#and like he wasn't shouting exactly but he raised his voice and said so many things like you are so careless im suffering so many losses bc

[girlivealwaysbean]

real

[itneverendshere]

THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE - rafe cameron (+18) - four

request: "a rafe enemies to lovers 🫣 the reader is jjs sister the whole drama before but then she gets left behind on the ship and rafe ends up comforting her and then yea that’s all I got you can do whatever else the rest 😛"

warnings: gun violence; blood;

word count: 7.1k

You woke up confused staring at the oddly familiar ceiling, filled with posters ripped from the old magazines you’d gotten at a second-hand store. When you were sixteen is sounded like a great edgy idea. 

You were home.

What the—? How? 

Sitting up, the room felt stifling, the air thick with the stale smell of old wood and the faintest hint of your father’s cigarette smoke, a scent you had hoped never to encounter again. The heavy feeling in your chest wasn’t just the dread of being back; it was the memories flooding back, threatening to drown you.

The sound of a muffled argument seeped through the thin walls, pulling you back to the present. Your heart pounded in your ears as you recognized the angry, slurred voice of your father.

He was shouting at someone, probably your brother, just like he used to. The familiar clinking of bottles and the crash of something being thrown sent a shiver down your spine.

No. This wasn't real. This couldn’t be real.

You swung your legs over the side of the bed, feeling the rough crappy carpet under your feet. You stood up shakily. The hallway stretched out before you, longer than it should have been, and the flickering light cast eerie shadows on the peeling wallpaper.

As you approached the living room, the noise grew louder, more distinct. Your father’s voice, filled with venom and rage, scared the living hell out of you.

You reached the doorway and peered in, your breath catching in your throat. There he was, towering over your JJ, his face twisted in anger. Your little brother was cowering, trying to make himself as small as possible, his eyes filled with fear. The scene was a haunting echo of so many nights you’d tried to forget.

“No,” you whispered, fear bubbling up inside you. “This isn’t happening.”

But it was.

Your father, with his disheveled hair and red-rimmed eyes, swung the bottle in his hand dangerously close to JJ’s head. Each wave of the bottle sent droplets of amber liquid flying, dotting the floor like gruesome confetti. JJ flinched with every movement, tears streaming down his cheeks, and the sight made your heart ache.

“Get out of my sight, you worthless—” your father roared, his voice a terrifying growl.

“No!” you screamed, stepping into the room before you even realized you were moving. “Stop it!”

Your father turned, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as they focused on you. For a moment, he only stared, probably to drunk to realize it was his own daughter.

Then, recognition set in, and his scowl deepened.

“You,” he spat, disgusted by your sight, “You think you can just walk back in here and tell me what to do?”

You couldn’t back down, not now. Not ever again.

“Leave him alone,” you said, your voice trembling, “He’s a child!”

Your father took a menacing step toward you, the bottle still clutched in his hand. “You’ve got some nerve, coming back here and talking to me like that. Looking exactly like her!”

Every instinct screamed at you to run, but you stood there. “I’m not afraid of you Luke,” you lied through your teeth.

His eyes flared with rage, and he raised the bottle, ready to hit you. You tensed up, waiting for the blow.

“Dad, please!” JJ’s voice broke through the tension, “Don’t hurt her.”

JJ’s plea just hung there, like this thin, fragile thread barely holding things together. For a second, your dad froze, his hand twitching, eyes darting between you and your brother.

And then, with this pissed-off roar, he chucked the bottle at the wall. It exploded into a million pieces, glass flying everywhere. The sound echoed through the house, loud and final, like it was the last brutal note in this nightmare that felt way too real.

“You’re a coward, you know that? Hitting your own children. You’re trash.” you spat out, the words flying from your mouth before you could stop them.

His face twisted, “What did you say to me?” He lunged at you, his hands going straight for your throat.

Panic hit hard as his grip tightened around your throat, stealing your breath. You clawed at his hands, desperate to break free, but he was way too strong, too determined.

Dark spots started creeping into your vision. You gasped, fighting for air, but he only squeezed harder. The room blurred and started spinning, and just when you thought you were about to pass out, his face began to change, shifting right in front of you. You blinked, trying to clear your head, and when you opened your eyes again, it wasn’t your dad choking you anymore.

It was Rafe.

Rafe's face, with a sickening grin, loomed over you. His eyes, filled with a cold, calculating malice, bore into yours. “You thought I’d be any different?” he sneered. “You signed your death sentence, pogue.”

The fear was paralyzing, like ice-cold dread flooding through your veins.Your heart hammered against your chest, but you couldn’t scream, couldn’t shout for help. His grip was solid, unbreakable, like he had no intention of letting go.

You struggled with everything you had, but it was like fighting through quicksand. Every move felt slow, heavy, like you were trapped in molasses.

As the edges of your vision began to fade, a new sound cut through the suffocating haze – JJ’s voice, calling your name. “Sis! Please, wake up! Wake up!”

With a final, desperate burst of energy, you tore yourself away from Rafe, his grip suddenly gone. You were falling, tumbling through darkness, and then–

You jolted awake, gasping for breath, your body drenched in sweat. The familiar ceiling of the motel room came into focus. The terror of the nightmare clung to you, and it made it hard to breathe.

Your hands went to your throat, feeling for bruises that weren’t there. It was just a dream, you told yourself, trying to calm your racing heart. Just a nightmare.

As your breath began to steady, you turned your head, feeling the sheets rustle against your skin.

The dim light of the room cast long shadows, and your heart sank when you saw Rafe lying next to you, his chest rising and falling in a deep, peaceful slumber. He was naked, his body partially covered by the sheets, a reminder of what you’d done hours ago.

A wave of nausea hit you, your stomach twisting with disgust — at him, at yourself. The nightmare still clung to you, the image of his hands around your throat fresh and terrifying, making it hard to process how he could sleep so soundly. You slipped out of bed as quietly as you could, not wanting to wake him, and hurriedly grabbed your clothes, dressing in silence.

Standing in the cramped bathroom, you splashed cold water on your face, hoping it would wash away the nightmare. The coolness gave you a quick moment of clarity, but the dread still clung to you, heavy and unshakable. You stared at yourself in the mirror — pale, tired, and haunted.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm down. You needed to leave, clear your head, figure out what the hell to do next. Quietly, you slipped out of the bathroom, grabbed your keys from the nightstand, and took one last glance at Rafe. He was still asleep, completely clueless about the fear swirling inside you.

The motel hallway was dark and dead silent, except for the low hum of the vending machine down the hall. You made your way to the exit, and the cool night air hit your skin like a slap of reality. It was like stepping out of one world and into another — the difference so harsh, it almost felt unreal.

You walked a few more steps, but suddenly everything started spinning. Your vision blurred, and you felt lightheaded, your legs giving out as you slumped against the wall, struggling to breathe.

The panic attack hit you full force, your chest tightening, and your mind racing. You couldn't let Rafe see you like this. You couldn't let anyone see you like this. You sank to the floor, hugging your knees to your chest, trying to focus on something, anything, to calm yourself down. You started counting your breaths, focusing on each inhale and exhale, trying to slow your racing heart. You thought of JJ, of how much he needed you to be strong.

You couldn't fall apart now.

You kept counting, kept breathing, the cool air helping to clear your head. Slowly, the tightness in your chest began to ease. The world started to come back into focus, the shadows in the hallway retreating.

You wiped away the tears that had slipped down your cheeks and stood up, feeling a little more in control.

Sleeping around—no, not just sleeping, practically baring your soul to one of the people that had destroyed your life? That had taunted and beaten your brother? Your friends? That killed a cop and got away with it? The thoughts circled in your mind. You were a dirty traitor.

The cold didn't couldn’t wash away the shame eating you alive. How did it come to this? How did you go from hating Rafe to being tangled up with him like this? 

You thought of JJ, of your friends, the people who had been there for you through everything. They’d never understand.

Hell, you didn’t even understand it yourself. You stopped and leaned against a lamppost, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. You had to sort through this mess, had to figure out what was real and what was just the lingering effects of captivity and longing. Maybe you were holding on to the only person who managed to pull you out of Ward’s grasp, fooling yourself into finding some good in someone who had caused so much pain. 

An hour later, you made your way back to the motel, the guilt and self-doubt threatening to consume you entirely. You couldn't ignore the feeling that you'd betrayed everything you stood for by letting Rafe into your life, even if it was just for a moment of weakness.

As you got closer to the entrance, you spotted him at the front desk. He looked a mess — worried, disheveled, like he’d just woken up and thrown on some shorts in a rush. His face was tight with tension as he talked to the front desk guy, hands moving wildly, gesturing around like he was freaking out. 

Your pulse pounded as you walked in, not sure of what to say, what to do, how to approach him. The nightmare was still fresh.

Rafe's voice cut through the air, his tone urgent, "How the fuck did you not see her leave? Did someone take her?”

The front desk guy shook his head, his expression apologetic.

"Sir, I haven't seen anyone come through here."

With a deep breath, you stepped forward, revealing yourself, "I'm here," you said quietly, voice rough from not speaking since you woke up.

Rafe's head snapped up, his blue eyes widening in relief as he caught sight of you. "Thank God," he breathed, his shoulders visibly relaxing, “Fucking hell, Maybank.”

His arms were around you in an instant, his warmth enveloping you. You should feel repulsed.

His hands rested gently on your back; fingers splayed wide. For a moment, you allowed yourself to lean into his embrace for the last time, the tension in your shoulders easing ever so slightly. And then, you pushed him away, your movements sharp. His hands fell away from you. The hurt in his eyes cut through you like a punch, but you couldn’t bring yourself to think much of it. It was you or him.

You took a step back, putting some distance between you and Rafe, needing the space to breathe, to think, to figure out what came next.

Your gaze flickered to the floor, unable to meet his eyes, unable to face the consequences of your stupid actions, "Just needed some air," you muttered, “Sorry for not leaving a note.”

Rafe's expression shifted from relief to concern as he watched you, his brows furrowing.

"You okay?"

You still couldn’t bring yourself to meet his gaze, "I'm fine," you replied, your voice lacking conviction even to your own ears. "Just felt a little nauseous.”

His hand reached out tentatively as if he wanted to comfort you, but he hesitated, letting it fall back to his side. “I just woke up and you were gone, and I...I panicked."

You hated the fact you could pinpoint the sincerity in his voice so easily. It nearly killed you. 

“We should go back.”

"Will you... will you be okay?" he asked, his voice hesitant.

You nodded, trying to muster up a reassuring smile, but it felt hollow and insincere. "I'll be fine," you lied, the words tasted bitter on your tongue, “Just need some rest.”

“Okay. Okay, yeah, let’s go back.”

As you stepped inside the room, he watched you carefully, as if he was afraid you would’ve disappeared again at any given moment. He tried to reach out and grab your arm, but you moved too quickly, and he was left grasping air.

You offered him a weak smile, ignoring the look on his face.

"I'm sorry for leaving like that," you said, your voice tinged with genuine regret. "I’m fine.”

You didn’t think he believed you. He was watching you so closely. He took in how disheveled you looked. The mess of your hair, and barely laced-up shoes so you could get out the door faster. He was smart enough to read your bullshit, but he only took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Is this about last night?”

Your body froze instantly. What were you supposed to tell him? Lie? Tell him the truth and make him hate himself even more? Keep your pain down to hold his?

“It was a mistake.”

You went straight to the chase.

He stalked closer to you, and you took a step back reflexively, “A mistake?” he echoed between labored breaths, “A mistake?”

“Yeah," you stammered, trying to articulate your thoughts, "It's not right. We, we're just lonely."

You despised yourself for even hinting at it, but the tumultuous month spent with him had been bewildering, to say the least. You questioned whether you were truly good for each other. You couldn't be.

"I thought..." he began, his voice trailing off. The vulnerability in his voice pierced your skin, a consequence of your actions. But you needed to put yourself first.

“I’m sorry.”

Rafe's face contorted, his features tightening into a mask of disbelief. And you couldn’t blame him for whatever he was about to unleash on you. You probably deserved it.

“So, what? You're just gonna walk away?" He tried to bark, but his voice quivered from grief, “Stop looking at me?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” He scoffed, lips twisting into a sneer, as he started to pace around the room, his movements restless and agitated. “That’s funny.”

Rafe could act cold and stoic all he wanted; you could hear the hurt in his voice and sense the sadness in the words. He sounded broken.

"You're angry,” Your mouth ran dry, your heart lurching into your throat. "I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” he seethed, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down your spine, “Angry? You think you mean enough to me to make me angry?”

His words struck you like a physical blow, a slap to the face. You recoiled instinctively, even though you knew he didn't mean it.

"I don't know what I mean to you," you admitted quietly as you struggled to maintain your composure. "I just know that I can't keep doing this."

Rafe's laughter was bitter and mocking, "Can't keep doing this?" he repeated, his voice laced with derision. "And what, exactly, is 'this'? Fucking? You can’t even say it.”

“You’re being an asshole.”

"An asshole?" he spat, "Is that what you think of me?"

You held his gaze, refusing to back down despite the hurting coursing through your veins. "You're acting like one.”

“Maybank,” His voice was still harsh as he lowered his head to try and meet your eyes. He was close enough that you were able to smell him, "You don't know anything about me, remember? Maybe the fucking really did confuse you.”

“Stop it,” Your voice broke a little, fighting the waterworks that were threatening to run down your cheeks, “Stop making it sound like it meant nothing to you.”

His eyes shut tightly, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because it’s wrong! Rafe—don’t you see it? I can’t do this, not with you of all fucking people, okay?”

He looked down at the carpet, a look of shame falling over his features as he ran a hand over his face, “You knew who I was since the beginning.”

You felt so much frustration rising within you, "Yeah, and every time I look at you now, I see everything that's wrong with me."

“And whose fault is that? Hmm? You said you didn’t want to stop. You wanted it, you wanted me.”

You staggered back, feeling as if the ground beneath your feet was unsteady.

"I wanted it," Rafe repeated, fingers digging into his chest, "I wanted you."

You wanted to reach out to him, hug him as you had just hours ago, but you knew you couldn’t.

“We can’t.”

His eyes were slightly dewy, a somewhat defeated look to his gaze as he walked towards the door.

“Well, congrats Maybank. You won.”

The sound of the door slamming echoed through the room, the finality of it hitting you like a punch to the gut. You stood there, motionless, as the silence enveloped you. Why did it feel like this was going to crush you?

You sank to the floor, your back against the wall, and the tears came in a torrent, for the second time that morning. Sobs wracked your body, each one more painful than the last, as the reality of your situation became clear as day. You had pushed him away, and hurt him, but what other choice did you have? 

The quiet without him was almost eerie. You weren't used to being alone anymore. You couldn't deny that you had felt something for Rafe, something more than just anger and resentment.

But it was twisted, born out of shared trauma and desperation, wasn’t it? It had to be. It was the only explanation that made sense.

Wiping your tear-streaked face with trembling hands, you tried to gather yourself. You still needed to get home. In five days. How the fuck were you going to live in the same room with Rafe for five days after what went down?

You sat on the motel room floor for what felt like hours, the silence driving you up the walls. Eventually, exhaustion won out, and you crawled into bed, your mind too restless to allow for more than fitful dozing.

It was around 4 a.m. when the door to the motel room creaked open, startling you awake. You sat up, your heart pounding, straining to see in the dark. The figure that stumbled through the door was unmistakable: Rafe. His movements were unsteady, his clothes disheveled, and the sharp scent of alcohol hit you even from across the room.

“Rafe?”

He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned heavily against the doorframe, his eyes unfocused. He looked lost.

The anger that had driven him was gone, replaced by a hollow, almost haunted look. You had done that to him.

You got out of bed, approaching him cautiously, “What are you doing?”

He finally looked at you, his eyes bloodshot, “I... I couldn’t stay away,” he slurred, his words thick with the effects of too much alcohol. “I tried, but...”

You sighed, “Rafe, you’re drunk. You need to sit down.”

He let you guide him to the bed, his body heavy and uncooperative. Once he was seated, you grabbed a bottle of water from the small table and handed it to him.

“Drink this,” you instructed.

He took a sip, his hands shaking slightly. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, staring down at the floor. “For everything.”

It was the first time he ever apologized to you.

You didn’t know what to say. Part of you wanted to comfort him, to tell him it was okay, but another part of you was still reeling from earlier.

“You need to sleep this off."

He nodded but didn’t move.

Instead, he reached out, his hand brushing against yours. “I don’t want to be like him,” he confessed, “I can't."

If you allowed him to keep sputtering out his drunken thoughts you would’ve ended up crying your eyes out again, so instead you squeezed his hand, “Let’s just sleep, okay?”

He nodded again, his eyes drifting shut as the exhaustion and alcohol finally took their toll. You helped him lie down, covering him with the sheets. As you laid back down, you watched Rafe’s breathing even out, his face softening in sleep. 

That night? It never happened. It felt like everything was happening all over again.

Rafe didn’t spare you a glance from the moment he woke up, choosing to care for his hangover by himself. You and he moved around each other like ghosts, the motel room becoming a prison. You barely slept, the nightmares coming back, leaving you exhausted and on edge.

Every time you closed your eyes, you saw your father, Rafe, or the hauntings of your past, blending into a tiring cycle of fear. You knew he’d been having nightmares as well, but you pretended to be asleep every time he woke up, chest heaving. He never asked for you help.

He seemed so caught in his torment. You could see it in the way he clenched his jaw, the way his hands would flex into fists and then relax as if he was battling some inner demon. He avoided you, constantly, and when he did speak, his words were clipped and distant.

Your shared meals were silent, the clinking of cutlery the only sound breaking the oppressive quiet. Even the TV stayed off.

On the fifth night, you lay awake in the dark, listening to the rhythm of Rafe's breathing from the other bed. It was uneven, indicating he was also awake. Maybe you should've kept quiet, but his druken monologue was still very much killing you inside.

“You’re not gonna end up like him.”

Rafe's breathing hitched, and you could almost feel his eyes on you through the darkness.

"I mean it," you continued, turning slightly to face his silhouette. "You're not your father."

He didn't respond immediately, but you sensed a subtle change in his posture. Finally, he sighed, "How can you be so sure?" he murmured.

You took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Because I've seen you. I've seen the parts of you that fight against becoming him. The parts that want to be better. And that matters."

He let out a bitter laugh. "I'm not sure it’s enough.”

“It is.”

“It’s not, Maybank. I’ve done enough damage for a lifetime. It’s the reason why you’re sleeping on the other side of the bed instead of right next to me.”

You wanted to reach out, to reassure him that he wasn’t alone, but you knew it wasn’t that simple. 

“I’m still here,” you said softly, “I’m not leaving.”

“You already did.”

Ouch.

Before you could utter a single word, he turned his back to you.

“We’re leaving tomorrow. Sleep.”

“Rafe—”

“Goodnight.”

It took you hours to fall asleep. You lay in bed the events of the past weeks replaying in your mind. You thought of Rafe, of the hurt in his eyes, the way he had looked at you like you were the only thing keeping him tethered to reality. That didn't matter anymore to him.

The next morning, you didn’t bother much with packing, only shoving the pieces of clothing you’d collected in a backpack. It felt torturous, to be so close to Rafe yet so far away. He didn’t speak a word as he packed his things, his movements stiff and mechanical. You wanted to break the silence, but every time you opened your mouth, the words seemed to stick in your throat.

The taxi drive to the port was just as unbearable. You stared out the window, watching the landscape blur past, your mind racing with thoughts of what could have been, what should have been. 

Once you arrived, you and Rafe stepped out, the silence between you as impenetrable as ever. It was over. He took the lead, heading towards the ticket booth with his shoulders hunched, and you followed.

You were still scared shitless of those men. They were only helping you because at some point Rafe had helped them smuggle drugs into the States, and that did not leave you the least bit reassured over their intentions. 

Finding a spot on the deck, you both settled into a tense silence, the hum of the boat’s engine and the cries of seagulls filling the void between you. The beauty of the scene did little to ease the anxiety tightening in your chest.

He leaned against the railing, his gaze fixed on the horizon, his face still void of any emotion.

You watched him for a moment, torn between wanting to reach out to him and the fear that doing so would only make things worse.

Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, you cleared your throat.

“Rafe,” you began hesitantly, “I—”

Before you could finish, he turned to you, his expression weary. “We don’t have to talk about it,” he said, his voice flat. “Not now.”

Not ever, that's what he meant.

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Okay.”

“Just stay low, stay quiet. My dad got eyes everywhere.”

From the corner of your eye you spotted one of the men. Tall, burly, with a scar running down his cheek. He simply nodded towards the cargo boat and for a minute you’re taken back to your first day stuck with the Cameron’s, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

Rafe walked in front of you again, entering the ship, rounding his way through the halls behind the sketchy guy, only stopping when he knocked on a door, after a moment, it swung open to reveal a bald shot man, eyes way too big for his face, which flicked over you and Rafe, a predatory smile curling his lips.

“Well, well, look who decided to show up,” he drawled, his voice laced with mockery. “You’re late.”

“Had some complications,” Rafe replied curtly, his posture tense.

You didn't like it one bit.

“Complications, huh? Well, come on in”

You followed Rafe inside, heart racing. The interior of the room was pretty dark, the air thick with the smell of smoke and something you couldn’t quite identify. Nor did you want to. 

“Rafe,” the older man announced, his voice cold and commanding. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten about our arrangement.”

“Never,” Rafe replied, his tone clipped. “I brought the money.”

He handed over a thick envelope, and the man behind the desk took it, flipping through the bills with a practiced eye. After a moment, he nodded, satisfied.

“Good,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Now, let’s discuss the other part of our deal.”

Rafe stiffened. “I told you, I’m out. I’m not running anything for you anymore.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, his smile turning dangerous. “I don’t think you understand. You don’t get to just walk away.”

You felt a chill run down your spine. This wasn't the plan. Right? The man behind the desk stood up, his gaze shifting to you.

“And who’s this?” he asked, his tone menacing.

“No one,” Rafe said quickly. “She has nothing to do with this.”

The man chuckled, a low, sinister sound. “Oh, I think she has everything to do with this.”

He took a step towards you, and instinctively, you backed away, Rafe moving to place himself between you and the older man, “Leave her out of this.”

“You see, your daddy dearest called in last night. Told me about a loose piece he had to get rid off…a pretty one. Guess this is her?”

"That's none of your business," Rafe growled, his voice filled with a warning, body still shielding yours.

The older man laughed, the sound grating against your nerves.

"Oh, but it is my business, Rafe. You see, your daddy and I, we go way back. And when he asks for a favor, I don't say no."

You knew this had to be a trap.

"Rafe, we need to go," you whispered urgently, tugging on his arm.

He didn't move, his eyes locked on the man before him. "We're leaving."

The man smirked, his gaze shifting between you and Rafe. "You think you can just walk out of here? You're in deep, Cameron. And now, so is she."

Rafe's jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists. "We're not doing this.”

The older man took a step closer, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. 

"You have two choices, Rafe. You either do as I say, or she pays the price like Ward asked.”

Your heart pounded in your chest, fear coursing through your veins. You couldn't let Rafe get pulled back into this world, but you couldn't think about what might happen to both of you if you stayed.

"Rafe, please," you pleaded, your voice trembling at that point.

Rafe’s gaze flicked to you as if he was memorizing your features, from your eyes down to your lips. Oh hell no. You could see the gears turning inside his brain and it made you sick to your stomach when he took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with resolve.

“Run.”

Before you could protest, Rafe launched himself at the older man, tackling him to the ground. The suddenness of the movement caught everyone off guard, but you knew you had to act quickly.

Heart pounding, you turned and bolted out of the room, dropping your backpack in the process, your footsteps echoing down the dimly lit corridor.

Behind you, you could hear the sounds of struggle—grunts, crashes, and the thud of bodies hitting the floor. You didn’t dare look back, knowing that every second counted. Rafe had told you to run.

The ship's layout was confusing, with identical-looking hallways and doors leading to who-knew-where. You sprinted through the maze of metal and dim lights, your breath coming in ragged gasps. The distant sound of shouting and commotion indicated that the fight wasn't over. You turned a corner and collided with one of the burly men from earlier.

He grabbed your arm like you were some kind of animal, “Where do you think you’re going?” he snarled.

You stomped on his foot and jabbed your elbow into his ribs, wrenching your arm free as he grunted in pain. Without wasting a second, you continued running, your legs burning.

You burst onto the deck, the cold, salty air hitting you like a slap. The early morning light was just beginning to brighten the horizon, casting long shadows across the deck. You looked around frantically, searching for any means of escape. Your eyes landed on a lifeboat secured to the side of the ship. Without hesitation, you made your way towards it, fumbling with the ropes that held it in place. Your fingers were shaking, but you managed to free the boat. As you were about to lower it into the water, a rough hand grabbed your shoulder and spun you around. It was the man with the scar, his face twisted in anger.

“Going somewhere?” he sneered.

You tried to fight him off, but he was too strong.

Just when you thought all hope was lost, a loud bang echoed across the deck. The man with the scar froze, his grip loosening. You took the opportunity to break free, scrambling away from him.

Rafe stood at the entrance to the deck, a gun in his hand and determination in his eyes. The man with the scar raised his hands slowly, backing away.

“You okay?” Rafe asked.

“I think so.”

“Come here.”

Without thinking, you ran to him, your heart pounding with relief. He was okay. You were okay.

His arms wrapped around your lower back tightly, and gently pulled you back, his eyes searching your face to make sure you were okay, but before you could assure him you were fine, he kissed you.

It felt so…real, it nearly brought you to your knees. As cheesy as it sounded, it felt like time stood still for you, the rest of the world ceasing to exist. 

Until reality broke you again.

Rafe's body tensed suddenly. You heard a muffled sound, like a distant pop, but it took a moment for your mind to register what had happened. His grip on you loosened, and he staggered, his breath hitching in pain. No, no, no, no.

"Rafe?” You caught him as he fell to his knees, eyes darting around, searching for the source of the shot. Your eyes nearly popped out of your head as you watched a showdown between the so-called human traffickers and the fucking police. This had to be a fucking nightmare, no way, were you getting caught in a crossfire. 

Rafe clutched his side, blood seeping through his fingers, staining his white shirt. His face was scarily pale, and he struggled to stay upright.

"You need to...get out of here," he managed to say, his voice strained, “Right now.”

“I’m not leaving you, you fuckin—Shit, Rafe. Fuck!” You looked around frantically, your heart pounding in your chest. "Can you walk?" you asked, trying to keep the panic from your voice, you didn't want to scare him.

“Does it look like I can walk, pretty Maybank?”

A sob broke through you, “Don’t try to be fucking funny, you got shot!”

“Baby, you—“ he coughed, blood seeping through his teeth, "You gotta go home.”

"Stop talking!" you repeated, your voice trembling with desperation.

You looked around again, trying to find a way out, a way to save him, anything. But the chaos around you was too much. The police and the traffickers were in a fierce shootout, bullets whizzing through the air, ricocheting off metal, and splintering wood. There was nowhere to run.

Rafe's hand tightened weakly around yours.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice just a whisper. "You have to...Go gome."

Tears streamed down your face as you shook your head. "I can't leave you here."

You knew you had to move, had to find help, but leaving him there felt like tearing your heart out. As you turned to peek around one final time, you heard a shout from behind you.

"Freeze!" a police officer yelled, his gun trained on you.

You stopped, your hands raised, your mind racing. "Please, help him," you begged, pointing to Rafe. "He's been shot."

The officer's eyes flicked to Rafe, then back to you. "We need to secure the area first," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

"Please," you repeated, your voice breaking. "He's dying."

The officer hesitated, then spoke into his radio. "Officer down, need medical assistance immediately."

Another officer approached, his gun drawn, and you saw his gaze soften as he took in Rafe's condition. "We'll get him help," he assured you, "but we need to get you out of here safely."

“I’m not leaving without him,” You made the mistake to glance back one last time, your heart breaking as you saw Rafe's eyes close, his body slumping against the ground, “No, no, no! Keep your eyes open, I swear to god—” Your hands trembled as you tried to staunch the flow of blood with your already stained clothing, "Stay with me," you pleaded, your voice cracking. 

His eyes fluttered open briefly, a weak smile touching his lips, "Go."

Before you could tell him off, you felt hands grip your shoulders, pulling you back. "We need to get you to safety," one of the officers said firmly, trying to drag you away from Rafe.

"No! Let me go! I can't leave him!" you screamed, fighting against their hold.

"Ma'am, we need to get you out of the line of fire," the officer insisted, his grip tightening as he pulled you to your feet.

Through your tears, you saw more officers surrounding Rafe, their voices urgent as they called for medical assistance. You watched helplessly as they began to administer first aid, their movements efficient and hurried.

As the officers dragged you away against your will, your eyes never left Rafe. "Please, don't let him die," you sobbed, your voice breaking with despair.

"We're doing everything we can," one of the officers reassured you, guiding you towards the edge of the deck where a police boat was waiting.

You stumbled, your legs weak with fear and exhaustion, but the officers held you steady. As you were helped onto the police boat, you turned back one last time, your heart breaking at the sight of Rafe lying on the deck, surrounded by officers and paramedics. You clutched the railing, your knuckles white, as the boat pulled away from the ship, the distance between you and Rafe growing with each passing second.

The journey back to shore was nothing but a blur of sirens, flashing lights, and the distant sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air. The police officers tried to reassure you, but you wouldn't rest until you saw him again. Alive.

When the boat finally docked, paramedics rushed forward, checking you for injuries, while police officers asked you questions about what had happened. You answered them mechanically, your mind still focused on Rafe, praying that he would survive. Hours seemed to pass in a haze of questions, medical checks, and statements. You told them everything. Finally, you were allowed to sit down and a police officer approached you.

"Rafe Cameron is being taken to the hospital," he said gently. "He's in critical condition, but the paramedics are doing everything they can."

You nodded numbly, "Can I see him?"

“’No visitors will be allowed, kid. We checked your backgrounds. If he survives, he’ll be taken into custody, his father is Ward Cameron, the feds are going to need him.”

You nearly threw up at how easily he said, “if he survives”. There couldn’t be no fucking ifs, he wasn’t dying. Not like this. Not after everything. 

Your knees buckled, and you had to sit down again. The officer helped you to a bench, his face sympathetic, “I understand this is hard, but we need to follow protocol. He’s a key witness and suspect in multiple ongoing investigations.”

You nodded. The world felt distant, and surreal. “Can I at least know which hospital?”

The officer hesitated for a moment, then relented. “St. Michael’s. But you won’t be allowed to call until we clear things with the authorities.”

“Call? I want to visit.”

He sighed, taking a seat next to you, “Kid. I’m really sorry, but you won’t be here. You’re a kidnapping victim and there’s a direct order to take you back home, you’ve been reported missing for over a month now.”

Your mind reeled, struggling to process the officer's words.

Missing? For over a month? It felt like a lifetime and no time at all had passed since you'd been caught up in this nightmare.

"I can't leave him. Not like this."

The officer's expression softened. "I understand, but this is out of my hands. We need to get you back to your family. They'll be worried sick."

What family?

You wanted to shout in his face. JJ was still missing for all you knew and Luke hadn't stepped foot home in months. You felt so helpless.

“I can't just leave him."

"We're going to get you home safely. You'll be able to follow up on Rafe's condition, but right now, you need to come with us."

The officer stood up, motioning for you to follow. Reluctantly, you got to your feet, without another option, every step feeling like a betrayal to Rafe.

As you were led out of the station and into a waiting car, you could only imagine him lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, by himself. You couldn't bear the thought of him waking up alone, without knowing that you were there for him.

If he ever woke up.

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

I don't know if you're taking requests, but I'll take a chance haha, I read His Girl and became completely obsessed with Garrick because of you haha, could you make Garrick possessive/jealous of the female reader he says he hates, pleeease?

Well... I caved in. As always it's not exactly as the request but still something along the lines. 🤍✨🫧

Silent worry

"These are the petrol stations for today, hand them out to the squads", Garrick dropped a stash of papers next to you. You frowned at him instantly, "Our squad is supposed to be on a rest this week", you grunted, flipping through his plan. "Things change, hand them over. The first squad is supposed to leave in fifteen minutes", Garrick said bluntly.

"No they are not", you say firmly, and Garrick instantly raises an eyebrow at you. "I'm second in charge. You run this shit through me. They are not ready and will not fly. End of the conversation, Tavis", you pushed off the wall trying to size him up but in all honesty, who were you kidding? The guy was at least twice your size. His power was lethal. He didn't listen to people ordering him around. Unless it was Xaden or someone from the upper management.

"I gave you an order. You're not gonna follow through?", Garrick leaned over you. You hated that the height difference allowed him to look down on you lime that. You bit the inside of your cheek. You knew that you had to follow his orders but this was unheard of. The same squad that was supposed to fly now had only come back hours ago. Most of the cadets were still asleep.

"I'm telling you that I don't agree with your decision", you said through gritted teeth, "As a section leader you should know better". That was enough to ear a growl from Garrick. "You're getting too comfortable in your own position", he snarled, "Forgot what tasting dirt beneath other's boots felt like so quickly?". You know that Garrick can see the hurt that flashed through your eyes. You flex the muscles in your jaw. No, you were not gonna break beneath this man's gaze.

"Knock it down you two", Xaden's warning voice boomed as he and Bodhi walked towards you both. You drop your gaze yet you could almost swear that Garrick was about to say something but he had chosen against it at the very last minute. "Why are you too bickering once again, huh?", Bodhi draped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him playfully but the tight smile on your face didn't ease. More anger, however, flared in Garrick's eyes. Gods, you were done with this. Pushing Bodhi's hand off you. You shoved the papers into Garrick's chest, "I'll form a squad myself and we will leave when I say that we leave", you hissed, sparing him one last look as you pushed past them.

"Was this necessary?", Bodhi asked as he moved to lean against the wall. "No one asked for your opinion, Bo", Garrick huffed as he looked down the balcony at you rushing down the stairs. "You're too harsh on her", Xaden mused. "We don't cuddle cadets, Riorson", Garrick bit back coldly. "Right, but she's a friend. A part of our close group, not some newbie", Bodhi noted firmly, clearly getting fed up with watching you two bickering back and forth no doubt. "She deserves better from you, man", Xaden tapped his shoulder as he turned to step away. As if Garrick didn't know that himself. But he wasn't grown on love. All he had was Xaden and then along the way, they found people they could trust. But emotions... Let's just say managing them had never been his strongest asset. "Fuck it", Garrick grumbled as he pushed away from the railing, turning to the stairs. Bodhi chuckled in the background, "Don't forget to tell her that you love her", he shouted from behind, only earning a vulgar gesture in return.

He had just rounded the corner when Chradh's voice echoed through his mind. Save yourself the running, she already left. Garrick let out a frustrated growl, How many did she take with her? There was a beat of silence. Three, others declined. Declined? How dare anyone decline your orders? The squads were as much under your command as they were under his. Before you blow up and embarrass yourself, she gave them a choice. No, he was going to have a long conversation with you when you came back and Garrick was more than ready to remind you just how you don't ask but give orders.

What he didn't know was that he was going to get long hours of waiting. Filled with nothing but self-sabotage. You should have been back a couple of hours ago. No matter how much he tried Garrick couldn't focus on anything. He was clueless in the class that he paid zero attention to. He didn't hear most of his friend's conversations. Training had taken some of the toll but only for that time. Only while he was punishing. One swift hook under another. The bag cracked through the seams. "Right, tiger, step aside", Bodhi called out but his joke didn't land and Garrick had him pinned against the wall in the blink of an eye. Xaden quickly cut in, pulling at his lifelong friend, "Outside now", there was no question in his voice, this was a demand.

Garrick rubbed his hands over his face. The cool breeze helped but it also reminded him that the sun was setting down. Meaning now it was way WAY past the time you were meant to be back. "She will come back", Xaden said calmly, "So whatever that's brewing inside you now", he gestured to his friend, "let go of it because she will be too tired to deal with your bullshit". Garrick knew that himself without anyone having to tell him.

"You know", Xaden moved to stand next to him, "You're miserable company when Y/N is not around". They both snickered quietly but Garricks's face glazed over first. "And whatever that you're thinking now is not true", Xaden cut In quickly, "Not that you deserve any praise but she likes you just the way you are", "Fuck you", Garrick muttered, turning away from his friend, "Violet made you soft as fuck". Xaden only smirked, "I would do anything for her. We both have sharp edges and scowls but they see right through it".

He sat in the courtyard after that. Glaring at the darkening horizon as if that somehow prevented the night from settling in. You humans are unbearable creatures Chradh mused. Ask her dragon where they are. A chuckle sounded, I enjoyed watching you sweat way too much to do that. Garrick was about to fight back as the sound of the wings filled the sky. It had to be you. It had to. All other squads were back. He had chucked dozens of times. The moment your blue dragon came in view Garrick nearly sank to the floor. You were seated. Your posture seemed strong. You had to be fine.

The moment everyone dismounted Garrick stepped forward. Crossing the distance between you two. Your dragon merely rolled his eyes. "You three are dismissed", he said bluntly to the cadets motioning for them to get on their way. They slowly looked among themselves before their eyes fell on you. "I said...", Gaarick started again but you quickly cut in, "Go you guys, I'll see you in the morning. You did great", you said softly, offering them a tired smile, that they quickly returned. Shooting Garrick a dirty look as they walked past, already engaged in a conversation of their own.

Your shoulders slump slightly, "Let's hear it", you sighed, clearly preparing yourself for Gaarick's harsh words. That flickered guilt within his chest. Had he genuinely been such an ass to you lately, that him getting angry was all you expect? Garrick stepped forward, his arms instantly reaching for your body as he wrapped you up in his embrace. Your body stayed stiff for a moment. The shock of the situation kept you paralyzed before you muttered, "Garrick?".

"Just tell me if you're hurt. Did you get attacked? Does anything hurt?", he pulled away abruptly, looking you over. Your eyes fall on his wind-swept hair, "Have you been sitting here all night?", you asked him softly. He lost a breath himself, halting before he nodded his head. Your face softened as you reached up to cup his cheek, "You didn't have to, everything is okay", "You were meant to be back hours ago and we separated like that and...", a string of frustrated words slipped past his lips. You watched him for a moment before you stepped forward, pressing your head against his chest as you squeezed him to you. Garrick lost a labored breath, his own body relaxing before he pressed a couple of loving kisses along your hairline. Tenderly stroking your back. You looked up at him, "Worrying looks good on you", you teased him softly earning an eye roll, "You sound like fucking Bodhi and Xaden", he huffed but his tight smile curved upwards as you softly giggled. "Come on let's get you fed and washed up", Garrick pulled you alongside him, his grip not loosening on you as you two walked towards the main entrance.

[fallingdownhell]

hi!! i really loved your reader drunk complimenting dumeru boys 😭❤️ i was wondering if you can make something similar but with diluc, xiao, thoma? you can add whoever else you want!

thank you in advance, if ever you come across this ask and accept my request! love your writing btw <3

Thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoy my writing! And of course, I loved that request so much myself, glad to include some other characters in this now<3

Characters Included: Diluc; Xiao; Thoma

Content: gender neutral reader; drunk reader; established relationship; general fluffy content

Word count: 2k words

Imagine Reader's parts as drunken gibberish, I can't write that for the life of me xD

Diluc

Even though Diluc himself did not like drinking alcohol and rarely participated in it, he could understand your need for the occaisonal drink at his bar, especially when he noticed you approach after an particular stressful day at work.

He noticed your slumped way of walking, the sour expression on your face as you approached the bar at Angel's Share. Without a word, he turned and prepared your favourite drink for you, placing it in front of you with an understanding nod.

You thanked him and almost downed the drink entirely in one go. So it was that bad, huh?

Like always, he wanted to keep an eye on you the entire time, to ensure you wouldn't drink too much, but something came up and he had to leave the bartending to Charles on his own.

As he emerged from his office within the Angel's Share again after two hours had passed, he was surprised and concerned when he did not see you sitting at the bar anymore.

Alarmed, he was about to dash over to Charles to question him about your whereabouts, but then a shout ripped through the tavern, a voice he would recognise anywhere.

He turned to the source of the noise and found you sitting at one of the many tables in the tavern, surrounded by other people who were heavily drunk and singing along with the bards... just like you were.

Diluc turned again to look at Charles, who only spared him one apologetic look before he tended to other customers again.

"DILUC!"

The shout of his name brought him to turn his attention back to your drunken self, as you tried approaching him on your stumbling and unsafe legs. He caught you under your arms as you were about to fall right in front of him, but this only made you giggle more.

"Where have you been? You missed out on SOOO much fun!", you laughed and giggled while talking, raising your glass to your lips again to drink even more. But Diluc caught your hand before you could do so, gently taking the glass from your grip.

"I think you've had enough for the night, darling."

"No! I'm pracitcally sober! See?". You tried convincing him, but you were basically stumbling while only staying in one spot, so it wasn't exactly successful.

"Come on, it's time to get you to bed.", he said as he then gently picked you up, one hand supporting your upper body while his other arm was holding you under your legs.

You let out a surprised noise at the sudden motion, but soon started giggling again, wrapping your arms around his neck as Diluc carried you out the tavern and began the walk back to his mansion.

It was late at night already, but that didn't stop you from talking the entire time, commenting either about the time of day or what you were seeing upon your travels.

"WOW, did you see the shape of that bush?!"

"Has that flower always been there? ...Why is it staring at me?"

Diluc couldn't help but smile at your crazy talk. He wished he could see what you were seeing right now, but it's best if he didn't.

This carried on for a while, him carrying you like this while you commented on absolutely everything without pause, until suddenly, you slapped your hands against his cheeks, holding his face like that and making him look at you.

Surprised, he stopped walking, looking at you questioningly as you were practically staring him in the eyes, not saying anything.

"...What?", he asked after a few seconds of silence as you began squinting your eyes together.

"You have such a pretty face, you know that?", you suddenly said, before giggling again, letting go of Diluc's face again and hiding your own against his chest.

Meanwhile, Diluc had combusted into all the different shades of red at your compliment. His brain stopped working for a second at the unsuspected praise of his appearance.

When he tried nudging you, he noticed that you'd finally fallen asleep in his arms, looking peacefully unaware. Diluc sighed, placing a soft kiss to the top of your head, whispering "Sweet dreams" into your ear as he carried on his way, holding you tightly against his chest.

He knew you would feel the full force of your drinking tomorrow morning, but he would be there as well, to help and comfort you through it.

Xiao

He was still not too familiar with the customs of the humans, so he didn't think too much of it when you told him that you were going out for a few drinks with your friends.

He just nooded and wished you a good night with them while he would focus on his duties for the time you were going to be apart. Never would he have thought it would end like this..

The night has already progressed quite far, but there were still no signs of you coming back. And Xiao was slowly starting to get worried.

He hasn't heard anything from you at all. Normally, you would call his name and he would accompany you back home, to make sure you would arrive safe and sound.

But never before did it take you this long, you usually never stayed out this late.

So the fact that it happened now, made his mind spin with worry and a hundred different scenarios on what could have happened to you while he wasn't there to protect you.

As his thoughts kept wandering and getting worse by the second, he suddenly heard you... your voice... calling his name..

He was confused for only a second because your voice didn't sound as paniced like he had imagined it would, but that was quickly shoved to the back of his mind as he teleported to you.

To his surprise, he stood in the middle of a very crowded place, people all around him and shouting and singing very loudly with each other. Is this what you called a "tavern" earlier?

Xiao then looked around and spotted you not too long after. You were standing with your back turned to him, so he approached you, wanting to know why you called for him.

As he came closer, he noticed you standing with your group of friends. The closer he got, the better he began to understand what you were talking about.

"... so handsome! And his hair! Oh my god, his hair! It's so fluffly! Like, you wouldn't think it, but it's so..."

You were rambling, your friends laughing at your drunken monologue about your boyfriend, which made you pout.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me! It's true, Xiao is very handsome and loveable!"

Xiao froze in his tracks over hearing you say that. Was that why you called his name? Because you were gushing to your friends about him?

"Yeah, yeah, we know, (Name).", your friends were laughing and giggling even more at your pouting, to which you then decided to turn around to get another drink from the bar. Although those plans of your were long forgotten as you recognized the face of your boyfriend in the crowd.

"XIAO!", you screamed, a huge grin appearing on your face as you immediately ran towards him, startling the poor Adeptus even more. He was unsure how to react in this situation, but you just took care of that for him.

Jumping up into his arms, hugging your arms around his neck, you giggled as you burried your face into his neck. "What are you doing here?", you asked him after a minute, only now realizing how strange his presence here was.

"You.. called my name.", Xiao explained, a bit awkward since your friends were watching you two and he did not know how to handle you right now. You were acting so different than usual..

"I did? Really.. I don't remember..", you pondered, but moments later, it was already forgotten again as you hugged him again, giggling like a madman, continuing to mumble "Xiao.. Xiao.. my Xiao..", while you did so.

Xiao was blushing like crazy, and the best thing he knew to do right now was to escape this situation as soon as possible.

"I'll be taking her home now.", he said directed to your friends. Then, placing an arm around your back, he teleported you and himself back to his room at Wangshuu Inn, were he laid you down on the bed.

He would let you rest for now, but there were a lot of questions he needed you to answer tomorrow morning..

Thoma

Thoma himself did not drink often, but he also never stopped you from doing so, knowing that you liked to go out from time to time to have fun this way. And he always took care of you when you had a terrible hangover the next day.

You always felt guilty about it and he would tell you that he didn't mind it a bit, but it didn't help your conscious at all. Still, the next best opportunity you got, you would do it again.

It became somewhat of a routine that Thoma would look after you when you overdid it with the drinking again.

Like today...

It was only supposed to be two or three drinks with some friends at a bar, but it escalated when a certain Oni came into the picture, challenging you to a drinking game which you could not turn down.

Thoma tried his best in talking you out of it, but your pride got the better of you. And now, you were horribly drunk, your head resting on the bar counter as you giggled and laughed at absolutely nothing.

Your friends and other spectators were laughing at you, as well as the drunk Oni next to you, while Thoma was shaking his head. He did feel pity for you, because the hangover would be gruesome, but on the other hand, he did warn you and you refused to listen to him. It was your own fault...

Deciding that enough was enough, he went over to you, gently patting your back.

"Come on, (Name). It's time to go home now.", he said as he took one of your arms to place it over his shoulder, while his other arms wrapped around your back so he could help you walk better.

You were barely conscious at this point, only unintelligable noises leaving your lips, interrupted by the occaisonal giggle or laughter.

The people made room for the two of you as Thoma helped you to get outside, the fresh air hitting your face and you soon felt like you became a bit more clear in the head again.

Suddenly realizing that you were walking, you looked at the figure next to you through squinted eyes. You didn't recognize much, other than the fact that whoever that was, they were looking rather handsome..

"Heeyy.. you come here often?", you asked, the words managed to come out after a few attempts. The person next to you was silent for a few seconds, then you heard a chuckle from them.

"You could say that, yes.", they answered you, which satisfied you for now. You nodded, walking in silence for a bit, until a new realization hit you.

"Wait.. where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home. You had a bit too much to drink, (Name)."

You only nodded again, letting this strange person walk you back to your home without further resistance. Maybe, if you were more sober, you would have realized the hidden dangers in this if the person next to you would have been anyone else..

As soon as you were through the door of your home and your head hit your soft pillow, your lights went out instantly and you were snoring softly, sleeping like a rock.

With a sigh, but also a fond smile on his lips, Thoma looked at you and shook his head as he made sure to pull the blankets over your body, before he left for now to gather a few herbs and medicine to help your recovery later...

[lumiheartszz]

sirenbur smut. thats it, just sirenbur smut. I NEED SIRENBUR. GIVE ME SIRENBUR😭

Siren is so fucking hot i need him ily anon

Keep your eyes on me.

Context: you're a villain and sirenbur (who has taken an interest in you) has rough sex with you :3 also yall know each other's identities because im the writer and i like it that way

WARNING: SMUT !! MINORS DNI!!

The cold wind blew past your hair as you leaned against the balcony, eyeing the city down below. It was a cold evening, that's for sure. You weren't exactly sure why so much trouble was constantly happening in your surroundings, even when you're walking around the city as a civillian. It was rather odd to you, even to the point where it was too much to shrug off, even for a nonchalant person like you. It was all so... overwhelming, to say the least. You were snapped from your thoughts when a deep, raspy voice from behind started speaking.

"Y/N, sweets! What's such a pretty girl like you doing out here, hm?" He cooed, obviously mocking you. "I'm... thinking, goddamit. Also, I've noticed something... who's been causing trouble in the city all week? It's pretty damn annoying, even to me. No way it isn't someone from the Syndicate, if it wasn't, with how inexperienced other villains are, they'd probably already been found out. So from the three of you, you're the only one with the unserious personality." He snickered, shrugging later on. "So?" You were a bit pissed, more than a bit, actually. "So? So?! It's fucking annoying, Wilbur, stop." You pinched your nose bridge in annoyance.

"It's funny." He huffed, elbowing you lightly. "You're a real moodkiller, Y/N, y'know that?" He spurred you on further, and you could barely take it. "Shut the fuck up for once, goddamit!" You shouted with your back turned from him. This earned an eyebrow raise from the blindfolded brunette. "You really want me to? Tell that straight to my face, angel, and maybe I will." You could almost hear the smirk as he spoke those words. You grit your teeth, and not even you know if it's from your anger or the fact you got flustered by HIM, of all people.

"I said... sh-shut up..." You said weakly, turning to face him as you looked up at him. This triggered a fire in the villain. He started backing you up against the wall. "Say that again. With full force, while looking at me." He commanded once he had you fully backed up. You couldn't even find the courage to say anything. You refused to look up at him, not while your face is all red.

"Aww, you went all quiet on me..." he smirked, burying his face into your neck, which triggered a surprised shriek from you. "No fucking way you get turned on from me commanding you." He teased, sharp canines grazing against your sensitive neck. You shuddered from the contact, hands holding onto the wall separating you from the edge of the rooftop. His hands found it's way to the hem of your pants,playing with it to spur you further.

"You want this, don't you? You want me to fuck you senseless until you lose your senses?" You could only let out a whine as a response, looking down in shame as you nodded. "What's that? I couldn't hear you, princess." His finger twirled a couple of strands of your hair, and when you didn't respond, he yanked your hair to make you look at him. "I said SPEAK, SLUT!" His voice echoed in your ears, it's power forcing you to speak. "Y-yes... p-please-- please fuck me... I need you so bad..." This made him grin evilly, his teeth sinking into your skin. "Good, good girl, Y/N..."

His hands find their way inside your pants as his middle and ring finger start caressing the wet patch on your panties. "Shit, you're fucking soaked. Gonna finger fuck you and make you cum so many times, all you'll remember is my name." He growled, his large fingers slipping past the thin fabric and into your wet folds. He let out a breathy moan as he felt just how perfectly soaked you were just from his voice.

His large finger easily slips past your folds, making you gasp. "Fuck, I'm..." you let out a breathy whine, bucking your hips up into his fingers involuntarily. He was going slow on purpose just to tease you. "Please... p-please go faster, Wil..." you pleaded, pleaded just for the sweet sensation of his talented fingers. "Good girl, already begging for me, hm?" He added in a second, speeding his fingers up. When your legs started shaking, signalling your nearing orgasm, he stopped abruptly, pulling his fingers out. "Wh- wha? Wilbur!!" You whined. "Why did you-- why...??" You panted, like you had just ran miles on end.

He didn't answer, licking your slick from his fingers. "I'd rather have you cum on my cock than my fingers. You'd prefer that, right?" You could only stare at him as you thought about it. The thought of his cock stretching you out deliciously; it just fueled your desires further.

He spread your lips apart with the pad of his thumb, spitting on your tongue. "Swallow." He sternly commanded, with you following shortly after. He whispered curses before unbuckling his pants, lips crashing into yours as he palmed himself through his boxers. "Yeah, be fucking good for me. Such a good slut, letting me use your pretty body..." He fumbled to unbutton your own, letting out a breath as he finally managed to take it off. His quick fingers pressed against your nub of muscles, quickly rubbing it, causing you to moan. "Wilb-- NGHH~! Ple-please~!" He took that chance to put his tongue in your mouth, sloppily making out with you.

"Shit, I need to be inside r-right now, fuck..." He rubbed his cock on your entrance, looking at you for approval. Once you've nodded your head, he slammed himself in all the way to the hilt, tearing a loud moan from your throat. "Shit... s-so warm... so tight..." he growled right next to your ear as he thrusted in and out. All you could form was unintelligible noises, none of them even making sense. "I fucked you up already, huh?" He panted, pounding into you faster. "Shit,you like that? Look at me while I fuck you, whore." When you didn't obey, he got angered. "Look at me..." he warned. You did try to look at him, but the pleasure caused them to roll back your head once more. "I said LOOK AT ME." He used his powers on you, forcing your eyes to look up at him.

He slapped your ass repeatedly, hand coming up to harshly grip your hair afterwards. "Shit, you're so fucking tight..." he groaned as his cock twitched inside. You moaned out as his hips started slamming against yours alarmingly quicker. "C-cumming..." you mumbled weakly. "C-cum on my cock, whore." He commanded, panting as his thrusts became sloppy and erratic, losing it's rhythm. "FUCK, WILBURR~!" You moaned out as your orgasm hit you like a bullet train. Your sweet voice moaning out his name was his last straw as he buried himself deep inside, warm cum painting your insides. You both panted from the aftermath of your rather intimate bonding.

"That's a good girl..."

[midnight-black2]

ok so i have an idea. (this is before jann got into gt academy)

jann has had a crush on us for a very long time. coby invites jann to a party saying we’ll be there (so ofc he comes) and they play spin the bottle/7 mins in heaven

𝟕 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍

pairing : jann mardenborough x reader, prompt #8

synopsis : it's exactly what the req says lol

disclaimers : sub!jann, dom!reader, teasing, kissing, etc, this is rather mild tbh

note : yayy first req for my eventtt.

jann was definitely not the type to attend parties, but for you? he'd do it, no questions asked. so when his brother practically begged jann to drive him to said party, jann couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you, which is how he found himself in that rare situation; standing awkwardly by your side as all the others drunkenly shouted and laughed.

now, you'd be lying if you said you didn't find jann absolutely adorable, but you weren't quite sure if he was equally as interested in you. you never wanted to make him feel uncomfortable, and for this reason, your relationship never went past a small hug or longing gazes.

you were tipsy, not drunk, but you were confident, and all nerves had washed away with the first drink. you swayed, your pinky finger grazing his, which caused him to noticeably tense up just a bit. his cheeks were dusted with a light shade of pink. you wished you could say you hadn't done it on purpose, but you wanted to see a reaction out of him. it was amusing to you, to say the least.

"you know what we should do?" coby asks, in a loud voice. he had definitely had one too many to drink. he stumbled around, making his way across the room haphazardly, before resting his hand on janns shoulder. "we should totally play seven minutes in heaven!" you chuckled.

"what are we, sixth graders ?" you laughed, teasingly. you weren't entirely against the idea. however, you also weren't entirely for the idea of being stuffed in a closet with anyone else but jann. you also didn't seem to like the idea of jann being stuffed in a closet with anyone but you.

"oh cmon, it'll be fun," audrey replied, and coby nodded eagerly. everyone else seemed willing to play, and even jann wasn't necessarily protesting.

"i mean sure, im surely not stopping you," you said, as you sat down, joining the circle that the other people had already started to form. coby ushered jann to the opposite side of the circle, likely to raise the chances of your spin landing on him. you weren't sure of that at the time, though. looking back, you should've known why he did that, but the alcohol clouded your better judgement.

coby placed an empty glass bottle in the middle of the circle with a cunning grin. he sat back down next to jann, before asking the question, "who's spinning first?" audrey volunteered, willingly so. it landed on someone neither you nor jann knew; one of coby's friends, presumably. the two entered the small closet at the back of the room, before coby started the seven minute timer.

not much could be heard, which was climactic. everyone was chit-chatting. some were talking about who they hoped the bottle landed on, others were talking about what they thought audrey and the guy were actually doing. then, the timer rang startlingly. coby walked by the closet door and knocked.

"hey lovers, your times up!" he shouted, laughing. a few moments after, audrey slowly opened the door, hair tousled around a bit. her lipstick was slightly smeared, and she wore a giddy smile. context clues were enough for everyone to start teasing the two as they entered the main room. audrey sat back down next to you, and you smirked suggestively.

"well then, looks like you had fun," you said, frivolously. audrey scoffed and elbowed you in a playful manner, but she couldn't fight the growing smile on her face.

"maybe..." she answered, with an eye roll.

"well, i think we all know what happened there," coby began. "so...who's next?" for a minute, nobody volunteered.

"i guess i am," you said, with a slight shrug. jann's head perked up, his eyes meeting yours. neither of you dared to look away, so you shot him a soft smile. he returned the gesture, a bit of color returning to his cheeks before he got kicked out of his trance by coby, who was wiggling his brows up and down obnoxiously.

you placed your hand on the bottle, before giving it a forceful spin. the moments of waiting were pure agony, as you kept your eyes on the bottle which was spinning around tauntingly. it started to slow, and finally came to a halt. your eyes trailed up to who it landed on, and sure enough, it was jann. his eyes widened, as he blinked a few times. he wasn't sure whether or not he was seeing things.

coby and the rest of the group started hyping jann up, and even audrey threw you a quick thumbs up with an eye brow raise. so, you stood, feet planted on the ground. jann followed suit, before you both walked into the closet. you clicked on the light bulb, and he shut the door behind him.

"your seven minutes starts now!" coby announced. suddenly, the closet felt so stuffy with the air that reeked of awkwardness. you made yourself comfortable, trying to find some words to say to him. in reality, this game could be quite unpleasant if you didn't want to do anything with the other person.

"i-uh, sorry...i've never played this before and..." he stammered, swallowing nervously.

"you've never played seven minutes in heaven before?" you asked, smiling softly.

"yeah uh-no. no i haven't," he replied, before laughing softly and looking down at his hands.

"it's alright, we don't have to do anything if you don't want to," you said, placing a hand on his knee, trying to make him feel more comfortable. he looked at your hand, then up to you. was this a dream? was he dreaming? if so, he'd rather die than wake up. "or...we could have some fun."

"what do you mean?" he asked, interest piqued. you tittered, and tapped your index finger against his leg.

"i think you know, jann," you replied, smiling. "just tell me what you want." he thought about it for a moment, as he collected his composure. there were many things he wanted. he wanted for you to touch him more, get impossibly closer to him--even kiss him...hell, he wanted a billion dollars. and he was good under pressure, he didn't let it crack him completely just yet.

"i want..." he had to force the words out, feeling as though it were almost embarrassing to seem so desperate. "i want you to...kiss...me." he sounded sure of it, but nervous as well. you hummed softly in approval. you had to applaud him, you didn't think he'd ever say it. but now that he did, you swiftly climbed over his lap, straddling him, wasting no time. you steadied yourself by placing one hand at his shoulder and one at his hip.

"is this okay?" you asked, wanting to check with him before you took things any further. he nodded eagerly, and you laughed. you cupped his cheeks, before leaning in, admiring him. his face became a crimson, as his eyes flickered between yours and your lips. you finally closed the gap, and captured him in a kiss. he sighed into it, melting into you.

your touch, the way you handled him with care was all too much for him. his head was reeling, and all you had done was kiss him. when you pulled away, he smiled gingerly.

"you're a good kisser," he said, with a small laugh, as his gaze averted.

"likewise." his grin widened. you leaned back in, as did he. you kissed him once again, but with a sort of fervor this time around. jann felt cloudy, like it was heaven. he'd finally understood the name of the game. when you pulled away for the second time, he had to resist the urge to pout. his mood was quickly lifted once again, though, when you started trailing soft kisses down his jaw and to his neck.

"let me know if you want me to stop," you mumbled against his soft skin. he nodded, but he had no intentions of doing so. you continued, starting to bite softly, only to test the waters. his breath stuttered, and his left hand found its way to your hip, as a way to ground himself. you left light pink hickeys down his neck. something he would possibly be forced to talk about with his parents, but he couldn't care less in that moment.

after you felt satisfied, you went back up for another kiss on the lips. he met you halfway, and he hummed into it, feeling a wave of bliss wash over him. he would have to thank his brother when they got home, because never in a million years would this had happened without him. and just when nothing could get in the way--something did, indeed, get in the way.

the timer beeped glaringly from outside the closet. jann groaned softly, unhappy to hear it. you chuckled, and lifted yourself off of him. you could hear coby striding towards the door, before knocking.

"times up, to your demise!" he said, with a shared laugh of everyone outside. you opened the door, with a small complacent smirk. jann stood behind you, and since he was so tall everyone had a clear view of what you had left on his neck.

who knew seven minutes in heaven could be such a fun game? maybe it was only fun because it was with jann, though.

𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 © 𝐤𝐲𝐚-𝐢𝐬-𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐥

𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐲? 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞

[athenodora-sulpicia-writer]

Hush Little Baby- Lady Lesso

In my world Tedros is not the oldest son of Arthur and this one-shot kind of remains outside of the movie and books plot.

Oh and Archer is King Arthur's son and if you've watched the show Merlin then do enjoy the comedy. _______________________

Lesso was sat in her office doing her favourite thing in the world, marking and paperwork, what a joy. After a long day of teaching and trying her absolute best to teach her students everything they could possibly need to know, she comes back to her office and has to do marking.

Lesso had been working her way through the stack of papers for about an hour or so now and still she had another to many more assessments to mark, the glamorous life of a teacher and Dean. 

Mid way through reading one of the assessments Lesso was taken out of her thoughts by the loud bang of her office door being swung open. No knocking, God these students become more impudent by the hour, Lesso thought as she got ready to throw the disturbance of a child out of her office, well that was until she looked up and saw who it was.

"Y/n?" Lesso's voice was slightly breathy as she held back the shouting speech she had prepared, soon the stack of student assessments were forgotten as Lesso walked over to her daughter who had made quite the entrance.

Lesso was going to scold her 15 year old for her lack of manners when entering her office but as the red headed Dean walked over to her daughter she heard the sound of sobs coming from her little girl.

Lesso was now quickly over to her daughter's side panicked as to what could be wrong and whether she was indeed crying or Lesso was just simply hearing things. Grasping her daughters chin under her palm she raised y/n head and saw that she was indeed crying and suddenly, the maternal instincts that Lesso both loved and hated began to kick in.

"What's wrong my little Love?" Lesso asked her daughter who continued to cry as y/n looked up at her mother with her sea blue green eyes welling up with tears.

Lesso began to bring her daughter into a tight embrace as she waited for her to answer and because y/n was yet to inherit her mother's height she stood significantly smaller, her head only reaching up to her mother's chest.

"It's Archer.... He..... He broke up with me," y/n attempted to form a sentence between her sobs but by voicing what had made her so upset had only caused her heart to break that little bit more.

Y/n and Archer had been dating for about a year now and it was safe to say that Lady Lesso did not approve in the slightest, not just because he was a Prince but because he was the son of that twit King Arthur and there were very few people Lesso despised more than that Dolophead of a king.

"I'm going to kill that arsehole," to say lesso was angry was an understatement, she was seething and all that was now on her mind was making that boy suffer every pain imaginable for hurting her little girl, if it weren't for y/n's next actions Lesso would have stormed out her office and made the tedious walk to the School for Good even with her bad leg.

"No mummy please don't!" Upon hearing her mother's words y/n spoke quickly knowing exactly what she was thinking and not wanting her to kill the Prince she had loved, "Please don't."

Lesso heard her daughters pleads but the fury within her was a hard flame to burn out and it was becoming to late to change her mind, she had already began to go through all the different ways she could torture that boy.

She could have him dangle from the Bridge connecting the two schools, wait no she could send a pack of rabid wolves after him or she could leave him dangling by his thumbs in the doom room. Oh decisions decisions but which one to choose.

"Mummy please stop plotting to kill him," Y/n grabbed onto her mother's hands to bring Lesso's attention back to her. She was heartbroken that he'd left her like that but she didn't want him to die for it, it wasn't worth it.

"I wasn't plotting to kill him," Lesso said but still the sly smile she wore on her face spoke volumes of what her mind was thinking, "I was only plotting to maim or seriously injure him," she then said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Mummy just stay with me please, it hurts to think about it all," Lesso could never refuse her daughter anything and even at the age that she was it still warmed her heart that y/n never stopped calling her mummy.

"Alright sweetheart," lesso's voice was gentle and soothing as she stroked her daughter's soft red locks and brought her over to her desk and sat down with y/n curled up on her lap. "I always did say he looked like a toad, even when you said he would turn into a handsome Prince, I knew no magic could ever make that happen."

Y/n still continued to have tears falling from her cheeks but at her mother's sarcastic comment she couldn't help but chuckle at her words.

"There, there," Lesso continued to soothe her daughter who remained curled up on her lap.

"Hush little baby."

[wrens-versus-the-world]

Chapter Three: Introducing the Hag

I am having some personal issues going on backstage, so after I post all of the published chapters I may go bye-bye for a little while :D

also, your appearance stays the same as how you look rn, aside from the outfit change lol.

Also, y/n is usually not this bold, usually only when she is having a strong emotion (really happy or really mad) and it take a lot to make her that mad.

your pov:

When I finally opened my eyes, i was in a room filled with people.

'okay, so sebastian kept his promise, but where exactly am I?'

I wondered as I looked around, making eye contact with a brown haired man, who was dressed like a marriage Officiant..

'this is getting weirder by the second...'

"miss, did you not hear me" the brown haired male asked nervously.

"huh?" I responded, 'what's this guy talking about' I thought as I looked down to my outfit, it was a traditional kimono that brides wore to weddings.

"Do you, Shinyomiya y/n, of the Shinyomiya clan. Take kamisato ayato, the head of the kamisato clan, as your husband?" he asked.

I'm not sure what came over me in that moment, but I just started laughing. It wasn't rude laughter either (although in this situation it appeared to be rude).

"hah- aha no." I finally found my voice, and gave the officiant my answer, as I turned my attention to my almost husband, kamisato ayato, who up until this morning didn't exist (but then again isekai is a bitch).

the blue haired male in question was surprised, to say the least.

he thought that you both knew that it was a contract based marriage, one that would strengthen both families, and here you are laughing at the officiant, and acting as though didn't know this was happening!?

color him intrigued.

The audience was however, not as impressed. One man seemed to be pissed.

"Y/N I RAISED YOU, DO NOT DECIDE THAT TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DECIDE TO REBEL."

"so that's the dad, huh, what an ass" I whispered under my breath.

I turned my attention for the man's outburst to the officiant, "say, you can have people's last names changed right?" I asked.

The officiant looked confused but nodded

(a/n if this doesn't make sense don't ask too many questions okay?)

"can you change my last name?" I asked.

the officiant looked confused but nodded nonetheless.

"great" I clapped excitedly, "can you change it to L/n?"

He looked even more confused but complied with my wishes.

I turned my attention to the old man (hag) shouting at me.

"hey old man," the room when quiet, and the hag in question looked like he was about to burst a vein. "you DARE TO CA-"

"yes." the room was once again quiet. "listen, I renounce the family name, shizuki, was it?" my 'father' was shocked.

" wait no, that's wrong, shin.... Oh! Shinyomiya. I renounce the family name, shinyomiya!"

I corrected myself with a smile, feeling giddy that I had been given a new opportunity at life, having the first been taken so soon.

'Father' however did not share my opinion. "YOU WOULDNT DARE!" he shouted, with confidence.

I gave him a glare, "ehe, I just did!" I replied, the smile coming to my face once again. "and all of these people are my witness."

at this moment 'Father' fell back into his seat, defeated.

i looked back to the wedding officiant who handed me a sheet of paper. "here's your copy of you name change." he said, clearly shocked my the entire fiasco that had just happened in the wedding hall.

Looking at the paper, I smiled.

'I died and got reincarnated, I'm going to live life to the fullest, and not let anyone keep me down anymore!' I thought to myself.

Almost as soon as I concluded my thought a burst of green blue light appeared before me, a strange shaped object with a teal center floated before me.

"a vi- vision!? !?" I exclaimed quietly. "h-how?!"

I put my other hand out, to allow the vision to float down into my hand.

I'm not sure how long I stayed like that, but It gave me a chance to remember something that I needed to do.

I looked up from my vision, to face the man I almost married.

'god this is so embarrassing'

"Listen, I'm really sorry about all of this, none of this was your fault, the blame falls directly on me. anyways, I gotta go. daddy dearest looks like he's about to skin me alive, later!" I said, rushing the last part, as I soon began to run out of the wedding hall.

before I got all the way out I heard my 'father' shout some sort of insult, so I threw a layer of the wedding outfit at him, I unfortunately missed is reaction because I was trying to get out, but i'm willing to bet it was priceless.

Ayato's Pov:

"hah, what a strange woman, I think I would have actually enjoyed a marriage with such a woman"

I said under my breath, amused by the whole situation.

[fenicenera83]

ⲏⲉꞅⲉ ⲱⲓⲧⲏ ⲙⲉ

(Marius/Daniel- fan little tale)

Whispers in the night were like a distant melody. Exclusive and unobtrusive company. Though that place, not too long before, had been crowded with human intent pastimes, that made Marius smile and sometimes took him back in time. To the dances that pompously spun and charmed in the streets in his Venice during Carnival, such as the games of balance or strength, that boys enjoyed putting on display in the squares. Masks paraded and promised anonymity to those pranks and provocations.

Marius had seen boys, amusing themselves with scary masks, won at stalls, make the girls they were with run away laughing. Although, there was nothing hidden, as it was in the ancient city of the Doge, likewise the girls were laughing and screaming, chased by the boys who were engaged in making the strangest noises. There were games that seemed dangerous, with people being catapulted upward, others screaming with their arms in the air, thrown at impossible speeds on carts of the strangest shapes.

There were water features and tunnels that looked like a haven for lovers. The lights were bright and colorful, there was the smell of sugar and roasted meat. Marius had almost refused to follow Daniel to that luna park, Marius knew he wasn't exactly a lover of that kind of place. At the same time, Marius knew that it didn't matter the place, he would go anywhere for Daniel. And that Daniel was safe and happy was the only thing that really mattered. When he felt himself being pulled by the sleeve of his coat, and turning around he found himself reflected in Daniel's violet eyes, Marius realized that unintentionally he had lost the thread of the conversation.

" Make me a participant?"

Daniel asked, resting his hands on his hips with a playful smile and raising an eyebrow.

"I was thinking about how some things never seem to change."

Said Marius with a gentle smile. Daniel seemed to consider those words thoughtfully.

" Maybe good things don't change, maybe only the protagonists change."

And Daniel seemed wistful but happy at the same time.

" Maybe. Or maybe the protagonists make a journey, and in the end those moments come back, maybe they are given to us by someone else,maybe in other places, in other times, but they are no less strong or beautiful than the ones we keep inside us. Here,"

and Marius gently stroked Daniel's forehead, "And here."

And he caressed the chest where a heart should have beaten.

"Here with me always. In everything, in every hour, in every step, though far away always near.Everything that comes from you is beautiful and precious to me."

Marius stared at a boy who seemed to strut in front of other boys, because he had hit harder than anyone else, a tool that had a bright yellow writing on it that read punch ball.Marius smiled, even he as a boy had strutted when he had won races or strength contests against his brothers. Amadeo had also strutted in front of Riccardo and Albino, because, he had managed to win at cards both of them. And not a short time before, Daniel had strutted, about how he had managed to reconstruct an alleyway in ancient Rome to perfection. So accurate and true that Marius had almost heard again the merchants' voices shouting in Latin. So many things, they had passed, beautiful and precious, and so many had returned to knock at the door of his heart, but out of weariness or pain Marius had not paid attention. Or had not given It the attention he should have. It was hard to realize this especially after all the time that had passed, after all the love he had had and had now. It was enough for him to stare into Daniel's violet eyes to realize that that love so strong that trust so unwavering was for him and him alone. And if out of love, even though he had suffered, he had decided to let Daniel have his chance to find a new relationship with Armand, he knew even just by looking at Daniel's eyes, that the purity and the limpid burning love in those shades of purple, only appeared when Daniel looked at him, even if from a distance. That adoration and that trusting smile had given Marius a heart to open again, a heart Marius wanted to open again.

" Here with me."

Daniel said, and his eyes seemed larger, as if he were holding something back, as if he were unable to say more or the feelings would overwhelm him.

" Always."

Said Marius with a smile.

[kayssweetdreams]

Happy Birthday Happy Hour

(Birthday Fic for @shadowqueen402)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIA!!

Reala scowled from his throne in the Night Dimension as he watched Aria celebrate her birthday in the real world. He could go there any time he desired, but due to the fact that he was...well, Reala, Everyone would pull all the stops to make sure he didn't get anywhere NEAR her.

But he couldn't help himself but gaze at her beauty from his small window to the Waking World. He watched as the maestros put on a special show for her, as well as many different foods from Wonderworld were being served. "Whatcha doin?" A voice tinged with insanity asked. Reala groaned as he saw Jackle leaning over his throne, his cape like body flopping like a wet towel over his throne. "Nothing of your concern JACKLE." Reala spat, pushing his non-existent head a push.

Jackle however, wasn't fazed, as he leaned on the OTHER side of the throne "I see you eyeing that visitor! She looks rather beautiful if I'm being honest!" He cackled. Reala gave a growl "Well look somewhere else. She's MINE." he said, fury in his eyes. "Well I don't see you over there, celebrating WITH her. Why don't you go there and wish her a happy birthday?" He asked with the innocence of a child. "Well, you know what's gonna happen if I go over there. I'll get a big serving of my traitorous sibling kicking my rear to kingdom come..." He stated bitterly.

"Well, I have something that'll take your mind off of it! Here!" Jackle cackled, pulling out a Brown, but fresh apple. "Here! Have some of these...happles." He said. Reala raised an eyebrow. Usually whenever Jackle gave him something, it would end up springing some kind of dangerous result in the end. Why in the Night Dimension would he bring him a Brown apple? "This isn't gonna DO anything to me right? Because if it does, I'm going to throw your cape in a wood chipper." Reala threatened.

Jackle gave his usual crazy smile "Of course not! Cross my Nightmaren heart!" He said, as innocently as possible. However, as Reala took a bite, he didn't notice that Jackle's smile was growing, and he was feeling...odd. the orange maren then began to float closer "So...About that party..." He started as Reala smiled.

Meanwhile, In Wonderworld...

Aria looked in beauty at the snowflake necklace that Iben had gifted her. The party that was held in her honor was going off without a hitch! It was actually a surprise party that Iben and Kaylo had planned together, and had gotten help from Balan to throw it. All of the inhabitants had given Aria wonderful gifts, and Balan and Lance performed a show in her honor, all the while, the Tims had given her birthday cuddles.

"Thank you everyone for the wonderful party!" She cheered, standing up from the throne that the Fort Bros had gifted her. "Of course darling! You had helped us in the past, it wouldn't hurt to return the favor." Lucy said, grabbing one of the snacks that were laid out for the party. A blush graced Aria's cheeks. It had been a while since the great incident of Nightmare Hiccups from Lance, and when the gang traveled to the Night Dimension to find the cure. However, her mind drifted to Reala whenever she thought of it.

"What's wrong Aria? Something on your mind?" Mei asked, placing down her own present. "Erm...Kinda. I was just thinking about Reala..." she admitted. THAT got both Balan and Lance curious, as they hovered over to her "Reala? NiGHTS greatest foe? What exactly is there to know?" Balan asked. "Well...I was kinda hoping he'd be here." Aria said quietly. "WHAT?!?!" NiGHTS, who had been listening in on the conversation, darted down and looked Aria dead in the eyes "Reala is DANGEROUS!! Did you forget what he tried to do?! He trapped you all in false dreams!!" They shouted.

"But...what if he COULD change? What if he was on our side? Could, given the chance." Aria argued, knowing that Reala often acted...Differently around her. NiGHTS was about to make their argument, when they heard the kids trying to wrangle Iben's kids away from a odd looking treat "No No! You guys can't eat those!" Debbie shouts, while Kaylo brings out a couple of mini cakes to lure them away. "Best to keep those kids away, Happy Hour Apples aren't meant for kids Anyway." Balan stated. Aria looked curious "Happy Hour Apples?" She asked.

"Apples that have an alcohol like taste. Minors beware of those apples in their haste. Too many of those would make you rather Tipsy, Why Lance once ate a lot, and danced like a gypsy." Balan said with a chuckle. Lance glared at him "Some things are better left unsaid. Although, some beings cannot get that through their head." He said in a scarily calm voice. Balan gave a booming laugh, until they heard Yuri scream "IT'S REALA!!!"

All the festivities seemed to stop at her yell as a dark portal opened in the air, as Reala flew out...and smacked into a wall. Balan, Lance and NiGHTS then took up defensive positions. "Reala! I don't know why you're here. But if you think you're gonna harm anyone here, you've got another thing coming!" NiGHTS shouted. However, instead of the usual retort, or threat, Reala just smiled and laughed...a rather giddy and carefree laugh.

"Hiya sibs! How ya doin?" Reala slurred, before drunkenly throwing an arm over NiGHTS shoulder. Leo got between the two maren "N-Not another step Reala! O-Or we'll get Balan and Lance!!" He yelled. The red maren looked down at him with a giddy expression "Go ahead and do so if yer brave 'nough. I know who you are, guuurrrl. And try as you may, you can't hide sleep f'rever!" He hiccuped. The fight in NiGHTS seemed to fade out. What had Reala gotten into?

Balan and Lance immediately summoned their magic and got between the two of them. "Is this a trick? Some kind of joke? You must be one sorry bloke." Lance threatened. Reala just giggled and gave a loud "Shhh... Don't tell my cousins this, but I ate these apples and I'm sooooo drunk." He shushed, wiggling his finger on Lance's lips before giggling like crazy again. Balan bit back a laugh "Dear me. Under the influence of Happy Hour Apples I see." He joked, looking down at the...rather silly Reala.

Reala's dazed out eyes then gazed over at Aria, who was looking at him curiously. His smile had gotten bigger as he dizzily floated over to her "You know, Vis'tor, there's this one Nightmaren named Reala. He liiikes yoooouuu. He thinks you're puuurrttty." He slurred out. He then floated over to a nearby table, while snatching a Shirley Temple float from Kaylo (earning a rather peeved "HEY!" from her) as well as a spoon. He then tapped the spoon as best as he could onto the glass "HEY EVERYONE! I'm gonna make a toast now...Heehee! Whysit called a toast when you can't eat it with jam and butter?" He giggled.

The children began to giggle at Reala's antics while he began his toast "I jus' wanna start by sayin...I'm sorry." He blabbed out "I'm Sorry for all that stuff that Wizeman told me to do...He was jus' havin a hissy fit. With his hand claws...He's like a cat, a really angry floating cat." He said. Purrla, Cass and Lance fell to the ground in laughter at his words. "And I also wanna say happy birfday to one of the most beautiful, and smartest, and kindest visitors in the wakin world. An' I wanna wish her a happy birthday." He giggled, raising the stolen glass into the air.

Everyone was fighting laughter at this point. Reala must have eaten a LOT of those apples to get like this. Reala then drunkenly floated over to Aria, and floated right next to her, now holding a plate that was close to him and pulled Aria closer to him "I-If you all 'scuse me, I'm takin' my girl on a ride." He hiccups, using the plate as a steering wheel and "driving" off. All laughter that was being held back officially came out at that point. Reala had officially become The life of the party.

Later on into the party, Balan and Lance had kept slipping the Happy Hour Apples over to Reala to ensure that he didn't...(ahem) Slip into had habits. And all through the party, Reala clung to Reala like a lovesick puppy, drunkenly letting little compliments of Aria out of his Tipsy mouth. By the time the party finally ended, Reala had to be dragged back to the Night Dimension by a Dying of Laughter NiGHTS...

But not without Aria slipping him one little kiss near his cheek. "Sweet Dreams Reala." She said, much to Reala's joy, as he shouted "I WAS KISSED BY AN ANGEL!!"

(Aria and the Happy Hour Apples belong to @shadowqueen402

Mei belongs to @sundove88

Rebecca belongs to @thehypercutstudios/@thehyperrequiem

Trisha Jane belongs to @lovelyteng

Debbie belongs to @mayordebbie )

[aquata-the-champ]

Join the Club | Oneshot

Date: Early May 2023 Featuring: @brucewhite Warnings: None

Bruce makes a proposal.

The more time Aquata spent in her new flat, the more she appreciated Lana's sense of interior design. Not that Alana was a professional decorator or anything, but at least she had some pictures and shelves and trinkets on the walls. Boo had, like, one movie poster.

So Aquata stopped by Whosits and Whatsits, expecting to find Gabriella. She still liked to support the business, even though her sisters didn't work there anymore. Scuttle was basically like family, and even if he wasn't a merman, the whole place was basically the merfolk hub of Swynlake. Whether or not he knew it.

Instead she found Bruce White. Friendly, awkward, fresh-out-of-the-sea Bruce White. Aquata was pretty sure he was friends with Gabriella, but she'd never spoken to him much. There was something secondhand-embarrassing about talking to him, and it was too much for Aquata. She appreciated that Attina had taken pity on him and hired him, of course. He seemed to have gotten pretty good at his job, even.

He just wasn't the person Aquata had hoped would be here.

Bruce, by contrast, seemed very happy to see her. "Aquata! Good afternoon!" he said cheerfully, looking up from something he was writing down. Aquata gave a small smile and a wave and went to go browse the decor.

"Just shout if you need anything!" Bruce added. Aquata nodded wordlessly.

~~~

This was Bruce's opportunity. The Tritons were the only other merpeople in town Bruce had identified that hadn't yet been invited to the group. And he could ask Gabriella to help him, but Bruce thought it might be important for the invitation to come from him. The one organizing the group. So he waited eagerly for Aquata to return to the register, tapping his fingers on the counter.

Of course, he was nervous about this. No matter how well Aquata got on with Gabriella, or how strongly she advocated for Magick rights in her politics, she still intimidated him. She was not afraid to tell people what she really thought. What if she thought the group idea was too risky or silly or somehow problematic?

When she returned to the register with some prints, some picture frames, and an antique clock, Bruce raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Oh, these are just excellent choices!" he said, hoping to foster some good feelings before he went in with his big ask. "Redecorating?"

"Oh, I've just moved. New flat," Aquata explained, looking around impatiently. Bruce tried to ring up the items faster.

Wait! No! He couldn't speed through this conversation. Aquata couldn't leave without him bringing up the group!

"That's exciting. Congratulations!" Bruce said, trying to think of a way to segue the conversation into his group.

Aquata just gave a quick "Thanks," and took out her wallet.

~~

She was on her way out the door when Bruce suddenly seemed to remember something and chased after her. "Wait!" Bruce said, following her outside. Aquata whirled around, confused. Had she forgotten her wallet or something?

Aquata asked him as much and Bruce shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. It's just— I need to talk to you about something. It's important."

She furrowed her eyebrows. Bruce probably had something he wanted her to bring to the Board, Aquata thought. And that was her job. Especially if it was a merfolk-related issue. There wasn't exactly anyone else he could go to.

So, despite the fact that she just wanted to be home, Aquata relaxed. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

Bruce looked around furtively, as though checking whether anyone were listening, before he motioned for Aquata to follow him behind the shop and lowered his voice. Okay. This was a little weird.

"So, er, basically, I'm starting this group. It's, er, a sort of support group for merpeople in town. To share our feelings, talk about what we've been going through— I always thought it's hard, you know, because there aren't many of us, and we have to be so secret."

Aquata frowned. This was a good idea... but it was also a very bad idea. "What about—"

"I know, I know, it sounds risky. But we actually came up with a code name! The out-of-print book club. And if anyone who's not merfolk tries to join, we'll just tell them we're full. I was going to keep it quiet, anyway. We won't advertise it. We just have to go by word-of-mouth. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. And see if you wanted to come. And invite your sisters." He paused. "I know that's still risky, but I'm trying to be as careful as I can. My friend, Gil, do you know him? He's helping me with it, he's got some great ideas."

Gil was someone Aquata actually trusted not to bungle something like this. He seemed competent, more so than Bruce. So if he was behind this...

Well, the truth was that it was less about safety and security and more about the whole... well, Aquata didn't need a support group. She was fine. Plenty of people had merperson trauma. But Aquata was fine.

(Except for... well, a lot of things, but Aquata wasn't acknowledging that).

Bruce seemed to have sensed her hesitation, because he kept talking. "Even if you think you wouldn't have much to say, just being there would make people a lot more comfortable, Aquata. People look up to you. You're a Board member. You're the Board member who represents us."

Aquata snorted at that. People most definitely did not look up to her.

Well... maybe Gabriella did. And wasn't Aquata always telling herself the reason she wanted to be on Board was to represent merpeople? This could be a good way to find out what they actually needed.

"Right. Yeah," she said uncertainly. "Er, when's the first meeting?"

Bruce lit up. "I'm so glad you asked."

Aquata still wasn't sure she was. But maybe this was what she had to do. For her constituents. That was what she was telling herself, anyway.

[spacecadetspe]

A snippet from last year...

May 22, 2023

I gathered the healers to repair the broken battlefield.  I fixed Morpheus' broken arm and pulled Cure out of thin air.  She'll likely need to be hospitalized as well.  When she wakes up, I'll have some serious questions for her.

I'm not mad, and maybe I should say that first.  In spite of what happened, I realized something during my argument with Viðarr: I had gotten angry because he had triggered me.  That was my only reason.  The shit he did, as bad as it was, had no effect on me, and so I really shouldn't have had any emotional attachment to it.  But as I examined those feelings more closely, I realized that I identified with the plights of Villi and Vé... and the loneliness and oppression of Frigg.  Viðarr's hypocrisy sparked a part of myself that cried "What about me?  Why am I unworthy of the same honor and deference that he gave to Odin?"  Why is it that he gets to fuck, manipulate, and kill whoever he wants without consequence, but the moment his wife expresses her needs, he literally kills her partners?

It took me back to the oppression I suffered in the later years of my marriage.  And I knew that nobody could answer questions about my self-worth but me.  And the "why" of it all... had nothing to do with me.  And I was sorry.  And I was sorry I didn't get to apologize to him before he left for Muspelheim.

So everyone was kind of stunned that I wasn't angry at Cure for what happened... for what she did.  I tried to dream with her, to help process the trauma she's been through, and got an earful from Morpheus at 3 in the morning.  I literally woke up because his shouting hurt my hears.

Cure, originally the daughter of Hypnos and Aphrodite, the first Oneiros, spent thousands of years in captivity.  She was just one of many breeding experiments by her father, others being False Awakener, the Rakshasa, and the Ålps.  At first, she was uncontrollable, and began the age of monsters as she caused men to lie with beasts.  Hypnos finally corralled her, and Morpheus was eventually made her warden.

It literally took me killing her and reviving her to purify all of the nastiness her parents had engendered in her.  I'm intensely aware of how dangerous she really is.  And frankly, I don't give a shit.

I don't know why she chose Alecto as her target; the leader of the furies isn't exactly the teaching type; more like the "learn the hard way" type.  But what I do know is that Cure was not interested in being used, captured, or manipulated again.  Which is why she fell into the rabbit hole of trying to counter that one spell.

So, while Morpheus was shouting at me, I asked him why no one had tried to process her.  He explained that none of the Oneiroi would touch her.  She's too powerful and too volatile.  I snarkily replied that he sprang readily enough into my dreams, and I was definitely more dangerous than Cure.

"I can't do it by myself," he said.

"Can't you ask for help?"

"Who exactly do you think you can get to help her?"  

I shrugged.  "Other dream gods?  I know the lower-level dream spirits won't be able to do it."

He paused.  "Phantasos told you, didn't he?"

I harrumphed.  "How'd you guess?"  It wasn't a question.

"Hope, it's too much.  She's a pariah!"

I raised my voice.  "If she's a pariah, it's because your father and the Oneiroi madeher one!"  He went quiet.  "So if you're not going to process her, then don't fucking interrupt me while I do."

It took me awhile to fall asleep again after that.

The next morning, I talked to Vassilios about my options.  Eventually, I'd need to speak to Thanatos, Ouranos, and probably Aphrodite again.

I went ahead and had him call Thanatos, and we sat down together to discuss the options.  

First, I asked him at what point I should start having Death become part of the natural cycle of the Dream World.  His answer was two-fold; to watch the native fauna for an answer, and to consider at what point the dreaming ends.

The second was easier to answer than the first: the dreaming ends when one of two things happens; either the extinction of mortal life, or the ascension of mortal life.  That's when the grand dream ends.  I guess I'll have to go watch the baku for the other answer.

He asked me if I wanted him to take Cure, and I explained that I just didn't know yet.  I love Thanatos; he's an amazing friend and advisor.  And honestly, Cure would be safe in his hands if it came to her death.  But what I'm a little more concerned about is that I seem to be the only one really fighting for her, advocating for her.

Alecto chimed in to say that some entities just have to learn the hard way.  I managed a chuckle at that, and confirmed that I am the queen of learning things the hard way.  She didn't seem to know why Cure had challenged her, but I thought I'd ask.  I stayed as neutral and friendly as possible.  I knew that getting angry or defensive wouldn't serve me, and I explained that I was trying to figure things out so that this wouldn't keep happening.

Both entities asked me if I realized what I was getting into, and how easily I or anyone else could get hurt, and I reiterated that, in spite of being a full-grown goddess, Cure is still very much a baby.  She's seriously younger than W!  If I gave W a gun, I understand that the risk of someone getting hurt would be much higher than if I handled it.  The problem is that Cure was born with these powers, and what Benten trained her to do was ignore and suppress them.  

Morpheus, of course, chimed in.  "And then she left, Hope."

"She left because she discovered she was wrong," I corrected him.  I explained that, in a more extreme situation, this could be classified as emotional abuse, because the trainer is essentially blocking out an essential part of the trainee's identity.  I clarified to say that the training itself was beneficial, and taught Cure some immeasurably valuable lessons.  However, Benten was the goddess of compassion and the flow of all things, and I reminded them all that also meant the avoidance of struggle.  And right now I need to be someone who believes it's perfectly justified, even righteous, to confront the things about us that make us dangerous.  And Benten was just not providing that.

Alecto asked the question of how Cure would fare against me, then.

I kind of shrugged and deferred to Thanatos.  "I'm not sure," I answered.  "Not well.  I'm one of the most powerful entities in the universe.  Thanatos and I are... well... at least close to the same level.  He's definitely older, so he's probably more powerful."

Our meeting ended with Thanatos requesting a date to catch up again, and me sitting by Cure's bedside... waiting for her to wake up.

[theblackphoenixwritings]

ⲏⲉꞅⲉ ⲱⲓⲧⲏ ⲙⲉ

(Marius/Daniel- fan little tale)

Whispers in the night were like a distant melody. Exclusive and unobtrusive company. Though that place, not too long before, had been crowded with human intent pastimes, that made Marius smile and sometimes took him back in time. To the dances that pompously spun and charmed in the streets in his Venice during Carnival, such as the games of balance or strength, that boys enjoyed putting on display in the squares. Masks paraded and promised anonymity to those pranks and provocations.

Marius had seen boys, amusing themselves with scary masks, won at stalls, make the girls they were with run away laughing. Although, there was nothing hidden, as it was in the ancient city of the Doge, likewise the girls were laughing and screaming, chased by the boys who were engaged in making the strangest noises. There were games that seemed dangerous, with people being catapulted upward, others screaming with their arms in the air, thrown at impossible speeds on carts of the strangest shapes.

There were water features and tunnels that looked like a haven for lovers. The lights were bright and colorful, there was the smell of sugar and roasted meat. Marius had almost refused to follow Daniel to that luna park, Marius knew he wasn't exactly a lover of that kind of place. At the same time, Marius knew that it didn't matter the place, he would go anywhere for Daniel. And that Daniel was safe and happy was the only thing that really mattered. When he felt himself being pulled by the sleeve of his coat, and turning around he found himself reflected in Daniel's violet eyes, Marius realized that unintentionally he had lost the thread of the conversation.

" Make me a participant?"

Daniel asked, resting his hands on his hips with a playful smile and raising an eyebrow.

"I was thinking about how some things never seem to change."

Said Marius with a gentle smile. Daniel seemed to consider those words thoughtfully.

" Maybe good things don't change, maybe only the protagonists change."

And Daniel seemed wistful but happy at the same time.

" Maybe. Or maybe the protagonists make a journey, and in the end those moments come back, maybe they are given to us by someone else,maybe in other places, in other times, but they are no less strong or beautiful than the ones we keep inside us. Here,"

and Marius gently stroked Daniel's forehead, "And here."

And he caressed the chest where a heart should have beaten.

"Here with me always. In everything, in every hour, in every step, though far away always near.Everything that comes from you is beautiful and precious to me."

Marius stared at a boy who seemed to strut in front of other boys, because he had hit harder than anyone else, a tool that had a bright yellow writing on it that read punch ball.Marius smiled, even he as a boy had strutted when he had won races or strength contests against his brothers. Amadeo had also strutted in front of Riccardo and Albino, because, he had managed to win at cards both of them. And not a short time before, Daniel had strutted, about how he had managed to reconstruct an alleyway in ancient Rome to perfection. So accurate and true that Marius had almost heard again the merchants' voices shouting in Latin. So many things, they had passed, beautiful and precious, and so many had returned to knock at the door of his heart, but out of weariness or pain Marius had not paid attention. Or had not given It the attention he should have. It was hard to realize this especially after all the time that had passed, after all the love he had had and had now. It was enough for him to stare into Daniel's violet eyes to realize that that love so strong that trust so unwavering was for him and him alone. And if out of love, even though he had suffered, he had decided to let Daniel have his chance to find a new relationship with Armand, he knew even just by looking at Daniel's eyes, that the purity and the limpid burning love in those shades of purple, only appeared when Daniel looked at him, even if from a distance. That adoration and that trusting smile had given Marius a heart to open again, a heart Marius wanted to open again.

" Here with me."

Daniel said, and his eyes seemed larger, as if he were holding something back, as if he were unable to say more or the feelings would overwhelm him.

" Always."

Said Marius with a smile.

[buttered-baguette-writes]

Would you like a tiny WIP?

Have a tiny WIP.

~ ~ ~ ~

Newt knew that eventually, someone would slip up. It was just a matter of time before they left something behind or a ministry worker recognized him.

Which is exactly what happened.

Newt was called into the British ministry under the guise of discussing his travel ban. Well, technically, it wasn't a lie.

"An anonymous wixen has informed us that you were in Sweden."

Newt frowned. "You know very well that I can't leave the country," he said, looking at everyone across the table. Including his brother (because he was always there).

"Don't play stupid," Michael (who had a personal vendetta against Newt) spat.

[Insert rest of story, lol]

Unfortunately, Theseus decided to follow Newt home and give him some more warnings about continuing to piss the ministry off. When he did barge into the house, he found Newt talking softly with someone in the kitchen.

Newt’s head popped out of the archway, brows furrowed.

“Seus? What are you doing?”

“We need to talk. I need to know that you understand just how frustrated the ministry is with you right now,” he said, authority in his voice. He stepped closer as he talked, being stopped before the kitchen archway. He raised a brow. “Can I go into the kitchen?”

Newt gave an awkward smile, eyes darting away before looking his brother right in the eye. “It’s a bit of a mess right now.”

“Who’s in there? Is it your muggle friend again?” Theseus asked, pushing his way past Newt into the kitchen. He froze mid step seeing the foreigner casually leaning against the counter, fresh cake slices next to him. “What—”

“Please don’t do something stupid.” Newt slowly moved between the two men as he spoke. He wasn’t concerned, just knew things could go south pretty quickly.

“Don’t do something stupid. Newt, you have the most wanted criminal in your house and you’re telling ME to not be stupid?” Theseus scolded, voice rising, tone accusatory. He drew his wand, pointing it at the blonde hiding behind his brother. Coward, he thought, not even looking at me properly.

“Seus.”

“Hah, er hat Eier. Kommt in dein Haus und verhält sich so. Er hat keine Manieren.” (“Hah, he has balls. Comes into your house and acts like this. He has no manners.”)

“Leave now and I won’t even try to hex you. There’s nothing worth your time here anyway.”

Grindelwald, however, did nothing but raise a condescending brow. He hated when people assumed things, and he disliked the elder Scamander very much. He had heard stories from Newt about how his brother would treat him sometimes. The man just did so many things to annoy Grindelwald, and saying there was nothing of worth to him in the house was just the newest reason.

“Wer glaubt er zu sein? Dümmer Mann. Er ist offensichtlich nicht so klug.” (“Who does he think he is? Daft manly. He is clearly not that bright.”)

“Nicht jetzt Gellert, bitte.” ("Not now Gellert, please.” )

Theseus’ eyes twitched. “You,” he said, anger directed at Grindelwald. “Have ten seconds to leave. And you,” he turned to face Newt, words beginning to come out as shouts. “Have ten seconds to tell me what in Merlin’s name that was! Did you use his first name?!”

Gellert got off the counter, taking a step closer to Newt. “Kann ich ihn bitte verhexen? Natürlich nichts Schädliches, aber er ist ein Ärgernis.” (“Can I please hex him? Nothing harmful, of course, but he is being a nuisance.”) He snaked an arm around Newt’s waist as he spoke, not even bothering to look at the brother.

Newt smacked his arm and let out a huff. “Ihr seid jetzt beide nervig. (“You’re both annoying right now.”) I will drop you off at the ministry myself if you don’t be quiet.”

[insert rest of story, lol]

[panfluidme]

Raised Separately

Master Post, Chapter One

CHAPTER TWO: WHO ARE THEY?

"Mikey!" Raph shouted as he chased after his only brother. "Splinter said not to go so far away from the base!"

The eight-year-old giggled. "But there's so much to explore down here! I don't get why we can't see all of our home."

"We're too little." Raph grabbed Mikey's wrist and started pulling him back home. "Plus, Splinter said we can't go to places without him an' he's not home."

Mikey pouted as he let Raph take him back home. "But I wanna explore!"

"I know, but it's too dangerous. I'll see if Splinter will let us go after he gets home, kay?"

"Okay..."

~•~

"Daddy," a young Michelangelo had asked many years ago, "are there more people like us?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Like Raph an-an-an' me," Mikey stuttered out, still learning how to properly speak.

"There are people like everyone out there. What matters is that I have you and Raph, and you and Raph have me. That's all we need in this world. We don't need to be searching for people like us, because who we are matters. It doesn't matter who and who isn't like us, it matters that we stay true to who we are."

"Ohhh. Otay!"

Mikey laid on his back, shutting his eyes. The conversation rang through his ears, despite happening four years back. He hadn't exactly meant people who acted like him.

He had wanted to know if there were people who looked like him and Raph. He had this guy feeling that there were people who needed his help. People who were begging to be freed from their prison.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The twelve-year-old looked around his room. Images of two other turtles that weren't Raph or him shone in his eyes. One with purple clothing lounged on Mikey's hammock, wildling away at a tech bō. One with blue clothes sat with his shell against one of the murals Mikey had made in his room.

Who were these two people?

Mikey stood up, grabbing his box of spray paints. He left the room and went to the skate room. Raph wasn't there, which he didn't mind. He stopped in front of the ramp and took out his purple spray paint.

~•~

Mikey took a few steps back, dropping the can. He stared at the piece of art he just made.

It was a purple and a blue bandana, the purple one having eyebrows. He used orange to write in big, bubbly letters:

"WHO ARE THEY?"

The box shelled turtle stared at it, very confused. He could've sworn he heard two unfamiliar, yet familiar voices arguing then laughing at each other. This was starting to drive him nuts.

Something felt so wrong about the family, but Mikey couldn't place it. Raph said he didn't feel that way and Splinter dodged the questions whenever he asked them.

Mikey knew he wasn't crazy, but he didn't know what this feeling was.

"Who are you two...?" Mikey mumbled.

Chapter Three

[indigosuvi]

Fighting Back

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 724 / Read it on AO3 | Offline Version

Warning: implied female reader

Järle loved fighting with people. He had no idea why. Maybe it was the fact that he was an only child. Maybe it was because he didn't have anyone to really interact with. Most of the Sea Clan people had blonde hair. He, unfortunately, did not. He had strawberry-blonde hair. It looked a little on the pink side, a common question he had always been asked, whether his hair was blonde or some sort of red color. It was both. He also had freckles, another thing most members didn't have. Some things that made him different and stand out amongst his family and kin. He was often bullied by the other kids for being different. He hated it, but he hated being seen as weak even more. He wouldn't allow himself to be walked over. He stood his ground, and many knew not to mess with him. They didn't want to run the risk of facing his anger. Not only did he tend to argue, but he also tended to throw hands with people. Not with the women, he knew not to lay hands on a woman. He had seen and heard enough growing up to know not all the men of his time were respectful. Some used the fact that they were stronger and bigger to their advantage. He wasn't going to follow in their footsteps. He would only argue with them, but never lay a hand on them. As for the men, he would throw hands or argue, it didn't matter which. Just as long as they knew not to mess with him and not to hurt anyone. He couldn't stand the men who physically hurt women, they were terrible.

You were born in another clan. Your leader had sent you to foster with the Whales. You didn't know much about them, aside from the fact that they were a Sea Clan, with them you would learn the ways of the Sea. You didn't know much else about them. As you made your way to the clan, you couldn't help but overhear a loud conversation. You stopped in your tracks and looked around, seeing if you could find out exactly where they were at. You couldn't see them, but you softened your steps as you made your way closer to them. You spotted them. A pink-haired man stood arguing with someone else. You weren't sure who, but you stood and you watched as he argued. The person sounded afraid when replying to the pink-haired man. You stood just slightly behind the tree, so you wouldn't be caught as you raised your voice.

"Why don't you just leave them alone?"

The pink-haired man stopped and turned toward the direction in which you may have come. He wasn't sure who said that or where.

"How about minding your own business?"

Silently, the person put their hands to their chest, slightly bowed, and walked away. A "thank you", sort of, for helping them. For saving them.

"Well, if you didn't yell loud enough for the whole forest to hear, maybe I wouldn't be in your business." You shouted back at him. He didn't know you, but you weren't the type to back down, and neither was he.

"This doesn't involve you." He said as he shouted in no particular direction. He still wasn't sure where you were at. "Why are you hiding? Are you scared or something?"

You stepped out from behind the tree and walked closer to him. Your movements showed no sign of fear or a lack of confidence. You weren't afraid of him and you weren't going to let him intimidate you.

"I'm not afraid of you. You were born into the world from a woman. You can just as easily be taken out by one."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, honey, it's a promise."

He blinked. He had never met someone that could stand to shout back at him, someone that wasn't intimidated by him. He looked at you.

"Go ahead, then."

He had no intentions of fighting back, however, he would find it funny to see someone try to take him to the ground. He didn't want to fight you in any way, but he was slightly confused. He liked you. He didn't want to fight or continue the argument, but he may have already gone too far with it.

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

Tag List: @unlikelypersonalknight1, @thevoidwriting