#falin imagines

-After some processing by himself and asking a couple "inconspicuous" questions to some of the members of the party, he realizes that the strange foreign feeling he has is love and fondness for you

-Highlt observant of your likes and dislikes and occasionally gifts you something you've had your eyes on

-He is REALLY protective whenever anything goes down, Kabru is there right infront of you and ready to sacrifice his life for you blade in hand

-You find out that Kabru likes you when you and him were bashed inside the walls of a castle, and although the party won, the battle did not come without consequence

-You had been stabbed from the back of your head by a Marilith, the sword peaking to your forehead. The serpentine demon with her free arms grabbed your head, throwing you into the wall of the dungeon.

-Kabru's eyes had went cold, almost immediately slaying the beast, cutting into her scaly skin. Again, and again and again.

-And once the creature had been beaten into a pulp, he ran without a word to you despite being called repeatedly by the rest of the team. All he could think about is you and if you would be alright.

-As he scooped you into his arms, away from others' eyes, he was genuinely scared. Scared for you and if you could even be revived, let alone with no catch or consequence.

- "I...can't do this dungeon without you Y/N. I need you..."

-He took a deep breath before letting the words leave his throat, "I love you, Y/N."

-And then you began screaming, holding your head in your hands, and crying out to every God possible to come and save you.

- Holm had activated healing for your party by injecting his magic through the ground of the surrounding area, you had just started healing your stab wound with the common side effect of feeling that exact pain and being conscious right as Kabru began his confession.

-And yes, that would mean that you heard every word of adoration and passion from the once "mysterious non-emotionally vulnerable" Kabru

Shuro:

-I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you didn't get the slightest hint that this man is head over heels for you...please get checked out

-So extremely obvious everyone has no idea how you didn't understand nor expect it as he is obsessed with you and does not care as much for literally anyone except you.

-Every time he would save you, protect only you, gift something to you, provide and be there on foot for you, you thought he was just being kind out of the goodness of his own heart. And sure that could be a justified reason, honestly.

-The onyx haired samurai only speaks highly of you when it comes to everything and can be found right by your side at all times. He was essentially your own personal guard if you wanted him to be, whenever he was questioned about it he would say that it us just his duty as a warrior to protect.

-But there would be times that were completely unjustifiable that you would just think the samurai was just being silly and making a joke!

-Was it silly when the old party was still together, you came across some furniture you absolutely loved and this man said, "I'll ensure that piece is in in our home once we're together, Y/N."

-Is at your beck and call constantly yet every single time without fail his confession would be interrupted ranging from casual, everyday duties to life or death situations.

-Shuro was praying to every God above for an opportunity to tell you how he felt. Until one day the party was separated into small groups to find different maps to easily found, non-dangerous treasure unlocked with puzzle games within a magical forest.

-Your section of the woods was absolutely beautiful, wisteria trees were spread throughout the landscape, almost making every object have a purple hue to it. The name bestowed upon it was, "The Heart of Eros" and solving the puzzle was a breeze and once you finished you were given a treasure chest that mimicked traditional jewelery boxes and a glass jar, mimicking the human heart with flowers grown all over it.

-It had a mystical, pink glow to it and inside was a scroll that Shuro took out to read for himself, as his eyes laid on the paper, ink began to appear on it before him,

-"Your soul is brave, yet you fear what your heart wants. Take the leap that you need."

-He reached a point where he absolutely could not take it anymore, and this was his final assurance to say what has been on his mind for months.

-He mustered up all of his bravery despite his anxiety making it hard for him to breathe (on the bright side there is no shame to be had as there was no one to hear him). Shuro began his speech but you began to look at him as his dark eyes studied the mysterious scroll, catching your attention completely.

-The sight of your attention being on him made a lump form in the long haired mans' throat, however he persisted, "Y/N, I need you to know that there is something I've been holding in for a while."

-"Shuro are you okay? You look like you have a fever-"

-As much as he enjoyed your silly inquiries, the samurai spared you no time to reply fully and held your hands as he looked at you, "I love you. I-I was never scared to love you, but I was frightened about the thought of letting you know. Your love, your gaze, your smile, your everything means the world to me and I know that I need to spend the rest of my life with you."

Falin:

-Very subtle as although she may not appear it, she is amazing at keeping secrets, especially her own.

-But there is one thing that is critical that differentiates you from the others which is A. How Falin talks about you and B. How touchy she is with you. When the blonde speaks about you, her eyes get a twinkle and would always throw in compliments from how talented you are, how you're so strong, and accidentally would trail off talking about your appearance.

-Now Falin being touchy is not out of the question for many but usually at the campfires, battles and walking she can always be found right next to you

-She likes to bring you small gifts such as a cute, small flower or a pearl from a giant mollusk

-How you find out she is in love with you is through her own journal that she takes with her everywhere. Unfortunately due to your injuries you had to be teleported by Marcille back to the surface of the dungeon, separating you both. Your last words were to Falin who despite her soft voice, was losing her mind as she held your injured head in her hands.

-"I promise I'll meet you soon down here, I promise I won't die again," you replied to her tears, trying to make her laugh despite the metallic taste of blood making it's way on your tongue.

-You were travelling with a party you met on the first floor, they heeded to your terms of wanting to find your friends and as you were in the deeper depths of the dungeon, you encountered a familiar navy blue book with flexible leather twine wrapped around it.

-At first you were cussed out and reprimanded for picking up a random book on the floor of the dungeon but you quickly explained as you opened the first page and gazed upon the beautiful handwriting enscripted in black ink.

-"Property of Falin Touden"

-Although you tried to resist, and she most likely could have it magically locked reading it further, curiosity was eating you up like a hungry goblin. After all, what's the harm in just reading a bit and finding some cool secrets about her.

-So during the campfire, you cleaned off your hands after eating and got to reading which recounted your days of adventure, happily talking about past memories and some sketches of creatures she saw. You chuckled at the sight of them, it was a trait her and her brother carried all too well.

-But...you began to notice you would make so many appearances in these journalings. Even containing a well drawn picture of you on a page about you and Falin's solo mission to a foresty part of the dungeon.

-You felt so overjoyed that your friend Falin thought you were amazing, and had so much awe and respect for you.

"It might be forbidden for party members to feel this way over one another but I cannot stop myself. Them saving me today, it just makes me fall more deeper in love. I don't exactly know where their heart resides or where they may be right now, but I just want them to be mine more and more every single day. I curse myself every hour for not telling Y/N how I felt before they left for the healers above."

One

You can’t say you didn’t ask for this.

It’s a death sentence to traverse into a dungeon on your own, especially with your lack of combat skills.  If you were sane, you’d have hired a bodyguard to help take down monsters you couldn’t handle.  Fortunately, you are not, and decided instead you could very well handle monsters in a pacifistic way.

Any companion you told this to chose to stare at you like you admitted to dark magic.

So, you’ll simply prove the nay-sayers wrong!  After all, how hard can it be to tame some monsters?

Very hard, actually.  Like… incredibly.

You had to pride yourself in how you managed to sweet-talk some petty thieves for advice on monsters in the floor you’re currently on, even how to avoid orcs!  At least that much is out of the way.

As for fighting, well, sometimes a very sharp slap to the head with a book, or even the sharp tip of a pen can subdue anyone, if just to give you enough time to run.

Besides, blood makes for some extra ink if you just happened to come by a dead body!

Going purely on efficiency alone, you’re doing tremendous work!  When it comes to your study?  Not so much.

The purpose of coming all the way down here is that you have a very specific urge.  That being, to tame a beast.  Some researchers gained the will to try and do the same to elemental spirits, why not other monsters?

One of the most common rebuttals you receive is that monsters are animals, they can’t be tamed at all, and you shouldn’t even try lest you want your head bitten off.  Considering thus far you only got bitten by a walking mushroom, you think you’re doing rather well!  (You did take an hour to contemplate to yourself how a walking mushroom seemingly has teeth, though.)

That brings you now later to the fourth floor, trying to shield your notes from the water as you lament losing more ink.  Sure, you might write a little bit more than should be necessary, but you surely can’t be out already!

So, delight fills you as you peer past a doorway to see the top half of a woman face down on the floor.  Haha, you can likely drain her pretty easily for some ink!  Looks fresh enough, and some patches of her are already damp with red!

You skip over, humming as you do so, when all at once the woman jerks and looks up at you.  Her golden eyes pierce your own, making you freeze in place.  You wonder if something had gotten mixed up and a succubus ended up making its way to an upper floor, when the walls of the small tower the woman is inhabiting collapses.

A chimera screeches at you, as if telling you to leave it alone.  If you weren’t so awestruck, you would have tried to shush it, lure it towards you and petted its oddly human head.  Alas, you let the chicken-legged thing go, finding a safe haven for itself.

Day 1: I have found a beast in its purest form. I must pursue it. I must tame it.

Two

‘Obsession’ would be putting your experience lightly.

You had never wanted to gaze upon a monster as much as you wished to see the chimera again.  Unique is its proportions, the lower body of a dragon and the torso and head of an adult tallwoman.

To anyone else, its face must be more of a lure.  With the prettiest face and… great assets to boot, like a fish drawn to an angler fish's light, a blindsided adventurer comes near.

You had tried to navigate where the beast has gone, observing the damages of certain areas to lead you closer to it.

Thoughts course through your mind like speckles of a daydream as you walk and walk and walk, trying to sneak past other enemies and adventurers as you do so.  What would its feathers feel like?  Is it different from the mop of blonde hair on its head?  You didn’t get the chance to observe its eyes – are they human or monster?  What of its body heat?  What is its diet?

Ah.  Diet.

Your own body stops walking in realisation.  By all means, comparing their mouth to the rest of their body, it’s ultimately impossible for the chimera to have a stable diet in this dungeon, correct?

Perhaps… you need to make a lure of your own.

Even after days of navigating the dungeon, you still have plenty of rations from the surface remaining in your bag.  Hopefully the chimera likes the most noble meal one can fit inside a lunchbox — meats and pasta with the richest sauce.  One could say your taste in meals is unique, eliciting a morbid curiosity.  If the beast is more in tune with its human side, it will react the same.

You don’t know what tempted you to arrange a table with two chairs on either side.  It’s not like the chimera could fit, but it was only suitable for your first formal meeting with it!  Oh, how you can’t wait to observe it eating, and so close…!

If you’re lucky, it may even attempt to taste you.

You promptly shake off the thought.

What you focus on now is to draw the chimera near.  It seems to favour secluded areas, but has been seemingly chased around.  Aw, is it scared of humans?  That’s just adorable!  Or, maybe, it’s resting before setting off on a search…  Now that’d be some juicy stuff!  Who’s the chimera’s prey?  Another monster, or humans?

Oh, of course you’ll use yourself as bait.  You’re not a coward!

You know basic enough spells that you won’t be entirely drained of mana upon use, lighting up a route to catch the chimera’s attention upon spotting it.  Down you lead it, making yourself look as bright and delectable as possible, before sitting in your seat, your meal readily prepared for the chimera.

You smile up at her as she pokes at the food you prepared, and she begins to eat.

Day 3: The beast was very hungry upon encounter.  Even when she finished the meal, she insisted on having something more.  I complied, and soon I had emptied my entire share of rations.  The chimera eats food made for humans easily. This elicits curiosity – it might be proof enough that the chimera’s existence in this dungeon is unnatural.  Even now, it looks too… human.  I feel uncomfortable now referring to the beast as such – an ‘it’. Thus, I will refer to the chimera as ‘she’ from here on.  It suits her.  She truly is magnificent.   All signs point to her being an attempt at creating a ‘beast-kin’, but instead of using the soul of a monster and body of a human, it’s as if it’s a mesh of both.  A disgustingly beautiful transformation.  To compare, it is not dissimilar to the breeding of a pug.  Deliberately done to appease someone, something.  A selfish birth. Someone must be wanting to do the same as I to the chimera – tame her to their whims. …I’ll have to look further into this.

Three

You feel less in control of your studies these days.

The more you hang around the dungeon, scavenging for food and following your muse, the more insane you feel.  But, for the sake of research, you power through.

The chimera, she has been opening herself up to you.  When she gets anxious, her feathers ruffle, and you shush her with pets.  She calms down occasionally.  Once, you had encountered her, blood on her body and under her fingernails.  You cleaned her using the mana-infused water.  She had never looked so calm.

She doesn’t feel like a monster you have tamed, but a friend.

This scares you.

Sure, there’s the possibility that the chimera is an unnatural phenomenon, and isn’t even a monster.

But that also means you’re losing your resolve.

The chimera sits with you, as you scrub her red-scaled talons free of dirt and blood.  Her upper body leans on you, resting.  You can even hear little chirps slipping from her lips.

She’s so cute.

Even as her golden eyes soften, the small slits in them dilating to exhibit relaxation, she smiles at you.  You don’t flinch when her hands take your face to look at you.  She’s a bird after all – she might be trying to memorise you, how you look, so she knows not to hurt you in the future.

You were nearly about to reminisce on your further embarrassment when the chimera speaks.

Four words.  She spoke four words in the common language, leaving you staring at her.  You’re speechless.  She must know that she’s caught you off guard as she slowly tucks your hair behind your ear and moves away.

The moment is quickly ruined.  “Dragon!”  A boyish voice calls.  “There you are.  You’ve been leaving my side so frequently.  There’s no time to–”

An elf in a cloak freezes upon noticing you.  His heavy eye bags rival your own as he glares down at your sitting position.

You don’t do anything, merely looking up at your friend in confusion.  She is back to being silent again, reaching her arms out to the elf, as if about to pick him up.  He swats at her, before pointing at you.

“Kill them,” he demands her.

She hesitates.  You also find yourself unable to move.  So the chimera is under someone’s control after all.  This elf, forcing you apart from your friend.

You hardly process your friend lifting you off the floor, her fingers closing in around your throat.  Tighter and tighter.  Your eyes can barely make out her empty expression as she squeezes the life out of your lungs.

Snap.

You fall onto the floor, and the mad mage leaves with his dragon in tow.

Day ??: “My name is Falin.” The chimera told me this last time we encountered one another.  She has a name.  A beautiful name that belongs just to her.  Falin. …I would say ‘my Falin’, but she is not.  She is under the control of that elf.  I wouldn’t want her to be my Falin anyway. She shouldn’t belong to anyone. I was revived by a kindly Eastern woman, who is accompanying a group of retainers following their lord.  They are joined by another party, also recently revived. Apparently, in my revival, I had uttered her name, “Falin,” and captured the attention of the malnourished lord. He is looking for her. …I was informed she is his love. Pushing personal feelings aside, I asked to come along.  I neglected to mention Falin’s current state.  I couldn’t do that to him right now.  Maybe once he sleeps, or eats… but not now. Falin, I wish to save you.  That is my goal now. You are not a monster to be tamed.

Four

Today, you met Laios Touden.

He is Falin’s older brother, you learn.

You met a lot of people, actually.  You met Falin’s party, an elf who Falin went to school with, as well as Laios Touden.

“You’ve seen Falin?”  He asks you, brow creased.  He had leaned forward in interest.  Lord Toshiro, Kabru, and Asebi were also listening to you with intrigue.

You nod.  “Yes, but I fear the situation might be a little more than you have bargained for,” you vaguely inform.

Your words would be interrupted by Laios’ request to talk privately with Toshiro, to which you comply.  You do already have a feeling of what's being said, something Kabru seems to pick up on as he glances over at you.

“Falin… isn’t faring well, is she?”

“Not in the traditional sense,” you reply.  Kabru grimaces, clearly not appreciating your rather… erratic way of conversing.  You add before he could talk back, “she’ll come back for me.”

Kabru furrows his brow.  “Excuse me?”

His question remains unanswered until you are swept up in a heated battle.  Looks of horror cross everyone’s faces at the bloody acts committed by the chimera.

You merely smile.

“Hello beauty,” you whisper when she turns to you.  Falin steps forward, cornering you.  You welcome her with open arms – and the world becomes dark again.

Day ??: Scorned though I may be by Lord Toshiro, I know myself not to be mad, but in love. Yes, I am in love.  I know this now for certain. I know that he, too, is in love.  I do not see his wishes badly.  In fact, from a sane man’s mouth, it is perfectly understandable.  Dark magic is dangerous.  As is love.  He’s risking his own reputation for it, even if others don’t appear to see things the way he does. But when push comes to shove, I am not that sane man.  I am joining Laios Touden’s party in the retrieval of Falin. The aftermath of the battle consisted of a hearty meal.  Who knew monsters could taste so nice?  Keep this in mind for the next adventure. I had figured this all came from the result of black magic.  Marcille Donato is a much more interesting woman than I thought.  I’m sure I could learn a lot from her. Hence, we march forward.  I know you aren’t in your right mind, Falin, but trust that I am. I will risk it all for you, beauty.

Five

The ice is cold underneath your fingertips.  The woman encased inside is relaxed, as if she’s merely asleep.  To see her completely separated from the lower half of the chimera body was something uncanny to you, so used to seeing her towering over you, able to squash you like a bug.

You turn to Marcille as she approaches.  “You had the right mind, keeping her fresh like this.  Deep down, you really did want to follow through with the plan!”

The blonde elf is sheepish.  “I did end up causing a right mess in the end.  It… It was selfish of me.”

“It was love,” you reply.

“Not the love Falin needs, though,” she finishes.

You both stare up at her in silence.  If you were delusional enough, you could swear you could see Falin breathing.

“I love her,” you admit, quieter than you have ever been.  “Is that alright with you?”

Marcille turns to you, her eyes wide.  For such a gossip, she really hasn’t picked up on it?

“I…”  She hesitates.  Her hands reach her trousers, and she scrunches up the fabric in her hands.  “It’s not my choice what – or who – Falin chooses.  I don’t think I have the right to decide anything for her.”

You nod, graciously taking Marcille’s word to heart.

You feel you’ve also changed throughout your journey.  Volatile as you may be, you appreciate Falin as she is.  An untamed beauty.  Not for anyone to claim or put their ideals onto.

She’s simply Falin.

“Come on,” Marcille takes your hand.  She has the kind of look on her face where you know she accepts you readily.  “Let’s go eat, okay?  For Falin.”

You smile back.  “For Falin.”

I don’t care about the day anymore. Falin is being revived today.  Soon, I’ll have a chance to meet the real her.  The beauty behind the beast. Ha.  I haven’t called her that for a while. Maybe I’ll follow Toshiro’s way and propose immediately too?  No, Marcille may accept me, but that might result in another need for revival. I can’t wait to get to know you.

the first time

Falin opens the door with a dazed expression, not expecting the crowd waiting around the door.  Of course, this resulted in quite the hoo-ha.  People running around, celebrating the successful revival of Falin Touden.  You wait patiently for you to be welcomed once more.

The woman is sitting calmly at her bed.  Some of her features are still feathered, but you’ve always liked how they felt underneath your fingertips.

She glances up at you, examining your form.

You’re taller than she thought.

“Hi,” you say, handing over a random blade of grass you picked.

Falin takes it.  Her fingers brush against your own.  She starts twirling the natural green between her fingers.  She smiles warmly.  “Hello,” her soft, tired voice returns.  It’s so sweet that you might melt.  “My name is Falin.  It’s nice to meet you.”

You know from the way she glances up at you that she already remembers you quite well.

Feeling the happiest you’ve ever been, you fall into Falin, pulling her into the tightest of hugs.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you too, beauty.”

Today, she asked me if she could belong to me. I said yes, but only if she belonged to herself first. She accepted.