#guest ;; saint germain

[marlenelyra]

Just something really really fluffy for Benjamin Pavard<33

B. Pavard- Red Card

Fluff

An: I swear my whole writing consist of waking up and cuddling. Also this isn’t so fluffy so I will write another one but I just wanted to get this imagine out here

Benjamin woke up in a hotel room, to his stupid alarm going of, a head resting on his bare torso. Today was a really important match. Better said: Championsleague match,

Bayern vs Paris-Saint Germain.

That’s why he was sleeping in a hotel room. He was in middle of Paris. He groaned thinking of the match as he rubbed his forehead he didn’t wanna go and of course was he grateful to be a part of the starting 11 but he really liked the idea of having you, his girlfriend, in his arms, only there for him for the rest of the day. Savouring the moment for a short time, inhaling your perfume, the smell of home. Since his whole family was living in France he didn’t really have anybody in Germany, except for his teammates, but sometimes that wasn’t enough, that was until he met you. The first time he had laid eyes on you was at a club where you were working as a bartender. From the moment he had seen you, he knew it was you. The girl that brought the feeling of home to him, that was always there for him. The girl he loved more than anything. You.

His phone buzzing again reminding him to get up, ripped him out of his thoughts. Your head stirred on his chest since you had woken up from the alarm.

„You have to leave?“ your voice rang in his ears

„Yes. I am sorry mon amour“ „but we’ll see each other during the match“ you could hear his voice covered in his thick French accent. His hands brushed the hair out of your face as you prepped your head up kissing his lips hard.

„I love you“ Even tho you didn’t want him to leave, you rolled yourself of him as he got out of bed. He changed his clothes as you watched him closely not once averting your gaze.

„Like what you see“ he asked amused

„Oh shut up“ you let your head fall back onto your pillow.

„take care, please Benji“ you looked at him

„i will, i love you, bye baby“ he answered as he left your room

You rolled over in bed falling asleep again.

-

You sat at the match in Paris your eyes following your boyfriend with the number 5 and last name Pavard on the back. He already had received a yellow after fouling Neymar, that meant another yellow card, he would get send of the pitch. So when Benjamin ran up to Messi to defend Bayerns goal, you knew this wouldn’t end well. Benjis leg slipping between Messis without touching the ball. That was another foul. The referees whistle was blown as he held up a yellow card a red card following. It was nearly the end of the game so it wasn’t that bad but still worry flashed your face as soon as you saw the referees decision sending Benjamin off the pitch. Your boyfriend walked disappointed off the pitch leaving his team behind. His figure leaving inside the tunnels at the side of the field.

You immediately stood up walking down the stairs in Benjamins Direction. Slipping past the Security guys with a Vip pass, Benjamin had given you before the game, you searched for him. Walking through the tunnels arriving at a door that read <changing room guest> you slowly opened the door in hope of finding the curly headed boy. Your eyes scanning through the changing room, landing on a figure with their head in their hands. It was your boyfriend. You slowly walked up to him kneeling on your feet in front of him. Your hands rested on his carefully.

„Hey love“ you mutter quietly

His head perked up his eyes locking with yours. You could see the disappointment and sadness and maybe even anger written over his face.

„I fucked up, how could I let that happen, I was supposed to protect the goal not make it harder to defend since there are now only 10 players left“ he hissed his head tilting down again and eyes looking on the floor

You looked at him sadly. God how you hated seeing him like this.

„Hey mon amour, look at me please“ you took both of your hands so the side of his face making him look at you. You smiled

„you did exactly what you were supposed to do, you defended the goal, and psg was getting a bit to close, so you did what you had to do as a good defender“ „you did the right thing, believe me these people are so grateful to have you, you were amazing out there today“

„God you amaze me every time again, i am so fucking proud of you, i love you Benjamin Pavard“

He smiled weakly eyes fixated on yours. How the hell did he get with you. You are amazing, always there for him. He was so inlove with you. His hand reaching up covering yours on his face as he leaned forward capturing your lips in a passionately kiss. You pulled away his forehead resting against yours and your noses slightly brushing.

„Thank you, I love you too“ he whispered slightly smiling. your try to cheer him up, seeming as if it had worked

„By the way, I like the shirt“ he motioned to the red jersey Pavard on the back, that you wore

„Yeah me too, I like the name, maybe some day I won’t have to wear the Jersey anymore because the name is already mine“ you smiled

„Definitely, just you wait“ he laughed kissing you again. He was happy you were here, he didn’t think he would know what he would do without you.

Your little make out session didn’t lass long since Benjamins Teammates came into the room through the door. They were laughing and all cheering.

„You did great out there Benjamin“ one said

You looked at him giving him the told you so look

„I’ll wait outside“ you said leaving the room as he laughed looking after you.

Later he had gone back on to the field as the fans were cheering for him since he played so well today.

-

Even tho he still wasn’t 100% happy with the game today, he started to accept it. But with a lot of help by you with kisses and cuddles in your hotel room.

#football imagine #benjamin pavard #benjamin pavard imagine #Benjamin Pavard fluff #benjamin pavard x reader

[sunshineyuuji]

Hi I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was wondering if you could write a Dazai x a gender neutral MC where he finds out the reader has depression but also finds out the reader has healthy coping mechanisms and they talk and teach him about it.

Thank you

❤️❤️❤️

"I want a happy ending with you..."

Characters: Osamu Dazai

Warnings: depression, overthinking, insecurities, coping with depression, mentions of reader not eating, gn!reader, mentions of suicide (Dazai's death), maybe bad English?, idk if Dazai will be ooc but just in case, brief mention of panic attacks, it's quite long, ngl;

Notes: hello, Nani~! Thank you so much for worrying~ ♡. I'm happy that you requested, though I must say you caught me by surprise with this request. Personally, as someone who deals with depression, I don't know if I have a coping mechanism for depression? I just try and distract myself from overthinking? (Never ignore your feelings, please. Look for someone willing to hear you) But I'm glad I can talk about this. Also, I'll be speaking from MY experience dealing with depression so I want to be clear that not everyone deals with depression the same way just in case anyone gets confused, ok? Well, I hope I can do this without fucking up. And sorry if it's too long for your liking and uhhh maybe the end is a bit rushed?? Idk, I'm sorry. And sorry for posting this so late!

Osamu Dazai isn't only known for his amazing and shocking books, but also because of his tragic ending. He died by committing suicide with his lover, Tomie Yamazaki, on June 13, 1948. But an opportunity came and Le Comte de Saint-Germain gave him the chance to continue living as a vampire moments before his death... And he accepted.

It is well known that Osamu Dazai battled with depression most of his life, attempting suicide more than once. His decision of living as an immortal is still a mystery.

But he doesn't regret being an immortal being, not now that he met you. You were the most beautiful and extraordinary person in his eyes and nothing could change his mind. You were gorgeous and deserved to be treated like royalty. You were his light.

But he was no fool. Though he always seemed silly and loved to tease, that didn't mean he was a fool, on the contrary. Of all thr guests in the mansion, he was the most observant and attentive to any physical or emotional change in other people. And he knew damn well what you were thinking or feeling.

Depression. You were battling with depression, just like he was.

It all started with the panic attacks you started to have when you arrived at the mansion. I mean, who wouldn't be anxious? You were all alone stuck in another century in a mansion full of men. And if that wasn't scary enough, those men were vampires. You had all the right to be anxious.

He didn't pay much attention to it at first. I mean, he helped you to accommodate in the mansion and was always there to get a smile out of you, but he didn't really think anything else about the panic attacks.

That was until the sudden episodes started.

They started out of nowhere. The night before you could be giggling and dancing with all the guests in the house then the next day in the morning you were oddly quiet. The forced smile on your face when any of the guests were talking, but as soon as they took their eyes off of you, your smile would disappear and you would remain silent again while you stared into space.

When you two started dating, he noticed more about you that just screamed what you were going through. You were always overthinking about the most simple things and were constantly insecure, asking yourself is you were good enough for him or if you could ever make him happy. Then he noticed that you barely slept at night, but always felt sleepy during the day. But what made him step in was when you refused to eat your meal once when you clearly didn't eat all day.

Dazai knew what was going on inside your head and, while he didn't know how to help himself, he wanted to help you because if he helped you he could be better. So he decided to talk to you about it.

"Oh, that..." you whispered, not knowing how to talk about it. "Yes, I'm aware that I did wrong on skipping my meal today... That's why I'm going for a walk."

Anyone else wouldn't have thought anything of what you said, but not Dazai. Dazai felt his chest sink as you said the words "go for a walk." He didn't know if you also had those thoughts and, although he had resorted to double suicide on multiple occasions, he tried to ignore those thoughts and if he dragged you along with him he would lose you forever.

"I'll go with you." he offered, hiding his fear in a smile. "How impolite of me it would be to let you walk alone at this time of the afternoon, don't you think?"

You stayed a few long seconds in silence, contemplating if nothing would happen if he went with you. In the end you agreed to his offer with the thought in mind that maybe, just maybe, this walk could help him too.

"But eat something first." he ordered, his tone still soft and gentle. "I won't let you leave until you eat something."

Although little, you were able to eat the delicious dinner that you had helped Sebastian make. You ate quickly because you wanted to go out and clear your mind. You didn't want to, you had to.

"Can we please go to a walk now?" you pleaded and Dazai had no choice but to go out with you. Using the door, of course. Through the window it was going to be difficult for you.

Dusk came and the sky was painted a set of orange and purple colors. The atmosphere was perfect for a date like those you two used to have from time to time, but today was going to be an exception.

You both walked in silence without any exact destination. Dazai expected you to say something to him, but you only admired the beautiful surroundings. What distracted you was a quiet and lonely children's park. You looked at Dazai, and without waiting for an answer, you walked over to the swings and began to swing.

"Come sit with me." you called out to him while smiling softly.

He quickly sits on the swing next to you and rocks with you. You both enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, the afternoon breeze, and the soft laughter that you both let out. For a moment, you both forgot the real reason you had come out. You felt happy to be able to enjoy this moment with him, even though you knew that this joy would vanish for the moment, but you didn't care. At this precise moment, you didn't care because you knew that the reason for your happiness was Dazai.

But... You stopped. You stopped because even though you were happy with him, you had to talk to him. You continued to rock, but your laughter stopped.

"Dazai, love." you called, causing him to stop.

"Yes?" he answered.

"You know... I know that you better than anyone can understand what's happening to me. These sudden mood swings and so on..."

Dazai stopped swinging on the swing and looked at you. He didn't know what to answer you, although what you said was true: Dazai could understand you better than anyone.

"Sometimes I go out to distract myself." you continued talking. "I'm always looking for something to distract myself and try not to get consumed by it. I'm trying, I swear."

That piqued his curiosity. Distract you? Did that work? He personally never knew how to deal with his depression, since he lived in other times, but he was interested in knowing how you managed to deal with it.

"What things do you do to distract yourself?" Dazai asked interested.

"Oh! Well... I sometimes sneak to hear Mozart playing, which relaxes me." you started to explain a little embarrassed. "Or I bake too. Sometimes sleeping helps."

"That's... I didn't know there were ways to help deal with this." Dazai admitted, fascinated. "So you do things you like to distract and relax yourself?"

"That's correct." you gave him a small smile.

"I see... Can I try something like that too?" Dazai asked.

"Of course! Just look for things that can relax you." you recommended.

"Writing works... And spending time with you."

You blushed when you heard what he said and lowered your head, smiling.

He loved you. You both loved each other. You might have your problems, but you loved each other deeply. Your wish, his wish, the wish of both of you was to overcome whatever life threw at you and be together... For eternity.

#headcanons #cybird ikemen #otome game #cybird otome #ikemen series #ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikemen vampire dazai #ikevamp dazai #ikevamp dazai × reader #ikemen imagines #ikemen headcanons

[elmaestrostan]

@protect-daniel-james

Now I’ve not listened to the audio with full understanding because my Spanish isn’t quite that level, but there’s some parts they’ve put into the accompanying article that are just lovely.

Unai Emery: "The management of egos begins in oneself"

We talked about soccer and cycling with Villarreal's coach

SER Ciclista we like to get to know our guests in depth. The one in this episode is one of the most international and award-winning soccer coaches of our football, Unai Emery. He has trained Lorca, U. D. Almería, Valencia C. F., Spartak of Moscow, Seville F. C., Paris Saint Germain, Arsenal F. C. and Villarreal C. F., with which this season he maintains a brilliant trajectory in the League and Champions League, after being proclaimed last season champion of the UEFA Europa League for the first time in its history.

Unai remembers his worst fall, like all our guests, and for him the memory is associated with "when my aita (father) bought me the first bike, I left the garage, and at 100 meters I crashed into a parked car... I still remember the scare, I would be 10 or twelve years old, I got up scared, and still my father was coming towards me making a fuss...".

He recognizes that "cycling is a very popular sport in Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country... we love cycling very much, they immediately buy us a ball, a bicycle..." The Gipuzkoan coach is one more link to a family of athletes originally from Hondarribia, a town located on the border with France, hence he recognizes that "my favorite mountain is Jaizkibel, which I always have in my mind." There he uses the bike "to go to the beach or the sports center," or to this first-class port, which he always has in his mind "when I want to demand." Of course, he can't take too many risks on the two wheels "I'm on insurance for my profession, I have friends who make trips in groups, I take care of myself so I don't have accidents and I try to do the tours by stationary bike."

He remembers a funny anecdote, "in Valencia we made a 25 kms outing in pre-season, we went up to a monastery, and Joaquín was the 25 kms cursing me."

Emery's career is, and has been, very successful, but not without difficulties, "when things are easy the merit of doing them is small... In difficulties you have to look for motivations..." He has trained in different countries, where he has had the opportunity to practice languages such as French "which in Hondarribia is one more language," or English "I deepened the base and now it is my third language." With what he couldn't is with Russian, "I'm in a few words."

About the use of our favorite vehicle, remember that "in Paris it was difficult to see a bicycle, in London, if... Moscow is a very chaotic city and because of the climate, it's difficult..."

From the football philosophy of the current coach of Villarreal, a reference recalling a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou, "the defeats are overcome, once lived you have to take out the profitable things, it is a negative experience that I want to make positive." And about the management of a wardrobe, "the management of egos begins in oneself, if not managing them begins to affect other people around, clubs, institutions you have to try to dominate or control them."

As usual in our podcast, Unai Emery answers the questions of some guests. Iñaki Bea, a bench partner and then a player in charge, reminds him of those shared experiences, and gives him the ability to make reflections on the characteristics of the athlete, "you have to have innate minimum conditions, then the technical skills, the conditions ... and the ability to improve." Our guest shares a crew (group of friends) with Patxi Vila, a cyclist who made the same trip as him, from active athlete to coach in the Movistar Team, and has long conversations and confidences with him.

Pedro Reverte (former soccer player and now Technical Director of UCAM Murcia) witnessed that transition from player to coach "Unai took the team at the age of 32, being a player, in half table... we had doubts, he entered the locker room and his message was very direct, he set two objectives: the playoffs and the promotion; the team began to achieve results, we got into the playoff, and we got the promotion." From that time Emery remembers that fate wanted his team to play the promotion against the Real Unión de Irún, a team of which his brother is president, "as a coach he owed me to another region, another city, other friends..." and eliminated him.

I would share tandem with "all those who have worked with me," with a special memory of Leo López, with whom he got the promotion of Lorca, "who passed away two years ago." And I wouldn't do it with those who "I didn't have attune in the day to day in Moscow."

One of the destinations in his football career was Sevilla, where he spent three and a half years, and won three consecutive Europa League titles. From there, one of the most popular characters in Spanish football, Monchi, asks him what marked him in his time at the Nervión club. It is clear "the feeling of belonging to the colors, to a team, the fans... the environment helps you to improve competitiveness. Monchi and I did a good tandem, it helped me on a personal and professional level."

Imanol Idiakez is his second in Villarreal and asks him "who would he like to have in the Director's car if he had to play a Tour in a time trial on the last day." The answer is clear, "the assistants or presidents you may have had." His brother, Igor Emery, reminds him of one of his cycling myths, Marino Lejarreta the "Junco de Bérriz", "I saw him in Hondarribia, he always amazed me, it was humility personified." And the journalist of Cadena SER in Seville, Santi Ortega, puts on the table one of the most repeated phrases by the Gipuzkoan, "you have to enjoy the road," recognizing that "he was a currante, he earned the respect of many people." Unai says goodbye to our podcast with an emotional memory for Juan Carlos Unzué, "it's wonderful to hear him."

#unai emery #as a massive cycling fan this made my heart swell #I just want to spend a summer forcing him to relax and watch Le Tour & La Vuelta on tv with me 🥹

[hello-vampire-kitty]

Servamp Chapter 120 Translation “Toast and muddy water”

READ ON MANGADEX

TRANASLATIONS NOTES

Saint Germain mentioned "system" (furigana reading) for the word that reads vampire and I recall how the word "system" was used before but it was such a long time ago, I had to look trough several chapters because I couldn't recall who said it...I thought it might have been Gear when he talked about vampires but that wasn't the case. I looked into the chapters where Saint Germain appeared but he also didn't mention it until this chapter. I even asked on Twitter if someone might recall where the word was used and eventually I found it in chapter 87.

The word “system” is the furigana reading for 制度 which also means system and also “institution, organization.”

I recalled that it was a similar case, as in there was the combination of Vampire(s) |System..Maybe I'm wrong and I thought that because of the line in this chapter, but at least I knew that the word "system" had been used before!

吸血鬼に (システム) ついては本人に聞いてくれ。

Saint Germain was saying to the guy who manages the arena that if he wants to know about vampires/the system, then he should as ask the person in question/ask them directly, so in this case, Ildio.

The title...OMG! It might sound awkward but I couldn’t translate it any other way because that’s all the text provided me with. it would have been easier if it was something like "Toast with muddy water", but that's not how it translates.  祝杯も泥水も we have 祝杯 which means toast/celebratory drink and 泥水 which is muddy water. Because it uses the particle  も it means something like “Toast as well as muddy water, but it sounded awkward to leave it like that. We have the "muddy water" and the "celebratory drink", which can be all kinds of drinks, usually when I see shows/movies where people make a toast, they mainly have champagne in their glass. If we had the name of a drink like wine or champagne which are fancy, we would have had a clear contrast with muddy water, because "toast" is not a particular type of drink, and since it's not specified, I can only translate it directly. Again, it would have been interesting if what Nicco says would have been something like "Toasting with muddy water", but that's not the case given how it's written, he doesn’t say the verb “to toast”.

Also, I thought that maybe it's a metaphor or something but I haven't found anything about it and what I understood was that maybe Nicco was saying that he accepts the good and the bad and by the time I finished the scanlation, chapter 121 came out and Nicco mentions “toast and muddy water” again and I think he was saying was about what I believed, about accepting the good and the bad. Maybe you’ll understand better when I post the translation for chapter 121.

“You weren’t a god.” This could be a reference to chapter 104, Nicco said the same thing back then.

As you can see on the image, I wrote translations based on the words in kanji. (one was actually in katakana, the word “fork”).

Nicco is apparently making a reference to the Divine Comedy when he talks about betrayal being the greatest sin.

“Treachery was the ninth Circle of Hell. This last circle was dedicated to those people who betrayed their loved ones, friends, best friends, countries, cities, guests and even their masters.”

I think the word that is formed on the plate is “sicario”, which means “hired assassin” and it would fit because in the following page, the word mercenary is mentioned. It would seem  that’s the work Ildio was doing to get money.

At first, I wasn’t sure if Ildio was saying that he could do mercenary work because a literal translation of his line would have been “Mercenaries are convenient”, so, hopefully, I’m not wrong and he was expressing that he would do that kind of work. I thought that’s the case if that word in Italian does spell  sicario”, which means “hired assassin”.

What’s interesting here is that there’s emphasis on “water”, Nicco says this water” ���の水 and it doesn’t have another reading to it, but I speculated that maybe he is referring to tears? Maybe he’s referring to how crying is cathartic. That’s what I believe.

#servamp #chapter 120 #my translation

[morefictionlesslife]

Till death brings us together (part 2)

Aoife/Niten

The swordsman reminded himself to take his own advice when he sweated in front of the altar. Everything was going to go fine. He had almost called the whole affair smooth, but then the Japanese remembered, who they had invited to the wedding and if the guests weren’t enough trouble, then it was Aoife’s wedding. Something was bound to go wrong. But he would rather fight off all the Dark Elders by himself than letting anything keep them from marrying.

The chosen place was a high ground that overlooked the quiet Pacific Ocean. Although it was January and the temperature was not the warmest, with the help of magic the whole place was heated up nicely. The altar and the seating area was hidden from the sun and the rain with a strong beautiful white veil.

Niten’s heart was about to explode. He had to calm down. How did the other grooms keep their cool, the Japanese asked himself, when he could barely hold his footing and he was 400 years old.

Niten tried to focus on a different thing. He scanned the place. He didn’t remember the last time so many immortals and Elders had been under the same roof. Niten could name just a few: Billy the Kid, Niccolò Machiavelli, who, the Japanese was surprised to learn, was now his partner, the Flamels, Black Hawk, Joan of Arc, her husband Francis Saint-Germain, Tsagaglalal, Palamedes, Shakespeare, the warrior twins’ grandmother the Witch of Endor, their uncle Prometheus and Scathach.

He had no idea, why some people decided to show up at their wedding, but if they didn’t cause trouble, the Japanese would not kick them out. Prometheus had managed most of the wedding preparations, occasionally consulting with them. Niten had showed more interest in the planning than the woman, whose only want was it to happen and see Scatty wearing that hideous pink dress as she liked to call it. Still, seeing the guests, Niten did admit, he should have kept a vigilant an eye on the list. Who knew that the Elder who claimed to be a useless old man, who had nothing, but his family left, to have such a large social circle? There were few unfamiliar guests amongst the crowd, which alerted the Japanese. Not knowing who had a beef to pick with who at his wedding wasn’t good.

And who had invited the French couple? Maybe Flamels? Or Scathach? Both Aoife and Prometheus hated at least the man, but he guessed the woman also. Niten himself had no quarrel with them, but he was ready for an open confrontation.

This was going to be a long day, sighed the man. And who knew what was going to happen at the reception, when the alcohol was on the table. He had hidden a little knife in his kimono, just in case. The immortal was sure his future wife would not mind.

Niten had out of courtesy suggested that they invite Aoife’s brother and parents to which the woman told him to do as he pleased, but they never answered. Aoife had brushed over the topic like it was nothing, but the swordsman could tell she hurt. It saddened him also, because when she hurt, he hurt. Niten couldn’t make her parents love her.

He could however comfort her with hugs, kisses, and secret trips to fight some monsters. So that’s what he did.

The multilingual chatter ended quite abruptly making the man’s heart almost jump out of his chest.

That was it. The moment he thought would never come. And yet, here they were.

He completely missed a few tears that escaped from his eyes. Hold it together, Niten.

The traditional music from Aoife’s childhood began to play and Niten’s mind emptied. The last thing he knew he thought about was his clothing as Scathach walked down the aisle and threw flowers trying hard not to show that she was crying. If he had brushed of every tiny speck of dust and hair from his clothing…and then there was nothing.

And everything at the same time.

The only thing he saw was his beautiful bride.

His Aoife, he thought selfishly.

She almost floated to him in her gorgeous green dress, which was adorned with spirals and motives long forgotten by human race but remembered by the immortals and Elders. Her red spikes had been toned down a little and her hair was decorated with a few simple golden hairpins.

Niten couldn’t identify the previous hesitation for she looked fierce, wild; like she had a price to claim.

She beamed at him, and he was lost.

Or found.

Both.

If someone was to ask him anything right now, he could not answer. Niten’s only thought was of her.

Was he supposed to do something? He didn’t know. He just stood there and looked at Aoife with all the love he had.

Prometheus walked beside the bride and when they reached to the Japanese, Niten bowed deeply to both to show his respect and honour to be able to stand beside Aoife forever. The Lord of Fire put his niece’s hand into his slightly bigger one. Her, no, their uncle offered him an encouraging wink with a watery eye, patted him on the shoulder, hugged Aoife tightly one last time and retreated, leaving two lovebirds to gaze at each other.

“You look lovely and, if I may, surer of yourself,” commented Niten unable to tear his eyes away from his fiancée, when they had taken their place before the altar. Aoife was smiling so widely; he didn’t want to miss any of it for it happened so rarely. Maybe more often from now on, thought the man smiling back without holding anything back.

Aoife, who had to have the last word even now, whispered: “Surer of us.” Niten felt something sting in his throat as he swallowed with difficulty. “Someone swore I had nothing to be worried about.”

The tables had turned; before the Japanese had looked more put together while they were in the dressing room and the woman had looked rather nervous (not that she would ever admit it), now however, Aoife was the epitome of fortitude while Niten was willing himself not to cry from happiness.

“And if it’s alright with you I’m not going to let you go. Ever,” said Aoife firmly while grasping both of his hands.

How did she do this? She only had to say one sentence and the immortal swordsman was putty in her hands.

The blushing Japanese uttered only one word: “Please.”

Aoife nodded and was about to say something when the Priest conducting the union asked unamused: “Are you two going to get married or am I going to come back next week?”

Niten raised his head to look around and saw many immortals and Elders grinning, non-more so than his future uncle in his horrible orange suit. He blushed when the realisation hit. They had been in their little world and forgotten everyone else.

He was embarrassed, but his wife…not yet…fiancée was about to snap at the Priest, her vampire teeth visible and face grimaced with murderous intention. Niten held her back gently. “If you kill the priest, who is going to marry us?”

The warrior looked sheepishly at him regretting losing her temperament at something so unimportant in her own wedding. She offered quietly still scowling at the man: “Flamel?”

Finding a person, who knew about the immortal world hidden in plain sight in the humani world and who had the power to marry them, was not an easy feat. The first person, who Niten thought of, was the Alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel, who at some point in time had worked as a priest and had some knowledge in that area. However, when he introduced this idea to Aoife, she disagreed strongly. She had no love for the man and had called him a useless bookworm. So, that option was off the table. Niten tried to find another person, but to no avail. Sometimes, Aoife could be completely unreasonable. There was always a possibility to go a humani and get married in their world like he heard Joan and Francis had done, but considering the number of immortals they (read: Prometheus) were planning to invite, it could only lead to a catastrophe.

One day the Japanese visited an age-old shop, where he learned of a certain humani priest, who did occasional favours to the immortal side of the world. He was known only as the Priest. And for a price he agreed to Niten’s plea.

“What was the price?” had Aoife carefully asked. They both were very cautious about the pricing as this was a nicer way of signing your life away if they were not cautious.

But this time, the price, apparently, was the honour of the Aoife of the Shadows. The Priest wanted a drop of a vampire’s tear. Aoife had to cry. The first time she heard this, her reaction was expected by Niten, she wanted to separate the Priest’s head from his body. On the second consideration…the result was pretty much the same, but Aoife had changed her way of killing him. On the third, Niten finally got through to her and the vampire agreed to cry only one tear. No more no less.

Till this day she hated the Priest with a burning passion, but as she had followed through with her side of the deal, she couldn’t let him not follow his. Aoife had admitted to the Japanese immortal that she hated the man more than the Alchemyst at that point.

And so, two people who couldn’t tolerate each other less were forced to be in each other’s presence, both too stubborn to back out. And poor Niten was in the middle of it. But it had been his idea, so maybe he deserved it.

“If you will,” said the swordsman to the Priest.

And so began the rest of their lives, irrevocably bound to each other.

Scathach tried to hold back the red tears but found the adorable scene unfolding before her eyes too much to bear and so, a few red spots appeared on her otherwise flawless pink dress. Everyone, besides the Priest, had tears in their eyes. Prometheus, who sat with his sister and Tsagaglalal or Aunt Agnes as she was known in the humani world, wept more than anyone. He whispered something to Dora, who snapped at him for not letting her concentrate on the ceremony.

As the time for the vows came, both had prepared a little speech.

“The vows always get me. Especially with these two. I knew they were meant to be from the start. I did my best to encourage them, but they were so stubborn. I’m going to cry,” swore Prometheus and pulled out a fifth handkerchief from his suit.

His sister snorted: “You are already crying. And do shut your mouth. I want to hear them to decide if I must turn Niten into a cupboard or not.” She pointed a glass mirror towards the altar.

“That would make Aoife furious,” pointed the younger Elder out.

The Witch of Endor scoffed: “The twins do not scare me, and a little punishment never killed anybody.”

“Unless it’s from you, who changed their physical appearance by moulding them into household items,” finished Prometheus. He knew perfectly well his sister’s temperament.

“Exactly. My letterpress is getting lonely.” Tsagaglalal raised an eyebrow at the woman, who had to clarify. “He used to be a tax officer. The last I heard the city was struggling to find a new one. In my defence he was rather a rude fellow. Had the guts to laugh at me. Hah. What was that humani saying? The one, who laughs later, laughs better.” Almost. Tsagaglalal, who had adapted humani ways a little bit better, didn’t correct the woman. “And I laugh at him all the time.”

Across the aisle, behind the Flamels, who were sitting at the middle of the row, onto an empty seat appeared a caped man. “Am I late?”

It was Nicholas who answered: “They are about to give speeches.”

“Let this awful day end with something beautiful,” commented Marethyu resting his hook on the chair’s armrest. He smirked at the happy couple remembering his little masquerade in Coatlicue’s Shadowrealm.

“The groom first,” instructed the Priest at the front.

“Certainly,” agreed Niten hoping his words didn’t betray how nervous he was.

The swordsman had written and unwritten this vow almost a thousand times. He had read many ancient and not so ancient books trying to perfect his vocabulary on the field of love. Nothing seemed to fit or even began to grasp the feelings for Aoife. Then his own advice popped into his mind: their love wasn’t defined by someone else’s. Niten wasn’t going to find his words from elsewhere.

But how could he put something into words that couldn’t be put into words?

So, the Japanese did a risky move praying it would not fail him.

Niten pulled out three little papers from the inside of his kimono. He began to ramble: “I, um, thought and thought of what I should write and found that a few words could hardly convey my feelings. And if I know anything, then I know that if something works, one should do it again. It’s purely strategical. But not so much that the enemy could use it against us.”

His proposal speech had been spontaneous, so he is doing it again with three pictures.

“My previous speech wasn’t planned. I had fully expected to be dead by that time.” Aoife gave him a warning glance. She didn't like being reminded of that moment. “But I wasn’t, and fortunately, you accepted my proposal. Even if it was “purely for tactical reasons”.” The man added the last bit with a smirk to his wife. Aoife rolled her eyes but gave him a soft smile.

Niten looked down at the very first card. There were two warriors engaged in a heated battle surrounded by low mountaintops.

“Today I am going to partly improvise my vow, but it is guided by three pictures or rather by the three most important moments of my life.” Niten raised the paper higher so the audience and Aoife could somewhat see it. “The first depicts the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.” The woman in front of him understood immediately why he chose that moment. After the car ride to save Josh from the clutches of Coatlicue and reuniting after his short death, they had shared stories to boost each other’s (read: Aoife’s) memories about their meeting.

Niten began to fear his method was going to let him down as it was hard to find words. However, when the Japanese raised his gaze and looked at his love, he got his courage back. Aoife gazed at him with those beautiful green eyes that had trapped him the very first time he saw those. Her love went straight to his heart that began beating even more rapidly.

He forced himself to start talking lest they never finish the ceremony. He said to the vampire through the stinging in his throat that threatened to make him cry: “It is the most important moment of my life, because I met you.” Niten got choked up when he revealed the last part. His hands were shaking, so he took a deep breath to calm himself.

That sentence made even the people in the audience, who until now had somehow avoided getting too emotional, shed their first tears, not to mentioned those, who already cried before the bride had even set a foot outside. Prometheus and Scatty were the worst. Scathach still tried to convince everybody that she was just checking her make-up that she had on for the hundredth of time and their uncle didn’t hide his feelings when he sniffed audibly.

“I am not going to comment on the fighting because I lost.” Some guests, who weren’t busy blowing their noses, laughed, including Aoife, who blinked away her tears. “How do I say this? You came, you saw, you conquered.” It was a little bit cheesy, but Niten was proud of himself that he could talk at all considering how nervous he was. “The moment you had your sword at my throat I knew I had met one of the best warriors of my time. Oh, how wrong I was. I had fought with one of the best warriors of all time.” Scatty snorted, still sulky because of her defeat. “But you won something else that day. You had taken a piece of my heart. And continued to do so until all of it was with you. There is an untranslatable phrase in Japanese for what I felt when I first gazed into your forest green eyes – Koi No Yokan.”

Those who understood in crowd, which was most of them, gasped. Aoife looked on the verge of crying again but tried holding it together. “I knew instantly you were going to matter to me. That you were going to be a big part of my life. Maybe I even knew I was going to love you. It didn’t matter when or how, but I was positive, we were going to meet again. And I was right.” Niten remembered the feeling he had, when he first caught a glimpse of the young girl or so he thought; he had felt…right. Like wherever this person was, he was also meant to be. Which made the Japanese bewildered as the first time he had fought with her; he didn’t have that feeling. When their swords crossed and it became obvious this was not the same person form the previous fight, the confusion cleared. Only a gut feeling about a total stranger remained. Later, he was almost convinced that was the reason he lost. “I never could have imagined the life I got, the adventures we would share, the memories we would make. And yet as strange as it sounds; I never doubted it.” At the end of the battle and many nights after that, the young warrior couldn’t shake the image of a redheaded warrior who moved like a shadow from his mind.

The Japanese switched the cards to reveal the second picture.

The redheaded woman sat on the edge of a white cliff somewhere in Spain looking at the Atlantic Ocean. It had been a beautiful sunset painting the sky orange, when two travellers arrived from their adventure in one of the Shadowrealms. It was supposed to be a peaceful trip, but Aoife had, of course, found a way to fight some unnatural beings and because of that had been in a good mood. She had hummed an age-old tune despite repeatedly saying she couldn’t sing.

Niten had found himself entranced by the vampire, who seemed so carefree at that moment. Aoife had rocked her feet over the edge and had even smiled to the falling sun. The man had stood quietly a few steps behind her while smiling at her softly. Such had been their relationship from the start – she would rush into dangers without much thought, and he would follow her as a distant, but deadly shadow. Always one step behind.

This was the sweetest agony he could think of. Never beside her, never having her full attention on him. There was always some demon or a monster or a war or a warrior that had fascinated her more than him. Something more…interesting than the quiet immortal. The man could count the times she had shown an interest in him. That only happened when Aoife hadn’t had anything else going on. Niten was only a temporary amusement to the warrior.

It hurt. Of course, it had.

Niten didn’t want much. Just one gaze or a sweet word and he could live off that moment for the next hundred years. He knew that. He almost wished he didn’t. He really was pathetic.

Then the Japanese calculated, how many mortals or immortals Aoife would trust to watch her back. To keep her safe. She trusted some, her family and even the sister who had brought her so much pain. But all this time, she had chosen him. And thus far, he hadn’t failed her. He prayed in the future he would not betray that trust. He would be worthy.

Lately, Niten had sometimes found his heart singing for no apparent reason other than Aoife being happy or satisfied. Like at that moment at the edge of the world with the reddish sun falling behind the horizon.

There was no place he would rather be than behind Aoife of the Shadows. As long as she let him.

Seeing the great warrior swing her legs and hum in a childlike manner was a sight only a few could witness, himself included. Her short hair reflected the sunlight making them seem on fire. Usually, she hid from the sun, but tonight she didn’t mind it. Aoife gazed over her shoulder to catch his eyes with her own and offered the Japanese a smile. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen during his mortal and long immortal life. He couldn’t bear to tear his eyes away as he revelled in her attention. He smiled back and the last part of his heart flew to Aoife.

Oh.

So that’s why he found it hard to control his heart around her these last few years. It didn’t belong to him anymore.

It was hers.

“Niten,” said Aoife beckoning him closer making him jump a little. “Come here.” The vampire noticed that she had caught him off guard and decided to tease him. “Aren’t you the one that says that a warrior should always be aware of their surroundings?”

Niten blushed. Part of him scolded himself for acting selfishly. Because of his incompetence someone or something could have jumped him and took him down. He had no doubt that whatever would come her way, she would easily defeat, but still the thought of failing her was unbearable. So, he quickly checked the surrounding area and only when he was completely sure they were safe, he complied to her request.

The other part of Niten was in total chaos. His feelings for her that he was only partially aware of before and totally inappropriate came to light in him. And oh boy, he was in trouble. These feelings were so much bigger than him. The swordsman had a difficult time containing them, now they had a name. Now that he finally allowed himself to feel.

And suddenly everything made sense.

Why he knew how many times a day she cleaned her knives. Why he knew she had 36 freckles on her lovely face (they were more dominant when she had been in the sun, after which she always, without exception, complained). Why he seemed to hurt so much more than her when she got hurt.

Why he had her every little routine, like, dislike and wish memorized like they were his own. No, even better than his own. Because one notices their beloved more than oneself.

He loved her.

He had loved her for a long time. The reality hit him hard and wanted to drag Niten to his knees. The swordsman was sure Aoife could hear his heart beating rapidly. His heart ached when she smirked at him playfully.

The woman patted the grassy ground beside her: “Come, sit down.”

Aoife grinned at the Japanese when he took a seat next to her on the edge of the cliff. The swordsman was glad to be sitting down lest his knees gave up and he made a compete fool of himself. The two painted a rather unique picture – one mischievous redhead in a brown fighting costume and one all in dark still figure.

“Well, that was fun. One of the best undertakings of the last century or so.” She leaned back and put her hands behind her for support. Aoife radiated happiness at that moment making Niten’s heart clench painfully in his chest.

Did she know he would have done everything for her had she only asked?

The woman gave him a puzzled look and commented: “Is there something on my face?” The swordsman blushed deeply for the second time as he dragged his gaze away to look at the calm blue ocean beneath them. He had a hard time watching anything else, when the one he loved was beside him.

“No,” uttered the man contemplating every little thought running through his head. She hummed at that not really believing, but not prying further. One small part of him that increased every moment wanted desperately to voice his feelings. It knocked on his heart demanding an action. But Niten was nothing if not stubborn and held his tongue behind his teeth for now was not the time. It would shatter their hard found peaceful relationship and the man didn’t think he could survive if Aoife cut him out of her life. He would rather forever remain behind her and watch the vampire take an interest in something or someone new every week and let the poisonous arrow of jealousy pierce him than not knowing she was alive and well. Knowing she hated him.

“For the next trip we should go to France. Heard my sister had some trouble there.” Niten detected longing from Aoife. She always got emotional when talking about the Shadow. The man still didn’t know, what exactly had happened between these two, but one thing was certain – Aoife loved Scathach and kept an eye on her. She huffed: “I don’t see what is keeping her here. I mean the humani are all so selfish, with their constant wars and fighting between themselves for a tiny bit of land they have destroyed entire continents. And my sister continues to reside here and even fight for them. In my opinion, the humani will one day destroy themselves, they have done so before. Maybe it’s for the best.” Aoife scratched the back of her head. “Imagine loving humans,” she spatted the word out, “hah. Nothing good could come from it.” What Niten heard was that nothing good could come from Aoife loving him.

“I loved my family and brothers in arms. Still do,” commented the man simply when his companion forgot who she had beside her. The vampire did that a lot. “There are good things we embody as well. Though, a lot of bad also. Nobody is only good or bad.”

The vampire looked sheepishly at him. “Ah, right, you were a humani.”

When Niten also attempted to lean back pain shot through his body drawing a hiss out of him. Right, he had narrowly avoided an arrow, which instead of killing him, had made a slash across his right arm. At the time, he couldn’t afford to heal it with his aura as he had to rush after Aoife. After the fight he found himself to be too tired to even consider using the aura. Niten decided to heal it after a little break. The blood tripped down his chosen black suit and onto the ground.

Aoife turned herself to properly look at him faster than the speed of light. Her eyes widened as she said: “You are bleeding.” She raised her gaze while revealing sharp vampire teeth and demanded. “When?”

“Ah, it was when we were under attack from the wraiths and their servants,” explained the man trying to ignore the goosebumps caused by Aoife’s hands forcing him to undress so she could examine the wound. The fact that these same hands could kill somebody without difficulty but were now so gentle with him made serious damage to his already vulnerable heart. When her right hand slipped behind his white linen shirt that became visible after removing the top layer of his clothing and touched his bare skin to help the hurt hand out of it, he felt a shock go through his entire body. His breath hitched as he unconsciously followed her every movement. Niten didn’t remember the last time someone had touched him without the intent of killing him.

“You idiot. Why didn’t you say something?” came a furious question when Aoife finally had a full view of the damage. At that moment, Niten could not care less about the wound and more about the way she was watching him. The shadow warrior’s lips trembled, and hands held his forearm in almost careful grip. Her vicious facial expression towards his arm almost indicated that she tried to burn away the wound with it. For once, he was the centre of her attention.

Was she worried for him? This possibility made his heart jump.

He debated whether to mention the possibility of healing it with aura or let the Aoife do her thing. The part of Niten that desired to let her do whatever she decided was best won. The man answered quietly as not to spook the vampire more: “I wasn’t seriously hurt, and you wanted to follow the wraiths. I simply didn’t wish to slow you down. I would have…”

His calculated tone didn’t have a desired effect as Aoife went from anxious to furious. “DO YOU THINK THAT FIGHTING WITH MONSTERS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR HEALTH?” yelled the woman getting on her knees in front of him to tower over the sitting man. Niten’s only answer was to follow her captivating eyes, which even in rage shone like the brightest stars in the sky. His traitorous gaze flickered downwards to her pink lips. What would they taste like? They looked… “DO YOU?” The question brought it back up.

The time slowed as the two looked at each other under the pink light with blowing wind messing up their hair. Behind Aoife’s raging expression was hiding a hurt one.

“I think that it is my duty to watch your back,” offered the man gently putting his uninjured hand on her shoulder to calm the vampire. Could she not see that one insignificant wound didn’t compare to her safety? “How could I have done that if we had separated just because my arm had a scratch?” He tried to soften it with a shy smile. “Hmm? It’s not like my head was cut off.”

“This is a duty for you?” was the vampire confused before the anger took its place. This was the moment he realized he had made an error. “Are you with…Are you here because you consider it your duty?” She jumped to her feet and began to walk around the edge while saying the most hurtful things. “Are you here because you think you must be? Do you think you have to, I don’t even know, die for me?”

The man stood trying to defend himself, but the hot-blooded woman cut him off with a blazing gaze. “Because I never asked for that. I don’t need anyone to keep me safe. Least of all you.” That statement was like a Spartoi spear through his heart. Aoife was too busy yelling to notice the man’s wretched expression, which he wished away with pure willpower. “I am the Aoife of the Shadows. My long list of titles reminds everyone that picking a fight with me is to mess with Death itself. You shouldn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine on my own.” The woman promised all those things, but in the end, she crossed her arms and stayed only a few steps away from the swordsman. “I’ll release you from your duty, you for some reason think you have to me. You have kept me safe, and you have kept your honour. You can go wherever you like and do whatever you desire. I don’t need you. I am not shackling you to me.” The woman pointed to the darkness as she challenged Niten to leave. She couldn’t be more wrong. Aoife cursed under her breath: “Should have known nobody wants to be with me voluntarily. Nobody ever has, nobody ever will. Even Scathach was forced into it because we are twins. She made that very clear during our last meeting.”

Niten waited calmly for her to finish lashing out, before attempting to talk to her again. And he had dreamed of love. He would be lucky if he could remain in her presence after this. The swordsman asked quietly: “But don’t you want to?” Don’t you want me?

“What?” snapped the angry vampire peeping at him from the corner of her eye still.

“Don’t you want anyone to at least watch your back?” The woman was taken aback by that question. Niten could easily decipher her reaction. He had learned to read the vampire over the years. She really hadn’t considered her wants before, only what her reputation demanded of her. It made him sad. “Aoife, I am not here because I think you can’t defend yourself or because I am bound by duty.” I am here because I though you wanted me to be. “I am here because I enjoy our adventures. With that said, I also want to keep you safe.”

The woman didn’t look convinced. She bit: “Why? Why would you care if I live or die?”

And there it was.

Because I love you and couldn’t bear to see you hurt. I would die thousand times over just to keep you out of harm’s way, he ached to confess.

But who was he to care for her? Why would she want him to care for her?

Who was he compared to Aoife of the Shadows?

Nobody.

A humani. She always spat that word out like a curse. And every time it etched a hole into his heart.

A guard behind her.

In some instances, he would have even been brave and called them friends. Maybe the woman also considered them friends, but he doubted that. Once in a Shadowrealm in a court of an Alwrikkiran king, who had asked about Aoife’s personal life, she had in passing mentioned that Niten was there to guard her. After a while, Aoife also stated she had no friends.

Alwrikkira was a kingdom in a rather large Shadowrealm that had called Aoife of the Shadows for help. Their king sent a message to the warrior that contained a plea to defeat the rest of the kingdoms for him. In return, he would give her a centuries old sword Aoife had been searching for. Both had a feeling something was fishy with this call. But as it was Aoife, she wasn’t one to give up a challenge when delivered to her doorstep. Or rather, his, because they were residing in Niten’s temporary lodgings. The fact that the king knew, where to find her, was the first clue the man was not so helpless he claimed in his letter to be. While in the king’s castle, they had a terrific banquet in her honour and pointless chatter was not missing from there either. Niten, who had rather despised the whole grand affair in a kingdom whose people were suffering, was glued to Aoife’s side searching for potential threats.

The vampire’s fleeting comment to the king had struck Niten deep, because before that day he had assumed that in her eyes they were equals. At first, he assumed the guard statement about him was just a meaningless comment, because he fit the part rather well. Later, the no friends statement began his spiralling thought process. If not friends, then…what was he? Then again, the letter had been addressed to her. Every enemy they encounter flees because of her. Or they see her as the bigger threat. He is just a nobody in comparison to her, to Aoife of the Shadows.

After that Niten adopted this self-destructive duty driven mindset. He didn’t see himself entirely as a guard for she didn’t need one but almost subconsciously assumed that role when they were on an enemy territory or Aoife decided to be unwelcoming with her wordings which was always a quick way to make enemies. He would be useful to the vampire, however she wished. If she wanted a guard, he would be a guard.Why else would she keep him with her? What other uses he had? The Japanese had an unconscious fear to be replaced if he didn’t perform well, but the woman had never made any indication for that to be the case. So, Niten did his best to be a shadow of the shadow.

And now she said she didn’t want anyone to protect her. The woman had been right – she hadn’t asked him anything. The swordsman had just assumed.

Aoife let the bitterness overtake her again. “As far as I understand if you were not with me, you wouldn’t have to suffer meaningless wounds just because you think you need to do your duty…”

“Because I care for you.”

Aoife’s eyes widened as she was rendered speechless. Niten was afraid he had crossed the line. Why did he say that? Because it was the truth, whispered his traitorous mind. But what if that truth would push her away from him? The immortal cursed at himself in Japanese. He should have just admitted that his health was more important and let her tend to his wound. This thought pushed the pain from his arm to the forefront of his mind and the man shifted uncomfortable trying to ease it. Aoife’s softened gaze was drawn to his blood-soaked shirt.

The woman turned to look at his own brown eyes once more. Her expression was not that vicious and suspicious anymore. It was open. “Why?” She truly wanted to know. “Many often say the complete opposite about me. They would pay entire Shadowrealms worth of gold and jewels to see me dead.” He detected a hint of sadness, but then Aoife smirked. “No one has succeeded…yet, they have tried though.” They locked eyes.

“Because I consider you my friend. A dear friend,” concluded the swordsman allowing himself to take one step forward in their confusing relationship. It wasn’t a lie per se. He enjoyed her occasional banter and a companionship as a friend would. Other times she drove him crazy just as a friend would. It’s just that…he also had romantic feelings for Aoife, which he kept to himself.

“Really? Nobody has ever wanted me for a friend before,” said the woman approaching Niten.

The Japanese nodded sadly: “I know.”

“My own sister despises me; my grandmother prefers her over me and I will not even talk about the rest of my family. Only one who tolerates me is my uncle. So, it’s on your own responsibility. You can’t take it back after you decide you don’t want me anymore,” warned Aoife, but Niten saw trough her defences. She was afraid of failing or disappointing another person.

“I have followed you this long. I know you, and I still want to be your friend,” assured the Japanese with shy smile.

“Alright. So, you are here because you want to be?” Aoife’s voice still sounded a little bit unsure about it. Clearly, she was unused to people worrying for her.

The swordsman swore without a shadow of doubt: “Yes.”

“Good,” breathed Aoife, “I already thought I had forced you into something.” She bit her fingernails.

“Never.”

Finally satisfied, the woman dragged the swordsman once again to the ground to start cleaning the wound. In the meantime, Aoife demanded: “Where did that idiotic duty thing come from?” Niten desperately tried to ignore the puffs of air coming out of her mouth every time she talked that tickled his right ear due to their proximity. He forced himself to look the ocean rather than turning his head towards the vampire. It was tempting, though. Too tempting. But the Japanese held his ground against the part of him that begged him to take the chance. The fear of the uncertainty helped. They were finally after almost two centuries talking not just hunting different creatures and resting. He was not going to ruin it. No matter how soft Aoife looked at that moment.

“You said it yourself.”

“I did?” exclaimed Aoife while examining the wound. She frowned when something caught her eye.

Niten elaborated: “In the court of that Alwrikkiran king you admired in the 1730s. You said you had no friends and referred to me as your guard. After that you never refuted it. I was at a loss of where I stood.” He hissed when Aoife removed a small piece of the arrowhead stuck in his arm. The vampire soothed the wound with gentle fingertips as an apology and blew on it, and it destroyed his heart. Why is she doing it? Attending to the wound doesn’t require blowing on it.

Does she do it every time she treats somebody’s wounds? A hot jolt of jealousy went through his body when he unknowingly pictured the scene – a helpless man mooning over the vampire as she sooths his pain. His gaze turned dangerous, and posture rigid. Aoife scanned the surroundings as she sensed the sudden change in the Japanese. She didn’t find any dangers.

As quickly as the thought came to him, it left him. Niten wanted to kick himself for imagining nonsense. Aoife of the Shadows and blowing caring onto some stranger’s wound? Unheard-of. And if someone tried to make her, they would end up in even worse shape. The man smiled. That meant…he was special. His crushed and ignored heart leaped in joy. A blush creeped back onto his face.

“Me? I said that?” The man looked into her surprised green eyes and nodded. The swordsman turned back to the sea.

“I don’t remember it,” referred the woman so casually to a moment that had been carved into his heart. It was hard to forget when her sentence repeated itself almost weekly in his dreams that often turned to nightmares. Sometimes she married the king in front of Niten, who was forced to watch. Sometimes the king killed Aoife and sneered into his face that he had failed the vampire warrior, who lay unmoving on the cold marble floor with a sword in her chest. Either way, he would wake up sweaty with a pain in his chest of which he now knew the name of – heart break.

Then suddenly Aoife’s memory about that trip began to come back. She stated: “Oh, it was the king who wore that horrible yellowish dress. I said it because I was sure he was going to use every information he could get against me, including the people I cared about. Not that there were many. As soon as I stated I had no interest in killing masses for him, he clearly tried to force my hand. It would have been very stupid on his part, but then again, he didn’t sound nor look smart. Still, I didn’t want to risk it. I, personally, would target a friend rather than a guard.”

“Oh,” was the only word Niten could get out. She didn’t mean it that night? Aoife didn’t consider him her guard or something similar?

Hope that soothed away all the invisible wounds began to bloom in his heart.

Aoife began carefully wrapping his arm as he followed her every movement with loving eyes. The revelation had shattered every bit of self-control he had not to reveal his secret. As she raised her gaze Niten averted it, not being courageous enough yet to confess. “Did you really take that seriously?”

After failing to deny the accusation she cursed: “I swear that right now I just want to smack some sense into you.” The man chuckled. If she only knew how many times, he had had the same thought about her. “And I didn’t admire him.” She shrugged. “Eh, maybe a little at first. But he wasn’t that admirable, not after I found out what he did to those defenceless children. Luckily, we were able to save the rest of them.” Aoife shook her head when they were reminded of those atrocities. It was one of the first and only times, Niten had completely agreed with her violent suggestions.

The couple remained in silence as the surroundings began to darken and the woman finished wrapping his arm. She put the necessary things for tending to Niten’s wound away before claiming the spot beside him once again to gaze at the last moments of the sun.

Once the sun had settled leaving only red sunrays to light the sky and land, Niten couldn’t help but ask: “What am I to you? Who do you consider me as? You are my friend, but am I yours?” Knowing his companion, a chance like this to talk things out would come around in the next hundred years.

The vampire snapped revealing her two long sharp teeth: “You are not my guard, I’ll tell you that much, you stupid man. You better bury that thought or I will do it for you!”

Maybe, just maybe, his love wasn’t doomed. Aoife cared for him. She had demonstrated this by almost biting his head off for keeping silent about his wound. His judgment on the Japanese being her guard was also completely wrong. He thanked the deities for that. One time, he was fine with being incorrect. Did she consider them friends? Could something more ever develop between them? First time after deciphering and understanding his feelings, he was hopeful.

The warrior snorted. “I still can’t believe you thought you were my guard. I could get better guards than you. And not all of them would be in the human form.” They both knew that while it was not impossible to find someone better than Niten in a fight, it was difficult. Too this day, Niten was the only humani to win Scathach in a duel.

“I don’t doubt that. Their prince seemed quite keen on the idea,” said Niten bitterly remembering an uncomfortable conversation with an overenthusiastic young man, who didn’t leave the man alone.

Aoife burst out laughing: “The prince! Hahaa! That man couldn’t even hold a sword.”

The Japanese was not done yet, not even close. He continued dryly: “And the king’s right-hand man and the main guards from Talissia and the moustache man from Gaullia, not to mention the entire population of Flinna.” Niten wrinkled his nose as he counted many more Shadowrealms. “Most of them also had one other proposal in these seemingly innocent and not so innocent suggestions.”

An unbelievable amount of people wanted to try Aoife of the Shadows. It was a curiosity for them. They would whisper things like how is she in bed, does she scream, which position she prefers and with how many she has been with. Generally, Niten would chase them away with cold stare or with promises of pain.

One of those hundreds of voices had brought out a reaction from the usually calm or at least collected man.

I just want to try her, the man had said, I have tried so many others, but none of them had her reputation. I often think of her when I’m alone. I’m sure you know. When Niten through gritted teeth said he didn’t, the vile man continued. You see, it’s good that she looks so young, gets me going. The Japanese cut him off with a threat to decapitate him if he only breathed one wrong word. The man clearly didn’t take Niten seriously as he purred his next sentence. I usually like them younger; their screams make me… He didn’t finish because the Japanese had made good on his promise. The swordsman trembled from anger as he gazed at the man one last time. Nasty creature.

Niten wished to bash in the head of every single one of them. Aoife was not a thing to be tried and then disregarded of. She was a living (not breathing, though) being, who had feelings. Not that she would admit it. Though, she could be cold and calculating, her thoughtless comments have caused pain, he knew that part of her temper very well, and her often snarky attitude making Aoife repulsive to many they encountered, she was also incredibly brave, kind, when she wished to be, and loyal to a fault. To all those, who desired to bed her just for her fame, she was but a trinket. A thing to be conquered. None of them wanted to get to know her, none were interested in her personality, which, even Niten had to admit, was difficult to say the least, and none were worthy of her. The Japanese had nothing against one-night encounters, but those slimy man and occasional women were different.

“And how many have approached you with these lewd comments exactly?” was the vampire curious, but not offended.

Niten didn’t even try to hide the fact that he had memorised all of them. “To this day 42 individuals wanted to become your guard, 183 suggested…the intimate activity and 129 suggested both.”

“You can say sex, Niten,” scoffed Aoife. “None of it reached to my ears.”

“I would imagine not.” Now it was Niten’s time to give her a smug smirk.

“What did you do, you wicked man?” picked the warrior up his cues, suddenly very interested in what he had to say. Aoife leaned closer to him. Her green eyes seemed even sharper in the darkness that slowly, but surely covered them.

He raised an eyebrow not hiding his satisfaction. “Well, firstly, I described in depth what I would do to them if they tried anything, and then what you would do if there was something left of them by that point.”

“Hahaha. Served them right. I would have liked to see their faces,” she found it hilarious at first, but as Niten made a summary of what he learned from them, the vampire snarled. “Who did they think they are? Buying me or making bets like I was some piece of meat. I am the one who puts others in my list. Not the other way around! And for what, sex, intercourse? Shameless. I have a list for defeated enemies and victories, and they have a sex list? What would they say? Oh, look at me I slept with Aoife of the Shadows. Those weaklings could not handle me in bed.” Niten was at a loss of what to think of that statement. “Should have killed the entire court of Alwrikkira.” The woman jumped up and pulled out her knives with a practiced movement.

Niten continued to sit calmly by the ocean. “Calm down.”

“You will provide me names and locations.” The woman had leaned down to try and intimidate the immortal, but it was futile.

“I will do no such thing, Aoife,” scolded the man softly. “Sit down.” She sulked, spun her knives, and tramped her legs on the grass. The man followed her steps from the corner of his eyes. She always acted like that when she didn’t get her way. The vampire would kick something or just storm around whatever building they were close at. Niten found it rather cute. It didn’t happen often though as she backed down only in some rare instances. After a while she stuck her weapons back to her belt and took a seat still gritting her teeth.

“I do wonder how many of them were assassins. Seduction is not a new strategy,” thought Aoife suddenly.

“If that were the case, they would have approached you directly. But then again, you do look unapproachable.”

The vampire smiled bloodcurdlingly: “All thanks to my charming personality that I have polished during my long life. And if I were approachable everyone would try to murder me.”

“Many assumed we were…intimate. Some even suggested a threesome.” If she knew that one time, he gave the impression that they indeed slept together, she would be disgusted. It hadn’t been his intention, but the Japanese hadn’t denied the rumour either.

“Nobody ever tells me anything. I’m always the last to know. Especially when it’s something about me or my sister. Remember the time when there was a price on my head and I knew only when I accidentally entered the palace of the king, who orchestrated the entire thing?” wondered Aoife.

The man sighed and dropped his head: “You were told three times. You brushed it off or just didn’t listen.”

“No, I didn’t,” was Aoife convinced and didn’t listen to him. Nothing new.

Thinking about the incident Niten had revealed to her, the woman very much looked like she wanted to stab something or someone. “You should have said something to me. But what’s done is done.” Then she glanced at the Japanese slyly. Niten raised an eyebrow. Aoife leaned in as close to Niten’s face as possible without touching him. The man focused on breathing though her lips were one palm away. “My knight in shining armour.”

“Hardly,” breathed the Japanese as she compared him to the long-gone European soldiers.

The woman grinned at his reaction. When she smiled like that and especially at him, it made it difficult to maintain his composure. Niten’s back was straight with his hands in his lap lest they did something stupid like caress her rosy cheeks. The vampire on the other hand didn’t find their closeness a problem and leaned even closer to his right ear, clearly playing with him. “Mm, so it was not your intention to scare off any potential suitors?”

“Suitors? They were not even brave enough to talk to you, but wished I would suggest them to you,” spat Niten suddenly enraged at the possibility. “Any honourable person who had the right intentions would not act that way. If they don’t dare converse with you directly then they hardly deserve your attention. In my opinion.” The Japanese added the last bit because the last thing he wished to do was telling her, what to do. It was not his place.

Aoife looked positively amused by his outburst. “I agree.” The vampire spread her arms to the sky. “What did they hope to accomplish? Bunch of honourless imbeciles. A good beating would benefit all of them. Niten, if I promise not to kill th…Fine,” Aoife spat out clearly not agreeing with the man’s decision after he threw her a look.

After a few cursing rounds she clarified her wants. “I don’t want anyone to become my guard, nor do I want anything sexual from them. Just so you know.” Good, thought the Japanese selfishly. Part of Niten had pondered if he had turned down suggestions, she wanted to accept. None of them would have lasted a minute with her, while he had been with her almost two centuries. He hid a small smile from the woman.

She sighed grievingly letting her gaze stop on the ground. “Anything feelings related, especially romantic ones, is also off the table. I will never let love have any power over me. It’s not worth it. Love can only ruin you. Many great warriors have perished because of it. Familied torn apart, brothers, sisters. The only one I will love is my sister.” Aoife bit her nails as she was flooded with memories, but Niten was flooded with gloom. If he had a chance before, however tiny, it was gone now. She would never reciprocate his love. His fate was sealed.

It hit particularly hard after tonight’s bonding moments when he had celebrated their relationship moving forward. The swordsman had been so happy to learn that Aoife cared. That if he was to fall, the woman would at least be a little affected. That he was special to her.

And he was. Just not romantically.

Niten’s hands balled into fists as he tried unsuspiciously blink away the unwanted tears. Aoife sat down again being oblivious to his torment as their surroundings were lightened only by the lights from a nearby village. “Niten. I am sorry you had to listen to that, it must have made you uncomfortable.” The woman cursed in her mother tongue. Niten understood some words; the vampire didn’t take kindly to those opportunists and promised them faith worse than death. The woman’s rant went mostly past him as he swallowed in self-pity.

That’s what he got for hoping for the impossible. He was an experienced warrior and should have known better. Instead of hoping one should take matters into their own hands, then the dream was more likely to come true. Ha had no such choice as Aoife very clearly stated. A warrior should also know when they have been defeated. When their only moves were to surrender or retreat. Niten recognized his position, and he didn’t like either of the answers.

She sighed. “Of course, you are my friend. I don’t fight beside one person for years when I don’t care for them or don’t like their presence. I enjoy our adventures too.” Aoife grabbed him by the shoulders pulled him towards her with little force. The man let it happen. “Let me make this simple for you. You are not allowed to die and when you are hurt, you don’t act like a mindless hamster, you tell me. If I am not by your side, then you take care of yourself so you could return to me.”

Did she know, what those promises did to his heart? Did she phrase them so that he would feel even more miserable? Return to her? It sounded like a lover demanding a soldier to return to her from the war. But perhaps it sounded like it to him because he was madly in love with her. That had to be it. He had just accepted his defeat. He couldn’t do this. His chest hurt more now than when he got stabbed because that bleeding could be stopped, the injury could be healed. This wound ripped right through his soul making it impossible to be reached with mortal devices. But Aoife’s love wasn’t from this world. It was heavenly to him. And just as unobtainable as a real Heaven was. He would never be blessed by something like this.

Right now, the famous Miyamoto Musashi was out of strategy on how to end his suffering.

“You know very well that we can’t promise such things,” stated Niten with rough voice.

Aoife grimaced and shook her head trying to find a better solution. He let himself bask in her strong grip one last time knowing he would never get closer to the woman he loved. “Then promise me you’ll treat yourself as you treat me. For whatever reason you seem to treat me better than yourself.”

Yes, why, asked Niten sarcastically in his mind. The answer was the age-old reason of unrequited love.

Niten, who couldn’t muster up his usual calm everything is under control tone, answered coarsely: “I promise. I will do my best to stay alive.”

“That didn’t sound very convincing, but I’ll accept it,” said the woman. Then Aoife threatened the Japanese: “If you ever put yourself in danger for me, you won’t like the outcome.”

She let go of him. Please don’t, wanted the man to plead. He didn’t. He kept his mouth shut. Like always.

“I can’t lose my best and only friend,” she stated. It was ironic that a few years before that sentence would have made Niten’s whole century. Now, with this evening’s revelation and letting himself explore only a fraction of his feelings for Aoife, this seemed like a prison sentence. A prison of his own making. One, he would never escape.

To cover up his sour mood, the Japanese murmured: “There really isn’t that much of a competition to that position it seems.”

“Shut up!” shouted Aoife. “And if someone approaches you again tell me, and I will cut their head off. The rest will scatter after that. To let them know that harassing you will only make me angry, not secure their place in my inner circle or in my bed. Pah!”

“You do understand that violence is not the only way to solve problems?” muttered the man giving her a dry look.

“But if it works then why change the tactic? Aren’t you the tactical one here?” Niten shook his head. Why did he love that impossible woman again?

He stated: “I have a better one.” The woman raised her eyebrows in question. “I would wait until they get to know you, then they would quit on their own.”

“Oh, shut up, Niten!” She, annoyed, hit him in the arm but was careful of his injury.

After a while Aoife got up, swept away crumbs that stuck to her clothing, and stretched her body as the moon rose behind them. “We should go…” She caught herself and peeked down at the man. “If you want to join me?”

“I would not be here if I didn’t want to, Aoife. You are not the only stubborn one here, nothing can make me do thing I don’t want to,” smiled the Japanese at his friend.

“Good. Since we, my sister and I, went our different ways, I have been alone. And besides her nobody has wanted to stay with me for longer than a few years. More like tolerated me more than a few years. After a battle, where everyone would kill to have me on their side, they scatter. Few tried following me for couple of years, but all of them were so incompetent. It was like I was their guard and I hate those who slow me down.” Sitting warrior raised his brows. For once, the woman seemed to grasp the contrasting meaning of her words. “Unless it’s you and you have been shot by a deadly arrow, then yes, you will tell me. You can’t compare yourself and those halfwits. You are capable. They were not. End of story.” The vampire looked at Niten as he finally rose elegantly.

She eyed the man as she sighed: “I don’t need a defender, but I could use a friend.”

If she wanted a friend, then a friend he would be.

The smile she gave him warmed his chest.

“Also, was that self-awareness from Aoife of the Shadows?” teased the man and was immediately buried under insults.

With that, Niten promised to seal off any form of romantic gestures or sayings. He would be a good friend, a supportive friend, a best friend. She would not learn the truth about his feelings. As Niten gazed at the immortal warrior, who desperately tried to hide a smile after declaring them friends, he swore he would not make it harder for her. She was so cheerful right now with her new, maybe first ever, friend. And when she was happy, he was happy. The Japanese immortal only had to ignore the feeling of his heart being crushed. If he was to open about his affections, she would be uncomfortable around him.

In the end, there was no choice to be made. There was only one option.

It was enough. It had to be.

It wasn’t.

“It was an eventful night,” declared Niten gazing at his own drawing in their wedding. Considering how he felt departing from the white cliffs, this was literally a dream. Niten had learned about the wounds Aoife had suffered from Cuchulain that had yet to heal by the cliff-talk time causing her to swore off love forever and breaking the Japanese heart in the process.

Niten tried to hide his feelings as best as he could, but quite a few times, he found himself in the verge of confessing. Most of them in dire situations, where they were about to be killed. So, even if Aoife hated him, they wouldn’t live long enough for the man to be affected by it. And he would die without regrets. Similar instant occurred when the Dark Elders tried to take over the Shadowrealm of Earth, but then Aoife had not been by his side.

His love for her only grew as the years passed. Talk like that as he had predicted didn’t happen again for quite a while. They were busy in France, then in countless Shadowrealms and with ancient gods that Aoife had a beef with. Niten as her trusted friend always by her side. He almost wished he could turn it off for sometimes love consumed him and trying to pretend he didn’t love her was impossible. When that happened, he often retreated to his favourite activity – boat painting. Niten would skip a few adventures and take a time out. While he enjoyed travelling, he also occasionally revelled in peace and stability. He had acquired a boathouse in the New World in the 20th century, which became his number one getaway destination from…well everything. And to focus on his other love, which was painting. He considered himself to be more an artist than a warrior he had been while mortal. And sword fighting itself was also an artform if one was to do it correctly. Once he was rested and collected or she needed his help, they would join their forces as Aoife liked to call it and take on another trip or two.

While his love was a new sensation, it burned like an open fire threatening to spill out or eat him up inside. After a century, Niten’s heart had been burning for so long that he almost became immune to it. As time passed, his unrequited love would settle as an old wound would. Insults to humani didn’t poke a hole through him anymore, her teasings were met with a smirk or a comeback not with an illusion in Niten’s mind that maybe the woman felt something for him, and Aoife’s harsh words in the times of trouble that were directed at everyone including him were taken more as a situational insults rather than personal ones. Love was always there, but it had become a part of him as the Japanese learned to live with it. Hide it better. A curse of his own making. One, he was sure would perish when he did.

But unknowingly to him, Aoife began to heal. Began to feel. Began to reciprocate his affection. Began to love.

In the end, Aoife (and Tsagaglalal) had saved his life, he finally had the guts to ask for her hand and now, they were at the altar.

“It was, yes, the wraiths were quite vicious. They even got you, if I remember correctly,” commented Aoife as she forgot that this was Niten’s time to speak.

Niten sighed: “I am talking about the changes in our relationship, Aoife.”

“Oh.” Quite a few guests smirked at the vampire’s surprised answer.

“The bride should not speak during the groom’s speech,” warned the Priest Aoife.

As expected, the woman snapped: “I will speak when I want to speak, humani. I can still…”

“Aoife, will you let me finish?” asked Niten politely cutting her off.

“Mhm,” murmured the vampire. The crowd found her compliance funny as quite a few bursts of laughter were heard.

While Aoife straight up hated the man, Niten himself wasn’t the biggest fan of the shifty priest. “If my wife wants to speak, she will speak,” warned the swordsman the Priest, and catching Aoife’s eyes added, “not that anyone can stop her.” She smirked but stayed silent.

“I have never felt so many strong emotions in such a short period of time,” began the man.

Scathach smiled as she muttered to herself: “She does that.”

“It was the day I realized I loved you and was in love with you. That I had been for a very long time.”

“Wait, but that was…” exclaimed surprised Aoife trying to remember the date.

“20th of June 1790 by the old calendar.”

“All this time? You never told me.”

The man raised the second card and turned it to her before lowering it. “My answer lies in this conversation that I was about to describe. If you would let me…well begin.” The Japanese waited for the dramatic effect before dropping the news. “It was also the day we officially became friends.”

“Been there!” shouted someone from the crowd. Then a second later came a quieter continuation. “Still am.”

“I have a feeling we invited too many guests,” sighed Niten.

Aoife said: “I couldn’t agree more. And you and my uncle invited too many, I only invited three.”

“Yes, dear,” practiced Niten the global calming method on Aoife. It worked.

“The boy is learning,” commented Nicholas.

Perenelle turned to look at her husband and demanded: “What is that supposed to mean?” Marethyu leaned back, away from the drama.

“Nothing, my dear.”

Niten finally got a chance to speak: “At that time I did not know where we stood or why were you keeping me with you. You were an ancient warrior that the whole world, every world trembled before, and I was…me. Famous in the human world as a mortal, trivial in the immortal one. I was always in the shadows. I didn’t let myself believe you kept me with you because you enjoyed my company. It didn’t help when you referred to me as you guard.” That brought many questionable looks from the crowd. Especially from Scatty and Prometheus. “You didn’t deny it afterwards and I didn’t ask. I guess we are both guilty.” He cleared his throat.

“I’m supposed to mention we were at the edge of a white cliff in Spain near the town of Getxo,” Niten shyly at the guests, when he remembered he had begun without mentioning the place. “Forgive me.” He made a mini bow to them.

“I drew only you on this card because it was my view of you when I realized I loved you. You were sitting on the edge of the world and hummed a song. For once, you didn’t hide from the sun and let it adorn you. A quick thought of capturing the moment flew to my mind but I buried it when I realized I could never recreate it perfectly. I remember your hair being the colour of a flame as your legs were swinging over the edge. You were happy. That was the moment I found out that my heart belonged to you. It had known that from the first moment we met. I just caught up later.” Aoife cracked as the first tear was quickly swept away. “But who was I? A friend? A guard? Someone else? First two centuries I relied much on you to name myself. A vice that wasn’t exactly healthy.” The woman’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry, I grew out of it. So, there I was, a shadow loving the Shadow. And I don’t mean you, Scathach,” smirked Niten to the woman in the first row.

“You better don’t!”

“While I was under the impression you considered me your guard or not as important, I accidentally stumbled with my wording, and you found out. You were furious because you thought I was with you only because of a duty. I assured you it was because I considered you a friend and cared about you. It was half the truth. While I would help any friend in need, my feelings for you were beyond of what one would feel for a friend.” The man breathed in as the once fiercely hidden truth came to light before the sea of people. “The truth was I protected you because I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. Especially, if it was in my power to stop it. I told myself many times if someone was to fall first it would probably be me. That didn’t stop me. It didn’t matter who I saw myself as or who I thought you saw me as; I would have always protected you and been by your side. I irrationally feared that if I failed, you would replace me.” The last bit wasn’t intended, but the Japanese immortal began to ramble.

“Replace you?! You absolute idiot of a man!” hissed infuriated Aoife.

Niten smiled as he bowed gently: “Forgive your stupid husband.”

“You are not a dog to be replaced after it dies. I wasn’t with you because of what you could give me, I was and am with you because it’s YOU!”

She clapped her hands over her mouth the second the vampire realized what she had said and where. Niten’s eyebrows raised almost to his hairline, and he wasn’t the only one. Even he had trouble getting Aoife to say anything remotely romantic in private to him not to mention in front of someone else. A few sentences before the start of the ceremony didn’t count as they were more whispering to each other than making loud promises. And while her vow was still coming, his heart still exploded with love as his beloved turned bright red.

The crowd loved it as well. Prometheus clapped his hands with joy, Scatty smiled while she shook her head not believing what was coming out of her cold sister’s mouth and even Dora had to join in with a small smirk.

“You can continue,” ordered the vampire quickly, “I’ll stay quiet.” She tucked her unruly red hair behind her ears which were as red as her face and hair.

“Or you could continue stating why I was so stupid for thinking all those things,” teased the Japanese immortal knowing he played with fire. “Please, do enlighten me, my darling wife.”

“Niten!” cried the woman. “It is not my time yet.”

“Oh, so is this something I can look forward to? During your vow?” He never did know when to stop with her.

Aoife snapped: “You are not going to hear it at all if you don’t finish yours!”

The man laughed audibly but gave up teasing. “Alright.” Niten got back on track with his speech. “Finally, I got an answer out of you that I was indeed your friend not a guard and that you, in fact, cared about me. We became friends. If it were only that, I would have leaped with joy, because maybe my love would someday be reciprocated. I hoped to become as important to you as you were to me.” The Japanese immortal stopped before revealing his most painful memory. “My happiness was short lived. You also mentioned that you would never let love have any power over you. I’m not going to lie, it hurt.” His voice wavered recalling the depressing darkness that overtook him. Aoife tried desperately to remember the conversation, which had shaken him to his core. “Still your friendship was and is one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me. How could I have risked it just because of my feelings?” He snorted, the feeling of unrequited love washing over him once more. How it had burned him. Only soothing had come from Aoife’s constant presence and choosing to return to him. Every time. “I didn’t. I swore to be a good friend. To never put you into an uncomfortable situation because of me. I couldn’t bear you cutting me off. I apologize for keeping it from you.” Niten bowed. “Many times, I tried to put a stop to them to no avail. I couldn’t cease my love for you. It was impossible.” The Japanese stopped speaking for a moment to blink back his own tears. His throat slammed shut by the tightness brewing there. It threatened to end his rather emotional reveal. Niten took a deep breath.

“I didn’t bring it up to criticise your choices and feelings, you have every right to feel how you want, but rather thank you for trusting me with your love. I know it was not easy. For people like us, who constantly live in and for danger,” Niten referred to his wife, “to care about another person, it seems like a burden. Unnecessary feelings that can only cause heartbreak in the end. I know it well, as do you.” The swordsman thought for a second to conclude. It’s a time like this, he regretted not having a concrete speech. He believed himself to be a quite decent spokesperson, but right now he had overestimated himself.

“Considering all, I think it is still worth it. Because the only thing worse than losing the one you love is to not have known them at all. To have walked this long immortal life alone without the one who constantly makes your heart beat and smile for some stupid reason.” Niten smiled when an enraged Aoife trying and failing to use a coffee machine came to his mind. Her goal wasn’t to drink the coffee, but to show she could do it. She even tried to threaten the machine to which it didn’t respond making Niten laugh. “To be completely emotionless. Losing you would be nothing short of losing my heart. An unbearable pain I would rather not think about tonight. But to not have met you at all…is unthinkable. While I would live the rest of my life in mourning, the memories of you would keep me warm. Happy.” He caught Aoife’s eyes, filled with unguarded emotions. “So, thank you for being brave. For letting me into your heart. I now know I have been quite selfish with my sacrifices. Making you worry.”

“Yes, you have! And you are welcome!”

After offering a watery smile to his wife, Niten switched to the last card. A bridge in the fog. The third time his life irrevocably changed. Or the fourth time if he counts his Awakening.

“Well, the third moment is rather obvious, isn’t it?” Aoife frowned. “The Golden Gate Bridge.”

“You died.”

“You accepted my proposal.”

Aoife and Niten spoke at the same time.

“I died, too, indeed,” commented the swordsman dryly. The vampire scowled at him but chose to keep her mouth shut. “Before the attack your uncle asked me if I had any regrets. I said that I should have asked for your hand. I should have done that many times before that, but I was terrified you would have said no. The last thought I had before falling under the constant Spartoi attack was of you. Of course, who else? I should have told you. Even if you had hated me or just rejected me, it would have been better than dying without you knowing. It was ironic that many years it was my desired end – a secret that would be buried with me. But I guess, I began to crack. To hope.” The Japanese smiled sadly. “But it was too late. You were stuck in a Shadowrealm and I was marching to my very possible death.” A breathing pause. “And then I died.” Aoife inhaled loudly, not that she needed the air, but it was a protest against mentioning the incident. She didn’t appreciate the talk about him dying. And it was going on a little too long right now.

“The next thing I saw was your face. I was not sure of where we were, but I knew we were going to be alright. We were together. As you like to say – nobody can stop us two.” The two lovebirds gazed at each other. “I had survived, and I was gifted another chance. One I fortunately did not waste. After your uncle’s encouragement,” Niten looked briefly at the crying Lord of Fire, “I proposed to you without any practiced speech or thought,” he elaborated that, “I was just back from the dead. Or without having done any other proper courtship steps like dates, giving gifts, or making sure you felt the same way. But when have we ever done things the normal way? The moment you accepted my proposal, after scolding me for not taking care of my wounds, which sounded a lot like a rejection in the mind of man, who, like I mentioned, lacked any coherent thought process at the time, was, without any doubt, the happiest moment of my life.”

Niten lowered the cards to improvise the ending of his vow. For one silly moment, he was speechless and trying to conjure up inspiration, when he realized that the only inspiration, he needed, stood right in front of him, ready to be his wife and to take him as her husband.

How had he gotten so lucky?

“It’s hard to name one or even a few things that make me love you. There are so many; the way you smile, the way you laugh, the way you snap, the way you have no patience for anything. It’s the little things, not all of them good, but then I ask myself: who else I know like I know you. And the answer is – not even myself. I have surprised myself countless times because of you.” He gathered his thoughts. “The simplest cause I know to name is – you make me happy. I am the happiest when I’m with you,” stated the immortal simply, because it was. Loving her had brought different feelings to him. Pining, hatred, jealousy, hurt etc. But loving was never difficult. Falling for her was the easiest thing he ever did. It made other things hard. Extremely.

“Really?” asked Aoife unbelievingly and stepping unknowingly closer to the man. The golden hairpins in a pleasant contrast with her fiery hair.

“Yes. I promise to try and make you as happy as you make me. Every day from this day onwards.” This time Aoife didn’t hold back her big smile nor did Niten.

“You are the most arrogant, unthoughtful, and selfish person I have ever met.” His love was a little bit confused of the sudden theme change. Scatty nodded approvingly through tears. Knowing well her sister’s temperament. “So please, keep my heart tightly with you and never give it back.”

“I’ll do that. You will never get it back even if you want to,” vowed the vampire, though her newfound confidence in them seemed to begin to waver again as her tone became defensive. A tone that the Japanese immortal recognized in an instant. Contrastingly, Niten had gained confidence during his vow, turning the tables once again.

Niten broke the unsaid wedding rule of not approaching the intended before the vows were done and was time for the official “you may kiss the bride” kiss and walked confidently to Aoife. He wanted to see who was going to stop him from comforting his wife. The Japanese brought his lips to her forehead and gave her a sweet, comforting kiss.

“I have loved you for over 200 years and been beside you for almost my entire immortal life.” Niten took her hands and looked into the red rimmed green eyes filled with adoration for him, but also vulnerability that he never wanted to see again. The Japanese immortal whispered touching her forehead with his own: “Aoife, I am not going anywhere. You don’t have to wonder if I’m going to be there the next day. I have seen the absolute worst of you, which is not as bad as you yourself think, and I am still here. I will always be here beside you.”

Aoife looked up and for once, Niten found complete honesty in those green eyes. “Promise?”

“I promise. You will always have a home with me.”

Aoife broke down in tears as she reached for him. Niten wrapped her up in his strong, warm embrace hiding her head on his shoulder, not caring that his impeccable kimono was going to be tainted by the red tears.

She had been abandoned by her parents and brother, left by her sister, but still bearing the responsibility for her in the shadows, and overall, had been Aoife of the Shadows. It was too much, even for her. And making friends and good impressions wasn’t her forte. The Japanese had no illusions – she was quite the headache when she wished to be and even unknowingly causing chaos with her words and actions. But being always reminded of how unpleasant and even evil one was; it went to their heads. So much so that Aoife began believing nobody wished to be in her presence without a reason, that usually being a bad one. She began to believe the stories about her and behave accordingly. Always being the meaner twin, the evil one. Always repeating the same sentence that she was not her sister; Aoife was the worse twin. It broke Niten’s heart. There was so much goodness in her also that Aoife didn't see.

So now, Niten had recognized her vow of never giving his heart back as a poorly hidden fear. He had thought that maybe his earlier talk in the dressing room had faded Aoife’s last doubts away, but no. Threats and promises were a usual companion in the vampire wording, and she didn’t only use them on enemies. The warrior also used them as a defence mechanism. How many times had Niten heard the phrase like it was his decision to become her friend; he was responsible if something bad happened because of it or it was his decision to choose her? Too many. Like she was not to blame, if she took advantage of his and everyone else’s decision to accompany her. Like only bad things could ever come from interacting with her. She began to believe nothing good could ever come from her because if that weren’t the case, then why had she ruined every relationship she ever had.

The man had finally gotten through to her and persuaded the vampire he loved her and didn’t regret anything. And yet, she still unconsciously believed she must remind him of every possible fault she had. Like it was his idiotic decision to offer his heart to her and he couldn’t take it back even if he desired to. Like their relationship was ultimately going to fail because Niten was going realize she wasn’t good enough. But Niten knew everything about her and was still stupidly in love with Aoife.

Niten stroked her hair gently trying not to undo the work of whoever had styled her hair tufts when he heard a quiet sincere murmur against his kimono. “Thank you.”

A dark shadow that had haunted the vampire all her life perished in the words and promises of love.

It had always whispered questions like why would anyone love Aoife, why would the perfect Niten choose her, the one, who only brought pain and death, and for how long that lasted before she managed to ruin it. Before the ceremony, she had managed to tame it with his sweet declarations and actually believe in their love, in them. Believe that just her was enough. For once, the vampire accepted his affection with everything in her and had been so excited to declare it to the Japanese.

But with Niten’s speech she had let the doubt loose once more. When she learned how she had hurt him, the darkness found a crack in her and began to surface. It had whispered to her – you only hurt him; he said so himself. But this time, Aoife wasn’t alone. She had Niten, who recognized it and helped her.

In her mind she answered to the darkness – yes, I hurt him by not loving him or at least not letting him know I loved him; I am not going to make that mistake twice. I have a home now with him and I will throw you into the abyss if you ever come between me and him again. With that, she kicked its ass if it had one and let herself hope that maybe, this relationship was there to stay. Well, she was going to do everything in her power for it to remain so.

The dark shadow that had only grown within the vampire with every broken relationship had finally been defeated.

That was the moment Aoife truly accepted Niten’s love and believed in it. She hugged him tighter.

After a little while, Aoife composed herself to exclaim victoriously without a shadow of doubt in her mind: “My turn. And you, my dear husband, are not ready.”

Niten had no doubt of that.

#aoife/niten #sinf #the secrets of the immortal nicholas flamel #nicholas flamel #secrets of the immortal nicholas flamel #aoife #niten #it is here #i am definitely proof-reading it once more before posting it on ao3 #may change some things #but wanted to at least post one version of it in August (it is August where I live right now) #it was a long one #I will write third chapter and maybe even fourth #we have Aoife's vow and more backstory (read: these two idiots pining for each other) #hope I didn't disappoint #sorry for mistakes #enjoy #and as I didn't know #who were present in the wedding I just added everyone for later chaos

[alby-rei]

Getting Ready Together (Comte de Saint-Germain x Reader)

a/n: A story within a story. Written during a writing sprint session over on @scummy-writes​’s server! 

[Characters]: You, Comte de Saint-Germain

[Word count]: 749 words

[Tags]: Memories, domestic fluff, gifts

~*~

“Ready, ma chérie?” Le Comte called from outside your bedroom door.

“Almost.”

You opened the door to reveal your elegant dress to your beloved. The bodice wasn’t fastened yet, so you hurriedly pulled him into the room and shut the door. He was too smitten to comment, much too taken with your beauty, but the action effectively pulled him from his trance. A string of compliments spilled from Comte’s tongue in murmured French while he spun around you to admire every bit of you.

When his eyes settled on the untied laces, he swiftly worked on doing them up for you. Your figure sparkled with all of the jewels he gifted you when you first arrived at the mansion. Le Comte spared no expense back then, it was your debut in high society after all. Funny how much this very jewelry set meant to you after one enchanting evening with him:

On your carriage ride home from the ball, you replayed the events of the night over and over again in your head. The extravagant ballroom, the lavish furniture, the delicious food, and the elegant waltz music. There were also the guests, who you tried to recall out loud while counting on your fingers. Le Comte sure was a popular guest, you’d think he was the host himself! You told him as much, and he chuckled in response.

Back to the music, it truly carried the weight of the moment in its lilting melody. Sitting in the quiet atmosphere of the carriage marked the end of your dreamlike experience. Across from you, le Comte asked a myriad of questions, but the adrenaline had seeped out of your body and exhaustion settled in its place, leaving you wordless and unable describe the torrent of emotions of the previous hours.

Le Comte chuckled softly and apologized for bombarding you with questions. You waved it off and settled back into the couch as well as you could in your many-layered dress. The rest of the ride continued in silence. You had fallen asleep, and he had fallen deep in thought, over many things: the malfunction of the door, the errands he must run tomorrow, the uneasy whispers he heard from the guests, but above all, his thoughts always circled back to you. He renewed his vow to protect you until you could safely return to your time.  

Upon return to the mansion, le Comte escorted you to your room. You asked him to loosen the lace that tied your bodice, and he happily complied. When you turned around to bid him good night, you wore mirrored blushing faces. You wondered if he could feel the heat on your cheeks from your close distance. If he did, he didn’t show it. He stepped back with a polite bow, bid you good night, and left to his own room.

The next morning, you greeted le Comte at his door with the box of jewelry he provided you for the evening.

“What is this, chérie?”

“Your jewelry set,” you said. “It’s much too valuable for me to keep, and I don’t have much use for it anymore, after yesterday’s ball.”

He giggled, holding your occupied hands with his. “If that is the issue, then I’ll have you accompany me more often, then.”

Your eyebrows shot up and your eyes sparkled. You leaned forward to whisper, “I can go with you again?” The excitement in your voice was unmistakable.

“My apologies, I took my time with tying your laces,” he said, pulling you out of your reverie.

You smiled back at him, “It’s alright. Gave me plenty of time to recall fond memories.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“But first,” you crossed the room to your vanity and took out your own gift for le Comte. “Let’s get you in a real necktie, monsieur.”

You unclipped the tie he always wore and wrapped the new tie around his neck. You had asked Sebastian to teach you how to knot a proper tie for this occasion. You may have stumbled a bit under the intense gaze of your beloved, but you got the job done. Likewise, le Comte was in a battle with his heart that threatened to leap out of his chest under your concentrated stare.

“There! Much better.” You patted his chest with a cheeky smile.

He smiled in the mirror, admiring your handiwork. “Looks like I’ll have to buy more ties then, but only if you’ll do the honors of tying the knot.”

“Deal.”

a/n: It’s about time to welcome le Comte into the world of proper neckties. Summoning the Comte simps: @ana-thedaydreamer @ikemenlibrary @crystal13unny 

#alby one-shots #ikevamp writing #ikevamp comte #comte de saint germain #ikemen vampire comte #ikevamp fanfic #comte x reader #comte x you #comte x mc

[submissivegayfrenchboy]

29 / 11 / 2022

🇬🇧🇺🇸 ENGLISH / ANGLAIS 🇬🇧🇺🇸

PERSONAL FICTIONAL STORY

HUMILIATED BY A CELEBRITY #40 :

NEYMAR, professional football player (1992)

Special guest-star : DRAKE, Canadian singer

Dear readers, this is already the 40th story in the series HUMILIATED BY A CELEBRITY 😁 !!!!!!! I wouldn't have continued if you hadn't been there, so please always be so many to like, reblog and comment on my stories so that I feel supported. I've written about many famous alpha males, whether gay or straight, black or white, French, English, American or otherwise. Whether they are actors, singers, sportsmen....

For this fortieth, I had to mark the occasion with a very handsome and well-liked muscular man. Brazilian professional footballer Neymar is incredibly handsome, I would love to kiss him. I have no chance of doing it, but I made up this story in which a man - whose physical appearance and age is not specified so that everyone can imagine themselves in his place - will become tiny. The hero is going to get tiny, and this is one of the first times I've written about miniaturization. I hope that you will like.

And see you in at number 41 of this series, I hope that many of you will still love this series, because I have ideas for yet another ten episodes of this history series. 😁

THE SPORT PLAYERS, THE NEW KINGS #2

- KING NEYMAR AND HIS TINY SLAVE -

- CHAPTER 1 - AT NEYMAR'S SERVICE -

Captain of the Brazil national football team, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, said Neymar Jr., more commonly known as Neymar, was a king in the eyes of his fans. Time after time, he had started to behave like one. His luxurious lifestyle reflected his taste for celebration and debauchery. As a player of the Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG) team, he was approached by luxury brands to be a model. As a professional footballer, his talent impressed his competitors. Arrogant and superficial, he was also funny and kind to the people he loved.

Neymar, this handsome Brazilian player, had a personal assistant. This one had been in the service of the star for a short time. The previous one had left for an unknown reason. Neymar therefore needed a new personal secretary, someone to manage his social networks and his appointments.

The new man chosen was called Elio, a young Parisian so happy to be behind the scenes at the club in his city. His knowledge of English allowed him to travel with Neymar on his professional and personal trips. His tasks were fairly standard: managing his boss's calls and appointments. Satisfied with his particular assistant's submission, Neymar gave Elio more specific orders, such as carrying his luggage, serving drinks at his parties, and washing his clothes.

But the worst was to come.

One day, Neymar was on his big bed looking at several dozen shoes he had put on the blanket. It was just part of his large shoe collection. There were over 1000! Anyway, he looked at Elio with a smile.

NEYMAR: "Little Elio, I made you come to my room because I didn't know which pair of shoes to put on, so I tried them all. But now they're mixed up, so you're going to put them away in pairs. But to put them back together, my shoes will have to be licked! Yes, Elio, you will lick my shoes to put them back in pairs! Consider yourself lucky that I don't leave you a specific time, but if you take too long to lick them and put them back in pairs, I will have to punish you! Ahahah!"

Then Neymar put two socks over Elio's eyes and around his head to prevent him from seeing. According to his boss's will, his tongue would be his only way to find his boss's pairs of shoes and put them back together in pairs. Elio started licking the shoes, and the bright colors didn't help him given his blindness. He could use different textures, softer or rougher fabrics. The soles had different patterns, not counting those that had heels or studs. Neymar was amused to see Elio licking his shoes.

When Elio licked one shoe, he licked another until he found the one that looked like the one he licked first. He had to show memorization and speed, but his tongue hurt from licking everything. Neymar was spitting in his mouth so that he had saliva.

It lasted more than an hour and Neymar enjoyed this spectacle of submission.

NEYMAR: "It took you an hour to find my shoes and put them in pairs, I expect you to do it faster next time! It's with your tongue that my shoes will be cleaned from now on. both outside and inside! Now put them away, my little Elio!"

Some time later, Neymar forces his personal assistant to massage his feet. His long, hot, sweaty feet are even more tired after his practices or matches. Accustomed to directing others, to walking, jumping, running,... Neymar likes having his feet massaged. Neymar's height 41 (8.5 US) feet are impressive and Elio is quickly getting used to serving his master. But this one quickly tires of the obedience of his slave.

-

- CHAPTER 2 - THE TRANSFORMATION -

During a trip to Brazil where he is with the national football team, he enjoys a guided visit to an ancient temple of a pre-Columbian civilization. He is particularly intrigued by a book of spells. He asks the temple guide the meaning of a page where a normal-sized man can be seen becoming tiny. The guide explains that the page of the grimoire shown to her by Neymar represents a spell that reduces the size of a human to the point that they become tiny.

Neymar takes advantage of the guide moving away to take a picture of the page, goes to a site to translate the ancient Brazilian language, and realizes that the ingredients for creating the spell are all in Brazil. Neymar finds his personal assistant, who is carrying his jacket and his bag and had waited for him quietly outside the temple.

Neymar sends him to buy the ingredients he needs to create the miniaturization spell, without specifying the reason for these purchases. Elio does all the shopping possible to find the precious ingredients.

Returning to Neymar's villa, Elio brings him the ingredients and Neymar sends him to lick his shoes to occupy him. Obediently, Elio goes to his boss's shoe cabinet to lick them. Neymar takes the opportunity to prepare the spell. He mixes herbs, flowers and spices, boils the mixture in hot water and then lets it cool.

Once the potion is ready, the color red makes you thirsty, so Neymar pours red fruit juice into another glass to trick Elio into thinking it's the same drink. Then he takes the glasses and goes to his room where he sees this pathetic little Parisian licking the soles of his shoes.

NEYMAR: "How many have you already licked?"

ELIO: "40 pairs, sir."

NEYMAR: "40 pairs?! That means you just licked 80 shoe soles!! Ahahah ha!!!! Well, I served you a red fruit juice, drink it with me."

ELIO: "Thank you sir."

To Neymar's satisfaction, Elio drinks the shrinking potion!

Elio was very small, he was only 35 cm tall and he was under his clothes, which had become too big for him. Neymar took it in his hand and lifted it in front of him. Elio was very small and screamed when he found himself face to face with Neymar.

ELIO: "Boss, how did you become a giant?"

NEYMAR: "It's not me who's giant, it's you who's tiny! And now it's time for me to relieve myself."

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

A powerful burp almost took Elio's head off! The stench had gone straight to his face.

NEYMAR: "Ahahahahahahahah!!!!! Your face when my burp surprised you!!! Ahahahahahah!!!! Well, glad to have known you but now I'm going to eat you!"

Neymar opened his mouth and was about to drop Elio into his mouth to eat him alive, but he was struggling.

ELIO: "Please, boss, don't eat me alive!!!! I don't know what I did to make you turn me tiny, but I would do anything to stay alive!!!!"

NEYMAR: "Very well from now on you are mine! My feet sweat a lot so you will absorb the sweat from my feet."

Reluctantly, Elio had no choice but to be put against the sole of his former boss's right foot, who then slipped a sock over it. Elio was now glued to Neymar's right foot warm in his sock. Then the Brazilian footballer put his shoes on, and Elio was even tighter against the sole of his foot.

Throughout Neymar's football training, Elio was swallowing liters of sweat from his master's foot. He was a little under the size of his master's foot so all the sweat went straight into his mouth. The worst part was less the smell or taste of foot sweat than Neymar's weight on him because, despite the softness of the sock, Elio was crushed by Neymar. He was running, jumping and kicking the ball hard, which really hurt Elio.

When the training was over, Neymar did not take off his socks directly and waited until he was at home to order his tiny slave, who was completely naked, to massage his feet with his small hands, to lick the other foot in which he had not been. Despite his tiny size, Elio properly licked his master's feet and his tiny tongue passionately licked the sweat and dirt left by the socks. At night, Neymar made Elio sleep in his dirty sock.

The days passed like this for Elio: after a night's sleep in his master's dirty sock, he spent the day in his foot, a different foot each day. His new size had changed his eating habits: sweat from his feet and dirt was enough to be fit.

Neymar had fun with his tiny slave and enjoyed watching him lick his big feet.

-

- CHAPTER 3 - NEYMAR, KING OF BRAZIL -

One day, Neymar was invited to a star party, and he met the Canadian singer Drake, of whom he was a fan. The singer and actor Drake is a giant of 1 m 93, a manly bearded man very cuddly but very dominant. He put his muscular arm around the handsome Neymar's neck.

DRAKE: "Hey Neymar! It's ok, man! By the way, tell me, where did your servant go? the one who often walks behind you like a dog!"

NEYMAR: "Why Drake, do you want to fuck him?"

DRAKE: "No, I already have slaves for that, and I can have anyone I want. But you told me he's good at cleaning shoes and feet. I thought you could have let me use it a bit, Neymar"

NEYMAR : "Yes, but he's not here."

DRAKE: "So where is he?"

NEYMAR: "In my foot. Come on, I'll show you."

The great Canadian singer and the beautiful Brazilian footballer went to a discreet room, where Neymar took off his shoe and his sock in order to show his tiny slave to Drake. Far from having compassion for the fate of the tiny slave, Drake burst out laughing!

DRAKE: "You mean to tell me that pathetic slave is stuck in your shoe during the day and in your sock at night?! Ahhahah, what a loser! I'm sure a lot of little white guys must be dreaming of being in my foot!"

NEYMAR : "Okay, I'll sell you the spell in exchange for your financial help for a political pyojet that I'm carrying. You won't have to donate a lot or do it officially, but I need the money. Of course. I am very rich but I would need money to spare in case my project fails, or even if it succeeds."

DRAKE: "I'm so rich I don't mind buying you this spell. The prospect of turning little white guys into footlickers excites me. What's your plan?"

NEYMAR: "Oh not much.... Just the restoration of the monarchy in Brazil. The last Emperor of Brazil was Peter II. He was deposed in 1889, and since then Brazil has certainly succeeded in becoming an influential country but it is plagued by lobbies and we must be more proactive in favor of ecology. I despite myself gave the image of a man who did not care about ecological problems, but I must help my country not only by being captain of the Brazil national football team!"

DRAKE: "If helping you become the new King of Brazil is the price to pay to get the shrinking potion recipe then I'll be happy to do it!"

To celebrate this alliance Neymar forced Elio to lick Drake's enormous feet, and seeing a tiny one trying to suck his toes confirmed Drake's desire for a tiny foot licker. He figured he could use it to lick other parts of his body.

Several months passed and, thanks to the financing of the sublime Canadian singer Drake and his own money, Neymar had made an electoral campaign to become the new King of Brazil. Supported by environmental activists and lovers of social justice, Neymar had succeeded in being elected King of Brazil. He was the first ruler since the ill-fated Peter II, who died in exile in France two years after his dismissal in 1889. Elio had lived through this election campaign stuck in his master's foot, in a different foot each day.

With Neymar's accession to the throne of Portugal, Drake had obtained the recipe for the shrinking spell from the former captain of the Brazil national football team. So it's with an Asian boy in his left foot, a White boy in his right foot, a White boy stuck in his left armpit, a Black boy in his right armpit, and a cute White woman in his ass. Three of them had been miniaturized against their will, but the other two had been shrunk on purpose in order to worship Drake and his sublime body.

It was therefore with his tiny slaves under him that Drake attended the coronation of Neymar as King of Brazil and founder of the Neymar Dynasty.

At this event, Neymar wore a coronation coat representing his country, Brazil, and the city with which he achieved success: the long, thick fur coat was embroidered with the emblem of PSG and the flag of Brazil. It was with this outfit that he had himself represented on a huge royal painting.

Every day, King Neymar I of Brazil received subjects who came to thank him for his action in favor of the people, but he continued to play in the national team of Brazil. On his throne, he wore his sublime crown and had his feet massaged by his tiny slave. For his devotion, Elio received the honor of licking the body, the muscular and sweating torso of his King.

Life was good for Neymar, who was improving the lives of his people, and it was good too for Elio, who had nothing to do but lick the King's feet, even if that also meant being crushed. under his feet or in his armpits. Long live King Neymar of Brazil!

END OF THE STORY

⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

🇨🇵 FRANÇAIS / FRENCH 🇨🇵

HISTOIRE FICTIVE PERSONNELLE

HUMILIÉ PAR UNE CÉLÉBRITÉ #40 :

NEYMAR, footballeur professionnel (1992)

Apparition spéciale : DRAKE, chanteur

Chers lecteurs, c'est déjà la 40ème histoire de la série HUMILIÉ PAR UNE CÉLÉBRITÉ!!!!!!! Je n'aurais pas continué si vous n'aviez pas été là, alors s'il vous plaît soyez toujours aussi nombreux à liker, rebloguer et commenter mes histoires afin que je me sente soutenu.

J'ai écrit sur de nombreux mâles alphas célèbres, qu'ils soient gay ou hétéros, Noirs ou Blancs, Français, Anglais, Américains ou autre. Qu'ils soient acteurs, chanteurs, sportifs....

Pour cette quarantième, je devais marquer le coup avec un homme musclé très beau et très apprécié. Le footballeur professionnel brésilien Neymar est d'une incroyable beauté, j'aimerais énormément l'embrasser. Je n'ai aucune chance de le faire, mais j'ai inventé cette histoire dans laquelle un homme va être miniaturisé.

L'apparence physique et l'âge du héros n'est pas précisé afin que chacun puisse s'imaginer à sa place. Celui-ci va devenir minuscule, et c'est l'une des premières fois que j'écris sur la miniaturisation. J'espère que vous aimerez.

Et rendez-vous dans au numéro 41 de cette série, j'espère que vous serez toujours aussi nombreux à aimer cette série, car j'ai des idées pour encore une autre dizaine d'épisodes de cette série d'histoire. 😁

LES SPORTIFS, LES NOUVEAUX ROIS #2

- NEYMAR ET SON ESCLAVE MINUSCULE -

- CHAPITRE 1 - AU SERVICE DE NEYMAR -

Capitaine de l'équipe nationale de football du Brésil, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, dit Neymar Jr., plus couramment appellé Neymar, était un roi aux yeux de ses fans. À force, il avait commencé à se comporter comme tel. Son train de vie luxueux reflétait son goût de la fête et de la débauche.

En tant que joueur de l'Équipe du Paris-Saint-Germain (PSG), il était approché par des marques de luxe pour être mannequin. En tant que footballeur professionnel, son talent impressionnait ses concurrents. Arrogant et superficiel, il était aussi drôle et gentil avec les gens qu'il aime.

Neymar, ce beau joueur brésilien, avait un assistant personnel. Celui-ci était au service de la star depuis peu de temps. Le précédent était parti pour une raison inconnu. Neymar avait donc besoin d'un nouveau secrétaire personnel, quelqu'un pour gérer ses réseaux sociaux et ses rendez-vous.

Le nouvel homme choisi s'appelait Elio, un jeune Parisien si heureux d'être dans les coulisses du club de sa ville. Sa connaissance de l'anglais lui permit de partir en voyage avec Neymar dans ses déplacements professionnels et personnels. Ses tâches étaient assez classiques : gérer les appels et les rendez-vous de son patron. Satisfait de la soumission de son assistant particulier, Neymar donna des ordres plus précis à Elio, tels que porter ses bagages, servir des boissons lors de ses soirées, et laver ses vêtements.

Mais le pire allait venir.

Un jour, Neymar était sur son grand lit et regardait plusieurs dizaines de chaussures qu'il avait posé sur la couverture. Ce n'était qu'une partie de sa grande collection de chaussures. Il en avait plus de 1000 ! Quoiqu'il en soit, il le regarda avec un sourire.

NEYMAR : "Bon Elio je t'ai fait venir dans ma chambre car je savais pas quelle paire de chaussures mettre alors je les ai toutes essayées. Mais maintenant elles sont mélangées, alors tu vas les ranger par paires. Mais pour les reconstituer par paires, mes chaussures devront être léchées ! Oui, Elio, tu vas lécher mes chaussures pour refaire les paires ! Estime toi heureux que je ne te laisse pas un temps précis, mais si tu prends trop de temps pour les lécher et les remettre par paires, je serai obligé de te punir ! Ahahah !"

Puis Neymar mit deux chaussettes sur les yeux et autour de la tête d'Elio afin de l'empêcher de voir. Selon la volonté de son patron, sa langue serait son seul moyen pour trouver les paires de chaussures de son patron et les reconstituer par paires.

Elio se mit à lécher les chaussures, et les couleurs vives ne lui étaient d'aucune aide étant donné son aveuglement. Il pouvait s'aider des textures différentes, des tissus plus doux ou plus rugueux. Les semelles avaient des motifs différents, sans compter celles qui avaient des talons ou des crampons. Neymar s'amusait de voir Elio lécher ses chaussures.

Quand Elio avait lèché une chaussure, il en léchait d'autre jusqu'à ce qu'il trouve celle qui était ressemblante à celle qu'il avait lèché en premier. Il devait faire preuve de mémorisation et de rapidité, mais il avait mal à la langue à force de tout lécher. Neymar lui crachait dans la bouche pour qu'il ait de la salive. Cela dura plus d'une heure et Neymar apprécia ce spectacle de soumission.

NEYMAR : "Tu as mis une heure pour retrouver mes chaussures et les mettre par paire, j'attends de toi que tu fasses plus vite la prochaine fois ! C'est avec ta langue que seront nettoyés mes chaussures à partir de maintenant, l'extérieur comme l'intérieur ! Maintenant vas les ranger, mon petit Elio !"

Quelques temps plus tard, Neymar oblige son assistant personnel à lui masser les pieds. Ses longs pieds chauds et suants sont encore plus fatigués après ses entraînements ou ses matchs. Habitué à diriger les autres, à marcher, sauter, courir,..., Neymar aime qu'on lui masse les pieds. Les pieds de taille 41 (8.5 US) de Neymar sont impressionnants et Elio s'habitue rapidement à servir son maître. Mais celui-ci se lasse vite de l'obéissance de son esclave.

-

- CHAPITRE 2 - LA TRANSFORMATION -

Lors d'un voyage au Brésil où il est avec l'équipe de foot nationale, il profite d'une visite guidée dans un ancien temple d'une civilisation précolombienne. Il est particulièrement intrigué par un livre de sortilèges. Il demande au guide du temple la signification d'une page où l'on peut voir un homme de taille normale devenir minuscule. La guide explique que la page du grimoire que lui montre Neymar représente un sortilège qui réduit la taille d'un humain au point qu'ils deviennent minuscules.

Neymar profite que la guide s'éloigne pour prendre en photo la page, se rend sur un site permettant de traduire l'ancienne langue brésilienne, et se rend compte que les ingrédients permettant la création du sortilège se trouvent tous au Brésil.

Neymar retrouve son assistant personnel, qui porte sa veste et son sac et l'avait attendu sagement à l'extérieur du temple.

Neymar l'envoie lui acheter les ingrédients qu'il a besoin pour créer le sortilège de miniaturisation, sans préciser la raison de ces achats.

Elio fait tout les magasins possibles pour trouver les précieux ingrédients. Revenu à la villa de Neymar, Elio lui apporte les ingrédients et Neymar l'envoie lécher ses chaussures pour l'occuper.

Obéissant, Elio se rend dans l'armoire aux chaussures de son patron pour les lécher. Neymar en profite pour préparer le sortilège. Il mélange les herbes, les fleurs et les épices, fait bouillir le mélange dans de l'eau chaude et laisse ensuite refroidir.

Une fois la potion prête, la couleur rouge donne soif, alors Neymar se sert de jus de fruits rouges dans un autre verre afin de faire croire à Elio que c'est la même boisson. Puis il prend les verres et se rend dans sa chambre où il voit ce pathétique petit parisien en train de lécher les semelles de ses chaussures.

NEYMAR : "Tu en as déjà lèché combien ?"

ELIO : "40 paires, monsieur."

NEYMAR : "40 paires ?! Ça veut dire que tu viens de lécher 80 semelles de chaussures!! Ahahah ha !!!! Bon bah je t'ai servis un jus de fruits rouges, bois le avec moi."

ELIO : "Merci Monsieur."

À la satisfaction de Neymar, Elio boit la potion de rétrécissement !

Elio était tout petit, il ne mesurait plus que 35 cm et il était sous ses vêtements, devenus trop grands pour lui.

Neymar l'a prit dans sa main et la soulevé devant lui. Elio était tout petit et cria lorsqu'il se retrouva face au visage de Neymar.

ELIO : "Patron, comment êtes-vous devenu un géant ?"

NEYMAR : "Ce n'est pas moi qui suis géant, c'est toi qui est minuscule ! Et maintenant il est temps pour moi de me soulager."

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPTTTTTTTTTTT !!!!!!!!

Un rot puissant faillit décoller la tête d'Elio ! La puanteur était allé directement sur son visage.

NEYMAR : "Ahahahahahahahah!!!!! Ta tête quand mon rot t'as surpris !!! Ahahahahahah !!!! Bon, ravi de t'avoir connu mais maintenant je vais te manger!"

Neymar ouvrit sa bouche et s'apprêtait à lâcher Elio dans sa bouche pour le manger vivant, mais celui-ci se débattait.

ELIO: "Pitié, patron, ne me mangez pas vivant !!!! Je ne sais pas ce que j'ai fait pour que vous me transformiez en minuscule, mais je ferais tout pour rester vivant !!!!"

NEYMAR : "Très bien à partir de maintenant tu es à moi ! Je sue beaucoup des pieds alors tu vas absorber la sueur de mes pieds."

À contrecœur, Elio n'eut pas d'autre choix que celui d'être mis contre la semelle du pied droit de son ancien patron, qui enfila ensuite une chaussette par-dessus.

Elio était désormais collé au pied droit de Neymar au chaud dans sa chaussette. Puis le footballeur brésilien a mit ses chaussures, et Elio était encore plus serré contre la semelle du pied.

Tout au long de l'entraînement de football de Neymar, Elio avalait les litres de sueur de pied de son maître. Il faisait un peu moins de la taille du pied de son maître donc toute la sueur allait directement dans sa bouche. Le pire c'était moins l'odeur ou le goût de la sueur du pied que le poid de Neymar sur lui car, malgré la douceur de la chausette, Elio était écrasé par Neymar. Celui-ci courait, sautait et donnait de grands coups de pied dans le ballon, ce qui avait pour conséquence de vraiment faire souffrir Elio.

Lorsque l'entraînement fut terminé, Neymar ne retira pas ses chausettes directement et attendit d'être chez lui pour ordonner à son esclave minuscule, qui était tout nu, de lui masser les pieds avec ses petites mains, de lécher l'autre pied dans lequel il n'avait pas été.

Malgré sa taille toute petite, Elio a convenablement lèché les pieds de son maître et sa langue minuscule léchait avec passion la sueur et la saleté laissée par les chausettes.

La nuit, Neymar fit dormir Elio dans sa chausette sale.

Les jours se passaient ainsi pour Elio : après une nuit de sommeil dans une chausette sale de son maître, il passait la journée dans son pied, un pied différent par jour. Sa nouvelle taille avait changé ses habitudes alimentaires : de la sueur de pieds et de la saleté suffisait à être en forme.

Neymar s'amusait avec son esclave minuscule et aimait le voir lécher ses grands pieds.

-

CHAPITRE 3 - NEYMAR, LE ROI DU BRÉSIL

Un jour, Neymar fut invité à une soirée de stars, et il retrouva le chanteur canadien Drake dont il était fan.

Le chanteur et acteur Drake est un géant d'1 m 93, un barbu viril très câlin mais très dominant. Il passa son bras musclé autour du cou du beau Neymar.

DRAKE : "Hey Neymar ! Ça va, mec ! Au fait dis-moi, où est donc passé ton petit larbin qui traîne souvent derrière toi tel un chien ?!"

NEYMAR : "Pourquoi Drake, t'as envie de le baiser ?"

DRAKE : "Non j'ai déjà des esclaves pour ça, et je peut avoir n'importe qui que je veut. Mais tu m'avais dit qu'il est doué en nettoyage de chaussures et de pieds. Ça te dérangerait de me le prêter ?"

NEYMAR : "Oui, mais il n'est pas ici."

DRAKE : "Alors où est-il ?"

NEYMAR : "Dans mon pied. Viens je vais te montrer."

Le grand chanteur canadien et le beau footballeur brésilien se sont rendu dans une pièce discrète, où Neymar retira sa chaussure et sa chausette afin de montrer son esclave minuscule à Drake. Loin d'avoir de la compassion pour le destin de l'esclave minuscule, Drake explosa de rire !

DRAKE : "Tu veut me dire que ce minable esclave est coincé dans ta chaussure la journée et dans ta chaussette la nuit ?! Ahhahah, quel loser ! Je suis sûr que pleins de petits mecs Blancs doivent rêver d'être dans mon pied !"

NEYMAR : "D'accord, je te vendrai le sortilège en échange de ton aide financière pour un pyojet politique que je porte. Tu seras as obligé de donner beaucoup ni de le faire officiellement, mais j'ai besoin d'argent. Bien sûr je suis très riche mais j'aurais besoin d'argent de côté au cas où mon projet échoue, ou même s'il réussit."

DRAKE : "Je suis si riche que ça me dérange pas de t'acheter ce sortilège. La perspective de transformer des petits gars Blancs en lécheurs de pieds m'excite. Quel est ton projet ?"

NEYMAR : "Oh pas grand chose.... Simplement le rétablissement de la monarchie au Brésil. Le dernier Empereur du Brésil était Pierre II. Il a été destitué en 1889, et depuis le Brésil a certes réussi à devenir un pays influent mais il est gangrèné par des lobbies et nous devons nous montrer plus proactif en faveur de l'écologie. J'ai malgré moi donné l'image d'un homme qui se fichait des problèmes écologiques, mais je dois aider mon pays pas uniquement en étant capitaine de l'équipe nationale de football du Brésil!"

DRAKE :" Si t'aider à devenir le nouveau Roi du Brésil est le prix à payer pour obtenir la recette de la potion de rétrécissement alors je serai heureux de le faire !"

Pour fêter cette alliance Neymar obligea Elio à lécher les énormes pieds de Drake, et voir un minuscule tenter de sucer ses orteils conforta Drake dans son envie d'avoir un minuscule lécheur de pieds. Il se disait qu'il pourrait l'utiliser pour lécher d'autres parties de son corps.

Plusieurs mois sont passés et, grâce au financement du sublime chanteur canadien Drake et de son propre argent, Neymar avait fait une campagne électorale pour devenir le nouveau Roi du Brésil. Soutenu par des militants écologistes et épris de justice social, Neymar avait réussi à être élu Roi du Brésil.

Il était le premier souverain depuis l'infortuné Pierre II, qui était mort en exil en France deux ans après sa destitution en 1889. Elio avait vécu cette campagne électorale coincé dans le pied de son maître, dans un pied différent chaque jour.

Avec l'accession de Neymar au trône du Portugal, Drake avait obtenu la recette du sortilège de rétrécissement de la part de l'ancien capitaine de l'équipe nationale de football du Brésil. C'est donc avec un garçon asiatique dans son pied gauche, un garçon blanc dans son pied droit, un garçon blanc collé à son aisselle gauche, un garçon noir dans son aisselle droite, et une jolie femme blanche dans son cul. Trois d'entre eux avaient été miniaturisés contre leur gré, mais les deux autres avaient été rétrécis de manière volontaire afin de vénérer Drake et son corps sublime.

C'est donc avec ses esclaves miniatures sous lui que Drake assista au couronnement de Neymar comme Roi du Brésil et fondateur de la Dynastie Neymar.

Neymar portait un manteau de sacre représentant son pays, le Brésil, et la ville avec laquelle il avait obtenu le succès : le long et épais manteau de fourrure était brodé avec l'emblème du PSG et le drapeau du Brésil. C'est avec cette tenue qu'il se fit représenter sur un immense tableau royal.

Chaque jour, le Roi Neymar Ier du Brésil recevait des sujets qui venait le remercier son action en faveur du peuple, mais il continuait à jouer dans l'équipe nationale du Brésil.

Sur son trône, il portait sa sublime couronne et se faisait masser les pieds par son esclave minuscule. Pour son dévouement, Elio reçut l'honneur de lécher le corps, le torse musclé et suant de son Roi. La vie était belle pour Neymar, qui améliorait la vie de son peuple, et elle était belle aussi pour Elio, qui n'avait rien d'autre à faire que lécher les pieds du Roi, même si cela voulait dire aussi d'être écrasé sous ses pieds ou dans ses aisselles.

Vive le Roi Neymar du Brésil !

FIN DE L'HISTOIRE

🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽🇧🇷⚽

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

@neymarjr-cf @neymarbrasil @neymaaah @neymarbrasil @neymarchrist @neymarrjunior @footballjock4life @alphamalesuperiority @tinygiant @giantxxx2 @giant-tiny-people @gianttinyboys @giantworshipper @tallmascsub @feetmakesmehard @bat-woodfeet-us @tidodore2 @innerpiratefun @lovefanfiction01 @rainykpoptravelcreator @leftprogrammingroadtripdean @awesomecrowdcontrol1 @drake8866 @drakenigga @tfstation @tfkinksterz

#Humilié par une célébrité #Humiliated by a celebrity #Footballer #Singer #Chanteur #Neymar #King #The sport players the new Kings #Roi #Drake #Canadian #Canada #Brasil #Paris #Tiny #Transformation #Feet #Pieds #Minuscule

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Ikevamp Act 2.5

Chapter 17 Romantic

I'll find Halil's missing sister and clear the suspicion put on their family.

And if Vlad tries to punish the traffickers, I will definitely stop him.

With this determination, we planned our next move.

Comte: "I've identified the showmen, suppliers, and nobles who are deeply involved in the World Fair."

Comte: "I also found traces of some suspicious transactions."

We all look through the bundle of documents that Comte has brought.

Sebastian: "That's a very detailed information. As expected of you, Comte."

Comte: "I've been helping the organizers a bit."

Comte: "Plus, Theo and Will helped me out. They're very open-minded because of their work."

Shakespeare: "Fufu, it was fun listening in with you. Little brother."

Theo: "Tch. You were just covering your favored clients."

Vincent: "I see you two were playing detective together. Thanks for your hard work."

Shakespeare chuckles at Theo as he asks him bitterly to stop.

Arthur: "I also looked into the weird movements of showmen and aristocrats, leading me to a certain black organization."

Putting together what everyone had found out, the showman who brought Halil and his family had ties to a black market group, and Halil's sister, Ulfa, may have been sold to that organization.

Arthur: "In addition to that, I got this information."

Arthur pulled out a letter of invitation.

It was an ominous-looking black envelope with a bright red wax seal.

Mitsuki: "Let's see. On a moonlit night, we will hold our meeting."

Mitsuki: "Does that mean something will happen on the night of the full moon?"

Isaac: "There's some cryptic writing on it that probably indicates a location within Paris."

Arthur: "Mitsuki and Newt are both right on the money. A shady black organization is planning to hold a meeting."

Isaac: "How did you even get an invitation like this, Arthur?"

Arthur: "Hm? Well, I had to sweet-talk a maid who works for an aristocrat and ask her to do all sorts of things."

Isaac: "What do you mean by that?"

Theo: "I guess being a flirty writer in heat can come in handy sometimes."

Arthur: "If you're going to compliment me, you could do a little better than that, Theo."

Arthur: "And Mitsuki, this is just for research. I didn't really hit on her, okay?"

Mitsuki: "Hm? Yeah, sure. It's something you can only do. Good job!"

Arthur: "Wow. You don't even care at all."

As I tilted my head at Arthur's reaction, Comte put his finger to his chin and muttered.

Comte: "Dark gathering, huh? Sometimes, people buy and sell illegally obtained goods, slaves, and perform satanic rituals in those venues."

Sebastian: "Does that mean there's a good chance that Halil's sister will be brought there?"

Shakespeare: "If the nobles are involved, they may be colluding with the police. It's better to move with caution."

Napoleon: "If we call the police, they will escape before we even get there. They'll be on the lookout."

We should probably figure out how to move on from here.

Mitsuki: "I have a plan."

A few days later, on the night of the full moon, we visited the place mentioned in the invitation.

Nobleman: "Oh? If it isn't the Count of Saint Germain? I didn't expect to see you here."

Comte: "I've heard rumors of an intriguing gathering. When you get tired of living out in the open, there's always a lot to be curious about."

Comte: "Mitsuki, you should say hello too."

Mitsuki: "Good day to you. Let's have some fun tonight."

Comte and I linked arms as I lifted my dress lightly and did a curtsy.

Tonight, Comte and I are infiltrating the gathering as invited guests.

(Great. Looks like everyone got into the venue safely.)

I quickly look around and see Mozart playing the piano in the hall.

Jean, on the other hand, is mixed in with the guards deployed for security.

Dazai and Shakespeare also followed us right along as invited guests.

(Leonardo said he would sneak in from the back, but... he'll be fine, right?)

The other members are supposed to stay outside the venue, and if anything goes wrong, they will call the police or help us.

Comte: "Chérie, whatever happens, you have to stay with someone. Is that clear?"

Mitsuki: "Yes. Let's trust everyone that it will work out."

Comte: "Yeah, I believe in them. I have you and everyone.”

I was the one who suggested that we infiltrate the gathering.

Despite their objections, I begged them to let me join the undercover team.

As we were casually conversing, I heard the voices of the invited guests around us.

Guest 1: "I hear tonight's ritual involves a special sacrifice."

Guest 2: "They say it's going to be a child of a foreign tribe."

(Foreign tribe? Are they talking about Ulfa?)

(It looks like the guests are looking forward to the sacrifice thing.)

Apparently, this organization performs human sacrifices under the guise of rituals to pray to the gods.

Dazai: "It looks like an elegant party, but it's actually a horrifying one."

Dazai: "For Vlad, both the organizers of this group and the invited guests are likely to be purged."

Mitsuki: "Will he come tonight?"

Shakespeare: "It would be easy for that man to use his brainwashing powers to obtain information about the gathering."

(If Vlad tries to harm someone, I'll stop him.)

(But I don't know if I can really change his mind even if this whole thing settles down.)

(What can I tell Vlad...?)

Just as I was pondering this, the place started to buzz.

A man who looked like the organizer of the group appeared in the center of the hall and smiled.

Organizer: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this gathering. Tonight is the night of the full moon, a time when the power of the devil rises. Let us drink together!"

As the guests raise their glasses high in unison, a large cloth-covered crate is brought in.

Organizer: "Ladies and gentlemen, here is tonight's sacrifice."

Organizer: "She is the daughter of an aberrant race of vampires―monsters that sip the blood of humans!"

As the organizer signaled the cloth to be removed, a frightened-looking girl appeared trapped in a cage.

(He looks like Halil. That's Ulfa!)

Guest 1: "Oh, so this is the vampire. How dare you deceive us by looking like a human!"

Just the presence of one little girl makes the invited guests weep and lament, filling the air with an odd atmosphere.

Ulfa: "Where am I? H-Help!"

Several hooded men drag the unwilling Ulfa out and force her to lie on a prepared pedestal.

I couldn't help but grab Comte's coat, seeing her being forced like that.

Comte: "Bear with it. It's going to be okay."

Mitsuki: "Okay."

As I watched with bated breath, one of the hooded men took a dagger.

Ulfa: "!!"

Organizer: "Let's now sacrifice this girl and praise our God!"

He raises the dagger above Ulfa's head and lowers it.

(----!)

The next thing I heard was a man moaning.

Hooded man: "Guh!?"

The hooded man next to him squeezes the arm of the man holding the dagger.

Organizer: "H-Hey you, what are you doing!?"

???: "Sacrificing and praising God, you say? More like a satanic ritual to me."

The man who took off his hood was...

Leonardo: "Well, this is as far as you go."

(Leonardo!)

Leonardo drags the man and thrusts the dagger into the floor.

His charming, confident smile is still very encouraging at a time like this.

Comte: "As expected of Leonardo. Just as planned."

Comte: "We'll attract the guards. Will, take care of Mitsuki."

Shakespeare: "Yes. Let your instincts, hidden under a mask of elegance, run wild."

Mitsuki: "Comte, be careful!"

Comte smiled and flipped his coat.

Organizer: "Intruder! Guards, get them!"

The armed guards attack Leonardo while protecting Ulfa behind him.

As he dodged them effortlessly, one guard came up behind him and tried to knock him down.

But Comte knocked him over before he could even land a punch.

Leonardo: "Oh, you're joining in?"

Comte: "Yeah. I can't let you have the floor all to yourself... Right?"

Guard: "Agh!"

While chatting, Comte knocked one of the guards.

Their sudden appearance, standing shoulder to shoulder, without even using weapons, is enough to make the guards flinch.

Comte: "Okay, who's next?"

Leonardo: "Come on, I'll go easy on you."

The two men overwhelmed the guards with their inhuman presence.

While the purebloods show their hidden strength, the invited guests panic and rush toward the entrance.

But the door didn't open, and the pianist, who had just been playing, said these in a cold, icy voice.

Mozart: "Don't even try. By now, my friends waiting outside had probably called the police."

Mozart: "Too bad you're all caught red-handed here."

Guest 1: "Are you one of the intruders? Open the door!"

Dazai: "If the door won't open, why don't you just go out the window?"

Dazai: "I've closed that one too, though. Ahaha."

Dazai laughs as he swings a bundle of keys in his hand.

Mozart: "Looks like it worked. Dazai, when did you get the keys?"

Dazai: "Well, I just borrowed it from one of the vips."

The guests, realizing that there’s no way out, kneel on the spot in horror.

Guest 1: "Damn it! If we get caught like this, it will be the end of my family's reputation."

One of the desperate guests attacked Mozart, but a shadowy figure between them knocked him off his feet.

Jean: "It's not something an aristocrat would do recklessly."

Dazai: "Jeanie, you look so dashing and handsome.”

Mozart: "Dazai, stop talking nonsense, and help me find the other captives."

Dazai: "Got it."

Mozart: "Jean, I'll leave this to you."

After making sure Jean nodded, Mozart and Dazai ran out of the place.

While Leonardo and Comte distracted the guards, Shakespeare and I headed to Ulfa.

Mitsuki: "You're Ulfa, right? Don't worry. We talked to Halil, and we're here to help.”

Ulfa: "My brother is safe? Thank God...!"

Shakespeare: "Napoleon and the others should be waiting outside. Come on, let's hurry."

Mitsuki: "Gotcha!"

Shakespeare picked up Ulfa and ran to the escape route he surveyed beforehand.

As I tried to follow, the organizer behind me shouted angrily.

Organizer: "Our precious sacrifice! Don't think I'll let you leave after ruining our gathering!"

He picked up the fallen dagger and stared at me, sending chills down my spine.

(It's okay. I've got enough distance. If I keep running, I can―)

Mitsuki: "Kyaah!?"

I was in such a hurry that I didn't watch my step.

Seconds after my foot stumbled over a knocked down guard and fell, the man who was closing in on me swung the dagger over my head.

Shakespeare: "Mitsuki!!"

(I can't dodge it!)

The moment I closed my eyes and prepared for the pain, I felt a slight breeze and smelled the scent of roses.

(Right now...)

I opened my eyes fearfully and saw...

Vlad: "..............."

Mitsuki: "Vlad!?"

The sound of swords clashing echoes high in the air.

Jean lets out a small gasp as he knocks down the guards, trying not to hurt them more than necessary.

Jean: "Guh! One after another. Looks like the odds are against us."

The sword's tip closed in on him just as he was thinking of taking up a stance with Comte and Leonardo.

Guard: "I got you, intruder!"

Jean: "----!"

Immediately afterward, however, the guard who attacked him jumped and fell on the spot.

With a syringe in hand, the man behind him looked down at the twitching guard.

Faust: "Looks like the sedative I gave him is a little strong."

Jean: "You―no. I'll thank you later."

They glance at the guards surrounding them and put their backs against each other.

Faust: "There are a lot of guinea pigs here. How would you guys like me to experiment on you? Cutting you up with a scalpel or drugging you?"

Jean: "Hmph. Just don't kill them, Father."

Jean readies his sword again, and Faust pulls out a silver scalpel.

Their piercing look and smile are enough to scare the guards away.

As I looked up from my tumble to the floor, I saw a jet-black cloak and silver hair reflecting the light.

I have no doubt that he showed up to cover for me...

Mitsuki: "Vlad..."

Just then, another figure rushes to my side.

Charles: "Mitsuki, are you hurt?"

Mitsuki: "Charles. I'm fine, but..."

Leonardo & Comte: "Vlad!"

Shakespeare: "My Lord..."

As they all lock gazes, Vlad grabs the organizer's wrist with one hand and grips the blade of the dagger with his other.

The blade dug into his skin, but he didn't even care about the blood trickling down.

Organizer: "Eeek!"

Vlad: "You're using this stuff to glorify God?"

(He's angry.)

His usual soft voice sounds horrifyingly cold.

Vlad, obviously mad, threw down the dagger and immediately grabbed the man by the neck.

Vlad: "What will your God grant you for sacrificing this poor soul?"

Organizer: "Guh! You're hurting me. Let go!"

Vlad: "This world is rotting ugly because of stupid and wicked people like you."

Vlad continues to squeeze the man even tighter.

(He's going to die at this rate!)

Shakespeare: "Wait, my lord."

Leonardo & Comte: "Vlad, stop!"

Vlad: "I don't want flowers that do bad things to this world or humans."

Mitsuki: "Stop, Vlad!"

Previous Part╏Next Part

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp act 2.5 #ikevamp 2.5 #ikevamp jp #ikevamp #ikevamp translations #cybird #ikemen series

[ocean-sailor]

Yacht Louis in Brasil!

I think we’d all love a little yacht holiday in Brasil but for now we’ll just live vicariously through Louis and his friends ;)

This is M/Y Saint Germain - it has classic lines as it was originally built by the Italian builder Benetti Yachts in 1983 but has all the modern conveniences after undergoing a full re-fit in 2015.  It’s for sale for US $3,000,000.00 and although it’s not listed on the main yacht charter sites, it’s open to chartering while waiting for a buyer.

This yacht is 32.5m/107’ in length and has 3 levels:  

- The Lower deck has 5 guest staterooms - each with their own bathroom - so is able to sleep up to 10 guests.  In the bow, there are 3 crew cabins with bathrooms that accommodate 5 crew members.

- The Main deck (from bow to stern) has an exterior patio with tables and sun lounges on the hull of the bow, a home theatre, a full galley (kitchen for the chef), a day head (half bath), an indoor living/dining area, and the aft deck that has a table for outdoor dining and stairs leading to the swim platform/outdoor shower.  

- The Bridge deck (Flybridge or top deck) has the Bridge (Wheelhouse) that contains the navigation station, a covered open air dining/lounge area with full bar, grill, fridge, and ice maker.  Further astern is the jacuzzi and open deck area where the tender and toys (2 double kayaks and 2 stand up paddle boards) are stored while cruising.         

Aside from the 2015 design updates, upgrades include flat screen TV, Wifi, and Zero Speed Stabilizers that decrease the rolling motion of the boat while at sea and anchor (great for anyone prone to seasickness). There’s a Desalination Plant that converts sea water to fresh water so unlike the posh bus💙, you can make an endless supply of water for showers, laundry, cooking, etc. 

This boat can accommodate an additional 20 guests for day cruises but I think for staying onboard, Louis had his usual people with him.  So the 10 main guests were likely Louis, Oli, Joni, Charlie, Josh, Steve, Micheal, Matt D, Zac, and Isaac.  Possibly Chris F (mgmt) if one of the band members doesn’t like yachts ;).  The Marina Verolme has a heli pad so they may have combined their tour with travel to the yacht!

The area they were cruising around is called Angra Dos Reis (King Cove) and is one of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world.  The coastline is stunning and there are over 360 islands, with beaches ranging from powdery white to yellow to black monazite sand.  The crystal clear azure waters are perfect for diving and snorkelling.  The most prominent, Isla Grande, has a wild history of pirates, treasure, smuggling and even the ruins of an old prison.  It also has Environmentally Protected Areas for hiking that excludes cars, with beautiful waterfalls, flora, and fauna including monkeys, and butterflies.  The Saco do Céu (Sky Sack) is a calm bay and on starry nights, the stars reflect into the sea.     

This whole trip is Documentable™️ and has so much more to see than I’ve mentioned here but they only had 2-3 days so this is what I’d start with.  Hopefully they’ll post about their adventures on the IGTV series!

#Yacht Louis💙 #one day I will learn how to do things half assed #today is not that day lol

[pieground]

The Night She Travelled Through Time

It is the night of the banquet in Le Comte De Saint-Germain's Mansion.

The long table at the dining area is now draped with a new and lavish cloth, twelve plates and silver cutlery were magnificently set atop it. Sebastian, the butler, finished setting down two small glass bottles beside each plate— one containing a white liquid and the other one coloured crimson, both can easily be deceived as wine.

He is then summoned to his Master's quarters, in his mind,  his master would probably ask if everything is ready for the banquet or if the guest has already arrived, but he was wrong. Le Comte requested a room to be prepared as soon as possible and it only meant one thing, somebody else is arriving at the mansion. That sent a thrill on his body. Every time a new person appears in front of that door, he couldn't help but feel excited to learn who it is going to be. He remembered when Napoleon was found there, he could've sworn that his soul left his body and that the world became so much more colourful.

But tonight is different because Le Comte De Saint-Germain is asking him to prepare a room that a woman will be occupying. That sent another surge of thrill through him. It wasn't like the man in him suddenly felt brazen nor it was the first time he'll be seeing a woman in his life— Although, it was the first time he will be seeing a woman step foot in this place.

It took not much time for Sebastian to finish his task, of course, he already claimed himself to be the Top Notch Butler which the residents of this mansion will never deny, they know how focused he is on his work and the heights he can go. For instance, the room he just made for the "new" resident is spotlessly clean, the linen, curtains, and covers all followed a rosy colour palette which he felt so proud about, he added toiletries and things a woman will most likely need in the bathroom and even sprayed some perfume. He did all of that, he wanted to impress, and he knew he served. Soon, he will be the trustworthy, efficient, and best butler this resident will ever need.

In the dining room, four seats are already taken. Sebastian is stacking the cart with the dishes he prepared when the air shifts. Everyone in the room looked at one another, then at the entrance of the room.

“Didn't know Comte was adopting another one. ” Leonardo spoke, his voice and his eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Must be the reason why everybody is late. ”

“A new resident? ” Vincent beamed, clasped his hands together then glanced at his younger brother who was sitting beside him with an irritated scowl on his face. “I'm excited! Theo, aren't you excited too? ”

“Whatever, Broer. ” The younger replied and rhythmic tapping of his finger on the table got faster, indicating his patience running thinner as the second passed. “I just want this damned banquet to be over. Fifteen minutes have already been wasted waiting for this thing to start. ”

Isaac, who's seated on the farthest chair, awkwardly shifted in his position. Besides that Theo's impatience is exhausting to witness, he would also need to deal with yet another person in this mansion. Mentally, he's preparing how to present himself and every version of his "Hi! I'm Isaac, a scholar. " sent him wishing for sudden death, he knew he would not say those words or realistically, cannot say those words, especially to a woman. He knew he was way too awkward for pleasantries. 

Sebastian noticed all of this. How Leonardo was the first one to pick up what was happening, how Vincent's eyes lit up with wonder and excitement, That Theo's annoyance didn't just come from the late banquet, and how Isaac was already flushed and was grabbing his hair in frustration.

“Messieurs, I believe this person will be a pleasant surprise for everyone. ” Sebastian spoke and the smile he was trying to suppress broke free from his stoic face. “After all, the rumour that Monsieur Le Comte has a fetish of collecting illustrious men in history ends tonight. ”

That has taken aback everyone in the dining room. 

Leonardo has his eyes widened before bursting into laughter, “It's finally a girl?! Bwahaha! ”

Vincent smiles with pure happiness and laughed along with Leonardo. Theodorus looked shocked for a moment but did not ease his annoyance any bit. Isaac on the other hand, plopped his head on the dining table defeatedly and groaned. If Arthur and Dazai are already teasing him because of that goddamn fruit, just imagine once they started seeing how flushed he is with a woman. These thoughts ran through his head and left him even more frustrated.

While they were waiting, Sebastian's head was flying. His mind was racing with every single possibility of who this woman might be and his 'obsession' for history kicked in. Could it be Emily Bronte? Jane Austen? Mary Shelley? Then his imagination got even wilder: Queen Elizabeth I? or her Mother? Marie Curie! She and Master Isaac will get along! But what if it's Ada Lovelace? The first person who published an algorithm intended for a computer who's also a countess?! M. Le Comte would absolutely bring her to parties and what if… what if they fall in love?

His fierce imagination got interrupted when he heard numerous footsteps outside the dining room and Arthur's mellifluous voice. He figured out that the man is already making his advances on the woman being the playboy that he is.

The anticipation in the room hit the ceiling when the door opened. Mozart, Arthur, and Napoleon entered. Behind them reveals the host himself, Le Comte De Saint-Germain and arm-in-arm with him is a woman.

And just as that door opened, his excitement flew out and got replaced with disappointment.

It wasn't an illustrious woman from history, No Ada Lovelace, or any Queen.

It was just a normal woman who stumbled her way in the 19th Century.

It's the first time I posting something I wrote for Ikevamp ♡. This been stuck on my drafts for a while. I believe it's ready to be published.

#ikemen vampire #cybird #ikevamp #ikemenvampire

[secondsofpleasure]

Murder of Three Clerics, around 1230–40, from the Saint Nicholas window, Church of Saint-Germain, Santeny, France (Glencairn Museum, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, 03.SG.14)

Three figures are being murdered in their sleep by an innkeeper. Behind them leans the innkeeper's wife, holding a candle. The legend of Saint Nicholas tells us that the couple occasionally murdered their guests, dismembering and pickling their bodies to cook and serve to future visitors. In a scene shown on a subsequent panel, Nicholas reassembles and brings the figures back to life—offering medieval viewers a reassuring story about the power of saints to protect them in times of trouble.

#philadelphia #philly #museums #art #glencairn #stained glass #medieval

[curatedglobaltravel]

Romance Reimagined: Discover the World's Most Enchanting Getaways for Two

Nothing says love quite like a romantic getaway. As Valentine’s Day approaches, I handpicked a selection of swoon-worthy destinations tailored just for two — along with some incredible hotel bathtubs for an extra splash of magic. Reach out soon; I’ll help plan the gift of a lifetime.

MINIMOON MAGIC: DREAMY DESTINATIONS TAILORED FOR TWO

CITY RENDEZVOUS: THE MARK

At The Mark, all of New York City is at your fingertips to whisk away you and your loved one. This hotel features 150 guest rooms and suites, including several terrace suites. Ask me about the 10,000-square-foot, five-bedroom Penthouse with private rooftop access.

BEACH OASIS: AMANYARA

A secluded beachside resort, Amanyara is situated on the northwest coast of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, and couples feel the relaxing ambiance from the moment of arrival. Thirty-six timber-shingled guest pavilions and 20 villas are tucked along the coast and tranquil ponds.

WINE RETREAT: FOUR SEASONS RESORT AND RESIDENCES NAPA VALLEY

You and your partner will raise a glass to one another as you soak in magnificent views from this Four Seasons’ Napa retreat. Discover innovative cuisine at Michelin-starred Auro, holistic spa rituals at Spa Talisa and Four Seasons’ thoughtfully personalized, signature service.

MOUNTAIN HIDEOUT: THE LITTLE NELL

Aspen, Colorado, is the crossroads of wild mountain and vibrant city — a haven for romantic gondola rides, incredible spa experiences and candlelit dinners. Experience The Little Nell’s award-winning wine list with a private tasting or dinner, and meet one of many sommeliers on staff.

Request Details  ⟶

SUMPTUOUS SOAKS: INCREDIBLE HOTEL BATHTUBS

If you’ve ever dreamt of sipping a glass of champagne while taking a roomy bubble bath with your partner, I know just the place to give your Valentine’s getaway a splash. A beautiful bathroom view elevates the romantic experience even further, whether it’s a city skyline twinkling in the distance or the gentle crash of ocean waves. Some of my favorite trip-worthy tubs include those found at The Silo Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa; Qualia on Hamilton Island, Australia; Hotel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, in Paris, France; Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California; and Coqui Coqui in Mérida, Mexico.

Request Details  ⟶

SPOTLIGHT ON: THE CITY OF LOVE Paris, France

STAY:Le Bristol Rosewood Crillon La Fantaisie George V Plaza Athenee Cour des Vosges Cheval Blanc Le Grand Mazarin JK Place Paris

SIP+ SAVOR:Chez L’Ami Louis Septime Chateaubriand Paul Bert Clamato Baratin Au Passage Chez Janou Allard

SHOP:Avenue des Champs-Élysées Avenue Montaigne Saint-Germain-des-Prés Galeries Lafayette Maison Labiche Buly 1803 Merci Haussmann Samaritaine Le Marais Neighborhood

SEE + DO:Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris Musée Rodin Musée du Louvre Pompidou Jardin des Tuileries Seine River yacht cruise La Cuisine Paris pastry-making experience Palace of Versailles (1-hour transfer)

MICHAEL SHANE STEPHENS Curated Global Travel An affiliate of Protravel [email protected] 310.691.7461 curatedglobaltravel.com

Copyright © 2024 Global Travel Collection 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

[ghanashowbizonline]

Toulouse vs Paris Saint-Germain Preview

  The Paris Saint-Germain team, the French League champion, is preparing to play an important and highly anticipated match today, when it will be a heavy guest against its counterpart, the Toulouse team, on the sidelines of the confrontations in the second round of the French League championship for the current season 2023-2024, and in this article we will show you the date of the match and the…

View On WordPress

#Sports News

[gossipify]

Neymar reiterates his dream of returning to Santos and talks about Ancelotti in the national team: "He'll teach us a lot"

On Thursday evening, Neymar held the third edition of the Leilão Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr. Guest of the event, the athlete was interviewed by band sports and spoke about his dream of returning to play for Santos. The champion also spoke of the probable arrival of Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of the Brazilian team. Neymar, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) runs until June 2025, is on…

View On WordPress

[khartoumnews]

[maximusssports]

Inside the Grand Residence of Italian Goalkeeper Legend Gianluigi Buffon

Introduction

Gianluigi Buffon is a legendary Italian professional footballer who has made a name for himself in the world of football. The former Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper has won numerous titles and accolades throughout his career, and is widely considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. In this article, we will take a look inside the grand residence of Gianluigi Buffon and explore his luxurious lifestyle.

The Grand Residence

Buffon's residence is located in the heart of Turin, Italy, and is a magnificent example of Italian architecture. The sprawling property boasts spacious rooms, high ceilings, and a stunning design that incorporates elements of classical and contemporary styles. The property is surrounded by a lush garden that provides a tranquil and serene environment, making it the perfect place to relax after a long day of training or matches.

Lavish Interiors

The interiors of Buffon's residence are as grand as the exteriors. The luxurious decor features elegant furnishings, intricate details, and top-of-the-line materials that create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The large windows and skylights allow natural light to flood the rooms, creating a bright and airy space. The living room, in particular, is a testament to Buffon's refined taste, with plush sofas, elegant lighting fixtures, and ornate artwork adorning the walls.

Private Cinema

Buffon is known to be a movie buff, and his private cinema is a testament to his passion for films. The room is equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment, allowing Buffon to enjoy his favorite movies in the comfort of his own home. The cinema also features comfortable seating and a large screen, providing a true movie-going experience for Buffon and his guests.

Gym and Spa

As a professional athlete, Buffon places a great emphasis on staying in shape. His grand residence features a fully equipped gym and spa, allowing him to maintain his fitness levels even when he is not training with his team. The gym features the latest exercise equipment, while the spa includes a sauna, steam room, and hot tub, perfect for relaxing after a tough workout.

Conclusion

Gianluigi Buffon's grand residence is a luxurious and magnificent property that reflects his success and refined taste. The lavish interiors, private cinema, and state-of-the-art gym and spa make it the perfect place for the legendary Italian goalkeeper to unwind and relax after a long day on the pitch. It is a true representation of the grandeur and elegance that Buffon embodies, both on and off the field.