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violettduchess · 11 days

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A/N: I was a wee bit annoyed yesterday at the anon that seemed to be lamenting writers "suddenly" having OCs. So I wrote a short fic with mine because a) IT'S FUN and b) I felt like it. OCs are awesome and we should celebrate the creativity they represent!

My OC Leyla Quinn x Silvio, established relationship

One shot: Silvio and his fiancée on a rainy night in Rhodolite

WC: 1k

The ornate door to one of the royal suites inside the elegant Rhodolite palace swings open, bringing with it the scent of orange blossoms that always precedes Silvio’s fiancée. Leyla herself follows a moment later, shaking the rainwater out of her hair and kicking the door shut behind her. She had already removed her muddy boots before setting foot back inside the grand palace, walking barefoot through the palace and back to the suite, much to the servants' astonishment. Most people would not have been that thoughtful.

“God damn, who knew you’d get rain like this so far away from the sea?” Water drops fall from her like tiny pearls, littering the rich carpet with little dark spots.

The newspaper Silvio has been attempting to read is thrown aside as he shoots to his feet, annoyance written in every line of his face.

“Where the hell have you been?” His tone is sharp with displeasure, loud with irritation. It would have sent many others a step backwards in surprise, flinching with unease.

Leyla doesn’t even look away from wringing out her long, dark hair.

“Down, boy. Watch who you’re barking at.” She straightens up, but doesn’t stop moving, unbuttoning the front of her damp navy blue overcoat with quick, practiced fingers.

“Woman, you said you would be back before dark and that was an hour ago.” He’s watching her with narrowed eyes as she peels off her coat, then turns, walking into the bathroom, but not before revealing a quick glimpse of a white blouse now covered in tantalizing, transparent patches.

He breathes out, collecting his thoughts. Don't get distracted, Silvio. She had him fucking worried. He's pissed. She's gotta know that he was sitting here, watching the storm through the windows, wondering if she was ok. So yeah, stay focused. Focused.

When she returns, she’s hung all of her wet clothing over the rim of the large porcelain bathtub and is now wrapped in a fluffy white oversized bathrobe with a charming red Rhodolitian rose embroidered above her heart. Her hair is still damp with rainwater, a curtain of dark waves that smells like springtime and daydreams, spilling over her shoulders and down her back.

His breath catches in his chest. She's so damn beautiful.

“I lost track of the hour as I was visiting Oliver in his lab and he was telling me about his latest-”

Fuck staying focused.

“Don’t care.”

Silvio crosses the room in just two long strides, wrapping an arm around Leyla’s waist and pulls her to him, overcome with the desperate need to feel her against him. He ducks his head, closing his eyes as he breathes in deeply, orange blossoms and rainwater, desire and love.

Feeling the way his strong hands hold her close brings a smile to her face. With Silvio, it never feels like he’s trapped her. It’s possessiveness, yes, but never a cage. It’s protection and want. It’s security and comfort. It’s a promise to never let go.

His mouth eagerly travels the line of her neck, brushing aside her hair for better access. Hunger spreads like wildfire through her veins but his kisses also carry something else, something more delicate, something vulnerable and silken within their heated depths.

Leyla grins slowly. “Missed me that much, did you?”

His “Shuddup” is muffled as he kisses his way up towards her mouth and she starts to laugh. Even now, after all they have been through together, he still gets flustered, reluctant to reveal that tender part of him that she knows is there, the one that belongs to her and only her.

“Aw, pup, were you pining for me? Counting down the minutes until I returned, each one an eternity as you ached with–Ahh!”

Her teasing is cut off as he swiftly hoists her up and over his shoulder, turning and stalking towards the canopied bed with its red and gold bed covers and gold satin pillows.

“That’s enough out of you, wench,” he grunts as he tosses her down, the sound of her delighted laugh filling the room and warming him more than any fire ever could.

He wraps his long fingers around her wrists, pinning them up by her head. She looks up at him, sky-blue eyes flashing with something just as bright and brilliant as the lightning outside, the echo of her laughter lingering as a smile.

“Hey Silvio?”

He doesn’t know where to settle his gaze. Her hair is a pool of ebony waves around her, her luxurious robe has slipped off of one shoulder to reveal an enticing amount of skin, and there’s still that smile on those lips….

“Yeah?” The word is a rasp from the back of his throat.

“Guess who loves you.”

His cheeks flush and he looks away, his chest rising and falling with every quick breath he takes.

“Goddamnit, sea witch, why–”

“No really, can you guess anyone? Cause I certainly can’t. For a prince, you’re rather annoying and loud and–”

She’s cut off as he lowers his mouth to hers with a growl, stopping her teasing words. More laughter bubbles within her chest as she hooks one leg around his and kisses him back with all her might. She can get away with teasing him like this because they both know the truth: they were two souls adrift in an endless sea of doubt who, despite the odds, have found safe harbor in each other’s arms. The journey may have been long, but now that they have conquered the darkness and the hidden perils of a dark ocean of uncertainty, she knows their hearts are so entwined, there is no untangling them.

He releases her wrists, intending to make quick work of her robe when she catches his face in her hands, holding him still. Her thumbs lighty stroke over his cheekbone as she searches his gaze.

“Hey.” One little word, soft and sincere, perhaps odd to any outsider but to them, it carries a weight far beyond its three letters. It’s the softest part of her heart reaching out to him, saying hello love of my life. Hello.

And he’s lost in the light of her eyes, the dulcet sound of her voice, the velvet of her touch.

“Hey,” he murmurs quietly in return. I hear you, the word answers. And I love you too.

She smiles and closes her eyes as he leans down, pressing his lips to hers. An unspoken promise renewed on this rainy, Rhodolite night.

Tagging: @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @aria-chikage

@redheadkittys @tele86 @dear-mrs-otome @olivermorningstar @writingwhimsey

@mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @nightfoxqueen @myonlyjknight

@ikesimpleton @ikemenlibrary @namine-somebodies-nobody @cellophanediamond @whatever-fanfics

@justpeachyteastea @chirp-a-chirp @got7igot7family @kookie-my-little-sunshine @mastering-procrastinating

@portrait-ninja @starlitmanor-network @sh0jun @queen-dahlia @themysticalbeing

@nightghoul381 @whitelittlebunny @chi-the-idiot @bubblexly @ozalysss

@keithsandwich @ikeprinces-stuff @bestbryn

#ikemen series #ikemen prince #ikepri #ikepri silvio #silvio ricci #ikemen silvio #ikepri oc #ikemen prince oc #ikepri leyla #leyla quinn #leyla x silvio #ikemen fanfiction #ikemen fanfic #otome fanfic #violettwrites

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lorei-writes · 22 days

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OC Thoughts: Esther, Viva & Their Relationships

Inspired by @olivermorningstar ; some characters have been omitted ; excuse any typos and other such errors -- busy + very giddy

Princes

Chevalier

Esther: Obviously, she loves him, but her care predates even that. In Esther's eyes, Chevalier has always appeared rather lonesome, the stories told by the people around them having her wonder just how much of the gossip is true. Have he truly done that? Is he as monstrous, as brutal, as they describe him?

Yes and no.

Esther is well aware of the extent of Chevalier's ruthlessness. However, she has also always acknowledged his humanity, reached towards it to cradle it against her heart. To her, Chevalier has never been more than a man -- incredibly strong, resilient, dedicated and talented man, but still a man, just as capable of hurting as anybody else. Everybody has some potential for evil. She's seen his potential for good as well. Nothing is sweeter than his affection.

Viva: Chevalier is the annoying soon-to-be-brother-in-law. She has no clue what Esther sees in him, however, she cannot deny the fact that Chevalier treats her sister well (or at least attempts to do right by her).

Viva doesn't understand why Chevalier would try to obscure his intentions and feelings. At times, she pushes him to be more direct or shares her insight with him. (Nobody loves Esther more than Viva and that much will always remain true -- there are things that Chevalier simply cannot understand, part due to his protective nature). She doesn't need to like him to wish him and Esther everything best.

Leon

Esther: They get along fairly well! As it happens, Esther tends to be the representative of foreign affairs faction... or much rather, to be one of the mediators. (Chevalier and Leon do not need to see eye to eye. Viva and Esther? They're on good terms. Leon will not threaten his relationship with Viva by being too harsh on Chevalier, and similarly, Chevalier will not risk pushing Esther away to win against Leon.) However one may look at it! They do end up working together at times. It's generally fairly pleasant.

Esther's glad that her sister found somebody like Leon. She genuinely believes he is capable of making Viva happy and helping her find her place in the world.

Viva: It's... complicated. At first, she hates him, or much rather, she hates the image of him she's conjured up in her mind. He's supposed to be a ruthless "royal", oblivious to the struggles of the common people, somebody heartless enough to abandon his original state without looking back at the people left behind. But when she realises that is not the case? She does not know what to think. She loves him. She hates loving him. She hates herself for ever hating him. A part of her loves hating him, while also drowning in self-loathing.

Once that's all said and done, however? Leon is Viva's rock, her oasis, save heaven. He's the only person she does not need to prove her strength to. She can cry and crumble, and he'll just hold her until she's whole again. Viva adores him. She wants to be better for him.

She's ready to be his protector, his lioness.

Yves

Esther: Surprisingly enough, they're good friends! (It causes Chevalier to be mildly jealous at times.) They sometimes bake or cook together.

Viva: ...She enjoys teasing him a little too much.

Nokto

Esther: ...She sometimes (often) ends up being the butt of his jokes. He finds her reactions rather amusing. (He seems to enjoy embarrassing her, possibly to mess with Chevalier.)

Licht

Viva: Sparring partners! They also tend to their horses together. They don't necessarily talk much, but they find each other's presence to be rather comfortable.

Clavis

Esther: Oh, her initial employer. Oh, the schemer. Oh. Just Oh. Esther sees his inferiority complex and she tires her best to smooth things over between Clavis and Chevalier. (She has scolded Chevalier and asked him to be more considerate of Clavis multiple times.) She feels sorry for him.

At the same time, at times, he's too much. Clavis truly is a younger brother. A mischievous little rascal.

Viva: Partners in crime, especially when it comes to getting people to be truer to their actual feelings. They drink together sometimes. Are his pranks annoying? Yeah. But he digs out those pit falls himself. She does have a fair share of respect for hard-working people and Clavis is no exception to that. She doesn't believe him to be a bad person.

OCs

Maeve @keithsandwich

Esther: Esther cannot say she knows Maeve well -- or well, technically, that she knows her at all. They haven't officially met. It was "Queen Viva" who visited the Jadean palace, not Esther.

That being said, there's a certain secret she's found out and she intends to keep it well-hidden. She appreciates Maeve's gentle nature and believes they could get along well. (Maeve also seems rather relatable, given the fact that they both come from the peasantry.)

Viva: Maeve seems like a nice person, however, the majority of her spiritual stuff flies over Viva's head. She's secretly afraid of being disrespectful -- Maeve's a priestess, but she doesn't seem to worship the God Viva knows... Not that there's anything wrong with that. She just lacks the knowledge on the topic.

Viva has the feeling that Maeve wishes for peace. She hopes their relationship will strengthen as they both lead their countries towards prosperity -- together, as allies.

Beatrice @bicayaya

Esther: She's... actually, somewhat intimidated. All the things Esther struggles with, Beatrice seems to do rather effortlessly. She admires her education, elegance and grace. Sometimes she stops for a moment to listen when Bea plays piano.

Esther wonders whether that's what a proper noblewoman should be. Beautiful, delicate, skilled... And she wonders whether one day she could be even fraction of that.

Viva: Oh, Bea is another good object for teasing. Unlike Esther, Viva feels anything but intimidated. She acknowledges Bea's talents and virtues, but at the same time... There isn't anything wrong with not having them either.

She wonders whether Beatrice would perhaps enjoy sneaking out to town. She'd love to show her around, to take her out to the marketplace (especially flea market), and to treat her to some of the treats sold at various stalls.

Oliver @olivermorningstar

Esther: Sometimes it feels like Oliver is the only sane person around. The scientist may be a little eccentric and detached from others, but he has a nice, soothing presence. She appreciates all the effort he's put into figuring out how to help manage her symptoms.

Esther may or may not come by the infirmary just to see whether he's there and to check up on him. She tends to bring some snack and tea along -- nothing refreshes the mind like some home-made treats.

Viva: Oliver's weird, okay? He's weird. He spends entire days doing his research and Viva absolutely cannot comprehend how he doesn't end up bored... At least until she hears about his discoveries.

Truth be told, Viva would love to hear Oliver talk about his research. She can't imagine herself doing his work, but she sees it as extremely valuable nonetheless. (However, at the same time, she may be a little afraid of scaring him through, well, being herself.)

Leyla @violettduchess

Esther: The first word that popped up in Esther's head when seeing Leyla was "vibrant". Esther cannot deny any of Leyla's merits, but their lives are so different it makes her head spin a little. Given their personal beliefs, they would likely be able to get along just fine, however, they may disagree about the methods of accomplishing their goals.

Leyla reminds Esther of Viva. They're both free in a way that's foreign to her. They're bright, decisive, strong, capable, open and daring. Simply brave. She's generally happy supporting such people from the sidelines.

Viva: ... If she wasn't a Queen, she'd love to travel with Leyla. As things are, however? She wants to spar with her. She wants to show her around Rhodolite. She wants to hear her stories.

It'd likely be an another instance of "the boys can't get along, so we shall handle the talks instead". I can imagine them getting into trouble "for the greater good", and both Leon and Silvio following them unwillingly (...and Esther... and then, at the very end of this line, Chevalier).

#ikepri #ikemen prince #ikepri oc #ikepri esther #ikepri viva #ikepri maeve #ikepri beatrice #ikepri oliver #ikepri leyla #chevalier michel #leon dompteur #clavis lelouch

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olivermorningstar · 22 days

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On that same note then: What are IkePri Oliver's opinions about the Rhodolitian Princes? (And... If you wanted to go into the theoretical realm, what would he probably think about other OCs of your choice? From within that universe, from other universes, etc.)

Oh this is gonna be a big one, hope you are all ready for An Essay.

Jin Grandet

It depends if this is a verse where they're together or not as to how deep the relationship goes in a romantic or a platonic sense. Regardless, the two are rather close.

Perhaps it is because Jin sees trouble brewing with Oliver and it's some sort of need in him to intervene before it all boils over and they potentially lose a good scientist, or maybe he just wants to see the man cut loose, but he is often the first alongside Sariel to call out Oliver overworking, though he is often the one to pull Oliver out and actually make him take a break.

Oliver thinks of Jin as a dear friend. They go out together for drinks and they often catch things like performances together. True, they are often ways for Jin to flirt with the girls there, but Oliver doesn't mind. Don't give him too much of a pass here, he does like it when they start to flirt with him, too.

Chevalier Michel

Talk about feeling inadequate. His relationship with Chev isn't entirely positive, but it's not completely negative either. A lot of the negative emotions Oliver feels towards Chevalier are very one sided.

In short, Oliver cannot read Chevalier and is absolutely convinced that the prince hates him. The truth is more he is rather indifferent, but the dismissive tone Chevalier tends of have reads very poorly for Oliver.

Oliver already has plenty of issues with self doubt, but if he truly was awful and any sort of hazard to the crown, Chevalier would have had him removed ages ago. Perhaps in time Oliver will come around and learn that really, Chevalier doesn't mind him, but until then, it's rough.

Clavis Lelouch

Would you believe me if I said Oliver was originally made to be shipped with Clavis?

Both are equally playful and Clavis' shenanigans more or less force Oliver to let go of his work for a little bit and just do something silly. He shouldn't take himself so seriously, so come eat a weird looking cake and cut loose for a moment (He promises that he made it gluten free this time).

Regardless of relationship, the two are sworn rivals in pranks and schemes. Their exchanges tend to be sillier and light hearted majority of the time, but Oliver is aware that Prince Clavis is a schemer through and through. Any news of him doing something the crown doesn't approve of is hardly a surprise, but he would never think Clavis is truly a bad guy. A hellion, sure, but never a bad guy.

Leon Dompteur

Genuinely a nice guy and fantastic to work with. Due to Oliver's work, he is more concerned with domestic affairs, and thus he and Leon actually work pretty close together to track any outbreaks and to work together with the pharmacists and doctors of Rhodolite to get care to where it is needed.

They have a relationship that is built on mutual respect, but it is definitely closer to being a good relationship between coworkers than between friends. Still, if Oliver somehow found himself in Belle's shoes, he'd pick Leon to be king with Chevalier as a military advisor.

Should the two talk more outside of work, I think they'd click rather well and Oliver would probably be in on Leon's escape attempts. Hey! Take him with! He wants to see the festival too! They would also be carnivore friends, he's so right about meat.

Yves Kloss

As a frequent victim in the battle between Clavis and Oliver, Oliver feels... rather bad for Yves. Truly he seems like a nice guy and he loves walking by the kitchen and seeing Yves hard at work! It's just Yves sees Oliver and expects trouble now.

That said, Yves is the first one to really notice that Oliver tends to skip out on things and isolate. When he first arrived, he was the one that pointed this out and ended up getting Clavis and Jin involved. To that, Oliver is grateful.

They are starting to find a common interest in music, so progress is being made!

Licht Klein

Licht is... harder for Oliver to be around. He's a more extreme case of some of the behaviors that Oliver tends to display and it sucks to see someone else falling down a bad rabbit hole and not knowing how to help.

He gives Licht space and he does respect the prince, but he doesn't really know how to speak to him. Of course, Licht has noticed that he is the odd man out here when it comes to Oliver and gives him a more icy, kind of detached approach

It's unclear if they will ever be close.

Nokto Klein

Nokto's flirting tendencies tend to both frustrate and delight Oliver. On the one hand, he likes being flirted with, even if he thinks it is insincere and that it is all just flattery, but on the other - damn you, Nokto, he's trying to have a conversation and you keep twisting his words because it is easy to get Oliver flustered this way.

That said, if it comes to dealing with nobility, especially foreign nobility, Nokto is one of the first folks Oliver turns to. When he's serious, he's got one hell of a silver tongue and has scored a lot of the funds and items Oliver needs for his experiments.

But seriously, if he manages to make another experiment sound dirty, Oliver is going to "accidentally" spill red dye onto his nice, white clothes.

Luke Randolph

Due to the fact that Oliver is close to Sariel and does agree to the fact that Luke could try a little harder to learn how to be a prince, Luke tends to dodge Oliver.

Listen, we know Oliver can be playful and he can be coaxed to leave his work (though it is a bit difficult), he still believes that work NEEDS to be done. True, Chev, Clavis, and Nokto make for one powerful team, but surely Luke has something to bring to the table!

He's more frustrated with Luke more than anything else, but to be fair, Oliver doesn't know much about him or where he comes from. His opinion would certainly change if he learned why Luke was even there.

Beatrice

Ah, a good friend of his! Beatrice is rather pleasant to be around and the fact that they both enjoy music is a sweet little bonus. Sometimes they do perform together.

To be fair, Beatrice is also one of the ones that has been helping Yves come around on Oliver and has helped shown him in a light that isn't a horrid trickster nor some workaholic locked away in a lab. Oliver also enjoys sitting in on their tea parties and just chatting idlely with her.

He is, admittedly, a touch jealous of how close she and Maeve are and hasn't yet broken the ice on how to get closer to the both of them.

Maeve

Whenever he gets to go to Jade, or whenever Maeve finds a way to get to Rhodolite, visiting her is a must. Maeve has a good head on her shoulders, according to Oliver, so her guidance is pretty helpful.

He thinks her role as a Priestess is rather amazing and likes hearing about it. Some of it goes over his head as he is hardly a theologist and he doesn't pay too much mind to religion as a whole, but she is still impressive!

Much like with Beatrice, he is a touch jealous of her relationship with her best friend. He'll... figure it out.

Esther

Esther is honestly refreshing to be around for Oliver. She is serious when it is called for, she gives folks the cutest nicknames that charm him endlessly, and when things are going good, she's like a nice ray of sunshine lighting up the room she is in.

Watching her health improve has been a highlight for him. He does wish there was more he could do to help her, but her condition is chronic, not a disease he can treat with the right combination of medicine.

Still, he hopes to see her stick around. She sands off some of the edges of Chevalier, which Oliver greatly appreciates.

Viva

To be honest, Oliver admires Viva. What she did took guts and she did it all to protect her sister and to get revenge for her family. Though he cannot condone her actions, he would be the first to admit that she is very, very brave.

He hasn't spoke with her much since the Belle incident, but he has been meaning to. Since he enjoys being around Esther, he knows he'll be talking with Viva soon enough.

More than anything though, he just wants to pick her brain and see how she managed to get as far as she did!

Leyla

Goodness, someone has it out for him if she shows up in Rhodolite. She is strong, adventurous, and so bold! He would definitely be fascinated by her and would want to know all about her adventures and her ship!

Of course, he isn't so bold as to flirt with someone that Silvio is looking at. He's not stupid! But if she were to ask, he would honest to god consider running away to her ship for a little bit before remembering he is a weak nerd that would not survive out at sea.

@violettduchess @bicayaya @keithsandwich

#IkePri OC #IkePri Oliver #IkePri Beatrice #IkePri Maeve #IkePri Viva #IkePri Esther #IkePri Leyla #IkePri Jin #IkePri Chevalier #IkePri Clavis #IkePri Leon #IkePri Yves #IkePri Licht #IkePri Nokto #IkePri Luke #HA

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wickedbeeao3 · 1 year

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how about "The end"?

[Hi, Nonny! Thanks for the ask, I have been working on it for hours since I saw it. I am a bit enamored with the epistolary format, so this fic ends in a letter]

(From a place in the Faerieland)

(To the dweller of the ninth room on the left wing, second floor, Rhodolite Palace, Human Realm; window facing entrance, fifth counting left to right, close to a portrait of beasts in a rose maze)

Clever fox prince of Rhodolite,

I know not the means used to find my name nor my affiliation, but your letter found me, with a strong delay because you lack my address. Since you have played this trick, I would have you to do so again to find it, or any correspondence is going to take a LONG time.

To answer your questions, many of the fairies related to these matters are recovering. Rowan poisoning is enough to kill, but the only in such danger is Lady Albatross, the Rose White fairy. Equally, many wish for payback, and lacking the perpetrator of this crime, they may as well go through everything else. Since I gave you a warning, I expect, at least, that you are carrying more protections. It won't stop a curse targeting you indirectly, but it is something. And I won't kiss it better like last time.

Lady Cormorant will be more open to your apologies, you two have a rapport already. (I will pass her your letters if you send it to me). I warn you: BE sincere in your wishes to make amendments, follow through your word and take responsibility for what happened; you will avoid curses to yourself and your kingdom. We fairies are reasonable, no matter what legend says. Although, your devil is extremely unlikely to be spared either way, complicit as he was.

You will be glad to know that Luke and Leyla stand un-cursed since being disowned. It was a really inconvenient thing and I take their word that is different from my shapeshifting. Leyla has been complaining that she will have to train more, to make for the time lost; at least, Luke got to keep his calluses. They send their greetings and good wishes; well, Luke does both and Leyla the former. She thinks I should make your life more incovenient. A sickness, mayhap. Should she convince me, you'll be terribly annoyed, but it won't be nothing long-term, I assure you. I can be convinced to stay my hand, but between the three forces weighting my decision, she is the one winning.

(Leyla also sends her gratitude for always dancing with her. It made it bearable, since most men were weary of dancing with a partner taller than them.)

Was the beautiful woman chosen yet? I don't have to wonder how you'll approach the matter, but I hope you at least dance with her, Nokto; in my time in Rhodolite, you were among my best partners. A shame your balls only last a day or two; the bare minimum for ours starts at three days and the most at nine, except for the New Year.

How long would you last in the dance floor, fox prince? I am curious about the results. Your stamina could maintain you for long, but I doubt the rest of your muscles could keep up.

If you ever get invited to a fey ball, share the answer with me. I am sure it will be most amusing.

An acquaintance of yours,

Lady Mira

#askbox meme #thanks for the ask!#ikepri #ikepri fanfic #my fairy au on the works #yeah. Leyla lives

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ceruleanwhore · 1 year

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As someone who has never liked Jin since I first started ikepri, I recently was convinced to attempt to make my way through his romantic route after reading @randonauticrap’s wonderful and very compelling fanfic about him and now, as I finish his story, I wanted to take a very long minute to talk about it. I’d like to start with a bit of context before really getting into things, though. (Major spoilers for Luke and Jin’s routes below the cut.)

A few months ago, I saw a post somewhere on here that mentioned what, for me at the time, was a massive spoiler, that Jin killed Luke’s sister. At the time, I was in the middle of another route so I immediately took to YouTube to find a playlist of Jin’s route because my thought at the time was that I wanted to read it. However, I very quickly decided that I hated it, and then I kind of just flipped through some of the following chapters, kind of scanning for the stuff with Luke’s sister and not finding it, so then I just ended up skipping to the last 8 chapters and slogging through those. It is also worth mentioning that the only ending on YouTube was his dramatic ending.

Now, that whole experience sucked beyond belief and I came out of it deeply, passionately hating Jin because really all I saw was his awful, disrespectful behavior at the very beginning and that horrid shit he pulls both in ch 19 and then in the actual ending. A while after this whole ordeal, I did get around to reading Luke’s route, which made me hate Jin even more because, in the part where Jin is finally explaining what happened on Bloodstained Rose Day and we get his own flashback, there’s no dialogue, like he pulls this injured little girl from the rubble and then just slices her throat without her ever saying anything. Between that and what sure seemed like sexism from what bits and pieces of Jin’s route I’d seen, it gave me this idea that Leyla was straight up unconscious and he just decided to slice her throat like that because, in truth, he just wanted her out of the way and didn’t want to have to deal with her during the fighting but obviously he’d tell himself that it was for her sake or some shit. There’s still a bunch I’m missing with that but I’m about to get way more into this shit so I’m not concerned, but tldr I fucking hated this guy and I thought he was the worst kind of scum coming out of Luke’s route, especially since so many other people in the fandom have talked about how much he gives them the ick.

So now, at the end of his romantic route, I still don’t like him and I really think I was just bewitched by the beautiful things that @randonauticrap has written about him, but I don’t truly hate him anymore. I think I’m going to just list off my issues with his character as quickly as possible to just really show how much there is that I take issue with here without going on about it for an eternity.

First is the way he talks about women (i.e. comments about how he’s never seen such an impressive “rack” before.) More importantly, there’s how he’s sexualizing women in totally inappropriate contexts where there really aren’t any women present, like when he’s training his troops or when he goes to deal with that issue on the border and is addressing those kids from Obsidian. This particularly is disturbing to me because there’s already a longstanding history of men conflating sexual violence with the violence of war and for Jin to, however unintentionally, draw that direct of a connection between fighting in war and having sex with women is something I cannot abide by.

Also with his lack of respect of women is how he demands and abuses Emma’s time at the start of his route. It’s bad enough to put her in that god-awful position in the first place with Sariel and all that, but to then drag her away from the hard work she has to put in because of him just to make her spend an entire day watching him go around hitting on other women is beyond disrespectful. The other thing that really irks me is how he continues to hit on Emma after she’s made it super clear that, unlike the women he has relations with, she truly believes that such relations exclusively accompany real feelings. He acknowledges that she’s a true romantic and then is out here like “where’s my hug” and it makes me feel violent. I originally wasn’t totally against how he talks to women, since in canon all those faceless nameless side characters he fucks seem to be into it and I thought he was a consent king who stops if the woman clearly isn’t interested and only ever pursues women who are really into what he’s offering but apparently not.

Then there’s everything with Clause 99. First off, him putting in the clause basically reflects that his biggest fear is history repeating itself with his parents’ relationship and Clause 99 puts ALL of that responsibility on the women who will serve as Belle in the future. Secondly, this is backed by his hypocritical behavior throughout the different routes. In Luke’s route, he outright encourages Luke to pursue Emma in spite of making this clause and he easily yields to his other brothers when, in their own routes, they decide they want to revoke the clause, and yet Emma herself gets Clause 99 looming over her head throughout all of the routes. The conclusion which I believe is actually meant to be canon with this is that women are fragile little flowers who need extra special protection from the big, bad men and they need a fucking man to provide that protection. Rather than putting in any amount of effort at all whatsoever to make himself and his brothers and future generations of their family better, he’s putting all this serious, overwhelming pressure on the women. Also, the clause does jack shit to help mitigate the development of such emotions, so it literally just serves to put pressure and responsibility on women about things beyond their control while accomplishing nothing other than turning them into scapegoats.

Okay so then I really need to talk about Luke’s sister. So, as I started to talk about before, I now know that the flashback in Luke’s route was incomplete and that Leyla did actually beg for death, but even with that being the case there are still some major ethical issues here. For example, can a ~8 year old child have the bodily autonomy to actually request assisted suicide and should they? Does said child have enough knowledge of pain and injury to know when they’re actually about to die or not? Should a grown ass man actually heed a child’s request for death without even so much as having a doctor spare said child a glance first? But then after he killed her, he went and stole her body to go bury her in the woods, clearly just deciding that her dead body should go to him to use to try and make himself feel better. Those graves that are hidden where only he can find them do nothing for Leyla or for Luke; they exclusively exist for Jin. They are there solely for him to use to try and alleviate his guilt over time, like props.

Then, there’s the part in Luke’s route where he discovers the truth about Jin, so Jin takes him on a walk to those graves and tells the story of how he killed Leyla before he then tries to get Luke to kill him. Once again, this has nothing at all to do with trying to give Luke justice or closure and it has everything to do with Jin making everything about himself. There’s even a bit in there where Jin basically phrases it like he’s asking Luke to do him a favor and hear him out, making it clear that this is not at all for Luke’s benefit. Likewise, if he really cared about Luke getting real, meaningful justice and closure, he wouldn’t be trying to get Luke to murder him, putting all that blood directly on his hands, giving him further pain and trauma, and also ensuring that Chevalier would then kill Luke because of course he would.

Another thing I want to add, going off of that, is how very badly Jin sucks at conflict resolution, which we see multiple times between his route and Luke’s, whether it’s his conflict with Luke or how he handles shit so utterly fucking terribly with Emma or even that bullshit at the border with Obsidian at the end of his route. This man isn’t just shit at conflict resolution, he’s thoroughly proven that all attempts he makes at it are just variations of the same shit: self sacrifice fueled by ego dressed up to look like it’s heroic and really meant for the benefit of others that only actually harms those it’s supposedly meant to protect.

So I think my final takeaway with his character is that he is inherently very selfish but he has no self awareness about that selfishness and genuinely believes everything he’s doing is for other people. Another thing I want to talk about is that I saw a video the other day that also has softened my overall feelings about Jin, and that video was talking about the lack of self awareness of male feminists. This video talke about how some of these men who are out here making online content around ‘educating’ other men about feminism and respecting women will sometimes share this sentiment like “women have all been traumatized by the bad men out there so you just need to be patient with them” and how condescending it is. The issue here is that, when men say this, they are refusing to acknowledge that even as a good ol feminist ally, their own behavior can come across as sexist and they themselves can give us the ick or make us feel unsafe.

I bring this up because, with Jin, I originally thought he was a sexist dick hiding behind a very thin facade of “but I love women,” but now I think it really is just a complete lack of self awareness where, like the men that video talked about, he sees himself as a feminist who loves women, so he doesn’t see how his words and actions can make it seem as though he’s violently sexist. So, to sum everything up, when I first found @randonauticrap’s stuff and then subsequently decided to read Jin’s story, I genuinely hated him because I saw him as dangerously sexist and selfish but now, as I finish his route, I don’t like him but I no longer hate him the way I did. Now I see him as capable of change and I think that like after the end of the story, a good person like the one he’s in a relationship with could successfully help him grow and change into a better person.

#ikepri #ikeprince #ikemen prince #ikepri jin #jin grandet #anti jin #anti jin grandet #i tried yall #i swear i wanted to like him

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bespectacledbun · 8 months

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4 am and im thinking about this post and i. I keep coming back to the meals. the food. food being the biggest form of love in ikepri. queen michel inventing recipes in the kitchens with leticia. sariel calming down the crying princes with cookies. chevalier splitting a loaf of bread in the market with gilbert. keith having salons regularly with yves and licht. rio's favorite dish being the one emma would make while nursing him back to health. leon getting flavored candy from jin every christmas. the twins sneaking their carrots into sariel's meals (and vice versa). gilbert having a sweet tooth because albert used to make sweets for him. luke learning how to cook because of leyla. leon going to the tavern with jin and clavis for beer and meat. sariel and rio becoming drinking partners. jin abandoning his cutlery and table manners to make luke feel at home. clavis theming his culinary creations around rabbits. yves's hobby of baking for his brothers. silvio and nokto going out for drinks. a secret package of honey cookies. tea leaves in letters. rose-themed desserts. the food. the food. the food.

the domestic faction's meals together being so much more than just faction bonding. it's about leon and yves and jin recognizing licht needs help. it's about them noticing their baby brother is deeply depressed and has a low appetite and will likely go the whole day without food if left to his own devices. it's about leon gathering them for breakfast and lunch and dinner to make sure licht eats something or else he'll forget. it's about yves practicing baking and becoming good at it because licht loved sweets as a child. it's about yves wants to bring some of that joy back for him. it's about the four of them fighting over cake like little kids. mealtimes becoming an act of love and devotion.

and emma. emma being welcomed to the castle with a feast in the domestic faction's office. emma going on a food tour of the capital with yves. emma making time to have tea with rio. emma baking a cake for chevalier for his birthday every year. emma learning to cook hamburg steak to perfection for nokto. emma bringing sandwiches to the princes while they train. emma baking that pie that yves's mother loved, for him. emma making honey-sweetened desserts for luke. emma eating breakfast together with clavis. I just. there is so much love to be found in the food. my god. my god.

#ikepri #bun’s ikepri brainrot #so I may have projected a few of my own depression tendencies onto licht. what about it #I will never be over leon deciding they have to eat together as a covert way of making sure licht is fed regularly #I will never be over yves baking and hosting salons with keith so that licht socializes with other people #there is something very ethnic about the way ikepri as a whole treats food and mealtimes and the memories associated with them #particularly with how the acts of cooking together and eating together and /sharing/ food become metaphors for acts of love #romantic love. platonic love. parental love. love between siblings. love between friends. love for people as a whole.

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violettduchess · 26 days

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A/N: It's been a long haul but it's finally done! Thank you to @lorei-writes for all the encouragement and advice and for helping me take a step into an area of fanfic I never really considered exploring before!

OC Captain Leyla Quinn x Silvio Ricci

Their first meeting

WC: 4k

The sight of sunlight glistening off the waters of the bay never fails to bring Leyla a sense of calm. The brightness dancing along the wavering surface feels like it echoes through her bones, steadying and strengthening her, as real and solid as the wooden dock beneath her boots or the hand that suddenly clamps down on her shoulder.

What the….

With a sharp intake of air, she turns to find Kai, her trusted Quartermaster, has joined her on the pier. The sunlight winks off his bald head and the gold hoop in his ear. Leyla isn’t a short woman but next to Kai, anyone would feel small. He reminds her of the giant Oak trees found in the forests of his native Obsidian: tall, broad, imposing. He gestures with one muscular arm and the orange kraken tattooed from wrist to elbow undulates with the movement.

“Shipwright says repairs will be done by tomorrow.”

Siren’s Call, her ship, took some minor damage before reaching the Tourmaline port thanks to a particularly nasty storm that harrowed them on the last day of their journey. She knew the damage was minimal but keeping the ship in tip-top shape was one of Leyla’s biggest concerns. She had seen firsthand what could happen when a captain became lackadaisical with the care of their ship and when she had become Siren’s Call’s owner, she vowed to never be so complacent.

She shifts her sky-blue gaze over to where the ship is docked. Several figures can be seen scurrying around the deck. She recognizes several members of her crew and grins slowly when she notices Amani, her boatswain, is among them.

“Amani's got a handle on things, I’m sure.” Fiery Amani from the mystical land of Tanzanite with her explosion of lilac curls and stormy gray eyes sometimes scares Leyla with how well she knows Siren’s Call, almost as if she and the ship share a mind and a soul. She wouldn’t let them get away with so much as an off-center nail.

Kai’s laughter greets her ears like a roll of jolly thunder. “She’s probably the reason they’re almost done, the little terror.”

“Captain Quinn!”

Leyla and Kai both turn at the same time to see a grizzled man with a thick white beard and skin like aged leather approaching, his arms held out wide in jubilant greeting.

“Rumford, you old pirate!” Leyla’s voice is warm with affection as she claps the old man on the back heartily. Kai’s large hand grips his arm in greeting, his smile also welcoming.

The older man’s green eyes twinkle like sea glass as he nods towards the docks. “Ship’s lookin’ good, Captain. I heard ‘bout your troubles with the storm but it seems Lady Luck still favors ya.”

Leyla throws the dark waves of her hair over her shoulder as she glances at her ship and then back to Rumford who is now leaning against one of the nearby wooden pillars.

“Ah, but that's less to do with luck and more to do with the skill of my crew.” Her voice swells with pride. Her crew is her family and it's obvious to anyone who speaks to her how fiercely she treasures them.

Rumford scratches at the edges of his worn blue bandana, shrugging one bony shoulder. “Fair enough, lass, fair enough. Lord knows ya got one of the best…” He pauses, eyes bright as he remembers something and he motions for her and Kai to come closer. “I do have a bit of interestin’ news for ya both.”

Kai can never resist gossip and immediately moves a step closer. Leyla, a bit more skeptical, crosses her arms slowly and grins.

“Go on then, old timer.”

Rumford clears his throat. “The storm wasn’t the only thing makin’ waves around here." He lowers his voice conspiratorially. "The Red Queen herself was around these parts not several days ago.”

Leyla’s dark brows rise. “You don’t say.”

He nods sagely. “Aye. Ya see, a slave ship carryin’ cargo from the Peridot Islands was sunk not that far from here. One lone crew member survived and he was scared shitless. Claimed the ship moved silent as a ghost and the attack was so brutal it was over in a matter of seconds. All the captives disappeared. No other crew members survived.” Rumford’s voice is a loud, stage whisper. “Folks say that ship and her Captain are cursed but I say, they’re doin’ the angels work, takin’ out scum like that.” He punctuates his words by spitting on the dock.

He rambles on for a few more minutes before excusing himself with a hiccup and a wave. Leyla watches him amble back towards the ramshackle wooden buildings that make up the portside town.

“I told you one had gotten away.” Her voice is low as she watches Rumford’s frame grow smaller with distance.

Kai crosses his burly arms. “It was dark. He wouldn’t have seen much. Besides.” He turns, mouth tilting in a grin. “That’s what we wear the fancy red scarves for.”

She snorts, biting back a laugh. Kai hated the red silk scarves they all wore on the bottom halves of their faces when they were on The Crimson Scorn. He knew they had to protect their identities. Some of the ships they had taken down belonged to powerful people, black market merchants or corrupt government officials who would love to find the Red Queen and her crew and send them to a watery grave.

“We should be hearing from Morganite in a few days then.” The small country of Morganite was where they had sent those they freed. A contact was waiting for them there and would help relocate all those who had originally been heading for the torment of slavery.

Kai nods. “I’ll let you know the minute I do.” A seagull cuts a dark figure across the clear sky, its loud call directing their attention towards a ship in the distance, heading towards the port. Even from far away, every part of it screams wealth, from its many billowing white sails to the rich color of its wood.

Leyla squints and then shakes her head. Her disdain for the fancy ship radiates off her like heat waves and Kai laughs, patting his captain on the shoulder.

“C’mon. There’s a pint in The Loaded Cannon with your name on it.”

She watches the gaudy merchant ship for another moment, something uneasy fluttering in the pit of her stomach. A feeling that she can’t quite pinpoint. Like that ship is a harbinger of some kind. But of what....she doesn't know.

“Captain?” Kai is looking down at her with concern in his hazel eyes.

Leyla clears her throat, turning on the heel of her black boot.

“Let’s go. We got some celebrating to do.”

The Loaded Cannon isn’t much, but it has warm food, strong ale and good service which is more than one can say for many seaside taverns. As the sun sinks, painting the sky in dramatic pink and orange, Captain Leyla Quinn is squinting, one blue eye focused with blazing intensity on the crude chalk outline of a person against the far wall of the tavern. Those who are seated nearby or leaning against tables watch, slanted forward in anticipation but not daring to make a sound.

Right……there……

The small dagger leaves her hand, flying with a precision that belies the amount of drink she has consumed already. It strikes the wall right where the painted man’s heart would be with a loud thunk. The grizzled seafarers cheer, sloshing their ale as they raise their mugs in a toast. Leyla whoops with joy, throwing her arm up in celebration before reaching for her own tankard and taking a long, deep pull.

“And that’s how you do it, folks!” Her eyes shine as she sets down her mug, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and laughing at a joke one of the craggy patrons makes about never messing with Captain Quinn.

“You’re good."

A voice cuts through the crowd and she turns, her radiant exuberance slowly shifting from smile to frown as a stranger approaches. In the hush that falls over the tavern, she can hear the sound of his ornate clothing jangling before he even steps into the hazy orange light of the overhead lantern.

Even in the dim room his blue eyes gleam like molten sapphire.

“But I’m better.”

Heat swarms inside her veins, an immediate buzzing that has her straightening her shoulders, lifting her chin as he comes fully into view. He is staggeringly handsome with pale hair the color of moonlight and a face made to be sculpted in marble. His body is long and lean, lines that beg the eye to follow them. His lips are quirked in a smile painted in equal shades arrogance and confidence. A smile that has her suck in a breath and there it sticks, right in her chest, as she finds herself locked into that brilliant gaze.

She could drown in all that blue, sink into it like a wrecked ship into the hungry ocean, all without putting up a fight.

Attraction has unexpectedly roared like a beast unearthed, sinking its claws into her heart and stomach, driving heat across her skin.

But she is also very aware of her surroundings, of the many gazes jumping with bright interest between her and this tall stranger with golden jewelry that drinks in the ochre light.

Fighting the shocking tidal wave of sudden desire he has unleashed, she slips into a pose of casual interest, her head tilted as she regards him, hoping in the back of her mind that she has managed to look mildly intrigued.

“Aren’t we sure of ourselves,” she says loudly, lifting her mug of ale and taking a sip, grateful for the cool rush of liquid. Her eyes never leave the stranger and he seems amused, head cocked to one side, waiting to see what she’ll do.

She sets down her tankard, turning to face him fully. “You have a very loud bark, sea dog. And it’s my experience that dogs that yap the loudest are the least dangerous.”

A collective chuckle rolls through the patrons as they continue watching the exchange. It gives Leyla a boost of confidence as she winks at the sailor seated just to her right, a gesture of comradery and conspiracy.

The stranger grins slowly, placing a hand on his hip.

“Brave enough to make a bet of it, lady?”

Leyla scoffs. “I don’t make bets with strangers.”

He takes a step closer, looking at her as if she is the only person in the whole tavern.

“We ain't strangers. We’ve been talkin’ for at least a minute.”

“You can take him!”, one of the men calls from the back and the patrons all nod, yelling their support, some banging their mugs on the scarred wooden tables.

Leyla glances around, bolstered by the sight of so many supportive grins, then turns back to the pale-haired man. Alright then. This may be a way to temper some of the heat tornadoing through her. Focus that energy on competition.

“What’s your bet?”

He reaches up, rubbing his chin as if in thought. She can’t help but notice his hands. What a paradox they seem to be. He has the calloused palms of a sailor but with long, elegant fingers bedecked in a variety of expensive rings.

“One throw. Whoever gets closest to the center of the heart, wins. When I win….” There’s a pause as he allows himself the liberty of drinking in the sight of her, from her knee-high black boots to the ends of her wavy ebon hair. “.....you kiss me.”

The patrons in the tavern roar, some with protective annoyance, others with astounded delight. There are an equal number of “Now wait a minutes” mixed in with “He’s got guts, I tell ya.”

That tornado she was hoping to temper rips through her at the thought.

Goddamn it.

Leyla holds up her hand to quiet the room, ignoring the wild hammering of her heart and keeping her breathing as even as possible. However confident this man is, she knows her own skill with a dagger.

“And when I win….” She pauses, imitating the way he looked at her a moment before, then smiles slowly. “I get that fancy sword of yours.”

His hand automatically comes up the sword at his hip, to touch the beautiful gold hilt inlaid with elegant azure gemstones. She’s struck a nerve, picking something that obviously holds value to him. Their gazes meet and lock, like the antlers of stags locked in combat.

“It’s a bet.” His voice is light, easygoing but she notices the way his hand is still possessively wrapped around the hilt of his sword. “Ladies first.”

She reaches down, slipping her fingers into the inside of her boot and removes the dagger she has carried with her ever since her first journey across the sea. She has wielded it a thousand times, knows its heft, its dynamics, its length. She could throw it with her eyes bound and it would hit its mark.

The patrons hold their breath. Never has she experienced the tavern as quiet as it is now. She turns, facing the chalky outline of the man on the wooden wall.

The only sign of nervousness is the slight press of her lips, the thin line they form as she breathes in deeply.

Once.

Twice.

And then she throws. The dagger sails from her hand as sure and steady an arrow from Diana’s bow where it lands with a satisfying thunk right where the man’s heart would be. The tavern erupts into cheers and she feels a wave of pure relief wash over her as she steps aside, unable to keep from grinning.

There’s no way–

He moves with the litheness of a predator, elegance and unbelievable speed blending together in the extension of his arm as his jeweled dagger flies towards the outline. There is another thunk, followed by the hollow thud of Leyla’s dagger as it is dislodged from the wall and falls in a dramatic swoon to the dusty floorboards. In its place, the silver and sapphire dagger gleams victorious.

The tavern erupts again, this time louder than before. It sounds like one loud roar as patrons jump up, some cheering, some in shock, some even clapping this stranger in his elegant clothing on the shoulder.

Well, fuck.

He passes her, going to retrieve the daggers and she’s hit with the smell of sea salt and something else, something tangy and expensive. Her heart thunders in her chest as the crowd around her calls out teasing words and praise for them both.

The stranger flashes her a smile, all white teeth and triumph, as he holds out her dagger to her, hilt first.

“Told ya,” he says in a low, infuriatingly attractive whisper.

She takes the dagger from him with a loud exhale. She can’t help but notice the eager look on many of the patron’s faces. After all, she did agree to kiss him if she lost….

“Not here,” she snaps, turning on her boot heel and marching straight out of the tavern and into the cool night air. Losing has temporarily doused some of the heat his presence had ignited in her.

Maybe he won’t follow her.

He follows her.

And she has to admit to herself….she’s not sorry.

When she reaches her destination, he barks out a laugh. She’s literally marched across the street, stopping on the wooden portico of the boarding house directly across from the tavern. The raucous sounds of the patrons within The Loaded Cannon are still audible as they float along on the cool sea breeze.

“Too good for a room in the tavern?”

Now they are ostensibly alone, standing in the dim light of the single lantern hanging next to the wooden sign of the boarding house. She thought he was handsome before but now, up close and away from other people, his presence swallows everything else around her, as strong as the unyielding pull of the bright moon on the tide. Has she ever, ever been so immediately drawn to a person like this?

“I like my privacy.” The word hangs in the air between them, sparkling like a gemstone, smooth as silk.

He takes a step towards her and for the first time, she can see the effect she is having on him. His eyes are dark as the sea at midnight, his body radiating an electric tension as he draws closer to her.

So it's not just her. He feels it too.

“Ya lost, sea witch. Time to pay up.”

Something inside Leyla bursts.

Like a sea anemone opening its explosively bright body to the current.

Like cannon fire.

Like lust.

She reaches out, grabbing him by the wrist, feeling the softness of his white silk tunic under her palm and pulls him to her, stretching up to press her mouth to his.

Oh……

……..oh…….

………………fuck.

He tastes sweet as rose liquor and twice as potent. She wraps her arms around him, immediately wanting to get closer, drinking him in like he might disappear at any second as something ferocious is let loose. Something wild that winds itself around them. Something blistering. Something that feels like vague danger and crystal-clear want. Those long fingers are curling themselves into her black hair, wearing it like his golden rings. He pulls slightly to shift her head, giving him a better position to plunder the heat of her mouth, to swallow every gasp she makes. And when she groans, he yanks her even closer, like he can’t take it, and she swears she can feel his heart banging like drumfire in his chest.

A loud whistling breaks through the feverish haze and she sees several sailors grinning as they exit the tavern, having spotted them wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Fuck,” she murmurs as the rowdy, ale-drunk group continues with playful catcalls and whistles. Drawing a deep breath, she tilts her head to meet his gaze straight on. “Let’s go to my room.” She starts to reach for his hand but then stops. “I mean….if you want to.” Maybe he doesn’t want to go any further. She shouldn’t assume–

He grins and the sight of it has her heart resume beating at breakneck speed.

“If ya think my answer is gonna be anything except ‘yes, immediately’--” He’s cut off by her yanking him through the doors of the boarding house, hand now held confidently and very firmly in hers.

She kisses not with lips and tongue, but with fire.

Silvio didn’t see her when he walked into The Loaded Cannon. He heard her. A laugh that broke through the smoky din like a burst of sunlight through faded gray clouds. It immediately turned his head, diverting him from his mission to see what he could find out about the captain he would be meeting with tomorrow concerning his trip to Pyrite.

That laughter wound its way through the air, danced over the rumble of low voices, the drunken cheers, the mumbles until he found its source. She was standing, shoulders back, stance wide, wavy hair the color of a moonless midnight sky falling in waves past her shoulders, and a grin so cocky he felt his own lips curving upwards in response. She was jerking her thumb towards the wall where a dagger was embedded within the outline of a person, defying anyone to deny what skill a throw like that would take.

She wasn’t the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. There wasn’t any physical feature that stood out as extraordinary. And yet here he was, unable to tear his gaze away from her. He watched as she lifted her tankard, turning in a way that he got a good look at the pale blue of her eyes, the cloudless sky at midday, and he noticed the small black beauty mark at the corner of her left eye. His fingers curled with the sudden, inexplicable urge to touch it.

“And that’s how you do it, folks!” Her voice surprised him. Deeper than he expected, huskier than he would have imagined. He wanted to hear more.

And then he was on his feet, walking towards her.

“You’re good……but I’m better.”

And those five words lead him to this moment, right now. To this woman who has invaded every one of his senses with lightning speed, her fingers brazenly roaming through his hair as she leaves a trail of kisses across his bare shoulder like droplets of lava. A tornado of hunger tears its way through his body, tangling his veins and burning up any thoughts other than how much he wants her, this blue-eyed siren who smells like orange blossoms and feels like heaven under his palms.

Her name…..it doesn’t matter. Who needs something so unimportant? His mouth has other things to do. Like an unspoken agreement, neither one of them has said a word since stumbling into her room. The seconds are for tasting as much of the other as they can, as quickly as they can. They fall in tandem onto the bed, never letting go. Two people drowning and grasping each other as they sink down into the storm of need.

Has he ever been so lost, so completely immersed in another person like this? Has he ever felt so frantic from just a touch, a sigh?

And then she wraps her arms around his shoulders, her legs around his waist and there is room for nothing else in his mind. Just her. And he plans to enjoy every second he has, swimming in this tempestuous sea of lust and longing, until the dawn kisses the night and the sky turns pale with morning’s glow.

Leyla’s eyes open just as the last blush of peach is fading from the clouds and the sun continues its climb through the morning sky. Her body feels languid with the memory of the night, heavy with satisfaction. She stretches with a slow yawn, running a hand over the side of her neck and down the tender slope to her shoulder, an expanse of skin peppered with the rosy echoes of a stranger's passionate kisses. Her hips are marked by the strong grip of his nimble fingers. Ah, but it can't be just her. Oh, no. His body must carry the same evidence of their night together. She remembers well the feel of his muscular back under her fingernails, the softness of his earlobe between her teeth.

A shiver runs through her at the thought. One of the most memorable nights of her life and she doesn’t even know his name.

She turns towards the nightstand with the intention of checking the time on her pocket watch and freezes.

There, leaning against the wooden night table, is his sword. A parting gift. A thank you.

Her grin rivals the brightening sky.

“Had a good night, did you?” Kai glances at his captain as they head down the street towards the Merchant’s Guild, one of the better constructed and larger buildings in the entire town.

Leyla adjusts her fitted long coat. It is a deep royal blue and decorated with gold filigree, the one she always wears when she needs to make a strong impression. Her blouse is white and crisp and a black leather sword baldric is strapped across her body. And hanging at her side is the sword, its golden handle and sapphire stones winking cheerily in the sunlight.

“That is for me to know. And you to never ask about again.” But she knows he can read her like a seafarer can the stars. He notices the extra bounce in her step, the white silk scarf tied strategically around her neck, the small, secretive smile that hasn’t left her lips since he picked her up.

He laughs as they approach the building, the sound buoyant and warm.

“Alright, alright. Let’s focus on the task at hand then. Remind me who exactly set up this meeting?”

She pauses at the foot of the stairs that lead up to the wide, ornately carved double doors.

“An emissary from Benitoite has been sniffing around different port towns. Some prince is looking for a crew who knows these waters. Apparently he’s been searching for a captain willing to take him through Blackwater Strait. He’s got cargo that needs to be delivered to Pyrite.”

Kai nods in recollection, now remembering the first time she told him this story. “I only know one captain who is crazy enough to do that.”

They share a grin and Leyla adjusts the blue velvet tricorn hat on her head, fingers brushing against the elegant white feather it boasts. “Should be easy money.”

They walk in step with each other through the heavy double doors and are immediately met by a slender man with dark curls and glasses. He's dressed in the elegant clothing of a royal adjutant.

“Ahh Captain Quinn, right this way.” He glances at her and then up up up at Kai nervously before leading them down the hallway and through another set of doors that open into a large, airy meeting room.

Kai steps in confidently but for the second time that morning, Leyla freezes.

The man waiting by the window, the one dressed in ornate finery, absurdly trimmed with white and black fur. The one whose golden jewelry jangles as he turns to face them. The one with pale hair the color of moonlight and a face made to be sculpted in marble.

“Prince Silvio of Benitoite,” the aide says formally.

It can’t be……

He’s the prince?

“Captain Leyla Quinn, of the Siren’s Call.”

Silvio’s shocked expression is a mirror of her own.

She’s the captain?

The same word leaves both their lips, at the same time.

“Fuck.”

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