromised on a blue sweater properly adapted to still access his back panels and more common clothes like it. He still wore shorts, and shoes much similar to those he had before. Other compromises included a thin long sleeved shirt and hoodie over it to keep his arms covered. Akila herself was in more casual clothes similar to her uniform with leggings and a short sleeved dress like shirt. Her hair was a bit shorter but still fluffy and put up in a large ponytail. Only Brian and Eyeball could really describe the twenty minutes it took to calm her down and convince her everyday clothes were fine to meet her parents in, her cyborg partner reminding her of how overdressed she was for their first date. Naturally that earned him a good angry pout he honestly didn't take seriously finding her more adorable than threatening. In that moment she swore she saw his face display a minute look of admiration. 

Brian had met Akila's parent's before over finter break multiple times when he was 'invited' and not allowed to stay at P.Y.R.A.M.I.D. They were fond of having both him and Cleo stay for the celebrations. It came at the cost of both hearing Akila's nickname "Kiki" and seeing her various baby pictures but that was small compared to what they faced now. The first time was most memorable as both of the fish girl's parents were enthusiastic about her bringing a new friend and gladly shared everything to almost an absurd degree. The Savior Institute they ran equally fascinated Brian and he enjoyed hearing about everything. Over the week the three had an enjoyable time just having some time off and not worrying about any problems. 

Years later, after the galaxy had been saved it was no different. Brian was welcomed with open arms and offered everything they had in terms of hospitality. The only difference this time was now he was unexpectedly accepted not as a family friend but as a potential family member. 

Over time the two had helped win a war and come to realize once it was all over they had time to fully act on their feelings and it showed not only through their constant ability to work well together but obvious signs that affection was no problem at least when they didn't think about it. At this point they had been openly dating for some time and more openly very parental over their adopted robot son Eyeball. He was now about equivalent to being 7-10 and enjoyed seeing what was also essentially his family and taught vevosian ways as well. Him and Brian learned both for Akila's sake and it only made sense the potential in-law understood his partner's world. The in-laws in question, much like Akila when first acting on her feelings, jumped in with no questions about accepting the cyborg as part of their little family. He was practically family already being a close friend but now it would be documented the last of the Bell family would be accepted by the Theoris household.

Immediately the three were greeted with big hugs and ten times more doting than usual. "Brian! Welcome! Welcome! We're so glad to have you join us and the family!" Theoda wasted no time in addressing the relationship and supporting it wholeheartedly. "Out of all her achievements, saving the galaxy and finding you are the best!" The tight hug lasted a bit too long and immediate mention successfully embarrassed the cyborg. 'Kiki' was equally embarrassed as Pothena hugged her and continued the praise. "Kiki! We're so glad you're back and with company. Your little family is so precious!" Eyeball’s parents shared a look of knowing and relief that Cleo wasn’t here to add to all of this. 

It seemed to run in the family to assume everything was seriously set in stone despite the two galaxy saviors barely coming to terms on how to communicate and compromise as a couple. Now they were being assumed engaged, not that either were against the idea but they weren't ready for that. Eyeball immediately hugged all four of them a little too tightly with a smile on his face. Pothena chuckled, patting his broad chest. "You've grown! And you're strong as ever!" She praised despite the fact his body had not changed but was appropriately updated and maintained by Brian to keep up with natural aging. 

Once they were set down, Brian's in-laws regrouped next to each other and waved their hands to motion the three to the living room. They were followed by the young parents and their robot child, taking a seat. Pothena left for the kitchen as the rest sat and waited. "We can't wait to get back home once it's rebuilt properly. Won't you be glad to see home again Kiki? You two can set up there too if you want!" Theoda looked towards her daughter with a smile that was equally shared. A nod was given in response along with a light blush, "Not that I don't like Chios, but I'll be glad to live where I grew up again! And we can show Eyeball everything! It won't be entirely the same but it'll be new and not taken over by a tyrannical bad guy!" The robot who had taken a seat and looked towards his mother. "This isn't your real home momma?" He was aware of the situation and heard 'the blight' mentioned a few times neither parent had explained to him yet the full extent of what had truly happened and how many planets were taken over.

"No, Octavian took over Vevosan and we had to move here, along with the Savior Institute. Then my moms could study it and soon we could save the galaxy and move back home." She furrowed her brow trying to remember if this had been told before but since Eyeball's creation she had put so much effort into explaining things so simply and not giving him dire information at such a young age. The only danger he experienced was when things got really bad and everyone had truly banded together just to survive. "You'll learn all that soon enough, right now we're here to enjoy the holiday."

“It looks like you took care of the galaxy while we stood around trying to translate a bunch of old pictures.” Theoda joked. 

“Well it wasn’t just us, it was everyone at the academy.” Brian softly responded. The two looked away nervously. Everyone at P.Y.R.A.M.I.D deserved the praise, not just the two that happened to befriend Cleopatra. Both even praised their frenemy Callie for having expert commanding skills and now training under her mother to become the next top general. They would be working alongside her when they returned to start new positions of tech study and linguistics and history. 

Brian softly chuckled under his breath, "At least you'll have a home to go to, I couldn't imagine returning to mine." The cyborg after a few visits had trusted them to open up and explain his lack of a proper home until being accepted into PYRAMID and being then raised by basically the school and a cat deemed too insane he was temporarily sent to an ice planet. "Well you'll just have to make Vevosan your home! A home doesn't have to be where you came from, but where you feel safe." Pothena returned with a tray of cups filled with hot chundridge. His pupils expanded to a round shape for a second, causing Akila to find it a bit amusing. She was glad to see him so welcomed that they remembered his favorite food.

"You included his favorite food too?" She gestured to Brian, softly laughing. Her parents answered warmly, "Of course dear, we couldn't leave out what he liked. You must be a bit hungry after such long travel anyways." Theoda grabbed a cup for herself. "Dinner will be later with all your favorites, after some scrapbooking and organizing receipts!"

Eyeball had been part of these activities before, softly clapping his hands in excitement. "Time for scrapbooking! I can show you all the new pictures! Momma and Momma-daddy showed me all kinds of new things we can travel to now. And you can see my friends!" The robot's favorite activity was more than clear as he now had a lot of new photos to add to the ever growing collection of enjoying time with his parents and other peers of his age range.

That earned a chuckle from Brian as he finished his soup. "We do have time now to enjoy more things, and now our scrapbooks will be filled with alot more fun pictures." The cyborg smiled. "Receipts remind me of lab inventory. I enjoy the numbers but a few people have taught me that living life can also happen outside of a lab."

"Brian, no work talk. We haven’t even started! We’re here to relax first." His partner interrupted.

A smug cat smile came across his face, "Interesting words coming from someone who was in every social group she could join. Besides, one of my achievements is fixing this big boy's processors to run smoother." The robot's head was patted once or twice as his father teasingly baby talked. In return the robot looked a bit grumpy and swayed a little. "DAAAAAAD, I'm not five!"

"They're running great, buddy!" More pats were given and the robot's protests ignored as it only further caused more grumpiness. Brian was rather proud of how well he kept his son maintained and how fast he learned things on his own. His grandmothers smiled watching this happen. "We should get on with it then, I'll get everything we need. You three wait here." With that both left the room and quickly returned with all of them. Brian and Akila scooted closer to the table that had been cleared and started working on organizing and decorating photos. Eyeball did as well starting on a few of his own. As they did so, everyone chatted about things and caught up until it was dinner time. Much to Akila's joy and fear Brian had passed on his love of Mistress Punchfire which led to Eyeball talking for quite some time about his favorite issues, panels and decorating a few pages with appropriate stickers and cards given to him by Brian.

The conversation at dinner quickly changed from everyday  life to touchier subjects. Immediately they were very open about the idea of Brian already being part of the family again, "It took you long enough to say anything, though I don't blame you that Octavian was important to get rid of first." Pothena started. This caused the cyborg to choke for a second as it caught him off guard. It had been some months since it was all over and everyone at P.Y.R.A.M.I.D witnessed Brian making a giant romantic gesture out of excitement.

In the moment he used all his strength to pick up his longtime crush by the waist and with visibly large round pupils only seen when he was truly happy asked "Now can we go on that planetarium date?" She returned his affection with an immediate kiss that caused him to step back a bit to stop from stumbling from surprise before responding "We'll need to find a babysitter." Her own fins visibly tinted slightly red. Around them everyone cheered and after a moment surrounded them to celebrate everyone's freedom including the freedom to finally enjoy life. Zaid grabbed both of their shoulders, chuckling. "It's about time you asked that."

The cyborg visibly and audibly blushed at the sudden mention, remembering that moment and their first actual mature date like it was yesterday. It was one of the things he cherished and backed up in every way possible. "It was hard to--it really is easier now to--we have known each other for a while--" He stammered, failing to make any coherent sentence let alone respond with composure. A blue hand was placed over his in reassurance as she answered "What he means is, it had to be the right time." Akila also remembered that moment and the more it was on her mind, the more it was apparent by red tinted fins. Pothena continued, "It really is adorable, you two are already usually holding hands half the time." She pointed to them, "I think that's an excellent sign."

The two looked at their hands and then at each other lovingly and a bit nervously. It was true they liked each other's company and as Cleo once said 'lost track of everything half the time' when focused on something together. Their daughter had the confidence to speak up first. "Mom, it's only been a short time and we're just taking our time to finally understand this better. We already work well together anyways, this isn't any different. Well it kind of is but it's basically the same." Brian kept his mouth shut by eating, while also trying to hide in his own collar from the topic at hand.

Her mothers only nodded in unison, softly chuckling at his reaction. "You're new to this but working together well is a headstart! Now you have to work together on being a couple!" Theoda praised. They meant well but it was very sudden to both to be assumed and treated as if there was a ring given. Brian regained some courage to speak as he still had a lot of anxiety especially in confrontations. While Cleo made him a little braver it didn't change that he was a shut in half the time. "I don't think that will be an issue, we've been through worse and was top of the class in most every subject including diplomacy and compromise." His head turned to Akila who had squeezed his hand a little, a small look of admiration on her face knowing that in his worry had turned to something assured like his own knowledge. In turn it helped him a little, by now knowing as odd as he was to others she appreciated every bit of it.

Dinner continued like this, the experienced couple doting on the new one with no end. Stammering continued, Akila thought her implied husband was going to lose his own head at some point before it was over. Every answer was met with understanding though and as smothering as both were it was well intentioned. Both saw the sometimes literal sparkle in each other's eyes when together or talking about the other. During scrapbooking, it seemed one of Brian's favorite things to highlight was his little family including Dr. Queed.

The rest of the week was about the same as previous holidays, everyone had a wonderful time. After the first day they made themselves more at home. Nobody said anything but it was more than noticed Brian had warmed up to them by forgetting his insecurities of covering up his arms. Cleo and Akila were somewhat used to it  as he trusted them with no doubt but in secret the two mothers shared some excitement that the cyborg was more comfortable even in their home away from home. 

After a week of being smothered morning, noon, and night it was time to return. It was enough to leave everyone with the similar feeling of not wanting to go back. Goodbyes were tearful and hugs were twice as long as they should’ve been. Akila and Eyeball were packing up final luggage bags outside while Brian made sure nothing was left behind. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned only his head around to see, turning around properly when he saw it was Theoda and Pothena. "Ma'am, is there something you need?" He asked very politely.

"There is, Brian." Theoda took her wife's hand. "You truly make Kiki happy and that's all we want for her. We apologize if it was awkward but if you ever want to ask, you have our complete approval." Confusion was on his face for a second before realizing what they were talking about. Before he could shrink into his collar again both embraced him a bit calmer than usual for a short hug. "Thank you Ms. and Ms. Theoris--I don't think that'll be happening yet, I have considered--not right now though because--" His stammering was cut off by Pothena.

"The only thing you need to worry about is that you'll see us next year. You might have lost a home but ours will always be open, and our family too."

"Thank you, ma'am." His pupils once again momentarily changed from their usual rectangles to round with some shine. They could see why Akila found it so endearing. 

Akila opened the front door to announce their departure. "C'mon Brian! Khensu is going to start orientation without us, and your dad said something about immediately training you. He has a gift for you too! Love you moms!"

Trying to hold back even holographic tears he promised, "We will come back again, hopefully most will be rebuilt by then and Eyeball and I could finally see her proper home." Brian followed her outside excitedly chatting about their new lives. The two women watched their daughter and future son in-law leave for Mayet to prepare for very successful and important roles in education.

[antihero-writings]

Black and White and Red All Over—Pandora Hearts Fic for Halloween 2019

Title: Black and White and Red All Over 

Summary: She's heard stories of a ghost, a knife, and the color red. She never quite believed them.

He wishes he could forget them.

Character Focus: Xerxes Break | Kevin Regnard 

Fic Preview:

She can hear her own breath. A tattered, panicked, rasping, gasping. Each inhale clawing at the air as if it were a rope. Each exhale another string in the rope fraying. Her throat burning as her lungs try to hold onto the air slipping through.

Red.

She had heard stories about the color red. Old wives’ tales? Maybe. Close enough to the town called truth or miles away from it? Too soon to tell.

A ghost. A black cloak smattered in red. A moon-struck blade. A moon-struck man. A lunatic.

(Or perhaps he was too sane.)

Some specter of a time-gone-wrong. Half alive. Half in the grave. The abyss gnawing at his heart with an incessant ticking.

Alive enough to kill.

Dead enough to not care.

A demon. A hellish thing with its strings around his soul. Allowed in because of some ugly truth and some pretty lies. A chain, one end around his wrist, the other in the abyss.

And the color red.

Red on his clothes. Red on his knife.

Red in his eyes.

Not just a metaphor for a clouded purpose.

Eyes really and truly red. Like in a fantasy world. Like a dream. Like a nightmare. A human, with eyes the color of roses, and just as thorny. As if all that death coalesced into his gaze and made them shine with the fire of hell.

You’d see nothing but the color, until all the red inside you was on the pavement.

She’d heard the stories of the Red-Eyed Specter.

Heard.

Believed?

Not enough. Not enough to make her cower in her room at night. Not enough to scare her into rushing home as fast as she could when the sun went down.

She had a family, you know.

But belief is an obstinate thing. Doesn’t like to be told what to do. Even when what it’s being told to do is get out of the road because there’s a train coming.

Her feet, her side, barked at her with sharp stings. But she couldn’t listen to their demands.

Because those red eyes were right behind her.

Or at least she had to assume so, because guessing any less, because hesitating, turning around to check, could result in the red in her fleeing her body as if her skin were a cage, black overtaking her world, and her universe going white.

She had seen them though. Those eyes. Her heart assured her with every frantic beat it was certain.

First that feeling; her brain told her she was alone, the hair on the back of her neck said otherwise. An alleyway to the right, one she walked by everyday, and never held anything more than trash and a few stray cats. But the chills chasing each other down her spine chittered that today that was not all. Her heart sped up to the tune Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look.

She looked.

And there they were, like they’d been there all along, and just wanted to say Good evening, nice to meet you. I’m the Red-Eyed Ghost, you may have heard of me. And you, my dear, are my prey. Two red eyes, two pins aimed at her own eyes.

And she had run. There was no other choice. No other salesman provided the option of surviving till the morning.

“My, you’re in quite a rush.”

And she hesitated.

*****

You can read the full story here on Ao3, here on ff.net, or here on tumblr! 

[lucy-ashton]

Lacrimosa Dies Illa

@Lucy Ashton

Genre: Romance, Drama

Fandom: Pandora Hearts

Language: English (French also available, ask me for the link or browse through my works)

Summary: A retrospective on Sharon and Reim's wedding. Or how Sharon would have clearly preferred to marry Break.

Triggers: N/A

Status: Complete

Chapters: 1 (+ bonus chapter - Prompt)

Words: 1,952

Read on AO3

[kittensgifs]

“Look, I know that...this is hard for you. Mother told me about what you said, but you need to get your act together otherwise you’ll just waste away.”

“...And what’s wrong with that?..I failed. I don’t deserve to be alive. I should be dead along with the rest of them. Once Pandora finds out I’m here, they’ll kill me before I can even get better. Besides, no good comes from helping a child of misfortune.”

“...Is that how you see yourself? Just a child of misfortune, someone so unfortunate that you won’t even try to live?” - Loss and Gain chapter 2

[lana7779]

Excerpt from the chapter that inspired this:

“What colour suit would you want to wear? Black or white?” Gil’s heart began racing suddenly, unable to believe they were actually having this conversation about wedding planning. Their wedding! 

With their hair being polar opposite of each other, he wasn’t sure if they should wear suits to match their hair, or swap the colours to be more symbolic. That’s why he wanted his partner's input into this so he could feed his imagination some more. The answer, however, threw him for a loop. 

“Purple!” 

“Purple!?” Gil’s eyes widened, all his previous preconceptions about weddings shattering as he tried to imagine a purple dressed groom. 

Break chuckled, getting an absolute kick out of flustering Gilbert. “Gil, I can practically see all the gears turning in your pretty head,” he made a point to massage the scalp extra firmly with the words. “How about a purple so dark it’s almost black, and you can take the white suit then? I think you’d look marvelous in white to contrast what you usually wear.”

Gil relaxed into the hand massaging his head, shifting his imagination from a bright purple suit he initially had in mind, to a more toned down darker one while he opted for the white one, (already picturing all the places in which he could add black bits to). Yes, they would indeed look marvelous together like that. “I like that…” He hummed, relaxing his eyes. “I like that very much…” 

[serenevenene]

Think of the Devil

Xerxes Break x Fem!Reader

DNI if you are a MINOR or TRIGGERED BY DARK CONTENT

Kinktober – Day 27

You wanted his honesty.

Foot play, caning, sadism (?), impact play, lots of lead up, ass slapping

There was something about Xerxes Break that always caught your intrigue.  The mystery that Xerxes occupied your mind more and more lately, and even now, as you were standing against the balcony’s railing, admiring the night sky and the cool breeze that came with it, your thoughts were on him.  

“Do you often spend your nights looking up at the moon, my lady?” a voice broke through the silence.

If you were surprised, you didn’t show it.  You turned to your left, eyes meeting those familiar crimson ones.

‘Think of the devil, I guess,’ you thought.

You turned back to face the moon before responding.  “I do. It calms me down before going to bed. You adjusted the shawl wrapped around your shoulders, suddenly very aware that you were in your nightgown.  

“I prefer a hot cup of tea,” Xerxes said, now right next to you.  He also leaned against the railing and looked up at the moon.  “I suppose it does look nice.”

You looked at him from the corner of your eye.  He was smirking. It was in that moment that you realized it was that smile of his that occupied your thoughts constantly.  It wasn’t a particularly warm or bright smile, but perhaps that was it’s draw.  The smile was definitely faked…or rather…forced. It was like he was concealing some dark, depressing secret.  

“Why do you do that?” you heard yourself asking.  

“Hmm?” Xerxes turned to face you with a grin, “Do what?”

“That.  Smile like that.”

“You don’t like my smile?”

You weren’t sure how to proceed with the conversation.  Nonetheless, you said, “You…Even when you’re smiling, you look sad.  It’s like you’re hiding something or holding something back.”

You watched as the grin on his face disappeared.  The sadness around his eyes was more apparent now, but at least he was being more honest.

“One could say that my life has been a struggle,” Xerxes replied, eventually. He looked down at the gardens below, his hair covering his face from your keen eyes.  

You weren’t sure what came over you, but you wanted to comfort Xerxes.  You leaned your shoulder against his, keeping your gaze on the moon. “You know…I like seeing this side of you.  It’s more honest.”

A cool gust of wind blew by, making you shiver. You leaned against him some more, wanting his body heat. “But I kinda…want to be the only who sees this side of you.”

It was at those words that he raised his brow at you.  “If you want my honesty, I’ll give it to you,” he said before he planted his lips on yours.

You nearly jumped in surprise, but his arms already snaked around your back and held you in place. You assessed his face.  His eyes were closed, but like he promised, the expression on his face seemed sincere. You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to sink into his touch.

Xerxes regretfully pulled away, his nose still grazing yours.  “We should stop here.”

You scoffed, pulling at his collar, “No, we shouldn’t.”

Xerxes sat on your bed, stripped and back against the headboard.  You were sitting across from him, admiring how much he was struggling to not cum on your foot.  You continued to torment him, dragging your foot up and down on the backside of his cock. His head leaned back on the headboard. He was gasping for air.  He was close.

“That’s the most honest expression you’ve shown me so far,” you smirked as he squirted his hot stuff all over your toes and his abdomen.  

You removed your foot, wiping your toes on the bed covers as you leaned over him to peck kisses on his clavicle before pressing your lips on his.  He maneuvered you so that he was behind you while you were on all fours. He leaned against your back, snaking his arms around your torso to grip your breasts before whispering, “It’s my turn to take charge.”

“Do it to me,” you said looking back at him, excitement welling deep inside of you.  An idea manifested in your mind, “Actually…can you use your cane?”

Xerxes cocked his brow at you, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.  “I’m glad you asked.”

Xerxes took his cane from it’s position next to the bed.  He gently groped your ass before raising the cane up, preparing himself to strike you with it.  “Are you sure?” he asked.

“I can take it,” you said, licking your lips.  He swung at you, the impact making an audible noise upon impact. Your body jolted at the pain.  “Fuck.”

“Did it hurt too much?”

“No, it’s fine. I want to see bruises in the morning,” you answered.  You heard him chuckle behind you before you felt another impact.  Your pussy convulsed.  “Put your dick inside me…”

Xerxes pumped himself a few times while you used your finger to pull your labia apart to welcome him into your entrance.  He pushed himself into you.  “You’re really wet…my lady.”

“Hit me again, and I’ll get wetter.”

Xerxes felt you tighten around him as his cane descended on your ass once again. You gasped, loving the pain.  He started thrusting, his pace steady.  You matched his rhythm, rolling your hips back and forth against his stiff member. As much as you wanted him to be more honest with you, you were grateful that he couldn’t see your face, jaw slackened and basking in the pleasure.

Xerxes was enjoying the horizontal marks his cane was making on your skin.  Your skin was puffing where the marks were.  He let go of his cane to grab your hips as he fucked you harder, reaching a place deeper than he was before.  The sensation sent shivers up your spine and your arms collapsed from under you.  You gripped the sheets as he slapped your ass.

“Oh my fucking—,” you moaned into the sheets.  You were close.  You were so close.  You arched your back, lifting your head from the bed.  “Fuck me harder!”

Xerxes felt you tighten around him and he picked up the pace.  Your moans filled his ears, feeding the fire that was his lust for you.  He picked up the cane again and struck you once last time.  He enjoyed how your body convulsed under him, how your pussy quivered around his dick as you orgasmed.  He groaned as he shot his thick, hot cum into you, his hips bucking wildly.  

You turned your head to look at his face.  His eyes were closed as he came inside, his mouth open and his brows raised.  This silvery-white hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.  This face was a face only you knew, and would know.  It was definitely progress.

Reblogging is fine, but do not repost on Tumblr or any other platform without permission.

Tags: @mintyrae

[ayxi12wo]

сама придумала сама уревелась

[curekibouka-writing]

Down the Aisle (Pandora Hearts one-shot fanfic)

Summary: If her life were a romance novel, what an equivocal tale it was. She remarked, then she pronounced, “I do.” (spoilers for the end of the manga)

A/N: For Pandoratober 2021 day 3 by @phmonth2021 ! The prompt is Vow.

*This fic is also on Ao3, FF.net and Quotev

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The entrancing fragrance of roses and calla lilies from her bouquet graced the room, a fragrance befitting the flowers known for love and innocence. 

And yet it did not serve to soothe her nervousness. 

Sharon averted her eyes from the flowers and scrutinised herself in the mirror, her reflection slightly shrouded by her veil. 

She was getting married. Today. Soon. It was important. It was the most important event in her life. It needed to be perfect. It—

Knocks to remind her of the time. 

Taking a deep breath, she assured herself that she was ready as she rose from her seat in the dressing room and — apprehensively — approached the doors to the hall. In a few minutes, those doors shall open for her to embark on a new chapter in her life. 

‘My lady.’ 

Aah. How that voice soothed her, every bit as sweet as the fragrance of flowers, perhaps even more so with the constant smell of caramel accompanying him. 

There was no need for reasons. He was there and she was elated. 

Standing beside her, her knight, her brother, her escort when she would proceed to the altar. He questioned, ‘Is it really alright for me to escort you instead of your grandmother?’

“Of course,” she answered, “You are my Xerx-niisan after all.”

She had been waiting, having faith that he would show up. He had never betrayed her trust before. 

She checked her reflection in a glass window. She made the effort to smooth out the tiniest creases on her dress, to tidy up the one strand of stray hair, to make sure that nothing was even a millimetre out of place. 

She turned around following his chuckle, looking at him eye-to-eye, and was reminded that the difference between their heights was no longer so drastic. 

‘Do rest assured, my lady, you look perfectly beautiful,’ he said before she asked anything. 

“You cannot see.” 

‘I can tell even without sight.’ At that, he reached out to stroke her hair like he had done oh so long ago, only to draw back, remembering that she was wearing a wedding veil. 

From the sound of fabric shifting, he could tell that she lifted her veil for him. He frowned slightly, ‘My lady, that…’ 

“Will bring bad luck? Will render me vulnerable to evil spirits? Blast those superstitions. Who was it that told me no such things exists when I was afraid to traverse the dimly-lit corridors at night all those years ago?” she was the one doing the teasing for once. 

“Besides,” she guided his hand to her cheek and suppressed a giggle when he discovered that she was taller than he remembered, “I know you are here to protect me from any schemes those evil spirits might have, my knight.”

‘My lady…’ he caressed her forehead to her eyelids, to the tip of her nose and the bottom of her lips, ‘Aah, how I wish to see. Certainly you aged as beautifully as your mother, more so perhaps?’

“You will be faced with mother’s harisen when you return,” she chuckled, flawlessly concealing her disappointment and envy. She had grown, she was an adult, a woman, and yet his tone, his voice, his countenance were all different from the sneaky glances she had stolen at the two of them as a child. 

But it was fine. He was not her partner. Not today. Not in life. And she was not supposed to have these kinds of thoughts on her wedding day.

He gingerly put the veil back in place. It was time. 

The heavy doors opened, every pair of eyes in the hall fell on her, daunting her. But her brother laced her delicate hand on his arm chivalrously. ‘Smile, Sharon,’ he whispered. 

She complied, and she was proud of herself striding past every single awed witness she could see within the hall. Her betrothed’s eyes were indiscernible from her angle, obscured by the glasses he insisted on wearing, but his lips curled into a gentle smile that she had learned to cherish in these four years. 

They reached the bottom of the altar. The two men exchanged a glance. 

Her knight linked her hand with the groom’s, ‘Reim-san, make sure you take good care of my lady, understand?’ 

Reim shot a glance at Sharon, then back at him, and nodded with certainty. Break grinned in approval and let go of their hands. 

(Personally, she did not want him to.)

Reim helped her ascend the small staircase to the altar, they took a moment to gaze at the guests who had gathered for their sake, and to watch her brother retreat to his seat in the front row, next to her grandmother. They blinked, and he was there no longer. 

There was but an ever-smiling blue doll, motionlessly perched on the seat. 

Had he really been here? There was no proof that he had aside from the lingering sensation of his fingers on her cheek and on their hands. Had the two of them concocted a vision of him with their imagination then? It did not matter. He had fulfilled his duty as her knight and her brother today, now he had gone.

Reim squeezed her fingers gently. Yet it did not serve to soothe her. 

But she was supposed to embark on a new chapter in her life today. 

Taking a deep breath, she nodded ever so subtly at her soon-to-be husband as they turn to the officiant. His hand remained around hers, and she was grateful. 

Her heart was not here with him, and she knew he knew it. He was the only person in this world who understood everything that was going through her head at the moment. All the memories she never wanted to leave behind, all the tears she never wanted to wipe away, all of her hesitation, all of her doubts, he understood. 

(Or perhaps shared.)

This man in front of her knew every dark corner of her despicable mind and was vowing eternal commitment to her. 

She did not know how much truth there was in his vows, but she knew she would be spouting far more lies. 

This gown, this atmosphere, these flowers of love and innocence, they were nothing but pretence. There was only one truth, and it was the one smile she had donned in compliance to her knight’s gentle whisper as he escorted her down the aisle to someone else, someone he trusted to bless her with more happiness than he did. 

(Though she had doubted his judgement on plenty of occasions before.)

If her life were a romance novel, what an equivocal tale it was. She remarked, then she pronounced, “I do.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The End

[sirpotys]

Destino...¿?

Este dibujo lo hice hace un año aproximadamente inspirado en un capitulo de un fanfic que amo demasiado. Intenté de alguna forma recrear la esencia de una escena descrita en el fic. No es lo mejor pero espero seguir mejorando y seguir haciendo mas arte para dicho fic y su hermosa autora.

 La historia la pueden encontrar en el siguiente enlace y espero les guste tanto como a mí. 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12586146/1/Vinculos?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=M0haaZa8a5NUE_6EY8zmSX9Xz_4CaoLi.iatFIJ1nZ8-1637810445-0-gaNycGzNCKU

PD: Xora si llegas a ver esto, te amo y amo tu fic y espero te guste no es lo mejor pero mejoraré y haré algo que este a la altura de tu historia. 

[this-idiots-left-eye]

In Plain Sight

Cover art by Stlyrica on instagram!! I’ll put a link to it in a reblog!!

Fandom: Pandora Hearts

Summary: When Break hides Gilbert's favorite Christmas ornament somewhere in the Rainsworth manor, the Golden Trio must spend the afternoon looking for it. But why is it so special to Gil?

Notes: I originally wrote this for the prompt "Ornaments" in an alphabetical Christmas prompt list my friends and I did in 2017--(it was going to be part of a group of Christmas fics we all wrote for different fandoms. Some of the people in that group hadn't read PH, so that's why this fic has some explanations for who the characters are). Then I posted it for Pandora Hearts Month 2018 for the Golden Trio Prompt: Friendship. I hope you like it! I would really appreciate it if you could reblog and/or leave a comment to let me know if you enjoyed it!

*

“You’re the tallest, Gil, you should put the star on top!”

“Ooh! It looks yummy! Like a big cookie!”

“It’s not a cookie, Stupid Rabbit!”

It was a few days before Christmas, and the trio was at the Rainsworth manor. Finally, everything was ready for the holiday; a fire was dancing in its place, the stockings were all lined up on the mantle, and they had just put the finishing touches on the tree. The only one who hadn’t been informed about the festive season, was the sky outside; it had been raining for the past few weeks. There was a chill in the air, it was frosty, but snow hadn’t quite come yet. Still, they made the most of their time indoors.

“Perfect!” Oz exclaimed.

Oz Vessalius was the fifteen-year-old heir to the Vessalius dukedom, but after his escape from the Abyss that year, when he wasn’t off on adventures, and missions, he spent most of his time at the Rainsworth’s.

“It’s so pretty, Onii-chan!”

On account of the ten-year gap, Oz’s sister, Ada, was older than Oz now, but, no matter what, she would never stop seeing him as her older brother. She was on Christmas break from Lutwidge Academy, and more than happy to spend it at the Rainsworths, with her brother. She had, of course, brought her two cats—Snowdrop and Kitty—with her, (which Gilbert maintained a healthy distance from, due to his phobia of cats).

“The Rainsworths will have the best-decorated tree in town!”

Oscar, their uncle, was spending the afternoon with his niece and nephew too. He was a bearded, bespectacled man, with the same blonde hair and green eyes as the rest of his family. At the moment, he was sitting on one of the couches, with a cup what he called ‘tea’, but which the rest of them guessed probably had something stronger in it.

“I can’t take all the credit, Gil and Alice helped a little,” Oz joked.

“‘A little!’”

Gilbert was Oz’s servant; a dark-haired man, who often appeared cold and reserved, but who was rather sensitive, and a worrywart. He still sometimes acted as though they were only a year apart in age too, despite the fact that he was now ten years older than his master.

“Yeah, manservant!” Alice challenged, “More like we did all the work!”

“I was just teasing!”

“Well,” Sharon had a way of returning things to order with her calm and proper words, “you all did a wonderful job.”

Sharon was the heiress to the Rainsworth dukedom, and looked like a thirteen-year-old girl, though was really in her twenties or thirties—(they knew better than to ask her exact age). Her chestnut hair was usually tied back into a kind of half-ponytail, and, as always, she outmatched them all on style points; today it was with a dress of a wintery blue that looked as if she was trying to encourage the snow to fall. As per usual, she held a cup of tea in one hand—peppermint, she had informed them, for the Christmas season—and a pastry in the other. She was sitting at a small round table on the other side of the room, with Reim—duke Barma’s bespectacled, hard working, servant, who spent more time at the Rainsworth’s than anywhere else, with his two best friends—Sharon and Break.

“Well, I’m beat,” Alice stretched and yawned, “Seaweed-head, when are you going to make me some meat?”

Most Chains (creatures from the Abyss) didn’t look like Alice did; like a fourteen-year-old girl, with floor length brown hair, and an almost cat-like physique—(though it was a giant rabbit she often turned into). Also unlike other illegally contracted Chains, she did not have a thirst for human blood, although she did have a particular love for meat, as well as almost anything edible.

“I suppose I can make you something, now that we’ve finished,” Gil sighed.

“Oh? Have you now?” they turned to see Sharon’s servant, Xerxes Break, grinning as he poured himself another cup of tea. “Are you sure nothing’s…” he leaned back against the table, “missing?”

Break was a red-eyed, white-haired man, also much older than he looked. Even those close to him would say he was a bit of an acquired taste; his love for teasing, the creepy doll on his shoulder, and his general lack of regard for other people and their feelings, made it difficult for those subject to his mischiefs—such as Gilbert—to acquire any kind of affection for him.

Gilbert froze, turning his head slowly to the tree. His eyes immediately found the empty space where a certain ornament had been.

“Break!” he shouted, spinning back to him, “Must you do this every year?!”

“Let an old man have his fun.” Break grinned.

“I believe he must, Gilbert-sama,” Sharon answered Gilbert’s question, nonchalantly taking a sip of tea before continuing, “It has become something of a tradition.”

“I should have spent Christmas with he Nightrays this year,” Gilbert grumbled, reluctance in his motions as he began to pick up books, and other objects around the room, as if searching.

“You’re so mean,” Break chided playfully, then spoke a little more seriously, knowing Gilbert had no intentions of spending much time with his adoptive family, and real brother, “You’d rather spend Christmas with the sewer rat, than us?”

Gil gave him a death glare.

“Sorry…but what’s a tradition?” Oz asked, turning to Sharon and Break.

He wouldn’t admit it, but sometimes, especially with things like this, the ten-year gap could make Oz feel like an outsider.

“Every year Break takes Gilbert-sama’s favorite ornament,” Sharon explained, “And hides it somewhere in the manor.”

“Ooh! That sounds like fun!”

“It’s not fun, Oz!” Gilbert hollered at his master, “It’s a waste of a perfectly good afternoon! Not to mention annoying, and rude!”

Break laughed. Gil had yet to learn his outrageous reactions were what made this sort of thing so fun for the prankster.

“Don’t worry, Gil!” Ada bounded up to him, “I’ll help you look!”

Gilbert flushed, “T-Thank you.”

“What does it look like, Gil?”

He looked at Oz, then turned back to Ada, and explained it quietly enough that only she could hear.

She nodded, beaming, and began to look in a different part of the room.

“What’s the matter, Gil?”—Gil gasped as his master appeared suddenly at his other side—“You don’t want me to know what it is?” Oz’s laugh faded into a more puzzled expression when Gil averted his eyes, turning redder.

“It’s a secret, Onii-chan!” Ada answered for him, “You’ll see when we find it!”

He didn’t get the chance to ask anything more, because Alice broke in, having been observing all their interactions,

“Does…Does this mean I won’t get my meat?”

“Uh huh,” Gilbert sighed, “That’s exactly what it means.”

“No! I will not allow it!” Alice shook her head, and whirled around on Break, pointing at him in an accusatory manner, “Clown! Return Seaweed-head’s stupid ornament his instant!”

“It’s not stupid, Stupid Rabbit!”

“Aren’t you a spoilsport?” The Mad Hatter teased, then the doll on his shoulder, Emily, finished,

“Why should I listen to some dumb bunny?”

Alice growled, her hands clenching into fists. She spun to Gilbert, declaring as she ran up to him,“Then I won’t rest until I find that ornament! With the great Alice-sama on your side, you cannot fail!”

“Sure you won’t just get in the way?”

She kicked him in the shin, crossing her arms, “You’d be lost without me, Seaweed-head.”

“Don’t kick me, Stupid rabbit!” he rubbed his leg, “Now go look for it over there!” he stamped his injured foot back down and pointed to the opposite corner of the room, (to which she quickly ran, proceeding to tear her designated space apart in a matter of seconds.)

“Is this ornament really all that important, Gil? I mean, we have lots of—”

“Yes!” he answered before his master could finish, “it is!”

Oz sighed, knowing how attached his servant could get to things, “Alright. So…is us helping against the rules?” he asked, watching Alice destroy the room in search of it, Ada calmly remove things, and put them back where they were meant to go, and Gil as a mix of the two.

“Don’t you think we would have stopped them if it was, Oz-kun?”

Sharon shook her head, “It doesn’t matter who finds it, watching him search is the fun part.” Her mischievous side was showing; most of the time she was this prim and proper lady, but being close to Break had its effects.

“That’s right; the more people searching, the funnier it is when they can’t find it,” Break sang. “Though, tell me, Ojousama,” he turned to his mistress “are you merely saying that because you wagered he’d find it early—before 18:00?” he asked knowingly, sitting up on the table—(Reim gave him a look that could only be interpreted as: can-you act-any-less-like-a-servant?)

They turned to the clock—it was 15:00.

“Why do you want to know, Break?” his mistress asked with a tone of false interest, “Are you afraid your skills as a prankster have gone down with age?” she patted her mouth innocently with a napkin.

“What do you take me for, Ojousama?” he smirked, crossing his legs, narrowing his eyes at Gilbert, “He’ll need all the help he can get.”

Gilbert returned to him an even more murderous look.

“You… betted on this?”

“All part of the tradition, Oz-kun,” Break mentioned, stealing a mini pastry from Reim’s plate—(the incense was more than evident on Reim’s face, and probably why Break did it).

“It’s not money we wagered, though; If I win, Break has to swear off sweets over Christmas—as well as make me a lavish dessert full of those sweet things he can’t have. And if Break wins, I have to buy him an equally lavish amount of extra Christmas candy and sweets.”

“Nice! Break, I didn’t know you could bake!”

“He really can’t,” Sharon chuckled, “But it’s fun to see what he comes up with.”

Break glared at her.

“So… is this how you bet every year?”

“Sometimes it’s different. But it’s usually something to the effect of giving Break a taste of his own medicine…Though I seem to recall one year, I wanted Break to do this dance I had heard of in a book, if he lost. I believe it was called ‘Futterwacken.’”

“That’s a weird name for a dance!” Oz laughed, “So? How did that go?

“I suppose it is,” she smiled, “That was one of the tamer punishments, but, when he did lose, he refused—rather blatantly.”

“Really?!” he turned to Break.

“How many times must I tell you? I have no talent for dancing.”

“Truly, as a servant of the Rainsworth Dukedom, it would be better fitting that you learned,” she shook her head, then turned back to Oz, “Anyway, after that, we thought the chance to take away his candy was rather enjoyable.”

“Aw, I want to join the bet!”

Gilbert looked affronted, but before he could speak, Oz continued, boyish excitement simmering in his tone,

“Say, what if, if Break loses, I get to eat his candy instead?!”

Sharon and Break glanced at each other.

“Let me ask you something, Oz-kun;” Break set down his tea, “Are you willing to risk the consequences of such a wager?”

“Ehh…consequences?”

“Why of course. I couldn’t give little Oz-kun the chance of stealing my candy without the proper torment in store if he lost.”

“Eh…” Oz knew just how mean Break could get, and that this could very well turn into a prank war that ended in actual blood, “I think I’ll pass.”

“I always said you were smarter than you looked,” the Mad Hatter picked up his tea again.

“Maybe you could join in by helping me look, instead of encouraging them, Oz!” Gilbert whirled on him.

“Aww, do I have to?” the fifteen-year-old groaned.

“Oz!”

Oz turned to the masterminds, as if silently asking for them to give him an excuse not to.

“Hey, Oz-kun is sharp,” Break began, then Emily added,

“Probably smarter than these three put together!”

—two of the aforementioned three gave him what can only be described as ‘fight-me’ faces, and Ada looked disheartened—Break took no notice, and finished,

“So that depends; whose side are you on?”

“Well,” Oz thought for a moment, then mused, grinning, “it would be fun to see Break trying to swear of candy!”

“Is that so?” Break’s eye narrowed.

“In any case, why isn’t Reim-san helping?” he shifted the focus. “You’re not the kind of person to sit back while others are in trouble”

Reim sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “While that may be true, these two are often harsher with me, than others. If I help you, I have a feeling I shall pay for it in some way later,” he shot them an icy look, “dearly.”

“Whatever do you mean, Reim-san?” Sharon asked innocently. “We thought you enjoyed our company.”

“Yeah, it’s only because you’re our favorite, Reim-san,” Break gave a fake sappy voice.

“Then pick a new favorite!”

“That’s not how it works! You have a lifetime guarantee!”

“Sharon,” it was Ada who spoke. She had been focused on searching on the mantelpiece, and inside the stockings, “Why are there nine stockings?”

“What do you mean, Ada?” Oz asked, stepping over to her.

“Well, I was just thinking; there’s me, Onii-chan, Uncle, and Alice,”—Alice looked annoyed at Ada mentioning her name—“since we’re staying here for Christmas,” she pointed at each of the stockings in turn, “and these belong to Sharon-sama, Break, Duchess Rainsworth-sama, and Reim-san, right? But who does this last one belong to?” she held the bottom of the last one, careful not to pull it off the mantle.

They turned to Break and Sharon, who glanced at each other, their mischievous grins fading into more somber, reminiscent expressions.

“It was Break’s idea,” Sharon answered.

“Well, I can’t take all the credit—“

“It’s for my mother…That has become something of a tradition as well. We just thought it would be nice, to have something to remember her by during the Christmas season.”

The tone in the room quieted; the rest of them knew that Shelly was Sharon’s mother, who had died sometime after Oz’s coming of age ceremony.

“That’s…actually really sweet,” Oz noted, “Break, I’m surprised you thought of it!”

“You think you’re cute, don’t you? And you say that like I’m cruel.”

“Well…” Oz rubbed the back of his neck, smiling nervously, trying to formulate a non- insulting answer in his mind.

“I think what Oz is trying to say,” Reim started out gently, then finished harshly, “Is that it’s high time you realized you can be a jerk, Xerxes!”

“Well, I wouldn’t say jerk’…” Oz began.

“I would,” Gil mumbled.

“My…I cant believe that you all….” Break began softly, then Emily jeered,

“Just figured that out now!”

The anger was evident on all of their faces.

“Really, why are you all ganging up on me,” Break grinned, without a hint of hurt in his voice, “when you should be focusing on the task at hand?”

“Because it’s your fault we’re in this mess!” Gilbert shouted, then ran his hand frustratedly through his hair, observing the mess they had made of the room, before demanding, “Is it in this room?!”

“Given up already, have you?” Emily teased.

Gilbert clenched his hands into fists, biting back a retort.

“Did anyone see him leave the room?!”

Everyone looked at Gilbert blankly, or up at the ceiling, trying to think if they had, realizing they had no idea, and knew full well Sharon could have used Eques to transport him when their backs were turned anyways. Gilbert put his hands on his hips, sighing at their silence “Alright. We have a whole manor to look through, it’s best we move on from this room,” he paused, turning again to Break, with malice in his eyes, “Right?”

“Sure, kiddo!” Emily replied, and he gave the fakest grin yet.

Gilbert gritted his teeth, then shook his head, directing them,

“Let’s split up; Ada, you go down the left hall, Stupid Rabbit, you take the right. I’ll go downstairs.”

“I won’t let you down, Seaweed-Head!” Alice sped down the hall, not even searching, as if she had forgotten the task she’d been given.

Ada nodded, “Come on, Snowdrop, Kitty!” she called to her cats.

Oz sighed, “Alright, fine. I’ll help too.”

Gilbert smiled, about to thank him, when Oz added,

“But I expect to be rewarded for my troubles!”

His servant rolled his eyes.

“I kinda need to know what it looks like, though, don’t I, Gil? You seemed to want to keep it a secret earlier.”

“You’ll…um….You’ll know it when you see it,” Gilbert looked anywhere but at his master.

Oz sighed, putting his hands on his hips, “Really? That kinda makes things harder, you know.”

“Oh, not up to the challenge, are you Oz-kun?” Break goaded.

“No, no, I can do it! I just feel like we’re not addressing a key part of the puzzle here!”

With that Gilbert pulled him out of the room and into the search.

Gilbert was right; it did seem like a bit of a waste of an afternoon; exhausting wasn’t the only word that came to mind after rifling through each room one by one, with no clue as to where it might be. Especially because the feeling began growing in them that Gilbert was way too attached to things, as well as that Break was, indeed, a jerk. They didn’t know how much time had passed before they met up again in the hall, everyone hanging their heads in shame and disappointment.

“What should we do?” Ada asked quietly.

“We can’t let the clowny bastard win!” Alice slammed a fist into her other palm to emphasize her point.

“That’s right!” Gilbert agreed, “For years I had to put up with his constant teasing, it’s high time we got him back!”

“I don’t think losing the bet is really going to make him stop. I mean, he’s lost before, right?”

“You don’t have to be so blunt about it!” Gilbert complained.

“Sorry,” Oz shrugged.

In the moment of silence that followed, Ada’s cat started rubbing against Oz’s leg, as if trying to comfort him.

“What do you think, Snowdrop?” Oz asked jokingly, picking up his sister’s cat, (Gilbert eyed it, a whine developing in his throat, scooching away), “Do you have any idea where it is?”

Oz gasped.

“What is it, Onii-chan?”

Tied into the cat’s collar was a ribbon, attached to a little ornament. He pulled it free and placed the cat on the floor (it meowed and padded away).

The other three gasped in turn, leaning in to get a better look at it.

“That bastard!” Gilbert slammed his fist into the wall behind him. “He knew I wouldn’t go near your cats!”

“Yeah,” Oz laughed, “leave it to Break to take the cheap shot.”

“What are we waiting for?!” Alice demanded, “Didn’t I just say we can’t let the clowny bastard win!”

“You’re right!” the others said together, and bolted down the hall.

“We found it!” Oz held the ornament high, like a trophy, as they burst through the door.

At the same moment that he held up the evidence, the hour chimed.

They each glanced at each other, then at the clock, which read exactly 18:00.

“My, my, isn’t this an interesting turn of events?” Break remarked, stretching, “It looks like it’s a tie, Ojousama.”

“It would appear,” Sharon smiled “In that case, would you please excuse me for a moment?” she gathered her dress and hurried out of the room.

“So, which one of you found it?” Break asked, walking over to them.

“I did.”

The prankster smirked, “What did I tell you?” he ruffled Oz’s hair, “Oz-kun’s sharp.”

“So… what does that mean about your wagers?” Oz tried to put his hair right. “Since you tied?”

“Just a moment Oz-kun,” he put his hand on Oz’s head, his sleeve falling over his eyes, and looked over their heads

Sharon quickly did return, a little out of breath, holding a small package wrapped in a ribbon.

“Here you are, Break!” she held it out for him.

He took it from her and unwrapped it, opening the little red box to reveal that it was filled with the the candy she had promised.

“Just the thing I needed” he patted her head, unwrapping a piece and tossing it into his mouth. “Better luck next time, Ojousama,”

Oz and Alice stared at him, open-mouthed, dumbstruck that he had beat them.

“Now I suppose I should get started on that dessert of yours,” he waited until the proper moment to add.

“Please do.”

“Huh?” Oz and Alice asked simultaneously.

“Since we tied,” Sharon spoke, as they both turned to them, “we both win.”

“So…does that mean the clown still has to swear off candy?” Alice asked hopefully.

“No—Unfortunately,” Sharon added, glancing at her servant, who rolled his eyes, eating another piece, “We both get the rewards of the wager, but no one gets the punishment.”

“More in the Christmas spirit, wouldn’t you agree, Ojousama?” he said between candy crunches.

“Since when do you care about ‘Christmas spirit’?!” Gilbert demanded.

“Better luck next year, I guess,” Oz tried to put a positive spin on it.

“Next year?!” Alice fumed, “I want to settle this now!” (Gilbert held Alice by the neck of her jacket.)

“Believe me,” Reim grunted, eyeing Break, “it’ll only end worse for you,”

“Who knows?” Break shrugged, “There may not be a next year, Oz-kun.”

Alice continued to seethe while the others glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond to such a statement.

“There you go again,” Reim scolded. “You can’t just mention something like that!”

Break dismissed him with a wave of his hand, chuckling to himself, and muttering something about his uptightness, as he made his way down the hall to the kitchens.

After Break left, Oz looked down at his hand, opening his fingers to reveal the little clay, painted oddity he was still holding. Alice came behind him and looked over his shoulder at it.

“What…is it?”

“You didn’t know what you were looking for?!” Gilbert questioned.

“Because you never told me, Seaweed-head!”

Gilbert looked away, clearly wanting to bite back, but without argument with which to do so.

Oz shook his head, staring at it. It was rather crudely made, ineptly painted. But he couldn’t mistake it for anything else—and Gil had been right, he did know it when he saw it.

Because he was the one who made it.

“I can’t believe you kept this, Gil.”

Gilbert looked away, nodding and turning red.

Now he understood why Gilbert was so intent on getting it back. This ornament had probably become a symbol to Gilbert—much like Shelly’s stocking on the mantelpiece was for Break and Sharon—for Oz himself. This ornament, through the years, had probably become tied to his faithful valet’s unending hope that his master would come back. Each year Break took it, as if teasing that perhaps he wouldn’t (and, maybe this was his roundabout way of him trying to prepare him for that), but Gilbert always got it back, as if displaying that he would never lose that hope.

“Oy! What is it?!” Alice demanded again, upset her ‘manservant’ wasn’t focusing all his attention on her.

“It’s a bird, Alice,” Oz answered simply.

“Really, how do you figure?”

“Yeah, it doesn’t look very good does it?” Oz laughed.

“Seaweed-head, why would a crappy ornament like this be your favorite?”

“Oy! You don’t see me criticizing your bad taste!”

“Bad taste?! I have impeccable taste! I eat meat every day!”

“That’s not what—”

“Its because I made it for him,” Oz answered her question quietly.

“You?” Alice laughed, slapping him on the back, “You have pretty poor skills, Oz.”

“Give me a break! I was a kid!”

Oscar laughed, walking up to them, “You’re still a kid, Oz. Yes…I can’t remember how old he was, but he made me, Ada, and Gilbert ornaments,” he laughed a little, putting his arm around Gilbert, “I remember how offended Gil was at his master making him a gift.”

“Yeah,” Oz laughed, they all looked up at Gil, who got steadily redder the more they spoke, “We had to force him to accept it.”

“Why are you surprised he kept his, Onii-chan?” Ada asked, “Uncle and I kept ours. They’re back at the Vessalius manor. But! we could bring them over here if you want!”

“That’s okay, I believe you! Still… Like Alice said, they don’t look very good.”

“But, like you said, you were the one who made them for us,” Oscar ruffled his nephew’s hair.

“What were the ornaments you made for them, Oz?” Alice asked.

“Well, I made Ada a little cat, and uncle Oscar a camera. I didn’t really know what Gil liked, so I just made him a bird. Funny, how your chain is Raven now.”

“How come you haven’t made me one, Manservant?!” Alice hit Oz on the head.

“Hey! I’ve been busy!” he rubbed the spot where she hit him.

“In any case,” Alice turned to Gilbert, jumping quickly to the next subject, “now you can make my meat, Seaweed-head!”

“Break’s using the kitchen, Stupid Rabbit!”

“Then let’s go to the market! I’m starving!”

Gilbert sighed into his hand, “Fine. Let me get my hat and coat.”

“Can I come with you guys?” Ada asked—Alice looked peeved, but Gil and Oz had already welcomed her.

“I’ll go check if Break needs anything!” Oz ran off towards the kitchen.

As Oz arrived, he saw that Break had changed out of his white coat and purple shirt into more casual closing—likely so he wouldn’t ruin his normal outfit. He had rolled up the sleeves, and was wearing a pink apron Gil sometimes wore when he cooked for them here, but which probably belonged to Sharon’s grandmother, or mother. He had already begun to make a mess of things; flour was all over the counter, chocolate was on the walls, somehow there were even ingredients in in his hair.

“You need some help?” Oz asked, half-jokingly.

Break looked up.

“Oz-kun,” he noted, then grinned, “You? Help me? Gotten bored of Gilbert-kun, and Alice-kun already?”

“Nah. I just wanted to know if you needed anything. We’re going to the store.”

Oz knew that Break could have asked for help from the staff, or Gilbert, but Sharon called him ‘Mr. One-Man-Show’ for a reason; sure, it might not taste or look all that good, but at least he would have made it himself.

“You really think I wouldn’t have come prepared?”

“But, if you won, you wouldn’t have to make—”

Oz gasped. Realizing something:

They both had bought the supplies ahead of time. Oz thought one of them would have to go to the store, depending on who won the bet, (perhaps dragging the other begrudgingly along), but they both had already bought the necessary ingredients. Which meant, either the food one of them bought would go to waste, or be used in some other way, or, regardless of who won or lost, they still intended to give each other the gifts.

“You already had the ingredients,” Oz thought out loud. “and Sharon-chan already had your candy...”

“So?”

“I would have thought one of you would have to go to the store, depending on who won.”

“What’s your point, Oz-kun?” Break pushed his hair back.

Oz shook his head, grinning like he now had some secret information. “Break, you really are a nice guy, aren’t you?”

Break put his hand on the table, turning to him, “Wipe that cheeky grin off your face before I do it for you.”

Oz put his hands behind his back, sauntering closer.

“Oh, nothing,” he whistled, “Just that, well, you do this every year, don’t you? Sharon likes to give you a taste of your own medicine if you lose, but you both use this an excuse to give each other extra gifts, don’t you? I bet it was your idea in the first place.”

“How do you know we weren’t planning to use the supplies in some other way?”

“Because you’re not considerate enough to let others use your stuff,” he grinned, “Didn’t you just say there would be punishment in store if I got your candy?”

“Well,” he smirked at Oz’s discovery, twirling the spoon in his hand, “‘nice’ would be stretching it. But maybe occasionally I’m not a complete ‘jerk.’”

Oz grinned. That was all the confirmation he needed.

As if he were brandishing a sword, Break flicked chocolate on Oz’s face with the spoon, “Now get out of here.”

Oz rolled his eyes.

“Good luck, Break!”

With that he exited the room, and ran to the front door to catch up with Gil, Ada, and Alice, who were gathered there, waiting for him.

“Break doesn’t need anything!” he called to them, “Let’s go!”

At first it may have seemed like a waste of time, but, in the end, Oz realized; an afternoon playing a game, learning that after ten years Gil had still cherished the small gift he had once been reluctant to accept, seeing how Sharon and Break found ways to bring each other joy, spending time with his friends, spending time with his real family, would never be a waste of an afternoon for him.