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anglingforlevels · 7 months

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Open House (Yandere House x Reader)

When people say the housing market is a nightmare, is this what they had in mind? (The story goes out to me because I’m trying to get an apartment and it is Suffering. Please pretend this count as yandere.)

CW: not proofread, unconventional captivity, swearing, I accidentally had too much fun writing Abby and forgot the point of the story-

Minors DNI

When you proudly had reached the saving milestone to buy a small house in the countryside, you had opted to spend some of that money on a real estate agent, figuring it was a good investment, hiring a Ms. Abby Bardot – who, over the phone, had insisted heavily on being called Abby rather than Ms. Bardot – who had twenty years of experience in the field.

Quite quickly, you realized that perhaps she wasn’t the most conventional real estate agent.

Ms. Abby, you quickly noticed at your first meeting, was all hand-wringing and nervous sweating, though she seemed sweet enough, having clutched a tin of home-cooked cookies in all shades of black and almost-not-black, and had heartily insisted you’d take as many as you’d like (which was zero).

She had insisted on bringing you to an open house for what she had called a hidden gem of a house, that it would be a private tour. To you, once she mentioned it would be at 1 p.m., it was quite obvious that “private tour” meant, “no one else has or will be showing up”.

Ms. Abby had also enthusiastically shown pictures of the place, pictures she had ready-at-the-go on her phone, presumably she really needed a buyer for the house.

“Ms. Abby.” You had said, interrupted with a small interjection of, Oh please, just Abby. “Ms. Abby, that’s not quite a house and more so a small manor. I went over my budget with you when I hired you.” Ms. Abby had quickly recovered from the rejection and puffed out her chest proudly.

“Why that’s the best part, this is within your budget!”

You had sent her a dubious look at this. “Are the pictures… How do I put this delicately? Are the pictures recent and unedited?”

Ms. Abby deflated so quickly that it almost felt impressive, almost urging you to clap as if it was a circus performance. Of course, it felt mean had you clapped at her dejected look.

“It’s well-kept, I assure you. These pictures are all recent, I’ve updated them every year for almost my entire career!” She said proudly, and you almost felt pity at the fact she didn’t seem to realize her own slip-up but instead paraded it around like a badge of honor.

Though, all-in-all you were charmed, and somewhat endeared, by the honesty. But not very much by the house at all. “I think I’d like to look at other options, it’s awfully big for just one person.”

“Ah, wait!” Ms. Abby said urgently. “Please, before we continue with other options, let’s first try out the open house this Friday.”

“Is this protocol, Ms. Abby?” Ms. Abby’s lips wobbled at this and… “Are you crying?!”

“No, I’m a professional. Real Estate Agents don’t cry, I’m simply sweating, is all.” Ms. Abby sniffled, dubbing her eyes with a handkerchief, presumably you were meant to believe her eyes were suffering heat stroke on this fine autumn day.

“…Alright, I’ll go to the open house. Just give me the address.” You eventually relented, if only to avoid seeing the pitiful sight of a teary-eyed Ms. Abby.

That’s how you ended up before a grand house out in the middle of nowhere, the closest town was an hour-long drive away. Forest and fields were most of the surroundings, which was why the house was in such stark contrast, standing as a sole presence, the forests and fields shying away to make room for it, leaving a vast vacancy around it, stretching on for at least fifty meters.

It really was a pristine house, when comparing it to the pictures, it seemed to match right down to the placement of every rock and plant in sight. As if someone had consciously placed each leaf and pebble.

The plants and trees of the garden donned vibrant colors despite the season. You wondered how often Ms. Abby came by, or if she had hired a crew for maintenance, as you could not spot even the slightest hint of dirt or spiderwebs.

The only thing that looked aged was, unfortunately, the “For Sale” sign.

It felt a little unnatural, but you chalked it up to currently being a display house, and thus not lived-in either. You took notice of the way the trees beyond the reach of the garden were withered and wrinkled, and the grass yellowy, dry patches, barely hiding the dirt beneath.

“Some more forest could really do this place some good.” You mumbled. You hesitated for reasons you didn’t fully understand before stepping beyond dead plants clinging loosely to your feet and entering the garden.

You felt a prickling sensation behind your eyes the further you traveled, the door felt so far when the weight of something cloyingly attentive seemed to drag you down as if to prevent your advances.

“You’re here!” A delighted Ms. Abby yelled out before the sound of pitter-patter was interrupted by a loud thud against the door that rattled the frame. With her energy dampened, a sheepish Ms. Abby appeared behind the front door, simply saying; “It opens the other way.”

Right, something attentive could only have been the attention of the overzealous Ms. Abby.

“Come in, come in!” She invited, all but pulling you stumbling into a most decadently, lavishly decorated foyer. From distasteful stuffed animal heads to the ruby red furniture and mosaic glass tables, it felt quite uncomfortable, all sharp angles and very little homeliness to it, like an ornate display of wealth rather than a welcome into a household.

“Not very welcoming, huh?” You commented, which Ms. Abby elected not to respond to, though the small “eep” suggested she had heard the negative impression.

Looking the room over it was impossible for your eyes not to rest at the centerpiece of the foyer: A huge painting above the staircase. A solemn-looking guy stared out into the air, curly locks framing his face. Old paintings always looked miserable, yet you couldn’t help but feel there was a glint of genuine misery in his eyes. Noticing your attention had wandered, Ms. Abby followed your eyes.

“Oh, that was an owner of the house who had it commissioned back during the Renaissance, they wanted it right here, in the heart of the house.” She explained though you couldn’t say you agreed to a decadent foyer being the heart of a house, and if it was, that wasn’t boding well for Ms. Abby’s already poor sales chances.

“I’ve never understood why someone would want to pay money to look miserable in a painting, like you’re paying for it, at least make yourself smile or something.” Your jab was met with Ms. Abby’s impressive ability to carry on like you had said nothing negative at all.

“You know, the owner claimed it was a Jan van Eyck-original too.” Ms. Abby said as if letting you in on a secret, or town gossip. “Really, we’ve had it appraised.”

“And the appraiser confirmed it was a Jan van-whatever original?”

“…The owner really loved art; you’ll see plenty of paintings throughout the place.”

So that was a no. And speaking of no’s:

“Listen, Ms. Abby, I don’t exactly have the budget for a big house, as I already said. I especially don’t have the kind of budget that the kind of person who’d commission an artist to paint them for their foyer would have.”

Abby laughed nervously. “Well, you see, the value’s dropped as I mentioned. We haven’t been able to sell it for a long time, so the price just kept falling.”

“Right. But even so, it can’t have fallen that much.”

At this, Abby avoided eye contact, wringing her hands before, after a big breath, blurting it out. “The person in the painting was the last person to own the house.”

…

“Is this place built on top of an oilfield or something?”

Ms. Abby laughed a hearty if a bit shrill, laughter, before sighing and mumbling. “If only.” She clapped. “But! This is a charming house, why, let me show you the many rooms!”

“Ms. Abby, have you ever considered a field outside of sale?” You asked dryly but nonetheless followed along, eager to leave behind the painting, as you felt watched. The house consisted of many sprawling hallways, enough to almost make one dizzy, and you struggled to remember where everything was.

The house had many rooms, none of them particularly inviting, reading more like a historical display room lacking any warmth or heart (and perhaps even worse, any semblance of renovation despite old age), and all absolutely clustered with trinkets, knickknacks, and in the case of the walls, paintings – leaving very little free space.

It really did read like a historical display, as some rooms seemed older than others, suggesting partial renovation must have been done on some of the rooms. You’d like a word with whoever had been in charge of that lackluster, nonsensical effort.

Perhaps the lack of replaced furniture or renovation was why the house periodically seemed to creak and moan in odd ways, at times you almost confused it as Ms. Abby groaning or sighing, only to realize it was the sound of the house itself.

As for Ms. Abby, she remained undeterred regardless of how many snide remarks you made, which you had to commend her for, though the charm you initially had felt from it was quickly wearing off. Ms. Abby actually seemed increasingly happy, humming to herself. She didn’t think the sale was going well, did she?

“How much of the house is there left to see, Ms. Abby?” You asked, increasingly impatient and tired, having been dragged through an unreasonable number of rooms, which inexplicably, almost all were bedrooms (and yet, you had yet to see more than a single bathroom).

“Well, we’re still missing a couple rooms like the kitchen, oh! I know, how about the master bedroom since you’ll be spending every night there.” She said with a beaming smile.

“That’s awfully optimistic, Ms. Abby.” You noted, at this you received a good-hearted chuckle.

“Oh, this place is too lovely to pass up on, I think it likes you – it’s a match made in heaven. If you don’t like some of the features or decorations, it’s easy to change those, so it would be a waste not to live here.”

“I can’t imagine a house as empty as this holding much affection, and I’m not up for a big project.” All you wanted was a small but cozy house, a simple place. You felt exhausted just thinking about the amount of work you’d need to pour into a house like this to make it feel like home.

“Well, it’s perhaps not an easy house,” Ms. Abby admitted, her cheer at this point an unshakeable force, as a sense of confidence seemed to have sprouted in her. “But that’s why when that rare fit comes by one must take the leap and hold onto it.”

You’d feel insulted by the suggestion you were a good fit for this distasteful and unpleasant house, had Ms. Abby not already shown herself as incompetent but well-meaning. You simply sighed, giving up the conversation, figuring you’d find another real estate agent when you came home.

“Well, take me to the master bedroom then.”

Ms. Abby led you through the foyer again, the bedroom apparently at the other end of the house. Your eyes were drawn to the painting once more, its eyes felt more sunken in than before, shadows forming beneath, to which you tiredly sighed. “Me too, buddy. Me too.”

The master bedroom seemed to be at the stopping point to the sprawling hallways on the right. You were just aghast at the fact you had gone through another set of sprawling hallways, you wondered who had come up with the confusing layout of the place.

Ms. Abby tried to imitate a trumpet to build up suspense but trailed off after you shot her an impatient look. After a weak cough, she simply said “Tadaah” and opened the door.

You stopped up, your right foot hanging in the air, about to cross into the room. A sense of foreboding filled you; it was a bit different from the first time, however. The prickling sensation you felt and the cloying attention, it felt smothering, less like a shove away and more like… Being held in place.

Ms. Abby waited patiently inside the room, not commenting on your hesitation, though you had been snarky and displeased the entire tour, so perhaps this just seemed like more of that. You swallowed and ignored the pressure as you put your foot down and entered the room.

The air felt different here. You had hoped the odd sensation would disappear if you just carried on, like when you entered the house, to begin with, instead, it worsened. The air clung to you, terribly heavy and sticky. It took you a moment to actually focus enough to realize Ms. Abby had spoken, so when you finally snapped back to reality, Ms. Abby was standing in the hallway.

“-tively spellbound already. I’ll give you some time to look around and get acquainted together, one-on-one.” And then she closed the door in your face. The room was, oddly empty, compared to every other room. Nothing but a big, red bed, the empty walls that you could’ve sworn were further away when you entered, and that feeling of being watched, lodging into your skin like stitching.

Nothing except an almost empty room that didn’t feel empty enough.

That’s it. Ms. Abby had officially used up all her pity points, you were leaving. You opened the door, a tad more aggressively than what was perhaps called for, but Ms. Abby was nowhere to be seen in the hallway.

For how annoyed you were with her at this point, you found that you missed her company as you walked down the hallway, nothing distracting you from the odd sounds of the house that seemed to have increased. It felt as if the floor beneath your feet moved and rumbled slightly, the velvety carpets uneven and bumpy, as if walking on something breathing, something living.

You wished that Ms. Abby had given you the floor plans, as you struggled to remember how to return to the foyer through the hallways and occasional rooms you had to cross seemed to hold no real rhythm and didn’t feel as if it obeyed any rules about directions.

At one point you could have sworn you turned back, only to be in another room than where you had emerged from originally. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you found the foyer again. Even in your rush to find the door, your eyes were drawn to the painting, though you continued to rush by it. In your haste, it almost looked as if the painting’s colors were smudged.

You attempted to open the door but found it didn’t budge. It was an odd choice to lock the door, but you were certain that was the reason, it had to be. A locked door was no issue from the inside, but even after hearing the click of the lock, the door didn’t budge when you attempted to open it.

You attempted to kick, pry, tear, and even throw your body weight at the door, but with no luck.

Settling in the foyer after your final attempt at prying the front door open, you huffed, out of breath. You laid on the stairs, trying to settle your heart and pulse, when your eyes landed on the painting again.

…You rubbed your eyes and sat up, thinking what you had seen was owed to your tiredness and the upside-down angle, but no. The painting really did look smudged. Like someone had blurred colors and borders together, the hair’s vibrant color having lost its radiance.

And the mouth, it was oddly smudged between the lips, that it almost gave the impression of a mouth being pried open.

…

No, that was silly, you were being silly. The painting was smudged out, which was already creepy enough on its own, or rather, the house was already creepy enough on its own – your mind was just working overtime and was making up new things to get scared over.

“Well brain, if you like overtime, I guess I’ll have to put you to use and think of an escape. But you don’t have a union, so it’s unpaid hours for you, I’m afraid.”

If the front door was a bust, then you’d find a window. You struggled to recall any windows on the ground floor, but surely there had to be some. Or… That’s right! The kitchen, it had a glass door. You never got around to seeing the kitchen, having mainly been shown the upstairs so far, but you recalled Ms. Abby mentioning it back when she had given her pitch for why you should show up.

You hadn’t been on the left side of the house, at least not on the ground floor, so you figured that was a good direction to begin, in your search for the kitchen. You opened the door, urgency in your steps, only to find you weren’t in an unfamiliar room.

Instead, you were back in the empty master bedroom, which somehow felt much more crammed than any of the other rooms. But… That didn’t make sense. The master bedroom was upstairs, you had fought through a confusing hallway to find the foyer, so this… this didn’t make sense at all.

The air felt oppressive in the room as if your heart would be forced to a halt from the sheer weight of it, like a physical presence. This time you were sure that the walls were closer than they had been before. A bed table had been added next to the bed, and the part of you still delusional enough to hope thought maybe it meant that Ms. Abby was still around. As if this was an elaborate prank.

You tried to swallow despite how dry your mouth felt, your heart hammering painfully against your chest. This was ridiculous. You slammed the door open again, the door shaking on its hinges. Beyond the door, it revealed a hallway, but even if the hallway was confusing, you had been through it twice by now, you could do this, you could find the kitchen or a ground-floor window.

Hurrying along the hallway, it felt as if the floor and walls shifted and moved. Were you dizzy, or was this actually happening? The restrictive air of the master bedroom followed you, as you dragged yourself through.

“Huh?” you furrowed your eyebrows when you opened one of the doors. You were sure this was the one you had gone through before, but the room behind was unfamiliar. Cold dread filled you as a horrible thought crossed your mind.

No, no, no. You ran to the next door but behind it was another unfamiliar room. Were the layout… Changing? Your hand trembled as you tried to open a third door, and you felt like crying when all it revealed was the master bedroom again.

A lamp now stood on top of the bed table. Were new things going to be added each time you returned to the room? You thought back to the cramped bedrooms Ms. Abby had so cheerfully shown off. You weren’t sure what to make of it but felt sick all the same.

“I don’t have time for this.” You had to snap yourself out of it. You could spiral and panic later, but for now, you needed to get out. So, turning on your heel, you returned to the hallway. You’d go through each door that didn’t lead to the master bedroom, hoping to somehow find your way downstairs.

You almost cheered audibly when you finally saw the staircase, rushing to it. Once again, as you passed it, your eyes were drawn to the painting.

The painting no longer looked the same as before, the person it had been long erased by smudged and changing lines. You couldn’t tell what it was changing into but felt your heart race with familiarity all the same.

The mouth was a gaping hole by now, outstretched awkwardly. You thought it might have been a smile, but it looked much more like a pained grimace to you.

You only took this as further encouragement to get out of there.

When you failed to find anything of use, you realized there was one room that you seemed to always find. So, as counterintuitive as it seemed, you walked upstairs again, and as confusing as the changing layout was, it didn’t take you long to find it.

You saw the familiar bed, the bed table, the lamp, and the newly added clock on the wall (which didn’t seem to be working) and closed your eyes for a moment. You took a deep breath. And then you decisively walked in to grab the lamp, shivering a bit as you brushed against a much-too-warm wall.

If you couldn’t find the kitchen or a window on the ground floor, then fuck it, you’d find one up here. Whatever broken bones or bruises you’d get from the fall, you’d accept. Finding a window upstairs proved much more doable, as one would line the walls every now and then.

You threw the lamp against the window and braced yourself for impact.

But nothing happened.

The lamp fell to the floor with a hollow thud. When you opened your eyes, you found not a single scratch on the window. So, you tried again. And again. You tried punching the window, earning nothing but a stinging fist.

Yet you continued. At some point, it became more of a tantrum, an expression of your desperation colored in violence, than an attempt to escape. Hitting the window, kicking the wall. “Why-“ you hated this house. You hated it. Hated, hated, hated it. You just wanted to leave. Your ears rang, whether it was from your headache, or the way the house’s groans and creaks had grown in severity, you didn’t know, didn’t care, couldn’t care.

Already unsteady on your feet, your final kick caused you to lose balance entirely.

Stumbling and falling onto the floor, without realizing it, you found yourself by the stairs, and face to face with the painting. Your blood ran cold as you stared into your own lifeless eyes staring down at you from above.

Quiet had fallen over the house like a blanket, only the slow rumble throughout the house bellied any activity. In the heart of the house rested a painting, donning a toothy smile and a certain glint in their eyes.

A satisfied Ms. Abby removed the “For Sale” sign out front and drove away with a hum.

#yandere #yandere monster #yandere exophilia #yandere x reader #minors dni #not proofread #yandere house #written in an hour without any planning #and it shows lol #does this count as yandere or horror? or is this just a really weird house-complaint

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rollinouttahere-writes · 5 days

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AS2L Intro

I finally got it done! The intro for this concept has come to fruition. Unlike Lucky Break, this won't be completely linear and will just kinda jump around to random events that I feel are worth writing.

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy x Child Reader

5.5k words

Grown ups did a lot of things that you failed to understand the point of, and even more things that you found unpleasant. There were even some things that managed to be both. Namely, family reunions. You didn’t get why they needed to do this every year. You already saw them often enough since you all lived pretty close. So why do you have to spend a whole day with them at some park? It doesn’t even have a playground. Boring!

Small pebbles tumbled through the grass as you kicked them. At the moment, you were far away from everyone else, having had quite enough of your cousins’ teasing and hair pulling. Between not getting along with any of the people here that were your age, and the aforementioned lack of a playground, you were bored out of your mind. Possibly even dying of boredom.

As you keep walking aimlessly, you notice a sign out of the corner of your eye. Having nothing better to do, you go over to inspect it. It reads “Horseshoe Trail” in big, bold letters. There’s a picture of what you assume is the trail itself beneath it. Much like the name implies, the trail is shaped like a horseshoe, going out and coming back to an exit not far from here. You look to your left and squint, and you’re pretty sure you can see where it lets out.

Maybe going for a walk in the woods would be fun? It had to be more exciting than kicking rocks all day. You hazard a glance back at the pavilion where your family is gathered. No one seems to be looking your way… This should be fine. You make up your mind quickly and hurry onto the trail before anyone can tell you not to.

This will be fine. Besides, you’ll probably be back before anyone even notices you’re gone. The trail didn’t look that long in the picture.

The trail is a refreshing change of pace. You stare up in wonder at the tall trees on either side of the trail. Other plants and flowers decorate your surroundings, making for infinitely more interesting scenery than the bland grass of the main area your family was hanging out at. You don’t get why none of them thought to go walking through here. It makes you feel a little special to have discovered something new and exciting.

There’s a lot of noise in the woods. From the rustling of leaves as squirrels dart around, to birds singing, to insects chirping. It’s all enchanting to you. You hum happily as you wander down the path, not a care in the world.

You’re walking for a while, a lot longer than you thought you would be. It starts to dawn on you that the trail was perhaps longer than you originally assumed. You start to feel nervous about how mad your parents will be if they notice you wandered off. Looking back, you wonder if it would be better to just turn around, or if you should keep going. The end can’t be that far away, can it?

A fallen tree is next to the path, and you walk over to sit on it while you try to figure out what you should do. You fiddle with your pink, frilly dress that your mom insisted you had to wear, tugging and picking at the seams nervously. Mom was definitely going to be mad when you got back… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just keep going even if it does turn out to be longer?

The sounds of foliage moving behind you snaps you out of your anxious daze. You tense up. Whatever it is sounds bigger than a squirrel. Slowly, you look over your shoulder and towards the source. Bushes shake as something works its way through them. You want to run, but you’re rooted in place by your fear. The bushes rustle louder as whatever is in them is about to pop out. Your tiny hands fist the fabric of your dress painfully tight.

A furry creature suddenly springs out and lands on the log next to you. You yelp and fall backwards off of it. The creature creeps closer and… meows?

You sit upright and finally see the animal for what it is. A cat. Instantly, your fear melts away and you squeal excitedly, “Hi, kitty! Can I pet you?” You stand up and reach out to the cat, only for it to hop off the log and start walking away. “Hey, wait! Come back!” You start walking faster, following the cat into the woods.

“I promise I’ll be gentle!” Your attempts to reason with the cat were moot, it just kept walking. Occasionally it would look back at you, but it didn’t stop. It hadn’t hissed at you yet, though, so you keep following it. You didn’t even realize how far you were getting from the trail.

Your dress keeps snagging on branches from the local shrubbery, slowing you down significantly. With every pause you take to rip your dress free, the cat gets further and further away, but you don’t give up.

It isn’t until you trip and fall over a root sticking out of the ground that you officially lose sight of the cat. You whine and slowly push yourself up. Your foot hurts from getting snagged on the root, the sandals you were wearing did nothing to protect you. It takes a minute to get back up onto your feet, and when you do, you realize that it isn’t just the cat that you’ve lost sight of.

The trail is nowhere to be seen. Tears begin to well in your eyes as you’re hit with how bad this is. How stupid could you be to have run so far away from the trail? Your parents are going to be so mad when they find you. You whip your head around wildly as you walk backwards, looking for literally any possible hint of the rail.

Suddenly, the ground dips behind you. Your arms flail as you try to catch yourself, but the ground is too slippery for you to get any traction. The next thing you know, you’re falling backwards and rolling down a hill. You scream and try to catch yourself on something, but you’re too disoriented to be able to hold onto anything for longer than a split second. Rocks and bushes attack you as you violently tumble down the hill.

When you mercifully roll to a stop at the bottom, your head is spinning and everything hurts. You whimper as you roll onto your side and try to get up. Something wet drips into your eye and stings, making you flinch and rub at it. You pull your hand away and see that it’s stained red with blood. Just like that, you burst into tears and sob loudly. You cry out for help, screaming for anyone to come to your rescue.

But no one comes.

Then, because today wasn’t awful enough, loud thunder sounds through the forest, and it begins to rain. Cold droplets fall and soak into your dirty, torn clothing. You sniffle loudly and force yourself to stand despite your body screaming at you to lay down. Sitting in the rain sounds terrible. You need to find somewhere dry to wait this out.

Looking around, you don’t see anything nearby that you could hide under. Seeing as that you’re already horribly lost, you pick a random direction and start walking. Well, more like limping. Your already sore ankle is now swelling, and the straps on one of your sandals ripped off during the fall. It’s barely hanging on and is more than a little uncomfortable to walk in. You trudge forward, sniffling and crying as you stumble through the woods in search of shelter.

It feels like an eternity before you see something through the trees that piques your interest. It looks like a small building isn’t far from here. Your tears dry for the first time and you smile, thinking that maybe you were closer to where your family was than you thought you were. You hurry as much as your pained body will allow.

The closer you get, the more your smile fades. The building you were looking at was some abandoned, broken looking shack. There weren’t any other buildings or signs of people in sight. Despite your disappointment, the rain pelting you encourages you to go inside the shack regardless.

The door had fallen off and was laying outside of the structure. You step on it as you go inside, and it creaks loudly under your weight. Your disappointment only grows as you see that the roof had caved in. Rain was pouring into the dilapidated shack, leaving only one corner of it somewhat dry. You press yourself against the shelf in the dry spot, shivering in your wet clothes.

Deciding that your sandals were more of a painful hindrance than a help, you unbuckle and kick them off. Next, you slip off the once cream colored cardigan your mom had insisted you wear with your dress. It got all torn up and covered in mud from your fall, plus there was some blood on it from the cuts you got. The frilly dress you had on was in a similar state. Your mom was going to kill you for ruining the outfit she picked out for you just for today.

Given that it was already ruined, you scrubbed your face with the sweater, trying to wipe away the blood you felt on it earlier. You wince as it touches a particularly tender spot on your head and pull it away. The sweater is now smeared with even more blood and dirt. You sigh and toss it next to your discarded sandals.

With nothing to do, you sit in the corner and wait for the rain to stop. Your stomach growls loudly, which makes you remember something. Reaching into your pocket, you are ecstatic to find that the candies your grandpa had slipped you hadn’t fallen out during your tumble. You smile softly and unwrap a piece of chocolate before popping it into your mouth. At least you have one good thing going for you. You look around the shack while you savor the chocolate, and your eyes are drawn to a box on the shelf next to you.

Having nothing to do, you pull it off and start rifling through it. There are some old flashlights, duct tape, and some ropes in it that you carelessly toss behind you. At the bottom of the box, you see a tiny key and a jewelry box. You grab both curiously and wipe off the dusty box. One of those cool skull-things that you see on pirates ships is on it, which only makes you more curious. Giving the box a shake, you hear something rattling inside of it.

Trying to open it didn’t work, so you put the small key into the keyhole. Much to your relief, it fits and unlocks the jewelry box. You pry it open and find a necklace inside. It feels extremely brittle in your hands, and it has the same pirate skull on it as the box. There is a piece of paper in the box, too. You pick it up and unfold it, finding that there is something written on it.

Congratulations on your lucky find

I wonder what desire you have in mind

Close your eyes, make a wish, and break the pendant in two

Whatever you want most will come to you

Now that was exciting. You looked at the apparently magical necklace in your hand with a surge of joy and intrigue. Maybe getting lost wasn’t so bad afterall! You kick your feet as you try to decide on a wish. You suppose that you could wish to be back with your family, but… did you really want to waste your wish on that? Did you really want to use a magical wish to be teleported back to your parents that will definitely be furious with you.

This is your wish. Why shouldn’t you use it for something that you want? But what do you want? To have more fun? To have a family that actually likes you? Those things would be nice. Would it be okay to squeeze two wishes into one? There’s only one way to find out.

Closing your eyes, you say your wish, “I wish to have fun with a family that loves me.” With that said, you snap the necklace in half. You keep your eyes closed for a few more seconds, then crack one open and look around. Nothing happened.

Both of your eyes open and your cheeks puff out into a pout. Why didn’t it work?! You got your hopes up and everything! Today was the worst! Who would leave a fake magic necklace here to trick someone? That’s just mean!

You’re about to throw the broken necklace away from you, but then something happens. You start to sink into the ground, with your legs disappearing in mere seconds. You flail, trying to pull your legs back up, but you can’t and you’re sinking down even more. What’s happening?! Were you sitting in quicksand?!

In a last desperate attempt, you grab onto the shelf next to you. You’re already up to your neck, only your arms and head are still free. You let out a high pitched scream, hoping- praying that someone will hear you and come to your rescue, but the shelf you’re grasping tips over, plunging you into darkness.

You expect the quicksand to drown you, but that isn’t what happens. It feels like… you’re floating. In the air. Experimentally, you wave your arms around. There is nothing around you. Death not being imminent did calm you slightly, but not entirely. Not when you were seemingly floating through some weird darkness. It felt like you were falling, however gently, so maybe if you wait long enough you’ll end up… somewhere?

Was this happening because of your wish? Was the necklace mad about you trying to squeeze two wishes into one? You whimper and curl into the fetal position as you fall, feeling stupid for making a magic necklace mad at you. Hot tears well in your eyes and drip down your cheeks as you cry to yourself.

Abruptly, your descent ends and you feel solid ground beneath you. Instead of pitch black, you can see a soft light peeking through your fingers. You pull your hands away and look around. You’re in a forest. But… it doesn’t look like the forest that you were just in. The trees are massive; way bigger than any that you’ve ever seen. It also sounds different. The woods that you had just been walking through sounded mostly quiet minus some birds chirping, but this place was much louder. The bird calls sounded different and more plentiful, and you could hear plants all around you rustling. Whatever was moving them sounded huge.

Pressing yourself up against a nearby tree, you look around frantically, looking for any sign of other people. You saw nothing but more trees. Worse yet, it was starting to get dark. Your heart was pounding in your chest and you felt like you were about to start crying again.

Your hands flex nervously, and you’re distracted when you feel something in the palm of one of them. You look down curiously and open your hand. Your face scrunches in confusion when you see some weird looking necklace staring up at you. It’s got a skull and crossbones on it, and the skull looks like it’s biting something between its teeth. Maybe a stick or something? You flip it over in your hand and examine it closely.

You’ve never seen this thing before. Why do you have it?

Before you can ponder this mystery further, you hear a loud growl. You snap your head up and look around. You don’t see whatever made that noise, but you aren’t about to wait and find out. The necklace is stuffed into your pocket and you turn around to face the tree you’re standing next to. It isn’t easy, but your terror about becoming a snack to whatever made that noise motivates you to scale the tree faster than you would have expected. You climb until you find a cluster of branches that you can settle into securely.

The sun was setting fast, and the forest was rapidly becoming too dark for you to be able to see anything around you. You press yourself into the branches while rubbing your exposed arms. The wet dress you were in was doing nothing to keep you warm, and you found yourself wishing you still had your sweater. Even if it was soaked and torn up, it would be at least a little better than this.

Animal calls resounded all around you, ones that you’ve never heard before. You don’t understand where you are. You were just lost in the woods at home. How did you wind up in this strange forest? Was it just a different part of the woods that you’ve never seen before? How had you never noticed these huge trees before? Well, you suppose your mom has said that you don’t pay attention very well…

Another growl cuts through the air, but this one is from you. Your stomach takes the time to remind you that it’s been a while since you last ate. Digging around in your pocket, you pull out a few more pieces of candy and start eating them. It’s not like there’s anything else you can do right now. You need to find your way out of these woods, but you’re too scared to do it in the dark, so you’re going to have to wait until morning.

Your parents are going to kill you when you finally get out of here.

The night passes by slowly. With how noisy it is, and how scared you feel, sleeping is almost impossible. You do eventually nod off, but you’re awoken by a ray of sunlight shining right into your eyes. You whine and rub at your eyes before cracking them open. Light is filtering through the leaves and all the way down onto the forest floor.

Movement catches your attention, and you snap your attention to it. Much to your relief, it’s just a small bird that is perched on your knee and watching you curiously. It has green feathers on its body and colorful feathers forming a large fan-like crest on its head. The bird’s head tilts and it lets out a series of whistles before leaning down to peck at the frills of your dress.

“Hi, birdie. Do you know how to get out of here?” You knew that a bird couldn’t answer your question, but it was nice to talk to something.

The sound of your voice made it glance up at you again, but it quickly ripped a frill off of your dress and then flew away. Yeah… that was about as helpful as you thought it was going to be.

After giving your surroundings a thorough scan to make sure there wasn’t anything scary nearby, you climb out of the tree. You wince as the tree bark digs into the soles of your feet. Much like your sweater, you find yourself bemoaning the fact that you ditched your sandals. You reach the forest floor and look around warily. You weren’t able to see any houses or anything from up in the tree, so you had no idea which way to go. So, you just started walking in a random direction and hoped for the best.

Your stomach growled again. You checked your pocket for more candy and after rifling through a bunch of empty wrappers, you found one last piece. As hungry as you were… you felt like it would be dumb to eat your final piece of candy now. It’s stuffed back into your pocket as you resolve to save it for later.

What feels like hours pass, and you have yet to see so much as a trail, much less a person or building. It’s starting to feel hopeless and like you’ll be lost forever. You stop and sit down on a rock, wondering what else you can possibly do right now.

That’s when you hear it. Crying. You’ve never been so happy to hear that sound before. You scramble off of the rock and run in the direction of the noise, feeling a sense of relief that you’ve never felt so intensely before. You bound through some tall grass and find yourself in a small clearing. There aren’t buildings or anything like that in sight, but there is someone here. A boy with black hair is sitting in the middle of the clearing and crying into his knees.

Taking a look around, you don’t see anyone else here. This isn’t exactly what you wanted to find, but maybe he knows how to get out of this place. The boy doesn’t appear to have heard you stomping through the grass, so you approach him carefully and call out to him.

“Hello?”

The boy flinches and whips his head around to look at you. He stares at you with wide, teary eyes, and his face has dirt smeared across it. You think that he’s about the same age as you. It looks like he’s also had a bad day.

When he doesn’t respond, you take a few more steps towards him. You try talking to him again, “Are you okay?”

He sniffles loudly and wipes at his face with his arm, “I’m okay… I’m just lost.” Your heart sinks upon realizing that he’s no better off than you are and won’t be able to help you. The boy looks up at you hopefully, “Do you know the way out?”

You avert your eyes and shake your head, “No… I’m also lost.” That little bit of hope he had in his eyes dies instantly and he hangs his head again. It makes you feel bad that you can’t help him. You crouch down next to him, “My name is (Y/N), what’s your name?”

The boy sniffles again and speaks in a quiet voice, “I’m Luffy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Luffy. I don’t know the way out of here, but maybe we can be lost together?” The proposition hardly sounds appealing, but it’s not like either of you have any other options right now. Not being alone will be better than nothing.

Luffy looks at you again, then nods and starts to stand up, “Yeah… we can be lost together.” As soon as you’re up, he grabs onto your hand like it’s a lifeline. You two start walking again, but it’s obvious that he’s still upset.

Something about his sad face makes you want to do whatever you can to make him feel better. You think hard as you walk with him. Then, an idea pops into your head. Candy makes you feel happy, so it should do the same for him, right? You pull out your last piece of candy, saltwater taffy, from your pocket. You stare at it for a moment, feeling conflicted. While you are hungry, you want to do the right thing.

Holding out your hand to Luffy, you present the taffy to him, “Do you want some candy?”

This makes Luffy come to a halt and stare at the offering. You pull your hand from his and unwrap the candy for him before holding it up to him again. That seems to snap him out of it and he quickly snatches it out of your hands and eats it. The fast movement startles you slightly. He must’ve been really hungry, too.

Finally, he grins at you, “Thank you! Do you have any more?”

You look down, now feeling a little guilty about snacking on your candy all night long. “No, I’m sorry. That was my last piece.”

Luffy blinks in surprise, “And you gave it to me?” You nod, not really seeing it as a big deal. It was just one piece of candy. Before you can blink, Luffy lurches forward and hugs you tightly. You’re lifted off the ground a little, then dropped back down. He pulls away and smiles widely at you, “Let’s be best friends, (Y/N)!”

Best friends? Just for some candy? Well, he seems nice, and you could always use more friends. You return his smile with one of your own, “Yeah, let’s be friends.”

With the new friendship established, you and Luffy resume your trek, but now he is much more bubbly and talkative. He’s rambling about pirates when he suddenly looks around and lights up, “Oh! This looks familiar! I think we’re almost out!” Luffy breaks into a sprint and you’re forced to run to keep up. Rocks and plants dig into your bare feet, making you wince, but you feel a surge of joy at the prospect of getting out of this stupidly big forest.

Finally, the trees thin out and both of you are free. A small town can be seen in the near distance. It doesn’t look familiar at all, and definitely isn’t your hometown. Was it a nearby town that you’ve never seen before? You guess you and your parents don’t get out a lot, so that makes sense.

Luffy doesn’t give you much time to catch your breath before he’s running again. As you run through the town with him, you notice how weird it looks to you. None of the roads are paved, and you can’t see a single car. It looks super old, like something out of a history book. Where are you right now?

You’re forced to make a hard right as Luffy turns and runs into one of the buildings. You stumble in behind him and look around the place. It looks like a restaurant or something. You’re dragged towards a counter while Luffy calls out, “Makino! I made a new friend!”

A woman with green hair is behind the counter and smiles warmly at Luffy before flicking her attention to you. Her smile drops instantly and is replaced with a look of concern. “Oh dear, are you alright?”

Oh right, you did get pretty dirty and hurt from your fall yesterday. You look away sheepishly, embarrassed to be looking like a mess. Your mom would definitely scold you if she could see you right now.

“This new friend of yours must be pretty great if you haven’t even noticed me yet.” A new voice cuts in. You look up as a man with red hair and a straw hat spins around in his seat. He has three scars over one of his eyes that you can’t help but think look really cool. Like Makino, his relaxed grin drops when he sees the state of you. One of his hands reaches out and pulls something out of your hair. A small twig with a leaf on it. He raises a brow, “Rough day, kid?”

“Shanks!” Luffy abandons you to clamber up to the man, and you’re left standing alone and feeling very self conscious about your appearance as you notice even more people staring at you.

Makino comes out from behind the counter and crouches down next to you. Her warm smile is back and she starts wiping off your face with a wet rag. “Why don’t you tell me your name, sweetie?” You mumble out your name while avoiding eye contact with her. She hums in acknowledgment, “(Y/N)? That’s a lovely name. Now, can you tell me what happened to you?”

“Well… I wandered away from my family because I was bored, and then I got really lost in the woods because I was chasing a cat. Then I fell down a big hill and got all dirty and hurt.” Saying it all out loud made it sound really dumb.

“And when did all of this happen? Just a little bit ago?”

“No, it happened yesterday, and then I was lost in the woods all night.” You winced as she wiped at a gash on your head.

“You were in that forest all night?” Makino looked shocked at your statement.

“Yeah… I tried to find my way out, but I couldn’t, so I slept in a tree until morning.” Again, you felt embarrassed about your situation. How stupid were you to get that lost all because you wanted to pet a cat?

Makino still appears to be shocked by your story, but she tries to force another smile onto her face. She stands up and takes your hand, “Come into the back with me. I have some spare clothes for Luffy here, and I think they’ll fit you.”

The prospect of having clean clothes sounds amazing to you, so you follow her without any protest. When you’re in the back of the restaurant, she takes the time to clean off the rest of the blood and dirt from you before giving you some clothes to change into. The shorts and t-shirt are much more comfortable than your tattered dress, so you can feel your mood lifting instantly just from having them on. You were still barefoot, but you weren’t about to complain. Makino examines your discarded dress with a puzzled look, then shrugs and tosses it into a bin.

You’re guided back out to the main part of the restaurant, and placed in a seat next to Luffy. Shortly after that, a plate of food is placed in front of you, as well as in front of Luffy. He happily digs in, but you hesitate, “I don’t have any money…”

Your concern makes Makino chuckle, “Don’t worry about that, it’s on the house. You look like you could use something to eat.” Her words were enough to demolish your already weak resolve, prompting you to start wolfing down the meal. It tasted amazing and was a relief to your empty stomach. It didn’t take long for the plate to be completely clean.

As soon as you're done, Makino comes back over to you and starts asking questions. “What do your parents look like? Do you think they’re nearby?” You tell her that they probably aren’t around here and rattle off a description of them. She frowns and doesn’t seem to recognize them based off of your description.

Shanks chimes into the conversation, “What’s their ship look like? We just docked a little while ago, I might’ve seen it.”

“Ship? My parents don’t have a ship.” The question confuses you. There aren’t any big bodies of water around your town as far as you know. Why would your parents have a boat?

“Oh? So you’re local?”

“No, I’ve never seen this place before.”

Makino perked up at that, “You aren’t from Goa Kingdom, are you?”

You shake your head, “I don’t know that place.” You tell them the name of your hometown, but all that does is make everyone look confused. Everyone looks around at each other, silently asking if anyone recognizes the name. It would seem that no one does.

“Well, if you aren’t from around here, then you definitely got here on a ship. Did your parents get a ride here from someone else?” Shanks stares at you more intensely, as if trying to find answers written on your face.

“We weren’t on a boat, we were just at a park.” The questions were starting to frustrate you. Your town had to be nearby. There’s no way you walked that far.

Shanks stares at you hard, then his eyes drift up and focus on the gash on your head. He sighs and relaxes his expression. “Your parents are probably lurking around the docks, you should try looking for them there.”

Luffy sits up straight and turns to face you, “Oh! I can show you where they are!” He hops down from his stool and doesn’t wait for an answer before hauling you off of your own seat. You’ve barely made it out of the restaurant before another person runs out after you.

“Wait! I’m coming, too!”

You look over your shoulder and see a girl with red and white hair running after you two. She looks to be a few years older than you.

Luffy smiles at her, “Hi, Uta! Why are you coming with us?”

Uta reaches out and pokes his cheek, “Because I know that you only offered to go so you can sneak onto Shanks’ ship.”

“Nuh-uh! I want to help (Y/N)!”

She rolled her eyes and lightly shoved his shoulder, “Yeah, right. You’re definitely going to sneak onto the Red Force as soon as you see it.” The two start bickering amongst each other, not paying you much mind as you all make your way to the docks.

All of this is very confusing and overwhelming. You have no idea where you are or how you got here, but at least the people you have found have been really nice. This situation wasn’t great, but it could certainly be worse.

At least you made a new friend.

#AS2L #one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x y/n #one piece x you #monkey d luffy #luffy #one piece makino #red haired shanks #shanks #uta

139 notes · View notes

wolfiesmoon · 5 months

Text

The aquamarine umbrella

duke!neuvillette x dutchess!reader

i have been consuming too much manhwa and too much neuvillette brainrot so this farted out my brain in approximately 4 hours (i know)

also it just so happens to be my first time whipping out my poetic writing side so that means it was written in my native language and then translated into eng because english vocab is scary ( T﹏T )

also you won't guess.... genshin debut!!! 😘😘😘😘😘

What happens when fate doesn't favour you? When you have to leave the place you once called home because of things beyond your authority?

You are sent to an unknown land in a decorated carriage and into the arms not of a Lord mysterious to all. Well, he is not a complete stranger to you, but the name 'Neuvillette' is not quite a sufficient description of his personality.

The closer you get to his estate, the more you realise your helplessness. As the daughter of an unfavoured duke in your country, you have been chosen for this unfortunate marriage. When father called you into his office, you did not expect his grim face. Or the news that you were to recieve on that fateful day.

So, fate decided to marry you to the heartless dragon of the waters, Neuvillette. Neuvillette is a bit... mysterious among the upper class. You only hear horrible but unconfirmed stories about him. But if there are so many, there's a good chance that at least one of them is true. He didn't even show up at the wedding ceremony, so you can only imagine his appearance.

Neither fierce anger nor the shedding of tears has solved your situation. It's not fair that you can just be sold around like property if you're a woman. But you also know that the King would have you executed if you opposed him. Maybe that would even be better.

You can just clutch the big, heavy bracelet around your neck, made of beautiful sparkling diamonds, and hope that the sky above you is full of stars for a few more years. That you will feel the satin covers under you when you wake up, that you will see the sunset every night.

These little things that you used to take for granted now threaten you with an eternal goodbye.

You should smile right now. Smile and look out of the beautifully decorated window of your carriage and wave at the people of his estate who wave back cheerfully in your direction.

His people do not look miserable. The houses are beautifully built and the smiles on the children's faces bring tears of happiness to your eyes. At least that can comfort you.

There are also small creatures waving at you which remind you of deer. You have never seen anything like them before in your life. You have only seen dead deer after a successful hunting trip from brother. You have always felt a little sorry for them.

They were probably happy in nature, surrounded by clear water, lush trees and the soothing chirping of birds. And in one moment, it all ends.

Perhaps now you understand how a deer feels.

Before you can think too much about the deer-like girls, the coachman is holding out his hand for you to get out of the carriage.

Fate has brought you in front of his castle. From inside, you can hear the soothing sound of water. How familiar.

With every step, the click of your heels can be heard echoing through the great hall. The maids bow to you, standing in a row. The interior of the castle is beautiful. You feel as if you are a small pebble in a bubbling brook, and everything around you sparkles.

Suddenly you hear your own name echoing around the hall. You look up and see him for the first time.

And oh, what a sight he is.

Eyes that sparkle like polished lapis lazuli jewels. Long white hair that looks like pristine silk. A hardened, blank face that holds no forgiveness. Is this what a dragon is supposed to look like?

You bow to him quickly. If you really don't want to become like a deer, it's better to be polite and obedient. Obedience is something that is implanted in you as a young duchess. It is all you've ever known. Quite unfortunate, is it not?

"Welcome to my estate. You probably know me already, but I politely ask you to refer to me by my surname. Since exactly one month ago, we are husband and wife by law. I hope you had a safe journey here." He greeted you formally. You also realised that he called you by your father's surname. Since you are his wife, you are now a Neuvillette. How odd.

It takes you a few seconds to collect yourself and answer him. "It is nice to be here."

The answer is quite modest, just as is expected from someone like you.

"Please take her to her room. I can't assure you that I'll always be here if concerns arise, but if you have any at all, you may consult me about it. I hope you sleep soundly tonight."

And so he disappeared down the beautiful blue corridor, leaving you with only the maids who, at his command, showed you the way to your chambers.

Your bed chamber is also a beautiful blue colour. He seems to have a liking for the color blue.

The sky is already turning red, dusk is approaching and with it your first night in your new home. Tonight you can see the sunset. The maids leave you alone, and you immediately lean against the window. Even though you can't see them yet, you are already asking the stars to forgive you. That you will never take anything for granted, as long as they shine. Then everything will be all right.

"How do you feel? I hope the food is to your tastes." Your husband suddenly speaks. He is sitting across the large dining table, but dishes are only placed on your side.

"Everything is fine." You hesitate for a few seconds, wondering if you should bring up your concern. "...B-But, why aren't you eating anything?" you quickly grab a decorated glass and take a big sip of water to fill the awkwardness.

"Human food mostly doesn't interest me, unless it has a large percentage of water. Simple water is more suited to my tastes." His answer is simple, but it doesn't surprise you. He is the hydro dragon, after all. Although you keep forgetting that, because he looks about the same as a human.

"Ah, so... Can.... can you tell me a little about yourself?" you hope you don't sound traitorous or as if you suspect him. So far he's been nothing but polite to you. But what do you know... it's always good to be sure.

"You look like you're guilty of something. I know that look well."

Before you have time to answer, he's already talking. Thank God.

"I don't know what exactly about me you're interested in. But I assume you already know some things about me. For purely impersonal reasons, I can already tell you that in all probability we will never know each other well." These words glue your eyes to his. You don't know exactly what it is, but there is an emotion behind them that is unknown to you. One that makes your chest feel tight.

"I am my land's ludex, not just its ruler. The chief of justice, if you will. I create and oversee laws and hold trials for the accused. I do not doubt you, believe me. But it is best if we keep a distance in between us. Impartiality is the primary virtue of a judge." He explained, eyes closed.

You don't know exactly why, but his words make your heart ache. You don't even know him, and he hasn't cruelly rejected you, but as a little girl you always read fairy tales about love, where a boy and a girl love each other for all eternity. No, since when are you so selfish?! Be happy that he doesn't beat you.

A sad reality many noblewomen in arranged marriages face.

"Ah, I see."

The rest of breakfast was spent in a kind of suffocating silence. You didn't know where to look. Perhaps this accident is suited to you, because nothing comes from nothing.

"It's raining today." The maid gently reminds you as she puts a necklace around your neck. You've never been particularly happy about rainy days, especially because of mother. She always made you wear brightly coloured dresses and would get yell at you late into the evening if you came inside with mud on the bottom of your dress.

And she didn't like it if you got wet, either. To you, rain is an inconvenience that occurs every now and then. Since you came here, you rarely get to see your husband. But his beautiful long hair reminds you of the white silk covers on your bed, and his blue eyes remind you of the diamond in your ring. That much hasn't changed.

You have a tradition of walking through the town every day and greeting people. Your parents made you stop doing this when you were a little girl, because "it is outrageous for the duchy to talk to the townspeople and peasants."

But now that you are Lady Neuvillette, that is no longer the case. You haven't had a chance to ask Neuvillette if you have permission to do so, but so far he hasn't said anything, so you think he doesn't mind.

You are very glad that he is a good man.

You have also made friends with the deer-like creatures, or rather the Melusines. You met one while on a walk and she seemed delighted to see you. After a while, the Melusines showed you their artwork and their cuisine. You thought it was strange, but you were happy to see your new friend's culture nonetheless.

Sometimes they tell you that they notice you immediately when you go out for a walk.

And today is no different. Even if it's a rainy day, the walk has become important for you, for the Melusines and for the people of his estate. The children who sometimes bring you freshly picked flowers make your heart swell.

The maids hand you an aquamarine umbrella, decorated with lace, in your hands at the entrance. It will do nicely.

You wave to the local children on your walk, say hello to the Melusines you meet on the way, and decide to visit a small waterfall in the area before returning. It's not the sunniest of days, but it's still a day to experience. And long ago, you promised the stars that you would look forward to every day.

But you notice something interesting by the waterfall. The closer and closer you get, the clearer this thing becomes. It's not a thing, it's your husband!

He's standing in the rain without an umbrella with a peaceful expression on his face. It is as if he is relieved of all pain. You are tempted to go to him and at the same time you want to leave him alone. You stand in the rain for a few seconds, but finally hear your heart calling you to him.

He notices you and greets you calmly. You stand next to him and watch the water bounce down the little river that flows under the waterfall.

"I'm sorry I don't come to see you as much as I would like. As my wife, you are my responsibility." As soon as he says it, you start defending him. You know how busy leading a fief can leave you. You've already got used to your new life, so there's really no need for him to worry.

"The Melusines tell me a lot about you."

"Really?!" You knew that the Melusines liked Neuvillette, but you didn't know that they also shared things about you to him.

"Really. Thank you for being so kind to them. Melusines are... important to me." His smile made you a little jealous. It's nothing, he knows Melusines better than you anyways. And the agreement still stands.

"You really like the rain, don't you?" you commented, looking at his peaceful face once again.

"Yes, really. The rain is beautiful." His eyes meet yours, and behind them there is undoubtedly a gleam of joy. And it stirs something new in you. You are not a deer. At least not here.

You don't know why, but suddenly you're holding his hand instead of your aquamarine umbrella and you're getting soaked by the rain.

He looks at you with surprise on his face, as if he never expected this to happen.

"Does it bother you?" you ask him, worried he doesn't like it.

"Not really. Feel free to hold my hand whenever you wish. You are my wife."

A comfortable silence fills the air, with only the sounds of the waterfall and the rain to accompany your thoughts.

What's a young lady to do with her heart if fate decides that she should fall in love with her distant husband?

245 notes · View notes

delicrieux · 3 months

Text

𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬 𝑻𝑶 𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑫, 2. summer 1972, august

pairing for this chapter—regulus black x f!lestrange!reader warnings for this chapter—none! word count—2.3k

regulus can get quite mean in the sweltering summer heat.

masterlist | buy me coffee☕ | ttp masterlist | < back | next >

the grandiose patio is lined with wet footprints. yours. and regulus’. the sunshine is too unkind to him – burnt easily, he seems even more miserable in summer. he’s not much fond of water, even if you constantly drag him into the depths of the pool. the chlorine reeks, he had said displeased, trying to swat away his wet hair from his eyes. you had fought, tooth and nail, not to state, you reek. it would’ve obviously been a joke, and sirius would have laughed so merrily at your boundless wit, but regulus would have flushed in embarrassment and confined himself to silence.

you don’t like much when regulus is silent. in fact, you don’t fancy silence at all. father’s silence usually entails bad news, and mother is always silent. your house is too big to retain any noise, and rodolphus is contemplative and rabastan doesn’t take up enough space. with bella here, perhaps things will become more rowdy.

already, she’s turning everything upside down in what she has dubbed ‘the great upheaval.’ the new lady lestange has expensive taste and moody preferences, and so the walls are getting painted, and all sorts of curious trophies and relics from the depths of gringotts are being brought as decorations. she had let you practice explosive magic to knock down a bookcase she believed to be misplaced. you had been very thrilled to help.

now, though, the pleasant buzz of nature is satisfactory. the gardens and the orchard have remained untouched, though the greenhouse has been smashed completely. the remnants of glass glimmer on the sun-sparkled grass, a perfect spot to avoid as the pool beckons your return. not that mother's menagerie had been of much interest to anyone for years. the servants had tended to it, but it remained vacant of visitors, except the rare moments rabastan felt particularly sentimental. all those exotic butterflies spilled into the crisp, open air. it was quite magical. regulus was particularly down that evening.

of course, bella hadn't given much faff for any of it, so you don't dwell. a morning in the sun is a morning in the sun, after all. and, surely, if mother isn't to care for her property, then why should you?

"you recon sister will hire more staff?" you muse aloud. regulus has languidly settled under an olive tree, the leaves framing the thin, half-naked body like an all-too-pale depiction of pieta. his head hangs, the burn-warmed skin glowing, "without me to help she’ll hardly be able to manage all of these household duties."

regulus raises a brow at that, "what have you done exactly to help," the way he says it is half-chiding, half-mocking. as though he thinks that's the way to speak to the owner of the manor, "you blow up bookshelves."

you turn away from his stare, and keep yourself upright against the pool, knees scraping against the pebbles.

"well," you reply with a sniff, "if you had not noticed, she has taken a shine to me."

"shines are used for small jewels."

you hit his leg in a mindless display of violence.

his sharp inhale isn't playful – "what was that for?!"

"that was for talking down to me." you scoff. and his cheeks grow red, but not because you caught him in his error.

his next response is bitter. "i see how it is," the pitch of his voice rising ever-so-slightly, a subtle crack in a violin string, "you grow more pompous every day."

with his legs folded under his chin, arms crossed tightly, his discomfort in his position isn't masked as well as his emotion is. his wide eyes belie an even wider sadness. a hunger, a wanting for the type of affection a mother provides. something you'll never want to think too hard on because you understand, but also have been told by father not to ponder on.

"was that you attempting to speak down to me again?"

"no!" he snaps back, before muttering, "not that you wouldn't deserve it."

your temper has spiked. that isn't fair, what did he know of all that you must put up with! father expects a lot, and yet you are not given enough to do, but your brothers still complain at everything, and then you must put on a smiling face in front of bella, and how rude is he, really, to disrespect you so!

regulus doesn't receive a single hint of a reply from you. if his plan to make you more malleable to conversation wasn't working, he could start something of his own.

"have you made up your mind," the subject switch makes you jump, "about what house?"

oh. he hasn't stopped prodding since the end of june. that's almost cute of him.

"why are you obsessed about this?"

regulus makes a face. "don't try to understand. i just am," he pauses. for once, he regards you carefully, head tilting slightly to one side, "so you have made up your mind."

"slytherin sounds lovely," you admit, as you have been practising this speech in the mirror for a fortnight now. it feels more real coming out of your own mouth and not an apparition's. you could never admit to gryffindor, as your secret would unravel. regulus would spot his brother’s influence, and he would know, with certainty, that you prefer sirius to him. he must know already, but chooses to ignore it, like you chose to ignore all things inconvenient.

regulus stills for a moment. "wonderful," he comments, and resumes the snootiness of his demeanour, but more distant, "i'll definitely be in slytherin,"

yes, clearly, he would suit the snake very well. and he would fit in, like cissy. no matter the apparent fragility to him, it seems to be hiding a will stronger than all of yours combined. his eyes glitter and gleam when the sunlight hits them just right, but their core seems deeper, darker. no cracks or fissures. just an endlessness.

"and so would you," he finishes the sentiment.

"wh- whatever do you mean?!" you cry in his face, startled out of the depths of your musings.

"dear cousin," he simpers, "for how much time must your father spend pontificating on how utterly useless you are before you realise i'm in your same boat."

he may not mean it, but the insult is unbearable. and perhaps there's a sliver of truth that irks you. that your own kin think so lowly of your abilities. but, nonetheless, "behind my back, at least," you sound, "please, regulus, don't say such things to my face!"

he snorts, faintly amused at your ridiculousness, "will it make you feel better if i apologise?"

you huff. your pride has been bruised. he has, as always, thrown you into a sulk, which will be harder and harder to get over now. especially with you sitting a little more self-conscious than you had been ten minutes ago. and really, it had been such a pleasant afternoon. sweltering, and you bask in sunlight like you're famished for it. the rivera had been sweet, always bright and sunny, but england is hardly ever not gloomy. yes, the weather is worth more mental effort than regulus black, you decide. you would rather converse with a house-elf than him. he, yes, is useless, but you have some use, surely.

"think before you speak," you warn, not very menacingly, "honestly, if my life is already doomed, you'll not aid in ruining it any further."

"what life? father dotes on you endlessly. even if you've got not a single brain cell, he still fancies you," he drawls, "really, you're like a pet. a mooncalf. not a thought behind those eyes."

there it is. the nerve that tics. and though he'd spoken in a lazy, pensive drawl, your response is razor-edged and dagger-thorned. you're the blight. the aphids that sully. the plagues of locusts, “so what!" you counter, and you're barely standing on the border, "what is it my trouble? at least my father loves me, which is too much to say of your own."

regulus rises sharply. it is the fastest he's ever moved in all his life. that face would strike a serpent cold, you imagine. "take. that. back." his tone is chillingly even.

but a quick wit has always served you best, "no. not till you're nice to me."

"fine," the sun casts an angry, dark shadow of his figure over the pool. only eleven, yet he might be the most daunting creature you've ever encountered. all long lines, jutting ribs, and pale skin. and those eyes. downturned, forlorn. a regal hazel. the lids are flutter-thick.

the silence that settles is thick with discomfort. you think of your mother’s room at the top floor, how hot she must be with the heavy curtains drawn. it would be good to air it, lest she grows sicker from breathing in all of that old dust. yes, you shall let a servant know as soon as you finish chipping away at regulus’ resolve with your withering glare.

finally, slowly, carefully, "you won't tell mother i upset you, will you?"

"aunt walburga has much to preoccupy her. of course i won't."

he takes this as enough an acquiescence.

you find a part of him has softened. the edges, maybe.

"why should i apologise anyway," he adds, as if by way of an attempt at conversing in your manner, "the truth needs no apology."

his voice, not that of his father's but certainly not the poshest, has something odd about it.

he waits for a few more seconds, in what you gather, is a wait for an excuse to take the blow off of himself. you keep thinking, and these thoughts blunder quickly about. of mother’s room and father’s study, of rabby down in the cellar, of rodolphus prancing around his new wife. of sirius locked in his guest room, all of his muggle trinkets confiscated. sirius would have a laugh if he wasn’t too busy sulking. this impish row would cheer him up.

you've accepted the role now. it feels like a coronation. the signet ring would fit. pretty thing.

"regulus," you start, but can't keep your straight face. his stare bores into you, until the laugh finally escapes.

"you twit!" he accuses you, "i thought you were really angry for a moment! good thing i wouldn't actually worry, with how loose tongued you are. and stupid! to think, everyone always bellows about how pleasant and intelligent you are."

"could hardly be talking of me," you say, feeling not very bitter, but the taste of it is tart on the back of your tongue. this is a new pattern. a childish bickering, or even teasing, "i've never wanted to know anything. everyone else is terribly inquisitive."

regulus just eyes you in bewilderment. as though your view on the world is rather strange. regulus is fond of reading, and he has a plethora of curious facts to share to anyone who would listen. he had been more vocal of them when he was younger, but at eleven, he's growing very reserved and respectable.

to anyone but you, it seems, because he's rude and standoffish in your presence, even if his cheeks start to burn when you catch him staring at you. maybe you should've let him know. it'd be sweet to see his eyes widen in surprise, or his lips purse. that'd be worth all his rude jokes and unwarranted insults. his silence has allowed him to believe that all his sentiments are harmless. but they are not.

perhaps you are useless, not even a little bit useful at all, if a mere boy who's still gangly and graceless has you wound around his little finger, while not even knowing it. you can't decide if that's better or worse than knowing. it doesn't really matter anyway. when the family meetings took place late in the evening, and you were pointedly dismissed, you had decided you shan't ever want to know anything. to live in simple bliss of a fantasy, to enjoy what you're good at enjoying, and never touch the dirt of any of their messy problems. the end of childhood doesn't concern you, no more than any of the scandals you overhear and promptly ignore. gossip you adore, but only if it's mindless, like a poor matching colour of a robe.

the rest you are well off without.

pretty thing, mother had once called you when awake. her gaze had been vacant. you refused to decipher the meaning, if there was any to begin with. pretty things needn’t be sensible, they only need to be admired.

regulus offers you his hand. a rarity, him touching you, because he rarely is one for contact. especially with you, it had seemed. the small, slim fingers don’t tremble in their wait, "want to swim?"

your earlier mood melts away like the heat waves over the warm stone. the blood has flushed both your skins, but his more.

it's not important anyway.

"thought you don't like water," you say smugly, happy to lord over this very basic information you know of him over his head, "you'll look like a prune."

regulus wrinkles his nose in distaste at the idea. his pale complexion is so easy to scorch and scar. the redness blooms on him beautifully.

but then, all he says is, "you're my favourite, you know that, right? always have been."

the pleasantry, in such an instant, brings another surge of blood to your cheeks.

"why?" you have to know.

a shrug, then, a smile. not malicious at all, and you've always enjoyed it when he can't hold the pretences up in your company.

"dunno," and his expression goes blank again. his gaze roams somewhere far, "so do you want to go swimming?"

his offer has something more, and the confusion lingers.

"it is very hot," is all you find to say.

and what else, but to hold onto his outstretched palm?

#regulus black #regulus black x reader #regulus black x you #the marauders #the marauders era #the marauders x reader #imagine #imagines #harry potter #hp #harry potter x reader #reader #reader insert #xreader #hogwarts #fluff #angst

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theweightofakiteofdreamsingold · 9 months

Text

Torn-Jacob Kiszka

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, mature themes, fingering, unprotected sex, breeding kink, language, MINORS DNI.

A/N: This is my first Jake fic. It was inspired by the antics he's been up to on this Starcatcher tour. 🙃 I hope you love it. ♥️

-Ken

"If I could save time in a bottle,

The first thing that I'd like to do,

Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away,

Just to spend them with you."

You hummed away to the words of Jim Croce that were drifting from the worn, wooden turntable in the living room. You couldn't help but smile as Jake plucked away lazily to the song with ease. His gaze focused on the swaying trees outside the big picture window a few feet from him while you found yourself lost in his side profile. You noted the curve of his nose and his plush, pouty lips. He was so beautiful, like a prince you had read about in one of your storybooks as a child.

You sipped on the warm cup of lavender tea that Jake had made for you. Your movement had broken his trance, and he turned his head to you, giving you a warm smile, his eyes sparkling. You felt your cheeks warm, and you knew there was a hint of pink to them. After two years with him, the honeymoon stage was still as present as ever.

As the song came to its end, he sat his gutair on its stand carefully before standing up and stretching. You sighed with admiration as your eyes danced over him. You loved these days. Lazy afternoons when he was home made you feel complete. He looked so lovely in his dark gray sweatpants that were loosely hugging his hips. His bare chest flexed and moved with each twist and turn during his stretch, and you couldn't stop your mouth from watering if you tried.

He huffed and gave a yawn as he made his way to you on the couch. He slid his body between your legs, resting his head on your stomach. His arms wrapped around your waist, squeezing you gently. You sat your tea on the coffee table and your free hands dove into his tangled, soft brown hair. You ran your fingers from his temple out to the end of the strands, making him sigh and relax deeper into you.

"Hmmm. That feels fantastic, love."

He moved a hand to your hip, lifting your shirt slightly, and traced small circles over your exposed skin with his calloused fingertips. The sensation sent goosebumps to the surface of your skin and a tingle between your legs. He lifted his head to look up at you, his eyes fluttering, making your heart pound.

"You're so beautiful,” he breathed, before lifting your shirt higher, exposing your stomach. He placed soft kisses on you, making a trail to your hip where he dug his teeth in, making you jump and squeal. He sat up, putting his feet on the floor, and pulled you into his lap.

"Can I give my girl some loving?" He tugged at your shit anxiously, wanting to remove it completely. You could feel his length getting harder underneath you, and you couldn't help but grind yourself against him. He took that as your answer and swiftly removed your shirt, tossing it to the floor. He leaned into you, his hands on your ass, and took a nipple into his mouth. His warm tongue made slow strides over your pebbled flesh. Your hips moved faster over him, wanting more. His hands brought you to a halt as he held you in place. Lifting his head, he brought his mouth to your neck, leaving sloppy open mouthed kisses leading all the way up to your ear. He took your earlobe between his teeth and bit softly.

"Slow down baby. I'll give my girl what she needs. Don't I always take care of you?"

You whimpered, your fingers digging into his shoulders. You needed him. He had been on tour, and even though you went to a few shows and had a few hotel nights, it was nothing like having him home, making you scream his name to the heavens.

You calmed your breathing, wrapping your arms around his neck and moving your hips slowly over him.

"Yes, Jake. You always take care of me."

You could feel him smile against your neck.

"That's my girl. Now let me take my time. I want to spoil every inch of you."

He kissed the corner of your mouth, then stood up with you wrapped around him, sucking and nipping at your neck and chest as he carried you to the bedroom. He laid you on the bed with so much care that you felt like the most precious jewel in the world. He stood up and looked down at you with smokey, lust-filled eyes and his lips parted just-so. He shook his head softly and hummed.

"I can't believe you're mine."

Your heart skipped a beat. You still couldn't fathom that this beautiful rock god, who thousands of women wanted between their legs, had picked you. He was so enthralled with you. You were his weakness. He would move mountains for you if you asked. He was as in awe of you as you were of him. Maybe even more.

He slipped his sweatpants down his legs, kicking them to the side. His hard, soft pink cock sprung free, and you could have cum at the sight of him.

"Put a baby in me, Jake," you breathed, before you even knew you wanted to say it. His eyes widened, and you noticed his cock twitch at your words. He said nothing, slowly climbing on top of you. He placed a sloppy kiss on your lips, his tongue swiping over yours. As he pulled away, balancing on one arm next to your head, he slipped his free arm down to your sopping wet panties.

A smirk played on his lips as he started slow circles on your clit through the fabric.

"You want to have my baby?" he whispered, licking at your lips.

Your hips bucked into his hand as a shameful moan tumbled from your mouth. The thought of having his baby had you on fire. He pulled your panties to the side, teasing your entrance with his middle finger. He rubbed faster, tighter circles on your swollen clit as he leaned into your ear, his breath tickling you.

"You'd make such a good mommy," he whimpered, plunging his finger into you as punctuation.

Your hands flew to his exposed shoulders, digging your fingers into them. He pressed his forehead to yours as his eyes burned into you. His ring finger joined his middle one inside of you, curling into the spot he always seemed to find with ease.

"J-Jake. Plea-se," you panted out, feeling your orgasm building quickly.

"Cum for me," he demanded lovingly. “I want you to cum on my fingers. I want to watch you taste yourself on them."

Your eyes rolled back, and his words catapulted you over the edge. He groaned as your orgasm ran down his hand and wrist.

"Fuck. That's my girl." He fucked his fingers into you until you were squirming. Then he pulled them out, parting your lips with them. You wrapped your tongue around his fingers and sucked. Tasting yourself on his fingers made you pussy drip. He then pulled them out, lapping the remainder juices off himself.

He climbed off the bed, and jerked his head up at you. "Come here, baby."

Your legs shaking, you slowly made your way to him. He wrapped his arms around you, leaning in for a tender kiss. You hummed against his mouth and relaxed into him before he pulled away and smiled.

"I just wanted to be sweet before I fucked you like a slut."

Your eyes widened, and you felt your heartbeat between your legs. He pet your hair gingerly before digging his fingers into it, grabbing a fist full.

"Hands on the wall."

You moved towards the wall, his hand still firmly secured in your hair, and you did as he said. He pressed his chest flush against your back, and you could feel his cock throbbing on the small of your back. He released his grip on your hair and ran his hands down your sides, stopped to squeeze your ass, and then slid your panties down your legs, helping you step out of them.

He let out a moan as he reached between your legs, coaxing you to spread them further. His fingers slipped with ease though your folds.

"My girl is so wet for me."

You arched your back and stood on your toes, giving him a better angle. He halted his movement, and then his touch was gone altogether. You heard the soft creaking of the floorboards under his feet as he stepped away. You turned your head to look behind you and saw him just a few feet away. His eyes were burning into every inch of you, and his fist was pumping his cock at a steady rate. The fingers he used to tease your heat were in his mouth and you moaned at the sight.

He removed his fingers from his mouth with a pop, a small string of saliva connecting them to his lips. He walked closer to you, his hand still sliding over his length.

"You looked so sinful standing there, legs spread, begging to be fucked. So pornagrapic. I couldn't help but touch myself."

You felt a shap pain as he landing a cracking slap to your ass. He rubbed his hand softly over the red mark he had left, soothing the sting.

"Are you ready for my cock?"

You nodded vigorously with noticing how eager you were. He stood behind you, and you sighed when you felt his smooth warm tip tease at your entrance.

"Are you gonna take it like a good girl?" He pushed into you a little, letting out a shaky breath.

"Yes, sir,” you answered as your eyes screwed shut, fighting the urge to push onto his full length. He dug his fingers into your hips and slammed into you. Your face pressed into the wall as you screamed with delight, enjoying the feeling of fullness so quickly. He worked up a steady pace, grunting as he pounded you into the wall.

You lifted your head, wanting to turn to watch him. You were met with his hand pushing your face back into the wall.

"Did I say you could watch me?" he growled, digging his other hand deeper into your hip, making you cry out.

Your legs shook, and tears threatened to spill from your eyes. He was so deep, hitting your sweet spot over and over. You were so close to the edge; your moans and screams filled the room to capacity.

"Do it, baby. Cum for me. I can feel you almost there."

You felt the pressure come to a head as you clenched around him, your legs giving out on you. Jake quickly wrapped his arms around you, keeping you in place as he fucked into you at a slower pace. His mouth hungrily found your neck, sucking and biting as you came down from your high.

Once your breathing calmed, he turned you around to face him. Some hairs were sticking to his forehead with sweat, and his chest was glistening. You bit your lip, swallowing a moan. He picked you up and pushed your back against the wall.

"We're not done yet, honey. I still have to fuck a baby into you."

Your heart drummed so loud, you swore he could hear it. He gave you a devious grin as he cupped your ass, holding you up. You wrapped your legs around his waist, and he slid into your wetness at an excruciatingly slow pace. You grabbed fistfuls of his hair, pulling at the scalp until he hissed in pain.

You felt him bottom out, making you both cry out in unison.

"You're pussy feels so good squeezed around my cock. I don't think I'm gonna last long."

He rested his forehead on your shoulder, and a shiver ran down his spine, making his cock twitch inside of you. You lifted his chin so his fucked-out face was looking at you.

"Let me have your baby. Let me make you a daddy."

He let out a soft whine as he started pumping in and out of you. It didn't take long for him to build up his strength and pace. He fucked you hard and fast, his eyes never leaving yours. His face twisted, like it did when he was on stage fucking his gutair. You screamed his name, scratching your nails deep into his back. You could feel the bumps of raised skin you were creating.

"Open your mouth." He grunted through gritted teeth.

You did as he asked. Your mind so foggy with pleasure that you didn't question his intentions. He leaned in closer to you, sticking out his tongue and letting a stream of saliva drip onto yours. You gratefully swallowed him down as he bit your bottom lip. You felt the familiar pressure of your orgasm building quickly.

He looked down to the obscene image of him ramming in and out of you and whimpered. His eyes flicked up to yours, his lips pouty and swollen.

"I'm gonna cum, baby."

You nodded your head as it fell back on the wall.

"Please, Jakey. Fill me up. I want to feel it."

He gave you a few more hard thrusts before you felt his warmth paint your walls. The most beautiful moan escaped him, and you came crashing behind him.

As you both floated down from euphoria, he kissed your chin and moved you to the bed. He removed himself from you, going to the bathroom. He came back quickly with a warm washcloth to clean you up, letting out a soft laugh as he cleaned you.

"Oh honey, you're definitely pregnant. I've made a mess of you."

You laughed with him, scooting up the bed after he was finished. You both slid in under the covers, snuggling up to each other. His fingers sleepily stroked your stomach. You sighed into him as you felt the sandman sprinking you with sleep.

The last thing you remembered hearing was Jake whispering softly into the room.

"I hope it's a girl. I've always wanted a princess."

#greta van fleet #greta van smut #greta van fic #gvf #starcatcher #jake kiskza x reader #jake kiska fic #jake kiszka smut

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belle--ofthebrawl · 5 months

Note

I am so invested in your posts about Mountain and his pack of moms.

Does Mountain turn into a big kit whenever he visits them? Like a college kid who goes back home to his family during holidays.

- @ghouletteanon

(I did exactly two Google searches and these are the names for the previous drummers I found. I went with Terra over Gamma for obvious elemental reasons. I think there's three total? My inbox and DMs are open to any and all earth ghoul stans who know more than I do.)

Nothing terrible under the cut except the horror of knowing your parental figures have sex.

He knows Pebble's aware as soon as he sets foot into the deeper woods. The trees and mycelium networks are her eyes and ears, leaves rustling with wind-carried words to wherever she is. Not a single twig in this forest snaps without her knowing about it, which would give anyone else an incredible headache but Pebble seems to like it just fine.

And sure enough, he doesn't get but a yard or so before she appears. Sitting on an ancient log like she's been there the whole time waiting for him to pass by, even though he knew he'd been alone just moments ago.

She's all criss-crossed up from her arms to her legs, still as a statue as she watches him approach with his picnic basket. He doesn't say anything; he knows this routine well enough by now. Pebble can get odd, when left to her own devices for too long. The others are usually good at bringing her back to herself though.

Food helps too. Not the food she can scavenge from the forest like berries and mushrooms and prey animals eaten raw. Food that's been altered, baked, cooked. He lifts the cloth of the picnic basket and lets the warm smell of fresh bread waft out. Her nostrils flair and she stands up, quick as a wink. With one quick nod, she's off; darting through the undergrowth like a fox. It's on him to keep up, but he knows she'll come back for him if he lays behind too far. She'll get impatient but she'll always come back.

The path is different every time he visits. Some trick of Terra's to keep strangers out if they aren't guided in but he doesn't mind. He knows how much they value privacy and the time it takes to get to the destination is never too long. The undergrowth thins out, the trees grow further and further apart until they're in Ivy's garden with Ivy herself bending over to tug up a bundle of root vegetables. Pebble licks her fingertips as she walks over, delivering a loud and resounding smack to Ivy's rear end that Mountain glances away to avoid seeing barely in the nick of time.

"Pebble!" Ivy shouts, shooting up straight and cuffing the small menace in return. "Just once, a hello would be nice to hear instead of-"

"Hello." Mountain calls, walking between the rows to her with a wave. She turns around again and her happiness is so infectious that nearby plants immediately start flowering in response. Pebble takes the opportunity to dart into the little home that's been carved into the earth, set into the base of gentle slope covered in soft green grass.

"Mountain!" She cries, dropping her harvest into the dirt and leaping over the plants to catch him up in a bear hug. "Oh, I was just thinking about you! Terra was saying you were all back from tour, so of course we've been expecting you but honestly not so soon and-"

"Let that boy breathe." Comes a deeper voice from the doorway of the little home. Mountain straightens up automatically, brushing a few fly aways out of her face as Terra easily lopes over with her cane. She stops a few feet away, looks over him with a critical eye and he's acutely aware of every wrinkle and stain in his clothes, the way his right boot's come untied and how the flannel he has on now was definitely hers once upon a time.

"Suppose we'll have to take you as you are then." Terra says, a telling twinkle in her eye though her face remains firm. "What'd you bring us this time?"

"Harvest bread." He says, finally handing over the picnic basket. "Gooseberry and raspberry jam. Two kinds of cheese. Wine and whiskey and weed."

"Good stuff." Ivy says in approval.

"We'll see." Terra says. Then, "Pebble, don't you dare."

Pebble slinks out from behind Terra, hands raised in innocence even as her tail whips back. It's caught just in time by Terra's own tail, wrangled into submission as Mountain pretends to be thoroughly engrossed by his feet. He's not a prude, far from it but it just feels awkward to watch the ones who helped him with his first moments Topside be...like that.

"Welcome back." Terra says fondly after Pebble yanks her tail away and stomps off to set the table. Ivy picks up her vegetables again and goes to put her gardening tools away. "Tell us where you've been this whole time."

"All over." Mountain begins. And, like he always does, hits his head on the doorframe on the way in.

Some things never change.

#mountain ghoul #ficlet #i shoukd dig out that fic where mountain asks pebble for advice about his magic. she talks a little more in that one but not by much.#mostly lets mountain solve his own problems

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darthgloris · 7 months

Text

Our Padawan II

Pairing: Anakin Skywalker x fem!Jedi!reader

A/N: inspired by the last fic (and by my undying love of The Lion King), here comes the heartbreaking sequel! This actually started out as a scenario that I replay in my head when I'm bored and now I'm finally writing it down! Enjoy

Warnings: angst, family dynamic, platonic!Ahsoka x reader, heartbreak, sadness, death

Summary: The trio's next mission is on Anakin's home planet, Tatooine. In a moment of free time, Ahsoka is practicing her lightsaber skills on her own, while Y/N and Anakin spend some alone time together. The Padawan's training routine is interrupted by a Sith plot, and when her Masters run to rescue her again, something goes terribly wrong.

Song: Stampede - Hans Zimmer

Our Padawan // Our Padawan III

☆☆☆

"The mission is finally over," Y/N spoke, stretching her arms as she looked out at the sandy Tatooine landscape. "I'm way too tired to go back right now."

"Well, how about we take a break here?" Anakin suggested. "We could leave in a few hours."

"That sounds great," she grinned at her boyfriend, knowing exactly what he planned on doing. "Ahsoka, are you tired?"

"Nope." She quipped. Her energetic nature never seemed to falter.

Anakin chuckled, expecting the answer. "Then go practice. Maybe one day you'll actually beat me with a lightsaber."

"Show-off." Y/N muttered fondly, rolling her eyes with a small smile.

"All right." Ahsoka beamed, walking away.

"Don't wander too far away, Padawan." She called as the young girl turned around to leave.

"Okay. I'll see you guys later." She said and began to walk away.

"Hold on there, Snips. Aren't you forgetting something?" Anakin asked with a soft smile.

"Oh, yeah!" She exclaimed and ran back to hug him. He smiled down at her as she clutched onto his robes, chuckling softly.

Then she rushed over to Y/N, who was already sitting on a picnic towel. Ahsoka, who was now taller than her Master, rested her cheek on her head during the embrace.

"You run along now and go train." She smiled as the girl grabbed her lightsabers and walked away.

Anakin walked over to the towel and plopped down next to her. With a small grunt, he pulled Y/N onto his lap and laughed when she squeaked in surprise. She adjusted her position before pressing a few open-mouthed kisses to his lips. She looked into his big, blue eyes and smiled softly, her mind wandering as she lovingly traced his scar with her delicate fingertips.

"Hey," he said softly, diverting her attention back to his eyes. His sincere, sweet eyes. "She's going to be fine."

"I know. I just... can't seem to get it out of my head. I had never been so scared in my entire life." She replied sincerely.

"I get that. But she promised us she'd be careful. And I promised you a nice trip, so..." he said, pulling his hands off her waist to gesture at himself. "Here's the highlight of the day."

She laughed at his antics before giving him another kiss, this time sinking into him as they both slowly fell on the floor.

...

Ahsoka turned off her lightsabers with a huff, resting them on the ground before sitting down. She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead and sighed, resting under a tree's shade.

The Padawan frowned when she heard a rumbling coming from the distance.

The ground began to shake and a few pebbles moved, as she looked up to the cliffs, and a gigantic herd of Banthas descended into the gorge at a speed she thought impossible.

She gasped, her body nearly frozen by fear.

Before they could trample her, she stumbled onto her feet and ran away as fast as her legs could carry her, and whimpered in fear whenever they seemed to be close enough to step on her.

She almost tripped over her feet as the sand filled her airways, delaying her fight-or-flight response.

...

Y/N laid in Anakin's arms, her head on his bare chest as she heard the commotion. She sat up and gazed at the gorge in confusion. Anakin soon followed and, with a small huff, tried to see what was going on.

"What's happening down there?" Rex wondered out loud, approaching the couple.

"I have no idea." Anakin said.

R2-D2 beeped repeatedly. There's a stampede in the gorge. Ahsoka's down there.

The Jedi Masters immediately looked at each other in horror.

"Ahsoka!"

...

The girl's heavy breath mixed with whines of worry and small sobs of fear.

Once in a while she looked back to see how close they were, and every time it looked like they were closer and closer to trampling her dead.

She caught sight of a dying tree and immediately leapt on it, clutching onto the thickest branch as if her life depended on it.

Because it did.

...

Y/N never remembered running this fast, ever. Her heart thrummed with adrenaline as Anakin dropped his robes to the ground while he ran.

Rex rushed ahead and took as much care as possible to run through the cliffs without falling, looking out that gorge for the Padawan.

"Rex, help me!"

His ears perked up as he saw the young girl struggling to hold onto the tree, her grip faltering by the second. She tried to wrap her legs around the branch but failed almost every time, only succeeding in slipping off further. "Your Masters are on the way! Hold on!"

"Hurry!" She cried.

The Jedi ran over to a ridge and fearfully inspected the area. Rex came back and pointed to a spot further away, while they craned their necks to try to find her. "There, on that tree!"

Y/N gasped as she saw her Padawan on the verge of falling off. "Hold on, Ahsoka!"

The scream she got in reply was enough. She jumped off the ridge and onto a smaller one. Anakin grasped her arm and gave her a pleading look. She got on her tiptoes and kissed his lips quickly, letting out a small "I love you" before jumping in between the Banthas.

Anakin gasped and leaned over the ridge as much as he could, supervising his girlfriend's moves. "Rex, go back to the ship! Comm Obi-Wan and report the situation!"

"Yes, General Skywalker!"

He looked back to the scene as Y/N ran past the tree, where Ahsoka was hanging desperately, using every bit of strength she had left to not let go. She then turned on her heels and, between the rumbling and the sandy clouds rapidly forming, went back in the direction of a tree.

She tripped on a small rock and dropped to the ground with a groan, then shook her head and looked up as a Bantha broke the tree, sending the girl into the air with a scream. She gasped and jumped to catch her in her arms, holding onto her tightly as she tried to beeline back to safety. She bumped into another Bantha and fell to the ground, dropping Ahsoka.

The Padawan opened her eyes and whimpered as she tried to avoid the running animals, moving and flinching whenever one ran past her. She looked back and caught sight of Y/N and felt something grab her as she closed her eyes, wishing it could all go away.

The Jedi Master avoided the Banthas and with a few hops, grabbed onto the ridge with one arm and set Ahsoka down next to Anakin with the other. She began to sigh with relief, when suddenly she was pulled back into the stampede.

"Y/N!"

"Master!"

Their fearful eyes combed through the herd, looking for their companion amidst the chaos. As after a few second passed and nothing happened, Anakin began to tremble at the thought of having lost her, while Ahsoka's eyes desperately scoured the zone.

A flash of off-white robes sprung out from the clouds of sand and grasped onto the rocky cliffs, now too tired to use the Force, and used whatever small ledge possible to climb up. Anakin felt himself relax almost entirely as he held his Padawan protectively in his arms, relieved that it was almost over.

"Come on, Snips, let's go help her up." He said and hopped on the bigger rocks, Ahsoka following suit.

With a tired grunt, Y/N clutched onto whatever rock she could, now grasping onto the edge of the precipice; her feet began to slip as she looked for any room to lean on and climb up. As a shadow approached, she looked up in relief, hoping to see Anakin.

"Dooku?" She panted, outraged. "This was- mphh - you..."

The Sith didn't answer, just stepped on her fingers, making her groan in pain. "Chancellor Palpatine sends his regards." He kicked her hands off the edge.

She screamed out as she fell through thin air.

"NO!"

#star wars #star wars x reader #anakin skywalker #anakin skywalker x reader #star wars anakin #ahsoka tano x reader #ahsoka tano #tcw ahsoka #tcw anakin #star wars the clone wars

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uniltsatirey · 1 year

Text

In the Canopy

Pairing: Lo’ak x reader || Lo’ak x Na’vi Reader

Warnings: unedited, a bit rushed, probably ooc, Jake being weird 🫠

Summary: The day Jake thinks he’s finally caught Lo’ak in the middle of doing something stupid

Notes: this was much longer but bc tumblr deleted it, I cut down a lot of details I remember putting in so it can actually be a drabble and not a 2k+ fic… I’m sorry! 💗💫

To say that his son was a troublemaker was beyond accurate in his opinion, it was like constantly having to have eyes on the back of his head. He swore he could catch a pebble being thrown his way at this point with how much he’s had to pay attention since Lo’ak was able to run around. He loved his son all the same, but everyone knew Jake needed a rest before he aged another ten years in one.

So being told to see what Lo’ak was going out to do everyday before last meal wasn’t his idea of fun at the end of his day, leaving him annoyed as he silently follows behind his son. He was intent to just follow him and watch what he does, unwilling to put in more effort than he may actually need to use.

The canopy was thriving was syaksyuk, chirps and trills to every side both quiet and loud. Jake could hear yerik beneath him on the jungle floor, but he was eyes on Lo’ak— climbing to the upper reaches of the canopy. Jake had no idea why he was going to far up, until he began picking utumauti.

“Are you really out here to pick fruit..?” Jake mouths under his breath, relaxing back as he inhaled— the smell of a now busted fruit filling his nose, Lo’ak tossing the fruit down to the jungle floor for an animal to eat on.

It felt like a large waste of Jake’s time to sit and watch Lo’ak pick a small basket of utumauti and berries, even some mushrooms as he walked back. However when Lo’ak suddenly turned right, Jake caught back up.

Where was he going now? The tree was the other direction,

“I knew I seen something…”

Jake couldn’t see at all, not enough to see what his son was digging out of the river’s edge. He watched silently as Lo’ak eventually pulled up a washed off stone, purple and green fading together softly in almost muted tones.

Jake almost didn’t believe his own eyes.

Was Lo’ak really just out here gathering stuff?? For no reason? At least, no reason he could think of.

“This is perfect…”

He hum was quiet and excited, making jake bite his tongue. He was excited so maybe he’s just not gotten up to the trouble part yet. Jake swore Lo’ak was up to no good, he just hadn’t done it yet. Jake’s muscles were stiff by the time Lo’ak wandered off from the river, now with five stones in hand in varying color shades. He also held a black and blue flower in his hand, twirling it as he walked.

“Paskalin,”

His brows could raise no higher as his son spoke, the endearment leaving Jake to eye to young Na’vi girl his son was now sitting beside in a tree, facing the hometree but out of sight.

“Lo’ak? You said you were busy,” the girl smiles, hugging Lo’ak from the side.

“Mm, I made time for you… eat.”

Lo’ak was smiling, staring down as she began to eat the fruit. Jake didn’t believe it. He really felt like this wasn’t all of it. Like it was a pit stop on the way to cause trouble.

There was no way Lo’ak did all that just for her?

Except as Jake continued to bide his time, hidden in foliage and complaining in his head about stiff muscles and wasted time, he began to realize the longer the two teens talked that maybe… just maybe,

This time, it’s just Lo’ak.

“Thank you, Lo’ak…”

“For what, paskalin?”

“Going into the canopy for me, for fruit. I was telling you the other day I love utumauti.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s no big deal… I don’t mind getting you fruit, have to keep you as sweet as berries.”

“Lo’ak!”

#GhostieWrites🫡#avatar #jake sully #avatar x reader #avatar the way of water #avatar fanfiction #james cameron avatar #loak fluff #loak sully #loak x reader #lo’ak fanfiction #Lo’ak drabble #Lo’ak x Na’vi reader #Lo’ak x fem reader

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okminer07 · 4 months

Text

Slave to the Light Pt1

A Baldur's Gate Fanfiction

Keep moving forward, just keep moving forward. Over and over, she repeated that same phrase over and over in her head. She couldn't stop, she wouldn't stop. No, she didn't want to think what would happen if she stopped now, or worse, if she turned back. So, Lorelai kept moving forward, tripping over roots, kicking up pebbles, and weaving through the long shoots of grass.

Her throat felt like it was coated with sand, every breath was beginning to hurt. She could feel her feet aching, having become numb to the cold and the constant abuse they were being put through as she made her way bare foot through the forest.

Just... just keep moving she pleaded to her body.

Just a little further... just

She sucked in a great breath of air, cool and crisp. It felt so good, so good to breath fresh air. So much of her wanted to stop, to breath it again and again, to enjoy the feeling.

No, just keep going she berated herself.

Don't stop... don't... don't....

She stopped. Not because her body wanted her to, she had already won that argument several times. No, she all but froze when up ahead she spotted light. Her fingers twitched anxiously as she slowly moved a few inches closer. With the little faith that she had, she pleaded with the gods that it wasn't what she thought it was, that it wasn't-

"Hey! give that back asshole!" bellowed a voice.

Lorelai jumped, clamping a hand over her mouth. Her feet began to inch away as the voice continued to argue loudly.

"And why should I?"

Damnit! damn it all! why, of all things why did she have to stumble across a big folk camp. She let a small whimper of frustration, running her hands through her tangled raven hair.

What was she supposed to do now? both options laid in front of her filled her with dread.

"You don't even need it!"

Lorelai groaned, staying put wasn't an option either. Sooner or later, an animal would come across her bloodied scent, and she shivered at the thought of what would happen then.

Begrudgingly, she could only think of one way forward: to go around the camp and get some distance between her and it quickly. Though she wasn't sure she would be able to do anything fast in her current state.

She inched forward, peering around the towering trees, trying to gauge where to go. This would have been so much easier if she could just make herself invisible, then her only worry would be to stay silent. As she slowly got closer, the arguing voices got louder.

"What? so I can't simply indulge myself?"

"But that's the last one! and I'm starving!"

Maybe this was a blessing. the two seemed very preoccupied so maybe this was a sign that this was her opening to sneak past. She began to quicken her pace, keeping her path heading northwest. Through the tree line, she caught glimpses of the big folk's camp. It was a rather large one, she could make out the outline of several tents and a large campfire. She shook her head. Stop, who cared what it looked like? what mattered was leaving it behind.

"Just hand it over Astarion. We all know you only want it because she wants it".

Great, another voice, and this one was trying to deescalate the argument that had been acting as a distraction. She began to move a bit faster, still taking great lengths to be as silent as possible.

There was a loud scoff, "Fine, now why don't you all leave me alone while I go look for a proper meal."

Lorelai slowed as the camp went silent. She ever so meticulous maneuvered her way over and around roots and twigs when something happened that nearly made her heart stop.

The ground beneath her feet quivered and she could hear a great deal of rustling. She began to back away. The quaking continued, only getting more violent and louder by the second. Someone was coming. One of the big folks was making its way closer to her.

Panic now seeping back into her, she whipped her head around feverishly, every second the footsteps getting closer and louder. She let out a low whimper as she desperately looked for somewhere, anywhere that would conceal her.

Just when the being could only be a few feet away, Lorelai's eyes fell upon the roots of the nearest tree. They were decorated with webs and decaying moss, but she didn't care. She sprinted towards them, moving quickly to bury herself deeply within them. The approaching footsteps caused little bits of dirt to fall from above her and pepper her hair and face. Then, they stopped.

She dared to poke her head out from behind a root, the sight of two huge dark leather boots making her instantly duck back into hiding.

Please, oh please, please go away she pleaded.

Whoever stood mere feet away from her began to sniff the air, like some sort of animal.

Lorelai clasped a hand over her mouth as she heard a satisfied exhale. Her heart began to pound loudly in her ears, her body trembled with anticipation.

go away, just go away!

There was a thud that made Lorelai pounce where she sat. She wanted to let out a yelp, but she knew that would instantly reveal her.

For what felt like an eternity, there was an unnerving silence. She couldn't even hear any breathing other than her own.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.

Long, pale fingers, maybe even paler than her own, began to snake their way closer. She sucked in a breath and pressed herself against the dirt and root wall, pleading that she would sink right into it and away from the approaching hand.

When one touched her ankle, she couldn't help but scream as the rest quickly ensnared around her legs and began dragging her out into the open.

She kicked and clawed at both the fingers and the ground, trying to get away, but to no avail.

"I knew I smelled something peculiar".

Lorelai froze at the ice laced voice. Before she could stop herself, she turned her head upwards.

She felt a scream lodge itself in her throat as her eyes met two huge red ones. She had only heard tales and stories about humanoids who had red eyes, scary stories meant to keep children well behaved, but she never thought that such a creature was real. She believed vampires to be nothing more than a scary story.

It seemed she was wrong.

The creature that used to haunt her nightmares as a child now had her pinned against the ground and was staring at her with a hungry glint in its eyes.

She watched as its lips parted to reveal two fangs and it began to speak once again.

"Although, you look a bit odd for a pixie. if that is what you are".

Lorelai began to struggle beneath the pressure of the fingers holding her down, releasing desperate whimpers.

"Suppose it doesn't matter, I'm sure you'll taste just as such".

Her eyes became so wide she feared they would tumble out of her skull. Her heart threatened to burst right out of her rest as the fingers grasped around her legs once again and began to lift her off the ground at an almost purposeful slowness.

No, no,no,no,no.no No! As she dangled upside down, she felt all hope leaving her. She watched as the ground began to shrink away and began begging for it all to hurry up and be over.

She felt something slide within her pocket and something reignited itself within her. She wasn't going to die, not today, not if she could help it.

Lorelai plunged her hand into her pocket and withdrew a small but sharp shard of glass. Without a second thought, she heaved herself upwards, towards the log-like fingers, and plunged the point as deep into the vampire's icy flesh as she could.

#bg3 #g/t #male giant #bg3 gt #Pixie #giant/tiny #gt writing #gt fandom

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minejungwoo · 2 years

Text

It's romantic - Eddie Munson

Summary: During a romantic gesture, Eddie gets caught red-handed by your parents | fluff

Paring: Eddie Munson x fem!reader

Word count: 1.2 K

Warning: Just bad writing and grammar mistakes ( I wrote this in 30 minutes, english is not my first language and it's 2 am here, so yeah. A LOT of mistakes. Sorey about that)

Author's note: I took one for the team and decided to write something about this post I made. This just couldn't get out my head! It's been more than 2 years since I wrote something, but this is just a try out. Hope you guys enjoy.

♡ ♡

It was past your curfew when you heard the noise of pebbles against glass. You were already tucked in your cozy and warm bed, but coudn't help the smirk that appeared in your lips. You pushed away the blankets despite the cold and ran to open the window. The moment you peeked your head outside your house you couldnt help a teasing grin as you stared at your boyfriend with his arms wide open looking at you from below and kneeling dramaticaly on the snow.

"Juliet oh Juliet! Throw your hair so I can climb my way to your heart!"

You couldn't help laughing at the anticts of the brown haired man.

"That's Rapunzel, Eddie! And what are you doing here!? It's freezing!!"

He stood up and shook the snow from his jeans with the charming smile you loved and approached the tree by your window that looked almost dead during the winter.

"I couldn't sleep. Needed you warming my bed. Thought would save us sometime if I came over."

He said rubbing his hands against each other and bringing them closer to his mouth to blow some hot air in them to warm them up. You shook your head at his lack of proper clothes, his signature leather jacket couldn't keep him warm enough in this cold. He held to the stalk already lifting a leg like he always did.

"Stop! You can't climb in!" You whisper shouted at him crossing your arms over your chest to protect you from the weather. He looked up at you with those big brown eyes and you noticed a small pout form on his lips.

"Why not?"

"The tree is slippery, you can get hurt, my love. Come through-"

"None of that. I'm the master of climbing this tree. Remember all of the times it helped us build our love story. We have history with this tree, it won't betray me now." You rolled your eyes as he started to climb it, you could tell it was hurting his hand because of how cold it was.

"Eddie, come one... I can-"

"Shhh! Your parents are gonna hear you." You shook your head as he got stuck on a particular hard part to climb.

"They are not-..."

"Shhh!"

At that you both saw a car pulling up to the garage, right in front of the tree Eddie was climbing. He froze in place and looked down at the car and up at you again with wide eyes.

"-... at home."

You two watched your parents leave the car. Eddie rested his forehead against forearm to hide his face, as if that would avoid them to see him trying to sneak in their daughter's room. There was nothing else he could do to get out of that situation, if he tried to run back to his van he would certainly be seen and if he decided to rush to you he would definitely fall.

"Hey! Son, what the fuck do you think you are doing?" Your dad's voice sounded from beneath him and he could hear your mom's hells clicking closer to him. He sighed and lifted his head to finally face your parents.

"Good evening, Mrs. and Mr. Y/l/n! What a beautiful night, no? What are you doing this time of the night out of your bed and all dolled up, uhm? Some important event you were attending?" Eddie noticed the tux and the elegant dress on your parents and decided to try to avoid the inevitable conversation.

"We were at the company's gala." Your dad answered wraping his arm around your mom as if to warm her as they stared at the metal head and then you. "And I was hoping to get to the warmth of my house as fast as possible, but I see there's a boy hanging from our tree."

"Well, you know..." Eddie looked at you with a pleading look but you shook your head saying that there was noting you could do.

"Son, come down. How many times do we need to tell you to just use the door? It is there for a reason!"

You snorted back a laughter when you heard the soft "Walking through the door isn't very romantic" your boyfriend let out as he did what your dad told and got down to the safety of the floor.

But the moment he felt your mom's arms wrap around him when he first stepped into your house and when your dad patted his back saying "I'm glad to finally meet the guy my daughter won't shut up about" with a genuine smile he realised he was wrong.

You see, Eddie Munson used to despite every single adult in this town, except of course for his uncle. He knew every single one of them held the same prejudice the kids at school had against him. Small town, even smaller minds. That's why he never bothered to listen to what any of them said, their words didn't matter to him.But your parent's didnt apply to that rule.

When you started dating, he found out you were extremely close to your family and he realised that their opinion mattered the world to you. So, when you said you wanted him to come over to dinner to meet them, he was already preparing himself for when you would dump him. There was no way your rich, important parents would allow their daughter to go out with the city's freak.

He never felt more welcomed like he was in the Y/L/N's house. They looked at him without any prejudice our judment and treated him for who he really was. And despite all the money, they were still humble and down to earth, much more than a lot of the other residents of Hawkins. He could see where you got your kindness and grace.

He fell really loved and appreciated by them, even more when they said the doors were always opened for him even if you weren't home. That would lead to bounding time between him and your dad over a can of beer while they talked about cars or whatever. And also bounding time with your mom that loved to talk about music, although her taste was a bit more classic, they would share their love for playing instruments.

And because of that he couldn't go against what they asked. So he climbed down the tree and soon was being rushed inside the house by your mom that rubbed his arm as if trying to warm him.

"Why show up in the coldest night of the year?! And what is it with you and climbing trees?!" Your mom was fussing around him as she walked around the kitchen to prepare a warm drink for him.

You dad had a smirk on his face as he patted Eddie's back and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"He says it's romantic to climb the tree like Romeo." He laughed poking fun of your boyfriend as Eddie turned into a dark shade of red, lucky for him, you finally arrived with a big blanket to save him.

"Okay, now let my boyfriend go. He's been teased enough for trying to do something nice." You ran to him gently pushing your dad's arm off his shoulders. You threw the blanket around him and leaned on your toes to gently peck his cold lips. "I think it's really sweet." You whispered against them staring into his eyes as he opened a wide smile. He reached to wrap his arm around your waist to bring you closer and turned his head to look at your dad that watched the two of you with a smile.

"See? It's romantic."

Final notes: Thank you for reading!!!!!! Feedbacks and comments are really appreciated ❤️

#eddie x reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson #eddie munson scenarios #eddie stranger things #eddie imagine #eddie munson imagine

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anjelicawrites · 4 months

Note

Cringefail Throuple 💡

Billy gets very lonely when he’s not working and both Michael and Reader are in classes, so one weekend they take their lil puppy boyfriend to adopt a for real lil puppy to keep him company 🐶

SFW but still 18+ only under the cut

Warnings: brief mention of Billy's fear of driving, brief mention of dog fights.

Billy doesn't drive. He still has his license but doesn't own a car anymore. You and Michael know the reason and understand. (Michael, being the dickhead that he is, still can't get his head around why Billy isn't trying to force himself to drive; he keeps his mouth shut and is supportive, nonetheless, after you've threatened to stop sleeping with him, if he even thought about muttering a single word about the whole situation). Anyway, Billy doesn't drive, neither you, nor Michael own a car and hiring a taxi isn't an option, this makes the whole setup of your trip difficult, not impossible, after all, you and Michael are both geniuses, right? That's why you three are sitting on the bus, the eye mask you two have made Billy wear, discreetly covered by your old wraparound glasses.

"I can't believe you own those."

Billy hears Michael's voice coming from his left. You three are sitting on the back row seats of the bus, Billy in the middle, you two flanking him.

"It's called 'following fashion trends sometimes'. You should try it." "Goths don't follow fashion trends" "Says who? You can talk when you stop wearing grandpa trousers."

To anyone eavesdropping, this is two people that are bantering, maybe even fighting, to Billy it's his two dork lovers flirting: he knows the sex tonight is going to be a fight between you two for the upper hand, for his viewing pleasure. Not his fault this is yours and Michael's way of flirting!

You three risk missing your stop and have to rush to the exit, Billy almost stumbling on his feet, blindfolded as he is, and having to rely on you two for guidance.

"Promise me this is not some weird sex thing?" He asks, worried, when he realizes he can't hear the sounds of the city around himself anymore. "Your arse is only for our viewing pleasure." Michael murmurs in his ear, before slapping said arse. "Not now Michael!" You chide your supposedly 'genius' boyfriend. "There's no one around here." "Where's 'here'?" Billy has to ask, before you two start bickering again. "Near where we're supposed to go." You answer. "We're heading that way, it's not far."

With that, Billy can feel your hand and Michael's in his, gently guiding him to his left. The terrain under his feet is uneven, pebbles and bumps under the soles of his shoes, he can hear the wind rustling the leaves of trees he can't see: where the hell are you taking him? And why there's dogs barking all of a sudden?

"We've arrived."

Billy feels Michael's fingers on the stems, before he removes the glasses and the eye mask with a quick movement. Billy's eyes need a moment to adjust to the sudden influx of light, before his sight lands on the sign in front of him.

"Are you for real?" Comes out more chocked than expected.

He's talked with his psychologist about feeling lonely when you and Michael are in class or are studying at the library. Work helps, the small group of friends he's made since moving to Oxford is great but there are those afternoons when he feels the bite of loneliness. He's told his psychologist that he knows he should be able to deal with feeling lonely, and that's when the suggestion of adopting a pet was made.

"It doesn't have to be a big commitment." His psychologist had said. "Whilst handling one's loneliness in a healthy way is paramount, one should follow what he's feeling. You used to have a dog, innit?"

He did, it was on the screen of his now exploded mobile phone and Billy misses having the dog around, the chat he had with him, even going on a walk with him under the snow is a treasured memory.

"If you want to."

Billy's eyes land on you. You're picking your fingers nervously as you wait for his answer.

"I do."

He surprises himself by saying it out loud, but he had toyed with the idea even since talking about it with his psychologist and never tried to act upon it. Now that he's in front of the dog shelter, he knows he should have come here sooner.

"Then let's go inside. It's a long way to Oxford." "You know Michael? You don't have to be such a pain in the arse all of the time!"

Before you two can start bickering again, Billy takes your hands and drags you two inside.

You and Michael had contacted the shelter before coming and had given all the information needed to the nice volunteer who is now accompany you three in the various areas.

Michael is busy keeping you and your squeals of happiness under control and you are busy sounding like a squeaky toy, to notice immediately that Billy has stopped in front of the door of a dog.

"What's his name?" Billy asks, already on his haunches to look at the dog better.

The animal staring at him has some mutt in him and a part of his ear is missing, on top of the scars visible. The rich chocolate of his eyes hides a world of sadness Billy sometimes can see in his own.

"He is Tornado." The volunteer walks back and sits next to Billy. "He is one of our older residents. He was part of a fighting ring and was in terrible conditions when he came to us. We had to work with him and now he's the sweetest guy you could ever ask for!" She adds, hastily. "I'm taking him home. He's the one." Billy says, eyes locked with the dog in front of him. "He's up for adoption, right?"

It takes a while to finish the paperwork and Billy is vibrating in his own skin, as much as Tornado is, when he sees the leash in Billy's hand. The dog doesn't jump on him, but is wagging his tail furiously, you all are afraid he's going to harm himself and is moving so much Billy has to try a couple of times, before he can manage to leash him properly.

You three don't wait for the bus, Tornado, as well behaved as he is, wants to walk and is busy sniffing you three and and every bush on the road.

"A puppy for our puppy boyfriend. Are you happy?" Michael asks. "I am."

The sun is slowly setting, you're busy taking pictures of Tornado like he's some kind of supermodel and Billy's heart feels like its going to bursts from joy: him and Tornado are going to be the best team in town! Little he knows the dog is going to become the pub resident mascot, getting all the love and pets from each patron, like the good boy that he is.

Cringefail throuple taglist: @fan-goddess

#cringefail throuple #billy washington x reader x michael gavey #billy washington x y/n x michael gavey #michael gavey x reader #michael gavey x y/n #billy washington x reader #billy washington x y/n #michael gavey #billy washington

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1poda · 7 months

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She Hates Pirates! Pt.8

Alba stood before a rocky mountain and held the map before her sight to double check "This is it... there's gotta be a hidden entrance somewhere" The Explorer held a hand to her chin in thought, seemingly not noticing the band of men who surrounded her, holding their weapons and grinning for a fight they picked the perfect moment for… or so they thought.

"I suppose.... I'll have to beat it outta one of you guys" she turned to the wide-eyed ambush with a blank stare.

The Capitan and his teammates forced their way through tangled bushes and mean vines, Zorro bubbled and hissed before unsheathing one of his unreplaceable blades to attack the grabby vegetation around them "How much longer do we have to stay in this hell jungle?" he groaned, earning a side glance from the straw hat chef who stood behind him.

"We'll stay as long as it takes, I'm not leaving without Alba by my side" Sanji gazed into the sunset dramatically with a cigarette pinched between his fingers. The pair to busy grumbling at each other to notice Luffy as he forced a boulder out of the way with an angry strength, with his lips upturned childishly the pirate let out a huff.

Kicking a small pebble the monkey boy continued to shuffle his way through the thick forest "Dumb Alba, leaving me behind... didn't even wait for breakfast..." he kicked another stone "Dummy...!"

At his grumbling the bright-haired pair glanced at each other as they followed his footsteps wordlessly, all appearing fine until the island shook gravely, the trees almost coming uprooted from the force while crumbling rocks fell from a nearby mountain. The shaking rocking of the island grew more violent as smoke began to build from the mouth of the elevated peek, shooting out in a group of ash before the breeze above swirled its dancing fumes in a threatening spin around the exit.

"No way!" Luffy giggled at the sudden reveal as his men yelled at the development "First Marines and now this?! Just what the hell is wrong with this island!" the swordsman flailed around as the trembles eased, the back of his red striped shirt was grabbed by Sanji.

The chef kicked himself to safety with an angry sword fighter in hand while their giggling Capitan swung from branch to branch, seemingly filled with a new sense of life since the white-haired 'Explorer' left him behind.

"You really think a girl like that is making this much racket?"

Sanji let out a grunt as he dodged a particularly large and dangerous boulder, taking a moment to think about the kind of people Luffy seemed to keep around him, beautiful girls or not, everyone touched by the friendship of their Capitan would be strange one way or another.

"Guess we can't rule out anything at this point" Sanji mumbled as he followed the bouncing rubber man.

Alba huffed and puffed inside the cave she had bullied her way through, the entrance crumbling at her epic arrival while piles of men littered the hideout, her fists trembled at the sight of four larger fighters standing before her. Each with their own nasty grin and weapon. Large guns filled the back of one big body while his friend- who allowed his large sword to hang from the left side of his hip- leaned on a shoulder, careful not to add pressure on his countless grenades.

The third fighter stood on the other side of the Marine he followed, a large cement hammer was held in one hand easily while the other gripped a huge shield that could easily cover the prepared men, awaiting any sign of danger or violence.

The largest of them all laughed at the state of his men, all beaten and bruised yet still groaning from the pain. His fat lips circled into a nearly toothless grin as he took a handful of stomps forward "Nice job you did here, lill fish"

Alba's eyes widened at the nickname and a glow quickly snapped through the darkness of the cave. Her skin grew a pale light which expelled every shadow from the cave, as the furious Alba grew brighter the largest of the group chuckled and pointed a finger to the roof of their hideaway.

"I wouldn't go and do that now- after all... one more little explosion from you and this whole island sinks" the marine chuckled as her wide stare trickled to the space behind the evil doers which had begun filling with steam and building heat. Following their seductive wisps of smoke her light dimmed as the Explorer realized why this was their chosen battleground.

Her knuckles popped at the strength of her gripping fists as her angry stare made one of the lackeys glance at his friend, wondering if fighting her in a place like this was really a good idea. What if she, like their Captain, had some sort of unfinished death wish.

#monkey d. luffy #roronoa zoro #robin #one piece fandom #franky #ussop #hes gonna be the king of the pirates!#brook one piece #nami #tony tony chopper #luffy x oc #straw hat luffy #one piece #monkey d luffy x reader

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qdbs-writes · 2 years

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Hello, I just found your blog and would like to request Kung Lao, Lui Kang, Kenshi, and Smoke x reader, separate. Basically S/O can speak to and command plantation, telling how fast and big to grown or to decrease in size, and S/O cleared out an area and surrounds it in flowers and vines just for them. Please.

sorry i forgot this was in my drafts for ages x

MK Lads React To S/O Making A Garden For Them

Kung Lao

when he hears about your powers, he asks you to grow a bunch of eggplants and make them huge. he then spends the next 5 minutes breathlessly making dick jokes in between gasps of laughter

when he eventually calms down you find out that he actually quite likes cacti and succulents

he likes to join in on whatever you're doing so he helps plant the garden you make for him by taking leaves off of the initial succulent so they can be planted to make more succulents

Liu Kang

you decided to convert an abandoned zen garden in the Shaolin temple into a green space for Liu Kang, in order to test your powers on plants that grow on pebbles or sand

i can see Liu Kang preferring small round plants, so you focus on things like cistus shrubs, verbena bonariensis, and some stipa for height and movement

you leave a small empty patch in the centre so Liu Kang can still use the area to mediate, he loves the small pops of colour your plants bring in the summer

Kenshi

because he's blind, the visual aesthetic of the garden isn't a priority

instead, you focus on plants that stimulate his other senses, like aromatic basil and mint, soft clover patches, and a willow tree that he can sit under and get some shade

he's grateful you took the time to make him something so personal even if his job means that he can't spend much time there

Smoke (Tomas Vrbada)

he's worried that the smoke his body emits will damage any plants you try and grow for him, so you decide to use plants that help improve air quality

so things like areca palm, philodendron, dracaena, and peace lily, which are all able to absorb and breakdown harmful chemicals in the air

these plants can also be kept indoors with pots, so Tomas can feel a little less guilty about polluting inside spaces

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat headcanons #mortal kombat imagine #mortal kombat x reader #mk x reader #kung lao #kung lao x reader #liu kang #liu kang x reader #kenshi #kenshi x reader #mortal kombat smoke #tomas vrbada #tomas vrbada x reader #qdbs writing

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elhuei · 9 months

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Writer Q&A | Tag Game

Thank you to @mthollowell-writes for tagging me! 💞You can find their original post here! :)

1) What motivates you to write?

(Stories are like ghosts that haunt my thoughts and writing is the only way to exorcize them) I'm motivated to write the kind of books I want to read + the sort of characters I want to read! Not enough black lesbian girlies in fiction so I gotta do my part by releasing them into the wild 💅🏾

2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

I'll share the first few paragraphs from Little Infernos! Its old + I shared it before but it lives in my head rent free <3

Possession is an impossible skill to grasp. The doctor told her as much. “Think of yourself as a ghost,” he’d said, with a chuckle and a thin-lipped smile. Play pretend. A game to take her mind off the terror of stealing back her body from whatever’s taken it the night before. Remember, start small. The tips of a finger, a big toe, maybe even a whole pinky, if she was feeling so bold. Slip back in, one part at a time. This time, Dante is sprawled out in a bed of Ponderosa pine-needles. Bitter moss and loamy soil weighs down her tongue, pebbles rolling hard behind her throat. Aftertastes of pondweed and eelgrass. A ring of trees loom overhead, peaks fading into a dark and stainless sky. She moves her right index finger first, dragging in a breath of dirt and timberland air as she revels in the prick. Something small. Next is her left finger, then her pinky and middle. Soon, she is grabbing a fistful of earth and leaves and morels, propping herself up on empty arms. Another fight to push herself back into her body. The thin-lipped doctor says it’s sleep paralysis. Her father says it’s demons, the ones which drew her to Beau. Web M.D. also says sleep paralysis, so it must be true.

3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Hmm Dante from Little Infernos! She just like me fr (in an alternate universe where I'm a little freak who has little freak things happen to her.) Since I focus on my fantasy projects so much I don't often get to explore more contemporary characters. I love Dante because she's the kind of black girl we don't often see in media (shy, quiet, introverted, ✨feral✨) and I get to aspects of myself in her that I can't quite replicate in my fantasy wips.

4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

Worldbuilding! I love building out worlds for fantasy projects, and thinking about all the little intricacies that go into developing a fleshed out world. It's super time consuming, and if I don't reign myself in it can become a never-ending process, but it's so much fun regardless.

5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Hmm I think I'm fairly good at scene/setting descriptions! Ironically enough I do suffer from White Room Syndrome during first drafts because I tend to focus more on dialogue/character interactions, but during editing I think I do well setting scenes + making the worlds I'm writing about feel alive.

6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

I love how friendly and encouraging everyone is! We're all here to write our silly little stories and obsess over our silly little characters together :)

7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I used to use Scrivener to compile all my worldbuilding notes (personally I don't enjoy drafting in Scrivener lol) BUT I've recently started using Notion and I love it so much! Very easy to use and satisfies my urge to make all my notes ✨aesthetically pleasing✨ Its like having secret wip pages just for myself and I love it sm <3

8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I love the magic system I've built for A Killing of Kinfolk! Mayhaps one day I'll make a more in depth worldbuilding post but tldr; all living things have magic (Kin) within them, some people can wield Kin while others cannot. A person's magic (regardless if whether or not they can wield it) essentially works like antibodies, protecting from outside sources of magic. Casting/using magic on another person is always going to be a painful, invasive, and if prolonged, deadly process. This makes the most prominent use of Kin, healing magic (Mendwork) extremely difficult. Healers have to work slow and meticulously to ensure they exert enough Kin to heal their patients without too much pain or further harm. There are other schools of magic within AKOK (seedweaving, bonewielding and banework) but Mendwork is by far the most complex and interesting to me. I really liked the idea of a magic system that's actively hostile to its user—a healing magic that hurts just as much. Very fun <3

9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

READ! I feel like this is overused advice but I know all my worst writers block moments come when I haven't read anything in a while. I'm trying to be better about reading regularly and revisiting old favs when I get stuck to inspire me and remind me why I want to write.

10) Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

I'm continuously inspired by writers such as @coffeeandcalligraphy , @fluoresensitive , @yvesdot & @seasteading, and I have to shout out @aninkwellofnectar , and my beloved @harehearts for being such kind and supportive writeblr friends 💞

I'll no pressure tag: @cuntylittlesalmon , @serenanymph , @thepixiediaries , @meerawrites & @tragicbackstoryenjoyer + anyone who'd like to join in!

#tag games.#q&a tag #writeblr #writers on tumblr #wip: little infernos #wip: akok

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miu-senpaii · 9 months

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Late Bloomer | Shane x reader- Chapter 1: Life is a Series of Paths

Life.

You absentmindedly pondered about life as you watched the scenery outside the window change from a familiar dull, gray blur into green pastures and clear skies. The road ahead seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon, and the low hum of the bus tires rolling across the pavement brought you a rare moment of serenity.

What is life? What is the purpose of life? Is there even a point in trying to find a purpose?

Sometimes, you like to picture life as a series of paths and forks in a giant forest. The foliage seems to block your view of what lies ahead on each path. Thus, you can only blindly push forward and never look back. Some roads are harder to traverse than others; you might have to climb over rocky slopes, cut through vines, or pass through poison ivy. At times like these, some may choose to lie down in a clearing and stay there forever. After all, all the paths lead to the same destination...death, do they not? Why even try? Why does it matter if you never progress, if you miss out on the beautiful scenery that lies ahead on certain roads?

Your thoughts were interrupted when the bus slowed to a halt, and the doors opened with a slight creak. You hear the bus driver call to you, "Miss, you've arrived at Stardew Valley." You take a deep breath as you get up, grazing your hand over your pocket to check that your grandfather's letter is still securely tucked away. As you take your first steps into a new chapter of your life, you remind yourself that life is a series of paths, and you hope the path you chose is the right one this time.

When you step out of the bus, the first thing that hits you is the freshness of the air. It takes a moment for your lungs to adjust to consuming this much oxygen in each breath, a feeling entirely foreign to you due to spending most of your life in the city breathing in all the fumes and pollution. Next, you take in your surroundings. You see more shades of green around you than you've ever seen in your entire life. The trees stand tall and strong, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. The fragrance of flowers and grass fills your nose, and for the first time, you learn what the phrase "spring is in the air" truly means. Above, birds soar freely through the brilliant blue sky, and big, puffy clouds--real clouds, not ones coming from factories--float by idly. The entire scenery around you takes your breath away. It feels straight out of those paintings of perfect green pastures and blue, blue skies you would make as a kid.

While you admired the view with wide eyes like an excited child, you noticed a red-haired woman approaching you. You regain your composure and muster an awkward smile as the woman greets you, "Hello! You must be Y/N."

"I'm Robin, the local carpenter," she continued with a kind smile, "Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He's there right now, tidying things up for your arrival. The farm's right over here if you'll follow me."

She beckons for you to follow her, and you trail behind, listening to your soles crunching on small pebbles littered across the dirt path. You start to feel nervous doubts crawl into your mind. Were you even suited for farming when you had spent most of your days sitting at a desk for more than 8 hours a day slaving away for Joja Corporation? You couldn't even recall the last time you were able to properly work out or take care of your body since your soul was getting sucked out daily by Joja Corp and...him.

You shake your head in an attempt to suppress your bad memories. You decided to come here for a fresh start, something your beloved grandfather would've wanted you to do, and you couldn't give up just yet without trying for him.

After what feels like an eternity, Robin stops in her tracks and turns to face you, "This is Sunnyside farm."

Your negative thoughts resurface as soon as you lay eyes on the state of your grandfather's farm. Well, your farm now and sunny is certainly not one of the adjectives you would use to describe it. Your mouth visibly drops open in shock as you see the overgrown weeds in the yard, the twigs littered everywhere, and the generally poor state of the farm that looked like it had been abandoned for years--which was likely the reality. At that moment, you started wondering if it was too late to turn around and buy a ticket for the next bus back to Zuzu City and beg the devils overseeing Joja to take you back.

Your distress seemed evident to the woman standing beside you as Robin shoots you a concerned look, "What's the matter?"

You're still too shocked to answer, and Robin tries to reassure you with an optimistic expression, "Sure, it's a bit overgrown, but there's some good soil underneath that mess! With a little dedication, you'll have it cleaned up in no time."

"Of course...haha," you nod slowly, trying to convince yourself with your words.

Just then, a neatly dressed old man walks out of the cottage. He gives you a crinkly-eyed smile upon seeing your face and introduces himself, "Welcome, you must be the new farmer! I'm Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town."

You instinctively give a polite nod in greeting, not wanting to make a poor first impression on the mayor. Lewis studies you for a moment before continuing his speech with a chuckle, "You know, everyone's been asking about you. It's not every day that someone moves in. It's quite a big deal!"

You try to muster up as big of a smile as you can at the statement. Truthfully, the idea of being the center of attention has always made you quite uncomfortable. After all, it's way easier for your every mistake and flaw to be noticed when you're put under the spotlight. You were hoping that it would be easier to avoid other people in a smaller town, but you guessed you were wrong.

Thankfully, the mayor seems to change the topic, "So...you're moving into your grandfather's old cottage. It's a good house...very 'rustic.'"

Next to you, Robin lets out an amused laugh and voices out your exact thoughts, "Rustic? That's one way to put it...'crusty' might be a little more apt, though."

Lewis snaps his head around to face her with an offended expression, "Rude!"

Robin doesn't seem to mind as she giggles in response.

"Don't listen to her, Y/N. She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so you can buy one of her house upgrades," the mayor huffed.

The carpenter's eyes go wide for a moment before she turns her head away with a visible pout on her face and her arms crossed around her chest.

You look back and forth at their banter in awe. It was amazing how naturally they conversed and joked with one another, completely setting aside their differences in age and status. Back in the city, you hardly knew the neighbor you had lived next to for years in such close proximity. Everyone mindlessly went about their days, struggling to keep up with the corporate rat race. You guess this is what your grandpa meant by making connections with people in his letter.

Your train of thought was interrupted as the mayor turned his attention back to you, "Anyway...you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that."

You feel relieved that he brought that to your attention, as you just notice how sore your legs are from all the walking. You sighed internally. You were tired and hadn't even begun a day of farm work yet.

You bid Robin and Lewis goodbye and enter the cottage. Surprisingly, the interior is pretty well-kept and as cozy as you remember from your childhood memories of visiting the farm. The house had only one room, but you didn't mind. It was similar to the one-room apartments you lived in except a whole lot cheaper. The room had only the essentials: a bed, a fireplace, a table, a drawer, a TV, and...a fake potted plant in the corner.

You settle in and unpack what little things you brought with you in your backpack. After you finish, you sprawl out across the bed and stare at the ceiling.

The faint, musky scent of wood in the room causes you to reminisce about the time you spent with your grandfather, one of the few joyful memories you have from childhood. Despite how others treated you, your grandfather was the only one who never expected anything of you and loved you unconditionally. He would pull you away during the summers to escape from the constant studying you were forced to do at home and just let you be a kid for once. As you grew up, you were pushed further and further away from him, being told that you had to focus on your "future" and couldn't waste your time on something as unproductive as seeing your dying grandfather. You were devastated when he passed away. You had lost the one true light in your life, and you regret never getting the chance to keep him company in his last moments and return the love he had so selflessly gifted you.

Nevertheless, he left his farm, his life, in your hands, and you wouldn't let him down.

Before you get ahead of yourself, you need to rest. Tomorrow, you plan to wake up early to remove all the weeds in the yard and plow the soil. Then, you would go into town to buy some seeds and possibly introduce yourself to some residents. With your game plan in mind, you shut your eyes and start counting sheep.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...

...

...nine hundred thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine sheep

You pry open your eyes in frustration, the faintest hues of purple already appearing in the sky outside your window. Maybe you were so used to your f*cked-up sleep schedule that it has become physically impossible to fall asleep earlier than 2 a.m. You've tried every possible sleeping position by now and know there's only one solution to your sleepless night...

...alcohol.

You wouldn't consider yourself an alcoholic by any means. As a Joja Corp slave, it was reasonable enough to get a drink or two every time you were overworked and exhausted...which was basically every day. Okay, maybe you're not making a very good case for yourself here.

You trudge over to your drawer and throw on a black jacket with your favorite band back in high school printed on the back. One thing you know for sure is that no matter where you go, there's got to be some alcohol somewhere, and this town is no exception. You aren't sure if you have mentally prepared yourself to socialize with anyone in this town yet, but hey, since you winged this whole farming thing, you're sure you can wing that too.

You are met with the warm night air outside when you leave the cottage. You rarely get a chance to take night strolls like this in the city, so you take your time to admire the view of the stars that were usually blocked by light pollution. In the silence of the night, you can hear the chirping chorus of cicadas, small critters rustling in the bushes, and your own steady footsteps crunching on the ground. You're starting to see the appeal of farm life, how it allows you to slow down and really appreciate the small things around you in contrast to the constant hustle and bustle of the big city.

You wander around the town for a bit, searching for a place that sells alcohol before you hear lively chatter coming from a certain direction. You walk towards it and find yourself face to face with a giant sign reading "Stardrop Saloon" hanging in front of a brick building. Perfect.

As you enter the saloon, the chatter dies down a bit as you become hyper-aware of people's eyes on you. You know it's just harmless curiosity at a new face in town, but you feel your palms becoming sweaty and your pulse rising nonetheless. You quicken your footsteps to reach the bar across the room, avoiding eye contact by staring down at your shoes.

You approach the bar and notice a girl with short, bright blue hair (that reminds you of one of those K-pop boy band members) working behind the counter. When she sees you, she flashes you a bright smile and walks over to you.

"Hey, it's good to see you! You must be the new farmer, right? I'm Emily, I work here as a bartender at the Stardrop Saloon. What can I get for you?"

Right away, you could see that she was one of those genuinely friendly and positive people. You know that you should have more of those people in your life, but it still feels a bit overwhelming at times to face someone with a beaming smile when you yourself were so much more withdrawn and awkward at times. It only reminds you of your shortcomings, and perhaps this way of thinking is a reflection of your parents' influence on you.

"It's nice to meet you Emily, I'm Y/N. I just moved here but you know that already..." you stumbled awkwardly, realizing that you were a lot more socially inept than you previously imagined. To prevent any further embarrassment, you had to cut your introduction short.

"Uh...and could I have a beer, please?" you smiled sheepishly.

"Drinking on the first day, huh?" the bartender asks while cracking a teasing smile.

You feel your face grow hot, and before you can formulate a coherent explanation, Emily lets out a soft laugh and pats your shoulder in reassurance, "I'm just joking. I won't judge, don't worry."

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding as you watched her return to work. You let your eyes wander around the saloon to take mental notes of all the people here that you would most likely have to meet someday.

You recognize your bus driver, an older lady with curly auburn hair, drinking the night away on the other side of the bar.

Behind the counter, there is a man with a fairly large mustache chatting with the other customers, who you assume to be the owner of the establishment.

You spot an interesting trio of teenagers playing pool in the other room. On one end of the pool table, you see a kid with raven hair styled into an emo shag while adorning black from head to toe, reminding you of your high school days. The dark-haired kid keeps calm and cool, lining up the cue stick with sharp precision and never betraying a single emotion on his face throughout the game. On the other end is a blonde kid with his hair sticking up so straight it makes you wonder how many pounds of hair gel he uses when getting ready in the morning. Unlike his emo counterpart, he freely expresses whatever he is feeling, whining with every loss and pumping his fists in excitement whenever he sees a chance to beat his opponent. On the couch, a girl with long purple hair observes their game with an amused grin. All three of them look like they could be members of some kind of rock band, and you wonder if you could bond with them using what little knowledge you have left of the alternative rock bands you were crazy about in high school. The girl's eyes eventually trail over to yours, meeting your gaze with slightly furrowed brows as if asking, "what are you looking at?" and you immediately snap your head the other way.

You internally scold yourself for staring too long, probably seeming like a creep. Thankfully, Emily unknowingly saves you by handing you your beer. You take a shot and feel the warm, bitter liquid pouring down your throat. It takes a few more sips to feel a slight buzz course through your bloodstream.

As the night grows on, the saloon grows livelier, with more unfamiliar people pouring through the door. You had already met a few of the townspeople that came up to you tonight. There was a man named Clint who introduced himself as the town blacksmith, but you did notice that he was a bit distracted throughout your conversation as he kept stealing glances at the blue-haired bartender. Next, there was Pierre, the general store owner who offered to do business with you by purchasing your crops in exchange for buying his seeds. Robin had approached you accompanied by a man you assumed to be her husband. Finally, a beautiful woman named Leah tried to initiate small talk by asking why you decided to become a farmer. You gave a vague response of wanting some change in your life since you didn't quite know the reason yourself, but the woman seemed satisfied with your answer.

By the end, you had to admit that your social battery was draining out. Sitting in the middle of the bar, you start to feel overwhelmed as more patrons crowd around you, chatting away. Your eyes dart around the room, desperately in search of a quieter corner to continue your drinking.

That's when you spot him. Leaning up against the wall next to the fireplace is a man with side-swept purple hair and a bit of stubble on his chin. He has a short and burly stature and seems to be at least in his late twenties. His appearance is messy and unkept, likely due to exhaustion, as evident by the dark circles under his eyes. He wears a neon green and white jersey that you recognize as the Zuzu City Tunnelers uniform with a wrinkly, blue jacket on top that nearly makes you gag when you catch a glimpse of the ugly Joja logo plastered on it. Unlike the other residents of Pelican Town, he gives off a glum and unapproachable aura. Strangely, you feel drawn to the mysterious man and his dark nature, maybe because he reminds you of how you used to be.

You slowly approach him, and he meets your gaze with piercing, dark eyes that send a shiver down your spine. You hesitantly stand next to him and open your mouth to speak, "Hey, do you mind if I stand here? This area feels quieter..."

The man doesn't acknowledge your question and merely continues sipping his beer.

After a few moments of awkward silence and beer sipping, you work up the courage to introduce yourself to the man.

"Hey, I'm Y/N. I just moved into Pelican Town today. What's your na--"

The man bluntly cuts you off before you can even finish your sentence with a harsh voice, "I don't know you. Why are you even talking to me? Just f*ck off."

You look up in shock to see the man glaring at you with a deep scowl.

You know that look well. A look of disgust, disdain, and disappointment like they were looking at some pest crawling up their leg. A look that suddenly makes you feel so small and worthless, reminding you that you are nothing more than an insect to be crushed at people's feet.

You feel a familiar sensation creep up your spine, your body growing hot yet simultaneously breaking out in cold sweat. A wave of nausea washes over you, your stomach twists in fear, tears prickle at the corner of your eyes, breathing starts feeling more difficult, the hands you balled into fists start shaking uncontrollably, and a string of apologies are barely being held back at the tip of your tongue.

"No matter how hard you try, you'll never change," spat the voice inside your head, "you're too weak, scared, and worthless to take control of your life."

"A doormat. That's all you were and all you will be. A doormat for people to step all over, wipe all their dirt and grime on."

Growing up, you were frequently called too nice by your peers, the perfectly obedient daughter by your relatives, the perfectly compliant worker by your boss, and the perfectly submissive partner by your ex. The truth is you were a doormat, a coward. Someone too scared to say no. Too scared to let people down. Too scared to take control of your life, to choose your own happiness.

You've barely made a single decision of your own in all your years of living. First, you were controlled by your parents, then your boss, then your ex. Working hard to become a programmer was never your choice, giving up all your free time to work overtime at Joja was never your choice, and moving in with your ex just to be his personal maid while he went out partying was never your choice. Packing everything up to leave your life in the city was one of your first real instances of autonomy.

No, no, no. You were supposed to leave behind everything you despised, including the person you used to be. This was supposed to be a fresh start, but you feel your old self and your past trauma threatening to swallow you whole again.

You think about your grandfather. What he would've wanted you to do in this moment. He would've told you to stand your ground like the strong girl he knows you are.

You take a deep breath and face the man's glare head-on with defiance in your eyes. Your whole body shakes as you speak the words you have been waiting to say all these years.

"You don't get to speak to me like that," you say, voice steadily growing louder, "I was just introducing myself out of politeness. It's not like I'm thrilled to talk to you either. Even if you don't feel like talking, there's no need to be an a$$ about it."

The conversations around you die down as people turn their attention to the obvious air of tension between the two of you. An indiscernible emotion flickers across his eyes before the man trudges out of the saloon with a grunt.

Your shoulders relax, and you let out a sigh of relief. The relief you feel is short-lived, though, as it quickly turns into embarrassment after noticing all the eyes on you. You internally curse yourself for making a fool of yourself on your first day.

You feel a gentle hand on your shoulder, and you turn to see Emily offering you a soft smile.

"Sorry about that, that's Shane. He usually doesn't like to be bothered by anyone, so it's nothing personal," she gives you a thumbs up, "That was brave of you, though. I think it was something he needed to hear."

You finish your beer and pay the tab, quickly leaving the saloon. On your walk home, you try to sort out the mixed emotions in your chest. On one hand, you feel a bit shameful for causing a scene and killing the mood. On the other hand, you feel a tiny bit proud of yourself for not succumbing to your old habits.

"I did it, gramps," you whisper, gazing up at the twinkling night sky with a smile.

You had just taken a step closer to winning the battle against yourself.

A/N: Hello! I've been absolutely obsessed with Shane as of recent (I love my depressed chicken boi), so I decided to get off my butt and write fanfiction for once in my life. The reader is based off of some of my own traits and struggles in life. I hope she can resonate with some of you, and sorry to others anyone who doesn't like her character, she's less of an optimist and more on the gloomy side like Shane. I hope you all enjoy the story. Writing used to be one of my dreams, and it means a lot to me! :)

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