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simplyluunaa · 7 months ago

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˙⊹ ੈ✰[Finding You Almost Dead]✰ ੈ⊹˙

-ˏˋ. rules + masterlist ˊˎ-

Fandom: Danganronpa

Characters: Aoi Asahina, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Kyoko Kirigiri, Mondo Owada, Sakura Ogami, Genocider Syo, Toko Fukawa

Warnings: !!NOT SPOILER FREE!! Set in the killing game, some slight angst, and mentions of blood and injury, but no death.

Other: Established relationship, though it's not super obvious. Also, this one is long!! (also also don’t ask about the logistics okay I didn’t think too hard about the cannon deaths timeline)

A/N: The motivation for this one was crazy I banged this out in just a couple of hours. Anyways!! Please excuse any mischaracterizations, but if you want any other characters feel free to request them!! (Not just the first game!! I write for any of them + the anime!!)

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡⟢Kiyotaka Ishimaru

When he found you, you were in the fourth-floor music room.

You had lacerations all along your body, unconscious in a small puddle of your own blood

He and Mondo were together, and when they saw the door to the music room ajar, they decided to investigate, but once Taka saw your body, he just screamed, which attracted the others

Kyoko quickly realizes the lack of body discovery announcement and checks your pulse, stating that you’re alive

He Mondo carries you to the nurse’s office

He cries like…so much

He and Mondo stay with you in the nurse's office and patch you up, Mondo kinda acting as a guard dog, not letting anyone near you, and Taka doing his best to keep himself and Mondo calm while they wait for you to wake up

Once you do, he’s once again, in tears

He’s barely able to resist the urge to pull you into a hug, instead, he grabs your hands

He’s just so happy that you’re okay!!

He’s too relieved that you’re okay that he forgets to ask if you remember who attacked you, so Mondo does that

When you say you don’t, his worry increases ten-fold

What if they don’t find out who did it? What if they attack you again while you’re still healing and end up actually killing you? What if they attack someone else?

Insists on having a non-official class trail in the dining hall, and Kyoko ends up taking the lead as most people didn’t investigate because you hadn’t died

The one who attacked you was Genocider Syo

Why? You were ‘flirting’ with Byakuya

You laughed at him because he made a stupid face after Makoto said something he disagreed with.

She cornered you and cut you up, but intentionally didn’t kill you and avoided lethal areas

Toko didn’t know but doesn’t feel bad

Syo gets shunned, so by proxy, Toko does as well

Though they didn’t interact with the others, other than Byakuya, who doesn’t treat her any different than normal so…

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡⟢Mondo Owada

When he found you, you were in the second-floor pool area

You had one stab wound in your abdomen, the knife lying next to you on the ground, you were unconscious in a pool of your own blood

Hina arranged for everyone to meet up at the pool to hopefully have some fun and get their mind off of the killing game for a while, so Mondo and a group of a few other guys were the ones to find you

He starts yelling at everyone around, which causes the girls to go investigate as well

Taka is the only one able to calm him down enough to tell him that you’re still breathing

It’s then he takes action, scooping you up and booking it to the nurses' office

Taka doesn’t yell at him for running in the halls for once

He tries to patch you up himself, but he has limited knowledge of how to do all this in the first place, and his hands shaking and his vision being clouded with tears aren’t helping either

So Taka does it for him while he holds your hands and cleans the blood off of you

Doesn’t want to let anyone close to you, other than Taka and maybe Kyoko, but even then he watching her closely

Does ask Kyoko to find out who did this

Also, he’s like…really pissed

Like infuriated

Swears he’ll kill whoever hurt you

When you wake up, he instantly scoops you up in a hug, accidentally squeezing your wound and hurting you

Almost drops you when you wince

He is hesitant to touch you at all after that because he hurt you!!

Of course, he asks if you remember who attacked you

When you say you don’t, he feels his temper kinda flare

He’s not mad at you, of course, but at the person who had hurt you

The one who attacked you was Leon Kuwata

Claims it was in self-defense because he thought you were a killer

In actuality, you just turned a corner and he was there with a knife, and tried to kill you!!

When it gets revealed that Leon did it, Sakura has to hold Mondo back so he doesn’t kill him

Leon is shunned, and Mondo is weary of everyone but Taka

Doesn’t let you out of his sight for a long while

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡⟢Aoi Asahina

When she found you, you were in the Science Lab Storage Room

You had a large impact wound on your head, blood pouring from the wound, and you, of course, were unconscious

When Aoi spotted you, she wasted no time rushing over to you

So she finds out that you’re still alive very quickly

She scoops you up and rushes you over to the nurse's office, tears streaming down her face

Thankfully, whoever attacked you hadn’t cracked your skull, just broke the skin

Once you’re safe in the nurse's office, and she’s patching you up the others arrive, having seen her running through the halls with your body in her arms

Sakura is the one who comforts her the most, a few of the others go to the scene to see what had happened.

At the scene, they find a wooden mallet, after some inspection Kyoko confirms it was the weapon, the size matching the wound on you

Once you’re patched up, she asks Sakura to keep an eye on you and she asks Kyoko and Makoto to help her question everyone to see if they can find out who did it

Byakuya would probably also help, but only because he doesn’t want to be attacked next and they need to find out who the dangerous ones are

After a while, Hina checks back in on you, to see that you’re awake!

She gently hugs you, careful to avoid the wound, and cries, saying how thankful she is that you’re okay

Asks if you can remember what exactly happened

When you can’t she feels bad that she wasn’t there to protect you

The one who attacked you was Hifumi Yamada

He had attacked you under Celeste’s instruction (Like the third trial of the game), but he hit too soft and in the wrong spot, so you ended up surviving

Hifumi would fess up almost immediately, spilling everything he knows about the plan and why

They both get shunned, Celeste refusing to acknowledge him after that

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

˚₊·—̳͟��͞♡⟢Kyoko Kirigiri

When she found you, you were in the second-floor hallway

You were slumped against a wall, in an out-of-the-way area, with a few bruises on your body, but most importantly was a large impact wound on the back of your head, a splatter of blood on the wall showing where your head had been slammed against it

She very quickly notices that you’re not dead, and may or may not let out a sigh of relief

Thankfully, a few people are nearby, namely Makoto, Sakura, and Hina

Calmly asks Sakura to carry you to the nurse’s office, and for Hina to accompany you to help patch you up

She’s calm, mostly because she noticed the wound was only skin-deep

She stays to examine the scene, because even though you hadn’t died, you almost did, and she wants to figure out who attacked you

For everyone’s safety…but noticeably yours

It’s harder than investigating deaths, funnily enough, but she is able to gather some clues from the scene and starts to question the others

Once you wake up, she’s by your side as soon as she hears

One part to comfort you, another to see if you knew who had attacked you

You didn’t, but that’s okay, she's a detective, she’ll figure it out

If you want her to stay with you she will, but if you don’t mind either way, she’s going back to questioning the others

The one who attacked you was Mondo Owada

It was a heat-of-the-moment attack, and he didn’t even realize the damage he’d caused

He’d cave the second Kyoko put the smallest amount of pressure, apologizing profusely

Since he seems genuinely remorseful, half of the others are only slightly weary, while the other half shun him

Kyoko will only forgive him if you do, if you don’t however, she won’t either

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡⟢Sakura Ogami

When she found you, you were in Classroom 1-A

You had a stab wound on your shoulder, and another one in your side, the knife nowhere to be found

She and Hina had been wandering around together, but after catching a glimpse of blood they busted into the room, both shocked to see your body covered in blood and two stab wounds

Sakura is almost too stunned to move until Hina sees your chest move as you breathe

Sakura scoops you up, she and Hina are silent as they take you to the nurse's office

They patch you up, also in silence

Sakura is seething, though (You remember when Hina got attacked by Syo? Yeah, like that but even more since you’re so badly hurt)

Almost crushed the bottle of medicine she was holding

Once you’re properly patched up, she requests a moment alone

Even though you’re asleep, she grabs your hands and kisses the backs of them, quietly promising to not let any more harm come to you

She checks in on you frequently and stays for long periods of time, just in case you wake up

You thankfully wake up when she’s around, and she’s right by your side

Again, gently takes your hands

After a long stretch of silence, she asks if you remember what happened, or who attacked you

When you say you don’t, she doesn’t press or ask any more questions related to that

Will give you a protein shake

The one who attacked you was Sayaka Maizono

She had meant to kill you to escape, but stabbing people is much harder and much more traumatizing than she had anticipated

She gets shunned, even by Makoto

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡⟢Genocider Syo

She actually didn’t find you first, Toko did, but Toko fainted and Syo fronted, finding you in the third-floor Rec room

Freaks out, and runs into the hallway, chasing the nearest person down, putting her scissors to their neck, and threatening them

This person happens to be Makoto, and not far behind him is Kyoko, so the three went back to your body

Kyoko informs her that, while you aren’t dead, you will be if they don’t act quick

So, she scoops you up and runs you to the nurse's office

She tries to patch you up but doesn’t really know how resulting in loose bandages and her panicking over your body

Makoto and Kyoko are not too long after, and they help, though not without Syo watching their every move and threatening them if they make a wrong move

After they're done patching you up though, she makes them take at least three steps back

Stays in the nurse's office until you wake up, keeping everyone away

She even goes as far as to threaten Byakuya

She takes every step possible to keep herself from sneezing or passing out, so Toko doesn’t front

When you wake up, she grabs your hands and smiles in an oddly tender moment

Then asks if you remembers who attacked you, and then follows up by asking if she can kill them

When you say you don’t, she offers to torture everyone until she finds the attacker

Thankfully you don’t have to answer that, as Kyoko comes in, saying she knows who did it

The one who attacked you was Byakuya Togami

You’d ended up preventing a murder, getting everyone to get along, and ignore the motive this time

He thought the game was getting boring, so he took matters into his own hands

He hadn’t meant to injure you so severely, but he figured he hadn’t killed you, and you probably wouldn’t die from blood loss, so he left you there

Syo was furious and chased Byakuya down, Sakura and Hina having to hold her back so she wouldn’t kill him

Instead, she hurls insults at him, and the next few times she fronts, she tries to kill him all over again

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡⟢Toko Fukawa (This one is a continuation of Syo’s!!)

She wouldn't front again until after it was revealed that Byakuya was the one who attacked you

When she next fronts, she’s confused

Firstly, she thinks you’re dead

You’re not, thank god

Secondly, you got attacked

Not very good

And thirdly, the person who attacked you Byakuya?

Toko immediately starts hurling insults at him, much like Syo had

She wonders how she’d ever liked someone so rotten

She hadn’t been obsessed with him for a while, but she still held a lot of respect for him up until now

Byakuya gets shunned, but he hadn’t interacted with the others much before this, so it doesn’t affect him too badly

The only real difference is that Toko insults him every time she sees him

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

#danganronpa #danganronpa thh #danganronpa x reader #aoi asahina x reader #kiyotaka ishimaru x reader #kyoko kirigiri x reader #mondo owada x reader #sakura ogami x reader #genocider syo x reader #toko fukawa x reader

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fantastic-nonsense · 11 months ago

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I wouldn't mind the heavy focus on warrior Amazons so much if they were allowed to be competent instead of just being used as red shirt cannon fodder. But it seems DC only hypes up the Amazons as deadly fighters so other characters can look more impressive when they take them down.

Oh and Happy New Year.

Happy New Year! Forgive me if I use your ask to talk about a piece of the Wonder Woman mythos I've wanted to discuss for some time, because your complaints offered me the perfect segue to write a nice, in-depth meta on it and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Honestly, I think a lot of people (both creatives and readers) either don't know, forget, or fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the Amazons' warrior status. So they often get reduced to "deadly warriors who strike first," "supposedly deadly but generally incompetent warriors when outside of their own books," or "militant man-haters" by a lot of people. None of which are true.

The Amazons are incredibly competent warriors and have been since Marston's first portrayal of them in the 1940s, so I don't inherently mind them being shown as such. However, where people get bogged down is insisting that they be shown as deadly and trigger-happy offensive fighters who are happy to strike first and hard, which fundamentally goes against the philosophy and thematic messaging built into Amazonian lore.

DC's Amazonia, lore-wise, is traditionally framed as an Aphrodite vs. Ares "peace and love vs. violence and war" story. In Marston's original rendition of the Amazon's backstory Aphrodite is not only their patron goddess but also their sole creator; it was only after Crisis on Infinite Earths and George Perez's long-overdue lore expansions that the rest of the goddesses became co-creators and co-patrons of the Amazons. Regardless, Ares and his domain are consistently invoked as what the Amazons don't want to be like or engage in. That behavior is the antithesis of what Amazons are supposed to be. This lore informs literally everything about how the Amazons view both their combat abilities and their duty to the goddesses.

The contemporary Amazons are, for the most part, women who died in terrible and traumatic ways at the hands of men (usually through domestic violence, murder, or as conquests of war). When the goddesses created the Amazons by reincarnating these women via the Well of Souls, they specifically charged them to become their champions. And what did these goddesses want? They explicitly wanted justice and protection for women in a violently patriarchial world. The Amazons being warriors is thus specifically tied to an understanding of necessary self-defense and protection (both of themselves and other women), not offense.

Which of course is what lands the Amazons on Themyscira in the first place: invoking the goddesses' ire by not obeying these commands after their rebellion against their enslavement by Heracles and his men crosses the line from the necessary battle to achieve their liberation into wanton violence and revenge:

"The battered Hippolyta prayed to her goddesses and found the courage and inspiration to free herself. Athena had reminded Hippolyta of the Amazons' purpose and mission—but not all of the Amazons remembered. Or cared. They yearned for vengeance. For retribution against those who violated them...and under Antiope, many found it." -Wonder Woman: Our Worlds at War (2001)

And as Hippolyta and Menalippe tell Antiope:

"No, Antiope. Never vengeance; never again!" /// "That is Ares' way, Antiope. We achieve no glory by embracing the Dark God's power!" -Wonder Woman (1987) #1

The Amazon way is promoting a society based on love, equality, truth, and peaceful conflict resolution, not vengeance and violent combat. It's a philosophy that defines Diana's mission in Man's World as an ambassador, teacher, and living example of her peoples' way of life:

Enraptured, they listen to her dissertation on equality between the sexes, tolerance, peaceful coexistence. Social Philosophy 101, Amazon Style. -Wonder Woman (1987) #170

Diana's gods-given mission was to spread the Amazonian ideals of conciliation—to give those living in the World of Man the proper tools to peacefully coexist with each other. It was her life's purpose to teach the possibilities of respect and love by being a living example of an upbringing founded in those ideals.

Truth-seeking, diplomacy, and peace are the Amazonian way of dealing with conflict, not violence. And when you are forced to engage in combat (and you should be prepared for that eventuality because sometimes it will happen), your goal should be self-defense and de-escalation, not offense and prolonging the conflict longer than necessary.

This is also, as an aside, why Diana (and specifically Diana in her capacity as Wonder Woman) does not usually carry offensive weapons like a sword and why her primary "weapons" are the Lasso of Truth and protective bracelets. She's the official representative of her peoples' culture and personally deeply believes in that cultural philosophy. Other Amazons have different views on the matter, including her mother, but Diana grew up completely separated from the World of Man and fully immersed in that belief system, which deeply informs how she views her mission as Wonder Woman.

Personally, I think many (but not all) of the problems re: depicting the Amazons in the modern era come from various writers attempting to solve contradictions that don't exist. They see "kickass trained warriors living peacefully on an island" and see that as a contradiction they have to solve: why do they train if they're pacifists? Why do they fight if they're peaceful? In reality, it's not a contradiction: their status as warriors and champions is specifically tied to self-defense and protection (both of themselves and others), but given the choice they don't want to have to take up arms to protect people because that goes against their fundamental cultural philosophy. Outsiders and meddlesome gods are the ones who force them to do that! What they want is for everyone to be treated with love, respect, and understanding so they don't have to!

And there's a lot of problematic elements built into the concept's execution, but this is the core thesis behind the split between Hippolyta's Themyscirans and Antiope's Bana-Mighdall. The Themysciran Amazons have had their fill of violence and war; they just want to live in peace. But a) they were specifically tasked with guarding Doom's Doorway when they were taken to the island, a duty which necessitates perfect combat readiness, and b) their history is littered with examples of people refusing to leave them alone. So they train, in case someone decides to take shots at them, but otherwise live in peaceful isolation. Meanwhile, the Banas looked at that same shared history and went "we need to take the fight to the outside world. Offense is the best defense, and the only way to protect ourselves and the other women of the world is to actively seek vengeance for the violence women face." So they chose to actively intervene in Man's World, fighting constant battles and exacting revenge for any women mistreated at the hands of men.

...which is also why Artemis was such a necessary and interesting addition to the Wonder Woman mythos (even if she's often handled...poorly), because she and Diana represent two diametrically opposed views of how to protect and represent both their cultures and the women of Man's World, but that's a rant for a different time.

Anyway, the Themysciran Amazons' martial pacifism as a cultural value isn't a contradiction; it's one way of looking at a history filled with violence and victimization and saying "no more." And it's a pretty subversive way of doing so, which (well-written) comics tend to note!

So yes, the "Amazons are warriors" mentality has always been there and has been solidly emphasized at various points throughout Wonder Woman's history, and it should be acknowledged and shown that they're all incredibly competent in battle when they're forced to engage in it. But the way in which it gets emphasized is what defines whether a writer has a solid understanding of the history and baggage that comes with depicting the Amazonian struggle and the socio-political issues embedded in their lore. And unfortunately...many writers just don't seem to get it.

#sorry for just ranting about this but I HAVE to correct the narrative every time this comes up. it's not a want. it's a need.#someone hire me to write a political history of Amazonia #I could do SO MUCH with the recurring themes of isolationism vs. interventionalism as a method of self-defense #dc comics #wonder woman #wonder woman meta #diana of themyscira #artemis of bana mighdall #queen hippolyta #dc amazons #dc meta #long post #asks

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bobbydagen24 · 8 months ago

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I wonder if in the next Christmas special we could see Branch trying to hide his old hermit days from his brothers while planning the perfect family Christmas.

so maybe we see over the course of the next Christmas special Bro zone coming to Pop Village to spend this first Christmas together.

and Branch goes to great lengths to try and hide details of his past from them and just gets too over focused on making sure the Christmas is perfect and has no problems.

like maybe Branch is ashamed or even afraid of being judged as some sorta freak like a lot of the village thought of him as for all those years.

so when the Brothers insist on seeing his home while their in the village he panics and pretty much changes everything about it to make it appear more Troll like.

probably adding lots of bright colours and bright flowers and maybe even stuff like discarded wrappers to imply that he throws parties there often just like everyone else in the village does.

and of course hiding all of his own stuff like the rations and the weapons and maybe painting over the crazy wall writings he had.

and maybe as he's showing them around the village he gets some harsh stares and attitudes from certain people and his brothers question him on why these people would be mad at him.

and Branch thinks back to all the special occasions he ruined for people when he kept warning them about the Bergens only for them to be false alarms.

but Branch just nervously tells his bros he can't remember and awkwardly rushes them along on the tour 😂😂😂😂

just so he can make things appear more normal and perfect for their first family Christmas back together maybe even actively changing the subject whenever the brothers try and ask about his life during the past 20+ years.

but Branch trying to make everything perfect ironically gets to the point where the Brothers get annoyed with him since he was acting pretty similar to how JD used to.

and they finally question him on his odd behaviour although they kinda already know the reason why he's been so desperate for things to be perfect.

but they are still fairly clueless and worried about what he's obviously trying to hide from them in regards to his home and the fact he won't talk much about his life.

and this time when Branch nervously tries to shrug it off they act a bit firmer towards him saying they need to talk about this now as they've kept putting it off.

and when he tries to downplay it maybe just saying something as simple as he was obviously a bit upset and went Grey for a little while but he moved on and lived pretty normally for most of the years afterwards.

but the brothers don't buy it and they point out multiple things they found around the Bunker like weapons and traps and maybe they even uncovered the crazy wall writings he tried to hide.

( plus Gary if we're allowed to include him in this cannon lol )

anyway after all this poking and prodding Branch finally goes off on a bit of an emotional tangent maybe saying something along the lines of "" fine what do you want to hear? that I was some Grey freak who hid underground for years that everyone saw me as some crazy person who ruined everything for everyone else that I practically spent every moment of everyday thinking about nothing but the Bergens and fearing they could come back at any moment well fine you win you happy now? happy I grew up to be some freak who's always going to stand out from everyone else because no matter how much I change people around here are always going to remember and even if they didn't all they'd have to do is look at me and they'd know ""

maybe he says all this and turns away looking down in shame with slightly teary eyes but his bros just Hug him rather than Judge him like he maybe feared.

yep good old angst 😅😅😅😅 tho I'm not exactly 100 percent sure how to end the story but anyway what do you think about this as a concept for a future special?

#trolls #trolls branch #trolls brozone #dreamworks trolls #trolls band together #branch #branch trolls #trolls dreamworks #brozone #trolls 3 #trolls future ideas #trolls headcannons #Trolls #Trolls Branch #Trolls Bro zone

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zerooup · 5 months ago

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𐂂Little Alastor Head Cannons!𐂂

Don't like it, don't read! please don't harass me because you don't like what I do!

CW. ABUSE, MURDER, PERSONAL HC'S ON ALASTOR'S PAST.

𐂂 Alastor is usually around 0-4, but can be younger or older depending on his surroundings. It also depends on whatever chaos Charlie had planned for the day, and how his schedule goes.

𐂂 Alastor is very picky about who cares for him, Rosie and as of recent, Lucifer has been allowed to pick the boy up and care for him a couple times, though he'd still prefer Rosie over anyone.

𐂂 Very prone to bad flashbacks while regressed, Often from his time in life, but there's a few moments of his and vox's relationships that keep him wide awake, he'd never admit that though

𐂂 Very much still a little dealmaker! Which, is quite cute until you remember he's a violent overlord; but hey. it's hell; so whatever's cute is just. cute!

𐂂 Mama's boy. Even if she's in heaven, he'll hope to whatever god there is that she remembers him, even though most souls in heaven don't remember their kin that have been passed to hell. Like he'd even listen to that.

𐂂 He has a very real fear of his father coming into the hotel looking for his son, because there's only so many Alastor's in hell; he'd fear him coming in and hurting Charlie or any of the other hotel-goers; which. Charlie reassures him that there's a very slim chance that his father would actually be able to hurt her.

𐂂 Tries to be very quiet during his regression, even if that's for the worse. He'd often end up crying to himself in his radio tower to try and figure out a way to see his mama again, He knows he's beyond redemption... but that hasn't stopped him before.

𐂂 And usually after crying in his radio tower, he's tiny. Like; barely able to make the noises he usually does whole regressed.

𐂂 He's also very much more willing to flex his power while small. He does NOT like showing weakness, even while small. Husker made a quip about him being on a leash while small and he was very quick to remind him who was in control. Husk doesn't blame him for doing so, especially considering husker is only a bit older than him and they were acquainted in life.

𐂂 during his disappearance, Lilith was his caregiver... for about 2 months out of the 7 years; which gave him a schedule for his regression... that ended in his soul in her hands, and him back in hell to watch over Charlie, which is why he was around the television center of hell, and that's when he found her on "that fiasco of a picture show!"

𐂂 Speaking of that fiasco of a picture show, he hadn't regressed in 8 and a half years, and he was content like that. The SECOND lucifer was in the hotel, he insisted to Charlie that Alastor was a regressor in some form or fashion. Neither of them knew till husker outright said something about it.

𐂂 The first time he regressed was after the fight with Adam. He was able to fight it long enough to mourn the loss of Pentious and re-unite with the group. that day ended with a harshly wounded Alastor silently crying into his new radio tower.

𐂂 And as I've mentioned in one of my old posts, I believe Alastor is autistic. so the change of his radio tower only made him more upset the longer he stayed in there... but the deer-printed blanket was welcome.

𐂂 Partially why he never outright told anyone he's a regressor despite people telling him if he did it was alright; is because of how tiny he is. as well as his form shifting to be more fawnlike. Also the fact he's padded no matter what age... he's embarrassed by it. but; thankfully Charlie was able to talk him into it after finding him asleep on the couch while everyone else was playing games. and she made it very clear that this was the BIGGEST trust exercise they'd done. Once he'd woken up he'd somehow been moved to his room and changed... which is funny because he's an insanely light sleeper, but he somehow wasn't even stirred by being moved up a flight of stairs and sat down on the bed.

#agere #sfw agere #hazbin hotel age regression #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel agere #agere hazbin hotel #safe age regression #sfw age regression #regressor alastor #fandom agere #agere sfw #xxsc headcannons

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thefirstknife · 1 year ago

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Had a realisation: when the Eliksni were still new in The City and getting harassed on the daily, Crow acted as a sort of guard for them. I distinctly remember one lore entry implying he would have shot and killed a civilian who was threatening the Eliksni's ether supply. Strikes me as a very Uldren thing for Crow to do, but with who he's doing it for being inverted

Yeah! It's this one! Crow was monitoring the Botza District and saw some people trying to sabotage Eliksni supplies and he showed himself to them and very pointedly showed them that he's a Guardian and has a hand cannon. The people fled after and then Glint got concerned:

The conspirators peeled away from their hiding places, one by one, disappearing into the dark. Some hissed choice insults and dispersions at the Hunter under their breath, though none dared to look at him. In just a few minutes, the block was deserted except for the Hunter, who stood alone in the street until his Ghost complied over his shoulder. It chirped with concern. "You wouldn't really have shot them, right?" The Hunter hesitated as he holstered his weapon. "They needed to know I was serious, Glint." "But you weren't," his Ghost insisted. Wordlessly, the Hunter began making his way through the destruction. Someone would sound the alarm soon—he didn't want to be there when they did. "Tell me you weren't serious," his Ghost said again, lagging behind, "…were you?"

And like. I'm pretty sure Crow wouldn't have shot them, at least not to kill, but he was clearly angry and tempted to do something. He hated everyone who was threatening the Eliksni and with a good reason. I remember at the time people were speculating about "Crow reverting back to Uldren." Which obviously isn't how that works; it's just something fundamental in him that wants to protect others (especially Eliksni).

#destiny 2 #crow #ask

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innerpalaces · 1 month ago

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The Life of a Cannon Fodder Mother-in-Law - 45

Chapter 45: The Step-Mother-in-Law 12

Seeing that her persuasion was not effective, but instead made her angry, Yan Songyu turned around and left without staying any longer.

"Are you really scared?"

The woman's voice was excited. Yan Songyu suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart, and turned around to explain: "Manyue, I'm not afraid. I just realized that you wouldn't listen to advice at this time, so I left." Liu Yuniang nodded. "You're not afraid. Then I still have to have a good talk with your husband." Yan Songyu was flustered: "Manyue, please be merciful..." Liu Yuniang's face was full of ridicule: "In the past ten years, my family gave you generous gifts every year, but you never thought of being merciful to me." "Those weren't things I asked for, they took the initiative to send them." Yan Songyu looked helpless. "I also advised them not to send such expensive gifts. As long as we are still in contact, it's fine."

"But you didn't hold back when you took it! If you return it in its original state, we can still take it back, but did you return it?" Liu Yuniang looked her up and down. "If you were from a wealthy family, you wouldn't know the sufferings of ordinary people like us. But you are also a girl from an ordinary family, you should know that gold and silver are the most important to families like ours. But what are those things you gave? If you really treat the Ge family as a legitimate relative and really care about your son, you can't do those things. It's just that the Ge family is blind and thinks you are a good person who doesn't forget your roots."

Yan Songyu felt guilty after hearing these words. "That's not the case." She stamped her feet: "I can't talk to you clearly. There are still things at home, so I'll leave first." As soon as she finished speaking, she ran out of the door, almost fleeing. Liu Yunniang had nothing to do, so she locked the door and went for a stroll on the street. She still had more than two taels of silver on hand, and she couldn't just sit back and let the money go to waste. This amount of silver is not a small amount, and if it was saved, it would be enough for the mother and siblings for more than a year. But if it was inaccurate to say it was a lot; it's not enough to do business. Liu Yuniang was not a pedantic person, so she made a special trip back to her parents' home and found her sister-in-law, Madam Chen. Madam Chen had to take care of the Zhang household and usually only worked part-time. In the past two days, she had things to do at home, so she didn't go out. Seeing her sister-in-law coming, she smiled and said, "We'll have dinner later, so don't go back." Liu Yuniang expressed her purpose of coming: "I want to borrow some money to do business." "What business?" Chen poured her some water. "I started saving money after I got married to your brother. I spent a lot of money to raise my children over the years, and I only saved a little over four taels in total." She glanced at the main room: "My parents should also have some."

"Two taels is enough." Liu Yuniang also knew that it is not easy for people who made a living by working for others to save some money, so she planned to add some interest when repaying it. Mrs. Chen pondered for only a moment. "Okay." She didn't even ask any more questions. When she took out the silver, she took three taels and insisted on giving it. Liu Yuniang was touched. "I am lucky to have you as my elder sister-in-law." "If it weren't for you, your elder brother's legs would not work anymore. I remember that." Madam Chen patted her hand and said, "Don't worry about paying me back. When An'er discusses marriage, if it's not enough, I'll ask my parents." She then told her, "You three mother and siblings live outside. If you encounter difficulties, you must come back and tell me. Since you've cut ties with the Ge family, don't go to them unless necessary."

Liu Yuniang responded with a smile and thanked her sister-in-law again. After taking the money and going out, she didn't stop for a moment, found the middleman, and rented a small shop. In fact, it would have been most convenient to keep the original Ge family's shop. Liu Yuniang sold it because she didn't want to be entangled by the Ge family, and she wanted to make the Ge mother and son feel uncomfortable. Thirdly, the most important thing at the time was to have somewhere to live. She didn't want the Zhang parents to worry about their daughter. Because she didn't have much money and the shop needed to be big, it was old and worn out. The roof was leaking and needed to be repaired first. Liu Yuniang didn't wait. She went to the embroidery shop and bought some leftover materials to braid into flowers, or cut them into large and small pieces of cloth, embroidered with simple patterns, and sewed them on clothes or curtains.

It didn't take much time to make, and of course, except for the particularly precious materials, most of the prices are inexpensive. Due to the exquisite workmanship, it would be bought within a quarter of an hour after she finished it.

Half a day later, she had accumulated a handful of coins. The businessman was well-informed, and soon the stewards from several embroidery houses came over to take a peek. After confirming that the technique was complicated and difficult to learn, he asked her to work, and the salary was one tael of silver. Liu Yuniang naturally refused: "I don't work for people. However, if the remuneration can satisfy me, I can teach the people you send." She couldn't do much work with just her hands. Relying on this to support the family, if she fails, she won't make much money. For things like braiding flowers, she knew everything about it. Whoever learns it will have a steady stream of money. Several embroidery houses wanted to learn it, and they almost quarreled. In the end, everyone agreed to pay the fee together, and each would send one person to learn.

Liu Yuniang asked for ten taels of silver. Several embroidery shops split it, and it wasn't much at all, so they agreed immediately. Liu Yuniang calculated the time and went home to make dinner. After the siblings came back, she told them what she had done that day. Ge Guangyu expressed that she would come home to help. "You don’t need to. You can learn from your master with peace of mind. It is better to start learning as early as possible." From the next day, Liu Yuniang taught her apprentices and sold small items at the same time. The Ge family had lived there for several generations, and everyone around knew them. They heard the news quickly. The mother and son had been moving goods these two days, and the house was packed. They were looking for a new shop to reopen, so they were very busy. Hearing this, the old madam didn't believe it at first. When she rushed over, she saw the person in question sitting there, and for a moment she didn't dare to recognize her. It was indeed Zhang Manyue, but she was dressed in a new outfit from head to toe, and even her spirit was very different from before. Her fingers flew, and she was particularly deft. In an instant, delicate flowers are outlined. The old madam walked forward step by step. The person standing guard in front of the stall was an employee sent by the embroidery house. She didn't recognize the old madam and said with a smile: "Auntie, do you want to buy flowers?" The old madam didn't look at her, only stared at Liu Yuniang... Behind her, a carpenter was renovating the shop: "Manyue, did you rent this shop?" Liu Yuniang glanced at her and said, "Yes." "Can you lend it to me?" The old madam looked at her expectantly, "Ge Gen and I have looked on these streets, but there is really nothing suitable." In fact, the mother and son had also been here. The rent was cheap, but it was too shabby, and they had to spend money on renovations before moving in. It was a waste of time and money, so they didn't take a fancy to it at the time. However, now, the carpenter had renovated a corner, and it looked pretty good. Liu Yunniang refused outright: "No." The old madam moved a chair and sat next to her. Seeing the flowers in her hand, she asked, "When did you learn to do this?" Liu Yuniang put down the work in her hands and looked up at her: "I don't want to bother with you. Are you blind and can't see it?" The old madam was displeased and scolded: "I am an elder!" "That was the case a few days ago, but not now." Liu Yuniang stretched out her hand and said, "This is a small business that cannot afford to be delayed. If you don't want to buy anything, leave now." Her tone was full of impatience and was quite stern. Several girls who were learning to weave flowers looked over curiously.

Sensing the gazes of several people, the old madam felt ashamed and yelled angrily: "Zhang Manyue, as long as you have the two children, I will be your elder for the rest of my life. If you dare to speak to me like this, I can't trust the children to you. I will ask them to come home later."

This is a threat. If Liu Yuniang gave in in order to keep her children, even if she left, she would not be able to get rid of the Ge family. To strike the snake at its most vulnerable part, she said with a smile: "Yan Songyu came to me the day before yesterday, trying to persuade me to reconcile with my husband. At that time, I said that I would go to the eldest master of the Li family to talk about the quarrels that the Ge family had over her these past years..."

The old madam has been supporting the Li family for more than ten years. She doesn't really care about Yan Songyu, her ex-daughter-in-law. Her ultimate goal was to get close to the Li family. If Master Li knew that the Ge family made a fuss over a gift, or heard that Ge Gen insisted on preparing a gift even if he had to divorce... Yan Songyu might be kicked out of the Li family."

She didn't dare to imagine the consequences, and said quickly: "You dare!" "I dare." Liu Yuniang stretched out her hand and pointed: "Get out!" The old madam did not dare to pester her anymore and walked out in despair. There are many people in this world who watch the excitement and don't mind the trouble. It was inevitable that the troubles in the Ge family would reach the ears of Master Li. He was already displeased when he heard from outsiders that Madam and Master Ge Gen were having a big fight over giving gifts. However, he and Yan Songyu had been married for more than ten years and had a son and a daughter. Even if it was for the sake of their children, he felt that he should not listen to rumors. Of course, even if he asked Yan Songyu in person, he wouldn't be able to get the truth. Because of some of the man's thoughts, he didn't want to see Ge Gen, so he found Liu Yuniang, Zhang Manyue had seen Master Li before. When Liu Yuniang saw him, she was quite surprised: "Does the customer want to buy something?" Master Li looked at the colorful flowers on the table in front of him and was speechless. He was a grown man, what was he going to do with these? However, the two of them barely knew each other, and it was really rude to come and ask about something rashly, especially such a private matter. "I'll take a few." He grabbed two handfuls, not caring how many there were, "Calculate the price."

Liu Yuniang stepped forward, finished the calculation as usual, and said: "If you buy one more, I will give you two, for eight coins total." Master Li twitched his mouth. He was indeed a wealthy man, but he was not unworldly. It was obvious at a glance that there was a lot of profit here. However, he didn't care about this and said, "I have something to talk to you about privately."

Liu Yuniang looked at the teahouse across the street. "Let's go there."

The two sat down in the lobby of the teahouse, surrounded by guests. The more open you are, the less people will talk about it. "I want to ask..." Master Li always felt that no matter how he asked, it was inappropriate, so he just got straight to the point: "Did you and your husband divorce because of the birthday gift your family sent me?"

Liu Yuniang raised her eyebrows and emphasized: "I'm only saying this because you asked..." Hearing this, Master Li already had the answer in his heart. He was immediately furious. For the sake of the two children, he didn't want to wrong Yan Songyu, so he asked in a deep voice: "Can you tell me in detail?"

At that moment, Liu Yuniang explained all the causes and consequences of the birthday gift. "The jade pendant was your dowry?" Master Li looked confused. Only the Ge family could give the dowry of the second wife to the husband of the previous wife. On the other side, Yan Songyu found out in the morning that her man's attitude towards her was unusual. She thought he had a little goblin outside, so she quietly sent someone to follow him from a distance. They were ordered to report back if they saw him meeting a woman. She deliberately sent a stranger, and that person did not know Zhang Manyue. Yan Songyu got the news and rushed over in a rage. When she entered the teahouse, she was full of indignation and was determined to tear the little goblin apart. When she saw the so-called little goblin sitting there, her anger disappeared instantly, and she secretly screamed in her heart.

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#the life of a cannon fodder mother in law

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keep-it-krispy · 10 months ago

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Hey, just discovered your account and was wondering if you could tell me something about your lmk au's :)

Or is there a hashtag or master post I could use ?

I read something about your au, where the lmk characters are musicians and I thought it looked great!

Howdy and hello there! I'm happy to tell you about my AU.

“Ride or Die” is an alternate universe that takes place in modern times. I'm still deciding on whether or not to make everybody human, buuuut (until a certain point, somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd season) magic isn't super prominent (it still exists, it's just not powerful or noticeable enough for anyone to do crazy stuff with it like in cannon yet)

[Look at this post for a synopsis of the general vibes]

As noted in the aforementioned post, It starts off pretty normally. MK is a college student that lives with his adoptive father, Paul (Pigsy is his nickname), and his husband Tang (Tang is more of an uncle to him, he came along when MK was a lot older). He works part-time at his noodle shop and attends college with his longtime best friend Mei.

Sun Wukong is a world class dancer actor and singer that's about to retire, but wants to keep his legacy going. He hosts a big contest inviting anyone and everyone under the age of 25 to compete against one another in a tournament style talent show using any kind of performance art you can bring to the table.

MK is jazzed about the event, he wants to compete but doesn't actually think he'd win. He invites Mei to compete with him and she, being his ride or die bestie (roll credits), is all for it. She insists on starting a band, as she's been wanting to do so FOREVER, and Mk agrees. They don't really know how to start a band though. Mk remembers that Pigsy used to be crazy into the performance scene, so they ask him about it.

Pigsy explains that a performance can be anything, as long as people can watch it, and you put your soul into it [”Music is life, Life is music. Living is everything you make of it, and music is the same. It can be a guitar solo; but it's also the laugh of a friend when you tell them a joke you wrote, the satisfied sigh after you finish a painting, or the smile on a customer's face after a good bowl of soup.”

“Like that!” Mk shouts, slamming his fists on the counter as the light of an epiphany glimmers in his eyes “Lyrics! We need lyrics like that!”

Mei gasps, sliding up beside her friend with stars in her eyes “Pigsy! Can you write us lyrics!?”

Pigsy sighs, their antics pulling a small smile onto face “No,” their instant disappointment makes him chuckle, he heads over to the landline and starts dialing “But I do know someone who can.”

An hour later, the four of them are down at the harbour. Pigsy leads them down the dock and to a boat house, where he knocks on the door. From it emerges Sandy, a poet beyond his years.]

From there, Tang offers to organize everything, leaving Mk Mei and Sandy to come up with some performances. I picture them going through a lot of ideas, they put together a song, a play, an art show, and even consider doing an improv thing; but none of it really feels right to MK.

Red makes a menace of himself around this time. He meets MK at a music bar (picture a hipster coffee shop/club place with a bunch of different instruments laying around that people could play if they wanted) and finds out he's participating in the contest too, then starts picking on him. MK isn't really paying attention to his jabs, strumming along a guitar left near their booth.

[Mk’s curious strumming continues to draw a litany of sour notes from the instrument, curling Red’s lips into a harsher sneer.

“I mean- how can you expect to win the contest if you can't even play that guitar!?” the redhead is out of his seat now, looking half ready to rip it out of Mk's hands.

Mk smiles, not even pretending to listen as his brow creases with determination. He continues to fiddle with the instrument “Wait…” a couple strums, hey- wait.. that one sounded.. good?? “I think…” a few more. Was he.. ”I got it!” and testament to his words, the notes emitting from the strings finally smooth into something palatable. A warbling riff slides from his fingers, transforming into a silky bass line as he continued.

Red looked at him, jaw dropping to the floor. Twisted from sour notes and amature finger work, a new song was spun into existence before his very eyes. And it was good.]

Red is instantly intimidated by Mk's apparent musical prowess, and challenges him to an Art Fight to “crush his peasant spirit”. Mk struggles at first, trying to emulate other art fights he's seen and sing/dance his way to victory, but he thinks back to pigsy's words:

[The laugh of a friend when you tell them a joke you wrote, the satisfied sigh after you finish a painting, or the smile on a customer's face after a good bowl of soup]

He catches sight of his art bag, rushes for it, and starts throwing paint around. It's a whirlwind of EDM, dancing, and flying neon paint, but Mk manages to win. His inner music(magic) leaving behind a newly (and tastefully) repainted music bar.

Mk leaves a so so butt hurt Red behind to deal with the aftermath, brimming with a new inspiration.

MK gets back to the gang. Tells them that he loves music, but illustration is his real passion. He wants to enter, but he also wants to “be true to his art form”, and he doesn't know how to incorporate it into a stage performance. Mei proposes they do something experimental. I'm thinking something using holograms, motion capture technology, sick ass music, and a TON of paint. like a bunch of AMVs that link up to one another, but happening in real life. MK gets to do his illustration thing, Sandy gets to crush millions with his heartbreaking sonatas, and Mei gets to obliterate the dance floor and sing her heart out.

They win, and Wukong takes them in as his apprentices.

After “A Hero is Born” everything pretty much lines up with Cannon for the main squad and the smaller antagonists; but instead of fighting and monkey magic shenanigans, it's concerts and dance battles and E-Tuber shenanigans.

Things get really different around The Bone Zone (I love writing).

This worlds Lady Bone Demon, Laura Demona, went missing without a trace 9 years ago. Her child, Laudia Demona, going by Malin Meister in the present day, has been investigating her disappearance ever since they were old enough to leave the house unsupervised.

With the help of their platonic life partner and basically minion, Milton, they build an E-Tuber empire big enough to fund their quest. Some strong leads they gained, some time before “A Hero is Born”, trace back to Sun Wukong; who was not only present on the set their mother disappeared from, but famously one of her Bitter Rivals.

The two competed for a lot of shows and positions in their early days, settling into badmouthing each other on screen later on, and only mellowing out a handful of years before The Incident.

Sun Wukong's competition was Malin's chance to get close to him, but “The Monkie Kidz” were simply too good to beat. Malin wouldn't let this deter them, descending into a mad spiral of plotting and scheming. Their progress would only be interrupted by an unusually familiar looking eldritch stranger (The Mayor) dropping in, chasing them and Milton around the city, bullying his way into their homes and lives, and changing the course of their destiny for years to come.

The groups don't really converge until “Revenge of the Spider Queen”, or the “lunar New Year music deathmatch tournament” as we call it here.

Over the course of the first season Malin hatches a plan around the tournament, setting up a series of Rube Goldberg like events that will result in them meeting with Sun Wukong.

In the post I linked above, I confirmed that this would have ended in the downfall of Malin. These events would have pushed them firmly into villainy, and villains are always fated to loose.

The Mayor did not know this. When he told Malin what happened in his world, compared it to the events that have been occuring in theirs, and left them to connect the downfall of his lady to their future, he expected them to turn to him for help.

He made sure to demonstrate his magical and strategic prowess to them at every opportunity, to establish his presence as a sturdy and dangerous weapon to lean on. He felt echos of his Lady's power grow within them each day, to awaken it would be his pleasure. Crushing these mortal versions of their enemies would make a good warmup for his Meister, they would need much training before he dragged them back to his world. A concrete goal would do them nicely.

What he didn't expect was for them to call everything off and lock themselves in their plan closet for a solid week.

Malin, high on a rush of panic and inspiration, decided to spit into the eyes of fate. If this was happening in other universes, if other versions of their mother and products of her legacy were fighting and dying to these same people, if this was a pattern? They would do everything in their power to break it.

A week later they step out of their closet, coming upon the faces of a worried Milton and a confused Mayor, and stating their new approach with a will of iron and a voice of steel:

“We're going to make some new friends.”

And this marks the start of the “How to become a protagonist in 10 easy steps.�� Arc

I kind of want to focus on the “Malin tries their best to be normal around new people” aspect of the story right now, so most of the work you see on this blog will probably be from season 2 and onwards.

I've got big plans for the magic in the future. Everything's going to be pretty modern and magic free up to a point, then the meteor will hit and plunge the world into a new age of magic and demons and tasty tasty chaos. I kind of want to link Laura's “death” to the meteor too. line it up with some multiverse shenanigans I wrote out.

I'm thinking about it in four slices.

The first slice is the “Canon compliant Zone”, that's the bit I just described.

The second slice will be “how to become a protagonist in 10 easy steps”, which is what I'm working on right now.

The third slice will be “The meteor fucks everything up, nobody is happy about this.”, which will be easier to write once I establish the first two slices.

And the fourth is “Multiverse bullshit”, which is when the real fun will begin.

#lego monkie kid au #lego monkie kid fanfiction #lmk au #lego monkie kid #lmk #Lego Monkie kid: Ride or die #lmk: ride or die

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hazbinextgeneration · 2 years ago

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I enjoy the uncanny valley series by @mortis-fox here’s another Oc x Cannon ship for House Hunted.

-Rose is actually native to Uncanny Valley and Fae's only cousin on her late father's side.Her personality is very much go with the flow, it's helpful when you grow up on a giant island of eldritch furballs, man eating houses, and aquatic mer-people. -She's actually Maison's neighbor, having moved into the house next to him two years prior and it didn't take too long to figure out he was a REALTOR. By accidentally seeing his lure cord poking out of one of his pants legs and adding up all his strange behaviors. -Now any other person would've been highly concerned about this being the case, but having grown up around this being the norm, Rose is actually really chill with this. Doesn't mean she wasn't cautious, especially when he came over when she first moved in to 'invite her over and welcome her to the neighborhood.' But this of course didn't work. Maison stopped around the third time trying to convince her before going back to his old tactics. She doesn't see him too often as he's usually out trying to lure people, but when they do see one another, Rose will initiate a normal conversation as if he wasn't an entity who ate humans if he could. As one would expect, this confused Maison at first but over time he got used to the small convos they'd have. It was...refreshing to have someone to chat with that wasn't going to run away and being treated like a normal person without having to hide his identity was certainly a nice thing to do when he wasn't busy. -Rose has a hobby to decorate the rooms of her house in different ways every so often or decorate it with the different things she brings home. She has talked about this hobby with Maison and he may or may not have remembered some tips from her for his illusions for the inside. -Despite her decor hobby, Rose actually prefers to garden and has a large one in her backyard where she grows fruits and veggies and another in her front yard where she grows flowers. She works in a green house in town where she often helps to care for the plants they sell and is often told she has a green thumb. In recent months she has heard much grumbling from Maison's house. When asked and found out he often doesn't get enough food, she has started essentially feeding him. -Maison is often completely thrown for a loop whenever he sees the boxes/gift baskets either left on his door step or handed to him completely full of the food Rose grows or sometimes the Fish sandwiches he enjoys a lot. He's still not used to or sure how to take this strange new arrangement Rose insists on helping him with but he can't say he doesn't appreciate the gesture. He finds himself more full thanks to her efforts and kindness. -By this point they've grown a sort of symbiotic relationship. His way of showing thanks is showing respect back and warning her about any more hostile REALTORS/other entities in the area. Although there may be other feeling boiling under his surface than he realizes

#Rose #house hunted game #john doe game

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nockergeek · 1 year ago

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From a tagged reblog:

The proponents remind me somewhat of Warmachine players back when that game first came out - many of them had switched to it as a reaction to their displeasure with 40K’s state at the time, and became zealously pro-Warmachine and anti-40K, and they were generally unpleasant to talk to if you didn’t share their opinions. I think that’s what drives a lot of OPR’s fanbase: reactive dislike of how 40K was playing at whatever time they switched over. It’s more emotional than logical.

As far as the game being boring, I was looking back at 4th and 5th edition 40K codexes today, and I think the unit design of OPR isn’t all that far from the design philosophy of that era. Granted, that’s pretty basic compared to current 40K rules, but I remember being generally fine with the feel of the game in those days. I think the biggest problem, though, is how narrow the design space is because they’ve limited themselves to only two stats that can range from 2-6. That means that there’s only 25 possible unit profiles before adding keywords (and their insistence on having a keyword define how many wounds something can take boggles me).

Beyond that, there’s just some oddities. Take space marine (sorry, “prime brothers”, since we’re talking Primaris) captains and lieutenants. Both are represented by the “Prime Master” unit, which is Quality 3+ Defense 2+. (“Quality” is their stat for shooting, fighting, and morale. It’s all things to all people.) “Captain” and “Lieutenant” are upgrades you can buy. Captains give +1 to hit while shooting to themselves and the unit they’ve joined. Lieutenants give +1 AP to themselves and the unit they’ve joined. Captain upgrade costs 50 points, and the lieutenant upgrade is 60 points.

That’s right. In OPR, lieutenants cost more than captains, because the creators have decided that AP bonuses are more powerful than to hit bonuses.

There’s just a lot of oddball choices, especially when you consider that 90% of their factions and units are just 40K units with the serial numbers filed off. Tau Empire (sorry, “DAO Union”) units are particularly bad - try building a battle suit unit that matches a crisis suit unit with a legal loadout. Can’t be done in many cases, because in the newest rules, you’re stuck with 3 “suit-guns”, and you can only replace one. (And no, those aren’t burst cannons; those would be “suit-bursts”.) None of my assembled suits, which either have 2 weapons or 3 different weapons.

Basically, OPR wants to be “40K, but simpler, with blackjack and hookers”, and it might be better served being its own thing and not just being a poor copy.

I’m glad there are people who are getting what they want out of the game. I’m just not one of them, it seems.

The One Page Rules community is like a cult. If you drink the koolaid and praise it as the greatest thing ever, they’ll welcome you with open arms. If you dare to point out any flaws, they’ll quickly tell you that you’re wrong for expecting those things to be different, and quickly start shunning you and anyone who agrees with you. It’s one of the least welcoming gaming groups for anyone who offers critique.

1/10, would not recommend as a 40K alternative.

#one page rules #turns out you can streamline too much #even when you’re just copying someone else’s homework

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sgt-morgan · 2 years ago

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☀️Knight and Day🌙

Part 1: Estrellita✨

Part 3: The Little Sunspot🍼

Moonknight Masterlist

Description: Moonboys as Girl dads. As god intended. Point blank period.

Warnings: Inaccurate depictions of DID as made cannon by the show, AFAB/ female identifying reader, depictions of childbirth, implications of sexy times, tooth rotting fluff.

A/N: This thing is long as hell, appreciate my love for you. They’re girl dads damn it! You’ll Never convince me otherwise! I love them! Reader is now Desi, because my momma is Desi. Beti= Daughter Beta= son Poti= grand daughter Nani= grandma Nana= Grandfather. Spanish you can use google translate or translate app for, Urdu is hard. (Also, tagging @castizell cause they asked all nice like.)

🌘🌔🌒

When you found out you were pregnant, it was a huge deal for your little families, but no two (four?) people were more excited than Cassie and your boys. You never had to worry about a thing, 3 am need for icecream? Jake is already driving to the store. Back aching? Marc will stand and hold your belly from behind as long as you need, arms shaking, with a smile on his face at how peaceful you look with your head leaning on his shoulder. Pregnancy hormones? Steven is eager to please in any form, from tears to tantrums, he’s there with a keen ear and able hands. Need a hand? Cassie is more than eager to help you tie shoes (Steven taught her how to do that), pick up a mess, or make everyone leave you alone with a bossy shout and a pout.

They were perfect angels right off the bat. Marc was scared, very, very scared. When he found out it was a girl? He was even worse. Worried about how he would perform as a father, worrying about wether or not he could handle the stress and chaos without becoming like… Well he didn’t want to think about that, but he was convinced that by the gods, he needed more practice. So, Cassie became a staple in your home pretty much immediately. Anytime she would ask to come over when Marc was fronting, she was always met with an enthusiastic yes. Marc would insist on caring for her. Offering to take her to dance for her (extremely) busy parents, cooking dinner for all of you, teaching her some of the Torah. (Yes, he taught her some of the Torah, good to get the practice in now. Your baby would be born to the wrong Jewish parent, her not being born of a Jewish mother, but you’d never had a DNA test, so who knows. He had forgotten a lot of it himself, so teaching Cassie also served as a brush up for him. All of the pregnancy stuff made him slowly start to reconnect with his father, they weren’t chomping at the big to see each other in person again, but at least there was a conversation there.) Regardless, Marc really liked hanging out with Cassie, and so did you, so it really didn’t bother you, except when they used her baby dolls to practice diaper changing. You didn’t understand how a plastic baby could cause so much mess, but if it kept Marc from bolting, you weren’t about to complain.

“Oh man, Purim was fun!” You giggled smoothing your hands over your stomach. It wasn’t super prominent, but it was steadily growing bigger.

“Yeah! I can’t even believe Cassie remembered the songs! Shocked honestly! I thought she could only memorize Frozen! She was also the cutest little Spider-Man I’ve ever seen.” Marked laughed, a little more drunk than you had realized earlier. “And your Dad reeeally loved the booing for Hama-“ you interrupted him by booing and he laughed even harder. Nuzzling his way into your chest to stifle his laughter

“Also, you totally cheated by just wearing your Moonknight costume!” You laughed, “We set the costume theme for Heroes, and you cheated!”

“I cheated? What about you!? Should I be questioning Matt about your costume? Huh? Dressing up as Daredevil babe, really? Matt even dressed up like you! Are you two secretly kissing?“ he giggled wiggling his eyebrows at you.

“No you big dork!” You laughed again. “The star of the show though was Peter! Dressing up as the Punisher? Brilliant. Did you see how pissed Matt was when he realized!? Priceless.”

You sighed, nuzzling into him fondly. “Also, really glad May sent home some of her Matzoh ball soup, I’ve been craving it for weeks!”

“I made you Matzoh yesterday!” He laughed, peeking up at you from where he had wrapped firmly around you, and you grinned mischievously, “Was that what that was supposed to be?”

“Babe! That’s mean!”

Steven was his normal stream of knowledge, it now just had a differing theme. Baby fever had come over him, and his weakness? Books. The baby already had a library, all kinds of books, every shape and size and color. Cardboard, hardbacks, signed copies, silly ones, sad ones, classics, myths, sci-fi, fantasy, it didn’t matter. Anything Steven fancied reading with the baby, he got it. He also wrote little notes in the books as to why he picked them. You never questioned him on this, but you read every single one with a grin.

‘This one is about strength and bravery, you can do anything my love! Don’t let anyone look down on you because you’re young. Thank the Gods you’re smarter than I am, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card)

‘This one is about the importance of compassion and kindness, stay gentle darling. Proud of you always, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.)

‘This one is about how silly peoples brains can be. Life can be a struggle, and your daddies and I understand. If you need help, without judgment, your mom and I are always here. Me and my silly noggin love you always, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of It’s Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini.)

‘If you want a good story about some gods, you can read it here. I’ll tell you my stories one day, but it’s not today. Sorry kiddo Love, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan)

‘No change is made without strong people sticking up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. I’m rooting for you darling. Always in your corner, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of The Hunger Games by Susan Collins)

‘Women are powerful, let nobody tell you other wise. You cannot be contained. Standing with bolt cutters, ready to set you loose on the world, Love, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of Circe by Madeline Miller.)

‘Hard things happen, but you’ll always have me and mommy when you need us. Supporting you always, Love,Dad.’ (Written in a copy of The Struggle Bus by Julie Koon.)

‘I am odd, and that’s ok. I know it can be hard to live with a daddy that is always changing while you change too, but just so you know, however we change. Our love for you never will. Love, Dad” (Written in a copy of I am Odd, I am New by Benjamin Giroux)

‘We love you no matter what you love! You will always be the most fascinating person I know. Do big things, dream big dreams. Love, Dad.’ (Written in a copy of Except when they don’t by Laura Gehl.)

‘Well kiddo, all daddies are different. And that okay! Your daddy is different in a special way, you got three in one! No matter which one it is, we all love you. Love, dad.’ (Written in a copy of Some Daddies by Carol Gordon Ekster.)

Steven over the course of nine months also really enjoyed reading to your ever growing belly, books of all kinds. Your baby girl constantly kicked, but when her Daddy was reading, she was as quiet as a mouse.

Steven loved the copy of Some Daddies the most. When he first saw it in the store, he was curious, so he bought it. When he read it, he cried. You lay next to Steven and rubbed his back while he read the book his head laying on your ever growing belly.

“Every daddy is different, every child is too!” He sniffled, placing a gentle kiss on your belly. “Oh man little one, your daddies are all very different I guess, but we all love you just the same. Keep baking in there alright? We can read more when you come out!” He whispered leaning up to kiss you too.

“Oh god, you are gonna be such a good dad!” You chuckled with watery eyes and kissed him softly. You really were a lucky woman.

Jake, as always, found a way to surprise you the most. This time, his surprise came in the form of taking over the nursery, and while he worked on it, he didn’t let a single other one of you know what he was doing. Every day, packages arrived, and under threat of… something, Jake hadn’t exactly divulged what the punishment was but none of you cared to find out, you put the packages outside the nursery door and left it closed. He came in and out of the room whenever he fronted with paint and boxes and toys and Steven’s books. Frequent banging and the sounds of soft punk rock fluttered out of there every once in a while, and you couldn’t contain your curiosity.

All three of you had tried to peak once, but somehow Jake’s fatherly sixth sense had developed early, and you hadn’t been able to catch sight of it.

“No peaking Cariño!” He startled you one day as your hand rested on the knob.

“Jake! Oh gosh, baby please? I just want a sneak peak?” you pleaded with those eyes and the low cut top that nearly always worked, but he just chuckled and pissed your pity lips.

“Nope! Lo verás cuando haya terminado.” He smiled and ushered you in the opposite direction. Steven couldn’t even grasp the handle, and Marc had smacked himself on the back of the head on more than one occasion. They only people allowed in the room? Allison and Cassie. You had seen them whispering and conspiring for weeks, your sister even going so far as to spend the night in the nursery once or twice to finish up work and keep you out. You loved how closely she bonded with the boys while it was happening.

“She’s gonna love it!” Allison squealed quietly, smacking your loving boyfriend over and over again on the shoulder with a smile. Jake shook his head and smiled at his sister in law while Cassie giggled. It warmed your heart to see how well he got along with them.

“Don’t worry about the nursery Hermana mía, he’s done. Allison is so excited for him to show you, they all really put the work in on this one. Cassie loved helping out.” Your brother in law smiled and rubbed your shoulder placing a kiss on your head. “They plan on showing you tomorrow, but you didn’t hear that from me.” He said with a conspiratorial wink.

“Oh Gracias, hermano, I’m dying to see it.” You huffed rubbing your belly.

“You know, I can hear you right hermano?” Jake groused from across the room. Your brother in law made a face that said yikes, and started running, dodging his angry wife and child as they chased him around the yard.

“You know what querida? It’s done, why don’t I show you now?” He smiled wrapping his arm around your shoulder and leading you towards your home.

Jake heard the hearty consent of his alters from reflections in the glasses from dinner and mirrors in the hall.

“Finally! We were left in the dark for too long mate!“ Steven sighed “I hope you made a place for all the books.”

“Yeah! I hope you got that Moonknight bear I saw, it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up.” Marc chuckled. “She’s gonna love it I’m sure!” He said when he noticed his normally immovable alter fidget nervously with his flat cap.

He opened the door to the rooms and an uncharacteristic silence took over the room. The nursery was stunning in hues of soft pinks and oranges, motifs of the desert covered every surface, including pictures of you and your husband in the desert on the walls. There was a camel shaped toy basket, little plush cactuses, and the tiny Moonknight bear tucked into the Moses basket in the corner of the room. The mural on the wall, (clearly painted by your sister) had a sun and moon motif, and a tiny mobile of the moon and stars with a tiny Konshu sitting in the moon hung above the cradle. Steven’s books were tucked into cabinets that were able to display all of their colorful title and shapes, there was even a framed Hebrew writing on the wall for Marc, though what it said had not been divulged yet.

“What’s it say?“ you said pointing to the framed writing with tears in your eyes.

“Uh, it’s the baby’s name? I know we hadn’t all settled, but in Latin cultures it is very common to have three names, so I figured why not go with all three of the ones we like? So it says, Aurora Ayla Elena Spector.” He shuffled his feet as he gestured around the room, “I went with a desert theme, because it seemed like it could be cute sabes? And there’s a little bit of everything in here. ¿Qué te parece?” You we’re quiet for a moment tears streaming down your cheeks that ached with your smile.

“It’s perfect!” You burst, throwing your arms around Jake with a sob. “Look at all of this! You did this? I’m amazed! you are so perfect! God! Could I be any more lucky? Podría besarte ahora mismo, ¡esto es lo más sexy que has hecho! Holy shit babe!” Jake chuckled at your clear excitement and smiled at his alters in the two mirrors he purposefully placed at angles where they could see the whole of the room.

“Jake, this is amazing! I love the shelves! They are perfect for this space!” Steven smiled, gesturing to the mobile “And the little Konshu? Adorable.”

“You really out did yourself man,” Marc smiled shaking his head, “It’s just her style. I love it. The Hebrew is amazing, who did it?” Jake smiled at him sadly, and Marc nodded with a sour expression. “I’m glad he knows, really I am, I just- I don’t. We can talk about it later.”

“Jake? It’s perfect.” You heard from the door way from a voice you hadn’t heard in a while, you whirled around and stood in the door with your sister’s arms wrapped around her shoulders was your mother.

“Momma!” You cried, flinging yourself into her arms.

“Oh my, it’s ok beti, I’m here now!” She laughed patting you on the back. “I didn’t know you wanted me to come so badly, but my mischievous little granddaughter face timed me about you crying and figured I would fly in a bit earlier.” You looked down to see Cassie clutched into your moms Sari and you

Sniffled petting her head affectionately. It seems she had been just as doting in her secret project as Jake had been.

“Surprise Tía! I know you wanted Nanni to come earlier, but you wouldn’t tell anybody, so I told the grownups and she’s here!” Cassie squealed squeezing your mother’s legs. “Was that ok? Did I do a good thing?” She said with wide eyes staring at all of her favorite women in adoration.

“Poti you have never done a thing wrong in your life!” You heard and saw your father hanging out with Andreas at the door. You cried a little harder and threw yourself at your dad sniffling.

“I’m so happy!” You wept as your dad gently swayed you back and fourth. He patted your back and smiled.

“I’m so glad your happy!” Cassie squealed, bouncing up and down in place.

Then, something unexpected.

“Oh my god,” you giggled, watching as Juno winked at you over your Father’s shoulders, you felt your back spasm, and knew it could only mean one thing. “Well, you have actual divine timing, I’m going into labor.”

The room exploded into action as you laughed with Juno, who was quick to reach out and grasp your back as the whole room scurried around you in a blur of excitement. Marc suddenly was thrust to front and startled your parents as his eyes rolled back into his head.

“Oh thank god!” Your dad laughed, “Good to see you Marc, I thought you might have just been passing out.” He said clapping him on the back.

“No, I didn’t, but I think Jake just did, he’s being mighty quiet in there.” He laughed, shooing Juno away from you as he began to support your weight. “You guys stick around and unpack, I’ll get her to the hospital, and call when it’s closer to showtime.” He said with a wink, helping you down the stairs.

“Ok Beta!” Your mother waved, “it was good to see you Marc, Say hello to Steven! We will clean up a bit and meet you there!” She waved and ushered you all out of the house, your sister and her family were all stood at the bottom of the steps, she held out Jake’s keys to Marc and gestured towards the car.

“We got the bag put away, the car seat is in tight- don’t say a damn word, I am just concerned about my Niece’s safety- Also? Jake? So help me god buddy, you better get your ass back out here, Marc is a terrible fucking driver-“

“Hey!” Marc exclaimed with a giggle, you openly laughed while whimpering in pain as Andreas helped you into the car.

“Don’t hey me buddy, you can’t drive to save your life- If my sister dies before I meet my niece I’m gonna kill you!” She grumbled slapping his keys into his palm. Marc tensed up and Jake was back again, kissing Allison on the cheek and patting her on the shoulder. “Very good, now drive fast pendejo, I wanna meet that baby in a hospital, not your back seat!”

“Sí, Los llevaré a salvo, no te preocupes.” With that Jake jumped in the front seat and you were off. One fast, yet oddly smooth, car ride later, and you and your boys had arrived. Marc took care of the whole checking you in thing, as he was the technical biological father, and then Steven took over for the whole birthing thing. You wouldn’t need to be in the hospital this early with a normal birth, but your doctor had declared that the baby’s positioning had put you at a bit of a higher risk, and he wanted to monitor her position closely just in case, so you were set to be here for a while. You were worried, as it was going to be more painful than normal and the risk of death was- it doesn’t matter. It wasn’t going to happen. It would all be fine.

Steven was an angel, feeding you ice chips, reading to you, rubbing your back, requesting ‘all the drugs’ for you while you were sleeping, calling your parents and sister with updates, truly keeping a calmer head than you thought he would. He was doing amazing.

You were laying, face pressed in his neck, one of his hands gently stroked your belly, his other holding the book he was reading to you while you practically slept in his arms, when Juno reappeared dressed in scrubs, for some reason.

“Hello, Juno! How’s our favorite Roman goddess then?” Steven asked, petting your head in an attempt to roust you to speak with your patroness.

“Owe, Juno? Oh she got stuck in Paris didn’t she. Well shit, this is fine.” You sighed, coming to terms with your divine doula very quickly.

“Go back to sleep, I hate she’s stuck but honestly I was kinda hoping she wouldn’t make it. I wanted to do it.” She waved with a smile, coming to readjust your monitors, checking how far along you were, instructing Steven on where to press his hand to relieve the most pressure in your aching back. She did a little more than a normal Doula, but as a patient advocate and birthing partner, you both couldn’t ask better than a goddess. As the hours continued to pass, Steven and Juno made sure you were comfortable, and helped you to get as much rest as physically possible while you were in so much pain.

“This is kind of you Juno, we really do appreciate it.” He sighed as you began to wake slightly, another contraction hitting your lower back with intensity.

“I’m honestly kinda shocked Konshu isn’t here.” You grumbled at one point after Juno grumbled with your doctor about comfortable birthing positions for you.

“Oh, that silly old bird has gone to find Taweret in order to bargain for an easier birth. He really can be a softy when he wants to!” She chuckles. “It’s very sweet of him, a little more added help is always welcome in these scenarios.” She smiled, smoothing your hair from your face.

“Thanks for your help my lady,” you smiled again, “truly, we aren’t worthy of such a divine companion in all this!”

“My child, you’ve proven yourself worthy for me time and time again, helping you with this is the least I can do.” Juno smiled brightly as she helped you to sit up in Steven’s lap.

“Damn, even my patron likes you more than me!” Steven chuckled, “he’s going to talk to a goddess for you, and he calls me a worm.” He says rolling his eyes while you laugh through your pain.

“Ok sweet girl, it’s show time. Steven? You might wanna move honey.” Juno smiled, going to retrieve your nurse.

About seven hours and a quickly healed broken finger later, you and your moon boys were the proud new parents of a little baby girl. She had your nose and Their eyes, their curls and your hair color. She couldn’t be any more perfect if she tried.

“My days,” Steven smiled, exhausted. “Look at that, just as pretty as her mum!” He smiled, running his fingers gently over her soft hair, placing a gentle kiss to your temple as he continued to just stare at the perfect little bundle sleeping in your arms.

“Thanks bub,” you huffed a laugh and placed a kiss to his collar bone. “You wanna hold her?” You smiled as more people flitted about the room, cleaning up the birthing area, setting up a crib, checking vitals. You however, seemed to be in your own bubble of calm.

“Yeah!” Steven sighed, unbuttoning his shirt as Juno instructed for skin to skin, while a doctor attached Aurora’s little hospital band. “Go on then!” He smiled opening his arms and resting the baby sweetly against his chest. “Oh my,” Steve sniffled, gently readjusting the baby securely in his arms. “She’s beautiful!” He smiled, tears in his eyes. You sat for a while just staring at the baby, your mother had just left to get you some food for you, and Allison went to go get your father, Andreas, and Cassie.

“The others want to meet her before the crazy starts,” a tear runs down his nose and falls on your daughters soft blanket. “But I don’t wanna go!” He chuckles and you rest your head on his shoulder, rubbing soothing, wide, circles on his back.

“We have the rest of our lives together baby!” You exclaimed brightly, heart breaking for Steven and the others a bit. “You’ll get to hold her again!“ You smiled nodding encouragingly, and Steven nodded, handing the baby back to you so one of the others could front. It took him a second, your hand holding his head to your shoulder while he struggled to swap places. It was almost as if they were arguing on who should go first. Eventually, Marc fronted.

“Oh man,” he gasped, looking down at her with watery eyes, “She’s here! She’s perfect!” He chuckled leaning into you excitedly giving you a sweet kiss. “You are amazing! I’m so proud of you!” He grinned staring down at your perfect baby girl.

“You wanna hold her baby?” You smiled, offering him the bundle of blankets. He grinned and nodded holding his arms out like an over eager child on Christmas. You handed him the baby, and you could see his world change.

“Oh man, how could anyone ever- she’s so- oh I love her!” He chuckled nuzzling her head and leaving a short kiss on her face. “This is the best day of my life!” He laughed, snuggling his girls closer.

You chuckled and snuggled in closer to your two favorite people. You weren’t able to sit with them long though, they needed to get you cleaned up as well as the baby. Marc followed after your daughter, and Juno helped take care of getting you cleaned up.

“You know, you really did pick well for your partner.” She smiled, helping you get into another hospital gown that she brought. “I am truly impressed with how present each and every one of your boys has been with you during all of this.”

You sighed dreamily and sat back down on the bed to wait for your baby and your husband to make their reappearance. “Yeah, I’m a lucky woman.” You. Giggled, resting your head on her shoulder while you sat with the goddess. You had a very warm and familial relationship to Juno that wasn’t displayed by other gods, but as a goddess who doesn’t get the luxury of having demigod children, she enjoys sticking close to her favorite avatars.

Marc came back into the room with the baby and two nurses in toe, they were carrying the birth certificate for you to sign, and a very lengthy bit of paperwork on vaccinations and releases. While you signed your half of everything, Marc continued to stare contentedly at your baby, really enjoying the moment. When you finished he handed you your little girl back, and your world felt complete.

“I called him while they were doing her Apgar stuff.” He said, casually clutching your daughter’s tiny hand.

“What?” You gasped, wide eyed. “Oh Marc that’s- I’m really proud of you!” You whispered, clutching his hand with your free one.

“Yeah it was-“ he sighed and sat staring into nothing thoughtfully, “It was hard, but I think I should give him a chance you know? We were all struggling, it doesn’t excuse that he- but I honestly think he deserves a chance.”

“Yeah?” You nodded rubbing his back. “I support whatever decision you make baby, I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah, I better let Jake meet our daughter now huh?” He smiled warily, and you beamed at him.

“Yeah hon, get some rest. I’m sure Jake is excited.” You nodded and held his head as he tensed, gently scratching his scalp until Jake was roused.

“Hola, Mi vida!” You grinned, tucking your baby’s blanket more securely under her chin. “Wanna meet your daughter?”

Jake grinned brightly and you could have sworn he almost squealed with delight. He reached out gently, and brought the tiny baby into his arms. He looked so big in comparison to this tiny little girl, he was mesmerized by her little cheeks and little fingers. She was more than perfect, she was absolutely radiant. “¡Mi amor, me has dado el mundo! ¿Cómo puedo pagarte?” He laughed breathlessly, clutching you both closer to his chest.

“You repay me every day, just by being here!” You whisper, kissing him on the cheek. “Isn’t she pretty?”

“Pretty ni siquiera empieza a cubrirlo, ¡es la cosa más hermosa del mundo!” He laughs, cooing as the baby begins to fuss. Then the most adorable thing in the world happens. Jake begins to rock her and sings softly in Spanish to her, and you could have sworn she grinned. Your heart melted, and you could see tears in the corners of his eyes, though he will vehemently deny it. You sighed happily and curled up in Jake’s arms, sleeping while you had the opportunity, knowing your little family was safe.

Jake took this moment to cry. He could feel such a foreign set of emotions well up in his chest, safety, comfort, contentment, love. He felt like he was holding the world in his hands. You were sleeping and so was your little girl, your little girl. God, Jake couldn’t get enough of that phrase. His little girl, his! Both of his girls were so comfortable in his arms, and he couldn’t believe it. His arms, the same arms that have fought bloody battles, waged wars. His arms were where you found comfort. If he died now he would be completely content. Several nurses had come in and out of the room to check on them, and he could tell that they thought their little family was adorable, but some of them were giving him looks as if he might combust at any moment, and of course, he’s a scary guy, but he couldn’t help but wonder if they were looking at him differently for his… condition. He knew that it lived in his medical record, he got kicked out of the military for it after all, but he guessed it didn’t matter, his girls felt safe with him, his family, your family, felt safe with them, so it must not matter. He was content, his family was safe, that’s all that matters. His alters were staring down at the perfect bundle of pink from various reflections, and he turned to speak with them.

“Wow, we’re the luckiest blokes in the world, huh?” Steven grinned from the reflection in one of the monitors closest to him. He looked happy, it made Jake smile.

“Yeah Steven, we are.” Marc grinned looking contemplative and sullen but still happy. He was staring from the reflection in your phone that was propped on one of those giant plastic hospital water cups with the straw.

“What’s wrong, Amigo?” Jake muttered under his breath, shifting to make you and the baby more comfortable where you were resting on his chest. “You can talk to us.”

“Go on mate, clue us in yeah?” Steven said, shifting his vision to Marc.

“I- I called Dad.” He sighed, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. Steven and Jake both looked at Marc, completely bewildered. Steven was shocked that he would even want to talk to his dad, Jake was shocked that he wasn’t the one to have to make the first move. “I know, crazy. But I wanted him to see, wanted him to see we’re happy, you know?”

“¿Le mostraste al bebé?” Jake muttered, making eye contact with his alter, and subconsciously squeezing you all a little tighter.

“Yeah, I sent him some pictures. He said she’s beautiful, said she looks like-“ he stoped and Jake could tell he wanted to cry.

“Hermano, we don’t have to talk to him.” He shakes his head. “I know he loves her still, she was his wife after all, but if you don’t want to talk about it, you reserve the right to cut him off.” Huffed Jake, annoyed.

“I know, but he honestly apologized immediately after he said it. I think he’s starting to understand that we feel differently about all of this.” Marc sighs.

“I-“ Steven began. “I know that my opinions on all of this is… warped. But I think that we should give him a chance, but if he makes us or the baby or our wife uncomfortable, we reserve the right to kick him out.” He shrugs, “But I for one think it would be nice to have our dad again.”

They all sat in contemplation with this, watching the two most important people in their life doze. “Let’s- Let’s talk about it later.” Jake sighed as he heard your family coming to the room.

“Shh!” He raised a finger to his lips with a grin, as he saw a nurse escorting your sister and her family and your parents into the room. “¿Qué pasa, chicos? ¿Queréis conocer al bebé?” He grinned, rousing you from your sleep with a gentle shake.

“Oh man, you’re a great pillow.” You grumbled, placing a kiss right over his heart. Jake couldn’t have been more in love with you in that moment if he tried. He saw you and Cassie look at each other and squeal shaking your fists, as she ran up to the bed side and ever so cautiously crawled up next to you in bed, pressing your heads right up close to each other as you both peered down at the baby. Jake watched as your sister snapped a picture of you all together, and grinned. It felt good to have a family who wanted to capture all of these moments for him. Made him feel like he truly belonged, which every single person in the room would say that he did.

He grinned as he watched them all holding his baby girl with such care, he couldn’t believe that he would ever feel so safe in a room this full of happy people, but he did. It felt like a miracle.

The family all took their turns holding Aurora, Cassie of course got to go first. She squished between you and Jake on the hospital bed and he carefully transferred the tiny baby into her waiting arms. Cassie smiled and began to cry a bit and when all of Jake’s girls smiled so happily and held each other so gently, well, he couldn’t help but to cry a bit too. Allison took so many pictures, and eventually her husband took the phone so she could swap Jake places to stare down at the baby for herself. Jake did you a favor and took several beautiful photos of all of the women in your family crowding around you and the baby while the men grinned and took photos for their respective wives and well, girlfriend. Though, Steven calling you his wife by accident earlier made him think.

“¿Cómo estás, hermano? ¿Estás bien ahí dentro?” Andreas said taping him playfully on the forehead as he slung an arm around his shoulders. Jake tensed at first, but quickly made himself relax a bit. While startling, Jake wanted this brotherly affection.

“¿Quién soy yo? Oh I’m on top of the world!” He chuckled, patting his brother in laws shoulder in turn.

“It’s okay to be nervous Beta,” his father in law chuckled to his left. He could feel his hand on his back and he smiled at his shoes. “I know I was, two girls? And twins at that? Man I was terrified!“ your dad chuckled and he and Andreas chuckled with him. “I’ll tell you what though, the women in this family are magical. Something about them makes you wanna wrap em up and keep ‘em forever!” He laughed. “You’re gonna do great. All three of you, I hope you can hear me in there.”

Jake smiled and nodded. “They can, they feel as grateful as I am. We’re thrilled to have a good role model.” They broke it up when another click could be heard in the room, and they looked to see all three of the grown women holding up phones to capture this moment. “Romperlo, señoras. Enough pictures, you’ll ruin our street cred!” They all laughed at that and your family continued to pass the baby around. Jake quietly let Marc take back over when he saw him receive a text.

‘Son, I know we aren’t exactly on the best of terms, but I’m in the neighborhood, and I was wondering if I could stop by? - Dad’

Marc felt his muscles tense, and his head shot up to watch as your family contentedly continued to watch you feed the baby, your sister feeding you bites of whatever your mom brought for you to eat, while they had a hushed conversation about what she needed to pick up from the store, and where your parents would be staying. He smiled, and he looked back down at the text, feeling the cold chill tingle back up his spine.

“¿Estás bien, amigo?” Your sister said plopping down next to him on the pull out couch.

“Ye-yeah?” Marc muttered. Not exactly knowing how to respond.

“Oh, Marc, it’s you. What’s wrong man?” She said patting his back.

“Nothing it’s-“ he sighed and looked up into your sister’s eyes. He knew that Andreas struggled with his side of the family for a while when he chose to marry and move to the states, but this seemed like too much to put on your sister. “Hey!” He groused as your sister snatched his phone and proceeded to read the text from his dad. She was a brash one, your sister. Not afraid to take charge of a situation.

Her eyes widened as he read the text and her mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ “Oh man, Marc.” She sighed handing him the phone back. “Listen, if you were gonna ask for my opinion, which you weren’t, but I’ll give it to you anyway, if it disturbs your peace, it’s not worth it. I know that you want to make amends, but if it’s gonna wreck your mental health for the next seven to ten business days, let it go.” Marc considered this, and nodded uneasily, then as if sensing his discomfort, she spoke again. “But, then again, if this could be the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship you have with your father, go for it.” She shrugged, “Set boundaries, go at your pace, don’t be afraid to say no. Whatever the decision Marc, you are going to have to be the one to make it for your family. We will be here to back you, no matter what.” She winked and got up to go help you again, and he smiled softly, watching your family, HIS family, and picturing his father among them, and he decided maybe that picture would be nice.

‘Ok, why don’t you stop by before it gets too late. -Marc’

Your family as if by telepathy made themselves scarce within minutes of him sending the text, explaining that they would be back in a bit with another set of clothing for him, as well as the stuff you forgot to bring. Each woman in the family kissed him on the cheek in turn, and he smiled shakily at your sister as she bearded them out the door.

‘You got this!’ She mouthed with a big thumbs up, and he turned to you, fidgeting with his hands.

“You don’t have to worry, Allison already told me.” She smiled, “I think it’s a good idea inviting him here, in a controlled environment. We’re not inviting him into your safe space, we’re not going to his house. It’s a neutral territory. Easier.” You shrugged wrapping him in your arms, while your baby dosed quietly with you standing over top of her looking down.

“Yeah, easier.” Marc sighed, rubbing a hand down his face with a groan. “I hope you’re right.”

“When have I ever been wrong?” You laughed, plopping down next to him on your bed. “Now, come here and kiss me while the kid is sleeping, we got an hour before she’s hungry again, and I want to spend it loving on you!”

Marc grinned and devoured your mouth with a smile, caressing your curves and cradling your head. “God, what did I ever do to deserve you?” He grinned, then there was a knock. He paled, and you hushed him, smoothing a hand over his face with a smile. You both looked to see Marc’s father in the doorway, and you straightened yourself out, feeling a bit like horny teenagers.

“Hello!” You grinned taking the initiative, and waddling over to your father in law with a grin. “You must be Elias, nice to meet you.” You said shaking his hand. Marc placed himself between the cradle and the door where you stood, fidgeting with his fingers. He slowly walked up and put a hand around your waist and looked up to greet his dad.

“Hey, dad.” He nodded, waving awkwardly. The baby started fussing and you chuckled clicking your tongue. They just stood there staring at each other as you went to feed Aurora.

You were startled by how similar they looked, the hair, the nose, the stature. It was all very similar. You also couldn’t help but notice that Elias had the body language of Steven, it was shocking just how similar they looked. It was starting to get awkward as you sat feeding the baby, and you sighed when Juno walked in carrying a stack of something. “Why don’t you two go on a walk hmm?” you smiled, “I’ll finish feeding her, and you can come back and hold her.”

Elias, who still hadn’t said a word, nodded and ushered his son from the room. They walked side by side down the halls, waiting a considerable amount of time before either decided to speak. Elias took the initiative there.

“She’s uh,” he shook his head and motioned back toward the room with his hand. “She’s beautiful Marc! Quite the woman.”

He smiled, “You look very happy together.”

“Uh yeah,” Marc shrugged, “We are, we all are.” There it was. Out in the open. That simple use of ‘we’ was a powerful one. It thickened the air with crackling tension, as if any moment, lightning would strike and scatter their atoms to dust.

“Yeah, I’m-“ Elias sighed, rubbing his chin. “I’m glad to hear it. How are your uh, how’s your.” He gestured vaguely at his temple and tried to meet Marc’s gaze.

“ They’re fine, Steven is uh- Steven is now a tour guide at the museum?” His mouth was dry, tongue almost too heavy in his mouth, like he swallowed a million bees. “Jake is a cab driver, and I’m still. I’m still me.” He sighed. Elias nodded, and Marc took it as a good sign. “Yeah, uh. We, we’re getting help, talking to someone you know? It’s hard to parse everything out, but we make it work and she’s- God my wife is great!” He laughed with a shrug. “She’s the only thing keeping us all together.” He nodded tearfully.

“That’s good son, I’m happy for you.” He smiles, “Will you be ok? You know? With the baby and all? I guess it’s- I don’t know, I try reading and learning but everyone makes it seem like you’re- and I know your not, and then there’s your mo-“

“Honestly? I don’t want to talk about it.” Marc laughed bitterly. “I really don’t. We’re not dangerous, my alters and I all love the baby equally, we all want to be there for her, we all want to be good fathers. Clearly, having DID or not doesn’t determine wether or not I’ll be a good parent. It makes it harder, sure. We have a good partner though. She’s a great mom.” He nods settling his dad with a hard look. “I’m not ready to talk to you about- everything. Randall or-“ he paused and took a shaky breath. “Or mom. But, I want you to meet your granddaughter, I want to try again.”

Elias stood there for a moment in stunned silence, looking his son up and down. “Ok.”

He said simply, nodding slightly and patting Marc on the back. “I can do that. We can go at your pace. I want to meet them, Steven and Jake, I want to meet your wife or girlfriend? Are you married? Doesn’t matter, I want to hold your baby. I want to make up for lost time.”

Marc stood stunned and staring at his father, and he felt a weight fall off his shoulders. He never thought a conversation like this would be possible. He never thought all he had to do was set boundaries. He was more likely to believe he had to fight some weird dragon first or something. Your sister was right, boundaries were a good thing, and it made all of this easier, but he was exhausted, so he gripped his dad in a hug, and used it as excuse to let Steven front again. When he pulled back, Steven was startled to see his father. “Oh em, hello!” He waved and hunched back over with a small smile. Elias watched as his son’s posture became smaller, as if he was attempting to take up less space. He heard the accent and was startled, but he kept his composure with a smile. He was going to do this the right way, for his boy. “Dad! It’s really, it’s amazing to see you!” He chuckled awkary, scratching his head.

“Hello Steven. It’s nice to see you too, we should get back to your wife, yes?” He nodded putting a hand to his son’s back. He nodded, and Steven led him back to your room with a grin.

Steven was happy to see your family was back, filling the space with their noise and comfort. You seemed to be eating and the baby was tucked in her bassinet snoozing away. His father though, seemed a bit overwhelmed. “Um everyone? This is my Dad.”

He smiled, gesturing towards Elias with a smile. Elias waved and came further into the room. The room fell a bit quiet, and he heard the baby fuss. “Oh,” Steven cooed and went to pick her up gently. “Already used to the constant noise huh squirt? That’s good. Your mum’s family is a bit rowdy.” He chuckled as slowly, everyone introduced themselves after chuckling at his joke.

“Bring her over lovie!” You smiled, sat next to his father on your bed. You gestured for him to hand the baby to his dad, and he gently handed her over while you helped him to adjust to holding her head. “Isn’t she so pretty? I’m glad she got your brown eyes.” You mumbled absent mindedly, curling into his fathers back to look at the baby over his shoulder, reaching to pull her tiny hat back down over her head while his dad grinned down at her, muttering prayers and blessings in quiet Hebrew, telling you what he was like as a baby, and patting your hand fondly. Steven stepped back and took in the happy scene and his world, really, truly felt complete. Full to the brim of things he thought he couldn’t have.

You all settled into easy conversation until visiting hours came to a close. Steven had at some point been swamped again for Jake so he could speak to Elias, and the night went on without a hitch. By the time the nurse came to kick them out, Elias was playing a card game with your father, Allison and Andreas were speaking quietly with your mother about possible siblings for Cassie, and you, Jake, the baby, and Cassie were all curled up in your bed. Cassie was at the laying on your right, tucked into your side and snoozing clutching her bear, who’s matching twin bear was tucked in the empty cradle while Aurora was being held, you were curled into Jake who was on your left with a flat cap resting over his eyes, possibly sleeping, possibly ‘just resting Los viejos ojos’, and the baby was resting gently on your legs where they were bent at the knee. “Are you happy Querida?” Jake muttered with a grin, rubbing your arm.

“Of course my love!” You beamed, cuddling closer to him as you gestured to the bed. “I got my sun, moon, and stars laying here with me, how could I not be?” He chuckled and muttered about how cheesy that was, but gave you a sweet kiss anyway. The nurse told them all that visiting hours had ended, and they could all come back tomorrow. Each person took their turn saying goodbye with a hug and a kiss or a squeeze and a pat on the shoulder. Cassie whined a bit when she had to leave but otherwise they were fine. Then you were left to your own devices. You tucked the baby into her cradle, making sure to wrap her up snuggly in her blankets. Once it was all said and done, you all settled in to sleep, feeling perfectly content.

Konshu had been careful to keep his presence light in this affair, but he finally appeared again in your room while you slept. He peered down at the sleeping child, and rested his fingertips on her forehead, muttering a blessing under his breath. He stared and stared, keeping careful guard over his Avatar’s most valuable treasure yet, when he felt the presence of another divine being.

“Welcome, Juno.” He muttered, not bothering to look away from the baby.

“Hello old friend,” she sighed, wrapping an arm around one oh his and looking down at the baby herself. “How are they?” She nodded at the bed where their patrons lay.

“They will sleep peacefully, I saw to that.” He nodded, sparing a glance at them and turning his head back to the baby.

“Do they know?” Juno whispered, looking back to the baby and her friend as they both watched over their avatars.

“No, I’ll keep it that way as well,” Konshu sighed wearily, leaning into his staff with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “If it’s the smallest favor I give them, I have a strange and terrible feeling it still will never be enough.”

“Ah, so you’ve grown attached then?” Juno chuckles, touching the now slightly fussing baby with a finger, and soothing her before it disturbed the parents.

“To the worm? No.” Konshu scoffed, but Juno saw right through him. She glanced at the sleeping couple and grinned, “I simply pleaded with Taweret to let the child live in the face of certain doom and let her be strong. I’ll need a new avatar eventually!” He grumbled.

“Oh you silly old bird,” Juno laughed. “You can admit you like them, I won’t tell. I mean, you don’t go and plead to another goddess for the life of one child for nothing!” She winked and Konshu shook his head.

“I’ll admit to no such thing.” He huffed. But he still stood with Juno, watching as the soft, squishy, Human breathed in her cradle. Her spirit was strong to be certain. She was a fighter already, he could tell. She sighed, and a foreign sense of fierce loyalty came over the old god. He looked and looked and kept looking even after Juno had long sense left. He watched as you and his Moonknight took care of the child, not really making his presence known, but keeping an eye out anyway. Making sure nobody was coming for them while they were sedentary. It was strange, he had never seen all facets of his Avatar content before, but he liked it. He valued this aspect of his avatar, it restored a part of him that Konshu valued most about them, their humanity. Seeing him so vulnerable, and overjoyed, and downright hopeful. It reminded him why he chose them in the first place. Their compassion, their bravery. He valued that, even more, he valued this tiny baby, and the baby’s mother who made them all so happy. He liked this family, liked their strength. Maybe Juno was right, maybe he was fond of them after all. Only one way to find out, stay with them as long as he can. And so, he did.

#moonknight #moonknight x reader #marc spector moon knight #jake lockley moon knight #steven grant moon knight #moon knight story #moonknight fanfiction #moon knight #marc spector x reader #marc spector #jake lockley #jake lockely x reader #steven grant #steven grant x reader #konshu #marvel #mcu au

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saphirered · 2 years ago

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Hiya! If you're still write for Verin I was wondering if I could ask for something where he is absolutely smitten for a baker in town and the mighty nein (and maybe essek?) are trying to be his wing-posse? Love your writing!!

I had a plan. Then I got side tracked. I blinked and the word count grew larger than I expected. Hope you enjoy it regardless and sorry for the wait. 😘

Verin doesn’t know what the fuss is about. Ever since his last visit his brother’s friends-his friends, he supposes, have been going on and on about this little shop providing the best baked goods in Exandria and beyond. The bubbly one; Jester has told him so many times he can’t shoot down those baked goods before he’s tried them. He suggested taking a bite of the cupcakes she bought but she insisted he needed the full ‘experience’ or whatever that’s supposed to mean. How good can something baked be when it needs an ‘experience’ to make it good? Then again, the places he’s spent the last few decades at are hardly the centres of decent cuisines, let alone delicacies, so who is he to judge? Perhaps it’s the curiosity he and his brother share that pushes him to want to learn more about this mystery bakery. Perhaps it is that same stubbornness that compels him to go find the place on his own. Though it might be more likely he doesn’t feel like dealing with several loose cannons that will not doubt to make a fool out of him. It already took him nearly grovelling at his brother’s feet to swear him to silence for a disguise spell so he would pass freely through the streets without concern given his being and the still shaky relationship between the Empire and Dynasty.

And so he strolls down the streets looking for the bakery. Verin realises he’s made one great error; he never caught the name of the shop. Given this is the capital city, the amount of people and those people needing food, there’s many bakeries around, some better than others. He relies entirely on his senses. He remembers the smell of the bag of baked goods Jester stocks up on before a new voyage, or the ones Caleb would pick up on his way home from work. He has some sense and with difficulty tries to match what he can find but to no avail. He must have passed a good dozen or two bakeries while wandering and none share that particular aroma he recalls. Not until… Something- or rather someone runs into him.

“Oh dear, Moonweaver, I am so sorry!” Verin is caught off guard for just a moment because in that brief moment of closeness he is hit with the exact air he’s been looking for; fresh dough, slightly herbal at times but complimented with a balanced sweetness. It’s unique in every sense. He never thought he’d be able to tell apart one bakery’s scent from another but your being stands out from all of them, you carry it naturally, as if you’re surrounded by it day and night, perhaps you are.

Verin managed to catch you before you could fall and straightens you, to make sure you’re on steady footing once more. He takes you in; lovely features, sleeves rolled up, apron tied around your waist, but what stands out to him is the brief moment of shock in your eyes when you meet his eyes, your mouth slightly agape. He’d perhaps not-so-jokingly boast about catching someone off guard with his handsome looks were he not supposed to be disguised as the plainest of individuals through his brother’s spellwork. A quick glance at his hands shows he should still be, so why do you look like you see right through him? Verin is instantly on guard. But then the shock disappears, and your eyes soften until a grateful smile graces your features. It makes him question wether he’s just gotten paranoid and he imagined it or if this is something more.

“Thank you for catching me.” You pull at your sleeves, shuffling a bit and brush off your apron, still somewhat smudged with the remnants of flour.

“It’s no trouble. It’s not every day someone so lovely nearly tackles you to the ground. Though, if this is a reoccurring thing for you, might I suggest some more stable footing so you don’t end up being the one on the ground, or needing to be saved by a stranger?” Verin finds it within himself to humour you. Your light laughter at the joke has him feel warm inside, his chest tingling. It’s been a while since he’s felt this upon a first meeting. He can’t say the feeling is entirely unwelcome.

“Well then, I shall share with you my secret; is it not fairytales where one stumbles into a knight in shiny armour to save them?” You retort with ease. It surprises you how easy it is to talk to this individual.

“Oh, so I’m a knight in shiny armour now, am I?” Disguise or no, that half grin is as charming as ever. You look him up and down; tall, somewhat strongly built, light eyes, plain features, very nondescript attire. These are the looks of someone who doesn’t want to stand out, be remembered, but you see past the illusion for your sight is true. In front of you stands a handsome drow of tall build sculpted like someone who spent years, perhaps even decades honing skills befit of a warrior, and using them given by the few visible traces of restored injuries, white hair is pulled away from his face somewhat messily and accentuates the violet eyes that stare upon you. Were you anyone else the elf in front of you might have been in trouble, but you’re not. You see him as he is, like you see the one who comes by your shop sometimes as he is too. You suppose they do look similar, in a way. Similar features though the one that holds the arm of the transmutation professor of the academy is built more slim as opposed to the drow in front of you now.

“Shall we find out?” You take a step backwards, and another. “Because I must be going.”

“Wait! I don’t even know your name.” The warrior says, the smile in his voice is clear even when you turn your back to him and take another few paces. Though you cast one final look over your shoulder.

“You may earn it at Sinful Delights if you’re daring enough.” With a proud grin Verin places a hand over his heart and bows. He sees you shaking your head as you continue to walk and leave him the streets. His eyes follow you, until you are out of sight. He feels weightless, and the feeling doesn’t disappear when he hears his brother’s voice in his mind telling him that spell is about to run short and he better hurry back. That encounter with you is entirely ethereal and might as well have been a dream. He replays it over and over again and comes to the conclusion; he will take you up on that offer and now he’s got something to go off; find the mysterious bakery and the gorgeous baker to make good on the challenge placed before him.

So comes another day, and another bargain with his brother. Essek commented on his absent minded state, claiming Verin’s head to be in the clouds. While Verin would pride himself decently capable at covering his emotions if he so chooses, he had chosen not to and some of the Nein might have caught on. Before he knew it he was interrogated like never before, and he simply gave in admitting he’d met someone he’d taken a liking to on his stroll about town. That’s about all he revealed though. He’s not entirely foolish. But now he finds himself in that same disguise wearing the face of another, while he walks the streets, looking for a bakery; Sinful Delights. Stubborn as he might be he manages to ask a stranger for directions and find himself in front of a quaint shop, the smell of freshly baked goods permeating the near vicinity pleasantly. Through the windows he sees customers, the door opens and closes for patrons; the shop is busy. Given the smell it has good reasons to be. It’s delicious and so Verin steps forward, to the door, the bell ringing as he enters.

You’re moving to and from, collecting order after order for the customers and sending them on their way. smile never faltering, not for child, not for old man, not for the rude nor crestfallen, you offer comfort in your unique way, It’s magnificent to see in action. Your eyes fall on him and you smile wider, eyes twinkling with amusement. Once again Verin feels that fuzziness within that goes accompanied with a crush. When Verin had taken a seat you’d plated some slices of bread with a few dollops of jams to the side and set it at the table near the window. He’d graciously taken what you offered even though you barely had time to say hello, you did. He likes to watch you move about with that smile simply because he can see the joy and fulfilment you get out of what you do, the pride that shines in your eyes when the customers compliment your baking, and thank you on their way out promising to see you again come morning as they always do. But finally the rush hour calms down and you’re left alone in the shop, only the other workers in the back preparing the next batches of goods while you take a break and sit down opposite of Verin.

“I have to say I’m impressed, not only did you go through the efforts of finding this place, but you also stuck around for a good hour without even a single word of discontent.” You are impressed. Very few people show that kind of patience. Though, you do feel sorry for this familiar stranger and leaving him waiting during the busy hour. If anyone could take over you would have told them to do so, but you stood alone this morning.

“You were busy.” Verin simply states. He may not be someone with a conventional job, nor ever have had one as mundane as working in a shop, but he has an understanding of them. He sees the beauty in that orderly chaos, the people, and the gratification one gets from it. Though it might not have the excitement and adrenaline rush of facing some demon from the pits of the Abyss, and or stand victorious against an enemy, that does not make your job any less fulfilling nor important. If he looks back upon his life now, he’d wish for that what you have, were he ever given the choice even though he would not trade his current life. He sees you see it to, in his eyes; simple acknowledgement, even at a lack of understanding the details of his life. You understand and so you smile at him, radiating a welcoming aura.

“Well, thank you for your patience-“

“Verin.” He gives his name. “You may call me Verin.” It’s been quite some time someone called him by his name as is simply for who he is and not as a fellow warrior, a commanding officer, a member of Den Thelyss. Even with the Nein it felt different. They know his story, or at least part thereof, they knew it before they met him where you do not. You see him as he is, see through the disguise. That’s something he’ll have to ask about later but for now he’ll put it to the side.

“Verin.” You repeat. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Verin. I’m-“ You are cut off by your name being shouted from the back of the shop. You sigh exasperated and rise, excusing yourself for a moment. In your absence the drow finds himself repeating your name in his head, growing accustomed to it. It fits you well. Before he knows it you’ve returned and sit down with a sigh placing two plates on the table. The scent of savoury with just a dash of sweet hits him and he knows now, what he’s been associating this place with; you. It’s unique and so natural.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“This-this is breakfast. I don’t really like eating in my own and if you don’t mind the company, we can do this more often?” You suggest. You’re forward but not entirely. Your approach is gentle and innocent, leaving him to make a decision without being pushed or pressured to make one, and giving him space to think, change his mind if he so decided. You do not wait in anticipation, and instead pick up the knife and fork you brought, cutting the savoury breakfast with a hint of sweet in half and taking a bite. Verin feels a smile creep on his face and so he, instead of a reply simply digs in. Over your belated breakfast you talk about everything and nothing at all. The weather, the city, your day, his day. He learns your favourite colours, foods and other things you like and so he tells you his own preferences in return. The banter is easy-going, never too personal and leaving plenty of room to back off or avoid personal answers if either of you is not feeling obligated to share those details. It feels so natural, and more homey that Verin has felt in a long time. He feels free of who he is when he is in your company. It doesn’t change over his next visit. Or the one after that, or the one after that. Or after that…

—————

Over his next few visits, it’s become a regular occurrence for Verin to find himself in his brother’s presence asking for yet another disguise, to the point where the former Shadowhand has been working on enchanting something instead to provide his younger brother with the same level of security to pass through the city freely without having to bother him every morning at the same time, refusing to discuss where he is going and calling upon some brotherly pact to swear him to secrecy. Verin takes some amount of pleasure in having pushed his brother to such limits and be granted a semblance of what they had before they became what they were among the Dynasty. Even Essek cannot deny the positive effects of his brother’s wanderings into the city to go wherever he does. He’s attempted to scry but to no avail. Verin is safeguarded from such magics and he’s too good a soldier to allow himself to be followed. The Nein has tried after they’d grown suspicious. They had theorised Verin might be plotting something, for better or worse but that was quickly shot down. Others suggested he might have some embarrassing hobby. Essek doubted that. His brother is rather shameless. Many more theories came and went until the friendly firbolg stated that perhaps the Taskhand of the Dynasty was simply smitten. He would be right.

The bell to the front door rings upon its opening. You dance around the counter to greet your friend-little more than friend you suppose though neither of you have put proper thought in what you are, or might become. Nevertheless you smile brightly, mirroring Verin’s own as you wrap your arms around his neck. His fall to encompass your waist, lifting you off your feet briefly before setting you back down again. You lightly brush your lips against his cheek as you take his hand and lead him to your usual table; already set with yet another delicacy made just for the two of you. You dig in once more, talking about your days apart, omitting the more sensitive details for the sake of the public, but you know. You know what secrets Verin holds and while you might not know all of them, might not want to know all of them, you know enough.

When Verin came clean to you about his home, his place there, he expected you to run and never look back, to shout at him, call him a liar but you did none of those. You simply clasped your hand over his, and told him your sight is true, you see him for who he is and that is a good man, that’s all that matters to you. You know not the commander of the forces that fight evil in Bazzoxan. You know not the Taskhand of the Dynasty the Bright Queen commands. You know not the remaining prodigal son of Den Thelyss who needs to live up to expectations after his brother’s departure and disappearance. You simply know a man who could use some kindness in his life, and someone who sees him for him. That’s how you learned to know him. That’s how you’ll view him. All that other stuff doesn’t change a single thing about the man you ran into on the streets, and have been eating breakfast with since whenever he is in town.

“So how has your latest adventure been?” You ask pouring some tea into the cups set out.

“Madness. As per usual. It never ceases to amaze me how this unorganised bunch has managed to survive this long on the merits of luck and stupidity.” He laughs. You both know he wouldn’t have it any different. The chaos keeps him on his toes, keeps things interesting and fresh, even if sometimes he’d be tempted to feed certain members of the Nein, his brother included to the demons in the darkest pits of the ancient temple for their recklessness.

“I’m not surprised.” You retort. “Though you seem to not have been so lucky.” You hint to the bandage wrapped around his lower arm, mostly hidden by his shirt. He’d hoped you wouldn’t notice but he should have known better; you see all.

“No need to worry, love. Nothing but a scratch. Almost entirely healed already.” Verin uncovers the wrapped injury to show it looks just fine. He sees some relief from you and when you go to touch the bandages he instead laces his fingers with yours. “Still sensitive.” He defends.

“Oh, I thought you said it’s not that bad. You wouldn’t mind me taking a look would you? Or are you simply scared I’ll have your head once I ask for the full story?” Verin knows you’re only half joking. You will have his head when you find out he’d recklessly put himself in that place, and is more like the Nein than he might care to admit, if only to not succumb to the teasing his brother had fallen victim to in his initiation into the group.

“Words out of my mouth.” The warrior retorts and you simply blow him a kiss and your late morning continues until you must separate once more, promising to reunite the next day. The time apart sets you to think. What are you? What have you become? The kiss on the cheek he gave you before he went off, is more than just friendly, same was yours. The endless flirting is not something that feels just friendly anymore. Slowly you’re transitioning into different territory. Neither of you seem to mind as far as it goes, but you’re reaching a point where you might have to have a more serious talk. Tomorrow, you tell yourself. Tomorrow, Verin tells himself. Tomorrow you’ll talk. You both feel the butterflies in your stomach.

————

The next day comes rolling around. Morning comes far too early and perhaps Verin should not have taken up the intimidating woman in a drinking game because she absolutely obliterated him. The monk’s words ring in his head still; ‘no one defeats my badass’ and so it holds true, testimony by his hangover, and pounding headache. Luckily the herbal scent of a steaming cup of tea reaches his nose from the table next to the couch he crashed on. However, his awakening is a rude one as the blue tiefling pokes his shoulder with a force sure to leave a bruise repeating his name over and over. With a groan he rolls onto his other side but the warmth of the blanket he’d wrapped around himself is pulled away and he’s left with Jester’s mischievous eyes staring down at him.

“What can I do for you this fine morning, Jester?” Verin groans rubbing his brow and sitting up. He doesn’t think twice and grabs the steaming cup of tea.

“We’re going to the bakery and you’ve been avoiding going there for long enough. Come on, Verin! You totally have to try their cupcakes, oh and jelly tarts, and fruit biscuits. And the cherry pie is just to die for! You have to come along, Verin. Please, please, please?” Jester begs, making puppy eyes rivalling those of the Nugget the Blink Dog. That’s simply not a face anyone could say no to but Verin wasn’t born yesterday. He’d rather keep things on the down low and doesn’t think bursting Jester’s bubble is fair either. He wanted to tell her he’s already been there, has been going there for a while now, but has simply been waiting for the right time to say so and the right way to explain it too. That time simply hadn’t come.

“However much I’d love to, I have somewhere to be later this morning. Perhaps next time?” He tries his usual excuse.

“But you always say that!” Jester huffs disappointed looking for help around the empty living room; or so Verin thought because as it proves his brother is a traitor in more ways than the obvious one.

“Yes, brother, why have you been avoiding something as mundane as a trip to the bakery?” Essek’s lack of footsteps are something he’d gotten used to but that doesn’t make his older brother any less annoying, especially for outing him like so, like he’d been waiting for an opportune moment, and had found it right here, right now. He casts a glance at Essek as Jester looks between the two of them, catching on that the wizard might just know more than he’s letting on. She wants to know. She will find out.

“Because I have some errands to run, brother.” Verin urges him to back off, but Essek wouldn’t be his brother if he backed down so easily. Some sibling rivalry still remains, will forever remain and they both take great pleasure in it, but in this very moment Verin damns his brother to hell and back again. As expected, wherever the wizard goes, the other is usually not far behind. A somewhat still groggy Caleb wanders down the stairs and finds his usual spot next to Essek. He knows he’ll find no aid in the redhead and won’t look for it either but the man’s next words leave him to consider, his brother might have shared some suspicions and secrets with than he’d hoped.

“Ah, you can join us on our trip, then. We planned to go shopping together this morning.” He can’t say no. He won’t say no because no matter what, it’ll rise suspicion. At least he’d get a chance to distract from visiting your bakery, get this shopping spree over with and meet up with you in time for your usual appointment without blowing his cover. It’s a blessing and a curse to be in this place and he looks forward all the more to that moment of peace away from the Nein, to tell you all about everything and finally address his more-than-crush on you in the privacy of your brunch far away from prying eyes and ears.

————

This plan backfired miserably, absolutely miserably. The Nein were quick, going through their shopping lists fast, and all were starving for some good food. None of the Rexxentrum places were good enough, they were craving the baked goods of your shop, and your shop only. It was getting close to the hour he’s supposed to meet you and knows the shop will be relatively empty between rushes and usual meal times. No matter what alternatives Verin suggested, they were adamant and he fears his brother, the wizard and the monk had caught onto something, whereas he was absolutely certain the pink haired firbolg read him like an open book but thankfully showed him mercy and did not question or reveal anything to the others. Still he got more antsy the closer they got to the familiar street, and he found himself fumbling with his fingers when standing in front of that door, hearing the ringing of the bell, and being dragged in by the arm by Jester.

A quick scan around the room reveals the usual table in the corner by the window has been set ready. You’ve just finished up with another customer and smile brightly at the Nein. Verin notices your eyes linger just a fraction longer on him, than they do on the others but your pokerface remains in place. You’re doing far better than he has and it leaves him wondering the true extend of your acting skills, if you can keep these people fooled.

“Good morning, Mighty Nein! It’s always a pleasure to see my favourite customers grace my shop again. What can I do for you today?” Your charm shines through loud and clear. Verin has seen you around customers, but never where he has been part of that group where it’s directed at him the way you do now. Not to say you are not charming, it’s just… The charm you show him is far different, more personal and intimate. That’s a revelation he might not have had, an assurance too, if it were not for the Nein being persistent. In his train of thought Verin’s missed Jester going down a long list of baked goods she wishes to bring along on her next journey with Fjord, as well as a ‘quick’ order for her parents. The half-orc is left wondering if she intends to feed the entire crew of the Nein Heroez for the journey by the looks of it. Nevertheless, you make sure to start packing right away, filling boxes with what’s already on display and venturing into the back to gather more. Verin has been following your every move with admiration until you leave his sight, and he is back in his own mind, until pulled back to Exandria that is.

“Ooh Verin, have you gotten a taste for sweets?” Beauregard speaks suggestively. He freezes for a fraction of a second but that’s more than enough for the more insightful ones to catch on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Verin speaks a little too quickly and not even an innocent smile can cover that mistake for him. Luckily for him you return and cut short whatever might have been brewing in questions as you help the blue tiefling put the boxes and boxes of pastries, sweets and more in her pink haversack. Fjord lends a hand by stashing what’s on the counter in his bag of holding too and when the last box is packed, and you turn to the others, he’s the first to call upon you.

“So, our friend here, he’s new in town and we’d hate for him to miss out on the experience of your freshly baked delicacies. You don’t happen to have anything right out of the oven, do you?” Fjord asks, a little too innocent and when you see Jester wrap her arm around his, you know this is a silent pact in the making. So you simply play along.

“A friend of yours is a friend of mine. As a matter of fact, I do. I got some peach tarts, cooling down and ready for eating in about a minute if you don’t mind the wait.”

“Not at all! Not at all. We have plenty of time, don’t we?” Even Veth is in on it it seems, given the looks she casts between you and Verin, and especially the Nein’s instant agreement. You wait and pack up the other orders they have.

“So our friend here, he could use some familiarity in the city when we’re not always able to join him. I’m sure he’ll be sold on your baking from the moment he tries it, and you’ll have another loyal customer at your doorstep every day he visits.” Caleb implies.

“You speak far too highly, Mr. Caleb. Though, your compliments are much appreciated.” You smile.

“So what have you been up to lately?” So the small talk starts but no matter what or who speaks, somehow some way it always falls back to Verin, talking about how he’s pretty great, how he has a sweet tooth and your baking will be just perfect, he’s new and maybe you could show him around some time, especially after you mentioned you haven’t been out in a while so you could have some time off together. Each and every little comment made Verin want the earth beneath his feet to swallow him whole, yet you still played along. There were some slip ups he noticed, not just on his part but yours as well, but if anyone noticed, they did not call you out on it. This continued until you managed to excuse yourself, to get the peach tarts you promised, and you return with them served and ready, setting them all on the counter, given that your usual table is occupied.

“Were you expecting someone?” Yasha asks eying the set table.

“Oh, no. Not really. I was just about to have a late breakfast when you came in.” You excuse but there’s some suspicion in the ones that don’t entirely buy your half truth and so you opt for distraction by handing out the tarts to each one of them. Some wait until everyone has theirs, while others, dig right in. Verin is the last to receive his, and eyes fall to him, as he takes a bite. They watch him, awaiting his response as he chews and swallows his bite awkwardly. To avoid further complications he simply focuses on you. Peach tarts. He told you he liked peaches. Told you how he hadn’t had proper ones in quite a while and looked forward to enjoying them again when the opportunity arose. You made him his favourites. You share a brief moment of understanding, and he watches your cheeks flush lightly when his eyes speak thankfulness. You remembered. Of course your remembered.

“Well, how is it?” The anticipation is killing Jester.

“Good. It’s very good.”

“Ugh! But what do you think?” she complains, not satisfied with his nondescript answer.

“Delicious. They’re my favourite, peaches. I can’t recall the last time I found them so-so unique. Truly remarkable.”

“Yeah, and now about the tart.” Verin realises he’s been looking at you and just you when he spoke. It might have been a bit too dreamy of a gaze. Some of the Nein manages a chuckle or muffled laugh at the starstruck drow warrior.

“That’s very nice of you, Verin.” You thank him. A pin drops. Time stops and all eyes turn to you. Confusion. Shock. Revelation. And the air of puzzle pieces being put together. You clasp your hands over your mouth, regretting your mistake instantly and sending Verin an apologetic look. He doesn’t seem angry or even upset in the slightest, and if so, definitely not at you. There’s a hint of relief if you look closer. No more hiding, you suppose. That’s a good thing. But either way, you’d hoped to let him do this on his own terms than accidentally calling him by his name; a name you had not gotten in this interaction mind you, and revealing you two have a deeper connection.

“Wait a second…”

“No way.”

“Way.”

“You two know each other?”

“Verin, you lied to us?”

“I-we uhhh- yes?” The two of you stumble in unison. The cat’s out of the bag. What comes next? So many things still to be figured out but now this to deal with first?

“Okay, so we’re here totally trying to butter you up, get you to see mister charming over here, and get him to admit to this crush of his when you’ve already been doing gods know what behind our backs for how long?” Beau complains. Your heart skips a beat when the monk blatantly calls out Verin’s affections for you, and being faced with how obvious they are to them, you can no longer deny the chance he might not return your affections.

“So every time you came and asked for help, you came here?” Essek asks even though he already knows the answer. He’ll take satisfaction in catching his brother redhanded and confronting him that his older brother still has the upper hand.

“It’s still fresh, isn’t it?” The friendly firbolg looks between the two of you as you glance at each other, share a look that says it all and speaks volumes. “How about we leave the kids to set their thoughts straight for a moment?” Cad suggests and while some of them might not be entirely in agreement, they can’t argue with his logic. There’s more going on, and if they want to pry, want further answers, giving you a chance to convene, might just work in their benefit. So they leave your shop with some goodbyes and promises to come back later, leaving just you and Verin. Silence looms but not uncomfortably so. Neither of you really know what to do or say at the moment.

“It’s very sweet of them to try help you out in your blatant crush on me?” You chuckle. The hint of tension disappears entirely.

“You just love to see me squirm. But if we’re comparing, I’d say my own actions have been a mirror of yours, if I’m not misinterpreting.” He raises an eyebrow.

“You’re not.” You state as a matter of fact. Verin’s focus shoots to you, in an instant.

“Is today the day of confessions?” He finds himself toe to toe with you, engulfed in the warmth of a thousand suns yet not painful, not bothersome. It’s been quite some time but he finally feels like he is where he’s supposed to be, Verin feels like he belongs; opposite of you, where he can see you smile at him, where he can see the light in your eyes and allow it to lead him out of the dark he’s been wandering for far too long.

“You ask too many questions.”

“And I’ll ask one more.” He takes your hands in his, brings them close to his chest. You simply lace your fingers with his and offer a light squeeze of acknowledgement, urging him to continue. It’s not exactly what Verin had in mind. If anything this is the furthest from it. Still, he feels nervous, he feels as if what he is to ask next, his world might crumble depending on the answer, regardless of the signs you’ve given him.

“Ask away, then.” You invite and so the worries disappear, the sheer tone of your voice banishing any insecurities that might have risen. He feels like himself, his true self. He is without the act, without responsibilities and demands of others. You allow him to be himself unapologetically. You embrace him for who he is, have accepted him from the very beginning and so comes his question.

“May I kiss you?” The question already hung in the air, the reminder of your closeness all the more clear, and while you cast a quick glance through the shop front window to see the Nein pretending not to look, while some of them leaned against the glass panes to catch a glimpse of what comes next. You’re not one to make a scene, nor to give a show but you’re feeling bold and so you untangle one hand from Verin’s, place it on his cheek and guide his face down to yours. Your lips touch his softly, the faint taste of peach tart still present.

It’s over all too soon, as you remain foreheads against each other, eyes still closed taking in the moment and you both realise; this tastes like more. Who are you to not indulge into this? Lips meet, repeated pecks, discovering, exploring, until they grow longer, less careful, and more passionate. Your lips move against each other, arms wrapping around Verin’s neck while he holds your face to his, stroking his thumbs over your cheeks, affectionately. You forget entirely about your audience. You forget where you stand. You forget about the past, and the future. You live in the moment. You live. Verin lives. No matter where this leads, or where it goes, you’ll both live in the moment and that moment is together. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

#critical role x reader #mighty nein x reader #verin x reader #verin thelyss x reader #critrole x reader #critical role #critical role fanfic #critical role fanfiction #critical role imagine #verin thelyss #mighty nein

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asingleheart-shapedbraincell · 4 years ago

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Obey Me! Brothers react to MC wearing their cologne

Gender Neutral MC

k, so the basic premise is that Asmo borrowed your perfume, forgot to give it back and you’re running late so you just go to the brothers bathroom (I seem to remember cannonically everyone but MC and Lucifer have a shared bathroom, but I also know that Asmo has his own???? idk) anyway, you just grab the nearest one and give urself a spritz before booking it to whatever class you’re about to be late for. They smell it on you in class and now they’re in their feelings.

I have no idea how you got hold of Lucifer’s cologne. Maybe Mammon had stolen it and left it in the shared bathroom while he figured out how to sell it.

Do we really care about the context???

Lucifer

hmmmm??

confused at first - wonders if maybe he put more on this morning than usual bc he’s not sure why he can smell it more than usual

Realises when he leans over to help you with some classwork and freezes as he tries to process 1) how did you get hold of his cologne? and 2) why does he like it SO MUCH????

Like, yes, he likes the smell of his cologne that’s why he bought it but he REALLY likes the smell of it on you

You got him feeling territorial and soft and he just wants to bury his face in the crook of your neck and stay there

Is extra smug the rest of the day, even if he won’t tell anyone why

Will just sit back and watch as other demons throughout the day pick up the scent and watches their faces change as they realise who you smell like. People are giving you extra room in the hallway and just generally being VERY respectful to the point where it’s almost fearful.

It’s a massive ego stroke for him and he definitely wants to figure out a way to make this a regular thing

Mammon

hhhnnnnnggggghhhhh tsundere.exe has stopped working

the SECOND he realises you smell like him his hair is on end and his face is tomato red ‘ARE YA WEARING MY COLOGNE????’

‘uh, probably?’

I mean OF COURSE you want to smell like the Great Mammon - He smells great!!!! You smell better tho

Cannot think straight when he’s around you (or, more aptly, he less able to think straight around you than normal)

Desperately hopes that you chose his cologne on purpose bc you want to smell like him

Loves seeing other demons twig onto your scent; letting them know that you’re HIS human without him needing to say it (he still says it tho)

wants you to smell like this all the time - and isn’t as smooth about that as he thinks ‘hey, yaknow, if you don’t like your perfume or whatever...i GUESS you can borrow mine...since yours sucks and all...’

Levi

omg!!! are you wearing the limited-edition Ruri-chan pink sakura surprise cologne???? from her most recent spring event???? They only made 500 bottles!!! And he owns 10 of them!!!!!!

Is very impressed that you managed to get hold of a bottle, because it straight up doesn’t occur to him that you would borrow his cologne (because he’s a yucky otaku and because he normally keeps it in his room, he just forgot today)

When you mentioned that you borrowed it, he realises that HE LEFT HIS LIMITED-EDITION RURI-CHAN PINK SAKURA SURPRISE COLOGNE IN THE SHARED BATHROOM WITH HIS AWFUL NORMIE BROTHERS!!!!!111!!!11!

Then also realises that YOUR WEARING HIS COLOGNE??????? LIKE COUPLES DO??????

He’s unable to hold a conversation with you now - man is blue-screening he has no idea how to process the fact that you smell like him (and also Ruri-chan merch)

Is bright red literally anytime he’s near you - the blush is insane. He’d make a good traffic light

Refuses to believe you would ever CHOOSE to smell like a yucky otaku like him...but he wishes you would

Satan

Doesn’t really know how to react, just knows that he likes it

More open about it than his older brothers, he’d tease you about it ‘oh? MC? I didn’t realise you liked the way I smelt so much’

Would also probably end up going on a tangent about topnotes, heartnotes and basenotes and the more scientific side of fragrance if you let him

He is however, clearly more animated than normal and his cheeks are slightly more red

Definitely will tell you you’re welcome to borrow it whenever you like

Asmo

MC!!! YOU SMELL SO GOOD!!!

Notices right away and is SUPER excited

If you were tired of your old scent you should have told him!!! He’d have happily let you borrow any one of his collection and would have organised a shopping trip to help you find a new signature scent

I mean, it makes sense - who wouldn’t want to smell like him??? His perfume smells amazing

Knows how important having your own signature scent is but also really likes it when you wear his

will definitely buy you your own bottle if you really like it (and then you can match!!!!)

Also loves the implications that come with you smelling of him and spends the whole day shamelessly REVELLING in it

Beelzebub

He’s the one who takes the longest to notice

It’s just not something he pays attention to - probably goes most of the day without noticing

He notices when he hugs you - he doesn’t bring it up but he does blush slightly and feels very warm and fuzzy for the rest of the day

Doesn’t really notice other demons reaction to it (he doesn’t really notice other demons tbf) and the implications don’t really occur to him unless Belphie points them out, he just really loves how close it makes you feel

Still not really sure why you’re wearing it, but hopes you wear it again

Belphie

Notices pretty quickly

Smirking immediately and insists on napping on you

All he wants to do is snuggle up with his nose right on your neck so he can smell you and fall asleep breathing in the smell of his cologne on you

And since he really doesn’t care about classes that’s exactly what he tries to do

Is gonna be following you around all day nagging you to ditch class and nap with him and also mocking you a little ‘MC if you wanted to smell like me you could have just said’

Keeps slinging his arm over your shoulders so that he can lean on you and also put his head in the crook of your neck

Honestly just so smug and affectionate

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me belphie #obey me headcanons #obey me fluff

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yesimwriting · 3 years ago

Note

Hello! Your Nikolai fic tranquility is so beautiful! Can you write more for Nikolai? Maybe the opposite with reader having a nightmare? Or whatever you want just please give me more! If you have a tagging list I'd love to be included btw :)

A/n hii!! first off,, thank you! i was a little nervous about writing him for the first time,, but i love him so much (even though i love a good villain/morally grey character in love i think nikolai would probably make the least toxic bf in the grishaverse lol)

you gave me a little too much freedom here lol bc i have so many ideas for him!! lowkey might need to give him a longer fic/series soon when i catch up with requests!! WOW THIS FIC IS SO LONG AND FOR WHAT

Summary: Reader is a handmaid who has grown up assisting Nikolai. Through the years, the two have developed a special relationship that most definitely breaks royal protocol--they’re best friends and rivals on a good day, and dangerously close to being something more the second either of them is remotely upset or extremely happy. Learning about the fact that Nikolai was almost engaged to Alina (a good friend of yours) and being reminded of the fact that as royalty Nikolai has many prospects (both serious women worthy of his title and women only suitable for trysts meant to relieve tension) has you both realizing something you should have years ago.

Word count: 31210

Warnings: disclaimer--may not be the most cannon thing ever,, but i wanted the ‘child of the help competes and falls in love with the child of royalty’ energy okay?? Lol

I could do a whole blurb series with this dynamic nikolai x reader,, like just stories of them growing up together and randomly realizing they might like each other romantically?? I probably shouldn’t rn but i ADORE this trope.

The perfection of the room is disappointing. Idle hands, idle thoughts--so I work to smooth out a perfect duvet. Still, the thoughts come--aggressive and unavoidable. It’s silly, maybe even sad, to feel possessive over something that’s never been yours, something that could never be yours, but the harder I fight off the feeling the stronger it grows. Jealousy is a weed growing quickly in my chest, vile roots planted firmly in my heart.

Normally my favorite part of the day would be waiting for Nikolai to return to his room in the palace after dinner and his evening duties. He’s always a bit softer in the evenings, during my last check-in of the day. I’m normally thrilled to be done organizing his room early because that means the second he arrives there will be no distraction. Most evenings, he’ll find me perched in the seat by his bed, reading. He’ll mock-scold me for daring to defy his orders and reading ahead from the book we both take turns reading aloud from each night. He then warns me that I better react exactly the way I did when I first read it or else. That threat is always followed by a gentle laugh.

Tonight I’m in no mood for our nightly banter or even our nightly reading. My mother had warned me of the dangers of getting too comfortable with the royal family. I should have heeded that warning when she first gave it to me, the morning she found Nikolai and I fast asleep on a couch in the library as children. The palace likes to bring up the children of the staff by training them to attend to the next generation of royals. It makes the staff more efficient, a lifetime of knowing what someone wants makes you better for them. It also creates some level of connection, making betrayal a little less likely. Nikolai and I might have taken it farther than most. But now I want a reminder of the way we’re supposed to be--maybe if I detach now the bleeding of my heart won’t kill me. That has to remain secret, because if I explain it to Nikolai something in me will break. The one line between us will be crossed.

This will be the sixth secret I’ve kept from Nikolai in my entire life.

The secrets:

I don’t know why I was picked for Nikolai. I wasn’t particularly skilled, but still, the day came when my mother was told that I now worked directly for the Lantsov boy. It’s an honor, a true one, but my mother had been a little nervous. To whom much is given, much is expected--and I detested Nikolai. Not for being a prince, but for being a prince who thought girls couldn’t race or fight.

The day my mother came looking for me because I never showed up for dinner and she found Nikolai and I attempting to fight in the way only a ten-year-old girl and eleven-year-old boy would, she had looked truly mortified. Nikolai had only laughed, either oblivious to my mother’s embarrassment or uncaring about it. He had then hugged me--an expression of care that had left me reeling. I saw him more as a rival than someone to tend to, but in that moment I saw him as a friend. Even more so when he told me he didn’t want me to go yet and that he was upset that so much of the day had been wasted by studies that kept him with boring people and away from me. And then he invited me to his lessons--my mother was quick to attempt to decline politely, but the desires of a prince at any age outweigh that of a mother.

After that, everyone kind of just stopped trying to remind us of our propriety. The tutor at first was concerned about my presence, but Nikolai remained stubborn. I wasn’t a big enough deal to cause an argument, so I began to attend lessons with him almost every day, only staying away when my mother needed aid with laundry or cleaning. His parents must have been somewhat aware of our friendship, but they must have been oblivious to our closeness because it was never mentioned.

My mother’s worry began to ease, she’d even started to take some pride when I’d come to our room proudly proclaiming that I scored two marks higher than Nikolai. She did, however, warn that it might be more tactful to let him score higher.

The comment was casual, just a suggestion, but it left me feeling wrong. It was the first time since we met that I had thought about our different statuses. I didn’t tell him--and that was the first secret I ever kept from him.

As we grew, we traded physical competition for academic rivalry, trying to best each other in both lessons and games of strategy like chess and cards. But with growing comes responsibility. Nikolai started to have obligations that were meant to be private. I couldn’t follow him at all times. But he’d always come back from locked door meetings grinning like he carried schoolyard gossip instead of government secrets. He shared everything with me, even when I playfully warned against it.

He’d always step closer when I teased that perhaps he shouldn’t tell me everything. And then he’d say, “If I can’t trust you, then I can’t trust anyone--and I don’t want to live in a world like that.” Often, he’d give my hand a light squeeze before moving on like he had not said anything intimate.

On a day in which Nikolai was in one of those meetings, I became a woman. When I first saw the blood, I had been horrified--but my mother was quick to explain that it was natural. She said that I was now a woman, a wonderful thing, really--but a thing that came with obligations. She told me that I could no longer have the impromptu ‘sleepovers’ with Nikolai unless he ordered it. I told her he’s never ordered me to do anything for him.

She didn’t ease, something in her had started to become nervous again. My mother had recently started to act the way she did when Nikolai and I first became friends. I didn’t want to fall asleep in Nikolai’s bed while I was bleeding, but I didn’t want to never have another sleepover with him again. Especially not when she refused to explain why being a woman changed so much.

I had decided to avoid Nikolai as much as possible until the sting of my mother’s new rule faded. Unfortunately, that night Nikolai was extra talkative--excited as he insisted I stay for a little longer. Soon, I found his familiar good naturedness melting away my nerves and before I knew it I was laughing in the middle of the night. When my eyelids started to feel heavy, I had moved from the chair, ready to head back to my room.

Nikolai had looked at me oddly before he asked why would I leave so late when it would be easier for me to just sleepover? It was an innocent question, he did not know about my change and I had wanted to keep it that way.

I tried playing coy, but Nikolai has always had a talent for getting around my better judgement. I don’t recall exactly how it happened, but I remember him standing in front of me. It was the first time I noticed how much had actually changed over the years--he was now taller than me for the first time in his life. His hair had started to grow a little longer, golden and soft-looking--and his face seemed much more angular. But he had not lost his boyish charm.

“Y/n?” My name fell softly from his lips, and that was the first time I had ever noted the fullness of them. I didn’t understand why I considered that something worth noting. “Did I do something to make you mad at me?”

Perhaps I had been a little curt--nerves and hormones had left me not feeling like myself. I didn’t tell him about the bleeding, I couldn’t. That became the second secret I kept from him--but I did tell him that my mother had told me I was a woman now, and that women can’t have sleepovers. Not with those of the opposite gender. I made no effort to hide my confusion because I expected him to be as perplexed as I was. But he was not confused--in fact, he had the audacity to laugh. My face flushed, but I did not know why.

“Why is that funny?” Maybe he thought I was still too much of a child to be considered a woman. I assumed it a fair assumption, I had not grown the way he had--my shoulders had not become sturdier and I had not become particularly broader. Still, I would rather melt into the floor than tell him about the reason my mother now considered me a woman. “My mother did say that, and I don’t know what being a ‘woman’ has to do with staying in your room at night.” Something strange had crossed over his features then, something much more brooding than I was used to.

I had blinked at him as unexplained nerves pooled in my stomach. Perhaps that look would have been enough to keep me silent if he had managed to not grin. That self-assured grin that had always challenged me. “Well since you know everything about my mother now, maybe you can tell me why she’s been acting strange. She’s starting to act the way she did when we first became friends.” I expected him to at least pretend to be worried. Perhaps his parents had spoken to her and had mentioned wanting our friendship to end. But his grin had only grown. Pride left me angry. “She did say that I could stay if you ordered it--but I’m glad you’ve never ordered me to do anything, so I can leave right now because you’re acting as odd as her. I don’t understand what you could find funny about our friendship ending.”

He had stopped me from storming out of his room by placing one hand on the wall between me and the door. “Y/n, don’t be cross--I’ll explain it all, I promise.” Angry pride made me want to storm away from him, but curiosity and something unknown and warm kept me in place. “Do you remember when we read the play about the rival families, how the two main characters had kissed?”

I remembered that part of the play especially well. The concept of kissing so casually, outside of marriage, had been jarring to me. “Yes.”

“Now that we’re older, your mother must be worried that we might do that.” He paused before leaning against the arm he placed on the wall to keep me from leaving a little more. “Kiss.”

The clarification was not needed--in that brief pause, I had allowed myself to imagine no distance between our lips. Something in me burned with embarrassment when I realized that some part of me found the thought appealing. The only thing I wanted in that moment was assurance that Nikolai would never know I felt that. That was my third secret, and the weight of it was heavy against my chest.

Still, though, all of my confusion had not yet left. “Is there much harm in a kiss?”

The question had left an odd smile on his lips. “There’s potential harm in what it could lead to for the woman, but not so much for the man.” He exhaled slowly as my face tensed. He could always read me too well because he was quick to add, “What it could lead to isn’t a bad thing, it’s meant to be pleasurable, but it’s serious.” I did not understand, but a part of me was starting to grow okay with that. Nikolai’s voice had started to become lower than ever, and his gaze remained tense. Perhaps if I accepted the confusion for now, things could go back to normal. If the conversation ended, I could stop thinking of his lips and his hands and what it would mean for them to touch me. “It’s considered a vice, like drinking or gambling.” The additional comment helped more than it should have. A vice--not scary and not painful, but not something to indulge in. That’s enough explanation for now. “If you want to know, I won’t deny you.”

I appreciated the offer tremendously. The vice that comes after kissing is clearly something that’s been intentionally kept from me. It’s something he was privy to that I was not, and he offered it to me like so much else. But if knowledge that my mother feared us kissing made me think of his lips, then I doubted I could handle knowing what comes after kissing.

“I’ll let you know when I want to know, but I appreciate the offer.” It felt like a fair response. His snarky grin came back immediately. Irritation rooted itself in my stomach. I hated not knowing more than him for once, but I still had one question I could not relinquish. “But what does that vice have to do with orders?”

At that, his smugness faltered. “It’s not unheard of, for princes and handmaids--for a prince to obligate a handmaid in order to fulfill his vice. Though many handmaids fill the vice of their own will for benefits.

The explanation left him like a confession. I didn’t understand his hesitance--it’s not like he’d ever make me do anything I didn’t want to do. Even when I worked, he was hesitant to ask me to go out of my way to bring him a glass of water. And I couldn’t imagine gaining anything from offering Nikolai something I didn’t really understand. I wasn’t naive to the fact that my life had more privileges than many palace servants. “Oh.”

His eyes hardened. “You know I’d never--”

“I know.” It was finally easy to smile again. “I never thought otherwise.” Something in him seemed to ease at that, his eyes went from hard to warm in less than a second.

I had no more questions for him and I was also no longer a flight risk, but Nikolai did not move. He did not step back to create a more appropriate distance and he did not drop his arm. His gaze, however, did move--dropping downwards, and slightly away from my eyes. I did the same, my eyes falling to his lips.

The silence between us began to make me feel like something in me was in danger of overflowing. “Then I guess my mother is once again worrying for no reason.” Strangely, I did not feel the need to feel embarrassed about staring at his lips. “Because I would never particularly want to kiss you, Nikolai Lantsov.”

The comment was meant to be teasing, a joke to clear away unknown tension. I should have known better than to challenge his pride because he instinctually moved his hand off the wall and beneath my chin. I did not flinch when he tilted my head upwards slightly with his fingers. “I could get you to want to kiss me if I wanted to.”

Three secrets in one night. I did not think I could bear a fourth one. “Hm…” The ground we treaded on felt unstable, but something in me trusted Nikolai to not let me falter. “I should--I should go before I give my mother anymore cause to worry.”

His fingers had brushed down my chin easily as he dropped his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

And that he did. The days passed without mention of the last time he asked me to sleepover. It was as if nothing had changed except now I found myself noting things I most definitely did not want to note. These didn’t feel like individual secrets because it felt easy to group each admirational thought into one secret. Soon, that became my new normal--easy banter, easy touches of hands, and easy yet silent admirations of his beauty.

I never wandered too hard about what the vice that kissing can lead to entailed. I didn't particularly want to know, but knowing that I could ask Nikolai at any time brought a sense of security to me. But besides that, I never thought of that conversation until the day I was asked to look for Nikolai because he was late for dinner.

That in itself was odd, most of the time when Nikolai was late it was because he was with you. I checked his room, two other rooms he was known to frequent, and then finally the library. First, I noticed a handmaid two years older than me. I was finally at an age when one begins to compare their beauty to those around them, and I recognized the girl as gorgeous. She was better endowed than me, physically, and she always seemed fun. And then I noticed Nikolai, standing closer to her than I’ve ever seen him stand to anyone. His expression was serious as the girl giggled.

Nikolai’s expression shifted from tense to shocked when he saw me. “Y/n.”

It took me a moment longer than it should have to realize what I had interrupted. Guilt and jealousy were quick to twist in my stomach. “Dinner--your parents sent me to look for you.”

He was quick to walk around the girl, who was quick to glare at me. I attempted to disappear down the hall after mumbling a quick apology, but Nikolai was faster than me.

“Y/n,” he did not hesitate to grab my wrist.

It shouldn’t have irked me the way it did, after all, neither of us had ever really hesitated to touch each other. I had always reached for him when I wanted him, and he had done the same. But the thought of the same hands that touched the most beautiful girl I had ever seen on me left me bitter in a way I didn’t understand.

Still, I pushed through all of that. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, your mother asked me to look for you because she assumed you’d be with me when you were late to dinner. I didn’t think that there’d be--”

“You didn’t interrupt anything.” The words came out flat as his eyes took on the same quality they did the night he explained my mother’s concern to me. “Valaria wishes there was something to interrupt, but there wasn’t.”

Oh. I refused to let the correction inflate me. “Would you like me to not come to your room tonight?”

The offer felt awkward to make. “No,” the answer came quickly, “In fact, go there now--I want to see you right after dinner. I’ve missed you today.” The instruction left my face feeling warm. “We could read an extra chapter of our book if you’d like.”

Despite myself, I grinned. “Yes.”

“Looking forward to it.”

True to his word, Nikolai was quick to return to his room. He had come back to me eagerly, going out of his way to squeeze my shoulder as he entered the room.

I opened the book to the chapter we had left off on, but before I could start reading, Nikolai stopped me. “Sit next to me?”

The question came softly. It had been some time since we sat next to each other on his bed. Still, I moved off of the chair and to his bed. Something in me longed for the familiar closeness of childhood. I allowed him to play with my fingers as I read.

“You know you could take one night off from me if you wanted to.” The admission left me softly, part of unsure if he was still paying attention to my words. “She was pretty, it wouldn’t have hurt my feelings if you told me you wanted me to not come tonight.”

Nikolai exhaled easily, squeezing my fingers once. “I said I wanted to see you and I meant it.”

It took all of my energy to push past the way his words made my stomach leap. “In general, if you ever--”

Nikolai cut me off by laying his head on my lap the way he used to. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” It was the first time in years that he spoke to me in a way that acknowledged his authority. “Keep reading please.”

And that was the last time we had ever mentioned other handmaids in that context. The fifth secret I ever kept from him was the way I worried that one day that would change.

The door creaks open while I’m in the middle of fluffing an already pristine pillow. Nikolai steps into the room, but I continue to work.

“Darling,” he breathes too easily, “Today has been painful.” I straighten, looking at him as casually as I can manage. “And now I have to deal with you being mad at me.”

Damn him and his ability to read me with one look. “I’m not mad.”

“You know you can’t lie to me,” he sighs, stepping forward, “We’ve known each other too long for that.”

I press my lips together, irrational anger pushing itself into me at an odd angle. “We’ve also known each other too long to keep secrets.”

His eyebrows draw together, a look so quizzical I’m reminded of our schooling days. “What secrets have I kept from you?”

Mentioning that had been a mistake. I exhale as flatly as possible. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” My dismissal only has Nikolai’s expression hardening. I drop my gaze. “Unless you need something, I’m retiring my services for the evening.”

I take a reluctant step towards the door, eyes attached to the floor. “Y/n,” his voice is gentle. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just tired.” Please let that be at least somewhat believable. “I’m sure I’ll feel more like myself in the morning.” I take another step, a little more assured. Nikolai’s hand is on my shoulder before I can escape. “Nikolai--”

“Y/n,” his voice is that of velvet, “I can’t have you be mad at me. Not now.”

Sighing, I meet his gaze. The tiredness I see behind his eyes is almost enough to chase away my nerve. What I’d give to be able to melt into our familiar routine. “Then you should have told me you were almost engaged to a literal Saint--the same literal Saint who’s one of my closest friends.”

Nikolai’s expression shifts as his hand drops from my shoulder slowly, fingers brushing down my arm before he finally intertwines our fingers. I bite my tongue to avoid squeezing his hand, but I don’t move to separate us either. He studies me silently, eyebrows drawn together. The longer he stares, the more whatever turmoil he’s experiencing seems to dissipate. After a minute of silence, I can read his expression perfectly. His lips are pressed together in that coy way--the way he only looks when he’s suppressing a smile.

I loathe him for it. “Nikolai Lantsov, don’t you dare laugh--not after what you did. Do you have any idea what it felt like to have Alina casually mention the fact that you almost married her casually? Like that was common knowledge to everyone but me?”

My words break away the last of his self control. He grins, flashing his annoyingly perfect teeth. “Do you have any idea what it feels like for me to want nothing more than to see you and then you let me believe something may actually be wrong when the only issue is your jealousy?”

The amusement in his tone is like poison to me. I find the strength to jerk my hand away from him. “I am not jealous.” He laughs; I am further enraged. “I am not.” The genuineness of my anger must finally register on some level, because he tries to suppress his smile. “I have every right to be mad at my best friend for not telling me that he was almost married.”

“We didn’t exactly come close,” he manages, expression still much too light for my taste. “I’m glad for Alina’s sake, I’m not sure being a Saint would be enough to protect her.”

He is infuriating. “I’m not sure anything you have will be enough to protect you.”

Something in his gaze shifts, softening the tilt of his mouth. “I don’t doubt that.”

I don’t know what I expected from him--but not this. I thought he’d be at least somewhat apologetic. “You should have told me.”

“I would have if I felt it was significant.”

“I’m your best friend--your marriage is significant to me. And even though it’s not like you’re engaged to her right now, you should have told me. You know I talk to Alina all the time.”

He sighs once, a hint of apology threatening to ghost over his eyes. “If I knew not knowing would have upset you so much I would have told you. I was--I was just so excited to be around you again I didn’t see much relevance in anything that didn’t involve you.”

The intensity that Nikolai regards me with is enough to wither all of my fury. But without my anger, I am left spiraling in emotion that I’ve been pushing against for years. My mother’s warning about relationships with those above us rings in my ears--sharp and headache inducing. I am still when he reaches for my hand again, but I do no allow myself to return the gentle squeeze of his fingers.

“I’m not sure much outside of you has significance.” He’s giving me a look I am familiar with. A look he often uses to chase away my anger.

Without my anger, I have nothing to keep me from melting into him, indulging in his presence fully. It’s so easy with him and I blinded myself to the danger of that. He may not be marrying Alina, but one day he will marry someone. A person worthy of his status--and what would I be left doing? Washing their laundry? Tearing up when I dusted the library and came across a book we had read together? Enough damage has already been done--I need to cut myself with this blade now in hopes of making sure I can one day recover.

He will get married one day, and nothing will be the same. And that’s a good thing--he deserves the love of a princess or queen. I want his happiness, even if it’s not with me. But some vindictive part of me hopes that some part of him will miss me. That some part of him will be dulled without me.

I’m a fool--he will remember me as the handmaid from his youth. The girl who made him laugh once or twice before he grew up. I force my hand out of his grasp. “You can’t win me over with words every time.” I need to get out of here before he says something that makes me lose all resolve. “Tomorrow morning I’ll be here to prepare you for breakfast.”

“Y/n.”

I step forward, refusing to look at him. “Goodnight.”

He sighs, his hand quick to grab my arm. Before I can question him I feel myself pulled back. I expect him to pull me just close enough so that I have to meet his gaze. He continues, pulling me sharply before placing a quick hand on my shoulder, forcing me down. My back hits his bed.

I sit up as soon as the reality of what just happened seeps into my mind. “Nikolai, what in the Saints--”

“If you’re going to act like a child, I’m going to treat you like one.”

I scoff, thoughts of escaping him put on hold by the principle of pride. Fine. I’ll beat him one last time, and then I’ll let us separate. I shove him. He laughs--of course this is funny to him. He got to keep fighting past the age of about eleven. His laughter adds to my anger, I move to shove him again, but he catches my wrist easily. I struggle against his hold, shoving him a third time with my still free hand. He pushes me slightly. That’s all it takes to unleash familiar habits.

Our small fight is hardly fair. He has all the advantage--more training, and he’s standing above me. When I finally make a move that might give me some success, Nikolai leans forward. He practically tackles me, his weight forcing me flat against the bed.

I move an arm, ready to push him off of me. Nikolai snags my wrists, holding them above my head. “This means I win.” I roll my eyes, anger returning.

“Let me go.”

He sighs tiredly, but the smugness radiating off of him is suffocating. “Admit that you were jealous.”

There are a lot of things I am willing to do for him--but never that. I cannot give him the one separation I still have. “I wasn’t.”

“Then why are you mad?”

I press my lips together. “I told you--”

“Do you really think you could lie to me?”

“You don’t know me that well.”

Nikolai moves his freehand, touching my chin as a way to ask me to look at him. I meet his gaze hesitantly. “Yes, I do, and that’s never bothered you before but it does now.”

Maybe this is a conversation better had bluntly. “It bothers me now because you’re too old to hold onto the daughter of a palace handmaid and I’m too old to pretend that our different statuses don’t matter.”

“Y/n,” he breathes, “Nothing’s changed. Status didn’t matter to me when we were children, and it doesn’t matter to me now.”

“You can afford to say things like that.”

“What good is my title if it means I can’t,” he pauses, eyes hesitant, “If I can’t keep things the same between us?”

I smile, the sadness of the look weighs on me and I can’t even see it. “Nikolai, you always knew things would change.”

“No, I--”

“You can’t tell me you think your future wife would like you having such a close relationship with a handmaid.” I press my lips together. “One day you’ll fall in love and get married and you’ll want me to leave your bedchamber as soon as dinner is over because you’ll be eager to spend time with your wife.” His gaze hardens. “And that’s not a bad thing. It’s actually a really good thi--”

The last syllable of my sentence dies in my throat. Nikolai, who must be possessed by something, leans down and presses his lips against mine. I beg myself to resist, but his gentleness is everything I’ve ever wanted. He releases my hands in favor of holding my face. That’s all it takes--my hands move without my permission, into his hair--pulling him closer to me. What am I doing? I’m insane. Placing my hands on his chest cautiously, I push just slightly. He’s quick to obey, pulling away while allowing his teeth to brush against my bottom lip.

I gape at him--taking in his now slightly swollen lips. “Nikolai.” He can’t do this to me. We’re friends. Despite the fact that I’ve loved him more than I should--we’re friends. “You’re being extremely unfair.”

He draws his eyebrows together, sitting up quickly and moving off of me. “I’m being unfair? I have spent my entire life loving y--”

I sit up, furious in a new way. “You have not!” This is the dumbest I have ever been. I move to stand, still feeling the softness of his lips against mine.

“Your tooth fell out.” The sharpness of his words forces me to still.

“What?”

I can’t bring myself to turn and look at him, but I’ve always been able to feel any heaviness he bears. The weight of it leaves little room for air in my lungs. “You were ten. I told you ‘girls couldn’t fight’ so you punched me in the face. That was the first time we ever fought--I didn’t mean to hit you in the face, but you moved. You moved and I hit you in the mouth and your last baby tooth fell out. I expected you to cry or get angry, but you just blinked at me and laughed. You were happy to lose your last baby tooth because it meant you were grown up. And then you smiled and asked me if you looked older. If anything, the gap in your smile made you look younger but I told you that you looked like a grown-up because I wanted you to keep smiling. Because your smile made me feel like I won something.” I turn on my heels, but I cannot meet his gaze. “That was the moment I fell in love with you--so don’t tell me I haven’t spent my entire life loving you.”

The weight of his words is harder to survive against than the heaviness of his feelings. “Nikolai, you know we can’t ever be together--”

“Why not?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” I manage, voice low, “You almost married the Sun Summoner--”

“That was political--”

“Exactly, your marriage is meant to be political, and if it happens to be out of love--which is what I hope you get, because it is what you deserve--it will be to someone of status.”

Nikolai stands, the movement is that of a king, not the boy I know. “I do not want status or to love someone else--I want you.”

“I can’t take that from you--”

“You can’t take anything from me because I’ve already given it all to you.”

I press my lips together, heart tearing for him. “I love you too much to ruin you.”

My words seem to snap something in him because his eyes darken, the way he watches me adjusting accordingly. “You can’t ruin something that’s always been yours.”

I let myself smile. At him. At his words. At the foolish hope the child in me has clung to after all of these years. I reach for him thoughtlessly, because I have the right to. Because I’ve always had the right to. He’s quick to respond, kissing me with much more security than before.

This time, he pulls away of his own regard. “You still haven’t admitted that you were jealous.”

His teasing smugness isn’t as sour to me anymore. “I wasn’t.”

Nikolai pulls me towards him easily, lips threatening to brush against me, warm breath against my face. “Are you sure, darling? You were awfully quick to claim what’s yours.”

I roll my eyes, grinning so widely I’m surprised my face doesn’t yet hurt. “You’re the one that fell for a ten-year-old girl with a bloody mouth.”

When he smiles back at me, he places a hand on my hip, pulling me forward slightly. “That I did.” He pulls me forward slightly. "Does this mean you can sleep in here again?"

"If anything, this is more reason for me to sleep in another room." He rolls his eyes, pulling me even closer. "But I won't tell if you don't."

Nikolai leans forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Deal."

tags: @deardiarystuff @theincredibledeadlyviper, @grishaverse7 @benbarnes-supremacy @tranquilitymoon @kaitlyn2907 @lunamyangel @christinawxxx @deceivedeer @real-mbappe @tonks33

#nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov x you #shadow and bone #shadow and bone fic #shadow and bone fanfic #shadow and bone imagine #grisha #Grishaverse #grishaverse imagines #grishaverse imagine #grishaverse x reader #shadow and bone netflix

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whythinktoomuch · 4 years ago

Text

ii. apocalypse now & again

(pt. i)

Kara woke up and realized that she was going to die.

Too many of the drones had survived the explosions and were still closing in on her. What little strength she had left after quite literally digging her own grave was presently and painstakingly strained just from her efforts to climb onto her knees. And on top of all that—of everything that possibly could have gone wrong for her in this moment—her helmet was cracked.

The abstract red numbers warning Kara of the kryptonite levels in the area seemed redundant now, what with that unmistakable chill already flooding her bloodstream.

“… Alex,” Kara gasped out, barely able to hear herself over the ringing in her ears. “Hey, Alex… Are you there?”

Her words were met with not one whisper or even a crackle of static, and for once, Kara was inconsolably disappointed to hear no one yelling back at her. With her teeth gritted, she shoved herself off the ground as hard as she could, drifting barely a foot into the air before the first drone crashed into the back of her head.

Kara toppled back onto the ground, knees skidding across the rubble in a shower of hot sparks. The impact had her head reeling, her mouth filling with a taste that she was now idly recognizing as blood. But there was no time to consider any of that as the drone doubled back. Kara scrambled out of the way, narrowly avoiding another collision, only to be struck by a second drone smashing right against her ear.

Out of breath but swearing, Kara whirled around and snagged the fast approaching drone into a bear hug, squeezing and squeezing until it crunched in her arms with a frantic whir. Then with a burst of heat vision, she shattered the other as it came straight for her face.

Kara used her heat vision to pick off several more drones from a distance, but of course, more and more just showed up to take their place, never wavering, never slowing… and eventually, Kara just had to laugh. Because her exhaustion was catching up to her. And Alex was hundreds of miles away. And to get out of here alive, Kara would have to somehow defeat the entire horde of drones, while all they had to do was wreck her suit a little more.

Though admittedly, it’d be overkill at this point, given the crack now spiderwebbing across the glass visor of Kara’s helmet.

Either way, it was over.

So, Kara laughed, grabbed at her chest in a reflexive gesture only to meet the unforgiving metal of her suit, then dropped to her knees. “Alex!” she shouted herself hoarse, because maybe if said loudly enough, the words would still be lingering in the air by the time her sister arrived. “Alex, I’m sorry, okay? You were right, and I’m sorry!”

Then she just waited—chest heaving, eyes narrowed but never blinking despite the heat pricking at the corners—because she definitely had to see this through to the bitter fucking end. That much, she owed everyone, including herself.

Except the end didn’t come.

Not this time anyway.

No, instead came a silver sphere, emerging seemingly out of thin air to hover right before Kara’s face. It flashed a blinding white just once, and everything fell absolutely silent and still. Kara’s suit powered down completely, the drones collectively dropped from the air like marionettes with cut strings, and all the lights in the immediate vicinity blinked out.

Laughter welling up all over again, Kara could only collapse onto her side in something akin to sheer relief.

The first person to occur to her, of course, was Alex, who had already saved her ass from similar scrapes on many occasions. But that couldn’t be it. Alex was too far away. It’s why Kara had to take on this mission on her own in the first place.

Then she considered maybe Winn or James, which made even less sense, given how the deceased hardly ever came back to do things like save people’s lives. Not even hers. Not even in the most dire of situations. That’s, unfortunately, just not how life worked these days.

Then she considered Alex again because the kryptonite was clearly bleeding into her brain now, and it was getting rather difficult to remember why it couldn’t have been Alex who’d just saved her. Maybe Kara did shout loud enough after all…

But then, a set of footfalls drew near, metal scraping against metal at a steady pace until a heavy boot struck Kara firmly in the chest, flipping her onto her back where she settled with a grunt.

“So glad I got to you first,” came a self-assured drawl, and Kara promptly found herself face to face with a handheld cannon of sorts. “Would be a pity to come all this way and not get to kill you myself.”

And… Kara’s jaw just dropped.

Not because of the words, nor the intentions behind them—though perhaps they both merited some attention as well—but that voice.

Kara gaped up at her supposed knight in shining, lead-lined armor because her voice—that low, husky tone paired with that very specific lilting cadence—was making her reconsider some very fundamental things about how the world might work.

Namely, that people wouldn’t come back from the dead just to save her life.

Mind still reeling away, Kara tried to sit up, only to be slammed back into the ground, hard.

“Down, girl,” Lena said, grinding her boot into Kara’s chest, the weight of her entire body behind the gesture. But that was fine.

It was fine because Kara could still draw some breath into her lungs, could still use some of that breath to talk, and she could certainly still say some things that she hadn’t uttered aloud in many a year. Like her late wife’s name, for instance.

The cannon in Kara’s face wavered, but didn’t lower. “Shut up,” Lena hissed down at her. “Don’t talk. Don’t even think.”

“So… it is you…” Kara said, and she gently wrapped her fingers around Lena’s ankle—the only part of her that she could still reach from her position—and just cried.

With a startled gasp, Lena stumbled away, wrenching herself out of Kara’s grip. “What the fuck…? What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Kara sobbed out, trying not to choke on her own tears and snot and the slight taste of blood still lingering on her tongue. She suddenly, irrationally, wished that she could just take off her clunky suit. Just to eliminate some of that distance between her and Lena. Just so she could touch the chain hanging around her neck without any hindrance. “Just… just wanted to say, hi.”

Lena kept her distance, studying Kara in a stony silence, and Kara started to see things that she should probably would have noticed sooner if her body weren’t actively shutting down on her. Like the green glow of Lena’s weapon and the kryptonite cartridges strapped to her belt. Or that she was clearly wearing a lexo-suit. Or how the swirly edges of her own vision were starting to darken, and how the chill of kryptonite was currently all she could feel.

“Hey,” Kara called out, sniffling only slightly now. “Am I dreaming?”

“… No.”

Kara nodded thoughtfully to herself. “Okay, cool, cool… So, I think I might be dying then.”

“Yeah,” Lena said, after a brief pause. “Probably.”

“Cool.” Kara tried to flash a thumbs up, but no part of her body wanted to cooperate anymore. Her exhaustion had eaten up all her drive. “Hey, can you tell Alex something for me?”

Lena sighed, but she finally stepped closer, practically in reach. “Okay, sure.”

Kara fumbled for some words and the correct order that one might put them in, but then Lena took off her helmet, and nothing else mattered anymore. Because Kara was perfectly content to just watch that ripple of dark hair, streaked with a light gray that was just… nice to look at.

She never got to see her Lena’s hair do that.

Kara’s shoulder was being shaken so violently that she had no choice but to open her eyes and see Alex’s worry-creased face peering down at her.

“Dumbass…” Alex grumbled, releasing Kara’s shoulder with a dirty scowl. “That’s the last time I let you go anywhere without me.”

“Whatever you say, director.” Kara laughed, but it hurt. She then tried to do a salute, but her everything was still too weak to move apparently. But at least she was still alive.

… Wait.

Kara repeatedly tried to sit up on her bed, and Alex repeatedly shoved her right back down until she gave up. But still, she had to check, had to know that it wasn’t all just a dream.

“Where’s Lena?” she demanded, and the look that Alex gave her in response was so deeply pained that Kara almost felt pathetic for asking.

“… Kara.”

“No, I saw her, Alex,” Kara said, shaking her head, then immediately stopping when her entire body somehow got dizzy from it. “Shit. Ow, ow… But wait, no—But seriously, I saw her, okay?”

“I’m not surprised that you did. You almost died, Kara. Actually, I’m pretty sure that you were dead for a few minutes back there. Again, I say, you fucking dumbass.”

“But I didn’t die. Because she saved me,” Kara insisted. “No, seriously! She took out all the drones with some sort of EMP device, and, and… we talked! And she had gray hair, and I think maybe laugh lines? And yeah, I almost died because my helmet got cracked and stuff. But now, I’m here and I’m fine, so… everything’s fine, right?”

Alex frowned, then somehow settled on the least important part of Kara’s briefing, “You cracked your helmet?”

“Ugh, yeah. The glass visor part. When I fell,” Kara said, waving her hand dismissively. “So sorry about that, by the way.”

“Suit looked fine when we got to you,” Alex said with a shrug, before irritably exclaiming, “Jesus christ, Kara, enough! I’ll just have a guy get the helmet for you, okay? So, just stop trying to get up already.”

Huffing, Kara fell back onto her bed with her arms folded and waited. But when someone eventually showed up with her helmet in tow, she was surprised to see that it was somewhat worse for the wear but perfectly intact. Even up close, with the helmet out the tech’s hands and in her own, Kara couldn’t detect even the slightest blemish in the glass.

Pouting ever so slightly, Kara shoved the helmet back into the tech’s arms.

“… Satisfied?” Alex asked, rolling her eyes when Kara just shrugged one shoulder. “Great. Listen… You just need to get some rest, okay? Once you’re back to full strength, we can work through your… you know, memories together. And hopefully, it’ll make more sense by then. Sound good?”

Kara just nodded, suddenly all too willing to be left to her own devices in the relative quiet and darkness. She accepted a gentle shoulder squeeze and the promise of another session with the sun lamps within the hour, and just curled up under the sheets.

It’s not like she hadn’t conjured up images of Lena before. Kara had been close to death enough times that it was only inevitable that she’d fall back onto memories of her dead wife at some point or another. But this was different. Whenever her brain was just playing tricks on her, Lena appeared to her the way Kara remembered her: warm and loving, bright green eyes, long dark hair smelling of lavender, and alive and young.

Never before had Kara encountered an appropriately aged version of Lena, with creases gathered around her eyes and forehead, hair gloriously faded into the most lovely blend of light grays and white amongst all that black… The Lena that could have been if only she had lived out all these past years alongside Kara.

And she was never in a lexo-suit, of all things. Lena was always wearing one of her classic pencil skirts or Kara’s NCU sweatshirt, or something. Oh, and of course, her wedding band.

Instinctively, the same way she always did when it occurred to her, Kara reached for the chain around her neck, seeking out the familiar weight of the rings that hung from there… only to jolt upright with a gasp that dried up her entire throat.

She ripped the necklace off her head, almost snapping the chain, which in and of itself was telling. Because her chain had been forged out of an extraterrestrial metal amalgamation that not even the Girl of Steel would have been able to break. The one now clutched in her hand, however, was just plain white gold.

Heart pounding in her ears, Kara stared down at an engagement ring fitted with a modest cut of diamond, somehow occupying the very spot where two simple wedding bands—hers and her Lena’s—should have been. Then something drove her to check for an inscription, and sure enough, engraved on the inside of the ring was a series of kryptonian characters, denoting a term of endearment that Kara had never used, but apparently could have in another world altogether: my dearest heart.

#2222 words because that's how i get my kicks n' giggles hue hue hue hue #will there be a part three? who knows #better question is Should there be a part three amirite?#my words.

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