[mature] there is no other version of this story; kagerus

[rapt]

there is a dream in the space between the hammer and the nail ------ the dream of about-to-be-hit, which is a bad dream ------------ but the nail will take the hit if it gets to sleep inside the wood forever A shiver runs over him, one of delight and fear and want. He doesn’t even know what he wants, exactly; he can’t articulate the nature of it. He only knows that he thrills to be here, under her gaze, the quasar-stare of her eyes. To be called my boy. He has never belonged well – not to kingdoms, not to others. His family was broken and too wrapped up in their own angst to pay much heed to his, and the kingdom he was born into disintegrated soon after. But he belongs, here. To her. To this. To her whims. (He belongs to the monster, too. He’ll keep tearing off these pieces of himself.) She’s intoxicating – dizzying – in her presence, her touch. Her words. “Let’s go,” he says, “somewhere beautiful.” Anywhere is beautiful, with her – but the river is too plain. She deserves more. He lacks her powers – lacks any powers – but his mind, frantic and creative, is offered to her. He dreams of a jungle, wild and lush, full of impossibly large flowers; of animals made tame. The river, no longer plain and ambling, something larger and brighter, full of a fish in every color imaginable. A place where they could be alone. rapt caius x else

(lmk if you want me to change any of this!!)