#PEERING INTO YOUR SOUL WITH HER BIG BLUE ORBS..

[sheyashahahaha]

this year im attempting cringetober for real so expect daily art maybe??????? i don't know if i'll be able to go for the whole month

The today prompt was "Screenshot Redraw" 💙💙

[thelordofdarkreunion]

The Experts

The second story of this story-line.  Another caveat of the request was to have the Imperials and Dr. Strange here, so here they are.  I have decided to name the planet ‘Polaris C,’ so as to give it some sort of name.  Enjoy Dr. Stephen Strange, Lord Inquisitor Hector Rex, and the Grey Knights meeting the Scoundrels.  As usual, I own no one here except Drake.  

“It is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to defend Earth and humanity against all magical and extra-dimensional threats.” -Dr. Stephen Strange

“I am the hammer, the right hand of the Emperor, the instrument of His will, the gauntlet about His fist, the tip of His spear, the edge of His sword!”  -Motto of the Grey Knights

When Doctor Stephen Strange had received a message from Peter Quill, he had almost laughed aloud.  Quill.  Peter Quill, in his opinion, was not only an idiot but a slight egotist.  He had almost laughed.  Almost.  If the message was not a missive asking for help.  His help, specifically.  Strange knew that if Quill, of all people, was begging for his help, then things were very serious.  So with slight misgiving (he didn’t quite know what he was getting himself into), Strange’s cloak had affixed itself to his shoulders and he had opened a portal to the bizarre planet Quill described in the message.  

He almost wished he didn’t come.  The planet itself was filled with strange red mist from an unknown source.  Not a problem, though.  His magic could easily take care of that.  It was the commotion.  People and aliens of all sorts, from all different places, were running about up to god only knew what.  A huge, bipedal metal robot (at least he thought it was a robot) trudged around, seemingly scanning a collection of long abandoned black buildings in the distance.  Soldiers of various sorts, all dressed differently, many of species he did not recognize, ran around doing things he couldn’t even guess at.  

To his left, greatcoat swirling ominously in the mist, lenses of his mask blending in with the background, was Peter Quill.  As soon as Quill saw the sorcerer, he ran up to him, almost hugging him before Strange stopped him.  

“Oh thank god you’re here!” almost shouted Quill.  “I don’t know what the hell’s happening and neither do we and neither to the GA and Cooper is trying to scan the structures to see what’s happening and he’s the only one who’s actually helping and Cain called the Imperial Inquisition who are arguing with the aliens and this reminds me way too much of when my father possessed me so can you help?”  Strange’s mouth worked spasmodically for a moment at Quill’s rant.  Quill almost hugged him and was now begging for his help.  This was a serious situation, then.  Strange held up his gloved hands.  

“Calm.  Down.”  Quill took a few deep breaths.  

“Okay.  Okay.  I’m calm.”  

“Good.  Now, take me to them,” commanded Strange.  Quill gave a nod and beckoned Strange forward.  The swirling mist parted to reveal a series of tents, the sort that he recognized from disasters he’d seen on the news.  Cold and clinical.  They ducked underneath a flap and passed swiftly through an airlock before getting into the main area of the largest tent.  It was much bigger than Strange thought it would be.  Various humans, all wearing whatever armor they had on at the time of the event, lay on cots lining the walls.  All of them were out cold.  

It was not the people on the cots, though, that caught Strange’s attention.  An imposing blond haired woman stood in the middle of it, bickering with two aliens: a small, bug-like creature and an eight foot tall, four armed, blue carapaced alien.  The woman wore a tight black bodysuit, and was currently glaring daggers at the black, bug-like alien.  The four armed one stood behind the bug, both pairs of arms crossed in a gesture that was remarkably human.  

“You can’t tell us what to do!” shouted the shorter insectoid.  “We rule this galaxy, and we will do this our way.”  The blond haired woman sneered at the two aliens.

“Chairwoman.”  The word was imbued with so much venom that it made Strange look up sharply from where he was studying one of the unconscious forms.  “You have no idea what any of this does, not to mention that-”  She was cut off by the beeping of her comms device.  She held a finger to her ear, and paused to listen to what was being said on the other side.  “Understood,” she replied.  She turned back to the chairwoman.  “Well then.  Do it your way.  Xenos no longer has authority here.  Take up the matter with Malleus.”  She spun on her heel and strode out of the tent.  On her way out, she almost slammed into a brown haired man wearing high boots and a leather jacket.  He sharply avoided her, then gave her a glare as she walked out.  Following him was an utterly massive individual in heavy green armor.  Super soldier, though Strange.  He’d bet his life on it.

“Well, looks like that’s all done now,” said the newcomer.  He walked over to Strange and held out his hand.  “Han Solo.  You must be the expert that Quill called in.”  

“Indeed I am,” replied Strange, still puzzled of what precisely was transpiring here.  

“Master Chief John-117,” replied the green armored man with about as much emotion as a bag of rocks.

“Good to know we have a true expert on hand,” said the strange, bug-like alien as she walked over.  “Hopefully you will be more agreeable.  I am the Chairwoman of the Galactic Assembly,” she announced.  

“Doctor Stephen Strange,” replied Strange politely.  “And I am here to help.”  The large, blue carpaced alien introduced herself as Sunny, chief weapons officer of the Omen.  With introductions out of the way, Strange approached the cots of the unconscious humans.  “Now, what precisely happened here?” he asked.

“We were inside one of the larger buildings in the middle of the abandoned city over there,” said Sunny, pointing to a direction outside the tent.  “We went through it… seemed like some sort of weird laboratory.  There was some sort of main central room.  The room had blast doors; big ones to keep something out.  They were open though.  There was some sort of glowing white orb on a central pedestal.  When Wilson, one of the scientists,” she pointed out Wilson, lying unconscious on another cot, “Touched it, it emitted a blast of white energy.  It knocked out all of the humans.  No aliens were harmed, and, oddly, the humans from one particular galaxy were not affected.  They all seem to have some sort of glowing white light around their eye areas, and Adam muttered ‘Deus’ under his breath while still unconscious.”  Strange didn’t know who Adam was, but this sounded… serious.  And weird.  Weirdly serious?  No.  Perhaps seriously weird?  Stop getting off track, Stephen.  

“Okay.  It is good you called me,” said Strange.  He paused for a moment, considering what he should do next.  “Can you take me to the orb?” he asked.  The chairwoman opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the tramping of boot soles on the tent’s artificial ground.  A double file of soldiers came into the tent, along with three hooded, red robed individuals.  

“Scions,” hissed Sunny.  The soldiers all wore heavy black armor, and carried blocky rifles, at the moment pointed downward, but ready to fire.  The red robed individuals hugged the shadows, their cowls concealing their faces.  All of the newcomers had the same symbol emblazoned on their clothing: a stylized “I” with a human skull in the center.  Sigil of the Imperial Inquisition.  

“What is the meaning of this?” roared the chairwoman.  For a bug, she had a pretty impressive voice.  

“This planet is now interdicted,” replied one of the Scions.  Strange glowered at him.  If looks could kill, the chairwoman’s would have reduced the man to cinders at this point.  

“Under whose authority?” she snapped.  The arguing figures all turned around as massive footsteps sounded behind them.

“Mine.”  A huge man tore his way through the airlock of the tent.  Long grey hair was thrown uncaringly across his head, and a red cloak across his shoulders.  Ornate power armor, fitted to his large frame, glowed a dull silver in the weak light.  He was utterly massive, coming to reach the height of the Master Chief.  A beautifully crafted sword rested on his hip, and a bronze breathing mask covered his lower face.  However, it was not at this man that Strange’s eyes turned to.  It was the group of individuals that followed him.  If the man in front was a giant among men, the coterie that followed him were gods among giants.  They stood eye to eye with Sunny, towing a full foot above the Chief and grey haired man.  Each of the five wore silvery grey power armor, covered with strange runes, inscriptions, and seals.  Huge, twin barreled cannons were attached to their left arms, and in their right they all held halberds, suitably sized for their massive frames.  They stared at Strange and the group clustered around him from behind silver helmets.  Vision slits, glowing white-blue, seemed to peer into their very souls. 

With a start and a huge sense of foreboding, Strange realized what they were.  The size of genetically engineered soldiers, the strange runes and seals on their armor, the magic resonance of the ammunition in their guns and the power whispering through their halberds, all augmented by the fact that each of the silver warriors was a sorcerer of fearsome potency spoke of one thing.  These individuals were created and trained for one purpose, and one purpose only: slaying demons.  

If Strange could take a human being and make them into a weapon perfect for destroying the extra-dimensional beings that some called demons, he would have a result very similar to these silent, silver soldiers.  He could already feel the icy trickle of sweat as it made his way down his back.  This was not good.  Things had gotten a lot more serious.  

“Who are you?” half-whispered the GA chairwoman.  The sheer presence these newcomers had put Strange and everyone else in the room on edge.  

“I am Lord Inquisitor Hector Rex of the Ordo Malleus of the Holy Ordos of His Divine Majesty’s Most Holy Inquisition,” replied the grey haired man.  Well, this guy’s very dramatic and, apparently, very holy, was Strange’s first thought.  “We are here to investigate the possession of these individuals,” went on Rex.  

“As am I,” cut in Strange.  He was the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, dammit, and he would not be intimidated by the likes of these men.  He could sense the Inquisitor, too, was a sorcerer, and a damn good one at that.  “Doctor Stephen Strange.”  Being polite couldn’t hurt, could it?  The Inquisitor gave no response as the lead silver giant stepped forward.  Strange and the various aliens winced as the temperature in the room dropped noticeably.  The giant warrior held out a hand and touched Strange’s forehead with his fingers; not too gentle, not too rough, it simply just was.  Strage felt the man peering into his very soul, but remained silent and still.  He had a feeling the giants would respect that more than any protests he could muster.  

“This one is pure of soul and strong of mind,” announced the warrior.  His deep bass voice rumbled and reverberated through the tent.  Strange found it disquieting.  The man introduced as John-117 had a flat, but normal human voice.  All the super soldiers he’d met in his home galaxy all had relatively normal voices.  It appeared that this one was so heavily augmented his voice was stronger and went much deeper than a usual human.  How intriguing.  

“Very well, then,” replied Rex.  “You.”  He pointed at Strange.  “Come with us.  Everyone else, stay here.  No one leaves.”  On that ominous note, Rex spun, and with a swirl of his cloak, walked out the door, followed by the giant warriors and Strange.  

Elsewhere

“Ah, shit,” swore Thomas Drake.  He looked around him.�� Groups of his armsmen, GA marines, and redshirts stood up, confused.  Shepard, Kirk, and Vir brushed themselves off and stared.  

“Where the hell are we?” asked Shepard.  “And where the hell is everyone else?”  They stood in an open, endless expanse of white.  The ground was pure white, the sky… or whatever was located above them pure white.  It was like being inside a sterile room.  Or an insane asylum.  

“Don’t know,” replied Vir.  “Wilson touched that orb-thingy and now here we are.”

“Where is here, exactly?” asked Kirk.

“An excellent question,” replied another voice.  The Scoundrels whirled around to face a man, ethereally floating in the non-existent air.  The figure was a human man, obviously so.  However, something seemed… off about him.  There was, of course, the fact that he was in this strange realm, and that he was floating several feet off the ground.  His face…  Well, his face was the strangest part.  It looked a perfect blend between every human variation: the eyes, the coloring, the hair, all of it.  A perfect blend of every human to ever exist.  How is that possible…?

“What are you?” asked Drake.  His hand went for his sidearm, only to find it wasn’t there.  The ethereal being chuckled.  

“I’m known by a lot of names.  You can call me Adam… Adham, and variation of the name, really.  You can call me the First, or you can call me Deus.  Your choice, really.”  

“Deus…” muttered Vir.

“Great.  Why are we here?” asked Shepard, cutting straight to the point.  

“Quite simple.  You are now imbued with my power.  The power of what you may call a god.  There are things out there that would see you corrupted, and we can’t let that happen.”  

“Good luck trying to corrupt us,” said Shepard.  The being frowned.  

“Many more powerful than you have been.  Many.  It is simply a failsafe.  Through this, you gain a portion of the power of the combined gods of humanity throughout our realms.  While you can’t do any sort of god-like things; you’ll be the same as before except in one regard.  You are all now utterly immune to any sort of corrupting influences.  No one can hijack your brains.”  

“Great,” said Vir bluntly.  “Now what?”  Deus smiled.  

“Well, unfortunately, you can’t remember this conversation.” 

“Why not?” snapped an indignant Drake.  

“Two reasons: it’s best if you don’t, and there is a small chance that if these memories remain, you might go slightly insane.  Slightly.  Still don’t want to risk it.  However, there is one other thing that I can do safely.  I have a favor to ask you.  There are artifacts hidden in several locations around my galaxy.  They carry a taint.  There is one on each of the places that this planet reaches out to.  You can figure it out from there.  I want those artifacts destroyed.”  

“Okay.  Can you send us back to... wherever we are supposed to be?” asked Kirk.  

“Yes,” nodded Deus.  He snapped his fingers.

On Polaris C

“This is the chamber,” came the reverberating voice of one of the massive, silver armored warriors.  Strange had learned they were called the Grey Knights.  They didn’t tell him anything else.  Lord Hector strode forward to the white orb on the central pedestal.  

“It doesn’t look like any… Chaotic artifact,” he murmured.  “Hmmm.”  At that moment, the orb, which had been glowing brightly, suddenly went dark. 

“What was that?’ asked Strange.  

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

Drake’s head shot up so quickly it smashed into a medical orderly who had been tending to him.  With a cry of pain, he went back down into the cot, only to miss with one hand, lose his balance, and fall on the floor.  Over his muttered curses and the orderly’s apologies, the rest of the unconscious humans woke.  Sunny rushed over to Vir’s side.

“Adam!  What happened?” she asked.  Vir rubbed his head.

“Don’t know,” he said.  “There was the orb, then Wilson touched it, then we got knocked out.”  He looked up, seeing the Scions guarding them in a strange tent.  “What the hell happened?” he asked, slightly miffed.  At that moment, the flap leading to the airlock parted, revealing Dr. Strange, Lord Rex, and the Grey Knights.

“That is precisely what I am wondering, Admiral,” said Rex.  He came forward, and held out a hand, touching Vir’s forehead.  The temperature of the room dropped, and Vir felt the uncomfortable sensation of the grey haired man staring into his soul.  Rex dropped his hand and turned to the Grey Knights.  The temperature returned to normal.  “He appears… untainted.  Normal.”  A pair of inky brown eyes stared down at the waking humans.  “However, we must be sure.  Our testing shall be… rigorous.”

There we have it.  Now, unfortunately, you ought to know that the Grey Knights have a scorched earth policy.  They fight daemons, and daemons corrupt.  Therefore, anyone who is near them is at risk.  Also, they are a secret organization, and if anyone is left alive to know about them, Chaos could use it against them.  They have been ordered to not harm the Scoundrels themselves, as they believe they are vital to some future events.  They won’t harm Strange, as they see him as a protector of his realm, much like them.  The GA people though...  Tell me what you think should happen, and if you like this story line.  If you have any comments, questions, requests, criticisms, or concerns, tell me!  

[quarantineddreamer]

@zutaraweek 2020 Day 4: Celestial

While I am here reblogging all the amazing content I’m seeing for Day 4 I wanted to repost an old one-shot of mine which contains plenty of Celestial imagery. It made my heart happy just to write it and I hope it makes yours happy to read it! 

Also posted on my AO3

Rating: G

Title: Of Lanterns and Turtle Ducks

Summary: Zuko is preparing to propose to Katara in the garden his mom cared for so lovingly, and where he and Katara first kissed 4 years ago... 

He carefully cupped his hand close to the waxed paper of the final lantern and released a small, gentle flame into its center. He stared at it a moment longer, feeling its soft warmth on his cheeks as he brought it closer for inspection. He shut his eyes and everything was orange and red. He began a silent prayer to the spirits, and in particular, to the soul he hoped still visited the pond he had staged so carefully on this night, the anniversary of the first night. A small smile tugged at his lips. I think you’d really, really like her Mom. I hope you’re here tonight..I think you are. He could feel her now, as he often did in this spot, an aura that wrapped itself around him like a blanket, whispering comfort, security, encouragement, love.

He opened his eyes and it was as though he were looking at the stars themselves. The lanterns danced in lazy circles as the light breeze propelled them across the still surface of the water. Their reflections rippled and sparkled. Fire and water united performed this most beautiful scene.

“Wow it looks amazing!” the voice of a friend called, and he turned to see two grinning faces peering out from behind a nearby tree. Suki and Sokka -their expressions made him blush.

“It really does!” another said in his ear, and Zuko jumped, very nearly tumbling into the pond as Aang landed quietly beside him with a whoosh, Toph climbing down from the monk’s shoulders, cackling at his response to her whisper.

The Avatar reached up to the taller man and slapped a hearty hand onto his back. “She’s going to love it!”

Zuko smiled at this, but didn’t reply, his stomach had begun to do flips again. “I hope so,” he mumbled. He looked again at his work. An hour or so of subtle firebending to illuminate the pond, the lotuses plucked and lining the small dock formed a pathway leading to the galaxy, and of course, the longest part had been carefully leading the turtle ducks to a temporary shelter for the night -filled with little treats and soft surfaces to snuggle in.

The group had all drawn towards him to stand beside him by the water. They created a small circle around him and their excitement was like static in the air. They all stared expectantly, even Toph’s sightless eyes landing on him.

“I wasn’t feeling so nervous until you all showed up,” Zuko said gruffly.

“Psh well you should be nervous, you’re going to have Sokka for a brother.” Toph elbowed him playfully.

“If she says yes…” Zuko corrected.

Sokka and Suki rolled their eyes in unison, a habit they had developed over the years. The former wrapped his arm around his wife. “She’s going to say yes. It’s a long time coming.”

Zuko supposed it was… Just two years before they had all been celebrating on a frigid night in the South Pole the union of the Kyoshi warrior and the young Water Tribe leader. He remembered how happy Katara had looked then, so giddy at the sight of her brother, all grown up, and twirling his bride about on the dance floor -stealing kisses.

Two years before that… four years to the day, was the night Zuko had nearly died, the night Katara had saved him.

Azula had been carried away to a secure location at Zuko’s command. He had struggled to rise, trying to find strength to command the Fire Nation soldiers that had come forward following his sister’s defeat, but Katara would have none of it. “Can you please sit still?! For spirits’ sake you just took a bolt of lightning to the chest.” He lay back down when he saw that she was close to tears again.

After she gave him as much healing as she could, and he swore, repeatedly that he really was alright to move, he went about his new duties, organizing troops, setting precedent, establishing himself as their new Fire Lord. Katara sent a message to the rest of their group via hawk, and they received word back within a few hours that Ozai was defeated and in custody, everyone was okay, they had won.

When that message had been received he and Katara had been standing in the palace. They looked at each other, almost in disbelief, and laughed, tension floating away in deep, hysterical chuckles. When that had passed, she had thrown her arms around him and buried her head into his shoulder. He had winced at the pain of her impact on his wound, but hadn’t made a sound, only encircled her in his arms and squeezed, breathed in the scent of her hair -a bit burnt from its near misses with blue fire.

When they separated, he had wordlessly led her away from everyone, through the maze of hallways that were such a part of his childhood, to the one place he knew they would not be bothered. His mother’s garden had looked neglected compared to how it was now, but still pretty, and quiet, peaceful . The sun was nearly rising, the night having flown from them in all the activity of post-war - post-war, could it be true? they both thought.

The sky was a pale blue, the faint light of dawn beginning to grace its depths, and he walked her to the shores of the pond (absent of turtle ducks in that moment) and together they sat, exhausted, and dipped bare feet in the cool liquid. She had her arms out behind her and was looking at the sky, shaking her head as though to ensure she wasn’t dreaming it all, and he thought how absolutely beautiful she was, how brave, how kind…

“Katara…” he reached for her hand and she turned her eyes upon him. Those eyes… And then, more unbelievable to him than the war finally ending, she had leaned towards him and pressed her lips to his, placed a gentle hand across his scar, and curled strong fingers in his hair.

“Zukooooo,” Aang laughed, snapping him back to the present with a wave of his hand across the Fire Lord’s eyes. “You there, buddy?”

Zuko cleared his throat, “Uh, yes, yes, hello, Zuko, here!” His cheeks turned a magnificent scarlet shade, visible even in the dim light.

They all took turns giving him a hug. “She’ll be here soon,” Sokka said, and gave his friend a knowing smile. “Don’t forget to breathe!” And with that they all departed.

Zuko was more concerned his heart would forget to beat, such was the eraticism of its rhythm. He paced the dock. Soon, Suki would be approaching Katara (who was probably in her study finishing up important diplomat work) and coming up with an excuse to guide her to the garden.

He looked out again upon the floating lanterns, then up at the moon and the true stars above him, studying them and their steadfastness for strength. A hand landed like a bird upon his shoulder, tugging him around.

“Zuko?” she asked in wonderment. Those eyes, those sapphire orbs... they could melt greater than any firebender he had ever met.

He took her hand and had her stand beside him, then took her other hand, and… Struggled to speak, a lump lodged in his throat.

The questioning on her face was replaced with affection for his awkwardness. She squeezed his palms gently, supportively, then looked out at his work. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, “what fire and water can do together…”

Shadows played on her face, she glowed a soft amber. Zuko felt a small tug at the bottom of his robes, and glanced down to see a stray turtle duck’s little eyes upon him. How did it?... he wondered, but saw that with it was its mother, and the mother…Was he crazy? Had the oil he used on the lanterns gone to his head? The mother duck seemed to bow its head, encouraging, a signal. Truly I am oxygen deprived...Breathe, breathe...

Katara was studying him now, unaware of the discrete audience behind him, but she was patient, knowing that Zuko would speak when he was ready, savoring the joy building in her chest as she began to suspect what this was all for.

Words were not yet ready to befriend him again. Instead he took one hand away from her own, and reached into his pocket feeling the cool touch of stone at his fingertips, the lick of the silk he had carefully selected.

Slowly he knelt, bowing his head, drawing a final breath, before looking back to her. “Katara, four years ago, the world changed... but I never would’ve known peace without you. You are a current that guides me. You remind me every day of the good that exists, of its power, and of its endurance. You gave me a second chance even when I wasn’t sure I deserved one…and you helped me heal wounds in myself I wasn’t sure I could even face. You have made me a better person, the person I was fighting to find again for most my life -the one I always wanted to be.”

"Zuko…” she laughed softly, but waited for him to continue. Her eyes glimmered with tears and lantern light, but there was a smile on her lips.

“Katara, I promise that every day I’m going to continue to prove to you that I can be worthy of the life you gave me. I will support you in your ambitions to rebuild a better world and assist in every way I can. I will comfort you no matter what may come our way. I will stand beside you, Katara,” his voice broke, but he kept going, almost there…  “Katara, I love you, now and always. Will you, uh… Will you marry me?” He held out a shaky hand. Balanced along his fingers was a silvery stone carved with a combined symbol of the sun and moon, clasped carefully to a line of inky silk. And despite Sokka’s advice, he was certain that he was holding his breath, his heart galloping in his chest.

She grabbed the necklace from him and dropped to her knees beside him, placing her elbows on his shoulders and her hands on both his flushed cheeks. “Yes, Fire Lord Zuko,” she laughed. “I will marry you. Of course, I will!”

His nerves evaporated and a smile, so big it hurt his cheeks, flashed onto his face. He kissed her deeply at first, drinking her in, then repeatedly, until she scrunched her nose and began to giggle at his teasing.

“YAY!” came a hoot from up on the roof. Katara and Zuko followed the sound to see the short figure of Aang standing atop the palace, arms triumphantly stretched to the night sky.

The couple laughed as one by one the sheepish faces of their friends appeared. Suki and Sokka both shrugged, and Toph clapped, none-too-guilty at being caught spying. One by one Aang bent them down from their hiding place. They all raced to Zuko and Katara, talking over each other in their “Congratulations” and “Finally!”s.

When finally a lapse in the chatter had come, Sokka frowned. “Wait...Did you say yes?” he asked his sister, pointing an accusing finger at her neck, which still had their mother’s jewelry upon it.

Katara gave the blue carving a fond squeeze one last time, then slowly unknotted it and moved it to her right wrist, her brother assisting her in securing it firmly in its new spot. Then she handed the bethorthal piece back to Zuko and turned her back to him, pulling her hair over her shoulder as she did so, leaving her neck exposed. He gave the exposed skin a small kiss before reaching round to tie the new pendant to her. When he was finished, she turned and gave him a goofy grin and another cheerful kiss. They parted, but he refused to let her stray too far, holding her back against him, arms draped over her shoulders, as she swayed happily and started talking wedding plans with their friends.

Eventually, even the exhilaration of the engagement was not enough to keep the gang awake. They all began to drift off to their beds. Katara and Zuko trailed behind everyone else, Zuko holding her hand and allowing his arm to stretch as he slowed to take one last look at the garden. The lanterns were still a tapestry of light against the black of the pond, a mirror to another world. Thank you, he thought quietly to the presence that he felt always guiding him whenever he stood in that magical place, and then together he and his bride-to-be, bumping playfully against each other, laughter echoing in the quiet of late-night, made their way to their bed.

The little turtle duck waddled back to the sanctuary the Fire Lord had built for them, and the mother… Emitting a faint blue light she shifted into the elegant form of a woman dressed in magnificent robes, gazing fondly at the retreating figures of her son and his love, before fading away, following the path the lanterns made to the spirit world...

[lofitojii]

Admiration VII

Summary: He’s the son of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. He was everything as described, handsome, cunning, admirable. You, the daughter of Poseidon, god of waters, knows that it’s against the rules to fall for such a man. Demigods aren’t allowed to be romantically involved with one another. But it’s hard to stay away.

Warning: [M] Swearing.

Word Count: 3.4k

Admiration Masterlist

“CHANYEOL!” You yelled as you saw his frail body fly through the air. He hit the ground with a huge thud, lying face down in the wet grass. You looked from your friend to the man standing in front of you. He had a smirk on his face, not a single scratch anywhere on him. You ran to Chanyeol, flipping him onto his back. His face was bruised, his nose bleeding from being smacked in the face with the man's sword case. 

It was just the covering. 

“Y/n, he’s too strong for head-on attacks. What do we do?” Jongin screamed, trying his best to defend himself from the man’s attacks. You were frazzled, your thoughts clouded by the insanely strong force the man was giving off. Chanyeol was knocked out, unconscious from the blow he received. 

“My name is Kyungsoo,” the man said, swinging the case and knocking Baekhyun back just as he did to Chanyeol. “Son of Gaia, protector of this land. I understand your mission.” He took another blow, knocking Jongin onto his back. “But that doesn’t mean I will be giving you any sort of special treatment.” He inched closer to you, you heart racing from the thought of his blow if it were to hit you. 

With being a demigod, your healing factor is much more intense than a normal humans. You heal two, three times as fast depending on your current health state. You knew you would be able to take a few hits based on your training and diet and be able to be up within a matter of seconds but there also was a limit to your body. 

“Y/n, he’s too strong to go up against alone,” Jongin coughed as he crawled over to you. “What do we do?” It pained you to see your friends suffer. You knew that it came along with the title and with missions but that didn’t stop you from feeling their pain. You let out a deep breath, trying your best to concentrate on your core, heightening your senses to their full potential. 

Your eyes fluttered shut, the feeling of peace flowed through your body, intertwining with the course of blood through your veins. The ocean, swimming through your body. Your orb lit up the beautiful bright blue you had seen before, only this time you could feel the power within you instead of contained in the orb. 

You took a stand once more, holding your father's trident in one hand, gripped tightly within your palm. “Y/n, daughter of Poseidon,” Kyungsoo smirked. “I’ve heard rumors of your power and feel honored to see them being put to action.” Kyungsoo finally took his sword from his case, warding it in your direction. It was a beautiful emerald green, rumored to be made from a water beast that used to guard Mount Fuji. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes burned a bright green color, almost shining as bright as his sword. You could feel the strength increase as you let your breathing regulate. Kyungsoo was quick to spring towards you, slashing his sword into your trident. “Amazing power!” Kyungsoo screamed, pushing himself off the collided weapons. “You’re incredible Y/n! Show me what you are capable of.” The more he screamed at you, the more you wanted to knock him to the ground. No one has been able to get a clean hit off on him yet, he didn’t even have a speck of dirt on him. 

“Kyungsoo, Son of Gaia,” you began to speak in a low, thundering voice. “Prepare yourself, I don’t think you’re ready.” You stabbed the end of the tridant down into the grass, causing the ground to quake. The clouds became thick, thundering loudly as the trident glowed with increasing power. “Earth Tremor,” you whispered lowly, peering up at your opponent. 

Kyungsoo looked shocked, taken back by the intense force you had strung upon yourself and the others. You picked up the trident, making a fast movement towards Kyungsoo. You saw your opening, thrusting your force into the trident. Kyungsoo was knocked onto his back, his breath uneven as you approached him. You quickly stuck the trident in between his hand and his sword, your eyes locked on Kyungsoo. “One more move and I’ll rip your arm off.” You hadn’t felt this sense of power before. 

You felt your body ache but you couldn’t let Kyungsoo know you were in pain. The power had taken a toll on your body, the trident feeling like it weighed 10 times more than it did before. You weren’t strong enough yet to be using such an intense weapon. 

“Y/n stop,” Baekhyun gripped your shoulder, trying to pry you off of Kyungsoo. “All we had to do was knock him down once. Stop it.” You felt your body relax at his touch, his eyes filled with concern and fear. 

Was Baekhyun scared because of you? 

You reached a hand out for Kyungsoo who reluctantly took it. “Sorry,” you shyly said, more embarrassed on how you let yourself get out of control. 

“You shouldn’t use your orb if you don’t know how to control it,” Kyungsoo snuffed, placing his sword back in its sleeve. “Well, you beat me, unfortunately.” He closed his eyes, walking in between you and Baekhyun, slightly bumping your shoulder before stopping. “Incredible power, I must say. Come on, let’s chat for a bit.” Jongin and Chanyeol slowly made their way towards the two of you, who were slowly tracking behind Kyungsoo. 

Chanyeol placed a hand on your shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Even though I was passed out for half of that, you did amazing. Just meditate when you’re increasing your power, you’ll be able to control your emotions more.” His face was beaten and scratched up, a black eye forming. Kyungsoo had barely touched him but was able to leave a few scratches and one pretty bruised eye. His smile was still charming though, his words soft and sweet, sincere. 

You had been walking for what felt like forever until you finally spotted a Japanese bath house straight ahead of you. You could feel another presence coming from the small bath house.  

Plum. 

You looked over at Jongin who had already stopped in his tracks. He could feel the same presence as you, his body movement coming to a complete halt. “Jongin?” Baekhyun waved a hand in front of his face, no reaction was given. “Jongin, buddy? You okay?” 

“Plum…” Jongin whispered as the girl caught the corner of your eye. Her long green hair cascaded beautifully down her back, her skin fair and mesmerizing. “PLUM!” She was quick to whip her head around at the call of her name. Her big purple eyes lit up, her smile growing as she took off towards your group. Her white and green dress was long, flowing behind her as she ran towards the man with open arms. He was quick to engulf her in his embrace, latching on tight. Jongin formed tears, his head being buried into the crook of her neck. “Holy fuck,” he sobbed, trying to find his breath. “I can’t believe you’re still alive. They told me you were dead.” 

“I had to stay away,” she cried back, leaning Jongin back and cupping his face. “They told me they would kill me if I didn’t.” She pressed her lips to his, both people filled with so many emotions. 

“A kiss of passion and love,” Baekhyun smiled. You gazed over at him, the look of admiration danced across his features. “True love.” It was barely above a whisper, Baekhyun knowing you had heard him. He looked up at you, his faint smile warming your heart.

Jongin was in love but you hadn’t had an idea of what type of love he was in. But seeing the way he held Plum, how she was so gentle with him and his wounds. Jongin seemed happy, the first time you had seen him smile like that in a long time.   

“This way people!” Kyungsoo beckoned from the front sliding door of the house. “Waste my time I swear to god.” He shook his head, walking into the small house. You followed, being greeted with a simple bath house that had been turned into more of a home than anything. It reminded you of the small house you and your father would stay in during winters away from Olympia. “A journey to find Hera, huh? And for what? This?” Kyungsoo motioned towards you and Baekhyun. “A silly little love fling? Is it really worth upsetting the council like you did?” 

“Excuse me?” Chanyeol frowned, getting defensive on your behalf. You pressed a hand to his chest, pushing his flustered state back. 

“Brother!--” Plum scolded but was soon cut off.

“It’s more than that,” Baekhyun spoke up before you could. His voice was shaky, his body shivering in anger. “I have found love and what I believe to be true love. My mother had once told me she fell in love once, real love, and never had she experienced more peace than when she was with him. I know she doesn’t seem that way now but she talks about him a lot. That’s how I feel around Y/n. My peace, my safe space. I believe that we were meant to be together in this life, I also believe we were together in past lives and we will find each other again in the future. If finding Hera and breaking the rules is the only way I can be with Y/n, then I would do it over and over again until I couldn’t anymore.”

You stared at Baekhyun, your heart bursting at the seams. You knew your love for Baekhyun was real, you had always known this to be true. Your fears were driven by the chances of getting caught, never being able to see your father again or know who he is. Your father had told you before that if anything ever happened that would cause you to forget, he would never leave your side. So really, nothing was holding you back. 

You knew you wanted to be with Baekhyun. 

“That’s wonderful,” the small voice of Plum came from behind you. “You have a pure heart, as pure as the depths of the ocean.” She placed a hand on Baekhyun’s chest, a small light beaming from her hand. “You have a beautiful soul.” Her smile was so innocent, so kind. She also was a pure being, so kind, caring. “Brother, please give them the spell to add to their map.” Kyungsoo nodded, no sense of resentment at all as he took the map from Baekhyun’s hands. 

“This map now has a direct path to where Hera is said to be. My mother was her keeper for a while but who knows if she is still there.” Baekhyun took the map from Kyungsoo, nodding his thanks repeatedly. “You may stay in the guest rooms, set off in the morning.” 

“How about a feast then?” Plum boomed in excitement. “Jongin, would you mind helping me?” 

“Anything for you, my love,” Jongin pressed his lips to her cheek. This is what it was like for him to be in love and you loved admiring from your distance. 

The night was filled with food, activities, drinking games, stories. You had grown to love Plum and her brother Kyungsoo, even though he was a bit stubborn and maybe a little too honest. They were good beings, you could feel it within their aura. Their purpose was to take care of the forest and the mountain, keeping it healthy and strong, out of the hands of humans. Plum was dainty but she had her own type of power that kept the forest safe. Kyungsoo had mentioned a few of their battles and it had taken you by surprise how powerful she sounded. 

You were to set off up the mountain first thing tomorrow morning and for some reason you felt so at peace, unbothered. It was uneasy to you that you had felt so calm considering the council was on your trail. What would happen if they caught you here with Kyungsoo and Plum? Would they get punished too? You know they sent out a warning about the four of you and how generous the reward was. 

You looked behind you, gazing into the open room through the open sliding door. You had stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air, take a break from all the chaos behind you. “You mind if I sit out here with you?” You looked up to see Baekhyun smiling down at you, two drinks in his hand. You nodded, scooting over a bit so he could take a seat next to you. Baekhyun was quick to pull you closer to him, hand resting on the inner part of your right thigh. “You were amazing today.” 

You blushed so hard you felt your face go red hot. “Thank you,” you replied under your breath. 

“I’m serious Y/n. I knew you were powerful but I didn’t think you were that strong. Most demigods can’t control their orb until eight, ten years down the road after receiving it. You did that today with only having that thing for a couple days.” He was right, you hadn’t trained at all with your orb. You were told it was powerful but never had the chance to test it out before you left. 

“My father told me that as long as I focus on my breathing and keep a clear mind, it becomes easier to control. He said it’s like a test of will power and confidence. Succeed and the power is yours to hold. Fail, the power can reject you, demigod or not.” Your gaze was up in the sky, your head in the clouds you could say. Your father had educated you on so much when it came to the Ocean’s Heart, but would you be able to maintain control over this much power?

“Come back to me,” Baekhyun laughed, waving a hand in front of your face. You shyly laughed, scratching the back of your head, Bakehyun never taking his eyes off you. As you sat there, just the two of you, his words replayed over and over in the back of your mind. You had been dying to ask him but had yet to get him alone. That was, until now. 

“Hey Baekhyun-” 

“I meant it,” he was quick to cut you off. “I know that when I said it, you were going to have questions and I had been waiting for the right moment to get you alone.” He pulled your hand in his, pressing his lips gently to the back of your hand. “I am so, unbelievably in love with you Y/n. Never have I been more sure about anything before in my life. Once we find Hera,” he leaned back a little, his own gaze focused on the stars above. “I’m sure we can get the ban lifted. We have to.” 

“I love you,” you hadn’t told him since you had made your escape. You knew you meant it. The feeling was different than the last time you had told him. You were more confident. 

“How touching.” You froze in your spot, your whole body feeling like it had been drained of life. Your heart was pounding so loud you could hear it in your ears. You looked up at Baekhyun who was starring in front of you, fear plastered across his face. You followed his gaze, only to meet the intense look on Junmeyon’s face. “Funny how two criminals can sit here so peacefully and think freely as if there is no care in the world.” 

“How?” You asked, frozen in fear. Sehun emerged from behind him, followed by one of the council’s knights, Xiumin, also known as Minseok. “Sehun?” He shot you a glare, obviously playing a part. 

“That power of yours is quite wonderful,” Junmyeon mentioned, a sinister smirk on his face. “Wasn’t long before we had Poseidon in a corner. You have a great support system Y/n, he didn’t speak until we had to force him to.” The ache in your chest flared with rage, you could feel it burning inside of you. 

“What did you do to my father, Junmeyon?” 

He let a small smirk creep across his face. “He’s fine, he’ll heal quickly.” 

“What did you do to my father?” You asked again, getting to your feet. You clenched your fist so tight, your knuckles turned a pale white. You couldn’t control your emotions the way you would’ve liked to but you felt so enraged by Junmyeon’s words, you couldn’t hold back. 

“Y/n, don’t,” Baekhyun tried to hold you back, his words ever so gentle as you let the rage take over your body. “Did you come alone Junmyeon or should we suspect something if we try to escape?” 

“I don’t need the help of an army.” Junmyeon was dressed in white armor, the one his own father had passed onto him once he received his orb. That armor had seen and been through more wars than you could imagine. “You see, you can either try to escape and be captured by force, or you can surrender and receive a slightly less intense punishment for your actions.” 

“Fuck off,” you spat, your anger getting the best of you. “You’ll have to kill me before I go back with you.” Junmyeon’s sinister smile grew, fueling the fire to your anger. 

“If you don’t want to come willingly, then I guess I’ll just have to kill you.” You couldn’t hold yourself back anymore. The feeling was too intense and you had no desire to control it anymore. You materialized a sword this time, something more lightweight that won’t drain you of your energy as the trident did. You needed more training before equipping something that big.

Your eyes burned bright blue, enhancing your senses to their full potential. You felt Baekhyun’s hand rest gently on your shoulder. “Have you ever been in love Junmyeon?” The question took you by surprise, but you let him speak. “I asked if you have ever been in love?” 

“What kind of question is that?” Junmyeon asked, confused. “This is no time for small talk. Surrender or we’ll take you by force.” 

“So you don’t understand,” Baekhyun whispered. “That’s fine. I can’t make you understand.” Baekhyun stepped in front of you, hiding you behind him. “But I can do this.” Baekhyun pressed is thumb and middle finger together, his eyes burning the bright pink you had seen before. He inhaled deeply before whispering “blind by love” and blowing towards the men in front of us. A pink like dust drifted from his finger towards the boys, putting them in a state of trance. Baekhyun stumbled back, falling into your arms. “It will keep them busy for a while,” he coughed, trying to regain his balance. “That move takes a lot out of me though. We… We have to...go.” Baekhyun had passed out, lying limp in your arms. 

“This way,” Plum whispered, followed by Jongin. Jongin picked up Baekhyun, throwing him on his back. “We have an escape route but you have to hurry.” 

“I’ll be here once they wake up and will take care of them,” Kyungsoo said, waiting for you all to squeeze through the small opening behind one of the beds in a nearby guest room. “They have to fight me by law. Son of Zues is all talk and big ego, just like his father.” You turned around before entering the opening, making eye contact with Kyungsoo. 

“Good luck and thank you.” You bowed towards him, a smile forming on his face. 

“It’s been an honor, Y/n. Until we meet again.”

You followed Plum through the small door, Jongin following close behind. Chanyeol stopped, looking down at his feet. “Chanyeol? What are you doing? We have to go,” you said, letting Jongin go in front of you. 

“I’m staying,” he sighed. He clenched his fists, trying his best to choke back his emotions. “I’ve fought Junmyeon before. I can do this. I’ll stay and help Kyungsoo.”

“Yeol-” 

“Please, Y/n,” he whispered, bringing his hand up to cup your face. “This is what I want to do to help you. Get as far away as you can. I’ll figure out a way to find you.” You wanted to cry, you wanted to beg him to come with you. He had been your closest friend, someone you held very close to your heart. 

“I’ll take care of him,” Kyungsoo stepped in. “He’ll be okay. You need to go.” You didn’t like the idea but you agreed anyways. You gave Chanyeol a hug, whispering in his ear to be safe and that you loved him. He pulled away, a determined look drawn across his face.

Your thoughts were all over the place, your mind racing at what had just happened. You were behind Jongin, seeing the resting body of Baekhyun.

You were more determined than ever to find Hera. You had come very close to losing your opportunity, there was no way you were about to let that happen after all you had been put through. You loved Baekhyun and you were about to do everything in your power to be with him.

“Not yet,” you whispered, choking back the threatening tears. “Not just yet.”  

[romanticatheart-posts]

The Winds of Change

@cora-nova @allaboutchoices @ao719 @emichelle @kingliam2019 @bbrandy2002 @cordonianroyalty @dangerouseggseagleartisan @eadanga @texaskitten30 @janezillow @jared2612 @dcbbw

A message from the author -- The following is nothing more than my attempt to recreate a fictitious tale that has been written and re-written a million times and in a million different ways (by some very talented writers I might add) since Choices aired its first chapter of The Royal Romance in April 2017.

The short prologue below will hopefully give you some idea about how the story will unfold and just for reference, it’s part canon and part AU, but all of it centers around Riley and Liam. Thank you in advance for liking or commenting and just know that doing one or both is the sweetest form of flattery and also keeps me motivated. Though, if you truly enjoy this first chapter, a re-blog would just put the icing on the cake!  -- 

Prologue After her fall from grace, Riley was forced to board a plane headed for New York City. Back to her origin of birth. She returned with little more than a broken spirit and a broken heart, but what she left behind was a trail of shattered hopes and dreams with no possibility of restoring all that was lost. As difficult as it was to believe that her name had been smeared because of false accusations against her, it was even harder to accept that the man she loved had rejected her because of it. 

It had only been a few days since her arrival from Cordonia, but even so, it seemed like a lifetime ago. She realized the big city no longer held promise for her, nor did it feel like home anymore. And while earnestly seeking refuge in the concrete jungle once more, she encounters one obstacle after the other, forcing Riley to face a hard reality. With her resources shrinking as fast as her optimism, if she doesn’t catch a break soon, not only will she be standing in front of a breadline waiting for a handout, but by that point, she will already be homeless. However, as the winds began to shift in her direction yet again, this time they would blow in her favor bringing a welcome reprieve from the hardships that had befallen her recently. This much-needed relief and support would come swiftly, and from a very unexpected source. 

Back in Cordonia, Liam had just been crowned as king when all hell broke loose. And the award for most fortunate that night goes to the culprit who rained all-out chaos on an otherwise civilized ceremony because their timing was impeccable. But not so lucky, was the one who’s plans for the future came to screeching halt when his closing speech was interrupted by a devastating news release. It just had to be that moment when photos of his beloved Riley surfaced that captured her in a compromising position with another man, deeming her unfit as the potential queen. 

Liam knew immediately it had to be staged and most likely part of a conspiracy, but who would do such a thing? And why? Needless to say, he was shocked, confused and angry all at the same time, but as the mayhem tapered off and old fears began to emerge, he made a split-second decision to protect her the only way he could. Under the scrutiny of his peers, the people and the press, he unwillingly fulfilled his last obligation by becoming formally engaged just as Riley is being forcefully escorted from the ballroom. When he learns later that she is on a plane headed for New York, his despair is replaced with overwhelming desperation. And as the old saying goes, ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’… Well, in spite of the circumstances, Liam found the courage he needed to assert his first official command as reigning monarch. It was a decision that would shake Cordonian tradition to its core.

Without further ado, let the chaos... Ahem. I mean, let the story begin!

The Winds of Change is a term used to describe various instances in which our paths are altered by unseen forces. A metaphoric phenomenon that will touch the lives of every living, breathing soul on the face of the earth. It is believed that change is inevitable and oftentimes occurs without a noticeable impact. However, when this invisible dynamic begins to whip and thrash around its next victim, what’s left in its wake can either bring joy or it can bring misery. And no matter which way it blows, no one is immune. 

That cliché holds a particular truth for one spirited young waitress who, because of one incredible night, decided to follow her heart in pursuit of true love. If anyone had told her even a year ago that she would live amongst royalty as a member of the elite, and perhaps win the heart of a prince, she would have declared them insane. Ironically, she had little to none of the typical childhood fantasies about knights in shining armor and happily ever after’s. Her approach to life has always been more... down-to-earth. Even if it seems extreme, be open to adventure and embrace every opportunity that presents itself. But in the process, keep your head out of the clouds and remain true to yourself. Everything else will just fall into place. And when fate decided to test that philosophy by throwing a handsome stranger and the chance of a lifetime into the mix, without hesitation, she accepted the challenge. Although unaware at the time, Riley Brooks came face to face with a real-life prince and his three unlikely cohorts on a not so typical Saturday night. This was just the beginning of what would set her on the course for an adventure of a lifetime. So, let’s go back to where it all began... 

Living in New York City and working at a local bar gave Riley ample opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and most of the time, they’d come and go without ever leaving so much as a smidge of an impression on her. Though, when these four men walked in, she could tell right away they were... different, but in a good way. And maybe the word unique would be the best way to describe them. 

It was clear that they were not native to New York, or even anywhere near, but there was a distinct brotherly bond between them that was rather endearing. Not only was their comradery entertaining to watch, but they would often draw her into their trivial disputes and discussions as she brought food and drinks to the table. And for once, working an extra shift didn’t seem so bad after all. These men were so completely different in terms of character that she wondered how they managed to become acquaintances, much less friends, to begin with. But even so, she sensed right away that they’d be fun to hang out with. Though, only one of them had awakened her other senses. 

His name was Liam. The man whose eyes were like mystic blue orbs that seemed to flash more vibrant each time he looked at her and when combined with that radiant smile he wore, well... let’s just say she tingled from head to toe. Throughout the evening she did well in her attempts to keep from staring, but that didn’t stop her from tossing a few subtle glances his way when she thought he wasn’t looking. It was hard not to, especially since he was so unbelievably handsome. Each time though, she was met by his hypnotic gaze that almost made her go weak in the knees. Riley found that even though her motto was to never get personally involved with any of her customers, there was just something about him that made her want to forget that small detail. There was no denying the connection that existed between them and if given the opportunity for something more, she would gladly seize it. But, since the bar was about to close and neither had made a move in that direction, she resigned that this would just be another classic tale about the one that got away. However, fate had other plans. 

While Riley was busy finishing her tasks for the night, as luck would have it, the bachelor party was wrapping up at the same time. It was then that Liam approached her with an apology for keeping her so late and offered to buy her a drink as a thank you. The look in his eyes told her he was sincere and trustworthy, so without hesitation, she followed her instincts and agreed to be their tour guide. 

Instead of the usual club scene that had been suggested, Riley decided to charm them all with a visit to a place she called her secret spot. It was a cove just off the beaten path that she frequented for the peace and serenity that came from being near the water. That night though, it provided the perfect backdrop for her impromptu date with destiny. While the others cavorted in and around the shoreline, Riley led Liam on a short walk to climb a small cliff overlooking the ocean just to show him an amazing view. Although, the only view he was interested in at the moment was literally standing in front of him. Afterward, they wandered over by the bonfire Drake started upon their arrival, both thankful for the warmth of the crackling embers. They sat side by side and spent that time just getting to know one another better. This is when she learned Liam was a prince of some country in the Mediterranean. The Crown Prince of Cordonia to be exact and seeing that his mood had shifted as soon as he mentioned it, it was obvious the subject was a source of contention for him. Instead of focusing on the noticeable conflict that was written in his expression, Riley thought a change of scenery would be the perfect distraction and might do them both some good. So, after stating his desire to see the Statue of Liberty on his last night here, she cashed in a few favors and fulfilled a lifelong dream and in the process, brought the spark back to his eyes. 

This was a pivotal moment for Liam when he recognized she wasn’t just some pretty face that used her wiles for personal gain. She showed him a side of human nature that was as sincere as it was unfamiliar, and yet something he craved all the same. It was simple really. His greatest desire was to be regarded as Liam the person, instead of a title that he was born to bear, and that is exactly who he was to her... just, Liam. The longer they talked, the more he realized that the feelings she’d stirred in him at the bar were multiplying by the second and once they shared their first kiss he immediately began dreading the moment they would have to say goodbye. Though the time did come, and it was much harder than either could have imagined. 

At the point when they reached her apartment, Maxwell, Drake, and Tariq had all but crashed after their trip to the cove and were fast asleep as the limo rolled to a stop. Liam and Riley shared amused glances and then edged quietly out of the vehicle while stifling laughter at the sight before them. Though, once they both stood facing the apartment building, their expressions became more passive as neither was ready for the night to end. But after a few silent moments of contemplating the inevitable, Liam smiles ruefully as he gently takes her hand into his and they began the long trek down a short footpath that led to the front door. The entrance was not that far from where they were but wanting to hold onto these last precious moments together, they walked at a slower pace. 

Upon reaching the threshold, the two stood looking at each other and for a brief moment, neither knew exactly what to say. Liam finally broke the silence, but not before lifting her hand to his lips for a sweet kiss and then held it tenderly to his chest, forcing her to take a half-step forward. 

“Thank you for tonight, Riley. Believe me when I say that I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Liam. I had fun too.”

“That’s... I’m glad.” 

With emotions running high and hearts racing, their eyes were locked solely on each other. Knowing their paths would never cross again, Riley leans in and captures his lips in hers one last time. It was a long, deep kiss and without hesitation, Liam wrapped his arms tightly around her as though he’d never let her go. But then, it was over way too soon and both knew the time had come to part ways. He reluctantly let her go and took a small step back. 

“I’m glad to have met you, Riley Brooks. I’ll never forget this night...”

“Neither will I.” 

And with that, she turned to go inside as Liam waited until she was safely behind the glass entrance and then headed back to the limo. As he opened the door, he took one last moment to look back only to find that she was no longer there. It was a bittersweet moment, to say the least. 

The next morning, only seconds after reaching the bar where she was just about to begin her shift, Maxwell, one of the four guys she’d met the night before, showed up with an off the wall proposition. It was an invitation to join a contest of sorts, where she would rub elbows with royalty, ski the Alps, and visit places she’d only ever imagined... but the best part of all was the fact that she would get to see Liam again. And if their connection the night before held true, it would definitely be worth the trip. And then there could possibly be a proposal at the end which seemed a little farfetched, but she was game. With Liam being from a sovereign nation, it was a tradition and expected that its Crown Prince would choose a wife from those that came from noble houses in and around the kingdom. Since Riley didn’t meet this small requirement to participate, Maxwell gladly offered to be her sponsor. Within an hour after receiving the invitation, she was on a plane headed to a place she’d never seen before. And before she met Liam, she’d never heard of it either. 

From the moment she stepped foot inside the palace of Cordonia, until tonight, the time just seemed to fly by. And with good reason. Beginning with one ball and now ending with another, the social season had been a continuous string of parties and social gatherings where she sailed a boat, danced with royalty and even got to show off her skills on the slopes. As soon as one event ended another began, and each was more dynamic than the last. Aside from sleeping, not one minute was spent idly. Although her ability to hold stamina in this fast-pace environment was no different than growing up in the hustle and bustle of New York City, that is where familiarity ended. 

It wasn’t a secret that she was an outsider with no formal education in navigating through this strange yet exciting world she willingly leaped into. And as such, it put her at a slight disadvantage over the born and bred noblewomen that came with their pedigrees primed and ready. But with guidance from a few close friends she’d made along the way, coupled with her God-given strength and determination, Riley was quickly thrust into the spotlight, becoming favored among the others. Not only did she find success in every event of the social season, but she also earned well-deserved respect in the process. Surprisingly, nothing about the methodology ever made her feel as though she was out of her element. In fact, it gave her cause to believe that this is where she was meant to be... the place where she belonged. 

Though, her growing fondness of Cordonia was only secondary to the increasing affection toward its prince. And by the third or fourth event, there was no doubt that she had fallen deeply in love with Prince Liam, and as much as he tried to be fair to the others, it was evident from the way he looked at her that the feeling was mutual. Tonight marked the end of the social season and a hopeful beginning for the future. But, before she could seize her moment of triumph, she was literally carried away in a hell storm. 

Sitting idly inside the Cordonian airport, Riley’s expression can’t hide the true depth of confusion and pain she feels at this moment. And how it runs all the way to her soul. How could one misunderstanding get distorted and be so far from the truth, that she was forced out like a common criminal? On second thought, at least a real criminal would have gotten to make a phone call before being exiled. There is no doubt she has a lot on her mind... and her heart. As she sifts through the scattered fragments of what brought her to this moment, a flashback of the not so distant past streams through her mind... 

“Right now, I want to have this moment just with you. Not in front of the entire court. Not with nobles and servants watching. I want to remember this moment... before our lives change forever tonight. And when I remember it, I want it to be just for us. Riley, even if I didn’t need to choose a bride tonight, I’d still be proposing. Because I don’t need any more time to decide. I already know.” 

“Liam... What are you saying?” 

“Riley, I never expected to feel this way about anyone. I never expected to meet anyone like you. These past few weeks have been torture... wanting desperately to spend time with you but being held back by this damned process. Wanting so badly to hold you... to tell you that it was always you in my heart. You’re the brightest spot in my world. When I’m near you, I can’t help smiling, laughing... you’re the funniest, sweetest, most daring person that I know. And every time I see you I find myself thinking how lucky, how incredibly lucky I am that I’m the one you’re spending your time with. Ever since my brother abdicated, I was worried about finding a woman worthy of being the Queen of Cordonia. But since I’ve met you, I worry about being worthy of you. Riley Brooks, you’re incredible in every sense of the word. And I don’t want to spend another minute without you knowing exactly how I feel. I’ve never said this to anyone before, but I know it’s more true than my own name. Which is all to say... Riley, I love you.” 

There was so much sincerity in the way he said those three little words, and as pure and unwavering as the look in his eyes when he said them. Leaving no doubt, that they were spoken from the heart. In vivid detail, Riley replays those tender moments she and Liam shared inside the garden maze tonight and can only be described as magical. At last, a spoken confession of deep and abiding love, one to the other. Then followed by the most beautiful display of affection that neither had ever known before... making love under the stars for the very first time. Their devotion to one another, sealed in that moment. No more hesitations... no more doubts. Just two hearts, two souls, converged as one... Even now, his intoxicating aroma is still fresh on her skin. Oh, God... I just can’t believe this is happening... 

These were the sweet moments prior to her world being torn apart and there was nothing she could do to stop it. What began as a dream, suddenly turned into her worst nightmare and no words can describe the pain in her heart. Was it not enough to be falsely accused as unfaithful and then publicly chastened while guards practically dragged her from the Coronation Ball? Fate obviously thought not and had one last, cruel trick up her sleeve. Just as the doors to the ballroom were about to close, Liam’s voice echoes above the crowd, delivering the final blow... 

“I choose... Lady Hana.”

[hardyimagines]

Part 1 — SOLD!

———

may I ask you to write Something about a girl who is sold to alfie (by her father, boyfriend or else) to repay a debt, the girl is terrified by him the whole story, and he won’t soften because of her, he is as harsh and tough as in the show.

Part 2      Part 3

———

The bounds tied around your wrists were securely knotted in an impossible to escape manner. It was rope. Braided strands tied so tightly around your flesh that the sharp wiry strands that stuck out in multiple places were embedded deep within your skin leaving you to wince each time the leash-like material was yanked on. The alley you were being pulled through was dark and silent apart from the quiet thudding that echoed throughout the small space as you were led along the pavement and toward an abandoned building in the decreasing distance. The exterior was gray and rundown. Windows were cracked in some places, others were completely shattered and gone. The stars that twinkled above were too beautiful for the angry world below to be able to look up at and enjoy. Your gaze was pulled away from the night’s sky when you were pulled forward and indoors at an even harsher speed.

Eli, your boyfriend, stood in front of you with no regret in his orbs. His eyes were so dark brown they looked almost black. His gaze was infused with worry and a little bit of hope, but no regret and he offered no explanation as he cradled the opposite end of the rope. You’d been fast asleep in bed and then all of a sudden hauled up and off of the warm, comfy mattress and jerked into the cold streets. Eli hadn’t even bothered to grab a coat for you, he’d merely led you outdoors in your nightgown. Neither of you looked to each other. Your heart ached with betrayal and his heart ached with hopeful relief.

Months ago, before he’d met you, he’d made the poor mistake of screwing over a few gangsters. That term wasn’t used lightly. These were criminals, dangerous men who wouldn’t hesitate before taking illegal actions to settle debts. Eli had been trying his hardest to earn back money to pay back said gangsters, but there were too many of them and he was running out of time. When he’d seen you, so beautiful and pure and willing to converse with him, a complete stranger, he’d decided you’d be the perfect pay off. Or at least brief pay off. He’d approached and within a week you’d fallen for him. A charming smile and smooth words were all it took for you to become attracted to the man you hated so much in that moment. This was the second time you’d been used to settle a form of payment, only the first time you’d been given away had been by your beloved father. He only had one child, you, and he, without hesitation, had sold you to a bloke about four years ago when you were in your later teens. It had been the worst months of your life. It was a time that was infused with cheap meals and stomach aches. An uncomfortable environment to sleep and an impossible environment to get clean in. The water stunk which meant you felt filthy even when you bathed. The man who’d purchased you had used you as nothing more than a punching bag, something to let his anger out on. You worried for nights that his physical abuse would turn sexual, but it never did. Now, you found yourself in the same situation. Being sold as an object was a way to make a woman feel small and useful in such a horrible manner. The door in the corner opened with a loud moan, an irritating sound which made you want to clasp your hands over your ears until it was finished. The ties on your wrists made that impossible though, so you stood with your shoulders squared and your head forward. Despite your strong, sturdy stance, the tremble in your bottom lip and closed eyes gave away the fear that welled up inside you. No man blamed you. They wouldn’t want to be sold to a gent either. Especially not the one sauntering into the room. Alfie Solomons, a gangster in Camden Town, had been threatening him for months. Men could be seen lurking over his shoulders, revolvers in hand as they silently warned Eli that if he didn’t pay Alfie back for all the money he’d taken then it would be his life at stake. The cold room grew even colder when a foreign voice flooded the entire building. It was deep, hoarse and gruff. The accent was thick, definitely cockney, and he dropped a swear word into his sentence after almost every other word.

“Fuckin’ hell, mate. You could not have picked a fucking shittier place, right, to have this little fucking meeting.” Alfie Solomons made his way along the room and toward the pair of you. You didn’t dare look though, your hearing was enough aid to see what you didn’t want to. It sounded like he had men with him, no doubt accompanying him in this meeting to ensure that Eli didn’t try and pull anything. “Right, mate, so, I’m here, ain’t I? Talk.” Alfie came to a stop about three feet away. His hands sunk into his deep pockets, fingers lazily tracing the chains he had tucked away inside his slacks. His blue eyes ran along the length of Eli, a brief inspection to see if there was an outline of a weapon. He didn’t see one. All he saw was the rope the boy held. Following the length of it which led to you, he cocked a slow brow.

“Alfie.” Eli finally spoke. “This is Y/N. My gift to you. I don’t have the money. But I will. But im giving you her — for free. I need more time so I figured I’d pay you the only way I can.”

Dried tears stained your cheeks leaving a sticky trail from your eyes all the way down to your jaw. The dress you wore was thin and the straps barely hid your goosebump-covered flesh. Your nipples were hardened and visible through the cloth. You felt naked and vulnerable beneath the men’s stares and yet, you still didn’t open your eyes in order to face the man in front of you. Hearing his voice was enough.

The previous time you’d been sold it had been horrible. You’d been silent throughout the sale and you’d figured he’d be sweet to you since you weren’t disobedient. That wasn’t the case. No matter how good. How sweet. How obeying and willing you were to listen to his every command, he rewarded you with beatings until he was bored of you. He hadn’t sold you to anyone else, he’d merely told you to go away and you’d listened with a wide smile. You’d left your old town and moved to Camden which didn’t seem to be the best choice right now.

Alfie was still staring you down. You were very pretty. You held your head high, a sign of confidence and bravery. He didn’t care about the tears, nor did he care about the way you shut your eyes. You should’ve been cowering away and then he wouldn’t have dared take you with him. He’d never taken a woman as payment before, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. Brushing his thumb along his bottom lip, he took another step forward.

“Right, mate, take the ropes off her, yeah, she’s not a fucking dog and I can’t have my girl, innit,” He waited for a nod from Eli before continuing. “to be injured.” Eli scrambled toward you. He wasn’t mumbling apologies or asking if you were okay. He roughly pulled the ties from your hands before rolling the bound up into a ball and shoving it into his pocket. Alfie smirked slowly as you lowered your arms. “Right, boys.” He snapped his fingers. Your eyes opened at the sound of Eli’s sharp wince. The men who’d accompanied Alfie were suddenly hammering their fists into Eli’s face. His stomach, ribs, back, legs, whatever they could hit, they did. You tore your eyes away from the scene when the man who stood in front of you nudged your leg with his cane. “Lass.” You finally looked up at him. The very bravery he’d seen in your stance shimmered just as noticeably in your gaze. It was watery and tears continued to brew in your big eyes, but it was there and it made a little bubble of pride form in his chest. His tongue slid over his lips before in one swift movement, he gripped your forearm and pulled you toward him. “You get in the car, right, and don’t move a muscle. Just sit fucking still and wait until I’m ready to go.” As you stared up at him, your pink lips pressed together, twitching downward. This man was too hard to read. But his name was far too familiar and that alone made you bob your head with an obedient nod before moving toward the car. You’d do anything to get away from his heated gaze and into some sort of warmth.

Said warmth didn’t last too long. The men outside the car piled in shortly after Alfie had told you to go. Your boyfriend’s body was left limp on the cement, blood staining his features. Nose, broken. Lips, cracked and split. He looked unrecognizable as you peered out the window and toward his unmoving form. He wasn’t dead, you noted, when you saw his back twitch with his ragged inhale. The sound of the car door slamming drew your focus away from that man and instead to the one at your side. Alfie. You’d made a mental note when you’d first heard his name. The backseat wasn’t too spacious, so the second he got comfy, grumbling incoherently, his knee bumped yours, cane situated between his thighs. Everything seemed to be an unspoken agreement. Alfie went silent and the driver took off. You watched him from your peripheral, attempting not to quiver as much as you desperately wanted to. That brave facade you’d had would need to stick with you for some time. Being weak wasn’t admirable — and to the rare one’s who might show you some pity well, he didn’t seem like the type.

—

The car was cold, despite all the body warmth it held. Being with strangers, going to an unknown place, being sold as if you weren’t a human being — it simply sucked all that happiness out of your body and left you feeling like a block of ice. No pumping heart or position emotions. No soul. Just a body. A body with a blank face and empty eyes. You’d rather be dead than suffer through abuse again.

The car came to a jolting stop. You extended your arm to catch yourself, effectively preventing your face from slamming into the back of the passenger seat. Alfie climbed out, cane meeting the pavement first and then his feet followed. You were stiff in your seat. You remembered from your original purchaser to wait for instructions. Wait until you were told what to do. But Alfie didn’t ever say ‘get out’, he just stood and waited. It was common sense.

You piled out of the car and shyly made your way around. No other man looked at you apart from him and that was probably wise on their part. An owner didn’t enjoy his belongings being ogled. The space between the two of you grew smaller and smaller as you approached him, only coming to a stop when you reached a few inches from him. Rules would surely be explained at some point in time, but you felt, as he stared at you with a look of hesitance in his gaze, that he’d never done this before. He pinched the sleeve of your dress and drew you toward him before twisting around and leading you into the tall establishment behind him.

Again. No one looked toward you. Not even as you were hauled down a long corridor and toward a flight of stairs. Working men didn’t stray from their task and even people who needed to speak to Alfie, they only looked at him. No greetings or introductions, just silence. Alfie opened the door to his office before instructing you with grumbled and hand gestures to go to the corner. He seemed a bit on edge, like he had something to handle. But it didn’t matter to you. Stuck alone with him, that was when most men like him — men who accepted women as a form of payment — were weakest. Men like that enjoyed being powerful in front of an audience, not in privacy. So you took a chance and you begged for some leniency.

“Sir.. please have mercy on me.” You whispered breathily. “I’ve been sold before and I.. I don’t think I can take going through what I had to previously.” Alfie was rummaging through a drawer as you spoke, blue eyes taking over his cluttered belongings. Your mouth opened though and the words that spewed from your lips were instantly regretted. He looked at you, spectacles low on the bridge of his nose as he stared, unwaveringly.

You realized in that moment that power radiated off of him. Alone or in a group, he wasn’t fearful. He was the owner. He was in charge. He was not to be messed with. A man, one like your last owner, would have chortled at your words. Kept his distance. Brushed you off. Alfie, you could tell as he stepped around his desk, ceasing his task for the moment, was a virgin to having a woman. There was nothing in his gaze but authority.

“Mercy?” His harsh chuckle shook the room as it left his chest. The sound was deep and overpowering, a sound that made you quiver on the spot. “Mercy,” he laughed a little softer now before approaching you. His wide palm opened completely before lifting to your cheeks. He squeezed the flesh that resided there closing his hand around your face so that your lips pushed together. You closed your eyes, afraid of the gangster that stood before you. “You and I, pet, we’re going to have a lot of fun.” He whispered lowly. His hot breaths danced across the flesh of your cheeks before tickling your ear. Wringing your hands together in front of you, you silently pleaded for the man you’d just been sold to to be kind. To be gentle. To be nothing like the last man you’d been given to. “Mercy is a pathetic thing to beg for, pet.“

———————————————————————

Part 2     Part 3

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[feelingfredly]

Keep Your Friends Close (And Your Family as Far Away as Possible)

(My contribution to Kitsunegeddon 2019)

Summary:            

“Relatives are the worst friends, said the fox as the dogs took after him.” – Danish Proverb

Long lost relatives, yokai politics, magical turf wars…  or just another day in Ichigo’s messed up life. He should never have taken up playing the shamisen.

Chapter 2: Strange Things Are Afoot at the Circle K(urosaki)

“Tadaima!” Ichigo called out as he dropped his wet gear in the genkan.

“Okaeri!” Yuzu stuck her head around the corner to the living room with a smile. “Ichi-nii! I was about to sit down to watch the newest episode of Princess Jellyfish.  You want to watch it with me? I made popcorn.”

“Maybe next time. Where’s Karin?”

Yuzu made a face.  “She’s still at soccer practice.  Her coach wasn’t happy with their ‘work ethic’ during the last game, so they’re doing extra drills.”

“I thought they won?” Ichigo frowned and Yuzu shrugged.

“Apparently winning isn’t everything.  Who knew?”

Ichigo shrugged back. “The world is full of mysteries.”

They stood like that for a second and then broke up laughing.  Kurosakis would take winning over mysteries any day.

“So, you want to tell me why you’re all wet, or should I chalk it up to another one of the world’s mysteries?

Ichigo snorted.  “Nothing that exciting.  I was practicing my shamisen in the park and got caught in a sun shower.  It wasn’t too bad, though.  I managed keep the strings dry, and the breeze on the walk home helped.”

Yuzu smiled.  “Oooh! I love kitsune no yomeiri. There’s something magical about that edge where two worlds mix.  Much prettier than the gate to Hell, although I can’t remember that as well as I’d like.  Still, it’s probably better this way.  Fewer nightmares.”

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, surprised by her matter-of-fact attitude about being kidnapped and taken to Hell, but then this was Yuzu.  Anyway, he’d prefer she never have nightmares at all. A faulty memory seemed a small price to pay.

“It’s strange that you mention weddings,” he pulled his thoughts back to the present. “I met someone while I was at the park. Nice older guy, but it was so weird.  He said he was there for his granddaughter’s wedding, but when I came out of the little clearing where I’d been playing there wasn’t anyone there.  Plus, to top it off, he said he recognized me, sort of.  Said we were distant relatives through Mom’s side of the family.  I didn’t even know Mom had relatives outside of Ishida’s family.”

Yuzu opened her mouth and Ichigo raised a hand to cut her off. “I did!  I invited them to the house as soon as he told me.  He said they couldn’t come because of the wedding.”

Disappointment painted his sister’s face as he’d expected.  “He did say he’d see me again soon, so I promise, if I do see him around, I’ll make sure to bring him to meet you and Karin, okay?”

Yuzu nodded gratefully and gave a half-smile. “How cool is that, though, that he knew Mom?”  She looked over to where the poster hung on the wall, their mom’s happy face looking over them larger than life.  “It would be nice to talk to someone who knew her so we can get to hear something other than Dad’s crazy stories. I mean, I have so many questions, you know?”

Ichigo knew.

“He said that it was a big family, so who knows!  Maybe there will be cousins in the area that you can make friends with.” Ichigo stuck his hands in his pockets, fighting off the urge to give his little sister a hug, and bumped against the little stone that Hakuzosu had given him. “Oh and look at this!”  He pulled it out and held it out, a shiny distraction from too many feelings. “He gave me this, too!”

Yuzu looked at the ball rolling in his palm. “Uh, Ichigo?” She stepped forward and picked the almost-pearl up gingerly. “You say he gave you this?”

Ichigo shrugged a little awkwardly.  “Well, he showed up talking about the wedding and how I’d basically crashed the party with my shamisen playing.”

Yuzu gave him a sympathetic cringe and he nodded. “Yeah, I know, but he was cool about it. He said that I’d given his granddaughter a gift.  It was really nice, actually, and then we were just standing there talking, and he pointed at that on the ground by my feet.” He indicated the ball. “Hakuzosu-san thought I’d dropped it.  But I’ve never seen it before, and I told him so.  It was pretty, though.   When I picked it up it just felt…?  Nice, you know?”

The surface shimmered under Yuzu’s fingers, and Ichigo couldn’t help feeling like he wanted to take it back.

Something in her face told him he was missing something important.

“Ichigo,” she spoke, her voice hesitant, “you know that Dad gave me and Karin Mom’s jewelry box, right?”

The jewelry box was one of their most prized possessions, filled with hairpins and little bits of jewelry that Isshin had thought safe enough for the twins to keep, and when Ichigo nodded Yuzu let out a little sigh.

“Come with me,” she said, heading towards the room she and Karin shared, “I need to show you something.”

***

“And then she pulled out this one!”  Ichigo held up a second shiny sphere.  “She says it was in the jewelry box after Mom died.”

The green-striped hat covered even more of Kisuke’s face than usual and the band of shadow it cast was heavy enough that his eyes were simply a suggestion of movement in the darkness. Ichigo hated that hat.

He’d been hesitant to come in the first place, and now he wished he hadn’t. Trying to explain the weird maybe-relative that looked like Ichimaru Gin was bad enough, but Hey, look at this marble, isn’t it cool? Apparently, Mom had one just like it and the weird guy told me you’d want to see it made him sound crazy. Or desperate.  Or both.

Kisuke reached out and touched the glowing orb on the table between them and Ichigo imagined he could almost feel the contact.

“I wondered about this, once upon a time,” he said, gently rolling the ball back and forth with only the tip of his finger, “but your mother was very good at keeping her secrets.”  Kisuke peered out at him from the shadows and Ichigo realized there was a wariness there that he’d never seen aimed at him before. “Very good.”

Ichigo couldn’t argue with that; his Quincy heritage was still a mystery to him in many ways.  He could only think that Masaki would have explained things to him if she’d had time. That reminded him…

“Hakuzosu wasn’t a Quincy.”  Ichigo picked up his tea and tried to remember exactly what the old man had said. “I was wearing a thumb guard Ishida made for me, and as you can imagine, it’s blue and covered in little white crosses.   So, when Hakuzosu started talking about Mom and how she’d upset the elders when she married Isshin, I kind of indicated the crosses and he said No, boy, not those elders.”

Kisuke nodded, apparently unsurprised.  Ichigo wondered if he practiced that look in the mirror so that no one ever thought he was out of his depth, or if he’d simply seen so much that nothing fazed him anymore.

Or maybe he already knew about Hakuzosu and had been expecting the meeting. That would explain why Hakuzosu knew about Urahara and the shōten.

“Ever since Ichimaru’s look-alike showed up this morning, I’ve felt like I’ve been missing something.  Is this another weird Soul Society thing. You’re acting like it all means something significant, so why don’t you just come out and tell me?  Who was the guy, and why am I being set-up this time?  Is Mom’s marble some weird Quincy weapon that Kyouraku has decided has to come back under lock and key or something?”

Gray eyes snapped up to his.  Well, that was clearly a vote for Kisuke’s practicing in the mirror because that look was proof that something fazed him.

“For once, Kurosaki-kun, any machinations occurring have nothing to do with Soul Society.  Not that I blame you for jumping to that conclusion.”

The hint of frost in his tone implied the opposite.  The blond didn’t like the fact that Ichigo assumed he was being manipulated again.  The question was: did he dislike the assumption because it meant Ichigo was becoming harder to use, or because he didn’t like the idea of people using him at all?

It was probably a combination of the two.  Why be simple when you can be Kisuke?

“Let me see if I can translate the Urahara-ese.  You believe that there are machinations in the works, but you’ve eliminated Soul Society involvement, either because you’re already involved and you know they aren’t because you haven’t included them, or the little line between your eyebrows means that you’re miffed that someone else is running a scam on me without inviting you.  Since the Ichimur-alike pointed me in your direction, you clearly know something useful either way, and that means you’re my most likely source of information.” Ichigo leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “So, spill.”

“Don’t forget the third option, Kurosaki-kun.” Kisuke’s voice dropped, heavy with suggestion and just a hint of threat, as he lowered his chin and hid in the darker shadows his hat cast.

He was such a drama queen.

“You mean the possibility that you’re lying to me about Soul Society being involved?” Ichigo rolled his eyes. “No.  You may make me work for the truth, but you don’t lie to me anymore.” He shook his head in dismissal. “You said they weren’t involved, so they’re not involved.”

The certainty in his tone triggered an almost imperceptible response in Urahara and Ichigo couldn’t keep the satisfaction from his face. Honestly, he didn’t try very hard and the faint smile he got in response was worth it.

“I see I’m going to have to work harder on my inscrutability.” Kisuke shifted slightly, the dark and dangerous persona falling away from him like scales as it was no longer necessary, his focus shifting back on the twin spheres. “But, for what it’s worth, your summary is correct, and, again for what it’s worth, this mystery isn’t a creation of mine.”

They sat like that for a few moments until Ichigo got tired of waiting.

“Well, then, whose is it?”

Kisuke lifted Masaki’s sphere and held it up in the light.  It seemed to glow from within.

“Have you ever heard of hoshi no tama?” he asked, sounding almost sing-song as he turned the little ball this way and that.

“Star balls?  Like belong to kitsune?” Ichigo stopped as soon as the words were out of his mouth.  Surely Kisuke couldn’t mean….

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He looked down at the second, egg-sized stone.   Was it bigger than it was before? “Wait. Did mine grow?”

Kisuke placed Masaki’s sphere back on the table gently.  They were definitely not the same size anymore, and the larger one, Ichigo’s, now pulsed with a faint light.

Hoshi no tama.  It couldn’t be.

“Yoruichi always said there was something a little different about you, Kurosaki-kun.”

Ichigo snorted.  “You mean other than being a human-Shinigami-Quincy-hollow hybrid?”

Kisuke didn’t appreciate his humor.  “Precisely. Perhaps she could tell because of her ties to bakeneko.”

Amber eyes shot wide and the blond laughed.  “You didn’t think the cat-shape-shifting thing was something any Shinigami could do, did you? No.  Our Shihōin Princess has yokai blood, and you, it seems, may as well.”

Yokai blood didn’t sound good.  It didn’t sound good at all, but Ichigo couldn’t help but remember the stories that Masaki used to tell about wolf-like ōkami that protected little boys who kept adzuki beans and salt in their pockets as treats, and dangerous kappas who could only be defeated by clever boys who remembered to bow as deeply as possible so the monsters would spill the spirit water from the lilypad bowls they carried on their head and lose their powers. She told him about crow-like tengu who would punish the vain but could be called upon to help lost children find their way home, and tanuki who looked so jolly but would trick unwary people into parting with their food and wine with piles of money that turned out to be leaves come morning.

“Mom used to tell me stories.” He weighed his words, almost afraid to voice them but knowing that he must. “But they were just bedtime stories, Kisuke.  Fairy tales. Nothing more.”

Kisuke looked at him, gray eyes bright and focused, and Ichigo could feel a flush creeping along his skin.  Of course, now he was interesting enough to pay attention to, but for all the wrong reasons. Again.

“Don’t give me that look,” he snapped, and the blond blinked, slowly.

“What look is that, Kurosaki-kun?”

Ichigo counted to ten.  Twice. He didn’t believe that Kisuke was nearly as oblivious as he pretended, but if he insisted, the redhead would play along.

“The ‘oh look, a new experiment’ look.  It reminds me of Kurotsuchi-taicho, and trust me, you wouldn’t look nearly as good in that make-up.”

Thin pink lips quirked into a sly smile, and Kisuke chuckled. “I might surprise you, Kurosaki-kun. Who do you think brought Mayuri-san his supplies when he was still in the Maggot’s Nest? Plus, I ran more than my fair share of honey-pot missions for the Onmitsukido. A steady hand with an eyeliner pencil and a good lipstick go a long way.”

The flirtatious tone fell flat, and Ichigo sighed, more frustrated than flustered for once. How did they always end up like this—snarking at each other but never actually saying anything?  It was exhausting, and he didn’t have the patience for it today.

“You keep telling yourself that, Hat-and-clogs.” Ichigo picked up the two spheres and held them, one in each hand, between them. “Right now, I’m more concerned about these.”

Kisuke’s teasing smile faded.  “Yoruichi might be able to give us some insight, and there’s a tanuki that visits the shōten occasionally that I could…”

“A tanuki?” Ichigo practically exploded. “You can’t actually mean a real tanuki?  With the huge…?” he spread his fingers, unable to finish the thought.

“Testicles?” Kisuke finished the question for him, smirk back in full force. “I haven’t asked to see them, but yes I would assume so. I’ve done more than a few favors for him over the past hundred years, so he owes me, but tanuki and kitsune don’t get along very well from what I can tell.”

Ichigo frowned.

“It shouldn’t be a problem as long as Hakuzosu isn’t here, though, right?” There wasn’t another kitsune in the equation.

Kisuke took the larger sphere from his fingers and moved it slowly, watching the glimmer brighten the closer it got to Ichigo’s hand, “Well, that depends.”

Ichigo allowed the blond to drop the now glowing ball into his palm and was surprised by the rush of pleasure he got from holding it. There was something so right about it, and that was definitely not right. “Depends on what?”

The older man watched him for a long moment, a hint of fascination and curiosity and maybe even a little fear in his eyes, and Ichigo couldn’t look away, wanting nothing more than to have Kisuke look at him forever, the feelings of frustration washed away by a tide of something much more potent. His breath caught in his throat and his heart beat faster as he silently cursed his stupid attraction. This was so not the time.

“It depends on how much kitsune blood you’ve got flowing through your veins, Kurosaki-kun, and how the appearance of your long-lost relative has affected it.”

Ichigo groaned and dropped his hands to the tabletop with a thud. “I knew that was what you were going to say.”

The star ball glowed brighter and Ichigo tightened his fist around it.

“Just when I thought my life couldn’t get any more complicated, I have to deal with a freaking yokai. I swear, if Hakuzosu shows up and tries anything I’m going to kick his ass, kitsune or not.”

“Be careful, Kurosaki-kun,” Kisuke was still watching him so closely it made his skin prickle. “You don’t want to get on the wrong side of a yokai. They are far from harmless.”

“Kisuke,” Ichigo said, sitting back up in his chair and looking across at the blond in disbelief, “nothing in my life has ever been harmless, and none of us would have survived if I’d played by the rules.  Why should this be any different?”

The blond looked at him with an air of something approaching satisfaction.  “Why indeed?”

Once again, he had the full weight of Kisuke’s attention on him, and instead of the butterflies that usually took up residence in his stomach when that happened, he felt a lead weight.  He wasn’t a side-show attraction, dammit. Not even for him.

He held out his empty hand and Kisuke dropped the second ball in it.

“So,” Ichigo pulled in a deep breath, “you said you knew someone who might be able to help?”

Kisuke cocked his head to one side, like he was listening to a voice that was only speaking to him, and then nodded in agreement.  “Yes.  Shibaemon is easy enough to find.  I’ll contact Yoruichi and we will track him down and see if we can’t come to an arrangement.” The blond sighed. “Last time the two of them were together they drank all the sake in three bars.  Hopefully this time will not break that record.”

Knowing Kisuke he wasn’t nearly as innocent in that story as he pretended.   Ichigo wished he’d been there.  A tipsy Kisuke was a sight to see.

“Let me know if you need me there.  I don’t want to just tag along and have your tanuki friend—fuck, I can’t believe we’re talking about real tanuki.” He forced himself to calm down. “I don’t want to show up and have him upset over some possibly real connection to kitsune.”

Kisuke agreed. “Like I said, he’s nice enough most of the time, but he is a yokai, and they’re…  unpredictable.”

Ichigo snorted.  “The fact that you think he is unpredictable is the best warning you could give me.”

Suddenly a yawn cracked the redhead’s jaws. He was exhausted.

“I need to head home.  Yuzu was already upset enough with me for not managing to drag Hakuzosu back to the house to visit.  She’ll kill me if I’m late for dinner.”

Kisuke reached across the table and rested one long, thin finger on Ichigo’s arm.  “If I may,” he started, speaking in that casual manner that means listen carefully because something significant is NOT being said, “Kurosaki-kun, it might be best if you kept your new trinket in a…  safe place.  I’d be happy to provide such a place—Tessai could even put a kidō trap on it to be extra cautious.”

Any other time Ichigo would have taken him up on the offer.  Any other time the warmth of that finger would have burned his skin and given him fodder for weeks’ worth of daydreams.  Why, then, did the idea of turning his trinket over for someone else’s safe keeping make him feel like he couldn’t catch his breath and like snakes were squirming in his belly?

Ichigo’s fingers tightened inexorably around the supposed star balls and he shoved them deep into his pockets and leaned back in his chair. He’d think about those feelings later.  Much, much later.

“Nah, that’s okay. Yuzu will want Mom’s back ASAP, and I’ll just keep the other one with me.  No need to put Tessai out over something like this. It’s just a shiny stone.” He gave a careless shrug that fooled neither of them.

Kisuke retreated into the shadow of his hat’s brim.  “And if it is more, Kurosaki-kun?”

Ichigo’s fingers were still tightly wrapped around the now egg sized sphere and he gave an almost Gin-like smile.

“Hakuzosu said he’d be around, and if he is a kitsune like you suspect, and this is a hoshi no tama—mine or his—well, it’s probably better if I don’t have to break through a kidō lock to get it if I need it.  You know how Tessai hates it when I make a mess of the shop.”

[phantomwarrior12]

Save It For The Living

Prompt: Save It For the Living by Smash Into Pieces

Words: 1,542

Warnings: Swearing, reader death, a shit ton of angst

Summary: The ones we love the most are the hardest to let go.

A/N: Hey folks!

Two fics inside of two weeks, that’s gotta be some kind of a record for me. xD Anyway, here, have some straight angst.

Please leave a like/comment to let me know your thoughts!

Enjoy!

~ Phantom

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

Wish I could see you happy

Get on with your life without me

Think of me as something beautiful

Not the bitter end

I'm the reason why you're feeling life is broken 

So hear me

I don’t want your love

Save it for the living

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

"Damn it, Y/N, hold on!" Gabriel scrambles for the archangel blade, fear gripping hold and he can see the blood seeping from your wound.

"Aw, you still have a soft spot for that particular mistake?"

"Shut up, Lucifer!" He blasts his older brother back a few feet and it grants him enough space to retrieve the blade.

"Whatcha gonna do, baby bro? Fight me or save the girlfriend? Man, that gaping hole in her side really doesn't look good." The Devil taunts, peering at you with something akin to amusement.

"Go to hell." You choke out, applying pressure to your stab wound.

"I run hell, sweetheart. I've been there more than enough times."

Gabriel steals a glance over his shoulder at you, concern etched into every inch of his features.

"I'm okay. Kill the bastard." You assure him with more confidence than you have.

"Hang in there, Y/N." He gives you a short nod, focusing his attention on his older brother.

"Oh, come on, Gabriel. This is pointless. You know I'm going to win, baby bro. Might as well throw in the towel and try and save your whore."

"My whore can take care of herself. You, on the other hand, are going to wish you had someone watching out for your soon to be very dead ass." Gabriel twirls his blade, circling with Lucifer.

"Call me a whore again and I'm going to gank you both." You bite back, managing to prop yourself up on one elbow.

"Sorry, sugar." Gabriel apologizes, a playful lilt in his voice,  his gaze never leaving his big brother.

"You should be," your eyes skim the surrounding room, no doubt hoping for cover if too much grace is thrown around.

"You know, with Sam and Dean both upstairs, you won't have the Winchesters swooping in to save the day. Little Cassie is trapped in the Empty, and Jack, well, without his grace, he ended up just like those sorry excuses for surrogate fathers, in the ground. When I kill you, you'll stay that way."

"You overestimate your abilities, Lucifer. You may have taught me everything I know, but you've never been the better trickster."

Lucifer's eyes widen for a moment, spinning just in time for the real Gabriel to bury the blade in his chest.

"That is for trying to kill me, you dick." He twists the hilt of the archangel blade and the light behind Lucifer's eyes flares in a show of brilliant white and blue and fades. Gabriel lets him drop to the floor, the shadows of his wings painting the floor beneath him as Gabriel steps over and rushes to your side.

"Y/N--"

"I'm still breathing, feathers, calm down." You assure him, wincing as you try to sit up.

"Don't try to move," he kneels beside you, concern bleeding through whiskey as he assesses the extensive damage, "Hold still," he reaches for you, surprised when you stop him.

"Don't."

"Sugar, you're dying. I need to heal you," he argues, confusion replacing concern.

"I'm done."

"What?" He stares down at you in disbelief, "What do you mean done?"

"I don't want you to heal me, Gabriel."

"You're not making any sense--"

Your features soften, "It's time to let me go, feathers."

"No, you're disoriented, let me help--"

"Gabriel," you interrupt sharply, taking his hand in yours, trembling fingers entwining with his, "Please, just hold me."

The archangel starts to protest, cutting himself short only after his eyes find yours. He isn't sure he knows how to breathe beneath the weight of your request, the silent plea in your eyes that he prays you don't mean suffocating any glimmer of hope. It feels as though an eternity has passed before he relents, shoulders sagging in defeat before he gathers you into his arms, agony lacing his voice as he speaks, "All right, sugar. You win."

Golden hues flare when his hands smooth over your skin, a firm, yet delicate hold as he cradles his favorite soul. Once, it was calming--borderline reassuring--to watch the burning embers ignite beneath his touch, almost as if the flames are fed by his proximity. He was never sure you were aware of it, if the racing of your heart and the crimson in your cheeks told you exactly how you felt, just as it told him. The archangel almost wishes he could've shown you how brightly your soul glowed when he touched you, when his grace merely whispered across your skin from the other side of a room, when his wings wound affectionately around your frame when you dozed off on the couch with a lore book draped haphazardly against your torso.

He wishes you could've seen the world as he does, seen the electric sparks in all living things, the glimmering lights beneath flesh as ordinary people do ordinary things. It's a beauty to behold, but, most of all, he wishes you could've seen his true form in all its glory. He wishes he could'vs shown you the golden feathers that line his wings, the celestial behind the vessel, the being that has fallen, irreversibly, in love with you.

Yet, now, with your soul flickering, wavering, fighting to stay alive, or to let go, he aches for a time before the joy left your eyes. A time when you were surrounded by friends--Sam, Dean, Castiel, Jack, Bobby--your family. When they finally passed, when the archangel was all you had left, he was forced to watch, in agony, as you slowly lost interest in the life the two of you had fought so hard for.

You missed them, more than anything in the world, you missed the people who had made life worth the fight. Lucifer may have dealt the final blow, but you had died, with them, years ago. He can see that now. His ability to keep you young, to keep you at his side--it was a curse more so than a blessing.

"Sugar--Y/N," his voice cracks, his hand pressing against the gaping wound in your side as he fights back tears.

"It's okay. I'm ready, Gabe," you offer a weak smile, the pad of your thumb brushing over his cheek and he inclines his head into your touch.

"I'm not. I know it's selfish--please, let me heal you."

There's a tenderness in your gaze, the shattered shards of your heart aching for him, "No. I've surpassed my lifetime, I've--" a cough tears through your frame and Gabriel tightens his hold around you, grace seeping beneath skin to ease the discomfort.

"Please, don't ask me to let you go." He leans his forehead against yours after you regain your breath.

"That's exactly what I have to ask of you, Gabriel. It's been a good life, one that most can only dream of. Not many can say they spent the better part of fifty years with an archangel that was willing to smite hoards of demons to rescue his wife from hell."

A small smile spreads tugs at the corner of his lips and he swears he can feel the relief rolling off you like waves, "I told you, the title was only technical. Angels don't have wives, we have soulmates."

A coarse laugh, more of a hollow wheeze, fills the quiet room, "You really wanna argue 'bout that now?"

"Hey, it's my last chance to prove you wrong." The smile flourishes across his features and he can read the telltale signs of amusement in your eyes.

"Always have to have the last word, don't you, feathers?"

His heart soars at the nickname, pounding in his chest as he swallows the lump building in his throat, voice faltering as he speaks, "You know me, there's a reason they call me Mr. Right."

His gaze darts down towards your chest, the spark of your soul fading, the thrum of your heart failing and he sets his jaw. He can feel your eyes on him, staring up at him with concern and he summons all the strength he has left to force the agony from his gaze.

"You'll be okay without me," you promise, "I'm just upstairs. You can visit, Gabe."

"I know, I'll just miss you, sugar." He presses a soft kiss to your forehead, tears slipping silently down his cheeks.

"I'll miss you, too." Your eyes lock with his, "Always remember, Gabriel, I love you."

"I love you, too, Y/N."

There's a shadow of a smile in your lips before your chest falls for the last time, y/e/c falling shut as your head sags against his shoulder.

It takes a moment and Gabriel crumbles, his frame curling around yours, wings encircling his trembling form as the tears fall freely. He isn't sure how long he holds you, but, at last, he picks you up, carrying you from the abandoned church.

He gives you a hunter's funeral. He knows what it means and he knows he'll never be able to bring you back, but it's what you wanted. So, he stands just beyond the pyre, flames dancing before whiskey orbs as the hole in his chest crumbles into a chasm.

He's on his own, once again and he hates it, but, he'll carry on. For you.

"Goodbye, sugar."

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

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Gabriel Squad:  @thewhiterabbit42 @erisunderthemoon @stuckoutsideofthebox @nuvoleincielo @lyselkatz @high-church-of-the-holy-dick @fand0maniac @lovelyhexbag @shaylybaby2032 @soul-fandom Forevers: @heaven-hell-imagines @a-mess-of-many-fandoms @currentlyfangirling99 @bofa-deans-nuts @emiwrites3reads

[exodusmc]

Butterflies

Genre: hurt comfort, fluff(?)

Words: 1507

Paring: Yoongi! X reader!

Warning!: Drinking, smoking, mentions of death

a/n: If anyone woders, it’s the butterfly from The most beautiful moment in life pt.2, :). 

Gif is not mine

Hair damp and bitterness on your tongue, it seemed like this day couldn't get worse. It had been raining heavily since morning and your umbrella had mysteriously been destroyed so you had to walk without it. Coffee had been spilt all over your shirt and every time you drank some, you burnt your mouth. You couldn't believe what a day you had, finally seeing your apartment building. Shaking fingers pushed the buttons to your sweet relief but the code, the right code, didn't work. The machine only beeping and you stared at it for a while, until everything that had gone wrong this useless day hit you.  

“What the hell?!” you screamed in frustration, tears flowing down your cheeks. You felt pathetic. You couldn't even get inside and out of the goddamn cold. 

Sobs left you, knees hitting chilly cement as you cried harder. Hate filled you, wishing to just go back and be innocent, the world yet to crush you. 

“It’s not fair” by now, you were soaked to your core. Shiver ran all over your body and the want to prove everyone wrong slowly drained from you. 

“You okay?” a grumble of a voice rang in your ears. Teal, almost blonde, bangs hanging in the eyes of a neighbor to you. You gritted your teeth, nodding when you so painfully weren't even close to fine. 

“Yes” Yoongi shook his head, a part of his hair, the part which weren't covered by his hood, slightly wet. 

“I don't believe you Y/n” it was somewhat surprising he knew your name, since you never really spoke to him, nor saw him. A frown spread over your trembling lips, leg just about giving in when you stood up. 

“I’m fine, just let me in” Yoongi heard how broken your voice were, everything dripping and he saw how your face turned pale. 

The boy pushed in a code, music still blasting from his ear buds. You almost started to cry again when the warmth embraced you. You were about to literally run up all the stairs, not being able to wait for a blanket and wine, but slender fingers grabbed your wrist and you collided with a chest. Peering through eyelashes, you saw Yoongi with a raised eyebrow. 

“You have a roommate?”

“No” he sighed to your answer, piercings twinkling in the artificial light. A heat had risen to your cheeks, a heat which he recognized as a fever. 

“Then you’re coming with me”your jaw dropped open, body being lead with no actual force.

“What?” his door closed behind your back, apartment dark, even when the light were turned on. A few painting hung on his walls and your eyes found a tattooed butterfly on his hand. 

Yoongi took of your drenched jacket, nudging you to step further into his home. You didn't know where to go, still wet, still shaking. The fuzzy sound of a can that were opened made you jump, head snapping to look at Yoongi, who stood with a beer in his hand.

“The bathroom is to the right” you glanced to where he pointed” There should be some dry clothes there too”

You nodded, slowly walking towards the room with a promise about a hot shower. Yoongi saw you disappear, drinking almost all of his beer, Why did he do this? He had no obligation to let you in, to care for you. Maybe it was your eyes or the fact that you probably would die if you were left outside, or butterflies. A huff escaped him, body falling against his couch. He could hear water running from the bathroom, it was weird for Yoongi, he was so used to be alone that it felt wrong to have someone with him. 

Water, hot pure water flowed over your body, warming it up to a normal temperature, but you could feel the fever around the corner. A sigh escaped your lips, thoughts running wild in your head. Why did he take you to his apartment when you lived two doors from him? Coldness instantly invaded you when you stepped outside the  hot shower. Yoongi had left a hoodie and what looked like pajama pants. Everything was too big but not by much, you didn't drown in fabric. The clothing smelled nice, like coffee which weren't too bitter and mint. As you walked out to find Yoongi on the couch, you took a deep breath of it. The boy looked from the Tv, seeing you. Hair still wet and small in his clothes. He didn't really understand why guys all the time wanted their girlfriends to wear their clothes but when his eyes followed you, sitting down besides him, he kinda understood why. 

“How are you feelin’?” you shrugged, glancing down at his hand, seeing the butterfly again. Yoongi saw where your looked, choosing not to bring it up.”You want some?”

The beer slipped down your throat and the pleasant feeling of letting go followed it. You sighed, having downed a can already. Yoongi watched your shoulders relax, eyes closed and cheeks flushed with either a fever or alcohol. 

“So what happened?” a frown pulled at your lips, eyes opening again, finding his dark once. 

“Everything went wrong..That’s all you need to know” you didn't want to be rude but in this moment, you didn't care. The second can disappearing like the first. 

Yoongi didn't drink more from his beer, studying you instead. He saw struggles and piled up stress behind your eyes. The night slowly ticked by and around 11 pm, Yoongi stood on the small balcony attached to his apartment. You stared at his form, tipsy and turning drunk. This man was a mystery and in your hazed mind, something you wanted to be in on. Yoongi dropped the last of his cigarette, stepping on it. 

“Why a butterfly?” your voice slurred and the boy tensed slightly, both pair of eyes finding his tattooed hand. He sat down and you took it, tracing the piece of art. 

“I like them” you chuckled, leaning closer. Yoongi weren't someone to get a butterfly tattooed. 

“It’s something more..” your eyes left the back of his hand, traveling up to meet soft black orbs. Lips pulled to a smile, the first time you had ever seen him do the motion. 

“Yeah..”

“What?” there were this nagging thought that you were stepping over your boundaries, asking this question but he didn't seemed to turn angry, just gazing back into your eyes. 

“Well my mother loved them. She used to say to be careful because they would break if you held them to hard but they would probably break if you let them go..”

A silence spread through the room. You didn't like where this was going. His mother’s words held something not so pleasing under them and you saw how sadness took over his face. 

“She used to call me butterfly..and she held me too hard” you smiled sadly to him, fingers still moving over his hand.” She thought I was so fragile, that the world was out to kill me..So she did everything she could to have me where she wanted and lost herself”

Night had fallen quiet outside, like it want to hear his story too. It didn't rain anymore, stars peaking out when they cold. You sat close to Yoongi, realizing for the first time who he really was. Someone which had been kept from life, someone with an impressive mind. Yoongi wasn't like anyone you had met, he was deeper. 

“She died when I was 16 so I got this tattoo for her because once was she normal, once did she hold my hand when we watched the butterflies without worries. It wasn't me who was fragile, it was her”

“That’s deep” Yoongi chuckled, hand moving from you. He pushed it through all those teal locks, forehead for display.  

“I guess..” you yawned, time had went by faster than you realized. 

Hands gripped your slacking body, one of them  painted with a butterfly, the other bare for more stories. You were placed on a soft bed, fabric wrapped around your body. Fingers danced over your cheek as the sun decided to wake up, painting the sky baby blue. You were lulled by the softness of breaths which stayed by your side until both soul and mind relaxed after a long day. Yoongi left you around 4 am, eyes having taken in all of you. He remembered the day from many years ago, when he still was a child. You had been running to school, a butterfly hanging from your neck, small and in silver. He remembered how free you looked, like you had wings to fly with. That was when he realized that butterflies weren't fragile or weak, they were free to fly into the skies and dance. The tattoo on his 25 years old hand held memories of his mom but also you, you from all those years ago, when you showed him that even butterflies can be strong. 

[writeuntilyourhandshurt]

A Fallen Star.

Ah… Lethargy, what a beautiful state to be in. No thoughts to cloud your mind. No worries to furrow your brow. No stress to tense your shoulders. Lethargic, simple, sluggish...nothing. There The Star stood, dormant. For years upon years, centuries upon centuries. Not one could say how much time has passed since he had been awake. Since he had willed himself to listen and understand. And think. No… he waited, dormant. The reason for this lethargy? He couldn't say either. So much time had passed since a clear thought has passed his mind, he forgot the reason why he entered such a state in the first place. But he does not mind. No, quite contrary, he likes it still. Peaceful, very much so… 

However, this idle state of ignorance of his would soon come to an end, the outer body of this astral being rapidly charging towards a very small and insignificant planet named Earth. The people of this very planet have always had a fascination towards beings like him, would always call out to them, and ask them about love and fortune and wars and sickness. Call them Gods, call them Arcana, call them Zodiac, all meaningless names they never understood, nor bothered to even try to do so. Poor, curious, helpless humans, thinking themselves smart by calling out. They never understood. 

One very fateful day, he crashed into the Earth, his outer shell cracking, and softly, fell out a human boy. Or...was he human? Dark blue eyes peered from below a golden cascade, confusion hanging blatantly onto them. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the sudden awakening, the sudden light surrounding him, vertigo seizing his senses. 

"What…?" His voice was soft. Unbearably soft and fragile. Just as he himself was frail against the soil he laid upon. 

"Where am I…?" He groaned weakly, pushing against himself to sit up, slowly, carefully, curiously. And true to the question, the lands around him were foreign to him...exotic. Mysterious fields of green stretched out from below him and a dark veil littered with glowing orbs lay above him. No matter how back he tried to remember, he could not recognize ever seeing such sights. Such interesting and baffling sights. To where do they belong though, he wondered… 

And gradually, he tried to stand up, his legs wobbling and threatening to buckle under his newfound weight. And it suddenly dawned on him, a feeling he has never experienced before. Weight. Corporeal feeling. He had a body, solid, with blood pumping through his veins, with warmth emanating from his skin, with feeling in his fingers. He could feel upon his skin the breeze passing through the fields. So...curious...it is...to feel. 

Lost in this very particular and exclusive thing called feeling he allowed his feet to carry him away. Surprisingly, the weight of his developed body helped with maintaining his balance, only stumbling against the uneven way the ground hugged itself upon the surface of these lands.

Minutes passed...Hours passed…Finally, a day had passed before he realised another feeling. Hunger. And another. Fatigue. And another. Thirst.  

And yet realizing them did not mean understanding them. And so he kept walking, and walking, and wondering at the marvels of this new word he stumbled upon, without knowing of hunger nor of thirst, regardless of the ache in his stomach. 

It was not long until he stumbled into what he was soon to learn is called a human Village. A gathering place for a small number of humans, where they build shelter and grow their food. Upon entering said village, people flocked to him, admiring his beauty with such mortal curiosity. With such a fleeting adoration, such a feeble sentiment, he could not understand why they even bothered to try to offer him their best, when once he walked past them, they would frown and disagree. What would they have to earn from it, he wondered? He did not even know what he looked like, and yet these humans decided what would be best for him, in taking their daughter's hand's in marriage, or in ridiculous revelations of love he could not begin to understand. He thought it all silly, frivolous. 

And yet, it was crossing paths with humans, with these fatuous creatures he did not recognize, which brought forth another very important question to him. After walking into a "inn", seemingly inadvertently, in a Deus ex Machina sort of way, he found himself asking for a room. For shelter, and for food to eat. The words came out of him with a courtesy he couldn't fathom he could produce, perhaps as a plead to escape what was outside of the inn's walls. Of course, as it happens normally on earth, the owner at the inn asked for two things in exchange for food and shelter. Money, some sort of...currency, people exchange material things such as this for. Again, it was something he could not sympathise with. And another thing, something very simple everyone around him seemed to possess, except for him. 

"What's yer name, boye?" 

His head fell to his palms, forehead held by long, slender fingers, his mouth agape. He understood forthwith. A name. A name was something he clearly didn't carry. Money would be indeed much easier to come across, everyone seemed to pass those around gleefully. However names were unique. What is someone without a name? Despair unravelled in the depths of his bust, his fingers now trembling upon his forehead. Who Is He? 

Without a name… without any recent memory… surrounded by things he did not recognize or agree with. What was going on? Who was he? And why was he here? For whatever reason could he be sent here? He shook his head. 

"I don't have either of those…" He replied, in the same unworldly, angelic voice, and made his way to one of the tables displayed about the entrance of the inn. Thoughtlessly, he sat down, his body rigid with unease. Where did he find himself, he wondered. Why here, he wondered. And what was he to do...he wondered. 

"Oi! Ya' cant sit down if yer don't buy something. Pay or Leave!" The guttural voice of the owner shook violently out of his throat. Petrified, the boy stood, holding himself up with his hands on the table. 

"Oh, leave the boy be, Arthur. Can't you see the poor creature's lost? I'll pay for his room and food." This time a kinder voice resounded, worn with age, but amiable nonetheless. "Come here, boy, sit." It was an older woman who offered him such good will, her eyes reflecting ages past onto them, and the hardships she had to endure smiled at him from the corners of her mouth and eyes. She had wavy, silver hair escaping out of a sloppy, hurriedly made bun at the back of her head. 

Not knowing what to think of the apparition before him, nor her charity, he warily made his way towards the table she sat at, wondering why she decided to speak up for him, when it was clearly so against the morale of this species. And yet, he found deep in his heart, that beyond his suspicion against these creatures, she was one to be trusted. He saw- felt, that this woman here was nothing more than a good soul, willing to offer a helping hand wherever and whenever she could. Bewildered by this change in scenery, he smiled towards her, sitting down where she pointed him to.

"Thank you." 

"Oh don't worry, don't worry. Lord knows Arthur is too stuck up to offer a warm room to a clearly lost soul. Tell me, boy, where do you come from?" 

Another question, another tin dropped in silence, ripples forming upon the surface of his heart. Where did he come from? His gaze wandered about downwards, towards the table, towards his hands, fidgeting with his fingers. With each question he grew more anguished. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why could he not remember these things? 

His eyes widened in disbelief at his own fear, a darkness that would soon enough swallow and engulf him whole, sending him into nothing more than a pit of despair.

But the kind woman before him could only smile, placing a warm, calloused hand over his anxious own, stopping him from fretting any further. 

"My name is Letha, young man, and I am the wise woman of this village. Perhaps I can help you on your journey?" Her grey eyes smiled brilliantly towards him. 

"How could I ask for more? You have already…-" He was cut off by the man named Arthur, now placing a steaming plate of food on the table in front of him. The boy thought he could hear a soft murmur saying "enjoy" but it could as well have been one of the rather numerous flies making their way around the inn. Letha pat his arm, squeezing it gently. 

"Oh trust me, you very well can and you very much will. Eat, now, you're going to starve to death before my very eyes if you don't." She chuckled tenderly. And as it were, she was very right. He could feel his head growing groggy, the ache in his stomach now clear as day, churning his insides, something that could only be described as agony. How did he not realise he felt like this until now? Everything felt like it could walk upon him, he was so weak. Is this what lack of food means to a human? Is this why they pay for it? But it's a necessity. He realised, just like Letha said, he would have died, were he to abstain from eating any longer. Would humans put their fellow through such agony for the mere rule? For such an abstract concept? Money? 

He picked up the, what felt like, awkwardly big eating utensils placed on the table, surrounding his plate. Ah… such an interesting shape! A stick, ending in four, smaller sticks! Instinct did not lead him, this time, as he stiffly held the mysterious stick in his hand, struggling to pick up food, causing Letha to laugh once more, reaching out and correcting the way he held it. 

"A fork, dear. This is how you hold it… And this is how you eat with it." Her calloused palm brushed against his hand once again, as she held the fork through his hand, taking a bite off the plate and leading it up to his mouth. "Now open your mouth." He did as she instructed. "And chew." 

Flavour burst into his mouth, eyes widening in bewilderment at this new sensation. Slowly, he gnawed on that bite, feeling its flavour and reeling into it. It was so good! He couldn't help but look to Letha, whom he had already adopted as a mother figure. 

She grinned. "Swallow, boy." 

And questioning, he did, the hunger in his stomach crying out for more, infinitely more of it. Repeating the motion from earlier, just as she taught him, he managed to finish the whole plate, marvelling at the unique experience it offered him. These creatures around him, including Letha, would do this thing constantly, how could he not think of it on his own? Perhaps, if Letha didn't decide to help him...who knows what would have come upon him. Death, is that what she called it? He has a fleeting memory of what that means… Things coming to an end, but not exactly a permanent concept. Then why would it be so grave? Why would death be considered so dangerous, even though it was relatively harmless, from what he remembers. 

"Good, good. You ate. Now that you're not passing away from hunger anymore…" She pushed a tall glass filled to the brim with a clear liquid towards him, a cheeky smile playing on her tired lips. "Drink." 

"What is this?" He eyed the liquid wearily. 

"You'll see. But you'll have to trust me, boy. You've seen already I mean you no harm, so try this, for me." Letha folded her arms in her breast. 

"I trust you…" Perhaps too easily, he thought to himself. But nevermind, he picked up the glass, and sloppily drank from it, liquid spilling from the corners of his mouth. Two gulps in, he choked, a bitter taste finally forming in his mouth, causing him to frown and lower his glass, coughing. "What was that??" 

Now outright laughing, Letha pat his arm once more, fondly. "Medicine. You're weak! Did you really think I would let you go from my table without treating you?" She gave another bark of laughter. "But know, you have to finish the whole thing for it to work." 

His lips pursed into something akin to disgust. 

"I'm not sure I want to." 

"Oh I believe you, boy, but you very much have to." A knowing smile pressed against her lips. 

And with a distressed sigh, the boy reached for the glass once more, cupping it in between his hands and downing the liquing, his nose scrunching as he cringed into the taste, his body shivering in response to it. 

"Horrible that thing is, really." 

"Horrible in taste, yes, but you'd be even worse off without it." Letha sat up. "Come now, I promised you both food and shelter, and you look like you haven't slept in days. Follow me." A horrible groan made it's way out of her throat as she held her back, wobbling onto her two short and stubby legs. He quickly sat up after her, holding a hand to her back in concern. 

"Are you all right?" 

"I should be asking you that, boye. Now come, It's a long way upstairs when you're this old. Lucky me I have young folk to help me up the stairs." A smile crossed his lips, a new sentiment reaching his breast. He could help her, he thought, happily. But why would offering Letha kindness make him feel so positively glad? Could be it because she had done the same for him? Or would he have felt this gratitude regardless. He couldn't say. 

They slowly made their way to the stairs, she moved slowly, letting out, every now and then, a pained sigh, as she struggled against her legs to walk. And the journey up the stairs would be even harder, and take even longer, each step would have to be carefully passed, one leg at the time. But he didn't mind. He was glad he was there, behind her, holding her back and helping her forward. He would have stood there for hours, or even days, if it meant she didn't struggle as much as he assumed she did usually. He would, honestly, but he soon started to grow aware of his own fatigue, his arms and legs slowly becoming more sluggish, the simple act of standing up causing his breath to come up short. Her body felt heavier against his hands, and what in reality was no more than one minute, felt to him like thirty. 

But luckily, they would reach his room soon enough. The chimney hadn't been lit, but the room was warm enough on it's own. As soon as he neared the bed, he threw himself onto it, his body screaming in relief as he laid down. 

Catching her breath, Letha gave out a soft giggle. "It feels good, doesn't it? Thought it would… Should I light up the chimney for you, boye?" 

"No! No, you're tired." He stood up too quickly, dizzying himself, catching his head in his palm. However, with his sudden movement and panic, something...odd… happened. The chimney lit itself. Letha stared in disbelief, her gaze falling from the boy, to the chimney, mouth agape as she took a few steps back. 

"What…?" 

In response, however, he just stared into the fire, his eyes empty and sad, almost as if looking at a long lost loved one. There was nothing in his gaze now that would suggest he was the same boy Letha met earlier. He looked lost. A lost soul, drowning in the waves of fate. He thought nothing, he saw nothing but the fire he willed into existence. And slowly, he looked towards Letha, that same emptiness now peering into her. 

"I remembered… You, you are afraid of such things, aren't you?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. His voice was just as innocent and frail as before. 

Swallowing hard, she looked once again from him to the fire, and back to him. And shaking her head, she answered. 

"Most of us are afraid, yes." Fighting the inner urge to run, she smiled, and trusted, making her way closer to the boy, and sitting down on the bed he rested upon, she ran her fingers through his golden hair, smoothing down it's excellent curls. He simply looked at her, slight dread creeping it's way into his eyes, disbelief at her answer, uneasiness making him weary. His shoulders tensed, and he had the undeniable urge to erupt. 

"Listen to me, boye. Anyone else who would have witnessed what you just performed, would have damned you. Deemed you evil. But I don't. Evil doesn't exist within innocence such as yours." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She pressed closer his him, wrapping both of her arms around his shoulders, head resting upon the crook of his neck. "So I will give you something. I'll give you something to borrow until you find your own." 

"What… what is it?" He whispered breathlessly, his shoulders relaxing in her warm embrace. Letha ran her hands up his back, comforting the trembling mess he's become. 

"Apollo." She didn't have to say anything else for him to understand. He froze, sucking in his breath, eyes wide. 

"Why? Why-" 

"I'll be with you until you find and take what's yours, Apollo. I don't have much time myself, you see. I will spend the rest of it with you." But it was soon that exhaustion would take over him, leaning heavier against Letha, her strong arms holding him as he gave out under his own weight, body slipping off to sleep, while his mind remained bright awake. Questions that remained unanswered found a place to dance upon his buzzing mind. 

"Lucky boy, Apollo." Letha whispered, smiling. She slid off the bed, letting Apollo rest, arranging his body so that he sits comfortably, and covered him with the blankets on the bed. Gazing once again at him, she made her way out of the room, to the room next to his. I'll be with you, she thought, Apollo. 

(Hey! You made it to the end, congrats! Now, this is far from my best work, but I thought I should give it a shot, seeing as this idea of a fallen star has been plaguing my inspirational glands for quite a while. I finally found some free time to write! Hooray! I really Hope you enjoyed reading this very short chapter to a very short story. Keep your eyes peeled for even more of Apollo's adventures. He is sure to discover a great deal about this world he found himself in.

Please let me know what you think of this! Constructive criticism is always appreciated around here! If you have any prompts you'd want me to write about also let me know! I'd be happy to oblige!

Thank you very much for checking out my blog and reading some of my stories. :)

-V. Brooks🌟)

[storytimewith]

Sloth, Lord of the Flies

The end is near.

The demon lord has risen and his armies are growing. The generals are being put in their rightful spots among the rankings. The humans wage war against those that threaten their peace or profit. The elves stay in their strongholds of the forests, The dwarves continue to forge in mine their meaningless lives away. The end of the world and the breaking of the peaceful times is upon us.

The demon lord sends his armies and generals on a certain mission to ensure their victory

“Find the Seven Sins of man and awaken their vessels”

So the generals and their battalions to scourge the planet for the sins and the vessels they inhabit. Each sin is defined by their own sins through the vessels, the vessels never show the sins since they cannot be awakened without the help from a being of superior power and only a handful of beings outrank the seven sins. The demon lord was one such person so he created crystalized orbs of his magic and had them enchanted to indicate when someone was close to a vessel and which sin it was.

A vessel is not an object yet a person or an animal. A “creature” praytell and they have inherited the soul of the sin from their ancestors who were the original seven. The original seven were not demons or evil by any means though had strong emotions and and grandeur magic power. Eventually each of the original seven were cursed by the maker and it’s followers that they shall be controlled by their emotions and that it will pass on through generations. They original seven despised the maker because of this and formed alliances with those who sought to undo the maker. Though it was all for not for they lost but made a pact with the lord of demons that they shall be allies whenever the need arises and if the time comes he shall awaken them and allow the cursed to watch the fall of god.

Rhodan the demon general of the 12th seat is currently searching through the realms of man looking for any vessel. His battalion and seat ranking is second lowest his army only having 5,000. Marching through the mountains and forests with no reaction from the crystal, Rhodan was getting bored and his troops were becoming agitated from the lack of war. The lord sought to avoid war at the beginning else all will be for naught. Though desperate times called for desperate measures. So Rhodan started invading villages and towns leaving none alive while finding no reaction whatsoever. The troops were pleased with the bloodshed though they all felt the coming dread from the anger of their commander. Then finally on the 5th village there was a low glim of the orb very faint yet the colour of light blue was distinguishable from the normal white orb. Rhodan was ecstatic finally this boring journey would stop and he would get a handsome reward from the lord for finding one of the seven. 

“Bring all of the humans in the village too me, no killing!!”

In the village there were a small number of people numbering less than 100. The people all knew each other and helped one another. They found peace and comfort in their lives in the kingdom. The news of the rise of the demon has not yet reached the village’s ears. In the village children were playing outside their houses yet there was one not playing he was taking care of his sister and trying his best to treat his sisters illness that plagued her. So far his father has gone searching for herbs for her treatment in the forest and his mother was changing sheets and  rags for her. The little child was clutching his sisters hand at this point sobbing thinking she was going to die .in reality it was a persistent cold that her father wanted gone, though he was right about something. 

As the day continued to go on tension in the air grew yet no one knew why. The hunters in the area where on guard children brought inside and livestock moved to barns. The chief of the village saw the change in the winds as an omen of disease and an impending hoard of monsters from the forest invading the village. Though with the rumbling of the ground his theory changed from monsters to an invasion of an army and they were the ones to create the first signal of war for the country. 

The ground vibrated and rumbled and through the forest emerged hoards of daemons and most were of higher rank. Building after building was torn to sunder no wall can hold back their rampage the wood was torn apart like paper. Each daemon had a goal and they went to accomplish them thoroughly. Each person that met the daemons were kidnapped or beaten until they were unconscious. All of them had no chance to defend themselves the hunters were out gunned and the guards of the village hasn’t met an actually threat since the last war which was over 100 years ago. They were all taken to Rhodan per his orders yet in the house of the child taking care of his sister a commotion was going on. 

“ Come here you brat!!”

“Never!!!”

There was a demon chasing the child around and around the house somehow just a little slower than the child. He was saving time for his sister, who upstairs was facing a dilemma herself. She noticed the lack of anyone outside and the explanation from her brother was hardly sufficient “There are demons i’ll distract them you run, ok. Hey Katherine you listening?! Time is of the essence your big bro has got this!” he was full of himself and didn’t give a proper response only something involving demons though from the noise downstairs and the people not being around actually proves her brother wasn’t insane. 

Though she didn’t get a lot of thinking time a few seconds later a long limbed creature saw her through the window and pulled her through breaking the glass and causing cuts all around her body. The boy heard this upstairs he started panicking this gave enough time for the demon chasing him to catch up and snag him.

“You *huff* little twerp *huff* HOW ARE YOU SO FAST!!?”

“Let go of me you foul demon i’ll kill you all for hurting my family”

“Sure you will” the demon exclaimed as he was leaving the building

All the towns were in a giant row in front of Rhodan one by one no one in front or behind the other. He was going down the line one by one checking to see if the orb had a reaction. When he reached the end there was still no reaction though the glow was getting brighter and brighter slowly yet surely. Over the hill two demons carrying two children appeared. The ball reacted glowing a bright light blue with the symbol of a sloth around an archaic rune. Rhodan was elated he found the sin of sloth, though from his face not much emotion could be seen.

“You two bring both of them here!” ordered Rhodan. The two demons brought the two children over one bleeding out slowly and the other one gaged to stop his ranting. From the perspective of the boy a giant bird like creature covered in scales yet no mouth was peering over him. Of course he would be scared he actually fainted. Rhodan pressed the orb against the two, almost too hard, when the orb neared the boy it shined brightly displaying a symbol of a sloth in the air above the group. 

“Don’t touch…. Him...demons”

“Little brat I found what I needed the rest of you are no longer needed”

“STOP!....please...stop” the girl collapsed from the laceration around her body from the broken glass. The other villagers noticed what was happening from the scream of the girl including their parents. “Katherine! Isaac!!” they both screamed their last words. Rhodan gave the kill order to the demons around. All at once the villagers and the little girl were all killed within moments. Leaving the boy alone with the creatures. 

“Wake the vessel of lord sloth”

“”Yes sir”” two demons said at once.

 With both of the two demons fervently slapping the boy to wake him he finally woke.

“What...What did you monster do!!”

“You don’t need to worry about those cur much longer lord sloth will be awakened so shut it.. And WAIT!” Rhodan yelled at the boy then began a process that just by watching the boy understood was complicated,if not weird looking, Rhodan was chanting while moving the orb around the boys body to different points all were specifically handled to were the orb never strayed from a certain path. Soon the orb began to glow and brighten and brighten it eventually became a beacon emanating the symbol of the sloth around the archaic rune. A wave of power flowed from the horizon in a predestined path seeking the beacon created by the crystallized mana of the demon lord acting as a homing device for the lord’s power. The power struck Isaac but instead of it blasting him away it entrapped in blistering heat while what felt like his soul was being extracted. Soon he fell, he collapsed with the only hint of him being alive is the slight movement of his breathing. Power began to surge from the boy encircling him like a cyclone growing bigger and bigger then … nothing it dissipated without the slightest trace of it ever existing in the first place.

“What… What HAPPENED?!” Rhodan screeched the gift and benevolence he envisioned receiving from the lord evaporated in an instant. His chance of gaining power dissipating, he began to kick the downed child to calm himself. Kicking and Kicking and Kicking and Kicking and Kicking and Kicking and Kicking. The boys chest at this point was caved in broken the child previously known as Isaac was beyond recognition. The chest was crushed the skull caved in and the legs were bending in the wrong direction. The orb in Rhodan’s hand no longer glowed it seemed complacent like it completed its job. The army marched off at the word of their angered lord all a bit frightened by the scene in front of them. Even they thought this was brutal.

[lokikingofasgardslover713]

Inktober Day 1: Poisonous

Masterlist

Inktober

D2  D3  D4  D5  D6  D7  D8  D9  D10  D11  D13

Poisonous {Oneshot}

Bruce Banner X Plus!Size Reader (Demi-jinn/Jinn-human Hybrid)

WARNINGS: This is DARK! FYI! No smut, but hints at it? Dark Bruce Banner.

Day late I know, thought you all would enjoy some dark Bruce Banner, my evil brain cooked this up, so ENJOY!

Words: +1,400

Writhing on the floor, gasping for breath wasn’t the way Y/N thought this escape would go when she was discovered. Eyes glowing with otherworldly light that felt as if it wasn’t reaching her soul, he, the one who stood over her had stripped her power, her essence, her ability to warp the reality around them, & inhuman strength all by a potion, a poison.

Taking his time getting up from the counter, taking slow strides to stand next to the writing mass that once had a human covering but now looked up with silver/blue glowing eyes that where now pleading with him to make it stop. Smirking down at Y/N as he knelt next to her still full figure, pushing a strand of unnaturally dark hair away to reveal slightly pointed ears. Y/N’ watering eyes peering up into brown orbs that sparkled with darkness, watching him pull is glasses off to place them into his pocket nonchalantly.

“It took me awhile to figure out, what you were exactly,” Bruce her once colleague, began in an amused way, not paying attention to Y/N’ shivering hand that wrapped around his wrist weakly, trying to stop him from… from what?

“You are a Huma-jinni, Demi-Jinn, something like that, but what it amounts to is one of your parents is a Jinn & the other is human, I take it,” the scientist, Bruce, the one she had come here to… to… now she’s forgetting.

“H,h,h,how,” the shivering half breed stammered out, still holding to his wrist but pretty sure at this point he was allowing it.

“Oh! That’s the amazing part,” he spoke excitedly, Y/N knew Bruce loved to explain things that had to do with science, one reason she had chosen to stay but now regretted it.

Standing excitedly, pulling his wrist free to stand over her, reaching down looping his arms under hers to drag Y/N to a chair. Oh, shit not this chair.

“You see, I,” the over exuberant scientist began, hinting to himself, pushing Y/N shivering yet limp body further back into the chair & beginning to place the straps while still explaining.

“Meaning me, Bruce, would have never known the difference between you & a regular person,” he continued becoming more animated, pressing the cuff around her neck before moving to the ones at her ankles.

“But,” he continued, popping back up like an excited little kid, “the big guy, Hulk, he noticed immediately, the frequency that you vibrate at had him yelling in my skull that something wasn’t right about you, from the get go I may add.”

Standing back to survey his work, Bruce couldn’t help the dark smile that crept across his face, finally, something to play with other than the usual aliens that he was brought when the team would return form space. A subject Bruce found attractive from her thick thighs, ample chest, thick yet still feminine figure that he would often dream about, & now had him wondering if they were dreams, given that Y/N could manipulate reality.

“What are you going to do,” the half breed chattered as if cold.

No, why was the poison wearing off, wait he, this chair, it's what they done to, no, oh, fuck, no, no.

“I believe it's obvious,” he smiled, stepping closer, looking over her head, knowing the poison was wearing off.

“You knew, you poisoned me,” Y/N shouted out between shivers, fuck why was she shivering like this?

“Yes, actually I did, perks of being a scientist, the shivering is it wearing off,” he explained mater of factly, cocking his head while stopping next to her fiddling with something she was hindered from seeing thanks to the cuff cutting into her throat.

Finally, he returned, the thick 2 gauge needle sterile pack used to deliver IV drugs to the aliens to keep them alive in his hand, jumping when Bruce jerked the sterile pack open on the tray next to her. Watching him intently fix the setup, laying it on the open pack & moving to swab over her forearm, straining to watch him.

“No, stop,” Y/N demanded, she saw what the drugs did to the aliens, made them compliant, obedient, slaves.

“It appears to me you are in no place to make demands,” Bruce deadpanned, not looking away from his task, reaching back for the IV rubbing a finger over the vein, the blue standing out on her paling forearm, heart thudding as she realized it was being monitored.

“A heart rate that slow you would be considered in heart failure, yet you're still with me,” he laughed slightly.

Bruce holding tight as Y/N struggled when the thick needle pierced her skin & vein hoping it wasn’t so big it burst it but had a felling it wasn’t that easy to mess this up. Watching bright blue sparkle into the tube to show he had hit the vein. Not looking up at her or paying heed to the snarl that Y/N let go of when he stuck her, reaching back to the vials to draw samples before pumping her full of the ones needed to keep her alive during experimentation.

“You are very fascinating, were to worried with searching outer space,” he spoke, reaching up to pull his glasses out & back on, holding the last vile up looking at the contents, before hooking the tube to the machine.

“It appears we need to keep looking on this planet,” Bruce spoke devilishly, finally looking at Y/N.

Body going numb, accepting its fate, hoping that this would be a swift death, but the way he looked at her was telling the shivering Demi-Jinn that wasn’t going to happen. It appeared Y/N would be one of the lucky ones that got to stay, free of charge, in the pit, as they liked to call it. Thrashing her head back, hitting it on the back of the chair in anger, & watching Bruce hurry about to start the drip. Darkness creeping in, but it didn’t take her, it dazed her, stopped her self-harm.

“We can’t have you damaging yourself sweetheart, I want to keep you for a long time, & so does the Hulk,” the scientist smiled wickedly, his smile more poisonous than what ever he had gotten her with.

“We, we, I’ve worked with you for years Bruce, don’t do this,” Y/N breathed out, trying to hold down the panic trying to swallow the cotton in her mouth.

“Yes, we have, but that doesn’t excuse you from hiding what you are Y/N, I wish I would have known earlier. But, because I have known you for so long, I believe I will keep you for myself,” he admitted reaching behind her to come back with a bottle of water, opening to place it to her lips, allowing her to drink it greedily.

“You will…,” Y/N gulped in her haze the sentence finally registering HE, not Stark, not SHIELD, intending to keep her to himself.

“It will be easy, I’ll formulate, another poison if you will, that will keep you compliant, & I’ll keep you here, with me, in the lab or wherever I go,” he smiled, leaving the bottle at her lips, making sure she didn’t need more.

“A pet, you will make me your pet,” Y/N gulped, looking at him through hazy silver/blue eyes their light still intense but filled with terror, his grin making her guts twist, or was that a reaction to the drugs?

“Another way of putting,” Bruce smiled, pulling the bottle away to place it on the tray, then turning back to her.

“So, it looks like we are ready,” he smirked, straitening & stepping back to make sure the screens where registering all the data.

“No, Bruce please,” Y/N now pealed, watching him pick up a scalpel.

“I'm sorry Y/N it's too late, you should have told me sooner so that I wouldn’t have to go this far to understand what you are,” he explained, picking up a pair of clamps & a vile that had liquid in it, he was taking a tissue sample.

“Ok, I'm sorry, I’ll, I’ll do what you want, just let me go, I’ll comply, pl…,” Y/N rambled out before letting out a scream of pain as the scalpel cut into the flesh of her thigh, Bruce having cut her scrubs to get to the area & swabbed over it quickly.

“To late for apologies Y/N,” Bruce spoke coldly, standing & placing the tissue into the vile before looking to Y/N & stooping back over to bandage the wound.

Tags: @dark-night-sky-99  @prettybubblesintheair  @gramaeryebard  @reallyheckinggay  @jovanna-shewolf  @andiyholly  @katstablook   @nickyl316h  @beets1bears1battlestargalactica @slender--spirit @aslandia726 @moonfaery @furstinnajoelle   @itsbqueenthings

[krazy-holly]

Sleepsong

Here is my very first Fairy Tail fanfiction!!! I hope you enjoy it!!!

       OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOSleepsongOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It had happened again. Happy woke with a start, his breathing erratic as he jolted upwards in his bed. He fought against tears as he tried to shake away the memories of the dream. It was hard to do so when they had been ingrained in his mind forever.

“Happy?” Came a groggy voice.

Happy turned to his left to see Natsu staring at him through the darkness with concern. “Something wrong little buddy?”

Happy shook his head slowly, biting his lip. “I’m fine.” He lied.

Natsu stood up, sitting down on Clover’s bed next to Happy. “Are you sure? Do you wanna go home?”

Happy shook his head once more. “I’m okay.” he said it forcefully.

He was trying to convince himself.

Natsu lowered his voice. “C’mere.” It wasn’t an offer. It was a demand.

Happy wearily crawled into Natsu’s lap, letting the dragon slayer reposition himself and steady Happy in his lap.

The nights where one of them was woken by night terrors were growing worryingly more as the months went by. Natsu briefly wondered if one of their more recent adventures had triggered something in their heads to have caused the sudden increase in nightmares.

But he couldn’t worry about that now. He had his best friend to calm down and comfort instead.

“Do you want to talk?” Natsu asked the small exceed in his arms. Happy gave a small shake of the head, eyes downcast.

“That’s okay.” Natsu assured him. Reaching out with his left hand, the dragon slayer grabbed a discarded yellow blanket and gently wrapped it around the small blue cat.

Happy visibly relaxed in the dragon slayer’s warm hold.

Safety. Something quite uncommon for both dragon slayer and exceed. Between all the adventures and quests they had been in, danger had become commonplace for the pair. They had grown used to the adrenaline and stress, causing their bodies to remain tense and full of anxiety, even after the battles were said and done.

Natsu began to remedy this for his small friend as he slowly rocked the exceed in his arms back and forth in attempt to calm the small cat.

Happy made a soft whimper, nestling closer to his lifelong friend.

Natsu thought for a moment before smiling softly at a memory.

Soft grass, the warm light of the setting sun as both he and Lisanna settled down in their hut and makeshift home. Happy had been just a kitten back then, still needing to be fed by bottle and rocked to sleep. Natsu had grown irritated, finding himself unable to lull the small exceed to sleep.

Lisanna had smiled, her snow white hair shimmering in the golden light of the sun through the cracks of their hut.

“Big sister Mira would always sing Elfman and I a lullaby when we were younger and couldn’t sleep.” She explained softly.

Natsu’s eyes looked intrigued.

“A sleepsong? Igneel used to sing one for me too when I was little!” He said excitedly.

Lisanna put a finger to her lips. “We need to be quiet if we want him to be calm and go to sleep.”

Younger Happy was staring up at the pair with wide eyes, tears welling in them.

Lisanna knelt down to scoop him up into her arms.

“Like this,” She sat down, motioning Natsu to sit beside her as she began to rock the little cat softly.

Her eyes closed and she began to hum a soft melody.

The crickets outside were her beat, the rustling of the trees her melody as slowly a wondrous harmony unfurled from her lips, silencing all and forcing them to listen.

“Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby...Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay…” She rocked Happy to the soft steady rhythm of the song. Natsu’s eyes flashed in recognition.

“Sleepsong…” He murmured to himself, thoughts of a warm fire and the large comforting presence beside him as he was taken back to times where all he knew was of warmth and scales.

“And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow...Bless you with love for the road that you go…” Lisanna continued and with an encouraging smile, Natsu soon joined her for the next verse.

“May you sail far to the far fields of fortune...With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet...And may you need never to banish misfortune...May you find kindness in all that you meet…”

“May there always be angels to watch over you...To guide you each step of the way...To guard you and keep you safe from all harm...Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay…” Natsu had begun to sing it now, to the present version of Happy whom was now looking up at him with wide eyes, memories of that night in that hut with Lisanna flowing through his mind and heart.

“May you bring love and may you bring happiness...Be loved in return to the end of your days...Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you...I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay…”

Clover had peered into the room, having heard the noise and grown concerned. She now watched in silence, eyes welling at the sight of both dragon slayer and exceed as the pair embraced, rocking slowly back and forth, memories swirling around them and sucking them into the past and pulling them to the future all at once.

Together, they sang; “May there always be angels to watch over you...To guide you each step of the way...To guard you and keep you safe from all harm...Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay…”

Their eyes met, sleepy indigo meeting orbs that held the eternal promise of protection and love.

Clover felt an overwhelming emotion fill her soul as she beheld the final exchange between the pair.

Natsu closed his eyes, holding Happy close as they finished the song together, in perfect harmony. “Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay...Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay…”

Both stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, holding the gaze and smiling widely, feeling the presence of another who had been oh so long gone.

Happy leaned forward, pressing his nose against Natsu’s, murmuring quietly. “Goodnight Natsu…”

Natsu returned the gesture, whispering the same.

Then Happy turned his gaze to the sky, a peaceful smile on his lips.

“Goodnight Lisanna…”

Outside the wind blew and the tree beside Clover’s window brushed against the window without making a sound. The clouds moved aside to reveal the perfect round moon in all it’s wondrous glory.

The entire Earth in all its brilliant being seemed to respond…

“Goodnight...”

I Hope you enjoyed it!!! Credit to @booksandsmoke for creating Clover. It is thanks to them that this story was created, as it was based on a roleplay we did!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQpU_73Dv0 Here is the link to the song that Natsu/Lisanna sang in the story if you are curious.

[hannah-deserved-better]

Castiel’s Happiness

SPN Rare ship CC: round 24 @hannah-deserved-better Vs. @rarquette

Prompt: Massage oils

Ship: Castiel and Hannah

Word count: 1633

Tags: Medium smut

Summary: Hannah and Castiel explore what happiness can truly feel like.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15539439/chapters/41555777

“Are you feeling better now?” Castiel asked as Hannah relaxed in the bathtub, the steam coming off the water she was submerged in. She opened her eyes, tilting her head slightly to look at him. She nodded.

“Yes,” she said softly. He smiled feeling relieved. Having to carry her in after she’d fallen into a frozen lake, and hurrying to warm her had him shaken. But everything would be okay now. He moved to stand up, but she reached out a hand to stop him. “Where are you going?” she asked.

“I thought you would want privacy in here,” he replied. He blushed slightly at the fact that he had had to undress her because she had been too cold to do anything except shiver. Now she was lying naked in a tub in front of him and with the danger past, he was now more aware of that fact than before.

“I’d like you to stay,” she insisted, gazing up at him with wide soulful eyes. “If… that’s considered appropriate.”

Castiel shrugged as he settled down on the carpet beside the bathtub. “Well I’m not sure how appropriate it is,” he admitted. “But I often find myself baffled by the things humans find appropriate and the things that they don’t.”

“Humans are strange, frail things,” Hannah commented as she held her arms out in front of her, looking them over as her skin glistened with moisture. “The sensations my vessel’s body gave me when I fell into the lake, how quickly I began to lose control of my own motor functions. And now, the hot water feels soothing.”

“Does it?” Castiel glanced at her. He watched as she seemed to observe the motions of her own body as if exploring all of its functions for the first time. “I suppose I felt the same when I first took a human vessel.”

Her eyes roamed over the surface of the water and fell on a basket of bath supplies resting on the far edge of the tub. “What are those?” she wanted to know, glancing at Castiel for an explanation.

He grabbed the basket and sorted through it. “I believe they are meant to enhance the bathing experience,” he explained as he examined each bottle. “Many of these liquids and creams have a pleasing scent to them.” He pulled one out that he found particularly curious. “This one is a massage oil; it is rubbed into your skin to promote relaxation and tranquility. It is scented with roses and vanilla.” He handed the bottle to her, and she popped the lid, sniffing it curiously.

“I like this aroma,” she said, handing it back to him. “How do I use it?”

“Here, let me show you,” Castiel offered. He perched himself on the edge of the tub and slipped a hand into the water to grab her leg, gently guiding it out so that her foot rested on his lap. She watched him intently as he poured some of the oil onto his hand and began massaging her foot.

She let out a sigh as she leaned back, closing her eyes. The look of pure bliss on her face encouraged Castiel as he massaged her foot deeply, rubbing every inch of it with both hands.

“I like this,” she murmured softly as she breathed out, savoring the feeling. “This feeling…”

Castiel found himself caught up in the motion, the feeling of her leg in his lap, holding her like this, it was a very new feeling for him too. For a moment, the room seemed to fade away, and he focused solely on the way her skin felt, the soft scent of the oil, the sounds of the water splashing gently whenever she moved.

Lost in the moment, Castiel closed his eyes, pressing a kiss to the top of her foot. The action prompted an immediate reaction from Hannah and when she withdrew her leg from his lap, he glanced at her, worried he had upset her, but instead, she sat up, the water sloshing as she moved closer to him until she was sitting in front of him, her skin wet as she met his gaze, her eyes big and sensual.

“I think I would like to explore these… sensations further,” she said, her voice low and alluring. He didn’t say anything at first, just stared at her face, committing every molecule to memory as he brushed a strand of wet hair from her eyes, the movement prompting her to lean into him further.

He pressed his lips to hers softly, tenderly as he held a hand to her face. The feeling of electricity through his body as their lips met had him hypnotized. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the kiss.

He pushed away from her if only to hold her face in both of his hands and stared intensely into her eyes as the feelings circulated through his body. He felt hot, turbulent, the look of desire in her eyes beckoning him. “Do you want this?” he asked her, it was necessary to him that she understood and accepted where this would lead. She nodded without hesitation.

“I’ve never… had these sensations before,” she said softly. “And… I think…” she seemed to consider her answer. “I think I love you, Castiel.”

“You think?” he asked in a teasing tone before kissing her again, deeper, with a passion he never knew he possessed. She matched his intensity, her breath on his mouth causing ripples of electricity through him.

After a moment, he got to his feet. “Dry off and come join me,” he insisted. “I have an idea.” She nodded, her eyes following him with curiosity as he stood and hurried out of the bathroom.

The main room of their little cabin was cozy. There was a fireplace and a large queen sized bed, and while the wind howled outside and the snow piled up in the windows, the temperature inside was warm and pleasant. Castiel got to work, placing the candles in strategic places before dimming the lights and getting undressed. He put on his blue bathrobe, and he set his phone to emit pleasant piano music. Everything seemed perfect.

Of course, he had a little help by consulting ‘the google,’ but he was sure he had paid attention to every detail. He made sure the crackling of the roaring fire in the fireplace added to the warmth and light of the room.

When Hannah finally emerged from the bathroom, she was wrapped in a towel and holding the bottle of massage oils. “Could we use more of this?” she asked before noticing the soft ambiance around her.

“Yes,” he said as she moved over to him. Meeting her gaze, he pulled her against him, taking her into his arms and kissing her. She seemed to melt in his arms, her muscles instantly relaxing as the towel fell from her body.

Hoisting her onto the bed, he went to work with the massage oil. He made it a point to massage every inch of her body, rubbing and massaging with body hands from her feet to her legs and up and down her back and torso, taking extra care not to miss the more sensitive regions.

The sighs and soft whimpers that told him she was enjoying everything he did encouraged him, and when he eased himself under the blankets, she suddenly held up a hand for him to stop.

“Wait,” she said before sitting up and gently pressing her palms to his chest, prompting him to lay back, the back of his head sinking into the pillows as he propped himself to a slight incline. Then she eased herself onto him.

Castiel was met with those big cerulean eyes again as she peered down into his gaze, her hair spilling out around them. He held her to him, his hands resting gently on the base of her shoulder blades as she slowly settled into him.

The angel had never felt these sorts of sensations before. They went far beyond the physical as he held Hannah’s body to him, the motions of her hips and thighs moving against his in a slow, rhythmic motion, he found himself transfixed on her eyes and hers on his. The sweet scent of rose and vanilla on her skin, the look of passionate desire and pleasure in those blue orbs, the soft gasps and moans falling from her lips, the movement of her body against his, it suddenly occurred to him that this could be his happiness.

“Hannah…” he murmured as he gave over complete control to her. She only responded by letting out a surprised groan as he felt her clench down around him. Quickly, he flipped her over, pressing himself deep into her body as she sunk into the pillow, her eyes fluttering shut.

“Castiel…” she breathed, a breath hitched in her throat as she whimpered, savoring the release of pleasure. The look of bliss on her face was enough to drive him to release as he pressed his face against the softness of her shoulder and breast. For a moment, they both seemed to phase out of time and space, the intensity of the release of pleasure clouding through their minds.

When the feeling had finally dissipated, and Castiel held Hannah tightly in his arms, needing to feel her close, he realized he had truly found his happiness. This angel woman- one of the few of his own kind that ever showed him kindness- was now his lover.

“I love you,” he said as he pressed a kiss to her head. “Forever.”

[cynabate-blog]

Instincts

Foreword (full)

— Honey, Wake Up.

My mother's voice calls me sweetly, while gently pushing my shoulder.

— Are we there yet? —I stretch my arms over my head. Sleeping sitting really is uncomfortable, especially in such a space Reduced.

— Already almost —He replies, pointing to the sign indicating the entrance to the city.

“Welcome To Winston-Salem. "

Another damn old-fashioned town. At least this is surrounded by a fairly dense forest, unlike the previous one.

— I'm sure About what You'll like it here.

My mother, what a noble and sweet woman. She gives everything for me, sacrificed so much... deserves to be happy. For that reason I agreed to enter a The University; I don't need it, but I want you to feel proud of me.

— I know it's hard, but we'll strive — Press My Hand hard— This time it will work.

— And if you don't, We can always send everything to the devil again.

— Josh, please.

— Gabriel, Mom. My name is Gabriel.

It's not enough to have to leave my life behind, I also have to change my name.

— I know, my life, but it's easier to get used to this way.

— Joshua Wells. What a pathetic name —I cross my Arms— My IQ drops every time I say it out loud.

I resent having to disown the name my father gave me. I'm proud to be Gabriel Blake, but I know I have no choice.

— Joshua Wells, you damned scum —Murmur.

— Enough. There is no other way.

I'm not saying any more, I'm in a bad mood and it's not fair to take it. All this shit is my fault.

He diverted the view and I am dedicated to revise The messages on my phone…

Ethan                                                                                    

[And how are you doing?]

Josh

{I just woke up}

Ethan

[and the people?]

Josh

{A shit}

{I wish you were with me > = (}

Ethan

[You know I can't leave my parents nowa]

Josh

{I know. I miss you.}

Ethan

[Me too]

[I must take care of something. I'll talk to you later.]

 Ethan is my best friend and I don't know what I'll do without him. He's the only person in this rotten world that I really care about, besides my mother of course.

The city is very different from the boring old town I imagined. Most passers-by are young, college-bound students. But nOr I'm interested, I'm not here to make friends.

— Arrived —We parked behind an old building.

Under the car and I keep crestfallen My mother into the house.

— Home, Sweet Home.

My mother and her bloody positivism.

— What a crap.

The place is a fiasco, Smells of mold and dust; The garbage is everywhere, there are rats running inside and outside the walls. I even managed to hear them, loud and clear, As if they were moving next to Me.

— Joshua Stop complaining —He rebukes me with his gaze— We're going to eat something and then we'll clean.

After lowering the suitcases and taking a substantial sandwich, I dedicate myself to clean the one that will be my room while mom takes care of the rest of the house. The building Is Divided into two floorsNWe we will live at the top, which has three bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen dining room; There is also a kind of terrace with a large window that makes the living room times. The ground floor is a disaster, apparently it was a kind of low-mount bar, now it will be used to install the college coffee that my mother so much desires, of course after repairing it.

— What about my stuff? —Cry from where I am— My room is packed with that old man's trash. Where are my demeanor?

— Josh, calm down. The truck will arrive later —Mom walks through the door and watches me frowning— Have more respect for your grandfather's memory.

I don't understand what's bothering you so much, that old bastard ran into this place when he was just a teenager. If he had done that with me, I would dance on his graveQShe doesn't hold a grudge.; He always says that if he hadn't gone he wouldn't have had me... yes, right. As if my father had allowed it.

I smile when I imagine my father's attitude. Actually, I didn't know him very well; He was five years old when he was ripped off our side. SHowever, my mother has taken charge of telling me every detail pertaining to Christopher Blake, the most extraordinary man to ever tread on this world.

When TErminamos Unpacking We decided to go out for some dinner. Fast food is the best option, I don't like burgers, But there's no other.

We walked very close, mom is telling her anecdotes, apparently has a story for every Damn Village building.

When I get to the place I start to get nervous, it is crowded with college students gathered in groups and everyone watches us as we open our way to the counter. I raise the hood of My Sweatshirt to avoid To Your eyes Curious That focus on my face, I don't want to be recognized.

— A double burger, fries and a soda —Order my mother.

The girl behind the counter looks at me like I'm a freak. What should I say about her and her strange pink hair?

— Fries —murmuring, turning his face.

— Josh, you can't just eat that..

— It is ok —I ring my eyes— Also a soda.

— Joshua, you have to feed —My mother scolds Me— Another double burger.

— I said I only want potatoes.

The murmurs begin to increase and I hear a "Mama's Boy", which unleashes a general laugh. Something inside of me begins to untie, I am aware of what will happen if I do not leave this place immediately.

My mother holds my arm and stares at me. I know what those green eyes are telling me...

"Control yourself, Gabriel. Grip

I can not obey, so I just turn on my feet and I go to the exit pushing everyone who stands in my way.

I'm going to go through the door and hit something. Suddenly I'm sitting on the floor sobándome the bottom of my back, since I took a big hit.

I look up to meet a stout guy, trigueña skin and long hair with some braids, it seems to exceed my age only for a couple of years. It passes from me, while three others continue to laugh in laughter

— Hey! What the fuck is wrong with you?! —Cry, clenching Fists. NOr I can bear to istA class of idiots.

If he gets to answer, he's a dead man.

— You're the one in the middle —Responds, With a very loud voice.

Me POngo Standing effortlessly For Jump on the idiot and rip his head off when someone Press My arm delicately.

— Are you ok? —A soft, quiet voice makes me turn right away, just to meet AYou eyes so Blue and dark As the Deep Sea.

managed to nod without being able to deflect the look, the guy in front of me is truly attractive. is high and quite Burly, it has white skin, a rather long hair of a beautiful jet black and a look that seems to be able to reveal the secrets of My Soul. Instinctively duck the head, I don't want him to know the beast that lives inside of me.

— Robert, Be more careful — taking their eyes off mine.

"No, no, no. Look at me... don't see anyone else just me. "

COmienzo to Tremble Inexplicably.

“What's wrong with me? Why is this person causing me this?”

— Take it easy. I won't let him hurt you. — Such Perishes What It confuses my nervous tremors with fear.

"Baby, If you Knew"

Wait, what? Why did I call him that? No, I don't like men, nor women, but that's not the case. What does this guy have that makes me think like that? I need to know, I have to...

— Thank you —My mother's voice Interrupts US — Sure was nothing.

I do not oppose resistance and let me drag out of the place. My mother pulls my arm hard forcing me to walk.

— What about dinner?

I look over my shoulder and I see that Pelinegro standing in the middle of the sidewalk, Watching me as if he wanted to follow us.

— Here I have it —Lift a paper bag with the name of the chain— Now walk.

After several streets I realized what isá Happening, everyone we meet with laughs or makes a mocking commentary to see how my mother drags me like a small child.

— Let me! —GrUño As I release his grip— What the hell is wrong with you?

She looks at me scared, she knows I can lose control with ease, But He still faces me.

— I don't want you to get near those young.

— I remind you that I can take care of myself.

I can't understand your behavior. You know very well that I don't like to make friends, not because I lack the ability to make them, But it, Just, I can't see others as my peers, I'm too different and I'm aware of it. But that doesn't mean she decides for me.

— Son, they are dangerous.

— Do I have to remind you why we moved? —Now if I'm furious— I'm a fucking monster without a heart.

My mother covers her mouth with both hands to prevent a sobs from escaping from her lips, while tears fall on her cheeks. Only then do I realize how much my words hurt and I don't know what to do.

— I have to think — sUelto, and I run away without a specific address, I can't bear to see her in that state.

I can hear your screaming calling me, But I'm not going to turn around or stop, I don't want to, I can't, I'm the cause of all the bad in your life. If it wasn't for me, my father would still be with him, if it wasn't for me, she could make a normal life, if it weren't for me, everyone would be alive.

— Why are you letting me live? —I scream at the sky, Deteniéndome and falling on my knees on the wet lawn; NOr I'm tired, But my forces fail and I don't want to go on.

I cover my eyes with my fists and start to cry.

— Kill me, please. Kill me —Whisper.

There's no way I can hurt myself. And sMy mother would blame herself for letting me down., or some similar stupidity, And his heart would break.

I'm about to continue walking when I hear a crunch and watch around me. I am in the middle of the forest, the dark and chilling forest, the wind blows rocking the branches and the clarity of the moon seeps into dim rays through the thick foliage. The sound of footsteps ever closer make the desperation I feel replaced by fear and my instinct for survival comes out with all its strength. I put myself in defensive posture, Ready for combat. NOr matter what creature it is, I'll wreck it just try to attack me.

I feel a grunt behind my back and when I turn around to defend myself I'm petrified. In front of me there is a huge wolf staring at me, his blue orbs show a flash that makes my heart throb like crazy and its black fur gives the feeling of being silky and soft.

I extend my arm with an open hand to touch it, I'm not sure why, but I'm attracted to that animal. As soon as my palm is close to its snout, the Wolf supports his head against My hand And I unwittingly smile.

I start stroking it and I encourage myself to get closer to scratching behind your ears, Like a dog.

— That good boy —I mean silly air.

A grunt responds to my comment and I walk away a few steps grabbing the hand with which I was caressing him. I don't want to disturb him and provoke him to attack me, I know I can defend myself and hurt him.

He realizes my cautious attitude and bends his head to rest on his legs.

"Are you apologizing?"

— Who are you? —I wonder looking suspiciously.

I'm sure it's a human change shape, a werewolf. I know very well that they exist, as well as vampires and other "mythological" minions.

He just deflects his gaze and lets out a snort, apparently he can't tell me... or maybe he doesn't want me to know. Still, I can't get angry, I have a much bigger secret and I can't tell anyone.

— Can I touch you? —Very slowly I sit at his side with his legs crossed.

He puts his head on my legs and I start scratching his spine. I know he's a wolf, but I can swear he's purring like a cat right now.

The Minutes pass and I say nothing, I only devote myself to enjoy the tranquility that makes me stand by his side, until a howl in the distance makes him raise his head.

— So you have a herd —commented, seeing in the same direction in which he focuses his gaze. 

Turns to look at me, seems to be debating between staying with me or answering the call.

— SeeYou. I'm doing fine.

It integrates and I keep observing as if I did not believe. I smile and stand leaning on my knees, I have numb my muscles for being so long in the same posture.

— It was just a tantrum, I'm under a lot of stress.

He still doesn't seem to believe me and I hasten to convince him, as the howls are heard closer and closer.

— How about we meet here tomorrow at this hour?

Begins to Move the tail and pull out the tongue panting. Apparently he's happy.

— It's a date then... Now describe the way to the village. I ran without looking where I was going.

He points behind me, lifting his snout. I hadn't noticed how big Es Until you Is Erect Next to me and TEngo To raise your head To see him in the eye.

If I decided to attack me I'm sure Of That I would be victorious, no matter what size o Your strength I know you will. However, I feel that neither one of us could hurt the other.

I take a couple of steps away, following the indicated path and then I decide to turn around just to find out that he did the same.

"What is this?"

I can To feel a nostalgia similar to the one that invaded me when I said goodbye to Ethan. Although this is different, it is a mixture of many feelings that I cannot identify.

I see my mother standing at the door of the old building that is now my home. It carries asa Her hideous water-green pajamas and yellow slippers decorated with flowers, look like those ridiculous old girls that come out in the novels.

— Good heavens, mom. I told you to get rid of that thing..

I pass by her without looking up, I am not good with apologies.

— Where have you been? Do you have any idea what time it is? You had Me worried.

He follows Me down the atosigándome staircase with one question after another.

— I told you I can take care of myself. Stop treating me like a little boy..

— I just worry about you. — says Between sobs.

— I know —I stop before entering the bathroom— But you don't have to. I need to see the world for Me Myself, find out who I am, what my goal in life is— vOlteo to hug her, I know I'm going to say she's going to hurt her.— Mom I'm going to live on campus.

— What? Why? —He pushes me with all his strength trying to separate, But I don't loose it.

— I have to stop depending on you and this is a good way to start.

My mother is a smart woman, I'm sure she understands what I mean, so I don't need to say any more. The hug with more strength and EsperAndo To leave Of Cry.

— You know I love you and I never wanted you to feel overwhelmed.

— I know, but it's time you let me do my life and start living yours —I'm apart To see her beautiful face And I Smile— Plus I'll just be a few minutes from here and I'll come to visitArt.

— That's a fact. I need help with this mess..

Hug me again, it's calmer.

— Sure, Mom. There are still two weeks before the beginning of classes, we will arrange this place by then.

Kiss Me Good night and retire to his room to rest.

After giving me a bath I throw myself on the bed and check the cell phone. I can't sleep thinking about everything that will come. I answer some messages from Ethan, Telling him about the place, But I do not mention anything of my strange encounter or how confused I have these emotions; That I keep it for myself because I know that the fast beating of my heart is due to the nerves of the moment... or so I hope.

[parkjmini]

power trip (m) | pkjm

fratboy!jimin smut a sleazy fratboy thinks he could get any girl he wants, until he meets you word count: 1851 genre: smut SMUT!! SMUT!! S MU T warning: sleazy jimin, dom!jimin, sub!jimin??, explicit language, oral 

[a/n]: this is a continuation from dangerous waters !!! im honestly genuinely surprised at the amount of love dangerous waters got bc it was my first smut and i was scared it was going to be BAD but here’s a part two !!

Maybe he lost interest in you. Maybe he’d forgotten about the blue balls you gave him nights before. You sat in the library, doodling on the corner of your notebook. Your mind had been filled with thoughts of Jimin. Bad thoughts. Thoughts that you kept to yourself because they were just that foul to tell another soul. 

Thinking about Jimin’s tongue made you squirm in your seat during lectures. It made you go insane, knowing that there was no way you’d cross paths. Jimin was in a completely different section of campus and your paths never intersected. 

So you weren’t surprised at his idleness. He didn’t care that much about seeing you again. Guys like him can get laid any night they wanted, with whomever they wanted. It was hard to hide your disappointment though. You had so much hope in him.

You peered up at the sound of gasps echoing throughout the silent library. It was late at night, but there was always a handful of girls from your dorm that occupied the library. 

Jimin came speed walking towards you, rather upset. Perking up, you tried to fix the falling strands from your messy ponytail. You looked like a complete mess. It was a study night for you and that usually meant a random t-shirt and sweats. Your hair was thrown into a loose, wild ponytail to get it out of your eyes.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been looking for you.” Jimin panted heavily as he slammed his hands onto your table. 

Your eyes widen at his statement, and you blinked at him confused. “What?”

“I spent the past two weeks trying to figure out where you went, or where you were. If you hadn’t notice, you never exactly left me a number.” A light pink grazed upon your soft cheeks as you realized how you foolishly over analyzed the situation. Jimin had been looking for you.

“I was beginning to think you didn’t—” 

“—well erase every negative thought about me not wanting you, because you’ve been all I’ve wanted recently.”  You gulped at his suggestive comment and watched as his eyes darted from your lips to refocus on your eyes.

Getting up, you gathered your things. You whispered, “help me pack my things, so we can move into one of the study rooms.” 

Jimin caught on and quickly helped you with your books. Everyone left in the library watched as Jimin The Sleaze pulled you towards the empty study rooms. He closed the door as softly as possible to avoid any suspicion from the librarian. 

“Someone’s in a hurry. Why don’t you stay a bit, Jimin?” You said seductively, no longer needing to whisper due to the sound proof walls. 

“Give me a reason to stay.” Jimin pulled out a chair and sat leisurely in it, legs spread wide open. He was wearing gray sweat pants and a long white shirt. His tasseled black hair peaked, exposing his forehead. He had silver rings that wrapped around his index and ring fingers. A sweet, sterling sliver bracelet dangling around his wrist. 

“I’ll give you more than a reason.” You whispered as you approached him, exaggerating your hips a bit. Bending down, you grazed softly against his lips.

“Again with the teasing. I’ve waited too long for this to get teased.” He growled, his lust-filled eyes drank up your excitement. You kissed down his long, warm neck. Marking his skin, you heard him whimper a little. His soft whines caused you to grow wet, however, tonight was about taking care of him.

You wanted to show Jimin what you could do. He was no longer going to underestimate you. He showed you his talents the other night, it was only fair that it was now your turn. 

“Jimin,” You moaned. He looked up at the sound of his name almost instantaneously. 

“Yes, baby?” His responses were more of gasps now, and he swallowed hard every two minutes. The anticipation was completely destroying him. His obvious boner poked painfully through the fabric of his gray sweats, not going unnoticed.

His hips would raise off the chair to cause any friction and you knew how torturous it was for him. Maybe it was a power trip, but you loved how he melted under your gaze. “How much did you think about me?” 

“Every day after that night.” He said quickly, his hooded eyes watched your movements. Your hands caressed his torso, feeling his solid body underneath your fingertips. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how your tongue would feel or how pretty you’d look with me in your mouth. I had so many nasty thoughts.”

“Tsk tsk, baby, why would you think of me like that?” You shook your head as your finger outlined his hard on through his sweats. Jimin sucked in his breath, his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. Kneeling in between his spread legs, your hands rested on his thick thighs. 

“I couldn’t- uh- help it.” He stuttered, looking down at you. 

You tugged his pants off, revealing his black briefs that hugged his body. His member being much more prominent, much more thick than you had expected.

Jimin wasn’t the tallest or the biggest guy on campus, which is why you were surprised when you slowly revealed his shaft. It sprung up, and hit his lower abdomen, standing rock hard with a red tip. He was spewing out precum, and your mouth watered.

You heard him hiss as the cold air lingered over his exposed meat. A hard swallow following after. Looking up, Jimin remained glued at you, aching at every movement. He was no longer the one in control.

Kissing his tip, Jimin’s body shuddered. “Oh my god! (Y/N), please!”

“Jimin, I barely touched you.” You laughed, his lubrication stringing from your lips to his tip.

He had been diligently searching for you and you didn’t want him to wait any more longer. You thought he deserved enough teasing.

Slowly, your mouth wrapped around his member. You stopped halfway, not entirely giving him satisfaction.

Jimin’s gasps and moans filled the study room. Your hand held him at the base, and stroked as you moved up and down, coating him in your saliva. Jimin was a little too big to fit into your mouth, so you tried your best.

“Baby, you’re so good.” Jimin’s head fell backwards on the chair, his mouth hung open.

You sucked harder and harder each time you went down. His legs started to shake and he perked up. He was a moaning mess as you quickened your pace, his cheeks tinted a beautiful pink.

“Mmhm, fuck. I can’t – oh my god –” He was at lost for words, his hand gripped your ponytail. He pushed your head further down, hoping you could take all of him. 

Your big, round eyes stared up at him, watering as his tip hit the back of your throat. He pulled you off, but you continued licking his veiny cock.

“Are you going to cum for me, baby?” You asked softly as you put him back into your mouth.

He nodded, unable to form coherent words from the pleasure he was receiving. His hips began to move, fucking your face. However, you didn’t allow him to gain control.

You held him down against the chair and he groaned. “Ah, (Y/N). I’m so close, just — a little uh – more.” He pleaded, wanting to thrust into your wet mouth.

You sucked him quicker as you cupped his balls. He squealed softly at your touch, turning into such a soft boy.

“I’m going to cum, baby.” His voice was hoarse, and desperate. His eyes constantly jumped between your own and his dick in your mouth. He relished the scene of the risque visual, pushing him closer to the edge.

His small hands gripped onto your ponytail as he exclaimed, “I’m cum—”

Suddenly, the door opened as Jimin ejaculated into your mouth, filling you up with his salty juices. Jimin fell silent at the interruption, but his hips unconsciously moved to drag out his orgasm. 

“What’s going on in here?” The librarian asked.

That was when Jimin froze, but you knew she wouldn’t be able to see you underneath the table. You continued to suck him dry, him still cumming. He bit his lip, afraid moans would blurt out instead.

“I’m just studying.” He said unbelievably. He grunted as the pleasure slowly became too much.

“Where’s (Y/N)? I saw her come in with you.” The librarian asked and you wanted to laugh at how distressed Jimin looked above. You released him to swallow, and licked the excess that dripped from his tip. This caused him to shudder, his face contouring as well.

“Are you okay, Jimin?” The librarian asked.

“Uh- I’m fine.” He moaned, surprising himself. He cleared his throat, before answering her previous question. “She went to the bathroom, I think.”

“Okay. Sorry for interrupting your studying. I thought something strange was happening.” She said before closing the door.

Jimin peered down at you giving him kitty licks at his semi-hard cock. A smirk planted on your tired face, staring back at him with your wondrously big orbs. He held you back by your shoulders, shaking from too much over stimulation. “Too- much.” 

“You’re whines are so cute, Jimin. I didn’t expect that from you.” You stood up, and leaned down to give him one last kiss. Jimin caressed your face, his tongue fighting with yours. 

“I- I- didn’t know I could react like that too.” He admitted shyly, diverting away from his usual cool fratboy personality. 

You chuckled a bit, your heart soaring at how he had sweetly moaned your name. You remembered his diligent praise and gentle touches. 

“Why did you continue when she walked in? We could’ve been caught.” Jimin asked as he pulled up his clothing.

You gathered your things. “I guess you could say I like the risk.”

Jimin blinked at you, shocked by your confidence. “What? Was Jimin the Sleaze afraid of a little exposure?” You taunted and headed for the door. Jimin hurried to stop you from leaving.

“(Y/N), why are you always leaving me?” His round, puppy dog eyes pleaded you for an answer, a pout resting on his face. 

“I wouldn’t want you to get too comfortable with me. I like surprises, receiving and giving.” You winked and Jimin’s hand fell from the handle.

“You’re a wild one, Dorm J. Leave me a number this time, okay? I want to take you out sometime.” He asked so kindly, you couldn’t refuse. You scribbled your digits on his skin, before you left him in the study room.

A few girls stared at you, gasping at your riled up appearance. However, you didn’t care about their judgment. The only thing that was on your mind was the beautiful, fratboy Park Jimin.

[a/n]: not really sure how i feel about this one?? this wasnt as good ?? im not sure honestly hahaha also !! there is one more part to this ((-: so pls anticipate it and let me know how yall feel abt this so far (((-:

next/final part ---> ride