#LIKE THAT'S SO PRECIOUS FOR HIM TO REMEMBER THEIR SHARED MOTHERLAND!!

[nadiajustbe]

I also found it pretty interesting how Howl is seemingly more less adapted to the world of Ingary compared to Suliman. Not because he doesn't have an ability to do so, but because he doesn't want to.

When Suliman made a decision to go through the portal to Ingary and never come back, it also looks like he's made a decision to blend with people there, to understand their culture and their life, to become a part of it. He doesn't have any noticeable accents, Sophie doesn't describe his clothes or overall look as something unusual and he's fully used to funny situations like being in a half of a dog's body for a while. You wouldn't even tell he's not from Ingary If mrs. P didn't tell Sophie about about it or the whole situation with ms. Angorian never occurred.

Howl, on the other hand, does really stands out. When he made a decision to go through portal to Ingary he has just... decided to live his best life. He doesn't care about all of this new culture stuff and seems to adopt it only when it suits him or he founds it cool, like Ingarian fashion choice or magical practice as a whole. But he feels absolutely no problem when using all of the comfortable things 20th century has given him and absolutely refuses to relearn almost anything. He's not going to write with a quill because it's uncomfortable and old-fashioned, he's gonna bring a ballpoint pen! He's not going to use all of this hard beauty spells which takes incredibly long to make, he's gonna bring some cosmetics through the door and only the use some spells to make them work faster! Because it's easier! Because WHO CARES about medieval times norms?? And it stands out so much everyone around him immediately notice that, even his overall vibe feels incredibly different because he still acts like a modern man when he can. He's not running away from his culture and origins, he's not giving them up! He's even proud of it and is not scared to show that he comes from some far mysterious land!

And I found this difference fascinating.

[rosierocks30]

Chapter 11: The Coup D'état 

Reiner hasn’t seen Mikasa for a week since their unexpected encounter. All he could think about was the way her soft lips crashed into his. As a Marleyan warrior, he shouldn’t have these thoughts towards his enemy, but as a man, it’s so tempting to expand his forbidden thoughts about the female Ackerman. He remembers when he and his comrades went on their mission to retrieve the Founding Titan from the Paradis Eldians, he met Mikasa at a military academy and his crush for her grew when she spared him and took him down. He admired her strength and talents from being an excellent soldier. He felt she had so much potential, but with Eren it was hard for her to focus on her priorities.

Sure he was jealous a little bit, but he believed Mikasa could grow to her full potential which a week ago, Reiner saw what she was capable of doing. He saw another side of her personality that she rarely shows to anyone. 

Right now, he kept replaying on that day when Mikasa kissed him. Just thinking of the way they kissed was very enjoyable and passionate, especially for two former comrades now enemies. 

The Armored Titan holder was lost in his thoughts as he’s with his family having a late lunch. Gabi, his cousin telling interesting tales during her training. His other relatives praised her while his mother was staring at him with concern. 

“Reiner? Are you alright?” His mother interrupted his daydream. Reiner’s cheeks were now flushed embarrassedly. 

“Yes, mother. I’m alright. I just had a lot of things on my mind.” He tried to stay cool.  The rest of his family gave an ‘are you sure’ look. 

“Are you sure, son? You just have that look that I used to do that when I thought about your father.” Ms. Braun's voice was low. Reiner glanced up at his mother then sighed as he got up from his chair. 

“I’m fine, mother. I had a lot on my mind because we’re going to the shoreline tomorrow to prepare for the invasion soon.” He said. 

Ms. Braun seems not convinced, but she lets him off as he gets up from his seat. “Are you heading back to the base?” 

“Yes, I need to prepare for tomorrow. Gabi, you can enjoy a little more time here before you have to come back soon for tomorrow.” The titan shifter looked at his cousin who nodded. 

“Well, thank you for the lovely meal mother. I will definitely miss your home cooked meal and uncle and auntie, it’s good to see you both again.” He smiles at each of them. 

“Wait son, let me pack you up some leftovers so you can enjoy it on the trip to the shoreline.” Ms. Braun gets up quickly to go pack up some leftovers for his son, but add more to share with his close comrades. His soldiers always praised how good his mother’s home cooked meals were. 

The blonde haired man goes towards the kitchen where his mother is packing up some food for him. “Reiner, I know you have a lot of plate in you, but I’m asking a favor from you to find a girl. I don’t care...where she’s from as long, she makes you happy.” 

Reiner was surprised by his mother’s words. Usually, she always told him to find a good respectable Eldian girl even though she prefers a Marleyan girl, but that sounds too far fetched for him to be with. With years passed, his time is running out. Soon in a year, he will be dead by the titan's curse and have to pass it on to his successor. 

“Mother, what are you trying to say?” He finally broke his silence. 

“I want a grandchild. I understand this will be unfair for you and the potential mother of your child, but hear me out my son. I may push you to be in the warriors program so our family can be citizens. I want to say, I’m sorry, Reiner …for letting my ambition put on you. I was so hurt and in denial when your father stopped this secret affair. I thought being citizens will make him come back to me and be a family like I’ve dreamed. Every time I count the days when you’re about to die, I cry...from the guilty making my only child go through hell. I’m sorry for causing you pain, my precious son. I love you so much. Please, if you can make time, find a girl that makes you happy and have a child. I promise you that I will accept the mother of your child with open arms and treat her as my daughter. Your child will be raised with love and knowing its father died as a hero.” She cupped her son’s face to stare into his eyes. 

Reiner scoffs that his mother mentions him as a hero. He didn’t feel like a hero when reality had hit him hard during the time of the Trost District invasion of the Titans. He started to have nightmares. At first it was the loss of his comrades Marcel Gaillard, Porco Gaillard’s older brother, the last holder of the Jaw Titan before Ymir ate him and stole the Jaw titan from him on the island. Porco had resented him because of his brother’s death. 

“Reiner, you may not think you’re a hero but you are. Your loyalty to our Motherland Marley proves you will sacrifice for your country, comrades, our people and the Marleyan who had discriminated against us for years. With you, you have shown there are good Eldians; not the devils from Paradis.” Ms Braun’s tone brings some comfort in Reiner from the deeds he had done in the past. 

“Mother, if I already had in mind who has my heart, will you keep your promise once I die?” He said

His mother smiled in joy from hearing this. “Oh son, so there is a girl in your life. Yes, I will keep my promise.” 

“Even if it’s an enemy?” He dropped the news on to her. Now, his mother became quiet. He knew it that she would not keep her promise. 

“Is she with a child?” She finally answered. 

“No, we...I just saw her a week ago and….my old feelings for her had resurfaced. I thought I would grow out of it once I got back home. Instead I deeply buried these feelings since she’s an enemy and also her heart belonged to someone else at that time. I can’t keep her out of my mind. I tried mother, but if you knew her; she’s compassionate, fierce, strong, loyal, kind and also protective. Did you know she saved Gabi from getting killed by one of her comrades when Eren Jaeger attacked Liberio? She doesn’t see us, not even Marleyans as enemies. She fights to protect. I’m tired of denying my feelings for her. I want my last year on earth to have that small happiness. With that I see Mikasa Ackerman as my happiness.” he took a deep breath after his passionate speech. 

“I see...this Mikasa is related to that Ackerman monster?” Reiner was confused about what his mother meant, but remember Zeke mentioned to the higher ups that they all need to beware Captain Levi Ackerman who is a monster when it comes to fighting. He agrees with Zeke that the Captain of the Survey Corps is a bloodlust killing machine. Heck, he had nightmares because of the captain.

“Yes, she is his distant relative, but how do you know about the Ackermans?” He questioned his mother. 

“Let’s just say, I know how to retain information from the military when it’s necessary.” She said. 

“Mother, that’s treason.” He whispered. 

“And you falling for the enemy isn’t not treason? I did it because you had me worried the way you scream at night from terrors and I read on your report that you attempt to shoot yourself. I am scared for you, but like I said. I take mostly blame on myself for making you lead that path. I will do what it takes for you. It won’t make up completely what i made you do but it’s a start. Now, about that Mikasa girl. If you believe she will make you happy then you have my blessing. Just please both of you be careful ok. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, son.” Her hand caressing her son’s cheek. 

“I will be careful, but first I need to confront her about my old feelings for her.” He said. 

“Well, you better because I still want a grandchild. Here, I pack enough for your friends and some extra if you meet up with the girl again.” She said with a smile then gave a paper bag with containers of leftovers to him. 

“Oh god mother.” He blushed and took the big brown paper bag. 

“I love you mother. I promise I will come back home alive to spend my last moments with you guys.” He smiled and hugged her. 

“ I love you sweetheart. Please take care and take care of Gabi. She’s still a child.” She said. 

“Of course I will. Goodbye...mom.” He whispered then exited through the back door and walked around to walk through the sidewalk. 

Reiner enjoyed walking down the streets whether it’s empty or crowded. The nostalgia feeling rushed in when he glanced at all the spots he had hung out with his old friends and new. He will miss home and the people who were busy with their daily lives. There are some destroyed buildings from the surprise attack by Eren that haven't been reconstructed yet. 

The Eldian blonde man was now glancing up at the blue sky until he saw a very familiar figure up at the roof jumping from roof to roof. Seriously, why isn’t Mikasa being decree? Is she trying to get herself spotted? He stopped to see her staring down at him. He doesn’t know whether he should ignore her for now. Well, his mother did pack some for Mikasa, maybe having lunch with her will get her to lose her guard with him. He goes to find a ladder that's connected to the roof where Mikasa is staring down at him. Her eyes kind of glow silver which scares him a bit, but also feels intrigued. 

Finally he reaches to the top of the roof and sees Mikasa a bit far distant with her hoodie covering the top half of face. Her jet black bangs flow delicately from the breeze. His mind definitely wasn’t playing tricks when he stared at her silver glowing eyes. Reiner began to walk towards her. At first, she was about to spring off from him; but he gently used his hands to make a surrender gesture for her. 

“Hey I'm not here to chase after you. I’m here for a peace offer.” He waved the big brown paper bag at her. 

When the smell of a home cooked meal reached to her nostrils, her stomach growled from hunger. She blushed from feeling hungry. Mikasa pulled off her hoodie to reveal her face towards him. “This isn’t a trick right? Because i won’t hesitate to kill you this time if you do.” She warned him. 

“I swear on my honor, this is not a trick. I just thought two adults having lunch on a nice clear day.” He said truthfully. 

Mikasa contemplates whether to risk it and take his offer or just run away. “Fine I guess having lunch with an old friend is acceptable, but can I trust you if I show you my hideout?” 

Reiner sighed. “Yes, you can trust me. I would have already tried to capture you by now.” 

“Hmm fair point. Just don’t make me regret it ok. Follow me. I’ll show you my little temporary place.” Mikasa began to hop on the other rooftop which Reiner groaned but thank goodness with his titan strength he managed to catch up with her. 

Finally they reached their destination. An old abandoned building was far apart from the city limit. Reiner felt they passed the internment zone where they segregated Eldians like him from the Marleyan citizens. It felt like no man's land.  

“This is a good hideout.” He said. 

“Yeah, I need a good place not to be seen.” She made a scoff sound then used her strength to move the heavy cemented flat block to reveal a hole enough for them to get through. Both entered into the hole then Mikasa once again closed the entrance and used candle lights to brighten the room. It's dark here, but there’s a stairway which Mikasa leads him upstairs until there is brightness from the daylight. He saw a bed and a small desk with a little feminine touch. The view was beautiful since he can see the rest of the city far away. Mikasa blows her candle light which he does the same. 

She took off her boots and sat on her bed. “Sorry I don’t have a table for us to eat. Just take off your shoes and join me on the bed.” the way she said it made Reiner blushed. 

He took off his shoes and went to bed. Reiner placed the bag on the bed and opened it which the aroma of the food spread around the room. “So, what did your family cook? Because it smells good.” She said. 

He took out containers of the different kinds of dishes his mother made. “My mother made a feast like lunch since Gabi and I are being shipped off to the shoreline soon.” 

“Yes, I’m aware your armies are preparing to invade my home.” She said with a bit of a dark tone. 

“Mikasa...I know this is too late but I’m sorry for what I did in the past. I was naïve and eager to please my superiors especially I made a promise to my mother that our family will be rewarded to become citizens. This war had opened up my eyes and the consequence. I hate the mindset the Eldians were taught to hate their own people across the sea. We are all the same. It's just a fucked up world that my people have to hate your people just to live.” While speaking his thoughts out, he prepared the right amount of food in one bowl his mother placed into the bag. Then he handed the bowl filled with food to Mikasa. 

“Thank you.” She mumbled gratefully then took a bite. “Reiner, maybe the younger me would accept an apology, but you don’t need to because like you said, you were a child being upbrought with my people being the devils and your people just happened to carry the blood of the devils. You thought it was justifiable of what you, Annie, and Bertholdt did the day you and him broke into the Wall of Shiganshina. After that, that hatred infected my people in wanting to destroy all titans. So, I understand what you did was necessary and naïve if I would have been in your shoes. Now, I see a man with remorse and pain from the guilt you caused during that time. But if you need my forgiveness then you are forgiven. I believe us Eldians and against the world aren’t the real villains since the real ones cause this long history of bloodshed and pain. This is one of the reasons why I joined the Brotherhood of the Creed. I learnt the truth of the history both sides were lied to.” 

Reiner already had his bowl with food in it while Mikasa was speaking. He glanced up in confusion. “What do you mean, Mikasa?” 

“What I mean is the history we both know is not what it seems.” Mikasa gets up while holding on to her half empty bowl. She placed it on her desk then grabbed old artifact documents and placed it in front of Reiner. 

“Huh? What’s this?” He stared down old documents on the bed. 

“This is evidence that our history was lied to. Everything we knew was nothing but a lie.” Her tone became dark. “I didn’t want to believe it at first either but the facts never lie.” 

Reiner stopped eating and placed his bowl on the ground. He grabbed one of the papers and read. He was surprised that he kept reading each paper to process this revelation in his mind. 

 “What did I just read, Mikasa? Don’t tell me that all the pain, blood, tears, and fears we Eldians and Marleyans endured was all just for these sick people’s ambition to rule the world? Who do these templars think they are?” His body was shaking from the anger building. 

“They planted the seed of hate and fear on both the Fritz king and his concubine, Ymir the Founding Titan. You know how the legend goes when Ymir made a deal with the Earth Devil to receive the power of the titan?” She glanced at him. 

“Well, the real lore was she went to the forest to get fresh berries and herbal plants like she would usually do then one day, Ymir was gathering more until she came across a device that’s not from this world. She touched it to see strange imaging in her mind and there was an object next to it. Ymir hears voices in her head whispering the promise of endless power and immortality. Of course, she was a slave to the king; she desperately made the deal without knowing the curse. Ymir had the power to have the world under her feet instead she let the king use her as a weapon to just protect from neighboring enemies. The templars heard stories of a woman turning a giant so they came here and that’s where they whisper to the king to conquer and the world will bow to him.” 

Reiner listened to Mikasa. “So in order to take over the world they need to let chaos spread to manipulate how they see it fit?” he was trying to understand what he just found out. 

“Yeah pretty much. Yet their ideology and the Order are still alive today. Some are disgusting as Paradisan citizens and some are very close to your military ranks.” She stared into him. 

He gasped and grunted his teeth. “Fuck, this is too much.” 

“It explains why this part of the world hasn’t advanced a lot for years. The other half of the world already have this device called cell phones.” She pulled out from her pocket a phone and let Reiner hold it.

He looked at it with curiosity and intrigue. “What does it do?” 

“You can communicate from a very long distance but it needs satellites and the internet. I use this flat round device to recharge it. It’s how I keep my contact with my higher rank.” Mikasa said while watching Reiner touching the screen and his eyes lit up like a child. Low key a smile appears on her lips as she finds it cute. 

“Why are you telling me all this?” He stopped and became serious. 

“Because I feel you should know the truth. My gut feeling tells me to trust you so I did, plus you’re the only person I know in this place who will listen and consider. You did have the right to inform your superior about my appearance here, but you didn’t...why?” The titan shifter couldn’t help staring into her dark eyes. They are full of mystery. Reiner knew he'd get lost into them if he kept staring at them. No matter how she looked, he would always see her as a beautiful warrior. 

“Because I don’t want anything bad to happen to you...I guess you can say; my old boy crush had resurfaced when I saw you again a week ago.” He was blushing from his confession. 

Mikasa was surprised by this. Her cheeks were blushing too. “How long have you had this crush?”

“The first time we met when we became partners to spar. I had admired your strength. You made things look so effortless. I haven’t seen that since Captain Levi.” his tone became soft. 

“Yeah, you might be surprised but captain midget and I are actually related. Apparently, when he found out his surname is also Ackerman; Commander Hange began to research our family genealogy. So, he’s my second cousin. We’re the only blood family we have. Well, I will be an auntie soon.” She brushed her bang to the side to see him better. 

“Wow, that explains so much the way you both have this similar intimidating look and your fighting style is very similar also.” Reiner carefully gathered the papers to place them on the ground. 

“Pfft, first off, I’m better than him.” She mumbled.  

“Already having a family rivalry going on?” he chuckled. 

“I just hate to always be compared by him. I don’t want to be his shadow. I want to be just Mikasa.” She whispered. 

“Hey, you two may have similarities but you are way different from him. He is always alone and you surround yourself with friends. You’re passionate, kind to others, but fierce in battle. You are protective of those you care about. You’ll be a wonderful badass mother one day.” Just the thought of her being a mother made his stomach flutter. Maybe only in his dreams, she would be round with his child. 

“I….I mean being a mom would be something I always wanted to be if I survived this war.” Mikasa thought about motherhood for years. She thought once this hell is over maybe Eren would realize how much she loved him, but that idea died when her comrades recused Queen Historia from him and his older brother. 

“You would look beautiful… even though you will always look beautiful no matter how you looked.” Again he blushed as he looked away. 

“Reiner, are you proposing for me to have your child; it seems that way?” The dark haired beauty smirked teasingly. 

“I- what? No! I mean I don’t want to put you in a situation where you will be alone with a child once I...passed away from the curse.” He became nervous. 

“How long do you have until you're dead..?” Mikasa felt her heart squeeze from thinking about him already dying. 

“A year.” He said in a low tone. 

The Asian woman nodded from his response. “This probably shouldn’t be a good idea but we can try...if faith allows us to have a child then so be it. I want to be with a man who will love me for me and just make me feel I'm the only woman in this cruel world.” The assassin gently placed her hand on his lap. 

The blonde man felt his heartbeat pound loudly. He can feel her hand gently slide up his thigh. His manhood woke up excitedly as it throb to be free from his trouser which it was getting tighter. “W-will you let me be that man?” His tone became husky. 

As his tone got deep and raspy, Mikasa felt the warmth feeling below where her core pulsed with excitement. Now, her tone became seductive. “Yes, I can’t stop thinking about you since our encounter on the rooftop. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the kiss to make me feel alive. Since then, just thinking of you made me feel a woman for once. I haven’t felt like this with anyone; not even with Eren.” 

Reiner didn’t know what possessed him, but he boldly captured her lips with his passionately kissing Mikasa. The Paradisian woman was a bit startled, but adjusting the deep kiss quickly. Her hands cupped his cheeks while their tongue fought for domination. Mikasa shifted her body to sit on his lap while Reiner placed his hands on her waist. She could feel how his hands moved up and down her sides. Mikasa slowly begins to rock her body to grind on him. Reiner felt his cock throbbing hard. He let out a groan. They broke free from their kiss, but Renier hovers his lips on her neck. 

Mikasa whimpered from the tease of his hot breath hitting on her skin. Her body started getting hotter so quickly she began to remove her assassin outfit. Reiner happily helped her. He now kisses and bites her neck as her outfit was discarded on the floor. Only her undergarment was still on. 

“Am I the only man to make you feel this needy?” He growled low close to her ear. 

“Mmm y-yes, you make me touch myself when I'm alone here.” Her moan was the most sexiest sound he ever heard. 

“What a naughty girl you are?” He chuckled and let his finger hooked the hem of her panties to slide them off slowly. His other hand unhooked her bra as it fell off from her. Her breasts were exposed. He could see her nipples hard. Reiner let his hand gently massage both of her breasts. 

Mikasa moaning increased. She closed her eyes to enjoy the pleasure of the way he touched her breasts. Slowly, her legs spread apart as her pussy produced more slick and the throb of her clitoris made it eager for her wanting attention down below. 

Reiner other hand slides to grope her thigh then travels up to between her legs. His finger rubbed her clitoris which a wave of ecstasy spread in her body. 

“Ohhhh yes Reiner….d-don’t s-stop p-please.” She kept moaning. 

The blonde man is already busy suckling and licking both of her nipples one at a time. He took his time to taste her soft skin. He can’t believe it that he’s actually doing this with the woman he had a crush with. He enjoys her moans become louder while his fingering goes at a fast pace. Mikasa begins to rock her hips against her finger. He added two more into her hole. This drove her on the edge. 

Mikasa may be high on getting finger fucked, but she glanced at him to see his clothes are not off. She let out an animalistic growl and undo clothes aggressively. Something deep in her subconscious awakened. A familiar voice whispered. 

Claim him...claim mate now…

Reiner felt how she undo his clothes and removed them. Now equally, his body was exposed as Mikasa’s. His vision became clear from the pleasure he was giving to her. He noticed Mikasa’s eyes glowing silver. The titan shifter was hypnotized. His eyes glowed amber. Like animals, they wrestled for domination again. 

There were biting, sucking, and scratching. Their moans and growls echoed in the abandonment building. Finally, Reiner had her on her hands and knees bend over. His grip was on her hips. Mikasa pressed her ass on his cock grinding to feel his precum pulsing shaft on her entrance. 

“Fuck Mikasa, let me try to be gentle with you.” He groans. 

Her head shook. “N-no, I don’t want you to be gentle...I want rough. I need your f-fucking thick meaty cock inside me!” She begged with a demanding tone. 

“This is the first time you are becoming demanding.” He mumbled. “But…this is your first time? I don’t want to hurt you.” he said. 

“I’m an Ackerman, pain is the least of my concerns. Please Reiner just fuck me. I have been wanting you all this week.” Her whimpers were visible. 

He stopped her then spread her bottom cheeks to see how wet she was for him. He felt pride in what he had done to her. Already with his hard cock, he thrusted into her pussy. 

Mikasa cried with joy and bliss from feeling his thick meaty cock stretching inside her walls. Her body shakes from the pleasure and an electric familiar feeling spread every inch of her body. She hasn’t felt this since her awakening when she lost her biological family. 

Reiner growls and keeps thrusting into her harder. His body leaned on hers while fucking her as she demanded. The sound of slapping skins echoing the room. His lips kissed ferociously on her neck. He whispered sweet words and promises in her ear.

Mikasa sobbing with bliss as she listens to Reiner’s sweet words. She wants it all. She wants love, happiness, family, marriage, and him. Mostly him. Even though it's going to be for a year, she doesn’t care. As long she gets to be with him in those 12 months. Mikasa knows she’ll be ok if faith blesses her having his child. 

(Somewhere in Wall Sina, Paradis Isle)

Levi was riding his horse back to the Orphanage. He had finished all his assassin’s duties to finally come home to Historia. As he got closer to the familiar roads, far in the horizon; Levi saw black smoke in the sky. His sense started to pick up the burning scent. His heart dropped when the location was where the Orphanage is. The raven haired man kicked his horse to gallop faster to the smoke location. 

When the view of the property became near, he saw it was the building along the cottage that both him and Historia put time and enough. He got off his horse and ran toward the heated area. 

“Historia! Historia!” Levi screamed desperately for his wife. Maybe she hid herself along with the kids and the caretakers. Whoever does this they will pay with their lives? The place was black like charcoal. There were some small fires but it’s dying down. The captain walked through the Orphanage first. God, he hopes there’s no bodies here.

He saw the second floor gone. The rumbles of burnt wood and other materials laid on the ground. Levi carefully removes the things to spot anything who has done this. He lifts a pile and sees what he fears. Few burnt bodies. Most of them were adults, but one child lay crouching. For almost nine months, Levi had begun feeling fatherly. It angered him that probably a group or one person did this sinister act. He saw a shiny silver that caught his attention. Levi picked it up and brushed off the ashes to see it was the Templar cross. 

“Those fucking bastards!” He gripped tightly the cross. As he glanced at it, the cross was dented from his strength. He placed it into his pocket to have as evidence. If there were only a few that died, where are the rest of them? He goes to the stables. 

Levi reached to the stables to see it was untouched. He walked in and heard noises from under.

“Come out now.” He said sternly. 

A tiny head pops out from the stack of hays. “Captain Levi you’re back!” 

The little girl Kathy ran towards him to hug him tightly while sobbing. “Where are the others?” He changed his tone a bit softer for the crying child. 

The child glanced at the captain when he kneel down to eye level her. “S-some were burnt...others were shot and thrown into the lake. Only us hid in the hays. Historia was taken by the bad men...one of them called Zeke.” 

That fucking piece of shit Zeke. He was behind on all this. Levi tried to remain calm since he doesn’t want to scare the kid. 

He heard shuffle from the hays and the rest of the children came out. Thank fucking Walls the children survived. They probably killed the adults. This time he won’t fail both Erwin and Historia. Zeke Jaeger will die by his blades.

“Come kids, let’s head to town. I’ll make sure you’re all safe.” The assassin had bottled up his bloodlust rage. He can’t go on the rampage yet. The kids need to be safe first. His titan wanted to come out. 

Those fuckers. They will meet their death. How dare they kidnap our queen. We must go after her to protect her and our offspring.

“We will but let's take the kids first.” He whispers which only Iapetus heard in his subconscious. 

“Captain? Who are you talking to?” Kathy looked at Levi curiously. 

“No one, kiddo.” His eyes reflect silver which Kathy felt a bit frightened, but she knows the captain won’t harm her and the kids. He’s a good guy. A hero. A knight especially to Historia. 

He gathered the surviving children. Levi noticed there are still two horses in the stable. He goes to the animals and takes them out to prepare the saddles. Once the horses are ready, he leads both the children and the horses where his horse awaits for him. 

“OK only some of you will ride on the horses. The little ones will go on them including mine. The oldest I’m sure you guys can walk until we reach the next town.” He stared at the kids. Some were still shaken up from the event earlier. 

He helped the smallest kids into threes on all the three horses. Only a few kids are a bit older from 7 to 13. The thirteen year old was holding a baby. She’s probably around 6 months. 

“Here I’ll carry her. You’ll need your strength right now.” He said to the girl holding the baby. 

She nodded and gave the baby to Levi. Might as well get used to it. He’ll be carrying his own brat soon. God, he hopes his and Historia’s kid will survive. Finally everything is ready and they all walked or rode on the road to the closest town. 

They reached into town by late afternoon. The kids whined from being tired and hungry. Even the baby cried from missing her meal time. Luckily, he saw a very familiar Commander. 

“Oi Dok.” He called out. The other man glanced to see it was Levi with the rest of the children. Something must have happened.

“Why do you have the orphans with you? Where is the queen?” Commander Dok of the Military Police began to question Levi. 

Levi was getting annoyed. He glared at the commander. “I just got back from the capitol to find the property burnt to the ground. Some bodies were burnt too. The kids say the rest adults were killed and thrown to the lake. Historia….the queen was kidnapped. They fucking took her. They took my pregnant wife, Nile.” His voice was shaking with anger and fear. He fears if he doesn’t find her; there is a chance both could be dead. 

“Wait what? Who? We need to alert the Premier.” Nile said. 

“Come let’s go to the station and I’m sure these kids want to eat and rest.” Nile looked at the kids and felt sorry for them. They must have seen awful things.

Some of the MPs help out the kids that are on the horses off. The horses were sent to the stables to rest and be fed. Once they all entered the headquarters, one of the female MPs attended the kids. The baby that Levi is carrying didn’t want to leave his arms. 

“Hey kiddo, she won’t hurt you.” He is trying to calm her down. The thirteenth year old took the baby from Levi which he was gladly that helped. The baby nuzzled onto the girl. The captain watched the kids leaving to the mess hall for food.

“Bye Levi. Promise you will save her.” Kathy ran to hug him tightly.

“Don’t worry I will.” He said. Then he let go of her as she catch up with the group. 

Now it was him and Dok. They headed to the office and sat down. 

“We need to act fast. Especially the condition her Majesty is in.” Nile said as he started writing the letter. 

“I know. Last week she began getting cramps. Very soon my kid will be born.” Levi said. 

“I’m still not used to the idea, but I’m sorry what you are going through, Captain. This is every husband and father's worst nightmare.” The MP commander sympathizes with Levi. 

The captain was quiet but nodded. “It was the fucking Templars and the Jeagerists. They became allies.” He grabbed the dented cross and aggressively placed it on Nile’s desk. Nile was disturbed of this news. The queen is in grave danger. 

“What will you do now?” Nile asked. 

“I’m going to pass the message to Hange and my grandfather what had happened then go find those bastards and slaughter them especially Zeke. He is mine.” His tone became dark and sinister. 

Dok never saw the captain like this. He had heard his notorious bloodlust when it came to titans. The middle aged man took a glimpse of files about the Ackerman clan. They are the product of titan genes to make them the perfect warriors to protect the royal family and slay titans. They are titans in their human forms. At first, he doesn’t believe it, but seeing Levi’s eyes glowing silver ready to unleash chaos. This gave him chills. 

Levi had his hoodie up to cover him. “Will the kids be fine here? I’m putting their lives into your own hands, Commander.” He said as he turned around. 

“Of course, we’ll keep an eye on them.” Dok said. 

“Good. I gotta go. See you around and thanks.” Levi walked out the room and the chills disappeared from the room. Dok gasped since he didn’t realize he was holding his breath. 

Levi got on his horse and rode away to the Capitol. War had been declared. Levi Ackerman and Iapetus are eager to shed blood on the enemies.

They will be praying to their god for mercy. 

(unknown location in Wall Sina)

Historia was dragged to a beautiful luxurious bedroom. Her labor has calmed down. She was too weak to fight. Her kidnappers place her on the bed. She sees maids running around preparing for the birth. 

“Where is this so called King?” Her voice was weak but still held a stern tone.

“Oh I’m here, my queen.” No, it can’t be true? It’s him. 

“You.” Her tone spewed it like acid when she saw Lord Evans. 

“Yes, it’s me. The mastermind of all this. Here’s what you will do. You deliver your spawn then get ready for our wedding. I’m already crowned by the High Priest Of the Walls. I have the rightful claim then you. You’re nothing but a bastard borned from sins and lust. But the people adorns you so I’m merciful to make you my queen consort. Your child will have no rights to the throne as it will be a bastard like it’s parents.” He smirked. 

“You! YOU’RE A TRAITOR.” Historia’s blue eyes glared at the man. 

“My darling, I think it is you that’s the traitor. You being a bastard taking the throne. You have changed what our ancestor King Karl Fritz had worked hard to make sure our kingdom stayed isolated and ignorant from the outside world. And the worst of all, you whore yourself with an Ackerman. Once we get married, I will install the old laws which include prosecuting the last Ackerman line forever. Don’t worry, I will only let your child live for now.” He laughed and walked away. 

Historia screamed in fury. This isn’t happening. This is becoming too much. She wants Levi here to comfort her.   

“You’re Majesty, I’ll be your head midwife to safely deliver your heir.” The woman who’s in her mid 50’s whispered to the queen. 

“Huh? Aren’t you working for Lord Evans? How can I know you will try to fish me out of information for that asshole?” Historia grunted from the pain but her tone was cold. Right now, how can she trust? It seems enemies are everywhere for her. 

“My queen, I may work for him, but my loyalty lies with you. You are our queen. The Walls had blessed you to rule this kingdom. It was you who slayed the enormous titan. It was you who protected the people. And it was you who care and listen to the people. You are the People's queen. Now, let’s welcome the crowned princess or prince to this world.” The midwife smiled at Historia then called in her apprentices for assistance. 

“These fine ladies are my assistance who are under apprenticeships to study to be a midwife.” Historia glanced to see girls from 13- 20 years of age lined up and pay respect to her with a courtesy. “Your Majesty.” All of the girls greeted her. 

Historia was about to say something, but another major contraction appeared. “Ahhh!”

“Alright, girls you know what to do. Have the bowl of cold water ready and drench the towel to cool off her body.” The senior midwife ordered her apprentices as they rushed to prepare. The midwife had Historia get comfortable on the bed laying down. She lifts up Historia’s nightgown to have her legs spread. 

The old woman sees the entrance already widen open and barely sees the baby’s head. “Alright, your majesty. On the count of three, you will make a big push. Ready? Now, push.” 

Historia lifted her head up as she pushed hard. The pain was unbearable. It felt her back was split in two. The queen screamed in agony. “Ahhhhhh. It hurts! I don’t think I can’t do this.” She pleaded from this awful pain. Is this what her mother endured when she gave birth to her? Maybe that’s why she hated her. Oh god, she doesn’t want to become like her mother and hate her own child. 

“Your majesty, you must keep pushing. The head is not out. Your child will die if it's not out to breathe.” The midwife trying to reason with her. One of the girls damped the wet cool towel on Historia’s forehead. 

“I-I can’t...I need him here. He’s supposed to be here with me.” the queen began to sob. 

“Who? Lord Evans?” another girl asked. 

“No, you ignorant child. The father of her majesty’s heir.” The oldest girl said. 

Historia felt exhausted but the baby was trying to come out. She feels scared like when Historia was Krista in her Survey Corps years. Those were happy times even if they put their lives in danger from titans. 

“L-levi where are you?” The queen whimpered then another pain consumed her. 

“Levi? As the Captain Levi Ackerman of the Survey Corps? You’re carrying his child.” The girls gasped from this information. 

“Girls! Focus. Worry about chatting later.” The old woman scolded at them. 

Historia tried again to push. “Grrrrr-ahhhhh!” 

“I see the head is out. You’re doing a good job, my queen.” The midwife said. 

As the blonde haired woman paintings, her sight was getting blurring from the dizziness and exhaustion. She breathed in and out. Her face was pale like white sheets covered with swears. Her golden hair was expanded on the pillows but looked dampen. Historia feels like dying from this hellish torture called childbirth. 

“Just three more pushes and the baby is out. Promise you.” The old woman said. 

Historia gained more strength to make the last three pushes. Her scream had echoed the whole place that Lord Evans and his allies could hear her agony screams.

“The baby is out. You did it, your majesty.” The midwife holds the baby, but the newborn hasn’t made a sound. The midwife was worried. She slapped the newborn’s bottom which finally a crying noise was heard. It was not loud but it’s better than no sound. 

“Congratulations to your majesty, he is alive and healthy. Let us clean him and you’ll meet your son.” The old midwife said with a smile. She passed the baby boy to one of her girls as some helped clean up the baby while the rest cleaned up after Historia. 

The queen let out a cry of joy from hearing her son’s cries. She did it. She gave birth to Levi’s son. Historia was too weak and distorted. She felt something heavy on her arms and looked down to her it was her baby. “My little miracle. You’re finally here. I’m your mother and I love you so much already.” She whispered to the baby. 

The baby opened his eyes to show it’s blue like hers. He inherited Levi’s raven hair and nose. Most of his features are Levi’s only her colored eyes are on him. “Welcome to the world, Atticus Ackerman-Reiss.” 

Her son looked at her curiously, but already formed a smile for his mother. This brings Historia with joy. How did her and Levi make this pure angel? He is her everything along with Levi. Then she thought about something that will keep her son safe from Lord Evans, the Jeagerists, and the templars.

“Mrs. Goodman, you said you’re loyal to me right? Please, take my son to the Commander Hange secretly. Lord Evans and his allies will kill him if they see how my boy resembles his father. I beg of you...please.” Historia stared at the woman with pleading eyes. 

“You’re majesty, his lordship promises he won’t hurt the prince.” The old woman is trying to reassure her.

Historia shaking her head in disagreement. “No, I don’t trust his promises especially allying with Zeke and his followers and the templars. They burnt the Orphanage down. Children and caretakers died from there. So please take him before they do god knows what awful things they have plans.” 

“Your Majesty, I don’t mind taking the baby safely to the Survey Commander.” The eldest girl volunteered. The midwife stared at her. “Are you prepared? You can’t be caught by anyone until you reach there. Do you understand, girl?” 

The 20 year old nodded. “Yes, I’m prepared. I will make sure the prince is in safe hands.” She was determined. 

“Already child, let’s quickly prepare the child and you to leave. We’ll say the baby struggled to breathe and died within minutes. My queen you must act like a grieving mother to fool them. Can you do that?” The midwife said. Historia nodded. 

The apprentices and the midwife begin to get the baby ready which he wraps warmly with a clean blanket. At first, Historia had a hard time to let go of her son; but it’s necessary to do this. She kissed him on his tiny forehead. “Gods...the Walls please as a mother protect him. Protect my only child from harm. I can’t lose him.” her tears stream down. She gave Atticus to the girl who was placed in a basket. Before leaving, Historia asked for a paper and pen to write a note for Hange. Finally, place the note on the basket and watch the girl sneaking away with Atticus to safety. 

Historia placed her hands on her face as she sobbed. Already being away from her son is breaking her heart. She feels alone. Soon, she will be forced to marry that despicable asshole. All he would do was to breed her into having more kids than probably kill her off. The queen silently prayed for her warrior to come take her away. 

The young apprentice walked hastily on the dark cold road. Lord Nathaniel Evans’ property was  far away from the capitol. She covered her head with a blue hood and held the basket carefully. She took a glimpse of the newborn prince who whimpered from feeling not being around his mother. Poor little one, he will be separated from his mother. The girl glanced back at the lights from the estate to see guards patrolling the area. Quickly, she entered the forest to hide from their sight. It’s a good thing, she knows the way through the forest.

Meanwhile back at the Evans estates, Lord Nathaniel barged into the room where Historia had given birth earlier. “What happened? Why is my bride crying like a banshee?” He glared at the blonde petite woman who was on the bed crying hysterical. 

“I’m sorry Lord Evans but the child died. He only lasted a few minutes before he was gone.” The midwife made a sad expression. She understands the heartbreak the queen feels. 

“A son? And you sure he died?” The nobleman was surprised. Looks like Ackerman’s seed wasn’t that strong as they claim. This is perfect. One Ackerman down. Two more to go. 

“Where’s the corpse?” He asked while trying to ignore the wailing sound of Historia grieving. 

“We have to cremate the smell that is already getting bad from the decompose.” The midwife continued explaining. 

“Do you have the ashes at least?” He kept interrogating the older woman. 

“Of course, we put it in a tiny container for her to keep it. A mother’s loss is something not easily forgotten.” She goes to grab the metal container and hands it to him. Nathaniel took it to open the lid to see ashes in it. Then handed back to the midwife. 

“Very well, she may keep it as a wedding present.” He glimpsed at Historia who now glared with hatred in her cold blue eyes. 

“Don’t give me that look. You will soon forget your dead son. You’ll have plenty of children once we are married. This is a sign of your union with that low level criminal was unbalanced and invalid.” Nathaniel gave a pouch of golden coins to the midwife. “Here, for your service. You may leave. Historia will need to get ready for her wedding.” 

The midwife caught the pouch and frowned. “My king, I implore you to let your bride rest. She just gave birth and lost a child. I suggest you postpone the wedding for her health sake.” 

“She will be fine. Historia had gone through much worse than losing a half-breed.” He said. 

Historia growls in anger. “Fuck you! You don’t get to assume what was the worst I endured! You took everything from me. My orphanage that I worked so hard to have a home for unwanted children. My home where my husband and I built together! And now my child. My son...he only get to fucking live minutes. I hope Levi will come after you and torture you. I will gladly watch while sipping my tea and decorate your head on a spike. That’s my wedding gift to you, oh my dear darling.” The queen felt a slap on her cheek. 

“Whore you have no authority towards your true king!” He said with rage. The usurper quickly glared at the midwife and the apprentice which they were terrified for their queen. 

“Why haven’t you left? You did your duties and I paid. Leave now!” He yelled at them which they gladly left. 

Now it’s him and Historia. The nobleman grabbed her hair to drag her out of the room while Historia began kicking and screaming. He entered another room and there were the maids waiting for their lord’s orders. 

“Maids, prepare this bitch for the wedding within a couple hours. I want her in the wedding dress I bought for her. Then escort her on the vehicle so it will take her to the main citadel in the capitol for our wedding and the coronation. By morning the whole island will wake up with a true king and his royal consort. So, be ready Historia, the templars will rule this island and Marley.” He chuckled darkly and shoveled her, Historia fell on the ground. He walked away to go get ready. Behind him, fainted whimpers from Historia were heard as the double doors closed. 

(The capitol, Mitras) 

One by one templars assassinated higher ups and a personal army from Lord Evans marched into the city. The MPs begin to shoot their rifles. Chaos had started. Civilians woke up from the bloodshed nightmare. Some hid, but others ran for safety.

Meanwhile at the Survey Corps headquarters, the girl finally reached there and knocked the door loud. Quickly, ran away from the building when it opened to see Sasha looked down where the basket was. 

“Aww what a cutie?!” Sasha is cooing the baby. Little Atticus began to cry. The soldier freaked out and picked up the basket since the noise of rifles and screams was heard away in the main plaza. 

“Let’s get you somewhere safe.” Sasha said and walked to see a note there. She picked it up to read it. Then gasped to know whose child it is. As she holded the basket, Sasha ran to the Commander’s office and pounded the door. 

“Commander Hange!” She shouted out then the door opened to see both Hange and William were interrupted in their nightly activity. 

“Why do you have a baby with you, Sasha? Remember what we tackled about they are not pets where you can take home.” Hange said. 

“Commander please read this note. This is Queen Historia and Captain Levi’s baby.” The soldier gave the note to her higher up. William read from over his girlfriend’s shoulder. 

“So the queen had given birth and sent someone to bring the baby here. Lord Evans was behind all this chaos that’s happening now.” Hange frowned. 

“We need to find a different location. The templars will come after us and find the baby. They think he died.” Williams said with concern. He picked up his great grandson who stopped crying. 

“He needs to be fed.” Bill goes to find baby formula since they have an emergency in case an orphan child is needed. 

“We need to leave now, I’ll send a message to Levi that we’re relocating to our secret hideout.” Hange said. 

“What about helping the Mps?” Sasha said. 

“I will lean some of the scouts for Commander Dok to help out. But I will need my best soldiers to protect the crown prince. He is our hope along Queen Historia. Thank goodness she is still alive, but we need a better plan to get her out. Right now we relocate for his highness’s safety. Plus, Levi will go batshit crazy once he finds out what had happened to Historia.” The Commander already got ready to lead her regiment. 

Once she gave the order what was happening, everyone packed up necessary things. The assassins took their best weapons while the soldiers filled up their tanks for their OMD gears. After everything was ready, they left the building abandonment. Some of the soldiers and assassin head to the destruction while the rest leave the city.

(Marley) 

Both Mikasa and Reiner were enjoying each other's company when far away they heard guns and screams. They looked at the view to see chaos. 

“What the hell is going on? Mikasa please don’t tell me it’s you guys?’ Reiner said. 

“What? No, it’s definitely not us. We don’t have firearms.” Mikasa frowned. She goes to grab her clothes to put them back on. “I need to go.” 

She felt her arm being grabbed. “Wait, Mikasa...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to jump into conclusions.” His expression felt guilty. 

“It’s fine….I’m just as shocked as you.” She said. 

“Will I see you before you leave the island?” He said with hope. 

“Yeah, just be careful out there. Meet me at the edge of the city in the south.” She leans to kiss him. “I’ll see you later.” She smiled then stepped back to turn around and leave. 

Reiner quickly dressed up and headed out to go to the base first. He hopes everyone is ok and defends their home. It can’t be Paradis. His comrades had been keeping an eye on them for a while. Who could it be that’s invading his home? Maybe it’s those Templars that Mikasa mentioned. 

The titan shifter ran fast pace while avoiding getting shot. When he entered the internment zone, he saw his comrade squads already fighting. An enemy stopped him. The blonde man noticed the cross symbol on the other. So it is the templars that Mikasa warned about. Shit, they are fucked. 

“Why are you doing this?” He yelled at the templar. 

“For the peace and dream of the Templar’s Order.” The man said with pride. 

The templar began to attack Reiner which the titan shifter dodged his attack. He’s glad the power of being a titan shifter, his strength and speed are abnormal than an average strong human. 

The other man growls in annoyance and charges at him again. Reiner uses his leg to kick the shin of the knee and disarm the firearm to point at the enemy. Without hesitation he shot the templar between his eyes.  The blonde Eldian ran towards his comrades. 

“Guys, what’s going on? Where’s Gabi and the young candidates?” He asked. 

Porco and Pieck turned around to see their Deputy Chief already here. “Our military and government had gone coup d’etat. Most of our higher officials were assassinated. Those devils outsmarted us.” Porco was busy aiming his gun at the enemies. The armies from the shoreline were bombed and not a lot of them survived. Our soldiers are small now.” 

“I don’t think it’s the Paradis devils. You know they are not that advanced in technology as we do. The only thing they have is the titans. Eren had most of them. And Zeke will betray us. The colossal titan belonged to another Paradisan named, Armin Arlet. So it’s just us three and a small number of soldiers.” Reiner explained. “We need to go to the base to check to find the rest.” 

All three begin to run to the main base. They stopped when on the other side their comrades were shooting at the enemies while vice versa. The templar’s armies had a big machine weapon that shoots ammunition with fast speed. 

“Shit, we gotta shift to help our comrades.” Porco was distressed from seeing the bloody sight. Suddenly, Pieck screamed when a bullet shot on her shoulder. She fell from the pain. 

“Pieck!” Both men turned to help their fellow female soldier up. Some of the enemies spotted them and aimed their weapons at them. So both Reiner and Porco dragged their friend and comrade to a safer area to be shield from the attack. 

“One of us has to distract them. Porco you go take Pieck to the base where they will treat her at the base hospital.” Reiner said. 

They were about to protest until they heard two gear sounds and screams from the enemies. Reiner looked around to see it was their lost long comrade, Annie Leonhart. 

“A-annie?” Reiner was shook seeing her. He thought she was still a prisoner. 

The Female Titan landed in front of them. “It’s been a while guys.” 

All three were so happy one of their own had made it home. But they see another blonde figure landed beside her. 

“Wait, What the hell what is he doing here? Why do you have our enemy beside you.” Porco frowned as he stared at Armin Arlet. 

“Touch him and I wouldn’t hesitate to chop your legs and arms. He’s here to help everyone out against these Templars and their soldiers.” Annie glared at Porco. She will not let anyone harm her boyfriend. 

Reiner may have an idea that these two were with Mikasa the whole time for some mission. He can’t judge Annie being involved with their supposed enemy since he is after all with Mikasa earlier. 

“Alright, let’s calm down and not jump to conclusions. We have a bigger problem right now.” Reiner used his leadership tone. 

“He is right. We need to work together. Forget our past of hatred with each other. This war is us against templars. If they win, we’ll be all screwed. I mean the whole world screw. We all want peace so let’s make it happen together.” Armin's inspirational monologue made them contemplated. 

“We’ll have to get to the base quick then.” Reiner said. 

“Wait, if we go; they will shoot Armin since he’s a Paradisan.” Porco said while carrying a wounded Pieck. 

“I won’t let that happen.” Annie said darkly. Armin felt a hint of a blush from how protective Annie is towards him. They both confessed their feelings when Annie used to be a prisoner and he visited her often. 

“Pfft I can’t believe you're fornicating with the enemy.” Porco mumbled. 

Annie rolled her eyes at him. “Oh I’m not the only one who had fornicated with an ‘enemy’. Isn’t that right, Reiner?” She glanced at her old friend and comrade. Reiner was flushed from her comment. He coughed. “This isn’t the time to gossip our sex life.” He said in a cool tone. Now, Porco was a bit stunned that his deputy chief also slept with an enemy before, but he is right they have no time for whatever this conversation was. Pieck needs medical attention soon. 

“Let’s go. She is losing a lot of blood.” Porco was worried for her. She groaned in pain. All five of them make their way to the war zone between the base and the enemies. 

A/N: For those waiting for Annie's appearance. She’s finally here! I was contemplating where to have her appear. So a lot of crazy things had happened in this chapter. Yes,  the baby is finally born and his name is Atticus Ackerman-Reiss uwu. He looks like his papa Levi but with Historia’s blue eyes. Tell me what you guys think of this interesting chapter? Yes, there were dark scenes. Also there will be a more dark scene in the next chapter with Historia. War can bring out the darkness in you especially trying to protect your loved ones. Ok, enjoy this chapter guys! Love you all. Until next time. 

[oftenderweapons]

Where, when and how - maknae line

Pairing: maknae line member x reader 

Wordcount: 1.0k words

Genre: smut, fluff, (Taehyung’s contains a fair bit of angst)

Rating: 18+

Hello lovelies! Since quarantine is separating many lovers all around the world I thought about how the boys would handle being away from their girlfriend. It’s obviously smutty. Every piece is about 1000 words each.

Trigger warning: swearing; smut, hinted and sometimes pretty descriptive, really it depends. LOADS OF SEX TOYS (it was supposed to be a sex-toy themed thingy because yay!self-love and yes, you can use them together with your significant other too), some mild bdsm here and there, praise kink (you know where it comes from), swearing and alcohol (nothing extreme, just tipsy), masturbation and that should be pretty much everything. Also, nipple piercing? Tae is frustrated, Jimin is the bratties brat to ever brat (takes one to know one LOL) and Koo is a switch (and by switch I mean he’s shy but nasty, and I still don’t know what’s his trigger).

You can find the hyung line here

Pssst--- here is my masterlist---

Jimin

You loved listening to Jimin, especially when he came home in the evening and told you about his day. You loved chitchatting while preparing dinner, you loved having his head on your lap, his fingers intertwined with yours, your free hand caressing his scalp and handcombing his hair. You loved his tenderness, his voice growing sleepy as it got late. You loved climbing in bed and feeling his hand snake around your waist from behind you, naturally and innocently palming your breast as he fell asleep.

You were listening to his voice through the speakers of your phone, video calling each other as you made dinner and he had a brunch together with the boys in Paris. Last night it had been their last concert of the European Tour and soon they would be heading back to Seoul, even though their schedule included a couple weeks in the US before actually returning to their motherland. He wasn’t yet allowed to tell you their plans but supposedly they had to meet a coreographer and visit a couple studios.

It was extraordinarily hilarious to watch him talk as he filled his mouth with continental breakfast, sickeningly sweet apple juice and pain brioche and bacon endlessly flowing around him. Every now and then he interrupted himself to reply to the boys, who sometimes appeared behind him, sleepy, a bit groggy and absolutely exhausted. Suga was propped on his elbows against the countertop, his eyes closing again as he waited for coffee, Namjoon, with a disgusted expression hugged the sugar bowl to his chest and poured a worrying amount of sweetener in his oversized cup of coffee. JK, his shirt sweaty, was drinking a smoothie after his morning workout. Taehyung was nowhere to be seen, but knowing him, he was probably still sleeping.

“Jin hyung yesterday had a flimsy shirt. I think we have never seen that much skin of him! It was so windy!!!” Jimin said, imitating the shirt lifting, his teasing voice all out while his eyes disappeared in a big smile.

You had held on pretty fairly for the whole tour, always taking twenty minutes to have a chat almost every day. You had visited him mid-tour in New York for a couple days, but otherwise you had endured the distance with a tight-lipped smile.

But right now you felt your heart chipping slightly, tears coming to your eyes. You promptly swiped them away.

Jimin, always so attuned to your emotions, noticed it right away. “Baby, are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s the onions!” You smiled and quickly went back to your cooking. But he knew. Seventeen more days until he could see you again. And hold you. And lose himself in you again. He wasn’t bold enough for steamy video calls like Tae. And it’s not like those could provide the kind of emotional support that made him crave for intimacy and reassured him after it. But still, he wanted you to know.

So that night, after making his suitcase, he entered a website he had been tiptoeing around for a while and started exploring, sometimes with shame tinting his cheeks, sometimes with curiosity capturing his stare, sometimes with desire warming his loins. After a thorough analysis of every single category, he checked the basket and proceeded to shipping and payment.

A couple days later you awoke to pictures flooding your twitter feed, your beautiful boyfriend and his six band mates walking out of the LAX airport, Jimin wearing a flowing, quite see-through sky blue shirt embroidered in lilies, his delirious ballerina legs clad in his usual skinny black jeans. Blonde and gracious, lips pouty and pink, sunglasses on, he waved at the crowd and disappeared inside a grey van with a flirty grin. You barely held in a moan. And the long time without any kind of intimacy was most definitely getting to your head. Your fingers toyed with the edge of your panties, almost ready to give up on your intention of waiting for Jimin to come back and get you wild. But right in that moment your doorbell rang and you quickly donned a robe to answer the door. As you saw the delivery boy from the security cam, your first thought was that you had not ordered anything and out of suspicion you properly got dressed. But when he got to your apartment’s door he mentioned the name of the sender and everything made sense, though you hadn’t quite expected a surprise. You thanked him and got inside, package in hand, straight to the kitchen where you grabbed a knife and tore the seal. It was quite heavy and big, and the tag name was not recognisable. With increased curiosity, you opened the lid and saw a small envelope. It had been typed but it seemed to be signed under Jimin’s safe name, Your angel fairy.

“There are things you promised me and things I promised you for when I come back. But there is just one thing we both promised to each other for eternity. And that is Love. Every single object in here is only aimed at that. For a loving heartfelt and gentle as a cherry. For a loving playful and childlike like tickles. For a loving sparkling like twin falling stars. For a loving loyal and enthralling like chains of gold. For a loving sturdy and stinging as wood and leather. For a loving precious like a gem. And finally for a loving eternal as the darkness of the night. To my beloved,

From your angel fairy.”

He had really splurged on this.

You bit your lip in anticipation and tried to guess who was who. Because for those seven types of loving there were seven corresponding items. The first one had to be the massage candles. You once had told him you wanted to try and massage him with those and probably cherries were his fragrance of choice.

The second must have been the tickler, the delicate white feathers perfectly matching Jimin’s personality and taste. Twin falling stars was a bit trickier but at the bottom of the box you found a smaller elegant box containing a delicate chain with two star-shaped, sparkly nipple clamps, which you absolutely adored.

The chains of gold must have been the fine jewellery harness designed to wrap around your neck, snake down between your breasts and loosely hang around your waist in multiple strings.

The wood and leather must have been the double sided paddle, one softened with some padding and leather, the other nothing but unforgiving hardwood. A corner of your mind went back to that time he had brought your large wooden hair-brush on top of your bed and asked you if you wanted to try it on him, you remembered how you had curled a hand around his cheek, comforting and reassuring him, praising him, showing that there was nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. The bright red colour of his behind the morning after, your worried expression and his face hiding in your neck when he told you not to worry because he had enjoyed every second of it.

That loving, precious like a gem, could be nothing but the buttplug, which you had confessed you wanted to try on yourself during your last escapade in New York. You looked forward to that.

And finally the darkness of the night - the blindfold. Black and silken.

“A little bird told me you received a package... How do you like it?” There it was, Jimin’s text. You couldn’t wait for that little brat to come back home.

Taehyung

Brazil was beautiful. A beautiful hot mess. He felt sweat in his every nook and cranny, the humidity sticking to his skin even though it was almost midnight. As he got out of the shower he looked at himself in the mirror. He still felt messy.

He also felt like calling you. Right then and there.

He felt like being at home and walking in your shared room naked and getting head from you. With the windows open and some night breeze flowing in.

“Thinking about you.” He simply texted.

“Just out of a meeting. Can’t wait to head home.” You replied. “But I still have a lot to do.”

“I miss you in my bed.”

“Do you, now?” You were half walking half texting, waiting to get your lunch.

“I need you to get rid of some steam...”

“Tonight, promise.” As your order was ready, you quickly proceeded to eat.

Taehyung didn’t reply. He was tired and you were busy.

He collapsed in bed shortly after putting down his phone.

His sleep was troubled, he woke up tangled in the sheets, his leg thrown over a mountain of pillows and his hips were agonisingly pressing against the humid white cotton. Again, he felt sweaty. And turned on. He felt compressed. Like a clown inside a box that jumps out when you open it. He wondered what it would take for his box to be opened.

When he woke up he saw your “good morning” text, replied quickly before rinsing his face and hitting the gym in the hotel. He overworked himself in hope it could get the thought of you out of his head. Instead, every exercise had him thinking about new ways to fuck you, a stronger, healthier body meaning nothing but much more force and more experimental and effective angles. Jungkook and Jimin obviously noticed, while Namjoon and Jin kept obliviously running on the treadmill.

“You think he’s angry?” Asked Jungkook.

“Just repressed. We should tell the girls to warn his girlfriend. Maybe we should have her come meet him.”

“The trip is long and she’s gonna be jet-lagged out of her mind. Let’s just tell the girls and have the two of them figure it out.”

Jungkook told his girlfriend through text: “Can you tell Tae’s girlfriend to call him? He’s getting sour.”

“Told her. She said she on it. Luv you. Later.” Jungkook blushed thinking about his plans for later that night and then moved on with his exercises.

Taehyung kept bench pressing like he wanted to lift the whole world with his two bare shouders.

At around four pm, his phone far away from him to keep him from doing something stupid, Taehyung was stage rehearsing, his voice rougher and angrier than ever, his whole body craving for release and intimacy. At this point Yoongi too had noticed, giving a small side glance to Jimin, who shook his shoulders in hopelessness.

As he grew more and more insufferable, Namjoon saw it was almost six pm and called for a break, immediately nearing Taehyung and taking him aside for a while.

“What’s wrong.” Namjoon didn’t approach the matter softly.

Taehyung took a pause. Namjoon was almost tempted to call Jimin. Maybe he knew how to deal with this. Maybe he was too rough, too direct or too logical rather than emotional, he could —

“I miss her, hyung.” Taehyung said. Namjoon exhaled heavily. He knew how that felt. “I miss her and we call each other every day, we text, but it’s so bad. I miss everything about her. I thought it was a crush and that it would be easy. After all we’ve been dating for a couple months and...” Namjoon waited, his eyes fixed on Tae. “But I think I’m in love. It’s like, here.” He pressed his fist between his ribs and his stomach. “And I’m so tense, all the time. At night it’s even worse. I haven’t been sleeping much.”

Namjoon waited as if to let him speak, but apparently he was done. “Do you want to call her? Take the rest of the day off and we go on without you?”

“She’s sleeping right now. Fucking time zones. And if I call her, it will get worse.”

Namjoon knew. The wanting, the longing. It just intensifies.

Namjoon checked his phone. “Okay. Rehearsal’s almost over anyways. You just need to survive a couple more songs, then we’re gonna take a night just the seven of us, yeah?”

Taehyung nodded.

“Also, schedule a video call. We’ll be in London in four days and time difference will be easier.” He patted his shoulder. “And please, get laid. Or you can take it out on the stage tomorrow. Army will go feral if they see you like this.”

Taehyung chuckled.

“Do we have anything scheduled tomorrow morning?”

“Concert tomorrow night so no schedule until 11. Jin, JK and I are hitting the gym at nine, if you wanna join.”

“We‘ll see.” Tae smiled. He felt better.

Rehearsal ended up okay after that, Taehyung in a more playful mood. As soon as he got to his phone he saw one of your texts, he was tempted opening it right away, but he waited when he saw it was a lengthy voice note.

He arrived in his hotel room and hit the shower straight away. He was supposed to meet the others in half an hour, and he knew if he laid down and listened to your text he would get distracted and call you. As he got out of the shower he got dressed and sat on the bed, his phone tempting him. Damn it. He opened the text.

“Taehyung-“ A heavy breath. “I’ve been missing you.” Your voice was soft and delicate, almost sleepy. “It’s five am and I can’t sleep.” A raspy moan followed and he had to rewind the text and turn up the volume. Moan confirmed. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Your hands on me, everywhere. The way you kissed me before you left.” This time the moaning was clearer and louder. “Every time I touch myself I feel like my fingers aren’t long or strong enough compared to yours.” Tae felt that comment in his bones. He would be late to dinner anyway. From his phone you emitted a small whimper. “Good, the way you went down on me. I’ve tried toys that could possibly substitute you as long as you’re away but no toy could ever look at me like you did that night, with your mouth latched on my clit and your hand grasping my thighs.” He could almost taste you. God, that night had been indecent to say the least. “I can’t wait to have you back. I’m gonna have you laid out in bed, spread wide on top of the sheets and I’m gonna ride you until I can‘t even remember how much I missed you.”

Now Taehyung moaned himself. He texted you. It was nine am in Seoul, that meant you were at work, that meant you’d be worked up all day long.

“I’m free tomorrow morning. That is tonight, to you. I wanna see that nasty shit you’ve been up to with my wanna-be substitute. Maybe if you’re good enough I’m gonna send you a little something too. But you’ll have to earn it.”

He was already going to send you a golden necklace with a vibrating pendant anyway.

Jungkook

He didn’t let himself think about you much. Just ten minutes in the shower. Sometimes eight were enough, it just depended on how turned on he was. Even though your trip to Australia was making things difficult, you still managed to see each other every day or so. Sometimes you just had dinner with a screen in front of each other, chatting about your day. Sometimes you called after dinner, a glass of wine, some laughter, the boys coming in every now and then to say hi and ask how you were doing. Other times it was strictly the two of you, your soft voice reassuring him as he confessed how he was feeling. This distance had seriously improved your communication, especially since there was no way to use body language to express feelings and emotions. You reminded him daily that you love him, always telling him before you closed the call. He told you daily about what was going on and how he felt about it. He really hoped you would keep being so talkative when you came back. Most importantly, he hoped you would keep praising him. Sometimes he did exactly what you wanted so that you would praise him. He realised that the more he expressed how he felt, the more loving and praising you grew.

Your stay in Australia was supposed to last a little more than five weeks. Three weeks had gone by quickly, always busy with paperwork or work appointments. However, lately you had started missing Jungkook a little bit too severely. You knew he was shy and you would never press him into doing anything he didn’t hint at you. So when one night, after a glass of wine too many, he started talking about how much he missed your body, you replied encouragingly, leading him on.

“What do you miss about it?”

“You know. Waking up beside you. Feeling you next to me early in the morning.”

“I miss that too. Starting the day without you in the shower is difficult,” you teased, pushing it a little.

He blushed a little. “Do you miss that too?”

“I miss all of that. Do you?” You filled your glass once more. Maybe it would help you loosen up a little.

“You know I do.” He mirrored your gesture and took a sip.

“It feels good when you say it,” you answered, undoing a button of your blouse.

“I miss your body a lot. Even though I don’t usually think about it. It gets worse,” he said, eyes were glued to your fingers.

“I’m happy that you told me. It makes me feel like I’m not alone in this.”

“You are not alone. But I wish I was there.” He was going to evaporate.

You took a deep breath.

“What would you do if you were here?”

“Kiss you. Straight away. I’d hold you so tight I’d almost suffocate you.” He didn’t hesitate one second before answering your question. But then he took a long pause. “I would pick you up, wrap your legs around my waist. Lay you down on the bed. Kiss you harder.”

You licked your lips. “Have you been hitting the gym more often lately?”

He was a little bit confused by your question but he nodded.

“It shows. You look stronger. Makes me wonder how good it will be when we do it again.”

His mouth hung open. “I—“

“Use your words, sweetie.”

His situation got even worse as he blushed for the nickname. And then his whole demeanour did a 180. “Forget the bed. I think I’m gonna slam you against the wall. You’d be wearing a skirt and it would be so easy to slip inside you.”

You worded the next sentence carefully. If you pushed it too much, he would emotionally ball up like a hedgehog and shut you out. “Would you have me against the wall?”

“Fuck you standing? Yes, babe.” He pressed his tongue against his cheek, then clenched his jaw. His hand was laying on his thigh, slipping slowly to his crotch. Nothing you were going to notice since his camera was on his face and part of his chest.

“But you know I’m heavy, right?”

“You’re not that heavy. I can pick you up if I want to. And lately you’ve been looking thinner. I hope you’re eating. I love feeling you up,” he purred.

“I’ve been working out too. I have to get you out of my head.”

“What do you need to get out of your head?”

“All the things I want from you.” You needed him to push you a little.

“What do you want?”

“I want you inside me.”

“Yeah, and? Come on, babe, use your words.” His smile was borderline sadistic as he used your own words against you.

“Messy, sweaty. I don’t care if it hurts. I want you to fuck me so hard I’ll be feeling it for days afterwards.”

He moaned a little at that. How tight you would feel around him... He realised it was the right moment to tell you. “I got us something.”

“What?”

“It’s supposed to arrive by the time you’re here.”

“Really? What is it?”

He took a deep breath and then he started spitting out words at an alarming rate.

“The other day at the gym there was this couple doing something like couple yoga or something, and she was hanging from a hammock of sort and I couldn’t help but think about how intimate it was and how much I wanted to do that with you and I got us a swing.”

“You what?” You brought the glass to your lips again. Smiling.

“I got us a swing.”

“What kind of swing, baby?”

“That kind of swing. I saw it in a... video, sometime ago, and I remembered it and I wanna use it with you. If you want to, I mean, we don’t have to—” He babbled adorably.

“What if I want to?”

He inhaled and took a sip of wine.

“I can’t wait to use it with you. I keep imagining the sound of you slamming against me. I’ll moan for you so loud and lovely that everyone will know you’re loving me nice and good. You’re amazing, Koo.”

He basked in your compliment. “Come back home soon. Otherwise I’ll have to come and get you. Cuff you to my own wrist and bring you back to my side, where you belong.”

“Can’t wait to put my hands on you. My mouth,” you murmured, one more button coming undone.

“You can’t right now, but if you take off your shirt maybe you might convince me to take the first plane to Sydney.” 

His hand had already undone his belt and he was almost going to undo the button of his jeans when you said, “do you think I could convince you if I told you I’m not wearing a bra right now?”

He looked shocked. “You should show me.”

You quickly undid your blouse and let it hang open. That’s when he noticed something glittering.

“Is it...”

“I thought I could use the time away to get it done, so it can properly heal.”

Right there, on your right nipple you let the small piercing show.

“You’re so getting fucked when you come back. First I’ll get my tongue on that and you know exactly where it’s gonna go next.”

You grinned devilishly. “Good, because it’s all I’ve been thinking of.”

[jaybear1701]

It was supposed to be a simple spell.

At least, that’s what Tally had said. One sprig of mistletoe and an easy-as-pie incantation:

Love is precious Banish your woe Love is found ‘Neath the mistletoe

It had sounded fake, if Raelle was being honest. But she had no reason to doubt her fellow Gryffindor and was willing to take the chance. But, like with many things in Raelle’s Collar’s 16 years on earth, nothing was ever that simple.

Perhaps she had said the words wrong or emphasized the wrong syllables. Or perhaps the intensity of Raelle’s emotions had given her magic a little too much oomph. Or maybe she didn’t use the right mistletoe. “It had to be picked on the night of a waning gibbous moon,” Tally had exclaimed only after everything went to hell. Whatever it was, it backfired. Spectacularly.

Instead of the enchanted mistletoe appearing above the archway leading to the greenhouses—where the object of Raelle’s affections would go every morning to help Professor Sprout with all the magical plants (the mushrooms, especially, were her favorite)--it now appeared above every archway, in random locations and times, catching students and professors and even ghosts unaware. 

What made it even worse: the nefarious mistletoe trapped unexpected couples underneath it until they kissed. (Raelle didn’t think she’d ever be able to purge from memory the sight of Headmistress Alder locking lips with Peeves the poltergeist.) Anyone who dared to defy its mandate were forced to have their deepest crush announced to every corner of the castle by multiple Howlers--which is how everyone now knew that Libba Swythe, a Slytherin, had a thing for a Gryffindor. And not just any Gryffindor. Her sworn nemesis: Abigail Bellweather.

At lunch, the Great Hall was decorated like it always was during the winter holidays. A massive Christmas tree with all the trimmings sparkled at the front of the hall. Giant wreaths adorned the walls, and a flurry of snowflakes floated above their heads. The air smelled of pine and sugar cookies, and Raelle would have enjoyed it if not for the calamity she had brought down on Hogwarts and all its residents.

Sitting at Gryffindor’s table, Abigail’s scowl was dark and furious. She stabbed at her meal with more force than necessary, glaring at Raelle as she vigorously chewed.

“This is all your fault,” Abigail said, very much heated.

“Keep your voice down, will you?” Raelle lowered her head, glancing to the left and right. The last thing she needed was for Professor Quartermaine to find out that she caused everything. “Besides, it was Tally’s spell.”

“Um, excuse you, it was not my spell.” Tally looked offended. “No one forced you to use it, Rae.”

“She’s right,” Abigail grumbled. “And now everything’s the worst.”

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s the best,” Tally sing-songed, high on a dreamy cloud after sharing multiple kisses with Gerit Buttonwood all over the castle. “As do a lot of people. Nothing wrong with a kiss here and there.”

Abigail rolled her eyes. “None of this would have happened if you just told Ramshorn the truth,” she said. “And what's worse is that you haven't even tried to catch her under one of those vile weeds."

"I'm working on it," Raelle said.

"You are the most cowardly Gryffindor in the history of Gryffindors,” Abigail stressed. 

“Look, it’s not that easy, okay?” Raelle stole a glance over at the Ravenclaw table, where Scylla looked as effortlessly gorgeous as ever, head buried in a thick tome, as usual. She was probably crafting all sorts of new spells and potions in that brilliant mind of hers. Uncertainty washed over Raelle. Even if she managed to kiss Scylla under some mistletoe... how would she go about telling one of her best friends that she's in love with her? What if Scylla didn’t feel the same way? Would Raelle ruin their friendship? She couldn’t imagine life without the bright, witty, and rebellious Ravenclaw. 

"It’s not like you’re running to Libba even though she loves you too for some reason," Raelle deflected. 

The blush on Abigail’s face was brighter than the red on her robes. “This isn’t about me.”

Raelle watched as Scylla stood from her table and made her way out of the Great Hall. At the Hufflepuff table, Porter Tippett also stood. He only had eyes for Scylla, as well. Oh hell no. On instinct, Raelle shot to her feet. The last thing she needed was for Porter to try to rekindle anything with Scylla because Raelle’s spell had gone awry.

“Where are you going?” Tally asked, eyebrows raised. 

“I don’t know,” Raelle said. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Abigail shook her head.

Raelle ignored them both to follow Scylla, who had some free time before her next class--not that Raelle had memorized her schedule or anything. Perhaps she was going back to Ravenclaw Tower. She had to find Scylla before Porter did.

Raelle walked quickly down the hallways, shoes clacking against stone. She bounded up the moving staircases, two sometimes three steps at a time, drawing warnings from several of the portraits to be careful. She hoped she was taking the right path to Ravenclaw Tower. No matter how often Scylla told her the way, Raelle found it confusing, as if it was an ever shifting puzzle that only the Ravenclaws could figure out. Thankfully, Porter apparently found it just as mystifying because Raelle lost him somewhere between the third and fourth floors.

Skidding around a corner, Raelle’s heart lodged firmly in her throat when she saw Scylla underneath an archway, alone thankfully, staring up at a bundle of leaves and white berries. Raelle willed herself to be calm and approached slowly, not wanting to startle Scylla.

“Looks like you could use some help,” Raelle called out. Nerves made the tips of her fingers number and she rubbed her hands together.

Scylla’s head snapped toward the sound of her voice, shoulders visibly relaxing when she saw it was Raelle. “Thank the goddess it’s you,” she breathed out.

“I guess you could do worse,” Raelle said as she joined Scylla, pulse ticking ever upward.

“Not by much,” Scylla teased.

“Ouch,” Raelle said. 

Scylla’s gaze returned to the mistletoe. “I can’t believe some idiot botched this spell. I mean, a first-year could do it. Whoever it was probably picked the mistletoe during a waxing gibbous moon.”

“R-right.” Raelle rubbed the back of her neck. “What an idiot.”

Silence stretched between them, awkward and thick. 

“Well, I guess we should get this over with.” Scylla looked at her expectantly, but Raelle found she couldn’t move. She was frozen in place, as if someone had hit her with an Immobulus charm. 

“Are you okay?” Scylla’s brows furrowed. 

“Yeah, I just…” It was hard to speak with the way her mouth suddenly dried out.

“It’s just a kiss.” Scylla moved closer and touched Raelle’s elbow. “No big deal.”

Raelle’s stomach dropped. Because of course . It wasn’t a big deal to Scylla because she didn’t feel the same as Raelle. And in that moment, Raelle knew she had messed up. Royally. Why had she thought some mistletoe would miraculously lead to Scylla returning her unrequited love. She should have never cast that spell.

She was so stupid .

But she had a chance to fix it now. To bury her feelings and give Scylla a quick peck and be done with it. But...

“I can’t,” Raelle whispered, tired of hiding. 

Scylla’s face fell and that made Raelle’s heart crack. “Would kissing me be that terrible?”

“What? No!” Raelle covered her face with her hands. This was a disaster. “That’s not…”

“Rae,” Scylla gently pulled down Raelle’s hands, blue eyes as clear as the shimmering waters of the Great Lake on a cloudless day. “It’s okay. You don’t have to kiss me, if you don’t want to.” 

“That’s the thing.” Raelle’s chest throbbed. “I do want to. More than you know. But not like this.”

“Like what?” Scylla asked, baffled. 

“Like it doesn’t mean anything.” Raelle took a deep breath. It was now or never. She’d prove she wasn’t the most cowardly Gryffindor in the history of Gryffindors. “Because, Scyl, it’d mean everything to me. Because you mean everything .”

Scylla licked her lips. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, I love you. I’m in love with you. Have been for as long as I can remember. But I understand if you don’t feel the same.”

Closing her eyes, Scylla ducked her head down, shoulders beginning to shake. Raelle couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying.

“Scyl? Say something. Please.”

When Scylla finally looked up, Raelle for sure thought her heart stopped. Tears shone in her eyes, and her mouth curved up in a trembling smile.

“You know what Muggles say about assumptions, right?” Scylla said.

Raelle watched dumbfounded as Scylla stepped away and out past the perimeter of the mistletoe’s reach. Howlers appeared out of thin air, and their screech was deafening. They flapped to all corners of the castle. Even with her hands clapped around her ears, Raelle could hear the message clearly:

Scylla Ramshorn, Seventh Year, Ravenclaw, is in love with Raelle Collar, Sixth Year, Gryffindor.

Scylla Ramshorn, Seventh Year, Ravenclaw, is in love with Raelle Collar, Sixth Year, Gryffindor.

Scylla Ramshorn, Seventh Year, Ravenclaw, is in love with Raelle Collar, Sixth Year, Gryffindor.

The message repeated for what seemed like eternity before it finally ceased, leaving Raelle in stunned silence, facing burning.

Scylla shrugged helplessly.

In less than a fraction of a second, Raelle erased the gap between them and kissed Scylla, cupping her jaw and burying her fingers in soft, auburn hair. Scylla wrapped her arms around Raelle and brought them even closer. Raelle melted into the softness of Scylla’s lips, warmth spreading throughout her entire body as her heart expanded to the point of bursting. 

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Scylla whispered when they broke apart, foreheads resting against each other.

“Why didn’t you?” Raelle countered, smiling so widely her cheeks were beginning to hurt.

“I guess we’re both idiots.”

“Guess so.”

Scylla nuzzled the tip of Raelle’s nose. “Speaking of idiots, I’ll have to thank the one who bungled the mistletoe spell after all.” Her gaze traveled up to the archway. The mistletoe had already disappeared to claim its next victim. 

“Lucky for you, you don’t have to search very far,” Raelle confessed.

Scylla’s eyes widened. “It was you?”

Raelle nodded sheepishly, and Scylla could only laugh, pulling her in for another kiss. 

[the-dork-neko]

The Last Rose (Doctor Nez, one-shot)

[Summary] After having his invitation refused for the first time, the 9th Doctor finds advice and incentive in an unexpected place.

[Disclaimer] Doctor Who, its plots, universes, characters and medias, belongs to BBC and the authorized enterprises. The Monkees (band and songs) belongs to those wonderful, charming musicians; the TV show, to NBC, Screen Gems and Columbia Pictures; and the albums, to Rhino and Warner.

The crossover Doctor Nez (Mike Nesmith as a Timelord) was an idea by the wonderful authors @revychumso​, @rose-of-pollux and @carlisliesimms fountains of wisdom to both fandoms. Please, go find them on Tumblr and give all the praise they deserve.

The One Rose (Left In My Heart) is, at once, a waltz and a country music classic, originally composed in 1930 (!) by Del Lyon and Lani McIntyre, and recorded in several other covers, in which we can count Mike Nesmith's, as part of the trilogy with The First National Band, in his first solo album, Magnetic South, of 1970.

[Initial Notes]Sorry, I'm not a native speaker, and this story was first conceived and written in Português. So, if you spot any grammar and spelling errors, please, don't be ashamed of pointing them (and your opinions in general) in the box below! :)

 She didn't want to get into the TARDIS with him again.

After that fiasco, he couldn't say anything against her.

Nevertheless, she didn't pass the impression of a conformist person, or of someone who'd enjoy routines and predictability. Also, she'd never look like a coward. No way.

To find out the true nature of the beings that stole faces, or got hosted into the mannequins, she did everything beyond the call of duty to her job and her family, until the final consequences. Including an alliance with a complete uknown, unable to inspire any trust.

But, when they triumphed over the enemies, and everything went back to normal, she'd rather end their brief partnership.

He could never judge her, didn't have this right. Even so, the rejection hurt in both his hearts.

On the other hand, it was nearly reassuring, to see that his hearts still had any influence over his young, newly-regenerated body, and his equally young mind, hyperactive in spite of the age, but both so tired after long centuries of battle.

The War could have ended to the planets involved - some of them, with their entire population, were not amongst the existant anymore, by his fault - however, to him, the war was infinite. His lonely torment, impossible to describe, a prison without walls, walked along with him, infinite and inexorable, until the end of all worlds.

And there was not a living soul to guide him back to sanity.

He was worthy of such punishment, as the genocidal of countless people, inluding his own.

Cass ran away from him, like she'd do against a monster or a demon. She wasn't wrong. The amazing girl from Babylon tried to save him, and ended an outcast, a horror story eternally haunting her own people. Rose, after a brief glimpse of his monstruous nature, and his utter inability of saving all of the innocents who crossed his path, followed the wise female intuition, and stayed home.

He didn't have a home to go back to, so he left the choice of the next stop to the TARDIS. It was always a wise movement. No other technology on time-space machines could compare its driving skills with the super smart Old Girl.

To his surprise, they stopped facing more water. Not a river, like the Thames, but a titanic immensity, the Pacific Ocean, lulling the continent in sleepy waves, peacefully dozing through entire geological ages, and conveniently hiding the sound of the dematerialization.

Anyway, it wasn't hard to enjoy a long walk on that desert beach, and go unnoticed.

Nonetheless, they had company. Someone who sang to a nearly extinct bonfire, and a beautiful blonde guitar, well-sheltered in long, thin arms.

*********

Mike didn't expect to have that much fun. He should have gone around town, looking for work, to himself and the band. But Pete got a gift from some neighbors, in the form of a good lot of several leftovers, and proposed a picnic on the beach; as a suddent opportunity to chill out, sing and eat well, close to the fire.

They savoured hot dogs, baked potatos, enjoyed some desserts, and sang, in delight and harmony, with the sounds of the waves, the sunset, the moon and stars ascending into the sky. (2)

The hours advanced, and the young men gave way to exaustion, a pacific sleep, even better to be enjoyed, in a rare time when they were all safe and well-fed.

In spite of being as satiated and tired as the friends he tucked into bed, like a bird zealous of its fledgling cubs, the musician couldn't sleep. He got hold of the custom made guitar, went out the door, crossed the street, and sank his feet in the sand of the beach.

That moment of insomnia brought to him, for some mysterious whim, a bittersweet nostalgia for his motherland.

Michael would never regret migrating to California, pursuing his dream. Quite the opposite. He found a loving, protective family, with whom he could share his anxieties, his needs, and his music.

He had a fond remembrance of the moment when Micky asked him to sing the first song he learnt; and Davy's fiery insistance for having him singing on gigs too. He remembered Peter's unexpected and genius idea of proposing duets and vocal harmonies that needed the whole band, as a subtle way to force him to sing, and get the attention he also deserved, as part of the band, an imperative necessary part of the group.  (3)

And it was with shame that he remembered the difficulty in believing that their appreciation, for his voice and his skills, was true, since the very beginning. After some lonely,  bitter months living the life of a homeless unemployed, and suffering the complete rejection of any audience, besides having to put up with horrible people jeering at him for sounding like a "hillbilly", it seemed impossible that he ever could findd other professional musicians, inspired by  unresistible empathy and creativity, who would enjoy his company and his compositions.

And against all odds, all possibilities, and all advices and common sense, they adopted him, welcoming him into their home. They were the brothers he never had, the precious companions for whom he worried, the people with whom he could live in mutual love, care and protection.

But that didn't mean that he couldn't, once in a while, miss the perfume and the colors of the angels' trumpets, the calls and runnings of the prarie chickens, the impossible heat of the desert air, and the way it turned into a green fountain of life, in the rainy seasons. A whole kaleidoscope of all possible shades of green, beyond where the eyes could see.

Nothing could be better, to take this blues away, than singing something that could bring forth the remembrance of motherland. The brief time of the song would bring him back to somewhere under the graceful sunrise that painted the sky with all shades of rose. He could return, even for some fleeting moments, to that poetic, lonely place where it was impossible to know where the earth ended,  and the sky began.

A waltz. A love song. Back then, back there, this kind of music never brought him any luck; finding someone who wanted to hear him was a homeric task; and any of the girls at school ever wanted to dance with him.

Indeed, his past life was exactly like the one lived by the character of this song.

However, there was a man who liked dancing with Michael. Micky would hug him to the sound of the music, invite him to enjoy life, play and dance along with anything. Or he would jus smile at him, with his hazel-colored eyes lit with true joy, enough to light a whole town.

Both the drummer, with his nearly angelical voice, and the percussionist, with his elegant British accent, made crystal clear all about the honor they felt, in singing the shy westerner poet's compositions to the alternative scene of Malibu.

The young struggling musician didn't need to dream about the loving perfume of a rose, thankful for the caring and nurturing. After his long journey, he left the desert behind, and got to a garden, with three exotic plants that grew taller, flowered and with plenty of fruits, under his tender care and concern. They extended, like the refreshing shade of robust trees, an aura of friendship, mutual comfort and protection in his life.

*********  

He didn't want to stay in the TARDIS,  with only his own storm of negative thoughts for company. He neither wantes to go out and face aa stranger who would ask nosy questions.

Even so, there were undeniable magnetism and empathy in that strange's music. That juvenile, but deep voice could be the voice of someone who knew him as well as his own tormented conscience. The poetry of the song felt like composed at his request.

A poetry that was worthy of being heard live, carried throught the nearly cold sea air, instead of filtered by the cameras and scanners of the console.

Once out on the beach, he leaned on some rocks, away enough to avoid any contact, close enough for his accurate hearing catch every letter and every note.

Loneliness and sorrow suffocated the memory of experiencing true love. However, in the middle of the torment, immeasurable as earth after the catastrophe, a flower grew. A rose, a little, brief, fragile life. But also the unforgettable symbol of a kind, giving and restoring feeling.

Lonely hope, wandering endlessly on the dephts of the conscience of the exhausted, the defeated, who traveled aimlessly through the Universe.

Though, her courage and kindness could save him, regenerate him, more than the stubborn nature of his cells ever could, when they gave him a new body and personality, as it happened during his past ten deaths.

So he left the slumbering beach, and the solitaire singer who haunted it, yodeling like a mystic figure howling to the moon, before going back into his box, and setting the coordinates to that exact moment.

If she'd decline again, he'd go away. She would be lost, along with his sanity, drown into uncountable billions of bittersweet recallings.

If she accepted, he'd be honoured for travelling with her. It would be the only and best way of sharing the rest of his life with her, the perfect silent, yet meaningful gesture of his love and gratitude towards her.

Exactly like the person in the song, the Doctor would be saved by a Rose.

 [End Notes]

1. The official explanation for poor 9's recovery after being "dumped" by Rose is one of the chapters of the wonderful collection of short tales 12 Doctors, 12 Stories. (Brazilian Edition: Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 2015). If you haven't read the book and don't like spoilers, please, skip to the next note.

The 9th Doctor's short story consists of a nice trip to the ancient Babylon, where he finds his next temporary companion. She's not human, though. But, throughout the text, it's easy to feel how irrelevant this was to the Doctor, and how he was the only one who actually treated her like an actual person. They chat and pour their souls out to each other, and she becomes a cute protector of his, and gives him a lot of advices.

2. A shameless transposition of some verses from the song Auntie's Municipal Court, composed by Mike, for the band's fifth studio album, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees.

3. The found family unit, drawn together before the band and the TV series, and Mike's chronic lack of confidence due to his voice, are headcanons taken from other authors in the fandom, @nezclaw and @averyextraordinaryscene, from Tumblr, also @Lisa_Boon1966, at AO3.

Like lots of other headcanons, these tales have a certain touch of truth. One of the comic/ narrative resources that was repeated throughout the whole series is poor Mike's "hillbilly twang".

This "exotic drawl" could probably be the final "proof" to make the executive producer in charge of the show, Don Kirschner, dismiss all of the guitarist's compositions, and his voice as well, jeering at them and calling them, with his most delicate words, "non-comercial".

Michael even denied, for decades, that he ever sang or composed certain songs in the show's OST, until someone who worked at Rhino dug out some old recordings from the 1960s, to be used at the remasterization of The Monkees' discography. And this blessed person sent him a copy of the demo version of the song The Girl I Knew Somewhere.

It's easy to imagine the fictitious personality of this young man suffering under prejudice and hostility, just for being unable to sound like the singers from the "big city", and developing the unbreakable belief that nobody would ever want to hear him. :(

Thank heavens that his adoptive children convinced him about the contrary - which was the truth!

[armeniaitn]

Armenia Culture News Digest for Tuesday, February 11, 2020

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/daily-digests/culture-digests/armenia-culture-news-digest-for-tuesday-february-11-2020-1823-11-02-2020/

Armenia Culture News Digest for Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Here is the Daily Digest of culture news for Armenia for Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The important stories are the following:

Martin Scorses remembers how Armenian professor inspired him

February 11, 2020 – 16:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese has told the story of how Armenian-American professor of film Haig P. Manoogian inspired him to become a filmmaker.

“Having the asthma, I was not allowed to play sports, so everything came to me through movies on television,” Scorsese said in a video prepared by Rolex to promote excellence in filmmaking.

“I lived on Elizabeth street between Prince and Houston (in New York City – Ed.), but I never went to the West Side. And so I just went to the corner of Elizabeth and Houston, made a left and walked about six blocks and was in another universe.”

The future Oscar-winning director was accepted to the Washington Square College which was part of NYU (New York University).

“And so I attended this orientation day — this was an eye-opening situation — and this gentleman got up and spoke with such passion and such energy about cinema. I became part of the cult. His name was Haig Manoogian,” he said.

“Haig really inspired us. He pushed us and he cajoled us, he beat us down and he built us back up again. He set a fire in our hearts. It’s one of the most precious gifts I have ever received.”

Scorses said that his experience with Manoogian led him to becoming a guide for other young people coming up to him.

Manoogian is the author of the book “The Film-Maker’s Art”, published in 1966.

Scorsese’s 1980 film “Raging Bull”, a winner of two Academy Awards, was dedicated to the Armenian teacher.

Read original article here

Armenian Soprano Dazzles at Dresden Event

Soprano Ruzan Mantashyan performs at the 2020 SemperOpernball festival in Dresden, Germany

Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan dazzled the audience at the SemperOpernball 2020 festival in Dresden on Friday with a dramatic performance of Tatiana’s aria from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin opera.

Mantashyan became a household name last month after SemperOpernball organizers reneged her invitation when a Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov said he would not perform with the Armenian soprano because of her ethnicity. After many protests and confrontation from Mantashyan’s agents, the singer was reinstated to the program

“I am happy that the performance took place and reached its logical and triumphant end,” Mantashyan told Armenpress after the event.

Yerevan Komitas State Consevatory lecturer Margarite Sargsyan shared a video of Mantashyan’s performance on Facebook, and praised the soprano. “This was truly brilliant. Well-done….This is our school,” she said.

[embedded content]

Other musicians who performed at the concert included violinist Pavel Milyukov, soprano Yulia Muzichenko and pianist Alexander Kashpurin, as well as the Azerbaijani Eyvazov.

Read original article here.

11th Armenian Composition Art Festival kicks off in Yerevan

The 11th Armenian Composition Art Festival kicked off in Yerevan with the joint concert of the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia and the National Academic Choir of Armenia.

The festival is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of composer Alexander Arutiunian.  The opening concert  featured the composer’s vocal-symphonic poem A Legend about the Armenian People  (soloists: Berj Karazian – tenor, Hovsep Nshanyan – baritone and Samvel Topalyan – reciting) and Cantata about the Motherland.

 The concert was conducted by Hovhannes Chekijyan.

The next concerts will feature works of various genres from Alexander Arutiunian ‘s rich heritage. The festival will also feature works by contemporary Armenian composers.

The State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia is the organizer of the Armenian Composition Art Festival. It is held with the support of the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. The artistic director of the festival is conductor Sergey Smbatyan.

Read original article here.

"Parasite" becomes first non-English language film to win best picture

February 10, 2020 – 10:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The film “Parasite”, director Bong Joon-ho and his team walked away from the Academy Awards with a number of major awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, and Best Director.

Bong used his time on stage to praise his fellow director nominees, including Martin Scorsese, who received a standing ovation during Bong’s speech, The Verge says.

Brad Pitt, Taika Waititi, Renee Zellweger, and Laura Dern continued their season of award winnings, taking home respective prizes for Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. “1917” and “Ford v Ferrari” both took home multiple awards for achieving excellence in technical categories like Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Elton John won the prize for Best Original Song for his work on “Rocketman”.

“Joker”, which earned the most nominations for any individual movie, only secured two awards — Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir.

Read original article here

Parasite makes Oscars history as first foreign language film to win best picture

South Korean film Parasite has been named best picture at this year’s Oscars, becoming the first non-English language film to take the top prize.

Renee Zellweger won best actress for playing Judy Garland in Judy. Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Joker.

Brad Pitt and Laura Dern won the supporting acting awards for their roles in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Marriage Story respectively.

Parasite won four awards in total, while Sir Sam Mendes’s 1917 took three.

Read original article here.

Today on Twitter

Here are several tweets about Armenia. Contact us via Twitter if you want to be included in this Twitter list. We retweet occasionally.

Armenia @armenia·

9h

Karina Movsesyan – became the winner of the 29th #EuropeanUnion Contest for Young Scientists #EUCYS and received the title of the “Youngest Scientist of European Union.” She discovered a mechanism which prevents the development of #cancer tumors. #WomenInScience

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Retweet on TwitterEmbassy of Armenia to Austria/Slovakia Retweeted

Anna A. Naghdalyan@naghdalyan·

16h

#ECHR ruling once again demonstrates that #Azerbaijan is overtly violating its intl #humanrights obligations. It also indicates that every #Armenia’n who would fall under AZE authorities control, regardless of status, is subjected to life threat https://bit.ly/2SCh946 @ECHR_CEDH

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Armenia Mission to UN@ArmeniaUN·

3h

Important conversation on #education & adolescent girls, with Bono of @U2 and @ONECampaign, Mary Robinson, Chair of @TheElders. Quality #education for all named N1 priority by @antonioguterres. Armenia is committed to equal access to education #InternationalDayOfWomenInScience

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JAMnews@JAMnewsCaucasus·

10h

Only 50 farmers have signed up for a new agricultural insurance scheme despite the fact the government has promised to pay half the costs. #armenia #agriculture

https://jam-news.net/armenian-farmers-balking-at-insuring-crops-why/

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Armenia at NATO@armmission_nato·

10h

While celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, today we remember this remarkable #Armenian-#American woman, who dedicated her entire life to science. #WomenInScience @USNATO, @NATO_SPS, @NATO1325

Armenia @armenia

Anna L. Kazanjian – the first woman scientist in the #US in the field of controlling unmanned aerial vehicles. In the 1960s, she established the American #Saturn rocket launcher. #WomenInScience

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Artsakh Parliament@Artsakh_Parl·

10h

#Accreditation_2020 #Journalists and #cameramen of National Assembly of the Republic of #Artsakh.

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Armenia Ombudsman@OmbudsArmenia·

6h

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia @atatoyan joins the statement of the @CoE_HRightsRLaw on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on #HumanRights.

Arman Tatoyan@atatoyan

As the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, I join @CoE_HRightsRLaw statement on 70th anniversary of #European #Convention on #HumanRights, a legally-binding #treaty for the people, overseen by an independent intrnl court, which safeguards people’s rights & freedoms. @OmbudsArmenia

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USC Armenian Studies@ArmenianStudies·

9h

FROM THE #ARCHIVES: students of the #Yerevan State Conservatory on a strike in support of the #KarabakhMovement. Protest signs including “Artsakh – the Conservatory is with you” visible on the building. 1988.

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ArtsakhPress Agency@ArtsakhPress·

15h

Over 50 programs implemented in #social sphere in 2019 in #Artsakh https://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/120994/over-50-programs-implemented-in-social-sphere-in-2019-in-artsakh.html #NagornoKarabakh

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Retweet on TwitterArtsakh MFA Retweeted

EAFJD@eafjd·

6 Feb

Yestreday, MEP #CostasMavrides hosted a conference with the title “The forgotten #refugees: What Happened to the #Armenians of #Baku?” in the @Europarl_EN. Keynote speakers were #BaronessCarolineCox, @AnnaATurcotte and David Babaev. Press Release https://eafjd.eu/forgottenrefugees.html

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Today on Facebook

Here are some of the Facebook posts about Armenia. Reach out to us on Facebook if you want to be included in this list. We share posts occasionally.

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