#And while taking offense shows you care it doesn’t show your attention will be on them indefinitely

[stuckinapril]

I remember back when I used to be the chill cool girl who didn’t take offense to anything and wasn’t hurt by anything and was nonchalant about everything and wasn’t bothered and didn’t care and was so chill and cool…….. thank god I healed

[jihyoruri]

❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ 𓍢 UNEXPECTED kim minjeong x reader

↳warnings: yn is a member of ive and is described as a loser a lot (like they keep coming for my girl)

for all the years that minjeong knew her ex girlfriend, she never knew the girl had a sister until after they broke up, which is insane when she thinks about it more and she still hasn’t met the girl till this day.

she remembers it like it was yesterday, on the first of december is when the hit girl group ive debuted, yes a lot of people raved about the two ex iz*one members debuting but what made more rave was the girl that looked almost identical to jimin and it wasn’t an exaggeration they had the same last name and some unreal similarities between the two girls that even had minjeong asking jimin as she seen the new idol but the only thing jimin responded with was a laugh.

it was later revealed that the girl was in fact jimin’s little sister which brought a lot of shock to the world including minjeong and a little bit of betrayal, it was weird that jimin never mentioned her little sister, even when they were dating but she never pushed on it not wanting things to become more awkward than it normally was with them lately.

it’s been almost three years and minjeong has had interactions with almost all of the ive members but she’s never had a single interaction with jimin’s sister who she learned name was yn, well not until today.

all four girls sat around each other in their own worlds with their faces in their phones, there’s comfortable silence in the room that jimin breaks.

“my sister is coming over to pick up something.” the leader says grabbing all of the girls attention, “she’ll probably stay for a couple minutes as well.” she says her eyes still on her phone while the other girls look at her like she told the most shocking news in the world.

“wait, we’re actually going to meet your precious little sister?” aeri asked, this was big news for the other girls, jimin never brought her sister around she never even talked about her, “are you being for real?”

“yeah… she should be here in like a minute.” jimin now looking up from her phone and looking at the rest of girls like they’ve grown two extra heads, “is that a problem?”

“no!” minjeong cuts in, “it’s just you never talk about her, you never even told me about her we were dating.” she says before wincing at her words both aeri and yizhuo cringing as well as awkward silence fills the word at the topic of the girls past relationship.

“well… who cares that’s the past.” jimin says looking off to the side, “just don’t jump on her guys, I know my sister and you guys are really intense sometimes.” she says and rolls her eyes at the offensive looks she gets from her members, “she’s quiet and shy and can be weird sometimes, she’s kind of a loser, like mega loser, so please give her some space when she comes in.”

loser? she doesn’t look like a loser from what ive seen minjeong says to herself, she was kind of nervous when jimin said yn was coming over but if yn really is how jimin is describing, then there’s no need.

the girls nod their heads at the leader and silence takes over the room again but not for long as a knock on the door interrupts the silence.

jimin jumps up from the couch she was on and walks over to the door opening it immediately, minjeong hears a soft voice and jimin’s laugh before the door closes.

jimin walks back to where the girls were sitting but this time with someone behind her, minjeong feels something happen in her stomach when she lays her eyes on the girl, she’s on the taller side and pretty lanky but her arms show a slight tone to them she watched as the girl she pushed up glasses up the bridge of her nose looking down at the ground not making any eye contact with girls.

“this is yn,” jimin says putting her hand on the taller girls shoulder pushing her slightly to showcase her to her members, “my baby sister.” she says teasingly patting yn who still looks at the floor.

“fix you posture and look up,” jimin says to yn who immediately straightens up and looks up at the rest of girl showcasing her heart stopping face, aeri whistles quietly earning a nudge from minjeong who can’t seem to take her eyes off the girls face as well.

“im gonna go find what you want, so just sit with them while you wait,” jimin says before sending the girls a warning look before heading to her room.

yn stands awkwardly, while aeri clears her throat, “you can sit between minjeong and I.” she says pushing minjeong over and patting the spot between them.

yn puts her hands in her jean pockets and slowly walks over to where minjeong and aeri are sitting and sits between them, she talks out her hands from her pants and plays with the rings on her fingers and looks down in her lap and minjeong can’t help but let her eyes travel down to the girls toned hands.

“so…yn.” aeri starts, “this is our first time meeting you isn’t that insane?.” the girl says trying to start a conversation but there wasn’t a single thought in her mind as well, just like minjeong her eyes are fixated on yn’s rings.

yn is silent for a second and minjeong shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling a strange mix of curiosity and nervousness as she stole glances at yn. despite jimin's description, there was an undeniable allure to yn's demeanor.

“uh, yeah.” yn responded, now getting bored of her rings, she focuses on a keychain of saturn on her pants playing with it, “jimin never talked about you guys much as well.”

“oh really?”yizhuo cuts in with a offended tone, “I’ll talk to her about that.” she says obviously just wanting to troll the leader she gets up, “you should come too aeri unnie,” she says grabbing the other girls attention that was still on the quiet girl.

“uh, sure…” she says getting up and leaving both yn and minjeong on the couch, “I’ll be back.” she says before walking off with yizhuo.

silence fills the room again and all minjeong can do is look at the girl who’s attention is still in her lap, losers shouldn’t be this attractive is the only thing she can say to herself, she’s happy that yn is so in her own world to not notice her staring.

at least that’s what she thought, minjeong quickly turned her head around when yn looked up and turned her head to make direct eye contact with her, she got that feeling in her stomach again, this is embarrassing.

yn stared at her for a second before turning her gaze back to the front and leaning her head back letting out a sigh, minjeong hears her mumbling to herself about how long jimin takes with things.

she awkwardly cleared her throat, “jimin unnie is always taking long right?” she says to the girl who just nods and brings an arm up to rest of the back of the couch.

“so um,” minjeong starts, “isn’t it weird how I was literally jimin’s girlfriend and still never knew about you.”

yn lifted her head back up and looked at minjeong, “jimin had a girlfriend?” she asks bluntly there’s silence before she quietly laughs at the look on minjeongs and it was the first time the other girl has seen her smile since she came in here, it was cute.

“I’m joking,” yn says now looking to side, her demeanor automatically going back to the way it was before, she scratches the back of her neck and angels it in a way that minjeong can see the tattoo that peaks out, “I knew about you, not much though.” “you like tattoos?” minjeong asks, causing the girl to look at her again, “sorry, I noticed the one on your neck.”

“uh, yeah.” yn responds looking down again, “I have more, I can strip and show you the rest.” she says causing minjeong’s face go red.

“sorry,” she laughs awkwardly, “that was a joke, a horrible joke to say to your sister ex.”

oh yeah, for a second minjeong forgot that yn was jimin’s sister, because of how hypnotized she was by the girl, “no, it was funny.” she says moving closer to yn who immediately noticed and tensed slightly.

minjeong felt more confidence, realizing that she was the one in control in this situation, “from the looks of you, somethings telling me you get a lot of girls and guys ”

“uh,” yn says glancing at minjeong before looking back down, “no, not really.”

now this shocked minjeong, why does nobody want the attractive losers? the quite ones are the best she’s never had one in her lifetime so far, but yn is making hard not to want one.

“so, you’ve never been in a relationship?” minjeong asks.

“nope.”

“unbelievable.” she says leaning closer to yn, who fidgets with anything she can at the girl’s closeness.

“I should give you my number.” the girl states which causes yn to just nod, “if that’s what you want, can I ask why? she responds.

minjeong holds her hand out and yn grabs her phone from her pocket and gave it to the girl who added her contact and gave it back, “making new friends is good, sometimes they can lead to more.”

yn awkwardly laughed at the last part and put her phone back in her pocket.

minjeong opens her mouth to say more but is cut off by the footsteps of her members.

“found it!” jimin says walking into the room and aeri and yizhuo trail behind her, it’s a old dsi animal crossings game. “why did you need this?”

yn gets up immediately and takes the game out of jimin’s hand, “I found my old dsi, and I want to play on it, for when yujin unnie yells at me for having my face in my other games for too long.” minjeong couldn’t help but frown realizing that this means that the girl is leaving now, she waves at yn along with the other girls.

“you’re such a dork,” jimin laughs while yn makes her way to the door, “you’re not gonna say bye to the girls?”

“oh yeah, bye.” she says before immediately leaving.

jimin closes the door and looks at the girls, “well, that’s my sister.”

your awfully attractive sister, minjeong says to herself, of course she would find herself being attracted to her exs sister, this was definitely unexpected.

she knew how messy a situation like this could be, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

[maple-the-awesome]

The Chain Meets You, His Partner || 2/3

Part 1 || Part 3

Pairing: Hyrule, Sky, Wind x GN! Reader

Requested by @temporarilyablog: i see requests are open still so im coming to you with a thought i had recently:how about a Link from the Chain interacting with the reader, another Link's s/o from their original adventures, when *their* Link isn't around. i can see some teasing another Link with the reader that they've only known through little stories here and here, or others grilling the reader relentlessly because another Link was so shy about their relationship and partner, and wants to know how that Link is like around someone he allows himself to relax.its kinda like when the Chain met Malon for the first time and interacted with her for stories about old man Timeand as always stay awesome, i love your writing!

Zelda Masterlist 💙Fandom Masterlist

Concerningly delighted or eerily eager - the Chain can’t quite agree on which descriptor best described their teammate the best once he realized they had all landed in his Hyrule. Bubbling with excitement ever since while maintaining a pace some of the other boys have to jog after, Link doesn’t waste breath saying where he’s leading them, although that giddy smile upon his face - as much as he tries to hide it - is plenty for the wiser heroes to get the hint…

Hyrule's time is 'rough around the edges', to put it easily, not that it can't be expected considering all the stories he's rather casually told the others about regarding both his world and adventures. Even the Kingdom's Castle - usually a centerpiece to the land - is beaten down and, in most aspects, less...impressive compared to what most of the heroes are accustomed to seeing, although for a simple traveler like Hyrule, it still holds quite a bit of significance.

"I just want to speak to the Sovereign before we move on - to let them know why I've been away," He rambles his explanation to the Chain, his outward emotions suddenly undergoing yet another change. His once untroubled smile becomes wary, his hands unstill as he fidgets with his sleeves. That prior excitement he had held when first suggesting they even go to the Castle has now turned into what the other heroes misjudge to be poorly hidden nerves, "I don't want them to be left assuming I'm dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Makes sense," Warrior nods, keeping a careful eye on Hyrule's behavior. Being a captain in charge of so many, he can spot a shift in confidence from a mile away, "You have been gone for a while."

"We're not going to be - I don't know - arrested on the spot or anything, right?" Legend asks, his focus more on the guards who maintain obvious glaring suspicions towards the group despite allowing them inside once confirming their famed hero's identity. 

"Why would we be arrested?"

"You mentioned how much of a hardass your Sovereign can be," The Vet clarifies with a casual shrug, "And a paranoid one, too, if these guards leave anything to the imagination. Leaders like that don't usually need much reason to throw someone in a dungeon. Nine random heroes showing up while claiming to be from different timelines, all chasing some shadow lizard through magic portals? We'll sound insane."

Hyrule frowns and maybe even takes some offense to Legend's observations which is why his rebuttal is so swift, "They -...They aren't like that! The previous King died suddenly. They were forced to take on the throne without much notice and at a young age, too! After everything Ganon put this kingdom through - Of course they're going to be paranoid, but they're reasonable and fair. There's nothing to worry about. Besides, we don't have to mention the exact reasoning for our meeting. I just...I would just like to see them while I can…"

The red on Hyrule's cheeks would've no doubt been noticed if not for the Chain's collective attention being stolen elsewhere, focused upon a pair of large doors that open into the Castle's throne room. Inside, a series of guards line the walls and at the opposite end sits the very subject of their conversation.

Your expression is stern and cold as you sit upon your claim dressed in expensive, colorful garments fitting for a proper monarch of your time. The golden crown upon your head shimmers in torch light, yet its glow is quickly outshined by your eyes which go wide with delight once you recognize your hero amongst this crowd of ragtag travelers. 

"Link…!" In an instant, you rise, your smile as grand as your divine beauty. Whether you gracefully walk or float down the stairs, there would be no visual difference. What is true is that you meet Hyrule at the bottom of those four measly steps, welcoming him with a strong embrace he's eager to return.

"...Your Majesty..." He doesn't realize just how quiet his voice is, whispered beside your ear as he forgets about the world while in your arms again. Oh, how he's missed this feeling!

The Chain is left in awe - No, it would be more accurate to say they're completely dumbfounded. Hyrule has always spoken favorably about the Royal Family of his time, tying especially pleasant compliments to the kingdom’s head. As stern as he admits you can appear, only good things have been attached to your name from your wise leadership to the love you hold towards your people, however not once - not a single murmur or breath - had ever dared mention your very apparent fondness for each other which certainly goes beyond the ordinary relationship of a monarch and their realm’s savior.

Even after your embrace, it's obvious that you hold nothing except the greatest of affections towards your hero. You look at him as if he's the sun that gives your kingdom life; the courage that keeps you going despite such challenging times. Hyrule's, of course, no better when it comes to you. It's not until now that his friend's realize they're previous mistake in assuming he was afraid to see you. No, that wasn't fear before, it was shyness. The thought of you had him feeling both delighted and sheepish. Now that he's here, though, his grin is uncontrollable. 

"Your Majesty, I'd like to meet the friends I've been traveling with -"

"- A Sovereign?! You're dating the freaking Sovereign and you didn't think to mention that small detail earlier?!" Legend suddenly shouts, demolishing the silence that had befallen the Chain.

He can’t help it! He feels utterly scammed! Hyrule had told everyone a great deal about his kingdom’s Sovereign, yet had only confessed to his predecessor during a late night heart-to-heart that he holds deep feelings towards a mysterious someone back home; someone he fears telling of his secret endearment. Not once - Not a single damn time - had he so much as let on that they’re the same person!

Legend isn’t sure what strikes his nerves more: the fact that Hyrule would be dumb enough not to add the important context that it’s royalty he’s in love with or that he’s dense enough to somehow believe you don’t love him back despite it being clear you’re totally whipped for him! Is he blind? Completely and utterly dull in the brain?!

Poor Hyrule's whole face explodes in red after Legend's outburst, and his condition is made no better when the others add in their own comments to this already awkward situation.

"Now it makes sense why you wanted to come here so badly," Wild nods in understanding, having previously been confused as to why Hyrule would care to go out of his way to let the royal family know of his whereabouts if he had no ties to them.

"To think our humble traveler could land a monarch. I mean, good for you and all," Warrior crosses his arms with a smirk, hoping to mask his slight jealousy.

The Traveler is left stammering for a response, finding himself suddenly overwhelmed.

"‘Dating’? Well, this is certainly news to me," You frown with a hand placed delicately above your heart. Turning to your hero, you can only look betrayed, "Link, I would've hoped you'd tell me. I could've cleared more of my schedule to be with you in that case."

"E-EH?!"

"And all those suitors the advisors have been arranging - I’ll have to tell them to abandon their efforts! Excellent, seeing as I didn’t truly care for their match-making attempts,” You huff, not giving Hyrule anytime to explain himself as you get right to business, waving your maid over to make a note, “But that should free up a considerable amount of my time…Will you and your friends be staying long? I can have the kitchen staff whip up a nice feast for later if you do.”

“Um -”

“- Can we?! My feet are aching!” Wind whines, practically deflating on the spot. The only thing holding him up is Warrior who scowls at his poor manners and forces him to stand upright.

Time is quick to step in front of the group and bow, hoping you dismiss their lack of grace, “If you don’t mind, Your Majesty. We wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“Not at all. It isn't often that we receive guests. I’ll have word sent to the kitchen right away. In the meantime, Lady Impa here can show you to a room where you may rest,” You finish writing on the paper she holds, allowing her to take both the paper and quill before once again giving your full attention to the travelers, “I have a meeting with the Zora Queen in precisely ten minutes, but following that the rest of my afternoon should be clear.”

You then face Hyrule, smirking at his flustered state, “Once that meeting is over, my time is yours, Link, if you wish to fill me in on your recent endeavors. I must say, I’m particularly interested in learning just how long we’ve supposedly been dating for.”

“...R - Right…Of course…” The poor boy squeaks, unable to process many thoughts beyond the feeling of his face overheating when you press a quick kiss to his cheek before leaving the room with your guards. Even the weight of Legend’s arm over his shoulder is barely enough to break him from his trance when the past hero leans in with a smug whisper:

“You’re welcome, buddy.”

From the moment he first stepped through that last portal, Sky has been radiating with pure glee. Anyone could understand why. He’s finally returned to Skyloft, a place he’s been missing so dearly ever since the start of this adventure months ago. Of course, home isn’t the only thing he’s been dying to be apart from.

Most of the other Links have long taken notice to Sky’s heartache which has been poorly hidden behind dreary melodies played on his harp and heaps of carved projects to distract from lonesome silence; somebody’s been on his mind, their absences from his life slowly driving him insane despite his efforts to remain focused.

That said, it’s no wonder that Sky is excited to be home again, moving at a hasty pace some assumed he’d be incapable of. Even the jolly greetings and curious questions from locals don’t slow him down much, his steps swift in bringing him to the doorstep of a brightly colored home no different from the many others that surround it, but it’s still special for what it holds inside.

There’s a short internal debate to be seen on Sky’s face - one where he hesitates to open the door because wouldn’t that be rude to simply invite himself into someone else’s house unannounced? Then again, it’s not like proper manners have ever stopped him before, and they won’t start today. He decides to impatiently let himself in. Forgiveness can be sought after later.

Every ache of his travel-worn body and each gloomy thought surrounding his collective adventures melt away like magic by the mere sight of you. You must’ve just been about to leave - that or you recently arrived home, because you’re still in your knight’s uniform, caught mid-adjusting your belt when you look up at the man standing in your doorway.

Surprised for sure, yet it���s also a welcomed feeling when you rush to meet your lover half-way. There’s no words for the amount of joy you feel in holding him tight, possibly even shedding a few tears as he decorates your face in dozens of butterfly kisses, one for each second he’s thought of you while apart.

It takes some time and a loud clearing of someone’s throat for the Hero of Sky to remember his companions who all wait awkwardly around the doorway. Even when snapped out of his trance, he’s still grinning ear-to-ear like a lovestruck fool, his arm unmoving from where it remains wrapped around your waist as he introduces you.

Needless to say, it’s nice to finally be able to put a face to the name sighed so often. You’re sociable and polite, yet if that sword upon your back is any indication, you must be a strong fighter to have secured yourself a position amongst the knights of Skyloft.

To the Chain’s luck, it turns out you had just arrived home which grants them plenty of time to bend your ear. They have lots of questions, their curiosity only being natural since your place on the timeline is so different from their own. They ask about your life in the clouds, job as a knight, and most importantly, your relationship with Sky who’s thrilled to expand upon such a wonderful topic himself by sharing his own honored memories.

“‘seems our Skylofian here is truly whipped,” Twilight chuckles at the end of Sky’s latest story, although truthfully he’s starting to have trouble hiding his boredom. 

At this point, Sky’s been rambling about his affections towards you for well over an hour, sparing no detail from your first meeting as children to practically each and every date you’ve shared since becoming more than friends. As happy as the boys are for him - truly, they are - they do have their limits for how much lovey-dovey they can take in one day. Legend in particular looks like he’s seconds away from banging his head against the table.

“I am~” Sky exhales lovingly while staring at you with hearts in his eyes. You find his attention endearing and give his hand a squeeze as it sits intertwined with yours on your lap.

“So, when’s the wedding?” Time queries, half-teasing and half-genuine.

“Oh, I don’t know…” You scratch the back of your head bashfully, but when your attention falls back to Sky, you find him still staring at you, this time with a pout no different from a baby remlit’s. Rolling your eyes, you lean into him with a dramatized sigh, “He’d have to ask me first, but I’m hoping being around you eight will give him the courage to do so soon. We’re only getting older, after all.”

“Why drag your feet? You’re clearly in love.”

“You’ve got a willin’ partner right here. No need to hesitate.”

“You know, we’ve passed a few merchants who sell rings during our journey.”

“Yeah, cheaply made ones. If you want something fancy, Castle Town is the place to go.”

“Not too fancy. A simple yet well-thought out gesture can go a long way.”

“A strong protection spell wouldn’t hurt, though.”

“I know a Gerudo who handcrafts the most beautiful jewelry. If we end up in my Hyrule, I could introduce you.”

“Oh, or Tetra’s crew has a TON of jewelry! Maybe you can find a nice ring in their stash?”

Sky laughs awkwardly as the other heroes suddenly bombard him with their ‘helpful’ suggestions, chattering away as they begin putting together the pieces for a proper proposal. When he glances your way, you’re not-so-subtly hiding your amused smile behind your hand, clearly looking forward to whatever plan they end up holding him to later. Hopefully, you won’t have to wait long to find out.

Wind’s destination isn’t too far from the last portal opened which is good because the others have a hard time keeping up with the younger boy who effortlessly dashes across the deep sand-covered beach, heading directly to one of the few huts on this small island they’ve found themselves on.

He doesn’t wait for his companions to catch up. He might not have even noticed they fell behind. His focus is primarily on reaching home, practically overboiling with excitement at the prospect of seeing his family again. It’s always a relief for his dear grandmother to see him safe, shedding many tears as she hugs her grandson with a grip unthought of for a little old woman. 

Wind’s grandmother has a list of questions she asks at the speed of light which must not be unusual seeing as he answers each just as skillfully, telling her where he’s been, who he’s been with, and confirming that yes, he’s well fed. Of course, it’s only natural that the same questions are also asked of each and every hero who steps through her front door, after all, curiosity is second only to her naturally nurturing spirit. Who cares how old some of them are? No matter the age, they’re no different than her grandson in her eyes!

A sudden shrill of jubilation scares the group half to death mere milliseconds before a small girl comes racing through the front door, leaping into her older brother’s arms with similar cries about how much she’s missed him. She’s followed by another adult who’s much calmer in their approach, yet nevertheless gleefully smiling as they eagerly accept their turn in hugging the teen while welcoming him home.

You attend to Wind tenderly, quickly pulling away from the hug to check over his face and account for any new scars. Your hand then lingers on his cheek as you sigh at his smiled reassurances, looking down upon him with an amount of love and care not too far off from how his own grandmother had.

It’s only after ensuring his well-being that you address his traveling companions. You’re barely fazed by the large group when you introduce yourself, having become accustomed to Wind’s strange ability to make friends with almost anyone during his adventures. They seem to be a bunch of respectable young men, anyway, judging on their politeness, and as you tell them, friends of Wind’s are always welcomed.

After introductions - which are short seeing as most in this room share the same name - Wind’s grandmother suggests a tour be given to your visitors. Being such a small community on a more lonesome edge of the map, newcomers are rare, so Wind and Aryall immediately leap at the chance to show their new friends around the island that they love. Who would you be to deny their adorable puppy-dog eyes?

Realistically, there isn’t that much to see aside from a few landmarks, interesting locals, and a population of chubby pigs, however if there’s any benefit to being surrounded by an ocean, it’s that there’s lots of good places to swim and seeing as most of the Links are long overdue for some quality time spent as normal teenagers, they’re happy for the break. 

Most of the boys partake in jumping from the rocks to see who can create the biggest splash, although Legend and Sky favor staying on land to help Aryall build a sandcastle for her seagull friends. You, meanwhile, relax in the sun, keeping a careful eye on all activities which has simply become second nature to you at this point. While Wind may be a fourteen-year-old who has sailed across the entire ocean, you don’t think you’ll ever stop worrying for his safety.

“Those kids seem rather fond of you.”

You glance up to the oldest Link of the group - you believe you heard the other’s refer to him as ‘Time’ - as he invites himself to sit next to you in the sand. Despite several pleas for the other boys, he had turned down their attempts at getting him in the water. Maybe for the best, since they’re now starting to toss each other off the rocks.

“I would hope so. I’ve known them both since before they could walk.”

“I take it you’re their guardian?”

Humming at his observation, you turn back to watch the younger kids and teens, “...People on our island have always kept an eye out for each other, but…Well, when Link and Aryall’s parents passed, I guess you could say I felt extra inclined to help. 

“I don’t have any family of my own here and there’s only so much their poor grandma can do at her age. Unfortunately, keeping up with two lively kids can be a struggle for her, so I’ve done what I can to remove some of that stress from her shoulders. With no kids of my own, I have the time and quite frankly, I enjoy the opportunity to feel…-”

“- To feel like a parent?”

“...Yeah…” You frown, pulling your knees to your chest with a sigh, “Of course, I don’t go around calling myself that. I wouldn’t want to overstep any boundaries, you know? Especially not for Link. Aryall - She was so young when they lost their parents, so I think it’s always been easier for her to see me as fitting the role, but Link…He was five. He still remembers them, so I doubt he’ll ever exactly see me as any kind of replacement.” 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Time objects kindly, following your gaze out to where Wind fights to wiggle himself out of Warrior’s grip. Seconds before he can be pushed off the rock, Wild and Twilight come up behind the two, shoving Warrior overboard just as Wind slips away, “I suppose I can’t speak directly for him, but I can say he refers to you as his parent quite frequently around us.”

“...Does he?” You blink in surprise. Wind’s never said anything in particular that would make you think he sees you in that light, but now that you think about it, when you first met Tetra, she referred to you as Wind’s parent, too. Did she say it out of mistaken observation like you assumed then or because Wind told her?

“From the sounds of it, you’ve made quite the impact on his life, one he admires greatly.”

You once again look back to the group, catching Wind’s eyes. He perks up, immediately waving as he shouts for you ‘Watch this!’ before running and leaping into the water with a giant cannonball and nearly on top of Warrior’s head much to the older boy’s annoyance. Once resurfacing, he searches for your attention and beams when he finds your proud smile reflecting back at him.

You’re thankful that he becomes distracted by the other boys jumping in, because as soon as he looks away, you can feel yourself becoming teary eyed. Perhaps you’ve been overthinking things this entire time. You were so focused on giving him space and not forcing a relationship that you failed to pick up on the little signs that he’s already accepted you. Wind has always been close to you, never shying away from hugs after his adventures while always seeking both your attention and approval; something he only does with his family.

[zer0pm]

Imagine demanding Luis to unlock your chains. When he doesn’t, you take matters into your own hands.

A/N: DID SOMEONE SAY PART 2 OF THIS PIECE?!

You did and I’m grateful for all the love that has been thrown for my work. So here’s me giving some of that love back. Hope you enjoy 🙏

Warning: SMUT AHEAD. Look away, minors! Look away! Avert your eyes from the sexual content! Shoo! Begone!

Warning 2: It’s quite long so mentally prepare yourself.

.

.

“I still didn’t catch your name.”

The cheek on this guy. Using the fact that he holds the key to your restraints as a bargaining chip to become familiar with you. As if he hadn’t just forced you into a partnership with him already. The absolute nerve. You had more important things to do, such as finding Leon and the president’s daughter. And this Luis Serra was effectively wasting your precious time. Well, two can play this game.

You start by offering him an inviting smile before relaxing your hands until your palms pressed flat against his chest. The man didn’t seem to fully register your subtle movement until you slid them upwards, feeling the fine leather beneath your fingertips. The motion takes him by surprise, his eyes following your touch. He then casts an inquisitive glance your way.

“¿Que haces?” Apparently he wasn’t expecting this, convinced that you didn’t much care for him and thus was taken so off guard that he slipped into his native tongue. He must have remembered himself right after as he repeated the question, making sure that it sounded more direct. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Voice comes out in a low, sultry drawl as you grip the lapel of his jacket with one hand, gently tugging at the material. “I’m about to give you what you want. But I’m going to need you to come closer.”

Once you were certain that you had his complete attention while also making sure that you didn’t lose yourself in the mesmerizing grey of his eyes, you make your move. With your other hand, as best as the chains allowed, you reach for the key that was lodged in the lock of your chains. Disguising your intention, you run your fingers down the expanse of his chest in an explorative manner. This earned an appreciative hum from the Spaniard as he leans his head towards you expectantly.

Too easy.

Mindful not to look down between you two so as to not give yourself away, you lean in as well while also blindly searching for the key. “My name is…” you whisper. His bated breath mingles with yours, the lids of his eyes heavy, grey growing dark in anticipation. Another inch from either one of you and the gap will close. Just as your fingertips touched the end of the key, something warm firmly grips your hand. A sudden chill runs down your spine.

You can hear the reverb of something between a scoff and a chuckle come from Luis’ lips. “Nice try,” he smirks knowingly.

With a strength that catches you off guard, he pushes you away from him. Key in hand. He flaunts the tiny piece of metal before swinging his arm as if he was making a play to toss it aside. In your panic, you jump towards him, shoving him off balance with your shoulder. He breaks your fall as you two tumble down together.

The man curses in Spanish from the sudden pain and you took advantage of this by quickly searching for the key. You spot it a bit of a ways above Luis’ head and use both bound hands to reach for it once more. The chain that links your wrists together are caught by a familiar hand and suddenly pulled down until your hands were restrained between your two bodies once more. You sigh in frustration and the man beneath you clicks his tongue against his teeth.

There is an amused glimmer in his gaze as he speaks. “The stubborn-type, eh? All this trouble over a name.”

You in turn throw him an annoyed glare. “I was going to say the same about you.”

Instead of showing offense, he laughs. “Perhaps we’re more alike than you might think.”

Rather than entertain him further, you try to wrestle against his hold. Luis seemed prepared for it this time, matching your strength, only he had the advantage as he had free reign of his arms and hands. One hand kept your chained hands between your chests, the other gripped at the bicep of your arm, effectively minimizing upper body movement. Out of instinct, you rebelliously wriggle with your hips and legs with the sole focus of getting off of him. However, the man’s longer limbs kept you caged against him and the only thing you managed to do was awkwardly seat your bottom on him, knees bent by his sides.

When you grounded down in your struggle, the man tensed below you. Thinking you have finally one-up him, you repeated the action and noticed he wasn’t nearly putting up as good a fight as he did before. This allowed you to sit upright, dragging his hand with you until his arm extended slightly, and you continued your efforts to be free of him.

Luis’ breath became labored. “Stop.” he commands with gritted teeth, his voice barely above a whisper. When you didn’t listen to him, he moved his other hand from your arm to your hip, squeezing harshly in warning.

“¡Basta! Stop moving!” he growls.

You bark back defiantly, “I’ll get off when you let me get the fuckin-“

That’s when you felt it. Or rather- him. A hardness pressed beneath your nether region. Despite the layers of fabric, there was no mistaking the telling throbbing pushing up against you as if demanding your attention below.

Your throat runs dry but your brain kept sending signals to your mouth. “Ar…. Are you-“

“Sí.” the man had a pained, conflicted look about him, a picture of breathtaking self-control as he kept his body completely still. His eyes didn’t meet yours, gaze locked upon where your hips met as if to keep himself in check and not allow his body’s desires to act out untowardly.

“Surely you know how the human body works,” he tries to sound clinical, face strained in vague distress, “and will not fault me for the involuntary reactions of mine. It already doesn’t help that you’re easy on the eyes.”

You should be chastising him for getting excited when it was neither the time or place and danger was surely around the corner, but bit your lip at your own wave of pleasure upon feeling his arousal pulse. A totally different kind of heat washes over you.

What do you do now?

Neither of you spoke for a moment, a tense silence settling in until Luis breaks it with a forced cough.

“Well, this is- uh, fun.” he says without humor. “Pero, perhaps we can call it even and stop the game here. ¿Sí?”

His words went in one ear and out the other. You were frustrated beyond belief. Fueled by adrenaline and temptation. There was no one around. And you have an impossibly handsome Spanish man between your legs with a hard-on for you.

When you didn’t answer, he spoke up again. “As much as I like this position, I must regrettably ask that you- Whoa!”

As best as you could, you shoot your bound hands straight up in the air. As he still had a grip on the chain link, Luis was dragged upright into a seated position from the floor and his face stopped right in front of yours. The movement caused friction in both of your sensitive areas, mouths could do nothing to stop the groans that escaped them. His eyes open to your heated gaze, confusion and desire swirling in the grey irises.

You breathe, “You talk too much, Luis Serra.”

And it was you who closed the distance. Teeth and tongue clashed in a new battle filled with pent-up energy and lust. Your mind quickly becomes hazy as you allowed yourself to be consumed in his emanating heat and musky scent. A nip at his bottom lip earned you an enthusiastic thrust of his hips, an appreciative squeeze at your bottom rewarded him with a carnal moan from your mouth. The only time you pulled back was for air and the man before you glances between your dazed eyes and bruised lips, hypnotized by your already ruined appearance.

“Are we, uh, still playing the same game?” His question nearly disarms you. You have a feeling he was really asking if you were of sound of mind about this. Your eyes roll reflexively.

“Really going to keep running your mouth?” You then follow up with a roll of your hips, the Spaniard throws his head back with a deep, guttural groan. Dark wavy locks brush against his cheekbones, eyes shut closed. With his thick neck exposed, you steal kisses along his sensitive pulse and stubbled jaw. Another primal groan vibrates from his throat.

“Eres muy mala.” Luis grumbles without a hint of disdain. Rather, when you finally pull back to allow him to look at you, you find him wearing that familiar cocky smirk. “But I must admit, I’m kind of into it.”

A charmer through and through this man is. His next move takes you by surprise.

He shoves you off of him.

As soon as you recover from your initial shock, the dark-haired man grabs you by the chain again and drags you to the far end of the room, further away from the key and exit. Using his strength and your own momentum against you, Luis tosses you forward. Your upper body lands right on top of a wide metal table propped against the dingy concrete wall.

He takes advantage of your momentary state of confusion by forcing your arms to extend towards the wall. It wasn’t until you heard the unmistakable click of metal did you fully regain your senses and look up to see what he did. The arrogant man used one of the wall mounts to lock your chains taut in place. He literally chained your chains. You’re caught in a trap again!

Just as you were about to curse him out, you feel something hard press firmly against your bottom followed by a pair of warm hands settling at your hips and the heat you didn’t realize you were missing came back in throes. You almost wanted to point out how unfair the shift in dynamic was, but all coherent thoughts were thrown out the window when he started grinding into you.

“There,” Luis hums at your apparent silence, “much better.”

Damn him. And he had the gall to say you were bad.

His movements were slow and methodical, like he was testing the waters to see if you were actually fine with this. Your pleased sighs were the signs he needed to continue and go beyond. Next, you feel his curious hands rubbing at your sides over your shirt before he lifts it enough to slip them beneath the fabric. Feeling his skin on yours sent chills throughout your body. His touch wanders, palming at your every curve, line, and muscle and you melted into his hands, encouraging his exploration.

The temperature in the room was becoming unbearably hot. As if hearing this thought, you were pulled up by your torso as far as the chains would allow and felt your back meet his chest. Now, his hardness was at your lower back and you purposefully melded your backside against his straining cock, mentally drawing the length of him. Needless to say, without even seeing it, you were impressed by his size. The man didn’t carry himself confidently without warrant. A soft, almost adoring kiss upon the shell of your ear pulls you from your shameless thoughts.

He whispers hoarsely, “My friend, are you particularly fond of this shirt?”

“What?” you manage to choke out. “Why are you aski-”

The sound of tearing answered your question before you can finish it. Tattered fabric scatters around your feet and the air within the room suddenly felt like soft caresses on your bare torso.

“You didn’t even let me answer!” Your voice sounded more excited than annoyed.

“Lo siento. You were too slow.” Luis presses another chaste kiss to the side of your head. However, you can practically feel his wicked grin. “And frankly, are much too sexy for clothing, anyways.”

Damn, this man was making you feel things.

Despite your skin now bare against the elements, it did little to alleviate the heat building within you. It only amplified when his hands returned to your form, making a slow, sinful journey from your stomach to your upper chest. The pad of his fingers push upon the sensitive buds of your nipples, earning a wanton gasp from your lips. His hips jerk forward at the sound you made, his erection pulsing against your ass, sparking tiny, wonderful jolts of electricity within you. The sensations were making your toes curl.

One hand sneaks back down, his thumb finding it’s way under the hem of your jeans and underwear. His reach teases towards your sensitive spot and you bite your lip in anticipation, wanting so badly for him to touch you where you need him to but your mind too much of a mess to voice it into proper words.

“Mírate,” his warm breath fans against your ear in hoarse, gentle whispers. “Promixa vez… Te quiero llevar a la cama.”

You only manage to translate “Next time…” until the synapses in your brain fire all at once when his fingers began to toy your sex without warning. When his skillful hand deftly undid your jeans, you didn’t know, but at the moment, you didn’t care.

Holy hell. This guy was playing your body like a fine-tuned instrument and your voice eagerly sounded to his ministrations. Your moans and gasps music to his ears. The coil in the pit of your stomach was tightening to the point of snapping as his hand quickened the pace upon your bundle of nerves. He was stroking you graciously while also harshly grinding you into the edge of the table from behind. Your voice was reaching greater heights from the onslaught of overwhelming sensations.

“Last chance, my friend.” Luis growls, barely reigning in his instinct to simply bend you over and have his way with you. “Are we still playing the same game?”

The same question echoes. He asks one thing but really means another. This dashing, infuriating man is asking you if you want to go all the way, past the point of no return. Luis Serra is a stranger. Yet he had the sense and consideration to weigh your feelings in the matter, giving you an choice to opt out even though it would have been so easy to let it lie and let your baser instincts take over. It was almost romantic in a way. You didn’t have to think twice about this.

“Either you fuck me now,” you pant, chains clinking around your wrists, “or I’ll find my way out of these and fuck you myself.”

Luis chuckles lowly in intrigue. “¿Prometes?”

He makes quick work on the rest of your clothing, letting your pants and underwear fall at your ankles. He helps guide you completely out of them. It was probably a strange sight. You completely exposed while he was completely clothed. The only bits of him you can hear rustling is the buckle of his belt and the zipper of his pants coming undone. You were starting to shiver from anxious chills until you felt an arm wrap around you assuringly.

A patient hand gently fingers your entrance, preparing your body for something larger. You eventually move along rhythm of his fingers, goading him to take it to the next level and he acquiesces to your silent request. The heavy heat of his cock that was poking between the gap of your thighs move upwards. Your body instinctively tenses when the head of his member prods against your opening. Luis’ lips pressed against your temple in comfort and finally, finally, he slowly sinks into you. You gasp and he curses.

No amount of foreplay could have prepared you for him. Not all the way in and already you felt so full of him, his cock throbbing against every sensitive nerve inside of you. You whimper in both pain and pleasure and Luis tends to you by wrapping his arms around your middle, planting more kisses along the side of your head right behind your ear.

“Estoy aquí, ángel. Té tengo.”

Like the gentleman he portrays himself to be, he waits for you to relax around him. With great self-control, he pumps into you slowly with a tenderness that could bring tears to your eyes. The initial discomfort soon faded and was replaced by wonderful bouts of sensual ecstasy that has you gasping. Luis keeps up the pace with gusto, nearly pulling all the way out and slamming back into you. The pressure he was piling inside you with every thrust has you screaming to the point that you can feel your voice growing hoarse. Meanwhile, you can hear him moaning his praises for you in his birth tongue. This man wasn’t just talking himself a big game. He knows what he’s doing, fueling his pleasure by ensuring your own. And he was making certain that you chased yours fast.

He pulls out and you involuntarily whimper at the loss of contact. You weren’t left alone for long as he lifts you to lay on your side on the table, your hands forced to rise above your head at this new position. Luis grabs a hold of one of your legs and bends it at the knee over his shoulder, entering your heat once more. Your blood boils fiercely at this new angle, you can see him and everything he was doing to you. And he can see you’re practically rendered speechless with every powerful thrust. At this rate, you weren’t going to last. The fluttering inside your core now popping like firecrackers.

Sweat pours down his handsome face, pupils dilated black with desire for you. “¿Cómo te llamas, ángel? Tell me. And I’ll give you what you want.”

He’s asking for your name again. The catalyst behind this whole affair. “Really bent on that, aren’t you?” you manage to pant out, your lungs barely keeping up with each strong snap of his hips.

“I wasn’t at first, only wanted to tease you.” He groans, his voice finding difficulty to stay level when he’s fucking into you without abandon. “But now- ah! I really want to know. I want to call out your name. ¡Joder! Let me call out your name, mi amor.”

The way he was begging tugged at you deep. Your name was on the edge of your tongue, but your heart was gripped with fear. Fear that if you so much as uttered what he’s asking of you, the spell would be broken and you’d be left unsatisfied. This felt too damn good to risk ruin with sentimentality. So you did what you have been doing best. Prevaricate. And make him want you more.

“Uncuff me. And I’ll tell you anything. Anything you want.”

You feel the vibrations of a laugh rumble deep from his chest.

“Eres tan… ¡Mierda!”

Like a cord finally snapping, the dam breaks and everything building inside spills out with a long, final cry of ecstasy. Stars dotted your vision, for a moment you forgot to breathe as you feel yourself unraveling. Within, you feel him cumming inside as well. Liquid hot ropes painting your insides, leaving you quivering uncontrollably. His hips slow to an eventual stop, his voice coming out in soft, satisfied sighs.

Slowly letting your leg down, Luis pulls himself out and hovers over you, hands flat beside your head. The man peppers your back and shoulders with soft nips and kisses. His stubble makes slow, sensual scratches along your skin as he reaches up to the flesh of your ear, biting onto the lobe affectionately. You turn your head to meet his lips with yours, noting how wonderful his kisses feel. He pulls away slightly to study you intently, varying emotions flashing over his eyes.

“Now,” he started, “about that name.”

Back at this again. You had to admire the man for his tenacity. “Told you already,” you huff once your breath returned to you, tugging at the chains around your wrist. “Remove these cuffs and I’ll think about it.”

His voice cracks in disbelief, “That was not what you said- ¿En serio? After all of that?”

“You’re more than welcome to keep working for it.” The words left your lips before you can stop them and an amused groan escapes from Luis’ own, sending another sinful heat to flow down your core.

“Eres muy mala.” He sighs with a shake of his head. There was no hint of annoyance in his husky tone, a devilish smirk plastered on his face. “Hanging with you- not healthy.”

“Right back at ya.” The remark earned a swift smack on your ass. You almost yelp out of reflex and shifted your eyes to glare at him.

The way he looked at you, however, tells you that he wasn’t against the idea of going again. And truthfully, you were all for it. Luis leans over to capture your lips once more, sweet and filled with promise, while his hand began to wander your body mischievously. The familiar tingle of heat starts to boil inside-

The alarming sound of inhuman groans down the hall jolts you two from your intimate high. Spell broken and you fully take in your nakedness in this increasingly dire situation.

“Get these chains off, Luis!”

“¡Sí, sí! Right away!”

[wanderersbell]

wanderer x reader

summary: sometimes, when he thinks you aren’t looking, he makes his vision glow and dim softly in a steady rhythm. the illusion of a heartbeat.

genre: fluff

warnings: none

word count: 1,175

a/n: hellooo first time posting i am terrified of my writing being percieved but i’m full sending it and might never do this again so slay ig. scara is kinda ooc (he is not being a jerk lmao)

sometimes, when he thinks you aren’t looking, he makes his vision glow and dim softly in a steady rhythm. the illusion of a heartbeat. 

it’s one of the many things you’ve noticed he does in the time that’s passed since you met him. he’s complex, stubborn, hard to read, prone to outbursts, and yet it’s the small actions and glimpses of vulnerability that remind you how truly human he is. no matter his origins, what his body may be made out of, or how many lies have poisoned his consciousness, he feels everything the way a human does. 

you don’t get to see it often, whenever he knows you’re looking he makes a huge show of being a brat and flaunting an arrogance that seemingly never left him after his loss of divinity that he knows irks you to no end when you just want a solid answer out of him, but there are times he isn’t aware he’s being perceived. 

you have a tendency to become so absorbed in a task that you lose all situational awareness and he knows this well by now, choosing those moments to let his guard down while you don’t pay him any mind. he’s shown you a side of himself that’s remained previously undiscovered until he grew undeniably fond of you over time. he shows this in the way he bounces his leg when you’re hurt or not feeling well, the way he disappears off to sumeru city when you claim that nothing sounds good to eat only to return with the pita pockets he knows you’ll eat no matter what, in the way he lets you stroke and place featherlight kisses against his knuckles when he wakes up from a nightmare and looks down at his hands that have done so many cruel things and calls himself a monster. 

that last one has only happened twice thus far, and he always refuses to meet your eyes for a while the next morning, but his tolerance for your small shows of affection and comfort are welcome progress in comparison to the offense he used to take from it when he only saw it as pity. after all, he hates being looked down on. however, actions often speak better than words. 

you know he doesn’t understand why you seem to care for him, and you know that it’ll take time for him to fully open up, which is why you make sure to give him the moments you’re occupied with other things to unmask and decompress and never interrupt him when you accidentally tune back into reality, but it’s only a matter of time before you give yourself away. 

and now, while you watch him from where you sit at the bank untangling a fishing net, you think this might be the day you finally do. 

he’s standing a short distance away under the shade of a tree where he was initially scrutinizing your work and making snarky comments about it that fell on deaf ears as you paid him no mind, but had at some point fallen silent and let his tense shoulders drop as he watched the wildlife around him. 

the dappled sunlight through the leaves above him dance along the top of his hat with the movement of the wind and soft metal chimes can be heard as the ornaments on his hat sway with it, but it’s the soft sound of elemental energy that had taken your focus away from the net and when your attention fell on him, he was doing it again, making his vision beat lightly against his chest. the sight makes your heart clench and a lump form in your throat, watching him gaze so softly down at the item hanging down from his shoulder. he holds his right hand underneath it gently, almost as if even the slightest of touches would throw off the rhythm, and it’s in this moment that you release a sigh a bit too loud that has his eyes snapping to yours in an instant. 

for a moment he looks like a child that got caught stealing sweets, eyes wide and body frozen in place, before he eventually frowns and sends you a sharp glare while turning his body away from you and crossing his arms with a huff, pretending to go back to staring off into the distance. 

your feet start carrying you to him before your mind can even process the movement but he keeps himself faced away from you until you move in front of him. he looks unsure and hesitant, but there is an undeniable level of trust that had built up between you two that kept him from growing instinctively defensive. 

“what?” he demands, refusing to meet your eyes. 

“do it again.” 

when his gaze finally lands on you he looks almost taken aback. “why?”

you shake your head. “just do it, please.”

he looks like he wants to argue, but decides to keep his mouth shut and lets his arms fall back down to his sides in defeat when he realizes you’re dead serious. slowly, almost shyly, his vision starts glowing with anemo energy again, steady and strong. when you reach your hand up softly to touch it he tenses up and almost backs away, but after a reassuring glance from you holds himself in place and nervously waits to see what you’re trying to do. 

you lean closer as your fingertips make contact with the metal casing around it, feeling the rush of energy against your hand every time it brights and dims again. you might be imagining it, but the rhythm seems to pick up the closer you get. 

when your warm lips meet the cool glass against his chest, it reacts immediately; the elemental energy starts pulsating faster and faster inside of the vision while the wanderer stiffens before you, entirely frozen on the spot as his ‘heart’ beats wildly at your boldness. his expression remains almost entirely neutral, so much so that you probably wouldn’t have been able to tell he was even flustered had his vision not given it away, and the thought makes you smile softly knowing he can’t hide how these small shows of affection get to him now. the flush rising in his cheeks is proof of the fact that he’s more than aware of this, and he wastes no time shoving you away and yanking his hat down to cover his face while he turns away in embarrassment. 

instead of saying anything, you clasp your hands behind your back and return to the riverside where you left the tangled net, and you can literally feel the way his eyes are burning holes into the back of your head when you pick it up and start picking at the knots again. 

what you don’t see is the way he stares at you with pure wonder and adoration spilling over in his indigo irises, hand resting over the place your lips had just been as if he can hold the feeling there forever.

[darkbluekies]

How would the yanderes react to a accidental kiss, lets say the darling goes to kiss the yanderes cheek only for the yandere to turn their head thinking the darling is gonna tell them something and then it happens accidental kiss.

The poor darling is covering their mouth all flushed and shocked and just says "That was my first kiss." While making direct eye contact with the yandere

Warnings: slight nsfw indication

Silas:

You’re leaning over while he’s working by his desk. Thinking that you want his attention, he turns his head to you, only to be met by your soft lips bumping into his. His entire body freezes as he tries to process what’s happening. He can feel his brain melting. You quickly tell him in embarrassment that it was your first kiss. Silas breaks out into a smile, how can he be so lucky?

“Oh, it was? I’m honored, but pretty thing, you shouldn’t tempt me. I want to do a whole lot more than just kiss you … be careful from now on before you regret it.”

Dr Kry:

You often lean over to look at what he’s doing on his desk when he’s not talking to you and this time, you want to give him a kiss on the cheek, but he turns his head to look at you. Feeling your lips against his makes his entire spine shiver and turn to jelly. His head starts to spin and for a second he wonders if he’s made any sounds. He hopes he hasn’t. You tell him that it was your first kiss with wide eyes. Dr Kry would smile with red cheeks. 

“You’re very cute, Y/N. Don’t worry about it. I didn’t take offense to it. Can … can you do it again?”

King Edmund:

The two of you are sitting in the balcony at the royal theater, in your special assigned seats to get the best view. You’ve been leaning over to whisper to Edmund multiple times throughout the show and decide to kiss his cheek once, as a silent ‘thank you’ for bringing you here. He thinks you’re going to ask who the main character is again, so he turns his head. His brain breaks once he feels your soft lips against his. You shriek and pull back with your hand over your mouth, explaining that you didn’t mean to do that and that it was your first kiss. Edmund smiles cockily and takes your hand. 

“I wouldn’t expect any less, my dear. After all … you’re my sweet little queen. Now kiss me again, show everyone in this theater that you’re mine.”

Jerry:

She doesn’t know why she turns her head to you when you lean in, but she doesn’t regret it at all. Your lips against hers feel like heaven — something she doesn’t deserve … and that’s why she loves it. You’re forbidden for her. You quickly stutter that it was your first kiss and Jerry smiles, thinking of all the ways she can corrupt you in and bring you down into her harsh and cold world. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, baby, it won’t be your last one. I’ll have you begging for me sooner or later.”

Hedwig:

You lean over to give her soft cheek a kiss in the back of the classroom. She thinks that you’re going to ask her for help again and finds herself kissing you. She blinks in disbelief and you apologize in embarrassment, explaining that it was your first kiss and that you didn’t mean for that to happen. A deep shade of red takes over Hedwig’s face and she covers her wide smile with her hand. Her heart is hammering in her chest. 

“D-Don’t worry about it! I-I liked it! Please do it again, I-I need it. Please. I’ll die otherwise.”

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Faux pas 

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~3.7k

Summary: You and Wanda try to enjoy a night out, but drunken Pietro ruins your plans.

A/N: As promised, drunken Pietro everyone. This was fun to write. 

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, drugs, and inappropriate touching.

Since meeting Wanda, you’ve learned to enjoy some of the perks that extreme wealth could grant you. Despite not knowing the nitty gritty of Wanda’s work, you knew she was very well off. She’d treat you to fancy dinners where it would just be the two of you in a restaurant, or she’d rent out an entire movie theater or museum that you wanted to see. You’ve learned to enjoy yourself during these times of indulgence over the years. After Wanda had managed to convince you that you did in fact deserve the VIP treatment, you were able to enjoy the times with your wife where she truly spoiled you rotten.

Sometimes, depending on the occasion, your family and friends would be included in this. Wanda was always very generous and you loved being able to spend time with her and your close friends without having to worry about prying eyes.

Tonight, she’d brought you to one of the clubs she owns in the downtown area. She’d had an exhausting day at work, and since it was Friday, she thought she’d treat you and her to a good time. The two of you are in the private area of the nightclub sharing dinner that was delivered from your favorite restaurant. You’re on cloud nine as you sit beside your wife and simply enjoy her presence and the delicious food. You can tell that with every minute that passes between you two, Wanda relaxes a little and the stress of her day begins to fade. You love this and decide that once you’re done eating, you’re going to take her to the bar.

Although the nearby bar is fully stocked and only for you and family tonight, you can’t help but want to venture downstairs as well. Although you love time with your wife alone, you sometimes want to be with your wife among other people. You’d admit that sometimes you just want to show your wife off, but tonight you just want to be among a crowd and still only care about Wanda.

“Let’s get a drink?”

Wanda looks over to where her brother is flirting with the bartender, and she sighs before starting to get up. She doesn’t get very far as you shake your head and insist that you’ll go get them. Wanda wants to argue, but instead she watches you jump to your feet with a smile and lean in to kiss her quickly. You promise to be back soon and Wanda just watches you walk away with an appreciative look.

You are always beautiful in her eyes, and tonight is no different. You’re wearing a knee-length red dress that makes it difficult for Wanda to keep her hands off of you. She knows that no matter what you’re wearing, you love taking advantage of an opportunity to match with her. She secretly thinks you just love dressing her up, but Wanda would never complain about staking her claim so blatantly in public. She turns back to her finished dinner and starts to tidy up a bit as she watches you out of the corner of her eye. Pietro’s surprisingly not drunk as he near shouts at you gleefully. You hug him tightly before making sure that he’s not bothering the bartender too much.

Wanda laughs under her breath at what you ask, and she shakes her head in amusement before turning her full attention to you.

“Is this incorrigible flirt bothering you, ma’am?”

Pietro scoffs at you in offense, while the brunette in question just laughs and shakes her head. She insists that it’s fine and that Pietro’s entertaining which makes you laugh as you pat him on the back with a smile.

“That he is, that he is.”

You ask for a couple of drinks and while they’re being made you turn to Pietro with a serious look. He’s dressed to the nines which makes you think that he’s either trying to impress or he has plans you don’t know about. He’d jumped on the opportunity to go out tonight, and you’re glad that he’s here even if he’s going to get wildly drunk.

“How’s it going, Piet? Are you just going to hang out here all night? No offense to you, Rachel, of course. “

Pietro laughs at you before shrugging as he looks down toward the busy first floor. The dance floor is full and you would be lying if you said you could avoid it all night. Pietro was notorious for annoying his sister, and dragging her wife downstairs would certainly annoy her. You try not to think about this trajectory as you listen to Pietro talk about Nat and Yelena arriving soon. They were with Steve and Bucky finishing some things up, but they should be here soon.

“They’ll be here momentarily, then we can all head downstairs.”

You’re about to speak up, but Rachel is back with your drinks. You watch with wide eyes as Pietro grabs his drink and chugs it in less than 10 seconds. You try not to gawk at him because you expected this, but Rachel can’t help it and you see her hesitate to get him another one.

“It’s still early, kid. Pace yourself.”

You leave Pietro with this advice he won’t follow as you walk back to Wanda with drinks in hand. You take a moment to admire your beautiful wife with a wide, dopey smile. She’s dressed in a ridiculously expensive suit that you’ve seen before, but the deep red shirt she wears is what really makes it stand out. It compliments her hair amazingly and you try not to swoon as you set your drinks down with a smile.

“Your brother is well on his way to becoming shit-faced.”

Wanda can’t help but laugh at this as she rolls her eyes and looks at her brother over your shoulder. He’s still drinking as he talks on his phone with someone, probably one of your friends, that hopefully will arrive soon to keep him in check. Wanda knows it won’t do much good, but as long as he’s just a harmless idiot, she’s not going to intervene.

“That’s new and different.”

You laugh as you take your seat back and slide into the booth next to Wanda with a sigh. You slide her drink towards her before you lean back against her with a yawn. Wanda’s arm wraps around your waist and she holds you close as she takes a sip of her drink. She eyes you curiously as you play with your glass before finally taking a sip.

“Tired already?”

You can hear her teasing tone and you roll your eyes before shaking your head in denial. You are tired for sure, it was a long day, but you are nowhere near ready to go home yet. You want to spend as much time as possible with your wife like this. You love that she’s relaxed and despite it being the weekend tomorrow, you know that work won’t completely leave her mind. You turn slightly so you can see Wanda smiling at you before you respond with a shrug.

“No, not tired, but it is really easy to relax here with you.”

Wanda kisses the top of your head before she nods in agreement. She’s not tired at all, but she could spend all night just sitting here with you. Watching her brother get uselessly drunk is less appealing, but hopefully the rest of your friends will show up soon. It’s been too long since she could just hang out with her friends without having to think about work. She’ll have to make sure you and Yelena don’t get into trouble, but given how willing you are to just laze around with her, she’s not too worried yet.

“You don’t miss your fur child too much?”

You smile at this before shooting Wanda a look that says it all. Still, you ask her the same question because she knows that she’s just as bad with her fur child.

“You don’t miss yours?”

Wanda smiles before shaking her head and sighing at the thought of your pets at home. They are both a little high maintenance when they want to be, and despite loving them dearly you love having time to not have to worry about them. They’re at home with a kong filled with frozen peanut butter, or a new scratch post to keep them busy. Fletcher will probably lose interest relatively quickly, but Boone can be distracted by peanut butter for hours if there’s enough of it.

“I’m sure they don’t miss us much.”

You nod in agreement but don’t get to say anything further before you see Nat and Yelena arrive with Bucky and Steve in tow. They greet the older Maximoff before ordering drinks of their own. You figure they’ll make their way over to you, so you just cuddle closer to your wife with a smile. You put your drink down before wrapping your arms around Wanda’s waist with another yawn.

“I love being with you, Wands.”

By the time your friends make it over to you, you’re almost asleep in your wife’s arms. Yelena considers trying to scare you, but Wanda shoots her a warning look that she decides not to challenge this time. She instead slides into the booth across from the couple, her sister following right after with a smile. She watches as you stir with a groan before opening your eyes to take a peek at what disturbed you. When you see your friends you smile widely before sitting up to greet them. You ask how they’ve all been and the general consensus is that they’re grateful for the weekend.

“Y/n I brought you something.”

Yelena puts down her drink before she reaches out for your hand. You’re a little confused but you hold your hand out with an excited smile. Wanda watches curiously, but when she sees what it is she groans under her breath.

“What is it?”

You watch as Yelena opens her hand and when you realize she’s giving you weed you practically squeal in joy.

“Yay! You’re the best.”

Nat laughs as Wanda rolls her eyes before huffing in response to what her wife says next. Apparently, Yelena is going to come over soon and you’re both going to get ridiculously high and probably destroy furniture.

“You can have some too, Wands.”

Wanda says something sarcastic and you just shoot her a look before reaching out to put the weed in her pocket.

“I don’t have any pockets; can you hold onto this?”

You kiss your wife’s cheek as she sighs in defeat before turning your attention back to your friends. You catch up over drinks for a little while longer before Steve and Bucky reappear with a much drunker Pietro. You sigh in defeat as he brings a round of shots over to the table and sets them down with a wide smile.

“Drink up, ladies. It’s time to go!”

You are not a fan of doing shots, and you just watch as Nat and Yelena reach out for theirs. Only Wanda speaks up as she eyes her brother suspiciously. She can’t help but fear what Pietro has planned as he practically vibrates in excitement as he waits for everyone to take their shots. You hesitate because you hate shots, and she’s reluctant to do it because she knows what’s in the glass and it’s going to give her a headache.

“Go where, Piet?”

You sniff your glass before sliding it over to Yelena who downs it easily. You don’t know how she does that but you turn to Pietro when he holds a hand out to you with a charming, drunken smile.

“May your favorite Maximoff have this dance, milady?”

You’re reluctant for multiple reasons. One, you have to get up. You’re very comfortable right now, and not super motivated to move. Two, you know that Pietro is up to something, but you’re just not sure what at this point. You feel Wanda stiffen slightly behind you, and this tells you what Pietro’s probably trying to accomplish. You smile slightly as you consider your options. You’d like to stay here with your wife, but you do want to get downstairs at some point. Your goal was to get your wife to go with you, but you figure that this might encourage her to do this shortly.

“One dance.”

You hold your hand out to Pietro and he smiles victoriously before sticking his tongue out at his sister. You miss this as you turn to your wife who’s definitely not thrilled about this, but you promise to be back shortly.

“Don’t worry, Wands. It’ll be quick. Maybe you can come find me after?”

You don’t wait for an answer from your wife before you allow Pietro to lead you away. You mutter something at him that he just laughs at, but you shoot him a serious look as you follow him downstairs.

“You better not get us in trouble, Piet.”

You are not in the mood to deal with an upset wife. The entire point of tonight is to relax and as long as Pietro remembers this, you’ll be fine. He agrees with a smile and a comment about not wanting to piss off his sister. You laugh at this as the two of you arrive downstairs and to the busy dance floor. It’s at this time that you realize what song is playing and you smile widely in excitement.

“Lead the way.”

Wanda watches you and Pietro leave with a smile. She plans on coming to get you soon, but for now she’s going to finish her drink and catch up with the sisters across from her. She doesn’t talk about work and instead makes plans with them to go on a trip soon. You and Wanda have a beach house that you don’t go to enough, but the last time you’d gone you’d invited your friends. It had been chaotic, but enjoyable and Wanda wanted to do this again for your birthday. She’d already promised you that she’d get away from work for a whole week and she planned on having Yelena and Nat surprise you a couple days in.

“Leave the weed at home this time though, Yelena.”

Wanda says this as she waves around one of the joints that you’d put in her pocket. She considers giving it back, but she knows that you’ll pout about it later and she’d rather avoid that. Yelena just shrugs before agreeing to leave her weed at home, but she’s definitely bringing booze. Wanda accepts this before she turns to Nat and grabs the last shot. She doesn’t drink the whole thing, and she pushes the remainder away from her and toward her friends. Nat goes to reach for it, but Yelena beats her to it. They glare at each other before Wanda stands up and stretches with a sigh. It’s been a few minutes, and she wants to see what you and Pietro are up to. She looks to Nat who’s shoving her sister before nodding toward the bar.

“Let’s go see what they’re up to.”

You have to admit that even drunk off his ass, your brother-in-law is a lot of fun. He’s a good dancer and you forget that you’d only agreed to one song a couple of songs later. You’re laughing as you spin around with the older Maximoff, and you’re unaware of the eyes on you from upstairs. Wanda and Nat both watch as Pietro leads you around the dance floor. Wanda is mostly focused on you and how happy you look. She’s smiling without realizing it and Nat nudges her with a wide, knowing smile.

“She looks happy. Just wait until you get down there.”

Wanda laughs at this and is about to respond when she sees her brother’s hands drop too low. He’s holding you close as you dance to the slower song, but he’s getting drunker by the minute and his grip on you slips causing you to jump in surprise. Wanda’s already leaving, and Nat curses in anticipation as she follows behind her.

“Oh shit!”

“Woah! Jesus Piet, watch the hands.”

He’s already nodding and apologizing profusely as he drops his hands and starts to shake them like he’s been burnt. You roll your eyes at him before straightening out your dress with a huff. You’re a little flushed from dancing, and you’re about to go back upstairs to find your wife when Pietro speaks up.

“Shit, I’m sorry, so sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

You wave him off because you know he didn’t. He was swaying just from standing, and you’re about to drag him back upstairs to sit down when he practically flees. You frown as you see his eyes widen as he looks at something behind you, but you don’t get to turn around or even ask before Pietro’s gone.

“Oh fuck, Wanda!”

You watch him run through the crowd surprisingly quickly given how inebriated he is, and you decide not to follow him. You turn around to head back upstairs only to see your wife already walking towards you. You smile widely until you realize how angry she is. She’s storming towards you and shouting something that you doubt Pietro hears, but she doesn’t seem to care.

“Get the fuck back here, Pietro!”

Wanda tries to follow her brother, but you’re quick to reach out for her arm with a frown. She tries to run after him anyway, but you hold her tighter and start to drag her in the other direction.

“No, no, Wands. Let it go. It was an accident.”

You figure that Wanda doesn’t care about this because she’s still glaring after her brother despite allowing you to lead her to the closest seat. There are a lot of people milling around, but they stay out of the way as you force Wanda into the nearest seat.

“No, it wasn’t! He was trying to piss me off, that little--.”

You shake your head as you push Wanda into a chair with a sigh. She’s basically ignoring you though as she looks around for her brother who is likely already out of the club completely.

“Wands, stop! I need your help with something.”

It takes Wanda a few seconds to turn her attention to you. She has to give up on finding her brother in the crowd and cast a cursory glance to the people around you before she looks to you. Your words don’t register until she watches you adjust your dress slightly before moving to sit on her lap. She immediately reaches out to steady you and pull you closer to at the same time, and you smile in response. You briefly look around, trying not to worry about the crowd, the few shocked faces you see, before reaching out to grab your wife’s shoulders. You lean in so she can hear you without you having to shout, and you love the feeling of Wanda shuddering beneath you.

“Can you move your hands a little lower, please? My ass might be showing a bit.”

You nearly laugh at how quickly Wanda moves to cover you up, not that you’re actually flashing people. She realizes this, but keeps her hands where they are as you hum in approval at having your wife’s hands on you. You sink further into her with a sigh before moving your hands from her shoulders to her jacket. Neither of you notice Nat walk by you looking for the other Maximoff, but she leaves you to try and keep Wanda calm as she focuses on the other twin.

“This looks really good on you, my love.”

Wanda’s distracted from thoughts of maiming her brother by the feeling of your hands running down her lapels. She knew that you loved her in suits, but she also knew that you looked ten times better than she did in your dress that was riding up dangerously. Wanda tries to pull it lower to cover you, but it’s no use and you just laugh. You ignore her attempts as your hands drift to the collar of her shirt with a groan. From where you’re sitting in her lap, you can see that the pale skin of her chest is flushed from either alcohol, her trip downstairs, or something else entirely. You don’t worry about that now as you lean in to kiss your wife.

Wanda groans against your lips as you scoot even closer to her so your chest is flush against hers. You shiver as Wanda’s hands move up your uncovered back, and you have to remind yourself that you’re out in the open. You curse yourself for coming downstairs at all. If you’d stayed with Wanda up at the bar, you could have had her shirt off by now.

“You look really good too. This is definitely your color, detka.”

You smile appreciatively as you tangle a hand in your wife’s hair with a contemplative look. There are several options for how to proceed from here, and most of them result in the two of you being isolated enough to relieve some of the tension that’s building in your muscles. You pull Wanda towards you by the hair, smiling as she hisses slightly, before shooting her a questioning look.

“Do you want to take this upstairs, Wands?”

Wanda would be willing to take this anywhere so long as you’re still with her, and she opens her mouth to say this when she catches sight of something. Her gaze leaves your face and goes to something over your shoulder, and you immediately feel her tense beneath you. You don’t have time to figure out what’s happened before she’s gone and you’re falling into the back of the chair beneath you.

“Pietro! You little—come here!”

Wanda’s running after her brother who’s trying to flee back upstairs before you even get up. You watch them go with a loud groan before you hurry to follow them, and hopefully save Pietro from bodily harm. You wish he’d just stayed hidden, but now you wouldn’t get your wife’s attention again until this was settled. You curse under your breath as you run to the stairs with a roll of your eyes.

“Wanda Maximoff, get back here right now!”

Unsurprisingly, your wife didn’t listen and you run up the stairs in heels listening to Wanda and your brother-in-law argue. Not for the first time, as you listen to them shout at each other in Sokovian, you wonder how you got so lucky to have such a close-knit, loving family.

Masterlist

[maybeitsalivescribbles]

VH - Turn over

A menacing silhouette stepped into the prison and stared at the hero in silence. Behind the bars, the prisoner raised his shining eyes, looking very frail and helpless.

“Oh no,” he whimpered, twisting his hands. “I’ve done nothing wrong. I beg of you, Villain, I’m-”

The other cut across him, shaking his head:

“You can stop.”

“But-”

“I know who you are. You’re the hero who’s an invincible vampire, aren't you? You don’t have to pretend. I surrender.”

“Ah.”

Hero slowly grinned, showing his pointed teeth, looking a lot less helpless:

“Good.”

Villain nodded slightly and sat on the chair in front of the cell, his eyes fixed on the ground, his hands clasped in front of him. The other tapped on the bars to get his attention:

“I gotta ask, do you imprison every guy who you surrender to?”

“I know this can’t hold you for long-”

“Nope. Absolutely not.”

“-but I wanted to talk.”

Vampire Hero groaned:

“We’re not doing that. If you think I have time for listening to how amazing or blameless you are, I’d rather drink you until you collapse.”

“No, I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

Villain hesitated for a moment, then said, avoiding his gaze:

“When did you realize you were on the bad side?”

“Uh?”

“Before you switched, I mean. When did you realize you were...well, evil?”

Vampire Hero tilted his head, intrigued:

“Since the beginning? I mean, I liked to cut animals and make my whipping boy suffer when I was a toddler. That wasn’t really hard to put two and two together. I'm an asshole, not an idiot.”

“A whipping boy, you mean-”

“A literal whipping boy, yeah. Father offered me one and punished him every time I misbehaved. That was a good birthday gift, a long time ago.”

“So being a vampire hasn’t corrupted your soul or-”

“Nah. Can’t corrupt what’s already rotten.”

“I see.”

There was a moment of silence. Villain didn’t move. Vampire Hero huffed a little, his patience growing thin.

“How can you look so lost in your own prison?”

“It wasn’t like that for me.”

“Oh there we go, the monologue. Keep going, and I’ll rip off the bars of the cell and come for you next.”

“Go ahead, I won’t use it anymore.”

A bar creaked in answer. Villain didn’t look up once.

“I thought my work was for the best,” he said after a while. “I thought us with powers deserved more of society. Don’t you think so?”

“I don’t care.”

“Surely you must have. A little.”

“We’re not from the same time, remember? I had a castle and servants and human toys. Society never bothered me much.”

“It must have been nice, not having to care.”

Vampire Hero shrugged.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Didn’t work out that great for me, did it?”

“I had to care. I had to cling to life every day to survive. I was nearly killed by people thinking I was a freak because I had powers.”

“It doesn’t look like they did a great job, then.”

Villain raised his head a little:

“I just wanted a place where we weren't bullied all the time, so I created my own group. As it grew, so did our ambitions-”

“Aw man, that is gonna take a while.”

Sulking, the vampire threw himself on the ground and began to fidget with the bar he had ripped off. While he bent it as easily as it was clay, Villain kept on, barely giving him a glance:

“I thought that no one listened to us, you see? So we had to make people listen.”

“Except that it doesn't make sense. Since when are powers a problem here? I don’t know much about the outside world, but even I know that heroes are adored and stuff. They have fanclubs and everything.”

“But you have to be a hero, that's the problem. If you can teleport and want to be anything else, like a baker or something, you’re shamed by society unless you hide who you are. If you’re born with powers, the hero agencies are already breathing on your neck.”

“I find this expression offensive. Look, I’ve made a noodle!”

Villain glanced at the twirled bar the vampire was playing with:

“Very nice.”

“Thank you. I used to twist any iron bar that I had in my hands. It makes so much more damage when it pops out of the body.”

Villain stared at the wall for a second and cleared his throat:

“...Anyway, we were building a community. I met my first friends and my lover there.”

“Congrats. I don’t care.”

“As with all communities, tensions grew. I wanted to take more action. I thought that protests weren’t enough.”

“Yeah, I’ve read your file. Killed a lot of humans and exploded a lot of stuff. Classic.”

“I wanted to be heard! Our group went from inefficient to dangerous, but where is the limit? Where is the perfect middle spot?”

“No idea.”

“Me neither. My husband tried to bring me back to protests, but I wouldn’t listen to him. We argued until the moment when I- when he-”

Villain turned his head away:

“I tried to keep on, but it doesn’t make sense without him. Our community is riffled with conflicts. None of it makes sense anymore. So I surrender.”

He stood up and pulled out the key of the cell from his pocket. Vampire Hero squinted at him, curious despite himself:

“So, how did you kill your husband?”

Villain looked at him, horrified:

“What? I didn’t! He left me.”

The door opened. Vampire Hero jumped on his feet and burst out of his cell, chirping:

“Let’s go!”

He passed next to Villain and went through the exit, leaving the latter staring at him:

“Are you- Aren’t you going to drink me or something-”

The hero shrugged and patted his arm, a little smile on his face:

“Eh. I’m not hungry.”

*

Vampire Hero is a recurring character. His job is to troll current villains. Check the Vampire Hero Masterlist or Tag for more snippets with him.

Or back to Hero x Villain Masterlist.

[fragolar]

Quite the manners || Geralt Of Rivia - The Witcher

Hello darlings, Back to this for a second round. Previous part. Summary: Lexa and Geralt have a tense meal, teasing each other over their differing manners and backgrounds. They agree to share their secrets in their own ways. Despite their initial judgments, they find common ground in their burdens and responsibilities, beginning to understand and respect each other. They realize that perhaps they are more similar than they initially seemed.

She was eating rather slowly, enjoying the lunch in peace, utter silence after quite a long day. However, the sounds coming from across the table were making it hard for her to continue her meal.

Geralt was eating quickly, clearly hungry, but his movements, while hurried, were not entirely unrefined.

“It’s not like I’d remove the food I just granted you from your plate, Witcher. Show some manners and respect for those who are feeding you instead of letting you rot in the pearly white snow.” Her voice was gentle, though it slightly betrayed her irritation.

Geralt paused, looking at her with a calm, measured gaze. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowed his pace. “Apologies, Princess,” he said, his tone even. “It’s been four days since my last proper meal. This is the best food I’ve had in a long time.”

The princess sighed, still somewhat annoyed but appreciating the change. She put down her napkin and stood up from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, my appetite has been satiated.”

“You’re a terrible liar, Princess,” Geralt muttered in a low, husky voice, causing her to pause. Despite her irritation, she found herself momentarily captivated by his presence. “I meant no offense. The food is excellent, and so is your hospitality. I respect your efforts to keep your people safe.”

“Take a bath afterward. You smell like horse manure.” Lexa shifted her attention elsewhere, making Geralt smirk.

“Do you always change the topic when—”

“Careful, Witcher,” she interrupted, trying to mimic Geralt’s manners. However, it only backfired as his little smile grew wider. He rested his back on the chair, his forearms on the edge of the table. Suddenly, her breath was short. They shouldn’t interact like this. Yet it was exciting. Thrilling.

“How come your father decided to keep you a secret? Aren’t royals supposed to embrace as many connections as they can?”

Lexa stood still, debating whether to sit down and talk or to end this interaction. He was dangerous, and his smirk too.

“Because of monsters like you.”

“Touché,” Geralt hummed, pleased with her words. “But I’m asking you for a more elaborate answer.” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady. “Secrets can be burdensome, Princess. Trust is hard to come by. But sometimes, sharing them with the right person can lighten the load.”

“Tell me first why you’re suddenly so interested in the promised child after years of neglecting her.”

Geralt’s gaze softened, his expression betraying a hint of remorse. “I’ve been searching for Ciri for years. She’s like a daughter to me, and I made a promise to protect her. But I’ve failed her before, and I won’t let it happen again. The world is a dangerous place, and she needs me now more than ever. So, despite years of searching and neglecting her, I’ve realized that I can’t abandon her. Not again.”

Lexa sat back down on her chair, staring curiously into his yellow eyes. Did she feel empathy? It was hard to tell. The only certainty was that she trusted his words.

“I wish my own Father asked himself such questions.” Her chuckle echoed in the room. “I’ve been but a mere shadow for decades now.” This time it was Geralt’s turn to listen attentively to her words and observe her expressions. Maybe she wasn’t so spoiled after all. “I never understood why, but it doesn’t matter anymore.” Her eyes greeting his. “Finish the food, and go wash yourself. I wasn’t being disrespectful on purpose, you indeed do emanate horse manure.”

“Speaking of horse…”

“Your horse is alive, worry not. She’s in our gardens alongside other horses.”

“That’s a relief, thank you Princess.”

As Geralt finished his bath, he found amusement in the Princess's provocation of adding all kinds of flowers to the water. He felt rather relieved. Upon exiting the bathroom, clothed in the generous garments provided by Lexa's stylists, he encountered the Princess, her hand midair, about to knock.

“Impatient, Princess? Couldn't wait for me to finish?” Geralt's smirk was unmistakable.

Lexa's cheeks began to color as she cleared her throat. “No, not interested. My lovers are finer than your grotesque mannerisms.” Geralt raised an eyebrow, the smirk growing wider. “I'm not here to discuss such scandalous topics. Rather, to inform you that there's a violent storm coming, which will delay your departure.”

“And here I thought I was welcome,” his voice lowered, husky and pungent.

"Partly."

"Partly?"

Lexa hummed softly, holding his gaze, her mind beginning to wander away from her duties. It was a terrible idea to come after he had showered. She should’ve sent a servant to invite him for tea instead. “Remember, I've got your horse and swords,” Lexa warned.

“And what exactly would that entail?” Provocation after provocation. Why was Lexa letting him have so much fun? Did she enjoy it too?

“There's this recipe that involves a horse head stabbed with a silver sword.”

“Lay a finger on my girl and I'll murder all of your livestock.” His tone became unfriendly, clearly not amused by her words. Who knew a Witcher could be so affectionate towards a horse?

“Then don't ask me stupid questions, Witcher. Nor insult my pride.”

Geralt hummed slowly, his voice vibrating in his throat as he looked away and began to walk down the hallway.

They were like cats, wanting to get to know each other but too cautious. Deep down, they both knew how this would end, but they had too much fun to continuously bicker.

Next part.

[thearchmanofgreenfield]

All five of them were so caught by surprise that Lucian almost feel over. For a moment, he was convinced that it was his father, it took him a few seconds to register that the voice sounded more childish than any adult voice. But he wasn’t the only one, for he saw even saw Joe jerk his head and take a step back.

“AH!” they all said in unison. But as Lucian looked at the entrance to the hallway he realized who was actually standing there. For at the entrance to the hallway stood Luin, standing straight in a brown shirt and amber coat with a book in his hand. Looking confused as to Lucian and the others reaction.

“What?” he asked tilting his head curiously.

“What are you doing here?” Lucian shouted after taking a deep breath to calm himself.

“That’s what I want to know!” Luin answered back without hesitation. “Isn’t that your father’s study? Why are you trying to break into it?”

“That’s…none of your business!” said Lucian, finding it difficult to come up with a suitable reason to justify his actions. But his response only seemed to make Lucian more curious. Lucian realized he needed to find a way to make him leave. “Why are you awake this early? And what are you doing carrying a book around the house? I thought recluses didn’t like crawling out of their caves,”

“Excuse me!” said Luin, offended by Lucian’s remarks. “But this book isn’t for me, it’s for Elliott. I told him I’d show him of my favorites and see if he shares my taste”

The mentioning of Elliott attracted the attention of the Hatlys, who both looked Luin with confusion. “Elliott? What’s he doing with you? He’s supposed to be asleep,” said Laura. Luin scoffed, “He snuck out of his room and came to see me after you both left him alone. You should know not to do that. It almost seems…negligent”

Both Hatlys seemed to take great offense with that statement. Laura seemed furious. “How dare you accuse us of such things! Do you know who you’re talking to?”

Luin did not waver. “I do. But luckily Elli enjoys my company more than yours. So he was not too sad about it.”

The Hatlys were fuming. But Lucian knew that they didn’t have time to argue. “That’s all well and good, so why don’t you go back to wherever you came from and leave us be!” he said trying to shoo away his annoying cousin.

Luin laughed, which did not make Lucian happy. “Are you daft? Now that I’ve seen what you all are up to why would I just walk away?”

Lucian groaned and rolled his eyes. “What do you want? Do you expect us bribe you, is that it?” to which Luin simply grinned. He then began to walk closer to the group. “Tsk, tsk, dear cousin. Do you really think you can buy me? The fact that you tried confirms to me that what you’re up to isn’t very allowed,”

“Well, whatever we’re doing doesn’t concern you. And if you still wish for me to keep the secret of how you obtained that newspaper then I suggest you walk away and leave us be,” Lucian said, hoping that this might get him to go away. But alas, even this threat seemed to have little effect.

“Oh I doubt either my father or yours would care about an old newspaper when they find out you all have been colluding behind their backs”

The mention of the newspaper seemed to intrigue the others, particularly Joseph and Laura. “Hold on, you got that newspaper from him?” asked Laura.

“Yes”-replied Luin. “I told him I’d paid off the newspaper delivery boy to get me a copy. Now he’s trying to use my words to threaten me! How idiotic,” he said while narrowing his eyes at his cousin.

“Well either way,” Joe interjected, seemingly having had enough of the back and forth. “We do not have time to entertain this bespectacled imp. So either you go and or we make you go,”

Luin sighed. He finally seemed to get the message. He turned around to leave just as Lucian went back to trying to open the door, but stopped midway before turning his head back. “Well I could open that door for you, you know”

As expected, all five of them immediately turned to Luin again. “What?” asked Charlotte, interested in what Luin said. He simply shrugged casually. “I can open that door that you all are so desperately trying to get through. That is, if you let me stay”

Lucian raised his eyebrow. “I thought you said that Elliott was waiting for you,”

“Believe me,” said Luin. “If Elli has any good taste in literature, the books in my room should keep him preoccupied for hours. Besides, no offense to him, but this is far more interesting,”

Luin then approached the door while Lucian stepped aside. Lucian saw him peek his eye through the key hole as though were inspecting it. He then reached into his coat and grabbed a piece of wood shaped like a key.

“What are you doing?” Lucian asked, not understanding Luin’s train of thought.

“Something I learned from one of my adventure books,” said Luin while keep his focus on the lock. Lucian saw him insert the key into the key hole. He was still confused as to what he was attempting to do but then he saw him wave his hand close to the wooden key. He saw the wooden key break apart as Luin moved his fingers. He then saw the key change into a different shape. Lucian and the others watched with puzzlement as Luin turned the key and the lock opened. Luin turned the doorknob and swung open the door, leaving Lucian and the others both impressed and confused. Lucian looked at the key as Luin took it out; he saw that it looked completely different to what it looked like when Luin first inserted it.

“Clever,” he admitted. “You reshaped the key while it was still in the lock. I didn’t know you could do that,”

“Of course you didn’t” said Luin smugly. “I wouldn’t expect you to know something so basic even though you’re older than me,”

“Well at least I have some semblance of existence outside that library,” Lucian retorted. It seemed as though they were about to enter another argument. But fortunately the others seemed to have run out patience at that point.

“Well in any case, the door is open. So I suggest we go inside,” Joe interjected. He then swiftly pushed Lucian and Luin aside and went inside. Willow and the Hatly sisters followed him.

“So, what other rooms can you unlock using this?” asked Willow, stopping momentarily. Luin shrugged, “Theoretically can enter any room I please, as long as the lock can be turned by a wooden key”

“Hmmm,” Lucian heard Willow mummer as she walked into the room. Lucian walked in behind her with Luin being the last to enter. Luin then closed the door behind him.

Inside, the room itself was rather extravagant. The walls were dark red with a dark wood trim going along the bottom connecting it to the wooden floor. The room was quite large, with the centerpiece being a long mahogany table placed over an ornate carpet. Next to the table was an unlit fireplace and next to the fireplace was a thin bookshelf. Behind the table was also a window looking out onto the open street. However, the room’s most striking features was located above the fireplace. It was a portrait, large and detailed, showing Lucian’s current family. It hung above the mantel in an almost imposing manner, with nine faces including Lucian, Lily, the twin and his parents standing towards one side with his father holding a large almost six foot tall gold trident in his hands. Grandfather Wren was sitting in a chair in the center and Luin along with Lucian’s Uncle David standing on the other side of the portrait. They all stood staring at the center of the room in an intimidating fashion.

As they entered, Lucian noticed Joe’s attention immediately fixate on something situated on the other side of the room. He looked to see what it was and realized there was small steel safe, about two feet tall, tucked behind the table. Joseph immediately went to it, Lucian saw him fiddle around with the dial at the front while keeping his ear on the door, but it seemed as though his efforts were met with no results.

“What are you doing?” asked Charlotte.

“Trying to open this box” said Joe, “If Demon’s father was going to hide something, it would be right to assume he would hide it here”

The Hatlys sisters then joined him in trying to unlock the box. Meanwhile, Lucian saw Willow go and inspect the desk, where several books laid outstretched. But amidst all of this Lucian noticed Luin eye the bookcase suspiciously. Which once again confused him.

“What is it?” he asked raising his eyebrow.

“This bookcase, it seems…too neat” said Luin. Which did not make Lucian any less confused. “What do you mean ‘too neat’?” he asked, seeing that the bookcase had several books out of place and several books taken out of it and put on the table.

“Will you both stop discussing nonsense and help us open this?” asked Laura, seemingly getting frustrated at the fact that the safe would not open.

“There is something odd afoot here. It cannot be as simple as one safe,” said Luin, still pondering while staring at the bookcase.

“How would you know?” asked Charlotte. “Well, in my adventure books, no secret ever comes as easy as cracking a safe. There is always something hidden somewhere”

“Well WE do not live in a novel!” said Laura. Trying several different combinations. “There isn’t always a hidden layer of complexity to every trivial thing! So are you going to help us or not?”

Lucian heard Luin mummer under his breath. “Don’t forget who got you here in the first place,” then Willow spoke up, “But he does have a point” she said while holding an old book.

“What do you mean?” asked Lucian. Willow waved her hand and gestured him come closer. Lucian approached the table. Willow then directed him towards a book on the table. A book with a black leather over with gold letters. Lucian read the title written on the spine of the book, which read ‘The Circulion Code of Law’.  The outstretched book showed a page titled ‘The Higher-Circulion Official Confidentiality Act’. Lucian then looked at the book Willow was holding, the title read ‘Codes of Transmission and Communication’ and it showed to a page titled ‘The Circulion Cipher’.

“What is all this?” Lucian asked, scratching his head in confusion. “It seems like your father was trying to solve a code,” said Willow holding a sheet of paper up to Lucian’s face. Lucian looked at the paper and saw that it was full of half-scribbled letter and numbers, the meanings of which he did not know.

“It appears your father was deciphering something in that letter. According to the Code of Law, letters written under the Higher-Circulion Official Confidentially Act are written in Muso-Numeral Code. But I can’t find any code like that in this book” she said flipping through the book.

“So what? The letter is unsolvable. Undecipherable?” asked Lucian. Willow shrugged, “To know that we must find the letter”

“A letter that, may I remind you, is in this safe!” Joe exclaimed still being unable to open the safe.

“I am telling you that that’s not the right safe!” said Luin. “It cannot be that simple!”

Joe seemed to lose his patience. He stopped turning the combination lock and shot Luin a malicious glare. “I feel as though you have spent too much time dwelling in imaginary fantasies. If you wish to frivolously search for non-existent secrets then suggest you don’t pester us about it!” he then turned his attention to Lucian, “I suggest you control your little cousin. He’s only here because we let him be here”

Lucian saw Luin give him a sad look. But he simply shook his head. Luin seemed to take that personally since he switched his expression to anger before huffing and making his way over to the bookcase. Lucian then saw him turn the books one by one and truthfully, he found it quite intriguing.

“You’ll see. You’re wasting your time with the obviously fake safe,” he said aggressively flipping through the books. Joe chuckled, “We’ll see,”

Lucian and Willow exchanged glances and shrugged. Lucian saw the Hatly sister’s roll their eyes. Suddenly, when Luin flipped a book on the third shelf of the bookcase, Lucian heard an ominous clang. Like the sound of a gear turning. Then it was followed by a clank and the sound of screeching. Luin took a few steps back and gasped with joy as the sounds of machinery continued. Lucian followed the sound, as it seemed to travel through the wall from the bookcase to the mantel. He then heard the sound of something unlatching and, to his surprise; he saw the portrait above the fireplace move.

However, Luin did not waste any time. He quickly walked up to the portrait and pulled it, opening it like a small door revealing something hidden behind the painting. Lucian’s jaw dropped and so did the jaws of all the others. Joe looked scandalized. But Luin simply gave them a smug look of triumph.

“HA, see! I told you it was not that simple! That safe is most likely a decoy, made to deter would-be thieves like you all!” he said beaming with joy. Lucian had rarely seen him so happy while being outside the library. But Joe wasn’t about to admit anything. He simply straightened himself and looked down on Luin.

“I suppose the bespectacled imp can do something useful after all,” he said in a rather condescending that Lucian did not condone. He frowned at Joe and expressed his displeasure but Joe didn’t care. Meanwhile it was clear that Joe’s comment had hurt Luin, but not enough to make him waver. He simply stood with a smug grin on his face whilst the rest of the group focused their attention on the new safe.

Lucian noticed that this safe also had a combination lock. It was plated with gold and next to it was a golden handle. Above both on those was the symbol of the House of Demon, etched into the metal and embroidered with yet more gold.

“Well how are we supposed to open this?” asked Charlotte.

“Step aside” said Joe pushing Lucian and the others aside. He walked up to the safe and placed his ear on the door. “Let’s try this now,” he said as began to turn the dial. But after a few moments he took his ear off the safe and looked at it, baffled.

“That’s odd,” he said. “I can’t hear any locks turning”

“Hmm” scoffed Luin. “Perhaps your marvelous hearing isn’t as perfect as you boast”

Joseph shot a look of utter rage at Luin. Luin returned the same look. Meanwhile Lucian looked at the safe. His suspicious gaze fell on the symbol etched onto the metal. He then looked at the top of the mantel. He noticed that were a few suspicious red stains on it. Like raindrops.

“I have an idea,” he said suddenly. All eyes then turned to him. “What do you mean?” asked Laura.

“I need something sharp, like a needle or some other thing,” Lucian said hastily. The others looked at him with confused looks but luckily, they decided to listen. The Hatly sisters, Luin and Willow all started to look around the room for something sharp.

“What’s your plan here?” asked Joe, doubtfully.

“Perhaps that dial is also a decoy,” said Lucian. He then placed his hand on the symbol. “Perhaps the key is in this symbol. Perhaps we need to use the Flame to open it”

“A Flame Lock? Hmmm, interesting” said Joe, still doubtful. But Lucian didn’t care. “Well, it’s worth a try. And for that, I’m going to need the Blue Lantern hanging above the door to the great hall”

Joe raised his eyebrow. “What? You want me to get it?” Lucian nodded. Joe still looked as though he did not believe Lucian. But luckily, Lucian didn’t need to do any more convincing as Luin chimed in at that very moment, “I could get it for you!” he said like an enthusiastic army recruit.

“You can?” asked Lucian. Luin nodded enthusiastically. He then turned around and ran out of the room. But no before grinning smugly at Joe before leaving.

“Looks like the imp is more helpful than you” said Lucian smugly. Joe frowned at him. But he didn’t yell, for shortly after that, Willow came once again with a quill in hand.

“Try this,” she said handing the quill to Lucian. “I took out all the ink, but it’s a bit blunt. You might want to sharpen it,”

Lucian looked at the quill. He concentrated. And before his eyes we saw the tip of the quill move and slide to become a sharp point. He then held the quill with the tip facing his finger. He took a deep breath and with all his courage, he stabbed the quill directly into his finger. A small but irritating pain immediately came to his mind. But he tried to ignore the as he took the tip of the quill out of his finger and watched as small stream of blood oozed from the place he had stabbed. Lucian then took another deep breath and proceeded to place his bleeding finger on the symbol. He then proceeded to draw the symbol using his own blood.

After he was done, he took his hand away before covering it to prevent any further bleeding. The others looked at him with concerned expressions.

“Are you sure about this?” asked Laura. Lucian didn’t answer. He and the others then waited for the Blue Lantern. Lucian was partially concerned that Luin might be caught while taking the lantern. But he quashed those worries with the confident assumption that Luin’s mouth could get him out of any predicament.

After a few minutes of restless waiting, the door swung open and Luin entered the room with the blue lantern floating a few feet above him. “It took me a while to get it passed the adults. They nearly saw me taking the…” he said but Lucian just restlessly gestured him to give him the lantern. He lowered the lantern and Lucian grabbed it. He then held the flames up to the blood he painted on the safe.

Immediately, the blood erupted into bright blue fire and disappeared within a flash. Lucian put away the lantern and, after taking a deep breath, turned the latch on the door. And, to his relief and the relief of the others, it opened.

“That…worked?” asked Charlotte.

Lucian pulled the safe open all the way and he and the others all peered inside. Lucian was expecting something quite valuable or something of great importance. But to his shock he found it mostly empty with its contents on consisting of a single white envelope with a broken wax stamp.

“There it is!” said Willow. She pushed her way to the safe and grabbed the letter. The others crowded around her as she opened the envelope and took out the paper inside it.

“What does it say?” asked Laura.

Lucian saw Willow read the letter. Her expression went from one of curiosity to one of slight confusion. “Hmm, it appears we were right about the code,” she said raising her eyebrow while viewing the letter from several angles. She then sighed and handed the letter to Lucian, who grabbed it eagerly and looked at it.

To the Baron Henry Demon, written by [WITHHELD] on the 286th Day of the year 634 AF. Muso-Numeral coded in accordance with the Higher-Circulion Official Confidentiality Act as per the Circulion Code of Law.

F3.D3.A1.B2.F3.A3.D3.E3:A1.F2.A3.G2.G1:G3.E3-E3.B3.D4.B2.G2.G1:F1.A3.D3:F3.A2.E1:A3.D3.D1.E1.D3-F2.A1.D4.A3.D3.E3:D1.E1.A1.F3.A2:F1.A3.B2.E2.E1.D1-B3.E2.A1.G2.G2.B2.G2.G1:B2.G2.E3.G3.D3.D3.E1.C1.F3.B2.A3.G2-E3.G3.E3.B3.E1.C1.F3.B2.G2.G1: F3.A2.E1:G1.G3.B2.E2.D1.E3- D3.E1.F3.D3.E1.A1.F3:F3.A3:E3.A1.F1.E1.F3.D4—

B1D4:C2G3E2B2G3E3—

At first glance, it wasn’t what Lucian was expecting. In all honesty, he was mildly unimpressed.  “Hmm, we need to find out how to solve this,”

“We could take the letter to our library. I bet there is a book that could help us,” suggested Laura.

“But we can’t steal the letter!” said Willow. “If the adults come back and find it missing then we’ll be done for!”

“You all might want hasten your pace” Luin interjected. “Why is that?” asked Joe. Luin looked at the ground and rubbed his feet on the ground. “Umm… I might have overheard the adults talking while I got the lantern. And they might be coming here at this very moment”

The room went silent. “What?” they all said in unison. “And why didn’t you tell us this earlier?” asked Charlotte.

“How could I?” he protested. He then whispered under his breath, “When you are too busy ogling a simple letter,”

“Well what do you suppose we do?” asked Joe.

“We could copy the letter!” Laura suggested. “On a piece of paper or cloth. That way we don’t need to steal it,”

Lucian saw Charlotte glance at her sister for a moment before turning back and saying. “She’s right, that could work!”

The others shrugged. But Lucian knew that they didn’t have time to argue. “Fine, I suggest we find some paper. And Luin,” he said turning to his cousin, “Go stay outside and warn us if the adults arrive”

Luin shrugged but obeyed. Lucian heard him mutter, “Not like it would make any difference, we’re done for the moment they appear in the hallway,” under his breath while he walked. The rest of the group then scoured the room for writing material. Lucian handed Willow the letter and he too began searching. Laura gave Willow the quill that Lucian had used to prick his finger. Charlotte took out a bottle of ink from one of the drawers of the table and Joe found paper in the other drawer. Willow then kept the paper on the table, quenched the quill in the ink and quickly copied the letter as fast as she could. He let go of the quill and let it scribble away whilst standing by itself, it wrote faster that way. Meanwhile, Lucian and the others watched restlessly, the threat of being caught loomed over their heads more and more as time went on. Lucian looked back and forth between Luin and Willow.

“Is there any future where we get caught?” he asked Willow as she wrote.

“I cannot say for certain, but in my experience the number of futures where we do get caught would increase exponentially every passing second,” said Willow hastily. She made the quill scribble faster and faster. And seconds later, it stopped moving.

“Done!” Willow shouted joyously. She quickly took the paper off the table and handed it to Joseph who kept in his coat. “Now quickly! Put everything back! We can’t leave the safe open!”

Lucian grabbed the letter off Willow’s hand before throwing it into the safe and closing the door. The Hatlys kept the quill and ink in their proper places while Joseph rearranged the bookcase and activated the mechanism that made the painting close.

“Quickly! I think I hear someone climbing the stairs!” said Joe, which further hastened the group’s pace. Lucian launched himself out of the door the moment the painting closed with the Hatlys, Joe and Willow coming out moments later.

“Close the door! Use that key of yours,” said Lucian. Luin nodded, he then closed the door before taking out his wooden key and locking it. The then made their way their way out of the hallway and towards the staircase. The panicked feeling slowly dissipating the further they got from the study.

As they approached the staircase, Lucian heard a sound coming from in front of them, the sound of footsteps. As the rush from their swift getaway faded, he realized that Joe was right. Someone was coming from downstairs. Lucian almost instinctively turned away and entered the hallway leading to the library. The others followed him as the all ducked behind the wall of the hallway.

Lucian watched, as the footsteps got closer and closer. First, he saw his father appear, followed swiftly by Mr. Hatly and Mr. Morrow. Behind them was Mrs. Morning and behind her was Mr. Bernstein and a slim but tall figure Lucian knew to be Mr. Angelmore, Joe’s father. Lucian and the others took a step back as they all watched their parents walk across the room towards the study, oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

“Are they gone?” whispered Luin who had been pushed to the back of the group behind Joseph, who completely obscured his view.

“SHHHH!” said Joseph frantically, Lucian saw Mr. Angelmore rear his head in their direction, to which Lucian tried his best to hide behind the wall. Luckily, once he peeked his head over the wall he noticed Mr. Angelmore follow his father and the other adults into the hallway leading to the study. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“They’re gone,” he said. The others then relaxed themselves. But Joe once again stared furiously at Luin.

“What do you think you’re doing? Do you want us to get caught?” he asked. “What do you mean? I didn’t do anything!” Luin whined.

“Well, thanks to you my father almost caught us!”

“Well gosh damn it! How idiotic of me!” said Luin sarcastically. “If only you let me see passed your pitiful attire I wouldn’t need to ask such basic questions!”

“You annoying little…” Joe began, but before he could finish Laura grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him back. “Will you both please stop? None among us can take more of your incessant arguing!” she said angrily.

Both Luin and Joe paused. Then looked away. Joe straightened himself as Laura gave him a disappointed gaze. But Joe wasn’t done. “I suppose being unbearably annoying must be a family trait, eh Lucian?” he remarked while smirking smugly as Lucian. Lucian saw both Hatlys frown whilst staring at Joe, so he could only imagine what he was actually thinking. Yet Instead of arguing he simply frowned, “We got what we need, that’s all that matters”

“Well true, but who knows? You might still have some secrets you’re yet to share. Hmmm?”

Lucian flinched before momentarily glancing at Laura who glance at him with an expression of surprise. But luckily for him, Joseph didn’t notice that. “Well it has occurred to me that we still have an hour before breakfast. I could go for some tea, anyone else?” he asked walking towards the staircase.

“I would like some!” said Willow rising her hand. She then shot a glance at Lucian while she walked towards Joseph. “I didn’t get to finish the one I had earlier”

Both of them then walked away and climbed down the staircase together. Leaving Lucian with only the Hatlys and Luin. “Sadly, I also need to go,” said Luin. “I still have to meet Elli, and I might even try to solve this letter,” he said holding the letter in his hands and observing it.

“Do you think you can crack it?” asked Charlotte. To which Luin laughed, “Moor knows that this is the most interesting I’ve done all year. And besides, I think I have a better chance than any of you,” he then put the letter in his book before walking towards the stairs. “So if you’ll excuse me, I shall see you in the breakfast,” he said before climbing up the stairs and disappearing.

This left Lucian with only the Hatlys. “I assume you both also have somewhere to be,” he asked quiet awkwardly.

“I personally would like nothing more than some sound sleep! Now that Elli is with your cousin!” said Charlotte. Lucian then turned to Laura. “What about you?”

“The thrill of breaking into your father’s study seems to have knocked all the sleep out of me,” she said. “I suppose I might as well tell all this to the Bernsteins and the Mornings, if they’re awake. Perhaps you can accompany me; I might need some assistance with waking them up”

Lucian’s face came inches away from turning red. “I…I…” he stuttered but luckily Charlotte cut him off. “Well, you both can do whatever you please; I’m off to get some rest well-earned rest! No chance am I helping you two wake up those featherheads!” she said as she marched off to the staircase.

Lucian struggled to open his mouth. But he then took a deep breath and calmed himself, to Laura’s confusion. “Perhaps you can wake them up and we’ll all gather around and talk inside the library,” Lucian suggested. “There’s usually no one there except my grandfather, and he won’t tell a soul! Mostly because he won’t remember anything we say. I could even get us some tea in order to knock them out of their sleep,”

Laura shrugged. “Well I suppose I could drag them here by myself. So be it”. She then turned away in order to leave. But before she did, she stopped. “And if you’re bringing tea, might I suggest you bring something else along with it. I cannot wait another hour for breakfast!”

Lucian nodded and grinned. “I know the place where Lily hides all her treats, I don’t think she’d mind if some went missing. She stole them from the pantry anyway.”

Laura chuckled. They smiled at each other for a moment. Laura then walked off and finally she too disappeared into the stairs. Leaving Lucian alone in the hallway.

Back to Contents- HERE

[scribblesbyavi]

Most of the time films mirror society and not the other way round.

Films are a reflection of what is happening in the society and captures only a part of it. Films do leave a lasting impact on our mind but what someone goes through during their childhood can stay with them forever. Only they can understand what they go through because of such incidents. And sometimes there is no one to understand them. This kind of trauma can kill them from the inside and make them something they are not.

We as a society always like to see the final outcome and give judgements based on the action but we never try to understand where someone is coming from. We don’t give a damn to see things from someone else’s perspective. Society at large neglects things that require more attention like childhood traumas, mental health issues and depression.

Of course some people don’t deserve our empathy and compassion however in the macro picture we as a society are moving too fast and some parents hardly give quality time to their kids. This is the biggest problem with this generation of families. They neglect the basic things and chase superficial things.

A younger generation deprived of love, care and understanding may lose their track in this rat race and might feel that there is no one they can trust or speak their heart out to. There is too much noise in the world and access to too much information while kids only need time with their families, just time. They need someone who can hold their vulnerable side and tell them that everything is going to be okay and also give them a basic understanding of what’s right and wrong. Kids most of time just need that direction and guidance and the feeling that someone is always there with them and that they are proud of them.

We as a society can declare a film as misogynistic which is okay because we have to point that out. However, we forget to take the other things in to consideration like lack of parenting, lack of love, childhood traumas etc. But we only pick the thing that is easy to point out and speak or bash over social media. We as a society of human beings and individuals have to show maturity and start talking about the hard things too. We have to come as a society and fix the little things right from the early stages of a child’s growth. We have to take care of them, not quarrel in front of them or expose them to domestic violence. We have to rather show them how to love and educate them about every trivial thing there is.

Also the fact is that films cannot be released directly into the theatres. They have to get an approval. They are given a rating and certification which tells which section of people may watch it. And when it is mentioned as violent and offensive then the audience who can’t watch it or gets easily triggered shouldn’t go and watch it. And if there is an issue with the national board then we should also call that out.

From filmmaking stand point this film, Animal is a brilliant masterpiece, a work of art. I’m so glad that Indian films are finally progressing in terms of cinematography, performances, production and overall execution. It’s truly grand and also entertaining at the same time. More importantly it’s unapologetic. (You can have your own opinion, free world.) If you have watched the films of Quintin Tarantino then you will know what I’m talking about. Of course there is a difference in the portrayal but hopefully we are getting there.

This doesn’t mean that the film doesn’t have its flaws. It does come with its own shortcomings like any film does. The issue with this film is that the makers tried to glorify violence and misogyny. They should try to keep it real. In the past too many films have come out which showed the justification of mass killings and portrayal of an anti hero story arc. I think directors and screenwriters should learn from this. They should put their mind in to this and show something for what it is and not glorify it.

But when we talk about the problems with a film we should also talk about problems that exist in the real world. This film has probably shown only 10% of the violence than what is actually going on in our society everyday - rapes, gang rapes, children being abused and women being molested, domestic violence, brutal killings by their own partners, acid attacks, road side murders, mass murders, an actual genocide happening, a whole country being wiped out by another… i can just keep going. Animal is nothing compared to the level of toxicity and violence that exists in the everyday world, in the news and in social media. The real world has gotten much more worse. It’s filled with terror and is very unsafe, specially for women.

If we have so much time to talk about a film then why not a minute to talk about all the real incidents happening around the world? Innocent families and children are being slaughtered everyday like animals.

When will we talk about the actual events happening? What are we waiting for?

Let’s talk about the real problems and things that are wrong in our society, in the real world and not wait for it to happen with our own family.

avis

[frostfall-matches]

[ matchmaking... ]

@rinthelordofbean : [ match report ready ]

your match is…

✦ Deuce Spade

-> [ Deuce can be a bit too blunt sometimes because his brain-to-mouth filter is lax. ] He may come off as a bit tactless or insensitive at times, but he genuinely doesn’t mean to! (The only exception to this is how rude and combative he gets when someone pisses him off… but you’re likely only going to see that side of him from the sidelines, never directed at you). If you ever take offense to anything he’s said to you and it shows on your face, he’s quick to reel back and apologize and beg for your forgiveness, explaining what he actually meant. He doesn’t dare be intentionally disrespectful to his partner.

-> [ He isn’t exactly shy or untalkative, but he sometimes doesn’t always have a ton to say. ] In other words, yap as much as you want around him! Deuce will chime in when he has something he wants to say, but is otherwise happy to let you take center stage. Given that he probably doesn’t know much about zoology, he ends up learning quite a bit about the topic through your discussions - and he grows particularly fond of penguins simply because of your passion for them. He may be a bit forgetful and oblivious, but he’s quick to retain information about those he cares about. Expect the occasional penguin-themed gift!

-> [ Sometimes your puns go right over his head. ] You’ll make one and laugh about it to yourself and Deuce is just standing there, confused, the cogs turning in his brain as he tries to figure out what was so funny to you. On the plus side, if you have to explain it to him he’s likely to still find it quite funny in the end. Deuce makes it a personal mission to try and work on his witty, punny side for you, so he’s able to share in your humor a little easier. At least when it comes to sending funny memes or videos, he’s much more quick to adapt! Side note: he loves your laugh, it always brings a smile to his face.

-> [ The two of you can struggle during class together! ] How fun! While he’s trying to turn a new leaf now that he’s at NRC, he still struggles with paying attention in class and studying for exams. Plus, there’s just his general struggle with understanding complex ideas… He tries so hard not to procrastinate but he’ll still do it here and there. You might be a bad influence on him… But that’s okay, because you two can suffer together. Ace will definitely make fun of both of you as you’re rushing to get assignments done the night before they’re due, or when you do get a lousy grade on an exam because neither of you took down very good notes in class.

-> [ Deuce is the type who wants to sweetly and poetically tell his partner how much he loves them, but ultimately ends up stumbling over the words. ] He loves the idea of lovingly expressing his affection towards someone, telling them that they mean the world to him, but he second-guesses his phrasing a lot and also just gets really flustered trying to put things into words and say them out loud. So, he’s ultimately much more of an actions person - he really likes hugs and helping you out here and there. Though… there are those little moments, when he isn’t really thinking too hard about it, that his words towards you end up being very sweet. These moments surprise him as much as they melt you!

-> [ Though you likely meant that you like to ride bicycles, Deuce is happy to bring you out on a blastcycle. ] He thinks that has to be close enough, right? Bikes are bikes! He’ll have to get his hands on one first, but that’s just a matter of asking a few classmates from Ignihyde very nicely to see if they’ll lend him one. Or, if it happens to be a longer break and you decide to visit him at his home, he has his own. It’s probably a good thing that you’re a little bit reckless - as much as he makes sure that you and him are safe, riding a blastcycle definitely has its risks, and Deuce loves the thrill of it all.

-> [ He would love going out on little nature outings with you. ] Deuce finds that he quite enjoys taking a break from hectic, everyday life and being surrounded by nature instead - a very welcome change of pace. It’s very peaceful, and he doesn’t get to see nature-filled scenery very often in town or at school. And anything in your bright, warm presence is even better! These little escapes end up being like dates for you two. Honestly, if you were up for a weekend camping trip, he’d totally be down for it. He’s not the type to do much research or planning before the trip, though, so it’ll definitely be… an interesting time. But don’t worry, he’ll take care of any bugs you may encounter!

[cosmic-ships]

🔥🧊🩹 for Jamie?

𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗔𝗦𝗞 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘

OH NO NOT THIS GUY! /J >///>;; Adorable friggin' fedora wearin' hipster lookin' ass.. WHOM I LOVE A LOT

🔥 — who gets jealous easier?

Kaden is more likely to feel jealous in the relationship. Even though they try to play it cool and act indifferent, especially early on. Their feelings for Jamie are strong and they might not be the best at hiding them. Kaden’s aloof personality means they often try to mask their emotions, but when they see Jamie talking to or hanging out with someone else, their jealousy starts to show a bit. They may throw out a sarcastic comment or joke about the situation, using humor to cover up how they really feel. Jamie doesn't take any offense to it or gets angry with Kaden by the way, he understands them and hell, this man isn't afraid to be reassuring to Kaden letting them know that he loves them and only them and that he can guarantee that no one on this earth will ever steal him away from me. Then of course, once he's finished reassuring me this ass will straight up tease me about being jealous like "Awe, you're so jealous~ It's so cute~ Aweee you love me sooooo much!" like please shut up... I mean its true but shut up lmao

🧊 — who sings in the shower?

Jamie is definitely the one who sings in the shower. It’s just for fun. Jamie enjoys expressing himself, and singing in the shower is one way for him to relax and unwind. Whether it’s a popular song or something random that comes to mind, Jamie doesn’t hold back when it comes to having a good time! He might even turn up the volume, filling the bathroom with his voice. Kaden on the other hand wouldn't be caught dead singing in the shower unless they knew they were alone. Also they aren't telling Jamie that they actually enjoy his singing because despite him doing it just for fun, he's actually got a really nice singing voice and yeah maybe Kaden listened in a few times and yeah, maybe they also got caught LOL

🩹 — if you or your f/o got hurts, how would the other react?

If Jamie got hurt, Kaden is very protective and concerned. They wouldn’t hesitate to step in to help. At first, they might make a joke like, “You’re not dying, are you?” but it would be a cover for how worried they truly are. Kaden would make sure Jamie is comfortable, keeping close and not leaving his side until they were sure he was okay. On the other hand, if Kaden got hurt, Jamie would be much more openly worried. He wouldn’t try to hide his concern and would immediately make sure Kaden was safe and taken care of. Jamie is the type to be calm under pressure, so he would stay level-headed but very attentive. He’d try to comfort Kaden by holding their hand 100% Jamie might also make light of the situation to ease Kaden’s anxiety/panic, joking that they need to be more careful and less of a clutz, but all the while, he would stay close. <3

[artsy0wl]

Crowning Sanctuary Chapter 2

“Not going to happen.” Raihan denied. “I’m not moving Leon halfway across the region for answers. His family is here. His treatment is here. His life is here.”

“So is Rose.”

A callused hand ran through Leon’s hair, combing through it looking for something. A soft yelp escaped Leon as Peony pinched something and yanked it out of his hair. A minuscule, spherical chip fit between two fingers as Peony showed it to Raihan. A purple light periodically flashed, which made it much easier to hide.

“What is that?”

It was more of an observational response than a question. He knew it was something sinister, even if it didn’t feel necessary. Though Raihan wasn’t surprised that someone would try to tag Leon, he wasn’t expecting it either.

“You said you wanted answers,” Peony reminded, “and Fuzzy needs somewhere he can feel safe.” He broke the tracker with his fingers. “I can give them to you, but not here. Not when he’s trying to plant a tracker on Fluffy and probably wired the whole room.”

“I highly doubt that.” The therapist interjected, slightly ruffled by the sudden revelation. “Confidentiality is important in this situation.”

“That it is, ma'am, but that doesn’t mean that my brother cares.”

The room hit a tense moment of silence as Peony’s attention fell on Leon. At this point, Leon had shuffled around to face Peony. Raihan still held him tight as he rested his head on top of Leon’s. Vibrating golden eyes watched Peony with a dower frown.

“I know I don’t have a right to ask you this after what my brother did,” Peony noted, “but I need you to trust me. As a former champion and Rose’s brother, I feel we are connected. And as a father, I feel horrible that Rose took advantage of you.”

Taking a step towards Leon caused Raihan to flinch and tighten his hold on Leon as he took a step back. Peony ignored the reaction, keeping his attention on his successor. Extending a hand to Leon, Peony gave him a soft smile.

“May I open my home to you and help you heal?” Peony offered.

Leon focused on Peony’s hand. It sounded like a nice offer. Genuine and honest. Leon’s and stretched out and was about to grab it, but withdrawing his hand.

“Can Raihan come?”

“Of course.” Peony agreed. “I don’t wish to isolate you. Just give you a place to rest your head without feeling like Rose is around every corner. So if you want Tiny to come with you, he’s more than welcomed to.”

“And my therapist?” Peony nodded. ”Then I’ll go. Provided, Raihan agrees.” Leon turned his attention to Raihan. “Raihan?”

Raihan glared at Peony, a spark of aggression and concern in his eye. He wanted whatever Peony was willing to provide, but he didn’t want to move Leon. He didn’t want to leave Leon with Peony only for Peony to take advantage of Leon like Rose tried to.

However, if Leon was willing to trust Peony, Raihan wouldn’t belittle that. And if Raihan was there with Leon, he could make sure nothing sinister happened. Releasing Leon from his death grip, Raihan’s hands landed on his shoulders.

“While I think he can be helpful, my trust in him is shaky.” Raihan admitted. “No offense Peony.” The man in question nonchalantly shrugged. “However, if he genuinely wants to help, it would be foolish to reject his offer. And if you’re willing to trust him, I’ll try to as well.”

Raihan held Leon’s face, lightly brushing purple bangs aside. Leon let out a sigh as his head tilted slightly, peacefully smiling. He started humming as Raihan’s hand gently massaged his temple.

“If you so much as startle him, I won’t hesitate to retaliate.” Raihan promised, glaring at Peony.

“No need to worry. Our sweet prince will be safe.”

~

Up until now, the only perk of losing a hoodie to his partner was how cute Leon looked in a hoodie that was two sizes too big. Now, it was the perfect protection for Freezington’s chilling weather. They packed a few days worth of clothes and notified Leon’s family, Sonia, and any potential Hammerlocke challengers that they’d be gone for an undetermined amount of time. As for Leon’s therapist, she expected to get there in the next day or two. And with a vacant, rentable cabin a few doors down, she wouldn’t be too far.

“The guest bedroom is upstairs on the left.” Peony stated. “Feel free to get settled, and if you see a loveably rambunctious teen holed up in her room, that’s my daughter, Peonia.”

Leon chuckled. “She sounds lovely.”

Nodding, Peony flashed a wide, proud smile. “She’s the sweetest little flower. Now if you don't mind, I need to have a word with Tiny.”

Leon looked at Raihan a little nervous. His suitcase sat beside him as his shoulders slumped. Raihan approached him, knowing Leon needed reassurance. He kissed Leon’s forehead, hugging him.

“It’s okay.” Raihan promised. “I’ll be upstairs in a minute, okay? I want you to unwind and relax.” He ran his hands down Leon’s arms, gently rubbing Leon’s arms. “You’re so cute in this hoodie.”

A slight red hue tinted Leon’s face as he hid it in the hood. “You’re just saying that because I’m in your hoodie.”

“I may have impeccable taste in hoodies, but you make it even better and much more cuter. Like a blue Goodra with fuzzy purple horns.”

Leon let out a playful whine. “Stop.”

“Okay.” Raihan pulled the hood off of Leon and ruffled his hair. “I’ll be up there in a minute.”

Smirking, Leon grabbed his and Raihan’s suitcase and made his way upstairs. His foot slip on a step, causing Raihan to flinch, but he reacted quick enough to avoid tripping. Once he made it to the top of the stairs, he entered the room Peony pointed out.

Peony stood beside Raihan as he crossed his arms. A soft smile shifted to a strict frown. He glared at Peony, looking for answers.

“Talk.”

“Why don’t we take a seat first?”

Leading Raihan to the kitchen, Peony offered him a seat at the table. As Raihan got situated, Peony made some coffee for the two of them. Once it was ready, Peony approached the opposite side of the table, offering Raihan a cup.

“I think he’s got a tracker implanted in him.” Peony stated as he say down. “I can’t confirm, but if I know one thing about my brother, it’s that he has to know where things are at.”

“We can look into it once Leon’s comfortable.” Raihan assured, taking a sip if coffee. “I wouldn’t be surprised, but Leon can’t afford to be frazzled while he’s in a foreign area and not mentally prepared.” Shrugging his shoulders, he set the cup down. “What we can do, is get some background. You have us here, so I think we deserve some answers.”

“Understood.” Peony leaned back. “I suppose I should start with why I chose to depart ways with my brother.”

Raihan leaned forward. “It is a strange set of circumstances. The then up and coming champion disappeared after the new chairman was appointed. Never to be seen again.”

“It certainly look unexpected and controversial from the outside. Though it’s quite troubling from the inside.” Peony let out a deflated sigh. “When your older brother is the charismatic and intellectual child, some parents try to pressure the other kids to be the same.”

“As an only child, I can’t say I relate.”

Peony chuckled. “In that respect, I envy you.” He sighed. “My mother wanted me to be like Rose, but in doing so, our relationship soured and I became a delinquent runaway.”

Tilting his head, Raihan watched Peony. Though he felt there was more to the story, he wasn’t going to pressure Peony to delve too deep if he didn’t want to. That said, part of Raihan wondered how this would relate to the current situation.

“I don’t like speaking about my past,” Peony admitted, “and distancing myself from Rose has been my way to heal from it.” Green eyes scanned Raihan. “I’m telling you this… condensed version of my past because there most likely is something there that cause Rose to be so possessive over Fuzzy.”

Standing up, he motioned for Raihan to follow him. Heading for the stairs, he planned to check in on the occupants upstairs. Raihan silently followed him.

“I think Fuzzy and I can find healing in each other.” Peony mused. “Maybe sharing my story with him… and you, will help me. And I think I can fix the damage my brother caused Fuzzy. Where Rose isolated him and tried to claim him, I will set him free and show him that this flower won’t hurt him. That’s why I wanted him to come here.”

Peaking into Peonia’s room, Peony greeted his daughter, who was lounging on her bed, doing homework. He introduced her to Raihan and reminded her that he and Leon would be there for a bit and that they wouldn’t bother her. He then moved towards the guest bedroom.

There, they found Leon asleep on the floor. He had started unpacking by the look of things as clothes were neatly piled on the dresser and their toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and razors were in the bathroom. From what Raihan could infer, Leon probably planned to decompress while putting his hats and hair ties in the appropriate locations, but ended up passing out instead.

Raihan gently picked Leon up, shaking his head in amused disbelief. He proceeded to set the unconscious champion on the bed, but didn’t bother covering him, knowing it wasn’t necessary.

“I appreciate your honesty and know Leon will appreciate your aid.” Raihan thanked. “However, I’m going to need time to truly trust you.” His hand slowly ran through Leon’s hair. “Your little stunt could have set him back. Regardless of intent, you can’t just sporadically react like that with him. Not after Rose repeatedly invaded his space for control.” Fingers gently held strands of hair as Raihan paused. “I cannot lose him again, and I won’t let him be taken advantage of.”

“I respect that.” Peony understood. “Your concerns are valid, and Leon didn’t deserve to have his boundaries violated like that. However,” he looked at Leon, watching him breathe, “I can assure you I won’t make the same mistakes he did. My words might not convince you, but I hope my actions will.”

[shysoftbebe]

Interest {BTS OT6 x Jimin x Reader}

BTS x Reader

It seems the oldest Coven has taken an interest in you two.

~*~*~

“You…helped someone from the Bangtan Coven?” you ask as Jimin swallows a piece of meat, giving you a sheepish smile while you rub your forehead; feeling the on come of a headache.

“He needed blood Y/N, luckily Jina lent us some for Sherry,” he explains the mention of your sister makes you shiver but you ignore it trying to focus on the matter at hand. “It wasn’t that bad, bubs. I helped him, one of their Primes showed up and they left,” he sums up a light reassuring smile on his lips but it doesn’t ease your nerves.

“…be more careful,” you finally grumble pressing a soft kiss against his hair before disappearing from view; needing to finish getting ready for work while Jimin types away at his mobile device waiting for you.

“Does Snow have a shift today?” he asks as you reappear, sliding on your jacket as you grab your things from the counter shaking your head in denial at the question.

“No, I think Rae-Chan and Ten might be though,” you inform him and he smiles excited to see his friends while the worry of the run-in with Bangtan weighs heavy on your mind.

~*~*~*~

As you close the register, Rae-Chan at your side and cleaning the counter, as the bell jingles and it draws your attention. Your body tenses once your eyes lock on two members of the Bangtan Coven, one of them being a Prime.

You whisper to Rae-Chan to handle the counter, before disappearing into the back to find Jimin feeling their eyes burn into your skin as you go.

“Jimin there is currently a Prime and the man you saved in our cafe,” you state as soon as you see him and his head snaps to you eyes widening in surprise before he can question you on what to do, Snow appears in the doorway.

“People are asking for you two,” he informs you before leaving once again. ‘Both of us?’ you mouth, feeling a little lost and he shrugs in response before he exits the kitchen and you follow after him.

The two of you join the two men at the booth by the window, allowing Jimin to slide in first while keeping your eyes on them as you seat yourself.

“Any reason you’re here?” you ask bluntly not wanting to dance in circles, while Jimin elbows you in the side; giving you a look but you keep your eyes on the men as the golden haired male meets your eyes.

“I wanted to thank Jimin-Ssi once more for helping Taehyung, while wanting to meet you,” he admits and you blink in surprise before your neutral expression shifts back into place.

The brown-haired male groans, muttering something under his breath before clarifying for his Mate. “Jimin-Ssi spoke a lot about you, Y/N-Shi…you caught Seokjin-hyung’s interest,” he explains hands flying about not wanting you to take offense.

You nod, sending the male a reassuring smile which seems to calm his nerves while Jimin fiddles with his hands unsure of what to talk about.

“Would the two of you want to meet us for coffee this weekend?” you offer and Jimin’s head whips to you, eyes widening in shock and excitement.

Seokjin nods, briefly thinking it over while Taehyung smiles saying an agreement of his own as you pull out a piece of paper, and pen quickly writing down your information before handing it to Seokjin.

Your fingers brush against each other’s briefly, choosing to ignore the shiver it sends through you; you tell them farewell before turning to Jimin and saying you need to get back to work.

“Y/N-Shi,” Seokjin melodic voice calls out to you, while Jimin sends you a look but follows Ten to the kitchen. You turn your head, giving him a questioning look as you wait for him to speak.

A smile curls onto his lips, which has your stomach in knots something in his eyes sending your heart thundering against your chest.

“I cannot wait to see both of you this weekend.”

[news4usonline]

SB LVIII: A tight end master class

Tight ends are some of the most unique players on a football field, and having top-tier talent at the position creates matchup nightmares for a defense. Super Bowl LVIII features two of the best tight ends in the NFL. What makes these talented pass-catchers unique is that they value their team’s success far more than their own. Travis Kelce and George Kittle have 11 combined All-Pro team appearances, but both players will tell you that they would rather see their team win trophies instead of individual awards.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) caught 65 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns during the 2023 NFL regular season. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline “I used to lose sleep over the lack of success I had early on,” said Kelce. “I used to have the desire to say I want to be the best; I want to be known as the one who had the most yards, the one that had the most catches, the most touchdowns, and the most Super Bowls.” “I have rechanneled that to just being the best teammate I possibly can be day in and day out, and at the end of the year, let the chips fall where they may and see who is the best team out there. I enjoy having team success a lot more than I enjoy having my individual success week to week,” the tight end went on to say. Kelce has put up numbers that have allowed him to be labeled one of the best, but sitting out the last game of the season for the betterment of the team and missing out on an eighth consecutive 1000-yard season by 16 yards shows his maturity as a player. While Kittle does not get the same amount of attention from the media or fans as his counterpart in this game, he is equally as important to winning. Kittle is a ferocious blocker in the run game and is one of the toughest players in the league. Taking him down to the ground is no easy task. “I think that what I am asked to do in my offense, I do at a very high level," said Kittle. “All I really care about is that the eye in the sky doesn’t lie; that is the film. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about you; all that matters is that tape, your effort, your attitude, your play style, and the respect of your peers around the league.”

BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 28: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates the win following the Kansas City Chiefs game versus the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on January 28, 2024 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire) Kittle does a little bit of everything for his team on the field and is one of the most important leaders in the locker room. When the best players are also the best leaders, it allows the rest of the team to follow suit. With both embracing their roles the way they do, it makes sense that the 49ers and Chiefs are in the Super Bowl. The position has become even more important with the passing game being what it is now, and these teams have two of the elite at the position. “I think teams have seen that the last six or seven years if you have a really good tight end, you have a higher chance of being in the Super Bowl. If you look back at all of the Super Bowls, there are really talented tight ends playing in all of them. So, invest in a tight end, feed your tight end, and you have an opportunity to win games,” said Kittle. Top Photo: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night Kickoff ceremony on Feb. 5, 2024. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline Read the full article