#but I'm talkin LEDs in there and all. do it right

[blujayonthewing]

[fingers laced in front of my lips, pensive] I could make a skyrim arcane enchanter wireless charger really easily

[icantpromiseforever]

You know how Gojo's six eyes allow him to instantly see a person's cursed energy and cursed technique? He would have almost instantly known that Geto had the power to absorb curses, but he wouldn't have known how, and he probably freaked the fuck out the first time he saw Geto swallow one. They would have fought the curse. Gojo would have used the opportunity to show off because duh, but he wouldn't have completely destroyed the curse so that he could give it to Geto.

Gojo: So, do you like touch it or something?

Geto: Huh?

Gojo: When you absorb the curse with your technique. Do you just have to touch it?

Geto: No, I wish. It's actually really gross. You don't have to look. It's better if you don't.

Gojo: Gross? You just turned the curse into a ball. That's pretty cool. What are you even talkin- *watches Geto fucking throat goat the curse* Oh...

Geto: *almost throws up because he hates this part of his technique* Told you. It's pretty gross. Gojo?

Gojo: *instantly teleports to the jujutsu high shower room, blasts ice cold water fully clothed*

Then because Gojo can't catch a break, he would look over and notice Nanami's in the shower too (he's facing away and ignoring him because duh).

Gojo: Funny story, Nanamin. You're probably wondering-

Nanami: I'm not.

Later, Gojo would lie and tell Geto that he was right. That watching him swallow a curse was gross. He would be obnoxious about it. Geto would initially be understanding, albeit annoyed. Except that Gojo would bring it up and bring it up:

Gojo: But why swallow it?

Geto: I-

Gojo: Like, what even led you to try that?

Geto: So my techn-

Gojo: Those curse balls are pretty sizable, too. Who would look at that and be like, "Huh, maybe I should swallow this."

Geto: *stares at Gojo deadpan*

Gojo: And you had no one to teach you? You just decided to swallow it on your own?

Gojo: I get turning the curses into balls after you've tamed them. That had to have come naturally. Instinct, you know. But swallowing? Was that instinct, too?

Gojo: Did you swallow the first curse you ever beat? Or did you, like, collect a bunch of them before you stared at a huge pile of curse balls, and you were like, "What if I just swallowed all these?"

Gojo: Circling back to the fact that you had no one to teach you. Everything I know is stuff that was drilled into me. Mostly. Not the point. Point being: if one of my teachers told me to swallow something. I probably wouldn't. I would have a lot of questions, and that's that my six eyes usually always see the answers.

Gojo: You don't even come from an established clan, so you totally had to figure it out on your own. And all by yourself, you just decided: "I gotta swallow these curse balls."

Geto: You done?

Gojo: How many have you swallowed? Always just the one, or have you tried swallowing multiple before? Do the curse balls vary in size? What's the biggest- nevermind. Don't answer that. Um, does your throat ever get sore?

Geto: I'm not indulging any of this. You weren't raised with any manners, Gojo.

Gojo: So you swallow because it's good manners?

Geto: You said there's a bounty on your head, right?

Gojo: Yeah! Like ever since I was born. Silly, really.

Geto: How much is it?

Gojo:

Geto: Bring this up again, and I'll cash in.

Gojo would eventually start getting used to seeing Geto swallow the curses. At least now, he would wait until they both got back from their missions to take his cold showers.

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Azul Ashengrotto - Luxe Couture Vignette

"Please come this way"

[Fairest City – Crystal Galleria]

Azul: …Now, now, don't say that!

Azul: I would be honored if you would come by the Mostro Lounge to come see my photo with Eric-san.

Vil: I'm staggered. You would not only use my father, but also myself to increase your reputation?

Grim: Oh hey, if it ain't Vil and Azul. What're you guys talkin' about?

Azul: We just happened to come across each other over here, so we were merely chatting about plans once we return to campus. Have the two of you been shopping?

1. I bought some clothes for myself.

Azul: You bought clothing at the Crystal Galleria? You must be a better shopper than I thought.

2. I bought some gifts for everyone back home.

Azul: A wonderful sentiment. Keeping people in your debt is very valuable.

Azul: I myself just finished purchasing some cosmetics. After this, I plan on perusing some tableware.

Grim: Huh, tableware? Don't really matter what gets used, to me.

Grim: The food 'n drinks're waaay more important than the plates 'n cups.

Azul: I fully believed that would be your response, Grim-san.

Vil: I absolutely adore that sort of dedication. The more opulent the tableware, the more sophisticated the mealtime becomes.

Vil: Weren't the plates, cups, and cutlery at the restaurant we dined at yesterday utterly sublime?

Grim: I don't remember a thing about 'em.

Vil: ...Right, I was a fool for even asking that in the first place.

Azul: The golden rimmed white porcelain plates at that restaurant was indeed spectacular.

Azul: Decorated in both matte and glossy gold, these surely were high-quality wares. A rare sight, indeed.

Vil: Well, now. You're well informed, Azul.

Vil: It may be interesting to shop for tableware with someone who actually knows a thing or two. I'll join you.

Azul: Why, certainly. Would you like to join us, [Yuu]-san?

1. I'd like to. 2. I'm definitely interested.

Grim: 'Kay, then I'll tag along too, then. But anyway, do they even sell stuff like that here?

Vil: Of course. Fine ceramic wares are yet another major product of the Fairest City. There are also many antique shops.

Grim: Uh-huh. So it's not just make-up 'n clothes 'n food, huh.

Azul: It is said that there were 3 primary factors that led to the development of those fine ceramic wares in the Fairest City.

Azul: The first factor was due to the nearby mines.

Azul: The neighboring mountain range had an abundance of high-quality clay, for which artisans from all over began to come for.

Azul: The second factor is the development of pharmaceuticals thanks to knowledge passed down from the Fairest Queen.

Vil: That pharmaceutical science was then used to develop a diverse array of pigments, and that allowed for the field of colors to become what it is today.

Azul: Indeed. It's just as you say.

Azul: And the final factor is the sense of beauty that every Fairest Queen-loving inhabitant of the Fairest City carries.

Azul: Thus, the potters and sculptors who were raised with a heightened awareness of beauty themselves brought their ceramics to an entirely new level when it comes to works of art.

Vil: Only the residents of the Fairest City would find ways to elevate beauty in fields other than fashion and makeup.

Azul: We've arrived. I hear this shop carries a rather large collection of antique tableware for sale.

Vil: Have you already done prior research?

Azul: Yes, indeed. I must admit I have been looking forward to purchasing new tableware.

Grim: Woah! There's a ton of sparkly dishes and stuff!

Vil: What sort of tableware are you planning on purchasing, Azul?

Azul: I believe I'd like to find teacups, saucers, and a matching teapot.

1. What about this golden tea set?

Grim: Yeah! The shiny gold color is so cool! Azul: I see they allowed gold to oxidize and used that to create a pattern for the design. I must admit it is extravagant and definitely draws an eye. Vil: An opulent design. However, I feel it may not suit the Mostro Lounge.

2. Look at this pink tea set!

Azul: I see it is a set of teacups with a frill molding. The flower pattern along the rim is so wonderfully subtle. Vil: A rather cute design. However, I feel it may not suit the Mostro Lounge.

Azul: Fufu, I agree completely. Perhaps now we can look at the wares that had caught my eye?

[Fairest City – Crystal Galleria]

Azul: This is the one I am looking to purchase here.

Grim: This one, huh? It's just a borin' looking white cup with a tiny bit of blue stuff on it.

Azul: That dainty and subtle touch is intended to be its charm point… It seems you fail to comprehend that, Grim-san.

Azul: This bright white porcelain shows not a hint of translucency… Does it not seem to be the pinnacle of class?

Vil: It certainly does have a refined beauty about it.

Azul: The elegant design carved out of the rim of the teacup is called a "scalloped rim."

Azul: And consider this wave-like handle curled along the side… Even the minute details are so stunning.

Grim: A handle? What, you gonna steer somethin' with this cup, then?

Vil: Obviously the handle is where you hold the cup.

Vil: But, Azul. These cups and teapot are a vintage set.

Vil: Is there any need for you to use such an extravagant tea set in a café that caters to students?

Azul: Indeed. I consider this a necessary investment.

Azul: Just because my customers are students does not mean that I intend on compromising my standards.

[Fairest City – Queen's Palace]

[camera shutters clicking and screaming]

Fans: KYAAAAAAAAA! VIL-SAMAAAAA!!!

Reporter: If I can run an article on Vil Schoenheit, then there's no doubt that both magazine sales and website traffic are gonna go through the roof!

Reporter: Alright, now I just gotta hop this barrier so I can cover Vil Schoenheit up close…

[Grrk���]

Azul: Oh, my, it is dangerous to attempt to climb the barrier. Please take all photographs from the designated area.

Reporter: You little brat, don't get in my way! [Azul starts pushing] Urgh, what strength! He's pushing the whole barrier back towards me…!

Azul: If those instructions cannot be followed properly, I may have to take appropriate countermeasures…

Azul: For example, I may be inclined to ring up your place of employment and file a complaint at the highest levels.

Reporter: Okay, fine, just get out of my way, then! I can't even take a picture with you like this!

Azul: How wonderful that we've reached an understanding. Vil-san, please come this way.

Vil: Thank you… You were awfully efficient in handling that.

Azul: When you've made as many deals as I have, it's not uncommon to encounter troubled clients in need of extra firm handling.

Azul: I'm just glad I was able to put the mediation skills I've accumulated to good use.

Vil: Not only are you handling the press well… But you are doing a fantastic job as my escort.

Azul: Well, it also is not uncommon for me to host prospective business contacts personally, either.

Azul: Ah, we are almost at the staircase.

Azul: Right this way. If you wish, my hand is yours to take.

Vil: Well, then. I shall accept it.

―A few days later

[Mostro Lounge]

Octavinelle Student: Welcome!

Azul: Oh my… If it isn't Vil-san! You've come, as promised! I'm so elated.

Vil: Excuse you. I don't recall ever promising you anything. However…

Vil: I was merely thinking back to how you handled yourself previously. I do expect exceptional service today as well.

Vil: Business seems to be going well… Are you using that tea set you purchased back then?

Azul: I am. Right now��� The guests at that table are enjoying the tea served in it.

Deuce/Epel: AHAHAHA!

Vil: …There is no way those two even remotely understand the worth of those cups.

Vil: Neither would the rest of these customers. Do you still think that it was worth selecting that specific set?

Azul: Absolutely. I vow to serve drinks and meals on quality dishes that I have personally selected.

Azul: That is something that I will never compromise as the proprietor of the Mostro Lounge.

Azul: You yourself would never touch clothes or cosmetics that don't suit your design or aesthetic taste, yes?

Vil: So, just as I carefully concoct my personal brand by being particular on how I fashion myself…

Vil: You look to enhance the Mostro Lounge by careful consideration of the tableware and table linen.

Vil: I think that fastidious approach of yours is just as spectacular. Perhaps I have judged you a tad harshly.

Azul: Why, thank you. I fully believed that you of all people would understand, Vil-san.

Azul: However… I cannot deny that at times I would like to share that appreciation of the tableware's elegance with someone who actually understands their worth.

Azul: That being said, Vil-san, allow me to prepare your order on my absolute finest plates.

Requested by Anonymous.

[feelingdozy]

Somehow Seduced

Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader

Summary: it was a regular day for Ellie, the cycle repeating itself as usual, until a few guests make a crowd appear and she notices you in it.

Warnings: insecure reader, mention of trembling and shaking (flustered way), little implied smut near the end

Ellie swore she had never seen you before

It had been any other day for Ellie, usual patrol routes and such. Nothing out of the regular happening with infected, no new places to pronounce clear.

She had finally made her way back to the town on her horse with Dina by her side, the gates loudly opening as she anticipated the familiar sight of the town. Except it wasn't the same.

People had gathered to the side, forming a big group of people. Ellie's eyes wandered over to the crowd that had been made unconsciously, wondering what could be going on.

She led her horse towards the stables, going more swiftly than she usually was when there had been nothing to do after patrol.

Small snowflakes had started to fall as she had finally got into the stables to put her horse away, hearing a voice come from the entrance.

"I'm surprised you didn't come to ask me about the crowd"

Ellie recognized the voice immediately, turning to find Maria leaning against the doorway.

Ellie laughed, "I was just about to come find you. What's going on?"

"Some new people came in today. Everybody's checking them out. Not gonna be staying for long though. Just guests." Ellie nodded along, now realizing there was no point to learn about guests who wouldn't be staying permanently.

"but, that girl I saw you staring at a couple days ago is there too. Perfect time for introductions" she winked at Ellie, Ellie's face forming a confused one as she scavenged her brain to figure out this girl she had been staring at.

She continued taking the gear off the horse and getting it settled, Dina wandering over to find her.

"what was Maria talkin' to you about?" Dina questioned, wondering about the uncommon amount of people who had come together.

"she said theres some new visitors that just came in." Ellie said, purposely leaving out the girl she was staring at part.

"let's go check it out!" Dina said excitedly,

Grabbing her wrist and practically dragging her along with her outside. There was now a fresh layer of snow laying on top of the footprint covered snow. Small snowflakes fell onto her auburn hair, slowly dying it a light white. A few fell onto her freckled face, making a shiver creep up her torso. She hadn't realized after all the sensations of the cold that Dina had dragged her right into the crowd of people, becoming one with the others in the middle.

Many voices collided and mixed together, creating a confusing conversation. She didn't know who or what to listen to, looking around for someone of interest or someone new to her eyes, someone she hadn't seen everyday in the town of Jackson she'd lived in for many years now comfortably.

As more snow came down, many had cleared leaving only very few left to complete something to call a crowd. She had tuned out many, focusing on the ground as she didn't really care about new guests if they were only staying for a couple days. Why get to know someone that would be gone the next day, and maybe never come back?

When only very few people remained, Ellie had taken initiative to look up and join the small conversation, locking eyes with a girl across from her.

Your eyes caught her attention. Ellie swore she had never seen you before, eyes sparkling like the snowflakes that now fell faster than before, covering the jackets of anyone who had stayed outside.

But yet she recognized you, a sense of familiarity spreading over her. Yet, no names came to mind suddenly, until she started to speak.

"Hey, Ellie right?"

That's when it hit the freckled face girl, cheeks now burning more than when the cold hit them as your voice sparked flames within her chest. She hadn't realized you had gotten closer, shocking her a little in the moment.

The girl she had been staring at.

You.

She fell for your voice, it was like honey to her ears. It sucked her in and put her under a spell, like you could command her to do anything and she'd follow.

She then snapped out of her thoughts quickly, not wanting to leave you hanging as you called out to her first.

"Yeah.. you, pretty girl?" She said, voice shaking a bit but covering up what your voice had done to her.

"Great job Ellie, real smooth.." she thought to herself as she tried to calm her heart rate that had spiked as soon as you pronounced the first word to spark conversation.

You said your name back to her, almost seductively. She wanted to think you were doing this on purpose, making her putty in your hands.

You smiled innocently, as you made the girl tremble underneath your words. Somehow you made Ellie, Ellie Williams, the girl who had been through so much and killed so many, tremble beneath your words.

But of course you hadn't noticed that much. Maybe the slight blush was obvious and the shakiness to her voice was there but.. Ellie would never go for a girl like you.

You knew her calling you a pretty girl was just teasing, you could never be called pretty compared to most others that roamed that place, grew up there. Even just compared to her friends like Dina, she was breathtaking and made you flustered in her presence.

But Ellie made you feel other things in her presence. Not just causally flustered and butterflies, but a fire igniting. A deep feeling of want and desire for someone that you had never felt before.

And to be honest, it scared you a little. You knew Ellie wouldn't go for a girl like you, so why try when you'd just embarrass yourself?

She thought you saw her love filled stares she sent towards you. She thought you saw the way she struggled to not touch you and bring you close to her lips. She thought you saw the blush appear on her cheeks whenever she talked to you.

It had made it almost hard to talk to each other without struggling and making it awkward. At this point other people around you two started to acknowledge it more then you, and it got on their nerves.

Specifically Joel.

Joel had been by Ellie's side since she had ever talked about you. She almost couldn't get it out, embarrassed and wondering how to put the things she thought about you into appropriate and proper sentences to describe the feelings she felt growing within her, laced with deep desire.

After that conversation, Joel knew she was in love with you.

"C'mon kiddo. Just say it. Stop delaying it. If you like her, tell her and get it over with! If she doesn't like you, even though everybody knows she does-" he started to mumble, then continued,

"then it doesn't matter! At least get it off your chest before it kills you, kid. Trust me, I know a little bit about the feeling of love."

"okay old man" she said with a laugh, trying to distract herself from knowing she'd have to confess to you somehow and someday, or else things would never change.

But she needed you.

She desired you.

And Joel figured the best way to make this happen, was making Ellie go on patrol with you.

The next day you had gotten ready, you prettied up yourself a little too much for just going on patrol. You usually spent only maybe, ten or twenty minutes, but today it was two hours. Your hair had to be perfect, clothes nicely fitting your body and your guns nicely shined and prepped in case anything came up.

It was a nice day, the sky a bright blue with very few clouds in the sky and no sign of snowfall. The snow that remained under the bright sun crunched beneath your boots as you made your way to the stable to ready your horse.

Maria came up behind you when brushing the horse, starting a conversation about the very person you were trying to get your mind off of.

"Soo, I heard you and Ellie have been getting along pretty well?" She said with a teasing voice, knowing it would definitely get to you.

"what are we, five? Maria, y'know she probably doesn't even like me-"

"do you know what you're saying?" She said, her words laced with a little frustration, giving you a playful hit to your shoulder.

"look at Ellie! She's beautiful Maria! She obviously likes someone else, I mean look at me. I'm no competition, especially to someone like Dina!"

Maria looked at you a little shocked, like she had noticed something you hadn't. Which she had.

Something which neither of you had caught onto until now, Ellie overhearing your conversation right outside the stables doors.

Her face quickly grew red, hoping no one walked by at the moment to process what she had heard you say to Maria.

"don't be so doubtful. Anyways, I hope your patrol goes good- I mean, it will go good. It'll go great."

She said, reassuring you. She knew how you were, how your mind thought absolutely no one could like you for who you are, especially after your last attempt at a relationship with a really rude girl from the town.

You finished prepping the horses, now waiting for the freckled girls appearance to get on with patrol.

A voice spoke up from behind you, making you jump slightly in place from the scare.

"hey, how about we skip today's patrol? What do you say about coming to my place for a bit, pretty girl?"

Her voice was laced with seduction, making you immediately weak in the knees. You had turned around to face her, her hand now brushing your cheek as she came close to move the hair out of your face.

"so? Whaddya say?" She said now staring deeply into your eyes, the fire in your gut now appearing once again.

"anything for you, Ellie"

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Forty-Seven

Daryl

It's been a full day since Daryl brought yn back to the cell block, while she bled out. Carol and Maggie did everything they could to stop the bleeding. Luckily, they did that, and stitched her up. Daryl paced back and forth outside the cell until they were done. He sat beside her all night, not even going out to eat. Carol ended up bringing him a bowl of rice and some water.

The only time he left was when he got up to take piss, but only after he wasn't able to hold it anymore. He headed straight outside, pissed, and had a cigarette. His nerves were fraying by the minute. Anxiety built up in him, which only led to anger so he didn't show his true feelings.

When he went back inside, walked up the metal stairs, and stepped into the cell he was startled by a voice he thought he'd never hear again. “Daryl?”

“Ah, fuck!”

“The hell ya doin’! Lay the fuck back down!”

Daryl stormed over to the bed and gently pushed her back done. “Dammit, woman, you stab, now lay down.”

“But–Larson–I need to…”

She didn't fight him too much, laying back down with a grimace. “Ya already took care of the bastard. He stabbed ya in the process.”

He saw yn's body relax a little more and she laid back down on the bed. “I'm sorry I just ran off like that. But I had to…”

“Would ya stop fuckin’ talkin’. I know why ya did it. It was still stupid, though. You coulda got yourself killed! You should have waited for me.” He spoke the last words more gently.

Yn

I looked up at Daryl with guilt. He was right. I should have waited for him before just running after Larson. “You're right. I shouldn't have gone after him alone. I was just–I don't know–I know how dangerous he was and I didn't want him finding himself here at the cell block. Not with Maggie Carol, Beth, and Lori. He would have killed Carl, Glenn, and Hershel, and then he would have had his fun with the women.”

I shook my head, “I needed to kill him. I should have done it a long time ago, but I froze, and he was caught instead.”

“What happened to ya?”

I looked away from him and took a deep breath, “It was nothing. I'm fine. It is in the past…and I've moved past it. I got over it.”

Before Daryl could push any further Carol walked in. “Oh, you're awake!”

She walks in holding a bowl of what looks like soup of some kind and water setting it on the small metal table. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Like I was stabbed.”

She rolled her eyes and sat down at the end of the bed. “Do you need something for the pain? We don't have much, but we have enough if you need it. I'll also want to change that bandage. We don't need you getting an infection.”

“I'm fine, but if I need something I'll let you know. So, um…how is Hershel?” The last thing I knew was they were still trying to stop the bleeding.

“He's doing better. He woke up for a few seconds. He'll be fine. We found some stuff in the infirmary.”

“A group of us will be goin’ out on a supply run tomorrow to find more medicine and anything else,” Daryl said.

“Well, then I'll…”

“Nah, don't even finish that sentence. You're gonna stay here and rest. Don't need ya out there ripping those stitches open ir doing more damage.”

I opened my mouth and Daryl held his hand up. “Don't. It's final, you will stay here and not get out of bed.”

It was hard but I did stay in bed. Days went past before I could get out of bed and move around. Daryl, Glenn, T-dog and Maggie went out on a few trips to try and find more supplies. We needed more medication, bandage, stuff that we would need when the baby gets here. They were able to find a pair of crutches for Hershel, who was doing a lot better.

Things seemed good. But that peace never lasts long, not in this world. The day we got Hershel up and walking, getting him out into the fresh air and sun, walkers started to fill the courtyard and a loud blaring sound from the speakers attached to the side of the building went off.

We lost T-dog, and Carol was missing. The most heartbreaking one was when Maggir walked out of the cell block, Carl close behind her. She had something wrapped in a shirt and was covered in blood. Rick broke down once he realized what it was.

It was the baby, a baby girl. Lori went into labor and Maggie was forced to do a C-section. Lori didn't make it and Carl was the one to put his mother down. Daryl and her went off to find stuff for the baby

Formula and bottles were the most important. We only had a few things for her. Rick went into a shocked state, going to the boiler room where it happened.

I watch Daryl hold the tiny body, feeding her, and cooing at her. It made my stomach fill with butterflies. It made me feel things I didn't want to. It wasn't smart to have something like that, a family, someone to hold at night. It all just gets snatched away in a blink of an eye. Daryl's eyes met mine and I gave him a soft smile before walking up to my cell.

It was a while longer when someone came to the cell door. “Ya alright?” I sighed and looked up from the book I was reading. I had found it in a house while we were still out on the road. “Yeah, just a little tired. Thought I'd read a little then try to get some sleep. Things are going to be harder from now on with a baby.”

Daryl bit his lip, eyes cast down at the floor. “Wanna keep watch with me later?” He didn't look up at me when he asked. “Yeah, sure. Just come get me when you head out.” He nodded and walked out. At least we weren't fighting like we were. Well, we haven't been fighting recently. I'm sure one of them will get pissed at the other and start a fight.

It's comforting that Daryl came after me. He came looking for me after I ran off after Larson. He saved my life. So there has to be a small part of him that still cares about me. Maybe I can fix whatever was broken. Merle isn't around to put bullshit in his head. He's been a better person since Merle has been gone. He's Rick's right hand man. Maybe we could even eventually, dare I say, be together. But would that be worth it?

[eventinelysplayground]

This is my entry for @violettduchess and @lorei-writes shapes of love challenge. I actually wanted to write something like this a long time ago but couldn't pull it together then this challenge brought it back to mind. I also then saw a mood board with Yours (linked) on it that @lichtluv did and that song just let me take off running with it. This story goes under the prompts Storge (familial) and Mania (obsessive) love. Rio is having a hard time dealing with his feelings again after some news. Angst and some fluff, mentions of drinking WC approx 1564.

Why

The tavern was loud and boisterous tonight, almost too much so for Rio's liking but their alcohol was top notch and that was his primary goal. He wanted to drink so much he'd be numb, so much he might forget for a while.

When he had arrived he found the quietest darkest spot he could and ordered a bottle of gin. The first three bottles had disappeared fairly quickly and the fourth was close to joining them and yet he still wasn't anywhere near numb, was still thinking about Emma. About how despite everything he still wanted her.

How does it still hurt this much? I know it was my idea for her to marry my idiot brother but…if I could go back I'd beat myself up for being so stupid!

“Hey you wanna hear somethin?”

“Hear what?”

“Her Majesty is with child!”

“What!? Where did you hear that from? I ain't heard no announcement or nothin.”

“Keep your voice down! When his Majesty visited the shipyard yesterday I overheard him talkin to some of the guys and he mentioned it without thinkin. Threatened em all to keep their mouths shut for now if they knew what was good for em.”

“Well damn! We can look forward to a few days…”

Rio sighed at the men's words before downing the last of his glass finishing off the fourth bottle. He waved down a nearby barmaid and ordered two more bottles despite her protests of him having had a lot already.

That was the last thing I wanted to hear about tonight and this is nowhere near enough alcohol. Stupid Silvio and his big mouth, bet he let it slip on purpose. He had such a cocky, arrogant smile on his face when he heard that Emma had told me. Why the hell did that jangler have to go after her, he could have had any woman he wanted, why did he have to want Emma…

Just then the barmaid arrived with another large bottle of gin. Rio glared at her, his normally sky blue eyes turned as deep as the ocean with pain and uncharacteristic anger.

“I said two bottles.”

Rio's voice came out in a harsh growl and the barmaid flinched.

“I'm sorry I'll get the other one right away.”

Rio didn't even bother with his glass this time and lifted the bottle to his mouth taking a huge swig when he felt a hand grab his shoulder and squeeze tightly.

“Right, that's enough for you.”

“Get lost you dumb jangler!”

“What did you just say to me!?”

Silvio wrapped an arm around Rio's neck and hauled him to his feet.

“Oww let me go!”

“Not a chance.”

Rio struggled against Silvio's grip on him as he led him towards the door but his brother was always physically stronger than he was.

Just great as if I hadn't had enough today…

Rio saw Silvio nod at the barkeep quickly before leading him out the door and into the streets. The cool night air felt like a slap in the face to Rio and he cursed under his breath.

“Quit whining ya mutt.”

Silvio loosened his grip a bit on Rio's neck and he took advantage of it to push his brother off him.

“What the hell are you doing here Silvio? Actually I don't care, just get out of my sight!”

“You'd have to be able to see me first.”

Rio glared at his brother, his eyes filled with hatred.

“I wish you'd never gone to Rhodolite then I wouldn't have to see your stupid face every day!”

Silvio sighed and grabbed Rio by the collar dragging him into an alleyway. Before Rio knew it Silvio was dunking his head into a barrel of water, he flailed his arms for a minute before his head was pulled back out of the barrel.

“What the fuck Silvio!? What are you-”

Rio's words were cut off when his head was once again dunked into the barrel but this time he felt Silvio giving his head an extra shove. His head surfaced and he gasped and coughed turning around to face his brother once he had released him. He had wanted to hit him, to scream at him but the chilly water and cold air was doing the trick and instead he just sank to the ground leaning back against the bricks. He brought his knees up resting his arms on them and he looked up at Silvio but this time instead of anger it was pain in his eyes.

“Why couldn't it have been me? I loved her for years and she never loved me back. She knew you less than a month before she fell madly in love with you, why wasn't I enough for her?”

Rio placed his forehead on his arms, he didn't want to give Silvio the satisfaction of seeing him cry again. He didn't want to hear the speech he knew was coming, he just wanted to block it all out. Silence fell for a while and then he sensed Silvio sit down beside him, he turned to look at his brother but he was just sitting there staring at the opposite wall. It wasn't often his older brother was in a listening mood, not to him anyways and Rio seized the opportunity.

“I used to picture my life with her, you know? Her falling in love with me, getting married, having lots of kids, even growing old together.”

Rio saw Silvio's jaw tense out of the corner of his eye.

“I knew she wasn't in love with me but I thought it was just a matter of time. She may not have been mine but I was definitely hers and I couldn't wait for her to realize she was meant for me, for her to have that look in her eyes. Then when I finally got to see that look I yearned to see in her eyes she wasn't looking at me, she was looking at you and it wasn't fair. I really did think you'd just play around with her and use her before breaking her heart and I was ready for that, ready to pick up the pieces but I should have known better. You might be an ass but deep down you aren't a bad guy Silvio… I guess this is what I get for never caring about anything or anyone for all those years isn't it?"

“Valerio…”

“Oh come on, I know you thought it at some point too. I wanted so badly to be able to change her mind but when I couldn't I tried to be happy for her, for both of you. I made it through your engagement and the wedding but I couldn't push through it this time. Why can't I move on from this, from her?”

“I don't know, but I'm sure somebody else will come along eventually. You always had women flocking around you at parties and stuff.”

“Ya but I never wanted any of them. I wanted Emma. I still want her but you had to come along and mess everything up and you get to have everything I dreamed about for years.Why did you have to fall in love with her?”

Rio shifted and turned to look at his brother and he was stunned, Silvio had an expression on his face he'd never seen before. The closest he could come to describing it was guilt and anguish but that wasn't quite it and it made his own heart ache for him. Silvio turned to face Rio and the brothers just stared at each other for a long time.

“I'll never apologize Valerio, it wouldn't be right to but… I promised myself I'd spend my life protecting and cherishing the woman you love. I'll make sure she's always happy and never regrets a thing.”

Rio may have been angry at Silvio but the truth was he knew his brother already did all those things and more, she was always smiling and happy.

“I know, as much as it still annoys me she fell in love with you just as much as you fell in love with her. The choice was always hers to make and it just wasn't me. I know you'll do everything and anything for her, you already do. Thank you for that Silvio.”

“You're thanking me now? Wait...are you still too drunk?”

Silvio reached out to grab Rio's head but he ducked away just in time.

“No! I'm fine, geez you were finally acting like a decent big brot-”

Rio stopped talking when he felt his brother pulling him in towards him and rustling his hair. None of them were ever very good at talking about their feelings. Silvio had always been the worst at it though so these simple gestures spoke volumes.

“Come on, let's get you home and in bed.”

Silvio stood first and extended a hand to Rio who took it and pulled himself upright. The two started walking out of the alleyway when Silvio suddenly stopped.

“What?”

Silvio turned around to face Rio and grabbed him by the ear .

“Ow ow ow!”

“If you tell anybody about what happened here tonight I'll take you out to sea and toss you in the middle of the ocean.”

“Ow Alright! I won't say a thing, now let go already you dumb jangler!”

[mythicalcowboyatheart]

Hail to the king Baby

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Pairing: Ash Williams x reader

Warnings: SMUT, pet names (it's Ash what did you expect)

An: re watching army of darkness had me thinking some thoughts lol

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You and your boyfriend Ash decided to have a few drinks and went to a local bar. You'd been teasing Ash all night and he was teasing you back.

He looked over your body , taking in your figure, and he decided to be bold. He stepped forward, bringing himself into your personal space. He leaned down and spoke in your ear, his voice quieter but still laced with a cocky tone.

"You're a lot of things, you know that? Impressive, sure, but also... extremely attractive." "and I do tricks too" you wink. He felt an excited shiver run down his spine. He wasn't sure if you were being coy or if you were being serious, but the thought of what those tricks could be was tempting, to say the least.

He smirked at you again, a bit of desire in his eyes. He leaned even closer than before, his lips barely a few inches from your ear as he spoke quietly.

"What kinda tricks are we talkin', here?" You smile slyly "you'll see if you play your cards right" He chuckled at the words, both excited and a little more afraid of your coy attitude and confident nature.

"Well, I'm quite the master at cards, sweetheart." He teased. "you might be a master but I'm the queen"

A smile played across his lips, enjoying your playful banter. He leaned in close, once again closing the distance between them, and spoke in a low, sultry tone. "A queen, huh? Well, everyone knows a queen needs a king, right? And this king has some very special tricks he'd like to show you." you laugh kissing Ash. He reciprocated the kiss, enjoying the taste of you in his mouth.

He pulled back from the kiss, and smirked. "Damn right." He said, his own cockiness matching your own. "And I'm gonna show you exactly how a king treats his queen." "your place or mine?"

"My place is closer, and I've got a few tricks I'd like to show you."

"don't threaten me with a good time" He chuckled a little, smiling at your joke. "Sweetheart, I'm about to give you the best night of your life."

He held your hand as they left the bar, and led you to his car. "Is that a promise?"

They got to his car, and he put his arms around your hips to guide you against the passenger door.

He leaned his body against yours, closing the distance and trapping you in his embrace, leaning down close to your ear, his voice a low, seductive whisper.

"That's a promise." He smiled a bit before nipping at your ear, letting his lips wander down to your neck. "A promise that I intend to keep all night long." You moan quietly He continued to kiss the skin of your neck, enjoying the feel of your body under his lips. He could feel a need to kiss and touch every part of you taking over him, and it took a great deal of self-restraint to keep himself from losing control and ravishing you in the parking lot.

He pulled away from your neck and spoke in your ear, his grip on your hips still firm.

"Let's get out of here, my queen."

"let's go pretty boy" you place your hand on his thigh as he drives. He let out a low gasp at the feel of your hand on his thigh, enjoying the touch, but still having to keep his focus on the road.

He drove with one hand, the other hand resting on your thigh in return, his grip firm against your smooth skin.

He tried to keep his focus on the road, but the feel of you against him was making it very difficult. your hand inchs up higher and you smirk .

He inhaled sharply, feeling your hand slowly moving up, your fingers tracing lazy patterns against his thigh and moving closer and closer to...

He exhaled, trying to keep his focus as best he could. "Careful, darlin'. Don't start something you can't finish." "oh I plan on finishing" you wink.

He let out an involuntary gasp again, your words filling him with desire. He had to clench his jaw, the feeling of your touch starting to drive him crazy.

He chuckled a bit, still desperately trying to keep his composure. "You're a real tease, aren't you, sweetheart?" He drove on, feeling your hand still trailing upwards tantalizingly slowly. His body ached to feel more of you, but he needed to focus, and the combination of trying to hold back and trying to focus on the road was starting to get difficult.

"You're driving me crazy, you know that?" He said, his voice low and a little breathless. "oh I'm very aware" you cup Ash through his pants. He let out a quiet, low moan, the feeling of your hand against him sending a shock of pleasure through his entire body.

He let out a deep breath, trying to keep control over himself. "You - you're a devil, you know that, sweetheart? You're driving me crazy here."

You kiss up his neck "good" you smile against his skin. He shivered at the kiss, his whole body suddenly feeling like it was on fire. He let out a shaky breath, his eyes clenching shut involuntarily.

He tried to form a coherent sentence, but the pleasure and ecstasy of your kisses was quickly making it impossible. "God damn, darlin'..."

You pull away from Ash and smile "are we almost there?" He groaned lowly, already missing the feeling of your lips against his skin. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the road again, his heart pounding in his chest from how badly he wanted you.

He swallowed hard and nodded, trying to sound composed. "Y-yeah." He managed to get out. "Yeah, we're almost there."They finally reached his trailer, and he parked outside. By this point he was completely desperate to get his hands on you, but he still tried to keep his cool as they walked to his door.

He opened the door and beckoned you inside, the desire still very clear on his face. "After you, darlin'."

He shut the door quickly, and the moment they were alone he was instantly on you, returning the kisses with a fierce and needy fervor.

He pressed you up against the wall, his hands roaming over every part of your body that he could reach, desperate to touch and feel every inch of you.

He pulled back from the kisses for a moment, his breath quick and labored, his eyes raking over your body with a primal need.

"You're driving me crazy, sweetheart." He said, his voice low and full of desire. "God damn, I need you. Right. Now." "I need you too Ash" youpractically moan. He nearly growled with desire at the sound of your voice, his hands roaming even more hungrily over your body.

He leaned forward and nipped at your neck, his lips kissing and biting along the smooth skin. "Yeah?" He asked, his voice low and needy. "You really need me, baby?" "yes please Ash" With your words, the last of his self-control snapped. He let out a low growl and started attacking your neck again, biting and sucking at the skin, leaving a trail of love bites in his wake.

He let his hands run down to your hips, his grip strong and firm.

"Goddamit, you don't know what you do to me, baby." He groaned against your skin, his body pressed against yours.

He lifted you up easily, his large, strong arms wrapping around your waist and holding you tight against his body.

The feeling of you grinding against him nearly made him go insane with desire. He pressed you against the wall, his hands grabbing your hips and guiding you against him.

"Goddamn, sweetheart." He groaned, his eyes closed, his body pressed flush against yours. "You feel incredible." Your hands wonder down to his belt He let out a low gasp as he felt your hands working on his belt, the anticipation driving him wild. He leaned in and nipped at your neck again, his body pressed against you, his heart pounding in his chest.

"You're a vixen, you know that, darlin'?" He murmured breathlessly against your skin. "Driving me crazy over here." "so I've heard" you smile as you unzip his pants. He let out another low moan as he felt your hands pulling at his pants, the sensation sending a shiver down his spine.

He leaned in and nipped at your ear, his breath labored, his voice a low, eager whisper. "Goddamn, you're gonna be the death of me, darlin'."

He continued to kiss and bite at your ear and neck, his body pressed flush against yours as you worked on his pants. He could feel the need and desire for you taking over his mind, his every thought consumed by the need to have you.

"Sweetheart, I... I want you so goddamn bad." He panted, his hands gripping your hips tighter."take me to the bedroom and you can have me" He groaned at your words, the heat in his eyes growing even stronger. He lifted you up into his arms again, his strong grip on your hips, and carried you to the bedroom, his mind practically consumed with need.

Once they reached the bedroom, he practically threw you onto the bed, pouncing on you like a predator. You pull off your top and throw it somewhere off the bed. He let out a low gasp as he watched you take off your top, the sight of your skin and body driving him crazy.

He climbed on top of you, pressing his body against yours, his hands roaming over your bare skin hungrily. "Damnit, sweetheart. You're so goddamn beautiful."

He leaned down and started attacking your neck again, nipping and sucking on your skin, marking you as his.

His hands continued to roam over your body, moving down to your hips and thighs, gripping you tightly. "You're so goddamn perfect." He panted against your skin. "Ash" you moan.

He heard his name slip past your lips, the sound sending a wave of pleasure through his entire body.

He pulled away from your neck and moved to your ear, his lips gently brushing the skin. "God sweetheart, the way you say my name..." He murmured, his voice low and needy. "It makes me want to break you."

"need you please Ash" you moan grinding up into him. He let out a deep moan at your words and the feeling of you grinding against him, your need and desire fueling his own even further.

He leaned in and nipped at your ear again, his breath coming out in quick gasps. "Yeah, baby? You need me that bad?" You whine "please need you"

He let out another low moan at your whine, the sound of need in your voice sending a thrill through his body.

"Goddamn, sweetheart. You're killing me here." He panted, his voice low and strained. "I want you so bad. You ready for me, baby?" "yes please baby"

He let out another low moan at your words, the need and desire in your voice taking over his mind.

He shifted his body over you, his hands roaming over your skin, his touch needing and desperate. "Goddamnit, baby. You don't know what you do to me."

He leaned down, his lips grazing your ear. "I'm going to make you mine tonight." "need you in me please" you whine. He groaned at your whine, the sound of raw need in your voice sending a shiver down his spine.

He leaned in and nipped at your ear once more, his breath hot against your skin. "You want me, baby? You want me deep inside of you?"

"yes please Ash baby" you ehine and a tear rolls down your cheek out of pure want and need.

He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the tear roll down your cheek, the need and desire in your voice and body driving him over the edge.

He leaned in, his hand reaching out and gently wiping away the tear. "Shhh, baby. It's okay. I'll give you what you need."

He moved down, his lips kissing and nipping at your skin, his body pressed flush against yours. "I'm going to make you feel so damn good, baby. Just relax."

He continued to kiss and bite at your skin, his hands roaming over your body, his touch both gentle and possessive.

He reached down and began to undo your pants, his fingers clumsy and eager as he quickly removed them along with your underwear.

"Goddamn, sweetheart. You're so damn perfect." He panted against your skin. "please touch me Ash"

He let out a deep, needy moan at your words, the sound of your voice begging for his touch driving him nearly mad.

He moved his hands up your body, his touch gentle and tender as they roamed over your skin. "I'm going to take care of you, sweetheart." He panted as his hands continued to explore your body. "I'm going to give you everything you need." You lift your hips a bit trying to grind against him again.

He groaned at the feel of you grinding against him again, his body responding to your movements and his need for you growing stronger with every passing moment.

He reached down and grabbed your hips, his grip firm as he pressed himself against you, his breath coming out in short gasps. "Goddamn, sweetheart. You're making it hard to go slow here."

"I don't want slow I need you inside me" He let out a deep, guttural moan at your words, his mind consumed with the lust and need for you.

He nipped at your neck again, his breath hot against your skin. "You want me inside you, baby?" He panted, his voice low and needy. "You need me that bad?" You nod. He groaned again at your nod, the sight of your need and desire pushing him to the edge.

He leaned in, his body pressing against you, his voice thick with need. "I'll give you what you need, baby."

He shifted his body, his hands gripping your hips as he positioned himself between your legs.

He kissed and nipped at your neck, his hands still gripping your hips as he slowly ground against you, his need and desire driving him wild.

"You ready for me, baby?" He panted against your skin. "You ready for me to take you?"

"Always" you say as you pull him down for a kiss.

He groaned into the kiss, his body pressing against yours, his heart pounding in his chest.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer, his kisses becoming more urgent and needy as he pushes in to you.

"Goddamnit, you're perfect." He panted against your lips, his voice thick with need. "fuck" you moan "you feel amazing Baby"

He groaned at your words, his body shuddering as he feels himself sinking into you.

"Goddamnit, baby." He panted, his body reacting to the tight heat of you around him. "You're so goddamn perfect. You feel so goddamn good. I can't get enough of you."

"Ash baby please move I need you" He growled at your need, the sound of your voice sending a thrill down his spine.

He began to move inside you, his movements deep and slow, he wanted to savor this moment for as long as he could. "Goddamnit, baby. You feel incredible." He panted. You moan louder "faster baby"

He let out a deep, guttural moan, his body reacting to your words as he began to move inside you faster.

His hands tightened their grip on your hips, his body pressed flush against yours, every inch of him seeking and needing you.

"Goddamnit, baby. You're so goddamn perfect." He panted against your skin, his breath hot and labored.

"I'm close!" You whine.

He groaned at your words, the need and urgency in your voice driving him wild.

His movements became more frantic and needy, his body seeking that release that only you could give him. "Come for me, baby." He panted, his voice low and needy. "Ash!" I come with a yell

He felt you tighten around him, your release sending a shockwave through his body.

He couldn't hold back any longer, your pleasure pulling him over the edge. he comes in you as he fucks you through your high.

"you fell so good Ash" you moan as you come down from your high. He panted against you, his body still trembling from his orgasm, every fiber of him focused on the need to be close to you.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you to his chest, his breath coming out in short gasping breaths. "Goddamn, baby." He panted against your skin, his voice low and needy. "You're incredible."

"hail to the king baby" you say panting with a laugh.

He chuckled at your words, his body relaxing into yours.

"Damn right, baby." He mumbled, his voice low and soft. "Hail to the king."

He nuzzled his face into your neck, his lips brushing against your skin, as he drifts off to sleep holding you close.

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[intertexts]

i lied actually that krouse/luke interaction i posted earlier isn't wibby and virion it's actually wibby and ashe <3 what is more important than two kids trauma bonding over feeling like freaks because of their powers!!!!!! Dakota has his martyr complex, virion has his identity issues, but when it comes down to it both of them see their powers as something good, something that can be used like a tool, etc. they don't get it. ashe, actively discouraged by his father to use any of his powers AT ALL, literally locked in his house while his dad (hypocritical piece of shit) goes out and. uses powers. william, who got his powers from feeling like a freak and continued to feel like EVEN MORE of a freak after he got his powers. well. I think they just understand each other on such a core base level. emo kids unionizing you are so important to me. I think they like to sit on the roof at night and just talk about shit and look at the sky. william smokes and ashe doesn't give him shit for it even lightheartedly like virion or dakota would.

also not exactly related but also kind of related. very important to me that early on in their friendship ashe sneaks out of his house when mark isn't there. teenage rebellion is the catalyst for everything (also the irony of mark doing everything in his power and more to stop things from happening to ashe only for it to turn out that his actions are what directly led to ashe rebelling and meeting the wards and joining them and everything that comes after) . he finds out when ashe sneaks back into his room one night not realizing mark was home and his clothes smell like smoke . cue the "where the FUCK were you, what the FUCK were you doing" argument.

ohhhhh emo kids union....... emo kids union u are everything to me!!!!!!!!!!! god!!!!!! esp. in this context.... u are so right. they understand each other on a core level...... the loneliness the alienation the shared experiences. william loves dakota & virion so much & they love him & they'll always b trying 2 be their for each other in their own fucked up ways but like-- they'll never understand william thinking "i wish i could call my parents and cry and tell them everything but i could never do that." or "yeah i hate my brother and he scares me sometimes and i wish i didn't want to trust him like i do"!! what does that mean to the orphan n the guy who grew up with loving (dead) parents? ashe gets it though! he knows what it's like to be so angry and frustrated and lonely.... they click so immediately. ashe goes yeah i'm fucking terrified that one day i'll lose control and hurt everyone around me. i mean, i wish i was like Good, hahaha, but that's just not for me so i'm just trying make as much good as i can come out of something that straight up sucks, right? & wibby goes ohh. Ohhhhh. shit. like. it's exactly what ur saying man. locking eyes awkward cautious smile with the one other kid wearing a black tshirt n skinny jeans at camp & just Knowing Exactly who you're gonna be friends with. the relief of it.!!!!!

side note 2 me they r both breaker/shakers hehehe (wibby's ghost shaping kiiind of blurs the line? & after his second trigger when he gets Way better at mimicking humans & shit he's frequently miscategorized as a master. he kind of is? well. you know. blurred lines. but i don't think he's working with anything Living.) which i like a lot. same trauma solidarity!! you KNOW they r sitting on that roof w smokes & booze (neither of them even like the booze but it's part of The Thing) (dakota substance abuse baggage virion would rather die than be in an altered or unfiltered state in front of people) feeling kind of scared and gleeful that they actually get to have this Cool Person experience they always figured they'd miss out on forever... u know they're talkin bout all the normal shit they Did always want to do and did miss out on. actually yeah now that i'm thinking about it them genuinely barely even filtered through levels of irony larping all the shit they missed out on due to being Fucked Up is so important 2 me.... i need them to light fireworks in the street and accidentally stay too close & run away from them giggling & go to the grocery store at 2am & go to concerts... they get to be kids for a bit in a way that only the two of them understand. yk?

FUCKING ILL OVER THAT. BTW. YEAH. god if i think abt ashe & mark too long i'll die but that's so good... yeah.... perfect... i bet ashe kind of likes that his clothes smell like smoke btw. like real proof he Does have friends that he hangs out with now. god i bet they give each other shitty stick n pokes and are really normal about it.

[princessasmosprincess]

Charmed, I'm Sure

Chapter 25

Summary: No human has ever avoided Asmodeus's charm. Except for you.

Pairing: Asmodeus x GN Reader/MC

Genre: Drama, angst, a bit of fluff.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence in this chapter. There's an old skeleton I briefly describe at one point so death implied but not of any named or important characters.

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Author's note: Charmed is officially one year old today and I just wanted to thank everyone who has read it so far. It's been really fun to write and show how much I love Asmo. I've really enjoyed reading all the feedback I've gotten and every comment on my fic no matter how short is so precious to me. Hopefully the story will be finished soon, there's not that much left to go!

***

Levi, Mammon, and Beel came barreling through one of the corridors, screaming.

“OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN IT'S GONNA EAT US! LIKE, FOR REAL!” Mammon cried.

The huge, teal snake was hot on his heels, hissing angrily, its hood expanded on either side of its head to appear even bigger. Like a giant cobra. It easily slithered over the vines on the floor, navigating them quickly and avoiding holes in the tile while still seeking its target. It seemed to know this area very well.

“Gah...it's giant. And disgusting!” Asmo wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, I hate having to look at unattractive things.” He released you, the snake’s presence was a real turn-off. Maybe there would be time to pick up where he left off later. Assuming everyone made it out of the labyrinth alive.

“Hey, how 'bout you stop talkin' and HEEEEEELP!”

“I am a fan of eating, but l'm not interested in being eaten.” Beel dodged the snake’s fangs.

“As if we didn't already have enough problems as it is, they had to go and bring us another one.” Solomon shook his head. “Well, we'd better get out of here.”

“Get out of here and go where, exactly?!” Levi nearly tripped over a vine as he scrambled out of the way.

“Just shut up and follow me.” Solomon grabbed your wrist and started running down one of the corridors without waiting for the others.

These halls looked nearly identical to the ones you came from and the further you went, the more you really hoped Solomon hadn't somehow led the group in a circle. You tried to take note of certain identifying features as you went: a statue over here, ancient runes left by some poor wandering prisoner over there, empty chrysalises from vampiric butterflies littering the ceiling, anything to tell the passages apart.

Several minutes of running at top speed left you and Solomon out of breath. The demons behind you seemed a little better off, although Levi was trailing behind quite a bit. The snake wasn't that far behind him, hissing and thrashing its tail as it maneuvered expertly through the labyrinth.

Solomon pressed forward, taking a few quick, sharp turns before pulling you into a narrow chamber that branched off to the right so the two of you could catch your breath. The entrance was small, no bigger than an average doorway, too small for the snake to pass through. Probably.

The walls were lined with prison cell doors, a demon skeleton, half crumbled with age, sat in one of the cells. Its horned skull grinned at you with its somehow still white fangs and a blank stare and you tried to avert your eyes.

“Looks like we managed to lose it somehow.” Asmo leaned against one of the cell doors and pulled out his compact mirror, trying to fix his mussed hair under the low light.

“Yeah, but what're we s'posed to do now, huh? You expect us to hide here forever?” said Mammon. He had placed himself as far away from the entrance and the demon skeleton as possible.

“You're the one who woke that snake up, Mammon. You don't get to complain.” Beel grunted, pushing his sweaty hair back from his forehead. His hands were shaking as he slid to the floor, his back against the wall. Normally one of the strongest, his hunger was apparent in his physical symptoms.

“Hey, I didn't wake it up! I just saw a snakeskin lyin' on the ground and figured I'd sell it for a pretty nice sum!” Mammon protested. “But when I tried to grab it to take it with me, it turned out there was still a snake inside! That's when that monster suddenly came after us, all mad 'n stuff…”

“He's NOT a monster.” Levi dropped to his knees in exhaustion next to Beel, “He's Henry 1.0.”

Asmo snapped the compact mirror shut, his eyes wide, “What?”

“Henry...?” said Mammon, “Wait, you mean THAT Henry?!”

“Are you sure?” Beel asked.

Levi clutched his side, panting from the strain of all that running. “I know Henry when I see him. And that is Henry, no doubt about it. I can't believe I'd find him down here of all places.”

“Henry?” You asked. “What are you talking about?” The only Henrys you knew were the fictional one from TSL and Levi’s tiny goldfish back at the House of Lamentation.

“He's talking about the pet snake he used to have.” Said Beel. “Every time Levi gets a new pet, he names it Henry.”

“Um… I wanna say you're on your fourth Henry at this point, right?” Asmo chimed in.

“No, you're WAY off. I'm currently keeping Henry 2.0.” Levi adamantly corrected. “I kept Henry 1.0 in his glass case and took really good care of him, but one day he disappeared. How many years has it been, I wonder?”

So the snake chasing you had once been Levi’s pet. You suppressed a laugh, imagining Henry 2.0 somehow escaping unbeknownst to Levi and becoming a whale-sized goldfish. That scenario didn't seem that unlikely for the Devildom.

“I don't believe it. I never thought I'd see him again…” Levi was tearing up, “But here he is, alive and well-and he's gotten so BIG! Oh, it's such a relief. I'm so glad he's all right.”

“Well I sure ain't!” Mammon said.

“Anyway, I at least managed to snap a selfie with him as we were running away. Here, check it out!” Levi excitedly showed you the selfie on his now cracked D.D.D. screen, the motion blurred picture showed Levi’s proud smile as Henry brandished his fangs mid-hiss, only a few feet behind him in pursuit.

Solomon spoke up next, “If he used to be your pet, do you think there's some way to pacify him?”

“Nope, no way.” Levi frowned. “He looked like he'd forgotten me completely.”

“Well yes, I'd say so, considering he just tried to eat you…” Asmo gave him a pat on the shoulder for condolences.

“We should attack it.” Beel’s dark rimmed eyes flashed red for a moment, “We should take that thing down, then grill it up and eat it. I'm hungry.”

Levi grabbed Beel’s arm, “No! I won't let you hurt Henry 1.0! And he's NOT FOOD!” He was prepared to restrain his younger brother if need be.

“Okay then, what SHOULD we do? If we don't do somethin' about that snake, we're never gonna get outta here.” Mammon pointed to the entrance. Henry was slithering back and forth in the hall as if pacing the floor, his tongue flickering to taste the air. He was searching.

“Violence isn't the answer.” You said, lowering your voice and giving Levi a reassuring glance.

“Thank you.” said Levi, matching your volume. “MC is the only person making sense right now.”

Solomon peeked out the doorway, “We don't necessarily need to hurt Henry to get out of here. There's another strategy we could try.”

Asmo clung to Solomon’s arm, resting his head on the sorcerer’s shoulder to fawn over him, “Oh Solomon, I knew you'd come up with something! Not only are you good-looking, you're smart, too.” He tapped him on the nose.

“Thanks,” Solomon put his hands on Asmo’s shoulders, moving him back an arm’s length, a calculating look in his eye, “Alright, I'll be counting on you to make this work, Asmodeus.”

“Huh? ...Me?” Asmo looked incredulous.

“Ah, I see what he's thinkin! While that snake is chewin' on Asmo, the rest of us can make our escape!” said Mammon.

Asmo scoffed. “Uh, no. That should be YOUR job, Mammon. As the stupidest one among us, it's only right.”

“Oh no, nuh-uh!” said Levi, “No feeding Mammon to Henry 1.0! He'll get a tummy ache!”

“HEY! You guys are bein' REAL RUDE, ya know that?!” said Mammon.

“Are you thinking of using Asmo to mesmerize the snake?” Beel asked.

“Exactly.” said Solomon, “We should make use of Asmodeus's natural charm. If he can manage to tame Henry and win him over, then maybe he'd be willing to show us the way out of the labyrinth.”

Asmo thought for a moment. It did seem doable. And if he succeeded he was sure to get a lot of praise, hopefully from you.

From you? Why would he need or want praise from you? He brushed his hands against his pants as if trying to push that thought away. You and your praise didn't matter to him.

He still needed to get out of this labyrinth, though.

“Ah, okay...yes. Well, I suppose I could do that.” He sighed languidly, “You know, it really should be illegal to be so stunningly beautiful that you can even charm a snake. I'm so attractive sometimes I scare even myself.”

“Yikes.”

“Ah, so you find it scary too, Beel?” Asmo smiled, “I mean, I'm not surprised.”

“No, I said that because I think he just spotted us... Henry, I mean.”

The snake was flickering his tongue in the air right outside the doorway, his size preventing him from entering. He hissed and bobbed his head, trying to find another way in.

“Right! I'II begin by using my magic to amplify Asmodeus's powers.” Solomon rolled back his cuffs. “Then Asmo, you mesmerize Henry. The amplification process is going to take a bit of time. So Mammon,”

Asmo smirked, knowing exactly what would come next.

“Me?” Mammon protested, knowing exactly where this was going, “Why’s it gotta be me? Why can't one a’ them go?” He pointed over to Levi and Beel who both appeared to be at death’s door. There was no way either of them could safely follow through with the plan in the state they were in.

Solomon continued speaking, ignoring the ridiculous suggestion, “And MC, you two distract Henry in the meantime.”

Asmo’s eyes darted to you, his stomach flipped as Solomon said your name. “Wait,” he said.

“Something the matter?” Solomon quirked an eyebrow.

Asmo didn't know what to say. The idea of you facing Levi’s disgusting snake really bothered him. Mammon was a demon and could handle himself, but you were only human. You could get hurt. He looked down at his own clasped hands, “Um… I don’t–”

“Solomon,” you cut him off as the giant snake slithered closer to your hiding spot. “Will my bracelet protect me and Mammon from Henry?”

Solomon crossed his arms, letting out a breath in a whoosh. “I don’t know. The spell I cast on it was relatively simple so it’s hard to tell with a creature of Henry’s size.”

You took Mammon’s hand, lacing your fingers with his as he blushed and stammered, “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

You gave a confident smile, winking over your shoulder at Asmo.

Asmo’s jaw dropped. What a tease. Where did this MC come from? Surely this wasn't the timid human who had been living with his family for the past few months. There was such determination in your eyes. Maybe your reaction to seeing the Demon King’s portrait earlier wasn't naïveté but actual fearlessness. Asmo felt his heart rate quicken. That was kind of attractive.

“We have to work quickly before he figures out a way in,” said Solomon, snapping Asmo out of his own thoughts.

“Right,” You tossed a loose stone past Henry and it clattered on the floor on the other side of the corridor. Henry turned toward the sound and slithered away to investigate. You had your opening. “Come on, Mammon.”

“HEEEEY! What's the big idea pushin' me right out into its path?! I mean, come on!” Mammon complained loudly as you pushed him out of the comfort of your hiding place. His voice alerted Henry to your presence. The snake began to charge after you.

So reckless. You’d gone out there without a plan beyond “distract Henry.” Asmo bit his lip, frustration building inside him. He had the urge to pull you back into the safety of the cell block. When this was all over he swore he would lecture you like he had before, it didn't matter if the others were around. And if you cried this time he would just have to take you in his arms and–

“Okay, Asmo, I take it you're ready?” Solomon cast his hands out in front of him.

Asmo tore his eyes from you and Mammon running from the snake. He took a deep breath, he really needed to focus, now more than ever. Everything was riding on him. He had to at least do this for you, “Yep, go right ahead.”

“WHATEVER! JUST DO IT ALREADY!” Mammon yelped, swerving and darting from the snake’s fangs. The two of you were doing your best to keep Henry close enough to the center of the hall for Asmo to be able to work his magic when the time came.

You grimaced as Mammon squeezed your hand, pressing on the developing bruises Asmo had left earlier. You were yanked behind him as little more than a rag doll, barely having time to jump out of the way each time Henry struck.

Solomon spoke the incantation, “Denizens of the darkness, awaken! You who are born of shadow, hear me! I am the one called Solomon. I call upon you now to lend your power to Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!”

Solomon’s magic warmed Asmo from the inside out. It was a familiar, exhilarating feeling that washed over him, one he’d grown to love over the centuries with his connection to the sorcerer. “Ooh yes, I LIKE this! I'm SO turned on right now!” The magic coursing through him really got his blood pumping. Sometimes a pact could be draining, but other times, like when he and Solomon were in sync with their goals, it felt so good!

“AAAAAH! HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES HERE IT COMES!” Mammon dodged Henry one last time, pulling you against his chest in an attempt to shield himself from the snake. Unfortunately it seemed like your bracelet was doing very little to deter the creature. Henry rose to tower above you, hissing loudly.

You grasped at Mammon’s arms which were so tightly wrapped around you, and you braced yourself.

Asmo stepped out into the hall directly in front of you, his eyes shining with rose colored sparkles as he locked his gaze on the snake, “That's right, Henry. Look me in the eyes.” He cooed.

Henry stopped in his tracks, his tongue flicking out once.

“...Yes, that's a good boy.”

You peered over Asmo’s shoulder as the charm took hold, the snake’s eyes glowing that same shade of pink. Asmo continued speaking low, enticing whisperings to the snake who was completely enraptured.

After a moment, Henry began to hiss as if responding to Asmo.

“What's that now?” Asmo grinned, looking back at you over his shoulder before turning to Henry again. “Well, how about that. He says he'll show us the way out of the labyrinth!”

Asmo listened carefully as Henry let out a series of hisses, pointing his tail from time to time like one might do with their hands when describing directions of how to get somewhere. After a few minutes he stopped, tilting his head to indicate he was finished.

“You got all that, Solomon?” Asmo asked.

Solomon nodded. “Nice job, Asmo!”

“Well, really, did you expect anything less of me?” He preened.

Levi ran out into the corridor to fuss over his pet like a parent welcoming his long lost child home, his breathing finally returned to normal. “My Henry!”

Asmo got Henry to lower his head so Levi could give him a kiss between his eyes.

“How long do we have before the charm wears off?” Beel asked as he stood shakily. Henry stayed in place, obedient and still mesmerized.

Asmo tapped his chin with his finger. “Well for a human it usually lasts for a few days.” His eyes flickered over you briefly. “For a demon it can be a few hours. Especially lower level demons, they are so easy!”

“Henry ain't a demon, though.” Mammon pointed out.

“Yes, that’s right,” said Asmo. “Henry is a creature, an animal. Unintelligent. His brain isn't as developed as even a lowly human.”

“Hey!” Levi said, not sure if he felt insulted for you as a human, or for Henry.

Asmo continued musing. “But he’s a creature in possession of some magic, that’s clear from his size, most snakes even here in the Devildom won’t get that big… You know, I’m not sure. It could last months, it could last a few minutes.” Asmo giggled. “So we better get moving in case he wakes up!”

Asmo and Solomon led the way down the dark, twisting corridors, keeping at a fast clip as they went even further into the labyrinth. The vines here were beginning to thin out.

Solomon yanked Asmo’s arm as he went to make a wrong turn.

“What was that about?” Asmo yelped in pain. “Didn't Henry say ‘Sss ssss ss’? That means ‘turn left at the Minotaur statue.”

“Wrong dialect, that would be correct in sea snake but Henry is a land snake. He said go right.”

At the next turn, the hall appeared to be better maintained. It was brighter, with more torchlight, and the cobblestones floor was even and flat. The walls were decorated with mosaics of Devildom beasts and demons, similar to the one on the floor of that large chamber with the old chandelier, but there were no missing tiles here.

“He said there would be a gate…” Solomon said, “Right there!”

The large wrought iron gate was flanked by two ornate lanterns, the flames burning brightly with apparent magic. The circle of light illuminated what looked like some sort of cellar, with rows of shelves full of Demonus and jars of pickled foods and preserves. The gate was locked with a padlock, a magical signature emanating from it.

“Henry said this cellar is right under the castle.” Solomon touched the padlock and then recoiled as its magic shocked him. “We should call someone and let them know we’re down here.”

Asmo pulled out his D.D.D., frowning when he saw the screen. “There’s no service.” He held his phone up to see if he could find a signal.

Levi and Beel did the same.

“Nothing,” said Beel. He gazed longingly through the bars.

A far off rumbling sounded deep in the labyrinth in the direction your group had just come from.

“Is that–” you began.

“Henry just woke up,” Asmo confirmed.

“We ain’t got time to wait for someone to come down here.” Mammon slid a credit card sized, enchanted lockpicking set from his wallet and knelt on the floor in front of the gate. “Let’s hope whatever locking spell Barbatos has on this gate ain’t too strong.”

Mammon got to work unlocking the gate. Emerald green sparks flashed from the keyhole but as long as he touched the padlock only with the tools, he avoided getting shocked.

The rumbling was progressively getting louder, it seemed that Henry was out for revenge, angry that his prey had escaped him.

“How much longer?” Levi asked urgently.

“I’ve almost— AHH!” Mammon dropped the tension wrench, his hand bumping into the padlock and sending a shock up his arm with more green sparks. He fumbled for the tool and began again, “Ain't a lock out there that’s a match for The Great Mammon.” He said, trying to hype himself up.

Henry's shadow stretched across the wall in the torchlight, coming into sharp focus before he could be seen. He was close.

“Come on!” Asmo shook Mammon’s shoulder, “He’s almost here.”

“Will ya stop that?” Mammon shrugged off his brother's hand, jiggling the lock as he doubled his speed.

The lock dropped to the floor and the gate swung open just as Henry rounded the corner, hissing loudly as he spotted you, Solomon, and the demons.

“Everybody in!” Mammon pushed you through first, and letting everyone else go before him. He slammed the gate shut as Henry lunged at his heels.

You passed through the rows of shelves. Everything was meticulously organized, from the Demonus categorized by millennia to the Devildom root vegetables lining the back wall and the jars of preserved goods with their carefully written labels lined up by type in the middle.

Asmo swiped a jar of Barbatos’ homemade blue rose crystal pickles from one of the shelves and handed it to Beel.

“Thanks,” Beel said, opening it right away.

“I’m proud of you for keeping it together, hon,” said Asmo.

The cellar was dark with no torches to light the way but then you spotted the staircase with a single door at the top. “There it is!” You could practically taste your freedom.

Despite being the last one to go through the gate, Mammon was the first up the stairs. He frantically banged on the door. “Someone let us out!”

“Please!”

“Help us!”

The cellar door opened and everyone tumbled onto the floor of the castle’s kitchen where several Little D’s were preparing dinner.

“Welcome back.” said Barbatos.

***

Cross-posted on AO3

[my-favourite-zhent]

New Tricks - Chapter 4

Status: Work In Progress

Version: 2.01

Pairing: Rugan x AFAB!OC

Rating: NC-17 (This chapter PG-13)

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Summary:

Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young. Being the Southern Deliveries Manager for the Baldur's Gates Zhentarim is not an easy job. Between mentoring new recruits, juggling vicious coworkers and whip-cracking bosses, bandits are the least of Rugan's troubles. An encounter with a charming stranger on the job serves to only complicate his life all the more.

Notes:

Thank you to @dustdeepsea for proof-reading and sanity checking the rewrites of this chapter. They wrote the most excellent Zarys fic performance review

And thank you to @captainsigge for sanity checking. She is author of Vera Við Aldr a cute and funny Tav x Rugan one-shot.

Table of Contents

Read on AO3 here or below the cut.

New Tricks - Chapter Four

“So instead of the tablets, which I specifically asked for, you’ve brought me a load of scribbles. Is that right?” 

Zarys' voice was perfectly even, her volume that of a normal conversation, and her tone could almost be mistaken for friendly, almost . 

Rugan knew from experience this meant she was very close to dismembering him in some way.

“Now Zarys, before we get ahead of ourselves–”

“ Specifically asked for,” she repeated.

“They were just clay Zarys, not really relics or anything. The glyphs are all anyone would want.”

“How would you know, you bloody idiot? Are you a wizard now too? Read all up on artefacts are you?”

“Listen, just send the buyer and see for yourself. It's safer this way, I swear.”

“Alright. But if this job is fucked because of you I'm docking your pay, and I may just take a pound of flesh while I'm at it.” Zarys walked to the office’s shuttered window and threw it open. She scanned the warehouse floor.

“Sal! Get me a stlarning sending scroll.”

“Right away, Zarys!” Came the red-headed wizards reply before she slammed the shutters back closed again.

“And you, get out of my sight before I decide to take that flesh preemptively.”

Rugan inclined his head in deference and left without a word. He hurried down the stairs two at a time.

“I told ya so, you plonker.” Bellar was leaning on a pile of crates at the foot of the stairs. Olly was sat upon one crate fidgeting with his bow. They hadn't heard everything down here, but they had heard enough.

“It's fine.” Rugan tried to sound confident but he was beginning to wonder. Sal anxiously hurried past them, up the stairs with a scroll in hand.

“Don't expect me to bail you out when you’ve gotta leg it out of town.”

“I have a cousin here in Waterdeep you could stay with, Rugan.”

“Dammit Olly, let him sort his own mess out.”

“I appreciate the sentiment lad, but it won't come to that, and I don't want to hear anything more on the subject.”

“Rugan, can I have a word with you for a moment?” It was Garias who had approached the trio. The man was tall and broad-shouldered. His dark hair stood in stark contrast to his brother's clownish red.

“Now ain't exactly the best time.”

“It's about Brem.”

Rugan dragged one hand down his face in frustration, a ragged groan escaping him. “Fine, lead on.”

Garias led him to one of the storage alcoves on the far side of the warehouse. Rugan practically collapsed onto one of the nearby chests while he watched Garias pace back and forth.

“Well, spit it out, lad.”

“Right, so the thing is, the thing with the bird, you know. Right, the thing is, it wasn't Brem.”

“The lass from the ambush? What do you mean it weren't Brem? Of course it was your brother—Bellar saw them together, didn't he?”

“Well, aye, but Brem was already asleep by the time she started asking questions.”

“What do you mean, already asleep?” Rugan’s brow furrowed in confusion, then he threw his head back and laughed as the realisation dawned on him. “By the Black Hand is there anything you bloody fools don't share?”

“Well you know folk pay good coin at Sharess to–”

“I really need you to stop talkin’ now, lad.”

“Right.”

Rugan sighed and put his head in his hands. “So you're telling me I have to apologise to Brem, now?”

“Well I reckon he'd likely appreciate it.”

“Stupid of him to take the fall for you, but fine, I'll treat him to a pint. Assuming of course I survive the rest of the night that is.”

“Rugan!” Came Zarys' shout from across the warehouse. “Now where’s he gotten off to?”

“I'm here, Zarys.” He approached the window, chest tight.

“Thought you'd run off on me.”

“Too old for that, knees would give out.”

“It's your lucky day then. Buyer's pleased with your creative problem solving, they pay extra for discretion, and you lot get a cut.”

+++++

The trio had decided to celebrate their good fortune at the city’s docks ward the next night. They dragged Brem along for good measure, and in turn it had been Brem who recommended the Blackstaron inn.

“I fold.” Rugan placed his hand down on the table. The tavern was bustling with noisy patrons, and the smell of beer hung on to the place like fleas on a dog.

“Ah c’mon, Rugan,” Olly pleaded. “Lemme win back my coin.”

“No thank you, besides Bellar is gonna clean us all out.”

“Can’t be helped, you lot are rubbish at cards.” Bellar chirped merrily.

Brem put his hand down as well. “Yeah I'm done, ain’t keen on losing all my coin to this git.”

“Fancy a pint at the bar?” Rugan asked Brem with a nod of his head.

“Nah, I need a tall drink, but not of that sort.” Rugan followed his gaze to a barmaid with a mischievous smile.

“Good luck to you mate.” He clapped Brem on the back as he rose from his seat. “You too, lad, just remember Bellar squints when he has a good hand.”

“Oi don't tell ‘im that!” Bellar complained after Rugan, as the man made his way to the bar.

Leaning on the counter, he ordered an ale and turned to look down the worktop as he waited. There was a pair conversing on the opposite end, after a moment he realized he recognized one of them. She hadn’t seen him yet, chatting as she was with another man. No finery this time, she wore a simple blouse that cinched under her bust and her hair was tied back, but it was definitely the woman in green. The bartender slid over his drink and Rugan watched her over the lip of the glass as he downed it.

It was then that they locked eyes. He noted the surprise on her countenance that quickly turned to a smile. She gave a little wave and he couldn't help but grin and waggle his fingers back. Her conversation partner had also turned to see who she was greeting, his expression soured upon seeing Rugan. The Zhent watched her turn and make some excuse to the man.

“Fancy meeting you here.” She was practically beaming as she approached.

“That's twice now you've abandoned your date for me, either you're very fond of me or extremely fickle.”

Her eyes sparkled with laughter as she reached out to run her fingers down his jaw. “What's not to like?”

“The feeling’s mutual, lass.” She smiled coyly at that.

“Do you have a name Zhent?”

“Planning on screaming it for me later?”

“Presumptuous.”

“I'd also accept moaning.”

“You cocky bastard.” She was laughing already.

“Whining, even.”

“Tell me the damned name already!” Despite her raised voice, her cheeks were aching from smiling.

“Rugan.” He said at last. “And you? Erica was it?”

“No. That was just for the job.”

“Well, go on then.”

“Isolde.”

“Isolde? You are a bleeding noble after all.”

“I am not!”

“Name like that? Too posh for us common folk.”

“My parents were old-fashioned is all.”

“Ah, so it is your real name this time.”

“It is.”

“And why give me the real one?”

“Because I'll get jealous if I hear another name on your lips.”

“You're almost a worse flirt than me,” he laughed.“Still too posh though.”

She shook her head and sighed though she seemed similarly amused. He regarded her for a long moment when an idea struck him. “Can I give you a nickname?” Rugan asked before turning to the bartender briefly, raising two fingers to indicate another round.

“You are a cad after all, aren’t you? Fine then, let's hear it.”

“Izzy, I think that suits a little minx like you.”

“Alright then. But I reserve the right to give you a nickname once I come up with one.”

“It's a deal.” And he made a show of shaking her hand to seal the contract, drawing another laugh. “Don't often give out the real one, do you?”

“No.” She admitted, looking a little embarrassed and he worried for a moment that he had pried.

“Too many pushy suitors is it?”

“Something like that.”

“Oh aye, I understand completely.” Rugan held up his hands in mock seriousness. “Folks are harassing me all the time. Never taking ‘no’ for an answer.” Her smile had returned and he felt himself relax.

“Poor thing, you must be beating them off with a stick.”

Rugan had a cheeky rebuttal to that, but luckily two drinks were slammed down in front of them before it could come tumbling out of his mouth.

He paid for the drinks, waving off her attempts to reach for her coin purse. “It's on me, got a nice little bonus thanks to you.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed, but let's chat somewhere a little more private. Shall we?” He directed her to an empty table at one of the various alcoves that lined one wall of the tavern.

The pair passed Brem on the way and he gave Rugan an exaggerated wink as they went by.

“Friend of yours?” Izzy queried as she looked up at him, eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Wish I could forget I knew him half the time.”

“And the other half?”

“Man's gotta sleep at some point.”

She was laughing as he guided her into a seat, and he noted with no small amount of interest that she scooted it right up into his own.

“My employer was very happy with those etchings of yours.”

‘At least, she was eventually,’ h e thought.

“Glad to hear it.”

“How about you? Make a nice profit on yours then?”

“Oh no, mine's not for sale. Personal project.”

“Personal project?” He asked incredulously. “Do you mean to frame it on your wall?”

“No,” she laughed. “I mean to translate it. I'm an archaeologist of sorts, I specialize in a few of the old tongues.”

“Should’ve figured you for an academic. What's a prestigious scholar such as yourself doing crashing parties and looting safes?”

“I’m not a proper scholar, at least not one anyone recognizes, no money for studies means no proper degree. But I have audited a few classes.”

“You did their taxes?”

“No!” Isolde couldn't help but laugh. She loved the way his pitch rose in confusion when he asked the question.

“It's just a fancy way of saying I sat in on lectures without paying. So most wouldn't recognize me as a proper student.”

“You're allowed to do that?”

She hesitated a moment. “Sometimes…” 

“So you're an academic that lacks legitimacy, still doesn't explain why you're rooting through towers.”

“I told you, personal project. I don’t usually rob places where the inhabitants are still alive.”

“Usually?” He was enjoying teasing her, she was surprisingly candid.

“Hard to find legitimate work in a field largely funded by nobles if you can't get a recommendation from a professor.”

“So who are your regular clients?”

“Most often smaller religious groups and uh, occasionally tomb raiders.”

“Almost sounds dangerous when you put it like that, lass.”

“I have met some rough characters.” She eyed him meaningfully, lips pulled into a playful grin.

“Why do I get the feeling you like it that way?” To accentuate his point Rugan grabbed Isolde by the waist, easily pulling her into his waiting lap. She laughed, wrapping an arm around his neck before leaning in to press her lips against his throat, mouth searing hot like a brand.

Rugan groaned in response and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Maybe we should take this upstairs.”

“As much as I would like that,” Her fingertip tracing patterns on his chest. “I believe your friend is about to get into some trouble.” 

“Brem?” Rugan scanned the crowd for the ridiculous looking mass of red hair.

He spotted the man talking to the now less than impressed barmaid.

Izzy followed his gaze and shook her head. “No, the other one, from the tower. That's him isn't it?”

She tilted her head towards a table across the way where Bellar was heavily flirting with an older red-headed woman. The woman was smiling wide and when Bellar flashed some of his card winnings she leaned down to give him a kiss. 

“He's one of yours isn't he? Recognize him from the party.”

“Bellar? He's not doing anything–”

“That’s the innkeeper's wife, love.” Right on cue the proprietor approached Bellar his face fixed in a scowl.

Rugan let out a long drawn out sigh. He had half a mind to just let Bellar sort out whatever problems on his own rather than ruin a perfectly good evening. When what looked to be the innkeeper's three sons surrounded the man, Rugan still had a quarter of a mind. It was when Olly jumped into the fray that his decision was made for him.

One of the sons took a swing at the lad and this seemed to be the signal for the various patrons to take out their own personal grievances on one another. Punches began flying, Rugan thought he caught a glimpse of Brem and the barmaid pulling each other's hair.

“Dammit,” he cursed softly as he moved to deposit Izzy back in her seat. He was startled when she yanked him down against her.

Rugan felt something brush against his top knot and heard the accompanying thud of thick glass against the far wall.

Some bastard had thrown a bottle at him .

He spotted the assailant, the youngest son, who was readying another bottle.

“Not that!” yelled the innkeeper. “The cheap stuff!”

The lad put down his current bottle in favour of another.

Thinking quickly Rugan flipped the table on its side, such that its former top provided a bit of coverage. He turned to grab Izzy, who was already moving from her chair to crouch behind the makeshift barrier.

Just in time, they heard the new bottle smash against the table.

The old one chose this moment to roll down between them, thick green glass shining dully in the candlelight.

“Good vintage at least.” Izzy remarked wryly when they both looked down at it and Rugan couldn't help but bark out a short laugh.

The taproom resounded with the cries of patrons and the shatter of smashing glass but when none sounded remotely close to their table he was confident their assailant had found a new target. He dared to peak around the table’s edge and saw the lad engaged in wrestling with Olly on the floor.

Bellar was similarly fending off two sons and actually doing quite well for himself, at least until the father climbed up onto a table and leapt on him from behind.

A little blade work would put a quick end to this—hells even a well placed bolt or two or four from his hand crossbow would. But this wasn't some out of the way town in the sticks. Waterdeep was a proper city, with a proper city guard; a city guard Zarys had specifically asked them not to antagonise.

The sound of a popping cork caught his attention and he turned to see Izzy putting the bottle to her lips. She paused mid sip when their eyes met and she held it out in offering.

“My thanks.” He said taking his own swig and handing it back. “I bloody hate fisticuffs.” He muttered before leaving the relative safety of their table.

Brem was the closest and Rugan weaved past a half dozen pugilistic patrons on his way to him.

Roughly he yanked the girl off Brem by her hair before unceremoniously dumping her behind the bar.

“Stay down.” He ordered when she made to rise. Something in his tone made the lass obey though she glared at him all the while.

He turned to Brem who was tentatively checking his scalp for injury. “You said this was a nice place, mate.”

“It was nice until we showed up.” Brem replied before regarding the crowd.

“Nevermind, go help bell end, I've got the boy.”

The pair split up, making their way to their respective targets.

Rugan had made it half of the way over to Olly when someone tackled him sidelong. The wind was knocked out of him and he crumpled to the floor utterly breathless.

It took a moment for him to regain his senses and when he did his assailant was already astride his waist.

“At least buy us a drink first.” Rugan managed before the young man wrapped his hands around his throat. Rugan considered this very unsporting for a tavern brawl, especially since he was going to such efforts so as not to kill or maim anyone.

“No one hurts Cohne!” The lad cried. Rugan would've asked who in the hells that was if he had the breath to.

He pried at the young man's fingers, hoping to pull them away from his rapidly closing windpipe but the lad was deceptively strong. Something bumped against Rugan's elbow, the familiar green bottle.

One hand still tugging desperately at his attacker's hands, the other reached for the bottle. Rugan slammed it hard against the lad’s head. The blow dazed him and freed Rugan's throat from his grasp. 

Whimpering, the lad began crawling away and Rugan heard a cry of “Tad!” cut through the commotion. Coughing fiercely Rugan rolled over to see the barmaid run over and fuss over his assailant.

‘Ah, Cohne,’ he thought. Looking at his attacker, Rugan saw his brow was split and bleeding. Yes this was quality glass, with a proper heft to it.

Sitting up he noticed Izzy under the table only a few feet away. Rugan held up the bottle she had rolled him and with a quirk of his brow asked: “Couldn't ‘ave hit him yourself, lass?”

“And cross the staff?” She scoffed. “My room's already paid for.”

“Fair enough.” 

Rugan rolled his shoulders and got to his feet. He tried to find Olly in the crowd only to find the lad battering his opponent.

“Reckon he's had enough, lad.” He commented as he approached, and indeed all the fight had gone out of the innkeeper's son.

“Right.” Olly replied somewhat sheepishly. He wasn't the bloodthirsty sort, but in the boy's short time in the Network Rugan had known him to lose his temper in defence of his fellows.

Olly turned to face Rugan, and his features became painted in a mask of alarm. Before he could get out a word of warning Rugan felt the chair slam into his back.

Pairs of burly arms soon had both his arms and was aware of himself being half-marched, half-dragged towards the door.

+++++

The quartet had been beaten, handily.

“Out of here, the lot of you.” The innkeeper barked at the Zhents, and when he saw Isolde standing to the side. “That goes for you as well, miss.”

The burly sons were busy shoving them out the front door, past the remaining frightened patrons and broken furniture.

“I've already paid for my room.” Isolde complained indignantly as she fished out her room key from her cloak pocket. “Are you going to reimburse me?”

“Consider it damages for your associates handiwork.” The man sneered.

“They're not my associates, I'm no mercenary!”

“Yeah but you're associated with them aren't ya? At least that one there. That makes you associates.”

“No more than your wife.” Isolde bit back. Rugan manoeuvred himself between her and the innkeeper just as the man stepped forward menacingly.

“Now, hold on, there's no need for more violence.” The Zhent held up a hand in a gesture of peace. “The lady will hand over her key.” Rugan half turned to her and extended his other hand at this. She made a petulant face and started to retort when Rugan's narrowing eyes made her think better of it.

“Fine.” She deposited the keys in his hand, still pouting. Rugan in turn, deftly tossed them to the innkeeper.

“There, now everyone’s happy.” The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile, yet the expression was somehow more threatening than anything else.

The innkeeper only grunted his assent before nodding to his sons. The family re-entered the inn, but were no doubt watching them from the windows.

“Gods, woman, you're worse than this lot with that mouth of yours.” He sighed in exasperation.

“Man’s robbing me! Why should I be polite?” She huffed.

Behind her Brem and Bellar finally broke into the cackles they had been holding in. Olly only shrugged, embarrassed by his companions

“Did’ya see ‘is face though?” Bellar was grasping at his sides.

“Don't encourage her. And don't think I've forgotten we're in this mess because of you, Bellar.”

“Not my fault, the wife said they had an arrangement.”

“And you took her word for it?” Brem asked incredulously.

“Like I'm gonna take stick from you of all folks.” Bellar replied.

Rugan shook his head ruefully. “Come on then, I saw another inn just down the road.” He turned to a still pouting Izzy. “Don't fret about the coin, lass; you can stay with me as long as you like.” He held out his arm for her. “You were planning to spend the night with me, weren't you?”

The pout melted from her face and she appraised him a moment before making a show of daintily taking his arm. “Well if you're going to be a gentleman.” She cooed while resting her head on his shoulder, knowing very well he was not.

“I'll be the very model of chivalry.” He could hear that Bellar and Brem had begun their cackling and hooting again. He shot them a smirk as he led the party down the docks.

[probably-impossible]

Habeas Corpus

A snippet of a Lawyer AU for day 7 of @dollarstrilogyevent - justice.

Blondie heard the phone in the outer office ring and Maria's muffled voice say “Sentenza & Biondo, how can we help you?” It was quiet for a while, and then the phone on his own desk started to ring. He sighed and picked it up. 

Before he could get a word out, a voice on the other end said, in a heavy Mexican accent, “Are you Sentenza or Biondo?”

“Biondo.”

“Can you put Sentenza on? I heard he's better. No offense.”

“He's, uh… not with us anymore.”

“Oh. Sorry.” 

“'S alright.” Blondie took a moment to wash down a propranolol with his watery coffee. “You want a consultation?”

“Nah, skip it. I'm at the police station right now. They're gonna arrest me for murder. But I didn't do it!”

“Sure,” Blondie muttered. He reached for a pen and notepad. “Name?”

“Tuco Benedicto Pacífico Juan María Ramirez."

“Right.” He scribbled down the first and last names and shrugged on his olive-green blazer, which he had forgotten to have dry-cleaned for the fourth week in a row. “Don't say anything. I'll be right there.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were only about twenty officers in the Betterville Police Department, and Blondie knew all of them. The one who met him at reception was named Wallace. He was the kind of cop who made the cameras in the interrogation rooms necessary. “You here for the Rat?” he asked.

“If the Rat's name is Ramirez, then yeah. Who's prosecuting?” 

“Mortimer.”

“Christ. You guys are taking this seriously.” 

“Murder's a serious crime.” Wallace led Blondie back to one of the little interview rooms and opened the door for him. “Your lawyer's here,” he said.

Tuco sat up from where he was slouched in a corner of the room. He was a shorter man dressed in a brown jacket, chinos, and flashy white pirarucu boots. He had gold rings on his fingers, a gold tooth, and a gold crucifix on a chain around his neck. “Hey,” he said to Wallace, “you got an ETA on that cheeseburger? I'm starving in here, man.”

“It's on its way.” Wallace motioned Blondie towards the table in the middle of the room. “Don't take too long, we want him booked tonight.”

“Yeah, alright.” Blondie sat down at the table and waited for Wallace to leave the room before turning to his new client. He opened his brown leather briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of papers and a pen. “Fee agreement,” he said. “Take a look, say if you want me to explain anything.”

Tuco nodded, took the papers, and signed the bottom one without reading a single word. “I don't know if you had a chance to look into my record,” he said. 

Blondie nodded. “It's pretty bad. You're not getting bail with those priors. Or a plea deal.” He put the fee agreement back in the briefcase and took out his notepad. “And Mortimer’s prosecuting. Likes to play hard ball and he's the best trial attorney in the state.”

“You fill me with confidence.” 

“Well, Sentenza was the best. I don’t like talkin’ as much as he did. But I'm smarter than he was. That's why I'm still here.”

Tuco drummed his fingers on the table. Despite the fact that he'd certainly been through the system before, he looked nervous. “I really didn't do it, you know.”

“Sure,” Blondie said. “But assuming you did—” 

Tuco slammed his hand on the table with a force that almost made Blondie jump. “I’m innocent this time,” he insisted, raising his voice. “And that's the truth! If you don't believe me how the hell is anybody else supposed to, huh?!”

Blondie raised his eyebrows. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “Alright then,” he said. “Convince me first.”

Tuco growled. “Son of a whore… You're lucky the Rojos recommended you, otherwise I'd take my chances with the public defender.”

Ah. The Rojo cartel were Sentenza & Biondo's best customers. “This have anything to do with them?”

Tuco avoided his gaze. “Well, maybe. A little. I may or may not have been doing a favor for Ramon at the time.”

Blondie sighed, almost in relief. “If your interests end up going against theirs, ethics-wise I'd have to drop the representation. Best to play it safe. Hope you get a good public defender.” He started to put his notepad back in his briefcase.

“Shit! Wait!” Tuco reached across the table and grabbed Blondie by the wrist. His grip was surprisingly warm and firm. 

“Let go of me,” Blondie growled.

“No, you just listen to me for a minute,” Tuco said. “Are you fucking kidding me, man?! I called you because you're supposed to be the scummiest lawyer around!”

“Sure, but I don't think you're worth pissing off the Rojos.”

Tuco seemed to hesitate for a moment. “...Alright, well, I can make myself worth it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just shut up and listen.” Tuco's wide brown eyes had Blondie pinned to the spot. “The dead guy, Bill Carson. Ramon wanted him roughed up a little and I owed him a favor. So I followed him to the alley behind that strip club downtown, Mirage, I think. But when I found him, somebody else had already shot him. He was still alive, just barely. He gave me something.”

Blondie just glared at him silently.

“A key to a safety deposit box,” Tuco whispered. “With two million dollars inside. Clean cash. I managed to hide the key somewhere safe before they brought me in. I'll give you a cut of the money if you get me off.”

“Phrasing.”

“Oh fuck you.”

“What's the cut?”

“Twenty-five percent.”

“Fifty.”

“Fuck your mother too. Fine.” Tuco let go of his wrist finally and leaned backwards, scowling. “Well? Are you gonna be my lawyer or not?”

Blondie thought about it. Not for too long. A million dollars was a nice amount of money. And the firm had been in the red ever since Sentenza kicked the bucket. “Sure,” he said, and put the notepad back on the table. “For a million dollars plus my fee, I'll get you off all day long.”

[specialshinytrinkets]

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts? (Seven Seven (if bestie does!!))

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it? (Kee)

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred? (Lioo)

mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on? (Derres)

>:3€

Ghost (Seven): "Oh, hehe, don't you worry, buddy! Nobody's haunting li'l old me! And if I was, I'd just reduce the number to zero! If we're talkin' concepts and not ghosts, then... I guess I've been haunted by the family guilt this whole time, can you believe it? Crazy stuff, I know. BUT! I have been attending therapy, and my therapist, she managed to convince me I do not have to center my whole life 'round numbers anymore. I have no idea what to do with this information, but, if I'm bein' honest, it's SO much easier to live like this. I don't have to repeat the first word two times! Do you know how hard it is to hide such a habit?! To make it into a presentable, cute little scene quirk for the audience? I had to make scripts in my head on the fly! That's right, my shows are unscripted. Pretty cool, huh? Every single one is pure improv. I've always been good at improv. Been told I'm good with kids, too! If I had the qualifications, maybe I could become an elementary school teacher."

Guilt (Kee): "I have lived too long to not have any guilt on my shoulders. It's hard to pick... I've made myself a fool countless times, with my friends, family, partners, by getting too emotional or not emotional enough talking with them; sometimes I'd get violent and fight my way to self-isolation, in attempts to "prove" something, I suppose. All of that to say, I've been a jerk my whole life. And I've accepted it, after weeks of ruminating over every single incident. Some took more time, some less, but a couple of apologies, and I was fine. The only thing I'll never be able to accept is my whole... Escape. That was very, very stupid of me. Sure, it's led to some encounters I'd never otherwise have, but it will never be worth all the stress I've put my Mom and Dad through by vanishing. And Zaaze. How she's still tolerating me is a mystery. Derres, too... How did he see anything in me when I was so... Dismissive of him? It feels like he's not a human sometimes... I hope you were not insinuating THAT thing, by the way. I don't want to remember it."

Hate (Lioo): "My father. I like to pretend he doesn't exist, so that when he's least expecting it, I can clock him in the jaw. Bastard really thought moving here would save his marriage. Freakin' moron. ... Oh, we're talking about objects? Do animals count? Then, I guess I don't really like crows? They're too smart for their own good. At least they're not as bad as dolphins, though, but that's a given. I don't know ANYONE who likes dolphins. After they rebuilt Atlantis and sunk it again, nobody trusts them. Minus that one weirdo, what was his name..? Squeel, I think? But I wouldn't trust their word. Their whole biography is so shaky that - and I know it's unfounded, but I have my reasons - I believe it was raised by the dolphins. He's just way too nice about them. Plus, I heard he smells like fish? On sidenote, I never liked his moves. They're too janky. Honestly? They're such a tryhard, it's embarassing. Even if they weren't raised by the dolphins and aren't a trained fish assassin or something, they try SO HARD to appeal to the MMD enjoyers demographic it's a WONDER nobody called him out. So what if he can lick its elbow?? It doesn't make his music good! I genuinely believe its audience is compiled of wannabe marine biologists that got kicked out of university because they let an octopus escape, knowing full well what it can lead to. I read of this guy once, who said he didn't believe in the Kraken and that we're sheeps for thinking otherwise. Sorry, fishermen, your boats got drowned by a collective hallucination, I guess! Unbelievable that guys like him get to vote... What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah, crows. They're... Not the kind of bird I'd want to encounter on an empty street. Ever."

Mistake (Derres): "Worst mistake ever, huh? Hm... Well, it's a story that I don't like to recount, but, if you insist... My biggest mistake was not teaching Lioo how to perform the spider safety circle, alongside some other basics. If I had done that, she would have survived... And we could all have... Ah, but what's the use of crying over spilled milk! I've learned my lesson, as grim as it is... And, uh, now I'm teaching her all that I know myself! That will... Never make up for what happened and my selfishness... But it's a start, right? Right..?"

[mr-kennedys-elf]

ANOTHER LUIS SERRA THEME SONG: GUNS N' ROSES - ESTRANGED

I know the original meaning of the lyrics is way different,

but so many things about this reminds me of Luis that it hurts

and it's so beautifully sad that it plays a movie of his life in my mind

when I close my eyes and listen to this.

GUNS N' ROSES - ESTRANGED

When you're talkin' to yourself And nobody's home You can fool yourself You came in this world alone Alone

„Three years ago, my beloved daughter passed away shortly after giving birth to a son.“

So, nobody ever told you, baby How it was gonna be What'll happen to you, baby

Guess we'll have to wait and see

One, two, three

Old at heart, but I'm only 28 And I'm much too young to let love break my heart Young at heart, but it's getting much too late To find ourselves so far apart

I don't know how you're supposed to find me lately And what more could you ask from me? How could you say that I never needed you When you took everything Said you took everything from me

Young at heart, and it gets so hard to wait When no one I know can seem to help me now

Old at heart, but I mustn't hesitate If I'm to find my own way out

Still talkin' to myself And nobody's home Alone

So, nobody ever told us, baby How it was gonna be So, what'll happen to us, baby? Guess we'll have to wait and see

When I find out all the reasons Maybe I'll find another way Find another day With all the changing seasons of my life Maybe I'll get it right next time

„You know, I led a pretty shitty life. But now, eh?

What do you think, Leon?“

And now that you've been broken down Got your head out of the clouds You're back down on the ground And you don't talk so loud And you don't walk so proud Anymore, and what for?

Well, I jumped into the river Too many times to make it home I'm out here on my own, and drifting all alone If it doesn't show, give it time To read between the lines

„People can change, right?“

'Cause I see the storm is getting closer And the waves, they get so high Seems everything we've ever known's here Why must it drift away and die?

I'll never find anyone to replace you Guess I'll have to make it through this time Oh, this time Without you

I knew the storm was getting closer And all my friends said I was high But everything we've ever known's here I never wanted it to die

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

Lovers & Friends (18+ Fic)

Pairing: Keigo Takami x Black!Fem!Reader (Friends to Lovers)

Synopsis: In which you and Keigo have begun to realize the strange new feelings you both have for each other after one drunken night at a close friend’s wedding that ends with you in his bed, but because of your longtime friendship and committed relationships with other people, you’re more than happy to forget that night even happened and keep your mutual feelings in the dark…for now, at least. 

Story Warnings: Smutty smut; 18+ (MINORS GET AWAY); Cheating/Infidelity; Mating; Light Degradation; Spanking; Exhibitionism; Multiple Positions; Creampie; Unprotected PIV Sex; Facials; Scent Play; Marking; Spitting; Deepthroating; Cunnilingus; Begging; Edgeplay; Power Play; Daddy Kink; Some Angst; Hurt/Comfort; Mild Violence

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic (except for Rei and Haruko). However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer's Note: Got myself a job!! I'm so excited but I'm also shitting myself lmaoo but I'm still gonna try to update as frequently as I can. Enjoy! -Jazz

Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Bonus Chapter.

Read on AO3 here!

************

Chapter Three: Those Bachelor Days Don't Last Forever.

Keigo sits on the edge of his king-sized bed in his master bedroom feeling sick. Is it weird for the best man to get cold feet and he isn’t the one getting married? 

Well, that’s exactly how he feels now, dressed in his best Armani suit with a pink flower nestled in his breast pocket in accordance with the color scheme of the wedding. He sits with his legs wide and his head down, feeling like the entire world is crashing around him. 

“Baby!” Sakura calls from down the hall in one of Keigo’s three bathrooms. “How much time do we have left? My hair isn’t working with me today.” He hears her grunt in frustration and the sound of a hairspray can fill the air. She’s been in there for nearly an hour getting ready for Fatgum’s wedding, prepping herself as Keigo’s plus-one. 

“Twenty minutes!” he calls back, checking his Rolex watch. “You’ve got time.” And so does he. Thank God because he has to get his shit together. He has to be the best best man for his friend today despite having never been a best man before. 

But he knows this isn’t the main reason why he’s ready to blow chunks all over his red-bottom shoes. He doesn’t hate weddings either. He went to Yu and Nemuri’s wedding two years ago and had the best time of his life stuffing his face with cake, downing all the champagne, and taking home two of the hot waitresses catering the event. 

He knows his anxiety has a lot to do with his conversation with him and his friends last night which led to him coming home early and fucking Sakura’s brains out just to prove to himself that Fatgum wasn’t right.

He had met up with him late last night for Fatgum’s bachelor’s party, which was really just a trip for some ramen dinner and then a game of pool at Fatgum’s favorite high-end bar. It was located in a fancy hotel across the city. Fatgum drank, ate, and rented rooms free since he saved the hotel from a villain attack years ago when a bomb was built under the building. 

The conversations went from 0 to about 1,000 when the drinks kept pouring and the hours kept ticking down till the wedding. Fatgum was happy, giddy even, as he leaned against the pool table in his skinnier form. “Ah, I can’t believe it,” he sighed. “I’ll really be a married man soon! I get to be with the most amazing woman for the rest of my life!” 

“Rest of your life?” Keigo parroted, scoffing at the statement. “C’mon, man, don’t get ahead of yourself. That’s talkin’ forever.” 

“Exactly!” Fatgum gave him a big, happy grin that was so full of love and bliss, it nearly killed Keigo’s buzz. “Haruko is the one I wanna be with forever. I wouldn’t have proposed if I didn’t see us together for all that time, and I plan on havin’ that woman till I sprout grays.” 

“Not to be a downer or anything,” Toshinori aka All Might said from his spot next to Aizawa aka Eraserhead, busy taking his turn at the pool table, “but you do realize that forever for a pro is limited ‘cause of multiple things, right?”

He started ticking off the number of possible threats on his fingers. “Villian attacks, missions gone wrong, crazed fans. The list goes on.” 

“Oh, come on, fellas!” Hizashi aka Present Mic (Mic for short) said from his spot on his stool, sipping from his cocktail with a little umbrella in it. “Don’t rain on poor Fatgum’s parade! I think it’s a wonderful thing to want that with someone. Just look at me and Shouta: six years strong.” He flashed the crew his gold band and grinned at a blushing Aizawa. 

“I get what you’re sayin’, Toshi,” Fatgum said genuinely, patting Toshinori on the back, “and as much I appreciate your honesty, I already know my time may be limited on this earth. That’s why I’m makin’ it count. With my Haruko.”

He sighed dreamily; a picture of being in love. “She’s my forever, however long that may be for however long she wants me.” 

Keigo felt something shift inside of him at those words. He realized with a shock that it was jealousy. But who wouldn’t be jealous of a cute ass relationship like Fatgum and Haruko’s?

They’d been together for six years, fighting through the ups and downs, the good and bad. Keigo couldn’t imagine being married and doing that. To him, marriage was the ultimate commitment. 

And he wasn’t good at commitment. His list of past relationships that could stretch from Japan to Antarctica would tell you that shit. You, Dabi, and Rumi made fun of him for having “international community dick” because Keigo has seen it all, done it all.

As a pro hero, he’s traveled the world for business deals and important meetings, and in every place, he’s had at least one body. 

Keigo just isn’t for relationships. He loved his freedom too much–the freedom to jump from one person to the next in any city or country he wanted. He always figured he was too busy with his hero work to focus on falling in love. He just dated for a good time, which was usually a good fuck that lasted him one night or a few weeks. 

That is until you fell for you. He still doesn’t know when he started falling or how. All he remembers is looking at you one day and thinking, “Damn, she’s beautiful” and then “Damn, I really love her”. 

When he realized what happened, he freaked out. He couldn’t be in love, especially with his best friend! You shared too much together and your relationship was too amazing to be ruined. So he kept his feelings to himself all these years, knowing this love would remain unrequited and unspoken. 

But that doesn’t stop the daydreams of you and him together, you underneath him or him underneath you, your gorgeous face contorted in the pure ecstasy he gave you as he drives his cock into you again and again, making you cum like you’ve never cum before. That doesn’t stop him from wanting to hold you, or feel your lips against his, or feeling hot with jealousy at the other men you give your time to. 

That includes Rei aka Tempo. God, he hates your new man, but not just because he had you. To him, Rei seemed like a fake; like everything he did was for approval and validation, including what he did for you–the dates, the gifts, the cute little IG comments under your photos. It was all for show.

Keigo isn’t with that. You deserve better than that. And now that he knows the dude can’t make you cum, he’s definitely tempted to ruin your relationship with him. But Keigo also isn’t an asshole. He’s also a good friend and wants to see you happy, no matter how much it hurts to pretend. 

“Damn, Keigo, you good?” Ken Takagi aka Rock Lock, asked in concern as he sipped his beer. “You look like you’re about to deck somebody.”

Kan Sekijiro aka Vlad glared at Keigo from his spot at the pool table, his big frame nearly blocking Keigo from the game. “Better not be me if you know what’s good for you,” he grumbled.  

“Chill out, frost tips,” Keigo blandly replied. “I wouldn’t dream of fightin’ your big ass.” Vlad’s glare intensified while the others laughed. “And I’m fine, Ken; thanks for pointin’ that out,” Keigo sarcastically replied to his friend and coworker. He really wasn’t in the mood for this tonight. 

“I would’ve done it, but I didn’t feel like it,” Aizawa deadpanned from the bar. Mic nudged him roughly with his elbow. “Talk to us, Keigo!” he encouraged the winged pro. “What’s eatin’ at you? You don’t agree with someone being your forever?” 

Now the attention was all on Keigo. Usually, he liked it this way, but not right now. He was just trying to enjoy his friend’s bachelor party to celebrate his big day and then go home to have drunk, nasty sex with Sakura. But he knew with a crowd like this, he’d never get away from the topic of conversation.

“It’s not that,” he sighed, sitting on the corner of the table. “I, for one, would love to be with someone I feel like I can see my future with. But as a pro, being in a romantic relationship is difficult and exhausting. Complicates life too much. That’s why I always stuck to my hookups or flings.” 

“So what about Sakura?” Fatgum asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is she a fling or a hookup too?” 

She was, at first. Keigo met the pink, curly-haired cutie at a party he didn’t want to be at downtown (for a business deal) and they got to talking when he offered to buy her a drink after the bartender messed up her order. He was curious about her as soon as he got a look at her in her periwinkle dress that did wonders for her body.

He learned she was a nurse for sick children and her quirk allowed her to ease their pain and discomfort for a few hours by giving them bursts of pleasure in their bodies. He charmed her, danced with her, and managed to get into her bedroom when she invited him back to her place for the night. 

Sex with her is by far the best thing Keigo has ever experienced. Sakura used her quirk on him many times that night to increase his pleasure and gave him some mind-blowing orgasms in the process.

To put it bluntly, he was hooked and started seeing her more and more. Unfortunately for him, his pimp shit was squashed when he got to know Sakura more and more. He became fond of her sweet personality and almost innocent outlook on life. He cared deeply for her. 

But while he cared, he knew that care didn’t amount to what he felt for you. He’d give you the whole moon and the sun if you asked. He’d gladly die and kill just to ensure your safety.

He didn’t care–he just loved you. He knew he could never love Sakura or any other woman the way he loved you, but he could try. After all, he and you were friends. There was no way he could ever tell you how he truly left, and has been feeling for years. 

“She was supposed to be,” he admitted earnestly, “but after getting to know her, I found I really enjoyed talkin’ with her. She’s a sweet girl, don’t get me wrong…” He trailed off, not wanting to get into it, but already leaving breadcrumbs for his highly-interested audience.

“But?” Fatgum pushed. “I know there’s a “but” in there, Keigo. Don’t deny it.” 

Keigo sighed in frustration, knowing he’d look like a fuckboy for this. “I’m just with her for the fun of it!” he confessed with a shrug. “Nothing long-term or committed. I’m not gonna cheat or hurt her ‘cause I’m not a jerk, but I’m also not lookin’ for something for ‘forever’.”

He used his fingers to quote the word, earning a perplexed scowl from Fatgum. “We just laugh, talk, and have a good time.” 

“You mean fuck?” Shouta asked blankly. Even Keigo flushed at the harshness of the word. “Well, if you wanna be blunt, sure.” 

“Keigo!” Fatgum gasped, looking at Keigo like he just admitted to murder. “I’m shocked! You’re really tellin’ me you’re not gonna try to lock a cutie like Sakura down? If you don’t do it now, you’ll regret it later.”

Keigo just waved off his friend’s statement, paying no time to the dramatics. “I don’t regret shit like that.” Fatgum shook his head in pity. “You will when you wind up cold and lonely in your big penthouse without someone to cuddle with.” 

The winged hero sucked his teeth, shaking his head at the others. He knew that wasn’t true. No matter how doomed he was to love you, he also knew he’d find someone else, especially in the future. There was no way he’d be alone forever…right? 

He decided to leave it alone as he waltzed over to the pool table for his turn. He leaned forward, stomach flat against the table, and aimed at a red pool table. It teetered to the right and rolled into two more balls. Once all three fell into the left pocket, he pumped his fist in victory. 

“Do you believe it’s possible to find the one for you somewhere out there?” Mic asked curiously from behind him. He turned around, slightly irked this conversation was still rolling, but he wasn’t going to blow Mic off. The guy was too nice!

“I mean, sure,” he replied thoughtfully, “but I can’t just look for ‘the one’ in every single person I date.” 

Rock Lock nodded as he shoved Vlad out of the way to do his turn at the pool table. “I gotchu. You don’t date to marry; you date for fun. You’re still young, so it’s different for guys like us.”He took a shot at a blue ball, grinning when it rolled into the left pocket. 

“Exactly!” Keigo laughed, happy someone was seeing things from his perspective finally. “See? He gets it! I’m way too young and at the top of my game to be tied down right now.”

Fatgum turned to him, adding more of his two cents. “Be that as it may, Keigo,” he argued, “and while I totally respect our differences here, don’t you think you sound just a lil’...I don’t know…” He trailed off, looking for the right word. 

“Cynical?” Aizawa finished. Everyone’s eyes trained on him to which he passively shrugged. “What? He needed a word, I gave him one.” 

Keigo was irked at his friends’ assumptions about him, especially Fatgum. So what if he felt this way? So what if he liked his freedom and his sex? So what if he jumped from relationship to relationship to avoid thinking about you and being alone? It was no one’s business but his.

“I’m just being honest,” he scoffed, downing his third beer of the night. 

“And I get that!” Fatgum replied, putting his hands up in defense. Sensing that his friend was feeling attacked, he put a hand on Keigo’s shoulder. “You’re totally entitled to feel how you feel, Keigo. And you’re right: you’re young, attractive, wealthy, and the second most popular pro in Japan. You’ve got brand deals, international fame…you’re the total package! A complete bachelor.” 

Keigo cringed slightly, not sure if he liked being called that.

“But one day, all of this ain’t gonna be enough for you,” Fatgum continued a soft look in his eyes. “You’re gonna want something different. Someone who you can trust to love you and not judge you to share your life with.”

He squeezed Keigo’s shoulder, and Keigo felt like he was getting advice from his father. “Trust me; those bachelor days don’t last forever, my friend.” 

That night after going home to his penthouse, his relationships with you and Sakura sat on Keigo’s tipsy, fuzzy mind. Even as he sits here now, waiting for his girlfriend to finish up, he reflects on them heavily. While both have their fair share of positives, he also knows he could never have what he has with you with Sakura. 

He’s known you since middle school! Since the days of acne, schoolyard fights, and other adolescent cringe. You know him inside and out: all the ugly; the bad; the flaws that make him Keigo.

You know of his hurts and pains; the childhood trauma that sometimes has him waking up in the middle of the night; the insecurities he has in himself that sometimes get him down. Plus, you understand the difficulties, horrors, and uncertainties that come with being a pro.

You understand why he stays away from romance and steers clear from falling in love. Sakura could never understand any of this, and he is sure if he tries to explain any of this to her, it’d turn her away for good. 

“Keigo?” 

Keigo jumps, nearly having a heart attack at the sound of Sakura standing in his bedroom. She’s dressed in a pale pink sundress that pairs well with her hair which cascades down her back in waves. She looks like a beautiful, pink angel wearing sandals and with lips that remind Keigo of berries. 

“You alright?” she questions, worry in her eyes; those eyes like the cleanest, purest waters. 

Quickly, he stands and clears his throat. No time to reflect on his future and lament his love life. He has a wedding to go to. “Yeah,” he assures her with a smile. As if throwing him a bone, his phone dings, signaling the arrival of the car he ordered twenty minutes ago. “Good, the car is around the corner. We should head downstairs.” 

He goes to Sakura and wraps an arm around her lower waist. He presses a kiss to her lips, breathing in her scent of rose-scented perfume. “You look amazing, by the way. Maybe those two hours in the bathroom were what you needed.”

Sakura laughs and nudges him as they venture down the winding staircase to catch their ride. 

********

Fatgum and Haruko’s wedding reception is thrown in downtown Musutafu at the largest park in the city.

When Keigo gets out of the car and helps Haruko out of the backseat, he can see his friend broke his bank for the occasion. During wedding rehearsals (which occurred a week before the wedding and Fatgum’s bachelor party), their chosen portion of the park wasn’t yet decorated or littered with guests. But now, the place looks like something out of a damn Disney movie. 

A trail of white satin leads to the area under a canopy of trees winded with fairy lights where the bride and groom will soon stand in front of seats reserved for specific guests from the front to the back.

A few yards away, and a walk away from the park’s parking lot, are the bar, bathrooms, and dance floor littered with white table-clothed tables and chairs for after the wedding reception. Among all of that are rolling hills of freshly cut, green grass and gazebos that will make for great photos. A few white tents litter the area as well, two of which Keigo is sure are reserved for the bride and groom. 

When Keigo and Sakura walk into the wedding hand-in-hand, people are already setting up. A live band sets up their instruments while the priest stands at his post, reading over his lines. Guests are busy finding their seats, among them being fellow pro heroes, Fatgum’s and Haruko’s family and friends outside of the hero industry, and some UA students Keigo recognizes. 

He instantly sees Ejriou Kirishima and Tamaji Amijiki, Fatgum’s prodigies. He winks at the two UA students, earning an overly-excited wave from Kiri in his suit while Tamaki looks like he wishes he wasn’t there. Off to the side near the punch bowls, Hitoshi Shinso is kneeling in front of little Eri, Aizawa and Mic’s daughter, fixing up her dress littered with blooming flowers as she giggles. 

“Let’s get a drink,” Keigo suggests to Sakura to which she agrees.

As they walk over to the mini bar for water or maybe a soda, Keigo is immediately ambushed by his friends. Yu aka Mt. Lady, in her normal form, practically runs over to them in a flowing purple dress and her creamy blonde hair tied in a French braid. “Heeey!” she sing-songs, already tipsy with champagne. “There’s my favorite couple!” 

She throws herself at them, nearly breaking Keigo’s neck. “You say that about every couple you know, Yu,” he grunts while Sakura giggles, hugging her back. Yu pouts. “Well, I can’t help that I love love!” she protests. “Baby, tell Keigo to stop bullying me!” 

On cue, Nemuri aka Ms. Midnight steps into the scene with her beautiful and busty self. She decided to go for a nice cobalt blue dress with a slit at the thigh while her hair is pinned back into a curly updo. “My, look at the sights here,” she purrs playfully. She gives Sakura a hug. “You look absolutely amazing, darling. That dress goes with your hair so much.”

Sakura blushes, happy with the compliment. Nemuri smirks at Keigo, a hand on her hip. “Hawks, you’re looking quite dapper today. I’m not used to seeing you without your goggles or a box of fried chicken in your hands.” 

Keigo raises a brow at her, wondering why she wants violence so early in the day. “And I see you ditched the kinky collar for today’s festivities,” he retorts, nodding at her neck. “That’s sayin’ you didn’t bring it with you.” 

“Oh, we did!” Yu says a little too loudly. “Nemuri insisted we take it with us for later.”

Nemuri’s face turns as pink as Sakura’s hair while Keigo gives a big, bellied laugh, leaning back as he does. “Alright, alright, take that horny shit somewhere else,” Rumi grumbles, stepping over to shoo the two women away. Yu sticks her tongue out at the bunny hero, but leaves with Nemuri anyway, a hand on her waist. 

Rumi eyes Keigo and Sakura, a playful smirk on her face adorned in soft makeup for the occasion. She went for a one-shouldered red dress that stops just above her muscular thighs and pumps that make her much taller than Keigo. But even with her normal height, the girl is an amazon. “Well, fancy seein’ you two here.” 

“You too, cottontail,” Keigo replies, giving her that same sly smirk. “Where’s your date at?” Rumi gets a devilish look in her eyes as she sips her glass of champagne. “Oh, I’ll be findin’ her after the reception.”  

“And you call Yu and Nemuri horny,” he scoffs. Sakura suddenly taps him on the shoulder, pointing at a nearby outhouse. “Keigo, I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick before the reception starts.”

He nods and they share a short kiss before he watches her walk away. Rumi watches her too before her eyes tick back to Keigo. “She looks really nice today. Surprised you even let us see her.” She chuckles despite Keigo’s eye roll. “Y’know, for a while, I thought she wasn’t real.” 

“Gimme that,” Keigo grumbles, snatching the champagne glass from her and taking a sip. He wasn’t planning on drinking so early, but he might have to. “Anyway, where’s your roomie? If you’re here, ain’t she here too?” 

He looks for you among the guests, figuring you might be with Rei. “She’s runnin’ late for some reason,” Rumi explains. Keigo scowls at her in confusion and she passively shrugs, crossing her muscular arms. “Kenji came over when I left early to help with decorations, I dunno. Maybe call the girl and find out.” 

Keigo almost doesn’t want to. He has a feeling you’re late for a reason. Maybe you and Rei are fighting? Does he have to pull up and beat some ass, he wonders? Before he can contemplate calling, one of the wedding organizers hurries over to him and Rumi.

“There you are!” he sighs in relief. “We’re gonna start setting up for the reception, so we need you with the other best men.” Keigo winks at Rumi before sauntering off. “Duty calls!” he yells to her over his shoulder. “See you later on the floor!” 

Quickly, he is whisked over to the reception area where most of the guests are seated and the band is readying to begin. When he shows up with the other best men, most of them being pros that he knows, he claps his hand with Fatgum and congratulates him on soon being a married man. Fatgum, in his suit, nearly cries (the man is very emotional).

Afterward, Keigo stands at his post with the others while the bridesmaids face them from the other side where Haruko will soon be. 

Taking advantage of the freedom he has now, he slides his phone out of his pocket and calls you. You don’t pick up on the first ring which is unusual for you unless you’re at work. So Keigo immediately knows something is up. 

You pick up on the fourth ring. “Hello?” you answer, sounding less than pleased.

Hearing your biting tone, warning alarms begin to blare in Keigo’s head. Maybe he really will have to beat some ass. Where’s Dabi at today? Maybe he’d be able to help Keigo bust some ass if he the pro can successfully bribe the warden. 

“Hey, where you at?” he whispers into the phone before he can get any other murderous thoughts. “The wedding is starting soon.”

You sigh in frustration, making his stomach roil anxiously. “Rei lost his wallet, so we’re gonna be late,” you explain in a huff. “Just save me a seat at the bar when it ends. And take pictures.” 

Though Keigo is disappointed in the outcome of things so far, he promises to do so and hangs up before the wedding can start. It does so about fifteen minutes later. As soon as the band begins their rendition of “Here Comes the Bride”, Keigo’s stomach drops and he stands rigid as if he’s the one getting married.

Fatgum stands with the priest, his hands folded behind his back and trying to appear calm, but Keigo can see that the man is sweating through his suit. Eri comes out in her cute, frilly dress and sprinkles flowers along the floor before she’s scooped up by Aizawa and sat down in one of the guest chairs. 

Then, finally, Haruko enters with her father, locked arm in arm. The guests stand and turn to the bridge, watching as she waltzes in wearing her flowing white dress adorned in lace and holding a bouquet of red roses that match her waves of red hair. She walks slowly, taking her sweet time. 

But as she does, Keigo notices something: while everyone’s eyes are on her, including Fatgum, her eyes stay strictly transfixed on her soon-to-be-husband, her stare never breaking for a moment. It is as if he is the only one in the room to her. No one else matters. “Isn’t she beautiful?” he hears one of the guests whisper to the other. 

He blinks and suddenly, he is not looking at Haruko in her wedding dress, but at you. You stand there, glowing and radiant in white, your pretty brown eyes staring up at him as you stand together in front of the priest, ready to become one. 

‘Yeah,’ he thinks to himself with a soft smile. ‘She absolutely is.’ 

[asterkiss]

ello, dear fellow!

you please mind doing fake dating prompt 3?? thank you lots!

Woops, forgot about this. Also had an anon askign for this prompt as well so here we go:

Sequel to Homecoming. Still a high school AU.

- SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN

The homecoming party had gone off without a hitch - or actually, no, that was a lie. There had been at least six hitches, with the last one being Mabel spilling the punch bowl all over her dress and the floor.

But most people seemed to believe she and Bill were dating at least, and it had been worth it to see the look on Pacifica's face as she danced with her hot date.

And, as keen as Mabel was to get changed out of the stained and damp dress she couldn't pass up when they were invited to an after party by the popular kids.

But Pacifica seemed to still have it out for her, and had led the groups crusade in shoving the couple into a closet for Seven Minutes in Heaven. Was this to test if they were really dating? A tube of lipstick had been shoved into Mabel's hand last second before the door was slammed shut.

It was dark, with only a thin sliver of light filtering in through a gap in the doorway over one side of her face.

'So....' She began, glancing aside. She could just make out the silhouette of her fake boyfriend.

His eyes slid in her direction before he grabbed the lipstick out of her hand. She blinked, watching as he smeared it over his lips without a word and leaned towards her.

'Hey, whoah, wait, what are you doing?' Her back pressed against the wall of closet as Bill continued to advance, planting his hands either side of her head. The light shone over his face now instead and she saw the amusement dancing in his eyes.

'Cm'on kid, even you know how this game is played. Pucker up.'

'Sure I do, but can't you be more romantic?' She wasn't against kissing the guy but come on now.

Bill blinked, and almost seemed puzzled by her request. 'I can't exactly take ya to a candle-lit dinner right now.'

'I know, but...' She shrugged, playing with a piece of her hair whilst she glanced aside with a blush. 'You could say something sweet or flirt a bit.'

'You first.'

Oh. Uh. She floundered for a only moment at the sudden request before breaking out into a grin. She leaned closer, placing a hand on his chest where she could feel his steady heart beat beneath her fingers. Time to put those online flirting classes to work, girl.

'Are you a parking ticket? Because you've got "fine" written all over you.' Wink.

He arched an eyebrow but didn't seem particularly swooned off his feet. Hm. Mabel tried again.

'Kiss me if I'm wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?' She pushed herself up on tip-toes, leaning her face closer in anticipation as she pursed her lips towards the guy.

Bill merely blinked. 'If you're talkin' about that old fart Sixer who teaches physics, then yes.'

Mabel stared at him. He stared back.

'Just kiss me already,' she demanded, giving him a fierce look.

'Alrighty.'

Without any hesitation he smashed his lips against her with a force that would surely take anyone else off their feet. But Mabel wasn't just anyone. In fact, it was her who took Bill off his feet as she shoved her body against his own frame, causing the taller boy to stumble back against the side of the enclosed space. She followed suit, hands finding the wall behind him to balance herself as their legs tangled together.

The blond ripped away from her, and although she couldn't see his expression in the dark she was sure he looked bewildered.

Eventually, he just said: 'Jesus, how strong are you?'

'Uh.... Well, I can still pick up Waddles and he weighs 190lbs! Is that a lot?'

'What the fuck?'

Again, she couldn't see his expression but she could only imagine how he was regarding her right now. Most of the guys she crushed on tended to get weirded out when she showed how easily she could pick them up like a bag of grapes.

Oh well. Their loss.

At that moment, the door to the closet was thrown open. Mabel turned her head aside to see Pacifica staring at them in surprise. In the light, their position did look rather comprimising with her pinning him against the wall and their clothing crumpled.

She glanced back at Bill, whose lower face was smudged in red make-up. He paid no attention to the blonde girl, with his blue eyes instead fixated on her.

'Oh my god, look at the lipstick all over their faces,' one of the girls whispered.

Mabel felt a hand around the back of her neck, and barely had time to register it was Bill's before he was pulling her back towards him. She heard Pacifica release a grunt of annoyance as she slammed the door shut again, enveloping the pair in darkness once more.

And yet Bill's mouth remained on hers for much longer, the sensation of his lips sending a tingling feeling down her neck and spine. Her legs felt like jelly as she leaned all her weight against him, but he didn't seem to mind as he pulled away to speak.

'I like a girl who can kick my ass.'

Her face flushed. Okay, now that was a good pick up line. She cleared her throat, trying to appear smooth. 'I think they bought it, we can leave now. I mean, if you want.' Or maybe they could stay in here and kiss more? No, she didn't say that bit out loud. Behave, Mabel. This was a fake dating situation after all. It was purely to get back at Pacifica (on her end) and Dipper (on his). She didn't want to ruin it just when it was getting good!

'Are you kidding? it's barely been five minutes. I have a reputation to uphold. Gimme that lipstick again.'

Reputation? Wasn't his only reputation being an asshole? What was he talking about?

But Mabel didn't bother arguing, instead passing the lipstick over as he proceeded to yank her close and leave marks across her face and throat.

It was worth the yelling she got from Dipper later.

[sashaisready]

Chapter Ten

Lee Bodecker (The Devil All The Time) x Femme Reader

A year after the sudden death of your husband you find yourself at a loose end, unsure what to do next. You're also learning about your sexuality - your hidden desires and fantasies creeping out now you're no longer playing the role of the good wife. A certain Sheriff in town could be the one to awaken something in you.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 11

Warnings: Violence/murder, references to sexual assault

"So how did these guys look suspicious?" asked Davey in a hushed tone as he surveyed the bank of the creek with his flashlight. He'd arrived promptly on the scene, only moments after Lee. Always the dutiful employee.

Lee had led him into the darkness of the creek, insisting this had been the direction he'd seen the phantom men go. They were exploring the woods alongside the banks with flashlights, but of course there had been no sign of anyone.

"You know the type" replied Lee quietly. "They were talkin' real close, and one of them kept clutching his pocket and looking over his shoulder. And you know nothin' good is happening at the creek at this time of night". He lied effortlessly, his hand skimming the hidden firearm he had tucked into the back of his pants and disguised under his jacket.

Davey nodded. "I can't see nobody, but let's keep checkin' it out."

"Maybe they heard us and skedaddled" Lee said thoughtfully. "But let's go just a bit further to be sure".

Lee lead the way, drawing Davey further into the night as they walked along the water's edge. He made a big show of shining the flashlight through the trees and leaning down as if trying to catch glimpses of something in the bushes. The only sound was the steady trickle of the stream beneath them.

After getting to almost the centre of the woods, Lee sighed heartily. "I guess we lost them. Sorry to drag ya all the way out here, Davey".

Davey shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. 'No big deal, boss. I wasn't doing nothin' anyways". He smiled cordially, despite the darkness the two men were backlit by the moonlight. Lee could see his deputy's face perfectly.

"Yeah the nights can be like that" said Lee. "Sometimes you're up to your guts in brawls and car accidents, other times you're wonderin' if you should knock one out in the station bathroom to kill some time" he chuckled.

Davey laughed enthusiastically. "You ain't wrong there, Sheriff".

"I'm sorry you've done more than your fair share of nights lately, Davey. Your pretty little wife must be missin' you".

Davey chuckled again. "She's a good girl, she understands that my job is what puts food on the table. And a little absence never hurt nobody, right Sheriff?"

"That's right" replied Lee curtly as he made his way over the mossy ground, leading the way. He had been wearing his mask successfully so far, but now the big moment was nearing he found his anger bubbling to the surface. He clenched his fists as images of your battered body ran through his mind.

"Besides" continued Davey. "There are often a lot of sweet young things out at night to keep me distracted".

Lee's head whipped backwards to face Davey. "Yeah, like who?" he questioned.

"Oh you know who the types I mean" Davey replied with a smirk. "Ladies of the night. And the druggy gals at the edge of town desperate for their next fix. Eager to please for a few bucks. I know you're well acquainted, Sheriff".

Not anymore, thought Lee. Not now he had you.

Lee nodded. "Anyone else?" he asked, his rising anger now peeking out.

"Well actually, just last night. I pulled over a real good time gal" continued Davey.

"Yeah? Who was that?" asked Lee through gritted teeth. His eyes were looking forward again now, he couldn't risk Davey seeing his rage until Lee was ready.

"Oh a gentleman never tells. But let's just say what the wife don't know can't hurt her, huh?".

Lee realised his balled up fists were now shaking. "You have fun?"

He could feel the cool metal of the hidden gun against his skin.

"Oh boy, did we" laughed Davey. "She was playin' hard to get. Those prissy ones often do, tryna show she's a lady y'know? Gotta put up a fight to show she's respectable, not easy, blah blah blah. But I know different."

Lee took a deep breath. He thought about your bruised face as you cowered from him in the hallway.

"Her husband ain't round no more. So what choice did I have, boss? Can't let a premium cunt like that just sit around unused. She was beggin' for it and she didn't even know it. Don't worry I gave it to her like she wanted. Stupid whore apparently skipped work today, that's how good she got it".

Davey's laughter was cut off abruptly as Lee turned to him, swiping the gun from his pants and brandishing it in Davey's face in a single movement. As Davey tried to comprehend what was happening, he could see a look of pure hatred spread across his boss' features, the veins in his forehead practically throbbing. As terrifying as the gun was, it was the iciness of the man's cold blue eyes which triggered a wave of nausea in Davey's stomach.

"Sheriff – wha?" started Davey.

"You better shut your mouth if you know what's good for ya, boy" spat Lee, cocking the weapon.

Davey raised his arms above his head in surrender, shaking. "Sheriff...I'm sorry. What did I...please Sheriff. Don't do this" he spluttered, his eyes filling with tears.

Lee rolled his eyes. "At least take it like a man, son. And drop your weapon".

Davey nodded frantically, hands shaking as he removed his gun from its holster and dropped it to the ground. "I'm sorry Lee...Sheriff...Sir...whatever you need me to do. I'll do it alright? Anything. Please. My wife...".

"Funny...you didn't seem to care much about your wife a moment ago, Davey".

Davey began to sob. "Lee...I'm sorry. Is this about my wife? I don't mean it, boss. I don't. I love her. I won't ever do it again Lee, I promise. The girl last night was just a dumb whore, it didn't mean nothin' " he cried, unaware he was signing his own death warrant.

"Don't talk about her like that!" snarled Lee. He pressed the barrel of the gun to Davey's forehead.

Davey gasped, the penny finally dropping as to what this was all about.

"S-Sheriff" he stuttered, his eyes flicking between Lee and the barrel against his face. "You sweet on her, Lee? God I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Oh fuck. Lee. I didn't know. I never would've touched her if I knew. I swear. She threw herself at me, honest. Oh god. Please, Sheriff. Please".

Davey's sobbing turned into long drawn out whimpers. His face was a mess of tears and snot.

"I seen her, Davey" Lee responded calmly. "I seen how you left her. The bruises, the cuts, the dried blood. I've seen all of it. She can't sleep. Can't eat. Can barely walk. You're an animal, Davey. I can't in good conscience leave the women of this town at your mercy, can I?"

Davey let out a low whine as Lee pushed the gun harder against his head, leaving a impression of the barrel in his flushed skin. He sounded more like a wounded animal than a man.

"Do you fuck your wife like that Davey? Huh? You get off on that, do ya? Make you feel like a man?" Lee demanded.

Davey shook his head, now crying hysterically.

Lee could feel his dick beginning get hard, drunk on the power.

"I'm s-sorry. So sorry" wailed Davey. "I t-t-thought she liked it. Please, Lee. Please. I understand, but think of my wife. She doesn't deserve this."

Lee thought carefully. Davey was right, his wife was innocent in this. But then he thought of you again. He thought of you meekly creeping around your own home, stumbling up the stairs and groaning in pain. He thought of the difference between this version of you and the one he'd taken across the cruiser. The sparkle in your eyes, once electric and effervescent, now dulled, afraid.

He also thought about Davey's hands on you. The arrogance of helping himself to your body, of tasting you, of taking what was rightfully Lee's. Davey wasn't worthy of you. Lee was self-aware enough to know this wasn't just about justice for you, for avenging you, righting your wrong. It was, of course. But it was also about him. It was about Davey daring to take you from him. Sullying you. Damaging you. Marking you. He was effectively trespassing. And Lee had no tolerance for trespassers.

"I'm sorry, Lee" Davey said quietly, his voice hoarse from crying. "I will apologise to her. It'll never happen again. Never. Please. I won't tell nobody, I promise".

"You shouldn't have touched what's mine, Davey" said Lee.

Davey nodded. "You're right. I didn't know Lee, I didn't know".

"You know how I get about people touching my things, Davey".

Lee nodded even more desperately. "I learnt my lesson, Sheriff. I have".

Lee smiled, withdrawing the gun from Davey. Clapping a friendly hand on his shoulder.

Davey's face flooded with relief, Lee could see his entire body relax.

"Thank-you Sheriff...thank-".

The gunshot was loud, briefly illuminating the pair in a brilliant flash of light. But nobody else was around to hear or see it. Davey's face momentarily contorted in surprise, a drop of blood dripping down his nose from the new hole in his forehead. His body crumpled like a paper bag, clumsily collapsing into the creek with a loud splash. The current made quick work of dragging him along and carrying him downstream. Lee figured he'd wash up in a neighbouring town in a day or two.

He kicked Davey's discarded weapon into the creek, then did the same with the dropped flashlight. In mere seconds it was as if Davey had never been there at all.

Lee yawned, stretching and making his way back to the cruiser. Davey's wife would probably think he'd gone drinking somewhere when he didn't turn up in the early hours. She would report him missing in the morning when she realised his side of the bed remained unslept in. Lee saw Davey at the station before he clocked out for the night of course, so something must've happened on his way home. Lee wasn't working until tomorrow afternoon, but would play his role of Sheriff concerned about his missing deputy once he clocked back in. He'd console poor Mrs Davey, he'd be sure deputy Davey would turn up. They'd do everything they could. A sensitive subject, but did Mrs Davey know about her husband's weakness for lady streetwalkers? She didn't? Oh, he was sorry. This must be so hard. Maybe he got in trouble with a pimp. Maybe not. They'd look into every possible avenue.

And so forth.

Lee smiled, thinking about how happy you'd be that Davey was no longer a problem. He told you he'd fix it and he did. He'd always fix it for you.

🌼

Across town, you suddenly woke up with a jolt. Your limbs aching at the sudden movement. You felt a chill, despite the heavy blankets enveloping you. Were you having a nightmare? No. Something else. Something very bad had happened. Worse than last night. You didn't know what it was, but you knew you were scared.