Tumgik
#I went through the tag and only saw like 1 person who didn't like it so idk
chloenadine · 1 year
Text
not 2 be controversial but I don't think I like the tl*u show
11 notes · View notes
sleepinghypnos · 25 days
Text
The Creed...
Chapter 1 - Penthouse
Genre: Smut
Tags: F/M, F/F/M, F/F/F/M, Facefuck, Throatfucking Rough Sex, Dirty Talk, Harem, Self-degradation, Masochism/Sadism(?), Cum Play, Piss Play
(The things in the tags will be present when the time needs for it.)
Disclaimer: This work is a fan-fiction and does not depict the person/people mentioned in the story.
A/N: You can self-insert if you want...
--
Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!
"What is it? I'm preoccupied, so make it quick." Vlad answered the call.
"Fine. Just send them to my house... but I will not be responsible if something happens to them." He replied with his slightly deep voice and end the call.
*Silenced Gunshot*
"Blame your competitor, not me." Vlad immediately packed up his sniper rifle and fled the scene while remembering what one of his close associates in the entertainment industry said few moments ago, he begged him to accommodate a number of female K-pop idols for the purpose of strengthening the bond between idols through a experimental project wherein they live together as Tenants, cameras will not be present just them living together and at the end of their time as tenants they will do an interview regarding the way of life living with other k-pop idols aside from their respective members. In this way, the fandoms of each k-pop group will stop fighting over trivial things on the internet and support other idols.
Vladimir Creed was a 26 year old Half-European and Half-American man. His parents died in a car accident when he was still a child and only his grandfather is his only family left. He's living a lavish lifestyle full of money, expensive cars and women...
His family or more like his grandfather founded a huge company in America and owns many stocks in the entertainment industry in Korea and since Vlad is not someone who actively makes himself noticeable or well-known, he parties without revealing his true identity to anyone with a few exception of course, he has few actual friends and all of them are also young masters of their own families just like he was and he rarely expresses his emotions so he has a hard time managing it.
In his typical days, he spends most of his time just relaxing in his penthouse, in which he bought himself with his own money. though it may seem strange since he parties every chance he get, he has a very unique talent and that is being a hired gun that even his grandfather didn't know.
And while relaxing, he usually goes naked after a shower because there is no one in the house, It's is personal space after all. His maids and butlers will only come if they were asked for and he cooks for himself.
His penthouse is in a small island near the coast and there is only one bridge connected to it. So, guests who'll visit the island can use the bridge without the need of boats.
...
Vlad arrived at his house but welcomed by cars parked near the main gate. "What the fuck is this?" He said to himself, he got out of his car to check what's going on then he remembered Eunseok, one of his close associates said few hours ago. "Now it makes."
Then he called one of the guards to let him pass, and so they did. He drove and the people blocking the path dispersed and he got in smoothly.
"Let them in, they are going to live here indefinitely." Vlad announced to the guards and went inside to change.
Most of the people outside the penthouse are already inside the living area, he saw the k-pop idols waiting for the master of the house.
"I'm Vladimir Creed, but you can call me Vlad. I'm the owner of this house, my friend already told me what you guys are going to do. So feel free live here." and he looked at managers of each of the group "There are places in the house that is not available, I don't care if they used the swimming pool, drink at the bar." Pointing at the wet bar near the kitchen. "Or anything, but, all of third floor is off limits because that's where my room is located."
The producer nodded and introduce the idols that will be living with him in the house.
Tumblr media
He extended his hand for a handshake to ITZY's Yuna and Ryujin, Aespa's Karina and Winter, (G)-Idle's Soyeon and Miyeon, Red Velvet's Irene, Seulgi, and Joy, and Twice's Sana, Mina, and Nayeon which they received with a smile.
--
One day has passed, the girls are eating lunch in the long refectory table since they woke up late just like Vlad was and the maids and butlers were there to assist them.
After lunch, the Red Velvet and Twice members were gathered in the backyard, enjoying a beautiful sunny day by the pool. They were relaxing and chatting about their recent performances, when they suddenly heard a splash from the pool.
Curious, they all turned to see Nayeon filling up a water gun and aimed at them. Panic set in as they scream and run around the pool to avoid getting wet since they just want to enjoy the sun.
Running made them exhausted and they decided to have a friendly water fight. Joy and Seulgi teamed up against Sana and Mina, Nayeon and Irene. Laughter and screams filled the air as they chased each other around the pool, trying to get each other wet
In the living room, Ryujin and Karina were sharing a bucket of ice cream while watching a romantic K-drama. They were joined by Soyeon and Miyeon, who couldn't resist the delicious smell of the popcorn. They all cuddled under a blanket, enjoying the show and teasing each other about their favorite characters. Yuna and Winter are busy doing some tiktok challenge.
As the sun set, the members of ITZY, Aespa, and (G)-Idle joined their sun-kissed Seniors in the pool. They all gathered around the pool, sharing stories, and having a heart-to-heart conversation. For a moment, the backyard was filled with the sound of their laughter and friendship.
As the night came, they all gathered in the living room to watch a movie together. They munched on some snacks and cuddled on the couch, enjoying their time together. It was a perfect day off for all of them, a day filled with laughter, bonding, and memories that they will cherish forever.
Tumblr media
Karina asked the butler where Vlad was and she was led to the study where he spends time if he's not doing anything.
When Karina entered the study, she was met with a tall, imposing figure staring at her from behind a large oak desk. Vlad's dark hair was slicked back, and he exuded a sense of power and mystery. Karina couldn't help but feel a pull towards him, she already know that this man is handsome the moment she land her eyes on him earlier in the morning.
"Um, Sir? I just want to asked if we can have some of the liquor in the wet bar." She asked while slowly approaching him.
"Didn't I told you girls that you can do whatever you want with the wet bar?" He answered and walked to towards her. "And you're asking me when you already half drunk."
Karina got embarrassed but it faded when a faint smile appeared on Vlad's lips, she was mesmerized. "Are you sure that's the reason why you're here?" he was close to her, Karina needs to look up just to meet his eyes.
Karina pulls him for a kiss and reciprocated it with the same intensity. It started as vanilla kissing until in turns into something like animals in heat and eventually began to make out with insane passion. Vlad grab her waist to pull her closer, her hands were hugging his neck.
He noticed she wanted more and so he obliged and brought one hand to feel up her breasts which made Karina moan between their kisses.
Their kiss was passionate, Vlad keeping her in his arms while she let herself be consumed by him. It lasted for few minutes until they both stopped quietly staring at each other.
"D-did you like it?" Karina said while catching her breathe.
"I did, your lips are sweet with a hint of whiskey... you really were half drunk." Brushing his thumb on her lips. "Want me to lead this time?" he asked her while caressing her face.
"Yes, please." Karina said.
“Do you think could handle it?” Vlad responded seemingly showing concern.
Karina nodded. “I did have my own few boyfriends before...”
“I won't doubt it but... I get rough. Really rough. I'm sure it's something you haven't experience before..."
“You are worrying about me and that's sweet but I think I'm gonna be fine... please don't hold back and just give it to me.” She said while making a serious face.
Vlad's hand roam towards her neck and stayed there and slowly gripping it. Her cunt throb as they kiss again and slowly stripping each other’s clothes off, his hands still in her neck slightly choking her.
As their bodies got liberated from their clothing, Vlad immediately attacks Karina's big breasts making her moan, her hands couldn't resist to push his head closer. His other hand goes to Karina's precious treasure and starts invading it.
"This fucking slutty tits of yours keeps leering people on." Vlad said while groping her breasts and assaulting them with his tongue...
"Fuck! Yes! It feels good, sir." Karina said.
Which made Vlad riled up even more. "Sir?" He stopped groping her breast.
"You don't like being called like that? I'll change it." She said while pleading to continue to pleasure her.
He doesn't like getting called Daddy/Oppa. The women he's been with keeps calling him that and he got bored by it, now he prefers to called by his name but this time around is different.
Sir? of all the things that someone can be called... Sir is the one getting him riled up.
"No, keep it that way... now get on your knees whore." Vlad said with a commanding aura. “I’m going to use your mouth as a fleshlight. Pull my cock out.”
Karina didn't expect the monster hiding beneath his pants. She could see the bulge of his massive cock. Now she knows why he said 'Something she haven't experience before.' because it's true. He is much bigger than the guys she's been with. So much bigger. She feels hotter and hotter than usual.
Vlad's dick stands proud at 10 inches and is almost girthy as a water bottle.
“You are so massive, fucking massive!” Karina said as she freed his cock and hit her in the face. She stare at his huge member mesmerized by it.
“My god! Why are you so big? Can you even use this?” She said as she grabbed his cock with with both hands. "And you're going to use my mouth with this thing?"
"What? Are you scared? I told you I'm rough and I mean it." He said seriously. "You are going to take every inch of my cock in your throat whether you like it or not."
Karina got nervous but her lust towards him is much heavier.
She showered his cock with kisses, admiring every inch, as if she's worshipping his massive member.
"Suck it." And she did, she gives him a slow and sensual blowjob, keeping her eyes on him.
"You came in her just to do that?"
“What do you mean, Sir?”
He grabbed her by the hair she opened her mouth and swallowed as much of him as she possibly could.
COUGH COUGH COUGH
Relaxing her throat as she let his girthy cock push through her throat. She struggled for a minute and he's watching her giving herself to him.
Vlad guides her and she bobbed her head up and down to see how deep she could take him over and over and over again. Her eyes were tearing up, saliva dripping down as she takes his girthy cock in her throat.
She taps his legs but Vlad ignored her protests and stayed in her throat. "I told you, I'm rough... you don't know what you get yourself into."
He is fucking her throat with reckless abandon and not caring if she can still breathe. Few seconds more and he let go and she breathe hastily. "Sh-shit! I almost passed out." She coughs. "Fuck!"
"Just accept your role as my slut from now on." He slaps her face with his massive heavy cock.
He forced his cock back into her throat. She gives in, letting this man use her mouth and throat as a fleshlight. Her eyes were rolled back into her head.
GLUCK GLUCK GLUCK GLUCK GLUCK
Her moaning and gagging sounds filled the study, the moonlight touches her silky white skin enhancing her beauty further while her throat is getting violated. Even though she already accepted her fate, she still needs to breathe and she tried to struggle for air but failed.
“MMMPPHKKKK!” She resists and got ignored.
“Just stay there, don't regret your decisions now.” Vlad said and spent another three seconds before letting Karina go.
She chokes and gags even though she's already freed from that monster of a cock. “Did I... do a good job, Sir?” She asked noticeably exhausted. She then received another batch of throatfucking and this time, it's much easier but it still hurts.
GLUCK GLUCK GLUCK GLUCK GLUCK
She's taking it like a good little slut, moaning and groaning every time Vlad thrusts too deep in her throat. Karina became accustomed to the massive rod destroying her tight throat and she slowly but surely loving the way he manhandle her without any care about her well-being.
"I'm cumming you little slut!" He said and starts speeding up in his assaults. After all of this, he gave her some leeway and pull his cock out of her mouth. "Want to drink it?"
“YES! T-thank you, feed me your c-cum! Please sir, I'm begging you!!!” She said before he shoved his cock back into her mouth again.
Vlad reached his climax and poured it all in Karina's throat, he releases an obscene amount of cum like he's been holding it for long while. She willingly swallow every bit of it. Few ropes of his cum left in her mouth, she put on a show by gurgling, swirling her tongue cover of his cum then swallowing it.
“Oh my god... fucking hell... that was heavenly!” She said as she crawled over to him and started to lick his shaft cleaning it. “I need to be treated like that again, Sir. Please! You are right, I never experienced that before..”
"Oh, That's only the beginning little slut." He said while grabbing her in the neck and pulling her up.
A/N: Another Series that I might abandon but... oh well. I planned on doing the Bodyguard EP. 6 but idk when to actually do it.
637 notes · View notes
Note
vox more than anything fic ending with fluffy makeup sex is all i need :,))) LET ME HOLD THAT TV MAN!!!
I didn't end up adding the spice because it didn't flow naturally with how this came out. I do headcanon that Vox would 100% try to initiate spicy times during a makeup because he wouldn't know how to handle the emotional vulnerability in any other way. Homeboy hasn't exactly had any healthy fight aftermaths. Hope yall are ready for the fluffy pain <3
Tag List: @luzzbuzz
Tumblr media
More Than Anything Part 3 [Vox x Reader]
Part 1
Part 2
Part 2.5 (Vox POV)
Things at the Vee's Tower seemed relatively normal when you stepped into the lobby. It felt a little weird if anything. When Vox was upset, it could shut down the entire tower for days on end if it was something more serious. You didn't hear the hum of the overbearing generators that would keep things running during his fits and your worry only grew as you stepped into the elevator. You swallowed down your anxiety as you scanned your badge that would let you onto the elite floor where the penthouses of the Vee's were at the top.
Did something happen to Vox? Was he not here for some reason? Where would he go? Did he... just not care?
Anxiety swirled in your mind as the elevator doors slid open. You saw Velvette on the couch scrolling through her phone and the young overlord perked up when she saw you.
"Bout fucking time," she groaned as she pocketed her phone and got off the couch. "Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it's been to babysit the man-child?" Velvette poked at your chest and you couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes as she frowned at you. "You owe me for this."
Ninety percent of hell didn't see past Velvette's tough-as-nails exterior and if it hadn't been for the time you'd spent with the Vee's due to your relationship with Vox, you doubt you would have ever seen through the cracks in her demeanor either. For all her bark and bite, you could tell she cared for Vox and Valentino deeply. She wouldn't look so damn exhausted right now if she didn't.
"I'll make it up to you," you sigh in relief as you drop your bag to the side. "Where is he?"
To say you were less than pleased when you saw the door held shut by the smokey chains of Valentino's magic was an understatement. You were pissed. While you still felt a semblance of gratitude for the other Vee's keeping Vox from doing anything rash, you were going to tear them both a new one for keeping him caged like a fucking animal.
Velvette lifted her hands and got the cue to leave as you triggered your demon form and slashed Valentino's magic to wispy shreds. You yanked open the door and your eyes searched the room for Vox maniacally. There we no cameras and the windows had been covered with some sort of blockers. It looked like the Vee's had the sense to leave him with some comfort items and non-tech-involved things to pass the time, but the only technology you saw was some ancient Nokia-looking phone lying by his foot that he wouldn't be able to use to teleport out of the room.
"Vox?" You breathed as you saw him curled up in a corner with his screen buried against his knees.
His head whipped up and he breathed your name, only to curse as his body glitched hard from the prolonged stress.
"Y̶o̸u̴ ̸c̶a̷m̴e̸ ̸b̶a̸c̸k̴?̷," he asks, and your heart aches as you watch him flinch at the static in his voice.
"Oh hun, come here," you sigh as you get down on your knees and pull his screen towards you. You didn't know much about tech, but his personal repair sinner had shown you some of the basics to take care of Vox if anything ever got out of hand.
You reached around the back of his head and did a hard reset for him, holding him close to you as he went limp against your chest. When Vox powered back up, he flinched hard and pushed himself away from you, backing up with wide eyes and frantic breathing before he processed it was you who had been holding him and not Valentino.
"Woah! Easy," you gasp, not expecting the sudden movement. You look over him and instantly regret leaving him for as long as you had. "What... What happened?"
Vox's heart was pounding rapidly in his chest as flashes of Valentino's manipulative words flitted through his mind. The promises of affection if he crawled back. The venom in his voice as he told Vox you'd never love him again. The back and forth between gentle lies and cold hard truths. The one time he almost, almost caved into Valentino's whims.
With a shaky breath, Vox stomped down on as much of his weakness as he could and turned away from you. "It's not important."
"Like hell, it's not," you frowned as you reached toward him, only to pause as he flinched at the tone in your voice.
It was obvious there was a whole new can of worms to handle and most likely a moth to strangle. But you steady yourself and take a deep breath, deciding to take things one step at a time.
"I'm sorry for leaving," you start slowly as you sit properly on the floor with Vox. "I was scared and angry and processing everything. I needed space. But I should have at least texted you back or checked in. I didn't..." your voice wavers. "I didn't think that..."
"It's fine," Vox sighed. "I get it. What I don't get is why you're here. Why did you come back?"
"I was always going to come back," you say as you reach towards him slowly. Your heart ached to know he had genuinely started to believe you'd just abandon him, but given the pieces of the unsettling image of what happened while you were gone, you understood where it was coming from.
Vox looks at you and hesitates before he leans into your touch and lets you cup the side of his face. "I was angry and hurt and scared," you admit. "I needed time to process my feelings. I didn't want to say something I'd regret."
You shake your head and chuckle, "I'd say I should have known better, but this is our first big fight now that I think about it. It's uncharted territory for us both."
Vox was silent as he slowly reached up and took your hand. He let out a shaky breath as he looked down. "I've... any connection I've had with someone. It's never... survived this sort of thing. Once shit hits the fan, that tends to be the end of it. I thought... I thought you were gone for good."
"I won't let you think that ever again," you say as you cup the other side of his face with your free hand. You make him look at you, but you're gentle. "We'll talk about this. I'm in this for the long run, you dorky TV man."
"But I tricked you," Vox shook. His face flickered between heartbreak and frustration. "I stole your soul. You have no reason to fucking t̵͍͌r̸̰̈u̵͉̍s̸̯͛ẗ̶̫ me."
"I love you," you say without hesitation. Vox's eyebrows furrow and he opens his mouth to retort, but you shake your head and stop him. "You did a bad thing. You did break my trust. But I know why you did it. Loving you doesn't mean I'll forgive you every time you cross a major boundary, but it does mean that I will do whatever it takes to worth through the bullshit together," you say softly.
Your thumb swipes over Vox's screen as you feel him tremble in your hold. "You're worth that effort to me, Vox."
"Why?" Vox asked as his eyes darted over your face as if the answer to his confusion would be found there. He didn't understand. How could you come back? How could you want to forgive him? How could you be here in front of him, looking like he was the one who hung the stars in the sky rather than the one who drew souls to their doom like a siren song on a screen?
You kiss his forehead and pull him close as he shakes harder in your arms. "W̸̻͝h̴͖̒y̵̞̍?̵̝̕"
His claws dig into the back of your shirt as he hangs onto you like a lifeline. "I̵ ̷d̴o̶n̵'̶t̶.̴.̶.̵," Vox growls in frustration at the emotion that sticks in his throat. "I can't... I don't d̷e̴s̶e̷r̷v̴e̷ this."
"Because loving you has never been about what either of us deserves," you sigh as you kiss his head. "It's because despite everything, I know I could never replace you. So I'm willing to put in the work if you are."
A broken sob ripped itself from Vox's chest unwillingly as he held you tighter. Your heart broke, knowing this very well could be the first time anyone had actually tried to stick around after any of his fuck-ups. You held him close, rubbing his back as he worked through his emotions. You were there for him as he glitched and let out an anguished scream as everything he'd been holding in for so long finally poured out.
You don't know how long it is before he finally calms down. He looks up at you and you know his eyes would be bloodshot from the breakdown if that was how his screen functioned. He let out a deep breath and you smiled softly as he cupped your cheek.
"This isn't the first time I've thought you didn't belong down here," Vox admitted. His voice was hoarse from exhaustion and the pure angst session some cruel fucker decided would be entertaining to put him through. If he ever found that bitch, he'd wrangle her neck.
You laugh as you feel tears prick the corner of your eyes as you finally see the familiar spark in his eyes for the first time since you'd come back. "Nah, you know heaven wouldn't know the first thing about how to put up with my shit."
Vox barked out a tired laugh. "Damn right, they wouldn't. You're a menace."
"Yeah," you giggle as you press a kiss to his cheek. "But I'm your menace."
Vox reached up, his fingers tangling softly in your hair as he brought you in for a proper kiss. "Yeah. You're my menace. And I love you, more than anything."
518 notes · View notes
underdark-dreams · 2 months
Text
It's finally here, all 7k words of it 👀 Thank you for everyone who read chapter 1, and waited so patiently!
[ch1]
Birds and Bees - Ch.2
Rolan isn't usually the type to accept help. In his defense, Tav is very persuasive—and he is very, very desperate.
Tags: Tailplay, Oral Sex, Biting, NSFW | Word Count: 7.7k [Read on AO3]
Rolan didn’t appear again for the rest of the day.
After their awkward exchange this morning, Tav felt she might be somewhat to blame. She tried to recall the bits of Tiefling etiquette she’d picked up from the Elturians; perhaps touching his tail had crossed some sort of line? Either way, the gesture seemed unthinkably forward to her now. 
Then again…Rolan was the one who’d coiled his tail across her desk like that, its tip nearly brushing her hand as she wrote. She’d never seen him do anything like it before. If she didn't know him so well, she’d have found the move almost flirtatious.
At shop’s close, Cal took charge of locking up the front. Tav caught sight of the large iron keyring he carried and realized that it must be Rolan’s. So his brother had checked in on him today, at least—that gave her a modicum of relief.
Lia pitched in to help wipe down all her equipment and carefully fill the many waiting bottles with her cooled elixir. Tav held her tongue from repeating any of the worries she’d made after Rolan during the day—but it seemed her silence was just as damning.
“Stop fussing,” Lia repeated firmly. “Rolan’s just overdue for a rest. I mean, you saw his face.”
“I did.” Rolan had never been the type to slow down or show weakness easily. To Tav, the fact that he’d willingly taken himself to bed worried her more than anything. “Just promise you won't let him turn down a healer if he needs one?”
“If it comes to that, which it won't,” Lia said down to her work. “I promise we’ll find someone, okay?”
Tav kept her tone teasing as she packed away the sealed bottles in their crate. “Hmm, yes…if only you already knew someone with some knowledge of healing.”
Lia let out a bark of laughter. “Trust me, you’re the last person Rolan wants to see right now.”
The sting of those words took Tav by surprise herself. Lia caught their edge too; she pulled up with a grimace, letting a few drops of antidote dribble onto the desk. “Shit, Tav, I didn't mean it like that.”
“It’s okay,” Tav replied, making a fuss of sealing up the filled crate. The thought made her feel rather less than okay, which she didn't want Lia to see. “I think—I don’t know. I feel like I did something rude today, anyway.”
“Oh?” Lia’s tone was light, but she allowed a conspicuous pause to stretch between them. Tav pushed through a twinge of embarrassment to turn to face her.
“Lia, what would you think if I touched your tail?”
Lia glanced up with an eyebrow cocked. “What, right now?”
“No, just—say I did by accident.”
Lia straightened to take a thoughtful inhale. “I mean…it depends on the context. You and I are friends, I wouldn’t think much of it. Unless you grabbed it up by my backside or something,” she added with a laugh. “It wouldn’t be a big deal. If I’m walking somewhere crowded, lots of people might brush against it unless I’m careful.”
Tav had moved around to reset the rest of her clean glassware as she listened, feeling marginally relieved by the explanation.
Then Lia paused her work again. “Are you saying you touched Rolan’s tail?
“You what now?”
With impeccable timing, Cal skidded to a stop at the edge of the conversation, a heavy lockbox under one arm.
Tav glanced between the two of them. “Yes?” The word came out as a question somehow; her mouth went dry as they stared at her. “Like you said, I didn't think it was a big deal. He laid it on my desk while I was working, so I just kind of—” She mimed a little picking-up motion with her hand.
The siblings exchanged a significant look with each other. 
“What?” Tav felt her face burning and knew the color must be noticeable to either of them. “How does it being Rolan’s tail make it different?”
Cal turned back to her with a frown. “What do you mean he laid it on your desk?”
“I don't know, damn—clearly I’m no expert!” She flailed her arms out a bit. “I just turned around and it was sitting there by my hand, all right?”
Another shared glance.
“That explains it,” Cal decided. It earned him a swift pinch on the arm from his sister. “Ow, hey—”
Tav looked between them again, trying to translate. “Explains what? Seriously, if I offended Rolan somehow, I want to kn—”
“You didn’t,” Lia cut in firmly. “This one here's just an idiot. It’s harder to control your tail when you're sick or tired, and Rolan’s been both, that’s all. I'm sure it was a mistake. And he shouldn't have minded you moving it,” she finished with a decisive nod.
With that, Lia snatched up the filled crate from her with one arm and grabbed her brother’s sleeve with the other. Cal stumbled slightly as she pulled him along, but he wisely held his tongue as they headed for the back stockroom. The hinges creaked shut behind them both.
Tav was left standing alone in the cavernous interior of Sorcerous Sundries, beside the desks that she and Rolan used to comfortably share—not sure if she should feel better or worse.
The next morning, Rolan was once again nowhere to be found.
He hadn’t even conjured his projection the way he usually did when occupied with research in the Tower. It was a shame; the shop was unusually busy by midday, and Cal and Lia worked without pause. When she could, Tav left her alchemy just to lend a hand with customers or make runs to the supply room.
She found herself worried to the point of irritation. Was Rolan really so stubborn that he wouldn’t take a potion? Or accept healing from someone he’d claimed was a trusted friend and colleague? She tried and failed not to be hurt by it.
Then again, Rolan had always been the type to shoulder his way through awful things alone while firmly turning down help—particularly from her. His apprenticeship, most recently. The memory made her radiantly angry on his behalf even now.
“Shit—” 
Tav jerked away from the flask and sucked on her freshly scalded thumb. She must have the ratios off again; this recipe wasn’t new to her, but the nuances had escaped her all morning. These sublimates shouldn’t get nearly so hot when mixed.
Might as well admit defeat and review the recipe before she wasted yet another bunch of black oleander. Surely there was a reference text somewhere in Rolan’s library?
Tav glanced around to the front of the shop. Cal was recording a sale at the front desk; Lia was chatting with a very large half-orc over near the conjurement runes. Things seemed well enough in hand. Tav damped the flame at her station and quietly took the stairs for the portal.
For lack of a better word: the library of Ramazith’s Tower was absolutely magical. 
Tav stood breathing in the quiet afternoon sunlight, taking an appreciative look up around her. The collection must be the best one this side of Candlekeep, with all sorts of books on spellcraft, Weave theory, alchemy, religion, the history of Toril—just to scratch the surface. She could think of no hands more deserving than the ones its ownership had fallen into.
Just as Lia mentioned the other day, Rolan had clearly been hard at work reorganizing the place. She ran her fingertips over the books’ spines as she walked around the perimeter of the main floor.
She imagined Rolan with his robe sleeves pushed to his elbows, enthusiastically at work in his book stacks, and bit back a grin. There was something so endearing about his passion for taming disorder. As she walked, she found her gaze drifting to the delicate staircase at the far end of the main floor. It spiraled upward invitingly. 
She’d never been to the upper floors of Ramazith’s Tower—nothing past the library. Certainly she hadn’t stepped foot in any of the private quarters of Rolan or his siblings. She wouldn’t even know which door led to whose.
But her mind wandered readily at the thought of Rolan’s bedroom. What it might look like…smell like. 
No doubt it was packed with shelves of books and scrolls, filled with the scent of fresh parchment and leather-bound volumes. That warm, bookish smell that seemed to be woven into his robes. The fresh hint of cedar from the way he kept his clothes meticulously cleaned and stored. And that other faint spice that she could never identify, but always picked up when he stood close to her.
The same scent that had filled her lungs with dizzy pleasure when he’d hovered close to her yesterday, chin brushing her shoulder and arm circled possessively around her waist— 
She bit her lip as heat pooled between her legs at the memory. She couldn't help it—how very fucking nice it had been to feel Rolan’s elegant hands on her, casually and effortlessly touching, as if he was accustomed to touching her much more often and much more intimately.
It would do no good to dwell on that moment. If anything, the uncharacteristic gesture was just proof of how out-of-sorts Rolan must be feeling. He was her friend, and by all accounts, he’d been too sick to leave his room for days. 
With a sudden burst of determination and a disregard for the consequences, she strode for the stairs.
Taking the curving ascent so rapidly left her dizzy. Tav planted her boots on the landing for a moment, holding onto the railing while she took in her surroundings.
This upper hall was also quietly sunlit, filled with fine carpeting and oak paneled walls; but the atmosphere was somehow less grand than the cavernous library below. More intimate. 
Two doors stood on both ends of the hall. Hazarding a guess, she stepped to the closest one on her left. Its heavy oak panels swung forward with the slightest touch.
Not a bedroom at all, but a bath—and a tremendously fine one at that. All the fixtures seemed to be wrought from polished gold. Underneath a towering stained glass window stood the deepest, widest clawfoot tub she’d ever seen.
As she gazed around, Tav caught sight of her reflection in a large glass above the sinks. Her hair was all frizzy flyaways from a day over her potion work. Indulging a bit of vanity, she paused to tame it with her fingers.
One of Rolan’s many endearing habits was his dedication to fastidiousness. Never a hair out of place, horns polished and shining, robes immaculately pressed—knowing him, with a bit of the Weave.
She must look like some sort of wild hedge witch by comparison. Tav had never minded life in the wilds as a wayward adventurer, even after the Elder Brain was felled to the Chionthar. It was part of what drew her to the career of a traveling alchemist. 
But there were moments…most of them in this Tower, with Rolan and his siblings. Sharing a meandering dinner at a real table with actual chairs. Sitting with Rolan out on the starlit balcony, discussing blood alchemy over a glass of wine as they watched the harbor.  
Tav forced her hands still and stared back at her reflection. 
“What do you want?” She muttered to herself. The Tav in the mirror had no answer. But in her mind, one softly bloomed.
Over the past months, her feelings had tumbled forward faster than she could keep up with them. Seeing Rolan, talking with him about anything and everything, working beside him in quiet moments—she found those were the moments she looked forward to most.
His offer to turn one of the Tower’s empty vaults into a greenhouse for her. Essentially giving her a permanent place in his home, if she wanted it. Was it stupid to hope that he wanted more, too?
As she stood frozen silent in the confines of her lavish surroundings, a muffled sound came from her right.
She hadn't noticed the second door past the bathtub; presumably connecting to one of the bedrooms. She realized it most likely led to Rolan’s.
She stepped toward the heavy oak paneling and raised a hand to knock. As she did, more muffled noises came from within. Tav hesitated, questioning whether she should—then leaned in to press one ear to the wood.
There were the sounds of labored breathing, as if from pain or exertion. She strained her ear harder. There was something almost…rhythmic in it.
And then—she could swear—she heard Rolan's voice groan her name aloud.
A shock of heat ran through her chest, prickling up her neck and diving between the cleft of her legs. The rapid, hot ache at her core made her gasp out in surprise, then clap a hand to her mouth lest he heard. She felt her cheeks burning with realization.
Whatever she had expected to find by wandering up here…this had never been on the list. All she saw in her mind’s eye was Rolan, sweating and panting and desperate. And that thought filled her with overwhelming want in response.
Tav pushed herself back from the door with a jolt. She turned and ran, not knowing or caring whether the ring of her footsteps on tile carried past the door. Her pulse pounded against her ears as she rushed out of the room and back for the staircase. 
Even before Tav’s foot hit the third stair, she knew she was headed for the Elfsong. And a very stiff fucking drink.
Day passed to night and back to day again in a feverish jumble. Like a vessel adrift in a vast ocean, Rolan was passed along wave after wave of searing impulse.
Had his ruts always been this overwhelming, and he’d just forgotten? Or was there something different about the drives this time around? 
Even the little dignities were stripped away, one by one. He began by conjuring mage hands at first, but his concentration faltered too many times at the cusp. He finally just settled for his own grip. Desperate sounds rose in his chest each time he neared his next finish, the likes of which he’d never utter voluntarily.
And he quickly gave up on clothes altogether. He lay naked and spread-eagle on his sheets and tried to sleep when he could, before his demanding cock inevitably twitched back to life again. The fever turned his dreams shockingly lewd whenever he did manage to drift off.
By sunset, another strong wave of need was pulsing through his core, demanding his attention. Rolan lay back against his pillows and groaned open-mouthed as he stroked himself.
Even slick with oil, the friction between his hand and the raw, overstimulated ridges of his cock bordered on painful. His finish danced out of reach to the back of his mind.
With an impatient growl, he flipped over to his knees and snatched up a feather pillow, folding it into a sleeve for his cock. A crude solution—but with his first few thrusts, the cool softness of the silk caused a moan of relief to rise in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut as he fucked his own pillow in a desperate chase for relief.
And behind his eyelids, there she was again.
Tav appeared there so easily now. He’d tried to fight it at first—ashamed to be using her like this, without her knowledge or consent—but he found that nothing satisfied his urges so well as when he pictured her on his cock.
So he closed his eyes and imagined Tav…pliant, eager, hungry. Legs spread and center dripping with desire for him. The shameful depth of his need faded away as he fantasized her own. How her eyes might shine as she panted and gasped under him, calling him by name and begging him to fuck her and fill her and mark her as his—
What would she sound like as he took her? He conjured the timbre of her voice, always warm and musical, now canting to a whine as the ridges at his base slammed against her with each thrust.
Pressure coiled rapid and hot at his loins. Rolan slid off the mattress with legs braced, the pillow cast aside, and tugged frantically at his stiff length again. His tail arched and flicked behind him.
Through clenched eyelids he saw Tav laid at the foot of his bed, hair splayed in a messy crown against his sheets as she cried out his name. Her legs crossed behind his flanks to hold him deep inside her tight wet heat—
‘Rolan—’ She moaned louder, her heels digging into his lower back as he took her. Tav gripped two handfuls of the bedding underneath as he thrust relentlessly, chasing more of her heat around his cock, more of the delicious scent at her throat and between her legs—
“Rolan!”
“Fuck—” With a strangled gasp, Rolan’s hips stuttered one last time as his come spilled in ropes to the floor. Panting and shaking, he caught hold of the bed post with one hand as he frantically worked out the rest of his finish with the other. His head spun with the force of it.
But as he opened his eyes and his vision cleared, so did that cottony feeling in his ears. Someone was rapping insistently on the door to his room.
“Rolan, we need to talk—” Even muffled by the heavy wood, Tav’s voice was unmistakable.
“Fuck,” Rolan hissed again, this time with enough wits about him to panic. How much of that last performance could she hear through the door? He snatched up the nearest towel to wipe himself, then tripped away toward the pile of clothes on the floor that had lain untouched since yesterday.
“Go away,” he called tersely, nevertheless yanking the trousers up over his hips. Thank hells that last round had left him soft enough he could do up the laces for now.
On the other side of the door, she was undeterred. “I’m not leaving till I’ve seen you.”
Rolan cursed as one of his horns snagged the ties at the neck of his shirt. Once the fabric dropped over his torso, he whirled around to take in the state of his room. 
Bedsheets pulled sideways from the mattress; pillows strewn across the floorboards; air thick with the smell of him. Absolute filthy shambles.
Using a rush of energy he couldn't afford, he cast a mass prestidigitation spell on the space. The improvement in the air was immediate. But the resulting light-headedness caused him to stumble forward; he caught himself with a hand braced on the door frame.
“I'm not joking,” Tav called loudly, unaware he was now much closer.
He could have yelled at her to wait outside for another week, then, if he wasn't so sure she was stubborn enough to actually do so. After all, this was the person who’d defeated an Elder Brain and taken on several gods in the process.
That…and he found he badly wanted to see Tav in the flesh. Hearing her voice from just beyond his bedroom door only increased that desire. Rolan’s tail lashed behind him in helpless frustration.
“What do you want?” He asked instead, lowering his voice. No use broadcasting any more of this conversation to the whole Tower.
There was a pause on the other side of the oak paneling. “I’ve barely seen you since I got here,” Tav’s voice replied, matching his volume.
“And?” 
“And I'm worried about you…obviously,” she added. “Cal and Lia said you’re sick. But I’d feel better if we could talk face to face.” Even through the barrier between them, he could hear a strain in her voice. She wasn't lying. 
Rolan rested his horns against his braced forearm with a sigh. “Tav, I swear I'm perfectly fine.”
“Then just open the door a moment. Please, Rolan?”
It was far too pleasant to hear her say his name outside of his own imaginings. Rolan glanced down at himself. Barefoot, shirt untucked, but technically presentable. And not pitching a tent for once in the past twenty-four hours. 
“If I do, will you leave?” 
There was another pause. “If you want me to,” came the reply. He unbolted the latch and drew it open to shoulder width.
The wave of Tav’s scent hit him almost before he registered her face in front of him. The sweetness of it overwhelmed his other senses for a moment. It tested all Rolan’s limited reserves of sanity not to grab her by the waist and pull her body against him.
Unaware of the silent struggle raging in his chest, Tav stood with face tilted up toward his. Her eyes had traveled over his figure immediately, checking him over with a worried little crease between her brows. Something at the side of his head caught her eye; Rolan realized his hair hung loose and rather sweaty, exposing the slender tips of his ears.
Her demeanor changed at the sight. Tav sighed, leaning her head against the flat of the door.
“You’re even handsome with a fever,” she told him softly.
Rolan blinked at her. Perhaps exhaustion and hormones were driving him to hallucinations. “What are you—”
Faster than he could react, her palms landed on either side of his face, and Tav pulled his mouth down to hers.
A burst of colors exploded behind his eyes; the sensation of her lips moving on his kindled the dormant heat in his body to wild blaze. She notched her hands upward as she kissed him, and her fingers slid up along the sensitive tapers of both his ears.
Rolan let out a hungry, animal sound against her mouth. Both hands landed on her back and crushed the line of her body forward into his, leaving no space between them. He could feel the soft hills of her breasts pressing against his chest through clothing. The warm scent rolling off her skin and hair surrounded him with dizzying force.
The higher part of his mind was screaming at him. Rolan desperately tried to focus on what it was saying; as he did, he caught the tang of wine on her lips. The discovery gave him just enough will to pull back from her.
And he did, with one jerking step back into his chambers. “You can’t be here.”
Tav stood panting through parted lips, eyes half-lidded as they traveled over him. Rolan felt flames lick his skin everywhere they moved.
“Why not?” She breathed. “I wanted to see you.”
“You’re drunk,” he told her. He rather felt that way himself, still reeling from the electricity of kissing her.
Tav pouted at that, and Rolan wished to bite that lower lip firmly between his teeth. “I’m not drunk,” she corrected. “I’ve had a drink. There’s a difference.”
“You wouldn’t be here if—”
“If what?” Tav watched him as she took a step closer. Rolan stepped back in tandem, reflexive. She was well over the threshold now. “If I knew what was really happening to you?”
Those words sounded much more knowing than he liked. Rolan stared at her, trying to read into her face. He swallowed against the dry lump of his tongue and went out on a limb. “Which one of them told you?”
Tav shook her head. “Cal and Lia have been nothing but discreet.” 
“Then how could you possibly understand?” He demanded. The very recent discovery of how soft Tav’s lips were was making it very difficult to maintain this conversation. He could still feel the way her body had pressed into him.
One corner of her mouth twitched. “Rolan, I’d like to think I’m not completely oblivious. There have been…signs. And I’ve had a lot of time to think about them. I’ve been at the Elfsong all afternoon, just—thinking.”
At that, Rolan felt his tail twitching nervously behind him. “I see,” he replied. Pivoting, like an idiot, trying to pretend this was a perfectly acceptable conversation to have with the woman who occupied most of his thoughts when he was pleasuring himself. “And you think that I—that my—”
Tav made a quick twisting motion to get around the door. She latched it and drew the bolt closed behind them, then turned back to him.
“A lot of humans have heard rumors about Tieflings,” she confessed. “Some stupid, but some credible. I’m saying this is maybe not the secret that you think it is.” As he watched, a much deeper blush spread over Tav’s cheeks. She glanced away to the side. 
“Rolan…I grew up in the Dales, remember? Around rabbits, and cattle, and oxen. Half my friends lived on farms.”
Her analogy couldn’t be clearer. To hear her lay it out so plainly—Rolan felt the last dregs of his pride shrivel up and die. He gripped two palms over his eyes and let out a groan of abject humiliation, turning away to the middle of the room. 
How early had she connected the dots? The moment she felt him brazenly place a hand around her? Had she known all along that he was locked up here, rutting into every one of his pillows?
“Look, Rolan, I’m sorry—I didn’t know how else to say it—” 
Completely overwhelmed by his embarrassment, he hadn’t heard her follow. When Rolan finally dropped his hands from his face, he turned to find Tav standing very close to his chest.
“And I’m sorry for kissing you before,” she blurted out. “I mean, I’m not sorry for it…I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, to be honest. But it wasn’t fair. I just…wanted to know how you’d react.”
Rolan watched as her chest rose and fell heavily where she stood. The look in her eyes made his blood pound through his veins. He felt an urge to reach out and smooth back her hair to bring her in for another kiss, one he resisted.
“I care about you,” Rolan told her, before he could lose his nerve. “Our friendship. I respect you, Tav, it’s not worth—muddying things with this.” 
He felt fingers lacing through the ones that hung at his side, and despite his words Rolan tightened his grip automatically. Her hand was so pleasantly cool against the heat of his skin.
“Why do you think I’m here?” Tav answered earnestly. “I care about you, too. If I can help, I want to. Please—”
She was so close to him; Rolan breathed shallowly, but the warm scent rolling off her skin and hair nevertheless swept past him with dizzying force.
“You don’t know what you’re offering,” he managed hoarsely.
She didn’t falter. “Then tell me what else you think I should know.”
His senses were growing clouded with her; the offer that had tumbled so easily from her rang in his ears. It made the thread of Rolan’s control stretch dangerously taut.
“I won’t be gentle,” he warned. 
His inadvertent shift in tone changed something in the air between them. There was a crackling energy that hadn't been there a second before.
Tav licked her lips as she watched him. “Good.”
Rolan thought he might melt from the heat that spread across his skin. His tail snapped against the mattress behind him. If she moved a step closer, she’d feel how hard he was in his pants.
“Mating bites,” he went on hoarsely. “I’ll mark you. Quite a lot. I’ll try not to draw blood, but…I can’t promise it.”
Tav nodded. “What else?” She asked, encouraging him to go on. 
Rolan swallowed against the embarrassment. But this was important for her to know. “This time for us, it’s all about…reproduction. We become quite virile.” He nearly choked, but there was simply no other way to put it. “For the urges to pass quicker, I need to come in you.”
Tav let out a throaty hum of approval. His cock twitched in his pants at the sound. “That’s fine, I take preventatives—it’s safe.”
They stood looking at each other for another moment. That shivery, electric feeling buzzed in the air around them. Rolan wondered if she could hear the way his heart drummed against his ribs.
Tav leaned in slightly. “Well…” She said, and her wet tongue passed nervously between her lips again.
That taut thread in his chest snapped in two. Rolan crushed her up against him with a whimper. Arms circling around her waist, he nudged a thigh between her legs and firmly ground their hips together.
Tav matched his eagerness. Their lips crashed together; at the back of his mind, he felt her grip cradling under each of his ears. Her fingertips licked like flame against his scalp.
Even through layers of clothing, he could feel the heat of her. Rolan jerked her hips forward harder against his thigh; the swelling length of his cock pressed against her soft, yielding center. Tav dipped her head back from the kiss, arching into him with a moan, and her fingertips laced at the nape of his neck. 
It offered an irresistible angle at the column of her throat. Rolan’s claws raked back in her hair, pulling it to a tight ponytail. Then he tugged firmly, holding her open as his mouth descended on her neck.
He kissed and sucked along the band of muscle from her ear to the curve of her shoulder, then parted his lips to bite down firmly on her soft flesh. 
“Yes,” Tav moaned in approval above him. Her hips rolled into his, grinding herself against the hard cock straining in his pants. Rolan felt her pulse skip against his mouth. Only when he tasted sweet copper did he pull away, laving his tongue over the crimson pin-pricks of his teeth into her skin.
He took only a moment to admire the trail of marks blooming along her neck. Tav was already pulling him in for another kiss. Their lips crashed together with bruising force; her tongue explored, tasting, searching for proof of her blood against his tongue and moaning against him when she found it.
Her scent filled his mind. Without breaking from her mouth, he plucked open the laces of her pants. Rolan slipped his hand under the waistband, beneath her smalls, and slid two fingers to dip down between her legs. Her folds were shining-slick; as he nudged her in circles, a trickle of her arousal rolled down his fingers. She shivered prettily under his touch.
“You’re soaked,” Rolan groaned against her neck. 
“All because of you,” she breathed without hesitation. “Been wanting this, gods, wanting you for months. Your hands on me—cock in me—”
At the words he withdrew his fingers from her impatiently, then sucked them clean. Her sweet taste on his tongue made his cock ache. She scarcely had time to curse at the sight before Rolan gripped both arms around her waist to lift her into him.
With one quick pivot, he landed her down on the bed with his frame pressed into her. Her legs hung off the edge from the hip down, and he used the position to grind the stiff length in his pants against her cleft.
Even fully clothed, it was maddening. He could feel the wet patch between her legs, and when she arched further into him, a primal growl rumbled in his chest. 
Tav’s fingers were brushing at his sides, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “Off,” she panted impatiently.
Rolan tilted back to rip the garment up over his horns, immediately reaching for her own once his was free. He stripped her frantically, ripping her smallclothes in two before he could work them down her thighs.
When she lay bare beneath him, moaning and arching into everywhere he touched, he was overcome with hunger for more of her taste. 
Rolan gripped her hips, dragging her with a jerk to the edge of the bed. With her glistening folds displayed before him, all he could do was drop to his knees and bury his tongue between them.
The sounds she made were like sweet music as he explored her. He sucked and massaged her slit with his tongue, then plunged it as deep within her walls as he could. His eyes rolled back in his head. Her taste surrounded him; his nose brushed her clit as he ate her, further overwhelming his senses with the scent of her arousal.
“Gods, yes, Rolan—” Tav moaned above him as her hands flew to grip each of his horns. She alternately tugged them and arched into his mouth, grinding her clit against his face.
He wanted to hear her say his name like that another thousand times. Rolan curled his tongue against her walls, determined to taste her even deeper, but to no avail. Without his sharp nails, he would have sunk two fingers into her.
Instead, as his mouth left her, the ridged end of his tail looped around to brush over her slit.
“Ah—” Tav gasped from the bed. One of her hands left him to prop up on an elbow to look. 
He watched her face in adoration as his tail slid between her soaked lips, coating itself in a mixture of her arousal and his saliva. Once it was thoroughly wet, he let the heart-shaped tip push experimentally into her.
Whatever hesitation he had evaporated at the way she arched and keened. He pushed in further, inch by inch, hissing in breath at how tight and wet her walls squeezed around him. Rolan felt his cock leaking between his legs at the sight of his tail disappearing into her plush cunt.
“Taking my tail so well,” Rolan praised without thinking, then groaned. “Fuck, Tav, you’re so tight—”
“Don’t stop,” she demanded, breathless.
When he felt the tip brush the limits of her insides, he held it steady as she panted down at him. Her mouth hung open in anticipation as she watched him lean in again for her center.
But instead of landing on her clit, his mouth met with the soft skin of her inner thigh and sucked it firmly between his teeth.
Tav gave a little yelp of pain, but her walls constricted around his tail so hard he moaned against her flesh. He left two more lovely red marks against her thigh before withdrawing his tail from her, leaving only the tip inside her silk.
Then he thrust back into her and took up a forceful rhythm of stretching her open on his tail.
“Fucking gods,” she gasped, gripping both his horns again. He felt her use them as leverage as she bounced her hips down to meet him. 
“Like this, don’t you?” Rolan urged her on, drunk off her desire. “Fucking yourself on my tail—” He leaned down to take another taste of her clit, swirling and sucking as the ridges on his tail dragged more wetness out of her with each thrust.
“Yes,” Tav moaned, shaking under him as his tongue worked over her clit. “Feels so perfect in me, so—ngh—!”
When he flicked the tip of it up inside her, Tav’s words stuttered to incoherence. He felt her inner walls clench and flutter, and repeated the motion over and over with each thrust.
“I’m—oh, oh ohohoh—”
She dissolved into soft cries. The muscles at her core tensed and shuddered as she climaxed against his tongue. Rolan withdrew his tail from her with a slick release, instead clasping his mouth over her to lap down the sweet taste that poured from her. His pants were so wet he was nearly convinced he’d already come, but he felt his cock straining against the fabric just as firmly.
When her thighs collapsed limp to either side, Rolan pushed himself to his feet for a look at her. Tav’s eyes were bright, cheeks flushed with arousal, her hair coiled out in wild tendrils that framed her like a crown. Their eyes met; with both hands on his arms, she pulled him down for a kiss.
Rolan landed braced on his forearms. Their tongues slid and pushed together, trading the taste of her release. When he felt her reaching between them to undo his laces, he pulled away to loose them and strip off the rest of his clothes. 
Tav reached for his erection, and before he’d steadied himself, she gripped his length to drag the generous droplets of precum around his tip with her thumb. His hips bucked into her.
“Eager, aren’t you?” She teased softly.
“Yes,” Rolan groaned. Tav’s soft hand was around his cock for the first time; it was all he could do to locate words. He knew his face was flushed and tense with arousal, but Tav only looked up at him with appreciation from where she lay back on his bed. 
When she guided his length across the wet of her core, he rocked his hips to drag his ridges across her. She shivered slightly, still sensitive, but rolled into him.
“Need you,” Rolan panted, not sure whether he was asking her or begging. “Tav—please—”
Tav’s hand lined him up with her entrance. When his leaking tip nudged inside her, Rolan pushed forward with one slow, determined cant of his hips.
The cool slick of her walls clutched each inch of him so perfectly. A low groan rose in Rolan’s throat—this was the closest thing to real satisfaction that he’d gotten in days, and he hadn't even started moving yet.
“So good,” Tav said under him, voice sweet and husky. “Keep going—”
Rolan braced his hands against her hips. He pulled out slowly, legs shaking beneath him, then pushed back into the tight plush of her. 
His hips took up a firm pace, and Rolan couldn't bite back his whines as he plunged his cock inside her. Whatever his fevered imagination had conjured, it was nothing compared to this—he fell over her again, fangs skating against her breast as her body rocked under him with each thrust.
“Yes, yes, fuck—” Tav was just as breathless as her fingers gripped the infernal ridges on his shoulder blades. She tugged, egging him on.
Rolan took the invitation with enthusiasm. He nipped and sucked around the swell of her breast, breathing in lungfuls of the sweetness rolling off her skin.
“Harder,” Tav begged, the words vibrating against his lips. The hunger inside him surged in agreement.
Rolan’s lips fastened over one nipple. He sucked, hard, letting his tongue roll her against his teeth. Tav let out a whimper, but he felt her legs crossing around his hips as he continued to bury himself in her.
Rolan pulled away to look at her face. A mist of sweat dusted her brow; Tav’s lips were parted and twitching with silent words. 
“Look at me,” Rolan ordered, still filling her with his cock in a steady rhythm.
Tav obeyed, her eyes shining and pupils blown wide. He straightened away from her, never breaking, and laid a hand each on her calves. Then he pushed up, folding her legs to her chest and opening up her cunt even deeper for him.
“You look so beautiful like this, Tav,” he told her, thighs trembling with the effort of keeping his pace slow and steady. “Folded in half in my bed. Stretched around my cock so perfectly.”
In response, Tav’s hands grabbed her knees, pulling herself open even further to each side. “Is this how you imagined it?” She asked wickedly. “All alone—wishing it was me and not your own hand—”
Heat prickled across his neck and shoulders, but Rolan was too far gone to feel shame. He couldn't resist breaking eye contact, however, watching the way his cock stretched open her dripping cunt.
“Just like this,” he panted in answer. She took in breath to respond, but he was already slamming back into her at a reckless pace.
The lewd, wet sounds of his thrusts filled the room, layered with their chorus of whines and moans. Rolan shuddered at how slick and tight she was around him, perfectly gripping each inch of his needy length. His cock throbbed in anticipation of a satisfying release, finally, after all these times of not quite enough—
“I’m close,” he panted, gripping her hips to pull her down deeper onto his cock. The tip of him nudged against the limits of her walls. “Where should—”
“Inside,” Tav insisted, still holding herself wide for him. “Only inside, Rolan, want you to fill me up—fuck—”
The imagery pushed him over the edge, and he did just that. With a throb of release, he felt his cock pulsing and filling her deepest walls with his seed. His hips stuttered into her as he pushed his spend as far into her as he could reach.
Tav clutched his shoulders as he came, humming and moaning out praises for him. Their hips rocked together, nudging his coated length back against her deep center. 
Tav went tense under him. He forced his eyes open and saw her lips parted in surprise.
“I’m—oh—!” 
She gasped in shock as her own climax gripped her. Rolan hissed in breath at the way she clenched and fluttered so suddenly around him. His length was still hard, and his ridges pulsed against her.
As she drifted back down, Tav’s eyes finally lit on him in a daze. “What…what was that?”
Rolan was abruptly reminded of how many ruts he’d spent without a partner. “I'm sorry, I should've warned you,” he confessed. It was hard to form his thoughts while still inside her. “During the cycle…infernal traits get stronger. Like incubi. Helps attract a partner.” Somehow this explanation was more embarrassing than any of the other filth he’d just spoken to her.
Tav stared up at him. “You're saying your come is going to make me come?”
“Essentially.” Rolan shifted inside her slightly, still not confident he was done. “I apologize—I didn't think to tell you. Is that a problem?”
“Rolan—” Tav let out a breathless laugh, and the sound went straight to his chest. “This is the exact opposite of a problem. Just a bit of a shock, that's all.”
The lovely sight of her happy and satisfied under him was too much to resist. Rolan leaned forward on his arms to kiss her, trapping her legs between their chests.
As her hand stroked softly under his jaw, Rolan felt a second ache settling in his loins. He released her lips for just long enough to push her legs out over his hips, then ducked back down for her mouth.
He rolled his hips into her slower this time, but it was somehow more intense. Their lips stayed connected as he drove into her deep. Her walls were slippery with arousal and his own seed, and they gripped like pure silk around his cock. Her opening slid over the sensitive ridges at his base with each thrust.
When he dipped a thumb between their bodies to rub circles over her clit, Tav broke away with a little gasp.
“I can’t again,” she said, panting.
“You can,” he told her simply. “Hold on to me—” 
She did, wrapping both arms and legs firmly around him as if he was her anchor. Rolan dipped his head to her neck as he doubled his pace, their hips slotting together with each brisk slide into her. He breathed deep against the curve of her shoulder.
Still so hungry for release, it wasn't long before he came again hard. This time he just barely pumped his spend into her before he pulled out to look down.
Sticky white seed dribbled out of her slit, running down toward her hole. He dipped the thumb circling her clit down to swipe it back up across her cunt, painting his come across the bundle of nerves at her peak.
Tav’s thighs twitched under him, and she gripped his arm tight with one hand. She swore as he continued flicking across her clit with the wet pad of his thumb, then whined out his name.
While her next orgasm nearly doubled her in half, Rolan tilted his head to watch the sight between her legs. She was soaked, twitching, utterly intoxicating. Her contracting walls pushed more of his spend out of her; it flowed generously from her slit and soaked down into the bedding below.
Finding himself now utterly spent, Rolan collapsed on his back next to her. As he did, he realized his legs had grown fatigued to the point of buckling from the exertions. He let his body sink heavy into the mattress. 
“I made a mess on your sheets,” Tav panted from beside him. 
Rolan groaned at her descriptive language. The fact that his length continued softening was a sign his urges were finally giving him a reprieve, however. “It was mostly my fault.”
She only let out a weak breath of laughter.
Too tired to trust his shaking legs, he reached an arm blind over the side of the bed and snatched up the first fabric it touched. His discarded shirt.
Pushing himself seated, he gently reached to dry between Tav’s legs. One of her hands traced the ridges on his back as he quietly tended to her.
“How long before the next?” She asked him.
“An hour or two.” Rolan didn't look at her. “Tav, you've done more than enough for m—”
The mattress shifted as she sat up and turned his face into a waiting kiss. It was soft, just a chorus of little presses across his lips.
When Tav pulled away, she tucked the damp curtain of his hair behind one ear. “Rolan, unless you want me to go, I'm staying until it’s over.”
Rolan cast a glance over her. Despite the fact that she was naked in his bed and covered in blooming bruises from his mouth, she was very much the same Tav as ever. “Thank you,” he told her quietly.
She pushed him onto his back with a sudden laugh, landing with her chest pressed to his. “What an utterly Rolan thing to say,” she mused. “Need I remind you I just came three times?”
Tav was teasing him, and was of a mind to put her in her place—only he found that none of his limbs wanted to move at the moment. Instead, his only response was a deep hum as his eyelids drooped shut.
He felt the mattress shift as she rose and wished he could reach out to stop her. But a moment later she curled up next to him again, dragging a soft quilt over their bodies. 
Rolan turned inward to rest his head on Tav’s chest—and fell into his first real slumber in days.
355 notes · View notes
favcharacterpoll · 8 months
Text
ROUND 4 MATCH 12: C!WILBUR VS. STAN
Tumblr media Tumblr media
c!Wilbur Soot from the DSMP faces Stanley Pines from Gravity Falls. Who do you like more? obligatory @10piecechickenmcnugget tag because your man is RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
c!Wilbur Propaganda:
"Accurate depiction of mental health and spiral, handled delicately and deliberately, every piece of his story was thought and planned and in the end he went home to Utah. Thank you lord."
"Please don’t let the name dream smp effect how you feel about this submission, this character is completely unrelated to dream and I’m pretty sure the person who played him has nothing to do with dream anymore. This man single handedly got me through a horrible patch filled with extreme paranoia by also being extremely paranoid. Genuinely really helped me feel seen and I coped a lot by getting invested in this character. I almost cried when he died :("
"He’s so fucking stupid. I could infodump for hours this man transed my gender. Everything has gone wrong in his life. He’s the definition of a bisexual disaster."
"I didn’t fail 10th grade math bc I was thinking about c!wilbur for him to lose round one"
"I mean look at him!! his Minecraft skin is adorable!!!"
"if you people vote for cwilbur i'll draw him in a bikini."
"A VOTE FOR C!WILBUR IS A VOTE FOR GIRLBOYS EVERYWHERE"
"i should not have underestimated minecraft fans they came together"
Tumblr media
64.media.tumblr.com
"Season 1 changed me. I didn’t know minecraft videos could have good acting, dramatic plots, etc. Wilbur was one of the best there. His plot was so interesting with the L’Manburg and the unfinished symphony arcs. He was funny, dramatic, sad… I fondly remember my dsmp days (though I only saw up to like part of Tommy’s exile)"
Stan Propaganda:
"from the same creature that submitted ford and was too tired for actual propaganda. they’re pretty cool huh"
"That propaganda is disgraceful but I'm also too tired to write up any big things for it"
"Hi that lack of propaganda for Stan Pines is offensive to me personally so here's some fun stuff:
He's punched zombies AND an all-powerful demon to death for the sake of protecting his family. He spent thirty years trying to turn on a portal to the Multiverse to get his twin brother back. He still thinks sacrificing his entire being is all that he's good for, and that makes my heart so sad. He loves his family and his family loves him. He's a silver fox. He also punched a pterodactyl in the face because he felt so bad about lying to his niece and getting her pet pig kidnapped that he had to fix his mistake (and yes, he did get the pig back). His nemesis was a ten-year-old child psychic whom he knew was a fraud because the kid didn't even realize his name wasn't actually Stanford.
Man of all time. Character of all time."
315 notes · View notes
shiut · 2 months
Text
Waiting For Yuma Chapter 1 : Preview
Some english translation for the Rain Code novel, Waiting for Yuma. This is how many pages are provided in the trial reader preview, but it's still rather long, so I've put most of it under the cut.
I've also put it into an online document if you want to click here instead.
Tumblr media
Chapter 01
The Silence of the Dolls
Morning arrives early for the trainee detective.
However, though belonging to the 【World Detective Organization】, he/she has not yet completed the training course. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. A piece of paper will never reach the moon unless it is folded forty-two times. There is much work to be done in order to become a 【Master Detective】.
Working hard to develop and refine special abilities. Acquiring basic detective skills. Sharpening a keen eye for detail. Not only that, but there are many other challenges to worry about too. I suppose you could say that the days have been filled with more hardship than joy. However, you can't call yourself a 【Master Detective】 if you can't overcome all of that. It might be a different story for people who have exceptional supernatural abilities. However, for those who don't, they must continue to keep improving in order to reach the stars.
For one such trainee, Yuka Kisaragi, this day ought to be a momentous milestone. Her efforts were recognized, and so she was allowed to accompany a real 【Master Detective】 to the crime scene. As soon as Yuka heard this, she hugged and danced with everyone she saw, which almost got her reported in the process. That’s to say, she was putting out more energy than usual for such an important day.
Or at least it should be...... no, could that be why?
Let's go over that one more time. 
Morning arrives early for a trainee detective.
That should be the case, but Yuka was in fact remarkably late.
***
"Why, why, why, why, why!?"
Yuka asked herself repeatedly as she roared down the street. Under the clear blue sky, she trampled across the well-maintained cobblestone pavement. Though, she didn't have to bother questioning herself when she already knew the cause of the problem a while ago. 
First of all, the toast was burnt. 
Secondly, the hair iron went missing.
Third, she forgot to cut the tag off her new coat that was bought for today.
That sums up why she was late today.
It was entirely a bed of her own making. But still, Yuka thought, there must be a reason for all this bad luck. It could be the alignment of the stars, or like the flow of fate, or something.
Could it be the influence of the 【Master Detective】 that I'm about to meet? 
It may be due to something like sound waves or telepathy caused by the person in question. Though, I'd rather those predictions to not be true. Yuka kept running, hoping at the very least that a kind person would be waiting for her. 
Then when she rounded a sharp corner —— she burst into a stylish cafe that had a strikingly chic dark-toned exterior wall. The interior was also uniformly monochrome, with bright light streaming through the large glass windows. The clientele had a somewhat intellectual and relaxed atmosphere. Yuka immediately felt nervous. She looked around as she listened to the classical music that was playing. The meeting place was at the far end of the window. Right, she repeatedly mouthed these words to herself while she walked over... she was suddenly rendered speechless.
Therein, was a beautiful person.
A hard leather sofa, and white painted wooden table. 
There sat a person dressed in gray. The way in which they tipped their coffee was picturesque. Their pale hair and glasses suited their sagacious profile and air of intelligence. 
While admiring the sight, Yuka had to wonder. There's an ambiguity to the person before her. Their gender is indiscernible. No matter how you look at it, it's impossible to tell if it's a he or she. They could pass as a beautiful man, or even as a ruggedly dignified woman perhaps. Yuka stared intently in order to ascertain the truth the best she could.
Tumblr media
"......Three million"
"Eh-?"
What did they say? Yuka let out a dumb sound as she thought. Caught off-guard, she simply blinked. The beautiful person took another sip of coffee before her.
Gracefully setting down the cup, the other person continued.
"It's one hundred thousand per minute. My time is not cheap...... More importantly, you wasted precious time before the investigation as a 【trainee detective】, of course you're prepared to pay that much, right?"
Smoothly —— he, no, maybe she —— the 【Master Detective】 spoke. 
Confused, Yuka twisted her head like an owl. However, after a few seconds, she realized that what this 【Master Detective】 was referring to were 'late fees'. Yuka choked with a hissing noise. How ruthless. Is this person a demon? That's what her immediate thought was.
Flustered, Yuka tried to explain herself. He/she opened their mouth to interrupt.
"I'll have you know, burnt toast, a misplaced hair iron, and a coat tag are no excuse for being late."
"Huh-? How did you know?"
"Bread crumbs"
They pointed to Yuka's chest. If you look —— peeking out from a crimson coat ——was a cream-colored sweater dotted in black specks. Pointing at it, the 【Master Detective】 continued.
"It's a notably charred color. Also, although some of your hair is disheveled, only the ends are straightened out. A sign of a frantically used hair iron. Did you simply not spend enough time on it? No, it looks like you intended to use it properly, but were forced to use it in such an errant way. You could naturally assume that it's a result of stubbornly searching for the hair iron that consumed most of your time. Also, there are threads sticking out unnaturally from the collar of your coat. This could be the trace of a tag that was yanked out in a hurry. That's all."
He/she lifted their cup with a clink. And with that, they swallowed the pitch black liquid. The coolness of their profile showed no signs of even the faintest hint of bitterness.
Once again, Yuka looked down at herself. She was wearing a crimson coat that was bought specially for today, and paired with it was a cream sweater with a rounded collar plus a black skirt. On her feet, she wore leather shoes. Her shoulder-length amacha sweet tea colored hair was partially frizzy, though she still managed to take care of the ends.
And then there were the bread crumbs that were left sticking to her.
Yuka was taken aback by all the things they had pointed out.
But soon after, her face lit up.
As an aspiring detective, she's yearned for this kind of precise deduction skill.
"Tha-..... That's amazing! Just as expected of a 【Master Detective】!"
"Praising people so carelessly will result in brain rot."
"Ough-"
"Something like this is not even the ability of a 【Master Detective】. These are the most basic fundamentals that even an amateur should be able to do...... right from the start. To my knowledge, it's not standard for a detective to bring along bread crumbs to a crime scene now is it?"
"I-, I'm sorry."
Yuka patted off her sweater, and the black food particles were brushed from her cream-colored top. She moved her leather shoes to sweep the fallen crumbs to the edge of the wall.
She once again turned her attention to the person in front of her. They were still so young, but they certainly seem like a 【Master Detective】. Even though he/she says that even an amateur can do it, his/her observational skill is beyond that of an ordinary person.
Yuka was so excited. She bowed her head in greeting.
"Once again nice to meet you, I'm Yuka Kisaragi."
"Halara Nightmare"
Yuka acknowledged the name with a nod.
I was given very minimal information about the 【Master Detective】  I'd been scheduled to accompany today. The 'Jeweler Campanella Murder Case' that took place the other day at the only public casino in the area —— the genius who led to its solution was Halara. He/she was one of the shining stars in the sky. They're a detective for Yuka to look up to. 
Yuka stared at Halara with admiration. Without a response, Halara got up from their seat. Then, in one fluid motion, they handed a slip to Yuka who accepted it without a thought. 
Yuka’s head tilted as she found herself caught by a ruthless follow-up.
"Three million, plus the coffee bill. That is your payment."
"Huh-?"
"It'd be in your best interest to pay up before you forget."
"Wait, what, weren't you kidding before?"
"Does talking about a debt with someone you've just met sound like a joke according to your trite standards? That's quite nonsensical."
"Sure it's a strange joke to make but... even so, eh-?"
"Rest assured that you won't be charged any interest. Just make sure you've set up a payment plan."
Halara walked off, leaving a confused Yuka in their wake. Their back held a beautiful and dignified posture. However, it seemed like they had no intention of looking back. With the check in hand, Yuka felt her head spinning.
"Eh-...... Ehh-"
One thing is for certain.
Yuka has been haunted by bad luck ever since this morning.
But the worst part of all was, without a doubt, the presence of this detective.
As her head sank in disappointment, Yuka couldn't help but think.
Halara Nightmare must be some sort of demon.
***
"W-, Well then, let's change the mood shall we!"
"............"
"Halara-san please say something too!"
"Anything in particular?"
"...... I can't even think of anything I had in mind."
At any rate, the two arrived at the manor where the scene of the crime took place.
Diverting her attention from the debt of three million, Yuka looked up at the old-fashioned building.
The walls were constructed with dull red clay brick tiles and lines formed with white granite. Placed atop that was a massive black roof. The exterior was reminiscent of an antique dollhouse. Additionally, the property was encompassed by a magnificent rose garden. The vibrant dew-covered petals almost looked artificial. Everything was so breathtakingly beautiful that it looked like something straight out of a vintage masterpiece. 
Yuka couldn't help but let out a sigh of awe.
"How atmospheric~. Ah-, hey, please don't leave me behind!"
Halara had begun to walk off while I was immersed in the building's peculiar and chilling atmosphere.
Yuka rushed to follow behind their slender back. It was as if they were swimming in a sea of roses as they made their way along the path.
Eventually, the two arrived in front of an arched doorway.
Waiting there was a gentleman dressed in a brand-name suit. His eyes were amber. His hair black. His physique appeared portly. Twisting his magnificent mustache, he raised his booming voice.
"Hey there, Halara-san! I haven't seen you since the 'Jeweler Campanella Murder Case'! I'm glad you could make it! It was worth the trouble of going through the Unified Government to make a request with the 【World Detective Organization】!"
"...... As I suspected, this was no mere coincidence, but rather a request on your behalf, wasn't it?"
"Eh-, do you know each other!? And what's more...... through the Unified Government no less...... Could it be that he's that big of a deal?"
"Hahaha, oh, you could say the Unified Government tends to be a bit involved when it comes to matters of international trade. I can't get into any details, as much as I'd love to talk about it.  Anyways, when it comes to securing the food supply in this district it is I, Richard Thomson, who's your go-to guy! Also, what's there to hide between Halara-san and me? We've solved a case together after all!"
"H-...... He's a real talker."
Suddenly, Richard moved in closer. Feeling pushed by the pressure of his prattling words and moundish belly, Yuka took a step back. Meanwhile, Halara narrowed their eyes in displeasure. 
Gracefully, he/she crossed their arms. Letting out a small breath, Halara continued.
"If you'd mind refraining from distorting the facts. We did not solve it together. The case had indeed been solved....... however, it was all by my ability alone of course."
"Eh-, if that's the case, then what about Richard-san?"
"He was merely the first person to discover the incident. Rather than finding a solution, he challenged my theory based on his own faulty recollection, and thanks to this I had to explain  【Postcognition】 at the request of the police."
"【Postcognition】?"
Yuka found herself tilting her head. She was unfamiliar with the term.
In order to prevent further questions for the time being, Halara spoke up.
"It's my ability as a 【Master Detective】 ..... we'll be needing it for this crime scene as well. I'll discuss it later. So then...... since you're aware of these abilities, you should already understand right?"
"Yes, of course! I am fully knowledgeable about all of it! Just as expected of me. All pro~per preparations have been made accordingly, of course!"
Richard puffed out his chest. From a pocket on the inside of his coat, he pulled out a photograph and presented it to Halara. Yuka took a peek at the picture from behind him/her.
Similar to a portrait, the upper half of a lady was shown. She was a slender and petite woman. However, she had a firm and straight posture, staring at the camera with a steely gaze—— Strangely, her eyes seemed somewhat out of focus—— Her hair was tied up in a golden bun, and her eyes were a deep blue. She was beautiful, yet had a somehow frighteningly icy air about her. It was a perilous sheet of ice over a deep lake that could crack at any moment.
Nervously, Yuka asked.
"...... Is this?"
"The victim in this case. It's my wife. She was quite a cold woman. To be honest, our whole relationship was cold, but I never expected something like this. Whether I'm sad or not, I'm still not sure. I'll worry about that a bit later. Incidentally, I had a business meeting that day, so I have a flawless alibi, ahem. If you ask me, my wife would complain to the chef about the taste of the soup. It seems pretty suspicious to me, so I hope you'll be able to help me out here."
"H- he really is a chatty guy."
Yet again, Richard moved forward. Yuka slowly backed away. Halara took a long thorough look at the picture that they had received before returning it. Nodding, Richard opened the door.
"Here, go right on ahead. We'll go over the details on the way to the crime scene. Why, I couldn't even tell you how glad I am that you came, Halara-san. Ever since the 'Jeweler Campanella Murder Case' I just haven't been able to contain myself from telling my family all about your story, Halara-san. Hahaha. Ah-, as for a full-scale police investigation, I have all the power and resources needed to keep them out of it, so feel free to......"
"Eh-, why would you want to hold back the police?" Yuka voiced her surprise.
Rumor has it—— now was it Kanata Ward, or Kanaya Ward—— that some places have been under lockdown and the police haven't exactly been operating properly. However, places such as that are the exception. The legal organization should be operating in proper accordance here. But even so, is there any sense to purposefully suppressing them? In response to Yuka's question, Richard softly curved the flesh bordering his mouth. 
He spoke while displaying a clownish grin.
"Because, having a 【Master Detective】 solve it would be more fun, wouldn't it?"
There was a childishness in his eyes, 
and a warped sense of delight began to surface.
***
"...... Is that guy alright?"
It seemed that Richard had the intention of sticking around the crime scene. However, it appeared that there was a problem with his cargo ship, so he left while grumbling something about just getting started. 'Please don't solve the case until I return' he added, but I'm not really concerned about something like that. 
After making sure that he had gone down to the first floor, Yuka then went to inquire Halara.
Located on the second floor —— in front of his wife's bedroom, he/she answered with indifference.
"Probably not. However, as long as 【Master Detectives】 exist, so too will there be people who hold an excessive admiration for them, or even an addiction...... There’s no telling what type of bad precedent it could set if it were a person in power."
Yuka reflexively shifted her gaze downwards.
That admiration of 【Master Detectives】 is something she could understand. To some people, those who possess supernatural abilities and eliminate unsolved mysteries are like that of stars shining in the sky. There are some who may wish to bask in the radiance of that light up close. However, despite the murder of a family member, it was nothing short of abnormal to request a 【Master Detective】 while shutting down the possibility of a quick solution.
Yuka's skin crawled with disgust as she asked.
"Are you going to accept this request?"
"Five million."
"Eh?"
"It was mentioned to me a short while ago. This is the amount he said he had set as a reward for my success...... I have no obligation to help others, but I work sincerely according to the payment I receive...... That is my pride as a detective."
"So that’s the only reason."
"It's reason enough, among other things."
Yuka almost raised her voice. However, in response to this Halara spoke calmly. 
He/she emotionlessly included more reasons.
"The police have had no involvement in this case. Hence, the situation where the more time passes, the more evidence is lost...... Given the circumstances, there is no detective better suited for this case than me. Still, even if I decline this request, he would probably just vet another 【Master Detective】 to appoint anyway. It's a waste of time."
"Surely......"
"The quickest and most rational decision would be for me to continue with the investigation."
Yuka gave a deep nod. To reject a request based on emotion would also be an unethical decision. Once she came to an understanding, Halara then placed their hand on the door. 
Nevertheless, without pressing the matter further, she continued to ask questions.
"Then let's move on with the investigation. It'd be foolish for a 【Master Detective】 and trainee to continue to stand around talking to each other...... Before going any further, I'm sure you've already been properly briefed with a sufficient overview regarding the case thus far before arriving here, right? Mister Richard did speak rather quickly."
"If that's the case then please leave it to me! Uhh let's see now...."
Yuka twiddled her thumbs around in the air. 
She then began to explain the overview of the murder case as told by Mister Richard.
***
To recap, the story goes like this.
Mister Richard has a family of five—— however, his second born daughter is staying in a dormitory—— Therefore, at the time of the incident, there were seven people in the mansion: him, his wife, his eldest daughter and his eldest son, a cook, a maid, and a gardener.
It was there that Mister Richard's wife, Beatrice Thompson, was murdered. 
No one had seen her after she ate dinner and went to her room at 8 p.m.—— This has so far been confirmed by the initial police report —— The estimated time of death was between 9 and 10 o'clock p.m. The cause of death was stabbing. The murder weapon, a knife, was left lodged in her chest. There were no fingerprints. Also, a water pitcher—— which she loved to use when she went to bed —— was confirmed to have been laced with stolen sleeping pills. 
Because of this, it's been concluded that the crime must have been premeditated by an insider. 
The first to discover the scene were the gardener and the eldest daughter. The gardener would visit the victim every night at 10 o'clock to consult with her about remodeling the garden, and when she did not respond he then approached her eldest daughter —— Afterwards, both parties felt uneasy about there being no response, and so as a result of breaking down the door, the dead body was discovered —— This was at about half past 10 o'clock. Additionally, there were signs of intentional destruction within the room at the time. The eldest daughter then immediately called out to the eldest son, who was in the garden, and asked him to report the incident.
And then there's the key detail.
The room was a locked room.
"The crime scene was a closed room with both the windows and doors locked at the point which it was first discovered when the door was opened. Furthermore, the victim was leaning against the door, and there were no signs of it having been opened directly beforehand."
"Well done. Seems like nothing has been misremembered." Halara gave a brief nod, their pale hair swaying with the motion.
Naturally, Yuka puffed her chest proudly. She had also been honing her memory as a part of her training to become a 【Master Detective】. She also had a bit of a talent for picking up on fast-talkers, which was something she was prepared with at the very least.
Halara stared at the door with the knob still in hand. 
Gazing at the floral reliefs carved across its surface, he/she continued. 
"Wherever there's a locked room, there is an explanation behind it. It's the detective's job to uncover it."
Halara opened the door with a click.
Stepping through and, suddenly, looking to the side —— Yuka took a sharp breath.
***
It looked as though there were many girls standing there. 
Dolls were lined up in front of a mainly yellow floral-patterned wallpaper. 
The smallest one was a baby, while the largest figure looked to be around 10 years old. Everything looked to be things belonging to girls of various sizes. But oddly enough, there was also a strange sense of uniformity. 
Lovely beings clad in a luxurious and solemn aura. Their eyes were made of deep blue glass, and their heads were covered in gold thread. Their shrewd features somehow had an uncanny resemblance to the victim's wife. Moreover, there were other bizarre details as well.
All of their heads had been torn off. Some were set up to be holding dolls, while others were lying on the floor. Many of them were grouped together and placed against the wall.
It was as though the dolls had also been murdered.
"Wh-, what is this--. How disturbing...... So it was the dolls that they were referring to when they said some of the rooms showed signs of intentional destruction. But still, why is it like this?"
"......On the other side of the doll...... there is a fireplace to the right hand side when you enter through the door." 
Halara muttered under their breath as they covered their mouth. He/she stepped forward to approach the mantlepiece of the elegant fireplace. Halara crouched down to peer inside before looking up. 
Yuka followed their lead and crouched down beside them, copying their actions. Before them was a grimy chimney that extended from their field of view. The distant opening was tightly sealed with a fine mesh. She nodded with a hum. 
"It seems unlikely that the killer could have escaped by climbing up here."
"However, it doesn't seem irrelevant."
"Eh?"
"Look here, there are traces of soot on the floor."
Yuka lept back at the mention of it. That was a close one. She almost stepped on a piece of evidence. 
Seeing her panic, Halara adjusted their glasses. 
"I thought you were conscientiously avoiding it...... Seems I overestimated. Are you really so dense as to have not noticed?"
"Th-, that's not it! I noticed! Of course I noticed!" 
Despite her insistence, she of course did not notice. Halara's gaze was truly cold. 
Yuka was quick to redirect it by changing the subject.
"Uhmm, well...... Let's see, the victim was lying in front of the door, and the eldest daughter thought about the possibility that someone could have broken in, so she went to check the window...... but found that it was locked."
"So, she found the eldest son in the garden and called out to him...... I see, it is visible from here perhaps. There don't appear to be any contradictions evident in those facts themselves at the moment."
Halara and Yuka moved over to the window to look out over the garden. 
The rose garden could clearly be seen from the wife's bedroom window. Though it was now daytime, we confirmed that there was a haze from floodlights scattered about for illumination. That meant that the eldest son could have been seen without any problem even at night.
Touching the golden crescent lock, Halara nodded with a hum. 
"The locks on the windows are rather standard...... so I can't say for sure that there's no possibility of tampering. However, there are no scratches. I don't see any evidence of thread or any other such material being used."
Halara turned while muttering to themself. 
Once again, he/she looked over to the door the victim was leaning against.
"...... There isn't much blood. In other words, the criminal did not pull out the knife after dealing the blow."
"That is true, isn't it."
The two discussed their thoughts about the bloodstains on the carpet, though the body has already been removed. The crime scene was not preserved exactly as it was in its original state. The family must've had some sort of hand in it. At this point, there may be some things that an investigation won't be able to uncover.
Yuka spoke up without thinking. 
"Hmm, I guess there's nothing more to see here other than the information that's already been given so far. There's got to be things that we're missing. That's the problem with being a detective who's always asked to do things after the fact. Ahhh, if only we could see the crime scene right at the time of the body's discovery."
"You wish to see it?"
"Eh?"
"Who...... do you think I am?"
"Who?"
"I'm Halara Nightmare."
The phrase rolled off Halara's tongue in the most natural way. Yuka cocked her head. 
Well, I've already gone through introductions. Regardless of if it's impossible to tell whether they’re a man or a woman, there was no doubt that the person standing before me was Halara Nightmare. Isn't that so?
But he/she continued on. 
"The 【Postcognition Detective】, Halara Nightmare."
***
What exactly is this 【Postcognition】.
Halara began to explain.
"My 【Forensic Forte】 is 【Postcognition】 ...... It quite literally is the power to see a snapshot of the past. However, it can only be used at murder scenes. To be precise, it's the ability to see how a crime scene 【appeared at the time it was first discovered】 with one's own eyes. Another way to describe it would be 【crime scene-limited psychometry】, if that's easier to understand."
Yuka couldn't help but gawk in surprise. 
She knew that the 【Master Detectives】 who work in the field had special abilities. Yuka herself had something that could be considered as such. Halara's was outstanding, however.
It's almost too convenient.
As far as a detective's supernatural ability goes, it could be considered among the best.
Halara continued in the wake of Yuka's astonishment.
"My power allows me to see the 【moment the first witness saw the crime scene】. In other words, not the culprit, not the victim, but how it appeared when a third party first entered. The memory or perception of the witness does not affect my 【Postcognition】. What I see is what actually was there. When it comes to my power, the witness is not a camera or a recording device, but rather a trigger...... Perhaps the best way to think of it is like a bookmark stuck between the pages of when the body was found. It's not a power that can be taken advantage of unconditionally, however.”
Perhaps it was something akin to envy and jealousy that swirled in Yuka's eyes like heated candy. Halara continued to explain the activation conditions and limitations of their power.
"First, I must be standing at the crime scene...... this condition is absolutely required. I must also know the victim's name and face. That's why prior research is crucial. Lastly, 【Postcognition】 is only effective in a 10-meter radius around the body. At the moment, I can only see the crime scene and the victim. I can't see any living things that were at the scene.” 
Yuka's eyes flickered with a blink. So even if the culprit was hiding at the crime scene—— it wouldn't be possible to immediately identify them. Her face must've been brimming with the question as to why. Halara promptly gave an answer.
"...... I’m not so good at looking at people."
"B- but still, I think this is a more than capable ability! This is a 【Forensic Forte】!  I'm so envious! I absolutely admire you!"
"Sorry, but I'm tired of hearing compliments."
"Actually, maybe I did go a little too far with the praise......"
"Time is of the essence. Let's take a look for now, shall we?" 
With that said, Halara raised their left hand to cover their left eye. 
That was the moment Yuka put down her favorite crimson bag she'd been carrying on her back—— which could be used in three different ways by adjusting the belt. She undid the metal clasps and opened the leather flap. She pulled out a sketchbook and a box of colored pencils. She readied the black one first. 
Halara gave an expression as if to say 'what is that'. 
Yuka turned to puff out her chest toward him/her.
"Ehehe, if that's what your ability can do, Halara-san, I think I could be of some help to you, even if just a little."
"...... What do you mean?"
"As a matter of fact, my 【Forensic Forte】 is 【Sketching】!"
Halara's eyebrow slightly twitched at such a cheerful declaration. Perhaps that ability would've been self-explanatory enough. Yuka continued regardless for the sake of explanation. 
"Ah, I may be a trainee detective, but I have fully mastered my forte. If I can keep it up like this, I should be on track to receive my detective deed! Heeheehee-...... Well, uh so, with this ability, by just listening to what someone says, I can faithfully depict 【a person's description of a scene】 without error, completely unaffected by the influence of my subjectivity or imagination! Though, there's no way for me to be sure whether or not the 【person's description】 is an 【imaginary scene】 or a 【real scene】......"
"Does that mean that you can be influenced by the imagination of another person?"
"Yes. A lie is a lie and will be recorded exactly as it is. But in your case, Halara-san, if you describe the scene exactly as you see it, I think I'll be able to get a picture perfect replication of what it looks like!" Yuka explained.
Her power was the exceptional ability to discern the vague image within a witness's mind. Even if the image in itself is false, she wouldn't be able to disclose the nature of its authenticity. That's why Yuka was so envious of Halara's ability to remain unaffected by the subjectivity of another person's perspective. Still, her ability to take only a vague testimony from the witness themselves—— including the image of the culprit that they witnessed and the scene at the time of the crime—— and be able to properly materialize it, was very useful. It might also be useful in this circumstance as well.
Halara hummed with a brief nod. 
"I see...... While it may be possible to reproduce an image as seen by an eyewitness that would otherwise be difficult to convey clearly, there is a possibility of being manipulated by a deliberately false testimony, or an ability perhaps."
"Exactly!"
"......It's quite half-baked for a detective."
"Ngh-"
"Honestly it could be quite convenient for this particular instance. It's exhausting to explain things only I can see."
"Really?"
"People do not believe what they cannot see. I have often been called a liar...... It was thanks to this that when I worked with Mister Richard on the 'Jeweler Campanella Murder Case'...... not only did I have to explain my forte, but I also had to go through the arduous task of proving it through drawing an explanation of the circumstances at the time and comparing them with the physical evidence."
Yuka nodded in response to Halara's words. His/her ability is nothing more than a 【vision】 of the past. Perhaps there will always be skeptics and those who continue to insist that it's flawed. As a trainee, she could only imagine the troubles that they deal with. 
But there's no need to worry this time. Yuka spoke with conviction. 
"It'll be alright! Because I believe in Halara-san's 【Postcognition】 and my 【Sketching】 from the bottom of my heart, without a doubt!"
"......Your own 【Sketching】 as well, huh?"
"Ah-, sorry."
"I don't mind. You should have confidence in your 【Forensic Forte】. The most important quality for a detective is the ability to suspect others...... but perhaps I've spoken too much. Let's continue."
With one eye closed, Halara began to concentrate. 
Yuka was momentarily captivated by their serious and beautiful profile. But the instant his/her mouth began to move, she shook her head and picked her colored pencil back up to begin moving it with blinding speed.
A drawing etched into a sketchbook.
Along with Halara's words.
Tumblr media
Through combining the two, the findings that were revealed are as follows.
***
The first witness of the scene had broken through the locked door. It was at this time that the victim's body, which had been leaning against the door, appeared to have moved. There were traces of bloody finger marks on the knife and the surrounding area of the clothes on the victim, who had fallen to the side—— though this was confirmed in the initial police investigation, no fingerprints were reported to be found—— and so it was theorized to have been caused not by the culprit, but by the victim. 
In other words, the victim's death was not instant.
Furthermore, traces of water stains were found trailing from the victim's mouth to their throat. 
Also the head of one of the dolls—— which had apparently not fallen off, yet seemed as if it had been placed with the rest of the heads in the real life scene —— was lying in a position where it could easily be seen from the open door.
And the biggest difference of all—— there were no traces of soot in front of the chimney.
After drawing the description above, Yuka put down her colored pencil with a sudden flick. The fresh corpse of the victim was vividly recreated on paper. The sight was brutal, although I hadn't given it much thought at the time my colored pencils were in motion. She closed her eyes to offer a moment of silence. She then asked Halara.
"I understand things for the most part...... but what could be the meaning behind these differences?"
"............"
"Halara-san?"
"I understand, but......if that's the case...... no...... It's far too simple...... namely, "
"Halara-saaan?"
"I've got a hypothesis in mind. All that's left is to substantiate the evidence."
With that said, Halara began walking to leave the room. Yuka hurriedly stowed her sketchbook and colored pencils into her bag. Brown, light orange, red—— disregarding the order that they were placed in—— they were tossed directly into the bottom of the box. She slammed the lid shut and ran after Halara.
"Please wait, Halara-san. Where are you going?"
"An investigation is built upon two fundamental factors. First of all, check the crime scene, next is?"
"Next, is it...... um, perhaps"
"Yes, I'm sure you know what I'm referring to." 
Halara came to a halt in a corridor with beautiful stucco walls. He/she turned to Yuka and, with a quick motion, held up two fingers. He/she curled their fingers from two to one as they gave their answer.
"It's collecting testimony."
***
"You're the detective appointed by the Master, is that right?...... Haa, quite the beautiful person...... Ah-, no, what happened at the time of the Madam's death, was it?"
"To be more precise, it's about the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body and how you were spending your time that night. I’d appreciate your cooperation."
The gardener narrowed his puffy eyes at Halara's statement. 
He was at a loss for words within the garden that was filled with the suffocating fragrance of roses. 
The gardener was a man in his fifties. He was dressed in a pair of trousers, shirt, and rubber apron suitable for tilling the soil, and the look on his face portrayed a gentle personality. At the same time, it seemed to reveal an innately timid nature. He carefully tucked the pruning shears he was using into his apron pocket. He then anxiously asked Halara.
"Does that mean, as in an alibi? Am I being accused of something?"
"We're going around and asking everyone! Thank you in advance for your cooperation!" 
Perhaps it would be better to keep him calm by speaking to him herself.
Yuka spoke cheerfully so. Halara said nothing. The gardener nodded upon hearing this. He still seemed nervous, but he opened his mouth. 
"Haa...... Well, I don't have anything to hide or be ashamed of, so I'll answer you. Please hurry and clear up any of the Madam's lingering regrets."
"Right! ...... oouugh, I'm moved to tears by those words. I guess your Madam must've surely held a great deal of care and compassion for her employees!"
"No, not at all."
"Eh-"
Yuka froze in her tracks at this.
Isn't the memory of the deceased something that everyone glorifies? Especially if they were killed. However, the gardener's deep wrinkles distorted, like scars chiseled into rock. With a firm voice, he continued.
"The only time the Madam was kind was when she dealt with her youngest daughter, who is now living in a dormitory...... She was strict with everyone else, and our nickname for her was the 'Empress of Ice'...... There was no such thing as kindness."
Halara narrowed their eyes at his words. He/she folded their arms thoughtfully. 
Halara asked with a hardened voice.
"So everyone could have a motive?"
"......Well I never said that. I dread to think who in the house might have stabbed her. Even if I had found her 'murdered'...... Honestly, I didn't think about why."
"...... By the sounds of it, you were the first one to discover the body?"
"Oh, that's right." The gardener nodded simply.
Yuka reflexively held her breath.
This is important information. As you know, Halara's power recreates the crime scene found by the 'first witness'. Not the 'culprit', not the 'victim' —— but that of the 'first witness'.
 In other words, the 'first witness' is excluded as the culprit. 
It's imperative to determine whether or not the vision seen by Halara really belongs to the gardener. But the ability to rule out one person from being a potential culprit altogether is incredibly valuable.
"I see, in that case......" 
Halara tried to ask the question, and Yuka immediately took out her sketchbook. This is where her 【Forte】 comes into play. Halara nodded upon seeing this. 
"That's a good call."
"Halara-san praised my judgment!?"
"So, when you opened the door......"
"Ignored without a beat!?"
"Was the victim leaning against it?"
"Yes...... I had a bad feeling, so the young lady and I kicked down the upstairs door...... I thought it was strangely heavy, but soon after I was shocked when I caught a glimpse of the corpse."
According to the gardener's report—— the moment he opened the door, the impact had apparently caused the Madam's corpse to fall over. Since he was sure that he heard the sound of something hitting the floor, they believed that nobody had opened the door before then. 
A doll's head had fallen on the other side of the corpse, so he went on to look at the Madam's bisque doll collection. Seeing such a disastrous scene was as horrifying —— if not worse —— as when he found the Madam's body. The eldest daughter then went over to the window and checked the lock. As she did so, she noticed the eldest son in the yard, unlocked it —— which the gardener was certain that he saw that it had been closed until just before —— and called out to him. 
Meanwhile the gardener had checked the Madam's pulse and was once again confronted by death.
"I don't have an alibi for the night. I spent the day organizing a plan for remodeling the garden in accommodation to the Madam's ever-increasing wishes. Goodness, it was a tremendous amount of diagrams to do...... But I didn't even go upstairs until 10 o'clock when we were scheduled to have a meeting."
"What is the proof of that?"
"Unfortunately, there is none."
"But, Halara-san. He doesn't seem like a culprit, does he?" 
Yuka remarked and showed a sketch she drew based on the gardener's testimony.
Halara narrowed their eyes. Etched on the drawing paper was the scene that the gardener saw when he opened the door. There, a picture nearly identical to the one Halara saw with 【Postcognition】 was sprawled out. Judging by the angle at which the door was opened, there was no doubt that he was the person from the 【Postcognition】—— the 'first witness'. 
Yuka's ability does not negate the possibility of false testimony, but it seemed like it would be impossible to match something like the angle of the door just by guessing. That much can almost certainly be said for sure.
Halara nodded. Facing the gardener, he/she said. 
"That is all. Much appreciated."
"Yes...... Well then, I best be going. However, I wonder what's to become this rose garden after the the Madam's passing? After having come this far in making it so magnificent, it may simply be left to wither away. Ahh, it's a shame...... Truly, it's such a shame."
If that’s the case, might as well just light it on fire I suppose.
The gardener muttered under his breath.
Yuka felt all the hairs on her body stand on end in fear. 
In the depths beneath the gardener's words lurked thick and murky darkness—— a profoundly dark glow —— swirling within. There was no limit to the depravity of these thoughts.
 Yuka pulled at Halara's sleeves, wondering if he could be the culprit. Halara ignored her and began walking. She'll be left behind at this rate. Yuka rushed to follow the figure as it moved away from the rose garden. Yuka cast a slight glance over her shoulder as she made her way towards the mansion.
The gardener stood as if buried among the roses. 
He opened and closed the gardening shears with a 'shing'.
***
In a luxurious study lined with glass bookshelves, 
a sharp and rigid clacking sound rang out.
"The circumstances at the time of discovery, and alibi, right?" 
The eldest daughter murmured while moving the chess pieces. 
This woman...... is ok, right? Yuka couldn't help but worry.
The eldest daughter was a beautiful figure, with glossy black hair and becoming amber eyes. You could say that she probably resembled her father before he became obese, considering the matching colors of their features. She was a beauty dressed in men's attire with short, boyishly styled hair. Yet unlike Halara, whose gender was completely neutral, her ample breasts filled out the front of her white button-up shirt.
She continued to stroke the pawn pieces with her fingers as she sat in a multifunctional armchair. 
"Do you really you suspect me, the Amnea Thompson?"
"......That board."
"Ahh, this? I was just doing a bit of solo play."
"It seems like you are not even aware of the proper way to move the chess pieces. Can you not play chess, by chance?"
"Don't go and call me an idiot already!"
"I didn't say that?"
Halara crossed their arms coldly.
The eldest daughter —— Amnea —— burst into tears in front of them. Apparently, Yuka thought, it seemed the only reason she was in front of the chessboard was simply to try and impress strangers. 
Amnea smashed the chess board with force, the pieces making a rattling sound as they flew away.
Then, Amnea proclaimed in an exaggeratedly tearful voice. 
"Damn it, you guys are trying to bully me too!"
"I-intense victim mentality."
"Whatever, I am an idiot anyway! I'm so empty-headed that there's not enough to go around! But I leave that kind of thing to the owner of this room, my brother Dalmatia. And yet, you say things like this and that...... Hmm, unforgivable! I'll beat you!"
"Stop it! I'll hit back!"
"I'mb sowwy!"
"So quick to repent!?" 
Yuka's eyes widened. Amnea held her head and trembled at the threat, crying softly. Halara murmured out a hum in response to the child-like reaction. 
"......Well, it would be ridiculous to try and go up against me with brute force."
"Did you say something, Halara-san?"
"Don't worry about it...... So, about our conversation." 
At that, Halara's eyes opened wide before soon narrowing them down. Hm? Yuka tilted her head. What might it be? It felt like Halara's expression had an added childishness to it that I'd never seen before. Following their gaze, Yuka noticed. 
"............ Ah-, a cat?"
Yuka quickly approached the fireplace, and Halara also came along without reproach.
 Yuka craned her neck, and when she looked into a wicker basket she saw a kitten wriggling and cooing. It looked just like a white furball. The kitten rolled over without a hint of grumpiness. An adorable pink paw was pointed at Halara, but without touching it, his/her expression softened faintly.
Yuka absent-mindedly asked. 
"Halara-san, do you like cats?"
"............ It's nothing we need to be talking about."
"No no no, I absolutely love it! After all, it is Halara-san you know? That sense of peacefulness that lights up in your eyes, isn't it?"
"What do you take me for?"
"What, that you're a cat lover? Why don't we talk about it!" 
Amnea exclaimed, her footsteps were loud as she got next to Halara. 
Amnea reached out her pale hand, to which the cat rubbed their face to be pampered. Amnea gave a sweet smile as her eyes narrowed with affection. She whispered through clenched teeth. 
"Since she's finally dead, I took in an unfortunate cat thinking I could care for it."
"Eh...... Your mother died and it hasn't even been resolved yet."
"Is that bad? I've always dreamed of having a cat since foooorever. I wasn't even allowed to talk about it out loud, ya know. It'd be the last thing I'd say. It was really hard for me to even leave the house...... so regardless of whether or not it's out of line, just leave me alone." 
Amnea whispered, her profile drooping like that of a wilted flower. Her eyes were moist with a profound sadness that was difficult to put into words. Yuka went silent, unsure of what to say.
Halara observed Amnea's expression before opening his/her mouth. 
"...... So then, would you mind telling us your story again?"
"Ahh, sure thing man. I've got nothin to be guilty about. I'll tell ya anything you wanna know." 
Amnea puffed out her chest as she spoke.
There was hardly any disparity between the story of the eldest daughter, Amnea, and the gardener's testimony. She only added more details about the situation when she called out to the eldest son. Yuka's sketchbook depicted a young man looking up toward the second floor from a rose garden. He's slender and quite handsome. His black hair and amber eyes resembled that of Amnea and their father. Yuka stared at it, pondering the possibility.
"Are you and your brother twins?"
"Yep, you nailed it. Technically, I'm supposed to be the older sister, but we are twins. I'm on good terms with Dalmatia...... who, unlike me, has the lion's share of smarts." 
Amnea laughed frankly at saying that. The carefree expression on her face invokes a genuine feeling of familiarity. Yuka thought of how nice it would be to have a twin. 
At that, Halara wordlessly raised an arm, and Amnea snapped to attention with her back straightened.
"Yii-!"
"Why"
"......I've got most of it. Let's get going." 
Halara said and began walking. What the hellll, that guy was a bastard to the end, Amnea said to the kitten. The white furball responded with a mewmew. It had heart shaped ears. The pointed tip of its heart-shaped nose twitched with a snort. The sound made Halara stop in their tracks.
With his/her back to Amnea, they inquired. 
"Just to be sure, I'd like to ask you something...... If something were to happen to you, do you have any guarantee of where the little one will go?"
"Don't be stupid! As a cat lover, of course I've decided on it! If something happens to me, my friend will take good care of it."
"......I see, alright then."
A sense of relief.
With that said, Halara exited the room. He/she also spoke to the chef and the maid. However, it resulted in nothing noteworthy there. Both men claimed to have been working at the time of the incident, had no alibis, and had not even seen the body. Mister Richard had spoken about his suspicion about the chef, but there did not seem to be any particular pieces of evidence to support this. 
Hearing all they needed to, Halara nodded and returned to the crime scene. Inside the room, the headless dolls were silent like statues of death. At the center of their blue-eyed gaze, Halara said.
"I’ve figured out the method behind the creation of the locked room."
***
"Well, saying that I figured it out isn't quite accurate...... because we already had the answer as soon as we checked the crime scene."
"A-amazing! Is that even possible!?"
"Of course it is. The person before you is Halara Nightmare. Something such as this is not even a problem." 
Halara answered smoothly. Their eyes held no hint of a bluff, but rather a sharp confidence that gleamed like a sword's edge. It was a star-like light, befitting of a detective. 
Yuka clenched her fist. Sure enough, just as expected of Halara-san.
He/she tilted their head in turn. 
"Or rather. I think we're in the foundational basics at this point. Did you really not even notice?"
"Ngh-, I- I'm a trainee detective, so"
"Even as a trainee, you need to realize that above all else you still wear the title of detective."
"U-oughh...... I didn't notice at all, so please explain it to me." 
Yuka folded easily. She knew that she wouldn't get anywhere even if she wracked her brain about it. Halara let out a sigh and shook their head before he/she opened their mouth to speak.
"Haa...... First, let's discuss the matter of 'why were the dolls destroyed?'. There must be a reason for why the culprit would destroy them. There is also a reason behind the fact that the head of one of the dolls had rolled into a position that was immediately visible upon opening the door."
"Why is that?" 
Yuka asked while looking at the heads that were now pressed against the wall. The reflections in their glass eyes gave the impression of being wet. That chilling glow seemed to evoke hatred for the murdered. Yuka wondered, why had the dolls' heads been ripped off and rolled away? 
Halara offered an explanation.
"It's 'to draw attention to the dolls'."
"To the dolls."
"This will also answer the 'traces of soot marks on the floor after opening the locked room' question. The room was indeed a locked room at the time of the crime. If that's the case, then how did the killer escape?"
"Yeah, that's the issue......"
"They didn't escape. They were hiding halfway up the chimney leading from the fireplace."
Yuka's mouth suddenly opened.
So that's it. The far end of the chimney was blocked off with a net. The room cannot be entered or exited from there. However, it is possible to hide halfway up. 
The rest is simple.
The eyewitnesses who found the doll's head were partly compelled to pay attention to the destruction caused to the bisque doll collection. While their attention was focused on that, the killer was able to slip out of the fireplace and escape. They would then nonchalantly join up later as if nothing happened.
In that case, Yuka declared.
"I- I see! That would mean that the eldest daughter Amnea-san, who was with the gardener during the initial discovery, and the eldest son Dalmatia-san, who was in the garden, can be ruled out from the list of possible suspects!"
"...... I'd hoped that you wouldn't say something so boring."
"Eh-!?"
"Behind the creation of every locked room is a purpose for its existence. It is those who are not deemed potential culprits that raise suspicion here. It's safe to say that the maid and the cook can be ruled out." 
Halara explained calmly. Uughh, Yuka thought, feeling as if she wanted to cry. 
At the same time, an image came to mind of the gardener murmuring ominously, his shears moving with a 'shing, shing'. Shifting in and out of view, treacherous thoughts were obscured by the parallax within his thicket of words.
Impulsively, Yuka raised her voice. 
"Understood! It was the gardener then."
"Didn't you believe in my 【postcognition】 and your 【sketch】 from the bottom of your heart?"
"Oh- oh yeah...... so then, who?" 
Yuka asked, on the verge of tears. Halara once again let out a sigh. However, they detached their sagacious gaze from Yuka to cast it into space. Halara muttered in contemplation.
"Since they were in the fireplace when the door was opened by the first witness, the culprit was excluded from being with the first person to discover it.... along with the eldest daughter Amnea."
"In that case then, the eldest son, Dalmatia-san? Huh...... but, Amnea-san saw Dalmatia-san in the garden......"
"It's only logical to assume that couldn't possibly be true. Given that Amnea is not the first witness...... it is plausible that she could be a perpetrator. In short, the murderer is Dalmatia, and Amnea is involved as an accomplice through giving false testimony."
I see, Yuka energetically bounced up and down in excitement.
Now the mystery was all but solved.
That should be it.
That is, until Halara opened their mouth to continue.
It was then that the door swung open. A low, beautiful voice began to flow through.
"Oh my, have I been noticed?"
"Y- you're......" 
Yuka's voice couldn't help but tremble.
A slender human bowed gracefully before them, announcing their name with grandeur.
"Salutations, I am Dalmatia Thomson. My father's favorite 【Master Detective】 had finally arrived, and when I came to extend my greetings...... it seems I was exposed before the reconnaissance." 
Murmured a man styled in a distinctive black and white suit. He had black hair and amber-colored eyes. A beautiful young man, just as Yuka depicted in her sketch. His sophisticated and intellectual impression was even stronger when I saw it in person. Shaking his head, the eldest son —— Dalmatia —— forced out in a strained voice.
"Nothing that can be done once it's been found out. Just as you've deduced......I am the one who killed my mother. It's too late to be making any excuses now, I......"
"Why"
"That's what I'll be trying to tell you right now." Dalmatia shrugged off Halara's question as if in inconvenience and shook his head in exasperation. Halara did not care for these theatrical gestures, however. Indifferent, he/she continued questioning.
"Why, are you telling such lies?"
***
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
The two voices overlapped.
The voices of Yuka and Dalmatia.
What are they talking about, Yuka wondered. Wasn't it none other than Halara themself who presented this deduction just a moment ago! Yet at the same time, Yuka began to realize.
It was clear that Halara was trying to go somewhere with this.
He/she spoke in a dry tone. 
"As I just told you before. This stuff is way too basic. It's not even a question. That being the case, there must also be a purpose behind creating a 'locked room meant to be breached'."
"Is...... is it"
"In other words, the problem itself is a trick that assumes the presence of my 【postcognition】." 
Halara asserted.
And so the mystery continues.
Yuka suddenly found herself in a daydream —— standing on a stage where the spotlights focused solely on Halara Nightmare —— only on the person whose beautifully pale complexion was brilliantly illuminated.
Halara continued to seize control of the scene with overwhelming charisma.
As the leading role (detective), he/she told the supporting cast. 
"As told by the client. 'I used to tell my family all about Halara-san', in addition to his habit of running his mouth too fast and blurting everything out. The family had plenty of opportunities to learn the details about my 【postcognition】 if that's the case."
"Which, I'm sure probably happened......"
"Therefore, the task was carried out with the anticipation that the traces of soot would be revealed during the use of 【postcognition】...... There's a lot of strange things going on otherwise."
"Wh- what's so strange?" 
Dalmatia asked with a trembling voice. He glared at Halara with a glint. However, the spotlight remained fixed, continuing to shine only above Halara's head.
He/she responded smoothly.
"First of all, there'd normally be no point in making the victim take sleeping pills. She was —— as one could surmise from the way she was staring at the camera and her lack of focus —— a petite woman with poor eyesight."
"Ah-"
"Anything could've been done to exploit her weaknesses. It would be much more sensible to kill her that way and make it look like the work of a burglar rather than going through the trouble of a locked room. And yet, it was by putting the sleeping pills in the pitcher that the culprit was quickly narrowed down to those involved."
I-indeed, Yuka nodded. That's certainly true. 
Even the initial police investigation limited the culprit to those involved because of that water pitcher. There was no point in setting such a thing up since the victim was a delicate woman who could easily be killed.
Furthermore, Halara continued. 
"Also, although I was promptly called in at the request of the victim's family in this case, police analysis should have originally confirmed that the soot on the floor was from the fireplace. Moreover, it's highly likely that subsequent investigations would reveal the false testimony. And the reason I took the time and effort was because I knew from the beginning that the client would let me solve the mystery —— thus." 
Halara fixed their gaze on Dalmatia. He flinched and clutched his chest while being pierced by their sharp gaze. It was as if he'd been stabbed through the heart. It was there that Halara pushed their verbal blade even further in.
"To become officially identified as the culprit by a Master Detective certified by the World Detective Organization. That was precisely your goal. Once the Master Detective identifies the culprit, the investigation will be closed at that point."
In other words, there’s another culprit.
Halara asserted definitively. Yuka was speechless. What kind of criminal would try to use 【Master Detectives】 for such a purpose? Still, though, Yuka thought. Despite her worry, she opened her mouth.
"But, Halara-san...... isn't it strange?"
"What part?"
—————————————————————
Notes:
There's a part that's describing the gardener's words as 見え隠れ(miegakure), which is a gardening technique that keeps parts of a garden hidden depending on where you're standing, and only becomes visible as you walk through. Closest thing I could compare it to was parallax, but in order to fit the gardening pun I added 'thicket' as a descriptor to try to reflect that.
While I tried to add honorifics, Halara and Yuka sometimes use a -shi honorific for Richard. I don’t know if people are generally familiar with it, so I just replaced it with Mister
Amnea speaks in a very masculine manner, so when I put stuff like ‘man’ and ‘guy’, it’s in a non-gendered dudebro kind of way.
58 notes · View notes
olderthannetfic · 1 year
Note
I went scrolling through anti ao3 tags and blogs because I was bored and not doing the shit I need to do and you know for a group of people who every year twice a year throw such hissy fits you’d think they’d at least have a point, but all their arguments make no sense(except their one main one that they almost never use?--why??) Like ok, there is one argument for why people shouldn’t give money to ao3, and that is the argument that ao3 is bad website because it has bad policies and refuses to moderate. I disagree, but ultimately if someone thinks that ao3 should update the TOS and moderate what fan fiction they allow, it makes sense that that person would be against the site making money because… well they are against the sites founding principles, I’m not shocked they don’t want it to succeed.
But the rest of the arguments!? Man they make no sense at all
“They are scamming you there is no way they need that much money”, ”its immoral to give money to ao3 because they already have so much!”, “Even if ao3 was perfect, its ridicuslous to give 100K to a fan fiction site!” — like… maybe I’m the asshole here, but ao3 made about 250,000 this spring, so they make about 500,000 a year… that’s just not that much money! That could what, pay for 10-30 employees at best! And that’s not counting the actual cost of all the shit they currently spend their money on! I get that ao3 is run by unpaid volunteers so antis think that 500K is a lot, but that’s not true! That’s not a lot of money at all! It might be a lot of money for an individual but for a company that’s practically pennies. Wikipedia, which granted is a lot bigger than ao3, with 57,218,269 pages to ao3s 6 million works, makes 155 million to ao3 500,000. According to antis ao3 has over a million in reserve and well according to wikipedia they have net assets of US$240 million. One is clearly more than the other!
I saw someone say that servers should be 1K, which is so stupid and out of touch with eveything I almost died laughing. I had a project using firebase this semester, I created 2 projects within firebase one for my school project and one to dick around and figure out. I accidentally set my test database to a “pay as you go” version instead of a free version. And almost had to pay a thousand dollars for the month! I wasn’t even using that database it was just sitting there but I check my google billing to make sure I wasn’t paying anything and it turns out I was! 150 dollars actually so that sucks! (My fault though)
Also also I keep seeing that its ridiculous and evil to pay the much for a site that “doesn’t improve” but the “doesn’t improve” is referring to A) no changes in TOS, which I don’t want to happen any way so good. B) the fact that it’s still in beta, which I don’t give a fuck about and I don’t understand why I should care. I think antis are dont like that the layout hasn’t changed but I don’t want to the layout to change. Also things come out of beta because they are a commercial product to be sold(this is very simplified), which is why some things come out of beta to waaaay to early and are glitchy as all hell! Ao3 isn’t being sold to me its slowly being built and archiving things that would probably be lost, and it will probably technically be in beta forever, but it doesn't effect me and I don't care. Would it be better if it came out of beta only to continously updated like a lot other shit does. I don't really play video games but I know ppl that do so I know at least once a game came out that didn't really work and people needed to later update shit for it to function and I'd argue thats worse than a functional website just being in beta forever. C) The claim that it hasn’t changed at all, which is just not true! They added the exclude section and eventually added the blocking shit. The blocking took too long to come out, so I guess in this sea of dumb criticism theres at least 1 piece of critism that makes sense. And finally again I don’t want it to change! Every other week we are all bitching that Tumblr or YouTube or Instagram or any other app are needlessly changing the layout or adding shit we don’t want in order to keep up with latest trends, make it more marketable or try and attracted new users. Ao3 is great because its never going to change. Ao3 and Craigslist will always kinda look like ass and I’m ok with that. If it aint broke ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I could keep going but there is no point. I just think they are all so stupid.
--
The thing about beta is the funniest because AO3, like oldschool shit from the 90s, has actual criteria for coming out of beta.
It's not "we've been going for 10 years" or "we want to sell the product": it's "we've checked off all the things on this checklist".
And they still haven't done them all, so it's still in beta.
280 notes · View notes
aemondgirlfriend · 9 months
Text
INVISIBLE STRINGS (1)
Aemond Targaryen x Twin Sister (OC)
summary: Aemond Targaryen was known as a cold, cruel and frightening prince, but he wasn't like that. Aemond was affectionate, intelligent, obedient and loved his family, but mostly her. Alysanne Targaryen is Aemond's twin sister, but with a different appearance. She had hair like her mother Alicent's, but her eyes were the violet of Old Valyria, the blood of the dragon running through her veins. Aemond Targaryen was cold, cruel and frightening, but not with her. What Alysanne wanted, he did. Because it was always her and always will be.
Tumblr media
Rating: Explicit/+18 MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!
Warning: Violence and explicit NSFW, third-person POV, bad language, angst, fluff, smut (unprotected sex, oral (giving and receiving), use of fingers)
English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes. This is the first story I've posted on tumblr, so please take it easy on me.
If you want to be tagged in the next chapters let me know!
Word Count: 3.1k
Tumblr media
Alysanne run on her small legs to the dragon pit, her nephews and Aegon had said that Aemond was there, and indeed he was, but not in the safe part. She stopped in front of the descent of the pit where the dragons were and tried to control her breathing, as she was panting. The little girl took a deep breath and went down, leaning against a wall and seeing her brother walking to one of the dragons, to Dreamfyre, to be more specific. Alysanne ran to her brother and stopped when the big blue dragon noticed the presence of the twins, she stood up and roared, making Aly grab her brother's arms.
"What are you doing here? It will ruin everything!" he murmured, letting go of her arm "You weren't supposed to come here."
"And you too!" she stamped her foot on the floor. "Mother will kill you."
"If I just get a dragon, it'll be worth it."
Alysanne opened her mouth but nothing came out, she widened her violet eyes and pulled her brother to the ground just as she realized that Dreamfyre was about to burn them both alive. The girl gave a small cry of fright and Aemond threw himself on top of her in an attempt to protect her. One of the pit masters heard the Dragon's roar and swooped down, finding the twins on the ground, their faces smeared with gunpowder. He wet his lips and took the two children out of there, taking their arms and leading them to the Queen who was entertained with Helaena.
"If you'd died, they'd blame us." the guard murmured, letting go of Alysanne's arm and entering the room, Alicent when she saw the state of her son, she got up from the floor and went to him, holding his arms.
"What was your mind? You could have died!"
The queen fumed with concern in her voice, Helaena just shook her head and went back to entertaining herself with the caterpillar that was in her hand. Alysanne tried to hide behind her brother, in an attempt to go unnoticed by her mother. Alicent pushed Aemond aside, seeing a dirty, guilt-ridden Alysanne.
"You guys have been a lot of work lately." Alicent ran her hand over her daughter's hair, smoothing the wavy strands "What were they doing in the pit?"
"I was with Aegon, Lucerys, and Jace training in dragon taming." Aemond said quietly "But... they played a bad joke with me."
"What..."
"They brought me a pig with wings saying it was my dragon." Aemond looked down, sniffling his nose "I didn't want to disobey and go there, but I got upset and..."
"Aemond, you can't keep putting your life on the line just because you don't have a dragon, and neither can you, Alysanne." the girl lowered her gaze. Alicent approached the two and held their chins gently "You're going to have a dragon someday."
"He'll have to lose an eye." - Helaena murmured only to her.
"And you can show them you're worthy of having one." the Queen said firmly, a beautiful smile lit up Alysanne's face, while Aemond was still upset.
Alicent pulled them both into a hug and kissed the tops of their heads, sighing and closing her eyes.
Tumblr media
Alysanne clutched her mother's waist as Vaemond Velaryon dictated his words at Laena Velaryon's wake, making it clear that she was of true Velaryon blood. Laena, daughter of Rhaenys and Corlys Velaryon, wife of Daemon Targaryen and mother of Baela and Rhaena, had died trying to give birth to her third child, Daemon had said that she begged Vhagar to kill her, and she did.
Alysanne hated funerals, she couldn't accept that people she cared about suddenly died, and she liked Laena. Aemond turned his eyes towards Rhaenyra and glared at his nephews, the memories of what they had done to him days ago still in his head, he sighed and took his twin sister's hand. Laena's coffin was finally thrown overboard at her home.
The entire family made their way inside the castle, Rhaenyra's children and Daemon's twins standing together, while Alicent's children chatted in a corner. Helaena, as always, played with the little insects, and Alysanne was by her side listening to the curiosities that her sister told about them.
"We should take Alysanne away from Helaena, she'll end up being weird like her." Aegon grumbled, drinking the wine in his cup, taking a pinch from Aemond "Ouch! Why did it?"
"Don't talk about our sisters that way, don't forget that she will be your wife."
Aegon rolled his eyes and grabbed another goblet of wine.
"If I could choose, I wouldn't marry her, not because she's weird, but because I only see her as my sister. This marrying a familiar thing is still weird to me."
It was the first time that Aemond had heard Aegon say something about the incest of the Targaryen house, he also did not agree with that, but if he was ordered to marry one of his relatives, he would do so. Aemond will always do his duty.
"I would marry her if mama let me, Helaena if would make a good wife." Aemond said firmly "But I would also marry Aly."
"She's your twin, don't you think that's weird?"�� Aegon asked and Aemond shrugged.
"If her mother and father ever promise her to me, I'll do my duty and be an excellent husband, just as she would be a good wife." his eyes shone when looking at Alysanne, he loved her sister and would make her happy, he was sure of that.
Aegon rolled his eyes and drank all of his wine, moving away to get more. Aemond noticed that his nephews were downcast, probably because of Laena, but also because of Harwin Strong, he had died and the boys could not attend his funeral. Aemond does not talk about it, but he knows that Laenor Velaryon was not the father of the boys, not only he but everyone knew, but the King was keen to deny it with Rhaenyra. He thought about going over to his nephews but just smiled at Jace who smiled back. The prince looked up as soon as he heard a monstrous roar and smiled, his eyes shining, it was Vhagar.
The night had arrived and Aemond couldn't sleep a wink, he got up and went to the bedroom window, watching from afar Vhagar lying on the sand while resting. A dangerous idea had popped into the prince's head, so he slipped out of his room and headed for Alysanne's, waking his sister carefully so she wouldn't startle.
"Aemond?" she rubbed her eye and yawned "What..."
"I will tame Vhagar."
Alysanne widened her eyes and shook her head in denial.
"This is crazy, she's going to kill you!"
"I know all the commands in Valyrian, I might be able to. Please, you need to help me."
The princess swallowed hard and bit her lip nervously, giving up. She rose from her bed and stood in front of Aemond, shaking her head.
"Fine, I'll cover you." Aemond smiled and hugged his sister, kissing her cheek "But promise me you won't leave me."
"I can't promise that."
"Promise!"
Aemond took a deep breath and nodded.
"I promise not leave you."
Alysanne understood and took Aemond's hand, walking with him out of the castle, around the guards. She followed him along the beach, hiding behind a rock so that he wouldn't disturb his brother in his probable conquest. She bit her lip nervously with each step her brother took towards the massive dragon, and bit back a cry when she saw Vhagar lift his head at him. She bit her fingernails nervously and swallowed hard as she saw Vhagar open his mouth to his brother, about to burn him. Her eyes quickly filled with tears at the thought of losing her brother and being at fault for it, but her eyes lit up as she saw her mouth close and her brother raise his hand. He had done it.
Aemond climbed onto Vhagar with a little difficulty due to the dragon's size, and almost fell when she swung the sand from her scales. Alysanne broke into a huge smile as the dragon began to move, and squealed in delight as she flew with Aemond. The prince was overjoyed, he had finally got his dragon, and the biggest and oldest of them all. Tears streamed down the girl's face, happy for her brother, but sad that now she was the only one without one. She dried her tears and ran into the castle again, staying hidden until her brother returned.
Alysanne had dozed off because of the delay, and woke up when she heard screaming. The princess got up quickly and ran when she saw Baela punch her brother, she pulled her cousin by her nightgown and threw her on the ground, being thrown next by Rhaena. She got up and pushed Rhaena, Baela attacked her too, Aemond threw sand in Baela's face and Jace and Luke attacked him. It was all very fast. Alysanne punched Rhaena's face and then regretted it, kneeling beside her cousin and apologizing, Rhaena knew that she had only done that to protect her brother and said that everything was fine. Alysanne heard Luke scream and turned around only to see Aemond holding him by the neck, she ran to her brother but Jace grabbed her arms and stopped her from going to him, Alysanne slapped her face, which made the dagger that was in her pocket of Jace fell to the floor.
She tried to get up but Jace pushed her to the ground again, turning to Aemond who had a rock in his hand.
"You will die like your father did, Strongs."
"Aemond!" she shouted in rebuke.
Aemond realized he had been talking nonsense and lowered his arm, but before he could say anything, Luke grabbed his brother's dagger and slashed at Aemond's face. Alysanne screamed in fright and jumped on top of Lucerys, Baela and Rhaena, scared, tried to pull the girl off the youngest, both knowing that she had done it on impulse. Aemond's screams echoed throughout the pit, drawing in the guards who were unaware of what was happening. Alysanne cried in despair watching the blood run down her face and skin.
Alysanne had her hand laced with Aemond's as the maester finished stitching her face. The prince had traces of blood and tears on his face, and the princess couldn't stop crying, she was scared and feeling guilty, she shouldn't have let him go to Vhagar.
The door to the room slammed open, and Rhaenyra walked past it with Daemon to her children, asking what had happened.
“Her son attacked Aemond. Look at him!” Alicent shouted, squeezing Aemond's hand “Where is the father of your children? Having fun around the castle I believe.”
“Laenor went for a walk as did I.” Rhaenyra explained, everyone knowing she was lying “I didn't see him come back.”
Alicent laughed in disbelief and her lips trembled, looking at her son.
“The eye has been completely lost, my queen.” the maester said, making Alicent cover her mouth in shock, Alysanne started crying again and Aemond closed the only eye he had left.
Viserys finally approached, standing in the middle of the room, looking at everyone.
"I demand to know what happened." he went to Aemond who stared at him with hatred in his eyes “Tell your King what happened.”
Your King, not your father.
“They attacked me in the pit.” Aemond growled.
“Speak loudly”
“They attacked me in the pit.” he shouted “I was returning from the beach and they attacked me, all of them.”
“That's a lie!” Rhaena screamed.
“Baela punched him.” Alysanne got up and shouted too, a discussion between the children was started.
“Enough!” Viserys shouted, making them all fall silent “The reason for the fight, I want to know what it was.”
“Rhaena said Vhagar was rightfully hers, and that's not true.” Alysanne argued “Dragon is not present, you conquer if he lets you, and Vhagar let Aemond climb it.”
"She was my mother's!" Baela took a step forward.
“She is dead!” Aly shouted, making Rhaenys squint her eyes “Vhagar wasn't hers, it was Visenya's and even so she managed. Vhagar was knightless and Aemond claimed her.”
"My son lost an eye because of this?" Alicent whispered.
“He insulted us.” Jace broke the silence “He called us bastards.”
Aemond smirked and Alysanne glared at him. Rhaenyra swallowed and squeezed her children's hands.
“I demand that Prince Aemond be questioned on such charges, my King. Father.” Rhaenyra demanded, everyone knew what kind of question she was suggesting.
"Over an insult?" - Alicent said in disbelief “My son lost an eye!”
Viserys narrowed his eyes in annoyance and gripped Aemond's chin tightly, causing him to glare.
“Who made such accusations to you, Aemond” silence. Alicent swallowed hard, her breathing uneven. “Answer me!” he screamed.
“It was me.” Alysanne placed herself in front of Aemond. Alicent stared at her daughter, Aegon, Helaena and Aemond looking shocked at their sister “I called them bastards first, Aemond just repeated. Punish me, not him.”
Viserys sighed and looked down, he wouldn't fight his daughter, his girl, but that for him was unacceptable.
“Why?” He asked.
The girl looked up and stared at Rhaenyra's children, her gaze moving to her older sister next.
“Just look at them” she whispered “No Velaryon or Targaryen have hair so dark.”
“You have!” Jace yelled.
“My eyes at least are like Valyria's.” Alysanne snapped “You have nothing but Rhaenyra's blood.”
The room was completely silent, everyone shocked by the audacity of the princess who only had twelve days of her name.
“If anyone here or anywhere questions the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children, they will have their tongues ripped out.” he looked at Alysanne “This matter ends here.”
Alicent looked at her son, a tear running down her cheek as she saw the stitching in his eye and the frightened look in his eyes.
“That's not enough.” she snapped “He is your son, Viserys. Your blood.”
"What do you want me to do, wife?"
Alicent stared at him, another tear streaming down her cheek.
“There is a debt to be pay.”
Viserys looked startled at his wife and Rhaenyra tucked Lucerys behind her, protecting him.
“Sir Criston.” she glared at her guard her Criston Cole “bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon.”
Everyone was shocked by the queen's order, even Aemond and his brothers. Lucerys clutched the skirt of his mother's dress in alarm. Alysanne felt her head spin and leaned back against the chair where her brother was sitting. He looked at the girl worriedly, and at the same time Alicent took Viserys's dagger and went to Rhaenyra's direction. Alysanne fainted, the maester catching her body before she hit the floor, chaos ensuing in the room.
As Aegon knelt beside his sister, Aemond went to his mother who had turned away from Rhaenyra, slitting her wrist. He claimed to everyone that everything was fine, as he had lost his eye but gained a dragon.
That night everything changed. Aemond no longer spoke to his nephews and cousins, as well as his brothers. He was crying and in pain and not sleeping, not wanting anyone near him but Alysanne. Every day the girl wiped her face with the maester, she was always there with him. She read to him, stole lemon pie from the kitchen for him, studied Valyrian and about Valyrian with him. She did everything with him.
And it was like that over the years. Today, Aemond and Alysanne are nineteen years old, and nothing between them has changed beyond their coming of age. The prince now knew how to deal with the lack of an eyeball and the whispers about his disability, even if it bothered him, he learned to deal with it. He fought and studied, he was a competent, strong and intelligent prince, he was one of the best swordsmen in Kingslanding, always winning in training. Alysanne, on the other hand, accompanied her mother and sister. She did embroidery, tried on dresses and rejected marriage proposals. Her life was boring, that's what she thought. She wanted to be like Aemond, she wanted to learn to use a sword, she wanted to learn to fight, but she was never allowed to. That's why Aemond gave her secret lessons, teaching her how to handle a sword and how to defend herself, he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but it was what she wanted, and what Alysanne wanted Aemond to do.
"Who was it?" Aemond entered his sister's room and kissed her forehead, laughing when he saw her sulking face.
“A Lord Tully. Seriously, he must be in his sixties.” she crossed her arms and a pout formed on her lips “I don't want to get married.”
“You don't have much of a choice, ñuha zaldrīzes. (my dragon)” he said putting a brown lock of her hair behind her ear “just like I don't have either.”
"But at least your suitors are pretty, the only handsome one who wanted to marry me was Cregan Stark." Aemond rolled his eye “Don't roll your eyes, he's really handsome.”
“Whatever.” he grumbled “Just keep stalling and denying it, it's better that way.”
Alysanne huffed and slouched back in the chair, her hair and dress becoming untidy, drawing a smile from Aemond.
"Getting pointy isn't going to change anything."
“Why don't you go take a walk in?” she muttered angrily “I want out, Aemond. I'm supposed to be going after Cannibal, not sitting here embroidering and reading letters from disgusting old men.”
Aemond smiled weakly and took his sister's hand, kissing her fingers and stroking her hand with his thumb.
“Someday you'll be able to claim Cannibal, you just need patience. If I could tame Vhagar, so can you.” he got up and kissed her forehead, messing up her hair even more “Get ready, mom is calling for dinner.”
Alysanne snorted and continued in the same position, hugging the pillow that was in her lap.
"Or I could send a raven to Lord Tully and have him come here to fetch you to dinner, that would be interesting, don't you think?"
The princess took the pillow and threw it towards her brother who quickly closed the door while laughing, her smile soon faded when she saw two servants staring at him. He walked past them and scowled again. It was always like this. While he was alone or with other people, Aemond was closed off and fearful. But when he was with his sister it seemed like his life lit up as the smile never left his face.
Because it was always her.
109 notes · View notes
satrs · 9 months
Text
𝘎𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦? Part 1! // 2°
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ; How they ask you out + where your first date would be!
ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ; Karasu Tabito. Shidou Ryusei. Itoshi Rin.
ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ; 0.9k
TAGS; fluffff. kissing. hand holding.
ALL CHARACTERS ARE 18+(proplayers)!
Tumblr media
KARASU TABITO
He had everything planned, from the way he would walk up to you to the tone of his voice when he asks you out, up till the date he had planned for you. So first he will meet you, like the both of you usually did on weekends. Then he'll do a bit of small talk, leading up to some jokes, and then he'll shoot his shot. Easy.
"Didn't you say you have a date today? What happened to that?" A sly smirk adored his features, causing you to roll your eyes sarcastically. "Still do. And you know who?-" You seated yourself closer to him, smirk plastered on your face. "Is it me?"
The both of you usually flirted with each other in a joking manner but this? No, he couldn't do that right now. His change in demeanor made you warry, guilty about your statement. But before you could withdraw your words, he quickly answered. "Yes you. So, are you down?" It was your turn to be flustered, realizing that he really meant those words. "Alright. But you gotta'-" "Take you out? That's what I planned to do."
.・゜゜・
You were quite impressed by his choice. It was kind of classy and cliché, but, you liked it. "It's the best town." You chuckled at his words. He is clearly trying to impress you. "I know. A bit kitschy, but I like it."
As the both of you went out of the restaurant after the nice meal you had, he is momentarily looking at you before averting his gaze, lightly biting his bottom lip. You noticed his behavior, quick to question him about it with a teasing undertone. “Oh it’s nothing. I was just wondering what I get after this bomb date.”
“Oh? So what did you have in mind?” He was quick to answer your question, “Well maybeee a-“ but before he could continue, you shut him up with a light peak to his lips, leaving him completely dumbfounded, the confident mask now crumbling as he wordlessly starred right ahead. “-kiss.”
SHIDOU RYUSEI
This man did not know how to ask, and did actually not plan to. In his mind, it was actually pretty obvious that the both of you were dating, and you must think so too. Right?
Shit, you don't. Wellll then he needs to roll up his sleeves and properly ask you out because, yo. He wants you! So what's the best way to do so? Exactly, straight up bluntly ask you!
you both were out in town just hanging around as you noticed Shidou intensely looking at you with his brows furrowing and eyes slitting in concentration. He seemed to be in deep thought. "What's up Ryusei?"
"Let's date." You were a bit taken aback, but chuckled at his bluntness and actually agreed. He was jumping and screaming out of joy, trying his best contain the desire to just kiss you on the spot.
.・゜゜・
The date he invited you to was improvised because he literally grabbed your hand after you agreed and pulled you after him, strolling through the city until he saw an amusement park, light in his eyes turning bright. "Bingo!"
It was an eventful and also really humorous date, which ended with Shidou turning slightly red when you gave him a peak on his cheek. He pouted and pointed at his lips, begging for you to kiss him on there- to no avail. “Shut up, and maybe you’ll get one next time.”
His eyes lit up at that. “Wait, really?” His words caused a smile to creep up your face, turning on your heels to head off home. “We’ll see.”
He looked after you with love struck eyes, causing passerby’s to chuckle at him, to which he didn’t spare a single mind to.
Being honest, he couldn't complain. A cheek kiss will do too. For today, that is. And as you said, maybe he'll get his kiss on your next date.
ITOSHI RIN
The only possible idea that came to his mind was asking you over the phone. It would be simple, and he could be more confident, and it wouldn't be as awkward as in person. Oh, boy was he wrong.
The long silence caused him to grow anxious and he slowly but surely regretted his decision. "Y/N? I'm sorry I just babbled nonsense-"
"Nonono, Rin. I'm just- I would love to, really." It was now him who grew silent, trying to process what you just said. "Rin? I-If you changed your mind it's-" His eyes grew wide at your words, voice quickly raising, causing you to slightly flinch away from the phone with a chuckle. "No! No, I'm just - happy. That's all."
.・゜゜・
He wanted this to be perfect, it's the first date and also your first impression of him too. He had to pick a place that wouldn't be too awkward, maybe somewhere the both of you already went to as friends.
"The new horror movie? Oh my god, Rin. I wanted to watch this forever!" A small smile creeped up his lips as he saw your reaction as the both of you stood before the cinema, relieved that you liked his idea.
As the both of you watched the movie, his eyes sometimes flickered to you, wanting to do something, but not sure of how to do so. His fingers tried to sneak to yours, but quickly inched back, adjusting in his seat so you wouldn't notice his intention.
But your attention was now fixated on him, noticing how his hand was kind of awkwardly sitting on your side of the armrest. Your light chuckle made him turn into your direction, a tint of red soon adoring his cheeks as he felt your hand slowly taking his, fingers intertwining.
There's no way he'll let go of your hand during this movie. Or even afterwards.
Tumblr media
©︎𝐊-𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐒. all rights reserved. Do NOT plagiarize, copy, modify, republish, or translate my work in any way!
146 notes · View notes
somebodystoleme · 2 years
Text
as the night drifted away | osamu x reader
part 1: you know when it’s time to go | miya atsumu x reader
summary: atsumu thinks back to you while you move on way too fast from him.
w.c: 1,009
a/n: trust me this is just pent up aggression from my ex, also ty sm for all the reblogs and notes last post!! i appreciate it! i will probably re-write this one day. but this is just plain thoughts about love. also making a tags list so lemme know if u would like to join.
warnings: cheating, angst to happy-ending
Tumblr media
and i'm sitting on a bench in coney island wondering where did my baby go? the fast times, the bright lights, the merry go sorry for not making you my centerfold
atsumu spends his time sitting on a bench, trying not to cry. which is rich coming from him because he states he never cries. he misses you more than you think. he should be heading home to aurora to listen to her complain about something new she's going through. but he can't bring himself to get off this bench. you used to force him to sit on the bench and watch the stars. he realises now how stupid you must have felt. when everything went down.
he hasn't seen you anymore since you both graduated college. osamu, the only person from college who you insist on talking to, says you're doing well actually. osamu only talks about you, as if we all are still in high school again.
"didya know that y/n got accepted to med school?"
"they apparently got invited to model for some small time company!"
"y/n and kenma started playing video games together."
and he couldn't help but to think that this is his way of punishing him for taking y/n away from him, so many years ago.
y/n's hot pink converse place a little mud each step as you walks to the door and the more steps you take the more freaked out you get. a whole new school and everything. "it's going to fun! c'mon home economics is like, the easiest class alive." aurora stated so matter-of-fact "i know, but-" when aurora opens the wooden door to the classroom, you make eye contact, with a boy of course. but he just kept staring as you walked in. and you couldn't help but stare right back. everyone already had a spot and there was one seat right by him and another by a blonde boy who looked all too well similar to other boy. aurora quickly took the spot by the blonde boy and you couldn't help but to grin at her happiness to finally talk to a boy.
once you took your seat, you smiled at the gray haired boy and told him your name.
"y/n. sophomore."
"osamu. sophomore."
he didn't like talking to you (at least you thought) and he mostly spent his time correcting the teacher on cooking recipes. for the first time, you just stared at him, mostly in shock at how someone could be so good at cooking.
but by the end of the class, you felt at least a little bit closer to him. his favorite food was rice, he had a twin named atsumu, and is the spiker for the high school volleyball team. the more times you pulled up the chair next to him home economics, the closer you got to him.
by the end of freshman year, you were osamu's honorary best friend. his competitive demeanor came out quickly as you two spent the afternoons playing volleyball together when his parents were working.
you ran your hand through your hair, grinning. "c'mon 'samu, i know you can do better." he smirked back at you, "y/n, you're so mediocre at volleyball, don't even."
"i'm still winning-"
"by one point."
"so what?"
atsumu remembered how beautiful you looked playing with osamu. also remembering how much he wanted- no needed- you. he wouldn't tell you but aurora and him were about to start dating but once he saw you he knew he didn't want her.
so he spent his whole highschool chasing after you. he needed you. you just radiated kindness and happiness. you were the teenage dream. he couldn't help but to feel some sort of jealousy towards you. but the more times he coaxed you out of spending time with osamu, the more he realized how different you are.
confidence and beauty.
the more you noticed atsumu running after you, the more you noticed the fact that osamu was avoiding you. you mainly thought that it was because your parents decided to ground you for the whole senior year. (you don't like to admit it but it was because your parents caught you drinking with aurora)
"trust me, 'samu is not mad at you! he just notices that- you and i are closer."
"i mean, tell him we can hang out tomorrow at the cinema." atsumu nods his head in response.
"i'll see you on monday! have a nice weekend." he says before heading to his car.
osamu didn't show up to the cinema but atsumu did. "i'm so sorry y/n- i don't know why he got his panties in such a twist. you and i can go watch a movie, right?" that was the day you realized you were so over osamu and now drunk on atsumu.
you constantly tried to ignore how aurora and atsumu talked and whispered to each other. but you couldn't shake that he likes her. you even had the thought that maybe you and osamu not talking anymore was a curse, maybe he is the better miya twin. but that night, senior prom, he completely proved you wrong. and you two started dating the next day.
as fast as you two started dating, he knew it was over that night. the look in your eyes which he you would've loved him for a lifetime. and the sadness he felt right after watching you leave. as he sits and looks up at the sky he hopes you might be kind when you remember him. even though he wasn't kind to you, he hopes for forgiveness.
you fiddle with the straps of your white dress while also playing with your feet. you can't believe you're sitting in osamu's house after everything. as sappy as it sounds you can't believe you met him, again. he's just perfect.
his light airy smiles right at you. and only at you. you can't help but to feel that it was destiny to end up with osamu.
it all started with atsumu breaking your heart that you found osamu again. sitting in some five star restaurant, post breakup. he knew it was you the second you walked in. he would even serve you just to talk to you again,
"hi y/n."
"osamu, wow, you work here?"
how lucky you are. he might possibly be the better miya twin.
214 notes · View notes
little-tyrant-gortash · 4 months
Text
Oathbreaker
Pairing: fem!Tav x Enver Gortash, fem!Tav/Astarion
Tags: Emotional Manipulation, Manipulation, Manipulative Relationship, Paladin Tav (Baldur's Gate), Vaginal Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Drunk Sex, Unrequited Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Scars, Blood and Injury, Injury, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Torture, Psychological Torture, Implied/Referenced Torture
Desc.: ...............I had to. Look away. 🤣
Word count: 2,276
Ao3 here.
Chapter 1.
Chapter 2. ⬇
Chapter 3.
Tumblr media
Chapter 2: For duty. For the alliance. For Orin's death.
She was miserable, lost, and she was tipsy enough - on top of that, her walls had enough cracks for him to find a way inside.
He expected her to tell him to stop; he thought she'd realise she was making a mistake - but that realisation never came. He could calmly navigate to his enormous bed he had been visiting alone in the past few months, and he could place her down on it without so much as a word.
He simply loved it when his plans went down without a hitch.
She still had her fingers entangled in his raven locks. Her lips felt hungry, needy, desperate for affection, and Gortash provided. This wasn't the first time he would bed someone to get closer to them, to form a bond in order to have a powerful ally. It mattered not if he truly wanted it or not; the greater good was always more important than his personal specifics or thoughts on the other participant. He'd bedded handsome men and beautiful women, but also other powerful figures he wouldn't even look at otherwise.
Tonight, it was different.
When he was finally able to pull away from her to look in her eyes - no easy task, she didn't want to let him go -, and saw her laying under him, her hair spread around her face like a halo, her eyes glistening with the remainder of her tears and awakening lust... there it was again. That stirring. The one he hadn't felt for years. Not since he'd attended that funeral. It was a feeling he thought he'd lost that day, forever. And he wasn't sure he was ready to risk losing it again. An unlikely alliance, born in times of need, leading down a path he couldn't foresee, not for long enough for him to be aware of it's consequences.
He put his trust in her that she would not betray him. He put his trust in her to deal with Orin, to strike where he couldn't. He put his trust in her that once she had two of the three stones, she wouldn't come for his head when she finally understood the immense power they beheld.
There were too many ifs and too much doubt for his liking. Was there guarantee she wouldn't turn on him when the time came? He needed to make sure she would never…
Tav's hands moved to cup his face. Enver closed his eyes, his inner turmoil carefully hidden.
For the greater good.
For duty. For the alliance. For Orin's death.
Do not fail.
Do. Not. Fall.
"Are you alright?"
Her question was met with a small smile. He looked down on her, admiring the way she looked like in his bed again.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Tav looked suddenly confused.
"I... don't know. You looked… detached…"
The situation reminded her of the nights she'd spent with Astarion. When they agreed to try sex again, only for him to shut down. She never, ever made him feel like it wasn't alright; that she didn't understand what he was going through. Knowing his past, she understood. To her, sex wasn't even important with him. She loved him dearly for who he was; his theatrical motions and jokes and the sound of his voice. His little teases and comments about others that were always on point. The shenanigans. The trust and deep level of understanding. At least... from her side. She gladly threw her needs out the window to make him feel safe. She did not care. Her own needs did not matter to her.
Looking back… she couldn't decide if she meant anything to Astarion, after all that happened between them.
He still requested to try it from time to time. Under no pressure from her, of course. And there were a few occasions when it worked between them, and when it did, it was mind blowing. But it was more likely that he'd detach in the early stages of foreplay, and they always stopped right then and there.
She was completely used to her needs rarely being met with a partner. And Enver had no idea of that. He couldn't know any of the sacrifices she'd made for another. So, when he rolled his hips against her and she blushed at the speed of light, he smirked; unknowing what was going on in her head.
"I apologize, my dear. That sherry, coupled with your beauty, confuses me a little." Once he was sure his explanation was sort of satisfactory – at least, he managed to make her blush a deeper red –, he locked her with a more serious look. "So, what will tonight be? One occasion? Or perhaps the first of many more?"
His question was met with confusion written on her face. She contemplated every option she had; trusting Gortash was stupid, foolish, probably a death sentence, too – but she'd been miserable enough to forget everything for a night. Just for once… this once… she wanted to have fun. To not to care about the future. To see where this would lead, not caring about the consequences.
And thus, she decided.
"One night, nothing more, nothing less."
Gortash hummed; visibly liking the concept right now, but hoping against his wish that it won't be just one night for them. In any case, he was ready to make her squirm tonight. And he knew he would; he learned all the tricks over the years, and he was determined to try each and every one of them. So even if she left – even if she found another partner out there, they would be wretched in comparison to him.
"I can't wait to see your face when I make you cum."
Oh. Oh? Suddenly flustered, she looked away.
"Do you like to embarrass people?" She mewled and stirred under him, making him chuckle.
"Embarrass? My dear, there's nothing embarrassing about someone wanting to please you."
"I'm- that's- I'm not really used to that", she confessed.
If he played his role well tonight, he'd reconstruct her ideas about partnership. If he did it well, he could bind her to himself in more than one way; their alliance could be just the start. She'd hand him the stones willingly, and she wouldn't leave his side if he didn't want her to. Also… if she proved useless for him in the long run, he could get rid of her much more easily if he gained her trust.
He just had to take one step at a time. And he just had to be very careful not to slip up himself.
"Well then", he leaned down to kiss her softly, and he smiled during it when he felt her eagerness to respond to his advances. "Let me have you – my way."
Who knew men were capable of showing so much care and dedication to a mere one night stand? Her nervousness built as he undressed her – shushing her when she acted uncertain, guiding her on the path he wanted to take –, and it just grew when he busied himself between her thighs with his mouth. His hot, wet tongue, those silky lips… locking around her button of nerves and gently giving it a suck.
Tav's mind went blank as Gortash worshiped that spot on her body – in a way no one has ever did so, and she had quite a lot experience under her belt by the time they've met. She'd laid with pirates and assassins (who were sent to kill her, no less), nobles and dragon slayers but by the gods, Enver had experience unmatched. He definitely rivaled Astarion's expertise, and given the fact the vampire had nearly two hundred years to perfect his skills, that was something. The pleasure was indescribable. Tav tensed – in a different way –, and he kept his dark eyes on her all along, watching for reactions, learning quickly what she enjoyed, carefully pushing her to the edge, then over it, without hesitation, giving her everything she wanted in that moment. Ecstasy, written on her face as she writhed and slammed her hands on his bed to grab the sheets, brought him immense pleasure. He was gripping her waist to keep her in place, in order to let her ride her high. His golden claws left soft marks in her skin as they dipped against it.
He won. He had his claws, buried deep inside of her, and she didn't even know. Now, it was time to claim his prize.
"Mm…" She hummed as her breathing was still shallow and quick, her heart beating hard and fast against her ribcage. She couldn't even open her eyes; a part of her wanted to go to sleep immediately, after such an earth shattering orgasm. "By Selûne…"
"Selûne?"
Gortash echoed quietly as he was silently unbuckling his belt. The unmistakable sound of it clicking open had Tav crack her eyes open, too, and the way she sucked her lower lip between her teeth to bite down on it in anticipation was worth every second of scheming that led here. He smirked, because he knew what would come next, while she had no idea. His belt hit the floor before his coat followed. Tav visibly tensed on the bed again, her eyes sized him up with a newfound curiosity. She'd been wondering what he was hiding under that coat and she finally saw it. His coat made him look bigger, sure, but without it he still looked massive. How could he maintain such a form if he was neck deep in politics? She couldn't imagine him going for training. Then how did he look so strong?
She felt the bed dip near her feet when he knelt up on it, and her heart suddenly was up in her throat. Tav tensed with anticipation again. Warmth. She was looking forward to feel his warmth. Around her, and inside of her.
It's been so long. So. Long.
"Are you a Selûnite, Tav?"
His quiet question rumbled deep in his chest as he was taking his shirt off. Fuck. He was shredded. The dark hair that ran down to his belly button – and below it – couldn't hide the toned muscles. He was definitely doing something when he wasn't in the court, but what could that be? Heavy lifting? Why on Faerûn would he do that? Didn't he have people to do that for him?
"Tav?" Gortash tutted when he saw how her eyes widened at the sight of his chest. "Concentrate, darling. I asked you a question."
"I'm-" She furrowed her brows, her hands gripping the sheets again. "No, I'm not a Selûnite. At least… I feel sort of… drawn to her, but I'm not worshiping her."
"You never had to align yourself to a specific god as a Paladin?"
His question stung. She averted her eyes; she didn't want to think about her failure, not now, not here.
"Don't call me that", she whispered.
"But that's what you are", Gortash leaned down to gently wrap his right hand's fingers on her jaw. He pecked her lips. She didn't look at him. "You are a Paladin."
"I'm an Oathbreaker."
Her voice sounded off, as her emotions formed a lump in her throat.
"Still the same. You did not lose all of your powers; they've just changed. Look in my eyes." Enver waited, but she did not comply. Watching as her eyes welled up with sadness again, he placed gentle, soft kisses on her cheeks; his lips inevitably kissing away her tears. "Tav", he added when he pulled away a little again. "Look in my eyes." When she reluctantly did so, he fixed her with a stern look. "You are just as powerful as you were. You can do whatever you want to do, and more."
"How?"
"My dear, I'm sure you are aware that you have more special powers at your fingertips now", Enver slid his hands down on her body, squeezing her hips ever so gently before he pulled her legs up. She complied; it was so easy to manipulate her mind and body to his taste. "Raise those who wronged you, use them to crush those who turn against you. It's all there now, aiding you in your quests."
"To kill Orin, you mean", she murmured, her hands resting on his gold clad upper arms as she felt him move his last garments out of the way.
"Just imagine yourself, raising her allies to aid you when you're fighting her. She'd feel real horror gripping her heart at last, after making all of us feel terror she inflicted… wouldn't that feel glorious?"
He kissed her cheek, then travelled down her jaw and neck, making her shiver.
"You make it sound so… appealing", she admitted softly, then moaned as he penetrated her. Her hands gripped his arms tighter, and she shut her eyes as she adjusted to his girth. "Oh gods-", she gasped, making him smirk in her neck.
"Be my Paladin", he whispered in her ear, making goosebumps raise all over her body as he rolled his hips against hers, filling her up with his length.
She shivered and moaned deliciously, and his arms wrapped around her to keep her still when she squirmed. After what he did to her, she felt overstimulated, but Enver wasn't about to let her get away now. He picked up the pace. Every time his hips slammed against hers, she moaned with pleasure, and as he was watching her, he ignored his own racing heart with one thought ringing in his mind.
Do not make the same mistake.
15 notes · View notes
eris-snow · 1 year
Text
𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞
Tags: midoriya x gn!reader, amnesia, angst
If only he had been a second quicker, none of this would have happened
The monitor beeped beside you quietly as your eyes start to flutter open. "Shouldn't I be dead?" You mumble, wincing as you try to get up.
"You shouldn't do that," A new voice says.
You blink owlishly, craning your head to see who had talked to you. And then your eyes widened. Forest green orbs meet yours with a disapproving stare, and you frowned at the green-haired, trying to place his face. "Deku...?"
No. No, that can't be right. Last you checked, you were tumbling from the sky, about to meet your unexpected doom. You certainly didn't expect to see the Number 1 Pro Hero here in the hospital. Heck, you weren't even sure if you were supposed to be alive.
His face collapses into a heartbreaking frown. "Why are you calling me that? Y/n, it's me, Izuku!"
You know that. Of course, you knew that. But you didn't know him personally in the slightest. Why would you call him that?
He must have seen the confusion in your eyes because his eyes dim even more. "No..." He swallows, shaking his head. "That can't..."
All he gets is a blank stare.
"I'll get the doctor for you." He settles on, running a hand through his fluffy hair.
--
Midoriya wanted to cry. Sure, maybe saying that might sound a little pathetic coming from the Number 1 Hero, but that's what he felt like doing when he walked out of the room. The police were right. The doctors were right.
He was wrong.
And it was all his fault.
Tonight was supposed to be his day off. It was one of those rare days that he could actually sit down, have dinner and spend time with you without getting up from his seat. He'd planned everything.
He did his research and he reserved the seats at the restaurant, all so he could shower you with the attention you so rightly deserve.
One call derailed his entire programme, leaving him to stutter out an apology to you at dinner time as he leaves you to walk home alone.
This was karma for that. Without a doubt.
"The villain's Quirk is called Forget. It causes whoever he touches to forget whoever is most important to them." The police had informed him straight after he'd apprehended the villain. Midoriya prayed they were wrong. He prayed so hard his knuckles had gone white and his fingers had gone numb.
Because when he saw you get swept out of the building he was just in, his entire body ran cold. He caught everyone with Blackwhip, but caught you with his arms. That was when the villain lunged at him.
He managed to pull away in time but...
You got touched in the process.
You fell unconscious after that, and woke up with no memory of him.
Midoriya wants to punch himself.
You're informed of it by the doctors, who had deemed you healthy enough to be discharged, but Midoriya can see your disbelief and he wants to erase it off your face.
After all, you'd always gone on and on about how you never deserved someone like him, and now that disbelief has solidified. "You're my-" You gulp, as if saying it was too much of a challenge for you. "You're my boyfriend?"
Midoriya's heart breaks.
"I am," He confirms, and it makes you suck in a shaky breath. He forces himself to reiterate how the evening went, and how the both of you got yourself in this very bizarre predicament. "I'm sorry," He mumbles, tears almost flooding his eyes. "You don't deserve to go through this."
"N-No!" You scramble to say, waving your hands in front of your face. "Please don't say that...Please don't blame yourself."
Oh boy, the tears are hitting.
"Y/n..." Midoriya breathes looking up to face you. "It's permanent."
There's no word for how much loss he feels from just saying that. All he had to do was be there, that one night, move one second faster...
But he was too late.
Is there a way to repair a bridge that was no longer there?
He'd have to build a new one with you, but his old, sweet Y/n was now gone.
Midoriya chokes back a sob.
You're gone.
54 notes · View notes
jennawynn · 3 months
Text
Chronotrek: TNG S1 Part 1
For those who are seeing this in their tags for the first time- before this, I'd only seen the Abrams movies and a handful of episodes across the various Trek serieseseses. I've been doing as close to a blind, chronological viewing as possible, only shifting between shows at the ends of seasons (not jumping around if there's time travel involved.) So far, I've gotten through Enterprise, S 1 Discovery, Short Trek/TOS Pilot, Disco 2, Short Treks, Strange New Worlds, TOS, TAS, and the 6 TOS movies. I'm now venturing into The Next Generation.
The first 6/7 episodes have given me the following observations:
1- I hate how leaned back the chairs in the front are. Reminds me of my person's car and how I always have to pull up the seat because it feels like I'm laying down and can't drive.
Hey, I've heard of Q. Why would Picard assume that Q knows 1) what a phaser is and 2) what setting it is on?
I'm kind of glad that they immediately went to having a musketeer beam aboard lest someone think this is a serious show lol
Was that engineer in shorts? Oh... some of the men wear _skirts_? Let me look something up... Skants. I feel like this needs that Will Smith gif about he's a little confused but has the spirit lmao. That's a terrible name, though (as is skort tbh and that one's real).
There's a _battle bridge_? And you can separate the saucer? I guess that's how they get away with this being a ship with families on it, though I'm not really clear on WHY they have families aboard. Is it intended to be away from spacedock for years on end? Or a generational ship?
Why would they do such a risky maneuver (separation at speed) just because they don't know what Q is?
Riker looks so silly clean-shaven. My mental image of him certainly includes the beard.
Fun fact: I have a cousin named Ryker after Riker.
3- Why did everyone hate Wesley so much? That's basically all I know about the character- that fans hated him. And that it's Wil Wheaton.
silly!Picard is ridiculous. Such a contrast to the mental image I have of him.
5- Still pulling everyone off the bridge (away from their consoles) to chat, huh? What if something were to happen that required quick response?
Four eps in and Picard has basically surrendered twice?
Riker is... comically oversized compared to the rest of the crew.
6- I really don't understand why Wesley was so hated. I mean he's pretty obviously someone's self-insert (or supposed to be the relatable figure for the younger viewers) akin to the teen heroes of dystopian fic. He's basically just Trek's version of Anakin or Luke. But usually male fans eat that shit up. Was it mostly the older TOS fans who didn't like him because he's young and 'obnoxious' and not 'paying his dues' etc etc bc the older fans saw him (and young fans) as a threat to their egos and their perceived superiority in trekdom?
8- Oh so they actually leave the captain on the bridge now? Reminds me of our houseboat trips on the lake in ROTC- I much preferred being XO to CO- I got to be hands on instead of just giving orders. The CO wasn't allowed to _do_ practically anything.
3 notes · View notes
bewitched-bullet · 2 months
Note
Hi bewitched-bullet,
I'm the anon who talked about their "irreconcilable differences" when it comes to how to portray the characters the other day. I only mentioned it in passing because my main point was their lack of communication. Now I'd like to elaborate on the character portrayals. Like I said I've followed them for a year. And for the last 5-6 months I've observed their interactions on an almost daily basis.
(I'm a peaceful and gentle person and I hope my writing has reflected those qualities)
TL;DR: John has been trying to establish the relationship as a middle-aged couple; Sherlock's characterization is more in Series 1.
During this short six months, I've seen John's love declarations at least 4 times, which was either doubted, ignored, or "forgotten" the next day by Sherlock. Not big declarations, but those that came naturally as a result of the scene. John was apparently discouraged (since probably 3 months ago? It's so hard to search the posts with the Archive turned off) and even stopped acting jealous when there was Sheriarty. Oh, there was one time, I think your other followers may also remember, that John and Sherlock talked about John playing clarinet. It was a huge reblogged post and in the end John posted a photo of him playing clarinet with a ring on his finger. When followers pointed it out,John asked Sherlock something like "what could you deduce from me wearing your family heritage ring?" The question never got a reply. I'll send you links of love declarations when I get some free time to search through the blog.
Sherlock, on the other hand, is portrayed mostly as in series 1: reckless, brilliant, petulant, etc. and cranks up those qualities even more than Series 1. From time to time he forgets Rosie's existence. He also adds a characteristic that was not in BBC canon: Sherlock's lack of understanding of common daily expressions, like heart=feelings. I've seen him given anatomy lessons to followers when it came to "heart" and such. When followers questioned how he was able to go around his work if he didn't understand very common expressions or having edibles at home when Rosie lived there, John explained something like, "oh, he's toying you guys. That's not the case". The thing is that Sherlock behaves the same with John, so "toying with followers" doesn't explain it. The real reason is that they see characters at different timelines/ life stages.
I haven't followed them long, but I could already see for a while now that they couldn't meet in the middle ground, so the problem went back even further. I saw posts that saying the group doesn't talk as mods. Let's say that I wouldn't be surprised considering the lack of communication I've observed. This mess could have handled so much better if they had real communication along the way. They should have parted their ways a long time ago if they successfully communicated that the differences were irreconcilable. Personally I don't think it'll ever work out with zero behind the scenes, especially among characters with a long complicated canon history.
Best Regards
These are extremely good points for the role play community.
If their interpretation of a character they are playing doesn't vibe well, be cordial and try different characters, make adjustments, or separate ways.
The John mod mentioned that they have a 3 year history of rping together. The blogs are only.....2 years old? So they were rping together for a year before coming to tumblr.
If the John mod was dissatisfied with their character chemistry and rp style(s), a year is more than enough time to figure that out.
Of course people can change their minds. But as we have seen from Mycroft/John and Harriett mods, they refuse to speak out of character to deal with the more serious issues.
It's a mess
Search tag "a scandal in tumblr" for more info.
2 notes · View notes
Note
Was passing by and smelled a steaming heap of drama lol. Cause I'm like that, I went back and read every single ask about the big discussion to make sure I saw everything.
Not that anyone asked me, but with my psych hat on and having participated in the discussion myself and on the opposing side to you but having thoroughly enjoyed it, here are my takeaways:
1. I communicate a little but similarly to you. I separate emotions from facts and opinion and I feel that most times I should be able to have a brutally logical, articulated debate with someone without worrying about their feelings. However, the topic itself made that a big gamble. It's one of those topics that is deeply emotional and weaved through with layers upon layers of other emotional things like self-worth, values, purpose in life, culture, family, traditions, etc etc etc. A large number of people would simply be unable to have a conversation on this topic without their emotions getting mixed in.
2. But here's the kicker- just because a topic is emotionallt laden doesn't mean that you're responsible for someone taking it personally and running with it. One thing I do agree with, perhaps only tag moots/followers in such things that you know aren't bothered and are not easily triggered. And don't tag anything with "smut" that doesn't actually have explicit sex in it. I know it's tempting, it helps it get more traction but it's not good tagging etiquette. "Clogging the tags" they call it. However, even if you tagged someone in something, it's their choice whether to take it as a personal attack, a simple question, or ignore it altogether. Personally I've not responded to every single thing you've tagged me in or felt obligated to because sometimes I just have no opinion or nothing to say, or maybe I disagree but I'm not in the mood to discuss. No one HAS to respond to anything, it's a choice. They can also choose whether they get into a fight with you or not.
3. Other than that, there are loads of other things that affect how people perceive a topic or your take on a topic in general, and some of those were evident in people's answers. Like their own history, their beliefs about themselves, about the world, about what they think they deserve or what is realistic, what they feel they're entitled to (entitled isn't an outright bad word folks, by the way). Those things can be like an Instagram or Snapchat filter, they can make us see things differently to what they actually are. For anyone that wants to actually learn about this and work on themselves, search "cognitive distortions". There are at least 15 of them, over 15 different ways that our thinking can get wonky and starts being unhelpful to us.
4. We had a lot of discussion and not once did I feel disrespected for holding a different view to you. It's not even about "disagreeing" because it's so personal and subjective. I didn't see you pushing other people to come around to your point of view, I saw you just laying out your personal reasons for choosing not to have children. And plenty of other people who wanted children were perfectly happy to participate in the discussion, give their own reasoning and experiences and weren't disrespected or manipulated by you in any way.
5. This was a broad topic. Tagged or not, if there was no prior history of you discussing it with a particular person or having had heated exchanges with them in the past, then them taking it personally or seeing disrespect in your words is them choosing to take it that way.
Hello my love! @muselin
You're my fave psych moot and I'm so glad you've taken the time to come on here to respond to me! I feel stronger when you're around.
The 'clogging the tags' etiquette is a valid point and i didn't get that its bad etiquette so I'll take the steps as to not do that again.
And thank you for the time to read through every single ask, that would have been a long time and a lot of tea being spilled.
I'm honestly a bit too mentally fatigued to really elaborate more on the important of the post but just know that you have made some very beautiful points that everyone should see because they do add value to the topic that was discussed.
Truly, from the bottom of my heart. I am so grateful to have found you on this app.
Tumblr media
9 notes · View notes
notsuchasecret · 6 months
Text
20 Q's for Fic Writers
I don't think @oloreandil meant to tag me but I'm doing it anyway!
1 - How many works do you have on ao3?
215. I had a huge head start when I did one ficlet a day in 2015, but not all 365 of those made it onto Ao3 (and a few of them were chapters added to other fics.
2 - What's your total ao3 word count?
1,022,445. I'm so sad I didn't even notice when I went over a million on there! But upon checking it looks like it was during my posting for the HQ Monsterlovers Big Bang, so that's not surprising.
3 - What fandoms do you write for?
I mainly write for Haikyuu!!, but I started with Free!. I've also written for the MCU once or twice and VLD once, but I think there's only one of those ones on Ao3.
4 - What are your top five fics by kudos?
Fool's Gold, Curiosity Killed the Cat (and Satisfaction Brought it Back) , both of which surprised me, Growing Old in Mediocrity, which I seriously thought would be number one, Those Who Wander, and Brave.
5 - Do you respond to comments?
Honestly, no. I feel bad about it and I hate it, but I don't do it. I get so anxious that I'm going to somehow offend someone, or about what I'm going to say, and just. Ugh.
6 - What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Four Christmases That Totally Sucked (And One That Kind of Didn't) is the only fic I have left up that's just straight angst. I have a lot of hurt/comfort, but pretty much everything I write has a happy ending in one form or another. There is one other fic that exists only if you know where to find it here on tumblr that I deleted all the links to because I got literal death threats over the sad ending and I'm not playing that game with y'all.
7 - What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
This one depends on your definition of happy ending. Like I said pretty much all of my fics have a happy ending because of who I am as a person, but some of them require more work to get to than others. the best revenge (you are a life well lived) is by far the one that fits this question the best. Not only did the characters have to work hard for that happy ending, but I did too. To this day when I'm feeling trapped in a PTSD spiral, I can often point at that fic to remind myself that there is a way out, and that there is a life beyond the lowest point. Those few of you who know just how much I was going through leading up to posting this fic, including the night of posting it, y'all know exactly how much that means to me.
8 - Do you get hate on fics?
I have, but not in a long time. The thing is, I'm kind of an oblivious moron, sitting happily in my little corner of the sandbox and making the blorbos kiss. I do know there had been hate about me that I never even noticed, but the only hate I actually saw was back in 2015, so I'm glad about that.
9 - Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
I have been told I write the fluffiest smut on the face of the planet, which is hilarious considering that most of what I write is also pretty kinky. I've been in the sex industry in one form or another for a few years now, mostly on the retail side, and I know some crazy shit, and it's kind of a special interest now. So erotica and smut are my bread and butter, but even when there are chains and whips and chastity devices, there's also a lot of love and aftercare and fluffy, schmoopy, cuddly grossness.
10 - Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
Crossovers just kind of... pop out of me. None of them are crazy imo... most of them are Haikyuu!! and Free!, though I'm pretty sure there have been some knb kids as well.
11 - Have you ever had a fic stolen?
It was the funniest thing, my longest fic, the one I'm most proud of, was snatched and put up on Amazon for sale. It was a huge thing, so I wasn't the only author scraped, but let me tell you seeing my gay anime magic au fanfiction sold as an actual book with no changes to even the title or the description or character names still gives me a bit of a giggle.
12 - What's the longest you've spent working on one fic? And the shortest?
the best revenge objectively shouldn't have taken me over two years to write, but when you factor in all the life shit that happened to produce that fic, yes it should have. Prior to that, I spent 10 months or so writing The Anatomy of an Eternity and I'm so proud of how it turned out and have spent the last, oh god, six years chasing that high.
13 - Have you ever co-written a fic before?
One time a co-written fic just fell out of @ezzydean and I like an egg we didn't realize we were laying. Just. Plop! Ezzy re-formatted our chat log into jagged pieces and Feathers on the windowsill and to this day I don't know how it happened.
14 - What's your all-time favorite ship? From all fandoms?
I feel like it's unfair to say SakuAtsu considering I have posted exactly one (1) fic of them, but y'all have no idea how badly these to assholes have taken over my life. I had to give them their own section in my 4thewords writing organization. I hate them so much someone stop them.
15 - What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
There's a running joke that's not actually a joke about "the fanfic I will never publish". It's currently over 100k long and I doubt it'll ever see the light of day. I would also like to finish How Many Crows Does it Take to Screw In a Lightbulb but I don't know if I can finish it as is or if I need to tear it down and start all over since the timeskip.
16 - What are your writing strengths?
I've been told my characterization is gold, and I'm not discounting that. I think that I'm also just really good at Putting Dudes Into Situations. Since I am, as mentioned, sitting in a sandbox and making the blorbos kiss, that's really what writing fic is to me. I just wanna see what happens to these characters if I stick them in different combinations. I wanna see if they maintain the same basic form when they're not playing volleyball, but are instead navigating the faerie court, or in a magic college, or sailing on pirate ships. How much does environment change who we are and how much is it intrinsic to ourselves?
17 - What are your writing weaknesses?
Shiny Object Syndrome. I see a fun new AU and I have to physically restrain myself from chasing it down a rabbit hole and ignoring the sixteen other projects I have going on.
18 - Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
Since I'm an Anglophone I don't know how much of a leg I have to stand on in this question. That said, I do believe there are certain things that can't be expressed outside of their native language. That said, I don't think it's my place as a white USAmerican to try and tell stories about what it's like to be xyz other race/culture/experience that I simply don't have access to. I do use Japanese terms in-prose for certain things. Genkan and Engawa are the most prominent things I can think of, since most English-speaking cultures don't really have equivalents in our own homes. Lines of dialog in other cultures are an interesting thing that I tend to avoid specifically because I don't know how to do it well in most of the languages that would make sense for what I'm writing (I speak enough Spanish to pass for a precocious pre-schooler, and I have a decent amount of Latin and Irish under my belt, but none of those really have a chance to come up in what I write, unfortunately).
19 - First fandom you wrote for?
Free!. The very first ficlet posted on this tumblr account was written January 1, 2015, and it was the very first piece of fanfic I ever wrote. Because I'm insane like that.
20 - Favourite fic you've written?
I love most of my children equally. That said, the best revenge (you are a life well lived), The Anatomy of an Eternity, and Rowan Berries, Iron, and Other School Supplies all have a very special place in my heart.
I'm not gonna tag anyone directly but if anyone does it from seeing this, please tag me so I can read!
2 notes · View notes