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#Yesterday I finished reading the last volume of the series and I feel like if I have said goodbye to a dear friend

animehouse-moe · 8 months

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Interview With Monster Girls Ended Yesterday In NA

It makes me incredibly sad, I put off reading the volume because I knew I'd feel a little empty after reading it. But I think that feeling is even more exacerbated by the content of the volume. As satisfying as satisfying can be, it shows that while what we've seen of our favorite Demis and the people around them may be over, their story will continue to move onward. Incredible in all the ways that Petos has come to be known for, it's damn near a clinic in how to convey motion and personality through still images. Seriously, just four horizontal panels and there's more life in them than what some manga series can muster in their entirety.

And using a podcast to tie a neat bow on the story while recanting all of their favorite moments and the supporting characters? Incredible. Truly, one of the best "endings" that could have been written for the story.

But that's where I get a little emotional about it. From start to finish, it's just too good. Petos hasn't left readers with a single reason to be glad that the manga is finished. Nor a reason to be upset about a bad ending, or some simple way to finish the story. No, there's not a single thing wrong with it, and that kind of hurts. Though, all good things do have to come to an end, I wish I could see a little more of my 3 favorite girls.

That's enough mourning though, let me get excited! Petos is now freed up to create another manga, so I'm endlessly excited to see what they cook up. Similarly, with Interviews With Monster Girls finished in North America, it seems like the perfect time for Kodansha to license the spinoff of the series, filling the void that was left behind by its originator!

And last of all, this story is not completely told. If Petos wanted to revisit it in a year, in five, in ten, it's still there. And I really like that. Not that Petos has to revisit it, but if they ever have the passion or desire to do so, they're entirely able to. I'm comfortable waiting forever, but only if it's fated to happen. So, even though it's sad to see it go, there's still a very big smile on my face.

#interviews with monster girls #demi chan wa kataritai #anime and manga #manga #manga review #manga reccs #manga recommendation

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myucornerorg · 1 month

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After reading a couple nonfiction books from the library (one being the "clean living" book seen in the first pic), I decided to read some of the mangas downloaded to my Kindle.

The first one I read was Magilumiere: Magical Girls Inc, which I already posted about. As for the others in the first pic, I actually finished The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash first after Magilumiere, but since I finished it and My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked on the same day, Goodreads listed them weird. Then yesterday I started the manga in the second pic, My [Repair] Skill Became a Versatile Cheat, So I Think I'll Open a Weapons Shop.

The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash is one of those "reincarnated with a past life's memories in a fantasy world" kind of fantasy stories, which I think is an Isekai subgenre?? Usually it's used with "reincarnated as a villainess" stories, though, and this doesn't seem to be that kind of story (unlike other similar stories, we're not told where the main character, Ivy, came from or how she got reincarnated into this world at the beginning - only that she has memories of a past life...so that already is different). Anyway, in this story Ivy gets ostracized when she's identified as a "starless," basically someone who has magic but at a zero-star level, which makes her magic so weak she's basically useless. Even her own family rejects her, and later the kind fortune-teller who helped her learn how to survive in the forest dies because the village chief heard she associated with a "starless" and refused to provide her with the healing potion she needed. After this, she takes off, using the survival skills and basic magic bags the fortune teller provided her with to get by. Having no money at first, she's forced to salvage through town dumps for resources, or eat whatever animals she can capture with traps (she does have a monster taming ability, as the title suggests, but hers is so weak she can only tame super weak monsters). She eventually manages to make some money from selling field mice she captured, and even snakes in one chapter (those she sells to the apothecary). A few chapters in, she encounters a super weak slime that even she, with her weak power, can tame. After naming her Sora, they set off together, and Sora ends up being more useful than Ivy expected, since it can absorb both organic and inorganic matter (most slimes in this world can only do one or the other). It may even be able to heal, if the ending of the volume is any indication. (According to the bonus short story, though, Sora is not very good with directions lol).

My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked is, as you might guess from the title, a take on the classic Cinderella story. Except in this case the Cinderella character, Miya, is the illegitimate child of a rich man, and that man's wife and daughters (the titular stepmother and stepsisters) take her in when her mother dies. But while she expects them to be really mean, they're actually really nice! But the mother is still stern and intimidating, and the daughters are spoiled and always trying to one-up each other, so their kindness kind of comes across in a comedic tsundere sort of way. Miya constantly worries that she's offended them, only for them to respond completely positively, no matter what happens. It is funny, but at the same time I feel like such a gag might get old after a while. Not sure though.

As for the last one, My [Repair] Skill Became a Versatile Cheat, So I Think I'll Open a Weapons Shop, like I said, I just started reading it. It's a fantasy about dungeon exploration, much like the Delicious in Dungeon series I've been watching on Netflix recently. But this one obviously has a different story. The main character, Luke, is a seasoned adventurer with 15 years of experience under his belt, but since his only skill is [Repair], a skill which has next to no usage in combat, he's still an E-rank adventurer (the lowest rank that is allowed to do dungeon raids). He finally got recruited by a powerful hero to join his dungeon raiding party, only to be treated as their pack mule and ultimately betrayed by the hero over a relatively minor issue (that doesn't even seem to be his fault). Left by his former party mates in the dungeon to die, he resolves to at least find a way out, even if all he has is his [Repair] skill and an old sword the hero gave him out of pity. Fortunately for him, he's able to make his [Repair] skill evolve seemingly subconsciously (hence the "cheat" part of the title, I guess), which, combined with finding a shortcut by punching a hole in a rock wall with his sword (something even the hero in his party couldn't do), allows him to finally escape after 2 weeks. He then helps save a samurai girl named Sakura who is cornered by a dragon by lending her his sword, and then using his [Repair] skill to heal her (he's not sure he can at first, since the skill doesn't usually work on living things, so when he succeeds he's as surprised as anyone - also doing so DOES make him pass out for half a day, so he's not crazy OP, like heroes in these stories often are). After making it to the settlement where Sakura and her friend Sylvia (daughter of the local innkeeper) are living, he decides to take a break from adventuring (at his level, he can't re-enter the dungeon he came from by himself anyway, as adventurers can only enter dungeons that are at their level or below, unless they're in a party with a leader of the right level, which Luke was before) and use his [Repair] skill to open a weapons shop, since the town doesn't have one currently (probably because the forest where Luke found Sakura and Sylvia just recently got classified as a dungeon). And, as far as I've read, this seems to go well (the fact that he helped kill a dragon certainly helps bring in customers). He does get into a bit of trouble with some local knights, though, because the members of his former party have gone missing, and since he got out alone, he's a prime suspect behind their disappearance. Also, he harvested mithril from the wall he broke, which only certain people are allowed to harvest (though to be fair he didn't know it was mithril, so he gets a pass there, though the knights still make him replicate how he broke the wall as proof of his story). And that's about where I'm at in the story.

Definitely enjoying my reads so far!

#manga #magilumiere magical girls inc.#my stepmother and stepsisters aren't wicked #the weakest tamer began a journey to pick up trash #my repair skill became a versatile cheat so i think i'll open a weapons shop #my [repair] skill became a versatile cheat so i think i'll open a weapons shop

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djeterg19 · 7 months

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Dude re-watchability is so underrated. There are only a few BLs that I will go back and rewatch.

Cherry Magic I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it or watched the movie. It’s just so comfortable and makes me so happy. And I just love how in love they are.

A newer one is Our Dining Table which is just. So sweet and soft and I love it so much. Haven’t watched it as many times as the other ones. But I can see myself watching it a lot.

A weird one that isn’t like. A super happy story or as easy to watch is Until We Meet Again. I’ve watched that like. So many times. I think sometimes I like to cry for fun. It’s not as traditionally re-watchable as the others but I have watched it a lot. Same with A Tale of A Thousand Stars.

Besides Semantic Error do you have any other ones you consider super rewatchable?

Omg I love books or shows or movies that I can re-read or rewatch over and over. I love all the shows you mentioned. I even bought the Our Dining Table manga. I haven't read it yet but I plan on rewatching the show once I finish. I literally finished volume 9 of the Cherry Magic manga yesterday and it really made me want to rewatch again so that might be coming.

Other than the ones you listed, I'd have to say Old Fashioned Cupcake is a good one to rewatch even though it's way too short. They released a sequel book last month and I keep hoping for more Nozue and Togawa 😩😩😩. I also have shows/episodes I watch when I'm sad(if you ever see me watching Hole in the World from Angel the series or Doomsday from Doctor Who it's a I need to cry day).

Another one I have rewatched far too many times is Love in the Air. Well the first 7 episodes because Payu and Rain are my babies and I love them so so so much. Some people think it's thin on plot but I'm a romance reader. I'm fine with romance BEING the plot.

And lastly I love to rewatch ABAAB. It's just fun to watch imo. I love Cher and Gun and they just make me happy when I watch them. And the friend group is so much fun and they feel like real friends that would be there for you no matter what. Their sleepover scene is one of my favs. Thanks for the ask!

#dj answers

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writer-and-artist27 · 10 months

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Nine People Tag Game

I was tagged by @windwardstar. Thankie Osie :>

Rules: Answer the questions below & tag nine people to do the same.

Tagging (no obligation to answer, of course, this is just for fun): @partialdignity, @lovingempress, @abalisk, @the8thsphynx, @teddog, @exmeowstic, @caprisodas, @chiefladylightyay, and @withanina, maybe?

3 Ships: (stares off into the distance in brief confusion) Um. Not counting fanfic stuff for a minute to wake myself up from social fatigue...

Akira Tounome and Yakou Shizuka from The Invisible Man and his Soon-To-Be Wife (I found the first volume of this manga as a happy accident at Barnes and Noble, haven't looked back since)

Shoko Komi and Hitohito Tadano from Komi Can't Communicate

Anis and Euphie from The Magical Revolution of a Reincarnated Princess and a Genius Young Lady

Currently listening to: YOASOBI's The Blessing and Assassination Classroom's Bye Bye Yesterday. Since I've been trying to write for Da Vinci Rider/Lily and those were the songs I chose for her chapter in Passing Days.

Last movie: ...The second compilation movie of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, or Gundam 0079 on Netflix. Because it's easier to watch them over the TV series in terms of time investment. And with both my rl Robin and Achi loving the lore of the original Universal Century of Gundam, I wanted to get into it. Somehow.

Currently reading: Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory and The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi in terms of things that aren't manga/light novels. Because Fate had me get curious about the history too.

Currently watching: Um... (stares at my open browser tabs) Why do I have Fate/Extra Last Encore up again when I hate Deadface Hakuno... oh. It's the only speaking, animated role of Robin. Of course. And I needed comfy white noise for FGO grinding and rest.

Currently consuming: My last meal earlier today was vegetarian ham prepared with Singapore-style noodles, courtesy of mom. Every time I eat her cooking, I feel very blessed knowing she's willing to cook and pack my work lunches to this day.

Currently craving: ...The energy to draw seriously again. Because the last sketch I tried is half-finished and it looks like crap to me. Not to mention how I wanna write Oberon since I finished LB6, but the words for Da Vinci's chapter aren't coming by. Not to mention Naruto for CP/Civilian Pianist and S&S/The Sea and Stars. AND reviewing for Lang! And CLS applications. I need to start those. Like seriously.

#tag games #vy says something #friend things #windwardstar #i got tagged #long post #vy rambles #tired vy says something #personal thoughts #personal opinions

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lorddarkkitty · 1 year

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Alright it been a couple of days. I’m tired like a bitch but there nothing I can do. For some reason last night I when to sleep around 3:37am cause I wasn’t tired and woke up at 8am oddly and suspiciously enough also not feeling tired. I guess after work it would hit me. I had like two sandwiches after I got home. I order volume 5 and 6 of The Witch and the Beast manga. I’m so excited I love this series. I also need to read the manga Witch Hat Atelier. I got it the same time I did the Witch and the Beast Manga but I haven’t read it yet. Mostly cause I haven’t gotten a chance and I’m more preoccupied with The Witch and the Beast manga. I also need to finish reading the Hobbit I started maybe 2 or 3 months ago. It not that I’m a slow reader. I used to consum books when I was younger I just get distracted a lot now with tv or my own daydreams and music and time just flies. It not boring I watch the movies but I do have a hard time just sitting down and reading it but I’m almost done with it too . I’ll make time tomorrow to finish it so I can start the lord of the rings books too. I have so many books I need to read. I also have to re organized my bookshelf.

Also how come when I want to start a new paragraph, instead of making a small space I get this gigantic gap?????? I’m on mobile but that so weird.

But if I do it again the gap isnt that big wtf ??!???

Anywho I’m about to start silent hill 2 up and see how far I get I will update that. I also got pulse oximeter. It used to read ur oxygen level but I use it to get my bpm cause sometimes I wale up very aware of my heart beat and I can feel it. So I use to to determine if I’m having an anxiety attack even tho. The anxiety doesn’t set in till I see that my bpm is like 106. My resting heart rate is like 76. But I want to use it kinda while playing my game to see if it increases or not. I think that be fun. After that I may start up Skyrim. I also have dark souls remastered but I feel like I need to look up a video kinda to watch to see the mechanics and get tips on playing. I can’t remember if it hard or not.

Another biggish gap hmmmm. Tho in like and 1hr and 30 min I have to cook again. Yesterday I got the stuff to make negimaki but it didn’t turn out that way. Like it came out taking great when I cooked it I just didn’t have the energy anymore to continue with it. I also think I didn’t cut the beef flank right so I don’t think I could have rolled the scallions in it to cook. But I was already standing for like 2 and half hrs I was hurting. So I kinda just cooked it in a big pan with the sauce but I have left over meat I didn’t cook. I have to make more rice today but that takes 50 minutes in the rice cooker. It makes me wonder about killer from one piece and how one of his hobbies is cooking. Like how? Cooking takes so much effort and energy and I feel no enjoyment. (Is it suppose to be stealing my energy? )Just my inner rage especially when it not coming out like how I want it too. And he cooks for like so many ppl I get tired cooking for just myself. Sometimes I won’t even eat if I have to cook something. And like Eustass has like 5 fucking stomachs. I would love to eat Killer’s cooking.

#amari meows #games #gaming #manga #the witch and the beast #witch hat atelier #reading #the hobbit #lord of the rings #lotr #silent hill 2 #dark souls remastered #Skyrim #cooking #killer one piece #eustasscaptainkid #one piece #food #tired

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behbita · 1 year

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thanks for the tag @p8tientred :D!

Last song:

Last show: hmm, last show i finished was GAP The Series. Now im onto Show Me Love The Series (gotta figure out a way to DL the episodes so i can finally gif it damn it 😣)

Last Movie: oh, actually just watched Boston Strangler yesterday! its on Hulu and i mostly clicked on it cause i like historical crime dramas, but also kiera knightly 🤭

Currently Watching: The Price is Right lmao (the bob barker era)... its literally just a channel on samsung tv that shows TPIR only 🤣

Currently Reading: Not a damn thing. lmao the last thing i read was yugioh the 3rd volume bc i got into a nostalgic kick but then i didnt even finish that bc i got distracted with something else fkabks ill finish it at some point tho bc with that nostalgia i was feeling, i went on a buying spree and have almost all of the volumes lmao so. need to read em.

Current Obsession: uhh. :)

#between me and me lmao

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juniperusashei · 1 year

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2022 Top Books

10. Passing by Nella Larsen This is a capital B Book. They don’t publish novels like this anymore.

9. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Helped me work through my own grief a lot, learning how to navigate and process it alongside Joan.

8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Embarrassed to say that this was my first time reading this, but it is a classic for a reason.

7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen This was a reread, but I’m including it in this list because it feels like the first time I fully appreciated this book. May be my new favorite Austen.

6. Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono Recommended for all who are struggling with creative depression. Though it is a children’s book, I feel that I read it at the exact right time of my life.

5. Awakening Osiris translated by Normandi Ellis A rather liberal translation of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, but instead of taking shortcuts the liberties make it a poetic work that stands on its own.

4. A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L’Engle The first volume in L’Engle’s autobiography, it helped me understand her more as a person and understand myself more as an artist.

3. Saint Joan of Arc by Vita Sackville West This was actually the first book I finished last year, and spending so much time with Joan kind of gave me a parasocial obsession with her life.

2. The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig This was Zweig’s autobiography (notice a theme for this year yet?) but also the story of the two world wars, told from a personal perspective. The parallels to the political climate of today are haunting.

1. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano I’ve been waiting for this series to be published in English (though I had read some unofficial scanlations) because nothing beats reading a hard copy, especially for a work that’s so meditative and grounded in nature.

#2022 #top books #5

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beananacake · 2 years

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The Accidental Princess (Part 7)

Prince Kit x Reader

Synopsis: A contract has been found, after twenty years, bearing your name and the Prince Kit's... bound in matrimony

Chapter Summary: Kit spends time with Chelina and finds inspiration about his feelings for you.

Word Count: 9.7k words

Warnings: period-typical misogyny, i don't know how military works so if i get this wrong, im sorry, badly translated Spanish sentences, that's it?? (if you see anymore, please tell me)

A/N: Hi guys! For someone who's lost interest in writing this, having written 9.7k words for this chapter alone makes me sound like a liar lol. But this is just more of downtime because the last one had been full of action, in some ways. A very big thank you to the people who are still reading this. Also, I think we're nearing the end. I have a feeling it might end by Part 10, so hang on! As always, thoughts, reviews, comments, suggestions, requests (and reblogs) are very much welcome! TAGLIST IS OPEN for this story! Not beta'd, we die like men (2). Please enjoy Part 7 of The Accidental Princess!

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Kit had seen in your eyes that you loved him. Words were not needed when he had asked you that question because the look in your eyes, the heartbreak in them, spoke volumes more than any words could. And it angered him. It angered him that his own father would prevent you from speaking of your true affections.

You had been quite the expert evader since that night in the garden. He had been sure that when he had seen you sat in the courtyard or in the library, when he’d make his way to you, you’d simply vanish. It was like you were a figment of his needy imagination, always just at arm’s reach to entice him but if he made a move to come closer, you’d just disappear. He blamed himself for that.

He hated his circumstance with a passion. Loathe that he was born a prince and that his life had been planned since his conception. Angered that he would have no choice of a bride because if he had chosen any less than a princess, it would be the wrong decision that would impact the future of the kingdom. And exasperated that he had to think not of himself but the kingdom that he would soon lead. All his life he had been a prince, defined by the headpiece and the power that came with it and not the man who wore and wielded it.

He knew he would have given crown and country to just be a man of no consequence and be free to love you without constraint. He had no brothers nor sisters and his cousins would inherit the throne should he think to abdicate. Louis would be king, and Kit would be free to love you. But then, Louis would have to be schooled on how to run the kingdom. While he had no doubts his cousin would make a good king, he wondered if he would be as capable as him, who had been taught by the land’s best masters since the moment he could speak.

But Louis had no designs on being king. Of that, he had told his cousin years past. He had even hated being duke because he did not want to be saddled with the responsibilities that came with the title. And now that he was, Kit noticed the tiredness on his usually jolly older cousin. If he had been king, it would very well have sucked the vivaciousness from him. He would not want to pass this torment to his cousin. As much as how he wanted circumstances changed, this was his cross to bear. He was the prince of this realm, and he was to become the king of it.

Kit walked down the hallways aimlessly. He had forgotten how he had been like before he started spending most of his time with you. He knew he had businesses to conduct but he had finished the night before those ones that needed his immediate attention. He had also finished his training with Captain Thibault yesterday. The time for hunting had passed. And truly, there was nothing to do but to just be.

He heard music coming from the parlor and headed there, knowing he’d find his betrothed. Princess Chelina had regaled him with pieces from Zaragoza the day after she had arrived. She was an accomplished guitarist, having played different pieces from memory and had adapted some of the kingdom’s folk songs to fit her instrument.

He entered the parlor, listening to the princess’s rendition of another folk song as he strode to the opposite side of the room. The princess was there, accompanied by her maid. His father and the Grand Duke were not present, perhaps already in the Great Study. Louis had left for Granville for business some time yesterday. You were most likely walking about the palace grounds since the summer sun was high and the weather beautiful.

He peered through the window, looking down the gardens and finding you talking with the gardener. You had been friendly with the staff of the household. He was proud of you for it; you did not discriminate people according to their status. You treated people with equal regard, may they be peasant or prince.

Kit turned from the window and to the princess. He watched her dexterous guitar playing, entranced at the way her fingers plucked at the strings. The princess played very well, there was no doubt about that. In fact, the princess was an accomplished musician, expert also in the pianoforte and the harp. She had given them a show of her talents a few days past, even going so far as singing an aria. While she could carry a tune, he did not find himself to be truly engaged with the princess. His cousin, however, was truly enthralled with the performance.

When she finished her piece, he clapped.

“Good morning, Your Royal Highness,” Princess Chelina greeted. She rose from her seat and curtsied. “I confess I had been quite engrossed in my music that I did not see you enter the parlor.”

He nodded once in acknowledgement of her greeting. “Forgive me for not announcing myself. Have you been playing for a while?”

“I have. I have found pieces of your kingdom’s music from the library and adapted it to my guitar. Would you like to listen to another?”

He had been ready to decline, wanting to just watch you from the window, but he remembered the words you had told him before. While he had not resigned himself to his fate just yet, he knew you were right about spending time with Princess Chelina. Sooner or later, he would have to get to know more of her.

“Please,” Kit said as he sat on the sofa opposite hers. “I would be delighted to hear you play.”

The princess smiled, arranging herself in her seat as she propped the guitar on her lap. She shuffled through the papers in front of her, looking through them purposefully.

He watched the princess, examined the way she handled herself even in the most mindless of tasks. She held herself with an air of regality, self-assured in her movements. Even as she riffled through the sheet music, she did not second-guess herself. It was a trait of a queen, to be sure of one’s actions even in the most menial of things. She and you were the same but she lacked a certain… je ne sais qoui about her that he found in you.

Heavens, Kit. You’re in love with Y/N and not with Chelina. Do not find fault in her simply because she is not the one you love, Kit berated himself. He ought to be friendly with his betrothed. It was not her fault she had been chosen by his father to be future queen of the kingdom, instead of the one he loved.

He heard the first few strands of a lullaby, brows drawing closer together at the familiarity of it. His governess had sung it to him when he was younger. His mother also had, one time, when he had been too young and too afraid of the passing storm. It was a lullaby that calmed him, and he never quite forgotten how it went. He only did not remember what it was named.

Princess Chelina’s fingers plucked and strummed at her instrument. She looked deeply engrossed in the music, even going as far as closing her eyes as she played on. Kit was as carried away as the princess was with the music. She played passionately, presumably feeling each note her fingers touched. She looked quite fetching as she focused on the music.

It was a shame, then, that he did not find her exciting as a whole. Even as he tried to convince himself to try and even admire her, he could not do it. It was only you for him, even if the world said it was not meant to be.

When the last notes ebbed away, the princess looked at him with a courteous smile upon her face.

“That was beautiful, Your Royal Highness,” Kit commented, smiling as his memories faded with the music. “It sounds familiar to me, but I could not name it.”

She picked at the sheet music and read the title out loud. “It is called ‘Lavender’s Blue.’ It is your kingdom’s folk song, I believe. I do not remember having learned this in my home country.”

Lavender. It was the title of the lullaby that calmed him. It was also, coincidentally, your favorite flower. Why, why must everything remind him of you? You were inescapable.

He cleared his throat. “Ah,” he said as he nodded. “I see. Thank you.”

“It is a beautiful song.”

“It is.”

The silence that reigned in the room was painful and long. Kit had no more words to tell. The Princess Chelina had no more music to play.

Was this how his marriage to her would be? No words? Nothing more other than pleasantries and compliments? His parents never ran out of topics to converse about. With you, he had no need to think of one after starting because conversation flowed easily. With Chelina, he had to think of common ground for them to talk of but even then, the conversation was stilted and, quite frankly, boring.

He rose from his seat with the idea of finding some other useful employment in his mind when the princess called for his attention.

“How far away is Granville?” she asked. Her eyes held an unusual sparkle in them as she looked at him.

He raised a brow, caught surprised by her question. “A few hours’ travel from here, Your Royal Highness."

"Shall we go? I would love to see your cousin’s estate. I have heard it is quite beautiful.”

There was excitement on her face, something he had not seen before on the princess. Normally, she was quite reserved. Seeing this certain emotion on the princess made Kit think it was not the estate she was eager to see. After all, he had caught her glances at his cousin.

“When would you like to leave?” he asked, already nodding to one of the footmen.

“Can we leave as soon as the carriage is ready? I would not want to waste daylight.” She passed her guitar to her maid and straightened her skirts.

He hummed in surprise. She seemed quite eager to see Granville. “Very well,” Kit acquiesced. “I shall have to inform the Grand Duke that we are to leave.”

She smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

Once all permissions were given—with the express command that you were to not join them—and the carriage readied, he and the princess were on the way to his cousin’s grand estate.

“I wonder how it is like,” she mused. “When the duke spoke of it, he says it like it is heaven on earth. Miss Y/N says the same of it.”

Kit’s ears perked at the mention of your name, disregarding the rest of her statement. “You had talked to her?”

Chelina cocked her head to the side, small smile playing on her lips like she knew a secret he did not. “I had been with her to the square the day before. There was conversation while she showed me the place.”

“I see.”

“She spoke little but she is a very amiable person. I believe we are friends. Or I would like to think so. She is reserved around me. Perhaps I would need more time to talk with her so I may convince her of a friendship.”

He only nodded.

“She is quite personable around the duke. I think they make a fine pair. I told her of such.”

He raised his brow at that. You had told him that Louis was merely a friend, and that he did not admire you in the way you had with him. His stomach dropped at the thought of Louis suddenly considering you to be a candidate as the future Duchess of Granville. Although Louis had told him that he had no plans of marrying any time soon, the closeness you and he shared, especially after Kit had confessed his feelings to you and you had not told him of yours, was alarming.

Had he looked into your eyes too much and, maybe, his own love convinced him that you were in love with him? That he only saw a reflection of his in yours because he had been too blind to allow any other answer?

“But I believe she said his heart has been taken by another.”

His heart gave a sudden violent thump in his chest. “Taken by another?” So it was not you. The relief that washed over him was as blessed as rain during drought.

Chelina gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders. “I had tried prying the name from her but she says she does not know who. I don’t believe her. She’s rather coy when she answers.” After a moment of silence, she asked: “Is your heart taken, Your Royal Highness?”

“I beg your pardon?” Kit blurted, then promptly apologized. “Forgive me. Your question surprised me.”

“I do not find it surprising at all.” She gave him another of those small smiles of her, this time it seemed to stem from her amusement. “Am I to believe you find our arrangement more than just for alliance?”

“Your Royal Highness—”

She held out a hand towards him, stopping him in his wake. “Let me just say that I am all right with whatever answer you give. If you are uncomfortable with admitting your truth, then allow me to tell you of mine first. I know there is little affection between us. I do not hold you in any regard other than respect. If you do possess any love towards me, then I am sorry to say that I cannot return it.”

He let out a breath, wetting his lips as he considered his answer. Chelina was gracious to let him know her sentiments on their match, but it was not princely of him to blatantly admit he had no feelings towards her.

“Princess,” he started. He looked into her anticipating eyes, seeing how different they were from yours. Yours held wonderment in them and were as warm as the hearth, inviting and calming. Whilst the princess’s eyes only held him with that calculating look of hers. They were warm too, but it lacked the comfort that you seemed to exude.

Chelina cocked her head to the side, waiting for him.

He cleared his throat. “I respect you as well, princess,” was all he said before he leaned back on his seat.

They were silent for a while, just admiring the countryside on the way to his cousin’s estate. The princess proved to be a surprise. He had not expected her to be thus as she always had been quite aloof inside the palace.

She bore a lot of admirable traits about her. She was capable of handling businesses when he had shown her one of his ledgers. Her visions were similar to his, as well as her plans for the country. He was yet to tell her of his mother’s proposals, but he knew she would have input in those as well. His father and the Grand Duke had chosen well for him and the kingdom, even if she was not the one he would have chosen for himself.

“Are you close with your uncle?” Kit asked after a while, catching Chelina’s attention.

“My uncle?”

“The Grand Duke. I confess I only heard him speak of you when he suggested I take you as a bride. He had not talked much of you or his sister, your mother.”

It took her a moment to answer his questions. “We are… not especially fond of each other. My mother rarely speaks about him and when she does, it is only to tell that they are brother and sister.”

“She holds no affection for him?”

“Perhaps only that of sisterly regard. I do not think they grew up rather close with each other.”

“And by extension, you are not close with him.”

She nodded.

“Have you ever talked with him even before he suggested we wed?”

“I have not.” Her delicate brows furrowed on her forehead. “He is an absentee uncle, even during feasts and celebrations where he is invited. I do not remember seeing him in any of my father’s or mother’s birthday feasts since I had been old enough to attend.”

“Has he any faults against your mother for her not to speak of him?”

“If he has, I am unaware of it. I had only met him once before and even then, he did not speak much with me.”

Kit nodded. He looked at the princess, regarding her quietly. “He shall be the only kin you will have in the palace when we are wed.”

“I have resigned myself to that fate.” She said nonchalantly. “There is nothing for me to do but to accept it.”

“You do not wish your circumstance changed?”

The sigh that left the princess was filled with lament. “I do but there is little use to hope for it to be otherwise.”

He looked at her curiously. “What would you have done differently if you were given the chance?”

“Well,” she started. She licked at her lips before continuing. “I would not wish to be born a princess.”

Of all the answers he was expecting, that was not one of them. He thought she would say she wished to be betrothed to someone else or something akin to that. He had not realized that the princess longed for the same thing as he did.

“I love the life I was given but I would want to be able to handle my own fate, even if my prospects are limited because of my gender. It is rather hard when my life has been planned for me long before I was born. My current circumstance does not give me leave to see the world for myself.”

He nodded in understanding. In all the times he had spent with the princess, he had not expected that she shared the same sentiment as he did about his destiny. It must be harder for the princess because she wanted to explore the world. Kit could do so if he wished; he need only ask permission from his father and he would be given the chance to see the world that laid beyond his kingdom. He had not thought this much for the princess. She seemed too accepting of everything that he failed to consider that she had hopes and dreams for herself.

“And if I were not a princess,” she went on, drawing Kit out of his silent musings. “I would be free to love the one I love. That is the one thing I wish for the most.”

“Yes,” Kit found himself agreeing.

“But this is the life I am born in. There is no changing my circumstance. If I were to try and love someone not of my stature or below my position, the repercussions shall be great but at least, I shall be with the one I love.”

“Are you willing to take the risk for such love?”

The smile that graced her face was now sorrowful. “If I were, I would not have agreed to be betrothed to you.” Her eyes flicked to his.

Kit gave a singular nod.

“And yourself? Are there things you wish to change?”

“You and I are quite similar in that aspect, princess. I wish for the very same; to not be a prince and to love freely and without constraint the lady of my choosing.”

She nodded. “It is a sad predicament we are in, Your Royal Highness.”

“Indeed.”

Kit did not offer more of his sentiment, finding what he said to the princess enough. There was no need to elaborate what he felt because, surely, the princess felt it too. They both sat in silence, contemplating on the new truths that were revealed to them.

“Granville is beautiful,” Kit said after some time had passed. “I had spent some time growing up there. During summers, when father has finished his business, he would bring me to see my cousins.”

“Is it only beautiful in the summer?”

He shook his head. “It is especially beautiful then. Words do not do it justice.”

“Even the duke said so. He says it is an experience worth having, to be in his estate.”

“Granville is one of the kingdom’s old duchies, and also the most bountiful. I am not knowledgeable of its history. Perhaps when we arrive, I can ask my cousin to tell you of it.”

She smiled gratefully, nodding her head. “Thank you.”

“Now, if you were to look out, you would see his seat.” he said as he pointed at the edifice ahead of them.

Chelina ducked out of the window and he heard the gasp from her when she saw Rideau Hall, the seat of his cousin’s dukedom.

The carriage moved forward, providing the princes with a better view of the stately home.

“Oh, it is magnificent!” she exclaimed.

Kit smiled. “Like heaven on earth.”

Rideau Hall looked as though it hovered above water, an illusion made by elevating the man-made pond from where the house stood. Even Kit was awed by its splendor despite having had visited multiple times before. There was something about Rideau Hall that was breathtaking. Was it the palatial house or the fountain that shot the water up quite high or the expansive emerald-colored land it sat on? Whatever it was, it had the princess tittering in excitement.

“I have never seen anything as wonderful as this!” she cried out passionately. Then she looked at Kit with an abashed expression on her face. “Forgive my giddiness. I’ve only been surrounded by palace walls most of my life. Granville may look like a palace but it is more beautiful. In fact, I believe it is more beautiful than your home, Your Royal Highness.”

The prince gave a small chuckle, relenting because he shared the same thought. When the carriage stopped before the Hall itself and they had alighted, Chelina went on about how she would have loved to explore all of it.

Kit offered his arm to the princess and led her in the house, following the housekeeper towards Louis’s study.

“Where is your favorite place here, Your Royal Highness?” she asked as she looked upon the murals on the walls.

“The hunting grounds, I believe,” Kit answered. “Game was always in stock. If it wasn’t, I would be in the billiards room with my cousin.”

“Such manly sports. I wonder if the parlor has a pianoforte,” she wondered out loud, stopping when he did in front of the study.

“If I remember correctly, there are ten throughout the Hall. Perhaps more now. The duke’s sisters are lovers of music. I believe the duke is, as well.”

The footmen opened the study, revealing Louis talking with his steward. When he had seen his unexpected guests, he immediately scrambled from his seat and made his way to them.

“Cousin! Chelina—I meant, Your Royal Highness!” Kit said as he bowed at the two royals. “I did not receive word you would be visiting my humble abode.” He looked up to grin at the princess.

“Humble, Your Grace?” Chelina teased with a charming smile at the man, breaking free from Kit’s arm. “I would not call your seat humble. It looks far from it.”

Kit nodded at his cousin. “Louis,” he muttered. “The decision was quite spontaneous.”

“I see.” Louis’ eyes were kept trained on the princess, who had now blushed under his stare. He was still smiling at the princess even while addressing his cousin. “Is my dear Y/N with you?”

Kit shook his head. “I was told she could not come,” he said through his teeth.

“Is that so? I must admit I miss her already despite not being away for long. I hope she is well in my absence?”

Kit cleared his throat, feeling it tightening. He hooked a finger on his cravat to loosen it. “Yes, she is. And yes, it is unfortunate she could not come.”

“It’s no matter. I shall see her again upon my return.” Louis finally turned to his cousin with a smile.

Chelina looked at the duke’s table before regarding the man. “Were you busy, Your Grace? We do not wish to impose. I only suggested a trip because there had been nothing to do in the palace.”

“I am quite done with my work. My steward is leaving with the last of my orders. I am free for you to use—Uh, use as a guide, of course. I am free to be the guide to your future home—my home, I meant. Dear me, what are these words I am saying?” He gave a nervous chuckle. “The study has become stuffy as of late. Let us head out and into the gardens for some fresh air.”

The duke offered his arm to the princess, who gladly slipped her hand on the crook of it. Kit had never seen both his cousin and the Princess Chelina in such exuberant spirits. He was amused at his cousin for being flustered, having never seen him be such before. The princess did not seem to mind that the duke was stumbling at his words. Kit noted the blush that showed upon her cheeks and the twinkle in his cousin’s eyes.

Interesting, he thought to himself. He knew the princess was smitten with his cousin. He did not know it went both ways.

Louis led them down the hallways of Rideau Hall, speaking of the décor and the paintings that were hung. Chelina had clung to his arm and hung on his every word. Kit did not mind it; he was glad the princess was not as bored as she had been back in his palace.

“It truly is like heaven on Earth,” Chelina noted once they had exited at the back.

“Rideau Hall has been in my family for generations.” Louis beamed. “It is quite like no other. I am proud to own the most beautiful estate in all of the kingdom.”

“I am, too.” The princess sighed. Then she looked at the duke, eyes wide in surprise. “I meant to say, I am proud that you are proud of your estate, Your Grace,” she mumbled, flustered. “Surely, how can I be proud of something I do not own?”

Truly interesting, Kit thought with a sly smile. The normally-poised princess had become a simpering mess all because of the duke. It did not seem to bother Louis that the princess was being informal with him.

He followed behind them, letting his cousin and his betrothed go on with the tour.

“The gardens are a thing of beauty. I myself am not knowledgeable in their names but I can admire them for how they look.” Louis said as he led them on a path. “My gardens are different than that in the palace. My mother thought a natural-looking garden was more fitting in the estate than the ones she grew up with in the palace.”

The prince looked out to the gardens, finding a variety of plants and flowers all over the place. His mother had loved this place as well but not as much as her private one in their home.

“And over here, we have a sort of a waterfall.” The duke brandished a proud hand towards the cascading structure. “I believe one of my ancestors thought the area bland and decided to build one.”

“It’s beautiful. Where do you get the water for it?” Chelina asked as she examined the structure. There had been no water source near it, only verdant lawns and full trees.

Kit peered at the structure, remembering when he and his cousin were young and how they played on the waters.

“There is a pond up above in the hills. They have constructed it in a way that it flows down the cascades without needing any human intervention.”

On and on the tour went, with Louis telling the history of the place and adding some anecdotes of his younger years with his cousin. There were even whispered conversations that Kit was not privy to. He allowed them to have this time for themselves. After all, his cousin was their host and he would not attempt anything towards the princess that would harm her. Not that Louis was a danger to her. He was more irritating than injurious.

Kit had never seen the princess be so animated; she talked excitedly of the place and asked about anything that took her fancy. She was particularly happy to see the instruments in one of the studies, to which the duke had asked if she wanted to play a duet.

“Oh, I would love to!” she exclaimed with a dazzling smile.

Kit stood by in amusement, watching as Louis and Chelina settled for a piece for them to play. It was obvious that the duke had feelings for the princess. He had showered her with his attention all throughout the tour, answering all of her questions and inquiries, even of the smallest thing in his house. When she had asked about one of the paintings in the gallery, he had readily given it to her. It surprised Kit; Louis was known to keep his collection close to his chest, not even showing his most favorite pieces to him. The simple act of the duke gifting a painting to the princess only cemented the fact that he was smitten with her.

The princess, on the other hand, looked as though she truly belonged in Rideau Hall than she did in the palace. She came alive here; face lighting up with joy. It had also been the first time he had heard of her laugh when Louis told a joke.

“I hope you are a better partner in playing duets than Y/N,” Louis said.

“Does she not play well?” Chelina asked as she settled herself beside the duke.

“She plays as though her hands are being chased by a phantom, speedy and thus out of tune.”

The princess chortled. “Oh! Do not say such mean things. I shall have to tell her you have said that so she knows you have slandered her. I do not think she would appreciate you talking like that of her.”

Louis chuckled along with her. “She knows of it. She knows she plays horrendously. I’ve tried teaching her before, when she had visited Granville, but her fingers only trampled with mine.”

The smile that graced the princess’s lips was affectionate. “You are quite close with her, are you not, Your Grace? You speak too liberally about her.”

“She speaks rather liberally with me as well. We are each other’s greatest friends.”

“And only that?”

“I believe so, yes. We are often in each other’s confidence. I dote on her so and she does the same with me. I call her my pet.”

“Do you love her?”

Kit turned to his cousin abruptly, at the same time Louis did to him. There was a challenging glint in Louis’s eyes as if urging Kit to speak up. He knew, Kit thought, his stomach dropping. His cousin smirked before answering.

“I do,” Louis replied. “But not in the sense you’re thinking of, Your Royal Highness.”

“Oh?”

Louis started playing the pianoforte, speaking above the tune. “I love her like a sister and not. She is the other half of my soul in every way but one.”

“And in which way is she not your soul mate?”

The duke played on. Kit watched quietly, waiting for his answer.

“She does not hold my heart and I do not hold hers.”

That seemed to satisfy all of the princess’s inquiries because she started to play alongside Louis. Kit released a breath he was unaware he was holding.

They played three sets of duets, each jollier than the other. Kit took to looking about the room, opening drawers and reading books, and he found a cache of letters in one of the small boxes on the table. He took one out, noting of the dried lavender attached to the wax seal, and read through it. It was nearly impossible to get through the first few lines. It was mostly gibberish, the first line’s thought not connecting with the second. Two separate inks had been used: one ink was darker than the other. It had been signed with your dearest pet. And, oddly enough, it also smelt like you: lavender and lemon.

He replaced the letter in the box, returning to his seat, and watched until his entertainment ended their playing. Chelina’s cheeks were rosy whilst Louis’s face was flushed. They both looked at each other with adoration in their eyes. It dawned on Kit that they were not only infatuated with each other. They were in love.

Much like you and him.

What a comedic turn of events it had been. For Kit to be married to you but also be betrothed to Chelina, whose heart held Louis’s, who was also your greatest friend and his cousin. There must have been a divine being laughing down at everyone’s predicament. No better entertainment it was than to see four individuals be unknowingly connected with each other.

“Will you be staying the night, Cousin?” Louis asked an absent-minded Kit, who only looked at him in question.

The duke repeated his inquiry, to which the prince shook his head in answer. “I’m afraid I only asked that we leave for a day trip. We would need to return to the palace tonight”

Louis looked at over at the window, seeing the setting sun. “You best be on your way if you want to return before dinner.”

“You’re not returning tonight?” the prince asked, making his way to Chelina to help her from her seat.

“I shall be in the palace tomorrow, Cousin. Do not miss me overmuch,” Louis grinned. “The next time you visit, I shall show you my tenants. We have a celebration for the end of the harvest and they shall be holding a feast. You shall be our guests of honor.”

The princess smiled as she stood. When she faced Louis once more, the change on her face was immediate. The joy in it was gone. In its place was an expression similar to pining and sadness. “I thank you for showing me your home, Your Grace. Its splendor is unmatched. I am already longing to return even before I leave.”

The duke took her hand, placing a delicate kiss upon the back of her fingers. “I will be waiting for your return.”

Kit did not miss the similar look of sadness on their faces.

“Vuelve a mí tan pronto como puedas, Don Louis,” Chelina murmured softly.

“No hay nada que desee más que estar contigo, Señora Chelina.” Louis said before he dropped the princess’s hand and straightened.

Kit did not understand what had transpired but he knew it was something heartfelt because the look that washed on the princess’s face was a mix of devotion and sorrow. The duke escorted the princess to the carriage, kissing her knuckles as he bade them a safe journey back to the palace.

The travel was spent in contemplative silence; both their moods subdued over voiced and unsaid confessions. Even throughout dinner—where you were not present, much to Kit’s disappointment—there were no words uttered from both the prince and the princess.

The next day, Kit kept himself busy. He spent the better part of his morning training with Captain Thibault to improve his swordplay. He tried keeping his mind from you and of what he had discovered of his cousin and his betrothed but he could not. It was also made apparent in the way he wielded his sword against the Captain.

Thibault’s sword parried Kit’s, prompting the prince to retaliate. He jabbed its end against the Captain, who then used his lance to shove it off his chest.

“I have taught you more than just jabbing,” Thibault called over the loud clanging.

Kit only grunted in frustration. He had gotten better in his swordplay but with all of the distraction in his head, his movements were only as good as a newborn foal trying to stand.

He thrust his sword towards his friend, only to have his sword flung from his hand and the Captain’s against the side of his neck. Kit groaned.

“Wake up, Your Royal Highness. You’re in a daze.” Thibault said as he patted the prince on the shoulder with the fuller of his sword.

“I’m sorry,” Kit murmured, shaking his head.

“You have been off since your Mother’s feast.”

The prince sighed. “I can’t stop thinking about—” He was close to saying your name but he paused. The Captain was unaware of the situation and with the many ears about the training grounds, it was best he kept you his own secret.

But Thibault seemed to have caught on, being that he was Kit’s friend growing up. “Miss Y/N?” he asked casually, giving his sword to his awaiting footman.

Kit looked at the Captain in surprise, not thinking his musings had been quite obvious. “Yes. Y/N.” He said with a sigh of defeat.

“I must say, I haven’t seen you this smitten with the other ladies before.”

“That is because they are not her.”

Thibault’s brows lifted, amused at his prince and friend. “And, pray tell, what is her and why are they not such?”

Kit sighed again. He thanked and waved his footman away. “It is a complex explanation, Thibault, and one I must keep in strict confidence.”

“If you do not share it, Kit, how may I be of help then?”

He considered sharing it, even before the situation had gotten more complex. Surely, Thibault would understand. He had known the prince since he was young, had played soldiers with him in the garden. If there was one person Kit could trust, it was the Captain of the Guards.

He looked around the grounds, noting the waning number of soldiers. Thibault seemed to have nodded them off the place. When it has been cleared and the doors closed for privacy, Kit turned to his friend.

“What I am about to tell you must be kept a secret. You shall not tell anyone of it, or else it shall endanger Y/N."

Thibault’s brows rose once more. The gravity in the prince’s face made the captain nod. “Of course, Your Royal Highness.”

Kit inhaled deeply. “Y/N and I had been married for twenty years.”

“I beg your pardon?” Thibault sputtered.

Kit recounted what had happened that faithful day twenty years ago, putting great emphasis on the fact that you did not mean to snare him into marriage, that it was only a matter of friendship that you had wanted but you had unknowingly trapped the both of you in matrimony. He told of how he recently found out for himself that he had been your husband for most of his life. Your presence in the palace was only for the divorce and that Kit did not realize he would fall in love with you more than he would his fiancée. He even spoke of what he had found out about Louis and Chelina.

Thibault listened carefully of what he was told. When Kit finished, he looked at his friend and nodded gravely. “To reiterate, you are married to Miss—I meant, Princess—Y/N while also betrothed to the Princess Chelina. The Duke of Granville, your cousin, is in love with Princess Chelina. He is Princess Y/N’s dearest friend, and is also your cousin. The Princess Chelina is betrothed to you but is in love with the Duke of Granville? And you are very much in love with your wife. Well, it is certainly a… plight.”

Kit paced across the training room, shaking his head and his hands. “It is,” grumbled Kit. “Every day, I find myself falling more in love with Y/N and not with Chelina.”

“Grumbling about it will not help,” Thibault remarked. “Nor would pacing.”

He stopped and stood before his friend. “What must I do then? I love Y/N, I yearn for her. I know I will not forget about her for the rest of my life.”

“What has the king said about this?”

“He is adamant about the divorce. He will not have it any other way.” Kit growled in aggravation. “Have you seen Y/N at Mother’s feast? Have you seen how she danced and talked with princes and nobles? Why, if we are not desperate for an allegiance with Zaragoza, her diplomacy and the way she engaged the royals and nobles in talk would surely make my father consider her suitable.”

Thibault nodded. Before he could have a say, the prince went on.

“You have seen her in the square, haven’t you? When I first brought her there? Did you see how amiable she was towards the citizens? She knew she is a princess and yet she treats the others like her friends, and not her servants. You saw how freely she gave her compliments and how she remarked upon everything her eyes landed on. You saw that she is good and kind and charming. She is the perfect princess for the kingdom.”

“Then fight for her.”

Kit looked at his friend, brow raised at his suggestion.

“Fight for her, Kit. You have given me reasons to see why she is the suitable future queen. Have you given the same ones to your father?”

He shook his head no. “He would not listen. He has made up his mind. He and the Grand Duke only want me to wed a princess, not someone common like Y/N.”

“Perhaps it is because they had not seen you this passionate about her.”

“Any talk of her, Father will immediately cease.”

“Then try harder. You love her, don’t you? You would do whatever it shall take for her.” Thibault placed his hand on Kit’s shoulder, squeezing it. “She is your princess, Kit. You are her prince.”

That seemed to placate the prince into consideration. “What of my engagement to Chelina?”

The look on the Captain’s face was wry. “I think she would thank you for a broken engagement. She would then be free to love the Duke of Granville. He owns the biggest duchy in the kingdom, does he not? Granville’s riches can rival that of a smaller territory. And if their love affair ends in marriage, then you would still have an allegiance in Zaragoza through your cousin.”

Thibault’s words rang through Kit’s mind as he walked down the hall to the Great Study. If the Captain believed in you to be the kingdom’s princess, then it would be easy to convince his father of it. And his reasons were sound. His father had been present in the feast and surely, he had seen how you had interacted with the people. It would be apparent to the king all of Kit’s evidences as to why you were the perfect princess for him and had the makings of a future queen.

He entered the study, going to his father with purposeful strides. The king sat behind his busy table, seemingly drowning in work from all of the affairs of the land.

“Father—”

The king looked up and held out a piece of paper.

“Have you any idea of this, Kit?” the king asked.

He frowned, looking at the paper his father held in his hand.

“I don’t believe I had, Father.”

The king frowned. “Are you panting, my boy? Go have some tea. What had you been up to?”

“Father—”

“Have some tea.”

“I had just returned from training. I already had some.”

“Humor me, Kit. Have some tea. It is a rather invigorating blend. I find it brings up my spirits.”

Kit huffed, plans waylaid even before he had the chance to tell his father of it. He went over to the other table and poured himself a cup. If he started on talking about you, his father would immediately put an end to it. Perhaps if he were to listen to his father first, then he would easily slip in his plea about you.

“What does the letter say, Father? Is it a concern I shall have to see to immediately?”

“It is from Prince Frederick. He wishes to commence a partnership with us.”

Kit sipped the tea, finding it refreshing with its hints of lemon and mint. “A partnership? He penned the letter himself?”

“A partnership for trade. He writes that he has found products in our kingdom that could not be found anywhere else. He would want to broker a deal with us before any other kingdoms could do so.”

He went to his father and over his shoulder, he read the letter. It was an informal proposal for a trade partnership but he had seen contracts signed by the prince and of his father to know that this was indeed a genuine letter from the Prussian monarch’s son.

“He also asks that Y/N’s father be the emissary of our kingdom to theirs.”

Kit frowned. “Specifically him?”

“Yes.” The king said as he read over the words once more. “Did he not dance with Y/N during the feast?”

He set his cup down on the saucer gently. It was his time to tell his father of you. “Yes, he did.” And he was an admirer of hers as well, Kit thought surly.

The king folded the letter and placed it under the books before he looked at his son. “She has danced with the Prince of Prussia and the Prince of the Two Sicillies as well as a handful of powerful lords.” He noted absently.

So, his father had noticed you during the feast. “Yes, I had watched her do so. Father—”

“How is the Princess Chelina? I had heard you brought her to Rideau Hall yesterday.” He suddenly asked.

Deuce it, Kit thought sourly. He missed his chance. “Yes, I did. She wished to see Granville.” He brought his cup to his lips once more to cover his frown.

“And her thoughts?”

“She finds Granville exhilarating.”

The king nodded at his son’s hand, towards the cup he held. “How do you find the tea?”

Kit raised a brow at the direction of where the conversation was going. “Quite refreshing. Is this a new blend?”

“It is Miss Y/N’s.” he replied.

There you were again. As he was about to tell his father of you, the king carried on.

“I specifically requested Cook to bring her blend of tea instead of the usual one the Grand Duke brings for me. This, I find, is quite stimulating.”

He sighed inwardly. Patience, Kit, he told himself. He looked at his father over the teacup. “You do look quite well, Father. Have you had the physician visit you?”

“Yes. He said there is marked improvement in my health.”

“Is that so? Has there been any change in your diet?”

“Only the tea.”

Your blend of tea. His father had been sickly when you had arrived but in the weeks since, you had somehow restored his health just with your mere tea. You had given everyone hope and yet you deny yourself of it. Kit knew he must make his plea to his father known.

“Father—”

“On to the matter of the prince’s missive,” the king started.

Kit sighed, placing his cup down on. It was hopeless. “Yes, Father? Did he say which products?” he relented.

He walked back to his desk, drawing to him his business papers from the day before.

The king produced a strained sound from his throat. “It appears he has found our precious stones.”

Kit’s brows flattened across his forehead. “Mother forbade the export of those stones. How did he learn of them?”

“They are available for sale in the square but surely, the merchants would have told the prince that they cannot be brought across the borders with the purpose of selling them without having told us.”

The prince looked at his father. “If they had not, they would have offered to tell. Otherwise, each stall and store selling the stones should be given a copy of the decree. It should be hung within immediate sight of the customers for them to read.”

Upon his mother’s marriage to his father and at her proclamation as queen, she had been given all of the islands separate from the mainland and the mountain ridges of the kingdom. Included in these landforms were every bounty found within. Recently, they had discovered the mines, which held all of the kingdom’s precious stones. And Queen Amalie, intelligent as she was, decided on using it as a trade item for other more territories since she knew the stones would not be found anywhere else.

Kit shuffled through his papers, plucking that of his mother’s proposal and read through it. She had owned the mines, and all other parties interested in purchasing them, she had turned down. Kit did not know why—she had not written it in any of the papers—but he promised to himself that he would see to his mother’s plans, come what may.

“Do you not think this is the perfect opportunity for us to reconsider the offers for those mines? The Grand Duke thinks it wise that we do,” the king said.

He looked up to his father. “You wish to sell them? But they’re mother’s.”

“Why, yes, of course. In exchange for more products from other countries.” The king sighed. “And your mother is gone, Kit. You know the ownership of those lands has returned to me.”

“I do not think it a good idea, Father.”

“We wouldn’t want our citizens to starve. The war has depleted us of our resources. I heard news that our poorest citizens have to ration their grain for the remainder of the year, even perhaps until the next.”

“I know of that but selling the mines would create a solution only for the foreseeable future.” He said. “What happens next when the coffers run dry?”

“Then we sell more of our other products. If that will not suffice, we can turn to Princess Chelina and the products her country may offer us.”

“We cannot be dependent on them.”

“We are not being dependent on them. With your marriage, her dowry should also allow for you to own lands in Zaragoza that you may use accordingly. We shall plant and use the produce from there.”

Kit frowned. “And if the yield is not as expected? What then? We sell our forests next?”

The king raised a silver brow at his son. “That is not what I meant, Kit. If we sell the mines—”

“If we sell the mines, we will have money for the next decade, yes.” He said with a nod. “But if we do not and instead, create more jobs with the use of the mine, it shall fund us for more.”

He watched as his father considered his words. The king only shook his head. Kit returned to the proposal in his hand, sighing. His father had to see reason. Selling of the mines would not be beneficial to the kingdom, even if it would bring about riches.

His father rose from his seat, heading towards the table that held the tea set and Kit remembered why he was in the Great Study. He was to fight for his love to be with you. How else should his father consider you suitable for him than to tell of your accomplishments?

“Father,” Kit tried cautiously. “Have you considered Y/N’s connections?”

“Connections?” The king poured himself another cup of your refreshing tea.

“Yes. Two Sicillies is a powerful territory as well, with more trade routes as they are nearer to the sea and is not landlocked. Y/N is friends with Prince Giacomo. She already has a connection that Princess Chelina does not have.”

His father hummed as he returned to his seat. “I see.”

“And?” Kit prompted.

“And, what?”

“Is that not enough for you to consider that we remain wed?”

The king’s silver brows flattened as he looked at his son. “You are to marry a princess. She is not—”

“She is, now that she is married to me.”

“We have talked about this. You are to marry the Princess Chelina. It has already been decided. There is nothing you can do to convince me or the Grand Duke otherwise.”

“Even if Y/N is friends with princes and nobles?”

“That makes her a capable diplomat. Not a princess.”

Kit sighed. “Father.”

“What does she have to offer the kingdom? Nothing. Just her friendship with the countries.”

“And have you not said that that is as important as owning vast lands? Her connections would make it easy for us to garner more since she is no ordinary emissary. She is their friend and friends would trust their other friends’ judgement.” He told the king.

He walked purposefully to his father. The king only looked at his son from where he sat.

“Princess Chelina is a princess. Yes, she is at an advantage compared to Y/N because of her status but consider how many travels Y/N has compared to her. She has seen firsthand what it is like in other kingdoms, had sampled their products and been with their people. Y/N can help us with our plans for the land.” Kit said.

The king looked at his son, fingers steepled before his mouth. “We are already in alliance with Two Sicillies, that is why she is friends with the prince. What we need is more infantry that will help us in times of war.”

“The Count of Blois’s earldom is a reserve for the military.” Kit stated. “So is the duchy of the Duke of Kenilworth. Prince Giacomo has an armada. They are all friends with Y/N.”

“They are not from our kingdom.”

“No, they are not, but we would want their allegiance with us should someone wage war on us again.”

“Then her father can persuade them for us, when the time calls for it.”

The prince huffed. “Father.”

“Kit.”

“Do you not see? Even in Y/N, we already have a powerful alliance. Her friendship with these nobles would benefit us. She does not need a title.”

“Ah, but a title is what is wanted, Your Royal Highness,” spoke the Grand Duke from the entrance of the Great Study.

Kit grunted, turning to the man. He raised a brow at the noble. “A title is hardly wanted or needed if it does not work in our favor, Grand Duke.”

“Aragon is a great and powerful country. It is coveted by many kingdoms for its bounty and army.” The Grand Duke told him and bowed before the monarch. “Your Majesty.”

The king nodded in agreement. “The Grand Duke is right, Kit. And it is your title that enticed Aragon into letting them agree on a marriage contract with you and Princess Chelina.”

“Was it my title or was it the Grand Duke’s persuasion, Father?” Kit asked, looking back at the king. “You hardly made choices without the Grand Duke’s approval.”

“He is my adviser. I trust his judgement. He has not failed us.”

The Grand Duke preened at the king’s words.

“You did not need an adviser when mother was alive. You were sure of your decrees and proclamations. You had no problems deciding on your own and now, you trust the Grand Duke’s judgement more than you do yours.” Kit said.

The king sighed. “I am an old man, Kit. My health is waning. You are far from ready from taking over the throne, especially when this is how you think. The Grand Duke shall be of great help to you.”

“We hardly had any new proclamations since mother’s death, Father. She did not need any advisers to tell her on which issues of the kingdom needed attending to.” He walked over to his desk and held up his mother’s proposals. “She knew this would usher us into garnering more alliances and trade since our yield had lessen in the last two years. She did not turn to your adviser for any help when she had drafted this. It is near perfect.”

“And yet, it is not passed.” The nobleman said nonchalantly.

The contempt Kit felt at the man for speaking against his mother was unlike any other. It bubbled at the pit of his stomach and attempted to add more vitriol in his already acidic words. “My mother died before she had the chance to do so. And if we are on the subject of my mother, she has passed many laws and decrees long before you arrived and certainly even after you had. How about you? What have you passed that had benefited the kingdom?”

“Kit.” There was a warning edge to the king’s voice.

He ignored his father. His eyes were still set on the Grand Duke, who squirmed the longer Kit watched him. “Do not speak of my mother as though she had no contribution to the land. She has done more than you had, even when you had arrived to help my father.”

“Kit. That is enough.”

Kit sneered at the nobleman before turning to his father. “All I am saying, Father, is with his niece, we are only getting one alliance. With Y/N, her friendship can assure us of more.”

“What self-respecting royal would like to be connected with her? A diplomat’s daughter? A commoner? No one will ever think of allying themselves to someone with the likes of her. Y/N Y/L/N is of no consequence.” The noble scoffed.

The prince fisted his hand, ready to pounce at the man for disrespecting you. “Take care of your words, Grand Duke. You are speaking about my wife.” he said, tone angry and authoritative.

“I’m sorry? Did I hear it right?” a voice said from the door.

Kit whipped around, finding his cousin looking at them with the most perplexed expression on his face.

“You’re married to Y/N?” Louis asked.

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starlessea · 3 years

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Here Comes the Sun: XXI. When You Were Young (Daryl Dixon/Reader)

Series Masterlist: Here Comes the Sun

Summary: Daryl Dixon scares the hell out of you climbing out of that damn creek. It takes hauling his ass halfway across Georgia and taking a bullet for him to realise that you're not half bad. He slowly starts to come around, despite grumbling about how much he doesn't like your singing, or that you can't use a gun for shit - and don't get him started on that ugly yellow tent of yours. It takes him a while before he starts to see for himself that he's found a best friend for life, and that he doesn't actually mind the colour yellow that much, after all.

Words: 5907

Chapter Warnings: Language, Insecurities.

You snapped the book shut and looked up at your class, who stared back at you in complete awe. You laughed, taking in their expressions. The first time you had read this novel, your face looked something similar to how theirs did now. You couldn't help but let out a little laugh, uncrossing your legs and standing up from your seat. Immediately, they started to chatter amongst themselves about the ending, and the volume rose as their voices ricocheted off the walls of the small classroom.

In the last couple of months that had passed since the takeover of Woodberry, the prison had been completely transformed. It was barely recognisable from how you'd first found it. The cells each had a bed, and now resembled actual rooms. The field had been tilled and converted into farmland courtesy of the Greenes, and you even kept livestock in wooden pens. Best of all, Rick and the others had set up a classroom for you to teach the children. You could remember it like it was yesterday. It had certainly been a well-kept secret, and almost everybody had known about it but you.

Daryl and his team had scavenged some desks and school supplies, as well as an old blackboard that reminded you of the one you had first written your name on. They'd even brought back a wooden bookshelf - which they had to tie to the roof of one of the vehicles just to get it home. Over the course of the next few weeks, it began to collect books, filling up more and more each day.

Your first assignment had been for your students to create a poster on any book of their choice - and as a result, they also filled the white space of the walls. Before long, the former guards’ office resembled an actual classroom, brimming with colour and, surprisingly, children eager to learn.

"Okay, everyone!" You called out, clapping your hands to get their attention. "Now that we've finished this book, I want you all to write your own short story in response to it."

The group started to murmer amongst themselves again, and you yelled out over the chatter.

"It can be a sequel, or even something different inspired by it." You explained, your voice getting lost in the crowd. "Be as creative as you can."

It was a real learning curve getting used to teaching younger students. Though, it was a lot more rewarding than you thought it would be. You remembered teaching Carl briefly at the Greene farm, which felt like a lifetime ago now. You never expected for your class to grow to the size that it was.

"I'm looking forward to reading them all tonight before bed." You added, once they had settled down enough to do so.

It was a tradition for you to do all of your marking in the evening. It filled up your time and kept you occupied until Daryl returned. He'd been going on a lot more runs recently, and it made you worry less when you had something to take your mind off it.

"Any questions?" You asked, and saw a flurry of hands go up in response.

"Teacher!" A young girl called, waving her arm to get your attention.

You smiled almost unknowingly. If adults had even half the enthusiasm of children, then maybe a lot more would get done around here.

"Yes?" You answered, and nodded in her direction.

The legs of her chair lifted a few inches off the ground as she swung back a little, and you fought every teacher-urge inside of you that said to pull her up on it.

"Is Mr. Dixon going to read them with you?" She giggled, and suddenly you forgot about the chair.

You couldn't contain the snort that left your mouth from the name 'Mr. Dixon.' You'd have to tell him about it later.

"I meant questions about the work." You chided gently, but the smile on your face told another story. "Though, he might. So make them interesting."

Once again, you were unable to control the class as they got rowdy, and you just shook your head.

"You don't want him to fall asleep when I read them to him, do you?" You added, as you started to hand out the paper.

The children spent the next hour or so furiously scribbling out their stories in messy handwriting that you'd be tasked with deciphering later. Daryl had been gone for a few days on a run, but he was due back at some point today. Though, you wouldn't put it past him to conveniently arrive home late, to get out of marking duty with you.

When the time came to dismiss your class, you were given a lot of hugs and waves from everybody as they left. Perhaps it wasn't the most professional, but nothing really was these days. You were lucky to even still have a profession given the circumstances. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a figure looming in the entranceway, holding the door open for the children as they left the classroom. It was Carol, and she gave you a warm smile when she caught your eye. You beckoned her in after everyone else was gone, and she made her way shyly towards you with her arms behind her back.

The two of you had grown even closer over the last few months - all of you had. Though, you and Carol got along like a house on fire. She had the most brilliant sense of humor tucked away, and you were often lucky enough to get a glimpse of it when she felt mischievous. Daryl had given the pair of you the nickname 'dynamic duo' - and you thought that nothing could suit you both better.

"What are you doing here, Peletier?" You asked in a mock stern tone. "I don't remember giving you detention."

The woman smiled sheepishly at your teasing, before more confidently sitting down on your desk and stretching out her legs. From behind her back she brought out one hand, and placed a fresh, red apple over your paperwork. You laughed immediately, and so did she.

"I've always been a good student." She told you, with a grin.

You hummed to yourself, unconvinced. You started to collect the loose sheets of paper from your students' tables, and the woman hopped off your own desk to help you.

"I caught the end of your lesson. I hope you didn't mind me listening in." She admitted, and you shook your head in response.

Normally, you got nervous if you were being observed. One time, Daryl dropped by to give you some supplies you'd asked for - and you'd gotten so red that the children made fun of you for the rest of the day. Yet, Carol's presence made you calm; she always was the one to have your back.

"They seem to really love you." The woman added, nonchalantly.

The compliment really did warm your heart. Even before the world ended, all you'd wanted was to gain the approval of your students. Except, that was the one thing that adults struggled to give.

"I just want to make it fun for them." You explained, picking up another hand-written story.

You could tell whose it was just by the handwriting. At this point, you'd gotten to know all of the children so well that they felt like part of your extended family; everyone in the prison did.

"I know they should be learning practical skills, too." You went on. "But I can't let them forget how to read and write."

You were mumbling to yourself, and barely noticed as Carol handed you the other half of the papers. You filed them all into a neat stack, and placed them onto your desk. Except, you now noticed a book sitting on it that hadn't been there before.

"I came to give you something." Carol said, pointing. "Well, to return something."

Your eyes widened as you read over the title. It was in pristine condition, with a shiny cover and an unbroken spine.

"It's not the same copy." The woman explained.

You could tell; it was much too neat to be the one you'd brought with you to Atlanta. That one had crinkled pages and a ripped cover even before you had leant it to Carol.

"I asked Daryl to keep an eye out for one on his travels." She admitted, and you perked up at the name. "Thought maybe you could read it to the kids one day."

You held the copy of The Little Prince in your hands, your eyes glancing over the delicate illustration of a young boy lost amongst the stars.

"Carol, you didn't have to do this-" you said quietly.

The woman cut you off before you could go on, nudging you gently with her shoulder.

"I did. I wanted to." She corrected, and you finally looked up to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry for what I did before."

She said the words quietly, as though ashamed, and this time you were the one to elbow her back and shake your head. She gave a small smile.

"I liked the part with the fox." She told you. "Where he says that important things can only be seen with the heart, not the eyes."

You looked at Carol with a dumbfounded expression.

"I did read it, you know." She laughed.

So, the two of you did finally get to discuss the book together, just like you'd hoped to do all that time ago - back in the warm summer shade of the Greene farm.

When you spotted that mop of hair from across the courtyard, you knew instantly who it was. Well, the crossbow and that familiar leather jacket also gave him away. You started to run in his direction, before you spotted a group of your students and slowed down to an embarrassed jog. The man eyed you, and you could make out his taunting smirk even in the distance.

It hadn't been that long since you'd last seen him, but your heart still ached to feel his arms around you. You never knew how lonely the nights could seem once you got used to sleeping besides someone you loved.

You approached Daryl casually, feeling eyes on you. There were people working the fields, and others on the fences dispatching walkers. Even if they seemed busy, you weren't oblivious to their side-eye glances every now and then.

"Hey there, Stranger." You finally greeted the man. "Was starting to forget what your face looked like."

With the influx of survivors, Daryl had taken on even more responsibility than before. He was out for longer and home even less, but you knew it couldn't be any other way. You knew that - but it didn't stop you from resenting the fact.

"Too many damn mouths to feed." Daryl grumbled, pointing to the string of squirrels hanging from his belt. "These people are eatin' like kings."

You laughed at that, thinking back to the last harsh winter where you'd all had to survive on some questionable meals, to say the least.

"Ah yes, the luxury of fresh squirrel." You teased, eyeing the dead animals strung up by their tails.

You made a face, and Daryl made one back.

"I'll give yers away if ya gonna keep bein' picky 'bout it." He warned, but it was much too light-hearted.

Still, you held your hands up in defence.

"Okay, okay." You replied, sending him a mischievous smirk. "I'm sorry."

The tension was thick between you, despite the banter. Even as dirty as he was, you wanted nothing more than to fall into the man and press a number of kisses to that face of his. Yet, you refrained. Maybe you could get him into the shower first, away from all these people as well.

"Just take a look at your hair, Dixon." You remarked, once you finally noticed it. "Are you growing it out for me? Because I said I had a thing for guys with long hair?"

It hung over his face, and he pushed the loose strands away from his eyes with the back of his hand. It suited him, but he was definitely in need of a good shampoo.

"Yer really pushin' yer luck today, aren't ya?" Daryl muttered, taking a step closer to you.

You couldn't hide the smile that had spread over your face. Even an exchange as simple as this left you beaming. There really was no one else who could make you laugh quite like Daryl Dixon.

"You've been gone for two days." You reasoned lightly, trying to hide the way it actually made you feel. "Am I not allowed to have missed you?"

He tended to tease you about it, so you tried not to make a big deal whenever he returned home. Yet, you failed every time.

"What d'ya say?" Daryl asked, rubbing his ear.

He'd probably gotten mud stuck in there. It wouldn't surprise you - given how filthy he looked.

"I missed you." You repeated, begrudgingly.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, like he couldn't comprehend what you were saying in the slightest.

"Hmm?" He prompted, waiting for you to explain again.

You huffed and shook your head. You would be dragging him into the showers as soon as he got to the cell block.

"I miss-" you started, before the realisation kicked in.

You immediately slapped the man's chest with the back of your hand, and a smirk spread over his face.

"You're messing with me!" You yelled, and he shrugged his shoulders innocently - like he was completely oblivious.

You attempted to shove him again, but this time he caught your wrist and pulled you in close. Your chest hit his, and you felt the warmth you had been craving. You didn't care anymore about the curious stares, and it seemed that he didn't either. Daryl wrapped his arms around your waist, and you snaked your own over his neck to pull him down to you.

Your noses touched, and you smiled against him. The two of you stayed like that for a few seconds, just taking in the sight of each other - and the feel. You could tell that you'd unintentionally gathered a bit of an audience. The new members of the community rarely got to see Daryl like this, so you often got quite a few looks whenever you were together - and a lot of follow-up questions when you were alone. You ran your fingers through the ends of his hair, that went all the way down to the base of his neck now.

"Well, if you're not going to let me cut it, the least you can do is let me braid it." You whispered, your face still close to his.

You'd threatened it once before, but you were more adamant this time.

"Ya can fuck off." Daryl grumbled back, but somehow he managed to make it sound affectionate.

You laughed lightly, and finally gave him the shortest of kisses that only left him wanting more.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'I missed you, too'."

Daryl Dixon was a stubborn man. You'd realised it from the moment you met him. He was the type to stick to his guns, even if they weren't loaded. You'd seen him argue his way out of something even when he was wrong, and convince you of his viewpoint even when you were right. Daryl Dixon was stubborn - but he always cracked eventually when it came to you.

"Don' say nothin'." He snapped, and you bit your lip to hold back the laugh.

"I didn't say anything." You quipped, as naturally as you were able.

You plucked another daisy from out of the grass, and handed it to the child. She took it in her small fist, and threaded it through the man's hair - messily between the braids you'd given him.

"Yer face says it all." He grumbled, his own looking like thunder.

Daryl was sitting cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by a few of your younger students. They'd begged him to let them put flowers in his hair after eavesdropping on your earlier conversation, and you'd said yes before he could even reply. He was a stubborn man, but he was also a people pleaser.

"Mr. Dixon, what's your favourite flower?" Another girl asked politely, twiddling a bluebell stem between her fingers. "We'll see if we can find it."

You laughed, but quickly disguised it as a cough.

"Yes, Mr. Dixon." You chimed in. "What is it?"

If looks could kill, you'd be dead ten times over. Except, the man didn't look all that intimidating with stray daisies interwoven in his hair, and loose plaits that were in the midst of being braided by clumsy hands.

"Stop bein' a lil' shit." Daryl bit back.

Though, he immediately got punished for it.

"Teacher, he said a bad word!" One of the children exclaimed, pointing to Daryl like he was a shamed dog on the naughty step.

You took a deep breath, trying to keep your composure, and watched as the man did the same.

"Daryl Dixon, if you swear like that again we'll have to wash your mouth out with soap." You scolded, in your most teacher-like voice.

The children laughed their high-pitched laughs, and you could see a small fire burning behind the man's eyes.

"'M gonna murder ya in yer sleep." He mumbled below his breath.

You yanked on the strand of hair you were braiding, before half-heartedly apologising and claiming it to be an accident. Daryl flinched, and whipped his head around to glare at you.

"What the f-" he started, but you narrowed your eyes at him. "Frog." He finished, and you lost it.

You let out what was perhaps the most unattractive snort of your life, which was much too bold to be disguised as any sort of cough. You knew you'd pay hell for this later, but for now you just wanted to relish in the power. You had Daryl in the palm of your hand, his hair quite literally wrapped around your little finger. He turned to glance at you, but you tugged again - but more gently this time.

"Jus' watch what yer doin'." He reminded you, before muttering some more underneath his breath. "Are ya tryin' to scalp me?"

Somewhere in the midst of the exchange, Deputy Grimes has sauntered over with an expression equally as smug as the one you wore. He had Judith in his arms, resting over his hip, and looked down at Daryl with a grin as he approached. He was wordless, but when the two of you made eye contact it was hard to remain that way.

"Jus' don't." Daryl sighed, sounding completely defeated.

"I didn't say anything." The officer replied, and at this point you couldn't deny that there were tears in your eyes.

Daryl looked up at Rick and squinted from the sun. He shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah. Tha's what they all say."

Rick watched the exchange in amusement. It had been refreshing to see him so relaxed during the last few months. You thought that he really deserved a break - and it seemed that he was making the most of it by spending time with his children.

"What did you do this time?" The man asked Daryl.

He shrugged in response, before one of your students reminded him to keep still.

"Nothin'." He grunted, seeming to be at the end of his rope. "Dunno why 'm bein' tortured for feedin' the lot of ya."

The string of squirrels had been passed along to the cook before the children had all but seized Daryl and demanded that he played with them. You may have had some involvement in his kidnapping, but you were only a bystander, really.

"Quit complaining, you big baby." You reminded him, before tucking a flower behind his ear.

Daryl had a vacant stare, but it soon became a warm one when he noticed Judith making some gurgles and smiling in his direction. She had her arm outstretched towards him, and Rick lowered her down so that she could be closer to what she was reaching for. The baby smiled a gummy smile, and ever so gently patted Daryl's head - eyes wide at the array of colourful flowers there. The man stayed completely still and allowed her to do it, and you just watched. You wished you had Glenn's camera during moments like these.

Not long after, the officer said his goodbyes, and left with his daughter. She peeked over his shoulder at the two of you as they walked away, and it made your heart melt as you looked at her.

"She's so adorable." You said, to no one in particular. "I want one."

Daryl choked, and you smirked at him deviously.

"Just kidding." You admitted, as though you hadn't almost caused the man to have a heart attack.

Daryl spluttered again before standing up. Most of your students had left the two of you alone, having gotten bored during your chat with Rick. You watched as the man shook out his hair, letting the flower petals float to the ground like leaves from a tree.

"Jesus Christ, woman." He muttered, looking in your direction. "Calm down, would ya?"

You smiled as you helped him untangle the braids.

"There's only so much a man can take in one day." He went on.

Before long, Daryl’s hair went back to looking just as messy as it had done before, and you once again prompted him that he needed a shower. So, the two of you headed back to the cell block, and you slipped your hand into his to also remind him of how much you'd missed him.

"You never did say which flower was your favourite." You said, once the thought came into your mind.

You glanced over at the man as you walked, but he just gave a small shrug in response.

"Dunno." He said quietly. "Guess I like the yellow ones."

Despite wanting to spend the night alone with Daryl, cuddled up under blankets in your cell as you read him some imaginative hand-written stories, the two of you had been convinced otherwise. Usually, alcohol wasn't permitted inside the prison - something about productivity and sharing that you hadn't really paid much attention to. But, since a lot of people had just returned from a long run, an exception had been made so that you could celebrate.

It was hardly anything, really. There was barely enough to go around to get you tipsy, let alone drunk, and there were only a dozen of you sitting around the campfire - taking swigs from your plastic cups. The spirits had been diluted to stretch it out a bit more, and you were reminded of being a teenager again, swapping out vodka for tap water so that your parents wouldn't notice.

Even so, your body hadn't had alcohol in a while - not since the Jack Daniels you'd all polished off back at Hershel's farm. Already, your head felt fuzzy, and your laughs sounded giddier than you'd intended. You were all sitting on the ground, out in the field. It almost felt like that first night you'd cleared the prison - except so much had changed since then. Rather than tentatively holding Daryl's hand in the dark, when everyone else was asleep, you were now sat in between his legs as his arms held your waist. His chest was warm against your back, and you could feel it rise and fall regularly.

You could also smell the alcohol on his breath, but you didn't really mind. It was rare that Daryl did drink - even when it was available to him. You liked the fact that he could relax for once, since he always seemed to bear the burden of looking after everyone else.

"You two!" Tyreese shouted, catching your attention.

Across from you, the man sat beside his sister, Sasha. Vanessa was also next to them. Out of everyone here, you knew the three of them best. Admittedly, you hadn't got around to learning everyone else's names yet.

You looked up, startled, and Daryl chuckled softly at the way you flinched in his arms.

"How'd you meet?" The man asked, and offered a smile in your direction.

If there ever were such a packed question, it would have been that one. It was the type of question that required a whole book to answer - like one of the stories you'd set for your students to write. You glanced back at Daryl, only to find that he was already looking at you. He remained silent, so you raised an eyebrow at him before realising that you'd be the one answering.

"It was really romantic, actually." You spoke after a few seconds.

Everyone else's chatter had died down, and you suddenly felt very exposed as you became the centre of attention. Except, liquid courage always did work wonders where you were concerned.

"The first time I met Daryl, he told me to fuck off and called me a mule." You announced, like you'd been waiting for the perfect moment to do so.

Your audience erupted with laughter, and you took in the looks of disbelief around the campfire - feeling satisfied with your choice of words. Except, it didn't last long. Daryl jabbed you in the ribs with his elbow, and you shot a glare back at him.

"Tha's not what happened." He argued, and everyone fell quiet once again to listen to what the man had to say.

It was rare that they got to see Daryl like this - letting loose and talking without being prompted to do so.

"Jus' fought off two walkers only to have some chick yelling at me, sayin gimme yer hand like the ghost of Christmas past or some shit." He explained, his voice more animated than you'd ever heard it. "Thought my time had come."

A few more chuckles could be heard in response, but Tyreese eventually spoke up.

"Can someone translate for them?" He asked, and it was then that you realised just how much detail you'd need to tell this story of yours.

So much had happened between you and Daryl that you'd need countless sheets of paper to recount it, unlimited words and a number of chapters. You leant back further into the man, deciding how to officially introduce it.

"Well, it all started with this yellow tent." You said, and the others listened.

You went on for a bit, taking sips of alcohol between your words. Everyone seemed enraptured by you, and it even seemed like Daryl was hearing the story for the first time, too. It felt strange to recount it in such a way, and it made you realise just how much had happened since the world had ended.

You smiled as you finished, deciding to give one last summary to your captivated audience.

"So basically I pulled Daryl up from a cliff-face, then hauled his ass halfway across Georgia, before finally taking a bullet for him."

The alcohol had long since ran out, but everyone had stayed to hear the ending. Maybe you were oversharing, but spirits gave you loose lips - and you always did have a bad habit of running your mouth.

Tyreese started clapping slowly, before pointing at Daryl where he sat.

"You, brother, are one lucky man." He remarked with a smile.

You heard Daryl grumble something next to your ear, before addressing him back.

"She leaves out the part where she stuck 'er finger into my wound and sang outta tune next to me for three hours straight."

You bit your lip before finishing off what little was left of your drink.

"Minor details." You mumbled.

Some of the men you didn't know were murmuring amongst themselves beside you, but your head was too foggy to make out what they were saying. Perhaps Daryl could, since he had a scowl over his face. You didn't have time to question it, though, because Vanessa soon interjected with a laugh.

"So you're telling me that you now share a bed with the same guy who had walker ears around his neck when you first met him?" She teased, and you beamed back at her.

"Yeah-" you muttered, before sighing dramatically. "Sometimes I question my own judgement, too."

The walk back to your cell was more of a stumble, but no one had to know that. You and Daryl both made it there in one piece, so no further questions needed to be asked as to why you were missing a shoe, or who you'd tripped over along the way. It had seemed all fun and giggles, until you realised that it had been one-sided fun and entirely your own giggles.

Once you entered the room, you finally noticed how quiet Daryl had been. He toed his boots off wordlessly and threw his leather jacket into the corner. He knew how much that frustrated you, but he seemed too wrapped up in his own thoughts to care.

You walked up to the man and snaked your arms around him from behind, so that your chest was pressed to his back. All day, you'd been craving for the two of you to just be alone - but now that you were, he seemed too agitated for his own good. You thought that you must have missed something, because Daryl definitely didn't seem like himself.

You rubbed your palms along his chest slowly, but he stopped you with his own hand, and pulled away. He turned to face you, and you cocked your head to the side as you took in his expression. His eyes were narrowed, and he was chewing at his lip like he always did when he was confused. Eventually, he shook his head.

"Yer too good for me." He stated, like it was a fact. "'M a lucky man." He went on. "Why'd ya want someone who wore walker-"

"Whoa, slow down there." You cut him off.

He was reciting all of the things that had been said over the campfire, you realised - except they'd all been playful jokes, and he knew that. The man sounded like a broken record, but you couldn't quite put your finger on what had made him break.

"Someone's had too much to drink." You reasoned, but raised an eyebrow as you did so.

You weren't convinced yourself, but you had no other explanation as to why he was blurting out the things that he was. Daryl was a big man, and the amount of alcohol he'd drank was nowhere near enough to get him drunk.

"'M fine." He confirmed, but you knew there was more going on. "Jus' the truth, s'all."

The man looked down at his feet as he spoke the words, and you sighed.

"We are not doing this again, Daryl." You warned, and took a step closer to him.

Ever since more people had been coming to the prison, Daryl had seemed to convince himself that there were plenty of better options available to you - all without consulting you about it, of course. It had gotten to the point where you'd snapped at him, almost a month back, and it had escalated into a fight. You understood where he'd been coming from - a few people had gotten a little too friendly with you on more than one occasion. But, you'd convinced him that you were right where you wanted to be, next to his side.

You'd thought that had been the end of it, but something must have happened to bring it back to the surface.

"I see the way they all look at ya. Like they want ya." Daryl snarled, like he was seeing things that you couldn't. "They were talkin' 'bout it right in front of me."

And suddenly, it all made sense. The men you had noticed staring and mumbling had set Daryl off. You realised that he must have heard what they were saying - and that it must not have been good. Yet, part of you still felt frustrated that he had even listened to it. You'd spent the whole night recounting how you met the man, and how much he meant to you, only for your words to be completely unravelled by words of others that were insignificant.

"So?" You finally responded, more forcefully than you intended.

Daryl's head snapped up to look at you, and you met his eyes in return.

"I go through the same thing with you."

The man was silent for a few seconds, like he couldn't fully comprehend what you'd said.

"What?" He asked, and you shook your head.

"Just because you're blind to it, Dixon, doesn't mean that I am." You told him.

You placed your hands over his chest again, but this time he didn't shrug you off.

"They look up to you. You're a hero to a lot of these people." You explained, like you'd truly accepted the fact.

You could feel the heat radiating off the man from underneath the tips of your fingers, and you took another step closer to him so that he could feel you, too.

"You don't think there's days that I hear women giggling about you? Talking about you like you're some knight in shining armour who rescued them from this world?" You said, chuckling a little as you did so.

At first, it had killed you to see. Every time you noticed someone staring at the man, or whispering about him when they thought you couldn't hear, it made your blood boil. But, after a while you became numb to it - mostly because Daryl never even spared them a second glance.

"It makes me feel pretty shitty, too." You admitted, as you let your fingers rest over the first button of his sleeveless shirt.

You looked upwards at him, and he gave you a small nod - so you started to unbutton it.

"But then I come back to our cell, and I'll see that you've left me flowers on our pillow." You went on, smiling in the direction of your mattress, where you had missed the man’s presence over the last few days. "Or I'll notice a new cassette tape in my walkman without you even saying anything."

You reached the last button, and shrugged the material over Daryl’s shoulders so that you could see his bare chest.

"And then I forget about all those other people." You confessed, and pressed your palm over his heart. "Because I'm reminded everyday that you're mine."

Daryl immediately placed his hand over the back of yours, and squeezed it gently.

"I'm yours." He agreed, and this time leant down to give you a kiss of his own without being prompted.

It was soft, but you'd missed the feel of him - and it made you impatient. You could taste the alcohol on his lips, and so you broke away before you became too intoxicated by it.

You hooked your fingers around his belt loops and pulled his body closer to yours - so close that his bare chest was warm against you, and you could feel his heart pounding.

"Then show me." You said, and he did.

A/N: So every time I write a chapter of HCtS, I delete the notes for it from my masterplan - and I’m getting so emotional seeing it get smaller and smaller each week. We’re coming to the end and I can’t deal-

Send me a message if you want to be added or removed from the taglist!

Tag List:

@xxboesefrauxx @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @teel-dinosaur @speakinglikeconstellations @bunnymother93 @alularae3 @death-becomes-her @royaleclown @alex-sulli @julesmalek @fuseburner @riverscyberwife @browneyes528 @julesclues @diaryofkali @solinarimoon @ssonia13 @phoenixblack89 @srhxpci @jocyc1997 @bvbwestfall @graniairish @bitchynicole @whitexwingedxdoves @potatochic2003 @suranne-doesstuff @witch-of-letters @sweatywildpanda @daryldixonstorm @btsiguess-kpop @dead-leviathan @reichelhache @thatmemechick

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recurring-polynya · 2 years

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Writing/Art Update 5/21/2022

I forgot to do this yesterday!!

WELL, I wrote 3049 words worth of Renji and Ichigo eating pie in a diner with Byakuya’s dad. I alluded to it in the tags, but got really excited about this one, wrote a bunch, realized I had a bunch of continuity errors, and it took me most of a week to massage it back into something workable. I am happy enough with the end result, but that was more stress than I wanted to put myself under for this writing challenge, and I think I’m pretty relieved that it’s nearly run its course. I have one in mind for this coming week, and then one last one that is sort of a What If? challenge and also sort of not, you’ll just have to wait and see on that on.

I also wrote 1437 words on the Tattoo Artist AU. (15,848)

My brain is started to shift gears back into a little in love mode. I had a pretty clear vision for the last two acts of the story back when I originally outlined the whole thing, but now that I’m there, I’m not 100% happy with it, so I’ve been trying to brainstorm different ways it could go. I mean, I still have my original conception to fall back on if I can’t come up with something better, but I just feel like it doesn’t necessarily flow logically from how the characters have been developing up to this point. (Also it involves Rukia and Renji having a fight and I don’t wanna 😭😭😭) Anyway, I’m kinda hype for finishing this thing! I’m not sure, but it has a legit shot at surpassing Call Me Back as the longest thing I’ve ever written.

The summer that I started writing alil, I read a bunch of Jane Austen novels. I’ve mentioned that I have been struggling to read lately, and I’ll say that my project of re-reading the Battle Angel manga has not been entirely a success. I’m on the last volume of the first series now, but it’s taken me absolutely forever. My library does a summer reading program, though, for adults as well as children. The surest way to get me to do anything is to require me to log it, so I am hopeful that I am going to Read a Book or Two this summer. Reading and writing are sort of independent activities for me, but I feel like reading is important to keep my writing brain going in the long-run, and I really need to get back into it.

Art-wise, I am very close to a workable “done” on my zine piece. I plan to go back and improve a number of the background elements, but the mental freedom of “I could turn this in if I had to” will be very freeing. I took a tiny break on that to make something for Renruki Kiss Day. It’s going...okay. It’s not my favorite thing I’ve ever drawn, but I do feel pretty confident I’ll get it done on time. It’s been really irritating because I feel like I’ve forgotten how to draw lately. Sometimes I feel like I could just go back and start learning to draw again from scratch, not that I have any idea what that looks like. I just get mad because I have no discernable style and I’m super-dependent on references. Bleh. I miss doing Soul Society Artist AU comix and I’m looking forward to doing them again, even if it means I have to do a “powering up” panel that I’ve been dreading.

#writing update #art update

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euphoricssentimentalist · 2 years

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My most wonderful mutual @itwoodbeprefect tagged me to do this and I'm grateful since I love to ramble about myself kwjfjs

So,

Favorite color: blueeeee!!, but honestly I love almost every color and it depends on the mood to decide which one I'll choose or use or whatever

Currently reading: besides my 16 open ao3 tabs, I'm reading "The butterfly garden" by Dot Hutchison, which I haven't got the chance to read that much since school and more stuff has kept me pretty busy, but yeah, so far it's been engaging and I'm a sucker for psychos so I hope it's good.

Last song: Man, lately I've been going down a Rammstein spiral and oh baby Jesus I swear my family can't be more sweet about enduring my daily five hours blasting their songs at full volume. Last one I heard just a few minutes ago while finishing my homework was "Sonne" from the "Klavier" album and, seriously, if y'all feel like it you should check out the song, IT'S JUST *CHEF KISS*; I swear that whole album speaks directly to my soul, but this song in particular does something to me. The notes for the verses are so dark and intense, just like the original song, but at the same time it has this neat and elegant detail, and don't even get me started on the chorus part, because it really gives me the chills. Is so delicate and smooth and delightful I can not not fall in love with it.

Last series: Yesterday I couldn't sleep so I opened Netflix and played one of the first ones that appeared on recommendations. It was about a girl who pretends to be rich and plays the elite, I don't remember well the name but I think it was something with "Anna" in it lol

Sweet, savory, spicy: For what, exactly? Lmao. Uh... If we're talking food, for dessert obviously sweet. For food in general, bro, I'm Mexican, I eat spicy food all day every day, and I love it. As for savory, i guess sometimes?

Currently working on: Trying to perfectly schedule my days between school, study for a super important exam that is twisting my guts with the anticipation and getting back to practice with my guitar :(( it makes me real sad I don't have enough time to play again. I'm hoping on sparing some time next weekend and get acquainted with my baby again.

That's basically it :D

Now comes the part of tagging 9 other ppl

@redgoldblue @greyskylight @strohller27 @glowofthecities-below @asharogirl @sorry-i-spaced @jimmyandthegiraffes @morgan-the-lonely-brick @andtheywerelegends

Dudes, you always appear on my notifications and I love y'all for that, thanks for supporting this gay af blog full of useless but amazing posts. Feel free to reply to this or ignore it, either way you're in the winning team, besties

#val's thoughts and words for the world #not related to the blog purposes #thanks for coming to my ted talk

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rivers-rambles21 · 3 years

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The one with the marathon

Part 7 of The one where Bucky has a cute neigbour series!

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader (f)

Summary | Reader and Bucky become friends after he saves her from a creep in their apartment building. Each chapter explores a different point in their friendship - very slow burn!

Warnings | 18+ only, Smut in later chapters (this is a slow burn), swearing, unprotected sex, oral sex, (later chapters)

Mentions of PMS in this chapter! I’ve also given Y/N a couple of interests to add a bit more to the story to help it progress

Will include elements of TFATWS in later chapters

You’d been doing your best to dodge Bucky as soon as you felt your body's usual symptoms start to develop. It started as it always did with feeling bloated before the short temperedness set in. Bucky was sweet and kind and he didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of your temper so you opted out of your usual Friday night pizza with him, giving the excuse of being called into work which he accepted with disappointment.

Saturday morning came and as usual, painkillers did nothing to soothe the ache in your lower gut. Traipsing into your kitchen, you filled the kettle up with water before putting it on the hob and started to root around for your hot water bottle whilst you waited for the water to boil.

A knock on your door interrupted your hunt and rather reluctantly, you made your way over to the door, unbothered by your sleepwear attire.

Swinging the door open, you instantly regretted not ignoring it.

“Hey doll”

It was upsetting seeing Bucky look so good on a morning when you felt so rotten. Even worse, you were fully aware of how you currently looked - unbrushed hair, no make up and Bucky’s t-shirt which only just covered the tops of your thighs. Self consciously, you eased the door closed a little bit and shielded your body from view.

“Hi Bucky, what’s up?” You asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“Can I come in?” He asked, tilting his head to the side as he tried to catch more of a glimpse of you.

“Now’s not a great time…” You grumbled, feeling guilty as you saw the smile drop from his face.

“Are you avoiding me?” The words rushed out of his mouth before he had time to stop them.

Taken aback by his forwardness, you paused for a moment, your jaw opening and closing as you didn’t quite know how to respond. “I’m sorry, you don’t owe me an explanation. It’s just I heard you in your apartment last night crying but you said you were at work and I was worried-”

He started to ramble as he panicked he’d overstepped the mark so you swiftly cut him off. “Don’t be, you’re right, I have been avoiding you.”

“....oh” Bucky's eyes shot down to the floor as he nodded his head. Your admission cut deep and every insecurity Bucky felt rushed to the surface as he processed your words. “I thought-” he started but not quite knowing how to finish his sentence.

You cursed your inability to think before speaking as you reached out towards him, no longer caring about your appearance as you took his metal hand in yours. “It’s nothing you did, I’m just not myself at the moment, I’m not exactly great to be around when it's my time” You emphasised the last bit, hoping he’d get the hint without having to spell it out.

You were wrong.

Bucky lifted his head and looked back at you, confusion etched across his handsome features. “You’ve lost me”

“Remember how you got that scar on the back of your head?”

“Yeah my sister threw a book at me”

“Uhuh, and do you remember why she did that?”

“I ate the biscuits she saved for when she- oh!” It suddenly hit Bucky as to what you’d been hinting at and suddenly he felt like the world’s biggest idiot.

“Safe to say me and your sister have the monthly mood swings in common” You joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Well...um… if you need me, you know where I am”

“Thanks Buck” You smiled up at him and tried not to swoon on the spot as he leant towards you, his lips pressing against your forehead, gently kissing you as he cradled the back of your head with his hand.

His thumb stroked the back of your neck as his lips left your skin, sending shivers down your spine.

“I’m sorry for avoiding you, I thought I was saving you”

“Trust me, I’ve survived worse” He joked, tucking one of your many stray hairs behind your ear. It suddenly dawned on you what your current state of attire was and you hastily tried to flatten your hair and pull the t-shirt down to cover more of your bare legs.

Bucky tried his best to avert his eyes from your state of undress, not having taking note of how you donned his t-shirt beforehand, too focused on your wellbeing but he found himself failing miserably. You were too cute with your bed head hair sticking up in random places and slightly dark eyes where you’d not completely removed yesterday's mascara. And then there was his t-shirt. Fuck - he’d nearly lost it when you’d warn it the night you’d gotten locked out of your apartment but thankfully your legs were covered. But now? It was driving him mad seeing inch upon inch of bare skin, his t-shirt barely covering your underwear. He wanted nothing more than to shove you against the wall and run his hands over your impossibly soft skin.

The sound of your kettle boiling over snapped him out of it and he watched as you darted over to the kitchen, leaving him standing in the doorway, facing away from you as he was positive he’d be able to see your ass as you walked.

“I’ll come back doll”

Before you had a chance to respond, he’d already closed your door behind him.

Hastily, you made up your hot water bottle and quickly jumped into the shower, unsure as to when he would return.

Half an hour later, Bucky was back at your door, grocery bag in hand. “I’ve brought you a few things for... y’know.”

Opening your door wide for him, you chuckled at his awkwardness and gestured for him to come in. “You really didn’t need to-are those Peanut Buttercups?!” Rushing towards him you grabbed the bag out of his hands and began rummaging through his purchases.

Laughing at your response he left you to it as he hung up his jacket next to yours as he usually did and took up his spot on your couch.

“I remember what Rebecca was like and figured you might appreciate a bit of sugar.”

You could only moan in response as you devoured your chocolate treat. Grabbing your hot water bottle from the side table, you made your way over to the couch and sank into the seat next to Bucky, resting your head against his shoulder.

“Any plans for today?” You asked, holding up the last bite of your candy bar.

“Nope” Leaning forward, he took the chocolate from you using his teeth as he finished it off.

“Then you’re in for a treat” You sunk deeper into the sofa as he lifted his arm up, resting it along the top of the couch cushion, letting you lean further into him. Bucky also took the opportunity to pull the blanket from the couch down onto you, tucking you into his side.

To say Bucky was excited when you told him there were sequels to The Hobbit would be an understatement. For him to then find out they were turned into movies was almost too much.

He was in heaven. He was watching Middle Earth come to life, just how he imagined it would be whilst cuddled up against his favourite girl.

He wished it could be like this all the time, when he was with you the memories of who he was before subsided, along with all the guilt and shame. Even when he was in Wakanda, he hadn’t dared to dream of having any sort of normal life, he’d accepted it just wasn’t on the cards for him. That he’d always be alone.

When Steve left, that only solidified his belief that he was destined to be alone. Part of him was okay with that, this way he wouldn’t hurt anyone ever again. But the other part of him, the part that even Hydra couldn’t wipe out, longed for a companion, whether it be platonic or romantic.

Finding you was a miracle. You were so carefree, so honest, open and kind. You put up with his old fashioned ways, you didn’t make fun of his odd quirks or question why sometimes he needed to just be on his own. You both also had a lot in common, you both enjoyed modern technology and sciences and often found yourselves watching documentaries and educational pieces on TV together. Bucky was also delighted to learn you were obsessed with motorcycles and was planning a road trip for you both for when you next had some time off work - a surprise he was having a hard time hiding from you.

Half way through the first film he felt you nodding off, having come down from the sudden sugar intake. Pulling you tighter against him, he kissed your head and lowered the volume on the TV, not wanting to wake you.

As the second film started, you stirred awake, the cramps returning with a vengeance. As you opened your eyes you realised you’d snuggled into Bucky, nuzzling into his chest, leaving a small amount of drool on his black t-shirt. Jolting backwards, you hastily wiped your mouth and tore yourself from his arms in embarrassment.

Bucky’s eyes hadn’t strayed from the TV as he remained completely emerged in Middle Earth.

“Sorry I didn’t realise-”

He quickly shushed you as he continued watching the film. However he did miss your warmth and spread his arms wide, inviting you back into your previous position. “C’mere”

Trying not to read too much into it, you smiled and sank back into his arms, sighing as they wrapped around you, his right hand resting over your stomach, soothing your cramps.

It was well into the night when you finished your movie marathon, both of you enjoying every minute. You knew friends didn’t cuddle - not like this. They didn’t make your heart race like Bucky did. They didn’t make butterflies erupt in your stomach every time they so much as looked at you.

You were in trouble.

#bucky #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #romance #fluff #slow burn #bucky x female reader #bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #tfaws spoilers #tfawts #tfatws

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swan-of-sunrise · 3 years

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The Winter Soldier (Chapter Four)

Summary: (Y/N) and Sam worry about their new super-soldier friend after it’s revealed that he’s on the run and wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D., the very agency he’d dedicated himself to.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Four (Previous Chapter)

“It’s such bullshit! Captain America’s a criminal now?!”

“I know, Greg.”

“They haven’t even said what he’s done!”

“Yep, it’s ridiculous…”

“How can they organize a manhunt for him but not say what he’s supposedly done?!”

(Y/N) pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated groan. “Greg, you’re my friend and I love you but I can’t keep having this conversation with you.”

The line was silent for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve been having the exact same conversation for almost a half an hour! You can’t believe that Cap’s a criminal, I agree, you complain that they haven’t said what he’s wanted for, I agree, then you start going all ‘Law and Order’ on me!” She exclaimed, immediately regretting her outburst; with a sigh, she sat down in her desk chair and rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry, Greg, that was rude. I don’t like what’s going on either; Captain America stands for freedom and honor, he always has, and it just seems…wrong that he’s the subject of a manhunt. I seriously doubt that Captain America of all people did anything to break the law.”

“Wow, when did you become such a big Cap fan?”

“I went to his exhibit when I was at the Air and Space Museum yesterday, and I guess it got me interested.” (Y/N) half-lied, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. “Anyway, the reason I called was to tell you that it might take me a little longer to get the draft of my book to you; I still need to look over the last couple of chapters and with everything happening…it might be hard to focus on writing today.”

“Don’t worry about it, Mike’s busy reading through a nine-hundred-page thriller that was sent in this morning so that’ll give you some time. Sorry to cut this short but I’ve gotta go, I have to check on mine and Mara’s dinner reservation for tonight, so I’ll talk to you later, (Y/N)!”

“Talk to you later, Greg!” (Y/N) hung up and set her cell phone down on the desk with a sigh. Ever since she and Sam turned on the television at breakfast and saw the breaking news, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong; Steve Rogers wouldn’t be on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. unless he had a damn good reason to be. I’m sure he’s fine, he’s probably been through much tougher scrapes than this, she thought to herself with forced optimism as she turned on her laptop and began typing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Humming along to Billy Joel’s ‘Movin’ Out’, (Y/N)’s fingers flew across her keyboard as she typed and she smiled, proud of the fact that her writer’s block from the week before was now officially over and that she was so close to completing her very first novel. Not bad, not bad at all, she thought, hitting the ‘save’ button and stretching her arms over her head to relieve the build-up tension in her shoulders.

“Now this is good music, Booksmart!”

She spun her desk chair around to see Sam standing in the doorway of her bedroom and raised her eyebrow as she turned down her music. “Oh, so Billy Joel’s okay but everything else I listen to is garbage?”

Sam gave her a teasing eye-roll. “I never said that your music was garbage, I just said it was weird. How’s the writing going today?”

“I edited twelve pages and just spent an hour trying to describe a Soviet Cold War-era missile, so it’s been okay. How was work?”

“It was good, I didn’t have any meetings scheduled so I spent most of the day playing chess with the old timers. I swear, I think Gary cheats but I can’t figure out how he does it…”

(Y/N) shrugged. “Or maybe you should just accept the fact that you’re terrible at chess and the old timers take great pleasure in seeing you lose.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. You still cool with driving me to the shop to pick up my car?”

(Y/N) got up, turning off her computer and unplugging her MP3 player from her speaker with a grin. “Of course! Driver picks the music, though!” She laughed and practically skipped out of the room as Sam let out a groan of defeat and followed her. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Birdbrain, it’s not like I’m making you listen to a CD of ambient throat singing!”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if you had some of that…”

Five minutes later, they were on the road and the two of them were singing along to her one of Panic! At The Disco’s newest singles at the top of their lungs; out of the corner of her eye she could see other drivers shooting them odd looks but she couldn’t care less, she was enjoying herself far too much.

Sam chuckled as the song came to a finish. “Damn, their new album is good. You know, I didn’t start listening to alt-rock until I met you.”

“Then you should be thanking me for bringing such good music into your life!” Giggling, (Y/N) turned down the volume and glanced over at the cheerful man sitting beside her, her smile faltering as she asked, “Do you think he’s okay, Sam?”

Her roommate’s expression grew serious and he shook his head. “I really don’t know. I saw on CNN earlier that inside sources claim he’s wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. in connection to the assassination of their director, but I don’t buy it. The guy we’ve met, who’s so dedicated to his job that he hasn’t bothered getting a life outside of it, wouldn’t be a part of something like that. I think something else’s up and I’ll bet anything he’s out there trying to figure it out.”

(Y/N) bit her bottom lip, nodding after a moment. “Yeah, me too.”

“Just you wait, this whole mess with S.H.I.E.L.D.’ll be cleared up in no time. I’m calling it right now, Steve’s gonna ride up to the VA on his motorcycle and dramatically whisk you off your feet, and the two of you are gonna ride off into the sunset together while one of those sappy love songs you pretend not to like plays in the background.” Sam's teasing smirk widened when her cheeks flushed. “C’mon, Booksmart, you both were mooning over each other like teenagers after the meeting yesterday; I felt like I was in the live studio audience of a soap opera taping.”

“You know, I could always kick you out of the car and make you walk all the way to the shop, if you'd prefer.”

“And I'd still get there before you ‘cause you drive like a grandma...”

Soon after, she pulled into the auto repair shop’s lot, parking under the shade of a tree before turning to Sam with a smile. “Did you want me to stay just in case your car isn’t ready yet?”

“That would be great, actually, thanks!” Sam gave her a grin before getting out of the car and heading into the shop.

(Y/N) rolled down the windows and sighed when she felt the soft spring breeze against her skin. Taking advantage of the peaceful moment, she let her imagination wander and began brainstorming different stories and characters in her head. You should probably finish the book you’re writing before you start on another one, she thought with a playful eye-roll. Her childhood dream of becoming a published author was in the middle of coming true, and she couldn’t be any happier about it.

Just then, her eyes drifted to a silver truck that was driving past the parking lot. It was going fast so she couldn’t get a very good look at the driver, but for a split second she could have sworn that the man driving the truck had the same blonde hair and chiseled jaw as Steve Rogers. Chalking it up to worry for the runaway super-soldier, she closed her eyes and murmured, “Whatever he’s up to, I hope that he’s staying safe.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4BenknAqQQnOWY8NmSa23V

Tagging: @mrs-obrien @lahoete @awkward117 @cminr @momc95 @awkwardnesshabitat @marinettepotterandplagg @khuang3 @supersouthy @benakenalove @brooke0297 @hufflepeople @becausewelie @outoftheregular @supreme-tantrum

Chapter Five

“The Winter Soldier” Masterlist

#steve rogers x reader #captain america x reader #steve rogers #sam wilson #captain america fic #captain america the winter soldier

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kumoriyami-xiuzhen · 3 years

Text

Deemo -Prelude- Chapter 4.5 English Translation (Volume 1 Extra)

Special thanks to @seidooreiki for the cleaning and redrawing help on this manga extra!

Notes and encoded characters to the link for the chapter are below~!

Chapter + Other Notes

as always, I translated this from Chinese so my tl not be 100% accurate if compared to the JP raws.

please don’t reupload elsewhere (especially to social media), and don’t remove my credits page (if that ever happens, my translations for Deemo will only be available through patreon). additionally, this is not to be profited off of in any way and is intended to for one’s private enjoyment only.

reorganized everything on mangadex to reflect which chapters show up in volume 1... and made misc changes to chapter 1 and 5.

removed my chp 1 translation from db and uploaded it to mega... maybe in a year i’ll go delete the files. iuno. i originally started using mega and db because mangadex was down when i started translating prelude.

referring to this as chapter 4.5 because there are only 4 chapters in the first volume plus this extra.

Finally got my hands on the 2nd resource I use for chapter 6 part 1 (saw the update for them at around 4pm EST yesterday... so less than 12 hours ago. won’t be translating for at least a week since ive got a test next week)... though if the 2nd tl scan stops getting updated, I’ll switch to only translating this manga when a new volume gets published. however, that will be dependant on when im willing to part with what disposable income i have (...which is honestly not going to be very willingly next year since two new hakuoki musicals were announced and i try to buy the blu-rays... so yeah. i would definitely prefer to put my money towards purchasing those and the shipping costs cuz i don’t like shipping anything that costs ¥10,000 or more without tracking and Japan Post still doesn’t have its other tracked shipping options to Canada available, which leaves only premium shipping carriers that offer tracking... but in fairness, i have said that deemo comes in last on my free-labour priorities. xD).

If this manga does get licensed, I will be definitely be dropping this series. I have a “not doing anything more than necessary” policy, and I’m not in the habit of translating anything that I know someone else will be translating anyway... but if that does happen, I will at the very least finish off whatever chapter I am in the middle of putting together (assuming that I am translating a chapter then. probably).

it hasn’t been mentioned before, but there are apparently a number of discrepancies between -Prelude- and the Last Dream (I haven’t read the Last Dream so I can’t exactly point out what they are and I didn’t really read the post that described said differences)... who knows if more things in all of the characters’ backstories will change even more once the movie gets released.

below is not a link. its a bunch of chars that needs to be decoded via base64decode to reveal the link

----------------------------

aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWdhLm56L2ZvbGRlci9XdlFSeUN3YSNzZUhSbGIzbk05cW5hcmhQX2FoUFVB

....also im not sure what to feel about this extra. i mean yes it’s nice and all, but the memory from it was strong enough that it made it into Deemo’s castle...

#deemo #deemo prelude

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zoomy-brain · 3 years

Text

Y’all. I cannot explain how relieved I am Shadow and Bone turned out so good!!! I’m so happyyyyy!!! Thoughts and rambles under the cut!

Commission Info || Ko-fi

OKAY SO, short version: it’s really good, hot damn!!

Long version (spoilers btw): I was so worried mixing the six of crew with Alina’s story was gonna be weird and not work. But thank gods they have great writers on the team (and Leigh Bardugo), and it works very very well.

Alina’s story is, let us be honest, pretty dry and boring as a series. Most of the book goes into her inner struggle with her grisha powers and her self-image and her relationship with the Darkling, a lot of it is inner turmoil. Not so interesting for a series. So adding the Six of Crew before the plot of Six of Crows is a really good idea to fill up a lot of empty space, and introduce the much more complicated characters, as well as how they work with each other. And after all the build up, when all the mains meet in the end, it’s so satisfying. Six of Crows andthe trilogy have always felt like seperate entities, but they somehow made me WANT to cross each other and be buddies. (Also Inej feeling enlightened by meeting Alina had me soaring, it was something I didn’t know I wanted 💛💛💛)

Casting is freaking perfect. The Darkling couldn’t be anyone BUT Ben Barnes, fuckin nailed it. Everyone‘s acting was amazing, Jesper especially was spot-on, Mal and Alina really took what they got and made it charming and interesting, Nina and Matthias are perfect in every way. The characters aren’t 100% the same as in the book, which is dangerous but they didn’t take anything away. In fact, they added and made it work for a tv-series format. Kaz is intimidating but he’s not all-powerful from the start, which is very different from the book but it still works. Alina is half Shu now, which I didn’t think would be necessary until she ran away to a Ravkan village, where they immediately look at her with suspicion, making her struggle to stay out of the limelight (heh) harder, so it DOES add something. There’s a lot of little things like that in every character that wouldn’t have worked as well in the book, but it does here because it’s acted and framed very well 👏👏👏

I’m surprised how much I love the magic system in the series. Reading the book, you can only do so much with your imagination. In the series, the effects are well done but what makes the grisha powers work, is the actor’s mannerisms when they use them. The harsh arm movements and the sound effects added to it, really make it feel like it’s an effort they barely have to think twice about. Aka, what the last airbender movie SHOULD have done.

If I HAVE to complain about 1 thing, it’s just that I wish the world was a little more interesting. I blame this on my own imagination going wild when i was reading the books, but Ketterdam felt massive AS WELL as claustrophobic. The show has the claustrophobia down, but not the whole Capital-City-ness of Ketterdam. Maybe that’ll happen once the Six Of Crows arc starts? I also thought the Little Palace was wayyyyy underwhelming. Especially knowing the kind of architecture Russia can come up with when they built palaces, that shit should’ve had more domes, bruh. But then again, alternatively, the Fold was really well done. A problem a lot of films have these days is that none of them know how to film Dark Scenes. As in literal dark, lights out, scenes. See: any DC film ever, except Wonder Woman. The Fold wasn’t blindingly dark, you could still clearly see the characters and their expressions. What made the Fold work was the pressing dark mist that was always hovering over them and how people talked about the Fold. Kinda like how Voldemort became intimidating solely by how other people talked about him. As well as the Stag’s forest. Mmmm that’s some good snowy scenery 👌👌👌

Other notable moments that made me go “FUCK YES, GOOD SHIT”: Nina gets her waffles in season 1, Jesper meets the second love of his life Milo, 2 heists, Kaz announcing them as heists, mission impossible-esque filming of said heists, plottwists that weren’t in the books (which means the writers thought of us, the fans, and i love them for it), Alina’s Sarcasm, Ben Barnes, Inej gets to circus, Jesper gets frisky in the stables, Jesper gets to Show Off, Kaz gets to Go Off, Nina has Volumes, the Shag’s Majestic Antlers (tm)

Just- oof- so good. I need more people to talk with about Shadow and Bone, the adaptation that’s doing it Right. It’s sooo good, I finished yesterday and I wanna watch it again already.

#shadow and bone #sab #spoilers #alina starkov #grisha #grisha universe #grishasnetwork #leigh bardugo #leigh bardugo books #shadow and bone netflix

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