#and yes i caved. the elf ears are to stay | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bwabys-scenarios · 1 year ago

Text

Along the way

Pt. 1

Fantasy!HXH AU

!!REBLOGS APPRECIATED!!

A/N: wanted to have some fun with a fantasy version of Hunter x Hunter involving the main four and the reader :3 this is purely for fun and idk how often I’ll update it, depends on my mood. Also this will have some inspiration from Yona of the Dawn and Frieren!

If you’d like to be ADDED to the taglist, please comment saying you want to be added, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

(Name) couldn’t remember the last time she had ever been hungry. Every day she woke up to breakfast in bed, and was quickly guided to the dining hall for lunch. Dinner was never late, considering she ate with her father, the King.

But right now, her stomach growled painfully as she was led by the hand by the only person that she had left from her life as a princess.

“Kurapika… I’m hungry.”

The blonde’s elf ears twitched, telling her that he definitely heard her. His grip tightening on her hand was enough for her to understand that he was upset he couldn’t do anything about it. “I know, princess.”

“I’m tired, too.”

He sighed softly, but didn’t slow down. “I’m well aware. We have to keep going, you’ll get a break when the sun rises. By then we should be far enough from the castle to avoid detection.”

She huffed, her eyelids dropping slightly as they continued to walk. “I just hope Papa will meet us soon… he’s always taking his time.”

Kurapika stayed silent at that, simply continuing to guide her through the dense forest. Instead of replying to her, his thumb rubbed the back of her hand gently, as if he was attempting some form of comfort.

He hadn’t been lying, the elf did not let her rest until the sun came out. Even then, she was upset to know they would be sleeping in a dark and smelly cave. “The scent will help mask ours, princess,” Kurapika said after she pouted at him.

“I’d rather be eaten by demons than smell like moldy cheese,” she mumbled as he prepared a spot for her to sleep on.

“Don’t pout, it’s unbecoming of a princess. You should rest while you can, we’ll be leaving at nightfall.”

He sat in the corner, a hand on his sword as she settled down on the makeshift bed of his tabard and moss. Kurapika covered her in his cloak once she was settled, his brown eyes soft with concern.

“You’re not going to sleep?”

(Name) looked up at him, her eyes half lidded as she fought her sleep. He managed a small smile, reaching out to gently pet her head. “Elves don’t need as much sleep as humans do. I’ll be fine, just go to bed.”

She didn’t argue, simply laying her head back down and drifting off to sleep. As she did, Kurapika’s smile faded, and a look of absolute fury crossed his face at the sight of his exhausted princess.

Just a few hours ago, she had been getting ready for bed, and he had been guarding her room. Everything was peaceful, as it always was.

“Kurapika, can you come sit with me until I fall asleep?” she asked, peeking her head out of the door. He smiled, sheathing his sword before slipping through the crack in her door.

“Yes, of course princess. You always have trouble sleeping on your own…” Kurapika said, sitting in a chair next to her bed after tucking her in. “Do you require anything else?”

She looked away shyly, offering her hand. “Can you hold my hand too?”

Without a word he took her hand in his, gently caressing the back of it with his thumb. (Name) smiled, her eyelids drooping. “Thank you…”

With that, she was fast asleep. Times like this almost made Kurapika forget about his troubled past. Getting to see his princess live a good and happy life was all he could want.

He had achieved his goals in avenging his clan, she was all he had now. And that’s why what happened just an hour later angered him so.

His kind, sensitive princess was woken with a start as the sounds of explosives shook the castle. Kurapika was quick to comfort her, holding the princess in his arms and lifting her up.

“W-what was that?”

Another explosion rocked the building, causing him to tighten his grip on her. “I’m not sure, but we need to go.”

He held onto her with one arm as he left her room, drawing his sword with the other. The feeling of her trembling hands gripping his shirt grounded the elf, and his ears twitched. There was the faint sound of someone screaming, and thundering footsteps.

“Shit…”

Kurapika never swore in front of (Name), trying his best to stay levelheaded in her presence, but the aura he was picking up was making him boil with rage.

“Demons.” he spat out, darting down a corridor and hiding in an empty room. He covered her mouth as the sound of skittering and footsteps echoed down the halls. The smell of sulfur and fire wafted through the crack in the door, making his sensitive princess gag.

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but demons are supposed to be forbidden from entering the palace walls. And for this many to be here…”

Before she could even register it, Kurapika was carrying her out of the room and sprinting down the halls. She was still only half awake, glancing around to try and get her bearings.

That was a mistake.

As they passed by the throne room, (Name) watched as her father was cornered by a pack of demons. They were tall and intimidating, wearing black cloaks to hide their appearances.

“Where is the girl? The one you have passed your knowledge to?”

Kurapika flattened against the wall, shielding her with his body. He felt like if he moved in that moment, the monsters inside would sense their presence.

“I didn’t… pass it on yet. She hasn’t yet reached her 20th birthday..!”

‘He’s talking about the princess!’ Kurapika thought, his grip tightening on her. He held her close to him, urging her with his scarlet eyes to keep quiet as a mouse.

“Could be all lies. Tell the lower rank soldiers to search for her. She’ll most likely be alone or guarded by a human knight, which is no match for even the lowest ranked demon.”

The sound of flesh being sliced made Kurapika wince, and he covered (Name)’s ears just in time. Kurapika used the noises of her father’s final cries to hurry her out of the castle and into the surrounding woods.

“W-what about papa?” she asked, frantically looking around. “H-he was in the thrown room, w-“

Kurapika covered her mouth and raised his hand, castings a quick spell to hide their presence before a pack of demons came bounding down the forest path. He did his best to comfort her, shielding her eyes so she couldn’t see that the awful things sniffing around for them.

The lower ranked soldiers were barely sentient, more like mindless hellhounds than actually people. Their gray, decaying flesh rotted off of their bodies as they sniffed the ground. Thankfully, the spell Kurapika cast hid both their appearance and scent.

One of the beasts stopped near the two, its ears pricked up as it listened closely. Kurapika held his breath, ready to draw his weapon at any moment…

But a bush a few yards away shook, causing the beats to start growling and barking, immediately running off to see what was there. Kurapika used this chance to get pick up (Name) and run.

That’s how they ended up in the cave. The smell of the musty air would mask their scents long enough for them both to get some rest.

Kurapika watched the sleeping princess, sighing softly as he caressed her cheek. She was such a sweet, innocent girl. She didn’t deserve to be hunted down like a dog.

Despite Kurapika’s hatred for humankind for their slaughter of his kin, he held (Name) in high regards. The only reason he drew breath was because of her kindness, so he had dedicated the rest of his long life to protecting that kindness.

So the fact someone had taken her throne when she was so close to becoming queen angered him beyond belief. Kurapika had seen the way she cared for her subjects, and the demons taking over would only mean the suffering of all the humans living in her kingdom. It would break her heart, being helpless to do anything.

But Kurapika would let endless men and women die if it meant keeping her safe. He already had plans to take her somewhere remote where she could live out her life in peace and safety.

Though, it seemed she had a different idea.

When (Name) woke up, she ate the pheasant he hunted while looking at the cave wall in though. “Those demons… they took over the palace.”

Kurapika nodded, washing her nightgown as she sat, covered by his cloak. “Yes, princess. It is much too dangerous for us to try and go b-“

“Just the two of us? Yes, it would be too dangerous. But…”

She picked up a stick and started drawing in the dirt. “You said the nearest town is only a few miles away by foot, right? Well, maybe we can find a guild and hire a party to slay the demons!”

“With what money, princess? And the demons will be searching for you in every town near the castle. It will be dangerous to-“

“That’s why I’m gonna wear a disguise!”

She stood, walking over to some moss. “I’ll make a beard and-“

“My princess…” Kurapika interrupted. “I could just use a spell to change your appearance.”

“Oh.”

She blushed, sitting back down. “We’ll do that then.”

“…”

Kurapika didn’t exactly love the idea, so he spoke up again. “But we still don’t have the money for such a thing. Hiring a party is already costs a hefty sum, and the type of people we’ll need to drive out demons, especially the kind that have invaded the palace would be hard to find, let alone pay.”

He sighed, rubbing his temple. Kurapika loved her dearly, but his princess was extremely sheltered. She didn’t understand the concept of how much things cost. “Listen my princess, I can take you somewhere safe, where you can live a comfortable life. It might not be the luxurious life you’re used to, but you’ll still be happy.”

“B-but…”

Kurapika looked back to her, freezing when he saw tears trailing down her cheeks. “I don’t… want my people to suffer when I could be doing something… why do I get to be safe and happy while they’re under the reign of demons?”

She did have a point, and her kindness is what made Kurapika adore her in the first place. His elf ears twitched and he rubbed the back of his neck.

To be honest, Kurapika cared not for other humans… but he would to next to anything to make her happy.

“… alright.”

(Name) blinked, looking to him. “Really?”

“Yes… but promise me, if we can’t find a party that will take on our request within a month, you will give up on this.”

She squealed in delight, jumping into his arms. “I promise! Ahh, thank you Kurapika!”

The slightest shade of pink took over his cheeks, and he cleared his throat. “Princess, you still only have my cloak to keep you covered.”

She blinked, looking down at herself before jumping back and checking herself over to make sure she was still completely covered. “A-ah, sorry I forgot…”

‘She’s going to be the death of me…’ Kurapika thought, ringing out her night gown before setting it out to dry.

As he planned out what they would do, he could have sworn he heard something skittering from tree to tree outside… but when he looked, there was nothing…

But a pair of cat-like eyes were staring in at them, wondering when he should strike.

————————

Kurapika held her close to him as they walked towards town. Just an hour before, an entire pack of demon hounds passed by their hiding place.

Thankfully, he had placed a magical sensor about 100 feet away that alerted him just in time for him to pull (Name) into the depths of the cave. He covered her mouth, the potent smell of the cave hiding their scent.

The beasts passed by without any trouble, but Kurapika knew it was time to go. More competent soldiers would be there soon to check every nook and cranny of the forest for any signs of life, and Kurapika couldn’t hide her forever.

So they walked down the path, her hand in his. She was still tired, now wearing her freshly cleaned nightgown and his cloak. Her feet were still bare, so he would carry her until his arms ached. Kurapika couldn’t stand the way she winced when she stepped on a pointy rock or on poky leaves.

He wished he could do more, he more useful to her…

‘I’ll buy her a more suitable outfit once we get into town.’ he thought, patting his coin pouch with his free hand. ‘I doubt we’ll be able to find someone willing to take on the demons anyways, no need to save my coin when my princess is in need of new clothing.’

It wouldn’t be the soft silks and fancy patterns she was used to, but it would keep her warm and covered.

“My princess, we’re nearing town.”

She stopped, glancing back at him. Kurapika tied his cloak tighter around her, making sure her stained nightgown couldn’t be seen. “Try not to let your bare feet be noticed. Take small steps, and don’t take off your hood.”

“Anything else?” she asked sarcastically. Kurapika thought for a second, then looped her arm with his.

“Yes. Don’t leave my side, even for a second. I can’t guarantee that the town is safe. There could already be demons hiding amongst the citizens, wearing human disguises.”

She huffed, but listened. For the past 5 years, Kurapika had been her loyal knight, keeping her safe from all harm. (Name) trusted him more than she trusted herself, so of course she would do whatever he said.

“Come, we can only stay in town for so long. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves.”

He guided her into the small town, which looked more like a village the more Kurapika thought of it.

There were only a handful of shops that he could see, he wasn’t sure he’d even be able to find her clothes, much less a party that would be willing to take on demons.

He grimaced when a toddler ran by, wearing only wearing a cloth diaper as they were chased by what seemed to be an older sibling. Kurapika disliked humans, finding them to be filthy, nasty things.

“Aww… so cute!”

Kurapika glanced to see (Name) helping the little one up after they tripped, gently dabbing away at a little scrape in their knee with her handkerchief. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s only a little scrape.”

The older sibling blushed as (Name) smiled and helped their younger sibling stand. “Be careful, you’re a big brother, aren’t you? You need to keep better watch of your baby sister. And you…”

She gave the child a headpat. “You need to listen to your big brother. Don’t run away from him, what if a big scary monster snatched you up?”

The two thanked her before walking away hand in hand, waving. She waved back, and Kurapika was quick to grab her hand and pull her towards a quiet place. “Princess, didn’t I say we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves!? You-“

She pouted at him. “Kurapika, it was just a child. I-“

“Well now those children have seen your face. It not only puts you in danger, but them as well.”

(Name) paused, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked down at the ground. Kurapika sighed, cursing himself for upsetting her.

“Just… try not to talk to anyone or show your face, alright? Come on, we have to hurry.”

She was now quiet as they walked through the small village, her hand in his. Though Kurapika knew her silence was better in the long run, he also felt an ache in his heart when she was quiet.

——————

(Name) sat in a small wooden chair inside a dusty clothing shop. Kurapika was speaking to the owner quietly, occasionally glancing back at her.

While they talked, (Name) took the time to look out the window and really take in the village while it was busy.

The unevenly paved road caused the rickety old carriages drawn by horses to wobble a bit, but the riders seemed used to it. Children ran down the road, spooking the horses a bit and getting yelled at by said riders until they scurried away.

Across from them was a bakery, where she could see a woman rolling out a ball of dough. On the counter were various baked good that reminded (Name) of just how hungry she was.

But… something seemed out of place. Every once in a while as she watched the villagers go about their daily lives, she swore she could see a blur of someone in the trees that surrounded the village. Occasionally, a pair of blue, glowing eyes peered through the leafy canopy, staring right at her.

“U-Um… Kurapika?”

He held up a hand and continued to speak with the shopkeep. ‘Is he… haggling him?’ (Name) sighed softly, turning back to the window.

The thing she saw made her blood ran cold.

On the edge of the tree line was a small figure, looking right at her. She couldn’t make out much besides a head of white hair and piercing blue eyes. (Name) got ready to tell Kurapika, but by the time she blinked… it was gone.

Kurapika approached her, a few items of clothing slung over his shoulder. “What did you need, my p- I mean, miss?”

She didn’t answer for a moment, continuing to stare out of the window. When she did finally speak, he could tell something was wrong. “… nothing. Just thought I saw something.”

The elf was intelligent, he knew that anything out of the ordinary could mean their enemies may be near. So he nodded and escorted her to the dressing room. “Get dressed, we’re leaving now.”

She did as told, glancing through the crack in the door as he kept watch. When she was around, Kurapika kept up a calm and confident facade… but when he thought she couldn’t see him, his face fell slightly with worry.

The princess didn’t truly know what demons were or the history they had with humans or elves, not many humans did. The stories had simply been lost to time, something only an elf who had lived many human lifetimes could remember.

Kurapika was terrified, knowing that these demons would stop at nothing to kill the last person that may know how to truly defeat them.

Demons were incredibly hard to kill, it was easier to just wound them and banish them with a teleportation spell back to hell… but there was one method that could permanently end a demon’s life.

But no, the princess wasn’t aware of how to do that. Why would she be, she was sheltered and had never even held a wand, much less casted a spell.

Instead, the king had passed on this information to Kurapika, not wanting his beloved daughter to be in danger. Kurapika didn’t want her at risk either, so he took on the heavy burden.

The spell called for various magical items to be gathered from across the continent and brought together. It would take ages, and with just the two of them, it wasn’t just dangerous, it was impossible.

Even more troubling, to preform the spell that would banish demons, the caster would have to be a person whose heart was pure and without hate. Kurapika held onto so much hatred and anger, he would never be able to perform such a thing.

‘But…’

Kurapika glanced at the princess as she stepped out of the dressing room, her smile as warm as the afternoon sun. She reached for his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “It’ll be okay, we’ll get through this together.”

‘Maybe she, the only human I have ever cared for could do it.’

———————

From the branches of a tree, a figure watched as the two walked through the forest. One was some kind of an elf, which the spying figure had been told went extinct years ago.

The other was a young woman, her face hidden by an olive green cloak. She held onto the elf’s hand, and the figure could tell that if she wasn’t with him, the elf would be moving at a much faster pace.

‘Huh, just a single guard? You’d think that at least twenty knights would have escorted her out of the palace.’

The figure jumped silently to another tree once the two started to gain a bit too much distance from him for his liking.

‘She’s rather slow and weak, I can take her out easily. But the elf has been able to successfully evade our soldiers for nearly two days and nights now… oh well, I only need to kill the girl. No need to fight someone I’m not sure I could beat.’

The figure’s tail curled around the branch of the tree, keeping him upright as he leaned forward to get a better look at them.

But unfortunately, he misjudged the strength of the branch and was sent tumbling out of the tree, landing in a bush nearby.

‘SHIT!’

Kurapika pulled his sword out, stepping in front of (Name). “Who goes there? Come out and state your reasons for following us.”

‘Ah, so he knew I was following them.’

The white haired boy quickly hid his tail, retracted his claws, and ruffled his hair to hide his small horns. Once done, he carefully stepped out of the bushes, making sure to make himself look small and scared.

“Oh, it’s just a little boy.”

The boy waved timidly, trying to act like a lost child. “H-hello…”

(Name) peeked out from behind Kurapika, smiling. “Hello there, I-“

Kurapika stepped forward, his sword pointed at the boy’s throat. “I said state your reason for following us.”

(Name)’s eyes widen, and she reached out to gently move Kurapika’s arm so he was pointing his sword at the ground instead. “Kurapika, he’s just a little boy, there’s no need-“

“Just a little boy? My princess, if he was a normal little boy I would be able to hear his footsteps when he walked. This is no ordinary child, he’s trained in the ways of darkness and evil.”

The boy scoffed, crossing his arms. “Huh, you’re good. Wasn’t expecting that. I’ve never had someone realize they couldn’t hear my footsteps before.”

In the blink of an eye, the boy’s claws were sharpened into points, his sharp teeth glistening in the low light. Kurapika’s eyes widened, and he started getting ready to create a barrier around the princess if need be.

“You seem like a smart man. Hand over the girl, and I’ll let you free. You’re an elf, I hear that race and humans have a pretty bad history. Let me guess, you were forced into serving her or execution. Well it’s your lucky day, I’m here to take her out. Then, you’ll be a free elf and-“

The boy’s eyes narrowed as Kurapika’s sword began to glow a deep scarlet, his eyes shining the same color. “You understand nothing, demon. My people hated your kind much more than we hated humans, and this girl means everything to me. I would die before I handed her over to the likes of you.”

‘That sword… I heard stories of elves that could banish demons but…’

“K-Kurapika, wait!”

But it was no use, the two had begun their battle. (Name) was pushed back unceremoniously, falling onto her but a few feet away from the two.

The boy brandished his claws, leaping from the ground and slashing at Kurapika’s throat. He was able to block the attack with his sword just before the boy’s nails sunk into his skin.

Kurapika took advantage of the boy being so close, and used a teleporting spell, sending them 30 yards away. “Hide yourself, (Name)! This boy is an assassin, he’ll take any opportunity to come your way and kill you!”

She gulped, crawling through the gaps of large tree roots and hiding herself under a tree. (Name) couldn’t see what was going on now, but she could hear the sounds of Kurapika swinging his blade and grunting.

It took her back to the days when she would watch him train between lessons. He always took time to send her a soft smile, even walking her to her next destination despite being exhausted and sweaty.

One day, another knight was sparring with him, and when Kurapika got hurt, she started to cry. She rushed over, clingy to him and sobbing as she rubbed her face against his chest.

“Y-you got hurt! You’re bleeding, someone call the-“

Kurapika gently ran his hand over her hair, smiling. “Shh, princess, I’m fine. This is nothing.”

“But…”

His eyes softened as he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. “Any injury I get while protecting you is just proof of my unconditional devotion. You are my everything, princess. I will shield you with my very body if it means keeping you safe.”

And as she heard the fight get more and more intense, she felt an uneasy feeling settle in her belly.

‘I don’t want Kurapika to die.’

That’s the very thought she had that day, watching as he was bandaged up by a palace doctor. So behind his back, she had begun to learn basic magic, wanting to be somewhat to him in the future.

Although she had never been able to actually cast a spell due to how she was watched like a hawk, she still managed to sneak some of Kurapika’s books into her room to study while he was busy.

When she heard Kurapika gasp in pain, (Name)’s mind raced with what to do. He told her to hide, and Kurapika was usually right, but she would rather die than let him die for her.

So (Name) crawled out of her hiding space, sniffling softly as she began to run towards the two.

The boy had him pinned to the ground, his nails at Kurapika’s throat. The sight was enough to freeze her in her tracks, her heart thumping wildly against her chest.

“L-let him go!”

Despite her legs shaking, and her lip wobbling, she was still able to yell out to the boy. “It’s me you want, don’t hurt him!”

Kurapika turned his head, his nose bleeding. “Princess, what do you think you’re doing, he’s going to-“

The boy let Kurapika go, walking towards her slowly. “Sacrificing yourself to save a measly knight? You’re braver than I thought, princess. I’ll spare the elf, as long as you go down without a fight.”

“Yes… but please, before you kill me, let me know your name.”

Seeing no point in hiding his identity now that his prey was right in front of him, the boy relented. “If that’s your final wish… my name is Killua. Killua of the Zoldyck Royal Family, one of the seven princes of hell.”

“I see… Killua, then. I need you to get down.”

This made the boy pause. Although her body shook and her lip wobbled, her eyes were far from scared. They were determined, steady as they focused on him.

Before he could retreat, a ring formed around the boys wrists, causing him to be pinned to the ground. He yelped, struggling frantically against the glowing rings, but they stayed firm on his wrists.

“W-what the hell did you just do to me!?”

(Name) smiled, her knees giving way as she fell to the ground. She held held up her own wrist, a small ring of light was there, the same as the boy’s.

“I cast a spell to have complete control over your actions. It only works on… demons… and… if I have your name…”

Killua growled, baring his teeth and struggling against his bounds with no luck. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even lift his head. “You witch! Let me go right now, before I-“

(Name) laughs, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Before you what? Squirm some more? Kick up some dirt? Face it kid, you’re not doing anything until I give you an order.”

He continued to growl and snap his teeth at her, trying to attack, to do anything. As Killua struggled, Kurapika made his way back over, holding his injured arm.

‘That spell… it’s too high level, even for me. How was she able to-‘

He barely caught (Name) in time as she fell forward. Her mana was next to non existent at the moment, leaving her exhausted and barely conscious.

“My princess…”

He cursed himself for not being able to stop her from using such a spell. If he had been a bit stronger, the boy would be dead, and he would be carrying her to bed at this very moment.

But now, he had to deal with the demon growling and snarling at their feet.

“I hope you’ve prepared yourself for death, demon. I can’t have you going back to your horde and informing them of our location.”

Killua let out a laugh, looking up at him. “As if either of you could kill me. Sure, try it out. Injure me, teleport me away to the far ends of the earth, I’ll just keep coming back, and with reinforcements next time.”

“He has a point…”

Kurapika helped (Name) sit up, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as her head leaned on his chest. She was so weak, she was shaking.

“Princess, you should rest.”

She shook her head, raising her hand. “Stand, Killua.”

The boy immediately sprung up from the ground, standing stiffly in front of them. “(Name)… is the spell still intact?”

She nodded, leaving Kurapika in awe. A spell like that cast by an amateur like her should have fell apart within seconds!

“So we can’t just let him go and I don’t want to kill him…”

“We couldn’t kill him even if we tried, princess.”

She pouted slightly, staring at the boy whose cheek were red with humiliation. He was at the beck and call of a human, he’d be teased by his brothers for weeks!

“… I think I have a solution! Killua, stay still.”

The boy scolded himself for being so cocky. ‘I knew names held power, and yet I freely gave her mine…’

He clenched his fists, growling lowly. ‘As soon as I’m free, I’ll kill that princess, if it’s the last thing I do!’

Killua stiffened up even more if possible as Kurapika and (Name) stepped a few feet away to talk.

The elf grimaced as (Name) seemed to be proposing an idea, disagreeing with her immediately. She then put her hands on her hips… which caused Kurapika to relent.

“Alright, I’ll let you handle this then, princess.”

(Name) smiled, stepping forward. “Alright! Killua, once this order is given, you’ll be able to move freely.”

Killua perked up a little. ‘This is my chance!’

“I’ll be giving you the orders,” she said, holding up two fingers. Kurapika glanced her way, nervous. He didn’t like allowing his princess to handle things in the slightest… but it was their only option. “One, you will not share any information on me, Kurapika, or anyone connected to us.”

He frowned deeply, that would get in the way of his plans… but…

‘Once she’s dead, the spell should dissipate. I’ll just-‘

“The second order is you are no longer allowed to harm, kill, or maim any innocent beings, or any of my loved ones.”

Killua’s jaw dropped. While he didn’t necessarily make a habit out of killing when he didn’t have to, it was still his job. “You can’t be serious, I-“

That’s when he realized… (Name) was but an innocent human… he wouldn’t be kill her. And Kurapika was definitely someone she cared for…

“Those are your orders. You can now move freely.”

Killua’s body relaxed, and he moved forward, launching himself at (Name). Although Kurapika was quick to pull her behind himself, it wasn’t necessary.

Killua froze midair, ancient symbols appearing all over his body. When he dropped to the ground, he seized.

(Name) was quick to kneel down next to him, despite Kurapika’s complaints. “Hey, you’re going to be okay. The effects shouldn’t last that long…”

She lifted his head into her lap, wiping away the drool from the boy’s mouth with her sleeve. “This is what happens when you disobey an order… I’m sorry, from what I read I heard it’s incredibly painful.”

Incredibly painful? It was the worst thing Killua had ever experienced, and he had undergone the harsh training and torture of the Zoldyck family.

But the demon was confused… why was this princess gently wiping his face with a handkerchief, and why was she getting her knight to prop him up against a tree. He couldn’t comprehend why she left a canteen full of water and an apple for him before she left… it didn’t make sense.

“You’re free to do whatever you want, as long as you follow those two orders,” she said, yawning as Kurapika helped her walk. “Goodbye, Killua.”

As they walked away, Killua felt… strange. He had tried to kill her more than once. It would be easy enough to make him take his own life… yet she was letting him go.

Killua sat there under the moonlight, thinking of what his next step should be. He couldn’t return home, that would be a humiliation he would never live down. Him, the heir of the throne, defeated by a mere mortal? That was unheard of.

So Killua hatched a new plan, one that would take advantage of the princess’ kindness…

———————

Dark fog fell over the palace, toxic vapor that would kill any human unfortunate enough to still be hiding within its walls.

“Has Killua returned with the princess yet?”

Illumi looked up from his work, tilting his head. His tail swayed silently as he set those dark, cold eyes on his mother. “No, mother. And from what I’m able to sense… he’s not coming back home for a while yet.”

She frowned, Kalluto standing quietly at her side. “Kalluto, go check with your older brother and see if he’s finished that resurrection spell yet.”

“Yes, mother.”

Once Kalluto left, the woman’s eyes narrowed. “We must hurry and get these matters dealt with before the other demon lords are able to make it to the surface. Those other princes… they’ll spell nothing but trouble for our-“

“Yes, mother. I understand.”

Illumi looked into his crystal ball, one that one worked on Killua. With it, he could see through the boy’s eyes… and even give him orders.

“Killua is currently following the princess, mother.”

She smiled, clapping her hands together. “Oh, that is wonderful news! Give him the command, and then I’ll have my little prince back!”

Illumi nodded, the focused on the crystal ball, peering into it.

‘Killua.’

Usually, simply saying his name was enough to have the boy tensing up… but he did nothing. Could he not… hear him?

Illumi shook his head. ‘No matter, I’ll just take control of him.’

When Illumi attempted to reach into the crystal ball, his hand was repelled by white magic, burning his fingers and palm.

“Illumi!”

His mother rushed over to see what had happened. Illumi stared blankly at his hand, sighing.

“It seems someone is interfering with my connection… until we figure out what this is…”

His mother paled, raising a hand to her mouth.

“Killua… is lost to us.”

Illumi looked through the crystal ball, his frown deepening. ‘At least I can still see through his eyes. That will be of some benefit to us… as long as Killua keeps following them, we should be able to find them eventually.’

Kalluto walked back into the room, Boeing politely. “Mother, big brother has found a resurrection spell that will work on more than ten people at once without killing the caster. Now all we have to do is find their remains.”

His mother grinned, fanning herself. “Inform your father of this discovery, and make sure he knows…”

She looked outside, smiling as the fog slowly spread down the mountain. “We have some spiders to find.”

140 notes · View notes

dingochef · 2 years ago

Text

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x You (OFC)

Warnings: Swearing, Smut (MDNI 18+ Only), Stalking, P in V, oral (female and male receiving), Semi-public sex, light spanking, light bondage, blindfolds, shitty parents

Summary: Christmas day! It's a roller coaster of emotions and boundaries drawn.

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Chapter 14

Word Count: 4.9k

Chapter 15: Hold onto with Love

December 25, Christmas Day

Jake wakes you up somewhat early on Christmas morning even though you aren't due to the rental house till noon.

"Good morning, El. Merry Christmas," he practically purrs in your ear.

You roll over to face him,

"Merry Christmas, Jake."

"Time to open presents, see what Santa brought you."

"We could just stay in bed, and open other presents,"

you suggest. He considers it for a brief second and then says,

"Come on Grinch, let's get up.

"Make me some Grinch coffee and it's a deal."

"Will do," he hops out of bed radiating Christmas little kid energy and it makes you smile.

You pull on some comfy clothes and pad out to the kitchen for the promised coffee. Jake mocks your gingerbread flavored creamer and you defend yourself by saying,

"It's festive."

"And tastes terrible." Jake laughs.

After you've had a few swallows of coffee he grabs your hand and pulls you over to the tiny fake Christmas tree he bought for the house. It's sitting on the knee high brick hearth in front of the fireplace that never gets used. He came home with the tree not too long after Thanksgiving.

"You have to have a tree for Christmas, where else is Santa going to put your presents?" he joked. This is the first time the house has actually been decorated for Christmas as long as you've lived here. You keep calling Jake your personal Christmas elf.

You sit on the floor and Jake pulls his two gifts for you from the stack. You find your gift for him, the others are for Lanie and my parents. You and Jake had agreed to keep the gifts simple this year. You're glad you made some ground rules having witnessed Jake's enthusiasm for Christmas.

He hands you a small box wrapped with amazing skill in shiny red paper. You laugh,

"You're the first guy I've ever seen that can wrap a gift and not have it look like you got into a fist fight with the paper."

"I'm very talented with my hands," he replies, smirk in full force.

"That you are."

You slide your finger under the seam and soon uncover a black box. You open it and there is a silver cuff bracelet. One end of the cuff is the San Diego skyline, you'd recognize it anywhere seeing it all the time from the island, the other end is the detailed outline of an F-18. The bracelet is slightly twisted so the F-18 is flying over the skyline.

"Is this a F-18 flying over San Diego?"

"Yes, I knew you'd recognize it. There's also an inscription on the inside of the cuff."

You turn the bracelet and read the inscription aloud, "Together we soar. Love, Jake."

You're hit with one of those waves of the realization of just how much Jake loves you,

"This is the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever gotten me, it's beautiful."

You lean over to kiss Jake. He is beaming, his panty dropper smile on full display.

"And wait, there's more," he says like an old infomercial as he hands you an envelope. It's a card with a picture of a P-51 Mustang on it. Inside it says, "Good for one flight in Maverick's Mustang with Hangman as your pilot."

"How did you swing this? Mav's going to let you fly his plane?"

"It took a lot of favors but Rooster came through and when Mav found out it was for you he caved. Rooster's going to take Lydia up at the same time."

"Favors for Rooster?"

You cock one of your eyebrows up.

"Nothing that salacious, although one blow job would be easier than the two months of grading exams I'm going to do for him."

You laugh at the thought,

"Thank you, so much. These are by far the best gifts I've ever gotten. They're so thoughtful. Your turn."

You hand him a box wrapped in the same red shiny paper. He opens it up and there is a digital photo frame.

"Turn it on," you urge him. He turns it on and the first photo to pop up is him from middle school on top of a horse. The picture changes to him getting pinned as an ensign.

"El, where did you get these?"

"I might have coopted your mom for my efforts."

There's pictures of you and Jake interspersed in the family photos. He laughs at the one of you smooshed together in an awkward selfie.

"This is great, El. Thank you." He leans over to kiss you.

"I thought you could put it in your office or keep it around here, your choice."

You put the bracelet on right away and Jake thoughtfully puts the frame up on the mantle. You cook up a light breakfast and lounge around till you have to get ready and go to the rental house.

You've just walked in the door at the rental house when your mom comes almost running towards you in the foyer.

"Oh, shoot. I was hoping to catch you guys before you left, we don't have any wine to go with dinner. Do you have any at the house? I think everything is closed today."

You turn to Jake and ask,

"Jake, we're having prime rib, do you want to run back to the house and grab a couple bottles of red?"

Lanie pops her head into the foyer, "Did you bring the Vette?"

Jake nods.

"Ooh, can I go with you? I've always wanted to ride in one."

"Sure, let's roll." Jake and Lanie are out the door on the wine run in a flash.

You walk into the kitchen and your dad has already poured you a drink. After you thank your dad and you head out to the living room where your mom is sitting. You choose an armchair opposite her and sit.

She notices the bracelet from Jake right away.

"Is that a gift from Jake?" she asks, pointing at your wrist.

"Yes, it's a F-18, his jet, flying over San Diego."

You stand up and show her in more detail and then sit back down. She frowns slightly as you sit.

"So, just how serious are you and Jake?" she asks, trying to sound casual.

"Pretty serious, we live together, been together 10 months, and I plan on marrying him."

You lean forward in the armchair, wary of where this conversation is going.

"Are you engaged yet?"

"No, we're working towards that."

She looks oddly relieved.

"I don't really know how to say this, Elsa, but I don't think he's a good fit for you."

"Mom, how would you know? You haven't been the most friendly person since you arrived. And what do you mean not a good fit?"

"I just always thought you'd end up with someone more on your intellectual level, like Liam."

"Jake is on my level, Liam was a fucking pyschopath who stole my work and betrayed me."

"Honey, he didn't really go to college." You slam your drink down on the wood side table, harder than you intended, causing her to startle. Luckily the glass doesn't break, you know if you keep it in my hand I will break it with the rage that is starting to bubble up inside you. You take a deep breath to attempt to calm yourself.

"He has a goddamn degree like mine."

"Just a bachelors."

You scoff and start to say something before she interrupts.

"It's just the military thing seems beneath you," she sighs, "It just seems like you'd be happier with someone more like you, as smart as you."

You are pinching the bridge of your nose trying to tame the anger that is bubbling up from a deep pit from your past.

"Have you noticed I do a lot of work for the military? Who else buys god damn experimental aircraft?"

Her face is stuck in that neutral look you always associate with her, the frustrating one that you could never figure out if she was happy, sad, angry, or feeling anything when you were a kid and even now. You wonder briefly where your dad is, whether he's making the world's loudest cranberry and vodka and can't hear you or he is purposely staying out of this argument like he alway does.

You continue,

"It shouldn't matter what Jake does for a living, he is a very good man who loves me very much and I love him. He could be a fucking janitor and it wouldn't matter to me."

My mom lets out a derisive snort.

"Someday it'll matter to him that you're smarter and more successful and he'll resent you and leave. I just want to save you from that heartbreak."

"Jesus fucking Christ, mom. Now you have an interest in protecting me. Hil-fucking-larious. Feels about 30 years too late. Where you when I was being told I was worthless by an angry Russian coach when I was six or being told to lose weight at age eight, age fucking eight!"

"That was all part of making you a better gymnast, all a part of the sacrifice and the hard work to make it to the Olympics, your dream. We all worked hard for that."

"God damn it, Mom. It was your dream. Yours, not mine."

You are quieter than before when you say it, your energy surge from the rage starts to ebb.

"I did it because I thought you'd be proud of me, hell, love me like a mother should."

For once she shows an emotion and it looks like betrayal, you know you are hurting her with the truth of how you feel.

"I love you, Elsa, don't ever doubt that," she is starting to cry.

"It's not unconditional. I've always had to be something, earn something, or achieve something to feel like you loved me. I didn't feel like I was worthy of your love unless I did something to earn it. No kid should feel that."

There is a brief moment when you look in her eyes and there is a flicker or recognition or regret and then it's gone, the neutral mask back.

"I still don't think you should marry Jake. It won't work out, he's just not good enough for you."

You let out a long sigh, you want to scream and rage at her for even thinking that Jake wasn't a worthy partner in life.

"Mom, I'm just tired of you judging my life like it's a scorecard, if it's good enough for whatever level you've set. I'm tired of trying to earn your approval and love. I should have stopped trying when I broke my ankle."

She winces at the mention of your injury, probably because it was the moment her dream evaporated. She is softly crying.

You stand up ready to leave, feeling some catharsis from this argument.

"Mom, my future is with Jake, you'll have to decide you want to be a part of that future."

You walk out of the living room to find Lanie and Jake in the foyer, shell shocked at what they've just heard. Jake is still holding two bottles of wine that he quickly hands to Lanie and so he can pull you into a fierce hug. It's then that you start crying, the adrenaline surge retreating quickly

Lanie completes the hug around your back.

"Jake, take her home. I'll deal with these shit heads. Elsa, I'll call you in a little bit."

Lanie hands the wine back to Jake, "You might need it."

She tries to joke as she also picks up your purse and hands it to Jake. Jake takes your hand and leads you out to the car helping you in the passenger seat. The car is silent as Jake processes the shit show.

"How much of that did you hear?" you ask, watching the ocean roll by the car window.

"Came in at the point where you said it didn't matter if I was a janitor."

"How did you get back so quick?"

"There was a shop open just down the road, so Lanie's probably right if you need cheap red wine to drown your sorrows, we got that."

"Okay, you got most of the discussion then. What are you thinking?"

Jake takes your hand briefly.

"El, a few things. One, I'm here for you. Two, I again emphasize how amazing it is you grew up into the beautiful loving person you are with that shit show of a parental situation. Three, you chose me and that means a lot."

Jake's voice cracks on the word "chose", and the watery beginnings of tears form in the corners of his eyes.

"I'll always choose you, Jake. Always."

You get home and immediately change into comfy clothes and put on Jake's old Navy hoodie. It's hilariously long, but it's the level of comfort you need right now. Jake follows suit and is changed into lounge clothes and of course a Navy shirt. You stop in the bathroom to scrub your face and wash the tears away. Jake is in the kitchen doing something that you can't place by the sound alone. When you come out to the living room Jake is sitting on the couch, wine glass in hand and another waiting on the table for you and ice pack for my head. You're overwhelmed that he's anticipated the headache that is forming as the adrenaline rushes out of your system. You sit down and take a drink of the wine.

"This is really good, for 'cheap red wine,'" you hum and use air quotes.

Jake laughs,

"It's not a bottle we got today, figured you could use a little pampering and good wine after that whole event."

"Thank you, Merry Fucking Christmas, by the way. I hope my family hasn't killed your Christmas spirit."

"Hardly, Christmas is about spending time with the people you love, so I think we've got that checked off the list."

You put your glass on the table, lay your head in Jake's lap, and put the ice pack on your forehead.

Jake has put some music on, Fleetwood Mac it sounds like. You and Jake sit there in your mutual bubble for a while, listening to the music and being close to each other. After about 20 minutes you discard the ice pack and then stay cuddled up for the better part of an hour. Not talking, but understanding each other.

A knock at the door makes you jump, almost bumping Jake's wine glass.

"Who's that?" you wonder. Jake is already at the door prepared to tell whoever it is to fuck off, particularly if it's your parents. You're standing behind Jake when he opens the door.

Lanie is standing on the doorstep with grocery bags full of food.

"Surprise!

You're sure you and Jake are standing there with your mouths open.

Lanie looks at Jake,

"Here, take these," she says, shoving the bags at Jake. He grabs them all before they can drop to the floor. She steps in and hugs you,

"I thought I'd rather spend Christmas with people who actually know what love is, plus I stole most of the good food and all of Mom's vodka. Oh, do you know how to cook prime rib?"

"That's what Google is for," you reply back with a sniffly laugh, "Thank you, Lanie, thank you. I love you so much, sis."

"I love you too, Elsa."

Jake is in the kitchen unpacking the groceries when he pulls out the prime rib.

"Damn, that's a lot of meat. What are we going to do with 12 pounds of prime rib?"

You remember that Lydia and Rooster are having Beth over for dinner, they decided not to head back east to see Lydia's family after a disastrous Thanksgiving where Lydia's parents got into a crystal goblet throwing fight after her Dad's mistress showed up.

"I've got an idea, give me a sec," you say to Jake and Lanie.

You call Lydia and she answers on the first ring.

"Merry Christmas, what's up?" she chirps, sounding like her usual self.

"Merry Christmas to you too. So, long story short, got into a giant argument with my mom today over Jake being good enough for me, left and came back here, my sister stole a 12 pound prime rib from my parents and showed up here, and now I'm trying to put together an impromptu dinner party to eat it all. Interested?"

Lydia laughs,

"There's a whole lot more to that story, wait one sec," her muffled voice can be heard as she asks Rooster, "Want to go to Elsa and Hangman's for Christmas dinner? They have prime rib."

She's back on the phone,

"Rooster said you had me at prime rib. Need us to bring anything? What time? Oh, and I'll call Beth and let her know about the change in plans."

"Great, a side dish or something close if you've got it. Let me see, I'm literally googling how long it's going to take to cook this thing, 3ish hours, it's a little after 2 now, let's plan on 5ish."

"Sounds great, see you then. And oh yeah, we've got a little surprise for everyone."

"Ooh, intrigue. See you at 5."

You get off the phone.

"Well, Lydia, Rooster, and Beth are going to be coming to dinner at 5. Let's get that prime rib in the oven and see what else we can make with all the stuff Lanie stole."

Jake and Lanie are surprised for about 30 seconds and then fall into line as you strategize. With the random stuff in your kitchen and the various items Lanie brought over you come up with a decent menu.

You put on your best french accent and announce,

"Let's see here, tonight's menu will be:

Appetizers:

Crudites and Chickpea Mash

Charcuterie

Main Course:

Herb Crusted Prime Rib

Roasted Root Vegetables with Thyme Butter

House Made Savory Bread Pudding

Dessert:

Chocolate torte with seasonal biscuit."

Jake is looking at the pile of stuff and considering the menu.

"El, some of that stuff isn't in here."

"Oh yes it is, crudites and chickpea mash is just veggies and hummus. Roasted root vegetables are sweet potatoes and carrots. We'll throw some fresh thyme in the butter. House made savory bread pudding is that stuffing made with the loaf of fancy bread from the bakery and the dessert is literally this brownie mix and these store bought Christmas cookies. It's all in how you sell it. So, easy peasy."

Jake is just laughing now,

"Seasonal biscuit, nice. I'm impressed, that menu sounds very fancy and delicious. What do you need us to do?"

"Put some Christmas music on first of all and then I'll have some stuff you can do."

Jake hops on getting the music going and Lanie is in the kitchen pouring more wine for everyone. You spend the rest of the afternoon chopping vegetables, baking brownies, and getting the various parts of the stuffing made and ready to pop in the oven when it's closer to dinner time. By about 4 pm you have it all in hand and can focus on getting the table ready. Jake scrounges up two more chairs to go around the dining table, sets out some place mats and fabric napkins, and gets some candles for the table. Lanie draws some cute place cards with everyone's name.

You go for a quick change into something slightly nicer than sweats and then plop on the couch with Lanie and more wine, and Jake excuses himself for a minute and you get a chance to talk to Lanie.

"What happened after we left?" you ask, the wine putting you fully into don't give a fuck mode.

"The expected shit show, Mom raged about you being an ungrateful daughter who was throwing away her life, Dad said nothing. I told Mom, 'That at least she isn't a lesbian tattoo artist like me. 'That put her over the edge and she went to their room. Dad went into the other bedroom and nobody talked after that. So, that's when I hatched the plot for my heist and got an Uber over here."

"Good to know our family patterns don't change much. Sorry to fuck up Christmas."

"Hah, that's all Mom's doing. Frankly, it's been a long time coming, the reckoning between you and her. I held Jake back from running in to save you, because I think you needed to let that shit out. Probably could have been done better in a family therapy session, but hey, we work with what's available,"

she says shrugging.

You laugh darkly and hold your wine glass up to Lanie's,

"Yeah, here's to the Matthews family. Hey at least a lesbian tattoo artist is interesting and cool. An aerospace engineer is decidedly not as cool."

"If you're fishing for compliments I'm going to save them all for Jake, because he is the best thing, person, rather, you've ever done."

Lanie earns a deep laugh from you.

Jake takes that moment to jump over the couch and land next to you,

"You were singing my praises?" he asks, head tilted.

"Yes, we were. Lanie said she had to hold you back so I could as Lanie put it 'let some of that shit out.'"

His face softens,

"My first instinct was to bust in there and start swinging, but Lanie helpfully reminded me, by practically clothes lining me, that this was your battle to wage and I would be needed at the end for support. Your sister is stronger than she looks."

He rubs a sore spot on his chest.

"Did my little sister hurt you, Jakey-poo?" you tease.

"No, I'm fine."

He's still rubbing his chest when there's a knock at the door and soon Lydia and Rooster are spilling into the room.

Lydia announces,

"Merry Christmas! We brought mashed potatoes!"

"Excellent, let's get those in the kitchen," you let Lydia know.

Rooster is holding up beer, wine, and tequila.

"Merry Christmas, Rooster. So which of the wise men brought tequila to Bethlehem?" Jake asks as he takes some of the items.

"The cool one, it probably goes well with mmyrh, whatever the fuck that is. Merry Christmas, Bagman," Rooster quips back.

You give the small hostess spiel,

"Check the fridge for beer or anything else you might want to drink. There's wine on the counter and the liquor is in the cabinet above the stove. Help yourselves."

Beth has appeared at about the time that Lydia and Rooster clear the door. You shout over the hubbub,

"Merry Christmas, Beth!"

"Merry Christmas, Elsa and everyone else."

Beth is holding up two bottles of wine to add to the mix. People get settled in with drinks and you bring out the appetizers and check the prime rib. Rooster is looking over the counter like a hungry dog.

"That smells amazing, Elsa," he almost sighs.

"I hope it tastes as good, we are literally in unexplored territory. Thank chef google if this works out."

Beth cuts in,

"So, how exactly did you come into possession of a giant prime rib today? I only heard the garbled version from Lydia when she called with the new plans."

Lanie decides to jump in and be the storyteller,

"Lanie, Elsa's super cool younger sister for you folks new to the room," you do some super quick introductions, Lydia has met Lanie before.

"So our emotionally stunted mother decided Christmas Day was a great time to dunk on Jake supposedly not being good enough for Elsa,"

Rooster mumbles,

"She might be onto something," before he's slapped in the chest by Lydia.

"Which brought up some other emotionally lurking shit from childhood that came out a giant hot mess. Elsa and Jake split, rightfully so, and I pissed our mom off even more by reminding her what a failure I am by her standards. Everyone stormed to a different room, I called an Uber and stole a 12 pound prime rib and other goodies, including all of Mom's vodka, because Christmas is supposed to be spent with people you love. And I love my big sister and this guy is growing on me too," she wraps a big hug around you as she points to Jake,

"Any questions?"

Rooster raises his hand, "What kind of vodka?"

Lydia looks at him confused. He continues,

"If I have to spite drink some fancy shit I'm game."

"No such luck," you laugh. "Smirnoff."

He looks disappointed. The reminder on your phone goes off to put the stuffing in and check the prime rib. You look back from closing the stove and take in the scene of your ragtag group of friends laughing and enjoying the day, the food and drink, and most of all each other's company. You think of the strained dinner that you would normally be having right now and your heart feels like it's about to burst. Jake catches your eye from where he's talking with Beth and gives you a wink. Lanie and Rooster are comparing tattoos. Lydia stops him before he pulls down his pants to show what is presumably a tattoo on his ass. You almost snort wine through your nose at the sight. The stove timer goes off and the food is done. The kitchen counter is quickly turned into a gorgeous landscape of food worthy of Instagram.

Everyone fills their plates and sits down at the table. You stand and propose a toast,

"To family," Lanie and Jake look confused, "Not necessarily the ones you were born with, although some of those turn out good,"

you give Lanie a finger gun and a wink, "But to the ones we find and hold on to with love in this crazy world."

Everyone leans in and clinks their glasses doing the best we can to avoid the candles. Rooster decides to stand,

"Since Elsa set this up so nicely, Lydia and I have a few announcements," Lydia stands up and fishes something out of her pocket and puts it on her finger.

"I have asked Lydia, the love of my life, to marry me and she said yes." Lydia holds up her hand with a ring on it absolutely beaming. Rooster puts his arm around and looks over at her with an absolutely adoring look,

"And speaking of family, we're going to have a baby!"

It is pandemonium for a few seconds with the breathless "Oh my gods" and hardy Congratulations. Beth and you rush around the table to hug Lydia. She is crying but absolutely incandescent with happiness. Jake pats Rooster on the back,

"You sly dog, Congrats, man."

Everyone calms down enough to eat and the meal is filled with lively conversation and so much laughter. Halfway through the meal, Jake takes your hand and gives it a squeeze as he leans over to say in your ear,

"I promised holidays would be better."

You return respond to his words with a soft smile and a squeeze of his hand.

After everyone has eaten themselves silly, people stand up and help with some of the cleanup. You are at the sink rinsing dishes before handing them to Beth to load in the dishwasher. You had opened the little window over the sink earlier because it was getting warm in the kitchen. Lydia is telling you a few details about the quickly upcoming wedding in three weeks time. Jake and Rooster out on the deck talking and you can just overhear them over the activity in the kitchen.

"Rooster, I have to say I'm genuinely happy for you. I know you've wanted a wife and family for a long time. I'm glad it's all coming together for you," Jake says his hand on Rooster's shoulder.

"Thanks, I know how much it pains you to say that, but I don't have words for how happy Lydia has made me. I can't believe all this is happening because she thought I was hot at a bar."

"She might make you unbelievably happy, but I will question her taste in men and facial hair till the end of time."

"Like you can talk, Bagman. The only reason you managed to find love is that Elsa likes baseball enough to say yes to a date. You're a lucky son of a bitch, if there ever was one."

"Oh, I know it, don't worry about that, Rooster."

"Jake, I have a question for you."

Jake's head cock to the side at Rooster's use of his real name. Rooster goes on,

"Speaking of luck and circumstances, since you saved my life and none of this ever would have happened without you, would you be my best man?"

For once Jake is speechless, no quick reply, no retort on his lips, he just engulfs Rooster in a crushing hug and says,

"It would be an honor," and then his wit comes back online, "It also gives me one more chance to convince Lydia to come to her senses."

Rooster laughs and hits Jake's shoulder with his own, knocking him a little off balance. You turn back to the conversation with Lydia and Beth.

Soon everyone is saying their goodbyes to people and you are sending them out the door with leftovers. The house is calm once everyone is out the door save the slight hum of the dishwasher.

You wrap your arms around Jake's waist and sigh contently as he kisses your forehead.

"Thank you for being amazing, this blow up with my mom has been a long time coming. Her dunking on our relationship was just a catalyst."

"I'll always be here for you, El. Always," he answers, leading you towards your bedroom and some much needed rest.

Chapter 16

@kmc1989

@starswholistenanddreamsanswered

@mayhemmanaged

@callmemana

@dempy

@hangmanscoming

@lanie-k

@callsign-viper

@senjoritanana

@djs8891

@atarmychick007

@memoriesat30

@midnightmagpiemama

@mygyn

#top gun maverick #hangman #hangman fanfiction #jake seresin fanfiction #top gun fanfiction #top gun smut #hangman x you #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x you #jake seresin x you

45 notes · View notes

wellpresseddaisy · 5 months ago

Text

The Poshest Bedstead in Islington part 18

Breakfast waited on the dining table when Harry emerged from his bedroom. Some mornings, Kreacher couldn’t stay to keep him company. He’d never tell Nanny anything of the sort, but he thought he preferred the quiet. He could linger over the paper or his post without an elf fidgeting around and making certain he ate enough. That calm hour or so at the beginning of the day set him up for the rest of it. Could he manage to get down to breakfast earlIer at Hogwarts?

Ron might fuss about keeping earlier hours…although he might not after a summer under Kreacher’s authority. Maybe they could simply eat earlier than everyone else for most meals. The noise in Hall was just awful at the start of every term. Harry wasn’t quite certain how anyone managed to eat anything with the howling cacophony of hundreds of students all shouting over one another ringing in their ears. It took him a few weeks to get used to it.

Or should he say ‘accustom himself’? Kreacher hated both language that sounded slangy (in his view) and language that sounded forced or overly formal. Diction lessons had got so much easier when Harry started thinking of how Malfoy or Parkinson would say something and then lessening the formality of it by several degrees. Would he ever truly understand the world he’d been pitchforked into? Some days it felt like an impossible task.

He picked up the paper, scanned the screaming headline on the front page, and promptly choked on a mouthful of scalding tea. Eyes streaming, he fanned his mouth and tried to make sense of what he read.

Sirius Black Innocent! Ministry scrambles for explanation!

Someone knocked on his door. Harry jumped, knocking the underside of the table with his knee. No one knocked on that door, the private one that led outdoors, because no one on Privet Drive could even see it. He hobbled to it an, after a moment of fumbling with the catch, opened it.

Sirius stood on the other side, leaning insouciantly on a dark, heavy cane. Harry stared, his heart thumping strangely. He’d waited for this moment for weeks and now that it was here he couldn’t quite believe it.

“Hello Harry.”

“Uncle Sirius,” Harry coughed.

“Oh, Harry…look at you,” Sirius stood in the doorway and stared for a moment. “I keep forgetting you’re half-grown already.”

“I…would you…come in?” Harry finished his incoherent response and stepped back from the doorway.

“I’d love to. We’re leaving from here.”

Harry hoped like hell he hadn’t left anything untidy. He usually did his morning tidying after breakfast, but he hadn’t even had that yet.

“Have you had breakfast? I think Kreacher left enough for two.”

“Thank you, yes. I’d love some breakfast.”

Why, Harry thought, why were they so formal? They’d never been this formal last year, although the cave could have had something to do with that. Harry waited for Sirius to serve himself from the sideboard and sat when he came to the table.

“We’re leaving?” he asked.

“You didn’t think I’d leave you here one minute longer than I had to, did you? I came directly from the Ministry. Your friends, by the by, have been utterly insufferable about having to wait for you.”

Harry glanced up from his toast and caught the amusement that crinkled the corners of Sirius’ eyes.

“They’re the best friends.”

“They’ve certainly livened up Grimmauld Place. Kreacher’s having the time of his life.”

“Is he busy today, do you know? Kreacher?” Harry asked.

“He asked for the day to take care of personal business. I’d no idea he had personal business, but there you are. Of course I told him to do what he needed to.”

“He wasn’t here this morning.”

“He asked me to give his apology for that. He very much wanted to be there for your first luncheon at home and wasn’t certain he could do whatever it is he’s doing and make it in time. He’s tickled pink at how well you’re doing, you know.”

“Oh…I…I didn’t know. He…really?” Harry stared hard at his plate. He could feel his ears heating and knew they must be red.

“Of course he is. You’re the heir, to boot. He hasn’t had this much fun bragging about his charges in ages. Anyelf stands still for a moment and he’s off on the many virtues of The Heir. If he had little photographs in one of those wallets it’d be out of his pockets more than in. And now I know what to gift him this year at Christmas. He’ll be a complete menace with it.”

Harry pressed his lips together and stared at the table even harder.

“I’m quite proud of you, myself, Harry. You were brought back into a world you’d never experienced before and you’ve thrown yourself into understanding it.”

“Now,” Harry said. “I’ve been working on that now. I…why didn’t anyone tell me anything before? They all knew I didn’t grow up in the magical world and the only people who tried to help were the Weasleys and Hermione.”

“That’s for me to get to the bottom of, and I will. I promise you that.”

Harry didn’t want to be the people Sirius questioned, hearing him speak like that. He nodded.

“But don’t look for malice where incompetence might be the answer. I learned that one the hard way.”

Harry snorted inelegantly at that. “I’d just like to know why the magical world is so full of incompetent people. Hermione wrote to ask a question of the Ministry and her letter bounced through six departments before Percy Weasley got hold of it and cleared everything up in five minutes.”

Sirius sighed. “That, I’m afraid, is a conversation that will take hours, a complete set of the Expanded History of Magical England, and probably several genealogy tables. Oh, and a peg board and string. Can’t do a proper explanation without those. If you’ve finished breakfast, why don’t we get a wiggle on. I’m sure you’re anxious to be home. I’d like you sealed as my heir in the next forty minutes, anyway.”

Home. Harry bit his lip and then released it quickly. Kreacher didn’t approve of chewing on oneself.

“Should I say goodbye?” he asked, tilting his head toward the door and the rest of number four.

“No. I spoke to your aunt already and let her know you’d be leaving for good today. She…she isn’t the most pleasant of women.”

“No, she isn’t,” Harry agreed. “But she raised me just the same. Maybe...maybe a letter sent through the regular post?”

“I think that would be acceptable. Kreacher will like it, in any case, and we all aim to keep Nanny happy. Are you ready?”

Harry nodded and stood, moving his plate to the sideboard. That was about as much cleaning up as Kreacher would allow after meals. Sirius followed suit.

“Now,” Sirius began. “Have you ever traveled by side-along apparition?”

“No, I haven’t. Is it like a portkey?”

“It’s not quite. More like going through a squeezing tube than being hurtled through the air. I suppose that doesn’t sound terribly appealing, does it?”

“Not particularly.”

“If I was sure of our safety I’d take you home in a post-chaise and we’d go by the turnpike. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with fully magical transport. If you’d come closer, I need to have a good grip on you.”

Harry sidled close enough for Sirius to reach out and pull him in. Hesitatingly, Harry put his arms around Sirius.

“It’s all right if you need a minute, Harry. We’ve all the time in the world.”

Harry let out a shuddering laugh. “I’m not…it’s just it’s usually Ron or Hermione I’m closest with. I…”

“You don’t need to explain or apologize, snidget. We’re just getting to know each other properly now. It’s normal you should feel a bit anxious,” Sirius soothed.

For some reason, that helped him relax enough to let Sirius put an arm around him.

“Good lad. Hang on tight now. We’ll pop right into the back garden, so if you need to sick up, you can do it in peace. Everyone will be out for a few hours yet. Ready?”

Harry nodded against the rough wool of Sirius’ cloak. “Ready.”

And the world squeezed around him.

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

Kreacher popped into existence before the Hogwarts gates in the thin light of early morning. He’d no idea how long any of this might take and he wanted to be home when Master Harry arrived. He couldn’t quite believe it was bare weeks since he’d first met the boy. He felt like he’d known Master Harry from birth. How he wished, over and over, that he’d had a hand in raising the child. Somehow, despite the influence of the utter jackals who had given him house room, he’d grown into a kind and respectful young man. Perhaps His Grace would allow Kreacher to have a little miniature of Master Harry painted? Then Kreacher could show other elves how delightful his charge was, while he told them. Or…well, an elf could hope that perhaps he could have a miniature done of the group of them, as well.

They made him so proud every day. But he wasn’t here to mizzle outside the Hogwarts gates and grow maudlin.

“Kreacher, head elf of House Black, requests the Head Elf of Hogwarts to give him passage to see Professor Binns on educational business,” he called out.

A moment later, an ancient elf popped into the space before him.

“Kreacher is not going to bagsy any more of Hogwarts elves, is he?”

Kreacher sighed. “No, Kreacher will not. Kreacher regrets removing elves from Hogwarts without asking first, but Kreacher was lead to understand that neither elf had bonded with Hogwarts and one was in severe decline.”

“While that is true, Herman is not pleased with losing Dobby or Winky.”

“Herman should practice better elf resource management, then.” Kreacher shot back. “Dobby is happy as head laundry elf and Winky is soon to join the household, restored to full health.”

“Herman is a venerable elf who does not countenance modern notions of elfkind!” Herman thundered at him.

“Kreacher is always updating his pedagogical models to keep up with the times and suspects Hogwarts elves would be happier if Herman did the same by way of management! Hogwarts has dusty corridors!” Kreacher knew he had, perhaps, gone a bit far, but no elf, no matter how venerable, was his equal.

“Dusty—how dare you!”

“Kreacher dares because Kreacher has walked this earth since he does not remember when! Herman needs to pull his socks up and get with the modern times! Dusty corridors and cobwebs, indeed!”

Herman rocked back as if slapped. He swallowed hard for a moment and glared from under bushy eyebrows.

“Kreacher is given leave to enter Hogwarts elf territory and speak to Professor Binns!” He popped out without another word.

Kreacher sniffed at the appalling lack of manners and waited. The gates swung open and he walked into the courtyard. There would be no popping about Hogwarts since he actually had standards. It took him some time to find the correct room. Cuthbert Binns, looking terribly translucent, floated a few inches above the floor and stared into space. Early afternoon light streamed through him.

“Cuthbert Binns, Kreacher head elf of House Black is going to be your problem!” he started.

Binns stirred slightly but otherwise did not move. Kreacher frowned.

“How dare you abrogate your responsibility to teach the children of this world! Using outdated materials? For shame!”

Binns turned and peered down at him, a frown creasing his forehead.

“And you are?” he creaked.

How had he got into this state? Although a ghost for quite some time now, the Binns of earlier decades remained a dedicated and energetic teacher. He’d also looked a good deal more solid. Had he begun to move on?

“Kreacher, Head Elf of House Black. Kreacher is Nanny to Lord Buckingham. Kreacher has thoroughly investigated the current history of magic curriculum and has found it lacking in every particular!” Kreacher slammed down a little copy of the current text. “This is not the text written by Cuthbert Binns!”

“Did I write a text for History of Magic? How peculiar I…no…I traveled extensively for it, didn’t I?” Binns seemed to gain a bit more solidity as he spoke.

“Professor Binns traveled from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, speaking to every creature within the bounds of the island and recording their histories. Professor Binns interviewed Kreacher.”

It seemed as if the reminder of his lifetime sparked something within the ghost.

“I did, didn’t I. You were…well, you were there for so much of the history of this land. I remember now — The History of the Magical Realms of this Island; comprising England, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and the confederations of magical beings. How did I forget it?” He only retained the characteristic translucence around his edges now. Otherwise, Binns looked nearly as he had in his last years of life.

“Kreacher suspects interference. Kreacher would like to know what will be done about it?”

“Well, I’ll be reworking the curriculum immediately! Where is my book? I had several copies so one should be to hand. Oh, this is a travesty! All that work!” Binns seemed to grow larger as he spoke.

“Kreacher brought a copy. Professor Binns gifted Kreacher with three. Kreacher never forgot.” Kreacher produced a particularly well-preserved book. “Kreacher took great care of them.”

“I can see…thank you, Kreacher, for waking me to my failings. I will not fail your charges. What year…”

“Three will be taking OWLs and one is going into her fourth year.”

“That isn’t much time, but I’m certain we can manage. I expect I haven’t even touched on how to construct an essay, have I?”

This was the Binns Kreacher remembered: a bit of a fussbudget, but a capable educator nonetheless.

“Not that Kreacher could discern.”

“I suppose that’s only to be expected. I will put this right, Kreacher. And…yes, that’s the bell for the staff meeting. If you’ll excuse me?”

Kreacher nodded and watched the ghost zoom off through the ceiling. At the very least, Master Harry’s history lessons would be much more entertaining in the future. Perhaps he would consider keeping on for NEWTs with the improved Binns. Pleased with his day’s work, Kreacher prepared himself for the trek back to the gates.

#hp society/the ton #hp the season au #hp the season/the ton au #the poshest bedstead in islington #text

6 notes · View notes

batsyforyou · 1 year ago

Text

Of Elves and Men Part 7

Pairing: Beleg x reader

Warnings: I refer you to part 1

Many months had passed by the time things began to get back to normal.

Then one night you had a dream. A great and wonderful dream with Beleg taking part. In all honesty, you’d almost forgotten about him, having blocked the incident from your mind entirely. In your dream you were wandering the forest like you had dared not to since the kidnapping but you felt at peace. You saw him in a clearing standing there in a deep blue tunic and brown colored leggings. His hair had been pulled back to showcase his ears and had been let down, small pieces having been braided throughout. He faced away from you but in his hand, you saw a single red rose.

You called out to him and when your eyes met your heart stopped. His smile had been more radiant than the sun and moon themselves.

And you woke up.

By noon you had forgotten about the dream but an insane curiosity to know more about your hero struck you. Most days, you find yourself staring aimlessly out your window wondering what the elf might be up to. Thomas took notice of your behavior of course, but he did not know what occupied your thoughts.

But he could guess.

“What is the matter with you my dear? Your mind is far from you, reign it in, won’t you? There is much work to be done.”

“Oh, yes of course, my apologies.”

“Hmph.”

He went back to his book, and you watched him scan the shelves of your study. You sigh, resting your head in your hand as you stare down your nose at your papers. When you made no move to lift your quill or read the text. Thomas smacked his book shut and crossed his arms.

“Alright. Out with it.”

You flush, “Pardon me?”

“It is far too late to pardon my dear, something is clearly bothering you and I can see that we won’t get any more work done till I fix it. So, as I said, out with it!”

The heat runs hotter behind your cheeks, and you look away embarrassed, “It’s rather embarrassing.”

“I fail to care. Any other excuses you want to share?”

“It’s not an excuse! It's just embarrassing is all.”

“Should I fetch a chair while I wait?”

“No! Its just- I- ah- well- “

“My goodness child! It’s like I’m watching you fall down a flight of stairs! Do not tell me you harbor feelings for Bjorn! Please, that is all I ask.”

“No!” You venomously shook your head, “It’s the elves! I’m thinking about the elves!”

He paused to stare at you, “Well, that’s nothing new.”

You gawked at him. “What?” He said, shrugging his shoulders. “You have always had a fascination with the first born. I just don’t see why they’d take such a portion of your mind.” He tapped his lip, “Well, more than usual anyway.”

Clearing your throat, you took your papers and tapped them against the desk, trying to cover your face. “I admit there is only one elf on my mind.”

He lifted a brow intrigued, “Is there now?”

You were sure steam was pouring out your ears. Your face was so hot. “I have been thinking about the elf that first found me in the cave. Beleg, I believe he was called.”

Thomas leaned his weight against the bookshelf. “Write to him.”

“Excuse me?”

“Write him. If you're so concerned with his well being, you might as well. Perhaps then we could get some work done around here.”

Your mouth hung open, shocked at his approach, but you couldn’t think of anything to say to him. With the matter settled he went back to his book.

“Let me know how it goes will you? It’s been rather boring around here as of late.”

“Thomas!” You paused and stared at him for a moment and he ignored you, “Thomas, what do you have against Bjorn?”

The idea stayed with you for days after until one afternoon you couldn’t resist any longer.

Dear Beleg,

I am writing to you because I am soon to host an elven noble. I was wondering if you had any advice that may aid me?

You stared at the page before you ripped it out and crumpled it. Way too casual you thought.

To Beleg Strongbow, Marchwarden to King Thingol and resident of Doriath,

I am writing to you today because I am seeking your counsel. I am to host an elven noble and their party in my house. And I am in need of advice.

My warmest regards,

Y/n servant to Lord Húrin.

You paused again, this seemed better but rather blunt.

To Beleg Strongbow, Marchwarden to King Thingol and resident of Doriath,

I wanted to thank you and your men for saving me from my fate in the cave.

I am writing to you today because I am seeking your counsel. As I don’t know many elves, and you are one of the few I’ve met. I am in need of advice. I am to host an elven noble and their party in my house.

My warmest regards,

Y/n servant to Lord Húrin.

You sighed and scribbled everything out starting on a fresh page.

To Beleg Strongbow, Marchwarden of King Thingol and resident of Doriath,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I wanted to thank you and your men for saving me from my fate in the cave. My life has been very busy as of late and I couldn’t be more grateful. I wanted to apologize for not saying goodbye to you when you left. I hope I didn’t offend you.

I am writing to you today because I am seeking your counsel. I am to host an elven lord and their party in my house. And I would like to know how I can help them feel more comfortable.

My warmest regards,

Y/n Servant to Lord Húrin

You read it again, biting your lip. It’d have to do.

You let the ink dry, folding the paper, you gently shoved it into the envelope and put your wax seal on the top. You paced around your desk chewing your lip as you waited for Johanne. You couldn’t believe you were doing this; you didn’t even have an elf delegation coming to your house! And you hoped he didn’t ask too many questions or call you on your bluff.

A knock on the door, “Y/n may I come in?”

You jumped fumbling to grab the letter. “Yes-yes! Come in!”

Johanne opened the door and stayed at the threshold, “What can I do for you?”

You passed her the letter, “Have this sent to the marchwardens of Doriath, they should take it from there.”

“Certainly. Will there be anything else?”

“No, thank you.”

“I’ll have some biscuits sent up with tea for us.”

You sighed.

You waited anxiously for a reply. Your absentminded behavior getting much worse though Thomas didn’t say anything, simply shaking his head at you.

A few weeks had gone by when you finally received a response. Johanne had come up to you at breakfast with the letter and giddy with nerves you excused yourself to your study.

To Y/n Servant of Lord Húrin,

It gladdens my heart to hear that you are doing well.

I too am doing well. As I sit to write this letter my companions are working to prepare the game we caught from our latest hunt.

But that is not what you want to hear about.

As for helping those of my kin feel more at peace in your home. I suggest that you simply treat them as you would any other. A warm bed to rest their feet and good hot food will go a long way.

I would like to know which of the many elven lords are traveling to meet with you. Perhaps then I could be more specific in my advice.

With my regards,

Beleg

P.s. Please know that you did not offend us! Our healer suspected that you’d spend many days trapped in your bed.

Your heart dropped.

You paced around the room, “Oh no. Oh no no no.”

Why did I add lord to it?! You thought.

Looking about the room in a panic you shouted, “Thomas!”

Turning from the door you rubbed your brow and exhaled deeply, muttering. “Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear.” As you berated yourself about your choice in wordaged.

Hearing heavy footsteps thump in the hall you swung around to watch Thomas barrel through the door. “What? What is the matter?!”

Shoving the papers into his chest you shouted, “This! This is the problem!”

He stumbled to catch the papers and hurried to read them while you paced your office.

“What am I to do! If I pick an elven lord and tell him that this elf is coming it won’t matter because he can just check with his King and messenger birds to see if it's true! I’ll be caught out in a lie even bigger than what I’ve already done!”

He looked up to you and slammed the papers on the desk though you barely noticed.

“Write to him! You said. Ha! That was a fool hardy idea if I ever heard one! Oh, why did I listen.”

Thomas came to you and placed firm heavy hands on your shoulders to sooth you before you worked yourself further into panic.

“It will be alright Y/n. I will take care of this.”

“But-”

“Hush now. I will not hear another word. I assure you that I will handle this with the utmost care and will be very discreet.”

Stepping away from you he fetched the papers and shoved them into his robes inner pocket. He stroked his beard, his eyes high above you in thought.

“Thomas what do I do?”He hummed and waved you away, “Finish your work and do not forget, you must attend your meeting in half an hour. I suggest you take this time to compose yourself.” With that he shut the door behind him and left you in silence to listen to your quick breathes. Collapsing onto your couch you buried your face into your hands. What have I done?

Part 8

Masterlist

#tolkien #silmarillion #the silmarillion #beleg cuthalion #beleg strongbow #beleg x reader #beleg

7 notes · View notes

kakita-shisumo · 5 months ago

Text

Lt. junior grade Beckett Mariner had seen a lot of weird shit in her time in Starfleet. Gorn using chopsticks. A couple dudes exposed to strange energies. Boimler with a genuinely hot and badass girlfriend. The dragon was new, though. Thirty meters long if it was a centimeter, with an equal wingspan (and already that was setting off alarm bells, because this "Golarion" place was operating at almost ridiculously-Earthlike 1.01 G and 101 kPa atmospheric pressure and there was no way a simple 1-to-1 length to wingspan ratio would be enough lift to get an animal that size into the air), the thing was covered in gleaming red scales. It had bright yellow eyes, bony ridges that poked out like spikes in several intimidating locations around its body, and yes, there were flames coming out of its mouth. They spilled out around the meter-long teeth and rolled a short way up its scaled face before dissipating every time it breathed. She pointed her tricorder at it. It wasn't a holographic effect or some kind of mechanical facsimile, the things that had been her two first ideas about what she was looking at: she was seeing clear life signs, although a lot of the readings were flagged as "abnormal." Yeah, well, no shit. She needed Billups for this. His people were the weirdos who were into fantasy roleplay or whatever; he'd probably know what to do with a dragon. Right now, all Beckett had were her tricorder, a type II phaser that she had real trouble believing would even make a dent in those scales, and whatever she could scrape together from her local environment. And that was a problem, because somehow, Boimler had gotten himself wedged into some rocks right next to the mouth of the cave from which the dragon was, even now, peering. Maybe the dragon was sapient. Her scans suggested it might be. Maybe she could negotiate something? "Hey," said someone, almost right behind her, and Beckett instinctively threw herself into a defensive roll, tumbling through the brush to come up with her phaser held steady, pointed right at the... She blinked. The elf. The tall, slim, pale, green-eyed, (gorgeous,) pointed-eared elf, dressed in a green tunic and leather breaches, a curved, single-edged sword at their hip, who was standing right there, in front of Beckett, a slight smirk on their face. Behind them Beckett saw more people: another woman who looked pretty elfin too, though her ears were noticeably smaller and rounder, with a rapier in one hand and a scowl on her face; a brown-skinned human woman in full plate mail holding a longsword and a kite shield, the latter emblazoned with an emblem of a winged sword; and a... a half-human, half-lizard guy with one curling ram's horn coming out of his head. He had a bow out, arrow pointed at her, but he hadn't drawn back the string. "We saw your star craft back that way," said the elf, gesturing over one shoulder. "Not sure why you'd want to come to Golarion, let alone the Worldwound, but it looks like your friend's in trouble." "We were picking up anomalous dimensional energies," Beckett explained, relaxing a fraction. She didn't think she was about to stabbed by the wandering Ren Faire crew in the next five seconds, anyway. "I suggested we check it out. Didn't expect to run into whatever that is, though." The elf grinned. "No one ever does." There were butterflies swirling around them for some reason. Butterflies made of pure light. Because why not, right? "Don't worry. We'll get him out of there." They drew their sword. "Stay here, star girl. This'll be done before you know it." "Oh hell no," said Beckett at once, shooting to her feet. "You guys are gonna go fight a dragon? There's no way I am missing out on this!"

#mashup #video games x tv shows #star trek lower decks #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #beckett mariner #knight commander wotr #ficlet #I kinda want to write this now tbh

129K notes · View notes

readinginthereadyroom · 4 years ago

Text

let’s talk about christopher and santa claus for a minute.

because the thing is. that kid is a national treasure and possibly magic. because he has santa’s ear. direct line to christmas miracles.

and the best part is. it’s canon.

but before we get to that. we need to talk about eddie being scared of santa when he was a kid. about the difference in eddie and christopher’s childhoods.

because eddie’s childhood lacked magic. santa wasn’t a right jolly old elf with a red suit and a belly laugh. just a creepy guy with a fake beard who smelled bad. a stranger he was forced to go see. that scared him so much he got sick. twice.

christopher’s childhood tho. filled with magic. when he was little and not feeling well (maybe around one of his surgeries?) and missing eddie. shannon caves. tries to cheer chris up with a giant tree for the backyard. but we didn't have enough ornaments to cover it, so we just loaded it up with lights and ribbon. I got the sleeping bags out, and we laid under it, just staring up at the branches for hours.

which is the most magical thing I’ve ever heard.

so really it’s no surprise that christopher believes in the magic of christmas. the power of santa. miracles and the christmas spirit.

because christopher only asked for one thing that christmas. one very specific gift. not toys. not candy. he just wants his dad. w-when you were gone, I asked santa for you to come back, and you did.

which makes me wonder what time of year it was when eddie’s helicopter was shot down. did he arrive home in time for the holidays? with his wrist in a cast and his arm in a sling and propped up by a cane. wounded but alive. home for the holidays. which is all that would matter to little christopher. that dad’s back. dad’s staying. forever.

and since christopher’s wish came true before. since santa came thru before. why wouldn’t it work again? because christopher’s got his dad. a new life, in a new city, with a new best friend. and everything is perfect. everything except the lack of shannon. christopher misses his mom. so he forgoes toys and candy once again. goes with eddie and buck to see santa. I asked him to find mom. will he?

the answer is yes. because she’s already back. has been for a while. eddie’s just been reluctant to let shannon see christopher. because he’s scared she’ll break his heart if she decided to leave again. because eddie doesn’t believe in magic. and I think that includes happily ever afters.

but christopher believes in magic and wishes. and eddie knows that. and he’ll do everything in his power to keep it that way. cause he loves christopher more than himself. loves that he believes in magic and miracles and santa.

because it allows eddie to believe thru christopher. just for a second. but seconds accumulate. grow. build. into something magical all eddie’s own.

so they get another giant tree. cover it in ribbons and lights. turn the floor into a wrapping paper treasure map for christopher to follow into the front yard. where shannon is waiting. mommy! mommy! I missed you so much. I knew Santa could do it again.

and then so much happens. by the time next christmas rolls around shannon has died and christopher’s survived a tsunami. and eddie has to work thru the holiday. buck too. christmas is ruined.

we don’t see chris talking about santa this year. or to santa. I think that’s probably on purpose. this year is about the absence of christmas spirit. and how that absence radiates out into their lives. chris storming away. giving eddie the silent treatment. buck saying he’s working too.

missing pieces. lack of communication. absent people.

but you cannot convince me that when the holidays go awry. that christopher won’t turn to his old pal santa to fix this particular problem. that he won’t ask for another christmas miracle. that his family can be together for the holidays. christopher and his dad and his buck. it tracks with christopher’s history.

and the thing is. santa comes thru. via buck. who plans a surpise holiday party at the 118. ropes athena and maddie into gathering their friends and family all together. throws the biggest holiday party in the history of the firefam.

and now I’m thinking the s5 holiday episode would be the perfect time for buddie to go canon. buck and eddie have been getting closer since their begins eps. they’ve both grown as people. tried other relationships. neither of which work out. both of which they choose to end.

actually, yes. I am into this. and here’s how it happens:

the sniper and the blackout puts things in perspective. which leads to eddie to breaking up with ana. buck realizes where his priorities are and he breaks up with taylor soon after. that’s when the shoulder bumps and playful banter starts to ramp up. they’ve always been in each other’s space and at each other’s homes. now it’s just more. buck and eddie become buck&eddie.

there’s no big declaration or passionate kiss. 911 doesn’t really do that. what we will get is a buddie hug after a too-close call that lingers a little too long. and eddie doing his sustained eye contact thing. and buck reciprocating with his eye flutter thing. then eddie reaching with his hands. then buck’s blinding smile. then...

END CREDITS. because it’ll hurt so good.

mid-way thru the next ep we’ll get confirmation in the form of carla. she’ll stumble over buck coming out of eddie’s room. there will be a little light teasing. it’s about time interspereced with domestic fluff. they will keep it to themselves for now.

and then eddie’s parents guilt trip him into going to texas for the holidays. buck has a christmas eve shift, but has christmas day off. and plans with maddie, chim, albert, and the hans for jee-yun’s first christmas. plus holiday dinner with athena and bobby’s family. he’s not going to be alone.

doesn’t feel that way tho.

and then there’s a scene at the airport that mirrors the end of s1. only instead of abby leaving it’s eddie and christopher. with buck and eddie both pretending to be okay. neither of them are.

cue eddie in texas. where everything goes wrong. of course it does. helena and ramon keep making jabs about how eddie’s raising christopher. they will never think he’s enough. even worse they don’t treat christopher like an autonomous person. but a consolation prize. a parenthood do-over.

and eddie’s miserable. christopher’s miserable. they both miss buck.

there’s definitely a firefighter santa involved. a lesson about family being who you chose. christopher won’t stop talking about last christmas at the station. about buck.

which is why. when everything comes to a head over christmas eve dinner. eddie makes an executive decision. books a red-eye flight and bundles him and christopher off to the airport.

buck’s out on a call when eddie and christopher arrive. it was only a 2 hr flight but it’s still really late. they both conk out on the sofas. and that’s where buck spots them when the trucks pull into the station. he’s doesn’t go all the way over to them. just watches them from afar. like he’s always done.

until eddie wakes up. sees him watching. reaches his hand out to buck and drags him into their space. physically connects the three of them. kisses his hand. merry christmas buck.

neither buck or eddie notice that chris is also awake. watching them with a mischieveous smile on his face. because christopher believes in magic. the christmas spirit. santa claus. and apparently santa claus believes in christopher because that man has granted each and every one of his wishes.

dad. mom. family. buck.

christopher has been slowly building his own family. via christmas miracles and the help of his good friend santa claus.

outside the window it starts snowing.

and it feels like magic.

#if any of this actually happens in canon #even tangentially #I will lose my danging mind #christopher has set a precedent of asking santa for PARENTS for xmas #eddie then shannon #then eddie and buck (family)#and what's the next step #BUCK #he needs to ask santa for buck #and that's how we get canon buddie #christopher diaz #eddie diaz #shannon diaz #evan 'buck' buckley #buddie #9-1-1 #911 what's queue emergency?#writing in the ready room #petition for christopher begins

103 notes · View notes

lilyofthesword-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Continue - Part 3

Summary: You have been ripped away from your world and tossed into one that is supposed to be pure fiction. You know the stories, how they are supposed to go. Despite your knowledge, you are unable to change the fates of the Fellowship you had grown so close to.

Pairing: Legolas x Modern!Reader

Word Count: 1,957

Warnings/Disclaimers: Violence, mentions of blood.

A/N: So this one turned into a beast. I wanted to write in some of the Battle of Helm’s Deep to try something different. Hopefully, this worked out, and I didn’t jump all over the place too much.

Masterlist

“Please, reconsider,” Legolas pleaded with you. “What if the binding magic activates, again? If we are separated, you will be defenseless amongst the chaos.”

You chewed on your bottom lip. He had a point, but still...

Squeezing his fingers, you tried your case again. “Legolas, I understand. I truly do. But I want to help you all on the field, not hide away in the caves. In a battle like this... Every person counts.”

Thunder from the impending storm nearly overshadowed the elf’s sigh. He unlaced a hand and cupped your face, stroking the apple of you cheek with his thumb. “There is that endearing determination, again.” Pulling you forward, he laid his forehead on yours. The tenderness of the action made your heart flutter. “I will not be able to convince you, will I?”

“Not this time, no,” you breathed, a ghost of a smile adorning your face.

With a light huff, Legolas pulled away to help you secure chainmail and light armor. If he couldn’t coax you into staying safe inside the caves with the others who were unable to fight, then he would at least ensure you would have some protection. The goal would be for you to stay by him as much as possible in the upcoming battle, but both of you knew that most likely would not happen.

Just as you remembered from second movie, there was a commotion at the gate. With knitted brows, Legolas took your hand to head outside where you met with Aragorn and King Théoden. Before you stood an elven army, Haldir at the forefront looking as stoic and regal as ever. Relief and hope visibly flooded the Ranger’s body. So much so, that he pulled the elf into a hardy embrace.

Out of all the characters you knew of, the Marchwarden was the only one whose fate was up in the air. There was no mention of his death in the books. Then again, he had not led an army to Helm’s Deep. The second film added drama with his appearance and fall. But… Could that change?

This version of the world seemed to meld the two forms of media together. You had been able to meet Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry after leaving the Shire which definitely hadn’t happened in the movies. And then there was the time when Frodo had to be rushed to Rivendell after being stabbed with a Morgul blade. That played out like the film with Arwen cradling his weakened form and speeding away on her horse. You had only caught a glimpse of Glorfindel after meeting Elrond. So maybe… Just maybe…

It wasn’t long after Aragorn released Haldir from the awkward hug that orders to get into position were sent out. Squeezing your hand, Legolas motioned for you to join him with Gimli at the higher parapet where you all could use arrows until the enemy tried to clamber up the walls. Lightning cracked the sky as you reached your station, the accompanying thunder booming off the stone. Your elf had placed you in between Gimli and him. Despite the dwarf not knowing of the magic that tethered you, he cared for you like family. It was almost like you had your own bodyguards.

Checking your bow one last time, you noticed Gimli struggling to see over the wall.

“What’s happening out there?”

“Shall I describe it to you?” Legolas turned his head towards the dwarf who met his gaze with a hum and arched brow. “Or would you like me to find you a box?”

And there was that lopsided smirk that partly caused Gimli’s boisterous laugh. It wasn’t often you saw that kind of smile sneak its way onto Legolas’ face. You bit back a chortle just as the rain plummeted down on the battlefield.

Then the chaos began. An arrow was loosed early into the throng of Uruk-hai and orcs, sending them into a frenzy. Between firing attempts and dodging projectiles, you didn’t notice the ladders hitting the walls.

A sweaty, snarling orc head popped over the edge next to you. It was close enough to smell its rancid, putrid breath. Swallowing your shriek, you took the arrow you were about to notch and shoved it into the creature’s throat. A gurgled screech tore from its mouth as it feel backwards off the ladder. What moment of triumph you had was short lived as a new round of orcs quickly followed. You opted for your sword instead, strapping your bow on your back for later.

You weren’t sure when you ended up on the ground level. It was all a blur. You were fairly sure you had fallen from the stairs at some point, probably in the middle of defending yourself. You at least remembered laying the mud and scrambling to reach your feet to dodge the next blow before lodging your sword in the orc’s side. Another orc rushed towards you, leaving no time to gather your bearings or look for your companions. After barely managing to take down that opponent, an explosion rumbled from the other side of the keep.

Aragorn.

Adrenaline coursed through you, blood pounding in your ears, as you sprinted off in that direction. By the time you reached him, the ranger was mostly back on his feet. You had only been able to make sure he regained his balance just as an Uruk-hai bulldozed its way to you from the newly breached wall. Jumping away from each other to miss its crudely forged blade, Aragorn and you then lunged forward with your swords, the steel penetrating the thick flesh not hidden away by armor. The Uruk-hai fell into muddy water, its black blood nearly indistinguishable from the muck.

Now focused on containing the breach, a handful of soldiers joined you and the ranger. A mess of Uruk-hai and orc were pouring through the opening. It wasn’t going to be enough. Aragorn called for everyone to start falling back. Just as you were headed off, a flash of red caught your eye. Your breath caught in your throat. Haldir was still on the upper level, making sure his soldiers were able to escape, and he was being surrounded rapidly.

Ripping the bow from your back, you shot at some of the orcs rushing up the stairs. You at least nailed a few of them. Your throat constricted lightly as you fired, either from your exhaustion or the magic warning you about interfering again. You weren’t quite sure at this point. Then, Haldir was hit, his entire world thrown off kilter. He spun wildly to defend himself from the onslaught. An Uruk-hai was readying his blade for the Marchwarden.

Magic be damned. You couldn’t just stand there and watch. Not again.

Sucking in a breath, you closed your eyes and raised your bow. Your chest tingled as you pointed in what you thought was the general direction. Flinging your eyes open, you made a last second adjustment to your aim. Just a touch to the left…

You were able to let go of the arrow just enough to let it fly from your fingers when your lungs froze and muscles locked you in place, leaving you unable to do anything but watch the following events. Your arrow hit the Uruk-hai’s bicep - non-fatal, but enough to cause it to falter. It also recalled Haldir’s focus, enabling him to dispose of his attacker.

He turned to find his savior, his eyes widening upon seeing you. At first you thought he was just surprised, but then you noticed movement in your peripheral. The binding magic still had you rooted to the spot and had ramped up. Your breathing was thin and ragged, vision blurring at the edges. You couldn’t even adjust your gaze to see what was approaching you at such a speedy gait.

An arrow whizzed past your face. A squelch sounded as it pierced the flesh of your supposed attacker. As the orc dropped to its knees, the spell chaining you down released. Gasping and choking on a torrent of oxygen, your burning muscles loosened and you fell back on the tower behind you.

Your head was pounding, muffling out the sounds of the battle still taking place. Warm hands encased your face and lifted your gaze. Panicked blue eyes bore into yours.

Legolas breathed your name. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” you hoarsely replied while nodding, your throat feeling like coarse sandpaper.

The sound of more Uruk-hai and orcs stole your attentions. Legolas let go of your face and snatched up your hand instead, pulling you along with him. The Marchwarden had made it down the stairs and joined you in the retreat. With the three of you, you were able to brute force your way to the inside of the keep.

Cheers and laughs echoed through the Golden hall. The Battle of Helm’s Deep was over. Saruman had been defeated, locked away in his tower with his lackey Wormtongue. Merry and Pippin were safely back with the company, celebrating the victory with the rest of Rohan. You, however, had chosen to go outside near the beginning of the festivities. There had barely been a moment’s rest between everything. All you really wanted was to decompress.

The cool breeze caressed your skin as you breathed in the clean air, your lips tugged lightly into a smile. You had done it. You had managed to bypass the stupid binding magic that kept you from changing anything. Albeit barely and your muscles still ached from how tightly the curse had wound them, but you still did it.

Leaning on the railing, you looked up at trillions of stars in the night sky. This world was truly beautiful. You could get used to living here if you were never to return to your own. Maybe by then, the curse would ease or end completely.

“Meleth?”

You swung around, facing Legolas who had been standing almost directly behind you.

“Legolas!” you gasped, before sniggering. “You always manage to sneak up on me!”

The elf laughed along with you and joined you at the railing, resting his hand on yours. “Are you well?”

“Never better.” You rested your head on his shoulder. “Thank you, by the way.”

He hummed questioningly while nuzzling your hair.

“Back at the keep. You were right about the binding magic. It did almost get me killed. If it weren’t for you, I may not be here right now.”

Tiny tears began to sting your eyes. This was just as real as your world and you could die just as easily. Legolas and the others had been vital in keeping you breathing. And you just had to try. It was only a fraction of a second that stood between life and death for both Haldir and you. It could have all gone wrong within moments.

Lacing his fingers with yours, he spoke softly, “I will admit, I was terrified when you disappeared. Even Gimli was unable to say what happened. I managed to find you when the air changed again. Seeing you frozen with that orc so close… My heart nearly stopped.” His voice nearly broke at the end.

“I-”

“Just promise me,” he stopped you, turning to where you were facing each other. “Promise me, you will be more careful.”

Gingerly cupping your face with his free hand, his thumb stoked your cheek.

You nodded, “I promise.”

Legolas then kissed your forehead. “Now, you did save the Marchwarden’s life, did you not?” He pulled back, tugging you with him to head inside. “That is added cause for celebration.”

“I guess it is,” you laughed and allowed him to bring you back to the party.

Tag List: @thisbreakableheaven @beakami

#legolas x reader #legolas x you #legolas #legolas imagine #lord of the rings #lord of the rings imagine #lotr #lotr imagine #aragorn #theoden #gimli #gandalf #merry #pippin #haldir

217 notes · View notes

entishramblings · 4 years ago

Text

I Will Watch Over You [Aragorn X Reader]

A.N: so I actually busted this one out pretty fast I am surprised at myself???

Request: @sokkasdarling — HEY LOVE can i pls request smth for aragorn? simping for this boy recently. with the prompts "i'll keep you warm" and/or "i've got you" thanks in advance! i hope ur having a wonderful day<3

Pairing: Aragorn X Reader

Summary: Aragorn and (Y/N) are traveling through the Mountains and things happen.

Word Count: 1,283

Warnings: violence, ugly golbin imagery, graphic-ish wounds, fluff

MASTERLIST

In simplest terms, being a Ranger of the North could be hard. In less simple terms, it’s the down pour of cold rain that drenches you to the bone, it’s the freezing hail that burns at your skin, and it’s the wicked winds that force your body backwards. All of these struggles, all of this pain—is it really worth killing a couple vile beasts born of darkness?

Yes. Yes, it is.

Therefore, when Strider, as annoying as he was, requested that (Y/N) come with him to examine the rising numbers of goblins throughout the Misty Mountains she obliged.

The two had been trekking through the rocky tundra, fighting the harsh weather and avoiding the stone giants’ games, for weeks now. To say that it had been laborious and demanding was an understatement—especially because the two were constantly bickering. And the worst part was that they hadn’t even come across any goblins, well until now that is.

(Y/N) used her two long swords to block all the axes and clubs there were being swung at her head. As a dual wieldist she was able to kill twice as many, but with twice as much risk considering she had no shield. Strider, on the other hand, was just an idiot—in her opinion that is. He only used a singular sword—no shield, no other blade. Stupid really, and exactly what got her slashed.

They had been fighting together, side by side, in the pouring rain. And one missed parry from the dúnedain man led to a harsh dagger slicing at (Y/N)’s ribs.

He instantly knew that he made a mistake for the sound of a desperate scream met his ears. Strider whipped his head around in panic, only to lay his eyes on the injured woman clutching her side. She dropped one of her weapons and stubbled backwards.

There was one rule to fighting: don’t die, and don’t let your partner die. And it was obvious, with his inaccuracy, that he had fucked up.

Strider called out to her, begging her to stay alive—just long enough for him to kill the remaining goblins and stitch her up.

He grasped her second sword and instantly buried it into an oncoming creature’s chest.

Using the strength of his leg to pull out the weapon, his kicked the disgusting beast backward. It tumbled into two of its friends and they instantaneously fell off the side of the cliff into the stone giants’ fun. Aragorn, with his jaw tight and his teeth baring, turned to the last remaining goblin. As swift as an elf, he lunged forward. Crossing his sword and (Y/N)’s, he cleanly cut as the creature’s blubbering throat. The most repulsive gurgling noise that could ever been made was, but Strider cared not. The only thing of importance now was (Y/N).

He rushed towards her form, the swords clattering at his side. The harsh wet rain blurred his vision, yet he desperately clasped her cheeks. “(Y/N)? (Y/N)!”

She released a muffled groan and a handful of curses, “You idiot.”

A sigh of relief left his lips as he tugged her to her feet. Strider draped the young woman’s arm around his neck and held her waist with one hand. As quick as he could, he snatched up their weapons and pulled the injured woman with him.

“I’ve got you, (Y/N). I’ve got you. Just—just hold on a bit longer.”

The two stumbled through the mountains as Aragorn searched for shelter. He would glance every so often at (Y/N) for he was deeply worried. The young female ranger was leaning heavily on him to the point where he was basically carrying her. Her hand clutched her injured side as she stumbled forward, desperate to get wherever they were going. Furthermore, her chest rose and fell rapidly while she gasped for breath—only for her to inhale freezing rain. Her eyes were squinted shut and her lips were pulled into a tight line. With the loss of blood and the amount of pain she was pretty useless and, quite frankly, Strider knew it was his fault.

The Eru and Valar must have been listening to Aragorn’s prayers for the two stumbled upon a cave.

Strider unconventionally dragged (Y/N) into it and set her down against the smooth wall of the stone.

“I need light before I can examine your wound. Stay here while I search for something to make a fire with.”

(Y/N) groaned before speaking with sarcasm, “No I figured I would just continue scaling the mountains as I bled out.”

Aragorn rolled his eyes at her comment as he pulled off his hood, “Even as you are dying, you find a way to be a pain in my ass.”

She smirked at him and he scoffed in return. Strider then quickly scurried off. Luckily, the cave was not deep and someone must have occupied it recently for there was a small amount of kindling and wood. He rushed back to the injured Ranger and it was only a couple of moments before the sound of crackling flames met their ears.

He moved towards (Y/N). “Let me have a look.”

She began to pull off her soaked cloak, but stopped and hissed out in pain.

Aragorn lightly touched her hand to stop her action. “Don’t make it any worse,” he stated.

He gently pulled the fabric from her form, leaving her in a simple tunic. As carfully as he could, he began to pull her shirt up to reveal the bleeding laceration.

“Is—is it bad?” She questioned with heavy breaths.

He glanced up at her, “You will live.”

Strider ruffled through his leather bag before pulling out various needles, threads, pouches, containers, and a singular flask.

He looked at her once more, “This will hurt (Y/N).”

The male ranger poured the alcohol onto her side and watched as the clear liquor mixed with blood. (Y/N) bit back a groan and squeezed her eyes shut.

Strider then set to work. He wipped off her skin and began to sew it back together. (Y/N) was as stiff as a wooden plank as she clenched her jaw—a natural reflex in this kind of situation.

“Strider,” she hissed. “Could you be any more inept?”

He sent her a glare, “Maybe if you would stop moving it wouldn’t hurt as much.”

“I’m not moving.”

“Yes you are,” He reiterated.

She snorted and Aragorn continued to pull the thread taught for it needed to be done. Next, he made a paste for the wound using athelas leaves, echinacea stalks, and alder bark. He gingerly applied the blended mixture over (Y/N)’s stitching to ward off infections.

“Almost done, (Y/N).” He muttered.

Aragorn ruffled through his bag once more and his hand emerged with a clean dressing. He pulled her exhausted body forward and her head fell onto his shoulder. He began to attentively wrap the fabric around her until it was secure.

Slowly, Strider’s hands found their way to her face once more. He lifted her head and at that sensation she peeled her eyes open.

“I am so sorry, (Y/N). You should not have to suffer from my error.”

She shook her head and released a sigh, “Yeah you are to blame, but I am too cold to care.” She paused, adjusting her position slightly. “Just...just—“

Strider curled an arm around her waist and interrupted her stuttering sentence. “I’ll keep you warm.”

(Y/N) did not object, surprisingly. Instead, she let him shuffle behind her so that she sat between his legs. Careful not to press on her wound, he pulled her body to his chest which she gladly settled against. She leaned her back into him and rested her head upon his shoulder. (Y/N) let her eyelids flutter closed once more.

A soft kiss pressed against her temple and a quiet voice whispered in her ear. “Rest while we wait out the storm. I will watch over you.”

......

Everything Tag List: @sokkasdarling @scxundress @quilledinkpen @hufflepuffinblr @lea----b @aredhel-of-gondolin @princecami @the-fandoms-georgie @jazziwritestolkienprimary

Aragorn Tag:

@dark-angel-is-back

#lord of the rings #lotr #the hobbit #aragorn #Aragorn x reader #Aragorn x you #aragorn x (y/n)#aragorn imagine #aragorn one shot #goblins #fanfic #lotr fanfic #lotr fanfiction #fanfiction

472 notes · View notes

ladysternchen · 1 year ago

Note

Please @valacirya tell me if I annoy you with my reblogs and constant argueing some more on Thingol’s behalf, but that just strikes so close to home for me. Sorry also Anon for intruding that conversation, but I can’t. I just can’t leave it.

‘Thingol is known to be racist’… no. He is made racist by fandom. I agree to xenophobic (xenophobia and racism are two totally different things, though they are both despicable). But not racist. And elf can be racist only against another elf. A dwarf can be racist only against another dwarf. The racism the petty dwarves faced was from the other dwarves who shunned them (with or without reason). The Sindar stopped hunting them the moment they realised what they were and left them well in peace. No, that doesn’t make the hunting any more excusable, but we don’t even know who those hunters were and if Thingol knew anything about it. And as for the name calling- dear Caranthir called the Dwarves ugly and unloveable before realising that he could make profit of them (and they of him). Seems both sides were pretty fine with calling each other names. That’s bad manners on both sides, not racism.

Thingol was also never racist against the Noldor. Reminder here- HE is the one to stay in his native lands. They are the superior and invading people, if you like. (The ‘High Elves’, nurtured in Aman). I mean, there is a reason the term of reversed racism is highly frowned upon. And he granted them realms… that’s a bad thing now? He’s racist for not welcoming them, but that he gave them leave to establish realms in HIS kingdom is somehow wrong now as well? He avoided open conflict by giving in. How is that racist?

On the contrary, Caranthir called him ‘that dark-elf in his caves’. Um. I leave it there.

Thingol and Men. Oh yes. That was xenophobic. Though here again, Men migrated into his realm (or what had been his realm for 4000 years). He didn’t hinder them, or hurt them, or initiated any actions against them. He might have flattened his ears a bit (horse people will get that) but that’s it. He feared Men and their potential corruption by Morgoth (not altogether without reason) and wanted nothing to do with them. When Finrod asked for the people of Haleth to be allowed to dwell in Brethil, he granted that, and they lived there freely. He did not ask any sort of payment or anything. They were not his subjects, but a free people. (Note here, he DID ask for payment from his own kinsman for dwelling in Nan Elmoth). He didn’t even rise to Haleth mocking him AFTER she had been given leave to dwell there. Sorry, that is not racist. Who of the other elf-lords granted Men their own rule? They took them benvolently as subjects and liegemen (with both sides were fine with, so totally cool) but view them as equals? No. (And to be fair, Men and Elves are not equals. That’s exactly why the term racism doesn’t work here. We don’t have that on Earth. I was going to say that we might have, had the Neanderthals not died out, but even that falls short, as they weren’t exactly immortal).

Thingol whole-heartedly repented of his xenophobia against Men after Beren. Too late, yes, but he did. He viewed them as equals. His grandson was names his heir, he took Túrin as his son, ‘until Húrin should return and reclaim his own’. That last piece is vital. He didn’t overrule Húrin. And Morwen? He would NOT restrain her. He begged Melian to, and she said she couldn’t, that he would have to do it- and he didn’t, because he had bitterly paid for the last time he locked someone up for their own good.

So i wanted to send an ask about thingol, especially regarding the "cultural genocide" anon. I in no way want to sound rude, but I do disagree with a lot of points.

Re the quenya ban: while I would not describe it as an act of a cultural genocide, I still do not think Thingol was justified in doing it. There are many ways to enforce consequences besides banning the language of an entire ethnos. It does not bear many consequences asides symbolics at all.

One might say Thingol was protecting the culture of Sindar from assimilation by the Noldor: but by the time he placed the ban the Noldor were in Beleriand for well over sixty years, during which they managed to lay a siege on Angband. Maybe Thingol realises that they will not be able to defeat Morgoth without the Valar: but the alternative is to be killed by Morgoth now, because the Valar won't come, and the Siege of Angband does prevent Morgoth from doing it. Nonetheless, the Noldor have a) proven that they have come to Beleriand to fight Morgoth and b) did not commit any acts of cultural crimes, and the lands they settled on were given to them by Thingol. If anything, if Thingol thinks the language to be that important to the culture, it's he who strives to culturally assimilate the Noldor, not vice versa.

It is also worth noting that the main reason the Noldor came to Beleriand - one of the main reasons Feanor was motivated to come to Beleriand - is because they wanted to fight and defeat Morgoth. "Lands to rule" were one of the motives Fëanor used to persuade the crowd, and they worked - but, again, the lands the Noldor settled in are given to them by Thingol. Besides, Galadriel (whose main motivation were lands to rule) spends most of the First Age ruling nothing and living in Doriath instead; Finrod, who has the biggest kingdom and similar motivations to Galadriel, got his lands by Thingol's will too.

Re: racism; Thingol is known for being racist/xenephobic/discriminating. There's literally no going around that. First, the Sindar (whom Thingols is the leader of) hunt down the Petty Dwarves; then, the humans were not allowed to cross the Girdle, with Beren being the first exception due to the power of Doom or similar forces (and, after Beren, Thingol debates imprisoning Morwen in the CoH, which shows he does not view her as his equal - and, let's be honest, after lifetime in Angband it does not take much to pity Húrin); and, notably, he calls dwarves an "uncouth race" (top ten last words, rip my guy).

Thingol is a great character, and often gets a lot of undeserved hate, but he also has his own flaws, often very serious. I in no way want to sound rude or offensive or "shit on" your posts, as the last anon said, but this has bugged me, so I wanted to state my opinion.

Thank you for the ask, anon, and I appreciate the way you worded it.

I agree that banning Quenya was not a good thing, but I understand why he did it. I'm not sure what other consequences he could have enforced? He didn't have the military force to take on the Noldor (I don't think he would have even if he did since he recognized them as allies against Morgoth). There's no concept of trade sanctions or economic consequences. The Noldor wouldn't let their princes stand trial in Doriath. The ban was also a soft power move to demonstrate that the Sindar were loyal to Thingol above all. Symbolic power is important, and it was a response to the kinslaying.

I disagree with the claim that the Noldor didn't commit any cultural heritage crimes. The theft and burning of the Teleri's swan ships was absolutely a cultural crime. And the Teleri used to be Thingol's people and are his brother's people.

I also agree with his decision to not fight. Like I said, Doriath had to survive. He knew about the Doom and avoided being enmeshed in it (until the business with the Silmaril, which was absolutely a bad move). The Girdle was strong enough to withstand Morgoth, and Thingol had fought and won against him once (though at great cost); multiple times in the Silm he is said to be Morgoth's enemy so I don't think for a second that he abandoned the fight. His decision to stay out of the fight was strategically sound and in Doriath's interest. Not to mention he accepted Sindarin refugees after Bragollach and Noldorin refugees after the fall of Nargothrond.

You have a good point that the Noldor dwelt in the land that Thingol allowed them to. Personally, though, I don't think this or the ban was an attempt to assimilate the Noldor but rather to protect the Sindarin people and culture. Thingol may not have been able to defend those lands, but the Sindar do consider him king of Beleriand as evidenced by their immediate enforcement of his decree.

If I recall correctly, the Finwean grandchildren all wanted to go to Beleriand to rule. I think it was a motivation almost equal to the desire to defeat Morgoth. The language Feanor uses to describe Beleriand I feel has uncomfortable undertones. In my opinion, Galadriel's decision to stay in Doriath was an acknowledgment of that and her complicity in the theft of the swan ships, her decision to continue after the kinslaying and also lying by omission to Thingol and Melian. And for Celeborn of course.

Lastly, I agree that Thingol often acted discriminately. However, he is shown to change his behavior when he learns better. If I recall correctly, the hunting of the Petty Dwarves (which was horrific) stopped when the Sindar learned who they were after establishing contact with Nogrod and Belegost. He changed his attitude towards Men after Beren proved himself, and even before that, he sent aid to the Haladin during Bragollach. I'm not condoning that he didn't allow Men into the Girdle, but that was because he had troubling dreams about them and because Melian prophesized that one with greater power/doom than her would enter. And after Beren and Luthien, Men are allowed in. As for the Dwarves, I absolutely condemn how Thingol insults them and his death was stupid and entirely preventable. However, I think this was a Silmaril and dragon gold-influenced event since we are told that Thingol had a friendship with the Dwarves. They built Menegroth together (I think the exact quote is the "Dwarves labored gladly for him"); the Dwarves came and went freely and adopted the Cirth; they also made weapons for Thingol who paid them fairly with Falathrin pearls. I'm not absolving Thingol of blame (or the Dwarves either), but I don't think this particular scenario was indicative of his actual attitude towards them. If anything, it showed the dangerous power of the Silmaril and the corruption of the dragon gold; and through it, how deeply Morgoth's evil ran through Beleriand.

Ultimately, with all these points everyone has their own opinion/interpretation. I don't expect others to agree with me or like Thingol. I think the Quenya ban was understandable, others might find it unacceptable. We can have engaging and polite conversations about this stuff without changing each others' minds. Really the only thing I would be forceful about is treating fanon as canon. Other than that, you do you boo.

Also, I apologize if I didn't respond to any part of your ask; I'm at work and a bit distracted.

27 notes · View notes

7soulstars · 4 years ago

Note

Is it okay if I request a Thranduil x Reader one shot where the reader is a Selkie? Selkies are from Scottish myth - they have a magical seal fur coat that lets them turn into a seal when they go underwater, but remain human while on land.

Hey babe! Thank you so much for requesting! Of course it’s okay. I had no idea what a selkie was in the beginning but through your explaination and some research I figured it out ! Again, I wanted to make this an angst but poor bby Thranduil has already gone through enough so I made it soft. Anyways, no more spoliers! Enjoy and thank you for being so patient with me !

Vespertine/ The Elf and the Selkie

Pairing: Thranduil x Selkie! Reader

Warnings: Angsty/Sad start, Mentions of death,Use of Scots(language spoken by Selkies), ending might make you go aww

Summary: A father telling his children a story of the legends long forgotten.

.................

Vespertine; Occurring in the evening.

Lands lost, Kingdoms fell, Middle Earth was saved but no one could tell. The pain, people lost and the children snatched could not be reversed. Especially for the elves who left for the undying lands.

One remained.

King Thranduil remained. Protests were made, the lords argued and urged. But he wouldn’t budge.

“There is nothing left of me...My duty is over and my family is not returning back to me...I shall stay here.....in Mirkwood”, he had simply stated to Elrond before he dismissed him. Elrond had sighed saying, “This will not end well for you....”,before leaving the former king.

Alone.

He sat on his throne listlessly. Not a sound to be heard. No chittering crowds, no parties. Just emptiness. 14 years had passed like this and Thranduil had gotten used to it. Today marking the 14th year that is.

Time flew by fast for elves. But not for lonely elves. No matter how beautifully maintained all of Mirkwood still was due to unbroken elven magic the gap kept growing wider in the King’s heart. He was left to his own disposition. He grew and foraged his own food, he drew his own water, he entertained himself with his own hobbies. But he never left Mirkwood. He protected the empty abandoned city.

He got used to it. He got used to being lonely until that one evening.

Thranduil killed spiders at evening. They were weaker by then and it was easier. He walked across the tangled path and froze on hearing whimpers. They were soft and pained coming from the rocks near the forest riverbank. The blone walked stealthily and carefully with sword in his hands and furrowed brows as he neared the rocks. When his eyes fell on the cause of the noise as he stopped dead in his tracks.

An injured seal.

It’s side was deeply cut into as it barely managed to keep it’s eyes open and tried to move away erratically from the said elf as if it was in danger. “Hey! Stop! I’m not going to hurt you!”, the elf yell-whispered as he struggled to keep the creature in place.Almost as if it understood it stopped still whining due to the pain inflicted by moving around before it fainted. Thranduil sighed. He hadn’t used healing for years he wasn’t sure he could do it now either. But leaving the seal injured was not an option. So he had to do it.

He did.

Riding his loyal elk that had stayed with him he returned back to the nearest cave where he had healed and left the seal.

It was empty.

Thranduil had frowned. Thinking it had left he turned only to stop and look back with a sword swinging back as he heard a spash and a soft voice.

“Are ye an elf ?”,voice asked. Thranduil looked down, behind the rock he had seen the seal in, peeped a woman. She was clutching onto a seal coat as she looked visibly scared at the sword drawn at her which the king immediately put back into it’s sheath. At this she came out furthermore as she pointed at the reddish scar on her side. “ye helpit me yesterday ?”, she questioned her eyes gleaming with an undefined innocence.

Oh.

He had heard of a Selkie before but merely as myths. His mother sang him the song of the Mistress and The Selkie every night as a young ellon.It was his favourite. Thranduil looked back at the seal coat she held and then back at her. She gasps and immediately hides it behind her back as she attempts to look mad at the other. Thranduil’s heart felt weird. It fluttered at her action. 14 years without any contact with anyone made him forget the stern way of speaking that he had to maintain.

“I will not take it from you. I am here to see if you are felling better. Did you eat?”, he asked as he kneeled in front of her. She looked at him with intent in her eyes. Reaching forward she placed her wet hands on the king’s cheeks catching him off guard. “Wh-”

“Ye savit ma life from the human sailors”, she smiled softly.

Thranduil frowned in distaste he hadn’t heard the word ‘human’ in Valar knows how many years and it still leaves a sour taste in his mouth. He looked at her. Her facial features. Her blown out eyes. Her curiosity.

Her curiosity.

He was cut out of his thoughts of course a shade of pick dusting his face as he stuttered when she had moved to touch his sensitive elf ears. “A like yer ears ye are sae beautiful.” Thranduil had stilled and mentally yelled at himself because he knew she did not know elven customs but he let her do as she pleases.

The sky got darker and he knew he had to leave. But her words replayed in head over and over again

“Will ye come back tomorrow ?”

As if he could hear her speaking right as he sleeps.

Oh. She is alone too....

Thranduil did go back. Again and again and again for 30 years, every day straight. Her name was Y/N and her husband was killed by sailors and their daughter, taken away. She ran into hiding and reached Mirkwood where he saved her. They grew closer. Maybe because Thranduil liked Y/N.

Maybe because she was just like him or maybe he was in love.

He sat by the riverbank with Y/N who wore his spare clothes when she took her human form as they watched the birds and made flower crowns. Thranduil was distracted, constantly looking at the selkie’s expressions as she concentrated on making a flowercrown with water lilies from the river. On finishing she looked at him with the eyes he adored. “Look!”,she exclaimed as she put it on his elks head as it leaned towards her. It was attatched to her just the way it was attatched to Thranduil which was surprising to say the least. A smile plastered onto his face as the words slipped from his mouth. “It’s beautiful. Just like you.” There was a brief silence as Y/N slowly shifted. Her words almost going unnoticed as she stuttered. “Dinnae give me false hope.....” That moment Thranduil realized,

He was absolutely enamored by her.

He didn’t wait for even a minute more of thought before catching Y/N’s lips with his own in a searing kiss. It wasn’t too long or too less. Just right like them. But Y/N drew back and a look of panic spread Thanduil as he saw her eyes full of tears. “Please do not cry! Is it something I did Y/N ?”, he said as he tried wiping her tears frantically.

“A cannot leave the water for a long time A will aye have tae come back thon is a selkie's fate. A cannot stop lovin ye either or A will dee a selkie's fate“ (I cannot leave the sea for a long time i will always have to come back that is a selkie's fate. I cannot stop loving you either or I will die a selkie's fate”

Oh.

Thranduil knew what that meant now. He had felt it before, Y/N did too and so did Tauriel. The fear that he never wanted anyone to feel again.

“Oh darling you do not need to leave the water for us to be together. I will always be here. You could even spend time with me here”,pointed towards the forest path reaching up towards the palace, “Don’t stop loving me....please....”

For the first time ever Elrond’s prediction was wrong.

Thranduil did not end up alone. He got a second chance.In life, in family

“Did they meet like that forever Ada?”

Well, yes,until someone with blonde long hair wearing a green tunic and with strikingly similar features as her lover gave Y/N a seal coat from a late Selkie.

“So did grand adar become like the Maiden from the song and went away with grand naneth?”

Mhmm. And the someone who gave the coat looked over them from far until he got the courage to visit for tea. And they all lived happily ever after. It’s almost Vespertine, your grandparents will be back soon.

“Legolas have you been telling her about us again ?”

Well Ada she did want to know the legend of the Elf and the Selkie who loved at Vespertine.

--The End--

I hope this is good I hope this is good please be good. I really worked so hard on this I created an entire novel worthy plot but I couldn’t put it all in a oneshot so I had to settle with this I really really hope you liked this it was soo hard to not make this sad and then I came across this song and everything just fell into thoughts like these😭. I know Thranduil is a bit ooc but pychologicaly speaking he did live alone for 14 years so I guessed it may change his behaviour especially after the battle of 5 armies. Again I really hope you like it. Please like, share and comment if you like my work to support and encourage me! Please do not plagarize my work I literally sell my soul to it.🥺🥺 Requests are always open and I love ya’ll soo much.

~Love, Hri 🥰🥰

239 notes · View notes

barbex · 4 years ago

Note

"At least it can't get worse" with Anders in a pairing of your choice for DADWC? Please and thank you!

This is from the backlog for @dadrunkwriting, from May, sorry it took me so long.

---

"At least it can't get worse," Anders says, cringing the moment the words leave his mouth. What is he, a green-eared baby-apprentice? Tempting fate like this? But it's too late, the words are out, and judging by the frown carving into Fenris' forehead, he isn't the only one who thinks this way.

"You really think so, mage?" Fenris glares at him from under his wet hair.

"Well, pulling a smelling dracolisk carcass through wet sand, in the rain, with the one person who hates me with all his heart, while we're probably already watched by Tal-Vasoth — how could it possibly get worse?"

The wind picks up and the rain now blows straight into their faces. Anders sighs. "I stand corrected, I guess."

"We have to take shelter," Fenris says. A frown has taken permanent residence on his forehead.

They find a cave, lucky for them, whoever has used it before, seems to have abandoned it. They leave the dracolisk head outside and find enough wood to build a fire. Fenris doesn't even complain when Anders starts the fire with a small fireball. He only raises an eyebrow when Anders shoots a beam of fire on a few stones.

"Warm stones," Anders says as an explanation. "To dry our stuff." He takes off his wet clothes and drapes them over the warm rocks. Even near the fire, it's still biting cold and he is glad to have one dry woolen blanket in his pack to wrap himself in it. Naked as he is, he digs into his pack and pulls it out. When he turns back, he finds Fenris staring at him. "What?"

Fenris doesn't say anything.

Anders shrugs. He has no energy or dealing with Fenris' antics. "You have to get out of your wet clothes, I don't want to have to treat you for pneumonia." He wraps the woolen blanket around himself and sits back down, as close to the fire as he can without burning the hair on his legs.

After a while, Fenris stands up and takes off his armor. He drapes the leather pieces and his shirt and leggings over the warm rocks like Anders and sits back down on the other side of the fire.

Fenris' teeth chatter. Anders shakes his head. "Don't you have a dry blanket in your pack?"

"No."

Heaving a sigh, Anders stretches his arm out to hold the blanket open. "Come here."

Fenris hesitates.

"Come on," Anders says with more urgency. "We have to keep each other warm if we want to survive this weather."

At last, Fenris steps around the fire, and sits down next to Anders.

Anders rolls his eyes. "You have to come closer, you're letting all my warmth out."

Fenris turns to him, scrutinizing Anders' face. "You said that I hate you. Why do you help me?"

"Oh Maker's fuck. I may be annoying but I'm not a monster, despite what you think. I'm not letting you die here." Anders holds the blanket up higher and gestures towards Fenris. "Now come under here."

Fenris finally scoots closer and doesn't even flinch when Anders lays his arm over his shoulders. They sit in silence for a ridiculously long time, until Anders has enough.

"This is uncomfortable, we might as well try to get some sleep. Let's lie down. Do you want to be the little spoon or the big spoon?"

Anders is pretty sure that he's never seen Fenris blush before. And blush he does.

"What? What does that mean?" Fenris stammers.

"We only have this one blanket, so we have to lie next to each other and really close. Do you want me to hold you or do you want to lie behind me and hold me?"

Fenris' eyes dart around, looking anywhere but at Anders.

Anders spreads out the blanket on the floor and points to it. "Just lie down," Anders says. After a short hesitation, Fenris lies down and Anders lies down behind his back, pulling the rest of the blanket over them and placing his arm over Fenris' waist. "Is this alright?"

Tension slowly seeps out of Fenris and he finally nods. "Yes."

"Good." Anders stays silent, the less he says, the less he can aggravate the prickly elf. He drifts off, exhaustion making him sleepy.

"Anders?"

Blinking, Anders tries to wake himself. "Yes?"

"I don't hate you."

"Eh?" Anders is suddenly wide awake. "You don't?"

"I have nothing else to say." Fenris curls up on himself and his breathing evens out after a few moments.

The list of curse words Anders says in his mind is long and colorful and he doesn't fall asleep for a long time.

#dadrunkwriting #fenders fic #DADWC #dragon age fanfiction #my writing #Fenris x Anders

32 notes · View notes

sevlgi · 4 years ago

Text

would it be so bad

requested: yes

group: twice

pairing: tzuyu x fem!reader

genre: fluff, angst

contents: hogwarts!au, quidditch player!tzuyu, rivals!au. [23/33]

warnings: none

synopsis: You’ve never exactly been the bright kind, at least not when it comes to love. Would it be so bad to realize your feelings for your partner in crime, though?

a/n: i decided to make the reader’s house ambiguous lol but i hope you enjoy! (also i realize that this isn’t british english, please excuse my idiot american english). i was originally gonna post this tomorrow in time for “cry for me”, but i realized that i should be respectful to jonghyun, and i will not be posting tomorrow ❤

word count: 5.3k

“Tzuyu Chou and Y/N Y/L/N. Why is it that whenever something happens, it is always you two?”

The Slytherin standing beside you in McGonagall’s office stood as impassive as ever, no emotion to be found in her blank expression or her perfect posture. Perhaps that was a thing that Snape taught to his favorite students-- the ability to wipe any guilt or liability off your face in an instant, to stay steadfast in any situation.

Or maybe that was just Tzuyu’s own charm, you noted as you swayed back and forth on the balls of your feet, turning slightly so that you could view her side profile in your peripheral vision. Merlin’s balls, she’s gorgeous, you sighed to yourself, unable to take your eyes off the girl who had been your rival since before birth.

Instantly, you regretted it. “Y/L/N! Have something to say to Ms. Chou?” the professor snapped, the book she threw to the desk making a sharp cracking noise as you faced her again with your fingers knotted behind your back.

“No, ma’am,” you answered, moving your hand to zip your lips shut. Despite McGonagall’s exasperated sigh, a smile quirked at the corner of her lips; she’d always been kinder than she expressed on the outside, and that seemed to be no exception when it came to you.

“You do realize that you can’t get away with decimating the Quidditch pitch, do you?” The witch sat sternly at her desk, a quill scribbling on parchment of its own accord beside her. “It’ll cost thousands of Galleons to repair, and it may not even be possible to do so before the season begins. The two of you collapsed it!”

Tzuyu spoke for the first time since being called into the Headmaster’s office, her eyes still trained on the wall next to McGonagall’s head. “If I may. I believe I did more damage.”

“That is not a thing to be proud of!” Standing, the woman clenched her fists tightly and you smiled at the affect the two of you were able to have on her. No one had seemed to infuriate her quite so much since James Potter; even the Weasley twins were overshadowed as soon as you and Tzuyu sat on the Sorting Hat’s stool. “I realize that you may think you’re carrying on your families’ legacies, or that you’re gaining fame for your antics, but you will not pass your 6th year if you keep this up. I will make sure of it personally.”

“Understood, Headmaster,” you bowed. Your voice was still noticeably singsong-y, and McGonagall bristled at the tone, but she said nothing as Tzuyu followed your lead in dipping her head. “Won’t happen again.”

Had it been any of the other teachers, you were sure that you wouldn’t have been allowed to leave without a year’s detention, but the Headmaster merely pursed her lips and waved her office door open. “Very well. I expect to see you in Transfiguration tomorrow and not caving in the North Tower.”

And as soon as the (not-so) imposing wooden doors slammed shut behind the two of you, Tzuyu raised an eyebrow. “Did you mean it when you said it wouldn’t happen again?”

“Of course not,” you grinned in response, relaxing into a comfortable slouch again. “I just meant we wouldn’t collapse the Quidditch Pitch again. It’s too boring to do the same thing twice.”

She scoffed and followed as you swayed down the hallway, her voice a bit too quiet to echo off the stone walls like yours did. “Of course. And what exactly do you have next, Y/L/N? You won’t be able to one-up my Hogsmeade stunt, I’ll have you know. My parents taught me well.”

“Your parents were nowhere close to mine,” you sniffed, stopping to wave at Fred Weasley’s portrait on the wall. He wasn’t inside, of course, probably off to bother someone, but you liked seeing the heaps of unused pranks piled underneath the frame as offerings. “Which means that you’ll never get on my level either.”

Tzuyu easily caught up to you with her long legs, the slightly-too-short Slytherin robe swishing about her ankles. But no matter how much she annoyed you, the wintery sunlight shined brilliantly on the planes of her face, pooling in the dark color of her eyes. There was that kind of beauty to her that instantly told you she was a Slytherin, a kind of untouchable coldness that didn’t match the warmth hidden inside her heart. “Tell that to the amount of detention I’ve been forced to do,” she protested. “I had hours last week, while you--”

“Never seen a Slytherin so eager to serve detention.” Fred had returned, leaning on an empty portrait’s wall with a familiar smirk on his face. “Y/L/N, Tzuyu. Any mischief to let me in on?”

“McGonagall nabbed us for wrecking the Quidditch Pitch,” Tzuyu rushed to explain before you, a hint of pride sparking in her eyes when she beat you to the punch. “It’s collapsed. And all my doing.”

“Your-” You shoved her, hands colliding with her arm slightly harder than you meant to. But you didn’t bother to apologize, declaring, “I’ll have you know that I did more. I collapsed two of the bleachers, for Merlin’s sake!”

Fred watched the exchange with amusement, egging you on when Tzuyu glared at you. “Go on, pick a fight. You’re right outside old Flitwick’s classroom, though. I’m sure he won’t be too happy for the resident couple of troublemakers to interrupt lecturing first years on Charms.”

“We aren’t a couple,” Tzuyu blurted, stepping back from where she’d been inches away from your throat with her wand. You stared at her in confusion; when had Fred mentioned the two of you to be dating? “Just-- I don’t even like her.”

There was an all-knowing smile on the portrait’s face that you didn’t like, an expression that must’ve been passed on to his nephews as well judging by how often you saw it. “I know. Didn’t even mention that, really.”

“Yeah, Tzuyu, the hell?” When she avoided your gaze, you sighed and grabbed her arm, ignoring how she attempted to pull away at first. “Well, good seeing you, Fred. I’ll let you know how the next attempt goes.”

“Good luck!” he called out as you left. “She’s a stubborn one.”

You stopped at one of the arches leading out to the courtyard, your back to the students idly roaming. Tzuyu still avoided your gaze, crossing her arms and running her thumb over the engravings on her wand. “Hey. What was that about, Chou?”

She hesitated to answer even with her lips parted, and the bell that rang loudly in your ears served as her excuse. “Well, you heard it. Time for potions, don’t want to fail out.”

She walked off, ignoring the group of 4th year boys staring at her with parchment scrolls crumpled in their hands. But your brow was knitted as you stared at her retreating silhouette, and at the way that she walked too fast to notice Dahyun and Chaeyoung raising their hands to wave at her. “Since when have you cared about that?”

Mina and Chaeyoung were disgustingly adorable at the dining table, but you were grateful enough for their company that you didn’t really care. “Maybe we should get Tzuyu’s ears checked,” Mina chuckled as she took a bite of the cake that her girlfriend fed her. “It’s not unlike Fred to say those things, but it is unlike her to take it so seriously.”

“Right? I didn’t think he was insinuating us to be a couple at all,” you frowned, digging into the treacle tart that you’d been picking at for the past hour. To be honest, you weren’t all that hungry, your mind only fixated on your friend/rival. “Do you think something else is going on?”

Chaeyoung shrugged, lips jutting out in a pout as she thought. “If it was anyone else, I’d think she was shaken up from being lectured by McGonagall. But it’s you two, so I doubt it. Double Troublemakers, aren’t you?”

“Double Troublemakers,” you snickered. “Jeongyeon really didn’t know what she was doing, coming up with that name first year.”

Jeongyeon herself, passing by on Nayeon’s arm, shouted out in protest and threw a balled-up handkerchief at your head. “Watch out, Y/N, I’m not scared of you and your pranks.”

“You should be,” you shouted back, incinerating the ball with a simple spell. “Tzuyu’s not going to protect you from me!”

“Hey, hey, speaking of Tzuyu, shouldn’t you be helping her with a potion right now?” Mina mentioned, tapping your arm. “I think you promised to help her at half past seven, and it’s already eight.”

Your eyes widened to the size of a house elf’s, and you scrambled up. “Oh, bloody hell. Thanks for the reminder, she’s going to be pissed.”

Chaeyoung commented offhandedly, “I don’t think she’ll be too pissed off at you.” But you didn’t pay too much mind, rushing out into the icy hallway and leaving your half-finished dessert behind with your friends. You cursed yourself for not bringing your scarf to dinner as you rushed to the Potions wing; for whatever reason, Snape insisted on charming that specific tower to be at the level of the Arctic Ocean. Tzuyu never seemed to mind, but it wasn’t comfortable when you only had your house robes to protect you from the chill.

The door banged into the stone wall unflatteringly, but the Slytherin girl didn’t even bother to look up from her cauldron. “Tzuyu, I’m so sorry--”

“It’s fine, Y/N,” she sighed, flashing you a quick smile as she snapped her book shut. “Just gave me some more time to memorize the potion.”

As you rounded the corner of the huge table, you peered at the array of ingredients laid out. Potions had never been your strong suit-- you’d usually been too busy pranking Jihyo than listening-- and you had no clue what you were supposed to be making whatsoever. “Uh. How am I supposed to help you if I don’t have a recipe?”

Tzuyu raised her eyebrow slightly at you, tying her hair up loosely and motioning for you to do the same as she lit a flame under the cauldron. “Just do what I tell you. It’s not difficult. Besides, I’m going to be working with Dahyun on this, I need to practice how to give directions.”

“Are you jabbing at my Potions skills, Chou?” you rolled your eyes, taking off your cloak. Despite the chill of the potions wing, the other girl had evidently cast a spell that made it boiling hot in the classroom, leaving you in a normal sweater embroidered with the crest of your house.

She didn’t answer, handing you a plant to cut open inside. “By the way. You aren’t wearing any perfume, are you?” Tzuyu asked suddenly, avoiding your gaze as she ground pearl dust even finer in a stone mortar. “It distracts me, don’t look at me like that.”

“You being close enough to smell my perfume is out of the ordinary,” you snorted in response, sprinkling the peppermint into the boiling water. “But no. I’m not wearing any.”

The thing about working with Tzuyu was that everything usually ended up in silence. Not uncomfortable silence, but the kind that made you focus on the way that the candles cast a warm light onto the wooden tables, and the kind that made you notice the smell of the opened potion books. As the girl stirred in more and more ingredients, though, and as colored steam rose from the cauldron, the musty scent of parchment and tinny metal was replaced with--

A clatter sounded as Tzuyu shoved the cauldron over, the potion fizzing when it met the table. You could only stare as your hard work spilled out of the pewter cauldron rolling on the table, but the other girl spoke before you. “O-oh. I’m sorry, I think you should go. I can clean this up myself.”

“I... are you sure? I can help,” you offered, reaching for your robes nonetheless.

“I’m fine. Go.” Her voice was strange, like she wanted to say something to you but was holding it in, but you didn’t comment on it. Despite everything the two of you had been through together, you realized that you didn’t really have a right to ask more out of the girl; you didn’t know her outside of bickering, after all.

When you closed the classroom door softly behind you, though, you realized that you could still smell the potion’s aftermath in a cloud around you. Kerosene, like the kind you used to blow up the stadium a week ago, bitter chocolate, and the faintest hint of the house elves’ kitchen when you snuck in to steal Tzuyu’s favorite bread.

It was the kind of familiar that made you miss it while it was still here, like a ghost that you couldn’t grasp and hold close to your heart in the way that you desperately wished you could. And it made you stare at the closed door of the classroom, listen closer to the sound of Tzuyu mopping up the spilled potion by hand even though she didn’t have to.

It was weird, that’s what it was.

Momo and Nayeon clutched onto each other as you shined the light of your wand into the dark. Tzuyu was just behind you with her own wand held overhead; you were pretty sure that you could see Sana clutching onto the Slytherin’s arm and cowering behind the tallest girl of the group. “Are... are you sure that this is a good idea?” Jihyo asked, her voice uncharacteristically small.

“Ah, come on. It’s one of the Marauders’ abandoned tunnels, who knows what we could find?” you persuaded, turning back to grin at them. When no one reciprocated, you switched to a pout instead. “Rude.”

“We’ll split like this.” Tzuyu waved her wand between the eight remaining girls, parting them like the red sea into two groups. “Nayeon and Momo, you split, you’re too scared to be in one group together. Y/N and I will go together.”

Dahyun wiggled her eyebrows at that. “Ooh. Together, huh? Just the two of you?”

Even in the darkness of the tunnel, you could see Tzuyu’s cheeks flush brightly. She stabbed her wand in front of her in an attempt to shine the light away from her face, muttering out, “Let’s go.”

You waved goodbye at your friends, being tugged forward by the Slytherin girl and nearly tripping over the tree roots winding through the tunnel. “H-hey, why’re you walking so fast? Trying to kill me, Chou?”

“If I killed you, there wouldn’t be any fun in prank wars.” She glanced back at you, eyes straying to the map that you had clutched in your hand. “Where’d you get that, by the way?”

“Fred,” you answered, waving the scroll around. It was stained, of course, with the pumpkin juice that Sana had spilled on you that morning, and with the ink that you had smeared when copying down the Weasley’s overly complicated instructions. “He said that something in here’s going to help us with whatever we plan to do next.”

Tzuyu frowned at you slightly, still pushing aside cobwebs and vines to forge further down the tunnel. “Did you tell him about the rig we’re going to set up for McGonagall?”

You shrugged and peered down at a cockroach skittering over the dirty ground. “Of course not. Fred may be a legend, but legends don’t get treated any differently when it comes to knowledge about Double Trouble’s plans.”

“I hate that name.” Tzuyu stepped through another archway into a tiny cave, a rough stone throne with a button on the armchair the only thing inside. She flicked her eyes over, nodding her head at the chair. “This it?”

You lunged forward, pressing down on the button before you could have any regrets. “Only one way to know.”

And-- nothing happened whatsoever. Your partner in crime stood there with crossed arms, the backs of her calves almost hitting the stone of the throne. “What’s supposed to happ--”

A strong gust of wind, stronger than anything you’d ever felt before, punched all the breath out of you and sent you flying, the force of your body knocking Tzuyu onto the chair. To prevent injury, your hands flew out in front of you and pressed into the crumbly dirt wall on either side of Tzuyu’s head, your knees probably bruising with how hard they hit the stone.

When you opened your eyes, previously squeezed shut, you found yourself sitting on the lap of the Slytherin girl, her hands hovering on either side of your waist and your foreheads almost pressed together. She looked somewhat shocked, eyes wide and her breath shivering on your lips.

Before you could apologize and scramble off, though, you were interrupted by someone coughing at the entrance. “Dahyun’s right, apparently.”

You leaped off of Tzuyu’s lap faster than you could’ve thought possible, heat burning at your ears when you found Jeongyeon and Nayeon smirking at the entrance at the cave. “S-so. Uh. You found anything?” you questioned, attempting not to look directly at either of them.

“Nah,” Jeongyeon answered after a pause, apparently feeling merciful. “I think Fred was messing with you.”

“Damn,” you breathed out, adjusting the collar of your sweater to be perfectly straight. All of a sudden, it was too warm underground, and the heavy robe you wore was pulling you down into the ground. Maybe that last part was wishful thinking. “Let’s go, then. I’ll go get Momo’s group,” you volunteered, brushing past your friends into the tunnels again.

Tzuyu didn’t follow, thankfully, because you didn’t need anything else confusing your senses with the smell of kerosene, chocolate, and sourdough bread wafting past your nose already.

“GO MOMO!”

You cheered louder than anyone else in the bleachers, maybe except for Jihyo, who was practically hanging off the railing as she waved a banner for your Hufflepuff friends.

Chaeyoung laughed, her nose bright red in the winter chill. Sana and Momo waved at you and all her friends as they strolled out with the rest of her team, hands gloved and what seemed to be 3 scarves wrapped around both of their necks. But you were holding in the loudest cheer of all for when the Slytherin team descended to the pitch, and you raised your voice even more when Tzuyu appeared with her broom in her hand.

Unlike Jihyo, she looked nervous, face drawn tight as she stopped with the rest of her team on the grass. She only wore her usual green robes, wisps of caramel brown hair fluttering about her face, but she was more stunning than anyone else in the entirety of Hogwarts. “CHOU TZUYU, YOU KICK THEIR ASSES!”

She looked up in surprise at your shout, a small smile coming onto her face when she spotted you clustered among your friends, all dressed in contrasting house colors but cheering for the same people. You only waved harder when she stared at you, almost hitting Jihyo in the face when you swung both arms in opposite directions.

And when the game started, it was just as chaotic as it ever was to be sitting on the bleachers. Jihyo, who played for Gryffindor, and Chaeyoung for the Ravenclaw team, were thankfully undivided this time, merely screaming their friends’ names instead of houses. Usually, you were next to someone much quieter in their support, a certain Slytherin who was dominating the field instead.

“And Tzuyu scores! Brilliant Chaser, this one, and gorgeous, too, if Y/L/N would just take the hint!” Felix shouted out at the announcer’s podium, his usually growling voice higher pitched to be heard over the crowd’s shouts.

No one seemed to hear him, not even your friends as they thrusted the Slytherin banner up in the air and whooped. You and Tzuyu both stopped in your tracks, staring blankly at the tiny blonde dot that was Lee Felix. For the Chaser, though, it turned out to be much more dangerous, as a Bludger hit by a Hufflepuff Beater slammed into her right below her right arm.

Everything went silent, a dolphin-like tone ringing in your ears as you watched Tzuyu plummet down to the ground. With the way her hair streamed in the wind, you’d think she was floating, but you were cruelly brought back to reality when she hit the ground like a bag of loose bones, a sharp whistle from Madam Hooch making time move normally again.

“Tzuyu,” you gasped, stumbling back into Dahyun, who didn’t complain. “Tz--”

“Three fractured ribs, along with a completely shattered wrist. Can someone tell me what she was looking at?”

Your nails tightened on the skin of your palms as you stared at the wrinkled bedsheet underneath Tzuyu’s good hand, your foot tapping relentlessly against the tile of the hospital wing. Perhaps Jihyo and Mina, talking quietly with Madam Pomfrey, didn’t think you could hear them talk, but every word of theirs echoed unfortunately loudly in the otherwise empty wing. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at Tzuyu, or at the violent purple bruises all along her right side, or at her frail and newly healed wrist cradled to her chest as she slept.

“I’m sorry, Madam Pomfrey. Sana... Sana and I asked Felix to say it as a joke, we didn’t think that Tzuyu would be so surprised,” Jihyo sighed. “And we didn’t think that Steelman would take advantage and hit her so hard.”

Pomfrey was quiet for a second, and the jagged tip of your nails nearly ripped your skin as you waited for one of them to speak. “I see. Well, I do believe you had good intentions, all of you. I will be speaking with Ms. Steelman about her actions, but Quidditch is tough sometimes. Please, refrain from asking Mr. Lee to play such jokes from now on.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Mina joined you first, her hand a comforting weight on your shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself, Y/N.”

“Who said I was blaming myself?” you laughed listlessly, shaking your head. “Who am I kidding? I am blaming myself. Because it’s my fault. It isn’t Felix’s for playing an innocent joke, and it isn’t Jihyo and Sana’s--”

Jihyo shook her head as she knelt near you, her head obstructing the view of Tzuyu’s sleep-peaceful expression. “Y/N, please. You couldn’t have gotten there on time. It’s none of our faults, okay? Besides, we shouldn’t... we shouldn’t have rushed you on this.”

“What?” you blinked up at your friends. “Rushed me?”

They exchanged looks, Mina closing her mouth when the Gryffindor girl shook her head in warning. “I think it’s best for you to find it out on your own time. Because you will,” Jihyo smiled. “I have faith in you, Y/N. Now, don’t stay here too late, Pomfrey will take care of Tzuyu just fine.”

“Seriously,” Mina warned as she retreated, the sympathy in her eyes the last thing that you wanted to see. “Sleep early!”

You raised a hand in farewell, sighing and leaning back in your chair once they were gone. Your friends meant well, of course, and you genuinely didn’t blame anyone for the incident, but you couldn’t help but think about what you could’ve done to save Tzuyu. There must’ve been some spell, some prank mechanism that would’ve done something...

And just like that, hours passed. The sky had begun to turn back to cloudy blue-grey from the black of the night by the time you found your head drooping onto your arms; you had draped one of the blankets that Pomfrey left behind over your own shoulders, your hair loose and splaying out at the foot of the bed when your friend woke up. “Y/N?”

Blinking blearily, you found Tzuyu staring blankly at you. “Why’re you still here? It’s almost dawn.”

There should have only been one answer at the tip of your tongue-- “I was worried” or “I couldn’t leave you alone” or something normal-- but instead, you found answers to questions that you didn’t remember asking just begging to be let out.

Because the potion that you had made all those weeks ago was Amortentia, and it smelled like the kerosene that you used in so many prank wars with Tzuyu, and the bitter chocolate she tried to convince you to like. It smelled like the bread that you stole from the house elves to cheer her up, and it smelled like the vanilla hand lotion that you bought for her on Valentine’s day in 3rd year.

And she asked you whether you were wearing perfume because she wanted to know if Amortentia smelled like you for her, and Tzuyu must’ve knocked the cauldron over because it did. Because--

“You love me.”

You didn’t expect the jolt that shook the entire hospital bed, the Slytherin girl jerking back like you had burned her with your words. “I... what?” Her eyes darted back and forth as she bit down on her lip, almost scrambling back as your eyes began to shine with a revelation that turned your entire world upside down. “Y/N, what’re you talking about?”

Her fists were ice cold in your hands, her expression unrelenting as you attempted to persuade her to admit the truth that should’ve made sense all along. “Your Amortentia smelled like me, didn’t it? Because mine smelled like kerosene, and... and bread, and everything you like. And you reacted so intensely when Fred called us a couple because you like me,” you breathed with the biggest grin of your life on your face. “No, because you love me.”

Tzuyu shook her head and snatched her hands out of your grasp, clutching the bedsheets closer to her chest as if that would protect her from you or something. “You aren’t making sense right now, Y/N. I.. I want you to leave. Before you confuse me further.”

You stared at her for a good twenty seconds, at the girl who was avoiding your eyes like you had told her you’d murdered her mother. “Wh-what?”

“I want you to leave.” The Chaser’s voice sounded steady, but it wasn’t confident in the way that you knew it to be. There was something lying underneath that made her voice that of a stranger to you, and you obeyed it as you stood.

“Okay.”

Not another word slipped from your lips as you made your way out of the Hospital Wing, standing on the balcony of a silent castle with blankets still wrapped around your shoulders.

That definitely wasn’t how you expected anything to go.

For nearly a week, you spent your free blocks alone, poring mindlessly over all your books by the Great Lake. Nothing you read actually stuck in your mind, though, the words floating before your eyes in hurricanes of black ink. No matter how much Chaeyoung or Momo attempted to convince you, you wouldn’t go back to the hospital wing; instead, you asked Mina for updates, probably the only one of your friends who you knew wouldn’t pressure you to talk to Tzuyu.

Groaning, you collapsed down onto the grass, flicking your quill away from you. It wasn’t fun devising pranks and coming up with plans to rig the Headmaster’s office without her, and there was no real lure in winning when there was no one to win against. Instead of thinking about the water that you wanted to splatter down on McGonagall, you could only think about how to apologize to your friend, how to take back a truth that you weren’t sure you could forget yourself.

But with the way that she responded, could it mean that you were right? Was it possible that Tzuyu really loved you, and you... you really loved her back?

“Y/N?”

Your head jerked to look at the source of your voice, a crack sounding when you turned too fast. “Ow,” you mumbled, raising your hand up to cup the back of your neck. However, you were completely fixated on the slightly paler-looking girl, standing just a few feet away from you. “Uh. Hey?”

“Hey,” she smiled. So she’s not angry. Tzuyu wasn’t wearing her characteristic expensive robes for once, dressed instead in a pretty skirt that was too cold for the lakeside and a black coat slung over her shoulders. “You didn’t come to visit me.”

Shrugging, you reached over and cleared your books away for her to sit. “I figured you wouldn’t want me to.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she frowned, plopping down beside you and crossing her legs. “You’re my friend.”

“Friend, huh?” You chuckled listlessly, leaning back with your arms supporting you. The surface of the Great Lake rippled softly, and you wondered whether there really was a squid inside that could drag you away from the awkwardness sitting between the two of you. “That’s it?”

Tzuyu laid her hand over yours, her skin cold from the spring weather. She almost looked like she pitied you even though she was the one fresh out of the hospital wing, and you hated that expression on her. “What do you mean? Should there be something else?”

If you were slightly less impulsive, you wouldn’t be scrambling to your feet, crossing you arms to stare in disbelief at the beautiful girl sitting cross-legged mere feet away from the Whomping Willow. “Are you serious? Tzuyu, are you just going to ignore everything we-- everything I said that night?”

She stood as well, her hands still reaching out for yours and her eyebrows furrowed. “Y/N, I wasn’t going to ignore it, I just don’t know how to talk about it. That.”

You scoffed, jerking away from her grasp. Some part of you thanked Merlin that you were alone, because you didn’t know if you wanted your friends witnessing anything that you knew was about to go down. “That. Answer me something, Chou. Would it be so bad to be with me? To admit that... that you love me. And I love you back?”

Tzuyu froze, her hands faltering in midair. “You love me back?”

“Of course I do!” And suddenly, you were rushing forward to meet her again, eyes pleading for her to understand how genuine you were being. “I meant it when I said so, and Amortentia doesn’t lie. Tell me, what did your potion smell like?”

She stammered out, “B- burning books. From the time we set the library on fire, and the stupid perfume you wear. Ink, because you refuse to use the pens that Jeongyeon bought you, and--”

You still paused a second before connecting your lips, giving Tzuyu time to back out, but she might’ve moved even faster than you so that her hands were wrapped around your waist. She tasted like chocolate and bread, too, and you smiled into the kiss when you realized that she probably stole from the kitchen before coming to find you.

The long, winding roots of some tree tripped you over, your back colliding with the grassy ground with a loud thump, but you didn’t care as the Slytherin girl landed right on top of you. “To-- to answer your question. It wouldn’t be bad at all, to be with you,” Tzuyu laughed breathily, her smile so much brighter than you ever remembered it to be. “I love you, Y/N.”

And instead of responding, you pulled her in again, lips moving against hers for maybe a minute before you were surprised by a bug that Tzuyu held up against your face. “Chou Tzuyu, you devil!”

268 notes · View notes

dingochef · 2 years ago

Text