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#what a dazzling kind hearted human being
corvidaeconundrum · 27 days
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One tasty ass apple huh
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rainbowsillz · 8 months
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Could I maybe ask for your take on how the dorm leaders react to their SO playing with their hair (and their ears/horns when it comes to Leona/Malleus)?
I love your writing! 💜
“How are you so carefree with this? I swear you are full of surprises..”
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Pairings: Multiple Characters X GN! Reader.
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-*-
Note: Sure! Thanks for this request(*^o^*)✨ I admit I got a bit lazy so no Vil and Idia qwq.
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RIDDLE was near to conjuring his signature magic with you, and he was very tempted to it when he felt a hand tucking a strand of his ruby hair behind the back of his ear until his eyes met yours. The howling snarl in his mind settled when he downed his cup of tea. In an attempt to remind himself. What kind of person would he be if he loses his conduct with a spouse of his because of his mania? And because you informed him how much he was as exquisite as if he was a prince from a mythology you heard from.
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LEONA was generally meh with it. Just don't touch his tail, 'kay? Or else, he'll be making you his pillow for the rest of his evening. Let's say, you're lucky to be his mate because if it's the others, he'd probably flip with this blunder, deemed it as an annoyance for him. He's also extremely prideful with your display of affections and reassuring words, it somewhat feeds into his ego that at least he's number one in your opinion (unlike that damned lizard). It means a lot to him even if you are as dense as a rock or something too.
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AZUL has an intriguing reaction. Internally, he's kicking his feet and beaming like a high-school boy interacting with his crush, how about external wise from your point of view? Gripping his coat, as he forced another customer service smiling face (that looks unnatural) as if he wasn't on the urge to hide himself in his octopus pot. Does that mean you'll marry him? Is this a yes? He's delusional. Not that I would blame him, he's overjoyed after all. From his tone, he seemed to be okay with these gestures...?
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KALIM behaved as you'd guess. Zero hesitation. Poke his forehead? Go ahead. Hold hands? Wonderful. I wholeheartedly believe that he would encourage you to because it means that you were at ease with his presence. Easy to talk him into your sort of thing (while Jamil suffered). With how dazzling and happy-go-lucky he is, you wouldn't have the heart to refuse him either. He jumped up and dragged you to his drawer as he motioned you to pick out a brush so you could use it on him as you wished.
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MALLEUS was ecstatic, that wouldn't be enough to describe him. For you, it may be due to your own curiosity or you being adventurous with the said fae, his pupils intently gazing into you. Is this how humans express their emotions? What's the underlying meaning? Too invested in his thoughts at this time. You ran your fingers along the curve, sturdy and bony sprouts on his height. Amusement was creeping on his features as he let out a chortle at it. How brave. You differ from everything he knew of, aren't you?
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aliciagemsilica · 3 months
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Diasomnia Boy gift s/o an evening gown to attend the NRC & RSA ball tgt Headcanon
Following from my dress sketch design if you haven’t seen it here . They are base from Glorious Masquerade & Playful land events. Basically a sequence I imagine while drawing the dresses XD I also want to mention that when it’s finish 🥺 you can draw it on your oc and even tweak a bit detail to fit your Yuu or OC. It’s meant to be share with everyone, not just my Yuu.
⚠️ Bad English……. I have no idea what is grammar . 😂
╭══• ೋ•✧๑♡๑✧•ೋ •══╮
Imagine a ball between NRC and RSA happening maybe sometime after chapter 7. All students are invited but you are troubling since you have no dress to wear. And for the love of the great seven. Your beloved head master, Crowley just allowed you to join in your NRC uniform……….. great! So much for your kindness!!
Guess who will be the photographer and a background character on this event…..hahaha………
Well maybe you whine too much in front of the wishing well. Someone comes up with a plan. A plan that would make you believe in a fairytale once again!
╰══• ೋ•✧๑♡๑✧•ೋ •══╯
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𝔐𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔲𝔰 🐉
You had to be blind to not suspect anything……
Lately Mal is a bit touchy. Not that he isn’t normally but this is different. Sometimes he holds your wrist while mumbles something while going on a night stroll. Sometimes he stares at you and gets lost in his thoughts. He even stands just in front of you and tries to lift you up once.
You are so confused and a bit embarrassed when he asks about your height so you call for support. The Diasomnia’s family counselor aka. Lilia Vanrouge. You went all the way to Diasomnia dorm without telling anyone and sneak in to see Lilia.
But
…….
…..
…………
Is he………….
Is he dancing with a dress just now??
Surprisingly you just witness your dragon boyfriend practicing a dance with a beautiful dress. He hummed ‘that song’ while spinning with the dress. What a beautiful princess gown with dark green silk. It looks so shiny and smooth, something that would delicately touch her skin while being held in that big palm. Imagine how soft that hand craft lace feels when on your chest. He did not spare any piece of jewellery from his procession. He keep bring in dazzling earrings and necklaces to test it with the gown. He would have use the heart of his collection to craft a piece of accessories for you if he doesn’t want to save it for something later in the year. You can see a magical golden thread and needle weaving delicate patterns on the skirt as he continues the dance. Every angle……Every turn………..Malleus is creating a masterpiece. He did it………..for you…….for his princess.
Your face is burning from the love of this dragon fae. Why does he have to put so much effort into it.
Oh no………now you a mess
You open the Pandora box too early and now you have to live with it while pretending not to know a thing until the day. You bit your lip as Mal smoothly tug a strain of hair behind your ears. You can now understand what he mumbles about……rose gold? Sunshine gold? May be one of his grandma’s jewellery set?? (Oh god no…….that’s tooo far for the first gown Mal lol)
Your heart beat so fast until the evening of the event. Malleus play cool by teasing you and being a nice partner who prepare a gift for you.
Boom! You are now in a matching dress. So those Raven feathers on the hip are supposed to match his shoulder then ah………..you are about to take off the veil since it looks like a bride. Before Malleus could turn grumpy…..Sebek yell and lecturing you about how talented Wakasama are! You human dare to question his sense of fashion? Outrageous! Just because he love you doesn’t mean you can ruin his days of afford to perfect this dress
Woops………tongue slip
Well it’s not like you never know anyway. Just pretend to be surprise so Sebek won’t get a lightning strike okay?
Bonus : she doesn’t want to point out that when she accidentally saw Malleus weaving that dress……. his tail wagging. It’s a secret she gonna take to her grave though
Bonus 2 : Lilia does notice that and brag about how adorable Malleus is. How Malleus has grown to fit in the society in front of the other dorm leader………..Oopsie
Bonus 3 : Malleus learn the hard way not to miss the meeting
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𝕷𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖆 🦇
Have you heard of the story of the fairy godmother in Cinderella? Well he won’t just roll out and sing bib bi di bub bi di bo and bang! A nice new dress for you. The old man planned while cuddling you in bed……in sofa…..in the gaming chair(?)
He pretends to be busy with something and hasn't listened to you. Even play dumb and say you look cute in the school uniform. Well it’s not totally a lie since he thinks it’s adorable. Why would he poke on your cheek and nibble your neck while you are in your uniform if it’s not because you are so cute to him.
The truth is, this old bat is as excited as you. He lived through the war time and never got a chance to enjoy a leisure party before. Well it’s just a joint event of 2 schools. It can't compare with how grand the royal ball of the Briar valley held a ball but this is the first time he is going to have his lover join him. He doesn’t have to be alert from enemies. Doesn’t have to command his subordinates to search all the parties involved in this event. Just lay back enjoy the day with you.
He had been trying to recreate that dress in his memories just for you. It was around……..hundred? Two hundred?? Year ago??? He walked past this girl on the street and was stunned by her attire. It’s an elegant dress with black velvet and green emerald. Soft flare neckline covered the black corset. Enough skin to show your radiant but not too much.
Well, He was allowed to give you some hickeys before the day of the ball. It got enough fabric to cover all his naughtiness. Wink*
However he was troubled with the skirt since he only remembered just part of it flowing past him. He argued if it’s short or long skirt. He was going back and forth and even tried to summon multiple dresses to compare them…….Then before the final day. He just uses his sense of style to bring it together. Of cause ! Who do you think he is, if not the cutest boy in NRC ? (Self proclaimed……)
He smiles so proudly with your flushed cheek as he teases you. As you put on a golden belt with a bat and thorn on. This is the perfect dress for you. His baby bat. He should had prepare a ring for this big day but well…….there are plenty time for that
Bonus : He pick a perfume for you today and as you dance with him on the floor. It’s totally Lilia’s scent///
This is very long………..more than I expected
I’ll continue Silver & Sebek in part 2 then 😂 sorry I’m so into it with my oshi! I’ll try pack in other dorm in one post! Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy!!
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mochinomnoms · 8 months
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A Floral Inconvenience
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You came into Twisted Wonderland with nothing but the clothes on your back, a literally fiery cat, and an immune system not conditioned to handle the foreign antibodies in the air, earth, or water. It was honestly a miracle that you hadn’t caught some sort of incurable disease, probably because most diseases here required magical output to survive, like plants and water. You weren’t immune to your own feelings though, and magical disease and illnesses have a funny way of adapting themselves to their potential host. It was then that you found yourself prepared for springtime hay fever and allergies, after all pollen was pollen no matter where you were at. What was unexpected, and thus not prepared for, was the disease known as hanahaki, or the flower sickness. Long ago, there existed a family of mages that lived in a small mountain village deep within a jungle that was established by a family of mages. The family protected their village with fantastical and magical abilities, each unique and extraordinary as generation from generation grew. One of those mages, the Flower Bride, had the ability to grow a magnificent array of flora with just the wave of her hand! Flor de mayo, jacarandas, figs and vines all made their home with the Flower Bride. She had a heart so full of feelings, love for her home, family, and her beloved, of course, that her very emotions affected how dazzling those blooms were. The Flower Bride then decided that others should be able to demonstrate their love in the same beauteous display as she did: after all, who wouldn’t want their love developing into only the most lovely blooms? As such, hanahaki was born. Some see it was a blessing, a push, an opportunity for one to confront their feelings. It’s a realization that what they’re feeling is indeed true, the type of love that can only be achieved in fairytales. Others saw it as an inconvenience: after all, sometimes it just wasn’t the right time to confess your love, or they’d be coughing up petals mid-speech, kind of annoying honestly. Yet the sickness would continue until they acknowledge their feelings, the love died down, or it became a chronic illness. Officially dubbed hanahaki by researchers in the East, the disease was also referred to as the flower sickness, being twitterpated, and sometimes even the lovesick florae by the general population. The most commonly afflicted persons fit into two categories: the positively, without a doubt, enamored sort, the twitterpated or lovesick sort of folk. Or, they were the kind to bury their feelings deep deep down and just one day die. It wasn’t unique to any singular species either. It had adapted to afflict humans, beastmen, and even merfolk. Why, not even fae were immune despite their natural immunity to magical disease. Really, it shouldn’t have been any surprise that the emotionally stunted students of Night Raven College would be prime targets for their own bout of hanahaki.
An event to christen the creation of my blog! Please feel free to request or use for your own!
Requests Close 10/20/2023
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Rules
Anyone can use this event and prompts on their own blog! Tag me in so I can read all your stories!
This event will be for TWST on my end, others are free to use for whatever they'd like!
All request will be up to 2000+ words, with a max of 3 characters per request.
Chose up one prompt for each character and indicate if you want romantic or platonic. You can also indicate if you want fluff, hurt/comfort, suggestive, etc.
No NSFW for this event (on my end at least, everyone else go nuts)
Reader will default to gender-neutral unless asked otherwise
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Dialogue Prompts
“Why is your trash can full of flower petals? Are you secretly a botanist, or is there something you're not telling me?”
“So, I hear you've been coughing up daisies lately. Got any plans to enter the flower business?”
“You know you have it bad when you start sneezing petals every time your crush walks by. At least it's a colorful allergy!”
“I can't believe you're faking a cough just to get some attention. And you're using fake flowers for the petals? That's commitment!”
“I think the local florist is in love with me. Their shop is making a killing off my Hanahaki. Do you think they'll give me a discount?”
“You've got to stop sending secret admirer bouquets to yourself. The delivery guy is starting to think you have a dozen secret admirers.”
“I've heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but wearing petals in your hair is a whole new level of fashion statement.”
“I have a steady, loving partner. you on the other hand have a left hand and a sunflower cough.”
“Why'd I have to get a nose full of lilies? I'm allergic, this is so unfair.”
“You think with all the lavender on my head I could make my own syrup out of it?”
“No, I've been practicing my sleight of hand! Watch as I make a bouquet of tulips magically appear—ACK!”
“No, I haven't been growing marigolds out of my ass. Why would you even ask that?!”
“Here, your favorite flower! Hmm? Where'd I get them? Uh, I just found them, around…”
“I'd rather have the thorniest, pesticide ridden roses grow in my mouth before I'd ever admit having any sort of affection for them!”
“Sooo, are you gonna apologize for puking dahlias all over my breakfast?”
“I've never heard of a flower sickness, are you talking about seasonal allergies?”
“Look, even if confessing would let me get rid of the poppies, I'd rather not. Maybe I'll just learn how to make poppy seed muffins or something.”
“Is this normal here?” “Only for the emotionally unavailable folk.” “Ah, so it is.”
“Dude, are your freckles turning into baby's breath?” “AHH!”
“Aren't lotus flowers really good for your skin? Babeeey, I'm set for life—” “NOT WHEN THEY'RE GROWING OUT OF YOUR EARS!”
“Look, I care for you and want you to get laid, but imagine all the money we'd save on tea if you kept growing chamomile from your head.”
“Blehhhg…” “You know I always knew I'd be holding your hair back as you puked your stomach out at a party, I thought it be from the alcohol though, not flowers.”
“You know, some people pay a lot of money for Hanahaki bouquets, have you considered—OW! It was just a suggestion!”
“I'm so happy that you confessed first.” “Why?” “If I had to dig out another hydrangea petal from my teeth, I was gonna lose it.”
“Man, sunflowers have got to be the worst to be puking up.” “Nah man, it's roses and their thorns! They scrap up all up your gums, my dentist bill after was ridiculous!”
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🌸 a floral inconvenience masterlist 🌸
gardenias & peonies: silver x f!reader – #13
stargazer lilies: sebek zigvolt x f!reader – #5
dahlias; zinnias & cosmos: ruggie bucchi, trey clover, [separate] x gn!reader - #15, #1
teonanácatl mushrooms: jade leech x gn!reader - #18
lavender roses: floyd leech x gn!reader - #14
lavender: azul ashengrotto x gn!reader - #18
marigold: vil schoenheit, platonic!ace trappola x gn!reader - #7 & #12
blue hydrangeas: idia shroud x f!reader - #24
baby's breath & red roses: riddle rosehearts x f!reader - #14 & #19 [QUEUED]
amaryllis: lilia vanrouge x gn!reader - #1 [PENDING]
carnations: leona kingscholar x gn!reader - #18 [PENDING]
asters; purple hydrangeas: ace trappola, jamil viper [spearate] x gn!reader - #22, #24 [PENDING]
gerbera daisies: trey clover x gn!reader - #3 [PENDING]
orange poppies & water lilies: azul ashengrotto x gn!reader - #17 [PENDING]
sunflowers: jack howl x gn!reader - #8 [PENDING]
chrysanthemums: jamil viper x gn! reader - #1 [PENDING]
green roses: malleus draconia x gn!reader - #13 & #14 [PENDING]
pink poppies & cala lilies: jamil viper x gn!reader - #17 & #22 [PENDING]
sunflowers: leona kingscholar x f!reader - #8 [PENDING]
BONUS:
azaleas, cornflowers, & white roses: ace trappola, deuce space [poly] x gn! reader - #6, #3, & #22 [PENDING]
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HOW DARE YOU STAB ME IN THE GUT THE IDEA OF VAGGIE BEING MORTAL!
SO RUDE!
But at the same time just... thinking about vaggie wanting to grow old with charlie. that sort of show of *trust*, of being vulnerable with charlie in a way no one's been with her before.
and it probably takes some more conversations, but... I want to hope that charlie eventually understands just what vaggie means when she wants to spend the rest of her days with charlie. and how much meaning that carries when those days are *finite*...
MY POOR HEART HOW DARE YOU
well this almost turned into a fic now didn't it? hm. whoops
(had Reinaeiry's song "Left Behind" on repeat for this ^w^;)
.... a new sinner comes to the hotel, sometime After.
they came in past the giant golden Dazzle statue out front, creep through the foyer, tense and ready for a trap, spot Sir Pentious's portrait- and the matching one, hanging up next to it
(fresh flowers sitting in vases under them both)
it's a picture of a woman. Steel grey skin, faded angel wings, a missing eye- deep laugh lines at the corners of the eye she has left
she's leaning back in a chair, sitting casually in her hotel manager uniform, her thin smile a little crooked and a little sharp- definitely someone used to having problems and finding solutions. Not someone to mess with. The walking stick in one hand is held more like a weapon
there's a wedding band on her finger, on full display she reaches up to cover the hand resting on her shoulder
(rest of that person out of sight) (hand clawed and pale as porcelain, cuff of a red suit bleeding out of frame)
and it's odd to see someone else sharing a memorial picture-
(more than one person had died a little, that day)
-but more odd than that is the way looking at the picture makes the sinner frown.
they're still frowning when the hotel founder wanders over
(done arranging for a new room) (doing double duty as hotel manager) (laughed it off earlier- hasn't yet found the time to put up a job openings ad) (a bad liar)
and she's a lanky, tall demon in a red suit, looking more like a living doll than a princess of hell, proper demon image only hinted at with the claws and the fangs
she shows off the fangs when she smiles at the portrait of the woman- then, belatedly, at the new hotel guest
(still their hotel) (still their new guest) (even After...)
she asks,
"Like them?" and smiles a little wider (wider than a human could) (a little forced now) "They're, pretty cool pictures, huh?"
the new guest hums noncommittally. Still frowning
a laugh from the demon standing next to them, clasping her hands, spinning ring on one finger-
"I guess it's harder to know how good a picture it is, if you've never met the person in it." a hard swallow. "She would've.... really liked to have be here. To meet you."
"Not sure I'd want to meet her," a quip, thoughtless, not looking over. "Kinda a scary lady."
the demon's stricken look "-does she look scary?"
a casual shrug. "Just a feeling. Seems like she meant business."
"She did..." fangs biting into lips, smile gone, shoulders slumping, the demon caving inwards. "....but not like that. She, she was scary for people she loved- and kind. And thoughtful and-"
"What about him?" pointing at Sir Pentious in full battle gear, egg boyz everywhere.
the demon's very weak attempt at a smile. "Oh, you'll see him around eventually. He comes down to visit when he can, and likes calling a lot in between."
eyebrows lifting. Realizing. "He's the one who made it to heaven?"
"He is. He-"
"But not her?"
"...."
tall frame hunching, horns out now, dark marks bleeding down pale cheeks like burnt tears. A tail lashing silently behind her.
the demon breathes carefully. Gingerly.
"She... wasn't here to be saved. Not like- not like that."
"Huh."
a dubious, suspicious noise- the hotel is still a new idea even after all these years- a brand new addition to the fabric of creation with a lot of trust issues still to iron out.
"So what happened?" the sinner prods, watching carefully out of the corner of one eye. "Why's her picture up there with his?"
that gets a smile again, strangely.
a tearful one and a thickness in the demon's voice, but still a smile as she steps forward, reaching up to the portrait frame- touching it, lightly, with a pale, clawed hand that matches the one resting on the painted woman's shoulder.
"...they both gave their lives to their friends."
the demon whispers, still smiling.
"They made their home here, in the hotel, with us, and... and they'll always still be here. They'll never. Really leave-"
the words cut off and the sinner shuffles awkwardly in the silence
staring up at the portrait together, one frowning sinner-
-one hell princess slowly leaning against the woman's gilded frame, forehead butting it desperately, clearly trying hard not to cry in front of the first new guest
(that she's had to greet on her own)
finally the sinner speaks up (uncomfortable with pity) (a dangerous, weak thing to feel in hell) scowling hard at the woman's portrait, demanding-
"Where's her spear?"
the demon turns, wet faced, surprised. "Oh- she didn't want..." Blinks. "Her. Spear?"
"The cane thing looks stupid." crossed arms, a judgmental eye. head tilted to the left like bird, like the right eye was better at looking at things- "It's just a stick. How's she supposed to deal with stuff with just a flimsy piece of crap like that? The thing doesn't even have a blade."
"It had one." murmurs the demon, still shocked. Slowly straightening. "It had, hidden inside, there was a blade- Niffty made it for-"
the demon stops. Frowns.
"But. You didn't know her. The spear... How did you know about the-"
another shrug. "Just vibes."
"Vibes-?"
"She looks like a spear kinda girl."
a flex of the sinner's empty hand, gripping empty air, glaring up at the cane in the woman's hand-
"Just seems right, you know? Better than the stupid twig stick."
the demon eyes flicking down to watch, staring. "...she called her cane that, too."
a faint comment drifting up like the ghost of years gone by.
snorting, the sinner turns away. "I bet." eyes the rest of the hotel with hands on hips, critical and on edge with that stare still burning between tense shoulder blades. "So where's my turf in this place? I'm guessing I don't have to fight for it first, right?"
"Room 12, second floor." many times rehearsed words finally popping out without thought. "Key's on the front desk. I'll show you up-"
"Don't bother." sinner already striding off, clearly glad to get away. "I won't kill anyone on the way there, don't worry."
"I wasn't.... that's not why I..."
there's something. Something about that brisk, focused way of walking. Something in the set of those shoulders-
(like a military march) (like the shoulders are braced for wings that aren't there)
(like the sinner should be carrying a spear-)
Charlie lurches forward.
"-Vaggie?"
heart in her throat, fist in her chest, frozen as the sinner pauses at the foot of the main stairs and looks back.
something in that strange face softens. (pity?) (something else...?)
"... not my name, sweetie."
the sinner's smile is crooked. unscarred eyes understanding, and sad.
"She your wife?"
no past tense. just the gaping whole in Charlie- ripped open fresh, thundering and bleeding under her shirt as she stares and stares and tries to see- "Yes." seeing ghosts where there aren't any. "We. For, for so many wonderful years..."
the crooked smile soft as well as sad now, as the sinner thumbs the room key and takes a moment, looking back up at the portrait above Charlie.
"Good for her."
a touch bitter- a sigh, sharp. Pained.
"And, you. Some of us.. never even find who we were looking for, before we lose our chance at having a life with them."
turning and gone in the next second, before anything else slips out. The glint in suddenly exhausted eyes-
Charlie, standing under Vaggie's portrait, slowly starting to shake.
Not this-
"-no."
Slowly backing up against the wall. Claws reaching out, sinking in, ruining wallpaper as the world tilts and turns and Charlie braces her weak knees against the fall.
"-it's not. It's not."
It can't be. The side of the bed that wasn't Charlie's even when she woke up curled up in it- that was real. The dusty spear propped in a corner of their room that Charlie hadn't put there and didn't want there and couldn't bring herself to move- THAT was real.
The portrait behind her, painted when the limp and her balance first started getting bad, when Vaggie still called her cane a 'stupid twig stick' but wouldn't pretend she didn't need it, wouldn't swap it for her spear when Charlie had offered, carried proudly anyway and smirked about smacking ankles when people annoyed her... mostly just thumbed it thoughtfully, when she thought Charlie wasn't looking, smiling that crooked wondering smile- THAT had been- that was-
Charlie could turn around right now and see all of it memorialized behind her (always behind her now) (always in the past, being left further behind).
Charlie had NOT seen, anything else. Because nothing else could BE real.
nothing as real as long limbs folding in, crumping under that damn framed picture, ignoring Husk's worried look from the bar. Husk, glancing up after the new guest, also frowning now-
Charlie and the old habit of hugging herself tightly back together, something not even a lifetime with Vaggie had ever fully broke her out of.
(only ONE lifetime) (not hers)
(her stupid deal hadn't worked in the end) (promise broken for nothing) (Vaggie had died)
(she can't be-)
She can't do this again.
.....
exact words are a bitch sometimes
"Don't let me die without her." (never said- and make sure she doesn't have to live and die alone either, without me)
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roguelov · 1 year
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Cat’s Cradle
Summary: You were crafted by him, crafted to serve the Dreaming and dreamers of all kinds. You were granted the ability to alter your appearance, to the feline variety, to hide in dreams. You, however, never imagined falling in love with him. But, when he left to take care of a rogue nightmare, only to never return, your heart broke. So, you ran to the Waking and soon met someone new. But, when Dream returns, how will he react to find you missing?
Word Count: ~5.2k
Reader: Fem
Warnings: Some angst (abandonment and heartbreak), fluff, pining
Requested by the magnificent @chainsawsangel
Part 2
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A curious question to ponder: do animals dream? And if so, what do they dream of? Do dogs dream of chasing squirrels? Do cats dream of hunting in a jungle? Do snakes dream of being ginormous and slithering about?
And the answer to all of these: yes, yes they do.
Far before humanity was where it was today, animals were the first to flock to the Dreaming. They were the first dreamers. Although their dreams may be plain, or simpler, compared to humans; they were still dreams. They were still precious, still hopeful.
But, as humanity evolved and grew, the Dreaming started to accommodate for humanity more. The Lord of Dreams and Nightmares had to turn his attention to those with far more complex dreams, to those impacting the Waking world with each breath and decision. In order to do so, he created his dreams and nightmares.
He created you.
You were one of the first dreams, and dare say the oldest. However, you were unique compared to the others. Your purpose was to oversee all dreams, and more specifically the dreams of the vast amount of creatures. When Dream could not lend his attention to the dreams, you were there.
In disguise, of course.
Dream not only created you for this single purpose, he also granted you the ability to alter your form. You could change into any feline creature from an average house cat to a vicious cougar.
And so it was for years, centuries. Your days were spent doing your duties and whatever you pleased. It was simpler in those earlier days, easy to seperate yourself from Dream. Creator and creation. However, as years passed those strict lines, those boundaries drawn, shifted.
Under the shade of a tree, in Fiddler’s Green beautiful picturesque forest, Dream lounged in the foliage’s shade. Books, taken from the library for his various researches, surrounded him. He needed a change of space and air to think.
You, on the other hand, were slinked away in the nearby bushes, quietly stalking him.
“Hello, my dream.” Dream’s eyes flickered up, catching yours.
But, Dream always spotted you, always knew when you were around. You walked out on paws while your silted, seemingly glowing amber, eyes stayed locked on to his dazzling oceanic blue. Reaching the edge of the tree’s shade, you calmly sat down in front of him, with your tail curled around you.
“And what can I do for you, (Y/N)?” Dream asked.
It started with your body, it stretched and elongated. Next was the fur, its cotton like texture retracted, leaving only soft skin. Then there were the fine details, from the tail vanishing with a flick, to your ears once pointed rounded out, to fingers growing as claws became dull nails, to your eyes more natural color for a human. It was intriguing to watch how quickly you changed. In a blink of an eye, you stood tall before Dream on two feet. You bowed your head slightly, “Apologies, my lord, for interrupting.”
Dream brushed off your formalities. “There is no need to apologize. Speak, what is it that you need?”
“Only to give my daily report, sir.”
Ah, yes, how could he forget. “Proceed.”
Reports were a necessity to ensure prosperity in the Dreaming. Any one wrong detail, any confusion, would mean possible devastation for a world crafted on such complexities. Luckily, you recounted all the dreams you saw and nothing out of the ordinary, for dreams that is. Dreams were chaos, but the Dreaming controlled such chaos.
“Thank you,” Dream said with a nod of his head.
“Of course.”
Normally, you would leave. But, this time your feet were rooted in place. Your eyes darted around to his stacks of books, then to the empty forest surrounding him. The quiet, hushed breeze blew past your ears, and it carried no other voices. It was Dream and Dream alone. And in this moment for some reason, your heart broke. A tiny fissure, truly, but a fissure which in time would grow.
He is always alone.
“Is there something else?”
Your attention snapped over. Dream’s eyes, typical pale blue, were nearly black for a fleeting moment, blending into the shadows. A midnight sky that twinkled with endless stars and universes. Cold, lonely.
You were not sure how to word it. You appear lonely, my lord. Do you wish to have company?
His pride was a fickle thing. One word could offend him. You, thankfully, knew how to navigate it fairly easily.
“May I stay?” You asked.
If I can help it, I don’t want you to be alone.
Dream cocked his head, curious by your question. He paused, considering it then spoke. “If you wish.”
With a single nod, you leapt into the air, changing back into a small house cat. You swiftly and easily climbed up the tree and splayed across a branch directly above Dream. Your eyes dropped down, catching Dream peering up at you. He quickly looked away and returned to his studies.
That.
That was when the boundaries shifted and soon you became friends. Eons, you grew closer and closer. But, the line was pushed further in the recent centuries.
To be fair, it was never your intention to fall for Dream. You knew of his previous relationships, you knew of the pain that somehow inevitably followed - such devastating heartbreak.
But, you did.
You fell.
No, not a dramatic fall such as one falling from grace. No, not all at once. It wasn’t as poets described as a burning flame that blazed into an uncontrollable, all-consuming fire.
No.
It was unknowing, it was subtle. It was like walking down stairs, just one step at a time. It wasn’t until you reached the bottom and was face to face with him, and reality, that it finally dawned on you what had happened.
His plain pale eyes were now the morning sky guiding you from the chilly night, bringing you hope and awe. With a simple glance, your heart now skipped relentlessly in your chest, sending you into a dizzying state of infatuation. His messy unruly hair now tempted you to run your fingers through it, to have his head on your chest and whisper poetry of your love and playful secrets into his hair. His lips - the prettiest pink like fresh spring flowers - now beckoned you forth to taste, to hear his velvet voice sing your name.
Your heart was completely given over.
You only hoped he would care for it.
“My dear (Y/N), my sweet dream, there you are.”
You, in feline form, laid sprawled in the sun, tucked - hidden from all except him - in the palace’s garden. It was your place of solitude, your place of peace, your place to untangle your thoughts.
A place Lord Morpheus showed you, and his presence rippled throughout here.
You saw his twinkling eyes in the blue sunny sky, or in the dark starry night. You heard his voice on the wind, whispering through the branches and bushes. You smelled him in the flowers, and morning dew. You felt him in the warmth of the sunlight, constant and never changing. He was always with you. You would ever escape him. Your mind could never untangle him from your thoughts. But, like a fool in love, you locked yourself in this beautiful gilded cage, happily tossing away the key.
You peered up at him from your patch. Your heart soared. His eyes, however, flickered with minor confusion. “Where have you been? I have not seen you for days.”
A twinge of guilt rose up.
Your features shifted and grew. Instantly, you were on two feet again, standing before your lord, your friend, and your infatuation. “Apologies,” you dropped your head, “I didn’t mean to cause you any worry.”
He gently, with his thumb and forefinger, tilted your head back up. A small frown tugged on the corners of his lips. “I only worry for you. Please, tell me, what has troubled you?”
A heat flushed over your chest. Eons spent together. You had always been close with him, but now since this startling revelation nothing had been the same. Steeling your emotions, you snipped the wings of those pesky butterflies fluttering inside your chest. You smiled easily. “Nothing to worry you, my lord.”
Please, I told you to forgo such formalities, he thought.
His frown stayed. He searched your eyes for any tells. Seeing none, he sighed, dropping his hand from you. You desperately fought back from chasing after his delicate, comforting touch. “If you say so,” he muttered. “You just seem distracted lately; and dare I say avoiding me.”
You swallowed down your nerves. “Never, my lord.”
“Are you unwell? Perhaps, displeased?”
“Displeased?”
His frown deepened. “With your duties? Your life?”
“What? No, no, never.”
“Then why do I not know what you are thinking of anymore? I prided myself in always knowing what thoughts were behind your clever eyes. But, now? I feel as if I am looking at a stranger.”
You were a stranger.
You were a different person now. You had to hide your truest self. You always spoke freely with Dream. One of the few who did not fear his wraith; the others being Lucienne, Merv, and Jessamy.
You stepped back, pulling away from him.
“Lucienne, I - I don’t know what to do with myself.”
You snuck into the royal library, pulling Lucienne aside to speak with her. You needed to tell her what you had been feeling lately - confide in her. Hopefully, she can shed some light on this developing situation. She was your oldest friend, you trusted her and hid nothing from her.
Lucienne smiled to herself, shaking her head. She peered over the rim of her glasses and cocked her brow. This certainly was amusing for her - as if she didn’t already didn’t deduce your feelings for the king. “I believe you know exactly what you must do.”
I can’t, you vehemently thought. “But what if -“
“I never thought there would be a day you would fear him.”
You huffed. “Fear him? I do not fear -“
“I am only teasing you,” she said, sensing your displaced hostility.
You grumbled, but with Lucienne you could never stay mad at her. Your lips already twitched upward, showing her your anger was more for show and dramatics.
She gently took your hands. “Tell him. You know it is the right thing to do.”
She knew your feelings of Dream before your own realization. She knew you the best. You were always the closest to him, but she noted all the subtle changes in your demeanor. And so, she only waited for this day to happen, for you to come to her with your own revelations. Of course, she would never admit it to you, but her and Mervyn may or may not have placed bets on you.
You glanced down at your hands in hers. “I … I don’t want to lose him.”
“You won’t.”
You wanted to scoff. Dream’s past lovers did not end happily. Heartbreak and ruin seemed to follow him like a leech sucking on any joy he may have.
“It’s not easy, but to say nothing would be worse.” Lucienne squeezed your hands, giving you a douse of courage to act. “Would you truly be happy saying nothing?”
You paused. Would you? You sighed heavily, “No, I don’t think I would.”
“Then tell him.”
You agreed, almost hesitantly. “I will.”
Now, Lucienne’s words tossed around your head, that simple question which cut directly to your core: would you truly be happy saying nothing?
You looked to Dream, meeting his gaze once again. Just as easy as he could read you, you could read him. Confusion and worry plainly written in his dazzling eyes. Taking a deep breath, you started to unveil the truth, “I am truly sorry for making you worry, it was never my intention.”
“And what was your intention?”
You thought about it for a moment, considering the correct word then said, “Self-preservation.”
Dream’s eyebrows knitted together. “How so?”
You took a tentative step forward back towards him. “In a way, you were right that I am a stranger. I have discovered something about myself recently.”
Dream stayed quiet, letting you speak without interruptions - letting you come to him.
“It was scary, and I never expected it would happen, yet here I am.” You stepped closer. Your heart raced frantically in your chest. “I hope you do not hate me for what I am about to say and allow me to stay here in the Dreaming.”
Dream tilted his head. “I have never found myself hating you for any reason, nor do I think such a thing would happen. And I would never banish you from the Dreaming for it is your home, but you do have me slightly more worried now.”
You reached out. You hooked your index finger around his pinkie, slowly drawing him to you. “Centuries, eons, spent together and I have adored every second. I love my life, I love everyone here, and - and … I’ve always loved you, a platonic love. However, it has changed recently.”
Dream’s eyes fell to your finger hooked around his. Slowly, unsure if was hearing you correctly, his hand turned and his fingers threaded in between yours. You didn’t move, you didn’t run.
You let out a shaky breath, relieved but absolutely frightened.
“If I am wrong, tell me.” Dream said as he met your eyes again. “Although I have said you have become a stranger, that was not quite true. It was I who had also changed. But -“
Your heart constricted.
“But, I feel as if I should warn you.” He grabbed both of your hands, ensuring you listened fully to him. “You know of my past for you were always part of it. You know of my relationships and the inevitability which always seems to follow. I am telling you this to ask you now: is this what you want?”
You gazed into his sky blue eyes. Trepidation evident in his eyes. Tears prickled in the corner of his eyes, tears of fear and potential heartache. He tried desperately to hide it, but nothing could be hidden from you. You reached up, cupping his face and carefully brushed away the tears. “If you will have me, then yes.”
“You will always have an out, the door will always be open for you to leave.” He said it, but he did not wish it to be true. He wanted you here, he wanted you by his side for eternity.
“I’m not afraid.”
“You should be.”
“Possibly.” You brought his face closer to yours. “But, would I be happy if I left now without trying? No, I don’t think I would be.”
You kissed him. His lips were like petals, soft and warm; like a fresh spring flower after a terribly rough winter. You exhaled as your heart swelled up in your chest. However, his lips moved slowly, methodically.
Measured and unsure.
Scared.
But, quickly, his restraint melted. He grabbed your waist, flushing your bodies against his. He was feverous. He tilted his head, and parted his mouth. His tongue slipped inside. Oh, all the years he wished to taste you. And now he has. So sweet, so delectable.
You hummed.
Oh, he loved that noise.
He pulled away, and pressed his forehead against yours. Hearing your breathlessness, his heart fluttered. He did this. It was his doing. And now, only he could conjure it, only he could steal your breath. And in turn, so can you. You could steal his attention, take his breath as your own, draw out desires and sinful sounds.
You were his.
And he yours.
Initially, you thought yourself a fool, locking yourself in the gilded cage of blind love.
No.
Morpheus, finding your key to your gilded cage, unlocked it. He guided you out, meeting you halfway. You would not be trapped, confined, to him, but his equal - his partner. And if you still saw yourself bound to a cage, he would step inside locking said door behind. The two of you locked together, either until the universe collapsed or maybe - and unlikely in either of yours’ eyes - until one of you moved on. But, until then, it would be beautiful. Each of you would lead with your heart, each of you would bare your soul, each of you would love each other wholeheartedly.
So, you thought this was it.
You and Dream. And the Dreaming.
Your combined love was limitless. He was the world: the sky with its assortment of colors, the sturdy ground providing its nurture and care, the bottomless oceans with its secrets, and the rising mountains reaching unknown heavens. While you were the important details: the intricate woven web of animals and balance, the imperfections from nature adding to individuality, the innate curiosity and creativity of people and their arts and inventions, and the unbelievable hidden wonders in an expanding world.
You gave life - purpose - to his world.
However, as you each predicted, it did not last. Trouble stirred off in the distance. Your world would soon shatter. A nightmare, one you knew fondly, escaped to the Waking, and Dream must retrieve him before the damage becomes too much. When Dream told you he was going to the Waking, a horrible feeling sunk to the pit of your stomach. You wanted to grab him and hold him close, forbidding him from leaving. You wanted to beg and tell him to forget about the Corinthian. You wanted to lock him away. But, there was nothing you could do. You couldn’t stop him, even if you fell to your knees pleading with tears in your eyes. Although you loved him and all his imperfections, his senses of responsibility and pride knew no bounds. He had to do this. So, you wordlessly watched as he walked away - walked out of your life.
Days passed.
Slowly, painstakingly slow.
You mostly kept busy with your duties, much like all the dreams and nightmares during this period. You all worked as if nothing has changed: overseeing dreams, ensuring order in the chaos, and documenting anything unusual.
Weeks then crawled by.
The first whisper of doubt started: Dream would not return, Dream had abandoned his duties. Yet, as quickly as those whispers started, they were silenced. Dream will come back. Everyone believed he would, and so did you.
How naive.
Months became years.
Fiddler’s Green vanished. He took his greenery - all those lush fields and extravagant flowers - and left to go to the Waking. And not knowing, he also took all your precious memories of Dream with him. Moments under the shade of a tree side by side, moments of strolling along a worn down path, moments of soft unspoken love ripped away like a weed.
“I wish to see the Waking for myself,” Fiddler told you before he left. “I do not know if Dream has abandoned us or not, all I know is I wish to see other worlds, to hear others’ stories. If he does return, then maybe one day I will too.”
You smiled, despite the heartbreak. “And I wish you the best, Fiddler.”
He returned the sorrow filled smile, and kissed your forehead. “Do find me when he comes back. I will miss your presence amongst my trees.”
The next to leave was Gault. She slipped away, like a shadow slinking back into the darkness. She was one to always keep to herself. She didn’t speak to anyone about her leave; she simply left, taking her nightmares with her.
As years passed - decades - the Dreaming started to crumble piece by piece and most left seeking refuge elsewhere or looking for new purpose. Dreams and nightmares gone. While the poor dreamers could not pass into the Dreaming anymore, the doors shut until its lord returned.
If, he returned.
“Our lord will return,” Lucienne said to you.
You were both in the library. You sat on top of a long barren table - one which used to hold multiple dreamers who would read side by side or possibly write out their own stories - while Lucienne stood on the end scanning through her own notes and hand drawn maps. Books were disappearing and she was trying to make note of it all from what books, in what section, and so forth. Even now parts of the library were beginning to be blocked off. She needed to write everything down, she needed to do her duties for the library - for the sake of the Dreaming.
“I’m not so sure,” you muttered. Your gaze was ahead directed on a stained glass window, one of the many in the library. The beautiful mosaic had a notable crack running through the middle and splintered out. A strong wind could blow through, sending shards everywhere.
Lucienne peered up from her work. This was the first time you had ever spoken your doubts out loud. But, she knew you had lost your faith long ago. A frown had permanently etched into your face since Dream left. Your eyes once bright were now awfully dull.
“I believe it.” You lazily looked over, meeting Lucienne’s determined eyes. She continued, “Lord Morpheus will return. He would not abandon us.”
“I fear you are the only one who believes that.”
“Do you truly think Morpheus has left? Do you believe he has left the Dreaming, all his responsibilities- you? You are the closest to him, surely you would have known something if he were to leave indefinitely?”
You dropped your head. “I have known Morpheus for eons, but that does not mean I understand him completely. He withholds many things from me. If it may cause me any distress he will not say, and although I appreciate the concern and sentiment in the end he only closes himself off. The distress unfortunately always comes from him, from his duties, from holding the collective unconsciousness. His pride does not allow him to burden others -“ you sighed -“ no matter how much I used to tell him otherwise.”
Lucienne frowned. “So, you truly don’t know where he may be?”
She assumed you must know something. But, she was terribly wrong.
“No, I do not.” You leaned back on your hands, staring back at the cracked window. “And in a strange way, I hope he doesn’t return.”
Lucienne blinked, stunned. “What? Why?”
“He deserves to rest, Lucienne. If the Dreaming stayed, and if other realms were not affected, then yes I would wish for him to venture off to other worlds, to run from all of this.” You hopped off the table. “I wish I could take away all his responsibilities, all his worries. He always carried so much.”
Lucienne was unsure how to respond, but a question did strike her. “Do you not wish for him to come back? To not come back to you?”
“Of course, I do.” You spun around, facing her. For the first time, Lucienne finally noted your watery eyes. “Of course, I want him back. I miss him dearly, and my heart breaks constantly. But, if he is happy elsewhere, then why am I to deny that for him?”
“You would compromise your own happiness?”
“I would do so much more for him.”
“And what of you? Who looks after you?” Who looks after your happiness, she thought.
“… myself.”
“(Y/N) -“
“I think I will leave to go to the Waking.”
She closed her mouth. Her concerns and questions were now redirected: you were leaving. “The Waking?”
“Yeah,” you crossed your arms over your chest, “and I think you should come with me.”
“Go with you?”
“Yes.”
“But, the Dreaming?”
“I cannot stay here anymore, Lucienne. Like I said, my heart breaks constantly. I cannot stay in our bed any longer, I cannot escape this vast bitter coldness. I have to leave.”
Lucienne frowned. “I understand.”
You walked towards her and grabbed her hands. “Please, you should come with me.”
Lucienne smiled, a beautifully regrettable smile. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
You nodded, trying to hide your pain. You swallowed down the swell of emotions. “I figured.”
Lucienne gently squeezed your hands, reassuring and loving. “Go,” she whispered, as she battled her own emotions.
‘Don’t worry about me’ was the underlying message.
Tears welled up in your eyes. “I will not forget you, Lucienne.”
She laughed, despite tears springing from her own eyes. “I would hope not.”
You smiled as tears slid down your cheeks. You yanked her forward, throwing your arms around her. “Please, I hope you are not angry with me.”
“Never,” she whispered.
“If you ever need me, find me - call for me. I will do whatever you want.”
“I know.”
She didn’t say ‘I will’. She didn’t wish to call upon you, to drag you back here to your misery. She wished for you to prosper, to smile joyfully again.
You needed to live for yourself. No longer were you an ethereal dream aiding the Dreaming, no longer were a loving partner to Morpheus, no longer were you a kind and endearing friend, you were now on your own. You were on a journey of self discovery.
You tightened your arms around her once more, before reluctantly releasing her. Your eyes shone with tears and smiled through the heartache. “I love you, Lucienne, one day we will see each other again for that I am certain.”
“I will await here to see you both return. And I wish you the best, (Y/N).”
Your heart broke. “Goodbye, Lucienne. Please tell those left I wish them the best.”
“I will. Goodbye, (Y/N).”
You left rather quickly, briskly walking away and not daring to look back. You didn’t wish to see Lucienne’s tears, see the now dusty library with cracks in the foundation; you wanted to preserve all the memories, cheerful and happy.
Standing outside the gates of the Dreaming, you stared off across the vast, empty grey beach. You had nothing on you, for there was nothing you could carry. In the distance, a call hummed - a tug of the universe ready to open to other realms. You tentatively glanced over your shoulder. The grandiose gates of the Dreaming were closed, locked behind you. You sighed. Memories of all your life spent in the Dreaming rushed by: memories of your friends, memories of Morpheus. So bittersweet. “May we meet again … hopefully.”
You leapt into the air.
When you landed in the soft sand, you landed on four paws and with a tail that swished back and forth. Without looking back again - knowing you may never leave if you did - you calmly strolled forward, letting the sand swirl around you. It completely clouded your vision. Yet, you kept walking, drifting away from your home to an unknown world. The soft uneven sand under your feet became rigid and sturdy. The dark cloud of sand faded, revealing a bright sunny afternoon filled with countless faces and colorful structures. The once deafening silence, and chill, of the Dreaming replaced by a chorus of chatter and buzz of life. As the last drop of sand vanished, you found yourself in an alleyway in a bustling vibrant city. People passed by, living their lives. While you, an unsuspected dream, was now amongst their population.
Or in their eyes, a simple house cat.
For the first time in years, you were thrilled with the uncertainty and possibilities to come. You had a glimmer of hope fluttering in your empty chest, you had a joyful twinkle slowly returning in your hardened eyes.
It was a fresh start.
But, you were woefully unprepared for what the fates would send your way.
It had been years since your arrival to the Waking. You traveled, walking among the humans as one. You tasted exciting new dishes, learned different languages, visited amazing places, and met interesting people. However, you met people, you did not let them in. No friends, no relationships of any kind. Your heart could not bear it. So, you only watched humans and life from a safe distance, skirting its edges to save your heart from any trouble.
He, on the other hand, disregarded any and all barriers you put up.
“Well, hello, look at you.”
You - in feline form this late morning - perked up from your spot, sunbathing in front of a cafe. The owner, a sweet elderly lady, was always pleased to see you and left treats out occasionally. However, it wasn’t the owner who greeted you, it was a man. A man wore a tweed jacket, black turtleneck, and glasses perched on his nose. He had a kind, gentle face - one found in stories of princes and heroism. His eyes held worldly knowledge and strangely bountiful hope.
The man crouched down in front of you, extending his hand out as a greeting. You wanted to turn your nose away, but something told you not to. Curiosity? Possibly. To ease your burning new curiosity, you accepted his hand and sniffed it: dried ink, old papers, coffee, old cologne, mixed with potential and nostalgia.
He certainly was a strange one.
The man smiled excitedly, elated to see you have accepted him. He slowly scratched the top of your head and soon behind your ears. You unconsciously pushed your head into his hands. So kind, so comforting. A part of you ached deeply over his simple touch.
“Do you have a family? A home, little one?” He asked out loud.
“No, she doesn’t.” The man perked up, looking at the cafe owner. She smiled at the man and you. “She just appeared one day. She comes and goes as she pleases, but she always comes back.”
The man turned his gaze back onto you. A frown tugged on his lips. “So, no home?”
“No home.” The owner confirmed.
The man continued to scratch at your ears. An idea slowly pieced together in his head. “Do … do you think I could take her?”
You flinched, surprised by his offer.
“Well, that’s up to her now, isn't it?” The owner chucked. “You can try, but if she runs off then do not run back here to me to complain.”
The man wasn’t sure why he wished to take this random cat. Possibly to fill a void, fill a space in his vacant apartment. There was a draw he couldn’t quite place or understand. He glanced back down at you, while you stared up with wide eyes. “Would you like that? A home?” He asked with that lovely smile.
Home.
Oh, how you ached for the Dreaming, for Dream. Your wondrous Morpheus.
You had no where, and being free meant no home. And deep down, you craved it. You craved a home, but your only home you ever had was one you could go back to. At least, not now or maybe ever. You needed a new home. And maybe this insane encounter with this stranger could be that. Not permanently, but for just a few years. A few sweet years. You purred. The man smiled bright and wide, taking it as a ‘yes’. With a helping hand - and a warmth you haven’t felt in ages - he delicately scooped you up.
“Let’s get you home,” he whispered.
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catboygirljoker · 4 days
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[video transcript: a scene from the 358/2 Days movie. Roxas: Hey, what happens when Heartless are destroyed? Xigbar: The hearts remain. And then those hearts gather together to form the great Kingdom Hearts. Roxas: Then, can you tell me what remains if a Nobody is destroyed? Xigbar: What's there to leave behind? We're not even supposed to "be" in the first place. Roxas: And the members at Castle Oblivion, where'd they go? Xigbar: Nothing's left of them. Roxas: In which case, I'll never see them again? Xigbar: That's right. You coming? Roxas: Huh? Oh, yeah. end transcript.]
this scene is so funny to me because if you watch it by itself you assume xigbar is being a total asshole for no reason. just random unmotivated callousness and cruelty. but the DS version of this scene comes at the end of a whole mission, and with that context, you can see that xigbar actually has a reason for...being an asshole.
(transcripts below are fetched from this text of ancient times, a GameFAQ so old that it mistakenly describes xigbar as seeing roxas when he sees xion with ventus's face.)
Xigbar: What's wrong? Dazzled by the new scenery? Roxas: Do you think it's true—about the members stationed at Castle Oblivion? Xigbar: Ha ha, is that seriously what's eating you? Roxas: We might have lost a comrade. Maybe multiple comrades. That doesn't bother you at all? Xigbar: As if. Look, the faster we get this mission done, the sooner you can RTC and get your answers.
Xigbar: Still with me there? I've seen you spaced out before, but this is ridiculous. Roxas: What? I'm fine. I'm fine... Xigbar: Let me guess. Castle Oblivion? Like I said: the longer we take here, the longer you're gonna have to stay in the dark.
Roxas: Good, then we can go home? Xigbar: Why, Roxas? Did you leave the toaster plugged in? Roxas: You know why. Xigbar: Heh heh. C'mon, let's RTC.
then the scene from the above clip plays. like, xigbar is absolutely being a jerk, privately making fun of roxas for thinking his best friend is dead (when it seems pretty clear to me from the above transcripts that xigbar at the very least knows axel is fine, and i think probably knows that a nobody getting defeated just turns them back into a human).
but he tries, repeatedly! to get roxas to not jump to conclusions. this is an issue he tries to help him out with on another occasion as well, in a later mission in halloweentown, and takes a similar "tough love" kind of approach where he doesn't correct roxas (though worth mentioning that he also goes out of his way to save roxas's hide in that situation).
in the end he tells roxas that axel's totally dead, gone forever, nothing left. still pretty callous and mean. but with the context of the mission, it's less "xigbar can obviously tell roxas is upset and doesnt give a shit" and more "xigbar has put up with roxas's moping for this whole mission and TRIED to hint that maybe he's jumping the gun, but at this point the kid can think whatever he wants, no skin off xigbar's back"
Bonus Xigbar Fact: tte hanashi spotted! if you watch xigbar's mouth at the end of the line "And then those hearts gather together to form the great Kingdom Hearts," you may be able to see him saying the phrase "tte hanashi"!
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The Trouble of Love Languages
Dean Winchester x plus size reader
Dean’s love language is quality time and acts of service while the woman he loves most in this world craves physical touch, which is the one thing he can’t stand.
Warnings: angst to fluff, they’re both in a bit of the wrong here, Dean has touch aversion, arguing, Dean is definitely an asshole with lots of unresolved issues, slightly toxic relationship?, break up, reader is ever so slightly touch starved, lovers to ex’s to lovers again, drinking, crying, comfort, hopeful ending, Sam is a good wingman
WC: 4.7k
Minors DNI
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Dean Winchester hated to be touched. After spending all of his life with minimal kind physical touch with the people he cared about, it was no wonder he had an aversion to it. He could put up with a hug or slap on the back to his brother and fleeting kisses to his girlfriend’s cheek or forehead but everything else was off limits.
She did her best with what she got but sometimes, she just wanted to be held against his broad chest and inhale his unique scent of cheap cologne and gunpowder with just a hint of cherry pie. She wanted to feel the warmth of his body pressed tightly to her but her love for the hunter kept those needs locked behind a steel door that she never noticed had begun to rust.
Y/N sighed, putting down the massive book on werewolves that she had been studying for the past few hours. There was a tight band around her head that was slowly drawing tighter and tighter as a killer tension headache set in. She glanced over to the other side of the library where Dean had his feet perched up on the table as he leaned back in his chair, mindlessly sucking one of the lollipops Y/N had bought for Halloween.
He was only wearing a gray henley today instead of his usual many layers of plaids and shirts so she could see, very clearly, the way his muscles moved under the fabric and the slight pudge of his belly. Those dazzling green eyes were fixed on a new edition of some car magazine he picked up on the way back from a hunt. Y/N couldn’t help it.
Slipping from her own chair, she glided over to him. “What’cha reading?” 
“Magazine.” He grunted but she knew he wasn’t being mean, sometimes Dean just didn’t want to talk. Without thinking, she laid her hands on his thick shoulder and gave them a squeeze.
Dean flinched out of her grasp, turning so quickly that Y/N had to take a step back to avoid being knocked over.  His chair clattered to the floor as the library settled into an explosive silence. Y/N knew Dean could be scary, he’s been through so much trauma, seen and experienced things twenty times over that no human should ever have to see or experience even once. He told her of his time in hell and as a demon but promised that she would never be scared of him because he would protect her.
But now, as his chest heaved with heavy breaths, he was positively terrifying. “How many times have I told you not to do that?” He didn’t wait for a reply. “You know I don’t like to be touched and yet you still continue to do it. How long is it going to take before you get it? I. Don’t. Want. To. Touch. You.” His voice was level but filled with anger, a rage she had only seen when he confronted the worst kinds of monsters imaginable.
“Dean I’m sorry I-“ 
“You know maybe we shouldn’t even be together. Time and time again, you do this and you always say you’re sorry and that you won’t do it again but then a couple days later, you do.” Y/N’s heart was breaking right in front of the hunter but he was too blind with fury he couldn’t see it. “I can’t be with someone as fucking needy as you. It’s every goddamn day! I can’t get one second of peace with you being so clingy.”
That was the last straw. Y/N pushed a finger into his chest, shoving him backwards. He knew how insecure she was about her need for affection and constant reassurance, but until now, he never made her feel like it was an inconvenience. “Then yeah we shouldn’t be together. But you’re not going to be the one to break us up, I am. You’re a selfish man Dean Winchester. I don’t ask a lot from you. I ask that you take care of yourself, that you don’t cheat on me, that you treat me with respect and maybe the occasional hug so I don’t feel like one of your one night stands when you roll off of me after sex.
“I deserve someone who wants to be near me, who tries to understand what I need instead of brushing me off because you don’t want to make the effort. I am sick of being treated like a toy you can pick up and put down whenever you want a quick fuck or comfort. So Dean, you got your wish, we’re done.” Y/N turned and stormed off, her eyes burning with tears that didn’t fall until she could no longer hear her now ex destroying the library.
It was sad how quickly her bags were packed, only a duffle bag and a backpack that housed her entire life. She paused as she lifted the flannel she often wore to bed, the red and black fabric was soaked in Dean’s scent and never failed to make her feel safe every time she wore it.
It felt like a reminder of her faults, of all the things wrong with her that he couldn’t put up with. Scoffing, she threw it onto the bed they had shared only a couple hours ago. There was a quick knock on the door jam.
Sam, the gentle giant that he was, leaned on the wood, brown eyes big with concern. “Where’s Dean?” 
“Don’t know, don’t care.” She snapped, quickly zipping up her bag and tossing it over her shoulder, barging past him.
“Hey hey, what’s going on? Did you and Dean have a fight?” He trailed after her like a puppy, sadly watching as she stomped towards the garage which notably was missing the prized Impala. A cruel part of her mind cooed that it was probably parked at some bar where he would find someone better than her. 
“If you can call it that.” She muttered, throwing open the door to her truck and shoving her stuff in. Just as she was about to climb in herself, Sam’s hand wrapped around her forearm to hold her back.
“What happened?” Tears quickly rolled down her full cheeks, wetting the shirt she was wearing as they made their way down her neck. She turned to look at the men who had become her best friend, her voice firm with a slight quiver of sadness. 
“We broke up.”
With a quick pull of her arm, Sam released her and she stepped into the cab of the truck. She rolled down the window, giving him a somber look. “Take care of him, ok. And-“ Y/N debated her next words carefully before speaking again. “Tell him I love him, even if he doesn’t believe it. He needs to know he’s loved.”
And with that, she drove off, leaving behind a very confused Sam and a life that she wished she could have kept.
——————
Another town, another hunt, another bar. That’s how it always went and for a long time, Dean was content to keep it that way. Then she blew into his life like a hurricane, knocking everything off path and forging her own. No more random hookups or drinking beer with every meal. She even made him get rid of all the guns he mounted on the wall in his room.
And now, the hurricane had passed, leaving behind destruction and a hole the shape of her in his heart. But she would not come back, he made sure of that when he called her clingy. He knew it was wrong but he couldn’t stop himself from saying it. He regretted it the moment it left his mouth and watched as the light in her eyes died.
She was gone, because of him, because of his stupidity he lost the best thing that has ever happened to him and the only thing he could do was accept it. So, he went back to his old ways, paving over the path of destruction in his soul the only way he knew how, beer, hunts, and women. 
Sam decided to stay in the motel that night, shooting his older brother a look so devastating that Dean couldn’t meet his eye for fear he would see the disappointment and pity he already felt in himself. But Dean slipped out the door anyway and headed for the closest bar, truly not giving a shit if it was any good or not.
The music was too loud, the lights too dim, the beer too stale. Dean, however, was determined to stay, trying to convince himself that he could go on without her. He downed his first drink quickly, not letting the taste hit his tongue before his glass was drained. Signaling for another one, he rested his elbow against the sticky bar counter.
It was familiar, like returning to your childhood home. But it felt wrong. The voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him to leave, to find her and crawl on his knees begging for forgiveness until she came back. That voice was silenced with another glass of cheap whiskey.
The hand planted on his chest was familiar too. A touch he could tolerate because he knew what came after, sweaty bodies rutting together until that rush of dopamine hit him and he could feel like a normal person for a while. She was pretty, young too and obviously enamoured by the sexy older man with a gruff voice that bought her drinks and made her feel special.
Another drink. She asked him to go back to hers and he agreed, following blindly after her as she led him away. He couldn’t remember the walk to the non descript apartment, only coming back to himself when she took his hand in her own, shooting him a wink that he supposed was meant to be sultry but just served to lessen the ache in his cock. 
Her slender fingers hooked into the belt loops of his jeans, tugging his thin hips into hers and pulled him into her home. The door slammed shut behind him, blindly following her. 
A grunt was knocked from his lungs as she moved him onto her bed, sinking to her knees with hooded eyes. “Lemme take care of you baby.” Her voice was grating on his ears. Dean resisted the urge to flinch when her palms were laid on his muscular thighs.
It was so wrong, a nightmare he couldn’t escape but at the same time, didn’t want to because he wanted to prove something to himself, to validate his anger and his rage at the woman that loved him so much. Dean felt her tug at his belt and was broken from his thoughts.
“Stop. Just stop.” He all but shoved the girl off of him in his haste. 
“What the hell!” She chastised, quite obviously offended at having been rejected by this man that until a few seconds ago, seemed very keen to have a night of fun with her. Dean shook his head and with a muttered ‘sorry’ left her kneeling on the bedroom floor.
“You fucking dick!” She called after him, and he couldn’t help but agree.
——————
Jody’s home was pleasant enough to live in. With home cooked meals every single night and a deluge of girl talk with not only the Sheriff but the two teens in her charge. It was a good distraction for a while, getting caught up in the usual antics of the young women that Y/N imagined Sam and Dean were like when they were younger.
But even the best distractions can only last for a little while. And each night, as she settled into the small bed graciously given to her, Y/N just felt alone. She was out of place here, a passing visitor that had overstayed her welcome long ago. No matter how much Jody may have protested the opposite and Claire and Alex insisted that they loved having her there, this wasn’t Y/N’s home.
Her home had always been Dean. His presence had soothed her soul in a way that nothing had ever done before. She lived for nights where they would drink and laugh themselves silly or when he would prepare her coffee just the way she liked it in the morning. She desperately missed how his face would break out into an uneven and frankly goofy smile when she teased Sam.
In a vain attempt to stop her mind from going down a road that she knew would make her spiral, Y/N shoved her headphones in her ears and blasted a random playlist. The soft guitar and crooning voice so similar to Dean’s had her eyes burning with tears. Her chest ached as she thought about the way he sang to her in the car, his hand on the seat beside her plump thigh, not quite touching her but close enough she knew it was there.
Tears rolled down her temples wetting the pillow beneath her head as she let herself mourn the love she had lost. Her sobs were silent, mere hiccups as she forced herself not to make any noise to alert the others. She couldn’t take anymore of their pitying looks.
She hugged herself tightly as her nails dug into her soft forearms, her chest heaving with her cries. Images of the man she considered her soulmate with another woman sent her deeper down the rabbit hole of self-despair. She could only imagine what he had gotten up to in the weeks since she left and it was driving her crazy.
The song faded out, leaving Y/N alone with her thoughts for a second too long. The brightness of the screen blinded her for just a moment before she clicked on the last text exchange in her phone.
I love you sweetheart
The low buzz of the outgoing call rumbled against her chest where she placed her phone face down. In the silence between each ring, she was doubting her decision more and more. Why should she reach out first when he was the one that broke them? 
“Hello?” His raspy voice came out crackled through her head phones, making her heart jump slightly. 
“S-sorry butt dial.” She panicked, quickly hanging up but not before hearing him call out, “Wait! Plea-“ Y/N threw her phone onto the pile of her clothes in the corner of the room, ignoring how it was now ringing again, a photo of her and Dean lighting the screen.
Sleep did not come easily that night even after her cries ceased, her eyes finally fluttering closed as the sun began to peak over the horizon, dousing the room in a soft pink.
——————
It was rare that music didn’t play in the Impala. There was almost always a constant stream of classic rock that spewed from the radio, yet the silence was more overwhelming than the usual loud songs Dean sang along to. 
Sam was deeply concerned for his older brother. He knew the break up hit him hard, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, but the younger Winchester didn’t think it was this bad. Dean reeked of the same whiskey he religiously drank after they lost Bobby. His clothes were rumpled and dirty, the Impala, his prized possession looked dull and lifeless, caked with dirt and dead bugs.
Dean hadn’t shaved in the weeks since she left so he now sported a semi-impressive beard which Sam attempted to make fun of just the same as his own facial hair had been but Dean had merely grunted and ignored him. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” He attempted to start a conversation.
“Jody’s.”
“Why?” The one word answers were nothing new, but at least he was talking. Dean’s green eyes flicked briefly over to his brother before returning to the road. 
“Hunt.” Sam sighed, slumping back against the leather bench of the car, his focus shifting to the world that was speeding past them. He was sick of this self-pitying attitude that was slowly driving the older man to madness when it could be solved so easily.
“If you pulled your head out of your ass, you could get her back.” The air in the car turned to ice. “Don’t act like I didn’t hear you frantically calling her last night.” 
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He growled, knuckles turning white as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. But Sam kept pushing.
“She’s the best thing to have ever happened to you and you just let her leave. Or maybe you just never loved her since you went home with someone only a week ago, that’s why you didn’t put up a fight.” 
“Shut up Sam.” Sam, that should have made him worry. He was only called Sam when Dean was pissed and on the edge of an almost toddler-like melt down. 
“I’m just saying, if you really wanted to, and I mean really really wanted to, she would forgive you. But you don’t want to make the effort.” The tires screamed as Dean pulled off the road with a flick of his wrists. Sam was jerked sideways with the force but then was sent the other direction as Dean fisted the front of his flannel and shoved him back against the car door.
His eyes were wild with fury and his next words came out in a snarl. “I can’t get her back. Don’t you understand that. I just can’t.”
“Why not?” He pushed, desperate to get his brother to finally come to his senses. “You know she loves you and that she would do anything for you. What made this fight so terrible?”
“Because I can’t touch her!” The silence quickly returned as Sam tried to comprehend what he was just told. “I can’t touch her Sammy.” Dean was on the edge of tears. He released his shirt from his grasp like the fabric had burnt him and buried his head in his hands.
Sam had never witnessed Dean like this before, like his world was crumbling down before him and he wasn’t doing anything to stop it because he had just given up. No matter the circumstances or insurmountable odds that had faced him, he always pushed through with his can-do attitude and unwavering loyalty to those he loved. But now he was being consumed by a hopelessness so many monsters had attempted to instill in him but never could.
He was heartbroken and suffering. He lost the woman who knew his soul and yet still loved him. Sam knew what that despair felt like, to have such a great love ripped away and not giving yourself time to lament on that loss. 
“Dean.” He started but was quickly interrupted.
“I couldn’t give her what she deserved. I couldn’t be that loving boyfriend she wanted so badly. I couldn’t even fucking hug her without feeling like I wanted to push her away. And I knew it was hurting her but she was right, I am selfish. I wanted her to myself even if I could see her slowly dying inside.”
The sun was quickly setting over the brothers, the reds and purples giving way to a deep blue. They watched, for a moment, as the stars began to appear and the darkness surrounded them. “I’ve hurt so many people in my life. My hands have been stained red with blood for so long and she was the one person I couldn’t stand to hurt. Yet I hurt her so badly that she ran away from me.”
“But you do want her back don’t you?”
Tearful green eyes looked back at him. “More than anything.”
“Then we need to make a pitstop, I have an idea.”
——————
Y/N couldn’t help but notice Jody’s worried glances towards the front door as they ate dinner. “Alright Mills, that’s the eighth time you’ve looked at the door in five minutes. What’s going on? Do you have a secret lover coming over?” Claire snorted in her drink but quickly recovered as her surrogate mom shot her a glare.
“No, I do not have a secret lover. Thank you very much. I’m just waiting for a package.” Y/N raised an eyebrow at the older woman, still incredibly doubtful.
“It’s almost 10 at night, why would a package be delivered this late?” 
“Well, I-“ The doorbell rang, saving her from having to give another lame excuse. “Excuse me a moment, there’s my package.” Y/N narrowed her eyes at the Sheriff, not saying anything else.
Alex sighed, shaking her head, like she was in on some conspiracy that Jody had set up. “Have you got anything to add?” Y/N teased.
“Nope, nothing at all. Isn’t that right Claire?” Said girl, who was sitting to Y/N’s left, just huffed and took another large bite of her food.
Y/N ignored the muffled voices coming from the entryway, assuming that Jody, being her usual friendly self, was making conversation with whoever was at the door. Then, “hey girls, I need your help for a minute.” And without so much as a groan of annoyance, both teens stood and rushed from the room.
Before Y/N could follow after them, she heard the front door slam shut and the obvious sound of a car engine starting up and then driving away. “What the hell?” Just as she stood from the table to investigate, a large figure blocked the doorway.
“Dean?” 
“Hi sweetheart.” She melted at the sound of his voice clearly after so long and not through the crackly and broken version she heard through the dozens of voicemails he left her the night before. She itched to run into his strong arms but remained in place, her hand absentmindedly falling to the table, laying her palm flat against the butter knife she had been using. “I hope you’re not planning on using that on me.”
Dean gestured to her hand in a joking manner but only succeeded in making her scowl at him. “You look like shit.” He winced at her tone.
“I deserved that.”
“You deserve a lot worse. What the hell do you want Winchester?” Dean sighed. His body tilted forward, like he wanted to get closer. Running a hand through his hair, which was slightly longer than he normally kept it, his eyes dropped to the ground.
Y/N watched as he deflated, the usually stoic image of the hunter before her crumbling to dust and leaving a man that looked truly broken. “I didn’t mean to call you clingy.” Straight to business, good. She thought.
“But you did. And you did it knowing full well how I feel about that word.” Unconsciously, her voice softened as he nodded along to what she was saying.
“I know and I’m sorry about that. I’m- fuck- I’m sorry about everything.” Y/N didn’t object when he took a tentative step forward and she cursed her body for not recoiling as he drew closer. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to move away. “I wish I could be the man you want, the one you deserve, but I’m not and I don’t think I will ever be.”
“Not really selling your case here Dean.” 
“Just- just let me get to my point and then you can cuss me out. I love you and I want to change for you. I want to get better at touching you and I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you home. Besides Sammy’s been pouting a lot without you there and it’s getting really fucking annoying.” Of course the man couldn’t get through a serious discussion without being a dumbass.
Dean stood inches from her now, and Y/N could see how his hands trembled, either from anxiety or the copious amounts of alcohol she smelt from him, she didn’t know. “I don’t want you to change, Dean. I love you for who you are but you really hurt me and-“
“I know.” He cut her off. “I know and I want to make it right, if you’ll let me.” His green eyes shone with tears
“Goddamn you and your stupid puppy dog eyes.” She grumbled. Dean smirked. “Alright! Jesus, we can try again but I expect so much fucking grovelling, like ten times more than I had to do when I accidentally ate the last slice of pecan pie.”
He smiled and nodded, placing his hand on the dining room table mere millimeters from her own. “Anything you want sweetheart.” 
“And no sex for the foreseeable future, not even over the clothes stuff.” He winced at that but still, his smile did not waver.
“And, and, fuck I can’t think of anything else with you looking at me like that.” She whined and turned her head so she didn’t have to look into his eyes anymore. Y/N gasped as a finger hooked under her chin, guiding her gaze back to the man she still loved so much. His smile was even softer now, almost dopey with love.
“I’ll do whatever it takes, even if that means never getting to see you in anything less than fully clothed for the rest of my life and giving you all of my pie. I just need you, sweetheart.” His forehead dropped to her own, the tips of their noses brushing together in an act so intimate it made her chest burn with affection.
“Did you sleep with anyone else?” The question hung heavily in the air, pressing down on both of their chests like a massive weight. Dean breathed out harshly through his nose and Y/N froze, already fearing his answer, she began to pull away. But without any hesitation, his right arm wound around her thick waist and tugged her into his chest. Caught off guard, Y/N planted her hands on his chest.
She felt the way his body tensed beneath her palms, still so unused to being touched but he didn’t let her go like he would have before. “The short answer: no.”
“And the long answer?” Her throat felt like it was closing up with the onslaught of tear building behind her eyes.
“A girl brought me back to her place and tried to go down on me but I didn’t even kiss her. I left before she got my belt off.” Unable to stop herself, Y/N chuckled.
“You just left?”
Dean’s cheeks coloured with a rare flush. “Yeah, I walked out the door and she was still on her knees calling me a dick.”
“Well she was right about that.” And they stayed like that for a moment, letting themselves be reminded about how much they loved each other. Pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, Dean stepped away.
“Wait here, I have something for you.” With a few long strides, he left the room and then quickly reappeared holding a canvas bag with the phrase ‘act like a lady, think like a boss’ printed on the side in big, bold lettering. “Don’t diss the bag sweetheart.”
And before she could snark something back, he pulled a teddy bear from the bag. The bear seemed to be a regular plush at first glance, but when Dean handed it to her, Y/N couldn’t help but smile brightly. The toy easily weighed 5 pounds and suspiciously smelt of Dean’s cologne. “I thought that this could be a substitute for when you want to cuddle. But this is temporary, cause I will get better. He’s just a placeholder.”
“He?” 
“Yeah.” He sighed happily. “Little Dean Jr.” Holding the bear tighter to her chest, Y/N stood on her tiptoes and finally planted her lips on his. Her skin burned as the soft kiss quickly turned more passionate and his newly grown beard scraped against her. Fingers curled into his hair, Y/N yanked him even closer as Dean’s hands fell to her generous ass, giving her cheeks a light squeeze.
Reluctantly, she pulled away first, her lungs screaming for oxygen and her brain telling her that if she kissed him any more, she would end up in the back seat of Baby with her legs over his shoulders. “This is a start. But I will not have you talk to me like that again. If you do, I’m gone and you won’t ever see me again.”
“I promise, I’ll do better.” Content with his answer, Y/N pecked his swollen lips. 
“The bear was Sam’s idea wasn’t it?”
“But I named him!” 
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mana-jjk · 4 months
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y’all walk with me in the five minutes i have left of free time ;;
tw: suicide attempt, parental abuse
toge who has been an idol since he was a child x new and upcoming idol yuuta
• toge who grew up in a famous family who immediately pushed him to the limelight since the moment he was born
• he was one of the youngest child idols at the time, he’s always had a voice that captured attention and was exploited for it.
• he spent his entire childhood isolated from others, homeschooled, no friends, no choice in what he got to do or who he got to talk to, and under the scrutiny of the public’s eye
• his parents even forced him to take specific medications to keep his voice from changing, they withheld affection but paraded him around like a prize dog.
• everything changed after his suicide attempt.
• he woke up in a hospital for the first time, voice gone from his attempt, and lifeless with disappointment.
• his parents were furious at the loss of his voice and the attention he drew to them, to the point where they couldn’t even disown him without public scrutiny.
• years go by and toge remains in the spotlight for his looks and dancing ability. he’s often involved in movies/series that involve mute characters, but he’s far from the popularity he used to have.
• it’s at one of the fan meet and greets before his attempt that yuuta meets toge for the first time.
• yuuta had grown up completely normal, and had watched a few shows that featured toge. he’d always been awed by him, there was such an untouchable aura about him that always captured everyone’s attention.
• when yuuta hears that there’s a meet and greet, he doesn’t even hesitate. yet when he’s finally there, naturally he freezes up.
• the security is rushing him, his hands are sweaty, and there’s a growing line behind him. part of yuuta is ready to run far away, yet it’s toge who waves the security away. who smiles at him kindly, takes his hand gently, and talks to him patiently.
• yuuta blurts out that someday he wants to shine as bright as him, and that’s the only moment toge’s eyes dim. but the shorter boy smiles regardless, and on his card, he writes, “i hope you shine brighter than the stars in the sky. i’ll be waiting for your debut! - your first fan, toge.”
• a few years later, the news breaks that one of the biggest child stars has just attempted to take their life.
• for the first time, toge seemed human to him. he’d always had impressive acting ability, and his glow on stage when he danced never wavered, but his eyes were what gave him away. even looking back to their first meeting, they seemed so sad that he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
• so for years, yuuta works hard with his childhood friend as his manager to rise in the ranks. he gets his big break when the biggest recording studio in the country discovers him and sends him an offer to sponsor him with a new, male idol group.
• he doesn’t even hesitate to say yes and soon he’s meeting his fellow members, megumi and yuuji.
• gojo, the owner of the studio, lets him in on a little secret, he’s trying to recruit toge too.
• cue yuuta being interviewed and always hinting at his celebrity crush, unknowing that toge has been watching the group since it was announced.
• toge at this time has mainly switched to acting roles, where he meets maki on-set of a movie. and panda who works as a camera technician. they’re his best friends, and he’s finally out of his parents house, but still feels compelled to cater to the public. yet not enough to join a full-blown idol group.
• the black-haired boy who sings his heart out on stage seems familiar, but he just can’t put his finger on it.
are you still walking with me because i’m kind of sprinting now <3 i just think toge deserves to be dazzled by idol yuuta who still fumbles his way talking to him shyly up close, i love that for him
please picture yuuta pushing his hair back and winking on stage to toge in the crowd, turning around to go to his dressing room and immediately collapsing into a blushing, pathetic pile of mush.
toge, hiding in the crowd in disguise, red-faced and wondering when his shy fan turned into a heartthrob who could flirt
i always say this but feel free to ask me any questions about any au’s or works i have, i will absolutely avoid my homework to answer you <3
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hyenahunt · 2 months
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Obbligato: The Punishment of Kaname Tojo - 7
Writer: Akira
Season: Spring, two years ago
Characters: Jun, HiMERU
Proofreading: Remi + 310mc (JP) & Skyress (ENG)
Translation: Peace & hyenahunt
Jun: You're talking in third person now, huh? What's going on, your pretty lil' face trying your hand at acting or something?
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[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Time: A few days later
Location: In Reimei's Labour Camp room
Jun: (And in the end, nothing changed one bit.)
(Every last thing was pointless and meaningless, all amounting to nothing.)
(Even though Kazehaya-senpai worked himself to the bone at the cost of his own health, Reimei Academy continues to be a living hell. In fact, it feels like it's just getting worse.)
(With HiMERU as their figurehead, the Special Students have been snatching away work meant for Kazehaya-senpai, and they're living their best lives getting to perform to their hearts' desire.)
(It's plain to see how carried away they're getting. They're all kicking back and laughing, looking entirely too pleased with their success.)
(And to make things worse, they've been treating us Non-Specials even more harshly than before.)
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Jun: (It's ironic, really. All Kazehaya-senpai wanted was a future where everyone could live in peace and harmony together.)
(But until a lil' while ago, the Specials were getting their jobs stolen away by the Non-Special gang of the Catacombs)
(So they’re probably hanging onto a grudge over that, ‘cause they've gotten crazy aggressive with us these days.)
(They'll openly curse us out even in front of others, and they even get all rough and violent with us. The hell's the police even doing? This is obviously all kinds of fucked up.)
(The Specials straight up see us as enemies, now.)
(They treated us like servants in the past, but now they treat us like literal vermin. Like it's a given they'd wanna crush us underfoot the moment they so much as catch a glimpse of us.)
(But despite that, weirdly enough, Non-Specials refuse to run.)
(Do they think we're gonna turn the tables on 'em once Kazehaya-senpai recovers and makes his comeback?)
(I don't really hang around the other Non-Specials, so honestly, it beats me what they're thinking...)
(I sure hope they're not getting up to no good, though...)
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Jun: (They've been meeting up in the Catacombs just as usual, and it kinda seems like they've got something shady in the works.)
(I'm getting bad vibes from it all... Thanks to Kazehaya-senpai, Non-Specials got to experience what it's like to stand on the stage, even if only for a moment.)
(They got to learn what it's like to become an idol.)
(To have your dreams come true, surrounded by a dazzling radiance...)
(They got to know the joys of being alive.)
(But then everything changed, and everything they were supposed to have in their hands was stolen away by the Specials.)
(There's no way they wouldn't come to start resenting 'em.)
(Even those who'd given up and figured that this was just how things were — they got to realise that actually, it wasn't.)
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Jun: (It was 'cause of Kazehaya-senpai that the Non-Specials came to learn the taste of success, and lots of it. They learned that even without being a Special Student, they could achieve success, and become happy.)
(And that’s why, more than ever, they’ve started to resent the fact that we’ve got these Special and Non-Special labels forced upon us.)
(Non-Specials have started to question Reimei's unreasonable system all over again. Everyone's stress is building up from being forced to follow it.)
(This place is a powder keg waiting to blow and something's gonna set it off any time now.)
(Y'know, HiMERU, once someone realises their hard-earned gains are being stolen away by an intruder, it's only human nature that they'd resent them.)
(That's why Special Students have just gone harder in oppressing us Non-Specials, isn't it?)
(But in the same way, Non-Specials have started to resent them right back. They see 'em as the enemy who kicked them off the stage, and bear a grudge against 'em for that.)
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Jun: (Up 'til now, that wasn't how things always were. Sure, we never really liked each other, but it's not like we were straight up enemies.)
(We just saw each other as someone unpleasant who we had to coexist with. Now, however... both sides see the other as a detested enemy.)
(Even though all Kazehaya-senpai wished for was love...)
(The very opposite happened — it was hatred that built up instead.)
(For these two factions, festering with mutual resentment, Reimei Academy is the tiny cage in which they'll face off.)
(This place is a ticking time bomb...)
(And it's gonna go off with a terrible explosion the very first chance it gets.)
(It's a disaster waiting to happen — one that'll blast everything to bits.)
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Jun: ......
(But y'know, that might not be too bad. I mean, maybe this shitty dump of a school should get blown up and reduced to nothing but rubble —)
HiMERU: Hey.
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Jun: ...!? Woah, huh?
HiMERU?
HiMERU: .......
Jun: H-huh? What're you doing here? You returned to the Special Student dorms ages ago — don't tell me you'd forgotten something here at the Labour Camp and came back to get it only after all this time?
HiMERU: Tch... So you know of HiMERU?
Well, it'd be a surprise if you didn't know of him by now.
I was the one who facilitated his rise to the top, after all. In fact, it'd be an issue if he wasn't a household name.
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Jun: His rise... You're talking in third person now, huh? What's going on, your pretty lil' face trying your hand at acting or something?
[ ☆ ]
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ariellewm · 3 months
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Character Profile: Prince Edlin Silverleaf, The Moon Prince of Nem Naalore
!! Note: Please do not use my character for roleplaying or fanfiction. (with the exception for Ycey Narrates). He is still a developing character. If you wish to draw him out, please contact me for more information !!
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"Those dazzling eyes of yours. Why, even under the moonlight, turly its like gazing into a galaxy of stars. Now, what's bothering my star?" - Prince Edlin from "Under the Moonlight" Part 1
Full Name: Prince Edlin Amadeus Silverleaf
Aliases/Other Titles: Moon Prince of Nem Naalore, The Silver Prince, The Clumsy Elf (from his beloved)
Gender: Male
Race: Elf
Age: 20
Height: 6'1 ft (185cm)
Eye Color: Amethyst
Hair Color: Snow, long length sometimes in loose braids
Skin Color: Soft Beige
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🌛💫About/Backstory💫🌛
With the great war between humans and elves coming to an end, King Lafvan and Queen Saevanna decided it was time to bring a child into the new world. Edlin, however, was very weak when he was born. He was barely breathing and had very pale skin. If it were not for the mysterious maiden that Saevanna allowed to heal the child, Edlin would not be part of this world. No one, not even the Moon Queen herself, knew what ancient powers the maiden possessed. And so Edlin was raised just like any ordinary elven boy throughout the years.
Edlin, while still learning his place as Moon Prince of Nem Naalore, took a liking in swordsmanship. As a youngling, he learned from his uncle and learned everything that he knew. When his uncle wasn’t around, he had others teach him. His uncle would even send him swords, which sparked a new hobby in collecting swords, which Saevanna didn’t like the influence Lafvan’s brother was having on her only son. His sword play would be limited as he still had to learn prince etiquette and the lectures Saevanna scheduled. Edlin, however, would still sneak off during those lectures, riding upon his great albino elk, Cloud, into the forests.  
The elf had shown great connections with humans, especially with the sun princess of Sol Estrela. He was first introduced to the human princess when both royal families wanted for them both to promote peace amongst humans and elves. Over time, this friendship blossomed, and they became close.
However, elves, at the age of twenty, begin to slowly age. This is why elves don’t normally bear many children due to this revelation that Edlin discovers from the sun princess. It would prevent their relationship from growing further. So, they would keep their relationship a secret from their families.
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💜🌌Personality🌌💜
Edlin is a kind-hearted, charming elf. Many female elves have gawked over his friendly personality, most especially his good looks. Royal lines from around the continent (even beyond the shores) wanted to marry off their elven daughters to the resilient moon prince of Nem Naalore, but he had refused every contract with the other kingdoms.
He's been known on many occasions for helping Naalorians in the kingdom. He’s brave, going off against dangerous monsters that invade his home (most of the time he gets assistance from his friends or palace guards). His mother, Saevanna, gets worried every time he runs off to assist his people that he may not return. But he does come back, ruining his princely wardrobe every time.  
The elf is clumsy, often falling off his great, large elk Cloud or being around the love of his life, the human princess of Sol Estrela. He trips, falls, and stumbles. He almost broke his back once when falling off the princess’ balcony one night after the Sunset Gala; however, he was just overreacting that one time when he did (it wasn’t that large of a fall).   
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🦌⚔️Abilities⚔️🦌
Swordsmanship – Skilled in sword fighting in combat. Edlin owns a large collection of handcrafted swords, from scimitars to long swords to short swords. He switches them out occasionally, to be sharpened and placed back upon the wall until switched out again. He prefers to have one sword in hand; however, his kind is known to duel with two swords instead of one.
Darkvision – Edlin can see through the darkly lit forests and caves. This has proven to be useful when returning to the Moon Palace or searching through the dark forest for lost creatures.
Heightened Senses – The elven prince has keener senses compared to humans. He is graceful on his feet (most of the time) in dueling and has excellent eyesight.
Riding – He rides not only horses but also great elks. Cloud was taken in as a calf after its mother abandoned it in the rain one night. Both bonded, and Edlin would ride upon him every sunrise and sunset for his “walks”. Edlin also likes to give Cloud treats after riding, such as sugar cubes (which he shouldn’t have, but Edlin gives it to him anyways, seeing as it has no effect on him) or special tree leaves he’s gathered in the forests.
Understanding of Creatures/Talking with Beasts – Although this doesn’t work on all animals, he can speak and comprehend all sorts of creatures, such as his elk Cloud. His mother found Edlin’s ability to be useful when having him get serpents and other reptiles out of her gardens, as she hates scaly reptiles.
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⭐Concept Art⭐
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Artwork by Shio
📖Stories✏️
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🌙 Under the Moonlight Series 🌌
Part 1
Part 2
SFW Valentine's Day Special Headcanon
More Stories TBA
Inspired Spotify Playlist: TBA
Inspired YouTube Playlist: TBA
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thepagemistress · 25 days
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*handing you the microphone*
Tell me more
Ahaha, well if you *insist* 😅
I was just thinking about Dean shopping for a wedding ring to give to Cas. Like, he thinks about giving him one of the rings he already owns but he wants it to be something specific.
Sam thinks he's taken up antiquing in his semi-retirement because he spends an inordinate amount of time going into stores to rifle through the jewelry but to no avail. When Dean begrudgingly admits the reason, Sam is caught between wanting to tease his brother mercilessly and cry at the fact he's finally making the next move. Instead, he does neither and offers to help with the search.
He rescinds this offer after just two weeks of Dean being an absolute pain in the ass. He asks Dean to describe *exactly* what he's looking for and, all credit to him, Dean does. Unfortunately, what Dean describes sounds nothing like any wedding ring Sam's ever heard of. Bright gold, dazzling blue and white gem stones all the way around it, spinning...
"Spinning??"
"Yes, dammit, spinning. Did I stutter?"
Sam gives it up for a lost cause but Dean is determined.
Anyway, fast forward to Dean befriending a jeweler and commissioning the *exact* ring that he wants. Solid gold (thank you Charlie, for those credit cards), inlaid with pearls and aquamarine all around it. And the band with the gems on it spins independently from the rest. It's perfect.
It takes another 4 months of Dean carrying it with him everywhere for him to actually do something with it.
He's in the Dean Cave with Cas, watching some crappy 70s movie when he just turns to Cas and is like "So uh, I thought we could, you know. Maybe get married." And Cas just blinks at him, eyes darting over his face and they're pressed too close together, Dean has to wriggle to get his arm free and produce the ring from his pocket. It's not even in a box.
Cas's eyes drop down to the ring and he just kind of...stills. He doesn't freeze exactly but it's like he forgets to human for a moment as he ceases to breathe or move or react at *all*.
Just when Dean is in fear of having a heart attack or pretending he was joking, Cas reboots himself, glancing back up to Dean.
"Do you realise what this is?"
"Uh. A proposal?"
"The ring, I mean."
"A wedding ring?" At Cas's frustrated huff, Dean plows on. "I know it ain't the most traditional but hell, look at us. What about us is traditional?"
"It's ME, Dean."
Dean frowns at Cas, then at the ring. "Huh?"
"It's...An angel's true form. We have wheels, rings as part of our being just as you have arms and legs." Carefully taking the ring from Dean's fingers, he examines it. "I believe this is as close a replica of my own as you could have managed."
Dean gapes at him for a moment. "You saying I just gave you a mini arm as a wedding ring?"
Cas's smile is fond as he slips the ring on his finger, settling Dean's nerves immeasurably. "I'm saying that I always wondered if part of you remembered seeing me in Hell. And now I have my answer. It's nice to know I made such an impression all those years ago."
An embarrassed flush rushes to Dean's face as he turns back to the TV. "Do I get *my* answer?"
Cas hums, settling back into the position they had been in before. "Ask me again tomorrow. You should put more effort into it, I think."
"Gonna need that ring back, then."
Before he can even make a grab for it, Cas whips his hand out of each, curling it protectively against his chest. "No."
They watch the rest of the movie in silence but Dean can't help the small smile that spreads across his face as he watches Cas spin the ring around his finger out of the corner of his eye.
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070319supernova · 14 days
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I have a few points that have been scratching my brain for a bit that I feel like need to get mentioned, that will be matched with each art piece that I drew to match
1/3- Dazzle being one of the July 16th victims
Not knowing what’s gonna happen with how they are going to apologize to Sun (despite the audience knowing it’s no where near their fault), it’s heartbreaking to see an actual child spirit having to actually exist. It brings a whole layer of realness and tragedy to the event. It shows that it actually had consequences, not just hearing about the consequences and seeing them just years after the event. I wonder how Sun is going to react when he realizes he (or more specifically his body) killed a human child, and that human child can do nothing but wonder what they did wrong to make him so mad.
2/3- The relationship between Earth and Eclipse
All throughout how long they’ve known each other, Eclipse has had a soft spot for Earth. Of course, this stems from the fact no one else has given him the light of day to even change/explain himself or his behavior. But I would like to say maybe with a heavy heart, Eclipse is going to attempt to change Earth/make Earth switch sides. Although mostly unlikely as for now, it might just be acquaintances, there’s evidence to back up this theory; the goose dimension. As silly as the episode is, I can’t get out of my head that Earths and Eclipses have a special kind of connection that differs from everyone else in the group. No matter the dimension.
3/3- Moon and Lunar need to talk
This has been itching at me since Lunar apologized to Earth. Lunar was having his whole moment, and lashing out and being mad at Moon for not saying anything to him. And after everything, we still haven’t seen them talk about the therapy session Earth set up for them, or address anything that happened. Instead, we just assume they worked things out behind the scenes. I’m not sure they even did that considering Solar’s death came by. They’ve gotten closer, but not enough for it to be an apology, or accepting what happened. Everyone has tried getting through to Moon, and no one has succeeded. The only one that hasn’t is Lunar, and his excuse is because he doesn’t wasn’t to relive the trauma. I’m not saying it’s not understandable, I’m saying he needs to be brave and tell Moon what’s what. I feel like Lunar might be the missing piece that needs to intervene with Moon for him to start to go back to how things were.
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eralisse · 3 months
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Brothers Conflict: Season 1 LN - Ch16 Repeat, Sec1
This follows right after the scene I last translated, where Iori kisses Ema during the summer festival. Kaname has just left the two of them, and is now regretting everything...
(Splitting this chapter into each of the 3 short scenes, to give myself motivation.)
Brothers Conflict Translations Index
— I stepped out of the grove.
The face with wide eyes full of surprise. And the face with a cool smile overflowing with confidence. I’d pulled those two faces that were so close to each other forcefully apart.
(I am… an idiot.)
Regret filled me.
The one who had invited her here today was me. Recently, many things had happened, and she’d been troubled, so I’d thought this could give her some reprieve.
…However, to speak honestly, that wasn’t the only reason.
I’d wanted to show her the side of me when I was working, that was slightly different from the usual me. I can’t say that I never felt that way.
That led to this happening. The thing I had dreaded happening until now, the thing I had sworn to prevent from happening, I let happen right in front of me.
(... I’m such a fool.)
Anger followed my bitterness.
I curled my fingers tightly into a fist.
Chiaki: “Kana-san… Hey, Kana-san.”
Suddenly, I heard a voice. Returning to my senses, I quickly turned around.
Kaname: “... Mm, what is it?”
Chiaki: “Don’t ‘what is it’ me.”
It was Chiaki, the youngest of my colleagues at the temple, standing there.
Chiaki: “I’ve been calling you for a while now, you haven’t noticed?”
Kaname: “... Ah, is that right, sorry, Chi-chan.”
Chiaki: “No, it’s not me.”
Saying that, he pointed behind him. There, wrapped in a dazzling yukata, was a woman past 30 years old..
(Ah…)
She was a regular client. A career woman who worked hard at a large company. The year before last, she’d lost her father and came to us for advice, and since then, we’d become close acquaintances.
Chiaki: “Huh… I can’t believe this. That kind of customer rarely comes, you know? If you don’t want her, I’ll take her.”
Kaname: “... Chi-chan.”
I turned again toward Chiaki.
Kaname: “Sorry, can you be that parishioner’s partner for me?”
Chiaki: “Huh? What are you saying, Kana-san?”
Chiaki frowned in displeasure.
Chiaki: “I haven’t fallen so low that you need to give me your clients.”
Kaname: “That’s not it. … Just, I’m feeling poorly. I’d like to rest a bit. Fortunately, this parishioner doesn’t have a nomination for today.”
Chiaki: “You’re not feeling well?”
Chiaki snorted.
Chiaki: “You sure? I can seriously take her?”
Kaname: “... Please, Chi-chan.”
I moved to the side past Chiaki, towards the temple kitchens. Even though it was the day of the summer festival, regular people would not be able to enter. As it were, it was a staff only area.
After entering, I could hear the loud voices from the kitchen. It wasn’t just parishioners coming here today, but also a great number of regular people. The kitchens must be busy with food preparations.
I avoided the lively noise, heading to the opposite side of the kitchen. Before long, I was surrounded by the mouth (口)-shaped hallway, and exited out into a small courtyard. There, it was devoid of other human presence.
(...Hah…)
I took a breath, and went down into the courtyard.
Looking up, I saw a dark, motionless sky.
— Overlapping with that sky were Iori’s eyes.
Once again, strong regret welled up in my heart. … Except this time the regret was different from before. It was the regret of not being able to bring the light back into those eyes now drowning in darkness that constricted my heart.
(What should I do…)
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girljeremystrong · 1 year
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✨ read them before the adaptation! ✨
homeland elegies by ayad akhtar
truly incredible book, one of the best i’ve ever read. part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque adventure — at its heart, it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home.
black buck by mateo askaripour
very fun book where a lot happens all the time. a satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.
the art of fielding by chad harbach
such a wonderful book about two co-dependent friends. at a small school in michigan, baseball star henry seems destined for big league stardom, but when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.
the nickel boys by colson whitehead
absolutely incredible book. one innocent mistake sends elwood to the nickel academy, a chamber of horrors, where abuse is rife. stunned to find himself in this vicious environment, elwood tries to hold on to hope, but his fellow inmate and new friend turner thinks he’s naive.
tin man by sarah winman
a perfect beautiful & sad love story. ellis and michael are twelve when they first become friends, and then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more. fast forward a decade, ellis is married to annie, and michael is nowhere in sight. what happened in the years between?
interior chinatown by charles yu
a truly beautiful and unique book. willis wu doesn’t perceive himself as the protagonist in his own life: he’s merely ‘generic asian man’, always he is relegated to a prop. he dreams of being 'kung fu guy’ — the most respected role that anyone who looks like him can attain. or is it?
shuggie bain by douglas stuart
very sad but very good. the unforgettable story of young hugh "shuggie" bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public housing in glasgow.
nothing to see here by kevin wilson
a great book that’s also very sweet.  a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with remarkable and disturbing abilities (they spontaneously combust when they get agitated).
a gentleman in moscow by amor towles
a novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel, in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors.
we begin at the end by chris whitaker
this book is so good. read it. a fortysomething-year-old sheriff and a thirteen-year-old girl may not seem to have a lot in common. but when trouble arrives they will be unable to do anything but usher it in, arms wide closed.
the great believers by rebecca makkai
beautiful and sad and dazzling. a novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s chicago and contemporary paris.
age of vice by deepti kapoor
big succession vibes. equal parts crime thriller and family saga,it is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best.
tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin
two friends-often in love, but never lovers-come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.
the nightingale by kristin hannah
the story of two sisters caught up in occupied france during the second world war and their struggle to survive and resist.
sea of tranquility by emily st. john mandel
a novel of art, time travel, love and plague that takes the reader from vancouver island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.
the guncle by steven rowley
a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew. very sweet.
razorblade tears by s.a. crosby
two ex-cons with little else in common other than a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge.
washington black by esi edugyan
washington balck is an eleven-year-old field slave who knows no other life than the barbados sugar plantation where he was born. then his master's eccentric brother chooses him to be his manservant. it tells a story of friendship and betrayal, love and redemption, of a world destroyed and made whole again.
exit west by mohsin hamid
in a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet. they embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. when it explodes, as the violence escalates, nadia and saeed decide that they no longer have a choice, they find a door and step through.
sorrow and bliss by meg mason
martha knows there is something wrong with her but she doesn't know what it is. the story is narrated in the aftermath of martha and patrick’s separation, when she is thinking back over her life and trying to understand it, and herself.
maybe you should talk to someone by lori gottlieb
gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.
the family chao by lan samantha chang
the residents of haven, wisconsin, have dined on the fine chao restaurant’s delicious food for thirty-five years, happy to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. but when brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch leo chao is found dead―presumed murdered―his sons discover that they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town.
crying in h mart by michelle zauner
a memoir about growing up korean american, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.
young mungo by douglas stuart
growing up in a housing estate in glasgow, mungo and james are born under different stars--mungo a protestant and james a catholic--and they should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all, yet against all odds, they become best friends.
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rockislandadultreads · 6 months
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New Title Tuesday: Sci-Fi Picks
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
They left Earth to save humanity. They’ll have to save themselves first.
It is the eve of Earth’s environmental collapse. A single ship carries humanity’s last hope: eighty elite graduates of a competitive program, who will give birth to a generation of children in deep space. But halfway to a distant but livable planet, a lethal bomb kills three of the crew and knocks The Phoenix off course. Asuka, the only surviving witness, is an immediate suspect.
Asuka already felt like an impostor before the explosion. She was the last picked for the mission, she struggled during training back on Earth, and she was chosen to represent Japan, a country she only partly knows as a half-Japanese girl raised in America. But estranged from her mother back home, The Phoenix is all she has left.
With the crew turning on each other, Asuka is determined to find the culprit before they all lose faith in the mission—or worse, the bomber strikes again.
The Book of Witches edited by Jonathan Strahan
Witches! Whether you know them from Shakespeare or from Wicked, there is no staple more beloved in folklore, fairy tale, or fantasy than these magical beings. Witches are everywhere, and at the heart of stories that resonate with many people around the world. This dazzling, otherworldly collection gathers new stories of witches from all walks of life, ensuring a Halloween readers will never forget. Whether they be maiden, mother, crone, or other; funny, fierce, light and airy, or dark and disturbing; witches are a vital part of some of the greatest stories we have, and new ones start here!
The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera
Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy.
He walked among invisible devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen.
Everything in Luriat is more than it seems. Group therapy is recruitment for a revolutionary cadre. Junk email hints at the arrival of a god. Every door is laden with potential, and once closed may never open again. The city is scattered with Bright Doors, looming portals through which a cold wind blows. In this unknowable metropolis, Fetter will discover what kind of man he is, and his discovery will rewrite the world.
The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
The dust may have just settled in the failed war of conquest between the Holy Vaalbaran Empire and the Ominirish Republic, but the last Emperor’s surrender means little to a lowly scribe like Enitan. All she wants is to quit her day job and expand her fledgling tea business. But when her lover is assassinated and her sibling is abducted by Imperial soldiers, Enitan abandons her idyllic plans and weaves her tea tray up through the heart of the Vaalbaran capital. There, she learns just how far she is willing to go to exact vengeance, free her sibling, and perhaps even secure her homeland’s freedom.
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