#Anyway I know that his boots are actually red in the game but I couldn't find a single damn high quality image of them in red

[chronurgy]

Please forgive me for what may be the most ridiculous thing I have ever made

[reiderwriter]

Hii~ First of all I love your writing!

Now about the request... I really wanted one where Spencer is dating a painter who has the personality of a black cat (we all know that our Reid is a total golden retriever type) and everyone thinks that she is the dominant one of the couple since she has this more punk/alternative style, but the team couldn't be more wrong! A soft!Dom Spencer makes her obey and yield every time! ~thank u

A/N: Thanks so much for the request! I can definitely see myself making a part two for this if enough people are interested!! For now though, enjoy! ~✨

Warnings: mentions of public sex, BDSM roles, mentions of using dog collars in a sexual way, mentions of creampie.

Here's my masterlist and requests are open!~

“I can’t believe we’re finally meeting your mystery girl tonight, Reid. You’ve been so quiet about her, we’d have never even known if Penelope hadn’t hacked your phone on a hunch.” Emily laughed at the man from her perch at the bar, raising her glass in a cheers with her fellow agents. 

“I’m not too sure she really exists, you know. I know what my baby girl said but the kid graduated from MIT, and we know texts can be doctored,” Morgan teased from the other side of the younger man. 

In response, he simply rolled his eyes and let them continue their fun and games. He’d known the two agents for long enough to know that their teasing was loving, if not entirely warranted. He’d only kept you a secret because you’d asked him to, having wanted to make a good first impression on them. He’d have gladly shouted your name from the rooftops, but you were on the shy side sometimes. 

“Oh you’re just jealous. You want me to help you take a little honey home tonight, Derek?” Emily turned on the other man this time and Reid breathed a sigh of relief that the attention was finally off of him.

“I am perfectly capable of collecting all by myself, thank you very much.” He turned an amused eye out to the rest of the bar, surveying the women in the bar like a predator looking or it’s next victim. 

“What about that one? She good enough for the Derek Morgan?” Spencer glanced up at where she was pointing at the same time as the aforementioned male did and did his best to repress his smile. Emily had glanced to the door, where you stood, outfitted in a tight black dress, chunky thigh high boots and a stoic expression. You’d carefully washed all the paint that usually adorned your hair and face away, armouring yourself in red lipstick and dog collar choker, letting the look speak for itself. 

“Now that is a nice piece of work, but not exactly what I’m into, sweet cheeks. I prefer my ladies a little bit less wild. A little more compliant if you pick up what I’m putting down.” 

“Coward. Dominant women are more fun, right Reid?” Emily smiled back at the other man, but he was looking past the two of them waving to you. 

“Oh great, you’re here. Emily, Derek I want you to meet my girlfriend, Y/N.” He grabs your hand and leads you the rest of the way to where they were standing, the grin on his face widening exponentially as the two splutter, praying to god that you didn’t just hear the tail end of their conversation about you. 

“Hi, great to meet you. And yes, Emily, I agree. Dominant women do seem to have a lot of fun,” you winked at the woman a little bit and let your boyfriend excitedly drag you over to the bar to buy you a drink. 

Recovering first, Emily pulled herself back into the barstool she’d recently vacated, and started asking you questions. 

“So, how did you guys meet?” 

“At the library actually. I was there installing a mural, and I saw him and decided I had to have him.” You smiled fondly up at your boyfriend, as he rolled his eyes and took another sip of his drink. You’d perched yourself between his legs, leaning your entire bodyweight back into his chest possessively, as he trailed a light hand over your waist. 

“You’re a painter? Wow, that’s so wonderful.” 

“Yeah, that’s the dream anyway. I also work part time at an art gallery downtown to help pay the bills. It’s where he tracked me down, so it worked out pretty well, I guess.” 

“Tracked you down?” Morgan asked. 

“Yeah, after our first… run in, I forgot to give him my number.” 

“Run in? You said you met at the library, what else did you do if you forgot to swap numbers?” Emily laughed, half-heartedly, then stopped as soon as she saw the smug grin on your face paired with the awkward panicked expression on Reid’s. 

“Shut up. No way, wait I don’t even want to hear this.” 

You smiled up at the man, knowing that the way his two coworkers were imagining that first meeting was probably the exact opposite of how it had gone. Sure, you’d told the truth about approaching him first, but that was the extent of your control of the situation. You’d gone over to ask for his number, find out his name and ask if he was single. You’d returned to work an hour later with sore knees, no panties and a load of his cum dripping down your inner thighs. 

He hadn’t even allowed you to give him his number, just promised that he’d find you again, and vanished from the library bathroom stalls you’d christened in sin with a lingering kiss on your lips and a whisper of “good girl.” You’d fallen for him hard, and you never wanted to get back up. 

“Wow. And he was so desperate to find you again that he followed you to work. We taught you better than that, Reid, come on. You’re going to freak out the ladies if you come on that strong.” Morgan began teasing the man, ruffling his hair, and you bit your tongue to stop the laughter from exploding from your mouth. 

You knew from your appearances that people often came to the wrong conclusions about how you and Reid were as a couple. Your style was more alternative, though not as intense as you’d been in high school, and his was more preppy nerd, but you balanced each other out well. You knew that it irked him sometimes though. And whenever he was pissed, he took it out on you in the best way. 

After a few hours in the bar getting to know Morgan and Prentiss, and the two other lovely ladies who had arrived later, JJ and Penelope, Reid’s grip on your waist tightening made it clear that it was time for you to go home together. 

“I think we’re going to head out now, guys. I’ll see you in the office on monday.” He said and moved off, but you wanted to see how far you could push it tonight, wanting to see the lengths he would take to not show his teammates that they had vastly misunderstood your relationship. 

“But Spence, I just met them. I wanna talk some more,” you smirked up at him now, and saw his jaw clench. You were thankful you’d work the dog collar choker tonight, the thought of him grabbing it to yank you away making you squeeze your thighs together for some much needed friction. 

“We’re going now, baby. Come here.” You ignored the order for another second, and you could feel the heat in his gaze, and the curiosity in his friends as they watched this struggle between you. 

“Sweetie, did you hear me, I said we’re going now?” This time, you knew he wasn’t playing anymore, so with a quick “yes, sir,” you pushed yourself out of your seat and practically skipped over to him, a delighted grin on your face. He cupped you neck, wanting desperately to pull you in by the neck but choosing restraint instead, and brushed his lips to yours. Whenever he kissed you like that, it meant you’d caused trouble, and you knew you were going to spend the night paying for it. 

“Bye-bye, everyone, it was so nice to meet you,” you called as he led you out of the doors and into the carpark. 

“What the hell was that?” Penelope was the first one to crack, the others jaws still dropped to the floor. 

“Did she just call him sir?” JJ laughed in incredulity. 

“But-but I could’ve sworn they were…” Emily blubbered and the four of them sat there staring at the door, realising that they had underestimated their resident genius a little bit too much. 

[rinwellisathing]

It's A Thankless Job: Part 11

Sentry leaned in, controller gripped tighly in his hand as the characters on screen fought, gritting his teeth as his thumbs moved over the buttons rapidly, Orin beside him, leaning back and biting her lip as the teen focused on her own character. Finally, the masked man on screen posed in a close up, frigid axes forming in his hands and a bloody finish saw the woman he was fighting decapitated, head frozen and then shattered. “FATALITY. SUB-ZERO WINS.” The game announced. On the screen, the masked Tiefling posed in victory. Sentry grinned and set down his controller. “Hey, don't take it too personally, I heard your deliveries are going pretty well.” “The sniveling meat-prey try to cheat us so often, slaughter-kin. But I don't mind it. My blade stays blood-slick with the squirming insides for every time they fail to pay.” Orin replied with a deranged smile.

Sentry nodded. “Well, good for you. I like the way your kills send a message, it's dramatic, it's jarring. I think it really scares people and that's what we need right now.” He clapped his little sister on the shoulder with a grin. “Tell you what, you can have your pick of any of the heads I've got in the downstairs freezer for your next art project.” The teen beamed and nodded her head. “Thank you, Slaughter-kin!” She scrambled to her feet and hurried from the room, long hair swaying behind her. “Well, enough of me being the world's best big brother, time to check in on the family and head out for the night.” Sentry yawned and stretched as he slowly rose to his feet and pulled his boots from their place beside the bed.

Sarevok was, as usual, notably absent from assignments. Sentry smirked when he entered the kitchen and noticed, of course the old man was pissed that Sentry was calling the shots now and likely even moreso that his dalliances with Gortash were giving the family more work than ever. The rest of the family, however, seemed as though they couldn't be happier.

Tomi sat finishing a perfectly portioned bowl of brown rice, chicken, and veggies, her phone open in front of her with a news story on the recent rash of murders pulled up. She was dressed in a chic white blouse and tasteful black slacks, her hair pulled into a bun and a beautifully fitted black jacket draped over the chair behind her. Sentry could already guess she was doing press work tonight. Orin was still in her red gym shorts and tanktop, a plate of pizza bagels in her hand, the sauce staining her mouth like a recent kill. Sentry decided to let his sister be creative tonight. He was curious what she would choose to do to find victims if she wasn't bound by lists and duty rosters. “Are you ever going to cook half the meat in the freezer chests?” Jackal frowned as he watched Sentry enter the room. “Some of us need to store non-humanoid kills, you know...some of us just want to eat some good venison...like normal people.”

“You exclusively target women, Jackal, that's not normal.” Sentry replied flatly, ignoring the question as he pulled a container of cold leftover takeout from the fridge and began to eat. “More normal than cannibalism. Father doesn't say nothin' about having to eat your kills.” Jackal shuddered. “It's fuckin' nasty.” “Actually, it's delicious, but then again I wouldn't expect someone who buys grocery store pre-mades to understand that.” Sentry rolled his eyes. “Anyway, you're at the pier tonight, try and diversify your portfolio a little.”

The drow glared, but turned and left the room to head to his station, muttering under his breath the entire way as he snagged his shabby, weatherbeaten coat from the hook by the door.

“Orin, you've got a free night, obviously we still expect at least three corpses, but you can get them anyway you want as long as they're fresh. Show me what you've got, kid.” Sentry grinned and pointed to his little sister. “So many possibilities...the little prey-beasts skittering about....What mischief can I make?” She smirked. “And, Tomi, obviously you know what you're doing so I'll leave you to that...now, Gabraela, I need you on call for Orin, Jackal, and I. Depending on what each of us are dealing with, we may need some muscle. Try and stick to the park so you've got that equal distance between the upper and lower city...And with all of the assigning done...” Sentry gave an exaggerated bow. “I'll be on my way.”

– Sentry decided to stop by Sharess' Caress to see if Wysp had some free time to plan. As he approached, a short young man ran up beside him, an unctuous grin plastered across his face. “Ah, Mr. Ojeda! I was hoping to talk to you about the try out...” He spoke up hopefully. “It's not a try out, Dolor, it's an initiation test and you continue to be unimpressive.” Sentry sighed, trying to brush past only for the dwarf to cut him off, stepping into his path.

“But I've got some exciting new ideas! Poisons, um...tinctures! Things to make for a very interesting ritual...the element of surprise as well!” He continued eagerly. Sentry gritted his teeth. This idiot spouting cult secrets out on the street, he didn't have time for this. “Listen up, you B-list Bhaalist: My answer is no. Take it up with the tribunal if you want to be one of us so bad...Oh, wait, you've never gotten far enough to impress them. Go figure.” The tiefling shoved past, leaving the young man looking stunned. “Ffion, you are a fucking saint for putting up with that kid.” He muttered under his breath, looking up at the window of the Elminster's Library room and shaking his head as he made his way inside.

Wysp was on stage currently, playing his lute dressed in a shimmering near-translucent button down in deep navy blue patterned in sparkling silver stars. Near the front of the stage, a blue dragonborn woman danced sensually, decorated only in silver jewelry. Sentry guessed Wysp wasn't going to be free an time soon from the size of the crowd, but he sat back to watch for a bit, leaning back in his seat as he reached into the pocket of his hoodie to fish out his wallet. The least he could do was tip his friend since he'd tried to visit him during work. --- “Did you hear about the owner of Sorcerous Sundries?” “They said he was murdered taking the trash to the dumpsters, I thought that shop was in a safe part of town?”

“Well, all the more reason Gortash has my vote. These criminals are getting far too comfortable coming into respectable neighborhoods.” Jaina froze as she overheard the whispered conversation from the quiet study area as she carried books for reshelving. Her brow furrowed as she itched to ask them why it only mattered in 'nice' neighborhoods. She was biting her tongue to keep from saying something, but she knew by now to keep her head down, mind her business, work to make things better behind the scenes. It did no good to get angry and get in trouble. She began to replace the books, covertly still listening to the patrons speak. Her hand moved over the spine of a book as she heard the words 'cult' and 'Bhaalist' enter the conversation. Her eyes fell to the title. “Regarding The Slayer”. Looking around carefully, she slipped the book into her sweater and continued reshelving quietly. With those duties completed, she returned her cart to the front desk and began to thumb through the most recent newspapers the library had received for the archive. One of the latest ones had an image splashed across page one with a blood red symbol splattered across the pavement of an alleyway, emergency services removing a body covered in a white sheet. The symbol was Bhaalist for sure, Jaina recognized it from her lessons on other faiths back in her days growing up on the island and accompanying her mother to the shrine of Umberlee near the shore. But what caught her eye more than that was a familiar face. Blurry and cast off to the side, but a young male Tiefling she vaguely recognized was talking to The Fist in the photo and as her eyes lowered to the article itself, she recognized his name as well. Rolan. Her friend's brother. Lia had joked about him all the time when they'd been in school together when Jaina had first moved to the mainland. She slid her phone out of her pocket and opened a message with Lia.

You: Hey, I just read about your brother's boss. Is Rolan okay? Lia: He'd never admit it, but he's a bit shaken up. Still, he's in charge of the shop now and his boss' will left everything to basically whoever his apprentice was at the time...Seems weird, but I'm happy for Rolan. You: Well, silver linings and all that. A storm at sea washes up the prettiest shells. Lia: Lol I guess so. Though I'm not sure I'll be able to deal with the ego trip once it really sinks in he's in charge of all those important wizard things or whatever is in the living quarters above the store.

You: I know this is kind of a messed up question, but do you think he'd be willing to talk about what happened?” Lia: He won't even really tell me and Cal, it's just the same thing over and over. 'I was stocking the shelves, I heard screaming outside, I got scared and hid.'

You: That's fair. Sorry to ask. Anyway, we should get drinks some time. Let me know when you're free! Lia: Oh, are you buying now that your husband is a big shot politician? You: Lol, we'll see. Lia: Joking, obviously. Jaina placed her phone back in her pocket and continued to examine the news story, determined to find something, anything, more than what it seemed to be. She was getting one of her bad feelings about this and usually she knew them to be correct.

---- The posh town house where the party was being held had a surprisingly cozy feeling inside. A fire crackled merrily in an old fashioned stone hearth, in front of which was curled a long furred Tressym, resting peacefully in the warmth. Book cases seemed to line every wall and the tasteful mahogany furniture gave the entire place a studious feel to it. Wyll thanked the smiling blonde Githyanki woman as she took his coat and welcomed him into the home she shared with her fiance, commenting how nice it was that Kroger was getting out there and meeting people finally. Kroger winced awkwardly at the way his sister spoke about the whole situation, looking like he'd very much like to sink into the floor. “Well, if you two need anything just let me know. I have to go rescue Gale from some very boring colleagues!” She beamed, blue eyes shimmering in the dim lights. “Thanks, Octavia...We'll let you know.” Kroger forced an awkward grin as his sister hurried off, collecting a glass of white wine from a nearby refreshment table on her way. “It seems like she's really happy here, and with her partner.” Wyll commented. Kroger gave a small chuckle and smiled a bit more genuinely now. “Well, believe it or not, for a scholar, Octavia has always been the most outgoing of the three of us. Our sister Lae'zel can be a bit abrasive, and I've always done best in small groups.”

“Honestly I'm surprised, you were very good at that assembly.” Wyll recalled as the two of them entered the main room, mingling with the other guests, most of whom seemed to be wizards and other academic types. He smiled that charming, winning smile. Warm and genuine, not at all a politician's smile, and inclined his head or waved politely when someone recognized him.

“That's work, I pride myself on professionalism.” Kroger replied, subconsciously dipping slightly behind Wyll as they walked, lowering his head a bit. Wyll caught on to his discomfort and gently took his hand, squeezing it lightly. “Jaina's the same way, so I get it. But I'll tell you what I told her: I think if you let people get to know you, you'd find they really like you. Not just the things you know or what you do for a living.” Wyll explained gently. “Heh...I'm afraid I'm really quite boring when you get right down to it.” Kroger brushed off the comment. “A...Anyway, over there.” He nodded in the direction of a man with greying brown hair dressed in a sensible aubergine sweatervest over a lighter purple button down. “That's Professor Dekarios, my sister's fiance. He's very well known and important in his field, with his support I think you'd corner the academic vote.” Wyll looked in the direction Kroger had nodded and assessed the man before him. He noticed that the man seemed enthusiastic about whatever topic he was discussing, but his guests seemed to be listening only out of politeness or a desire to cozy up to him. Further, Wyll could tell the subject had something to do with Kroger's sister from how the man beamed with pride and squeezed her shoulders happily as he spoke. As he made his way closer, he picked up the word 'published'. “Is your sister a writer?” Wyll asked, looking curiously at Kroger. “Sort of. She's a researcher technically, she's been compiling information on various Istik cultures since we were children and she recently attracted a fairly popular publishing company to invest. It's called 'The Practical Githyanki's Guide To Faerun'...The title was much longer, but Lae'zel and I talked her down to just that.” Kroger explained. “It's actually very informative and her field diagrams are quite charming.” “I see. Well, it's wonderful she's found someone so enthusiastic about her work. I think I should go over and congratulate her.” Wyll smiled as he approached the group, not speaking just yet, but listening as Professor Dekarios raved about his fiancee's writing. He noted a grateful smile from Octavia as she saw that he and Kroger were actually showing interest in what Gale had to say rather than treating listening to him as part of a job.

“--The chapter where she discusses the culture of Siren's Cove is really just fascinating, it's a place I think a lot of people haven't had a chance to visit and the culture and customs are fascinating.” He was saying, his expression vividly exuding genuine excitement.

“Siren's Cove? Sorry to interrupt, it's just that my wife is from that island.” Wyll cut in with interest. “Right! That's why she was so familiar when I saw her at Kroger's clinic! Her parents were some of the people I talked to when I was doing my research there! Thalassia...I should have recognized the name.” Octavia smiled. “I hope she's doing well.” “She is. Much better. I'll be sure and tell her about your book, it sounds like she would love it.” Wyll smiled. “Ah, your wife is an avid reader then?” Gale asked, he seemed eager to talk to someone actually interested in conversing with him as opposed to pretending to listen and nodding politely. “Books are her life. She's a librarian after all.” Wyll replied. “I think your collection is the only one I've seen that rivals hers. She would be beside herself in this place.” He imagined the excitement on Jaina's face if she could have a home like this, two floors and wall to wall with books instead of just the apartment. There was another incentive to win, with that kind of money he could give her that.

“Well your family should join us for dinner some night! It's been ages since I've had a chance to cook for a group...this whole thing is catered, you know.” Gale offered, voice brimming with excitement. Wyll got the feeling that being well respected wasn't the same has having a lot of genuine friends and he immediately empathized with this guy. He reminded him of Jaina in many ways. “I'd like that, and I think she would too.” Wyll smiled. “Oh, and of course you've invited as well, Kroger! And Karlach!” Octavia beamed. “Yes, the more the merrier!” Gale agreed.

Wyll smiled, nodding his head. “It's set, then! Just let me know when.” Tonight had gone well, he thought to himself. He'd made a real connection, better than simply hob nobbing with a voter bracket, he seemed to have made a friend, and that was something far more valuable by his estimation in every sense of the word.

[greenygreenland]

Dream A Little Dream of Me: Norman x Reader (part four)

-part four because I couldn’t fit everything in part three-i went overboard, I’m sorry

-please enjoy I worked a month on getting this out, haha. it is a labour of tears and love.

---->PREVIOUS PART <-----

Summary: You need your memories back. But how will you get them?

Gracefield House

Not a single soul moved for what felt like centuries. The moment Ray, Gilda and Don arrived at the scene, it was clear that nothing else could be done. Mama smiled at her children viciously. She wasn’t here to play nice any longer. Today, she was the hunter and her children the prey.

“It was a clean break. She will recover smoothly,” Mama curtly announced. “And Norman?” You didn’t like the way she looked at him, or the way her grip seemed to tighten on your limp arms. Her gaze dangerously narrowed and she said, “Your shipment date has been set.”

Your heart stopped. Norman’s shipment date had been set? No, that couldn’t be. Your plan required at least another week until everything fell into place. Norman was the core of it all. Without him, what would you do?

And speaking of which, he was going to die. Die. Die. Die. He was going to die.

You squirmed in Mama’s grasp, hoping--praying that you could maneuver around this. Norman wasn’t going to die. You wouldn’t let him.

“Let me--let me go!”

It was reckless and it was stupid to think he’d be able to evade Mama’s sight just like that, but you had to try.  Didn’t Emma say you’d all leave here together?

“Norman--!”

He blinked as if he’d woken up from a long dream. He forced himself to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Don’t struggle.

Don’t struggle? How did he expect you to sit around and do nothing? If anyone should be shipped out first, it should be you. Why? Because you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you let any of your family go.

Mama glared down at you with a cold smile. “You can’t fight me more than you can stop the sun from setting,” she said, heaving you higher off the ground. Your leg hit Mama’s arm and a cry escaped your lips. Norman flinched and Emma stood frozen in place.

You were always the strong one, not Emma, not Ray, and not Norman. Because you were one of the eldest, it was your responsibility to be the shoulder to cry on and to stand when no one else could. To see you holding back tears and gritting your teeth tight enough to make your gums bleed made Norman’s little heart break.

He didn’t care about his shipment date. All he wanted was to see you safe.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of faces, voices and regrets. The sharp pain in your leg long faded, leaving only a dull throb that stayed as a reminder of your failure. Yes, that was what you were, right? You couldn’t complete the plan even with Don, Gilda and Ray distracting Mama. You were pathetic. A waste of space.

The door creaked open and you sat up a little straighter. You smiled at the trio as they entered the room. “Hey guys.”

“How are you feeling?” inquired Norman. He took a seat by your bedside and gave your hand a gentle squeeze. Ray pulled up another chair. He hid his face behind his fringe to conceal his grim frown. It didn’t work though, and you merely smiled at him. He huffed irritably, as if he didn’t want you to know he worried so much.

“I didn’t think she’d go that far.” Ray quietly muttered. You knitted your brows together with a absentminded shrug. “And to think I was that close to getting her watch.”

Emma’s shoulders sagged. “I wish I had--”

“It’s fine Emma.” you said with a warm smile. “Broken bones heal, it’s not permanent.” She wrapped you in a tight embrace and you rubbed her back comfortingly. It was hard to look her in the eye anyway. The sadness she tried so hard to force down only added to your guilt, and you weren’t sure if you could think straight with all the regret.

“I’m sorry this happened.” you began. “Now that I’m hurt, you’re worrying for me.”

Emma pulled away as Norman gave a firm shake of his head. “None of this is anyone’s fault.” he stated. "None of us saw that coming, and even if we did, I’m not sure we’d be any good outwitting Mama on the spot like that.” He offered a gentle smile that made you feel just a little bit better.

-----

(University name), DAY TWO

Class went by rather quickly today, and maybe that was because you were sure you’d seen similar material before. Each answer came easily along with each mark on your paper like a memory from long ago. You’ve answered harder questions, much more difficult tests that held more weight than a simple grade.

“I was impressed by your extensive knowledge on world history,” said Mr. Baker. He was the world history teacher. Unlike the others, he was young, perhaps in his mid twenties. In the hour you’ve gotten to know him and the class, you’ve come to realise he’s a class favourite. For good reason, too. His jokes were phenomenal, the material entertaining, and the atmosphere, friendly.

It was like having a conversation between friends rather than teacher to student.

“Do you know what school you went to before you came here?” he inquired. You shook your head. “No. I don’t think I went to any school before this actually...but I’m not sure. I wish I knew, sorry Mr. Baker.” He offered a warm smile. “Maybe my jokes will remind you of something. In the mean time, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll remember eventually.”

Eventually. You didn’t want to remember ‘eventually’. Living a life of ignorance was difficult as it was, why should you continue it? You adjusted your grip on a notebook and said, “See you tomorrow Mr. Baker.”

“Same to you, Letha.”

The cafeteria wasn’t hard to find. Students crowded in the hallways, pushing and shoving as they stuck close to hurry towards for their meals. You didn’t care much for the food. There wasn’t any way it could measure up to your, or Gramps’s, cooking anyway.

“Letha!”

You spun around as much as you could in the congested hall. Flanna raised a hand above her head and waved. She didn’t even try to hide the fact that she was looking for you. “Letha, you comin’?” There was no way out of avoiding the red-head. She had too much energy, and an eerily observant eye hidden under her smile.

“Hello to you too, Flanna.” you said, matching her step. Flanna grinned brightly. “Are you excited for lunch? My first day here, I thought it’d taste terrible. You’d be surprised how good it is, but maybe that’s because the school’s expensive.” She let out a snort that was lost to the chatter of the crowd.

The cafe wasn’t all too big. Despite the long tables stretching out across the floor, and the high ceilings and tall windows, it felt small. Crowded. The sheer amount of teens gathered in one area was daunting, scary even. It made your head spin, and your stomach lurch in disgust.

Was this what everyone dealt with every single day? How could they do it? This was madness.

Flanna patted your shoulder and led you towards the lunch line. “You get used to it after a while. Can’t say I have, but it’s not so bad.” She handed you a cup of fruit from a large cooler. You watched as she did the same and instructed the lunch lady on exactly what she wanted.

You copied her. It was all you could do to prevent embarrassing yourself.

Once you found a table, a long sigh left your lips. “That was actually...a bit stressful.” Flanna chuckled good-naturedly. “Oh, I get it, you’re shy, aren’t you? I had a friend like that back in ninth grade when I still lived in the countryside. Couldn’t even go in line without help from me.”

“What happened to that friend?”

“Moved away. Lots of people do. They like the city because it’s “full of opportunity”.” Flanna rolled her eyes. “I think it depends on what you want. I’d prefer a quiet life where all I have to do is take care of a farm. You know, sheep, chicken, cows. It’s easy because the only person who’s your boss is you.”

Flanna clearly didn’t favour modern life as much as her peers. She went on about the difficulties of technology and how they were “nothin’ but trouble” for simple folk. You couldn’t say much about that, but you wish you understood.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. It turned out, your last three classes were with Flanna. She didn’t talk as much in class, but she asked you a lot of questions about why you knew so much. Of course, you couldn't remember, but she didn’t know that. She didn’t know who you truly were.

FIVE MONTHS LATER

The setting sun illuminated the sides of your face as you glared at the frosty grass below your winter boots. You stood outside, wrapped tightly in your thick, fur coat. It was Gramps’s daughter’s before yours, so it smelled like him. The forest. A cosy fireplace. Hot chocolate. It did little to comfort your aching heart, and maybe that was because a part of it was still missing.

Standing in the last rays of sun reminded you of that boy with light hair and kind eyes. It reminded you of his touch that refused to leave your mind. He was scorched there like an emblem on wood.

“So why can’t I remember you?” Your words were lost to the harsh, frosty breezes. “Who are you to me?” He wasn’t family, that much you knew, nor a friend either. He was much more. Much closer to your heart than either of those.

-----

This wasn't a massacre. It was the shambles of a bloody war.

The remnants of limbs and broken bones lay strewn across the throne room, where pools of crimson stained the tile flooring with its iron stench. Part of you wished you hadn’t opened the door, and another said it was your fault for letting everything get this far.

Would you have been able to stop Norman if you ran faster? If you had stopped him earlier?

Your stomach flopped and turned. The smirk painted on Norman’s lips wasn’t right. It wasn’t him. He was satisfied, not with the massacre, but with how perfectly his plan had been executed. It played out like a game of chess. Each pawn he sent out had been eliminated, leaving only the most powerful pieces on the checkered board.

“I’m sorry,” Norman said. “It’s too late (Y/n).”

He wasn’t sorry and he sure didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for lying to you. Or at least, that was what you wanted to believe. Every fibre in your body screamed at you to run at him, slap him to the moon and back, or beat him to a pulp for lying and cheating you all. Yet you couldn’t do it. Not with the way he kept his eyes to the floor.

“I’m so glad you made it back safely,” he added. “It’s a shame you were a little too late.” Your gaze lingered on his for a moment longer before you cast it to Ray and Emma. They stood strong with you, yet you had a feeling they wanted to waver just as much as you.

Emma stared at the sticky crimson under her boot, eyes wide in disbelief. “They’ve...they’ve all been...?”

“Killed.” Norman plainly finished. “They killed each other and they’re all dead now. The Queen, the nobles, the Giran clan. All of them.” Despite the pleasant way he spoke, you had a feeling he didn’t mean it. The Norman you grew up with--no--the Norman you knew wasn’t like this. He was kind. Gentle. Sweet. He cared for everyone and everything, which was why he chose to be shipped out in the first place.

And why he always chose to be the sacrifice.

You heaved in a deep breath. If this were the reality of your situation, you had to accept it. Ignoring Norman for who he was and what he did wouldn’t do a thing.

“I reforged the Promise.” You made your way across the room, eyes straight and head held high. The smug glint in Norman’s eyes vanished.

“Everybody can escape to the human world and no one needs to fight. You don’t have to kill anymore, it’s over.” That was what you wanted to believe with every fibre of your being. But was it really all over? Could you escape to the human world and leave this place after what’s happened?

Norman shook his head, as if he knew exactly what you were thinking.

“It’s too late for that.” he plainly said. “No, it’s impossible. A monarchy that has lasted thousands of years has collapsed. Governance for the demons is impossible now. So is peace.” He glanced at the lifeless body behind him. “Iverk was the last one, and I killed him myself.”

You stiffened.

“We’ve put a lethal fissure in the demon society. A fissure that can’t be mended. All that’s left to do is,” he threw out a careless hand, “shatter it. All of the demons will die out. There’s just one more factor left. We can’t go back now. We have no choice but to wipe them out.” He straightened and it was like you were staring at a different person. There was no kindness in his eyes, or that light that you’ve relied on to keep you waking up every morning. “Don’t get in the way.”

You clenched a fist. “No.” Your voice came out strong, reassuring. “What is the point in wiping out a whole race just because we can’t see eye-to-eye? There’s hope and I’ve finally grasped it! For thousands of years, there’s been a cycle of slaughter and war that we have to break. I don’t plan on standing back, and I don’t plan on letting you become more of a murderer!”

Norman’s eyes were dark from under his cloak. “(Y/n)...”

You stood your ground. Defying him was the only way you could stay strong, the only way you could convince him. “We’ll find a way together! It’s not going to be easy, but I know we can do it!”

“(Y/n)...!”

“I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself again and I’m not letting you do this alone!”

Norman’s tight expression relaxed into an uncomfortably serene smile. “What are you talking about?” he lightly inquired. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m not going anywhere.”

You heaved in a sharp breath because he stopped telling you the whole truth ages ago. He stopped relying on you because he thought he had to do everything alone. “I can’t trust you. You’re a liar! You think you can fool me? I know something’s wrong with you, you’re just trying to hide it! Don’t underestimate the family you grew up with, stupid Norman. We can see through all your lies and tricks!”

You thought back to the day you walked into his office alone.

I know you Norman, don’t forget that.

It had been too long since you’d seen him and thought him dead. Too long since you were able to hold his hands in yours.

And because I love you, I don’t want to see you destroy yourself.  

It was nice to see him again, yet there was something off about him. He hadn’t changed much besides growing as tall as a tree.

I admit, I don’t know why you act like you’re going to leave again...

The only difference was the hesitance in his stance. As if he were trying to hide something very painful in his chest.

...but I’ll do everything in my power to stop you.  

Then he left your words open-ended, as if he knew he couldn’t possibly lie to your face like that. He knew you saw through him from the start. It was only a matter of time before he acknowledged it.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” you slowly inquired. “Because you’re so smart, you chose the reliable path. Because you’re so kind, you shoulder all the burden. I know you Norman, didn’t I tell you? You don’t want to slaughter the demons! And you don’t want to wipe them out either!”

That was the truth that shone in your heart. You wanted to believe in Norman because he always believed in you. If he didn’t then he wouldn’t have allowed you to go the Seven Walls. If he didn’t, then he wouldn’t have allowed you to walk without him.

“You shouldn’t lie to yourself,” you added. “What are you hiding? What are you so afraid of?” He raised a brow challengingly. “Afraid?” Norman wanted to laugh. “I’m not...”

“The Norman in front of me looks like a scared child.” You said it like it was fact, and judging by the way Norman’s gaze unfocused, you were right. He wasn’t just scared, he was terrified. Of the consequences, of how you would look at him again, of how the blood would never, ever wash off.

But it was okay, right? He was strong. Just a little longer and it would all be over.

You took a step forward. Norman firmly held out a hand. “Don’t come any closer.” His voice was void of any emotion, cold even. “I’ve come this far. I have no intention of turning back now.”

“Well that’s too bad!” you exclaimed. “Because neither do I! I’m not letting you go this time!” You grasped his hands in yours, giving it a firm squeeze.

“Yes, you’re strong, yes you’re smart and you’re amazing and all those great things, but you’re stupid too! And arrogant! Can’t you see that you aren’t alone? Don’t be afraid to believe in us! We’re here to share everything. The tough, the burden, the painful things and the scary!”

Emma nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve done that since day one. It’s what we’re here for!” Ray locked gazes with Norman. He wasn’t about to be left out of this, not after Norman’s little stunt back in Grace Field. “Don’t be so reserved either,” he added. “Just spill it!”

You squeezed his hands tighter and stood a little closer. “You don’t need to protect us anymore! We want to walk with you, not behind you!” Answers were simple, but the journey was everlasting and dangerous. You understood what it took to get here even if you weren’t walking in Norman’s shoes. It was difficult. Terrifying. But with all the accomplishments under your belt?

It was time to reunite with him.

“Your family and siblings are your friends.” added Ray. “We don’t want a future where you end up suffering no matter what the result is. And you? What do you want? What do you want to do, Norman?”

He pulled away and the warmth left your hands. “No, it’s no good.” he stated. “You’re already too late. I’m...I’m in a place where I just can’t go back. You can’t walk alongside me--”

“We know.” you interjected. Emma nodded. “About the poison, Mujika and Sonju...”

“And the experiment in the basement.” added Ray. A hopeful smile inched itself onto your lips. “See? We’re not too late. It’s okay to be vulnerable. If you’re the real Norman, then let’s lose our way together. Let’s struggle too, and laugh.” You held out a hand and Emma and Ray joined you.

“Let’s live together.”

Norman didn’t struggle to keep his cool. You re-called the look in his eyes, the same one you saw that night he was told his shipment date. He cried, not just because he chose to get shipped out, but because he was scared. For you. For himself. For his family.

That stifling look of serenity washed off his face. His lips trembled, his shoulders shook, and his eyes watered. You all wrapped each other in a tight embrace. No one deserved to face all the ages of time on their own, no matter what it was, and more than anything, you’d do that for him.

“But...” Norman’s voice trembled. “It’s too late. It's pointless because of the drugs we were forced to take. We don’t have much longer left to live--we can’t live on.” He collapsed to his knees in a heap. “Help me... (Y/n), Emma, Ray... Please...”

That was when all the puzzles finally fit. After laying in wonder for so long with thoughts that kept you awake until the sun rose, you understood. The hesitance in his walk. The way he tried to hide his sluggish step. The way he acted like he was running out of time.

“You’re dying.” The words left your lips before you could even stop them. “It’s...the drugs from Lambda, right?” Norman tried to suppress a sob, but it came out in a way that sounded like he was chocking on his own lies and tears. You took a knee, gently placing a hand on his cheek. “Oh, Norman.”

He couldn’t stand the soft look in your eyes, or the tone in your voice that was like a warm summer breeze. You should have yelled at him. Should have stamped your foot against the ground and growled and slapped him. Yet you knelt in front of him, caressing his dampened cheeks with a touch that said it would all be okay.

Norman wouldn’t look at you--no--he refused to because he was just as you said: a liar. Why were you so kind to him when all he did was lie? He said he’d let you go to the Seven Walls. He said he’d wait for you. He said he wasn’t going anywhere and that he’d live, laugh and do everything to be there with you, for you.

Norman wondered what a murderer like him ever did to deserve you.

-----

The grass crunched under your feet. Towards the brick walls you walked, following the sun as it lowered deeper and deeper towards the ground. You had to keep reaching for it. You had to see it.

In times of trouble, it was your beacon of hope, the last bit of your old life you were sure you could recall. No matter where you were, it was always the first thing you followed. Towards the light. Towards that ray of hope.

You came to a stop at the edge of the school grounds, right where the gates separated you from the outside world bustling with life. The occasional car zoomed through the streets, interrupting the quiet air with its incessant honking and screeching.

The sun disappeared over the horizon, bathing the skies in navy blue and purple.

“Excuse me.”

The voice was light, warm, polite.

“You should really hurry home. It’s not safe out here at this time, especially since we’re students.”

You stuffed your cold hands in your pockets. “I really appreciate your concern,” --you turned to face him-- “but I’m fine. Thank you.”

A boy with light hair and kind eyes met your gaze. Something about him reminded you of something--no--someone. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but the boy did. He’d never forget you, no matter how many lifetimes he lived.

“(Y/n)?” He was breathless, frozen in time as you awkwardly knitted your brows together. (Y/n) wasn’t your name. It was Letha, the name Gramps gave to you because you couldn’t remember your own.

Your confused frown made the boy’s eyes well with tears. You stared, watching as he slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle a pained sob. He was a student here just like you, sporting the traditional sweater vest, white button-up with a tie, and black slacks to match. You’ve never seen him before, yet he looked so...familiar.

Gosh, why couldn’t you remember?

“It’s been over a year and,” he chocked, “I’ve looked everywhere. How could you--how could you do all that for us? You promised we’d live together, but you reforged the Promise and--and...”

The boy's knees wobbled, and out of instinct, you threw out your arms. He fell into you, right at the crook of your neck. You couldn’t see his face, but you knew his tears must have been frozen by now. It was cold out here.

“Are you okay?” Your voice was small, fearful almost. It made the boy cry harder. “I don’t know you, but why don’t we go inside? There should be a cafe down there, and they’re open late, so...”

“I’m sorry.”

You paused.

“I’m so sorry.” he echoed. “I wish I was there. I wish--I wish it were me--but instead...”

You patted his back as if you’d known him for a lifetime. Maybe you felt bad and that was why you hadn’t shoved him off, or maybe, it was because having him in your arms felt so right. Familiar in a way you couldn’t put into words.

Your gentle touch made the boy’s sobs relapse. He curled into you, wrapping his arms around your middle like you’d run away. Like you’d disappear. There was something so nostalgic about this hug and the way you both had your arms around each other.

It had happened before.

“The Promise,” the boy muttered, “you made it in exchange for--”

------

Bright, blue sky stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful, and oddly calm. Perhaps a little too calm. After running through a maze of illusions and riddles you struggled to solve, you arrived in this place. Alone. The ground was like water, and with each step you took, it rippled and fanned out.

Someone sat in the middle of this endless sky and water, hovering over it serenely.

“What is it you seek?” the demon inquired. You stepped forward. “I want to reforge the Promise.” The demon’s single eye gazed straight through you, as if you were nothing more than a sheet of paper held to the light. “Sure, (Y/n).”

You pursed your lips together. He was unnervingly calm, child-like even, and you had a feeling it had to do with his ‘reward’ after the promise.

“So what is it you seek?” questioned the demon. “You must give me a reward as well.”

Yes, that was the catch. But what could it be? This demon was a being higher than anyone in the land, a god that once split the world in two. He transcended time, yet remained relatively simple-minded and difficult to read.

“The reward,” the demon fiddled with an orb in his hands, “hmmm... It would have to be something important. Ambition. Desire. What someone longs for. What I would want is something important to the other party. Will you make a wish despite that?”

This was for more than your family and Norman. You had people relying on this one choice, this one Promise.

“Yes, I will make a wish despite that.”

It all meant more than the world to you. You had to liberate your family, the children who were raised like livestock and mass-produced like wild animals. And the mamas who fought to survive--you had to think about them too.

“I wish for all the cattle children to cross over...”

They didn’t choose that life of suffering. None of you did.  

“And after that, for it to be completely impossible to pass between the two worlds.”

The demon continued to stare. You stood strong and proud with the weight of all humans in this Neverland on your shoulders. If he granted your wish, then the tide would turn and you’d be able to save everyone and everything.

“I will grant that wish,” he said. “And the reward I want are your---”

----

“Memories?” The words fell from your lips in a hasty breath. More than anything, you valued finding them. It was the only missing piece in your heart. The last portion of the unsolved mystery.

This boy--whoever he was--talked about you like he knew you. Held you like you meant something. Said that name, (Y/n), like it were his life line. He pulled away with a sniffle, settling his hands on your shoulders with a loving touch.

“You don’t remember me.” He lifted a hand and raised it to place on your cheek. But he couldn’t touch you like he used to. Not when you looked at him like he was far away and out of your reach.

“You don’t remember me.” the boy quietly repeated. He began to pull away, but you grasped his hand in yours. It was warm, soft. “No, I...I’ve seen you before.” There was a pained look on the boy’s face, as if he thought you were lying to him.

“Haven’t we been through this before (Y/n)?”

No, said your mind. Yes, said your heart.

“You shouldn’t lie to yourself.”

Your grip tightened around his hand, but not enough to hurt him. “I...I do know you. You’re...” You shouldn’t lie to yourself. You shouldn’t lie to yourself. You shouldn’t lie to yourself. But you did know this boy, and all this time, you yearned to see him.

Remember.

Remember.

Who was he to you?

Who were you to him?

Remember.

Remember!

“I can’t remember your name,” your eyes welled up with cold tears, “but I know I’ve missed you all this time.” You pulled his hand to your cheek as he brought you close. The scent of parchment, aged books, and the woods. Yes, that was nostalgic, so much that it felt right. The final piece, fragmented and broken, began connecting again. It brought the dots and the gaps you tried so hard to fill together.

But something else was still missing.

The boy pulled your head to the crook of his neck and rocked you from side to side in the moonlight. Even the hazy streetlights were drowned out by the stars. You liked to think it was because this part of the city was quiet, isolated, from the rest of the world. And the rest of your worries.

“Norman.” he said.

You looked up at him.

“My name is Norman.”

“And mine is...(Y/n)?”

“Yes,” he said with a bittersweet smile. “I think the day I fell in love with you was when you got excited about something Ray told you. Ray is our family if you’re wondering, and so is Emma, and Gilda, Don...” He told you about people you once knew, and the life you once lived. Some parts he left out, and others he kept.

But you wouldn’t have known. Not when your memory laid in fragments.

“...And so we looked for you. I didn’t think you’d be here, but I’m glad you were.” He laid his chin on the top of your head. “You used to joke that I’d never be taller than you, but now I am.” A sad chuckle left his lips. “I wish things could be different and that you--”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a flash of red hair. Your head began to pound and you nuzzled closer into Norman.

“What’s wrong?”

“My head hurts.”

He ran a hand through your locks, arms folded close around you as he hummed a sweet tune. It was sad, melancholy, and the only one you’d ever known your whole life. “I know that song.” you mumbled. Norman smiled softly. “Mama used to sing it to us all the time. When Ray had nightmares, she put him to sleep with this song.”

The pounding in your head increased and you squeezed your eyes shut. “I did too. I sang...to you.” Norman’s lips parted, but he settled on a nod and smiled instead. “You remember?”

“I think so.” The memory was hazy, as if someone were trying to make you forget for good. But you fought that urge, held on to the image of a room with white sheets and bed lined up side by side. “You were...talking to me...about a...I don’t know...”

“Go on.”

“You were crying late at night...so I...I sang to you.”

Norman kissed the top of your head. When he was in Lambda, locking in that room all alone running through test after test, he held fast to that memory. It kept him from giving up on what he fought for, and kicking the bucket for good.

“I missed you so much.” he wistfully whispered. “You can’t leave me again, or else you’ll break my heart for good.” You looked up to meet his watery eyes. “Why would I leave?” Norman shook his head. “It was in the Promise, wasn’t it? You can’t break it.”

The pounding began to fade. You tiredly smiled, but it was warm and thankful and happy. “That won’t stop me, Norman. I don’t think I could live without you.” He warmly chuckled, intertwining his hands with yours. “Me too.”

And it was then that you began to feel a little more complete, a little more you from then. You were sure you wouldn’t have to dream another little dream of your wodeerful Norman any longer, for he would be right by your side, where you both belonged.

You released his hands and cupped his cheek. It was a natural act you didn’t even have to think twice about. When you were you, you had done this more than a thousand times. Your lips connected in a sweet kiss. He tasted like coffee and tea rolled into one, and you had a feeling it was because he couldn’t choose which was better.

“I love you.” you said. He warmly smiled, but underneath, it was almost sly. “I love you too. Why don’t we do some catching up?”

TIP JAR!! <- (Support me on Ko-fi please!)

DON'T FORGET TO LIKE AND REBLOG, AS IT HELPS ME OUT AS A CREATOR A LOT!

Thank you to those who stayed this long, I love you all SOOOOO MUCH!

[imagineabrighterworld]

{Four Hundred Thousand Yen} Tamaki Amajiki x Reader

Tamaki had a lot of questions in life, but the list was reordered the moment he was chosen for the date auction of 3-A.

Why me?

Why was my name in the bid?

Why did no one look surprised?

Was this rigged?

His last question was answered fairly quickly, the class did in fact rig the polls. It was a tie between him and Mirio, but after some convincing from Mirio and Nejire, the class had filled the ballot box almost entirely with Tamaki’s name.

“Why would you do this to me?” He mumbles into his desk as he bowed his head to keep from seeing his traitorous best friend. Mirio was standing next to his desk with a huge smile on his face. Tamaki couldn't see it, but he could hear it in his friend’s voice.

“It’ll be fun! Don't sweat it, you're gonna be great!”

“I-I can't even- go on stage..” Tamaki lifts his head to show his lips were trembling as he was on the verge of a breakdown. The thought of being on stage for people to bid on- what if no one wanted him? What if it was just silence and he wasn't picked at all? How embarrassing would it be when he left the stage without a single bid? “What if no one picks me? I-I would be humiliated.”

Mirio pats him on the back. “Trust me, there are plenty of girls and guys waiting to bid on you, I did a poll!”

Tamaki’s face burns red. “You what?” He squeaks out.

“Well not an official poll, but I asked around the school and everyone was pretty excited to hear you might be in the auction.” Mirio rubs his chin. “I’d say you had a good seventy percent of the students I asked.”

The wheels in Tamaki’s mind stutter as he focuses on the thirty percent that must have said no. He groans and stands up from his seat. “I'm going to the workshop..”

“3-H?” Mirio asks.

“Yeah..” Tamaki slides out of the classroom with his head ducked low. His face was still a bright pink when he entered the third year’s workshop. It was enormous compared to the first year’s space. It had gear and tech that the first years were not yet trusted with.

He walks around the empty room, looking at the half built suits and the observation window that separated the testing room from the rest of the space. It was a special glass that was essentially bomb-proof, nothing could break the glass, which made it essential for testing costumes that needed to undergo massive damage.

“Tamaki!”

He turns around to find you dragging a massive robot by a thick metal chain. You were covered in scuff marks and grease, but you had a light in your eyes that made him smile. His thoughts were briefly distracted by the date auction and instead directed towards you. You were one of his friends since his second year when he needed an update in his costume. He still got shy around you, but talking with you became easier the more he visited you.

It was a small miracle that you didn't mind his silent days. You both would listen to your radio while you worked. You didn't push him, and it was greatly appreciated. Sometimes he needed a break and you were there to take it with him.

“Whatcha doing here Tama-chan?” You release your grip of the chain, unbothered by the loud boom as the heavy chain falls to the ground. It was startling sometimes to remember that your quirk was strength based. You lifted gear so easily, it looked weightless to him. “Got a problem on your mind? You look like a shrimp.” You brush your gloved hand over his flushed cheek.

Tamaki rubs his face while looking to the ground. “Iwasvotedinforthedatingauction..” He whispers quickly.

“What was that?” You tilt your head. “You lost me at I.”

He takes a deep breath and speaks a tad bit louder. “I.. Was voted in for the dating auction..”

“Oh. … Oh.”

You both stand in silence, listening to the ticking of the clock in the room.

You're the first to break the quiet. “Mirio was behind it wasn't he?”

“And Nejire.” He adds softly. His best friends other than you, both ratted him out. They knew he had trouble with the spotlight, with his.. His self image.. He couldn't do it. “I think I'm going to call in sick. Mirio is more popular than me anyway, he’ll definitely get bids.”

“I think you should do it.”

He startles. “What?”

You smile down at him. With your work boots you were a good few inches taller than him. “You're really sweet Tama-chan, you're underestimating yourself again.” You tap him on the forehead. “Think of this as a mission. The goal is to get to the finish line. Don't think about how much you earn, think of getting to the end of the auction.”

“But I can't handle crowds-”

You put a hand on his shoulder. “Tamaki.”

He looks you in the eyes, his heartbeat racing as he sees your normally nonchalant expression turn serious.

“You're Suneater, an amazing hero that always gets the job done. This is just another job. And you're going to rock it.”

He gulps.

Just a job. Not a game, not an auction, just a job. Another mission that needed finishing.

He nods his head reluctantly. “Okay.”

“Good.” You pull him in for a side hug, completely forgetting you were covered in grease. “Now help me figure out what the hell I'm doing.”

-

The day of the auction was hectic. It was a festival, which meant that the class was divided into doing different jobs, a sixth went to preparing the auction with the other classes while the rest went on to handle food stands and games.

Mirio was in charge of the money earned during the bids while Nejire was the announcer.

Which left Tamaki alone behind the stage with the other “volunteers”. Some of the students actually did want to participate, but he could see from some of the faces that some where plucked forcefully by their classmates.

At least I’m not the only one. He thinks to himself.

He mourns quietly as the students file in line. The first to go were the first years, then the second, then the third years. Which meant he was the first of his year to go onstage.

So far the highest bid was for Todoroki of 1-A who got fifty-one thousand yen.

I'll be lucky if I get one hundred yen.

Tamaki fiddles with the cuffs of his suit. It was black with gold sun cufflinks. If it were a different occasion, he would have liked the suit. It was comfortable and completely black, allowing him to blend in rather than stand out. But in this situation he would have no choice but to stand out.

He squeezes his eyes shut as he hears his name called out.

“Next up, Tamaki Amajiki from Class 3-A!” Nejire cheers from beyond the stage.

With a small pat on his shoulder from the boy  behind him, Tamaki steps through the curtain and walks on stage.

Faces. So many faces.

The crowd was bigger than he thought, it was full of people-

“Remember, keep your head up, eyes to the sky, it'll be over before you know it. Trust me.”

Your words ring in his head as he walks down the catwalk, his eyes on a distant tree as he tries to keep from folding over in shame as numbers are called out.

Ten thousand yen. Thirteen thousand yen. Fifteen thousand yen. Thirty thousand yen.

He stops at the end of the stage and keeps his hands clenched at his sides. He felt like he was going to collapse-

“Two-hundred thousand yen!” A familiar voice chimes from the crowd of people.

Tamaki’s gaze snaps to Nejire who had floated off the stage and was staring at Mirio with a look of wonder. Who- What? What! Who would bid that much!

No it had to be a mistake!

“Four-hundred thousand yen!” It was the same person. “You're twisting my arm here Nejire!”

Tamaki scans the crowd for the voice.

No, it has to be a joke-!

You stand in the center of the crowd with one of the bidding panels in your hand. You were grinning widely. “Neji, I could go on forever, just give him to me.”

The crowd parts around you as they whisper the number incredulously.

Four-hundred thousand yen.

Tamaki didn't even expect to get a percent of that!

Nejire lands on the stage with a small thump. Her smile was nearly identical to yours. “Any other bidders? Going once. Going twice?” The crowd was talking but no new bid came up. “Tamaki Amajiki, sold for four-hundred thousand yen!”

-  

After the auction, Tamaki finds you with Mirio, a thick stack of yen in hand.

He runs to you. “Wait!”

You look back at him just as Mirio tucks the cash into the metal box full of bids. “Yeah?”

He stands across from you, frazzled and in desperate need of a good cry. He almost ran off stage just to keep from collapsing in fear.

“How could you- why did you-” He stumbles over his words. “Why did you bid on me? Why so much?”

You smile as you zip your wallet shut. “That’s easy Tama-chan. I knew you wouldn't feel comfortable going on a date with a stranger, so I paid an amount I knew no one would be able to beat.”

“But, it's your money..” He squeezes his hands into fists. “You can't just waste it on me, I’m not worth that much..”

You step away from Mirio and stand in front of Tamaki, fixing his crooked tie from running. “I'm an engineer. I know how much each part costs and the cost of the overall product. You're worth more than I could ever buy Tama-chan.” You press a small kiss on the tip of his nose. “And I couldn’t pass up the chance of getting dinner with you in that suit.”

Finally, Tamaki collapses in a fit of pink.

You look at Mirio.

He laughs. “He's all yours!”

His plan went just as expected.

[c-r-ash-crash]

For the writing requests, may I request some third life flower husbands fluff? Not as a ship, as a platonic thing, but, some fluff to spare maybe,,pls,,,everything is angst and I'm sad about them,,,

Fluff? Never met her! But seriously, I'm sorry anon. Hurt/comfort was the best I could do.

Jimmy waited nervously by the entry way. He was trying to distract himself by organizing his and Scott's chests, but he still found himself glancing anxiously at the door. He knew Scott could take care of himself. Heck, Scott could probably take on the entirety of Dogwarts if he put his mind too it. But Jimmy couldn't help the knot of worry that came up whenever his husband went to negotiate with with Ren's faction.

After another twenty minutes though, Jimmy had to admit that distracting himself wasn't working. He closed the chest rather reluctantly. A walk would do him good. Their wheat farm needed to be expanded anyways. He swung open the door. He hesitated before he could step out though, and after a moment, grabbed his sword from his place on the wall. Things were quickly breaking down. He was already on his second life. He could practically hear Scott affectionately lecturing him for forgetting his sword whenever he left the house. Jimmy smiled softly to himself.

He stepped out, and into the soft grass. Dew left small trails of water along the edges of his boots, and the air was filled with the smell of soil and flowers. Jimmy loved it, every part of it. It was home. It was his and Scott's home. He made his way over to the wheat field, but just as he was about to bend down, he noticed something was off. Slowly, he knelt, knees pressing into the soil, and began scanning the walls around their yard. After a few moments, he noticed a small black smudge against a tree on the hill behind him. His hand drifted towards his sword, but otherwise, he made no other move.

"I see you Etho!" he called out.

"I know," the ninja responded. Then, suddenly, he appeared next to Jimmy. "I wanted you to."

Jimmy stood up, hand resting gently on the hilt of his sword. Etho glanced down at it, but his expression didn't change. Of course, it was hard to tell what he was thinking under his mask anyways. "What can I do for you?" Jimmy asked.

"Nothing much," Etho said with a shrug. "Actually, I'm here to make sure you don't do anything." Jimmy's brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dowgwarts sent me," Etho said, tone cool and unchanging. There was a slight threat behind it though. "Martyn knows how much you care about Scott. Wanted to make sure you wouldn't get all worried about you...partner and disrupt the rather delicate negotiations."

"What are you implying by partner?" Jimmy asked, bristling at the way Etho used it to sound like an insult. For a moment, there was silence, but then Etho sighed.

"Look, kid. Lemme give you some advice, okay? If you want to win a game like this. You can't trust anyone. You can't make friends, not real friends anyways. In a world like this, people are just a means to your ends."

Jimmy's eyes narrowed. "Really? Why are with the Red Banners then? Their whole thing is to protect their members no matter what."

"Like I said, people are a means to your end in this world."

Jimmy's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. The silence stretched on for a long time. Finally, though, at the other end of the valley, a door creaked open. Etho and Jimmy whirled around to see that someone was coming through the gate. Once he caught sight of Scott's bright blue hair, Jimmy instantly relaxed.

"Scott!" He called out, pulling his hand away from his sword and waving to his husband. Scott's face broke into a wide smile, and he jogged over to where Etho and Jimmy were standing. "Hey, Jimmy! How have you been?!"

It sounded like Scott hadn't seen the blonde for months, but it had only been an hour at most. Jimmy didn't care. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. He pulled Scott into a hug, and buried his face in the other's shoulder.

"Awww," Scott said teasingly. "Did you miss me?"

Jimmy nodded. "Was worried too," he murmured.

"Oh, I can take care of myself," Scott said, ruffling Jimmy's hair. "And I can take care of you too. Promise." Jimmy nodded again.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, but eventually they pulled apart. Etho cleared his throat softly, and Scott startled. "Oh, Etho! Sorry, I didn't notice you there."

"I know," Etho said non-nonchalantly. "I didn't want you too." Scott's brow furrowed, but Etho barreled on ahead. "That was awfully cute just now, and I'd love to stay, but I need to get back to Dogwarts." He turned to Jimmy, and his tone turned more serious. "Remember what I said, kid. Don't forget it." And with that, he dissapeared.

"What was that all about?" Scott asked. "Nothing," Jimmy said with a shake of his head. "Just some advice he had for me. Anyways, how did the meeting with Ren and Martyn go?" The change of subject wasn't particularly subtle, but Scott fell for it anyways.

His face lit up, and he said excitedly, "It went really, really well. We could have an alliance secured with them as early as later tonight." "Oh."

"What's wrong?" Scott asked, resting his hand gently on Jimmy's shoulder.

"Nothing, nothing!" Jimmy assured him quickly. "It's just...could we maybe hold off on an alliance with Dogwarts for now? It just seems kind of soon is all. And...I'm not sure I trust them yet."

Scott's gaze softened. "Of course. Whatever you say." He glanced down and noticed the faint traces of dirt on Jimmy's pants. "What were you doing?"

"Oh, I was going to expand the wheat farm," Jimmy said. "Wanna help?" "Of course. Anything, if it means I get to spend time with you." Jimmy blushed, and he and Scott knelt down in the dirt, tending to their wheat crops.

[fumbling-fanfics]

Ransom Thrombey x Reader...

Warnings: Smut, Ransom being an asshole, slightly non-con in part, theft.

Pairing: Ransom x Reader

**********************************************

You rolled your eyes with a scoff at the *Be careful* text that had come through to your phone from your best friend. It was in reference to Ransom Thrombey.

The guy whose car you were sat in, speeding towards his place.

You were fully aware of how much of an absolute asshole he was. You were casual acquaintances. And usually you would have kept your distance. But he was hot. He wasn't your ex. He also wasn't the slimy guy at the bar who wouldn't take no for an answer. Who else where you meant to fuck.

*He's a A grade asshole* was the following text. You quietly snorted to yourself and replied with *I know. I'll be fine*

"What?“ Ransom asked, with a quick glance your way. His eyes didn't reach your face, just your exposed thigh above your boots and below your cream dress that stopped just above mid thigh.

"Nothing, just calling off the search party for me" you mumble, throwing your phone into your small clutch and snapping it shut.

"You're hot property" he commented - sounding proud he managed to snatch you away. You suppressed another eye roll and remained quiet.

***

You'd never been to Ransom's place, but it was no surprise. Asshole-trust-fund-baby's interior design taste seemed to be obvious.

"Drink?“ he asked tossing his keys into a far too expensive bowl as he strut off into his house.

"Please" you were probably going to need some more alcohol to dull the asshole in Ransom. You followed him into the kitchen, eyeing the interior as you walked, your boots clicking along the floor.

"I only have red, is that okay?“

“Sure" you hated red, but then again there wasn't much to like about Ransom. A pretty face only made up for so much.

***

Where you meant to argue with someone you were about to fuck? Like really argue? You had contemplated leaving, but it was late. Plus the Uber app showed the nearest uber 30 mins away.

You had to admit it was kind of fun pissing Ransom off. He hadn't expected you to be so smart, with a good answer for everything. You had him stuck for words several times. "You got a smart mouth" he grinned, clearly annoyed at one point.

"You can't possibly believe that, but then again you did refer to me earlier as property" you sipped your drink for dramatic effect. But that only seemed to piss Ransom off more - turning his words against him.

He was clearly more annoyed that you realised because his next move was to toss the contents of the wine glass in his hand in your direction. The red liquid instantly soaked into your dress. Your cream dress.

That's how much of an asshole Ransom was. But you weren't going to get angry. Not yet anyway. You'd come this far.

You looked at the liquid running down your thigh and roughly wiped away the trail before it reached the top of your boot. You looked up at Ransom's smug face, lost for words for a moment.

"I'll have my maid clean your dress" God herself wouldn't be able to get the wine out of the dress.

"If you wanted me to take my clothes off so badly you should have just asked me already" You pushed away from the kitchen counter and walked out of the kitchen. Slowly unzipping your dress.

"Where are you going?" Ransom called after you.

"The bedroom is this way, right?"

***

Ransom was selfish, and it showed in the way he had sex. It wasn't bad, far from it. But he just did things so you would do things to him in return.

Your already scored one point - as you peeled off your ruined dress you could see that there was a moment of realisation, that with you he couldn't get away with doing the bare minimum or demand you did stuff solely for him.

He went down on you, but it was obvious it was only so you would go down on him. But that wasn't to say he was bad at it. Of course Ransom was good at everything he did.

You could feel like light stubble on his face against the inside of your thighs. He was good with his mouth, but when he added in his fingers your back arched off his bed, your hands jumping to the top of his head, messing up that perfect asshole quiff.

Even with his head between your legs, you could sense that asshole smirk. "You like that?“ he cockily asked. Your just nodded your head along with a high pitched hum. He pushed you down against his bed, and when he added a finger to the two that were already inside you it only took a few moments before your were gripping the forearm of hand that was pushing down on your stomach as you came.

You didn't want to return the favour. They way he sat on the edge of his bed, like some demanding King. Legs open, resting back on his arms and that asshole smirk. You should have grabbed up your dress and left, but then again the score was One-all and you were determined to win.

You had to admit to yourself that Ransom had a nice cock. It was nice to look at, one you'd enjoy receiving a picture of. But of course he did. It was Ransom, and you weren't going to actually tell him that.

As you knelt down between his legs, Ransom dropped down onto his elbows, you ran your hands up his bare thighs - watched his cock bounced a little as your fingers tickled his skin.

Ransom shuddered with a groan as you slowly took him in your mouth as you looked up at him, your tongue running along the underside of his cock as you leant forward taking him into your mouth. His hips jerked as he hit the back of your throat.

Soon you rid him of that smirk, and you weren't even trying hard. It was his turn to have the duvet screwed up in his hands. You watched his lower abdomen muscles twitch, impressed with the curses you managed to pull from him.

A few moments before you could tell he was about to cum, you let him slowly slide out of your mouth. When he didn't feel your mouth again, he propped himself up on his elbows, looking down at you.

You climbed on top of him, positioning yourself in his lower stomach. You watch as his eyes dart between your face, breasts and the wetness he could no doubt feel on his lower stomach where you sat.

"I was just about to cum" he whines, like a spoilt brat.

Two - One to you, maybe even Three - One. You pressed your chest against his as you leant down to kiss Ransom. He gropes at your waist as his tongue slide into your mouth.

You manage to slide your hand down between you both so you grip his cock and manoeuvre the tip just into you. A little.

When you push back on his chest, looking down at him you're little smirk puts an end to your games. Ransom is pushing his hip, quickly entering you as he's ulling you down onto him, and rolling you both over - plenty of room left on his huge custom made bed.

He bottoms out inside you, has you trying to crawl back and create some distance, but he just pins you to the bed. "You're not going anywhere" he growls.

You lose count on the internal score you have going on - is it Six-All, or Eight-Five, or Eight-Seven.

You're not sure, the orgasms have you a little confused, but you have Ransom on his back again. He has two fingers in your mouth as you start to ride him. Your press your hands into his chest, widen the stance of your knees either side of his hips, and roll your hips slowly, in a tight circle, keeping most if him inside you. He watches how you move, the other hand gripping your waist because he's not sure how you're doing that. Is it an illusion? Because it feels too good to be fake.

You let your head drop back, his fingers slipping out of your mouth as his hand slide down to your neck. He squeezes a little, not wanting to ruin the moment by being too much of an asshole at the wrong time. He feels you flutter around him, and squeezes again - maintaining the pressure, trying to hold off his own orgasm, because it's gonna be his last and he wants it to count.

You're trying to hold off your own orgasm too. Thinking of things that detract from the feeling of Ransom inside you. You're ruined dress. How much of an asshole he is. If you can order an uber so you don't have to stay the night. But all your mind keeps thinking of his how his hands grip you with the right pressure, keeping you low down in him. How he feels inside you, how you can feel all of him as you clench like your own body is trying to get more.

"Fu-k" the curse comes out broken from Ransom's mouth. His hand slips from your throat to the other side of your waist as he tries to hold you down on him so he can really bury himself inside of you. And that's all it takes to have you cuming. Your back arches, your pelvis tilting forward trying to get more. Your fingers wrap around both Ransom's forearms and dig in.

You manage to stay up right, panting in time with Ransom. Ten - Eight to you.

***

Ten-All. You don't think that because you're asleep. But it is. Because you fell asleep before you could get out of Ransom's.

Now he lays half awake next to you wishing his phone was closer so he could take a picture. You were a great catch - maybe he'll ask you back somehow.

Ransom had managed to pull the covers back down to your waist to admire you as you slept. Maybe he'd push you out of bed. Maybe he'd hold a pillow over your head for jokes. Or

He pressed up against you, running his hand from your neck, between your breasts and down your stomach. With a sigh you rolled onto your side, youre back to Ransom.

That wasn't exactly the reaction he was looking for. He shuffles up against your back. His cock sitting nicely between your ass cheeks, as his hand tickles down your stomach again. He dips his fingers between your legs and slides them along your clit, rubbing soft, slow circles.

"Good morning to you too" You mumble. Ransom doesn't verbally reply, just shoves him hand further between your legs, trying to get his fingers inside you. Your grunt, pushing him off of you.

Ransom rolls onto his back, slowly stroking himself.

"Maybe I should go" as you sit up, Ransom grabs your arm pulling you back down. There was a brief moment of struggle between you and Ransom and he ended up on top of you.

He pinned your arms over your head. "Why don't you stay for breakfast? How's eggs sound?"

You pulled your wrists from his grip, holding them against your chest. "I really doubt you can actually cook" you snorted.

You don't mean to inflame Ransom so much, but it was a statement that probably had weight.

Ransom's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed both your wrists in one of his hands, pressing them into your chest. He shifted on you slightly, grabbing himself. He started to stroke himself, maintaining eye contact with you.

"Ransom stop it" when you pushed your arms up, Ransom pushed down harder.

"Don't be disgusting" you tried to fight him off but he was stronger than you.

"Ransom, no" he pressed your wrists into your chest harder, as he quickened the pace in which he jerked himself off.

Before you could stop him, he came all over your stomach. He held you down, allowing himself to fully finish. The cum was hot against your skin. He relaxed letting go for your wrists.

"You're a fucking asshole you know that" you elbowed Ransom off of you and stormed off to the bathroom. You grabbed one of the small towels from the handrail, ran it under the hot water tap and started to clean yourself up.

Behind you, you could hear the sound of Ransom's bare feet against the heated bathroom tiles. "I'm sorry"

You glared up at him in reflection of the mirror. "You're not"

"I am, let me make it up to you" his hands found your waist, pulling you back against him. His new erection was evident, sliding between your ass cheeks as he rubbed up against you.

"I'm going to have a shower" you pushed away from him, Fleet slapping against the warm marble. You made sure to slam the door shut, happy to see him leave the bathroom after a moment.

When you stepped out of the shower Ransom was nowhere to be seen.

In just the towel you wandered through his place until you found him.

He was sat on one of his fancy single chairs, dressed. He smirked on seeing you enter the living area. The mostly glass space making you feel more vulnerable under his gaze.

"I'll call you tomorrow" Ransom hung up the phone, smirking at you.

"I'm going to ask if you cleaned my dress, even though I know the answer is no" Ransom just chuckled to himself.

"Slipped my mind"

"Guess you'll have to stick around a bit longer, unless you're gonna leave in that. Now I know you look good in anything, but a towels a stretch" his smug smile increases. But rather than give him the satisfaction of being angry you spin on your heels and walk back to the bedroom.

"No worries"

"I don't like this new you y/n, she's no fun" he calls out.

"Fuck you Ransom… Oh wait I already did" you mumble to yourself and you rip off the towel, throwing it to the ground, giving Ransom a nice view of your ass as you walked off.

You storm to his obscenely large walk in wardrobe and start rummaging around. You're pretty sure there's probably some left over female clothes you can find.

But it's not another females clothes you find.

An hour later yours slipping out of the back door for Ransom's place, dressed in more than a towel, walking across the gravel to the waiting uber. The driver greets you as you get in confirming your name and the drop off point.

You smugly smile as you feel your phone vibrating in your clutch. You slowly answer the phone, half wondering if you should let it go to voicemail.

"Yes Ransom" you know he can hear the smirk in your voice.

"Being naked won't get you 5 stars on Uber"

"Most people don't hold others hostage by taking their clothes" the Uber drivers eyes flick onto you in the rear view mirror and then back onto the road. "If you wanted me to stay you should have just asked"

"I asked you if you wanted breakfast" you snorted down the phone.

"I'm sure you'll be back for your dress anyway"

"Unlikely, tie-dye is so last year" you hang up, and open up your camera taking a snap of your new outfit and send it to Ransom.

*A little worn, but comfy. The holes give character* you add after the picture.

*I want my jumper back* is the reply. You can feel his anger even half way from his place.

*We all want a lot of things Ransom, doesn't mean we get them*

**********************************************

Tags: @ellixthea @lovelymari4 @chaneajoyyy

@honeychicana @beaminglife @amelatonin @themyscxiras @crushed-pink-petals @lady-olive-oil @jojolu @endless00paradise @est1887 @cajunpeach @melinda-january @profoundlynerdywolf @deathonyourtongue @designerwriterchic @itsbqueenthings @alicesfracturedmirror @joebob15274 @write-fromthe-start @islanddgal @tarashari-tfp @dc41896

[yourcreepyneighborhoodelftwink]

As the Hero fell upwards through the sands of time, the days rewinding like the gears of a clock, he landed calmly on the cobblestones of Clock Town Square, at the dawn of the first day. He had been through this many times before, and had grown accustomed to reliving the same 3 days, helping the same people with the same schedules, slowly making more and more progress each time. At least he didn't feel an enormous time crunch, even with the threat of the moon hanging above him, he was always able to rewind the days, and could take days to rest, to sleep or ride Epona or play with the inhabitants.

He rarely did, but it was nice that the option was there.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Tatl getting his attention with a soft tinkling sound, looking over at the stand near the Deku flower, and the note pinned to it.

"That's certainly new…" she said cautiously as they approached, Tatl reading aloud to Link.

The pair exchanged a confused and frightened look. It wasn't signed, but they knew exactly who left the note for them.

BEN sat on the edge of the field, their boots hanging over the barrier where the grass turned into sand, looking out at the canyon leading to the beach. It had been so long since they had entered their game, only playing it from the outside. Perhaps they had been showing too much love to Breath of the Wild lately and not enough to the dark masterpiece of their former prison, or perhaps it was the only world they could enter that felt truly real, where the sun was warm and the wind blew. They HAD become a bit spoiled, learning that adding weather effects and random wind blowing did wonders to immersion when they entered a game.

They closed their eyes, speaking up before looking behind them.

"You didn't have to rush over here. "as possible" doesn't mean "instantly", you know…" BEN said gently, lowering their ears with a guilty smile.

Link frowned softly, keeping his distance from the elf. He couldn't draw his sword AND sign, after all, so he would have to make due. "You didn't specify. I've learned better than to provoke you."

BEN couldn't exactly blame his caution. It's why they were here, after all. "My bad. I'll be more specific next time. But I suppose it's neither here nor there now…"

"...is there something you want, BEN? " Link asked, clearly a bit anxious by being asked to meet.

"...a few things. I won't lie and say there isn't a favor I'd like to ask the both of you-"

"Like you have any right to ask Link for anything, at this point!" Tatl quickly interjected, turning red in anger. "You've terrorized us for no good reason, revealed truths we didn't need to know, and then just left us alone one day!"

"-BUT," BEN continued, "that isn't my main reason for being here. First and foremost... You're long overdue for an apology from me."

Link and Tatl looked at each other in confusion. "...pardon? " Link questioned.

"...I've been doing a lot of thinking and self reflecting lately. Especially because I finally have reason to want to improve myself. And I think I've gotten pretty far in trying to right the wrongs of my past, and try to change as a person. But I still never gave the both of you a proper apology, or even an explanation for how I treated you…" BEN sheepishly said.

Link looked down at the seated person, absolutely dumbfounded. All the times he had been attacked by BEN came instantly into his mind, only to not even be able to so much as scratch them in return, even the might of a Goron doing nothing to them. All the times he had been followed and told he was insignificant, worthless, a joke of a hero, told he was nothing more than a bland, boring conduit for the player of a game in a world far grander than his own. Only for BEN to just... Disappear one day. Gone. Vanish into thin air, and only return occasionally, seemingly at their leisure. Something... Didn't add up to him, and he wasn't sure what on Earth made them suddenly stop tormenting him, and now want to make things right.

"...I'll hear you out, at least," Link finally said, stepping forward to sit next to him. If nothing else, were he going to harm Link, BEN would have done it by now.

"Not that it makes us all hunky-dory yet," Tatl offered, settling on Link's shoulder.

BEN smiled softly, letting out a relieved breath. They stayed quiet for a moment, deciding their words carefully. "I'm not... Sure where to start. So much has happened to me. I guess I should start when we first met. When I first entered this game. It was my favorite game, and with me when I died," they started.

Tatl interrupted, jingling softly. "...when you died?"

BEN nodded softly. "When I died. I was just about your age, Link, about 12. More specifically, when I was murdered. Father simply... Got tired of me, I suppose. He tricked my religion's leader- we refer to him as The Father- into thinking it was my time to Ascend when it wasn't. The whole explanation of my belief system isn't important in this, just that I was robbed of something very important and sacred to me because of it."

"That sounds horrible," Link signed.

"It was... And I was only 12, and not the greatest at understanding or expressing my emotions... I was so angry, absolutely furious at losing that chance, as what had been done to me. I've always had a strong sense of justice, if you can believe it. I don't easily stand for people wronging me. But when I died, my spirit was trapped in this game. All that rage bottled up, with nowhere to release it... Until I started releasing it on you. Very unfairly."

"I'll say," Tatl said, though there wasn't much bite behind her words.

"Eventually, someone played the game, and I was able to break free, find someone else to torment. And after that, start lashing out at everyone who had hurt me, making them

PĄŸ,"

BEN continued, their voice glitching out just a bit at the final word.

"...i moved on to more innocent people after that. I was out of control. To the point where my goddess, Luna, intervened. She stopped me herself, gave me a new body, made me into a young adult so I wouldn't be trapped as a child forever, and I carry the souls of everyone I hurt in my blind sadism, until I join her again one day. And I've worked hard to be a better person now. I've found so much to make my life wonderful, and to make the most of my second chance…" BEN trailed off.

"...but you still want to make amends to everyone you've hurt," Link finished for them.

"...I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't think I can be forgiven. But I really AM sorry for how I treated you. Both of you. Of everyone I've lashed out at, you're the least deserving of it. No matter WHAT'S happened to me, it's NO excuse for how much I've hurt you. And even if you never forgive me, I would love the opportunity to make it up to you…" they finished softly.

"...would you excuse us for a moment?" Tatl asked, flying a slight distance away. Link glanced over at BEN before rising to his feet to follow, and speak with the fairy alone. BEN politely stayed looking forward, allowing them the privacy.

"...do you believe them?" Tatl asked.

"...yeah. They seem genuine," Link admitted.

Tatl nodded softly. "I do, too. There's much simpler ways to trick us or convince us if that was their intention. Even if they said they wanted a favor, this is a lot of lengths to go to for just that…"

"I wonder what they want," the hero mused, glancing over at BEN.

"...maybe ask? Perhaps you can also ask a favor of him, test his sincerity," she said.

"What would that be? " he asked.

"Well, you've said you're curious about his world, whatever it is that our entire world is only a game in, a small part of. Maybe you can ask to explore his world. It'd give you the opportunity to spend more time with him and let him earn your trust, anyway," she offered.

Link nodded softly, then whistled to get BEN's attention. "Alright, BEN, we've talked it over. First, I want to know what favor it is you want…"

"Actually, it's a favor specifically from Tatl," they explained.

"Wait, me?" she questioned.

"...my daughter has watched me play this game a lot. And she's absolutely fallen in LOVE with you, she ADORES seeing you on screen. Her first birthday is in a few months, and there's... Circumstances about my life, and now hers, that will make her very different from other children, with so many secrets to keep. She could really use having a companion by her side, a friend to offer wisdom and company and help when she needs it. A copy of you, like how I copied Epona, to watch over her and make her feel less alone…" BEN said.

"...you have a daughter?" Link asked.

"And a boyfriend. Soon to be husband," BEN explained, holding up their hand to show off their ring.

Tatl let out a soft chime at this. "Well... I'm certainly flattered you think I'd make a good companion to her…"

BEN smiled softly. "I don't expect an answer today, don't worry. There's still a few months before her birthday. And I understand if it's not something you're comfortable with…"

"...we have a proposal for you, in that case," Link began. "You want to make amends to us. We're admittedly curious about this world outside of our own. So, let us explore. Show us your life, and what lies outside this "game", and earn our trust. Then we'll consider it."

BEN thought this over. They'd have to be careful, but this wasn't impossible… "...I can't completely remove you from the game. I'd have to copy you, then merge the copy and your true self after. It's basically the same thing, though, you'd keep the memories and everything. And you'd have to do EXACTLY as I say, I... REALLY can't have attention drawn to myself or the people I live with. If there's something that catches your attention, you can't gawk, just stay calm and ask me. And there's going to be a LOT, the real world is nothing like this one. Hylian sign doesn't match up with any sign language in my world, so you'll at least be able to speak freely. But if you can do that, and trust that I'm keeping us both safe when I tell you to do something... I'll happily show you around."

Link considers this, then nods. He holds out his hand to BEN, who shakes it.

"Then we have a deal."

[youngmistressofchopchop]

I did it. Now I dont write, I draw so this is not gonna be so good. Its been through many revisions and I realized I spelt "Yuseke" as "Yueske the entire time so forgive me ill fix that next chapter. My Kuwabara x oc story:

It was finally cold again. Miyoko was overjoyed, she had never liked summer. Sure there was no school and she had more time with friends, but she couldn't stand the heat. She detested those sweaty nights, or how the bugs always bothered her, actually she didnt care for any part of summer.

Miyoko had dropped so many hints over the years and yet somehow, Kuwabara still had no clue. His air-headed-ness was cute, but it made things difficult for the shy girl Miyoko was. She just couldn't work up the nerve to say something, and when she did, something would always interrupt her. However, today she planned to change that! Miyoko got dressed up as cozy as she could, ready for what her and her friends had planned and with a gleam of excitement in her eyes, she headed out the door. 

 That was apart from going to see her crush, Kazuma Kuwabara's baseball games, he would play every summer. When they were younger, he played in an official team wearing his "Mötor Head" jersey and smoking every opposing team he played against. Miyoko never missed a single game! Every home run, every strike, and every fight that broke out because of a bad call, she was there. When they got older, she would be there to watch him play against his friends, still wearing that jersey. She was always supportive of him, she was madly in love with him, and had been for awhile.

"Urameshi!! Where do you think you're going?? I was talking to you!" Kuwabara's feet hit the sidewalk with force as he sprinted after Yueske, who had walked only a few feet, forcing Kuwabara to stop abruptly frantically trying to steady himself without falling. After regaining balance, Kuwabara grabed a fists full of his friend's jacket to pull him close aggressively. 

"D-Dont tell anyone! Or I'll break your mouth, so you cant tell anyone nothin' ever again!!" Kuwabara's face was as red as the setting sun. Unfazed, Yuseke stared at Kuwabara blankly for a short second before sighing and shrugging the big flustered fool off of him. 

"Listen man, I wont say anything. But this is getting really annoying. Ive told you before that you should just go through with it. Whats your problem with admitting to her anyways?" Yuseke looked to the helpless man and immediately regretted asking. Kuwabara looked off dramatically twords the orange and red sky. His shoulders slouched, slumping over, and fiddling with his hands. 

"I....Shes really pretty, ya know? And...Im well...ya know?" His voice trailed off, as if wanting reassurance he was being foolish. When there was no reply, Kuwabara peeked up with a quivering bottom lip. 

Yueske stood with his hands in his pocket saying nothing, only wearing a furrowed brow and tight lips. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. Causing Kuwabara to stand up straight and look at him even more embarrassed, and ready to punch him.

"I never thought I'd hear the great Kuwabara, warrior of love, admit to being ugly!!" Mocked Yueske. He bent over shaking his head and slapping his leg, resting his other elbow on his knee and laughing loudly. He straightened and wiped a fake tear from his eye. Kuwabara gasped in shock. 

"What?? Ugly??" Again Kuwabara grabbed at his friend, this time missing and falling. He quickly got up and held up a threatening fists. 

"Im not ugly!! Im just not a romantic type!!" He rubbed his fists on his chest. 

"I am a warrior of love, so I know how to treat a lady and how to talks to girls, I just....." He paused, his mouth moving like hes trying to remember how talking works. "She's different!!" He finaly blurted out. "She reads them girly romance books that Kurama likes!!" With a frustrated grunt, Kuwabara rubbed his neck nervously and spoke in a much more serious tone.

"Ive known her a real long time, and I cant tell her yet cuz I'm kinda worried she only thinks of me like how Shizuru thinks of me." Yueske picked up on the seriousness of the situation and scoffed trying to lighten things up again. 

"Well you are ugly, but I think she likes you anyway. Besides man, why asks me? You think I read them werid books?" Yueske pat Kuwabara awkwardly on the shoulder. 

"No way. I asked cuz you have a girlfriend!!" Kuwabara turned to look at Yueske who was moving his arm away. 

"So? Doesnt mean I know what im doing, just asks Keiko." The boys laugh, seeming to have calmed down a great deal. Before much more could be said, four familiar and approaching voices could be heard chatting playfully. 

"Oh dear, you didnt actually take me seriously did you, Miyoko?" Botan said in a teasing tone. 

"I did!! I'm gullible, you cant just tell me anything about spirit world.I will believe it!! Everytime!" The two girls laughed. 

"I've noticed," Interjected Kurama. "You have managed to retained alot of attributes from your childhood haven't you? I find that interesting." Kurama continud, wrapping an arm around Botan. 

"Alot of people say that...is that a bad thing? I'm not immature am I?" Miyoko felt nervous now. Maybe that was the why Kuwabara never seemed to return her feelings, perhaps she wasn't mature enough for a relationship.

Keiko quickly spouted, "No no! I don't think he meant it like that, I think it's cute!" Keiko put a reassuring arm around Miyoko and smiled a friendly smile. 

"Ofcourse! Its an admirable trait." Kurama said as Botan giggled. 

Botan wagged her finger and pointed it at Miyoko with a knowing smile "Im on to you! You shouldn't feel so insecure!" Botan pulled her arm back and used it to hug Kurama's arm. "Don't be so hard on yourself, I know you're simply nervous, so you're being extra critical of yourself, but you'll do fine!" Botan hummed encouragingly. "And, we all look fantastic!" Botan added as they all rounded the corner.

Keiko stopped dead in her tracks, and started tapping her foot. "Well, most of us are...Yueske! I thought I told you to dress up!!" Keiko pouted, walking over to her boyfriend's side. 

Yueske was the most casually dressed out of all of them. Just wearing his usual faded blue jeans, black converse shoes, plain yellow shirt and favorite green and yellow windbreaker jacket. He looked even more underdressed standing next to Keiko. She was wearing a lovely pale pink turtleneck, a plum purple suspender skirt reaching to her knees, long white socks, and loafers to match her skirt. Despite their contrasting attire, they somehow matched perfectly. 

Yueske wrapped his arm around Keiko's shoulder and smirked."Kuwabara isnt dressed up." He looked over to Kuwabara and nodded his way while jutting his thumb twords his friend. 

"What!! I am too!! This is the nicest thing I got!! Other than like...a tux or something!!" Kuwabara wore a blue Letterman jacket, a red sweater with dark blue jeans, and brown dress boots laced in black, he was indeed dressed up quite nicely. Miyoko blushed at the sight of his clothing, he cleaned up nicely as always. She couldn't help but smile at him, it was always a slight surprise to see him out of his school uniform. Kuwabara had a simular reaction to Miyoko's choice of clothing. She dawned a wine red A-line dress, knitted black leggins, and shin high beige lace up boots. She wasn't one to dress up like this, but she wanted to tonight, it was a special night after all. 

Trying to redirect the situation and prevent Yueske and Kuwabara from fighting, Botan chimed in. "Well, I never have to worry about Kurama when it comesto presentation! Unless ofcourse, he's overdressed and making me look a fool!" Kurama and Botan giggled to eachother looking the most put together, like they were the parents of the group. Tonight, everyone was going their part to help Miyoko's odds, evident by Botan, who was wearing something much different from her usual choice of clothing.

She modelled a white turtle neck dress, form fitting reaching just above her knees with a small slit on the right side, with sleeves that reached slightly past her palms, she wore her wedding ring, hoop earings, beige velvet tights, and blue slip on flats to top off the look. To match her, Kurama dressed just as nice. Wearing a white button up tucked neatly into his dark brown pants, red suspenders with red suede shoes laced in black, and a matching wool trench coat to top complete it all. Now everyone felt underdressed. 

"So what are we doing anyway?" Yueske asked scratching his cheek. Keiko shook her head "Are you serious? You've been waiting around this long, and you dont even know why??" Yueske simpled shrugged "I guess?" 

Botan sighed looking tired, Yueske was a handful for everyone. "Dont you remember, Yueske? I told you this morning! We're all having dinner!" 

Botan motioned to the brick building everyone was standing next to. "You've been standing right next to the restaurant! Where I told you we would be meeting up, seriously! You didn't connect the dots?" Botan tilted her head with a hopeless look. Yueske gritted his teeth and roughly pulled Keiko by her hip to his, talking through his teeth. "Whatever!!" He sighed and let go of Keiko fixed his hair flustered, he brought his fists down onto his palm talking loudly. "So now that we're all here, can we go?? Im starving and you guys took all damn evening to get here!"

Keiko lightly kicked his shoe pouting up at him. "Hush!! Its not our fault you dont listen, besides you didnt even try to dress nice! So I dont feel sorry for you." Yuseke quickly stepped aside and raised his voice a bit "Hey! Didnt ya hear me?? I didn't know what was going on!!" Keiko roughly poked her boyfriend's chest, "Again, not our problem! Listen and you wouldn't have to worry!!" 

Kurama was the first to put a stop to the bickering. He took a wide step twords the brick building and grabbed the glass doors handle, he opened the door and motioned for everyone fallow him inside.

So theres that. I'll write more soon. I hope its as fun to read as it was fun to write.

[dotshiiki]

Giftfic!

For my amazing beta, @supernaturally-percyjackson ... thank you for the great work you’ve been doing on our @pjohoobigbang project, and all the encouragement and enthusiasm you have for the story, and for being such a great sport about its unwieldy length! I know you love Leo, so here’s a teeny fic featuring him just for you! *hugs*

Leo Valdez, Truant Supreme -- a gift for @supernaturally-percyjackson

Summary: Leo gets picked up in New Mexico, right before being sent to the Wilderness School.

The truant officer looked like a robot. 

Leo amused himself for a while imagining that she actually was one. Maybe the state of New Mexico actually had machines out to catch recalcitrant kids instead of employing adults to do it. If he ever intended to build a delinquent-catcher, he'd probably design it something like this lady. She was all right angles and square features, with iron curls so tight they looked like a glued-on wig and the slightest hint of a moustache that made Leo think of a patch of rust above her upper lip. 

Even her movements were stiff and jerky as she manhandled him into the police building. The way she moved now, it seemed impossible that she could have caught Leo. He wondered if she had wheels hidden under those chunky boots she wore.

Jesu christo. He never should have been out in the morning. It wasn't usual for him—one of the perks of being on the run was getting to sleep in as much as he liked. Besides, he'd learned two years and five foster homes ago that between the hours of nine and four, people got suspicious when a teenager wasn't holed up in prison. Oh, sorry, he meant schools. Or maybe not. As far as Leo was concerned, there wasn't much of a difference between a school and a juvie lock-up. 

Anyway, he wouldn't have budged from his latest hide-out under the bleachers at the stadium on Avenida Cesar Chavez, if it hadn't been for the rogue baseball. 

It had flown out of nowhere through the gap in the stands, smashing his makeshift TV box to smithereens. (right when he'd gotten it to pick up the satellite signal to broadcast Lost reruns, too). When Leo had reached to pick it up, it had rolled away from him of its own accord. Then legs—seriously, no joke, spindly little limbs like spider legs—had popped out of its sides and it had scuttled away. Alarmed but also intrigued, he'd followed it out of the stadium. He couldn't explain why it had felt so important that he catch it. Maybe it was just that it was the weirdest little machine Leo had ever saw, and Leo was a sucker for cool toys. 

He'd chased it all the way downtown to a massive statue of a hammer and anvil. The spider-ball hopped between the giant stone tools as if positioning itself to be pounded. It had glowed like red-hot metal in a forge, lighting up the letter 'H' between the baseball grooves. 

And then it had burst into flames. Leo had been so stunned by that (and he'd wondered uneasily if he'd done it somehow), he hadn't noticed the officer yelling at him until it was too late. 

So here he was now, in a police precinct, probably about to be sent to his sixth—or was it seventh? He'd lost count after Houston—foster home in six years. He sighed and leaned back, then jerked upright again to avoid falling off the narrow bench. It was nailed to the ground a food away from the wall, probably just so people couldn't rest their backs. 

'Officer' was just another term for asshole, in Leo's opinion. 

This particular asshole was currently looking something up on a boxy computer. She clicked the mouse and a printer churned to life several feet away from Leo, making him jump. He couldn't read most of the tiny writing on it, but he recognised his own name at the top of the page: LEONIDAS VALDEZ, AGE: 15.

Leo groaned. He'd never actually read what was in his juvie record, but he could guess. A long list of the six or seven foster homes he'd run away from. His spotty school records. The psych evaluations his first school had put him through, before he started playing his chronic game of cat-and-mouse with social services. 

The mysterious circumstances of Esperanza Valdez's death.

Stop.

No, Leo didn't want to think about that. 

'Hey, ma'am,' he called to the truant robot. Lady, whatever. 

'Officer,' she corrected him. Figures, she'd be one of those stick-in-the-mud types. Leo fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he plastered his most winning smile on his face. It worked with most ladies, especially the kindly old librarians he tried to scam hot drinks and cookies off—at least on first meeting, before they read the 'compulsive liar' line on his record. 

Where he'd picked that one up, he wasn't sure. He didn't lie, not really. 

Well, okay, there was that time with the crazy bronze bulls that had blown up a gas station. He'd ended up pretending he'd only stolen a car and accidentally ran it into the gas pumps—better to get done for grand theft auto than an arson charge. And who would have believed the truth anyway? 

'Yeah, um, officer. Look, it's probably easier to just give me a smack on the bum and let me outta here, right? Less paperwork. I mean, do we really wanna add to that?' He waved at the print-out the lady was now scanning through. 'Kills less trees, you know?' 

'Can it, pipsqueak.' 

Leo made his voice as persuasive as he knew how. 'You pretend you never saw me, I'll pretend I never saw you. Win-win, right?' 

'As a matter of fact, your fate's already been decided,' said the truant officer. 'We've had our eye on you for a while. The paperwork's just a formality. It's off to the Wilderness School with you. Maybe they can whip your delinquent ass into some sort of shape.' She looked like she doubted it, but didn't much care either way. 

And why would she? Once she got Leo off her hands, he wouldn't be her problem any more. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Just like Aunt Rosà, and every other foster family or social service worker he'd ever met. 

Leo forced a smile onto his face again. 

'The Wilderness School, huh? What, did I end up in the pound instead of the truant office? You do realise I'm not a stray dog?' 

He didn't know why he was still joking about it. It was clear he wasn't getting anywhere with this hard-ass chick. But Leo had learned that the shitty stuff that happened to him was a lot easier to deal with when he smothered it in a layer of humour. 

The truant officer didn't bother to reply. Tough crowd. 

'What is it, then, like some sort of camp?' 

'It's a school,' said the officer. Like, duh. 'One that specialises in dealing with cases like you.'  

She made a stiff scrawl on the bottom of the page and rubber-stamped it in red ink. Then she took the papers and minced out of the room in that stick-up-her-butt way, locking the door behind her. 

Leo's shoulders drooped.

The Wilderness School. It sounded like some institution where they sent kids out into the woods as an entrance exam. If you come back alive, congratulations! You get to join summer boot camp!

Don't be stupid, he told himself. You've been watching too much reality TV.

Either way, it'd be just another plot twist in the ongoing saga of Leo Valdez: Professional Runaway.

Nah, he thought, too boring. Leo Prime: Truant Supreme!

Yeah, that was better. Wilderness School, watch out. Leo Valdez was gonna kick its ass.

I don’t have you to keep my Britishisms in check, so I apologise for any that crept into this gift!