#also can i just say that if we would ever get that ocean voyage thing mentioned in the survey | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thestalkerbunny · 4 years ago

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Dnd One Shot that would only work if the party has a player who has ‘speak with animals’ or has some EXCELLENT animal handling skills. It would also work as a great filler episode.

Your party gets some tickets to go on the first ever LUXURY CRUISE-this is like...the fanciest shit your players or the world has ever seen, it is the premiere luxury cruise liner and it’s about to make it’s maiden voyage of a solid 30 day long trip. And most of the game you can have your players have fun and dick around, gamble, charm/upset/offend/get into fights with other passengers-just finally live your dreams on a BOAT. Be as wild as you please with some boat shenanigans.

But each passing day as the cruises ship gets further and further out to sea, there are more and more odd complications. Something big keeps bumping into the boat and causing leaks in the hull, people sent to dive and check on what the outside damage looks like while the boat is briefly anchored find massive crushed bits of the boat like they‘ve been put into a vice grip, have one of the players even roll to have an unsettling dreams because their room is close to a port hull and they keep hearing odd deep calls in the night. These complications get worse and worse.

People begin to accuse each other of trying to sabotage the ship, maybe the ship’s owner trying to sink it to save himself on the insurance it has? Maybe the disgruntled captain who is being forced retired? A spurned mystery woman? Who knows, it starts to turn into a real ‘who is trying to sink this boat and endanger these innocent lives?’ who’s doing it?

The culprit?

Lobsters.

If at any time a player who makes a good animal handling check goes down into the main dining area, they’ll find the massive lobster tank where they keep all the lobsters they’re going to use on the last night of the cruise for a big lobster dinner. Most of the lobsters will, to a player that rolls high enough to notice, seem to look very resigned to their fates as the main course-except for one that is a rather large lobster and looks particular determined for a lobster.

If the player uses ‘speak with animals’-most of the lobsters will be very very sad and depressed about this. They understand this the way it’s always been, nature says that you’re most likely to be eaten if you are small-but it doesn’t mean they at all want to accept it. The Big Lobster will most likely say nothing. The Lobsters would ask that player to please come and visit them every night promising to tell them special lobster stories in exchange for spreading them around to the ‘land walkers’, because they believe if their stories survive then they will truely achieve immortality in the afterlife and not be forced to return to the mortal plane as another creature.

If they player continues to visit the lobsters, they will tell the player numerous amazing stories about the creatures under the sea, from beautiful temples, mermaid kingdoms, great fissures in the deep, ancient deities that live in the trenches bound in bondage unseen for thousands of years. (it doesn’t hurt to drop some lobster facts in there as well, Lobsters believe they are all royalty as their blood is blue and that they are obviously the sea’s favored creature as they live forever when left natural in the wild.)

Eventually, the player will hear all the lobster stories. They may notice that with each passing day-as the complications of the boat get worse and worse-the lobsters seem more perky and excited. They may even hear the lobsters talking about how they ‘might actually get out of this one’ but they never really elaborate on why they think this-most of them are too focused on getting their stories told. If the player listens to all the lobster stories, repeatedly tries to converse to the big lobster in a friendly manner, and rolls a high enough charisma check-they will finally hear the big lobster speak.

The Big Lobster will say one thing. ‘You should probably brace yourself.’

This is when the final seige happen on the boat and it is attacked by a massive horrifying sea creature trying to capsize the boat. The players can join to try and stop the monster from sinking the boat or help passangers evacuate. The monster is most likely be undefeatable or it will be severely injured enough for it to leave the boat alone-but not without it being so badly damage that it can’t continue it’s voyage. Everyone will be forced to evacuate and wait for help to come from the main land. Most everyone will make it out safe (except for the people eaten by sharks or smashed by the monster)

In the dark of the night, the party will see a bunch of lobsters swimming towards their life boat with the biggest lobster in the lead. The big lobster will climb in and begin to talk in common to the party-thanking the player who listened to the lobster stories for doing so as it helped them all keep hope. The Big Lobster will apologize for the destruction of the boat-as it was directly his fault for doing so. The Big Lobster will reveal that for days it’s been psychically contacting the great sea monster to come and save it from his fate in the boiling pot and was only able to do so because of one thing-the big lobster is not a lobster.

He is in fact a wizard under a true polymorph spell. He is a wizard who studies the magical currents in the ocean for a living and had polymorphed himself into a lobster to study the sea up close and personal. But the magic device he was going to use to break the polymorph when he was done was lost and he with all the other lobsters were caught. At any time in the game, another player can find that device and in this ending, they can break the polymorph and he turns back into a wizard. He thanks the party, apologizes for the damage and trouble before jumping back into the water and disappearing, only for the big sea monster to rise up out of the ocean again with the wizard riding on top and them to disappear into the night with the entourage of lobsters following after.

This one shot can be used as a filler episode while the players are traveling between continents or a lead in for an under sea adventure. You can even have the party come into some amazing sea themed magic items or a great amount of a money, signed courtesy of the ‘Lobster Wizard and Co.’

TLDR: Lobsters on the titanic as it’s sinking: Boys I think we might actually be getting out of this one!

#TSB talks #Dnd #Dungeons and Dragons #Lobsters #One Shot #Campaign Ideas

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zintranslations · 4 years ago

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Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 120

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Chapter 120: The Thirteenth Door

Right after the new year, it came about time for Gu Longming to enter his door.

Ruan Nanzhu selected a sixth door hint slip, and on it was a name familiar to all—Minotaur. A monster from ancient Greek mythology with a bull's head and a human's body that guarded a maze.

In the myth, it was a creature of an extremely violent temperament born of a human and a white bull. Shut away in the Labyrinth on the island of Crete, it ate seven pairs of boys and girls each year. Then it was killed by a bastard son of Athens, Theseus. Point was, there wasn't much intel to gain about the door from a hint like this. Only once they went in and encountered the actual situation could they connect it to the hint on the paper slip.

Lin Qiushi also showed this hint to Gu Longming ahead of time. After Gu Longming received it, he expressed his thorough gratitude for Lin Qiushi, and Lin Qiushi too was forthright with a vaccination—he said that in this door, he could not be responsible for Gu Longming's life, and Gu Longming ought to prepare himself accordingly.

Gu Longming agreed to every stipulation, and said he had already prepared himself for never coming out.

Their time of entry was roughly the tenth of the lunar new year, when celebrations were trailing off, leisurely vacations were coming to an end, and everybody grew busy again.

Lin Qiushi readied everything and began to wait for the door.

The tenth quickly came. It was a bright, sunny afternoon, and few people were in the mansion. There was only Lin Qiushi sitting in the living room eating Lu Yanxue's freshly cooked pumpkin seeds. Lu Yanxue's culinary skills were, as usual, the best; the pumpkin seeds she fried up were flavored with the five spices and fragrant as all hell. Lin Qiushi could pass an entire afternoon with just a handful of the stuff.

Ruan Nanzhu had already gotten changed and was waiting upstairs. Lin Qiushi saw that it was about time, and so hoisted his hefty backpack and headed upstairs to go look for him.

Due to their last door, Lin Qiushi intentionally stuffed his bag with a great number of food items. Daily necessities from outside could be brought inside, but weapons that were more against the spirit of the doors were not. Guns and other firearms, for example, could not be brought inside.

Once you'd entered the doors, of course, there might exist some special limitations, like in the sanitarium door when the NPC told them the rule where they could not eat food brought in from the outside. The reality was that these kinds of limitations were rare, but all Lin Qiushi wanted to achieve was the principle of Better Safe Than Sorry. At any rate, the condition from the tenth door where they had to open a chest if they wanted to eat had left quite the shadow on his psyche.

Lin Qiushi entered Ruan Nanzhu's bedroom and sat with him on the bed for a while. Then he felt the atmosphere around him change. It took only the time of a blink for Ruan Nanzhu, who had been sitting right beside him, to disappear without a trace. Lin Qiushi pushed open the bedroom door in front of him and saw that what had originally been the hallway was now a series of twelve black metal doors. What a familiar sight.

He walked to the sixth door and gave it a tug. The next moment, Lin Qiushi was sucked in by an immense force. The scenery around him was also altering dramatically, and by the time he opened his eyes again, he could feel a faint rocking beneath his feet.

Lin Qiushi took a closer look, and discovered that he'd appeared on a large old ship. It was just about sunset, and there were black clouds frighteningly low in the sky, as if they were going to smother the horizon at any moment. Inky seawater tossed before him, blown into violent waves by the winds.

Lin Qiushi smelled the gamy salt of the ocean, and because of the excessive waves, the ancient deck beneath his feet was ceaseless in its swaying. He saw that on the floorboards, there were seaweed-clung creatures clutching at the wood, making for an immensely uncomfortable sight.

Lin Qiushi took a few steps forward and saw in the ship cabin a dim-glowing light. He followed the corridor to the interior, and heard miserable wailing coming from inside.

"Uwaaaa, why am I here? What the hell did you all do to me?!" It had been a while since he last heard these cries of a newbie—Lin Qiushi was actually a bit surprised. He spotted the crying person immediately. It was a young woman, wiping at her tears with her hands. "You goddamn perverts, you guys must have kidnapped me. I'm going to call the cops and have you all arrested!!"

Most people were listening to her sob in silence. Newbies, after all, only ever reacted in so many ways: most cried; some tried to run; and some, of the truly psychologically frail sort, came in and pretty much had an immediate meltdown.

Lin Qiushi stood where he was. He noticed that around this girl were a few people who didn't look so good, who also seemed in various degrees of panic. They clearly weren't prepared to enter a door, and were likely newbies like the girl. But at least they weren't wailing endlessly like the young woman, and were still calm in comparison.

Lin Qiushi's gaze searched through the crowd and very quickly found its target—a woman seated in a corner and smiling at him.

The woman wore a long dress—the same outfit Ruan Nanzhu wore before they came in.

Lin Qiushi had the script in his head, and he took his time approaching the woman and holding out his hand: "Yu Linlin."

"Zhu Meng." The woman took his hand and smiled. "The red thread of destiny found us inside this door, let's cherish this meeting."

Lin Qiushi couldn't help but laugh.

"Indeed. Let's cherish this meeting."

Really, this little drama queen of his—putting on a show even when there was no stage to be had.

Just as the two were talking, a young man came tumbling in through the door. Though his face was unfamiliar, his clothes told Lin Qiushi his identity—it was Gu Longming, who'd agreed to meet with Lin Qiushi over the internet.

Gu Longming was entirely soaked. Once he came in he began to curse under his breath: "fuckers, throwing me on a lifeboat—why don't you just throw me into the ocean huh? Goddamn jealous of my beauty or what—"

Though he kept his voice down, Lin Qiushi's hearing was superb, and so could easily hear all the crap he was spewing. For a moment, Lin Qiushi himself didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Of course, he didn't laugh. He only cleared his throat once and covered his mouth with his hand, swallowing down the urge to smile. Gu Longming's eyes lapped the gathered people and very quickly fell upon Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu. He came over with a bright grin, greeting the two as if they'd just met completely by coincidence.

As a matter of act, this little trick where they faked a chance encounter was only useful for the earlier doors. Once in the later doors, that old fox-spirit manifested in everyone, and not having a partner actually made you the odd one out.

As for whether or not somebody would identify them as part of the same crew, Lin Qiushi used to worry about that. Now though, not so much.

The cabin of the old ship wasn't big, nor was it bright. The only lighting equipment was a handful of tiny kerosene lamps overhead, flickering periodically with the sway of the ship.

The sky grew darker outside, and the number of people kept increasing. Finally, it stopped at the count of fourteen.

Everybody assessed their surroundings as they met up with their own teammates. The crowd seemed to be very quickly divided up into teams, with the handful of newbies left out. Without much choice, they had to make up their own team.

Just as the crowd grew noisy with discussion, a middle-aged man came in from the outside. His get-up looked a bit like a medieval pirate, and he carried a swaying kerosene lamp in his hand.

"Welcome to the Black Skerry," the man spoke. His voice sounded quite raspy, like the effects of long-term drinking or smoking had brought about irreversible damage to his throat. "I hope you all have a good time here."

After he finished saying this, he laughed like a maniac, and his high-pitched laughter, like fingernails scoring a chalkboard, sent goosebumps rising along the skin.

"In ten days, the Black Skerry will reach harbor," the man said. "Our voyage will end then, so please enjoy our wonderful time together."

Just as he finished speaking, somebody rushed out of the cabin. Lin Qiushi first thought that this person had gotten scared, but not long after, there came from outside the sound of violent vomiting—it seemed that some unlucky bastard was seasick.

"Where in the world are we?" The sobbing young girl had also been scared by the man before her, and she spoke: "are we filming a show? I'm really, really scared, can I please quit? I don't want to play anymore, I'm begging you…"

The man completely ignored her. He merely went on watching the crowd with a cool gaze.

The girl seemed to want to go up and take hold of him, but when she got to his side she suddenly stopped, face draining of all color. She then backed up a few steps, as if she'd seen something truly terrifying.

Lin Qiushi's eyesight wasn't as good as Ruan Nanzhu's, and due to the dim lights he didn't see a thing. It was Ruan Nanzhu who quietly explained the situation to him:

"That person's covered in some sort of black insect."

Gu Longming shivered.

"Is he dead or alive then?"

"I don't know," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Doesn't look too good either way."

Under typical circumstances, only the NPC who provided them with the key information was somewhat normal. If even that NPC wasn't normal, then there really weren't any normal people to speak of.

Lin Qiushi hadn't imagined that their door this time would be an ancient ship. And by the looks of things, the time limit was ten days.

"Come along, I'll take to to where you'll sleep," the man said. "It'll be dark soon…and it'll rain."

After this, he began that manic laugh again, and the group was even more disturbed.

The man brought them to the guest cabins and began divvying up the rooms.

Most of the rooms here were doubles, with a rare triple here and there. At first, Lin Qiushi was assigned a double, but Gu Longming brazenly went and found a man to switch room numbers with, strong-arming them into a triple.

"You'll bargain for even this sort of thing?" Lin Qiushi shot Gu Longming a look of admiration.

"Well I'm scared of dying, aren't I…" Gu Longming said. He didn't want to sleep alone, and though it wasn't quite right to be a third wheel, being a third wheel was much better than being dead.

Ruan Nanzhu’s smile was inscrutable.

"That's fair."

They'd planned to inspect the entire ship, but because the night was already so dark, moving about outside would be too dangerous. They would rest first, and wait until tomorrow to make plans.

And so the three got their key and went to their room, getting into bed after quickly washing up.

When Ruan Nanzhu went to change, Gu Longming took the opportunity to poke at Lin Qiushi, whispering, "yo, not cool man, how come you didn't tell me you had such a pretty girlfriend?"

Lin Qiushi answered a vague: "…mh."

"Oh she's stunning," Gu Longming said with a sigh. "If I had a girlfriend like that I'd want to stick around her every day too."

As he spoke, he looked to Lin Qiushi with an expression that was both envy and admiration.

Lin Qiushi watched him back and wondered how he would react if he knew Ruan Nanzhu was drag queen. Of course, it wasn't something he could tell Gu Longming now. Gu Longming was not yet part of Obsidian, and the fact that Ruan Nanzhu wore drag was Obsidian's biggest most vital secret…

After Ruan Nanzhu got changed, he came back inside.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Lin Qiushi answered in brief. "He said you were pretty."

Ruan Nanzhu replied with a meaningful oh.

Gu Longming: "…" Why did a chill suddenly go down his back?

The beds on the ship all emanated a damp smell—very uncomfortable for the people lying on top. At this point, the waves and wind were getting bigger, and even the sleeping quarters were beginning to rock. Lin Qiushi remembered that ridiculously seasick, endlessly vomiting pal of theirs from earlier and thought that that guy was pretty much done for.

The sky outside gradually darkened in entirety, leaving only the bellowing winds and the sound of waves beating against each other. With his eyes shut, Lin Qiushi grew drowsy—but before he could fall asleep, he was woken by a sudden crack of thunder. It was like lightning had struck right above their heads. With the loud boom, all three of them awoke in an instant.

After that, it was the pattering pour of rain. The rushing rain and the howling wind—they seemed on the verge of destroying everything.

Their quarters rocked even harder. Lin Qiushi sat up in his bed.

Through the window, he looked to the black evening outside. He saw, however, two illuminated lights. It seemed like the only light sources on deck were kerosene lamps, but how did these lamps stay so bright in the middle of a thunderstorm…? Just as Lin Qiushi wondered this, he suddenly felt that there was something off about those two lights, and Ruan Nanzhu, sitting behind him, spoke up quietly:

"Don't look anymore."

Lin Qiushi, "hm?"

"Those aren't lights," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Those are eyes."

A pair of yellow, inhuman eyes. The owner of the eyes spied through the darkness with malicious intent, as if a beast looking for its prey.

Lin Qiushi instantly looked away, and asked, "what is that thing?"

"I don't know, I can't tell," Ruan Nanzhu said. "The shape is humanoid, but it doesn't seem to be human."

Lin Qiushi's brows lightly furrowed, but by the time he looked out the window once more, the eyes were gone.

Thunder rumbled on and on, and that stench of ocean salt grew thicker and more cloying.

Ruan Nanzhu climbed into Lin Qiushi's bed, and holding each other, the two very quickly returned to sleep. However, the only bachelor present Gu Longming didn't have such luck. Lying beside Lin Qiushi, he stared with plaintive eyes, thinking that in the following days, he'd be fed enough dog food to bloat.

The rainstorm lasted until dawn, and though the rain let up, the weather did not turn any sunnier. Black storm clouds still hovered over the ship, and when the alarm rang, Lin Qiushi actually thought it was not yet morning. He checked the time, however, and saw that it was 8AM. It was just still dark outside.

"Good morning," Ruan Nanzhu greeted Lin Qiushi.

"Good morning. It's so dark outside today."

"It's probably going to keep raining," Ruan Nanzhu said. He walked out onto deck with Lin Qiushi and watched the black waters roil underneath the ship.

Looking up, they couldn't see any land, only the endless swath of sea. Only the old ship beneath their feet felt like any sort of reality.

This sort of isolating environment was easily taxing on the psyche. Even for Lin Qiushi, the scene before them was discomforting.

"Come on, let's go get breakfast," Gu Longming called to the two.

"He's pretty thick-skinned," Ruan Nanzhu commented after hearing Gu Longming's call.

"Yeah," Lin Qiushi said. "His nerves are petty good."

Inside the doors, you didn't have to be too smart, but you definitely had to be brave enough. Before terrifying situations, fright could make a person abandon a large part of their cognitive abilities. The smartest person could lack a strong heart and still do worse inside the door than the obtuse, oblivious Cheng Qianli.

The three went to the dining area and found there an atmosphere that could very well be called lifeless.

Lin Qiushi didn't know why at first. After he saw the menu, however, he couldn't help but also feel a touch of depression.

All the ship offered was fish. And it wasn't even fresh fish—Gu Longming poked at a dead-eyed staring head with his chopsticks and said, "is this thing even edible?"

It was disgusting just to look at.

"It looks gross," Lin Qiushi said. "Try a bit?"

Gu Longming took a bit of meat from the gills and gave it a taste. His expression twisted.

"Fuck, did they deduct the food budget for this door or what? It's disgusting. It's like they’ve had it outside for three days. You try it?"

Lin Qiushi, "oh no, no thank you."

Gu Longming: "…"

The breakfast served in the dining room was, for the most part, stale fish. Aside from that there was only flavorless noddles and peas. The environment had already been vicious enough, but the food in front of them now was salt on top of the wound.

But Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu didn't care at all. After seeing the inedible breakfast they snuck back to their room and fetched from their bags the food they'd prepared.

Gu Longming watched as they pulled out a bottle of chili sauce, eyes bulging out.

"You guys even brought Lao Gan Ma? Did you come here to picnic?"

"Want some?" Lin Qiushi drizzled the Lao Gan Ma over some noodles they'd brought out of the dining hall.

"Yeah yeah yeah. More please." Gu Longming's expression was shameless.

With breakfast finally done, they got ready to search the ship.

There were a total of three decks in the ship, constructed a bit like the sailing vessels of the great nautical era of the Middle Ages. It was extremely old, was all, covered in the marks and traces of times past.

Beside that NPC, they didn't see any other crew members on deck; there was likely only the one NPC on the entire ship. Wait for the ship's return was the mission the NPC left for them this time, but Lin Qiushi had thorough reason to believe that if they couldn't find the door in ten day's time, this voyage of theirs would cycle back and repeat—and they'd experience the ten days all over again.

When Lin Qiushi climbed onto the second deck, he heard a sort of thumping sound, and was uncertain if Ruan Nanzhu and Gu Longming had heard it as well. So he asked, "did you guys hear that?"

"What?" Gu Longming didn't seem to have heard.

Ruan Nanzhu said, "I think I did, but not very clearly."

"I think it came from the corner…" Lin Qiushi followed the sound forward. "Let's go see."

But before they could get close, Lin Qiushi was hit with a thick, fishy stench. It was disgusting and nauseating to smell; fortunately Cheng Yixie wasn't here, or he might have passed out immediately upon smelling it.

The source of the sound and smell was the same room, and they were close enough now that both Gu Longming and Ruan Nanzhu could hear the thumping noise as well.

The three of them slowed their steps, and through the window, looked into the room.

It was a kitchen with knives and other tools hanging inside. The most eye-catching thing, however, was the dense masses of dead fish hung up on hooks all over the sides.

A person in an apron stood in the center of the room with their back towards them and head down. They were chopping something. After some observation, Gu Longming almost gagged, and said, "don't tell me he's making our breakfast—"

Ruan Nanzhu was very calm.

"It's possible."

Gu Longming did gag. He'd even had a bite of that fish that morning.

Lin Qiushi gave Gu Longming a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

This person in the kitchen, however, was the second living NPC they'd found on the ship.

The three of them stood watching in the kitchen doorway for a while, and saw that besides chopping fish, this person didn't do much of anything else. And so they decided to go see elsewhere first.

Very soon, they discovered a more peculiar room. This room was locked, and curtains were drawn over the window. It was quiet inside, but they could still smell that thick waft of stale fish. Lin Qiushi initially thought the smell had clung to them from the kitchen, but after a careful sniff, found that it was coming from inside the room.

"Do we go in?" Gu Longming was pressed against the window trying to look in, but he could see nothing.

Ruan Nanzhu gave this some thought, before saying, "let's try," and getting out a hairpin to pick the lock.

Watching his adept motions, Gu Longming's eyes widened. Then Gu Longming glanced at Lin Qiushi.

"Is this…is this a basic skillset that y'all come with?"

Lin Qiushi grinned as he joked, "yeah. You have to learn to pick locks if you want to join us."

As he said this, there was a click. Ruan Nanzhu really got the lock open. But oddly enough, after he unlocked the door and gave it a push, he found that though the door lock was undone, there was another lock hanging on the inside. The chain on that lock held the door closed, and they could at most manage a crack—it couldn't be opened at all.

"Wait," Lin Qiushi suddenly said, stopping Ruan Nanzhu from going up and pushing the door. "Stop for a second. There's movement inside."

Ruan Nanzhu halted, and just as he stopped mid-step, a hand, sharp-nailed and covered in scales, reached out of the door. And through that crack in the door, a pair of yellow eyes looked out, peering at the world outside with malicious intent.

Translator’s Note:

The name of the ship could more simply be translated as “Black Reef,” but “Black Skerry” sounds more like a ship name? Let me know if you think otherwise (or know if it’s a specific reference to something).

Lao Gan Ma is a brand of **hot sauce (edited: 7/26), as you can probably tell from context. The original next never uses “hot sauce” though, and just call it Lao Gan Ma in both the prose and the dialogue.

[Ch. 119] | [Ch. 121]

#kaleidoscope of death #xi zixu #cnovel #chinese translation #死亡萬花筒 #NEW ARC #i like ships where the people take on characteristics they like about each other #and this is the peak 'rnz is a horrible influence on lqs' arc #but also rnz is a great influence on lqs #honeymoon door baby

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spookbusters · 4 years ago

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Space Age Love Song

Summary: Falling in love with your best friend is never really easy, but it can be so worth it.

Pairing: Ray Stantz x astronomist!Reader // Warnings: bit of manipulative ex // Words: 2.2k

A/N: The process of writing these over the last few months was so intense, but it was so worth it. It was truly a work of the heart, and I hope you all love it as much as I do.

You met in 1982, almost two full years before Ghostbusters were even a thing, in a hallway on campus at Columbia University. It was almost two in the morning.

You’d seen each other before in passing in the Chem and Physics building, on long nights, but you’d never spoken before.

All you really knew about him was that he had the sweetest smile you’d ever seen.

It was both of your first years out of your PhDs.

You had gotten a job at the school right out of the gate teaching incoming freshman.

From what you knew, he was working in an on-campus parapsychology research lab with two other graduates.

One of whom he had a second, parachemistry lab with.

You were working on some diagrams for the freshman students you’d be teaching that semester.

They were spread all over the wall in front of your office, since you’d run out of space in your tiny broom closet.

You had your Walkman in your pocket, your favorite tape on blast, and flecks of paint on your glasses.

Your budget from the university couldn’t cover largely scaled, full-color pictures of the recent Voyager 2 Saturn discoveries, so you had taken it upon yourself to scale them yourself and paint them for your students to see.

Ray was on his way out of the lab that night, after having worked on developing some negatives and going over some tapes while Venkman (who was supposed to be helping) snoozed in his office chair.

He noticed from across the hallway how frenzied you were working and was genuinely surprised by how much energy you seemed to have.

When he got a little closer, you finally noticed him out of the corner of your eye.

You offered him a smile he’d seen several times before, a little bashful, but ultimately warm and very kind.

You tried to shimmy out of the way so he could get by you and your yellow, orange, and brown paints without much incident.

Now that he was closer, he could see your paintings. He noticed the mess on your hands, the brush tucked into your ear.

And he was in awe.

When he didn’t pass you by as you expected him to, you looked at him.

He was talking!! You hadn’t been paying attention!!

You pulled your headphones off your ears, and his voice suddenly flooded in to replace the music.

“-taken you to do this?”

He must’ve noticed the way your music was suddenly audible, because he suddenly redirected his attention from the painting to you, gave a light chuckle and gestured to your Walkman.

“Sorry! Couldn’t see the headphones, they kind of blended in with your hair.”

You returned his laugh.

You explained your situation to him, and the reasons behind your painting.

He thinks it’s incredible. Not just your artistic skill, but also your dedication to your students.

That is the moment the two of you are formally introduced.

You stand there and chat for a few minutes, and eventually part ways.

But that’s not the last time you talk. Not by a long shot.

You see him a few more times to and from your class, and instead of just offering a smile, you always shoot him a “Hi, Ray!”

He likes seeing you, truth be told. You always have an infectiously positive energy about you.

After a while, he finds he likes it so much, he stops to say hey to you even when he’s just passing by your open office door.

You’re mostly acquaintances, but there are often times you find yourself wanting to get to know him more.

Like when you see him just absolutely gunning it down the hallway past your open office door with a colander on his head. Or the time you could hear a muffled ‘boom’ from the lab down the hall, followed by a similarly muffled cry of “Success!”

The day you’d finally begin your friendship would come a couple weeks later.

When he passed by your office, you were bent over your desk grading quizzes, looking stressed out of your mind. Your students just weren’t getting the material and you were wondering

The sight stirred concern in him.

“Hey,” he’d said, and you’d look up at him with tired eyes. He looked just as exhausted. “I’m headed out to get a coffee. Do you want to come?”

You accepted.

It was all uphill from there.

He told you some of the best jokes you’d ever heard, and you inspired a lot of dedication in him.

You became close with him, and you’d spend a lot of time in each other’s labs.

It wasn’t until you met the girl he’d started dating after you got to know him that you finally admitted to yourself that you had feelings for him.

It was so hard. Not just admitting it to yourself that you had fallen for him like a boulder in the ocean, but seeing him as happy as he was.

Her name was Suzanne, and they’d end up being together for almost 7 months.

Around Ray you’d think she was the sweetest thing.

But when he’d leave you with her to go grab something from somewhere, she was bitter and catty.

She couldn’t stand how much time the two of you spent together.

You’d often sigh when you thought about them together. How wrong it was.

She didn’t deserve him, and he was such a sweetheart willing to give people the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t notice how thick her façade was.

Part of you didn’t want to tell him about any of your interactions with her. You didn’t want to be responsible for ruining things for him.

But, your better judgement knew that that wasn’t right.

So, you talked to him about how she’d been acting with you during their time together.

He trusted you, and decided to talk to Suzanne about it.

The next day, he came back to your office, and you instantly knew the conversation hadn’t gone well.

His face was sullen in a way you’d never seen before, and it worried you.

You sat together for some coffee to talk it over.

Apparently, she became extremely defensive when he tried to talk to her about it.

As time went on while they were talking, he became increasingly aware of how controlling and toxic she was.

He also realized he really wasn’t as happy as he had thought he was.

They broke it off.

He actually thanked you for taking the time to talk to him the way you did.

It was a bitter-sweet moment, but it reinforced your friendship.

It took a while for Ray to heal, but when he did, he was happier than he ever was.

You were happy that he was happy. Truly happy.

You’d also given yourself time to come to terms with the fact that you were in love with him.

You were hesitant to tell him, afraid of ruining your friendship which was so dear to you.

But, deep down, you knew you’d have to tell him eventually.

One day he came to you talking about something he’d be working on that weekend.

One of Ray’s friends, Egon, told Ray about a meteor shower that could potentially generate crazy amounts of energy.

“You’re the resident star-gazer,” he said with a kind, eye-twinkling smile, “Would you want to come see it with me? I wanted to get some readings when it’s going on.”

And, God, if you weren’t completely crazy about him before, you certainly were now.

You agreed instantly.

That weekend, you two packed up the back of the 70s Chevy truck Ray inherited from his dad, and headed out to Allegany State Park for the night.

The roadtrip alone would be ingrained in your mind for the rest of your life.

You guys sang along to the radio the whole time, cracking jokes in the afternoon sun, and talking about anything and everything you could think of.

When you got to the park, that sweet, light-hearted energy lived on.

You were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, parked next to a ridge that overlooked the rest of the park.

You spent the first few hours hanging out, having some drinks out of the cooler you’d brought, and setting things up for the night ahead.

You’d brought your best telescope, Ray’s equipment for his readings, a radio, and some blankets for when the spring night began to chill.

You were having such a good time that you barely noticed the way the sun was almost completely below the horizon.

You were really only made aware when your watch alarm started beeping.

“Oh, hey,” you muttered, “It should be starting soon!”

As the sun set further and the sky turned dark, the two of you sat curled up waiting for the first meteors to streak across the night.

At the first sign of a meteor, Ray’s electrical equipment starts beeping off the charts, and you could swear you'd never seen him so excited.

He’s all but jumping between his electronics, noting to himself the various measurements of a form of energy that you didn’t completely understand.

It only takes him about an hour to get what he needs.

“Do you want to go home,” you ask, and you hoped with all your heart that he’d say no.

And he did. “Actually, I was thinking we could stay here a little longer. Enjoy the view for a little bit, if you want to.”

“Yeah, I’d love to,” you’d reply, and when he grinned at you, your heart warmed.

You both retired yourself to the bed of the truck, curled up in the blankets and just watching the streaks cross the sky.

You’d turned on the radio, and were passing a thermos of hot chocolate between the two of you.

You’d seen at least a few dozen celestial events in your life so far, but you’d never experienced one that had made you feel the way you did in that moment.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever really asked why you got into all this,” he’d say, gesturing to the meteor shower.

“Hmm,” you mused, “No, I don’t think you have, actually.” He raised his eyebrows expectantly, silently urging you to go on.

And, of course, you do.

“When I was little, on a trip to Arizona, my family went out to the middle of nowhere, and I do mean nowhere,” you explained, “And when we got away from all the light pollution, it was still so bright outside from all the stars you could see.”

When you turned to look at him, he was staring right at you. You felt your face flush.

“I just remember wanting to learn everything I could about outer space,” you finished, “I’d never seen something so beautiful.”

When he looked back up at the stars, you leaned over and put your head on his shoulder, and you smiled.

You didn’t want this moment to ever end.

The two of you spend some time quiet, just listening to the songs softly play over the radio.

A Flock of Seagulls comes on and you smile.

You absentmindedly hum along.

He slowly reaches an arm around your shoulders.

He’s hoping you don’t really notice.

You totally notice.

Doesn’t take long for you to start singing under your breath.

"Saw your eyes, and they touched my mind. Though it took a while, I was falling in love.”

But it’s the soft muttered question of your name that really captures your attention.

You lift your head from his shoulder to look at him and you can swear that you’d never seen that look in his eyes before.

“Is everything ok,” you ask, concern tinting your tone.

You brushed your fingers across his cheekbone, and he all but leaned into your palm. The eyes that look back at you are stormy. Conflicted.

“You know I could never ask of you what I want to ask you,” he sighed. “You’re one of my best friends and I never want to lose having you in my life.”

The words nearly made you cry.

“You don’t have to ask,” you sniffled.

When you kissed him, it felt like coming home. It was warm and grounding.

Now you were crying. When you took a breath again you were crying and laughing.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” you confessed, your heart about ready to leap out of your chest. It nearly does when you hear him whisper, “Me too.”

The two of you spend the remainder of the night talking about whatever you can think of and giving small chuckles against one another’s lips.

You feel like you’re on cloud nine.

You decide to head home about an hour later, packing up the truck and watching light streak across the windshield as you drive out of the park.

“This view was really something,” you say, smiling with your head leaning against the window.

And, as he looked at you in his passenger seat, holding one of his hands while he drove, he felt his heart swell with all the love he had for you.

“I had two beautiful views tonight.”

#Ray Stantz #ray stantz x reader #ray stantz headcanons #ghostbusters ray stantz x reader #ghostbusters #ghostbusters 2 #ghostbusters headcanons #ghostbusters x reader

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loquaciousquark · 5 years ago

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E113 (Oct. 27, 2020)

Good evening and good night, lovely people of the world! We’re on the internet and ready to go. Tonight’s guests are Travis Willingham and Sam Riegel. This will be calm, controlled, and sane, I can feel it. Brian points out it’s been seven months since either of them were on Talks. Oof. (Sam asks if it’s been going the whole time without him. Bigger oof.) Travis keeps sneaking bites out of an acai bowl or something and tries to look sneaky about it, and I laugh every time because he’s just...so big. He’s such a big person.

(Brian is wearing a lobstrosity shirt. He and Travis talk about Dark Tower for a bit; then Sam tries to get into the conversation: “Is that the thing from It?” Brian: “Is what the thing from It?” Sam: “Is that lobster the clown from It? I’m not very literate. Is that a Langolier? Is that a Shawshank?”)

Announcements: none! Maybe they just forgot. We’ve been talking about Sam’s spooky skeleton decorations for like five minutes. Brian suggests taking them to Travis’s house. Travis: “That’s the fastest way to get to the smell of burning plastic.” Brian: “Speaking of your girlfriend...”

On Avantika: Fjord wouldn’t call it a relationship as much as a casual sexual interaction. Not official! Super not official!!

The first sea voyage wasn’t great for Fjord, but he tried to be thoughtful about preparing for this one before they left: praying, kneeling at the bow of the ship, etc. He’s a little disappointed the Wildmother didn’t even throw him a “yo, fam” heads up.

They weren’t sure how to resolve the conflict at first, since Avantika went for Fjord rather than the crystal. No one expected it to get exposed in that way. Travis thought the necklace was a pocket dimension and was alarmed to learn it wasn’t. Travis wants it destroyed along with the third gateway, so until they are he won’t rest easy.

Everyone enjoyed watching them all fail on the battlefield again. (Sam: “You used [Counterspell] so effectively!”) Travis thought he’d said Thunder Step, which would imply Avantika was running, rather than Thunder Wave. Sam says it’s fine since none of them have that spell and he wouldn’t know it anyway.

It’s very difficult for Veth to find reasons to stay with the M9. She loves the adventures and making a difference, but she also wants to come home and have weekends and have a husband and life. “She’s a career girl!” He’s very excited about the possibilities of Caleb’s transportation effectively creating an easy commute for her. He also, as a player, doesn’t want to be the person who’s always leaving the party. “My characters wanna roam!”

Travis was fully tilted that Avantika might have gotten away right before the break. He doesn’t think he could have focused on Vess DeRogna’s task knowing Avantika had gotten away; he was seriously working out how Fjord would leave the party to go make a last stand at the third gate if she’d escaped.

Sam looooves how Matt plays Yeza, but it honestly makes him feel a little worse at how encouraging he is for Veth to chase her dreams. “He’s always like - go shine! Go blossom!” He wants to have the conversation about Yeza feeling a little ignored. It’s fun to share the tales of adventures with Luc & Yeza.

Travis says there’s no way it’s Molly--it’s all Lucien. They don’t know if it was a resurrection, if he’s undead, possessed, etc. Everyone--everyone--rags on Taliesin’s accent work. Brian surreptitiously claims Ashly was brought on to relieve him of the burden of the accent. Poor Ashly, ha!

Initially, Travis landed on the Oath of the Ancients, but it had more nature & pacifism in it than he felt fit Fjord very well. Many of them also had a focus on good & lawfulness, which also didn’t feel quite right; he also wasn’t that vengeful for some of the others. He & Matt got together and discussed options. Matt asked what Travis liked about Fjord; Fjord’s love for the ocean was a huge part of it, since Travis himself also loves the ocean & scuba diving, and so Matt created a custom oath for him. Travis does not plan to post its details, but he thinks Matt will at some point.

Cosplay of the Week! a lovely Scanlan by Air Bubbles Cosplay! Sam tells us the “canon” Scanlan cosplay was actually borrowed hodgepodge, and the boots were falling off all day.

It was really cool to see how Yeza & Luc have made a home in Nicodranas. Felderwin was okay, but kind of your basic D&D fishing village, and she likes the Nicodranas is much better. She’s confident & comfortable knowing her family is safe and sound.

Why is Fjord so interested in finding Sabian? To him, post-orphanage, his time with Vandren was the best of his life & the most love he’d ever received, because he mattered & had worth. It was taken by someone he’d known basically his whole life, so Fjord is not going to let that go. “That fuckin’ bill needs to be paid, my friend.”

Sam acknowledges that he should NOT have looked at his phone in re: the Vilya reveal, but it was pretty surprising! He can’t believe none of them recognized it! Travis points out the M9 had never met, heard of, or known anything about Vilya, so it’s not that surprising. Brian points out Matt has also done a really good job keeping the two campaigns separate, so any references were tasteful. Sam marvels that it was so well done: it was tasteful, had emotional and story impact... “That Matt. He’s getting better!”

Liam texted Sam back something like “oh SHIT.”

Knowing Veth had a chance to help someone else return to her child made Veth feel almost karmically forgiven for being away from her kid, but it also made Veth a little guilty--”this lady wants to desperately return home, shouldn’t I want to go home too?” Caleb’s teleportation spell couldn’t have come a better time.

Sam wants Caleb & Astrid to get back together (well, he says “hump each other”), and Dani’s eyebrows climb off her forehead. Veth/Nott really thinks Caleb needs to have a roll in ze hay, and feels like after meeting her that there is a kindness or vulnerability to her that could be worthwhile. Travis thinks she feels like someone tethered, that it feels like she has a bomb or something in her chest that’ll explode if she tries to leave. Sam thinks Eadwulf is super cool. None of these names are spelled like I think.

Travis found the dinner super frustrating, because he felt Caleb was trying to walk a diplomatic line and he just wanted to backhand Trent.

Fjord is still coming to terms with his feelings for Jester, and the feelings are definitely real, but there’s a lot of timing that he’s considering and he also wants to figure out what the relationship is like outside of constant tension and battle. Fjord is also having trouble figuring out how to exercise the ability to display affection as well since he’s never received them, and is feeling out how to give and receive them. “It’s fine now, because he’s feeling it, but once you say it out loud, or once you come to a point where you make it known to the other side, then what happens? It might be ruined. It might be broken. Or it might not be!” The moment with the porcelain unicorn was too good not to try. Travis also sighs that he’s not a romance D&D guy, “but now I am! Fuckin’ Laura Bailey!” He’s definitely feeling it out and will see how it unfolds in the game.

If Jester hadn’t let go of the Traveler, Fjord would have either attacked the Traveler or the Moonweaver and tried to kick them both off.

Sam doesn’t think the Traveler’s realized yet what a dick he is. Brian thinks it may not happen in this campaign, but agrees the full weight of what he deserves hasn’t been felt yet. Travis: “Yeah, he came to the edge, but it didn’t cost him anything.” Brian: “Yeah, he’s a real edgelord.”

Fanart of the Week! a beautiful portrait of Molly in the snow by @claygryphon on twitter.

Veth acknowledges that they work for shady people with shady pasts, so Vess DeRogna isn’t her first rodeo, but this time it’s personal. It’s Jaws 2: Electric Boogaloo. Sam can’t commit to actual actions, since Vess is like level 20 or something, but “I will get some kinda revenge. Be it petty or significant, I will get revenge.”

How are they feeling about being in Eiselcross? They’ve only just landed, so not sure yet. The cold is intimidating. They’re excited to explore a new island that’s part of Wildemount, especially with the river of lava running through it. “It’s icy with lava? Sounds like a Dairy Queen.”

There’s still a ton of unknowns regarding the Tombtakers, Vess, the nature of their job, and who’s here on whose orders. They’re excited to see how it’s all going to play out. Travis laughs that he doesn’t take notes, he’s just here to fight things. It just washes over him when Matt starts talking about names and places. “It’ll reveal itself in time. [...] I don’t write those notes down. I don’t even know how to spell it off the bat.” I have never identified more with Travis. Sam actually does pay attention and take notes and was really impressed by Marisha’s dive.

Veth became interested in branding her own spellcraft as soon as she saw Caleb doing it. “That’s what the influencer agents are gonna be looking at. It would be nice to leave the world better than we found it, but also with some branded spells.”

What were Fjord’s thoughts on dropping so much money on the ring & the Ioun stone? It wasn’t about money for Fjord, it was about a cool thing to acquire. It’s why he saves money in his campaign. Caleb needs “as much of a flak jacket as he can get.” He also REJECTS the idea of buyer’s remorse on the ring and touts the effectiveness it’ll have on the lava river.

Travis talks about his old coins - a 340AD coin he bought at a ren faire and a 120BC coin that was a gift from a friend.

Sam marvels at the love and thought that Caleb put into the tower. Sam points out they forgot to go to the top two floors altogether. Travis: “Did the mansion get as much careful planning from Scanlan as the tower did from Caleb?” Sam: Absolutely not. But they were still thinking small in C1, figuring out how things went, and they didn’t have as much detail in their heads yet.

And that’s all the time we have for tonight! We end on everyone whispering way too close into their mics and tapping fingernails on mason jars. A fitting end to this crazy episode, I think.

Is it Thursday yet?

#talks machina #talks machina spoilers #critical role #critical role spoilers #long post for ts

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musicallisto · 4 years ago

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Hi, congrats on 800 followers! Can I please get a Six of Crows ship? I’m have short brown hair (I dyed red last week) and green eyes. I don't mind if im shipped with a girl or a boy. I like reading (no romantic novels), music and photography. I'm Aquarius. I’m very curious. I'm a little shy and even cold at first. I’m not good with feelings, I mostly keep them to myself if I can, but I care deeply for my loved ones and would do anything to help them, even if I'm not very good at giving advice. ☆

hi! here’s your vanilla milkshake, I hope you like it! I ship you with jesper fahey!

You don’t imagine the extent of my joy to be able to add a gif of an actual real person for Jesper... however shall I survive until Aprid 23rd?

For the longest time, you thought the world started and ended at your corner of Fjerda, in your frozen estate by the True Sea.

You were descented from minor Fjerdan nobility, and your father, jaded by Court Life and its political intrigues - and, unofficially, penniless after giving his all for the sempiternal wars on Ravka -, had decided to leave the capital and retire to his family’s estate by the sea a few years after you were born.

All you had ever known were the large, marbled corridors you’d spend entire afternoons wandering, daydreaming about adventures in the confines of the country - or living the lavish life of a true Fjerdan princess, in an outrageously enormous bed of satin sheets...

The house was spacious and beautiful, with a marvelous view over the sea, gently carrying its boats to and fro before you - and you’d stay there on the balcony in your flowy white dress, admiring the ocean until you couldn’t fight the chills of the night creeping up your spine anymore; but as tranquil and languid as your existence was, it was also terribly lonely.

All you longed for was a sibling, a friend, a partner in crime, someone you could explore the world and go on quests with...

... until a lighting bolt tore the silence, one night.

You couldn’t sleep, so you had gone on a walk by the shore as you often did - your father was never worried about it, since you knew the rocks and their cracks like the back of your hand, and would know the way back home even with your eyes closed.

But you were so absorbed by the distant twinkling of stars that you didn’t notice the shadows creeping up behind you until it was too late.

Screams in a language you can’t understand; an arm around your neck in a chokehold, another slipping under your knees; you thrash around, slice all you can, bite and claw at all you can grasp...

Your abductors know better than to let Fjerdan nobility get away from their grasp. They don’t know exactly who you are - but they’ve guessed from the distinguished aspect of your house that there’s a fine sum to gain from whoever will be willing to pay for you - your father for a ransom, or anyone else, in Kerch, who’ll make good use of your services.

Those brothels in Ketterdam pay good money for young girls, they hear - even more so for a Fjerdan pearl.

When they throw you on an overloaded carriage like a potato sack, you’re still yelling at the top of your lungs, pleading for your father, for one of your maids, for anyone to help you.

But no one hears.

You shed all the tears you have in the first night, tossed around in a dark chariot, off to somewhere unknown. Your father hasn’t prepared you for this - nothing, not even your books nor your fantastical imaginary adventures...

But you don’t intend on being sold off that easily. So you devise a plan to get away.

The first opportunity to break free presents itself when your kidnappers force you to board a ship; but they manage to catch you before you’ve run very far.

But second time’s the charm; with nothing better to do during the voyage than to bide your time and gnaw at your bonds, you’re able to slip from your captor’s watch, and blindly run through the harbor - just to get as far as possible from the stench of this floating carcass.

The first thing that strikes you is the odor. You’ve known the sea forever - it’s clear and bright as ice, and smells of fresh mornings and cold salt; never of this green rot that festers everywhere in these streets... and all those chimneys, all those people, who stare you down as you run down these grimy streets, barefoot in your off-white dress...

You understand that you’re farther from home than you’ve ever been, and it’s not a thrilling adventure, it’s terrifying and overwhelming, and you want nothing more than to burst into tears.

But you don’t, because a pair of strangers flag you down in a language you don’t understand.

A tall and lanky dark-skinned boy, wearing vibrant fabric and a self-assured grin; and possibly the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen in your life, all bright eyes and genuine frown.

Paralyzed, you open your mouth, once, twice, incapable of making the slightest sound; until the girl notices your visible discomfort, and, eyeing your pale eyes, asks in the slightest of Ravkan accents;

“Are you Fjerdan?”

You nod with all your soul. You’re ready to cling onto them both for dear life.

“What happened to you?”

Your voice fails you - you can’t explain it - you haven’t even comprehended it all. You were curled up in front of the fireplace just the night before...

“Do you have anywhere to go?”

You shake your head with despair, trying to blink back the tears.

“Come with us. We know someone who’ll help you.”

You don’t mull it over very long. Maybe it’s your sheltered uprbinging that has made you naive; maybe it’s the curiously comforting warmth you see in the Ravkan girl’s eyes; but you simply have no better option, and you can’t understand a word of Kerch, or wherever it is that this barbarian folk speak.

Although your two saviors start arguing, probably about whether or not they can reasonably take you in, your tear-stained cheeks and desperate vulnerability are enough to convince them - so you follow them.

Into the lair of the Dregs, of whom you’ve never heard - and of Kaz Brekker, who you know very well.

After all, he’s the infamous gangster who invaded your homeland, broke into the Ice Court, and stole the Shu boy - or so you saw your father read in the papers. To know that you are under the same roof as that lowlife would be enough to give your father a heart attack...

You’re half convinced that he’ll throw you back to the streets, but Nina and, surprisingly, Jesper as well, plead in your favor with a greatly convincing fervor. You learn that it’s probably because Kaz has much greater worries on his mind - the criminal group is planning on retrieving one of their own from the clutches of a treacherous business partner, or so you’ve gathered.

Either way, you’re more than happy that the terrifying and redoubtable Kaz Brekker is leaving you alone, and that you can enjoy Jesper’s company.

You two become unexpectedly good friends overtime. He comes to visit you at the Crow Club, where you’re staying, almost every day. Yet communication is not your strong suit, especially in a language you don’t understand at all, and you don’t fancy yourself a particularly enthralling girl to be around.

Not when one has lived the life of a criminal, a sharpshooter, a wanderer, a playboy... well, all those things that Jesper prises himself on being, and all those words he’s taught you in Kerch.

(That and the curse words, of course, that you’re a bit intimidated to use at first, until they slip out of your mouth one evening when you drop your plate at dinner with the Dregs, and the entire canteen falls dead silent.)

“Did she just say ‘fuck’?”

“I think she just said fuck.”

“See, Matthias, she wasn’t immediately struck by lighting by Djel’s hand. You won’t die if you say it.”

Speaking of Matthias, he’s also a good friend of yours - it’s comforting and refreshing to have a familiar face around, one of Fjerdan roots and mores.

Although the rest of the group says you’re not that Fjerdan.

“You’re one of the feisty ones, at least.”

“I’m not ‘feisty’. Shut up, Jesper.”

“Ah, I see you’ve been working on the vocabulary I taught you!”

Matthias and you both have a lot of soul-searching and unlearning to do about the outside world - you were raised in particularly bigoted environments, you somewhat less than him. The hatred for the Grisha he’s been taught by the Drüskelle is fear in your case; you’ve been brought up on bedtime stories of bloodthirsty Grisha who devour unruly kids, and war and devastation caused by their unstability and blasphemous magic.

It’s even more of a shock to you when you learn Jesper is a Grisha.

Unbeknownst to you, you’ve started to fall a little for him - how could you not? He’s funny, charming, sarcastic and witty; always has the best stories to tell, and despite it all, sincerely cares for you amidst the chaos of their heist and revenge plans.

But to learn he was the kind of monster - no, the kind of creature - no, the kind of person, you force yourself to correct mentally - that you had been taught to fear for your entire life...

“I’m so sorry. You should never have been there.”

He’s pacing back and forth in your room after a shootout has gone awry and you were caught in the crossifre; it’s the first time he’s ever had to use his Durast powers to get you of the mess - and normally he wouldn’t have, because it’s a secret he wishes he could carry to the grave, but the fear of losing you was too strong...

“Thank god that I was there, though. What would you do without me?”

He’s fidgety and restless, nervously playing with his pistols, and his nervous laugh is all but genuine; and you’re huddled up on your bed, staring him down with wide eyes.

“Jesper, you...”

“Yeah, maybe not the best moment.”

“Jesper...”

“It’s like they have a knack for knowing exactly where we’re gonna be and when...”

“Jesper!”

He abruptly turns to look at you, and his eyes widen. He’s starting to understand, almost, but refuses to believe it. Your voice is a murmur, and you can hardly hold his gaze.

“Jesper, are you... going to hurt me?”

His words die in his throat. He remembers where you’re from... the garbage that they must have filled your ears and head with from the day you were born... how feverish Matthias was with Nina... he looks at his hands, and his Materialki magic rumbles like a dark curse.

“Y/N, you’re scared of me?”

The sheer hurt in his voice breaks your heart. Even though you’re trembling, you let him step closer to you, slowly. It’s Jesper in front of you, not some ungodly monster from legends... Jesper, your Jesper...

“I’m... I’m sorry...”

He cups your face in his hands, warm and just a bit moist, and stares into your eyes with a vulnerability you have never seen in him.

“I’d never do anything to hurt you, Y/N, I swear on my life. All I want is you to be safe...”

Safe from me, if that’s what you wish, he thinks for a split second, but you don’t give him time to doubt; you’ve captured his lips in a frenzied kiss, and hold on for dear life onto his lean shoulders.

Fjerda and its blind hatred is very far from you, now. You're locked in Jesper's embrace, and you won't have to hear their lies anymore.

You know you have nothing to fear from him; not now, and not ever.

800 follower sleepover CLOSED!

#sarcasticandfangirl #800sleepover #THIS GOT SO LONG OMG i need to write for six of crows already the inspiration is unquenchable #six of crows #soc #grishaverse #ship request #jesper fahey #jesper fahey x reader #jesper fahey headcanons #six of crows headcanons

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p1nkwitch · 4 years ago

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@lonelyeyesweek

Day 1 - First Meeting

Peter was very reluctant to go to the Magnus institute funding party; uncle Nathaniel informed him that one of his new duties would be to make business with James Wright and he really didn't want to do that. A beholder… What a nightmare.

I would've stayed at home

'Cause I was doin' better alone

The party was unfortunately the most informal way to meet the man, otherwise he would be forced to enter a small room with the watcher to make sure he didn't dry up his family money for an indefinite amount of time.

So he was really dreading the moment he would be meeting this man, Simon kept telling him that James was an old friend and that it would be fine, that he was actually funny beneath all the politeness, however he wasn't so sure about that.

Due to Simon’s and his uncle’s influence he has a very loose idea of some boring old man, a type of academic with a nondescript look that he will forget as soon as he leaves.

With any luck he would just make his acquaintance today and then he may go from the party, Peter preferred to be at home instead of dilly dallying with the masses. As much as he likes to observe people, he likes it better when it's on his own terms and when he is not forced to be part of an event.

So he goes with very little hope for the night, the only positive is that he may get some free food and some alcohol, albeit champagne will not do much for him.

The moment Simon sees him, he zeroes on him and stays nearby talking about his trips to Europe. He also tells him about a few sacrifices he made that actually seemed rather interesting. Still Peter preferred the ones he committed at the ocean, but he knew the man was always more partial to the sky so its not surprising they are all on that vein.

“What about you Captain? You have a few voyages under your belt now lad, how did those go? Were they to your liking?” And the answer to that is a bit complicated, Peter is still getting used to handling a ship, his crew hasn't been properly trained yet to keep themselves in check so he has to… ugh make a few rules.

The other problem is that most of his crew is formed of older, more experienced sailors. Peter is 26 and unfortunately has a rather… soft looking face, he has been trying to grow a beard to at least make himself look a bit more rugged or older looking, but that will take time and he just has a five o’clock shadow for now. It will take him months to have anything resembling what he wants. The graying hair does work a bit better, that he can count for at least.

He is considering hiring someone to relay his messages to, so that way he can stay away most of the time and he can practice his solitude in peace. He really would love to not be perceived until he looks like he wants.

“Its ok, I still need to figure out a few things to be honest, I would love it if the crew was a bit less…”

“Talkative?”

“Friendly” Simon nods at him and pats his shoulder before going back to another story of a trip he made like 250 years ago. It is quite interesting, albeit Peter gets struck with how old the man is. Most of the time he can forget it, easy to do when Simon is so lively, but when he tells him these stories…. hard to ignore in all honesty.

Picking up an offered champagne glass he listens distractedly wondering when he will meet the man organizing this whole charade.

The older man talks to him but at some point his sentence drifts off and he looks behind him with a grin. A bit lost and now concerned, those grins never end up well for him, Peter turns back to check what exactly was his companion watching.

The answer comes to him like a hit to the face.

An older man talking and entertaining several people at the same time, Peter doesn't realize that he was gripping his glass very tightly until Simon waves and calls for the man over.

He wasn't boring looking like his uncle or very, very old like Simon. He must be in his fifties, he was dressed up impeccably with a black shirt that had his sleeves rolled out to his elbows, a deep green vest with golden details and dark green pants.

The man also has a pencil moustache and a few moles near his jaw, which made him stand out. He was also a bit shorter than him, but most people are so that doesn't surprise him.

The air of surety, of knowing he had made him feel bigger than he was however.

Peter swallows and feels his face warm up for reasons he can't comprehend.

When the man turns around towards Simon, he can see his eyes-

Grey.

Peter never looks anyone to their eyes and yet, and yet-

For a second it feels as if the man also froze looking at him, he had a look of….surprise almost?

But it was only for a second, the next thing Peter knows is that the man starts to approach them while he is struggling to not disappear in a puff of smoke. Oh, Forsaken protect him.

“Hello Simon” His voice is very low and amused, oh fuck.

“Hello James!! It's been a while hasn't it?” Ja-

James?

“You are James Wright?” Peter cuts off the man before he answers back to Simon and he realizes that he is an idiot, shit-

No wonder he was so eye-catching then.

…

For some reason James' lips twitch upwards as if he was trying not to smile at something. Peter has no way to know what is so funny.

“You must be Peter Lukas then? Nathaniel… told me about you, its a pleasure to meet you” Peter smiles his usual vapid smile to keep him from prying, he already feels exposed and kind of confused about the man. Better to make this quick and go.

“Yes, uncle mentioned you too, albeit he did not do you justice” ???? What the fuck is he doing, what is wrong with him??? Why did he say that??

Peter feels his hands sweat and his face warm up, he is praying he is not red in the face.

James looks perplexed and he feels Simon staring at him with the biggest grin ever as if he was having the time of his life which knowing him, he probably did, he loves drama after all.

“Is that so?” The man crosses his arms and Peter has to keep himself from staring at the flex of it he has to.

What the hell is wrong with him?

“Yes! He made you sound like a boring old man to be honest, but you are quite the opposite, you look very-” Peter spends a lot of time alone, meaning he doesn't properly talk with people. His usual mechanism of defense is to talk so much that everyone just lets him be.

That translates into him not having a filter, because of that he just says what is on his mind, even if he knows he shouldn't. In this case it is a shot in the foot and he has no idea why, why is he reacting like this? The man is-

Is just a bit good looking thats all!! No need to be so nervous.

“...Good” His face is burning, Peter knows he must be red all over.

He is an embarrassment to the family name, he has to go, he has to go now. How is he going to face him to do business oh shit-

James for his part seems to look at him with something akin to wonder an a bit of curiosity, while Simon-

Simon for his part is sighing mentally about his nephew’s taste in man. Very on brand for a Lukas, albeit Jonah seems to be quite taken aback.

Peter might look like Mordechai but they are not alike at all.

“Well thank you Mister Lukas”

“Peter is alright” Why won't he shut uppppp, what is wrong with him? This has never happened before, a little bit more and he will spontaneously combust.

James smiles at him and something in his chest squeezes. Is he dying? Is his heart giving out on him so soon?

“Well Peter, it was lovely meeting you. I can't wait to make business with you. I'm sure we will get along… very well”

“I can't wait” !!!!!! He wants to die.

Peter is going out to sea for the next 4 months just to get rid of whatever this is.

James grins at him and is about to leave, making him let out a breath of relief when he turns slightly.

“Say… I was going to ask Simon to drink with me after the party, in my office. Would you like to join us?” No!

“Sure” The man gives him a smug look and goes.

Simon pats his back.

“You need to get better at flirting, albeit i do believe you impressed him quite a bit, he usually ignores all the Lukas that come to make business with him”

“Im going to kill myself” He hates his life so much.

“Ah lad don't be like that, its just a few drinks, it doesn't have to go anywhere else”

Several years and flings with the man later. Peter is left with only grief at James sudden passing. They had something of a thing going on, not really labeled, since neither liked that. But the man suddenly broke things up and Peter in his anger left for months on end.

By the time he came back he found out James died and he had a new replacement.

Elias Bouchard.

He hates him on principle.

Peter is cold with him at every little meeting, speaks just as necessary and goes before the man even attempts to chat him up. At least he has his own loneliness, the only thing that truly lasts for him.

It sings out to him, like a siren song, it's easier to get lost on it, to just… become colder and harsher. What else should he do? It's not like Peter could ever love someone like that again.

Or want to.

“-ter, Peter!!”

“What do you want Mr Bouchard?” The younger man was glaring at him and it feels unfair, he should be the one glaring.

“I was asking you if you intend to stop being difficult and listen to me for once! I swear i get you lonely ones love playing at the grief stricken partner, but its been months already im getting tired of trying to talk to you like pulling teeth. Listen- i know i was kind of an ass, but really i needed to do the switch and i was worried a bit about people talking about some favouritism-” What the hell is he on about now??? Also how dare he!

“What- are you talking about? I'm not faking- what are you-!? Listen, I'm not up for games, let alone your games. I have better things to do than be your little entertainment, give me the papers to sign and I will be on my way, off of your life-” Elias gets up and slams his hands on the desk making him flinch.

“That attitude!! I don't want you out of my way!!! I said what I said as James because I was going to change bodies and people were talking about our relationship too much, it would look odd when I became Elias and we hooked up again!!”

Peter freezes.

“What- what do you mean became Elias?” The man who is not Elias??? Narrows his eyes and then suddenly looks surprised and confused.

“You don't know-”

“What do you-”

“How can you not know I told you- i-” Elias? Drifts off and looks to the empty room with a blank expression.

“I forgot to tell you”

“Um-”

“I thought i told you after- oh, oh fuck we ended up sleeping together after sacrificing that woman at the restaurant, i got distracted and-”

Peter starts to piece together a few things.

“James…?” Elias flops on his chair covering his face and doing a muffled scream into his hands.

“I can believe i forgot i got so excited that you let me tie you up that i completely forgot” Peter’s face burns.

“I-”

“Yes, yes it's me, I thought you were being difficult not that you- oh my god you actually were grieving me weren't you? You sap” His face turns smug, and it's so familiar-

The eyes-!

“Yes, those are really mine”

“You-!” Peter wants to punch him.

“Me?” Elias already closes his eyes expecting a punch. Yet he side steps the desk, comes closer and pulls him up to his feet by his tie.

“If you- you want to choke me-” He shuts him with a kiss. It takes a bit to register on the other’s mind because once he does he grips his hair and pulls them closer practically melting against him. Peter doesn't stop kissing him, cnat.

“You twat-” In between kisses he curses him out, he was making the rounds across his neck, decided that he was going to leave pretty little marks for everyone to see. Elias? James? Doesn't seem to mind much.

“Sorry-”

“You- fucking- bloody- ass!!” A bite close to the jugular has him moan a bit, Peter’s hands go to grip his thighs and the other catches his meaning because he lets him lift him up. He carries him to the small couch and drops him there with an ompf-

“Hey-” That he interrupts when he climbs on top of him and starts to kiss him again with a very clear intention in mind.

“Oh…” Yes, Peter is glad he can use forsaken to soundproof the room, he had no intentions to let the other be quiet.

Now that he is not upset, angry or… turned on, Peter lays his head on top of Elias' chest, while he explains the whole being Jonah Magnus, and thinks that he is very handsome.

Not in the same way as James was, no, but he was still very handsome.

“I was leaning more into pretty but unassuming, but thank you for the vote of confidence for the new body” What a smug prick.

“He is not…?”

“God no, only fragments or echos, the real Elias is very dead, its just me”

“Jonah?” Elias nods at his question.

“Basically”

“Huh” The shorter man’s hands play with his hair making him nuzzle his neck. He thinks about it for a bit, but decides to go for it, after all he has gotten this far anyways “Pleasure to meet you Jonah”

The other stays quiet for a bit.

“Pleasure to meet you Peter”

Their relationship is not conventional or normal by anyone's standards, but…

It works.

Somewhat.

“So… I got you so distracted you forgot to tell me huh?” Elias sighs.

“I can show you exactly how enticing you looked to me to make me forget, do not tempt me” Feeling his face heat up he tries to play it off.

“Maybe when we are in an actual bed and want to experiment a bit” Elias chuckles and then turns into a full blown laugh that makes him feel the rumble of it against his ear.

“I can't believe this, but i missed you” He hears Elias heart speed up while admitting that to him, it makes his face warm up.

Peter knows he missed him too, but he wont admit that, too out of character. So instead...

“Will take that with me, feels delicious”

“Oh hush, you already cannibalized yourself, don't be a prick”

Yes, he definetly missed this bastard and he will have so much fun re-aquitaining to him properly. They are closer in age now, Peter’s body is a bit older than Elias now, just 6 years, but it feels good.

This time people will give Elias looks instead of him, Peter’s gray hair and beard made him look older.

“You are impossible Peter”

“Stop reading my mind then” Elias sighs and kisses the top of his head hesitantly.

“Don't make it so easy then” Peter lets out a breath.

Prick.

"Never"

"Rude, what a rude person you are" Peter nuzzles him and that shuts him up.

Better.

#lonelyeyesweek #lonelyeyesweek2021 #james wright #simon fairchild #elias bouchard #lonelyeyes #peterelias #peter lukas

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c-is-for-circinate · 5 years ago

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Y’all this episode had everything I could possibly have wanted and things I never even knew to wish for.

How did one episode start with Henry Crabgrass, the most glorious and beloved NPC of my heart, and end with mother fucking Avantika, with so much awesome shit in between!!! How!!!

Okay I am making a list of shit I absolutely loved tonight, in approximate chronological order:

Y’all I just love Henry Crabgrass so much. I don’t even have smart things to say about that fact, just a warm glow in my heart. May all the light of Melora’s grace smile down upon them and leave Henry as the toughest, most unkillable patch of crabgrass in all Exandria.

Vess and the Tombtakers, so many questions and so few certain answers, so many things to wonder, so many dots to connect! I really do feel like the crew are connecting them at this point, and while I’m sure in some places they’re far from the map, the general outline really is starting to emerge. What, exactly, was in the book the Tombtakers tried to claim without showing it to Vess deRogna first? What did it do to Lucien? And, if Vess has the book--what are they trying to find now?

So okay, let’s talk about Yasha and Beau. As someone who has had a lot of feelings about the intense relatability of Beau’s crush on Jester, I have now fully committed to also having a whole lot of mostly new feelings about these terrible awkward disaster lesbians with no fucking idea what they’re doing. I saw a post the other day mention how this whole relationship is about the feeling of discovering you can have this, that you can actually be happy, that you get to have this kind of relationship with someone. I’ve written about that. And I feel it so, so hard, every time I see them interact, when every bit of bravado leaves both of them. It’s so easy to be off-putting! It’s so easy to have crushes on wonderful people you kind of wish would look at you but you’re absolutely sure never will. It’s so hard to actually know what the fuck to do in the face of wait shit this might actually be a thing I could get for real? how? wait, how???

Also let’s talk about Jester in that scene, who ships Beauyasha harder than anything in the world??? Because yes, right, some of it is just that Jester loves romance, and some of it’s that Jester gets very invested in the happiness of her friends, but that is a lot of investment there. And I can’t help wondering if there’s a little dimension of...she wants to see True Love and Happily-Ever-After work. And she’s delighted to see it work for her friends who she loves, and when it comes true they’ll be happy and she loves that, but also I don’t know that Jester’s ever actually seen two people fall in love with each other and enter into a healthy, happy relationship before. But hey, all of her books say this wonderful magical thing exists, and now it seems to actually be showing up for her friends? Of course she wants to see it. Of course she wants it to be just as magical and wonderful as in all her stories, even if it’s not for her. (And maybe especially if it’s not for her, but I think that’s a whole separate post about Jester and her very high passive insight and all the people who are in love with her and the very specific ways she treats each of them.)

I love Yeza. Don’t we all love Yeza? He’s trying so hard. It’s always great to see Yeza for that kind of wide-eyed outsider POV on the M9 shenanigans, and I love it. He made a comment this episode about meeting goblins while living in Rosohna, and everything that’s happened to him really hit me in a while new way. Usually I think about how he’s had his life turned upside down by all of this, but man, just think how much he’s seen that he never in a million years would have begun to expect to experience! This smalltown alchemist from a pastoral little farming city in the middle of the Dwendalian midwest has lived for a significant amount of time as a housekeeper in the capitol city of the Krynn Dynasty. He must have gone to the markets and met the neighbors and learned the streets and the food, and who had he ever known in his whole life who could say such a thing? He lived with the Ruby of the Sea in Nicodranas by the ocean. He’s been to Zadash, now, and it’s only a matter of time before he sees Rexxentrum. How much farther will he go? (Man, I would love some good Yeza fic once this campaign is over. I think it’s going to take that long for me to really know how his story arc ends.)

Someone was posting earlier this episode about witnessing Vess scare Yeza so badly, and insight into how the Nein are starting to run in circles that really outstrip the people they used to know. Watching Pumat in the wake of being Informed By Lady de Rogna That He Would Put A Rush On That has really hammered it home. They remarked, in their very M9 somewhat idle vaguely ridiculous way that they wanted the icebreaker, and one tiny snowman later Vess had pulled rank and money and rerouted the ship’s entire passage for them. She’s scary--and with her, the M9 have the kind of power that’s scary, too. And that’s always such an interesting moment. The M9 are used to thinking of themselves as people with very little, who have to fight and scrap and get lucky for their own survival all the time. And yes, they’re utterly careless with money--why not be, when it comes and goes and almost none of them have ever really seen it help or last? And yes, they’re prone to violence and sometimes pretty rude. But before now, it’s always been a situation where the M9 acting loud, rude, and demanding could be chaotic underdogs scrapping to get what they needed or wanted from people who had the option of saying no. Suddenly they’re in a position where the balance of social situations is biased in their favor instead of against them. There’s such a difference between ‘please accede to my unreasonable request because I have a high charisma and will pay you lots of gold’, and, ‘you’re going to accede to my unreasonable request because otherwise my Cerberus Assembly boss may or may not have you assassinated’. The M9 have never been on this side of that before. I’m very curious to see how much they notice that they are now.

PALADIN OATH PALADIN OATH PALADIN OATH! I was not paying nearly enough attention when that scene started, so I am going to need to watch it again and also make extra sure to read any available source material on this specific homebrew oath, because it’s probably not exactly the same as the Oath of the Sea homebrew you can find on google. There’s some overlap between the abilities there and the ones Fjord already have, and the vows don’t quite match up, though some of them are close. Ugh, mostly I’m just so glad it has happened and Fjord has promised and he means it, he means it so much. He rest-of-his-life means it, and my heart belongs to Fjord who couldn’t even imagine the rest of his life as a thing separate from the monotony of his first thirty years, so very recently.

I actually always really love when CR has episodes at sea? Obviously the M9 have done it the most, but Vox Machina went sailing a time or two as well, and it’s just always so great. It’s often days of down time in a way that overland travel isn’t, and the party fills it with so many good little moments. Matt always gives them such cool encounters. On boats, spending a week at a time getting from one place to another, so much of the chaos of rewriting a plan seventeen times in an hour gets stripped away: they’re headed towards a destination, sometimes something comes up to deter them, and they have to find a way to deal with it. There are always crew members and the structure of a boat itself to take into consideration in any combat that pops up. It’s just such a nice tone, and I also love that the ocean itself kind of hates them now because it adds really delightful additional risks, and anyway heck yeah ocean voyage.

WHICH ENDS IN UNDEAD AVANTIKA ATTACKING THE SHIP WITH A TRIO OF CRAB-MEN AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE HOLY FUCK. Look, I think M9 becoming pirates by accident and then trying to figure out wtf might actually be my favorite arc of this campaign so far, and every time it comes back I get so so happy. I’ve got some feelings about this showing up in the same episode as Fjord finally taking his full oath to the Wildmother. They are going to have to kill U’kotoa before this campaign is through. They are going to have to, because Fjord will never be safe on the ocean again if they don’t, and Fjord has bound himself by vow and will in service as the Wildmother’s paladin of the open sea. She hasn’t asked it of him, not specifically, but it’s his job. It’s going to be his job. In part it’ll be because it’s poetic justice, Fjord taking down the cruel demigod who (in some ways) made him. Mostly it’s just that killing U’kotoa is a job that needs to be done. To protect the oceans, the life they hold, the people who sail upon them, it’s going to need to be done. It’s Melora’s domain to do this, which means it’s her paladin’s job, and Fjord is her paladin of the sea. It’ll be him sooner or later.

I am so fucking delighted at the massive pile of fireworks on the deck of this ship, and I hope to god these Chekhovian bottle rockets go off before the end of this combat encounter, because this is, in fact, all I ever wanted the minute Beau put them in there.

#CR spoilers #episode 112

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sixth-light · 4 years ago

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Man, prior probabilities anon here, you have described the bulletproof kink sequel of my dreams and I shall never get to read it! Alas, the life of a fangirl is tragedy. ;D To mend my broken heart I guess I'll have to reread Good Enough to Be True, which got me through a rough day today, so thank you very much for that. Your writing is a joy & you deserve good things. Thanks for answering my ask!!!

this is...uh...probably not the bulletproof kink sequel of your dreams but you are fully responsible for it existing at all, so:

After all the trouble with Nicolò’s betrothed running away, and finding a man in the ocean, and getting attacked, and then the man they found in the ocean turning out to be Nicolò’s runaway betrothed – not to mention the part in the middle where Nicolò bedded him and very nearly gravely insulted his betrothed’s family, who didn’t know that said betrothed was still alive, much less with Nicolò – Marco tried not to think about his youngest brother’s marriage, because the whole thing gave him a headache. He told everybody as much when he returned to Genoa.

“Yes, but do you think it will go well?” his wife asked.

“I don’t see how it can’t,” Marco said. He was too busy trying to coax their son to walk towards him to explain it again. “Nicolò was three-quarters in love with him before he even knew who he was. It’s like one of those fairytale things.”

“I suppose,” Anna said, “but it also sounds as if there may have been hurt feelings.”

“Give them a couple of years,” Marco said. “Yes, that’s right, towards me…what a good job!” He picked up Tomaso, who was giggling, and tossed him gently in the air. He had got so big while Marco had been away. It was amazing how children grew. He said as much to Anna, and thankfully, that changed the subject.

Unfortunately, every other member of his family – at least the ones who still lived in Genoa – had the same question for him. The problem, as Marco saw it, was that Nicolò was the baby of the family and they all thought he needed looking after. They hadn’t seen Nicolò in a fight, that was the trouble. He tried telling his second-oldest sister Giovanna this – she had married a nobleman of the city, unlike Bernadetta, and so was still here – but she just looked at him blankly. “What does that have to do with whether he is happy in his marriage, Marco?”

“Well, the prince turned out to be very good with a sword too,” Marco tried to explain, “so they have that in common.” Giovanna was not convinced.

“It concerns me,” Godfrey, Marco’s oldest brother, told him. “This sort of alliance only holds if there is respect between them, since they won’t have children of their own.”

“I don’t know why you’re talking to me about it again,” Marco said. “Isn’t Nicolò writing?”

“Yes, but he isn’t writing about his husband, and that is its own sort of message,” Godfrey said. “I want you to visit.”

“Visit Malta?” Marco threw up his hands. “But Anna is pregnant again, and –”

“It’s a week’s voyage away! Two at most,” Godfrey said. “You will be back well before she is confined. Besides, Marco, I am counting on you.”

“Of course I will do whatever you need,” Marco said hastily; it pleased him when his brother the Count relied on him, even if in this case he strongly suspected that the instruction originated from his mother. She had been Godfrey’s regent for many years, and although she was diligent in not being seen to rule him now he was of age, Godfrey still looked to her for advice. As well he should, of course. And this whole marriage alliance had been something she had cooked up with the queen of Tunis, because of their old friendship.

“Very good,” Godfrey said. “We have an agreement to send them ships, anyway. Just go along, and make sure everything is as it should be.”

It did not take long at all for Marco to realise, once he was in Malta, that everything was not as it should be. Nicolò greeted him with pleasure, and his husband was genial, but Marco knew what it looked like when Nicolò was truly relaxed with somebody; this was not it. Yusuf and Nicolò were courteous towards each other, and respectful, but not at ease. And they watched each other, all the time, when they thought the other one was not looking.

Marco consulted Captain Nile, who had sailed with them on that original voyage, and knew the entire saga. He did so by buying her a glass of wine in an inn down by the docks. She groaned, and put her head in her hands. “Oh, don’t get me started.”

“But it was going so well between them,” Marco said, truly confused. “Nicolò was at least half in love with him! And the prince did not seem to mind it. At least, he bedded him, and agreed to marry him. What more did they need?”

“Don’t ask me,” said the captain. “They’ve been like this for months. It’s driving everybody mad. And it’s distracting both of them.”

“I can see that,” agreed Marco, because Nicolò had missed at least two things Marco had said already, and both times because he had been watching Yusuf. “I know my brother has great respect for your counsel. Have you not tried telling him this?”

“Of course.” She rolled her eyes. “And he says, everything is very well, and he appreciates my concern, but surely there are more important things we could be speaking of.”

That last thing was something Godfrey would say. If Marco wanted to annoy Nicolò he would go back and point that out, because Nicolò did not like thinking he was anything like their eldest brother even when he was. But he didn’t want to annoy him; he wanted to be able to go back to Genoa and report that everything was absolutely fine in Malta, which he could still do if Nicolò was annoyed, but not if Nicolò was – like this.

Of course, he could try speaking with his brother directly, but he knew exactly how that conversation would go: as the captain had reported, with the addition of suspicious questions about whether their mother had sent him. Which she had not. Directly. Although she had of course told Marco to convey her best wishes to Nicolò and his new husband.

So he didn’t do that. Instead, he went and found the prince.

“Yusuf, called al-Tayyib,” he greeted him. “It still feels strange knowing you had another name all along.”

The prince winced, but only a little. “I think you understand why I did that.”

“No, not really,” Marco said, “but your family didn’t seem all that surprised and they would know you best.”

He laughed. “No, they were a little surprised, I promise you. I have not made a habit of running away from anything. Though I thought I was running towards, at first. But I have not said, it is good of you to visit – I know Nicolò misses his family, as I do mine.”

Marco knew he was not accounted the brightest mind of his family – that was probably Giovanna, in a fair weighing up – but he could not miss that change of topic. Unfortunately for the prince, he had something to accomplish here. “Ah, so you are talking, that is good. You really did not want to marry him, that was obvious, and my family are all concerned that it will not prove to be a contented match.”

“Not at all!” the prince protested. “Not in the slightest. Nicolò is extremely gracious, and kind, and I do not think I could find a better man to rule beside me, here or when I take the throne – which will be some day far in the future, God willing, my mother being in excellent health. I know it might not seem it from your point of view, but I promise it was not Nicolò in himself I ever objected to. How could it be, when I had not met him?”

“I am very pleased to hear that,” Marco said, “and if you have not told him these things yourself, you should, because he is very badly in love with you and it would please him to hear it.”

The prince went a little red around the ears, which was not what Marco would expect, in a man who had faced his own lover with a sword in hand, unflinching. “I think you must be mistaken. This is a political marriage; neither of us is unaware of that.”

“He’s my brother,” said Marco. “I’m not mistaken. He is pining after you and frankly if you were both in Genoa it would be a bit tiresome. You should speak to him about it.” He clapped Tayyib – no, Yusuf, it was so hard to keep that straight in his head – on the shoulder, and left, so he would not have to listen to the prince protesting. Having lived through the courtships of several of his siblings, he knew that sort of thing could go on for hours. Still, he was quite pleased with himself; that had been a much better choice than trying to talk to Nicolò again.

He felt less pleased with himself when he walked in on them three separate times in the two days before he returned to Genoa, because there were some things he did not need to know or see about his younger brother. But outside of that, Nicolò had stopped being so stiff, and the prince kept smiling, and on the whole, Marco thought, he didn’t mind it so much, these things he had to do for his family.

#my fanfic #joe x nicky #the prior probabilities follow-up nobody asked for #look it's a version of my AU where Nicky has great family dynamics!#it can happen!#Anonymous

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chaseatinydream · 4 years ago

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pirate king (76) || atz

Tortuga is not happy to have you back.

“You were the man who took our town leader hostage! You cannot simply just stride back onto port and walk here as if you have not just committed the gravest of sins!” A portly man dressed in velvet and gold waves so furiously that his expensive silk cravat has become stained with sweat. “You, hooligans, don’t ever come back to this town!”

Wooyoung simply shrugs and makes to pick his ear with his pinky, entirely without a care in the world. You kick him in the shin and he yelps, shying away.

“Say you’re sorry!”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” He protests, and Yeosang tilts his head back slightly in the middle of negotiations to fix Wooyoung with a glare so menacing you can practically see the darkness rolling off him. Wooyoung must feel the same sensation - of death stepping across his grave - because he shivers and rubs the back of his neck. “Okay, maybe I might have done a thing or two-”

“This man… utterly unbelievable!” The official continues to rant, and even the soldiers lined up behind him are starting to wince from how piercing his voice is. He jabs a finger at Wooyoung ferociously. “I respect you, Pirate King, but the disrespect this man has shown us! Breaking into the officials’ town headquarters! Knocking out the guards! Dragging the head of this town out of his chambers in his… in his sleepwear! Preposterous, I tell you!”

Hongjoong raises his hands, a calm smile on his face to placate the official. “I deeply apologise for my crew member’s behavior. It must have been a terrible experience, but I can assure you my crew regrets his actions and is extremely repentant about his behavior.”

You look dubiously at the supposedly repentant man.

“He sleeps naked.” Wooyoung whispers loudly into your ear, a cheeky smile decorating his face. You stare at him, and then shake your head. He’s incorrigible.

“However, I ask you to understand that the situation at hand was dire, and that we had no other choice in order to go after our captain. As thanks for letting this matter slide, we’ll compensate the town head appropriately.” Yeosang’s angelic smile is at full power, and for a second you’re almost blinded by the halo settling above his head. The bag of gold coins in his hand (polished by Wooyoung for the whole of last night as punishment) somehow seem dull in comparison. “I’m sure you won’t regret it.”

The official’s eyes are like magnets, drawn to the gold. You can almost see him licking his lips. “... compensate?”

“Very handsomely.” Yeosang shakes the bag once. The sound is more alluring than any symphony or sirens’ song to your ears. Apparently, that must be the how the official feels too, because his hand reaches out to touch it, before he jerks it back to his chest, coughing lightly. “Well then, I suppose it couldn’t hurt just to let it go just this once...”

A soldier behind the official rolls his eyes to heaven in exasperation.

“However! That man is not allowed to step foot into the town, and must stay on the ship at all times. This in nonnegotiable. Also,” Yeosang hands over the bag of gold, and the official beckons Hongjoong closer. “There have been... ah... rumors... among the townspeople... Royal Navy... searching for a woman.... bounty... alive... five thousand...”

You glance over at Wooyoung, who’s sulking miserably. “You kind of deserve it. Although... thanks for doing it, to get captain and I back.”

At your words, Wooyoung instantly brightens. “No problem! It was the most fun I had in weeks anyway!” You send him a flat look, intent on chiding him, but then your captain calls your name.

To your surprise, his lips are drawn into a thin line, and there is a furrow to his brow that definitely wasn’t there before. “Chin Hae, do you... remember ever encountering the Royal Navy before meeting us?”

Frowning, you shake your head. There’s tension would tight into his face, and you feel something in your stomach sinking. “No. Why?”

Hongjoong opens his mouth to answer, but then closes it with a sigh before he can say another word. He wears a fond smile as he ruffles your hair gently, lithe fingers carding through the strands. “No matter, this isn’t the place for it. Will you come see me in the captain’s cabin tonight? We have some pressing matters to discuss.”

When he walks away, the smile melts into a grim, worried look on his face.

>>>

“Your legs are starting to hurt?”

San’s expression is filled with concern as he crouches in front of you, gentle fingers kneading and massaging your calves with practiced movements. You nod quietly, watching him as he works. “Yeah. Honestly... the same thing that happened with my hand might be happening to my legs, master.”

His fingers still, and when he looks at them, they come away white. San rubs at his temples, his face drawn taut with worry and something bordering dismay. He stares at your legs as if they could give him an answer to this question. “But this isn’t supposed to happen. Nothing happened to them, you didn’t get hurt, or stabbed, or-”

Your heart warms at the desperate concern burning in his eyes, and you reach out your hand to take his into yours, gripping it gently. When his pained gaze meets yours, you do your best to put on a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, master. I have no intention of dying. You’ll help me out, won’t you?”

San looks at you for a moment with his mouth parted, as if surprised, before it draws into a sharp, determined line. He squeezes your hand back tightly. “Of course I will. As if I’d let anything happen to you!” He rises to his feet, gestures over to the multitude of books and scrolls haphazardly piled and stuffed into every nook and cranny of the sickbay. “There’s got to be something here somewhere similar to your condition, and even if there isn’t, it’ll be somewhere in Tortuga. If it exists on this earth, I’ll definitely find it.”

Something hot stings behind your eyes, but you blink it away, gripping San’s hand tighter. “Hey, master... I... really want to live, you know? I want to keep sailing with the crew... and I want to be with all of you forever. You know that, right?”

It’s fear.

The ugly, twisting feeling coiling deep in your belly is fear. Fear that you’ll never feel the warm sunlight on your face again. Fear that you can never talk and laugh and cry with the crew again. Fear that everything might be coming to an end; an end that you simply cannot come to terms with.

You’d do anything. Anything to stay with the crew, and keep on living.

“Silly apprentice.” San rests a tender hand on your head, looking at you with so much affection you could cry. “Of course I know, because that’s exactly what I feel as well. If there’s any way, I’d take it in a heartbeat! Even if it means getting rid of captain!” He jokes, and you snort, swatting him on the arm.

“Don’t be silly, master, both you and I know that you’d never do that.”

San grins, a large cat-like smile spreading across his face, and rises to his feet, striding over to his workbench.

“Hey, we’re going to cure you. This is your master you’re talking about! You know,” he turns back to give you a little wink, “back in my home village, they called me something of a medical prodigy.”

You rise to your feet, heart so full you can barely feel the pain in your legs and press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Then, master... I’ll be counting on you. I’d help you out, but first, there’s something I need to do.”

“Something you need to do?” San peeks over, curiosity brimming in his eyes as you fish out a red fox fur coat from beneath your pillow. A sly smile turns up one corner of his mouth. “Oho. Is that a gift for a certain someone?”

You poke at his side playfully. “He lost his jacket, so I thought I’d make him something to thank him. Why, unhappy you’re not getting one as well?”

San pouts and turns away, arms crossed. “As if! Now get going, I need some silence to concentrate, so shoo!” Under his breath, he mutters, “stupid captain stealing my apprentice... stealing her first handmade gift... maybe it’s really time to get rid of him...”

Giggling lightly, you step around him and out of the room, the fox fur gathered in your arms. It’s soft and warm and light, perfect for a sea voyage and comfortable to wear. You only hope your captain will overlook the some of the stray threads sticking out here and there; your sewing still isn’t perfect, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

As you step out onto the deck, empty save for loose coils of rope and a pair of wooden cleats lying on the floor, you glance down at the fox fur in your arms.

You’re going to be giving him a gift... that you made with your own hands.

What if he doesn’t like it? The thought pops into your mind and you groan, burying your face in your hands. Your cheeks feel hot, and you step over to the side of the ship to cool off and calm down. Beneath you, the ocean is like a mirror of glass, stretching out as far as the eye can see.

Calm down, Chin Hae, it’s just a jacket. And even if he doesn’t like it, so what? You could just give it to someone else!

With that thought in mind, you clench your fist, ready to get it done and over with. But before you can go, there’s a strange sound from beneath you, and you glance down in surprise as the water.

To your shock, the surface of the sea begins to ripple and swirl, disrupted by whatever’s beneath it. You can feel something rising, coming up to the surface, and its intent focused solely on you and you alone. Something in your mind screams for you to run, but your feet only stay rooted to the spot, your hands trembling and cold sweat running down your neck.

What is this?

And out of the depths emerges...

#ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fanfiction #hongjoong #seonghwa #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho #ateez pirate king #w;ot8 #w; pirate king #w; fanfiction

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fullsunalicia · 5 years ago

Note

can you write a royal au with any of the dreamies?? thank you and your writing is really good!

a true love‘s kiss — NJM

as the youngest of four daughters, you are the least of all expected to ascend the throne. sure, you can marry, but with your father‘s reputation and the land he possesses, no one‘s going to fight for the daughter that is going to inherit nothing. that is, until one particular beautiful prince sets eyes on you and never wants to look anywhere else ever again.

prince!na jaemin x princess!reader

thank you so much for the request, and your kind words! 🤍 honestly i thought of jaemin right away and the idea made me really giddy. i hope you enjoy!

Na Jaemin is famous for his beauty and his power. It‘s no wonder that someday, he comes knocking at your father‘s doors, asking for his daughter‘s hand in marriage.

Everyone hopes to marry Soyeon. She‘s the eldest, and most beautiful one of you. Because there are no brothers in this family, she is going to take the throne someday and be called Queen, while you and your elder sisters will remain princesses. Maybe after her coronation, someone will have pity on you and make you their queen.

But as long as Soyeon is unwed, no one‘s eyes will ever sway to you.

You have come to like living in her shadow. The attention is never on you, and you essentially get to be the troublemaker without being punished too much. Soyeon may be the eldest, but you‘re the favorite, the baby of the family. You are spoiled rotten, and everybody knows. Despite that, you still treat everyone with respect, thank the servants for even the littlest things and like to spend time with the people in the castle, no matter what social standing they are of.

So when a servant of yours informs you that Prince Jaemin is to come visit, you shrug and turn your attention back to the flowers again.

Most times, the servants forbid you from helping them. Most times, you just ignore them and do it anyways. That‘s why you’re sitting next to Haseul (your gardner) right now, knees deep in the mud, even though your dress was more expensive than imaginable.

„Are you not excited to meet him, princess?“ Haseul hands you a particularly beautiful tulip, and you set it aside. Later, you‘d put it into a vase in your chamber. „I heard he‘s very charming. He‘s got it from his father, no doubt - he‘s a good king, but it took the man some time to settle down.“

„How do you know?“ You‘ve heard much about the rumoured Na king, and you even remember an encounter when you were really young. He had gifted you a very nice necklace, still well-kept of in one of your drawers. He‘s nice, but you don‘t know what kind of king that makes him. Politics is not your forte.

Being a troublemaker is.

„Servant‘s gossip.“ Haseul tears open a bag of planting seeds, and she holds it open for you so you can scoop out a a handful. Where you‘re kneeling right now would soon be a field of roses, in just a few weeks. „Information spreads fast, especially when it‘s being spread by the people working in the castle. I‘ve heard their servants are being treated exceptionally well. Maybe as nice as ours, but they don‘t have a princess like we do.“

That makes you smile.

There‘s one amazing key factor to being the youngest. The rules don‘t apply to you as much. You are not expected to be the picture-perfect daughter who has to satisfy the entire world, and you are not expected to mingle with the right crowd. No one is fazed when you hug the maiden who helped you put on your corsage. Nobody minds it when you pop into the kitchen and thank all the cooks for the nice food.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Thankfully, you‘ll never have to.

Haseul helps you up and sighs at the many stains the flower bed has left on your dress, but she only shoos you away and tells you to get changed before your mother sees.

The castle is enormous. If you hadn‘t been raised here, you‘d gest lost often. The hallways are like a maze, leading god knows where and sometimes, most parts of the castle are inhabited. Countless times have people lost their way in here, and every time they are lead back by an awkward grinning servant or the princesses who come looking for them. Your chamber isn‘t the biggest one, but in your opinion the prettiest - through the windows, you have a perfect view of the garden, watching the sun set and rise on your favorite flowers.

„We must get you ready quickly, princess,“ the girl who‘s helping you step out of the dress says. She‘s new, you notice it immediately. Even if it seems impossible, you try and remember every face of everyone who works here, even if you catch a glimpse of your sisters‘ servants only once a year. This maiden is new, maybe even younger than you are. „Prince Jaemin is already on his way.“

„Are you new here? What‘s your name?“

She smiles. „I‘ve heard of your kindness towards the people who work for you,“ the unknown lady mumbles, and you watch as she turns you around to tie your corsage. Her fingers are nimble, rough at the tips. „Thank you. But we mustn‘t be late, so we‘ll have to wait for afterwards with the introductions.“

„Will you tell me your name then?“

Someone opens the door to your room, carrying in a monstrosity of a dress. Of course it‘s breathtakingly beautiful, but it‘s practically a star. Jewels blink at every fold of the garment, thin, barely there, but still shining bightly. A little bit like you.

Your new friend giggles as she waves the person who carried the gown in closer so they can help. „Sure,“ the respond comes several seconds later. „If you promise me to shine just as bright as your sisters tonight. Don‘t let them steal the spotlight all the time - there‘s a reason you‘re the favorite.“

❀ ❀ ❀

Na Jaemin is so beautiful, you almost want to cry.

Well, not like you‘d waste your tears on men. For a silly reason, atleast. But you‘d make an exception for this prince, who seems more angel than human, because his smile makes everyone in the room breathless and he doesn‘t seem to notice. Or maybe he does, and he enjoys it.

For the first time in long, you‘re sad that suitors only look for Soyeon.

Of course you wish the best for your sister. She‘s strict towards you, but she still loves you. She was the first person to see you walk, because she taught you how. Soyeon taught you how to tie your own corsage, because any proper woman should be able to. Every now and then, she forces you to sit down and study, even though it‘s not expected of princesses to be highly educated. But Soyeon expects it. She knows every corner of your razor-sharp intellect and she wants you to use it.

You want her to marry someone who treasures her. But you also want someone to look at you like everyone seems to look at her.

The promise you had given to the new girl rings in your head, but you can‘t seem to bring yourself to do it. Na Jaemin hasn‘t looked at you once. So you lower your head, and wait for it to be over.

„Dear Jaemin,“ your father speaks, voice carrying through the entire room. „We are so glad you made it. Tell me, young friend, how was your voyage? Pleasant, I hope?“

Even his voice sounds dreamy. „It was, thank you! Your country is as beautiful as always. I‘m glad to be welcome as a guest.“

Your mother laughs that. „You‘re always welcome,“ she says, and to an untrained ear, it would sound normal. Only her daughters hear the nervous undertone in her regal voice: the slight worry that Jaemin wouldn‘t want any of the princess, only paying a visit for friendship‘s sake...

Your father‘s kingdom has always bordered to the kingdowm of the Na‘s. To others, that would be a reason to fight. To your families, it was a chance at friendship over generations. The Na clan and the (l/n) clan have always supported each other, lending a hand when the other was in need and treating the other like family. Marriages are unusual, though. There was no need to join the two kingdoms together, but maybe it was time for change since for the first time in long, there are no sons in the lineage of your clan.

Maybe Jaemin has come to use that chance.

Everybody in the room is staring at him. How could they not? It was like an angel had walked into the room, even though his unusual blue hair stuck out like a sore thumb. Maybe he‘s going through a rebellious phase. The color suits him really well, anyways.

All eyes are on Jaemin, but the prince‘s eyes are on you. Past Soyeon and your sisters, Jaemin‘s gaze has wandered to the littlest princess, and he tips his head to the side in curiousity. Like this, he looks like a puppy. Sohye, your third-oldest sister, steps aside to reveal your hiding place, hand landing on your back to push you forward. Your alarmed gaze is met by her own stern one. The meaning is clear. Get out there.

„Who are you?“ Jaemin asks. Your heart stops.

Your father looks at you. His eyes are filled with pride, but also worry. He‘s not used to someone paying attention to his youngest. „This is (y/n),“ he introduces you, and Jaemin steps closer to take your hand. As his lips meet the back of your hand, you notice how he enjoys the way that you‘re blushing.

So he does know how good-looking he is! Kind of attractive, to be honest.

You bow your head in respect. „Pleased to meet you, Prince Jaemin,“ you greet him, and the smile he gifts you with makes you dizzy. It‘s like looking at the sun for too long. Your mother‘s gaze burns on your back. „Oh, the pleasure‘s all mine, I assure you,“ he responds seconds later, sun meeting his ocean locks and making them glimmer in the light.

His beauty is off the scales. Literally. There‘s not a way to measure how fast your heart is racing right now because of it.

When the young prince lets you go, your hand still feels warm. Your father grins and claps a hand on Jaemin‘s back, leading him away from the women with the promise of good alcohol waiting outside. The second they are out of sight, your sisters rush to you, curiousity painted on their faces.

„Do you think he likes you?“

„Do you like him?“

„Isn‘t he sooo pretty?“

„Girls,“ the queen sighs. She‘s the last one to approach you, arms crossed in front of her chest. She‘s trying really hard to seem composed, but you can see the excitement in her eyes, the silent hope of giving away a daughter. Any mother would be blessed to have a son-in-law like Na Jaemin. „He was just asking for her name, not her hand in marriage. Let‘s not get our hopes up. Things like these take time.“ Your mother hums. She can‘t keep up the act for long, though. „But do you think he likes (y/n)? Just out of curiousity.“

Curiousity. You, too, would like to know if he‘s as curious about you as you are about him.

❀ ❀ ❀

The servants come rushing into your room in the middle of the night and for a split second, you think the castle is under attack. But who in their right mind would smile while they’re being attacked? No one. Not your servants, atleast. They giggle and cheer as they lock your door and sit on your bed, tapping rhythms onto your blankets. “We bear good news, princess!” Jina, the youngest out of the bunch, speaks up.

You rub your eyes, still hazy from sleep. The moon is the only thing casting light into the chamber, giving everyone in it the appearance of a ghost. “What news would be so amazing that you’d cheer around like this?” you mutter, but you don’t want to spoil their fun. They’re in an exceptionally happy mood.

Haseul, who’s still wearing her work attire, inches closer. “I was the first one to know, princess,” she whispers, as if it was a state affair she’d be exposing. Her eyes look like jade stones when the light hits them just right. “The king and the foreign prince, Jaemin, they were walking in the garden and speaking rather loudly. I couldn’t help but overhear... and I’m very sorry for listening in, that was rather rude of me...”

“Haseul!” Jina cuts in, begging the older one to get to the point. The gardner clears her throat. “Right,” she laughs. “I couldn’t help but overhear the prince asking for his daughter’s hand in marriage... if she’d like to have him. He said, and I quote, ‘If she’d want to be mine as much as I want to be hers, there would be nothing more that’d be making me happier’.”

Your shoulders drop.

Of course he’d want to marry Soyeon. Really, it was a silly daydream to think that anyone would cast away your father’s precious kingdom at the low cost of one marriage. Any second now, they’ll tell you that your sister’s getting married and someone will finally come looking for you, and not the crown...

“And the king asked him, ‘Has Soyeon gotten into your head already?’, to which the young prince replied ‘My king, I know this must be rather ungrateful of me and if you want to reprimand me then please go ahead, but I’m asking for youngest, for sweet (y/n). If (y/n) feels the same. Otherwise, I’ll stay as planned for the next few days and then return to my father’.”

All servants look you in the face, waiting, hoping you would be as happy as them. You can barely register the news. Slowly, very slowly, you raise your hands and pinch your own cheeks. Once, twice. When nothing happens, your mouth falls open.

Jaemin wants to marry you. Someone actually looked you in the eyes and liked what they saw.

“Oh my god,” you whisper. Then, louder: “Oh my god! He wants me to marry him!”

The words work like a charm; the entire room fills with squeals and laughter, and you grab your girls to pull them onto the bed with you and hug them close. To any other princess, that would be unacceptable. But you’re not any other princess. You’re (y/n), with nothing to inherit but the kindness of your father and the loyalty of your mother, the stars in your eyes, Jaemin’s heart in your palms.

And if he wants it, you’ll give him your own on a silver platter.

❀ ❀ ❀

For once, you’re actually nervous about your appearance.

You tug at your hair, pull at the dress you’re wearing. Is your jewelry too much? Is the perfume annoying? Maybe lavender doesn’t look good on you. Yeah. Maybe changing into something nicer would be better...

“What are you doing?”

You turn around. It’s the new girl - the pretty face without a name. She smiles at you, hands pulling you away from the mirror to sit you down on a stool. You watch her reach for a comb and lean your head back as she starts untangling the knots in your hair. “I’ll braid it for you,” she says, voice as smooth as silk, “if you tell me what’s gotten you so nervous.”

You hum. “You haven’t given me your name yet. If this keeps up, I’ll just have to call you ‘friend’ instead of your name, and that gets rather confusing.”

“I feel like I’m being blackmailed.” The woman snickers. She divides your hair and starts braiding it into a side bun. Her touch is careful, soft. It takes her a few moments before she speaks again. “My name is Soojin. I was born and raised not far from the castle, and I’ve always dreamt of working here. There was this nice little princess everyone admired...” She moves to grab some fixing needles. “.. and I heard we were close in age. Naturally, my interest was piqued.” Carefully, they’re inserted into your hair. It looks really pretty, if your mirror isn’t fooling you. “And here I am.”

“Soojin.” You test the name, letting it roll off your tongue. “I like that.”

“And I’d like to hear about your fidgeting now.”

“Now who’s being blackmailed?”

Soojin giggles again. It sounds really cute when she does it, and you turn around to face her. The name fits, weirdly. You can’t explain why, but it just does. “I think the prince is going to propose to me,” you explain, heart racing again. The back of your hand tingles at the memory of his lips. “Haseul overheard him asking for my father’s blessing to marry me.”

“Leaving so soon?” She pouts, but it turns into a smile. You reach out to hold her hand. For a second, she’s taken aback by the physical affection, but gets used to it rather quickly. “I’m joking. I’m very happy for you, princess. Prince Jaemin is a good man. He’ll court you properly.”

“Thank you, Soojin.” You stand up, previous insecurities forgotten. Somehow, talking to Soojin had helped, and you’re calm now, the excitement making your heart flutter like a hummingbird. Other than that, you’re pretty tranquil. “And if you think I’d leave you behind like that, you must not have heard enough about me. If he .. really proposes, you’re moving with me. If he wants it or not.”

Soojin tips her head back to laugh heartily. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Your father had asked you to meet him in the garden, so with a last hug to Soojin, you depart from your room and begin rushing towards your favorite place in the entire castle. You spent your entire childhood prancing around inbetween the many plants and flower beds, even sitting down often to receive botany lessons from the gardners who worked there to keep your favorite flowers alive. You love the idea of planting something and helping it bloom by caring for it, just like your parents did with you. With their love and support, you grew into a confident woman that knows what she wants, and how to get it.

Flowers were your first love, in a sense. Maybe, if you‘d be lucky, the relationship between you and Jaemin could bloom into your last love.

The garden is unexpectedly empty. Your father is never late, unlike you, getting distracted by every pretty thing. The colored glass in the many hallways. The carnations displayed in the throne room. But there‘s another thing that‘s catching your eye right now: Na Jaemin, standing a few feet away from you, lots of gardenias in his hand.

„You‘re here,“ the prince speaks, heavenly smile spreading on his lips. You nod, heart skipping faster. Was it possible for a human person to look so beautiful? How come a single look from someone can make your knees feel so weak? It takes all your strength to walk to him, and a little bit more to look into his eyes. His gaze is warm, full of adoration.

It makes you giddy.

Jaemin lets his eyes wander over your face before he plucks a single flower out of his bouquet to put it behind your ear. The giggle you let out at that makes him laugh, aswell. Being with Jaemin feels so ... natural. Perhaps if you get to know each other better, this silent admiration could grow into something more. „I heard you like flowers,“ he speaks. „So I went and bought some for you. I hope you like them.“

„They‘re beautiful,“ you tell him, accepting them with the biggest grin on your lips. You‘d bet all your money your father told him about your infatuation with everything that blooms.

The wind tousles Jaemin‘s blueberry-colored hair. „They don‘t match your beauty, though.“ When his fingers brush past your cheek to put your own locks behind your ear, it sends electric currents down your skin. It‘s a pleasant feeling. „If you‘ll allow me, I‘d like to get to know you a little better, princess. For example, did I get your favorite flower right? What‘s your favorite time of the day? How is it that you‘re so cute?“

A heavy blush settles on your cheeks the second he compliments you, and Jaemin has the audacity to laugh at that. When he offers you his arm, you take it without hesitation, clutching the flowers in one arm and him with the other. „You did get it right,“ you admit. „The rest you‘ll have to find out over a cup of tea.“

❀ ❀ ❀

Days stretch into weeks as Jaemin spends every single minute he can spare with you.

You know now that Jaemin has a sugar tooth, and he kisses you on the cheek everytime you bring him candy to a meeting. The first time he did, the servants who were secretly spying almost passed out, which led to the king finding out about it. It was funny watching Jaemin apologize to him, but as soon as your father had turned around, his lips were on your skin again. He lives for the affection; it‘s easy to wrap him around your little finger by disheveling his hair or locking pinkies with him. You even do it in front of your parents and siblings, even though you still sometimes hide your hands behind the expensive material of your dresses. Jaemin grins at your sneakiness.

Though the prince learnt very quickly that gardenias were your favorite flowers, he suprises you with new bouquets often. Tulips, daisies, roses - every flower he sets eyes on makes him think of you, and he can‘t stop himself from buying them. You once spent an entire afternoon making flower crowns out of the many bouquets he buys you, and the second you set it on his head and call him „your king“, he drops anything and everything to cradle your face in his warm hands and kiss you all over.

It‘s no suprise to anyone that the first time your lips meet his, it‘s under the dreamy moonlight in the royal garden.

Jaemin‘s kisses get addicting. Despite being taught to act accordingly as a princess, you find yourself reaching out for him too many times than you can count, and it ends with you ressembling a cherry and both of your lips being swollen. (Soojin spends many hours covering up the many marks on your neck. Really, you should be grateful she‘s so talented with powder and paint!)

It finally happens when Jaemin takes you to see the ocean.

He helps you climb down the rocky path towards the beach, your dress always raised as to not rip the precious garment. „Maybe I should‘ve told you not to wear such a long gown before secretly taking you here,“ Jaemin snickers, arms curled around your waist. He presses you against his side while he carries you like someone would a baby, and you try to fight the embarrassment of his arms being just below your rear. Not like you don‘t like them there.

„That would‘ve been quite helpful,“ you grumble. Jaemin leans his head on yours when you hide your face in the crook of his neck, the cold wind of the ocean making your cheeks freeze up despite the warm weather. The sun is sending its‘ last rays of light over the horizon, but it’s still hot. Jaemin is dressed plainly, while you‘re parading around in what could be considered a ball gown. Well, not really. It‘s a thin, pretty dress that exposes your collarbones, but it has a train.

Obviously, you‘re very excited about all the sand that‘s going to ruin it.

Finally, you reach the beach, but Jaemin‘s neck is so warm. You‘d fall asleep like this, if it weren‘t for said man disturbing your slumber. „Look up, princess,“ your lover mumbles into your ear, the sound making goosebumps appear on your skin. He just has that effect on you. You raise your head and gasp, and the man in your arms laughs at the reaction.

„Do you like it?“

„I love it! Jaemin, it‘s wonderful!“

When you were smaller, your father had taken you and your sisters to the ocean. You remember splashing around in the shallow water, ruining the clothes you were wearing and making your parents burst into laughter. The many sandcastles you built. Your first swimming lessons, the first time you were taken into deeper water. You remember it all.

But this takes the cake.

Jaemin‘s scent mingling with the ocean breeze. Warm hands that hold you up for you to see everything. Miles and miles of water stretching out infront of you, the sun setting and painting the waves pink, red and orange. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

You don‘t even notice Jaemin setting you down, even though his lips on the sweet spot below your ear are a very good distraction from the sight in front of you. „What‘s hindering you, love?“ he asks, hands letting you go so you can bunch your skirts and walk towards the ocean. You leave him behind, adoration evident in your eyes.

This is perfect, you think. What you don‘t know is that it‘s going to get even better.

When you turn around to point out a ship leaving the port to Jaemin, you‘re greeted by the sight of the man of your dreams on one knee. He looks at you like you were the most beautiful view around here, and your knees almost buckle at the love and admiration you find in his eyes. He‘s so honest. When you look Jaemin in the eyes, you see every corner, nothing hidden. Because he trusts you. He wants you to have it all.

You‘re the one holding the keys to his heart. It only needs to be made official.

„(y/n),“ he says, voice trembling. Never has he been this nervous before. „My princess, my love. Whatever you‘d like to be called. In my eyes, you‘re already my queen. I was blessed by the universe the day I met you, and it only got better when I got to know the person behind those pretty eyes. Your heartwrenching laugh. The glimmer in your eyes when something makes you excited. The never-ending kindness that you treat the people around you with, no matter who it is. The first time I set eyes on you, your adorable face and the curiousity in your eyes as you hid behind Princess Sohye, I already knew I was head over heels. My heart has belonged to you for a long time, (y/n), without you even knowing it.“

You let him take your hand, squeezing it tightly as the tears run over your face. Here he is, holding a speech about his feelings for you, when you‘re about to drop to your knees yourself and spend the next few years about the love you hold for him in your entire body. He kisses the tips of your fingers, the back of your hand and lastly, your ring finger, lips lingering there for a few seconds.

„I want you to take it,“ Jaemin admits then. „I want to be called yours. I don‘t want to be king if it doesn‘t mean you at my side as the queen. I don‘t want to be Jaemin if it doesn‘t mean belonging to you, soul and body. I‘m asking you, (l/n) (y/n), emperor of my heart, would you like to marry me and make me the happiest man alive, for the rest of my life and beyond?“

You don‘t even answer. You fall head-first into his arms and lay him down on the sand so you can kiss his gorgeous face, and you accept the kiss he delivers to your lips without hesitation. All your feelings and your gratitude, you pour it into this kiss and straight into his heart.

„Of course I want to marry you, Na Jaemin,“ you whisper against his lips, turning the key in its‘ lock, sealing the deal forever. „I was getting rather impatient waiting for you to ask.“

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drabblesforsanguine · 5 years ago

Text

Letting Go - Oneshot

Summary: Miraak lets go of the past and looks towards his future.

Pairing: Miraak/f!LDB

Warnings: fluff, flirting, light angst, brief descriptions of ptsd, mentions of violence, possible thalassophobia triggers

Word Count: 1879

Prompt: none

A/N: this is the first oneshot I've ever posted on this site, so pls be gentle lol. Also I'm on mobile, so sorry about any spelling/grammatical errors. Find me on ao3

The only sound to be heard was the soft splash of the oars cutting through the water. No sound of waves crashing against the shore or the cry of seagulls, for even they didn't fly out this far.

If he squinted hard enough, Miraak could just barely make out the rocky outline of the northern coast far behind the Last Dragonborn.

The midday sky above was overcast and the ocean breeze was bitter. More than once he'd seen her shiver from a particularly harsh gale only to pretend that she didn't. A storm was brewing on the sea behind him, though with luck it would be many hours before it reached them.

"Not much further, now." Her eyes were fixed on the dark waves as she spoke.

"You've been saying that for the past hour." He grumbled, his arms starting to feel sore from this seemingly endless amount of rowing.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a faint teasing smirk on her lips.

"Well, this time I mean it."

His gaze flickered down to the wooden chest resting by her feet, his curiosity still piqued as to its contents and purpose for being here.

He'd asked about it at the beginning of their voyage, among many other questions, but of course she'd just shrugged him off like she always does and said he'd find out once they were far out at sea. Well, they were far out enough.

He stopped rowing and fixed her with a hard stare.

"I'm not rowing another inch until you tell me what we're doing out here."

She finally turned and faced him fully, one of her dark eyebrows arched upwards. With a dead serious look in her eyes, she spoke.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to kill you, lock your corpse in this chest and dump it in the sea."

He blinked at her once, twice.

"Is it impossible for you not to act like a child all the time?"

She rolled her eyes then, with a sigh, she leaned over the chest and lifted the lid. Miraak peered inside with curiosity. His eyes narrowed at what he saw.

"Are those..."

"The Black Books, yes." She said, wrapping her arms around herself as another breeze rolled by.

True to her word, inside the confines of the chest were all seven of Hermaeus Mora's forbidden tomes, each individually wrapped in animal skins and tightly bound with rope.

"He will not be happy if we do this." Miraak cautioned after a short pause, his eyes still fixed on the evil books before him.

The books that had brought him nothing but suffering. Just looking at them made him feel... uneasy, for lack of a better word. It was the same feeling he always had in Apocrypha: alone, yet constantly under watch by an unseen entity.

She just shrugged nonchalantly. "He's not exactly thrilled with me anyways."

He stared at her, his brows pinched together. "Why?"

For a moment she appeared confused. "For starters, I shot him with Auriels bow, temporarily destroyed his plane of Oblivion and stole his favorite champion?"

He rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. "No. I mean, why are you doing this?" He gestured towards the chest to make his meaning clear.

"Oh," she mumbled, suddenly avoiding eye contact with him. When she finally focused back on him, it was with a seriousness he'd rarely seen from her before.

"These books have brought us nothing but misery -- you most of all." He winced involuntarily at her words, but she continued. "Maybe doing this will give you- us, some closure. If not, then at least it'll piss Hermaeus Mora off, which is good enough for me."

He scoffed, "He is probably laughing at us as we speak, you know."

"Yeah. Well, he can choke on his own tentacles for all I care. Now, are you gonna keep rowing or what?" She asked, feigning irritation as she shut the lid of the chest.

He rolled his eyes but seeing as she revealed why they were there, he stayed true to his word and continued pushing the boat further out to sea.

"You are too eager to defy the Daedra." He admonished lightheartedly.

She shrugged, "We defeated him once. We can do it again."

He gave no response, though there were many things he wanted to say. Most notably that she was naive to think they could defeat a Daedric Prince twice. They'd merely gotten lucky the first time. He wanted to say that, but he didn't.

After a brief silence, she spoke again.

"How long has it been now?"

"Nine months, 14 days." He answered without skipping a beat.

"How time flies," she mused. "It feels like only yesterday that I was nursing you back from the brink of death."

"Don't remind me."

She smirked at his sour tone.

"Come on, I wasn't that bad of a caretaker."

Again, he didn't respond.

Miraak would much rather forget those first few weeks after he was freed from Apocrypha -- after she freed him from Apocrypha -- when he was so weak and ill that he couldn't even walk by himself, and he was forced to rely on the Dovahkiin's good will to help him.

He hated feeling so powerless. So vulnerable.

He'd learned from an young age how to take care of himself, but all those years trapped in Oblivion made him forget. For a long time it pained him to admit how much he needed her in the beginning, to help him remember how to be human. It wasn't quite as painful to admit now, but he'd still rather not be reminded of it.

"Is it such a bad thing to let others take care of you from time to time?" She asked, as if reading his thoughts.

"In my time, relying too much on others was a good way to get yourself killed."

"You're not in that time anymore."

She looked at him with a sincerity that made his insides ache. He almost couldn't stand it -- these feelings she aroused in him.

He looked down at the chest again, just so he didn't have to bear that look anymore.

"This should be far enough." She said suddenly.

Miraak stopped rowing and secured the oars in place. He watched curiously as she reached into her satchel laying on the bench beside her and withdrew an iron padlock. She paused for a split second before reaching out towards him with the padlock.

With little hesitation on his part, he took it from her open palm, his fingers lightly grazing against her skin. He saw goosebumps raise on her arm as he withdrew his fingers, but chalked it up to the cold. For a Nord, she didn't handle the cold very well.

His hands felt heavier than usual as he reached forward and snapped the lock shut around the latch, sealing the chest.

When he looked up at her, there was a hint of relief in her eyes. Like a huge weight had already been lifted from her shoulders. He felt it too.

"Ready?"

He nodded, unwavering.

They both stood carefully as to not tip the small rowboat over, each grabbing one side of the chest, and leveraged it precariously on the boats edge. Kneeling side by side, they shared one last look of determination then, after a deep breath, they pushed the chest overboard. Together they peered over the edge and watched it sink into the dark water below. With all luck, it will remain lost to the depths of the Sea of Ghosts forever.

Then they waited.

A minute passed, two minutes. For what felt like forever they remained there, holding their breaths as they stared into the icy water. Nothing ever happened. No mass of angry, slimy tentacles appeared over them, threatening to disembowel them for desecrating his precious tomes.

When it finally felt safe to do so, they each exhaled their long held breaths. Relief finally settled in his bones.

She spoke after another significant pause, if only to break the ice.

"When I 'won' the Oghma Infinium, the first thing I did with it was drop it into the sea. At least now it's wretched cousins can keep it company."

"Mora will not let this go unpunished. Sooner or later he will have his revenge." He hated that his voice wavered ever so slightly. He was never one to show fear. He could feel it, yes, but he certainly never showed it.

If she noticed, she gave no indication.

"Yes, he will," she said, her tone not lacking in surety. "And when he does, we will face him together."

Then she turned towards him, a faint smile on her face. His stomach nearly jumped out of his throat when her hand slowly slid over to rest atop of his own. Strangely though, he didn't move away. He should've moved away, but he found that he didn't want to.

Even before he'd been imprisoned for thousands of years, Miraak had gone out of his way to avoid intimacy. It was nothing but a weakness to be used against him. After being completely devoid of the touch of others for so long, he'd forgotten how nice it could feel.

Seeming to act on a will of it's own, his hand turned upwards and sought her own significantly smaller one. Her ice cold skin immediately warmed at his touch.

"Together." He repeated with a nod.

Her smile grew a little bit brighter, her cheeks turning a faint pink. It was only due to the cold air, or so he told himself.

"But until then," he continued, "let's get somewhere warm. You're freezing out here."

She gave his hand a little squeeze before pulling away, much to his disappointment. He tried not to let it show, but the way her smirk grew even more told him he was not as stoic as he thought.

His disappointment quickly faded, however, as he watched her take a seat on the bench he'd previously occupied. Still smiling, she crossed one leg over the other and pat the empty space next to her.

"Yes, let's go home."

Home. She'd never called it that before. It was always 'my house' or 'the house', but never 'home'.

Struggling to contain his own smile, he sat down next to her and started unfastening the oars. Before he could react, she scooted closer to him and huddled against his side, digging her hands into his robes for warmth.

She was shivering worse than he'd realized.

He wrapped one of his arms around her to grab the other oar. She angled her body in a way that allowed him to row while still being close enough to absorb his warmth. With a tranquil sigh, she rested her cheek on his chest, the peek of her head stopping just below his chin.

He tried to tell himself she was just cold, but he knew better. He'd always known better.

It was in that moment, with his ferocious little Dragonborn cuddled against his body for warmth, he realized that she was his home, and to his surprise, that wasn't such a scary thought.

For the first time in a long time, he had something worth holding onto and he never planned on letting go.

#the elder scrolls #tes writing #miraak x ldb #miraak #ldb #tes fanfiction #oneshot

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wefoundloveunderthelight · 4 years ago

Photo

The Love Cruise - by GleefullyCaptainSwan

Read on AO3: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Or on FF

Tagging: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda

Chapter 4: Captain Jones

“Do you think Barbados is ready for me?” Ruby stood, showing off her tanned body in her new bikini.

“Girl, I don’t think anyone is ready for you in that. Where’s the rest of it?” She spun around and Emma fanned herself, teasing her friend.

“Why are you wearing so many layers?”

Emma tugged her cover up tighter around her waist. “Not everyone can flaunt it like you can. I look like they lock me in the closet during the day and my body never sees the sunlight.”

“Oh stop, you’re sexy as hell, Emma. I’ve seen more than a few guys turning their heads when you walk by, though usually you are running away from them so they can’t catch you.”

“Whatever, I told you I’m not interested in finding a guy on this damn cruise.”

“Not even that guy, Graham, that asked you to dance?”

Emma scrunched her nose and shook her head. “He’s cute, and a great dancer, but, eh, I don’t know.”

“You know, he’s going to be with us today?”

“What? How do you know?”

“Because I talked to him after dinner and he’s on the same excursion we are.”

“If you’re so interested in him, why don’t you hook up with him?”

“I would if he wasn’t asking about you half the time.”

Emma groaned. “Can we just go? I don’t want to talk about men all damn day. I want to enjoy the beach, the sand, the ocean in Barbados. We are in fucking Barbados, Ruby. Together. When we are back in Boston and it’s raining, will we have these men to keep us warm? No, but we will have each other.”

“Ho’s before bro’s?” She giggled as Will walked into their room.

“Do I get to be a ho?”

“You are by far the biggest ho, William!” Emma laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Are you still mad at me?” She planted her lips on his cheek and he groaned, wiping the pink smudge off his face.

“I’m not bloody happy with you, but what’s a bloke to do? You’re my best friend and I can’t stay mad at ya.” He put his finger up to her face, “But don’t do that shit again. That girl won’t stop asking me about rum recipes now.”

“You didn’t seem too upset when she kept telling you how talented you were at the bar last night.”

“Wait, what did I miss?” Emma looked between the pair on either side of her.

“One of the bartenders let him make our drinks at the piano bar. You should have seen him playing it up, flipping bottles, acting like a goddamn bar hero. He was on his game.”

“I’m fucking talented as hell, that had nothing to do with that lass.”

“You were showing off.” Emma teased. “You do like her.”

“I do not.” He resisted, less forcefully than he had the day before. Emma was sure he liked her, but she was also sure that he was probably feeling guilty about liking her also.

“You know it’s ok to like another girl, Will.” Emma slid her hand onto the back of his head, pressing his forehead to hers. “Ana’s gone. You deserve to have some fun.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Why are you ladies always pushing me so hard to move on from Ana? What if I don’t want to move on?”

“You don’t want to move on because you’re too afraid to open yourself up again and maybe get hurt.”

“Besides, we love you, Boo.” Ruby added, wrapping her arms around them both.

“No Boo. You both promised, not here.” His mouth turned up in a grin. “But I love you guys too.”

~*~

“Absolutely not.” Regina stood with her arms crossed in front of her.

“You can’t work 24 hours a day, we get to leave the ship for a few hours, are you really going to deny this simply because I’m going?” Robin whined.

“Yes.” She said matter-of-factly.

“Ok enough of this, we’re going.” Killian gestured to Robin before turning around and pointing at Regina, “And you’re coming with us. Captain’s orders.”

“You can’t do that.”

Killian shrugged, “I just did. I’m not going to have my Cruise Director burned out 4 days into our voyage, we are going to imbibe in some alcoholic beverages in Barbados.”

“Fine, but it is under duress.”

“At least that will be two of us on this bloody cruise under duress.” He winked at Robin and the three of them left the ship in search of a good bar.

Being the Captain did have its perks, they were directed to apparently the best bar on the beach they could find and an hour later, sitting with their feet in the sand and a bucket of beer, the three of them found themselves engaging in nonviolent conversations.

Regina was laughing, “Wait, so you were just going to leave him there?”

“Of course, I was, he was about to start a riot.” Killian said as he felt tears well up in the corners of his eyes, his body shaking from his laughter.

“Do you remember what I said to the guy?”

They both looked at each other and spoke in unison. “The only way you'll ever get laid is if you crawl up a chicken's ass and wait.”

“Which one of you got punched first.” Regina eyed them with curiosity.

Robin raised his hand. “I ended up on the pool table. Killian tossed one of the guys into a stool. By that point, the manager threw us all out.”

“That was the last time we insulted the Captain’s son again.”

“You two really are idiots.” Regina quipped as she took another sip of her beer.

“But we had you laughing.” Robin winked.

“Only because I was imagining you getting your ass kicked.”

Killian nursed his beer, watching the two of them doing what he could only describe as violent flirting, until he started to feel like a third wheel.

“I’ll be back.” He announced, heading inside toward the bar, and discreetly paying the tab. “If they get anything else, just put it on the same card.”

Killian exited the bar and walked through the small town, browsing the shops until he followed the path toward the beach. He saw groups of travelers lounging on the sand or sailing on the water, most likely passengers on his ship.

He toed off his shoes and walked barefoot through the sand, looking up he saw her, laying on a towel, an oversized hat perched on her blonde locks, reading a book. She was gorgeous. Her friend, a tall brunette he had seen her with earlier was wearing a very tiny bikini, arching her back and taking in the rays to her already sun kissed skin.

There were others with them, the man she was laughing with earlier stood nearby talking to a shorter woman. A taller man with wavy hair was sitting just off to the side of Emma, he glanced at her often, but Emma seemed not to take notice, her head buried in the words in front of her.

He continued to walk along the wet sand, observing the woman who had captured his attention when she looked up, glancing at the waves out beyond him. He looked away quickly, reaching down to pick up a shell he nearly stepped on. When he looked up again, she was gone.

~*~

Emma was reading the same line over and over again in her book, trying to avoid the gaze of Graham, who was seated to her right. At first, she thought he was looking at Ruby, God knows if she were a hot-blooded man, she would be. But when she caught his eye, he smiled at her and attempted to make conversation. Emma froze and immediately buried her head in her book.

It’s not that she didn’t think he was attractive and extremely nice; she just didn’t know what to say to him. She knew he was a Sheriff in some small town in Maine and that her brother thought he was quite impressive, which made her not want to talk to him even more than she had before her brother started pointing out all the things they had in common.

She peered up from her book, a feeling washing over her like she was being watched. She peeked to her right, but Graham was talking to David and Will was finally having a real conversation with Belle as they bounced a volleyball back and forth between them.

Her eyes scanned the beach when she saw him picking up shells near the water. He seemed to look her way and then turned back toward the ocean.

“I’m gonna go dip my toes in the water.” She announced suddenly to Ruby who was currently lying ass up on the towel beside her.

“Have fun.” She replied lazily.

She jogged toward Killian who was facing the ocean now and skipped up behind him. “Are you considering throwing yourself in because if you are, I actually do know how to swim, in case you need saving.”

He turned suddenly and his bright smile made her heart skip a beat.

“Swan, fancy meeting you here.”

“Did you go on an excursion today?”

“No, I hung out at one of the bars a little way down the beach.” He pointed behind him.

“Drinking alone?”

“Oh, no I went with a few friends.”

“I didn’t realize you came with people. Or did you meet them here?”

“My buddy…” He paused. “Um, my buddy and I came together.”

“Did you ditch him?” She asked looking around for his friend.

“He is entertaining a lass back at the bar, felt like a third wheel. Have you been on the beach all day?”

“My brother dragged us all sail boarding, so I’m gonna be really sore tomorrow considering all the times I fell into the water, but it was a really good day.”

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling as the sun beat down on him. “That sounds like you had a lot of fun.”

“Do you maybe want to get a drink later tonight?” She blurted out, wondering where that blast of courage came from.

He looked at his feet and she panicked. “I uh, I think I need to tell you something first.”

“Oh?” Suddenly there was screaming behind her on the beach and she turned to see Ruby yelling and running toward a group of people. “Oh, shit, I gotta…” She turned and ran toward Ruby, looking down the beach to what was causing her so much stress. August was lying on the ground, holding his leg.

“Oh God what happened?”

“We were playing volleyball and the old man slipped, I think he twisted his ankle.” Will said in a slight panic.

“I’m ok guys.” August groaned, “I think I just sprained it.” He stood up and then stepped down, immediately falling back down to his knees.

“Ok Mate, you’re gonna need help back to the ship, you’ll need the medic to take a look at that ankle.”

She was shocked when Killian sprung into the middle of the group, helping August to his feet. “Should we all go?” Ruby asked August.

“No, you guys stay here, have fun. I’ll just go back and make sure everything is ok.” August waved them all off.

“I’ll go with him; the sun is starting to burn my skin.” Emma announced and Killian made eye contact with her, a smile forming on his lips.

Emma stood on the other side of August, wrapping her arm around him to help support his other side. “Come on dad, let’s get you to a doctor.”

“Very funny, Emma.” He chided her and Killian laughed.

“You sure you don’t mind going back to the ship?” She asked Killian.

“Absolutely, it’s important that all the passengers are taken care of.” Emma looked at him quizzically but continued walking toward the pier.

~*~

Killian knew he should have just told her he was the damn Captain when they first met. He tried to tell her at the beach and then her friend got hurt and as Captain it was important that he took the man back to the ship, his passengers health always came first over innocent flirting with one of the women on his ship.

Once they made it to the infirmary, he spotted Tink at the back of the bay. He waved her over and she jumped into action.

“Jones, have you started combing the ship for injured passengers now?”

He laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact with Emma. “I believe we have a twisted ankle.” He helped get the man up on the bed.

“Name?” Tink questioned as she pulled up her iPad to search the passenger list.

“August Booth.”

Killian backed up against the wall and watched as she examined his ankle. He observed Emma asking questions, checking to ensure that he was going to be ok and he slowly backed out of the room. He’d tell Emma later about being the Captain, right now she had more important things to tend to.

~*~

“So, it looks like it’s just sprained.” She ran her hand over his ankle again and Emma couldn’t help but notice the way August watched the nurse in awe.

“Well, does that mean I have to spend all my time down here in the infirmary now?” He joked innocently.

Tink laughed, “Well only if you want to.” She teased and Emma suddenly felt like she was invading a private moment.

That’s when Emma noticed that Killian was no longer in the room. “Oh, did you see where the guy who helped us went?”

Tink looked up and laughed. “Jones? Pretty sure he probably went back to the bridge.”

“The bridge? What bridge would that be?”

“Of the boat, did you hit your head or something. That’s where the Captain usually is when we are getting close to leaving port.”

“Captain?”

“You are talking about Captain Jones, right? The guy you came in with?” She pointed haphazardly toward the wall of photos behind her before turning back to August to wrap his ankle.

Emma walked up to the wall and immediately recognized the blue eyes in the largest photo in the center. Her heart was racing as she read the inscription under the portrait.

Captain Killian Jones

Holy Shit!

~*~

“Ok spill.” Emma turned to look at Ruby who was staring at her from across the room as they got ready for dinner.

“Spill what?”

“Who is he?”

“Who is who?” Emma turned back toward the mirror; confusion littered across her face.

“The hot drink of water you found on the beach; you know who I’m talking about.” Ruby glared at her with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“What, the guy who helped August? Good Samaritan, I guess.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Bullshit, I was watching you before all that happened, you went directly to him on the beach.”

“What, are you spying on me now?” She accused.

“Out with it.”

Emma sighed. “He’s just some guy I keep running into. That’s all.” Emma put on her shawl and headed to the door, effectively ending the conversation.

“Ok keep your secrets.” She said with her eyes narrowed, joining her in the hall as they headed to the dining hall.

Their dinner passed by quickly, the saying was true that time would fly when you were having fun, as Emma was starting to enjoy sitting down to eat with her friends every evening. Even the newcomers were starting to fit in with everyone. Will and Belle had warmed up to each other. They were sitting quietly at the end of the table, Will trying to demonstrate how to flip a bottle without dropping it. Belle would giggle and follow his every move and he would reward her with a new blush to his cheeks.

Her brother and Mary Margaret had become inseparable, however the small kiss he gave her after dinner was a new development. August left dinner early stating that he needed to head back to the infirmary for a checkup on his ankle, though Emma was sure the visit was more to do with the cute blonde nurse than his ankle.

After dinner, the remaining group decided to relocate to the piano bar on the deck above them for a night cap. The music was enjoyable, and the bar wasn’t crowed which allowed them to spread out into different areas of the room.

“I think he likes you.” Emma set her drink down and looked over at her brother who was sitting beside her.

“Who?” David looked toward the bar and she spotted Graham looking in her direction. “Oh, he’s nice. I guess.”

“You guess? Emma, he’s a really nice guy. Did you know he’s a Sheriff in the town that Mary Margaret and Belle are from?”

“Small world.” She said softly, taking a sip of her drink and peering around the bar.

“Waiting for something better?” He questioned.

“Why would I be waiting for anything? I already told all of you that I’m not interested in finding anything here.”

“Emma, it’s been 7 years since Neal ran off, don’t you think it’s time you stop punishing yourself and think about what might be out there for you and Henry?”

“Punishing myself?” Her annoyance was rising.

“That’s not what I meant. Not really, I mean, not exactly. I just feel like you punish yourself for Neal leaving. It wasn’t your fault. You deserve to be happy, sis.”

“I love you Dave, I do. And I’m really happy that you seem to have found something on this ship that you are interested in, but please, let me handle my own happiness.”

“Alright, I’ll back off.” He said with a grin.

He went back to his date and Ruby slid up beside her. “Is he trying to get you to sleep with Graham, because if he is, do you want company?”

“Ruby!” She exclaimed, “how much have you had to drink?”

“Enough that I would take him right there on the bar.”

“Dare.” Emma smirked at her, knowing that Ruby never backed down from a dare.

Ruby’s mouth went from wide open to a firm line of determination, getting up from her seat and sauntering over to the bar. Emma looked around at all her friends, each of them distracted with other people and she took the moment to sneak out without notice.

She found herself wandering the lido deck in the dark, her drink from the bar still in her hand as she sipped it through the straw with the tiny umbrella attached. She told herself she wasn’t looking for him but that didn’t stop the disappointment she felt when she didn’t find him either.

~*~

“Everything is under control, Captain. You don’t have to stay up here if you would like to rest.”

“Thank you, Smee. I guess I just wasn’t ready to head to my quarters.” He stared out at the deck of the ship below him, there was a small group of passengers wandering her planks. A wave of blonde hair caught his attention, her hips swaying back and forth in the night breeze. “On second thought, I think I’m going to retire for the evening.”

Perhaps now was as good a time as any to confess to her who he was. He bounded down the stairs and shoved open the doors to the Lido deck. He headed in the direction she was last seen, but the deck was empty. Disappointed, he realized she may have already gone back inside.

“Captain Jones.”

He spun around to see her standing against the wall of the ship. “Ah, I guess I’m busted.” He said with a sigh. “Let me guess, Lady Bell clued you in? I swear to you I was going to tell you on the beach today.” He said honestly. “But then…”

“Then August’s old man body turned to wood and he required medical assistance.” She joked.

“Yes, that. Forgive me for being less than honest?”

“Only if you tell me why you didn’t just tell me the first day.”

“That’s fair. My friend Robin pretty much convinced me to take this job, I was less than thrilled about the theme of this cruise, and well, I was just happy to talk to someone else who seemed to be forced to be here as well.”

She shook her head in understanding. “So, you’re really the Captain huh?” She walked closer to him, her fingers trailing the sleeve of his shirt as she traced the stripes on his arm.

“Aye.”

“I should have known when you rattled off all those facts about the ship. No one else would have paid that much attention.”

“Actually, you all should pay attention to that information.” His tone serious.

“Yes, Captain.” She smirked with a mock salute and he swallowed hard.

“I won’t put up with any sass on my watch.” He teased as they fell into step walking along the deck.

“So, how’d you become a Captain?”

“My brother convinced me to join the Navy when we were just lads, the sea became my mistress as soon as I met her. I was captivated by her tempestuous nature. On the surface she could be rough and demanding, but beneath the surface she’s calm and inviting.”

“So your brother is a Captain too?”

“He was, yes.” He paused, leaning on the rail for support. “He not with us anymore.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“He was the best Captain to ever sail the seas. He’s out there somewhere.” He pointed to the horizon. “He’s a better man than I’ll ever be.”

“Well considering you are the Captain of the ship I currently find myself on, I hope you’re the best Captain we can ask for.”

“I wouldn’t even have had the chance to Captain such a vessel if not for my brother.” He looked over at her unsure of why he was suddenly freely sharing information he would rarely share with another.

“Did he teach you?”

“He taught me everything I know. How to be a good Captain, a good sailor, and a good man.”

“When did he pass?”

“Two years ago. We were at sea, on a mission, there was a fire, I was in the engine room when it exploded. We were taking on water and I needed to seal off the leak. I sent everyone out, I expected it to be the last good deed I ever did. But he found me, dragged me out of the pits of that ship and got me on the rescue boat.”

“Wow.” Emma was staring at him in a shocked silence.

“He went back in for the rest of his crew.”

“Because you don’t leave a man behind.” She said seemingly with a sudden understanding of their earlier conversation.

“Aye.” He nodded but didn’t continue.

“That must have been really tough.”

“One of the worst nights of my life.”

“Looks like you made the most of it though. Look at you now.” She smiled softly.

“Perhaps.”

“Wow, you’re worse than me with the martyr stuff.” She laughed and he wanted to crawl into the void where her laughter filled the air and stay there forever. “I think you should try being a little easier on yourself and trust me, coming from me, that says a lot.”

“I’ll take that under consideration.” He smiled and she glanced around.

“I should get back before my friends send out a search party.”

“We can’t have that on my ship.” He smirked.

“I’ll see you around, Captain.” She said as she walked back toward the door, turning back to offer him a shy smile before she disappeared into the belly of his ship.

Perhaps this cruise wasn’t the worst idea Robin ever had after all.

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