#… ah. allow me these small outbursts of venom

[thequietabsolute]

A poet is what he is in himself. Gertrude Stein used to distinguish between a person who is an 'entity' and one who has an 'identity.' A significant man is an entity. Identity is what they give you socially. Your little dog recognizes you and therefore you have an identity. An entity, by contrast, an impersonal power, can be a frightening thing. It's as T. S. Eliot said of William Blake. A man like Tennyson was merged into his environment or encrusted with parasitic opinion, but Blake was naked and saw man naked, and from the center of his own crystal. There was nothing of the 'superior person' about him, and this made him terrifying. That is an entity. An identity is easier on itself. An identity pours a drink, lights a cigarette, seeks its human pleasures, and shuns rigorous conditions. The temptation to lie down is very great.

— Saul Bellow, from Humboldt’s Gift

pg., 311

[lokiskitten]

Request for @brat-blog-2 !!

Loki Laufeyson | dark obsession

Loki Laufeyson x fem!reader

plot : after Loki takes over Asgard and becomes king, he is now finally able to tear you away from his brother’s grip, before deciding to make you pay for it.

warnings : cursing, degrading, physical abuse, mental abuse, biting, none/co, smut, unprotected sex, physical manipulation, lack of after care.

PLEASE, this imagine contains NONE/CO. Do not read it if it’s a subject that you’re uninterested/sensitive with. All irrelevant comments will be deleted. Now, to all the people that are willing to read, enjoy! :D

Groans exit your lips as you were forcefully dragged all the way up to Odin’s throne, which had now unfortunately become Loki’s- and that against everyone’s will. Most of the Asgardians had decided to submit to their new savior, however you decided not to take part in this petty move and remain faithful to the people you believe deserved it, such as Thor or Odin. Unfortunately, this attitude easily led you to get in trouble with the king and his surroundings, remaining unaware that Loki had been obsessing over you for a while now which allowed you to avoid great moments of anxiety. But now, you had just gotten caught, and escaping felt absolutely impossible.

The guards’ grip tightened around your fragile arms as they forced you on your knees before Loki’s sat silhouette, wishing to avoid accidentally letting you go which would’ve risked to annoy their king. The raven haired man’s green eyes looked down at you, smirk appearing onto his devilish lips as you progressively started to feel more and more uncomfortable about his intense stare. Thankfully, hatred managed to drag you out of this shame hole, giving you strength to stand up face to this man who claimed to be your king though he truly was nowhere near reaching this rank. “Ah, at last. You almost made me wait.” He spoke, raspy voice echoing through the large room. And as you continued to physically and mentally struggle, Loki carried on talking.

“You gave me a really hard time, in fact.” He explained, causing you to cringe as you truly did not look forward to discovering the double meaning hiding behind this creepy sentence. Getting up from where he had been sitting, the man accepted to remove his horns before taking a couple of steps down the luxurious throne which once belonged to his adoptive father. Watching him near you stroke another shockwave of hatred through your body, head looking up as you were no longer fighting the guards grip- or at least not physically. “Tell me... Why keep fighting it? All you have to do is give in. Forget about the past, and become my queen.” He purred, though you felt nowhere near softened by his devilish words.

“You are not king.” The words escaped your lips like the purest yet sneakiest venom. Hearing this sentence, Loki groaned and turned around in order to refrain from allowing his anger to take over his calm yet frustrated mindset. “I’m a better king than you’ve ever known.” Loki spoke lowly, hand forming a fist in anticipation of your next, surely offensive, answer. “You are nothing compared to your brother!” You dared to affirm, head dangerously moving closer to his silhouette through the words’ hatred. This sentence crossed a line which probably should’ve been kept intact, easily leading Loki to unleash his anger out on your left cheek. The back of his hand collided with your face as he turned around in a fast manner, your head and upper body propelled backwards due to the imminent shock you had just received.

A small wince escape your lips, Loki’s silhouette now hovering above yours as the guards took a step back in order to leave some space for their king to outburst. “I am ten times the king he will ever be, you little quim! And you’re just a fool for believing otherwise.” Progressively, his tone lowered, entire being calming down as his hand travelled to your bruised cheek. “I could show you a good time... and that only if you agree to give in.” The young man proposed, though the physical contact was soon broken by your strong attitude. Shaking your head in an attempt to make his hand back away from your face, a sigh escaping Loki’s lips as he seemingly agreed to take a step back and watch your pathetic self struggle helplessly.

“Alright. Have it your own way then.” He affirmed, green eyes drifting up to his guards, a move which was accompanied by a simple nod of his head. Instantly, your arms were trapped by their palms, body dragged away towards god knew where whilst Loki frustratedly made his way back to the throne. Screams exited your lips as you had completely gave up on any form of dignity, though it wasn’t as if Loki hadn’t proceeded to completely steal it from you barely a couple of seconds ago.

[...]

After spending the rest of your day locked away in the dungeons, body sitting down against the wall whilst trying to contain it’s need of food and water, an unexpected visit occurred. Before you could even tell, Loki turned out to be standing before your quivering frame, refraining from making physical contact with you as he simply waited for the moment where you would finally notice his presence. Barely looking up, you decided to offer him no form of attention as you knew that it was something that made his blood boil. “It would be foolish to ignore my presence.” Loki explained, kneeling before your folded self. Your face looked away, jaw clenching in an upset and painful manner.

Seeing how you seemingly weren’t willing to properly cooperate, the demigod rose from the floor and made his way towards your bed which had graciously been gifted by the dungeons services. He sat down, legs remaining spread as his bulge pressed against the elastic fabric of his suit. Finally agreeing to look up, a blush spread over your cheeks when you made eye contact with the man who was now your king. Gasping uncomfortably, your hands immediately decided to push down the fabric of your dress in order to hide the leftovers of flesh which weren’t covered by the thin piece of fabric. Even with the attitude your carried, your instincts forced you to go humble face to the threat of male gaze.

“If I may, I think you look alluring alluring.” Loki confessed, green eyes moving up from your body to your face. It didn’t take long for you to understand the man’s intention- like a doe being preyed by a dangerous cheetah in the mountains. Noticing that the door had been left unlocked since the king remained in your cell, you decided to attempt the impossible by getting up to your feet and rushing towards the exit. Unfortunately, and quite unexpectedly, Loki’s silhouette summoned before you could reach the see through wall, stopping you in your track. Thankfully, this vision was nothing but a clone yet which still successfully managed to make you back away in fear as your eyes stared straight into his smirking features.

Your feet bumped against the edge of the bed, making you fall back as the real Loki got up right in time to avoid your silhouette. The demigod joined his clone with a chuckle, both of them looking down at you in amusement as your troubled mind couldn’t manage to figure out who the real Loki was. The only object which turned out to be in your reach was a book, and your hand didn’t waste any time before taking a firm hold of it in order to throw it at your abuser. Unfortunately, you couldn’t seem to tell which one of them was real- and seeing how you had one chance out of two to miss, your brain took a decision rather quickly... but unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be efficient. The book passed straight through the projected figure of Loki, landing onto the floor shortly before the clone faded away from your sight.

A disappointed sigh escaped Loki’s lips as your eyes stared at his face in fear. “That was audacious. It’s a shame that your instincts decided to lead you towards the wrong path.” The king affirmed before taking ahold of your ankles, easily managing to get on top of your fragile self. You squirmed, head tilting back as you wrists were now trapped by his strong hold. “Can’t you see that I want you. I need you, my dear.” Loki confessed roughly, face buried against your neck as he kept on kissing and licking your warm flesh. You exhaled loudly, refraining from moaning as this unwanted gesture would’ve only encouraged the madman through his acts.

Soon enough, your mind and body both agreed that it was time for you to stop fighting it, arms helplessly laying beside your head as the demigod continued to do whatever he wished of your body. Thankfully, emptying the rest of the cells had been one of the first things that Loki did shortly after becoming king- which offered you both complete privacy. His hand roamed your clothed waist, the other one taking a rough hold of your breast he’s seemingly been wishing to touch for a long time now. You could feel his teeth biting at your jawline, probably creating bruises which you wouldn’t get to see until the moment you’d be free from his grip and facing your own reflection in the mirror.

Almost carefully, Loki sat you up before pulling your dress over your body, naked silhouette now exposed to his sight as you had never felt more vulnerable in your whole entire life. Soon enough, he decided that it was your turn to return the gesture, limbs falling back besides his own body as a smile appeared on his face. “Undress me.” Loki demanded calmly, green orbs looking at your scared self as he admired the way you still found the strength to fight the situation. Carefully, his hand traveled up to your chest, index and middle finger pressing against your sternum as his facial expressions were now stern. “Undress me.” Loki repeated, green mist swirling around his fingers and magically penetrating through your skin.

Nearly instantly, your brain was intoxicated with the painful grip which was Loki’s magic. Forced to obey, your hands moved up to his shoulders as you started to remove his first layers of clothing. Surprisingly enough, and as difficult to figure out as his suit could be, you managed to remove the layers of clothes as if you’ve been doing this for your entire life. Though, even if you obeyed his orders and successfully managed to undress the demigod, your soul remained empty from any forms of emotions- which was soon to become a dislike for the unamused god of mischief.

The man now sat shirtless face to your naked self, magic exiting your body as he forcefully laid you back down against the rough sheets. It felt as if you had just awoken from a dream, eyes blinking curiously as you barely managed to understand what was going on around yourself nor properly get back into reality. All you could feel were Loki’s hand on you as his clothed crotch pressed against your bare one, happy grunts and hungry moans escaping his lips as he let his lust out on the skin of your neck. His boner was undeniable, and your scent penetrating through his nostrils only managed to make it swell even harder as it prepared for the upcoming penetration.

On another hand, you turned out to have a hard time getting any wet, as the thought of having to submit to his demands made you feel sick in your stomach. However, nature was soon to take over as the feeling of his crotch against yours uncontrollably caused your genitals to throb and moisten- preparing for intercourse just like Loki’s. His head moved down to your chest, lips easily wrapping around your nipple which he religiously suckled on. Your eyelids shut close in order to avoid paying too much attention to the multiple sensations going through your body at the moment, though it was becoming harder and harder seeing how Loki truly didn’t help.

Climbing back to your face, both of your crotches aligned again as his hand moved down in order to lazily pull his own pants down, and that just enough for his member to be set free. A wince escaped his lips due to the friction the movement managed to create for his cock to enjoy, warm tip colliding with your clit as Loki took a couple of seconds to blindly align his length with your slightly moist entrance. His lips pressed against yours as his warm member slid inside of your core, a loud yet deep and creepy moan escaping his lips as his bare stomach collided with your skin.

Never once you believed ending up having to submit to such an act in your life, and yet here you were : laying down in the arms of a man you were meant to despise. However, the intercourse technically remained none consensual. As soon as he had reached balls deep, the demigod took a couple of seconds to catch his breath as this first sexual contact was visibly sending him head over heels. At least, one of you was having fun. You adjusted the position of your legs against the bed, leading Loki to do same as you could feel his stomach bulge every time he breathed in. “Fuck, my darling... you know how to make your king happy.” The man praised with a grin before starting to thrust in and out of your entrance.

A gentle hiss exited your closed mouth as Loki allowed multiple winces to escape his parted lips, his head tilting back in pleasure whilst your breasts bounced generously every time his balls collided with your ass. Once in a while, you noticed that the god of mischief would stop and enjoy some cosy time inside of your warm and soaked self as he caught his breath, hand always pressed against your cheek as he either kissed you or stared right into your eyes. Then, he would begin to thrust again and allow more frustrated groans to escape his lips as his body took care of slowly building up it’s owner’s climax.

His mouvements were soon to become sloppier, betraying the undeniable fact that your partner was soon going to release his semen against your cervix. Of course, from where you patiently laid, you couldn’t help but apprehend this moment as your worst fear was for him to cum inside of you and cause a pregnancy you did not want to occur. Finally, a moan escaped the man’s lips as he paused inside of you, the lower part of his shaft moving in waves as his scrotum throbbed and twitched. Your greatest fear had just come to reality as you could sense the thick and warm liquid stain your walls, grin appearing on Loki’s seemingly satisfied face.

“Oh my lord.. that felt so nice. I’m afraid I couldn’t thank you enough.” He confessed whilst looking down at you, shortly after managing to wash away his orgasm. Pulling out of you and causing a sudden emptiness to take over your stretched pussy, a couple of more droplets of white semen leaked out of his tip which he made sure to wipe off against your sensitive clit. Your jaw clenched as you tried your best to remain calm though your heart was rushing due to your ovaries receiving the needed ingredient to produce a living being. “I can’t wait for you to give birth to my heir.” He affirmed, sat down on the edge of the bed as he lazily pulled his pants back up.

This sentence was enough to pull you out of your daytime nightmares only to dip you into a worse one, eyes filled with fear and hatred staring up at him in a determined manner. A dark chuckle escaped Loki’s lips as he seemed to appreciate your reaction, feeling amused by behaving as if he didn’t know that was something you wouldn’t enjoy. Mental torture was in fact his favorite. “But don’t you worry my darling, I will make sure to find time through my many duties in order to visit you often.” The demigod added, confirming the fact that you probably wouldn’t get to leave this cell until your pregnancy was led to term.

Sorry for being so inactive! Here’s an imagine I hope y’all can enjoy. Unfortunately, I think I’ve been shadowbanned. ( @delightfulheartdream )

[mrs-han]

This was the first morning neither of you exchanged any words to one another.

It annoyed you, how composed Jumin looked so calm - so unaffected - as he flipped through the morning newspaper. His expression was flat, frigidly so… and he still hadn’t made eye contact with you.

So different from the last few years.

You cleared your throat and loudly tapped your spoon against your mug. You knew it annoyed him. That’s why you did it. You plopped the spoon into your coffee and noisily stirred, the constant clanging against the ceramic making Jumin’s brow furrow ever so slightly.

He sighed. “Would you please.”

“Oh look. He can talk after all,” you barked. “Good morning to you too.”

“Don’t start,” Jumin muttered, turning his eyes to the next page of the newspaper.

You crossed your arms. “I’m not starting anything. I’m trying to finish the argument we had last night.”

Jumin lifted his mug to his lips. “There is nothing to finish.”

“Sure, so long as you have the last word, there’s nothing to finish.”

Jumin stopped himself from taking a sip. His eyes, void of the cheerfulness you were accustomed to, stared resolutely at you. “Go on, then. What do you have to say.”

You shook your head as disbelief overcame you. The argument had really started over you playing an otome game. A genre that allowed you to romance as many characters as you could.

Sure, you could understand Jumin’s reasons for being upset. You were married to him, and as he was your husband, there was no reason for you to yearn after other avenues of affection.

Still, it was a stress reliever for you. You had been into the genre of gaming long before you met Jumin, and you truly believed he understood where you were coming from when you told him about it.

Obviously not.

He caught you playing a new game the night before. As your fascination grew, his enthusiasm lessened. He offered caveman-like grunts when you introduced a new mechanic for him to observe, and eventually, he asked you…

“Do I no longer fulfill you?”

You refused vehemently. You listed all the ways he filled you up, heart and soul. You pulled from your archive of memories in a desperate attempt to have him understand where your heart stood.

But he only stared at you and didn’t offer but one word of comfort or trust in you.

Not only did it anger you, it created a storm inside of you - one where you felt cast adrift and desperately needed to claw your way back to the surface.

“Are you being serious right now? Are you really questioning our relationship over a game? How insecure are you, Jumin?”

He sneered at your phone. “Clearly, I’m not the insecure party here.”

You stopped yourself. You had to, else toxic, irreversible words would vomit from your mouth. You learned that from your husband, at least; to stop yourself from escalating anything while the other team buried themselves deeper into the ground through their emotional outbursts.

But it left things between you unresolved. While Jumin slept beside you, his warmth was withheld from you as he slept with his back turned.

Like a spoilt child.

You were no better. You could no longer stand the passive-aggressive nature Jumin oozed that you left the bed, a small string of curses under your breath as you moved to the guest bedroom.

You didn’t fight often. But when fights happened, they were cold. Unforgiving. Bitter to the last breath.

You snapped back to the present. “All I have to say about this is, you need to control your jealousy and let me do what I want.”

“Ah. I see. I need to make improvements,” Jumin nodded, his finger tapping agitatedly against the table. “Not you, dear wife. No, you may continue filling your heart with these fictitious men while your husband fights for your attention.”

Venom dropped from his words. You could feel them. “There you go, putting words in my mouth.”

“Did I?” Jumin raised a sharp brow. “You said so yourself.”

“Then allow me to slow it down for you,” you spat. “You do not control me. You do not control what I do, what I like, or what I think. Am I making sense?”

Jumin’s expression hardened. You had never seen him make such a face towards you.

You faltered.

“How pathetic of you to think that this is about me trying to possess you. I thought you were a deeper thinker.”

“Then what is this about,” you fired. “What. Hm? What is it. Do you want me to express my love to you every waking moment of every day? Do you want me to shun all methods of my personal enjoyment so you can be comfortable? What? What do you want!”

“This is going nowhere.” Jumin stood from the table. “When you calm down, we’ll resume this conversation.”

“Eat shit, Jumin.”

He froze and slowly turned to look at you… his gaze completely unrecognizable.

“I’m not the one who needs to calm down. I’m not the irrational one here. Don’t pretend you’re the one who makes sense!”

“I’m leaving,” Jumin boomed, roughly shrugging his jacket over his shoulders.

“Cool. Hopefully you meet someone who will bend the way you want them to.”

“MC.”

You wouldn’t take any more. You shoved your chair under the table and retreated to the guest bedroom… while Jumin bit at his quivering lip and left the penthouse before a tear could escape his eyes.

[sleepy-sunlight]

"Don't you dare" for Cullen x Inquisitor

Of course! I thought I’d be plenty of fun to write something with this prompt and had so many different possibilities! I just hope you enjoy what I’ve come up with and have a fantastic day dear

“Don’t you Dare”

———————————————————————————————————–

Cullen was not sick.  

The Commander of the Inquisition’s armies, did not get sick.

It was simply an impossibility.  

His schedule, already threatening to burst with its constant business, couldn’t handle the irreparable damage that an illness would inevitably cause.  

So, Cullen elected to just, not be sick.  

Sure, his head throbbed like someone were banging a mace against it, his bones rattled as if they may break at the slightest pressure, and his throat left his voice drier than sandpaper, but he most assuredly wasn’t sick.  

The conclusion he’d come to however, wasn’t nearly as well accepted by others.

Josephine for one, had turned out to be quite the nag.  

“You look like you’d collapse at the smallest breeze.” She had once said as he staggered into her office, only able to give her a small dip of his head before he glanced back to his papers.  

She pursed her lips and rose  from her seat, settling her hands on her hips. “You know Commander, you’re much more charming when you answer those speaking to you.”  

“You wouldn’t understand me if I tried.” He rasped.  

“What was that?”  

He almost laughed.  

He scribbled it down onto one of the few documents he hadn’t drowned in his reports, the fellow advisor having to stifle a snort.

“Feeling a little under the weather, are we?” She scoffed. “I hope you have a plan on just how you’re going to hide that from your darling Inquisitor. They can be quite the worrier, if you hadn’t noticed.”  

Her cheeks puffed out with amusement as she spoke. “And seeing how often you stare at them… it’d be hard to believe there’s something you haven’t noticed.”  

Did he perhaps make a rude gesture involving his middle finger? Yes. Did he regret it? No.

With most others he’d be a polite statue with a brooding expression but Leliana and Josephine somehow managed to bring out the snarkiest parts of him he didn’t even know was there. It was like having his sisters pester him all over again – if one was a deadly assassin and the other an Antivan diplomat.  

“Don’t get upset with me for pointing out the obvious,” She mused. “You may as well go and try to get a head-start on resting. Nothing heals the body like sleep.” 

Can’t sleep. I need to keep working. He scribbled onto his parchment.  

“Well, maybe this is your body telling you to take a break,” She frowned. “If you even know what that word means.”  

Wars don’t stop to take breathers. Neither will I.  

She rolled her eyes and approached him so that she could set a comforting, firm hand on his shoulder.  

“If wars are the only thing that inspire you these days, no wonder you’re so close to crumbling.”  

She glanced up to him and her gaze held a rare sincerity, nothing like the façade he’d seen her hold far too many times with fellow representatives of state.  

“Please reconsider, for your own good.”  

The words had lingered with him since, and even then, standing in the war room the next day, while his pride had won out, guilt still managed to tug at his chest.  

She hadn’t treated him any differently but a sort of knowing enveloped her all too clearly.  

And with your arrival, she struck him a single glance and the tiniest hint of a smug, awaiting smirk.  

She really was one of his sisters in all but blood, wasn’t she?

You came to the table with a highly held head and the familiar, gentle smile he’d come to know and not-so-secretly adore. You gave a bright wave with the free hand that wasn’t grappling a thick stack of documents, and your gaze almost instinctively traveled to him before your already rosy cheeks became that much darker.  

“Good afternoon everyone. I trust everything has been going well?” You asked, shifting your attention to your other dear advisors, rocking on the soles of your feet in anticipation.  

“Of course. My recent excursion with an Orlesian noble in fact has earned us a significant donation. I think it will be well spent towards reinforcing our inventories.”  

Leliana simpered and leaned forward against the table, once so curt and stiff now proud smiling like she held a secret she simply couldn’t wait to spill. “While Josie was off gallivanting in Orlais, I found the location of several secret hideouts near Denerim, Redcliffe, and Ostagar. My forces remain near, waiting for your command.”  

“Oh?” Josie wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t realize we were competing Lily.”  

“You knew,” She snickered. “You just didn’t realize you were losing.”  

“Lily!”  

“I’m teasing…!” Leliana laughed. “But if we were competing, I’d be winning.”  

Before Josephine could snap another witty comment, you cut through with an amused lightness in your voice that only poured further through with your laughter. “Alright now, let’s give it a rest. We haven’t even given Commander Rutherford a chance to speak. Maybe he’ll throw you both out of the water!”  

Oh no. He thought.  

You beamed at him and he swore even the brightest rays of sunlight were dull in comparison to your warmth, his breath hitching and stomach fluttering with those awful butterflies he’d never confess of.  

“So… Cullen, what have you got to report?”  

He knew there wasn’t much of a chance this would end well, so he braced himself and took a deep breath, clearing his throat.  

“Well as of late…”

His voice sounded like gravel, coarse and dry like it were painful to utter a sound, and his throat already crackled and ushered forward another cough that he couldn’t quite swallow down.  

Your eyes had widened like saucers the very second he spoke, and your brows had knotted with concern by the time he’d finished.

“Cullen…” You were ripe with concern, Cullen biting the inside of his cheek with that tinge of guilt growing to a wave crashing against him. “Do you feel alright?”  

“I ah – I admit I feel a bit under the weather but it’s nothing I can’t manage.” He tried to soothe your worries with a crooked grin but your focus remained plastered to his dark circles and ragged breaths.  

Why did you have to care so much?  

Why did you have to care so much about him?  

He didn’t deserve it anyways; he knew that much.  

But his heart still swelled regardless.  

“Are… are you sure about that?”  

He couldn’t lie to you, but he certainly wished he could then.  

“I – I won’t let it get in the way of my duties. It’s nothing to fret over.”  

You folded your lips into a frown. “This isn’t a matter of whether you can still work. This is a matter of your well-being.”  

Josephine sighed. “I tried to tell him, Inquisitor, but I’m afraid you’ve simply hired a very stubborn man. He’s quite dedicated.”  

Dedicated.  

To his work, or to you? The distinction had become blurred.  

You rubbed at your temples and dropped your shoulders in exasperation. “The soldiers rest, Josephine and Leliana rest – even I have to rest! Our bodies need it. That’s how we prepare ourselves for the trials of tomorrow.”  

You visited him often throughout the day, filling his once quiet and lonely days with laughter and rambling stories of your childhoods and beyond.  

But every time you visited; you’d noticed one thing.  

“You aren’t resting.” You wrinkled your nose. “You’re hardly doing anything other than working!”  

“Working is what will allow the Inquisition to progress.”  

“We certainly won’t be progressing if the Commander of our armies dies from exhaustion – or this new sickness of yours!”  

Cullen wasn’t one to raise his voice. Neither was he one to let his frustration get the best of him.

But he did then.

His papers dropped as he slammed his gnarled, heavy hands onto the war table with a force that left its legs threatening to break beneath him.  

“I am not sick!”  

His words echoed and bounced off the walls like they were in a cave, hollow and imposing with a weight tethered to all of their shoulders. His shoulders dropped and a heavy sigh slipped from his lips, lifting up his head to meet yours.  

Josephine was set aback by his outburst, stumbling a bit away from the war table with a dropped jaw, trying to figure just what to say when venom still stung at the air.  

Leliana, had averted her attention away but her tightly wound fists and twisted expression revealed just how desperately she suddenly wanted to leave the room. She already had enough stress, this wasn’t worth the fight – especially not with the few people she considered her friends.  

However, you, on the other hand, locked a steely gaze onto him.  

You’d never looked so stern. After all, since you’d both met he’d come to memorize your smiles and rosy beam that could leave flowers blooming in your wake. Your anger had never been aimed towards him.  

And now knowing your scowl, he’d give anything to take it away.  

“Cullen-”  

“I’m sorry I… I ah – I lost myself.”  

“Let me finish.” You snapped, beginning again.  

“Cullen, whether you like it or not, your body has limits and if you’re not willing to acknowledge that, then I certainly am.”  

Oh no.

If what he thought was coming, was in fact coming, it better not be.  

“There’s no need-”  

You rounded about the table, undeterred.  

“As your leader and Inquisitor, I’m faced with no other option…”  

He furrowed his brow and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his mind whirling and banging all at the same time in a horrid mangle of a storm.  

“This really isn’t necessary I don’t-”  

You stopped him as you met him on the opposite end of the war table, reaching out to settle a gentle palm on his arm, so much smaller and softer than his own. It distracted him, if only for a second until he caught the inklings of a smile touching your lips.  

“Don’t you dare.”  

“Too late.”  

You didn’t even try to hide your toothy grin – there wasn’t any point.  

“I’m putting you on sick leave.” The second you uttered the command, Josephine scribbled it down for the records. It was official, there was no use fighting.  

“You’re relieved of your duties until I deem you to be of good health.” You winked, and as much as he hated it, Cullen’s cheeks turned red. “Enjoy the break.”  

He hated it.  

He despised it.  

There was so much that could be done! How was he expected to simply sit back and ignore it all? And for what? So Mother Giselle could force some herbal remedy down his throat?  

At least, that’s what he’d been expecting.  

Mother Giselle did visit, and she did send medicines of all sorts his way, but he’d found something he’d almost considered foreign in how long it’d been missing from him.  

Quiet.  

Peace and quiet.  

No bustling soldiers barreling into his office with questions or deadlines littering his conscious in the latest hours of the night, but instead a simple breeze or  the faint creaking of the old weary floorboards were the things that greeted him in the morning – that and of course, you.

Your company was perhaps the only one he didn’t mind.  

He’d even worried you wouldn’t visit. Of all things to fret over.

The next day when the morning was still stained with nightly purples and blues you’d knocked warily upon the door to his office.

He’d expected a random soldier who hadn’t quite received the news, so finding you on the other end of that door did nothing short of send his heart leaping.  

“Inquisitor I-” He tried to croak out a curt welcome before you eased him back with a wave of your hand, moving inside.  

“There’s no need for official titles here Cullen. We’re friends.” You chuckled, folding your arms across your chest. “Have you settled in nicely?”  

Friends.  

It’d be an awfully long time since he’d had something like that.  

“Yes I – I’ve accepted it as well as I could.” He wrapped a sheepish hand around the back of his neck. “I’m… sorry for my behavior. I should’ve handled myself far better – it was rude, and none of you were deserving of that.”  

“Oh, it’s fine! You were sick, stressed, and frustrated. Anyone would’ve yelled at least a little in your situation. I understand.” You snickered.  

It was good to hear you laugh; it was a sound he’d never forget for as long as he lived.  

“But…”  

He was snatched from his thoughts in an instant.  

“If you ever try to pull a stunt like that again where you nearly work yourself to death; I might just lose my mind.” Your playful words betrayed the pensive glint in your expression. “I truly care about you Cullen. I don’t want to see you hurt yourself like that. You wouldn’t want me to push myself like that, would you?”  

He didn’t even hesitate.  

“Well, of course not-”  

Whatever puzzle pieces he hadn’t quite connected in his mind, snapped into place then.

“Ah… I see.”  

You chuckled, leaning against his desk with crossed legs. “You’re an amazing person, I’ll believe in that ‘till the day I die – but you’re still a person. And people need to take time for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that.”  

His brain almost shut down after you called him an amazing person, but he hung in there, just barely. He just prayed you couldn’t see the red now creeping up his ears or hear his heart thumping like a drum against his chest.  

“Time for myself… r-right.” He cleared his throat nervously. “I’ll keep that in mind.”  

You stood up and reluctantly carried yourself to the door, not quite wanting to wrap your fingers around the knob just yet. “Good, I’m glad to hear it.”  

Cullen didn’t want to hear the click of the handle. He didn’t want you to leave.

“But uh – if it’s time to myself, I can spend it however I’d like, correct?”  

“Yes?”  

You peered back with raised brows only to meet him staring back at you, smitten smiles spreading from ear to ear upon both of your faces.  

“Then, would it be terrible to ask you to stay?”  

You never darted away from a door so quickly, but you tried to hide your excitement. You did a poor job of concealing it, but you tried.  

“Not at all.” You remarked in a cheerfully bright tone. “Just don’t get me sick?”  

“No promises.”  

“Darn.”  

But you didn’t move, you stayed right beside him, and you enjoyed that rare time of peace and quiet, together, with hands sneakily grazing close and your fingers somehow finding a way to entwine their pinkies together.  

And if this is what all breaks entailed, Cullen supposed he wouldn’t mind another.  

[thedreamsmith]

How (Not) To Seduce a Blueshirt  (Chapter 1)

@atc74​ @arrowsandmixtapes​ @alleiradayne​ @captain-s-rogers​ for #OC appreciation day 2020

Warnings: Swearing

Pairing: Jim Kirk x OFC 

Summary:  In which Jim Kirk tries to catch the attention of the new science officer on the Enterprise. Scotty and Jaylah give the worst relationship advice. This is why Bones drinks.

‘We are now in orbit around Argratha, Keptin.’ Chekov called, his hands flying over the navigation console. ‘Have you chosen the away team for tomorrow’s first contact mission? …Keptin?’

James T Kirk had not heard a word that his navigation officer had said, for he had been too busy gazing at the new veterinary science officer as she leant over a console, deep in conversation with one of the other blue shirts.

That was, until a pointed cough from Mr Sulu dragged his attention back to matters at hand.

‘Did you hear me, Keptin?’ The bridge’s youngest officer made a valiant effort to keep his features neutral.

‘I believe the Captain was studying the…moon.’ Uhura’s voice was impassive but he just knew that she was smirking as she monitored the incoming transmissions from Argratha.

Something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle came from the direction of the navigation console, but he decided to ignore it. Jim consoled himself that at least it wasn’t Jaylah. Scotty’s third-in-command would’ve skipped the double entendre altogether and announced – loudly – to the entire bridge that the captain had been paying more attention to the doctor’s ass than their impending diplomatic mission.

Clearing his throat, he attempted to regain some semblance of dignity and pretend that his ears were not currently bright red. He failed miserably at both.

‘Ah…yes, what’s Argratha’s moon called again?’

Sulu opened his mouth to reply but Spock’s voice that rang out across the bridge.

‘Doctor Lyall?’

The bridge crew didn’t bother to hide their laughter this time and Jim sank further into the Captain’s chair – maybe he’d throw himself out the airlock once Alpha shift ended.

***

Reyne had just finished the weekly checks on the avian species in the menagerie when her comm beeped. Murray glanced up from his PADD at the sound but otherwise made no comment as he returned to his reports.

‘Doctor Lyall here.’

‘Doctor, you are needed on ze bridge at once.’ The young navigator’s voice was higher than she’d ever heard it, and in the background of the call there were the faints sound of people yelling and furniture being knocked about.

‘What’s going on, Mr Chekov?’ It was rare enough that she was called to the bridge, and even on those occasions it was always to do with some science mission that she needed to discuss with Commander Spock.

‘There is a blue rat on ze bridge!’ The Ensign’s voice broke on the last syllable and Reyne winced as she held the comm away from her ear.

‘Alright, alright. I’ll be there in five minutes, just stay calm Mr Chekov – I’m sure it’s more scared of you than you are of it. Lyall out.’ With a shake of her head, Reyne ended the comm and turned to face Murray, who had been listening to the whole, bizarre exchange.

‘A blue rat?’ His eyebrows had disappeared under the fall of his fringe. ‘What was the last planet we visited? Draco 6? Do you think it’s a-‘

‘More than bloody likely.’ She swept a lock of dark hair behind her ear as she grabbed a med kit and trap disk from the bench beside the door. ‘I’m going to kill whoever let it onto this ship.’

***

Reyne spotted the creature as soon as she emerged from the turbolift. She bit back a sigh of annoyance – Murray had been correct in his prediction.

‘Why the fuck is there a Lethian rat on the bridge? Please tell me there’s only one.’

At first, no one seemed inclined to answer either question, but finally Chekov piped up from his place behind the navigation console.

‘Aye, Doctor.’

‘Thank god.’

With a nod to the young Ensign, Reyne cast around for the piercing blue eyes and shit-eating grin that seemed to be at the epicentre of every disaster aboard this god-forsaken starship. A flash of command gold caught her eye as she spotted the captain crouched a few metres away from the small, blue rodent; eyes focused on his prey.

Eyes widening, she started forward but before she could issue a warning, Jim Kirk lunged, hands closing around the rat with a shout of victory.

His cheer quickly became a strangled yelp.

‘Bugger bit me!’

The Lethian rat took the opening and scurried away, causing several of the younger ensigns to jump onto their chairs as it scampered to the far side of the bridge.

In the ensuing chaos, Reyne turned just in time to see Jim raise his hand to his mouth.

‘Don’t!’ The sharpness of her outburst effectively grabbed his attention. ‘Lethian rats are venomous, and it’s worse when ingested. Wait a minute and I’ll bandage it up.’

Quickly, she pulled the trap disk from her bag and flicked the switch to prime it. The little metal circle would emit pheromones to attract the creature and humanely immobilise it once it got close enough. With a flick of her wrist, Reyne tossed the disk onto the floor in the general direction of the rodent and turned to face the captain.

Despite his injury, Jim Kirk gave her a winning smile as she stalked towards him, already pulling a bandage from her kit.

‘How did that thing come to be on the bridge, Captain?’

With skilled hands, Reyne disinfected the laceration and bound his palm with a biostrip.

‘Must’ve climbed up my shirt while I was on the away mission to Draco 6.’ The captain shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Scurried out of my sleeve.’

Reyne opened her mouth to point out the holes in his story but decided against it. She’d heard enough from Dr McCoy to know that Jim could be as stubborn as an ass when he wanted to be – which was almost all the time. Especially when it came to his physical exams.

‘You’re lucky there was only one; those things make tribbles look abstinent. Could’ve ended up with a ship-wide infestation of venomous blue rodents.’ With a shake of her head, she tied off the bandage. ‘You’ll need to go to the medbay – if it’s not treated within a couple of hours, the venom causes mild amnesia that gets worse the longer it’s left in your system. Until I catch this thing, just do what you usually do – sit in your chair and look pretty.’

It was the wrong thing to say because his eyes immediately lit up and he batted his eyelashes at her.

‘You think I’m pretty, doctor?’

The sharp beeping of the trap disk and a barrage of high pitched squealing saved her from having to reply as the rat fought against the snare.

Carefully, so she didn’t get bitten as well, Reyne picked up the snare and raised the wriggling rodent to eye level.

‘Couldn’t resist, could you? Horny wee bugger.’ The creature snapped it teeth at her. ‘Male, good. That means you won’t be popping out babies left, right and centre.’

With the press of another button, the disk injected the rodent with a small amount of sedative, and within a few seconds it had ceased its wriggling, but still eyed her with barely concealed rage. ‘Lethian rats get their name from an ancient Earthen mythology. Right, c’mon.’ She tipped her head towards the turbolift. ‘I’ll drop this wee guy off at the menagerie on the way to the medbay – I’ll need to give Dr McCoy the specifics of the venom.’

***

Five minutes later, Reyne strode into the menagerie with Jim in tow.

‘You were right, Murray!’ She gave her colleague a wide grin, depositing the sedated rat onto the exam table. ‘Look, I’ve brought you a friend.’

‘How wonderful.’ Murray adjusted his glasses and peered at the sluggish rodent. ‘And what would you like me to do with it?’

‘De-venom and examine it, I’ve got to take the captain to the medbay – he got bitten.’

‘Fine, but you owe me some of the cookies I know you have squirreled away in your office. The replicators can never seem to get them right.’ He accepted the storage box that she passed to him before glancing over her shoulder. ‘Um, Ree… You might want to book it over to medical, the captain isn’t looking too hot.’

Reyne whirled around, and it was immediately obvious was Murray was talking about; Captain Kirk had turned a sickly grey colour, and a faint sheen of sweat had broken out across his forehead. ‘Shit.’ She levered herself under his arm, guiding him away from where he had been leaning against the doorframe. ‘You must’ve had an allergic reaction to the venom. Shit.’

With a hurried farewell to Murray, she half-carried the captain out of the menagerie and towards the medbay.

***

Jim’s legs gave out just as they reached medical, and Reyne buckled under his weight as they stumbled through the medbay’s doors. ‘Dr McCoy!’

The older doctor came hurrying out of his office at the sound of her voice, and his ever-present scowl only deepened when he noticed the half-conscious captain slung over her shoulders. ‘What the devil happened to him this time? Put him down on the biobed there.’ He directed her to the nearest cubicle, and Reyne gasped in relief when Jim’s weight finally slid from her shoulders.

‘A Lethian rat got loose on the bridge, and our heroic captain decided to try and catch it with his bare hands – got bitten for his trouble.’

‘Unbelievable.’

‘It’s a slow acting neurotoxin, and I think he’s going into anaphylactic shock.’ Reyne stepped back to allow Leonard to examine Jim.

‘How long ago was he bitten?’ Leonard jabbed a hypo into the side of Jim’s neck. ‘That should stop the allergic reaction.’

‘About twenty minutes ago.’

‘Right.’ He turned to root through a drawer of vials, finally selecting one and adding it to a hypo already half-full of viscous yellow fluid. ‘This should do it.’

Jim shot the doctor a poisonous look but otherwise didn’t protest the second hypo. His colour was rapidly returning to normal and his breathing wasn’t as shallow.

‘I disinfected and bandaged the bite on the bridge, so that shouldn’t be an issue.’

‘Thanks darlin’.’ His features softened for a moment – as close to a smile as Leonard ever came, before he turned the full force of his glare onto the recovering captain. ‘Now why have you always gotta go throwing yourself into trouble without thinkin’?’

Reyne glanced over the PADD that Leonard had left on the side. Confident that the good doctor had things under control, she left the medbay with the sound of the captain getting a well-deserved dressing down from his CMO fading behind her.

[ximaginedreamsx]

Unbound

Chapter 3: Awkward First Impressions

Encompassing silence and the warmth of his body.

These were the first things Grimmjow noticed as his eyes slowly started to slide open. It confused him momentarily; when he had lost consciousness, he had been surrounded by the loud, persistent noise of an ice cold rain that had chilled him to his very bones.

Where was that noise now? Where was he now?

He allowed his eyes to open a little more. A ceiling light hung directly over him, paining his cerulean eyes but illuminating the space enough for him to properly view his surroundings. The room he was in was off-white in color, and the floors were smooth and wooden. He was lying on a bed, covered up to his chin in blankets, and his Pantera rested in a corner on the far left side of the room, next to what appeared to be a closet. He sighed inwardly, a small feeling of relief settling over him.

I'm not back in Hueco Mundo. Heh, those bastards didn't try to come after me...at least not yet...

With a heavy sigh, he allowed his eyes to close once more, the silence of the room permitting him to ponder the mystery of his new location.

"Oh...you're awake."

Grimmjow's eyes snapped open again, and he immediately sat up, momentarily forgetting about his injuries as he searched for the owner of the voice. A second or two later, someone appeared at his left side - a girl, more specifically. He squinted slightly, trying to see through the haze still lingering in his vision.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to startle you." the girl spoke in a timid voice. "But...you should lie back down. If you move around too soon, your wounds might reopen."

Grimmjow stared at the girl, momentarily ignoring her suggestion. "Who the hell are you?" he asked groggily.

"My name is Takuya Hokkaido." the girl answered.

Grimmjow stared a second or so longer before giving in to his protesting body and lying back down. Takuya pulled the blankets back over him as he did so, during which time he got a better look at her. Her skin was smooth and tan, and her eyes were the most vividly clear gray he'd ever seen. Long ebony locks framed her oval-shaped face and cascaded over her shoulders, reaching midway down her back, and her hands were small and slender, working steadily to adjust the blankets just right. She sat back when she finished and looked back at him, a small smile settling on her lips. He held her gaze for about five seconds, and then averted his own gaze to the ceiling.

"Where am I?" he asked after a slight pause.

Takuya opened her mouth to answer, but stopped at the sound of the room door sliding open; Urahara peeked in, his fan in front of his face.

"Ah, excellent, our guest has awakened." he said, stepping just inside the door; he then looked over at Takuya. "Is everything alright?'

"Yes sir." Takuya answered with a nod.

"Very good." Urahara said. He then stepped back out into the hallway. "I'll be back in just a sec."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ichigo looked up when Urahara appeared in the hallway entrance.

"Our guest has awakened." Urahara said, motioning for the group to follow him down the hallway.

"I don't agree with this." Rukia remarked as everyone rose to follow Urahara back to the spare room once again. "We shouldn't be wasting our time interrogating that creature."

"Well then maybe you should wait outside in the hallway while we handle this." Ichigo said dryly, earning a cold glare from Rukia.

The group filed silently into the room, eyes trained on the now conscious Espada, whose own attention was blearily fixed upon the bandages Hanataro was currently redressing his wounds with. Once everyone was seated, Urahara spoke up.

"You have quite the recovery time there. Are you feeling any pain at all?"

A slight grunt was the only audible response, as much of the Espada's attention was still focused on the redressing of his wounds.

"May I ask what your name is?"

It was at that moment that the Espada turned his gaze toward Urahara, his cerulean eyes seemingly evaluating the inquisitive man, along with everyone else who had entered the room with him. After a minute or so, he finally answered.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." His voice was now devoid of its earlier grogginess.

"Mr. Jaegerjaquez, my name is Kisuke Urahara, and as for your earlier question, you are in my shop." Urahara said. "Takuya here found you at the edge of my lot about four, almost five hours ago."

Grimmjow looked back at Takuya. The girl's smile broadened just a little when she met his gaze.

"So what happened to you?" Ichigo's voice drew everyone's attention, including Grimmjow's. "How'd you get all beat up like that?"

Grimmjow's expression darkened slightly. "Tch...since when did Shinigami become concerned with the wellbeing of hollows?" he scoffed.

"Since one just so happened to show up in the world of the living...in my town...already beat up when no one here had even come in contact with him until now." Ichigo shot back.

An audible growl rumbled in the Espada's chest. He'd prepared to insult the orange-haired boy, but stopped short of the sharp words spilling out of his mouth. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the boy, his feral glare turning into a more pensive one.

"Who the hell are you, boy?"

A look of confusion flashed over Ichigo's features; after a second or two, he responded. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Grimmjow fell silent at that moment, and his facial features became devoid of any readable expression, effectively disguising the war of emotions raging behind the glint in his cerulean eyes. He turned his glare away from Ichigo and stared straight ahead, a fistful of blankets in each hand.

"Shit..." he muttered, his brow furrowing as frustration began to seep into his expression.

"What's that?" Ichigo said, leaning forward in his sitting position.

Grimmjow looked over at Ichigo once again. "You're that Shinigami bastard that fought against Yammy and Ulquiorra, right?"

Ichigo tensed at the question. "That's right. What of it?"

"My original intention for coming to the world of the living was to find you and kill you, since that emo clown and that giant dumbass couldn't seem to get the job done." Grimmjow stated plainly.

Ichigo froze, attempting to process what he'd just been told. All the while, something akin to an almost irrational desperation began to bubble up within him, and sudden urge to draw his zanpakutou and immediately cut the Espada down became almost too much to ignore. He hurriedly jumped to his feet and prepared to change into a shinigami.

"But...," Grimmjow's unflinching voice stopped him in his tracks, "I wasn't able to act upon my intentions, because they somehow reached Aizen's ears. This was not made apparent to me until that bastard and his two lap dogs up and attacked me outta nowhere. I barely managed to get out with my life."

Ichigo's stance relaxed a little, but he did not resume his seated position.

"So what now?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "What are your "intentions" now?"

Grimmjow's fists tightened until his knuckles turned white, and the seemingly permanent scowl on his face deepened.

"I am...indebted...to this girl." He spoke as if the words were burning his throat. "You don't have anything to worry about for the time being...shinigami."

"Excellent to hear!" Urahara suddenly chimed in. "I know exactly what you can do to make it up to her."

He then stood up and moved to sit next to Takuya, who by now was giving the man an apprehensive look.

"Our dear Takuya is going to be starting school in two days." he explained, resting his hand on the girl's shoulder. "However, due to some fairly recent events, I'd prefer it if she didn't have to make that long commute back and forth from school on her own. That being said, I think you'd be the perfect bodyguard for her..."

"Now hold on just a minute!!!" Rukia's sudden outburst startled everyone - except Grimmjow - in the room. The petite woman rushed to her feet and marched over to Urahara. "What the hell are you thinking coming up with a fool idea like that?! You would really entrust the life of this girl to a hollow?! Have you completely lost your sane mind?! The only thing that this creature should be assigned to is a cell in the deepest, darkest part of the Seireitei prison while he waits for his execution!!!"

Not three seconds after the venomous words spewed from her mouth, Rukia found herself pinned to the wall by a large hand that was currently wrapped around her throat. It took her a few more seconds to realize that the wind had been knocked out of her, and who the hand belonged to. And within that terrifyingly short span of time, the Espada's cerulean eyes had gone from blearily calm to wildly psychotic.

"Listen here you little midget bitch...I don't know if you're really brave or really fucking stupid, but maybe I need to remind you jut what you're putting yourself up against." Grimmjow snarled, his hand slowly tightening around her throat. "If you think that just because I'm injured you can talk any way you want around me, you're sadly mistaken. In fact, I would think that someone with spirit energy as weak and insignificant as yours wouldn't even have the audacity to fucking look me in my face..."

"Let her go right now!" Ichigo's warning voice drew the Espada's attention to the boy; he and the red-headed man had changed into shinigami and stood ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice.

Grimmjow glared at Ichigo for a second longer before finally releasing Rukia, letting her fall to the floor in a sputtering heap. He then moved back and sat back down on the bed, immediately wrapping an arm around his midsection as hints of pain began filtering into his irritated expression. Silence overtook the room once more, but only lasted about a minute before Urahara shifted his attention back to Grimmjow and spoke up again.

"So, would you be willing to take on this task?" he asked, opening his fan in front of his face once again. "It shouldn't be too hard a job for you; in fact, it won't be hard for you at all, you being an Espada and all..."

"Fine."

Urahara, and everyone else in the room, gaped in utter surprise at the immediate response. At that, a smile began to work its way onto the shopkeeper's face.

"So, you're agreeing to take up the task, correct?"

Grimmjow didn't respond. He gritted his teeth, clutching his torso even tighter. The pain of his wounds was resurfacing with a vengeance in response to the sudden movement of his body. His heart thundered in his ears, falling into rhythm with the throbbing of his aching body. He shut his eyes, biting back the agonized groan threatening to escape his throat.

Urahara watched the Espada with mild curiosity. "Grimmjow...is that a -"

"Yes, fine, whatever, just get the hell out so I can sleep!" the Espada snapped venomously.

"Hey, just who the hell do you think you're talking to like that?!" Ichigo yelled.

"Now, now, it's alright. It's pretty obvious that he's in a bit of pain." Urahara said, closing his fan. "Rest is key right now. We don't want him dragging when he has to guard Takuya, do we?"

He then turned to everyone else in the room. "Let's leave Mr. Jaegerjaquez to get some rest, shall we?"

At that, everyone slowly rose to their feet and filtered out of the room. Takuya, however, remained, watching intently as the Espada struggled to situate himself properly in the bed before deciding to lend a hand. He refused her help, however, swatting her hands away as he finally managed to get himself under the blankets. Takuya watched him a few seconds more before standing to her feet.

"One of us will be back to check on you soon." she stated before heading to the door.

"Hey..." Grimmjow's voice stopped her before she set foot out of the room. He didn't wait for her to turn around before continuing. "Answer me this. What the hell happened to you that would lead that idiot to want to make a hollow your damn bodyguard? Tch, the shinigami bastards aren't good enough for the job?"

Takuya' body visibly tensed up at the question, her grip on the room door tightening. "I...," her voice was just above a murmur, "...I'd...rather not talk about it...right now..."

She then quickly left the room, turning the light off and swiftly sliding the door closed behind her. Grimmjow glared at the door for a few minutes. Under any other circumstances, he would have stormed out behind the girl and demanded that she answer his question or die. But as it stood, he could barely even move his throbbing body, that and he was literally "trapped" in a shop full of shinigami and other anti-hollow warriors just waiting for him to slip up and make even the smallest mistake. He growled in disgust at his new situation, shifting his glare to the now dark ceiling.

"Shit..."

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

[nayrusfountain]

Simply Human

His raspy shaky breath caught in his throat, the sensation of pulling air into his refined lungs feeling completely alien to him... His body had shrunk, but that is the least of his worries...Pure white scales molted away as he shifts his appearance against his will, giving way to pale light skin. Every fin on his once shark like body completely phase out of existence, with nothing to replace them. He hesitantly look down at his shaky hands with wide startled eyes as his scales peel off of his fingers, sprinkling the metal floor like flakes of new fallen snow. The fingers shorten with the rest of him, and his blue claws cracked off as new, growing nails push them out forcefully in their place. He felt the sharp teeth in his mouth is all but gone now, instead there were blunted and squared, more suitable to grinding plant matter... Mikau wanted to scream, but his voice came out distorted and horribly wrong in his ears...Wait, what happen to his ears?! He reach to stroke where his dangling fin had been on the side of his head...now there were an elf like ear instead, twitching with a soft jingle as he gingerly felt them. As he did, he grew startled as he felt something soft and furry tickling his scaleless fingers, and he realize instantly that it was hair. His hair. He need not to be a rocket scientist to figure out that obvious trivia. Laughing cackle from all direction, mocking him as he dwell in his confusion. It was at the moment that panic overwhelm his rational thinking. With little regard of his new physical form, Mikau instinctively leaped into the pool of water in the lab, disappearing into its blue depths. He suck in the water through his mouth, and instantly regretted it. His eyes widen, wild with fear as his limbs kick and flail frantically, and muffle screams gurgle out of his mouth as the ex-Zora hurry back to the surface. His lungs scream angrily at him, cursing him for his foolish actions as the reality that his gills are gone ram him hard. An explosion of liquid crystals shatter into the air as he practically jump back onto the cold metal floor of the room. He flop heavily to the floor, trending water and heaving painfully as he heard the people laughing at him again. A puny blubbery creature came forward and tap his shoulder. It was grayish blue in color, with a round funny face, tiny polished pebbles for eyes, and a small dorsal fin on the back of its head with a grin that never shifts. It basically looks like a bipedal Irrawaddy Dolphin. When he glare up at her, she presented him with a mirror, her smile never leaving. Mikau angrily snatch the object out of her grasp and look into its reflective glass. What greeted him was the face of a man. Mikau's eyes grew in size and he nearly drop the mirror in his shock. His head was cover in white hair and side burns cascade in front of his ears, with strings and bangs casting shadows over his now cerulean eyes, rimmed with whites around the pools of blue. His skin tone is a pale light shade, and his inner ears had extended out of his skull in a slender elfin fashion. What in Nayru's name did they do to him...?! "How you like your new look Zora?" "Screw you," he spat, his voice dripping with venom. Oh how he wish he still had his claws, fangs and fins. Then he'll gladly rip each of their insides out and hang them with their own intestines! "Be nice, sharky!" she growl crazily, whipping out a surgical knife to his face. She wave it around as one would with their finger, eyeing the use to be Zora with the same unsettling grin. "Not what we wanted; you should've been dolphin like us, but its good enough! Next is your girly friend. She be a pretty mammal too!" "Touch her and I'll fu-!!" "Shut up fishy!" Slash! "Ah!" Mikau's head's forcefully slam against the floor, stunned as he try to make sense of what just occur. A warm liquid trickle down his cheek under his right blue eye, smearing his skin red. He reach with his fingers and pull back to see it was coated in a thin layer of blood as it continue cascading from his slashed cheek. A growl radiated from his throat, coming off as awkward and nonthreatening compare to a Zora's more animalistic noises. "You son of a..." "Son? You mean daughter," she giggled as she did a little dance, stroking the blood soaked blade nonchalantly. "You stupid shark! Always resorting to violence to solve your problems. 'Oh! I mad! Imma bite people and watch them bleed and die!' You so naughty! We trying to help you! Give you better life and purpose. That's what we're here to do; to correct Nayru's mistake and you came out beautifully. Be a good little human, and no bloodshed from me. Kay?" "Don't call me that! I'm a Zora! And don't say such garbage about my species. Who are you to play Goddess by meddling with her creation? Everything exist for a reason, and sharks are vital to the ecosystem to keep the ocean healthy. Stop spreading racial bullshit about sharks just because of your paranoia." "He has delusion. So sad...boo hoo!" The dolphin like thing gave a loving pet to his snow white hair before trotting happily over a frozen Lulu surrounded by more of the mammalian sea creatures. The Malletila Zora stare straight into his eyes, her voice caught in her throat as if trying to say something. The little dolphin creature stop in front of her with the same insane smile beaming from her rubbery face. "Hello!" "Hey..." Lulu murmur absently, adverting her gaze as a wave of cackling echo throughout the small lab. She cringe and gave a low hiss in response. The last thing she wants right now was to associate with these giggling freaks. "Hissy shark. Very hissy," the she dolphin tsked as she materialize a slender glass tablet in her hands from seemingly nowhere. It pulsed with radiating magic as holographic data file up on the touch screen. "Let's see your species' criminal status so we can fix you, shall we?" "Please don't. All I want to do is be with Mikau right now," muttered Lulu as she look back at Mikau. The poor male seems completely out of it despite his outbursts, trying to get up from his shaky knees as he topple over clumsily. "Nonsense! I need to gather vital information to further help you overcome your breed's psychopathic instincts. We're not trying to be mean at all. We just what you to be happy with yourself." "I do not need help!" Lulu yelled sternly, her beautiful fins flagging in anger as her fangs flash. She caught glimpse of Mikau's reaction, the ex-Zora perking considerably from his kneel position and his new elf like ears twitching to her voice. "Right...Now let's see here. Ah! The marvelous Malletila Zora; descendants of the Hammerhead line, the Sphyrnidae family. Habitats: Tropical waters! Yay! I mean no! That's bad! Anyway...Malletila Zoras are timid shark people and only mildly aggressive when disturbed, but attacks are extremely rare. That's good. Out of the 9 species only three had been known to attack people...Great, Smooth, and Scallop variants...Uh oh." "Oh no." Lulu backed away with a warning glare, aware that her Great Hammerhead lineage is going to get her in deep trouble. "It seems your kind is bit naughty," The freak chuckle deviously, getting uncomfortably close to Lulu's nose. Lulu had to resist the urge to strike her stupid round face away from hers. "What else do I have to say on your evil breed? The fact that you're all cannibals!? Ha! Hammerhead Sharks are known to eat their own pups; what are the chances of their Zoran equivalent preforming the same atrocity?" A crazy grin reveal the creature's sharp conical teeth. "And I bet you eat dolphins like us too..." Swoosh! "AIEEE!!!!" The beakless bipedal dolphin squeal bloody murder as a stream of blood splay out of her now shredded face, covering her wounds with her hands. She drop the frail tablet in her agonizing distress, the magical device shattering into thousands of tiny glass shards and magic bursting in a ball of hot white light. She topple to her side with hard thud, screeching in high pitched squeals not unlike her cetacean brethren. Lulu scramble to her flippers and leaped over the injured...thing....and dash over to Mikau's side, grabbing his arm as she help him to his feet. Her left clawed hand was soaked in glistening crimson, the crazy lady's blood. "Damn...The way you bury your claws into her fat face was satisfying," Mikau whistle as he stumble a bit, pleased to see the creature in pain. His weak legs felt like gelatin, bucking slightly as he fights to stand erect. Lulu allow him to fall into her soft pearly body, the welcoming coolness of her glassy scales easing his troubles. He saw his unfamiliar face reflecting off of her body, shuddering at the idea of being trap in this body forever. He couldn't bare to live like this for the rest of his life honestly. This boring, unimpressive terrestrial creature with an ego bigger then their fully develop brains; there is nothing more rewarding then being born a magically gifted Zora and ruling a magical world many would never dream of. He likes humans enough, for instance Kafei is one of his closest Hylian friends, and he loves hanging out with the Sheikah, his favorite breed for they share a lot in common with Zoran Heroes. But living as one? No thank you!   "Savages!" A male creature howl in fury, coal black eyes blazing. He has the face of a striped dolphin, beak and everything, and his humanoid body is mostly the color of moon frost streaked with rivers of silvers. He is also well build, smooth slick blubber that express a fair amount of muscles. Fairly good looking for someone that looks like he's wearing a goofy, black duck beak. The striped dolphin thing cast a hateful glare directly at Lulu, taking a menacing step towards the Zoran lovers while the rest of the mammal-things scramble for their non lethal weapons such as teasers as they help their downed comrade. "Naughty creature! Bad creature! How dare you mistreat my sweet Lianna, you feral fish brained brute! You need a big time out!" "Hey dumbass, maybe if your annoying girlfriend wasn't being a total b!tch and invading her personal privacy, and committed witch crafting to turn me into a human of sorts, she wouldn't had felt incline to cut her face up! The dumb chick was basically asking to be attacked by us 'savages' at that point. Piss off and leave us alone!" Mikau defended, getting ready take on the male as he stood before Lulu protectively. He tentatively usher Lulu to back up with him as he shield her from the crazed creature's seething glare, and the mob of the mutated beasts juggle over the pair in quick fleeting prances, surrounding them. Teasers and electric prods cackled dancing, explosive neon, their intelligent eyes glowing madly. For the first time in a long time, Mikau felt primal fear shallow his courage as he stood at their mercy, spreading his arms in vain attempt to protect Lulu. His newly refined heart thump heavily in his chest, knowing that as he is now he is no match to challenge these quick and crafty cetacean people. More likely, he will fall, and they'll have their sadistic ways. But he has to protect Lulu. No matter the cast. The dolphin man, blinded by his rage, unleashed an madden feral roar and charge straight into the couple screaming, "This is for Lianna!" "Kill!" Lianna hiss in an almost demonic way, a sadistic bloody grin exposing her rusted tainted teeth. She crane her neck back and laugh maniacally as the blood drizzle down her face. "Kill! Kill!" The air in the room soon echo with the word "kill" being repeated as the rest of the cetacean people chanted out the phrase with her. The dolphin man lunge for the fish folks, his neck outstretch as he intends to ram them with his hard beak. Mikau spring forth, diving under the enrage creature and swinging up into his stomach. The dolphin was violently jerked backward and and the two males roll and tumble across the metal flooring. The mammal spring to his flippers instantly and roar wildly as he leap over the ex-Zora for his female friend. Mikau quickly recover and swiftly swung his leg into the rampaging creature's ankle, causing the craze male to drop heavily to the floor. The dolphin grew angrier, and without warning spun around and propel himself to Mikau instead, his beak open to bite his assaulter. Mikau duck and roll out of harms way and the dolphin was met with a mouth full of air. Growling, unleashed a shrill high pitch squeal, and as if on command, the rest of the cetacean people rush for Lulu in a chorus of loud whistling and obnoxious chirps that sounds more like sick birds being butcher in the slaughter. "Mik!" Lulu cry as she swung her claws and sank her teeth into their blubbery skins, shaking her head wildly to twist the flesh beneath. She yelp and growl, turning and chasing after them as she snap and lash at the offending creatures. They jump at her with artificial shocks of their teasers or ram her with their iron hard beaks, pushing her forcefully into the wall as they dug their own teeth his her scaly skin. Creature after creature hammer her into the without letting her recover, only leaping back when she viciously rake their faces and tear chunks of blubber in between her wickedly sharp fangs. The metal began to indent as they bury her further and harder into the wall, laughing insanely as they listen to her squeals of distress. "No!" Mikau push himself forward as he rush to her rescue, but felt his frail body pinned painfully to the ground as the dolphin man trap him under his grasp. Mikau squirm desperately to break free of his iron grip, but his strength is too inferior in this form to properly fight back. "Release me you freak!" Out of nowhere, the scarlet coated face of Lianna suddenly pop into his view, blood still pouring out of her wounds at an alarming rate. Ugly claw marks plague her shimmering blue-grey face as the crimson liquid drench her chin and jaws, drooling from her mouth as she grin. "Beautiful boy. She is impure. Must be dealt with before she cause more bloodshed. After we beat her to bloody plump, we heal her with enlightenment and perfection. You will understand soon enough." "No! I don't care about this 'perfection' you speak of! Just let her go and keep me instead! Or I'll kill you both in cold blood if I have to." "You still dare to oppose me? After what we've done for you?" her male friend boom as he press down on the scrawny humanized shark. "You are a weak little human; a mistake in our experimental hexing ritual. The way you are now, you're only going to end up seriously hurt or dead. Give up already. Its not worth it." "I don't care. Lulu is special to me. I may have lost my previous body, but my Zoran spirit burns strong. I'll protect her even if it means I'll lose to you. Please let me fight for her. Its too painful to watch..." "And yet you think its fine to spread pain onto others? You think it wasn't painful for me to watch that wretch damage my mate's face? You vile creature! All of you sharks are the same! Only thinking of yourselves and expressing your sadistic, bloodthirsty nature onto other creatures. If anything, this is justice being serve! And what can you do as of now, you whelp? A weak, insignificant little insect that are humans? Until we send you to rehabilitation and preform better spells, you are nothing but a cockroach to us." Mikau stop struggling and look at his free hand, his arm twisted in an odd angle. A small noise came out of his mouth, his gaze anything but happy. No blue claws or winter scales, but in their place weak nails and soft skin which is useless in relation to the situation. The hurting is much more evident as a human, whereas his Zoran self have a higher tolerance to pain, being of a fighting breed. But above all that, he felt an unfamiliar weight to him, and he knew that it was because his skeleton had trade cartilage for bone, which is denser... A spark flew through his cerulean gaze, and as he glance up to notice the pair giggling giddily to themselves as they watch Lulu kick out at one of their demented friends. The cheerful Malletila Zora is no push over; she'll valiantly fight back if she has to and this is clear as day as she grab hold of another dolphin creature in her claws and struck her hammerhead skull against its crown (a weapon often use by her breed.) The humanoid animal squeal as it tumble back holding its forehead, and Lulu gradually pull herself from the dented wall and pants at the now wary cetacean people. After dealing a decent round of punishment to them despite their frequent attacks, Lulu manage to give the mammals second thoughts of blindly charging her. Many of them bled from deep cuts and gashes across their faces and adornment, some were even limping or whimpering. They whistle to each other, clicking out various tones in their strange language. The stripe dolphin holding the ex-Zora down beam, chirping to Lianna as he directed his authority to the pod. "Don't be discourage my friends. She's just one mindless shark while you're an army of highly intellectual beings. Give her your worst." "Yes please," sang Lianna playfully, eager to see the female Zora suffer. 'Now's my chance,' Mikau mentally said. In a flash of a second, he thrust his finless arm backward towards the man holding him captive. His elbow dug into the stripe dolphin's stomach, the bones providing extract force to the impact. The sea mammal gasp in shock and release his hold on Mikau, rolling on to his side in pain. Lianna screech in disbelief and anger, lunging for the white haired human. Mikau duck and sprinted towards Lulu, pushing past the startle creatures as they whine and squeal. Lulu's heart flutter with joy as she open her arms. Mikau jump into her welcoming embrace and nuzzle into her chest, the female Zora spinning him around in their brief moment of bliss together Its funny being the one to be lifted off his feet like this when it had always the other way around, being naturally taller then her (Sylovaakiens are normally a towering 12 ft while Malletilas are 8 to 9 ft, dwarf by the former.) He gave her a quick satisfying peck on the lips before being set back down by her, turning their sights on the boiling rage building up within the cetacean pair. They have little time to rejoice, for they must find a means of escape. Lianna nuzzle her partner, squeaking softly as he dwell in his agony. She turn her hateful eyes back to the Zoran couple, bouncing up and down immaturely. "No fair! You cheat! You dummy dumb dumbs! Now you leave me no choice! I'm going to unleash my super ultra sonic means of wavy doom! Prepare to beeee....nullified!" Mikau and Lulu back away, this time with Lulu standing protectively over her boyfriend's small frame. They had an idea what this "super ultra sonic means of wavy doom" actually is. Cetacean are famous for their echolocation, and they had seem some use it as weapons against shark firsthand...Its most likely how they ended up in these guys' clutches; one moment an awkward face to face confrontation with this psycho specifically while minding their business, and the next thing they knew they woke up with major headaches in their cold lab. The room around once again rang with laughter, and the chorus gradually grew in volume as the beakless female's eyes grew wilder and dark. Suddenly the only door to the room slid open, and a larger dolphin man waded through but stop and blink by the doorway. He looks like a bipedal orca, sharing the coloration and dorsal fin on his back. He stand 14 ft tall, very imposing looking. Unlike the smaller abominations, he seems to be mentally stable as his bronze eyes held a calm and relax demeanor despite his surprise. When he spoke, a row of sharp tawny gold teeth neatly line his mouth, and a spotted tongue lays within. "Lianna, Nixon, what is the meaning of this? This isn't right! You're not suppose to torture our guests! We're here to help them reach a new positive life through healthy means. How would they accept our society with open arms if you treat them so poorly?" The room seem to grow eerily silent. Lulu and Mikau watch as the cetacean people stood there, as if realizing their blindsided mistake. However, they dwell little on the creatures' thought process for they practically flew for the open doorway without a moment's hesitation. They swift darted past the orca and race down the hallway, pressing faster and faster against the hard metallic floor. They ran so fast that their feet barely touch the ground as they merge into a fleeting blur for random cetacean scatter around the facility. Mikau pants as he try his best not to leave Lulu behind, knowing how clumsy of runners Zoras make. As a human, Mikau's feet gain more traction, allowing him to sprint faster then he ever have in his life on land. A rush of icy air suddenly chilled them to their cores, but they press on running, never looking back. They blaze through the snow, slipping through the ice as flakes of frigid breath of winter sheered their faces, but still they ran. They ran and ran, never stopping, never turning. They just blasted through the dark blue woods, startling animals into hiding as they rain through shimmering threads of beautiful frozen dewdrops draping like delicate curtains from the branches. Blue fairies lit the forest as they cluster the crusty shrubs and treetops like fireflies, lighting their way through the night. The glow of the city beam from the distant valley, its Clock Tower emitting a beacon for all who lost their way... *** Mikau and Lulu finally slow to a brisk trot as they trudge down the icy street of a well off neighborhood, the streetlights stretching their shadows as they pass by. The shine of their brightness reflected off the slick black ice that froze over the sidewalk they roam on, causing the pair to slip and slide as they continue marching on. Many of the houses were fairly lit, and plumes of fluffy smoke rose from the chimneys indicating the inviting warmth of the indoors. Decorations for the upcoming holidays grace the houses in bushy greens, ribbon reds, and blinking colors as tiny lights strewn across the windows and hangs from roofs and porches. Snowmen would occasionally greet the pair as they past by the yards, and once in a while a dog could be heard barking into the night. One of the Moons shone crisply like a silver sickle in the black, smoky sky, faith glimmers of stars seen twinkling beyond the flurries next to it. Mikau lag behind as he struggle to keep himself warm, hugging himself feebly as his breath converted into frost laced crystals. The only protection he wore was a old trashy t-shirt with cartoonish dolphins on it and tight, ripped sweatpants the cetacean gave him at some point, mostly after his transformation when he was still knocked out. It looks like something they just dug out of the trash so they can cover his exposed dignity, but honestly he wouldn't be surprise as that is mostly the case base given its appalling smell. Lulu meanwhile didn't seem bothered by the cold, her scales insulating some heat during the sunny day to keep her mildly comfortable. She look back at the under dress human, concern laced in her facial features as she confronts her friend. "Oh Mikau, just hold on a little longer. We're almost at Kafei's house. He'll know what to do." "I-I hope so..." Mikau murmur as he cast his eyes to his buckling knees, ready to to drop from the cold and exhaustion. He cough hoarsely, rubbing his throat in pain. "I'll get hypothermia if-if I don't t-t-turn back to my Zoran self. I don't want to be a human forever." "Don't be so rough on your appearance." She giving him a soft hug. She pet his soft hair as she continues. "I think you're cute as a little human." "Babe, you find everything cute...N-not that I blame you." "I mean it though. You're quite the looker as a tiny person. You're adorable!" "Oh Lu," Mikau sigh as he bury into her, half for warmth, half out of affection. There is truly no other girl in the world that he rather be with then with his mate. But in midst of their embrace, he something was off with Lulu, an eerie silence falling on her as her eyes grew dark and concern. "Lulu? What's wrong? You're not hurting from the attack are you?" "Mikau," Lulu breathe, trying to muster up her courage as she carry on. "When I was being ram into the wall of the laboratory, I heard it; I heard the yells and cries of distress Zoras on the other side." "What?" Mikau pull away from her with such a bewildered expression, such surprise as it flash across his blue eyes. Worry soon wash over him. "Are you sure there were others?" Lulu quickly nodded. "Yes. I heard them yelling and squealing from their side. They said things like 'Another one?!' They're torturing her!' 'Leave her alone you warm blooded freaks!' But what really caught my ears were these one sentences; 'How many innocent shark Zoras in Termina are they going to kidnap and turn into dolphin people? They need to understand that our kind matters just as much as any stupid sea mammal!' Mik, there were more Zoras then just the two of us back there. They are all shark Zoras like us, I knew this much by that last quote. They're trying to erase sharks off the earth by replacing them with their own kind." "Oh Goddesses...Its coming back to me. Sharks and dolphins had been mortal enemies since the beginning of time. The instinctual hatred must've carry over in the cetacean people's own evolution line. That's why they were so eager to put us through their little experiment against our will. They want to 'fix' us to avoid competition. Paranoid freaks. I never thought I'd hate a group of dolphins this much, especially since the ones in our oceans had coexisted peacefully with domestic sharks. We can live in harmony if they just give us the chance." "Sadly, they are too blinded by their mammalian superiority complex to care. They see fish as unintelligent and lacking of any real feelings. They'll only continued committing these unspeakable crimes as they come in contact and collect more breeds of shark Zoras." "All the more reason to find Kafei and turn me back then. I'll give them a good asswhipping and serve them to our pet sharks. Come on. Let's find Kafei' house." *** Kafei lean back comfortably in his couch as he read his book, the fire crackling and popping softly in front of him. Sprinkle of glistening snow flutter down from the outside world beyond the foggy window next to him, the lights from houses across from his barely pouring into his living room. He bundle himself with a velvety raspberry robe that match his plush carpet. The golden flames before him danced and licked briskly at the protective barrier of the fireplace as the sparks and embers glowed with an alien hue. By his bunny slippered feet was a Keaton, resting quietly on the rug as it snore. It had its head on its paws, its face masked with a peaceful expression as is side breathes steady, its fluffy tails curled around its body like a blanket. Kafei's mother was understandably never keen on allowing wild animals into the house for safety concern like diseases or attacking, always telling her son to respect their space and admire them from their backyard. The large yard borders a small wooded area where Clock Town's domestic animal and Pokemon residents (smuggle into the realm for illegal pet trades) likes to hang out with their wilder counterparts. Wild critters would pop up on their property all the time through a hole in the fence his father fail to fix up, and his mommy was quite stern when she wants minimal interacting between him and "vermin". But despite her warnings that doesn't stop him from sneaking his little "pet" in when they weren't around. He known the Keaton for years, remembering when the curious fox approach him and Anju during a festival as he wore the Keaton mask. Obviously it was smitten with him for that reason and began a series of it following him around and asking for attention. He started to feed and play with it, and the two had share a strong bond since. A knock on the door pulled him out of the novel he was reading, and he saw his Keaton sleepily raise its head, its eyes still close as it whimper quietly to itself. Just when he was in the most suspenseful part of the plot too! Annoyed with the abrupt interruption, Kafei speed walk over to the door and try not to glare into the peephole. When he comprehend who was standing outside, cover in shimmering scales that brim like opal, he felt his heart skip a beat and butterflies crashing blindly in his stomach. Immediately he undid the padlock and nearly swung the door open. And swirl of powdery snow wisp into the warm house, chilling his skin as it yank his robe back forcefully, revealing an Indigo-Go's boxers that he wore. Kafei squeal like a startled puppy as he try to hurriedly cover himself, his blood red eyes wide as he smile stupidly in his visitor's direction. Lulu held her hand to her as she struggle to surpass her giggle, watching the little elf eared human quickly cover himself as his face grew a hot red. She felt Mikau huddling up to her, peering into the tempting warmth of his house with a longing expression. Lulu clear her throat. "Oh Kafei! Let's ignore that little moment and get to the point. Can we come in?" "Sure!" nodded Kafei with a bright smile. "Anything for a frie-" His crimson sights landed on the under dress person latch onto her silky smooth frame, the man shivering so violently he could hear his teeth clattering. The poor...Hylian? Sheikah?...had frost lacing his snowy white hair, and his skin had turn pale with a tinge of blue from the cold. "Oh my Goddesses Lulu! Who's this sad bloke? And is he poorly dressed in this weather?" "I-its a l-l-long story," Mikau murmur, struggling to speak as his throat became scratchy and irritated. "Wait, Mikau?!" Kafei blink as he step back in shock, his eyes suddenly wild as he recognize his voice. The only thing different was that it lacked the elegant aquatic trill of a Zora. "What the hell-?" "Y-yes, We know. Looong s-st-story. Please let us in already. I'm dying out here. My ass is freezing off!" "Yep, that's Mikau all right," Kafei commented half humorously as he allow the two into his house. Lulu picked up Mikau and carry him in as Kafei locked the door behind them. In the position he is in now, Mikau felt both embarrass for being whisk around like a little pet. The last time he was carry around like this was several years ago, and before that was roughly a decade ago. It was Darmani who had carry him that last time in response to the daredevil Zora having twisted his ankle after skiing down Snowhead. The Goron had to struggle across the mountain just to get his scaly rear to the nearest hospital. Now, here he is, being cradle like a newborn tadpole as Lulu snuggle him in her arms. She keeps saying things like "Who makes a cute little human? You! You're so cute!" and pet names. Zoras sometimes see humans as pets, and vice versa. Though humans tend to be sensitive with being called animals even if that makes zero sense since they ARE animals like Zoras, though not in the same sense as his fish brethren. Lulu rub her nose against his, and Mikau remember that his electro-sensitivity, a trait unique to sharks of all kind, was no more. He no longer felt the tingling sensation that he pleasures when Lulu and him rub their sensitive noses together. But that didn't stop him from closing his eyes with and trying to purr in delight. He nuzzle into the nape of her neck, curling into a ball as he try to take in the warmth of the living room. Lulu's fins were wrap around him protectively, trying to provide extra warmth as she scooted onto the couch. She carefully lay Mikau on the cushion, stroking his velvety hair as she cuddle onto him. Kafei trotted over the the next room over and quickly reappear with a bundle of blankets in his arms. He usher the female away and cover the humanized Zora under the thick soft covers. Mikau breathe a sigh of relief and duck his head underneath, disappearing completely as he shuffle to absorb its warmth and get comfortable. "Thanks pal," he smiled, satisfied with the comforting blankets as the fire slowly heat him up. He bundle himself up and nuzzle into its cozy embrace blowing playfully at the little Keaton as it came to inspect him. The golden three tailed fox whine happily and it gave him quick licks with a tiny pink tongue as the ex-Zora tickle its cheeks. "No problem. But I have so many questions regarding your little....er..." "Transformation?" The couple both quoted in unison. "Yeah, that. I mean-What the freaking hell? How and why did you become human?" "There was an unusual incident that occurred today," Lulu began as she stroke Mikau's head. "We were 'invited' to participate in a program geared towards Zoras, specifically those of the shark family. Turns out we were abducted to be part of some bizarre experiment to turn us into bipedal sea mammals." Kafei's crimson eyes grew large and held his hand up to briefly silence her. "Wait a minute. Bipedal sea mammals? Were those the freaky things that pop up in Clock Town a few week ago? Nobody would shut up about these humanoid animals since." "Y-yeah. And they're freaking obnoxious," Mikau growl as he was reminded of the dolphin people's unholy existence. "What do you know 'bout them?" "I'll tell you what I know. They are not native here in Termina. In fact the marine biologist Dr. Mizumi found out that they came from the distant seas of a country called Holodrum, which is in another dimension altogether. Apparently there are no Zoras there, and they rule as the dominate species of their ocean domain unopposed. Ever since they found a way to Termina, Zoras had been disappearing left and right at an alarming rate, all who are shark Zoras like you guys. I keep hearing it on the news and work. Many Zoras are on edge because of those creatures." "Another dimension? You've got to be kidding me..." Mikau groan inwardly. "And in an effort to turn me into one of them, the stupid female creature read the wrong spell book and turn me into a defenseless little person instead. If they're going to turn Zoras into members of their own races, at least be competent enough to do their job. Like really. I don't even know what breed of elf-eared human am I. There's Gerudo, Sheikah, Hylian, Lokomo, Cobble and Twili. Obviously Twili are out of the picture since they evolved separately from the main branch and are radically different from any other members of your species to the point they look like aliens. I don't have the sunburned color of a Gerudo, so that's ruled out too. Maybe I'm a Sheikah given the hair? They do traditionally have white and blond hair after all." "No, you're just a Hylian," Kafei said as he point in the direction of Mikau's newly develop ears. "You see, elfin humans have slight variants of our pointed ears depending on the race. Though because of its minor alteration, it is not noticeable among regular humans and non-humans like you guys unless you really look at them. Hylians have slightly broader ears, while Sheikah ears are slender. To make my next statement really count, all Sheikah have blood red eyes. It is a specific trait that only exist among Sheikah and Sheikah hybrids. Its what defines us as the Shadow Folks." He finished off with a gesture to his own almond shaped eyes, the blood coloration betraying his lineage as a descendant of the ninja people. His grandmother from his father's side was a pure blooded Sheikah, and thus Kafei had inherited the traditional eye genetics of her people. Though he still has more qualities of a Hylian then a Sheikah.     "Aw, that's kinda disappointing. Sheikah are my favorite because they remind me of my own species in so many ways. We share some things in common, and it gives me even more of an excuse to kick those freaks' blubbery asses in the most epic moveset imaginable. Not that there's anything wrong with Hylians." "No problem. I recon that since you obviously had a bad day, you want to get back at those guys and turn back into a Zora?" "We both want to get back at them," Lulu nodded. "With the knowledge we learned, Mikau and I agree that with the combine forces of the authorities we shall avenge our fellow Zoras and punish those giggling lunatics harshly. But at the state he's in now, Mikau cannot take them on. He has no defenses, and can easily be overpowered by the much larger dolphin folk. And you know how Mikau is not one to sit back in a fight. That and he is getting sick from the cold. We were hoping you know of a way to turn him back to normal. You are very savvy with how to solve other people's problems." Kafei click his tongue, ruffling the fur of his Keaton as it nudge his hand with its snout. "Well lucky you, this race change, magic or not, is completely reversible, so you're in luck. However there is only one person that I know that has the power to change you back...and I don't think you'll like the concept of the idea very much." "Who is it? I'm willing to meet them if it means turning back into a Zora again," Mikau said with a cough, getting annoyed at the feeble state he's plunging into. Kafei seem to hesitate, then, in a meek voice utter the following. "The Great Fairy of North Clock Town." ... ... ...Silence... "Oh! Um of coarse," Lulu laugh awkwardly, looking at Mikau's direction. His face was a mixture of complete horror and disgust. She never seen such lively expressions on his face before, all thanks to his Hylian transformation which allows his emotions to be that much clearer. "No way. I think I can get use to a human lifestyle instead. Being a human is suddenly not so bad." "Oh come on guys! I know she's famous for being a little...suggestive...flirty and maybe overly skimpy...but she can really help you regain your true form back. Don't you want to be a Zora again? You ALWAYS boast how amazing Zoras are and how proud you are to be born as one. Besides you can't stay like that forever. What about your lifestyle as a musician? Your career and millions of adoring fans? You're a Zora! Think of your friends waiting for you back at sea. Think of Lulu. You can't have any of this looking like that." Mikau took a longing look to Lulu at the mention of her name. Their eyes met, and he knew deep inside that he want nothing more then to be by her side for an eternity and more. Those beautiful, haunting orbs of magenta shining against her pearly white body. The lilac/indigo tinge of her crown and rims of her wing-like fins. Her curvy hourglass frame. The glittering scales that gleam like opal in the light of the fire. She is the definition of perfection and he knew that life would be hard living away from her. He needs her, and he knew that she needed him too. They were more then mere band mates. They were more then simply mates... "You're right. I need to get my form back not only for the ass kicking I'll commit upon those ocean rejects, but for the sake of my friends. When should we go to the see her?" "Tomorrow," Kafei answered pointing his finger to the clock mounted onto the fireplace. The time signified 10:00 pm, a little late to go out and about especially at this time of year. "The snow's set to settle sometime in the night, and the roads should be plowed by the time we head out. I know you're a little ill, but I already been told by my parents to watch over the house for the weekend while they are away, and too not invite people over. I promise though her shrine is in the park only a couple blocks from here. We should arrive there in a few minutes of foot." "Well I guess we're stuck here for the night huh?" Mikau said as he smile at Lulu. She smirk softly, bopping his nose with her own yet again. "I suppose so," confirm Kafei warmly. "My mom and dad won't be coming back til Monday morning. But I don't mind having company tonight; they don't have to know anyway. I was getting a little lonely today and was thinking of inviting Anju tomorrow. I'm glad you guys decided to stop by, though I know for a fact you two must be tire from your little adventure. There's a guest room that you can use tonight. Its down the hall to the left of the stairs." "Thank you Kafei," Lulu bowed politely, picking Mikau up in her arms. He felt heavier with the thick bundles wrapping around his weak frame, but she did not mind. Kafei got up and escorted them to their temporary room, his Keaton padding along besides him. The travel through the dining room and past the stairs where they came across a lovely little bedroom inviting them in. Lulu set Mikau down and brush his hair away from his eyes, planting a soft kiss to his forehead. Never had she kissed a human before, and his skin felt so... Soft and tender. "If you need anything, give me a call ok? In the meantime I'll prepare some nourishing soup for Mikau's cold and a nice batch of milkberry tea." Kafei quoted and the pair nodded delightfully. He smile as he quietly shut the door, and his muffle footstep journey to the kitchen in preparation of the beverages. Mikau invited Lulu to lay next to him, patting on the open space on the queen sized bed. She gladly crawl in and they curl into each other's arms closing their eyes. Mikau felt so much better knowing that Lulu is with him. Even as a human, he knows that their future will remain bright and positive for years to come. The hardships they endure had only strengthen their spiritual bond for each other, and now, as he awaits the arrival of Din's Dawn to smite Nayu's Night, his human heart thump against her beating chest. And he sigh as he drifted off in her embrace. Beating an unbreakable musical rhythm. Between human and Zora.

Oh my gosh I’m sorry this came so freaking late. But I had no choice but to write a Fanfiction out of the blue because the prompt for that day was "human" and trust me my human drawing skills is atrocious to say the least. I had to write something instead, and I just made up this ridiculous story as I went along. I remember reading a Ratchet and Clank story long ago in which Ratchet woke up as human instead of a Lombax and was deeply confused. That became my inspiration and it help me get through this story. I wanted Mikau to go through a similar thing by waking up as a Hylian rather then a simple alternate universe where the characters are just randomly humans. I think it fits better in terms of the Zelda universe. Spoilers!: If Zelda can turn into a Sheikah with magic, why not expand upon the race changing concept? 

Hope you don’t mind!  

[hamitome--imagines]

Royal Pain in the Ass

* Hamilsquad x Reader

* Hamiltime

* Requested by anonymous

* Request: the reader is King George's child but they hate his cuz he's a jerk so they come to America and join the revolution and the Hamilsquad?

A/N: So, the requestor didn’t specify a gender in anyway so I made it gender neutral. And this is quite long. Yet, I kinda like this. And I hope you all do too.

Word Count: 4,000 (Wow, that’s very pleasing)

~~

You sighed as you straightened out your formal attire in the mirror. It was almost time for dinner with your father, King George the Third of England. Has there ever been a more pompous title? You were forced into association with him as you were his child. You would gladly give away everything you ever had if it meant you’d lose all ties to him. He was a royal ass. His colonies across the ocean knew that. Every time you thought of those tiny communities, a smile appeared. They were brave. A knock broke you from your thoughts as a maid entered your room.

“Oh forgive me. But your father requests you in the dining hall.” She said.

“Of course he does. But thank you.” You made a point to show the kindness your father didn’t. You weren’t looking forward to dinner. Lately, they’ve been painfully quiet. Mostly because you had nothing to say to him. You didn’t like your own father. How sad was that? You stopped in front of the large wooden doors to the dinning room. You took a deep breath and pushed them open.

“Ah Y/N.” Your father greeted you.

“Father.” You replied with a polite nod. He smiled at you before scanning the document in front of him.

He handed it off to a servant with a sigh. “Send more soldiers to the colonies. And I want Massachusetts locked down. Port closed, soldiers doubled. Make it an outcast among the other colonies.” He ordered. The servant nodded, bowed, and scurried off.

“What now?” You asked him, trying to keep the venom from your voice.

He sighed and rubbed his head as if fending off a headache. “It would seem that the colonists don’t appreciate my taxes.”

“Imagine that.” You mumbled quietly so your dad didn’t hear. “What did they do?” You asked, excited to hear it. They had some spunk over there and it never ceased to piss off your dad.

“They boarded a cargo ship, poorly disguised as savage natives. Then, they proceeded to throw all the tea into the harbor as an act of defiance.” He told you. You tried, you really did. But you couldn’t help the laugh that escaped you. It was hilarious. That was the best thing you’d ever heard. Your father didn’t share you opinion. “Is something funny Y/N?” He asked. He was clearly mad but you decided not to care.

“Yes. Those colonies are humiliating you.” You admitted. “And your little plan to cut off Massachusetts isn’t going to work. It’s gonna piss them off even more. They’re gonna point to that city and say ‘Look what that jackass of a king has done.’” You taunted.

“You know Y/N, if I didn’t know better I’d say you support that little uprising.” Your father threatened.

“And if I did?” You asked.

“Excuse you. I’m your father and king, I deserve your loyalty!” He shouted pushing up from the table.

“All my life all you’ve ever been is a king, never a father. And I hope those colonies revolt and I hope they win. I hope they take everything form you. I hope your left looking at those colonies as they grow to be more powerful then you could ever expect.” You told him. You voice stayed level and calm. A technique you had picked up from him.

You never got to hear what he’d say when a maid rushed in. “Sorry sire. But there’s more news form the colonies.”

“What now?!” He growled as he followed the maid out. You silently cheered and ate your dinner in peaceful silence.

—

After your outburst things between you and your father never got better. They actually grew much worse. He kept a knight from his guard on you at all times. “For protection.” He always said. You knew it was merely to keep an eye on you. You hated it.

Still, the two of you kept up a pretense for the people. So you sat aside you father one day in the throne room. A soldier stepped forward. “Sire, we must inform you. This arrive today.” He handed you father a scroll. Curiosity over took you. You stood and walked over to stand beside your father. It was a court day so he was donned in his full kingly get up. Crown on his head, a cape over his shoulders, a scepter lying near by. You wore a crown as well, just less flashy and gaudy. Also, your father made you. Your father unrolled the scroll and your eyes widened.

“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America”

No way. They were actually declaring themselves free of your father. You looked back up at the soldier and saw he was terrified. This wasn’t a joke. The colonies did this. You were really proud of them. “What on earth is this?!” You father yelled, causing you to actually jump back in surprise. You’d never seen him so angry.

“The uh…the colonies are declaring themselves independent from us.” The soldier stammered in fear.

“And why is that?!” You father screamed. “After all I did for them!”

“Father!” You shouted now. “Stop screaming at the solider. He clearly doesn't have the answers you want.”

“Y/N, leave. You are in no position to voice your opinion on the matter.” He told you lowly.

“Father?!” You exclaimed in disbelief. Sure you told him how you felt, but he has never kicked you out before.

“I told you to leave. That’s an order.” And there it was. You glared at him. You went to leave but stopped in front of his chair.

“What ever you decree ‘Your Majesty.’” You put as much venom and sarcasm into the last two words as possible before storming from the throne room. You tore the crown you were wearing off and tossed it to the ground as you stalked through the castle. If he was going to cast you aside like nothing, you would make him regret it. You found your room and rummaged for your least formal attire. Unfortunately, that wasn’t much. You grabbed some clothes and started to tear the embellishments from it when you could. It took away the flashiness and created a few tears. Finally you deemed it good enough to pass.

You gathered up some valuables and shoved them in a small bag. You never asked to be royalty and, now more then ever, you didn't want to be. So you weren't going to be. You slipped on the ruined clothes and grabbed the small bag. You grabbed a hat to hopefully help to obscure your face. You knew their was a guard on the other side of the door so you went to your large windows. You quietly opened it. You took a deep breath and swung yourself over the ledge.

You don’t know where your idea came from but you were gonna follow through with it. You made your way through England, darkened with the late hour. You made your way to the docks. You bought a ticket on a ship with one of the objects from the castle. The ship didn’t leave until morning. You hunkered down in an inn near the docks. You left early and boarded the ship.

You stood at the end of the boat as it took off. You stared at the country you grew up in. Not long now the castle would know you were gone. There would be chaos everywhere. The town would be searched and the staff questioned. You felt slightly bad but it quickly passed. The staff was never more then nannies and watchers. They never really cared. You were never allowed to leave the castle and wander the city so you weren’t even attached to the town. You scoffed as your old home got smaller and smaller. “Good riddance.”

“You hate England that much?” A man asked from beside you.

“More than you could ever imagine.” You admitted.

“So is that why you’re going to the colonies?” He asked.

You let out a bitter laugh. “Oh no. I hate England so much that I’m going to help the colonies. I want to make sure the king loses everything he ever had.”

—

Why did you want to do this?

You stood, terrified, as you came off the boat. There were people everywhere and you didn’t know them. You did’t know where anything was. You squared your shoulders and stood up to full height. You could do this. You were royalty dammit! You just had to find someone to help you. However, they ended up finding you. “Excuse me? Sorry, you just look a little lost, confused, and scared. Can I help you in anyway?”

You eyed him up and down. He seemed trustworthy. “Yeah actually I need-“ You stopped when you noticed all the soldiers. Some higher ranking or more trained. Some of these people could be stationed as soldiers but where you father’s eyes and ears. “Never mind, not here. Is there an inn or something near-by?” You asked hopefully.

“Uh yeah. Come on.” He led you through the crowds and further into the town. He led you up to a decent house.  “My place.” He explained. He led you inside. “Ok, now why couldn’t we talk at the docks?”

“There were soldiers everywhere. And I’ be willing to bet some of them were just there to report back to the King.” You sneered.

“How could you know?” The man asked.

“I just came here form England. I know a bit about…stuff…” You replied evasively.

“Hang on. What’s your name? I’m Alexander Hamilton.” He said with a small smile to evoke some trust.

“Oh Y/N L-L/N.” You stuttered out a last name that you pulled from mid-air. It would be awful if you said your last name was Fredrick, like the king. You’d have to commit the name to memory. “Anyway, I uh…I wanna join up with the revolution. I don’t suppose you’re a loyalist.”

“No way. Are you?” He asked suspiciously.

“I just told you I want to fight the crown. Why would I be loyal to the same crown?” You asked.

“Just checking.” The man said. “Ya know, if you know a little bit about the British, the general would love to meet you.”

“Good, cause I want to meet the general.”

—

You were sitting in Alexander’s house, waiting for General Washington. You were a bit anxious. After a while, there were two sharp knocks on the door. “That’d be the general.” Alexander said, hopping up from his seat. He went to the door and pulled it open.

“Hamilton. Why did you send for me?” He asked. Now you were very intimidated. Washington was a large imposing man. He was tall and well built with dark skin. He was kind of frightening.

“Oh this is Y/N L/N. They just came from England. They know quite a bit about the forces and strategies. They could really help out.” Alexander explained.

Washington glanced over at you. “And you’re not loyal to the king?” He asked suspiciously.

“No.” You growled. “I want to see the king lose everything that was ever important to him.”

Washington smirked and nodded. It seemed like he could sense your honesty. “What kind of information do you have to offer?”

“Well I can tell you the British soldiers aren’t well trained for distance strikes. I’m guessing they usually try to approach your lines?” Both men nodded in answer. “Well that might work to your advantage.” You commented, deep in thought. “If you have half your men stationed somewhere, let the British chase them down. Keep retreating. Then, have the other half, with a competent general, come around behind them. Close in on both sides.”  You suggested.

The men stared at you in shock. “That’s a great idea.” Washington admitted. “If you want to help our cause, I’m more than willing to offer you a place along side my men.”

—

You were constantly working with the General, exposing every weakness you knew. You were vital to the group and you knew it. By now, word of the missing royal heir had reached the colonies. No one cared much, they thought it didn't effect them. Plus, your image was rather unknown in the colonies. People don't pay for portraits only to send them across the ocean. Well, your father did, but he was crazy. The army thought it was a fascinating story and kept coming up with crazy explanations.

At first you had laughed about them. Silly little stories about the missing child running off to become a jester in a different court. But lately, they seemed to be wishing violence on you. True, they didn't know it was you but their theories weren't as funny anymore. Claiming, hoping, the kings child was caught and killed by French nobles. Or perhaps that a ship sunk, and you were one of the passengers. "Anything to weaken the King." They'd say about the ideas. If only they knew the king would probably rejoice at your death. Hell, you were opposite sides. He probably didn't even really care you were gone. Just another disrespectful subject.

At the camp, you shared a tent with Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, and Lafayette. Alexander had insomnia or nightmares or was working with Washington until late hours. You never knew when he'd be up or asleep. John was an extremely light sleeper. He was up at dawn, the slight sunlight waking him up. Lafayette was unpredictable. Sometimes he worked guard late at night, sometimes he just didn't want to sleep yet. Other days, he'd be the first one asleep.

You had also befriended Hercules Mulligan. The two of you had an interesting bond. You were both spies in your own right. Hercules a constant spy, you merely an informant. But you were both crossing a dangerous enemy. You were a little surprised when you learned of Hercules' position. They had a spy in a tailor shop. It was honestly genius. These little colonies really were amazing.

One night, as you slept, the guys met up together. "Where's Y/N?" Hercules asked as he noticed your absence.

"Oh still sleeping. They don't sleep too well on the cots so we weren't gonna wake them." Alexander answered.

"Yeah didn't they mumbled something about the cots feeling like cement slabs compared to what they're used to?" John asked.

"Something like that." Alexander agreed. "Anyway, what do you have Herc?" Hercules had claimed he had more information. Though it wasn't vital to the cause, he knew his friends would want to hear it.

"Well, news is that the king's kid must have boarded a boat. They're most likely in the colonies. The found a ticket was bought with some jewelry from the castle." Hercules explained.

"How long ago?" Lafayette asked.

"Months ago now. Well, that's when they would've bought the ticket. They would've been here about..." Hercules trailed off, thinking.

"As long as Y/N." Alexander spoke up. He spoke cautiously, as if suggesting something even he didn’t want to admit. “I mean, if you think about it.”

“You can’t be suggesting that they’re royalty. They hate the king, complain about him all the time.” John spoke up. “They can’t be the child of the king.”

“But how much do we know about them?” Hercules asked.

“They are notre ami.” Lafayette tried.

“They don’t write to anyone?” Hercules asked.

“No. They don’t have chance. Either I’m up, or Laf will wander in at some random time, and any light will wake up John.” Alexander answered.

“What if they go report back to soldiers?” John asked, starting to believe everything as well.

“Y/N is the last name of the heir to the throne.” Hercules spoke up.

“Have we been harboring our ennemi the whole time?” Lafayette asked.

—

You woke up as you were pulled off your cot. You didn’t hit the ground as someone was dragging you up by your collar. You were roughly shoved against the pole holding your tent up. As you finally registered your surroundings you found Hercules was holding your collar. The rest of the group around him. You could tell it was still dark out. “What the hell?” You asked as you tried to push him off.

“We want some answers.” Hercules demanded.

“About what?” You asked, panic clawing up. They trusted you so far. You couldn’t lose it now, you couldn’t admit anything. They would kill you.

“Let’s start with something easy.” John said lowly. “Who are you?”

“I told you-“

“You told me a last name that sounds made up.” Alexander interjected.

“I suppose it’s merely a coincidence that you share the same first name as the king’s child.” Lafayette spoke up.

“Or that you arrived here at the same time as them.” Hercules added.

“Or that they’ve been missing for some time.” John ended.

“I uh…” You stopped. Could you lie? Either way you’re losing their trust. And your pause told them enough. Hercules scoffed and let go of your collar. You dropped to the ground and coughed a few times. “What do you want me to say?” You asked.

“Well if I were, I’d start explaining why we shouldn’t just kill you. Or us you as leverage.” Alexander growled.

“Because it wouldn’t be worth it.” You mumbled.

“What?” Lafayette asked.

“Because it wouldn’t be worth it!” You practically shouted. “My father doesn’t care, trust me.” You stood from the ground. “I hate him. I want him to lose. He always acted like my king and not my father. He treated me like a subject so I decided to be the most defiant subject there is. Haven’t I helped you?”

The men exchanged glances. “We do have an upper hand now.” Alexander mumbled.

“You could kill me and his royal ass would’t care. In fact, he’d probably be happy.” You whispered. “We’ve never seen eye-to-eye and now he knows I support you guys. He probably knows I’m the reason he’s losing.”

“Why would your dad be happy about your death?” John asked.

“Because he hates me.” You whispered. The guys noticed your emotional turmoil. Guilty looks spread across their faces. You sniffed, trying to compose yourself. “You guys won’t tell the other soldiers or the General will you?” You asked hopefully.

“Your secret is safe with us Y/N L/N.” Alexander told you.

—

“’Til the world turns upside down.” You muttered to yourself as you readied your gun. France finally provided the colonies with funding. You were going to fight the British in Yorktown. This would be the one of the final fights.

“What was that Y/N?” Alexander asked you.

“Oh, just an old drinking song. It’s not important. Are you guys ready?” You asked Alexander and John.

“We gotta start a new nation and I gotta to meet my son.” Alexander said with a grin. You smiled at your friend. His new son was all he could talk about lately.

“We’re good to go.” John answered. “Are you good?” He asked in concern. They were always worried about you before a fight. They were concerned about how you felt about killing your fellow country men.

“I’ll be fine. Let’s end this.” You said with a small smirk. They smiled at you.

“Sounds good to me.” Alexander said.

You had hidden in trenches at the start of the war. After that you pushed forward instead of your usual tactic of retreating. You were trying to force them toward the sea and blockade them. They weren’t escaping this time. Unfortunately, that involved getting closer to them than before. You raced forward, gun ready to shoot, and aimed at a man with a red coat draped over his shoulders. The man fired off a shot. As he readied his gun once more, he glanced at you.

“You!” He exclaimed on shock. You lowered your gun in surprise. No on had noticed you yet. “Why are you fighting with the rebellious scum?” He growled. “You no good, traitorous scoundrel! You were an heir to the throne. Your father is going to be very displeased when we return you. What do you think he’s going to do to the biggest traitor to the crown?” Suddenly a gunshot from behind you caused you to jump.

Alexander sauntered up beside you. “That was my friend you were disparaging.” he growled. You smiled up at him. A gunshot in your direction caused the both of you to spring back into action. Your trio was running around, fighting. You were standing near John Laurens when a loud BOOM sounded. You looked over to a canon. You quickly jumped forward and shoved John to the side, tackling him in the process. An explosion sounded from near where you both were.

“Holy shit. You saved my life.” He exclaimed.

“Of course.” You said as you stood and helped him up as well.

The battle waged for a week. Eventually you noticed a white flag in the distance. You slowly lowered you gun. A small disbelieving laugh left your lips as the symbolism dawned on you. “We won.” You said a bit quietly. While you were quiet, your friends were loud.

“We won!” Alexander shouted. A few days later, you stood watching the men line up and leave. They were singing the same old drinking song you had mumbled a week ago. You sighed and began quietly joining in. The boys looked at you. “That’s what you mumbled a few days ago isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Pretty much everyone in England knows that song.” You said with a small, shy shrug. The boys shrugged as well, unconcerned.

Lafayette shouted, “We won,” once more. The he added, “Freedom for America, freedom for France!”

Alexander leaned closer and threw and arm over your shoulder. “We won!”

“We won!” You all shouted together.

—

“You say, the price of my war’s not a price that you’re willing to pay. Insane! You cheat with those colonies while I’m frighting with France and with Spain. I’m so blue! I don’t remember an arrangement where you went away. You were more that a subject to rule. Well even despite our estrangement, I’ve got a small query for you.

What comes next?

They’ve freed. Do they know how hard it is to lead. You’re on your own. Awesome! Wow! Do you have a clue what happens now? Oceans rise, empires fall. It’s much harder when it’s all your call. All alone across the sea. When the people say they hate you, you can come crawling back to me. Until then, you’re on your own.

King George III”

You scowled at the letter your father had sent you. You could point out every lie. You tossed it onto your desk and sighed. You were able to afford a decent home with the money you gained from selling the items from the castle. There was a knock on the door so you went to open it. Alexander stood on the other side, a small baby in his arms.

“I have someone you need to meet.” He said with a smile. You welcomed him into your home. “Say hi to Philip Hamilton.” He said as he handed the small boy to you. You smiled down at the sleeping child in your arms and cooed some nonsense to him. Alexander smiled at you before glancing around. He noticed the letter on your desk and picked it up. He quickly read it. “Are you gonna go back?” He asked.

You noticed what letter it was that he was currently holding. You shrugged slightly, a little hard considering you were holding a baby. But a small smile appeared on your lips. “Eh, I didn’t like being royalty anyway. I think I’d much rather be Y/N L/N, a citizen of the United States of America.”

Alexander smiled back at you. “Well then may I just say, welcome home Y/N L/N.”

[dietarysalad]

Street War – Chapter 4

Kagura’s encounter with Sougo where they had made their impromptu truce had been not even a day ago. She had not been expecting to see him again so soon. Her eyes flickered between Sougo and Sadaharu, her glare seething with venom. Sadaharu had nestled his sharp teeth tightly around Sougo’s scalp and was, at that moment, covering the boy’s face with dog slobber. The fact that Sadaharu was chewing Sougo’s head off was the only thing that brought Kagura comfort from having to see the face of her hated rival again. She briefly thought about ripping Sadaharu off Sougo and making a break for it, but she had no time to make a move before Sougo began to speak.

“Oi, China girl,” Sougo growled, his voice drowned by the mass of fur that was covering his face. “Get your stupid mutt off me. First you, now your overgrown puppy – what’s with the two of you and your obsession with my face?” “Hmph, Shinsengumi rat.”

Whilst on a walk with Sadaharu, Kagura had wandered over to a local park. The cherry blossom trees that bordered the grassy area of the park were in full bloom and Kagura decided to stop for a while to take in the sights before the flowers withered away. A strong breeze blew across the trees and Kagura gripped her burgundy letterman jacket closer to her small frame. Sadaharu, however, had caught a whiff of something – or, rather, someone – in the wind and had quickly dashed off, snatching his leash from Kagura’s loose grip. Momentarily put off-guard, Kagura blinked in confusion before rushing maniacally after her dog. When she eventually reached him, her face contorted at the sight of the brunet whose head was locked firmly between Sadaharu’s fangs.

And that was how Kagura found herself in her current undesirable situation.

“Come here, Sadaharu,” Kagura called out, approaching the two slowly. “If you eat him, you’ll get a tummy ache.” “I’m surprised you don’t get a stomach ache with all that crap you eat,” Sougo deadpanned as his eyes flickered to the packet of sukonbu that peeked out from Kagura’s pocket. “Sukonbu is not crap!” Sadaharu had, at that point, dropped from his position on Sougo’s upper torso and was sitting next to the boy, wagging his tail as his tongue stuck out from his mouth. At that moment, another strong wind blew past, ruffling Sougo’s hair and lifting his bangs for only a second. However, that single second showed Kagura all she needed to see – for there, above Sougo’s left eyebrow, was an ugly gash. The cut was clean and had been stitched up, but the unsettling mix of red and purple that surrounded the wound told Kagura that it probably hurt more than Sougo was letting on. Kagura allowed her eyes to linger on Sougo’s forehead. Perhaps for a second too long.

“Ah?” Sougo made a disgruntled sound with his throat. “What’s up with you? Creepy. Disgusting.” “Shut up, sadist.” Kagura hesitated, her eyes glancing between Sougo’s face and the grassy ground. Eventually, she settled her eyes away from him and watched the cherry blossom trees dance with the wind. “Uh, that,” she spoke again, though her tone was much more awkward than she meant it to be. “Uh, there. It looks fresh. From last night. Was that…?” Sougo scoffed at her. “Keh, not only do you look stupid – you sound stupid, too. This isn’t anything that you need to worry about.”

Kagura went quiet as Sougo watched her with scrutinising eyes. Suddenly, she turned back to Sougo and glared at him. “What?” Sougo asked, a little startled. “I hate you.” “The feeling is mutual.” “Then why did you do it?” Kagura growled. Sougo raised an eyebrow in surprise at her outburst. Sadaharu looked up from his seated position, his ears alert. His eyes trained onto Sougo’s clenched fist as every muscle in the boy’s body tensed, his brain wracking for an answer to Kagura’s question.

After a few moments, Sougo crossed his arms against his chest, his thin, black sweater wrinkling with the movement. “Listen, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Sougo smirked, his eyes focused over Kagura’s right shoulder. “Did you think I was protecting you or something?” “You can say what you like,” said Kagura as she narrowed her eyes at him. “But I’ve fought with you enough to know that you wouldn’t get a wound like that if you had been fighting on your own.” “Hmph.”

Another strong gust of wind blew across the park, relieving another load of cherry blossom petals from the trees. They fluttered with the breeze and landed like snow on the group of three. Fighting the urge to sneeze, Kagura quickly dusted a few pink petals out of her hair and off her jacket before turning from Sougo. She shoved her hands deep into her pockets and started walking off. “We’re going home, Sadaharu!” Kagura exclaimed. At that, Sougo also made to leave the park from an alternate exit. However, he was stopped by a gentle tug on his pant leg. Craning his head downwards, he found Sadaharu poised next to his right leg. The dark fabric of his jeans was caught in the Samoyed’s bite, a wet spot forming as a result of the doggy saliva that had dribbled onto his pants.

When Sougo stopped moving, Sadaharu unlatched himself and bounded up and down in front of Sougo. His soft, white fur was mottled with the pink colour of the cherry blossom petals and Sougo could not help but think that Kagura’s dog was much cuter than she was. After Sadaharu was sure that he had grabbed Sougo’s attention, he stood still and gave the boy a deep bow. Sougo blinked at the dog, a little dazed by the action, as Sadaharu lifted his head again and resumed his tail wagging. It was when Kagura called for him – once again – that Sadaharu bounded away from Sougo, leaving the boy to his thoughts.

Was that meant to be a ‘thank you’? Sougo allowed a small smile to cross his face as he turned from Kagura – successfully, this time – and walked towards the direction of his apartment. He lightly swept his bangs to the right, causing a few petals to fall from his hair, and gently touched the cut above his eyebrow. He winced at the contact and sighed, removing his hand from his face and dropping it to his side. He looked up once more to look at the trees on the outskirts of the park, their pink blossoms darkening as the sun began to set. Silently, he thought to himself that Kagura’s dog had much better manners than its master.

The next day, Sougo walked into the third-years’ wing and opened up his shoe locker to swap his shoes out for the day. However, when he swung the door open, he found his indoor shoes hidden beneath a bottle of iced tea and a sheet of paper. Cautiously, he took both items into his hands and read the note. ‘We’re even now’. The words were almost illegible and the entire piece of paper was marred by haphazard pencil lines, as if the sender had written, erased and re-written the message a hundred times before deciding on what to write.

Sougo scoffed and scrunched up the piece of paper, turning towards a nearby bin with the intent to trash it. However, upon further deliberation, Sougo clenched his fist around the note and pocketed it instead. He looked down at the iced tea bottle in his hand, a drop of condensation sliding down its side, and slowly cracked the lid open. His face was unreadable.

“Buying me a drink doesn’t balance out a stitched-up wound, you idiot.”

Author’s Note

Sorry about the short chapter, this time! I don’t have much to say, other than I’m still deciding whether I should work on my Webtoon and my fanfic at the same time or whether I should pick one. Since the Webtoon is an ongoing project, I’ll probably decide to work on this first. We’ll see.