— my main account is @moonsluvr-rawrz, so i will be following and interacting from that account.
— all of my works are simply fiction. nothing i write reflects the people in real life so please remember it’s not real, and thank you for reading my writing!
hello fellow tumblr.com users haha... i am Here to tell everyone i am leaving </3. i made a new blog if moots wanna reconnect I MISS YALL but apart from that this is me officially signing off. i'll keep the blog up for the ladies but i'll probably stop coming on here. luv you guys endlessly, miss u all tons. goodbye my loves
face reveal before i go cuase i'm hot 😍😍 \ ALSO I'M SO PROUD OF MY CARRD FOR THE #NEW BLOG DID IT MYSLF Y'ALL LOOK AT IT
I read IN YOUR DREAMS and HOLY COW WHAT WAS THAT. that was soo good for earth's sake. AND YOU'RE A DESI??!! GIRL SAMEE! I'm a desi 07 liner (^-^)/
let's be friends yo come own don't break my heart! ＼(_ _) and I recently opened my own blog too!
hi honey ! im supposed to be dead i haven’t posted in over a year but i’ve been secretly lurking on blr T_T
thank you so much for your kind words omg i really appreciate that and i’m glad you enjoyed it. the desi writers on here are so good, it’s nice to see more people in the community fs! i’d love to be friends with you & congrats on opening your own blog sweetheart!
this also reminded me i should probably update my blog since there’s so much outdated information </3
; you’ve heard countless stories of how your parents met, and of the vivid dreams that brought the two of them together. still, once you begin to have soulmate dreams of your own, it’s hard to enjoy getting to know your supposed other half when your best friend occupies your thoughts instead (and when your soulmate doesn’t remember these shared dreams ever happening).
PAIRING yang jungwon x gn!reader
GENRE soulmate au but not really, best friends to lovers, mutual pining, fluff + angst
WARNINGS semi-graphic desc. of injury, knives, derealization?, mc has a father and a mother i’m sorry for heteronormativity ㅠㅠ, mentions of food, swimming in the ocean, calculus…, rly dramatic for ltrly no reason
WORD COUNT 21.7k
LISTEN Can’t We Just Leave the Monster Alive? by TOMORROW X TOGETHER. MIST and INCEPTION by ATEEZ. Butterfly by BTS. Lovers’ Oath by Yu-Peng Chen, HOYO-MIX (i imagine this playing in the background in the mountains).
note i think this fic holds a special place in my heart as the first really long, plot-focused thing i’ve written. it was a very long process, especially since writing coincided with my final exams, but thank u for being patient with me and i hope it was worth the wait! + a huge huge huge thank you to @enhyphoria, @moonsluvr, @yyunari, & @jungwonize for being my beta(reader)s and helping me to edit this fic!! i love and appreciate u all so much <3
+ as always, please reblog if you enjoy, since it helps a lot with tumblr’s algorithm! any and all feedback is also very appreciated!
I. WAKING FROM A FAMILIAR DREAM
IT BEGINS IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Your eyes flutter open, then immediately narrow as they’re met with a flash of almost painfully bright light. A hand moves quickly to shade your face, and through the gaps in your fingers, you see hints of the bright, golden sky.
You feel the cool, slightly damp touch of morning dew against the back of your neck and the prickle of wild grass caressing your arms, so lucid that you almost believe you’d been kidnapped and brought to the middle of some natural reserve as you slept.
OMGG I LUV THIS SM !!! everything about this fic is so chefs kiss like hello ,, the characterization ?? the buildup ?? the TENSION ??? i’m obsessed
this was ltrly such a masterpiece istg i was reading this like it was a novel and when i tell u it had me absolutely hOOKED from beginning to end !! gosh it amazes me how well u write ☹️
first of all, the concept is so unique and i love how the plot slowly progresses through the dreams and how everything connects in & out of dreams it’s so cool and i’ve never read anything like that before and i think u executed it so well omg
i also really enjoyed reading this bc like ,, ur Mind. i think your choice of words fit so well and really served to enhance the story a lot and it was so creative like even the chapter titles were so genius how do you do it.
AND THE HUMOR i rly rly liked the banter between jw and mc it was so fun to read and their relationship progressed rly well LIKE ur so good at writing the emotions and the flow <//3 it was so enjoyable to read and i’m in love w all the characters
GENRE(S) | fluff, crack, rivals to lovers, fake dating au, high school au
WARNING(S) | profanity, lots of teasing, riki is constantly flirting with the mc, childish banter, nosy families, and last but not the least, a fluffy kiss!!
WORD COUNT | 5471
SUMMARY | agreeing to accompany nishimura riki to a christmas party was probably the most stupid decision you made that day. or so you thought.
PLAYLIST | all i want for christmas is you by mariah carey, i see the light by mandy moore and zachary levi, christmas tree by v (listen to this one once the kissing scene starts)
AUTHOR’S NOTE | hi!! i’m rly excited to repost this fic since it’s my proudest work and features my bias :”) why am i posting a christmas fic in the middle of march? bc i can’t wait till december to share it with you guys and bc riki is the only person i haven’t written for yet LOL feedback is always appreciated! i would love to hear what you guys think :D
You wondered if the universe hated you and had decided to fuck you over, or if you were just plain stupid.
Definitely the latter, you concluded as you watched the most horrifying scene you had ever witnessed unfold before your eyes.
You probably deserved everything coming your way for trusting Nishimura Riki earlier that day, but as a wise person had once said, even a girlboss has her weak moments.
And on the 25th of December, you were at your weakest.
Not only had your parents ditched you on Christmas to go on what they claimed was an urgent business trip but had also left without so much as a goodbye.
You’d woken up to a house as silent as the grave. For a moment, you’d thought you were sucked into the Home Alone universe, what with the way you were shouting their names like a child lost in a crowd and wondering why the fuck they weren’t answering you.
You’d called and called and called their phones, but each time, you’d received the same monotonous response: the number you are calling is not reachable.
The first two hours, you were in a state of absolute panic. You had no idea where your parents were and why they weren’t picking up their phones. There were no post-it notes stuck to the refrigerator, and their bed was already made.
synopsis: do you ever wonder what the life cycle of a pretty flower like taehyun is?
pairing: taehyun x gn!reader
word count: 1.4k
genre: strangers to lovers, fluff, flowershop au, angst
warnings: insecurities in a relationship, moves pretty fast tbh
authors note: i hope you're staying safe & healthy. don't forget how important it is to take care of yourself! i love you, as always :)
and so it begins.
it’s not much of a coincidence that you and taehyun happened to gravitate towards the same flower.
in your hands laid a string of beautiful blue orchids. in his, nothing, “oh, i’m sorry, you can have it.” he smiles.
you quickly extend your hand out to him, “no, it’s okay, it’s all yours!” he tries to stop himself from laughing at the way you’re treating this incident as if he were a king you just stole his crown.
“it’s okay.” he picks up another orchid lying on the shelves, “they’re all the same.”
you look down at your orchids. they did look exactly the same to you. you didn’t notice yours had more flowers. of course you didn’t, why would you count that, anyways?
“who are those for?”
there isn’t really an answer for that. you just saw some pretty flowers on your way home, and impulsively decided to buy some. “just me.”
“ah, i see. orchids are a good choice.”
“you know what they mean?”
“no, but they’re pretty. do you know what they mean?”
“let me search it up,” you offer, pulling out your phone. the answer is rather flustering. you quickly turn your phone, and clear your throat. he looks at you expectedly and you’re forced to answer a quick, “haha, it signifies a rare beauty. what a cute meaning.”
“cute, indeed.”
it may be nothing more than a seed at first, but it will surely grow into something beautiful.
“and he was so pretty i almost fainted! i should’ve asked for his number.” you spoke, stuffing your mouth with a pastry. all your friends heard from you since that day was your encounter with ‘the handsome man at the flower shop.’
whether you were boasting or complaining remained a mystery to them, “i think you should’ve married him on the spot if you like him so much.”
and at that moment, your handsome man from the flower shop walks into the café. your jaw hangs open as your friends turn to look at what, or who you’re looking at. they might not have got it at first, but they understand your obsession now.
he was too pretty. they wouldn’t have believed he was real if they didn’t see him themselves, “nevermind i take that back. can i have his hand in marriage?”
you grab the nearest napkin, wiping your mouth down. unsure if you should wave at him, or wait for him to notice you, you just stare at his figure walking up to the cashier. he talks so delicately, his tongue must be carrying pure sugar. you can’t hear him from where you are, but you’re sure his voice sounds as sweet as it did when you met him the other day.
the way he smiles, even if it’s not directed at you, has you absolutely weak on your knees. he’s cute, he’s cute for sure.
what if he didn’t remember you? that would be embarrassing.
“hey, you’re that person from the flower shop, right?” he walks up to you before you even notice.
“that’s me.”
“how are your orchids doing? mine have been blossoming well.”
“they’re good. they’ve just started growing, but i’ve been making sure to take good care of them.”
“you should keep me updated on how it’s going. do you want my number?”
you’re grateful he made the stupid excuse to get your number, you’re not sure you would’ve had the courage to do it yourself. so without further hesitation, you gladly exchange phone numbers, and polite smiles. you go home with that same smile stretching your face that night. what a happy coincidence.
the way you bloom in me.
you water your orchids that rest just outside. an orchid technically has two petals that make it up. you were always taught that the best things come in pairs.
taehyun pulls in the driveway before greeting you. “i got us reservations for the art exhibit tomorrow! they’re vip. do you want to go with me?”
of course, the answer to taehyun is always yes. that day, you walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. he points out all the artworks he likes, making comments about how they remind him of pretty things in his life. you’re a common topic, it seems.
“do you remember when we went to that cool bakery together? it kind of reminds me of that.” he says, examining the piece.
there’s throwaway comments about his childhood home, or his favorite movie. but at the center of his thoughts, you’re the one circulating in his mind.
“this has such a comforting vibe. like that night we saw a drive-in movie together. that was so much fun, we should really do something like that again.”
he looked so excited to reminisce over your memories together. you remember all of them. he makes you feel noticed. he remembers you, like nobody has remembered you before. he sees you.
“wow.” is all you can say when you reach the end of the exhibition. hanging on a giant wall, a painting of blue orchids bursting from a heart. the explosion of color contrasts the darker background. it’s one of the most gorgeous paintings you’ve ever laid your eyes on.
“do you like it?” taehyun asks curiously.
when you go home that night, you have an extra weight on you. it’s his hands that are now able to freely hold yours. he smiles, walking you home with the lovesick gaze in his eyes.
you’ve got the most beautiful boyfriend in existence, it almost feels surreal.
like every petal, i can’t stop admiring you.
isn’t it funny how you don’t even have to say anything when you’re with him? all you need is to be there, and for him to be there too, at the same moment as you. that’s all it takes because you’re okay with doing nothing but admiring him.
you know he feels the same way about you by the way he’s just spent the last two minutes staring at you. when he’s away at work, he stares at his phone. it lights up delightfully with a notification of you. on the bright screen, the first thing he sees is his wallpaper. of you.
he loves you, and your orchids are blooming gorgeously.
everything that lives must die.
you pick at its flimsy petals, “i don’t understand what i did wrong. it was doing so well. why did it suddenly just die? did i mess up?”
you question yourself like that, wondering if you’re the one making all the mistakes here. were you the one giving the flower pain? did it die because of you? did you not treat it the way you should have? you desperately search for ways to save the dying plant, yet, nothing.
“i’m sorry, honey. i don’t think i can make it today. can we reschedule?”
you try desperately to keep it alive, but it’s dying. and now, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
you can do nothing but wonder if you’re the one that messed everything up. if you’re the one that ruined the relationship– no, the flower. you wonder if you’re the problem.
“sorry, baby. i’ll be there next time for sure.”
“i promise i’ll make it up, honey.”
“wait a little longer, yeah? i’ll finish up quickly.”
you wilted away from my life, just like the pretty flower i once gave so much love to.
taehyun was good to you while it lasted. he bloomed gracefully, leaving a strong scent behind him. one you’re still cursed with noticing. your furniture reminsicines your memories with him in his absence. why does he linger when he’s dead to you?
you know the answer all too well. you loved him.
sometimes, even the most nurturing gardens fail to keep some flowers alive.
neither of you are at fault; this is just how life plays out sometimes. you were disappointed at the outcome of your many months of hard work, but you had to learn how to let go, and bury your once blossoming orchid.
you pick up the plant, ready to abandon it, but the sad look of the plant almost makes you feel guilty. while you’re too busy contemplating, the pot falls through your fingers, shattering on the ground. you sigh to yourself, picking up the pieces.
“honey, is everything okay?” taehyun says, walking in, “i’m not too late, am i?” he asks, helping you pick up the broken pieces before placing the orchids in a new pot.
hi! after a lot of contemplation i’ve decided to stop using the name raven and instead go by sage/amara. you can call me whatever you want LOL i like both names and was rly indecisive (even held a poll on twt 😵💫) and this seemed like the best course of action! please interact with this post so i know you’ve read it and please reblog so the word spreads! thank you :”)
Ive seen a lot of accs do this moot game recently & it seems fun ! u shld do it if u want ---- "if you n youre moots were in a kpop group together whatd be your each positions, group lines (based on personality traits) and group concept"
i've got three of these already and i've been trying to answer this but i suck,,, but i'll try anyway !!
@goldenhypen - girl crush concept bcs she's so soft :( main dancer !!
@twilightau - leader,,, prolly high school or dark concept
@ethereal-engene - mood maker and main vocal hehe ,,, retro
@yeongwonie - main dancer,, high school !!
@koishua - main vocal,, girl crush
@atrirose - center,, retro !!
@haoreo - ace,, dark concept or retro
@c9tnoos - lead rapper ,, dark concept or high school !!
genre. medieval!au, fantasy, strangers to lovers, slight angst, fluff.
warning(s). use of bow and swords, fight scenes with bears (?).
summary. after your parents force you into an arranged marriage, the event to see which candidate will take your hand begins, but you are determined to forge your own path and everything is thrown into chaos when you and riki, the candidate who had won, make a big mistake and you try to search for a solution together while feelings that you've never felt before grow in you.
note. this is inspired and based by the pixar movie "brave", this is my part for @kflixnet's "childhood memories" event!
wc. 12.4k
"Stay still!"
You knew that nothing good could happen ever since you saw those three elegant cards reach the hands of the queen, your mother, a few weeks ago.
Despite the fact that you were in one of the highest parts of the castle and away from the rest of the rooms, you could hear and perceive all the happiness and emotion that was outside those four hellish walls.
The whole kingdom was celebrating, with the maids moving from one place to another preparing the banquet and the place where the long-awaited ceremony would take place where the young princess was finally going to get married, it wasn't usual to see flowers of all kinds spreading through the ballroom and corridors decorating even the most secluded and old beige walls that the only color they got was from mold, all of which showed the clear emotion they had for the special moment while all the men were outside with the king probably talking about the fight with a bear he had years ago that he never got tired of telling, and that apparently nobody got tired of listening to, it was like a melody for all the knights who aspired to be like him, they took advantage of the moment to unmask themselves to show the respect and admiration they had for him.
You let out a groan as your mother begins to adjust the corset she's kept her hands in for the last few minutes. You could hardly breathe and you felt like everything inside you began to tighten.
"Mom that hurts!" you exclaimed but your voice was barely audible, "I told you I don't want to do this." You moved trying to get away from her and the uncomfortable and annoying dress, but it was impossible.
You always hated the idea that you had to change everything about yourself just to be a "perfect" princess like everyone expected you to be. You were tired of being made to practice thousands of things as a child that from your point of view were completely unnecessary. It wasn't what you wanted nor what you enjoyed, you were tired of being controlled like a puppet.
But if there was one thing you couldn't allow on any terms, it was being forced into marriage, much less to someone you didn't even know.
"Stop complaining, we've had this conversation before," you knew from her tone of voice that she didn't want to talk about it anymore, no matter how much you complained or cried, what you thought or wanted didn't matter at all. "Besides, we can't do anything now, the clans are already here to present their candidates to court you."
You knew that. You had seen them arrive a few minutes ago and you just wanted to find one of the many hiding places that your younger brothers had to stay there and never leave.
"But I don't want to get married!" this time you succeeded and moved away from her, finally being able to breathe without feeling like your lungs would burst with any movement you made.
You watched as your mother just closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, you knew what she was about to tell you and you rolled your eyes ignoring the tears that wanted to fall from your eyes like waterfalls.
"They're going to compete for your hand, you've been preparing for this all your life." Her voice was firm and strong, it showed all the power she had over you not only as your mother, but as the queen.
"No, I didn't, you did! You prepared yourself for this all your life," you began to walk around the room not knowing what to do with all the anguish you carried in your body. "Have you ever wondered what I wanted?"
"Your wedding is not the end of the world." Her voice was cold, and that hurt you, "I also had my doubts when I got married but it's what you should do, I understand you." No, of course she didn't understand you in the least, it was already clear that she never would.
"No, you don't! I want to be free, why do I have to do something I don't want to?" You were getting more and more desperate.
"All these years I spent explaining everything to you but you never paid attention. If only you could understand that I do all this for love." Her hands were back on your dress, not wanting you to ruin it.
"I'm not doing this to hurt you mom, it's my life! and I... I'm not ready yet."
You swallowed your tears as well, carrying the lump in your throat seeing that your mother just stayed silent, acting as if she had never heard those words, telling you with her eyes that it was time to go downstairs and start the event.
—
The emotion of the people was much clearer down here, you could see children laughing and running from one side to another, the women of your castle leaving food everywhere for everyone to enjoy, in a small corner were the musicians who livened up the place even more and several already married couples dancing with a big smile on their faces.
All that emotion wasn't reflected in your face, you just wanted to get down from the uncomfortable seat you were in to go play with your brothers and eat the delicious food that made your stomach growl, but you had to be there with a dress that barely let you breathe listening to your mother and the rules she was clarifying for the event that everyone came to.
There were various games and challenges in which they would help determine who of the candidates was worthy of your hand, there were tests to see who was the strongest to who was the most skilled at thinking smartly under pressure and difficult situations, all to see if they were able to protect you properly. Although you didn't need anyone to watch your back, you were sure you could beat everyone who was there.
Nishimura Riki on the other hand was jumping with excitement and it wasn't because he wanted to get married, not at all, that great little detail flew through his head and he didn't pay attention to it, completely forgetting the reason he was here in the first place, he was like this because his competitive side came out and he was more than ready to show everyone who was there that there was absolutely no one better than him, he was sure that he would beat each and every one of them in the challenges they put up. Besides that it would also honor his clan and knowing that one of his closest friends was there competing as well, it was his opportunity to make fun of him after years without seeing each other. He wanted to show him how much he had improved and grown in those years.
"In accordance with our laws, by our inheritance rights, only the firstborn of each of the great leaders can be entered as a contestant and thus compete for the hand of the princess," she said firstborn? An idea popped into your head. "To have the young lady they must prove her worth with feats of strength or at arms during games, our custom dictates that our challenge be determined by the princess herself." she looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to say your answer out loud.
"Archery, archery!" you let yourself go and made your voice echo all over the place and you knew by the look your mother gave you that maybe you had yelled a little too loudly. "I choose archery."
"Let the games begin!" Her shout made everyone start to get ready, filling the place with bustle once again.
You were more excited than you'd like to admit, archery was what you loved to do the most and you were also pretty good at it since you've been doing it for as long as you can remember thanks to your father. Also, according to the rules that your mother had established a bright idea had lit up your head and your hopes about not having to marry anyone had risen.
The strength tests they had? Riki had them, agility? That too, intelligence and strategy tests when it comes to combat? Well... He was still working on it. He considered himself someone more impulsive and trusted his abilities so much that no matter what plan he worked with, he would always come out victorious.
The rest of the clans were so furious that it seemed that at any moment smoke would come out of their heads, you weren't lying when you said that he was the most competitive person you had met so far, in his head there were only the words "win" and "victory" and can't stand the idea of someone being better than him, the rest didn't matter to him.
Even from afar you could see how several people from other clans tried to sabotage him or look for the slightest thing for him to lose but they failed every time they tried. You had to admit that he was strong and had surprised you a lot, if it weren't for the situation you were in now you would say that you would even like to know him better to be his friend and go out into the woods together. But you would even be grateful to anyone who made him lose as long as you didn't have to marry anyone who wasn't fit enough, if they were all useless you doubted they'd force you to marry.
But the moment you were waiting for had finally arrived.
Everyone was in their positions now, you even received several scoldings from your mother because you kept moving to see better. Jake of the Sim clan was the first to finally start the archery test that would define everything, you kept an eye on everyone and he had really excelled in some physical tests so he didn't surprise you when his arrow came close to the target.
Then came Heeseung from the Lee clan, he had put most to shame because he was really good at everything so at a certain point you were quite disappointed when his shot was far from perfect.
And so the rest went by until it was the turn of the person who intrigued you the most even if you didn't want to admit it, Riki from the Nishimura clan, he was unpredictable at all times so your heart almost came out of your chest when you saw that his shot it was almost perfect hitting it right on target without straining.
You watched the expressions of your parents that already told you everything you had to know, you knew that the decision was made. But you didn't let that ruin your plans, so while they were still amazed by that boy's abilities, you sneaked away.
"Looks like we have our winner." your father was whispering to your mother while there was a noisy celebration in the Nishimura clan with your mother preparing to announce it.
But when she was about to speak she could see in the distance a new flag rising from the crowd and a person completely covered from head to toe.
You could hear gasps everywhere as you pulled back your hood revealing your identity "I am the firstborn descendant of my clan, and now my hand will defend." your brow was furrowed as you looked your mother straight in the eye from afar.
You heard her calling your name in the distance but you didn't care, you took out your bow but it was awkward to even move with the dress so tight that you had on.
From moving around and exerting so much force, you ended up breaking it and you felt a great relief when you did it, so you continued with what you had planned to show your parents that you didn't need to depend on anyone, much less marry someone, you didn't want to do it, you never wanted to and that must have been reason enough for them, but they decided not to listen to you so now you were forced to do all this.
The only second you felt any regret was when you locked eyes with your mother just inches from her as she reached out to drag you away from everyone's gaze.
—
"What's wrong with you? I have no more patience!" She yells as she tucks you into your room.
"You're the one forcing me-"
"You humiliated us!" She cuts you off, veins standing out on her neck. "You humiliated your family, you don't know what you've done."
"What? I obeyed the rules you made yourself!" She turned her back on you to close the door. You clench your fist wanting to smash something, anything.
"There will be fire and swords if I can't correct this." Her gaze could have nailed holes in you if it weren't for the fury that ran through your body, you were desperate to explain your part of the story but she refused to stop talking, she didn't want to listen to you.
"Just listen!"
"I am the queen, you have to listen to me!" You groan out loud with tears of frustration brimming in your eyes.
"This is unfair, you never want to support me, this marriage is what you want, but have you asked yourself what I want? No!" you were walking around the room trying to calm the anguish that consumed your chest. "All you do is tell me what to do or what not to do, you try to make me like you and I don't intend to be like you!"
She snorts as she massages her forehead "You're acting like a child."
"And you're a monster! That's what you are." you grabbed the sword that was on one side and pointed to the tapestry that she made for you years ago about to tear it, the one that put so much love and dedication into it, you could hear your mother trying to calm you down so you wouldn't break it, so that the anger you felt didn't consume you and ruin something so valuable for both of you. But you didn't listen. "I would die before being like you!"
The sound of ripping fabric fills the room along with her gasping. You don't realize what you did until you see her taking steps towards you with an expression you've never seen before, and it genuinely scared you.
"You are a princess," she snatched the sword from your hand, throwing it roughly away to go on to remove the bow that hung over your body, "and now I expect you to act like one."
She threw it into the fireplace, burning the bow that your father gave you years ago and that you use ever since, treasuring it very carefully, also burning what you loved most in the world.
The look she gave you told you she had no regrets. You left tears on the floor as you ran out of the room, never wanting to see her again.
On the other hand, it wasn't until the moment his father congratulated him that Riki realized what a big problem he had gotten himself into and the irremediable mistake he made, he didn't even want to get married! he had just been having fun showing everyone that he was capable of doing everything smoothly while making fun of them, but maybe his brain had completely ignored the main reason he was there in the first place. He still believed that he was too young to tie himself to a person he didn't even know, he had a hard time even remembering your name and appearance, the only information he kept was that you were a princess and that now they would make him marry you if he didn't fix the mess he unintentionally did.
He wanted to run away from there, the only thing he wanted was to be with his family and simply go out to hunt fish and play in the forest with his younger sisters.
"Here is the little big winner!" He felt a weight on his back almost making him fall to the floor, seeing Jake made him smile and they started hitting each other playfully only to end in a hug.
"I've missed you!" Riki was like a little boy hanging on his shoulders not wanting to let him go, Jake was like the older brother he never had and because his clans lived too far from each other it was impossible to see him often.
"Me too," they finally parted, with the elder leaving a couple of pats on Riki's back "I didn't know you wanted to get married so much, you would have seen yourself out there! It seemed like you were fighting for your life and everything to get the hand of that princess." The raising of his eyebrows made him blush but he instantly frowned.
"I'm not! I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to get married." he pouted and it made Jake laugh out loud, his words and his actions from minutes ago didn't add up.
"Then why did you make everything so... perfect? If you hated the idea so much I don't think you would have done all that for nothing."
"I don't know," he complained reaching his arms to the sky throwing a little tantrum, but he couldn't get rid of his friend with the look he gave him. It was a matter of seconds for his tongue to loosen "I may have gotten a little carried away and completely forgot that I was brought here to ask for the princess's hand." He said everything quickly as he hid between his shoulders and it took Jake a bit to understand, but when he did he chuckled so as not to upset his friend.
"I know, I know, it's not fun," he thought for a moment trying to come up with a solution, "so what are you going to do now?"
"Run away?" He discarded that idea instantly, he knew that the pride of his clan couldn't do such a thing "I'm not sure, but I just don't want to get married, isn't it very soon? I know I was stupid but-" he stopped as soon as he felt some tears rise to his eyes. He didn't want to seem weak and pathetic, after all he was in this situation only because of him.
Jake sighed as he hugged him again trying to comfort him "I'll see what I can do, okay? In the meantime you'll have to obey your family."
"I'll take a walk." Riki left without even looking at him. He needed to clear his mind.
—
You were so busy worrying about the pain in your chest, letting the tears fall and blur your vision that you don't remember how long you've been wandering through the woods just letting your horse take you anywhere. You only paid attention to your surroundings when branches began to rip your already torn dress hurting your arms.
You try to make your horse stop but it's impossible and you almost feel like dying when you feel your body fly through the air without understanding what had happened.
"Watch where you're going!" hearing another voice puzzled you "Huh? What are you doing here?"
You take the time to look around and you see Nishimura lying on the ground just like you, now with his clothes torn due to the fall and you realize that you two collided, now both of your horses were moving away from you not wanting to get any closer.
Riki bites his tongue as he realizes that you were the princess he was supposed to marry, instantly recognizing you upon seeing those determined eyes he completed moments ago that now contained only broken pieces of the craft that filled them with life, with tears still fresh forming a path down your cheeks. He found that a bit amusing even though he didn't like you, so he did his best to try to suppress the laughter that wanted to burst out of him.
It wasn't because he wanted to make fun of you, he was simply surprised to see you in such state, devastated and not knowing what to do with a clear expression of pain for your fall when you had seemed like a beast when you launched that last arrow at the same target that he hit, snapping his arrow in half due to the strength you had and leaving him in embarrassment when he noticed that it had pierced the wood. He has to admit, though, you were pretty impressive and he'd love to see you do it one more time.
Your eyes finally settled on him, noticing that you had been quiet for a long time "I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry, I wasn't seeing where I was going." now his tone of voice was completely different from the aggressive one he used before, and you even thought you saw him bow his head when he walked towards you. But if you had to be honest, you liked it because for the first time someone didn't treat you differently for the simple fact that you were a princess.
You smiled at him, holding back a laugh "You don't have to be so formal with me."
Riki breathed a sigh of relief "Of course, after all we'll be getting married in a few weeks, right?" both wiped the smile from your faces after falling back into the reality that awaited you, one that neither wanted to happen.
Feeling the atmosphere so tense, you both got up and finally looked around, you had no idea where you were, but it was surely inside the forest and now you regret not having paid attention to where you were going.
You were inside a circle made up of big and long rocks, something you had never seen before, what worried you was that your horses seemed so upset to be in that place that they didn't want to step inside the circle.
"What's that?"
You focused on where he was pointing, a small floating blue light was shining a few meters from you, you remembered them instantly, you saw them once when you were little in the forest too, your father had just given you the bow and were you practicing and getting used to it so you shot an arrow too far, those little lights had led you to your parents again and your mother also told you about them more than once.
Riki and you looked at each other a couple of times probably thinking the same thing, he took a few steps back petting his horse making sure it was okay and trying his luck now if it wanted to follow him, but it was a failure. Without looking at you, he went to that light with you behind, he slowly approached his hand to touch it but instantly it vanished and then another appeared further away, now marking a path even further into the forest, causing him to take a step back. You smiled when you noticed he was scared.
You downplayed it and were determined to follow the wisps "Follow me," Riki stood still wanting to shake his head but you were quicker to roll your eyes and grab his hand dragging him with you, "You have nothing to be scared of." you wanted to encourage him.
He kept silent, you thought it was because he didn't want to go with you but you were completely ignoring the fact that your hand was still holding his making him shiver, he was never this close with someone, a princess, the same one he would have to marry in a few weeks. His heart began to beat too fast for his liking and even he was already saying his last words to the sky thinking that he would die at any moment.
But you realized what you were doing before that, so you let go of his hand while trying your best to hide your slight blush and embarrassment, "I'm sorry."
"What are you doing here? You didn't answer my question." He spoke after a few seconds in which he waited for his pulse to return to normal, pretending nothing had happened. His voice overcoming the noise of the dry leaves he was stepping on, willing to know the reason with his voice and determined eyes.
You hesitated, doubting whether to answer or not, everything was still too embarrassing for you.
"I had a fight with my mom." You finally let go, though it didn't help you let go of the heavy feeling in your chest. "And what about you?"
"Oh," he paused to think for a few seconds, "Something like that happened to me too."
He didn't want to talk much about it and you didn't insist either, (after all it was none of your business and you didn't want to know anything about the person with whom you were forced to marry) even he didn't know what was going on inside his unruly mind. He now had other things to worry about, like hoping that the little blue lights weren't anything bad and would guide you out of there, but his instincts told him that wouldn't happen any time soon.
Your eyes finally caught sight of a small wooden house, mostly covered with vines, leaves, and just the nature of the forest. It was also the only place where the light of the already setting sun reached.
"What is this place?"
"I don't know." you were wondering why the wisps led you here.
Riki went ahead of you and opened the door without thinking about what could be on the other side, the place was small and full of wooden figures, everything you could imagine was there but handmade with a very delicate purpose, you both stared curiously at all the shelves.
"Take a look!" You both let out a gasp and jumped in fright upon hearing a voice behind you so suddenly, "Shout if you see something you like, merchandise is on sale!"
She was an old woman with big eyes, she was carving a big piece of wood though you still couldn't figure it out. You and Riki looked at each other confused, not understanding anything about the situation.
"Who are you?" Riki used a suspicious tone, getting defensive too early.
"Just a humble carver," The old woman was now sweeping the floor, pacing endlessly, "Is there something you like? It might be a fun touch to brighten up any gloomy room." She showed you a figure that swayed from side to side, continuing to show you things for you to buy. You were about to answer her but Riki's scream startled you.
"The broom!" you turned to see where he was, seeing how the broom fell out of nowhere after a snap of her fingers "I saw it sweep itself!"
"How ridiculous! Wood doesn't absorb magical properties, I know what I'm saying I'm a wit—woodcarver." It was obvious that she was lying, you narrowed your eyes as you watched her carefully.
You walked away from her to go to Riki, she kept talking about the things she had to offer without giving up, "We have to get out of here." He whispered in your ear and you nodded.
Riki slowly approached the door so that both of you could get out of that place that already gave him a bad feeling, but he was distracted by a raven at his side that was staring into his eyes, he wanted to touch it because he wasn't sure if it was real or just some other piece of wood from the old lady, but his finger ended up being bitten off and he hit his head on the thousands of things hanging from the ceiling as he took steps back with fear taking over his body the moment the raven spoke.
"The raven speaks!" you yelled, though it was difficult because the words caught in your throat making you stutter.
You nearly fell over as you stepped to Riki's side, both with disbelief obvious on your faces, the animal kept talking so loud and clear you could have sworn it would rupture your eardrums any second if it didn't stop.
Chaos broke out in the small house when the old woman, with another snap of her fingers, made the broom travel to where the crow was to hit it, landing on top of Riki's head, where you could only hear his screams as he tried to get it out of between his hair, but it was useless since the little animal didn't seem to want to give up and kept pecking at him.
You were still trying to process everything that was going on. "You are a witch! That is why the wisps brought me here, you will change my destiny!" you ignored the boy next to you and approached the old lady.
"I'm a woodcarver, not a witch! It's my dissatisfied customers who spread these rumors." She kept trying to convince you, "if you don't plan to buy anything, go away!"
It was a matter of seconds before you had thousands of sharp objects pointing at you and Riki, who broke free from the attacks, making you step back so it wouldn't hurt you.
"But the wisps guided me here!" you tried to convince her, to make her listen but that only seemed to make her angrier.
"I'm not interested!"
You heard Riki yell your name and instantly you felt him push you back, if it wasn't for him you would probably already have a knife through your body. He was holding on to the door frame, refusing to leave the place just because you didn't want to.
You leaned into him, looking at the old woman over his shoulders. You couldn't give up that easily, much less when you trusted the wisps, you had to try every last thing you could think of.
"We'll buy everything!" she finally stopped, looking at you with wide eyes.
"What did you say?" knives and swords now pointed downwards, keeping them out of harm's way.
Riki turned to face you and shook your shoulders in desperation, as if trying to make you see reason "What are you doing?" He whispered too close to your face and you would have stayed there without saying anything for another while but you would force yourself to quickly get out of the trance in which his eyes put you.
"I have it all under control." You moved him aside to address the old lady, he could only groan to the air, not believing that whatever you were doing was a good idea. "I will buy every wooden figure."
"And how do you plan to pay for everything?" Her finger pointed accusingly at you, thinking she already had you in her claws.
"With this." you took from your neck a necklace you had with you since you can remember, you can't even say who gave it to you but you didn't give it importance, now you needed it more.
"You're insane." Riki kept whispering things in your ear, all so you wouldn't give her anything and get the hell out of there.
The witch's eyes seemed to glow. "Oh, but that jewel is beautiful." Even the raven had spoken giving his opinion. It still seemed strange to you and you preferred not to think about it for a long time.
The old lady tried to take it from your hands but you were faster than her, making fun of her. "I'll buy everything and an enchantment."
Nishimura's eyes widened, not believing what you just said "What are you saying? I don't think this is a good idea." He stepped between you and the old lady, wanting to understand your mind and what you had planned.
"You can go if you want." you had no emotion on your face, and it seemed strange to him. But he just sighed letting you do what you want, he wasn't going to meddle anymore.
"Are you sure you understand what you're doing?" you nodded to her words, though her expression almost makes you regret your words.
"I want to change my mother with a spell, so my destiny will change." Determination was clear in your eyes.
Oh, of course that's why. Riki thought, although he couldn't really complain because after all, he wanted the same thing as you.
"Deal!"
The witch took you both out of the house while she hummed a song, neither of you understood anything and she ignored your questions. She simply snapped her fingers and ushered you back inside. The room had completely changed, all the wooden figures were gone and now there was only a large pot with several jars filled with different liquids of all colors on the walls.
You looked at Riki and he had his mouth open, you chuckled and placed your hand under his chin to close it. His cheeks turned red once more as he felt your touch.
She grabbed several things and was throwing them into the pot, the crow had also pulled out a hair from both of you and stirred everything carefully. At one point the pot looked like it was going to explode because it was shining too bright, though Riki managed to cover your eyes and his as well.
When he pulled away from you, your face was burning as you felt the warmth of his body so close to yours, "Thank you." If it wasn't for him you'd probably be blind by now.
The witch narrowed her eyes at you, then smiled to herself.
"A dessert?" Riki walked over to the two small cakes that she took out of the pot.
"You don't want it?" She turned looking at you suspiciously.
"Yes! Of course we do." You hit Riki with your shoulder so he wouldn't mess anything up, he just shrugged. "So if I offer this to my mom will I have a different fate?"
She let out a laugh. "Trust me, she will do what you want, dear."
—
Everything was wrong, everything was too wrong.
You spent the last 30 minutes trying to control your mother, who had now turned into a bear, not to make so much noise at the risk of someone seeing you when the lords and everyone were having a party downstairs, waiting the queen's statement on the results. If someone saw your mother right now you knew that nothing would end well, not at all.
All you wanted was for your mom to change her mind about the wedding, not this! You had given the dessert to eat with the excuse that you had made it for her apologizing in the hope that it would serve to tell the Lords that the wedding would be canceled, but instantly she began to feel bad and in instead now you had a big bear making a mess in the room breaking everything in its path, neither finishing processing everything.
At least you were thankful that the noise below was loud enough to mask the roars of an angry bear.
She didn't want to sit idly by and left the room, you wanted to stop her but it was impossible, "Mom, wait! What are you doing? Dad, the king of bears, is here and if he sees you he will hunt you down." You wanted her to see reason but she was determined to do whatever it was she wanted to do.
You freeze when you hear the voice and footsteps of someone behind you, you wanted to hide but when you try to locate your mother she was already meters away from you walking towards the corridors.
"Hey!" You were able to recognize Riki's voice when you managed to get your mother into a room, closing the door. "What was that?"
You tried to push him away while he was trying to open the door, he wasn't blind and he saw something big and hairy enter that place and he wouldn't leave until he confirmed what he suspected.
"What is your problem?" You pushed him away, causing his back to hit the wall, you wouldn't let him see your mother in this state for anything in the world even if it meant using brute force. "Go away, this is none of your business!"
Riki looked at you with a frown, he approached you furiously and you would have backed away if you weren't against the wall, he held your shoulders preventing you from pushing him away again. "Yes, it is now and it's your fault!"
If it wasn't for all the emotions you were going through, the only thing your mind would be thinking about right now would be how close his face is to yours and how you can feel his heavy breathing mix with yours.
You took that thought out of your head, you analyzed his words and the confusion was clear in your expression, after a few seconds he relaxed his breathing along with his grip on your shoulders, he looked down while biting his lower lip in embarrassment . "I'm sorry, it's just that I—" he inhaled, "It's my business too because I know you turned your mother into a bear."
You widened your eyes in surprise, covered his mouth with a hand as if there was someone nearby to listen. "What are you talking about?" your voice was trembling.
He gently pushed you away from him, totally the opposite of how he treated you seconds ago, ignoring the weird movements he was feeling in his stomach. "I turned someone into one too."
"What!?" You could have sworn that the whole world could hear your scream and he just asked you to be quiet. "That hideous witch! She gave me a charm that doesn't work."
"This is your fault! I told you we should have left earlier." You let out an exasperated sigh.
"I never forced you to give anyone the dessert!" he pursed his lips, he knew he couldn't say anything because you were right. "With those googly eyes... how could she do this to us?" You kept babbling.
"I knew we couldn't trust her." You turned to look at him in disbelief and he just chuckled as he shrugged.
"Who is it?"
He scratched his neck, hesitating, "My sister." You turned your head confused, you expected it to be one of his parents. "It's not my fault! I got distracted for a second and when I turned to see her I had a big, giant bear in front of me." You already lost count of the sighs that left your lips, you couldn't blame him. Your mother finally left the room, "I thought it was just my stupidity but I see not." You hit him in the stomach causing him to writhe in pain.
"And where is she now?" He was about to answer you but you felt the presence of someone else with you, and you slowly turned your face, as if something was going to jump on you at any moment.
The next thing you knew is that you had to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. One of the maids had seen you and ran away terrified while shouting that she saw a bear, it was a matter of seconds before your father and basically everyone who was downstairs would come to see what was happening and if possible, kill the bear.
It wasn't easy at all and if it hadn't been for the help of your little brothers you would probably still be walking around the castle without being able to get out. Once you were outside making sure that your father would be inside the castle for a while longer, Riki hurried off to find his sister.
But you didn't expect to see two bears, one smaller than the other.
"What did you do?" Riki looked like he would lose his temper at any moment, he pulled at his hair in stress, though he relaxed the moment he saw the smaller bear grow sad. "I promise it was only one when I went looking for you!"
Even though if you thought about it there was nothing to laugh about, you couldn't help but let out a laugh from deep in your throat. He blushed seeing you like this, he didn't know that you had such a cute side, after all the only thing he had seen from you was your upset, angry and worried side.
Riki wanted to pick up the little one in her arms but your mother was faster, she carried her starting to walk towards the forest and you had no choice but to follow her.
You looked at each other sharing a slight smile, relieved not to be alone in all this mess.
—
"By the second dawn this will be permanent!?" You let out a groan in frustration at those words.
You spent hours trying to find the little house of the witch who gave you the spell, you tried to look for even a trace of the wisps that made a way to find it but with you had no luck. If it wasn't for your mother who got tired of wandering around aimlessly you probably never would have found it. Although it was quite funny to see a bear walking on two legs.
The place was completely empty and the only thing you found was the cauldron where she cast the enchantment, giving great little details that she forgot to mention before.
Now the only thing that remained of that place was ashes because after the message everything was destroyed, forgetting all traces of what happened before.
You felt defeated, there was nothing you could do now because that witch was the only one who could help you, but she was gone and would return at the beginning of spring, which was much further than the two days you had to return your mom and Riki's sisters back to normal.
You never thought you could read a bear's expressions until this moment which was quite possible now that you saw your mother with her confusion and concern being obvious the moment it started to rain.
You built a small shelter with the remains of the house that were everywhere, preventing everyone from getting wet. You could see how Riki hugged her younger sister, Sola, singing her a lullaby to sleep, after all it was already night and the only thing that illuminated the place was the light of the moon. You couldn't help but smile at that.
You looked back at your mother, making your eyes meet, those eyes that you had faced so many times that now were those of a bear because of the witch who gave you a potion that didn't work.
You didn't have to be too smart to realize that there was sadness in them, your heart began to feel broken and you preferred to look the other way, letting her get comfortable so she could sleep after that day that you were sure she wanted to forget, let it be all a dream and that everything would return to normal when she wakes up.
You remembered all those times that she tucked you in when you went to bed and sang you a lullaby or told you one of the many stories she knows, or when she stayed up late when it rained because you were afraid of lightning. And now you didn't have any of that, you just had to hug yourself to get some warmth and hope that tomorrow you could find some solution to all this problem.
You would have fallen asleep letting the cool night breeze wash over you if it weren't for the sudden warmth that settled next to you.
You looked at Riki, for the first time since all this disaster broke out, you paid attention to him and you felt awful when you noticed that the brightness of his eyes didn't compare to when you saw him before, when he was competing with the rest of the candidates. There you could see all the emotion he felt, a soul full of life, but now there was none of that.
"This sucks right?" The rain didn't help the cold and sad atmosphere that surrounded you. Everyone was sleeping. It was only you two.
"Yeah, maybe you're right," He moved your body against his playfully. His shoulder brushing yours made you nervous. "But there's no place i'd rather be than by your side."
You didn't understand what was happening in your body after hearing those words. Your cheeks and heart burn, asking yourself if this is how other princes were supposed to make you feel because you've never been involved with one before.
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't know, I'm thankful we're not alone in this, I mean is not even my fault," He sneered at you and you slapped him gently. "But I'm glad it's you and no one else, you're amazing and you showed it before."
You tried to hide between your knees, "Thank you, I'm happy to be with you too."
"But I'm still better than you." You chuckled.
You both joked for a while until you fell asleep, you leaned on his shoulder and he was on your head, using you as a pillow, the moon being the only witness who noticed how your hearts beat with the same intensity at the same time.
You wished you could wake up in that comfort but instead your whole body felt painful and on a hard surface.
The first thing you saw were the little ears of a bear, "Oh hi." It was Riki's little sister who was playing with the edge of your dress.
"We got food!" He jumped excitedly at you, taking your hands to pull you to your feet and lead over to where your mother was. "All thanks to me."
You thought it was cute to see that he was proud of himself but you couldn't help but laugh out loud when you saw what he and your mother had done.
"What is this? They were near the river?" You took one of the fruits they collected.
"Yes, it's our breakfast, am I not the best?" He continued to gloat as he popped one into his mouth, his expression now mixed with disgust.
"They are poisonous."
You instantly saw how he was struggling to get the remains of the fruit out of his mouth, you covered your mouth trying not to laugh in his face.
"But I already ate a lot!"
"Don't worry, you're not going to die." You placed your hand on his shoulder trying to reassure him. "Do you know how to fish?"
He looked at you for a few seconds still processing the idea that he might be dead if he had eaten a little more. "Of course I know how to fish, do you doubt my skills?"
You wish you could say no, but now that you were both in the river with spears you made by ripping the branches off a tree trying to catch some fish, you doubted what he was doing.
"You've been spinning for 10 minutes, are you sure you know how to do it?" You asked with genuine doubt, even his sisters had been able to catch some, which were already inside their stomach.
"Shh, this is my special technique, I just need more time." Even his tongue was out of concentration.
You rolled your eyes walking towards him, you grabbed his spear to show him how you do it, which was a much more effective and faster way, but he refused to give it to you, so you were struggling for a while until a bad move made you both fall to the water, getting completely wet and scaring away the few fish that were around.
You almost drowned because Riki fell on top of you but it didn't take long for him to pull you out, running his hands all over your face making sure you were okay and that he didn't hurt you in his clumsiness.
"Are you okay?" His breathing was ragged, he couldn't calm down until he knew you were completely okay.
You couldn't say anything, you were stunned looking at his face that was closer than ever, you could swear that with the pressure you felt in your chest your heart was capable of jumping out and you would give it to him with pleasure. It was as if that dip had changed the world completely, everything was much brighter and more colorful filling your eyes with life but at the same time it felt as if you had been hit by an arrow.
"What did you do to me!?" You got up quickly, keeping your distance.
Riki was disoriented, he didn't know why you were reacting like that. "Nothing! It was an accident, I'm sorry." He put his hands in front of you as if you were a frightened animal that would run away from him at any second.
"Are you a witch too!?" You gasped not wanting to believe that idea, you felt so dizzy being near him that you wouldn't be surprised if he had cast some kind of spell on you.
"What? What are you talking about!?" All you did now was yell incoherently at each other.
Riki had only wanted to impress you from the beginning but nothing was going his way, now he had to convince you that he wasn't a witch even though he was just as confused as you, he didn't even know where you got that crazy idea from. And it was harder than it seemed because his eyes couldn't stray from your face and how pretty you looked with wet hair.
Riki's sisters were enjoying their food while they entertained themselves watching you, but your mother was already tired so she approached you to separate you and say something but for obvious reasons you couldn't understand her.
The two calmed down after that, you continued to catch some fish because feeding 3 bears wasn't easy at all, although at one point you got distracted when you started playing with each other throwing water or trying to see who could catch more in the shortest time possible. You were having so much fun that you almost forgot about your mother, who was walking away with Riki's sisters by her side. You grabbed your things and ran after them.
"Where are you going?" You laughed trying to reach them but none of them paid attention to you.
You were about to touch them but your mother turned around sharply, her breathing was heavy and her eyes turned completely black, you couldn't recognize her, it was as if she was any wild bear that was ready to attack you. She had even gotten her claws out and would have hurt you if it wasn't for Riki moving you to the side behind him trying to protect you.
Only when you could get out of the shock you were in, you moved and stood in front of her calling her, it was then that she stopped everything she was doing and you noticed how her eyes changed again. She took steps back looking scared by what she was about to do.
Riki went to his sisters, making sure the same thing hadn't happened to them, but one of them ran out of his arms, chasing something behind you.
It was a blue light, a wisp, your eyes lit up when you saw it since you could finally find a solution and make everything return to normal, you turned to see Riki and both of you ran following the path the wisps had formed.
The closer you got, the more fog covered you, you were in a completely ruined and abandoned place. You were wondering why the wisps had taken you here because there didn't seem to be anything to help, but you didn't even have the time to say anything because while walking you stepped wrong causing several pieces of wood to break making you fall down, landing on a pile of rocks.
"Are you okay?" Riki asked you from above, about to come down to help you but you stopped him by telling him everything was fine. Maybe it was luck but you hadn't hurt yourself anywhere and you were able to let out a sigh of relief after your heart almost jumped out of you from fright.
You looked around carefully, you were in a throne room and the place seemed strangely familiar to you, perhaps it was the ancient kingdom of the stories your mother used to tell you.
There was a large rock carved with the figure of 4 princes, although it was broken separating one and leaving him alone, you couldn't help but think about the tapestry you broke when you had the argument with your mother. A shiver ran through your body when you realized what was happening, the enchantment had already happened before with those princes.
The story was about a prince who once had a close family relationship with his father and his three younger brothers. He was confident in his strength but mistook it for character and thus became extremely arrogant, that turned out to be a trait that led him to fight with his loved ones for wanting to rule the kingdom by himself, he let his pride control his actions and clashed with his family, he was willing to let hate and desire get the best of him. His desire for power led him to go far enough to start a violent war, eventually killing his own siblings in cold blood.
You felt a hot breath behind your neck at the same time you realized the prince turned into a bear just like your mother.
When you turned around you found yourself with the ferocious teeth of a much bigger bear than you could imagine, without hesitating for a second you took out your bow and shot an arrow at it, although it was in vain because it was as if you hit it with a small rock.
You heard Riki calling you to get out of there and you started running climbing the mountain of rocks where you fell at the same time avoiding the attacks of who once was the prince of the Old Kingdom.
"Hold onto my hand, quick!" The distance was great and you couldn't reach him. "Just jump, I'll catch you!" You didn't even think about it, you trusted him and jumped towards him, finally managing to take his hand to help you out of there.
Although the relief didn't last too long because you saw how the bear came out easily breaking even more everything that was already broken. Your mother wasted no time and she lifted Riki's sisters onto her back so she could carry them and she wanted to grab you but you walked away realizing you couldn't see Riki anywhere.
With concern taking over your body you turned back, but you felt hands on your cheeks. "Hey calm down, I'm here." He caressed you gently with his thumb.
"What are you doing? Let's go!" You grabbed his hand to drag him with you, but he pulled away from you. Feeling empty without his touch.
"You go, I'll distract it so it doesn't follow you, I need you and my sisters to be safe." You wanted to hit him for thinking about risking his life when you could just leave right now. You wanted to protest but he beat you to it "Shed no tears for me. I will be back before you know it."
You knew it wasn't the time for your heart to act that way again but you couldn't do anything to avoid it, you buried your face in his hands closing your eyes for a few seconds before nodding. "You better get back to us safe."
Finally your mother put you on her back and you couldn't take your eyes off him at any time. Your emotions were running high and all you wanted was for nothing bad to happen to him.
—
You had been going around nonstop, you were in the circle of stones where it all started and the fog had dissipated, but still there was no trace of Riki and you were already getting desperate. If it wasn't for your mother you would have already gone back to the ruins of the Old Kingdom at the risk of being hurt by the bear, but that didn't matter to you. Not when it came to Nishimura Riki.
You felt a light weight on your feet, you looked down and it was her younger sister, Sola, with her arms outstretched asking you to lift her up. You hadn't realized you were biting your nails and lower lip until you took your hands away from you to hold the little girl in your arms.
It was difficult because a bear was relatively much heavier than a simple girl, but you still hugged her as you felt her little paws travel through your hair trying to caress you, being very careful with her claws. She was soft and so sweet that you couldn't stop the tears that began to flow from your eyes.
Hearing your soft sobs, your mother also approached you, rubbing her head on your body as if she were a cat asking for some affection. You knew she wanted to comfort you but it only got worse.
As if your mind hadn't already been thinking the worst, now there was the fact that your mother and Riki's sisters were like this because of you, you realized that the moment you saw your life pass over your eyes. It was no longer the fault of the witch who gave you the enchantment, much less was it Riki's fault, who the only thing he did was warn you that it wasn't the best idea to do such a stupid thing and he still stayed by your side after your mess. It was only your fault and you couldn't keep denying it anymore.
If you could go back in time you would do it without hesitation, you would like to be able to change things and realize what you were doing before. But it wasn't possible, and now you were paying the consequences.
What would you do if Riki didn't come back? How could you look at his sisters and his whole family in the face after you dragged him into all this? What if your mother stayed like this forever? You couldn't live with the guilt if she ended up being like the prince of the Old Kingdom.
The sound of dry leaves being stepped on in the distance alerted you and you quickly dried your tears by drawing your bow, protecting everyone behind you. But your arrows end up on the ground when you noticed that it was just Riki walking towards you.
You wasted no time and ran towards him to hug him with all your strength, almost making him fall backwards but he was faster and he quickly get comfortable to put his arms around your waist. You hid your face in his neck not wanting to let go, not wanting to separate yourself from that feeling in your chest that made you want to jump from one side to another and created butterflies in your stomach.
"I can't breathe." He could hardly say that due to the grip you had on him, you had to move away and with your hands you moved his face everywhere looking for some wound, but he was impeccable, he only had a little dirt on his cheeks.
"You idiot! What took you so long? I thought you died or something! You don't know how worried I was." He giggled as he ran his hands from your waist to the sides of your face, he noted your vague attempt to wipe away the tears. He ran his thumbs down that path, erasing them completely.
"Do I look like the kind of person who dies?" his smirk made you want to punch him, but you were so relieved to see him in front of you that you couldn't. You just wanted to hold him for a while longer, and that's what you did.
"Don't do something like that ever again." You meant it but he laughed again, you closed your eyes listening to his heartbeat that was going as fast as yours.
"I am at your mercy, your grace." He joked and you smiled.
Riki enjoyed that moment as much as you did, and he was thankful that you couldn't see his face at that moment because he was on fire just like everything inside of him. Was it too soon to tell you that he would do anything for you? Because he certainly would, even if he knew that you didn't need anyone's protection because you knew how to fend for yourself. What he did may have been stupid and he didn't even know how he got out of it alive, but he would do it a thousand times over if it was to save you.
He couldn't lose you, much less when you made him feel in that unique way, causing thousands of explosions inside him just by feeling your scent. Now taking back all the times he said he preferred solitude and doing things by himself because they were a vile lie, being with you made him realize that he could do all the things he liked with someone else, someone he liked. Now he could only imagine himself going everywhere with you. Going through the woods on horseback, going hunting, babysitting for his sisters, climbing high places just to watch the sunset and simply enjoy nature, all these things now he imagined doing them with you by his side. And his heart would be the happiest if he could make it happen.
Both noticed how two other bodies joined you, they were Konon and Sola and he separated from you to hug them too.
You gazed at them adoringly until you remembered your plan that you came up with in the ruins. "We have to go back to the castle, I think I know what I have to do to fix all this."
Riki looked at you, and he would have accepted anyway but seeing the determination in your eyes made him blindly trust you. "Then let's go, we can't waste any more time."
—
It was almost a miracle or just sheer luck that you were able to get past all the guards and even your own father to get to your room. Especially when all the clans were fighting over the fact that the queen already had to make a decision or else there would be no agreement.
"So what do you have in mind?" Riki asked you as he closed the door, just in case. He couldn't afford to risk someone walking down the hall and seeing 3 bears in the princess's room.
"Mend the bond..." You thought about the old woman's words as you looked at the tapestry and it was as if a spotlight had been turned on above your head. "That's right! I need a needle and thread."
The peace didn't last long when you could hear your father's scream from his room, you had completely forgotten about the mess you left there and he had probably seen it thinking that something bad happened, although it was true but not in the way he thought. You didn't even have time to hide your mother that he was already at your bedroom door looking at you all.
"What is this?" It didn't take long for him to draw his sword from him trying to get you away from the bears to protect you.
Before the situation got more tense you tried to explain everything but he didn't hear any of the words that came out of your mouth or Riki's, the anger was clouding him and the fact that your mother's eyes were completely black like that moment in the forest wasn't helping at all, she was acting like she really was a bear trying to attack everyone.
She approached your father causing him to hit the wall and he would have hurt her if it wasn't for Riki, who grabbed the sword that was lying on the floor of your room to stand in front of her and face your father, it was a spur of the moment but he was glad he did it because he promised himself he wouldn't let anything bad happen to you or your mother, even if it meant facing the king. But that didn't matter to him and he just pushed him like it was nothing.
Everything was a mess and you didn't know what to do, first Konon and Sola had run out of the room and you didn't know where they were, Riki was now hurt and your parents were fighting but he didn't even know that it was your mother and she still hadn't come back to be aware of what she was doing. You wanted to help Riki first because there was nothing else you could do, coming between your parents didn't look like a possible thing right now.
By the time your mother's eyes returned to normal, she fled the castle in terror, leaving you behind.
"You come with me." Your father grabbed Riki's arm dragging him, making him hiss in pain.
"What are you doing?" You tried to get him to release him but it was useless, now you understood all the knights from other clans who admired him so much because his strength really was enormous.
"I can't let them hurt you." He locked you inside your own room, locking the door and giving it to the first maid who crossed his path.
"Let me out! You're making a mistake!" The desperation was consuming you and it was noticeable in your voice, Riki wanted to escape out of the grip so he could get you out of there, but it was pointless with your father stating that he should help him.
"Everything will be fine, I promise you!" Those words from Riki were the only thing that made you feel safe. You only wished that nothing bad would happen to your mother, and now knowing that Riki would be there you trusted him more than anyone at this moment.
You tried everything in your power to open the door but it was only failure after failure, you used your sword, furniture in your room but nothing could break it and you no longer had anything to use.
You looked out the small window of your door and you could see Sola walking.
"Hey Sola!" She looked at you with curious eyes and at that very moment the maid appeared, she looked at you several times, and realizing that it was a bear in front of her, she ran away. "Get the key out of her." That was enough for her to fulfill your request.
While you waited for her you took the tapestry off the wall, you also looked for the needle and thread that you could never find because of the interruption. You couldn't waste time crying when you saw how thousands of men came out chasing your mother with swords and torches, although several tears already left your eyes.
When Sola appeared with the key, it didn't take long to get her and Konon on your horse to get out as fast as you could, although sewing the tapestry was getting too difficult due to the sudden movements. In the distance you could already see the torches so you quickened your pace.
—
"It's you again!"
Who'd say? In the end everything went well, yes it is true that everything may have been a disaster in the middle but after all you were already with your mother in her human form again and Riki was with his sisters and Jake playing a few meters away from you.
You finally let her go, wanting to see if she was alright after all that happened with the Old Kingdom prince's bear, who only showed up to make things worse. But thanks to your mother you were already free of him.
When you got to where everyone was, your mother was tied up immobile and Riki was being held back by two men who were twice his size, and you don't even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't shot that arrow that was able to deflect your father's sword away from your mother's neck. Convincing your father was the hardest part of all but he decided to believe in you just by seeing the way Riki and you protected them, if it wasn't for him you probably wouldn't be in your mother's arms right now crying with relief.
Feeling that you could lose her forever was the worst. Luckily you were able to apologize for everything and she did too.
"Thanks for everything." You turned your head to the side, seeing how your father squeezed Riki in a strong hug until he lifted him off the ground leaving him breathless, thanking him for protecting the queen and saying things in his ear that made him blush. You already had an idea of what he said to him.
You had to admit that you were impressed with how good Riki was at absolutely everything, but that didn't take away the fact that you were better.
You laughed along with your mother. "He's nice," her raised eyebrow made your ears burn, you had forgotten that she saw all the times you spent with him, "I have to thank him for taking care of you."
"Mom, you don't have to." She just squeezed your cheeks as she laughed.
Your parents walked away to start going to the castle while you stared at the sky for a while longer, silently thanking it. You were about to leave but a wisp appeared in front of your eyes, you watched the path it formed but you couldn't see the end or where it was supposed to be taking you, but you started following it without hesitation, until you met someone's legs.
You looked up knowing perfectly well who it was, exchanging glances with Riki. The wisp vanished after that and you were embarrassed to think that it led you to him.
"Hey, we made it!" He smiled shyly, still remembering the words your father told him moments ago.
You just nodded with the words stuck in your throat, your hands felt restless and your body wanted to feel closer to him and you couldn't deny your wishes, so you hugged him tightly.
Neither of you knows how long you were together, but it was long enough for both to be wrapped in each other's aroma and feel a chilly breeze rush through your bodies as you parted ways. Despite the fact that you left your hands on his chest and he on your waist, you continued to stare at one other, trying to express everything your mouths couldn't.
"Thanks for everything Riki, I'm serious." He tried to listen to you but the only thing he could focus on was your lips.
"Your lips look soft," Those words came out on their own and managed to turn your stomach upside down, you clutched his shirt shyly, waiting for him to say something else, "Can I kiss them?"
He didn't even have to wait for an answer because you were already leaning into him with your eyes closed, he laughed at that but before you walked away he tilted his head down to brush your lips. A spark ran down your spine making you feel dizzy and lightheaded.
All sounds disappeared and the only thing you could smell was the scent of him that you loved so much. You had never felt anything like it, it was as if there were thousands of kingdoms burning in flames within you, your heart urgently wanted to come out of its cage to meet his, his lips were soft and you wanted to immerse yourself in them for all eternity, all the things you had done before to feel alive like escaping from the castle and climbing the highest mountains didn't even compare to this moment. You wanted to kiss him over and over until there was no more oxygen in your lungs to keep you alive.
It was your first kiss and even though it was awkward and it took you a while to find a rhythm, you wouldn't trade the dazed feeling in your hearts for anything in the world. His hands traveled to your cheeks holding you tightly and wanting to shorten the distance between you even more, you felt slight shivers of panic and you bit his lip between your clumsiness and nerves, separating from him with a completely red face.
You both looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh at the idea that your first kiss was a failure, although neither of you really thought that.
"I'm sorry." You apologized when you saw that you left his lower lip hurt.
"Don't worry." He smoothed a strand of hair behind your ear, leaving your face free of anything that would distract him from admiring it as if it were the first time he had seen you.
Riki never thought about falling in love, even the idea of love still seemed so strange to him that he couldn't fully understand it, he just wanted to be a free soul without having to be tied to anything or anyone, and you never needed someone else to to save you or take care of you, much less a prince.
But that didn't mean you couldn't love one. And Nishimura Riki was certainly perfect for you.
And you were perfect for him too.
It may still be a little early for it, but perhaps the idea of marriage is not so bad after all.
abi. can i just say i am absolutely in love with your writing (as you will see by the seemingly endless word vomit of fangirling coming up). i truly hope you know that everything you put out reads like a masterpiece and i sincerely hope you never have any second thoughts or doubts about any of your writing like ever because you don’t deserve it. i don’t know anyone who’s as talented as you, and writes so flawlessly. it’s like everything you put your magic fingers on turns to gold. i could go on forever, but i think you’ll get the point from my thoughts as i read your fic so without further ado, me being in love with you for 1783 words !! (i’m sorry i have no idea how this review got this long)
SPOILER WARNING BELOW THE READ MORE CUT !!
you could hear and perceive all the happiness and emotion that was outside those four hellish walls. — i’m in love with the world building already this is so good what ???
Her voice was firm and strong, it showed all the power she had over you not only as your mother, but as the queen. — I’M LIVING FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION SO FARR it’s ltrly so good and fun to read omg i love it sm
The look she gave you told you she had no regrets. You left tears on the floor as you ran out of the room, never wanting to see her again. — WOAHHHHH this scene was so captivating okokok i’m gonna go back to reading now because this was so freaking good ohmygpsh
Riki breathed a sigh of relief "Of course, after all we'll be getting married in a few weeks, right?" — pls this is such a funny & cute scene skjskj i love rikis personality he’s so adorable
but you were completely ignoring the fact that your hand was still holding his making him shiver, he was never this close with someone, a princess, the same one he would have to marry in a few weeks. His heart began to beat too fast for his liking and even he was already saying his last words to the sky thinking that he would die at any moment. — giggles he’s a simp already LOLL but i ltrly love the way u describe his feelings n thoughts ugh ur srsly such a talented writer ,,
"What are you doing?" He whispered too close to your face and you would have stayed there without saying anything for another while but you would force yourself to quickly get out of the trance in which his eyes put you. — ABIII SO WELL WRITTEN ??? H OW ????? and everything is so good like i can picture the scenes so well iMM fangirling over htis so hard rn u Hv no idea
You looked at Riki and he had his mouth open, you chuckled and placed your hand under his chin to close it. His cheeks turned red once more as he felt your touch. — cute hehehe i’m Delusional .. how do u make me feel these things just from your writing 😫😫 ur brain so sexy
If it wasn't for all the emotions you were going through, the only thing your mind would be thinking about right now would be how close his face is to yours and how you can feel his heavy breathing mix with yours. — the way they’re still facing these silly little feelings while going thru something like this and the way you manage to express it so well Yea just abi proving why she’s a genius talented incomparable author once again
You looked at each other sharing a slight smile, relieved not to be alone in all this mess. — aww stupid people solidarity <3 no but their dynamic is so cute already :(( i’m emotionally attached to this couple
You could see how Riki hugged her younger sister, Sola, singing her a lullaby to sleep, after all it was already night and the only thing that illuminated the place was the light of the moon. You couldn't help but smile at that. — i’m in love with this line with my whole heart like riki just sounds like such a cute and wholesome brother and the moon :(( it’s so cute fr
You remembered all those times that she tucked you in when you went to bed and sang you a lullaby or told you one of the many stories she knows, or when she stayed up late when it rained because you were afraid of lightning. And now you didn't have any of that, you just had to hug yourself to get some warmth and hope that tomorrow you could find some solution to all this problem. — NOOOO THIS IS MAKING ME SO EMO HOW COULD U DO THIS TO ME abi i demand reparations for my heart right neowww
You looked at Riki, for the first time since all this disaster broke out, you paid attention to him and you felt awful when you noticed that the brightness of his eyes didn't compare to when you saw him before, when he was competing with the rest of the candidates. There you could see all the emotion he felt, a soul full of life, but now there was none of that. — okay sorry for commenting so much this is probably so long already but EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FIC IS PERFECT ABI I WANT TO FRAME EVRY LINE OF IT TO MY WALL AND READ IT EVERY MORNIGN TO REMIND MYSELF WHAT A TALENTED WRITER YOU ARE BECAUSE ?!?! wow. just wow. your words cannot ever be topped ur just the best there ever was
You didn't understand what was happening in your body after hearing those words. Your cheeks and heart burn, asking yourself if this is how other princes were supposed to make you feel because you've never been involved with one before. — CRYINGGG THIS SVENEJEOURFBWEIRFBEQRFHQUERFGWREF can i scream? Let me scream. HOW !! DO !! YOU !! WRITE !!!! THIS !!!!!! GOOD!!!!?!?!!!?!?!! i lovelovelove the way they’re discovering these feelings its just so ,. Addicting to read. good job, really
You both joked for a while until you fell asleep, you leaned on his shoulder and he was on your head, using you as a pillow, the moon being the only witness who noticed how your hearts beat with the same intensity at the same time. — EXCUSD EDMEE this is so fcking poetic abi how do you know all my weaknesses i can’t do this anymore literally sobbing into my fists
"Are you okay?" His breathing was ragged, he couldn't calm down until he knew you were completely okay. — my silly boy whom i am completely enamored with i take no responsibility for my delusions btw it’s all ur fault for characterizing him so well bye
You couldn't say anything, you were stunned looking at his face that was closer than ever, you could swear that with the pressure you felt in your chest your heart was capable of jumping out and you would give it to him with pleasure. It was as if that dip had changed the world completely, everything was much brighter and more colorful filling your eyes with life but at the same time it felt as if you had been hit by an arrow. — i will never get over how beautiful your writing is i could read and reread this forever do u even understand like oh my god
Riki was disoriented, he didn't know why you were reacting like that. "Nothing! It was an accident, I'm sorry." He put his hands in front of you as if you were a frightened animal that would run away from him at any second. — THE REACTION BYEEE i am actually obsessed idk why but i feel like it’s very realistic and it’s so funny 😭
Riki had only wanted to impress you from the beginning but nothing was going his way, now he had to convince you that he wasn't a witch even though he was just as confused as you, he didn't even know where you got that crazy idea from. And it was harder than it seemed because his eyes couldn't stray from your face and how pretty you looked with wet hair. — he’s making me fall so in love with him. you’re making me fall so in love with you. can i marry your writing
the only thing he did was warn you that it wasn't the best idea to do such a stupid thing and he still stayed by your side after your mess. It was only your fault and you couldn't keep denying it anymore. — noo :(( i’m really enjoying y/ns character development and like her owning up to her mistakes, it’s really good storytelling
You wasted no time and ran towards him to hug him with all your strength, almost making him fall backwards but he was faster and he quickly get comfortable to put his arms around your waist. — ARGHH THE FEELINGS I’M FEELING RN they’re just like y/n pls my heart is beating so fast
And his heart would be the happiest if he could make it happen. — HOLYFKING SHIT ABI GO REREAD WHAT U JUST WROTE RQ SO YOU CAN UNDERSTANF WHAT YOU’RE DOINGT O ME. THESE TWO PARAGRAPHS HAVE SIGNEL HANDELY DESTROYED ME. IM SOOO WHDEFIHDFDUHSF NOTHIGN COMES CLOSE TO YOUR WRITING IM BEING SO SERIOUS STOP THIS IS MAKING ME REALIZE WHAT A GENUIENLY UNBELIEVABLE AUTHO R U ARE ALL OVER AGAIN words can’t even come close to describing how ur writing makes me feel i’m so Sick.
The wisp vanished after that and you were embarrassed to think that it led you to him. — no don’t touch me i’m cryinh . they r soulmates and i don’t make the rules
"Your lips look soft," Those words came out on their own and managed to turn your stomach upside down, you clutched his shirt shyly, waiting for him to say something else, "Can I kiss them?" — WAIT AWWW this is the cutest freaking confession i’ve ever read i’m not even joking my stomach did turns 💔💔 you really got me feeling some type of way 👆i’m shitting tears
You wanted to kiss him over and over until there was no more oxygen in your lungs to keep you alive. — what if i told you you’re the only writer Ever? because you absolutely are in my eyes. abi. my one and only true writer. i love this so much. i’m being so serious.
"Don't worry." He smoothed a strand of hair behind your ear, leaving your face free of anything that would distract him from admiring it as if it were the first time he had seen you. — you are just the best at writing emotions i admire your writing so fucking much it’s perfection and that’s really the only word i can use to describe it. like the way you can word these emotions make me feel like i’m really in love like the characters and you just do such a good job in putting me in the world of the fic.
It may still be a little early for it, but perhaps the idea of marriage is not so bad after all. — are u kidding me ??????? i can’t believe it’s over u have me so attached to these characters and this was an absolute 10/10 read i can’t even express how much i loved reading all of your words bc they mean the world to me whether you realize it or not you’re just.. perfect. you’re perfect :(
hi guys!! this is your daily announcement to remember that these writers on here are real people, with real lives. they may write, or update everyday, they may not. they may write smaus, they may do written fixs only. but regardless of how nice they are to you and how polite they seem when they get rude asks, they are still human. they are still people who turn off their phone or laptop or wtv they write on and have a life outside of tumblr. sending asks like "why do you write so slow" even if it wasnt meant to be rude, is rude. writers often get writers blocks, and if we're lucky it last weeks at a time at most. if not, months at a time. getting inspo for a fic and going through the trouble to write it out and make it look nice and etc only for people to not interact with it, and then on top you get asks like those. if it isn't writers block, its trying to stick with the idea or the fic we have without starting another because we know that we may never finish the fic we currently have. it can be a number of reasons because at the end of the day, writers dont and aren't obligated to share details of their personal life, and its safer that we dont, so anything coild be happening. even if the intent wasnt to be rude, you have to remember there is life existing and happening around you.
now take some jay for the road for reading all of that <33
this is for the lovely @giyyuzz, and it’s inspired by her fic “game over” !! i’ve never made something like this before so my apologies if it looks rlly weird but i wanted to try something new! hopefully it doesn’t look too bad >.<
