#NOTHIN WRONG WITH YOUR APPEARANCE KING

[preeningpisces]

@twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat

“I think I look perfectly normal…”

I just had to draw Suguru/Kenjaku as the milkman- my constitution is to weak to deny myself.

I might turn this into a reblog game so if you’re interested, let me know!

[gingerlurk]

RAW

Joel Miller x f!Reader x EzraProspect

Out of universe. Out of character. Out of my damn mind. 

Rating: 18+ explicit MDNI – mfm, no-outbreak!Joel Miller, menace!EzraProspect, established relationship (with Joel), pair of consent kings, porn without plot, cuckholding (not really), ass slapping, tit grabbing, a touch of breath play, ass play, rimming, unprotected piv x 2 (be safe), self-pleasuring (reader & Joel), spitting x 2, a little hair pulling (only description of reader is having hair to be pulled and caressed), biting, cmnf (both men stay mostly clothed while you are naked), creampie, we’ve got a cock-drunk reader I think, maybe even a squinty breeding kink (I surprised myself there), aftercare, it’s implied Ezra is your ex (you’re cool though), he has both arms, he also has a variety of weird nicknames for you I dunno, Joel just calls you baby, Joel carries you but he’s just so strong, you know? Appearances from Frankie Morales, Javier Peña and Din Djarin. 

Look it’s just… look. Let me know if I should add any others, cheers!

Word count: 4.6k

AN: Interrupting my own Mandalorian-obsessed programming to share this self-indulgent, pure unadulterated filth. I don’t know what this is. It came to me as I was lost in an acute migraine haze and it just feels like it needs to be out of my head to bring me any kind of peace.

Honestly just a way to get me through the holiday sads at this point.

These are standalone characters, and I have thots for the other three PP boys mentioned at the start. So we’ll see how tortured I am by those/how this one goes and they may turn into follow-ups. Enjoy?!

--

He's not your first choice. He's not even your third.

But fuck, Joel wants this and you're seeing your options get shot down one after the other.

Frankie is an outright no – positive Joel is just gonna kill him the moment he lays hands on your body. Unwilling to listen to your assurances, your assertions that it wasn’t even your idea to begin with, he doesn’t relent from his refusal. 

Lifting his cap to run fidgety fingers through his hair, the gorgeous pilot turns you down with regret in his dark, sweet eyes.

Javier Peña, the sex siren incarnate, also shakes his head.

‘Don't get me wrong, hermosa,’ he croons, leaning in close. ‘I'd fuck you three different ways on three different days, no question.’ He lifts a brow, pouts. ‘But not with another man present.’

Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, he says, ‘If I can have you all to myself, you call me.’

All breathy as he saunters away, you file that for later. Maybe once Joel has had his fill of this little venture, he'll be feeling generous to such a request.

And Din. Well, the mysterious perennial traveller is off overseas somewhere and no one knows when he'll show up next. Bust there. 

So it is with a little apprehension in your chest that you text the man that, as you know all too well from your wild days at uni, is up for just about anything.

The message has barely landed on read when he calls.

‘You crave defilement as your beasty man watches, do you?’ Ezra snarls into the line. ‘Want me to do it? Raw? Want him to bear witness to the things I know I can get you to do and scream?’ His voice buzzes in your ears and makes your belly thrum.

‘That's quite the prospect.’

With some brief explanations he barely even pretends to need, a date is set and you hang up with a shaky thumb to your screen.

It’s shaking again along with the rest of you as you tug the door open on the tap-tap-tap Ezra places to the glass. His half side smile turns to a lascivious grin as he sees you, eyes tracking over you – head to toe. They flick to Joel, who stands at the base of the stairs with arms crossed and jaw locked.

‘Evenin’,’ your guest greets as you wave him inside. ‘We ready for this arrangement of ours to commence?’

In answer, Joel turns and climbs the steps. Ezra looks at you with a smirk.

‘Not a talker, is he?’

‘You know he isn’t,’ you reply.

Nothin’ to say to that so you gesture and he follows. Up the stairs and into the bedroom, where Joel has already taken his position – seated in a dining chair dragged up from the kitchen, facing the far side of the bed.

Your heart flutters at the sight. At what you’re about to do.

Ezra steps up to stand beside you, where you’ve come to a stop on the opposite edge of the double-queen. 

He hisses in a breath. ‘Now, we discussed this on the phone but I am keen to confirm, with all parties here and present, that – in your words – no act, motion or gesture is strictly off the table tonight. Is that right? No glarin’ slips? In this moment, right here?’ 

‘There is the one rule,’ you say. ‘It’s a firm one.’

Ezra turns to you, raises his arms and skates a palm across each of your shoulders. It makes a sizzling path on your skin.

‘Now that small detail has not left my awareness, dear,’ he says, melty pools of want in his gaze. ‘Be most assured. Anything else?’

‘We have the safe word,’ you say, getting antsy. 

‘Mmhm, I remember that too, don’t worry,’ he replies. ‘But,’ a nod to Joel, face serious, ‘with those taken wholly and – may I add, justly – into account. To confirm?’

Joel’s jaw ticks. He looks to you for a moment. As you nod, so does he – shifting his gaze back to the man standing next to you.

‘Excellent,’ Ezra turns and gives you a thorough leer, a Cheshire grin. Eyes seizing your insides with the intent behind them. ‘Then, I would say that the next pertinent steps are for you to remove every single stitch of clothin’ adorned to your body and get on that there bed.’

You do as you’re told, shucking off top and skirt but pausing with a little trepidation at bra and panties. Ezra has to make a little ‘go on’ motion before you shed those too and – fighting the butterflies erupting in your belly – climb across the quilt.

On hands and knees, you look up and lock eyes with Joel. He’s bent forward, elbows on his own knees spread wide, gaze intent. You feel Ezra behind and a covetous grip on your thighs tugs you closer to his side of the bed.

‘So,’ Ezra murmurs. A hand lands on the small of your back, warm and large and calloused. ‘I admit I hold a curiosity that cannot be helped. And I must ask.’

The hand raises and lands with a firm smack on an ass cheek. You gasp a little and the momentum of the slap has you leaning toward Joel, whose teeth have bared just a little. He doesn’t move. The fingers behind you dig into your flesh, urge you back toward Ezra’s edge again.

‘It is a simple curiosity,’ he goes on. ‘It is only this: why?’

Another slap and, at your pained yelp, he carries on, ‘Why allow me this? This beauty who I imagine has known only your hands for the longest time? Why let me have her now…’ His palm soothes the burn of his flagellation. He waits.

Joel gives in to the slightest shrug.

‘Guess I’m curious too,’ he drawls. ‘I’ve explored every single part of this sweet thing. In’erested to see what another man’ll do with her.’

The low whistle over your shoulder is filled with relish. You hear Ezra suck in air between clenched teeth. Holding you firm, he rocks against your exposed rear, lets you feel the erection straining against his pants.

‘Every part of her, huh?’ he queries. Without warning, a huge arm wraps across your middle and slings you up. In a heartbeat, you find yourself pressed flush to his front, the rough fabric of his shirt no barrier to the heat radiating off his torso. He holds you so tight to himself, you can feel the thud thud thud of his heart between your shoulder blades.

The movement also causes your legs to twitch and you feel it. The start of your arousal leaking between your thighs. Another look at Joel, and his intense focus has you slippery and throbbing.

You breathe deep and wait, eyes now closed and listening only to two men breathing hard as well.

Ezra’s other arm moves onto you.

‘So I am given to be assured you’ve amply taken in these pretties,’ Ez growls. Both hands cup and massage your tits, bring the nipples to a standing attention. He waits. ‘Well?’

‘What d’ya think?’ Joel spits with a small head tilt.

‘Mm,’ Ez hums, nods into your shoulder. ‘Mmhm.’

Fingers move up, up, across a collarbone and to the base of your throat.

‘And here?’ he asks. ‘Have you known her here? Gifted her the dizzying sensations of restricted breath? Held her life, both gentle and savage, amidst the pressure of your digits?’

At that, he presses his middle and index fingers into the soft skin under your jaw and you feel it, just a little. Just the beginnings of light and airy pleasure pulsing in your head. His thumb strokes by your other ear.

Joel's own hands are clenched into tight fists, resting on his knees as he has straightened up. Almost primed. Like an animal ready to pounce.

‘Have you?’ The man with his hand around your neck presses.

With eyes growing hungrier, Joel nods.

That elicits a surprised little sound from Ezra.

‘Well,’ he turns his head and addresses you. The thumb engages and pushes down, in. Now you’re feeling it. Feeling it thrum from the crown of your head through your body and down to your cunt, which is decidedly dripping. ‘This bird may have flown my nest, but you took a little something learned with you, huh?’

You can’t move, can’t speak. Might just cum. Might just fucking cum and he hasn’t even touched you yet. So you just let your eyes roll back and hope Joel can see how much you love it. The choke stays light, your possessor seemingly interested only in taunting and testing. 

A tiny whine escapes your throat. Ezra lets go and you gasp a little, let your chest rise and fall as you suck in oxygen. 

Look to Joel again, feel an undeniable rush as you see he’s staring at the apex of your thighs. His shoulders rising and falling too, almost in sync with you. He can see it. You know he can.

Ezra is still holding you tight as your head lolls with abandon, falls onto his shoulder. 

Finally, finally, the hand that had been around your neck moves down. Down. 

God yes, please…

But he only barely cups your mound, doesn’t go anywhere near where you need it. 

‘And this?’ he questions unnecessarily. ‘And of course, you will have intimate carnal knowledge of this right here? Please assure me you know every single blessed millimetre of this holiest of shrines. I would be aggrieved were it not so.’ 

‘Yes,’ Joel rasps in a voice filled with fury and lust.

You can’t help yourself. You start to beg, ‘Pl- Please.’ Try to buck into his hand, for the contact, for just a little bit of friction to where you’re humming like a charged wire. But it backfires. He leaves your core and covers your mouth instead. Leans into your ear.

‘Ssh, my bird,’ he murmurs. ‘Ssh, do not fret. I’m going to take care of you.’

With a little shove, he lets you flop forwards, where you catch yourself on your forearms and bury your head between them, burning up.

With your ass still high, cool air only has a moment to make itself known before he’s drawn you close, presses himself against your thighs.

‘You impress me, Joel,’ he grits. ‘Joel, I have to say that you have indeed impressed me. And with now a… slight doubt in my conviction, I am keen to make the case there is a space within her you have yet to take solace.’

A large thumb lands between your shoulders and starts a path down your spine. It takes its time, feeling each vertebrae and letting you arch against the touch. Slipping over the sweat that beads on your skin. It comes to rest against the crease at the top of your ass cheeks. Oh god. He’s gonna--

‘So Joel, what of this?’ The snarl behind you is feral, frightening. ‘Have you made an expedition of—’

He doesn’t finish the sentence as his thumb swipes down and connects with your tight ring of muscle, presses firm there but doesn’t yet go further. 

‘Oh fuck,’ you twist your head to look back. He’s not looking down at you but up and over your head, staring at Joel.

‘Have you?’ he snarls again, making you clench.

You can’t hear or see Joel's response, but Ezra’s reaction is a look of pure delight.

‘Mmmm,’ he groans and moves his thumb just long enough to spit there before it’s back and massaging your entrance. Hot want coils in your belly as he teases and teases. God, you should have known he would really draw it out.

‘Please.’ Another plea escapes you, hitched and breathy. ‘Please.’

‘Who are you talking to, my pet?’ he asks, pressing just a little harder and leaning himself against you. You can feel his hard cock digging into your ass again. ‘To whom do you make this entreaty?’

‘You,’ you cry out. ‘You. Please, Ezra. Please, pl—’

He drops to his knees behind you and, without preamble, lays his open mouth over your asshole. Pressing hard before setting a furious pattern of licking and sucking – turning away only to bite and nip at the flesh on either side. 

The man works like he is trying to devour the universe. His tongue circles a few times before pushing inside you.

It’s unreal – a sublimity to get lost in. You let yourself sink into it. Keen and cry and buck back into him as he sets each and every nerve ending on fire.

He pushes your knees apart so you sink deeper and reach wider for him. Hands are gripping your ass to hold you open and it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to move on anytime soon, working lips and tongue and teeth across your seam and every inch he can reach.

You just can’t stand it anymore.

‘Can I touch myself?’ you gasp. ‘Can I—’

He withdraws his tongue from you with a chuckle. ‘Mmmm, what do you say?’

With a frustrated groan, ‘Please, Ezra.’

‘You do whatever it is your heart desires, sweet one,’ he grunts against you, going back to his ruminations. ‘I am quite content here.’

You’d had your face pressed into the linens of your bed, but you arch your head up to look at Joel while reaching between your thighs, stretching your shoulder to give yourself the space.

As you move, so does he. In time with desperate movement onto yourself, he leans back, undoes his belt and pulls his cock free, stroking its firm length as your fingers connect with your clit.

It’s an instant jolt of mind-numbing pleasure. The hungry bundle of nerves ready to blow. Your scream of ecstasy, echoing in the room, is responded to with a pair of deep, guttural groans. Ezra’s shoots through your body as it vibrates behind you. Joel’s rings in your ears.

The man in front of you nods, encouraging you on as you circle and work yourself. Watching his own pace, you match it and it’s not long before your mouth is locked open in an ‘O’ of bliss and you’re cumming. The wet suctioning sensation on your rear drives your orgasm along a straight and narrow rush that shoots through you so hard you’re screaming into the sheets.

As you start to be able to hear again, Joel is murmuring praises.

Huffing and heaving on the remnants of your comedown, you look up. He’s furiously fisting his cock, bent so far forward you could reach out and touch him. You don’t though, just stare with mouth-watering want, desperate to have him on your tongue and pressing down your throat.

With that thought, you rub and rub and rub. Push back, back, back on the mouth working you with a tireless appetite.

Reading your face, watching your every twitch and pulse – Joel waits for the perfect moment and-

‘Another,’ he grits out.

‘Fuh—hah!'

It comes for you with a ferocious force, taking over every muscle in your body and making you shudder with its savage intensity. Both men pause as you spasm and let a dozen tortured little ‘Ah’s escape you.

Barely able to lift your head, you twist it just enough to see the possessed demon that was once Joel – dark eyes ablaze and tendons taunt and straining on his neck. 

‘Fuck her,’ he commands. Pre-cum glistens on your view of the underside of his shaft. ‘Fuck her, now.’

Ezra pulls away from you with a slick gasp.

‘Okay, Joel,’ he says – his outer calm contrasted with Joel’s madness somehow the hottest thing happening right now. 

Ez stands, replacing his tongue with his thumb, which he pushes in to the first knuckle. At your pitched moan, he holds you there. Doesn’t seem at all bothered by your hand still working your clit as you feel the pressure of his cock’s head at your entrance. It slides through your folds and he uses his grip on your ass to guide you to back up onto him.

‘I’m going to fuck her now, Joel,’ he says, all hushed and lowly.

The motion of your hips moving back right as he – fierce and swift – bucks his cock hard into you punches the air from your lungs. The slap of his hips meeting your ass fills the room. 

So full and stretching. The emptiness replaced by shards of excruciating pleasure. It’s too much. It’s just enough.

The space is quiet for a moment and you look round, see Ezra through your blurry, tear-stained vision. He seems paralysed, head tilted a little and mouth locked open. The only movement is the hollow of his throat dipping and peaking fast – the man’s practically hyperventilating. Sweat at his temples and eyes glassy and staring at nothing.

On your knees, split open by his cock, you wait and watch. After a moment--

‘Ez?’ you question.

His eyes clench shut, as do his teeth, and he takes several deep, dragging breaths.

‘A queen’s…’ he rasps out. ‘A queen’s cunt. That is what you have. Fucking… queen of cunt.’

And at last, he fucks you. One single draw back almost to leave you, then he’s slamming into you, making sure you feel every single thrust hit your ass and thighs. Convulsing your clit every time. 

He reaches forward and grabs a fistful of your hair, using the purchase to lift your head so Joel sees your face twisted with bliss. Your tits bouncing with each smack of flesh behind you.

You can tell he’s enjoying the view, rewarding your efforts with a gaze so hot and crackling, the sight might just make you c—

The penetration in your ass leaves you and you gasp as you’re hauled up and locked against Ezra’s chest again. So that Joel has a perfect view of his cock disappearing into you. Over and over. A perfect view of your pussy being abused by him.

The man fucking you senseless grabs hold of your wrist, lifts the fingers that you’d been pleasuring yourself with and sucks on them. He moans at your taste, appreciative and reverent, like you’re a pure miracle. Pushes your hand deep so he can cram his tongue into the webbing.

‘Mm,’ he mumbles, letting your fingers go with a wet suck. He spits over your shoulder so it dribbles between your breasts. ‘But you are divine, do you know that? Does he tell you? Makes sure you know?’

All hissed into your ear as he pumps and pumps. Fucking up into you with a freakish stamina you hadn’t remembered before now but is coming back to your pleasure-buzzed mind. 

‘Allowing me to take this perfect body apart, as I see fit?’ he goes on. ‘You are divine.’

It’s just a little annoying. How coherent he still is. So – tightening your belly and bearing down – you clench your cunt around him as hard as you can and are rewarded with a pained gasp.

You don’t think he intends to, but he bolts forwards and collapses the two of you onto the bed, sprawling out over you. There’s just enough time for you to grab a pillow and shove it underneath, tipping your pelvis into him. And it doesn’t slow him at all. Flat out on your stomach, he adjusts and takes the new angle inside you with glee, hips rocking into you so hard you jolt and slide back and forth.

He ruts your pussy like the deranged animal that he is. His belly presses into the small of your back where he drives himself down into you. Teeth collect a chunk of flesh by your shoulder and bite down. Fingers tangle and lock into hair to hold your head still, so that you can’t move and can only take it.

He finds your sweet spot, connecting the huge head of his cock with it over and over. He fucks you so hard that your clit is forced down onto a run of stitching in the cushion, and it rubs the tight bundle in perfect sync with the stimulation being exacted deep within you.

It’s intoxicating. A rhythm of ecstasy. A crescendo that is near unendurable. You fight it for as long as you can, wanting the sensations to last, but your body has ideas of its own.

Ezra moans.

‘She’s clenching up, Joel,’ he says with desperation. Babbling. ‘I can feel it. Joel. Can feel. I can feel her. I’m going to feel her- cum on my cock, uhhhnnn.’

It’s so intense you just moan and whine into the bed, twitching and writhing as fireworks erupt inside you.

Joel literally growls. It’s echoed by the man on top of you, who’s draining the sound right into your ear. You twist your head to see Ez. He’s looking up, face to Joel with an ecstatic rictus of an expression locked on his features as you flutter and clench around him.

‘Oh, fuh- fuck,’ Ezra, finally incoherent. ‘Fuc- cum—gonna c—’

‘Rule,’ you gasp. ‘The rule, Ez!’

In a heartbeat he withdraws from you, pushes himself up and you feel the hot ropes of his spend land on your back, your shoulders – maybe a little in your hair.

‘Fuck,’ he repeats, panting. ‘Uhhh.’

From where you’re sprawled, limp and fucked out on the mattress, two strong hands loop around your upper arms and pull.

You give a yelp of surprise as you whole bodily slide out from under Ezra, across the bed, off of it entirely, and you’re manhandled into Joel’s lap. He’s so strong and you’re so boneless, you’ve got legs either side of him and are being guided onto his cock in a matter of moments.

‘My turn,’ he rumbles, so impossibly low and wrecked.

Your spent pussy lets him slide home in one swift thrust. Hands glide across the cum spread on your back, push it back and forth for a moment before he’s holding your hips and lifting and slamming you onto himself. You grip his shoulders for dear life, the place inside you that Ezra had just been abusing roaring back to set a blaze in your entire body.

Hands falling off his shoulders with his force, you fist the front of his flannel instead as he pumps his thick shaft with you, uses you on himself. 

Thinking he’s going to just go and go until he cums, he surprises you. Changing his thrust, he pulls you closer and starts to buck up his own hips into you. One arm holds you to his chest and the other reaches around.

Oh my g—

‘So you really like this, huh?’ A thick finger finds your puffy, messy hole – opened up by Ezra’s attentions – and pushes in. Joel’s eyes roll back at the resistance. ‘God, it’s so… tight,’ he drawls, huffing into your mouth. 

He works the finger in and out, specifically seeming to enjoy the sensation of that initial breach. It’s different, and physically heady. You’re not long for it, and with a groan from Ez, still behind you – a muttered, ‘you see, Joel? Do you see?’ – you’re screaming loud again as you anoint Joel’s cock with your climax. 

And now he’s getting close.

‘Whose cock do you want?’ he demands, not relenting his pace for a single moment.

‘Yours,’ you say.

‘Who else’s?’ 

‘His,’ you whine, tilting a bliss-filled head back over your shoulder.

‘Mmhm, good girl,’ he affirms. ‘Whose pussy is this though? Who is the only one who gets to cum in this pussy.’

The finger slips out as he grips you hard for purchase, driving himself to his release.

‘Who? Tell me.’

‘You!’ you cry. ‘Joel, you. The rule is– hah- uh- Only you can. Only y– Joel.’

With the tiniest bit of muscle control left in your body, you grind your hips deep into him. The sweat and release coating both your skin lets you slide and push. So that when he meets his cliff’s edge and falls over it, the head of his cock is firm against your cervix and his cum soaks your walls. Both strong arms lock around your back and his face is buried in your neck, mouthing and devouring as he groans and groans.

It settles into grunts and gasps as his high rides itself out.

With weak, sloppy movements, you grasp either side of his head and bring it up to yours so you can kiss him, slide your lips and tongue and teeth together for a moment while he comes back to himself. As you part, you’re greeted with the most beatific smile.

Ezra appears by your side, pants zipped up but a fresh erection clearly tightening them again. You take this in then tip your head back to him with a hazy smile.

‘Thanks, Ez,’ you slur. 

‘My unequivocal pleasure, dove,’ he says, lifting the thumb that had not been buried inside you and swiping it over your lower lip. ‘Know that I’d ask to kiss you right now, but well…’ A lopsided grin and a lick at his own lips.

‘Yeah, nah,’ you say, mumbling whatever nonsense slips into your mind. ‘Next time, maybe.’

‘Mm,’ he groans. He looks at Joel as you flop forwards into that broad chest and feel arms tighten round you again. ‘Indeed. If you do feel your compersion arise again and wish to seek out my participation once more, I will respond with an enthusiasm most prompt.’

‘Thanks,’ Joel murmurs. ‘Can ya let yer’self out? Got some lookin’ after t’do.’

His attentiveness has you feeling all warm as you listen to Ezra’s footsteps move out of the room, down the stairs, and the front door open and close.

Joel sifts fingers through your hair. Nuzzles your ear. ‘Did so well fer me, baby,’ he whispers. ‘So well. Looked s’fuckin’ good.’

All you manage is an affirmative ‘mmmmm’.

‘You want a shower?’ he asks. ‘Can ya stand?’

You nod to the first question and shake your head to the second, tucked into his neck. He sighs with content and braces your legs against his sides, stands up with you firmly locked in his embrace. Carries you to the bathroom where he only sets you down, cock slipping out, when you can lean against the cool tiles. Stumbling a little, you use the toilet as he gets the water up to temp and undresses.

In the warm cocoon of steam, he cleans you from head to toe, washing away Ezra’s spit on your chest and cum on your back. The sweat and the tears. The mess on your thighs. Hands soothe across bite marks and finger grazes. Each one he checks, ‘this okay?’, ‘this one?’, ‘okay, baby?’. You nod and hum and get lost in this unique feeling.

After, he guides you back to the bed where he’d watched another man take you to pieces, settles you under the covers.

‘Hungry?’ he asks. ‘Thirsty?’

‘Thirsty,’ you mumble. ‘And tired.’

‘Okay, one sec.’ His warmth and shadow vanish for a little bit, and you’re fighting sleep as he returns with two glasses of water. Makes you drink the first and sets the second by your bedside before climbing in and cradling you against his chest – by which point you are dead to the world.

--

Uh, so yeah. Go about your day…

[joshfuckingkiszka]

ℭ𝔞𝔩𝔩 ℑ𝔱 𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔚𝔞𝔫𝔱 - 𝔖𝔉𝔎

sfk x f!reader

I have an initial necklace hehe (he has mine on a bracelet)

THIS ACCOUNT IS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

taylor's version masterpost

reputation masterpost

☮

My castle crumbled overnight I brought a knife to a gunfight

May third was the last time your friends heard from you. You remembered how the rain had been so humid and suffocating, the leaves just having returned to the branches. Flowers had begun to bloom but you had never felt more shrunken and frail, threatening to fall from the branches to the icy grass. Mark had shattered your heart into a million pieces the previous day, and your friends had arrived at your apartment, attempting to put you back together. 

All you could manage was to ask for space, and your absence worried them greatly. They were convinced you had spiraled in the six months since you had spoken. Truthfully, you had been, for a few weeks, anyway. On the first day that you left your apartment for something other than work or class, you had made your way into a previously loved bookstore. Mark had taken you there on a first date, and it became a regular date spot. 

All the jokers dressin' up as kings They fade to nothin' when I look at him

At that moment, you were angry. Hopelessly angry. Filled with rage at how easy he made it seem to leave you. Picking up his favorite book from a dusty shelf, you sneered at it, like it was him with the well-loved pages and cover with distressed corners. I bet you think about me, you thought, I’m harder to forget than I was to leave. 

“Are you, uh, gonna buy that or just keep making angry faces at it?” You jumped at the silky voice. 

“Oh, sorry,” You held it out to him, “I’m not - you can have it.” 

“I’m not buying.” He laughed, gesturing to the nametag pinned to his shirt. 

A warmth in your cheeks appeared and you placed the book gingerly on the shelf. 

“Are you new? I’m here all the time and I’ve never seen you.” 

“Yeah, college isn’t gonna pay for itself.” 

You both laughed and that was the beginning. In between work and school, you would visit Sam, at the library or his apartment, where you met his best friend, Danny, for the first time. Though, Danny had walked in on you making out with Sam on the couch, so you could’ve made a better first impression, but oh well. 

All my flowers grew back as thorns Windows boarded up after the storm

Truthfully, you had spiraled those first few weeks of absolute gut wrenching heartache, determined you were fated to drown. Sam had been a torch in a dark tunnel, a device meant to keep you afloat, and he had done just that. Sam made you laugh and took your breath away all at once. 

The two of you spent Friday nights in bars, dancing with each other as you drank cheap beer. The glow of blue neon signs illuminated your head on his chest, and you could practically see the thumping of your own heart in your chest, and he, the same. 

Bridges burn, I never learn, at least I did one thing right

It was great. For about two months. Then it - well, you - came crashing down. It was all too overwhelming, school, work, the future, life. Were you what Sam wanted? You didn’t even have to ask yourself the reverse, he was all you could ever want. 

When he knocked on your door, he found it unlocked. He went to joke about being a serial killer when he saw you crumpled in front of the couch, sobs wracking your body. The quip immediately slipped back into his mouth and he ran to hold you. You could hear his frantic heartbeat from your position on his chest, and you apologized for the tears and snot on his shirt. 

"You don't need to save me But would you run away with me?"

“Baby, I don’t care,” he laughed in worry, “what’s wrong?” When you couldn’t talk through the tears, he didn’t expect an answer. Sam just held you, your hands gripping his flannel so tightly you thought it might tear. 

After an hour, your tears had subsided, perhaps from dehydration, but you didn’t really care. He still held on just as tightly, until you began to untangle yourself from his grasp. Your throat was sore and your voice hoarse, and surely your face was stained with your smeared makeup from the day. That’s not how he looked at you though, he looked at you the way he looked at sunsets, dazzled and bewildered and wonderfully. 

“What’s wrong with my baby, hm?” He caressed your jaw, his long fingers finding residence in the mess of your hair. 

“It’s just - well, am I what you want? You could have anyone -” He cut you off. 

“You are all I want, need, and everything in between, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere until you give me the word.” It was firm in a way you’d never heard Sam Kiszka speak. But he was right. 

My baby's fly like a jet stream High above the whole scene, loves me like I'm brand new

The days that followed were not awkward, but had an air of delicacy around them. Like he was afraid to say the wrong thing. You apologized, and he assured you had no reason to. He was learning your boundaries, studying them so he could wrap himself around them and protect you. 

One of those days, a new necklace appeared on you, and he wasn’t certain. He thought it might be - no, there was no way. Finally, he stopped you in the hallway as you were coming out of a shower. His fingers picked up the letter on your chest, inspecting its curves and the way it shined in the light. Sam knew you better than anyone, he deserved to be monumentally represented as a permanent part of your appearance. 

“An ‘S.’ For Sam. Or Sammy. Or Samuel. Or-” He kissed you to shut you up.

Call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want To

〚taglist〛

gvf: @doodle417, @brokenbellz, @gretavanfleas, @pyrojoshy, @greta-van-chaos, @xserenax-13, @hayley1623, @kdarling1, @autumns30, @keighoe, @chalametpwk, @sammysvanfeet, @shawnsthighs, @gretavanbitches, @sammiejane22, @gretavanbestie, @jordierama, @alexxavicry, @spark-my-nature, @rainy-darling

sammy: @harmoniousharry

[jonesatheart]

Body Modification

"Hey, pal."  

Casey closed his eyes with a soft groan. "I'm dyin', aren't I?"  

Raph chuckled and tousled his hair. "No, ya not dyin', drama king."  

"It's somethin' bad if I'm in'e lab and you're here without Don. If it was fixable you'd'a gotten Don as soon as I started wakin' up. So what's wrong with me?"  

Raph shifted. "It's complicated. It's fixable, it's just gonna take a few months."  

Casey hummed. "What'd I break?"  

"Nothin'."  

He lifted his head to look at Raph. "Then what is it?"  

"You feelin' okay to sit up? Ya were pretty doped up when we first found ya." 

Casey nodded and pushed himself onto his elbows. "Yeah. Honestly. I'm feeling pretty okay considerin' it sounds like ya had to go all mission impossible for me."  

"Yeah, well. They weren't tryin'a rough you up too bad. Kinda just happened. Don says ya didn't have many defensive wounds so they probably ambushed ya and dosed ya pretty quick then kept ya under the whole time. Ya been in and out here for a few hours too." 

"You're bein' weird, Raph."  

"I'm really sorry, Casey," he answered quietly, unable to fully look at Casey. "We really...we failed ya this time." 

"Okay, now you're just scarin' me. What happened?"  

"We think they took ya from your apartment. I got a text from you sayin' ya made it home fine after patrol and...based on the time line either they jumped ya right after ya sent it or they just sent it themselves."  

Casey felt his heart rate kick up as dread settle into his chest. "Raph, what day is it?" 

"It's Wednesday. They nabbed ya late Monday, early Tuesday. We don't always talk durin' the day and bein' out, we slept late. April's ben outta town so it wasn't till we tried gettin' a hold of ya about comin' over for dinner that we knew somethin' was wrong. It didn't take us long to find ya after that though. They didn't even really fight back about it. Just let us take ya."  

He cast a warily look at his friend. "They being?..."  

"The Dragons. We brought ya back Tuesday night and Don ran some tests to make sure you were okay, got ya started on an IV and some other stuff we nabbed from a few ambulances, and you been sleepin' off whatever it was they gave ya."  

"So it's like a full twenty-four hours kinda thing."  

"Close to, yeah."  

"And I guess it has somethin' to do with?..." He raised his left arm which was bandaged from the elbow down to his knuckles. 

"Yeah."  

"Do I wanna know?" 

Raph shook his head. "Ya really don't."  

"I wanna see it."  

"Case-" 

"Raph-" 

"It's a tattoo. It's...It's their tattoo." 

Casey went still. "What do you mean 'their tattoo'?"  

"I'm sorry."  

"I wanna see it."  

"Casey-"  "It's not goin' anywhere and I'm gonna have to deal with it. Let me see it."  

"Okay." Raph held out his hand and Casey gave him his arm.  

"Hey." Casey rested his other hand over Raph's. "This is not your fault and I'm not mad at ya."  

Raph nodded. "Let's get this off and then ya can decide how ya feel."  

Casey stared at his arm as little by little  the outline of a purple dragon appeared, the tail first just under his elbow and ending with a severed head on the back of his hand. It was impossible not to recognize. A near perfect recreation of the one on Hun's arm, but condensed to his forearm where it could never be out of sight. The severed head either a threat or an accusation. 

He started gagging and Raph snatched the small bin off the floor and shoved it into his hands. He stood by his friend, holding back his hair and keeping the trash can steady.  

"Donny!" Raph shouted. "Get in here!" 

Donatello rushed and took the trash can from Raph. "Was he complaining of any symptoms before he got sick?" 

"He just threw up when I showed him his arm," Raph replied, massaging one of Casey's shoulders.  

"The shock of it then," Don nodded.  

--- 

"When can I get rid of it?" Casey asked, his voice dull from exhaustion and throwing his guts up. It had taken a while, even after his stomach was empty, for the his body to relax and stop dry heaving. Even then he was still shaking.  

"From my research, at least four months. Maybe up to six." 

"After that?" 

"Laser removal is an option. But the coloring does make it difficult. Thankfully they didn't have time to fill it in, but purple is one of the more difficult inks to remove. And. Scarring is always a possibility."  

Casey nodded and leaned into Raph who slipped an arm around his back. 

"I know you're not going to want to, but taking care of it is going to be really important. Keeping an eye out for infection and making sure the skin heals properly can help prevent scaring. We can always help you with that. But the faster it heals, the sooner we can look more seriously into removal options."  

"Thanks for takin' care of me, Don."  

Donatello reached out and squeezed his wrist. "That's what family does."  

"Family looks out for each other, we already talked about it, we want ya to hang out here till we can get you a new place," Raph told him. "That's not an offer. I'm tellin' you that's what gonna happen," he clarified when Casey looked like he might argue.  

"It ain't like they couldn't find me at the shop or somewhere else if they really wanted to," he grumbled. 

"Doesn't mean we gotta just hand ya over either." 

"They're not gonna kill me, Raph. If they'd wanted to do that they'd'a done it already. They want me to live with this. They don't need to get revenge beyond this."  

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Yuma Dark [05]

ー The scene starts with a flashback of a conversation between the Mukami’s at Eden

Ruki: ーー Karlheinz-sama’s illegitimate son, Kino...huh?

Kou: Eh? Hold up. Don’t tell me you believe this story too, Ruki-kun?

Ruki: I do not. However, we cannot simply ignore it either. Yuma, do you know anything else about him?

Yuma: The only other thing he told me is that he grew up alongside Ghouls at Rotigenberg.

Since he brought his crow buds with him, I’m pretty sure he still works closely together with them to this day.

I mean, I’m sure it’s all a load of bullcrap. It’s hella suspicious he choses to show up right as Karlheinz-sama kicked the bucket.

Kou: You see it all the time in TV shows. Gotta get their hands on that inheritance! Something like that.

Azusa: You appeared in one of those shows...the other day, didn’t you?

Kou: Listen, Azusa-kun. The one I starred in wasn’t that kind of ugly story. It was a drama about the beauty of youth!

Ruki: ...Let us get back to the topic at hand.

Even if he is lying, I am quite certain he will cause us nothing but trouble. So be careful not to fall for his lies.

ー The flashback ends

Yui: ( We’ve sat together to discuss the matter many times since then but... )

( In the end, everyone seemed to come to the conclusion that Kino is lying to us. )

( I mean, I don’t believe him either but... )

ー Yui recalls Kino’s words

Kino: You think so? But if I were to steal those powers from Shuu and become the successor to the throne, Eden would return to normal?

ー The flashback ends

Yui: ( If he was being for real, then that means he’s planning on harming Shuu-san, right? )

( I mean, I doubt Shuu-san will easily let that happen but...I’m a little worried. )

ー Yuma walks up to her

Yuma: Yui!

Yui: Yuma-kun? What’s wrong?

Yuma: Come with me right now. The Adler Clan might be on their way to attack us.

Yui: Eh!?

ー The scene shifts to the Big Hall at Eden

Ruki: My Familiars informed me of this just now. Apparently the Adler Clan is showing suspicious behavior...I was told.

Kou: Which means that they might come and attack this place?

Ruki: I can’t say for sure. However, it is highly likely.

I am sure that the others clans consider this a prime opportunity to try and take the Castle down now that its owner is absent.

Azusa: We can’t avoid a fight...That’s what you’re implying, right?

Yui: W-What will we do...?

Yuma: That’s not even a question. There’s only one thing for us to do.

We’ll protect Eden in place of its good-for-nothin’ owner. Easy as pie.

Kou: Ruki-kun. You’ve updated Shuu-kun on the current situation, right?

Ruki: I couldn’t leave him in the dark, even if he appears to be uninterested.

Besides, I was hoping that his presence here would make the other Demons change their mind but...

Azusa: Shuu-san...Is he okay with this? Even though Eden might be taken away from him at this rate.

Yuma: ...

...Oi, Ruki. He’s ignorin’ our message, isn’t he?

Ruki: You could say that. It’s been a while since I sent him a letter, but it doesn’t seem like we’ll get an answer any time soon.

Yuma: In that case, I’ll go to him directly. I’ll drag his lazy ass over here.

Ruki: Excuse me? 

Yuma: As much as it pisses me off, he’s still the Vampire King.

If he comes here, we can drive off the enemy and Eden will be brought back to life. Right?

Then I have no other choice but to drag him here whether he likes it or not.

Ruki: This is unexpected. I thought you wouldn’t want to rely on Sakamaki Shuu to fix this issue.

Yuma: I don’t want to do so. But if that’s the only way to keep Eden safe, it’s a different story.

We’d go as far as to toss aside our pride to protect this place, no?

Azusa: Yeah...I feel the same way.

Kou: It’s frustrating, but the Sakamakis’ name is a very powerful tool in the Demon World.

Yuma: Can I, Ruki?

Ruki: ...Okay. I’ll leave this in your care, Yuma.

Kou: But will you be okay by yourself? Should we come with you?

Yuma: Nah, given the current situation, we probably shouldn’t leave this place undermanned. I’ll only be takin’ her with me. 

Yui: Eh? Me?

Azusa: You’re taking Eve with you...?

Yuma: That was the plan.

Selection

→ Say that you’ll stay behind

Yui: Wait, Yuma-kun. Wouldn’t it be better for me to stay here?

I might only get in the way if I decide to come with you...

Yuma: Idiot. Lil’ late to worry ‘bout that now, don’t ya think?

→ Say that you’ll go with him (❦)

Yui: I can come along?

Yuma: Don’t make me repeat myself. I just said that’s the plan, didn’t I?

Yuma: I don’t even want to think ‘bout the possibility of somethin’ happenin’ to ya while I’m gone. Besides, the human world is way more safe right now.

Besides, that NEET might be more willin’ to listen to me if you’re there as well.

Yui: I doubt it though...

Yuma: Anyway, I’m takin’ ya with me. I’ve already decided on that.

Yui: ...Okay. I’ll come along if you don’t mind. I also want us to be together after all.

Yuma: Yeah. Just make sure ya don’t leave my side, ‘kay?

Yui: Sure. 

Kou: Hey~ Could you leave the flirting for after you’ve made it to the human world? It’s frustrating to watch.

Yuma: Haah? We’re not flirtin’ or anythin’, are we?

Azusa: They’re always like this...The two of you are very close, aren’t you?

Yuma: Che...Let’s get goin’ already. The human world is more safe for me as well, it seems.

Yui: Fufu. Anyway guys, off we go!

Ruki: Wait. I’ll write another letter just in case. I doubt it’ll have any effect but take it with you. 

Don’t let your guard down just because it’s the human world. Send a Familiar to us if something were to happen.

Yuma: Yeah. We’re countin’ on y’all.

Monologue

And so, Yuma-kun and I,

decided to return to the human world. 

‘I’ll steal (奪って) his powers and become the successor to the throne’,

those words spoken by this man called Kino,

did leave me with a sense of anxiety but...

I felt that said worry (その不安)  would melt away,

once I actually meet face-to-face with Shuu-san.

Perhaps Yuma-kun,

more or less feels the same way...

This possibility did pass through my mind for a split second,

but I chose to keep it to myself.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[writingwhimsey]

War Council of Love

So, this was a request from my dear friend @miss-magician-of-the-woods. It is based off of the full love bonus story you get for completing and getting full love points on Nobunaga's Act I story. But instead of Nobunaga being the central LI in this, we are going with our beloved Pirate King Motonari.

I will be mentioning spoilers for Nobunaga's full love bonus story in the summary which is below the cut!

So in Nobu's full love bonus, MC does not speak to him for three days because she gets jealous and so our devil king calls a war council to help solve his problem. So this is a version of that, but it is Motonari who Lyanne (@miss-magician-of-the-woods's OC) is in love with. So here is the fic. I hope you enjoy!

Motonari paced about the audience hall, irritated. He ran his fingers through his hair, his aggitation evident. The door opened and Hiroyoshi was stepping inside, "My lord, the Oda forces have arrived." He announced and then the Oda warlords were coming into the room.

"Where is my lucky charm?" Nobunaga asked, as he came to sit down and noticing the absence of Lyanne.

Motonari glared at him. "She went out." He answered.

"What did you do?" Hideyoshi asked, his tone accusatory.

"Not a damn thing." Motonari growled. "She had some deliveries ta make in town."

"By herself?" Hideyoshi scoffed, his eyes practically bilging out of his head.

"It ain't that dangerous here no more." Motonari replied. "'Sides, I ain't the kinda idiot who sends his girl off without some guards."

"Something still seems off." Hideyoshi replied, taking his seat.

"Ain't nothin' wrong. Everythin' is fine."

"If everything is so great with the lass, why do you seem so pissed off?" Masamune countered.

"You do seem slightly on edge." Keiji agreed.

Motonari glared at them. He then let out a sigh as he took his seat. "If ya must know, she ain't talked ta me in three days...got no lovin' either."

"What did you do?" Hideyoshi demanded.

"The hell if I know!" Motonari shouted.

Nobunaga sat with an amused smile on his face. "It appears the fireball has many talents."

Masamune wore his own amused smile. "The lass seems to have you pretty torn up over there."

Motonari shot a glare at the one-eyed dragon. "Ya really wanna pick a fight with me right now?"

"Maybe I should go find Lyanne." Hideyoshi said. "Maybe she'll have finally come to her senses and come back home with us."

"Ya do that and I'll take yer head off." Motonari shot back.

"Wouldn't the right thing to do here be to help the poor guy?" Keiji asked. "I mean, if he is the one the princess has decided she wants to be with...shouldn't we do our best to help make sure she stays happy."

"She did have a rather happy smile on her face at our last visit." Mitsunari agreed.

"We might as well. If she comes back then I'll be stuck taking care of her all the time." Ieyasu agreed.

"If even with our help, Lyanne wishes to return she can." Nobunaga agreed.

"Why would I need your help?" Motonari remarked.

"Lyanne did live with us for quite a while." Mitsuhide replied. "We might have some useful information for you."

Motonari sighed. "Alright fine."

"The first thing we need to figure out is what happened three days ago." Mitsunari said.

"What were you guys doing the last time the princess talked to you?" Keiji asked.

Motonari crossed his arms as he thought back to that day. "We were in a port town, gettin' a few things. I'd finished up business and we were walkin' through town. Checkin' things out." He began to explain. "Everything seemed just fine. We ran into an old acquaintance of mine, bought some good stuff and then headed off. She seemed agitated after that."

"An old acquaintance?" Mitsuhide asked. "What was this old acquaintance's name?"

"Jun." Motonari answered.

"So, another woman?" Mitsuhide asked.

"When you say acquaintance...she's not an old...lover is she?" Hideyoshi asked.

Motonari shook his head. "Wasn't never nothin' like that." He answered. "I mean...she is a courtesan, but she also sells perfume and other things."

"A courtesan you used to...maybe visit?" Masamune asked.

Motonari glared. "No. She was an informant fer me. That's all it ever was."

"Does Lyanne know this?" Hideyoshi asked.

"No...I mean from our conversation she probably picked up on the fact that Jun and I knew each other...and her dress and makeup she probably figured out what she did fer a livin' 'side sellin' perfume."

"I don't see how any of this is helping." Nobunaga said.

"It's really quite obvious." Hideyoshi said.

"Very." Masamune and Keiji agreed, nodding knowingly.

"What?" Motonari asked. "Wait...you...ya don't think...ya don't think she was jealous?"

"I'd say that's exactly what our little mouse was feeling." Mitsuhide answered.

"She would get jealous over something as stupid as that." Ieyasu said.

Motonari sighed and shook his head. "Merda! I'm a damned idiot." He scolded himself. "How the hell didn't I see it before?"

"Jealousy is such a useless and pointless emotion." Nobunaga declared.

"Ah, shut it." Motonari replied.

"Now, we just have to figure out how to help you make it up to the lass." Masamune said. "I've always found the quickest way into her good graces is cooking her favorite meal."

Hideyoshi sighed. "Even though I think Lyanne could do better...you are the one she picked and since...you...didn't actually...do anything...wrong here...I'll suggest you get her a nice gift."

Motonari looked over at Hideyoshi. "You really choked on that one, didn't ya?"

"You listen here..."

"But yer right...a gift along with the food would be good." Motonari agreed.

"You should just tell her that jealousy is a pointless emotion and that she just needs to get over it." Nobunaga advised.

"No!" All the other warlords sounded together.

"I would love to see the look on her face if you did that." Mitsuhide said with a sly grin.

"I may a' been idiot enough to no realize she was jealous...but even I ain't THAT stupid." Motonari replied.

"What? Our fireball is clearly being unreasonable." Nobunaga countered.

"Ya never tell a woman that." Motonari replied. That and like he had any room to talk. He couldn't even count the number of times or ways he got jealous and possessive over Lyanne. Other than the fact that she hadn't talked to him for three days and he'd gone those three days without the feel of her skin on his...he actually kind of enjoyed knowing she was jealous over him.

The warlords discussed the problem further before Motonari was leaving to put the plan into action. Masamune helped him put together some food. Motonari was a great cook in his own right, but when it came to baking, making something sweet...well he wasn't the best. So Masamune helped him with a recipe for some sweet buns he knew Lyanne loved.

Motonari put together a few other things and then Hiroyoshi informed him when Lyanne returned. Motonari headed to the room he and Lyanne shared. She was sitting in her usual place, working on another sewing commission. She looked up at his entrance and went to speak, but caught herself and went back to her work.

Motonari repressed a sigh as he walked over to sit down beside her, sitting the tray of food he'd brought in. "I made ya dinner." He was then gesturing to the tray,

Lyanne turned her eyes to look at the tray. She saw he had made her omurice and even written a message in chilly sauce. It read, "I'm sorry." There was also a colorful bouquet of flowers and a new hair pin on the tray as well.

Lyanne let out a sigh. "Do...do you even know what you're sorry for?"

Motonari was already removing his gloves and placing both of his hands on either side of her face. "I made ya jealous. Coz I didn't explain about Jun." He said.

"It's not like it's hard to figure out." Lyanne replied. "She may have been selling perfume, but she was clearly a courtesan...and she definitely liked you. She was flirting heavily."

"What's that matter?" Motonari replied. "You know yer the only one I've ever touched. And there wasn't ever anything that happened 'tween me 'n' her. She was an informant fer me."

Lyanne looked away. "That...that's not it."

"What is it then?" Motonari asked, desperate to clear up any misunderstanding. He just wanted his girl back. Though at least she was talking to him now.

"It's just...when we were stopped at her perfume shop...and it was clear she knew you...you...you didn't introduce me or make it clear...that I'm your lover." Lyanne confessed, her cheeks reddening.

Motonari's eyes widened a moment. "Ya want me ta start shoutin' it from the rooftops?"

Lyanne glared at him and smacked his hands away. "I don't need you to do that! It's just...when some other woman gets all flirty with you...you should make it clear that you're not available."

Motonari couldn't help the grin that came to his face. Damn if she ain't cute. He thought. "Yer sayin' ya want the other women to know I'm yers, huh?"

"Yes, okay!" She admitted. "I'm yours and you're mine!"

Motonari wrapped his arms around Lyanne and pulled her into his lap. "Alright, if it ever happens again, I'll make sure ta pull ya in real close and smack a kiss right on yer lips. That'll make it clear."

Lyanne felt her cheeks reddening at the thought.

Motonari grinned further. "Or maybe you wanna grab me and kiss on me? Let everyone know that I belong ta you."

"Or we can just use our words...like normal people."

Motonari grinned. "Bein' normal's overrated. 'Sides nothin' like puttin' on a good show ta let everyone know."

Lyanne was shaking her head. "Ugh."

Motonari was lifting a hand beneath her chin and coaxing her eyes to meet his. He rested his forehead against her. "I'm real sorry fer makin' ya feel jealous. And I'd never make a show outta you. I prefer to admire my treasure in private and not share. Ya fergive me?"

Lyanne huffed and pouted a moment before wrapping her arms around him. "I can't stay mad at you...especially not when you're being this cute."

Motonari narrowed his eyes. "Cute, huh? I'll show ya cute." He was then pushing Lyanne back on the tatami mat floor and looming over her.

Despite herself she let out a giggle. She looked up at him, her smile finally coming out and shining brightly. "I still say you're cute."

"Nah...that's you, m'lady." He replied grinning. "I should let ya eat that dinner I made ya...but it probably ain't as good as yer omurice...but more importantly..."

"More importantly what?"

"I been three days without any lovin'." He answered, giving her that devilish grin. "We got a lot ta make up for, flower girl."

Lyanne grinned. "I hope you mean all night."

"Course, I mean all night. I'm gonna ravish you till the sun comes up and we ain't stoppin' a moment sooner." Motonari replied before leaning down to give her a deep passionate kiss.

Lyanne responded, wrapping her arms around him and returning the kiss. When they broke apart, both of them were panting. She looked up at him, nothing but love in her gaze. "It has been a hard three days." She admitted. "I don't think I'll ever do that again."

"I hope not." Motonari agreed. "But I promise not ta make the same mistake again. Yer the woman I love, Lyanne. My only one."

They were kissing once again, leading into a very long and passionate night. Motonari kept his word and made love to Lyanne until the sun came up before they were both falling asleep exhausted but still wrapped in each other's arms. Everything was right with their world once again.

[manmankai]

The Scents of the Mankai Company Troupes - Part 3

Autumn Troupe (Act 1 Only)

Banri Settsu Floriental by Comme Des Garcons

Banri would say it himself: he's practically perfect. He can do no wrong. He's good at everything. So what does a dude who's good at everything smell like, besides the obvious description of "really good"? That's a tough one and I won't lie - the pressure to nail Banri's scent like he nails absolutely everything is high. I chose Floriental by Comme Des Garcons for a few reasons: 1) it's unisex and I think Banri enjoys queering gender. He wears traditionally feminine and masculine clothes together. He'll get in a fist fight wearing pink leopard print. A scent that says, "Gender means nothing to me" just... makes sense. 2) it's expensive, and we all know that Banri has some pricey taste. His prime shopping partner is resident richboy Tenma, after all. and 3) it smells damn good. A little woody, a little smoky, a little fruity - and lets be real, Banri is a little fruity. Comme Des Garcons describes the scent as "enigmatic, contrasted, intense." Absolutely. Sold. I'm convinced.

Juza Hyodo Motor Oil + a Faint Hint of Chocolate

Juza is many things, but first and foremost, he is a sugar junkie. He loves candy, cakes, chocolate - you name it. The guy's got two modes: about to eat sweets or has just eaten sweets. I think that getting close to Juza would mean getting a whiff of chocolatey goodness. There would be something else, though, too. Being the motorcyclist he is, I'm of the opinion that he would also often smell like motor oil. He's out there fine tuning his ride and getting his hands dirty. He's gonna smell like his trusty steel horse. That might sound bad, but I think it actually would suit him quite nicely. Very rugged, much like Juza's appearance. You'd meet him and get that biker vibe, but then when you got closer, the sweet, gooey chocolate center would reveal itself.

Taichi Nanao BOD: Most Wanted

Oh, Taichi. Baby boy. You want girls so bad, and all the BOD commercials say that this is the key to make them want you back. But taking that spray bottle (yes, it literally comes in a spray bottle) to your body will not do what you think it will! BOD: Most Wanted is described as having "hints of fresh citrus and herbs" mixed with "smoldering woods and bold marine scents to create a full, aromatic fragrance." That sounds lovely, actually. The issue is the sheer excess with which we know our resident ADHD king applies it. No impulse control, we die like we live. Y'all thought Kazunari would be an Axe-Over-Applier? He ain't got nothin' on Taichi and his BOD. We love him anyway.

Omi Fushimi Whatever Delicious Meal He Just Cooked Up + Soap

Omi is the mother hen of the house and, by far, the best chef. You can hardly read an A3! story without a character remarking on Omi's food. I believe wholeheartedly that this means Omi smells delicious and edible all the time. Savory or sweet? That depends on what he's been cooking. Maybe tonight after dinner he smells like the umami aroma of the incredible ramen he made. Maybe in the morning he's gonna smell like those melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls he made for breakfast because they're your favorite. The man lives and breathes cooking. When he's not giving Dinner Time Seduction, he probably smells fresh and clean like the dish soap he just used to wash all the dishes right after your meal together. (He is the picture of domesticity and an icon. Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.)

Sakyo Furuichi Like a fuckin' man

Sakyo is a reserved kind of guy. He cares about his appearance, but he isn't one to preen. He's tough. He holds back his feelings. He yearns. He's very sexy. I digress. I can't picture him waking up in the morning and dabbing on cologne. That'd be too much. His deodorant would be understated and practical, but masculine. Subtle, woodsy scents, clean cotton. You ever hug that guy and he's probably gonna smell like freshly laundered pine wood somehow. He may also smell faintly of leather, despite not wearing any. And is that... gunpowder you smell? Huh... Guess that's just what it's like when you smell like a badass. ;) (please note that "man" and what that smells like is entirely subjective and I'm approaching this from the stereotypical lens of how we gender scents. if sakyo smells like a man, then he smells like whatever that means to you <3)

Want more Mankai smells? Check these out!

[musekicker]

This is a little out there but hear me out; Sweet lovable Otto being the jealous one in the relationship is hilarious to me (i.e. Demon of the Deep ep.). So Gibotto but with someone flirting with Gibson and Otto being 'That's MY man! How dare you!'

I will say it's been awhile and I feel like I didn't write Suupa right. But he fit the most for part of this prompt I feel.

Allies arriving to help find Skeleton King was suppose to be a good thing. And it was. Really it was. But ever since the appearance of Suupa and his own team, Otto was feeling a sort of chest burning sensation

Otto knew that Gibson and Suupa had spent some time surviving on a planet together. And that they had bonded in the process. Otto hadn't been upset about that. They needed to get along after all to survive. Otto knew that. And Suupa and his team did not hang out for much longer after that.

But now that Suupa was here, he and Gibson seem to be picking up where they had left off.

The frog type alien and Gibson were talking about science. The kind that made Otto's head hurt trying to keep up with. 

Seeing Suupa with Gibson, it made Otto feel stupid in a way he had never felt before.

Now they were laughing. Otto didn't hear what was so funny. Didn't matter he thought to himself. He probably wouldn't have gotten it. And here was that feeling again. That one that made Otto feel like he was breathing hot coals.

Then Suupa put a hand on Gibson's arm. And that was it. All logic in Otto's brain left and Otto stormed over towards the two. Gibson saw him approach first.

"Oh hey Otto. You remember-" Gibson said.

Otto didn't say anything. He only stood by Gibson. Then Otto's tail was wrapped around Gibson's waist. His hands were also at Gibson's shoulders as he glared at Suupa.

If no one had not known that Gibson and Otto were a thing, they had to know now.

Suupa clearly was feeling very awkward now and started to move back.

"I think I should go do something else. Yes, something else." Suupa said.

Suupa left quickly, leaving the two robot monkeys alone. Gibson pulled away a bit so that he could face Otto. The blue monkey did not look pleased.

"Otto!" Gibson cried. "What was that about!?"

Otto struggled to explain. Somehow he managed it.

"He was.. I.. I just didn't like seeing him look at you like that." Otto said.

It all came to Gibson then.

"Were you jealous?" Gibson asked.

Otto huffed and nodded.

Gibson had never considered that Otto could be the type to get jealous. He always was such a empathic and sweet type. To see a side like this to Otto was a unusual thing.

He put his face into Gibson's neck a moment, as if the action grounded him. Gibson let him.

"I didn't know you had a jealous side to you." Gibson said.

"Yeah... I didn't know either." Otto said. "I don't know what happened. One moment I was watching you and the next I was feeling just so.. so.. just upset. I know that of course your friends and you wouldn't.. I don't know what I was thinking Gibson! I just know that I was feeling so upset."

Gibson turned Otto to look him in the face.

"I promise you Otto, you have nothing to worry about." Gibson said. "I love you. And there is nothin that will change that. And honestly, you should have more trust in me. Like I trust you."

Otto was silent a moment, but then he nodded.

"You're right... I'm sorry." Otto said.

Gibson nodded.

"I know you are. And we all let our emotions get ahead of us time to time. Not that I wish this become a normal thing." Gibson said.

"Yeah. Next time I feel like that, I won't get so aggressive like that... I should probably apologize to Suupa." Otto said.

"I think that would be good." Gibson said.

Otto sought Suupa out. He didn't find him too far away.

"Hey, Suupa!" Otto cried out.

Suupa had a look of panic for a split moment before Otto spoke again.

"I want to apologize." Otto said. "I was being... well a jerk. Truth is I thought that you were hitting on Gibson and I.. just jealous. I know it was so wrong to act like that."

Suupa stared. And for a second Otto thought that Suupa was going to tell him where he could put the apology. Or even tell him he had been hitting on Gibson. Which in that case Otto didn't know what he would do then.

Instead Suupa said "I forgive you."

Otto let out a breath he didn't realize he been holding.

"So you know." Suupa said. "I would never have gone after Gibson like that."

"Not your type, right?" Otto asked.

"It's not that I don't like Gibson. He is a very interesting and smart monkey. But I'm not the type to go after someone clearly taken. And I know that he loves you. When he talks about you so much and the love is clear when he does talk about you." Suupa said.

"He's talked about me with you?" Otto asked.

Suupa nodded.

"Lots." he said, smiling. "I hear you're a genius engineer. Must tell me more about some of the things you made."

Otto and Suupa ended up talking longer then either of them expected. And soon both the blue and green monkey were friends with Suupa.

[magicman111]

A Moth to a Flame - Chapter Three

Plumes of thick smoke billowed above the guard tower, blotting out the dusk sky with an ugly, brown smog. Burning red embers danced and flickered in the air, a single stray spark singeing Sasha’s right cheek.

Two girls stood, a dirt clod’s throw apart from each other. They stared each other down. The squeaky toy and Grime were already engaging in a battle of their own, leaving the two former friends alone on that tower. It did little to make the tension any less palpable.

Anne held her sword firmly in both hands, and the rage-filled scowl etched on her face made it clear she was itching for an excuse to ream the blade through her ex bestie’s chest cavity. The sheer hatred boiling inside her veins could not be overstated. Sasha, however, was a different story. She remained cool and kept both open palms raised, a sign of her peaceful intentions. Already a hard sell considering less than an hour ago, she’d ordered her flunkies to lock her and her family up in the dungeon after using and backstabbing her for the fifteen thousandth time.

She knew perfectly well what was at stake here. She knew the consequences not for them, but for this entire world if she failed. Convincing Anne to believe her now was going to be an uphill battle and the rematch she’d spent months prior fantasising about now seemed inevitable.

The irony surrounding both those things was not lost on her.

“Anne, I need you to listen to me!” she shouted over the hot gusts of wind whipping her face. “There’s something wrong with this Andrias guy! We should—”

Anne was having absolutely none of it. “You expect me to believe you?!” she asked her incredulously. “After all the lying and manipulating you’ve done?!” Sliding the sword back into its sheath, she turned her back on her in disgust. “Sorry, Sasha, but you’re out of chances.”

Why didn’t she take a photo? This would’ve been so much easier if she’d just thought to take a stupid photo! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Or maybe if she’d given Anne any reason to trust her.

The gates were now drawing close to slamming completely shut as Anne resumed pushing the lever. If Sasha squandered any more precious time, their fast-approaching army would be locked outside the city. She felt her twin swords weigh heavily on her hips; the tips of fingers twitched.

Whelp, in for a penny, in for a pound. She took a deep breath.

“I think Marcy’s in on it.”

“Yeah yeah!” scoffed Anne. “Blah blah bla—what?”

It was a hail mary that paid off. Anne froze in place and glared back at Sasha as if she’d caught her in the act of stomping on Domino’s tail.

“What... what did you say?” she asked, her voice fittingly ice-cold.

“Anne, look... I get it, okay?” Sasha gutsily stepped forward, closing the gap between them. They still had a glimmer of hope in ending this without a fight, so she knew she had to cobble her thoughts together and choose her next words carefully. “You don’t trust me a-and I don’t blame you, but I swear I’m telling you the truth. Grime and I found these—these weird pictures hidden in the throne room. They... one of them was showing the king with the music box. Th-then there was also something about Marcy’s family, I... I don’t know exactly what it all means...”

Amazing how they’d spent the past months going on wild adventures, escaping dozens of near-death experiences with the many monsters infesting the place, yet this was the one thing she struggled to make sound plausible. Of all the times for that natural charisma and confidence to falter. The way Anne was looking at her like she’d sprouted a third arm out her forehead told her it was going about as well as expected.

“All I know is we shouldn’t be giving either of them the Box. Not right now.” She finally lowered her hands back to her sides, adding, “Just come back to the throne room with me and I promise I’ll show you everything.”

A silence fell over the guard tower, punctuated only by the th-thunk of hundreds of armoured boots rising in the distance.

Now the ball was back in Anne’s court. She’d been rendered speechless by everything she’d been told. All she could do was stare the other girl square in the eyes. Dumbstruck.

Relief washed over Sasha as the tension appeared to simmer down, to the point she felt confident enough to move in closer, stopping when they were only feet apart. Tentatively, she reached out and brushed her fingers against her friend’s knuckles.

“Anne. Please.”

This snapped Anne out of her stupor. Reacting as if she’d been touched by something filthy, she broke her hand away from hers. Her expression turned on a dime from bewilderment to one of unadulterated hatred.

“... how dare you.”

Instead of withdrawing herself, Anne shoved Sasha away so violently it nearly sent her off her feet.

“I cannot believe I almost fell for that again! I mean, wow! Seriously, Sasha?! You’re gonna try and save your skin by throwing Marcy under the bus?! HOW DARE YOU!!”

Another jab to the breastplate silenced Sasha before she could respond. Anne was advancing on her dangerously, every step she took forcing her to back up. The only other instance she’d legit felt intimidated by her was back when she’d stood up to her at Toad Tower and even then, a secret part of Sasha was also impressed.

Now she’d touched upon what was already a frayed, raw nerve and it was scary.

“Let me tell ya something, Sash!” yelled Anne. A third strike nearly caught Sasha in the throat. “Marcy’s been more of a friend to me than you ever have! Marcy hasn’t lied to me! She hasn’t pushed me around! And she definitely hasn’t tried to kill my family! Unlike YOU!” She gripped the hilt of her sword, the menace in her eyes daring her to give her a reason. “She’s not only a real friend, she’s my best friend! And so help me, if you ever talk about her like that again, I will personally stick this thing right in your—”

The sounds of stomping boots and clattering armour had grown so loud they became impossible to ignore. Anne looked to her left to witness the sea of helmeted toads congregating outside the city walls.

How could she have let herself get distracted? They were coming. They were practically here.

“You were right; I am better off without you.” She hissed at her with so much venom it practically poured over her lips. “We both are.”

With that parting diss, Anne sprinted back to the lever. She had a job to do and she’d wasted way too much time and oxygen on this cretin already.

Sasha was left standing there stricken, feet glued to the floor. Anne might as well have slapped her across the face to achieve the same effect.

A determined scowl of her own soon spread across her features. You can’t say she hadn’t tried.

She drew the twin swords from her belt and assumed her dueling position.

“Anne, I can’t let you close that gate!”

“Oh yeah...?”

Anne roared, leaping through the air, sword unsheathed and aimed at Sasha’s head.

“JUST TRY TO STOP ME!”

Any swordsman worth their salt should know better than to leave themselves exposed like Anne just did. Sasha had a clear open to cut her in two instead of blocking her strike with both swords if she had so chosen.

To Anne’s credit, she wasn’t nearly as foolhardy as she had been when she first arrived in Amphibia. Right now, however, as they flew around the tower and did battle with the ferocity of dueling birds of prey, Sasha could plainly see it was Anne’s anger guiding her sword.

Anne was hostile, her moves unpredictable. Toad Tower didn’t have nothin’ on this. She wasn’t an exceptionally skilled fighter, neither of them realistically could be when you consider they’d both only first taken up the sword months ago. Still, there was underlying talent between them, and in Anne’s case, hers was currently being amplified by a seemingly bottomless well of passionate fury, which encouraged every last nerve to screw her courage to the sticking place.

She was actively going for the kill.

Narrowly dodging a plunge from her sword and, holding both her own in one hand, Sasha reached the other between Anne’s arms to grip her by the shoulder.

“Anne, stop this!” she begged through gritted teeth. “Marcy—”

“SHUT YOUR LYING MOUTH!!”

Anne freed herself by kicking Sasha in the chest with her socked foot. The collision of her unprotected sole against the metal breastplate hurt like all get out, but she wasn’t going to allow a trivial thing like pain stop her from taking a fatal swing at her opponent’s golden head.

Cat-like reflexes were what saved Sasha from getting scalped. If there was any hope in her mind that Anne couldn still be reasoned with, it was surely dashed now.

None of the paths leading out of this graceful dance of death were great. Simply keeping up her defenses and waging a war of attrition until Anne’s wild attacks inevitably tired her out wasn’t going to work. Whatever it was fueling Anne’s rampage, she didn’t look to be running out of it any time soon. Every parry, thrust and dodge drained a little bit more of Sasha’s stamina. She couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

Frog knows she couldn’t rely on those toads to drag their warty butts through the stinking gate already!

Unless she was able to disarm Anne and fast, the only other option was to meet her viciousness in kind with expectedly grime results. Her training with Grime had taught her that every sword fight was already a potential life or death situation, regardless if you lacked the intent to harm, but however much they’d literally been at each other’s throats, Sasha was not prepared to have Anne’s blood on her hands.

An idea hit just as she arched her back away from a swing that easily could’ve taken her head off. Muscle tissue developed over years of cheerleader practice kicked into gear and in those vital seconds, Sasha flawlessly pulled off a handstand and kicked the sword out of Anne’s hand. The blade plummeted to the city streets below.

That should have been the end of it. With her opponent disarmed, Sasha felt the adrenaline rush sustaining her crash. Her lungs were on fire. Pink and Green suddenly felt ten times heavier in her damp palms. She truly couldn’t have gone on a moment longer.

Unfortunately, Anne was nowhere near spent. In an act of near superman-levels of varsity athleticism, slid behind Sasha, grabbed the hem of her cape and jumped over her head.

Before Sasha was able to register what in the ever-lovin’ Frog just happened, Anne had already tied the cape over her eyes. She barely even had a chance to flail like a dizzy ballerina when Anne’s fist smashed her in the face!

It was a blow powerful enough to send her spinning across the tower. She landed flat on her face, not an ounce of strength left in her muscles to pick herself back up. It was miraculous she didn’t black out then and there.

All that happened around her next was a mad din of noise. She made out the slam of what must have been Anne finally closing the gate. Then someone somewhere sounded a horn, followed by a voice she dreaded to hear more than anything else.

“Royal Newt Guard! Assemble!”

Oh Frog! They’d already freed the king! Anne must’ve sent the rest of her frog family or worse, Marcy to free him from his cell. She’d been so focused on stopping Anne, she didn’t even factor in what the others were doing.

Anne’s smug tone reached her ears, “End of the line, Sash.”

Sasha crawled up to the ledge on her belly. She tore the cape off her head, scattering it to the wind.

What she saw only confirmed her worst fears. Sprig standing atop a knocked out Grime on the roof below. Newt guards were rounding up her soldiers left and right; the tadpole’s giant robot was holding a bunch of them in its mechanical arms.

Then she saw her, a perky smile plastered on her face, shooting a ‘mission accomplished’ thumbs up at Anne.

“Oh no.”

[tigerseye46]

House of Madness

Worked on some possessed Pigsy au stuff! 

Warning: Possession, Forced Behavior, Pigsy is kinda yandere in this ngl

                                      ---------------------------------

 Four days has passed since Pigsy took him to this place, this horrifying place. It’s all icy, the walls barren, he almost tripped the first time Pigsy took him to the castle, now it has long carpets in the hallways, possibly in some failed attempt to please Tang. Regret wells up in him, he should have seen the signs, he should have noticed when Pigsy began to change but he didn’t, not until it was too late and now Pigsy was possibly lost to them forever.

 Tang sighs as he explores his prison, he’s tried to escape before but no matter what, Pigsy is one step ahead of him. The pig has left all sorts of traps to make sure Tang never leaves. He keeps an alarm that only he has the passcode to, if he gets the slightest idea that the scholar might leave, he’ll drop everything and come right on back even if he’s in the middle of a fight with Wukong. He stops at the mostly empty library that Pigsy set up, for now it is only filled with books from their apartment, the pig promises he’ll get more.

 The scholar picks up a book, scanning the cover of it, he sighs again and sits on a chair, opening it. He questions if he should try again, maybe he’ll get lucky? He shakes his head, he’s never been particularly lucky, sure, he got lucky enough to be chosen to retrieve the scriptures but the ensuing journey was certainly not lucky. He ponders on what to do, so immersed in his thoughts that he gasps when arms wrap around his waist and a kiss is placed on his neck.

 Pig-, not Pigsy whispers, “Hello, my love.”

 Tang holds his breath for a second. “He-hello.”

 “Somethin’ wrong, gorgeous?”

 “N-no… you just startled me is all.”

 Pigsy kisses his neck again. “You were so cute while readin’, I had to sneak up on ya.”

 The Buddhist shivers at the contact. “O-oh…” He’s hoping that will be the end of it, it never is.

  “What are ya readin’ anyway?”

  “Hm? O-oh.” He looks at the cover again. “Something about adventure.”

  “Haven’t been payin’ attention? Is my little freeloader distracted? What were ya thinkin’ about?”

  Thinking of ways to get away from you, Tang wants to say but he holds his tongue. “Just something.”

  “Were ya thinkin’ of me?

  Tang pauses then answers, “Yes. Yes I was.”

  The answer satisfies the pig and he kisses him on the lips. When Tang refuses to kiss back, the pig growls and pinches him, he opens his mouth in shock and Pigsy uses that as an opportunity to further the kiss, pressing him against his body. Tang kisses back reluctantly until Pigsy is satisfied and they separate, the Buddhist holds back tears.

  “There, that wasn’t so hard now.” He rubs a thumb against Tang’s cheek. Tang mumbles something. “What was that, love?” He lifts his chin. “Speak up, I can’t hear ya.”

  “N-nothing…”

  “It didn’t sound like nothin’. I can barely understand a word that comes out from your pretty mouth that way. Now tell me what’s wrong. I can make it all better.” The smile he gives is unsettling, it’s like his icy blue eyes are trying to read into Tang’s soul.

  Tang shoves him away. He shouts “You’re is what is wrong! Don’t you see it? You aren’t you! You’re possessed! The White Bone Spirit has taken control of your mind, fight it!”

  Pigsy blinks for a few seconds, his eyes returns to their normal blue then he blinks again and the same icy blue appears. He grins madly and steps towards Tang, the Buddhist backs up until he hits a bookshelf, a few books fall off. Pigsy grips him by the waist and crowds over him. “Oh, sweetheart, what are ya talkin’ about? I’m completely in my right mind.”

  The Buddhist scoffs. “Yea, right then tell me, what are we doing here? Why aren’t we in your noodle shop? Why aren’t we with the kids? How does none of this seem off to you?”

  “Sweetheart, I think ya ask too many questions. We’re here because I’m gonna treat ya like the royalty ya are, I told ya that in the beginnin’, shame ya didn’t seem to hear me. And who needs that stupid shop anyway? Wouldn’t ya rather live in a place like this? You never have to do anythin’. The only reason our kids aren’t here is because that jackass has them. Don’t worry I’ll get them for ya.”

  “Don’t you touch them!” He shouts. “You leave them alone! Don’t you dare a hair on my kids’ heads!”

  “Our kids, love. Our kids,” he corrects. “I wouldn’t hurt them, ya know me. All I want to do is kill that monkey, he’s gettin’ in the way of our happy family. He tried to take you away from me but no longer.” He kisses Tang then whispers, “He won’t be a problem, we can be a happy family, just like I always wanted.”

  “You leave him alone too!” He hisses and attempts to shove him again but the pig keeps him firmly against the bookcase.

  The pig glares at him. “What?! Why?! Are ya in love with ‘im? Ya are, aren’t ya? I won’t let ‘im take you away from me! I’ll kill ‘im!”

   “No! I’m not in love with him!”

   “Really?! Because it seems as if ya are! I’ll go fight ‘im right now and get our kids then you’ll only love me!” He adjusts his crown and turns away from Tang, he’s decked out in ancient Chinese armor, his cape swishing a bit as he walks.

   Tang ponders what to do, he can’t risk him fighting Wukong and his kids getting taken to this place. He grips Pigsy’s clothing and smooches him suddenly, the pig smooches back with eager intent. Tang’s heart thumps, this isn’t Pigsy but his mind is racing, he wants this, he wants Pigsy but he’s smart enough to know that this isn’t him and he’s only doing this so not Pigsy won’t capture his kids. He moves away from Pigsy and tries not to appear disgusted at the creepy grin the pig gives him.

   Pigsy replies, “Wow! Passionate, aren’t ya?”

   Tang blushes. “Qu- quiet.”

   “No need to be embarrassed, doll. I think it’s rather cute.”

   “Don’t call me doll!” His cheeks puff up.

   “Awwww. What, don’t like that nickname? Don't worry, I have a thousand other things to call you.” He backs away to finally give Tang some room to breathe.

   “Tch.” Tang narrows his eyes at him and he bends down to pick up the books littered on the floor, stacking them on top of each other, one is a translation of the Journey to the West. He holds it with one hand and as he’s about to put it with the others when Pigsy grabs his arm. The pig’s eyes observe the book. “Is something wrong?”

  He takes the book from the Buddhist’s hands. “Want to read this.”

  The Buddhist raises an eyebrow. “Why? You’ve never been interested in those stories before.”

   “Well, love, there’s a lot ya don’t know about me.” He runs a hand on the Buddhist’s cheek and winks. “I can’t wait until I get Tripitaka here. Gods, he’s going to be beautiful, after I get him and our kids, everythin’ will be complete.”

   Tang raises an eyebrow. He’s heard Pigsy comment about Tripitaka, him before. He hasn’t asked yet and he’s scared to ask. The comments paralyzed him. It was always something like “I can’t wait to go into Heaven and grab him,” “My gorgeous master, I’ll treat him like royalty,” “It would be great to have your idol here, wouldn’t it, love?” He still has no idea what the pig means and he knows he should try to figure out. Why is Pigsy planning on kidnapping him? Well, he’s already kidnapped him but the pig doesn’t know that. The only pig demon that Tang has ever been familiar with aside from Pigsy is Zhu Bajie. He sighs, he hasn’t seen Bajie in ages, the pig was and is his first love, he misses him and wishes he was here to save him. Pigsy is his second love, but Pigsy isn't Pigsy and he’s trapped and Tang needs to get out yet he wants information on why he wants Tripitaka so bad, curiosity is burning into him.

   “Pigsy?”

   Pigsy purrs. “Yes, love?”

   “Um… why do you want Tripitaka?”

   “Don’t be jealous, babe.”

   “I’m not!”

   “You’re both equals in my heart. He’s beautiful just like ya are, how could I not want him?”

   “What? You don’t even know him.”

   “I know him, doll but relax your pretty, little head. No need to be jealous.”

   “Don’t call me doll,” he repeats.

   Pigsy smirks and plants a kiss on his cheek. “Why not?”

   “Because I’m not a toy!”

   “You’re right, ya aren’t. You’re more like royalty, although I could treat ya like a doll if you want.”

   “Shut up.”

   Pigsy narrows his eyes at him and roughly pulls his chin up. “Now babe, it’s rude to tell your future husband to shut up.” The pig’s blue eyes glow as he says this, it makes Tang shiver, the chef’s fingers are cold like they have been for some time. His blue eyes glow brighter. “Never tell me to shut up again, got it?”

   Tang nods reluctantly. “Got it.” Pigsy smiles and lets go of his chin. Tang puts the rest of the books back and as he finishes, Pigsy lifts him into the air. “Wh-what are you doing?”

   “Almost supper time. I should treat ya like the king or queen ya are and escort you myself,” he replies and walks Tang to his dining room, book still in the pig’s hands as he takes him.

   They arrive at the dining hall, the pig gently lets him down and pulls out a large throne meant for Tang. He silently commands for him to sit down, Tang glares but he knows better to disobey, he sits down reluctantly then the pig pushes it slightly.

   Pigsy kisses his cheek. “Any preference on dinner, love?”

   “No…”

   “Alright, I’ll make ya somethin’ then we can chat and have some fun later,” he purrs. He places the book on the table and saunters off.

  Tang grabs the book from the wooden table, he stares at it, he wants his disciples, he needs his disciples to rescue him, he doesn’t know where Bajie or Wujing are but he hopes they know what’s happening, he hopes there’s a plan to rescue him. He presses the book against his chest, he misses them, it’s been so long since he’s last seen them. He’s all alone and he has no one to rescue him this time, he has to be smart, the kidnappings have made him smart.

  Tang ponders on the information he’s gathered. Pigsy doesn’t want to eat Tripitaka, well him so that’s good at least. His heart thumps at the reason the pig took him to this place, he hadn’t realized that Pigsy was in love with him, how long had the pig been keeping it in? He does love Pigsy, the real Pigsy and he wants to be with him, not until he’s freed, until they’re both freed.

   The Buddhist knows he’ll have to comply with what the pig says, get him to lower his guard down then escape when he has the chance. He knows Pigsy doesn’t want to hurt him, he just wants the scholar to be his, he can deal with it, it won’t be too bad, right? All he needs to do is find a way to get out and get rid of the White Bone Spirit. He prays the group finds a way to rescue him and Pigsy. He moves the book away from his chest and flips to a page. The memories of his disciples and their journey flood back to him, they were always there to keep him safe but they weren’t here and he had to fend for himself.

   Tears fall from his eyes as he reminisces, the cold air of the castle sweeps through him and he shivers. He leans back into his wooden throne, he’s thankful it’s not made of ice unlike that throne Pigsy makes him sit in constantly. He twists the bracelet around his wrist that he was forced to wear, pulling the collar of his tight outfit, he hates it, it isn’t him, it isn’t comfortable like his old cassock or his current outfit. He’s practically a doll for Pigsy to dress up and play with, he can’t bring himself to hate the pig for it, he knows he isn’t in his right mind.

   He hears the doors swing open and he shuts his eyes. He hears multiple plates being set on the table. Pigsy places a thumb under his eye, he shudders at the contact. “Love,” The pig starts. “Why are ya cryin’?”

   Tang sniffles and wipes his tears with his hands. “Oh I didn’t realize. It’s nothing.”

   The Buddhist opens his eyes when the pig runs a hand through his face, Pigsy is down on his knees. A soft look is on his face, it’s almost like he’s him again. “It’s not nothin’. You are my queen.” Tang rolls his eyes at the queen part as more tears roll down his face. “You deserve to be happy. What’s wrong?” He wants to tell Pigsy everything, he wants to open up to him, hug him, kiss him but this isn’t Pigsy and he continues sobbing. “Hey,” he whispers. “Ya don’t have to be sad. I’ll take care of ya, I promise.” He presses a kiss to the back of Tang’s hand and gets rid of his tears.

   Tang observes him and smooches his cheek, the demon purrs and the scholar can’t help the smile that creeps on his face. He plants another kiss and enjoys the other purrs that come out of the demon. The pig has a lovestruck look on his face and Tang lets out a laugh. “I don’t doubt that. I’m fine now that you’re taking care of me.”

   Pigsy kisses him on the forehead and he turns red. “Okay but if anythin’ is botherin’ ya, you tell me. I hate seein’ ya upset. You deserve to be happy.”

   The monk beams. “Thank you.”

   Pigsy nods and sits in the throne right beside him. He holds the monk’s hand in his, Tang rests a head on his shoulder, for a moment he can pretend everything is fine. He blushes more when the pig places a kiss to his lips and feeds him, whispering gentle promises of love into his ear. Tang playfully pushes him away at one point when the pig uses a cheesy pick up line.

   “My love,” Pigsy purrs.

   Tang rolls his eyes and asks “Yes?”

   “Have I ever told ya how beautiful you are?”

   “Oh, only about a dozen times now. Although I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”

   “Good cause I’ll tell ya as many times as I want.”

   “Wow, that almost sounds intimidating. Should I be scared?”

   “Just tellin’ the truth, dear.” He winks as he feeds Tang again.

   Tang accepts it and basks in their little domestic moment. “Do you ever run out of names to call me?”

   “Nope,” he replies. “I got a thousand in my head just for ya.”

   “I feel special,” he jokes as he chews on another spoonful.

   “As ya should, you’re mine after all.”

   Tang frowns for a second. Something about that statement makes him snap out of it. A pit of guilt forms in his stomach, he feels as if he’s taking advantage of Pigsy. The pig looks at him in worry and he has to look away because he can’t give in, no matter how many times he acts like Pigsy, he has to turn him away.

   The demon puts a hand under his chin to force the human to stare at him. The icy blue orbs quickly remind him of the possession, he bites his lip to prevent sobs from slipping past his lips. The demon furrows his eyebrows and Tang sends him a fake reassuring smile, Pigsy nods and continues feeding him.

   After dinner, the pig carries him to their room with the book of the journey still with them. The pig throws pick up line after pick up line at Tang while examining the book, he tries to scoot away but the arm wrapped around his waist pulls him in closer.

   Tang groans when another line is thrown at him. “You know you could do better than cheesy pick up lines.”

   Pigsy snarks, “Sometimes they work, I have other lines, just don’t know if you’re ready for that.” Tang huffs and leans against his shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey, we got time.”

   “Time? Time for what?”

   “For me to shower ya with as many compliments as there is. We have a lot of time.”

   “Oh, great. How wonderful,” he replies, sarcasm present in his voice but Pigsy thinks it’s sincere and gives him a peck on the side of his head.

   “So rose, do ya want to pay me a compliment back?” He winks, the scholar rolls his eyes and scoffs. The demon pinches his waist and he lets out a yelp, the demon’s eyes glow blue as they always do when he gets even the slightest bit angry or annoyed. “Well, do ya?”

   Tang freezes and takes deep breaths, he reminds himself that he has to get the pig to lower his guard down. As he cups the pig’s face, he trembles and touches his forehead with his, the other’s eyes dilate. “Yes… ummm… well… it’s embarrassing to say…”

   “Come on, babe. Any word that comes out of your mouth is stunnin’. Just say it.” Tang’s heart thumps at the compliment.

   “Well…” he taps his chin. “I love that you cook for me and never threw me out of your shop despite my unwillingness to pay. You care about me despite your gruffness…. And umm… yea.”

   The demon purrs and kisses him a whole bunch. “See, love, absolutely stunnin’.”

   “Thanks…”

   “I think that’s enough readin’ for tonight, babe. Readin’ this book bring back old memories of my journey.”

   “Huh?”

   “I’ll tell ya later. Let’s go to bed, can’t wait for ya to try on the other outfit I picked for you.”

   “Great…”

   Pigsy kisses him and gives him the silky pajamas he chose, thankfully for Tang they are more comfortable than his earlier clothes. Pigsy places his own crown to the side and gets into a better outfit. He snuggles up to the scholar, the demon rumbles, Tang tries not to coo on how cute this would be in normal circumstances. He adjusts himself so he is facing away from Pigsy, the demon whispers sweet nothings.

   Hours pass and Pigsy is snoring into his ear, Tang’s eyes droop and he looks at the bedside clock that the pig set up, it is now 3 am. Tang wriggles out of the pig’s grasp, he grabs a robe set aside on a chair, and puts it on. He tiptoes out of the room, once he’s farther enough, he bolts, he’ll have his escape tonight, nothing will stop him.

   He tries not to slip on the carpet as he dashes, he quivers at the air and wraps the robe around himself tighter. Despite the castle only having the two of them, it is humongous, he can barely wrap his head around it. He finds the icy stairs and grabs the railing, carefully walking down so he makes he doesn’t trip. He would tell Pigsy next time to cover the stairs with carpet or something, if there was going to be a next time that is.

   Tang smirks to himself and finds the front door of the palace, that would be too obvious. He searches around for another exit, he finds a window and tries desperately to thrust it open but he’s too weak. He scrambles around for another exit, his heart beats fast, he’s terrified of Pigsy waking up.

   There’s a door leading to the back entrance of the palace, does he risk it? He nods to himself, the door has no traps around it, if he’s quick enough he can run before the alarm sounds. He’s about to open the door when arms are placed on his waist and a figure rests a head on top of his own, his heart stops.

   “Sweetie…” he hears a growl. “What are ya doin’ up? I’ll give ya one chance to explain yourself.”

   He gasps and turns to face Pigsy, his eyes light up the darkness. “Ummm… well… I was looking for something to eat. I’m kinda hungry…”

   “DON’T LIE TO ME!” He shouts, his hands balled into fists, Tang flinches. “Ya were tryin’ to escape!”

   “N-no! I-!”

   “Yes you were! Don’t lie!” Pigsy slams a wall with his fist. “Your mine, ya hear?! MINE!”

   Tang swallows and backs up slowly, the pig is huffing out of anger, his fist still against the wall he punched. The Buddhist trembles, he’s regretting trying to run now, but a part of him wants to flee to escape Pigsy’s anger. When the demon turns, still with an angry expression, Tang feels goosebumps on his arms. The demon quickly lets go of his frustration and leans down to cup the scholar’s face. He smiles but Tang is trembling, scared out of his mind and crying, the pig’s cold fingers and dark smile made everything worse.

   Pigsy plants a kiss on his forehead. “I know you’re just confused. It’s okay. That monkey has poisoned your mind. I know ya want to be mine, ya just have been brainwashed.”

   Tang gasps, “I… I…”

   Pigsy shushes him. “It’s okay. We’ll be happy soon enough. I won’t let that monkey manipulate ya the same way he did master.”

   “Wh-what?”

   “Hm? I just said I wasn’t gonna let ya be brainwashed. Jeez, love bug, you’re supposed to be the smart one, although ya haven’t been actin’ so smart recently.” The pig let out a chuckle.

   The Buddhist rolls his eyes. He thought to himself, Pigsy had said “master,” Tang remembers when he use to go by master... wait… was he talking about Tripitaka? “No, not that! It’s just… you said something about your master? I wasn’t aware you had one.”

   “As I said, there’s a lot ya don’t know about me.”

   “Like?”

   “Now, babe, ya disobeyed me, don’t think ya have a right to know that information just yet.” Tang narrows his eyes, if he’s staying here, he needs information, he’s shaking but he needs to be smart. He pouts and gives the pig his best puppy eyes, the pig’s ears droop at the pout. “What’s wrong?”

   Tang wipes the tears left over from his fear, trying to make it seem as if he’s upset that the possessed demon refuses to tell him anything. “Well… it’s just…” he fake sniffles. “You refuse to tell me anything. I want to know more about you. I want to know what it was like before we met but you’re so secretive!” He covers his face with his hands and smirks when he hears Pigsy let out a whimper and attempt to pull Tang’s hands away to look at him. Tang wipes more fake tears.

   “Hey…. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep secrets from ya, I didn’t want to tell ya and have you get jealous!”

   The Buddhist hides his smirk, he has him in his grasp. He stomps his feet for good measure and takes a step back angrily when the pig attempts to pat him in reassurance. “Well you talk about Tripitaka all the time! You never tell me why, how are you so sure I’m not jealous now?!”

   “Babe…”

   “Don’t “babe” me!” He sniffles again. “I thought you didn’t care about me… I want to stay with you,” he lies through his teeth, “but you won’t say anything. How am I suppose to take that?”

   Pigsy frowns and shrinks back to his normal size. “I’m sorry… I’ll tell ya whatever it is you want.”

   He shows him a fake smile. “Thank you.”

   “But never run away from me like that again, okay?”

   Shivers shoot up Tang’s spine and he nods. “Okay…”

   “Good. Now let’s take ya back to bed then I’ll tell ya all ya want to know.” He carries the monk back to their bed, the monk sits up on the bed. “So what do ya want to ask first?”

   “Ummm… so you used to have a master?”

   “Yep, I was his disciple, we used to go on a lot of adventures together, most of which you have read about.”

    “Really? Because I would remember that.”

    Pigsy grabs the book from his bedside table and holds it up. “Yes ya have. It’s all written here, most of it anyway.”

    Tang’s eyes widen and he snatches the book from the demon’s hand. He scans it because the demon must be joking, he leans against the bed frame. “But this is about the Journey to the West…”

     “Yea, told ya that you have read most of it.”

     The gears in Tang’s mind spin as he tries to uncover the pig’s words. Master… Tripitaka… mentions knowing him…. a pig demon… no… no, no, NO! All the clues clicked but he doesn’t want to believe it. It can’t be, Tang is praying that he isn’t who he thinks he is. “Wait… are you- are you saying that your….” He trails off, he can’t finish his sentence.

      “That I’m the Zhu Bajie? Yes, I am, doll. Told ya I knew Tripitaka, he’s my gorgeous master. Took you awhile to figure that out.”

       “Are you- are you serious? Please tell me you’re joking!” Gods no, he can’t be Bajie! That would mean… that would mean his Bajie, his first love is also his second love and has been with him the entire and he never knew. He can’t be Bajie… his disciple who he’s longed to reunite with has been with him. A feeling of dread washes over him and he wants to laugh and to scream, Pigsy’s face is completely serious.

      “Why would I be jokin’ about this? I’m Zhu Bajie. It’s impressive, huh?”

      Tang feels his eyes water. The rake… the talk about Tripitaka… everything points to him being Zhu Bajie. “Ye- yea… impressive.” He thought it was a coincidence, he thought he would never see them again. He fixates his gaze at the book in his hands.

       Was Pigsy ever planning on telling him? Does this mean Sandy is Sha Wujing? His two disciples were going to fight their brother… this can’t be. Did Pig- Did Bajie love him? Love him back when he was Tripitaka? He always loved the pig, no matter what and… wow… This was the worst way to find out.

     Sobs escaped from his lips, his whole body shook and Pigsy wraps his arms around him in an attempt to comfort him. Tang gasps and stares at the book of his, of their journey.

      Bajie kisses the side of his head. “Awwww, babe, are ya cryin’?” Tang nods, he can’t look at the pig. “Ya don’t need to cry, I know how great I am but you’re even greater, just like Tripitaka is, I can’t wait to see him.” At the mention of his old name, he sobs louder. “Huh? Babe, don’t worry, you’re both equals. I won’t let ya or him get jealous. I’ll love you both forever and you’ll never be able to escape me.”

    As he stares up at the pig’s eyes, it hits him, he’s trapped in a house of madness.

[mrsalwayswrite]

Aes Sídhe (Finan x Reader) Part 1

This is my first time writing for The Last Kingdom fandom! I have adored the show since it came out but have always been too nervous to try and write for it. This idea came to mind though and would not leave me alone...so here it is.

Can be read as reader or OFC since there is no real description given. 

I want to thank @geekandbooknerd​ and @medievalfangirl​ for your own amazing Finan writings. I am slightly embarrassed how many times I have gone back and reread them.  

In regards to the title: from my understanding (granted I could be very wrong), an aes sídhe is an Irish term for a supernatural race in Irish and Scottish mythology, similar to fairies and elves.

Warnings: None

Words:2k

PART 2

Finan rose from his spot near the campfire. The sun had not yet set but Uhtred decided to make camp early. Not that Finan was complaining. They had been riding hard for days, heading back to Wintanceaster with news for King Alfred. 

 "Where are you off to?"

 Finan glanced over at Osferth, who was laying on his side across from the campfire. "I'm going to wash my hands."

 "You'll need to wash more than your hands to not smell like a pig sty." 

 "Oi! What was that, baby monk?" Finan tossed his blanket at the lad, the others around the fire smiling. "Do not lament my absence too much!" He started walking towards the nearby creek, away from their campsite. 

 "What would we miss? Life is quieter without you."

 "I HEARD THAT, SIHTRIC!" 

The sound of laughter followed the Irishman as he carefully made his way down the steep bank to the creek. Only a few paces of rocky sand separated the creek from the steep bank, which surrounded and kept the creek easily hidden. The last of the sunlight peeked through the trees all around. The forest was quiet, the only noises were the bubbling creek and the distant sound of those still around the campfire. 

 They had decided to camp above and some paces from the creek. It would have been impossible to maneuver the horses down the steep banks and being camped above allowed them to stand watch unencumbered. The only downfall was having to carry water up for the horses. Yet having watched Osferth douse himself when he tripped was worth it. The memory still made Finan chuckle. 

 Dropping down the last part of the steep bank, he moved to the edge of the creek. The small rocks and sand gave way under his boots. He splashed the cool water over his face and hands then took a moment to watch the droplets fall from his beard back into the creek. If the water had been deeper, he would have stripped down to fully cleanse himself. Alas, it was too shallow but even just cleaning what he could felt refreshing from the dust and sweat of the road.  

 With a sigh, he allowed the memories he venomously ignored to come forth. This place, the creek bed and the trees, the stillness and the sunlight...it reminded him of a favorite spot from his childhood. Where his brother and himself would sneak away to go looking for faerie mounds or kelpies, much to their mother's dismay. A lighter time. An easier time...before betrayal. 

 Harshly, he shoved the memories back and closed the lid on them. It did no good to think about them. He was here now. He was happy here. Uhtred was a brother he was bonded to and would readily give his life for. Sihtric and even Osferth were like younger brothers he looked out for. Clapa was a good friend. It was better he was here. 

 A soft plop in the water made him look up. He knew it was most likely an animal coming to drink or a rock sliding to cause the sound but long years of being a warrior and always on alert forced him to constantly be aware of his surroundings. 

 What he saw forcibly drew the breath from his lungs in a gasp. 

 A woman knelt on a large stone, several paces away and across the creek from him. With one hand dipped in the water making slow circles, she watched the ripples as if lost in thought. Her hair was draped over one shoulder, a yellow kingcup flower tucked behind her ear. With her face exposed, her ethereal beauty was on full display for him to bare witness to. There was nothing about her that would not cause the darkest envy in other women and the strongest lust in all men. She was beauty incarnate. A creature not of this world. 

 He was unable to remove his eyes, nor move or call out, spellbound to only her. 

 Suddenly she looked up and locked eyes with him. A noose around his neck would have had less of a binding hold on him. Her eyes both pierced and soothed his soul. Her very being a vision that summoned him as a man possessed. Yet he could not move nor break her enchantment. They stared at one another; eyes locked from across the creek. 

 Ever so slowly she stood up and it was only then he took into account what she was wearing. A thin, white shift covered her, but with the fading sunlight behind her, it was almost transparent. Her outline and curves caressed by the fabric, an enticement and illusion. Never had he witnessed a woman more perfect. 

 "Are...are you alright, my lady?" His words broke the spell, his tongue finally recalled how to function. But as soon as the words were released, he would have given anything to return them. 

 After one slow blink of those captivating eyes, she fled. Moving as silently and quickly as a shadow, she jumped off the rock and hurried away on the other side of the creek. Neither rocks nor sticks hindered her bare feet. 

 "Wait!" He cried out, stumbling over himself as he gave chase. He ran opposite of her, trying to keep her in his sights lest she vanish and he awaken from this dream. 

 She followed a bend in the creek, darting between two trees that stood sentry on the edge. Uncaring of his clothing, he darted across the creek, the water only reaching mid-calf.  When he crossed over and rounded the bend, desperate for a glimpse of her, only the tranquil sight of the forest and creek lay before him. His eyes scoured everywhere, trying to catch a glimpse of her. There were no footprints his trained eyes could see, no markings that anyone had passed by. He scratched the back of his neck as he turned around once again, hoping he had missed something. 

 Yet there was nothing. She had vanished. 

 With a reluctant sigh, he turned to head back to camp. He had been gone long enough the others would question him. A bright spot of color amongst the dull colors of the rocks caught his eye. Moving closer he found a small bush of the kingcup flowers. Gently he stroked one of the many flowers' petals, remembering how they looked in her hair. On a whim, he plucked three and walked back to the stone she had knelt on. 

 "For you, aes sídhe." He whispered laying them down reverently. The bright yellow stood out on the gray stone, like the sun shining through on a cloudy day. 

 Looking around him once more, he crossed the creek and headed back towards camp. The further he walked, the more he began to question what he saw. A pinch to the arm proved he was not dreaming. Could it have been some kind of vision? He doubted that. He was not holy enough nor had enough drink to induce one. 

 "There he is!"

 "Thought you had finally drown."

 Finan threw himself on the ground next to his pack, ignoring the teasing of Osferth and Sihtric. He rubbed a hand over his beard and stared at the sky as the first few stars appeared in the sky. He could not get the image of her out of his head. So beautiful and pure. 

 A tickling in his ear brought his attention back to the present. He swatted at his ear and looked over to discover Uhtred next to him, a long blade of grass in hand and hovering over his head. 

 "What is bothering you?"

 Finan sat up, his arms over his knees. "Aes sídhe."

 "What?"

 "Nothin'. Thought I had seen somethin' at the water."

 Uhtred's brows furrowed slightly, trying to decipher his friend's meaning. "Well while you think, you have first watch. We drew straws earlier and you lost." He slapped Finan on the back. 

 "Sihtric rigged it."

 "Lies!" Sihtric threw a clump of dirt at a chuckling Osferth. "It was Fate that chose."

 "Why are you always throwing stuff at me?" Osferth whined, wiping the dirt mark off his robes. 

 "You deserve it."

 Uhtred spoke. "It would seem we need to work on your reflexes."

 "Yes, lord." Osferth sighed, eyes downcast. 

 "Don't worry, baby monk, I know what will help. We will take turns throwing knives at you. Eventually you'll dodge them."

 Osferth groaned. 

 With a clap on Uhtred's shoulder, Finan got up to settle against a tree nearby that offered a better spot for watching the camp and its surroundings. In truth he did not mind being on first watch tonight. With memories of her, clinging to him like summer's heat, he knew sleep would elude him. He tried to push the thoughts of her aside but to no avail. In truth he doubted he would ever be able to forget her. 

 ***

 The next morning, a rough kick to his back woke him. He groaned, attempting to rub the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. 

 "I never thought you one for flowers, Finan." Sihtric said, walking to the other side of the camp. 

 "What?"

 Osferth piped up, head swiveling, looking from Finan to Sihtric. "Or perhaps it is from a special lady?"

 "What lady is around here besides the horses?" Sihtric snorted. 

 "Maybe it is a horse?"

 "What are ya fools talkin' about?" Finan eyed the smirks on the faces of those around him. His mind refused to fully abandon the land of dreams. There had been something... something on the edge of his consciousness but he could not recall it now. 

 "Behind you." Uhtred nodded towards Finan's pack. 

 Unsure, he looked to his pack on his other side…and froze. The kingcup flowers lay next to where his head had just been, but this time, a thin white strip of fabric bound the flowers together. Hesitantly he reached out and touched the flowers then fabric, in awe when he could feel their texture beneath his fingers.

 She was not a dream or vision. 

 Without warning he rose to his feet and scanned around him. He ignored the confused looks of his companions. Only on a second scan did he glimpse something. On further inspection, it was the slightest indent of footprints amongst the grasses. It was too small to be any of Uhtred's men. Plus, the blades were barely bent by whose feet stepped on them, they would have been easy to miss. 

 "Finan?"

 He realized he looked like a madman, first startled by flowers and searching for a sign around them. He stood up, arms crossed when he turned back. "Yes, lord?"

 "Something amiss?"

 He wondered if he should tell them. Their camp had been infiltrated and no one knew it. Yet as he opened his mouth, the words died on his tongue. 

 "No, I just...it must have been a dream."

 "If you say." The Dane-Slayer did not look like he fully believed his friend but would let it go this time. "We leave soon."

 Ignoring those around him, he knelt in front of his pack. Memories of her, still so sharp even after sleep, came forth unaided. He gently touched the white strip of cloth, reminiscent of her thin shift. Had she torn the strip from it?  Before the others could notice, he stuck the flowers in his pack and the cloth up his arm-guard.  

 He looked one last time towards the creek. "Go dtí go mbuailfimid le chéile arís, mo aes sídhe." (Until we meet again, my aes sídhe.)

 "WE RIDE!" Uhtred called then sent his horse into a canter, his men following him loyally. 

 Finan could not help one last glance over his shoulder. If he thought he caught a glimpse of a white shift and a form peeking out from between the trees, he could not prove it. He turned back to following the others. In his mind he prayed that this would not be the last time he saw her. 

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Shuu Maniac [Prologue]

CHAPTER MASTERLIST

ー The scene starts in the living room of the Sakamaki castle

Yui: ( I wonder if Yuma-kun is alright... )

Ayato: Ahー Fuck. This is such a pain in the ass. I can’t believe he prevented our letter from bein’ delivered to the Vibora. 

Shouldn’t we be gettin’ revenge on the guy? 

Subaru: Yeah. We can’t let him get away with it, can we?

Shuu: ...Just ignore him. 

Ayato: Why!? 

Shuu: I’ll deal with him eventually. Stay out of it.

Besides, he’s our brother. 

Ayato: Aah? He’s got nothin’ to prove it, does he?

Shuu: I could sense abnormal magical energy from him. He’s definitely related to the Old Man. 

Reiji: ...When exactly did you start having such a soft spot for your family? 

Shuu: ...This isn’t about having soft spot for him or not.

I sympathize with him...That’s all.

Ayato: Haah? Sympathize...? ...The fuck are you sayin’ all of a sudden? You’re gonna make me gag...

Shuu: ...Shut up.

ー Shuu walks away

Yui: ...

( Shuu-san sympathizes with Kino-kun...? )

( Does that mean...? )

ー Yui recalls his words from before

Shuu: It’s just...He introduced himself as my sibling, remember?

In that case...I figured it’d be best to let him know.

Yui: ...Let him know?

Shuu: Exactly. If that Kino guy is really the Old Man’s kid, then... ーー

...No, it’s nothing.

ー The flashback ends

Yui: ( I wonder if it’s related to what he tried to say back then...? )

ー The scene shifts to the forest

Yuma: ( God. We’ve just been talkin’ in circles the whole time... )

( I went through all that trouble to make it to the Vibora’s castle, but at this rate... )

ーー For the millionth time! I keep tellin’ ya that I’m here in name of the Vampire clan!

Vibora A: I cannot trust you. 

Vibora B: We cannot let you have an audience with Zweig-sama. Now leave at once!

Vibora A: If you truly wish to meet and have a conversation with him, you will have to bring your King with you. 

ー The Vibora walk away

Yuma: Che...Ya can’t reason with these dudes.

...At this rate, I’ll never be able to deliver the letter. 

ーー But I can’t return empty-handed either...

...Anyway, I gotta do everythin’ within my power to get this letter to Zweig...

I guess...I’ve got no other choice but  to sneak in, huh...?

ー The scene shifts back to the living room of the Sakamaki castle

Shuu: ...

*Rustle*

ー Intense piano music starts playing

Shuu: Haah...

( It’s no use. I can’t focus... )

( No...It’s more than simply not being able to focus... )

( I grow restless...to the point where I can’t even simply listen to the music in silence... )

( I know that I need to keep my cool. Yet... )

Just what on earth is wrong with me...? Damnit...

ー The scene shifts to the entrance hall

Yui: ( ...Piano music...? )

( How beautiful...I wonder who could be playing? )

( Could it be...Shuu-san? )

ー The scene shifts to the living room

Shuu: ...

Yui: ( Ah...It really is Shuu-san, just like I thought... )

Shuu: Ugh...

Yui: ( He seems very focused on playing? Like he’s completely absorbed by it... )

( But I’m glad. Interacting with his beloved music might help him feel a little be...ーー )

*Woosh*

Yui: ...!?

Shuu: ...!

Yui: ( What...? That sound just now... )

( Almost like...a distant roar of some sorts... )

Shuu: ...How long have you been standing there? 

Yui: Ah, I’m sorry. I just got here. 

( I guess I disrupted him...? )

Shuu: ...Say.

...Did you hear that sound just now as well? 

Yui: Sound? ...You meant the one that sounded like an animal roaring...? What was that?

Shuu: ...No, it’s nothing...

Yui: ...I see...

( ...He won’t tell me anything. )

( I know that there’s nothing I can do but... )

( At this rate, I don’t see the point in me being here with him... )

ー Reiji rushes into the room

Reiji: Shuu! So this is where you’ve been. 

Yui: Reiji-san...?

Reiji: ...Things have taken a turn for the worse. Yuma has...

Shuu: What’s wrong with him? 

Reiji: It appears that he has been seized by the Vibora clan.

Shuu: ...

Yui: No way...!

Shuu: ...You’re speaking the truth, right?

Reiji: If you doubt my words, why not confirm with the Familiars yourself? This way, quickly. 

Shuu: ...

ー They walk away

Laito: Hm, I see. I was wondering why Reiji seemed so on edge, but it all makes sense now...

Yui: Laito-kun...

Laito: No point in worrying over those Mukami’s though. 

Yui: ...How could you say that!

Laito: Ah, sorry~ Don’t get your panties in a knot, Bitch-chan. 

But I’m pretty sure that us Vampires are supposed to be such selfish creatures by nature.

Although, I doubt they’ll be able to just leave Yuma for dead. Shuu and Reiji, I mean?

It is their fault that Yuma was turned into a Vampire in the first place after all. 

Yui: ...

( I guess he knows. )

( About what happened between those three when they were children... )

ー The scene shifts to the dungeon at the Vibora castle

Yuma: ーー Oi! Lemme outta here!

*THUD THUD*

Yuma: How many times do I have to tell ya that all I want is for ya guys to read the damn letter!? Listen to me, damnit!!

*THUD THUD*

Yuma: Fuck...Why did it have to come to this...?

( I mean, it’s good that I managed to sneak my way into the castle but... )

( Those guys aren’t even makin’ an effort to listen to me... )

( I didn’t think those Viboras would be so darn stubborn... )

Well, I haven’t handed them the letter yet, so I guess I’m just a simple intruder in their eyes...

Vibora C: Is he the guy? The Vampire who trespassed the castle...

Vibora D: Yes. He calls himself a messenger of his King.

Vibora C: Hehe...A messenger, this guy? In that case, it’s all over for those Vampires. 

Yuma: Excuse me!? 

Vibora D: You want to claim that your King would ask his messenger to sneak inside the opposing party’s castle? Don’t make me laugh...

Yuma: ...!

( ...This is bad... )

( At this rate, I’ll only hurt his reputation even more, rather than actually bein’ able to help... )

( If that happens... )

...

( ...I gotta think. What’s the best strategy here? I’m sure Ruki would do that as well... )

*Rustle* 

Yuma: Haah...Fuck...Usin’ my brain is not my strong suit...

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book One: Gold (Prompto x Reader) Chapter XVII

The following day, the royal retinue and guardian left Lestallum. With Gladio now back with them and the mythril refined, they were ready to head back to Cape Caem. It was a two-hour drive and once they arrived, they headed straight for the lighthouse. As they were about to step into the elevator, a dog with black and white fur ran up to Noctis. The boy kneels down, patting the canine's head. He then checks the notebook it's carrying.

While Noctis read Lunafreya's message, the golden-eyed dog trotted over to (Y/n). The spirit glanced down at the animal, wondering what it wanted when it barked at her. Squatting down, she held out her hand. The canine licked her hand, then nuzzled its nose against her palm.

"Hey, Umbra likes you!" Prompto stated excitedly.

"Umbra?" The girl reiterated.

"That's his name. He's a divine messenger of the Astrals." Prompto kneeled beside her and petted the top of Umbra's head. He abruptly stopped his ministrations when a thought crossed his mind. "Wait, wouldn't you be considered a divine messenger too? Y'know, since you can talk to an Astral?"

"Doubtful," she scoffed. "I'm not a divine being like Umbra. All I am is a vessel."

"Still, it's pretty cool."

After Noctis writes his reply in the book, Umbra moves away from (Y/n) and Prompto. He sits and waits patiently for the raven-haired boy to put the book back in the bag. With the book now back in his possession, the canine takes off. Everyone then boards the lighthouse elevator and rides it down to a basement area in a seaside cave. There, they find the hidden harbor and a makeshift living room area. The boat they'd be using to cross the ocean was docked nearby. Talcott, Iris, Cid and Cor appeared to have been waiting for them.

The little boy stepped forward with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Look, Prince Noctis! Even the marshal came to say goodbye!"

When the group reached the bottom of the stairs, Cor spoke up. "Something I gotta get off my chest."

Noctis met the marshal's somewhat melancholic gaze. "What's that?"

"I'm sorry. Sorry I wasn't there for your father. I swore an oath to protect the king, but I wasn't strong enough to uphold it." Cor lowered his head in shame.

Cid, who'd been silent until now, spoke up. "Ain't nothin' nobody could've done to stop what happened."

Noctis was quiet for a second before responding. "Yeah, I realize that."

"But you need to realize just what you mean to the boys by your side."

"I do."

"Even if they can't solve your problems, you can't hide what's goin' on from 'em. It hurts like hell. Remember—those ain't your bodyguards, they're your brothers. Trust in 'em. Always."

As Noctis glanced at his three closest friends, Cor finally took notice of the (h/c)-haired girl standing behind Prompto. He saw her slitted eyes and the golden gemstone embedded in her upper right arm. After recognizing her as a spirit, he approached her. "You..."

(Y/n) met the marshal's gaze. She felt a somewhat familiar sensation when staring into his eyes. The moment she went to speak, Prompto beat her to it. "Is there a problem, marshal?"

Cor's gaze never left the guardian. "May I speak in private with her, Prompto?"

"Um..." The blonde glanced over at the girl. "I...don't see why not."

"Then let's head topside."

(Y/n) followed Cor up the stairs and into the elevator. They rode it back to the top and stepped off. He leaned against the wall of the lighthouse, eyes still focused on the guardian. "It's been a while since I've met a spirit."

"You're familiar with my kind?" She asked. The marshal slipped one of his hands into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. The jewel adorning it was black, cracked, and had a silver phoenix wrapped around it. The guardian easily recognized the gem. "Marshal, you...?"

"I once had a guardian. Viola was my entire world until the empire killed her. Her death was entirely my fault." Cor gripped the necklace tightly. "Before I became a full-fledged member of the Crownsguard, I was nothing but a punk. During my training, I was sent on a mission outside the city. Damn imperials swooped in out of nowhere and ambushed my squadron. She protected me and lost her life in the process. I truly never knew pain until I lost her."

(Y/n) hung her head with a sorrowful frown. "I'm sorry for your loss, marshal."

"Even though it was over 20 years ago, the pain has never faded."

"Was Viola the one to tell you about the conduit?"

"Yeah. She learned about it from an elder guardian and told me about it during our final mission together." The marshal put the necklace back into his pocket. "So tell me, are you the conduit she spoke of?"

"I am. I only learned the truth after leaving the city and encountering the Archaean," she stated.

"Then our gamble paid off."

(Y/n) blinked in bewilderment. "What gamble?"

"The Crownsguard was aware of your presence within the city. You were only four years old when you and a baby were brought to Insomnia by one of our spies. We've kept tabs on you and the child in secret to ensure you weren't a threat to Lucis. Turns out, neither of you are." Cor analyzes the girl's face, but was slightly taken aback when her expression mellowed out. "You're not surprised by this news?"

"I'd be lying if I said I was," she confessed. "I never knew how I got to Insomnia, but I was aware of who I truly was. Verstael Besithia is my true master, not Prompto. I'm not the real (Y/n), I'm just a reproduction."

"So your memories of your creation are intact," Cor muttered. "Remember anything else?"

"Of course I do," she sneered. "That bastard is the one who killed the real (Y/n). I was made to replace her after she betrayed him. He thought making a perfect replica would erase the memories of the past, but he was wrong. I remembered everything when I turned 12."

Cor was thoroughly intrigued by the revelation. "Why did the real (Y/n) betray him?"

"His mind became corrupt and she no longer wanted to support his twisted experiments. She was set on leaving and sharing his secrets with Lucis, but he killed her before she could." She turned her back to the marshal. "I'm but a mere imitation of her with her memories. I'm a false guardian. Why the hell would Brahma choose me to be his vessel?"

"You might be a copy, but you're still a guardian nonetheless. If an Astral deems you worthy to wield his power, don't question it." Cor took a few steps back towards the elevator. "I've kept you long enough. You need to be on that boat with His Majesty."

(Y/n) stopped him before he could call the lift. "Wait, I want to ask you one last question. How'd you know who I was?"

A smirk appeared on the marshal's face. "You threw a fireball at me when you were five. Guess you don't remember."

"That was you?" She gasped. "So this isn't our first meeting."

"I was impressed by your power for a guardian your age. I'm the one who told His Majesty to keep you and Prompto together. We gave the bracelet to him once he was taken in by a family."

She rubbed her arm with a smile. "And I'm grateful you did."

"You kept your presence hidden well from the family. I'm surprised."

"Yeah, well, I was slumbering in the gemstone until Prompto turned five. How would I explain my situation to his adoptive family in a way they would understand?"

"You got me there." Cor summoned the elevator. When it arrived, they both rode it back down to the hidden dock. When the two stepped off the lift, they saw the boys and Cid were already aboard the boat. Seeing they were waiting for (Y/n), she said farewell to the marshal before quickly making her way to the boat. She climbed aboard just as the vessel came to life.

As the boat pulls away from the dock, Talcott suddenly shouts out to Noctis. "Hey! Your Majesty!"

"What's up?" Noctis replied.

"Please come back soon! We need our king!"

He nodded with a faint smile. "Yeah. Count on it."

Talcott and Iris wave goodbye and Noctis waves back. The boat leaves Cape Caem and soon enters open waters. (Y/n) stood near the stern of the boat. While the boys chatted, she leaned against the metal railing and stared across the glistening sea. Her (h/c) locks blew through the salty breeze, washing away the weariness in her body. She sighed contently and closed her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them.

Spotting a multi-colored reflection on the surface of the ocean, the guardian's eyes traveled up to the sky. There, she saw the Celestial Crescent glowing radiantly with an array of beautiful colors. Her blissful smile fell as she recalled her conversation with Cor. Curious, she spoke to the god of creation. "Can you hear me, Brahma?"

Yes, Child. I am always with you.

"You said I have a pure heart and hold no ill-will, but I'm a fake. How can a replica be a pure spirit?" She inquired.

You are no mere replica. You are a pure Child of Pneuma regardless of your fabricated body. No other spirit has proven themselves to be as pure as you. Cast your doubts aside for they will only cloud your mind.

She hung her head with a heavy sigh. "I understand, but that still doesn't mean I'm okay being a fake. The real (Y/n) died years ago."

Believe in yourself. That is all you can do. Whether you are a replica or not, you must see your worth. You are the inheritor of my power and none shall take your place. Hold your head high and walk tall, Child of Pneuma.

The god was right. She needed to stop calling herself a replica and believe she was her own individual. Her powers and experiences were her own and no one could ever tell her otherwise. The belief she had in herself that she extinguished was burning brighter than ever. She smiled up at the sky. "Thank you, Brahma." Pushing herself off the railing, she walked towards the plush bench Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis were sitting on.

"Nice of you to join us, short stuff," Gladio commented as she came to a stop in front of the bench.

"Sorry, had to clear my head," she said.

"You've been doing that a lot lately. Gil for your thoughts?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. It's more of an inner turmoil that I need to deal with myself."

Prompto was too curious and pried further. "Does it have to do with what the marshal said to you?"

She shook her head. "Not really, no."

"What did you two talk about, anyway?" Noctis inquired.

"He told me about Viola, his guardian. He lost her over 20 years ago. She's the reason why he knew about the conduit. That's...all we talked about." It wasn't the whole truth, but only a portion of it. The rest of the conversation she had with Cor would remain between her and him until she was ready to spill her darkest secret.

"The marshal had a guardian...?" Prompto gasped.

"He still carries around the necklace with her gemstone."

"He must've truly cherished her," Ignis commented.

Unconsciously, the marksman fiddled with the bracelet containing (Y/n)'s gemstone. "Yeah..."

Everyone fell silent. They enjoyed the sea breeze for a while until Cid sparked a conversation with Noctis. "So, soon you'll have yer old man's ring back."

Noctis nodded slightly. "Yeah. When we arrive in Altissia."

"Good thing. To him, it was his heritage."

"Is that what my dad said?" The raven-haired boy asked.

"Carrying a royal line ain't a task to be taken lightly," Cid explained. "For a small thing, that ring can sure weigh heavy. After he became king, I only ever saw his face in the paper."

"Wait—weren't you at the coronation?" Gladio questioned, interjecting into the conversation.

"Nah, I was long gone from the city."

"Must've been invited at least," Noctis commented.

"Had a fallin' out o' sorts with your old man. Right at the end of the trip," the old man said.

Prompto was taken aback at the revelation. "You did?"

Ignis then spoke up. "I was given to understand you stayed in touch."

"We buried the hatchet years later, but never talked face to face again. Shoulda paid a visit while I had the chance," Cid sighed sorrowfully. "Well, no use dwellin' on it now. Got the Regalia in the hold, but y'all gonna stay in Altissia for a good while, right?"

"Yes, we believe so."

"In that case, I'll tune her up for y'all. Not that I'll have much to do, though, what with Cindy lookin' after the old girl."

"If you say she's good, she must be great," Prompto said.

"She was never afraid o' hard work. Heaven knows she had a hard childhood."

""A hard childhood"?"

"He means her parents," Gladio clarified.

"Lost 'em both when she was little. Was big enough to understand, though...an' to hurt. But ya wouldn't guess that, seein' her now," Cid stated.

"Not at all. She's always so cheerful," Prompto said.

"Well, that oughta tell ya how far she's come."

(Y/n) decided to remain silent and listen to the conversation. She clasped her hands together behind her back, admiring Cindy from just how Cid talked about her.

After the conversation about Cindy died down, Gladio changed the subject. "Man, you must have seen your fair share of Altissia by now."

"Yeah... Only done been the once. Stayed a good while, though," Cid said.

Prompto leant forward, curiosity written all over his face. "What's it like?"

"Big ol' city."

""Big." Okay." Noctis was expecting more than just the word "big" and was clearly unamused.

"Well, it ain't the Crown City," Cid stated.

""Different." Got it."

"You'll see for yourself: foreign lands seldom lend themselves to trite explanations," the strategist claimed.

"Change o' scenery oughta do you good," Cid added.

Gladio huffed out a sigh. "Well, I'm all talked out. Can't be far to Altissia now, right?"

"We'll be there in no time. Nice having the wind at our backs."

"What should we do first when we arrive?" (Y/n) asked, glancing around at the boys.

"Lodging is our first order of business," Ignis answered.

Prompto sighed. "All work and no play..."

"Makes Ignis a dull boy," Noctis said, finishing his best friend's sentence.

"Someone has to babysit you two," Gladio stated. "Well, Noct still needs a babysitter. Prompto's already got one." His amber eyes landed on (Y/n).

The blonde went to retort, but then an idea came to mind. "You and Iggy can babysit Noct. I'm taking my special lady on a date!"

"It's not a date if she has to babysit your ass."

Prompto pursed his lips. "Hmph, you're just jealous I've got a beautiful goddess to walk around with."

"We're not good enough for you?" Noctis asked.

"I don't wanna walk around a city with a romantic atmosphere with three guys," the blonde groaned.

Gladio walked over and smacked (Y/n) on the back. "Good luck with this one, short stuff."

"I think a date would be nice," she confessed.

Prompto flew to his feet, pumping his fist into the air. "All right! This is gonna be so much fun!"

Once the blonde calmed down and sat back down on the cushy bench, Cid spoke up and mentioned he knew someone by the name of Weskham who runs a place by the name of Maagho. The group made note to visit the place after securing lodging.

A few minutes later, they enter Altissia waterways. The boat's radio came to life as a newscaster began broadcasting. "The government issued a statement promising that the reasons behind awakening the Hydraean would be clarified in the ceremonial address."

"Got a signal!" Prompto cheered.

"Delivering the address will be Lady Lunafreya, who was previously reported dead. This will mark her first public appearance since the violence that befell the signing ceremony."

"Lady Lunafreya's gonna give a speech?"

"Sounds like it," Gladio said.

"Lord knows—this world could use some wisdom," Cid sighed.

Ignis looked over at the raven-haired boy. "Won't be much longer now, Noct."

Noctis nodded. "Yeah."

Eventually, the boat pulls up to a guard who stands along the waterway. He asked the old man, "Does this vessel have an entry permit?"

Prompto was beginning to worry. "Uh, entry permit?"

"Relax. I got one." Cid holds up the entry permit the guard was asking for. "Here."

The Altissian guard examined the permit and nodded. "That's as old as they get. Seems in order. You may pass."

Cid drives the boat on ahead. Ignis eyed the old man and asked, "Prepared in advance?"

"You could say that. Thirty-odd years ago," Cid said.

"That's what the guy meant by "old"," Gladio remarked.

"Lucky us, eh?"

"That could've ended badly," Noctis commented.

"We could've always done some persuasion if it did," (Y/n) stated.

The prince met the girl's golden gaze. "You talking about bribery?"

"Something like that."

"Dude, that'd be sick!" Prompto chuckled. "Bribing our way into Altissia would totally be an amazing story to tell the others."

"I'm afraid we lack the funds for such a heinous act," Ignis said.

"Aw..." He hung his head with a dramatic sigh.

Cid slowly brings the boat into the docks. Everyone makes their way off the sea vessel and towards the city. Noctis walks up to a queue where some gatekeepers await. He was immediately stopped by one. "Sir! What is the purpose of your visit?"

"Purpose? Uh..." Noctis immediately looked at his advisor. "Ignis, a little help."

Ignis stepped forward and came up with the perfect excuse for them to enter the city. "We are scholars of the culinary arts, and we've come to study the renowned cuisine of your fair nation."

The gatekeeper believed the strategist. "Is that so? I wish you an enlightening stay."

The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses, turning to face Noctis. "Another one you owe me."

Previous Chapter || Next Chapter || Masterlist

[atomic-taco-muffin]

The Lost Princess Chapter 27

Warnings: idk. You decide

Rating: SFW

You and the group entered Halloween Town. Once there, the four of you were clothed in scary-looking outfits, and Goofy noticed the scary scenery in the area. You became scared of how scary everything looked. 

“Gawrsh! Don't like the looks of this place. I bet it's crawlin' with ghosts!” Goofy said. 

“Neither do I. And don’t mention ghosts. They freak me out,” you said.

“Aw, phooey! There's nothin' to worry about. You won't be spooked if you already know what's coming! Not even real ghosts can frighten us anymore. If they take one look at us, THEY'd be the ones to run away!” Donald said. 

“You really think so?” Goofy asked. 

“Trust me!” Donald walked toward the green fountain, and Jack Skellington popped out of it. You screamed and hid behind Sora.

“Welcome to Halloween Town!” Jack said. 

“Waaak!” Donald screamed as he fell on his back. 

“A ghost!” you and Donald said. Sora and Goofy prepared for battle. 

“Wow, those are the best shrieks I've heard in ages! If you two are THAT easy to scare, we're gonna have a great time! Sorry, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Jack Skellington! And this is Halloween Town. People around here call me the Pumpkin King! So if you're lookin' for a ghoulishly good time, you've come to the right place,” Jack said. 

“Well, we aren't!” Donald said angrily as he jumped up and down.

“Too bad, because at the moment, we've got a bit of a problem in Halloween Town.” 

“What kind of problem?” Sora asked. 

“Well...” Just then, several Shadow Heartless surrounded you all.

“Like this!” Jack said. You and the trio quickly took care of the heartless. 

“What's the big idea! Why'd you go and call the Heartless?” Donald said to Jack.

“I didn't call them. I just knew when they were going to show up. In fact, I'd love to get rid of them. They actually go around attacking people, instead of just scaring them,” Jack said. 

“Why are they here?” you asked as you tried to stood close to Sora. 

“I was just going to go ask Dr. Finkelstein the same question. I'm heading to his laboratory right now. Follow me!” Jack said as he left. 

“Sora, what should we do?” you asked. 

“I guess we'd better go,” Sora said. 

“I don't like this. What if he's leading us right to the Heartless?” Donald said. Jack suddenly reappeared.

“Bingo!” he said. You screamed again and clung to Sora. 

“Waaak!” Donald screamed and fell down again.

“Ha ha ha, I'm just kidding! Now let's get going,” Jack said. Jack started to leave. You, Sora and co. followed him. You, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack entered Dr. Finkelstein's lab. Dr. Finkelstein was in his wheelchair reading a large book.

“Allow me to introduce Dr. Finkelstein! He's a world-famous genius!” Jack said. 

“Yes! Maybe I'm TOO smart. I'm afraid I've created something horrible!” Finkelstein said.

“What's that?” Donald asked. 

“Well... Have you ever stopped to think about the power of ‘true memories’?” Finkelstein said.

“True memories?!” you and Sora asked. 

“You see me children, our hearts are full of memories---but not all of them reflect the truth. The heart isn't a recording device. Even important memories change with time. They warp or fade, leaving us with but a shadow of what we hoped to remember,” Finkelstein said.

“Could that be happening to us?” you asked. 

“It happens to everyone. Some memories grow ugly, and some become more beautiful. If we could recover our true memories, the world would seem completely different. So, I devised a potion from forget-me-nots that brings our true memories back.” 

“Did it work?” Sora asked.

“Well, that's the problem...” 

“As soon as the doctor got a whiff of the potion, Heartless started popping up!” Jack said. 

“Sounds like a failed experiment to me,” Donald said. 

“No! My research is flawless! I just need another look at the potion to find out what went wrong!” Finkelstein said. The doctor moved his wheelchair over to a tube containing green liquid. He opened the top of his head to scratch his brain and you cringed at the sight.

“Unfortunately...it's vanished,” Finkelstein said as he closed his head.

“Maybe someone swiped it?” Sora asked. 

“It must've been Sally! Jack, you've got to find her and get my potion back.” 

“Leave it to me!” Jack said. 

“Can we tag along?” Sora asked. 

“What for?” 

“I want to know more about these ‘true memories’ the doctor keeps talking about.”

“Excellent! Then let's go find Sally!” You all left the laboratory to go find this Sally person. You, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack found Sally in the cemetery.

“There you are, Sally. I thought I'd find you here,” Jack said. 

“Who are your friends?” Sally asked. 

“They're interested in true memories. You have the potion, don't you?” 

“Well...yes.” She took the potion from a pocket in her dress.

“Could you give it back?” Jack said. 

“I guess so, if you insist. But...I'm afraid. All the Doctor did was smell it, and the Heartless appeared. What if someone drinks it?” Sally said. 

“Are you kidding? What could be more exciting?” 

“I'm worried, Jack. Isn't there another option?” 

“Any ideas, Jack?” you asked.

“I can't think of a thing,” Jack said. 

“I can! Give it here!” someone said. Suddenly, Oogie Boogie appeared behind Sally, attacked her, knocking her away, and grabbed the potion.

“Oh no! The potion!” she said. You and Sora's group readied your weapons.

“Oogie! You again!” Jack said. 

“Jack, where are your manners? I'm just helping you put the potion to good use! You should thank me! Well, well. Just one sniff, and the Heartless appeared. What would happen if I chugged the whole thing? THAT would be scary! Poor Jack! You can't hold a candle to Oogie Boogie. Time for Halloween Town to taste pain and despair beyond any nightmare!” Oogie said. 

“Pain and despair? Oogie, you monster!” Oogie ran away with the potion. 

“C'mon, Jack! We've gotta go after him!” you said. The five of you ran after Oogie. you, Sora and co. chased Oogie Boogie into his lair. As you all entered, the gates closed behind you.

“Oogie! Hand over the potion!” Jack said. 

“You fools don't know when to quit! Say...all this running around is making me thirsty!” Oogie said. 

“Oogie! No!” 

“Yes!” Oogie took out the potion, uncorked it with his mouth, and drank the entire thing.

“Oh, no...” you an Sora said.

“Ahh! Lip-smacking good!” Oogie said. All of a sudden, he started shaking. 

“Agh! What's this? What... Something's wrong! Something deep inside me. Something...scary!” he said.

“Oogie! What's going on?” Jack said.

“No! Get back! Stay away from me!” Oogie coward. You and the trio fought and defeated Oogie. Later at Dr. Finkelstein's laboratory, you, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack, and Sally met with the Doctor.

“Confound that Oogie Boogie! He drank nearly all of my precious potion! There are only a few drops left!” Finkelstein said. 

“Sora, (Y/N), why don't you ask the doc if you can drink the rest?” Goofy asked. 

“No. We'd better not,” Sora said. 

“I agree,” you said. 

“What, don't you want it? Too bad. It would've been a great experiment,” Finkelstein said. 

“Now, Doctor...” Sally said. 

“Don't you want to find out about your true memories?” Jack asked you and Sora.

“Of course---now more than ever. But there's this guy---Axel. We promised him we'd find the truth on our own,” you said. 

“I just don't understand. When I inhaled the potion, Heartless appeared--- ...and when Oogie drank it, he was overcome with fear. What could it mean?” Finkelstein said. 

“It means the potion was a failure,” Sally said. 

“No! I can't be wrong! Oogie MUST have found his true memories! Hmm... True memories must unbalance the heart--- ...and cause unpredictable changes within!” 

“Then...what about us? What happens when our true memories awaken?” Sora asked. 

“Perhaps something even more terrifying... But this is all just a hypothesis. I can't be sure without further research.” 

“What's wrong, (Y/N)? Does the doctor's theory scare you?” Jack asked. 

“Well, yeah---a little,” you said. 

“Same here,” Sora said. 

“That's good to hear! Fear and doubt are signs of a strong heart. They push your heart, strike out in new directions, take chances! Without them, your zest for life might fade... ...as would your taste for fear. And believe me, that would really ruin my fun.” 

“Thanks, Jack. I'll remember that,” Sora said. 

“Then good luck, everyone! May you always enjoy being frightened!” You and the trio left the lab, and then Halloween Town. You and gang entered the Third Floor Exit Hall.

“Aw... I hope the king is gonna be okay...” Donald said. 

“Why bring that up?” you asked. 

“I had to be sure that I hadn't forgotten him.”

“How'd that go for ya?” Goofy asked. 

“Good! I remembered---we're on a quest to find the king.” 

“I remember that too. The king helped save everything by staying on the other side of the door to darkness. I think...” 

“You got it, Goofy!” 

“And me and (Y/N)--- We’re looking for Riku. He was with the king when the door closed. Hm. I guess there's no way we'll forget the most important memories,” Sora said. 

“That's good. 'Cause I don't want to forget...” Donald said. 

“Neither do I. I may not know who my mother was but I don’t want to forget her. It’s like she’s a part of me,” you said. 

“Well, you do have her powers and her dagger,” Goofy said. 

“That’s true. I hope I find her soon.” You and the trio leave the Exit Hall. Meanwhile, in another room inside the castle, Axel and a woman wearing a similar black coat were standing near a crystal ball.

“You seem pretty intrigued by this Sora and (Y/N) kid,” Larxene said. (QUEEN!)

“Are you telling me you're not, Larxene?” Axel asked. Larxene giggled. 

“Haven't decided yet... I think what intrigues me more is what you see in them,” she said. 

“There was a time he became a Heartless. And if one becomes a Heartless---” Axel said. 

“They lose their minds and their feelings... They're consumed by the darkness.” 

“Right. But not Sora. He held on to his feelings, even as a Heartless. And there's only one other man who's been able to do just that.” 

“It's the strength of his heart... That's what interests you. Why the Keyblade chose Sora's heart. But that doesn’t explain that spirit.”

“To unlock the mysteries of the heart. Isn't that the Organization's mission?” Larxene snickered. You, Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered the Fourth Floor.

“Hey, I wonder if there's anything we've forgotten...” Donald said. 

“Hmm... If we did, what would it have been?” Goofy asked. The two fo them thought for a moment. 

“I can't think of anything, so maybe that means that I really am losing my memories,” Goofy said. Donald looked sad.

“But whatever they were, they couldn't have been very important memories, right?” Goofy asked. 

“Right, or else I don't think you would have forgotten it,” you said. You and Sora took out the seashell charms that Kairi gave to you.

“Look,” Sora said. 

“What is it?” Donald asked. 

“A good luck charm Kairi gave us. It's special to her, so we promised that we would return it. I'll never forget making that promise. It's why we could never forget Kairi,” you said. 

“I’ll never forget it too,” Sora said. Donald and Goofy nodded.

“Are we right, Kairi?” Sora asked. You and Sora saw an image of Kairi in your heads. The three of you smiles at each other. Then a girl wearing a white dress appeared behind you two.

“Huh?!” you and Sora asked. You and Sora looked back but the girl disappeared.

“Oh... Do we know...that girl?” Sora asked. 

“I...have no idea,” you said.

“Hey, Sora, (Y/N). Where did you two go?”

“Sorry. Never mind,” Sora said. 

“We better keep goin'” Goofy said. You and Sora held up the next card at the Fourth Floor world entrance, and entered to the next world.

[mystical-flute]

Uncharted Waters (ch 8)

AO3 || Ko-Fi

She had half a mind to turn around and have someone else do this. The Pharaoh had been cagey enough prior to his ascension to the throne, but now, with the war over and rebuilding efforts underway, his temper had grown even shorter.

But, they had already established a level of trust with each other prior to their promotions to their respective positions, and, if the gods had chosen her for this duty, so be it.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the room. “My king - ”

He turned away from the window, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. “Is it time already?” he asked with a sigh. “Fine. Please, make it quick. I have a lot of work that needs to get done.”

He sat in a free chair as she shuffled over to him, spreading her medical equipment in front of her before bowing.

“They say you have not been eating well, my king. Are you in pain?” she asked, delicate hands taking his pulse.

“I am the ruler of Egypt. The rebuilding efforts are taking most of my time,” he scoffed. “Perhaps I should execute those that gossip about me.”

“It is not gossip to me when it is about your health! It is my job to keep you alive!” she snapped, rising to her feet. “Seto, no one on this court knows how great the pain of losing A - him was more than you, but that does not mean you can waste away because of it! Egypt has been through enough. We cannot lose another pharaoh. Please - ” her voice cut off as a ball of emotion lodged in her throat. “ He would not want that. I do not speak to you as a swnwt, but as a friend.”

There was a high chance that she shouldn’t be speaking to him as a friend, given his position, but she would not allow him to waste away. If he wanted to execute her for it, she would go to the afterlife as a proud woman.

Seto sighed, leaning his head against the back of the chair. “He wouldn’t. You’re right. But there is one thing I need you to do.”

“What is that?”

“The dye in your hair. Rinse it out. If we are to follow his wishes, then we must remove even the smallest traces of him.”

Azila glanced down at the multicolored strands that hung past her shoulders. “I understand, my king. The dye will be gone by morning.”

Everything was too still.

She hadn’t noticed it before, but the shop in the dawn hour was just so still . Yes, she heard the muffled sounds of snoring coming from the living room, but her bedroom was just so quiet . So still.

Even on the calmest days at sea, there would be a gentle rocking of the waves, making her sway in the hammock she’d slept in.

She didn’t get that moment of peace here.

“Your thoughts are scattering again…”

She sighed, staring up at the ceiling in a fruitless effort to fall back to sleep. “It’s nothing serious this time.”

“You are certain?”

“Yes. Why?”

Azila materialized next to the bed. “Osiris allowed me another memory while you were asleep.”

Reika sat up on her elbows. “Oh? And?”

Distress was written on Azila’s face. “The spirit of the puzzle… was the pharaoh before my husband. I do not know his name, but I do know it is important we return to the museum.”

“Your god only just allowed you access to that memory? After we’ve been connected for a year ? No offense, Azila, but Osiris sounds like an asshole.”

“Reika!” Azila admonished. “You should not insult the gods like that. You will never end up in the Field of Reeds!”

“Azila. We’ve been connected long enough for you to know there is no paradise waiting for me when I die.” She felt the slippery ooze of blood on her hands, the weight of all she’d done in Eturn.

“That’s not true. You are a good person, Reika.”

She let a bitter chuckle escape her. “Am I?”

A couple hours later, she stepped out of her bedroom to get breakfast. It was probably still early for teens at a sleepover, but she was starving and there were only so many stupid videos she could watch online.

Not to mention, it was getting a little weird seeing her face plastered all over the internet.

“Morning.”

She glanced over. “Hey Yugi. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

Yugi flinched as a particularly loud snore came out of Joey. “No.”

“Your friends are something else, you know,” she chuckled, steeping a mug of tea. “But they seem like good people.”

“You mean it? You didn’t seem thrilled at Duelist Kingdom.”

She sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It was a rough weekend for all of us. Did you find anything out at the museum about the puzzle?”

“No, but Azila thinks we need to head back there, so there’s probably something I missed,” Reika explained, reaching into the fridge. “Do you want me to make you some eggs?”

“Uhh, are you sure you want to cook? Last time you did, we ended up having to order takeout,” Yugi said, looking a little nervous at the thought of her cooking. “And mom made banana bread yesterday.”

Kumi’s banana bread for breakfast was a tempting idea as she spun a pan in her hand. “Yeah, it’s fine. My friend Sanji is a culinary arts student.”

“Scrambled, then.”

“Oh nice, are we making breakfast? I’m starved!” Duke suddenly said, lifting his head from the ground.

Téa let out a soft groan. “Do you guys have to be so noisy?”

Duke and Téa joined Yugi at the table as Reika cracked more eggs, the low sounds of conversation making for a peaceful morning, until -

“I DIDN’T TOUCH THE HOTDOG!”

“Reika, look out!”

Reflex took over as she grabbed a clean spatula, batting away whatever it was that had come flying toward her, adrenaline surging through her veins. Was it the Marines? Baroque Works? Bounty Hunters come for -

A pillow.

She blinked down at the pillow that lay on the boundary between the kitchen and living room. Yugi and his friends stared at her with wide eyes.

“... You okay?” Tristan asked.

A laugh escaped her. Domino. She was still in Domino. Safe.

“I’m fine. Sorry. I just had a weird dream about being chased by a dinosaur and I think my imagination got the best of me. You two go sit at the table, I’m making scrambled eggs!”

The promise of food distracted all but one of the teenagers. Yugi’s worried gaze cut through her, but she forced herself not to look at him.

“Wait a second, you have the spirit of an Ancient Egyptian queen living in your bracelet?” Joey asked as the group quietly wandered through the museum.

“Azila. Yeah.”

“And the spirit in Yugi’s puzzle is a pharaoh ?”

“That’s what Azila said this morning, yup.”

“Okay. So, now what?”

Reika sighed, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t know. I feel like we’ve looked at everything twice, but there’s nothing about a mysterious, nameless pharaoh listed anywhere.”

“Guys? I think he found something!” Téa said.

They followed the pharaoh down a flight of stairs she knew they probably shouldn’t be going down, and approached a large tablet on the wall.

Azila gasped, appearing before them. “I - I remember this! My husband had this commissioned. It was the only way he could think of to keep your spirit alive… my pharaoh.”

“Thank you for bringing him here, Reika Muto.”

This one was a new voice. An unfamiliar woman stood behind them, dressed in white. What caught Reika’s attention immediately was the symbol on the necklace.

“Isis?” Azila asked with wide eyes.

“It’s Ishizu, actually,” the woman replied, turning to the pharaoh. “This tablet depicts you and your greatest rival. Priest Seto, playing the ancient version of Duel Monsters with your magic.”

Tristan groaned. “Priest Seto? Please tell me you don’t mean - ”

“Seto Kaiba, yes. He was in awe of this tablet last night.”

Reika could hear Seto’s grumbling about magic tricks and lunacy rather than the supposed awe .

“Pharaoh, I’m afraid the war to return your memories has only just begun,” Ishizu continued. “There is a group soon to arrive in Domino, called the Rare Hunters. You must use caution against them.”

“Pfft, I’m sure they’re nothin’ compared to us!” Joey declared, punching the air.

“I am glad you seem to be so confident, Mr. Wheeler,” Ishizu said with a weak smile. “I fear the battle will not be easy, but I am pleased to see that the pharaoh has those willing to fight for him. Here. There is something I would like to show you.”

A bright light filled the room, transporting them… somewhere.

“Azila.”

Azila looked up, startled. “Yes, Pharaoh? Is something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing is wrong. I was hoping you could help me with something.”

“I am hardly an advisor, sir.”

“Which is what makes you perfect for the question I have,” the pharaoh gestured to a nearby chair. “Please, sit.”

Azila did so, apprehension on her face.

“I want to know what you think of Seto.”

Azila went quiet for a moment as she thought, then reached down and plucked a coin from her bag, flicking it in the air. “In truth, my king, sometimes it feels like you and Seto are two sides of the same coin.” It was clear Azila was choosing her words very carefully. “You both care deeply about this country and the success of our people. It is just… you have your methods and he has his.”

“I cannot tell if that is good or bad.”

Azila only shrugged. “As I said, my king, I am not an advisor. That will be up to the gods to decide.”

“Did we all just see that, or am I going crazy?” Duke asked as the light faded and the museum came back into existence.

“We all just saw that,” Téa said. “Hey - where did Ishizu go?”

An eerie silence fell over the room.

“Let’s go home. We can talk more there,” Reika said, before frowning as her phone began to buzz.

Meet at my house at one?

Reika checked her phone. Twelve-thirty. It wasn’t a lot of time, but she would probably be able to drop Yugi and his friends off, grab a suit blazer, and rush to Tanaka Manor.

I’ll be there.

“Something is coming, Reika. Something that will expose Earth and Eturn,” Ishizu’s voice said quietly as Yugi and his friends raced ahead of her.

Reika paused, clutching her phone tighter in her hand. “Then we’ll stop it. The worlds aren’t ready.”

“It’s too late. A floodgate has opened.”

She turned. “Ishizu - ”

But she was alone in the hall.

It was quiet in the boardroom, five teenagers rooted to their chairs in shock. They’d been told to do their homework, but no textbook was open on the table.

Gozaburo Kaiba, the man who had brought them all together when they had been just children, was dead. By his own hand.

Reika had known something had happened with the swarms of emergency vehicles and press surrounding KaibaCorp as she’d tried to squeeze through the crowds.

Leichter had found her then, tried to shield her from the tarp on the ground as he took her around the back, but she’d realized something terrible had transpired.

She just hadn’t realized it was Gozaburo, of all people.

“What do you think is going to happen now?” Hideo asked, his usually loud, brash voice hushed.

“Seto’s going to be CEO now, right?” Reika said, biting her lip. “I don’t see why anything would change. Besides, Seto’s our friend.”

“Can we trust him, though?” Katsuo asked, lacing his fingers together. “I mean, he was ruthless enough to yank KaibaCorp out from under Gozaburo.”

“Even so, he should be aware that he needs allies in the wake of just… how this all happened,” Mei said.

“Who better to be on his side? We were all featured in the news just last week!” Sora added.

The door opened then, the five executives sweeping into the room with worn faces.

“Mr. Leichter, is everything okay?”

Leichter dropped a hand to her shoulder, squeezing it with a tired smile. “Yes, Miss Reika. Everything is going to be okay.”

“Fucking liar,” she muttered to herself as she parked her car and made her way to the large back gardens of Tanaka Manor.

“Reika, there you are!” Sora called.

She forced a smile and a wave, taking a seat at the table. “It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been on the same continent.”

“You aren’t kidding about that,” Katsuo said with a weak smile. “How was America?”

She paused, trying to find the right word. “A learning curve,” she settled on. “But at least the food was good.”

“And how is Seto ?” Mei asked with a smug smirk. “I saw the news this morning. Tell me, just what did you do in order to snatch him up?”

“Seto’s fine.” Reika shrugged. “Nothing special. But I feel like this isn’t a totally innocent conversation about my love life.”

“We want to know what happened to the Big Five.”

Reika leaned back in her chair. “They staged a coup to take KaibaCorp back from Seto and Mokuba, aided and abetted in a kidnapping of Mokuba, locked Seto in a video game, then tried to kill my cousin and his friends when they went to go rescue them. Any other questions?”

Mei’s eyes were damp with tears, understandable considering Johnson was her uncle. “Why would they do something like that?”

“Because they were old men obsessed with power,” Hideo said, narrowing his eyes. “You know the old saying. Absolute power corrupts absolutely… and it happened to the Big Five.”

Sora bit her lip, reaching to squeeze Mei’s shoulder. “I saw Seto last night at the museum gala. He said our standings with KaibaCorp will not change, so we’ll all still have our positions. It’s just…”

“Time for the new generation to fully take over,” Hideo finished, leaning against his elbows. “I can handle that, can’t you guys?”

“This is what they took us under their wings for,” Katsuo agreed. “It’s just weird to think that they were the last pillars standing of the old KC. Noah, then Gozaburo, and now the Big Five. Gone. What happened to them, anyway?”

Reika shrugged. “I don’t know. By the time the police got there, they were gone.”

The others had worried looks on their faces.

“What do we do, then?” Sora asked. “What if they come back?”

“Then they know their place,” Hideo replied, lifting his glass in the air. “Their time is over. It’s our turn now. To the new generation of KaibaCorp.”

There was an awkward clinking of glasses and several long drinks of champagne before Mei broke the silence.

“Noah. I haven’t thought about him in a long time.”

“Do you ever think what KaibaCorp would be like if he hadn’t died?” Sora asked.

“The old farts would still be in charge. They’d still be focused on war tech instead of things like games,” Hideo replied. “A lot of people would be unhappy.”

“What do you mean?” Mei questioned with a frown.

Hideo shrugged. “Have contracts that deal with weapons of war, build and design weapons for war, or deal with, build and design games that make people happy, and even a theme park if he can get the specs off the ground. It’s simple math. Plus it’s a lot easier on the consciousness. I don’t know how much longer I would have been able to take the war profiteering.”

“I have to agree,” Sora said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity for hands-on engineering lessons from Mr. Nezbitt, but some of the weapons he built were truly just… awful. There’s a reason he was called the Demon Warlord of the Factory.”

Reika shuddered. “I actually had a dream a few nights ago about Noah. He wasn’t pleased that he’s been a secret. I ended up telling Seto about him.”

Katsuo stared at her. “You did? How’d he take it?”

“More pissed at Gozaburo than at any of us. Said it wasn’t fair that he threatened us the way he did.”

“He’s not wrong about that. Threatening twelve year olds? Gozaburo was a damned lunatic,” Hideo snapped. “KaibaCorp - no, the world - is better off without him.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Reika replied, clinking her glass against his.

Katsuo and Mei seemed more quiet as the meeting went on, but whenever it was brought up, they brushed it off, which made Reika suspicious.

She was surprised to find Yugi alone in the apartment when she got home.

“Your friends left?”

“Yeah. Duke had to help his dad at their shop, Serenity’s operation is tonight, so Joey went to the hospital, Tristan’s babysitting his nephew, and Téa needed to catch up on homework. How was your Young Five thing?” Yugi asked as Reika collapsed on the couch with a groan. “It went well, huh?”

“It was fine. It just brought up a lot of old emotions, that’s all,” she said, resting her hand on her forehead. “We talked about the Big Five. No one has heard from them since the day you went into that virtual world.”

“And the police haven’t found anything?”

“If they have, Seto hasn’t told me.”

Yugi frowned. “And it’d be pretty weird for him not to tell you.”

“Yeah.”

There was something hanging in the air between them, and Reika let out a sigh. “Go ahead, ask away.”

“Does Kaiba make you happy?”

Reika pushed herself into a sitting position. “He does.”

Yugi smiled. “I’m glad. I don’t like what he did to grandpa, but - ”

“Grandpa said he forgave him for what happened.”

“Good. You know, the other - er, the pharaoh and I were talking about that day before you got home,” Yugi said, taking a seat next to her. “He said Kaiba had a lot of darkness in his heart.”

“Well, that’s not a surprise, considering his father,” Reika said.

“Right… it got me thinking, what day was it that Gozaburo died?”

“May eighth, I think it was. Why?”

“That was the day Kaiba stole grandpa’s card.”

Reika’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh ! I didn’t even realize that.No wonder the pharaoh felt a lot of darkness in his heart that day.”

“The pharaoh said he used some of his magic to get rid of it.”

She chuckled bitterly. “I’m glad. Gozaburo was… not a good man. It’s still something that weighs on Seto,” she said.

“I’m not surprised. It would weigh on anyone. I’m glad he has a friend like you, though.”

“Girlfriend.”

Yugi blinked. “It’s not that I’m happy for you, I’m just surprised that Kaiba would move so quickly.”

“Yeah, so here’s the thing, we’ve been dating for two years already.”

“Two - ?!”

“We wanted to take it slow. Keep it away from the press.”

Yugi laughed softly. “Are you sure you’re prepared for the press now?”

She grinned and ruffled his hair. “I’ve faced scarier things than cameras.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hm?” Crap. “Oh. I mean like… all the stuff I saw in the desert on that first expedition. Do you know how freaky it is to have to learn to protect yourself against snakes, scorpions, or coyotes? Hearing them howl at night, like you’re about to be their meal?”

“Uh, I can’t say I do, but it must be pretty freaky.”

Understatement.

“Yeah, kinda, but it was fun!” she said with a wide grin. “C’mon, I’ll tell you about it while we figure out dinner.”

Guilt twisted in her gut.

“The latest intel says the Marines took all the credit for what happened at Alabasta,” Aiko said the next day. “They say Captain Smoker was offered a promotion and everything.”

“Ugh, of course they did. Can’t have a pirate crew do something nice for the poor civilians, can we?” Reika replied with a roll of her eyes, glancing at the wanted poster of her captain. “At least Luffy’s happy.”

“Weird that someone would be happy having a bounty on their head.”

“Luffy’s a pirate, he wants to make a big name for himself,” she laughed. “Besides, he’s going to be the Pirate King. I’m sure the bounty’s going to be even higher before long. I just hope I can be there with them when it happens.”

“How can you be sure that he’ll be the one to find Roger’s treasure? If it even exists…”

Reika paused, setting the papers down on the table in front of her. “I… I don’t know. It’s just this feeling I have. It’s like I said at the meeting, Luffy just has this… energy around him that I was drawn to. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like… he’s the one that’s supposed to find the One Piece.”

“Like that destiny shit you were talking about regarding Yugi?”

She shrugged. “I think we all have a destiny, Aiko. Something that our soul is drawn to do.”

“You sound like, like…”

“... Like I have an ancient spirit living in my head and talking to me all hours of the day?” Reika snorted.

“It is not all hours of the day.”

Aiko nearly fell out of her chair as Azila materialized in the room. “What the hell is that?!”

“My name is Azila. I am the guardian of the Millennium Bracelet. I am surprised your commander did not inform you of my presence.”

“Well, she did, most of us were just thinking she’d lost her mind.”

Reika rolled her eyes. “Your grandfather cracked a code that led us to another dimension, and your limit is Ancient Egyptian magic being real?”

“It just sounds so insane!”

Reika gestured to the computers and maps surrounding them. “And this doesn’t?!”

Her phone began to buzz before Aiko had a chance to reply.

“Aunt Kumi?” she frowned as her aunt sobbed on the other end of the line. “What’s wrong?”

“Reika, Yugi’s in the hospital.”

[violetwolfraven]

If you’re still taking requests maybe 1+4 for Sprace?

Canon-era in general

And

Soulmate AU

I am always taking requests, my dude. Anyway here we go! This is mostly in the musicalverse but if I reference a few movieverse characters as older Newsies during Race’s childhood...😏 Also there are a couple of ocs in here, and it gets a bit angsty towards the end. Enjoy!

Tw: Underage drinking, a couple of side characters are mentioned to have died, and homophobia is kind of implied, I guess?

...

Race had grown up knowing that he liked boys, and that didn’t really match up with what people said love was supposed to be, but that was just how Race was.

And it wasn’t like it was hurting anyone, was it? Being only a little kid, Race was too young to actually do anything, and if he sometimes paid attention to the way a friend looked really cute when he’d just woken up, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he had to or even could act on those little crushes.

It was like Manhattan’s leader, Waffles, said. He called it ‘puppy love’ when Jack snuck glances at a girl his age on the street or Crutchie shyly gave one a flower when he handed her mother a pape. Nobody actually acted on these things.

Little baby crushes when you were a kid meant nothing, and that meant that Race would outgrow this and start liking girls in time to meet his soulmate, right? Because soulmates meant a boy with a girl, and nothing else, right?

At least, that was what he thought, until he and Jack walked into an alley when Race was 8 and Jack was 10 and found a couple of older boys kissing—which Race was pretty sure you were only supposed to do with someone you loved.

Snitch and Itey jumped apart, staring at the younger boys in shock. Then they each grabbed one and dragged them into the Lodging House bathroom to tell them that Race and Jack could not tell anyone.

Race was too scared to speak (Snitch and Itey were significantly bigger than him) but Jack stepped in front of him and demanded to know why.

That was when Itey sighed, said that maybe it would be better if Waffles explained this, and gone to get their leader.

Race hadn’t really believed it at first when Waffles sat them down and carefully explained that Itey and Snitch were soulmates.

“That ain’t possible,” Jack argued, “They’s both boys.”

“Yeah,” Waffles said, “And maybe it’s a cruel trick of fate or a mistake or whatever the church thinks, but here with the Manhattan Newsies? We don’t care. Okay? We’s a family. We don’t turn on Itey and Snitch for somethin’ they can’t control.”

“Why would we turn on them?” Race asked, confused. That was what this was; confusing.

Waffles sighed, “Look, among family, it’s okay. We don’t care who your soulmate is. But the rest of the world does, okay? Adults don’t know nothin’. They think boys lovin’ boys and girls lovin’ girls is wrong.”

“Would Itey and Snitch get hurt if adults found out?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, kiddo, they would. And that’s why you can’t tell no one, okay, boys? Nobody outside the house finds out and no new kids either ‘till we know we can trust ‘em. Okay?”

“Okay,” they both said, and though, like most people, Itey and Snitch kept their soulmarks covered, as it was something intensely personal and none of anybody’s business, from there, Race started realizing that he should have seen something between them a long time ago.

It was fairly obvious, in how they shared a bed, snuck off occasionally, and sometimes let touches of reassurance or affection linger a bit longer than they probably should.

Race started noticing how the other older kids covered for them. How Skittery would knock something over, allowing them to slip out together under the excuse of not wanting to help him clean it up. How Boots would make a joke to draw attention to himself if they started getting too obvious. How Waffles would take on any new kid thinking of selling with them, himself, so they had an excuse to keep being just the two of them.

It was... nice, in a mushy kind of way that they had that support. And Race didn’t really think seriously about kissing his crushes yet, but he did wonder if he would have that if he did.

Race’s soulmark—the first name of his soulmate that appeared on his wrist on his 10th birthday—was Sean.

It was a boy’s name. That scared Race a little.

But every time he saw the older Manhattan kids go out of their way to make sure nobody noticed Itey and Snitch, he got a little less scared, but still a bit confused

He stopped being scared, at least mostly, when Jack came to him, nervously confessing that he liked girls and boys, and his soulmark said a boy’s name; David. There was something less scary about being different when you didn’t have to be alone in it.

Of course, among the Newsies, finding your soulmate was always a little complicated, because damn near everybody had nicknames. Honestly, Race‘s soulmate could be almost any of his friends for all he knew, but he liked to think he didn’t. He liked to think he’d know immediately if he found him.

Race was 10 when he started selling at Sheepshead, having a deal with a Brooklyn girl, Palomino. She got to use his cuteness for easy sales, and in return, she taught him to weaponize just the right combination of friendliness, flirtation, and annoyance to get people do to pretty much whatever he wanted.

Race asked her when he was 11 what she thought about soulmates, particularly same-sex soulmates. He wanted her opinion because while Palomino was kind of an asshole, there was one thing she was really good at, and that was survival.

And Race wasn’t sure what he thought about the fact that his soulmate was a boy yet, but he knew that just living as someone like that, you had to be careful to survive.

‘Mino just shrugged, “Love is unreliable, Racer. It never does what you want it to and more often than not, it’s a liability. Soulmates ain’t an exception just cause they’s supposed to be together.”

“What about boys lovin’ other boys and girls lovin’ other girls?”

“The fuck did I just say? Love’s a liability. Feelin’s get ya hurt—even more so if those feelin’s is illegal.”

Race struggled to get what he was really asking across, “But if it’s illegal... does that make it wrong?”

‘Mino’s face softened infinitesimally. No one who didn’t know her would even recognize it as softening.

“What did I teach ya, kid? Long as ya don’t get caught, nothin’s illegal. Whether ya love girls or boys or both ain’t my business—it’s still stupid. Now, come on. If we place our bets right, we can both go home with some extra dough.”

Yeah... Race never mastered the whole ‘winning bet-placing’ thing. He never accepted Palomino’s offers to teach him to pickpocket, either, though there were winters where he wished he did.

And he never believed her when she said love was stupid. Because Palomino might have a cynical, angry outlook on life, but Race didn’t. Whenever he asked Waffles or Jack or any of the kids back home in Manhattan, they always said love and soulmates were good things.

Of course, it wasn’t like her opinion mattered anymore. After that winter when Race was 11, he never saw his old mentor again.

Sure, Race didn’t know anything about love besides the platonic bond he had with friends, but he still believed in it with how he saw pairs of his friends fall into it more and more as he got older. Love and soulmates made people happy. That much, he could tell.

Race was 16, Jack was Manhattan’s leader, and he’d been selling at Sheepshead for years when he learned that it wasn’t always that simple.

He and his friend Spot were a little drunk, probably, because Spot had gotten hurt in a fight and hadn’t wanted to drink his cheap booze to dull the pain alone.

Race had met him when he was 12 and Spot was 13, not long after Spot became King of Brooklyn. In the last 4 years, they’d become close friends. He was Race’s best friend, to be honest, besides maybe Albert. Of course, Jack and Crutchie didn’t count because they were more Race’s brothers.

And if Spot was like, really attractive, that didn’t matter. He wasn’t interested in Race. Race didn’t even know if he was interested in boys, period. It was just never something they talked about.

Spot didn’t seem like a Sean, anyway.

“Hey, Spot, buddy, do you ever think about... like... soulmates?” Race asked, trying not to slur his words.

Spot laughed kinda tiredly, “Sometimes. Why?”

“Just ‘cause...” Race tried to think despite his mind being fuzzy, “What do ya think about ‘em?”

Spot just shrugged, “Love’s a liability. Soulmates ain’t an exception.”

“Ooh, I see you’s usin’ Palomino’s philosophy.”

They both laughed.

Was it just the booze making Race slow, or were Spot’s eyes lingering on his lips as he put his cigar in his mouth?

“Oh, Palomino,” he muttered, “That bitch. I ain’t thought about her in a while.”

“That ain’t nice—she’s dead, Spottie.”

“Yeah, which means she ain’t here to care what I say ‘bout her.”

Race’s laugh sounded drunk even to him, “She tried to teach me to pickpocket.”

“She did teach me to pickpocket.”

“Spot, you son of a bitch, you actually let her teach ya to steal?”

“She taught all the younger Brooklyn kids when I was little. She was older and smarter than me, so’s I kinda did whatever she told me. I don’t steal nowadays though, if I can help it. Ain’t worth the trouble with the bulls.”

“She was pretty smart,” Race admitted, “I dunno if she was right ‘bout soulmates, though.”

Spot looked away from Race’s face, taking another swig of alcohol, “She was.”

Race took another sip of his own drink, a bit disappointed, for some reason, “How do ya know?”

“Because Waffles was hers and they both knew it and it just hurt ‘em both.”

“Oh,” Race looked at the floor, “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah,” Spot laughed, “One pair of Newsies actually landed right side up and it was the one where both of ‘em died.”

“That ain’t funny, Spot.”

Race hadn’t thought about ‘Mino in a while, either. Honestly, he hadn’t even thought about Waffles, and that made him sad because they both deserved to be remembered and—

“Hey, hey, Racer, it’s okay. Don’t cry. That was stupid of me.”

Race remembered to hug Spot gently as his friend embraced him. They were drinking for a reason, so Race avoided touching Spot’s ribs. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his neck.

Spot didn’t hug often, but when he did, it felt special. It felt warm and safe, like home.

“I’m sorry, Race, I just... they actually wound up as a girl and a boy and they wasn’t together, but they should’ve been and... I’m sorry. Don’t cry.”

“I ain’t gonna cry.”

Spot pulled away enough to look him in the eye to make sure he wasn’t lying.

Race couldn’t say he was sorry that Spot kept holding onto him. Their faces were very close together.

“Do ya really think love is stupid, Spottie?”

Spot shrugged, “Everyone I know what’s in it gets hurt. I mean... you’s seen what it does to Cowboy and Mouth, right? Knowin’ all it would take is one bad person findin’ out ‘bout them.”

“But they makes each other happy,” Race pointed out, “Ain’t that what’s really important?”

“I dunno, just seems easier not to have to worry ‘bout it. Soulmates is just another person who can hurt you or be used against you, and besides— just cause the universe says you’s supposed to be in love don’t mean ya have to. I sure don’t give a damn about whoever mine is.”

Race smiled, tapping the piece of cloth Spot used to cover his soulmark, “What’s the harm in your best friend knowin’, then?”

“Why?” Spot teased, “Hopin’ it’s you?”

“I’m fairly certain it ain’t,” Race said, “We’s known each other for years. If we was soulmates, we’d’ve found out by now. Still, ya never have shown me your mark.”

“You haven’t shown me yours, either.”

“Fair.”

Race thought about it for a second.

“What if we showed ‘em at the same time? I mean, ain’t no harm in it, right? Only one of my close friend’s Marks I ain’t seen is yours.”

“Yeah,” Spot muttered, “Same for me, I guess. Showin’ ‘em at the same time sounds fair.”

“Course it is,” Race let go of him, still staying sitting pretty close, and untied the strip of cloth from his own wrist, “Ready?”

Spot untied his, “Set.”

“Go.”

They showed their soulmarks at the same time. By the time of day, it was almost too dark for Race to read the text on his friend’s wrist.

Almost.

Anthony.

“Shit,” Race mumbled under his breath, “Oh my God.”

Spot was still silent, just staring in shock at the name on Race’s wrist.

Any chance of it being a different Anthony was gone, now, by the look on his face.

“Spot...”

Spot finally looked him in the eye, and Race could see pain there, but also some kind of... relief.

Race knew exactly how he felt. He’d somehow... well, he hadn’t expected it, but it wasn’t surprising, either.

He was glad it was Spot. He was glad it was someone he already knew. Someone he already... already loved.

Race dared to lean a little closer, knowing Spot would read his intentions and pull away if he wanted to.

He didn’t pull away, though his deep breath was shaky.

Their faces were close enough that Race could smell what they’d been drinking on Spot’s breath.

He didn’t see any signs of him not wanting it, so Race leaned forward enough to kiss Spot as softly as he knew how.

For a second, he thought maybe Spot was kissing him back, and then hands were on his shoulders, gently pushing him away.

When Race opened his eyes, his soulmate had an extremely pained look on his face, and he was already grabbing his strip of cloth to cover his wrist again.

“I’m—“

“Don’t be sorry, Race,” he said quietly, “Just... go. You’s gonna have to run for it or you’ll miss the last carriage to hitch a ride home.”

A small part of Race was hurt and angry and wanted to argue that, no, they needed to talk about this and they needed to talk about it now.

But Spot looked agonized enough as it was, and the larger part of Race didn’t want to cause him any more pain.

He stood up and walked all the way back home.