#AM STILL VERY PROUD OF THAT CASTLE OKAY | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

selenacosmic · 1 month ago

Text

A heartfelt surprise.(1/2)

birthday special. Pt.1

Dawn began approaching, becoming more apparent by the orange tainted sky engulfing the blue horizon, a clear distinction for the end of the night and the beginning of a brand new day in Kai. The air was chilly as snow began falling, creating a beautiful white cover on top of the garden, usually colorful with flowers, was now colorlessly icy. Fast footsteps approached the kitchen, small legs carrying the excitement of the twins, the moment they slid the door open, a sweet scent took over and guided them to…

“Children? You two have never woken up this early before. Are you that excited for today?” I was in the middle of my attempt, attempt, to make a birthday cake for the love of my life, who should still be asleep in bed.

Tugging at the hem of my kimono, both twins were looking with bright eyes at what I was making. On one side, a boy that took after my hair color and eyes, yet had the same face as his father, Oujiro. The most energetic and playful soul in Tsutsujigasake castle. On the other side, a girl that took after Shingen’s hair color and grey eyes, as adorable as she was charming and charismatic, Himeko.

“Mama, you said that today is a very special day for papa, we have to start celebrating now!” Oujiro must have woken up his sister early today just to start celebrating their father’s birthday, it surprises me that she isn’t grumpy.

“I did, and you two have a very important role for today. But you two must be very sneaky, just like Sasuke is.” For the moment, I put aside the cooking tools, having them tugging at my clothes would only end in disaster while trying to cook.

“See? I told you we shouldn’t have ran! What if dad woke up?” Himeko shot a glare at Oujiro, a small pout on her face. It was at times like these that I wish I could pinch their faces, but for now, stop the conflict, Selena!

“Alright, no need to be angry. I am sure your father won’t wake up yet, after all he hasn’t come looking for us.” Although even if shingen did suspect of our surprise, I doubt that he would want to ruin it, just to consider our feelings. “Your uncles will be helping you with your task, but you must work together to make your father extra happy.”

With a proud grin, Oujiro puts his hands on his waist while stuffing his chest “I will make sure everything is perfect, mama! I won’t let uncle kenshin make trouble this time.” He looked so determined that i couldn’t help but smile, last year we almost couldn’t hold a party because of kenshin wanting to spar with Shingen every time he said anything about the presents, all while saying that his present was the end of his sword.

Luckily, he wouldn’t do anything dangerous knowing that there are children around, Kenshin has gotten better in dealing with kids ever since the twins were born, so he was more careful now.

Himeko crosses her arms while smiling, a motivated expression on her face “You are too slow, I have made a list on everything that dad will like!”

“Well, look at you two multitaskers! I guess i don’t have anything to worry about anything this year! Just remember, anything that might be too difficult or dangerous to do, you two should ask your uncles’ assistance with.” Just in case, I asked Sasuke and Yukimura to keep a constant eye on them. While the children were determined, they also thought they could do certain things alone, it would be better to have more than one adult to ensure they don’t do anything they shouldn’t do.

“Okay!” Both seemed very excited to plan their father’s birthday, I wanted to let them feel included during the planning this year so that they weren’t left out, I could see how eager they were to surprise shingen.

While the children talked about what they needed to do for the banquet that night, I shifted my gaze towards what I was baking, feeling a bit lost. It’s not that it’s impossible to bake a cake, but it was very difficult without the convenience and proper materials. I was trying to come up with a different idea, but that was not going how I wanted.

Once the sun lighted up all the sky, It was certain that Shingen would be up and looking around for us, and i can’t let him see the preparations. The plan was, after baking something (at this point it didn’t even need to be a cake) and then take him for a date in town. While we are out, the others will prepare everything so that we would come back for a whole party waiting for shingen. Maybe… i could stack dangos in a pyramid or… maybe manju? It technically is a small cake, i could stack them together to make up for the lack of a proper modern cake.

I had already baked all his favorites, dango, chestnut buns, sweet bean paste, sweet gelatin… maybe tons of manju built up in a tower should do.

—————

By the time I was done, the children had already taken a few sweets under the guise of just taste testing and ran out of the kitchen to go distract shingen from coming in the kitchen in case he was already up. Meaning that I need to have the maids take care of the sweets while I go and change, he would obviously be able to tell that I was cooking for his party. I carefully sneaked out of the kitchen, making my way through the corridors until I could reach the bathhouse. For my luck, I didn’t stumble into shingen on my way there.

The moment I was out of the bathhouse, however…

I felt two, strong arms pulling me against a wall— I mean, chest. Even though I was surprised, there was no denying who it was, my arms wrapped around his torso as tightly as possible. I had had trouble waking up way earlier than him just so that i could start baking his sweets, his arms are just too comfortable to move away from.

“I have been looking for you, my sneaky goddess.” His voice was warm and filled me with joy just from being near him. “My arms became cold without you there, i thought my heart was going to freeze in this snowy weather.”

“You exaggerate, though it was pretty difficult leaving your side…” just the possibility of burying my face against his chest while snuggling gave me all the energy I needed and made waking up early worth it.

“I saw the children running around the hallways, but they wouldn’t tell me what they were doing. Am I to believe that I should expect something today?” That smile he gave me made me want to give it all away to him.

Aha! I know that look, he was trying to charm his way into finding out our plans. Well, two can play this game. “I don’t know, maybe they are excited that their uncles are visiting.” I gave him my best mischievous grin, over time I had started joining him in these games of teasing that he would start.

“Is that so? Yuki does enjoy playing with them.” In our hug, his face began getting closer to my neck, my body shivered when I felt his breath against my shoulder. His lips were only grazing at my skin yet it pulled quite the reaction from me. “Hmm… chestnut buns, I knew there was a sweet scent in the air.”

Eh? How did he even figure that out? I made sure to take a long bath just so that no sweet scent lingered on me… was he just that good at guessing? It was hard to concentrate and think when he was giving soft kisses over my neck now. They weren’t intense enough to leave a love mark, but i could feel the lingering warmth there. No, maybe another trick? Well, i wouldn’t let myself fall for it.

“Looks like someone is hungry, did you eat your breakfast already? You shouldn’t have any buns unless you want to get scolded by Yukimura.” I hoped that i could distract him from finding out what I did, at least until the banquet for that night.

“As long as I have my angel of luck with me, yuki won’t be finding out.” Before he could deepen his kisses over my neck, we both heard someone clearing their throat from behind shingen.

“I won’t be finding out about what?” Yukimura was tapping his foot as if to show his impatience. “Just how many times have I told you two to go find a room instead of doing this in the middle of the hallway?”

It was during times like these that i would both be grateful and want to strangle Yukimura, for one he was able to interrupt before things escalated and all of our plans were threw out the window, but at the same time I was enjoying those kisses…

“Yuki… you really know how to ruin a man’s pleasure.” A bit dejected but with a smile on his face, shingen pulled away, keeping only one arm around my waist as he turned around to look at his vassal.

I knew that this was Yukimura’s way of reminding me of our plans, which is why I needed to focus more. First, I have to take him out of the castle for a date.

“Now that you mention, it would be nice if we could go out on a date! With work, it has been impossible for us to go out.” I looked at Shingen excitedly, this was also the perfect opportunity for us to have some privacy.

“A date sounds just perfect for the today, though I worry about not taking the children.” He is the sweetest, almost all of our dates to town, we would make sure to take the twins together, making it a big family outing.

“Do you guys not understand the concept of ‘get a room’? You are just going to a more exposed place…. Don’t worry, we can look after them, it has been a while since I spent time with the twins. I heard that Yoshimoto also has some souvenirs for them” Yukimura spoke with a smile when mentioning Oujiro and Himeko. Great, Yukimura was doing just as we planned, today it was just me and shingen for the this date and then the children would be able the surprise him with the party.

“How considerate of you, Yuki. I can’t turn this opportunity to have my celestial maiden all to myself.” He moved closer so that his lips were closer to my ear, his voice lower. “That means i won’t need to hold back on flirting.”

“Shingen! Alright, l-let’s go get ready for our date before Yukimura scold us more.” I giggled with a blush forming on my cheeks, gently pushing him away with me so that we could go to our room.

—————

Once we both were finally ready, we were set to leave for our date, though we had to get dressed separately just so that no “change of plans” occurred. He was dressed up before I was, I took a bit longer because I wanted to try a new kimono that I requested from the seamstress, I wanted something special for Shingen’s birthday after all. Once I met up with him at the entrance of the castle, he froze immediately upon looking at me.

“I must be envied by all men in this world, for I have witnessed a goddess descending I front of me.” He walked closer, making me feel a bit bashful at his sweet words.

“Let them be jealous, then. Because this goddess is taking you to a special date.” I quickly took his hand, gently tugging on it so that we could walk together.

“How lucky I am to have a goddess accompanying me, I should make every moment of this worthwhile.” His large hand engulfed mine in his, making me feel warm all over with just that physical contact. Something told me that our date promised a lot of fun!

—————

Meanwhile, as the two figures walked out for their date in town, the castle could finally start the preparations without worrying about shingen finding out, maids and vassals were running around the halls while receiving the orders from the main organizers of the party… the twins.

“Do you think they can handle this part? It isn’t too difficult but they might feel overwhelmed.” Sasuke said while looking at Oujiro and Himeko, who were checking and then double checking the list the little girl was holding. Sasuke was in charge of ensuring that the castle would be safe and properly guarded while everyone celebrated Shingen’s birthday.

“If they take after their parents, I think both are more than capable.” Yukimura seemed more confident about the kids’ abilities. He was in charge of carrying heavy weight objects that the twins couldn’t possibly carry and setting them up in the room for the banquet.

“Selena did say that they have been getting more responsible lately, perhaps that’s what happens when you are one of Shingen’s children.” Yoshimoto fanned himself lightly while taking a break, he was mostly in charge of the decoration according to Himeko, who asked for his assistance in making the room the party would take place beautiful.

“It isn’t just because of shingen, if it wasn’t for that woman, that idiot would still be a mess.” Kenshin drank tea from his cup, which he had to choose instead of sake considering that the twins were nearby. He was in charge of providing more food for the banquet and the best drinks (of course, the children would be only allowed tea or water).

Each warlord received orders from the twins on what they should do, to which they all complied. Seeing the twins growing up to be so similar to their parents spread a warm, mutual feeling among the warlords, a certainty that their future was bright.

To be continued…

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikemen sengoku shingen #ikesen shingen

22 notes · View notes

startanewdream · 2 years ago

Text

Inspired by this art, only I thought let's make this more emotional. Or how Minerva McGonagall receives the news about James Sirius Potter's birth.

The message comes in the early hours of the morning, before she leaves for breakfast. A short note, attached to a barn owl.

Professor Headmaster, if there is no trouble, would you join me for a drink at The Hog's Head tonight? — Harry.

It's funny how she still recognizes his handwriting after so many years; it's the "g", Minerva thinks, there's something very specific about this letter and the way Harry curves it.

She scribbles a quick note in answer, then ties it to the owl's leg. It's a beautiful creature that reminds her suddenly of Harry's white owl, whose wings were once harmed—and then Minerva heard what happened to the owl a few years later. Harry had looked so nervous about the state of the bird...

She shakes her head; age is making a fool of her again, too lost in memories. She dispatches the owl and tries to focus on the present.

It's after seven when she leaves the castle grounds to walk to Hogsmeade; it's a slow walk, and Minerva tells herself she will just floo back to Hogwarts later—she is getting too old for this walk, maybe this is a sign—

Hogsmeade is quiet on that Friday night; she thinks about how busy it will be the next day, with a school trip to the village — she'd heard the students talking excitedly, discussing what they would be buying—and that makes her steal a glance to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes down the street. She will need to warn the caretaker to be more careful than usual for the next week.

The Hog's Head is as busy as ever, which is to say full of shady people sitting by themselves, mostly covered; she sets a mental note to remind the Head Boy and Head Girl to watch out that no student wanders here. Then she looks around; in a dim corner, Harry is waiting for her, and he stands up when he sees her.

There is always a mingle of happiness and strange nostalgia when she sees him; except for the joy in his green eyes, he barely resembles that eleven-year-old boy that joined her house—and if she thinks further, to that baby she once delivered to a family that didn’t deserve him, there is only proud as she sees how well he’s grown up.

Harry is a fine man. Not because of his work as Auror, not because he defeated Voldemort, not even because of all those things he faced so bravely; but rather because he is a simple, fair, noble guy who believes in doing the right thing.

And he looks very well, if only slightly tired, as he shakes her hand.

“Hello, Professor,” he greets, smiling (when Harry smiles, and that’s Minerva once again being dragged by her own memories, he looks a lot like Lily). “I took the liberty of asking for your favourite.”

“Gillywater,” she says approvingly, watching the drink on the table as she joins him.

“Not Rosmerta’s, but it is still good enough—or so Aberforth tells me.” He throws her an embarrassed look. “I am sorry for asking you to come here—this is the only place reporters aren’t pestering me these days.”

“I believe a bunch of reporters here would disband Aberforth’s business.”

“Oh, his goats keep them away,” Harry says fondly. “You look good, Professor.”

“I look older, you can say it.”

He laughs. “We are all older.” He lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Don’t quote me on this, but I found my first grey hair.”

Minerva has silver hair for long enough to just find his concern amusing, but she doesn’t smile. Harry is evidently happy tonight, teasing and carefree, very different from what he looked like when he was her student; it reminds her of another young boy she once taught, but that is the problem: that boy was forever young. He never spotted any hair other than a dark one that was never tamed.

She sips her drink, admonishing herself for being so sour.

“Finding one grey hair is okay,” she says when she can trust her voice. “The problem is when you do not find any other colour.”

“That’s true; Ginny said I looked dashingly mature—and it’s bound to worsen in the future, I am sure.” His words seem ominous, but Harry looks nothing but glad.

“If you have any issues with grey hair, I don’t recommend a teaching career for you.”

“Maybe in the future—Professor Potter rings nicely, doesn’t it? Would you hire me?”

“If not, will you jinx the post?”

Another laugh. “No, I will understand. I was never the most disciplined student.” He looks around. “And I promise not to start another clandestine club.”

“That is a relief. I am too close to retirement for such emotion.”

He blinks. “Are you serious?”

She sips her drink again. “It’s been a thought. I’ve been at Hogwarts for more than 50 years — seven generations of students—”

“I thought you would stick around for an eighth one.” He fumbles in his pocket until he finds a picture. “I cannot imagine Jamie not being taught by you.”

“Jamie?”

“Here.” And he shows the photo of a crying baby, all wrapped in a blanket, safely held by his parents. Harry and Ginny look tired but they are beaming in the picture; but her attention is all drawn to that newborn baby.

Babies should look all the same, not distinct features until a few months later, but she swears he looks exactly that baby she once dropped at his aunt’s house—and then there is a fierce desire to protect this innocent child, to not make the same mistake again because she will be damned if that child doesn’t get all the love he deserves, all the love his parents should have shared—

Harry is watching her rather expectantly, and Minerva breathes out again. Harry survived, Harry is fine now—and the baby, Jamie, will never share his father’s fate.

“James,” she repeats, not minding how her voice sounds muffled. “That’s a nice choice.”

“There was no other option for Ginny and I.” Harry sighs contentedly as he looks at the photo. “He is such a loud baby, and he’s keeping us all night awake but he sleeps nicely during the day—he’s growing well and—”

Harry sounds so proud—not, he sounds bewildered as if he doesn’t believe still he gets to be this happy, to live this life—

“And this is the most recent photo,” he adds, then showing her another picture; in this one she can spot the baby’s dark hair.

“Potter hair,” she says warmly, finger stroking the photo.

“I think it’s a bit lighter,” he says. “It looks almost red under the sunlight. And his eyes… I thought it looked a bit like Ginny’s, but she said they are hazel.”

“Oh.”

“Professor,” James would say, his grave voice betrayed by the glint of mischief in his hazel eyes, “how can Filibuster Fireworks be against school rules if they weren’t even invented when Hogwarts was founded? I am sure that’s what you call a ‘loophole’, so you see, we cannot get detention—”

She inhales deeply. “Congratulations to you and Ginny. I am very happy for you.”

“Thanks.” He watches her. “We are christening him this Sunday, at the church in Godric’s Hollow. We would be very happy if you were there—so you can meet him, hopefully only eleven years sooner than you thought.”

Minerva smiles. “With such a namesake, I am sure this will be the last time I will find any peace in his presence.”

“Oh,” Harry grins. “Actually, two namesakes. We named him James Sirius.”

Minerva takes a generous sip of her gillywater. Retirement sounds almost nice, but she cannot let anyone inherit such a challenge. “I hope you get used to grey hair, Harry,” she notes. “You will get them sooner than you think.”

#Minerva and Harry #I don't know how to tag this #Minerva McGonagall #James Sirius #Harry Potter #They are happy here I swear #also it bothers me to think that Minerva would give up #she would protect James Sirius so much

494 notes · View notes

imperatorcaesaraugustus · 6 months ago

Text

we come now to that most special time of the week, the time or ThoughtD: Thoughts on HotD. today we look at season 2 episode 7

my favorite way to have a conversation is on a beach shouting at each other from 50 feet away

"my father is no one of consequence" how long do you plan on keeping that fact a secret, Addam?

"under the sheets and in the woodpiles" i see we're taking this idea away from Jace (or away from mushroom, depending on what source you believe) and giving it to Mysaria

also, woodpiles? i get sheets, but why woodpiles, specifically?

Addam putting in his 2 weeks with Corlys because he got hired at a new job as Dragonrider

Corlys just saying "well done" instead of "i'm proud of you" or "i care about you, son" or "i can't believe you're a dragonrider now that's incredible"

Muppet Tully's dialogue inside with Daemon sounds off to me, like they re-dubbed it over or something

i really like this Tully lad. masterful politician

some people have expressed boredom with Daemon's continuing situation at Harrenhal. those people are wrong, this is great

this whole dynamic between Larys and Aegon is nowhere in the book, but it makes so much sense as an addition and i love it

Alyn saying "I am of salt and sea" couldn't possibly be foreshadowing for something, could it? wait... is it? how far chronologically is this show going to continue? will there be time to pay that off?

"I'm going to bed" "um, when are we going back to the castle?" "oh, maybe never" nightmare camping trip for this poor kingsguard

oops Rhaenyra, it seems you've uncovered Jace's bastard trauma!

"if lowborn have dragons, it takes away my best claim for the throne" yeah, huh, it's almost like the power of kings is based solely on the arbitrary withholding of power from vast swaths of the population. a point that would have been made even more strongly if you hadn't cut Nettles from the show

Mysaria's agent looking very... inconspicuous... in that bright red cloak

"oh, you know, i'd definitely love to claim a dragon, it's just, oof, my leg's been acting up" love this man

"nah, do it though" love this man's mates

Hugh is Saera's son? that's so cool!

okay, for those unfamiliar, Saera Targaryen was one of King Jahaerys' daughters, aunt to King Viserys. she was involved in a scandal where she was sleeping with like three different minor lords, so Jahaerys sent her off to become a septa. she escaped and ran off to Essos, where she became a sex worker in one of the free cities (i think Lys? or maybe it was Volantis?). super interesting character, love that she's being referenced here

i... i have no idea what to make of what Alicent is doing

the dragonkeepers are going on strike

Vermithor looming out of the darkness is so cool. i love his design, too. it's very asymmetrical

at first i thought Rhaenyra was straight-up leaving. turns out she was moving up to the balcony, but still

holy fuck that went badly. like, obviously most of these people weren't going to succeed, but damn

Ulf just running off into the caves where the dragons live as if there's not going to be more dragons in there

i'm not as big a fan of Silverwing's design, but it is distinctive which i appreciate. this will be relevant in the next scene where i immediately recognized her very triangular head

Ulf gets a dragon and immediately goes to the worst place he possibly could have gone, King's Landing

all in all, another episode i really liked. can't wait to see what comes next week

#house of the dragon #hotd #hotd season 2 #hotd spoilers #house of the dragon spoilers #hotd 2x07 #ThoughtD

21 notes · View notes

the-resident-gay · 9 months ago

Note

top 5 fable ships go

I don't know ship names very well so please forgive me

I've also decided to do 5 platonic and 5 romantic because yes

ROMANTIC

5. Wetbird- I am a proud Icarus POV main and I enjoy a healthy bit of Vens POV as well. There is something about this ship that just feels very right to me and also they both have experience with Fable so I feel like they'd have this ability when something might set the other off with trauma and stuff

4. Ghaae- The OG polycule on the server and they can do no wrong in my eyes. They support each other so nicely and its just wonderful.

3. Isla/Enderian- The momssss. I love them sm for so many reasons. Enderian being protective of Isla and only soft for her is mmmmm/pos

2. Ocie/Centross- you guys I love them. I love them so much. They are so similar and I love them so much and they're just mmmmmmm/vpos. How to I explain the love I have for these two.

Wolftross- I hold them in my little hands. As a Centross POV main(until the cathedral, ofc), watching this relationship form was one of my favorite things ever. From the castle back to spawn to s3, I love this ship with my whole heart.

PLATONIC

5. Rae/Wolf(Nightingstar?)- Okay so I love these two as a duo, and the cast can do what the cast wants to do with their characters. Now, with that being said- something about them becoming romantic didn't and still doesn't sit right with me. I can totally see the two in a QPR, they have a great dynamic as partners, but I just prefer them as a platonic ship.

4. Ari/Momboo- I have seen like three posts about them as partners and I hold them in my hands. The sun/moon imagery. The potential for nicknames. They would be wonderful QPPs.

3. End duo- They're such close friends. They are always there for each other. I hold them in my hands.

2. Ghosty/Momboo- LOTW and the guy she revived. The everlasting friendship. Their beauty as a duo. They are so good you guys I don't know how to sell this please just trust me on it.

Prison duo- I could go on for so long about why these two are the perfect platonic relationship in my eyes. They have similar trauma, saw each other at their worsts, when through so much shit and came out as best friends. Icarus taking off their jacket, which they don't do often, in front of Centross. Icarus letting Centross give them a tattoo. Icarus barely fighting Centross when he took off their gloves. Centross showing up on Icarus' doorstep with a skulk injury. Centross fighting Fable for Icarus. Them, everyone.

43 notes · View notes

gracexthoughts · 9 months ago

Text

of violent delights chap 16

too sweet

7 june 1996

Euphemia’s POV

We made it back to the hospital wing last night in the nick of time and the discovery that Sirius had escaped sent Snape into a conniption. I won’t deny it was slightly amusing; while Snape tends to be nicer to me than Harry, he’s still a prick. Pomfrey let Harry, Hermione, Ron and I leave the hospital wing at noon this afternoon, although most of the students are at Hogsmeade for the last trip before the train leaves tomorrow.

Exhausted, I’ve chosen to rest instead of going to Hogsmeade. We may have gone to bed around eleven last night, but I added about 3 extra hours to my life so I feel like I stayed up most of the night but first, Harry and I decide to pay a visit to Lupin. His office door is open and as we enter, I notice most of his things have already been packed. “Hello Mia, Harry,” Lupin says before he turns to see us, “I saw you coming,” he smiles and motions to the Maruader’s Map open on his desk. He has more scrapes across his face and he looks terribly pale. “I’ve looked worse.”

“You’ve been sacked?” Harry asks, looking around.

“No, I’ve resigned. Professor Snape let slip the nature of my condition and I feel its best to get ahead. At this point, the outcome is inevitable.” Lupin sighs, taking books from the shelf behind his desk and into a case.

“That’s not fair! You didn’t hurt anyone! Maybe Dumbledore-”

“Dumbldore has already risked enough on my behalf,” Lupin interrupts me, raising a hand to stop me. “By this time tomorrow, owls will start arriving with angry letters from parents. Like I said, it is inevitable. It’s alright, let’s just say I’m used to it.”

“Doesn’t make it fair,” I sigh. “You’ll come live with us, won’t you? Now that Sirius can’t, we have the room.”

“I will visit, I promise, but I won’t stay. I have my own place in London and you don’t need a guardian anymore, Mia.” Lupin moves around the desk and leans against it to face us. “I’m quite proud of the two of you and how much you learned this year. Tell me about your Patronuses.”

Harry and I tell him what happened, both times, and what forms our charms took. “Our father, his animagus form was a stag wasn’t it?” Harry asks at the end of his story.

“Yes, that’s why we called him Prongs,” Lupin says, smiling faintly at the memory. He stands suddenly, as if just remembering something important, and moves back around his desk and hands harry back his Invisibility Cloak. “I brought this back from the Shack this morning. And, since I am no longer your teacher, I feel no guilt about giving this back to you as well,” he says motioning to the map. “I dare say that James would be very disappointed if his children never found any of the secret passages in the castle.” We all chuckle at that.

“None of it made any difference,” Harry says sadly, looking down at the cloak in his hands, “Pettigrew got away and Sirius-”

“Is alive. That makes all the difference in the world,” Lupin implores, looking very deeply into Harry’s eyes as he places a hand on his shoulder. “You did a very noble thing, stopping us from killing Peter. Your parents would have most certainly done the same, and Sirius may not be absolved but he is free. And the two of you are certain of his innocence. That, for now, is enough… Now, I must say goodbye. Send me an owl once you are settled in your apartment, okay?” Lupin asks, handing me a small piece of parchment with an address scribbled on it.

“I will,” I nod, smiling up at my godfather and he nods, picking up his suitcase and his walking stick but before he does, he turns to the map still on his desk and, with a flick of his wand, mutters “Mischief Managed,” with a nostalgic smile and leaves the office and the classroom, leaving Harry and I in his office in silence, just the two of us once again.

✦

Mattheo’s POV

I step into the already raging party, instantly hit with loud music and flashing lights, the air is thick with warmth and smoke as a majority of the student body celebrates the end of the school year. I push through the crowd until I see Theo, Enzo, Elladora and Astoria and make my way towards them.

“Hey mate, finally decided to stop moping and join the party?” Theo chuckles, lightly smacking my shoulder.

“Shut up,” I grumble and take the liquor bottle that he’s holding and take a swig.

“Why were you moping, Mattheo?” Astoria asks from the arm of the chair to my left.

“He got stood up by the princess last night,” Enzo says sitting down next to her, his comment making Theo chuckle. Enzo and Theo had been the unfortunate two that were still in the common room when I finally came back last night and I told them everything which I am now severely regretting.

“You planned a date with her?” Elladora cries, disgust on her face.

“No!” I growl, reaching around Astoria to smack the top of Enzo’s head. “We were supposed to have rounds. She bailed and I am not moping.”

Ella watches me for a moment before stepping closer and leaning up to whisper in my ear, “When she breaks your heart don’t come crying to me.” And with that, she shoves past me and further into the party.

“For the record, I think the two of you would be great together, Matt,” Astoria says, squeezing my hand for a moment.

“Yeah, The Girl Who Lived and the Heir of the Dark Lord. Common sense pairing really; what could go wrong?” Enzo mutters behind his drink, earning another smack but from Astoria this time.

“Why should that matter? The war is over and your father’s gone, isn’t he?”

“I need a drink. Feel free to stop discussing my life,” I grumble and turn away from my friends, their laughter following me. I push through the crowd towards the back wall of the room where the drink table is and at it, I see a familiar figure making a drink.

“Well, well, well, look who I found,” I say lowly in her ear, startling her and she turns to face me.

“Hey! You scared the shit outta me!” Mia says, her face lighting up with a large smile.

“Hey Princess,” I say with a small smile. She’s wearing lightly distressed jeans and a tight and cropped green shirt which makes her auburn hair look more vibrant; all this to say she looks fucking hot. “You look great,” I say, resisting the urge to tell her how good she looks in green and how lovely she’d look wrapped up in the dark green sheets of my dorm bed.

“Thanks,” she says, her cheeks flushing as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Hey listen, I’m so sorry about last night,” Mia says earnestly, “The whole thing was so much more complicated and insane than I ever could have guessed and I couldn’t get away. I’m sorry.” Her green eyes are wide and honest and all the bitterness that has sat in my chest the last 24 hours melts away.

“‘S’arlight, Mia. No big deal,” I say with a shrug, hoping I’m hiding the disappointment I felt last night.

“I’m even more sorry that my brother interrupted us yesterday,” she says, picking up the drink she had been making and taking a sip.

“We do seem to get interrupted a lot, don’t we?” I chuckle, pouring myself a cup of Firewhiskey. I tell myself that us getting interrupted is for the best but still everytime I’m left wondering what would have happened if we were left alone for another minute or twenty. “So, what happened last night that was such a mess?”

“Ugh, Godric,” she sighs with a chuckle. “It’s a very long story but it involved a secret tunnel, a werewolf, a rat, a dog and several dementors.”

“Bloody hell, what did you get yourself into this time?” I chuckle, eyes wide and Mia laughs.

“A mess for sure,” she laughs. “But it ended up being for the best, I think.”

“You didn’t have anything to do with the runaway hippogriff and Sirius Black escaping, did you princess?” I ask, stepping closer, and very intrigued at hearing her story.

“That’s preposterous!” She exclaims, sarcastically scandalized.

“Salazar, it’s a party, Potter, not school. Who actually speaks like that?” I tease.

“Huh, and here I was starting to think you liked the way I talk,” she fires back without a moment’s hesitation, her eyes flicking to my lips only for a moment.

“Hey, Mia, there you are. You said you’d be right back and I got worried. Everything okay here?” One of the Weasley twins asks, his eyes boring into me as I step back from Mia and he wraps an arm around her. Mia’s shoulders tense slightly as irritation flickers in her eyes for a split second.

“Peachy,” I deadpan, returning his gaze as I take a long sip of my drink. Interrupted, again.

“Hey, Freddie, Matt and I were just talking. Do you need a drink?” Mia says and I suppress a smile at Mia using my nickname so casually in front of Fred because it seems to cause him to bristle. Fred raises an eyebrow and looks back to me, his arm still around Mia’s shoulders casually, the sight twisting my gut into a knot.

“Oh yeah? Sure, I’ll take a drink,” he says, not taking his eyes off me as he grabs an alcoholic Butterbeer bottle but it seems like he’s had quite a few already.

“Yeah, Freddie. No need for a guard dog,” I sneer, leaning back against the table, my gaze not leaving Fred’s, jealousy raging in my stomach and chest. Fred stiffens, his jaw ticking, as Mia moves out from under her arm.

“Okay, unnecessary,” she snaps at me before looking back to Weasley. “Can the two of you cool it with whatever macho-testosterone-filled-pissing contest you’ve had going all year? Unless you’d rather go to the bathroom and measure them just to finally settle it all?” Mia snarks. “Mattheo and I are friends now, I told you that earlier, so there’s no need to be protective,” she says to Fred before turning to me, ”and there’s no need to be defensive.” She looks between the two of us, daring one of us to defy her.

“Mia, how can you be friendly with him? His father-”

“I am very aware, Fred, and if I, of all people, can move past it then certainly you can as well!” Mia fires back, interrupting Fred.

“I don’t need you to defend me, princess,” I bite out, my gut twisting more and more every time Mia looks at him. Mia turns to me, hurt hiding behind her eyes and I immediately regret saying it.

“Hey, don’t talk to her like that!” Fred snaps, reaching out to push me back but I swing on instrict, my fist connecting with his face, and force him to stumble back.

“Stop!” Mia cries, stepping between us as a crowd forms a circle around us. Mia pulls Fred’s hand away from his face, nothing bleeding but he’ll take a shiner home tomorrow. Fred pushes Mia behind him, her much smaller frame easy for him to push back as he comes to get in my face, using the inch of height he has on me to his advantage.

“You leave her alone. She has enough trouble in her life without you adding more,” he says lowly to me, trying to be threatening but, to me, the pranksters of Hogwarts are just clowns.

“Back up, Weasley, or I’ll send you home to your mummy in a box,” But I don’t get a chance to make good on my threat as Mia wrenches Fred back by his arm and starts shouting at him how she’s not a helpless damsel in distress and she doesn’t need him to protect her from anyone but I stop listening and stalk through the crowd and out of the party.

At the back of the room, there's a slightly hidden staircase that leads up to the boat house and the lake. I take the stairs two at a time, no longer in the mood for parties or people, and take a deep breath as the warm night air hits my face and enters my lungs. She’s too good for you. She’s better off without you in her life, the voice in my head reminds me, souring my mood further as I reach for a cigarette. I try to spark my lighter but it refuses to light, out of fuel, and angrily I chuck it into the water of the Black Lake, sending ripples across the otherwise still waters as I sit on the edge of the ancient dock.

I sigh, looking down at the unlit cigarette in my hand and try to snap the fingers of my free hand, desperately hoping to produce a flame long enough to spark. After a few tries, I manage it; a small but steady flame at my fingertips, the warmth dancing along my skin but not burning, and I inhale the smoke into my lungs and let the flame extinguish. The waning moon shines brightly on the surface of the lake and the hum of insects and birds and creatures fills my ears, slowly draining the angry blaze in my chest to smoldering embers.

I don’t know how long I sit here, smoking and staring at the water and thinking about Mia; the physical manifestation of all I want in the world and everything I can’t have. Of course the first girl I want more than one night with is her. She’s too good, too sweet, too gentle for the likes of me. Men like me don’t get the girl, they don’t get happy endings, they don’t get what they want and I hate myself for allowing my heart to convince my brain that I could have all that. I take a final drag of my cigarette and flick the roach into the water, sending more ripples across the surface as it floats away with my hope.

“That’s littering, you know?” A voice pulls me from the dark depths of my own mind and I turn my head to see Mia standing by the stairs.

“Gonna give me detention? Get a head start on next year?” I ask dryly, turning back to look out at the water. I hear Mia’s footsteps across the wooden dock until she appears in my peripheral and sits next to me at the edge of the dock.

“I’m really sorry about Fred. He’s drunk and he’s being stupid and protective and a jerk. He shouldn’t have brought up your dad, you don’t deserve that, I’m sorry,’’ she says, her voice soft and gentle.

“‘S fine,” I grumble, resisting the urge to look at her.

“No it’s not. He was totally out of line, that’s not okay,” she implores. When I don’t respond, she reaches out, placing her hand on my knee and setting me on fire, but I can’t give in to it, I can’t, so I pull away and stand up.

“I’m used to it. It’s whatever. Have a good summer, Potter,” I force myself to say, sparing one glance at her beautiful face clouded in hurt, before I tear my eyes away and start back towards the party.

“So that’s it?” Her voice rings out, stopping me in my tracks against my will. “The year is over and you’re just going to go back to hating me? Pretend that nothing happened this year? That something didn’t change between us? That there’s nothing here? You’re just gonna run away because you’re scared?” Hurt clouds her voice, changing it from the clear, sweet, tempting sound I’m so used to and I turn around to face her. She’s standing now, her back to the water and her hair blowing out behind her in the gentle breeze, her eyes dark in the low light but confusion shines in them. Even with her face in shadows and her features contorted by pain, she’s still the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

“I’m not scared,” I manage to say, my fists clenched at my side.

“Then why are you acting like this? C’mon Mattheo, we’ve been towing this line for months and you’re going to just walk away? Try and make me think it's all been in my head?” She asks, moving to close some of the distance between us.

“Mia,” I breathe out, her magnetic field threatening to pull me in the closer she gets to me.

“No. Say it. Tell me it's all in my head,” she implores, looking up at me pleadingly, like I am her last life line.

“Stop.”

“I'll stop if you can look me in the eyes and tell me its all in my head...You can’t say it, can you?” She asks, now a mere breath away from me, her perfume invading my senses and it takes all of my crumpling willpower to not reach out and touch her. “You’re many things, Mattheo Riddle, but you are not a liar. Not to me. You can’t say it because you know it's not true. You’ve felt it too.”

“I’m not a good man, Mia,” I say, my voice rough. “I’m not a good person and I’m not going to pretend I am because running around pretending you are a good person is worse than just accepting you aren't one. I’m not good for you; everything I touch I break and I don’t want to break you.”

“I think you are a good person. I’ve seen it, I know it. You’re just afraid to show anyone because you think it makes you weak but it doesn’t!”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” I snap.

“Fine, then prove it!” She says so loudly it echoes over the water for a moment. We stand there for a moment completely still, our eyes locked and our breath uneven. I want nothing more than to close the distance between us but I don’t because she’s right. I am scared. I’m scared because there is no way this works out well. I’m not a good man and I’m not a good partner and she deserves the world and I could never give it to her. “Why are you so bloody stubborn?” She breathes out, shaking her head slightly before she takes a step forward and, cupping my face in her hands, presses her lips to mine and my world explodes.

All my willpower crumples under her touch and I give in; my hands find the bare skin of her waist, pulling her body closer to mine, as our lips move in tandem. All I’m aware of is her; her lips, the way she smells and tastes, and the feel of her body pressed against mine. The world could implode around us and I wouldn’t notice, all my senses are consumed with her. Her hands are in my hair, tangling with my curls and I pull her impossibly closer as my hands clutch her to me desperately; one still on the bare skin of her waist and the other on her cheek, wrapped up in strands of her hair that is as soft as I’ve always thought it looked. I kiss her like the world is ending, like a starved man who hasn’t eaten in years, like kissing her could absolve me of all the darkness in my soul and make me anew.

She pulls away slightly after a moment, both of us breathless, and I’m in awe of her like this: her lips swollen, hair tousled and pupils dilated. “Matt,” she says breathlessly and I lean back in, capturing her lips once more. I step her backwards until her back is pressed against the wall of the boathouse, eliciting a small gasp from Mia’s mouth as her bare skin collides with the cool glass. I smirk against her lips, pressing further into her body as I deepen the kiss, taking advantage of her gasp. My body takes over, no longer thinking through my actions or their consequences, and I just feel. All that exists to me in this moment is us and for once I’m not the son of the Dark Lord and she’s not The Girl Who Lived. We are just Mattheo and Euphemia, Matt and Mia, and right now that is more than enough.

a/n; ahhhh!!!

yes this is named after too sweet by hozier bc its sooooo mattheo riddle coded and fit really well and I was listening to it while i wrote this. also this gif makes me literally feral so enjoy ;)

one more chapter to go in PoA year and then we get to move on to GoF so yay!

taglist; @purplegardenwhispers @somethingswiftandstyles @weasleyreidstyles @mayamonroem @girlbooklover555 @stxrszurzolo @abaker74

#harry potter #harry potter fandom #harry potter fanfiction #matteo riddle #hogwarts #hogwarts oc #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #hp fanfic #wizarding world #hogwarts houses #mattheo riddle fanfic #mattheo riddle fluff #mattheo riddle imagine #mattheo riddle smut #mattheo riddle #matty riddle #of violent delight

31 notes · View notes

imzadi-caskett-huddy · 8 months ago

Text

It Started With a Kiss (7/?)

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed the story thus far! I’m so glad most of you seem to be enjoying it!

As stated at the conclusion of the last chapter, I am skipping the episode “Slice of Death” because even though I’ve watched it twice within the last week, there is absolutely nothing I can find in that episode to use as a springboard for a chapter. Plus Castle and Beckett are in a good place right now, so I don’t need a filler chapter. But, the good news is that means I am now on “The Dead Pool” which has so many things I can use! This episode is heavy on dialogue from the episode…however, I did try to put my own spin on it. And, of course, I added some scenes!

The episode originally aired on April 11, so that means it’s about 2 weeks after the events of the last chapter.

I still don’t own Castle…

xxxxx

“Alex, so glad you made it,” Castle gave the slightly younger man a smile. “Alex Conrad, meet Detective Beckett. Detective Beckett, Alex Conrad, my protege,” he introduced the two proudly.

Beckett smiled and extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Alex took her hand with a charming grin. “It’s a real pleasure, Detective. I have read Heat Wave and Naked Heat so many times, I feel like I know you. The piercing intelligence, the self-assured beauty…”

“Oh, um…thank you. But most of what Castle writes is just…fiction,” she blushed slightly. “So what were you saying about the steroids?”

“Well nothing, really,” Alex started. “I was just looking at the board and I noticed that this swimmer kid, he’s caught between two worlds. Now, if I were writing the story, the steroids would just be a red herring and the real killer would be someone from the old neighborhood. Uh, yeah, but that’s just me. Clearly, I’m new at this.”

Castle gave his protege a sympathetic smile. “Alex, don’t worry. It takes years of experience,” he stated, fully expecting Beckett to laugh off his theory the way she so frequently did some of his own.

“No. No, you’re right. We don’t have any proof that this has anything to do with the steroids. We’ve just been assuming. We do need to look into Zack’s old neighborhood,” Beckett agreed with him.

Castle couldn’t believe it. “Seriously?” Was he...was he building theory with her?

“I was helpful?” Alex asked with a proud smile.

“Yes. Yes, you were,” Beckett smiled.

Castle tried not to let his reaction to Beckett’s praise of Alex show. “Yes, but you probably have lots of questions, so we should get going.” He needed to get Alex out of here and away from Beckett. This was absolutely not the way he’d pictured their meeting going, especially when Beckett had seemed against it earlier.

Alex, however, was still focused on Beckett. “Hey, uh, if it’s not overstepping, just in the interest of keeping it real, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions for the case I’m coming up with for Seriously Dead.”

Castle couldn’t help but clench his jaw. He wanted to state that yes, yes it was very much overstepping as Beckett handed Alex her business card.

“Why don’t you give me a call when the two of you are done,” she suggested.

Alex seemed to pick up on Castle’s vibes and turned to glance at him. “I mean, if it’s okay with you.”

Beckett glanced at him as well, and Castle did his best to clear his face. “Why wouldn’t it be ok?” he answered with a fake smile and chuckle.

“Okay,” Beckett nodded.

“Okay,” Alex grinned, taking a few steps backward with his eyes still on Beckett before finally turning around as he and Castle left.

It was very much not okay.

xxxxx

“It’s so not okay!” Castle insisted as he sat with his mother and daughter in the loft. “After everything I’ve done for him, he goes and tries to steal my muse,” he pouted.

Alexis couldn’t help but giggle. “Muse thievery. What’s the punishment for that? Five to ten in mythology jail?” she teased her dad.

Martha laughed as well, but she quickly noticed Castle was legitimately upset…or maybe worried…about this development, so her teasing and laughter faded.

“Yes. You laugh. Go ahead. Laugh all you want. But now I finally know what Obi-Wan Kenobi felt like when Vader turned on him.”

“No…” Alexis continued to tease, but Martha simply studied her son.

“I should’ve seen this coming. Do you know what they’re calling him down at Black Pawn Publishing?”

“Alex Conrad?” Alexis smirked.

“The next Richard Castle,” he stated.

“Oh,” Martha sympathized. This was a double whammy for him, she realized. This was professional jealousy as well as old-fashioned jealousy over Beckett. Poor kid.

“Yes. I thought it was a compliment, but no. He’s trying to replace me,” he insisted.

“What are you going to do?” Martha asked curiously, trying to get a feel for exactly which type of advice Castle was more in need of hearing.

“I am going onto RichardCastle.net. I am going to remove my glowing review of Dead Serious and replace it with cover art for Heat Rises. That ungrateful little weasel,” he grabbed his laptop, carrying out his actions as he spoke. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to make him feel better.

Alexis rolled her eyes. “Dad, did you ever think that maybe you’re overreacting a teensy bit?” she pointed out. “Did you ever think that maybe he admires you so much that spending time with Beckett is to understand you better?” she arched an eyebrow as she hit him with her logical argument.

Castle just stared at her. “Don’t confuse me with your reasonableness.”

“I’m just saying, maybe he’s not the nefarious muse-snatcher you think he is. Maybe you should give him a chance,” she kissed his cheek and patted his shoulder lovingly before heading upstairs.

Castle sighed and looked at his mother. “Do you think she’s right?”

Martha lightly patted his hand. “It’s not about what I think, kiddo, it’s about what you think,” she told him. “What are you more worried about–that he might be trying to replace you at Black Pawn, or that he might be trying to replace you with Beckett?” she asked. The look she saw in his eyes answered her question. “Richard…” she started.

“It’s just…” he started, rubbing his face. “Beckett and I are in a good place. There’s finally no one else in either of our lives but each other…and just my luck, a younger version of me comes swooping in, trying to steal her away before she’s even mine to lose,” he closed his laptop and rested his hands on top of it.

“And you accuse me of being over dramatic,” Martha shook her head. “Really…Richard…give Katherine a little credit. She is not the type of woman to suggest she shares your feelings and then ask you to wait for her if she’s going to jump into the arms of the first handsome, younger man who comes along,” she told him seriously.

“I know…I know. It’s stupid,” he agreed with a sigh. “I trust her, I do. It’s just…you didn’t see the way he looked at her…like some kind of love-struck puppy,” he breathed deeply. “I trust her. It’s him I don’t trust.”

Martha simply shot him an unbelieving look. “What exactly is it you think is going to happen, Richard?” she asked pointedly.

Castle made a face and clenched his fists slightly. “They were supposed to discuss his case for his book…probably over dinner. Or drinks,” he stated, suddenly not sure which idea bothered him more–the idea that Alex was out to dinner with Beckett, or that Alex was sharing drinks with her.

“And you think his motives are…less than professional?”

“Yes!” he answered quickly.

“And you’re worried that he’s going to trick her, is that it?”

“Yes!” He answered again quickly, but realizing what that answer implied, he immediately shook his head. “No…I don’t…I don’t know.”

Martha gave a soft laugh. “Let me tell you something, kiddo. Women aren’t as easily tricked as you men like to think we are. If Alex Conrad’s motives are more salacious than professional, Katherine is going to know. And there is no doubt in my mind that she can take care of herself, no matter his motives. We learn early on how to deal with men who are far more interested in us than we are in them.”

Castle studied his mother for a moment. “Thank you, Mother. I think.” He was still unsure of exactly what to make of her words.

“Anytime, kiddo.”

xxxxx

Castle managed to feel pretty good about Alex Conrad’s evening with Beckett thanks to his mother the following morning. She was right; Beckett wasn’t the type of woman to ask him to wait for her and then jump right to another man. She’d insinuated that she shared his feelings…told him they were on the same page even. She wouldn’t just change her mind because some up-and-coming writer showed up to shadow her.

“Morning,” he greeted her with a smile, reaching over the basket of muffins to place her cup of coffee on her desk. “Oh…muffins,” he grabbed one.

Beckett returned his smile and grabbed the cup he’d given her. “Yeah, Alex Conrad sent them to me,” she replied, leaning back in her chair slightly and taking a sip of the coffee as she studied his reaction. Surely he wasn’t…jealous?

Castle made a face at the mention of the other writer, immediately dropping the muffin back to the basket. “Alex.” He picked up the card sticking out of the basket. “Thanks for last night,” he read, shoving the card back into the basket and clenching his jaw. “So you two went out last night.”

Beckett arched an eyebrow, slightly amused…because he was jealous. “Yeah. We talked about procedure,” she answered, finally leaning forward to place the coffee back on her desk.

“Oh…so nothing…special,” he commented, studying her for a reaction that would give something, anything away to him about whatever had happened during their evening together.

She shrugged as though it were nothing. “I don’t know…he said he was going to use it all in his next book. He said next time he wants to talk about cases,” she answered simply, focusing on the paperwork on her desk. She was hoping to give him the impression that Alex Conrad didn’t really interest her. Although she found his jealousy slightly amusing, it wasn’t warranted. She’d asked him to wait for her…the last thing she was trying to do was make him jealous.

Castle’s eyes widened. “Next time?”

Beckett looked up from her paperwork to meet his eyes. “Yeah, next time,” she answered, straightening in her chair slightly.

“I thought you weren’t interested in another writer asking you questions,” he pointed out, reminding her of her earlier disapproval of the idea of even having to meet Alex Conrad.

“I thought you wanted me to be nice to him and let him ask me some questions,” she countered, arching an eyebrow.

“I did, but…” he started, only to have Beckett interrupt him.

“This is me being nice and letting him ask me some questions. As a favor to you,” she pointed out.

“Remind me not to ask for any more favors,” he murmured under his breath.

Beckett’s eyes narrowed slightly, trying to discern what exactly he’d said, but Ryan came over with some information on their victim, and her attention was redirected.

xxxxx

“Kate, you ready?” Alex Conrad asked, striding into the bullpen.

Castle made a face. Kate? He was calling her Kate? He flashed back to early October when another man had shown up in the precinct bullpen calling her Kate. The reminder of the first time he met Josh in this same place twisted his stomach, even though Josh was no longer an issue. And who was Alex to call her Kate anyway? He should call her Detective or Beckett…definitely not Kate.

Then he remembered the way she’d giggled…not laughed, but giggled…earlier that afternoon at Conrad’s text. She never giggled at his texts. In fact, he was relatively sure he’d never heard her giggle at all. Laugh, yes…he’d made her laugh plenty. But not giggle. He had to stop this, if for no other reason than his own sanity.

“Yes. Just let me get my purse,” Beckett answered with a friendly smile.

Once she was gone, Castle looked at Conrad. “So…you two are going out again tonight?”

Alex grinned. “What can I say? She’s a wealth of information. You’re lucky to have her.”

That was probably the first thing Alex Conrad had said since he arrived that Castle found he could legitimately agree with. “Yeah. Yeah, I am,” he smiled slightly. But he knew he was lucky to have her for so many other reasons than simply because she was a wealth of information. He hadn’t wanted or needed that from her for a long time. “Too bad about tonight, though.”

“Too bad how?” Alex asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Well, it’s poker night. Lehane and Connelly are in town. I thought you might want to join us, but if you have plans…” he trailed off with a shrug.

“No way. You’re…you’re inviting me to your mystery writer’s poker night?” Alex asked, clearly in

awe.

Castle offered him a smile. “Come on…you’re a mystery writer now, right?”

“Yeah, but those guys are legendary. I mean, those guys…”

Castle chuckled. “Yeah, they are. But if you’re unavailable,” he shrugged again as he began to walk away. He was sure this would get Alex to blow off his evening with Beckett. No way would he turn down this once-in-a-lifetime offer.

Alex thought about it for a moment. “Woah…wait, wait, wait,” he finally decided. When Castle turned around, he gave the older writer a smile. “Just…hang on a second,” he turned to go find Beckett and ask for a raincheck.

Castle smirked smugly. “Oh yeah, they are gonna love you.” This was perfect…so perfect it even surprised himself at how perfect it was. This would kill two birds with one stone–it got him away from Beckett and it would knock the younger man down a few pegs. It felt like sweet revenge to Castle.

xxxxx

“You know, it’s ironic,” Castle started, watching as Beckett worked on taking down the murder board. “The one man Zack thought he could trust, his mentor, turned out to be his killer.”

She paused and raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of mentor, I heard that you guys were pretty hard on Conrad last night.”

“Hard on him?” Castle asked with a chuckle. “No, no. It was just a little friendly hazing.”

Beckett’s eyebrows arched a little higher. “Hazing, huh? To hear him describe it, it sounds like someone was trying to teach him a lesson,” she stated pointedly, wondering if Castle would actually admit it or not.

“What? Why…why would I want to do that?” he asked innocently.

She tugged her lower lip between her teeth for a moment. “Because you didn’t want him to spend time with me,” she finally stated once she realized he wouldn’t admit it himself.

“That is completely…”

Beckett interrupted him, “True.”

Castle thought about it for a moment but finally sighed. “Yes. Fine. It’s true. I’m jealous. There, I

said it,” he started. “I want you all to myself, and to have you spending time with another writer, that upsets me. And if…if that makes me petty, so be it. Guilty as charged.” Though he hoped she would be understanding about it and not be upset with him.

She chewed on her lower lip for a moment before offering him a small smile. “I actually kind of think it’s sweet,” she admitted softly, nudging his shoulder playfully.

“You…you do?” he asked. He hadn’t been expecting that reaction. He was pretty sure she hadn’t thought the jealousy he’d felt toward Josh was very sweet.

“I do,” she nodded. “And that’s why you don’t have to worry about me hanging around with Conrad anymore. From now on, I’m a one writer girl,” she promised, giving him a genuine smile.

Castle couldn’t help the grin that spread across his features at her promise. He felt like literally jumping for joy, and, had he not been in the middle of the precinct with her standing directly in front of him, he probably would have. She was reassuring him, promising him, she was just his; she didn’t want anyone else. His mother had been right, though he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d ever admit that to her.

For now, though, he just needed to tamp down his excitement and play it cool. At least until he was alone and could squee like a fangirl. “I do feel kind of bad. He is my mentee, after all. He really didn’t do anything wrong,” he commented.

“Other than spending time with me, you mean,” she teased him with a smirk. “I wouldn’t feel too bad, Castle.”

Before he could ask what she meant by that, Conrad, Ryan, and Espo walked by Beckett’s desk on their way out, explaining that they were taking the writer to Riker’s for research.

“It was nice to meet you, Alex,” Kate smiled and extended her hand.

Alex took it with a grin. “You too, Detective,” he stated before heading toward the elevator with Ryan.

“So, a dude can be a muse, right? It’s not…weird…or anything?” Espo asked them.

Castle kept a straight face, shaking his head. “No, it’s not weird.”

“No…” Beckett shook her head as well.

“Nah,” Espo agreed, hurrying after Ryan and Conrad.

Once the elevator doors had closed, both Castle and Beckett laughed. “It’s a little weird,” Castle stated.

“Yeah,” she agreed, looking at him with a smile.

He was quiet for a moment. “Thank you,” he told her genuinely.

“Always,” she smiled, her eyes holding his for a moment as she used their word. She went to work boxing up the case files, remaining silent until she placed the lid on the box. “So…you want to grab dinner? I’ll let you ask me questions about procedure and cases,” she offered with a playful smile.

He chuckled at her offer. “How about just dinner?” he suggested. “Remy’s?”

She grinned, getting her things together at her desk. “Remy’s,” she agreed.

Castle grabbed her coat off the back of her chair and helped her into it. “Do you need to take care of the box tonight? I can carry it for you,” he offered.

She shook her head. “No, I’ll get it in the morning,” she told him, leading the way to the elevator. She smiled as she felt his presence quickly beside her, not behind her as he usually was. And when the elevator doors closed, she turned to him. “Was your jealousy purely professional?” she asked him curiously.

“What?” he asked, shaking his head. He hadn’t expected that particular question.

“Conrad. Did you want to teach him a lesson because you thought he was trying to steal your muse, or because you thought he was trying to steal me?”

“I…I, uh…” Castle stumbled over his words, wishing the elevator would move faster. He wasn’t sure what kind of answer he was supposed to give her, and he certainly didn’t want to give the wrong one. If he said he was jealous on more than a professional level, would she assume he didn’t trust her? Or would she think that was sweet too?

Beckett studied him silently, watching his face as he seemingly went over his options. “I asked you to give me time, Castle. That wasn’t so I could go date other guys,” she finally let him off the hook. “I thought I made it clear a couple of weeks ago when I said we were on the same page, that the next guy I dated would be you,” she stated. The elevator doors opened then, and she stepped out heading for the exit, leaving him completely stunned behind her.

He was still staring after her when she reached the exit door. It wasn’t until she turned and shot him a look that he realized he needed to move and get his brain to recover. “You do…I mean…

you did…I trust you…” he fumbled his words as he caught up with her outside the precinct. “It’s just…you guys went out…and then he sent you muffins…and then you giggled at his text messages…and then he called you Kate…” he began trying to explain.

“That’s because my name is Kate,” she laughed softly. “Lots of people call me Kate.”

“Not professionally,” Castle countered seriously.

She stopped walking and placed her hand on his arm. “Hey…it wasn’t like that,” she promised him softly. “Everything was professional, Castle. I made it clear, that’s all it was.”

“Oh…so…so he didn’t try…”

She chuckled. “Oh no, he did.” Seeing his face, she offered him a smile. “He asked if I was single,” she explained, wanting to make sure his overactive imagination didn’t think Alex had tried anything more physical on her.

“And what did you tell him?” he couldn’t help but ask. Because technically, she was single.

“That I was unavailable,” she answered, looping her arm through his and giving him a gentle tug as they resumed their walk towards Remy’s. “Like I said…I’m a one writer girl.”

“Oh…” was all he could manage to get out. She was telling men she wasn’t available…because of him.

She couldn’t help but smile slightly at his reaction. “It’s true,” she shrugged. “But it would be nice if my writer could come up with more than a one-syllable response,” she teased.

He swallowed hard. “Your…your writer?” She’d caught him off guard again.

“Aren’t you?” she arched an eyebrow in his direction as they stopped at a crosswalk.

“Yes!” he answered almost before the words were even out of her mouth. “I mean…yes, I’ll be your writer,” he tried again, sounding more controlled this time. “If that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I want,” she gave him a shy smile as she met his eyes.

“Me too,” he returned her smile. The two were so caught up in each other’s gaze they didn’t realize the crosswalk signal had changed until they felt everyone moving around them.

xxxxx

After their dinner at Remy’s, he’d hailed them a cab to take her back to her apartment. She’d told

him she wasn’t on call that night, so she would just leave her unit at the precinct since she wouldn’t need it until the following day.

“Castle, I’m a cop. I’ve got a gun. I can get myself home without any issues,” she tried to insist as a cab pulled up to the curb.

He opened the door to let her get in first, giving her a smile. “I don’t doubt that, Beckett. However, my mother raised a gentleman, and as such, I cannot in good conscience simply put you in a cab and send you on your way,” he stated, sliding in next to her and giving the driver the cross streets of her apartment building.

She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide the smile. “Well I would hate to disappoint Martha,” she told him.

“Please don’t. I will never hear the end of it,” he said, only halfway joking. “And I do mean never.”

She laughed and swatted his arm playfully. “Stop it. Your mother is amazing.”

“Maybe she should come live with you,” he teased her with a chuckle.

“I have a one-bedroom apartment, Castle,” she laughed.

He sighed. “I guess she stays at the loft.”

She rolled her eyes again, shaking her head. “I’m sure it’s not nearly as bad as you’re making it sound.”

“No…no, it’s not,” he agreed with a smile. “Mother is pretty amazing. Just…don’t ever tell her I told you that.”

She smiled and gently squeezed his arm. “Your secret is safe with me,” she promised.

Traffic wasn’t bad considering the time of night it was, and a few minutes later, the cab was turning the corner in front of her apartment building. Castle handed the driver $20 and got out, offering his hand to Beckett to help her out as well.

“You don’t have to walk me up. Just take this cab and go home.”

He shook his head. “My mother taught me to walk a lady all the way to her door.”

She shook her head and motioned for him to follow her inside her building. Once they stepped off the elevator on her floor, he followed her to her door. She unlocked it and opened it slightly,

turning to face him from the doorway before stepping inside. “I’d ask you in for a glass of wine…or even coffee…but I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she admitted to him softly, her eyes meeting his. She knew if she invited him in, he wouldn’t leave until the next morning…and she wasn’t ready for that yet.

He shook his head slightly and offered her a smile. “It’s okay,” he promised. He wasn’t expecting anything. In fact, beginning with her promise at the precinct that she would be a one writer girl, the evening had been much more than he could have hoped for with her. “Goodnight, Kate,” he said softly after a moment.

Just as he turned to go, she reached out and grabbed the opening of his jacket and tugged him back to her, quickly covering his mouth with hers. The kiss wasn’t deep, and it wasn’t long. She held him close long enough to trace his lips with her tongue, just enough to get a taste of him, give him a taste of her, before pulling away and releasing him. “Goodnight Castle,” she breathed, giving him a last smile before stepping inside her apartment and closing the door behind her.

Castle stood staring at her closed door, completely dazed. She’d kissed him. No alcohol involved, no being committed to another man, no other excuses or obstacles…just her kissing him. He ran his tongue across his lips and smiled at the taste of her. He finally took a step away from her door and headed down the hallway back to the elevator and found himself thinking: Best. Kiss. Ever.

xxxxx

I sincerely hope you liked this one! I know it was heavy on dialogue from the show, but I love the episode, and I wanted to make it my own. I definitely gave you guys some original goods, though!

And I know some of you expressed the hope that I wouldn’t have Castle be jealous of Conrad. I’m sorry, I’m sure I disappointed you. But I wanted to touch on it because it was such an important part of the episode…and it was totally my springboard into the Castle and Beckett stuff.

Next up…LA! That’s gonna be a fun one, as you can all probably imagine which scene I’m definitely including!

As always, I look forward to your comments for those of you who feel so inclined!

#castle #caskett #kate beckett #richard castle #castle fanfiction

14 notes · View notes

localfanbaselurker · 6 months ago

Text

First time watching Voltron: Legendary Defender and documenting my thoughts

This is Season 4

S1-2 | S3 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 |

———————————————————————

Pre-Season 4 Thoughts

-> Keith joining the blades is going to be a huge plot device, I feel

-> PLEASE for the love of CHRIST let that poor little girl find her brother and father. If they are dead dreamworks better be ready to catch these hands

->I’ve heard people claim this is the “last good season”, but i stay strong 💪 and will watch till the end

->wouldn’t the paladin switch not make sense now? Cus shiro is back as the black paladin and it makes no sense for Lance to be red like it originally had? If anything, he should’ve gone back to blue, and Allura to red, because Allura is very accepting/encouraging of shiro’s role as leader. I guess they didn’t wanna do it all over again. But I digress 🤷‍♀️

->im gonna miss my Pookie (🤍❤️🤍)

Post-S4

->do they do this every two seasons?? Have an epic battle where they have a big preparation and say it’ll 100% end the war but it doesn’t and something crazy happens after they win and it sets up the next season??

->FUCK YEAH PIDGE GOT HER BROTHER BACK IM SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP 💪💪🔥🔥‼️‼️‼️🙏🙏🙏🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

->^genuinely cried so hard during this scene. would’ve cried more if I wasn’t recovering from the initial shock.

->^cried during this one too, but it was happy tears. I could actually just do a whole reaction post to this episode alone. (if you want me to js say so in the rbs/replies)

->the callback to s1! “color-coded of course, because what are we? animals?” AHHH! I’m going insane I love these siblings sooooo much

->okay I’ll stop gushing over them now

->^only valid reaction to meeting Allura. Homegirl is beauty incarnate

->I LIED. im not sorry im never shutting up about them. SHE SHOWS HIM AROUND THE CASTLE AND TELLS HIM EVERYTHING AND EVERY DETAIL AND SHES SO EXCITED CUS SHE JUST GOT HER BRO BACK AND IS JUST RAMBLING ABOUT HER NEW HOME AND ALL THE COOL STUFF SHES BEEN DOING AND HES JUST LISTENING AND IS SUPER EXCITED WITH HER AND ITS SOOOO AMAZING AND ADORABLE AND I COULD DIE

->AND THEN HE TELLS HER HOW THEIR DAD WOULD BE SO PROUD IM DYING IM LITERALLY DEAD STOP.

->AND AND AND THEY WERE ALL WORKING TOGETHER W HUNK TO MAKE THE GALRA TRACKER THING AND THEY WERE BEING SO COOL WITH EACH OTHER AND BEING NERDS TOGETHER AND AND AND AJEUWNDUWJEBEURBDGWUDKAODHD

->okay. ive calmed down. i am normal and can be trusted to simply watch a show.

->^Get his ass, Zarkon. I needed his smug ass to be humbled so bad. Only time I will agree w Zarkon fr.

->i do NOT like Lotor. Can you guys tell already??

->THE SCENE WHERE THEY TRIED TO GET MILKSHAKES AND WERE SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT YOU NEED TO MILK A COW STOP.✋ 😭. My high-score on the giggle-meter went up by 300%

->bro I SWEAR shiro looks different. there’s just something about him. the hair gets a pass cus how good of a haircut can you give yourself in space, yk? but that nose scar is definitely a different shade #notmyrodrickshiro

->THE VOLTRON SHOW.

->^Just. That entire episode. It’s getting a whole post actually I need to yap about it.

->^her armor is colored in a way which makes it look both pink and red while making it look like a trick of the light in a way to symbolize that she is acting as keith yet while being a paladin herself and that being unknown in the public eye and showing how they have to cover that up, any suspicion being thrown as a trick of the light. Oh vld animators ily 🫶

->on another note tho why do they always draw lance and shiro to have 30 pounds of ass. what.

->loved when those lesbians decided to take down lotor. Queen shit 💋 we stan 🙇‍♀️🙏

->Lotor is so stupid and pathetic and annoyingly smug and sus and admiral-zhao-y and I hate him but he’s SOOO FREAKING HOT and I can’t hate him completely because he’s so attractive but that just makes me wanna hate him more. He’s a walking red flag but the flag is heart-shaped and honestly idk what to do w that.

->^WHAT. stop. honestly that’s the real reason he was banned from the empire my ass would not want that fucking FREAK within a 30 light year radius of me either

-> while s3 was the klance season, s4 is apparently the allurance season, they have a lot of sweet moments. (granted all started by lance but still, you can almost see allura swooning)

->^pookie. what are you doing… pookie.. no. stop. i don’t like where this is going…

->^POOKIE NO. STOP. ✋ STOP. SAY SIKE RN.

->^oh thank fuck for Lotor.

->^^wait what. why Lotor.

->^^^heartbreaking: worst person you know doesn’t something good for once.

->he definitely wants something out of this. I don’t trust him.

These are thoughts I’ve had compiled for some time now. I will continue to post my thoughts on the tag “laura’s first vld”

I finished this season on 06/30/24. I am on S5E3 as of today (07/06/24)

#laura’s first vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld #holt siblings my beloveds 🤍💚🧡🤍#people should talk about them more I love them already it’s literally been like 2 episodes of them interacting #klance and allurance are like kataang and zutara i fear #meanwhile keillura fans are like zukaang and shallura (yes laura found a new ship!) is like zukka #I love comparing this show to atla and lok #it’s like a love triangle (aka love corner) but instead of the girl it’s lance #do you guys think ill reignite a ship war genuine question I don’t want that to happen #but i digress #you guys should tell me if you’re excited about something I could “react” to btw #like “oh boy I can’t wait till you get to <xyz> episode”

16 notes · View notes

queen-dahlia · 2 years ago

Text

𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧

𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟵

Note: Translation is not 100% accurate. Expect grammatical errors.

// : alternate translation | ⫘⫘ : flashback | 4:4 answer

The carriage takes us back to the court.

All the while, my body was still trembling.

Rio: "一I'm going out for a bit."

Emma: "Hold on!"

Luke: "Calm down."

Rio, with his eyebrows furrowed, is about to leave the infirmary, which is filled with a peculiar medicinal smell and a very furious mood.

Needless to say, Luke and I instantly reached out.

Rio: "How can this keep me calm!?"

Rio: "He took Emma on a shady soirée and then unleashed his murderous intent and got violent…?"

Rio: "Even if he's a prince of a great nation, it's still a matter of execution."

Rio: "I'm sorry if I don't put Prince Gilbert in the same situation as Emma!" // "I can't wait until Prince Gilbert suffers the same fate as Emma!" **

Emma: "No, no, absolutely no!"

I go ahead of Rio and stand in front of him with my arms outstretched.

If I hadn't done this, I really would have gone to Prince Gilbert to beat him up.

(… I'm sorry for worrying you.)

Rio had apparently been waiting in front of the castle gate for a long time because I was late getting home,

He looked like he was about to cry as I came back with a pale face, my body was trembling, and I had a bruise on my back.

("It's okay," I said repeatedly, but I guess I wasn't very convincing.)

Luke: "Rio, stay. Sit down."

Emma: "Emma, don't push yourself too hard."

Luke picks me up with one arm, then he grabs Rio by the collar on the back and makes him sit down in a chair.

He gently lowered me onto the bed as well.

Luke: "Does your back still hurt?"

Emma: "Nope. I got better after taking some medicine. The trembling has subsided, I'll be fine."

Rio: "… It's not okay. Emma, please don't push yourself in front of us."

Emma: "Yes, thank you."

Luke: "… You have no idea."

Emma: "I'm fine, really. However, the more I calmed down, the more angry I got."

Emma: "The murderous intent and Clavis’ behavior that I don’t quite understand..."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Clavis: "Now, gentlemen, I apologize for the delay. Let the feast continue."

Clavis: "Tonight our special guest is Lord Gilbert. You can either settle your grudges or offer your business to him."

Clavis: "I hope you take full advantage of this opportunity."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

(Not that I don't believe Clavis.)

(But if he behaved like that, I would have to misunderstand him.)

Rio: "As far as Emma's story goes, it sounds as if he's a traitor."

Luke: "Not "as if," but "yes."

Emma & Rio: "Oh, I see."

Emma & Rio: "… Really!?"

Luke: "Oh, perfect rhythm."

Emma: "Clavis, is he really betraying Rhodolite!?"

Luke: "Maybe. Don't you know there are rumors that he might be an Obsidian spy?"

Rio: "If I knew, I wouldn't let him near Emma!"

(I wonder if the rumor is even famous in the court.)

Come to think of it,

Prince Chevalier also seemed to know that the anti-monarchy people were gathering at Clavis's secret soirée.

(... An act of open betrayal, not hiding it?)

It seems as if he is proud to say that his actions are not wrong.

It makes less and less sense.

Luke: "I don't know what you're thinking, but Clavis was responsible for the assassination attempt on Chevalier the other day."

Luke: "He's working with some of the anti-monarchy faction, and he's sending a number of assassins after him."

Emma: "… My head hurts."

Rio: "As of today, Prince Clavis has been promoted to the top of the blacklist."

(I'm also... probably the next person to watch out for after Prince Gilbert.)

Emma: "Does everyone know that Clavis is working with the anti-monarchy faction and sending assassins?"

Luke: "I don't think so. Chevalier probably knows, but I am not sure about the others."

Rio: "Then how did Prince Luke know?"

Luke: "Hmm... wild guess."

(It looks like he's slightly averted his eyes now…)

Luke: "Anyway, it's best not to get involved with Gilbert or Clavis. Especially Gilbert."

Luke: "Emma, you must cut all ties with him."

Luke's proposal was unlike any before.

Emma: "Impossible. If I go against Prince Gilbert's wishes, he will surely spread the word that I am Belle."

Rio: "But I'm sure Prince Gilbert doesn't have proof that you are Belle."

Rio: "If it's only a verbal threat, you can deceive him as much as you want, right?"

(If you ask me, I may not have been shown any evidence of "Belle".)

The only indication that I am Belle is the "covenant" that I signed on my first day at the court.

The rose in the glass dome is now under strict control in Sariel's room,

But that one would be deceptive at worst, even if it were found.

(Only Sariel knows where the covenant is located as well.)

(Even Prince Gilbert shouldn't be able to obtain it so easily.)

Up until now, I had been swept up in the atmosphere of Prince Gilbert knowing everything,

Once I stopped and sorted out the situation, I realized that I had not yet fallen into a situation from which I could not recover.

(Although I don't know what will happen if Prince Gilbert gets serious...)

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Chevalier: "Be my pawn, simpleton."

Emma: "... Pawn?"

Chevalier: "As your friend, I'm asking you to find out what you know about it."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "—I will never stop being Prince Gilbert's friend."

When I stubbornly shook my head, both Luke and Rio frowned.

Luke: "You're too nice to be around him."

Luke: "Gilbert's the kind of guy who has the whole world holding a grudge against him."

Luke: "To be stabbed in the back like today is a daily occurrence."

Luke: "But you wouldn't hesitate to help the world's greatest villain, would you?"

Luke: "You shouldn't be around Gilbert."

Rio: "Me too... I can't tolerate it this time."

Rio: "It was unbearable to be in a position where you were shunned from the beginning." // "I couldn't stand the fact that you were in a position where you were neglected in the first place."

Rio: "I'm afraid that one day you'll be permanently scarred."

I had nothing to say back to him.

(Being around Prince Gilbert doesn't just antagonize those around me.)

(It makes people so uneasy to be around me.)

I thought I could tolerate the cold world created by Prince Gilbert if it was just me.

Even if I was isolated at the Rhodolite, I thought I could endure it alone.

—Until I saw the way their eyes flickered anxiously.

Rio: "Being around Gilbert is not good for you."

Rio: "I'll do something about it, please."

Rio: "Emma, come back."

(… I guess I'll go back to my routine once I get away from Prince Gilbert.)

(I don't feel that kind of murderous intent, I don't tremble with fear, I don't get scared of good intentions…)

(I wonder if I can go back to a world where no one is hostile to me and no one around me is unhappy.)

If I wanted to, I am sure Rio and many other princes would help me.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "…… Is it true that you are lonely?"

Gilbert: "I wonder."

Gilbert: "I don't know what "lonely" means."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: ". . . . . ."

Emma: "I…—"

══════════════════

Gilbert: "… What is it? I'm in a bad mood today."

A time when all the lights in the court go out and everything melts into the darkness of night.

Deep in the woods surrounding the castle, Prince Gilbert was in a secluded chapel.

The chapel, which is not used except for important ceremonies, has an airy atmosphere despite being a sacred place.

Rather than the location, it seemed that the reason was Prince Gilbert, who was clinging to the place like a thorn on a rose.

Gilbert: "Depending on your words, I think that your head will be blown off soon."

Emma: "Please don't threaten me."

Emma: "… You knew I was following you, didn't you?"

After leaving the infirmary, I stood waiting at the window for Prince Gilbert to come back from the evening party.

He came back earlier than expected, but for some reason, Prince Gilbert did not go to the guest room after getting out of the carriage,

I went to places where there were no people, and finally arrived here.

Gilbert: "That was a bad tailing. You are not cut out for stealth."

Emma: "… I know."

(I feel each word is sharp today.)

I breathe in the quiet air of the night and proceed to the far end of the chapel.

Prince Gilbert, who was standing in front of the altar, finally turned to me.

Gilbert: "Did you come here to say goodbye?"

Emma: ". . . . . ."

Gilbert: "You're an idiot. You have no right to choose when you have my attention."

(I feel like he even sees through Rio and Luke's conversation.)

Even if he is not there, Prince Gilbert is able to accurately tell what happened just by guessing.

(But…)

Emma: "You’re wrong."

Gilbert: "Then what?"

Prince Gilbert, carrying the moonlight on his back, smiles.

But a smile that didn't reach his red eye.

Emma: "I thought about it calmly."

Emma: "I did something careless..."

Gilbert: ". . . . . ."

Emma: "If Prince Gilbert hadn't thrown me away, I would have had more than just a bruise by now."

Emma: "I was so scared at that time that I wasn't thinking properly…"

Emma: "I never thanked you for protecting me."

Gilbert: "Ah… You were the kind of person who wanted to politely say thank you."

Emma: "… Yes."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "Even if the other party is a prince of an enemy country, even if he doesn't see people as humans."

Emma: "That's not a good reason to lack civility."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

(Even if I was protected by Prince Gilbert's belief that "I don't want my prey to be hurt"...)

(It doesn't change the fact that I was saved.)

Gilbert: "Did you just wait for me late at night just for that, and did you come to a place where help wouldn't come?"

Gilbert: "Don't you know how scary it is to be alone with a beast?"

Emma: "… I already know that. And that depending on what I say, there will probably be more injuries."

Gilbert: "Then you should go home quickly."

Gilbert: "I didn't go back to the guest room because I didn't want you to talk to me."

Gilbert: "I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to follow me all the way out here, but..."

Gilbert: "I don't want you to do anything that will irritate me any more."

(He's still angry…)

It does not make sense to me.

And it was also surprising.

Although Prince Gilbert is smiling now, his emotions are blatantly expressed.

Emma: "I was sure that tomorrow, Prince Gilbert would be back to normal. I thought it would be too late for that."

The air was heavy with bloodlust, but I had no intention of backing down.

Emma: "What was it that you didn't like so much?"

(At first, I wondered if my actions were taken as making fun of Prince Gilbert.)

(But I have a feeling that's not all.)

In fact, I will have to ask Prince Gilbert about this one.

Gilbert: "Why do I have to explain all that to you in such detail?"

Emma: "… Because I want to know."

Emma: "If I don't know, Prince Gilbert, then we can't even have proper communication."

Gilbert: "I think that's fine. You can't talk to me. A beast has no concept of communication."

Emma: "No. It was precisely because I saw Prince Gilbert right now that I was convinced that we could talk about it."

Emma: "… Because a real beast wouldn't show such emotion."

(Even Prince Gilbert, who doesn't see people in his eyes, has a "heart.")

(If he has a "heart," he can even have a conversation.)

Prince Gilbert blinks his eyes and smiles.

He may have something on his mind.

Gilbert: "It certainly doesn't feel like me."

Gilbert: "But you really don't know either? Just think about it, and you'll understand."

(The real reason for Prince Gilbert's displeasure is...

Emma: "Was it because I didn't think things through?"

Gilbert: "Heh, so you were aware that you weren't thinking?"

Emma: "… I don't think I did anything wrong."

Gilbert: "It doesn't matter. You almost died."

Gilbert: "… Do you have any idea how it chills me to the core?"

(Oh...)

(… I mean…)

Gilbert: "It's a good thing I happened to be able to react, but it doesn't work every time."

Gilbert: "I'm not an omniscient, omnipotent god. I may be better than most people, but that's it."

Gilbert: "You could have died because of your own carelessness."

Prince Gilbert closes the distance between us and pulls my arm.

My leaning body was settled in his cold chest.

Gilbert: "Well, that's just unpleasant. If you died because of me…"

Gilbert: "… I'll never be able to face it."

(. . . . . .)

When I tried to raise my face, his hand pressed me against his chest.

Maybe it means "don't look."

(I didn't think that... that was the reason.)

(Because the person I'm dealing with is a prince of an enemy country who treats me with malice...)

(… Even though he seems to think my life is not important.)

Emma: "I-I'm sorry…"

Gilbert: "Are you really sorry?"

Emma: "I am…"

Gilbert: "Then you won't do that again, right?"

Emma: ". . . . . ."

Gilbert: "... Right?"

Emma: "I don't know..."

Emma: "… I don't want you to get hurt, even if you are a prince of an enemy country."

(… Even though I just received such murderous intent...)

I don't want to lie to Prince Gilbert.

Gilbert: "It's repulsive the way it is."

He hugs me so tightly that I have a hard time breathing.

It was physically painful, but my heart was also screaming.

(You're a prince who plans terrible things, but you're always, always… kind to me.)

Emma: "Are these concerns... also a trap?"

Emma: "Everything, everything... for wanting to isolate me—"

Gilbert: "... Yes."

Gilbert: "All my kindness toward you turns to malice."

Gilbert: "In my position, I will never show good intentions to you."

(… But this time, Prince Gilbert didn't mean it.)

(Because if everything was part of the plan, he wouldn't be so emotional.)

Prince Gilbert's kindness to me is probably genuine.

However, the position of being the prince of the enemy country is just repainted with malice.

Prince Gilbert knows this and is being kind to me.

Good intentions and yet bad intentions, bad intentions and yet good intentions—

Emma: "It's driving me crazy."

(I don't know how to take this.)

It's not the same as denying it, and it's too careless to affirm it.

Emma: "You're someone I should be wary of, someone I shouldn't trust…"

Emma: "I'm wondering if you're actually a good person... Sooner or later I'm going to think of something stupid."

Gilbert: "Yeah, you can't defend that. You're an idiot."

Gilbert: "I will never be a "good person" to you."

Prince Gilbert loosens his arms as if to push me away.

I looked up, and there it was—just the same refreshing smile as usual.

Gilbert: "Didn't I tell you about my business earlier?"

Emma: "Uh… That's right. There was that problem too!"

(Obsidian announced its support for the anti-monarchy faction... That should never be allowed to happen.)

Emma: "Did you really mean what you just said?"

Gilbert: "Of course."

Gilbert: "Because it wasn't just me, it was the Emperor's will."

Emma: "The Emperor of Obsidian?" // "Obsidian's... Imperial Majesty?"

The beating of my heart may be a warning from my instincts.

Gilbert: "Come to think about it, you don't know."

Gilbert: "The Emperor is ruthless, cruel, inhumane, and demoniacal. A beast among beasts, a madman who never speaks at all."

Gilbert: "Even Obsidian's aggressive expansion of its territory was mostly at His Majesty's command."

Gilbert: "The king of Rhodolite is also said to be a "fallen beast," but that's still a bit naive."

Gilbert: "Our emperor is truly the end of the fallen beast."

(All I know is that he's a hell of a guy from what I've heard.)

(But the way you put it just now... I wonder if Prince Gilbert doesn't think very well of His Majesty the Emperor.)

Gilbert: "As long as His Majesty the Emperor is harming Rhodolite, I will never be able to understand you either."

Gilbert: "You said we should try to communicate before resorting to force..."

Gilbert: "You know how difficult it is to talk to me, don't you?"

Emma: "… That's right."

(As much as the rift between the anti-monarchy and the Rhodolite princes...)

(There is also a deep rift between me and Prince Gilbert.)

Gilbert: "I can only be villainous to you."

Gilbert: "… Unfortunately"

(……)

(… I wonder if he meant what he just said.)

Even though he hates me, there are times when he hits me with emotions that are far from disgust, like today.

The rift is deep, and yet it's inconsistent.

(So, I–...)

Emma: "… Earlier, Luke and my butler advised me to cut off all ties with Prince Gilbert."

Gilbert: "Yeah, setting aside whether it's possible or not, it's the right decision."

Emma: "But I don't want to cut off all ties with you."

Gilbert: "Because you're threatened?"

Emma: "That's part of it, but..."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "I'm going to change that."

Luke & Rio: "Change?"

Emma: "I don't want to worry Rio and Luke, and I don't want to run away from Prince Gilbert."

Emma: "So... I will start by restoring the "cold world" created by Prince Gilbert."

Luke: "And how will you do it?"

Emma: "Of course, through communications."

Rio: ". . . . . ."

Emma: "I'm going to get back to the normal life that I know and—"

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Emma: "I want to involve Prince Gilbert in my daily life."

Gilbert: "… What's that? What do you mean?"

Prince Gilbert seemed unable to grasp the intent of my statement.

Emma: "Originally, my daily life was full of people's kindness. Malice is nothing more than that."

Emma: "So I will change the current situation through communication, and this time I will drag Prince Gilbert into it first."

Emma: "It's like I can take Prince Gilbert's good intentions as good intentions..."

Emma: "If I add a layer to such a world, I can become friends with Prince Gilbert in the true sense of the word."

Gilbert: ". . . . . ."

(I want to believe that communication is possible no matter who you are dealing with.)

(So start with what we can do.)

If we could really change the cold world we live in today by communicating—

It should also be possible to find a way to communicate with Prince Gilbert, who is an absolute evil.

Emma: "So, once again..."

I hold out my hand to Prince Gilbert.

Emma: "Please be my friend."

#サイバード #イケメン王子 #ギルベルト=フォン=オブシディアン #ikemen prince #ikemen prince gilbert von obsidian #ikemen prince gilbert #ikeprince #ikeprince gilbert von obsidian #ikeprince gilbert #gilbert von obsidian #ikeprince jp #ikepri jp #ikeprince translation #ikepri gilbert route spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikeprince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #dahlia's bad translation

72 notes · View notes

abhainnwhump · 8 months ago

Text

IMYM Chapter 33: Better Late Than Never: Ribbon

(Content warnings: Drowning, torture, mouth gore, near character death)

<- Previous Chapter || Masterlist || Next Chapter ->

The second Ribbon teleported into his room, he ducked and hid under his blankets.

He tried to calm down his shivering and remind himself that yes, he was safe! He picked up as many stuffed animals as he could and hugged them to his chest. He wasn’t there, but he could hear the faint blastsof Gaster Blasters and the shing of bones and knives. Or that was all in his head, his messy, dumb little head.

I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die. Ribbon’s thoughts raced. Why are they going through so much effort to take me away? Why does Dream hate me so much? Did I do something wrong? I can’t go back, not into that scary hospital . . .

No, Nightmare would never let him be kidnapped and tormented again, he said it himself.

Ribbon clutched Nightmare’s oversized jacket tighter. It smelled like him, apple cider, and it was cozy. Ribbon knew that though as he was the one who made it. He kicked his high heels off and laid the chain of flowers aside. He hoped he could still wear it later, once they defeated Dream and could celebrate.

To distract himself, he played with Sprinkles, the bunny plush he took from Epictale. It was one of his favorites, the teddy bear Nightmare gave him. The second was the very first plush he had in his collection. He named it Lumi. It was even one of the animals he painted on his wall.

Ribbon tilted the heads and messed with the paws of his stuffed animals. “Am I overreacting? Is Nightmare going to be okay? Is he in danger? Oh no oh no . .” Ribbon rubbed his bunny’s arms against his cheek to pretend it was hugging him. Ribbon nuzzled, but he couldn’t stop worrying about Nightmare, Horror, Killer, and himself. Ribbon closed his eyes. If he went to sleep, it would all be over by the time he woke up! It was a perfect plan! He tried his best to drift off. He managed to half-sleep for ten, maybe fifteen minutes.

The doll thought he heard footsteps, but that wasn’t possible. There was no one else here! Was Nightmare back already? But it sounded too frantic. Nightmare could be nervous and wanted to get to him quickly.

The doll looked up as a skeleton with a purple jacket broke into his room. He panted with his eye sockets closed. He opened them to reveal a glowing purple eye. He looked around and groaned. “Ugh . . . not this weird ass room again-”

Epic noticed Ribbon cuddled up on his bed. Ribbon scampered backward, muffling a scream. Panic made him forget his battle training. He struggled between deciding to fight or to hide. Epic did a double take and grinned a serial killer smile. “Oh, hey bruh. Aren’t you supposed to be getting married right now?”

“Yeah, N- Nighty hid me from the bad guys. We’re married!” Ribbon’s voice trembled. He stood up and walked to the side of the room with his parasol. He took a deep breath. Pretend Nightmare was here and he was watching, he was going to be proud . . . Ribbon had to protect him and the castle. “Why are you here?”

“I was breaking in with Cross to get that contract Nightmare put you under! Then Killer came out of nowhere and told Cross he ‘just wanted to talk’. Cross told me to run and we argued and then he pushed me out. I didn’t want to end up here, bruh.” Epic stood up. His hand glided to his belt, but then he paused. A smug look covered his face. “I’m not going to hurt you, put the parasol down.”

“No!” Ribbon didn’t know what he meant by serum. His hand reached up to touch his ruby necklace. He had a bad feeling about that. But Killer was here? He had a backup! Ribbon relaxed a bit. Epic turned around as he heard knives clashing in the hallway. He sighed and offered his hand to Ribbon.

“Look, bruh. I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now and I get you don’t trust me. But this is also seriously messed up. The other guys and I are getting you out of here and to some much-needed therapy. This whole doll and mind control nonsense is finally going to be over.” As Epic spoke, he inched toward the door until he entered the hallway. The battle sounds grew louder. Glass shattered.

“Liar!” Ribbon followed him out into the hall and stood in a dainty battle stance. He stood with one foot in front of the above and Blossom on his shoulder. “You have to think I’m dumb if I’m going to believe that! Well, I am kinda dumb, but you know what I mean! I’m not leaving my husband and I don’t need therapy!”

Epic shrugged, looking more baffled than angry. “Bruh, have you seen yourself lately? Yeah, you do.” He paused. “Hey, that reminds me . . . remember about a year ago when we were playing ‘never have I ever’ and we made that bet? Before all of this happened?”

Ribbon had no idea what he was talking about. He tried to think of what Epic did with him a tear ago, but he didn’t know. At least when it was Dream, Blue, or Error, he knew a little bit. Nightmare never talked about Epic, so he wasn’t worth remembering. “No.”

“That sucks. We were supposed to do this in my AU, but in case you forgot, you and your hentai husband destroyed it. And want to know something else?” He dug into his jacket, took out something yellow and red, then tossed it to him—a squeaky chicken. Ribbon gave it a squeeze. Then Epic grabbed another one for himself and held it out like a sword.

“You still owe me a rubber chicken battle.”

Despite his fear, the doll couldn’t help but giggle. This was so silly! There was no-

Epic slammed the chicken into his chest with the force of a karate kick. Stumbling, Ribbon coughed up stuffing. Why did this guy keep hitting his energy box?

“What? Can’t handle a fight without the octopus?” Epic squeaked the chicken. He charged at him and jumped up, smacking Ribbon in the face with the rubber chicken. It made a loud caw.

Ribbon knew it was breaking the rules, but they weren’t Nightmare’s rules so they didn’t matter. He dropped the rubber chicken and picked up his parasol, which he dropped when he was hit. He twirled with the weapon in his hand and rammed Blossom’s point at Epic, but it hit the wall instead. Oopsies.

“Come on! You’re not even a good sport anymore, bruh!” Epic kept dodging as Ribbon kept stabbing. He ended up hitting him in the shoulder and Epic hissed. His chicken slid a bit from his hand for a moment before he retightened his grip on it.

Ribbon stumbled as he finally landed the hit. Epic hissed and pulled the point out of his shoulder. He stayed light on his feet and moved to hit him again with Blossom.

Epic leaped back and fired a Gaster Blaster at Ribbon. The doll leaped to avoid the beam. He took a moment to regain his breath. Epic kicked him in the face. Ribbon stumbled, coughing up white fluff. His boot was dirty, Nightmare wasn’t going to be happy that his makeup was ruined.

Ribbon solution was to run, he knew the castle better than Epic did. Epic chased after him and teleported in front of his path. Ribbon twisted around and ran to a different hallway. All of the training Nightmare gave him about running in heels paid off. He managed to get away and not trip on his dress. The intruder grunted as he ran. “Calm down, you brainwashed bruh!”

Ribbon bounced awkwardly as he almost tripped on a curve. He said he was doing good too early, or it was too much nasty pride. Ribbon stopped as he came across a different battle. Killer threw knives at Cross, who parried all of them with his dual daggers. But what if Nightmare couldn’t get in and-

“Ribbon!”

Sharp bones surrounded the doll, keeping him in a little cage. No, cage wasn’t the right word, that meant he was being punished. This was more like a safe space. Ribbon put his hands on the sides, not even trying to escape. He looked behind him at Epic. Cross and him in the same place . . . that was scary and dangerous.

“There you are, finally!” Killer shouted over the violence.

Ribbon squealed in his space. Epic shot a massive bone through his train and pinned him to the ground. He pulled the bone with one arm and reached his other arm out for the stronger skeleton. He had to let go to pull his string. “Help me! He’s going to kill me!”

“Bruh, didja listen to a single word I said? You’re not going to die! If anyone is going to bite the bullet here, it’s going to end up being Killer!”

Cross didn’t pay attention to him and sliced Killer’s face. Epic ducked down and dropped a kick to his ankles. Killer tripped but didn’t fall. He stomped on Epic’s exposed hand, holding a knife over his head. Epic rolled to dodge each knife slash, getting part of his trench coat chopped in the process. Ribbon shivered in the spot. Where was Nightmare? He should’ve been here by now! He wanted Nightmare! He wanted his love and protection, he could’ve taken both of them down by now. Ribbon glanced between the three, feeling useless.

“Get off of him!” Cross slammed Killer into the wall with his telekinesis. Ribbon tensed up, but he also got angry. They hurt part of his family! Ribbon focused on the bone and kept pulling it, trying to yank it out of the floor and his dress.

Killer chuckled and launched a field of bones at them. When Epic jumped back, Ribbon snuck up on him with Blossom. Cross tried to go in for the kill, which made Killer grin. Killer fought Epic with much more effort than Cross. Ribbon remembered what Killer told him at the chapel and it all made sense. Ribbon didn’t scream because his pullstring ran out. Epic’s glowing purple eye flashed at him as he stabbed him right above the soul. Epic covered his chest and screamed. Ribbon took his chance when he threw Epic off and stabbed him again. Aw, he had to clean Blossom later. Killer saw what he was doing and decided to help. He fired a Gaster Blaster at Cross to distract him and shot knives at Epic. He dodged most of them, but not the one that stabbed him through the soul and made him collapse.

“EPIC! Fuck, get up!” Cross blocked another one of Killer’s attacks. Cross picked up Epic and held his limp body in his arms. He snapped his finger and teleported away. Ribbon trembled once he left, did he really manage to fight back? Without Nightmare?

He helped Killer stand up and he hugged him, grateful for someone he trusted. Killer pet his head. “Thanks. Boss sent me after you. He’s pretty angry about all this. If Epic hurt you, I’m dead.”

“He- he didn’t hurt me. I’m just scared.” Ribbon wiped his dirty face off with his sleeve, getting it dirty too. He touched the spot where Epic hit him with the rubber chicken. "Well, maybe he damaged my energy box, I don't know . . ."

"Aw, damn it," Killer said. "I'll tell boss that he hurt you before I came and saved your life, but you gotta back me up."

"I will! Promise!" Ribbon nodded and Killer ruffled his head, making him giggle. Killer tilted his head, listening for Cross. He walked into one of the rooms with a window and peered out. Cross ran through a tunnel at the bottom of the castle.

Killer grabbed him. "Hold on one sec, I'm gonna shortcut the shortcut." Killer snapped his fingers and teleported to the castle gardens, next to the lake. Nightmare didn't like him around this place because he was always worried he was going to fall in.

"Error! For the love of Asgore, where are you?" Cross swore under his breath. He crouched down and covered Epic's injury to heal him. His soul hovered above his chest. Blossom left a nasty gash in the middle of it. Was it wrong to feel a teeny tiny bit of guilt?

Killer didn't even try to sneak up and attacked right away. Ribbon wasn't ready. Cross created a shield of bones around him as he kept trying to heal Epic. Killer teleported inside the bones. He eyed something poking out of Epic's jacket, a syringe and a sheet of paper. Ribbon had no idea what the syringe was for, but he recognized his contract. Nightmare wanted that!

"That's Nightmare's!' Ribbon pointed out. Cross didn't seem to care. Even Nightmare's scariest moments didn't compare to the glare Cross gave him right now.

"I can't believe you." Cross charged at him with his daggers. He had to leave Epic and his bleeding chest alone in the grass. Killer dashed around Cross, leaving small cuts all around his body. Cross's clothes were already so ripped up that it seemed like nothing changed. Cross summoned a massive Gaster Blaster and jumped on it. He fired it at Killer with the same fire burning in his eye lights. The flames burned down a long X-shaped path of trees and flowers. Ribbon yipped in fear, almost stumbling into the lake by accident. Cross's guard armor looked like it almost glowed purple.

"ERROR! CORE!" Cross screamed into the sky. His soul was wrapped in blue magic and Killer zipped him around the grassy area. He bashed and bonked into every surface like a basketball. Once he stopped, he was covered in bruises and scars, but he didn't give up. He looked even angrier as he wiped purple blood off his face.

Killer pulled him close. "My offer's still open if you wanna give up."

Cross tried to stab him in the face, but due to the awkward position of his arm. He couldn't go far and it ended up swinging in the air more than anything. He kicked Killer's knees, trying to knock them out and make them trip. Ribbon stayed far away from the fight. He ran along the path, trying to return to the castle. Killer was strong, Killer could do this. But something made him stop.

Cross screamed and used his telekinesis to trap Ribbon in a bubble. He threw him in the air and off to the side. Ribbon screamed and kicked mid-air before slamming into the lake. He kicked and flailed his arms to get to the surface, but sparks flew out. Ribbon sunk deeper into the lake. Water leaked through the ball joints on his body. This was exactly what Dust warned him about. Where was Killer? Why wasn't he there to save him? Ribbon's vision flickered as his eyes sparked. The hand he reached up for help fell. It felt like his mechanical organs were going to explode. His vision went dark as he sank into the dark blue lake. At least it was pretty . . . sorry Nightmare.

A hand reached out into the dark, but Ribbon already fell asleep.

==============================================================================

Ribbon wasn't sure what happened next, he was knocked out and confused. He remembered . . . drowning, that was right! Cross pushed him into the lake and Ribbon started to die. He looked around the room and recognized it as the medical room. He was wrapped in a thick blanket and his entire body hurt like it was lit on fire. His wedding dress and jacket were gone and he wore a dry fluffy nightgown. His vision was still blurry. He found Lumi lying by his side in the blanket and Ribbon weakly held it. The ball-jointed openings on his body were all wrapped in tight bandages.

Nightmare sat on the bed next to him, reading a novel. He looked sleepy. Ribbon made small noises, whatever he was able to do since he didn't have the energy to pull his string. Nightmare heard it immediately and moved to Ribbon's side, holding his hand. "Ribbon! Oh my sweet little doll, how do you feel? Don't move."

Nightmare tightened the blanket around him and pressed his head against his. Nightmare pushed Ribbon aside so he could hold him. His tendrils wrapped around him and Nightmare showered him with kisses. "You need to thank Dust the next time you see him, he saved your life. We've been draining the water out of you for about thirty-six hours now. Oh, my poor baby. I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me. It seems every time I leave you, even for a minute, you're hurt. I believed you would be safe here."

Ribbon squirmed in bed, trying to reach his pullstring. Nightmare pinned his arms down when he cuddled him. Ribbon tried to point at it so he could talk. Nightmare pulled it for him and Ribbon sighed. "Thirty-six hours? Does that mean I missed the wedding?"

He was excited for the dancing and the cake and having a romantic evening! Then he screwed it up because he was too slow to stop Cross. Nightmare nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. You missed the ceremony and it was me and the Murder Time Trio. Don't feel too upset, there were plenty of leftovers. You must be hungry, would you like me to bring you some of the lamb?"

Ribbon nodded. It looked amazing when the delivery people brought it. "Yes please! Can I have some of the cake too?"

"Of course. Whatever you want, my wife, I'll get it for you." Nightmare got out of bed. Before he left, he paused with a chuckle. "I almost forgot the best part. The Star Sanses, Cross, Epic, and Core won't be bothering you anymore, they're in the dungeon. Horror found Core in the castle. They broke some of the ballroom, but it's fixable. I was waiting until you woke up for Cross to receive his punishment. I thought you would enjoy watching and receiving revenge."

Ribbon's head peeked up. "Really? Can I watch?"

"That's what I was hoping you would say. Would you like to eat first or after you see Cross?"

"I can wait to eat." Ribbon tried to sit up, but his head ached. He coughed up a bit of water, still not a hundred percent out of his system. Nightmare didn't mind helping though and scooped Ribbon up in his arms, taking the blanket off. He carried him carefully out of the medical room. Ribbon wouldn't have minded falling asleep again with Nightmare rocking him. "When I drowned . . . did I destroy my dress?"

Nightmare shook his head. "You soaked it, and my jacket. Both of those items can be dried. I don't care about your clothes, Ribbon. Just you." Nightmare peered down and looked bashful. "But you are to make up the lost night to me by putting that dress back on and dancing with me. I would say in the ballroom, but that's under repair, so wait until the honeymoon."

“I promise, I'll dance for you. I can sing for you too . . ." Ribbon smiled at the thoughts. He could sing for Nightmare too. Nightmare carried Ribbon down the steps of the dungeon, not struggling a step. Ribbon listened to the faint sound of arguing. He recognized Error's voice above all else. His friend was back.

Nightmare walked into a different room though, the private torture chamber. Cross sat in a chair, tied up and furious, but also confused. The gag in his mouth kept him from saying much, but Ribbon assumed he was mad at Killer. Killer seemed disappointed at Cross's confusion, whatever they were talking about. Nightmare sat down on the floor nearby and sat Ribbon on his lap.

Cross's eye sockets widened in shock. Killer ripped his gag off and made him cough. "Ink? I thought you drowned."

“He almost drowned. Or more accurately, you almost drowned him." Nightmare pat Ribbon's head as spoke as if he was a perfect pet cat.

"I didn't know he was weak to water! How was I supposed to know that? I was trying to distract Killer by making him chase after-"

"I don't care if it was an accident, you attempted to kill my wife. Now you're paying the consequences of attempting to kill him. Along for betraying me, dating my brother, and making Killer sob for a week straight. You changed and ruined everything."

Killer shot Nightmare a narrowed look.

Nightmare ignored him. Ribbon's head drifted to the side, but he kept smiling at Cross. “I already know what I want to do with you." Nightmare snapped his fingers.

He summoned two clamps, one to hold each side of his mouth open. He also summoned a mini saw. Ribbon oohed. Nightmare handed the tools to Killer with his tendrils. "Killer, do you remember the jaw kill we used on Fellswap Mettaton years ago?"

A flash of doubt crossed Killer's face, but then he looked at Cross and it turned into jealousy. He grinned. "Yeah, that was one of my favorite kills! Top five at the least. That's what Cross deserves?"

“What the hell are you guys talking about? What's a jaw kill?" Cross pulled at his chains, but the Anti-magic effects were strong.

"You'll find out. You're experiencing the set up, but not the death. Don't worry, traitor." Nightmare nodded toward Killer. He grabbed both clamps and walked closer to Cross. Nightmare leaned down by Ribbon's head. "If this scares you too much, tell me and I'll shield you, okay, sweetie pie?" Ribbon nodded.

Killer strapped the devices onto Cross. The metal pried his mouth open and he struggled to close it. He thrashed as he tried to pull the device off. Killer snickered. "I take back what I said earlier, you still look hot when you're helpless. Sucks you still don't want me."

Killer flipped the saw in his hand and hit the hinge of Cross's jawbone. He sawed back and forth, making Cross scream. The clamps kept him from closing his mouth. Killer didn't saw it all the way off, only enough so there was a tiny hinge on each. Cross's eyes turned into pinpricks. The violence scared Ribbon, but it also made him smile. Cross was never going to hurt any of them ever again!

Once both sides were sawed and Cross was in a daze, Killer stuck his hand under his jawbone. He put the other one on the side of Cross's head. In one quick swoop, Killer twisted Cross's head with a punch and a snap that echoed around the room. That, and Cross's screams of pain, were the only sounds. His blood-stained lower jaw flew across the room and hit the wall. Cross looked down at his mouth the best he could. His entire jaw was gone. His thrashing got worse.

Nightmare held the jawbone in his tendril and looked it over. "You had an excellent skull shape, shame you had to ruin it. I'll keep this on my office wall, sound fair?"

Cross tried to scream, but without his missing jaw and tongue, he couldn't say anything. He toppled and the chair fell with him, making him land harshly on the ground and knocking him out. Ribbon clapped and Nightmare laughed.

He deserved it, it was fair!

(Before Nightmare and Ribbon made it into the dungeon, Killer sang some parody of "Meant to Be Yours" from Heathers the Musical. Something about killing Epic and/or Dream and turning the Omega Timeline into Vietnam. Cross is sitting there like "what the fuck")

9 notes · View notes

sillyyywrites · 6 months ago

Note

STARES AT YOU.

Hiiii Bonez !!!!!!!!

Wanna write somethin’ sweet for me?

like uh uh uh just uh just DCA (any) being oh so very nice to meeeee (or y/n). WANT UH WANT ENCOURAGEMENT FROM DCA (like im doing soso good at life and making good decisions.)

/nf of course!!!! (And I will write or draw something in return if you want tee hee. LIKE AN ART TRADE BUT ITS WRITING AND/OR ART :00000)

You don’t need to draw/write anything slime!!!!

Oouuugh what if i was evil (positive) and made it a massive timeskip in my au cause i dont wanna build up friendships in writing (i will do exactly this)

Gender neutral pronouns and no use of y/n and please read this as platonic!!

Divider credits: https://www.tumblr.com/cafekitsune/727305515676418048/pattern-banners-galaxy

You walk into the daycare, a little tired, but you’re functioning. You walk down the stairs, not really noticing the power outage or taking any mind to it, you’re just zoned out. You open the massive doors that look like a castles doors and walk inside. You hear little ‘clicks’ and ‘clacks’ from a few directions.

“You can’t scare me anymore, moon. Im to used to this.” You say as you don’t really wanna deal with a jumpscare so early in the morning. You hear little ‘clicks’ closer, and closer. “Are you okay?” They ask as it descends and unhooks themselves. “You know you’re doing great, okay? You got a few animatronics who care, and you.. somehow.. got me on that train.” He isn’t letting you not think that today.

“Hmmm.. let’s look at your tasks together, okay?” He says, not gonna let you do these tasks alone anymore. “It’s fine, moon, I can do this.” You say to him, you’re used to the tasks of cleaning up, checking generators, the other repetitive tasks you do everyday. “I am not asking you if you want help, you’re getting help.” Well, they’re still a little intimidating.

“Fine, not like I have a choice anyway.” You respond to it. A little while later you’ve finished checking the last generator to make sure it’s functioning and won’t randomly burst into flames. “They’re all fine.” You say, hearing a little ‘clicks’ as you turn to look at moon, who is visibly happy, a little hard to tell if it’s genuine with that unmoving permanent smile on his face, but they seem happy. “Where’s the cleaning supplies?” You ask moon as you crawl out the colorful Play-place.

“Already done, we didn’t feel like waiting for you.” He responds to your question. “Wowww, i mean, thank you, but wowwwww.” You jokingly act like you’re upset. “You did good, Starlight.” He tells you. “Thank yOU- WHAT ARE YOU DOIN-“ You raise your voice as he forcefully yoinks you out the Play-place and carrying you like a burrito (if that makes sense?) and carries you to a little nest of pillows and blankets, and drops you on it. Before you could even process anything you’re burrito wrapped and trapped in coziness!

“What are you doing.” You ask moon, slightly annoyed he didn’t warn or ask you before he picked you up. “Your work is as good as done, you deserve a reward for doing your best, and I’m proud of you, Little star.” He tells you as he curls around you a little bit as he continues, “Plus, I miss wrapping the kids up and hugging them to sleep, it’s a win-win for both of us.” It’s a little funny, having a animatronic that’s been called terrifying and snarky.. just being sweet with you and telling you that you’re doing good.

“You’re doing good, don’t stress about something you’re doing perfectly on, you’re loved.” He’s clinging to you and telling you positive things, that’s one way to just allow yourself to relax. And not long later you’re both asleep, as the lights flick on.

im normal about them why do you ask :3c (i am not normal about them)

I enjoyed writing this! Fastest ive written ever (1 hour)

Hope you like this slime🔥🔥🔥

#SillyyyWrites #SillyyyAsks #moondrop #fnaf moon #moon fnaf #moon dca #writing #FNaF Y/N #dca Y/N

5 notes · View notes

george228732 · 1 year ago

Text

Fylass Through the Looking Glass - Chapter Two EX - Loose Threads

The woods at night couldn’t be more uneasy, and maybe dangerous, with the Jabberwocky probably being around, but Dero needed answers for that letter; Dolly seemingly didn’t get the true meaning of the letter, for she didn’t recognize her writing; he remembered how Dolly said to him that she would hope her mother would be proud of her for this accomplishment of getting to be Queen, and he would’ve just assumed that Dolly was just a random orphan that was somehow able to get into this position of power, but after his assumptions, theories, and experiences that came into fruition thanks to the Club, he couldn’t be so sure about that anymore. "...What am I even doing anymore?" He stopped, looking at the dark forest bestowed upon him. "I am just chasing down delusions; there is no way she is here anymore… That darn Moon Suit got rid of her long ago…" He sat down in the middle of the path, thinking and remembering…

"I just want to see her beautiful eyes, once more…"

Dero closed his eyes, and started to enter into yet another train of thought.

His first memory in Wonderland was when he woke up, it was in the middle of the forest, being woken up by the heat and sunlight; he was an adult, and was already able to speak, walk, and have basic social skills; which would be weird on itself, as if he was just born.

When trying to get up, he noticed five swords that were stuck to the ground, and each had a different symbol resembling a card suit, Diamond, Heart, Club, Spade, and Moon; Dero felt oddly drawn to them, and when all of them were picked, they transformed into a much longer and powerful sword. The creature of Dark Matter, without anything else to do, decided to walk further into a dark forest, to see if they can find someone to guide them in this world they didn’t know. He couldn’t see any other way around, so he had no choice.

Questions invaded his head; it just felt like he was brought up to existence out of thin air, and of course, this made Dero very distracted, and thanks to that, he was quickly swarmed by wild creatures all over the place, but they seemed… distorted; in fact, they looked like pieces of a mirror, doing its best to be put back together, failing mid-through; these creatures were vile, only planning to attack whoever gets on their way, and quickly were able to outmatch him, but before those things could harm Dero even further, they were quickly destroyed by being pierced with a Golden Heart Spear, and as such, those creatures shattered into a million pieces.

"Oh, dear! Are you okay?!" A voice spoke up in the same direction where the spear was thrown, and when Dero looked at the source of it, he saw a blonde woman in particular; her clothes were all red, black, and pink, with a top hat, which seemed to be a crown of some sort, ironically enough, and golden accessories everywhere, including a heart shaped ruby, right on her chest, which seemed to resemble a bowtie. What made him confused though, was her eyes, having heart shaped pupils on her cherry pink irises.

Dero quickly stood up by the mere shock of what just happened, but was clearly wounded, and slowly bleeding, so he couldn’t take more than a few steps, before tripping, and falling back to the ground.

The lady ran towards him, to check if he was okay, and when she saw the wounds, she quickly picked some bandages which seemed to be of… yarn? Either way, the bandages surprisingly worked, stopping all the bleeding. The lady in question was pretty relieved, and talked to Dero.

"Sweet wonders, are you feeling better?"

"...I-Indeed… Thank you, miss."

"It’s no problem; it is my job as Queen to protect my civilians." Dero was quite surprised by that statement; she was a Queen? She seemed like a very selfless one too…

"I should escort you to the Castle, quick; those beings could still be around."

"E-Excuse me? What are you talking about, miss?"

"Don’t worry, we can discuss things better there; the other civilians are in there, so you won’t be alone. The guards are waiting right outside this place, so there’s not too many things that we should worry about."

Dero was appalled by her kindness, as it felt that it came out of nowhere.

The path was dark and gloomy, and it brought dread to Dero; he was lost, confused, anxious, hungry, hurt, among even more things, but at least, he didn’t feel alone, thanks to this lady’s presence, which seemed to make the world slightly brighter, but he still felt like he had nothing to go for. That’s when they both heard it; a growl, followed by many of those distorted creatures, coming right for the lady.

Dero felt as if the world was moving slowly, seeing how one of these creatures would probably hurt her badly thanks to her not being prepared, would be a thing that Dero wouldn’t allow, so he grabbed his sword, and quickly slashed the creature in half, following the rest; it was so fast that the Queen that accompanied him couldn’t believe it at all, one second she blinked, and the other, she was already seeing rows and rows of reflectionless glass around her, and the person she was escorting to the castle for aid, and the Dark Matter creature was able to do all of this, even when being wounded by these same individuals.

"Are you okay, miss?"

"...Y-Yes, I am. Thank you, dearly…" She smiled gently, as she walked along with Dero to go to the Castle.

The woods weren’t as dark as before, with the sun seeping through, and other voices being heard towards the bright exit seen in the distance by both.

"My Queen! Are you there?!"

"Yes, Yes! I am here, do not fret; I brought someone with me, if you’re wondering." The Queen and Dero finally got out of the place they were in, revealing many knights and guards on the other side, being relieved that their Queen was safe and sound, with a wounded person right next to her.

The conversation was fuzzy for Dero’s ears, so he couldn’t remember much of it, only being able to hear some snippets of conversations regarding the moon, or seeing clearly some of the guards, one of them being Pleiades, which seemed to be the Leader of the Royal Guard back then.

Soon enough, all of them were walking towards the Card Castle, which seemed much simpler than the Castle Dero knows now, and yet, it seemed much more welcoming, and it was even more when looking at the inside.

There were a lot of people inside, some wounded, some sleeping, some others just happy to be in here, but Dero felt welcome.

"Please, relax. Those creatures could follow us."

"Excuse me, but what is happening? I am confused, since I just came here, I think…"

"Oh. Let me explain, we have some time. You see, those creatures were sent by a traitor Suit, who wants to destroy this realm, for reasons I can’t comprehend; his name is Cosmounse, or you can refer to him as the Joker Suit, The Moon of Despair, or the Traitor. He’s dressed as a jester, with blue, red, and gray clothing, green eyes, and twisted motivations, so be wary and run if you see him."

"Suit? Sorry, I don’t get it."

"In this realm, we are organized by five suits; the Diamond, Heart, Spade, Club and Moon, and you can recognize them when you look at their eyes, which will have the symbols of the suits mentioned. Suits are able to become Kings or Queens if those positions are available, and in need. You would think that the Moon would try to get the throne by doing all of this, but he confessed that he wasn’t interested in that position at all, and just wants to destroy it."

Dero was quite impressed by what she was saying; how could there be something as vile as the person she was describing? Was she exaggerating, or were things just that bad?

"Wow. Such a vile creature you’re describing. I am going to assume you are the Heart Suit, if I understood this well?"

"Indeed."

"...Where are the other suits?"

"Oh, Vibrato, Tenebra, and Pleiades, you mean? They are safe, waiting for me at the Heart Door. I must leave, I’ll check on all of you when the reunion between us Suits ends, I promise." The lady was about to leave, but Dero wanted to say one last thing to her.

"...What is your name? I would like to refer to you as such, as a way to thank you for your help, back then."

"Oh. My name is Giselle, how about yours? Sorry, I don’t remember seeing you around these lands, so it would be convenient for me to call you by your name."

"...My name is Dero, Queen Giselle. Thank you for helping me." Giselle smiled gently, as she left the room, to go upstairs with the other suits.

Dero felt intrigued by her, and seemingly started to harbor feelings towards the Queen; he knew that a relationship like that couldn’t be done, but he at least wanted to be the one that could protect her when any dangerous situation might happen; he wanted to be her knight in shining armor, out of love, but specially loyalty, and as a way to repay her for saving his life.

He waited for a while, a while where the only things he could hear were the sounds of whispers, echoing through the room, at the point where Dero started to feel overwhelmed by the sound, and got into a nearby room where less people were there; a coincidence that this room was connected to the staircase leading to the story and room where the reunion was taking place, and much more of a coincidence that Ades was going down those same stairs.

"Hey, sir!" Dero pointed towards Ades to catch his attention.

"Hm? Oh, hello there, is there anything that I can help you with?" The Dark Matter creature could see the diamond jewel embedded in one of Ades’ hands, and so, he put two and two together.

"Are you the Diamond?"

"Yes, I am. Is there something going on?"

"...I wanted to ask, if there were any available spots on the Royal Guard, for me to take." Ades was quite surprised to hear that.

"...Do you want to become part of the Royal Guard? Are you experienced in any sort of fighting?" He was saying this jokingly, but he didn’t know that Dero’s request was genuine.

"Yes, I am. This sword is… mine, and I used it to defend the Queen when she was about to be attacked by one of those… things."

"Wait, so what Giselle was saying was true? She usually jokes about these sorts of things, but it seems that this one is real… huh. Well, there are available spots, yes, but I will have to test you if you have the requirements to be part of this. Those creatures seem to have stopped coming, so I am sure that there won’t be many complications."

"Yes! I would appreciate that, dearly!"

"Alright then, follow me outside, and let’s see how capable you are."

Days and days happened, and Dero had successfully outdone every single test Ades threw at him, from simple sword fighting exercises, from practices with actual people at the scene, and for sure, Dero had outdone himself even more; to the point that Dero and Ades met so much, and so, they became friends, which would sometimes be seen drinking beer together, or trying to solve some problems around Wonderland together; Ades usually wouldn’t be this friendly towards a Wonderlander, but Dero had gained his respect a long time ago.

Two months had already passed, and Dero was exceptional, as if he was born with the purpose of protecting the Queen, and his day of ceremony as a guard had finally come.

"You did well, Dero. Are you ready for your ceremony?"

"Indeed, I am. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, and it’s finally here."

"Well, then. Go through this door; The Queen is waiting for you."

Dero crossed the door, which was filled with other knights and guards, all of them celebrating and praising Dero for his accomplishment. He walked towards the other end of the room, seeing Giselle, holding what seemingly is a cape.

He was happy, and was even happier when the conversation between both came to a start and close; he still remembers the last words of the conversation.

"Dero of Wonderland, here, I declare you, Royal Guard of the Heart."

Afterwards, Dero used his sword to grab the cape, and after some struggle, and help of his comrades, he had it on, as he heard the sound of a lot of cheers coming down his way, and the only thing he did was bow down to his Queen.

"...If only she was still here…" Dero stopped with that memory train of his, and was again, standing at the dark, gloomy forest at night. He was starting to tear up, and was about to go to the Tarot Village, to at least have some hope that she was there, when he heard a voice.

"You never give up, do you?" Dero didn’t know where the voice was coming from, but he knew exactly who was the one saying those words, and it all culminated when Dero looked above, seeing the moon in all its glory, but it emanated a dark light, and an eye was starting to make itself visible in the illusion.

"I was expecting a lot from you, but you are still hurt, even to the point that you don’t even dare to use the sword that represents me."

"..." Dero was silent, only being in shock.

"...How does it feel to be this pathetic?"

Dero blinked, and like if nothing happened, the moon looked just as normal.

"...Am I going crazy?"

"Sir Dero!" Dolly’s voice could be heard from behind, and this time, it didn’t seem like it was another delusion; he looked back, and sure enough, Dolly was running towards him, along with Ades.

"Oh, Queen Dolly, you should be asleep."

"Dolly couldn’t sleep! She was worried about you, and Ades was too! Where were you going?!"

"Yeah, Dero, what’s the matter?"

"...I am sorry, I just thought I had heard someone, and decided to investigate…" He lied, since he didn’t want to alert these two at midnight.

"O-Oh. Dolly is relieved… Now, can we go to the Castle? Dolly doesn’t feel safe around this place…"

"...Yes, My Queen." It seems that Dero needs to postpone Giselle’s search for tomorrow, for he knew that Dolly wouldn’t let him go that easily. Dero, Ades and Dolly walked towards the Castle yet again, but Dero’s mind was being filled to the brim with doubts.

"...Why do I feel that Giselle should’ve acted a lot differently like the one I remember? It’s as if I knew that there’s a horrible Giselle out there, but yet, I don’t know how to feel…" Dero thought to himself. "Even with her gone, Ades had to be declared King, for he was the Diamond, and we wouldn’t want to have a Jabberwocky as a king, even when being domesticated, and the Club died in battle too…"

He looked at Dolly, who was feeling scared due to the darkness.

"...My Queen."

"O-Oh, something happens, Sir Dero?"

"...How was your mother like?"

-----

@monsterhatdoodles (CREATOR OF THE DRAWINGS)

@ilikesillythingswooo

@loaflovesdoodling

@den-of-the-blue-dragon

#fylass in wonderland #fylass through the looking glass #extra chapter

30 notes · View notes

arthurian-aita · 8 months ago

Text

AITA for offering money to the fair maiden in love with me instead of agreeing to marry her?

I (1547M) am in love with my boss’s wife, “Jen” (1543F), who happens to be the queen. It sounds bad, but she’s also in love with me. My coworkers were getting suspicious, so I’ve been pulling away to avoid being found out. She was not happy about this and accused me of flirting with other damosels. I haven’t been, but she kicked me out anyway, and things have been tense ever since.

My boss/sovereign lord, “Anthony” (1545M), was getting ready to head out for a big joust, and I was supposed to go, but I was still pretty hurt from the last one, so I was going to stay behind. Jen was also staying behind, and she said it looked too much like I was staying to spend time with her. (Mixed messages?) I left for the joust the next day because… what else was I supposed to do.

When I got to the castle where everyone was staying, I asked to borrow a shield with a less obvious symbol on the front so no one would know who I was during the fight. I met the host’s daughter, “Ellen” (1536F), and she very sweetly offered me a token of her affection (red sleeve with pearls) for the joust. Now, I’m pretty well known for never wearing any lady’s token, and I told her as much. I thought this would make my disguise even better. I asked her to hang on to my branded shield until I got back, but I didn’t tell her my name to avoid word getting out by accident.

Long story short, I won the joust anonymously, but my old wound started acting up, so I left early. At this point, I was a little delirious. Ellen found me, and, okay, I did kiss her. Just this once, though. I’m not proud of it, but you try being in pain and seeing a fair maiden who’s come to take care of you.

She told me one of my coworkers, “Wayne” (1538M), dropped by her house and that she had shown him my shield, which is how she learned my name. I immediately realized he would’ve taken this back to the team huddle, and Jen would definitely find out about the red sleeve and think I was in love with Ellen.

After a while, one of my other coworkers, “Boris” (1559M), shows up and tells me about another joust I should probably attend, and I’m just itching to get out of bed. Being waited on hand and foot and nursed to recovery is great, but I’m a guy who needs to be out in the world. So I sent Ellen out to gather herbs while I got my buddy to help me get my armor on and saddle my noble steed. Unfortunately, I may not have been fully healed because riding reopened my wound, and the maiden heard me shout and came running. She absolutely caught me sneaking out, but luckily blamed the hermit we were staying with and my coworker for letting me out of bed. Love makes people blind and all that.

I missed the joust, and Boris returned and told me all about it. I realized I really needed to get back to my life, but when I went to leave, the fair maid was all: “Have mercy upon me,” and I was like, “What would ye that I did?” And then she proposed. I mean, I was flattered, but I can’t be tied down. I said no. And then she asked if I would be her lover instead, which would ruin both her honor and mine, so again, I said no, and she threatened to die of her love for me.

As a compromise, because I couldn’t marry her, I offered her and her future husband and heirs a thousand pounds a year. I think that’s more than fair, considering we were never even together. She passed out, and then her father got involved, basically asking what his daughter was supposed to do now. I argued that I never gave her any reason to fall in love with me and that I was sure she could find a nice man to marry her.

When I finally made it back to work, Anthony and Jen summoned me because, apparently, a dead woman showed up in a barge with a letter in her hand explaining her love for me and how that caused her death. Not a great look. Jen asked if I could’ve been nicer to Ellen to save her life, but I think I handled it pretty well by countering, “love must arise of the heart, and not by no constraint.” I explained that Ellen only wanted to marry me or be my lover, so I offered her money. Anthony was on my side, and Jen ended up apologizing for misjudging me. So:

AITA for offering the fair maiden money instead of marrying her so I could remain loyal to my relationship with my boss’s wife?

EDIT: I guess the names were too close because one of you snitched on me to “Anthony.” Watch your back at the next tournament.

#launcelot #king arthur #lancelot du lac #arthur pendragon #knights of the round table #queen guinevere #lady of shallott #elaine of astolat #camelot #arthuriana #le morte d'arthur #aita

5 notes · View notes

lucky-clover-gazette · 2 years ago

Text

The Big Picture

The Four Swords manga, adapted/retold using both canon and additional scenes, with a focus on Vio and Shadow's individual characters and ambiguous relationship.

Chapter Two: Who Are You? (Part One)

Link glances down at his own tunic. So that would make him…

“Purple,” Red says, although he doesn’t seem quite satisfied with the title. Link—not Purple—crosses his arms over his chest. “No… Violet? Maybe just Vio?”

“Isn’t that a girl’s name?” Vio mutters, although he’s already subconsciously using it for himself. Red either pretends not to hear his question or simply decides it isn’t worth answering.

Read the rest on ao3 or under the cut:

As rare creatures who thrive in both the Dark World and realm of light, the dragons have been invaluable to Ganon and Vaati’s grand evil plan. It had taken some negotiation with the union leaders, but sure enough, Shadow basically has an entire fleet of them at his disposal. And look at him now!

“Fly! Fly, my dark ones!” he calls to his minions, perched atop the strongest of the bunch. “Tear down Hyrule Castle!”

The dragons cover the castle in darkness, alerting the guards outside. Shadow steadies himself on the lead dragon’s back, reaching out an arm for balance. The loose sleeve of his undershirt flutters in the wind. “There’s a new Link in this chain!”

Shadow’s dragon opens her mouth wide, politely informing the guards that there is a fireball in her throat. The cowards drop their spears at once, literally running for the hills. Shadow hopes they’re singed on their way out.

He still expects some resistance inside the castle. During mandatory research he’d learned all about the royal knights, whose forces are lead by the hero’s own father. And he knows the four heroes will show up, too, eventually. How could they not? Those idiots are courage personified.

But so is Shadow, and he actually has the guts to get his hands dirty. Their strengths may match his strengths, being cut from the same cloth, but they have four times the weaknesses. In a way, the Four Sword’s bizarre magic only makes Shadow’s chances better—not that he’s ever needed fate’s intervention in the first place.

He glances down at his tunic, focusing his magic on its many interwoven threads. One by one they shift from black to green, making him the spitting image of Hyrule’s savior.

“Well?” he asks the dragon, putting his hands on his hips. “How do I look?”

She shakes her disapproval with only a second’s glance.

“Missed something, huh?”

The dragon huffs.

“Where’s a Dark Mirror when you need one, am I right?” He runs a hand through his hair, very proud of the quip. “Oh, my hair!”

Purple locks shift to blonde, red eyes to blue as a final touch. Shadow clears his throat. “Okay, what about now?”

The dragon’s nearest deadly claw curls into a thumbs-up.

“Thanks,” Shadow says, and means it.

─────────────────

It would be a beautiful hike, if not for the circumstances.

Link stands directly beneath a rainbow, the cool spray of a waterfall hitting his back. The four have made good time through the sprawling overworld, trekking through dense woods and climbing down a scenic cliffside.

“Are we there yet?” Link asks, second-closest to the front of the group. Of course the one in green takes the lead, as he clearly enjoys doing, while the other two lag slightly behind.

“We should see it when we cross the river!” answers the leader, while someone pants loudly behind them both.

“Can we rest a little?”

That was definitely the Link in red. Link turns his head and sure enough, the guy is on his hands and knees like he just singlehandedly took down an entire hinox. But if we’re all echoes of the same person, Link wonders, how is one of us more easily exhausted than the rest?

Throughout the quiet hike, he’s found himself questioning many aspects of the others’ and his own personhood. It’s a bizarre feeling, to know you’ve been alive for nineteen years, but you’ve only been yourself for less than a day. He is simply not the same Link who drew the Four Sword from its pedestal, which is a difficult reality to accept when that former self is the very foundation of his existence. All of his questions have led back to this: where does Link Prime end, and where does he begin?

“We don’t have time for that,” their unofficial leader tells the Link in red. “We’ve got to tell my father about all this as soon as possible!”

His father? Our father? Link isn’t quite sure. He has memories of the captain, of course, all the way from childhood to young adulthood. But just as with Zelda, there’s a certain distance he can’t help but feel. Link watches the memories in his mind like an actor is playing himself. He can recall the hero’s past, but lacks the emotional and sensory details of actually experiencing it.

The most brutish of the four clears his throat. “First, we need to make a decision.”

“About what?” asks the Link in red, who seems to have caught his breath. Guess he got his rest after all.

“Names! Names!” hollers the Link in blue. “We can’t all be called Link, we need nicknames!”

At first Link bristles at the thought of this—that’s his name!—but quickly realizes that the conviction just isn’t there. Maybe he doesn’t feel like just Link anyway. He wonders what the almighty Goddesses would think about that.

“I wear red clothes,” says the Link wearing red clothes, “so call me Red. You’re Blue…”

“Huh?!”

Link glances down at his own tunic. So that would make him…

“Purple,” Red says, although he doesn’t seem quite satisfied with the title. Link—not Purple—crosses his arms over his chest. “No… Violet? Maybe just Vio?”

“And Green! Whady’a think?”

Green runs a hand through his hair. “It’s weird, but it makes sense. I guess.”

Blue, meanwhile, is less willing to accept Red’s idea. “You can’t just change people’s names,” he fumes, pointer finger outstretched. “I won’t answer to anything other than Link!”

“It’s a great idea!” Red enthuses. “I’m a genius!”

“You’re an idiot!” Blue shoots back, stepping up on a rock for just a little more height than others. “Look, just ‘cuz we look alike doesn’t mean we’re gonna be buddies!”

“You’re no fun...”

“Riiiiiiight,” Vio says, finding that he quite enjoys being a snarky contrarian. “Hanging around with you fools is dangerous to my health.”

Blue grabs him by the collar, but he remains thoroughly unimpressed. “You callin’ me a fool? I oughta…”

“Oh, c’mon! Stop it!” shouts Green, his eyes sparkling with self-righteousness. “We’re all copies of the same person! Do you really want to hurt yourself?”

Distantly, Vio wonders how exactly that would work—do they feel each other’s pain? Maybe if he can goad Blue into actually throwing a punch, he’ll—

“Don’t say this guy is the same as me, or I’ll pop you too!” Blue growls, now pointing at Green. “You three can call each other stupid nicknames!”

Vio smirks and slides away, making a mental note to investigate at a later time. Having observed Blue’s first few hours of existence, he expects many more violent outbursts to come.

“My nicknames aren’t stupid,” Red says quietly. Vio knows he should say something reassuring, but it doesn’t come as naturally as it once did. And before he can figure out the right words to say, the conversation has already moved forward.

“If there’s a main Link,” says Green, “it’s me! Everyone knows Link dresses in green!”

Blue stretches his tunic as if searching the fabric for any hint of greenish pigment. “Rats.”

For a second Vio thinks this is a sign of resignation, but then Blue launches towards Green in a new fit of rage. “You think you’re better’n me just cuz you wear green!” he shouts, grabbing at Green’s tunic. “Take it off! We’re switching tunics right now! And hats, too!”

Vio can’t help but smirk at the absurdity of it all. Red, meanwhile, seems genuinely confused. “Why isn’t ‘Blue’ me more laid-back and mellow? If we’re all the same person, why are our personalities so different?

Green shoves Blue away, his tunic still completely intact. “Because we’re each a part of my… errr… Link’s whole personality,” he tells Red, ignoring Blue’s indignant huff. “Green is focused and motivated,” he says of himself, and Vio almost has to respect his unearned confidence. “Blue is hotheaded and aggressive—”

“What?!”

“Red is innocent and optimistic,” Vio interjects, patting the poor guy on the head. See? He can be nice. He’s great at being nice.

“Oh, I see!” Red exclaims, turning to Vio with a smile. “Vio is super cool.”

Vio finds himself glancing away, bangs falling over his eyes. Is one backhanded compliment all it takes to earn this simpleton’s respect? It feels too easy, too shallow. Red can’t possibly respect him if he doesn’t understand him, and none of them understand each other in the slightest. “Hmmm…. I’d prefer calm and collected.”

Before he can gauge Red’s response, Vio spots two familiar women climbing up the cliffside. The others see them too, finishing each other’s thoughts aloud:

“That’s…” Blue says, his voice low.

“… Arcy…” Vio mutters, the name familiar on his tongue.

“… the castle cook!” Red exclaims, and now Vio remembers why.

“Hey, Arcy!” Green calls out, hands cupped around his mouth.

The others rush towards the women, ignoring Vio’s motion to stop. “Idiots! Not at all once!”

“Arcy,” Green repeats, “thank goodness! We got lost trying to find the—”

Arcy wields a stick like a sword, pointing it right at the four. Beside her, the young girl looks absolutely petrified. “Stay back,” Arcy warns, “you monsters! How did you find us all the way out here?”

Red wipes at a tear. “Monsters? That really hurts!”

Green continues to talk when he really should just shut up and let Arcy explain—although Vio is already piecing things together himself. “Listen, Arcy, I drew the Four Sword and got split in four. But inside we’re all the same Link!”

“All the way out here…” Vio mutters, too busy contemplating Arcy’s words to disagree with Green’s demonstrably incorrect explanation.

“I used to think you were a good kid!” Arcy cries, holding onto the small girl for dear life. “But those things you did… you’re a demon for sure!”

Blue looks incredulous. “What did I do?”

“Wait,” Vio says, meeting Arcy’s panicked gaze. “Do you mean a dark, shadowy Link?”

She gives him the smallest of nods. While Vio just rolls his eyes at the reminder of that purple-haired freak, Green lunges for the poor woman.

“The castle,” he demands, grabbing desperately at Arcy’s wrists. “What happened at Hyrule Castle?”

#my writing #four swords #fs #shadow link #vio link #red link #blue link #green link

28 notes · View notes

lumiereandcogsworth · 11 months ago

Note

okay kinda random bc I haven’t seen this season but I saw queen charlotte gifs awhile back and someone was trying to stop the king from being by his wife’s side during child birth (I think ??) and now I’m curious if anyone could’ve stopped Adam in that scenario? I feel like no, absolutely not but 👁️

ooooh my gosh dude okay. okay. OKAY. OKAY!!!!!!!!!!! you have no idea how long, how many Years, i agonized over this topic. AGONIZEDDDD. the constant flipping around between historical accuracy and wanting them to share That Moment and knowing both of their personalities and OH MY GOSSSSHSHDHDJFNEKFJSKDJEKDJDK. alright. let’s get into it.

the fact of the matter is: i have put all 3 of their children’s births into my canon (not Graphically obviously but. the days have been recorded and are on ao3 🫡) so i can explain my thoughts quite thoroughly on how those three magical days went down. i know them quite well!

to answer your question, firstly, (and that scene in queen charlotte IS so good and i love that mini series IMMENSELY) no, there is absolutely nothing that could stop adam from getting to belle. proof of that is right in the movie, with that man doing gymnastic-level LEAPS across the castle roof while being shot at in order to get to his girl!!! so, no absolutely not. he WILL get to belle if needed.

THAT BEING SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! adam actually is not present in the room at renée’s birth! there were Reasons i ended up doing this. (and, just to say, i am still REALLY proud of this fic. i had been thinking about that day for years and then it all finally came to me one random night and i am immensely proud of it. plleeeaaassse read it if you find the time 🥹)

anyway, here’s the thing about adam and belle. as MUCH as those two love each other, as MUCH as they always want to be near each other, and invading each other’s space, i really and truly don’t think this particular (albeit, magnificent) event would strike them as something to be shared together. YES, there ARE plenty of recorded points in history when the man, against the status quo, stood by his wife while she had their children. queen victoria is probably the most famous example. and while i DID factor this in, VERY heavily, i just couldn’t shake the feeling that adam and belle wouldn’t be this way. it may seem counterintuitive to some people but listen, they’ve lived in my head for so many years, i just don’t question them much anymore. especially when it’s sort of Against the obvious fluff that i would love to see, ya know?? but here were my thoughts:

i think belle, having lacked a mother-figure and just like, girlhood & womanhood community in general all her life, would sort of Want this day to be a very, well, womanly experience. she only wanted midwives, there wasn’t even a male doctor present (which would have been weird for a queen!!!) and i think she was very intentional about this decision. she’s HAVING A BABY! and she hates that her mother isn’t here to help her through it and i think she’d just really want to take control and make it as special, in this regard, as possible.

(also adam definitely made sure she had the TOP midwives in the country. he vetted them Thoroughly)

and! i really feel like adam would not have particularly Wanted to be present. OBVIOUSLY HE WANTS TO SUPPORT HIS WIFE AND BE THERE FOR HER OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!! but, given HIS upbringing, i don’t think he would actually genuinely REMOTELY want to witness a birth. even if it Was the love of his life, even if it WAS his child. he has so many complicated issues around manhood and fatherhood and i think that would kind of cloud any other ideas.

i don’t even think they truly talked about it, just given the times. it wasn’t like belle ever asked “hey do you want to be there?” because husbands rarely were. and she was already very set (and very excited!) about having this very WOMAN!! experience. and adam equally wouldn’t have inquired, already being so clouded with the Everything about it. (and, i think his worry about her having to go through that would trigger him to want to avoid it, unfortunately, but it IS okay since she wasn’t expecting him to be there anyway!)

SO !!!!!!! finding their reasons so very sound, i made that decision and wrote it that way! but the whole first chapter of the fic is adam being an anxious DISASTER pacing the floor just down the hall from The Room so i mean, there’s still plenty of fatherly nerves in there. and after he goes to meet his precious darling, belle tells him how much she wanted him there the moment she was born!!!!! so like. they DO LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH and very much Wanted to be near each other. just not for the birth itself! which is valid and i stand by this decision <3

the other two births are kind of wild lmao. and don’t ask me why! i just work here!!

juliette was born a MONTH early. she’s perfectly okay !!! but just tiny and very unexpected. so unexpected that adam was LITERALLY NOT HOME‼️ ough. not to spoil the whole opening premise of that fic but yeah adam was in versailles doing king things. and belle would have come with him but she was quite pregnant! and carriage rides were UNCOMFORTABLE! (and their toddler is VERY attached to her mama!!!) so belle stayed home. and let me be clear, adam DID NOT want to leave. he knew they only had a month to go and his worries about belle only increased by the day. but belle, Of Course, was like dont worryyyyy nothings gonna happeeennnnnn!!!! he was only going to be gone a week anyway so. WHAT COULD HAPPEN?🥲

i don’t know WHY belle went into early labor, don’t ASK me that, i just WORK HERE, but she did. it all happened quite suddenly and it was the most scared belle has ever been. both because she thought she was going to lose the baby and because adam wasn’t even home so everything just felt wrong. one of her ladies in waiting wrote adam an urgent letter and some galant postman hopped in his horse-drawn carriage and told them to fly like the wind, bullseye!! to get the letter to versailles. which obviously took multiple hours because uhhh country big and horses small.

so this time, belle gave birth pretty scared and also more distressed because she knew adam 1. Was Not There Waiting For Her and 2. WOULD BE LOSING HIS MIND THE MOMENT HE RECEIVED THAT LETTER AND STARTED BOOKING IT BACK HOME! gosh. it’s just a very very stressful day 😭 that fic is INCREDIBLY dear to me though because it’s mostly them FINALLY reaching peace. adam returns and meets his second baby girl and belle is at peace now that he’s back and that their baby is okay. (though,,, i do think belle has some postpartum depression because of how intense everything was, and how worried she still was about juliette. she was just so tiny!!! but she really did handle being an 18th century premie like a CHAMP. at one point adam says “that’s because she’s strong, like her mother” 🥹🤧 so anywayyyy adam wasn’t there for that one either but for a wildly different reason!!! i do truly think that if he HAD been there when belle went into early labor, she would very much have summoned him because i think for a moment she wondered if she herself was going to make it and wanted him with her. (which of course made her more distressed that she literally couldn’t ask for him! AH!) anyway the 18th century was craaaazyyyy lol let’s move on !

last baby!!! le prince!!! hooray!!! okay HERE you go i finally give you the fluff we so dearly crave. ADAM WAS AT THIS ONE!!!!!!!!! it happened for a couple reasons. mostly, it was unplanned, lmao. even though maurice came on time, not early like juliette, the labor was also pretty quick and sudden.

(i didn’t even SAY this earlier but belle was in labor with renée for like a full night and day before she even TOLD adam. she’s so stubborn. like GIRL? i know Exactly how that entire day goes but i haven’t actually written about it. i should though. but she basically avoids telling adam because they had a small but “important” luncheon with some dukes and nobles and such that day and belle was like “well obviously i can’t Tell Adam because then he’ll cancel the thing he’s been super anxious about!” not for a moment thinking about THE OTHER THING HE’S BEEN SUPER ANXIOUS ABOUT FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS— anyway. she’s ridiculous. adam really had to hold back his scolding when she finally told him but oooooh boy he was PISSED. OUT OF CONCERN‼️ but anywaaayyyyy)

this last labor started in the evening when adam and belle were winding down for the night. the girls were already tucked into bed. adam’s reading a book on the sofa and belle is milling about with some project. and then all of the sudden it’s like WHOAH HEY HELLO ! ! and she HAD felt some slight pains earlier in the afternoon but being her usual “you’d say you were fine if your arm had fallen off” self, she just kind of ignored it (you’d think she’d have learned? after the first two? but no💖) but suddenly it’s like REAL and CANNOT ignore. so she tells adam and he’s like WHOAH !!!! and then he’s like aaahAAHHHH OKAY— and they Start leaving for the hospital wing.

(oh yeah i think renée was born in like this nice medical room of the castle. part of belle’s whole Plan. but juliette was born in the west wing since all that happened so intensely and they happened to be closer to their chambers than the hospital wing. they just needed a BED at that point.)

so anyway, my gosh, MY TANGENTS!! so ANYWAY, they Try to start heading to the hospital wing but belle’s like uhhhhhh frankly my guy i do not think i can do all those stairs. this is Happening. and adam is like oooh my gosh and gets worried and Knows how scared she was last time so with all that adrenaline and Husbandly Concern he just takes control of the situation!!! and says that okay, she’s going to have the baby here, and he’s going to send for the midwives to come up, and he’s not going to leave her side. so he doesn’t !!! he helps belle to bed and steps out of their room and tells the nearest guard to get the midwife girlies !!! (who come and stay at the castle around the six month mark of each pregnancy, just to be able to do check-ups and such) and then adam pulls a chair to belle’s bedside and sits by her.

and he just. like he’s SO scared but he isn’t the same guy he was when renée was born !! he’s been a father for seven years! a husband for NINE! he’s grown A LOT ! he’s still not super excited to witness this but at this point he is fully just concerned about belle. he helps her as much as he can. he gets a rag to dry her sweat and lets her nearly break his hand from squeezing it so hard. and she definitely, (stubbornly), tells him multiple times that he can GO and she’s FINE but he’s like yeah nice try + i’m here now + deal with it. and she does! and the midwives come soon enough and things Occur and adam gets to witness the birth of his SON‼️ im not sure what time he was born but it’s like just before sunrise. like 4am maybe.

(they were all born at night !! renée is born around 11:15pm and juliette is born in the early evening, maybe like 7pm or so. (adam doesn’t show up until like 10 or 11pm😭))

and boy it is a WILD experience for adam, my gosh. obviously none of it is truly processed in the moment, with all the worries and adrenaline and utter JOY upon seeing their baby. and it’s so !!! exciting because the midwife basically cleans the baby up and puts him in adam’s arms without much thought. so they keep tending to belle with the afterbirth and all that, meanwhile adam is like ‼️‼️‼️‼️ holding his baby boy feeling like nothing is real AT ALL. and he cries (he tears up upon seeing aaallll his babies) and he’s just. gosh. so happy. SO HAPPY. so happy that their baby is okay and so happy that his belle is okay too!!! he soon puts the baby in her arms and he kisses her forehead and they can’t stop smiling. and a bit of time later, the midwives give them some time alone and leave for a bit. adam gets up and circles the bed to climb onto his side, and he just wraps his arms around them 😭

this fic takes place a couple hours after all that chaos. it’s early morning and adam eventually goes to wake the girls so they can meet their little brother!!

the silliest part is, that after ALL THAT! i do think that adam and belle would both agree that adam Should be there. so they talk about that “for next time.” but little do they know, baby reecy was their last little darling 🥹🥰 so that’s the only birth adam was at!! but wow!!! wowie i love this family of mine!!💖

#hey uh thanks for that epic thrill ride #i love to talk about my lore more than anything in the whole world #also take a shot every time i say ‘anyway!’ LMAO #ANYWAY!!!! lol thank you so much as always. THANK YOUUUUUU💖💖💖💖💖💖💖#alex tag #answered #batb 2017 #batb headcanons #adelle

7 notes · View notes