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yandere-wishes · 8 months

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‧ ₊˚✧ Do Not Weep Hydro Dragon ‧ ₊˚✧

Summary: There's a crack in Neuvillette's heart that bares your name. He sheds a tear for you each day. Yet once you return to Fontaine with your fiance. The cracks and tears begin to grow.

Warnings: Yandere behavior, stalking, arranged marriages, affairs.

Author's note: I'm sorry 😭💔😭💔

There've been rumors circling around Fontaine. Ghostly whispers floating between coral-tainted lips and fervid ears. The rumors spoke a bittersweet name. One Neuvillate had long since buried. At first, the notion of your return had felt like a bad dream. like the roar of a tsunami before it crashes on shore. Terrifying yet, ultimately unreal. He'd summed the rumors up to some traveler who bore your mien. To an erroneous article by the steam bird. Anything. anything at all.

Anything that wasn't you.

It wasn't until after a particularly grueling trial that he'd witnessed the truth behind these rumors. There you were in all you're glory. Gleaming akin to the finest pearls laying dormant in the primordial sea. Your expression, when he could catch it, was gleeful, delighted, A drastic contrast to his last unfortunate memory of you. His eyes follow the delicate movement of your gloved hand as it stifles a cheery giggle pouring from your cherry lips. It's only after noting your delight that he becomes conscious of the gentleman accompanying you. A ginger with bloodthirsty eyes and a soul that reeks of carnage.

A splash of heat rolls down Neuvillet's cheek. Right before a splash of cold splatters across his temples. his attention narrows on the sky, as the

clouds begin to weep. What once was a peaceful sunny day shatters like a wine glass on porcelain tiles. Humidity threads through the air robbing him of his breath.

It's raining.

How fitting, Neuvillette thinks as he watches you and your companion run to find shelter.

Neuvillette recalls your smile almost as clearly as he recalls your pulse under his teeth. The taste of your flesh as his teeth left bloody love bites in every wrong place. He remembers saying I love you, albeit there was more to it than that. It had started with I love you and ended with every truth he'd forgotten how to tell. He had shed his human masquerade, in the hope of finding true love. You had screamed that night. You had screamed every night since.

Neuvillette thumbs through his memories. As the rain outside grows more ferocious. He remembers you standing by the sea, he remembers you telling him the phobias that ran deeper than blood.

You hadn't been from Fontaine, not originally. A fallen gear from an ancient automaton whose kin resided across the sea.

You'd been raised in the ways of the hydro court. Even if 'raised; was too generous a word. Morphed or sculpted may have been more appropriate synonyms. You grew up clawing at your own skin, trying to find who was underneath the layers of mindless expectations. You'd been raised as a lady and grew into a harrowing beast that feasted on the stars.

Yet even creatures of unparalleled strength had their weaknesses. Even ever-blessed vision wielders bore a certain Achilles heal.

Yours so happened to be your incompatibility with your foster nation. Or rather with the water itself.

When people asked, as some had tended to do. You'd weaved them tales about serrated Pisces and dorsal-finned leviathans with open maws awaiting their prey. You don't tell them about the vastness, the dark blue landscape that feels all too wide and all too endless. You don't tell them about the things you swore you've seen lurking beneath the infinite waters of Fontaine. And you most certainly leave out the parts about the creature who engraved fear upon your bones many moons ago before you even knew how to walk.

Neuvillette remembers your eagerness to leave. That had, ultimately, been your bonding point. He'd been an outcast. The supreme justice was ever only relevant when he upheld the law. And whilst Supreme Justice Neuvillette was revered and adored by all. Plain Neuvillette was nothing more than a shadow of evaporated water that hunted the streets of Fontaine. You had never wanted to mingle with the people. Keeping everyone at arm's length. Maybe it was fate that had brought two lonely souls together all those moons ago. Maybe it was something else.

He had loved you. He swears it on the Hydro archon ( or any other Archon who lacks Furina's fickleness) He'd tried to show you that the waters of Fontaine meant you no harm. He'd even shown you his true form, the utmost assurance. Maybe that's why you fled. Maybe that's why you'd left him heartbroken one morning when the sun didn't rise.

It had rained that day. As well as the following days. Until the surrounding islands ceased to exist.

You'd left him hollow and alone.

Yet your return made the cracks in his heart fester.

Neuvillette had taken it upon himself to cloak you in his watchful gaze.

He'd come to notice how you and that dreadful Fatui Harbinger you'd come to associate yourself with. Rather liked taking long walks

where the sea kissed the shore. He'd also noticed a ring of Snezhnaya Alexandrite perpetually wrapped around your finger.

Neuvillette's footsteps are heavy as they collide with the concrete. He's closer today. So close he can practically smell the scent of citrus and eucalyptus. If he reached out with his powers he could surely touch you, feel the warmth of your body bleeding into him, just like old times. He misses you, yet a part of him pities your return. Neuvillette's grey eyes follow your desolate gaze. It rips open one too many wistful wounds.

"So then Teucer said...Hey darling are you listening?"

Childe's eyes follow your frozen glare, tracing your line of sight straight to the menacing waters that refuse to part from your side. You hear your lover mumble a faint 'right'. Before you feel his silk-clad fingers dance across the back of your neck. Flirting with the chilling fear that rolls off you in waves. You pin your body to him, finding comfort in the familiar scent of his cologne as you bury your head in his neck.

"I'm truly sorry for this darling" Sincerity rolls off his tongue, percolating into the tender kiss he presses to your temple. "I've just been feeling...down lately. Like this inexhaustible sadness is going to swallow me whole. Fontaine was the only place I could convince the Tsaritsa to transfer me for a short while. I just, I need a break from it all." You answer him in a low melodic hum. You get it, truly you do. Sadness is a poison, acidic in nature. It engulfs one's soul. Melting away their purpose, their resolve. Eating away until it reaches their hearts, their desires. It leaves behind empty shells and broken pieces too fragile to ever fully mend.

Who better than you to understand the pains of being soulless, bereft? A mere shell awaiting a miracle that had died long ago.

There's a voice, carved from velvet and silk. It rolls across you like a tidal wave. Potent yet soft. It whispers your name and calls out in hopes of mending broken hearts. You turn to look behind you. All you see is the endless sea.

It's only on the fourth day of your visit that Neuvillette permits you to see him. Actually, see him. It's no longer his ghost that haunts you nor the empty waves that he commands beckoning you by name. It's him, really him. His glare is relentless as he leaves a prolonged kiss on your knuckles. You're in the middle of a conversation with that dreaded harbinger. Something about his older sister wishing to take to shopping upon your return to Snezhnaya.

"My darling it's been all too long, how fare thee my-"

He's cut short, how rude. Yet far be it from him to expect proper mannerisms from the Fatui.

"Hey, I'm having a conversation with my betrothed. Don't interrupt." Childe's eyes morph into his own glare. One which promises blood and violence. The fates of those caught on the other end of said glare are never pleasant.

"As the chief justice of Fontaine, I have to right to interrupt any conversation I see fit."

Despite yourself, you let out a laugh. Choke the fear down with a cup of Fonta and ask Neuvillette to join the two of you. It's the nostalgia talking really. Some remnants of the past collide with the present causing your heart to adopt an unsteady rhythm.

It's after that event that Neuvillet permits his presence to be seen by you and your "lover". He's always a mere breath away, following under the guise of being a gracious "tour guide". But tour guides do not wrap their arms around a lady's waist when her fiance isn't looking. Nor do they sneak kisses behind open parasols. You haven't protested about any of this. Maybe your fear of the hydro dragon has perished, replaced with a yearning for your former lover. He prays to every star in Tyvat for this to be true.

It's on the day of your departure that you receive the bad news in the form of an army of Gardemeks. Childe is being arrested, something about a serial disappearance case. Something about a trial. It's a ruse you feel it in your bones. Neuvillette personally appears at the docks and holds you in his arms as you weep. He assures you this will all be cleared up soon. That you have nothing to fear.

But you do, you have all so much to fear. Neuvillette permits you to stay at his house whilst the trial takes place. He traces the shimmering blue of your veins with his lips. He says he loves you, that he refuses to let you slip from between his fingers ever again. He'll keep you here. Keep you safe. Away from the Fatui.

Away from Ajax.

How he wishes he could tear the universe apart with his teeth. Part the oceans and bury the two of you under it. He dreams of keeping you by his side away from everyone else. Neuvillette is the chief justice of Fontaine, it's a prestigious role, one that demands trust. Yet maybe, just this once. He'll have to find the accused guilty regardless of the evidence.

Tag list: @rebeccawinters @fangirl-katwithclaws @starshiningsirius

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cautuscoralcoast · 3 months

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The Flesh, Blood, Bone, Heart and Soul : There once was a jellyfish who wished to be human

Laios Touden x Monster! Reader

Synopsis - you're a jellyfish who had no heart or soul to even desire the purest desire—you wanted nothing and desired not even the will to eat. One day, a winged lion came to you and asked if you wanted to see. You didn't know what that meant at the time; that was until the lion wanted you to meet a human.

Word count: 7.8k

Tw. Very brief mentions cannibalism, depictions of violence and lots of blood, near character death, eating disorders, major spoilers for the manga, viewer's discretion advised

Next.

For the longest time, you were just a jellyfish. A lone jellyfish floating in the abyss of water, deep in the dungeon.

You watched as those sea creatures ate each other. Feasting on each others flesh and tearing tails and fins off of each other. But then you would watch them mate and produce offspring — and the cycle repeats.

All you would and could do was watch as they did so; just eating the scraps and algae. And that was all you would do — eat. With no coherent thought, you were just a regular jellyfish in an aquarium full of monsters.

"Do you want to think?"

What was there to think? All you needed to do was eat.

"Do you want to see those mermaids in disgust?"

Why would you want to see mermaids? You already can.

"Do you want to go beyond this aquarium and up above the surface?"

You don't know what that means.

It wasn't anything magical or grand. One day, you realized you were alive and living in a sea with other live creatures. You didn't think much of it. It was as if you knew for your entire life.

It was when one of the mermaids tried attacking you, did you realize what the power of sentience gave you.

You could eat more than just scraps.

From a jellyfish, you morphed into a monstrous, distorted version of a mermaid. The more you ate, the bigger you got, and the more you turned into into a coverage shape. You became the serpant of the dungeons sea, devorour of all creatures from the waters. You ate undines, mermaids, mermen, and anything that was in your domain.

But then one day, suddenly, you felt something new.

You felt lonely.

There were very little monsters of your kind that would dare approach you. Even then, you ate so much there wasn't anything that could approach you.

You didn't want to eat anymore. You didn't want those monsters gone. You don't want to be alone.

You morphed from a leviathan sea serpant back into a jellyfish like-form. With flesh akin to jellyfish and a form similar to the mermaids that sung you songs: You were you.

"Do you want to go back to how things were?"

"If I did, then things would get as scary as I was and eat everything."

"They still would regardless of your wishes."

"Then stop allowing them!"

"They are the same as you, unknowing. It is my faith and goodwill to grant those with desires, knowledge."

"Then what may I do?"

"Do you want things to go back as they were before?"

"No."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Like the sea anemones and algae, you remained stationary in place.

You sat on a coral throne, hands in your lap, listening to the mermaids sing. You watched as juvenile mermaids and merman fought each other, and despite the mermaids always having the upper hand, you enjoyed seeing the mermen struggle for survival. It was truly amazing to see the will all living things in the dungeons waters have to live. It was a perfect equalizer, keeping the population of both at bay.

As you sat on your coral throne, like the canary birds that sing, you sang the monarchs melody for the mermaids. You sang your song, and they would sing theirs. They wove you dresses and hairpieces from the coral and stone under the dungeons floor. They gave you the flesh of mermen, bladefish, and cephalopds. You felt the meat the mermaids would in your hands. You squeezed the lump of flesh as blood flowed in the water, and you devoured it.

You hated eating.

It was one of the things you came to despise. For you, it was the source of all evil things. It was desire and hunger that nearly made you eat all living things in this artificial ocean. It was the desire to eat that ruined you. Hunger and desire was what made so very lonely. It was that very desire that caused so many plants and organisms to suffer in pain. You couldn't believe you ate all those creatures.

You hated eating.

Only eating when you were on the brink of death.

You were the hunter; you dominated the waters of the dungeon. You watched and felt every movement in the water. You smelled and tasted every bit of blood that flowed in the water. You saw everything — there was not a single thing that could escape your watchful eyes. You sought out those monsters with desires as strong as yours, and with a watchful gaze, you wrapped your lappets around the still living prey. They could try biting you, tearing your skin, scratching out pieces of your flesh, but that never stopped your attack. There was no need to pay attention to pain you couldn't feel. They never were alive long enough to injure you anyway—especially not when you had the water's blessing.

Your lappets constricting and tightening as you felt them grow faint. Their mind and body numbing as you constricted tighter. They couldn't hurt you when they couldn't move.

As they remain barely conscious, you dug through their flesh and ripped the bones out. You peeled any fur off the skin and ate the tissue. You chewed on the blood vessels, trying to draw out more and more blood. You constricted around them tighter and tigher to watch the blood squeeze out of the limp lump of flesh. You tightened your hold on it as you tore through muscle and fat to reach the heart.

It was only when you had all the hearts that you finally let go of the lifeless piece of flesh.

The mermaids really liked it when you brought them the heart of the prey. However, there were days you were especially hungry; just so very hungry, you couldn't help resist going out to hunt for more.

You felt the water move ever so slightly.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Songs were the mermaids' passion.

As you rest upon your coral throne, the sung you songs. They loved to dance and sing the events of that day. They told you stories of the food they ate, the stones they found, the surface creatures they lured in the water, or even the mischievous actions of the youngest mermaid.

Blessed by the waters of the dungeon, songs became your passion.

Every night cycle, you love to rest in the coral reefs as they rest by your side. You would sing them your melody — one about the wonders and curse of gluttony. You lulled them to sleep, and once you were sure that they all were asleep, you would melt away and morph back into a jellyfish. You would shield them with your body, and it was only when you were sure they were safe, did you finally allow yourself to sleep.

The mermaids, sirens, fish, and kelpie were your passion.

You love them all so dearly. Despite knowing their nature to devour each other, you can't help but still love each and every one of them.

It wasn't their fault that they needed to eat. They were born, as all living things, to eat, consume, reproduce, die, and repeat. You couldn't blame them over something that is instinct. You were once the same; so very small, so very primitive. You were once just a jellyfish with no thought nor any sense of pain.

"There is this human who goes by the name Laios. Unlike the humans in the stories I tell you, he admires the monsters in the dungeon."

You opened your eyes as you hid beneath the coral reef. "Is that so?"

"He admires the biological nature of monsters. He has a deep passion for the monsters of this dungeon and holds a great yearning for knowledge."

"A human..." You asked as you held your lappets closer to your body. "Humans are the same as I, aren't they?"

The lion chuckled as his voice bellowed in your head. "Humans are much more extraordinary. They are born with the nature to exceed the instinct and animalistic nature all life is born with. They needed no gift to have the ability to think beyond nothing. You aren't anything close to their organic being; You're just an artificial attempt at intelligent life."

You tilt your head to your side as you pondered. "If I don't exceed this nature of mine and they do, then this human wouldn't have the primal fear when facing monsters, am I correct?"

"He wants to live alongside monsters. He doesn't wish for them to be seen as monsters but rather the same as the living creatures above."

"The same?"

"Yes—just as you accept the cruel nature of the creatures in your residence, he admires the art and anatomy of all of them."

"Will he hurt them?"

"He'll hurt them the same way they hurt their prey to eat."

"I see..." You closed your eyes as you tried to visualize this human the lion mentioned. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't picture a human. You never saw anything above the water. You had no need to follow the mermaids as they hunted for prey. You had no need to ever venture above the known.

But a human...it was foreign to think that any living thing could ever set aside the primal instinct of life itself. So much so that they were willing to accept the creatures that deem them as prey.

"Why are you telling me about this human?"

"I want you to meet him."

A human named Laios, was it?

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

You sat on your coral throne as you watched the young mermaids play amongst themselves. You couldn't help but smile as one of the older mermaids scared them.

You held your hands close to your chest, and you sang your song. Some mermaids wove oriements into your your hair and lappets. They brushed out your clothing and adorned your head with a coral crown. Some of the mermaids sung, but never was it your song.

Songs are the passion of all mermaids.

Songs are the soul in each individual one. Despite the mutual respect you and the mermaids hold for each other, you aren't the same species. You have your melody, and they have their own. As much as they may love your voice, they would absolutely detest you if you tried to sing with them.

You held your hands up to your face as you thought of this. You wonder if humans were the same. The lion said they were the perfect beings to possess the ability to deny their instincts. Depsite being a mockery of sentience, you were also able to deny the instincts you were born with. If that's was makes something sapient then you are sure they would love to sing with you.

"The human sung?"

The mermaids in front of you seemed distressed as they waved their hands around, blowing rings in the water. One of them placed their head on your lap as they lamented the horrible voice of the human voice.

You couldn't help but chuckle as you pat her head. You never once heard of any surface dwellers trying to sing along with them. But as amusing as it was, you couldn't help sympathize with them.

Yet, you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the fact that humans can sing along those foreign to them.

Not long after this, you heard that another surface dweller ate an undine.

"An undine?! Was it the same human?"

The mermaids shook their heads as they pointed to their ears.

"This one had long ears?"

The more they told you about this group of surface dwellers, the more you wanted to see for yourself.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

You never felt humiliation, pain, or defeat.

You were the monarch of sea within the dungeon. There was nothing that could best you underwater just as there was nothing you could not eat.

But above the surface, however, you didn't know if you held the same strength.

You were heavy—very, very heavy. You were bigger than any mermaid yet smaller than a kraken. you had thousands of lappets and hundreds of cloth woven by the mermaids. Your hair was abundant and adorned with millions of small oriements. Though you could reduce yourself to a smaller size, why do so when you're weightless underwater?

It was a dilemma you pondered for ages. The smaller you got, the less strength you possessed, and if you were too big, you wouldn't be able to move above water. You didn't want to be anywhere near where the mermaids usually reside. You didn't want to impede on their routine, nor did you wish to drag them into trouble if something were to happen. If you were looking for a location like that, there were little places you could emerge from. These places were also uncharted territory with how little any other aquatic species spent there.

But curiosity got the better of you, and so you swam up.

You stared for the longest at the water meeting the surface. You raised your hand to touch the small barrier separating the two. You closed your eyes as you thought about what the stories the lion and mermaids would tell you about the world above.

You took in a deep breath as you raised the top of your head above water. You felt the cold air on your forehead, and the light was blinding. You looked around as you saw a stone room—the same stone that made up the aquarium you called the sea. You pulled yourself on top of the stone flooring as you breathed lightly. It felt just as heavy as you had thought, but you didn't think you would be able to carry yourself with ease.

Just as you were acclimating to the change of environment, you heard footsteps coming from behind you. As quick as you went above, you went back into the water. You swam close to the surface as you warily looked through the ripples of the water.

You watched as a human male adorned in silver cloth ran close the water. You lowered yourself deeper into the water as he just briefly saw you.

"I swore I saw mermaid!"

Three others came along right behind as the long-eared female spoke up.

"Laios, there are no mermaids at this level of the dungeon, much less this area!—those mushrooms are making you hallucinate."

The longed-eared one, did she say Laios?

"Guys, I hear something in the water...."

Laios. Laios. Laios. Laios. Laios.

Laios was the one the lion told you about.

"Those mushrooms weren't hallucinogens! And there was a mermaid! This one was a different color! I always wondered if it was possible for monsters to be albino like regular animals we have on the island. It's possible that this mermaid is here because they were ostracized by the—"

You jumped out of the water and landed in front of the group of surface dwellers. You leaned down as you stared at the one adorned in silver cloth. He was smaller than expected; You thought he would be bigger than the mermaids, and he was, but only by a little.

"I never seen a mermaid that big!"

You turned to face the short–bearded man. You never thought surface dwellers could vary in size and shape. Most of the mermaids and mermen you saw were relatively the same in appearance.

"That's because that isn't a mermaid! This one seems to be a Scyphozoa demi-human varient judging by the tentacles."

The shortest one began to talk as he slowly walked backward, "Should we even be standing here waiting for it to attack?"

You snapped out of your daze as you remembered why you were here. You leaned even closer to what you presumed to be Laios and wrapped your hands around him.

"Huh?"

You caught a glimpse of the shape of the lion on his side, and it was then you knew that this, for sure was, Laios!

You lifted him up into the air as you twirled and jumped back into the water. You couldn't help but smile widely as you finally met the human the lion talked so highly about. You felt his body and were surprised by the sturdiness of the silver cloth. You were about to laugh at his puffed up cheeks when you remembered a crucial detail about surface dwellers.

You panicked as you hastily rose back up to the surface. You briefly loosened your grip on him as you felt the sudden decrease in pressure. As you did, he quickly used this to his advantage and got out his sword, and cut one of your hands.

"LAIOS!'

You let go out of him out of surprise, dropping him into the water. You looked at your hand as you saw blood oozing out. It wasn't often you were injured. It was also because of your lack of pain that there were many times when the mermaids noticed when you accidentally cut yourself when swimming near rocks or trident left by the mermen.

Remembering Laios, you dove back into the water to retrieve him. However, as you did so, the long–eared female ran up to you and tapped you with her staff.

You were surprised by her ability to walk on water, but you were even more so when you felt yourself get pushed out from the water.

You felt yourself choke.

Whatever that girl did to you, it made you sick. You struggled to balance yourself as you felt disoriented from seeing the water below you. You couldn't feel the water's blessing: You didn't feel safe. You saw Laios run up to you and cut some of your lappets.

Why would he hurt you?

"CHILCHUCK, AIM FOR THE NECK!"

Oh.

The look of determination and andrenalin you saw in their eyes was familiar. They thought you were going to eat them; just as you ate your prey, they thought you were going to kill them.

You struggled to sit up as you saw an arrow close in you.

This was your mistake. You should've conveyed your intentions clearly.

You covered your head as you dropped to the waters surface. You writhed on the surface, trying desperately to go back into the water. You tried destroying whatever separated you from your home, but no matter what you did, nothing worked.

Laios ran up to you with his sword, and he swung at your neck.

Just like underwater, in your domain, you felt time slow down.

Despite not being able to feel much pain, you certainly knew what areas of your body, once they began to bleed, would bring you death.

And he wanted to kill you.

But the look in his eyes wasn't of fear, nor was it out of the need to survive. It was something foreign, and it scared you.

You felt yourself breathe heavily as you became aware of the urgency of the situation.

"St—STAY BACK!!!"

Your voice reverberated, pushing all of them away.

This wasn't underwater.

You couldn't swim away, you couldn't use all of your strength, you couldn't avoid the attacks, you could hardly move, you felt sickly.

You should have been more prepared.

You felt the water briefly on your skin. As you saw the long–eared girl fall over, you felt yourself fall back into the water.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

For the longest time, you believed yourself to be similar to humans and all other surface dwellers.

That, unlike the mermaids, the mermen, the fish, the kraken, the giant crabs, and all monsters that fell into your waters; you could both interact with mutual understanding.

Despite your respect and love for the mermaids, you'll never be able to understand the gluttonous cannibalistic nature of theirs. You don't understand how they don't feel remorse in slaughtering the young mermen. You don't know how they eat more than their fair share.

Yes, you killed and brutalized monsters—but that was because they posed a danger to the rest of the ecosystem. They were just like you when you got intelligence. They were going to everything until there was nothing left. They were going to ruin everything. Besides, the only times you ate was when you fought those with the same gift as you. You couldn't bring yourself to eat something as innocent as the small critters in the dungeon.

You had to do it.

You weren't like the mermaids who gave into their sadistic, cannibalistic nature. You weren't like the mermen who thought of nothing other than to devour and reproduce. You weren't like kraken, who held a monstrous appearance without any hint of humanity. You didn't eat because you want to. You hated the taste flesh and blood; it is disgusting, filthy, and it brought extreme bouts of self–loathing.

You weren't a monster.

But they thought you were.

You sat your coral throne as you held your body close.

"Do I look like a monster?"

The lion stayed quiet for a long time. "You are far from what 'they' would consider sapient. Those mermaids of yours look far more human than you do."

You looked at your lappets. They were some as thin as veins, some a curly as frills, others as translucent as crystal. No other surface dweller has tendrils like these. Your skin is shades of blues, pinks, and purples: nothing like the shades of any humans the mermaids have described. Your ears weren't even natural—it was just remnant from when you became that monstrous sea serpent. Your nails were far too sharp: You were a jellyfish, you shouldn't even have nails. Nothing about you was normal: You didn’t resemble a single creature in this dungeon. You were an amalgamation of mistake after mistake, built upon an artificial creature.

"But not all of them are the same! There are some with long ears! Some are short and compact! Didn't you say that some live hundreds of years while others only sixty?! Like you said, they aren't all made equally! Not all of them are the same, right?! I can think and have desires besides the instincts I was born with! I may not be the same as them, but I am similar, right? So I—we should be able to understand each other! I—I don't—"

"You're fine the way you are."

You pulled on your hair; you wanted to pull it all out. Jellyfish don't have hair.

"Stop talking."

"You may not ever look nor ever become a true 'human', but that's what makes you extraordinary. You're the only being alive in this world to be loved by the sea and oceans itself to be blessed."

"I said to stay quiet!"

You wanted to rip your flesh out, to get all that blood out—jellyfish don't have either.

"You are evidence that monsters can gain humanity."

"SHUT UP!"

You wanted to do something but you don't know what.

"Oh, young child, you can cry if you so desire."

And so you cried for the first time in your hundreds of years of life.

You wish you had never desired to eat.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

The next time you would meet Laios, it would be when he nearly died.

You were resting on your coral throne; far away from any surface opening. You didn't want to go back up for another very long time. Leaning on the arm rest, covering your face with your hands, you watched as the mermaids tried to cheer you up. This was the first time any of them had seen their monarch sit in sadness. They didn't want to see their beloved monarch cry any longer.

Behind the coral throne were five mermaids; they were discussing what happened to their monarch to make them so sad. One of them piped up saying how they saw you go to the surface, and when you came back, you were bleeding. Out of concern and curiosity, they swam up to where you came from and saw four surface dwellers. They were with that detestable human that defiled their song. If they were with him, then they must have attacked you!

"W°e sh○uld br°ing ●ne ○f the•m her°e t○ all○w th°em t○ ge•t reve°n•g●!"

Imagine your surprise when you saw five mermaids holding an unconscious human male. One of them held the human in their arms as they struggled to swim up to your throne. You finally got up from your somber and flinched in surprise when you saw—

"Laios?"

You swam up and pulled him out of the mermaids arms: He felt limp in your arms. You brought his forehead towards yours as you looked at his face—he's alive.

You turned to the mermaid in confusion as you asked why they brought him here.

"Y○u w°ere sa•d ●•nd we° d○n't wa•nt t● se°e° y○u sa•d. Di°d we d○ s○me•thi•ng wr●ng?"

You wanted to scold them, you really did: However, you couldn't bring yourself to get mad at them. How were they supposed to know what was going through your mind? Besides, they didn't do this at of ill intent.

"No, you did just fine. However, I will have to handle this situation myself, so I'm afraid I'll have to depart temporarily. Please do tell your sisters not to leave the coral reef until I return."

You wrapped your arms around his body tightly when you saw the five mermaids leave. You sighed as you let go of him to grab his face. Though he is still alive, he wouldn't last much longer under in this state. You brought your lips towards his and placed a gentle kiss; You tried to share the water's blessing with him. If it worked as intended, it should help expell any water in his lungs the same way you and the mermaids do—at the very least, prevent any more water from entering his lungs.

You sighed, and so you swam towards the closet opening to the surface. You breached the water, and you pulled Laios onto the stone flooring—struggling to do so with how heavy the water made everything.

You fell on top of him in the struggle. You breathed heavily as you got up and sat yourself on the ledge. You looked over at him and wondered if he would wake up. Looking at him, you thought, since he was already unconscious when you found him, wouldn't he already have water in his lungs?

You panicked at the thought.

What to do, what to do, what do you even do? You never even met a creature who isn't even able to breathe under water, and now you have to save one.

"You may not have magic, but you have the water's blessing. As you did before to prevent the water from harming him, use it to draw out the water from his system."

You listened as the lion spoke from the back of your mind. You really didn't know if any of this would work. You grabbed the hem of his garment and raised it over his chest.

"Just imagine that the water is moving with your movements."

"How so?"

"You'll know."

You looked at Laios' abdomen and took a deep breath. You placed your finger right above his navel. Just as if you were going to cut him with your nail, you gently grazed his skin as you brought your finger up to his chest. You pushed your hand on his chest, and with your other hand, you stuck two fingers in his mouth.

"I'll know, I'll know, I'll know when I get there."

You felt the water brush your fingertips, and you pulled the water out of his mouth.

"Did that long–eared female also have the water's blessing? She was able to keep me from going in the water. "

"She had magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes, I believe we had this conversation once before, child of mi—" The lion was interrupted as Laios began to cough up the remaining water.

Startled, you froze, unknowing what to do. It was only when he suddenly sat up that you jumped back into the water. What if he tried to attack you like he did before? Not that you blame him or anything. regardless, you didn't wish to die from accidental blood loss — that's one thing the water's blessing doesn't help you with. You remained far away from the stone ledge as Laios gained consciousness.

You watched as he took off his shirt and gathered his armor. You watched as he questioned his surroundings and current predicament. You watched rather intently that you didn't even notice you were drifting closer.

Laios must have heard your lappets splashing around in the water because he turned to your direction. Making sudden eye contact surprised you enough to make you submerge back into the water.

"Wa—Wait!"

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

What Laios came to see was a mermaid with biological discoloration from typical mermaids. He wanted to know if it were possible for mermaids to have the mutuations regular animals do. So when Laios found a monster resembling both mammalian and pisces species, he wanted nothing more but to have a taste.

A mix of jellyfish, sea serpents, and mermaid, it was a newly discovered humanoid monster that not even the dungeon gourmet guide had known of! He wondered if each separate piece would taste similar to their monster counterpart or taste entirely like a new thing.

When the monster leaned over his party, he didn't expect it to suddenly pick him up. It held him up high, and he couldn't help but bubble up in amazement. Laois could see the many different colors and features he didn't see from the ground. Looking at it much more closely, he saw what previously thought was flesh was actually a form of clothing.

Laios wished he could examine every inch of this newly discovered monster, but that thought was quickly broken when the monster suddenly dragged him underwater. He really thought the monster was going to eat him when it opened its mouth, but imagine his surprise when instead, it swung him around with such force he really thought he would pass out. Feeling the monster's strength firsthand, he wondered what place you would have in the food chain.

When Marcille casted waterwalk on it, he couldn't help but cut some of the lappets for later consumption; He really hoped they didn't taste anything like cephalopds.

What none of them expected was for it to talk. It didn't sing like a mermaid nor roar like dragons, it actually spoke. It leaned back it covered its face with its arms and shouted.

"St—STAY BACK!"

Everyone was stunned by the intensity of the sound: Chilchuck and Marcille were hit the hardest. Laios couldn't help but wonder about the monsters choice of words. Did it truly know what those words meant, or was it simply replicating words it heard from previous prey?

But besides that, the Scyphozoa tentacles did taste better than cephalopds—that is, it didn't taste like anything at all. Though it was rather nice to chew on for stimulation. Senshi seemed to enjoy the texture; Marcille and Chilchuck refused because "it was morally wrong."

Laios just couldn't understand their reasoning. It's not like the sea monster was the same as them. It wasn't a tall–man, not an elf, and definitely not a half–foot. They don't even believe monsters like mermaids or mermen to even be sapient yet still refuse to eat them. What's the difference between eating cattle and monsters anyway? He really didn't understand them.

Monsters were....so much more than that. They eat, eat, and eat; They eat anything regardless of species or appearance. They didn't care about petty morale or rational—they ate to survive. There didn't think about tomorrow or of the fragile balance of life in the dungeon.

Monsters were truly a reflection of the flesh and instinct of all living things.

So why didn't that monster eat him when it had him underwater?

Did it know that he had armor and didn't want the struggle of trying to bite down? But why bring him back to the surface when it was the most physically strong underwater? Before it even grabbed him, why did it bother to look at them without doing anything, and why grab him?—Senshi was the closest one, and it went for Laios, who was much farther away

He got his answer when he woke up after being dragged underwater by a group of mermaids.

Alone in an unknown part of the dungeon, he was drenched in water, and his shirt was pulled up. Laios felt a chill running up when he felt how cold his shirt was. He took his shirt off and looked around to see his armor scattered. He swore he had his armor on.... His book!

Laios quickly stood up to try to find the book. He was happy to find it in perfect condition: The armor and layers must have protected the book from getting wet. He held the book to his bare chest when he heard the sound of splashing water. He turned around and saw the same monster that had nearly drowned him.

Did the monster save him by any chance? Before he could ask, the monster quickly submerged underwater.

"Wa—Wait!"

Laios ran up to the water and kneeled at the edge, trying to see where the monster went. The water was so much darker than he had thought, making it difficult to see. From the darkness, he could make out soft movements.

Slightly nervous, Laios called out, "I—Thank you for helping me!"

He didn't know what he was thinking when he said that. He didn't even know for certain if the monster helped him or just came by to eat him. Despite this, he continued, "I apologize for trying to kill you the other day! I didn't realize you were....."

Were what? Sentient? Self–aware?

"—trying to communicate with us! I should have realized you wanted to speak or converse in whatever language you speak!"

Laios placed his head on the ground as he hoped his apology would reach the monster. The more he thought about it, the more it wouldn't be likely that the monster would be able to speak his language. But then again, it speak their language back when he attacked it....

From a distance, he heard the monster come back up. Without moving from his position, he listened as the monster got closer and closer to him. He felt something cold hit his back, and again, again, and soon more droplets of water fell on top of him. Laios shivered as he suddenly sat up to only be faced with the monster.

"Do not feel the need to apologize. I am to blame—it was due to my insolent behavior that caused you and your companions to attack me. So, for that, I apologize."

Laios froze: It wasn't fear or dread that caused him to do so—it was out of pure admiration. He really wanted to inspect this creatures anatomy!

"Your tentacles felt really nice to chew on, so no need to apologize."

The look of confusion on the monster's face told him that he probably shouldn't have said that.

"—I mean! We had your tentacles from when I cut them, and you were gone, and why leave them there to waste away when we could've eaten them! Besides, you tasted really good with seasoning and, like I said, were nice to chew on!"

He should have just drowned.

The humanoid monster brought a hand to their face and closed their eyes in thought. "You ate me, but how is that so? I'm still here, after all."

Laios was now confused.

"We ate the tentacles I cut off when we—I attacked you."

"You ate my lappets that you cut off... without killing me....Is it possible to eat prey without bringing them to death?"

"Yes! As long as they don't suffer any critical injuries, they'll be able to survive."

You raised another hand to cover your face as you laughed. This human, Laios, was trying to kill you due to a misunderstanding, kidnapped and almost drowned by mermaids, saved by you, and now telling you how good you tasted. You wondered how it is that he's able to converse with you after the fact. Did he truly have no ill will towards monsters? Was the lion right about his passion for monsters?

"Like the mermaids, did you eat because of desire and pleasure? Or was it because of the need to survive?"

You wanted to know, did humans have the same primal nature like the mermaids, or were they like you: unwilling to eat unless you desperately needed it.

"I ate your tentacles because I really wanted to know what it would taste like. So, I guess I ate because I desired too and found pleasure in knowing what you would taste like."

You didn't say anything. You stared at him for a few seconds before lowering yourself at eye level with him. "My name is (y/n), I am the monarch of the mermaids and arbitor of the dungeon's waters. Just who might you be?"

You knew his name; You knew him more than he knew about you. But as things stand, you didn't want to surprise Laios with any more surprises.

Laios gave you a smile as he held out his hand. "My name is Laios Touden."

You looked at his hand in confusion. Was this a type of human custom? Before you could react, he reached for your hand and shook it. His hand was smaller than yours, though not by much.

You couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as you brought your hand to your chest. "So, then Laios, would you like to accompany me underwater?"

Laios gleamed in excitement, but that quickly faded when he realized his current predicament. He was shirtless, away from his party, couldn't breathe underwater, and had limited time to find Falin.

"I—"

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Laios gave in.

He told you about his need to find his party: You said you could find them easily if they were near a water source, whether it be a fountain or open body of water. He told you about his inability to breathe underwater. After he said this, you smiled as you asked him if he would allow you to pick him up, to which he agreed.

"I am able to bless you the water's blessing. The blessing will allow you to breathe underwater, albeit temporarily."

Before Laios could ask how being blessed worked, you brought his face closer to his and kissed him. Laios felt himself blush hard, especially when you accidentally bit him. He really wanted to feel the inside of your mouth.

When Laios collected his belongings, you asked him to strip out of his clothing.

"—so I can absorb most of the water. I'll be able to keep your items dry under my lappets. They'll be able to form pockets of air to keep them safe from the harsh dungeon waters."

Once you did that, you asked for his pants to which he asked if that could done once they found his group—though he had his quirks, being naked all the way for a long period of time was not one of them.

And with that, you wrapped your arms around him and pressed him close to your chest. Raising one hand to hold his, you submerged underwater.

The underwater half of the dungeon was something that remained a mystery. Even to avid researchers, the deep waters were something very few were willing to dare venture below; and those that were willing rarely ever resurfaced. So, to have the chance to safely voyage the water with the self–proclaimed monarch of mermaids was an opportunity Laios was thankful to have.

Just as Laios had thought, it was as amazing as he had hoped. Clinging onto your back, he watched as the scenery around him changed into something more magical. Though not as boundless as the sea and oceans, it was a sight to behold. The artificial ocean was almost a mirror to the dungeon above: hallways and corridors along all sides of the wall. Paintings everywhere with no coherent thought. Plants growing without discrimination. Luminescent monsters never seen before roaming the floor. It was truly something Laios wished he had the time to venture.

"If I may be so rude to ask, are you the human who had sung with the mermaids some time ago? "

Laios was surprised by how different you sounded in water. He thought about the question for a second. The mermaids, the ones who swam away when he tried to sing with them, they must have been your mermaids. "Human?" That was a new term; you must have confused him with something else. But, before he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn't help but hesitate. It was against his instincts to do so, but he decided to trust you. If he could breathe underwater, then surely he'll be able to speak.

"Yes, I wanted to sing with them to see if we could somehow communicate! It took me a while to learn their song without being entranced, but considering they sing the same song every time, it wasn't too difficult—"

You suddenly spun around, having him rest on your stomach. You held both his hands as you looked at him sternly. "Laios, though I understand your desire to sing with the mermaids, I ask that you don't try to do so in the future. You see, mermaids have their own culture much you do: part of that culture is their melody. So, to have an outsider sing that song that song so carelessly makes them uncomfortable. Even if that song is used to kill those of your kind, I ask that you please respect their wishes."

Laios looked away sheepishly as he apologized. You gleamed with joy and hugged him tight as you spun around.

"What about you? Do you sing the same song as the mermaids, or do you have your own?"

"Ah! Well, the mermaids and I aren't the same race or species, and due to that, I'm unable to sing their song as it deserves to be sung."

"But do you?"

"I—I do, but it's not a song that can be sung often. Blessed by the water, I was bestowed a melody orchestrated for a monarch."

"Can you sing it right now?"

"Perhaps another day."

The lion was right. He yearned to understand much about monsters. As you two ventured towards where his party was located, Laios asked you many questions about the monsters that you'd past by. You obliged, and you told him many of the stories of the aquariums: from the many mermaids who lived in under your rule to the oysters and jellyfish that used to roam the waters. Laios asked: You answered.

The only thing you didn't appreciate was how much he was touching you. Laios kept grabbing you wherever you weren't covered by cloth and squeezed you slightly: pulling on your lappets, ears, and hair. It was when he decided to bite your lappets that you stopped him.

Flustered and full of mixed emotions from the sensation of his teeth on your skin, you scolded him. Laios apologized, but what was he supposed to do? He was faced with a new monster never seen before, and he was supposed to not touch it?

"Laios, do humans have an aquarium as large as this up outside the dungeon?" You asked out of pure curiosity. Never once had the lion told you about the terrain outside the dungeon. You wondered if the walls or flooring were of the same stone from the dungeon. You wondered if the surface's aquarium was limited as it was in the dungeon's waters.

Laios let go of your shoulders as he sat up. Placing a hand under his chin, he pondered how to answer your question. "Outside the dungeon..... the sea and oceans are endless. Here, underwater, you can look straight ahead and see the end of a room. It's small and crowded: not ideal conditions for the survival of the monsters here. Unlike the dungeon, the oceans are boundless; I can look straight ahead in the ocean and see no end. There's so many more monsters and animals in the ocean that comparing the dungeon's artificial sea to the outside isn't even reasonable."

"There aren't any walls outside?"

"No walls other than those from buildings."

An aquarium without being bound by stone walls. More monsters and species not limited by the confinement of the aquarium. Boundless: It was a word you were unfamiliar with. All you ever knew was limited, bound by the knowledge the lion was willing to spare and the fear to even leave the water.

"How I would love to see these oceans and seas one day."

Laios all of sudden dropped all his weight on your back. He wrapped his arms around your waist and squeezed tight. "I want monsters and people to live alongside each other. When I become dungeon master, I promise to show you the ocean."

You remained silent for a while, contemplating the implications of what he just said: "Dungeon master." As you reached the opening closest to his companions. You jumped out of the water and onto the stone flooring. Letting go of his belongings; Laios jumped off your back. You watched as he began to put on the rest of his garments. You watched as he adorned himself in the silver cloth, just like the knight from the stories the lion told you. You watched sadly as you realized this is where you two depart. You watched his every move; watching as he wrote in his book. Despite this heavy feeling on your heart, you couldn't help but want to smile. Though your first meeting was a catastrophe, you're quite satisfied that you were able to mend your misunderstandings with one another.

"I look forward to the day you keep your promise."

Before you knew it, Laios was gone, and you were once again alone with nothing else but the mermaids.

Bound by the water, unable to leave the dungeon: You forgot to ask if he thought of you as a monster.

Thank you for reading part one of "The Flesh, Blood, Bone, Heart and Soul."

#dunmeshi x reader #dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #delicious in dungeon x reader #laios touden x reader #laios touden #laius thorden #laius thorden x reader #there once was a jellyfish....

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tainted-liquor · 6 months

Text

𓇼𓈒ㅤׂHow Curious... 𓆉 [4.11.23] - ft. Miles G. Morales 𓆡 genre: fluff, part 2 of Sea Grillz!

What a liar.

Two years ago, you met a human. A beautiful, beautiful human who promised that he would come back and visit you. You waited around the coral for months, breaching the surface of the freshwater haven every now and again to see if the familiar red metal cargo ship ever showed up again. You kept that piece of soft cotton fabric wrapped tightly around your gills in hopes that one day the boy would remember you and come back. What was his name again? Prowler?

You zoomed through the warm currents of the 'Big Lagoon', otherwise known as the Caribbean Sea by the surface dwellers in search of some new findings at the bottom of the ocean. Your tail eagerly jerked through the waves, propelling you forward with the force of a bullet train as you scanned the ocean floor for any new finds. You had somewhat of a collection; a brass hand mirror, several giant beady 'pearls' of some sort, silky gloves, and a plethora of coins from all ages and times. It was dark, barely visible as your eyes struggled to pick out every minor detail due to the lack of sunlight. But truth be told, you only had one thing in mind as you glided through the pure water.

You breached the surface, hair falling along your shoulders as your beautiful coral and shell necklace rested against your collarbone. You looked up at the warm skyline, losing yourself in the vibrant shades of orange, pink, and yellow that decorated the world and illuminated your skin. You raised a hand out of the warmth of the ocean, watching as your skin morphed from a pale blue to your natural melanated tone. Your jewelry consisted of pearls, small shells, your swamp blue scales that you lost along the way, and solid diamonds that shimmered on the horizon. It was perfect; no humans to disturb the mesmerizing crash of the waves or the blue tint of the water.

You felt for your cold neck, grazing your soft fingertips over the ripped piece of cotton wrapped around your neck. A sense of melancholy suddenly filled your mind, missing the man that appeared before you and swept you off your fins. You looked around the bare ocean, whispering a silent prayer to whatever may be listening. Oshun? Ikatere? Whoever ears it fell upon, you'd hope they'd hear you.

"Please come back tomorrow..."

You bowed your head before darting back under the deep blue, blazing through the current with no other goal than to get home safely. It was hard to describe this feeling of grief. Maybe it was the promise he muttered that remained broken, or maybe it was his sense of style with those iron-clad claws and shiny teeth. He hadn't left your mind since he sailed away, but you sure left his. You cozied up next to the soft pink anemone, allowing its tentacles to flick and wave at your nose.

The ocean surface went from gentle pinks obscured by ripples of water to pitch black. The inky sky glowed with speckles of stars as you laid back on your lively 'pillow', gently running your fingers through the rough nylon of the rope attached to your waist. You thought to yourself for a moment, dancing over the buttery kapa fabric that covered your chest. It was just like every other night, staring at the water's edge while you attempted to lull yourself to sleep. But there was a sudden urge for you to get up and swim out far east.

You gasped, hopping up at the speed of light, tail twitching with an unfamiliar sensation. Your iridescent scales glimmered under the moon...something was nagging you to swim east. So what did you do? Swam as far right as you could.

"Tú en mi cama..." Miles muttered, deep purple Prowler mask glimmering in the moonlight as music flooded his brain. He knew he was stupid for sailing out in the middle of the sea for no reason, but he had to see that pretty little mermaid again. The one with the big beady eyes and the baby-soft skin, yeah. That one. It had been two years since he last saw that face, and you've been burned into his brain ever since. So now here he was, out in the middle of the sea as his new watch spewed out coordinates for him to follow.

Still in that same red cargo ship he stole two years prior, he sped out into the uncharted waters in pursuit of the woman with the blue skin. and the perfect scales. It was a dark and eery atmosphere as he voyaged forward. The ghostly hue of the moonlight led him forward, serving as his candle in the abyss. The ocean shimmered, each wave highlighted by the fluorescent white as Miles put the engine in reverse and allowed the boat to bob above the water.

He stepped away from the helm of the ship, his heavy-duty boots making a loud thudding sound against the deck as he swung both legs against the railing. He hummed along to the reggaeton music that was blasting through his headphones and took another glance over the sea line. His twin braids swayed gently with the low whistling of the wind, as the cold air kissed every inch of Miles' exposed skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Everything seemed to follow a pattern; the waves would flow and crash against the ship, and the wind would puppeteer his braids. Until there was a familiar deviation in the water.

You darted forward, ducking and weaving between corral, debris, and anything that stood in your way as judgment guided you forward. You passed by the little crabs and gave a couple pats to some adorable Mahi-Mahi before you saw it; the strange shadow you were met with long ago. Your eyes widened with hope and adoration, making no effort to conceal your presence as you breached the surface. "Hey!" You shouted upon seeing the familiar purple glow from some sort of mask. The small white eyes widened, glitching from their regular slits to tiny hearts as you swam closer towards the ship.

"Oh, shit-...Chiquita! ¿Cómo has estado? I missed you!" He shouted, lowering down some sort of boat attached to some ropes that he gestured for you to climb into. You held on to the edge of the smaller wooden boat, lifting yourself up with all your strength as you plopped down onto the rickety oak. He hoisted you up, using all his strength to pull you up on the deck with him. The floor of the ship was freezing cold, floorboards creaking under the added body weight as you flopped on the ground. You lifted yourself up on the palms of your hands, coming face-to-face with the strange 'prowler' once again.

"Where have you been! I've been waiting for you for...for...forever! You said you'd be back!" You shouted, wasting no time as your sopping hands grazed over his exposed arms. His skin was cold to the touch and littered with goosebumps as you attempted to take off his mask, earning a low chuckle from the boy in front of you. He grabbed your wrist, gently moving your hands away from his face as he went to speak. "How often do you think I can boat out to the middle of the ocean? Hmm?" He asked, his tone laced with gentle sarcasm and slight heartbreak. He really did want to come back sooner, but time has never been a friend of Miles.

"I see you found more jewelry," he commented, gently taking your glimmering hand in his as he examined the diamonds, aquamarine, gold, and blue calcite that decorated your knuckles. You were worth millions...fins or no fins, you had a killer jewel collection that could fund an entire generation's college ride. Miles sat on the floor so he could be at eye level with you, pulling you in his lap as he collapsed his retractable mask. "I got jewels too," he mumbled, before opening his mouth just enough for you to see the shimmery glint of...teeth jewelery?

Your eyes widened, pupils dilating as you leaned forward to get a good look at his mouth. His sharp canines were covered by a silver outline, while his bottom teeth were lined with what looked like pure diamonds as you ran your fingertips against the smooth metal. "This is...wow," you sighed, admiring the sparkling gems as Miles smirked at your reaction. "This is called a grill," He muttered, closing his jaws before you made an attempt to put your head in his mouth. You nodded, still processing his flashy sense of style as he scanned over your ethereal garments and figure.

"So what y'all be doin' down there? What's it like on the ocean floor?" Miles asked, gently kissing the thenar of your palm as your hand came to caress his face. You thought for a minute, letting the cold wind blow against your frostbit skin. "It's dark...I mean, I have angler fish! But other than the dark, it's very cozy," You shrugged, hands dancing across his black cotton turtle neck. "It's got a lot of cool things, and a lot of coins. Definitely a lot of coins..." You chuckled, feeling the soaked fabric trickle water down the nape of your neck.

"Damn...New York is never dark," Miles laughed. His laugh was cold and hollow, but oddly comforting as he fixed your makeshift 'waist beads' made out of a piece of rope. He took your face in his cold, and rough hands as he admired your perfection. He'd never seen such a pretty girl in his life, and she was miles away out at sea. Your button nose perfectly complimented your full, two-toned lips. Whoever invented that fuckass 'Phi' system was wrong, YOU were the most beautiful girl in the world; with your glimmering scales, flashy gems, and gorgeous eyes.

He wanted to take you back with him and keep you all to himself, so the greed of the world could never reach out and take from you like they took from him. But deep down he knew there wasn't a place for you in his world. He placed a cold, comforting kiss on your collarbone as you wrapped your arms around his neck. "C'mon, tell me about what you did while I was gone," Miles chuckled, hoisting you up as he waltzed toward the helm of the ship. He wanted his conscience to narrate his thoughts in your voice, that thick islander accent and velvety tone talking to him about his own moves.

You talked his ear off for hours, sitting pretty on his lap while he learned all about Aycayia culture, what you eat in a day, and how prevalent 'rare' gems are in the deep blue sea. He didn't care that he was soaked from head to toe, or that he was losing feeling in his legs the longer you stayed on his lap. He just wanted to hold you for a little bit longer as you mindlessly fiddled with his silver chain. His hands gently caressed your hair before reaching into his back pocket to pull out a small pinkish purple metal 'watch'. "I gotta go, I'm so sorry..." he muttered, attaching it to your wrist as the futuristic bracelet emitted a soft glow.

Your head cocked to the side, trying to make sense of the strange device. "This will show me your coordinates. Don't lose it. I'm gonna bring you with me one day, I promise," He mumbled, holding you as close as possible. The wind sang a song of melancholy, the ocean coming to a still as you felt your heart shatter into a million pieces. You wanted him to stay, to tell you more stories of his life as 'The Prowler'. You hated the idea of not seeing him for another two years, tears pricking at your waterline as you smushed your cheek against his.

"I really...really love you. Please don't take too long...?" You whispered, the top half of your body hanging off the rim of the ship.

"...I love you too."

@ashsostrange @chessbox @janaeby @faeriesoiree333 @fivestardior @an1bara @bachirasegoist @milesnanana77 @niaurluv @sp1derw1re @ban-al3x @we-loveebony @kae2kaee @dxrlingcc @al3xwqz @l0starl

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nifty1520 · 6 months

Text

re watching riptide rn and something that I feel was totally forgotten was how the conch shells morph to match the person making the call (marshal John’s conch gets his tatoos, Gillions gets his coral ect). It made me think how much sadder it is when Gillion smashes his conch, seeing the broken coral on the ground while basically mourning his sister.

#jrwi gillion #jrwi riptide #jrwi #jrwi jay #jrwi chip #gillion jrwi

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rstarsims3 · 1 year

Photo

The Sims 3 - Coral & Ivy Dresses

Original meshes by me;

Age: YAF & AF;

All LODs & Morphs;

Disabled for random;

2k textures;

Normal maps included;

Custom thumbnails for both Launcher and CAS;

sims3pack & package files;

Meshed with Blender, adapted to TS3 with Milkshape, Photoshop, Corel Painter, TSRW.

► Ivy Dress

Poly: 5,2k;

Outfits section;

3 presets, 4 recolorable channels

Categories: Everyday, Formalwear,

Available for Maternity.

► Coral Dress

Poly: 5,1k;

Outfits section;

5 presets, 3 recolorable channels (3 simple presets, 2 presets with knit texture)

Categories: Everyday, Formalwear,

Available for Maternity.

Download on PATREON (Early Access; public on May 18th, 2023)

Hope you enjoy them!

Thank you & Happy Simming!

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

You can also support me on Ko-fi.

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

TOU 🔊 Do not re-upload my creations. Do not claim as your own. Do not put them anywhere up for download and don’t add adfly to my links.

#ts3cc #sims 3 custom content #clothing #ts3 female clothing #sims 3 cc

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shellbilee · 5 months

Text

Hey There Darlin' - Chapter 1

A Glen Powell RPF series

Pairing: Glen Powell x OFC (Billie James)

Warnings: fluff, swearing, angst, eventual smut

Words: 5.5K

Likes & Reblogs are always appreciated 💕

Comment if you'd like to be added to the tag list!

---

Billie

“Come on buddy” Billie says as she knocks on the polished wooden door, reaching up to readjust her cream fedora hat, “Ready for your sleepover?”.

She looks down at Nugget, her golden retriever, smiling as he pants happily and looks back up at her with his liquid brown eyes.

Billie looks up as the door opens in front of her, her smile growing when she sees Lachlan grinning back at her.

“Bil!” Lachlan exclaims loudly, arms outstretched in greeting, crouching down and beckoning to Nugget as soon as he sees the floppy retriever sitting beside her.

Billie laughs.

“Hi Lach!” she says, looking up as Frankie and Reggie, Lachlan’s two mini dachshunds come barreling down the hallway to greet Nugget, “Hi babies!” she adds, bending to pick up Reggie and placing a kiss on the excited, squirming puppy’s head.

She puts Reggie back down and smiles as the two sausage dogs excitedly greet Nugget, the three instantly morphing into play mode and running off into the house. Playdates and sleepovers with Frankie and Reggie were a regular occurrence for Nugget, not to mention the neighbourly greeting that the three shared every morning on Billie’s daily morning walk.

A loud whistle snaps Billie’s attention, looking up to see Ryan, Lachlan’s boyfriend, standing in the kitchen doorway looking her up and down.

“Billie you look hot!” he exclaims loudly, regarding her from head to toe, “Seriously, those legs girl!”.

Billie laughs and shakes her head, waving her arm dismissively. “Aw Ryan, you’re such a sweetheart”.

The three dogs come charging back into the hallway, almost knocking Ryan over as they run past him. Billie shakes her head as she watches her panting fur-child, smiling at how it’s taken him all of ten seconds to forget about her. She hears Lachlan close the front door as she follows Ryan into the kitchen, pausing at the over-sized art deco mirror to check her reflection.

She’d styled her long chocolate brown hair in loose curls, loving the way they tumbled down her shoulders and softly framed her face. She wore a pair of white linen tailored shorts that ended high on her thighs, and a square necked coral coloured crop that contrasted against her tanned, sun-kissed skin. On her feet were a pair of wedge heels with nude ties that wrapped around her ankles - her favourite pair of shoes because they were high and she loved the way they made her legs look, but at the same time were comfy enough for her to last the whole day in.

“So I should be home just before lunch time tomorrow, and I’ll pick Nugget up then if that’s okay still?” Billie says as she walks into the kitchen with Lachlan in tow, turning to look at both boys as she perches on the armrest of their black leather sofa, “If you guys need anything though, you have my key”.

“Nugget’s stayed here a thousand times Bil, we’ll be fine” Lachlan retorts, looking over at the three pups who were currently wrestling on the floor of the living room.

Billie chuckles. “I know, I know. You tell me everytime”.

“Now go, get out of here. You paid enough for these tickets, the last thing you need is to get there late” Ryan says, gesturing to the door with his head.

Billie whistles for Nugget and crouches to the ground to say goodbye, the dark golden dog eventually coming over to give her an affectionate face lick. She ruffles his silky ears and drops a kiss on the top of his head, walking into the kitchen and giving Lachlan and Ryan a kiss goodbye before they walk her to the front door.

“Thanks again guys, I love you”.

The boys both grin. “We love you too Bil”.

Billie unlocks her black pick up and makes her way over to it, turning to wave at them behind her.

“Have the best time babe!” Lachlan shouts out, putting his arm around Ryan and leaning into him affectionately.

Billie smiles at them both and offers a final wave, putting her gold aviator sunglasses on and getting into her car. The air is warm already, the day heating up in true LA Summer style, the interior of the car already hot despite it being only 11am. Billie switches on the engine and puts on the air con, reaching up to readjust her hat one last time before pulling out of the driveway and driving off to Bec’s house.

Rebecca was one of Billie’s best and closest friends. They’d met at a pilates class five years ago when Billie had first moved to LA, Bec and her instantly bonding over their love of post-pilates brunches and chilled house music. They’d gotten so close that Bec had asked Billie to be the god-mother of her second child Aubrey when she’d given birth a few years later, Billie basically becoming a piece of furniture in the Danton household since she was there so often.

Billie pulls up to Bec’s house in the hills and steps out of the car, grabbing the bottle of white rum she’d bought yesterday. A warm breeze ruffles her hair as she walks along the giant driveway, the sun heating her skin almost instantly. The door is already unlocked when she gets there, Billie walking straight into the Danton’s enormous sun-filled, hamptons style home.

Almost instantly she’s met with Aubrey’s squeal of excitement, a wide, happy smile on the two year old’s face as she runs down the expansive hallway.

“Hi Aubs!” Billie exclaims, picking up her god-daughter and spinning her around in a bear hug, “I missed you little monkey!”.

Aubrey grins, laughing in that adorable way that only toddlers can, Billie shifting Aubrey to her hip and balancing her bag and the bottle in the other arm. She walks through the expansive house towards the back deck, stopping for a moment when she sees Mason sitting on the living room floor playing playstation.

“Hey bud” Billie says, bending and dropping a loud kiss to his forehead and chuckling when he screws up his face in disgust.

“Eew Aunty Billie!” Mason yells, recoiling and wiping his forehead.

Billie only laughs, pulling a face back at him, smiling when Aubrey giggles and babbles toddler nonsense.

“Hey gorgeous!” Billie exclaims as she steps out onto the back deck overlooking the pool, Bec looking up from where she is currently making mojitos in the outdoor kitchen.

“Bil! You’re here!” she says happily, the thin straps of the aqua blue playsuit she’s wearing making her pilates toned arms look even better.

It always blew Billie’s mind how amazing Bec looked after two children - one of which was only two years old.

Billie whistles, complementing Bec’s outfit as she bends to put Aubrey and the bottle down, Aubrey scampering off towards her mother just as Sloane walks through behind Billie.

“Heya babe, about time you got here”

Sloane was Billie’s other best friend. They’d met at Camp America when Billie had finished university back home and wanted a few months off before starting full time work. They’d bonded instantly at camp being two foreigners - Billie from Australia and Sloane from London, the two becoming inseparable over the Summer. They’d kept in touch over the years, Billie eventually moving to LA to work and Sloane following suit six months later after finishing her paramedicine degree in the UK. Billie had introduced Sloane to Bec when she’d moved, and the three had been close friends ever since.

Like Bec, Sloane also looked incredible - her long ebony hair was loose and straight, hanging like a dark waterfall around her face. She was wearing a mango yellow sun dress that fit her like a glove and contrasted against her porcelain skin, a pair of tan strappy heels on her feet.

Billie and Sloane embrace in a hello before taking a seat on the comfy outdoor lounge, Bec joining a moment later to hand out her mojitos and taking the bottle of rum from Billie. Billie takes a sip and smiles, savouring the fresh taste of rum, lime and mint, relaxing into the lounge and letting out a content sigh. She's been looking forward to today for months.

The girls had bought tickets to see Rufus Du Sol in concert - an Australian music artist famous for deep house music with a chilled vibe. They were one of Billie and Bec’s favourite artists so they'd both jumped at the opportunity to see them live when the event was announced, Sloane just happy to tag along for a girls day out and not really caring who was playing. They'd soon discovered that the event itself was quite exclusive - it was being held at one of LA's premier rooftop venues with only 200 tickets available, tickets that cost more than one of Billie's mortgage repayments. Still they'd decided it was a no brainer, and with five open laptops logging on at the exact time that the ticket sales had opened, they'd managed to score three very expensive tickets.

“What time should we order the uber?” Sloane asks, looking down at her phone having just posted a pouty selfie of her and Billie to instagram.

“It starts at 2 doesn't it?” Bec asks looking down at her diamond encrusted watch, “I checked before, an uber should take about 20 minutes from here. So maybe soon?”.

Billie nods, taking another sip of her drink, just as Ben, Bec’s husband, steps out onto the deck.

“Another round ladies?” he greets with a smile, walking over to give Sloane and Billie a kiss hello before standing behind Bec and giving her shoulders a squeeze.

Billie smiles as Bec looks lovingly up at her husband, watching as he bends to kiss her softly - even after ten years of marriage they still always looked as loved up as ever, permanent adoration etched onto both of their faces whenever they looked at one another.

“Thanks honey” Bec says, Ben winking at her before taking their three glasses and walking over to the outdoor bar to make another round of mojitos.

“Got plans with the kids for the day Ben?” Sloane asks, putting her phone down and looking over at Ben.

“Nah. Maybe a bit of a play in the pool since it's going to be warm” he says as he pops ice blocks into the three glasses, “If I can manage to wrestle Mason from the playstation that is”.

All three girls laugh, Bec lifting her phone to take a group photo as they relax on the lounge together. The air is starting to get hot, the soft breeze turning warm and no longer offering a reprieve from the beating sunshine, Billie taking off her hat to fan herself.

Two more rounds of cocktails later, the girls are appropriately buzzed when Sloane announces that the uber is arriving. Ben scoops up Aubrey as the girls grab their things, each stopping to say goodbye to Ben and the kids as they make their way out of the front door. They pile into the uber, already laughing from their pre-drink mojitos, waving goodbye as the car pulls out of the driveway and drives off towards the city.

---

Glen

Glen Powell leans back on the comfy outdoor lounge, letting out a breath as he savours his tequila and soda. Condensation runs down his hand from his drink, his skin already hot despite sitting in the sun for less than five minutes. He looks around the venue, the white Mediterranean style lounges and umbrellas contrasting perfectly with the cloudless, picture blue sky. What a day it was shaping up to be.

He looks over at his friends - Drew, a long term buddy that he's known from way back when in Austin, and Jay and Greg, two of his co-stars from Top Gun. Miles and his wife Keleigh were also on their way to the gig, arriving soon with a few of their extended friends. Glen smiles to himself, taking in the chilled party atmosphere, nodding his head along to the beat of the deep lounge song that's currently playing in the background. He's been looking forward to today for weeks, keen for an afternoon of sun, friends, drinks and music.

He takes another sip of his drink and looks over at the stage where one of the supporting acts is playing - a DJ whose name he can’t remember, his eyes passing over the random groups of guests and party-goers scattered around the luxurious rooftop venue. A loud laugh catches his ear and he looks over his shoulder towards the sound, noting a group of three girls sitting on a set of lounges a few feet away. He notices one of them, a tall brunette wearing a cream fedora hat, watching her throw her head back as she laughs along with something one of her friends must have said.

“Glen! Hey bud!”

He turns back to his group to see Miles standing in front of him, an instant smile on his face as he stands to embrace his friend. He hasn’t seen Miles since an end of summer party last year, suddenly feeling nostalgic for his absent Top Gun co-stars.

“How are you man?” Miles asks when he pulls away, just as Keleigh, Mile’s wife, steps forward to say hello and kiss Glen’s cheek in greeting.

“Good bud and you? It’s been a while!”.

He’s introduced to a few of their friends - three of Keleigh’s girlfriends and one of their husbands, and soon everyone is perched around the booth and lounges talking, laughing and dancing.

“Drinks guys? What does everyone want?” Glen says as he stands up from his seat, trying his best to remember the numerous orders being shouted before giving up and pulling out his phone to use his notes.

He nods and makes his way towards the bar, typing in Aperol Spritz just as someone steps out in front of him and he’s forced to stop abruptly before he collides with them.

“Oh sorry!” a female voice says, Glen looking up in time to a girl smiling back at him, her hands held up in apology as she balances against the lounge she’d been previously sitting on.

“All good darlin’” Glen says reflexively, returning her smile and gesturing for her to pass in front of him, “After you”.

Her smile grows wider and it takes Glen half a second to realise that it’s the girl he’d looked over at before - the brunette with the fedora hat, and another half second to process that she’s absolutely fucking stunning. He’s momentarily taken aback by her smile - pouty lips stretched wide and showing perfect white teeth, barely hearing her thank you as he watches her pass in front of him and make her way to the bar.

He can’t help but look her over as she walks, his gaze trailing over toned, muscled legs and what can only be a round, curvy ass hidden underneath her white shorts. Long chocolate brown waves cascade down her shoulders beneath her hat, her hair swishing just enough to reveal a large tattoo of what looks to be a collection of patterned flowers in the centre of her upper back. Glen barely registers that he’s been blatantly checking her out until he reaches the queues at the bar, stepping to the line on the left so that they’re standing side by side.

He looks down at his phone again going over his group’s drink orders, movement in his peripheral vision making him look back up to see the girl taking off her hat and fanning herself with it. The air is hot now, the afternoon sun relentless as it beats down, Glen thankful he’d chosen a light linen shirt to wear as he feels the beginnings of sweat form at the back of his neck.

The line moves and Glen steps forward, reaching up to adjust his sunglasses as the girl moves up beside him, still fanning herself with her hat. The strong scent of something sweet and vaguely coconut-y suddenly hits him, Glen glancing down at her and realising it’s her perfume. He watches from the side as she reaches up to put her hat back on, unable to help his smile as he sees her start to sway to the beat of the song that’s currently playing.

The line moves again and suddenly it’s their turn, Glen stepping towards the bar as the bartender calls ‘next’ and glances at the two of them. The girl points to him and he shakes his head no, putting his elbows on the bar and gesturing back to her.

“Ladies first”

She smiles at him again and Glen forgets how to form words for a moment, instead only nodding when she says thank you and listening as she orders three mojitos. He hears an accent that he can’t quite place, too caught up in the sight of her to really think it through, eyes running over her smooth, tanned skin and the tease of just-visible cleavage beneath her square necked crop top.

Three mojitos appear on the bar a moment later, fresh mint leaves tangled with ice in the clear bubbly liquid, Glen watching as the girl groups the cups and picks them up with both hands. She turns to him beside her, smiling back at him from behind her gold aviator sunglasses in a way that makes him forget his own name for a second, ice clinking against the plastic cups.

Glen sucks in a silent breath, feeling his chest expand as he looks at her properly. Jesus.

“Thanks. Again” the girl says, nodding her head as she smiles softly, Glen doing the same and steeling himself so he doesn’t stammer his words.

“You’re welcome darlin’”

Her grin grows wider and soon she’s walking away from the bar, Glen unable to stop himself from checking her out as she walks and thinking for the fifth time in five minutes how fucking gorgeous she is. He notices two guys at the back of the line watching her also, unable to blame them for staring - not when she had an ass and legs that looked like that.

Glen hears the bartender call to him, turning back around and pulling up the list on his phone to order. Minutes later his drinks are ready, picking up the tray laden with plastic cups and doing his best to stop them from spilling as he makes his way back over to his group. Across the way he sees the girl from before now sitting on a lounge and laughing with her two girlfriends, tipping his head when he sees her look over at him. Drink in hand, she offers a small, innocent smile in response, Glen sucking in a heavy breath and wondering if she has any fucking idea of the effect she is having on him. He tears his eyes away and walks back over to his friends, a small part of his brain completely preoccupied with thoughts of the gorgeous girl sitting only a few feet away from him.

---

Billie

“I swear I've seen that guy before” Sloane says, sipping her mojito and bopping away to the beat of the music in her seat, “I can’t work out where though”.

Bec frowns and looks over at the group where the hot guy had gone to, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe you rescued him once?”

Sloane shakes her head no.

“Either way, he was super cute and Bil you should go talk to him”.

Billie laughs and flicks a stray hair from her face, “I'm here to drink and dance with you two, not find a man”.

Sloane and Bec both scoff.

“Oh Bil shut up, when has that ever stopped you before? Men are like flies to honey around you” Sloane remarks, looking over at Bec for support and raises her hand in thanks when she nods fervently in agreement.

Billie only rolls her eyes and laughs at her two friends, taking another long sip of drink and savouring the cold liquid. She reaches up to readjust her hat, feeling her face become glowy from sweat. Her whole body feels warm, the sun beating down on her skin, the dry breeze only making it hotter on the rooftop area.

The music is starting to pick up, the bass getting heavier in the air, and Billie isn't sure if it's the alcohol, the fact that she's out with friends or just a combination of being out in the sun with her girlfriends at a gig that has her flustered and dancing in her seat. She takes out her phone and snaps a quick selfie with the girls, uploading the picture to instagram just as it’s announced that the main act is about to come on stage. A collective cheer is heard throughout the venue, Billie grinning and taking a long drink before gesturing to her friends towards the dance area.

“Come on ladies, time for a dance!” she announces standing up and teetering on her heels, pulling on Sloane’s arm and dragging her two friends out of their seats.

They make their way to the centre of the rooftop where the stage is positioned, finding a space among the growing crowd of party goers. There’s an eclectic mix of guests around them, everyone seemingly swaying to the beat with a drink or two in hand, the crowd starting to dance and cheer as the opening song is played. Bec lets out a whoop and soon the three girls are laughing and singing in their own little world, Billie swinging her hips and throwing her arms in the air.

The sun is shining down with a vengeance now, the afternoon heat dry and the air almost thick, the growing crowd of people doing nothing to offer any kind of relief from the warmth. If Billie wasn’t several drinks down she’d have been a little more concerned about the possibility of being sun burnt and ensuring she stays hydrated, but her mojito-tinged brain has other ideas. Sloane throws her arms in the air, Bec dropping her head back and singing as loud as she can, Billie grinning at her two friends as she sways and jumps to the heavy, pulsing beat. She can’t remember the last time she’d felt so free and had this much fun, closing her eyes and savouring every moment of the present around her.

Three songs later, Billie announces that it’s time for another round, shouting as much in Bec’s ear over the heavy pulse of the music. Bec tells her that they’ll stay where they are, Billie taking off her hat and fanning her heated face as she makes her way towards the bar. It’s not until she arrives at the small queue that she notices the guy from before ahead of her, unable to help herself from looking him over as she fans herself.

He has medium length sandy brown hair that is pushed back in a messy slick look, a bone coloured linen shirt draped over what is undoubtedly a very muscled set of shoulders. His forearms are thick and muscled, a tan and gold expensive looking watch sitting snugly on his left wrist. She’s standing close enough that she can smell his cologne - something spicy and earthy with a hint of delicious warmth, letting out a breath and reaching up to run her fingers through her long hair.

As if he’s aware that there’s someone behind him, Billie watches as the guy suddenly looks over his shoulder - perhaps over to where his friends are, his gaze instead catching sight of her in a double take. In an instant she’s met with a gorgeous, effortlessly handsome grin that makes her breath catch in her throat, her cheeks instantly heating in a way that she knows has nothing to do with the afternoon heat.

Fuck.

“Another round?” he asks her, a Texan lilt to his voice that makes Billie swoon internally, a toothpick resting between his lips.

“Gotta deal with this heat somehow” Billie replies with a smile, holding up one hand in a shrug and still fanning her hat with the other.

The line moves forward and they both step forward, Billie moving to stand in the empty space beside the handsome stranger. The music is still pumping, the deep bass heavy in the air, Billie teetering on her heels and dancing on the spot. The girl behind the bar calls next and the hot guy gestures to Billie, but she shakes her head no and offers for him to move instead.

“No no, you were definitely here first” Billie counters, watching as he shakes his head defiantly.

“Ladies first remember?”

Billie laughs now, shaking her head as she smiles, knowing that she isn't going to win this battle even if she tries.

Begrudgingly she steps forward and orders, this time asking for four drinks instead of three. A mojito each for her and the girls, and a tequila and soda for her mystery gentleman. She puts her hat back on and rests her elbows on the bartop, feeling his eyes on her beside her as she bounces on the spot to the music.

“So are all boys from Texas this polite, or is it just you?” Billie asks suddenly, turning to look at him over her shoulder and tilting her head.

Now that she’s looking at him front on, she can’t help but check him out behind her sunglasses. Her eyes follow the neckline of his linen shirt - unbuttoned enough to show off the planes of his sun-kissed, muscled chest, but high enough to hide what Billie knows has to be a toned, defined torso. His jawline is strong and chiselled, covered with a short layer of few-day-old, golden brown stubble, a patch of sandy brown chest hair just visible at the base of his neck.

When he chuckles and smiles back at her - the toothpick resting between his perfect white teeth, Billie momentarily loses her train of thought.

“As much as I'd like to defend us all, I have to give my mama credit for that one”

Billie laughs, turning briefly to the bartender when one of her drinks is up, picking up the plastic cup and handing it to the guy.

He looks back at her questioningly, taking the drink from her when she nods, taking the toothpick from his lips and lifting the cup to take a sip. A look of surprise appears on his face as he swallows, his eyebrows raising in a mixture of amusement and confusion. In that moment Billie can't help her confident smile, knowing she's picked the right drink without him even saying anything.

“Tequila and soda? What makes you think this is my drink?”

Billie shrugs nonchalantly, her lips still parted in a smile, looking back at him from behind her sunglasses.

“Well, with a chest like that there’s no way you’re drinking beers” Billie reasons in a flirtatious voice, nodding at his muscled chest and feeling her smile grow when his eyebrows rise again, “Even though you’d probably love to be drinking a beer right now. True?”

He lets out a laugh though doesn’t say anything, regarding her with an impressed smile and tapping his fingers against the plastic cup.

“Besides” she says, turning back to the bar briefly and saying her thanks when the three mojitos are up, “Your Texan accent is hard to miss and tequila is basically the state drink isn’t it?”.

He laughs then, loud and throaty and in an instant Billie decides it’s the best sound she’s heard all day, gathering her three drinks and turning back to face him.

“Thanks for this” he says to her with another grin that threatens to make her knees weak, holding up his cup as if to cheers to her before taking another drink.

Billie flashes her best smile in return, pausing in front of him before she heads back to the girls.

“Might see you later for another round”.

The mystery man grins again - another effortlessly charming, utterly handsome smile that makes her want to melt into a puddle on the floor, tipping his head to her.

“You can count on it”.

She tears herself away before she can internally swoon over him any longer, forcing herself not to look back at him even though she knows he’s definitely watching her. It takes her a second to realise that she’s intentionally swinging her hips in a way that has nothing to do with the music, unconsciously giving the guy her best view from behind as she walks away from him at the bar.

A hot breeze blows by and Billie has to blow a stray hair from her face, pausing at the edge of the scattered lounges at the side of the stage to locate the girls. She sees Bec and Sloane dancing away a little further into the crowd, Sloane’s mango yellow dress like a bright beacon among the sea of moving bodies.

“And what pray tell, are you smiling at?” Bec asks as Billie returns to the group, bopping away to the beat of the song that’s pulsing in the air.

Billie grins sheepishly, handing off the drinks to each of the girls before taking a long, much needed sip herself. To say she felt hot was an understatement, a thin sheen of sweat threatening to form on her forehead beneath the multiple layers of setting powder she’d applied this morning.

“That guy from before, he was with me in the line again” Billie explains after she swallows, crunching down on an ice cube, “He’s really fucking cute”.

“Oh I could not agree more” Sloane remarks, turning to look over at the bar and letting out a low whistling sound.

Billie looks over at her friend and follows her eye line, finding her mystery guy walking back to his group with his drinks in hand, seemingly oblivious to his new private audience. Billie sucks in a breath as she watches him, suddenly desperate for another sip of her drink.

Fuck.

Cute, was not nearly a good enough word to describe him.

Billie takes a long drink and turns back to the stage, throwing her hands into the air and dancing along to the beat. She feels free and happy, without a care in the world, deciding that today was quickly shaping up to be one of the best days she’s had in the longest time. The low, chilled beat of the music feels like it’s echoing across the rooftop, the crowd singing along in unison in the best way that only ever happened at concerts. The afternoon sun is starting to lower now, the sunshine still hot and the air still more than warm, the faintest of breezes only just detectable across the writhing crowd.

A shriek from Sloane suddenly jolts Billie from her daydreaming dance trance, Billie and Bec both turning to face their friend, alarm on both their faces.

“Slo what the fuck?” Billie shouts over the noise, simultaneously frowning and laughing at her friend.

“That’s Miles Teller over there” she explains with wide eyes, gesturing with her head so as not to attract too much attention, Billie and Bec both glancing over in the direction. “Pretty sure that’s his wife too. Katie? Keleigh? Something like that?”.

Billie’s own eyes widen when she realises Sloane is right - it’s him alright, minus the Goose moustache he’d all but made famous again last year. They’d all simultaneously swooned over Miles Teller when the Top Gun movie had come out in cinemas, as did seemingly every other female in the world.

“I mean with how much we paid for these tickets, there was bound to be celebrities here” Billie yells over the music, turning back to face the stage and taking another long sip of her drink.

Billie can’t help but smile. She remembered the way she’d nearly freaked out the first time she’d seen a celebrity not long after moving to LA. She’d been out for brunch after a particularly brutal pilates session, grabbing a bite because she was sure she was going to pass out from lack of energy and not make it back home, when she’d looked up from her omelete and seen Chris Pine getting a coffee only a few feet from her. It had taken everything she had not to make an audible sound of surprise, doing her best not to openly stare at the guy she’d only ever seen on a screen before.

“Wait, Bil!”

Billie turns back around when she feels Sloane’s grip on her arm, her friend suddenly shaking her violently and making even Bec stop dancing.

“That guy? Your hot guy that I said looks so familiar?” she adds, eyes once again wide as she looks at Billie and Bec and back again.

Bec is frowning now, unsure what the hell is going on, looking from Billie and Sloane over to where the guy is standing with his group of friends.

“What are you talking about Sloane?”

Billie shakes her head still confused, Sloane’s entire expression transforming as her lips part in a wide, incredulous smile.

“The reason he looks so familiar, is because he’s the other hot guy from Top Gun. Glen Powell!”.

Next Chapter

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#glen powell #glen powell fanfic #glen powell smut #glen powell fluff #glen powell fic #glen powell x ofc #glen powell angst #glen powell series

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