#.....perhaps i will move her after all if this says anything 😌😌😌

[melloreturn]

@mythvoiced sent in: MORE NELL, MORE NELL~ What are ways for her to wind down after a tough day/night? How does she feel about tough life decisions, avoidant or 'better get this over with as fast as possible'? What's her dream home? Ideal date? 👀 Does she prefer working in silence or does she like ambient sounds or maybe some tunes playing in the background? What's a supposed work 'for children' that she'd thoroughly enjoy as an adult? One work of fiction that feels like home? What are her high fives like, soft, loud, two hands, one hand, is she one of those people that holds your hand a little when your palms connect? ALL THE LOVE, FERRE~ || lena back at it with the WONDERFUL QUESTIONS 🥺

She has to look twice at this curious bystander because most of the time, she’s the one who ends up asking the questions, not the other way around. Between her, Alfred, and Myungdae, she has the least to hide…if one does not count the illegal hacking Nell used to do on the side.  But in her defense, it was a side gig,  the rent in London is always going up, and her employer at the time definitely didn’t have any intention of matching her salary with inflation rates. Hand momentarily off the keyboard, she points to herself, mouthing ‘me, right?’

Yes, they are talking to her.

Her hands go back to the keyboard- wireless with tactile switches; perhaps getting one with linear switches would be better since they make less noise and require less force to press down on, but the sound of typing is so ingrained in her ( and the other two for that matter ), it feels wrong to switch to something else. “I’m a simple girl. Give me my Do*ctor Who marathons and a tub of pistachio ice cream and I’ll be there. Not that any other flavor is worse, but you know…we all have our preferences, don’t we? Myungdae’s got his red beans and Alfred, he’s pretty BASIC. Don’t tell him I said that.”

Chocolate, she means. Not that basic is necessarily bad in this case.

She gives a nervous laugh though, glancing over at her screen. Alfred and Myungdae still haven’t arrived yet. “This…this isn’t an interrogation is it? Not that, I’m implying that you are, I mean, why would you need to, I’m just…working on work, filing for the shop, you know-“ Oh wait, she never answered the question, did she? Maybe the way she’s reacting, answers it all too clearly- if she can, she’d rather avoid the hard decisions…even if that ends up biting her in the arse later. She sighs. “Well…avoiding them doesn’t usually solve them, does it? It’s not like he's able to…”

He, as in the Black Knight. Well, the image of the Black Knight- she’s not actually him, himself. That’s Myungdae’s role, but then again, when you’re constantly with people like Myungdae and Alfred, people have been plunged into the deep end with no life vest available and yet they’re still swimming in spite it all, it makes even the worst of problems seem…bearable.  Avoiding her problems almost feels like an insult at that point. Or maybe something about being the Black Knight makes her want to be BRAVER.

 The next question is, thankfully, less probing. “Does it have good wifi? That’s all I really need to be at home. Well, a high end condo wouldn’t be terrible- I’d love to have enough space for both windows and my screens. If it’ll let me have a smartscreen installed, I’d take that to. It’d have to have an elevator though. No stairs, if possible.” That would be for her mother, the woman who raised her all on her own. Isn’t that why Nell went into hacking to begin with- to pay her mother back for all the years put into raising her daughter? At the very least, if god forbid, something happens to her, at least her mother will be comfortable. The back of her neck suddenly grows terribly warm though-not from the sentimentality or worry, but rather from-

“D-Date?” She chuckles nervously. “T-That’s a bold question, wouldn’t you say? Not that, I’m not flattered, but-“ Well, it’s a bit difficult to maintain a relationship let alone go on a date when a. you don’t know the language well and b. most of your free time is being used to be the Black Knight’s tech support. She coughs into her hand- a classic movement picked up from Myungdae. “Take me to dinner and talk to me about D*octor Who or any of my favorite TV shows. And don’t just tell me who your favorite characters are- I want to go into the meta territory.” There’s a reason her favorites have always been the long-running shows…cartoons ( St*even Uni*verse especially- if only the real world worked the way things did in there- by talking things out, no violence necessary! ) are included, even if Alfred tells her they’re for kids. It’s her free time; she’ll be using it the way she pleases, thank you very much!

“Don’t tell Alfred this, but if neither of them is in the base, I’ll put music on- with earphones, of course.” She pats her bag that holds her trusty air pods….thank goodness for wireless headphones and keyboards, she can’t imagine returning to her days of detangling wires! That was a university thing. “What? It gets boring after a while.” Not while they’re in Black Knight mode, of course, but for all the other times, seeing that the basement of the clocktower is one of the few places she can really be herself…if it weren’t for the fact it’s also where she works, she might consider hosting a marathon or two there.

( Little does she realize Myungdae has caught her once or twice jamming out to her music…he doesn’t mind, not at all. As a matter of fact, it can bring a small smile to his face in those moments, where she’s completely caught up with the present moment. )

A work of fiction that feels like home though? “Gotta be D*octor Who for sure. I remember when the reboot first started up- I was a tween- one with not a lot of friends mind you so I was always looking forward to going home to watch the new episode on the telly. And the old ones too. Mum used to yell at me for spending too much time looking at screens.” She laughs, albeit sadly. It’s been THREE YEARS since she’s seen her mother- since that day she had to go into hiding. The last thing she told her mother was that she was going out to get milk.

She wonders if her mother is still waiting for her to come home. With milk. She rubs her hands- last question. “Hm…actually I haven’t given a high-five in a while. It’s not exactly a thing, we- you know.” Most times when there’s a victory within Team Checkmate, it’s acknowledged briefly before they move on to the next topic. “I guess it would depend on who I’m giving it to? Myungdae’s not a huge fan of pain-“ So she’d probably hold his hand in a gesture of victory than high-five. “And Alfred’s on the rougher side.” Which means her palms will inevitably sting.

But speaking of which, she notices them from the other end of the room. Alfred is waving her to join them. Closing her laptop, she gives the curious soul a tight smile. “Sorry, I’d love to chat more but uh…my ride’s here. And they don’t like it when I keep them waiting.” Standing up, she tucks her laptop into her bag along with the keyboard. “Maybe we can meet up again some time? It’s hard making friends you know- well, maybe you have better luck than I do, but that’s not your problem so much as it is mine and it’s probably my fault anyways-“

She takes a deep breath.

“Anyways. I’ll see you around. Try to stay out of this side of Itaewon tonight for me, okay?”

[unecoccinellenoire]

1. First and 2. Lonely

GabeNath, of course. 😌

The sight of Gabriel standing at the midpoint of the stairs almost makes her want to turn around, shut the door, and ring the guy she's just been on an unsucessful attempt at a date with and tell him she's changed her mind.

But she really really wants to be in her own comfortable bed right now.

And Gabriel has already seen her.

He looks down at her. "Nathalie."

"Mr Agreste." She acknowledges, and approaches the stairs hoping that he'll accept the brush off.

It's a very weak hope, but for it almost looks like it might happen as Gabriel remains silent.

Until her foot lands on the first stair and, "This isn't the most professional of behaviour."

He'd apparently only been waiting for her to get closer.

"Didn't you say we were family?"

"And you think getting drunk with random men and coming home late is a good exemple to be setting to Adrien?"

She resists the urge to shut her eyes and scream.

Instead just like she does in her professional lives she pushes that reaction aside for later and forces a mostly neutral if slightly conscending tone into her voice to say, "Alright then. I'll move out."

Gabriel freezes, his lips slightly parted, and she takes her chance to attempt to get past him.

But he grabs her wrist when she gets to his level, "Nathalie you can't be serious."

"I am. Adrien's old enough he doesn't want or need me waking him in the mornings, and frankly I might do less overtime if I had an actual home to go to, so why shouldn't I move out?"

"Rent for a start, and the commute you'd-"

"Those are my issues to deal with. And I think I can. I'm not dying anymore after all."

"And you really view," his lip curls, "dating, as more important than Adrien-"

"Don't you talk about putting Adrien first to me."

"Alright. What about me?"

"What about you? Why should I think of you? You don't pay me for anything else than my work and we're not even friends anymore so why would I put you first instead of caring for my own needs."

"Your needs? Is that what this is about?"

"Yes. My needs. Because I'm lonely Gabriel. Stuck in this house with no friends, a boss who doesn't talk to me, and a boy who I love like my own son but who spends every minute possible out of this house and I can't blame him. Maybe I want someone who'll put me first? Have you ever thought about that? Except I don't know why I'm asking because of course you haven't- sometimes I don't think even realise I'm my own person and not just some appendage of yours."

"Actually I think you made that very clear when you tried to kill me."

A phantom bruise aches on her wrist. "You'd think that would make you want me to move out. Wouldn't want me to make another attempt."

"Don't be ridiculous. I know you're not going to try to kill me again. Adrien would be horrified. And who knows what Ladybug would do."

"Not another new start I don't think. I think even she would say we're wasted our chances, and there's no more coming."

"Perhaps," Gabriel takes a step closer, his hold stopping her from stepping back and maintaining her distance. "Nathalie I don't want to waste this last chance of ours."

She looks up, it's more obvious this close that she has to slightly despite her heels.

"What does that mean?"

"I thought you didn't want me to talk to you except about work. I didn't mean to make you feel alone. Can't we...."

Just like she always does she rescues him, "try to be friends again? I suppose. That doesn't mean I shouldn't still move out."

Gabriel's eyes draw over her making her want to shiver, but all he says is, "we'll talk about it in the morning."

"Alright. Goodnight Gabriel."

"Goodnight. Nathalie." And with that he finally lets her go.

She hardly notices, distracted by the parting kiss he offers to her cheek, and as Gabriel moves away towards his own room she's the one left behind frozen in confusion.

[gurugirl]

Guru,my beloved. I’m aware that you are busy with writings and patreon but i’d like to request something that i know you won’t resist😉 as for me well i’m a woman in heat what can i say? Lol.

Imagine older!hrry like we’re talking 40s and young y/n 20s. She moves to a new city and he’s a known rich man, perhaps she works at a kindergarten where harry sometimes picks up his niece. At first, he admires her body and hooks up with her regularly for that (mean dom, spanking, bondage, cum play, plugs, roleplay) but after a few months he grows really soft for her and falls in love so his domestic side and need for settling down spirals. Obviously this is where the breeding kink will come in. Listen Guru, i’m in my mid twenties, been here and there and at this point i’m dying for a baby, the woman in me is screaming. I know that you’ve written lots of breeding kinks but i beg you to make this one so fucking filthy more than the rest. Like beyond feral and primal. He actually gets her pregnant with lactation kink and all the talk about fertility, her being his housewife. Maybe it starts getting intense when he sees her with his niece…

I beg you to make my uterus happy😌

OH DARLING! You know me too well 😂 I cannot deny I'm so into a good breeding kink that this idea just makes me feral!!!

I like the idea and the detail of her being new in town and Harry is some bigshot but no one knows he's got this devious, kinky side and he can't resist his niece's teacher and eventually, he wants ALL OF HER and breeding kink sex insert!! YESSSSS

I want to also say... 🤭🤭🤭 this is kind of how I met my SO (he wasn't a big shot or anything lol). I was a preschool teacher & my SO was one of my student's uncles. One night we saw each other at a local bar and he approached me and we've been together ever since. So all that to say I've already got some ideas swirling for this prompt!

Thank you dying-for-a-baby anon!!!!!

xoxo

[prettyboybuckley]

"your smile brings me so much joy." also this from the prompt list, if it sparks joy? 🥺👉👈

hi april ❤️ @lostinabuddiehaze also requested this one, hope you and kel like it. It's not totally a confession but close enough? 😌 yes i know you basically supplied the idea for the call yourself but you didn't know it was for this prompt sooo

When Buck imagined them finally talking about this, or even starting that conversation, he didn't think it'd be at a call. Perhaps that was naive of him to think, considering they spend a lot of time at work.

Christmas is nearing, which means that they get called out to a lot of calls from people trying and failing to decorate their house, and this time is no exception.

Honestly, all Buck can think about with Christmas coming close is that a year ago he was still with Taylor and Eddie left the 118. Neither of those are things he likes to think about.

"I swear I was being careful," the young woman sniffs as Eddie and Chim help her onto the stretcher. "I just wanted to put it all up before my wife came home because I knew it'd make her smile."

Said wife, who introduced herself as Andy, is standing next to them, looking fond but exasperated, with her hands on her hips.

"You'd think you'd know by now that this is a two-person job, Kate," she retorts. "And if you waited, I could have told you that the ladder wasn't reliable."

Kate—she fell from the ladder when a step cracked, and broke her leg and probably injured her back, bless her—pulls a petulant face but doesn't argue.

"I think it's sweet that you did this because you wanted to make your wife smile," Buck defends her, because he does, and he totally gets it. He'd do anything to put a smile on the face of the love of his life.

Eddie snorts, shaking his head. "Of course you do, this is exactly the kind of stupid thing you'd do."

"Yeah, well, you know your smile brings me so much joy," Buck retorts, and it's supposed to come out as a joke, but he's pretty sure that it ends up being a little too genuine.

"You almost losing your fingers while trying to fix the garbage disposal would not make me smile."

"That was one time!"

Chim, who has been watching their interaction with what seems to be rising amusement, seems to decide to put a stop to their bickering as he says: "You can squabble about that later, boys."

Buck and Eddie both roll their eyes, but they do start moving, the wife walking with them to the ambulance.

"How long have you two been together?" Kate asks, looking up at them from her position on the stretcher.

They share a look and Buck is starting to panic a little, and Eddie seems to be at a loss for words as well.

"They aren't," Hen, who has been watching it all quietly, ends up answering, "but that's because they're stupid."

She and Chim take over the stretcher, and Andy follows them and her wife into the back of the ambulance, leaving Buck and Eddie standing outside.

"So," Eddie says, smiling a little awkwardly, and Buck rocks himself back and forth on the balls of his heels, hands in his pockets. "You like to make me smile, huh?"

"Didn't think that would be news to you."

That puts a thoughtful look on Eddie's face, as if he's trying to remember something, and Buck is holding his breath. God, he's so in love that it's pathetic, and at this point Eddie has to see it, too, right?

"No, I guess not," he answers after a moment, ducking his head as if he's embarrassed about something. "I like it when you smile, too. Because of something I did. I mean, I like to make you happy, because-"

He cuts himself off, looking frustrated. Buck can hear Bobby calling for them from the engine.

"I get it, I feel the same," Buck tells him, and he hopes Eddie means what Buck thinks he means, but maybe he's reading too much into this. If that's the case, this is probably sounding a little too much like a love confession. "We can talk about it later? This feels like a conversation we shouldn't have here."

Eddie nods, and their shoulders bump as they walk back to the engine. When Buck glances to the side, their eyes meet, and Eddie smiles, small and private but with a look in his eyes that makes the hope inside Buck's chest swell ten times in size.

from the romantic confession dialog prompts

[mahvericks]

i’m worse at what I do best // john wick (ft. yelena belova)

Summary; John and y/n deal with the consequences of missing Iosef in the night club.

Warnings; violence, swearing, alcohol consumption, blood, murder. This one doesn’t truly stick to the John Wick plot I need to add stuff on my own or it’ll be too short and don’t make enough sense lmao.

i don’t usually describe anything about the reader so it’s as inclusive as possible, but I do vaguely mention reader’s age in this one. Hopefully it’s fine. This is a repost if you already read it, I’m sorry I’m testing to see if this one shows up in the tags!

сука = b*tch

ебать = f*ck

Words count; 2,9k.

@mcgrathandwives @xxxtwilightaxelxxx​  + 😌 anon

prelude | chapter one | chapter three | chapter four | chapter five | chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine | chapter ten

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Finally entering the Continental, John and you made your way to the reception where was standing the concierge- it almost looked like he hadn’t moved an inch since you left hours ago, “ good evening.”

“ Good evening. Is the doctor in?”

“ Yes, sir. Twenty-four/seven.”

“ Send him up, please.”

Now what kind of doctor would work in an establishment like this one? Not that you were against having your nose checked too, you were just too proud to admit it, “ Yes, sir. Anything else, sir?”

“ Depends. How good’s the laundry?”

“ I’m sorry to say that no one’s that good.”

Well that’s too bad, you thought- you liked the clothes you were wearing even if you had stolen them from a suitcase at the airport when you landed in New York, “ No, I thought not.”

“ May I suggest a drink, sir? Bourbon, perhaps?”

“ That sounds perfect.”

“ What about you, miss? ”

“ Vodka. Send the bottle up, please. ”

The concierge nodded and let you walk John to the elevator, once inside you let out a tired sigh, “ which floor?”

“ 8.”

Nodding, you pushed the button where the number was written and waited for the elevator to get you there, “ thanks- for getting me there.”

“ You saved my ass a few times back there, that’s the least I could do but don’t get used to it. ”

John chuckled, nodded and got out of the elevator with your help, “ want to get your nose checked since the doc is coming? ”

“ Nah it’s fine, got it broken in the past, it’d hurt worse if it was broken. I’ll stay ‘till the doc get there so you don’t pass out because you look like absolute shit right now and then I’m gone. ”

“ Well thanks for your honesty. ”

Rolling your eyes, you followed John inside of his room and leaned against a wall near the door while he sat down on one of the chair. This was definitely not how you imagined your night, while you were disappointed that you didn’t get to finish what you had planned out, you were pretty surprised that your team up with John didn’t go too bad. 

Of couse, it wasn’t like when you were teaming up with Yelena, nothing or no one would replace her- even if when you had been teaming up was for a way different reason that what you did tonight, you couldn’t help but miss Yelena.

“ You can leave if you want, I’ll be fine and the doc will be there soon. ”

“ I know. I’m just waiting for my vodka. Am I that bad of a company? ”

“ That’s not what I said. But you should really get your nose checked out- you got lucky I didn’t break it. ”

Frowning, you crossed your arms, now that wasn’t something pleasing to hear, “ Wait… You were planning on breaking my nose? ”

“ Yeah. ”

“ сука!”

“ You would have done the same.”

Before you could say anything, a knock on the door was heard which you went to answer for John. Seeing a quite old man, you understood it was the doctor and motioned him to come in. Going back to the wall you were previously leaning against, you watched the doctor get all he needed out of his bag without a word.

Soon after the doctor started cleaning John’s wound, another knock was heard on the door, this time the drinks were waiting on the other side of the door. You thanked the person who brought the drinks and came back inside with the two bottles and glasses. 

“ Here,” you said as you put down the glass and poured some of the Bourbon that suggested the concierge, “ need anything else?”

“ Yeah, let the doc check your nose.”

“ I can fix it myself.”

John shook his head in disapproval, which looked kind of funny as he was the one being stitched up with an ice pack on his shoulder, “ Doc, how long will it take you to take a look at her nose?”

“ Five minutes I’d say. It doesn’t look broken- after cleaning up the blood, an icepack to reduce the swelling and an ibuprofen for the pain should do.”

“ Ugh fine,” you gave in, before adding as a warning, “ if this hurts i’m hitting you. I don’t care if you’re suffering or not. That’ll be on you.”

“ Are you always this dramatic? ”

“ Are you scared of getting hit by me again?”

“ At least, I’m not the one who was getting strangled to death.”

Sighing, you finally opened the Vodka bottle and took a good sip out of it, “ I’m not the one who was thrown from the first floor like some garbage.”

The doctor cleared his throat, probably uncomfortable to be in the middle of your little argument. He then declared being done stitching up John and asked you to sit down so he could take a better look at your nose.

It did sting a bit when you got the dried blood cleaned up from your nose, having slight pressure applied on your already sensible nose made your eyes water even if you had no need or reason to cry, “ ебать! ”

“ Alright that should be good enough. I can’t do more for you two,” said the doctor as he went to put his ustensils back in his bag to leave, “ try not to get hurt again.”.

“ Thanks doc. ” 

Once the doctor left John’s room, the two of you were left in an awkward silence- you weren’t sure if you were supposed to go to your room now as he probably wanted to rest but on the other hand, he might still needed your help with something, you just felt like it would be stupid to ask him.

“ So, what are you planning on doing next? We don’t know where Iosef is hiding. ”

“ I’m not sure yet. I’ll probably look around, ask people- someone gotta know something. ”

John huffed at your answer, “ good luck on that. They won’t say anything, you know that? ”

“ I’ll make them talk. ”

“ They’ll beat you up again. Viggo is going to reinforce each of his groups.” 

Taking another sip of your vodka, you didn’t really like how John said it, as if he was insuniating you didn’t know what you had gotten yourself into, “ you think today was my first beating? I know what I’m doing. ”

“ You look young. What are you? 21? 22? ”

“ Yeah around that age. Why does it matter? I’ve been killing people for a long time now. “

“ Viggo was already doing his business before you were even born. He knows what to do and will be ready when you get to him. ”

“ And? You know, if killing him means that I gotta be killed by his men after- I’m fine with it. Taking him out is the only thing that matters to me. What he did- what he does... Someone gotta take care of him. ”

John finished his glass of Bourbon as he listened to you rant, “ so you just wanna die? ”

“ No. I don’t. But it’ll be a cool way to die- killing the man responsible for a lot of shit he caused. ” 

“ There’s no cool way to die. ”

“ You can be so unfunny when you want. Is that because you got stabbed? ”

“ I never claimed to be funny. ”

“ Well you should try it sometimes. You sound like an old man being so serious and all. ”

“ I’ll think about it. ”

Rolling your eyes, you knew that John didn’t mean it but you didn’t really care- being funny was indeed a plus, but you didn’t meet a lot of people who were. Actually, the only person you truly found funny was Yelena and you had no idea where she was.

Knowing her, she probably wasn’t far from Russia, if she went into hiding as you hoped so, she probably went somewhere that her sister, Natasha, could find. All you could do was to hope she was okay and safe. Thinking about the only true friend you ever had made you realize how much you missed her.

“ Do you often zone out like this? ”

Hearing John’s voice made you snap back to reality, you didn’t lose focus when you were out on a mission but when you didn’t have to be concentrated on one thing, you tended to get lost in your thoughts, “ not that much. I was just thinking about someone. ”

“ Family? ”

You frowned as his question- was he just trying to be nice and be interest in your life or was he just trying to bribe you into telling you things he could later use on you?, “ I don’t know what it’s like to have a family. ”

“ Sorry to hear that. ”

Before being freed from the mind control, you never had the chance to think about it- or even remember. Did you ever had family? Was there anyone that you could call that? The closest thing you ever had to a family was your bond with Yelena.

“ Don’t be. Alright, you’re probably exhausted so I’m gonna leave you to rest. Do you like... Need anything before I leave? ”

“ No I’ll be fine, thank you. ”

Nodding, you got up and made your way to the door, “ Then good night John. ”

“ I know some places to look at for Viggo and his son. Would you like to come with me? ”

You were surprised by his proposition to say the least, you weren’t excepting John to even consider teaming up with you again, “ why would you that? ”

“ You remind me of myself when I was your age. ”

“ That’s supposed to be a good thing? ”

“ I don’t know. But I know more than you do and can help you. ”

“ Is that so you can ask for my help when you need it? ”

“ No. I don’t want anything in return as long as Iosef gets to die. ”

“ Then I guess it could be a better way to die. I’ll see you tomorrow. ”

“ Be ready to leave at 6. ”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

It had been a short night of sleep for you, like it way too often was- you had never been running on many hours of sleep during your long time in the Red Room, and ever since you got out, finding sleep was harder than you remembered as your brain didn’t want to shut off. You still managed to get a couple hours of sleep and that would do the job.

You had been ready to leave since 5.30am but waited till the said hour to head to John’s room that happened to be only a few rooms before yours. It was almost like you had been destined to work together. Knocking on John’s door, you waited until he came to open, “ I’m not too early?”

“ No. You look like shit.”

“ So do you, John. Did you even sleep? ”

“ Probably more than you did. How’s your nose?”

For a second, you almost thought he was mocking or teasing you but you didn’t hear any of that in his voice, “ bruised as you can see. You ready to leave?”

“ I am. Did you eat something before coming? It’s going to be a long day.”

“ Do I look like someone who had breakfast?”

“ Well you should.”

“ Now I didn’t accept to tag along for you to baby me.”

“ Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Your friend was right and deep down you knew it, it was never a smart idea to leave on an empty stomach but if you had to be honest you never excepted things to be so pricey. You never had money to begin with and now that you were on your own and didn’t take a bounty yet, all the money you had was from the few bills you stole here and there since you flew Morocco.

Following John to his car, you remained silent hoping for him to speak up first, and especially if it was to talk you about the potential leads he had, “ there’s a place not far from here, usually some of Viggo’s men used to get their food and coffee there.”

“ Oh yeah, I almost forgot you used to work for him. It’s been years. You think they still go there? ”

“ I was only retired for five years. I’m sure some still go there.”

“ Then let’s go there.”

When you got to the shop John told you about, there weren’t many people in that seemed sketchy- you did notice a few men sitting here and there eating their breakfasts and without being cliché, they did look like they worked for a Russian mobster.

John and you went to sat down at a table and discretely studied everyone inside, while he had been right about some of Viggo’s men still coming here, you doubted any of them where ranked high enough to know anything about where Iosef was hiding, “ did you just make me come here to make me hungry?”

“ No, but you can order something if you want while we wait for someone to leave.”

“ I didn’t bring money,” you lied not wanting to tell him that you simply had no money to spare on a breakfast, “ but thanks for the suggestion.”

“ Order something, I’ll pay for you.”

“ I had no idea the greatest hitman could be such a dad.”

While what you said was only one of your joke, John didn’t seem to enjoy that one as you were pretty sure you saw his eyes becoming darker, “ if you pass out on me, i’m leaving you on the streets.”

“ Is that a threat?”

“ Yes.”

“ Fine, but I’m only taking one pastry.”

In the end, you did end up ordering a pastry mostly because you didn’t want John to keep annoying you over the fact you didn’t take any breakfast before leaving. But you had to be honest and say that the cinnamon roll you ended up ordering was incredible, “ fuck this is so good! ”

“ You never tried those before? ”

“ I never had any pastry before. Thank you for buying me one.”

“ Don’t mention it, it’s not much. ”

“ It is for me, no one ever bought anything to me. ”

“ Then I’m glad you’re enjoying it. ”

However, you did not get to enjoy the rest of your cinnamon roll as you had to finish it quickly to follow one of the men you had been suspecting of working for Viggo. John and you walked far enough from him to not be spotted but once he turned into a small and empty alley, the two of you caught up to him.

John grabbed him by the arm and threw him against the wall, making no room for the man to try and run away from the two of you, “ where is Iosef hiding? ”

“ I- I don’t know. ”

The poor man seemed to be terrified by John but if he was this easily scared, he should have considered another kind of work than being one of a russian mobster. Getting the switchblade you had been hiding in your ankle knife holder, you opened it and put it against the man’s neck, “ Give us something. You don’t want to die, do you? ”

“ I swear I don’t know anything! ”

“ You work for Viggo, of course you know something! ”

“ I’m still new! I don’t do much besides listening to basic orders! ”

Sighing, you started to believe the terrified man in front of you, at this point he was basically begging to not be hurt, you knew he wouldn’t be of any help whatsoever, and now, you couldn’t let him go neither.

“ Then you’re useless to us. ”

You didn’t really hesitate to kill him right on the spot by slicing his throat deep enough so he wouldn’t make any noise. You watched him fall on the ground, holding his throat as if it would change anything.

“ Why did you do that? ”

Weren’t you supposed to do that so he wouldn’t let the others know about you trying to find Iosef again? Maybe you shouldn’t hav done that but it didn’t really matter to you, you didn’t even feel a thing when you cut his throat open, “ he would have called back up. ”

“ I could have knocked him out. ”

“ Still would have called his boss when he would’ve regained consciousness.”

“ We probably would have find someone else to speak up by that time. ”

“ Are you scared to kill people now, John? ”

“ No. But he didn’t know a thing. “

“ Doesn’t matter. It was one of Viggo’s men and they all deserve to die as much as he does. Now, didn’t you said you knew a few places? We gotta go to another one. ”

[ladybookstan]

My masterlist✨

Thank you guys @sweetmalibugirl @theladyofthesummerday for your support and motivation and my apologies for making you wait so long😌I promise that I gonna establish a routine to post the chapters of the two fanfics. My insecurity in English and lack of time are the factors that hinder me. I going to try to change that.

Remembering that i write for fun🙂🙃

Chapter 2

Word count: 1.697

— Looking forward to your first mission? — Lucien stops in front of me and looks at me excitedly. I raise an eyebrow, not holding back my smile.

— Finding Bryaxis isn't exactly the best mission in the world. Also not doing recon for the Mortal Lands. And it's not exactly a mission. — I answer calmly. The sun in Velaris is extremely hot for an average day, I'm dripping with sweat as I finish cleaning the front of my shop. I want to get everything ready for the next few weeks I spend in the Mortal Lands in Band of Exiles.

— This is a mission, you know, pretty important. Are you ready to move in with me, Jurian, and Vassa? — I take a deep breath and try to align my thoughts with everything that happened in a single week. And live with Lucien? Okay. Living with Jurian and Vassa? Not so ok and how will they react to it? I accepted the IC mission because that's exactly why I decided to become a Valkyrie; make a difference, be helpful to my Court, do something really important. Finding Bryaxis and doing land recon is important, we need to find the creature and know how the humans are dealing with everything that happened, how they are living now, and if there are any rumors about the queens or Koschei. Could Lucien do this? Absolutely, but he's been very busy with all the activities of Emissary of the Night Court, and he needs someone new, with a different approach... Me. And that was a big vote of confidence that they gave me. Three pairs were made to try to find Bryaxis, Gwyn and Azriel, Emerie and Amren, Me and Lucien. We have some clues to three places the creature might be and, okay, the Mortal Lands is the most unlikely place, but there's still a chance. Living with Vassa and Jurian is perhaps what is worrying me the most. I shake my head and push those thoughts away, smile at Lucien, and lie most convincingly:

— Of course. I'm fully prepared and can't wait to meet Queen Vassa. — I look mischievously at my friend and ask the question that's begging to leave my lips: — Has anything happened between you two? Something I need to know so I don't make a fool of myself in front of her? — Lucien's eyes widen and a satisfying blush settles on his face. I already have my answer.

— Shut up. Nothing for you to know. — He walks past me to enter the store and I hum in amusement.

Maybe spending time in Band of Exiles isn't so bad.

After saying goodbye to everyone and getting everything I need, Lucien us winnows to the Mortal Lands; we stopped in front of a big house made of stone. It is a beautiful and well-planned construction. I appreciate the change of weather, compared to the Night Court, the Mortal Lands has a mild climate and a cool early evening breeze that causes a few strands of my hair to come loose from the top of my head where they're stuck.

Lucien walks towards the door of the house and I follow him. I grip the strap of my suitcase and breathe so deeply my lungs ache. I know who Vassa is and from what Lucien says, she's easy to get along with, but Jurian... Jurian, The Cruel Human General, who killed many of my kind and took pleasure in it... I'm not afraid of him, I'm afraid of what I can do to him if I feel threatened. As if reading my thoughts, Lucien says:

— Jurian is... a little hard to deal with at first, he doesn't let people get too close. But you made Eris and even Devlon like you, I'm sure you can soften Jurian too. — I frown at my friend.

— I don't want to soften Jurian and he won't have a speck on my selfless side. — Maybe my voice spills poison? Perhaps. I care? Not even a little. Lucien tries to argue, but I stop him; I love that loyal attitude, but I won't change my mind about Jurian.

— Just don't be so critical. — I look indignantly at the crimson red-haired male and he chuckles.

Before I can answer him with something sarcastic, Lucien opens the door and gives me a gentle push inside. If I thought the outside was a good view, the inside is even prettier. Shades of beige, red, and gold decorate the lobby, and a large stone fireplace and red padded sofas would easily accommodate eight people. I see a hallway and a few doors before Lucien puts his hand on my back and leads me down the hall.

— They should be inside, relax. — I look at him questioningly, am I so nervous you can tell? I close my eyes and take in the scents around me: plants and something citrus and wild; this reassures me. Remember, Ayla: I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Nothing can break me. I open my eyes and know I'm ready for anything. We pass through a stone archway and enter a replica of the lobby, only this room is a little bigger. Sitting in nearby armchairs and holding glasses, which I imagine contain whiskey, Eris, and apparently Jurian. My eyes widen in surprise at Eris, but my body involuntarily stiffens at the sight of Jurian. Before coming to the Mortal Lands, I had my usual hairstyle: my hair is tied back and braided on top of my head and my ears are in plain sight. If Jurian thinks I'm going to try to hide my origin and identity, he's wrong.

— Look who the wind has brought. — Eris tilts her glass toward me, no movement beyond that. I smile tentatively:

— If Lucien's name is “wind” now, you're right, Eris. — He narrows his eyes at me.

— Where's Vassa? — Lucien intervenes before this becomes a battle of snide comments between me and Eris.

— She's not here yet. — A shiver runs down my spine at the sound of Jurian's low, husky, piercing voice. I look directly at him, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin, stubble covering his entire strong, slightly angled jaw. Looking at Jurian is painfully cruel, someone like him shouldn't have a face like that.

— Right, introductions: Ayla Yastare, Jurian. Jurian, Ayla Yastare. Eris, you already know each other, no introductions required. Ayla going to spend time with us as a representative of the Night Court. — Lucien announces. Jurian gives me an indifferent look, which I return. Lucien speaks to me, and I direct my attention to him, “Welcome to the Band of Exiles.” I smile slightly and point to my suitcase:

— Where do I keep this? — I avoid looking at Jurian.

— I gonna show you your room. — I'm a little surprised I have my own room, but I'm also grateful. Lucien goes ahead, towards the corridor we went through to get here, but before we leave the room, Eris speaks maliciously:

— If Elain only knew…— Lucien stiffens in front of me. Eris likes to make certain kinds of innuendo with my friendship with Lucien. Asshole.

— Always so mature. Eris dear, if you have feelings for me, just say so, I won't hurt your pretty heart, but making these ridiculous and unsubstantiated insinuations is a very childish thing to do. — Lucien chokes on a laugh, I swear I saw surprise in Jurian's eyes and I can tell that Eris was pissed off. To further tease him, I hum: — Good to see you too, Eris. — Lucien and I leave the room before a fireball is launched at me. A hobby? Tease Eris. It's strangely satisfying.

After going through the well-decorated hallway, up the stairs, and down another hallway, I finally arrive at my room. Lucien opens the door and I enter; simple yet elegant. It's a beautiful room, the same shades that decorate the rest of the house. I wonder who was responsible for the decoration. This person definitely has good taste. I place my suitcase on the floor near the door.

— Eris…erh…— Lucien slurs his words, but I stop him, reassuring him:

— Relax, I know how to handle your brother. — And that's true. I grew up with two older brothers, two blacksmiths; I've had excellent training in dealing with arrogant and sarcastic males. Thinking about Dallas and Shay is like a punch in the gut and I know I need to be alone now. It's a relief when Lucien leaves.

— I know. You have your own bathroom, you have towels and sheets, and anything you need let me know. I gonna call you when Vassa arrives. — I thank him and we smile at each other, closing the door as he leaves.

I sit on the edge of the bed and take a deep breath; reality finally crashing down on me: I'm out of Prythian, I'm in the Mortal Lands, and my brothers aren't here to see it all. Dallas and Shay would be proud. I know, but that doesn't diminish the longing I feel for them.

I take a look at my room: linoleum flooring, wooden furniture, a large four-poster bed, a fireplace with two armchairs, red carpets, a small table with a chair, a large window with beige curtains, a closet that gonna accommodate my clothes very well and a small dresser. It's cozy.

I grab my suitcase and start to get my things, my sword, my set of daggers, my set of knives, the flexible spear I got for my eighteenth birthday, and lastly, the maps, books, notebooks, and clothes, and personal objects. I organize everything quickly and methodically. When I finish, Lucien knocks on my door:

— Vassa is here and wants to meet you. — He smiles softly at me, but that doesn't help my nervousness. Very well, Ayla, be calm. Nothing to worry about. I leave the room and close the door behind me.

Time to meet Queen Vassa.

[srahpaulsons]

[text]: Love that! Please, I'm a great cheerleader. You'll just have to schedule the fight a few days after a Raiders game because I usually lose my voice from screaming so loud during those games. She's truly a saint and the two of you are iconic. I may turn into a puddle if I ever happen to be in the presence of both of you together. You're welcome to come over any time! My closet is slowly coming together after the move and I could afford to get rid of some things. Anything you want is yours outside of my Raiders gear and a few leather jackets. Hmm, it'll have to be somewhere that can be easily covered for work so no face tattoos. Behind my ear, actually! It's quite big but easy to cover and you can't see it with my hair down. You are? How amazing! Well we'll have to do a small something before you do move and plan the adventure when you're not so in-the-middle of it.

[text]: On the one hand, you have the mentality that 'models aren't perfect' so their decision to show her falling was to humanize her. However, as a woman who has represented your brand so well for years, it was a dirty move. Plus the fact that it was stated multiple times that the show is meant to be a 'fantasy' when being called out for casting decisions – it should have come out. No one would have ever known outside of those in Shanghai. Thank you! I appreciate you saying that so much. A lot of people view models in a certain light but there's truly a whole side of the industry that people don't understand. In a way, it's similar to acting. We also go through the ringer looks-wise to accommodate a designer's vision, like needing your eyebrows dark for one show and bleached off the next. Small, little things that most people don't notice. And then the wings? It's tough enough walking down a glittered runway in heels but to add up to sixty pounds on your back? Luckily my wings never weighed that much but it's still a good twenty pounds of additional weight to carry. Perhaps, but you get blinded! It's no wonder why a lot of red carpet photos capture some strange faces. Ooh, I love a good shoulder moment. You'll have to pick the perfect one for my inaugural look.

[ t e x t ] You got it, pretty lady, i'll work around your schedule so we throw off jamie with those chants of yours 😌👊 oh she's the dreamiest saint there is, but i have to admit, jess takes the bait for most of that "iconic" part, and you're /always/ welcome in the middle of a love fest sandwich. For one, she'd pretty much fall in love with you as fast as i have. But you've got yourself a deal 😍😍 i'll stay clear of any sentimental pieces, but those leather jackets may still be used in any possible fashion shows we put on, just a warning. Is that the only one you have ?? aka the next upcoming weeks i'm all in to just getting all spontaneous with you

[ t e x t ] I still think it was a pretty distasteful thing they did with keeping it in, for her own sake and the "fantasy" you mentioned they were selling. But i mean it !! yes, there’s major similarities in both business's and the criticism we face with those who think its a walk in the park, but i'm forever BLOWN AWAY whenever i get to sit front incenter at any show like that, like it’s pure goof face. As someone whos still getting her natural brows back from months of bleaching, i hear you. What we do isn't for the faint of heart, i can hardly walk in heels without a fuck ton of weight on my back and sometimes a loooot of dumbass's don't realise that, but i personally think it's always a big fuck you to those people whenever you walk out there and do what you do best -- you could make a whole scrap book on the faces they've captured. I tend to pull them on purpose now, but for the sheer fact i'm an ass who loves a good photo bomb. THANK YOU, not a lot of people are agreeing with me about them coming back, so i'll easily quoting you on that, thankfully my stylist is on our side too.