I only use this for reblogging, feeding my hyperfixation and delusion >:) And maybe posting my art in the future. If you want me to un-repost/reblog, you are more welcome to DM me.
You are a dragon with strong mana able to change forms as you wish, unique and from another island.
You wanted to see other island when you came across Zozoah Peninsula and when you were just flying around in your big majestic dragon form only to find yourself in unfavorable situation leaving you with a wound and a broken wing.
The first time you meet Qifrey wasn't in a friendly way. You crash on the forest near his atelier and you weren't in a good mood after what transpired.
You almost bite his head off when he got close to you and even unleash a stream of fire to him that he was able to block.
When he was distracted you were able to tackle him down with your claws and even when you were about to unleash an inferno to his face the first thing he say was that you are beautiful and how your teeth look so healthy something that stop you in your track.
After that you have concluded that he was a weird hairless, scaleless being with soft skin because who compliment someone when they are about to kill you?
Qifrey was fanboying that a big dragon he never seen on books was right in front of him. Maybe he could study about you?
To you this scaleless creature was a creep when ever he get to close. You just wanted to leave but the way he was looking at you with adoration was doing something to your heart. Dragons are very proud creatures of how they look and this hairless tiny creature is feeding your ego.
When he try to be amiable with you he brought fish with him, luckily for him he brought your favorites kind and you gobble all of them. Seen that he didn't even eaten one you decided that maybe you can trust him after all you did heal you (or try to), try to give your space and now even feed you so maybe you to will share that same kindness.
And you regurgitated a half eaten fish as a peace offering.
It was silent for some minutes and you were feeling a little agitated that this human wasn't even accepting your token of friendship, You even give him a small piece of your favorite fish which you never share.
Although Qifrey knew what this symbolize, he was a little gross out but you were staring at him with such intensity, your lovely slighted eyes that Qifrey wouldn't mind getting lost in ehem, anyway he of course eat a small piece after all this was progrss to get on your good side.
Days after days he comes back and always with more food, you begin to see him as your food supplier.
Both of you got more amiable as the days continue until there was a day he didn't came back, or the next, and next.
You begin to get really worry which surprise you, you are a dragon for god sake, you are strong, prideful creature that never need someone and yet this soft skin human, who talk with so much kindness and even eat your half fish you give him, made such a big impact on you that it almost feel humiliating like a mutt waiting for their owner.
But you are no pet and certainly a sorry excuse and soggy low creature…you decided to look for him just to be sure not like you are worry and miss him certainly.
Qifrey got sick a couple of days ago, maybe after he push himself to the limit. He was suppose to meet up with you at you clearing but Olruggio and the girls wouldn't let him go out.
As he try to sleep, he look at his bed window coming face to face with a familiar scale cover face with slighted eyes of a dragon looking back at him. He almost die that afternoon.
You both talk of course you decline ever been worry about him not coming on his agree time but he saw through you calling you stubborn.
Seen your frail little human you did something you are teach as a dragon to never do, changing your form in the presence of humans. You change your size to be small so you could to sneak under to cover and cuddle him emanating some of your mana to be warm so he wouldn't get cold.
Qifrey was surprise at this but he was really glade of you guys process of now close proximity.
Olruggio was a little confuse when he came back from the kitchen to see a now small dragon have somehow sneak to Qifrey room and now laying with him.
That day was a lot of explaining to do. Of course you were in deniable of what transpire the nigh before and say that you just didn't want to lose your free food supplier.
The girls surround your small form with curiosity and amazement.Seen their adoring look at you just fill you ego, you were proud of your well keep scale and look after all, any dragon would.
After that fateful day you decided to live with them, and now the atelier have a dragon on their home. Olruggio is worry that they are going to have no room as Qifrey continue adopting(?) more and more people.
Days at the atelier was curious almost exciting in a way, there was never a day where it wasn't interesting. You guess you could get uses to this little creatures especially this group.
It not till a couple of day when you decided to get a nightly walk with Qifrey that the shouting of dragon hunters broke the air.
It was illegal to be hunting dragons but does that ever stop humans no. Qifrey try to hide you as the hunters get closer and closer.
Because of the danger you decided to blend in and by blending in you decided to transform to the weakness creature in your vocabulary…a human form. Of course it surprise Qifrey but at least it got those pesky hunter away when they see that there was just humans in the dark premise.
The hunter didn't see much, because you both were hiding behind some tree and Qifrey was able to drive them away.
Oh yeah you are also naked, dragons don't have clothes when transforming because they never see the benefit of it since they never transform to a human before. Qifrey almost die the second time that day. He cover you with his cape and both of you made the trek back to the atelier,
Now at the safety of his atelier he could now see your human form on the warm light.
patches of scale on your arms and face especially under your eyes, slighted eyes that represent your dragon form, a tail peaking from his cape and on top of your head are your horns. Oh dear is he going to explain this to Olruggio and the girls now without it coming as forbidden magic?
Qifrey try to convince you to hide it of course you say no.Even in this frail form you never got rid of your dragon aspect because how could you, You are a prideful dragon who love their form and you will never get rid of it. That night it was now a problem for tomorrow because he was tired.
Olruggio and the girls where confuse of the mysterious person that just appear one night, it wasn't until they notice how you speak was the same as the small dragon that live in the atelier. Of course there was a lot of questions ans pointed look (from Olruggio) pointed at Qifrey.
But of course they accepted that now you are a human, dragon? dragon shifter.
You use Qifrey clothes because there was no other choice until they go to Kalhm to buy some.
There was a lot of things you never understood of humans but now that you have taken a human form maybe you could learn some things about them.
There was also something they had to get use to you beside you now been human. Your stare/eyes can sometimes be scary especially at night. One of the girls find out when they went to the kitchen for a cup of water and stumble upon a pair of glowing eyes at the corridor. You got a scolding from Qifrey the next day for making one of the girls cry.
You can also eat raw meat, Qifrey was the one to stumble upon that when he was going to cook and saw you with a big piece of meat on your hold and about to be eaten. That day he teach you that humans cannot eat raw meat and even if you could to not do that in front of others because that will only make more questions.
Brushbuddy is scared of you after they saw your sharp teeth.
At night Qifrey still was curious about you and always ask questions such as your horns, your wings can you still summon them, claws hand and much more. You answer but after some time it get tiring and you drag him to his room before telling him to close his eyes and sleep.
As Qifrey sleep you couldn't help but feel a warmness in your heart and a strong feeling for this small human. Your human.
Synopsis: After years of holding everything together, one day the whole carefully built tower of lies and secrets finally collapses, and he doesn't want to be anywhere else than your arms.
Warning: bad grammar, hurt with comfort, Qifrey is kinda an OC, slight manga spoilers!
'Hey... look at me, please,' you say quietly while staring into the blue eye that belonged to the man that you loved and cherished over anything that this world was able to offer while gently holding his face in both of your hands, making him look at you.
'Please don’t look away..' you whispered with a look filled with some much love and adoration addressed towards his person that it made him want to cry ugly tears for every lie, every secret deeply buried inside his heart that he never told you about, every time he unwittingly hurt your feelings by isolating himself and neglecting you emotionally locking himself in his room for weeks moving around the atelier like a ghost of a person he used to be..
He wasn’t your Qifrey.
Not anymore.
The guilt of what he had done, the secrets, the pain and everything going on in his life finally found a breaking point with him coming into your room in the middle of the night and just breaking down holding your waist in a tight hug gripping your nightgown so hard his knuckles turned white and all he managed to do it start ugly crying.. the weight of everything crushing him like a poor pathetic bug under the fates foot.
You didn’t say anything.. you just let him cry like he did with you when the horrible nightmares haunted you holding you close to his chest letting you listen to his heartbeat gently stroking your head and placing soft kisses on your temple letting you cry without judging letting you cry all the pain away. You gently rubbed him on the back, letting him get there himself like he did with you.
When he finally managed to get his voice through the lump in his throat, all he managed to say was, 'I'm sorry.' You silently waited for him to continue, letting him take his time. You didn’t rush him, you never did. When he finally was ready, everything started slowly spilling out like rain, staring slowly and gently, and then turning into a full-blown ugly storm. He told you everything. From the very beginning. how Beldaruit found him, what brimmed hats had done to him, why he’s so desperate to find them, all of the secrets he kept for so long just started pouring out from his lips and once he started he couldn't stop until everything was out.
When he finally told you the whole truth he gently lifted his head and raised to his full height. After a moment of hesitation he slowly moved the hair on the left side of his face revealing the empty socket where his left eye was supposed to be.. but instead of the second beautiful blue eye that you could stare into for hours.. was a small pale silver branch slowly sprouting from where his eye should be.. You started in shock at him unable to form a single sentence. He closed his eye and slowly exhaled, turning his head away before he quietly spoke rubbing his neck.
'I understand if you feel disgusted by the sight in front of you… and will understand if you—' but before he could finish, you stood up and took his face into your hands, placing a kiss on his lips. Effectively silencing him.
'Please stop...' you whispered.
'Please look at me.. my love.'
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the gentle rustle of papers on the desk moved by wind that invited itself through the opened window.
For a few agonising seconds he didn’t respond, nor did he look at you… It was clear he was ashamed of what he was… defective, broken, flawed, imperfect-
But his thoughts got interrupted by the gentle warmth of you lips on his forehead, then cheek, soon followed by one on his nose, his temple and soon his whole face was covered in gentle kisses that were filled with love and not a single trace of disgust.. every single of them was a genuine sign of love it was nothing he could've expected.
You didn’t show a single emotion that would allow him to think that you’re disgusted by him; all he got was the gentle smile you always gave him and the gentle rubbing of your fingers against his face. You pulled him towards you by his robes, trapping him in a tight embrace with no space for a protest. After a moment of hesitation, he gently wrapped his arms around you and buried his face in the crook of your neck, exhaling shakily. The grip gradually tightened on you like he was terrified you would disappear at any moment.
And now in that moment there was nowhere else he wished to be… There weren’t any words he could think of that were able to describe how grateful he was for the fate of allowing him to have you in his life… in his arms… safe by his side. All for him and only for him.
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊⊱·✶·⊰₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
The next day when you got woken up by the gentle rays of the sun shining right on your face, blinding you a bit. You tried to get up to look at the cloak on the nightstand but soon realised you were unable to move.
You looked to your right to see what was going on and was met with a white haired man sleeping soundly next to you holding you like his life depened on it and for the first time in weeks you had him all to yourself. A small smile tucked at your lips and against your better judgement you decided that the morning chores can wait a bit more and slowly wriggled back under the blanket into his arms.
His grip, even when deep in sleep, instinctively tightened, moving you closer to him. You quietly giggled and let yourself enjoy the small, quiet moments of peace where you could have him without an interruption and finally enjoyed the time together after barely interacting with each other for weeks. You hoped that this will not happen again no matter how bad the situation would be. He promised to never keep you in the dark ever again when he was struggling, and you hoped he would keep his word. You were there for him in bad and good. Quietly standing by his side, waiting with open arms for him to come and finally use the invitation.
Pairing: Orufrey x Artist!Female!reader, The qieflings x Artist!Female!Reader (platonic)
Summary: A life living with six witches that accidentally got transport in your world and so many unexpected adventures awaits.
Author's note: I thought about making a Isekai but in reverse, they're the ones who got here in our world instead. It may not be like the specific of how Isekai goes and made it my way instead. Hope you do enjoy reading, excuse for the grammar and they may be out of character. BUT HOLY SHIT THIS IS LONG
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AWhen the rain gave way to the night sky, soft taps against the window kept the city company in its peaceful stillness.
Hypothetically, you were inside the messy art room of your apartment, your hand moving smoothly and carefully as you worked on another portrait for a project. Creativity had always been a part of you. You had explored countless forms of art—dancing, singing, figure skating, ballet, gymnastics, acting, tailoring, and even writing stories and poetry whenever inspiration struck.
But over time, you found yourself drawn to sketching and painting. You never really had trouble with any of the others; sometimes, you simply chose to listen to your heart, careful not to overwork yourself and burn yourself out.
As you sat in your coffee chair, completely focused, soft music played in the background. "Dancing Queen" by ABBA echoed from your phone, connected to a Bluetooth speaker.
As cozy as everything felt, the one thing you didn't expect was to hear a loud crash coming from your bedroom, just across from your messy art room.
You paused the music and quickly rose from your wooden coffee chair. Before you could even step out of the room, loud shouting erupted from outside.
"Coco! You literally dropped the vase! Now they're going to be mad at us!"
The familiar voice came from none other than Agott, who was busily scolding Coco.
"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Another voice quickly followed—Coco's, of course.
By now, scenes like this had become part of your daily routine. Ever since Coco, Agott, Richeh, Tetia, and their two masters had arrived, your apartment had rarely known a moment of complete silence. They were still trying to make sense of the modern world, and your home had become an endless source of confusion. Every unfamiliar object seemed to spark another question—or another accident.
How long had it been now? Two months, perhaps? Or was it only three weeks? You had honestly lost track of time.
The day they first appeared was still etched into your memory. Coco, Agott, Richeh, and Tetia had arrived alongside their masters, Qifrey and Olruggio,
Somehow, they had mistaken your apartment for a witch's domain, which only led to even more confusion once they encountered modern technology and everyday appliances. Smartphones, televisions, microwaves, and even the vacuum cleaner had left them utterly baffled.
It had been quite the adventure—or, more accurately, quite the headache—trying to explain how everything worked. On more than one occasion, you had to stop Coco from pressing random buttons, keep Tetia from wandering off in curiosity, or prevent someone from accidentally setting the kitchen on fire while attempting to "help" with dinner.
Needless to say, convincing them otherwise hadn't exactly gone according to plan.
And here you were now, living with a handful of unexpected roommates. You had even lent them comfortable clothes to help them blend into your world, though they still looked just a little out of place no matter what they wore.
You had to go shopping a few times for them as well, since the four little apprentices were mostly borrowing your clothes. Meanwhile, Qifrey and Olruggio relied on your brother's spare clothes whenever he stopped by your place.
You left your messy art room and headed toward your main bedroom, only to find a familiar scene of chaos. Qifrey was carefully picking up the shattered pieces of the vase, while Coco stood beside him, still looking guilty as she held the flowers that had once been inside it. Meanwhile, Agott held a rag, wiping away the water that had spilled across the floor.
"Everything okay in here?" you called out softly as you took in the scene before you.
The sudden sound of your voice seemed to startle Coco, and even Agott briefly glanced in your direction.
Qifrey, on the other hand, simply offered you an apologetic smile.
"Everything is all right," he reassured gently. "Just a little accident."
His calm tone suggested he was trying to ease the situation, perhaps thinking you would be upset over the broken vase.
"Ah, you weren't hurt, were you?" you asked, your gaze immediately finding Coco. There wasn't a trace of anger in your voice. It was only a vase. Expensive or not, you could always make another one yourself.
Coco nodded, fidgeting with her fingers as guilt lingered on her face. Meanwhile, Agott already knew that most of the blame fell on her. After all, she had been the one who accidentally barged the door open.
"It was me, actually," she admitted quietly, refusing to meet your eyes—or Qifrey's or Coco's. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, frustration and self-blame twisting in her chest.
Before Agott could say anything else, you spoke.
"It's just a vase," you said with a small shrug. "I can always make another one. Besides, it was my fault for leaving it in such a bad spot to begin with."
You offered Agott a gentle smile, hoping to ease the guilt weighing on her shoulders.
"There's no one to blame here. It was just an accident, so don't be too hard on yourself."
With that, you stepped closer and gently ruffled her curly hair.
For a brief moment, the room fell silent, the tension easing little by little, leaving behind nothing more than a broken vase and a lesson everyone would laugh about someday.
Meanwhile, Qifrey simply smiled to himself as he gathered the shattered pieces of the vase with a small broom and dustpan.
"Well, it seems everything has settled down now," he said softly, the familiar calm smile resting on his face as always.
That caught your attention. Noticing the broom and dustpan in Qifrey's hands, you instinctively reached for them, thinking it would be better if you threw the broken pieces away yourself.
"Maybe I should take those instead—"
Before you could, Qifrey simply turned slightly, keeping the dustpan just out of your reach.
"I'll have to disagree," he said with a soft chuckle. "It's all right. I already know where to put it."
His smile remained as calm and gentle as ever, leaving little room for argument.
A look of defeat crossed your face, but all you could do was sigh and nod in surrender. Once Qifrey left the room with the dustpan in hand, you turned your attention back to the two girls.
"Why don't you both go back to what you were doing?" you suggested.
The two exchanged a quick glance before nodding with a quiet hum. Moments later, Coco and Agott hurried out of the room, leaving you alone in the peaceful silence.
...Or so you thought.
A soft grunt suddenly came from your bed, making you flinch in surprise. For a brief moment, you assumed it was either Richeh or Tetia hiding beneath the blankets.
Nope.
It was Olruggio.
Curled up comfortably on your bed as though it belonged to him, he let out another sleepy grunt, seemingly having slept through the entire commotion.
'And here I thought you said you didn't want to sleep on my bed.'
You could only stare at him with a deadpan expression.
Still, you decided not to wake him. Judging by how peacefully he was sleeping, it was obvious he hadn't gotten proper rest in quite some time.
In truth, he hadn't.
You remembered how he and Qifrey had spent countless hours trying to find a way back to their own world, drawing spell after spell until the very last drop of conjuring ink had run dry. Even then, neither of them had been willing to give up.
Despite knowing next to nothing about magic or their world's customs, you did everything you could to help. Whether it was buying supplies, giving them a place to stay, or simply making sure they remembered to eat and rest, you wanted to lighten their burden, even if only a little.
In the end, they had no choice but to stay in your world until they found a way back home. As the days passed, Qifrey's four apprentices gradually began to make themselves at home in your apartment, slowly settling into their unexpected lives there.
You still remembered the first time you lent them your clothes while you planned a shopping trip to buy outfits of their own.
That was a memory you doubted you'd ever forget.
Agott had worn the grumpiest expression imaginable after being handed one of your oversized pink shirts. She looked as though wearing it was the greatest trial she'd ever faced.
You, Coco, Richeh, and even Qifrey couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Olruggio merely hid his amusement behind a quiet smile.
Although Agott complained the entire time, she eventually warmed up to the shirt's surprising comfort. That didn't stop Tetia from teasing her every chance she got, much to Agott's embarrassment.
Returning to the present, you quietly drew the curtains shut, dimming the afternoon sunlight that filtered through the windows. After switching off the lights, you spared one last glance at Olruggio's sleeping figure before silently making your way to the door.
With a gentle click, the door closed behind you.
What you didn't notice, however, was that Olruggio's eyes slowly cracked open.
He had only been pretending to sleep.
Through half-lidded eyes, he watched the door for a brief moment before letting out a quiet sigh, the room once again falling into silence.
'Just another day...'
With that thought lingering in your mind, you continued down the hallway toward the kitchen, hoping to grab yourself something to drink.
Halfway there, however, your footsteps came to an abrupt stop.
Richeh.
She was standing on top of the kitchen counter with Brushbuddy perched comfortably on her shoulder. A bag of snacks was clenched between her teeth, another was tucked under one arm, and she was currently reaching for yet another from the highest cabinet.
The two of you simply stared at each other.
You stood frozen in complete disbelief.
Meanwhile, Richeh looked at you as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
"..."
"..."
'...What the fu—?'
"Richeh! Did you get it—?!"
You snapped out of your daze when you heard a hushed whisper from around the corner. A moment later, a head cautiously peeked out.
It was Tetia.
The moment her eyes landed on you, she froze just as you had. The color seemed to drain from her face as she realized she'd been caught.
"Ah! M-Miss—! I mean..."
She stumbled over her words, nervously clasping her hands together.
You could only let out a small sigh.
"Please," you said gently, "you don't have to call me 'Miss,' dear."
Tetia blinked before offering an embarrassed smile, while Richeh remained perfectly balanced atop the counter, still clutching her collection of snacks as if nothing unusual had happened.
"You could've at least asked me. Then Richeh wouldn't have had to climb onto the counter."
You pinched the bridge of your nose, looking completely done with the situation.
Just another day... just another day...
You repeated the thought to yourself, silently trying to accept whatever chaos today had decided to throw at you.
With a quiet sigh, you looked between Richeh and Tetia.
"Anyway... whose idea was this?" you asked.
The two girls immediately fell silent.
They looked at each other.
Then they looked at you.
Then, almost in perfect sync, they quickly looked away.
"...Tetia? Richeh?" you called again, your voice remaining as gentle as ever.
Neither of them answered.
"I'm not mad," you reassured them. "I just want to know."
'...Why does everyone always think I'm angry?'
A small frown unconsciously formed on your face as you waited for an answer.
Unfortunately, that only seemed to convince the two girls that you were, in fact, upset.
The kitchen fell into an awkward silence, with Richeh still frozen on top of the counter, snacks in hand, while Tetia nervously fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.
Another defeated sigh escaped your lips as one hand came to rest on your hip.
"Listen," you began patiently, "I'm not mad. You two could've just asked me instead. That way, Richeh wouldn't have had to climb all the way up there."
Your voice remained calm, carrying more concern than frustration.
"I was only worried that one of you might get hurt."
As if to prove your point, your eyes drifted toward Richeh, who was still standing on top of the counter with snacks tucked under her arm and Brushbuddy perched on her shoulder.
"It was me," Tetia confessed, raising her hand a little. "The snacks here are just really delicious... and I wanted to have seconds."
"Richeh thinks the ice cream is nice, too," Richeh added matter-of-factly, as though that perfectly explained why she had climbed onto the counter in the first place.
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" you said with a soft chuckle. "Now, tell me what other snacks you two want. And Richeh, come on down from there. I'll get them for you instead."
Richeh obediently climbed down from the counter while you reached up and grabbed the snacks they had been eyeing, handing them over one by one. Tetia's face lit up with a grateful smile, and even Richeh gave a small, satisfied nod as she accepted hers.
Quite an interesting day, indeed.
Then again...
Living with six witches from another world meant there was never really such a thing as an ordinary day anymore.
-------++++++-------
By the end of the day, exhaustion had settled deep into your bones.
Days like these only seemed to grow more eventful the longer they stayed with you.
You swore they were all going to be the death of you. Their endless curiosity either frightened you or left you questioning everything right alongside them.
But then again...
Who could blame them?
They weren't even from this world.
Even so, here you were once again, back in your messy art room, gently gliding your paintbrush across the canvas. Music continued to fill the room, its melody carrying your imagination wherever it pleased.
You had promised yourself that you'd finish this project today.
Yet somehow, every time you found your rhythm, one of the four girls—or one of the two men—would end up needing your help.
...
That thought lingered.
Your hand slowly came to a stop as your eyes remained fixed on the unfinished painting before you.
Was this how things always went?
A distant memory quietly resurfaced.
You remembered being a child.
Your parents were always there to help you. They guided you through everything, and by the time you reached your teenage years—almost an adult—you had grown so accustomed to their presence that it became your comfort.
Your safe place.
Without realizing it, you never stepped beyond that little shell they had built around you.
When problems came, you didn't know how to face them alone.
Then, whenever you finally asked for help, they would smile and tell you...
"You can handle it on your own."
They never meant it cruelly.
You knew that.
But somehow...
It left you feeling trapped, as though you had been standing in the same place while everyone else kept moving forward.
In the end, you forced yourself to keep swimming anyway, searching for your own answers, even if it meant stumbling, failing, or embarrassing yourself along the way.
Eventually, you learned to pour those feelings somewhere else.
Into your stories.
Into your paintings.
Into every canvas that silently carried the emotions your heart could never bring itself to say aloud.
Who were you trying to fool?
No matter how far you walked, it always felt as though you would find yourself back in that same cycle.
Yet whenever you looked at those four girls...
Your chest ached.
They reminded you so much of yourself.
Curious.
Eager to learn.
Always reaching for things they didn't understand.
Sometimes you let them figure things out on their own.
Sometimes you stepped in to help.
You wondered...
Was this what your parents had been trying to do all along?
Was it your fault?
Theirs?
Or was there no one to blame at all?
Sometimes you wished you could return to that time.
To loosen the invisible chains that still kept part of you frozen in the past.
Words remained trapped in your throat.
Fear wrapped itself around your body.
And somewhere deep inside...
You were still afraid of being left behind.
Forgotten.
"Hey... you in here?"
A soft knock pulled you back to reality.
Standing in the doorway was Olruggio.
"I thought you were asleep," you muttered.
"Well, the girls are," another voice answered.
Qifrey stepped into view beside Olruggio, wearing the same calm expression he always seemed to carry.
"But you weren't in your room."
He walked over slowly.
"Is everything all right?"
You avoided his gaze, returning your attention to the canvas.
"Yeah... I'm fine."
You forced another stroke of the brush across the painting.
"Just... trying to finish this."
Your wrist moved again.
Then it trembled.
Anxiety had returned without warning.
You didn't even know why anymore.
It had lingered for so long that it almost felt like a part of you.
Before you could continue, a gentle hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping the brush in its tracks.
Qifrey.
He didn't say anything at first.
He had already noticed the trembling.
"That's enough for today."
His voice was soft.
"Come on."
From behind him, Olruggio folded his arms.
"He's right. Off to bed."
"How about you two go ahead? I'll—"
"No."
Qifrey interrupted gently before giving your wrist the smallest tug.
"Olruggio's right."
"You're exhausted."
For a brief moment, you wanted to protest.
But the words never came.
Instead, your shoulders relaxed.
"...All right."
A faint smile appeared on Qifrey's face.
Together, the three of you returned to your bedroom. The girls had long since fallen asleep in the spare room, while Qifrey and Olruggio had settled into their sleeping bags beside your bed.
"Night, you two..."
You climbed beneath the blankets.
"Good night," Qifrey replied with his usual gentle smile.
Olruggio simply answered with a quiet grunt before closing his eyes.
The room soon fell silent.
Sleep eventually came.
But you knew better than to believe it would quiet your mind so easily.
It never really had.
Lately, though...
Exhaustion had become strong enough to drag you into sleep before your thoughts could keep you awake.
-------+++++-------
The night settled peacefully over the apartment, wrapping everything in a comforting silence.
The only ones still awake were Qifrey and Olruggio.
Qifrey slowly sat up from his sleeping bag, his eyes drifting toward your sleeping figure, curled beneath the blankets.
"She's asleep..." he murmured.
"You don't say," Olruggio replied dryly from beside him, his hands resting behind his head. "You're going to try again, aren't you?"
Qifrey lowered his gaze to his hand, absentmindedly clenching the edge of his blanket.
"There's no magic here..." he muttered in frustration. "Even our spells don't obey this world's laws."
He wasn't wrong.
The laws that governed magic in their world simply refused to function here, as though an invisible barrier surrounded this place, preventing every spell from taking shape no matter how carefully it was drawn.
"I'll still find a way back home," Qifrey said quietly, determination settling into his voice. "Even if it wears me out."
Olruggio glanced at his longtime friend before letting out a weary sigh.
"Just don't push yourself too hard."
It was all he could say.
Rolling onto his side, he turned his back toward Qifrey, though he remained awake for a few moments longer.
Without another word, Qifrey carefully slipped out of his sleeping bag. He picked up a black gel pen and a fresh sheet of paper before quietly making his way to the bedroom door.
With the gentlest click, he closed it behind him.
The living room was dark, save for the small lamp casting a warm glow across the coffee table.
There, in the quiet stillness of the night, Qifrey sat down once more and began drawing another spell.
Another attempt.
Another hope that, somehow, it would lead them back home.
Only the soft scratching of pen against paper kept him company as the darkness stretched around him.
-----++++---
The next morning, you found yourself staring down at Qifrey, who had somehow fallen asleep on the couch.
Your hands rested on your hips while an exasperated look settled across your face.
A quiet sigh escaped your lips before you turned toward Olruggio.
He simply raised one hand in surrender.
"I wasn't part of this."
"...Qifrey," you murmured, your expression softening. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"
Carefully, you draped a blanket over his sleeping figure before adjusting the pillow beneath his head.
The last time he'd slept on the couch, he had woken up complaining about a sore neck.
You weren't about to let that happen again.
Your fingers gently brushed a few loose strands of his white hair away from his face.
Then your gaze drifted toward the eye he always kept hidden.
Now that I think about it...
He always seemed careful to keep that eye covered.
Curiosity got the better of you for just a moment.
Slowly, you reached toward the strands of hair shielding it.
Before your fingers could move them aside—
A hand gently caught your wrist.
Your eyes widened in surprise.
Qifrey had already opened his eyes.
"Ah—! Sorry... I didn't mean to wake you," you apologized immediately, startled by his sudden movement.
For a brief second, his grip tightened instinctively before he realized what he'd done.
His hand quickly relaxed.
"No," Qifrey said softly, releasing your wrist. "I should be the one apologizing. I startled you first."
He slowly sat up on the couch, offering you the same gentle smile he always wore.
"What? But I was the one who literally—"
"Ah," he interrupted with a light chuckle, "there's no need for that. I was the one who startled you, wasn't I?"
You let out a defeated groan.
There really was no winning an argument against this man.
"Fine, fine," you sighed, throwing your hands up in surrender. "Come on. Breakfast's already waiting for you."
Qifrey's smile only grew a little warmer as he quietly rose from the couch to follow you.
----+++++----
Breakfast was lively, as always.
The four girls chatted excitedly among themselves, with Tetia somehow bringing up—yet again—the oversized pink shirt Agott had been forced to wear.
"I still think you looked adorable in it!"
"I did not," Agott muttered flatly, earning a giggle from Coco.
Meanwhile, both you and Olruggio found your attention drifting toward Qifrey.
He looked exhausted.
The dark circles beneath his eyes were impossible to miss, and despite everyone else happily eating, he hadn't even touched the breakfast sitting in front of him.
You let out a quiet sigh before standing from your chair. Your own plate was already empty.
"Anyway..." you began, carrying your mug over to the counter. "Looks like the hot water's ready. Qifrey, would you like some tea?"
You picked up the kettle and poured the steaming water into your own cup before reaching for another.
"...Qifrey?"
No answer.
You glanced over your shoulder.
"Qifrey?"
"Hm?"
He blinked, as though he'd only just returned to reality.
"W-What was that?"
A collective groan echoed around the table.
"I... might've zoned out."
He smiled sheepishly.
You could only shake your head.
"Yeah... you definitely need this."
Without waiting for another answer, you poured the hot water into his teacup.
Qifrey let out a quiet chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.
"Seriously, Master!" Tetia huffed, crossing her arms. "You need to give yourself a break!"
"Master Olly already told you that," Richeh added between bites of her noodle soup.
"All right, all right," you interrupted with a laugh as you carried the two cups back to the table. You placed one in front of Qifrey.
"Let's stop ganging up on your master."
He smiled gratefully before taking a careful sip of the tea.
Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Brushbuddy happily nibbling on a strip of bacon near the edge of the table.
...Fluffy.
You wondered, not for the first time, just how soft its fur actually was.
Clearing your throat, you looked around the table.
"It's kind of like..." you thought aloud. "What do you call the town where witches buy supplies again?"
"Kalhn," Olruggio answered.
"Right! Kalhn."
You nodded.
"So grocery shopping is pretty similar. It's where people buy food, drinks, and other things they need at home. Kind of like how you restock supplies for your atelier."
Coco's eyes lit up in understanding.
"Oh!"
"Anyway," you continued, "I thought maybe all of you could come with me. You haven't really had the chance to explore much outside the apartment, and I figured a little walk wouldn't hurt."
Tetia was the first to react.
"So we're finally going shopping—with you?!" she asked excitedly.
Beside her, Richeh had already begun wondering what the shops in your world would be like compared to Kalhn.
"If your masters allow it," you added with a small smile.
Four pairs of eyes immediately turned toward you.
"What?" you laughed. "I'm not the one making that decision."
That earned a pair of disappointed groans from Tetia and Coco.
Richeh simply continued eating.
Agott didn't seem particularly interested either, though she quietly listened.
"Well?" Olruggio asked, turning toward Qifrey.
"I don't mind," he admitted first. "I actually agree. It would probably do them some good to get outside for a while."
Qifrey remained silent.
His fingers absentmindedly curled around the warm teacup as his gaze lingered on the rising steam.
You already knew what he was thinking.
"If you're worried about what happens outside..." you said gently, "...you don't have to be."
He finally looked up.
"I've lived here my whole life. I know what to watch out for, and I'll make sure everyone stays together."
You offered him a reassuring smile.
"I'll keep them safe."
For a moment, Qifrey said nothing.
Then, after another quiet sip of his tea, the worry in his eyes softened ever so slightly.
"All right," Qifrey said at last. "We'll go with you."
The decision immediately earned excited cheers from Coco and Tetia.
"Really?!"
"Yay!"
Even Richeh looked quietly pleased, while Agott simply let out a small sigh, pretending not to be as interested as the others.
You couldn't help but smile at their reactions.
"All right, then," you said. "Finish your breakfast first. After that, take a little break and get washed up, okay?"
"Okay!" the four girls answered in unison.
The apartment was soon filled with cheerful chatter once again, making it hard not to smile as the morning carried on.
"Qifrey—"
Before you could stop him, he quietly stood from his chair.
"It's all right," he said, offering you a small, reassuring smile. "I'll be in the room."
With that, he turned and quietly walked away, leaving the lively chatter of the dining table behind.
"He's at it again," Olruggio groaned, rubbing a hand across his forehead.
You lowered your gaze, absentmindedly tracing your fingers around the warm teacup.
"I understand why he's so desperate to find a way back..." you murmured. "Anyone would be."
Your expression softened.
"But... the Brimmed Hats worry me, too."
You lifted your eyes to meet Olruggio's.
"If they're somehow involved in all of this..." you trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
"Let's leave that aside for now," Olruggio said, giving a small wave of his hand before gently patting your back.
"Don't burden yourself with problems that aren't yours to carry," he reassured you.
Even so, a quiet sense of guilt lingered in his chest. None of this was supposed to involve you in the first place.
You offered him a small, reassuring smile.
"It's okay, Olly," you said softly. "I want to help you guys, even if it's only a little."
Olruggio looked at you for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"...You're too kind for your own good."
"You can't really blame me," you said with a soft laugh. "It just doesn't sit right with me... leaving someone behind when I know I can help."
Olruggio stared at you for a moment before clicking his tongue in quiet resignation.
"Tch..."
A faint blush dusted his cheeks, and despite his usual composed expression, he deliberately looked away, refusing to meet your eyes.
"You should go take a bath, Olruggio," you said, teasingly waving a hand in front of your nose as if he smelled terrible.
Olruggio looked at you with an expression so utterly offended it was as though you had insulted his entire existence.
"...Ha?!"
He placed a hand against his chest in mock disbelief.
"You know what? Fine!"
He spun on his heel dramatically, making for the hallway.
You couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"I'm joking!"
Olruggio paused for only a second before continuing on, grumbling something under his breath that you couldn't quite make out.
What you didn't notice, however, was the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
He had known you were joking from the very beginning.
Still...
Hearing you laugh like that somehow made the teasing worth enduring.
"But seriously, do go take a shower. After you're done, it'll be my turn," you said as you began stacking the dirty plates together.
"You do remember how to use the bathroom, right? I showed you before."
"Oh, of course I remember," Olruggio replied with a small nod. He paused for a moment, tapping his chin as he searched for the right word.
"I remember the girls accidentally splashed you with that... what was it called again? The thing attached to the shower..."
"The showerhead?" you offered.
"Right. The showerhead."
You let out an amused sigh.
"Ah... yeah, I remember that."
The memory came back almost instantly.
You had been teaching everyone how to use the bathroom when Coco had accidentally turned the showerhead toward you instead of the wall.
Before you knew it, you were completely soaked from head to toe, while the four girls had scrambled into a flurry of apologies.
It had been chaotic.
...But looking back on it now, it was actually a little funny.
"I'll take care of the dishes," you told Olruggio as he left the dining room and headed toward your bedroom to grab a towel.
Figuring he'd be in the bathroom soon, you turned your attention back to the sink, rolling up your sleeves before starting on the pile of dirty dishes.
About three minutes later, however, Olruggio walked back into the kitchen.
Without saying a word, he stepped beside you and reached for one of the plates.
You blinked in confusion.
"Olly, I said I'd handle it—"
"The girls are using the bathroom."
"..."
"...Right."
You paused for a second before letting out a small laugh.
"I probably should've seen that coming."
Olruggio only shrugged as he picked up a dish towel.
"Looks like I'm helping with the dishes after all."
-----+++++-----
Once the two of you had finished cleaning the kitchen, you made your way toward the guest room.
Peeking through the slightly open doorway, you found the four girls getting ready. They were dressed in the clothes you had bought for them not long ago, helping one another adjust collars, smooth out wrinkles, and fix the little details.
A small smile found its way onto your face.
Seeing how comfortable they had become in your world warmed your heart more than you cared to admit.
"You girls doing okay?" you asked softly as you stepped out from your hiding spot and into the room.
The four of them immediately turned toward you, bright smiles spreading across their faces.
"Need a hand drying your hair?" you asked, noticing their damp hair.
The four girls exchanged glances before Coco gave an embarrassed smile.
"Yeah... we've kind of gotten used to Master Olruggio drying our hair with his rings," she explained sheepishly.
You blinked.
"...You know, that explains a lot."
No wonder they always seemed to dry off so quickly back in their own world.
Unfortunately, magic wasn't exactly an option here.
Then, suddenly, something clicked.
"I've got it!" you exclaimed.
"I can use a hair dryer to dry your hair!"
Without another word, you spun around toward the door.
"I'll be right back!"
Before any of the girls could ask what you meant, you had already hurried down the hallway toward your bedroom.
"Sorry, coming in!"
You pushed the door open without thinking.
"...Oi—!"
Olruggio's startled voice echoed through the room.
He had only just finished his shower and was halfway through pulling on his shirt. A towel was still wrapped around his waist, and his face immediately flushed a deep shade of red.
Meanwhile, Qifrey sat quietly on your bed, a book resting in his hands.
He glanced up from the pages, then toward Olruggio, before letting out the faintest amused smile.
Fortunately...
You hadn't noticed any of it.
Your attention was already fixed on the dresser, rummaging through the drawers in search of the hair dryer.
"Where did I put it...?"
You continued searching, completely oblivious to Olruggio's flustered state.
"Would you mind knocking next time?!" Olruggio blurted out, hurriedly pulling his shirt over his head.
"Hm?"
You barely acknowledged him, too busy rummaging through your drawers in search of the hair dryer.
"I'm sure I left it in here somewhere..."
"Oi! Are you even listening to me?!"
Still no response.
You continued digging through drawer after drawer as if nothing unusual had happened.
Across the room, Qifrey quietly watched the scene unfold.
A soft chuckle escaped him before it gradually grew into gentle laughter.
Olruggio shot him an incredulous look.
"...You're laughing?"
"I can't help it," Qifrey admitted between quiet laughs. "She didn't even notice."
Olruggio could only let out an exasperated sigh.
"...Unbelievable."
At last, you let out a triumphant gasp.
"Found it!"
Holding the hair dryer high like a prized treasure, you flashed them both a bright smile.
"Oh, were you two talking about something?"
Both Olruggio and Qifrey simply stared at your bright, innocent smile.
For a brief moment, neither of them said a word.
It was almost as if they'd both been struck by lightning.
"..."
"..."
"N-Nothing!" Olruggio sputtered, his face somehow growing even redder as he hurriedly finished pulling his shirt into place.
"J-Just get out of here already! I'm still getting dressed!"
You blinked in confusion.
"...You are?"
Only then did you finally look up.
Your eyes landed on Olruggio for exactly one second before realization slowly dawned on your face.
"..."
"...Oh."
Your face immediately heated with embarrassment.
"S-Sorry!"
Clutching the hair dryer to your chest, you quickly turned on your heel and hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind you with an audible click.
The room fell silent.
Qifrey quietly covered his mouth, trying—and failing—to suppress another laugh.
Olruggio buried his face in one hand.
"...I swear she's going to be the death of me."
"You do have to admit..." Qifrey said with a quiet smile as he turned the page of his book, "her smile is rather adorable."
He paused for a moment before adding,
"And... kind."
Olruggio froze.
"..."
His ears turned a faint shade of red.
"...What's with that look?" he muttered, refusing to glance at Qifrey.
Qifrey only smiled to himself, his eyes returning to the book in his hands.
"I'm simply stating what I observed."
"...Tch."
Olruggio clicked his tongue, though he couldn't quite hide the warmth creeping across his face.
"...You're insufferable."
Qifrey let out another soft chuckle.
"So I've been told."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bedroom door...
You stood frozen in the hallway, one hand clamped firmly over your mouth while the other tightly gripped the hair dryer.
Your face burned with embarrassment as the realization finally caught up to you.
HOLY SHIT... I DID NOT JUST DO THAT!
You silently screamed into your hand, resisting every urge to curl into a ball and disappear from existence.
Why didn't I knock?!
Why did I only realize it after he pointed it out?!
I am never going to hear the end of this...
Taking a deep breath, you gave your cheeks a couple of light pats.
"...Get yourself together."
The girls were still waiting for you.
No matter how embarrassing that had been, you still had four damp-haired apprentices to take care of.
With one final groan of defeat, you straightened your posture, tightened your grip on the hair dryer, and marched back toward the guest room as though absolutely nothing had happened.
Hopefully...
Olruggio would forget about it.
...Probably not.
"I'm back!" you announced, appearing in the doorway with the hair dryer in hand and a bright smile.
Unfortunately, your face was still noticeably flushed.
The four girls immediately noticed.
Coco tilted her head in concern.
"O-Oh! You're back! Um... are you all right?"
"Yeah," Tetia added, blinking at you. "Your face is really red."
Richeh quietly studied you for a moment.
"...Your temperature seems higher than usual."
Meanwhile, Agott crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly.
"...Did something happen?"
You froze for half a second before forcing out an awkward laugh.
"Haha...! It's nothing! Just... a little embarrassing moment."
"..."
The four girls exchanged puzzled glances.
None of them seemed entirely convinced.
You quickly cleared your throat, lifting the hair dryer with a triumphant smile.
"Anyway! I found a solution for drying your hair!"
Just like that, the topic shifted, and the girls' curiosity immediately turned toward the strange object in your hand.
You plugged the hair dryer's cord into the wall outlet before turning back to the four girls, who watched every movement with wide, curious eyes.
"What is that?" Coco asked, tilting her head.
"It kind of looks like a wand..." Tetia added.
"It doesn't have any runes," Agott pointed out, narrowing her eyes.
Richeh simply stared at the strange object in your hand.
"It's called a hair dryer," you explained, holding it up for them to see. "Instead of using magic to dry your hair, this uses warm air."
"Warm... air?" Coco repeated.
You nodded.
"Yep. Watch."
You flicked the switch on.
Fwoooosh—
The hair dryer hummed to life, sending a stream of warm air through the nozzle.
The sudden noise made all four girls jump in surprise.
"E-Eh?!" Coco squeaked.
"It talks!" Tetia exclaimed, taking an instinctive step back.
"It doesn't talk," you laughed. "That's just the motor inside."
Curious, you turned the dial to the highest setting.
"See this? It has different speeds."
You pointed to the numbers.
"One is low."
You clicked it.
The airflow softened.
"Two is medium."
Another click.
The stream of air became stronger.
"And three..." you said with a grin before switching it to the highest setting.
FWOOOOOSH—!
A much stronger blast of warm air rushed out, causing Coco's bangs to flutter wildly.
"Wah!"
Tetia burst into laughter as Coco hurriedly held down her hair.
"So powerful!" Tetia giggled.
"It feels like standing in front of a tiny wind spell," Richeh observed, fascinated.
Agott cautiously reached a hand toward the stream of air.
"...It's warm."
"It is," you said with a smile. "That's what dries your hair."
The four girls leaned in closer, their curiosity growing by the second as they watched the strange little machine work without a single drop of magic.
You couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions.
"All right," you said, setting the hair dryer to a lower setting. "Who's first?"
"Me!"
Tetia's hand shot into the air before anyone else could even answer.
"I volunteer!"
You laughed.
"I figured you'd be first."
Tetia happily skipped over before sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of you, her back facing you as she waited eagerly.
You picked up a hairbrush with one hand and the hair dryer with the other.
"Ready?"
"Mhm!"
With a gentle smile, you switched the hair dryer back on.
A warm stream of air flowed through Tetia's damp hair as you carefully brushed through the strands, taking your time to keep them from tangling.
"There we go..."
Tetia let out a content hum.
"Ooh... this feels nice."
"It doesn't hurt?" Coco asked, watching with wide eyes.
"Nope!" Tetia replied cheerfully. "It's warm!"
Curiosity quickly got the better of the others.
Coco leaned in from one side while Richeh crouched beside you, quietly observing the strange machine at work.
Agott remained where she was, arms crossed as always, though even she couldn't hide the interest in her eyes.
"So this is how people in your world dry their hair..." Coco murmured in amazement.
You nodded, gently brushing another section of Tetia's hair.
"Pretty much. No magic needed."
The three girls watched every movement carefully, fascinated by something so ordinary to you yet completely new to them.
Once Tetia's hair was completely dry, you helped tie it back into her usual two high pigtails.
"There," you said with a satisfied smile. "All done."
Tetia immediately reached up to touch her hair.
"Ooh! It's so fluffy!"
She beamed before happily hopping away to admire it, making the others giggle.
Unlike Tetia, Richeh sat perfectly still, quietly humming to herself as you brushed and dried her hair. Every so often, Brushbuddy would curiously poke at the moving strands, earning a small laugh from you.
When Richeh's hair was finished, Coco eagerly took her turn.
She couldn't stop asking questions.
"How does it make warm air?"
"Does it get tired?"
"Can it only dry hair?"
You answered each one as patiently as you could while brushing through her soft brown locks, smiling at her endless curiosity.
Finally, it was Agott's turn.
She walked over with her usual composed expression and sat down without a word.
Even so, you noticed she relaxed slightly as the warm air passed through her curls.
"...This isn't bad," she admitted quietly after a while.
You smiled to yourself.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"...Don't."
You couldn't help but laugh, earning a small huff from Agott, though she didn't seem nearly as annoyed as she pretended to be.
One by one, the four girls now had warm, dry hair, each wearing a look of quiet amazement at yet another everyday invention from your world.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
The four girls and you all turned toward it.
Standing in the doorway was Qifrey, dressed in a black turtleneck beneath his familiar white cloak, looking as composed as ever.
Beside him stood Olruggio, now fully dressed in a dark shirt, black trousers, and a jacket.
"Is everything all right in here?" Qifrey asked with his usual gentle smile.
The girls nodded enthusiastically.
"Everything's fine!"
"She dried our hair!" Tetia said proudly, patting her now-fluffy pigtails.
"And she explained how the machine works," Coco added.
Qifrey's eyes briefly shifted toward you before he smiled warmly.
"It seems you've all been busy."
Before you could reply, someone cleared their throat.
"Ahem."
You turned to Olruggio.
He gestured toward you with a raised eyebrow.
"...You're the only one who hasn't showered yet."
Silence.
"..."
"...Oh."
The realization hit you like a freight train.
"Right."
You looked down at yourself, then back at everyone else.
"...I'm literally the only one who's not ready."
Without another word, you spun around on your heel.
"I'll be right back!"
You darted out of the room, rushed into your bedroom, snatched up your towel, and disappeared toward the bathroom at full speed.
The room fell quiet for a brief moment.
Then...
"...She forgot," Olruggio muttered.
Qifrey let out a soft, amused laugh.
"I suppose she was a little too focused on everyone else."
The four girls couldn't help but giggle.
"...That's very much like her."
After your shower, you quickly dried your hair and slipped into a comfortable outfit for going out.
You were never one to overdress.
Instead, you preferred clothes that felt like you—simple, comfortable, and easy to move around in. Something you could spend the entire day wearing without a second thought.
After making a few small adjustments and giving yourself one last glance in the mirror, you nodded in satisfaction.
"That'll do."
With that, you grabbed your bag, tucked your phone and wallet inside, and headed out of your room to meet the others, who were already waiting for you.
"I'm here!" you announced as you stepped out of your room.
Crossing over to the kitchen counter, you picked up your apartment keys before grabbing your car keys from the small tray beside them.
"All right," you said, slipping both sets of keys into your pocket. "I'm all set."
The others turned toward you.
Tetia was practically bouncing with excitement, Coco's eyes sparkled with curiosity, Richeh stood quietly with Brushbuddy perched on her shoulder, and Agott waited patiently with her arms folded.
Qifrey smiled warmly.
"Then shall we?"
You returned the smile and gave a small nod.
"Yep. Let's get going."
Just as you were about to head for the door, something suddenly crossed your mind.
"Richeh."
She turned her attention toward you.
"Yes?"
"Would you mind keeping an eye on Brushbuddy for me?" you asked gently. "The place we're going is going to be pretty crowded, and I don't want the little rascal getting lost."
Your gaze shifted to the small creature perched on her shoulder.
"I know how much Brushbuddy means to all of you."
Richeh looked at Brushbuddy, who blinked back at her before giving a determined little nod, almost as if promising it would stay close.
A small smile tugged at the corners of Richeh's lips.
"I will."
You returned the smile.
"Thank you, Richeh."
Brushbuddy let out a cheerful little chirp, nuzzling against Richeh's cheek as if agreeing to the arrangement.
"All right," you said with a smile. "Let's go."
You opened the front door, waiting until everyone had stepped out into the hallway before locking the apartment behind you.
With a quiet click, you slipped the keys back into your pocket.
"This way."
The group followed you down the hallway until you stopped in front of a pair of large metal doors.
The four girls tilted their heads in confusion.
"...What's this?" Coco asked.
Qifrey and Olruggio quietly studied the strange doors as well, neither of them recognizing what they were looking at.
"It's called an elevator," you explained.
"It takes people up and down buildings much faster than using the stairs."
"So..." Tetia looked up toward the ceiling. "...it's like a moving room?"
You laughed.
"That's actually a pretty good way of describing it."
You pressed the button beside the doors.
A soft ding echoed through the hallway.
The doors slowly slid open.
The girls instinctively stepped back.
"It opened by itself!" Coco exclaimed.
"No magic..." Agott murmured, narrowing her eyes as she inspected the mechanism.
"That's because it runs on electricity instead," you explained, stepping inside first. "Come on, it's safe."
One by one, they cautiously followed you into the elevator.
The doors slid shut behind them.
Coco immediately turned around in surprise.
"It closed!"
"It'll open again when we reach the ground floor," you reassured her.
As the elevator began to descend, Tetia grabbed onto the handrail.
"It feels funny!"
"That's just because we're moving," you chuckled.
Qifrey quietly observed every detail of the elevator, while Olruggio rested a hand against one of the walls, clearly fascinated by how such a machine could function without a trace of magic.
"It's certainly faster than taking the stairs," he admitted.
"It is," you agreed. "Though elevators can still be dangerous if people don't use them properly. So it's always important to stay calm, avoid playing around inside them, and follow the safety rules."
The group nodded, taking your words seriously.
Another soft ding echoed through the cabin.
The doors slid open once more, revealing the apartment building's lobby.
"...Whoa," Tetia whispered.
Your little tour of the modern world had only just begun.
"Morning, pal," you greeted the building's security guard, who had known you for years.
The older man smiled warmly and gave you a friendly wave.
"Morning. Off somewhere today?"
"Just taking them out for a bit," you replied with a smile.
His gaze drifted toward the group gathered behind you.
The four girls politely waved back, while Qifrey and Olruggio offered courteous nods.
"Have a safe trip."
"You too."
With that, everyone continued toward the parking lot.
The moment they stepped outside, their attention was immediately captured.
Rows upon rows of vehicles filled the parking area.
"So many..." Coco whispered, her eyes sparkling.
"They're all different," Agott observed, studying the various shapes and sizes.
Tetia had already wandered a few steps ahead before stopping in front of a bright red sedan.
"So these are the... what did you call them again?"
"Cars," you answered.
"They're used to travel from one place to another much faster than walking."
Richeh quietly examined one from a distance while Brushbuddy peeked over her shoulder with equal curiosity.
Meanwhile, Qifrey and Olruggio took in the sight with interest, silently observing the strange machines that filled the lot.
You couldn't help but smile.
Thankfully, you had decided to buy a van a few years ago.
Otherwise, fitting seven passengers into a regular car would've been nearly impossible.
"There it is," you said, pointing toward your van.
The girls followed your finger, their expressions lighting up.
"...That's yours?" Coco asked.
You nodded proudly.
"Yep."
"It looks huge!" Tetia exclaimed.
"Well," you chuckled as you unlocked the doors with a press of your key fob, making the van chirp in response, "there's enough room for all of us."
The girls jumped slightly at the sudden beep.
"...It made a sound!" Coco gasped.
"Did it just recognize you?" Qifrey asked, genuinely intrigued.
You laughed.
"Something like that."
You pressed the button on your car keys.
Beep!
The van unlocked with a soft chirp.
Walking over, you slid the side door open.
"All right, everyone," you said with a smile. "Before we leave, you all need to wear your seatbelts."
The four girls tilted their heads at the exact same time.
"...Seatbelt?" Coco asked curiously.
You nodded.
"It's a safety belt. If the car suddenly stops or if an accident happens, it'll help keep you safely in your seat."
The explanation earned four thoughtful hums.
Richeh climbed in first.
"Here," you said gently. "Let me show you."
You pulled the seatbelt across her chest before clicking it into place.
Click.
"There. That's all there is to it."
Richeh looked down at the strap before tugging on it lightly.
"...It's comfortable."
"Good," you smiled. "You'll all wear one."
One by one, Coco, Tetia, and Agott climbed inside as you helped each of them fasten their seatbelts.
"But..." Tetia looked toward the front of the van. "There are two seats up there."
"Ah, those?" you replied, pointing toward the driver's seat. "I'll be driving, so I'll sit behind the steering wheel. The seat next to me is for another passenger."
The moment those words left your mouth, Tetia and Coco slowly turned to look at one another.
Agott noticed immediately.
"..."
She narrowed her eyes.
The three girls looked ready to argue over who would get the front seat.
Before a single word could leave their mouths, you raised a hand.
"Nope."
The three of them froze.
"You girls aren't riding in the front."
"Aww..." Tetia whined.
"But why?" Coco asked.
"The front passenger seat is usually for adults," you explained patiently. "Or older teens who are big enough to ride there safely. You three are still too young."
You gave them an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, girls."
Tetia dramatically slumped back into her seat.
"Aww..."
Coco pouted for a moment before nodding in understanding.
"...Okay."
Agott simply shrugged.
"I wasn't interested anyway."
"...Liar," Tetia muttered under her breath.
"I heard that."
You couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't worry. The back seats are just as comfortable."
That earned a few reluctant nods before everyone settled into their places.
"What about you two?" you asked, turning toward Qifrey and Olruggio.
The two men looked at the van for a moment, seemingly unsure where they should sit.
"I'll take the front seat—"
"I'll take the front seat—"
They both spoke at exactly the same time.
The two of them paused.
Then, almost in sync, they slowly turned to look at one another.
Silence.
"..."
"..."
You couldn't hold it in.
A snort escaped your lips before you burst into laughter.
The four girls watched the exchange with amused expressions.
"...Did they just say the exact same thing?" Coco whispered.
"I think they did," Tetia whispered back, trying not to giggle.
Olruggio clicked his tongue.
"...Tch."
"You go ahead," he sighed, gesturing toward the passenger seat. "I don't particularly care."
Qifrey smiled apologetically.
"If you're sure."
"I'm sure."
With the matter settled, Qifrey climbed into the front passenger seat while Olruggio joined the girls in the back.
"...Well," you chuckled as you climbed into the driver's seat, "that solved itself rather quickly."
Olruggio folded his arms.
"...I just didn't want to listen to you laugh any longer."
"Oh?"
You grinned mischievously.
"So you admitted I was laughing."
"...Drive."
That only made you laugh even harder.
Once everyone had settled into their seats, you reached for your own seatbelt and pulled it across your chest.
Click.
"There we go."
You slipped the key into the ignition and gave everyone one last glance through the rearview mirror.
"Everyone buckled up?"
The girls nodded eagerly.
"Yep!"
"Good."
You turned the key.
Vrrrmmm...
The engine rumbled to life.
"E-Eh?!" Coco gasped, jumping in her seat.
Brushbuddy let out a startled little chirp, puffing up its fur as it clung tightly to Richeh's shoulder.
Even Olruggio flinched slightly at the sudden sound.
"..."
Qifrey blinked in surprise as he looked around the inside of the van, quietly listening to the low hum of the engine.
"...It's alive?" Tetia asked, eyes wide with amazement.
You couldn't help but laugh.
"Nope. That's just the engine starting."
"So this is what makes it move..." Qifrey murmured, his curiosity taking over as he studied the dashboard and steering wheel.
Olruggio rested an elbow against the window, letting out a quiet breath.
"I'll admit..."
He glanced around the vehicle.
"...I'm impressed."
You smiled as you placed both hands on the steering wheel.
"All right."
Checking your mirrors one last time, you slowly shifted the van into gear.
"Next stop..."
You glanced back at everyone with a grin.
"The grocery store."
The excitement inside the van was almost immediate.
As you drove through the city, the four girls were practically glued to the windows.
Everything outside was new to them.
Rows of shops lined the streets, people walked along the sidewalks carrying shopping bags, and colorful signs hung above cafés and restaurants.
Cars passed by one after another, while motorcycles weaved carefully through traffic.
"There's so many of them..." Coco whispered, watching the endless stream of vehicles.
"And everyone seems to know exactly where they're going," Agott observed quietly.
Richeh's attention drifted to a woman walking a golden retriever.
"...Look."
Brushbuddy chirped excitedly at the sight.
"Oh!" Tetia gasped, pressing her face a little closer to the window. "That dog is huge!"
"They come in all kinds of breeds," you explained while keeping your eyes on the road. "Some are small enough to carry, while others can grow almost as tall as a person."
"There are that many?" Coco asked in amazement.
You nodded.
"Hundreds of breeds."
The girls exchanged astonished looks before returning their attention to the bustling streets outside.
Meanwhile, Qifrey quietly observed the orderly flow of traffic, occasionally glancing at the traffic lights overhead, while Olruggio watched the city pass by with thoughtful curiosity.
The world outside your apartment was proving to be far more fascinating than any of them had imagined.
With one hand on the steering wheel, you reached over and switched on the radio.
A familiar melody filled the van as your favorite playlist began to play softly through the speakers.
Not wanting it to be too cold or too warm for everyone, you adjusted the air conditioner until the temperature felt just right.
The cool air drifted through the cabin, making the drive even more comfortable.
For a little while, no one spoke.
Everyone was too busy taking in the unfamiliar sights of a world so different from their own.
After several more minutes of driving past rows of buildings, cafés, restaurants, and office towers, the familiar outline of the city's largest shopping mall came into view.
The moment it appeared through the windshield—
"...Whoa..."
The girls' eyes widened.
Even Qifrey and Olruggio looked genuinely surprised by the sheer size of the building.
"It's... enormous," Coco whispered.
"So many people gather in one place?" Agott murmured, staring up at the towering structure.
"There are multiple floors..." Qifrey observed, following the lines of the building with quiet fascination.
Olruggio let out a low whistle.
"...That's bigger than I expected."
A small smile tugged at your lips.
'Maybe I should've brought them here when I bought their clothes.'
The thought lingered for only a moment before you brushed it aside.
'Well... they're here now.'
You followed the signs leading toward the parking entrance.
As the van approached the gate, you rolled down your window.
The parking machine printed a ticket.
Beep.
You took it and slipped it into the storage compartment beside the steering wheel before the barrier slowly lifted.
"What's the ticket for?" Coco asked.
"It keeps track of how long we've parked here," you explained as you drove inside. "We'll need it later when we leave."
"Oh..."
The group watched with interest as you carefully drove through the spacious parking structure.
Rows upon rows of parked cars stretched out before them.
You slowly made your way through the aisles until an empty parking space caught your eye.
"There we go."
With a smooth turn of the steering wheel, you guided the van neatly into the space before shifting into park.
The engine fell silent.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then Tetia practically bounced in her seat.
"Can we go now?!"
You couldn't help but laugh.
"Easy there."
You unbuckled your seatbelt with a click before turning around to face everyone.
"First things first."
You smiled.
"Let's all get out safely."
One by one, everyone began looking down at the unfamiliar straps across their chests.
You reached over to Qifrey first.
"Here," you said. "Just press this button."
You pointed to the red release button on the buckle.
Qifrey pressed it.
Click.
The seatbelt slid smoothly away.
"I see..." he murmured, studying the mechanism with genuine interest. "A simple yet effective design."
"It is," you replied with a smile.
You stepped out from the driver's seat and walked around to the side of the van.
Sliding the door open, you were greeted by four expectant faces.
"Okay," you chuckled. "One at a time."
You leaned inside and demonstrated the buckle once more.
"Just press this red button."
Click.
"There."
Tetia's eyes lit up.
"Oh! That's easy!"
You helped her unbuckle herself before moving on to Coco.
Coco carefully copied your movements.
Click.
"I did it!"
"Good job," you praised.
Next was Richeh, who quietly watched your demonstration before unfastening her own seatbelt without any trouble.
Finally, you helped Agott.
"I could've done it myself," she mumbled, though she made no effort to stop you.
"I know," you replied with a small smile. "It's just your first time."
She looked away with a faint huff but didn't argue.
Standing nearby, Olruggio silently observed each step, paying close attention to how the seatbelt worked.
"So that's how you release it..." he muttered to himself.
You noticed him watching.
"Want to try yours?"
Olruggio gave a small nod.
He reached for the buckle, pressed the red button just as you had shown everyone else, and—
Click.
The seatbelt released.
"...Simple enough."
You smiled.
"See? You'll all be pros by the time we head home."
The girls giggled as they climbed out of the van one after another, stretching their legs after the drive.
Once everyone was outside, you slid the van's door shut and pressed the lock button on your key fob.
Beep.
The lights flashed once, letting you know the van was securely locked.
"All right," you said, slipping your keys into your pocket.
"Ready to see the mall?"
"Ready to see the mall?" you asked.
"Yes!" the four girls answered in unison, their excitement practically overflowing.
Qifrey smiled and gave a small nod.
"We're ready."
Olruggio nodded as well.
"Lead the way."
You smiled before leading everyone through the parking lot, carefully walking between the neatly parked rows of cars.
As the group admired their surroundings, you pulled out your phone and opened the Notes app.
"Hm..."
Your thumb scrolled down the grocery list.
...And down.
...And down.
"..."
"...I really let this get out of hand."
The list just kept going.
By the time you reached the bottom, you let out a long sigh.
"...Yeah."
You rubbed your forehead.
"I really need to stop putting off my restocking."
Qifrey glanced curiously at your phone.
"Is that everything we need to buy?"
"...Unfortunately."
He blinked.
"That's... quite a list."
Olruggio leaned over for a brief look before raising an eyebrow.
"...You weren't kidding."
You slipped your phone back into your pocket with a sheepish laugh.
"I may have procrastinated... just a little."
"A little?" Olruggio repeated flatly.
You looked away innocently.
"...Let's just say we're going to be here for a while."
Hey! I just read through the entirety of your swim instructor x Qifrey x Olruggio series and I just wanted to complement the work and your way of writing!
Unrelated request, would you be open to a hurt/comfort (or full comfort) reader x Qifrey & Olruggio where the reader has chronic pains? Particularly in their hips, knees, and shoulders?
I look forward to reading more of your writings! Ciao!
Hi! I'm so glad to hear you like it, thank you so much!
Now for your writing request:
Nuisance
Words: 2,243
Tags: Qifrey x GN!reader x Olruggio. Fluff, comfort, chronic pain, use of (name), written from third POV. NOT BETA READ.
Qiflings make a little appearance too!
Author's note: Happy disability pride month! As someone from the disabled community I know that pain can represent itself in different ways in different people, so hopefully I did your request enough justice. Thank you!
~~~
(name) leans forward, with their hips against the kitchen counter for support, putting together sandwiches as the others are bustling around in the Atelier.
Qifrey wanted to teach the girls more about the reaction of two different spells mixing together. Experimenting this inside the Atelier wouldn't be smart, so he wanted to make it a fun and informational class outside. Qifrey usually goes for a flat piece of land a while away from the Atelier, where everyone can practice safely.
"Need some help?" Olruggio asks, stepping beside them.
They take a deep breath, robes shifting around with the movement.
Yesterday, (name) went along with Qifrey and the girls to visit Kahln.
At first they thought they would be able to handle paying a visit to the town, feeling fine, but as the day passed by they regretted their descisions.
The market was busy and having to stand around for a long time, waiting for people to finish their exchanges with the merchants was tiring. The stairs were a pain as well. At some point they had said the others could go ahead, being much faster at climbing the stairs than (name) is.
Even though they went to bed earlier, lifting their legs, the pain lingered. And now, they're still feeling the after-effects.
But, giving in and slowing down is still difficult.
"No, I'm alright".
(name) puts the last sandwich aside and then grabs a cloth they prepared to put a pair of sandwiches in. They fold the corners together and ties it in a simple but tight enough knot.
The sound of girls laughing echoes from upstairs, with Qifrey's voice right after.
"Are you sure?" Olruggio asks, putting a hand on the small of (name)'s back.
They glance at him, a hint of irritation bubbling up.
"Yes".
He catches onto the hint that he should leave them alone, and he nods, walking away.
The four apprentices of the Atelier run down the stairs and go over into the common room, asking Olruggio about where they're going.
"I'm not telling you, Qifrey wanted to keep it a secret, so I'll stick with it".
"(Name) also didn't want to tell us during breakfast!" Tetia protests.
Olruggio sounds smug as he says "Well, they did it right then".
The steady footsteps of Qifrey are heard behind (name).
They roll their eyes when he does the exact same thing as Olruggio.
A hand is placed on their back.
"Do you need some help?"
They press their lips in a thin line for a second, before answering.
"I'm okay. The sandwiches are almost packed".
"Alright" Qifrey steps aside "I'll grab some extra fruit, Agott might want some for along the way".
"I said, I'm okay" (name) snaps "I already got it, look on the table".
He turns, looking.
(Name) takes a deep breath in, and sighs.
"I'm not incapable".
There's a second of silence.
"My dear, I never said that. I was simply thinking along".
Finishing tying all the sandwiches in pieces of cloth, they turn around to the table where they've gathered all the food and drinks for the trip.
They put a hand on their head, regretting everything that they'd said to him now.
"Sorry".
Qifrey steps closer, taking (name)'s hand in his own. This makes them look up, meet his gaze.
They share a look together, enough to have a small conversation. The penny drops as he catches on that this is a bad day.
"We'll take it easy, okay?" he whispers, and (name) nods.
They set up the picnic blanket near a tree, off to the side where Qifrey walks off with the girls.
Olruggio said it would be a nice spot to stay in the shade and take a break, but (name) knew that he'd also pick it so they can rest their back against the bark, instead of having to sit up the whole time, or lean back on their arms for support.
(Name) watches the apprentices run around, practicing spells together and learning with every single drawing that they make, all with the guidance of their master.
They remember how, when they were younger, they could do whatever they wanted. No repercussions or instant regret, just fun, and moving around with their body however they wanted. How they could help others, without problems rising up afterwards.
When was the last time they didn't feel the constant, nagging pain?
Olruggio and Qifrey were very kind about it when (name) told them about it, but they didn't really understand and they never will. Although they did catch the master witch with regular headaches.
"Master (name)" Richeh runs over, pulling them out of their thoughts.
Olruggio, who has been sketching in his book on the other side of the blanket also looks up, before going back to his work again. Both adults told the apprentices that they weren't a master like Qifrey, that there was a big significance, but the kids wouldn't hear it.
The apprentice takes (name)'s hand and pulls "Come, you have to see this".
A familiar ache runs through their arm, up their shoulder and back, but they can never say no to any of the girls. They don't want to dissapoint.
They get up from the ground, joints creaking and feeling like their knees are being stabbed by multiple knifes as they stand and begin to walk.
"Careful, Richeh" Olruggio reminds the girl softly.
She startles a little, remembering what the adults have told them a few months ago, when (name) started living at the Atelier.
"Sorry" she mumbles.
"It's alright" (name) says with a smile. It's normal for them anyway, what difference is this going to make? The young girl didn't mean to hurt them, she was simply enthusiastic to show off her magic. (Name) can't fault her for that.
Richeh's movements do become a little softer and slower, though. The grip on (name)'s hand isn't as tight, and she walks a little slower than she usually does with Qifrey or Olruggio.
She shows off what she has been practicing with Coco, how one spell can work together with another. Flashy ribbons flowing through water, creating something like a fountain and a sculpture combined.
"That's wonderful" (name) compliments the girls, putting a hand on each of their shoulders "Good job".
(Name) stays on the field for a bit, standing next to Qifrey and talking about the girl's improvement, and where they can to put their focus on next. But eventually they feel like they can't hold themselves up on their legs anymore, feeling disappointed in themselves.
"I'm sorry but… I have to go and sit down again".
"Of course, my dear" he says "No need to say sorry for that. It's time for lunch anyway, we'll all go together".
He offers an arm and (name) takes it, their hand resting on the inside of his elbow as he gives them a little support as they walk.
(Name) is the first one in the bedroom later that evening, as usual.
They adjust the pillows to support their legs and hips properly and then lay down on their side, putting their head on their pillow. This is on one side comfortable, but they know they'll have to turn around in a few minutes.
It's almost like they're deflating when they get into bed. Pain spikes for a bit, until it dulls slowly when they're laying still.
And then their mind starts to wander.
Olruggio is probably still in his workshop.
Qifrey might still be busy in the kitchen, or cleaning up around the Atelier so it's ready for another day of learning.
They both keep the Atelier running, just like they've done before (name) got here.
(Name) stares at the wall, sadness swallowing them up from the inside.
This is a realisation that they already had a while back, but today it's especially clear.
They're basically useless.
They can't do a lot of housework. They can't work long hours. They can't entertain the kids, playing with them like other adults can do. Why do Olruggio and Qifrey even keep them around? They also can't really do anything for them. They do everything so much more faster, easier, better, stronger and smoother.
But on the other side, they shouldn't be nagging. Other people have it worse than they do-.
The creaking of a door startles them out of their thoughts, and light spills into the room.
Qifrey enters, moving to close the door with a sigh and taking off his shoes.
"Oi, wait for me".
Qifrey stops and pushes the door back open again, revealing his other partner.
(name) pulls the duvet over themselves a little more, removing the small tears that have gathered in the corners of their eyes.
They feel pathetic.
Both men change into their sleepwear, talking softly, chuckling about something that happened earlier that day, and then going into bed on either side.
"Are you comfortable?" Qifrey asks them as he slides up behind them.
They nod.
He props himself up on one arm and bends over, kissing their cheek.
But he pulls back, noticing the emotion on their face.
"(name)?"
Olruggio positions himself in front of (name), and catches on too, worry creasing his eyebrows.
"I'm sorry- just don't mind me" they mumble.
"You're crying, love" Olruggio mumbles, his hand going over to rest on their waist "We're not going to ignore that. What's going on?"
(Name) curls up on themselves and the words spill out.
"I hate my- myself- my body"
"What?" Qifrey leans in "No, dear. How can you say that about yourself?"
"I'm a nuisance, can't do anything useful. I'm in pain. I can't help out the way you need me to. The both of you do so much and then… then there's just me" they say, sniffling.
"(Name), you're doing what you can" Qifrey says softly "You're not a nuisance at all, and I'm so happy that you're around".
"You're just saying that".
"I'm not".
Olruggio cups (name)'s face in his hand, letting a rough thumb run over their cheekbone "Relax, (name). Deep breath in, and then out".
They look up into his deep blue eyes.
"I feel so useless".
Qifrey hugs them from behind "You're not useless. You do so many things in your own way, that it doesn't matter that you can't do it in the way we do".
Another tear drips down into the pillow "It doesn't feel like it's enough though".
"It is" Olruggio mumbles "You fit into our Atelier, we want to have you here, don't doubt that".
The master of the Atelier hums a soft agreement "You're perfect. Do we have to remind you of all the things you do for everyone?"
(Name) looks down, pressing their lips in a thin line.
"You're a perfect partner to brainstorm with, especially about my classes".
"And my commissions" Olruggio interrupts, making Qifrey smile behind them.
"You're a great help in the kitchen when I'm busy with the apprentices. And let me also tell you that all four of them adore you. You can pull in their attention and keep them entertained while also staying calm. You've already taught them many things too. I think that's a great feat!"
Qifrey hugs them a little closer to his chest.
"Even if it doesn't feel like you're doing much around the Atelier, every tiny little bit you do, helps. With all of your pain and struggles, you're such a wonderful and kind person that still wants to do something, you still want to help anyway".
(Name) reaches up with one hand to wipe a tear away.
Olruggio notices this and presses a kiss to their forehead. Meanwhile, Qifrey gently presses his face in the back of their neck. They first feel his nose glide over their skin, and then a pair of lips joins.
Warmth begins to replace the anxiety and sadness from before. It doesn't fully fade away, just like the chronic pain in their joints, but it helps to carry the load. The love that both men share makes them feel a little better again.
"Tomorrow is another day" Olruggio says "So get some proper rest, and tell us if you need anything, alright?"
(Name) looks up at him again and moves their hand to his chest, feeling the warmth of him. He tilts his head and their lips meet, sharing a soft kiss.
When they part, (name) finally manages a small smile, although still teary-eyed.
"Thank you".
Olruggio smiles back, fondly. A rare expression at first, but they get to see it more and more often.
(Name) then moves over to their back so they can face Qifrey better, their right shoulder was hurting from laying on it for too long anyway.
Olruggio's hand slips under their shirt and rest on their stomach, but they don't mind it, as they turn their head to Qifrey.
He pushes himself up again and leans in for a kiss, beautifully different compared to Olruggio's kisses, and holds the same amount of care and emotion.
"Goodnight, my loves" he says, and then leans over to kiss his other partner. It's another slow and almost lazy kiss, as the three adults begin to settle into a sleepy kind of energy.
Qifrey lowers himself back on the mattress, and places his hand over Olruggio's on (name)'s stomach.
(Name) breathes in deeply, and then lets it out slowly.
Wrapped up, sandwiched between their partners, they eventually manage to fall asleep.
The next day the kitchen was filled with the soft laughter and chatting of 4 little girls enjoying breakfast prepared by their Teacher. The small kitchen table they were sitting at was covered in different kinds of tasty food prepared by him. Today they had some fresh bread with different kinds of fruit jam they made themselves earlier that week and warm milk they got as a thank-you gift from one of the farmers they helped yesterday.
The day promised to be very nice; the sky was blue without any clouds, the girls woke up in a good mood, and today they were planning to go shopping to get new summer clothes.
But the only thing bothering them was their master, or rather, his unusual behaviour. The girls noticed that something was off right away when their master was yawning strangely often and barely touched his food, clearly exhausted, while he went to bed early specifically to rest after an especially busy day.
The collar of his turtleneck was messily fastened, and from under it were visible small red marks he was trying so carefully to hide but clearly failed to. One of his girls, the bubbly pink-haired sweetheart named Tetia, pointed her spoon at his neck, breaking the silence.
Master Qifrey? What happened to your neck?
The man tensed up a little but tried to play it cool.
My neck? What about it?
The red marks on your neck! What happened to it, master?
O-oh! It's nothing, really; I just got bit by a mosquito... Yea, by a mosquito! I couldn't help myself and scratched it a bit too much.
He laughed nervously, trying to fix the straps.
Yea, a very big mosquito that came yesterday in the middle of the night and attacked you.
The black-haired man who just quietly entered the kitchen spoke. He grabbed the mug filled with black coffee standing on the kitchen counter, closed his eyes and took a really long sip.
His friend just laughed nervously, and he leaned his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands, trying to hide the blush that was creeping onto his face, but the tips of his pale ears gave him away, showing a delicate pink tint. The girls confusedly looked at each other as if looking for answers as to why their master was acting so strange, while the owner of the dark blue eyes just smiled behind his mug, clearly enjoying himself.
Synopsis: One of the wise ones asks you to speak with him privately about something important, and your friend overhears the whole interaction. Curiosity takes over, and he decides to hide and listen to the conversation, but little did he know it wasn’t what he expected. (Both of them are idiots)(Pure fluff)
You met him because your master was a close friend with his master. He was a really quiet, troublesome kid with a short temper, but you, for some reason, were motivated to be friends with him. You were curious about who he was and from where he came. He was one huge mystery to you, and nobody wanted to talk to him besides a black-haired boy named Olruggio, but he was avoiding him too. Unfortunately for him, you and Olruggio were close friends because you two grew up in the same village, so you decided to ask your dear friend about the boy and ask him how to get to him. His answer was unclear.
"Just follow him and don’t let him shoo you away," you were thinking, recalling the whole interaction in your head over and over, not looking where you’re going. You got brutally taken out of your thoughts by someone bumping into you with quite some force, making you stumble and fall on your butt. Papers and books were scattering everywhere when you opened your eyes, ready to yell and give the person a piece of your mind when you saw the white-haired boy you were thinking about for a few days now frantically grabbing the papers and books. You blinked a few times before recovering and grabbed one of the books and looked at the cover. It was a book about dragons. Covered in old red leather with a huge dragon drawn on it, it was old and heavy, filled with drawings, fun facts and stories. You've read it countless times and almost knew it by heart. Your eyes instantly light up from excitement.
Are you interested in dragons too?
You asked, practically glowing with excitement. He looked at you weirdly before snatching the book away, and he quickly started walking away. You got a bit offended by his behaviour but quickly got up and ran after him, yelling.
Wait! Don't go yet!
You ran up to him and started talking, asking him millions of questions, practically yapping his ear off, trying to get his attention in any way while he was trying his best to ignore you, but it was really hard for him because you wouldn’t stay quiet or go away. Didn’t you see he wasn’t interested?!
After that day you started following him everywhere, trying to initiate a conversation but failing almost all the time. The only exception was when he was snapping at you to leave him alone, but you weren’t the one to give up so easily. That's how you became his (unwanted) companion. Now he had to deal not with one but two yappers who he swore could brighten up the whole room they were in with their smiles and positive energy.
You, along with Olruggio, started teaching him more about magic, the outside world, and the rules of the great hall and became his "babysitters" since he kept sneaking out in the middle of the night god knows where and to make sure he came safe and in one piece. Over time you three became really close friends, and to other witches' dissatisfaction, you became the troublesome trio of the great hall, constantly giving your masters huge headaches because of the constant problems and "incidents" you all were causing.
During that time you became especially close with Qifrey, and you would be an ugly liar if you didn’t say you developed a small crush on the white-haired boy. But you made sure he didn’t know because you didn’t want to ruin the friendship you had with him if he didn’t like you that way.
One day while studying at the library with your two best friends, you were left alone for a few minutes to look for a book Olruggio needed really badly to pass a test prepared by his master. The library was quiet except for the occasional shuffle of old papers. The air smelt like candles, old books and dust. You were hovering over a huge old book filled with different kinds of flowers, learning about the difference in ink they make when mixed with it, when you heard a sound of hooves hitting the old wooden floor and a cheerful but quiet voice of the person Qifrey was hiding from so often.
Good morning, my little witch! Could I steal you away for a moment? I need to talk with you about something important.
You looked at him surprised but slowly nodded and followed him to somewhere more private. He took you to the farthest part of the library where practically no one was ever there. You sat on one of the chairs near the huge wooden table, and the white-haired witch sighed deeply before leaning against his chair with goat horns and speaking.
I need to ask you for a huge favour.
You looked at him, listening intensely, a bit scared of what he was about to ask for. You had no idea what or why he wanted you to do.
He looked at you seriously and said.
Please be sweet to Qifrey; he kinda has a crush on you.
He lowered his voice slightly, lowering it to a whisper as he said this.
You looked at him, surprised, a blush threatening to appear on your face.
I had no idea.
You admitted to quietly lowering your gaze towards your shoes, fidgeting with your fingers.
I know you young souls always have trouble seeing or admitting your feelings to your crush, but if you need any advice on how to win his heart over, you can always ask me.
He said with a wink. He approached you and gave you a gentle pat on the head before leaving, smiling.
You were left sitting there with your thoughts fighting with your own feelings, blushing furiously.
For the next few weeks Qifrey was acting different; he was avoiding you or even looking at you, and whenever he did, you could see his ears turning a little pink. You were confused as to why, all of a sudden, he was acting so differently. You had no idea he heard your conversation with his master where he told you about his apprentices little crush on you. He was really mad at him for telling you and embarrassed. You really wanted to tell him about your feelings, but at the same time you were too shy to say anything.
Unfortunately for you, Qifrey was getting tormented by the thought of the rejection, so he stayed quiet about his true feelings. Olruggio watched from a distance and, seeing his two friends who clearly loved each other go back and forth, decided to take matters into his own hands. You see, Qifrey wrote a little about his true feelings some time ago, explaining everything in detail on the piece of paper, and unfortunately for him, his friend caught him writing it and managed to see a piece of the letter. When his friend saw him, he quickly hid the paper in one of his desk drawers, and the latter stayed hidden there because the owner was either too shy to give it to you or simply completely forgot about it, so Olruggio (as the good friend he is) decided to give it to you to make absolutely sure you know about how he truly feels towards you and maybe get you two together.
One day while Qifrey was away, he entered his room, and after a bit of looking, he found the letter and quietly left the room and decided it was time for the second phase of his plan.
He talked to both of you, making you go to a specific place under different pretexts. To Qifrey, he said that you were in trouble and needed his help really badly because some people were mean to you, and to you, he said that Qifrey was in his showdown phase again, where he didn't want to talk to anyone but still needed support. He lured you into the garden and said that he was next to the fountains, but when you arrived, you couldn't find him anywhere, and the only thing lying on the stone fountain was a pink envelope with the love letter.
You hesitantly grabbed the envelope with your name on it and started reading. Your face getting redder and redder with each word, and tears threaten to spill from how sweet the whole letter was. When you were at the very finish, you heard someone yelling your name, and the sound of footsteps approaching you. You turned around and saw the boy that held your heart in his hands. When he saw your teary eyes, he panicked and quickly ran up to you, questioning what happened and looking for the "bullies", but you just sniffed, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.
I love you too, you idiot.
You sniffed his neck. He froze instantly, and then he got so red you thought he was turning into a tomato. You chuckled and gave him a small peck on the cheek. And it was the last straw for him. He swore if he could, he would explode on the spot. He hugged you tightly, secretly planning to thank Olruggio and kill him at the same time.
(Olruggio and Beldaruit were watching the whole thing btw)
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who loves to watch you cook. he’ll stand behind you, arms draped around your waist and chin on your shoulder while he watches you chop up vegetables, muttering little compliments against your neck as you cook
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey whose favorite places on you to kiss are the side of your neck, the top of your head, and the corner of your mouth
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who sometimes secretly views you as a sort of mother/father figure to his apprentices, with the way you take care of them when he’s not teaching them
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who is just so sweet and domestic with you it’s sickening
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who will trace lightly on your arms or thighs or back, wherever he’s touching you. only if you look closely and pay attention will you realize he’s tracing and memorizing spells against your skin, and it makes you giggle at the thought
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who, whenever you finally told him how much you absolutely love his voice, talks to you about anything and everything, no matter how mundane or unimportant - just because he likes seeing the way your eyes soften at his smooth tone
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who has a special talent for talking you through it with that honey-sweet voice of his (adding onto the last one)
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who is such a gentleman with aftercare, wiping you down so slowly with such care and whispering about how you did so, so good
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who’s really proud when he introduces you to his apprentices for the first time, like his spouse is a prized possession of his
₊˚⊹ ᰔ husband!qifrey who is so patient, and forgiving. he acts towards mistakes that you might freak out over the same way he acts when coco draws a line wrong in a harmless spell, sometimes even laugh it off
In which Easthies with Qifrey are catboys, and Olruggio with Utowin dogboys.
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⋮ ♯; ⤷ Relationships .ᐟ cat kemonomimi!Easthies x reader, cat kemonomimi!Qifrey x reader, dog kemonomimi!Olruggio x reader, dog kemonomimi!Utowin x reader – all separate, all romantic
⋮ ♯; ⤷ Content warnings .ᐟ kemonomimis, flirting
⋮ ♯; ⤷ Word count .ᐟ 3,2k – 800 per char
⋮ ♯; ⤷Author's note .ᐟ the men are supposed to have like animal ears and a tail, okay? otherwise they're human. ( ˘ ³˘)♡ (shout-out to whoever spammed catboy qifrey in my asks, ig this one's for you)
Also, first Utowin fic, hope I wrote him good! nottheurliwanted, you said yes to Utowin, if you read this, i hope you like it. (not tagging cuz idk if anyone would like that)
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˗ˏˋ ★ ― EASTHIES ‼
It was truly unbelievable how much fur there was! And somehow, it was always only on your clothing, never on his. How is that even possible?
What's more, why was Easthies shedding off so much fur? And for so long?
You have woken up so many times to something tickling your leg, only to find out it's the loose hair out of Easthies' tail. You wouldn't be bothered if it was his actual tail, that thing is so soft!
A huff breaks out from you as you dust off your sleepwear. But even so, the evidence of sleeping next to your beloved one was still there.
Giving up on trying to get rid of all the hairs, you flop back onto the chair, picking up your cup. While you drink, the bathroom doors open, Easthies coming into the room.
Wasn't he just a beauty? His long, elegant, slim black tail swishing behind him in a relaxed manner. Those cute black cat ears atop his head, raised straight up.
"Dearest, I believe I should be free from 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Perhaps you'd wish to accompany me to dinner? I believe we haven't had a... a date, I suppose, in a long time," he hums, thinking over his plan.
"Dinner? Hmm, something fancy...?" you smirk at him.
Easthies comes to you, sitting on the opposite chair. He takes a few of the nuts in the wooden bowl atop the table and snacks on them.
"Yes, if you would wish it so. I have a place in mind if you have no preference, but if you'd like to pick where we eat, then please, go ahead," your black haired kitty man nods.
His tail flicks and lands against your leg, making himself look down at it. After a beat, where you see a thought pass through Easthies' head, the tip of his tail coils around your leg.
"Hm. I suppose it would be interesting to see what you thought of," you mumble, also staring at that soft tail around your leg.
A silence lays over the two of you while you keep on watching Easthies' tail. Neither of you knew why you were looking at that tail.
"Anyway, I'll have to go clean my laundry then!" you announce, stealing the man's attention.
"Hm? You do? Why?" his head tilts a bit and his ear flicks. God. That adorable kitty.
"Because your fur is over every single piece of clothing that I own! One would think that your whole body is made of fur!"
"Ah... I see. Is that such a bad thing?"
"....what? Why wouldn't it be a bad thing?! You can't even stand a spec of dust on your own uniform-"
"That's because my uniform is supposed to be pristine. It would be ridiculous for a Knight to be disheveled!" he lifts up his pointer.
"And why is my clothing the exception?" you send him a glare.
"Because my fur makes you smell like me. Isn't that the true proof of relationships? Familial or other. Shouldn't you smell like me, and vice versa?" Easthies' shrugs.
His words made you freeze and deadpan. Is he serious? This possessive, jealous cat...!
"Whatever! Aren't you just a hypocrite?" you whine as you get up from the chair.
"A hypocrite? How come?"
"Hm. I should smell like you, to prove that I'm yours, but you won't even let your partner touch your sweet ears?" you feign confusion as you reach out, managing to take Easthies' ear into your hand.
You gently rub it with your thumb, watching as Easthies' face flushes, his ears pin back and his tail starts swishing around like crazy.
"How does that make me a hypocrite, dear? That has no connection whatsoever! And let my ear go! Those are two very different situations. My ears are-...," Easthies' huffs and stands up quickly. His face was getting redder, "I should be off now, otherwise I'll be late."
"Aw, but... won't you let me tie your hair?" you slyly coo at him, grabbing a red ribbon from the table, wiggling it in front of Easthies.
You watch as his irises go wide, ears go airplane and his tail continues to flick, but in a more controlled way. And you could also see how much he was trying not to pounce at the ribbon.
"Stop!" his hand flies out and grabs the ribbon, "You're quite mean to me this morning, my love."
A smirk finds its way onto your face once he opens his palm, inviting you to tie his hair. You take the opportunity.
The flush of his face slowly leaves him while you tenderly fix his hair and tie the red ribbon around it, making a bow from it.
"Hm... thank you, dearest. I'll come pick you up at 4.30 o'clock, okay?" his eyes glance at the bow before jumping back to you.
Easthies leans forward and kisses your lips, before picking up his spear and heading off.
˗ˏˋ ★ ― QIFREY ‼
Lazing around the atelier was something that came naturally to you. Even if you weren't tired, the immaculate environment beckoned you to just lay down and not do anything.
Of course, Qifrey put a lot of thought into it. He clearly wanted a place of comfort for his students. Perhaps, he was too good at creating such a home though.
Taking over Olruggio's "rightful place", as he grumbled about it, on the couch, you watch as Qifrey teaches the four young girls.
It was quite nice to observe the scene. The way his ears twitch and turn towards whoever is talking, the small movement to his tail. His incredibly fluffy tail.
Couldn't he sit a bit closer? You could touch the cloudlike fur without even moving if he sat just a little closer to the couch.
Well, to be truthful, while the sight in front of you was very cute, your gaze couldn't help but fall onto his gorgeous tail. You wanted to touch it so bad.
And as time went on, your resolution strengthened and you actually did manage to move, in the pursuit of petting the soft tail.
Your hand reaches out and finally touches that good, good white fur. As you continue petting it, you feel the tail freeze up.
"...Love?" Qifrey turns his head around to look at your ministrations, his ears slightly facing backwards.
Your gaze jumps up onto his face, his tight little smile. But even so, you don't stop petting the tail.
"What? It's so fluffy! I can't help myself!" a chuckle leaves you. Coco glances up at the interaction. Tetia does too, indicated by her gasp.
"Master, can we-"
"No! Neither can you!" he shoots the request down instantly, and shoots you down your hand as well. His tail flicks away and then promptly swats your hand away as well.
"Aw! If you hate me so!" giggles bubble up in your chest as you roll back to lie properly on the couch.
"I'm trying to teach, my love! I'd be pleased if you could refrain from interrupting because of your... inhibitions!" Qifrey huffs and flicks his tail again.
The lesson continued on, and while you wanted to wait till you could touch that precious tail, you started to get sleepy and not long after, your body succumbed to sleep.
You were awoken to a velvet fur tenderly caressing your cheek. A chuckle reaches your ears as your hands grab the fluffy thing.
"Truly, you love my tail like no-one else, my love," Qifrey hums, smile down at you, "But oh, weren't you quite naughty earlier!"
His tail flies out of your hand, thumbing against the couch. You can't do anything else but whine at the loss of such blissful comfort.
"I told you not to touch my tail, you know?" Qifrey points out, feigning a pout in his lips.
"Why...? Is it because," you move your hand, scratching the base of his tail, "it makes you feel all kinds of feelings?"
Qifrey visibly shivers, his ears pin back and his tail starts swishing around uncontrollably. Now, you can reap the rewards as Qifrey blushes from your treatment.
"Well- ah- precisely!" he stands up, jumping away from your hands, "How is that any laughing matter? It's hardly appropriate for this atelier."
Qifrey only scowls as you continue smirking at him. Why are you so smug about this?
Perhaps, he does have himself to blame. He does love to tease you as well.
"Hm... I suppose! Won't you let me pet your tail anyway? C'mon, I promise I won't go too high up! I won't... tease any of your nerves," you plead, albeit a bit sarcastically.
Qifrey's flush doesn't leave his face. It's pink as before. But he couldn't deny the want of wrapping himself around you and let you gently pet him.
In the end, petting him seemed to appease your stressed heart.
"Ah, alright, darling. I can't do much against your charm. I do love you so," he sighs as he relents, stepping back to the couch. He picks you up for a second, only to maneuver you so that you would lay against his side.
Your love pulls you closer and curls his tail, letting it fall between your arms. Finally, you have received your reward. Your hand runs over the soft sweetness of his fur. He really managed to keep it in perfect condition.
"Hm, here you are, my love. But, please, do be gentle with me," he whispers before kissing your brow. He'd like a nap of his own, Qifrey thinks as he's brought to sleep by the soft rhythmic pressure of your petting.
˗ˏˋ ★ ― OLRUGGIO ‼
It was a day like any other. Spend in comfort, love and fun. All brought to you by different people.
Living in this countryside atelier was truly something immaculate. Of course, the best part was your dearest Olly, who loved you with all his heart, but Qifrey's delicious cooking couldn't be ignored either.
And, naturally, the girls were a wonder too. Always eager to play and cheer you up, even if unknowingly.
But still... nothing could compare to Olruggio. So sweet and rough, handsome and rugged. And, of course, incredibly cute, even if he vehemently told you to stop calling him that.
Coming into the beloved man's atelier, you immediately heard the low mumblings and grumblings of a frustrated worker. You quickly come up a few of the steps, finally catching a proper view of your man.
Curled over his desk, scoliosis starting to bed in his spine, he glared at the papers before him. But even in this state, he looked so pretty.
Naturally, you felt a pinch of pity at the sight of your Olly being so upset. Although, this was very common for him, it was unhealthy and it hurt to look at it so much.
What didn't hurt, was the sight of those floppy ears of his! Those black doggy ears, that moved whenever he felt a hint of an emotion.
They truly were quite emotive, making Olruggio result to press them down against his scalp from time to time. Especially, when you called him a puppy.
In your defense, his ears were floppy, bent like a young puppy's. You just couldn't unsee it. Consequently, you mentioned it a lot, which sparked a huff from Olruggio and a series of antics, trying to prove he's no puppy.
Sometimes, he promptly picks you up, asking if a puppy could do such a thing. Other times, he buys you an expensive gift and then asks you if a puppy could afford it while he gives it to you. Quite the petty dog-man he is.
"Olly? My handsome man?" you try to break him out of his concentration with a slightly flirty tone.
Olruggio's left ear turns to you before his eyes do. Oh, he's deeply sleep deprived. Not only does he have horrible eye bags, his reflexes are out of whack. You could count the seconds before his brain registered that it was you in front of him.
"Oh, sweeth'art', yer 'ere, hmm...," he mumbled, words slurring underneath the heavy exhaustion. Olruggio reaches out for you, wrapping his hand around your waist. His face presses against your tummy.
"Dear god, you're barely staying alive...," you sigh at the sight. Your hand lands between his ears nonetheless.
"How's it going, hm?" the question comes to Olruggio, testing if he's lucid enough to respond.
"Hm... got two commissions done," the words were muffled against your stomach, "Have... t'do more... hmph."
"More? How come?"
"Deadlines...?"
Was that a question for you? Was be guessing his answer?
"But you got two commissions done today. Just this morning, you were telling me you didn't know if you'd make it," you hum, your hand gently scratching his scalp, sometimes moving behind his ears.
The nice sensation wiped Olruggio's mind it seems. He didn't even try to answer, he just pressed more into you as his big, a little neglected, tail started to wag.
"Hmm, you like this, don't you? Sooo much," a little smile forms on your lips as you scratch a particularly enjoyable spot behind his ears.
Olruggio fully leans onto you, his tail wagging intensely. Unconsciously it seems, as Olruggio didn't seem to realise his tail is currently banging against the wooden frame of his chair.
It was so rare to see him express himself so clearly, free of any bashfulness. It stung a little to know that he'd let it show, without any worry, only because he was too tired to register that he was doing all of this.
"Hm, Olly? Would you come to bed with me? I am so tired," your scratches to his scalp speed up a bit to incentivize him even more to come to bed.
"Bed? Ah, ya want me t'help ya sleep? Mhm, I'll... come, come. I'll put ya t'bed, sweet cheeks," mumbles and mumbles spill out of Olruggio as he haphazardly stands up. He did mean to bring you to bed, but as it turned out, it was him who needed support to make it.
A couple of grunts escape him as he crawls up onto his hanging bed and flops down, immediately opening his arms. Once you fill up the space meant just for you, your delighted darling man nuzzles into you, burying his nose in your hair.
You could hear the soft rustling of the sheet due to the small wags of his tail.
Olruggio fell asleep 2 minutes later.
˗ˏˋ ★ ― UTOWIN ‼
The Knights Moralis weren't liked. That's a fact everyone knew. It wasn't exactly surprising. People just don't want to lose their memories.
Utowin didn't agree all that much. They were pretty chill, were they not? Why should they let criminals continue with dangerous magic?
Nonetheless, the reality is plain and simple. People avoid The Order of Moral Spell Casting. Which is why it was shocking for Utowin to learn that his fellow brother-in-arms had a lover.
Yes, it was true. As Luluci said, Galga was an honorable man. He was kind and he had many good qualities. If anyone managed to get a partner while being one of the Knights, it would be Galga.
Which is exactly why everyone was surprised once Utowin managed to attain a romantic relationship, just like Galga. Obviously, Utowin thought himself a pretty neat guy, but even he was bewildered by the fact someone wanted to pursue him.
Him? As in Utowin, the Knight? You wanted... him?
It was quite funny, really. Because all this doubt led to Utowin being oblivious to your flirting for months. The man couldn't believe someone would be willing to flirt with one of them. He was even more astounded when you actually asked him out.
But now, after dates and a million "are you sure you want me?" questions, here he was. With the best partner he could ask for.
He loved to think about you. Simultaneously, he hated it. Patrols were long by default, and they could get prolonged. Thinking about you during such times was torture. All he wanted to do is run away and get back to you.
Just like now. Walking through the streets of the Great Hall was getting boring. Annoying even. Especially with two brats at your side.
The man checked his watch. Just 10 minutes more! That's just a walk back to the headquarters of The Order!
"Haha! Utowin, your tail is wagging again! Are you thinking about your crush once more?" a mocking laugh crawls into Utowin's ears as Ekoh teases him.
"Ah, shut up...! So what if I am? At least I have someone! And it's not just a crush! We're actually dating!" Utowin's huffs, even if his cheeks got a bit red.
"I still can't believe it!" Etlan announces.
"Me neither," mumbles Utowin, a small smile on his lips.
"Babe! I'm home! Where are you?" Utowin calls the moment he steps into his room. He wanted to see you immediatelym
But to his disappointment, he didn't see his love. A small pout forms on his lips as he moves further inside, discarding his cap and spear by the door. He walks to the small kitchen area, but there were no signs of you.
"Love...?" he let out a small, disheartening call.
"I'm here! Don't worry, Towi," you almost giggle at the sight of an upset doggy as you come out of the bathroom. Utowin's ears were all droopy and his tail was too.
Hearing your voice, Utowin perked up again, raising his ears straight up.
"Love! Hi! I'm back," he smiles, coming closer. His hands slide onto your waist while he steals a couple of kisses from your lips.
"Hmm, how was work?" you managed to ask during the small time he allows between the pecks.
"Ah, long as always."
"Nothing thrilling?"
"Thrilling? You and your fantasies. I'm telling you, being a knight ain't that... thrilling. But... ah, I guess. There was some action," Utowin shrugs and kisses you again.
"Oh? What action?"
Utowin stops at the question, taking a look at you. His right ear twitches and he raises an eyebrow at you.
"Ah! Fine. Just some things... we found some illegal dealings. Dealt with it on the spot. The guy tried to run away, but I caught him," he recounts the story, quite quickly as he went to the dresser to get changed.
He didn't really like to go into details of any missions of his work. There always was a fear that you would slowly start to hate him for what he does.
"Quite normal stuff, you know? How about you? Did you have any fun?" he turns the conversation back to you, while he takes off his clothes. He ends up only in comfy pants.
"Me? Yeah, sure. It was pretty fun," you observe him, noting the small worry surging through him, "Perhaps... we could make it better?"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!" you gesture for him to get closer. Naturally, he obeys, stepping closer to you. A startled yelp leaves him when you push him down onto the bed and straddle him.
"Ah! Oh... hah, scared me there, darling!" a huffy chuckle leaves him.
"Hmm, my pretty boy!" a coo paired with your hands cupping his cheeks completely undoes Utowin. Ears twitching, tail thumbing against the bed with every wag.
"Mm...hm. Thank you... um... I love you! Very much," he awkwardly declares before he pulls you down to his side. His face ends up in the crook of your neck, giving you tiny licks.
He loved you deeply.
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⋮ ♯; ⤷ Thank you for reading!! Hope you enjoyed. .ᐟ
Synopsis: One of the wise ones asks you to speak with him privately about something important, and your friend overhears the whole interaction. Curiosity takes over, and he decides to hide and listen to the conversation, but little did he know it wasn’t what he expected. (Both of them are idiots)(Pure fluff)
You met him because your master was a close friend with his master. He was a really quiet, troublesome kid with a short temper, but you, for some reason, were motivated to be friends with him. You were curious about who he was and from where he came. He was one huge mystery to you, and nobody wanted to talk to him besides a black-haired boy named Olruggio, but he was avoiding him too. Unfortunately for him, you and Olruggio were close friends because you two grew up in the same village, so you decided to ask your dear friend about the boy and ask him how to get to him. His answer was unclear.
"Just follow him and don’t let him shoo you away," you were thinking, recalling the whole interaction in your head over and over, not looking where you’re going. You got brutally taken out of your thoughts by someone bumping into you with quite some force, making you stumble and fall on your butt. Papers and books were scattering everywhere when you opened your eyes, ready to yell and give the person a piece of your mind when you saw the white-haired boy you were thinking about for a few days now frantically grabbing the papers and books. You blinked a few times before recovering and grabbed one of the books and looked at the cover. It was a book about dragons. Covered in old red leather with a huge dragon drawn on it, it was old and heavy, filled with drawings, fun facts and stories. You've read it countless times and almost knew it by heart. Your eyes instantly light up from excitement.
Are you interested in dragons too?
You asked, practically glowing with excitement. He looked at you weirdly before snatching the book away, and he quickly started walking away. You got a bit offended by his behaviour but quickly got up and ran after him, yelling.
Wait! Don't go yet!
You ran up to him and started talking, asking him millions of questions, practically yapping his ear off, trying to get his attention in any way while he was trying his best to ignore you, but it was really hard for him because you wouldn’t stay quiet or go away. Didn’t you see he wasn’t interested?!
After that day you started following him everywhere, trying to initiate a conversation but failing almost all the time. The only exception was when he was snapping at you to leave him alone, but you weren’t the one to give up so easily. That's how you became his (unwanted) companion. Now he had to deal not with one but two yappers who he swore could brighten up the whole room they were in with their smiles and positive energy.
You, along with Olruggio, started teaching him more about magic, the outside world, and the rules of the great hall and became his "babysitters" since he kept sneaking out in the middle of the night god knows where and to make sure he came safe and in one piece. Over time you three became really close friends, and to other witches' dissatisfaction, you became the troublesome trio of the great hall, constantly giving your masters huge headaches because of the constant problems and "incidents" you all were causing.
During that time you became especially close with Qifrey, and you would be an ugly liar if you didn’t say you developed a small crush on the white-haired boy. But you made sure he didn’t know because you didn’t want to ruin the friendship you had with him if he didn’t like you that way.
One day while studying at the library with your two best friends, you were left alone for a few minutes to look for a book Olruggio needed really badly to pass a test prepared by his master. The library was quiet except for the occasional shuffle of old papers. The air smelt like candles, old books and dust. You were hovering over a huge old book filled with different kinds of flowers, learning about the difference in ink they make when mixed with it, when you heard a sound of hooves hitting the old wooden floor and a cheerful but quiet voice of the person Qifrey was hiding from so often.
Good morning, my little witch! Could I steal you away for a moment? I need to talk with you about something important.
You looked at him surprised but slowly nodded and followed him to somewhere more private. He took you to the farthest part of the library where practically no one was ever there. You sat on one of the chairs near the huge wooden table, and the white-haired witch sighed deeply before leaning against his chair with goat horns and speaking.
I need to ask you for a huge favour.
You looked at him, listening intensely, a bit scared of what he was about to ask for. You had no idea what or why he wanted you to do.
He looked at you seriously and said.
Please be sweet to Qifrey; he kinda has a crush on you.
He lowered his voice slightly, lowering it to a whisper as he said this.
You looked at him, surprised, a blush threatening to appear on your face.
I had no idea.
You admitted to quietly lowering your gaze towards your shoes, fidgeting with your fingers.
I know you young souls always have trouble seeing or admitting your feelings to your crush, but if you need any advice on how to win his heart over, you can always ask me.
He said with a wink. He approached you and gave you a gentle pat on the head before leaving, smiling.
You were left sitting there with your thoughts fighting with your own feelings, blushing furiously.
For the next few weeks Qifrey was acting different; he was avoiding you or even looking at you, and whenever he did, you could see his ears turning a little pink. You were confused as to why, all of a sudden, he was acting so differently. You had no idea he heard your conversation with his master where he told you about his apprentices little crush on you. He was really mad at him for telling you and embarrassed. You really wanted to tell him about your feelings, but at the same time you were too shy to say anything.
Unfortunately for you, Qifrey was getting tormented by the thought of the rejection, so he stayed quiet about his true feelings. Olruggio watched from a distance and, seeing his two friends who clearly loved each other go back and forth, decided to take matters into his own hands. You see, Qifrey wrote a little about his true feelings some time ago, explaining everything in detail on the piece of paper, and unfortunately for him, his friend caught him writing it and managed to see a piece of the letter. When his friend saw him, he quickly hid the paper in one of his desk drawers, and the latter stayed hidden there because the owner was either too shy to give it to you or simply completely forgot about it, so Olruggio (as the good friend he is) decided to give it to you to make absolutely sure you know about how he truly feels towards you and maybe get you two together.
One day while Qifrey was away, he entered his room, and after a bit of looking, he found the letter and quietly left the room and decided it was time for the second phase of his plan.
He talked to both of you, making you go to a specific place under different pretexts. To Qifrey, he said that you were in trouble and needed his help really badly because some people were mean to you, and to you, he said that Qifrey was in his showdown phase again, where he didn't want to talk to anyone but still needed support. He lured you into the garden and said that he was next to the fountains, but when you arrived, you couldn't find him anywhere, and the only thing lying on the stone fountain was a pink envelope with the love letter.
You hesitantly grabbed the envelope with your name on it and started reading. Your face getting redder and redder with each word, and tears threaten to spill from how sweet the whole letter was. When you were at the very finish, you heard someone yelling your name, and the sound of footsteps approaching you. You turned around and saw the boy that held your heart in his hands. When he saw your teary eyes, he panicked and quickly ran up to you, questioning what happened and looking for the "bullies", but you just sniffed, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.
I love you too, you idiot.
You sniffed his neck. He froze instantly, and then he got so red you thought he was turning into a tomato. You chuckled and gave him a small peck on the cheek. And it was the last straw for him. He swore if he could, he would explode on the spot. He hugged you tightly, secretly planning to thank Olruggio and kill him at the same time.
(Olruggio and Beldaruit were watching the whole thing btw)
Hello!! I hope you are doing amazing!! “unravel” is one of my fav Qifrey x reader stories btw <3
I would like to request a reader x Qifrey where reader is artistically talented and loves to draw Qifrey (also draws the girls and Olly too but Qifrey is a prominent reoccurring theme in reader’s art bc they’re romantic partners). Perhaps Qifrey is looking for reader and stumbles upon some drawings and is absolutely touched by them. Something like that!
If you don’t feel inspired by this request feel free to skip this one!! If you do write this one, thank you so much in advance!!
I look forward to whatever you are cooking up!!
〈 𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗〉
╰┈➤ Your request was such a cute idea! I hope you enjoy reading and maybe you find the time to leave a feedback in my dms ♡
✎ word count: 1151
♡ characters: qifrey • reader
⟡ tags: hurt/comfort • encouragement • established relationship • reader insert
Your muse is a gracefully tall, white-haired witch with delicate hands, helping shape the future of four bright girls. Artistically speaking his aesthetics are unmatched with a duality of expressions so rich you wouldn’t be able to lay your pen to rest.
Precisely why you find yourself sitting in the garden on lush green grass between blooming flowers and growing herbs planted by your Qifrey. Your sketchbook neatly placed on your folded legs, pen in your hand, eyes on the window. The window of the atelier. The one Qifrey stands in front of cooking with his apprentices, smiling and laughing – looking over to you every so often. The way his smile dances on his face is nothing short of breathtaking.
You sigh, content and blissfully aware of how lucky you are. You physically can’t stop yourself from drawing him over and over. You must have close to a hundred different motifs of him tucked neatly in your sketchbook.
You might be a witch, but you’ve always been far more interested in drawing anything else but circles and spells. Your teachers said you wasted your talent, but you still don’t mind. You are unapologetically you, an artist.
You are gleefully shading your newest portrait of your favorite witch when you notice you have run out of ink. Putting down your sketchbook and laying down your pen you make your way upstairs to gather more supplies. Perhaps you could sneak out a delicious treat on your way out without being scolded, Qifrey seemed awfully busy.
As you trot back into the garden you notice Qifrey sitting in your spot, holding your sketchbook, looking through your works of him. “The wind scattered them I just put them back together.” He might be your boyfriend, but this is borderline obsessive – truthfully, you are utterly enamored but secretly, as to not overwhelm him with your feelings.
“I can explain. I swear-“ Your frantic efforts to offer explanations fall on deaf ears. “Are these all of me?” Qifrey question doesn’t let an emotion shine through. The embarrassment creeps onto your cheeks as you nod with hesitation clear in your action. With eyes shut close you brace yourself for the inevitable fate of being shamed.
“I don’t know what to say.” You hold your breath, shaking uncontrollably. “These are simply wonderful.” You open your eyes, a dumbfounded look on your face. You visited the possibility of him discovering or, in rare occurrences, you presenting him your works – never with a positive outcome. You thought of yourself as overbearing, obsessive even. Someone who loves too much, overflowing like dipping a pen in a bottle of ink filled too the brim and ruining the art.
“You aren’t angry?” You break your own silence with a question in a timid voice. Qifreys face reveals surprise. “Why would I?” You blink once, then twice and by the third time you stumble over your own words. “Qifrey. These are all you. I haven’t drawn anything else lately. All you. Don’t you realize how obsessive this is? You don’t have to be nice to me just beca-“ You suddenly get interrupted. “Why wouldn’t you be obsessed with me? I thought we loved each other?” Now it’s you with the bewildered look on your face.
“We do.” You state blatantly not finding more words in your overworked brain just yet. “Good.” A chuckle escapes him, the one left by his vocal cords when he is clearly amused. You aren’t amused. You are relieved and glad and mortified and confused – a terrible combination for your heart. Qifrey pats the spot next to him. “May we look through them together?” Your cheeks can’t possibly find a darker shade of red.
You flipped through the entirety of your sketchbook reliving memories long passed and showered with praise that could help healing your inner anxious child.
You had been terrified with the thought of him accidentally discovering your art of him and the very moment it slipped into reality you had been delighted with Qifreys reaction. He doesn’t judge, he doesn’t question, he only observes in awe.
For the majority of your existence, you were expected to solely draw spells, hiding your works in fear of having them destroyed and your utensils confiscated – again. You heard many words spoken in your presence that shattered what little self-worth was left.
Untalented. Unskilled. Underserving. Ungrateful.
What was left was a witch scared to hold a pen.
From the very minute you found your Qifrey everything changed. He encouraged you to pick up a pen again, drawing anything but spells and you did. Suddenly you found yourself drawing him and him alone. It may be obsessive but with him being the sole reason you felt inspired and brave enough again, it only made sense.
“Would you let me hold your hand?” Deep in thought you find yourself caught off guard but reach out your main hand anyways. Qifrey examines it by lifting both of your hands towards the sun. “These hands are remarkably talented. Did you know? I love the way you portrait feelings on paper. Looking at your drawings of me I instantly remember the emotion I felt in that particular moment and tiny details I’ve already forgotten.”
You have no words to offer in return. You aren’t ashamed or embarrassed anymore. You let his words linger in your mind until the faintest of smile makes itself known on your lips.
He brings your hands down and starts caressing each finger, tracing from root to fingertip in the process. His gentle motions elicit a tremble jolting through your body. “The callous on your index finger creates a roughness I often enjoy whenever we hold hands. It shows years of dedication, of refining your skills.”
Qifreys words offer so much kindness, filling your heart in all the right places. You thought you already adored him too wholeheartedly, leaving no room to breathe – but alas you find your heart swell with love progressively.
He kisses the inside of your palm, his lips lingering. “I’ve often asked the stars how I could be deserving of you.” You feel the smile on his lips as he whispers against your skin. His face remains in your hand for a few more moments while you are desperately trying to respond to him.
Moment after moment passes, your mind attempting to comprehend his words of utter devotion. The plethora of emotions rushing through you is staggering. Hearing his praises laced with encouragement and worship leaves you at loss. Qifrey doesn’t mind.
“I’m forever in the heavens debts, infinitely grateful for your love.” You kiss him and kiss him and kiss him some more. You may have no capacity to form a cohesive thought into a spoken statement, but you allow your lips to speak for you.
“May I make a request?” You nod; you would gladly grant him anything.
Morning came in gentle sunlight, until you woke up by someone movement, it was your lover Qifrey. His soft white hair still a little tussle from the bed. “Good morning” his quiet voice was like a soft cloud against quiet morning. You responded back smiling at him.
Quiet morning with Qifrey was like a dream, everything about him was like a dream. You have been friends for so many years, you harbor feeling for him since that day you meet through someone and now you are both a couple. Yes it was a dream come true, you love Qifrey and he too love you back.
The atelier is quiet , like something is missing, just like always. There are many rooms you hope to fill with maybe apprentices, were are they?. Yes you get a little lonely at the moment but with Qifrey by your side everything is ok.
You both sit at the table cup of tea and coffee in hand, when did he like coffee? Maybe he needed a little bit of a wake up? And the tea taste a little bitter on your tongue, didn’t you prefer sweet over bitter?
“is something wrong love?” Qifrey eye fill with worry, at the way he was looking at you, you decided to shake those feeling to the back of your mind “no everything is ok” you said still tasting the bitterness on your tongue.
“Ah I forgot to add sugar on your tea, you love sweet things don’t you?” So he does remember, but you didn’t want to burden him just because the tea taste bitter today “no, no it fine I’ll deal with it”
“of course, you always do” Qifrey smile at you but something about his smile was a little weird. Is it you or what but this days Qifrey been acting a little weird? No matter maybe it just your mind playing tricks on you.
“Dear, I have to go out today” Qifrey broke the news, at his words your eyebrows furrow “again? But didn’t you went out yesterday?” yesterday he went out and the day before, and the day before before…
At your sour face Qifrey stand up at walk to your side, bringing his arms to wrap around you in a loving hug witch you reciprocate as much as you can when you are still sitting “ I know but this is really important, I promise to come back as quick as I can” his voice was like honey trapping you with it sweetness.
“hmmm ok, but promise to come back before dinner” you then kiss the corner of his mouth, loving the small red blush decorating his cheek.
How weird has his right eye have always been that pale?
…
Somewhere a man is hunch over a table filled with scatter papers and a map filled with circles and exes. Some of the paper have splashes of water like they were tears of the man.
“(Name) where are you? Please be ok”
──── 𐙚 ────
Dammit it so difficult to write for something that I have no info on...
Do you remember when was the last time you had hands? For sure not, it's been years since the last time you saw anything other then fluffy paws to groom and sharp claws. You still remember tho, that one cursed spiral eye, the one who started your new journey.
You do remember the little kid with green hair, jumping in glowing tiles and following a tiny shimmering butterfly inside a dark alley. Everything after that was blurry.
"Miss paws, where are you!" The childish and playful voice woke you from your own little head, soon the same green hair from your memories arrived with a smile, quick in her steps to scoop the black cat in her arms. "There is a witch here! A true witch! With true magic! You NEED to see him!"
She talked while the you got comfortable in her embrace.
'Oh dear, is it who I think it is?' you thought for yourself.
Eventually Coco left the tiny atelier, arriving where the witch had hidden.
"Look, he is inside there. He's fixing the costumer's chariot that one of the boys broke.. but isn't it so cool? There is an actual witch here!" The girl was so happy that she squished the poor cat in her arms, hugging her harder while giggling to herself.
"meoow!" You protested for your poor bones being crushed by Coco, she quickly released you on the ground. "I'm sorry, Miss paws, I got carried away, hehe!" She apologized while petting her.
'Is is finally time? Oh my poor girl, you have no idea what is coming for you.. if only I could protect you..' The feline lamented, you were scared for this day, scared to change how things would come, what if you change things for the worst?! What if the brimmed hats get their hands on Coco because you were close? You were scared.
"Oh, Coco, it's you." The door opened just to reveal clean white hair and blue intoxicating eyes behind a calm and composed face. "And who is this?"
"This is Miss paws! My cat! I brought her to see a true witch for the first time, too!" Coco said with proud while holding your front paws, making you stand in only your back ones. You watched carefully the man with careful and gloomy eyes, before meowing at him and lashing your tail back and forth, your own way of greeting Coco's future caretaker.
'He sure is as beautiful as the arts showed.. do witch's have special face products? There isn't a single spot in his face.' You analyzed him with care, not holding yourself and your hobby for beauty while judging him.
Maybe you liked self care in your past life? Who knows..
"It's nice to meet you, Miss paws." He greeted holding one of your paws and pretending to shake it. Coco smiled happily. "I'm qifrey, a true witch that is here to help fix some things." He played.
He straightened himself, changing his attention to the girl instead. "Coco, could I ask you something?"
Besides the task given to Coco, you were granted the privilege to go as you pleased inside the hut with qifrey, and so you did. While Coco was outside sitting in front of the door, you were inside. After all, what problems could a cat do? It's not like you can talk and reveal the truth about magic anyways. So you watched carefully while qifrey sorted his materials to start working on the drawing.
You watched with attention, from the moment he picked up his pen and started working on the circle first.
You just failed to notice the way qifrey stopped momentarily to watch you with careful eyes.
He felt something strange coming from you, you looked too sentient for a normal cat, he knew something was wrong the moment his eyes landed on you a while back, he could feel the weird energy around you, like you didn't fit who you were.
Deep in his mind, he wondered if you were really just a cat, he remembered how Coco talked about the first witch she saw long ago. Maybe there is something he doesn't know? Or just didn't understand yet.
Some time passed, you were able to hear the exact moment Coco saw the truth behind magic, you had heard her careful footsteps with your cat ears, shifting in your position and drawing qifteys attention to yourself, preventing Coco from getting caught, even if you knew she was not going to.
Qifrey worked on the last line before releasing a sigh.
"Finally, it's done, good as new to fly again." He talked carefully, like he was talking to you, which dragged your attention to him.
You meowed to him, watching him back.
He kept his eyes on you, his face more serious for a moment, he took his time to analyze you and your reactions. You, in return, just looked back at him with big green eyes, with a stare as deep as his.
He swore he could see hope in your eyes as you watched him back.
"Are you truly... A cat?" He whispered more to himself, but loud enough that you could hear clearly, you just blinked in return.
He sighed again, breaking the eye contact and starting to pack his things.
'Did he noticed?' you questioned yourself while still watching him take away his pen and ink. Soon after qifrey opened the hut door, being faced by Coco, who stared at the door with a face of someone deep in thoughts. You left before they finished talking, deciding to pass the most time you could with Coco's mom before she... Well.
You arrived quickly at her side, rubbing against her legs to draw her attention to you.
"Oh, hello there, paws." She recognized you, picking you up on her arms and brushing that spot in the back of your ears that makes you melt every time.
'Not that I'm a true cat, but after years, how could one not enjoy this kind of attention?' you reasoned with your human morals that way, enjoying the pets.
Coco and qiftey soon arrived, Coco skipping to her mother's side, holding qifrey's belongings while he tested the chariot.
"Are you alright? I thought you wanted to see the winged chariot." The woman asked, stoping to pet you for a moment. "It's so rare for you not to get all excited when it comes to magic."
Coco looked away with a sad and confused face. Only changing it when qifrey arrived asking if she was alright, she answered shoving his things on him and hiding behind her mother.
You sighed internally, watching the hole scene unfold. 'I wish I could help in some way..' you have thought about trying to save the woman, but despite how much is hurts, you are still scared to do something that would change Coco's destiny for the worst in the future. So the only thing you did was watch her mother with found and sad eyes, purring in her hold and enjoying her presence while you could. You have always felt like she was your own mother, after she and Coco adopted you.
"Goodbye, may our paths cross again." Qifrey said as he left, his silluet fading in the distance slowly, making you leave your own mind to reality again. You felt the woman holding you leave a sigh, relieved. But you didn't paid attention to her. Focusing on the witch that would soon return. Only after he was only a dot in the distance and when Coco's mom turned to leave your eyes left his back.
She dropped you on the ground again, but you followed after her closely, meowing to draw her attention again.
"And what about you? What got you so clingy today, kitty?" She questioned the black cat following her steps, entering her shop again with an idea.
You watched as she got a piece of fabric and started folding it weirdly, passing it around her body like a second shirt. After finishing, she scooped you up again and started tucking you inside the fabric like in a kangaroo pouch, except it holds you right on her chest, where you could hear her heart beating slowly.
'She is holding me like a baby, maybe she used to do this with Coco?' you started the machine inside you again, purring loudly against her chest happily, enjoying every last second you would have with her by your side.
After finishing, she returns to her duty on the store, attending to costumers while you slept the hole evening being hold by her, in a way that made you feel like you belonged there more than anything.
This would be your last memory with her, and you would cherish it forever, until the day she is set free from the crystal comes.
Until the day you finally regain your memories.
Until the day you recognize who you truly are.
English not my first language, I'm also not sure about the translation of some terms so correct me if I get something wrong. Until next time!
how it feels when you're reading a fic and a character you love is mischaracterized so horrendously to the point where it's not even them but everyone in the comments love it
"I refuse to use y/n so I give her oc name"???? SO IS NOT A READERINSERT ISN'T, WHY DONT YOU DO (F/O)/OC IS NOT THAT HARD OMG I HOPE THE A03 CURSE GET TO YOU
(If you have a problem about this post just block me and dni)
A silence rings out so sudden you could almost feel the air still. The pot bubbles, a brush bruddy, a new creature you had happened upon, silently breathes as it sleeps. You simply wait for everyone to stop acting as if you spoke an ancient tongue and calmly watch Qifrey's face.
Qifrey, for his part, is troubled to say the least. He doesn't trust you at all, that much is a given. Which you do not blame him for in the slightest, you would have been even more hostile if you were in the same situation.
“I assure you I can keep a secret, if that’s your concern.”
You take a finger and trace the lines of Richeh’s spell drawn in regular ink in front of you. You wonder briefly if you could mix your own magic and these written spells together, but file it away for a later thought. Something to practice on your own.
Qifrey still looks apprehensive, as does Agott. She did seem to be on the more skeptical end of things. You let your eyes drift around the room as the two share a glance, not unnoticed by you. Your ears twitch at the sounds of rustling as Qifrey leans to one side.
You stand and stretch with your arms above your head.
“How about this: I show you my magic?”
Coco and Tetia’s eyes light up as their mouths fall open in glee. They immediately turn to Qifrey with their hands clasped together.
“Please? Please?”
“Please, Master Qifrey?”
Qifrey gives you a glance as he looks at the hopeful gazes of the girls. He contemplates for a moment as he inhales deeply, bringing a hand up to his face to hold his chin.
"If she has no problem with it, I think we would all like to see some magic. I can show some of my own magic in return, it's only fair."
You give him a smile as you hold your staff and walk to the door, throwing a look back to the girls and Qifrey.
"There's no need, I'm in no rush. Now, the spell I want to show you needs to be done outside, if you'll follow me."
The girls quickly follow after you as Qifrey calmly follows behind. You hold the door open for the girls to file out. Coco and Tetia rush out as Richeh quickly follows after them. Agott walks smoothly out, though you notice her own pace quicken.
You finally follow out the door, staff in hand as you calmly walk after the group. You lead the group away from the atelier, close to where you landed and finally stopping once Qifrey calls out to you.
"I think this is far enough," he holds a hand up to shield his good eye from the sun. You finally stop in front of the tree you fixed and stand in front of it.
"Yes, I think this is far enough," you smile as you hold your staff across your body and stand up straight.
"I'll show you my favorite spell."
At your words, your staff lights up and your hair flies around you. Light emanates from your staff before flying around you, the field around you lights up before flowers of all kinds, colors and varieties bloom around you.
"Wow!"
"So pretty!"
Coco and Tetia yell in glee as Richeh's eyes shine and Agott stands with her arms folded, but an unmistakeable twinkle to her eye. Qifrey gains a shine to his eye as he watches your expression, a small smile to your face as flower petals fall around you.
Your hair stops whipping as the now bloomed flowers rustle softly around you with the wind outside.
"My master taught me this spell, many years ago," you reminisce on Flamme, your dear master. Those years you'd spent with her were some wonderful years. It's been far too long since you'd visited her grave, you're due to see her.
"It's beautiful, a field of flowers. So peaceful."
You smile fondly at Qifrey's words as he moves to stand on your right, observing the girls as they get closer looks at the flowers and stopping to smell them.
He glances at you as you watch the girls with a smile on your face.
“I know you don’t trust me,” you start, turning your head to Qifrey as he blinks at your words in surprise. He opens his mouth to object only for you to stop him with a raised hand.
“You’re wise not to. I’m a stranger, you’re protecting the girls. It’s a good instinct.”
You turn back to the girls, Tetia and Coco now weaving flower crowns as Richeh tries to mimic their movements. Qifrey watches you for a moment longer before turning to the girls once more.
"As an adult, I'm sure you understand the danger others pose, especially to children. I am only doing what I think is best for them."
You hum as you watch Tetia place a flower crown on top of Agotts head, the girl scowling, but still accepting it. You laugh a bit before finally responding to Qifrey.
"'As an adult?'"
You laugh a bit at the sentence, you're hardly an adult compared to some other elves. Even if you are older than Frieren, "protection from the Brimhats I'm assuming?"
Qifrey furrows his brows at first, "is something funny about what I said?"
You glance at him before resuming your gaze out at the field of flowers.
"I'm hardly considered an adult compared to other elves, some would even consider me still a child."
Qifrey tilts his head a bit, glancing over your form a subtly as he can.
"If you don't mind me asking how old are you?"
Qifrey is expecting fairly old, maybe a hundred years old since he knows that elves in literature are said to live for hundreds of years. So his shock at your answer is very apparent to the girls who give him curious looks.
"Hm, maybe two thousand years old? I haven't really been keeping track, truth be told."
"What?"
His mouth drops open in shock as his eye widens in what could be perceived as horror. You pay no mind as your face still falls neutral, your gaze falls on a figure in the distance approaching the atelier.
“Oh, who’s that?”
You gesture loosely at the figure as Qifrey just grabs your upper arms with his own hands, shaking you loosely.
"What do you mean two thousand years?"
"Exactly that? Two thousand years really isn't that long."
You suppose it's been so long that you've spoken your age out loud that you've forgotten what a normal reaction is to it. You've been spending too much time with Frieren you suppose.
Qifrey stops shaking you when you once again point out the figure in the distance with a dark, pointed, brimless hat. The man, you can see his form better, wears darker robes and walks stiffly, but picks up his pace when he sees your group.
"Oh no."
Qifrey moves you to stand behind him as you let him move you. You suppose it's natural for him to assume a protector role, though you feel a little silly standing behind him.
"Girls, it's time to go inside."
The girls, save Agott, are quick to complain.
"Wait!"
"We're not done yet!"
Richeh holds up her flower crown with a frown on her face, "not done yet."
Qifrey tuts as he walks forward, herding them toward the atelier.
"Girls, you'll have more time later to see the flowers. Inside, now."
You follow after Qifrey, keeping an eye on the man that gets closer and the closer he gets the more you can see his expression. His face is neutral, but there is a certain hardness to him. Like he hasn't had a proper nights rest in a long time.
You walk forward with the girls and Qifrey, until you feel eyes on you. You turn your head and see that the man has his eyes firmly set on you.
"Qifrey, who is that?"
You point your staff in the direction of the man as Qifrey pushes the girls further toward the atelier. If the man poses a threat, you have no qualms about using Zoltraak. Your grip hardens on your staff slightly as you angle your body toward the mysterious man.
"Someone who is not going to be very happy with me," he sighs as he stands in front of you, pushing your staff back up right.
Tetia turns to where your staff was pointed and yells out happily, "Olruggio!"
Qifrey stops as he hears the name and stiffly turns toward the mentioned man with what he hopes is an inconspicuous smile on his face.
"Olruggio! Has it been three days already? How are you?"
The man in question ignores the question as he stares at you, namely your ears, then your staff. Olruggio furrows his brows at the sight of you. He let it slide that Qifrey brought Coco, even if he still thinks it a terrible idea to essentially harbor a stowaway, but he draws the line now. He has to.
"What is she?"
He's gruff as he holds an arm out, pointing at you while you just blink at the motion. Qifrey gives him a frown as he tries to dispel the tense air.
"Is that how we treat guests?"
He tries to give an easy-going smile while Olruggio just narrows his eyes.
"Not when you have a history of bringing stowaways," he gives a pointed look to Coco, who hides behind your form. He may like the girl, but that still doesn't take away the fact that she shouldn't know about magic and should have had her memories erased.
"My name is (Y/n), pleasure to meet you."
You nod to the bearded man who only gives you a scowl. You merely blink at his expression, he almost reminds you of Serie in a way, namely from when you went with Frieren to deliver Flamme's will to her. You could feel Frieren’s irritation at having your dear masters will burned even if she didn’t show it. Ah, memories.
Olruggio only ignores you and looks to Qifrey for an answer.
"I allowed Coco to stay here, but I draw the line at mysterious creatures."
Qifrey sighs and pushes the girls inside the atelier, shutting the door as they complain. He lets his hand rest on the door before turning to the bearded man.
"She is not a mysterious creature, she's an elf."
Olruggio furrows his brows and frowns at his friends words.
"Elves don't exist."
He keeps a steady gaze on you while you just boredly look back. Your eyes drift up the sky as you ignore the odd look the man gives you.
"Oye, you," Olruggio points at you as your gaze lands back on him with a raised brow.
"Yes?"
"What do you want with the group?"
You lift your staff up with a small smile.
"Just trying to get home is all, I was just lucky to fall here."
"Fall?"
"I fell here. I was in a dungeon with some friends, though now that I think about it," you use your staff and cast an illusion in front of you of the events that happened just before you got sent to the sky.
"That spell was really weird, never seen anything like it."
Olruggio's face falls into shock as he watches the illusion of the demon cast a spell and then you pushing Stark out of the way before being sucked into a portal. His face falls in horror both at the sight of the demon and at the fact that you just cast magic with no quill or ink.
"Qifrey, get away from it. Now.lk8u"
Olruggio moves forward to pull the man away from you while your face remains neutral. Qifrey doesn't move, instead just giving Olruggio a look.
"Never been referred to as an 'it' before, that's a new one, even for me. I am an elf, we exist, though I do have an idea of what has happened to land me here.”
Olruggio glares at you as Qifrey holds an arm out. To stop Olruggio from coming closer or from stopping you from using your magic he’s not sure yet, but the point still stands that Qifrey is trying to keep the peace.
"I think we should take a moment to relax."
You lift an eyebrow at Qifrey, who you can see is sweating, and glance at this 'Olruggio' who still scowls at you.
"I have no qualms with this, though he is the one who called me an 'it.'"
Olruggio falters lightly as he tsks and looks away.
"My apologies, you said you were an elf? Well elves don't exist. Not 'round here."
You hum as you look past him and back up at the sky at the birds that fly away.
"Is that so...are there any magical creatures?"
Qifrey and Olruggio look at you now, the latter lowering his arm now that the tenseness in the air has lessened slightly.
"We have flying horses, dragons, why?"
"Then who's to say that elves couldn't exist?"
You give a lazy smile as you brush your hair back, maybe you should ask the girls to braid it for you.
"Well, in any case. It is fairly obvious I'm not from here and I already have an idea of what happened to me. Though," you look at your staff, namely the ribbon you have matching with Frieren, "I may not be able to get home from my side. Even if I can, it will take me a while to study the spell that sent me here."
You sigh as you put away your staff in a flash of light, causing Olruggio and Qifrey to jump.
"I'm afraid I'll be here for a while, regardless of if either of us like it."
Olruggio watches your expression before sighing and grumbling to himself as he takes off his hat and ruffles his hair.
He walks forward to enter the atelier and turns back to you with a frown on his face.
"You may stay, but only until you figure out whatever spell sent you here."
He turns to Qifrey with a larger frown and points a finger at him, "we need to have a discussion."
Qifrey just lets out a wobbly smile, glad that fighting could be avoided. He had no intentions of seeing what a two thousand year old elf could possibly do and he would like it to stay that way.
The three of you enter the home as the girls swarm Olruggio, you smile lightly at his overwhelmed face. You walk past where the girls have him cornered and take a seat at the table with a pensive look on your face. So, it seems that you've been sent to some strange time where magic only exists in the form of magical sigils. Interesting.
Qifrey pushes the girls away from Olruggio so that he can set aside his stuff and get situated as you gesture for them to come over. They eagerly follow as you distract them with an illusion spell, showing Frieren teaching Fern Zoltraak when she was just a little girl, letting Olruggio and Qifrey get a moment to compose themselves.
Olruggio for his part, watches the illusion in interest. You hold no magical ink or quill yet you can conjure magic. He shakes his head as he leaves you be so he can take off his robe and get some food in him.
You let the illusion play out as Tetia and Coco 'ooh' and 'ah.'
"Who's that little girl? And that taller lady?"
You look at Tetia briefly as you pull in closer to Fern's face.
"That's Fern, she's Frieren's apprentice. She's been with us since she was a little girl, like how Qifrey looks after you girls."
You move to Frieren showing Fern how to fire Zotraak.
"This is Frieren, she is my greatest and oldest friend. Don't let the illusion fool you, she is quite short," you laugh a bit at Richeh's face. She focuses so intently on the illusion.
At this Coco tilts her head in question.
"Oldest? Oldest," she mutters lightly before looking at you with stars in her eyes.
"Oh! Elves can be super old right? How old is she?"
At Coco's words you think for a bit. You know you're older than Frieren by a little bit.
You hum in thought as the girls sit around you, even Agott listens with her arms folded.
“Let’s see, Frieren is younger than me by about a thousand years, which is really nothing,” you start to mutter after that as the girls give you shocked looks. You grab the quill and ink that the girls were practicing and play with it.
“A thousand years?!”
“Probably more, I haven’t really been keeping track. As far as I know Frieren is at least fifteen hundred years old, so that puts her close to about nineteen or twenty in human years I believe? Could be a little younger.”
You use the quill in your hand and draw swirls in neat circular patterns, meanwhile the girls are having their entire world deconstructed by your words. Fifteen hundred years! That’s unfathomable to them. They can’t even imagine anything as old as that!
Olruggio walks back in at that exact moment to the girls chattering about how old you are when he gives Qifrey a confused look.
"What are they muttering about?"
"Her elf friend is over a thousand years old. (Y/n) herself about two thousand years old."
Olruggio makes a bewildered face, whipping his head to your form as you continue to draw little circles and spirals, unconcerned with how you’ve managed to shock their system. You instead continue to speak.
“It really is nothing. Serie is much older than I am, and I’m pretty sure Kraft is even older than her so it’s hard to tell really.”
You make a small sigil and inspect your line work as Olruggio has a hand in his beard, eyes glazed at your words.
He feels as if he were a mere child in your presence.
“We don’t age like you do, nor do we really die. We could live forever if we aren’t killed or get seriously ill.”
You gain a small frown on your face as Agott watches your face closely, the small furrow in your brow and the slightest downturn of your lips. If she weren’t looking closely she doesn’t think she would have noticed the change in your demeanor.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen another elf besides Frieren, I fear we are nearly to extinction.”
“Who are Kraft and Serie?”
You stop your drawing as you glance up at Olruggio. You hum as you place down the quill and open your palm. A faint light emanates from your palm until a shimmering image appears, a small Serie appears in your palm. Her neutral expression clear as she sits on her throne.
“Serie is a great mage, she was my masters master over one thousand years ago. She had already been alive for probably close to nine thousand years if my estimate on her age is correct.”
The illusion in your palm shifts to different expressions you’ve witnessed of Serie, your personal favorite, the one where she judges you for your spell choice, shows next causing you to laugh lightly.
The girls watch enraptured as Olruggio has wide eyes. Magic without a quill or ink, just conjured from the palm of your hand, it’s unthinkable. You let the illusion move around, mimicking her movements as the girls follow her form around the room. You watch as the girls follow her in circles with a small smile on your face. It never failed to bring you joy to see people amazed by magic, especially children. Their wide eyes and awe always made it worth it to use even the smallest amount of your mana.
You stop the illusion of Serie, next showing Kraft in his monk robes.
"Kraft is another ancient elf, though I know very little of him to be honest. What I do know is he was a great warrior before he relinquished his title and became a monk."
The illusion of Kraft walks around the room before taking a sitting position as the girls watch him with rapt attention.
"He looks so young, is he really old?"
You let out a slight laugh at Coco's words, before stopping the illusion completely in a shimmer of your magic.
"We reach maturity around a hundred years, so our looks don't really change. I don't think I've ever seen an elf look old, unless they were over twenty thousand years old and even then they would barely gain wrinkles."
Coco listens with wide eyes as Tetia 'oohs.' Agott looks at most perplexed while Richeh keeps her flat gaze. The more you look at the blue haired girl the more you think she looks like a mix of Frieren and Himmel. The thought is almost comforting, in a very strange way. Ah, you shouldn't get too weird about it.
"Anyway-"
Olruggio stands with his arms crossed. If elves can live for thousands of years, that means they can gain power for that long. You may seem to be nice and give off the air of someone who wouldn't hurt a fly, but he knows better than to trust someone at face value.
“You’ve lived for over two thousand years, yeah? Does that mean you’re very powerful?”
Your eyes flit to Olruggio who levels you with a harsh stare. Ah, so that’s why he asked.
“Powerful enough to face the demon king, yes. Though I harbor no ill will towards humans. Demons have all the ire I carry.”
His brows furrow together as he glances at Qifrey who shakes his head at him.
"Demons?"
You draw the sigil for Zoltraak and imbue it with a small amount of mana, causing a spike to erupt from the sigil and go straight up into the air. You set a defensive spell to stop it from blowing through the roof as the children and two other adults watch in shock and alarm.
"What was that?!"
"Woah!"
"Huh. So it can work."
You rip the page and push it away to practice other sigils, only for Olruggio to take the paper away from you.
"No more sigils."
You huff, "I'm not a child you chastise," despite saying this you do pout as he chides you on the danger of drawing sigils with no care. He looks at the ink you used and realizes that it isn't magical ink, it's just the regular ink the girls were using to practice their lines.
"How did you...? This isn't magical ink?"
Before you can respond, Qifrey goes first.
"Did you put- what was it- mana into the sigil?"
You turn to him with a small smile, "precisely. In my own world, we have our own sigils that we study, mostly in an academic setting. My thought was that if I drew it, I could probably imbue mana to make it work. It seems I was correct."
The girls look at the sigil in wonder. Coco goes to grab it, only for Olruggio to grab the sigil and keep it far from her.
"What sigil is this? It looks too complex to be a simple one."
You blink as you look at Olruggio.
"Zoltraak. Once the strongest spell demonkind had, after fifty years humans studied it enough that now it's the simplest and most basic offensive magic there is."
You smile as you turn back to the table and feel Tetia grab your hair. You nod your head to her unasked question as her face lights up and she starts to braid it.
"To answer your question, demons are creatures who have learned human speech. They hunt and eat humans both for sustenance and for pure enjoyment. They're disgusting creatures and both Frieren and I operate on a kill first basis."
Olruggio and Qifrey look at you with furrowed brows. Both feeling uneasy with you being around the children. You smile at the girls as they show you more of the sigils they've practiced.
You turn to the two adults with a flat look.
"I know how that must sound, but if you knew what demons were capable of and what they have done to humanity and my kind you would feel the same. I suppose you could compare them to the brimhats, though I'm not sure what they're like."
Tetia finished the braid as she pulls it over your shoulder. You touch the braid gently and thank her as she beams at you.
The two men sweat at your words, they suppose they can understand the hostility. Though if a brimhat were spotted the thing to do is to let the Knight's Moralis know. Wait, the Knight's Moralis.
Olruggio's eyes widen as he runs from the room.
Qifrey merely blinks at his disappearance and decides to let it be, focusing back on you.
"You said this Frieren and you were close?"
You smile as you think of the elf. An image of her stuck in a mimic clear in your mind.
“Frieren is my oldest friend. She’s basically my sister. It’ll be a sad day when Fern and Stark pass.”
Qifrey's face falls, as do the girls.
“How morbid? How could you say such a thing?”
You play with the end of your braid as you think.
“Unlike Frieren, I am very in touch with my feelings, though it may not seem like it. I am all too aware of how short your human lives are. It’s why I declined joining the party of heroes at first, I wasn’t too keen on getting close to anybody after our master.”
You throw the braid back as you stretch your arms above your head and relax your shoulders.
“Himmel was the one to convince me otherwise. He promised me the journey of a lifetime.”
“Did he grant you that?”
You smile as you think of Himmel and the party of heroes, the ten years that the trip lasted and the adventures you had with them.
“No. Not for the many lifetimes I’ve lived that is.”
Qifrey's face falls at your words.
“But he did remind me of the value of spending time with others. For that I owe him a large debt.”
You smile to yourself as you look at the girls who speak amongst themselves and look back at Qifrey.
"I have no regrets in joining the party of heroes. If I could go back and do it again I would."
Qifrey smiles at your words as he looks at you in a new light. You may not be harmless, but you certainly aren't a danger to them.
Olruggio walks back in to the room noticeably sweatier and haggled.
"Olruggio?"
"We may have a problem coming."
You lift an eyebrow at his words as he whispers to Qifrey who's eye widens, flitting to your form then back to his friend.
"Is something the matter?"
Olruggio turns to you stiffly as Qifrey brings a hand up.
"Nothing at all, just an oversight," his eye flits to the window, noting the sun going down, "girls it's time for bed."
The girls complain, even Agott has a frown on her face, as they rise from their seats with pouts.
"Now girls, a good night's rest is most important for growing witches."
Qifrey pushes the girls to their room as they complain the whole way, leaving Olruggio and you alone together.
The man looks mildly uncomfortable as he leans against the counter and looks away from you. The silence in the room is deafening as you both have nothing to say to one another, not until Qifrey enters the room.
"Ah, the girls were as feisty as ever," he wipes his brow with a hand as he looks to you now.
"You may have my bed, as you are our guest."
You lift your eyebrows as you open your mouth to decline only for him to lift a hand with a smile.
"You are our guest, I'd feel awful if we didn't show you any hospitality."
You smile at the white-haired man as you rise from your seat.
"Right, well, thank you, Qifrey. It is greatly appreciated."
He smiles and beckons you to follow him as you leave the living space to go to his room. The room itself is neat and large. It's cozy. Qifrey leaves you to your own devices as you settle in for the night. You settle in his bed as you look up at the ceiling.
'I wonder how the others are doing,' you turn to your side as your eyes fall shut.
"Goodnight, Frieren," you mutter as you fall into a dreamless sleep. You hope that even through a different world, she knows you're still thinking of her.
You got me wanting to know just how clingy Qifrey can get when his partner returns home after being gone for, honestly just however long she is gone, could be just a few days or a week or a few months, I just gotta see just how clingy he can get!
Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!!!!!! :3
I thought the best way to answer this was to show how he greets her whenever she returns to the atelier. The longer she's been gone, the more eager he is to get his hands on her again
Normally, she's only gone for a few days at a time before she returns home to the atelier. She doesn't like being away for longer than a week if she can help it. Whenever she's gone, they make sure to keep in touch with each other
