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sundaysundaes · 4 years

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Iridescent

Lee Donghyuck/Haechan X Reader/Female OC | Romance, Smut, Fluff, Angst | NC-17 | Soulmate AU, Childhood-Friends-Become-Lovers AU

An epilogue to Monochrome. Contains HEAVY SPOILERS, so please read Monochrome and Spectra before you read this.

Summary: Lee Donghyuck once believed in the concept of soulmates—how fate would connect a red thread from one lover to another, in a form of dreams and memories. That was how his parents met, that was how they claimed their happiness, and he wanted nothing more but to live his life the way they lived theirs. Until one day, as he sees her slipping away from his hands, he has no choice but to stop believing entirely.

Broken bones can be mended and bruises may vanish over time, but what befell Lee Donghyuck after the accident was deeper than fractures and scars. It took him five days to wake up from his comatose sleep, eight months for his body to fully recuperate, and another ten months in rehabilitation to overcome his trauma and mental state. But even then, he was never the same. He would never be the same.

As he could never be able to see the light again.

“Vision loss may strike as a devastating injury that could change your life,” his doctor once said during his regular check-up, “But it doesn’t mean that your life has ended, nor should you stop living. There’s still a beautiful world out there waiting for you. It may feel hard today or tomorrow, but you will get through this. You will get better.”

But to Donghyuck, they sounded like a string of murmurs as if the older man was drowning but still trying to mouth the words to him. Or maybe he was the one who was drowning instead, with no chance to resurface. And he didn’t mind, not at all. He wasn’t sure he had the will to do it anyway.

A gentle caress of warm fingertips and a voice as smooth as a lullaby to a child’s ears were the only ones who kept him sane. She was there, from the very first day he’d opened his eyes and seen nothing, and she continued to stay, no matter how much he’d cried in agony or screamed from bottled-up anger. She would hug him when the thought of hurting himself became too much to bear, and she would tell him over and over again, how lucky she was to have him alive and breathing in her arms. And she would still call him in the same way—Haechannie, Haechannie—between loving words that were filled with nothing but honesty, even if he no longer shone as bright as the sun.

She was the sole reason why he continued living, though not truly alive. The only one who gave comfort to his shattered heart and soul. To him, there would be no life without her.

On the day he was discharged from the hospital, dressed in his favorite white tee and a knitted navy-blue sweater she often borrowed to wear around her figure, his chocolate brown hair was long and untrimmed, nearly brushing against his collar. His skin was starting to lose its beautiful tan, and his collar bones were protruding from how much he had lost weight during his recovery. His matching dark eyes were slightly opened and they shone in a soft glow under the sun, but they were as lifeless as the waves before the storm.

But to her, he was still a sight to behold.

Pushing his bangs out of his eyes with her fingertips, she smiled. “I haven’t seen you standing under the sun for a long time,” she said, mesmerized by the way his hair was fluttering under the wind. “My Haechannie is so pretty.”

He responded by kissing her inner palm and they hugged once before she accompanied him walking down the stairs.

“One step at a time, okay, Haechannie?”

Her voice was always warm, always filled with the passion of life, as if she was trying hard to be happy for his sake as well. And it made him feel various emotions at once, from the elation of having someone as patient and loving as her nurture him back to health, from agony for being the one who always caused her trouble, and from fear of losing her if one day she woke up and decided to not love him again.

“Don’t let go of my hand. I’m here with you, Haechannie. I always will be.”

Her promise found its way to his heart, and instead of making him feel drowned like anybody else, she was the one who pulled him out of the water.

“I won’t,” Donghyuck said, tattered voice escaping chapped lips. “As long as you’d let me.”

He couldn’t see her smile, but he could somehow sense it in the way she let out her breath, in the way she squeezed his hand, in every time she spoke his name.

“I got permission from your parents to take you somewhere today before we head back home,” she mentioned before a small, excited giggle tumbled down her lips. He was sitting in what he supposed to be his father’s car by the smell of it, and he let himself stay in silence as she dragged a seatbelt forward and tied it around his body with a click. “I hope you don’t mind taking a walk because I’ve been dying to go on a date with my boyfriend.” He could hear her placing her seatbelt and the sound of dangling keys. The car engine soon started with a stutter and Donghyuck’s fingers immediately tried to find reassurance by sinking their nails into the edge of his seat, his heart ramming against his ribcages.

“Hey, it’s okay.” She hastily laced their fingers together, stealing his shivers away with how firm she held on to his hand. “Breathe, Haechannie. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you, do you hear me?”

It reminded him of their old days when she tried to protect him with a plastic sword from the monster that hid under his bed. She still had the same effects on him as to how she did back then, clouding his entire mind with the feeling of safety and assurance.

He followed her guidance and tried to smile even when his throat felt like burning and his heart trying to find its way to leap out of his chest. “I’ll—” he swallowed when an inevitable crack appeared in his voice. “I’ll be fine.”

There was a pause and he desperately wanted to see what kind of expression she had on her face, but the thought went away when he felt a pair of lips meeting his in a soft, chaste kiss.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sounding somewhat shy when she parted away but close enough for him to feel her breath on his face. “I know you’re shaking in fear and a kiss would probably be the last thing you wanted right now, but…” She brushed her thumb along his lower lip, yearning for him. “I really miss you.”

Given the situation, perhaps it wasn’t the right thing to do but to him, it was exactly what he needed. She made him feel wanted, made him feel like his existence did matter to her more than just as a burden. So Donghyuck blindly reached out to her, searching for her hands, her face, her everything, and she met him halfway, lips melding into his as naturally as breathing.

To her, he still felt the same—just as warm, just as pleasant, just as passionate although his touch felt frail on her skin. Donghyuck was still Donghyuck she remembered, the one who reminded her of the sun, and how his entire presence made her feel joy in the way no one had ever given to her before.

She was devastated when she nearly lost her sun. Countless nights were spent with her crying with her face sinking at the sheet of his hospital bed, just a few moments after he fell into his slumber with lines of tears smearing his cheeks. She had always tried to be strong in front of him and his family, but when she was alone in the dark, listening to his soft breathing as he slept, she would allow herself to break apart, just for a few moments.

Those five days when he was in his comatose state was the loneliest, most painful time she had to endure in all her years of living. Her fingers were desperately squeezing his just to feel a slight movement and she had called and called and called but he never answered. Her life was suddenly as dark as the night, where the moon had crumbled to dust with stars transforming into black holes.

So when he finally opened his eyes, her name escaping his lips, she felt like she was being reborn, finding back her purpose in life and there would be no way, no matter how hard it would be for them, for her to let go of her sun again.

“I love you,” she whispered between kisses, finding her way back to his lips with a sense of urgency every time, “I love you, Haechannie.” Fingers curling against his soft locks, lips moving from his mouth, nose, temple, cheek, before they went back to the start with shy tongues darting only to take a hint of how they other tasted. “Don’t ever leave me again. Please.”

It was he who should’ve spoken those words. It was he who should’ve begged her to stay. So knowing that she felt the same way, Donghyuck whimpered against her mouth, lifeless eyes began to spark in the way they used to.

***

He didn’t know where she was taking him away but by the briny scent that traveled the air, he muttered his guess, “Are we going to the beach?”

“Correct. Any idea which one?”

“The… The one where we spent our summer vacation?”

“Try being more specific.”

He curled his fingers, flush bloomed on his cheeks. “The one where I confessed my feelings for you for the first time?”

A soft chuckle. “That’s right. The one where you made my heart flutter, as promised.”

“I didn’t know I succeeded at that time.”

“You’ve always won against me, Haechannie. Even if I did win at something, it was only because you’d let me.”

The trip was a three-hour drive from the hospital, and they filled the silence by recalling their memories or humming songs to whatever the radio was playing. She begged him to sing, but he was only brave enough to do it after the fifth time she’d tried, and although he hated the croaky sound he made from his throat, she squeezed his thigh, saying, “Thank you for making me so happy.” He wasn’t sure what she was referring to—was it his voice or his entire existence?—but he realized he didn’t care, as long as he could fulfill his sole purpose of living.

The evening sun was warm on his face when she opened the car door and guided him to step forward into the sand, his sneakers sinking slightly into it under his weight. “Careful,” she reminded, circling one hand around his waist as he shakily wrapped his around her shoulder. “Can you smell the air?”

He could smell the scent of her strawberry shampoo. “Yeah. Salty.”

She quietly laughed. “Do you want to get closer to the water?”

“I’m…” The thought of him not wanting to trouble her was heavier than his desire. “I’m fine here.”

There was a pause, which made him ponder whether he said something wrong but then she huffed loudly. “You’re no fun. Well, we’re going to get, at least, our feet wet, whether you like it or not. So come on, keep up with me, slowpoke.”

Hearing that coming from a girl who didn’t even want to get sand on her shorts was something that made his entire body feel warm, and the sun had no part in it.

She helped him untie his sneakers, rolled up his jeans to his knees before she pushed him slowly into the water. He could feel the waves meeting his skin, could imagine how it would look like—the sand being carried away by the pressure of the water, his feet sinking a little deeper into the ground, perhaps a strand of seaweed catching around his bare toe.

“The sun is setting,” she said and he could somehow hear the grin in her voice. “Isn’t it romantic?”

“I guess.” He felt her wrapping her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna take you dancing.” Her smile was sheepish, her cheeks reddening almost the same color as the glow that illuminated her features. “Oh, wait. I forgot the music.”

“Noona—”

“Just a sec.” She held up a finger to his lips as she fiddled with her phone with her other hand. “Where’s that song you—oh, here it is.”

Donghyuck could hear the song—the exact same song he’d played back then when he’d asked her to do the same thing under the starry sky. “You’re right,” he murmured with a weak smile, as she tucked her phone back into her coat’s pocket. “I should’ve picked a better song. Thinking Out Loud is way too overrated.”

“It’s okay, it’s been growing on me these days. Been using it as my alarm even.”

Her giggle was adorable and gleeful while his was soft, almost inaudible. “Is that so…”

She caressed his face, eyes becoming tender when she noticed him leaning more to her touch. “I’ve missed hearing you laugh.”

Donghyuck’s breath hitched a little so he stayed in reticence. The sound of the wind and the crashing waves were louder than her speaker, so she urged him to sing, knowing that he already remembered the song by heart. He disinclined at first but he grew soft at her pleading.

As he began to hum along the first chorus, she stroke the skin on his nape soothingly with her fingertips. “Have I told you about the day when I realized I loved you?”

He smiled, another flashback hitting him like the soft waves around his feet. “Enlighten me, please.”

“There were two different times, actually.” She leaned closer, swaying their bodies side-to-side ever so slightly. “The first time I realized I felt something for you was back when we were still in junior high. An asshole in my class stole my sketchbook and you got into a fight to retrieve it back—even though you said you got your bruises from tripping down the stairs. I felt so happy knowing that there was someone out there who cared a lot about me.”

“I did trip down the stairs, actually.”

“Of course, you did.” But like the old days, she saw right through his lies. “The second time was when we were celebrating your birthday. I wore this yellow dress that looked way too tacky for the occasion and people were looking at me weird. And you stayed by my side, ignoring everybody in the house even though it was your birthday, and you told me that I was the prettiest girl in the room.”

He hummed in agreement. “Prettier than me even.”

“That’s right.” She snickered but her tone gradually turned into something more sincere. “So when I told you that you were my first love, I wasn’t lying nor was I exaggerating. I’ve loved you just as long as you have, I just wasn’t brave enough to admit it unlike you. And I still regret that, even to this day. We wasted so many days, and I hurt you so many times—”

“It’s okay.” He shook his head, his closed eyes somehow began to feel hot. “It’s in the past.”

She broke down into another smile, fingers reaching out to swat his bangs away from his face. “You’re right. We still have the rest of our lives to make up for it.”

When he suddenly became mute, it made her heart thump faster in anxiety. But Donghyuck soon tugged her closer into his chest, his arms enveloping her entire figure and she sighed in relief as he laid his chin on top of her head.

“What are you wearing?” He asked, his lips brushing against her hair.

“Only in my skimpy bra and g-string, lover.”

“No, I’m serious.” He could feel his laugh reverberating from his chest and it still felt unfamiliar after all this time. “Describe it to me in detail. I want to imagine the scenery.”

She was smiling but her eyes grew softer. “I’m wearing that red dress you said you loved.”

“O-oh…” He wetted his lips. “I didn’t realize that since you’re wearing—what is it, a coat?—“ She confirmed with a nod. “Right. What else?”

“My hair is untied, but I’ve cut it short since it became a nuisance whenever I have to go to work early and don’t have time to style my hair.”

“How short?”

“Short enough to show the necklace you gave me.”

His heart was loud in his ears, almost deafening. “You’re still wearing that?”

“Yes.” He could sense her moving away, sliding her hand down his arm in a silky-smooth touch before she intertwined their fingers. “Along with something else.”

“Wha—” He felt her guiding his fingers to trace hers and the second he touched it, it felt like his world was turning upside-down. “You’re wearing… a ring…” whether it was a question or a statement, he wasn’t clear himself.

“Yes,” she gently replied, moving even closer. “Want to guess what ring it is?”

His heart was in his throat. “Please don’t…” he shook his head, taking a step back. “Please don’t say it’s the engagement ring I was about to give you.”

But she didn’t need to answer, because what else could it be?

She reached out for him but he slapped her hand away when it reached his sleeve. “Haechannie—”

Donghyuck tripped on his feet, falling to his knees and felt the ocean swallowing him inch-by-inch, seawater seeping into his clothes. His face was nowhere near the water and yet he was gasping frantically for air, his chest suffocating and sending jolts of pain to his entire body.

He could hear her shouting his name in concern, could tell the panic in her voice, but how could he comfort her when he couldn’t even help himself?

The world was swirling in his head even when he could only perceive the darkness with his eyes. His stomach lurched as he coughed multiple times, throat burning in flames.

“Oh God, okay, you’re having a panic attack,” she sounded breathy, afraid, as she clutched her hands around his shoulders. “Breathe with me. Haechannie, focus, I need you to breathe.”

He had a hand on his chest while his other one was sinking deep in the sand. The memory of the accident—how it ruined everything he had planned for her, for himself, and the future they were about to face together—and knowing how useless he had become, to simply reduce himself into nothing but a burden who couldn’t even pass through a door without help, made him feel like his world was ending.

She pulled him into an embrace, sinking his face into the crook of her neck—a habit he once grew fond of—and whispered his name over and over again until it sounded like a prayer, steadying his heartbeat little by little with every second passing by. She only hugged him even tighter when he managed to calm his breathing. “You’re okay,” she exhaled in relief, “You’re okay. We’re okay.”

He brought his hand to the back of her head, feeling her strands under his fingers and finally noticing how short it was. “You should let me go,” he whispered, voice quivering.

Whether he was talking about her embrace or letting him out of her life, she didn’t care. The answer was the same for both. “No.”

“I’m fine now.”

“Well, I’m not. I want to stay like this.” Her voice was muffled by the fabric of his sweater. “Let me stay like this.”

He kept still but he no longer answered her hug, letting his arms fell loose on the side of his body. “Why did you wear the ring?”

“Because I want to.”

It soothed him a little that she answered with those words and not “Because it’s something you wanted to give me and I know how much you want me to wear it.”

He noticed her body shivering as their knees were still buried in the sand, engulfed in seawater. “We should move. It’s getting colder.”

She eventually nodded, helping him up to his feet and went back to their car, immediately turning the heater on before she carried him to the back seat where they settled close next to each other.

“Are you cold?” She asked, her voice quivering as she took her half-drenched coat off. “Guess it wasn’t a smart idea going back to the beach in autumn, huh?” He didn’t answer, too busy maintaining his composure so he wouldn’t freak out again. “Your clothes are soaked, we should get you changed. I brought some spare with me. Oh, and a blanket too.”

She was doing enough talking for both of them to fill the silence so Donghyuck kept his lips pressed tightly shut and followed her order, lifting his hands so she could pull his sweater over his head. She unbuttoned his shirt, blushing a little when his chest and stomach came into view, reminding her of the times where they spent their days raking nails down each other’s skin, exchanging wanton moans between wet kisses.

When he was left only in his jeans, she unzipped her dress, the clothing falling off her shoulders before she slipped it off her body entirely. Grabbing a blanket from the trunk, she scooted over to his place, wrapping the fabric around both of their bodies. She took his hand in hers, rubbing his cold one with hers over and over until he stopped shivering. “You really are sensitive to cold,” she mumbled to herself, “Warm enough?”

“You should’ve just thrown it away.”

She abruptly stopped moving, hands freezing as they were holding him mid-air. “What?”

“The ring,” he murmured, sliding his hand away from hers and bringing it down to his lap. “It doesn’t have any meaning now, so…”

She took her time to reply, begging herself to stay calm even when the pain was tearing her apart. Her tone was expressively hurt when she finally spoke, “You don’t want to marry me anymore?”

He could feel his jaw tightening. “Do you still want to marry me?”

“Yes, just as much as I did on the day you proposed to me for the first time. If not more.”

She answered him fast and firm, without a trace of hesitation or doubts. But the fear that his thoughts screamed at him echoed louder in his head, reducing her promise to sound nothing more than a whisper being carried by the wind. To him, she seemed like she was about to cry, and perhaps she was, but not because she had doubts about marrying him. She was heartbroken because he appeared like he was forcing her to do something she disgusts, when marrying him had been her wish all along.

If he could see her, he would’ve seen the hurtful look that painted her face. She became mute, averting her focus to her hands that laid frozen on her lap. “Haechannie,” she eventually called, “When I think of you, what do you think comes into my mind?”

A liability. A deadweight. Someone you should abandon to make your life bearable. But he stayed as soundless as the night.

“Do you think I’m doing all of this because I’m forced to do it?” Her voice was soft, but he could sense a hidden rage between her words. “Because I’m obliged to take care of you as your girlfriend—your fiancee?”

“It’s not that, it’s—” He spluttered, turning to look at her although his eyes could only see the darkness. “I just wasn’t sure it’s still the future you want us to have.“ He hesitated, his voice became quiet. “And I’m not sure whether you still want me in this condition—”

“Why are you saying that?” Her voice grew frantic. “That’s really—That’s not—“ She buried her face in her hands, her chest tightening. “I want you—of course, I want you. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

Somehow, her affection felt like a stabbing pain from all the self-loathe that bubbled in his chest. “But I’m not the same now.”

“Doesn’t mean that I’ll stop loving—God, Haechannie, why can’t you see that we—”

“That’s the fucking problem, isn’t it? I can’t see!” His voice was resonating loudly, colored with dismay and agony, muting the sound of waves crashing behind them. “I’m fucking blind! I don’t know what kind of face you wear around me these days. I can’t tell whether you’re lying or not when you say these words—”

“I will never lie to you—”

“Yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m afraid!” He broke apart, voice filled with quivers as it nearly reduced into short gasps. “I’m afraid of having you look at me like I’m a liability. I’m tired of trying to convince myself that I can be some kind of help to you when I can’t even button my fucking shirt properly. I want to marry you—God, I want to marry you so bad—but what do I have to offer? I can’t function like a normal person, I’ve lost my job, I’m going insane, and I can’t see a damn thing!”

The second he stopped speaking, only the sound of their surroundings could be heard, along with their ragged breathing. Donghyuck brought his face to the side, hiding half of his face behind his shaky fingers, inhaling a few times to control his breathing but failing on each try.

Her eyes began to water as well but she erased the tears before they could stroll down her face. “I’m not sure if you know this already but,” she said, forcing herself to smile between hot tears. “I know how you’d prepared everything that day. I was shocked when my mother told me that you’d asked for their permission to marry me. I didn’t know you were so serious about this. I was so happy, but even then, I wasn’t as happy as the day you finally woke up, five days after the accident. I was just so relieved that I could see you alive and breathing again—to hold you in my arms, to hear your voice saying my name. I know how devastating this feels to you, losing your vision so suddenly like this, and I know how insensitive I will sound to you but let me just say this.”

She reached out to him, cupping his cheek with one hand so he could turn his face around. His eyes were tightly shut, but his eyelashes were wet as they rested against his cheeks. “I don’t care that you’re blind,” she said, rubbing her thumb gently along his cheekbone. “And I don’t care if you can’t walk without hitting walls, or if you can’t make your own coffee or wear your own clothes—what I care about is that we’re both here, together, alive and well, and there is nothing in the world that could change my mind.” When he was about to turn away again, to be swallowed by his emotions, she held his face with both hands, forcing him to bare his soul in front of her eyes. “I’d rather have you in this state or worse, rather than losing you entirely, Haechannie. I need you just as much, if not more. So, if you could just trust me, please.”

Donghyuck laid his palm against the back of her hand. “You’re better off without me, Noona. And it’s not just because of how I am now. Bad things do happen when you ignore the signs and deny your soulmate—you should’ve been with Mark—”

“I don’t care about soulmates.” She was frustrated, he could tell, by the way he was so adamant about this. “Isn’t that what you said to me too back then?”

“I know, but seeing how this happened to me, I—”

“Haechannie,” she called, gripping his hand tightly until his knuckles turned white. “What happened to you is an accident. It has nothing to do with soulmates or fate—people get into accidents, these things happen—”

“Yes, I get that, but what if it’s not? I don’t care if anything happens to me, but I can’t—” He took a sharp intake of breath. “I can’t afford anything happening to you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Then do you want to spend your days alone instead of being with me?” Her tone was inscrutable, almost impersonal to his ears. “Be honest.”

Donghyuck bit his lip. “It doesn’t matter what I want—“

“Stop listening to your own thoughts. Listen to mine. Listen to what I’m saying.” Her temple was pressed against his, her breath fanning against his lips. “I need you, Hyuck. And if you’re too afraid to be with me, just like how I used to in the past, then let me fight for this. Let me fight for us the way you used to.” Her lips were so close to him that he could almost feel every syllable with his own. “And before you regret everything as much as I did about us, accept me.”

And just like a twig cracking under pressure, Donghyuck snapped.

He rushed to close the gap between them, his lips meeting another pair in a searing kiss and she gasped against his mouth, body tumbling backward to the seat with him pressing hotly against her. He finally let himself go, finally caved into his desires, finally devoted himself back to her like how he did in the past.

He was rushing everything, hands desperately clawing against every part of her skin that he could reach, his kiss frenzied. But all of that was a mere distraction so she wouldn’t be able to hear him whimpering against her mouth, lips quivering as he tried to contain his sobs.

“I love you,” he hastily said, holding her face with one hand as he kissed her fervently. “I’m sorry for hurting you over and over again—” The way he smashed his lips against hers was both bruising and comforting. “I just—I want you to be happy,” he groaned at the back of his throat when she tugged his lower lip between her teeth, “With or without me, I don’t care, as long as you’re happy, I—”

“With you,” she immediately confirmed, yanking against the strands of his hair as she peppered kisses down the column of his neck. “I’m only happy when I’m with you, Haechannie, so—” And she melded their lips together again, tongues sliding against one another, drowning in passion.

It was a mystery to her when Donghyuck said he wasn’t the same. He still felt like flames, burning her skin with his every touch, igniting sparks of fire in her heart with whispers of her name. But even if he was transforming into an entirely different person, she knew she would still dedicate herself to him either way.

There’s no life without you.

What started as a rush of a moment gradually turned into something slow where they began to savor each touch with more affection and less uncontrollable lust. As he needed her guidance, she switched their positions, letting Donghyuck sat with his spine pressed against the seat, the skin on his back sticking uncomfortably against the leather.

She noticed how he flinched more under her fingertips, sensitive to even a small graze of skin meeting skin. “Are you okay?” She asked, settling on his lap, straps of her bra falling off her shoulders.

He nodded anxiously, tilting his face so she could take the sign and kiss him again and she did, but her touch was paper-thin. “You seem nervous,” she commented, caressing his cheek in concern as he circled his arms around her waist.

“I am,” he admitted, cheeks turning rosy. “I’m going crazy because I can’t see you. I’m afraid that I’d do something wrong and make you feel—”

“Then I’ll let you know,” she assured him, thumb tracing his lower lip. “I’ll say everything if that’s what you want to know, so stop thinking too much.” She leaned down, pressing a sweet kiss to his forehead before she brushed the tip of her nose against his. “And just… feel me more.”

Donghyuck let her take his hand and exhaled softly when she pressed it against her cheek, shaky fingertips began to trace her jawline, the shape of her lips, her chin, her neck. His eyes were closed but his eyebrows were furrowed deep in concentration, and she would’ve smiled at the sight if his touches weren’t scorching on her skin, enveloping her with sensations she had been longing for months.

His other senses were heightened, noticing her scent better, listening to every gasp, every moan of his name, feeling her veins, her small scars from her childhood days—everything.

“So beautiful,” he praised under his breath but she caught it, sending goosebumps all over her body. “A-are you okay?” He asked, noticing how she fidgeted and shifted her weight. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s just—“ She bit her lip when his fingers ran along the valley of her breasts, stopping when he reached her bra. “It’s been a while since we last—” a moan escaped her lips when he slipped his thumb behind the fabric, calloused skin meeting her sensitive nub. “Haechannie…”

Donghyuck gulped, his ears turning scarlet. Not being able to see the whole thing yet hearing the sounds she made really drove him to the brink of his sanity. “God, I wish I could see you,” he nearly whimpered. “I want to see your face.”

“Do you— ” She shuddered, as he brought his lips to trace every line he made with his fingertips before. “Do you still see me in your dreams?”

He nodded once, cupping her breast and sighing in content when it fit his palm perfectly.

She flinched, pressing her hips down to meet him more, urging him to move even closer. “Present ones?”

“N-not these days,” he moaned against her neck at the needed friction. “I see your past memories more often.”

She had to stop him and push him away for a moment because she couldn’t concentrate with his lips shyly sucking bruises on her sensitive parts. “Then let’s make as many memories as we can,” she said, slightly out of breath. “Maybe you can’t see me now, but you’ll see me in your dreams. Maybe then you’ll realize just how happy I am these days, because of you.”

He parted his lips in realization. He was too consumed by his depressing thoughts that he never tried to look through a new perspective. Even when he had lost his vision, she still managed to paint a spectrum of colors in his mind, in one way or another. As long as he’s with her, his life would never be monochromatic.

So this time, he could truly smile.

“Then…” He brought his hand down, whispering against her ear, “I can see you when we’re doing this too?” He suddenly slipped behind the fabric of her underwear, sliding his finger along her folds and she almost leaped out to her feet, yelping in surprise.

“Haechannie!” Her face was flushed, even going down to her neck and for the first time in what felt like forever, Donghyuck laughed, so airy and so him, making her eyes widen when she realized just how much she’d missed seeing him like this. “Ah, you’re really just—“ but she never finished, already moving her hips against him again, lips meeting in a heated kiss as it became a necessity for both of them to fulfill.

“Marry me,” he said, breathless and desperate as he kissed her shoulder, almost sinking his nails on the sides of her hips from how tight he was holding her. “Please marry me. I want—I need you to be my wife.”

Her eyes were unfocused, just like his were. Hooking her fingers around his silver necklace, she tugged him closer before she mouthed against the mole on his neck, making him moan her name.

“That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time.” She giggled, grabbing him by the chin in preparation for another kiss. “Idiot.”

***

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falcor-thee-luck-dragon · 4 years

Text

Of Monsters and Men

Chapter 7- Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials

Summary: Jaskier seems full of good ideas, one that brings you and your Witcher into the halls of a prideful Queen.

Warnings: nothing but a good time, mostly

Masterlist

Grumbling in disgust at the messy monster slaying you and Geralt had just endured at the frozen lake nearby, you hastily burst through the wooden doors of the local tavern where Jaskier and the other villagers currently are. He's trying to get the gory details from some man who insisted on accompanying you both on your hunt, resulting in him fleeing the scene covered in chunks of globby Selkiemore blood from a blow you landed onto the creatures opened eye.

Right before the beast swallowed Geralt, his silver sword cleanly slicing through the creatures stomach and finally putting an end to the tiresome hunt. Just like that, done and done. You watch as the tavern goers faces grimace at the gnarly scent protruding from yourself and Geralt, your crimson eyes catching the delighted sight of your laughing bard as he finds you two easily in the crowd.

You walk up to the table that the bard is sitting at, "What's that stench?" Questions the man by Jaskier's side, you glare at him like he's the biggest dumbfuck in the whole Continent. Your body is spotted in splayed monster guts likewise to Geralt who's almost unrecognizable by how much blood and innards coats his face. What else would cause such a scent?

"Selkiemore guts. Had to get it from the inside." Replies Geralt bluntly.

"We'll take what we're owed." You add, the man nods as he quickly reaches into his jacket to pull out the sack of coin. Jaskier taking this time to begin singing his famous Toss a coin to your Witcher ballot, the whole entirety of the tavern happily joining in as he gets out of his seat.

Not caring to join them you turn to walk away from the masses, Geralt trailing behind as you make a beeline for the wooden keg, "Fuck me I need a drink." You exclaim before filling up a mug and quickly downing it like there's no tomorrow, Geralt chuckling as he does the same. When you pull the cup from your lips does the bard make himself known.

He leans against the counter all the while rambling on about how you two owe him for making yourselves so famous now. Wordily explaining how for a single night he'll need you both to watch out for him as he and the two of you attend some princess' banquet, though you're not entirely sure what he's on about considering you're too distracted by the free beer.

Setting an empty mug upon the wooden counter you roll your eyes, done with his excessive disjointed talking, you turn to leave as Geralt follows your lead towards the stairs, Jaskier calling out something of possible interest to sway your minds.

"Food, women, and wine, Geralt!" Shouts Jaskier, stopping Geralt in his tracks as you turn around.

Jaskier looks at him hopefully as Geralt lets out a tired sigh, "I already have Y/N." Grumbles your tired Witcher as you walk over next to him, a spark of interest tugging at the inner adventurer in you.

"I haven't had a kingly meal in ages, nor have I worn a silken dress in almost a decade." You add with a humored laugh, turning your attention to Geralt, "I bet you'd love to see me in silk and jewels, now wouldn't you my love?" You purr into his ear while lightly touching his dirty arm, he looks at you with a telling half grin.

——

You watch as Jaskier paces in front of the two of you with a small cloth draped casually over the side of his shoulder while he contemplates how tonight should go for him, that is if everything goes well and no lords try and kill him. Since you took a much needed bath earlier, you get the privilege of cleaning off Geralt as your talkative bard continues his ramblings about the party tonight. Grasping the small bucket in your hands you crouch behind Geralt, dumping a warm bucket of water onto your grumpy Witcher's gut smeared head, you hold in your giggles as he sputters and wipes his face from the sudden tiny waterfall to his head and face.

"Now now, stop your boorish grunts of protest, you should be grateful to have Y/N as your willing washer." Quips Jaskier as he walks around Geralt's tub and you who's seated behind him with your hands in his dirty hair, "It is one night of you two bodyguarding your very best friend in the whole wide world. How hard could it be?"

You flick some stray pieces of Selkiemore guts out of Geralt's tangled mane while Jaskier walks around you once again, "Every lord, knight and twopenny king worth his salt will be at this betrothal." He explains as he picks up some bath salts on the nearby cabinet, "The Lioness of Cintra herself will sing the praises of Jaskier's triumphant performance!" You snort when he throws the salt into the bathtub, tiny crystals landing around and on Geralt as he watches the bard, unfazed and rather quite annoyed.

Taking a cloth from the side of the tube you gently rub the dirt and blood from Geralt's tense shoulders, "How many want your head on a spike?" You wonder with a small chuckle as the bard looks elsewhere trying to think for a second.

"Hard to say. One stops keeping count after a while. Wives, concubines, mothers sometimes." He replies as Geralt lets out an annoyed huff, suddenly Jaskier stops and sits on the edge of the tub, "Ooh, yeah, that face! Ooh! Scary face!" He looks up at you, "Ah and Y/N, those ruby sparkling eyes of yours paired with your own dangerous royal status. No lord in his right mind will come close if either one of you is standing next to me with a puss like that." Geralt reaches for his cup, just as Jaskier grabs it out of his hand, "Ooh, on second thought...might want to lay off the Cintran ale. A clear head would be best."

Chuckling in amusement you rest your arms on either side of Geralt's muscular shoulders as he huffs in frustration, "I will not suffer tonight sober just because you hid your sausage in the wrong royal pantry." He grumbles while you try to untangle his wintery mess, "We're not killing anyone. Not over the petty squabbles of men."

"Yes, yes, yes. You two never get involved. Except you actually do, all of the time." Notes Jaskier as he walks to the front of the tub, you simply shrug your shoulders in reply, he does have a compelling point, "Ugh. Is this what happens when you get old? You get unbearably crotchety and cantankerous."

"Only if your a moody Witcher." You jest, causing Jaskier to snicker as Geralt rolls his golden eyes.

"Actually, I've always wanted to know, do Witchers ever retire?" Questions Jaskier thoughtfully.

Geralt looks up at him, a frustrated expression dancing across his features, "Yeah. When they slow and get killed." You watch as the bards eyebrows raise at his dismally bleak answer before his lips turn into a mischievous grin, Geralt looking much the opposite as he suddenly turns his head in an attempt at finding his missing clothes, "Jaskier where the fuck are my clothes!"

You squint at the smirking bard, wondering what's brewing in his inquisitive noggin, "I know that look. Jask what the fuck are you planning?"

He throws a casual hand upon his slender hip, "Oh don't fret about the clothing, I sent them away to get washed like Y/N's." Says Jaskier before turning to Geralt, "Anyways, you're not going tonight as a Witcher."

——

You stroll into the large bustling banquet hall, your darkly colored dress flowing as you walk. The material is comfortable and beautiful, it hugs your torso and back as it crawls up to your neck, leaving your arms bare except for the lacy fingerless gloves adorning your hands and partial forearm. The lower half of your gown free of any restraints as it swishes elegantly with each step, easier done with the two slits running up to your separate thighs. A ribbon and jeweled necklace gently hugging your neck as a creasant moon and sun hangs from the material. Your feet are covered by two comfortable black boots laced in a thin mesh that rides slightly above your knees. It appears that Jaskier may indeed shine with good taste with his clothing choices for yourself, Geralt on the other hand, less so.

Your crimson eyes scan over the other party attendees, some of them giving you double takes as you saunter through the room, your whole pose practically screaming royalty. With a small tug at the corner of your lips you walk next to Geralt's left side while Jaskier restlessly glances around the party goers on his right. You can tell how excited he is to be playing tonight, plus very nervous for the possible angry lords trying to seek him out from his past shenanigans.

"Right, so stick to me, look mean and pretend you're mute. Y/N, just don't make anyone piss themselves. Can't have anyone finding out who you two are." Whispers Jaskier right as a short bearded mage wearing green finds you three in the crowd, you recognize him instantly.

His face lights up at the sight of you and your Witcher, "Geralt of Rivia, the mighty Witcher! And of course, Princess Y/N of Alkatraz, the fearsome dhampir!" He beams with a hearty raise of his silver mug, many banquet attendees turning to stare at you two. You can't help but internally cringe after he loudly announces who and what you are, great now half the banquet knows your business.

"Shit." Whispers Jaskier softly, you nervously smile at some ladies who have turned their done up faces towards you, in turn you make sure to keep your fangy grin hidden as you give them a small friendly half grin.

The bearded mage walks over to you both, a smile upon his face and a drink still in his hand, "I haven't seen you since the plague." He jests at Geralt before turning to you, "And the Vampire Queens only heir, it's an honor, haven't seen the likes of since..."

"Good times, Mousesack." You interrupt with a quick flash of a smile, your eyes darkening for only a second, he shakes his head as a laugh departs from his lips.

"I've missed your strikingly unprecedented temperament my dear princess, and Geralt, how I've longed for that famously sour complexion. I feared this would be a dull affair, but not the White Wolf and Lady Dhampir are here, perhaps all is not lost." Declares Mousesack as he eyes up Geralt's formal attire, his brows furrowing in thought, "Why are you dressed like a sad silk trader?" You could have laughed if not for the watchful wary gazes around you.

Geralt turns to glare at a fidgety Jaskier, who looks at him like a scared puppy. You watch as Mousesack puts a hand to Geralt's broad shoulder, guiding him away to gossip about the royal attendees in line for princess Pavetta's hand. You decide to keep away from their speaking and instead vouch to wander about on your own. Your eyes scanning the crowd as you eavesdrop in on their conversation across the room.

Minding your business by a flaming warm torch, you suddenly hear what sounds to be a very pissed off older lord who's cornering your retreating bard. Without skipping a beat you look up and lock knowing eyes with Geralt who immediately excuses himself from Mousesack to intervene before Jaskier gets his parts snipped off.

With a snicker you watch as Geralt humorously calms the situation, explaining that Jaskier had his balls kicked in by an ox as a child, the lord suddenly going sympathetic and in turn giving the bard a single golden coin. You smoothly bring yourself over to your boys, your dress flowing beautifully as you walk. But as soon as you rest your lace covered hand upon Geralt's forearm does the sound of trumpets pierce through your sensitive eardrums, the familiar scent of blood flowing into your nostrils.

"All rise for Her Majesty, the Lioness, Queen Calanthe of Cintra!" Shouts a nobleman, you turn your sights upon a blood spattered golden armored woman who practically swaggers into the great banquet hall, a smirk upon her blood spattered face.

Leaning a careless arm against a short marble guard wall, Geralt doing the same to your immediate right, the both of you watch with interest as Queen Calanthe saunters past some tables where she snatches a beer in delight. Your bard gone from you once again as he swiftly walks near the Queen, he places himself near a stone pillar as more musicians follow behind him, his favorite lute in hand and a beaming smile upon his face.

Queen Calanthe continues her walking as she boasts of how close-by townships needed reminding of who really is Queen, her people cheer in pride and gratitude, then to your utter amusement she sasses for Jaskier to play a jig as she struts over to the royal table, where a very anxious looking princess Pavetta quietly sits, tears rising to her enchanted blue eyes.

Nonchalantly you reach over and with a cheeky smile take the beer from out of Geralt's firm grasp, he simply lets go as a humored grin falls onto his handsomely clean face. Then to your usual unvexed temperament, you raise an eyebrow as a rowdy lord begins snapping at another about who's actually managed to slay a manticore or not. In the heat of the moment your ears prick to the whispered gossip being spilt by a woman who's just outed yourself and Geralt as her lips brush past the Queen's ear. So much is happening all at once and those fucking lords won't shut the fuck up.

"Enough!" Shouts the Queen, the lords instantly snapping their heated attentions in her direction, just as everyone else does so and now you're dreading what she's about to say next as she eyes your direction, "We have two renowned guests here tonight." The lot of the banquet hall turning in their chairs to face you and your equally as annoyed Witcher, "Perhaps one of them can declare which esteemed lord is telling the truth?" She challenges, a smirk forming onto her lips.

Pursing your lips together in irritation, you watch as the displeased lords turn back to the two of you, "Neither." Answers Geralt bluntly, you cringe inside as the first lord accuses him of calling himself a liar. Great start Geralt, really great start.

The lords face grows in aggravation as he throws a disapproving hand in your direction, "Eh, The Butchers of Blaviken, ha, he bleats utter nonsense." Laughs the lord and the other nobleman around him. You keep your mouth shut as a calm aurora keeps about you, tonight you will not cut anyone's head off, or at least you'll try.

Tension sits high on the air as you wait for Geralt's two cents on the matter, "Perhaps the lords encountered...rare subspecies of manticore." He replies, Jaskier sighing in relief, you doing the same.

The lords nod in agreement as you decide to add something to the matter, "I do not doubt it, those fuckers can be ruthless and tricky in their nature...any dead one is better off then alive." You reply, the lords all nodding in agreement once again as the Queen breaks out into an amused smile.

"Perhaps our esteemed guests would like to entertain us with how they slayed the elves at the edge of the world?" She exclaims with bravado, raising her beer into the air, oh right she hates elves with a burning passion, fucking racist.

"There was no slaying." You deadpan loud enough for the hall to hear, turning your glare to the disappointed lords to save the Queen from your displeasured gaze.

Geralt sensing your resentment comes to your rescue, "I had my arse kicked by a ragged band of elves. My lady Y/N here had to reason with Filavandrel, saving me from a sured demise lest I have had my throat cut." He replies with a nod, the Queen grins as the lords cheer on, wondering about the song considering it tells a different story.

You roll your eyes at their jests, "At least when my blade clashed with Filavandrel's silver, I didn't shit myself." You quip with satisfied smirk upon your lips as their faces fall in embarrassment and irritation, "Which is all I can hope for you, good lords. At your final breath, a shitless death." You conclude with a raise of Geralt's mug, "But I doubt it." You mutter quickly before downing the rest of it. Geralt holding in a chuckle at your side as the lords burst with laughter.

"It would have been your blade at Filavandrel's throat had you been there, Your Majesty." Speaks a man as the crowd cheers, "Not that any elven bastard would crawl from their lair to meet you on the field." The Queen smiles at his boastful words, he looks like an important lord to the Queen, wonder who he is?

"Any man willing to paint himself in the shadow of his failures will make for far more interesting conversation this night. Same goes for any lady fierce enough to wield a blade like myself. Come, Witcher and princess Y/N. Take a seat by my side while I change." She smirks with a tilt of her head as you bite the inside of your cheek in growing discontent. This is not how you had anticipated for this evening to go, but honestly when does it ever go your way?

——

Sitting at the high table, Geralt by your side and the Cintran royalty to your farther right past Geralt. You sit in silence as you watch the lords and ladies converse and feast at their tables, your ears listening as Calanthe complains about her dress, probably the only thing you could agree upon. She then speaks of how she's pleasantly grateful for yours and Geralt's company tonight as this way you both are granted permission to remove any irritants from the crowd who may disturb the peace. Your Witcher refusing her just as you do the same when the first of Pavetta's royally dull suitors comes to speak his status and point.

The first eligible contender being a smiling Lord Peregrine of Nilfgaard, he steps into the large center of the room with a smackable cheerful face, his long black hair pulled back into a low pony tail. The little man boasting of his heritage right before Queen Calanthe practically shits all over his name and kingdom. She turns down a couple more as the party continues to carry on for another good twenty minutes. Until Jaskier starts playing The Fishmonger's Daughter very loudly for the whole entirety of the hall to hear. At least the music dulls the million conversations happening amongst the bustling chatty crowd.

You lean into the plush cushion on the back of your seat as the lot of the banquet begins clapping blissfully along. Calathe sighs, "How much more of this peacocking must I endure? This...All this because male tradition demands it. If I were a man, I could simply tell the whole lot of them to fuck off, declare outright who Pavetta should marry and have done with it." She scoffs, "Or, better yet, let the poor girl decide her own fate."

Geralt turns his attention to the bored Queen, "Something tells me this isn't the first time you've navigated the vagaries of male tradition. In fact, I'd wage you thrive on it."

She gifts him a bemused grin, "Spoken as one who has navigated his own share of fools."

"Hm."

"Tell me, Witcher, why are there so few of you left?"

You side eye him as he takes a long pause to think on the depressing matter, both Calanthe and Pavetta listening in on Geralt's slow reply. He sighs, just the breath leaving his mouth enough to speak on his behalf, "It is no longer possible to create more of us, since the sacking of Kaer Morhen." He pauses again, eyes set to the marble floor below, "Tell me, Your Majesty, why do you risk your life on the battlefield when you can rest on your throne?"

"Because there is a simplicity in killing monsters, is there not? Seems we are quite the pair, Geralt of Rivia."

His golden eyes trail from Calanthe to the rest of the party goers, "Hm."

"Now you, princess Y/N, how is it that you have found yourself in the company of a Witcher and his bard? That is a story I would indeed love to hear." Says the Queen as you frown, talking to her is not what you wanted, there's a reason you made Geralt sit in between you both.

"I found them wandering the road like a lost puppy. It would have felt like a crime to leave them there all alone, so here we are." She chuckles at your reply.

"Very well. But I must ask, how is it that you came into my court with malevolent origins infused in your creation, did you not think you'd strike fear into the hearts of my honored guests?"

You turn your focus to the curious Queen who no doubt is testing you, "I am what I am, that I cannot alter nor change as there is no cure. Not that I need one...And your guests, well, if I wanted to gift them with the kiss of death. They would have never made it to your front gates."

She raises a brow, face shifting into a satisfied grin, "I could use someone like yourself in my court, it's too bad, if I had a son. Perhaps our houses could have formed an alliance, now that would secure Cintra with all of the north."

"Too bad indeed." You could have thrown up at the idea of such a ghastly concept, you throw on a fake grin instead, "He'd be a little young for me."

"Would he now?"

Geralt holds back a smile as you look at the Queen from across him, "I am almost five hundred years old after all."

She raises a brow, "I didn't realize dhampirs never aged, I was under the assumption that was just elves and powerful mages."

"It is understandable to be unacquainted with the concept, after all, my kind is incredibly rare."

She leans back in her seat, "Fascinating."

Your scarlet eyes scan the large room as you hope she refrains from asking anymore further questions. When all of a sudden you can hear the clashing of chain mail and swords behind the wooden doors right as they burst open, a lone knight breaking forth into the banquet hall. He calls for everyone to calm down as he hastily walks to the center of the stone mosaic floor, you can tell something is most definitely up with this mystery knight in shining black armor, who's quite literally made a royal welcome.

The black knight stands in the center of the cavernous hall, "Please, I need but one moment of your time." He respectfully kneels before the throne, I am Lord Urcheon of Erlenwald, and I have come to claim your daughter's hand in marriage." Proclaims the armored man Lord Urcheon, voice loud and true.

The room fills with delicate whispers as the Queens heartrate speeds up with growing tension, "Knight..of no reown...from a backwater hamlet, dares to enter my court without revealing his face?"

"I apologize, Your Majesty. A knight's oath prevents me from revealing my face until the sounding of the twelfth bell."

"Bollocks to that." Says the Queens favorite lord before briskly walking up to him and forcefully pulling off his helmet to reveal the cursed face of a man resembling that of a hedgehog. Oh yes, tonight is about to get very interesting. You share a quick look with Geralt as your scarlet irises trail all over the knights dark grey colored skin, whiskers, sharp teeth, and pointy spikes protruding out of his head in place of where a full head of hair should be.

The Queens dark eyes go wide in shock, "Witcher, kill it." Urges the Queen breathlessly as fearful tears whell up in her dark eyes.

"No." He replies as she glances over to you, your eyes still locked onto the strange looking knight.

"Y/N, whatever the price."

You shake your head in refusal, "This is no monster."

"I order you." She demands, her voice trembling.

You snap your shinning eyes over to her, "This knight has been cursed. Have you not a heart to hear him out?" You challenge.

Calanthe shares a glare with you before facing Lord Urcheon, "You're both bloody useless." She sneers, pointing at the knight, "Guards! Kill him!" In seconds you watch as Lord Hedgehog or Urcheon, fights off the approaching guardsmen, bringing them down easily as he then faces the Queen once again.

"Lioness of Cintra, I have come to claim what is rightfully mine! Pavetta. By the Law of Surprise." He exclaims just as more lords and guards unsheathe their swords as they race over to attack the cursed knight. You watch in astonishment as Lord Urcheon clashes blades with numerous men, all going quite well for him until he's punched in the face, where he abruptly falls to the floor as a trail of blood seeps out from his lips and nose. The furious guard standing at the ready raises his axen spear into the air as he prepares to kill the bested knight.

In a blur of red you're at the cursed knights defense, swinging your stolen sword into the air as your blade cuts the wooden staff in two, the weaponized part conveniently landing into the hands of Lord Urcheon. You growl at the surprised guard, listening to the sound of flesh being cut as Geralt slashes down a man from behind you, who'd just as soon seen you dead. A second later the three of you freeze and glance around the room as everyone stares on in stunned silence, the tension in the room at an all time high.

"Kill them all!" Demands Queen Calanthe as she points to you, Geralt, and Lord Urcheon who's now rising up from the floor. An instant later sounds great battle cries emitting from either side of the room as all hell breaks loose.

Deciding to be a little chaotic for the hell of it, as a man swings his dagger at your head do you immediately shift into a hoard of angry black bats. You can see, hear, and smell everything all at once in a perfect mix of dangerous unison. The men below you have no chance as you storm your way through them, leaving a war path in your wake of blood and broken bones while Geralt fights valiantly through the fearsome angry guards.

Shifting back into your original form, you grab the throat of a young lord who was about to plunge his sword into your side, his eyes going wide before you sucker punch him in the nose, breaking it instantly as he then passes out due to overwhelming pain. Another swings his sword at your arm, missing by an inch as you whip around to throw him across the room and into a marble pillar, his arm breaking in two with a dreadful crack.

"Stop!" Shouts the Queen, in an instant you turn your attention over to Calanthe and Geralt who stand, facing one another defiantly.

The room goes silent as everyone remains at ease with themselves, everyone unsure as to where this is all headed. A second later Pavetta runs down the small stairs as she pulls Lord Urcheon into a tight embrace, okay that is indeed strange. They tightly hug as she scolds him for coming here and not staying away, concluding that there is something most definitely going on here between this odd Lord Urcheon and the princess of Cintra. They soon release one another, sharing one lasting heartfelt look before Urcheon breaks away to cautiously take a step towards the Queen, he then falls to one knee, bowing with respect.

"Your Majesty, the dhampir speaks the truth." He slowly rises, "I was cursed as a young boy. My whole life a living misery until the day that I saved your husband, King Roegner, from certain death. By tradition, I chose the Law of Surprise as payment. Whatever windfall he came home to find...would be mine."

Calanthe sneers, "Oh, the stupid bastard. Better you had let him die!"

"You knew he'd come," Says Geralt, "and you pushed me to kill him."

Eyes of the Queen, Pavetta, Lord Urcheon, Geralt and yourself glance between one another at this revelation for her urgency earlier. Her dark gaze falls onto her daughter, "You...carousing with the beast that swindled your stupid father!"

"Tis' no swindle." Says her favorite lord, "Asking for payment with the Law of Surprise is as old as mankind itself."

"Don't lecture me, Eist."

"It's an honest gamble. As likely to be rewarded with a bumper crop as a newborn pup Or...a child of surprise." Nods Eist as Pavetta and Urcheon hold hands, "He could not have known. Destiny has determined the surprise be Pavetta."

"When I heard King Roegner had returned to find a child on the way, I abandoned all thought of claiming the Law of Surprise. I knew, I knew no woman would ever accept me like this. So I waited. I waited until the twelfth bell when the curse breaks. I never intended to meet her." He explains to the Queen honestly, dark eyes now focused on Pavetta, "Just from afar."

Pavetta smiles up at Urcheon, "Until destiny intervened and our hearts collided."

"And at dawn, I awoke with her in my arms and me..like this." He says soflty.

Sir Eist steps closer to the deeply conflicted Queen, "Who are we to challenge destiny? Life was saved, debt must be paid, or the whole order of the world falls apart."

Mouseack steps into the spread about circle of the six of you, "Honor destiny's wish, or unleash its wrath upon us." Queen Calanthe looks rather dismal as she glances between all of you standing before her.

"There is no us! I bow to no law made by men who never bore a child! Is there no man amongst you who does not cower before destiny?" Tests the Queen as she turns to Geralt, "You, Witcher...who has known monsters of every fang and claw, are you afraid too?" She smirks.

"No. I've seen mothers lash themselves raw over the death of a child, believing they crossed destiny, ignoring the stench of the 50 other children in the plague cart outside. Destiny....helps people believe there's an order to this horseshit. There isn't." He concludes with a half smirk, "But a promise made must be honored. As true for a commoner as it is for a queen." Calanthe's eyes whell up with fearful tears as she turns to Pavetta who's eyes fall from her mother to the man by her side.

She looks into the knights dark eyes while resting a comforting hand upon his prickly cheek, "I love Duny, mother." She looks at Calanthe, "I will marry him." Enchanted gaze set back to her cursed lover as she smiles brightly, "I will finally be free."

Everyone looks to the Queen expectantly in this sweet rare moment, she slowly hands over her sword with sad eyes as a single hopeless tear falls onto the floor. She shifts her attention back to Duny as she reluctantly reaches her hand out for him to take her blessing, although you're nervous something more sinister may arise at this interaction.

Your inner thoughts remaining correct as Calanthe pulls away from Duny, a fake smile upon her tearful face as she reveals a sharp hidden dagger from her right hand, time stills as she thrusts it towards his throat in one calculated motion. Your ears suddenly pounding in pain as Pavetta let's out a blood curdling scream that magically launches everyone back in a violent burst of wind, you included. You're quickly airborne, but before you hit the hard back wall you suspend yourself in mid-air, floating above the ground as gusts of wind blows your hair and dress every which way.

Lowering yourself closer to Geralt you watch in bewildered surprise as Pavetta and Duny raise into the air, a cyclone of wind surrounding them as she chants something incomprehensible in elfish.

"The fuck do we do now?" You scream over the loud noise, Geralt purses his lips together before pulling out a tiny glass bottle and downing the potion as he forces his way into the circle where he's able to stop Pavetta. The swirling cyclone of chaos and the two lovers falling to the ground in an instant, the room finally going calm once again.

Still casually levitating next to Geralt, you watch a cautious Calanthe slowly walk over to Pavetta and Duny, he leaves her side as the Queen and princess have a moment together while everyone else in this giant hall gather themselves from off of the ground.

You set your feet to the marble floor, gaze trailing around the destroyed area and all the disheveled guests until you land your sights onto the back of Geralt. A concerned hand lays against his forearm that draws his attention to the left, "Are you alright?"

He gifts you a small grin, "I am fine Y/N."

"You hit the marble pillar pretty hard."

He takes your hand to place a gentle kiss against your knuckles, "Don't worry for me, I am uninjured." You can't help the concerned expression crossing your features, you open your mouth to speak when Calanthe pulls everyones focus yet again.

"Destiny has spoken..and I have listened. The Law of Surprise will be honored." Breaths the Queen, heaviness in her words, "Pavetta will marry Lord Urcheon." She concludes, the room whispering amongst themselves.

"React poorly and you won't just face the Lioness, you will be facing the sea hounds of Skellige. Because Queen Calanthe has agreed to my proposal of marriage." Exclaims lord Eist, the three of them holding hands as they stand side by side.

"There will be two vows tonight! I assume that's agreeable." She shouts, everyone silently giving their nods of agreement, "Delightful." She whispers.

——

Standing around in a large circle, you watch as Calanthe blesses and marries Pavetta and Duny, they kiss and a moment later Duny begins convulsing like he's about to vomit. He falls to the floor with a pained grunt before he suddenly looks up once again, this time appearing rather more human like, the curse seemingly broken.

Him and Pavetta immediately embrace each other once again as she looks at him in confusion, "The twelfth bell has not yet rung." She whispers in astonishment, puzzlement clear on Calanthe's face.

"What has happened?" She wonders.

Mousesack steps forward, "I think your blessing of this marriage has fulfilled destiny...The curse has been lifted." He concludes with a grateful smile at the positive turn of events.

"Whew! I think this has the makings of my greatest ballad yet." Beams Jaskier as a high lady of the court touches his arm, her hands all around him.

You let out an amused snort, "If you're alive in the morning." You mutter before turning to leave, not caring enough to stay for any more action.

Geralt gains the bards attention before existing with you, "Don't...grope for trout in any peculiar rivers until dawn." He advises, taking a couple steps as he trails behind you.

"No, wait! Wait!" Announces Duny as he stands up to look at you and Geralt, "You've both saved my life. I must repay it." He says with a hopeful smile as you walk over closer to Geralt's side.

"You've proven yourself to be the kind of man who would do the same." Shrugs Geralt, "I want nothing."

You nod, "As do I."

"No, please. Please Geralt of Rivia, my Lady Y/N, do not feel like you're doing me a service. I cannot start a new life in the shadow of a life debt." He says with pleading eyes, perhaps he makes a compelling point.

Letting out an irritated huff of air you shrug, "A single prized weapon will suffice as payment, Lord Urcheon...nothing more is needed." His face breaks out into a satisfied smile as he turns his expectant attention back to your Witcher.

Geralt sighs, "Fine. I...um...claim the tradition as you have, the Law of Surprise." The Queens dark eyes go wide as yours do the same, what the fuck is he doing? "Give me that which you already have but do not know." He ends with before turning his back to the newlyweds and the Queen.

"No! What have you done, Witcher?" Snaps Calanthe as he turns a calm face towards her.

"Fear not, Your Majesty, if I am seen in your kingdom again, it'll be to kill a real monster, not lay claim to a crop or a new pup. Destiny can go fu.." Pavetta lets out her dinner onto the floor as she abruptly cuts him off, you shut your eyes tight, knowing exactly what that means.

"Fuck." He mutters as everyone stares at him knowingly, you then nod to the royal family, swiftly turning to make a quick exit, Geralt following your lead as the two of you hastily walk out the wooden doors and into the messy hallway. Mousesack close behind, "Clearly the girl has access to immense primal power." He concludes, causing yourself and Geralt to stop and face him.

"Obviously, and she has no fucking clue how to control it." You deadpan as Mousesack gives a tiny grin.

"I will stay. Guide her." He assures, meaning every word.

Geralt nods, "You're a good man, Mousesack."

The old mage grins, "You both should stay too." He quickly advises, his efforts falling flat, you've already made up your mind.

"This has been enough partying for the two of us. We're getting out of here. Alone." Answers Geralt, the mage wanders closer, a telling look upon his bearded face.

"You're bound to this now, Geralt. Whether you like it or not." Shaking your head you touch Geralt's arm, your crimson eyes finding the old mage's.

"This isn't our problem, we're not here to stay or help anyone....you know us better than that." You add, irritation clear in your voice.

"Yes, I do, but you can't outrun destiny just because you're terrified of it. It's coming either way. Not believing won't change that." Argues Mousesack, he's beginning to grow on your nerves by the second, though he means well you'd rather get your hand smashed by a boulder then stick around for this unborn child of surprise.

Shaking your head, you scoff, "Bullshit. This was just a girl using her magic to stop her mother from killing her lover. Nothing more for us to be concerned about. This is the Continent, weird shit happens all the time." You muse with a shrug.

Mousesack hums, "So you say my dear princess, but the bond that will come into being between Geralt and this child...when it is born, will be extraordinary. If you dismiss it, leave without claiming this...child surprise, you will surly unleash true calamity upon us all." You let go of Geralt's arm as he walks closer to the mage.

"We'll take that chance. Mind yourself. True words are rare birds in courts like this. Watch for daggers in your back. Or, more likely, poison." Warns Geralt as he puts a friendly hand on Mousesack's shoulder, "Be careful, old friend." Sincerity clear in his gravely voice.

Mousesack looks down in disappointment before giving Geralt a downcast farewell, your Witcher handing him a curt nod before turning and walking towards the doors past you. Standing your ground you purse your lips together as you frown at the old mage.

"Y/N, you're both making a mistake....this will not end well for you dear princess, and you of all people should understand that." Urges Mousesack knowingly, further pressing on your buttons at his admittedly truthful words.

Scoffing you frown, "Do not lecture me on the ways of destiny and all that fun magical shit...I know it's cost Mousesack, destiny has never done anything for me in all my four hundred and eighty some years on this fucking Continent." You growl, glaring at the wall before finding his troubled gaze once again.

He gives you a small smile, "I believe destiny has intervened more then you'd know, in ways that you do not understand yet...even for as old as you are." You simply roll your eyes at him.

"God all you mages and wizards are all the same, believing in the first signs of anything enchanting and going with it." You argue, stepping in closer to the breaded man, "I've dealt with your people in the past and have suffered for it..."

"I know of your troubles and trials that have given you a bad taste with them, us, but listen, sometimes you must forget the past and move on for a better future." He softly urges.

Shaking your head you find his pleading eyes again, "May you be the only sensible one then...truth be told you're one of the only mages I could ever stand, but that's not important anymore...I do hope you live long and die on your own accord, but one would be a wise fool to think that my old friend, watch for tricksters in the shadows lest you face a grim end. So long Mousesack, friend from.." You pause, not sure what else to say.

He reaches out to clasp your hands with his, "I know Y/N, although I'm wary we may never see one another again."

Letting out a small laugh you smile, "Maybe you're fucking destiny will say otherwise, farewell, and uh....watch out for your kingdom." He lets go of your hands, with a tiny nod do you turn your back on the greying mage, swiftly exiting through the doors where you find Geralt on the other side waiting patiently for you.

The two of you walk in time with one another, "If we're lucky we'll never see this fucking kingdom again. From fun banquet to child of surprise, Geralt you're really on a roll...gods the both of us. Jaskier's right, we do get involved in everything."

He glances at you, "We should really stop doing that."

"We could live as recluses in the woods and hunt bears for sport, or become pirates", Geralt chuckles at your words, a smile coming to your once frowning face, "Or not, you're not really the pirate type..."

"We could live in Alkatraz, your homeland? I'd give money to see your mothers face the second you brought me home."

You nudge his arm playfully, "My mother? The actual Vampire Queen, meeting a Witcher of all people. You'd maybe make it across the stone bridge leading into the castle before she'd be sending death hounds after you. And my love, they are not cute and cuddly by any means, annoying slobbery bastards more like." He pushes open another door as you walk through after him, "We'll find somewhere, or not...if I'm being honest, I quite enjoy traveling with you. Keeps my life interesting, never know what's going to happen next, and best of all. I have you all to myself."

"Except when Jaskier decides to join us. Some nights I contemplate strangling him in his sleep." You laugh at Geralt's blunt comment, "I've thought about doing that too, although I'd miss fucking around with him too much, he's just so easy to scare. I'll probably end up being the cause of his first grey hair." You muse with a smile, Geralt leading the way out the door and into the cool night air.

You turn to him as you keep pace, "And don't you dare make a jest about you and your white hair."

Geralt smiles down at you, "I wasn't."

"You were thinking it."

He hums, "I'm actually thinking something else, and I would like to tell you when we get back to the tavern." His tone is lower this time, the implications obvious as you gasp and smack his arm.

"Geralt!" He chuckles at how he's already got you flustered, the cheeky little shit, "Well, perhaps I may take you up on that offer. It does sound rather intriguing, then you could finally get me out of these silks and jewels...I bet you'd love that." He raises a brow as you practically purr into his ear.

Though this night may not have ended pleasantly at the banquet, you'd be damned if it didn't end pleasurably on your own terms.

Tagged: @notahappytree @ashleyforeverareject @sokkasdarling @kmuir1@haleypearce @diegos-butt (@auds24 sorry idk why ur name won’t work)

#the witcher #the witcher x reader #the witcher x you #geralt of rivia #geralt x reader #geralt x you #geralt of rivia x reader #geralt of rivia x you #of monsters and men fic

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autumnslance · 4 years

Note

Hey, I'm gonna need you to give us a short story with Thancred teaching Aeryn how to gunbreaker now, specifically through dueling and close melee range.

((You’re just trying to enable me and get some trope-ridden, indulgent fic posted, huh? Well joke’s on you buddy, I already have a tropey, indulgent draft, though it’s from Heavensward patch era, featuring grumpy Thancred, amused Midgardsormr, and definitely a sparring match. Now on Ao3. So is the follow up.))

——-

“You’re avoiding me,” Aeryn said before Thancred could walk away.

“No,” he answered. “I have been busy. As have you. All of us, preparing for Ser Aymeric’s grand tournament.”

“Then let’s prepare,” she said. “Spar with me.”

“Perhaps later–”

She crossed her arms and glared. “Why? You’re lounging, so please don’t tell me you’re currently busy. I also checked with Tataru.”

Thancred closed his mouth to bite back the ready reply. “Why do you need to spar anyway? We all know you are going to win. ‘Tis what you do.”

She caught the bitterness he tried to hide. “Not always,” she answered. They did not look at each other for a long moment. “Anyroad, I shouldn’t get complacent. And you’re the best sparring partner.”

“Am I?” he asked. There might have been a hint of acid in his tone.

“None better. Absolute taskmaster.”

He snorted and pushed off the wall he was leaning on. “Well fine, if you’re going to be flattering.”

They made their way through the gates and across the Steps of Faith, the wind whipping at their clothes and hair. Aeryn watched him.

“What?” He asked.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked. “After so many years in Thanalan, and you tend to wear lighter gear–”

“No,” Thancred said after a moment. “It is rather refreshing actually. And desert nights are chilly in their own way. Though I admit, I would not say no to an afternoon lounging in Vesper Bay’s square over crossing this bridge.”

“With overpriced orange juice from the Pissed Peiste?”

He did not reply, though for a moment it looked as if he might. He must have remembered he was angry, and wished to forgo banter. Aeryn suppressed a sigh.

“The tournament will be happening around here,” Thancred said as they reached the open plain beyond the Steps. The road stretched east and up toward Camp Dragonhead, clouds gathering over distant Xelphatol beyond the hills. Down to the west, she could barely make out the glint of Whitebrim’s towers.

“You will want to have a good idea of the ground,” he continued, crouching and peering across the open space. “Wouldn’t do to fall face first at some private’s feet because you tripped over a chinchilla’s burrow.”

“I think there’s a detail coming out to grade the area later today,” she said, drawing her rapier. “But that will just make it easier.”

“Hrmph.” He stood again, stretching as he did, then swinging his arms. “No doubt. Still; let us forgo magic for now. I want to see how you have worked on your swordsmanship these past few moons.”

“You’re sure you’re not cold?”

“I am limbering up,” he said, tone as cool as the air.

Aeryn shrugged. If he wanted to be that way. She was about to start her own stretches when Thancred suddenly dashed at her, blades drawn, making her bring her own up to meet them and immediately putting her on the defensive, forcing her back a few steps.

“Do your enemies announce when they’re ready?” He snarled, testing her defenses. He was mostly using his long Allagan blade, but she kept an eye on his smaller off-hand weapon; he had changed how he fought during his time in the wilderness.

Before, he had fought with a single sword, or matched short blades. His style had been flamboyant, even to the point of showing off, as a way to obfuscate his strikes and baffle his foes. As he pushed Aeryn across the clearing, she noted he still fought with flair and panache not found in most combatants–yet seemed more direct, less reliant on feints and misdirection than in the past. There was nothing wasteful in his movement, for all they flowed like a dance.

She could admit she was a bit envious.

And still on the back foot, godsdammit. She tried a parry Haurchefant had taught her, and gained back a few steps. A few quick strikes practiced with Lucia put Thancred on the defensive, and she caught him briefly grin.

“Mayhap your flirting across Coerthas has done you well after all,” he said, a sharp edge to the teasing.

“What?” Aeryn demanded. How dare he, he knew her better than—

The Echo’s warning came a moment too late as he spun away from her riposte, running his blade along the length of hers until with a flick of his wrist, her sword was caught, her arm twisted back as he stepped behind her, his offhand coming up to rest lightly against her throat.

“You’re easily distracted,” his voice rumbled low in her ear.

Aeryn turned her head to retort, but the words stuck when their eyes met and she was suddenly, intensely aware of being pressed against him, back to chest, their breathing heavy from the exercise and nearly in time with one another. They were close to the same height–he was only perhaps two ilms taller–so their faces were close, his brown eye strangely hooded and his lips were right there as he leaned in and gods why was she even thinking that…

They were close enough she could taste his breath, their lips barely brushing. Her eyes closed of their own accord, in anticipation of further pressure.

“…No,” he breathed, and she was suddenly spun, like when they used to dance to entertain the other Scions in that time Before Ul’dah.

Aeryn and Thancred stood in the snow, staring at one another. “That’s enough for today,” he said brusquely. “If you stay focused, you should do well enough against the Grand Companies.”

“Thancred…”

He turned away. “I apologize; that was an inappropriate distraction.”

She stared at his back for a long moment. Before he could turn his head to look, she cleared her throat. “Nothing to apologize for,” Aeryn said shortly. “All’s fair, as they say.”

“…Quite,” he replied, though sounded strange. “I believe I am rather cold after all, and will retire to the Forgotten Knight for some of Gibrillont’s mulled wine.”

She waited for him to add more, to invite her along, to offer to discuss whatever the seven hells that had been, but he walked on toward the gate. To be fair, though, she couldn’t quite manage to make those offers herself.

Aeryn watched him go, then continued to practice; not as effective as with a partner, but better than nothing, and she wouldn’t be returning to the city with him and the continued air of awkwardness.

“Thou art restless,” Midgardsormr’s voice rumbled from her left. Aeryn paused, looking over to see the small dragonet form of the ancient wyrm sitting upon a nearby stone.

“There is much to prepare for tomorrow,” she answered, returning to her drills.

“Yet there is spare time for courtship rituals?”

Aeryn fumbled mid-maneuver, nearly dropping her rapier. She blinked at him. “What? No! That was…we were sparring. Practicing, for tomorrow’s tournament.”

The dragonet tilted his head. “‘Tis not what it appeared, but mortals are strange.”

She only grunted a response and returned to her ready stance. Feint, riposte, zwerchhau…

“He is strong and skilled,” Midgardsormr continued, in a musing tone. “As I recall, such qualities are sought after, as mortals require physical mating to pass on–

“Midgardsormr,” Aeryn hissed–after stumbling again, her face on fire.

He flapped his tiny wings, and she swore he was grinning. “I was but making an observation, child, and musing on the differences between thy kin and mine own. Draconic mating is a melding of mind and spirit, rather than the flesh.”

“I am aware,” Aeryn said tightly, trying to not snap at the Father of Dragons. This was not helping take her mind off that almost-kiss. She was certain, too, the elder knew that.

There was a shift in the dragonet’s stance, and his deep black eyes now watched her closely, the hint of mirth faded. “Thou hath enjoyed the man’s companionship in the past.’Twould seem since his return, you have been at odds.”

Aeryn sheathed her blade; she was getting no further exercise in today. “…Yes,” she finally answered him. “‘Twould seem that way. I…failed to save the person he entrusted to my care, and then I failed to bring her back.”

Midgardsormr shook his head. “She but followed thy Mother’s call, and made her own choice. There was naught for thee to do upon the matter. Thou shouldst not blame thyself–Nor bear blame from others.” The last came with a slight warning growl.

“I…I don’t know if he does or not,” she admitted. “We’ve worked together, and he was honestly concerned when I was poisoned…And…” Her back pressed to his chest, his eye looking into hers, their lips not even an ilm apart. “…I’m likely imagining things, that’s all.”

That had to be it. A simple distraction, as he had said. She mustn’t read into it.

“Hrmph,” Midgardsormr rumbled. “How thy people have propagated when capable of such self-delusion is one of life’s great mysteries.”

She glowered at him. “Which of us is the expert at mortals, actually being one? You’re mistaken. Thancred is known for his flirtations and distractions; that is all it was. Naught more.”

The dragonet stretched, and made a motion almost akin to a shrug. “Thy protestations are noted,” he responded, before fading out in a puff of aether.

Aeryn rubbed her forehead. She could still sense his rumbling chuckle in the back of her mind. Once she was more or less composed–or at least no longer felt as if her face would set fire to the Gates of Judgment when she passed through them–she made her way back to the city.

—

What in the seven bloody hells had he been thinking?

Thancred ran a hand over his face as he nursed his mulled wine. The problem, of course, was that he had not been thinking. Caught in the rhythm of their sparring match, he had reacted on instinct, and she was right there and…

Inappropriate, he reminded himself. For so very many reasons. He knew at one point he had had a list, the first time he had bucked this ridiculous notion of an interest in the woman who had become their Warrior of Light.

There was one; the champion of the realm could certainly do better than a grizzled, magicless rogue.

There was another; since his misadventure in the Lifestream and being left in Dravania’s wilderness without magic, he now looked and felt closer to his actual age of thirty-two winters. Still young enough to do his job, but it seemed a decent gap against her twenty-six. She was even younger than–

That thought made him slug down a too-large gulp of too-hot wine. It helped focus the pain and gave an excuse for the tears threatening to appear as he coughed, waving away the bartender.

Aeryn had looked him in the eye and nodded when he had told her “whatever it takes” and yet…

That was not fair, and not part of the list, though he couldn’t help the anger, the grief, the shame at lying to F'lhaminn.

He retired to the small room in Cloud Nine that Tataru had rented for him. Laying in bed staring at the ceiling, he found his mind wandering back to the sparring match. How Aeryn felt pressed against him, how she smelled, how her grey eyes had darkened and then closed as their lips nearly touched…Godsdammit.

He could always blame spending time alone in the wilderness for how easily distracted he was by a pretty woman, colleague or not.

That Aeryn had seemed willing did not help; it would have been easier if she had pushed him away, cursed at him, reminded him that she did not experience such base attractions. A voice whispered that did not negate a desire for intimacy, and there were those rumors of her and the knight. He told that voice to shut up as he rolled over. But his imagination continued, conjuring images of furthering that kiss, of pressing closer, his fingers tangling in her fine black hair, the taste of her…

The aftertaste of mulled wine on his own tongue remembered the bite he had smelled in the fallen cup at Falcon’s Nest, her lying on the floor as chaos reigned outside, and the feeling of his heart in his throat at the idea of Aeryn poisoned.

Perhaps that was why he was in such a strange mood, he decided. Fear for his friend’s life, even as he was still grieving Minfilia.

Satisfied, he turned his mind to a mummer’s breathing exercise, a trick to fall asleep quickly, forcing his mind to still so he could rest.

—-

((There’s a lemony solo-Thancred follow-up to this too.))

#Final Fantasy XIV #Heavensward #Thancred Waters #Thancred x WoL #Midgardsormr #Lyn Writing #Shippy Nonsense #Aeryn Striker #tension #mutual pining #Dragon Dad is the best #hope this satisfies #and hope the read more works #temperjoke

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inviouswriting · 4 years

Text

Aymeric x Kiya

During the travel to Anyx Trine, they had taken a longer path with Alphinaud. He wanted to take some white lily type flowers to the house that once belonged to Ysayle.

Kiya felt colder than usual as they had braved through a blizzard to get there even on dragon back. She felt a haze in her head and hoped it was nothing.

Thry had landed and soon wandered the outside of the house for dangers. A few monsters easily dealt with by a few flashes of fire from Kiya and Aymeric's sword. Aymeric noticed that Kiya's spells faltered a bit.

When they were inside, the place felt cold as long abandoned from the heretics. Aymeric marveled at the unique sculpture of Shiva and Hraesvelgr faintly touching it in how it now adorns the gate on Falcon's Nest.

"To think that a few girls would change Ishgard for beliefs that were once thought preposterous. I just hope the great wyrm can lend his strength to us." Aymeric murmurs more to himself, he still had alot to come to terms with. Alot to go through.

Alphinaud arranged the flowers he had brought on the altar to pay respects in his way. Kiya leaned against the wall close to the door rubbing her arms and shoulders. Still dancing with her thoughts. Her own memories she felt a little delirious on her feet. She shoved her own feelings aside keeping her ears up for sounds of foes.

Aymeric turns towards Kiya flashing a brief smile and earning one back. They were dancing around their feelings for each other. Aymeric held back because he didnt know how this dragonsong war would end with another dead either him, Estinien or her, someone he has grown to love dearly unadmitted. He rather go with unrequited love than face heartbreak that way.

Kiya kept her feelings to herself due to uncertainty. Once she admitted feelings it meant she had so much to lose in this. They would grave the others hand or stare a bit longer between them.

It is in one of these moments that Aymeric notices her face more pale than usual, with her painted lips it was hard to tell of she was hypothermic but she shivered on her feet.

"Alphinaud, would you fetch some wood for fire? I think we should hold here for a bit till the weather improves. Wont do for us to catch our death in the cold." Aymeric keeps his voice full of amusement and Alphinaud nods going to get the wood.

Aymeric turns to Kiya eyes a bit stern he knew something was off bow that he sees her gaze half there.

"Kiya? You should sit down and rest. It's been a long journey from Ishgard to here." Kiya nods understanding giving him a grin and a pat on her chest to play off how she felt. Perhaps it was a bit too late and the moment she moved the world was fuzzy to her then black.

"Kiya?!" She didnt hit the ground but was caught. Aymeric kneels with her and glances around for something to lay her down on top of. Alphinaud had returned and saw Aymeric holding Kiya looking panicked.

"By the twelve, what happened?" He is quick to set the wood down and get his tome out to use a cure and esuna on her to see if she had been poisoned or hurt somehow.

Aymeric places a hand to her forehead and feels heat but lingers his hand there feeling her press to it for the cool sensation.

"I believe she has a hypothermia. Along with exhaustion." Aymeric lifts her up again finding a makeshift bed to place her in furs.

"What can we do for her then?" Alphinaud asks.

"Let's get that fire lit. More importantly warm her up and let her rest like we've told her to do." Aymeric says as he removes some of his armor for the thick robe he wears to wrap Kiya in it.

Alphinaud sets about his task of lighting the fire half wishing Kiya was awake long enough to throw a flame. He spies Aymeric sitting with Kiya arms winding around her to draw her closer a worried expression gracing his features.

"I shall go see if I can find makings for a soup or stew." Alphinaud informs Aymeric and he nods agreeing.

"I'll stay here then go keep watch over her." Aymeric rubs a hand on Kiya's head feeling heat from her forehead but knew better than to uncover her from a exposure fever.

It was hours with a fire going and food being made. Aymeric leaving the bundled fur to help Alphinaud make something edible.

Kiya felt like she was dreaming but pleasant warmth throughout her. Her sleep was plagued with a nightmare as events came back to her from Azys Lla, Haurchefant, Estinien, Nidhogg, and Ysayle. She felt soothing hands on her head brief fingers on her forehead checking if her fever broke.

Aymeric sighs in relief when it does break. There is a flutter of Kiya's eyes and she is greeted to Aymeric's smile and most of his torso.

"By the fury, thank her that you are awake." His voice is low enough to hear him but quiet as if there were people asleep. Alphinaud had passed out at the foot of the bed strewn over her legs. Aymeric nestled next to Kiya to use his body heat to keep her from the cold settling in her bones.

"What happened.." Kiya half glares feeling stupid that she was caught in such a moment of weakness.

"You got cold again. Worse than the last time you got hypothermia in my arms." Kiya's cheeks pink at the memory. She had woken up to Aymeric after that night too.

Aymeric gets up and presents her a mug of tea and bowl of soup. She accepts both and eats slowly and drinks slower.

Aymeric sits next to her again and still in a hushed voice talks to her.

"Your fever broke a few hours ago, but we will remain here for the night. Conditions outside got bad best to travel during day anyway. Too many monsters and dravanians that are not friendly. Rather not chance itbwith toy out of it." Aymeric puts his concerns into the reality of their situations.

Kiya looks at the bowl in her hands and is reminded of that time she spent with ysayle and Estinien before they spoke to Hraesvelgr.

"I am sorry to stall our progress." This catches Aymeric by surprise.

"Nonsense, it should be mine fault at not realizing it sooner. Should have told us you were not feeling well." Aymeric reaches hisbhands to cup hers around the bowl. How much larger they are to hers. She noticed he isn't wearing his normal attire but an adventuring outfit. She then noticed her draped in his black robe.

"Thank you... I didnt want to burden you or Alphinaud with it." Kiya feels overwhelmed but the squeeze on her wrists reassures her.

"Again nonsense. You cannot help us if you are not feeling well." Aymeric urges her to best more while it was hot still. When she had finished her things. Aymeric takes the bowl and mug away, setting them down and returns to her. He fits into the fur with her and tugs her closer. He felt right with her next to him.

"Try not to worry over it. However rest, we have a long travel tomorrow to get to tailfeather then anyx trine." Kiya nods understanding feeling sheepish as she lays down. Arms wound around her and she feels safe and protected in his arms.

By morning Kiya woke up last. Feeling refreshed. The Lord Commanders clothes not on her anymore and she spies Aymeric fixing the blue cloak on him from a mirror and a few cups of tea steeping.

Kiya smiles knowing how he doesnt go a day without tea, Lucia telling her moons ago. Aymeric feels eyes on him and ice blue sees vivid green watching him.

Alphinaud already had woken up and went about his morning. When he catches up to the two downstairs he beams bright seeing Kiya up and about. He doesnt miss the way Kiya and Aymeric stare at each other. Tataru had said it is plain as day fir the look of love between them.

"Here we were so worried over you. Yet you look ready to tackle five garuda and two leviathans." He teases and Kiya grins wild at the idea.

"Only if Krile accompanies me." Alphinaud makes a face at that. Aymeric had finished his own morning tea.

"You two should drink up before we brave the cold again. Looks like the blizzard stopped. We should get going before ere long." Aymeric says as he heads up and outside to wait for them. Kiya nods and Alphinaud agrees.

When they were alone, Alphinaud looks over to Kiya as they share the moment.

"He worried about you more than I did. He didn't leave your side once." Alphinaud muses aloud, he sees Kiya glance over to him with a dust of pink.

"Really?" Kiya taps her nails on the mug as a fidget.

"Aye, I noticed you stare at him with love. When will you tell him your feelings?" Alphinaud pries.

"Maybe when this war is over.. or at Churning Mists." Kiya looks into the now empty mug she sets it down then goes to greet Aymeric outside. Turning back towards Alphinaud.

"The right time will present itself. But I dont think I am wrong to chase him." Kiya smiles as she speaks.

"No I do not think it wrong either. As long as he makes you happy." Kiya nods, once outside Aymeric ushers her to stand with him in the morning light. He motions for her to look over the cliffside and is greeted to the soft orange and reds that adorn the snow covered land. Kiya's eyes widen at such a sight, how pink, purples and blues dance off ice and yellows gleam on fresh fallen snow.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Aymeric watches her face over the landscape. How bright her expressions are and how she huddles closer to his side for warmth. She is wearing a thicker attire but cold is still cold.

Alphinaud soon joins them and they set off once more towards their objectives. Kiya holding onto Aymeric's hand a little tighter.

#aymeric #aymeric de borel #ser aymeric #kiya shinikami #aymeric x kiya #ffxiv aymeric #invi's ffxiv writing

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the-foxes-fangs · 5 years

Text

I Wish I Was the Moon: Epilogue Pt. 3

Read the fic here and interludes here

Tagging @otomediary, @you-mass-effect-my-dragon-age, @louveau, @wingedtreecookiesludge with a special shout out to @vhaena who has been graciously waiting for this particular part of the story

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

He toweled himself dry meticulously, took stock of the austere little room he had been given and allowed himself a solitary sigh of frustration. He had expected Kenshin to have his little revenge for Sasuke but it was unpleasant seeing the flash of trepidation in her eyes just the same.

He went to sit on the veranda and stared idly out into the well tended garden. The guard had told him to wait for an attendant to show him back to the audience hall for a welcoming banquet in a tone that told him he’d be catching up on his foot dangling for awhile. He had made some tea and found whatever was at hand in the kitchen, and had settled in to wait.

The rain had passed into weak afternoon sunshine that gave everything a freshly scrubbed look, with the grime of winter rinsed away. He watched a few white rabbits poking around the greenery, apparently quite tame.

Too tame to notice the narrow face of a small, equally white fox poking through a hole in the wall that had been widened by the storm. He sat quite still, observing the little drama unfold as it squeezed its thin body through and slunk quietly and cunningly toward a particularly oblivious rabbit.

The fox looked bedraggled and more than a little hungry, which was probably why it didn’t notice the maid who came around the corner and catching sight of it gave chase with broom in hand.

“Get away from Lord Kenshin’s rabbits you vermin! Pest! Out! Get out!” She cried, chasing the poor creature around the garden until it squeezed back through the hole. She stomped away huffing, and silence fell on the garden again.

He glanced down at the dried fish he had been nibbling on, and sighed again. “I really am getting soft as hell,” he murmured to himself as he stood and made his way to the wall, crouching down to stick his arm through, fish in hand.

He waited patiently as the wet grass tickled his feet, and was about to give up when he felt a cold nose on his fingertips and smiled to himself as the food was snatched away. “Let’s both protect our reputations and pretend this never happened,” he said softly as he felt the brush of soft whiskers across his empty hand.

He withdrew his arm and rose to return to his seat. When he turned he found the creature had followed him, sitting just out of reach watching him with exceedingly hungry eyes.

“Well I’m not getting up again. If you want to eat you’re just going to have come over here.” He said, smiling as it cocked its ears and watched him with sharp, narrowed eyes.

“Do I look like I’m in need of a mangy fur?” He asked, waving a fish invitingly. The fox slunk forward cautiously, pausing to sniff the air and study him until it finally reached his feet and looked up at him expectantly. “Already plotting, I see. Well, I can respect that, but you’ve really got to learn the art of subterfuge, my little friend.”

He tossed it a fish, which promptly disappeared, as did the next two. “You know, Hideyoshi would’ve just given you a lecture on not giving up when things are difficult and sent you on your way, you’re lucky I’m such a soft touch.” He said softly, blinking in surprise as it jumped nimbly up onto the veranda, eyeing the basket of fish thoughtfully.

“Now see here, I respect your ambition, but these things require subtlety, my would be vassal.” He said, sliding the basket a little further out of its reach but passing it another fish. “First you earn my trust, and then you commit your inevitable betrayal. There’s an order to these things.”

He was withdrawing his hand when the maid came back around the corner muttering to herself, causing the fox to panic and dive for the nearest hiding hole, which happened to be right into his sleeve. He caught it by its scruff and folded his arms to his chest, slouching over as she passed by.

It poked its head out cautiously when he loosed his grip, but didn’t seem in any hurry to depart. “No. Absolutely not. That was strictly a fox to fox favor. Unless you’ve got a wishing jewel hidden in that muddy tail, no deal,” He said, shaking his head at it. He could feel its ribs as it shifted to look up at him questioningly.

“You audacious little beggar,” He said, laughing despite himself, as he laid the basket on his lap with a welcoming gesture. Upon closer inspection it was a young vixen, her tail waving happily as she devoured the food. She finished it and sniffed at his other sleeve inquiringly.

“Listen, just because I can’t taste it doesn’t mean I’m willing to share it. A little mouse made it for me.” He said, pulling out the carefully wrapped chimaki dumpling and unwrapping it and taking a bite. She had learned how to cook dumplings to the exact chewiness he preferred, despite swearing up a storm in the kitchen. He smiled at the memory and then looked at the expectant fox with a raised brow.

“Fine,” He said, dividing the remainder of the dumpling in half, “but I’m only sharing this because she’d want me to.”

The vixen licked her whiskers daintily after she finished her half, and looked at him with a curious sniff, before bounding down to make a dash back out of the garden.

“There’s just no loyalty in this world,” he complained with a laugh, and rose to return to his room and change into more formal clothes.

He heard the shuffle of vassals heading toward the hall as the shadows lengthened into early evening, and opened the door before the wide eyed attendant could knock. “Yes, fine, spare me the announcement. Let’s go,” he said with an impatient gesture and followed the man.

“…Lord Shingen and Lord Yukimura arrived just an hour ago! It will be like old times!” He heard an enthusiastic retainer say as they passed, and groaned inwardly.

Kenshin was bad enough, but Shingen was a canny bastard with a sense of humor and an axe to grind.

She was nowhere to be seen as he entered the hall, already abuzz with low conversation, which dropped even lower in his presence. Kenshin waved him over and gave him the seat his rank demanded with a curt nod of greeting.

“Well if it isn’t the great spy himself, out before sundown, even,” Shingen said with a broad smile that didn’t touch his eyes.

“The peaceful life does wonders for one’s habits and health,” Mitsuhide replied smoothly, “How’s Kai treating you these days? No problems governing?”

“We’re still recovering from the occupation.” Shingen shot back, curtly.

Their exchange was cut short by the sound of excitement when she appeared at the door with Sasuke behind her, looking so lovely that for a moment everything else receded except the smile she gave him alone, and the light in her eyes as they met his as she came to take her seat at Kenshin’s side.

“Seeing a goddess grace us with her presence was more than reason enough to make the trip, but besides that, it’s delightful to welcome you as new family to an old friend,” Shingen said smoothly, elbowing a blushing Yukimura.

“Uh… what he said.” Yukimura mumbled and nodded.

“We’re not friends. I’m still going to kill you both.” Kenshin interjected with a frown.

“Now, now, let’s keep the conversation pleasant for the lady,” Yoshimoto admonished with an amused smile directed squarely at Mitsuhide.

She glanced between them with raised brows, until Sasuke leaned in to whisper something to her, handing her a flask to pour for Kenshin, who acknowledged her with a polite nod and filled her cup.

“Let’s drink to the princess of the Uesugi,” he said, and lifted his cup to a surge of noisy approval as all of his retainers followed suit and drained their cups. The general consensus appeared to consider it a score against the Oda to have adopted one of Nobunaga’s favorites.

Mitsuhide drank and gave her the flash of a smile, drinking in the sight of her in an elaborately beautiful formal kimono bearing the Uesugi crest. “Why, you make that drab shade of blue look positively lively, my dear.”

She laughed softly and looked him over approvingly as Kenshin glowered at him, hand drifting toward his sword.

“I think it’s a lovely shade of blue myself. Not so different from the one you favor,” she replied graciously, her expression neutral except for the faint rebuke in her eyes. “I’m honored to wear something so beautifully made.”

Kenshin relaxed and the color returned to Sasuke’s face as Shingen snickered into his cup and Yoshimoto watched with detached amusement. Yukimura clicked his tongue in exasperation as a maid brought Shingen a plate of sweets.

“I thought you promised–” he began, cut off by Shingen’s airy wave.

“Yuki, it’s an occasion! We’re here to celebrate!” Shingen said with a charming smile.

“Yes but you haven’t even eaten dinner yet!” Yukimura replied with a defeated sigh as the rest of their food was served.

“Ah, but we’re already drinking, and you know I can’t bear to drink without something sweet. Never trust a man who drinks without a snack, Yuki. He’ll stab you right between the ribs every time.” Shingen countered, glancing meaningfully at Mitsuhide.

“I’m not sure how that sugary garbage counts as a snack anyway, the only proper snack for drinking is a good pickled plum.” Kenshin said dourly.

“Nonsense! Sweets are the best with sake, isn’t that right, princess?” Shingen asked her with a flirtatious wink that set Mitsuhide’s teeth on edge.

“There’s merit in everyone’s personal preferences I’m sure,” she answered courteously, giving Shingen a polite but bland smile as they began to eat.

“You’re my daughter as of tomorrow, you should take my side.” Kenshin said bluntly, holding his cup out to her.

“A lifetime of seeing the beauty of diversity will be difficult to overcome, I’m afraid,” she answered sweetly, “but I’m deeply grateful and honored at the favor you’re showing me.”

Mitsuhide kept his expression fixed, but felt a surge of pride at her adroit navigation of a situation that was surely more than a little surreal for her.

“You should be grateful that someone with such a fine sense for diplomacy is even willing– what on earth are you doing to the food?” Yoshimoto said, recoiling at the sight of Mitsuhide mixing everything together in his bowl.

“Oh dearest me, I didn’t mean to shock your delicate sensibilities, my lord. This is simply the most efficient way to eat.” Mitsuhide said with a sharp smile.

“Well that’s just plain weird,” Yukimura muttered.

“I can, much to my dismay, confirm that lord Mitsuhide is acting entirely consistently and means no insult. He always eats that way,” Sasuke interjected with a despairing gesture.

“What was it you said, you’d rather not waste time eating when you could be drinking? I’m sure that you can appreciate the sentiment, lord Kenshin,” she said with an encouraging smile.

“I can respect a man who appreciates the finer points of a good brew.” Kenshin said, with the faintest hint of a thaw in his tone.

“Well if nothing else it will be fun to watch these two try to drink each other to death, which leaves me to bask in the company of a beautiful woman on a lovely moonlit night.” Shingen said, with a dreamy look in his eye.

“Why, bad or good, it’s all the same to me. As long as it’s cold in the summer and warm in the winter I’ll drink anything,” Mitsuhide said, pointedly ignoring the bait that Shingen was waving.

“That’s an insult to the art of brewing sake, you know,” Yoshimoto said, needling him in tandem.

“Is it? I rather think it’s a compliment. Those who make swill need to live just as much as those who make elixir.” Mitsuhide answered levelly.

“I’d almost like to see you two duel, just to see who could actually lift a sword,” Kenshin remarked dryly.

“The best victories are the bloodless ones, my lord.” Mitsuhide responded ignoring the flash of heat in his chest at the sight of Shingen leaning close to her to fill her cup and practically breathe down her neck.

“Eccentricity is novel for awhile, princess, but the peculiar soon becomes grating. A man can be unconventional without straying into the uncouth.” Shingen said rakishly.

“Bloodless? What kind of rot are you talking? There’s no glory in that!” Kenshin exclaimed with a sharp gesture.

“I’ve always favored outsiders myself– the more everyone picks on and dislikes someone, the better I like them and the more I take their side,” she said demurely, and took an elegant drink.

Mitsuhide downed his cup quickly and hoped that they’d blame the flush on his face on the alcohol and not the lovesickness that had him firmly in its grip. He prided himself on his self-discipline and patience, but it was all he could do not to take her by the hand and drag her to the nearest bed to show his appreciation of her unnecessary but perfect defense of him.

“Here’s to outsiders,” he said quietly and raised his cup to her.

“I always thought you were kind of a dummy, but that’s actually pretty nice.” Yukimura said, oblivious to the hangdog silence that had descended on the others.

“Yukimura, please don’t throw your life away like this.” Sasuke mumbled, holding his hand to his forehead despairingly.

Shingen flicked him hard on the forehead with a rueful smile. “Y-u-k-i what have I told you about how we talk to women?”

“Ow! Why would I listen to you? You flirt with anything that moves!”

“Well, the delivery was rough, but I appreciate the intent, lord Yukimura,” she said with a beneficent smile that brought a bright blush to his face.

“Well I’m glad to see that you can keep up with these fools.” Kenshin said, casting an approving glance at her with unusual softness in his sharp eyes.

“I learned from the best,” she answered with an affectionate nod at Mitsuhide.

“Why, that’s a bald faced lie, you were exactly this adept at getting your way from the moment I saw you,” he countered fondly.

“Watch your mouth, Akechi, think about who you’re calling a liar.” Kenshin said sharply, the ice back in his tone and face.

Sasuke sighed, shoulders sagging defeatedly. “They’re flirting, my lord. Trust me, this is that man at his sparkling best.”

“Hmmph.” Kenshin said, studying her happy expression curiously.

“Flirting as a concept has been buried in a shallow grave tonight, in that case.” Shingen said with a shake of his head.

“Someone explain why it’s fine when he calls her names, but I get a smack to the head!” Yukimura muttered moodily.

“There are certain cosmic mysteries best left unexplained, Yukimura.” Sasuke said, and patted his arm fondly.

#ikemen sengoku #ikemen sengoku mitsuhide #ikesen mitsuhide #cybird mitsuhide #mitsuhide x mc #ikesen kenshin #ikesen yukimura #ikesen sasuke #ikesen shingen #ikesen yoshimoto #thefoxesfic #hey this time there's an actual fox!

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tinamaetales · 6 years

Text

2017 K Drama Journey

It was that one night, while scrolling through my facebook feed that I came across this short clip from Doctors wherein Park Shin Hye is beating up the gangsters in the ER. I got curious so I decided to find a copy of it and try watching a K Drama. I thought, why not give it a try? It was during those times that I was recovering from my PUD and I just resigned from my job and I really want to watch a good tv series and K Dramas are really popular nowadays so I decided to give it a try and, I wasn’t disappointed. K Dramas, as cliché as it may sound, changed my life. Every show I’ve watched was a roller coaster ride of emotions. In addition, they taught me lessons I never expected in the first place.

I would just like to share with you a “summarized” version of my views about the kdramas I’ve watched in 2017 (cause ya know, I’ve already posted my individual reflections about them here)

Doctor Stranger

My rating: 7/10

Starring: Lee Jong Suk, Park Hae Jin, Kang So Ra and Jin Se Yeon

This is an interesting drama to watch because it doesn’t only focuses on the romance aspect but also divulge into the topic of politics and medicine. The best part? The competition between Park Hoon and Han Jae Joon for it served as an avenue for their growth both as doctors and as a person. However, I felt like the romance part in here is a bit forced; I’m sorry but the main couple has zero chemistry.

My fave quote: “…the doctor’s gown you wear? That’s sufficient enough for people to put their lives in your hands. Let’s not disappoint them”

My fave OSTs:

Like Tomorrow Won’t Come by G/O

A Good Day Like This by Jeon Hye Won

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/158622149566/strangers

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/159863753466/who-is-the-real-stranger

Goblin

My rating: 10/10

Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na and Yook SuengJae

The best K drama ever. It’s perfect. That’s all. This K drama will make you value life more and will show you that death isn’t something we should be afraid of – it’s a part of our journey on Earth, an end to a life once lived and it will only be regrettable if you didn’t live your life right. Anyway, this is a story about a Goblin who lives for more than 900 years and is searching for the Goblin’s Bride that will pull out the sword from his chest to end his immortality is surely something that would catch your attention. Let’s also add that he has an amnesiac Grim Reaper for a best friend (lol) and a spoiled brat ‘nephew’ who is so in love with his credit card. What will make you get hooked in this drama? It’s how every character are related to each other both in beautiful and painful ways; yes, even that gorgeous chicken store owner has a very important role. The part that broke my heart in this drama is the realization that the key to ending the Goblin’s immortality has become his reason to stay alive. It’s ironic how someone who has the ability to end you is also the only reason for you to keep going. Ang sakit bes. It was a perfect mix of romance, comedy and drama.

My fave quotes:

“Every life is touched by a deity at least once. Just when you’re drifting away from the world, if someone nudges you back in the right direction, that’d be when the deity chooses to visit you”

“If god really only gives one as many struggles as one can handle, he may have thought too highly of me”

“The ones left behind should live even harder. We might cry from time to time but we should smile a lot and cheer up. You are obligated to do that in return for the love you received”

“Every human dies at some point, that’s why life is even more beautiful………If today is my last day, this will be my final memory of the person I love so I’d better live hard and love”

“How could you tell me to remember only the happy memories but to forget you? That makes no sense because every moment I spent with you was a happy one even though each and every moment was also sad and difficult. So, did my dying to protect you become your happy ending?”

“I will come as the rainfall. I will come as the first snowfall. I will beg the divinity to do just that”

“Every moment I spent with you shined. Because the weather was good. Because the weather was bad. Because the weather was good enough”

My fave OSTs: (all of them actually, lol)

Beautiful by Crush

Stay With Me by Punch ft. Chanyeol (EXO)

I will go to you like the first snow by Ailee

Hush by Lassie Lindh

I miss you by Soyou

And I’m Here by Kim Kyung Hee

You are so beautiful by Eddy Kim

Heaven by Roy Kim

Round and Round by Heize

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/160115970831/souls

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/161922642721/i-dont-wanna-live-forever-goblin-post-part-2

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/175471572666/hes-always-listening-goblin-post-part-3

My rating: 8.5/10

Starring: Lee Jong Suk and Han Hyo Joo

One of the most interesting plots in the K drama land; it is a story about the lead character of a famous comic book series who developed “free will” that scared his creator so much to the point that he wanted to kill off his main character. Kang Chul’s (the comic book’s main character) creator is afraid of how he seem to be directing his own story so his solution is to kill him however due to an amazing twist of fate, the creator’s daughter (which happens to be a doctor) gets sucked inside the comic book world every time that Kang Chul is in danger in order for her to save him. This k drama knows no chill by the way, it will keep you on the edge of your seat every episode. It’s intense and sometimes stressful to watch but you will love every moment of it anyway.

My fave quotes:

“But in last moment, he suddenly thought of one word: ‘Come-from-behind-victory’. Kang Chul decided to keep fighting until he found the true culprit – he wouldn’t be able to take back his own life. So he will find the culprit before he dies, no matter what.”

“The first purpose of the characters are to deliver the story. When the purpose is gone, the character disappears forever. On the contrary, when a character’s purpose becomes clear… then the character becomes one of the main characters by force”

My fave OST:

Where are u by Jung Joon-young

Please say something, even though it is a lie by Park Bo Ram

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/164668803281/hero

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/174726704651/kang-chuls-fight-is-my-fight-w-blog-post-part

Love in the moonlight

My rating: 9/10

Starring: Park Bo Gum, Kim Yoo Jung, Kwak Dong Yeon, Chae Soo Bin and Jinyoung (B1A4)

My first historical drama. It’s charming especially when you have Park Bo Gum as the Crown Prince and Kim Yoo Jung as the female lead, what more can you ask for? The romance side of this feels natural and would make you feel kilig everytime! You will love it to the moon and back. Moreover, the social issues it presented were still timely and relevant. It will make you realize that no matter how many years have passed and how different the government system has changed through the years, if those in position are motivated by their love of power instead of service to people then things would definitely won’t turn out well. This drama shows us that it is when the government listen to its people that it can be effective. The officials should not create higher gates and longer barriers between them and its people but instead open its doors and close the distance after all, without its people the government is nothing.

My fave quotes:

“I wish you would be a king with good eyes because if you’re too high up, you tend not to see people below you. I wish you have good ears – you must not listen only to those who yell before you… Please protect every single person for they’re all your people. Will you promise me to become a King like that?”

“Rather than a sun that shines alone, he’s a ruler who shines brightly when among his people, like the moonlight—I believe the king is that kind of person.”

“The highs and lows between me and my people, the distance between me and you—I hope that you will understand my wish to be one step closer.”

My fave OSTs:

Moonlight Drawn by Clouds by Gummy

Melting Heart by K. Will

My Person by Park Bo Gum

I think I’m done sleeping by Soyou ft. Yoo Seungwoo

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/165394639616/the-rebel-prince

Legend of the blue sea

My rating: 7/10

One of the most hyped K drama of 2016 and even though it fell short on its promising story line, I still get to enjoy watching this. It’s interesting to watch a love story between a mermaid and a human especially when it also included the theme of reincarnation. This drama also shows us the value of second chances – it is an opportunity for us to change the course of our fate but it will be our choice…it’s up to us if we want to be better.

Starring: Lee Min Ho, Jun Ji Hyun, Shin Won Ho, Lee Hee Joon and Shin Hye Sun

My fave quotes:

“If someone is reborn, might it be because they have an unrealized dream? That dream could be an unfulfilled love, or it could even be unsatisfied greed.”

“The fact that everything is repeating isn’t a curse, but an opportunity—to change the ending.”

“But when I make friends with someone, that’s it for me. Whether you backstab or not, that’s your choice. I’ll think about what I’ll do if you do backstab me. Until then, you’re my friend.”

“Rather than being unable to love my daughter because I can’t remember her, it’s better to live remembering her, even if it’s painful.”

My fave OSTs:

Love Story by Lyn

A World that is You by Yoon Mirae

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/168356428401/when-history-repeats-itself

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

My rating: 8.5/10

If I could only describe this K Drama in one word, it would be charming. The plot is light yet relatable. Easy to watch yet filled with great life lessons too. It will actually remind us of our younger years – the silly crushes, the dreamers in us and the unforgettable friendships we gained. What I like the most about it is the simplicity of its plot yet it will touch your heart.

Starring: Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk

My fave quotes:

“No matter how high the mountain is, it will not be as grand as your dreams. This is nothing hard! We get back up no matter how harshly we’re trampled upon”

“I hope you will confront that matters (resentment towards your mother and your complicated emotions towards your uncle’s family) squarely. Those emotions such as gratitude, guilt or tiredness from pretending you don’t know the truth.. should burst out at least once. Only then you will be completely free from the trauma you are having”

“Everyone has a youth. A time that’s more beautiful because it’s awkward and clumsy, a time that shines brilliantly. A time when you’re not afraid of anything because you have nothing to lose, and a time when you’re excited because you can have anything, everything. That’s now, age 24, my youth. Although I’m still uneasy and nervous, I’m perfect without needing anything else.”

My fave OSTs:

You and I by Kim Jong Wan

Dreaming by Han Hee

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/168888275251/swag

Cheese in the trap

My rating: 6/10

If you’re looking for a realistic yet harsh approach towards depicting our society in general, then this k drama is a must watch for you. It shows how the real world sucks. It has its charming side too though, especially the love triangle between Yoo Jung, Hong Seol and Baek In Ho and it will sometimes make you feel that both guys are deserving…actually erase that…all of them are deserving of love especially after all the struggles and challenges they’ve went through at such a young age. This drama started out strong but the ending felt a bit empty.

Starring: Park Hae Jin, Kim Go Eun, Lee Sung Kyung, Seo Kang Joon and Nam Joo Hyuk

My fave quotes:

“Once you start working, you’ll realize you’re no longer the center of the universe, you realize there’re many people who are better & scarier than you and you need to accept that you cannot control everything.”

“People who play victim will always end up like that, losing what they have as they attempt to gain what isn’t theirs”

“Why is it that people always want what belongs to other people? Then they delude themselves thinking other people’s things are theirs when in the end they lose what’s their own.”

“There are ups and downs in relationship but maintaining longevity is hard”

“No matter how rock bottom you are, you shouldn’t bring harm to people who care about you”

“Don’t put up walls and look down on people because among those people, there are some who sincerely wanted to be friends with you”

My fave OSTs:

My Time with you by Vanilla Acoustic

Einfuhlung by Tearliner

Just a little by Sweden Laundry

Maybe I like you by Cosmos Hippie

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/168925207681/trapped

Descendants of the Sun

My rating: 9.5/10

One of the best k dramas ever! I swear! It tells a great story of love, service and sacrifice. It is a great combination of romance, action, thrill, and philosophy. The best thing about this is how it executed the differing principles of the way doctors and soldiers save lives. It shows us how we can find ourselves through the service of others.

Starring: Song Joong Ki, Song Hye Kyo, and Kim Ji Won

My fave quotes:

“Soldiers always live with a shroud on. When they die in a nameless land for the sake of their country, the place of their death become their grave and their uniform become their shroud. This should be every soldier’s mindset every time they put down their uniform. Therefore, be honorable at every moment – there’s no reason to fall short”

“I’ve been given the privilege to be a doctor, I faithfully pledge my life to serve humanity. The health and life of my patient will always be my priority. I will faithfully carry out my duties regardless of the patient’s race, religion or nationality. I will not use my knowledge inhumanely even when I’m under threat. I hereby take this oath on my account and on behalf of my honour”

My fave OSTs:

Everytime by Chen of EXO ft. Punch

Always by Yoon Mirae

You are my Everything by Gummy

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/169657649021/sacrifices

Hwarang

My rating: 7.5/10

I once described this drama as oppa overload because it was really filled with handsome oppa! Anyway, this is a great drama to show how the youth, despite them being young, can become the nation’s future. It is when we guide the young people rightly that we can secure a good future. It also shows us how much we needed to be united for our country’s sake because we can do so much better if we work with each other instead of against each other. This is a story of growth and brotherhood. A must watch, for sure.

Starring: Go Ara, Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung Sik, Choi Min Ho (SHINee), Do Ji Han, Kim Tae Hyung (BTS), and Jo Yoon Woo

My fave quotes:

“It’s only those who possess a lot who fear. If you don’t have anything, you don’t fear anything.”

“Only when they (Hwarang) were able to think and live freely that they can dream of a future for Silla”

“Don’t be silenced by an order created by another. You are not a horse on a chess board. You are Hwarang who are freer than anyone else in this world. The fact that you are Hwarang, never forget that”

“Being young and weak is not a sin.”

My fave OSTs:

Even if I die by V and Jin from BTS

Our Tears by Park Seo Joon

I’ll be here by Park Hyung Sik

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/170972988531/change-starts-with-us

Doctors

My rating: 8.5/10

Starring: Park Shin Hye, Kim Rae Won, Lee Sung Kyung and Yoon Kyun Sang

This K drama will always have a special place in my heart because of how much I love and can relate with its heroine. The focus of this is the life of a great neurosurgeon Dr. Yoo Hye Jung – her ups and downs and how she manage to come out of all the challenges thrown at her stronger than ever. Her life story is really inspirational.

My fave quotes:

“The cells that make up a human are always in a state of instability. To live is to be unstable. In the end, the essence of life is change.”

“Unresolved pasts will always come back to find you whether it’s love or resentment”

“People say that forgiveness is not for others but for yourself. They shouldn’t say such things. Forgiveness isn’t as light as it sounds.”

“When doctors become guardians, they too are merely impotent humans.”

“A genuine meeting can change a person. The person I am with right now could change my life. That’s why a person can be both hope and despair”

“I had once dreamt of revenge — killing everyone and myself. But there is such a thing as karmic justice, and at the center of that is not me, but the world.”

My fave OSTs:

No Way by Park Yongin and Kwon Soonil of Urban Zakapa

It’s Love by Jung Yup

Sunflower by Younha

That’s the way it is by Se O

More of my reflection:

https://tinamaetales.tumblr.com/post/173628552981/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-stronger

It was one heck of a roller coaster ride, right? I think it’s safe to say that my 2017 k drama journey was lit af! Now I’m looking forward for more!

TinaMae

#personal #kdrama #k drama #2017 #doctor stranger #goblin #w #kang chul #love in the moonlight #legend of the blue sea #cheese in the trap #weightlifting fairy #kim bok joo #hwarang #weightlifting fairy kim bok joo #descendants of the sun #dots #doctors #doctor crush

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seventeen-scenarios-blog · 7 years

Text

[DRABBLE] Prince!Mingyu (G)

Request: When Mingyu comes home to see his significant other slow dancing with their eyes closed Requester: @brb2132 Genre: Fluff, royal AU Word Count: 1,622 Warnings: Cheesefest ahead, I hope you brought some chips to dip in.

A/N: If y’all can’t tell, my Mingyu swerve is still going on strong af and god do I LOVE seeing him in his prince outfit from Diamond Edge KDJLFSFGSG Hope you enjoy this!

wooed<3

And the left foot goes here, and… no no no, that can’t be right, my feet are all getting tangled up.

You slump in defeat against the velvet cushions of the couch. This simply isn’t working. You have been trying for the past couple hours or so, and you just can’t seem to get this damn thing right.

Hundreds of generations of heirs to the throne and I must be the first one that can’t get the most basics of ballroom dancing down, you think to yourself miserably, your fingers absentmindedly playing with the soft material. You were never much of a royal anyway. You loved playing outside and playing swords with your brothers, but when it comes to more ‘refined’ activities -- as your mother described them -- you are as good as owning two left hands and feet.

A glance on the ancient grandfather clock fixed on your left tells you that it’s nearing 2am in the morning. You wondered if Mingyu’s done with his work in his study. At the thought of your fiancé, a tremor courses through your spine. God, you always get so nervous around him, and it really doesn’t help that you’re going to present yourself as future spouses, future rulers, to his kingdom in about fifteen hours.

You love Mingyu, you really do. Your kingdoms being close allies for centuries, you’ve visited his castle a lot and you practically grew up together as a result. Your parents had you both betrothed as children, and neither of you particularly minded this arrangement for you both were already so close.

Even as a kid, Prince Mingyu was nothing short of polite, mannerly and just downright loving. You’d even call each other “honey” as kids, much to the endearment and delight of the adults. In your schooling years, you both had the same teachers, and after your classes you’d go out and play in the courtyard together, catching whatever critters that caught your fancy. When you both came of age, your engagement went off without a hitch, and you really can’t wait to spend the rest of your life by his side.

Until you realised that it entailed you having to dance with him in front of hundreds upon hundreds of your subjects. Your personal instructor had looked upon you stumbling like an elephant on rampage in utter horror a mere hour into your first lesson a week ago. Though she had managed to give you a weak thumbs-up for assurance at the end of the day, it was unmistakable that she thinks you’re a lost cause.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

A simple thousand year old tradition and you’re contemplating about throwing your birthright to one of your four younger sisters. Hell, even your twin brother Seungkwan would make a better fiancé than yourself. At least he could handle a few steps around the ballroom.

“Oh god, what am I even thinking…” you grumble, balling the silken material of your pajamas in your hands. “I gotta do this. I can’t let Mingyu down.”

Swallowing down the niggling self-doubt at the back of your mind, you mustered the will to get back up on your feet once more. You reached over to the speakers and upped the volume by two bars in an attempt to drown out the sound of blood rushing up your neck to your ears, but that doesn’t stop the way heat flood your cheeks regardless.

You lift your right hand, cupping the air that would have been your fiance’s shoulder, and extend your left arm to your side to “hold” your partner’s hand. You can already imagine Mingyu right there in front of you, looking down at you with those eyes, shining and full of affection.

Damn. You have to make this perfect for him.

Drawing in a shaky breath, you let yourself immerse in the music. It’s no hip-hop or folk rock you’re used to listening, but you have to make do. You try to recall the words from your dance instructor, and you extend your right feet tentatively to your front. Your left follows suit, and you step backwards with your right again. An outside spin, then a twirl, then a bow...

Alright, you’re getting there. Closing your eyes, you try again, letting the “music take over your body”, in the words of your dance instructor. You feel your eyebrows furrow as you concentrate on the rhythm and footwork. In fact, you’re so engrossed that you didn’t hear the foyer doors open and shut.

Your eyes fly open and a strangled scream of alarm gets caught in your throat when someone clasps their hand over yours.

“Shh… shh… It’s just me, baby. It’s okay…” You immediately relax into Mingyu’s sturdy embrace once you recognise his voice. Your husband-to-be chuckles at your reaction, reaching over behind you to flip the speakers off.

“Oh god, Mingyu, you scared me,” you lightly scold him, giving him a light smack on his shoulder. “I thought you’d be going to bed at this hour.” He’s traded his princely formalwear for a simple silk robe and pants, but he still looks like an ethereal god to you.

“I could say the same to you. I came back to the bedroom and you weren’t there, so I figured you’d still be here.” He smooths the small tangles in your hair with his fingers. “It’s late, shouldn’t you be resting up for tomorrow night?”

“I just thought I could use a little more practice for the ball tomorrow, that’s all.”

His eyes visibly softens as he notices the shaking in your voice. “Nervous?” he asks, the hand that was in your hair sliding down to cup your cheek.

“Very,” you reply immediately. “The last thing I want to be remembered for before ascending the throne is to have embarrassed myself in front of the kingdom because I don’t know where to put my legs. You know what, my first decree as ruler is to abolish this dumb tradition so that my future generations of two-left-feets don’t have to suffer like this. I mean, we even have to wear corsets! What is this? The 14th century?!”

You had to stop to take a breath between your rapid-fire commentary. Your honest answer has your fiancé snickering. “What was that you said about future generations of two-left-feets?” he wonders impishly, and you sigh at his little implications. “You know, if they grow up to be anything like their dad, they probably won’t be struggling.”

“Oh, save your childish jabs for the insecure,” you roll your eyes, poking him in the shoulder. Mingyu pouts, rubbing the sore area. “You know, the word ‘tradition’ is what the adults use when they don’t remember the purpose of something,” he points out.

“But too bad we still have to go through with them…” you dejectedly tell him, slowly writhing your way out of his embrace. “I just have to hope your parents don’t get second thoughts about our betrothal after tomorrow.”

“All because of a silly dance? Nah, I doubt it. They’ll still love you.” You stifle a yelp when Mingyu pulls you back into his arms again, and tightens his hold even more. “Like how I still love you, two left feet and all.”

You manage a weak huff of amusement at his cheesiness, but your spine stiffens with resolve once again. “Tradition or not, I’m not leaving this room until I get this right. You should go back and get some sleep, Mingyu. You’re going to need it.”

The crown prince frowns at your stubbornness, knowing that it’s impossible to stop you once you set your mind to it. He had a lot of episodes from his childhood to prove it. He knows that there’s only one way to coax you out of this situation. He loosens his grip on your waist, only to slide his larger hands into your own. You look up at him, clueless.

“Well, I guess a little extra practice for me won’t hurt either. But we’ll leave once the clock strikes two, then it’s off to the kitchens for a good midnight snack, alright?”

Your eyes flutter shut in pure bliss as Mingyu presses a kiss on the crown of your head. “Alright,” you relent, and you’re greeted with Mingyu’s two rows of delighted pearly whites. “Let’s both hope I don’t end up stepping on your toes like last time, huh?”

“No worries, I’m well-protected this time.”

You both burst into laughter as Mingyu proudly brandishes his furry bunny slippers at you, and the music turns back on, filling the room once more.

He slowly and gently waltzes you across the marble floors. Your eyes darts down to make sure your feet are following the patterns you’ve mapped in your brain, but he bends his head down at you, catching your attention.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says again. “Tomorrow, it’s going to be about you and me. It will be just like now, two of us, alone, enjoying our time together. We’re not going to let anyone take our fun away, not the tradition, nor the public’s opinion. Got it?”

Utterly mesmerized, you can only swallow whatever’s in your already-dry throat and nod. You’ve known this man all your life; how he still manages to make you swoon every time is a mystery.

“And besides, if the people ever dare to make fun of you, we can always sentence them to d--”

“No, Mingyu.” You bop him on the head before you can finish his sentence. Ah, there’s the dork you fell in love with. His subsequent grin is brighter than the full moon outside, and as the clock strikes 2, Mingyu sweeps you off your feet, and you feel ready as ever for tomorrow.

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isakthedragon · 6 years

Text

Super Sonic Thieves Chapter 3

Chapter 3- The Case of Thieves and ‘Killers’

Intro Cutscene:

Sly: “Another look into the Thievius Raccoonus led us to visit England during the Victorian Era. Our family had an ancestor during that time, Thaddeus WInslow Cooper III, that was known as one of the richest families at the time. Besides being known as a wondrous mechanic, building one of the earliest flying machines, he was also a well-known detective from Scotland Yard as well. There was something very worrisome about it though; not only is that information missing, but it seems he was arrested for committing attempted murder he was investigating! Looks like we’ll have to put on our thinking caps and grab the magnifying glasses to solve what has happened to my ancestor.”

Sly Cooper and the Gang in…

*An old timey book opens up to an empty page and a raccoon hand comes in with a red-inked quill and writes: ‘ The Case Of Thieves and ‘Killers’ ’. The ink slides down off the letters a bit, looking like blood.*

-----

Hub Layout:

The gang has their hideout just outside of London to the West in an abandoned farm (so they can hide the van since they don’t exist yet) during the winter, so not many people are outside as well, along with a covering of snow everywhere. The police department, and the jail as well, are in the center of the city, just West of the River Thames. Nearby is Big Ben, chiming on the hours. Since this is the 1800s, the city is much smaller, and is more filled with houses. The map ends on the River Thames though, so you can’t go any farther. The north side of London is the home of a huge manor and in the air is one of Eggman’s airships floating about, creating all the badniks.

Enemies

Crows: Black crows that flutter about the roofs in search of thieves, or anyone breaking the law for that matter. They will caw for other guards if provoked. Carries/drops 5-7 coins to pickpocket has 10% chance of treasure.

‘Werewolves’: Wolves that walk around, patrolling the streets with their heightened sense of smell for blood (Wolves in Sly’s world are anthropomorphic already, but they are ‘werewolves’ for being more fluffy and having longer claws, seemingly being transformed by the London moon.) They will counterattack with their claws with a nasty claw swipe that is almost unavoidable. Carries/drops 7-9 coins to pickpocket has 25% chance of treasure.

Horses: Brown-colored stallions that search the streets with their flashlights for anyone where they aren’t. Attacking these guys will make them retaliate with a hoof kick, but it does take them a bit to charge up. Despite what you’d think, it’s best to stay real close in front of their face if there is no alert about as they can’t see in front of their own head for a few feet. Carries/drops 7-12 coins to pickpocket has 50% chance of treasure.

Bobbie Pawns: Egg Pawns acting as the actual police force of London, but will club at anyone with their oversized clubs and will whistle for other enemies if left alone. Don’t attack their head as their have a spike on their cap that is NOT for show and WILL hurt. Drops 6 rings when smashed.

Egg Fighter Knights: Also wearing a police uniform, these guys opt for a sword and shield instead (But forgot their spike caps). Either hit them from the top or from the back to destroy them. Drops 8 rings when smashed.

Egg Gunners: Eggman’s blatant disregard for time has had him send his futuristic (And humanoid looking) badniks to fight Sonic and co. They can float in the air and fire at you with their vulcan cannons. Sonic and the others can handle them, but the Sly characters may need to get creative to smash these things. Drops 10 rings when smashed.

Nebula: Helicopter like badniks that drop spike balls on you if you pass underneath them. Better destroy them before that happens. Drops 4 rings.

Balkiry: Fast bird baniks that jet towards you. Better smash them when you see them. Drops 5 rings.

Turtloid: A small turtle badnik that controls a bigger turtle badnik that fires small missiles at you. Destroy the smaller one to make the bigger one useless. Drops 6 rings.

Treasures:

From Guards:

Bronze Quill: Worth 40 coins and 20 rings.

Silver Quill: Worth 60 coins and 30 rings.

Gold Quill: Worth 80 coins and 40 rings.

From Pedestals:

Pearl Necklace: No bobby trap. Worth 400 coins and 200 rings. Found around Annis Fox's home.

Gold Crown: Bomb booby trap, with 2:00 timer. Worth 450 coins and 225 rings. Found near the courthouse.

Silver Clock Hands: Bomb bobby trap, with 1:00 timer. Worth 500 coins and 250 rings. Found on Big Ben’s roof.

Golden Magnifying Glass: Fall Damage Sensor booby trap. Worth 600 coins and 300 rings. Found near Thaddeus’s home

The coins here have an old Victorian England Coat of Arms on them.

Secret Sighting of Clockwerk: Acting as a gargoyle statue in a park. Maybe he’s a Weeping Angel? :P

-----Jobs-----

Another London ‘Murder’ Mystery

Find a disguise for Sly

Go talk to Thaddeus

Steal the case info

Head off to the manor and take recon.

Sly: “It feels weird that I am going to a police station voluntary again.”

Carmelita, through the radio: “Giving you bad memories? Preferably in shocks!” *She chuckles.*

Sly: “Huh, so that’s why my tail has a tingling sensation near you.” *He chuckles back.*

Bentley: “GUYS! PAY ATTENTION!!”

Sly: “Buzzkill.”

Carmelita: “Indeed.”

Bentley: “We don’t got time! We need to hurry in and find Thaddeus! His trial is tomorrow, and we need to figure out to save him before then, but first we need to talk to him!”

Sly: “Alright, Bentley, don’t get your shell cracked. We’ll talk to him, although I wonder if they might arrest me for looking like him…”

Espio: “Don’t worry, I’ll distract them, but perhaps you might need a disguise…”

Bentley: “I would guess the evidence locker for clothes might have something you can use. Now come on!”

*Sly and Espio head into the Police Station. The player has them sneak around, avoiding and distracting police officers with various things to get their attention as they make their way to the evidence locker where they store clothes. There are waypoints in the room for things to collect.*

Sly: “Alright.” *He puts them on.* “Heh, should fool them enough. Now to find Thaddeus.”

*The player continues sneaking on, making their way to Thaddeus’ cell. Once there…*

Thaddeus was sitting, looking away from the bars. “Huh? Who goes there? Another annoying bobby making fun of a ‘lost’ detective?”

Sly: “Quite the opposite really. I want to help restore your reputation.”

It peaked Thaddeus’s interest, with his ears twitching and tilting his head a bit. “Oh, really? And who might you be?”

Sly: “Well, it’s a long story, but I am an ancestor of yours. My name is Sly Cooper.”

Thaddeus turns and walks up to the bars to look at Sly. “Hmmm… it appears you are a Cooper alright. But what are you doing here?”

Sly: “Well, it seems obvious you aren’t meant to be in prison. I know you are a great detective, but someone has altered history to put you in here.

Thaddeus: “Is that so? How? And why? You didn’t have something to do with this, did you?”

Sly: No! ...Well, I hope. Anyway, I’m afraid I can’t explain right now. Can’t risk overstaying my welcome here. But what can you tell about what’s going on. How’d you get arrested?

Thaddeus: “Ah, it is the most infuriating thing! I was framed for attempting to murder Lady Fox, a fox of extraordinary wealth.”

Sly: “WHAT?!”

Thaddeus: “Yes! Even though I’ve never been nor had any reason to ever visit her place, the law found my items in her living room where she laid comatose, and her own valuables were missing! Being from a family of master thieves, I was of course accused of the crime despite none of those valuables being in my possession.”

Sly: Blamed for a thieving you didn’t even commit. Unbelievable…

Thaddeus: Oh, I shudder to think of how tarnished my legacy has become with this unfortunate event...

Sly: Hey, don’t worry! Me and my gang are going to do everything we can to clear your name! I’m not going to let one of my favorite ancestors go down like this!

Thaddeus: A thousand thank yous, my dear descendant. I bet if you want to know anymore of the case, they probably have the information handy, since my trial, which is gonna be more of a death sentence than anything, is soon.”

Sly: “We’ll figure out some way-”

Espio interjects quickly. “Someone’s coming! And we can’t hide you!”

Sly: “Don’t worry, I got this.”

Police Officer: “Hey?! Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Sly (In his favorite accent, Italian :P ): “Oh? A-me? I’m-a the defense lawyer sent to defend Thaddeus. It’s-a my first case.”

Police Officer: “Hah! I see they found a sucker to defend Thaddeus! No one wants to touch that! Good luck, buddy, his case is a lock! Better be prepared to lose!” *The thought was apparently funny enough that the officer leaves.*

Espio: “That was close.”

Sly: “Guess I’m gonna defend you then, Thaddeus.”

Thaddeus: “Knowing you’re doing it, I feel relieved. I wish you luck.”

Sly: “Thanks.”

*The player now makes their way back out, taking the case info someone left out along the way.*

*Outside…*

Bentley: “So you had to tangle yourself with the case huh?”

Sly: “Well, someone has to defend Thaddeus! Besides, it might help with whatever plan we come up with later.”

Bentley: “True. Well, I guess you should make your way to the manor then. See what the crime scene suggests.”

*The player heads off to the manor and in disguise, enters it. They make their way to the master bedroom, where the crime occurred.*

Sly: “Hmmm… quite a mess in here…”

*The player takes recon photos of the broken window, hole in the wall, the neat bed, and the trail of loot leading out of the open empty safe.*

Bentley, on the broken window. “It seems to be where the criminal entered, considering the glass on the inside floor.”

Bentley, on the hole in the wall. “That shape seems quite odd. Maybe we need to ask Sonic and his friends on that.”

Bentley, on the neat bed. “Hmmm, for the mess in the room, the bed looks oddly neat. This Ms. Fox must have been put to sleep before she could even react.”

Bentley, on the trail of loot. “Whoever did this seems to have dropped a money trail, literally. I think we should check where it goes.”

Sly: “That seems to be everything interesting we can find here.”

Bentley: “Alright, come back to the hideout so we can read the case info and we’ll go on from there.”

JOB COMPLETE

-----

Bentley: “Alright. Here seems to be their case for the prosecution: Yesterday morning, nearby neighbors awoke to the sound of glass breaking from the manor. Worried for Ms. Fox, they immediately went to get the police. They came quick and found her comatose on the bed and her safe open and completely empty of money and valuables. Finding what was a calling card for Thaddeus, they immediately arrested him and took his cane along with them. Oddly, the cane is missing from the evidence log, so it can be assumed it was lost on the way to the station. They threw him in jail, and now it’s just waiting for the case to finish to kill him.”

Vector: “Seems like they have a really good case against him, especially with the calling card.”

Charmy: ♪ “Heh, maybe we should take it back so they have no case!” ♫

Bentley: “That’s what we were thinking. We need to steal it so they will have a harder time prosecuting him. And it might also free Thaddeus for the time being.”

Charmy: ♪ “Sweet! So who gets to go?” ♫

Bentley: “We’re gonna have Espio and Carmelita go in to find the evidence. It’s too dangerous for anyone else.”

Charmy: ♪ “AW! I wanted a mission!” ♫

Bentley: “Don’t worry, you got a mission with Vector. You guys will follow the money trail to see where it ends.”

Charmy: ♪ “YAY!” ♫

Vector: “We won’t let you down!”

-----

Follow the Green

Follow the trail of money to its end

Vector: “Alright, we’re under the broken window that the trail of cash leads to, but it seems the snow is covering more it.”

Bentley: “Darn, I see the snowfall has been heavy recently. How are we going to find it?”

Charmy: ♪ “OH! Oh! Vector can find it! He can find the trail, no problem!” ♫

Bentley: “Really? How?”

Vector: “Heh, well, I have somewhat of a sense of money. I can smell it from a distance.”

Bentley: “Great! Go on, then! Follow the trail!”

Vector: “Got it.”

*The player has to hold down a certain button to make Vector sniff the ground, which makes green clouds float above the ground, showing the money trail. The player has Vector and Charmy follow it among the streets, alleys, and roofs throughout town, until they reach Big Ben.*

Charmy notices them stop. “What is it?”

Vector: “For some reason, the trail stops here in front of Big Ben. It might continue, but we can’t get up there.”

Bentley: “It’s alright, guys. Come back to the safehouse. We’ll find a way up there.”

JOB COMPLETE

-----

Freeing the Innocent

Enter the evidence locker and steal back the evidence leading to Thaddeus

Save Carmelita from the police officers.

Carmelita, wearing a period accurate police uniform stolen earlier by Sly. “I wonder if they will believe me in this get-up.”

Espio: “Well, I just need you to convince them long enough so I can get through the evidence locker for Thaddeus’ stuff.”

Carmelita: “Hmmm, if they are like present day evidence holding rooms, it should be alphabetized. So look under ‘C’ .”

Espio: “Got it.”

*The player enters and takes control of Espio as Carmelita grabs the attention of the police around. The player makes their way to the evidence locker and enters it.*

Espio: “Oh my!”

Bentley: “What is it?”

Espio: “For being the 1800s, the place sure has modern-day lasers.”

Bentley: “Hmmm… I wonder if Eggman has messed around in here?”

Espio: “Well, it’s not going to stop me. I got this.”

*The player makes their way through the evidence locker, avoiding the lasers and other modern-day traps to reach Thaddeus’ evidence, which Espio grabs.*

Espio: “Alright. Time to get out of here.”

Bentley: “You better hurry. Carmelita seems to be having trouble keeping up out there. She sounds mad.”

Espio: “Got it.”

*The player now has to make their way out, noticing Carmelita is overwhelmed. The player has Espio make some noises and distractions to help Carmelita escape. Once it works, they leave to finish the mission.*

JOB COMPLETE

-----

Bentley: “Alright. I got good news and bad news.”

Sly: “I’m guessing the good news is Thaddeus is now free from jail?”

Bentley: “Yes.”

Sonic: “That seemed too easy.”

Bentley: “Well, that’s the bad news.”

Thaddeus: “Apparently, someone claims they saw me putting Ms. Fox to sleep and stealing her money, and they are testifying in court tomorrow. I’m free to move around the city, but I can’t leave.”

Charmy: ♪ “Darn! All that for nothing!” ♫

Thaddeus: “Well, I’m here now, and I want to help you find the real criminal!”

Sly: “So what are our plans on doing that?”

Bentley: “Well, Silver and I will be entering Big Ben to continue on the trail of the money. I have a feeling it will lead us to who did all this. Also during this time, Murray and Vector will check on Ms. Fox.”

Vector: “I think what has made her comatose is an Egg Flapper badnik. The hole in the wall matches up to one.”

Bentley: “Besides, she could be useful in solving the case. Finally, Thaddeus, Sly, and Sonic are going to take Thaddeus’ plane into the air. I think that airship is producing all the badniks down here and it might make our plan harder if we don’t take it down.”

Sonic: “Sweet! Some air time!”

Sly: “Huh, flying with my ancestor. Never thought I’d see the day.”

-----

Going Cuckoo

Make your way through Big Ben

Steal the cane back from Bark the Polar Bear

Tails: “I can see you guys are at Big Ben. Now how to help you guys get up on the roofs.”

Bentley: “Hmmm… nothing seems obvious…”

Silver: “Can I try something?”

*The player has Silver telekinetically grab Bentley…*

Bentley: “WHOA!”

*... And place him on the roof nearby before telekinetically floating Silver there too.*

Tails: “Well, that worked.”

Bentley: “I flew! But please warn me next time you do that!”

Silver: “Heh, sorry, and alright.”

*The player makes their way across the roofs of Big Ben tower, following the money trail as it takes them into the belfry's. It’s a bit of a dangerous trek, avoiding various swinging parts and for some reason, lasers again and being spun around on gears and destroying junk and walls with Bentley’s bombs. The money trail ends at an ajar door that they enter. Inside they find the vault contents and something more…*

Silver: “Look! The money!”

Bentley: “Shhh… that’s not all.”

*We pan to see Bark the Polar Bear sitting in a lounge chair, talking to Eggman.*

Bark: “Well, it’s a bit unconventional, but I’m going to be testifying to get Thaddeus executed.”

Eggman: “I can only guess that pesky hedgehog is the reason why you have to.”

Bark: “Sorry.”

Eggman:”It’s fine. I’m used to failure. Just make sure your case is solid!”

Bark: “It is, I promise! It can’t be disproven otherwise!”

Eggman: “You better hope so!”

Bark: “Well, if it’s any consolation, I have the info for Thaddeus’ cane and moves and stuff.”

Eggman: “Good. Send it over.”

Silver: “I think I can grab the cane, but we need to distract Bark first.”

Bentley: “I think if I hit the various bells and stuff above him, it should annoy him enough! I’ll use my darts to work them.”

*The player has Bentley shoot darts at various gears and bells, making them work to make a big cacophony that makes Bark cover his ears.*

Bark: “AH!!! The noise! So deafening!”

*The player has Silver take the distraction and telekinetically get the cane over to Silver.*

SIlver grabs them once they are close. “YES! I got them!”

Bentley: “Let’s get out of here before he notices.”

JOB COMPLETE

-----

Grey’s Robo-Anatomy

Defeat the enemies in the hospital

Save Carmelita’s ancestor from the Egg Flapper

Vector: “Alright, Tails. We have made it to the hospital… although it looks quiet.”

Murray: “Too quiet. The hospital looks dark.”

Tails: “That doesn’t sound good. You guys better check it out and find out what’s happening.”

*They enter and find the place swarming with badniks and guards chasing the hospital staff.*

Tails: “Oh my! They seems to be attacking the staff and patients! You guys better stop them before anyone gets hurt!”

*The player goes on a protection mission, finding hospital staff and protecting them from the badniks and guards.*

*Once everyone is saved:*

Vector “Alrighty, we saved everyone.”

Murray: “But still no sign of Ms Fox.”

Tails: “Hmmm… I’m seeing a strange mechanical reading from one of the rooms that’s covering up someone’s signature. I’ll put a waypoint. See what’s in there.”

*The player goes to find the waypoint and enters the room to find…*

Murray: “ *GASP* Sly’s not going to believe this, but it appears Ms. Fox is actually Carmelita’s ancestor!”

Vector points out the badnik next to her. “Looks like she’s being held asleep by that Egg Flapper!”

*The robot wises up and flies out of the room.*

Vector: “After that badnik!”

*The player know has to chase after the Egg Flapper, throwing things at it to make it crash onto the ground so it can be attacked. Once destroyed, the player returns to Ms. Fox’s room to find her slowly awaking.*

Ms. Fox: “Oooh… what happened… feels like I’m drunk…”

Vector: “Hello, Ms. Fox. You were in a comatose state, but we found a way to wake you again.”

Annis Fox: “Mmm… please, call me Annis. And thanks. But why was I in one, and why am I in a hospital.”

Murray: “We can explain, but it might be safer to do it someplace else.”

Vector: “Is that alright, Ms?”

Annis: “Mmm, anything better than this hospital seems good at the moment.”

JOB COMPLETE

-----

Robots in the Sky with Coopers

Survive the flying badniks

Take down the airship

Thaddeus: “Ah, home sweet home. I was worried I wouldn’t make it back.”

Sonic: “Why have you taken us here again?”

Thaddeus: “I’m your way of getting into the sky!” *The doors to the shed open, revealing a plane belonging to Thaddeus.*

Sly: “Wow! I saw it in the Cooper Vault, but seeing it here makes it look that much more awesome!”

Thaddeus: “It should work, but this will be my first time flying it, so I’d like apologize if things go south.”

Sonic: “Heh, it wouldn’t be my first crash landing.”

Sly: “Mine neither.”

Thaddeus: “Good. Your friend Bentley seemed adamant on taking out those robots flying up there. I guess you guys can balance on the wings to attack them. I’ll do my best to keep steady.”

*The trio get on the plane and Thaddeus takes off. The camera goes to 2D as a level like Sky Chase Zone starts.*

*The player is zoomed on forward, attacking badniks as they pass by. Sly is useful for close combat while Sonic can hit the more distant (floaty) badniks more safely.*

*Once that is all done, the airship closes in on them and cannon shells whiz by.*

Sly: “WHOA! What was that?”

Sonic: “Cannon shells. Eggman always outfits his airships with cannons. We better get off and destroy that airship as we are still close.”

Thaddeus: “I’ll distract them, but please hurry and destroy them first! I can’t save you guys otherwise!”

*Sly and Sonic jump off. The player now has them destroy the cannons on top of the ship then go into the interior and destroy the computers and other guidance systems to force the airship to crash. The player must then get out and get onto Thaddeus’ plane.*

*Getting on will let a cutscene play of the airship crashing into the River Thames.*

Sonic: “You keep building them and we keep knocking them down, Eggman!”

Sly: “Guess I can check that off on things our gang has destroyed. Let’s go return to Bentley with the news.”

JOB COMPLETE

-----

Bentley: “Alright, Thaddeus’ trial is today and we need to get him found innocent. I got… no plan.” *He sounded sad.*

Sly: “Well, I am acting as Thaddeus’ defense attorney. (In his Italian accent.) “I shall-a find-a my client not-a guilty!”

Bentley can be heard slapping his face. “We’re doomed.”

Sly: “The only thing I need to do is just convince the judge Thaddeus didn’t do it by countering Bark’s testimony. Is there evidence I can use?”

Charmy: ♪ “Well, we do have the money trail leading out of the manor and to Bark and the valuables!” ♫

Sly: “That’s a good start, but I worry they might think I planted it then.”

Vector: “Well then, how about Ms. Fox’s testimony.”

Sly: “Sure, that would- wait, what?!” *He notices Annis.* “Carmelita?!”

Annis: “No, I’m Annis. I was told already and she knows about me being her ancestor around this time.”

Sly: “I… I see.”

Carmelita: “Don’t get any ideas, Cooper!”

Sly: “I’m not! I’m still surprised to see an ancestor of yours.”

Bentley: “I’ve made some calculations. Using her will most certainly free Thaddeus and implicate Bark! But we have to make sure she can survive a trip to the courthouse.”

Carmelita: “Blaze and I will do it. We’ll get her there safe. Just don’t mess it up Sly.”

Sly: “Heh, knowing I’m at the end of that barrel will keep me from messing up.”

-----

Operation Turnabout

Get Sly and Thaddeus to the courtroom

Protect Annis Fox

Stall the Courtroom

Defeat Bark

*The player controls Sly and Thaddeus, helping them make their way to the courthouse. But thanks to a heavy guard presence along the ground since the airship crashed, the duo have to stay among the rooftops to avoid being shot at.*

Sly: “We need to make it to the courthouse in one piece.”

Thaddeus: “Being eviscerated is for court.”

*Once they get there, the camera returns to the safehouse, everyone leaving ahead save for Carmelita, Annis, and Blaze*

Bentley: “We’ll scout ahead to make a path, but you guys will have to deal with any stragglers.”

Carmelita: “I’ll make sure they don’t lay a hand on my ancestor at all.”

Blaze: “I’ll make sure of that.”

*The player now has to escort Annis to the courtroom, taking down any guards and badniks along the way. Annis is not much of a fighter, but can dodge somewhat. Just make sure to not let any enemy get close to her and you’ll be fine. Once at the courthouse, they immediately enter...*

*The Judge snaps his gavel to quiet the gallery.*

Judge (He’s an owl): “Order, people! The attempted murder trial of Ms. Annis Fox is to begin now. Is the defense ready?”

Sly: “As-a ready as we can-a be, ‘Udgy!”

Judge: “And the prosecution, Mr ‘Wolf?”

Prosecutor Edge-Were-Wolf: “Despite some setbacks, yes.”

Judge: “Setbacks?”

Prosecution: “Someone… stole some evidence…”

Judge: “But that means there’s no case from what I read.”

Sly: “Then-a my client should-a go free!”

Prosecution: “HOLD IT! We may not have evidence, but we have the next best thing! Testimony from someone who witnessed the crime and certainly put Thaddeus as the killer!”

*The gallery murmurs.*

Judge: “Then bring him out! We got executions and cases to get to!”

Prosecution: “The prosecution calls Bark the Polar Bear to the stand.”

Sly whispers to Thaddeus: “Alright, you ready?”

Thaddeus: “I am used to this, but are you?”

Sly: “Yeah, if it means I save you.”

*Bark takes the stand*

Judge: “Please state your name and occupation for the court. Not that it matters.”

Bark (Having a British accent): “My name’s Bark and I’m Annis’ butler. I know what I saw when I walked in! Thaddeus was there!”

-WItness Testimony-

Bark: “I had finished my work for the day and left, but I forgot something and went back in. There, I saw Annis’ bedroom in ruin and Lady Fox on the bed motionless. And I saw Thaddeus, that very raccoon, pilfering her most treasured items with an evil grin!”

Judge: “Well, that seems to wrap this case up quite nicely! Be the quickest conviction ever! I find Thaddeus-”

Sly interrupted: “OB-JECTION, ‘Udgy, but did-a you forget I’m here to counter?!”

Judge: “Why should you?! Seems pretty open and shut, honestly.”

Sly: “I can find some-a holes, trust-a me.”

Judge: “Fine, but don’t waste our time.”

-Counter Argument (The player decides if Sly presses, objects, moves on, or moves back a statement with dialogue trees from Sly 3. Wrong objections empty the penalty bar, doing it twice gets a guilty verdict and must start over from the beginning.)-

Bark: “I had finished my work for the day and left, but I forgot something and went back in.”

Sly- Do I press him for more info, object to the statement with evidence, or move on to a new statement?

-*If Press is chosen: (CORRECT OPTION)*

Sly: “HOLD IT! What is it you forgot-a to do that required returning back to the manor bedroom?”

Prosecutor: “OBJECTION! Does it really matter?”

Sly: “I-a think so! It might be-a important!”

Judge: “I’ll allow it. Witness?”

Bark laughs nervously: “I… uh… forgot to lock the safe.”

Prosecutor: “WHAT?! You didn’t tell me that?!”

Bark: “It didn’t seem relevant… you’d have to be a part of her staff to even know if the safe was locked.”

Sly: “See! I-a told you it was important!”

Prosecutor: “Ob… Objection! As he said, it’s not relevant totally”

Sly: “Is it? The crime occurred-a when the safe was-a unlocked! Smells of an inside job if you ask-a me!””

Judge: “I have to side with the Defense. Witness, amend your testimony.”

Bark: “I had stupidly forgotten to lock the safe.”

Sly: “Do I press him for more info, object to the statement with evidence, move on, or go back a statement?

*If Sly presses*

Sly: “Hold it! Why did you forget to lock the safe?”

Bark: “I was… busy… Annis had pushed me around a lot that day. It slipped my mind.”

Prosecutor: “I don’t see a problem here, honestly.”

Sly: *Is there?*

YES (Incorrect)-

Sly: “I… I think?”

Judge: “Allow me to decide: No!”

Sly: “D’oh!”

NO (Correct)-

Sly: *Mmm, he is right… if I was busy, I could forget something important.* “Fine, move on.”

Bark: “There, I saw Annis’ bedroom in ruin and Lady Fox on the bed motionless”

*If pressed*

Sly: “Hold it! How did you know the bedroom was in ruin?!”

Bark: “Well, the safe was ajar and the bed was a mess, like with a struggle!”

Prosecutor: “Is there a point?”

YES (Correct)

Sly: “Yes! I took a photo of the scene and found the bed to be neat and tidy, as though she never got out of bed in the first place!” *Shows a period accurate picture of the bedroom for the court.*

Bark: “Oh… darn...”

Prosecution: “Damn it…”

Judge: “The witness will refrain from lying on the stand.”

Bark: “Sorry… I just forgot…”

NO (Incorrect, but just does nothing, as it requires a revisit)

Sly: “No… not that I can see…”

Judge: “Please continue.”

Bark: “And I saw Thaddeus, that very raccoon, pilfering her most treasured items with an evil grin!””

*If pressed.*

Sly: “Hold it! How do you know it was Thaddeus?”

Bark: “It was him for sure! I saw his cane!”

*The prosecutor slaps his face.* “Damn it!”

Judge: “HUH?! Why the outburst, Prosecution?”

The prosecution seethes. “That… was the missing evidence.”

Sly: “Perhaps we can-a help?”

Prosecutor and Judge: “What?!”

Sly: “We found the cane.” *He shows it to the court.*

Judge accepts it as evidence. “Where was it?”

Sly: “Well, it might-a not help the prosecution. But we found it in Bark’s possession. He-a dropped it.”

Bark starts to look worried.

Sly: “And while we are-a on the subject, I think the police should-a visit Big Ben! We did some detective work and found a money trail leading for Annis’ home to his secret hideout in Big Ben. And we found the lost valuables!”

Bark now looks angry.

The judge is surprised. “You found the money and valuables?!”

Sly: “Yeah, and Bark’s testimony seems to neglect the hole in the manor wall and the glass on the inside of the window on top of the hole!”

Judge: “How about you tell us your theory, Defense.”

Sly: “I-a think Bark doesn’t work-a for Annis, and was actually planning on-a robbing her! He-a knocked her out beforehand with one of-a those weird things flying around outside, creating the hole and making her comatose!”

Judge: “So weird things outside belong to him?”

Sly: “Yes! Then he crashed in-a through the window and then robbed her of-a her stuff, leaving a trail to-a his place! Thaddeus is wrongly implicated here!”

The prosecutor smiles: “And can you prove this?”

*A voice can be heard in Sly’s ear at this time.*

Bentley: “Sly! We’re here! We can hear you! Finish it off!”

Sly: “Yes!”

The prosecutor loses his smile fast. “Wait, what?”

Sly: “Why-a don’t you ask Annis Fox yourself?!”

Judge: “But she’s comatose!”

Sly: “We-a found a way to revive her! Just ask her! I call Annis Fox to the stand!”

*The court doors open and Annis walks in.*

The prosecutor: “A-a-a-a ANNIS FOX?!”

Bark: “Damn it…”

Annis: “I heard the defense, and he is right! I believe I saw a bear outside a few times beforehand, and Bark looks just like him! I feel confident that he robbed me!”

The prosecution is speechless.

Judge: “I guess that wraps this up nicely. I find Thaddeus -”

Bark: “NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

-*If Object is chosen at a wrong time.*

Sly: “I-a Ob-ject!”

Prosecutor: “On what grounds? Even a fool could tell nothing is wrong there!”

Judge: “Sorry, but I’m with the prosecution. Penalty for the defence”

Sly: “D’oh!”

-*If penalty bar is empty*

Judge: “I’m sorry, but I must stop the defense from making a fool of himself. I find Thaddeus: G U I L T Y.”

Sly: “Sorry Thaddeus…”

*In a fit of anger from losing, Bark pulls out a button switch*

Sly: “What’s that?”

Bark: “I WILL NOT LOSE TO YOU FOOLS!!! DIE!!!!”

*He presses the button, and sounds can be heard outside…*

Sly: “Everyone! Get out now!”

*One of the crashed airship’s last cannons, still operational apparently, aims itself at the courthouse and fires a powerful shot. Everyone scrambles to get out of the courtroom before the shot collides. Once the shot hits, the roof collapses and the debris wreck the courtroom with only Carmelita and Knuckles remaining inside, the rest of the team unable to get back in due to the debris blocking them.*

Knuckles: “Ugh… Oh thank the heavens, we’re alive.”

Carmelita: “Urk, yeah… Unfortunately, we’re alone with him now.”

Bark: “Dammit! How did that not kill anyone?! No matter! I’ll take you both down and then kill that brood like I was supposed to!”

Carmelita: “HA! Good luck with that! I’ll have you know I’m Interpol’s top detective and I’ve taken down criminals far stronger than you! And if you think I’ll let you kill my ancestor this easily, you’re very mistaken!”

Knuckles: “Yeah! And my strength easily outmatches yours! You have no chance, Polar Bear!”

Bark: “We’ll see about that, you echidna lastling!”

*Carmelita fires an electric blast from her Shock Pistol at Bark. Right when the shot was about to hit Bark, it disappears and the polar bear is not affected*

Carmelita: “What the-?!”

Bark: “Hehehe, my boss prepared for your arrival and gave me a device to activate an Electric Shield! It protects me from electricity and gives me a shocking punch!”

*Carmelita growls and jumps at Bark, intending to deliver a powerful kick to his head, but he catches her foot and tosses her into one of the rubble*

*And so the boss fight against Bark begins. Thanks to his Electric Shield, Bark is completely invulnerable to Carmelita’s shots. Thankfully the Electric Shield will disappear should Bark suffer a powerful enough hit but he is tough as bricks, so only Knuckles can do anything about this. The first part of the fight has Knuckles and Bark duking it out like boxers. In other words, this part of the fight plays like a simplified fighting game; the controls have you punch, block, dodge, and move, with the objective being to deplete the Electric Shield’s “HP” to zero. Once it’s gone, you can switch to Carmelita and start unloading her Shock Pistol at Bark and whittle away at his health. Once his health goes down 25%, Bark will bring up another Electric Shield and the process begins again. While fighting against Knuckles, he’ll start off with just punching, then jabbing quickly (75%), throwing uppercuts (50%), and finally fake-outs (25%). And while fighting against Carmelita, he hide more often and throw stuff at you the more health he loses.

*Once Bark is defeated*

Bark: “I may have lost… but Eggman is still winning…”

-----

Outro Cutscene:

Sly: “After knocking out Bark, the court deemed Thaddeus as not guilty for the crime and arrested that polar bear on the spot. For both the crime and destroying the courthouse, Bark was to be sentenced to death! But we couldn’t let that happen, both to keep the timestream stable and because we can’t allow anyone from Sonic’s universe to die in our world, so we managed to convince the law to let us apprehend Bark and then toss him back into Sonic’s world. After having to solve that whole mystery, we all decided to stick around with Thaddeus for a bit and get some downtime. With the way Eggman and his goons operated so far, we need all the energy we can get. Besides, with time travel, it’s never too late to do anything.

Sly: “Heh, Thaddius sure is spending quite a bit of time with Annis, talking about cases and the like. Guess he must of convinced the Fox family to go into law enforcement.”

Next Time: Sly and Sonic batten down the hatches in the 17th Century Caribbean.

#Isakthedragon's fanfiction #Super Sonic Thieves #SST #Super Sonic Thieves: Chapter 3 #SST: Chapter 3 #Featuring an ancestor to Carmelita... Annis Fox!#I wonder if people will like her... and Thaddeus.#Also Phoenix Wright references cause why not?

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nymphadorastcnks · 7 years

Text

Wolf Girl part.1

Fandom; Game of Thrones

Pairing; Jon Snow x OC

Warnings; um, blood?

Tatia is a wildling whom is effected by the full moon, some thought werewolves were a tale, that’s because they’ve never seen one.

AN: so, this is my first fanfiction and i hope it isn’t too bad. Feel free to send in some requests or message me and let me know if you want a part 2. :))

Tatia’s POV Looking at my surroundings, all I could see was trees and shrubbery covered in snow. No flowers could be seen, only white and the occasional dark brown from the bark of the trees, being illuminated by the light the full moon would give off.

Trying to catch my breath, I panted. My paws weren’t use to the coldness of the ground. I haven’t found any animals to hunt for days, it might’ve been weeks. I’ve lost count.

I limped towards a clearing that held a big white tree with what looked like a face carved into it. I dragged myself towards the large body of water that stood a few meters away. I looked at my reflection, shocked at what I saw. A large, dark brown wolf gazed back, with large forest green eyes. Due to the pool being frozen over, there was no chance I could drink the ice-cold water. My mouth was watering from the thought of drinking something, even eating anything I could find.

Glancing back at my right side, I could see a large gash going upwards towards my shoulder blade. I must’ve been running for hours, searching for food until a large white wolf spotted me and must’ve thought I was its dinner.

FLASH BACK

As I couldn’t see the beast because it blended in with the white snow, it snuck up on my when I looked up to the full moon; high up in the sky, begging for this night to be over. Suddenly it pounced onto my back, causing me to roll over, jumping onto all fours and started at my attacker dead in the eyes. Green connected to red. A shiver ran down my spine and I went to make a run for it but it jumped onto me, I yelped as its right paw’s claw made contact with my right side and dragged up in excruciating pain. I scraped my right paw across its long snout, attempting to make a run for it; which gained an ear wrenching yelp in return.

END OF FLASH BACK

When I eventually turn back, I’ll have to treat it, but what with? I have nothing. I don’t think I’m near any village so no one can help me, I’m probably going to die in the snow. I can still feel the blood dripping onto the pure white snow and creating a deep red colour to stain it with.

I limped towards the large white tree and laid down in front of it. I may as well and try to get some sleep, that wolf it probably waiting for me to do so anyway so it can kill me as I sleep.

Jon’s POV

Ghost has been gone for hours, he’s probably hunting but there isn’t much to hunt since winter is here.

I was in my chambers, well, father and Lady Catelyn’s chambers, when I heard a scratch at the door. Ghost? I got off the large wooden bed and made my way towards the door. I opened it and saw Ghost but he had a small gash on the side of his snout.

“Are you okay, boy? What happened?” I questioned the wolf, knowing full well that he couldn’t answer back.

I took a closer look at the cut and saw some blood coming out of the cut. I stroked his head and being his left ear and glanced towards both of him front paws. Seeing that there was something attached to his right paw, I gently held his right paw in my left hand and saw a piece of brown fur. Wolf fur? No, it can’t be.

Trying to ignore the thoughts in my head of another wolf, I picked up the small bowl of water I had on a small table in the corner neck to my fire place and put a spare cloth into the water, rung it out and placed it gently on Ghosts snout where the cut was. When I was doing so I made a note to myself that I’ll send a search for the lone wolf out in the woods tomorrow morning.

As the light of the sun came soaring through my chamber window, I remembered what happened last night, or early this morning, with Ghost.

I told some men what happened and got some volunteers to help with the search, including Tormund and Ser Davos.

We made our way into the Godswood, which was very unrecognisable due to all the snow that had fallen when the recent moons have come and gone.

We split up and quietly searched around for any sign of a brown wolf, due to the light colour of the snow and the dark colour of the wolf, it seems like it should be easy to find it. I walked towards an old weirwood tree, only to see something in front of it. No, not something, someone.

I looked towards Ser Davos who happened to be watching me, a few paces behind me. I pointed to the person lying on the ground, curled up in a ball, probably freezing because of the snow surrounding them.

I took off one layer of my furs and put it over their naked body, only now noticing their breasts behind their arms. A woman, with dark brown hair was lying with their back facing the tree.

By this point the rest of the men who came on the search were gazing at the woman with interest, all thinking the same thing, why was she here?

Ser Davos quietly walked up to their girl and gently placed two fingers on her neck, just below her jawline, checking for a pulse to see if she was alive. And to their surprise, she was.

Davos walked towards my gaping form and whispered to me, “Her pulse in weak, I’m shocked she’s still alive.”

Still looking at the girl I whispered back, “We’ll bring her back to Winterfell, try and help her.”

Finally, I looked away from the girl and looked towards the tall ginger to the left of him, who had inched closer to the girl. Jon nodded, signalling his friend to pick the girl up. When he did I looked at where she was a saw a big pool of red blood on the floor. I quickly got to Tormund’s side and tried to get a look at the girl again. Carefully I unwrapped the furs from her freezing state, ignoring the parts of her that no man should look at until he was given consent, I saw a large, deep gash on her right side going upwards towards her right breast.

“She has a big wound on her right side, be careful with her.” I told Tormund, whom was trying to be a gentle as he could with the girl. All the men were looking at me now and I told them, “Go back to Winterfell, I think we’ve found we Ghost met last night.” The men all nodded and we all mounted our horses and begun to ride back to Winterfell, with the broken girl.

We arrived back in Winterfell just under four hours. The girl had he wound tended to by the Maester and he said that she’ll live, but she hasn’t woken up yet.

It must’ve been almost midnight when myself, Sansa, Ser Davos, Brienne and Podrick were in the hall discussing what will happen for the upcoming war.

Suddenly, a distressed looking Tormund came barging through the doors to the hall, “The girl, she’s awake.” In that moment, I noticed the cut on his right cheek, oh Gods.

Tatia’s POV

My eyes shot open and I noticed I wasn’t out in the freezing cold, I started breathing heavily and I suddenly noticed that large ginger man standing next the door.

We made eye-contact and I stood up on the large bed filled with furs and picked up the chair that was next to the bed, holding it in front of myself like a shield.

The man started to step closer with his hands out in front of him, “Put the chair down, little girl- “

“Take one more step and I’ll hit you with this!” I shouted at him, afraid that he’ll try and hurt me.

He walked over to the left side of the bed, with his hands still up, showing that he didn’t have anything that could hurt me. In one quick motion, he grabbed a hold of one of the chair’s legs but I kicked him in the chest, to which he went stumbling down onto the floor. Because of the loud noise more people started coming into the room to see what was happening.

I could see the ginger man run out but I couldn’t go out myself because more people tried to grab a hold of me.

I hit anyone who got three steps closer to me and started holding the chair in front of me but every so often I’d turn around to point it and whoever was closer to me.

“Don’t take another fucking step closer! I’ll beat you with this! I’m fucking warning you!” I shouted to everyone in the room.

Another man ran into the room with wide deep brown eyes and black hair that was put back. Everyone fell silent and looked towards him. He nodded to everyone to leave and I stared at them all as they left, shifting my eyes to look at anyone who made a move.

Once everyone who tried to get me left the room he walked in and looked to the chair still in my hold. He took, what looked like, a sword out of its sheath and placed in on the floor, all whilst keeping eye-contact with me.

He kept taking small steps closer to me, raised his eyebrows and nodded to the chair, “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m the one who found you in the Godswood, freezing and bleeding.” In that moment, I realised I was wearing a night dress or something like that.

My eyes relaxed and wasn’t as wide anymore, my mouth parted and I looked at the man, no longer in panic, but relief.

With my hoarse throat, I whispered a small, “Thank you.”

#game of thrones #game of thrones fanfiction #jon snow #jon snow imagine #jon snow fanfiction #jon snow x oc #fanfiction #kit harington

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kaoruyogi · 7 years

Text

How to Win Wars and Influence Nobles (Ch. 5)

Rating: E for Explicit/NSFW Content! (Eventually)

Check it out on AO3!

You’d think a video game lawyer could just drop into a pseudo-medieval universe filled with magic and demons and be totally okay with it, right?

Nah.

In the wake of her brother, Spencer’s, disappearance, Belle dropped into Thedas with luggage, but without a clue. After a brief but memorable panic attack, she resolved to be the best goddamn lawyer Thedas had ever seen. Even if she was the only goddamn lawyer Thedas had ever seen. And even if that obstinate asshole, Cullen, wouldn’t stop giving her the side-eye every time she walked into a room…Or every time he walked into a room with her in it…Or every time they walked into a room together…Or–Fuck it. You get it.

Chapter 5: Don’t You Goddamn Dare

“You look like a frickin’ peacock,” Spencer said.

Belle preened, running her fingers along the frilled collar of her new Orlesian attire. “I like peacocks.”

“That’s good, Belle, because your brother is right. You do look like a peacock,” said Dorian. “Shimmery, green, and quite full of yourself. It suits you.” He sat across from her at a large congregational table in the center of the Herald’s rest. “Don’t you think, Sera?”

Sera, who sat to the right of Dorian, was almost too busy stuffing her face with stew and booze to answer. She did, though, mouth full and muffled. “Dunno, never seen one.”

“But you told me you’d been to Tevinter. Did you not manage to catch a glimpse of just one while you were there?”

“Bit busy, yeah?” she said before swallowing down her food. “I had things to do not looking at your stupid pee-birds. Pretty’s fine, but if you can’t eat it, sleep with it, or steal it, ‘s not worth much.”

“She’s right, you know,” Iron Bull said in his deep voice. “Pretty things are pointless if they’re useless.”

“Well, I suppose it’s good that I’m not useless then, isn’t it?” Dorian asked, leveling a squinting glare at the huge Qunari to his left. There was definitely something going on there.

“I don’t know about that, Buttercup,” said Varric from the end of the table. “You can’t eat, sleep with, or steal the Counselor, and she’s still pretty useful.” Belle loved that he’d taken to calling her Counselor. It lent a sort of foreign familiarity to their interactions.

Sera chewed and grinned at the same time. “Might try number one and two, though, just the same.”

Belle grinned back at her. “Sorry, Sera, I tend to prefer a different set of parts than what you and I got goin’ on.” Belle sipped her water, still smiling.

“Parts you can buy,” Sera said. “Or make.”

Belle’s water nearly came out of her nose. When her laughter had slowed to a simmer, she said, “Very true, but I prefer men anyway.” Sera just scoffed and shoved another heaping spoonful into her face.

“And I know this outfit is a little extravagant, P,” Belle said, turning to her brother, “but it makes my tits look amazing.”

“Here, here!” Bull raised his glass. Belle winked at him.

“Ech! Ew! Can you not, though? Can you just not talk about your…” He waved his outstretched hand around as if to block the offending boobs from view. “Your…those?”

“Aw, come on. What kind of shitty big sister would I be if I didn’t embarrass my little brother every now and then?” She jostled his shoulders. “Besides, you’re leaving tomorrow, and I won’t get to harass you for a month. And I’ve really missed harassing you. It’s probably the thing I missed the most after you vanished.”

“So, what, I should just start talking about who I’ve banged since I got here?” Spencer asked. He was always just as good at playing these games.

But Belle wasn’t about to back down. “Yeah, dude.” She made her tone as serious as she could. “Tell me who you banged.”

“Ohhh no, I’m not f—”

“Tell me who you banged, dude.”

“Blonde hair and a soft mouth.” Cole’s voice slipped up beside her, startling her just a bit. The ethereal boy was a mind reader. She just had to accept that. That was a real thing here. He was also sweet and kind. He’d brought her a cup of ginger tea the day after he returned with Max to Skyhold. “For your stomach,” he’d said. “You’re worried, but this will help.” She’d hugged him tight after the initial shock wore off. She’d hugged him tight a few times since, too. He was like a little mind-reading Winnie the Pooh.

“She’s always mean but she was nice then. Like Claire,” said Cole.

“Ewww, dude! You slept with Claire two point oh?” Belle’s mouth curled up into a sneer that melded disgust with amusement.

“Who’s Claire?” asked Varric. He leaned forward, intrigued.

“Tits McGee? His clingy, weird high school girlfriend.”

“She wasn’t weird, Bete.”

“She was so fucking weird, P. She fucking knocked on my fucking window in the middle of the fucking night after you guys broke up! My window! Not yours. Mine. And she knew it was mine, the creep. I was only home for the weekend, too, the little spaz.”

Sera snorted, and Spencer let out an exasperated groan. “Ugh, fine, whatever. She was weird. But she still had a great rack.” He and Sera clacked their mugs together at that. Belle shuddered.

It was moments like this that eased her mind. As everyone chattered about spying and stew and sexual conquests, Belle settled into the idea of being there. She still wanted to go home, that much was certain, but the people around her grew on her. She was still terrified to let Spencer leave Skyhold with nothing but a sword and shield to protect him, but knowing that Max was a powerful mage who needed little protecting placated her protective nature. Spencer had a dangerous job before being sucked into another dimension. Albeit, no one was actively trying to kill him most of the time, but there was still very real danger in his day-to-day.

At some point in the evening, Spencer excused himself to join his cohorts at another table, and they eventually retired for the night. One by one, the people laughing with her shuffled off into the night to sleep or fuck, or both. They left until she was alone. Wide awake and alone.

Belle wasn’t sleeping well. She thought about it as she trudged back to her tower. Anxiety and insomnia poked and prodded at her. The latter would have been nonexistent without the former. It wasn’t the kind of anxiety that sent her spiraling into a panic attack every night. It was the kind that whispered in her ear and flicked her consciousness just enough to remind her that something was wrong all the time. She was not supposed to be in Thedas. She was not supposed to be there, and it would kill her soon. She was sure of it. She only had seventeen days left. Seventeen days until things went south.

She climbed her stairs, all the while giving silent thanks to God for sending wonderful Josephine to her. Belle hated heights, and that godforsaken ladder had only highlighted her fears. She’d slept wrapped up in a blanket in the corner of her the tower for the first three nights, if anyone could call what she did sleeping. She shivered and wept and curled into a ball on the floor. Perhaps she’d slept those three nights, and perhaps she hadn’t.

The king-sized bed the workers had somehow hauled up to her room was passable. It was soft, if a little lumpy, and the covers were warm and plush. She thanked God again for the clandestine set of clasps she’d managed to have put on every piece of her new wardrobe. She unhooked and unsheathed herself and changed into her nightshirt. It really was too short and thin for the weather in Skyhold, but that didn’t matter. The fact that it smelled different didn’t bother her, either. It was the piece of home she could slip into every night.

Belle wasn’t even sure how long she would be able to keep wearing that nightshirt. It was starting to hang off her frame in a strange way. She was losing weight, already down somewhere between ten and fifteen pounds, she reckoned. To a point, that was to be expected when she stopped eating processed foods and chocolate and climbed every fucking stair known to mankind. But there were also times she wasn’t eating at all. She counted calories as she slipped under her covers and sidled up to the window at her bedside that she liked to stare out of in her sleeplessness. Maybe six or seven hundred calories, eight if she was pushing it. That was all she’d eaten that day. Less the day before. She’d made a good arrangement with the cook so she could avoid her food allergies, but that only took her so far.

Fear gripped her constantly. Fear that at any moment her gastroparesis or her GERD or her IBS would flare up and incapacitate her with no remedy. The meds were for management, they weren’t a cure. She couldn’t even think about her asthma, her chronic migraines, her cervical stenosis, her subluxated lumbar spine, her fucked up sinuses, or her very rare but occasional bouts of chemical depression. It was all too much.

So Belle stared out that window, watching the two moons creep across the sky, so huge that they looked like they would collide with the mountains as they passed overhead. Night sounds of wind and passing birds and the odd howling wolf soothed her. She cried most nights, but she usually watched and listened until her eyelids were too heavy, until sleep clawed its way into her head.

Movement on the battlements below caught her eye. A head of thick, surprisingly curly blonde hair exited the nearest tower. Cullen wore a loose white tunic and brown pants, but no shoes. The easy night wind that breezed around Skyhold ruffled his already mussed hair, and he ran his hand through it as he padded toward Belle’s tower. She watched him stop midway and put his hands on the stone wall.

He looked out at the snowy mountains. A dim and otherworldly blue glow hovered in the air—the moons reflecting off the ice—making him appear as if he’d been made a ghost upon the setting of the sun. He really was impressive to behold. Even under his loose clothes, and even from that distance, she could see that he was carved muscle and sinew and raw power. His profile was striking, and his bare hands looked at once soft and rough, fragile and strong.

Cullen leaned on those irreconcilable hands and stretched and twisted his body. The barest hint of sweat darkened the back of his tunic. More withdrawals. Belle wished he would at least put some shoes on. As hot as he might have been, it wasn’t good for him to be out in the frigid air in nothing but wisp-thin fabric. If it had been anyone else, she might have yelled down to them and grinned like an ass. They might have shared a laugh at the fright she’d given them. They might have gone back to bed or come to keep her company in her solitude.

But this was not anyone else. It was Cullen.

She didn’t hate him. On the contrary, she respected him. It took a while for her to realize that he was like a lot of the cops she’d worked with. He’d probably started out like the brand new cops—baby cops, everyone called them. These baby cops were dead serious about the job, about the cause. They ran themselves ragged working overtime and triple-double shifts and arresting even the most pithy offenders because they were going to make the world a better place, goddamnit.

Then they got tired. They got jaded. Some of them got funny, and some of them got angry. A lot of them landed in between. There was always one moment, one pin in the map of their career, that tipped the scales. An abused kid who begged them for salvation. A cute kid who asked them to play catch on duty. Someone’s schizophrenic brother or husband that shot their partner. Someone’s depressed brother or husband that they managed to talk off of a bridge. There was always something that stuck with them. Plenty of them would keep running themselves ragged until they couldn’t anymore, still determined to make that fraction of a difference. It was admirable, however futile it turned out to be.

Belle wondered what the pin was in Cullen’s map. What was the moment that tipped his scales? How long would he run himself ragged before he couldn’t anymore?

She watched him watch the mountains for uncounted seconds. She didn’t know how long he stood out there, staring at that glittery blue ice that turned him spectral. She only knew once she woke the next morning that she fell asleep watching him. She fell asleep to strange dreams of the blue and blonde phantom that snarled and wept and snarled again, the apparition that ran ragged as he slashed at misshapen demons in the darkness, the ghost that wondered if he would ever make that fraction of a difference.

*****

“You look like fucking frilly Bayonetta, weirdo,” Spencer said into Belle’s hair as she hugged him goodbye.

“And you look like a level two paladin, you fucking dork.” She squeezed him tighter and they laughed.

“I’m sorry I’m leaving so soon after we found each other again.”

“At least this time it’s by choice,” said Belle.

A throat clearing sound came from behind her. Goddamnit. She rolled her eyes while she was still facing away. The sound came from Cullen. She didn’t even have to look.

Belle and Spencer said their “goodbyes” and “I love you’s,” and she made her prerequisite threats that no one better get killed coupled with menacing and pokey fingers pointed from her eyes to everyone else’s. She watched Josephine linger a bit too long and a bit too close to Max. So, this was that courtly love people talked about. Passing touches and amorous gazes and just that inch of space missing between two bodies. It was adorable.

Belle stood sandwiched between a melancholy Josephine and a stoic Cullen. They watched Max, Varric, Vivienne, and Cassandra ride away, followed by Spencer and the rest of his battalion on foot. Belle caught sight of a short swath of blonde hair and an impressive bust on one of the soldiers. Tits McGee part deux, she thought.

She noticed Cullen’s flop sweat only in passing as she beelined for her tower to cry in private.

For the first week, Belle missed having her brother to complain to about what a pain in the ass it was to be without all their modern comforts. Taking a piss was an ordeal that either involved a disgusting bucket-chair contraption or a trip to the reeking communal latrine. Her period had only ended a few days before, and it became a mess of stained rags and embarrassing laundry the moment her temporary tampon supply ran dry. And to pick up said embarrassing laundry was a slew of servants, which made Belle uncomfortable in an entirely different way.

She took it upon herself, over several days, to do some housekeeping of her own with the servants. She checked in on all of them, managing to convince a few of them to speak candidly with her about their salaries and living situations. As it turned out, a position at Skyhold, or any of the Inquisition’s other properties, was coveted amongst the serving class. The pay was good and everyone got their own bed or bedroll, which was more than any of them were accustomed to in the homes of their previous employers. It was a relief to hear, though it brought Belle little comfort in accepting their servitude.

She had also taken to playing herself one song on her mp3 player every morning. The thing had a fully-charged twenty-four-hour battery when she’d been sucked into Thedas, and she figured she could make it last for a few months by turning it on for a single song. She sang along when there were words because she loved to sing. She was also rather good at it, if she allowed herself to believe what she’d been told. Settling into a version of her customary morning routine helped prepare her for the day, even for just a few minutes. It was better than nothing.

Belle also discovered that she liked the Ferelden nobility much better than the Orlesians. They were of sturdier stock, in her opinion, and less likely to find offense in petty things. A Bann named Hammett, there to discuss trading embrium shipments for extra Inquisition patrols, was accidentally served wine meant for the soldiers, much to Josephine’s immediate horror. Before she could have the offending beverage replaced, the Bann guffawed and drank down the whole glass.

“Wine is wine,” he said, “and the Inquisition soldiers are getting some damn good wine.” Belle liked Bann Hammett.

Ferelden clothes were also more comfortable. She had a few frocks made in various earthy tones, and belted at the waist rather than corseted. Each garment hung just above her knees, and was paired with leggings made of cotton, lambswool, or something called “samite,” and knee-high leather boots. Belle took the liberty of having cloth inserts put in for arch support. She had no clue how everyone walked, let alone marched, without arch support. It made her feet ache.

Cullen seemed to like her better in Ferelden garb, chest-thumping Ferelden that he was. He would nod a greeting to her before staring, which was an improvement on the unrestrained staring he’d been doing since she arrived. The two of them even managed to sprinkle some casual conversations into their routine amidst the bickering and shouting matches over who said what or who promised something to whom.

He didn’t look well, though. Every day his skin looked paler or greener. That flop sweat Belle noticed in passing became persistent. He would wobble where he stood or brace a hand on the war table or lean a shoulder against a wall. His symptoms were getting worse. But every time she asked him how he was doing, his answer was the same.

“Fine.”

“Fine,” Belle would say back.

She still watched him training from the battlements while she ate lunch. While she’d first started doing it to check his competence as a commander, she’d since begun to watch for his welfare. His hand would rest on the pommel of his sword and his body would sway as he barked out orders or instructions. He looked like he would fall over in a stiff breeze.

About eight days after Spencer and Max had left Skyhold—oh, who was she kidding, it had been exactly eight days, two hours, and twenty-one minutes since they’d left—Belle walked through the rotunda with Dorian and Sera on her way to let Cullen know that she needed two of his men to escort an Arl up from the valley the following day. It was her plan to have dinner with her friends after giving Cullen the message.

“We should ask the Commander to join us,” Dorian said. “I think he must be rather lonely locked away in that tower of his.”

Sera pulled a face. “Pfft! He’ll piss on the party!”

“I’m certain he’ll do no such thing. He just needs to loosen up a little. Perhaps a strong glass of something will help.”

“Trust me,” said Belle as they passed through the door to the battlements, “alcohol is the last thing he needs right now.” It would only make things worse. Alcohol dehydrated people and sapped them of vital nutrients, and Cullen needed every vital nutrient his body could contain.

“Oh? So you don’t think I should ask him to join us?”

“That’s not what I said. Ask him, don’t ask him, do what you want. Do you, booboo.”

“I haven’t the slightest idea what that means, but it sounds rather dismissive,” said Dorian.

“And you are right on with that assessment.”

“Perfect! We’ll have an extra dash of dashing at dinner tonight, then!”

Sera groaned.

Belle opened the door to Cullen’s office, talking as she did. “Hey, Cullen, I’m going to need to bor—”

She stopped cold at the sight of Cullen lying face down next to his desk, his arm outstretched, as if he’d tried to catch himself as he fell. A small wooden box lay open beside him, its contents spilled and smashed on the floor.

Belle shouted his name as she ran to him. He didn’t move. She felt the sting and scrape of the stone against her knees when she skidded onto the floor. Adrenaline pumped through her body, helping her roll him onto his back. His eyes were closed, his mouth open.

“Cullen?” She patted his cheek. “Cullen, wake up. I need you to wake up for me. Cullen?”

Nothing.

Sera stood frozen by the door. Dorian had appeared on the other side of Cullen’s body at some point. He repeated after Belle with a waiver in his voice. “Cullen? Wake up. Cullen?”

Nothing.

Belle put her ear down next to Cullen’s open mouth.

Nothing.

She two fingers under his jaw to check for a pulse.

Nothing.

“Sera,” Belle said, keeping as calm as she could. Calamity was her specialty. It was not her way to scream or freeze or run. “Sera, I need you to go get Solas.” Sera didn’t move. “Sera! Now!” Sera muttered something like “sorry, yeah” and ran back toward the rotunda. Solas hadn’t been there when they passed through, and Belle wondered if he’d returned since they walked out.

“He’s not breathing and his heart’s not beating, Dorian. Do you know any magic that can bring him back?”

Dorian looked grim as he shook his head. “Not alive. I’m a necromancer, which means he would have to stay dead for me to reanimate him.”

“Then help me get this armor off.”

Belle tugged Cullen’s mantle out of where it was tucked into his belt, while Dorian worked Cullen’s right arm out of it. She pulled it under Cullen’s body and yanked it off his left arm, throwing it out of her way. A mass of silvery steel still stood in her way.

“Roll him toward you,” she said. Oh God, Cullen, breathe, she thought. For the love of God, breathe.

Dorian did as she asked, and she unfastened a small brown buckle that she wondered how Cullen reached every morning. “Down,” she said, and Dorian set Cullen on his back again. They worked at the twin buckles in the front, and pulled Cullen’s cuirass over his limp head.

“Get the straps on your side.” Dorian obeyed again, unfastening the right side of Cullen’s breastplate from his backplate while Belle worked on the left side. Her fingers were steady. They were always steady in an emergency. She was fire-forged for this exact brand of crisis.

She and Dorian pulled Cullen’s breastplate off to reveal his sweat-drenched tunic, every fiber soaked through. His body was still warm. Dorian tugged the backplate out from under the dead man. He was dead. He would not stay that way. He couldn’t.

In almost any case, you’re only going to do compressions until help arrives. No rescue breaths. But in the event of an unwitnessed cardiac arrest, the body is likely deprived of oxygen, and would benefit from compressions and rescue breaths, she remembered the words of the instructor at her last CPR certification renewal. Not compression-only CPR. Rescue breaths and compressions. Rescue breaths and compressions.

Belle tilted Cullen’s head back to open his airway, and swept her finger through his mouth. She fastened her mouth over his, feeling the smooth skin of his scar and the rasp of his stubble against her lips, and breathed into his body twice. His chest rose and fell with each breath. He hadn’t choked on anything. Good.

She laced her fingers together and pressed the heel of her hand into his sternum to start compressions. Thirty to two, thirty to two, thirty to two. Cullen’s ribs cracked against his sternum with her third push. She counted aloud, all the while singing “Stayin’ Alive” in her head to keep the proper pace for her compressions.

“What are you doing?” Dorian asked, no doubt bewildered by her efforts.

“CPR,” she said as she pushed down. Fifteen. “Don’t you dare die, Cullen.�� Twenty.

Belle felt again for a pulse at thirty. Still nothing. She breathed into Cullen’s mouth again, watching his chest rise and fall, and started her second set of compressions. “Wake up, Cullen.” She could feel foolish tears rising, burning her eyes. “Wake up. Don’t you fucking die on me, Cullen.”

His head lurched and his body jolted with every compression, his mouth lolled open. One of Belle’s absurd tears broke free and landed on his chest. He couldn’t die. She needed him. The Inquisition needed him, but she needed him, too. She didn’t even know why. All they did was argue and stare at each other.

An uncharacteristic sob forced its way from her unwitting lips after her third set of breaths. He still had no pulse. It wasn’t working. Maybe she should have made Dorian do compressions, he was bigger. But she would have had to teach him how, and time was of the essence.

Thirty more compressions, two more breaths. Nothing.

Where the fuck was Solas? Where was the fucking guy with the strongest healing magic in Skyhold?

Thirty more compressions, two more breaths. Still nothing.

Belle’s tears were flowing uninhibited. “Wake up, you obstinate asshole! This doesn’t get to kill you! You don’t get to die! Wake up!”

She stopped compressions, and balled her right and into a fist. “Don’t you dare die on me! Don’t you goddamn dare!” She swung that fist down onto his chest as hard as she could, grunting out another sob.

Nothing happened.

Belle screamed as she swung her fist down to thump Cullen’s chest again. It was a desperate scream that belonged to the helpless and hopeless and wretched, to the already-dead warrior thrusting his sword in a pointless final effort to vanquish his enemy. It was fraught and forlorn and tore its way out of her with such force that it made her body tremble.

“Don’t you goddamn dare!”

*****

Notes: Please don't hit me!!! *flinches*

On a side note, I'm not saying that non-rescue personnel should do rescue breaths. I'm an advocate for compression-only CPR for those who are starting out uninstructed. Also, precordial thumps (slamming one's fist on someone else's chest) are *rarely* effective on those whose hearts have stopped beating for an undetermined amount of time. AKA DO NOT TRY WHAT IS DEPICTED ABOVE AT HOME! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DO, SO DO NOT USE THIS AS A RESUSCITATION GUIDE!

Kay...so...still don't hit me. Pretty please.

#cullen #cullen rutherford #commander cullen #cullen x belle #belle dolan #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #fanfic #mgit #self indulgence au #modern girl in thedas #htwwain

26 notes · View notes

ofcitylightsandstars · 6 years

Text

Absinthe

I’ve always believed in the other world, I knew they existed. Ghost, spirits, angels and demons. It just didn’t cross my mind that in my entire life time, that I would be in a corner, backed up against a wall, trying to win a staring contest with one.

So how did I get myself into a situation like this, you ask?

I don’t know either.

Oh, by the way, Hi! I’m Jada Tsui, 25 years old, working as a part-timer. Just an average everyday working lady.

So… why do I have impending death staring right at me?

Here’s why, I was being nosy as hell.

An hour earlier

“Thank you for your hard work! See you tomorrow!” I said to my co-workers as I bid them goodbye while I stayed behind to close up shop.

“Haaaaaaaa… So tired!” I stretched my entire body before I got down to business. As I was cleaning off the display and putting the utensils back to where they should be, I heard some noises just right outside our back door entrance. I ignored it at first since I thought that it was just some rats digging through the trash.

THUD

BANG

THUD

“What the Fuck!”

“NO! You asshole!”

“Shut up you motherfucker! I want your soul!”

But then I realized that that is a mighty huge rat to be making so much noise, plus the fact that this rat is cursing quite colourfully too.

“Soul?” for some unknown reason, that last word sent shivers down my spine.

Fear started to set in. Making it blatantly aware that I am now alone, defenceless in the middle of the night, and from the voices its more than just one person, and it seems that they are not in good terms with each other.

Crap! This is trouble! What do I do? What do I do?

I weighed my options, Call the police, and then what? Hunker down? Wait it out? It might be too late. Someone might die right under my nose.

As I tried to force down my panic, my sense of duty surpassed everything else.

THUD

CRASH

It was the sound of something, or someone hitting the wall.

“I’m too old for this.” I said to myself, clicking my tongue as I decided on what I have to do.

I reached for the phone, dialled the emergency hotline and gave them the details to where to find the shop.

Next thing I did was look for anything that I could use as a weapon.

Great. I am at a chocolate shop. I can throw them these humongous chocolate bars then make a run for it. Nice.

Oh wait. Look around you.

We have knives, cast iron pots and oh, la la!

I smiled triumphantly as I held out my choice for a weapon of mass destruction. A blow torch.

“I can do this! I am not scared! I can do this!”

Oh boy, if only I had known what a huge surprise I’d be in…

I would’ve chosen a group of thugs over what I found on that alley, anytime, any day.

Armed and ready with my blow torch, I announced my arrival.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing, you bastard?!” I said as flung the door open, hoping to stop whoever was attacking who. Silently hoping that my bravery wasn’t in vain.

I saw a tall guy, with black shoulder length hair, wearing a dark leather jacket was standing over someone on the ground, there was blood everywhere too, there was also a stump of something that I decided not to look at, knowing that it is someone’s body part. He was facing away from me but I wasn’t stupid to not realize the glint of a knife on leather-jacket’s hand.

“No! No! Stop!! Help me!” the man on the ground suddenly let out a blood curdling scream.

Without hesitation, I readied my body to go on a full out sprint and tackle leather-jacket to the ground. But, in that split second that I could even take a step in their direction, leather-jacket quickly plunged the knife… no, the sword into the man’s heart, cutting off his screams.

The man on the ground, let out a choked gasps as he looked up at the man above him.

“Pol expect talionis daemonium!” The man on the ground his voice surprisingly calm for someone who had just been stabbed in the heart said on his final breath

“Non exspectare,culus.” leather-jacket said, while smirking and wiping off his sword.

“No… No…”

Too shocked to even give a flying pig’s fuck about what they just said, I sank on the ground. Not aware that I was stifling a scream in my throat.

That was then leather-jacket guy turned around and noticed me.

The alley was dark but, tonight the moon was so bright and the light from the open doorway illuminated everything.

I looked up at him involuntarily, I saw his eyes, and they were green. Absinthe, the color of the devil’s drink. It was cold and cruel, the bloodlust evident. I can feel my soul being sucked in, but in those eyes, I can see a bottomless pit, with the soul of the damned is waiting for me. I trembled slightly, I had to look away, those orbs…they were glowing. I am positive of that.

He had this look in his eyes that makes me wonder how many he’s killed but this grin… made me realize he’s probably lost count.

His smile promised death. That there would be no escape. It was a smile that promised slow and agonizing pain. It was a smile befitting a monster.

A monster. A demon.

My heart stopped at the realization. I knew right at that instant that I was right. He isn’t human.

He is not from this world, and that smile really does belong to someone like him.

Perhaps, he was able to read my mind, or maybe he thought that it won’t matter anyway, because sooner or later I will die in his hands. He showed me his true form.

In a shimmer of red smoke and black sparkles, he transformed.

He was not a small, horned, fork-tailed man, the way demons were portrayed in pop culture. He was a beautiful creature. He looked like an angel.

With the exception of big black wings, and murderous intent in his every move.

Despite my fear, this is not what I was expecting.

I may be losing my mind in that instant but…

“Wait, what?!” I asked, dumbfounded.

“What the heck is this?! Where’s the tail? Where’s the hooves? No horns?!” I ran my mouth as I stared him in the eyes, while I thought of a way to escape.

This demon was undeniably shook, and I used that as an advantage. I don’t know how long this plan will take me but, I am not going down without a fight.

He looked like he was about to retort about me judging his appearance when I remembered the door way was still open. Just a few feet away from me.

Buy more time, back away slowly.

“Is this a joke? What are you supposed to be? That is some realistic cosplaying job you did dude, where did you get that costume? How did you get to do the sparkles?” I yammered on and on until I was just a foot away from my escape.

“Were you guys practicing earlier? I guess I should’ve known though! It was pretty realistic!”

Just a little more…

“Well, anyways. Sorry for disturbing you. You guys go on ahead. I’ll go back in. Don’t stay out too late thou—“

I was a little disoriented when I felt my body being lifted up from the ground and was thrown against the trash bins.

A few meters away from the open door.

Almost!

“Tsk!” I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

I started to look around me, wondering how I got there in the first place, when he appeared in front of me and picking me up from my collar.

“How dare you filthy human, to try and trick me. Do you think that I won’t be able to see through your plans?” He asked as his face came closer into my line of sight. I realized that my feet were dangling of the ground.

“Let me go!!!” I tried to kick him in the balls, only to have my right foot caught in his grasps too, He pushed me up against the wall and made my foot wrap around his waist, his annoyingly beautiful face drawing nearer and nearer.

“Do you think that you can outrun me little girl?” He breathed seductively in my ear, sending ripples of shiver from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

“I CAN AND I WILL! WATCH ME! LET ME GO! NOW!” I screamed in his face trying to hide the fact that I might be blushing from the sensation of his breath in my neck.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

He laughed heartily, and I felt the vibrations of his laughter in my entire body.

“You are brave, I have to commend you on that. But I do suggest that you shut up and stop squirming about. I still have a prior engagement tonight, I am already behind schedule. Let’s make this quick shall we?”

Oh. So I am just something that had to be disposed of huh? Heck, no. I am going to die anyway so I am taking your pretty schedule to hell with me.

I know in my mind that it was a very petty and stupid thing to think of, but that was enough to steel my resolve to raise hell if I have to.

I am now way past the fight or flight stage, adrenaline coursing my entire being.

Before I could even think, my body made a decision on its own. My left fist lifted and landed a hard punch on the demon’s face making him let go of me, sending me crumbling to the hard cement.

That’s when I realized that we were hovering a few feet from the air. Good thing it was just a few feet up, if it were higher I would’ve died and my punch would be all for naught.

Run! Run! Run!!!! I screamed in my head over and over.

When I finally got my bearings, I dashed away. I don’t where I’m going, just anywhere away from here, away from him.

But of course, I am human and I am up against a demon.

Something dark dashed in front of me, then I hit it, whatever it was. I hit it like I was running to a brick wall, making me bounce off it.

Then again, I was lifted off the ground and thrown against the wall like some sort of ragdoll.

I heard, more than felt one of my ribs crack. It was a sickening snap that echoed to the walls.

“Still standing huh? I said, I am busy. No matter how much you try and escape, you cannot outrun me human. So please, stay put so I can kill you.” He sauntered his way towards me.

I started giggling, it was growing louder and louder until it became a full on maniacal laugh.

I’m starting to scare myself, maybe I’m starting to go crazy. This is bad. Very, very, bad.

“Are you fucking with me? Let you KILL me? You are stupid. HAHAHA!” I started getting to my feet, an amazing aura of killing intent coming off of me.

The demon stood silently, watching me with his cold beautiful eyes. I was bloodied, and broken in various places but I don’t care.

I straightened my back, and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Go ahead. I dare you.” I challenged him. Staring him down. He stared back, but I am not backing down.

“This is getting tedious, however, you are very entertaining. I am going to enjoy peeling your skin off you.” He said in a dangerous tone as he picked me up from the ground once more.

And… that’s how I am in this situation.

Staring down a very beautiful fallen angel, for a minute I let myself appreciate his face, his big black wings, the way his hair swayed in the light breeze, and how his eyes glowed with a cool excitement. He could’ve been a supermodel if he were human, tall and lean. Hmmm… he can be hot, too.

Glorious and dangerous. If only he isn’t out here to kill me, I would be swooning over him.

Huh. My nuts and bolts are coming undone. Finding my murderer hot? Pfft. Wow. Nice, Jada.

Preparing myself for the coming pain and suffering, I smirked just a little at the absurdity that’s going on in my head, I silently said a small prayer. Saying sorry to my friends and family that I will be leaving behind and to my enemies that I never got the chance to make amends to. I closed my eyes, surrendering everything. Losing all hope.

“Look at me.”

“Huh?” What?

“Open your eyes, and look at me.”

Uh… what?

I opened my eyes, one at a time. Unsure of what else to do.

He was staring at me, his eyes losing its coldness just a little bit, replaced by curiosity.

“What? Something on my face?” I asked him

“You are annoying.” He said, casually. As he let me go.

Why you… This jerk!

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. “Well, I’m sorry for boring you!” This guy is starting to get on my nerves.

He had his back turned from me, but I can sense that the killing intent was no longer there. Like a fire that had been doused with water.

“Ow. Ow.. ow…” I whispered, feeling pain all over my entire body. I had to steady myself just to catch my breath.

He looked back for a second, I saw a flicker of concern, regret and hurt in his eyes before he turned away again.

“Go. Get away from here. Run away and never look back.”

Huh? What? Why?

For a moment, I forgot how to speak.

Why is he letting me run? Is this going to be some sick game of hide and seek?

“I am not going to go after you. I’ve lost any interest in killing you. So go, before I change my mind.” He said as he turned back to me. A hurt expression painting his beautiful eyes.

Why?

I don’t trust his words enough, I feel like there would be some sort of catch. I feel like if I turn my back from him any moment, he would stab me with his sword. So I stood still like a rock.

Even if I wanted to move, I don’t know if my muscles can carry me far anyway.

“You seriously have a huge trust issue.” He clicked his tongue.

Duh. You are a demon. Anyone would have trust issues with that.

“Uhm… I—uh, Well… I don’t know why your letting me go. But, thanks anyway. Sorry for punching you.” I started to back away slowly, towards the door of the shop. Next thing I knew, I was falling face first and then darkness.

Ahhhh! Drat! What now?

It’s bright, too bright.

Where am I?

What time is it?

What day is it?

Who am I?

Uh. Right. I’m Jada.

I tried to stretch out my body but I suddenly felt something tug at my left arm.

I’d know that feeling anywhere. Needles. Crap. I’m at the hospital, but why am I here? Car accident? Mugging?

The dark alley behind the shop.

Full moon. A glint of something metal.

Long-haired guy in leather jacket. Big black wings.

Eyes, the color of absinthe.

“WHAAA!” the scream got out as I suddenly sat up. Scaring the bejeezus out of the nurse beside my bed.

“How…? What…?” I asked myself, reeling from the barrage of memories.

“Miss, you need to lie back down, you can’t suddenly sit up like that, you’ve been asleep for awhile,” The kind nurse guided me back down the bed.

“What happened to me?” I asked.

She then told me that I barely got out alive from a murderer, I was found in the back alley of the bake shop wounded and broken, with multiple contusions. It’s a good thing that I was able to call the police prior, and they came right on time. They said that the murderer was a guy, and that it was the first of the string of serial killings that happened in the past two days. He was still at large too.

“Oh… Okay. I should thank my lucky stars then.” I said nonchalantly, after she relayed everything to me.

Of course, he would still be at large. No human can stop something like that. He is a monster. He is a demon.

Cold, glowing, cruel eyes. A smile that oozes danger and death. Superhuman strength. Unflinching calculation.

A ripple of fear coursed through my body just remembering what I’ve been through. Making me completely aware of the places that I had broken.

I asked the nurse a glass of water just to get her out of the room for a while, I wanted to be alone.

I’m completely confused on why and how I was able to escape. Yeah, he did decided to let me go and he also said that he lost all desire to kill me. But, why? I saw the bloodlust, I saw how dangerous he was. I am sure that he was a fallen angel, but if he really is a serial killer, why did he had that expression when he let me go? Why did he seem hurt? And what was that flicker of regret when he saw I was hurt?

My heart felt like a ton of bricks in my chest. Something about these things are not adding up, I feel it. I just can’t pinpoint what it is.

Once the nurse returned with my glass of water, she then asked me if there would be any family members that needs to be notified.

THROB

I have no one.

“It’s alright, I live alone. I do need to inform my work though. Can I make a phone call?”

“Of course dear, just a moment.”

“Thank you so much.”

I slowly sat up, trying to make my way to the window. I felt a presence in the room. thinking it was the nurse.

“Wow, that was qui— AAAAAHHHH!“ I screamed out of surprise. I clutched my chest, hoping that my heart won’t jump out of my throat.

Someone is in the room with me, but it wasn’t the nurse. It was HIM.

He was leaning against the wall, in all his dark glory, a smirk in his lips.

“What a frightful scream you got there. You should probably take it easy, you might start bursting in places you didn’t know you had.” He said as he sat down on the chair beside my bed. I followed his languid movements, unsure of what to even say.

“The look you have on your face is so dumb right now.” smiling cockily.

Huh? What? This jerk.

I shut my gaping mouth. But still dumbfounded to retort.

“Why…? How…? Who…? Wait, what?!” That’s all I could stammer out.

“Shut your mouth, you like a fish out of water.”

That did it. That broke my shock. I am now angry. I picked up the nearest object on my right and started throwing them at him, my pillows, a bottle of pills, a pack of syringe, I forgot what else was there. I just threw anything at him. Which of course he dodged gracefully, which annoyed me even more.

“Ha… ha… ha…. How dare you! I don’t look like a fish!” throwing a pack of cotton balls at him.

I started giggling like a crazy person, clutching my sides.

“Ow…” still trying to hold my laughter.

“Have you gone crazy? Is it shock?” as he reached out to support me.

Maybe. Yup. Maybe I am.

I waved him off, no need for his worry. “Maybe I am going nuts. I barely survived your attack, and yet here you are, annoying the shit out of me by telling that I look like a fish. Hahaha… ow! Ow!”

“Stop being an idiot and lie back down, will you?” he growled back at me, which made me giggle more.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Shut up already. Nagger.” I shot back.

That earned me a menacing growl from him. Again, I giggled back. By this time, I was wondering what kind of pain reliever cocktails are running through my body to make me go on this laughing-trip.

“Hey, you said you live alone, yeah?”

“Yup.”

“Why?”

“They’re dead.”

He looked at me, probably wondering why I gave him a nonchalant answer.

“What’s your name?” I asked him.

“My name is not important, this is the last time you will see me.”

“Hm… if that’s the case then, I shall name you… Tatsuo. Yup. You will be Tatsuo.” ignoring what he just said.

“Weren’t you listening? Hey! Don’t pretend to sleep, Oi!”

But I was no longer listening, already drifting off to dreamland.

“Why would you even bother giving me a name you idiot.”

I smiled groggily, as I heard him grumbling somewhere near me.

The next morning, I almost fell out of my bed, why you ask?

Imagine this: A dangerously beautiful fallen angel, who tried killing you, gave you bruises in places you didn’t know you had and has killed a person, without hesitation right before your eyes, is now sleeping peacefully beside you, like a human-sized statue for some forgotten Greek god.

“Whoa…” I gasped quietly.

I tried to move as quietly as possible as to not wake the demon in question, but an arm slithered around my waist, stopping me from moving further.

What the heck is this?

“Hey, oi! Can you please let me go? Hey! Wake up!’ I tried shaking him awake, but his arms is only hugging my waist tighter and tighter.

“I really need to go to the bathroom dude, please wake the fuck up.”

That was the truth, I need to pee like really, really bad and his arms constricting around me is not making things better.

You are leaving me no choice then.

”I swear to god, if you don’t let me go now, I will fart in the covers and you will regret every breath that you’ll take. Believe me.” I whispered in a menacing tone in his ear.

That did the job, actually. His arm vanished from my waist and in the same second he was on the other side of the room.

“I’m up, I’m up, I’m up.” He said in a voice still thick of sleep.

I was giggling so hard when I dashed for the bathroom.

While I was doing my business, reality sets in.

Why was he sleeping next to me? And has he been there since I passed out last night? Why did our exchange seem so normal? He isn’t human and that is not normal. For crying out loud, I don’t even know his name yet, so why am I acting so fricking normal around him as if he had always been there the whole time?

Well, whatever. I’m going to ask him later.

Once I’m done, I opened the door back to my room. There was no sign of him anywhere, the room was bright, but it felt a little weird. Unconsciously, I felt lonely. Why? I don’t understand.

I took a shower, trying to clear my head from the glum feelings that I didn’t know I had, taking my sweet time, because last time I took a bath was the morning before the attack.

I used the time alone to think of what happened, why was I attacked? Why was the man killed?? Why were they speaking in a language I couldn’t understand? Who was the man that was killed? And what were his reasons for letting me live? Will I still be able to know the answers to this questions?

After a few days, when all the tests were done and the doctors were sure that I am no longer in danger. Tatsuo didn’t return since that morning. It made me feel a bit off, I still have a lot of questions in my head. Also, to be frank, I am worried about him, I mean, I know he is a demon and all, so I know he won’t die but, its autumn. It does get chilly at night.

“Yo.” a deep quiet voice came from somewhere in the room.

“Oh my sh…! Do you mind not popping out of thin air?” I said, clutching my throat. As a tide of relief washed over me as I did a quick inventory on his entire body.

Yep, this demon is still around. The same one who sent me to this hospital in the first place. In the past few days, I was questioned by the police over and over regarding the identity of the so-called serial killer. Since I was the only one who ‘escaped’ alive.

“Going home?” He asked.

“Yeah, they said I’m going to be fine now. So I can go home.” I answered, turning my back from him to continue my packing.

“Alright, then.”

“Where have you been by the way? You weren’t here for the past few days. I had to sleep on my side the whole night you know” I said still turned away from him.

“Why were you on your side?”

“To make space for you, since you won’t fit in the sofa to let you sleep.”

What the hell am I saying?Darn it!

“You were waiting for me?” He asked tilting his head on the side. Making him look like a cat. Adorable.

HUH? Wait…

“Nope. I just figured that you might not have anywhere else to go to, “

“Why?”

I don’t know dude. Don’t ask me. Dodge the question!

I shrugged, not sure what to say.

I finally faced him, I have things to ask and he is going to answer all of them.

“I’m hungry, let’s grab some lunch before we go, okay? I said nonchalantly.

“We?” his dumbfounded expression was so subtle I almost mistook it as nothing but an eyebrow twitch.

“Are you planning to stay here? I’m not sure they’d allow that though. Do you have a place?” I said, trying to finesse my way out of the “We?” question he popped on me.

When I looked back at him, his face was unreadable, his long bangs covering his eyes.

“Hey, you okay? Are you having an episode or something?” trying to peek at his face, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Are you trying to make a joke? If you are, its dumb.” came his sarcastic reply.

“Oohhh… snarky!” I giggled finding it adorable how flustered he is.

“You do realize that you are inviting a demon, yes?”

“Yeah, what about it?” giving him a look feigning innocence.

“Look, I am not forcing or demanding that you come with me. It is an offer that you are free to take.” I continued.

“In exchange of what?” His tone changing into ice. I bet that he had asked those words a million times before.

“Nothing.” I looked him dead straight in the eyes.

“Really now?” He smirked, turning into a dangerous one I’ve seen before.

“You don’t scare me.”

I lied. That smile still brings shivers to my soul, but I am not letting him know that.

“Huh. You are truly one weird human.” He said as he got up from the chair he had been sitting on and taking my bag of belongings from me.

I know. I know. I know.

“Wow, that’ so human. So are we going to have lunch or what? My stomach is killing me.” I said as he led me out the hallway.

We had lunch in family restaurant just a few blocks away from the hospital, it was a quiet event. Which surprised me, I kinda thought that he’d make a big fuss about all of it.

“Are you really sure that you’re okay with what I offered?” I asked while taking a sip of my iced tea.

“I’m a demon. In case you’ve forgotten. I can kill you anytime if ever you try to do something funny.” He answered back.

“Pfft. There is no way in hell that I’d forget about that fact. So don’t worry, I know what you are capable of. I’m just asking you these questions because I am being human here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Being concerned about other’s welfare, also… I know you have reasons on why you do what you do. That’s why I don’t want to judge you.”

He was quiet after hearing my words. He may not believe those words but, I’m hoping he can feel the honesty from them.

“So you pity me? Do you think I deserve that?”

“Don’t you?”

Once again, silence. Eyes downcast, his expression unreadable. That look keeps on hurting me. Why?

“I still have a lot of things to ask you, but now might not be the right time. So for now, let’s eat. Okay?” I smiled up at him.

“Whatever floats your boat.”

And… he’s back. Snappy like a turtle.

We finished our meal in companionable silence. Me, enjoying my time people-watching and him… being dark, gloomy and cranky.

I’m enjoying this moment, maybe because this is the first time in a long while that I was able to enjoy a meal with someone. It sucks to eat alone all the time you know.

“What are you grinning about? You look like a pervert.”

“Oh nothing. I was just thinking if tickle torture would be enough to get back at you for breaking some of my ribs.” I said as I stood up from our table. Snickering quietly as I turned away from him.

“I really should’ve killed you that night…”

“Haha! Yeah, maybe you should’ve.”

“Wow.”

That was all that came out of Tatsuo’s mouth when we entered my apartment, after seeing the mess that I call home.

“Uhm… Yeah, Sorry. I’m always busy so…”

“Are you really a freaking girl? How on earth can you live with this mess?! How can you even sleep here?! This is like hell!”

Oh, boy… looks like I am in deep trouble.

“There is dust everywhere! How can you even breathe in here??”

The demon is livid. I’m starting to wonder if I should slowly back away and hide somewhere.

“W-well… I sorta don’t have much free time to clean the house… I mean with school and my work… I—WHOA!!!” I had to duck because something was just thrown over my head, this demon is going on a rampage. A cleaning rampage.

“You…! This place looks like a pig sty! When was the last time you cleaned this place?!” He asked me, again a black aura surrounding him.

Huh. I forgot.

“Uhm… last month? I had exams and I also had to do over-time at the shop so… WAAAAHHHH” I stammered out, ready to run.

He marched towards me, and this is even scarier than that night, this time I am sure that I will be killed.

“WE WILL CLEAN THIS HOUSE. NOW!” He screeched. He was riled up, alright. He is usually stoic but, hot damn! This is a next-level reaction.

“Uh… Yes sir! I will start cleaning right away!”

Sheesh.

As soon as I got the vacuum, cleaning rags and the broom out, Tatsuo didn’t waste any time, he dropped everything and immediately started being a human…demon hurricane equivalent of a cleaning lady. I wasn’t much of a help because of my injuries, so he ORDERED me to go in a corner and keep quiet.

It was amazing though, watching him clean and grumble at the same time. He was like a pissed off mother hen. It is funny and endearing how he lectures me while donned in a cleaning apron and with brooms and rags on his hands. I found myself smiling the entire time, letting the warm feeling go through me.

He was about to finish when I looked out the window and saw that it was already dusk, he is a demon but I think he still needs to eat. I’m getting hungry too that means, I got to start preparing for dinner.

I got up from my ‘isolation ward’ corner and started heading out to the kitchen when he grabbed me by my shirt.

“Where do you think you’re going, human?”

“Well, since you’re almost done with your war against dust and germs, what would you like for dinner?”

He had that look of shock in his face again, why does he always do that?

“Omurice.” he said quietly before turning away from me to continue his battle.

Huh. Okay. I can do that.

“O-okay. I’m on it.”

30 minutes passed and dinner was ready, I decided to call him to the table when I heard a loud sound coming from the living room. Acting on instinct I ran out the kitchen to find a very disconcerting scene.

Tatsuo was in full demon mode, his power palpable in the air giving me goose bumps. His black wings were bristling, and he has a blue-is black fireball emanating from both of his hands.

“You have to die! You filthy insect!!!!” His voice was in a scary double-timbre. Bloodlust and anger in his eyes. He is in attack mode.

TROUBLE.

All my alarm bells were ringing, what’s going on? Are we in danger?

Crap! Crap!

I was prepared to see another dead body when I rounded the corner, but…

Eh? What? WHAT?!

No…. No…. freaking way.

I can’t believe this.

There wasn’t any danger, no dead bodies, the room is still intact. I followed his eyes and I saw the ‘enemy’.

“Are you kidding me? Are you serious right now?!” stomping my way towards the ‘enemy’. It was pandemonium in the living room. Everything was upside down.

“YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE! Are you planning to tear down the entire house just for this?!” grabbing a bundle of newspaper, and bunching it up.

SMACK! SMACK!

“I can’t believe that you went full beast just for this?!” grabbing the dustpan and broom from the floor, cleaning up the crushed remains of… a spider.

Yep, a harmless spider. I mean it is big for a spider, but still.

He was looking at me like I just slayed a thousand soldiers in front of him.

“What? It’s just a spider dude. Like, for real. I ran here thinking that we were under attack or something only to find you in full demon mode because of a spider?! Unbelievable.” I said as I walked past him and back to the kitchen.

I was setting the table when I realized that it was quiet, too quiet.

Now what?

“Tatsuo? Dinner’s ready.Whoa…. wow.” I chuckled, “Are you sure that you’re a demon?”

Everything is spotless. No dust particle would make a mistake on entering this area, or this house. I think if one tries, this demon beside me would blow it to kingdom come.

“Do you perhaps have OCD? Are all demons like this?” I asked as I looked around, sure that if I even breathe, the room would be contaminated.

If I ever felt unworthy of something before, this... this right here sure makes me feel even more unworthy of living in this world.

The demon’s chest swelled up with pride, its making me want to punch him in the face for some reason.

=tbc=

#own story #demons #humanity #myshoujoscene #whateven

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writingevil · 7 years

Text

Among the Stars

by E.L.B

War is caused by many things; religion, money, boredom, bored rich religious people. This one was no different. As Kyra sat on the boat being shipped off to a country to kill people or be killed by people he wondered how he’d survive. His country was small and weak compared to the empire he was being shipped to. Kyra wasn’t even an archer he was a swords man so he would be put in the front lines. He scanned around the ship of people. One boy was crying and the woman next to him was pretending not to notice. The man next to Kyra was praying and on Kyra’s other side the man was looking at Kyra.

“What are you looking at?” Kyra asked.

“Nothing you just remind me of someone.” the man said looking down.

“Who?”

“My husband.”

Kyra took a second to process this. Homosexuality was not permitted in their country but if you were quiet about it you could get away with anything. Kyra’s fists tightened.

“I’m sorry. He must be a good man.”

“He was.” the man said looking at his hands.

“What happened to him?”

“Killed in a raid.” a tear hit the mans hand.

“May he sing in heaven.” Kyra whispered.

“May he sing in heaven.” the man repeated.

Kyra thought back to his friend. They were more than friends. His name was Ty and he had joined the rebel forces and left Kyra to be taken into the army. Kyra felt tears of anger and sadness fill his eyes. Ty had left him. A hand rested on top of his and he looked into the face of a woman.

“Harden up, kid. We’re being sent to be slaughtered don’t let some random event take up your last few moments.”

Kyra wasn’t sure if the woman had meant for this to be comforting but he nodded anyway. After a few hours the general came down the ladder.

“Prepare yourselves we’ll be docking soon. Find a person to camp with. Two to a tent. Grab your weapons on your way to your camp. We march at dawn.” with that the general left and Kyra sighed.

The man next to him touched his shoulder softly. “Will you camp with me? I promise I won’t infringe on your space.”

Kyra nodded and offered the man a small smile. “That sounds fine. Don’t worry I lost someone close to me as well.”

“How? If I may ask?”

“He joined the rebels and left me to be captured by the army.”

“I’m sorry.” The man said softly. “My name is Alkai.”

“Kyra.”

“May the gods protect your essence, Kyra.”

“And may the gods protect yours.” Kyra recited.

The two sat in silence until the ship docked and the door above them opened. There was a scramble to get out. Many of them hadn’t seen sunlight since they had been forced upon the ship. Kyra climbed out and looked upon the pink, fire sky. A guard poked him roughly in the side and Kyra was forced to move on.

Kyra and Alkai followed the line of people to wear they grabbed swords. Kyra’s sword was heavier than the one he had been trained with at home. He slid it into the sheath at his belt. A guard was standing next to the stack of weapons. Kyra walked up to him.

“No shields?” he asked with venom.

The guard looked down on him and regarded him as if he were filth on the bottom of his shoe, “We don’t have shields to waste on you commoners.”

“We are fighting your war with nothing to protect ourselves?”

“You’re pawns in a chess match. We can stand to lose you.”

“A pawn can chose to become queen if he makes it across the board. A pawn can become the most powerful player in the game.”

The guard glared. “But that pawn is still required to protect it’s king.”

Alkai grabbed Kyra’s arm and pulled him away. “It’s not worth it.”

Later that night Alkai and Kyra were the last left at the fire. Kyra stared into it thinking of the bonfire nights with Ty. They would trace constellations and make up stories for new ones.

“That’s Lyson.” Ty said tracing a strange outline in the stars.

“And what did Lyson do to earn his place among the stars?” Kyra asked with a smile, turning on his side to look at the boy beside him.

“He stole the prince. The king was so pissed he sent out all of his men looking for Lyson. But Lyson and the prince were hiding up in the trees looking at the stars and talking of different things.” Ty said turning his head to look at Kyra. “Lyson convinced the prince to fall in love with him. Whenever the moon was in full or it was gone Lyson would climb into the prince’s tower and leave by dawn. One night the king waited for Lyson and threw him off before he reached the tower. Lyson began to fall but Yuma, goddess of love, brought him up into the stars so the prince could gaze upon him forever. It’s said that whenever the moon is full or gone the constellation is gone. Lyson visits his prince.”

“I like that story.” Kyra smiled.

“Me too.” Ty said before leaning closer and pressing his lips against Kyra-

“Kyra?” Alkai was shaking his shoulder.

Kyra blinked and focused on the man’s dark face. “Sorry, I must have drifted off.”

“It’s fine. I do the same.” Alkai says softly. “When you love someone with all your heart they live on the back of your eyelids.”

Kyra nodded. “We should get to sleep. We are being slaughtered tomorrow after all.”

In the morning they were awoken by a loud horn. Dusk had just began to creep along. The sun shined its first few rays and glinted off the water of the seas. The sky was a vibrant red. Kyra and Alkai didn’t speak as they put on their scabbards. The citizens were lined up and they began marching.

Kyra looked at the land around them. The tree’s seemed to be showing off how green they were. He caught sight of a deer leaping through the forest. He pointed out a red bird to Alkai which earned him a smile.

They reached the battle field by the time the sun had reached it’s highest point. They were put in five long lines. Fifty lengths away the enemy lined up the same. Kyra was put in the second line. All around him people seemed to be holding their breath. A small boy was looking at his sword like he had never seen one, which might have been true. The boy was on the front line and Alkai was a few people down from him.

A horn blew and they charged. Kyra was lost and just running forward. His sword was drawn but he couldn’t bring himself to remember how to use it properly. A man came swinging at him and Kyra raised his sword to block it. He swung at the mans legs opening a large gash in his thigh. The man swung at his neck and Kyra ducked bringing his sword up to catch the man across his throat. Kyra gagged realizing what he had just done. The man sputtered for a few minutes before drowning in his own blood. Kyra felt a scream rise in his throat.

Another man came by and slashed at his left arm. Kyra felt blood begin to flow down his arm. He swung up almost catching the mans arm. The man swung at his face and Kyra felt blood poor out of his cheek. Another man came up behind the man he was fighting and stabbed him in the chest. Kyra felt the man cough blood onto his face. He vomited the little rations that he’d been given yesterday. He was on his knees and his pants were wet at the knees. Was it dew or blood? Kyra didn’t want to know. He trudged forward. Kyra had a huge gash above his right eye and he was now partly blind because of the blood. He fell on the ground and saw the head of a young child.

Kyra couldn’t tell between friend or foe. Arrows flew overhead and a few Calvary rode past him. He laid on the ground. Deep inside him a coward spoke with hope that maybe if he just laid here it would all end. The battle would end and he’d be left to walk off the field. His dreams were crushed when a body fell next to him and he found himself staring into the lifeless eyes of Alkai.

“May you sing in heaven.” He whispered automatically

A blood thirsty scream roared out of him and he scrambled up. He thrashed his sword everywhere, not caring who he hit. Kyra was in a rage and he was filled with adrenaline. Blood pounded in his ears as he ran and slashed. Eventually an arrow thudded into his back. He coughed feeling blood bubble out of his mouth. A man in front of him stabbed his sword into Kyra’s chest. Kyra struggled uselessly to breathe.

He felt like he was being grabbed and he felt his soul being ripped from his body. Just like Lyson. He was being lifted into the sky. He felt a warmth spread through his body. Kyra felt bright. He would shine on in the stars. His story didn’t have a happy ending. His death was not painless. Maybe in the future when people laid and looked upon his constellation they’ll remember what he had died for. War. Which meant he had died for nothing. Just a pawn in a bored rich religious person’s game.

#writing #antiwar #end war #stop wars #stars #mythology #lgbt #gay #star wars #violence

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