#One more chapter and it'll be the new stuff hehe.

[lucienarcheron]

Spirit Meets the Bones XXII

Genre: Angst/Romance/Drama Warnings: Mentions of physical abuse. Please note: There will be heavy subjects discussed that may be triggering.

*This chapter was previously part of chapter 21 (which again, was 30 pages?? insane) and as I have been editing and reuploading the chapters, I have since decided to split chapter 21 into two. 

shoutout to @abruisedmuse for being my number one on this journey!

tagging: @climb-the-mountian / @vanserrass / @zenkindoflove / @animezinglife / @teddyhoneybear / @readthelastpaage / @positivewitch / @krem-does-stuff / @clockwork-ashes / @carolynmezzosoprano / @carnythian / @runningwiththeoceans / @secret-third-thing / @readychilledwine / @goldenmagnolias / @thedarkinmansfield / @mali22 / @maidr-00 / @electromagnetic-waves / @eastofatlanta / @moobell55 / @bibliophiliaxvignette / @devilsfoodcake22 / @moonfawnx / @weesablackbeak / @ladywhilemia / @alohaangels / @eachies / @feysandfeels / @thelovelymadone / @corcracrow / @dawneternal / @sinnerrsworld / @gracie-rosee / @stormycleric / @queenofnothing1998 / @wolvesnravens / @theeternalstruggle / @the-midnightwriter / @illyrianvalkyrie / @that-golden-lyre / @ladystarrynight

Find it all here.

Something was wrong. 

Iris had started to sense it not too long after Eris had left; a sense of unease worked its way through her chest and twisted in her gut.  She tried to brush off the worry — today had been a whirlwind and Finn showing up suddenly was probably adding to the stress she was already feeling. Eris would be fine. He should be fine. Even if he was taking longer than she expected. 

She let herself focus on other things while she waited, mindlessly tidying the room, washing up for bed, and lastly, actually choosing something she deemed indecent to wear to bed.

It was a beautiful olive-green gown, the material satin with lace trimmings that seemed to have been made for her, hugging her body in a way she knew would send her husband into a nice little spiral. Or, at least she hoped it would. It was also much shorter than she’d ever worn around Eris, barely reaching her midthigh, and that — well, that made her a little more nervous than she’d like to be.

It was just skin after all. She’d gradually been showing him a little more skin with each new set but never…never this much. Iris flushed deeply and then frowned at her reflection.

“Get over yourself,” she mumbled. “It’s not like you don’t want him to touch you.” 

Because she did. If his kisses were any indication, Eris would likely be the death of her, and that had her feeling very nervous. But she had a nice long robe that would make her feel more secure. 

At least until they talked and she got answers to her questions. 

Today had been challenging in its own way but this moment, choosing to be a little more intimate with him…this was for her. For the way he had been making her feel the past few weeks. For the way his eyes always watched her with just a little hunger and a whole lot of amusement. 

But mostly…it was for the way his voice had dropped when he had made his request earlier. He had asked so politely. It would be bad manners to refuse. 

If he’d just hurry up and come back already.

Iris had been standing in front of the vanity, fidgeting slightly with the thin strap of her nightgown when a sharp tug to her ribcage had her freezing. A gasp left her lips as she steadied herself and the dread she had been trying to keep at bay came back in full force. She felt panicked. She felt — she felt pain.

Something was wrong and she didn’t understand what that was. That — that tug.

With shaking hands, she quickly slipped the robe over her gown and tied it firmly, rushing to her door and yanking it open.��

She staggered to a halt in the doorway when one of Eris’s commanders turned to face her and she blinked in surprise. 

“Oren?” she asked and straightened. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”

The general took a moment to scan the hall, empty except for the two of them then took a small step towards her and gave her a tight smile. “His Royal Highness, Prince Eris wished for you to have some additional protection at this time,” Oren said calmly but Iris’s heart stuttered in her chest. She didn’t miss the usage of the formal title, especially when Oren and Eris were considered friends.

“Where is he?” she demanded. “He was supposed to be meeting with Finn earlier. Has something happened?”

The tight smile remained on Oren’s face.  “The High Lord requested him earlier. He sent me here before he went.”

Iris inhaled sharply, her grip tightening on the doorframe as another sense of unease washed over her. “I knew something was wrong,” she said quietly and Oren narrowed his eyes at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Something is wrong. I can feel it.” Iris said and rubbed a hand to her forehead. “I’m going to change then go find —”

“I can’t let you leave,” Oren stated and Iris froze.

“Excuse me?”

Oren winced and Iris cocked a brow as he took a breath. “I am under orders to watch over you,” he said more gently. “Until he returns from his meeting with the High Lord.”

“He’s never had someone stand guard when he meets with the High Lord,” she said quietly, and again, she felt that flutter of panic as Oren’s lip thinned. 

“It seems, the High Lord is angrier than usual.”

Iris bit her lip and then let out a breath. He was angry with Eris and Iris knew without a doubt, it had to be because of her. Because of her horrible father. “Fuck.” she mumbled and Oren gestured gently to the room behind her. 

“I suggest you wait inside.”

“How am I supposed to wait when I know that —” she began then cut herself off in frustration, knowing she couldn’t say anything about the High Lord that wouldn’t get back to him. “How can I just wait when I’m telling you I can sense something is wrong!”

Oren gave her a look she didn’t quite understand then again, gently said, “I know it might be hard to wait but it’s better for you and him that you stay here. He’ll worry about you less.”

Worry about her. As if she cared about herself at this moment. Knowing what she knew about Beron, she wouldn’t be surprised if he was tearing into Eris for not beating Iris alongside her father. She ran a hand through her hair and bit her lip, holding back a string of curses. 

The High Lord needed Eris. Surely, he wouldn’t do anything — but Iris immediately shook her head. The High Lord would do whatever he wanted to his son. 

And she could do nothing to protect him. 

Shame and anger coiled in her stomach and Iris wished there was more she could do — anything she could do other than sit here and wait.

She glanced at the commander once more who only gave her a nod. She sighed.

“You don’t have to wait outside. I’ll be fine,” she said quietly. “No one can come in here without my permission.”

Oren gave her a small smile. “I know. But I am loyal to one male and one male only,” he said. “And I will do as he requested of me.”

Iris watched Oren carefully. So it seemed he knew all about Eris and the way things were with the High Lord. He’d also been a friend and commander of his for so long…but she had to ask, “Why?”

The corner of the commander’s mouth shifted up. “Because I see what he’s been trying to do. And I believe in him,” he said then gestured with his chin behind her again. “I’ll be here if you need anything until he returns.”

Knowing she’d been dismissed, Iris turned to go back into her rooms. Oren had distracted her briefly but as she slowly shut the door, her hands started to shake again. She couldn’t help the guilt threatening to consume her, couldn't help the twist in her gut. How long would Beron keep his son? What would he do to him?

Her eyes flickered to the grandfather clock sitting in the corner of their living space and she frowned. It was already so late in the evening. How much longer would this meeting take?

But an hour went by. Then several more. 

And Iris spent the time pacing around their room, fighting back her anxiety and holding herself back from running past Oren and finding her husband herself. 

She had been seated, curled up on their bed trying and failing to distract herself when she heard the familiar thud of their door closing and leaped to her feet.

“You took so long! I started to think —” Iris started but the rest of the words died in her throat at the sight of Eris in front of her. 

Heat filled the room almost immediately as Iris halted a few feet away from him. 

Her husband stood before her and Iris wasn’t sure where to look. At the now tattered jacket somehow still on his body. At the blood dripping from him. Or his hair that now barely reached the nape of his neck. She couldn’t stop staring, her heart rate increasing at the cold detachment on his face and the dead look in his eyes that set her on edge. 

Iris tried to swallow, to hold back the horror and panic going through her body, to calm her shaking hands.

“What — what happened?” she asked carefully, taking a step closer to him. Eris’s gaze dropped to her feet and the step she took closer to him then back up to her face. 

A beat of silence passed. Then another. Eris watched her, barely blinking and Iris didn’t dare move or say anything more as her fingers curled into the fabric of her robe. 

Slowly and without saying a word, Eris gestured to his body, to the state he was in, and Iris tried to keep her expression from falling, tried to curb the slight panic clogging in her throat. Once again, Eris only glanced down and then back up at her but this time, she saw wildfire in his eyes. The room’s temperature spiked and Iris felt her chest tighten as anger surged around them. 

Eris wasn’t angry, no. He was seething. Fuming.

He took a step towards her, his hands clasped behind his back and her heart started to beat frantically at the flame that licked at his heels. 

“Eris,” she started gently. “Tell me what happened.”

The Prince of Autumn cocked his head as his wild eyes watched her and Iris knew whatever had happened, whatever the High Lord had done to him, it was bad enough that Eris had gone someplace far, far away. And her Eris was not back yet. 

His eyes narrowed on her and Iris couldn’t find it in her to say anything more, her body tensing instead. She wanted him to say something, anything to fill the silence between them, where the only sound she could hear was the frantic beating of her heart. Her husband had not returned as he had left and she wasn’t sure if he fully would. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself that would help him, that would ease whatever was going through his mind right now.

It was as she opened her mouth once more that Eris moved, taking one step towards her and Iris paused. She willed herself not to flinch as his hands lowered from behind his back and knew Eris had clocked the movement. His hands wouldn’t hurt her but it still didn’t stop her from watching them carefully.

They watched each other silently. 

And Eris wanted to reply to her question, to speak, but he was having a hard time trying not to vomit. He was having a hard time trying to remember how to breathe properly. He had lost consciousness at some point enduring his father’s wrath and had woken up to find himself lying in his own blood. He didn’t remember being untied, and he didn’t know how much time had passed, but he knew he needed to check on his mother. He knew he needed to get back to his wife. 

So Eris had forced himself to stand on trembling legs, his wits barely about him. He forced himself to leave the throne room and muster what willpower he had left to winnow in front of his parent’s chambers. And Eris had waited, barely able to stand as his blood dripped from him to hear something, anything to indicate that his mother was alright. But Eris had heard nothing and he didn’t know if the deafening silence was worse than the cries of pain he had expected. Only when black dots began to line his vision had he finally forced himself to winnow once more to his own door. 

He had waved off an alarmed Oren and allowed himself a moment to compose himself before walking in and standing as he stood now.

And he really, really wanted to hurl his guts because Iris was looking at him in a way he wasn’t used to in a moment like this. No one usually saw him like this. He mostly let himself go numb during his father’s unleashing and then, only when he was alone, did Eris let his anger consume him. But he had already been teetering on the edge today and he was no longer alone. 

Iris said nothing as he stood there, only watching him with a level of concern that made his chest feel tight. She cared. She cared about what happened to him. She was not his father and she was not looking at him with anything but genuine concern and everything in him recoiled at the fact that she had to see him this way at all. That his father had put him in this position, to look weak and it made him so angry that Eris went momentarily blind with rage. 

He forced himself to swallow and then do it again before he could unlock his jaw enough to speak.

“My father,” he began in a voice that wasn’t quite his and the flames licking his heels spiked up. “Wanted to give me a new look.” He held up a bloodied fist. “He suggested I choke you with what was left of this.”

Iris dropped her gaze to his hand holding — clutching strands of hair that was — she looked up at his face again then back down to his hand. 

“Oh gods.” she mumbled and her heart sank to the pits of her stomach. What had the High Lord done to him? Or rather, what hadn’t the High Lord done to him? Iris took another hesitant step toward him and started to say, “Let me —” 

But immediately, Eris held his other hand, halting her in place and Iris fell silent. His eyes didn’t leave the hand holding the strands of his hair.

He finally glanced up at her, that wildfire in his eyes. “I told him to fuck off, of course.” he continued. “He didn’t take that well.” His gaze dropped again and Iris’s eyes followed to where a few drops of blood had dripped by his feet. She couldn’t even tell where it was coming from. “He didn’t take many things well during our conversation.”

“Conversation,” she repeated faintly and her face fell at the way his own hands had started to shake. “The state that you’re in is the result of a conversation.”

Eris fell silent again, blinking down at his trembling hands. A part of him wished he’d evaporate, simply melt into the floor, and cease to exist. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel this way. Maybe then he wouldn’t have to think about how much this family had been through and how much more they’d have to suffer until his fucken father died. Maybe then he wouldn't have to worry about his wife being another body for his father to beat down. 

Maybe then —

“Eris?” 

He looked up at her gentle calling, so unlike the voice of his father who had spent the past few hours breaking him. The way she looked at him made him want to collapse.

He was bleeding and broken and there was no logical reason for it other than his father was a monster.

“How — how did you even walk the halls like this?” she finally asked and couldn’t help how choked her voice sounded, couldn’t help that she had to keep breaking his silence. Her own hands were shaking as she moved closer to him. “Let me help you — let me see wherever you’re bleeding from.”

Eris shook his head and tried to breathe. She cared and it was too much for him. He couldn’t do this now — he needed more time.

But even if he wanted to, that thread at his ribcage forced him to stay where he was. How could it not when he looked at her and it steadied him? That thread that had dragged him back here, to this room. That thread was the reason he hadn’t let his fire consume him.

It took him another moment to speak, his eyes unblinking as he watched her. “I shouldn’t be able to winnow directly in the House, you know,” he said with a hoarse laugh and swayed slightly. “But stubborn as I am, I can bend the magic to my will.” He pointed a bloody finger at her. “I think it has to do with you.”

This rooted Iris to where she stood. “With me?” she repeated in a whisper. 

“With you,” he confirmed and lowered a trembling hand to his side, his eyes unfocused. “I had to come back to you. You were waiting for me.”

Iris’s mouth trembled and she tried to swallow back the cascade of emotions surging through her body at his words. “What can I do?” she pleaded. “What do you need right now to make this moment easier?”

“What do I need.” he repeated and his eyes fell back to his hands. Iris watched his grip tighten until a flame burst in his fist and what was left of his hair was no more. Eris shook his head again, his chest rising and falling as he tried to breathe. Her face fell as he backed a step from her, both fists aflame now. “You shouldn’t be near me right now.” he said and his gaze flickered up, his wild eyes watching her. “I — I am not — I don’t —”

What was left of her battered heart broke further. He was physically standing before her but Iris could see the struggle in his eyes to connect to their reality.  She wanted to reach him. She needed to reach him and remind him, that he was hers and she would take care of him the way he took care of her.

“It’s okay.” she said as gently as possible and slowly reached out a hand. “Let me help you.”

“Don’t.” Eris snarled so viciously that Iris couldn’t stop the flinch this time, yanking her hand back immediately. 

A thick silence filled the room once more and Iris watched her husband’s chest rise and fall, his breathing starting to turn shallow, those wild eyes watching her in an almost pained resolve at her reaction.

“You flinched from me.” he said, the words barely distinguishable.

Iris swallowed and she hid her trembling hands in the folds of her robe. “It’s alright.” she said softly and saw the way he shuddered at the two words. “You — you surprised me. That’s all.” 

He took a step towards her and Iris froze, waiting as he breathed more deeply, the flame licking his body seeming to flare and then shrink with each breath. “I’m — I’m sorry.” he said, his voice guttural. “I need — I — I need —”

“You need a moment.” she said as his body shook and she fought every instinct to reach out again. She — she wanted to hold him, needed to. But he wasn’t there yet. He was still finding his way back to himself. So she tried to reassure him from their six feet of distance. “That’s alright. Why don’t you go change?”

He nodded and blinked at her, his gaze still unfocused. “Shower.”

“Okay.” she said and nodded carefully. “I’ll — I’ll ask for some tea.”

But her husband just stared at her. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t.”

“Stay.” he said then repeated, “Don't go anywhere.”

Iris gave him a tentative smile, trying and failing to hide how deep her worry ran. She tightened her grip on her robe so she wouldn’t reach out to him again. “I’m not going anywhere, Eris. I’ll be right here when you’re done.”

She watched him as he watched her and again felt that tug in her ribcage that she didn’t understand as Eris swallowed hard then slowly, as if he was forcing himself to, he walked away from her and into their bathroom.

The door shut behind him and Iris’s face fell. How badly had that…conversation gone? She had no doubt her own father had played a part in it after the way Eris humiliated him but to what extent? How many more gifts had Beron given Eris? Letting out a shaky breath, her eyes fell to the drops of blood that had left a trail behind him.

An icy rage blinded her momentarily and Iris wanted nothing more than to find the High Lord and stab him violently until he choked on his own blood. Until he had enough wounds to make up for the ones he put on his son even if it would never be enough. The world would be a better place when the time came and he was gone. 

The sound of the water running had her blinking back to reality and Iris forced herself to snap into action and move. 

It didn’t slip her mind that earlier in the day, their situations had been the opposite and Iris wanted nothing more than to erase the anger and the shame that tied both of them to shitty fathers. 

She knew Eris was…not himself yet. She knew he needed a way back and Iris needed to believe that there was a way out of this — this darkness they were surrounded in. There had to be. 

No one deserved to live like this and as she wiped away any signs of his bleeding heart, Iris knew she would give him whatever he needed. Anything that would be a bright light for him on an otherwise dark night. So she had the tea tray ready with a bottle of hard liquor seated right next to it. Most importantly, she had tried to discreetly have her healing salves ready if he felt comfortable enough for her to touch him. 

She waited, too restless to sit, and paced between the sitting table and hovering by the door of the bathroom, listening in case — Iris wasn’t sure in case of what but was sure she wanted to be close by. 

Iris had just moved away from the door again when it finally opened and she immediately turned to find Eris standing in his sleeping attire. She tried not to frown at how tense his body still was and her eyes roamed his face.

“I have the tea.” she said quietly. “And um, alcohol.”

The corner of his mouth ticked up a millimeter before his expression shifted to the blank one she hated and he walked over to her, stopping a few feet away.

She waited, letting him take his time as he glanced down at his feet and then back up at her, his anger still lingering around him.

He watched her, his hands at his sides. “I made you flinch away from me.”

“You were angry.” she said simply. 

“I would never harm you, Iris.” 

His tone offered no argument and the corner of her own mouth curled up. Anger towards her had typically only meant one thing but she knew, deep in her weary bones, that Eris would never hurt her. 

So Iris took a step closer to him and made sure she met his gaze as she replied in a tone that also offered no argument, “I know.” she said. “Your anger wasn’t towards me.”

His nostrils flared at the reminder and Iris almost regretted saying anything but then he took another step closer to her. “No. It wasn’t,” he said and Iris let her gaze drop to his hands that were clenching and unclenching at his sides. “After…events like this, I usually…am alone. To process.”

The words, the resignation in them, made her ache. Iris wondered how many times he’d had to process alone, with no one to share this burden with.

She looked up again and took one more step toward him as she slowly held out her hands. “Well, you’re not alone anymore,” she said quietly and watched as his gaze dropped to her open hands. “I’m here.”

“Yes. You are.” he said so softly that it made Iris’s heart twist. It took him a moment and she felt his hesitation, as if afraid to touch her but she waited. She waited as he clenched and then unclenched his hands once more before he slid his hands into hers. 

“I’m here to listen if you want to talk about it,” she said as softly as he had spoken. “If not, I’m still here.”

His grip on her hands had tightened and she watched as his breath quickened for a moment, working his jaw. “I will. I have to,” he said hoarsely. “Or I will lose my mind.”

“Okay.” she simply said even as her chest tightened at the slight tremble in his hands. “I can’t have you losing your mind over anything except me, can I now?”

Eris tried to smile at her but it turned more into a grimace and Iris gave him a small smile of her own, wanting to bring him some sense of ease. She glanced down at their intertwined hands and let her thumb caress the back of his hand gently. “I don’t think I ever actually told you but…” she met his gaze. “I like how your hands feel holding mine. I have since that day I met the puppies for the first time and you told me I have lovely hands.”

She watched the Prince of Autumn shudder at the words and it took him another moment before he could answer her. “Not puppies,” he said and Iris couldn’t help her small smile, especially as he continued in words so quiet, she almost missed them. “I like how your hands feel in mine too.” 

“I bet you do.” she said and again, the corner of his mouth lifted but this time, it remained curled up, and again, Iris couldn't stop staring at him. He may look a little different with the sloppy cut he had been given but it didn’t change the feeling that was spreading in her chest. She loved it when he smiled, especially if she was the reason. She liked his wicked mouth too much. 

Iris made to move towards the table but Eris’s grip tightened on her and she turned to find his expression tense, his body rigid.

“Don’t go.”

“I’m only getting you a drink.” she said gently and Eris swallowed then gave a small nod and squeezed her hands once more before reluctantly letting go. Iris couldn't help the way she softened at the way he watched her, as though she was his tether to his way home. 

How many times had he needed someone but had suffered alone? How many times had she been in the same scenario? It made her wonder how often had they shared a moment like this in their separate lives…two sides of the same miserable fucken coin indeed.

The thought exhausted her and with a swallow, Iris pulled away to turn to the table, feeling his eyes on her. As if she’d disappear if he blinked. She opted for the alcohol and filled both teacups to the brim. She may have the power to heal but with wounds that ran as deep as her husband’s…she wasn’t sure if she would be enough. 

She carefully handed him his teacup and stood opposite him as they glanced at one another. 

They did so much watching one another. So much observing. They exchanged so much without saying a word and Iris wondered if he could hear the way her blood was pumping so loudly in her ears. If he knew she could hear the rapid beating of his heart. 

She gestured with her chin. “Drink.”

He glanced down at the cup in his hand and then looked up with a quirked brow. “This isn’t tea.”

“I think we need something a little stronger tonight.” she said gently and Eris gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes before lifting the cup in a mock salute and knocking it back. 

Iris switched their cups and handed him hers with a small smile at the dry chuckle that escaped him before he drank it as well. But her expression immediately fell as his body gave a shudder followed by a small grunt of pain and Iris’s grip tightened on her cup.

“I’m sorry.” she whispered and the apology seemed to dim any momentary lightness Eris had experienced. 

“For what.” he said dryly. 

“For whatever happened. For all of it.” she continued and Iris tried not to fidget beneath his gaze. “For anything that I might’ve had to do with it.”

Eris stared at her in silence, his expression tight, and the only sound in the room was the tapping of his fingers against his cup. What seemed like a lifetime later, he reached out to take the empty teacup from her hands and turned from her to place them back on the table.

He stood like this for several quiet moments and it made Iris tense again, wondering if he needed more time. If she should’ve backed off and let him be alone. Even if that was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted —

“My father wanted you with me for this little meeting.” Eris finally said and Iris blinked. 

“Why?”

Eris turned to face her again and leaned against the table. She didn’t miss the way, a second later, he moved a slight inch to avoid his back making contact. 

“You see,” he began and glanced down at his hands. “He found out about my lovely encounter with your father and didn’t quite like that.” His hands slowly clenched into fists as he spoke. “The High Lord wanted you on your knees apologizing to your father. At your father’s request, of course.”

“What?” she croaked.

“But my father also wanted me to apologize to your father for beating him. Because I did it for you,” he said and then gave her a dry smile. “And well, the High Lord can’t have his son beating people for his wife now, can he? The only person the High Lord’s son should be beating is his own wife.”

Iris’s fingers dug into the folds of her robe as anger and shame washed over her once more. For the audacity of her father and the cruelty of his. 

“He doesn’t deserve an apology,” she said through clenched teeth. “He deserves death.”

“I agree.” Eris said and he slowly made his way over to her, the room heating again with each step. “Which is why my father tied me to a flogging pole and whipped me within an inch of my life. Because I told him that my wife apologizes to no one and I certainly do not apologize to anyone either, especially filth.” he snarled softly and straightened with an angry wince. “So do me a favor? Do not apologize for their choices ever again. My wife doesn’t apologize for things she had no hand in.”

Horror slammed into her as she stared at Eris, fully engulfed in his own flame. At the way he had so casually admitted what his father had done.

“He — he whipped you?” she whispered and watched his body tense again, the temperature in the room spiking once more. 

“Yes. But before that, I broke both of your father’s legs and his face again.” he said and Iris saw his fists clench again. “So that makes us somewhat even.”

“Eris…” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. How can he ask her not to apologize when she was the reason he was hurt? When it was because of her father that he had been pulled so far away from himself.

And she hated how it fell silent between them again. She hated that he felt this way. That he was made to be feeling this level of anger and despair. As if every word that fell from his mouth took too much effort, too much work. 

Iris hadn’t realized how desperately she wanted to make him feel better. To bring back that stupid smirk she pretended to hate so much. She wanted to —

“Don’t look at me like that.” he said so tiredly and it made her ache. With a shake of his head and a deep breath, his flame went out, and he turned away from her, moving towards their bed. 

But Iris froze and every single thought emptied from her head. 

With his back to her, Eris’s shirt had clung to his skin and tiny beads of blood peppered the white shirt. 

He looked over his shoulder, meeting her horrified gaze, and immediately looked away from her, his shoulders tensing as he lowered himself to sit at the edge of the bed.

“Don’t.”

“Eris, you’re bleeding again.” 

“I know.” he managed then rubbed a hand down his face. “Just please stop looking at me like that.”

Iris bit the inside of her mouth, outraged on his behalf and hating that he felt embarrassed by any of it. She willed herself to breathe. One breath in, one breath out. They couldn’t catch a break. A small dosage of time where they could just be. Where everything between them didn’t have to get so fucken hard the moment they found a little ease.

“Look at you like what?” she finally said and made her way over to him. She sank down next to him and knew her expression gave away the panic she was trying to control. “Like I’m disgusted with what happened to you? Like I’m horrified  that your father hurt you because of me and my piece of shit father?” 

She stared at him and waved a hand helplessly. “How else am I supposed to look at my husband who left me in one way then came back another?” she added softly. “How else am I supposed to look when I want to help you so badly but I’m unsure how?”

Iris watched his throat bob as he swallowed. “Careful, wife. You sound like you care about me.” he said and Iris let out a huff of frustration, glaring at him. 

“I do care, you stupid bastard.” she muttered, flushing deeply, and the dead look in his eyes was given a short reprieve when he gave her a small smile. 

“Good to know.” he said and then fell silent, the weight of this whole day and what was left unsaid suffocating. 

As Iris watched him, she was hit by the need to kiss him. The need to run her hands down his arms and chest and scarred back that she wanted to help him heal and then kiss it all better. She wanted anything but whatever this heaviness was, anything but that awful expression on his face. Her eyes scanned his slightly ruffled hair and how tired his eyes were and her frown deepened.

Slowly, she reached out a hand to gently touch his face, giving him all the time in the world to push her hand away if he desired. But he didn’t and Iris turned his head so he’d face her and his exhaustion slammed into her.

“What happened was unacceptable.” she whispered. “And for that, I am sorry that it happened to you. Because you don’t deserve it. You didn’t do anything wrong and he had no right to treat you that way.” 

Eris scoffed faintly but at her expression, swallowed hard, closing his eyes. He seemed to hesitate for a heartbeat then nuzzled gently into her hand. He hated how desperately he needed the softness of her touch. How badly he wanted to be soothed. She was here and even if he felt like death itself, she was here. “No one deserves what he delivers.” he finally said quietly. “But we still take it.” 

“You should not have to.” 

“No.” he said and straightened with a grimace, taking her hand in his hand. He let his thumb caress her palm as he added, “None of us should have to.”

“Please let me look at your back,” she whispered but he shook his head, his thumb still rubbing her hand gently. Whether it was to soothe him or to soothe her, she wasn’t sure. "Please. Let me heal it."

A muscle in his jaw flexed and Iris had to remind herself that his anger wasn't at her.

“I can heal it myself,” he replied but not unkindly. “I’m choosing not to at the moment.”

“Why?”

“Pain is good. It keeps the memory fresh.”

Once again, the room heated at the words and Iris’s body went rigid. He was so angry and gods, she knew that anger. She had tasted the humiliation he felt. And she knew without question that beneath that anger was so much sadness. So much exhaustion. So much…yearning. For more. For different.

For love. For some sense of normalcy in a fucked up home that showed them no mercy. 

Iris could practically hear his mind whirling and it pulled at her heart because she had started to understand him in a way very few people did. Slowly, she reached out once more and gently forced him to meet her gaze.

“There is no part of you that deserves pain like this, Eris.” she said firmly and hated the way she could see his disbelief, as though it wasn’t true. 

Eris’s eyes fluttered closed at the words, a muscle flexing in his jaw. “How do you know that? That I don’t deserve pain? I’ve made bad choices. I’ve had to do bad things.”

She shook her head. “Making bad decisions and being forced to do bad things doesn’t make you a bad person. You’ve had to carry so much…give yourself some room.” she said and then added quietly, “Unburden yourself with me. Let me help you.”

Eris met her gaze and she watched the internal struggle in his eyes as he worked his jaw. Finally, he said, “There’s too much. It’s a lot.”

“I know. You were ready to tell me earlier. So tell me now.” she encouraged calmly. “You told me you wanted to know the side of me I didn’t like anyone seeing. That you wanted to see.” She squeezed his hand. “Well, I want to know too. I want to see.”

Eris seemed to pause and then his gaze hardened as he straightened. “Iris,” he began and her brows furrowed at the urgency in his tone. “You have to understand whatever I tell you, it has been kept a secret for us to survive. I do not trust anyone as much as I’m allowing myself to trust you. Don’t — don’t make me regret it.” 

She tilted her head and watched him for a quiet minute. “Have I given you a reason not to trust me?”

“No.” he said and swallowed. “But when you’ve been living in a pit of snakes for so long, you’re never sure which one will bite. Things have changed between us but…I have this doubt in the back of my mind that you’ll take anything I say and give it to the highest bidder to get out of this marriage and run.” He paused for a moment and licked his lips. “I wouldn’t blame you.”

She watched him quietly again and it made her chest tighten that even after things had shifted between them, this still worried him. So Iris swallowed and decided to be honest as well.

“And despite the changes between us…I still fear that someday you’ll realize you could beat the living shit out of me every single day and no matter how much I can defend myself, you’ll still overpower me,” she replied. “But I have not seen anything from you that would truly have me succumb to that doubt. Have you seen anything from me to feed into those doubts?”

He paused but Iris didn’t fail to notice how his thumb was back to caressing her hand softly, almost as a way to calm himself down. 

“No.” he said after a moment. “You’re my wife and my friend and my — you’re many things. I — I trust you.” 

“Good. Because I trust you too,” she whispered. “I’ve trusted you not to hurt me and you haven’t.” 

He shook his head and held up her hand in his. “It is my job to protect you. These fists will fight for you.”

Iris couldn’t help the small smile that bloomed on her face or the way her heart swelled at the words. “And I am grateful for that,” she said. “But then who protects you?”

His mouth curled into a tired smile and he sighed. “Apparently, it’s my wife with her healer hands.”

Iris gave him a pointed look and then gestured to his shirt with her chin. “Then let these hands help you.” 

Eris tensed and his grip tightened on his wife’s hands. He wasn’t used to anyone being near him whenever this happened. Wasn’t used to anyone seeing any of his scars, much less fresh ones.

But this was Iris. His wife. His mate. And he wanted her hands to touch him. To fit all of his pain in the palm of her lovely hands and wipe it away.

Could he let go? Let this part of him be free? 

He swallowed again, trying not to choke on his shame. On his fear. He was almost paralyzed by it.

But it was as if she could see it rampaging inside him, could see the struggle in his eyes. For all she had to do was give him a small smile. An encouraging one, her thumb caressing his hand in hers and Eris felt himself straighten. 

He finally allowed a dip of his chin in acceptance and promised himself that after tonight, there would be no going back. 

#eris vanserra #eris vanserra x oc #eris x oc #eris vanserra fanfic #acotar fanfiction #gfics #smtb chapters #Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!! :) #One more chapter and it'll be the new stuff hehe. #If you'd like to be tagged or removed (no hard feelings!) please let me know!

[naffeclipse]

Sorry I haven't been commenting on the Apex Polarity chapters, there's been a lot going on recently and hhh,, sorry,,

I'm just gonna go over a few overall things~

Ok, starting with the setting. You've captured the arctic setting SO WELL! I don't understand how you do it but it's all just so easy to visualize when you write it. From the white arctic ice to the small research base and to the dark cold ocean, it's all so well written! I also just love this type of setting. I'm currently a little obsessed with arctic environments and especially arctic research bases. (The Thing has me in a death grip pfpgjdjf) I'm having a very good time hehe~~

You venture into places and explore environments I haven't seen anyone in this fandom write about yet. (maybe I live under a rock and there are more fics that explore settings like this, sorry if I've missed those) What I want to say is I'm so impressed that you can tap into all these different environments and transport us there so effectively! Lovely stuff!!

Michael and Vanessa are holding big secrets, gosh, especially Michael! I want to know what he knows, and what he might be hiding~

I really like those two in this story btw! Y/N needs some good people around to bring them down to reality after their meetings with Eclipse, and so far Michael and Vanessa are doing a great job.

I gotta say, the oatmeal with cinnamon brings so much warmth to my heart. Where I live it's a common food, especially during the winter months. Next time I have some it'll be really hard to not think about this fic. X3

Ok! Now the guy we all are obsessed with! Eclipse!!!

I'm falling so hard for this orca that by this point the impact will be fatal. He's so scary, off-putting and littered with red flags, still I want to cuddle him!? How do you even write a character like that!? How is he turning into a softie!?!?

Every interaction with him gives us something new, it's always so exciting when he shows up! And of course you're taking advantage of all his animal/monster features, one of my favorite things about your writing. You're using his teeth, his claws, his orca body and giving him those animalistic behaviours that just makes him SO FUN TO READ!! He's a creature and I LOVE IT! >:3

So in the recent chapters with the rock, the nap and that little ice block ride, oh my goodness he's sweet! How are you making him sweet while still keeping his forceful behavior!? I'm really wondering if he'll ever stop with the manhandling, will he be transformed at the end of all this, and where will this story even go!! I have my theories, but I feel like they could all be wrong X3

Before I end I'd like to just ask one thing about Eclipse!

How is his relationship with actual orcas? Are they mingling or does he hunt them? Or are the orca families too strong for him and they bully him out of territories and hunting grounds? Or do they just ignore each other?

(Feel free to ignore this question if it will lead to spoilers :p)

I'm VERY excited to see how this story continues, it's been such an enjoyable ride so far! Thank you for blessing us with your writing! ♥️♥️♥️

Meep, I am rattling you so hard right now, you have no idea!!!

Thank you so much! I've really thrown myself into descriptions for this fic as I want to capture the essence of the feeling of a place as intense and wonderful as the Arctic so your comment makes me so so happy!

Ah, Y/N really does need good people!! Vanessa and Michael have got stuff going on :)

Aw, that's super sweet ;-;

AH YES THE GUY HIMSELF!!! I'm really glad you enjoy him, I enjoy him too, writing and in the brainrot alsjdfals but we'll find out more about him as we continue on this icy little journey hehe

I would love to answer this question but I think it might be a spoiler, so I'll just ask that you keep it in your back pocket for later!!!

Thank you so much, Meep!!! I'm excited too and I'm so glad you like it!!

#mwah #smooch ya on the head #themeeplord #compliments

[aneenasevla]

Red Velvet - Chapter 2 (part 1)

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Last chapter here Art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 2 - Shake It! (part 1)

"Hey, babe, I found a good place!," Okubo says, while  Tomori gets into the car.

"Great! What's the name?," she asks as she sits next to him, in the passenger seat, and puts on the seat belt. "So I can send her the address."

"Put it on Google: Brazuca’s Bar, in Romaji because you won’t find it in kanji. I've already sent the address to Iron Fingers, privately," he starts the car, heading down the main road. "It's a Brazilian bar that Himuro recommended to me, he said the music is great and so is the food. There's a lot of other stuff there too. I'm kinda curious, I've never listened to Brazilian music much. It's gonna be something new for me, and I think it'll be new for you too."

"Brazilian, huh?," Tomori smiles at this. "Good choice! She has loved these places since high school. She'll feel at home there," She searches for the address on Google. "And it will be fun for us too! Brazilian establishments are very cozy."

"So you've been to one?," he asks, curious. "What is it like? Do you have a song reference so I don't feel lost? Put one on the stereo for us to hear."

"Only once, when I was eighteen and Kane was nineteen. Teenage girls, recently graduated from high school and with more hormones than common sense, you know the drill," She blushes a little, playing with a strand of hair, giggling. "But that wasn't the place you chose, so I'm very curious! Anyway, the music that plays most in these places are very famous genres in Brazil. Pagode and funk. And no, it's not American funk. It's another type," She looks for a song to use as an example.

"Pagode? Isn't it Samba?," he raises an eyebrow. Then he listens to the song when it starts playing. "Hmmm… the rhythm is quite romantic, isn't ir…? Which one is this?"

"Pagode. Music to dance close to, skin to skin," She giggles. "Everything is very physical in these places. I think it's the perfect place for Rihito, and for Akane too. But only if he knows how to behave. But we can both dance too, I'm available for you, hehe."

"I'm a terrible dancer," he blushes a little. "But for you, I can twerk like I'm the master of gigolos, so you can laugh in my face."

She laughs loudly right there, her shoulders shaking. "Laughter is what keeps a relationship alive and well, love! I laugh now, but I'll give you all the treats later to make up for it."

"Anything you want to give me," he smiles, and then laughs softly. "Wow, the music is really putting me in the mood! Show me some Funk, so I know what to wait for."

Tomori's smile is now a little more embarrassed. "Okay... but don't judge...," She chooses a specific one, putting the music on. And the rhythmic and intense beat startles him a little.

"Wow," he blinks. "Okay, I kinda like the beat, ahahahhaha... holy crap...," He starts laughing like an idiot. "I don't even know what this girl is singing but it seems very vulgar..."

"And it is! Akane loves these things, seriously," She laughs again, scratching the back of her head. "It's really fun to dance to, but if you read the translation of the lyrics, you'll blush like a virgin girl, hahaha!"

"Sorry, but now I'm curious to see this friend of yours in flesh and blood, and I think I hit the nail on the head, again. I'm getting scared with my luck..."

"I told you that day, Naoh. Rihito has no idea what he's gotten himself into," She gives a sharp, dangerous smile again. "But seriously, this could work out really well. She has the ideal energy to be on the same wavelength as him. Someone who won't be intimidated."

"I still have doubts, that dumbass only gets along with nut jobs and sex workers, 'cause they're paid to put up with him. So I dunno...," he then looks at her. "Are you in the mood for a bet?"

"A bet? What kind?," She arches an eyebrow, interested.

"What do you want from me?," he waggles his eyebrows.

"An autograph from Kaolan Wongsawat!," She says immediately, her eyes shining with excitement. "I only need his for the trinity of my biggest idols to be complete!"

He makes a face, as if he had sucked on a lemon. Of all the famous fighters he knew, it has to be the Thai God of War… "Okaaaaaay… if I win I want to take you on a tour on Osaka for a month. Give your boss a heads up because you're going with me after Christmas and you won't be back until the middle of February. Got it? Oh... one more thing," he looks at her, in an intimidating but lascivious tone. "You won't be able to walk for a while after that."

"Oh my God, you...!," She blushes a lot, giving a nasal laugh followed by a snore. "You're terrible, Okubo Naoya...!," She holds her face in her hands with an adorable smile. "Now I feel like losing on purpose, ahaha... even though taking a month off from the bakery would make Kanny's life difficult. But okay, I'm in! I'll see what I can do..."

"Alright! And it's gonna be good timming 'cause if he doesn't get this girl he'll cry in my fucking ear for weeks, and I want to be far away when that happens."

"Tell me about it…," She sighs. And then she looks up at him, her expression serious. "And I saw that face you made, y'know? I already told you that you don't need to be jealous of Kaolan Wongsawat, silly. I wouldn't trade my human mountain for anyone..."

"I know, it's just that you're too pretty and he's too…," he stops himself. "Well! I want my girl to only care about me, and to look at me, and only me, with star in her eyes," he looks at her with a smiles. "Just like you're doing now."

She pats his shoulder, and then snuggles her head there, closing her eyes. "I won't call you cocky only because I've caught you looking at me the same way manny times. ‘We’re even."

He laughs a little, before changing gears in the car.

…

Panther: 

honey, I’m already here!

wya?

Wolfie:

we're almost there! 

just one more block away

we'll be in a blue suv

are you at the entrance?

Panther: 

yep

and I'm enjoying the music already

a brazilian bar, eh

you know me so well

hey, I'm gonna get a table for four

it'll be easy to spot me

but just to be sure, I'm wearing my favorite coat, you know which one

Wolfie:

I'd recognize that coat from a mile away lol

ok we'll park and then meet you inside

brings back some memories, right?

both of us, sneaking into that pub to get shitfaced lmao

Panther: 

it sure does lol 

we'll talk more at the bar, it's cold as hell outside

And her icon went offline.

Akane goes inside the bar, looking for a table big enough for four people. She found one on a good spot, sitting down and taking off her coat, letting it fall to her waist. She was never ashamed of showing her tattoos off, but she still adjusted her cleavage to keep her breasts in place. This caught the attention of a waiter, and she ordered a juice. If that Rihito guy was like Tomori told her, she wanted to be sober to face whatever he threw at her.

The atmosphere was already buzzing, despite it still being relatively early. She could only imagine what it would be like later, at nightfall, when the music was at its peak and the alcohol had risen in the blood of all those people. The buzz of random conversations gradually increased in volume, making it difficult to hear her own thoughts, which might be a good thing, all things considered.

It doesn't take long for her to see the waiter further ahead, bringing the juice she ordered, walking a little slowly so as not to bump into the customers.

"There you go, miss..."

"Send the menu, sweetheart," she smiles. "I’ll look at it for now. I don’t even know how much the juice costs, I ended up ordering it on impulse…"

"Of course. And no need to worry about that, miss," The waiter places the menu on to the table and the tray under his arm. "Your juice has already been paid for."

"Huh? Really? By who?," She raises an eyebrow. Was there some busybody who wanted to ruin her date? She gets worried, pushing the juice away lightly so as not to give this annoying stranger any ideas.

"That gentleman over there," The waiter indicates with a discreet nod of the head the long counter facing the bar, where some people were sitting. "He said you know him..."

And she sees him there, sitting on one of the stools with his back to the bar, his arms resting on the counter. He wore a dark green shirt that molded to his muscles in such a way that it could only have been planned. He lifts his head a little and smiles, his expressive green eyes looking at her with obvious, warm interest, a few strands of unruly bleached hair falling over them.

Oh yes, she knew him. From photos, but there was no way to get confused. And apparently he wasn't confused either. She felt relieved that it wasn't some other cocky man and then smiled, taking the glass.

"Thanks, darling," she nods to the waiter and drinks some of the juice, looking directly at him. She knew her look was spot on, so she put it to good use.

No sooner said than done. The interest on his face was so obvious it was funny, a second before he managed to compose himself. He himself was already drinking, picking up a glass and slowly turning it into his mouth without taking his eyes off hers. He almost seemed to be waiting for something...

"Akane!"

The excited scream steals her attention, and as she turns around, she comes across her friend, Tomori, coming towards her with a huge smile, and right behind her, the almost seven-foot gorilla she recognized as her new boyfriend.

"Girl, I missed you! Still the biggest clotheshorse in the whole town, eh!"

"Go big or go home, isn't that what they say, Peahen?," she gets up and hugs her friend, laughing. Then she look at Okubo. "Holy smokes, did they build a freakin' wall in front of me and I didn't see it 'till now? Is that your pet gorilla, Tomori?"

Tomori returns the hug with a loud laugh, before turning around and saying, "In the flesh, honey! Kane, this is Okubo Naoya. Champion of Ultimate Fight and of my heart," She coos playfully. She had always been an helpless romantic, even in her days as a crazy delinquent, and she knew how hilarious her friend found it. "Naoh, this is Agata Akane, the crazy girl I told you about."

"Hey, nice to meet ya," he bows a little, hugging Tomori by the shoulder. "Tomori talks about you a lot. She really likes you, y’know."

"And who doesn’t?," she jokes, laughing afterwards. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Okubo. So… that blonde bull over there is your friend, right? Is he shy? Why don't you introduce him to me?," she points with one of her well-painted claw-shaped nails.

"Big bull- jeez, has Rihito arrived yet?," Tomori looks where Akane was pointing. And sure enough, there was Lihito, sitting with his back to the bar. He widens his eyes a little before looking away, mumbling to himself for a second before seeming to make up his mind and standing up from the bench. "Yes, it's him! Wasn't he going to arrive just half an hour later?"

"He must've tried to lose us," Okubo murmurs to his girlfriend. "Welp, sucks for him, but we arrived...," he says out loud, pulling a chair for Tomori to sit down, then taking his place, while the other man comes closer. "This is my friend, Rihito…"

Rihito approaches, looking momentarily embarrassed. Apparently, the cute couple ended messing up his plans of wooing her with his mysterious charm... well, at least paying for her juice had worked. And the look of embarrassed annoyance, even though it only lasted a second before being suppressed with a confident smile, had been strangely cute.

"Hey. Is this the lady I've heard so much about, Tomori?"

"Yep! Rihito, this is Agata Akane. Akane, this is Nakata Ichiro, but he prefers to be called by his nom de guerre. It's something you have in common," Tomori smiles, and Rihito a little to the side, his eyes narrowing a little as he smiles crookedly.

"Seems like it. Noms de guerre and the fascination with big cats...," He deliberately lets his eyes roam over her shoulders, focusing for a second longer on her set of tattoos "Nice to meet you, Miss Agata."

"Likewise, Rihito," she smiles sharply, extending a hand to him, as if waiting for a kiss. "I saw you from afar, but up close... it's more interesting this way."

"Yeah, same to you," He takes her hand, and Okubo and Tomori are secretly relieved to see that he had managed to contain himself, not pulling her towards him with that wild excitement that they knew well. He just brought her delicate hand to his lips and kissed it, his eyes fixed on hers. "You were already beautiful in the photos, in person… 'Panther' couldn’t be a more appropriate definition hahaha…"

"My spirit animal, my dear," she winks and then looks at the other two at the table. "So, shall we start with an appetizer to warm up? I started with a glass of juice because I didn't want to get hammered before you guys got here, so I'll stick with that for now. Here's the menu," she sits back down and hands it to them.

"Thanks", Okubo takes the menu. "Oh, nice, this one looks tasty," he points to some cheese cubs. Akane looks at him as she sits down, crossing her legs elegantly. Rihito immediately looks at her. She was wearing a short dress with a side slit… that was open almost all the way down to her hips. No sign of panties there. Or a bra; that red dress and those stockings were the only thing that prevented him from seeing everything. And that thing covering her entire thigh... was that the same tattoo she had on her shoulder?!

He swallows discreetly. Holy shit, how the fuck was he supposed to hold back? None of those two saps prepared him for that! He knew from her Instagram profile that she was the confident, "likes to leave nothing to the imagination" type; he didn't mind at all, he even liked that type of woman, because they were the most likely to accept his advances. But that? Walking around in such a revealing dress and without any sign of underwear, with all the confidence in that hot, tattooed body that she was displaying? She was basically asking him to fuck her right there in the pub's bathroom! He couldn't believe how lucky he was!

He forces himself to keep his thoughts in order and his blood away from the lower half of his body. He had made a promise, and he was a man of his word. He was going to take things calmly, test the waters and tame that wild cat until she was all soft and eager to get busy with him. The juice scheme had only been partially successful thanks to the interference of those two, but that was okay. They still had all night.

"Hehe, of course," He nods, making a point of sitting right next to her, hands together on the table to contain the urge to take a good grip on her exposed thigh. "You can order more of them, if you want. There may be more where that came from, after all...," He arches an eyebrow.

"How generous," she laughs softly. The invisible clothing tactic never failed, he had his eyes on her and only her. It was exactly what she wanted. "But for now the juice is enough... help yourself, an empty bag won't stand, and if you fall, you'll take one or two poor bastards with you," she laughs softly, drinking some more.

Rihito was so taken with her that he even began to notice details in her face: the vibrant red lipstick on her full lips didn't stain the glass, it was so well applied. Even her makeup looked flawless; he had no idea how much she'd applied on her face, but her blue eyes seemed to want to hide shyly, beneath her thick, dark lashes. Her vibrant blonde hair had some well-hidden colored streaks. He had to concentrate on responding to her appropriately and not look down to look at her cleavage, which happened to be very evident in his point of view.

"Haha, lady, I can knock down a lot more bastards than that," He manages to say, forcing himself to keep his eyes fixed on hers; he discovered it wasn't that difficult, because those blue irises were quite impressive. Contact lenses? Or was it natural? It was hard to say, and if it was the second option, he wondered if that meant she was mixed race, like Kanami. "But no need to worry. I can be quite gentle when I get the right encouragement, hehe..."

"A stuffed gorilla, as I said," Tomori jokes with a smirk.

"Oh, c'mon! A gorilla?," He turns to her, his bravado lessening a little, giving way to a slight embarrassed indignation. "You'll make your friend think I'm a Neanderthal or something!"

Tomori laughs a little, shaking her head. "Considering how long it took you to make an Instagram profile, that definition is appropriate."

He snorts, rolling his eyes. And then he smiled, looking sideways at Akane. "I had a nice incentive."

"Hahahahaha…," she laughs softly. "In that case I'm happy I helped you with leaving your cave. It strokes my ego, you know?," She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, showing the colored lower part; how many colors were there he didn't know, but he counted at least three. "But it'd be good to eat, you'll need energy for what's to come. I heard that the dance floor gets really busy at eleven. What do you think?," She looks at the other two too.

“Lady, I want to stroke much more than just your ego!” He hums in thought.

"In that case, I'll fill the whole tank. We don't want to lose steam for the night... but anyway!," He leans a little towards her, and Tomori and Okubo enter into a brief alert, which passes when he just rests an arm on the table next to hers. "Tomori told me a little about you. You've been friends since high school, right?"

"Yeah! Did she ever told you guys about how we met? It was very intense," she smiles at her friend, leaning a little on the table. Okubo gets a little embarrassed and discreetly looks at the menu, and then turns to call the waiter. Akane laughed a little and turned her body towards Rihito, out of respect for her friend, looking at her with a naughty little smile. "How can I describe it... once upon a time there was a peahen who liked a lion... except that the peahen was a wolf underneath all the feathers. She challenged a panther, who also liked this lion, and they fought. Then they saw that the lion was an asshole, so they got together and put the sucker in his place. They shook hands and have been friends ever since. The end," She waves the fingers of one hand theatrically. "But of course, the wolf went to college and now she makes delicious cakes with her Butch friend..."

Tomori laughs loudly, her shoulders shaking a little. "And on top of that, the butch friend  managed to get herself a 'stone' in the last few months!"

Rihito blinks, confusion written in every line of his face. And there was the stupid face she had seen in the photos Tomori had sent her. "Stone? Like... in 'stoner'? Tokita isn't a pothead, even if he looks like one... Hey, what's so funny?," He blushes a little when the girl laughs even louder, placing a hand over her mouth.. "Okubo, your girlfriend is parroting those bizarre slang words again!"

"Relax, 'stone' is what you call a lesbian's very masculine girlfriend. Or in that case, a bi chick's boyfriend," Akane looks at Tomori. "But, like, for real? I saw a hunk near her in the pics you sent me. It wasn't him? She's dating a girl?"

"No, it’s a real guy. Black hair, kinda stuck up...," Okubo says, now more relieved, as there is no cleavage in his field of vision.

"Oooh... oh honey, that's no 'stone', c'mon now," she makes a face, and then she looks at Okubo. "So you're all friends?"

"Sometimes he is, when Kanny decides to act like the 'man' in the relationship...," Tomori laughs again, while Rihito, still a little confused, responds, "Yes, we are! Okubo and I have known each other for almost five years and have been hanging out together ever since. It was actually thanks to me that these two met, hehe."

"Oh, you?"

"Yep! I was the one who invited him to stop by the bakery the day he met her. He kept bitching, but I convinced him. You're both welcome," He smiles smugly. "And like you girls, we kind of met because of fighting, right, man? We're both fighters. We were lucky to come across two hot-blooded fighters too. There's no better way to form a solid friendship, right?," He laughs at Akane.

"Actually there is, but some take longer," she laughs too. "In our case we had a common enemy, that's what brought us together and we saw that it wasn't worth fighting over him. So, are you a fighter too? Wow, now I'm interested in seeing you in action later, in a controlled environment, of course...," she smiles suggestively.

"Maybe one day...," He arches an eyebrow at her, also smiling suggestively. "Then you'll see that I also have a lot in common with panthers and leopards... I can even give you a quick demonstration, if you want."

"Oh yeah? Let me see," She gets excited and slowly holds his chin in her fingers. "C'mon, gimme a smile, I swear I saw little fangs in there..."

Okubo laughs at the Rihito's surprised face.

Tomori gives an absurdly devilish smile when she sees Rihito shuddering, becoming completely disconcerted for a second, his eyes widening.

“I warned you, you casanova wannabe. Now deal with it.”

Rihito, on the other hand, was trying to remember how to move his tongue to form cohesive sentences. He had been warned to behave more courteously and was trying to follow that to the letter, so the last thing he expected was for her to go the opposite way. Damn, no one had ever told him he had “fangs”… he felt the long, manicured nails brush against his chin, sending a shiver down his spine that reverberated through his muscles and bones, and he could only imagine them scratching on his shoulders and between his shoulder blades as he pounded into her. Wild as a big cat, a dangerous predator... the thought caused a brief lapse in his self-control, making him open a wide, sharp smile, his heart racing in a brief jolt of adrenaline.

"Lady, you can look as much as you want. But be careful, I don't warn you before I bite. Raaawn!," And he closes his teeth very close to her fingers.

Tomori and Okubo exchange tired looks. He had held on for about ten minutes. Must be a new record or something.

Akane, on the other hand, laughs out loud for half a second. "Hahahahhahaha, there you are…," she purs, withdrawing her hand, but smiling immensely. "And I was right, you have little fangs! So cute!"

Okubo looks at Tomori, whispering, "Okay, it wasn't his fault this time..."

"No, it wasn't. I told you she was terrible," Tomori whispers to him in response, arching an eyebrow. "Do you still doubt that they can get along, love?"

"I do, but at least now I'm hopeful," he smiles a little, and then he looks to the side. "Hey, our order's coming!"

The waiter arrives with some snacks and four colorful drinks in the Tropical style, leaving the plates on the table - curiously made of black clay - in front of the two couples - "Here it is! Please enjoy."

They saw a variety of cold cuts, French fries, salami and a small plate of what looked like dried meat accompanied by fried cabbage and a strange yellow sand-like flour. According to tthe waiter, it was called "Farofa”, cassava flour, typical of Brazil. And there were some yellow buns too, which looked warm and freshly made.

"Thanks! Finally, this looks delicious...," Tomori sighs contentedly, straightening up in the chair, while Rihito laughs too, his gaze now showing the hunger he feels more clearly. And not just because of the appetizing food that was placed on the table. He was still going to try to contain himself, he had promised, after all. But damn, it was so good to see that he seemed to have met his match in that woman. He couldn't wait until he was alone with her...

"It arrived just in time, I’m as hungry as a lion. Or a leopard," He smiles again. "And I don't have only fangs, miss. I have claws too."

"Ohhh… really?," she looks at his hands. "I don't see any... do you play the guitar or something?"

"He does, we even have a band. Nothing too serious 'cause our schedules won't allow it, but we had our moments of glory," Okubo adds happily.

"Oh my... tall, strong, green eyes, cute little fangs and now he even plays guitar? What a catch, eh...," she jokes, patting him on the shoulder as she laughs a little coquettishly. "All that's left is you being a good dancer, then I'll be a goner," she takes a salami and bites into it, still looking at him.

Tomori had to rest her forehead on her boyfriend's arm to stop herself from laughing when Rihito's chest ballooned, his face lighting up in an absolutely hilarious smug happiness. If he were a peacock, he would probably have opened his huge tail by now.

This was one of Akane's specialties. Grabbing men by their giant egos and making them dance to the beat of her tune, like trained dogs being led on leashes. Obviously that incorrigible womanizer would not be an exception to that rule.

"Then today is your lucky day, Miss Akane, 'cause I'm a hell of a dances! Hey, can I call you by your first name? It sounds too good not to be pronounced, haha..."

"Call me Sekihyo, it’s my nom de guerre. Then I call you by yours," she smiles more, her eyelashes falling slightly, only making her eyes look even more piercing. "And you are, eh? Then let's hit the floor at midnight. I want you to show me these moves."

Okubo tries not to laugh, and busies himself with the food, offering a bite to Tomori, as a cute gesture.

She accepts immediately, all happy as she bats her eyelashes at him. The next few hours would be a real show in itself, so it was good for them to enjoy it with a little cuteness while they still could.

Rihito doesn't even pay attention to the other couple, completely absorbed in his back-and-forth with Akane. It was the first time in a long time that he felt so encouraged to have a conversation with a woman, instead of rushing things so he could finally take her to the nearest bedroom. He decides he wanted to enjoy it more, seeing how far they could go before the attraction became unsustainable.

She wanted to play, didn't she? Oh, they could definitely play then.

"Haha, alright then. Sekihyo...," He lets the H click on his tongue. "Midnight then. Always that magic hour, right? Until then, I can show you other of my attributes…"

"If you want, I'll show you mine too. I have some," she continues eating the food, taking a sip of the juice; now it was in another glass, more alcoholic, but still not much. "You're being so generous with yours, I think it's only fair I show you too."

"All in good time. Anyway, I was the one who asked to meet you first, right? I think it's fair that I first show you that I'm not wasting your time," He puts a salami in his mouth too, chewing slowly, insinuatingly... and then widens his eyes and says, amazed, "Wow, it's so salty! But it's actually good, you know? I-I mean...," He swallows quickly, a little red, and Tomori once again hides her laughter in Okubo's arm.

“Who knows, maybe she’ll go easier on him after she sees that, deep down, he’s just an idiot with the personality of a golden retriever?”

Akane, however, smiled even more; Tomori felt that she was enjoying this more and more with each minute. Oh boy, he was teasing the monster too much...

"It really is, right?," she eats another salami. "There's a spicy one here too, if you want," she takes a toothpick and offers it to him. "Be careful, Brazilian food tends to be very deceiving. This is one of them."

He swallows again, looking at the snack she offers him. Oh, damn, had they already reached that stage? He was really enjoying how she wasn't making a fuss, exactly as Tomori had described. He smiles sideways.

"And how can I say no to such an offer? And I don't mind. I like a little spice...," He closes his mouth on the snack, his lips close to her fingers, and he had to restrain the perverted impulse to stick his tongue out and lick them. He had already taken enough risks with that playful bite.

And the intense burning came straight to his tongue, after a few bites. She looks straight at him, a mischievous smile on her lips while she herself eats the same snack as if it were nothing.

"So? You like it?," she says as if she wants to laugh, looking at him seductively. Something about it reminded him a lot of a certain twink from a certain bakery, and that gave him goosebumps as much as the spiciness.

The snack went tearing down his throat; he had to hold back to keep from coughing and panting like a thirsty dog. Holy crap, that shit burned! He hadn't imagined it would burn so much! Did- Did she know that? Was that why she were smiling like that?

What a she-devil. Satan's spawn, like the scary twink from the bakery. But that only served to stir him up even more. Oh, he was going to give her a well-deserved retribuition later...

"It's- It's very spicy," ​​He nods, quickly pouring himself some water, trying to ignore how Okubo and Tomori seemed about to burst into laughter. "Strong flavor. Apparently you're quite used to this type of food... do you like a little heat?," He asks, the provocative tone becoming implied.

"I was baptized in Fire, honey," she raises her eyebrows. "I'm not perfect but I'm training to go to Hell, since there's no way I'm going to Heaven anymore," she throws her hair back, revealing the color underneath. He saw blue, purple, pink and red amidst the yellow, falling like silk ribbons on her shoulders, and now the leopard skin tattoo was completely visible.

"... Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go wherever they want," He was surprised how he managed to say that sentence clearly, considering that his tongue was a bit numb. It was probably that rainbow she had for a hair that made him regain his focus. Or the tattoo on her shoulder, which he was already fantasizing about kissing and biting later. "And they can drag someone with them. Not that said someone would complain."

"I'm almost asking for us to change tables, Naoh. Things are going faster than we expected," Tomori confides quietly to Okubo, with an air of laughter.

"Not yet, babe, this is getting funny as hell. I'm getting all the details for the guys, they'll want to know," He laughs softly and speaks in the same tone. "but, hey... we can hit the floor as a excuse to make ourselves more comfortable, what do you think? And honestly? These songs are putting me in the mood to rock with you, and I'm not even good at that..."

"I think it’s perfect. I want to let Akane do her magic," She laughs softly, placing her hand over his on the table "And don't worry about that. The important thing is to have fun, not to put on a show. We'll make our own show later, at your place or mine..."

"My place, please. My bed can handle it better," He jokes, laughing softly.

Akane noticed them, feeling  if she teased any more it would look awkward.

"Ohh, what time is it now?," she pretends to be surprised and raises her head, looking around, her hand on top of Rihito's, even running her nails a little over his skin. "Guess it's time for us to shake it up a little, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Rihito looks at the clock on his phone. "It’s almost midnight. Time flew, damn..."

"Get ready, because this place is going to get heated pretty soon," Tomori assures, smiling excitedly. "If you're still not sure, boys, just follow Akane and me, and we'll know what to do. Right? War veterans and such..."

"Hey, I don't need guidance. I know my way around a dance floor like that. And I've always been the type who likes to coordinate...," Rihito smiles insinuatingly, straightening his shoulders and looking even broader and more imposing.

"Oh, so you like twerking too?!," she opens her eyes, pretending to be absurdly excited. "Nice! I wanna see!"

He didn't even have time to justify himself, when the lights suddenly went out and a bunch of neon lights and colored spotlights invaded the room along with the sound of a characteristic siren. A bunch of people suddenly cheered, clapping and howling at the sound, alerting the two fighters. An extremely seductive male announcer's voice speaks with a strong accent:

"Laaaaadies and gentlemen, from now on the most awaited moment of all begins, the Dance Floor is officially opeeeeen..."

Akane howled a little along with the chorus that followed. Several people gathered in the middle of the dance floor, leaving the tables.

"Woohoo! Right in time!," she smiles a lot, getting up and leaving her coat on the table. "Tomori, how about we go first? So we can warm up a little, like we used to do?"

"Girl, that’s exactly what I was thinking!," Tomori throws her arms up with an excited exclamation, exchanging a high-five with Akane afterwards. "We'll be right back, Naoh, Lihito!"

"Wha- you two will go first?," Rihito blinks, surprised, immediately turning to his friend when they leave the table. "Are you cool with this, man?"

"Oh c'mon, don’t you wanna watch it first?," Okubo smiles, suggestively. When the girls were far alway enough, he adds, "Are you gonna waste your chance to look at her the way you've been wanting to since you saw her pics on Instagram? Now you can, and no one's gonna judge you…"

That made Rihito pause. Okay, when he put things like that, the perspective became very interesting…

"Damn, what’s worse is that you're right," He smiles, excited. "But in my case, I’m just in this to have fun. Aren't you worried that someone’s gonna grind against your girl in the middle of the dance floor or something?"

"Nah, not this time. Tomori said the girls always go first, and then the guys join. Hey, look," he pointed with his head, and there were only women in the dance floor. "Man, that's a really nice sight," he said, but he was looking directly at his girlfriend.

Okubo was grateful that Tomori told him beforehand that first only the girls will go for the first song, then the couples would mix.

Rihito immediately follows the direction of his gaze, and finds himself compelled to agree. Damn, apparently they had been incredibly lucky, because there were only hot girls on that dance floor! The thought of seeing them dancing close to each other left him almost on edge... and one of them already had his special attention, her incredibly tanned skin and multicolored hair making her stand out in that ocean of curves, legs and tempting breasts. Without the coat, he could clearly see all her curves, shamelessly displayed in that tight little dress.

"Hell yeah… it’s practically the best buffet in all of Tokyo… and I’m going to try the most exotic dish," He smiles hungrily.

"Heh, there’s an exclusive dish there, don't you fucking forget," Okubo warns, half seriously, half jokingly. "But they are giving us a hell of a gift, so enjoy it. Damn, Tomori," he practically groans, seeing his girlfriend swaying to the rhythm of the music along with her friend. "Fuck, she's such a tease…”

Rihito laughs out loud. "Looks like I'm not the only one getting lucky today, huh! Feast with gusto, pal... because I'm going to do the same..."

He watches the two girls dancing together, his eyes fixed on that scene that seemed like something out of one of his most erotic teenage fantasies. But Okubo could rest assured that he wasn't interested in Tomori, but in her dance partner. And what a partner, may God be fucking blessed... he watched attentively every movement, every sway of those hips, how her breasts swayed lightly under her dress, the sweat already dotting her golden skin like small pearls, or drops of dew that he wanted to catch them with his tongue, following their descent until they were lost in her folds, in her navel, between those wonderful legs...

What he wouldn't give for her to be wiggling like that in a hotel room, just for him, preferably without any clothes on...

The first song ended, which was the signal for the rest of the patrons to join in. Okubo gave his friend an encouraging slap on the shoulder. "Come on, Iron Fingers, let's have a feast!," he smiled very naughty, so much so that Rihito wondered which one of them was the single guy after all.

"Right behind you, Egghead!," He quickly follows him, restraining himself from running like a dog that was called to eat by its owner. He felt completely confident now, sure that he wouldn't be rejected and that now he could go all out. That dance was very physical, insinuating, so the prohibitions imposed by the sugary couple did not apply there. He doubted his illustrious company would want it any other way.

The two girls were laughing with each other, panting and sweating a little, but they didn't look tired. Great. The two men got closer, and Rihito takes advantage of his size to make Akane feel everything when he leans against her, not enough to make her feel cornered, but enough to make his intentions clear. It was a strategy that Okubo and he used frequently, even when they were both single. He found himself really appreciating how smaller than him she was, how delicate she seemed close to his impressive frame. That did a lot of good for his male ego.

"Excuse me... are the two ladies up for a different partner for the next song?"

"Oh? I was wondering how much longer I'd have to wait," Akane smiles, leaning against him and taking his hands with hers, facing away from him. "Let's dance..."

Okubo approaches Tomori and holds her hand, turning her a little before bringing her against his chest. "Hey, did you miss me?"

"Always...," Tomori arches an eyebrow, smiling lasciviously, and damn, who would have thought that such a cute and petite girl could look sensual like that? Rihito now understood well why his friend had fallen head over heels for her. But he doesn't pay too much attention to it, because Akane's hands intertwined with his and her back pressed against his chest demanded all his attention, and he would give it with pleasure.

"Come on... I always thought of panthers as graceful animals, you know, Sekihyo? I want to see if its true," He says quietly in her ear.

"I thought you already knew, handsome," he feels a volume passing between his legs, and he notices that it was her buttocks passing right over that spot as she rolled her hips. "But it only gets better if you show me what you can do…"

She turns and faces him, starting to dance to the rhythm of the music, moving her feet and shoulders, snapping her fingers, looking him up and down, inquisitive and expectant.

... Holy. Fucking. Shit.

To hell with self-control. To hell with promises. She clearly wanted him to be direct and physical with her. The sugary couple could stay there, circling each other slowly as if this were the slowest foreplay in the history of humanity. That gourgeous woman and he weren't really interested in taking it slow. They had already played enough.

She wanted it fast and hard, didn't she? Then that was exactly what he would give her.

She feels that huge hand wrap around her waist with the speed of a snake's pounce, bringing her to him in a single pull. And she sees that Tomori hadn't exaggerated when she said that the blonde gorilla was strong. His hand was like an iron noose. He also had a lot of control over his own strength, because she didn't feel any pain or discomfort. She just found herself unable to escape those fingers.

"I'll show you... you'll see as much as you'll feel."

And he began to move his hips along with hers, rubbing himself against her without any shame. And damn, that unit of a man really know how to twerk!

Akane didn't expect that, panting lightly with his grip. Wow, that was a really nice surprise. Now things were getting really good.

"Wow, so you aren't all bark and no bite?," She smiles a lot, turning around to face him, one hand on his shoulder, placing it close to his neck, the other going on top of his butt, moving her hips along with his, following the rhythm. Her excitement was reaching the stratosphere, may Daddy Satan be blessed… "You'll make me fall harder and literally..."

"Not here on the dance flor, babe," He gasps at her, smiling that predatory smile, and once again showing off those little fangs. The way he was glued to her, leaning down so he could whisper in her ear, made her think he must have been dying to have those canines on her neck, like a male cat would do with a female when he wanted to mate. "Let's just dance for now. We can continue the show later, behind closed doors, if you want."

His hands held her tight around her hips, guiding her movements to coordinate with his. He then makes her turn around, again pressing his broad chest against her back, wanting her to feel all his muscles working in sync as they dance. Rihito was both proud and a little embarrassed of his resourcefulness. Many people considered dancing something only for women and fags... but damn, if he could stay like that with her for longer, he would continue twerking like there's no tomorrow!

And the woman in front of him seemed to fully agree with that, he was sure; even more so when she held his face while she moved, so there was no one calling him anything!

"Holy shit," Okubo commented when he took a look at his friend, seeing if they had the green light to do their thing. "Okay, love, I think we're free to go. Look...," he smiles while looking at the other couple. "From now on it's an adult film session and I want to do my own, not watch others do theirs."

Tomori laughs loudly, taking the opportunity to imitate Akane's movements, just to make the poor man behind her even more excited. "Fine be me! They can sort thing out themselves from now on. Come, I want to dance like this for you in your bed...," She takes his huge right hand, slowly biting the tip of his index finger.

"I swear, woman, you're begging me to carry you outta here," he laughs. "And I really liked it, you know? If it's going to always end like this, I want to come here often," he follows her as eagerly as she does, both of them disappearing into the crowd. "We can send Miss Agata a message saying that we left, so they won't look for us, just in case..."

"Take it from me, Naoh, there’s no need. She's quick-witted enough to figure it out on her own," Tomori guarantees with a chuckle. And then she confides in him, quietly, a little astonished, "But damn, babe, I didn't know Rihito could dance like that! Have you ever seen him make those moves?"

"Yeah, one time when we're playing Just Dance," he laughs. "Everyone ended up knowing about it later. We don't make fun of him only because Himuro ended up winning, the dude is a GoGo Boy to the fuckin' core.

She laughs loudly, pulling him by the hand with excitement. "​​There's something I want to see. But now I just want us dancing, preferably without clothes to get in the way."

"I love you so fuckin' much," He laughs in a very idiotic while leaving the bar with her, like two teenagers going to do something naughty.

Akane, all the while, had seen a glimpse of the couple disappearing. She smiled to herself; her cue was right there. She turned to him, moving a little away to look at him dancing, with the excuse of twirling to show herself, and she was loving what she was seeing too. Under the lights, with his eyes half closed and biting his lip, he became sexy... she approached him and pulled him a little, bringing his lips closer to his, and moving away, just to see if he would follow, trying to complete the distance. And she felt like she had won when he did exactly what she had predicted.

Big, dumb and hot. Exactly the way she liked it.

The current music ended, and she smiled, looking at him. They didn't really need any more games, he was wrapped around her little finger.

"So... let's get going?," She indicates the exit with her head, in case he didn't hear because of the loud music.

"Show me the way," He says in a breath, and yes, she no longer saw any bravado or presumption there. He would probably grab her right then and there if it was socially appropriate. His arm immediately circles her waist, bringing her close, almost possessively, as if he were afraid she would change her mind midway. "I'll follow you wherever you want."

"Come on, I’ll just get my coat, pay my share and we can leave…," she pulls him by the hand, languidly leaving his embrace. "Then we can talk more in private… I know a nice place."

"I can pay if you want, no problem," He says quickly as he follows her. "It’s the bare minimum. I said there could be more where that juice glass came from, didn't I?" He jokes, smiling sideways.

"Alright... just this time, handsome," She smiles sharply. "'Cause this time I really wanto to."

She grabs her coat from the back of her chair, and they prepare to pay the check and leave.

Damn, that could only be the universe recognizing how unfair it had been to him all those years and deciding to make it up to him in one fell swoop! He really wanted to kiss her again, but no, there would be a much better place for it. He could wait a little longer. He had waited all that time after all.

It's then that he receives a text message. Okubo had transferred him some money, saying, 

EggHead: sorry bro, I forgot to pay our tab 

sort this out for us LOL

He rolls his eyes with a laugh. That pervert who was almost as helpless as he was... he was so eager to get home fuck his own girl that he almost turned into a deadbeat. Not that he blamed him. He understood it perfectly. He himself was almost running with the tabs in hand, wanting to end this as quickly as possible so he could go with Akane to a place much more appropriate for what they wanted to do. If he hadn't been determined to preserve a modicum of dignity, he would already be jumping and punching the air like an idiot.

NEXT PART HERE

#kengan omega #kengan ashura #kenganverse #heavybakery #fanfiction #kengan oc #fanart #lihito #rihito #ichiro nakata #nakata ichiro

[bottlecaprabbitgames]

Weekly Update for 27 March, 2023

Howdy, folks! Welcome to the last update of March! Time really has flown, jesus-

Mind Games: Trepidation

Onto our favorite subject! If you guys haven't seen, there have been multiple edits pushed for mostly Chapter 1 and 2 this week! These edits have added new options to some dialogue choices, some customisation choices, and some variation to certain spots where I saw I favored sarcastic MCs over others. There have been a couple of grammar fixes pushed in Chapter 3, 4, and 5, but I have not done a more thorough editing of those chapters; after putting in some achievements, my brain kinda just. Flat-lined and needed a break, lol!

I have gotten LOADS done on Chapter 6! I am actually in Scene 3/4 for the rough draft, with about half of Scene 3's rough draft completed. Again, the rough draft is just me going through and picking one option for each branch and getting through the story so I know where it'll go when I go back to flesh it out! However, that's still a LOT of progress!!! The whole chapter is at about 5,600 words, and before doing the update I had started editing Scene 1 for a bit to start fleshing out so it's not so much work later.

A few things with MG:T:

In case you aren't aware, MG:T is only expected to be 9 Chapters, NOT including Interludes and the Epilogue. We are over 50% done with the game! VERY EXCITING!!! (Especially as I am ITCHING to get to book 2, lol!)

Chapter 6 is expected to be out in April. I will be releasing it in full as I'm expecting it to be a small to average size chapter.

I am always open to feedback and suggestions! Honestly, I would REALLY LOVE for you folks to tell me where you think improvements could be made or where you'd like to see more choices/what kind of choices you want to see more of. Be the change you want to see, lol!!

Remember: Every time an update is pushed, your saves will be corrupted! I try to push things all at once, but I never know how much I'll get done at any one time so sometimes I push smaller updates over a course of a day. If you aren't seeing anything new, it might be because your save is before the update was pushed!

I am still checking this Google Form! I am considering making one that is all about feedback and suggestions, and I DO check the one that's listed there daily! I actually have an active list of suggestions and stuff people have given me, and I do try to take the stuff you guys tell me needs fixing and put those fixes into the game!! Those of you who have answered the feedback section have been amazingly helpful and I appreciate it so much!!!

In case you missed it, I do have a page up now that has a list of all the free scenarios I've posted in the past and present, at least, the ones I could find! It also has a list of sneak peeks from Patreon I've posted! Some of them are a bit outdated as they're from, like, when I first started writing the game back in 2018-2019, but they're still enjoyable!

There is a poll up on Patreon right now that ends in 2 weeks! It's letting Patrons vote for which RO(s) will 100% be featured in April's scenarios for Patreon, and as a special treat, one of the 2 chosen ROs will be available to the lower tier as well! And, the lower tier can always vote in polls. The tier prices are $3 and $10, with $3 opening up polls, a sneak peek, discord benefits, weekly update+ content, and credits mentions (I will be putting every Patron I've had in the past in the credits of the game(s) they were supporting me during development!), with occasional monthly bonuses. The $10 tier opens up EVERYTHING I have, and everything that gets posted monthly!

I think that's all I got to tell y'all this week! See you at the next update! (Where I can hopefully confirm being done with at least one of the scenes in Chapter 6, hehe.)

#weekly update #mind games: trepidation #mind games #interactive fiction #if #interactivefiction

[ddwcaph-game]

Hi! It's super late, and I should probably be sleeping right now! I wanted to wait until I played through EVERYTHING (and I do mean everything. I'm trying multiple playthroughs and different paths to try and see all the different traits, secrets, and extra scenes I can find). I'm not sure if it counts as spoilers now, but I'm giving a heads up just in case. SPOILERS

@hypr-nova First off, sorry for the very late reply! Second, thank you very much for sending this in! I really appreciate it. ❤️ I hope you don't mind that I split up your ask so it's easier to answer.

So far, it looks like the story the twins' mom told them was true! And the power of the lockets?! Rosie almost got hit by a truck - but we can rewind time to make it so that didn't happen?!

I wouldn't say that it's rewinding time exactly (it'll make more sense later), but that's a very interesting idea, since a full day reset was one of the main plot points in the older versions of the story.

Also, it was a school bus, not a truck. That detail is very important. 😛

And the conversation with Rosie's parents, about the mystery man who dropped her off with them than disappeared? Is he also from that other world? Seeing as the story "we" as the main characters choose to write has some bearing on our traits, dies that mean we (including our friends) have repressed memories of the world we cane from previously or is our imagination effecting the real world in some weird inverse reality type thing which makes the impossible possible?

Hmm, I can't answer this properly without spoiling stuff, but some of your questions will be answered if you read IAC! 😉

I do find it weird that a good portion of our friend group is orphaned or missing a parent (like, they just dropped of the face of the planet like the twins' mom).

Yup, Wayne also pointed this out in Chapter 2, and there's a plot-relevant reason for it. I wouldn't say that's what happened with Maggie though (since she still calls the twins every so often), but that's sort of true with MC's dad and JM's mom.

And what's up with JM's stepmom and the weird conversation she was having with (I think?) JM's dad?

Yup, that was JM's dad. You'll get some extra information on the convo if your MC has [Enhanced Senses], but if not, it'll be easier to get the trait from the new Ancestry Traits in the next update. Either way, he is very suspicious, isn't he?

And I'm pretty sure this was in the last update, but I just realized Paddy said they didn't know about us until we got there. Like, before that they had never heard about us and didn't even know his mom had a sister. So, does that mean they're not actually? And what about what Paddy's parents were hiding? Are they also from the other worlds?!

No, Maggie and Julie were just estranged from each other, and they didn't want their kids to ask where their aunt is. So now you have to wonder what happened for Maggie to ask Julie a favor and leave her kids with her.

As for what Julie's hiding... I'll just say that she has a cameo appearance in IAC. 😉

Wait wait wait - and Ma'am Bianes said she was going to be working close to the twins' mom! OMG IS MA'AM IN ON IT?! IS THE PLACE THEY EVEN LIVE IN REAL?! ARE THEY EVEN ON EARTH ANYMORE?!

Hehe. I'm really excited to write Chapter 8 now. But yes, they're technically still on Earth. I think. Maybe.

So is this like a pocket dimension and that's why odd things are starting to happen? Like the weird weather and our weirdly smart dog?! - AND WAS THAT ACTUALLY MY DOG I SAW IN THE RAIN OR WAS MY CHARACTER MISTAKEN?!

Okay, I don't think this counts as a spoiler, but all the weird things happening are because of the "plot hole" that's mentioned in the title.

And I dunno, why do you think MC's pet has a "Secrets Discovered" section in the diary? 😛

I'm sorry if I'm rambling! I have more questions, but I think I'll let you answer these first, lol. One of the things I love the most about this IF is how it seems like a light-hearted slice-of-life game, there's actually things to uncover if you're paying close enough attention. I know it should seem obvious since we can gather secrets, but despite some of those secrets seeming childish at first glance, I feel like they might actually be leading to something bigger. I definitely had to take a second look at them. Even the treasure might be pointing to something - I'm looking at you hairclip/barrette in my favorite color!

Hehe, don't worry! I'd say rambly feedback is the best kind of feedback to read. This was a real delight to read the first time. 😄

And yes, that's why I hesitate to call DDWCaPH! a kids story. It just happens to have kids as the protagonists.

Anyway, whether or not you choose to read IAC, I'm very much willing to answer any other questions you have! There's a lot of hidden details and foreshadowing scattered around the story. 😉

(Also, I don't think there's anything suspicious with the hairpin. It's probably wise to keep a closer look at some of the other trinkets though, hehe.)

#dear diary asks #ddwcaph spoilers #late replies #in auctorem credimus #hypr-nova #long post

[brick-a-doodle-do]

I'm free from exams!! For now. Anyways love the newest chapter of chocolate Wilbur!! The fear was palpable and Tommy is just trying his best poor lad. So fluff!! Once they get to the friends phase, how does the domestic life look like? Are there tiny shops for like clothes? Or Barbie dolls lmao. Do Tinies have jobs... maybe streamers hehe

WOO!!!

thank you :D yeeee wilbur's being difficult asfd can't blame him

i'll go more into detail in the next chapter/story, but tommy leaves new york pretty soon after discovering wilbur. they've had a few days to get used to each other and the tiny agrees to go with him back to brighton. once they're back, it's kind of just normal. tommy gets things to help wil get around and they live happily ever after dfsjhfd (at least that's how i'm thinking it'll end. i'm still on the fence)

tiny shops do exist! they're extended onto human stores, so for example if a human clothing store exists, there may be a small branch just for tinies :) some companies are tiny friendly and some aren't, so it really depends.

BUTTTT ALSO

some places only accept human currency even if there is a tiny branch, which kind of leans into 'tinies seen as pests/pets' thing. it's kind of like when you take your dog to petsmart and let them pick stuff out lmao

yep tinies have jobs :D it's very hard to get one, but they exist. most tinies don't get paid anyway so they don't really see a reason as to why they'd need to work, but sometimes they just get bored. some of the more friendly companies do make tiny currency (which, like tiny workers, could be more beneficial things like shelter, food, etc.)

streamers....i mean technically, if they make the angle right and make the background look nice, no one would ever know they're small :)

#brickquiries #graci brickling #i love your asks ty sm for sending them :D /gen #wilbur chocolate au

[bonesandthebees]

1. My favorite fic of yours

I LOVED clinic, tied for second are 17 hours and the stars and their children!

3. The best character you've written for

it's been said before but Wilbur is your brand! also I love the way you write Techno

6. Something I remember vividly from reading one of your fics

your "quick easy breakfast" thing from the authors notes of clinic KEKW - i now have rice with egg and soy sauce regularly (which actually helps me remember to eat - undiagnosed ADHD pog?)

8. What I like the most about your writing

I love the specific voice you use, and your choice of adjectives and grammar! A lot of fics are really good but the authors don't quite have the same linguistic skill you do!

9. A fic i'm excited for you updating/posting

I'm super excited for the rest of stars! I love the political tension and the fact that this is a very new concept (space royalty pog)

11. Something I wish/hope you write

I don't know how much expertise you have in this area or if you're willing to research it but I would love a ballet au, or other dance au! I feel like there's a lot of potential in a modern setting dance studio au, whether it's just the setting for the plot or the plot is centered around dance itself :3

12. A fic of yours that i've re-read

I've read clinic like three times! I love it so much :DDD

13. If i've ever shared/talked about your fic to someone else

OH BOY HAVE I EVER! Every fic I read that I particularly love I talk about to my sibling (the one who finally caved and read 17 hours kekw) and i'll ramble for ages but never do it justice because it's my dodgy memory versus your amazing writing :)

:>

hi crow anon!!!

wow I'm surprised how many people say 17 hours is their favorite fic of mine. I loved it of course because of how cool the concept was and how wonderfully mine and roxy's writing played off of each other, but still never expected so many people to think of it as a favorite so that makes me so happy to hear!!

omg a compliment on how I write techno... tysm I literally am always so unsure in my characterization of c!techno that's why he's my least favorite to write bc I'm just always so worried if I'm doing him justice or not

LMAOOO totally forgot about that time I talked about breakfast in the notes of clinic. tbh I should start making goofy authors notes like that again. also I haven't actually eaten eggs with rice and soy sauce for breakfast in a LONG time. lately my breakfast has been lighter stuff like fruits and cheese, but I kinda miss the rice and eggs so might get back into it (also ADHD pog!!)

that means so much aaa I've worked very hard over the years to develop a specific voice in my writing so I'm really glad it shines through. I know my writing isn't super flowery which is a personal preference of mine, but I'm happy it's distinctive all the same. it takes a lot of years to develop a rhythm with the words and grammar you use when writing, so it just makes me happy to hear someone notices it :)

hehe i'm so excited to update stars. gonna finish the next chapter tomorrow hopefully so maybe it'll be out on monday??

fun fact i literally watch vlogs from ballerinas on youtube all the time (have one open in another tab rn) and I've watched a lot of documentaries on ballet dancing as well (also, I took ballet as a kid but only when I was little and not for very long). I LOVE learning about ballet, but I've always been unsure about making a ballet au solely bc I obviously write crimeboys, but the part of ballet i'm most interested in is dancing en pointe, and men don't usually dance en pointe. I'm still considering researching more into the men's side of ballet, but there's just such a limited number of women on the dsmp that it would be a bit tricky for sure

god rereading clinic 3 times?? that's so long I have so much respect

awww it makes me smile to hear that people talk about my fics to each other :D

ty for this crow anon!!!

ask game!

#crow anon #ask #ask game

[keylovesstuff]

#11, #13, and #19 for End of the Year asks. 😊

Oooh these are some good ones Thank you hehe!!

11. Something you want to do again next year?

Wow, I don't think I did too many activities outside this year. I can't think of the right word at the moment, but I'd love to just continue to engage and meet new people in community spaces online. I know I want to continue playing games with people online, which has been huge for me this year, and there's always this little happiness in my heart where people's just like "omg I finally get to play with Key" even if I'm terrible like whaaaaa?!?!! 🤪. Of course, I want to write fics again this year (I wanted to get one more chapter done before the year was over but I've just been in my gamer arc and tired too 🤭 but I am gonna write. I think that about covers what I wanna do again this year.

13. How was your birthday this year?

Ah, so the actual day of my birthday I had work (It was still within my 90 days you know how it is... gotta show I'm a dependable employee and gotta get thar bag, man 🤭) so I did my shift and my mom actually got me some flowers, a balloon, and a cake that was sweet. I ended the night, actually playing fortnite with some friends, and of course, the sweats were on but I ended up carrying us to a victory royal with my 3 kill lead (not really but I can dream) and that was that. So, the actual weekend, me, my sisters, and brother just went out to eat, and of course, I got a drink, so I was feeling pretty good after that 🤣. So yeah, I lived it up for my 24th, Ig.

19. What’re you excited about for next year?

I'm excited to see what it'll bring and, of course, how I'll grow and be a better human being. I just want to make myself and my family proud, gonna give it my best. Very similar to #11, I'm excited to share the stories once I finish them cause I've gotten so confident and comfortable with just sharing stuff online, and I just have so much stuff I wanna write. Ooh maybe some new shows, movies, and games that'll come out this year that will pull my interest.

#Key answers #thank you for ask ☺️ #I really hope I can release both my dbz fics this year I wrote them awhile ago and sent them to my beta reader #since he started beta'ing my dbz stuff years ago I've never posted anything without getting extra thoughts 😭😭😭 #I'd never rush cause real life comes first but I'm ready to share it with the world 🤭 #I think to summarize all this I just wanna play viddy games with friends and share my little stories with everyone #Alot of people in online spaces have really made my year by simply just conversating and doing things with me #ahhhh I should really write some out and tell them 🥰

[areus-in-a-little-cave]

Rant pls? (Imagine this coming from a small animal poking its head out of a hole/door with grabby hands)

anon my beloved I am reaching down and gently putting this into your grabby hands but it is too much to hold and you fall over

OKAY UH

lots of ranting about my fic ideas below! also these share some elements but ignore that I guess lol I like the dadschlatt hc a lot okay

man all this did was remind me I need to do another canon divergent au

Modern au dadschlatt fic:

So basically its an modern au adoptive dadschlatt fic sort of?? so schlatt is like this big buisness man in new york/new york esque city but he has this dark secret that he's actually not human.

Basically hybrids are secretly living among humans but most people don't know they exist. There is actually a secret society that does hunt down hybrids so Schlatt and other hybrids all live in secret (they have the ability to withdraw their hybrid traits for most hours of the day).

Schlatt's done pretty well for himself though and one day while he's walking home he sees that he's getting followed by one of those hybrid hunter people so he dips into an alley and kills the guy. its not the first time this has happened so he just kind of shrugs it off

but uh oh turns out he's not alone in the alley! there's this like 15 year old kid (if you haven't guess its tubbo) and turns out not only did the kid see him commit murder, he's also a hybrid too. so schlatt is forced to take in this homeless orphan hybrid and figure out what to do with him.

But it turns out that tubbo is more useful than he let on since he seems to be some kind of savant who can tell who is a hybrid or not just by seeing them even if they're hiding their hybrid traits.

its a decently lighthearted fic but its fun and I think it'll be one of the next ones I write :D! probably like 10-15 chapters I'd guess. other characters would be the sbi (never making a physical apperance, mostly just phil on the phone with schlatt) and quackity. dream team + dream team adjacent are there too I wonder what role they play hehe

Allium duo royalty fic

so tommy is a prince and ranboo is his sort of servant? its like the male version of a lady in waiting I forget the term but anyways they live in one of the only kingdoms where hybrids can freely live and the rest of the sbi + kristin are the rulers/other princes.

so tommy and phil get into a fight since phil always keeps tommy within the kingdom where its safe and tommy wants to go out and explore. the argument kind of blows up and phil grounds tommy for like 4 months so obviously tommy is mad (also he's like 13 and a bit spoiled)

while mad, tommy convinces ranboo to run away with him and the two sneak out using ranboo's powers. they use an enchanted ring to hide their hybrid traits and end up reaching another kingdom where tommy looses his ring and while he's chasing it, he runs into tubbo. tubbo is also looking for a lost ring and they both claim that the one tommy dropped is theirs so they fight over it and accidentally reveal that they're both hybrids to the entire town

they have to run away and oh no turns out tubbo was the prince of that town and no one was supposed to know that he's a hybrid so he can't go back into town or else people who find out and his dad will be like executed (cause schlatt is also a hybrid in hiding). meanwhile schlatt is like "where is my son??" and dream (his other son who has an enchanted bit of metal in his skull so he doesn't know he's a hybrid) offers to hunt down and kill the hybrids that were spotted. not putting two and two together, schlatt tells him to do that

the fic is benchtrio with more alliumduo focus running from both dream and phil and its mostly lighthearted with some serious stuff. probably only like 5 chapters since its short. kind of crack I suppose? like the whole end point is just

Frozen twinsduo au

It's a frozen au, techno is elsa, wilbur is anna. Its more based on the cut song 'life's too short' but its following stuff from the movie too. might just do a oneshot of this

Emerald duo origins fic

this post is actually a drawn explination of the plot!!

Murder mystery/horror tubbo + sbi fic

HEHEHEHEH okay so I'm gonna do this one next once im done one of my others!! mentioned gore and death warning

so tubbo is moving into a new town with his dad, schlatt (shocker im sure). its where schlatt used to live as a kid and they're moving back to it after living in the big city for a long time. its supposed to be a quiet town but tubbo sees two missing persons posters on the way in so he's a little sus of things

they go to their house but its being fumigated a week late so they have to stay at puffy's house, tubbo's aunt and police captain. also they apparently live very close to the hospital where ponk, one of puffy's friends works and their house is just next door to sam, one of the detectives puffy works with. quackity is out of town for the month

she has two adopted sons, foolish and dream, and they and tubbo get along fine. later phil comes over since he and puffy are friends, and tommy, wilbur, fundy, and techno come with for dinner. Fundy is apparently phil's kid but schlatt doesn't believe that, instead believing fundy to be either wilbur or techno's kid (he's very right since fundy is wilbur and sally's kid)

the four older kids (17ish) are pushing tommy (12-13) around on the tire swing outside and tubbo (12-13) is inside with the adults and fundy (1-2). dinner is ready so tubbo goes out to get the people outside just in time to see the rope of the swing snap and tommy hits the ground hard. he's pretty pissed at his brothers + dream and foolish for pushing the tire swing so hard and he runs off into the woods that back onto puffy's property. after a bit of discussion tubbo agrees to find tommy while the others stall and he eventually finds him further in the forest and they start to go back so they can eat.

tommy trips over something and Oh No thats a human hand attached to nothing buried under the leaves. then some blood drips down onto tubbo and there's the two missing people (its bad and skeppy I will say that only because they're techno's close friends and thats important later) they are in the trees torn to shreads uh oh.

yeah so the fic is just a whodunnit (fun fact the killer has already been mentioned by name) while more people start to violently die in town and clingyduo is convinced that whatever is killing these people isn't actually a person

this fic has two fics planned hehehehehhe and will need an child death tw

Obligatory superhero au

its a superhero au Uh its mostly sbi but like its got like two fic ideas and the second one is mostly techno centric and has a lot of worldbuilding because im silly and goofy. uhhhhhhh I wont talk about plot since theres not a ton that I feel like divulging on rn but powers!

tommy can use like sonic booms (he has a suit that turns into a music disk when he's not wearing it and I really like this idea cause if the disks break he has to put them together and his suit is this awful mess of green and purple), tubbo's is very vauge since I dont really know what it is but he can fly and has a self destruct ability like a bee's stinger, wilbur can blow stuff up à la bakugo, techno has something called a double ability where he can shapeshift and can use a power in that form (he turns into a big pig guy and he can like summon weapons), phil has a double ability too which is wings and like light powers, and ranboo is also a double ability haver and can turn into his enderman form and can like....... teleport and shatter parts of himself like glass to avoid being hurt (think blake from rwby)

secondary characters are schlatt (manipulation power), quackity (I dont even know where to start he can like manipulate minds by seeing into their deepest fears and moments where they felt vulnerable and open and then were betrayed and he shows it to them again and again in seconds), ponk (plant based healing powers), sam (can reconstruct stuff), and many more!

Clone/sci-fi au

The benchtrio live at some training facility sort of like shera I guess?? and they want to find out how they ended up living at the facility so tommy hacks into the system (I say, knowing he runs into the computer room while ranboo distracts jack) and finds out his only living relative is philza aka one of the people he's fighting against. also turns out tubbo is the son of the ruler of the training facility goverment thing its schlatt who else and thats why tubbo isn't being allowed to become a captain despite passing all the requirements early.

yeah so tommy decides to run away to find his dad but phil is like "ummmmmmmmmm actually I had one son but he looked nothing like you so you aren't my son" and later its revealed that tommy is a clone of phil so yknow

plot is like phil trying to find his son, tommy trying to find a family with the gang of rebels he ran away too, and beeduo is trying to find tommy, and the other people at the facility have to pick between their friends and the government. also wilbur is phil's long lost son and michael_beloved is there too turns out he's a clone of techno its a thing. also also dream pretends to be phil's son to try and defeat him as dream works with schlatt.

Emerald duo assassin au

modern au yknow. basically techno is an assassin and he's assigned to finding out who phil works for and then killing him once he knows and also killing the guy phil works for. unfortunately this means techno has to befriend phil and turns out his parasocial will-lead-to-murder friendship is more than that and he finds a real friend and doesn't want to kill phil anymore.

also the person phil works for ends up being kristin so like techno doesn't want to leave phil's kids orphaned so he is not enjoying his job.

also also kristin 100% knows that techno is trying to kill phil so she is sus of techno but in the friendly way like "hey bestie! how was your day did you see that movie I suggested what is your experience with guns omg I saw a massive dog earlier"

Wingedinnit comic

I'm actually redoing this but you can read the first few pages on my instagram! basically tommy wakes up with wings one morning and tries to figure out how without his family finding out

#THANK YOU FOR THE ASK! #ANON MY BELOVED #:DDDDDDDDD #king queen anything else love you anon /p #btw I don't mind anyone taking inspo from these but like #I doubt anyone will but #dont use them as like prompts #unless you provide some credit #then its okay I suppose #/nm #anon ask #ask #ask box #fanfiction #areus rambles #save #sbi #fanfic

[tsukidrama]

hi!!

yes the new format is way better! scrolling back and forth was a bit annoying so it's good like that 😊

you're right about onyankopon, he just has less fans and the reasons why aren't really surprising in the anime fandom tbh but he really is a good person, and he and hange make such a good duo!!

okay okay good!! no more scrolling and struggling to remember what's being replied to!

exactly yes!! i also love the fact that Levi and Onyankopon end up still spending time together in the flash forward. i've seen some really sad shit about how they bond because it's all they have left of Hange and it kills my soul on the inside.

omg i love brooklyn nine nine!! i think i missed the reference because i watched the show in dub in my language though, but this was a very funny quote. i forgot to ask but in different chapters in the fic you also make references to some books but i really suck at guessing them, would you mind sharing the book titles?

makes sense! it's such an iconic show 🥺 i think the ending did it justice & i've been trying to get my mom to watch it. Annie and Papa both kind of remind me of Holt in their humor, lmao. Papa would refer to the pets at "Donut the cat" etc and even the way he talks and acts, OMG LIKE THE EPISODE ABOUT WHEN HOLT PLAYED WITH MODEL TRAINS AS A KID — PAPA.

sure! they aren't essential to the plot so i intentionally leave it kinda vague, idk i just don't want to take away from the focus of the story. in COTMC (ch 5) the trilogy of books reader brings out in the barn with her is supposed to be lord of the rings, although that one isn't really significant. no wonder reader couldn't focus, that shit is so long and wordy 😫

in chapter 3, where it talks extensively about the books, those ones are a lot more significant about the two brothers and the evil woman is john steinbeck's east of eden. Annie's childhood favorite (and one of my own favorites from high school) about the axe murderer and redemption, is fyodor dostoevsky's crime and punishment.

tbh i only trust you to fix papa's character lmao

lol. me too...

hehe i'm kinda happy i guessed stuff about the plot 😌 i'm more invested in your fic than in some mangas and books i'm reading right now alskzkz and thinking about next chapter + reiner and pieck is making me ever more excited to read it!! i'm curious to how you write pieck too! she's one of my favourites. and even more curious about chapter 8 because i saw the other ask (which was so nice and interesting to read, i love reading what other people think about the fic too!!) and now i'm a bit scared lmao. by the way do you already have a certain amount of chapters planned?

oh my god WHAt, that's genuinely such a compliment! ahshwkdkel i've been out here writing this shit entirely for myself. i mean i knew people read it and enjoyed it but it's different to hear somebody say that they're genuinely invested in the plot like this?? imsjnahls does that even make sense?? aah i put a stupid amount of effort into this series so thank you soooo much.

i don't want to share TOO much! this is where i get myself into a bit of a conundrum because i totally want to tell you, but i don't want to post it on main yknow?? i will tell you that Pieck and Reiner get very concerned about Annie. they'll show up unprompted trying to check on her, and she basically beats them away with a stick since all she wants is to get some god damn peace and quiet.

i haven't decided the exact number but it'll be somewhere around 20-22 chapters depending on how it all unfolds. i have up until about chapter 10 very well planned out and just loose outlines for the rest.

kinda oversharing rn but i made one of my friends watch first season of aot for the first time and annie quickly became one of her favourite characters and she doesn't even know her whole story yet. i'm very proud to spread the annie agenda lmao

YYYYYEEEESSSSS!!!! i just know that whenever she watched you were right there talking about and hyping up our girl like:

jhfhalk.ehjevi i know i do!! good for you. you're out there doing the good work. now just casually steer her away from the shitty parts of the fandom.

i hope you have a nice day!! - j

you too! have a great Sunday and a good week.

#j anon #tsuki answers #annie-isms #trnt annie #cottagecanon #snk

[itssolonelyhere]

Eeek!! Seeing the release of chapter 22 Queen of the Rhombus made my heart sing! I have deliberately avaoided looking at it until I can sit down and read it with my full attention. I will confess, knowing this was coming soon, I did revisit an older chapter to get back in the vibe (the dream chapter, you know the one *ahem* 🥵) hehe anyway can’t wait to read this! Will reblog and comment when I have!

Hi, lovey!!! Ugh, you don't know how happy it makes me that someone's excited to read my work 🙈. I hope you like the new chapter! I still feel a bit rusty after not regularly updating for so long but the more I write, the easier it'll be to get back into the swing of things. When a story I like is suddenly updated after a while, I also like reading the previous chapters to back in the zone.

Hoh... You like the dream chapter, huh? Not going to lie, I really enjoy writing stuff like that. It being a dream sequence gave me a lot more leeway since it doesn't really effect the overall story too much. I mean... aside from pissing J off 😂. It's kind of funny because QotR is meant to be a slow burn fic but by chapter 6 or 7, I had some readers on FF complaining there was still no smut lol. I didn't want to change that so I just decided on giving him some wild dreams instead.

Anyway... Thanks so much for sending this in! It brightened up my day 🥰. Enjoy the new chapter! Sending lots of love your way 💖

#asks #Thank you! #Heath Ledger Joker #Sakura Haruno #JokeSaku #my writing #update #Queen of the Rhombus #crack pairings #crossover