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unpredictable-probabilities · 3 months ago

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The Dangers of Dreaming || Chapter 1: Guarded

Summary:

It's Hob's first day at his new job in Endless Media, and he struggles to find footing in being acquainted with the aloof Morpheus Endless.

Meanwhile, important people in the company are at odds with Morpheus, and someone is unhappy enough to have taken drastic measures.

Note:

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word Count: 3,701

Square/Prompt: A1 - HItman | @dreamlingbingo

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Corporate, Assassins & Hitmen, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59305672/chapters/151250908

———

“Hello,” Hob greeted the only other person in the conference room he just entered.

“Oh hi! Are you the new bodyguard?” the young man asked, gesturing to Hob's uniform that's identical to his.

“That’s me,” Hob nodded, taking a seat at the table as he was instructed to by the security guard who led him here.

“Matthew Raven,” the dark-haired lad held out a hand and grinned. “Been a guard here since last year, but it’s only now I’ve been assigned as Sir Morpheus’ personal bodyguard. It's my first day, too.”

Hob shook his hand. “Hob Gadling, from White Horse Securities. I'm supposed to report to Mervyn Gardner?”

“Yeah he's with Sir Morpheus right now, but he's giving us a briefing later.”

“Ah, okay,” Hob nodded and leaned back in his swivel chair, looking around at the polished walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. “So what's Sir Morpheus like? Is he friendly?”

Matthew's smile faltered for a second. “Um…”

The doors opened and a man with sandy hair walked in, followed by someone wearing a crisp black suit which contrasted sharply with his fair skin.

“Robert Gadling?” the sandy-haired man asked him.

“Just Hob, sir,” Hob nodded and smiled in greeting.

“It's him, Sir Mervyn,” Matthew confirmed.

“Right, then. Both of you, let's go,” the man—Mervyn—gestured at them to stand up.

“I thought there was gonna be a briefing?” Matthew asked, straightening in his seat.

“Later. Boss was just called to a meeting. Come on,” he waved with more impatience.

Matthew scrambled to his feet and Hob followed.

They walked down the corridor past different offices, with Matthew and Hob in front of Morpheus Endless, and Mervyn behind him.

Hob almost told Mervyn that he didn't know the way to wherever the meeting was supposed to be, but he realised that their arrangement was deliberate; he and Matthew were the new guards, and they wouldn't be trusted to walk behind Morpheus where he wouldn't see them if they decided to harm him. So Hob remained quiet and just followed Matthew since he seemed to know where to go.

He expected to wait outside, but Mervyn motioned for him and Matthew to follow Morpheus into a bigger conference room than the one they’d been in.

A few men and women were already seated at the table, at the head of which was a man who Hob recognized from the news and advertisements, Vasilis Endless, Morpheus’ father. To his left was an elderly man who had a perpetual scowl on his face that only got sharper when Morpheus sat at his father’s right.

Other bodyguards were present too, presumably working for Vasilis and the frowning man, based on their proximity to them even as the guards stood by the far wall. No doubt they also signed NDAs like Hob did and were prohibited to speak of anything they hear in meetings like this one.

Hob took his place between Mervyn and Matthew by the wall behind Morpheus, and they all remained silent as a few more people piled in and the discussions began.

Hob had never been to a corporate meeting before, and there were more passive-aggressive remarks and less productivity than he expected from people in crisp suits. The whole thing probably only lasted an hour, but it certainly felt longer, and by the end of it Morpheus was in a bad mood as they made their way to his office.

Hob still walked in front of him beside Matthew, but he didn’t need to see his face to sense the tension in their little group. Mervyn seemed more serious, which Hob didn’t think was even possible, and Matthew had lost all of his enthusiastic energy from earlier.

Matthew opened the door to Morpheus’ office, and Mervyn motioned for Matthew and Hob to follow when Morpheus reached his desk. Mervyn closed the door behind him, and the three of them stood silently by the wall, with Mervyn nearest the door.

Morpheus had just sat down with a barely audible sigh when a knock sounded.

Morpheus glanced up at the door with a glare, then a voice spoke from outside.

“Morpheus?” said a muffled female voice. “Are you in there?”

Morpheus visibly relaxed, the crease on his forehead disappearing. “Lucienne. Come in.” He gestured for Mervyn to open the door.

A woman in a white shirt and purple vest walked in, nodding and smiling to Merv.

“Your guards are in here, I see,” she said lightly to Morpheus as she sat in the chair in front of his desk.

“Mother insisted,” Morpheus muttered with distaste. “You’re aware that if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have guards at all.”

“It’s just a precaution, especially after what happened…” she trailed off when Morpheus gave her a sharp look. “Okay,” she raised her hands in surrender. “I just came here to tell you that we should form the writing team soon for that movie you’re working on. I compiled a list of our most promising writers for the genre you want,” she placed a folder on the desk.

Morpheus took a breath. “They moved up the deadline by a year. I pushed back at the meeting earlier, but the board wouldn’t listen.”

“What?” Lucienne said in surprise. “But that means we only have two years to make it! Do they know how hard it is to animate a two-hour film?”

“Roderick insisted,” Morpheus said the name with venom. “He said that there are rumours of other studios releasing similar genres in three years, and we have to get ahead of them to maximise the profits. You know that miser only thinks with his purse. Father, as usual, let the board decide.”

Lucienne shook her head in disappointment. “Well, it’s a good thing that you got appointed Vice President instead of Roderick. You have the authority to implement some changes if it’s really necessary.”

Morpheus only hummed in response.

Lucienne sighed. “How can I help? How’s the story going?”

“The draft is almost finished,” Morpheus brought out a tablet and looked at the screen, scrolling until he reached a certain part of what he was reading. “I only need to figure out how to wrap up the princess’ arc.”

“And the two suitors?”

“They become good friends with each other and the princess.”

“And what did the producers think?” Lucienne asked carefully.

Morpheus wrinkled his nose. “They want the princess to marry one of the suitors at the end, which would defeat the entire purpose of her arc.”

“That's not surprising,” Lucienne said with resignation. “According to our data, our target market prefers grand weddings by the end.”

“That's because that's all they've known,” Morpheus said. “I'm trying to show representation—” his eyes darted to his guards for only a second, but Hob caught it. He let out a breath. “The story doesn't need a wedding. They only want a wedding scene because of the profits. As if the company would fall into destitution if we show the slightest variation in our stories,” he muttered.

“Whatever you decide on, I'm sure it would be in the story’s best interest. And if you ever need any help, you know you can always ask me,” Lucienne gently reminded him.

“Thank you, Lucienne.” The corners of Morpheus’ mouth lifted in what might have been a smile.

Lucienne reached out to Morpheus' hand on the desk and gave it a comforting pat before standing up. “I'll get back to work now. Call me if you need me.”

“Of course,” Morpheus nodded.

Lucienne walked over the door which Mervyn opened for her, and she gave another polite nod to all three of them before exiting.

Morpheus leaned back in his chair and looked at his tablet with a frown.

Hob cleared his throat. “Sir Morpheus, if I may suggest something?”

Blue eyes looked directly at him, and for a second Hob felt pinned to the spot under that gaze.

Mervyn and Matthew were looking at him too with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. Maybe guards didn't usually speak to Morpheus. Oh well, he couldn't take back his words now.

“About what?” Morpheus asked.

“Your story,” Hob gestured to the tablet. “I'd seen plenty of films from Endless Media, and as a longtime viewer, maybe I can offer some perspective,” he gave a friendly smile. He knew that it wasn't part of his job description to be friends with Morpheus, but it would certainly make his job easier if they were.

Morpheus leaned forward on his table and looked at him curiously. “Very well. What do you have in mind?”

“You said you wanted to show representation, right?”

Morpheus' shoulders tensed at that, and Hob quickly continued to explain his idea.

“You said the two suitors become friends by the end, so you can show them growing closer as the story progresses. That way, the young boys in the audience would see that it's okay to have close relationships with other boys. And you can write it vaguely enough that it's still believable when one of them marries the princess by the end. You still get to write the representation, and the producers would get the ending they want,” Hob said.

A crease formed between Morpheus’ eyebrows, and he took a breath before speaking. “Robert, is it? Let me clarify. Are you suggesting I write queerbaiting in my story?”

“Well, I…” Hob looked at his companions. Mervyn's face had its usual frown, though there might be a disappointed downturn on his mouth now. Matthew was looking away from him as if hoping to avoid association. “I wouldn't exactly call it that,” he looked at Morpheus again. Hob had expected that he would find it a convenient solution, media companies did that sort of thing all the time.

Morpheus closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking at him again. “Get out,” he said curtly. “All of you. You can guard me just as well from outside the door.”

Hob scrambled for an apology. “Sir, I was just trying to help—”

“Now. Robert Gadling.” Morpheus' blue eyes were icy cold, and the tone of his voice left no room for argument.

“Yes, sir,” Mervyn opened the door and stepped aside, waiting for Matthew and Hob to exit first.

Matthew walked out the doorway, his head hung low in shame as if he was the one who had made a mistake.

Hob glanced one more time at Morpheus, but the stony expression in the gaze that met him made any further explanations die in his throat.

He simply nodded in apology and followed Matthew outside.

—

The man sitting at the table outside a café stared thoughtfully at the building across the street, sunlight reflecting off his dark sunglasses and blond hair. His ice cream cone was beginning to melt.

Multiple guards were posted at every door, and each door had a metal detector and a police dog sniffing at anyone who walked by. Endless Media’s level of security was just what he would have expected from a multimillion-dollar company; no doubt that there were CCTV cameras inside that covered every inch of the place, including the sidewalk outside. He wouldn't be able to get within three feet of the building without being seen.

His phone vibrated on the table. He glanced at it and saw the contact name R on the screen.

He switched his ice cream cone to his other hand and picked up his phone.

“Hey, Rody,” he answered, casually glancing around to make sure that there still weren't any people nearby.

“Are you outside? I've got your money, just give me a few minutes. There was a sudden meeting and I have to wait for everyone to return to their offices before I leave the building.”

“I told you, you could have just transferred the money to my account,” the man leaned back in his chair and swung a leg over his knee. “That kind of stress is bad for men your age.”

“I can't risk such a large amount being traced back to me!” Roderick hissed. “You're sure I'll get my money's worth?”

“It hurts that you doubt me.” The man licked the ice cream that was beginning to drip down the cone. “Don’t worry, your pretty Vice President will be dead before our agreed deadline.”

Even through the phone, the man could sense Roderick Burgess' irritated glare. “Don't start. That brat’s just lucky he's the son of the owner. I deserve the Vice President position.”

“Sure you do, Rody,” the man drawled.

“Don't call me that,” Roderick snapped. “They increased the security around him now, three guards instead of the standard two. I imagine I'm paying you enough for that not to be a problem.”

“No problem here, Ricky. I already got rid of one bodyguard, didn't I? I can get rid of the rest.”

—

“Sorry,” Hob said sheepishly, standing outside the door with Mervyn to his right and Matthew to his left. “He just looked so upset and I wanted to help.”

“Kissing up to Sir Morpheus isn't gonna work,” Mervyn said gruffly. “Don't make your life harder.”

“He isn't like most of the board members,” Matthew added. “The others would have liked your suggestion, but not him.”

Hob fell quiet and thought back to the meeting. “They did seem to disagree with him a lot. They favoured that Burgess bloke more.”

Matthew nodded. “The argument was much worse two weeks ago, even us security guards who were out in the hall heard the yelling. Some of the board members wanted Sir Roderick to be Vice President after Sir Morpheus’ older brother left the position, but Sir Morpheus threatened to resign too if that happened. From what it sounded like, the investors insisted that Sir Morpheus be the VP instead.”

“Of course they did,” Mervyn grumbled. “He's the most creative mind on the team. If he did leave, whatever company he goes to would have a huge advantage over this one.” There was unmistakable pride in his voice, and Hob felt even more curious about Morpheus. “I bet he woulda done it too. Resigned. Sir Morpheus doesn't make empty threats.”

“He demanded to be Vice President in exchange for him not resigning?” Hob asked.

“I don't think so,” Matthew frowned thoughtfully. “He just didn't want Sir Roderick to have that job.”

“Yeah, I doubt he wanted that for himself,” Mervyn added.

“What do you mean?” Hob furrowed his eyebrows.

“You saw him in there,” Mervyn jerked his head towards the door. “Did that look like a man who got his dream job?”

Hob glanced at the door, remembering how Morpheus seemed to be in a bad mood the entire day, only worsened by the meeting and Hob’s poorly thought-out suggestion.

“I think it's good that he's the Vice President now,” Matthew said. “If anyone can improve things around here, he can. I've heard he's the one who cares the most about the work they do here. Him and Miss Lucienne.”

Mervyn made a grunt that could have been a noise of agreement or acknowledgement, still staring straight ahead.

They fell into silence after that, with Matthew beginning to shift restlessly on his feet as the minutes ticked by.

Then the door opened and Matthew startled, straightening his posture.

“We're going to Fiddler's Green,” Morpheus told Mervyn as he closed the door behind him. He began walking down the hallway without another glance at them.

“Parking lot,” Mervyn told Matthew as he gestured for them to start walking.

They all took their positions around Morpheus, and Matthew led them to the parking lot.

—

Mervyn drove the car smoothly through the light traffic. Hob was sitting beside him in the passenger seat, while Matthew was seated beside Morpheus in the back.

Morpheus had told Mervyn to turn off the radio, and the only sound was the scratching of his pencil on the sketchpad that he began working on as soon as they got in the car.

Hob took that time to memorise the roads they passed by on their way from the office. If he ever got promoted and trusted to drive for Morpheus, he should be familiar with the directions to places nearby.

“The castle looks too intimidating for the princess’ family,” Matthew suddenly said.

Hob looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Matthew was leaning towards Morpheus and looking down at the sketchpad.

Morpheus glanced at Matthew, and the young man jumped backwards in his seat.

“S-Sorry, sir!” Matthew paled. “I was just thinking out loud. Forget I said anything!”

Morpheus looked down at his sketch and back at Matthew. “Too intimidating? What exactly do you mean?” he asked curiously, his voice even.

Matthew stared at him uncertainly, but when Morpheus just quietly waited for him to continue, Matthew cleared his throat and spoke. “I was stationed outside Miss Lucienne’s office last week, and I heard you tell her that the royal family is seen as benevolent, and that the princess had a cheerful personality. The castle in the sketch looks too dark and gloomy. Sir,” he hurriedly added.

Morpheus looked down at his sketch with a thoughtful frown, the silence stretching long enough for Matthew to nervously start speaking again.

“Sorry sir, I didn't mean to meddle,” he fidgeted in his seat.

Morpheus shook his head. “No, you're quite right. I used various references for this castle, and I suppose I leaned in too much on the darker colours. As someone who writes stories to be presented to the public, it is my responsibility to be open to constructive criticism and suggestions. Even if some suggestions turn out to be rather distasteful,” he said pointedly, the turning of the sketchpad's page seeming loud in the silence of the car.

Hob shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He cleared his throat. “I'm sorry about earlier, Sir Morpheus.” He turned in his seat to face him. “I really meant no offence. It won't happen again.”

Morpheus gave a resigned sigh before gracefully waving a hand in dismissal. “It's no matter. I’m used to heterosexual people proposing such ignorant ideas. It is more rampant in the industry than you would imagine.”

“Oh, that's… too bad,” Hob said, unsure of what to say. “I'm not, though. Heterosexual, I mean.”

Morpheus raised an eyebrow.

Hob shrugged. “Yeah. Been into blokes and ladies alike since I was a lad. It would have been nice to see representation while I was growing up. So I admire you for what you're trying to do, sir,” he said sincerely.

Morpheus looked mildly surprised. “You… admire me?”

“I do,” Hob smiled. “You fought tooth and nail in that meeting, and you're not compromising the story you really want to tell.”

Morpheus frowned thoughtfully, and he slowly nodded. “As you say, I also wish I had seen more representation growing up. So I am trying to do that now for others. I believe I can accurately write a developing romantic relationship between two men for the film, even if I may not be in a similar situation at present.”

“Oh, you're… um, unattached,” Hob said in mild surprise. The man was remarkably handsome, after all. “Nothing wrong with that. That's… good. I'm not with anyone either.”

Morpheus blinked, looking at him quizzically. “Robert. Just to be clear. I know I'm not technically your boss since you don't report to me and I'm not paying you, and while I'm flattered by your interest, I'm not really looking for any—”

“No, no,” Hob’s face was suddenly burning and he could feel his eyes widen in panic. “I'm not… asking.” Dear god, how did he keep fumbling in conversation with this man? “I just meant, it's all… good.”

Matthew was looking out the window but Hob could see that he was trying very hard to hold in his laughter. Mervyn actually let out a snicker, the usual frown on his face replaced by an expression of amusement as he kept his eyes on the road.

Morpheus stared at him and nodded. “Alright. Good. Um… thank you.”

Hob nodded and quickly turned back around to face the windshield, his ears still warm. He realised his hands had been clenched on the seatbelt strap over his shoulder, and he made a conscious effort to let go.

He could see in the side mirror that Matthew had his lips pursed in his continued efforts to hide a smile, and Mervyn wasn't even bothering to hide his. Hob had been wondering if the gruff man ever smiled; well he had his answer now, at such an embarrassing cost.

Hob heard the soft scratching of Morpheus' pencil against paper once more, and he was quite happy to let it be the only sound in the car from now on.

He gave his head a little shake to clear it. He was here for work. Nothing else.

—

“What’s wrong, Ricky? You haven't touched your pie.” The blond man took a bite of chocolate cake from his fork. His client had chosen a table inside the café, the old man was too paranoid to be seen outside.

“You’re supposed to be a businessman,” Roderick said quietly and with more than a little irritation. “My colleagues would never call me that.”

The blond man grinned. “Maybe they should. You look like a Ricky,” he pointed at the old man with his fork.

Roderick's face looked like he just ate a lemon. “The amount we agreed on is in there,” he nodded to the briefcase sitting on the other chair. “Why can't you handle the job? With such a hefty downpayment I would have expected the services of The Corinthian himself.”

“I already told you my eye got injured last time.” That bodyguard got him good before he shot her into a coma. “Why do you think I'm wearing these sunglasses indoors? It's like you don't even care about my health, Ricky,” he said with hurt in his voice.

Roderick glared so much that his eyes started twitching.

“Don't stress yourself out,” the blond man said, spearing another piece of cake with his fork and leaning back in his chair. “The Immortal is already in position. He can kill your VP just as dead as I can.”

———

Note:

Part of their conversation in the car--where Hob mentions that he's single like Morpheus, and Morpheus thinks Hob is trying to ask him out--is based on a similar dialogue exchange between John Watson and Sherlock Holmes from the first episode of BBC's Sherlock.

Thank you so much to @patchyegg87 for helping me brainstorm this fic, and for coming up with the titles for the story and the first chapter!

I hope you liked it! I'd love to see your thoughts in the comments <3

———

(Dreamling Bingo Masterpost)

(Masterlist)

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relenafanel · 5 months ago

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Target Acquired (A Family)

Art by @anshares | Fic by @relenafanel for @mdzsrbb

Wei Wuxian has been on his own for months. It’s easier to pull off surprise assassinations against the sect that destroyed the Jiangs if most people think he’s dead.

He doesn’t expect Lan Wangji to join with his own vendetta against the Wen.

And he certainly doesn’t expect to acquire A-Yuan in the middle of a job.

WTF do two assassins do with a child? Put him in daycare, of course.

A Buddy Daddies AU.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

tags: Assassins & Hitmen; Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic; Cultivation Sect Politics; Accidental Baby Acquisition; Acquired Family; Yiling Laozu; BAMF WWX; BAMF LWJ; disguises; comedy; fluff

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

fic on Ao3 | art post on Tumblr

#mdzs #mdzsrbb2024 #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian fanfic

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 5 months ago

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Shadows Heir

by Ash_Asto Ra's al Ghul, the Demon's Head, watches Batman and Robin as they pursue criminals. Tim's attention is drawn to him because of his meticulous movements and quick calculations. Ra's eyes enlarge in admiration for Tim's ability, and he is captivated by his untapped potential. Tim's room contains Batman posters, newspaper clips, and mystery novels. Late that night, Tim came near to figuring out Batman's true identity, but his focus on his work caused him to ignore changes in his surroundings. A tap on his window startled him, and he opened a decorative envelope with instructions to follow clues and discover his fate. Tim spent the next few nights hunting clues, deciphering riddles & codes, and dodging traps. He finally approached a warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham, when Ra's al Ghul appeared from the shadows. Ra's greeted Tim and allowed him to join the League of Assassins and perfect his talents. Tim hesitated, but Ra's smirked and threateningly invited him to join the League of Assassins. Before he could react, a dart embedded in his skin, knocked him out and landed in Ra's arms. Ra mumbled, "Your new life begins soon." Words: 746, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 1 of The Obsidian Empire Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Batman: The Animated Series, Batman and Robin (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types, Young Justice (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Tim Drake (DCU), Ra's al Ghul, Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd Relationships: Tim Drake & Ra's al Ghul, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Young Tim Drake, Civilian Tim Drake, Tim Drake is Not Robin (DCU), Tim Drake is Not Red Robin, The League of Assassins (DCU), Kidnapping, Dark Tim Drake, League of Assassins Tim Drake, Assassin Tim Drake, Bad Person Ra's al Ghul, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Jason Todd is Robin, Tim Drake is Not a Batfamily Member, Evil Ra's al Ghul, Manipulative Ra's al Ghul, Grooming, Training, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen via https://ift.tt/GU1n49X

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

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sobakensyn · 2 months ago

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I did a thing!

Translating this work was a challenge (cos I'm in no way a native speaker), but a pleasant one.

Fun fact: this fic was inspired by a dumpster fire that was the last season of Killing Eve. We were so pissed we wrote our own disFUNctional road movie love story with assassins, childhood traumas and food of questionable quality.

Please enjoy!

Gautama left the palace (4092 words) by Herzkollaps Chapters: 1/5 Fandom: One Piece (Anime & Manga) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Sanji/Trafalgar D. Water Law Characters: Sanji (One Piece), Trafalgar D. Water Law, Aka Ashi no Zeff | Red-Leg Zeff, Nami (One Piece), Nefertari Vivi, Shachi (One Piece), The Vinsmoke Siblings Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Abuse, Dealing With Trauma, Mentally unstable characters, Both of them, Assassins & Hitmen, Blood and Gore Summary:

"Looks like you don’t get it. This isn't some extreme adventure with a happy ending. I'm going to kill you, seriously." "Not every adventure is bound to have a happy ending."

#lawsan #sanji #trafalgar law #gautama left the palace #fanfiction

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spnsabrielbang · 5 months ago

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A Shot in the Dark

─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Author & Artist ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ @nobodymitskigabriel (AO3: a_slight_hysterical_tendency) & @acaademicqueer ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Rated ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Teen and Up Audiences ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Word count ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ 7,801 words (60 minute read) ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Warnings ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ No Major Warnings Apply ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Tags ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen; Rule 63; Female Sam Winchester; Female Gabriel (Supernatural); Enemies to Friends; Banter; Flirting; Sex Toys; (used non-sexually); Canon-Typical Violence; Attempted Kidnapping; Misunderstandings; Monsters still exist; Background Case; Unresolved Sexual Tension ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Characters ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Sam Winchester, Gabriel, Dean Winchester, Background & Cameo Characters ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Relationships ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Gabriel / Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester

─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Summary ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ Sure-handed assassin Sam Winchester inexplicably becomes bad at her job—then she runs into the Trickster. Certainly, it's a coincidence.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ─ [ FIC ] <-║-> [ ART ] ─ ⋅ ⋅ ─

support banner from [HERE] || SPN divider from [HERE]

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smolderingflame · 1 year ago

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Oops I wrote a Supernatural Fic 'Take Me Home Tonight' (Castiel/Dean) By SmolderingFlame

Take Me Home Tonight by SmolderingFlame

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: Graphic depictions of violence

Category: M/M

Fandoms: Supernatural

WIP

Relationship: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel, Sam Winchester, John Winchester, Charlie Bradbury, Gabriel, Michael, Anna, Balthazar, Crowley, Benny Lafitte, Bobby Singer, Ellen Harvelle, Jo Harvelle, Jody Mills

Summary: It seemed like it was going to be just another crappy night for Dean Winchester, stuck working the front desk at his father's garage thanks to antiquated ideas of Omegas lacking mechanic skills. That was until a gorgeous car driven by an even more gorgeous Alpha pulls up needing a new battery.

Before he knows it Dean's whole life starts to change and Castiel Novak (or at least that's the name he's given) is much more than meets the eye.

Tags: Alternate universe, Assassins and hitmen, John Winchester being an asshole, Russian Mafia, Minor Character death, Crossdressing, Feminization, Russian Castiel, Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha Castiel, Bottom Dean Winchester, Top Castiel, Twink Dean Winchester, Slutty Dean Winchester, Tattooed Castiel, Protective Castiel, Good brother Sam, Sexism, Slutty clothing, Rough sex, Castiel loves Dean (and vice versa), Butt Plugs, Claiming, Knotting, Mating Cycles, Possessive Castiel, Romance, Comedy, Sugar Daddy Castiel, Sugar Baby Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester deserves nice things, Slut shaming, Cock slut Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester first kiss, Crime Lord Castiel, possible Mpreg, Older man/younger man, Daddy Kink

#supernatural #destiel #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #omegaverse #top castiel #bottom dean winchester #omega dean #alpha castiel

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ao3feed-piltovers-finest · 2 months ago

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Tongues and Teeth (I Will Ruin You)

by SaltyServal

“I can imagine the pressures of royal life must be painful.” Vi continues to hesitate. Caitlyn still makes no move to free herself from her grip.

“You would be correct.” Caitlyn affirms. “That’s why I enjoy night walks. It’s just me, the city, and whoever I decide to grace with my company.” Her last words are laced with mischievous sarcasm. Vi grins, grip tightening on the princess’s jacket.

“Well, that’s nice and all.” She starts to say. Vi suddenly tips Caitlyn back, the princess barely braced against the bridge’s side as she’s leaned precariously over the edge. If Vi lets go, she will fall. “You just never know what dangers lurk in the dark.”

Or;

Vi is sent to kill the future queen of Piltover, Caitlyn. It doesn't go as expected.

(Maybe this is how she can save her family).

Words: 3543, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F

Characters: Caitlyn (League of Legends), Vi (League of Legends), Claggor (Arcane: League of Legends), Mylo (Arcane: League of Legends), Vander (League of Legends), Silco (Arcane: League of Legends), Ekko (League of Legends)

Relationships: Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends), Jinx & Vi (League of Legends), Jinx (League of Legends) & Silco (Arcane: League of Legends), Claggor (Arcane) & Jinx (League of Legends) & Mylo (Arcane) & Vi (League of Legends), Vander & Vi (League of Legends)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Vi Needs a Hug (League of Legends), Protective Vi (League of Legends), Assassins & Hitmen, assassin x royalty lets go, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, nothing gayer than trying to kill your future wife tbh, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, i also wrote this at a basketball game, vi had one job, task failed successfully, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Read on A03. from AO3 works tagged ‘Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends)’

#ao3feed-piltovers-finest #a03feed-piltovers-finest #caitvi #arcane (league of legends) fanfiction

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justabigoldnerd · 5 months ago

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"A Passion Crime With A Danger Sign"

By JustABigOldNerd on Ao3

Tags:

Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assassins & Hitmen, Mercenaries, Fights, Weapons, Hurt, POV Alternating, Hurt Napoleon Solo, Protective Napoleon Solo, Napoleon Solo Needs a Hug, Protective Illya Kuryakin, Illya Kuryakin is Bad at Feelings, Mild Sexual Content, Like they dont even get to the sex part

Characters:

Illya Kuryakin, Napoleon Solo

Word Count:

6,188

Summary:

Three weeks. That's how long it takes for the mystery organization after the Kuryakins to make an attempt on Illya's life. Solo has the chance to prove he's worth his price tag.

Excerpt:

“With all due respect, there hasn't been much ‘performing’.” “Exactly why I am pleased!” Nikolai throws out his hands. The sudden gesture makes Illya flinch from where he has folded himself into the corner of the couch he and his father sit on. A pang of anger tears through Solo's heart. The man continues, “You have scared them off, it seems!” The mysterious ‘them’. Solo elects not to push the matter. Not this time. “Here's to hoping they stay scared,” Solo raises his glass, and Nikolai hurries to clink his to it, then glares at Illya until he sighs and does the same. They all drink, and Nikolai downs his in a single swallow. Illya rolls his eyes at the old superstition and only takes a sip.

This is Part 4 of "Now You See Me, Now You Don't", a collab with @pippinoftheshire in her John Wick-esque AU!!!

#tmfu #the man from uncle #tmfu movie #illya kuryakin #napoleon solo #napollya #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #modern au #mercenaries #john wick au

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plutonify · 2 months ago

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MY FAV FANFICS

Transformers

Crime in Crystals by Aard_Rinn

The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One, Transformers: Prime

Alt. Tags: Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Alternate Universe - Nobility, Alternate Universe - Organized Crime

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Main Characters: Jazz (Transformers), Prowl (Transformers)

Main Ship: Jazz/Prowl

(348,131 | 12 pt. Series)

Forget-Me-Not by Polyhexian

Transformers - All Media Types, The Transformers (IDW Generation One)

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Characters: Brainstorm (Transformers), Chromedome (Transformers), Rewind (Transformers)

Main Ship: Brainstorm/Chromedome/Rewind (Transformers)

Facing the threat of death by Hanahaki, Brainstorm decides to save his life by altering his own memories, only to make a potentially deadly mistake. To save his best friend, Chromedome is going to have to dig through all his dirty secrets. It's going to hurt.

(9,723 | Chapters: 1/1 | 3/4 pt. Series: Hanahaki AU)

Masks and Paint by helloshepard

Transformers - All Media Types, The Transformers (IDW Generation One)

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Characters: Cosmos (Transformers), Soundwave (Transformers)

Main Ship: Cosmos/Soundwave (Transformers)

Written for the Homemade AU zine. Soundwave, the Cityspeaker for Cosmos, considers adopting traditional cityspeaker paint.

(2,033 | Chapters: 1/1 | 21/26 pt. Series: helloshepard's TRANSFORMERS fics (2020-2022))

Misaligned Gemini by Anonymous

Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One, Transformers (IDW 2019)

Alt. Tags: Not Canon Compliant - Transformers IDW 2019

⚠️Warning Tags: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Main Characters: Sideswipe (Transformers), Sunstreaker (Transformers)

For Sideswipe, finding out he has a brother was one thing. Finding out said brother is his split-spark twin was another. Finding out that said split-spark twin was forged before the War of the Threefold Spark while Sideswipe wasn’t due to stigmas against split-sparks, which left Sideswipe’s spark locked away for megacycles while Sunstreaker fought in a war…? Yeah, Sideswipe has some feelings about that and would like to share them with someone, thanks. Unfortunately, Sunstreaker doesn’t seem interested in getting to know his younger twin brother.

Or: Sideswipe meets Sunstreaker, the twin he never knew he had but who he should have been with their whole lives. It goes about as well as he expected and worse than he’d secretly hoped.

(301,006 | Chapters: 34/34)

Nobody Can Save Me by Lush_Specimen

The Transformers (IDW Generation One)

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Characters: Drift | Deadlock, Hot Rod (Transformers)

Main Ship: Drift | Deadlock/Hot Rod, Drift | Deadlock/Rodimus

Taking place some time after the events Rodimus described as the first meeting of Hot Rod and Deadlock in Nunya Business Having lost contact with the fiery speedster, Deadlock settled into the violent routine of constant warfare. He rapidly climbed the Decepticon ranks through his legendary ferocity. Now, on the cusp of victory against some vastly out-numbered Autobot forces on a distant world, he hears news that sends ice running through his fuel lines. Turmoil ordered the capture of an Autobot prisoner to be used as a bargaining chip. His notoriously brutal Delta Squad grabbed a runt from Nyon. Hot Rod was from Nyon. But... There's no way it could be him. Right?

(12,122 | Chapters: 5/5 | 2/4 pt. Series: Hotlock History)

The Thinker, The Feeler by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)

Transformers: Rescue Bots

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings apply

Main Characters: Heatwave (Transformers), Chase (Transformers)

This series focuses on the relationship between Heatwave, the leader of the Rescue Bots, and his second-in-command, Chase. Chase is the logical lover of rules and Heatwave is the passionate bender of rules. Together they create a balance which is all too delicate, but they're always ready to watch each other's back.

(31,534 | 15 pt. Series)

VLD

come back, be here by viren_writes

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Alt. Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)

Main Ship: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Lance runs to the Black Lion’s open jaw, bright smile in place, and it soon drops as the one who descends under the ramp is Shiro and not Keith. this is falling for you when you are worlds away

(14,936 | Chapters: 1/1)

Crest of White, Bow Down by 2towels

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Alt. Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Ship: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

“I don’t know what I need to do to prove to you that I haven’t thought about leaving, but I haven’t.” Without hesitating, Lance lifted his good hand to rest on Keith’s cheek and stroked his thumb across it, silently appreciating his pouty features as he swallowed. “Tell me every day you love me more,” He finally demanded dramatically and breathlessly, flitting his gaze down to Keith’s shoulders instead of the intensity of his eyes, “maybe that would work.” “That wouldn’t even be a challenge.” Keith said quietly.

Five times Lance is swept off his feet, and one time he falls. Klance Week 2018 Day 1: Fake Relationship

(11,486 | Chapters: 1/1)

i want your heaven and your oceans too by mothpoem

Voltron: Legendary Defender

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Ship: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

“Not—not that you’d be my rebound! I mean, you’d be helping me take my mind off of this guy, but to be a rebound, I’d have to have dated him first, I think, and he doesn’t even know I like him, so. You wouldn’t be a rebound. At worst, we become badass partners-in-crime with a grudging respect for each other, at best, we’re soulmates for life and this is fate trying to help us find happiness. So. Um.” Lance swallows and looks up at the Blade of Marmora soldier through his lashes. “What say you?” They look down at their hands for a moment, fingers twisting together in deep thought. Then they’re pulling their gloves off, revealing pale, half-bruised knuckles of the human variation, and their mask is dissolving, giving way to big blue-purple eyes and an achingly familiar jet-black cowlick. “Who,” says Keith Kogane, in that low-pitched rumble that makes Lance’s stomach roil in the good way—holy fuck—“is this guy you’re trying to get over?”

(11,610 | Chapters: 1/1)

Keith Being A Jellyfish But Without The 'Fish' by BleuSarcelle

Voltron: Legendary Defender

⚠️Warning Tags: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)

Main Ship: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Shiro once told him what seemed like ages ago, that the right way to go when wanting someone’s attention is to fake that you have little interest in them. And boy, oh boy, Lance did not like that. Fair enough, asking ‘who are you’ to your crush when you haven’t seen them in a year was not the best way to go, but no matter, because Keith is still blaming Shiro, and he told him so a month after they started their Voltron trip. Keith’s determined to make amends and win Lance’s attention. Surely there’s something he can do that doesn’t involve his hair because that’s the only thing Lance seems obsessed about. … Maybe if he wore it on a ponytail?

(Or five times Keith was jelly of someone being close to Lance and one time it actually worked out for him.)

(6,322 | Chapters: 1/1)

we're the bruised and broken (living like the kings and queens of tragedy) by writerforthestars

Voltron: Legendary Defender

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply

Main Ship: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

“Is that a challenge?” Keith smirks, a sharp, dangerous thing. He hears Lance’s words, hears the steel hidden in the softness of his tone, his voice promising trouble. But the Garrison does not know their Red Paladin as well as the rest of Voltron. They do not know Voltron at all. All they see are the cadets that left Earth five years ago, children playing pretend heroes. They are underestimating them. That is their mistake.

Or alternatively, when doubt is cast on the Paladins” worth and capabilities to be the Paladins of Voltron, the team makes it their mission to prove them wrong. They are warriors, heroes and it is about time the world recognized them as such.

(7,404 | Chapters: 1/6)

Hades

Choice of Death by felinefelicitations, Relia

Hades (Video Game 2018)

Alt. Tags: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

The bigness of the world is redemption. Despair compresses you into a small space, and a depression is literally a hollow in the ground. To dig deeper into the self, to go underground, is sometimes necessary, but so is the other route of getting out of yourself, into the larger world, into the openness in which you need not clutch your story and your troubles so tightly to your chest. Being able to travel both ways matters, and sometimes the way back into the heart of the question begins by going outward and beyond. -Rebecca Solnit, "The Faraway Nearby" Hypnos has been reaching out for a very, very long time. Thanatos asks the Fates to help him reach back.

(39,524 | 21 pt. Series)

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

Foray by Hikareh (theashemarie)

Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic Underground, Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types

⚠️Warning Tags: No Archive Warnings apply

Main Character: Sonic the Hedgehog

Leaving one's family and destiny isn't an easy thing to do, but Sonic needs to get away to discover if he's the prince his siblings want him to be, or the hero his heart is telling him he is. Three years later, Eggman kidnaps Manic, and Sonic is drawn back into the world he left behind, but now he can do more than rely on his medallion. He can fight. Bridging Underground and SEGA.

(109,554 | Chapters: 13/?)

Rose Drops by magicstorm101

Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types, Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)

⚠️Warning Tags: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Main Characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog

Main Ship: Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog

Love, Intuition, and a little bit of magic ensues as Amy sends Sonic and Shadow on an unforgettable adventure.

(106,279 | Chapters: 22/22 | 1/4 pt. Series: Rose Drops Series)

LEGO Ninjago

#I will be updating this #i accidentally deleted a whole page worth of text #so i had to stop and take a break out of irritation #pluto talks #pluto posts #tags will be updated too #transformers #vld #voltron #hades game #fic recs

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iboatedhere · 1 year ago

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“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

A month of FirstPrince autumn-themed prompts based on this list by @creativepromptsforwriting.

Prompts will vary in length and tropes (tags will be updated). Not gonna lie, you're gonna have to squint to see a couple of these prompts in the fic but that's half the fun.

Huge thanks to @pragmatic-optimist who has allowed herself to be dragged through these kinds of events many times before, provides me with inspiration, motivation, comma correction, and so much more on top of allowing me to randomly scream words like CORNFIELD and SPOOKY and ACORNS (that one hasn't happened yet but it will) at her at all hours of the day. Couldn't do any of this without you.

List of prompts along with links, word length, and basic tags are beneath the cut.

Ruffled hair- (G) (Word Count: 1,586) AU, AU-Non Famous, Meet Cute

Apple Scent- (T) (Word Count: 3,357) AU, AU-Tea Shop, Enemies to Lovers, Getting Together

Full of Colors (T) (Word Count: 1,310) AU, AU-Soulmates, AU- College/University

Walks in the Forest (T) (Word Count: 988) Future Fic, Minor Character Death

Autumnal- (T) (Word Count: 1,740) Alex's POV from Day 1.

Falling Leaves- (T) (Word Count: 1000) Wedding Planning, Fluff

Chestnuts- (T) (Word Count: 850) AU, AU- Assassins & Hitmen

Umbrellas- (T) (Word Count: 870) AU, Alternate Universe- Doctors, Flirting Disguised as Bickering

Ravens- (T) (Word Count: 1800) Magical Realism, Developing Relationship

Oktoberfest- (T) (Word Count: 780) Future Fic, Flirting

Pumpkin Spice- (T) (Word Count: 980) AU- Doctors, Follow up to Day 8

Cornfields- (M) (Word Count: 2,100) Bed Sharing, Road Trips, Follow up to day 7.

Black Cat- (G) (Word Count: 2,000) AU, AU: Veterinarians, Fluff, Pets

Spooky- (T) (Word Count: 1,400) AU, AU: The X Files

First Wine- (T) (Word Count: 1,300) AU, Alternate Universe: California Vineyards, Enemies to Lovers

Flying Kites- (G) (Word Count: 980) Future Fic, Fluff

Whispers- (T) (Word Count: 1,600) AU, AU: Doctors, Follow up to Day 8 & Day 11.

Picking Apples- (G) (Word Count: 660) AU, AU: Doctors, Follow up to Day 17.

Ghosts- (M) (Word Count: 3,800) Future Fic, Ghosts

Sweater Weather- (G) (Word Count: 1,400) AU, Alternate Universe: Stylist, Fluff

Acorns-(G) (Word Count: 800) AU, Established Relationship, Fluff, Follow up to Day 13.

Pile of Leaves- (G) (Word Count: 1,800) Future Fic, Fluff, Kid-Fic

Harvest-(M) (Word Count: 1,770) Alternate Universe: Historical, Angst, Grief

Fog- (T) (Word Count: 3,200) Alternate Universe: Historical, AU: Pirates of the Caribbean, Mutual Pining, Minor Character Death

Jack-O-Lanterns- (T) (Word Count: 1,800) Alternate Universe: Veterinarians, Follow up to Day 13

Campfire-(T) (Word Count: 800) Fluff, Newlyweds

Witches- (T) (Word Count: 1,700) Alternate Universe: Doctors, Halloween, Follow up to Day 18

Samhain- (T) (Word Count: 1,600) Alternate Universe: College/University, Parties, Flirting

Stormy Days-(T) (Word Count: 950) Future Fic, Domestic Fluff

Séance-(E) (Word Count: 3,200) AU: Non-Famous, Major Character Injuries, Sex, Crack Treated Seriously

Trick-or-Treat- (T) (Word Count: 2,500) Growing up, Halloween, Time Jumps, Minor Alex/Liam

#Posting this now because it's always awkward to post these things on top of the prompt fill day of #firstprince #firstprince fic #rwrb #rwrb fic #Where There Are Octobers

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carlando-winter-break-exchange · 11 months ago

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(Our Love is) Blue as the Night's Sky, Red as Blood by @jolandax13

Mature | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | 3,937 Words

Relationship(s): Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr

Character(s): Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz Jr

Additional Tag(s): Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Assassin Lando, Assassin Carlos, Slice of Life, Domestic Fluff, Tiny hint at smut, Mpreg, Lando is bored, Carlos spoils him, they are assassins so mentions of death and blood but nothing graphic really, Established Relationship, tiny bit of, Enemies to Lovers

Summary: Lando is bored to death and decides to start painting the nursery while waiting for Carlos to come home.

Or: they are assassins and Lando needs to stay home while pregnant

#carlando #carlando fanfiction #lando norris #carlos sainz jr #carlando winter break exchange #carlando winter break exchange 23/24

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unpredictable-probabilities · 5 months ago

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At a Blade's End || Chapter 4: Intertwined

Summary:

It's the day of the party at Roderick's manor, and Morpheus is displeased with the appearance of Robert and his son.

Meanwhile, Hob finds out a little more about Morpheus, and Robyn talks about his mother to his new friend.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Word Count: 4,262

Square/Prompt: C1 - Healing Touch | @dreamlingbingo

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human Alternate Universe - Medieval, Assassins & Hitmen, Blood Blood and Injury, First Meetings, Canonical Character Death, Each chapter will have warnings if it contains any graphic violence

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56571808/chapters/149085661

———

Morpheus turned to Alex standing beside him when he heard a sigh.

The party had started a few minutes ago, and guests were milling around greeting each other and the master of the house. Servants walked by holding trays of food and drinks, while Morpheus was at his usual station during public events: standing guard beside Alex. The Magus might care very little for his youngest son, but he would still see it as an embarrassment if Alex were to be harmed in his own premises.

“Randall’s not even here anymore and yet this entire party is for his birthday,” Alex said wistfully. “Father must really love him.”

“Your father did not neglect to give you a gift for your birthday,” Morpheus reminded him gently.

“A wad of money and an order to spend my birthday outside of his house?” Alex raised an eyebrow at him.

“I seem to remember you eating your weight in pastries and buying three new horses that day.”

Alex finally smiled. “Thank you again for accompanying me and Paul. Father would have been suspicious if it had just been the two of us.”

Someone was approaching and Morpheus instinctively turned to see who it was.

“Speak of the devil,” he said playfully.

“A drink, Master Burgess?” Paul smiled and held out a tray with a single wine glass to Alex.

Alex wrinkled his nose and picked up the glass. “I told you never to call me that.”

Morpheus scanned the crowd of nobles and businessmen, as well as the other servants going around serving food.

“Let us go to the gardens,” he said. “Far from prying eyes. Our presence is not needed here and would not be missed.”

“Indeed, Father probably already forgot that I exist,” Alex joked halfheartedly as they made their way out.

“Then that means you're free for the rest of the day,” Paul said lightly, holding the tray down at his side. “Though I’d need to get back to the kitchen soon.”

“They would not notice your absence for a few minutes,” Morpheus reassured him. “The initial preparations are done and other servants would be taking a break now as well.”

“A few minutes would be enough,” Alex said and gently took Paul’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “We can all just breathe here away from the party.”

Quick footsteps rounded the corner, and a familiar boy came running towards them while giggling.

He stopped when he saw Morpheus and smiled brightly. “Mister Morpheus!”

“Robyn! Hold on a moment!” Robert came jogging after the boy, slowing down to a stop and catching his breath.

His gaze landed on their group, and Morpheus saw Alex and Paul immediately let go of each other’s hands. Robert’s eyes followed the movement, and Paul took a step back from Alex.

Morpheus tensed, mentally running through a list of excuses as to why they were here, but he decided it would be wise to let Robert speak first to ascertain what was going on in his mind.

“My lord,” Paul lowered his eyes, his voice wavering and his face a shade paler. “I was just— Master Burgess was—”

“It’s all right,” Robert said gently. “There’s no need to explain anything to me.”

“My father isn’t a scary man!” Robyn nodded vigorously. “He won’t get angry about broken cups or holding hands with your friends!”

Morpheus instinctively looked at Robert, who returned his gaze with a small smile. Was that why they thought he ran out of their house two days ago? Just as well. It was an exceptionally idiotic decision on his part; at the very least they weren’t suspicious.

“My lord,” Alex said politely. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name. I’m not familiar with all of my father’s guests.”

“Robert Gadling,” Robert stepped forward and held out his hand. “I take it you’re Alexander Burgess?”

Alex took the offered handshake. “Yes, Lord Gadling. I welcome you to my father’s home.”

“Just ‘Sir Gadling’ is fine,” Robert smiled.

“And I’m Robyn Gadling!” Robyn puffed out his chest and held out a hand as well. “Pleased to make your acquaintance!” he added in his small high voice.

Alex smiled and shook the boy’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Robyn. You know Morpheus?”

“I do! He visited our house the other day to bring the invitation, but he broke a teacup and got scared and ran away.”

Paul and Alex looked at him questioningly; they wouldn’t believe that he would get scared of such a thing. An explanation would be expected of him later.

“I apologise once more, Sir Gadling,” Morpheus said. “As well as for rudely leaving your home in haste.”

Robert shook his head. “Like I said, it was an accident. Really, it’s all right.”

“See!” Robyn beamed at Morpheus, then looked at Paul. “And my father also won’t be mad at holding hands so you don’t need to be scared! My father has servants too and sometimes they hold my hand while we walk and cross the street.”

Robert chuckled. “Indeed. And you can still hold hands with people even when you’re grown-up,” he addressed his son but smiled pointedly at Paul and Alex. “No matter who they are as long as you both agree to it.”

“Well said, Sir Gadling,” Alex raised his wine glass in a toast, looking happier than he had ever since the party began.

“What’s your name, Mister?” Robyn asked Paul.

“Ah, Paul McGuire, Sir Robyn,” Paul tipped his head, his eyes lowered.

“It’s just ‘Robyn’! I’m not old!�� the boy’s face was scrunched up.

Paul smiled and met the boy’s gaze. “Pardon me. Robyn.”

The boy grinned. “A pleasure to meet you, Mister Paul!” he straightened his posture and extended his hand.

Paul seemed taken aback at the offered handshake, and he wordlessly accepted it.

Then the boy turned to Morpheus with his hand still held out. “We didn’t shake hands last time!”

Morpheus shook the boy’s hand. “It is a pleasant surprise to see you again,” he said, even though it was far from pleasant seeing him and his father. “I had the impression that your father was not attending this party.”

Robert cleared his throat. “Robyn wanted to check on your hand after it got cut from the teacup. He’d been running around the place looking for you ever since we arrived.”

“You got injured?” Alex furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

“It is of no consequence,” Morpheus held out his left palm. The cut had mostly closed, though he was still careful not to exert his hand so much.

“Shouldn’t you put a bandage on it?” Robyn asked worriedly.

Morpheus had considered it, but the Magus would inquire upon any injury of his out of worry that it would impede his duties, and Morpheus would rather not speak of it.

“It will heal,” Morpheus simply said. He had had worse injuries before.

“Okay…” Robyn said, though he was frowning. “Oh! You two can hold hands again now!” he said to Alex and Paul. “We don’t mind!”

“Ah, duck,” Robert knelt on one knee to be eye-level with his son. “Remember what I said about how other people can be mean and easily angered? Those people could also get angry when they find out that people hold hands. So it’s important that you don’t tell anyone that you saw them do that, okay?”

Robyn’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?! Why would anyone get angry about that?”

Alex smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like us, Robyn.”

Robyn frowned and looked at Robert. “Pardon my language, father. But I think that’s very stupid.”

Alex looked terrified for a moment and looked at Robert. Morpheus understood his fear; he would have received punishment if he spoke to his own father in such a way when he was that age.

But Robert just laughed good-naturedly and ruffled his son’s hair. “It is quite stupid, isn’t it? And while those people haven’t sorted themselves out yet, it’s important to protect these nice people. Do you understand?”

The boy nodded. “I promise not to tell anyone,” he said solemnly.

“Thank you,” Robert smiled at him and stood up again.

“Are you friends with Mister Morpheus?” Robyn turned to Alex.

Alex smiled, relaxed again now after seeing that Robyn faced no consequences at all for his use of language. “I am. He’s a nice person, too.”

Morpheus frowned at him. Alex had known since last year what jobs he did for the Magus, even though he did not know who the targets were. How could Alex still call him nice?

But Alex just met his eyes and grinned. “Even though he would never admit it,” he said pointedly before turning back to Robyn. “For my birthday two months ago he accompanied Paul and I to the city. We had cakes and rode horses for the better part of the afternoon.”

Robyn’s face brightened and he looked at Morpheus. “I knew you were nice!”

Morpheus said nothing; his stomach twisted at how the boy was looking at him with so much trust, oblivious to what Morpheus had almost done to his father moments before he arrived in the dining room two days ago.

“Pardon,” Paul’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “But I’ve been gone too long from the kitchen. I should return to my duties now, Morpheus. Sir Gadling, Robyn,” he nodded politely to them before turning to Alex. “... Alex,” he said with a small smile.

“Paul,” Alex returned the smile, evidently pleased that Paul addressed him by only his name.

With another bow to everyone, Paul made his way back inside.

“As for myself, I shall return to the party,” Alex straightened his waistcoat. “Father would be displeased if guests start asking him where his son is.”

“I shall go with you,” Morpheus said, grateful for any excuse to move away from Robert and the boy.

“No,” Alex shook his head. “You’ve been guarding me since before the party started. You should take a break like some of the other servants.”

“Alex,” Morpheus frowned. “You know your father tasked me to stand guard at your side.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “And we both know that no one has ever tried to harm me, and no one ever will.” He lowered his voice to be quieter. “Everyone knows I’m not important to my father and they have nothing to gain from me.”

“What?” Robyn furrowed his eyebrows. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

“Duck,” Robert put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We’re not part of the conversation, it’s rude to ask.” Though from the somber look on his face, he had heard what Alex said.

Alex smiled at the nobleman and his son. “It was a genuine pleasure to meet you both. May we see each other again soon.” He looked at Morpheus and pointed a finger at him. “Don’t follow me. Take a break.”

Had it just been the two of them, Morpheus would have said exactly what he thought of the young man’s audacity. As it were, all he could do was clench his jaw and watch Alex go back to the party.

He startled and turned around when he felt a small hand grab his wrist.

“Are you really okay?” Robyn was looking worriedly at the cut on his hand.

“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me, I…” he trailed off at the sound of voices.

They were at the part of the garden behind the manor, and if there were people nearby they would be on the other side of the walls separating the garden from the terrace wrapping around this wing.

He recognised Burgess’ voice. More likely than not, he and his guests were just viewing the outdoors from the terrace without putting themselves through the ordeal of actually going outside. But if Burgess decided to go in this direction he would find out that Robert Gadling has a biological heir…

“Excuse you to do what?” Robyn was frowning up at him in confusion, still holding his wrist.

“Robyn,” Robert said. “I think Morpheus might have to be somewhere else now.”

Were the voices getting closer? Or was he just getting too anxious?

“I… was thinking of showing you and your father around the gardens, Sir Robyn,” Morpheus said to the boy.

Robyn gasped in delight and tightened his grip excitedly. “Really?”

“Yes.” Morpheus looked at Robert. “If I may.”

Robert looked surprised but he smiled. “Of course. We’d be happy to walk around.”

Morpheus used his uninjured hand to grip Robyn’s wrist and pull him deeper into the gardens, away from the Magus.

***

Hob watched Robyn pull free from Morpheus’ hold to run ahead of them, slowing to a stop to peer at a butterfly that had landed on a patch of flowers.

Morpheus, despite having initiated the stroll, seemed a bit tense. He walked stiffly beside Hob, his eyes darting from time to time to the direction they came from.

“Is everything all right?” Hob asked. “If you need to get back to your work now, you don’t have to accompany us. I’ll take Robyn back to the party.”

“No,” Morpheus quickly said. “Sir.” He looked over his shoulder again.

“What’s wrong?” Hob frowned in concern. “Are we… hiding from someone?” He recalled the voices he heard shortly before Morpheus declared wanting to show them the gardens.

Morpheus looked at him, then turned his gaze straight ahead as they continued walking. He seemed to be finding the right words. “Lord Burgess… is not fond of children, sir. I heard his voice among that group. I did not want Sir Robyn to be subjected to his sour mood.”

Hob’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Not about Roderick Burgess being a grumpy old man who disliked children, he would have expected as much. But he didn’t expect Morpheus to consider Robyn’s experience at the party.

“Thank you,” Hob said sincerely. “For making sure Robyn is comfortable. Especially since you should be taking your break now instead of accompanying us.”

“It’s no trouble, sir,” Morpheus said quietly, still staring straight ahead as they continued to follow Robyn who was now running in a zigzag pattern around the flowerbeds.

Hob wondered why Morpheus still seemed tense even as they walked away further from the party. Maybe he was often like that in Lord Burgess’ house? Hob wouldn’t be surprised if all the servants were always on-guard for that nobleman. But then Paul seemed far more relaxed earlier than Morpheus now.

“Paul and Alex are lucky,” Hob tried to lighten the mood. “That they have you to watch over them.”

Morpheus looked at him, as if not expecting him to acknowledge it at all. “They are young, and deserve to be happy,” he said in his quiet voice.

Hob smiled. Morpheus seemed aloof for the most part, but he evidently cared deeply for people. Hob remembered the raven pendant that he saw that night on the balcony, and his gaze lowered to Morpheus’ chest where the necklace had been. There was no trace of it now, save for a glimpse of a thin metal chain near his neck. It looked like Morpheus usually hid the necklace under his shirt.

There was the sound of a snapping branch, a flash of alarm on Morpheus’ face, and a surprised cry from ahead of them.

Before Hob could react to the sight of his son falling off a tree, Morpheus dashed from his side and lunged, catching Robyn just in time.

The momentum made them both fall over, Morpheus landing on his back with a grunt and Robyn on top of him.

Hob quickly rushed over. “Are you two all right?” He held out a hand to help his son stand up.

Robyn scrambled to his feet with Hob’s help, and immediately turned to face Morpheus who had now sat up on the grass. “That was amazing! You’re so fast and strong!” he was practically beaming.

Morpheus looked up at Robyn, and Hob could swear that the hint of a smile was forming on his lips. “You must be cautious, Sir Robyn. You could have been hurt.”

Robyn wrinkles his nose. “Why do you keep calling me that? I’m not old!”

There was almost a fondness now on Morpheus’ face. “You are the son of Sir Gadling.”

“You didn’t call Mister Alex ‘sir’ even when he’s the son of Lord Burgess!” Robyn said stubbornly. “Is it because he’s your friend?”

Morpheus nodded. “He is.”

“Can we be friends? Then you can call me Robyn!” The boy grinned triumphantly as if he had just solved a particularly difficult riddle.

Hob chuckled. “I’m afraid this is a battle you can’t win, Morpheus.” He held out a hand to help him stand up.

Morpheus hesitated a moment before accepting it and pulling himself up. The man had more weight to him than Hob would have expected, and his grip was strong before he let go of Hob’s hand.

“Oh no!” Robyn gasped, looking at Morpheus’ other hand. “I told you to put a bandage on it!”

Morpheus lifted his left hand; the cut had reopened and was beginning to bleed again. “I must have landed on some roots when I fell,” he had a frown that looked more curious than pained.

“Is it my fault?” Robyn’s eyes were filling with tears.

“No,” Morpheus said immediately before Hob could say anything. “Not at all. Robyn.” He smiled, then. A small thing, but real and soft.

Robyn still looked tearful, but he managed to return the smile.

“Let’s sit over there and have a look at that wound,” Hob gestured to a large flower bed forming a low stone wall around some plants.

Morpheus looked like he was about to protest, but Robyn grabbed the wrist of his uninjured hand and tugged him towards the flower bed.

“Come on! We're friends now, right? That means you have to let us help!” Robyn looked up hopefully at Morpheus, who relented and let himself be pulled along.

Robyn didn’t let go of Morpheus even as they sat down on the edge of the flower bed.

“The cut isn’t too deep and fortunately you won’t need stitches,” Hob said, taking a small pouch from his coat pocket. “Why didn’t you bandage it before?” He doubted that Morpheus didn’t have the knowledge or resources for it.

Morpheus furrowed his eyebrows as Hob took out the contents of the pouch. “Do you carry a medicinal pouch with you all the time, Sir Gadling?”

“I’ve had to since I realised my son has a penchant for running around outdoors,” Hob chuckled.

“Mister Morpheus, my father asked you a question,” Robyn gently tapped Morpheus’ arm. “It’s okay if you didn’t hear it! Would you like me to repeat it?”

Morpheus looked at Robyn with a curious gaze, and Hob was about to tell his son that it was alright if people didn’t want to answer questions sometimes. Morpheus seemed like a man who valued his privacy even with the littlest of things.

Then Morpheus looked down at the cut on his hand and spoke quietly. “Lord Burgess would have questioned the injury if he had seen a bandage. I felt… embarrassed. To admit the cause of it. As it is a failure on my part. And Lord Burgess would not like to know that his trusted servant carelessly broke a cup.”

Robyn looked heartbroken and angry, and Hob spoke before the boy could say some choice words about Lord Burgess. “You’re not needed by his side for the entire party, right? Perhaps we can bandage it for now and you can just remove it later when you have to go see him.” Hob knew that that was the best compromise they could achieve.

Morpheus was quiet for a moment and nodded wordlessly, holding his injured palm out.

Hob began disinfecting the wound with the liquid from the small clear bottle, hoping to himself that Morpheus wouldn’t remove the bandage as soon as he and Robyn were out of sight.

“I’m sorry…” Silent tears were rolling down Robyn’s cheeks. “I shouldn’t have climbed the tree.”

“It’s not your fault.” Morpheus gently freed his wrist from Robyn’s hold so he could wipe away the boy’s tears with his hand. “I was much like you when I was your age, you know?” he smiled softly.

Hob normally attended to Robyn whenever he cried, but right now he felt like he should keep silent as his son finally seemed to be achieving his goal of befriending the “shy, scared man”, as Robyn had referred to Morpheus that morning at breakfast.

“Really?” Robyn sniffled.

Morpheus nodded, seeming not to feel any sting at all as Hob finished disinfecting the cut on his hand and began wrapping it with a bandage. “I liked running and climbing trees, too. I even had my fair share of falling off them.”

“Did you have someone to make you feel better after, too?”

Morpheus’ smile faltered for a moment, and Hob remembered the raven pendant again. The friend Morpheus lost. “I did. So you mustn't blame yourself. I caught you because I did not want you hurt. That is all.”

Robyn nodded, wiping away the last of his tears. “Do you still climb trees now?” he asked curiously.

“Not as much. I’ve had to stop since…” Morpheus trailed off, looking as if he hadn’t meant to say that.

“Since…?” Robyn pressed, eyes wide with encouragement.

Morpheus took a moment before answering. “Lord Burgess does not like seeing us climb trees.”

“He doesn’t like so many things!” Robyn complained. “You’re big now! You’re not small like me! You should be allowed to climb trees whenever you want!”

Hob suddenly remembered that Morpheus was taken as a servant when he was a child. And what Morpheus said just a few minutes earlier…

“Lord Burgess… is not fond of children, sir.”

The pieces seemed to click into place in Hob’s mind. Morpheus said himself that he was as playful as Robyn when he was a child, but had to be less so because Lord Burgess didn’t like it.

Was Morpheus just as friendly and outgoing as Robyn back then? What could have happened to make him how he was now? How did Burgess treat him as a child for him to be concerned enough to lead Robyn away from the old man as fast as possible?

No good answers came to Hob’s mind and he willed himself to remain calm. Bursts of anger were understandable from someone of Robyn’s age, less so from a grown man.

“You’re allowed to climb trees, are you not?” Morpheus told Robyn as Hob finished wrapping the bandage. “With enough practice, you will master it and not have to worry about falling any longer.”

“I wish you can practise more too,” Robyn pouted. “Why is Lord Burgess so mean!”

“He lost a son, shortly before I came into this house,” Morpheus said quietly. “Randall. It’s his birthday today, that is why we have this party now. He died young, and Lord Burgess must have loved him so. Losing a loved one can make people angry and bitter.”

There was a quiet weight to those words, and Hob couldn’t help but wonder just how long ago Morpheus’ friend had died.

“No!” Robyn looked even more exasperated now. “My mother died of sickness when I was four summers old. My father and I loved her very much, but we didn’t turn mean!”

Morpheus glanced at Hob at the sudden reveal of information, and Hob gave him a reassuring smile that it was alright for him to know. It was four years ago, and while it still hurt, he no longer felt like a broken man.

“Father said we grieve because we love her. And love shouldn’t make you hurt other people!” Robyn had grown so impassioned in his speech that he had now tightly laced his fingers through Morpheus’, his small tan hand a contrast to the larger and paler one.

Morpheus gave a small smile, though Hob could see sadness in his eyes. “You are very wise, Robyn. And… so is your father.” He glanced at Hob, his smile becoming more polite. “Thank you for this, Sir Gadling,” he held up his bandaged hand.

“It’s the least I could do for you reacting much faster than I did when my son fell,” Hob smiled back.

“When I grow up, I wanna be as fast and strong as you, Mister Morpheus!” Robyn grinned, holding up their intertwined fingers and moving them back and forth excitedly.

“Why are you calling me that?” Morpheus asked Robyn, his head slightly tilted to the side. “We are friends now, are we not? Call me Morpheus,” he smiled.

Robyn gasped and dropped Morpheus’ hand.

Then he threw his arms around Morpheus’ shoulders, holding him in a tight embrace.

Morpheus made a surprised grunt and nearly fell backwards into the flower bed before regaining his balance. He looked at Hob with wide eyes, his hands awkwardly held up to the sides.

Hob laughed, feeling a warmth in his chest at how happy his son was, and how Morpheus had grown much more comfortable around them. “It’s only polite to hug your friends back, Morpheus,” he said to answer the man’s uncertainty.

Morpheus relaxed and tentatively put his uninjured hand on Robyn’s back. Then he met Hob’s eyes, his smile more sincere now than polite. “I am glad you came to this party. Sir Gadling.”

My friends call me Hob, Hob wanted to say. But he held himself back and just smiled and nodded.

———

<- (Chapter 3)

(Chapter 5) ->

(Dreamling Bingo Masterpost)

(Masterlist)

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