#TAKE THIS RIDICULOUS MAN AND PERISH. )

[tobebrutal]

this is a dance danced many a night before. he knows the steps. he knows the words and when to smile. a game , to whatever end. but not all games follow the same rules and despite knowing little of their language , there are still bits and pieces that slip through. impossible to understand their application without knowing the rest , but something to cling to when waters surge with theron's rise and a strong hand leaves him to hold his breath. it lands at his jaw , his chin , and spares his throat. not the typical mercy and zevran doesn't swallow for being given it. not yet. while the questions mount and honied eyes blink through an array of lewd responses that.. suddenly , seem unfit for the giving. not out of fear ; theron doesn't scare him and neither does death. it's the alternative he struggles with. what to do with an offer when he yet lives.

" ah.. you have caught me , " soft , a quiet confession is safe , here , with him. it's lack of caution makes clear there's no intent to fight whatever this is. a body pliant for hands or blades , his has always been. since a fledgling still donned in down and learning its wings. he knows how to sit upright. he knows how to raise his head that inch further , spare a glimpse of his jugular. both predator and prey , crows often are , but the absence of expected fangs make this interesting. as always. " do you often play with your food ? "

he did. he was.

zevran wonders , sat as he is , what this scene may strike from across the camp. how quickly one would come to their leader's aid despite how he is diminished , there , beneath him. eager , too , the lot of them , no doubt. it makes him shiver more than this confrontation with the ethereal. " and to compare me to demons no less ? you wound me so. " he was much more efficient than demons , he thought. even in loss , often , he found some form of triumph. he finds it now , a pursed frown slipped in favor of the grin most frequent to pass.

" to answer your question is not so simple. what do i seek ? is it not what all men seek ? to enjoy the pleasures of the world , untethered and inspired ? " a half - truth is still truth. it's no more poisonous than the crease across his nose. the lean forward that turns a delicate grip into one more summit crested. " perhaps it is to find a strong , alluring man to hold me as my mother never did. " the step too far is taken. he comes out the other side of this less serious. lacks the morose of what could have been , had he let theron press further into very , very fresh wounds. " did i mention i never knew her ? i'm so , so sad about it. "

Carved nostrils flared as drew his thick silken cloak tightly about his person, the metallic threads of its antiquated embroidery glimmering in the firelight. “ Ir ame tel'din sha'melenal alin, ” Theron muttered, shaking his head bitterly. He moved with with practiced fluidity 'twixt tongues, and there was something about each of his words that bore a silvery quality that could compel within a listener the desire to hear more. His enunciation reverberated like a song; an exquisite rhythm invoking memories from a bygone era with how each word played off his lips and against the other's pulse. It was a silent invitation, an invisible chair pulled out for Zevran to sit upon, should he choose to meet the occasion by discerning the rhythm and lending his voice to the song of the conversation, as it were.

“ Dirth ma, dahabana. Mar palasha ena mar din — at least, if you are not careful, for I have glimpsed your like in the Fade — or memories thereof, perhaps. It never ends well. ”

“ And you are not merely admiring me, ” he insisted. Though Theron moved not, his gaze was now fixed upon Zevran, and the shadows about the fire seemed to bleed toward him until it looked though the very shadow of Theron's hand lay upon Zevran's neck, poised to take him in its tenebrous grip. “ There is, despite what you pretend, nothing innocuous about what you do. You wish something from me, and though I know not what it is, you are endeavoring to goad me into surrendering it. ”

“ The act of gazing upon me does not require actively conversing with me, especially in a manner that bears uncanny semblance to dark hunters in the Fade who attempt to ensnare their quarry with many a fair word or visage. Know you this: you are not the first to come before me with designs of ensnaring me with flattery and so fair and golden a visage, and I doubt very much that you will be the last. There have been hundreds before you, and not all of them wore flesh. It did not avail them then, and it shall not avail you now, and you do not even have the excuse of the Veil. So tell me, wherefore do you wish to possess me ? In your estimation, am I higher, or lower and more base than those that have come before me ? To what end do these banal delights of yours extend ? ”

Theron rose from his seat suddenly, his movements jarring in their abruptness as he advanced upon Zevran. Pale fingers slid beneath the other's chin, tilting Zevran's face upward to meet his gaze, pensive and piercing. His hands seemed to tremble slightly, as though Zevran were something irreparably valuable and fragile.

He shook his head softly, expression softening as the erstwhile blend of contempt-laced attraction relented in the wake of great sorrow and pity. Dark lips trembled, and for a moment the tide of emotion threatened to sweep him away utterly, seeing his tone wane to but a choked whisper. “ Do you even know ? ”

[moodymisty]

You know what I think? Since most of the primachs are emotionally constipated along with their legions except Vulkan. I headcanon that gestures ( like hugs or Emperor forbid kissing(on the cheek) that might be acceptable amongst friends. Your primach lover/husband probably won't like or think every male other primachs will try to take u away. If it's a baseline human then depending on the primarch they're getting unalived. Or Peter Turbo will most likely throwing them of a balcony. Sanguinius on the other hand I see him being more lenient... on the surface. The angel will probably be a little pissed off.

Bobby G I see him nipping it in the bud and Konrad will probably just eat them or send em to the next chew toy of the Night lords.

I think depending on the legion they'll be offended for the genefather if a human tried to flirt with their Legion Mother. Plus it aint like they're gonna get another one. Not in this lifetime at least. ex Blood Angel's and Salmanders

The night lords would deal with the homewrecker immediately to prevent Konrad from going off the deep end and repeat the flesh statue incident

Lorgar would probably see it as sacrilegious for quote 'Attempting to separate the bond of him and his love, his soul mate, and goddess. You must perish for that.'

Since most of the legion and primarchs see humans as expendable except the Salmanders. I wonder how it'll go over if reader was a human from Terra whose heart goes out for the common man. Or reader tries to save her friend by pleading for her primarch to forgive the 'transgression'

Ps. I see that afterwards reader won't have many friends at least outside of the space marines. Or any friends she does have will distant themselves to avoid triggering a jealous Primarch

Sorry this is so long. Just wanted to know your thoughts

I agree with this a lot. It's easy to see how they would misinterpret friendly gestures, or allow love to turn into possession. And as for the legion, they are vehemently programmed to protect their primarch and in their mind their primarch's beloved eventually in a way becomes part of them, and is wrapped in that vehement protection, but being a baseline it's ever worse. People just trying to talk to her and show her respect get threatened until she has no one but her primarch and his men.

also yeah... sorry i vomited some writing here real quick.

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

“Please, calm down!”

The Space wolf lieutenant largely ignores your plea, standing tall and intimidating the man who sits at the left end of the table. The other astartes of your retinue are similarly on guard, both in defense of their lieutenant. You are frozen in your seat thanks to a ceramite gauntlet holding you down, the marine attempting to push his body between you and their new target.

“Our Wolf Mother is betrothed to Primarch Russ. And you, some measly baseline, attempt to steal her?”

The man glances to you briefly as you try to argue on his behalf, standing up.

“Lieutenant! He was only being polite, stop this!”

Perhaps the man’s choice in words was a bit tackless, but he had clearly meant not much by it, however the Wolves take even the slightest thing so incredibly seriously.

"You are a beautiful and smart woman," His hand reached forward to gently touch yours over top of the papers you have stacked. "If only I had gotten to you before the Space Wolves did!"

Normally your men listen to you well; If Russ issues orders your husband will quite obviously rank above you, but they still take your opinion into a surprising amount of account. But for some reason during these past few months, as they've begun to call you Wolf Mother, they have shown their teeth and threatened anyone who so much as comes within grabbing distance of you.

"This is ridiculous, quit this!"

You look to the man who has lost all blood in his face, under the glare of a massive Space Wolf with braids decorating his hair. "I am so sorry, there's been a horrible misunderstanding and I-" You choke on your words as the instigating Space Wolf turns to you.

"There has been no misunderstanding, he-" You open your mouth and quickly speak, cutting him off. "No, there has been! The man was using hyperbole, he didn't actually mean what he said!"

The wolf looks down at you, and you see anger in his face slowly simmer down. You silently thank the Emperor and breath a sigh, putting your head in your hands.

This behavior keeps getting worse; You feel like you're stuck in a vice trap. So many people fallen from your life because they fear the snap of a Space Wolf's teeth, or worse, their Primarch's. You know Russ is instigating this behavior, encouraging it, is part of it, keeping you feeling so suffocated. You're so tired, you don't understand why they're acting like this.

Your head in your hands you let out a shaky breath, pressing down on the corners of your eyes so water doesn't leak from them. This is all too much. As you lean back up, the lieutenant sees the redness in your eyes and while stoic, is still noticeably concerned that you're about to cry.

"Wolf Mother… Are you well?" You take a deep breath and clear your throat.

"I'm fine. We should go." When you go to get up again, the gauntlet on your shoulder gives way and lets you rise up. You dip your head at the man who is starting to have color return to his face, now that he no longer is being threatened.

"I am so sorry, on behalf of everything. We'll be taking our leave."

You move to walk away, and your retinue follows close behind; Like a shadow.

[astrum99]

Surprisingly, human beings are the only creatures that looked into themselves. Movement of a blade sharpened to max, lightning fast, no hesitation. Peeling back skin and draining sinus. Bodies (alive, young), huddled around bodies (dead, damaged), to examine and poke and tear and say “I see, that one is the Inferior Vena Cava”. These abominable actions saves lives. Curiosity and morbidity guided a way of survival, of rescue. Later, the same sentiments, mixed with desperation, guided a way to destruction.

Bearing the remnants of humans, their organs pulsating in its body. A machine. A child of man.

Angels, on the other hand, are made perfect. Healthy body, strong will, and filled with holy light right off the bat. Vicious in battles. No need for learning, little need for healing. The smoothness and perfection of their skin akin to marble and sea glass. All creations pale in their presence. Nothing beats perfection. Certainly not creatures of cold unfeeling metal. Lightless, soulless, running on a fixed program of 0’s and 1’s set by the expired words of self-destroying, world-destroying, rotten images of God. Heretic. Even in their perishment, they set to ruin. Systems that they themselves can no longer escape from. Samsara of endless pain and death.

It is a wonder then, that when the machine finally tear through Gabriel’s helm, he become faintly aware of the things hidden deep inside. The ugly, raw things inside. The things he must have known but were never brave enough to face: the same pulsing gore that pushes through the gaps of his skin is the same as the one in the mankind’s bodies; the wires that prods through the throbbing organs is the same as that runs through the chassis of the machine. His body echos the lesser beings. For a second, he could not distinguish himself from man nor machine. How ridiculous, he thought, it thought. To be of this state. To see his/its image in his/its body. To have his/its strings/wires cut so late. The taste of spectacular freedom at the last millisecond of his/its life.

As the last drop of holy light seeps through his helm to stain the machine’s optics, he recognizes himself as heaven’s machine, and the machine as mankind’s angel. And now they are the same.

---

Insp is this post by @sinew-lattice!

thank u for infesting me w brain worms i enjoyed hosting the wiggly thing very much (also pls let me know if u don't like ppl writing/tagging i can always take stuff down:] )

[lunarriviera]

the huo daofu round-up post i have been threatening for a really long time now

Thinking about this man, I was just admitting to chat "honestly cannot believe how much life energy i have invested in such a minor character" but the truth of the matter is, I was mildly obsessed with Huo Daofu from Reboot alone; his odd unresolved backstory in Sha Hai just cemented my mental formation. Because let's be real, in a world of overly earnest tomb raiders, this man is a goddamn catty delight. The dainty bitterness! The barely concealed eye-rolling! So many impeccable That Bitch vibes. And his unimpressed snark is honestly such a refreshing antidote to Wu Xie's whole everyone-loves-him Marty Sue thing that even when you discover Huo Daofu secretly ALSO loves him, you don't mind, because by that point Dr. Youtiao is a savage queen who can do no wrong.

And He Longlong clearly made this guy up. In the novels he's just sort of a vaguely beardy guy who drives a truck, that's literally all I remember him ever doing. But someone cast this man, and they gave him some rubber bands and pizza coupons and chewed gum of a script to work with, and he promptly decided: I will make him extremely gay. And staggeringly bitchy. AND IT WORKS. He devours every frame he's in, he steals every scene. It's a performance worthy of Alan Rickman and yes I will die upon this hill.

We all know the bitchy-ex-boyfriend scenes in Reboot—"oh my god I literally can't wait for you to perish from lungs" and then Huo Daofu spends like every moment trying to keep Wu Xie alive, sheltering him uselessly from the rain with his hand, rubbing his back when he coughs, looking (when no one's watching but the camera) like he's maybe going to stop breathing himself, when Wu Xie does.

Apparently Huo Daofu's name sounds very silly in Chinese which I think is appropriate for someone who apparently (?) grew up in Germany (?) and went to the University of Heidelberg (?) (honestly don't waste time trying to figure out DMBJ canon, NPSS has thoughtfully ensured that will only be exhausting and futile). Spurious medical qualifications aside, he's super handy in fanfic, too, when you need a sketchy doctor, as all tomb-raiding mob families invariably do.

[someone once pointed out to me that this combination of degree topics basically translates into "how to dispose of bodies"]

I could also hold forth on him and Yang Hao—like, Su Wan alone makes it REAL clear that Huo Daofu's interest in the kid isn't just avuncular or entrepreneurial:

"Are you working for him, or are you working for him?" And Su Wan should be protective, because Yang Hao is honestly kind of an idiot, and probably doesn't realize he's being assiduously groomed not just as a mob boss but as a potential boy toy. (NB by the way that there are 44 fics in the Huo Daofu/Yang Hao tag, and disappointingly, not a single one of them is in English. Western fandom needs Jesus.)

But the thing is, Huo Daofu SAVES his ass in Gutongjing. Everyone forgets that. There's easily half a dozen times where he grabs Yang Hao's shoulder and hauls him back from danger. And Huo Daofu is the one Jiumen member smart enough to get out ahead of disaster, and to take Yang Hao with him. Here he is looking fabulous in a completely unnecessary but dramatic scarf.

And, at the end, he lets Yang Hao go. Because he's secretly decent.

Sure, he has some vaguely sketchy take-over-the-Huos plans, plans that clearly go awry at some point no matter how dramatically and villainously he makes tea. Sure, he exudes a scurrilous sort of evil. But he's COMPELLING and that's all I care about. Look at his pretty little face here, sourly plotting things, in a windowpane-checked suit which should be ridiculous but just winds up looking snazzy as fuck compared to the rest of the Jiumen. This is a man who understands the value of a pocket square. Thank you so much, He Longlong, we didn't deserve you putting your entire snatch into this very minor performance but some of us are extremely grateful.

So here are seven ficrecs, with a podfic and a meta from AO3. Please let me know if I should add anything (Tumblr meta?)—this post WILL be updated, because I have too much time on my hands and care unreasonably about the mean-spirited little bastard.

‡

Remember how this used to be (3569 words) by achray Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Wu Xie (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Angst, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Background Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie being a gremlin, Canon-typical references to illness Summary:

“That wasn’t a no,” Wu Xie said, his smile widening. “I thought you still wanted me.”

Notes: How is this both hot and sad? I don't know, that's the magic of fanfiction. This was the first Wu Xie/Huo Daofu fic I ever read and frankly the genre needs more entries, but this is a good one.

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the rime dictionary of Wu Xie (7433 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 6/6 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi/Ye Piaopiao, Wang Pangzi & Wu Xie & Zhang Qiling Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, Ye Piaopiao, Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Xiao Mei, Wu Erbai, Li Jiale (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Piaopiao lives, Post-Canon, Canon Flashbacks, canonical illness, fun with the common cold, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Handwaved SI Recovery, Canon-typical Ershu Infodump, Quasi-History-Compliant, Yuletide Treat Summary:

This is why (even now) Wu Xie shouldn’t be let out alone—one trip out to the provinces, and he comes home with a bad cold and an unsolved mystery.

Notes: this is one of my very favorite Huo Daofu writers and here's why—read this little excerpt. The angst. The PAIN. Wu Xie absolutely broke this man's heart at some point and honestly Huo Daofu is really only himself if he's suffering, love that for him:

“Easy,” he said, when Wu Xie couldn’t seem to stop coughing. “Here—” and reached for the rest of the tea, except that it wasn’t on the table any longer.

Zhang Qiling was holding the mug; he had somehow gone around to the other side of the bed, moving in that flowing now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t way that never seemed quite human, to sit down cross-legged on the bed by Wu Xie so that their shoulders touched. Huo Daofu snatched his hand away from Wu Xie’s back as if an electrical current might flow through the double contact.

“Wu Xie,” Zhang Qiling said, and then something else so quiet it was inaudible, holding the tea so Wu Xie could drink.

Looking at the open tenderness on that remote, beautiful face, utterly focused on Wu Xie, made Huo Daofu feel as if his flesh was trying to part ways with his bones. It was a pain his medical texts didn’t have a word for, deeper and more primitive than jealousy or resentment.

Wu Xie, getting his breath back, looked sideways at him with one of those sudden grins. “Sorry, Xiao Huo. You’re still out of luck when it comes to watching me die. Maybe next time.”

Huo Daofu’s voice would not quite leave his throat. Instead, Xiao Mei said crossly “Tianzhen-shu, that’s dumb.” Most of her attention was still on her phone screen. “Why would Dr. Huo want to watch you die.”

Wu Xie looked at him, still smiling.

“It’s a long story,” said Huo Daofu, “and it doesn’t matter now.”

‡

even through hesitation (10407 words) by naiwong_bao Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Huo Xiuxiu, Hei Xia Zi/Huo Xiuxiu/Xie Yuchen Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Huo Xiuxiu, Yang Hao (DMBJ Series), Hei Xia Zi (DMBJ Series), Xie Yuchen, Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Character Study, Alternate Universe - Fantasy Series: Part 3 of this is where we live Summary:

He’s a boy so Huo Daofu knows from the beginning that there are no expectations for him, he can do as he likes. So he plays, he cries, he does what children do.

Then his parents die.

No one wants him, no one has time for him, so his family sends him to Germany for school. It’ll be a good opportunity, his family says. He can do whatever he wants, be free of the family business, they’ll take care of him over there. He doesn’t want to go, he doesn't know who they are, but he doesn’t get a say.

So he goes to Germany where the language is strange, the food is strange, the people are strange, and he wants to go home so badly that his teeth ache.

Huo Daofu builds a life for himself, but at the first sign of trouble, years and years and years later, he rents out his apartment to an acquaintance, and flies home.

But.

The language is strange, he doesn’t know the slang, the food is strange, the people are strange.

His family is cold and he still doesn’t get a say. --- Huo Daofu between the end of Tomb of the Sea and when he reappears in Reboot. AKA Huo Daofu learns to care a little.

‡

The Mark of a Man (2279 words) by JhanaMay Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Yang Hao (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Yang Hao (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Loneliness, Found Family even when it makes you want to scream, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Huo Daofu is a mediocre role model Series: Part 8 of The Art of Conversation, Part 7 of The Art of Conversation Side Stories Summary:

When Huo Daofu inducted Yang Hao into the Huo family business, he wasn't expecting to become the boy's de facto babysitter.

Notes: a poignant little vignette in which Huo Daofu has a heart.

‡

[META] Huo Daofu's Youtiao Stand (739 words) by Thimblerig Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei, 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu & Huo Xiuxiu, Huo Daofu & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series) Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series) Additional Tags: Meta, Worldbuilding, Huo Daofu's Delicious Fried Snacks Series: Part 2 of DMBJ Meta Summary:

Huo Daofu is a supporting character in Sand Sea. Ambitious, wily, hungry, he’s far from one of the main villains of the story but he’s not nice, either. By the end of Sand Sea Huo Daofu has exploited the chaos caused by the ill-founded expedition to Gutongjing to take over various of the Huo Family operations.

When he appears in Reboot: Sound of Providence, he is a purveyor of delicious fried bread snacks. He’s clearly not hurting for money, so why…?

Notes: this is one of my favorite little HDF explorations, theorizing that Huo Xiuxiu busted him down a rank, and I think that's beautiful.

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starting in darkness, like a pure line of light (10167 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Bai Haotian, Bai Haotian & Wu Xie, Liu Sang & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian & Liu Sang Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling Additional Tags: background pingxie, background Iron Triangle, past Wu Xie/Huo Daofu, Post-Canon, hurt/sarcasm, Fade to Black, Dialogue Heavy, meta-adjacent, Self-Indulgent Use of Chinese, Emotional Hurt/Comfort Summary:

Some emotional loose ends are never going to be tied up, but at least they can be recognized and shared. Or, a selection of the worst best only ways to comfort one another in the aftermath.

Notes: absolutely nothing makes me, a Huo Daofu stan, happier than scherzanda's fics featuring him. You would think this is an odd pairing, but it's really not—the two people who love Wu Xie most and are left behind by him? They have so much in common. Also, this fic has a podfic!

[PODFIC] starting in darkness, like a pure line of light, by scherzanda (701 words) by Thimblerig Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Huo Daofu/Bai Haotian, Bai Haotian & Wu Xie, Liu Sang & Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian & Liu Sang Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Huò Dàofū, Bai Haotian, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling Additional Tags: background pingxie, background Iron Triangle, past Wu Xie/Huo Daofu, Post-Canon, hurt/sarcasm, Fade to Black, Dialogue Heavy, Meta Adjacent, Self-Indulgent Use of Chinese, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Podfic, podficcer not a native chinese-speaker but is doing her best, Podfic Length: 1-1.5 Hours

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do the work, love the work (1616 words) by scherzanda Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi, Zhang Qiling, Liu Sang (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian, Wu Erbai Additional Tags: Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, Character Study, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat Summary:

It doesn't always look that way, but Huo Daofu is doing his best.

Notes: once again I just have to excerpt, so you'll GET IT:

The train had nearly reached Hangzhou by the time Wu Xie spoke to him beyond the commonplace. He was still sitting in the corridor, staring dreamily at the growing suburbs, while Zhang Qiling gave Wang Pangzi a hand in the cabin. He looked up as Huo Daofu came back from the hot water dispenser. “Xiao Huo, xinkule. Sorry you never got that chance to watch me die, eh?”

Huo Daofu closed his eyes and looked away from Wu Xie’s smile, unshadowed now with death, brilliant and painful. “I’m sorry too,” he said, eyes still closed, and did not say any of the things he was sorry for.

‡

not only the sugar, but the days (3000 words) by A Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bai Haotian/Huo Daofu Characters: Huo Daofu (DMBJ Series), Bai Haotian Additional Tags: Mentions of Death, Healing, Getting Together, Youtiao as a Metaphor, Also Actual Youtiao Summary:

His gaze meets Bai Haotian's, who's trying so hard to keep it together, and he knows that Wu Xie will break her heart when he dies, and it won't even be his fault. He never fucking means to.

Notes: another recent entry in the HDF/Bai Haotian post-canon and I love it unreasonably. They both love Wu Xie SO MUCH and it's just taking them OUT. Their subsequent connection is natural and it's funny as hell, the author loves them both and it shows:

"Are you really sure?" Bai Haotian says softly, and Huo Daofu looks up.

"What?"

"About the week."

"At best," he says, then winces. Fuck it. "It'll be three days," he says, loud enough to carry through the bedroom door, "if he keeps pulling these stunts!" There's a muffled noise and some very clear profanity from Pangzi, which Huo Daofu ignores. "See if I care!" he adds, but it's just not the same without Wu Xie there to grin at him, unrepentant.

He can feel Bai Haotian's hand covering his own, just loosely, where it's half curled into a fist against his thigh. He turns his head. The look she gives him is so full of unquestioning kindness, of understanding, he almost has to close his eyes against it.

"I'm sure," he says quietly, not really looking at her. "But he's proven me wrong before."

He can see her nod as she takes that in, and then they just sit there in silence, her hand over his, not moving.

‡

In conclusion, just because I can, from some of my favorite posts:

[ohyka]

[jeong-guwon]

[januaryisnotanartist]

Please also do not fail to check out the magnificent Dr Mal Practice post, as well as "it's not his fucking birthday" and "I'll fucking do it but christ alive." These users truly understand the essence of Huo Daofu.

PS also don't sleep on Huo Daofu and Liu Sang having a fabulous bitch-off in Hua Mei, a Sha Hai side story ft. haunted Wushanju. Another side story, Ran Gu, also has a swooning Kan Jian. Quality entertainment!

[syrupfog]

AU where Sanji doesn’t understand the point of humans, really. He knows that people love them, but… they’re just so fragile. They break easily, hard to repair, and once their systems have stopped circulating, they just don’t turn back on. He doesn’t get the appeal.

He knows, has been informed, that he was born human. But it’s a ship of Theseus situation. He’s been long ago upgraded, doesn’t have those weaknesses he was born with.

Hell, his siblings were incredibly powered up, for humans, and they were still easily disposed of.

Logically, loving a human just doesn’t make sense. They’re not real the way androids are real. Their consciousness doesn’t exist as soon as they’re powered down. There’s a liminal nothingness to that. Humans are like toys. Like starter beings.

He’s had all of those thoughts hundreds of times before, as he’s watched humans die in front of him. Watched his siblings as they perished by his own hand. This has been his Truth his whole life. Humans aren’t worth thinking about because they’re just not really real.

And of course, that’s why he’s questioning his own actions now.

This human he’s seen around a few times, having washed up in a dingy little rowboat at the edge of town, telling the people something about how he’s been separated from his crew.

This human who has been working hard, exchanging manual labor for food while sleeping rough and making time to train with his ridiculous swords. Those are a weakness, at least consider guns, or fortified steel legs.

But this human, who’s been so confident he’ll be reunited with his crew, who’s been biding his time and training… Sanji had taken an interest in him.

And then Sanji had watched him die. A freak accident with machinery he’d been tasked to repair in exchange for a meal.

Everyone in town knows of Sanji. And he knows they know, knows they think he’s a little alarming. But that’s fine. They’re human.

However they perceive him, though, they don’t object when he swoops in and lifts up the green haired human, taking him away.

It’s not like he’s useful to them anyway anymore, he’s turned off and humans don’t turn back on.

But Sanji… wants this one to.

It’s ridiculous and maybe Sanji should upgrade his logic processing, but… he’s drawn to this one. Wants it back online.

His father had been a monster of a man, and the only one Sanji had taken true pleasure in shutting down. But he’d kept his father’s workshops in working order to do his own repairs as necessary, and that comes in useful now.

Sanji only knows living bodies for their food purposes. He works and studies and experiments. He takes out his nightly recharging batteries and instead gets out his old charging cord so he doesn’t have to take breaks. He knows humans are quick to recycle after being turned off, even with the best precautions taken.

He doesn’t know why, but… he wants this. He’s drawn to the man. There’s an energy about him that Sanji doesn’t remember ever seeing before, and he wants it back.

And after an intense amount of repairs and replacements and experimental flesh-and-metal welding…

He flips the switch.

The man groans.

He lifts a hand slowly to his face, squinting his eye at the light. Sanji hadn’t been able to save both of them.

He sits up, blinking as he looks around.

“Wh’ th’ fuck happened?” He mumbles.

“Greetings,” says Sanji. “I’m Sanji. Your systems failed and turned off. I turned them back on.”

The man looks down at himself. Sanji thinks he’s done a good job matching the spray paint to his skin tone.

“Swords?” The man asks.

“In the other room,” Sanji says. “I wanted to check you were fully online before returning your things to you.”

“Is that why I’m butt-ass naked?” The man asks, then shakes his head. “Whatever. Am I being held? Can I go?”

Sanji blinks. “Of course you can go,” he says. “But please let me feed you, first. Humans need sustenance.”

The man frowns. “You not human or something?” He asks. “You don’t look like a fishman or mink.”

“I’m an android,” says Sanji.

“Well that’s a fucking note,” says the man. “I’m Zoro. Thanks for… fixing me, I guess.”

Sanji smiles. “I will take you to your clothes and then food,” he says. “There has been rumor your ‘crew’ as you called them is here, although I have not validated these claims. I have been busy.”

Zoro grins, swinging his legs over the table and standing. “Perfect,” he says. “I gotta get going, then.”

Sandi frowns. “Wait,” he says. “You’re still newly upgraded. There might be bugs!”

Sanji HATES bugs.

“I’m fine,” Zoro says, then promptly stumbles.

“Like that!” Sanji screeches. He’s had years, decades to work on his own tech.

“You need to be stress tested properly!”

Zoro pinches the bridge of his nose and there’s the sound of metal groaning under his fingers. “Fine,” he says. “Then I guess you’re coming with me.”

“Pardon?” asks Sanji.

“Listen, Swirly,” Zoro says. “I have places to be and a future pirate king to serve. I don’t have time to be waiting around for hardware to fail so either you’re coming with me or I’m handing my doctor a computer repair manual.”

Sanji groans. “…Fine,” he says. “I will feed you and then I will pack up. It will take two hours.”

“You have until Luffy shows up,” Zoro says. Then amends, “You have until Luffy has eaten everything in your kitchen.”

Sanji doesn’t know this ‘Luffy’ but he takes that into his calculations. “Acceptable,” he says. “Let’s be off, then.”

And thus, the Straw Hats gain their cook, as Sanji makes it his life mission to keep his collection of humans as safe as possible. They’re so fragile, they break so easily.

Although these ones do seem hardier than most.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Wait! Have you done a Road-trip shenanigans bit with the Firsts + Zack and Cloud yet?? If not, please I gotta know the crazy details.

How do they fair with everyone taking turns driving? Who nearly kills them all? Who is bringing what snacks? Do they get lost? Who goes insane first? Boredom songs? Fights in the backseat? Please I need this 💀

The Road Trip From Hell

• Genesis made the dumbass decision to buy a car—a vehicle he will never in his life use because the traffic in Midgar is ASS. It's this nice, red convertible that he now has to drive from Banora all the way back to the city.

• He convinces Sephiroth, Angeal, Zack and Cloud to come along with him on a road trip (they were all nearby on a mission). Angeal doesn't trust Genesis' ability to drive, Sephiroth does NOT see the appeal of spending 14 hours in a car with Genesis, Cloud has raging motion sickness, and Zack saw someone flip Genesis off on the road once and Genesis immediately retaliated with a fire ball, so he's scared.

Genesis: Fine. But if I crash the car and perish you will ALL be unable to live with yourselves.

*Sephiroth silently crosses his fingers*

• After much back to back and and a lot of dramatics from Genesis' end, the boys agree.

• They start off pretty good!! They're having sing-alongs, stopping at the side of the road to take fun pictures, eating unhealthy food at those road-stop diners, and generally having a good time.

• And then hour 3/14 rolls by and they are sick of each other.

Zack: Are we there yet?

*Angeal whips around immediately*

Angeal: Look at me, Fair, LOOK AT ME. This is the first and last time you ask this, got that? If you ask one more time, I'm going to shave your head and make you eat your own hair. Understood?

Zack: 0_0

• Genesis can't drive anymore and asks Angeal to take over. He switches over the the passenger seat and mans the playlist, forcing the entire car to listen to his cringey pop music.

Cloud: Can you change the song? This music sucks.

Sephiroth: I second that.

Genesis: Oh, does this bother you? *cranks the music up louder*

Cloud: On three.

Sephiroth: Got that.

Cloud: One, two—

• Sephiroth and Cloud lunge forward at the same time, using four hands to pin Genesis in place and strangle him. Zack is screaming and trying to pull them back, Genesis is choking and Angeal is dangerously close to driving the car off road—intentionally.

• By hour 5, everyone has fallen asleep except for Zack. Angeal made Genesis sit in the back with Sephiroth and Cloud while Zack sits up front.

Zack: I'm having fun!

Angeal: That's great.

Zack: When are we going to start the trip though?

Angeal: What do you mean?

*Zack pulls out a map on his tablet*

Zack: Well, according to this map, we've just been going in circles for 5 hours.

• Angeal wakes up Genesis to punch him in the face.

• Zack takes over the wheel now and has Cloud sit up front while they play I-Spy.

Zack: I spy something prickly and green.

Cloud: A tree?

Zack: Nice!

Cloud: Okay, uhhh...I spy something tall and silver.

Zack: Sephiroth!

Cloud: No. Sephiroth's not here.

Zack: Oh.

Zack:

Zack: WHAT!?

• Zack stops the car because Sephiroth is indeed missing. It turns out they left him back at their last stop, so they have to turn back around again to go pick him up.

• Sephiroth is indeed back at the restaurant, and he's PISSED. He makes Zack get out of the driver seat and insists they do this the "hard way"

• Sephiroth is driving now and makes everyone sit in complete silence while he finally gets them on the right track. Several hours later, Cloud shyly raises his hand.

Sephiroth: Speak.

Cloud: I have to go to the bathroom.

Sephiroth: Hold it.

Cloud: But what if—

Sephiroth: Hold it.

Cloud: But—

Sephiroth: HOLD IT STRIFE.

• Cloud holds it.

Genesis: This is ridiculous. It's my car. Get out, I'm driving again!

• Sephiroth gives up the wheel without much of a fight, but now Genesis is back in the driver's seat and Zack is antsy again. He sits in the passengers seat and decides to be a backseat driver.

Zack: You're going too fast!

Genesis: Oh, please, I'm going slow. You should see what this car can really do—HEY! THAT GUY JUST CUT ME OFF!

• Zack starts praying (loudly). Genesis is pissed beyond calming down, and decides to floor it and chase after the guy.

• Everyone is screaming, Zack is praying and crying, Angeal is trying to reason with Genesis, Cloud is swearing every curse word in the dictionary, Sephiroth...is asleep.

• When Genesis finally does stop, Angeal makes Genesis pull over. Him, Cloud and Zack get out of the car. Genesis makes a run for it, screaming down the road.

• Sephiroth awakes a few moments later, looks out the window, and sees everyone jumping Genesis. He looks around, then picks up the tablet with the map.

Sephiroth: Wow. I wonder how long it'll take them to realize that we went 120 miles in the wrong direction.

-

@salternateunreality has a ASGZC road trip shenanigans series on her blog if you want more of this :)

[iifishizzleii]

sibling johnny mactavish includes

unedited😛

having eight sisters.

this man has ‘younger brother’ energy written all over him. he’s the middle child, but by the time his parents got to having johnny, they were already at the ‘eh, i don’t care what you do just don’t die’ phase parents get at with their kids. which meant that it was up to his four older sisters to raise the boy right.

johnny knows how to read women. and while it’s partly because his sisters taught him well, it’s also because living in a house full of that many women meant learning their language or fucking perishing. this man is fluent in eyelingual. he knows every eyebrow raise, side-eye, narrowed gaze to a pointed look. who needs morse code in the military when you got eyelingual?

being a big character

because when you learn the language, of course you’re going to want to learn the culture as well. and johnny mactavish has been submerged in women culture all his life. which means three things:

one, he knows how to play the long game. whether it comes with petty revenge or simply asking for something from a higher power (his oldest sister), johnny is the king of waiting it out, finding the sweet spot of those moments and taking it. it’s the reason why only he, out of the entire task force, can get away with so much shit when it comes to laswell.

two, johnny knows how to be mean without being rude. thanks to the second and third mactavish daughters, his sisters (bless their heart), johnny knows how to kiss a person’s cheek while stabbing them with verbal cues. his sisters would do it all the time to each other and to guests that came over that they didn’t like. and it paid off being the brunt of so many passive aggressive comments because johnny’s work sometimes requires being civil, but that doesn’t mean he has to be a gentleman.

and three, johnny knows how to play dumb. really. it’s almost scary how quick this guy can go from playing with sticks and making dumb jokes about mud, to building a bomb made of sticks and mud. and it was his younger siblings, surprisingly, who taught johnny that being as pretty of a family that they were (because let’s be fr, soap is gorgeous), nobody expects them to know how to think. it makes getting out of certain situations and receiving special treatment so much more easier, too, when all you gotta do is give a charming smile and bat your eyelashes (ghost has been at the receiving end and has fallen for this act far too many times to let anyone else know).

having really thick skin

a lot of people think having an older brother is tough. and hey, it is! ghost would argue its a lot meaner than having a sister, because sisters are naturally more nurturing, nicer, and kinder than brothers are.

and for the most part, that was true. all of johhny’s sisters are good people. they’re kind, yes, and helpful and overall worthy of their spots through the pearly gates. but they’re not fucking nice. the fuck.

the amount of times johnny was dragged out of bed to take out the trash at the crack ass of dawn is ridiculous. he should have brain damage now from how many times his head hit the floor. but, he was the only boy, so all the ‘manly’ jobs like mowing the lawn, washing the cars, bringing in the groceries, all of those were johnny’s chores. (but, even then, most people would pass their home and see several girls—blondes, brunettes, and gingers— washing the porch, the family truck, and tending to the yard. johnny was j

and that’s not even to mention the psychological warfare. mactavish’s are infamous for their temper, so when you’re living with eight other land mines dressed in heels and lashes just waiting to be stepped on, everyday was a different fight blowing up in the house. and when you got insulted by your sister, johnny learned that the only way to deflect is by hitting them with something meaner a lot more quickly or you’d cry.

like that time johnny blamed the wet floor in their bathroom on all of the leg hair his younger sister kept shaving and getting stuck in the drain so the water flowed out the tub and soaked the tiles. and she automatically replied with, “or maybe it’s all the grease from the back of your fat fucking neck dragging on the ground that’s making the tiles wet”. (it was their other sister’s fault it turned out.)

loving the hard times

because as much as johnny could give his family shit for all of the bad days, none of them could compare to the good ones.

the mornings where he woke up to the smell of sourdough pancakes and sizzling bacon.

when his sister would pull him out of school early to go shopping at the mall, and she’d buy him a new toy or cool shirt.

when he did one of them a favor and later that week she’d taken johnny to get some greasy fast food with her to eat at a park because she wasn’t trying to buy food for the whole house.

when his younger sisters spent their first daddy-daughter dance standing on his church shoes and holding his hands because their real father wasn’t around anymore.

when they spend the rest of the day outside spraying each other with the water hose after washing the cars because the house was too hot, and sandwiches with premade lemonade under the tree was lunch.

when the winter winds were so strong they broke the heater, and the family spent a week having a slumber party in the living room to keep warm.

when they all got matching tattoos on the ankle, a roman numeral for each sibling.

when johnny went off to join the army, leaving his sisters for the first time, they all went to the airport to see him off.

[soulntes]

CHAPTER 6 : FIRST LESSONS -BABY STEPS PART 1

CHAPTER 6 : FIRST LESSONS - BABY STEPS PART 2

this is something the mother wasn't prepared for what eywa plans for her and her son. a demon who perished his sins and errors, is back in the form of the people that persuades under the eye of eywa and wants to learn the way of the people.

ingyen believes this is what the great mother guided her to help a lost soul, a man who's stuck on who he truly wants to be into what he decides to become. his choice and how he approaches himself in this new body and life will influence his future.

just like jake sully, there is something within this man that eywa sees to test if he truly will embrace her in his heart and spirit.

this will not be an easy journey for her and seykxel but she won't question eywa in her plans so she will do her best in teaching this man on what it truly is to be a na'vi. the lifestyle, their culture, their spiritual connection with everything in the forest and their mother, how they hunt, fight, eat, survive on their own, and anything that she lived through..

that man and his lost friends would go through as well to prove their determination in being na'vi.

since they have passed through the eye of eywa, she brought them to her for a pass on her knowledge into these demons for a preparation to prove themselves to become one of the people.

whatever was planned didn't go exactly as accordingly when she returned to camp, running after the demon to beat him to a pulp with his ridiculous play.

she was seething with rage as the demon kept that awfully smirk on his face when his other demon friends caught the whole interaction with the wrong interpretation of getting under her nerves of teasing her. they all whistled and wiggled their visible eyebrows at their colonel's way to influence his charms on the omatikaya woman.

ingyen knows their nasty tactics to try persuading her in anything they think of under the palm of their five fingered hands. it wasn't going to being wooed and fall into the trap of seduction of a demon. she growls at this yanking the dead animal away from his grip to prepare it for her son.

she sees her son sitting alone a little far from the avatars with his knife in hand to help out his mother. "seykxel, srung oe hawl ayoeng wutso." seykxel, help me prepare our meal. she asks her son for help and he smiles at her at the thought of finally having their meal together.

sure they were stuck with a bunch of strangers in the forest but this is something he won't complain about because he has his mother and dinner he thought he'd never have again.

miles watch every action the mother and the boy make with their daggers meanwhile the recoms check their equipment for their first night out in the forest. he distinguish how they bond with conversion in na'vi as if they were in their own little bubble, not caring a damn thing, what or who's next to them. he made his way towards the pair and with the twitch of the na'vi woman's ears tells her of sounds everyone makes.

ingyen turns to the demon, distress at him for wanting to beware of them in case of escape. miles just observes what she was doing in peeling off the skin, separating the bones and whatever she got rid of he thinks weren't good for the kid.

he's aware that she definitely cares for the boy in every possible way and would anything to keep him safe and healthy. he grew up into a built young man who could handle anything on his own like he did against the general and the machine he fought his mind against.

by the focus of all this, she intimidated his squad and himself, under her sharp blade with her killer gaze. her feline like hisses and strength impressed the colonel of her composure in that kind alarming situation.

the young mother takes a deep breath looking back into the eyes of miles, feeling his watching their every move and utters "what is it, demon?! can't you see i am focusing on giving my son his food?" she spits her venomous tongue towards his unfazed demeanor.

miles devilishly grins at her tigress personality, "nothing, sweet mama. i like how you speak english but i love it when you curse me out in na'vi, brings out the fire in you."

the comment gets her riled up more and spider senses a possible attraction towards his mother causing to hiss at the man, "don't think about it, bro. that's my mother you're talking about." ingyen calms her son, patting his untamed hair, making a mental note before he rests to take care of it.

it's diverting enough witnessing human quaritch's son react in a way towards someone who he perceives as his mother. their relationship goes farther than what he imagines.

what the twenty year old recom's main principle is get through spider, gaining his trust and slowly build a stable bond with interactive learning so he'd get ingyen's attention of willingly letting himself be at her mercy and she lets her rough guard down.

"take it easy tiger, i'm just sayin'. so let's begin a little on what we're going to learn for tomorrow, introductions first." miles suggests to ingyen who kept peeling the skin by bits, storing it for some other use with her blank face, "i have better idea. let's do it in na'vi, i want to hear of what you know, makes learning more easier to teach, and i want to know what your skills would be better in for survival." the mother states seeing the recom's stiff a little but keep their composure professional.

"alright, how do you want to do it, sweet heart?" miles asks her. she pats the ground, ushering the group to sit in front of her and seykxel. all them do what they're told as spider washes and scrubs off the remaining meat on the skin.

ingyen cuts the meat into bits to share amongst themselves, if she's going to teach them well enough as a na'vi, sharing is a part of their culture to hear and talk within themselves so she's seeking this opportunity as a lesson.

"i start to introduce myself. oe lu ingyen te tskaha mo'at'ite." she starts speaking quickly on her full name which got every recom gape, not understanding a word she said.

miles could only figure out her name and 'i' that his tail swishes in bothersome, "sorry but can you go slower? some of us don't got a clue what you just said, princess."

ingyen groans, "i guess i should start telling you simple words. skxawngs." she insults them at the end as she places each piece on a stick to cook over the fire the demons set up.

everyone observe her quick multitasking in cooking the meat that is starting to smell different but appetizing and wrapping a couple of what looked like small beans or plants into big leaves.

the food she made is becoming more and more mouthwatering with the stuff she sprinkled on that is tempting to eat for miles and the others. it's something new and different from what the rda were feeding them.

he counted the pieces and leaf wraps knowing she's done sufficient for his squad. how considerate of her. he thought.

ingyen asks the help of her son in holding a bigger leaf as she places one steaming leaf warp at a time to cool down. spider licks his lips ready to devour her food, the rda food they served wasn't appetizing and filling because he's used to this kind of meal that he threw whatever they offered away from him.

"the way i introduced myself is simple. well only if you hear correctly with those little crop ears you demons have." the recoms touch their ears seeing the difference with hers that are more like a german shepherd from their memories. theirs were like dobermans. she continues, "the way i say about myself 'i' is 'oe'. a long o and a short e sound with what i learned in school years ago. am 'lu' that creates two words. 'i am', 'oe lu'. now comes the hard part for you, repeat it after i go over one by one. if i don't hear it correctly.. i simply hit you on the head because you learn fast or stay behind." ingyen reaches over to hit quaritch's forehead in showing how their punishment would look like.

his ear flick back and his tail swishes annoyed on how he's the prime example of their experience with a na'vi born on pandora.

"from you to you," she points to miles first then comes lyle, zdog, fike, mansk, prager, and lastly brown, "repeat after me."

her first victim is miles sitting with his legs criss cross and hunched, resting his chin on his fist; checking spider's mother head to toe on her body language. to him, he wasn't gonna lie that for a na'vi woman born in the forest, she's an attractive lady. her slender body and elongated waist with blue patterned skin filled with minimal scars, tightly braided hair that fit her facial structure and her golden eyes staring into his...

miles was so lost in his thoughts that he felt her hand hitting his forehead with a slap. his eyes blink rapidly, disoriented as he looks over at her unpleased frown and yellow eyes pierce into his "what?"

ingyen's facial expression change. ear slicks back, tail swooshes in a maddening way, her knife moving quickly each cut she makes with a cruel eye contact that got him shivering in his boots. she goes over to grab him by the ear, pulling him close to her, "you did not repeat what i said, skxawng!"

"whoa! that definitely hurts, relax there mamas. in my defense i got distracted." he defends himself, holding her fingers gripping on like they were a second from ripping his ear off.

"what distraction could possibly be more important than learning you useless man!?"

miles's cheeky grin grew on his face, smirking as he softly tells her in a attempt to woo her a little, "well you darling. you are quite dashing for no man incapable of resisting a gorgeous woman like yourself."

the comment from his mouth got her to stop his punishment, trying to gather what he just said. his vile mouth spewing whatever came to mind is truly one of a kind.

yes she's considered a beautiful woman back in her village, along with her sisters, with strong suitors putting their efforts to promise her in providing and love her as she should but no man was able to survive if they continued after she rejects them. with the women, she kindly lets them down.

until now with this demon's foul mouth, his inappropriate sentences to get her off track on her doing for the great mother. this demon's rebirth changes everything.

ingyen pushes him back without a hiss at his advances, "you are incompetent and insane, demon! i will return to ask you again and be ready or you won't get a share." putting her foot down and in his place, she looks to lyle who's preparing himself so he wouldn't get treatment his colonel got.

the rest of his team were snickering at the interaction but spider glared daggers at him with how his mom is handling quaritch with patience and ignoring his childish acts.

the kid settles himself next to him to teach what was easy to repeat so they can eat as soon as possible. spider was hungry and nothing will make him desperate other than not eating his mother's food.

miles still chuckling at her interaction as he holds his burning ear, "your momma has spunk, kid. is she always like this?"

spider's mannerisms speak volume when he crosses his arms, "not if you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to end up with her dagger in your heart."

and miles keeps up with the same joking attitude, "oh a heartbreaker she is, isn't she?" spider shows his disgust the man makes about his own mother.

during the process of learning a simple introduction, the food already set to eat so ingyen started to show how they were going to be eaten. she wasn't going to tell them what it contained in the food until someone asks just for the fun of it.

she grabs a handful of leaf wraps, first handing ons to her son, patiently waiting with an empty stomach, "dinner is ready. now to get your share, i want all of you repeat what little we practice from the last demon to the first. we start with you brown." he for sure got it down trying his best pronouncing it as best as he could.

as a reward, he got his food and comes another recom's turn. everyone's excitement to taste what smelled so delicious is hardly to resist in waiting for the rest getting their share.

lastly the devil from hell himself faces her in focusing to not hesitate putting his all in his introduction. ingyen holds onto his leaf wrap waiting for him to speak, "oe lu' miles te quaritch kehe fko'ite." i am miles quaritch no one's son.

the woman sighs in relief, handing him his part immediately, "nì'i'a! fipo vrrtep tsun plltxe! awnga yom set!" finally! this demon can speak! we eat now!

with the colonel completing his first proper introduction ingyen shows them how they unravel the leaf wrap, revealing what seems cooked insects.

they didn't care how strange and brown they look, they just devoured to their fills content and the taste of sweetness on their tongue is something unusual but good despite it being steamed.

it's so different than the rda's human food of a flavor so bland from when they were humans. to what little they remember.

of course the one who had to ask about the insect is the demon who talks with his mouth full of it, "this is delicious mamas. what is it?" her striped eyebrow arches and questions his curiosity, "are you sure you want to know? if i tell you and you do not eat, i will kill you in your sleep."

he moans by its rich taste that sends him to heaven, "positive darling."

she smirks, "it is teylu or best known to demons, beetle larvae." those words hault the recoms for a second and swallow what was good down their throats to process what they've eaten.

zdog shrugs it off and finishes her portion, "who cares. i love how it tastes, you keep making these and i'm a happy woman at your service, my lady."

spider butts in with a happy smile and a mouthful of cuisine that he enjoyed his whole life, "mom always does the best meals out there and i got to enjoy each of them so if you want her to share, you gotta put in the work and be on her good side especially you!" he points at miles as he dives in again.

ingyen tenderly placed an alleviating hand on seykxel's head the compliments he gave of her cooking. her son enjoyed everything they did and ate together with his cheeks stuffed with food, it filled her heart with joy and confidence in trying her best to give the best life he deserves.

"lucky for everyone, this teylu is our main source of protein for our body, giving us the nutrients we need so i advice you in eating every last bit." ingyen tells them looking towards miles direction more importantly if he decides to not finish his food, who throws his hand in defense at her remark and eats all of his food before she punished him again.

he watches his team communicate within them about their memories since they woken up and the mother chewing the last bit of teylu, she passed around the last course of their meal.

the hexapede.

"this is yerik. the meat helps omatikaya grow muscle where we need it most and the proper balance of protein to our stomach. helps us stay strong and full throughout our days of tasks. i added ovumshroom to give it taste." she explains eating off of her son's hand, offering meanwhile she sat behind him to fix his knotted hair.

she apologized to seykxel going through each strand, feeling him wince under the process, "ma'itan, oe lu' ngaytxoa tsal lu tsan'ul. pänu oe. kawkrr kä kxamlä leyn nga, ma'eveng."

my son i am sorry it will be better. i promise. you never have to go through that again my child.

he brushed it off as nothing, "kehe sngum, txur tsamsiyu. hufwa fmi tsawng oe, säfyep vrrtep nìltsan."

not to worry, strong warrior. i handled the demons well although their attempts breaking me. ingyen hugs her son tightly trying her best in not breaking down in front of everyone who could use him against her to manipulate.

"lì'upe len?" what happened?

spider hesitates on telling her, glancing at miles for a second watching them carefully at a distance. his mother waited for his confession, staring as if trying to discover the thoughts racing through his mind from what the demons put him through.

he takes a deep breath before looking back at his mother's concern expression feeling invulnerable, choosing to be honest and tell the truth of what occured. "vrrtep yem oe stxong'u, pung re'o kop vitra, fmi'ke peng lawk lena'vi ulte tsyeyk'soaia.

the demons put me in a strange thing, hurt my head and soul, trying not tell them about the people and jake's family.

his voice slightly cracks reliving the trauma that would be carried of the terrorizing the demons done and this will not sit right for the na'vi mother. she curse under her breath, turning her deadly stare at the demon, instructing his squad to rest for the night as he keeps watch, wanting to slice his neck but spider notice in time to hold his mom's hand into calming her.

"po tarep oe tìrey, tìftang si zevakx kop tìng skxom alìm."

he saved my life, stop their torture and given me a chance away from them.

the way her son pleads her in sparing his life because he saved his which ingyen gives into the decision.

"i will talk with the demon, you have nothing to worry but sleep a good rest for tomorrow my son. i will be here now." she consoles him, petting his neatly done hair with new beads that goes with his bow he brought with her. she takes out a made travel hammock out, made of the same thread their swaynivi, so he'd sleep more comfortably on top the trees. just how they adventure the forest beginning of eclipse to enjoy the stars as a family. family hammock

speak of the devil, miles stops them thinking they were planning ahead of their escape, "hold on, princess. can't have you in the trees if you're planning on running?"

ingyen huffs in response continuing on setting up their travel hammock, "we sleep in the trees to avoid confrontation against an animal who's territorial if they catch us. it's best to avoid than be squashed under a strum beast's foot. you wouldn't know because you're not from here."

he bit his lip thinking she was right.. even if they passed under the immune system of the planet, there was so much to learn and their teacher is the key in discovering what resources and how they survive a single night in the forest.

full of mysteries yet to solved when their beloved eywa also carries a great burden of balancing the way of life. this got the colonel thinking about the purpose of his rebirth and the way his body responds in times ever since his arrival here, opened his mind more about everything he witnessed and felt about the kid raised by a na'vi woman.

his awaken caused people in the rda depict him as the cruel, military trained, and professional colonel miles rick quaritch who never displayed a single shred of compassion towards the wild life or learn to live with a different species; living by a code of destruction those crossing his path to show his dominance. looking down upon who he deemed savages that want to protect their entire life.

now.. with him opening his eyes, the fear of memories installed into his body caused him to panic at first.. then he remembers the voices of the fallen soldiers. his fallen soldiers led to their doom. the sins in their pasts, they came back not only with the knowledge of those in the past, also the bodies of the ones they hated most gives them a chance to redeem the mistake of doubting the strength of the betrayal.

counting with the head aches and dreams he's been having since the human quaritch grew an immune hate toward the na'vi for him to be attracted to one like jake sully. never knowing how her face looks and who she is because she's just there.. it made him think about who he truly is.

is he the colonel miles quaritch because of the man years ago who died, failed to complete the mission left behind what was their last resort in coming back?

or is he.. who is he?

maybe it's all in his head?

your head is fine kid. learn this savage and get our revenge.

miles turns to look over his shoulder as if someone was speaking directly into his pointy ears, a prickle of breath down on his neck like it was watching his every move that his heart accelerated a bit. this kind of worried ingyen noticing the demon spaced in his own thoughts and troubles he was facing and how he reacted if an entity or spirit was standing behind him.

more than what he is, she made her to the ground and silently walks her way in front of him. with her hate on this man doesn't change what was bothering him, got her cautious of what he challenges ahead.

her hands creeps gently in the night forest with little critters chirping and croaking their voices, places it on his strong bicep. miles gasps lowly at the sudden contact but relaxed seeing it was the woman checking on him with concern written on her face even with her stern look.

"you seem to be challenging something deep in your heart and soul that doesn't match to what you're feeling." ingyen's tender word of advice snaps him out of the state, "you have much to learn about our great mother and what she plans for you so i suggest to ease your mind as much as you can when you're in forest. open everything within you to learn the way of na'vi."

her words hit like hard stones in his heart. again.. she was right but he'd never admit because his mission is to hunt down and kill jake sully. within his soul he wants to hold the hand of someone showing concern and noticed his strange behavior yet he went against it.

"tomorrow we'll prepare camp on trees.. also be up the same time as us because teaching starts bright and early. we'll be sleeping on the ground for tonight, sweetheart. don't worry your pretty head about me." with that miles turns heel to his squad and inform them on their side missions.

miles quaritch doesn't given into someone's compassion, let alone a na'vi woman far different between them. with a body of a young na'vi and the knowledge of the fifty year old military and leadership is a huge help on completing his mission, he shouldn't let himself on low guard to become exactly like jake sully.

ingyen was left there standing, watching him retreat to his own circle with his heavy burden that he can't confess the truth of what was on his mind.

she knows he was born from grief and raised in little time of hate but she gives him time to adjust what is new to him until he is fully ready and prove himself a child of eywa when he truly wants to be.

each to their own space, ingyen and miles slept in their own comfort of pressure to plan their lives on working with each other but gain themselves what they're truly there for. the sake of the mission for earth. the sake of her regaining her son and go back home with her people. now comes with an altercation that can change their purpose.

miles watches the stars under the purple forest to ease himself in peace and ingyen embraces her son close to her heart and safely in her arms, pecking his head and sings his lullaby.

- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -

eclipse ended as the forest of pandora starts to wake up the same time with ingyen. she untangles herself from her son's tight hold to check her surroundings, there were the demons still asleep with the roll of her eyes of how punctual they are after their leader ordered her to do so.

by starting this new experience of being their teacher, she has to wake up the leader since he has the power to motivate the rest of his team. ingyen pecks her son's head and creases his hair before landing on the soft ground, she walks to the huddled group; snoring and turning in their spot, her foot pats the back of miles to wake him.

but miles didn't budge and she did the same gesture again.. still no response. growing tired of waiting for this fool to the point of punishing him as a child by grabbing at the base of his tail and pull him.

miles' eyes jerk wide open from the pain he felt, barely comprehending on why is this crazy woman began tugging his tail like she's competing in a game of a tug war.

"jesus christ, mama. what a way to wake up someone who loves the tigress in you but this is just torture!" he grunts trying to grip the plants in saving his tail from being ripped off but she kept going. she had an immense strength.

"you skxawng! you tell me to get up early but you are still asleep. you are leader of the demons so act like it, be an example for your friends to learn na'vi!" she shouts back, letting go of his tail while scolding him of his laziness.

"i cannot believe i have to teach a child, barely able to get up early! seykxel is a child but knows better than this idiot on his ass complaining about his tail!" her muttering doesn't go unknown for miles cursing him out in english, "i'm right here sweetheart, you don't gotta insult a poor man putting his life on the line in protecting your kid." he responds with a smirk but immediately froze on the spot by her speed, now standing face to face with him.

when did she get here so fast?

her nose scrunches in anger barely containing any self control to tear this demon apart, limb for limb and feed it to the wild animals. she points at him, "you are the reason why seykxel is in a tough spot, the children you took hostage do not deserve that so now you suffer with the consequence of me, demon." her voice sounded so tough in her low tone as she deals the situation.

"who's sey kel?" he asks.

"seykxel! say it right, demon! children do not deserve to be involved in things of us, adults, so i will take as many chances to punish you because you are like a baby. making noise, don't know what to do."

she was vicious, thinking that she'll intentionally want to make learning difficult for him so he'd get through his thick skull so she could get every opportunity to hit him as discipline.

her scrunched up nose when she's upset, matching her unpleased glare staring deep into his which got him amused plenty of times that he's purposely doing it multiple times just to see her ears flatten back and tail flick at his actions.

his stupid smile that ignites her hate even more that's directly to her.

"then teach me and i will learn. i won't promise anything that'll get you on your bad side, my love." a cheeky grin turning into a smirk as he looks into her angry eyes, if only a single look could kill instantly.

this was it. it's over.

ingyen scoffs, what seemed the hundredth time in two days, coming up a way to teach her new demon students and show them it is not a child's game.

and she got an idea.

"you and me, we go to learn basic na'vi words by using the forest so you have to leave your weapons. bring only your knife. we'll be back by the time the rest awake." she suggests fighting the urge to confidently show off her intelligence.

miles chuckles emptying out his pockets and guns to leave near by his comrades, "trying to get me alone to murder me. don't threaten me with a good time, darling." she shakes her head at the constant names he gives, "better zip that mouth if you want to survive and i am not whatever you call me."

"then come here and shut me up properly mama." he lastly said following the woman into forest with her usual stern face now decorated in a deep shade of purple.

...

"alright where are we, darling?" he says out of breath, barely able to complete his sentence from running through the forest. this is not anything like the training they have back at the rda or the training he remembers from his memories.

yes, he's ran miles and handled any tough challenge of obstacles but this kind of exercise he was getting out of not to be left behind the woman since she seems less tired and composed of her breathing.

"deep in the forest, near a waterfall where we see almost the entire forest. now, when i teach you each thing or anything of part of our body, you say it back in na'vi. that is all. i will go over this with your demon friends as well so through our journey we speak more and then we go onto the next lesson once i see you are fit on what's best for you." she sits at the edge of a cliff ready to begin and miles sits way too close in front of her that their faces are inches from touching, she stares at him, "i get it sweetheart but you don't gotta keep calling me a demon. the names miles, love."

with is outstretched hand for her to shake but she slaps it away, "i call you what i call you since you do the same. what words do you want to begin with, demon?" he thought about it whether to start at basics with animals or colors or environment since he's far from asking on the topic of jake sully or the balance of life as what she calls it.

"let's start with body parts." pointing at her eyes she responds, "okay, eyes are nari."

"nari." he repeats and she praises with a slight nod.

"ear is mikyun."

"mikyun."

"that's it, demon. i'll repeat this two more times then i will test you if your memory gets it." ingyen is at a state of a teacher teaching a child to speak for the first time, only is he a grown man who saved her son's life but the sole reason he was kidnapped. she's going to make it harder the more cocky he gets to learn a valuable lesson.

"so far it's easy, don't go soft on me when we're alone." with his signature smile she gags, throwing her whole empathy away.

during their lessons ingyen kept repeating, giving him a chance to memorize it more to get use to the different tongues of sounds in the words. both of them in the middle of the forest grew more greener and vibrant shades of blue the more they interact even if it was a lesson. miles senses the environment more tolerable and peace, the eclipse disappearing welcoming the bright light which illuminates the water with a crystal like stream and a far he sees animals appearing to do their thing in the wild.

his body relaxes under the shade of the trees, repeating the different sounds in his head and touching the soil under his fingertips as a coping mechanism for his focus.

she notices how he was improving a bit trying to make it sound how she said it.

now comes the test.

she points her fingers to every part on her face like her eyes.

"nari." miles says focusing well in each word and properly repeating to her. he also takes in every detail of her face in it's relaxed state under the ray of light, peaking through the tree.

next were nose, mouth, and hands at the same time.

"ontu is nose. kxa, mouth. and hand, tsyokx."

"that is good for a beginner, demon. i think we should head back my son is waiting for me." she rises from her spot with the man following, stretching his limbs.

"well can't wait for more lessons from my gorgeous teacher on our alone time. you think we skip the lessons next time and tell me if you are single for a date, my darling." he jokingly says ready to put his arms up in case he has to guard himself.

what he left open defenseless was his tail again that swishes in excitement until he felt her holding it tightly in her hands, "learn to respect me, demon. i am no one's as long as my son is around."

"so i gotta ask the kid for approval first? i wonder how much men you rejected because of spider." he laughs but winces at her pulling.

ingyen signals her head to head back. she thought about what the demon said about rejecting so many suitors who were great men and women as mates because of her son.

not to blame him but in a way she thought about his feelings and what he thought first ever since she took him in, she didn't want him to suffer of being not loved by her possible mate. as a mother she left all of that behind so her son can be free whoever he wants to become and have so much love.

as soon they arrive, spider and the recoms were awake and cleaning up their mess before their day ahead. spider notices her mother, running up to hug her and sticking his tongue out at quaritch.

"oh my sweet seykxel. i apologize for not being there with you, i had to teach the demons ahead of what lies in their journey." she kneels to his level checking his mask to see if everything's alright. spider smiles knowing he wasn't dreaming reuniting with his mom but the last thing he needed was the man with her, coming out of the woods.

the thoughts in his head of the shit he said to her to get on her nerves and constant reminders to focus. he stook his tongue out at him hugging his mother tightly.

miles arches his eyebrow at his childish act, "kid, that wasn't nice. you know i can tell on you with your mother."

"what's it to you? you're the one insufferable here." he did it again and ingyen said nothing just giggling at seykxel's instincts to answer back.

her giggle is a new sound to the ears of the demon. miles will remember to bother the kid to receive such a wonderful emotion to tease her even further when they're alone again.

"blue one, iron sky. send your report." the general's voice in his ear piece in contact of the situation. pressing the button on his throat comm to send his status, "iron sky, blue one. we are at the same spot yesterday only we ran into something valuable. or someone i should mention."

"inform, blue one."

"it's the kid's mother. a na'vi woman who raised him as a baby. we already made a deal with the na'vi of teaching us our way through the forest. i'll advise in if anything more high valuable for the mission." miles says watching her and spider smiling as they talk.

"you better know what you're doing colonel. iron sky will come for pick up in ten days top with the hostages, whatever problems or news there are, call it in."

"yes, general." the conversation ends.

once he and his team head back to bridgehead city, he'll have to report the mother and child to stay together and with him on their side missions in the forest. a single mistake can ruin the operation because with spider reunited with his mom means anything can happen in a second if he's mishandled.

he will have to talk with her about joining them to the rda, no choice in rejecting it since spider has a tracker chip in his mask and he won't be able to survive without it.

as another day begins their training and lessons start by their own na'vi teacher and her son to show them the lifestyle of their people on survival and skills to depend on in the forest.

all of them will go through tests and passages that she will choose whether they succeed or not.

miles hopes on developing a stable relationship with the woman and appear friendly so he'd get information about jake sully but for now he's gonna have to wait a few days so he's enjoying what will be his entertainment in this forest full of dangers.

to be an absolute nuisance to ingyen.

TAGLIST

@skinmittensgoblin @eternallyvenus @winxschester @perseny @cleverzonkwombatsludge @reallysparklychaos @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @liyahsocorro @violet-19999 @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @ratchetprime211 @analuw @alexandra-001 @grimistangel

[way-of-love]

Unfulfilled (Namor x FemReader 18+ NO MINORS) (PART 1) (SPOILERS)

So I DECIDED to give a Namor fic a go and kinda got a terrible idea but tell me how it goes. Read a fic YEARS ago that inspired me to write this after watching Wakanda Forever. Cheers!

You, a mutant siren, made a deal with the god and king of Talokan. That in use of your body, to be a surrogate, to create an heir, you will be paid in what the world truly wants most. Vibranium. And other riches of course. But you set rules, limits to what was allowed and all those months lead to nothing. An empty womb. And a very angry surrogate. Namor has been nothing but patient but now was the time to exploit your ridiculous rules and claim what he's been fighting for.

Part 2!

It was taking too long, why was this taking so long? You were already angry from the beginning knowing HE was due to visit you tonight and seeing his progress, your progress barely moving added a lot of complicated stress not only to your mental state, but your body was taking a toll. 

Every night when he came to hold up his end of this deal you two made it was always you who was sore and achy from it. And after months of trying, you were starting to think this godly man was full of dust. It grew increasingly hard to keep your emotions in check. At work any little thing blew you off, even when you were with him you got mad and almost kicked him once or twice because he didn’t know how to be gentle. But he was not one to stray from his path, not when his heir was on the line or even his people.  

This arrangement of yours happened quite a few months ago, being a mutant siren yourself, you were the perfect fit to carry his little heir. Or so that is what he said. You lived alone on the edge of a tiny little island that seemed rural but was more advanced than they let on. Living here wasn’t all bad, you had a few flings here and there, had a job at a local “club” dancing and using your siren songs to lure in men and their cash. Military men absolutely loved you and the more you appeased them the more money you brought home with you. The Siren. That’s what the club called you, little did they know they weren’t far from the truth.  

You were home standing by the shore singing one early morning when he walked out from the sea, claiming he was seeing pieces of land his people once ruled but stopped when he heard your song. At first, he didn’t seem to be quite allured like the others, so you heard him out when he offered to sit through your songs and see what you could do. Dreadfully, you should have never given him the time of day because after that he granted you a deal. A mutant baby with the power of a god and voice of a siren for vibranium and whatever treasures you wanted. It sounds awful but when you're struggling to leave this tiny island and live somewhere where no one can find you, it was a surprisingly good deal so you had to say yes. 

He was charming with his words, convincing with his expressions, smooth with his caresses, he got you the moment he walked out from the ocean. And you were a being made to seduce and devour, yet he was your siren. 

It took you quite a few weeks to understand his reasoning to have a baby so suddenly and why would he pick you, seemed like water people needed to stick together and the more there were of you the better. He went into depths about his defeat in Wakanda, how he was close to death and if he did perish, he would have someone to rule in his stead. An heir, a blood heir. 

Children weren’t even in your vocabulary, not even in your future. You weren’t mother material. You could barely take care of yourself. You explained to him that as soon as you had the baby, he would take it and leave you alone for the rest of your life. He agreed. As soon as the child is born whatever vibranum was offered will be given in full and you both will never see each other again. 

Fast forward to now, negative pregnancy test after negative pregnancy test. You were frustrated. When you made the deal you told him specifically, you did not want to feel pleasure, just do the deed and leave. You made sure he followed the rules, he gets it up himself, he mounts and finishes then off he goes back into his little water cave. 

To say it was hard was the biggest understatement of the year. You weren’t sure this would work. 

Standing back up you gave yourself a quick look in the mirror, a small little pep talk and left your bathroom. It wasn’t a big house, just a small little beach house where your bedroom was also the kitchen, the living room, and the office. And a giant looming sea man standing facing the double sliding doors that lead to the beach. When it was time to meet during the night, he would let himself in just as you both agreed to.  

He must have heard you exit the bathroom because he slowly turned to face you with raised brows,” So?” 

You hated this part. Before leaving the bathroom, you grabbed the negative pregnancy test you took a few minutes prior, “Negative,”  

With small steps you stood before him holding it out, "I think, you're the one with the problem. I mean we’ve done this, what? Six hundred times and there still isn’t anything there?”  

For the past few weeks everything felt different, the club felt different, you felt different, and you weren’t sure why. The other dancers saw it too and they left you alone, of course the siren who liked to be alone didn’t mind it one bit, but it felt strange. 

It wasn’t even work that made you think something was wrong, it was when you started to study the men that came to watch you sing and dance. There was a difference in men, you didn’t know if you liked it. Each time one man stopped to look, you compared him to another one and then another, they were nice men but somehow, they left you feeling the strangest feeling...you couldn’t place your finger on it, but it left you unfulfilled. One man was too short, another was too skinny, and another's voice was too high. No one was sufficient, none of them could cater to your needs. 

You had to stop occasionally, to remind yourself you were fulfilled, that your needs were met. But the heat radiating off your skin, the wanting of it and the needs tell you different. You were unfulfilled. 

Namor didn’t provoke you while you ran a frustrated hand through your hair, as if he knew all too well the obstacle that lay in his way to conceive. “There is nothing wrong with me,” 

“Really? Because it sure seems like there's a whole lot going wrong with you.” Again he didn’t engage in the conversation and just stared at you. It made you want to punch him in the face and tell him this whole deal was off. Turning around frustrated you tossed the pregnancy test on the bed and ran your hands down your face.  

“I'm tired,” You complained, stressed. "Everything hurts. I get bruises, and I get sore. I can’t do specific dances because of that baby's arm in your trunks makes everything ache,” You were emotional and you didn’t know why. But he did. Namor knew this frustration very well and this was the first step to overcome and conquer you. 

“You get to get off and I just stand there...” 

You were talking with your emotions and didn’t know what you were saying but Namor did. But he still didn’t engage. 

Slowly he walked over to the bed you slept on and you both used every other night; he picked up the test and held it to examine it himself. As if he didn’t believe you. 

You glared at him while he took his sweet time looking at the little screen. Unfulfilled needs can cause rebellion. Rebellion can come in many forms. And as Namor looked at you he found himself growing very annoyed with how difficult you were making this out to be with your rules, your limits and how much you rejected the natural course of two human bodies. 

“Do you understand why I choose you Y/N?” He asked her so sweetly as he placed the test down and went to stand before you this time,” Your voice brought me up. And when I saw the person behind this voice,” He pressed two fingers against your throat. “Independent. Strong. Beautiful. Invisible.” 

He put more pressure on those two fingers against your throat forcing you to stand your ground, “No one would suspect you, even if I were to be discovered you would never be. You know how to hide and hide you do very well but this,” 

His hand lowered so it lay flat against your lower stomach. You could feel the heat of his hand burning through your nighty, “This is something you cannot hide. You’re frustrated.” 

“Damn right I am. You frustrate the hell out of me.” 

“You misunderstand mujer fatal,” He spoke calmly, soften by how you looked neglecting yourself. Drained. Tired. “You are sexually frustrated.” 

You blinked staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. Then you scoffed. “I’m...Get out. This meeting, date, conference, whatever you want to call it is off tonight. I can’t stand you,” You murmured softly, moving to get around him. He blocked your path, with an outstretched hand. Namor has not dismissed this arrangement and he made sure you knew. 

“You cannot stand me because you desire me.” 

“Oh please, you may be a god, but your ego is just like every other man. Conceited.” Your ears were flooded with the sound of the pounding of your heart. He was getting you annoyed, angry, upset.  

“This has nothing to do with ego but truth. You have denied yourself because of your silly rules and you are suffering from it. You’re allowing your own ignorance and ego blind you of that truth,” You looked almost scared as he went on to list her rules from top to bottom and you had to agree they all seemed ridiculous. But you set them there for a reason. You didn’t want him. Right? 

  “Your body has needs and you are neglecting them for something as senseless as remaining unattached. A woman can’t live that way. You are meant to be pleased and adored, and not used as you have allowed me to use you. Admit your desire for me and that frustration could ease away,”  

You swallowed thickly, taking another step back but finding that the balcony doors were blocking your way of making space. Sneering and seething with anger or was it frustration? “I don’t want you Namor,”Shit. Even you weren’t too sure. Your voice came out quiet like a whisper. “You’re just a guy I’m working with. I don’t mix business with pleasure.” 

“It doesn’t have to be only business Y/N.” He moved his hand down to your hip gripping it and making sure you felt just how big and powerful it was,” There can be pleasure too,” 

[asthmaticbee]

WIP Title Game

Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it!

Tagged by @theliteraryluggage!

Published WIPs

and i come full circle; a leviathan reborn; palingenesis made flesh

when all my debts are paid and the score's been all tallied up

aria of pride and deceit

where daylight shatters and worthy perish (you alone endure the night)

The Truth Will Out (and you will pay your dues)

Death Eater Edward Elric, Spy Extraordinare, at your service

gloria of rubies and gold

vermillion dawns the day (of remembrance bittersweet)

and you crashed into my life (please won't you stay by my side)

dirge for the innocence lost

A Flame in the Flood

Published but on Hiatus/Discontinued

You wanted a nail? You get a whole fucking hardware store!

Dark Nebula

the blood of the covenant

Unpublished WIPs and Ideas

moving on from this liminal world

The Butterflywasp Effect

Pyrpolanthropy

and i will sail the savage seas to find you

moonlight pale; a speckle of sunlight

Ed and Sirius Azkaban Prison Break

spider lillies' serenade

oh death, dearest mine, will ye spare me yet again?

EdWin kids are classmates with the Golden Trio

Men in Black AU

Ed is Zuko's impulse control

For the Dancing and the Dreaming (and all life's sorrows and delights

so we step into war with blood on our hands

How Todoroki Became a Quirkless Rights Activist

follow me into the dark (to stand before the gates of hell)

of rivers and crossroads

threnody of a lost wanderer

hymn to alkahestry

ode to the desert sands

Pride takes over Ed the day before the finale

The Once and Future Morgen

TodoDeku childhood friends

Shouto's Diaries

A Day Early and Two Kids Short

Ageswap AU

you've seen the worst of me (and yet none of it matters to you)

Atlantis AU

Vampire RomCom

Soulmates AU

The other soulmates AU

a dead man's war report

golden lights and wild hunts

[boyslit]

not sure if i shared this bit but i keep writing Bluocha parts for the prohibition au that don't really have much to do with the main plot because they're my special little princesses and i have a huge section of my brain cordoned off for the bluocha brainrot lol

» in this au, 'Blade' is an English code name he uses for illicit activities and working with Wildfire, and Ren is his chosen name. He left his birth name (Yingxing) behind him when he fled home and left for America with Luocha 👍 Luocha has also technically abandoned his birth and family names, and Ren was the one who gave him the nickname "Luocha" to refer to the way he could twist himself into whatever he needed to be to convince, cajole or threaten their targets. From this he derived a pseudonym with which to do business in America as an apothecarist: Louis Chandler 🤭

anyway that's all fluff, here's the meat <3

-

Clearing Things Up (Luocha, Ren)

Ren sighed, letting go of some of the annoyance balled in his chest. "This was a waste of our time," he growled. He warmed his hands around his teacup, hoping the warmth would soothe some raw nerve of irritation.

Neither of them liked the self-styled but now deposed "Bourbon King" of Tennessee, but business was business and they had to get imports up to Penacony from somewhere. Bathtub hooch didn't bring in the big profits and distilleries with vaults of years-aged amber gold sitting useless on their shelves itched to sell.

"I'm sorry, my dear," Luocha said tiredly, sitting at their low table across from him. "I'd had no idea he'd be bringing anyone along, much less his… lovely, daughter." There were wrinkles of irritation in his own usually flawless countenance, and Ren noted with some relief that it wasn't just his own regular annoyance with visitors. The two visitors together had been a social nightmare.

They'd made it out alive without either tripping into a marriage arrangement or breaking their trade agreements, but it was a close thing. Luocha rubbed some tension out of his wrist absent-mindedly.

"I didn't come this far out from under my father's thumb just to cave to some drunken troll of a peddler," he murmured.

Ren choked on a gulp of tea, coughed, and began to laugh. Luocha smiled at him fondly. Ren held his gaze and then lowered his own, staring through the table. "There's only one person I'd consider marrying."

Luocha nodded, sobering. His long-ago betrothed, Dan Feng. They should, by now, have been married for some time, had Dan Feng not perished in battle before the wedding. The two living men both carried ghosts, and Luocha could hardly begrudge Ren a torch carried for someone who was no threat to him.

Ren reached across the table, taking Luocha's chilly hands in his own, rubbing some warmth into his palms gently. "What are you thinking of?" Ren murmured.

"I'm grateful to have met you… but if your Dan Feng had lived, I would never have gotten the chance. I suppose I feel guilty for thinking I prefer having met you."

Ren gave a little scoff under his breath. "Things can't be changed by wishing. If they could, I'd be a warlord's wife by now." He held Luocha's hands tighter, and looked at him pointedly. "I like things as they are now."

Luocha smiled again, but faintly. They'd had this conversation several times since Ren had told him of his past.

Ren peered at him carefully, then sighed. "You still don't understand. I wasn't speaking of Dan Feng. I want to marry you, you ridiculous man."

"Oh." Heat gathered in Luocha's cheeks, and his smile widened. "I'd…" He cleared his throat. "I'd like that very much."

"Good." Ren's smile was small, but there was a sparkle in his eye that belied some giddiness. "I will find an auspicious date to make the proposal properly, then."

"I look forward to it." Luocha couldn't pull the beaming grin from his face. Ren wasn't as far out of his reach as he'd feared, after all. Maybe he could have something he wanted, at long last.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Assuming Aro and Carlisle were both on the same dating app, what are their profiles like? Ie, how do they present themselves to attract others (and I know they're already in relationships let's just blame the dating app gift vampire).

Bonus points for Elezear because he's the worst.

I want to know what AU has caused vampire dating apps.

I can only assume we're in one of those cutesy AH AUs where Carlisle is a barista (not allowed to be a doctor anymore) and Aro is a cutthroat lawyer at his practice Volterra, and the pair totally aren't into each other except they are and find out over the course of thirty chapters how these two get together over hard to remember coffee orders!!!, or as you say the Dating App Vampire, we'll call him Larry the Lovebird, has used his gift to bless every vampire with profiles.

But alright, I can pretend this is another blog for a moment and that I do write Ao3 fics instead of eldrtich monstrosities.

Aro

We know from Aro's hunt for Sulpicia that he was looking for a very specific kind of person and not afraid to shop around to find them. More, with his gift and long life, I imagine he'd be less willing to discard someone based on things others do (having a degree is not a sign of intelligence, he doesn't really care what class someone is from, so on and so forth). I imagine he'd take a similar approach on a dating app. Except, in the most ridiculous way possible.

See, Aro's going to want to cast a wide net and he has his gift to cheat.

So, he's going to make himself as interesting as possible, certainly non-threatening (me? ever kill someone? perish the thought) just to get that first date where he can touch your hand and decide "yes" or "no" based off of every thought you've ever had.

Now, he can't do "generically" interesting as in online dating culture "long walks on the beach", "love hiking in the mountains", are all things everyone says they do but 5% of the people who actually say it do. He'd not only look basic, but he'd look like a liar (which he is).

So, I imagine what Aro does is present himself as a very niche persona then change that persona every few months in the dating rounds.

One month, Aro's really into heavy metal, really, super, into heavy metal. His profile is a bunch of quotes about heavy metal. The next, he's a gym bro. The next, he's a lover and poet.

Mostly, Aro just uses it as a way to meet interesting people, get interesting stories, and troll around while keeping an eye out for someone he'd actually find interesting.

(Though the real answer is that he wouldn't, as he already did this thousands of years ago with Sulpicia, and it doesn't seem like a hobby he'd pick up in this modern day.)

Carlisle

He fundamentally does not understand dating apps and has no desire to seek someone out in a relationship "oh ho ho, have I told you about my baggage where I'm a man-eating demon who can never get close to everyone, survives constantly starved, and more?"

I imagine his app is just his name and his face.

That's it.

He looks like a lazy attempt at cat fishing.

Eleazar

Now, I don't know about Eleazar, his participation in the Denali escapades is technically up in the air, but I know the Denali would likely have dating apps.

But if Eleazar had one, if we're going wtih my interpretation of the worst man alive, then it is a sight to behold.

Eleazar in leather pants with a rose between his lips (he is Spanish you know) lying on a couch looking at the camera seductively behind a black and white filter (partly to make him look less like a demon, partly for the sexy). Eleazar shirtless in front of a mirror in an artsy shot that looks either out of a style magazine cover or the film Zoolander.

All the quotes amount to "I will blow your mind", but said more eloquently and often in Spanish.

[hotsuqueen]

Yamato Hotsuin's Record Breaker Dialogue - Kingmaker Ending

Strong Breaker dialogue

Sunday 12:00 Strong Breaker

Shinsekai Terminal

You arrive at the terminal with Daichi and the others…

Daichi: We're here… I-Is this really the place?

Hibiki Kuze: - Definitely. - Maybe not.

Definitely. Daichi: R-Right. I can't think of anywhere else. Man, it's like I've got a fleet of butterflies in my stomach!

Maybe not. Daichi: C-C'mon, don't say stuff like that! There's no other place we could think of…

Al Saiduq: We should have no problem here. Shining One, you brought the dragon, yes? Perfect. Now use the Dragon Stream to strengthen this terminal.

Hibiki Kuze: - And I do that by…? - I don't know how.

And I do that by…? Al Saiduq: I… don't know either.

I don't know how. Al Saiduq: Hm… I had not anticipated this possibility.

Io: Oh… that's a good question. How exactly are we supposed to enhance the terminal?

Al Saiduq: Hm… At the Metropolitan Building, it became small because the Shining One wished it so. Why not focus your will in the same manner now?

Daichi: What? That's just ridiculous.

Hibiki Kuze: - That's it! - Let's give it a try.

Daichi: You're going ahead with this? Well… I guess it can't hurt to try.

Al Saiduq: Now, Shining One… test the power of the Dragon Stream.

Hibiki Kuze: - Alright. - Shrinky-shrinky!

Shrinky-shrinky! Al Saiduq: I believe it is already small enough… Must I re-adjust my perspective? Oh, I see, this is a joke, yes? Haha! How interesting.

Daichi: Huh…? Whooooaaa!

Io: Oh my… The entire room's changed!

Al Saiduq: Amazing. What powers of potential.

Jungo: Is someone there?

Yamato: …Well done. I knew you'd accomplish this.

Hibiki Kuze: - Thanks! - What're you doing here?

Thanks! Yamato: Yes, I had high expectations for you. Unfortunately, you chose to side with that man.

What're you doing here? Yamato: I had high expectations of you. I did not expect you to side with him.

Yamato: The time for talk has passed. You must all die here, and I shall take control!

Daichi: Th-This is insane! Do you think we're just gonna let you do that!?

Hinako: Right! We worked so hard for this! You think we'll just hand it over!?

Al Saiduq: Yamato Hotsuin. It is a pity we must do battle, but I will keep my vow to the Shining One.

Hibiki Kuze: - Let's do this! - Careful, everybody!

Daichi: A-Argh! We'll show you what the trash civilians ca d--Argh! I bit my tongue! D-Dammit, ow… Okay, l--letsh go, guysh!

Mid-battle, first turn: Yamato: Pathetic… Did you think I would come here without making plans in advance?

Al Saiduq: What…!? What is the meaning of this, Yamato Hotsuin?

Yamato: Hahaha! You'll come to understand when you die!

Hinako: Yamato tricked us! You okay, Hibiki? It looks like the attack hits inside the light! Head to the sides of the room!

Mid-battle, defeating the first enemy blocking the exits: Yamato: Hmph! There's no point in maintaining the attack under these circumstances.

Mid-battle, Yamato attacking Hibiki: Yamato: It's still not too late. Join me…!

Hibiki Kuze: - No, Yamato. - You should join us.

No, Yamato. Yamato: Hahaha! Very well, Hibiki. Then perish!

You should join us. Yamato: Hahaha! You know I cannot. This dream is my utmost desire!

Defeating Yamato: Yamato: Ha… What power… To think that I would be defeated…

Post-battle: Yamato: Hahaha! You monster… You give me information, and now you wish to defeat me. You aren't human… What are you? Why're you aiding Hibiki!?

Al Saiduq: Yamato Hotsuin, no one can truly say what they are in this world. I… am following my heart. Just as you are.

Yamato: Preposterous! You're nothing like me. You're not even human! Benetnash is dead, and Polaris has not appeared. It's obvious what you are now! Hear me Hibiki! I'll tell you what that "man" really is!

Al Saiduq: …Don't, Yamato Hotsuin.

Yamato: Mark me! That creature's name is Alcor! He is the last of the Septentriones! He is nothing more than a monster sent by Polaris! He wants to bring the world to ruin! You are being deceived! If you believe in him, you doom all humanity to annihilation!

Daichi: What!? Th-This guy's a Septentrione? Seriously?

Io: Huh? Saiduq's… I-Is this true!?

Al Saiduq: ……

Hibiki Kuze: - Are you our enemy? - Is this true, Saiduq?

Are you our enemy? Al Saiduq: I am a Septentrione… One of those that has subjugated mankind. Yet, I have abandoned my task to grant you new potential. As a result, the world is slowly disappearing. It is an unchangeable truth. If you say that you wish to slay me… I leave the decision to you. Hibiki Kuze: - I wouldn't do that. - Help us create a new world. Al Saiduq: …!?

Is this true, Saiduq? Al Saiduq: I won't deny it… It is the truth.

Hibiki Kuze: - I'm fine with that. - No big deal.

Al Saiduq: …!?

Yamato: …What!?

Hibiki Kuze: - I believe in you. - You're still my friend.

Al Saiduq: I'm surprised… Though I might be your enemy, you still approve of me? You still grant me your trust?

Hibiki Kuze: - I do. - Is there a problem?

Yamato: Hahaha! Blind fools!

Daichi: What's going on!? I… I can't move!

Al Saiduq: You… You still had such power left…

Yamato: I won't let this continue! I'll never accept something like you!

Al Saiduq: Don't do this… Stop!

Al Saiduq attacks him.

Yamato: Gyah!

Al Saiduq: Yamato Hotsuin…

Jungo: Yamato? Yamato?

Daichi: Wh-What're you doing, Yamato!? Why would you go so far!?

Yamato: Fools… You could never understand what I'd risk to realize my ideals… You were striving to get me to compromise, but that would never work. I feared this day would come, ever since you came to JP's. That's when it all began to come apart… Ngh… It is… It is unfortunate that my ambitions will never come… to fruition!

Hibiki Kuze: - I wish we could get along. - What a shame.

Yamato: Ha! So naive… Hibiki. You've chosen a path: to create a new world with that monster. …Don't hesitate. Follow the path you desire without looking back on what's been sacrificed. But… Perhaps I could… accept your invitation… in the next life…

Yamato jumps to his death.

Makoto: N-No…! Why…!? Chief Hotsuin, you didn't have to…

Io: No… Yamato…! He was always kinda scary, but… to die like that…

Hinako: What an idiot! Why did he have to rush to his own death?

Jungo: Yamato… I wanted to get to know you better…

Daichi: That bastard! He has to go and die on his own…! After all you've said, it was still you who helped us survive this long, Yamato! How can you just leave us like this…? You moron!

Al Saiduq: ……

Hibiki Kuze: - There was nothing we could do… - What's the matter?

Al Saiduq: You did choose to follow my path… Are you alright with what happened here?

Hibiki Kuze: - Don't make me say it again. - Yes, I am…

Al Saiduq: I see… You're right. There's no time for discussion now. Let us go forth to Polaris.

[terrence-silver]

Do you think Terry likes hanging out at Beloved's place?

The man who canonically relishes breaking into people's houses in order to snoop around and gather intel? Does he like hanging out at the home of the person who undoubtedly matters most? Someone who isn't even a rival? A foe? Is that the question? This guy? Here exclusively featured breaking and entering (at the cost of nearly getting caught)?

You kidding me?

It is like a dream come true!

Because what better way to have a perfect (and voyeuristic) insight into the life, comings, goings and someone's inner bubble than ingratiating oneself enough to be invited over? Not that Terry Silver needs an invitation, per se (he ain't a vampire) --- it is nourishment to his ego if he gets an invitation (he feels like he's won a thing), though, of course, but he doesn't require it, because his tremendous lack of boundaries is such that he'll just climb in through your window, over your garden wall, gate or slither in through the chimney, if need be and take what he wants regardless. No entry point is too ridiculous. It ain't ridiculous if it works. He is just as prone to letting himself inside of someone's home and, well, looking around without the host's consent or knowledge (in fact, that makes it all the more fun and titillating for him), but the very fact that he's cordially a regular guest and he can just first hand see where beloved lives, how they live, what their surroundings are, their memories, their hobbies, interests, their trinkets, their items, their things, their trash, their most personal belongings, their intimacy is...delectable.

Delicious.

It is beloved's life laid bare for him and him alone and he feels absolutely entitled to it, like he already owns the place way before he's ever even called over, but when he's there 'hanging out' as it were, it is truly official; this house, this flat, this apartment, this homestead, this rental --- it is his. Much like beloved's his. Alongside everything pertaining to beloved. Place doesn't even have to be some top notch luxurious condo, villa, mansion or estate. Could entirely the most ordinary, lived in home imaginable and perhaps that's what makes it more interesting. It doesn't matter. There's an extremely possessive noun attached to this bit of revenue now though sheer association with beloved in his mind and Terry develops a territorial streak towards it. In no time at all, not only does he 'like hanging out' there, but he starts sabotaging everyone else who once liked hanging out there too. Friends. Family. Other guests. Visitors. Formal. Informal. Doesn't matter. He pushes out the competition cleverly and quietly, so it is never noticed any pushing was done in the first place. There can be only one. They've no business here. What's their business in his spot?

It all belongs to him.

He doesn't want anything touched by anyone.

Used by anyone.

Changed by anyone, unless he conducts changes himself.

He doesn't want anyone inhaling the general air of the place.

Does want beloved's things seen, stroked -- perish the thought, damaged.

The place is like a museum to him, and beloved along with it.

So, does he like hanging out there? I don't think the word 'like' quite encompasses it properly. To him, it is like beloved's world condensed into a bubble in the palm of his hand and he can do with it as he pleases, with this home. Safeguard it. Take it. Protect it. Renovate it. Make it better. Destroy it. Crush it. Ridicule it. Love it. Use it as blackmail fodder. Consume it. Hate it. Turn it inside out for his own satisfaction. Burn it down. Treat it like something hallowed and priceless. The options are endless, but if one thing is for certain, Terry cannot have an emotion as mild and blasé as 'liking' when it comes to things pertaining to those he's fond of, even if that includes the very roof they live under. He feels everything about the house where beloved lives, the same way he feels everything about them too.

[xxkitty13]

Circus Freaks

LA Buggy x Fem Reader

Previous Chapters: Part 1, Part 9

Previously: With the news of the marriage proposal Buggy becomes furious. Feeding to the fire, Cabaji shows a letter to Y/n that reveals the mayor as her father’s murderer. Buggy confronts the mayor, with no concrete evidence, and threatens him. The news of the debt and marriage crisis makes it to Lyla, who warns Y/n of the risks dealing with pirates.

Part 10: True Intentions

"Son, it's time I tell you the history of our family."

Yasi's ears perked up as he picked at his steak. "I already know about our history. What else is there?" he speaks with a bore tone.

Kija wipes his mouth with a white cloth and places it on his empty plate. He snaps his fingers to get Moris' attention. The butler arrives and cleans the table. The half-eaten steak is taken away as well, Yasi tries to grab the plate, but Moris slaps his hand. "You should have eaten it."

Yasi scoffs and slumps on the chair.

"Stop acting like that and follow me." His father stands up and leaves the dining room. Yasi hastily gets up and follows after him. He leads him to the mansion's library, it is small, but extravagant. Rich literature collected by his ancestors fill the ebony wood shelves.

"For centuries, our family has maintained order on this island. We are the chains that keep stability, without us, the people inhabiting these lands will perish."

Yasi raises his eyebrow in annoyance. "So?"

"The Abasks, co-founded the island with the Kishas as you may recall."

"Yeah, yeah. . . Kisha Febe got all the credit for it. What about it? It's not like anybody remembers her."

"True, but the name Kisha has died out. Do you know why?"

"Well, weren't they exiled ages ago?"

"Yes, but do you know the reason for their exile?"

"From what I heard, the Kisha's tried to run this island like a dictatorship and failed after a revolt."

"That is partially correct, but there is more."

Kija turns to face an oil painting. The painting presents a young man, he has long jet-black hair and the same piercing blue eyes they have. "That is Lionel, the Abask who discovered the island with Febe."

"I know that already dad."

He glares at him but continues. "They forged the land together with the help of a mystical trinket, formed by the sea kings. One that controlled the four elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Its whereabouts are unknown."

Yasi begins to chuckle, but his father's glare stops him.

"Lionel has always been in love with Febe, but she always seen him as a brother. Love stricken, he let her have all the glory. In fact, he was so blind that he allowed her to take full control of the island. He was a fool, letting himself be used like that. It wasn't until she married another man that he realized his mistake,"— Kija clears his throat— "With her pride, she kept the surname Kisha. Her descendants reign lasted for a while, despite the usage of the trinket. However, Lionel's descants managed to destroy the Kisha's power and banished them from the island."

"Well, what does that have to do with me?"

"I believe Y/n is a Kisha."

He's flabbergasted. "How can that be?"

"Her father kept it hidden."

"Okay, why is the name Kisha that important?"

"Their blood. It is the only way to possess the trinket's power."

Yasi stays silent for a moment. Blood? The sinister agenda behind that statement sent shivers down his spine. "Is that why you're pushing the marriage between us? That's ridiculous," he says, eyeing his father.

"I don't seek power son. Do you see how that turned out for them? If we can get ahold of the trinket, we can create a better environment for the people and maintain the Kisha's thirst for power,"— he grabs an old journal from the bookshelves— "We will finally be able to merge our linage and finally end our ancestor's story. Can't you see, we were always meant to be one."

He skims through the fragile pages and show's his son an image of a cross. "I need your help to locate this pendant. This is the key for everything."

". . . key. . ?" It took him a moment to realize that he's seen that pendant before. It's Y/n's necklace. He gasped, but quickly covered his hands over his mouth.

"Where you going to say something?" Kija suspiciously looked at his son, intrigued at his reaction.

"Uh. . . no. . ." he coughed, trying to avoid further details. To his luck, his father dismissed it.

"Well, then. . . I advise you to get to work." He closes the journal and places it back on the shelf. "Do what you have to do to marry that girl. We need that pendant in our possession."

"Yes father."

Kija nods and escorts Yasi out the room, closing the door behind him.

"Silly little boy, he’ll believe anything," he chuckles.

"There is some truth in my story, but once I get ahold of that pendant. No one will dare defy me."

But little did he know that Yasi heard everything behind the closed door.

.°˖✧.°˖✧

In the town's plaza, the markets are as lively as ever. Y/n and Lyla take turns taking care of the stand as Walo joins them. They all multitask between customers, plotting a way to avoid the Ti's eviction.

"I'm not sure if there's much that I can do," Walo sighs, counting the money in the register's drawer.

Lyla finishes adding apples to the display and walks over to her husband. "Are you sure? You work closely with him."

"That's true, but I don't see him very often. I only take care of the finances dealing with his ships."

"Hey, are you able to track down what ships he's sent out?" Y/n asks out of curiosity.

"Yes, I have access to all of the records. . . why?"

"I'm just concerned, he gave the Ti's a free voyage a couple of days ago. It just seems odd."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "That is strange. . . I don't remember seeing that in our records, I'll definitely check that out."

"Thank you."

"Y/n," Yasi called out.

Everyone snapped their head to the voice. Yasi took a step back, receiving nasty scowl from the family. There is a moment of silence before Walo spoke.

"What are you doing here?" he said with a hoarse tone.

He anxiously tugged on the collar of his polo and weakly mumbles, "I just wanted to check up on Y/n."

"As you can see, I'm fine," she spat out.

Ignoring her attitude, Yasi approaches her. "My father hasn't bothered you, has he?"

"No. Should I be worried?"

". . . no. . ." he hesitantly let out.

"Okay, there's something you're not telling me."

"I really shouldn't say, but I really want to prove that I'm not doing this for my father."

"So what is it?"

"We have to talk somewhere private, if that's okay with you."

Lyla and Walo look at each other, uneasy at the request. They look at Y/n, waiting for her response.

She takes a brief look at them and back at Yasi. "Fine, I have nothing else to lose." Lyla sighed and noded in approval. Y/n leaves from behind the counter and nudges Yasi to follow after her. "We can talk in the alleyways, no one goes through there."

"Right. . ."

Y/n leans against the dirty walls of the wooden building, the stench of garbage lingers throughout the air. Yasi could almost gag at the smell, but he composed himself.

"Well, where do I start. . ."— he clears his throat— "The reason my father wants us to get married is because he wants to get closer to you.”

“Uh. . . that’s not creepy.”

“Not in that way, but he thinks you are descendant of the island's founder."

Y/n bursts out in laughter. "Yeah right, like I'm related to her."

Annoyed, he raised his voice. "But I'm not lying. He wants your necklace, the cross to be exact."

"Huh? My necklace. . ?" She looks at him puzzled. "Why does he need it?"

"Apparently it's the key to find Kisha's trinket, whatever that is."

"Trinket? Well, from what I know my father gave me that necklace. He never said anything about it." Y/n tries to remember if her father mentioned something about the necklace, but nothing comes to mind. Her hands go to her neck, that's right, Buggy has it. Her mind continues to run wild, and an idea pops up. "Come to think of it. . . if I give you the necklace. . . will your father exclude the marriage?"

"Unfortunately, no. Not only does he need the necklace, but your blood as well."

"Um, what the fuck?"

"Apparently that's how you're able to access the trinket. He said it's a powerful instrument."

Y/n is shocked at the information. Her blood? "From what I know, I may not be related to Kisha. I am not letting your father touch me."

"Which is why I want to help you. My father has gone mad."

"Okay so, what do we do?"

"I don't know. How do we determine you are a Kisha after all?"

"I think I may know how. Follow me." Y/n grabs his hand and pulls him out the alleyway. He tries to pull away, but she is only focused on the direction she walks.

.°˖✧.°˖✧

With the new details from Yasi, Y/n returns to the cemetery in hopes to find answers. They stand before her parents’ grave. She has never been able to contact them nor have they. The missing surname adds to the possible evidence that she might be a Kisha, but she hopes that is not true.

"Please, if you can hear me. I need your help."

Yasi looked at her crazy. Is she really trying to talk to dead people? Absurd. "What are you doing?"

"Shh, I'm trying to concentrate."

He stands back, watching her do her strange ritual. Nothing happens.

“Fuck, this used to work when I was little.”

“So it was true? You can communicate with the dead?”

“Yes. . . no one believed me. . .”— she sighs— “maybe this is all in my head. As you can see. . . it didn’t work.” Y/n sits before her mother’s tombstone. Did she really see that shadow on that day? How else would she had discovered the hidden room in the temple.

“Please, I fear that the island is in danger. If anyone can hear me, give me a sign.”

Again, nothing. In rage, she gets up from the ground and marches away. "Forget it, this is pointless."

"Hey, where are you going?"

Yasi follows after her, but she is quick. As she trails on the dirt path, her body sways. She begins to stumble, and she falls on her bottom. Loud ringing is all she can hear; it is obnoxious and the volume increases by each second. It becomes so unbearable that she screams, alerting Yasi. In the height of the pain, she stops her cries and that's when everything went black.

Y/n opens her eyes, a bright light beams over her face. Soft winds blow around her and the soft touch of grass brushes against her skin. It takes a minute for her to comprehend the surrounding area. She sits up and scans the never-ending field, until she spots a human-like figure. It appears to be a woman, who stands a couple of feet away from her. She faces the setting sun, standing completely still.

"Hello?" she calls out.

The woman says nothing.

Y/n walks towards her, but the winds begin to pick up, each gust gaining strength at each step. Still, she managed to pull through and reaches the mysterious woman. She grabs her shoulder to get her attention but is immediately zapped by an unknown force.

Hundreds of flashing images fill her mind, each more chaotic than the next. She is able to depict a battle, a fight between a man and a woman. Fire consumes the land as gushing winds of a severe thunderstorm adds more to the fuel. The scene is cut short, and the hidden room of the temple appears. It focuses specifically on an engraving, matching the cross of her necklace. The final image she sees in one of a small chest. The location of the box is unknown.

She breaks out of her trance and breathes profoundly.

The woman finally speaks, "Be aware. Danger is near."

"H-huh? What do you mean?"

"Do not let him win."

"Him?"

The woman turns around, her lifeless eyes glow white, the brightness expanding across the area. The light extends, stunning Y/n in the process. The last thing she is able to make out from the woman are the words "Find the gem."

"Y/n, wake up!"

She finds herself back into reality as Yasi shakes her limp body.

"I'm okay now, you can stop shaking me," she groans.

"Oh, I thought you died,"— he helps her off the ground— "What happened? You were screaming and passed out."

Y/n holds her pouncing head. "Someone reached out to me. Ugh. . ." Still weak from the blackout, she begins to fall back. Yasi stops her fall. "I need my necklace."

"Okay, where is it?"

"Buggy has it."

"Of course he does," he mumbles.

"Come on, we need it." She tries to walk on her own, but her legs don't cooperate.

"Let me carry you, it will be faster that way."

Y/n wanted to resist, but she had no choice. "Fine, let's head to the circus tent."

.°˖✧.°˖✧

It’s late. Hopefully Buggy wouldn’t be worried, especially arriving in Yasi's arms. This would not sit well with the pirate.

"I don't think I should go inside."

"Yeah, I agree. You can put me down now." He complies and gently sets her feet on the ground. “Okay, I’m just going to inside-” As she turned around to enter the tent, she is met with Buggy’s hard chest.

"Y/n, care to explain."

Shit. Her heart skips a beat once she realized who it was. His expression is dark, eyes dead set on Yasi. He grabs Y/n’s arm and pulls her behind him.

"It's not what it looks like."

"Oh really. Then tell me why you were gone the whole day and return in another man's arms, one that you are arranged to marry?!"

Y/n winced at the fact. "Okay when you say it like that. . . but Buggy he's here to help."

"I don't buy it." Buggy brushes past Y/n and grabs Yasi by the collar of his shirt. "You better leave before I stuff a blade down your throat."

"Buggy!"

"Hey, I didn't do anything to her. I was just trying to help."

“Yeah right, I know this little tactic. You’re trying to play the nice guy and slowly win her heart, but guess what, I won’t let that happen," he grits.

"Let me go," Yasi says sternly.

Buggy laughs, "Not before I fuck you up."

In that instant, Yasi heads butt him right on his nose. The pirate let's go of his collar and holds onto this throbbing face. "Why you little shit," he hisses out in pain.

Y/n quickly pushes Yasi to leave. "Run."

Buggy digs into this coat and pulls out three sharp blades. "Yeah, you better run you fucking piece of shit." He lunges at him, pushing Y/n out the way. Yasi runs out the gates as Buggy chases after him.

"Buggy, don't kill him!"

It was no use; bloodlust filled his mind. Yasi screamed for help, dashing into the nearby woods. As Buggy exits out the front gate, a net on the ground activates, capturing him inside.

"What the fuck?!" Buggy tries to move, but his body felt heavy. He tries to detach his hand to go through the holes of the net, but nothing happened. "What is this? Why can't I move?"

"It's made of sea stone." That voice.

His eyes widden. "You. How did you find out?"

It was the mayor, Mr. Dun. He laughs, standing over the net, showing him his bounty poster. Buggy's facial expression is priceless, nobody was supposed to know.

"Buggy! Hey, let him go!" Y/n yells out as she arrives to the scene.

"I'm sorry, but he is under arrest."

"Under arrest, for what?" she questioned.

“You see Y/n, Buggy is not just any pirate. He is a notorious pirate with a bounty of 15 million berries. He goes island to island, burning each town to the ground. We are lucky to have caught him in time.”

“15 million. . ?” That is a high bounty for a pirate in the East Blue. There’s no way he’s worth that much.

“He’s not a man you want to fiddle with Y/n,” Kija states.

Everyone turns around the face the man. He stands by the circus fence; his men have already surrounded the tent. He carries a smirk, walking towards the captured captain. Kija stands before the net, finding the pirate's position amusing.

“You are not worthy to be with a woman like Y/n. You are nothing, but a sorry dirty old man, it’s disgusting to see a scum like you take advantage of a young woman,”— he pivots and walks away— “take him away boys and rile up the rest of those freaks.”

Buggy tried his best to set himself free, but it was no use, his body is completely drained. “You. You set us up. I will kill you once I’m out,” he spat out, pointing to Yasi.

Kija only laughed. “It is impossible to escape my prison. No one has.”

The underlings roughly grab the net and throw him on a trailer attached to their horses. They take him away as the rest of his crew his captured.

“Y/n. . . I had no idea," Yasi mumbles.

“Stop it. I trusted you," she sobs, watching the men take Buggy away.

Kija approaches them. “You two. We have matters to discuss,” he says nudging them to a horse carriage nearby.

“No we don’t,” she tries to hit him, but he catches her hand, gripping it with enough force to cease her rage.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Be a doll and comply.”

He lets go of her throbbing arm. Terrified, Y/n stayed completely still.

“Good. Yasi, we’re heading back to the mansion with Y/n. No need to worry about the situation, my men will take care of the trash.”

Y/n looks back the circus tent. Everyone has been apprehended, including Richie. The poor thing is being whipped and thrown around. She turns away, not wanting to watch the abuse of the lion any longer. For now, she has to obey Kija. A plan to help Buggy and his crew will have to wait.

“Don’t worry Y/n. These pirates will no longer be your concern.” He holds his hand out, waiting for her to join them in the carriage. She hesitates but takes his hand. She can hear the chaotic sounds of the circus grounds fade, has she failed?

[syrupfog]

Sanji doesn’t understand the point of humans, really. He knows that people love them, but… they’re just so FRAGILE. They break easily, hard to repair, and once their systems have stopped circulating, they just don’t turn back on. He doesn’t get the appeal.

He knows, has been informed, that he was born human. But it’s a ship of Theseus situation. He’s been long ago upgraded, doesn’t have those weaknesses he was born with. 

Hell, his siblings were incredibly powered up, for humans, and they were still easily disposed of.

Logically, loving a human just doesn’t make sense. They’re not REAL the way androids are real. Their consciousness doesn’t exist as soon as they’re powered down. There’s a liminal nothingness to that. Humans are like toys. Like starter beings.

He’s had all of those thoughts hundreds of times before, as he’s watched humans die in front of him. Watched his siblings as they perished by his own hand. This has been his Truth his whole life. Humans aren’t worth thinking about because they’re just not really REAL.

And of course, that’s why he’s questioning his own actions now. 

THIS human he’s seen around a few times, having washed up in a dingy little rowboat at the edge of town, telling the people something about how he’s been separated from his crew.

This human who has been working hard, exchanging manual labor for food while sleeping rough and making time to train with his ridiculous swords. Those are a weakness, at least consider guns, or fortified steel legs.

But this human, who’s been so confident he’ll be reunited with his crew, who’s been biding his time and training… Sanji had taken an interest in him. 

And then Sanji had watched him die. A freak accident with machinery he’d been tasked to repair in exchange for a meal.

Everyone in town knows of Sanji. And he knows they know, knows they think he’s a little alarming. But that��s fine. They’re human. 

However they perceive him, though, they don’t object when he swoops in and lifts up the green haired human, taking him away.

It’s not like he’s useful to them anyway anymore, he’s turned off and humans don’t turn back on. 

But Sanji… wants this one to. 

It’s ridiculous and maybe Sanji should upgrade his logic processing, but… he’s drawn to this one. Wants it back online.

His father had been a monster of a man, and the only one Sanji had taken true pleasure in turning off. But he’d kept his father’s workshops in working order to do his own repairs as necessary, and that comes in useful now. Sanji only knows living bodies for their food purposes.

He works and studies and experiments. He takes out his nightly recharging batteries and instead gets out his old charging cord so he doesn’t have to take breaks. He knows humans are quick to recycle after being turned off, even with the best precautions taken.

He doesn’t know why, but… he wants this. He’s drawn to the man. There’s an energy about him that Sanji doesn’t remember ever seeing before, and he wants it back. 

And after an intense amount of repairs and replacements and experimental flesh-and-metal welding…

He flips the switch. 

The man groans. 

He lifts a hand slowly to his face, squinting his eye at the light. Sanji hadn’t been able to save both of them. 

He sits up, blinking as he looks around. 

“Wh’ th’ fuck happened?” He mumbles.

“Hi,” says Sanji. “I’m Sanji. Your systems failed and turned off. I turned them back on.” 

The man looks down at himself. Sanji thinks he’s done a good job matching the spray paint to his skin tone. 

“Swords?” The man asks.

“In the other room,” Sanji says. “I wanted to check you were fully online before returning your things to you.” 

“Is that why I’m butt-ass naked?” The man asks, then shakes his head. “Whatever. Am I being held? Can I go?” 

Sanji blinks. “Of course you can go,” he says.

“But please let me feed you, first. Humans need sustenance.” 

The man frowns. “You not human or something?” He asks. “You don’t look like a fishman or mink.” 

“I’m an android,” says Sanji. 

“Well that’s a fucking note,” says the man. “I’m Zoro. Thanks for… fixing me, I guess.”

Sanji smiles. “I will take you to your clothes and then food,” he says. “There has been rumor your ‘crew’ as you called them is here, although I have not validated these claims. I have been busy.” 

Zoro grins, swinging his legs over the table and standing.

“Perfect,” he says. “I gotta get going, then.” 

Sandi frowns. “Wait,” he says. “You’re still newly upgraded. There might be bugs!” 

Sanji HATES bugs. 

“I’m fine,” Zoro says, then promptly stumbles. 

“Like that!” Sanji screeches. He’s had years, decades to work on his own tech.

“You need to be stress tested properly!” 

Zoro pinches the bridge of his nose and there’s the sound of metal groaning under his fingers. “Fine,” he says. “Then I guess you’re coming with me.” 

“Pardon?” asks Sanji. 

“Listen, Swirly,” Zoro says. “I have places to be and a future pirate king to serve. I don’t have time to be waiting around for hardware to fail so either you’re coming with me or I’m handing my doctor a computer repair manual.” 

Sanji groans. “…Fine,” he says. “I will feed you and then I will pack up. It will take two hours.”

“You have until Luffy shows up,” Zoro says. Then amends, “You have until Luffy has eaten everything in your kitchen.” 

Sanji doesn’t know this ‘Luffy’ but he takes that into his calculations. “Acceptable,” he says. “Let’s be off, then.”

And thus, the Straw Hats gain their cook, as Sanji makes it his life mission to keep his collection of humans as safe as possible. They’re so fragile, they break so easily. 

Although these ones do seem hardier than most.