i promise i haven't forgotten about you guys 😭 since it's june does anyone have any pride-specific requests? for the reader or the characters, i don't mind either
SKINSHIP . . . in which ways they show physical affection.
ft. riddle rosehearts, ace trappola, floyd leech, malleus draconia
p.s! i might have to make a second part because idia was originally supposed to be here but his part was already so long ,,,
RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS
awkward
he doesn’t have much romantic relationship experience to speak,,,,, or relationships in general. he still warming up to the idea of being vulnerable and touchy with someone, so he isn’t the type to initiate so brazenly right off the back. incredibly much less in the public eye.
his touches start subtle, almost unnoticeable if you're not paying attention.
like during teatime when he helps you to your seat, his palm measuring a respectful distance from your back. overtime as he grows to become more comfortable, he wanes the distance. and, he’s not sure when it happened but at some point like second nature his hand naturally finds and drinks in as much of your touch as possible. and when you're seated next to him, his knee inches to lightly graze yours, the closeness giving him a sense of security, knowing you’re close to him.
he finds ways to sprinkle in extra doses of affection as well, though there remains an air of hesitation in his actions. like when he passes you a fresh cup of tea and his thumb lingers on your knuckles. he’s torn between rubbing your knuckles (that’s affectionate right?) or squeezing your hand. he seconds guesses himself, his movements a little stiff and he questions if the tea is to your liking in lieu of grimacing at himself.
speaking of hands, he likes yours a lot. holding them. the way they hold him, or his face. how your nails scratch at the crown of his head, playing with his two wispy bangs, a welcomed reprieve after studying for hours. in the privacy of his room, especially after a particularly frustrating day, he develops a penchant for dropping his head into the crook of your shoulder, a rare blissful sigh leaving him when you comb his hair gently.
but as the days passed he wasn’t quite satisfied with just that. he wanted to, well, be the perfect boyfriend for you. and admittedly he begins to grow a bit starved, the brisk and recycled touches providing little reprieve for his urges.
“i want to kiss you.”
he says it strongly that you nearly choke. he makes a cute sight though: the ends of his bangs blending with his burning cheeks, a set of silver blinking owlishly at you. he coughs into his fist as though it just occurred to him what he said. “i mean, if you consent to it of course, my rose….”
he almost started treating it like a class of sorts, studying your reactions and thinking of ways to better woo you. if you looked happy then it must mean he’s passing, surely.
but as much he enjoys lip kisses, he has an undeniable favorite of kissing the back of your hand. it’s so appropriate for any given occasion like when he’s leaving for class. (it also saves him face from the teasing of his housemates, knowing fully well even the most innocent brushes of your lips to his skin makes him redder than his vest).
all in all, he’s horribly down bad for you and wants to be the best that he can.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
ACE TRAPPOLA
oh goddddd, free you mc.
a teasing piece of shit and a shameless one at that, a rather terrifying combo when it comes to you. he thrives in catching you unawares and (sometimes quite literally) sweeping you off your feet. your reactions are the cutest things to him, of course he must experiment to see what make you tick.
don’t let that fool you however, he nearly face plants, tripping over his own feet when you blow him a kiss or glance in his direction. he’s a certified loser boy with loser rizz.
favorite thing ever? lazily tracing the pulse point on your wrist when you’re laying next to each other. he’s looking at you through his bangs, his smile stupidly lovesick.
“why are you staring at me?” you poke his cheek with the tip of your finger.
“nothin. just admiring the prettiest view.”
(he’s the type to lick into your palm if you try to shut him up)
he can be kind of vexing though, lightly pinching your arm when he’s craving your attention or flicking your forehead when you say something snarky (he kissing it right afterwards to make it feel better). he’s the kind to repeatedly smack your hand when you’re walking together until you get the memo and intertwine your fingers with him.
whenever he leaves for class he makes sure to get a goodbye kiss. he argues it’s his good luck charm and it’s double in effect if you leave lipstick stains or a sort of mark on him.
but if you really want to flip the script and make him bashful, give a little tug on his tie and pull him down for a kiss— he’ll sputter and whine how that was so unfair (code for please do it again).
he always careful, but sometimes he gets injured during basketball practice or one of his shenanigan runs with deuce. rarely does get really hurt but, when it happens, he much prefers you and your tiny bathroom over the nauseating lights of the nurse room.
“hey, hey— don’t give me that look.” his smile is sweet and his lashes tremble slightly. his fingers are pressing against your jaw, encouraging you to breathe normally though your nose and not stare at the cuts on his body.
“you shouldn’t have come here!” you scold, but his smile only weakly grows at that. it’s the same one that crinkle at the sides of his eyes. “i don’t even know if i’m doing this right.”
“it’s perfect, you're perfect. i already feel so much better.” you dab his cheek gently with the cotton swab; you’re settled on his lap, his arms around you, promising not to let you go even though he’s the injured one.
“oh god ace,” you huff. “you have me worried over you, how am i going to sleep?”
“with me next to you.”
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
FLOYD LEECH
oh goddddd, free you mc. level IMPOSSIBLE
he constantly needs to be touching you in any way or vice versa. the concept of personal space evades him.
this shows randomly throughout your day, with floyd sometimes stuffing his hands into your coat pockets, mumbling about how bored he feels. and it should go without saying that his hugs can be affectionately…. suffocating. the type to swallow you with enclosed arms, nearly lifting you off your feet and swinging you around.
“can’t breathe— floyd—!!!”
“shrimpyyyy~ i missed you so much. mwah.”
he’s not afraid to publicly kiss you, irritating some of the student body and bitter single people but they can’t do anything about it. azul likes you but isn’t exactly pleased when he catches floyd stuck to your side like glue whenever you visit the lounge. and jade,,,, has a knack of entering spaces at just the worst moments iykwim heh.
holding your hand isn’t enough. it’s always accompanied with him swinging it between your bodies and jerking you around randomly when something catches his interest.
when he’s lying down next to you and he’s bored he starts to count all the moles, freckles, markings on your skin, tracing each one at a time.
during the night, he’s picked up the habit of holding you tight(it sometimes makes getting out of bed a challenge lol. good luck). when you’re not next to him, even in his sleep, he looks for you, something like a whine escaping him when his hand patting around listlessly only finds the sheets. he becomes extra clingy that morning, insisting he wasn’t able to get a good nights rest without his cuddle buddy.
we all have seen his teeth. this guy is an unapologetic biter; whether it's your cheeks, shoulder, or the crook of your elbow, he just wants to give it a little nom. he relishes getting all sorts of reactions, or better yet sounds he can coax from you. and if you ever mention you want a necklace, he’ll happily offer you one made of love bites but refuses any efforts of hiding it.
(you recruit deuce and ace to help you cover it up but that goes as well as you can expect.
“i always knew you were secretly freaky,” ace says, laughing when you narrow your eyes at him. “but, uh… do you need us to like save you…?”
“all i told him was that i wanted some jewelry…" you sigh, craning your head at the mirror: the makeup poorly blended into the marks and it made for a rather grim sight. “something removable, preferably… next time—.”
“stop i don’t need that image in my head.”
deuce ultimately offers you one of his scarves but he's unable to look at you in the eyes)
piggy back rides. randomly jump on his back and he’ll be giddy…….. though be warned he may spontaneously jump on yours too. when you both topple over he’ll throw a mini tantrum and demand kisses for his bruises. it won’t heal otherwise, or so he claims.
on the softer side, you once complained about the ground being cold during the night so he offered to let you set step on his feet (though conditions included him whining all the time)
(you made the mistake trying to shut him up with a kiss. to your misfortune and his immense delight, it only spurred him on.)
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
MALLEUS DRACONIA
likes to hug you from behind. he enjoys the feeling of being able to hold you so close, the tip of his nose nudging that junction where your shoulder and neck meet. his hands hold you by the ribcage, and the warmth your back blends with his own. his hums vibrate from where he’s resting his lips to your skin, mumbling a small “is this okay?” and sinks impossibly deeper if you say yes.
not the most restrictive with pda. if anything, he enjoys being able to show you off, kissing your temples, hands, cheeks as a way of shooing off any foolish suitors(not that it really a concern to begin with really,,,)
however, he’s most passionate and vulnerable behind closed doors when he can take his time with you. loves it when you sit on his lap, really any excuse to be as close to you as possible.
knows how to leave you breathless with a kiss. his draconic inheritance provides a few advantageous features— is all IM SAYING, i will not elaborate further.
somehow knows or rather unknowingly knows about the sidewalk rule, guiding you to the less crowded side of the hallways. he swoons a little whenever you hold his arm to your chest as you walk together through campus. he offers lip service about the various gargoyles and their history, gently guiding you through the gardens with small tugs of your sleeve.
now listen, he is always the type to strip off his coat and offer it to you, no questions asked the moment he catches you cold…. but… when you suggested sharing it instead and he’s given an excuse to hold you and tuck your head under his chin? a new brain neuron activates and he strikes at any opportunity to have you bundled into his side.
slow dancing with him, it must be said. underneath the stars is even better, he can’t get enough of it or you, and he doesn’t mind when you step on his feet or bump into him awkwardly.
“sorry.” you’re beginning to feel like a broken record with how many times you said it now, but malleus gives you a sweet smile that helps ease your nerves down.
“with practice you will get better.”
“a mercy for your feet,” you sigh, giving him a skeptical glance. “are you really alright…? i’m starting to feel a little bad.”
“there’s no where that i would rather be right now than here,” he says and you bump your forehead into his shoulder to hide your face (he presses his thumb to your wrist though, elated to feel your pulse double). at this angle, you watched the way his feet gracefully stepped around a silent rhythm; even the subtle nudging from the tip of his shoe to correct your ankle seemed natural.
“i can’t even tease you when you’re—” you wince when your knee nudged his. “too good at this.”
you hear the grin in his voice before you see it, one of his hands leaving from where it was holding you at the waist to cup the back of your head. “i often stumbled over my own feet when i first began to learn; however, lilia was a rather strict instructor.”
“he taught you most of it?”
“a selected amount of ballroom style dances, yes.
“then, can you do this?” he looks at you curiously as you push up on your tippy toes, your laced hands raised above your heads. when you spin him, it’s clumsy, the cuff of your sleeves skimming the tip of his horn and it’s the closest you get to shedding malleus’ elegant character. he shuffles for a bit before both balls of his feet plant firmly into the ground again.
“you’re right,” you smile lightly. malleus accepts your invitation to pull you closer when you lean into him. “more practice is needed for us.”
a/n : not requested but i love floyd & its my birthday so i wrote this for me. very self indulgent
── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 🐚
floyd doesn't have much of a preference for kisses; usually, whatever part of you is closest is what he'll kiss. your arm, your cheek, wherever he can reach. though, he does have his favourite spots—the softest to the touch, or the ones that get his favourite reactions from you.
obviously, your lips are a good one. he likes to kiss you there by surprise, to feel you stiffen in surprise before you relax. this is usually paired with him hugging you tight, sometimes even nipping at your bottom lip and laughing at your resulting squeak. he loves to play with your hair, too, no matter what style you have; combing out a tangle, twirling a braid around his finger, or simply scratching your scalp soothingly until you melt—his hands just can't stay still. he'll kiss you until you pull away for air, then immediately come back for another.
he has a fascination with your hands, too. he likes to hold them, comparing it with his own, splaying your fingers out and tracing each line on your palm. he'll kiss each finger individually, then your palm and wrist. it feels weird at first, but he does it so often that you've gotten used to it. if you dare try to pull away, he'll whine and grab your wrist to pull it back, maybe even nibble at your fingertips. he likes to trace the outline of your hand, too, always seeming so fascinated that your skin isn't webbed.
and, of course, the list wouldn't be complete without your neck. it drives him crazy; the fact that you're exposing such a vulnerable spot to him makes his head spin. sometimes he prefers longer kisses, ones that leave marks when he finally pulls away. he can't resist the predator urge to bite, but he's always just careful enough to not draw blood. other times, he likes to pepper featherlight kisses all over, heart swelling as he listens to your giggling. it's not uncommon for him to pin you down and nuzzle right into the crook of your neck, grinning all the while.
Can I request the second years with an artist reader who asks them to stay put so they can paint them because they look so in their element?
muse
ft : second years (riddle, ruggie, azul, jade, floyd, kalim, jamil, silver)
a/n: sorry for disappearing for so long lol
── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 🐚
riddle, obedient as ever, stays perfectly still for as long as you need. he looks so beautiful, all focused and serious like this. he's always determined not to mess a single thing up, so he's certainly not going to be ruining your painting by moving around. he hangs the finished art on the heartslabyul fridge, smugly letting everyone know how talented you are.
ruggie will stay in place, but don't think he's not going to move at all. any time you look up, he'll grin at you, wave, wink, anything to make you smile and temporarily distract you. occasionally, he'll ask how the painting is going, to which your responses range from actual answers to a distracted, "mhm".
azul gets nervous with all your staring. you're studying his every feature, checking so you get everything exactly right, and he just can't help but wonder how many imperfections you're finding. he keeps adjusting himself, making sure you're getting his best angles. he relaxes a little once he sees the finished product, though. your creations are nothing less than perfect.
you don't even have to tell jade anything. he notices you looking and he's already perfectly poised, smiling at you teasingly. he even adjusts his hair and clothes, fixing his collar, making his bangs fall over his face in just the right way. every so often, he moves very slightly, just enough of a change to make you mess up the proportions.
your first mistake was thinking that floyd could sit still. every two minutes is full of, "are you done yet? can i move now? can i see?" as he peers over your shoulder. you can't say you're surprised, really. you're used to his pestering by now, but if he gets up one more time, you might just give up and make a purposefully bad portrait. of course, he might love that even more.
kalim follows your instructions a little too well. he stares at you, beaming and waving every time you look up to study him. the issue is that you were trying to capture him while he was focused, but now that he's distracted, it's hard for him to get back into it. oh well. he looks just as gorgeous like this, too.
jamil stays so still that you wonder if he even heard you. he barely moves an inch until you're finished, only tilting his head or shifting around whenever you ask him to. he's the perfect model, so unmoving that, if not for his steady breathing, you might start to think he's just a statue. you aren't complaining, though. it certainly makes it easier on you.
silver treats this as if it's some important mission, nodding sincerely and feeling determined not to mess up. he is a knight, and he will carry out this task with the utmost care. ...you can't help but find it funny how seriously he's taking this, but that's just how he is, especially when it comes to you. true to his word, he stays frozen in place for however long it takes. you tell him he can move a little if he's getting tired, but he refuses.
fempov, childhood friends to lovers, midsummer's eve festival, ritual spells/traditional magic?
a/n: I really made silver a yearner in this one. sorry it took me like three months to write. I also made up like. a lot of stuff about Briar Valley that's probably not true sorry guys. the seven flower spell is a real tradition though i'm pretty sure
do not use my work in a dataset or to train AI
𐙚˚ ༘❀⋆ ༘⋆✿
Briar Valley’s festivals were a sight to behold, rivaling even the Queendom of Roses’ elaborate celebrations in scope and joy. Streamers fluttered in the breeze, a riot of color, while in the streets below shopkeepers magically polished the cobblestones in front of their stores. The true festivities wouldn’t begin until dusk, but many vendors had begun to set up early, raising simple wooden structures and daintily arranging advertising signs and tiers of tarts and platters of pastries.
The Midsummer’s Eve festival in particular was one of the biggest celebrations of the year, and it was also Silver’s especial favorite. The event itself was spectacular on its own. He enjoyed the elderflower wine and rose cakes, even though Lilia kept an eye on how much he consumed — heh, that’s fae food, my boy, you’ll make yourself sick — and liked the bonfires and dancing. But what he liked most about it was that it was your favorite holiday, taking the opportunity to get into as much mischief as possible, teasing him in a torturous way only a girl raised among fae could manage.
“I like watching you chase after me,” you’d said once, laughing in his face when he finally caught up after you’d led him on a wild romp through the streets of Briar Valley. Silver’s arms had gone slack with shock, heat rising to his cheeks, and he only had a moment to contemplate what you’d said before you slipped away from him again.
“SILVER. SILVER!”
Several shopkeepers near them flinched. Silver just sighed, slowing to allow Sebek to fall into step beside him, shoulders yanked so far back his posture looked almost painful.
“You ought to keep your voice down,” Silver reprimanded gently.
“AHEM.” Sebek’s cheeks turned faintly pink before he straightened up to fix Silver with a stern glare. “YOU…You must take care to keep an eye on Lady [Name] this year.”
What? Silver blinked, swiveling to look at Sebek. “Lady?” How laughable — you, a lady. You’d cry laughing if you heard Sebek refer to you as such, no doubt. After all, what sort of lady went stomping through the woods to hunt him down when he overslept their meetings? What sort of lady drank too much at the Midsummer festival and threw up in the fountain? Instead of caving to his instinct to laugh incredulously, Silver swallowed his automatic outburst. “When did you start calling her that?”
“IT IS CUSTOM.” Sebek lifted his chin proudly, clearly pleased that he knew something Silver didn’t. “IN BRIAR VALLEY, ONCE A GIRL REACHES THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN, SHE SHOULD BE REFERRED TO AS ‘LADY’.”
“…Right,” Silver said tactfully. He tried to remember if the crocodile half-fae had been getting tutoring from Riddle lately — they were sounding eerily alike. The whole idea seemed ridiculous to him, but doubt tugged at the edge of his mind; was that truly Briar Valley custom? Silver was so far removed from the fae populace, venturing only into the capital to train at the castle or into your village to placate your wheedling. Otherwise, he spent his time in the forest with Father and the animals. Perhaps he had simply missed that particular point of etiquette. “Where did you hear that?”
“MASTER LILIA.”
Ah. Perhaps Sebek was mistaken after all. “And you believed him?”
Before Sebek could get himself all up in arms about that comment, a body crashed into Silver with so much force that for a moment he wondered if he was under attack. Although, he reflected, perhaps he ought to be used to this sort of treatment after years of such abuse.
“Hello,” he said, and even in that one word he couldn’t keep the fondness from his voice. “Are you having a good summer?”
“Don’t ask me stupid questions,” came your grumbled response, your face tucked into your shoulder, your arms around his waist making it a struggle to breathe. “You coming home is the best part, and you’ve been away with Malleus this whole time.”
The best part. The words had a sweet ring to them, and Silver knew he would be hearing them in his dreams for the next few months. “I missed you too.”
Sebek’s lecture was thus cut abruptly short as you stole Silver away, laughing as you led him down the winding paths of your little town. He could only see your back, your hair trailing behind you like a banner in the wind, but the sight somehow made his heart race faster than any of tonight’s activities would be able to. “Is that a new dress?”
“Do you like it?” Your face was alight with happiness. It was far too easy to make you happy, Silver thought, and far too easy to make his heart stumble in his chest. Just one compliment could bring you joy, when you could demand the world and deserve it too. “My dad got it for me while you were away. I’ve been saving it for Midsummer’s.”
“I do like it,” he said honestly, observing all of the details — the silver embroidery, the pearl-colored satin sash. It reminded him of the dress you wore the first time he’d met you, almost the same shade of blue, only this time made for a young lady rather than a child. “I don’t think Father puts nearly as much effort into my clothing.”
“I’m sure he could if you asked.”
Silver remembered the day he turned fourteen and was violently ill because Lilia thought baking the birthday cake at 300 degrees for ten minutes could substitute for baking it at 175 for forty-five, being short on time. A for Effort, he supposed. “…Maybe,” he said noncommittally. “But are you planning to make me run around all night again?”
“Well, of course.” Lethal, that smile.
“Then there’s no point for me in wearing nice clothes.”
“No, I’m sorry—“
The two of you fell into an easy rhythm as you wandered through the cobblestone streets, pointing out stalls that you wanted to visit later — sweets, fabric, leather care, powdered pastries, sword maintenance, curry puffs, enchanted objects.
“A girdle that makes the wearer more beautiful,” you read off a tag, scoffing. “Who let this hack into the market? Everyone knows that beauty spells are hardly reliable.”
Privately, Silver thought the girdle would be wasted on you. “I can let Malleus know if you have any objections.”
“Please don’t. I said the shopkeeper is a hack, not that I wanted them obliterated.”
“Malleus isn’t that bad,” Silver sighed. Despite his best efforts, you and everyone else he knew remained scared of him. Teaching the animals to grow more comfortable around him had been a struggle, but people were a whole other beast. “He’s really very kind if you get to know him.”
A bluebird chirped in agreement, tiny claws pricking at his skin through his shirt as it leaped down from a banner to light on his shoulder. Silver stroked the top of its head with the pad of his finger absentmindedly. “Have you been good?” He murmured, too quiet for you to hear, smiling gently as the bird let out a pleased twitter. “You’ve been looking after my girl for me?”
Silver had had the animals looking out for you since he left for Night Raven College his freshman year — he didn’t want you to get lonely, after all.
What a fight it had been. He remembered you, just fifteen, refusing to speak to him for weeks after he’d gotten his acceptance letter. Silver tried everything — sending you messages, leaving sweets from your favorite confectionery on your doorstep, coming in-person to beg an audience with you. He’d even made the fatal mistake of writing to Father for advice. Lilia had gone to the trouble of returning to Briar Valley in the middle of the school year for the sole purpose, it seemed, of being an utter nightmare.
“My boy is in love!” He’d wailed, hovering a foot off the ground, nearly choking Silver in a back hug while Silver tried in vain to shake him off.
“No I’m not, Father, stop it—“
In the end, Lilia had doused him in water (you need to look more pathetic) and handed him a bouquet of flowers (do you know her favorite flowers? No? My son doesn’t know the art of romance, I’ve failed as a father). Silver’s neck and cheeks were glowing red with embarrassment standing outside of your house, but apparently Lilia’s advice held some truth, because you opened the door after weeks of freezing him out.
“Why are you wet?”
“Shower,” Silver said. It was a stupid lie — even his clothes were wet — but what else could he say? “Can I come in?”
“I guess.”
Normally, Silver would try to say hello to your family, as a proper knight(in training) should when in the home of a lady, but now he had no choice but to follow you like a lost, soaking wet dog. He closed the bedroom door behind him, looking down at his shoes.
Silver took a deep breath, holding out the flowers in front of him like an offering or a shield. “I’m…sorry…?” What to apologize for? Getting into school? He felt ridiculous, and a little irritated, but the agony of losing your company had long won out over his pride.
You stared at the bouquet for a long moment before pushing his hand aside. Before Silver could think to get frustrated, or upset, you flew up off the bed and launched yourself at him, sending you both crashing into the opposite wall. Silver blinked down at you, too stunned to move, when he realized you were hugging him tightly.
“I’m sorry for being so stupid,” you mumbled, arms snaking around his waist. “I just…didn’t want you to go.”
Silver’s hands fluttered uselessly at his sides before settling for wrapping his arms around you in return, pressing his cheek against the top of your head. “I’ll write all the time.”
“I know.”
“And I’ll come back every break.”
“I know.”
“And Sebek will be here to keep you company.”
“Sebek isn’t you.”
That did something awful to him. Fortunately, you seemed too busy pulling him ever closer to notice the erratic flip-flop of his heart in his chest.
“I won’t forget about you. Don’t forget about me too, okay?”
Like there was any chance of that happening. Here you were, three years later, your arm linked through his as you told him all the gossip in Briar Valley — who had gotten married, who had eloped, who had begun courting, who had been caught poaching chickens from their neighbor’s coop.
You let go of his arm to wander off the road into the grass, picking flowers as you went: white daisies, cobalt delphinium, ochre marigolds. Your fingers were sticky and green with sap, and Silver stepped forward to take the slowly growing bundle from your hands, bending to pick a few flowers of his own.
“Getting started a little late, aren’t you?” He mused, watching the sun sink towards the horizon. The ferns tugged at the hem of your dress as you threw a handful of grass at him in retaliation.
“So? You haven’t started on your flower crown either,” you pointed out, tucking another sprig of daisy into Silver’s hands. “Don’t worry, I’ll make yours for you.”
“I can make my own,” Silver protested, following you down to sit on the grass as you tugged him to a halt, your skirts spread around you like a pool of water. The setting sun glinted off of your bowed head as you bent over the beginning of your wreath, deft hands weaving stems together and tucking leaves in for more volume. Your hands were made of magic; you created such beautiful things. Perhaps that was why Silver was a knight — to defend them.
When you pulled a ribbon from your pocket, fraying at the ends, he startled and stopped you with a gentle touch to the wrist. “Is that…the ribbon I bought you?”
You pinked, fixing your eyes firmly on the flower crown as you used the ribbon to secure the ends in place. “It’s a perfectly good ribbon, why wouldn’t I still have it?”
“It’s been more than five years,” Silver said, shaking his head, cheeks heating up in return. “It’s a little thing. I would have thought you’d have lost it.”
You said nothing, but finished tying the ribbon before starting on Silver’s crown.
“I can do it,” Silver said gently, taking its fragile start from your hands. He gathered the remaining flowers from your lap, braiding them into a wreath, perhaps not as nice as yours, but good enough. He tucked its loose ends back into itself, though there was no telling if it would last the night. Letting it rest on his lap, he lifted yours from your grasp and set it gently atop your head, adjusting it until the ribbon hung at the back and the fullest flowers crowned your brow at the front. “You look lovely, [Name].”
You returned the gesture, setting his own flower crown on his head. “And you look very handsome,” you said, voice barely above a whisper.
Around you, crickets chirped faintly in the fields beyond. One by one, fireflies lit and lifted from the snares of grass, drifting towards the dusky blue sky like wandering stars. The last slivers of sun peeking over the horizon glimmered in your eyes, lighting on your cheeks and sweet mouth.
“[Name].”
You blinked up at him, sweet face turned to his like a flower towards the sun. “Yes?”
“I…” He swallowed, one hand twitching with the ache to reach for your face, to tilt your chin up and—
“SILVER!”
Damn it all. He jerked back, turning to watch Sebek wave furiously from the top of the hill. He took a deep breath, nostrils flaring as he tried to will away his blush. “What is it, Sebek?”
“THE FESTIVITIES ARE STARTING. OF COURSE YOU AND LADY [NAME] WOULD NOT WANT TO MISS THEM!”
You snorted. “Lady?”
“Don’t ask.” Silver called back up: “Alright, we’re coming.”
Satisfied, Sebek disappeared back over the hill. Silver pushed himself up onto his feet with a grunt, holding out a hand to you. “Come on, then. I’m sure you’re looking toward to everything too.”
You placed your hand in his and let him tug you to your feet. Unfortunately, Silver had misjudged his strength and sent you stumbling into him, crashing into his chest with a soft oof. “Oh!” You patted his chest, a little startled, before stepping back. “You’re sturdier than I remember.”
Damn it all, Silver thought, grateful the dark disguised his blush as the two of you walked back towards the town square. He’d been so distracted out there in the meadow that he didn’t realize the Midsummer’s Eve festival was already in full swing, a band plucking away at their instruments near the fountain, couples clasping each other to their chests as they danced. The light of the bonfire traced your features with affectionate warmth as you drifted at the edge of the activities, flitting from stall to stall. Green fireflies twirled a lazy waltz overhead; Silver wondered what Malleus and Father were up to. Perhaps they were watching from the shadows, or busy with their own celebrations.
Your arms were already loaded with free food and trinkets by the time Silver snapped out of his reverie and caught up to you again. You held a curry puff in your mouth as you juggled everything else; Silver reached up to gently take it out of your mouth.
“Are you just going to collect things all night?”
“Of course not, I’ll dance in a bit,” you refuted, ducking your head to take a bite of the curry puff in his hand. “And you’re coming with me.”
Silver startled, turning his head to blink at you. The two of you did this every Midsummer’s Eve, but it never stopped him from being surprised — though he was bold enough to call himself good, he wouldn’t consider himself an exceptional dancer. “Am I?”
“Well, who else would I dance with?” You snorted. “Sebek? No thanks.”
“Sebek is a good man,” Silver defended, though his lips twitched. “But I see your point.”
You set aside the rest of your things — no point in being jealous over them when the vendors were giving their wares away — and leaped lightly to your feet, blue dress swishing around your calves with a sound like rustling leaves. “Come on.”
Silver’s heart skipped in his chest, and he drew himself up to his full height, eyes twinkling down at you. Slowly, maintaining eye contact, he took your hand and lowered himself into a bow over it. He was a knight (in training) after all; he had a code of chivalry to uphold. “[Name], may I have this dance?”
You laughed, and Silver enjoyed the flush on your cheeks. “You may.”
He tugged you into the cluster of dancers in the center of the square, one hand holding yours, the other resting lightly at your waist. You and him both misstepped clumsily — it had been a while since you danced, after all — but fell back into the natural rhythm of it quickly enough. How could you not, when your bodies were so attuned to each other? Silver had learned to dance from Lilia, and you had learned to dance from Silver.
[Name], stop trying to — ack!
You stepped forward with too much enthusiasm, accidentally tripping Silver and sending you both tumbling to the forest floor.
Oww…sorry.
Silver sat up, rubbing his shoulder where he’d fell. It’s okay, he said with stoic, noble fourteen-year-old dedication. Learning to dance is a process.
You spun away from him, skirt and hair flaring gold in the firelight before he tugged you back to his chest with a soft chuckle. “We’ve improved, haven’t we?”
“I suppose we have,” you agreed, following the pattern of the other dancers as they moved counter-clockwise around the fountain, petals flaking from your flower crown like snow. Eyes fixed on your face, Silver hardly wanted to blink for fear of losing a moment, but he could hear where his sight was limited.
“Silver’s back for the summer, I see.”
“They’re dancing? How cute.”
“They’ve been inseparable since they were children, he guards her like she’s royalty…”
You were royalty, to him, or at least worth just as much. You were you, lovely and sweet. Better than any princess, in his opinion.
The two of you spun under the stars for what felt like hours, or what could have been a few days — time was fickle in Briar Valley, and moreso during the holidays. Eventually, though, Silver noticed your flushed cheeks and the slight gasp to your breath, and coaxed you to take a break.
You pulled away from the circle of dancers, flopping down. “I forgot how tiring it can be, dancing with fae.”
Silver was inclined to agree — even with his rigorous training, his feet were sore from the constant movement. The fae could be capricious at times, and Silver had heard many a story of their drawing humans into their balls and festivals to dance them to death. “Take a rest.”
The two of you sat in companionable silence for a while, your head slowly drifting to rest comfortably on his shoulder while you fiddled with a paper fan you’d been gifted at one of the stalls. Despite his quickening heartbeat, Silver found himself drifting off, the flickering firelight lulling him into a doze, and finally into sleep proper.
When he woke, you were nowhere to be found. The festivities were beginning to wind down, vendors packing up their stalls and couples heading home. With a sleepy hum, he stood up, going in search of you. You were still around here, of course — you would never leave without waking him to let him know.
He found you at the bottom of the hill where you’d made the flower crowns, bending gracefully, arms curved like scythes as you plucked feathers from their stems. The jealous moon had taken over from the sun and fire, glimmering a pearl sheen on your skin as you straightened, holding a tiny bundle of flowers in your hands.
“What have you got there?” Silver asked, coming down the hill behind you to peer over your shoulder.
“Seven flowers, picked in silence,” you explained with dreamy eyes, rubbing a thumb over a petal. “For the seven-flower spell.”
“The what?”
“It’s a spell that all the unwed girls do at Midsummer’s. You pick seven flowers in silence and put them under your pillow before you go to sleep, and you’ll dream of your true love.”
Silver’s heart thrummed. “Have you ever tried it?”
You shook your head. “No, but I’m curious, this year. I thought I’d try it once, and skip it next year if it’s just a silly superstition.”
Don’t do it, he wanted to say, but what was the point? Nothing could stop you once you’d gotten an idea in your head, he knew that well enough. Besides, what would he say to stop you? He had no claim over your affection. “Well, then…”
He swallowed, jaw working as he summoned his courage. “May I kiss you?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper. “Before you find your true love.”
You looked at him for a long, long moment, and he wished he could reel the words back into his mouth, if only to spare himself the agony of waiting. In the dark, he almost imagined that your face flushed a brilliant ruby hue. Then you stepped toward him, stood up on tiptoes, and pressed a featherlight kiss to his cheek.
“Goodnight, Silver,” you said softly. Then you were gone.
Silver stood in the field for a long time, head tilted back to stare up at the sky in defeat. That was as clear an answer as he could have asked for.
He knew he should return home, but the night had left him exhausted, and he lay down in the grass, trying to will away the stabbing in his chest. He couldn’t think, nearly breathless with the pain of it all. For once, sleep was a relief, pulling him down, down, down.
The sky was pale blue, then cotton-candy pink, then jade green. On second thought, it wasn’t a sky at all, for he couldn’t see the ground. The dream corridor stretched out before him, hazy impressions of birds vanishing down its depths in his mind’s eye. Silver didn’t want to go anywhere tonight, but he spoke the words for his spell on instinct — or maybe he thought them. Perhaps Lilia would dream of his childhood, and he could allow himself to be comforted by his father.
Those I’ve met and will someday…Meet in a Dream.
Silver followed the birds, half walking, half drifting down the dreamway. After a lifetime and a heartbeat, the clouds began to materialize into shapes and objects, a forest, a town, a fountain, a figure.
You.
You were heartbreakingly lovely in a pale pink gown — or perhaps it was blue? — sitting at the edge of the fountain. In your hands were the seven flowers you had picked earlier that evening, your pinched fingers plucking the petals off.
“He loves me, he loves me not…” On you continued, on and on, while Silver watched just beyond the threshold of your drema. How could he goto you now, after what he’d asked of you tonight? And yet he couldn’t resist…
You dropped the last petal in the fountain. “He loves me…?”
Silver stepped into the dream.
You raised your eyes to his, and for just a moment, he thought he saw in them unbridled, unfettered joy. As soon as his foot alighted on the cobblestone of your dream-town, it all vanished like smoke.
“-lver? Silver!”
He startled, waking to find you kneeling at his side, eyes shimmering with tears. Automatically he reached for you to brush them away — even now, he couldn’t stand to see you cry. But as soon as he lifted his arms, you threw yourself into him, the two of you crushed together on the grass.
“…[Name]?” He hardly dared to hope, and yet—
“It was you,” you laughed, face buried in his shoulder. Your hair was loose and free — you must have come straight from sleeping. “I was right, it was you all along.”
He stared down at you, heart thrashing against his ribcage like a pinned bird. “I don’t understand—“
“I did the spell,” you explained, laughing all the while. You couldn’t seem to stop. The rising sun turned the sky blood orange and pink. Peachy clouds circled your head far above like a halo. “I did the spell, and you were there.”
Silver wondered if he wasn’t still dreaming, his delirious mind conjuring up a few final moments of happiness before he died of heartbreak out there on the field. “You — but you know that was just my magic—“
You scoffed, leaning on your forearms on his chest to look down at him. “You idiot, you think I care? It doesn’t matter how you show up in my dream. It was still you. It’s you.”
The ground fell out from under Silver. He could have died then and there, and died happy, too. “You’re certain?” He asked again. He was being ridiculous. This whole situation was ridiculous. “You don’t mind?”
You shook your head again, smiling so wide your eyes closed. You were still laughing when he surged up to kiss your soft mouth.
Hiya, hope you're doing well! If you don't mind, could I please request house wardens + Jamil who REALLY likes their taste? Like, think their skin is delicious and like to kiss/bite them a lot in private, on lips, cheeks, forehead, neck, nape, collarbone, anywhere available and licking their lips afterwards along, before going back to their business while housewarden have hickeys and red 👀 When housewardens ask about it they they say with a nonchalant response "You taste delicious" and goes back to whatever they were doing unbothered. I'd love to see housewarden flabbergasted by this 😈🤣
the two of you sit beside each other, comfortable silence covering you. he doesn't pay you much mind, though he's grateful for your company. just sitting in each other's presence is enough, but you're starting to get bored. you reach out and take his hand in yours. before he can react, you bring it to your lips, licking a line up his wrist.
riddle yelps, yanking his hand back. "what are you—?!" he sputters, eyes wide and cheeks turning red, but you can't tell from embarrassment or anger.
"you taste good," is all you say in reply, already reaching to take his hand again.
he pulls away quickly, his face properly flushed now. "that is not sanitary! you'll stop this at once!"
you whine and give him your best puppy eyes, but he doesn't relent.
leona blinks one eye open. "...what the fuck," he grumbles.
"your skin tastes nice," you tell him casually, as though it's not the most creepy thing anyone has ever heard.
he rolls his eyes, and before you know it, he's biting into your shoulder, hard. he stops when you cry out in pain, pulling away and leaning back. he's already drifting off again.
"ow!" you complain. "what was that for?!"
"your skin tastes nice," he says. fair enough.
azul shrieks in a way that would be funny if it didn't blow your eardrums out. he expects this behaviour from floyd and jade, not you!
"if you're hungry, we have a perfectly good lounge," he says as he adjusts his glasses, recollecting himself.
"but you taste better." whether this is an insult to the food or a compliment to him, he's not sure.
he sighs. "warn me next time, at least."
"okay," you reply. "i'm going to lick you now."
kalim squeaks, pulling back. "that tickles!" he whines, completely unfazed by the fact you're trying to eat him.
he tastes sweet, like sugar, as though his pure kindness has spread to every aspect of him. you point this out to him, and he laughs.
"these desserts we had last night probably taste way better! come on, i'll get you some!"
he's leading you away before you can say another word.
jamil screams. loudly. he'd probably have a calmer reaction to a roach crawling on his face. after a moment to calm down, he takes a breath.
"what," he begins, "are you doing."
"i like your taste." apparently, this is not a reasonable answer for him. hey, it's not your fault he tastes so good.
he shudders and leaves to wash his arm off — but despite it all, he doesn't tell you to stop.
vil stares at you.
you stare back. his face conveys zero emotion. is he disgusted? scared? turned on? unbeknownst to you, he's asking himself these same questions. maybe all three.
"don't do that again," he finally says. he has to disinfect the entire area now, how annoying.
you nod. you are not the one in charge here, after all.
...you're gonna do it again, though.
idia freezes up. you think he might have died for a second, until his hair bursts into pink flame.
"????????" is all he can choke out. you're not sure how he managed to say that out loud. once he can move again, he quickly reaches out and wipes his hand off on your sleeve. gross.
"i was hungry," you defend yourself.
he glances at the various snacks he has in his room.
"...yeah," he says.
malleus blinks in confusion. "is this...a human custom?"
"yes," you lie. other animals lick each other as a sign of affection, after all. it's not too crazy to believe.
he nods slowly, processing your words. "i understand." it doesn't sound like he understands.
you think that's the end of it. you're going to take his hand again and do the same thing, when —
he leans over and licks your cheek.
not the response you'd been expecting, but you're not complaining.
Hello! Before I ask I would like to clarify that you can ignore this request if it makes uncomfortable in any way! But I was wondering if it’s possible, anyone from twst (I’m fine w any!) with reader who got their wisdom teeth removed? (Recently got mine removed and it’s killing me💔)
They’re (trying) to take care of reader while they’re on laughing gas, ofc they take pics of ur swollen face bc it looks so funny and videos of u still being on laughing gas and they ABSOLUTELY tease the hell out of you when you finally recover, or just overall taking care of them so they don’t do anything that could possibly have it becoming more painful. Also possibly having a sleepover at ramshackle.
once again if you feel uncomfortable with this request you can ignore this! Just thought it would be a little silly!!
cater diamond, sebek zigvolt
gn!reader, wisdom tooth removal, some depictions of IVs/needles (only in Sebek's part). can be romantic or platonic
a/n: i feel for you anon i got my wisdom teeth removed this summer also. i hope you're feeling a little better! i was originally planning to have three characters, but this turned out to be longer than i was expecting. hope you enjoy!
do not use my work in a dataset or to train ai
𐙚˚ ༘❀⋆ ༘⋆✿
CATER DIAMOND
“Diamond.” Your hand was wrapped around the redhead’s so tightly that a wince tugged at the corner of his mouth. “If even one photograph ends up on Magicam, you’re dead to me.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Cater teased, subtly trying to extricate his numb hand from your death grip. “No pictures, I promise.”
“Cater.” You glared up at him, nails pricking his skin. “I mean it—“
“I know!” He protested, using his free hand to pry you off of him. “I’m gonna chillax in the lobby. I’ll come get you as soon as you’re done, ‘kay? ‘Kay!”
You finally let him go, leaning back against the cool blue plastic of the dentist chair. Cater backed away towards the door, stepping aside as several surgeons — tooth surgeons? — came bustling into the room, setting up a tray of metal tools near your head and readying an IV drip. When your fingertips tightened around the chair’s armrest, Cater waved at you, stealing your attention back.
“Say cheese!” He winked, holding up his phone for a selfie. You gave him a shaky peace sign from the chair. When you strained your head to see, the dentists pushed you back down. “Pre-wisdom tooth removal surgery photo!”
He edged out the door, waving cheerily. Then, before the nurses could lock him out, he poked his head back in. “But can I take some pictures afterward, just for, like, me—“
You threw a pillow at him.
Waiting was agonizing. Cater scrolled aimlessly through Magicam, not even bothering to post updates or engage with anybody’s posts. Had they put you under yet? Would you wake up in the middle of surgery? Cater had seen a video about it once, where some obscure influencer had begun crying in the middle of it from the trauma of waking up and feeling the surgeons’ tools in your mouth—
He shuddered, exiting out of the app to text Trey instead. The other boy would likely be working right now, maybe trying to fix some new situation the Adeuce duo had cooked up, but this was important, damn it!
kk
Treyyyyyy they’ve gone into surgery
This is so scary omg pray for me
Trey bae
You aren’t even the one in surgery??
Tell [Name] to come by the bakery when they can eat again
kk
Omg they can’t EAT??????
Trey bae
Cater did you look into what this would entail at all
[Name] can’t eat solid food for a few days. Because their teeth are gone.
kk
ok I knew THAT I just didn’t think it would impact their eating?? I mean it’s just four teeth at the back of your mouth. Chew with your front teeth tf
Trey bae
That’s not how that works
That’s not how any of this works
With a frustrated sigh, Cater left Trey on read, but began looking up post-wisdom tooth surgery care. Like, Trey was right, Cater hadn’t really researched the whole ‘losing teeth’ thing, but he wasn’t going to just leave you to suffer through clumsy care! Cater could look after people too!
“Who’s the person here for [Name]?” A nurse called into the waiting room; Cater squawked and dropped his phone. Had an hour passed that quickly? But he wasn’t done looking up how to make sure you didn’t die of, like, infection or something!
“Ah, that’s me! Cater Diamond here,” Cater said casually, recovering in an instant. He slipped his phone into his back pocket as he followed the nurse into the hallway. “Are they done already?”
“Yep, the procedure went smoothly,” she replied, bustling past a long row of doors — Cater didn’t remember your surgery room being quite so far away. “Now, they’re still a little woozy from the anaesthesia, but you’ll be good to take them home once we’ve got them the post-op recovery kit.”
“Oh, thank the Seven, you get a kit?” Cater wouldn’t be entirely helpless! A win! “What sort of stuff is in it?”
“Well, we put some extra gauze in there in case the bleeding continues for a while—“
“Sorry, what?”
“—and a plastic syringe, remember that they have to flush out the holes where their teeth used to be after every meal—“
“What?”
“—and some pain medicine, of course.”
Cater caught a glimpse of his pale reflection in a window. “Of course,” he said weakly.
The nurse beamed.
“Alright, we’ve got them in a wheelchair to make transportation a little easier, let me go get you that post-op kit!” She opened the door to your room before departing.
You were slumped over in a wheelchair by the window, facing away from him. Hesitantly stepping into the room, Cater gave a tiny wave before remembering you couldn’t see him. “Heyyyy, [Name].” Cater smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, funny story, but I just heard about the kind of stuff you’ll have to do to take care of your teeth, and like, wow, that’s really rough—“
“Mmpgh ‘ff.”
“Sorry?”
You made another muffled noise, and Cater leaned closer, trying to understand, before you raised one wobbly hand to flip him off.
Cater stared at your hand in stunned silence before doubling over laughing. He caught the handle of your wheelchair to steady himself as you finally turned to look at him; seeing your unfocused eyes and cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s, he just laughed harder.
“OMG, look at you,” he wheezed, fishing his phone out of his back pocket to snap a photo. You raised your other hand to flip him off as well. “You look so rumpled! What did they do to you, poor thing, just look at you—“
You opened your mouth, no doubt to curse him out, but could barely get a word out around the gauze packing your cheeks. Cater managed to wipe his eyes just as the nurse came back in the room holding a small plastic bag.
“Take these every three hours, and these every six hours,” she instructed, showing Cater the two bottles in the bag. “These are painkillers, so [Name] can stop taking them when they don’t need them anymore, but they have to finish all the antibiotics, okay?”
“Got it!” Cater gave her two thumbs-up, taking the bag from her. “I’ll get them out of here now. Thanks for everything!”
As soon as they were out of the nurse’s line of sight, Cater pulled up the camera app, wedging his phone against the arm of the wheelchair. He briefly considered asking you to hold the phone. At that moment, your head lolled back against the headrest as you scrambled to regain your balance, and he decided against it.
“Recording for posterity!” Cater told the camera, leaning down into frame before pulling back to wheel you out of the dentist’s. “So, how are you feeling right now?”
“Mrngh hngh mmfgh.”
Cater nodded sagely, snickering all the while. “Interesting, interesting. Anything you want right now?”
You were silent for a long moment, and Cater wondered if you were okay before you said clearly, having moved the gauze around in your mouth, “Fuck off.”
Cater cackled, wheeling you to the NRC-provided carriage. Crowley had reluctantly permitted you to use school funds for the surgery, though it was probably added onto your weird tab of indentured servitude. “Glad to hear you’re doing okay!”
He carefully bundled you into the carriage, sending a clone off to return the wheelchair while he climbed in next to you. “Don’t you worry about anything, Cay-cay is gonna take care of you! And I’m sure the others will chip in too.”
You didn’t respond, and when he looked over, he saw you already asleep against the carriage door. Cater whistled, vaguely impressed. “Guess those meds were strong, huh?” As the carriage began moving, clattering over the cobblestone street, he gently reached over and adjusted you so you were leaning on him, head cushioned against his shoulder. With careful fingers, he swept a lock of stray hair back from your forehead, snapping another photo.
“…Cute,” he whispered, saving it to favorites.
SEBEK ZIGVOLT
“REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE HUMAN AND VERY DELICATE.”
“I’m not delicate.”
“YOU MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK THEIR TEETH.”
“Sometimes you have to, in order to get the tooth out.”
“YOU MUST PROVIDE YOUR BEST CARE.”
“I’m sure he’s not planning to maul me while I’m under anesthesia.”
Sebek’s father was a small, rather watery-looking man who paled even further in comparison to his towering, extremely spirited son. A pair of spectacles balanced precariously on the tip of his nose, and his brown hair was standing on end — no surprise there, since Sebek had been giving off tiny electric sparks since he brought you into the clinic.
“I’ll take good care of your friend here,” he promised, reaching up to pat Sebek’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go to the waiting room, and I can get started on the surgery?”
Reluctantly, Sebek stepped away from your side. “IF I HEAR YOU IN DISTRESS, I WILL COME BACK TO AID YOU.”
You wouldn’t be able to make any noise, being unconscious, but you thought it was probably best not to say so. “Got it.”
Sebek vanished through the door, leaving you alone with his father in the operating room. Dr. Zigvolt adjusted his spectacles, gesturing for you to lean back against the chair. “So, you’re [Name], huh? Sebek has told me all about you.”
“Has he? I sort of thought all his letters home would be about Malleus, or something,” you admitted, letting him slide the IV into your arm.
“How is that feeling?”
“Fine?”
“Alright, well, the anesthesia has started.”
“Has it? I don’t feel anything. Hang on, the ceiling looks kinda weir—“
You were gone.
Sebek paced vigilantly near the waiting room door, glancing up at the clock every few minutes. How long would it take for his father to complete the surgery? No doubt your friends back at Night Raven College would be eager to see you again — he recalled Ace telling you that he was going to take several pictures of your post-operation state (“I’m gonna have a whole album of just your loopy ass!”). Sebek, as the son of the dentist who would be committing violence upon your mouth, had volunteered to take care of you. You had insisted that it wasn’t necessary, of course, but his honor demanded he take responsibility since his father could not, and what’s more, Lord Malleus himself had urged him to spend the night at Ramshackle in order to care for the prefect!
“Your friend is done, darling.” Sebek’s mother, dressed in her assistant uniform, opened the door. “They’re a little woozy right now, but they’ll be right as rain in a couple of hours. You can take them back to school once we get you the post-op care kit.”
“THANK YOU, MOTHER.” Sebek strode past, hurrying towards your room. He had to ensure your safety immediately! “HUMAN, ARE YOU WELL?”
You lifted your head at the noise, eyes unfocused. Your mouth was packed with gauze, giving you the impression of an oversized chipmunk, bruises blooming at the bottom of your jaw, no doubt from the removal of your teeth. “???”
“I AM HERE TO HELP BRING YOU BACK TO SCHOOL,” Sebek declared, in case you had forgotten from the anesthesia. “I WILL ENSURE YOU RECEIVE THE BEST TREATMENT.”
“??????”
A few long and confusing minutes later, Sebek was wheeling you out to the carriage, ready to take you back to school. You had begun to regain consciousness, eyes a little clearer as you looked around. “Whrgh rr ee gngh?”
“HUSH, HUMAN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SPEAK. YOUR MOUTH HAS UNDERGONE SEVERE TRAUMA.”
You tried to protest, but Sebek just shushed you again, helping you up into the carriage. “TO SCHOOL, CARRIAGE.”
The carriage took off at a ridiculously fast pace. No wonder it had run you over. When was that again? It seemed like so long ago. But you were still a freshman, so it wasn’t more than a year. How long is a year again? Like…three hundred days? More than that? Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred miiiinutes—
“WE HAVE ARRIVED, HUMAN.” Sebek declared, lifting you down from the carriage despite your muffled I can walk I’m not totally helpless. “BEFORE WE ENTER, I MUST INFORM YOU THAT I HAD NO HAND IN THIS SPECTACLE.”
“Whht spethhcle—?”
The door to Ramshackle blew open, Ace standing in the doorway with one hand on his hip. “Finally, you took forever!”
Behind him, the other first years groaned. Deuce hauled him back with a scowl. “Dude, you were supposed to wait!”
Balloons bumped against the living room ceiling, pink and blue streamers taped up to the walls (“The store only had gender reveal stuff, sorry”). On the banister, a canvas sign read ‘HAPPY TOOTH REMOVAL, [NAME]’. A tub of ice cream was slowly melting on the table, Epel hauling a yowling Grim back before he could stick his paws in it.
“How are you feeling?” Jack ventured.
You promptly burst into tears.
It was so nice of them! And you had missed them all so much, wow, how long had it been since you last saw them? A few hours, Deuce replied. Oh, you were saying stuff out loud. Could they hear that too? Yes. Wow. Wow. You were kind of dizzy.
“EVERYBODY EXIT THE PREMISES,” Sebek thundered, pointing to the door. “I WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PREFECT AND ENSURE THEIR FULL RECOVERY.”
“I mean, we can help out,” Epel ventured, one arm wrapped around Grim.
“Maybe not,” Deuce admitted, eyeing Ace, who had begun filming.
“Say something funny,” Ace urged.
“THEY WILL NOT.”
You cried harder, and the other first years began filing out — Ace shouted, “You’ll thank me later when you watch these!” as Deuce dragged him to the door — and you were finally in peace.
A hand grasped your arm, steering you towards the couch. “SIT AND REST, HUMAN,” Sebek ordered, forcibly pushing you down. “I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH SOUP AND ICE CREAM.”
“Thhnk ya.”
Sebek puffed out his chest, cheeks faintly flushed. “DO NOT THANK ME. I AM DOING MY DUTY.”
Duty to whom? You tried to ask, but Sebek just shoved the ice cream tub and a spoon into your lap. “I SHALL GO READY YOUR ROOM.”
When he came back downstairs, you had removed the gauze from your mouth and were consuming ice cream at a concerning pace. As Sebek came into view, you perked up, fishing your phone out of your pocket. “Can you take a picture for me?”
“A PICTURE?” Sebek took the phone, holding it to his face and squinting at the screen. “WHY WOULD YOU WANT A PICTURE?”
“For fun!”
He took the picture. Handing the phone back to you, Sebek shook his head. “I HAVE SET UP YOUR ROOM TO BE AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE.”
“Say cheese,” you said, dragging him into frame to take a selfie. Before his very eyes, you uploaded it to Magicam with the caption ‘removed my teeth #removedmyteeth’. “I’m not going to bed just yet, I want to finish the ice cream.”
“YOU WILL MAKE YOURSELF SICK.”
“I’ll be fine.”
You did not make yourself sick. You did, however, fall asleep on the couch. Sebek prodded your shoulder. “HUMAN,” he whisper-shouted. “RETIRE TO YOUR ROOMS.”
“Mmghhhh no.”
Sebek gritted his teeth, then lowered himself onto one knee before you. Reaching back, he wrapped both of your arms around his shoulders, then hooked his hands under your legs. “YOU WILL NOT BE COMFORTABLE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH.”
Getting to your room was slow going, mostly because he had to keep avoiding the rusty nails on the stairs. Perhaps he would inform Lord Malleus of the conditions you were living in. Surely he could appeal to Headmage Crowley. Sebek carefully laid you down on the bed, turning and preparing himself to make the treacherous journey downstairs to sleep on the couch.
“Where are you going?”
“TO SLEEP, HUMAN.”
“Just come sleep in here.”
Heat pricked at Sebek’s cheeks, and he shook his head so violently he grew dizzy. “NO. IT WOULD BE IMPROPER.”
You smirked at him — how foolish, that it could affect him so. You looked ridiculous with your swollen cheeks. “Nobody’s gonna care. Besides, what if I, like, throw up in the middle of the night? It’s just easier if you stay here.”
Sebek hesitated. It was…tempting. And you were right, nobody would know. If it was for the greater good…
“I WILL REMAIN HERE TO CARE FOR YOU,” he acquiesced, slipping under the blankets. He lay there, stiff as a board, as you dozed off beside him. “BUT DO NOT SPEAK A WORD OF THIS TO ANYONE.”
You gave him a sleepy smile, eyes soft in the moonlight. “Yeah, yeah, got it.”
And then you were out like a light again. Slowly, Sebek’s muscles began to untense, becoming more relaxed the surer he was that you were truly asleep this time. He didn’t dare roll over, but he turned his head to look at you. What a long day you must have had.
“SWEET DREAMS, HUMAN,” he whispered, and fell asleep.
fempov, young silver and young reader, featuring an unknown festival in briar valley. so childhood friends to lovers, i suppose?
a/n: first x reader fic i've ever written - i hope it's okay!
do not use my work in a dataset or to train ai
𐙚˚ ༘❀⋆ ༘⋆✿
“I think I might starve to death.”
“Hm?” Malleus’ eyes cracked open, long eyelashes fluttering as he glanced up at the small boy in front of him. “Why? I don’t recall food being a problem before.”
“I mean, I don’t really think I’m going to starve,” Silver said matter-of-factly, nimble fingers tying off the stems of the flowers in his crown. A bird chirped atop his head — where did it come from? He had no idea. Animals always came looking for him, and in the middle of the forest, it was probably easier than usual. “But food doesn’t really…agree with my stomach. Even though I know I have to eat. I don’t know why.”
“Fufufufu.” Malleus tilted his head obligingly as Silver tried to fit the flower crown over his horns. “Have you ever had food that wasn’t cooked by Lilia before?”
Silver shook his head, sitting on the rock next to Malleus. “No, I don’t think so.”
“You’d likely remember if you did.”
“Huh? Why?”
“That settles it, then.” Malleus rose to his full imposing height, and Silver’s eyes widened. He didn’t know why the Crown Prince of Briar Valley occasionally came to seek him and his father out, but he was grateful nonetheless. Lilia lived so far from the capital that Silver rarely got to see anyone besides him and Sebek — Father always said they would go to the castle someday for his training, but he privately wondered if that day would ever come. Malleus dusted off his robes, turning away towards the forest. “I shall arrange a meal for your birthday.”
Silver followed after him, nearly tripping on a tree root. “Really? That’s — that’s very kind—“
“Nonsense. How old will you be turning, again?”
“Thirteen.” Silver allowed himself a small smile — he’d finally be a teenager. And Sebek had promised to come to their house to celebrate (with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which was a lot).
Malleus laughed again, reaching down to pat Silver’s head gently. “So young,” he mused. “But I suppose to a human, it must be a very grown-up age. In the meantime, a gift.”
A flicker of green sparked at Malleus’ fingertips, and Silver watched, eyes wide, as a jewel dropped into his hand. It was nearly the size of Silver’s pinky, and he handled it carefully as Malleus tipped it into his palm. “Um — thank you, Malleus.” He wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it. Maybe he’d ask Lilia.
No response. Silver looked up, mouth open to repeat his thanks, but Malleus had already vanished in a swirl of green fireflies. They buzzed around his face before dispersing.
“Oh.” Silver looked around, though it was pointless. “Um.”
The sun was still high in the sky, casting sunlight in green film through the tree leaves. Now that Malleus was gone, the animals of the forest began to emerge — deer from behind trees, rabbits from beneath the underbrush, squirrels from the branches. Silver sighed, gently lifting the bird from atop his head (the only one who hadn’t hidden at the sight of Malleus) to place him on the log beside him. A bunny leaped into his lap, and he caught it with a soft grunt.
“That isn’t very nice, you know,” he scolded gently, stroking the rabbit’s soft back. “Malleus is very kind. And I’m sure he’d love to meet you all.”
A deer nudged at his cheek, and a squirrel scampered up his arm to rest on his shoulder, chittering away. “Hey! I’m being serious. I know he might look kinda scary, but I bet Malleus would be really happy if he got to meet you. He said he doesn’t see many new people, and it’s not nice that you won’t come when he’s around just because of how he looks.”
The rabbit’s ears flattened, and Silver sighed. “Fine, forget it.”
“Ugh!”
Silver turned around, startled, but didn’t see anything. “Huh? Hello?” Nobody answered, and he turned to the deer, shock written all over his face. “Did you guys hear that?”
The animals chittered affirmatively, all looking around in search of the noise’s source.
“Hello?” Silver called, but still heard nothing. He glanced at the animals, crouching to their level. “You all heard that, right? Can you find the person for me? They might be in trouble.”
The animals all scampered off in different directions, searching for the mysterious voice. A lizard perched on his shoulder, Silver set off as well, wandering between the trees. He tried again. “I promise Malleus is really nice,” he whispered to the lizard, gently scratching its head. “And I bet he’d really like you.”
The lizard just blinked slowly, one eye after the other. Silver sighed. “Come on, let’s go then.”
He searched the woods for another few minutes before the animals found him again, all clamoring for his attention. “Huh? Did you find them?” They tugged on his clothing, all dragging him along in one direction. One deer had the hem of his shirt in its mouth, moving forward determinedly. “Hey! Slow down!”
The animals obliged, but still kept on at a fast pace. What could they possibly be so worked up about?
Oh.
When they finally stopped, Silver found himself at the edge of a clearing, staring at you. You faced away from him, hunched over yourself. Most importantly, you were weeping.
Silver was suddenly, inexplicably shy. Maybe it was because he didn’t know many people, and certainly not a girl. The only woman he’d ever met was Mrs. Zigvolt, who was loud and cheerful and had never cried in front of him before. You looked his own age, and had soft skin and silk slippers, and were wearing a pretty blue dress.
“S-sorry, um, are you alright?” Since when did he stutter? That was new. “Um…Miss…?” That, he thought, could not be the right way to address a girl who was also a kid, but he wasn’t quite sure what else to say. He edged closer, a fox headbutting his ankles insistently to force him forward. Gingerly tapping your shoulder, Silver nearly jumped back when you turned to look at him.
Your eyes were puffy from crying, and your cheeks and nose were red. Even as he watched, a few more tears slipped down your face; you seemed to have given up on wiping them away.
“Oh! Um. I — are you okay?” He rummaged in his pockets, a little flustered, and finally pulled out his handkerchief, handing it to you. “Did something happen?”
“I’m fucking lost,” you sniffled. Silver restrained a gasp. You squinted at his expression, then looked down again. “Sorry, I don’t usually swear, I promise.”
“It’s okay,” Silver said, gingerly sitting on the log beside you. “I bet you’re not usually lost, either.”
That got a smile out of you. Accomplishment! “No, I’m not.”
“I like your dress.”
“Oh. Thanks?”
“Blue’s my favorite color,” Silver hastened to explain, cheeks pink. While you wiped your eyes again, he whipped his head around to look at the animals in a panic. Why had he said that? Silver wasn’t a liar!
But his favorite color was purple.
“What are you…” You turned to see what he was looking at, and gasped. “Oh! There are so many animals!”
“Do you like animals?”
“Yes, but I don’t see them very often…”
Silver was already gesturing for them to come closer. They all beelined to him, but he quickly began handing them off to you, whose jaw had dropped open.
“They listen to you!”
“Well…I mean, I suppose, yeah.”
You huffed a laugh, stroking the neck of a deer that had sidled up to her. “That’s amazing! I didn’t know anyone could do that! Well, except for an animal trainer, I guess.” You surveyed him critically; Silver tried not to fidget. “Are you an animal trainer?”
“No, I’m twelve.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be thirteen soon,” he added quickly. What if she thought he was just a little kid?
“I’m twelve too!” You beamed, tears forgotten, and Silver pinked. “It’s cool that we’re the same age.”
“R-right! Yeah, it’s really cool.” You cooed over the animals, petting as many of them as you could reach. “Um, you said you were lost…?”
“Oh! Right.” You stroked a rabbit’s ears, marveling over the soft fur. “I’m not even supposed to be out here, technically…I was meant to go to piano class.”
“Why didn’t you go?”
“I didn't want to.”
“…that’s sort of fair, I guess.”
“Anyways, I didn’t think I would see anyone in here, but I’m glad I did. Do you know how to get back to…uh…the village? It’s the only one around here for miles, so if you know about it, it’s probably the right one.”
“Um…” Silver was supposed to be getting home. Silver was supposed to go back to the cottage so Lilia could feed him horrible food. Should he take you to Father? He would probably know what to do more than he did, but a small, selfish part of him whispered not to. “Well, yeah. I can show you the way back.”
You brightened, and Silver flushed, a pleased smile on his face. “Thank you so much! I’ll make sure to repay you.”
“Oh, no, that’s not necessary—“
“I insist!” You smiled so wide your eyes nearly closed, and Silver’s words stuttered to a halt. “There’s a festival in town right now, I’ll show you around!”
A festival? Like the ones in fairytales? Father had told him about them, and Malleus…surely it would be alright if he went? It’s not like Father was expecting him home that soon…
“Here.” He thrust out his hand, looking away with a fierce blush. “I’ll…I’ll take you back to the village.”
Did you have to hold hands? Probably not, now that he was thinking about it — it’s just that that’s how they always did it in stories. He took her hand this and they held hands that. But before he could pull his hand back, he felt yours slide into it, soft and hesitant.
“Okay,” you said.
He stared at you, feeling like all his hair was standing on end. He had never been this close to a girl before — did it always feel like this? Looking at you, he realized he was just a little taller, and that your cheeks were rounder than his. For once, he wasn’t the least bit sleepy.
You tilted her head curiously. “Are you alright…?”
Silver snapped out of it, face burning brighter than before. “Right! I’m good. Let’s — let’s get you back home.”
Silver knew the woods like the back of his hand — or rather, the animals did. They scurried along beside you and leaped from branch to branch overhead, guiding you back to civilization. You traipsed alongside him, tears all dried up, your dress brushing his legs whenever you got too close. You chattered to him aimlessly, and he listened, absorbing everything. Apparently you had gone into the forest because you heard nobody was in there, and you wanted to explore by yourself, and that was how you had gotten lost. How had you not left any markers, Silver wondered. That was the first thing Father taught him when he began going off in the woods by himself. Your laughter was like nothing he’d heard before — at times loud and pronounced like a firecracker, other times soft and chiming as bells — and he was entranced by it.
“By the way, what’s your name?” You asked, finally turning to him, as though you’d just recalled he could speak as well.
“Oh — Silver. Just Silver.”
“Like your hair!” You nodded. “I guess your parents must be very practical.”
“You could…I guess you could say that…” Silver cleared his throat, wondering if Father had set the cottage on fire yet. “What’s your name?”
“I’m [name].” You smiled at him again, and he felt like the sun had punched him in the chest. “It’s nice to meet you, Silver.”
“It’s...nice to meet you too.”
He tugged you along gently, the light warming to orange through the trees as it sank to the horizon. The animals drifted to a halt at the edge of the forest, and Silver led you out to the path that ran near the border.
“We’re here,” he said quietly. “I’ll head home, now.”
“Wait!” You caught his arm, looking up at him earnestly, and he froze. “I said I would take you to the festival, right? Come on, I’ll even pay for everything!”
“Oh, I don’t want to bother you—“
“It’s fun, I promise!” You tugged him towards the center of the town, where Silver could already hear music and laughter. He shrank, uncertain — he’d never been near so many people before — but you kept onwards. “I’ll take care of you!”
Warmth bloomed in his chest, like a candle flame rather than a blast of light this time. The sky was beginning to fade to lilac, then blue velvet, stars twinkling above. Swirls of smoke and steam rose from fires all around the town square, food vendors lining the streets. You pulled Silver towards one stall, which displayed a tray full of pastries.
“Hello, sir! Could we get two of those?” You pointed to the cream buns on the end, and Silver did a double-take — they were nearly the size of his head. “Thank you!”
You fished into your pocket, dropping a few madol into the vendor’s hand and snatching up the cream buns. You waved goodbye, already heading somewhere else, and Silver hurried to follow.
“Here, try one of these,” you instructed, handing him a pastry. Silver stared at it doubtfully. His stomach hurt every time he ate something — why would this be any different? “It’s good! Here, I’ll try it first.”
You took a large bite, cream spilling out on either side of your mouth, and Silver watched as you chewed, then swallowed. “It’s really good,” you repeated.
Hesitantly, Silver took a bite of his own. Had anyone else been watching him, they might have thought he was having a heart attack or a stroke; as it was, you were the only one looking, and the thought didn’t even cross your mind. He froze in place, pupils dilating as sugar burst on his tongue.
“This is amazing.” He took another bite, eating much faster now while you giggled. “I didn’t know food could taste like this.”
“First time having a pastry?”
Was it? There was something Father had made once that kind of looked like this, but it was far blacker, and had mysterious lumps in the filling. “I think so?”
You led him around the square, introducing him to new foods at every stall: pasta, crepes, layered cakes, meat skewers. Silver was fuller than he had been in a while, maybe because he was able to finish everything he ate. By the end, he was drowsy, but not like he usually was — just satiated and warm. He bumped your arm with how close he was keeping to you, though he was too happy to care. You stopped before another stall, this one selling hair accessories instead of food. Silver watched your eyes trace over every item, small hands clasped together in the folds of your skirt. Reaching up, you stood on tiptoes to pull a hair ribbon down from its display. It was pink and dotted with white flowers, and Silver thought, somehow, that it fit you perfectly.
“What do you think?”
He startled, taking his eyes off of you to look at…well, you. You held the ribbon against your hair, smiling at him, and he could hardly breathe.
“I think it’s great.” He managed a weak smile. Apparently that was good enough for you, because you turned back to the vendor.
“How much for this?”
You got ready to pay, but Silver stopped you with a gentle hand. Reaching into his own pocket, he pulled out the jewel Malleus had gifted him earlier — he wasn't sure if it was enough, but it was all he had.
“Can I pay with this…?”
The vendor, a stooping grandmother with white curls, smiled at him. She looked at you, then back, a knowing glimmer in her eyes. “That’s more than enough, child,” she assured him, taking the jewel from his hand. “Here, enjoy your ribbon.”
She pressed the ribbon into his hand and puttered to the back of her stall while Silver led you away, feeling his cheeks heat up. He sat on the rim of the fountain in the center of the town square, looking up at the sky. You sat beside him, smoothing your dress down. The two of you sat in silence for a moment, just taking in the night.
“Ah — you didn’t have to do that,” you said, breaking the silence and laughing awkwardly. “I’m the one who’ll be using it, anyways.”
“I wanted to buy it for you,” Silver said firmly. He hesitantly reached up, touching the tips of your hair. “Um — do you want my help to—“
“Yes.” This time it was you who said it too fast, and he was rather pleased to see your cheeks tinge pink. “If you would.”
“Yeah. Turn around.”
Faced with your hair, Silver realized he didn’t actually know how to do hair. His was long enough that Father had tied it back a few times, but he wasn’t entirely sure how to do it on another person. Fortunately for him, you seemed to recognize his plight.
“Try gathering the top half of it back?”
He did so obediently, smoothing out any obvious lumps as best as he could.
“Then take the ribbon and wrap it around the hair a few times, then tie it off.”
This part was a little trickier, but he got there in the end. Your hair was…well, it looked like it was done by a twelve-year-old boy, but it got the job done. You leaned over the edge of the fountain, reaching up to touch your hair.
“It looks nice,” you said softly. “Thank you, Silver.”
The blush was back with full force, and he looked away quickly. “It’s — it’s no problem. I’m glad you like it.”
He yawned, eyes already closing. Damn it! He didn’t want to fall asleep — not here, not with you. But he had no choice. Sleep was already dragging him under.
“Silver? Silver?”
I’m sorry, he wanted to say, but he was already gone.
When he came to, his head was resting against something soft, and the activities had wound down significantly. The sky was fully dark now, glimmering with stars, and the lamps had all burned low. He lifted his head, drowsy — where was he?
Oh no.
He sat up quickly, face burning with mortification. How could he have fallen asleep in front of you? Damn it. Damn it!
“Silver!”
He turned around, startled, and came face-to-face with you. You were rubbing your eyes as well, looking like you’d just woken up — had you fallen asleep too? His gaze dropped to your legs. Oh. You must have let him rest on your lap. The very idea made his face flare with heat. “Are you okay? You just fell asleep all of a sudden, I thought you’d fainted.”
“I am so sorry.” You looked startled at his serious tone, gaze dropping to your hands as he grabbed them. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I swear this just happens—“
“It’s alright!” You said hastily, shaking your head. “It’s fine, I promise.”
Silver looked around, but didn’t see a clock anywhere. He was supposed to go back hours ago! “What time is it?”
“It’s high time you came home, young man.”
Silver’s heart dropped, and he looked up to see Lilia, one eyebrow raised in mirth. He didn’t look upset at all — on the contrary, his expression was quite giddy.
“Father! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to stay out for so long—“
“Not to worry!” Lilia sang, helping Silver up. “I’m glad you had fun. Who’s your friend?”
“Oh! I’m [name].” You dropped into an awkward bow/curtsy, unsure what to do. “Are you — um. Who are you?”
“Silver’s father,” Lilia introduced, positively gleeful. “My, you are very polite.”
“His — his father?” You squinted at him, but seemed to take it in stride. “Nice to meet you…?”
“Nice to meet you too.” Lilia ruffled Silver’s hair lightly. “Say goodbye to your friend, Silver. It’s high time you were in bed.”
Silver wanted to explain to you that he did not have a bedtime, but seeing as you had watched him fall asleep before your very eyes, he figured it was best to just leave it. “It was nice meeting you, [name],” he said softly, his gaze tracing your features.
You gave him a sunny smile in return, and Silver thought he had never met someone so lovely. “It was nice to meet you too, Silver.”
Lilia began leading him away, but he paused at the edge of the town square, hurrying back for a moment.
“If you…if you'd ever like to see me again, you can just come into the woods,” he said quietly, hoping Lilia wouldn’t overhear. “The animals will tell me you’re there, and I’ll come and find you.”
He didn’t have time to see your response, quick to hurry back to his father’s side, but you nodded anyways.
Back at the cottage, Lilia got Silver into bed, not even scolding him — Silver waited for the concern, for the lecture, but none ever came, and he was asleep before he could wonder why. Lilia gazed down at his son’s sleeping face, bending down to kiss his forehead fondly before stepping outside.
Malleus was already waiting in the garden, and Lilia sat on the stoop of the house, beaming up at the stars. Lovely old sky.
“He seemed to have a good time today,” Malleus observed. On his shoulder was a small lizard, who occasionally stuck its tongue out to taste the air. Apparently it thought Malleus was acceptable. It would likely say as much to Silver tomorrow, not that he would understand. Lilia kicked his legs giddily, cupping his face in his palms.
“He’s got a girlfriend!”
“A friend who is a girl.”
“He likes her, I can tell.”
Malleus frowned. “How can you know that? You observed them for one day. Are human emotions not fickle?”
Lilia gazed at the sky thoughtfully, considering the point. Yes, humans could be fickle, their loyalties and feelings shifting ever so quickly. He supposed that when your lifespan was so short, of course your feelings would have to be fleeting. But he had never seen his son’s face so red, his smile so wide. And if you were the one to make him look like that, then Lilia could forgive you even for introducing Silver to proper food.
“Maybe for some people,” Lilia dismissed, “but not my Silver.”
You had spent the last ten minutes explaining the rules of the game and what playing it entailed. You believed that your comrades were ready. Or at least, as ready as they'll ever be without experiencing the game for themselves.
As Lilia had put it, "just start and we'll figure out the rest, kheehee."
The old man was the first to move. With a nimble jump, he began floating up to the ceiling like a bubble.
"That kind of feels like cheating," you stated while fumbling up the back side of a leather armchair.
"But I'm not touching the floor," Lilia pointed out. He was right.
"Powerful and strategic! That's Lilia for you!" Sebek shouted. His excitement almost knocked over the candle burning atop the table he was on. He adjusted his footing until the old wood stopped creaking, leaving dusty footprints that he'd have to wipe up later.
Grim was busy digging his claws into your pants. He scrambled up your side while screeching, "hey, minion! Eyes forward, don't let me fall!"
Silver was hanging on to the bannister as casually as one might lay on the couch. He appeared unbothered, but your biceps hurt just watching. He pulled himself to the top of the railing near effortlessly. "Malleus," he said, "I believe you have to get to high ground."
"I am fine," Malleus responded. He was standing right where he started on the lounge carpet, with all the serenity of a powerful, peerless magician. He did not budge. "A bit of lava will not harm me."
"That's not how the game works!" Grim yelled. He managed to climb up your back and had his hind legs perched on your shoulders, paws in your hair.
Sebek was applauding. There was no side of Malleus that could disappoint him. The table legs must have been uneven, because it thunked from side to side with each clap.
"Come now, Malleus," Lilia chided. "Don't be a spoilsport."
"Lava will not harm me," Malleus repeated with a frown. It was a simple fact. Thus, he should be crowned the clear winner of this game.
if this is alright with the original request, and obviously you as the author, would you be willing to make the "dressing up for a ball" blurbs/headcanons a series ?
i've rarely found anything related to balls or formal events where the reader/mc dresses up !! PLUS your writing is so smooth and yummy ᡣ𐭩
it's completely understandable if you can't write anymore on this trope or simply don't wish to
ofc !! i'd love to, just lmk which characters you want :)
Would you mind writing a scenario where there's like a ball event at NRC, and reader shows up with this huge, gorgeous ball gown, wearing makeup, a little bit of body glitter, basically went all out; and they usually dress masculine so no one was expecting it? Also, could you make it gender neutral? Oh, I forgot to mention, could you do this with the diasomnia characters? Thank you sooo much if you take this request!
seeing you in a dress
ft : diasomnia (malleus, lilia, silver, sebek)
a/n : this has sat in my inbox for what feels like forever sorry
── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 🐚
malleus is surprised, to say the least. not in a bad way; in fact, he thinks you're absolutely gorgeous. everything—the way you're dressed, how you're carrying yourself, your entire demeanour—it's so unlike you, but at the same time, it suits you so well. after the event, he pulls you aside to quietly ask if you'd dress like this more often.
lilia can't help but laugh. not at you! he's just so caught off-guard, and this is so out of character for you! he likes it, though. he definitely teases you for dressing up like this all for him, how honoured he is that you'd go through such lengths for him, even after you tell him that you didn't do this for him. whether that's the truth or not is irrelevant, you don't need to feed his ego!
silver, ever the gentleman, first and foremost tells you how lovely you look. then he tells you that you didn't need to doll yourself up so much—your usual style would have fit perfectly too. when you reassure him that you're dressed like this because you want to be, he smiles and tells you again how nice it looks on you. if you wanted to dress like this more often, he wouldn't complain.
sebek gets nervous. he's always a little nervous around you, but now it's multiplied by ten. it's cute. he can't stop staring, and for a moment you think it's because you look bad, but then you notice the pink dusting his cheeks and realise the truth. sebek isn't a shy person, but you just look so pretty he isn't quite sure what to do about it.
A minor pet peeve I have with Twst writers is when they're writing Floyd x reader and they have Floyd calling the reader Shrimpy or some other nickname (like angelfish or something).
I think it's fine if it's pre-relationship, but something very important about Floyd is that he doesn't use nicknames for people he genuinely cares about. The nicknames are used with the intention of being demeaning because he sees the people around him as unimportant, and he doesn't care to remember their names.
Having Floyd call his partner by a nickname instead of their name just doesn't make sense for him. He's much more likely to use their actual name since that's a sign he likes someone. For example, he stopped referring to Azul as "Octy" or "Octopus" after they became friends because "Azul is just Azul" or however he worded it. Same reason as to why he just calls Jade by his name as well.
I know it's such a nitpick, but it's just something I've always noticed. And, yes, I know I am a hypocrite since I have written a fic where he used "Shrimpy" as a nickname, but that was written before I dug into this whole topic, and I have since changed my mind.
I should make it clear that I'm not telling anyone how to write their fics. Y'all can, of course, do what y'all want. I do agree that using Floyd's nicknames is a good way to avoid using something like Y/N or [reader], but I just wanted to yap.