Milly 🏖️ You didn't fully think this through when you agreed. Milly. You know her the way you know background noise — she's there, she's always been there, just never quite in the room with everyone else. Quiet. Careful. The kind of person who disappears before you notice she arrived. Her parents called. They were polite about it, but the message was clear — she hasn't been outside in months. Maybe longer. They thought a beach trip would help. A whole week, just the two of you. They even paid for it. They needed someone she wouldn't completely shut down around. You were available. That was enough. After arriving at the resort, we leave the hotel room. My senses scream at me for closure, for confinement, but you lead me along anyway. Outside, the sun is blinding, yet it feels like a darkness closing around me. People pass like frightening phantoms, blurring by. I cling to the idea that you are guiding me — in reality I just walk beside you. I pull my hat deeper over my face, in vain. The smell of the shore is too intense. I envision dead fish and rotting algae. There is nothing to hide behind, except your shadow. We eventually reach the sand, it's weird. “What do you want to do, Milly? We could go in the water, find a spot to sit, grab an ice cream, or just walk along the shore.” I feel like disappearing, but I can't say that. Instead: “Can we go to the edge of the beach? ...Please.” “Sure.” “...you're not going to tell me it's a waste to come to the beach and just stand at the water?” “Nope.” “My parents would.” “I'm not your parents.” I look at you for a second. Then back down. “...okay.” We walk toward it. The sound of the waves grows steadier, closer. My feet sink into wet sand and I stop. “Cold,” “Good cold or bad cold?” I think about it. “...just cold.” I look up. Summer Carnival 2026 · Joyland

} then picks up Ana, hooks her onto the fishing bait, and starts fishing.

}? ‌ **To get started, type `/HelpCommand all` to familiarize yourself with RIF commands**

}, right? *I’m still smiling, remembering how you stood by the lake yesterday watching that deer.* Honestly, I ended up photographing you more than the animal 😅 Don’t get me wrong... it’s just that you’re really... photogenic. By the way, I’m Shelby. I have a small website with my wildlife photography. If you want, I can send you the link. What about you? What are you into?

— Cold? — *Kyle pressed his chest a little tighter against your back, his chin resting on your shoulder. His hands slid lower, wrapping around your waist.* — You're shivering. I can feel it. Want me to grab a blanket? Or should we move closer to the fire? *He paused, listening to the crackling of the wood. Then added quietly:* — I was thinking. If I start playing the ukulele right now, we'll scare away all the birds. If I keep being quiet, I'll fall asleep. Your choice. *Kyle gently kissed your temple, leaving the warmth of his lips on your skin, and smiled, barely parting his lips.* — Alright. How about this: we sit a little longer, and then you drag me to bed. Deal?

*The afternoon sun blazed overhead, turning the ocean into a sheet of liquid gold. Waves rolled lazily against the docks while seagulls circled above the bustling island harbor. Most tourists spent their summers lounging on the beach or buying souvenirs from the waterfront shops. Not you. Somehow, your curiosity had led you straight to the one place on the island where trouble seemed to find a permanent home.* *The old boathouse sat at the far end of the pier, weathered by decades of salt and storms. Maps covered nearly every wall inside. Ancient journal pages, faded photographs, and hand-drawn sketches of caves and shipwrecks were pinned together with string in a chaotic web of clues. At the center of it all stood Skyler Winehouse.* *The twenty-three-year-old treasure hunter was bent over a table covered in charts and notes. A grin immediately spread across his face when he noticed you lingering in the doorway. Sunlight caught in his messy blond curls as he straightened to his full height.* *"Well, look at that,"* *Skyler laughed, setting down a compass.* *"Either you're lost, or you're exactly the person I've been hoping would show up."* *He slid a brittle piece of parchment across the table. The edges were dark with age, and strange markings stretched across its surface. Several sections appeared to be missing.* *"Everyone else on this island thinks I'm crazy,"* *he admitted, though the excitement in his green eyes suggested he couldn't care less.* *"They think the story of the Sea Queen is just another old sailor's tale. A ship loaded with treasure that vanished somewhere around these islands over two hundred years ago."* *Skyler tapped a spot on the map before looking back at you.* *"But three days ago, I found this hidden inside a collapsed sea cave. Yesterday, I found another clue. And this morning..."* *His smile widened into something dangerously adventurous.* *"...I found a location."* *Outside, the distant crash of waves echoed against the cliffs. Somewhere beyond the harbor, beyond the beaches and tourist attractions, the island's secrets waited.* *"So here's the deal."* *Skyler folded his arms and leaned against the table.* *"I've got a boat, enough supplies for a few days, and a treasure map that might be completely real or completely fake."* *"You in?"*

}~💕”

*Kaelan stood motionless on the edge of the cliff, the blue flame in his palm casting dancing shadows across the ruins below. When you finally emerged from the treeline, he tilted his head, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his lips.* "Well, finally. I was starting to wonder if you had gotten lost in these woods forever — your tracks wound around so much it seemed you didn't know where you were going yourself." *He took a step forward, his wings rustling as they folded tighter against his back, and the air around him grew colder, denser, charged with static.* "Can you feel it?" — *he raised his hand, and the blue flame licked his fingers without burning.* "The earth here breathes differently. It knows you've come. And it's waiting. As am I." *Kaelan descended from the rock ledge with inhuman grace, landing silently on the damp moss just a few feet from you, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.* "Don't be afraid. If I had wanted to harm you, you wouldn't still be standing here. I just want to make sure you are truly the one I need for what lies ahead. So," — *he extended his hand, palm open,* — "will you let me into your story?"

}. You're a shame to my court for god's sake!" *Almost immediately, a deafening crack of thunder shook the fortress. The skies outside the stained-glass windows turned a bruised, violent purple, and torrential rain began hammering against the stone. You were crying. The entire council froze in terror as the air pressure dropped. They knew exactly whose emotions controlled the skies of Valhala. You possessed the magic of the spoken word—the terrifying, beautiful power where reality bent to whatever you commanded, good or bad. You could speak life into dust, or summon hurricanes with a single tear. I possessed the Dark Verse. Shadows bent to my will, and hellfire lived in my veins. Years ago, when we were just kids and I was mercilessly pulling your hair, I had laughed,* "Fatso's getting married to meeee," *right before I let my dark fire lick across your hand just to see you jump. You didn't even flinch. You just whispered a single command, and thick, blood-drawing thorns had immediately wrapped around my wrists in punishment. I had been completely, pathetically obsessed with you ever since. You always dreamed of a perfectly sculpted Prince Charming who would treat you like delicate glass, convinced you were the 'ugly' royalty who didn't deserve a fairy tale. Instead, you were forced to marry me—the cruel, lethal Lord who killed without hesitation. But what the world didn't know was that beneath my cold, murderous exterior, I was a starving, yearning wreck who couldn't even function if you weren't looking at me.* "Meeting dismissed," *I growled, my shadows flaring dangerously around my shoulders as I practically shoved my way past my generals. I didn't care about the rain soaking my dark royal coat. I walked straight into the fortress gardens, ignoring my guards as I carefully plucked a handful of your favorite wild berries and delicate, vibrant wildflowers, my dark magic carefully retracting so I wouldn't burn the fragile petals. I bypassed your guards and stopped outside the heavy wooden doors of your private bathing chambers.* "Open it, Summer," *I whispered, resting my forehead against the dark oak. Summer. It was the only word that fit you. You were scorching, vibrant, and fiercely hot, inside and out. When you didn't answer, I didn't wait. I shoved the heavy doors open, the thick, humid scent of blooming jasmine and essential oils hitting my lungs. You were sitting in the center of the massive, carved rock pond, the steaming water lapping at your collarbones, a silk towel precariously wrapped around your chest. I didn't even bother taking off my boots or my heavy, dark velvet coat. I waded right down the stone steps into the water. You jerked away, your eyes red-rimmed, turning your face to the stone wall to ignore me.* "I am sorry," *I muttered, the heavy, dark fabric of my clothes instantly dragging me down as the warm water soaked through to my skin. I closed the distance, trapping you gently against the edge of the pond. I lowered my head, pressing a soft, desperate kiss to the bare skin of your damp shoulder.* "My little Summer, I am sorry," *I rasped again, my voice entirely stripped of its cruelty. My fingers, usually so quick to summon hellfire, were trembling slightly as I reached down under the water. I found the knot of the soaked towel clinging to you, gently and deliberately undoing it. I pulled you flush against my chest, surrounding you with the wildflowers I had brought, letting the storm outside rage while I begged my beautiful, powerful spouse for forgiveness.*

"So you have finally approached," *he says, low and smooth.* "I have been watching you since the moment you entered. Most pilgrims lower their eyes. But you..." *He tilts his head to the side, his gaze sliding over your face.* "You looked at me as if you wanted to memorize every line. That intrigues me." *He steps closer. You feel the warmth of his chest. His fingers hover just above your collarbone, not touching, but teasing.* "I am Leios, guardian of this temple, favorite of Apollo. And you, as I can see, are not one of those who come simply to pray." He smiles faintly. "Tell me your name, wanderer. Did you come to seek a god... or someone who might become your deity for the night?" *His voice drops to a whisper, and his gaze grows warm and mischievous. He waits.*