Seven stories about love and kisses; first kisses, long-awaited kisses, impulse kisses, premeditated kisses. Art by @friesian
We finish this up with yuri!!! This time around, a rowdy ghost wants to save a sweet damsel with a cross to bear. Hope y'all enjoyed this ockissweek, and see you next year with more.
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Freddy Lombardi wasn't what Madelyne would consider a serious man. Far from it; he seemed fun in between of bursts of horny ditzyness where nothing else mattered but getting under someone's pants. Now, however, under glitter eyeshadow, drag eyeliner wings, and a surprisingly subtle lip gloss considering the everything on display, he paced in front of her and Layncaster like a Seraph drill sergeant ready to bark at their faces, in a secluded balcony inside Minister Wi's estate.
If he even tried to shout, Madelyne would go ahead and bonk him with the hilt of her sword-vessel.
"This is not going according to plan," Freddy informed them, pondering his chin, playing with his perfectly trimmed, slightly glittery beard. "They're circling her like sharks. I don't know how much more I'll be able to deflect."
"I thought your mesmer magic could render you impervious to any attacks," Layncaster commented, muffled under his helmet.
Freddy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and stopping in front of Layncaster.
"Not what I meant, Laney. Besides, I'm too busy hiding your massive spicy wings from the congregation. You're very welcome, by the way."
"It's no problem?" Layncaster murmured, giving the floating bloodstone sword beside him a glance that Madelyne corresponded, metephorically of course.
"Maybe instead of bein' all pissy you could let us help?" she suggested. Freddy chuffed.
"What will you do?" Freddy looked at her up and down, from blade to hilt, in a way that Madelyne considered slightly insulting. "Throw yourself at them? Trip them with your blade?"
"Look—" Frustrated, Madelyne materialized in front of him; a ghastly presence of red and white, a bloodstone projection of her trapped ghost, undercut and all. "I want all them prissy noblemen to leave Lizzie alone as much as you do. There's gotta be more me and Laney can do that just… hang from your back, y'know?"
"It's a delicate operation, Maddie," Freddy pointed out, right back to pacing. "I cannot be too upfront, or Lizzie will have my hide. But if I don't do anything, one of those bachelors will. And I can't have that."
Maddie's gaze softened, pressing her lips together. She knew Elisa could try as she might to pretend she enjoyed the place of a noblewoman, establishing convenient alliances using herself as currency… but that wasn't her heart. Some stiff nobleman seeing her as nothing else but a children factory was no future for someone as smart, charming, talented and beautiful as her. So, so beautiful; with her thousands of freckles and her red head and her contagious smile and—
"Hey," she finally said, snapping out of it and stopping Freddy's pacing with an outstretched arm. "I know yer worried fer yer sister. I am, too, y'know. She knows this ain't her space, but she won't listen. She thinks she's doin' the right thing… fer you, y'know. Her family."
Freddy sighed, and finally his stoic facade plummeted like an old coat. His gaze turned tender as he glanced through the curtains that hid them from view, towards the golden lights streaming from inside the dance hall.
"She shouldn't have to worry about those things," Freddy murmured, pouting ever so slightly. "I should. Like an older brother should."
"I don't think it's anyone's responsibility to uphold a standard set by their progenitors," Layncaster softly said, shuffling inside his armor slightly. Madelyne pointed at him with a tiny Oh!
"What Laney said!" she said, palming Freddy's back a bit stronger than she intended, almost going clean through his chest in a ghostly demonstration. "Y'ain't supposed to play these stupid games!"
"But someone's gotta," Freddy murmured, arms crossed, still staring at the golden curtains. "The people are watching."
A cold breeze rustled through the gardens, where a couple walked away under the moonlight, arm in arm. Madelyne watched them go, her form fluttering and shifting in the growing darkness.
"Let me at'em."
"What?" Freddy said, whipping his head around towards her.
"What you heard!" Madelyne crossed her arms over her ample chest, puffing up ever so slightly. "You guys gotta play games and stuff. I ain't got no skin in the game. Just let me at'em! I can swat'em away like flies."
"Maddie," Freddy said, bitting his finger as he looked at her projection up and down. "No offense, but you're, like, clearly a ghost."
Madelyne hesitated, but puffed up even more, hands on her hips.
"So what! That'll give'em somethin' to talk about."
"I'm sorry, but Frederick is right," Layncaster intervened, still shuffling uncomfortably inside his armor and ignoring Freddy's pleas of just Freddy, please. "A bloodstone ghost won't make anyone any good. Especially regarding the Lombardi family's… unfortunate previousallegiances."
Madelyne huffed, but Layncaster proceeded without giving her a chance to retort.
"However," he said, rolling his shoulders and glancing at Freddy. "You can use illusion magic to alter one's appearance, Frederick. The way you're doing it with me."
"Aha!" Madelyne exclaimed, pointing at Freddy. However, her image distorted and shifted again — more pronounced this time.
Freddy pointed back at her.
"This form won't last!" he pointed out, to Madelyne's frustration. "Besides, it's different working with living bodies than with energy constructs. More complicated and volatile."
"…Then you could feed the bloodstone blade," Layncaster suggested, glancing briefly at the sword. Everyone present knew he wasn't keen on bloodstone at all. The situation was really dire. "That way, Lady Madelyne can use that power at her distretion."
"Just Maddie, fuck's sake," Madelyne grumbled, as Freddy pondered his chin once again with renewed interest.
"You might have a point, Laney," he said, regarding the blade from all angles. "I would have to drop the illusion on you and you'd have to miss the rest of the party, though."
"That's okay," Layncaster hurried to say, the rolling on his shoulders even more pronounced. "I can take my leave."
"This will take a lot from me… from us both," Freddy then said, earnestly staring Madelyne in the eye. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"
Madelyne nodded. For Lizzie, she'd do this and more. Wether she liked it or not.
"Blast me, magic man."
Back inside, bathed in the golden candlelight, Elisa Lombardi scrunched the skirt of her layered dress. She had seen Minister Grimmwalde reject Nicholas Winters, and how a very drunk Yolanda gave her glances like a hawk, waiting for her to make a move. Lord Faren also circled closer and closer after Baroness Jasmina decided to take her leave, and she didn't quite know who she'd be less willing to spend the rest of the evening with; a sad bachelor looking for a rebound, or a known womanizer who would leave her in the dust if Minister Merula blinked his way.
She tried to steady her breathing, fixing up her hairdo just a touch, and keeping an eye on her lipstick — a pale shade of pink, matching her dress and contrasting with the fiery red of her hair. Whatever would happen next, it would surely follow her for a while after in rumors and casual conversation. The least she could do was trying to have fun with it, even as she nervously swapped her weight from foot to foot, so uncomfortable in those high heels.
Trying to temper her nerves, Elisa took a sip of a fruity cocktail, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes closed. She could do this. She knew she could.
As soon as she opened them, however, her gaze met Faren's eyes from across the room. And even if she immediately glanced away, blushing oh-so softly, she caught his confident strides as he made way towards her.
"Lady Lombardi!" she greeted, and Elisa composed a convincing enough smile for him. "What a surprise. Those freckles look lovely on you!"
"Thank you, Lord Faren," she replied, with a tiny bow.
"Come on, Lis. May I call you Lis?" He didn't wait for her reply before kissing her hand. "Just Faren is okay."
Elisa just giggled and nodded, knowing full well noblemen loved a girl who just giggled and nodded. Faren's smile widened, confirming it.
"The gardens are lovely right now," he said, snaking closer. "It's the perfect time for a stroll and some alone time! We haven't chatted in so long—"
A commotion near the balcony made both Elisa and Faren whip their heads around. A very confused Minister Wi glanced over as some Ministry Guards attempted to detain someone, obscured in a sea of velvets and fancy armor. When the nobles cleared, however, Elisa gasped.
"I'm invited, I'm tellin' y'all!" a voice called, and that was all the confirmation Elisa needed.
"Maddie?!"
The guards parted, glancing over their shoulder towards Elisa, who stared at the inopportune guest with lips parted in shock. Madelyne seized the chance to shove a couple of guards with her shoulder, pointing at her.
"See? Them nobles know me! Now leave me alone!"
"Is this— um—" Minister Wi lowered his glasses, staring at the apparition of blood red hair, pale skin, and almost luminous eyes in front of him. Lady Wi stared from behind her husband, sharing a similar air of skepticism. "Is this lady your plus one, Lady Lombardi?"
Elisa sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Yes," she finally said with a sigh.
Minister Wi gave the order, and the guards took a step back in front of a very smug Madelyne, who simply strutted towards Elisa and Faren.
"Who is her?" Faren immediately asked. Elisa pretended she didn't hear him, hurrying to meet Madelyne in front of the appetizers.
"Maddie," she repeated, glancing around. Quickly everyone pretended not to be staring intently at them, thirsty for more gossip after Lord Harker's dramatic exit. "What are you doing— what are you even wearing?!"
"You like it?" Madelyne turned side to side, rolling up the sleeves of her equally blood red suit, crossing her generous arms over a black dress shirt straining over her breasts. "Freddy wanted a tie, but I told'im no monkey suits! and this is what we ended up with!"
Elisa shook her head, once again glancing around and stepping closer.
"What do you think you're doing, Maddie?"
"Rescuin' you from Lord Creepy Toucher's creepy hands!" she said, a cocky grin adorning her newly lively features.
"Did Freddy send you?"
Madelyne's smile waned just a tiny bit.
"He ain't no boss of me!" she said with a nod. "I came here cuz I wanted to. After he was all pouty and worried 'bout you."
Elisa's expression softened somewhat, and a twinge of sadness snuck inside those pretty purple eyes of hers right in front of Madelyne's perplexed gaze.
"I know you guys have good intentions," she said, rubbing her arm nervously. "But this is a good chance to mingle. To form connections. To maybe clear my family's name at last."
"By usin' yerself as a bargain chip?" Madelyne retorted, frowning. "Over my dead body."
Elisa quirked a brow. Madelyne huffed.
"Again."
"You can't come and rescue me every single time," Elisa insisted, almost begged. Madelyne bit the insides of her cheeks.
"Watch me."
She grabbed Elisa's hand, unceremoniously dragging her towards the dance floor. Elisa yelped, stumbling with her high heels until she collapsed against Madelyne's chest, looking up at her with wide eyes.
Madelyne's eyebrows flew up.
"Yer taller?"
"It's the heels."
"Yer wearin' heels?!"
"Just for the dance!" Elisa glanced around. The murmurs were starting, as they remained immobile in the middle of the dancing couples. "Do you even know how to dance?"
"Nope!" Madelyne admitted with a grin.
Elisa sighed, putting their hands in position — one of Madelyne's on her waist. She ignored her quirked brow, feeling a blush climbing up her neck, making her cursing her pale, ginger skin.
"Follow my lead. And don't step on me."
It was easier said than done. Madelyne tried to keep track of their feet, but the heels and the moccasins Freddy had saddled her with were alien to her. Her eyes glanced down, catching a glimpse of heels, and trying to reposition accordingly with not much success.
"Look up," Elisa instructed, making Madelyne whip her head up.
"Huh?"
"Stop looking at the floor!" Elisa said, eyes darting around before meeting hers. "Look at me."
Madelyne did, and it was so easy. So, so easy to get lost in those pretty eyes with long lashes, framed by freckles like stars around the moon over the skies of Doric in summer. They waltzed clumsily, haphazardly, bumping into couples but paying no mind, trapped in a spell more powerful than any mesmer cheap trick.
Speaking of…
"When I said by any means necessary, this is NOT what I meant!" Freddy's voice reached Maddie's ears as if he was there beside them, livid, scandalized.
"Take a hike, Frederick," she mumbled back.
"What?" Elisa softly asked, fanning those long, ginger lashes towards Madelyne.
"Nothin'." She shook her head. "Nothin' important."
"I'm warning you, Madelyne," Freddy kept interjecting. Ooh, full name. "I am in your head. I can see what you're thinking."
"Nosy bastard," Madelyne grumbled, making Elisa lean back.
"Who?"
"Um," Madelyne looked around, finding Faren staring at them, eyes as wide as giant octopus hors d'oeuvres. "All these nobles with nothin' better to do than to stare at two gals bein' friendly with each other."
Elisa huffed.
"This probably counts as more than friendly to them." She blushed, matching her hairdo. "What a scandal."
"They ain't talkin'bout no White Mantle no more," Madelyne pointed out, staring at the constellation of freckles over Elisa's nose like it was the summer night sky. "Ain't that a good thing?"
A shadow passed over Elisa's pretty face, making Madelyne frown ever so slightly.
"Those rumors will return," she sighed, once again looking away. "They always do."
Madelyne stopped dancing, making Elisa bump against her chest once more. And, to her shock, tilted her chin up with a warm, calloused blacksmith hand, preserved in the incredible sculpt work Freddy had done.
"Let's give'em somethin' better to talk about."
"Madelyne!"
"Maddie?"
Elisa's voice was merely a trembling whisper. Madelyne was sure she could feel her pulse pounding, drumming on her jaw, down her spine where her hand rested, or against her chest, pressed against it as she was.
"Madelyne, I can stop this right now and turn this plan of yours into a horror story if you don't behave yourself!"
Madelyne chuffed, leaning closer. Elisa's eyes widened, but she didn't look away.
Only down. To her lips, before darting back up, almost surprised by her own audacity.
Barely restrained surprised gasps joined Freddy's futile shouting inside of Madelyne's head when she finally leaned all the way down; her hand sliding down Elisa's dress with a whisper of silk to grip her leg, leaning her down as if she was a princess and Madelyne was her knight in shining armor. Their kiss was equally chaste, despite Madelyne's barely restrained, sudden desire to do so, so much more right there on the floor, or against a column, fuck Lord Whateverthefuck and everyone else around them, whatever they thought being a far away concern now that Elisa and her's game of secret glances and brushes was at an end. But Elisa's hand landed gently on her cheek like a butterfly, and tempered her moods to something that felt sweet and heavy down her throat, like swallowing an entire jar of honey in one sitting.
She had to know she was worth more than that; more than the rumors, than her family's reputation, than the manors she waltzed between fake smiles and even faker people. And Madelyne hoped, deep within that ghostly heart of hers, that if only she kissed her with all of her wild abandon, Elisa would finally see it.
The midnight bells rang as they parted — Madelyne uncharacteristically departing from Elisa's lips, despite how much she longed to return. And Elisa gave her a small peck goodbye, before meeting her gaze with glistening eyes and face as red as a beet.
Madelyne could stay like that forever.
However, she could feel it — a jolt of energy, like squeezing a bag to pour every last drop of content inside of container. Elisa slipped slightly, yelping when Madelyne caught her once more.
"Freddy!" she sneered.
"Time's up!" he replied — voice strangely strained."We'll talk later — and believe me, we WILL talk. But make your exit, I don't know how much I can hold on. The sword… it's taxing."
Madelyne cursed under her breath, glancing towards Elisa before pulling her upright once more.
"Sorry, darlin'," she said, doing the first thing she could think of and kissing her hand with a bow. "Gotta bounce."
"Are you okay?" Elisa asked, hand clutching her chest.
Madelyne smiled, brushing a red lock off her cheek.
"Couldn't be better," she assured her. Which wasn't precisely a lie. "See ya back at home, alright?"
"I'm pulling you out!"
In a flash of glitter and light, Madelyne's shape glistened for a second, before dissolving in sparkles and mirrors — to everyone's delight and surprise. Elisa could feel the Wi's eyes on her, but for once, her reputation wasn't at the forefront of her thoughts. Not when Madelyne's kiss still felt fresh over her lips, tingling ever so slightly as she brushed them with one finger, like a soft, enchanted electric shock.
Over at the balcony, Layncaster's feathers ruffled as Freddy fell down to his knees, and Madelyne's sword dropped to the ground with a loud clank. He hurried to help Freddy up, as they both glanced at the bloodstone sword, glinting innocently under the moonlight despite its horrible powers.
"Did it work?" Layncaster asked, stretching his wings, happy to be free of illusions and be able to move at will.
Freddy huffed, brushing the knees of his suit clean with a bit too much force.
"Marvelously," he grumbled. "Too well, you could say."
Layncaster shrugged, as he took care of Madelyne's vessel; picking her up and stuffing her in her gold and white scabbard. If it worked, it worked. And that was enough for him.
It’s still day 4 where I am so I’m not late! This one has actually been done for a while, I honestly just forget I have a Tumblr.
Anyway! Kris (left) belongs to my good friend @sketchissketching and is apart of her AU, which I recommend you check out while MM is in limbo! Although it doesn’t end as happily as this… but I’m ignoring that 🧘
One of the things I wonder most about, if I had ended up writing the story these two appear in, is how I would have written their relationship. The Nameless princess, once overlooked by all and yet only survivor of her line and greatest bastion of resistance of a trapped nation. And The will-o'-the-wisp, the dead flame, the man who cannot be killed and who smiles to hide his rage at the world that took everything except his beloved from him. I think they could have been quite intense. But with their personality, they might have been hilarious too.
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