#but i still omitted names cause privacy

[zeroisntdeadyet]

Yapping abt personal stuff

It's so odd to enter a friend group that genuinely like you.

It took me almost TWO YEARS for me to realise that the way my old group acted towards me wasn't normal, and even then it took me months to work up the courage to leave.

I think it's kind of making me realise all the shit that I just put up with because I didn't want to be alone. Getting ignored for days at a time because I talked to someone the 'leader' didn't like, getting yelled at for talking about my interests, always getting left behind when I asked them to wait for me- yeah, that stuff's not normal apparently. They had to straight up shit talk me behind my back and send me awful messages for me to realise that they wanted me out.

So I left.

My lonely arc lasted about two months (might make another post on that later cause that's a WHOLE other can of worms) but last week I asked one of my old friends if I could sit with her group. I had to do lots of background checks and get reassured that they wouldn't mind me sitting there (the last thing I wanted was to cause more drama) but they all seemed okay with it, so I started hanging out with them.

It was really scary for the first day, as I wasn't sure how they'd feel about me randomly joining their well-established group, but they were all so incredibly chill about it.

In this week alone, I've almost re-learnt what proper friendship is meant to look like. I don't like the school lunch? M offers me some of her food. I'm rushing to pack up my school gear? A waits for me. My last class was shit? J makes me laugh.

They all just genuinely care about each other (and me too now I suppose), and I feel so honoured that they let me be a part of their circle, because it's a big thing to let someone new in. I really hope that they'll let me stick around, because I'm genuinely so much happier than I have been in quite a while, and my brain can focus on other things rather than worrying about friendship issues.

Of course, my brain doesn't like me, so it's trying to make me anxious and wary of them due to past experiences, but I'm doing my best to let my guard down and allow myself to enjoy having proper friends again. I'm getting there, but it'll take some time.

Erm, yeah that's basically it.

Sorry for all the yapping, I decided to explain some of the friend group lore somewhere that wasn't my notebook because I felt like it. I feel like I should write EVERYTHING down in my notebook, because a lot happened, and now that I'm out of the worst of it, I need to process everything that happened.

I'm no longer in that group, I'm no longer constantly on the verge of ending it, I'm no longer alone.

I feel... free.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

for the character dynamic ask game, estrel & D with 2, 6, and 16?

YEAHH MY GIRL THANK YOU (character dynamics ask game)

2. if asked to describe B to a stranger, what would A say? are they mostly truthful, or is there anything they omit?

ooh ok. assuming this is at the time of the game or like. roughly before it. i think one notable admission is idk if estrel would refer to D as her father? like, that's absolutely what she thinks of him as, but i think when talking to others she might default back to "mentor" or something similar like that. something not quite as. personal. other than that, if she's talking abt D to someone who doesn't know him, it's probably in the context of hunting, so that's probably what she'd emphasize most, his skill in battle etc.

putting the rest of this under the cut so yall dont get 5 miles of oc talk lmao

honestly this is all fairly similar from D's side as well. i think at the time of the game, when she's an adult, he might not even go "apprentice" but just the entirely bloodless "associate." she's just someone he allies with. you do not need to know the rest of it, random stranger. like, i think by and large these two are both very private people who are happy to abridge a lot in conversation and then go "well you literally didn't ask." sometimes this causes problems (i don't think estrel ever even knew D had a brother until she met him) but it's just where they both settle naturally so.

6. what does A think B thinks of them? or, if asked to describe their relationship, how would they do it? are they right?

i answered this a little bit above oops lol but while i do think that to strangers they sort of obfuscate their relationship, internally they're both very honest abt/aware of it. they're family.

one thing tho that i think estrel might not be aware of, is how much D respects her? like, estrel sort of assumes that she'll always be D's second, his apprentice, but he's genuinely very proud of/impressed by her progress and views her as an equal or near equal in battle. especially during the game itself. i think she finds out about this late in fia's questline (once he's already dead) and it catches her totally off guard.

16. free space: what's your favorite thing about their dynamic, as a fan or as a writer?

OOH OKAY this is a thing that. has not gotten much screentime at all thus far bc i'm still working out sooome of her background, but. a big reason that D agreed to take her on as an apprentice/ward was that the two of them—and he knew this as soon as he got a proper look at her—have very similar, if not the exact same past. in that i think they were both an attempt at an artificial lord of night, made by the nox. the whole reason uldin came to the bestial sanctum was to find and claim the rune of death (but she was very small at the time so gurranq just swatted her halfway across the room with one hand, and then took pity on her for the same reason. and bc he knew it wasn't actually her desire, it was someone else's)

i think they also don't... talk about this much. like, they obscure their names (D with his initial, estrel with abandoning "uldin") partly out of the same sense of privacy, but partly also bc they both to some extent reject their purpose. talking abt it would validate it too much. might draw them back in to what they still know they were made for. so they just... don't. but it's always there. and i LOVE that kind of "known but not voiced" so. yeah.

[cdiesta]

Smoke Break

An unlikely meeting in the dead of night. Fiction.

Most people are so used to associating the night with peace and quiet.

People like this have probably never been to Manila, where a good chunk of the population start their routines well into the evenings, either going out to have some sort of stimulation or enjoyment or just simply going to work like the normal responsible adults do. In here, one man’s night is another man’s morning.

Gino never thought about it that much, but he has been in the graveyard shift ever since he was 18. He worked in a call center and while he has tried multiple companies in his tenure, the schedule would stay the same, as most companies looking for agents are based in the US.

If you asked Gino how old he was, he was the type who would smile and say, “Guess!” You would then give a few guesses and once he “comes clean,” you’d feel weird even though you already got your answer.

That’s because Gino is a pathological liar. He paints a picture of himself that he thinks is the most convenient for people around him, or whatever will get him what he wants. He’s the type that is so easy to talk to in the office and given his experience, you would actually find it useful to ask him for advice.

That is not what makes him dangerous, though.

What makes him dangerous, is that he believes his own lies about himself. So you’ll never know him. Never actually, truly know him, beyond skin-deep.

He believes he’s happy with his work. He tells everyone this. He is not.

He believes he’s content with what he has. He tells everyone this. He is not.

He believes he isn’t lonely. He doesn’t tell anyone this. He is not.

So imagine his surprise when I approached him while he was smoking alone in the building rooftop.

“Hi, Gino.” For privacy purposes, I will omit his last name.

“Yo man, never saw you before.” He said, stopping mid-puff to reply to me. This is another sign that this man breathes to please people. At least give yourself the pleasure of your own cigarette.

“It is time to go.” I tell him. I am being purposefully vague, as breaking the news quickly to new souls is known to cause problems.

He checks his watch as a response, taking a long inhale, and replying with a puff, “I’m not due to return until 2am, bro. I have a different schedule for my breaks.”

“No, no.” I tell him. “It is time to go with me.” I hand him over my ID.

He looks at me funny, like I said that pigs could fly, and takes my card. He reads it and his reaction turns to nausea.

“Hey, what the fuck?” A break of the character he worked so hard to make for himself. “If this is some kind of sick prank, it is not funny and I am not having it. Go bother someone else.”

I expected this response. A few millennia in this job gives you the perfect expectations when you have to carry out your duties.

I hold out my hand in front of him while he still looks at me, convinced I’m some prankster.

First, there was nothing. Then, he blinked, and in my hand was my beloved Scythe.

Gino was still looking at me in disbelief, and I know this is not enough to convince him. Times have changed, and humans believe that a lot of things are possible now. It is an age of technology, after all.

Gino did look a tiny bit impressed, though.

“Look bro, that’s actually really cool.” He said, handing me back my ID. “But I still know this is just an elaborate prank.”

This is the part where I stop thinking this is amusing and I just want to get it over with. I put my blade against his neck and pushed it, not enough to cut off his head, but enough so that he feels Scythe digging into his skin.

“FUCK!” He exclaimed. He’s definitely afraid now. I can taste it. “LOOK. I CAN GIVE YOU MONEY. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO SHIT TO ME.”

Money.

People who doubt my ID seem to think money is what I want when I start to harvest them. Is that all they think their soul is worth?

I do have an idea, though. Something that will benefit me too.

“You want…to buy your soul?” I said.

“YES! FUCK! YOU FUCKING PSYCHO.” I can see the tears flowing from his eyes. He reached into his hoodie pocket and threw what I believe is a phone, and a wallet.

“THERE!” He screamed. “TAKE IT ALL. ALL OF MY ATM’S PIN IS 455510. SAME CODE WITH MY PHONE. TAKE IT AND LEAVE. PLEASE!”

“Ah, but that is not the payment that I want.” I say, and kick his possessions back to him. “I don’t need them.”

“HUH?” He is losing it. He’s naked to me now. That’s what fear does to you. “WHAT DO YOU WANT THEN?”

“I want the happiest memory you can think of from the last…say, 5? Too old.” I look at him and see that his face is full of sweat, tears, and drool. Not very Gino of him.

“Three, then. That’s fresh enough.” I say, a smile in my voice. I’ve been craving a snack. “The happiest memory you have from the last three years.”

“I….” Gino’s screaming has been replaced by a rather weak and surrendering tone. “I can’t think of anything.” He said.

“You don’t have to. I’ll get it for you.” I said. “You’ll forget the memory, and you’ll forget this little meeting that we had. It’s like it never happened. Until it is time again.”

“Wha- How- What do you mean when it is time again?” He asked, trembling.

“You were supposed to die today. Here. Heart attack. I think maybe too much convenience store food. I’m not a medical expert.”

“You really are Death, huh.” He falls to his knees and I can feel the coldness in his body. Even from afar, you can feel his fear.

“Through and through.” I replied. “And I don’t how long you’ll have after I give you a little extension. Only Bossman knows that.”

“Boss….man…..” He whimpered, looking up at the sky. I think he got the gist. He nods and its the signal I’ve been waiting for.

I whip up a paper contract from thin air and I hold it out in front of him. “Your palm, please. As a signature to our contract! I need it for the paperwork.”

He does not look up, and he doesn’t flinch. He has that resigned feel that I so utterly love but I have to control myself. Don’t want to paint him a bad picture of death. Although he won’t remember anyway.

Gino puts his palm on top of the paper and the paper vanishes, meaning I can take my food now.

I stab the back of his head with the wooden end of Scythe and out came the memories from his head.

They come out as little, floating threads that have a soft glow of color, depending on the emotion felt when remembering them.

The most basic ones are yellow for happy, red for anger, blue for sadness, and white for emptiness, as in no particular emotion rises up when remembering the memory.

“What the actual FUCK?” It was my turn for bad language. Gino can’t hear me anyway.

Every. Single. Memory.

They are all white.

Usually, White Memories are ones that are just part of a routine. Like a person’s dead-end job, or a commute, nothing special. I’ve seen workaholics with a lot of White Memories but this is my first time seeing one with only White. Even the most work-obsessed people had birthdays or pets or family or friends!

I was enraged!

No wonder he couldn’t remember anything to give me. He had nothing to give me! Imagine not having a single happy memory for the last three years! Did he think all these memories of “money” had the same value? Outrageous!

It is a good thing that the terms of the contract protected me of such circumstances.

And so that night, Gino, a call center agent, died in the rooftop while having a smoke.

What a tragic loss.

[baekhvuns]

Omg I'm sorry you had to answer me on your laptop, I don't know why my message is cursed, hopefully this one is normal - BUT WHY CAN'T I LINK SHIT ANYMORE 🔫

Well PSG tried, but didn't not succeed, Bayern defeating more of your faves. Bayern outsold lmaooo. Also Tottenham is out (so sad 🥰), Chelsea is doing something...? Liverpool went insane mode, maybe we shouldn't have mocked them before, I feel bad for MU, but also can't stop laughing at the score. HOWEVER Liverpool better be doing better in PL only, they're playing RM soon and I need them to be shit <3

Premier League has always been more interesting to me than La Liga, but CL is still the most interesting and unpredictable

Fake ass fans, even I know his full name even though I'm a hater https://twitter.com/Kindinzin/status/1633433110657265671?t=rIRz46_drH7z_WfwdcxMoA&s=19 I'm gonna start calling him Ricardo from now on

I think kpop is at its peak of popularity rn, because the amount of random kpop and kpop stans spotting I've had in the past 3 years is crazy! However, kpop is not mainstream at all, sure most people understand what kpop means, may have heard of BTS or BP, but that's about it. And that's fine! Hybe thinks they're the heroes, but they're actually acting like villains, honestly the whole back and forth between both companies is childish as hell, I hate SM, but Hybe is really ruining shit.

Yunho Parisian??? I'm awful cause my first thought was "you should be happy you're leaving Paris, don't cry" https://twitter.com/atzxmxxshx/status/1633617809732419584?t=NHmFuJloyP26WzTNSlOJhw&s=19 btw Paris I blew my Korean friends' minds, they had no idea Paris was that small. It's ridiculous how small it is compared to other big cities in Europe. I haven't eaten spotted dick cause I've been vegetarian for ages before going vegan and even if I still consumed meat you wouldn't catch me eating that shit! I've seen the Jolly x HongSan video, but HJ and his hatred for veggies is so pathetic... is he 10? Maybe that's why he didn't grow

Omg I can imagine Canadians treated you badly when you first arrived :( how old were you?

I'm suddenly more interested in hockey player Hwa! But not as interested as I am in villain Y/N 🥰

DO YOU SEE THE SPRING SUMMER 2023 IN THE 2ND PHOTO?! https://twitter.com/hwaupdates/status/1634105059675107328?t=PxicAWQT-l-xL-U7HrFw6w&s=19 MODEL!

Saikers sounds like Psychos lol, I'm worried about their fandom name now 😬

https://twitter.com/byeonbang_tiny/status/1631929720517574662?t=_6tbRTRi5sEmWHO_oPz7tg&s=19 OP claimed Atz won't last long then said some bullshit to save face. They perform more overseas? No shit, there are so many countries djwjssjjsjdnsnnajss do they want 5 Seoul stops or a whole ass Korean tour?! Plus what about music shows, award shows, festivals... so entitled. And apparently Ktinys are hated by security. Hmmm I wonder why https://twitter.com/allabout_atz/status/1634115890634719234?t=oyCp3k9polmr4pGb89c4Fg&s=19 imo they're not hated enough. Shame I didn't show up with a baseball bat, but I'm in Busan right now. And KQ management is ignoring Korean fans?! 😭 miss you're a weirdo who doesn't respect their privacy, sit down

Finally the tour is over, worst weeks of my life!!! We're safe until they announce another one... apparently they're going to perform in SEA, I can't be mad, cause they're often omitted. They'll probably have a cb as well, which is bad for me, since I should focus on work, but I need to perceive Seonghwa 😭

SICK https://twitter.com/finelineateez/status/1633011361335894021?t=LqLhP52C4_s6MiShNhwAEw&s=19 the binders the pcs came with cost less than $20 so let that sink in 💀

And I took all of these photos https://twitter.com/hwalilac/status/1633804911778598912?t=JI5pKD-zPWaNdXh-jBSfAA&s=19 - thinking of traveller Hwa fic...

The JK stalker wtf?! Why tf do people like this exist and why aren't they separated from the society

Lmao some of the early lighstick designs were crazy and ugly, but fun. We still have some funny ones now, but there's little to no creativity. I'm still sad the new Lightiny is bald, and not the best quality. And all the white sticks may look neat, but soooooo boring - DV 💖

hello!!!

Omg I'm sorry you had to answer me on your laptop, I don't know why my message is cursed, hopefully this one is normal - BUT WHY CAN'T I LINK SHIT ANYMORE 🔫 /// Well PSG tried, but didn't not succeed, Bayern defeating more of your faves. Bayern outsold lmaooo. Also Tottenham is out (so sad 🥰), Chelsea is doing something…? Liverpool went insane mode, maybe we shouldn't have mocked them before, I feel bad for MU, but also can't stop laughing at the score. HOWEVER Liverpool better be doing better in PL only, they're playing RM soon and I need them to be shit &lt;3

omg no don’t apologize it’s not u iTS TUMBLR 😭😭 ever since tumblr had it’s new update i can’t seem to access certain asks and all so whenever i try to copy paste my answers on the app it just doesn’t post if i don’t do it on the laptop 🔫🔫🔫

i can always count on bayern to absolute demolish my favourites <33 but tbh, idk if u noticed but hasn’t this season’s bayern has been a little weak,,, as in it’s quite easy to get into their heads and defence and borussia is actually on it’s way to win bundesliga 🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️ tottenham, are we surprised </3 the memes about the score are so funny 😭😭😭 ten hag waking the players up at 8 in the morning for training LMFAOOOOO what a day i can’t believe how easily they did it???? lIKE WERE MU PLAYING AT ALL?? OOOO UR RIGHT THE RM V LIVAPOOL that’ll be fun to watch, either a disappointment or a surprise fhwjdhjd

Premier League has always been more interesting to me than La Liga, but CL is still the most interesting and unpredictable //// Fake ass fans, even I know his full name even though I'm a hater https://twitter.com/Kindinzin/status/1633433110657265671?t=rIRz46_drH7z_WfwdcxMoA&s=19 I'm gonna start calling him Ricardo from now on

la liga is going downhill, and has been ever since r7 and messi left,,, la liga is full of benzema being a drama queen, PL is so funny they’re just randomly fighting on the field and ligue un….tragic, there is no privacy at that finished club, EVERYTHING IS REVEALED even the shit in the locker rooms 😭😭😭 NAHHHHHH EVEN FAKE FANS KNOW HIS HAME HOW TF THEY GOT RICARDO OUT OF THAT 😭😭😭 i like what the japanese fans call neymar they call him “neymaru!!” 😭😭

I think kpop is at its peak of popularity rn, because the amount of random kpop and kpop stans spotting I've had in the past 3 years is crazy! However, kpop is not mainstream at all, sure most people understand what kpop means, may have heard of BTS or BP, but that's about it. And that's fine! Hybe thinks they're the heroes, but they're actually acting like villains, honestly the whole back and forth between both companies is childish as hell, I hate SM, but Hybe is really ruining shit.

UR RIGHT UR RIGHT “However, kpop is not mainstream at all” BUT THIS >>>>>> kpop is still seen as a niche, western artistsjust be trying to expand into the asia market thru them, like anime for japan and kpop for korea and tbh it’s nice like that! with the more kpop fans the worse it gets on twt tbh,, the sm hybe community seems a little too silent these past 4 days i wonder what tf they’re cooking and we know it’ll be something stupid too 😭😭 BUT SM???? DOING THIS???? THATS SO COOL??

Yunho Parisian??? I'm awful cause my first thought was "you should be happy you're leaving Paris, don't cry" https://twitter.com/atzxmxxshx/status/1633617809732419584?t=NHmFuJloyP26WzTNSlOJhw&s=19 btw Paris I blew my Korean friends' minds, they had no idea Paris was that small. It's ridiculous how small it is compared to other big cities in Europe. I haven't eaten spotted dick cause I've been vegetarian for ages before going vegan and even if I still consumed meat you wouldn't catch me eating that shit! I've seen the Jolly x HongSan video, but HJ and his hatred for veggies is so pathetic… is he 10? Maybe that's why he didn't grow

LMFAOOOO FBWMFBWMFBEK THE HATRED FOR PARIS FBWMBDKSJCJC yes yunho rich parisian who doesn’t like it there so i guess ur half right 😭😭 no bc how is paris almost the same size as texas 🤨🤨 EVERY TIME I READ SPOTTED DICK I SCREAAAAM 😭😭😭 ok hot take, do u prefer being a vegan or a vegetarian more, in ur humble opinion <3 i told my mom what vegan was and she’s like “so what are u eating??? grass?? no no that’s too much” context we were watching gordon ramsay cook wild rabbit LMFAOOO WHY NOT! EAT THE SPOTTED DICK FOR THE SAKE OF BEING BRITISH DBSNDBMSJCK no seriously how is this guy not eating veggies, like most, if not all the kr food for them so wHATS HIS EXCUSE,, 😯😯😯 ANON 😳 THE WAY I SCREAMED AT THE LAST PART

Omg I can imagine Canadians treated you badly when you first arrived :( how old were you? //// I'm suddenly more interested in hockey player Hwa! But not as interested as I am in villain Y/N 🥰

it be YOUR OWN PEOPLE! NOT EVEN ANYONE ELSE IT WAS JUST BROWN PEOPLE <3 i was 10 when i came here! but u best believe i talked back 🔫🔫 was not gonna let them off the hook 🔫🔫 it was also a change bc i went to an all girls school and then the day i came here and go to class and i see the buffoons 🤚🏻nasty i tell u, nasty

oH YOU ARE NOW??? 🔫🔫 villian yn hehe <3 made the outline fo rit!

DO YOU SEE THE SPRING SUMMER 2023 IN THE 2ND PHOTO?! https://twitter.com/hwaupdates/status/1634105059675107328?t=PxicAWQT-l-xL-U7HrFw6w&s=19 MODEL! //// Saikers sounds like Psychos lol, I'm worried about their fandom name now 😬

THE OUTFIT!!!!! THE OUTFIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE’S A MODEL, it looks like a photo from the 90’s, like looking at an album of ur parents travelling and boom, u see a this,,, oh to be his kids looking at his photos and flexing them 😭 5$ the fandom name is gonna be shakerz 😭😭

https://twitter.com/byeonbang_tiny/status/1631929720517574662?t=_6tbRTRi5sEmWHO_oPz7tg&s=19 OP claimed Atz won't last long then said some bullshit to save face. They perform more overseas? No shit, there are so many countries djwjssjjsjdnsnnajss do they want 5 Seoul stops or a whole ass Korean tour?! Plus what about music shows, award shows, festivals… so entitled. And apparently Ktinys are hated by security. Hmmm I wonder why https://twitter.com/allabout_atz/status/1634115890634719234?t=oyCp3k9polmr4pGb89c4Fg&s=19 imo they're not hated enough. Shame I didn't show up with a baseball bat, but I'm in Busan right now. And KQ management is ignoring Korean fans?! 😭 miss you're a weirdo who doesn't respect their privacy, sit down

omg the security even saying they dislike kr fans???? damnn 😯🤚🏻 no ur right! where will they perform in korea if not seoul??? like im sure there’s multiple stadiums but like they’re usually busy??? and they did like 2 days at seoul 😭😭😭 they live in korea WHY U WANT A KOREA TOUR 😭😭😭 anon, u need to pull up to the airport,, throw hands, do EVERYTHING! if u see them at the seoul concert, u know what to do 🤚🏻OOOOO IN BUSAN?? how’s that going!

Finally the tour is over, worst weeks of my life!!! We're safe until they announce another one… apparently they're going to perform in SEA, I can't be mad, cause they're often omitted. They'll probably have a cb as well, which is bad for me, since I should focus on work, but I need to perceive Seonghwa 😭/// SICK https://twitter.com/finelineateez/status/1633011361335894021?t=LqLhP52C4_s6MiShNhwAEw&s=19 the binders the pcs came with cost less than $20 so let that sink in 💀

LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭 tbh i did not even look at the concert very extensively but just as i was about to, this mf right here🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️ sea fans finally getting their share! hopefully fans there are not like the sk ones esp w what happened with nct 😭😭 IM SORRY????? 73$???? HELLO????

And I took all of these photos https://twitter.com/hwalilac/status/1633804911778598912?t=JI5pKD-zPWaNdXh-jBSfAA&s=19 - thinking of traveller Hwa fic… //// The JK stalker wtf?! Why tf do people like this exist and why aren't they separated from the society

pov : ur going thru model y/n’s photo gallery,, OHHHH U DID NOT JUST BRING REWRITE THE STARS IN THIS, would u mind a model hwa pt2

jk stalker is so scary??? living that close to him and wanting to GO INSIDE OF HIS HOUSE??? oh my god,, id die in embarrassment tbh

Lmao some of the early lighstick designs were crazy and ugly, but fun. We still have some funny ones now, but there's little to no creativity. I'm still sad the new Lightiny is bald, and not the best quality. And all the white sticks may look neat, but soooooo boring - DV 💖

do u rmr ikon’s bat 😭😭 a whole weapon,, the new lesserafim light stick looks like a garden light stick 😭😭😭 lightiny going bald was a terrible choice,,, im wondering if the hybe sm thing happens, and if they end up changing their light sicks 😭😭

6 years ago…

we’re, we’re getting the RAUNCHY ROMCOMS BACK 😭😭😭😭     i can’t believe she hasn’t done a full on comedy, this is gold, AND THIS???? we won, we won big time, now we need henry cavill doing a action romcom

anon, what the heck 🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️

the middle one is seonghwa.

[nocturnaldivinationsfallingstars]

A Stray Bullet Part 5

Fandom: Gotham Characters: Victor Zsasz, female!reader, James Gordon. Warnings: Swearing, mentions of someone dying in a car accident.  Summary: The reader is James Gordon’s sister and works for the GCPD and is dating Victor Zsasz. The reader has kept it a secret from her brother, until one day when she takes a bullet that was meant for him. Victor then shows up at James’ place to see the reader. Word count: 3689 A/N: I had to re-work the ending to this part as I added new parts to it.

Shifting your weight from one foot to the other a couple of times to relieve the pain you were starting to feel from having been standing for far longer than your body wanted you to be, your head hung low with your eyes cast to the dark wooden floor. You were staring at a spot where a shard of glass had slipped between the grooves of two bits of wood, finding it interesting all of a sudden. Balling your hands into fists by your side and then relaxed them, wiggling the stiffness from your fingers to expel the tension. You thought about all the ways you could possibly answer his persistent questioning on the subject. You could always tell him the unbridled truth about your relationship with Victor, of course, you’d omit more than a few private details about the matter. But realistically, what good would telling him the complete truth really do? Apart from causing an explosive argument to break out between the two of you, and even then he’d insert himself more forcibly into your personal affairs.

James hadn't always been that way, he used to give you some semblance of privacy when growing up. In fact, he had only been this way since your father had been killed in the car accident with a drunk driver a good few years ago now. Inserting himself into your life whenever something dangerous came along, becoming overprotective and doing whatever he could to make sure you're safe. When he became a detective at the GCPD it only seemed to amplify his need to keep you safe, and while it was sweet knowing that your brother is always going to be there, you felt as if it was a bit too much.

And well, Victor Zsasz just so happened to be 'something dangerous'. James' reaction to you dating the famed hitman that quite literally shot you would set off a rather volatile reaction. There was no way for you to predict how he would act. Not to mention he had a temper that needed to be kept in check, which he was doing so well with.

This meant James needed to know all about it, right? So he doesn't lose his temper? He should know, he's your brother after all and not to mention you usually told him everything. The good and the bad, well to an extent. This was different, more personal and gave way to more chances for James to lash out at you or Victor or both. It wasn't as if you could keep putting it off, since he'd find out about it sooner or later. Later would be a huge mess, however, telling him sooner could be just as bad. Perhaps you could settle on telling him half-truths? It wouldn't make him angry if you let some details slip while keeping the key ones close to your chest.

The most difficult part was trying to mentally convince yourself to do it. To tell him the truth, no matter how angry he is going to be about you keeping it a secret. Or at the very least to give him something small to go off of, anything at all to keep him from questioning you further. The choice was hard to make, but it needed to be made, and you were the only one who could make it.

With a firm nod of your head at your decision to tell him half-truths, your tongue shot out between your lips as you tilted your head to the side and finally managed to tear your gaze away from the glass shard between the floorboards and over to the couch where James currently resided. His arms crossed over his chest still, tapping away at his upper arms with his fingers impatiently, waiting for you to answer. You could tell he wanted to ask again and if you didn't give an answer he was going to be displeased with you.

"Okay," you breathed out to calm yourself, flexing your hands once more. "Grace was right, I am dating someone." You begrudgingly admitted in the hopes that the thick and heavy tension that fell around you and James like a thick blanket of smoke within the last couple of minutes would clear, and give way to something that would make breathing feel less like a chore than it seemed to feel like in this very moment. 

Finally, admitting your secret to your brother seemed to make little to no difference, if anything it felt as if the tension had got far worse between you and James. It felt it coiled around your chest like a boa constrictor choking out its prey, making it exceptionally hard for you to breathe. You felt the full weight of your anticipation towards his reaction resting heavily on your shoulders, making you feel like it was getting harder to breathe.

You were hoping to blame the sudden feeling of weakness that began to wash over you on the fact that you've been shot twice and not on the fact that you've started to really worry. Your fingers curled and uncurled multiple times at your side, then pressed the palms of your hands against your thighs and stared at him. Waiting, watching for any hint of surprise, annoyance, anger, just anything to show you what he’s feeling.

"You're dating someone?" he asked, his gruff voice gaining your attention before you could allow your mind to wander. There were no underlying negative emotions as he spoke to you, still the tension remained and was in no way alleviated. In fact, it felt far more stifling now than moments ago when you admitted your secret aloud.

"Yes, I am." you answered in a low voice that's barely above a whisper. A single nod was all you could manage, taking a slow and small step backwards so that the back of your legs hit the soft cushions of the couch behind you. You automatically sat down as soon as you felt them, your hands going to your hap where you intertwined your fingers and rubbed your left thumb with the pad of your right nervously.

You averted your gaze, there was no way you could bring yourself to look at him. Not only that, but you could sense the disappointment dripping in his voice and radiating off of him, he tried his best to hide it, but you could still sense it. "Who is it?" he demanded, his voice raising even though he tried to fight the anger that boiled in his veins. Out of the corner of your eyes, you could see his knuckles starting to turn pale from how hard he's gripping at the fabric of his jacket.

Oh, how you regretted the words that came from your mouth.

A grim look darkened the features of your brother, who is very obviously irked about all the secrecy already. "Who is it?" The sound of his right foot tapping against the floor sent a shiver of worry down your spine as soon as you heard it. Somehow you missed the rapid movement of his leg bouncing up and down anxiously until now, and for a brief moment you allowed yourself to wonder about how you missed such a simple yet very noticeable action. However, that thought was soon dragged away from you when your brother grunted, thoughtful about his next words. "How long have you two been dating?" You could tell his anger was burning just beneath the surface of his skin, itching to get out, wanting to be known, but he had control over it. For now.

"A few months now," you had hoped that you'd never get to witness his full anger in your lifetime. However, you were clearly heading southbound to face it head on and be on the receiving end of it, none of which gave you much comfort right now. "I also can't tell you his name." You felt like you had been put under a microscope, almost as if all of your expressions, movements, etc, were being analysed for any hints of a lie. 

James sat next to you quietly and rubbed his wrist with his hand a couple of times before yet another grunt escaped from his throat, he pushed his jacket aside with his hands and then placed them on his hips. He pushed himself up from his place on the couch, "A few months?" He moved to stand in front of you, pausing a mere couple of seconds with his back facing you before he turned sharply with a burning gaze that made your skin crawl as the invisible flames licked at your flesh violently.

"Well, actually, if you want me to be more accurate, it is more like eight months." You corrected sheepishly, ducking your head and raising your shoulders to your ears, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

"Eight? Eight fucking months?" He said slowly to get his mind around the news. You nodded your head in response and sucked your lower lip between your front teeth. You didn't know if you should say something or not, so you settled for keeping your mouth shut. "Jesus - fucking - Christ, you've not only been dating someone for eight whole months without even so much as a word about it to me. But you can't even tell me his damn name." James ran his hands through his short brown hair, "or is it because you won't tell me? Hmm? Can't or won't tell me?" He said in an accusatory tone and extended his arm out in front of himself, pointing a large index finger at you. "Because I have got to admit; it doesn't feel like you're being entirely honest with me [Y/N]." With a puff of air, you pressed your lips together into a thin line. Finally, managing to gather the courage to look him in the eyes. You still can't bring yourself to tell him who you're dating, but at least you told him you're dating someone.

You reached up and slapped his hand from your face, "I won't tell you." You growled out through gritted teeth.

“Okay, fine,” he huffed out angrily and threw his hands in the air. “Keep being stubborn.

Rolling your eyes, you shifted your body to stretch out along the couch now that it was free. Your side and shoulder throbbed, the phantom pain of the bullets tearing through you made you shiver involuntarily, "Jim, I know you want to know who it is, but I do need some privacy in my life you know." You shot back, suddenly feeling less scared about his underlying anger issues.

"Okay, I get that. But what if they're dangerous? What then?"

You stared up at him, mulling the question over and hummed, "he could very well be dangerous." He shook his head in disbelief to your answer, you answered so calmly, like it was a normal day-to-day thing to talk about. You continued to stare up at him, jutting your lower lip out into a pout, and nodded your head in acknowledgement to his question. It wasn't like you were fully admitting that Victor was dangerous, however you received a dark look from your brother which made you choke back a small laugh of amusement at his attitude towards the whole thing.

“Can you stop joking around for one damn minute?!” James snapped at you out of frustration for the second time that day. “This is a serious discussion. 

There was no way you would joke about something like that when you told him that your boyfriend could be dangerous. After all, you knew very well that he was, but you found it exciting and hot. Not that you would admit that very personal fact to your brother, or Grace for that matter. You didn't want to deal with them judging you. "I wasn't joking when I said that, Jim. I was simply saying that knowing could be dangerous." You shrugged and paused, tilting your head to the side as the gears in your mind started to turn as you tried to think of something that would reassure your only surviving family. This time, however, your voice came out much quieter than before. "I can handle myself. Nothing bad will happen to me while I am with him.”

"Right," he murmured unconvincingly, his dark eyes drawn to the bloodied bandages wrapped around your shoulder and side, just peeking out from under the black fabric of your clean shirt. "And that's why you're here," he gestured your way, "because you can take care of yourself. Okay, yeah. Sure." It was clear that the way you held yourself, like a bird nursing a broken wing, did very little to convince him that you could take care of yourself. He didn't even need to say that you could barely walk and take care of yourself right now aloud, his unspoken point hung in the air between the two of you like an axe pendulum swinging violently ready to hit someone.

James waved a hand in the air as if to dismiss the conversation and blew a heavy breath of air from his lungs. "Just get some rest, we will talk about this in the morning. And you better give me answers."

"That was my plan," you yawned out. You felt exhaustion once again wrap its arms around you tightly. A small noise of satisfaction escaped your lips as you stretched your legs out in front of yourself, relieving the stiffness you felt in your joins. "You're not dad, Jim," keeping your tired dull eyes on your brother who turned his back on you and rolled his shoulders as he went to leave the living room with a quiet grumble about something you couldn't quite catch.

He had only just stepped foot out of the large living room when the loud generic ringtone of your phone rang out through the room, causing your breath to catch in your throat. "Who the hell is that?" James spun back around and stood in the alcove, his eyes scanning the room quickly for the locations of the sound. He most likely thought that he had dropped his phone in all the commotion from earlier, or perhaps Barbara had left hers here. You were hoping he didn't think it was yours and that he'd leave it and go straight to his room.

Your eyes darted towards your neatly folded trousers resting atop your boots and then back to your brother who followed your gaze with his eyes the next time you looked back over to where your phone lay. "[Y/N], who is that?" He repeated the question, taking a large step back into the room.

"That's Grace calling." you squeaked out. Of course, you were lying, Grace rarely called outside work hours. That was, unless it had to do with something important, like your case. You knew exactly who was calling you, and your brother apparently picked up on the lie as soon as it tumbled past your lips. He's always been good at picking up on your likes, and it was infuriating to say the least. The rise of your voice did nothing to make the lie any more believable to your brother’s ears.

"Is it him calling?" The question itself didn't give off the vibe of something you should be answering; it may as well be a rhetorical question since he already knows the answer. He was smart enough that he didn't need you telling him something he already knew. Instead, you chose to shake your head quickly, shooting up into a sitting where you instantly leaned forwards as if you're getting ready to race him to where your phone continued ringing kept coming from. Much like you and James would do while growing up and one of you wanted to use the landline before the other. His eyes narrowed at you as he watched the sudden shift in your body language.

You sat rigid on the edge of the couch cushion. Of course, it had to be Victor calling you, and now James knew that it's someone important to you. He rapidly closed the distance between himself and the location of your phone. Just as he swept your trousers up in his hands and started to search them, you lunged forward, and he turned his back on you, making you collide with his back. He pulled the phone out of the front pocket, but as soon as he did it stopped making a noise. James's brows raised as he looked down at the small square that lit up for the longest moment before it dimmed and went black.

"For the love of god, Jim! Can I please have my phone back?!" You sprang away from him and teetered back a couple of meters. You hoped to hell he would pass the phone back to you before Victor called again, which he would do since you didn't answer the first time around, and he must be worried about you after what happened at the GCPD. "Please?!" You clasped your hands together in front of yourself in a pleading gesture as he turned to you, phone in hand.

“It is him, right?” James asked again, at this point you were getting tired of the repetitive questions. He pressed you for an answer because deep down he knew he was right.

"Yes. It is him." You answered curtly through gritted teeth. Your fingertips and nails pressed into the skin of your knuckles so hard it was beginning to hurt and put strain on your fingers.

A playful smirk made its way onto James's lips as his eyes darted down to the small screen on the front of your phone, the screen still black since last time. "Does he call you every night?" He hooked the corner of his thumb under the lip of the phone and flipped it open with ease to reveal the screen, which cast a white and blue hue of light over his face. His thumb hovered over the buttons that are far too small for his giant man thumbs, returning his curiosity filled eyes back to you.

"No." An obvious lie. “He doesn’t call me every night.” Another blatant lie.

Humming thoughtfully, he pressed the dark grey button in the middle of a small cluster of buttons to bring up the other options on your phone. His eyes darting back and forth between you and your phone as he pressed the smaller arrow keys surrounding the grey button until he landed upon the call log. "Jim!" You snapped at him, tearing your hands apart to reach out and snatch your phone from his grasp, but he pulled his hand away with a click of his tongue.

"I am not doing anything," he teased, the smirk on his face only growing wider with the way you're acting, like it amuses him. You huffed and crossed your arms over your chest, stamping your foot on the floor like a child being told they couldn't have any more candy before going to bed.

"Relax, I am just playing with you." He sighed out and was about to press one of the buttons when the small black phone in his hand buzzed to life, the screen lighting up and garnering his attention again. The words 'V calling...' displayed on the screen. "Hello?" James shot you a questioning look as he pressed the green button alight on the keypad without hesitation, picking up in mere seconds of the melody starting up. "Hello?" He asked again, pulling the phone away from his ear and looking at the small object in confusion.

Reaching out again, you took advantage of him being distracted and took your phone away from him. "Stop being a fucking jerk, Jim!" yelling angrily at him as you slammed the phone closed to end the call. You could only imagine the look on Victor’s face when your brother answered instead of you. James held his hands up, his brows furrowing.

"Your friend or boyfriend didn't even answer." He told you, lowering his hands as you stood there glaring at him. "And who is V?" You rolled your eyes, curling your fingers around the casing of your phone, holding it to your protectively.

"He didn't answer because you answered my phone and not me." You said defensively, "and it’s honestly none of your damn business who 'V' is! You need to stop acting like dad and more like my fucking brother. Not only that, but you need to let me have my own damn life!" That came out sounding a lot harsher than you intended it to, so you slapped your free hand over your mouth in a failed attempt to keep the words in. Obviously it was too late, and the damage was already done. You stared at him with wide, worry-filled eyes. 

James nodded and took a step back to give you some space, an apologetic look on his face. "I am just concerned about you. And I am trying to keep the only family I have left safe and alive." With that he turned and walked away, leaving you standing in the middle of the living room with your hand over your mouth staring after him. You only dropped your hand from your mouth when you heard the click of the light switch and the light went out throughout the apartment. "Just get some sleep," he called back to you before slamming the door to his room shut.

Shuffling backwards while being as careful as you could be as to not step on the remnants of glass scattered across the floor, you sat back down on the soft couch cushions and leaned back. Your eyes adjusted to the surrounding darkness, you could almost make out a few shapes here and there, a couple of shadows as well.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered out after him. You pulled the scratchy grey blanket from the back of the couch and over your shoulder, covering your lap with it. You felt bad for what you said to him, you didn’t mean to sound so harsh when you said it.

Tag list; @sunlitwritings​, @nheirei, @the-ramblings, @milly-louise

[lazarettta]

Misthios VI

Pairing (Spartan! Reader x Mother Miranda)

Word Count (1.4k)

Rating (T)

“Yeah, life was more intense before the world became so modern and technology dependent. It was simpler back then...but it wasn't always so great.”

“But you were a mercenary, right?” Daniela asked, staring up at you wide bright eyes and too morbidly fascinated with the conversations current topic but you figured out a while ago that these women weren't at all human, looking like one didn't count in your books, and that they were not saints, “A Misthios? Did you ever lose a fight?”

“Oh yeah, lost a couple,” you laughed, glancing at Alcina for a moment but like her daughters she was listening raptly to your stories though she was far more regal and less obvious about her own curiosity than her daughters were. “Most of those were when I was younger and for a merchant to kill a kid was just bad for business, so I usually got a good beating and yelled at before I was let go.”

“That's...” Daniela made a face, not impressed, “Lame.”

You chuckled, shrugging because she wasn't wrong, “It was, but when you're hungry...you take risks like that, had too.”

“So...how did you end up surviving the streets if you were caught and beaten all the time?” Cassandra asked, speaking for the first time in a few hours or so—being the most reluctant to fully interact with you but even she couldn't deny that it was nice to talk to another immortal that wasn't in the village. Not that the other Lord's really talked to them anyway.

“I said I was beaten, never said I gave up. Taking odd jobs all the time for drachmae teaches you things...I used those skills to survive and eventually I was making a name for myself—and then the villagers just came looking for me with their monies. Help me this, help me that...I had to learn a hard lesson that not everything could be solved with words, y'know?”

On the other side of the door, Miranda stood and listened as your voice carried over the roar of the fire as you answered any of the questions the Dimitrescu daughters asked while their mother remained steadfast and quiet in her chair closer to the fire. Miranda had been standing outside of the study for close to an hour now, just listening to you reminisce and never shying away from a question and more than once Miranda caught herself smiling behind her mask every now and then. She too remembered a few of those stories, ones that you've told her plenty of times...others she has experienced right by your side.

It stung a bit when you omitted her from those particular stories, how flawlessly you did so really—Miranda hated it, really. She hated how persistent part of her thoughts were, reminding her that she could've had this with you with children of your own shared between the both of you. And more than once did that vision lay itself out for Miranda—for her to have everything she's ever let slip between her fingers. Those pesky intrusive thoughts weren't new but harder to shake off now that she physically had you...but could she keep you?

~~

You were in the middle of telling the story about being hunted by a albino bear when you saw Alcina tense up from the corner of your eye before the Lady of the castle was rising to her feet and that was the only warning you received before the double doors were opened and Miranda walked in, wearing her robes sans her gold encrusted ravens mask. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun but there were a few strands loose in the back. You hadn't even realized you were also on your feet until Miranda stopped a few inches away from you, closer than you expected and it amused her to make you squirm a little.

“Hello again.”

“Hi.”

Miranda held your gaze a little longer, hers eyes flickered around your face as if trying to commit it to memory before she turned to the Countess, “Lady Dimitrescu.”

“Mother Miranda.” Alcina nodded, her eyes flickering to yours momentarily before she addressed her daughters who were watching everything and everyone closely, “Alright girls, story time is over. Go finish your tasks for the day.”

You weren't surprised by the complaints and grumbling from the three daughters but you weren't surprised when they didn't outright protest—Alcina didn't seem the type to put up with backtalk, especially not from them. However, when Alcina herself stepped out of the room, you were surprised not expecting to be alone with Miranda this soon. You weren't sure if you were ready to do this with her yet, but time hasn't always been your friend lately, has it?

Once the doors soundly clicked shut, emphasizing that you were both alone, you had no idea what you should be doing. You rubbed the back of your neck, a nervous tick that you've carried with you since you were a teenager, “Ah, there's still some tea left, do you want any?”

Miranda glanced at the tea tray sitting on the coffee table, shaking her head, “I prefer coffee.”

“I don't think this castle knows what a coffee maker is, to be honest.”

Miranda shared your small smile, hoping to put you at ease for what she was about to say next, “No, but my house does.” Miranda's smile grew a little when your shoulders tensed beneath her heavy stare.

“Oh, you took care of that problem already?”

“It took care of itself, really.” Miranda shrugged, shifting her wings slightly catching your attention and this time it was Miranda's turn to tense, but whatever she was going to say next was caught in her throat when one of your hands came up to her shoulder, at the bend of her wing.

“They've grown,” you murmured quietly as you have a better look at them, you saw the night before but you were distracted. But you couldn't bring yourself to actually touch her—you didn't have that right anymore, and you wanted to slap yourself for forgetting that. You cleared your throat, shoving both of your hands in your pants pockets and took a step back—but Miranda followed you, causing you both to freeze. Her expression mirrored the surprise you felt to some degree and you knew that she didn't mean to do that and it furthered convinced you that it wouldn't be a good idea for you both to be completelyalone.

“I think it would be best if we talked here.”

“No.”

“Why not? We're already here and alone—”

Miranda sighed heavily, her eyes narrowing slightly, “Because I'd rather have this conversation in the privacy of my own home than someone else's. Preferably not where it echoes either, or have you gotten quieter when you're upset, hm? Do you want the entire village to know our business?”

Eyes downcast you licked your lips and you didn't see Miranda's glare waver, but she had a point—there were things you'd rather not have overheard. You exhaled heavily, get your shit together (Y/n)! “You're not carrying me.”

Miranda's grin was predatory and smug, “It'll be quicker. I won't drop you, I promise.”

“The last time you made me a promise, you ripped my heart out. Do you remember that?”

“(Y/n)...”

“I gave you everything, Miranda! And you threw it back in my face by marrying some bastard Prince behind my back?! I was fucking humiliated and broken because of you! So, no...keep your promises, Miranda. And no, you are notcarrying me.”

The words were out of your mouth before you could stop them but you couldn't find it in yourself regret them—the relief of getting them off your chest felt too good. You weren't sure were that flash of emotion came from as you'd been relatively good at keeping your cool but Miranda had always made you emotionally charged whether you wanted to be or not—both good and bad. And right now old memories were resurfacing and old feelings were warring against the new ones.

“There's so much you didn't know, (Y/n)! I—”

A tray was dropped down the hallway outside of the study startling both of you and reminding Miranda where she was.

“...right,” Miranda clasped her hands together in front of her to keep from fidgeting with her rings, “I'll speak to Alcina and see about you procuring one of her horses for a few days.”

You didn't verbally respond and you watched Miranda cross the room back to the door. She paused at the door, poised to turn as if she wanted to tell you something but after a second or two, you were alone. You sat down on the edge of the coffee table, combing one hand through your hair, “Fuck...what am I doing?”

[noonaficcorner]

Rose-Colored Boy | Part Three

Paring: Mark Tuan | Reader

Genre/Rating: Friends to Lovers |  Fluff, Smut (later on), Slight Angst

Warning: Language

Summary: Working as a Nurse, Y/N's favorite pastime is getting lost in her favorite online game with her online gamer squad. After 2 years of online banter, Y/N finally gets the chance to get closer to and meet her online friend, Mark Tuan. With many things in common and the same twisted sense of humor, one thing still remains a mystery: Mark's career that causes him to constantly travel out of the country. Still, Y/N decides to take a chance on what could be more than just friendship and meets Mark for the first time. (New Summary thanks to a friend)

NOTES: So Sorry for the year later update! Writer’s block is terrible. But I’m feeling inspired so expect some more soon.

Part One // Part Two // Part Three

“You’re on your phone again? Careful, you’re going to end up needing bifocals.” Bora said as she completed her reports next to your desk. Bora was a first-year resident, and even though you were a nurse, you became friends when you were both going through your respective programs. 

You shrugged off her question and continued with your search. The internet was a blessing and a curse. It gave you everything you could have asked for, but also things you didn’t. 

It had been five days since you ran out of Mark’s apartment. It had been four days since you looked up GOT7. Three days since listening to their music. Two since watching their variety shows on YouTube. And yesterday, determined you have lost your mind. 

Finding out your online friend was actually an idol was every fangirls’ wet dream. However, it sent you into a state of panic and never-ending anxiety. You tried to recall every conversation you ever had with Mark, to pick out the lies or rather the omitted truths. By the fifth day, you could give Sherlock a run for his money with the amount of digging you’ve done. 

Just as you finished reading another interview Mark did with a magazine, his name flashed across your phone screen. This was the twenty-fifth call just today. He was averaging around forty calls and twenty text messages a day. Each one gone ignored until you figured out how to deal with the new information.

“Why don’t you just answer him? How bad is it that you have a celebrity friend? Pretty sure you’re no different than anyone he went to school with.” Bora took the seat next to you and tried to snatch the phone out of your hands. You had to eventually tell her what was going on when she kept suggesting you go to the clinic to get some sleeping pills since you looked like a walking zombie. You told her the whole story, from when you would talk in the game to when you basically ran from his apartment as if it was on fire. She thought you were crazy and that you should be excited to have met someone famous. 

What she said was true but you weren’t ready to handle that part. Could you really just throw caution to the wind and have a friendship with someone who was adored all over the world, but only a half-decent gamer, that you’ve known for two years? You started to question everything and that is what felt crappy. 

Two long years. Now knowing who Mark actually was, it made things more clear. Why he never wanted to say what he did for work. Why that “job” had him disappearing for weeks and months at a time. He could have been on tour or filming a music video. Some things checked out. He did have siblings, that he was from California, and had come here as a teenager. What he failed to mention was the reason he actually moved here. 

Your head hit the top of the reception desk, wishing for something to just whisk you away from this stress. 

“My biggest question in this craziness is, ‘why now?’ All of a sudden he just wants to start talking to you and meet up now? Isn’t that weird?” Bora questioned. Your head popped up to answer, but your mouth hung open, realizing that you didn’t have one. She was right. Why did things all of a sudden change? Things were going fine as an online friendship of when you’d kick his ass and laugh at each other’s mistakes.

Just as your mind started to travel down this new road of speculation, your phone vibrated in hand with an incoming text. 

Y/N. I just want to know you’re alive at least. I fucked up… but I still care.

You looked at the text over and over and before you could talk yourself out of it, a reply was typed in the box.

Why did things have to change?  The message turned blue with a press of your finger before you could overthink and erase what you asked. It wasn’t even a second before the typing dots were shown and you knew he was responding. 

I’d like to answer that question in person. But if you don’t want to meet, I understand. Can you answer my call at least? He pleaded. Before you could say yes or no, your phone was vibrating in your hands. Right when you were about to swipe right and decline the call, Bora snatched the phone from your hands and accepted.

“Bor!” you yelled, but all she did was press the phone to your cheek and got up to run off, leaving you with a voice coming through the receiver. 

“Hello? Y/N? Are you there?” Mark had a slightly worried tone in his voice. 

“Uh, hi?” you didn’t mean for it to come out as a question, but at least you answered, right?

“Hi… I’m so sorry. I fucked up and I want to make it right. I didn’t mean for you to find out the way you did, but you have to believe me when I say I was going to tell you. It was never my intention to lie, I just didn’t know how to explain that part of my life. And when Yugyeom…”

“Mark. Breathe.” You interrupted his word vomit and rolled your chair into the corner so you could have some kind of privacy. You could hear him take a deep breath through the phone, but he didn’t continue speaking, ultimately waiting for you.

“I… I can’t say it doesn’t matter that you’re an id… singer. But what bothers me the most is that on some level you felt like you couldn’t even tell me. Granted, we talked mostly about gaming and pet dogs and random things we saw on youtube, but I think we became a little more than random strangers.” It was your turn for word vomit and all you wanted to do is run away from everything,

“You are. You’re definitely more than just a stranger to me. I just didn’t know how to bring both parts of my life together.” his voice sounded heavy with remorse. Part of you wanted to crack a joke to make the sad tone in his voice disappear but if things were awkward before, they were tripled now. 

When you didn’t respond, Mark sighed through the receiver and asked, “Is there any way that we can meet so I can explain everything?” 

You were still trying to process all of the things and somehow your mouth decided it was now independent from the rest of your mind and the word yes flowed out. Immediately you covered the traitor as Mark sounded relieved on the other end. 

“Really? Tha-thanks. I can meet you or you can come over to the house. I can make sure we will have no interruptions this time as I just explain everything. Whatever works best for you.”

What surprised you as your hand continued to cover your mouth, was the scene that played out in your mind. Meeting Mark at some cafe as he pulled down his mask and a hoard of people swarmed around the two of you, wanting to get a piece of him. You go to protect him and then you’re knocked out with an ahgabong and Mark will be whisked away like a sacrificial lamb and they will put him on some shrine after shaving his head. 

“Yourplaceisfine.” you rushed out, shaking that horrific vision from your mind. Never again will you go down the hole that is KPOP fandom, it’s a scary place. 

“Thank you, y/n. I really am sorry for everything.” the apology came out in almost a whisper and if you weren’t paying the utmost attention, you would have missed it. 

“Does noon work for you?” you asked, slight doubt in your voice. Now that you were aware of his career, you weren’t sure if you would be intruding on some important time.

“No, no. Noon is perfect. Remember how to get here? If not, I can text you the address.” His voice was shaky and it conflicted with the persona that you saw in the multiple videos of him on stage. He was confident when doing acrobatics and the raps that left his lips coated with swag. The duality fucked with your head a bit. 

“I remember. I… gotta get back to work. I’ll see you at noon tomorrow, Mark. Uh… bye?” without waiting for a response, you ended the call and slid out of your chair and crawled under the desk. If you could live under there like a troll, you would. Trying to beat down the anxiety that the phone call gave you was nothing compared to the boulder of worry you had about going back to his place. But you owed it to him and yourself to see this through. He had been your friend for 2 years. Maybe him being crazy famous wouldn’t change any of that history. Maybe...

[chaseagainstonision]

A personal call out post

Let me preface this with having y'all not send her hate. I just wanted to bring awareness to this on Twitter as well as here becuaes I'm agitated and fed of with people who are constantly toxic to those around them and having stans/simps who back them up at every turn and enable them.

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

I wanted to talk about @babblingartblog @naughtybabs and the drama I have surrounding her. I want to cover some of this: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/17c7F4GZXCVtqVqKPXNc4lWHS0T9pHZz2 and touch on some of the bigger things in each folder since I didn't quite do that last time since I was pissed.

Note that these folders will constantly be updating. I still have some caps that I have not tossed in these folder as I have not edited out usernames for privacy reasons. I have a folder on my desktop that is also uncensored for my own reference.

Starting off with Art and Caps (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J_dwVDk396Cx-gZROZqK1dCB2ih5LJ6E?usp=sharing), this should be pretty straight forward. Some videos I have here are of her blatently tracing or stealing images from Google or elsewhere. I have tried to find sources for as many of these as I could. No true artist worth their salt would actually trace for a piece, especially not for commissions. Some of the other images are just some critiquing and stuff. The critiques are just personal gripes about her art that I feel could be improved upon.

For Facebook (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11-374WefqZaE4YWVC3HNpsyWLrnkF6Or?usp=sharing), a few things stand out more than others. The first thing is something that happened at a larp she attended. She claims that she didn't do this, but multiple other people attest otherwise. It's an incident where she tried to break up a married couple and call the man's wife a bitch and what have you. She's also expressed some rather NSFW kinks/fetishes in these larp spaces that have made others uncomfortable. She had even gotten temporarily kicked from one larp group due to these actions. Another thing that stands out more than others is her promise to change and then falling right back into old habits. There are several of these posts and I think also a few tweets, but I'll touch of tweets further down. Anyway, there are countless times that people have told her that she needs help and needs to be a better person and she basically just shrugs it off and keeps up with her toxicity.

The final thing that I'd like to touch on in this section that's a red flag is how she treated her former place of residence. Without going into too much detail as I don't want to involve her former roomies in this more than I have to. She's claimed numerous times that her former residence was abusive when it wasn't anywhere near what she's said. She was the one creating a toxic environment and people were getting tired of her shit. Between her quitting jobs with no good reason, to not paying rent and spending what should have been rent money on larps and fast food and other such luxuries and accusing a former roomie of something heinous, she brought down the mental health of everyone in that house.

There are various other things that you can look through that I haven't even touched upon that set off more red flags. There were also some DMs that I had omitted that I won't release but can summarize if need be later. Also, I realize that some of these caps are ant sized, so if you need me to transcribe them, feel free to ask.

For Tumblr and Misc (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/152bkOkTiH4ZfWk3t9g3JhHMwSz2J-YjT?usp=sharing), there's not much there. Just some asks about the larp things I mentioned in the Facebook section, her GoFundMe, which I'll also touch upon in the Twitter section, and some caps from Youtube about her tracing.

For Twitter (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pGqz6qTFuvKZDYPuxQTk6CLxGgJokYa8?usp=sharing), there are a ton of caps. There are only a few things that stuck out to my with these caps, too. Outside of the Hazbin Hotel drama, that is, since there are quite a bit of caps there.

The first is the most recent and the thing that kicked me sharing all of this originally. It relates to a Slenderman series creator names Adam Rosner who was outed as a piece of shit who did some unsavory things with a few people underage, as well as some other horrible, heinous shit. She claimed to be friends with him and that she "still can't believe that [she] ignored [her] gut" about how much of a creep he actually was. I called her out the two times that she spoke out about this because I knew, from personal experience and from also knowing Adam and interacting with him at a limited capacity (I just thought he was kind of a snob originally and was fame hungry), that she had been lying and had only really been an acquaintance, much like myself, and also had limited interactions with him.

Touching on the GoFundMe that I mentioned earlier, though, and she admitted that she, herself, donated her $1400 stimulus check from 2020 to inflate the amount she received from her GFM. The GFM was taken poorly from some former friends as she owns them money and she, instead of trying to pay some of that back, dumped her money in the GFM to inflate it.

She's also brought up a few times where she would like friends who wouldn't crucify her and that calling her out on her bad behavior and holding her to a standard means that you're stalking her or being mean or something. This piggy backs off of the point from the FB section about her saying she'll get better then doesn't.

For Videos and Caps (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vukA5KmVvbF56pC91GGD4s-FCZaXwW6W?usp=sharing), there are uhh... some questionable things in here.

The first is stuff that I had transcribed since it's in parts. This, against, cycles back to her attempts at fundraising for herself. She had gotten angry about various BLM protesters had gotten money for bail and lawyers and what not and that no one was, essentially, donating to her cause donating to small creators isn't "trendy" or "popular" or some such nonsense. Then, tried to back peddle by saying that capitalism sucks and how she shouldn't had used her GFM to compare to BLM but that the poor, LGBT+, black, etc aren't accessories or something but really still giving a nonapology.

Which brings be to a related but not really point about the stutter that she had. She's done this weirdly forced stutter in a few videos and I asked around if it was a thing that she had done before and it wasn't and is, indeed, a forced reaction to garner sympathy.

Swinging back around the the fundraisers she posted on FB and the bit about her roomies, there was a video that she had made accusing one former roomie of some nasty things, as well, when it never happened. The actual story, without getting into too much detail, was that she had pined after this roomie for a bit and was enamored with him but he had (and still has) a girlfriend.

As for the other videos, there's just a lot of depressed posting and what not. Like, a lot of depressed posting.

Some general statements: Normally I wouldn't dump on some of these things if it were anyone else, but knowing her personally and talking to some former friends and what have you and knowing how she is after all of this observation, there have been a lot of red flags that popped up. Like, I'm not here to victim blame or laugh at someone over mental illness or any of that shit. But I also know that she siphons personality traits and whatnot from the people around her.

[halinitales]

Untitled

October 1998. Notes: This was written on the spot as a love letter to an old flame named D (name omitted for privacy). I thought I was truly in love with him, yet circumstances caused him to break my heart. He still taught me many things about love and life, and for that I am grateful.

He's here, I'm tingly all over... I can't understand this feeling of love I want to squeeze him deep in my heart Yet I feel that I'm squeezing him too hard

Is this love? Is this joy? Why do I feel so miserable? When he's gone, I'm done Nothing feels good anymore.

There he sits on a chair On his way to another place His heart is with me And my heart begins to race

Yet I find that I'm yearning For more than he could give He's going away to his family And here I am to grieve.

I'm distracted, I'm confused I don't know what to do I have him in my heart But he can't help for us to part.

I miss him so badly I cry myself to sleep If this is love, it hurts I think I'm in too deep

I haven't met him at all then Yet it seems that he's with me years before We feel like people in love When we're together, we fit like a glove.

I will see him again Tomorrow, I hope Just the smell of his perfume cologne Makes me go up in smoke

We're states apart Why did it have to be this way? Maybe it's fate that we met Living from day to day

One day I will be with him And I wish he with me I am impatient of this love I can't wait, I'm already ready to move

But then, love endures Problems arise, but still love pursues I should wait till my love comes for me. I shall wait, I must be sure

I haven't planned it this way Love just came and shot me in the back I guess it's the same for him I can't find any words more to say.

Love, what is this? What have you gotten me into? I have become ‘D’-alcholic I succumbed to the addiction.

Hay naku, ewan ko ba (Oh boy, I don't know) Pag naiisip ko siya (When I think of him) Ako'y nagwawala sa tuwa (I go crazy with joy) Mahal na mahal ko talaga. (I love him so much)

[anika-ann]

Nothing but the Truth - Pt.4

The Interrogation

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader        Word count: 2890

Summary: A fake dating AU. Time to seal the deal; you become Steve’s fiancé, officially. Kinda. You really have to talk about the rules of engagement; read PDA.

Warnings:  the fluff gets real y’all, some swearing

Story Masterlist 

Your life took quite a turn after such an insignificant event as knocking over your lunch on you.

Here you were, an engagement ring sitting on your finger, twisting as you fiddled with it nervously, seated next to Steve on a too comfortable sofa in a TV studio.

Everything was hazy, like a dream. You blamed the sharp lights of which you hoped were about to get dimmed at least a fraction, because otherwise you’d be blind before the interview was over.

As if the gaffer could read your thoughts, he dimmed the reflectors a bit, allowing you to see the interviewer’s face. Yay for you.

You were not in any sense ready for the questions, let alone coming from a TV host. You had been skilfully dodging your family’s inquires by telling them you’d explain later, you ignored your friend/colleague who was blowing your phone with texts and phone calls and you avoided everyone at work, mostly because for the past two days, you weren’t there to begin with; not in your office anyway.

Steve might be sitting by your side, his hand around your waist reassuring, but it did little to soothe your nerves. You truly were an awful liar and people from TV industry, reporters and such, there were like sharks; you did not feel like facing the sharks, thank you very much, they could smell lies as if they were blood.

Tony Stark had sworn that the host was an acquittance of his, good people, he had promised, and in collective effort, you had put together a list of acceptable questions for her to ask and a list of answers for you. Also, you had received one simple advice: stick to the truth as much as possible, because it is easier to keep track of. Also, Tony Stark had smirked when you confessed to being a terrible liar and had told you that you and Cap were apparently a match made in heaven and that it was just another good reason for you to try and lie only as little as possible.

Surprisingly, once the interview started, you felt yourself relax only enough to not to stutter too much when speaking, so it only appeared you were shy and nervous and not losing your mind. It had little to do with the friendly host who somehow managed to make the interview flow naturally despite using rehearsed questions and everything to do with Steve’s comforting presence, his thumb drawing calming circles on your hip.

You successfully got through the questions about how you met – via Sam, of course, stick to the truth as much as possible –, how you started dating, adding only tiny bits of information about you too, easily explaining that you wanted to keep your family and some of the privacy out of the spotlight.

It all naturally led to another burning question.

“So, it might be obvious, but I gotta ask… why all the secrecy?” she queried, still smiling invitingly and Steve shrugged in response as he clearly did find the answer evident.

“I like to keep my private life separated. This…” he looked at you with one corner of his lips raised and continued, “she doesn’t deserve thousands of people trying to stick their nose into her life – into our life. I just… I guess I wanted… uh, I wanted to spare us that for as long as possible.”

You confirmed his words with few delicate nods.

“Well, people know now. How do you feel about that?” the host turned to you.

“Mixed feelings, I think? I don’t enjoy being the centre of attention much. On the other hand, it’s a relief not having to hide.”

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” Steve agreed. “I mean, we didn’t plan it, I honestly wasn’t thinking about anything than cheering up my best girl after a bad morning that day, but this might be a truly good thing. Maybe now, her other suitors will finally lay off.”

Your heart skipped a beat and judging by the subtle squeeze of your hip, Steve noticed and was trying to tell you to stay calm – despite the fact that this was not planned at all.

What the hell was he doing?

“Other suitors?” the host questioned, intrigued, as she eyed your reaction; which was absolutely genuine, a 100% undiluted shock.

If you were lucky, the audience would think it was you being self-conscious, surprised at the idea of other people being interested, which… wasn’t that far from the truth, but seriously, Steve, what the hell?

Utterly confused, you attempted to cover your shock with only thing you could think of; with humour.

“Yeah. There are so many! I can see the line forming right there,” you joked lightly, making the effort to point somewhere behind the cameras and the host chuckled when she caught on the playfulness in your voice, knowing all too well what you were doing.

“You’d be surprised,” Steve stated lowly, making you pause and blink in confusion. He was just messing around, right? There were no other guys interested in you. Yes, you had been complimented before, yes, you had been in relationships before, but it wasn’t like guys fought over you or something.

Once more hiding your inner turmoil, you turned your head to him, eyes narrowed.

“Steve!” you scolded him, mocking offence. “Are you telling me you knew there were others and you didn’t introduce us?!”

The interviewer’s eyes flickered between the two of you, an expectant smirk forming on her lips. Well, glad you’re having fun, because I still have no idea what this is all about, apart from Steve proving a point which I’m not quite getting yet. Though you had to admit, it probably looked natural, a banter between friends turned to lovers and you suddenly realized that this was Steve making this whole one single interview you were willing to give, which was suspicious enough, much more believable.

And damn, was he smooth about it.

Steve’s smile was innocent, a glint of mischief in his irises as he shrugged. “What can I say? I just want you for myself.”

Feeling heat rising to your cheeks at the confidence he spoke with and at his palm squeezing your hip once more, shifting you subtly and yet visibly closer to his side, you smiled at him and leaned your forehead onto his shoulder. His lips landed in your hair so easily as if he had done it thousand times before.

“I guess you are forgiven then.”

“Well, it looks like you two have it figured out,” the interviewer, Laurel, because you were all on the first name basis to cut the tension, remarked. “And I suppose the strategy would work, Steve, the ring isn’t extravagant, but it is hard to miss.” She beckoned to it and looked at you expectantly. “What was it like? The proposal?”

Well, shit. You really wished Steve would get this one to answer, because you would have to lie through your teeth, but it was expected that you’d be the one to be asked about it since being proposed was a big moment in woman’s life. Or man’s, sure, but in your position… stop trying to distract yourself, big lie ahead! Focus!

“It was… a blur. I mean, we aren’t together for too long despite knowing each other for over a year now. But… I guess when you know, you know, right? It was just so sudden! This ring is beautiful, but we actually picked it after the question.”

You were meant to say exactly that – just in case someone who was too close to you noticed the absence of the ring before – and overall, you weren’t lying in the true sense of the word, only omitting the truth… it was just so damn complicated!

“Oh?”

“Eh, that one is on me,” Steve saved you and you truly tried your best not to show your relief when he took over. “I wasn’t prepared. She deserves the best, but… eh, I suppose that with all the secrecy I was bottling up emotions for too long and I couldn’t contain it anymore, I… I asked without finding the perfect ring.”

You weren’t sure how he accomplished that, but a blush actually crept its way up his neck as if he was embarrassed at his own impulsiveness. You found it unbearably cute and clearly, you weren’t the only one.

“Aww, that is so precious! Can’t imagine any woman to be oppose to that. Right? Truly romantic, succumbing to the spirit of the moment, the rush of emotions!” the host gushed and you grinned at the nice pass she offered.

“Don’t I know it. It was… unusual. But our relationship isn’t exactly typical.” No shit. “So it suits us, I think. And yeah… I…uhm… I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

Once again, 100% undiluted truth.

“I have no doubt. The important thing is the two of you being happy. And I think all of our viewers can tell you two look very happy together.”

Did you?

“Well, she is a wonderful woman and she said yes. How could I be not delighted?” Steve beamed, effectively causing your heart to flutter foolishly.

A part of you – a very sizeable part of you – was enjoying this little pretending immensely, alright, trying to push all the possible outcomes for the two of you after breaking the fake relationship aside and succeeding, but at times, you couldn’t but feel overwhelmed anyway.

Like when Steve said that and it warmed you from inside out, your brain screaming at you that had this been real, you would have melted into a puddle of lovesick jello.

‘She is a wonderful woman and she said yes. How could I not be delighted?’

Why did he have to sound so unbelievably genuine? He had told you he was a terrible liar. Liar!

You forced a shaky but hopefully sweet smile and stretched your neck to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. In for a penny…

“That is so sweet!” the host commented instantly, basically cooing. “And chaste!”

SHIT, you totally walked into that one! But Steve kissed your head before and had got away with it without a single remark! How was this fair?

You tried to swallow your panic, instantly explaining, while your heart raced, slightly panicking.

“Uh, we’re not much for showing affection publicly and with the secrecy-“ you babbled, while Steve started his own reasoning: “The time I grew up in-“

“Ah, that’s understandable,” the woman agreed and the sound of the heavy rock which had seated itself in your stomach hitting the floor must have been caught by the audio tech, you were sure. That was how loud it must have been. Crisis averted. “But… come on. Don’t play all coy on us…”

Spoke too soon.

You gulped, eyeing Steve, who was no doubt better at hiding his panic than you were. You could tell by the intensity of his gaze though that his nerves were as wrecked at the moment as yours.

What else could you do though but comply, being on a TV and being asked to kiss? How obvious would it be if you refused?

…in for a pound.

He searched your face, observing every tiny motion of your mimic muscles, every twitch. You lowered your gaze to his lips – and damn, didn’t you, in your heart where you pretended this whole situation on hand was not going to end up in a terrible heartbreak on your part, want to kiss those full lips, so tempting – and raised you gaze back to lock it with his. You hoped you looked determined enough, but you confirmed it in soft-spoken words, simultaneously checking if he was alright with this.

“It’s okay, Steve. We can handle a bit of PDA this once, can’t we? I mean… we’ve made it official, after all.”

A barely visible smile appeared on his lips, an inconspicuous nod sealing the deal.

Two of his fingers slipped under your chin, angling your face just a bit, brining you closer to the paradise. That was what it was; your eyes fluttered shut and the moment his lips brushed yours to test the waters, you knew you tasted heaven.

You felt the shudder running through your body, but you couldn’t help it, unable to conceal the excitement mixed with nerves. Your palm found haven on his toned chest, an anchor to the ship raging on the sea of emotion that pulled you in, just as his lips explored yours more thoroughly, as if searching a haven of their own, finding it exactly where yours were. They sank in, thirsty for home, caressing and oh, oh so soft and warm, safe and wonderful.

He was the one to withdraw for some oxygen, reminding you that breathing, in fact, was a thing. Quite an essential thing. On instinct, you breathed in swiftly, but couldn’t help but kiss him again, only a tender brush of lips on lips, relishing in the sensation for only a fraction of second longer.

You forced your eyes open and your hand to slide to his waist, trying so hard to remember that you were, in fact, not alone. At all.

“Well… wow,” the interviewer breathed out, her chuckle carrying a pinch of surprise in it. “That’s what I call pure love. Thank you so much for coming here, Captain and future Mrs. Rogers.”

You wanted to say thank you for having us, but your brain was buzzing with million thoughts, still processing the sensation of Steve’s lips on yours and was epically failing, colours bursting inside instead, sending pleasant heat through your veins.

Luckily, Steve composed himself much faster and boy, wasn’t it saying something about your dynamics with each other.

“Thank you for having us, Laurel.”

Yeah, thanks, Laurel. Thanks to you, I reached the point of no return.

In other words; now I’m officially screwed.

Sam overestimated his time-managing skills, still finishing the stretching after his training when the interview started. For once, he was grateful for Tony’s need for extravagance, as every one of the Tower gyms offered a TV for Sam to watch while he wrapped it up.

At few times, he wasn’t able to tell whether he was groaning at his sore muscles or at the way his little sister and his best friend were sickeningly sweet on each other.

Seriously. He wouldn’t have questioned it if it they truly had been in a relationship (read: if they pulled their heads out of their asses and finally admitted how they felt about each other, for real), but the fact it was all pretend (not, except neither of them was aware of the other not pretending and Jesus, Sam’s head hurt) was worrying him.

The kiss was a case of its own.

Would they be able to walk out of that mess and stay friends, possibly more? Or would it drive a wedge between them forever, messy feelings and misunderstandings getting in the way?

He resumed watching on his phone as he made his way to the kitchen to fetch himself a glass of juice, but stopped at the door when he heard voices coming from the room and instantly knew what was the subject of the discussion.

“Well. I say the interview was alright, not perfect, but alright, almost cute like the two of them together, after all… but the kiss did look like their first time,” Tony stated, sighing in disappointment.

“It was their first time, what did you expect? You didn’t really think they would be practicing beforehand, right?” Natasha snorted and Sam couldn’t but agree.

This was Steve they were talking about. The man had done a fair share of changes to his believes as he found himself in the new millennium, but certain principles he stuck to, which was something Sam was immensely grateful for.

He was about to join the discussion with his own input, when he froze in his tracks at Tony’s next words.

“Good point. But hey, she made them finally smack their mouths together. I call that a win. She was a good choice, we’re geniuses.”

“Yep,” came Natasha’s reply and Sam heard the distinct sound of a high-five, only to see their hands still up when he stormed into the room.

For the moment, he ignored the creepy fact that the screen was frozen at the image of their lips locked together and glared at the two Avengers, irritated and hungry for answers.

“What the hell do you mean you’re geniuses?”

“Blyad'!” Natasha cursed, frowning as she spotted the look on Sam’s face and how his hands were balled into fists with enough force to nearly snap his phone in half.

Tony eyed Natasha, not sure what exactly she said and not quite caring; the sentiment behind the word was apparently clear enough to him as it was to Sam.

The expression on Tony’s face spoke a thousand of words; or perhaps only three: We are screwed.

Sam wholeheartedly agreed as he paced to the pair, fuming.

“Start. Talking,” he hissed, each word clipped, as he was staring them down, ignorant to the fact these were a billionaire and a former KGB assassin he was ordering around. “Like right now.”

Part 5

Tags: @mermaidxatxheart @bobertswagert @kakakatey @ccolz88-blog @joeyrumlow​ @lovemeterwrites​

If anyone wishes to be added to/removed from the tags, shoot me a message or something. 

[punkpoemprose]

December 13th- Miss Arendelle’s Murder Mysteries

Universe: 1920′s AU (Miss Fisher’s AU)

Length: 2054 Words

Rating: T (Teen & Up, mild violence, sexual situations)

A/N: If you haven’t watched or read any of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries you absolutely need to. That said you don’t need the background to “get” any of this really. Just think wealthy lady detective in Roaring 20′s Australia and you’ll have it just fine.

“Good afternoon Inspector! What a delightful surprise!”

Miss Arendelle, was, as always, demonstrating her fantastic knack for both getting on Detective Inspector Kristoff Bjorgman’s nerves, and for finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He suspected, however, the lady detective, as she liked to call herself, would consider herself entirely in the right place at the right time.

“A surprise?” he asked raising a brow as he gestured to the scene around her, “Miss Arendelle you’re in the mists of a crime scene, how should it surprise you to see me here?”

“Well I was just making small talk,” she responded, and rather comically so, given that she was currently hanging, upside-down from a ceiling beam which she was suspended from by a belt tied around her ankle. He was simply grateful that she’d chosen a pant suit for this particular event of getting herself into far too much trouble.

“Perhaps you’d prefer to make small talk on the floor?”

She grinned at that, and reached up to her ankle, releasing herself.

That he was able to catch her in time was less a miracle than it was the fact he’d been half expecting her to pull such a stunt. It was going to show, of course, that he was spending entirely too much time with her. It weren’t truly something that he was upset over, as much as the police commissioner was against the lady detective’s assistance, but he was worried that if he didn’t continue to tell her that she shouldn’t be at his crime scenes, that she would do things twice as dangerous as she already was.

“Oof!” she said, as she fell into his arms, “That was quite the crazy trust exercise!”

As she disentangled herself from his arms, she was grinning like the madwoman she was. When she patted him gently on the chest, he lowered her heeled feet to the floor and she straightened herself, walked across the floor to where her hat had fallen, and placed it on her head.

“Would you care to explain what you were doing up there?”

“A lady never reveals her secrets! Though, if you’re nice…” she trailed off and gave him a bit of a wink that made his face go red. She could be quite the flirt, though he’d heard through the grapevine that she hadn’t made good on any of her flirtations since breaking things off with her fiancé. Rumor had it that he’d done something to warrant her becoming the lady detective she was now. He was waiting for her to tell him. He’d ask her plenty of things as his work permitted, but her personal life was something she could tell him about in her own time.

“If I’m…” he had to clear his throat, his words coming out a bit too pitchy for his liking, “If I’m nice?”

“Oh well you’re always nice,” she said walking back to him, “So I’ll tell you what I’ve found.”

He sighed, “Of course you’ve already found something. Should I search your person for evidence, or perhaps you’ve stolen a suspect away to your home again. Absconded with the body perhaps so your sister could determine cause of death as you’ve decided our medical examiner is inept?”

“Well he is inept,” she said, “No suspects yet, but if you want to search me, far be it from me to argue.”

She started to shrug the little jacket she was wearing off her shoulders, and were it not for the fact that they were in the middle of the room he might be inclined to look, but as it was, he was trying to do his best to maintain his status of a gentleman despite her working to the contrary.

He glanced away and she stopped her stripping. A kindness he imagined, but one he’d happily go without were they in any sort of privacy. He’d tired in less than a month of knowing her if dodging all her advances.

“I will, of course, tell you what I know so far, including what I found on that ceiling beam.”

That she cooperated with him was much better than most other officers got.

***

She’d solved the mystery, as she always did, of course. The department really should think about hiring her. There was quite a bit that the lady detective could manage to do that no other officer could, but Kristoff marked much of this up to blatant disrespect of the law and also a disregard for self-preservation, but he could hardly say that she wasn’t a quick wit.

“How kind of you to join us Inspector,” Anna called from her place behind a row of crates behind which Kristoff himself had just leapt in order to avoid a hail of bullets coming from the mobsters that Anna had evidently decided she could face off against with just her little snub nose pistol and plucky attitude.

“I would have been here sooner,” he said, “but you didn’t call to let me know where you were going and despite the best intentions of your house staff it took me some time to figure out you were in a shootout with the mafia.”

“Well not really much of a shootout,” she said with an eyeroll, “They don’t have a machine gun.”

Another shot struck the concrete wall just to the side of them, and Anna popped up for a moment to return fire. Kristoff tugged her back down under cover and returned a shot of his own. He always swore Anna would be the death of him, and it seemed that it was becoming quite literal.

“Enough of a shootout to get you killed,” he said, “You’re in luck that I called for reinforcements from city central.”

She grinned as another round of bullets ripped through their surroundings, “Luck had nothing to do with it, I knew you’d come back for me.”

“We aren’t talking about this right now,” he said, popping up again to fire, and successfully catching one of the men in the shoulder as she popped around to do the same to one’s leg.

He couldn’t help but give her an appreciative nod when they were both safely under cover. It seemed that for the moment, no more shots were being fired. He accounted it to the arrival of the police who were rushing in just to their left, as well as to her clever shot. They’d incapacitated two at least, and the officers around them could try their hand at the rest.

He helped her up from the floor when they were quite sure that there would be no further shots fired, and he did his best to avert his eyes when she slipped her, now unloaded pistol, into her garter. He knew for a fact that she had a knife strapped to the other thigh. When he’d asked her once what made her think she could rush into danger so, she’d hiked up the short skirt of her dress and shown him so, answering that she was heavily armed and quick witted. He could not deny either.

“So Miss Arendelle,” he began as they straightened themselves, “How did you figure out that it was the mafia using homing pigeons to smuggle the cocaine?”

She grinned broadly, “Well after my sister examined the body, we noticed something that your medical examiner missed, specifically a prayer coin in the throat of our victim which was, of course, from Saint John’s Cathedral. Though I should admit my lady’s maid helped me with that bit… I’m far from devout. While there I noticed the same feathers, I’d found on the ceiling beam at our crime scene. Some might discount it as coincidence, or a lady’s boa shedding, but an acquaintance of mine from the war used to send messages with pigeons and I recall them mentioning the birds being able to carry 50 grams of cargo at a time. So with that and the fact that I saw some enforcers not so sneakily attending confession there, well it was just a good guess I suppose.”

She was too clever for her own good. As the swiss cheese of crates around them proved.

Kristoff sighed and offered Anna his arm, “Shall I take your statement in my offices Miss Arendelle?”

She grinned broadly, being kind enough not to remind him that he always took her statement in his offices, such that he could in private omit all the illegalities that brought her to the end result of finding their murderer, their smuggler, their villain, or in this particular case, all three.

“Well, if you insist Inspector,” she replied, taking his arm and walking out of the building with him and to his car.

***

He wasn’t certain of how it had happened. It was entirely new to him that they should be acting on their interest in each other. Usually they were so careful with their dancing around one another, and truthfully they couldn’t use the fact that they’d been shot at as an excuse, because they were always being shot at.

She was on his desk a few moments before, she always sat on his desk, her dress riding up her leg, but things otherwise were quite tame. How she’d wound up straddling his lap, how he’d ended up kissing down her neck and to the top of her dress, was a mystery he certainly didn’t think he could solve. He imagined, of course, that she could, but she was too busy carding her fingers through his hair and whispering his name into the still air of his office.

Their only saving grace was that it was quite late, and the constable on duty was a friend, and one kind enough to not come knocking.

The report he’d written up was forgotten on the desk as Anna rocked her hips into him.

“Kris,” she said again, arching her back, pressing herself into him, into his lips, into his touch. “Oh I’ve wanted this for so long.”

He had too. He’d wanted her since the first time she’d interrupted one of his cases and swept into his life like a very elegantly, if not suggestively, dressed bull in a china shop.

Even now her dress had ridden up to her upper thighs. Revealing more and more skin to him, as well as her pistol and knife.

He slid his hand over her leg cautiously and was rewarded with her hands tugging in his hair to force him to look up. As he did so her lips quickly descended on his. He groaned in response.

“I want this too Anna,” he said against her lips, “But I’d also prefer to do this the right way.”

He was, of course, damnably by the book at times. She was changing that in him, but when it came to this, if nothing else, he didn’t want to budge. The kissing was wonderful, the feeling of her body against his, even more so. But if this was going to happen, it was going to happen in a bed where he could appreciate her fully and make her feel exactly as she deserved.

“So noble,” she muttered, kissing him again, “It’s appreciated but entirely unnecessary.”

He kissed back, but then pulled away, “Maybe it’s unnecessary for you, but I was raised a gentleman.”

She laughed but smiled. “And I was raised a lady, but Lord above we both survived a war, and today we survived being shot at again. Taking things slow seems a moot point these days I’m afraid.”

He leaned forward to give her one last kiss, “I’m not suggesting we take it slow Anna,” he replied with a grin, “I’m suggesting we find a better place to do this than in my office.”

“Oh!” she said, and he was surprised to see a light blush on her cheeks. He hadn’t imagined that he could scandalize her for all that she flirted with him. “In that case grab your keys Mr. Inspector. I’ll tell my butler to expect one more for breakfast.”

He chuckled at that as she pushed herself off his lap giddily. She was trouble. She’d probably be the death of him, but he was in love with her, and he didn’t think that he could drive to her home fast enough.

[deejadabbles]

Spells of Defiance (Atem x Reader x Yugi) Chapter 2

Two: Yugi

One //// Two //// Three //// Four //// Five //// Six //// Seven //// [Eight coming soon]

Summary: The Circle of Magicians protects the world from rogue, murderous fey. The police who keep bloodsuckers and flesh-eaters in check. You’ve hunted vampires for years, earning a reputation as one of the best magicians in that field; but what happens when an encounter with a particular vampire makes your already fragile loyalties split?

Supernatural/Demon Hunter AU. Vampire!Atem x Reader x Incubus!Yugi (yes, a polyamorous relationship). Warnings for cursing, vulgar language, violence, and some sexual themes.

This is a fic I’ve already posted this on my AO3 but I wanted to spread the Yu-gi-oh x Reader love here on tumblr.

A brief stop at the mess hall ensured several things, that you heeded the vampire's worry and got some food in you, as well as make your presence known to anyone who saw you go into the prison wing, alleviating any suspicions they might have on if you had a prison break in mind. Most of all, however, it gave you the chance to talk to Mahad about something that troubled you all day.

After sitting in the chair opposite him at his usual table, you told him about the strange thing that happened when Marik's follower bit your right arm. You had been bitten by several vampires over the years and the one just moments ago proved that the hot pain wasn't some new reaction you developed. Though you omitted Atem's bite, Mahad seemed quite interested in your story. He asked to look at your hand, the one with the Circle's seal on it, and examined the brand closely.

"I think the chemical vampires inject when they bite a victim reacted to the magic seal," he had concluded eventually. "Since the seal constantly feeds magic into your body, it likely reacted poorly to the vampire curative, like two incompatible chemicals igniting."

Well, that had been a good enough explanation for you. At least the thought that Marik was giving his followers some strange new powers was pushed down on your list of possibilities.

After your business there was taken care of, you retired to the second floor of the Sanctuary where everyone's quarters were. Your room, like every magician's, was small and devoid of much personalization aside from the stray trinket or two. Shelves were full of Circle-issued books, herbs, and tools mainly used for your job as a magician. It wasn't much, but at least it was yours.

You knew you needed rest, but too many thoughts swirled in your head as you curled up in bed. Possible ways to help Atem, how you could pull it off and what to do after you did. Several options for both bid for your attention, making you feel scatterbrained and restless.

Knowing that lack of sleep would only impede your ability to complete whatever plan you came up with, you eventually had to get up and take a vial from your stockpile of sleeping drafts. It was a drastic measure, you didn't like how the potion usually...amped up the weirdness of your dreams, but it was better than lying awake all night.

Once it had taken hold and you finally fell into sleep, it quickly became apparent that that particular side effect was doing wonders tonight. In the dream you were still lying in bed, only now instead of feeling disoriented and fitful, you sighed in relief as a wave of calm washed over you, leaving you content, warm, and...excited all at the same time somehow. You were even made aware of how wonderful the fabric of your clothes felt against your body, the garb not being your usual night clothes, but something silken and much more revealing. Then you dreamt of an arm, sliding its way across your hip before a firm hand gripped it. Fingers started stroking your hair and you hummed in delight as something else warm and soft draped lazily across your thigh.

"Are you comfortable?" a voice you couldn't ever remember hearing before whispered from behind. The voice was sweet and gentle, not unlike a butterfly's wings. You only hummed in response as the fingers continued to massage your scalp and temples, so the voice continued. "Good. Now, tell me about your day. I heard there was a trial, something involving a vampire?"

Memories of Atem's plight invaded your dreams. The both of you fighting side by side, his judgment by the people you served, his cell and his fangs piercing your skin with such care. The flash of memories felt almost painful. This was wrong. Why were some scenes replaying trice over behind your eyes? The fingers continued to soothe, and the soft string by your thighs swished slowly across your bare skin.

Then the sense of wrongness pitched to a high bar as something dug deeper. Memories of touring the Sanctuary played like a movie in your mind. Distant voices, the voices of guards posted at the cells were trying to swim to the surface as well. Something was looking for answers in your head. The thing swaying lazily at your thighs- how could you not have realized it was a tail the moment it touched you? And the hands stroking so gently, they had minor but undeniable claws to them!

Your mind was yours again in an instant and so was your body. You grabbed the wrist of the hand at your head and heard a gasp from the melodic voice. One swift motion and you were atop the invader. A second and his clawed hands were pinned down by your knees on either side of him. Your own hands were free to strike if needed- though you noticed your current state of dress and that made you lose an ounce or two of security. The sheer fabric of the negligee sent waves of vulnerability to your core, even as you stared daggers down at the incubus trapped beneath you.

His lavender eyes were naturally large, but they were widened in shock and, though he obviously tried to hide it, fear. Heat gathered in your right palm as you called on your fire, and you kicked your glare up to a ten as you addressed the demon.

"What the hell do you think you're doing invading the dreams of a magician, incubus?"

He wasn't trying to escape your grasp, knowing a physical struggle was pointless in the world of sleep. "I wasn't doing anything perverse if that's what you think." When you cocked your eyebrow and darted your eyes down to the lingerie you were dressed in, he actually flushed a pronounced pink color and looked away. "You d-dressed yourself in that, not me! It must have been conjured up when your subconscious picked up on...my type of magic."

The term 'pleasure magic' hung unspoken but heavy in the air between you two, since both of you knew what his 'type' was. You ignored the sudden wave of embarrassment upon remembering that you had been admiring this particular outfit in a store a couple of weeks ago. That wasn't important right now, you knew he wasn't here for a typical feeding, not with what was flashing in your head just a minute ago.

"You were looking for info on Atem. Why?" You kept your voice and gaze as firm and cold as steel, even when the incubus met your eyes again and you saw his own steel under the lavender irises.

"I can't tell you that."

Oh, he knew you couldn't actually do much in the dream world, but that was okay.

"Fine, have it your way."

You gripped the collar of his button-up in a firm grasp as you began chanting your spell, and that's when he did start to struggle. It was too late though. You plunged your grip into his very being, his life force, and pulled his essence along the tenuous connection he himself had made between you two in order to enter your mind. And just like that, his enchantment -the dream- faded, but his body became more solidified beneath your grip. You had hauled him through space from wherever he was hiding and into your room. Wasting no time once his physical being was there, you threw him off your bed and to the floor.

He hit the ground with a thud, but you hadn't put enough strength behind the move to cause him real pain. Damn, his huge leathery wings might be a problem in your tiny bedroom. His spade-tipped tail swished behind him as he took a defensive stance, still on all fours on the ground. Even with that, you sensed no real fight in him. Oh, he would definitely fight if he needed to, but, something in his eyes said he didn't want to fight you. So, not liking the idea yourself, even after his invasion of your privacy, you lessened the aggressiveness of your own stance. At least you were back in your actual PJ's in the real world, you felt much less vulnerable now.

"I just teleported your ass to the worst place a rogue fey can be," you started, keeping your tone cool. "Tell me why you were rifling through my head, and I might let you go."

The incubus did not respond at first, he looked as though he was weighing something in his mind carefully. You hadn't noticed it at first, the thick curling horns atop his head having obscured some of his hair, but, now that you got a better look at him, the demon bore quite a resemblance to Atem. They couldn't be related. Incubi and succubi were born demons, vampires were humans made into demons either by other vampires or by dark magicians casting a curse. Maybe they just liked the same brand of hair gel or something.

"You were trying to help him."

The incubus' words drew your attention from his face at large and more directly to his eyes. You honestly couldn't tell if his tone was accusatory or something else, but either way, a suspicion came to mind that you did not like.

"Are you working for Marik? Were you trying to find out how much the Circle knows about his little cult?"

The demon's brow creased in anger at the name. "No! I would never work for that monster!"

"Then why-" you stopped yourself, another thought popping into your head as you remembered what memories the incubus had been searching through. He not only searched for scenes of Atem but for your knowledge of the prison wing's layout. You made your voice a bit more gentle as you asked, "What's your name?"

The man again looked wary, considering. "...Yugi."

Your posture relaxed even more now and you actually sighed with relief. Yugi must have assumed he was safe because he too relaxed, getting up from his crouch slowly.

"Atem told you about me?"

"He asked me to find you and tell you what happened to him. He didn't want you to be left wondering." You crossed your arms, giving him an almost amused smirk. "I don't think he expected you to use your magic and go digging around in a magician's head."

Yugi blushed just a tad again but his voice was even as he said, "I'm sorry for invading your privacy, but I thought you were the magician who arrested him. When I saw your memories of the past couple days though..." He gave you an odd look, as if he was almost perplexed by you, though not in a bad way. "You were trying to prove he was innocent. You fought for him, you even let him..." his eyes flickered to your left wrist and the phantom feel of Atem's gentle bite pulsed there.

Feeling suddenly embarrassed again you moved the conversation along. "Look, I know what you were looking for in my mind, you want to break Atem out, but I'm telling you now it's not possible. There are wards and seals all around the prison wing and you can't get in without a magician's seal," you waved your right palm at him. "You'll just end up getting killed if you try to rescue him by yourself."

Again his eyes filled with an anger that you already suspected was uncommon for him. His eyes were meant to be soft and sparkling, not filled with hate.

"I'm not going to just stand by and let the Circle kill him! I can't!"

"Hey, hold on there, Yugi," you held up your hands to keep him calm, even with your noise canceling charms around the room, if he got too loud your neighbors might hear him. "I just said you can't do it by yourself." When his eyes exchanged anger for a soft flicker of hope, you couldn't help but smile. "Luckily for you, I'm not going to let them kill Atem either. And...your help might make things a lot easier on me..."

Even though your specialty was vampires, you knew quite a lot about pretty much all fey races, including the talents of incubi and succubi. They weren't just good at invading people's dreams and making your wildest sex fantasies come true, most were also talented at glamor charms. It went hand in hand with the whole 'fulfilling their desires' thing, not to mention it was necessary to turn their wings, horns, and tails invisible if they walked among humans.

After a short talk with Yugi, you were assured that he was one who could extend that talent to turn himself, and others, invisible altogether. That was a tool you needed in order to pull off the 'sneaking Atem out' portion of your plan. If you cast an invisibility spell your fellow magicians would have a higher chance of sensing it and catching on to your plan. Yugi's brand of magic was different, It was less attune to a magician's senses. Like radio waves on slightly different frequencies.

You were glad that you had two endurance potions in your personal stock, you and Yugi had needed them by the morning. Not only were you up for hours discussing your plans but, when you tried to get a few hours rest, you simply couldn't fall asleep with an incubus so close. You knew Yugi meant no harm, he was easily one of the most respectful and gentle seeming demons you'd ever met, but that didn't mean the teachings of not trusting such creatures went away easily. Twice you had jerked awake and automatically reached for your silver dagger when your subconscious sensed his demonic energy so close.

You hated it. Hated that they had taught you to kill his kind with little to no questions. It was an impulse and teaching you had fought your entire life. Still, at least in this instance, being able to look down, see Yugi curled up on the carpet with your spare blanket and his peaceful sleeping face made you come back to your senses in a snap. He was so quick to trust you. You wondered if you yourself could ever get to that point.

At least now, in the waking world, you had enough control over your emotions to trust him. He was practically pressed against your back as you two walked down the halls of the Sanctuary, his form invisible to everyone. You could feel his warm breath on the back of your neck and if it wasn't for the fact that you had gleaned much of his gentle personality the night before, your instincts would be screaming at him being so close to such a vulnerable spot.

"I know we talked about this a lot last night," Yugi whispered in your ear, wary that the glamor would do nothing to hide his voice from passing magicians, "but are you sure it's best to do this during the day? Wouldn't it be easier at night?"

"Night is when they'd expect a vampire to escape," you muttered back, barely moving your lips. "Don't worry, Yugi. Everything will be fine. Just follow my lead and we'll be okay."

You heard him draw in a deep breath, "I know. I trust you."

That gentle, easy omission almost made you stop in your tracks, but you quickly pushed it to the back of your mind. Both of you needed to focus, there was no time for sentimentality.

It was a long trek from your quarters to the prison wing and the first half of that walk went by without incident, no other magician's paid you or your invisible friend any mind. That is, until a certain shade wearing blonde rounded a corner and locked eyes on you.

You cursed under your breath as Keith stormed towards you across the wide hallway. Trying to duck him would just make matters worse, better to address the threat now. Keith wouldn't do much with everyone else in the hall anyway, you just hoped he kept his distance while he barked.

"Heard your little cry-fest didn't do your pet vampire any good," Keith smirked as he came nearer. "But I gotta bone to pick with you."

Keith advanced and you couldn't escape. Damn him, you weren't the only one who knew how to corner prey. You backed into a wall and felt your back press against Yugi's chest. He took in a sharp breath and, almost as if on instinct, wrapped his arms around your middle. Poor guy obviously felt the need to hold his breath as Keith closed in and planted his fist on the wall beside your head.

"That little stunt you pulled yesterday is gonna cost you, girly. That was my favorite jacket."

"What, I didn't do anything," you defended against his attempt to intimidate. "I'm guessing your jackets burst into flames all the time, better than being on your back all day in any case."

If the comment annoyed him at all, it didn't show, his smirk only grew. "Cute. Bet you won't be cute when I drag ya in front of the Council." He dropped his tone to a conspiratorial whisper, like a teen sharing gossip. "See, I know about your little trip down to the dungeons after lockdown last night. My guess is your vampire boy loved the company." Somehow his grin turned even more sadistic, "You got a fang fetish or something? Yeah, that's it, isn't it? Always knew you were a freak."

The arms around your waist tightened and Yugi let out a low rumble in his throat.

Keith's eyebrows knitted beneath his shades, "Did you just growl at-" He paused, his forehead wrinkling even further. Then his head jerked slightly. "The hell?"

His fist lowered from its spot by your head as Keith turned away a bit. He cursed under his breath again, then stepped away from you completely, looking quite frazzled even with his shades covering half of his face. The next moment Keith was powerwalking down the hall, throwing some half distracted comment about 'dealing with you later' over his shoulder as his fingers ran ragged through his hair.

"What did you do?" you whispered to Yugi, bewildered and still looking at Keith's retreating form.

You felt the incubus shrug against your back. "He seems like the type of man who doesn't appreciate gay porn, so, I planted an hour-long loop of it in his head."

You had to bite your lip quickly to keep from bursting out in laughter, oh, Keith was never going to forget this! The more you thought about it the more you wanted to laugh. Yugi, apparently having just realized that he had grabbed hold of you, finally unwrapped his arms from your waist. You took the chance to dart down a less crowded adjacent hallway and, the moment you were sure no one would see you, doubled over and let out a deep, long laugh.

You sensed Yugi join your side but you couldn't stop laughing, especially when the thought of Keith walking around, smacking his temples like a hazy TV to get the images to stop popped into your head. He was going to be very traumatized for the next hour.

"I- I can't remember the last time I la-laughed this hard!" you finally managed, trying to catch your breath. You honestly didn't, while you had managed to retain a sense of humor over the years, life as a demon hunter didn't offer much laughter.

Finally, you regained control of yourself, though you flashed a smile at where you assumed Yugi was standing before you stepped back out into the main hallway and resumed your walk to the prison wing. Again Yugi remained close behind you, obviously trying to keep calm while being in a proverbial hornet's nest, especially when other magicians passed close by. Still, you managed to get to your destination without trouble.

There was no one at the main entrance, but you knew guards would be patrolling the wing, and again, Yugi's magic would come in handy. After you pressed your palm to the magic seal on the door, stepped inside, and assured that no one was within sight, you shut the door behind you and turned to Yugi.

"Okay, glamor me like how I told you last night."

While he worked his magic, Yugi's imagine became viable in a shimmer, though only for a moment. An odd sensation of excitement washed through you as the spell took hold and he was finished in just a few seconds. You looked down at yourself and felt that the clothes were very much...not you. Neither was the curtain of flowing locks long enough to tuck into your belt, the hair color was the exact opposite of your own. Good, the whole point of this glamor was so the first prisoner you spoke to or anyone who caught a glimpse of you here wouldn't recognize you.

"When we approach this prisoner remember what I told you, Yugi. He may look like an innocent kid, but he's not. He's almost a hundred and fifty years old, dragons just age slower."

You heard the concern in Yugi's voice when he answered, "He's not going to hurt anyone, is he? Aren't you worried that he's one of the fey who really should be locked in here?"

"No. He doesn't have a history of violence," you tried to make your tone reassuring, even giving him what you hoped was a calm smile. "In fact, the only reason he's in here at all is because of his big brother. The Council was hoping to get some info about him and maybe even prove that he's been involved in his brother's shady adventures." You shrugged. "I don't know, he just doesn't seem like the type, and even if was helping out his brother, those dragons are way at the bottom of our 'most dangerous' list. I don't see the harm in breaking the kid out."

"I thought you said he wasn't a kid," Yugi's tone sounded quite amused.

You rolled your eyes, "Just follow me."

The little dragon's less than violent record was not the only reason you were willing to break him free. His cell was on the far side of the prison, opposite Atem's cell, making the little one a perfect distraction.

It felt wrong to say his cell was 'nice' but honestly, considering what the other prisoners were stuck with, it was. A nicer bed (though still a cot), a TV, books, and even a heater to keep his cold-blooded body warm. Whether his special treatment was due to the fact that the Council wanted him on their side, or because they feared retribution from his older brother if they treated him too harshly, you weren't sure.

When you stepped in front of his cell the youngling dragon was laid out on his cot, arms behind his head and eyes closed. Also looking quite human in his current form, unable to change into his winged form with the magical wards surrounding the prison.

He greeted you with a smug tone, "Day three. You guys are really pushing your luck keeping me here. Big brother's gonna be breaking down your walls to get me back any day now."

"What if you didn't have to wait?"

Your tone of voice drew his attention and his eyes snapped open, their gray depths locking on yours. "Who're you?"

"Someone who needs a distraction. I can get you out of the cell, and even give you directions to a section of this wing where I weakened the wards that keep you from transforming."

He sat up, looking suspicious, hopeful, and excited all at the same time. "What's the catch?"

"Like I said, I need a distraction. After you transform and go crashing through the nearest wall, I just want you to make an even bigger mess in the courtyard. Don't kill anyone, just draw as much attention as possible before you fly off."

"Did Seto send you?"

"No, but think how impressed your big brother will be when you come home all on your own."

Kids, human, dragon, or otherwise, would be kids, and kids liked to look cool. He agreed to your terms in a heartbeat, and after opening his cell and sending him on his way, you and Yugi booked it to Atem's cell.

It wasn't hard to avoid the two guards patrolling the halls, especially with your knowledge of their patterns and Yugi's help.

Much like the night before, Atem must have caught your scent on the air, not just yours though. He called out both yours and Yugi's names in surprised worry as he pressed himself as close to the silver bars as possible. Yugi finally let his invisibility glamor fall as you both came into view and Atem's eyes widened when he looked at him.

"What are you doing here?!" He tried to step closer to the bars, looking ready to grab Yugi and shake him for coming after him, but he hisses at the sting of silver.

"We came to rescue you!" Yugi replied innocently.

Atem turned his scolding eyes to you, then flinched slightly when he took in your very different appearance. Yugi muttered an 'oppose, forgot to drop the glamor' before waving his hand and returning you to normal. Atem was over the shock in a second.

"Neither of you should be here. If you're caught, they'll kill all three of us! I won't have either of you getting hurt because of me!"

"Oh shut up," you snapped, "have a little faith in us, Atem. Yugi's a pretty smart guy and with my help we'll be able to pull this off- as long as you don't put up a fuss." To make your words all the more firm, you folded your arms and matched his hard gaze.

In your peripherals you caught Yugi giving a smile that was almost a smirk. "You heard her, Atem, don't make a fuss. We're getting you out and that's final."

The vampire closed his eyes, and the way his fangs poked through as he sighed looked almost cute. "Fine." He opened his eyes again and looked over at the tiny window that let in a beam of afternoon sun into the hallway. "I assume you have a way to prevent me from bursting into flames the moment we step outside?"

"Yup, luckily for you sometimes magicians need to transport vampires during the day, and I know an enchantment to do that." You held up a golden ring etched with runes. "It'll only last a few hours when I activate the enchantment, but it should be more than enough to get you out." Before you could explain any more of the plan, a thunderous crash that shook the ground followed by a roar cut you off. The little dragon was finally on his way out. "That's our cue."

You raised your right hand, the seal on your palm glowing and connecting to the lock on the cell. The moment the mechanism clicked, Yugi grabbed the bars of the door and threw it open. The moment it was, you tossed the enchanted ring to the vampire and told Yugi to do his thing, just as shouting echoed down the stone hall, frantic and calling for backup to hold off the dragon. When you looked back and saw that Yugi had turned himself and Atem invisible the next phase of your plan started.

.

The dragon youngling made good on his word and wreaked so much havoc on the Sanctuary's courtyard that the hallways were practically empty as the three of you ran for it. Even the few magicians you did pass didn't spare you more than a glance, likely assuming that you were on a mission for something specific. The echoes of the invisible feet running behind you didn't even draw notice in the commotion that could be heard clearly from outside.

"Are we truly planning on simply walking out the front door?" Atem hissed behind you.

"No, it's more like the back door the way she described it," Yugi answered.

"We just need to get out of range from the Sanctuary's wards and I can teleport us out of here. Now keep quiet before someone hears us!"

To your horror, silence had just fallen between the three of you, when two figures turned a corner and almost knocked right into you. You skidded to a halt so fast you feared that the boys wouldn't be able to avoid colliding with your back. They managed not to by a hair.

"Whoa! Sorry!" the shorter of the two called.

"Oh, Mana." Your attention immediately darted up to her companion and your eyes locked with Mahad's. Your spine gave a slight shiver at how he already looked suspicious.

"Where are you off to?" he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle.

"Councilman Rhodes asked me to get something from his office, to help with the escaping dragon." Good thing you already had an excuse ready.

Mahad raised an eyebrow. Then, the horror inside your stomach screamed again as he looked behind you and narrowed his eyes. Without another word, Mahad waved his hand and chanted a familiar spell. You wanted to scream out loud as you turned, and saw Yugi's glamor fall. Both men stood there, frozen and wide-eyed and completely visible.

Mana gasped, "Atem! You were using the attack to sneak him out!" Then her face fell from surprise to confusion as she looked Yugi up and down, "Who's the incubus?"

"Atem's lover, I assume." Mahad's eyes darted from them to you and not for the first time in your life, you felt like Mahad was reading your very soul like a book. He had always been able to tell volumes about a person just by looking at them.

As you and the boys were still frozen on the spot, not knowing what to do, Mana looked up at her mentor with pleading eyes. "Master...if we turn them in, all three of them will be executed." Her eyes darted back to you, "She was just trying to do what was right!"

All you could manage was to look the man directly in his eyes. There was no chance at overpowering a skilled magician like Mahad. Your fates were in his hands now.

He held your gaze for another long moment, before he closed them and turned away. "Then I guess it is a good thing that we didn't see them. Let's go, Mana."

"Yes, sir!" the girl said, her usual cheerful manner back as she winked at you and followed her teacher down the hallway.

It took a moment to realize what just happened, but, after that moment, it really didn't surprise you. Mahad followed rules, yes, but above all else, he was a good and fair man.

"Thank you," Atem's voice called after the two magicians and Mahad actually stopped at the words.

"Take care of her. She's throwing the only life she's ever known away right now." He looked over his shoulder and gave you one final serious stare. "Even if we keep quiet, the Council will find out. You know that."

You only had to wait a second before you answered with, "I don't care."

The profound look of understanding that crossed Mahad's eyes almost caught you off guard. Perhaps he wished he could do the same as you. But a second later he and Mana resumed their walking, the latter giving you one last wave of goodbye before they turned another corner.

When you looked back at the boys to tell Yugi to cast his spell again, you jolted at how both of them were staring at you. Had they assumed you could just send them on their way and come back to the Circle without the Council discovering what you did? No, they were too smart for that assumption. More like having it said out loud made it real for them...and they seemed torn over the idea that you were giving up, well, everything for them. You didn't like the hints of guilt in their eyes.

"Come on, we got a lot of ground to cover still."

Teleportation spells...they just weren't your forte. But it was the best way to get plenty of distance between you and the Sanctuary while they realized what you'd done. So you just had to endure the strain of teleporting yourself and two passengers the moment you were out of the building's magical reach.

Your body hit the ground hard, the dry leaves and dirt doing little to break your fall and you heard two similar thuds come right after you before your portal closed. Letting out a groan, you rolled onto your hand's and knees, hoping there weren't too many bruises as you looked over your companions who were once again visible.

"You two okay? I've never teleported that many people."

Yugi sat up on his knees and flapped one of his wings gingerly. "I'll be okay," he winced.

Both of you looked around the forest to find Atem, and there was a strange flutter in your chest when you saw him standing in a ray of sun. The light illuminated his face, only enhancing his look of wonder as he looked up at the blue sky between the trees.

"I had heard of enchantments that allow vampires to walk in the sunlight but..." he looked back at the two of you and his smile was so happy it made your heart ache. "I never thought I would see this again."

Yugi rose from the forest floor and walked to Atem, immediately pulling him into a tight embrace, something he had likely wanted to do since he saw him in the cell. You felt a sudden wash of shame as you watched the affection, though you couldn't pinpoint why. You shouldn't blame yourself for what the Circle did...even if you were part of that very clan.

Not wanting to intrude on their proper reunion, you busied yourself with that task of finding the backpack you had stashed in the forest that morning. It was a large thing, though, quite small when one realized that it had all of your possessions stuffed inside. It wasn't as if you could go back for your things after breaking Atem out.

When you returned to where the men were they had parted from their embrace and you saw looks of worry on their faces as the peered through the trees. When they spotted you, their mutual worry eased in an instant.

"I assume you never told the council where you or Yugi live, right?" you asked before they could say anything to you.

Atem shook his head. "We should be safe, so long as they don't find it too important to track us down." He looked over at Yugi with a smirk. "Yugi actually knows how to cast a ward or two himself, and has our home protected from tracking spells."

Oh, they lived together? Interesting.

"Just small ones," Yugi muttered, cheeks red, "I don't think they'd stand up against the Circle's heavy duty spells though."

"Don't worry. The only reason they were going to kill Atem is because they thought he was part of Marik's cult and figured it was easiest to execute him. They won't waste resources tracking him down now. But they will to find me...which brings me to a favor I need to ask of you."

Atem met your eyes, looking alert, serious, and ready. "After everything you've done, you can ask anything of me."

You set your backpack down on the ground and looked down at the magician's seal branded into your palm. An ancient mark that bound you to the Circle. A mark of servitude one might say. "If I'm going to escape the Circle myself, I need this seal removed." You closed your fingers, feeling another flood of shame. "You see, this seal doesn't just help us channel our magic and let us open doors in the Sanctuary. It...It also acts as a kill switch."

"What?" Atem's dark tone made you look up at him. He suddenly looked very angry. Yugi contrasted by looking horrified.

"In the case of a rogue magician, a magician like me, the Council can cast a spell and use the seal to kill the magician. I don't think they'll do that immediately, they'll try to capture me first, but I have no doubt that they'll resort to that eventually."

Yugi took a step forward. "You told that man that you knew the Council would find out that you betrayed them. You knew that and you still..."

"It doesn't matter, especially because I think Atem can help me get rid of the seal."

"How? How can I help," he asked, sounding on the verge of desperate.

"Yesterday a vampire bit my right arm and it hurt. It hurt like hell, not how vampire bites are supposed to feel. When I asked around the most likely conclusion is that the curative on a vampire's fangs reacts to the magic in the seal." You knew your eyes must have turned pleading as you looked at Atem, but you didn't much care somehow. "I think your bite can purge the seal's enchantment from my body. If it's magic vanishes, so does my connection with the Circle."

Atem's eyes darted to your right palm, "Are you sure it'll work?"

"No. But it's the only other option besides cutting off my hand." You gave them a wry smile. "That's plan B."

Yugi scowled, "Please don't joke about that."

You closed the distance between you and the vampire and he looked almost wary as you lifted your hand, palm up, to him. "It's worth a try." Relief filled you when Atem took your hand. "I'll warn you now, I'll probably start screaming, but don't stop. If it hurts that means it's working."

"You don't know that," Atem all but snapped, but, after a moment he looked back down at your palm and sighed. "I pray this works."

He opened his mouth and his fangs flashed in the sunlight before they pierced the skin of your palm. White hot pain filled your veins almost instantly and you clamped your mouth shut in an effort not to cry out. You didn't want Atem to feel guilty for hurting you, especially with how gentle he was trying to be, but the pain was too much and you couldn't stop the shout of agony that bubbled up from your throat. Sweat gathered on your brow and your other hand clenched so hard you were sure your nails broke the skin.

Then, you felt a pair of hands cup your face. They turned your head and you saw Yugi's beyond distraught face before he locked his purple eyes with yours. And suddenly the pain seemed to fade away, slowly but surely. It was replaced by a calm kind of excitement. Not unlike the feeling you felt when he entered your dream or when he changed your appearance with his magic. Your mind went fuzzy, and you couldn't think of anything in particular. It felt like floating under a ray of sun.

Slowly, the scene came back to you. A dull ache throbbed in your right palm as hands rubbed it and your arm with reassuring care. A wave of dizziness overtook your body and you stumbled, only to be caught in two pairs of strong arms.

"We've got you," Yugi said as they lowered you to the ground gently.

"Does it still hurt?" Atem asked as neither dared to let go of you yet.

You managed to find your voice after a few moments. "Believe it or not, it hurt worse when they gave me the mark."

Yugi looked disgusted. "And they call us the monsters."

You became aware that Atem was still gently stroking your palm with his thumb. You looked down, and you almost wanted to cry in relief when you saw that the seal was nothing but a faint pink scar now.

"I think it worked," Atem confirmed.

After a minute you managed to regain some of your strength and as you did you got the urge to remove yourself from their embrace. It felt odd to be part of such affection, though the moment you sat up, you missed the comfort.

"Thank you, Atem. This will make running from the Circle much easier." After giving the vampire a smile, you looked over at Yugi, almost amused as you remembered how Yugi had done something in the midst of your pain. "Did you use your seduction magic on me?"

As his eyes widened his face flushed, "I didn't fully seduce you! I just...you were in so much pain, I thought I could use it to block it out of your mind. It seemed to work too."

"I'm not upset. Thank you, it made all of that a lot easier."

Still with a hint of the blush, Yugi smiled back at you. Silence settled for a moment, and you knew the longer you were with them, the harder it would be to part. Damn it, why did being with them just feel so....

"You two need to get home. The enchantment on Atem's ring won't last forever and you'll want to be somewhere safe when it runs out."

When you stood up both men jumped to their feet as well, Atem actually stepping in front of you. "What do you mean 'you two'? You're coming as well."

"What? No, I shouldn't."

"Yes you should!" Yugi insisted, "You need a place to stay, stay with us!"

Your mouth opened and closed a few time, resembling a fish as you tried to think of a good reason to deny them. Then again, did you really want to?

Atem put a hand on your upper arm, "Please, stay with us. We need to look out for each other now."

A moment of contemplation. "I...o-okay. I'll stay for a while."

"Yes!" Yugi cheered, "It's settled then," he plucked your backpack from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. "Since you're still pretty shaken up from Atem's bite I'll fly us there."

"Wait, what?" your face felt drained all of the sudden. You had been in the air a few times, but somehow the imagery of this incubus trying to carry both you and Atem while flying made you fearful.

"Don't worry," Atem assured with a smile, "Yugi is stronger than he looks, he won't let you fall."

As the incubus gathered a vampire in one arm and a magician in the other you said, "But I'm just not a big fan of flyING-!" your voice pitched into something like a scream as he flapping his wings and shot into the air.

Life was certainly going to be more interesting with these two.

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Across Time and Space (Chapter 14)

Summary: Sequel to I’ll Take Her Place.  Slav is showing off a piece of experimental equipment, when it malfunctions and blasts Katie and Keithir to another universe. At the same time, it drags Pidge and Keith over into theirs, effectively swapping places. With their fate resting in the hands of Slav, will they be able to get back home? Or are they stuck to live the rest of their lives in the wrong universe?

Also posted on AO3 and fanfiction.net under the username “kishirokitsune”.

--

I would say, “Here’s the final chapter”, but actually there is one more little chapter after this one. (Which will be posted in a few days.)

This is the last chapter to vote in the poll on what I’ll write next, and I’ll be closing it down the day I post the final chapter. ( https://forms.gle/cMMRtt9U7whewbdn9 )

Chapter 14

Keith didn't remember going to bed, but that was where he woke up, still dressed in the clothing given to him by the other Allura. He sat up and stretched, before glancing at the clock on his bedside table, curious to see how much time had passed.

“Lunchtime,” he said to himself at the same time as his stomach growled. He swung himself out of bed, surprised that a few hours of sleep had been enough to replenish the energy sapped by their journey home, and set off to check on Pidge.

Maybe it wasn't so weird. He was knocked out by the first trip and there was no telling how long that lasted. Or maybe it was because he was unconscious the first time that he didn't need to sleep.

Pidge would know the answer better than he did.

She answered her door, looking more awake than he expected, still wearing the cute dress and boots. She looked surprised to see him, but quickly recovered.

“I've been trying to think of a good way to tell the others about everything, but honestly? I... I don't know,” Pidge admitted, jumping straight into their biggest dilemma. “I thought we'd come home and everything would fall into place, but now that we're here it's even harder. I can't even look at him!”

Alarmed, Keith gently backed her into her room so they would have more privacy to talk. Just because he didn't see anyone else around, didn't mean there was no one there.

“I know what you mean. Every time I look at him, all I can think about is Shiro, all alone and not knowing if he'll ever get out. How many missions have been compromised because of him? How many lives put in danger?” Keith clenched his hands, staring hard at a spot on the floor.

“Keith...” Pidge slowly took his hand, keeping her movements simple. “I'm sorry. I just got so anxious thinking about it all. This isn't something we've had to deal with more and I'm not sure what to do, but I meant it when I said we'd figured this out.” She paused and took a deep breath, continuing to hold his hand. “We need to take this step-by-step. So first, we need to tell the others.”

“We'll need someone to distract... Shiro so he doesn't overhear,” Keith said, struggling to call the impostor by Shiro's name. He needed to though, so he wouldn't raise suspicion when they needed to talk to him.

Pidge nodded. “It'll have to be someone who makes sense. Someone who doesn't need to be told what's going on yet. So we start with who needs to know. Allura, obviously.”

“The rest of the team. Hunk, Lance, and Coran should all know what's going on. Kolivan should probably be told why we're taking a step away from the war,” Keith said.

“Matt can do it.”

“Are you sure? My dad could also...” Keith trailed off as Pidge shook her head.

“Matt just makes the best sense, so he distracts him while we tell the others. What then? It's too risky to let him know about Oriande, but he'll ask questions if we take off for an unknown location.”

“I've been thinking about that,” Keith said slowly. “Once we're done talking to the others, we should see what happens when we detach his arm. If he lets us near it.”

“You mean if he lets me near it,” Pidge corrected.

Keith frowned, hating the idea of putting her directly in danger, but what were their options? If not Pidge, then it'd have to be Hunk or maybe Allura. Hunk didn't need to be put under that kind of pressure; it'd be too much for him to handle all at once. And they couldn't take the risk of Allura getting hurt.

It had to be Pidge.

She squeezed his hand. “You'll be there with me, right? Just in case?”

“Every step of the way,” Keith promised, meaning it with all of his heart.

Gathering everyone together for a meeting was the easy part. As was asking Matt to distract Shiro for them. Convincing them that it was best if they didn't wait for Shiro to arrive? That was the hard part.

They wasted precious minutes trying to convince them that they didn't need to wait for Shiro, and then finally Keith was able to explain what he learned during his visit to the Astral Plane. Pidge helped calm things down after the initial explosion of surprise and once Keith was finished, she helped detail their plan.

“This is insane!” Lance exclaimed. “Shiro isn't really Shiro, he's some kind of... clone? Or whatever?”

“I'm not lying,” Keith snapped.

“And if you hadn't seen him for yourself, you would find this hard to believe as well,” Allura pointed out. “It's not that we don't trust that you're telling the truth, it's just difficult to wrap our minds around it. Can we be sure that he means to do us harm?”

Pidge crossed her arms over her chest. “Why else would the Galra clone him?”

Allura didn't have an answer to that.

“If we remove his arm, we'll know for sure what we're dealing with. Either it'll free his clone from Galra control, or...” Pidge hesitated. “Or it could be what houses Shiro's memories and he'll just... collapse. Like an empty shell.”

“In that case, we'll need a cryo-pod on standby. Though I have to admit, I'm curious as to how we'll get Shiro back into his body. Can the Black Lion do something like that?” Coran asked.

“Actually, that's where Allura comes in,” Keith said, looking to Pidge for help.

Pidge glanced over at him and nodded, before reaching into her pocket and taking out a smooth stone. She held it out for Allura to take. “This is from the other Allura,” she said, purposefully omitting Honerva's name. “She called it a compass stone and told us it's the key to something called Oriande.”

Allura frowned as she accepted the stone. “But it's only a legend; A bedtime story my father used to tell me. It doesn't actually exist.”

Coran leaned over for a better look, his expression one of awe. “Perhaps there's more truth to it than we thought.”

“But how will it help? Oriande is said to be the birthplace of Altean alchemy, not... I'm not sure what to call this. Soul transference?” Allura ran her hand over the stone, which began to glow beneath her touch. She gasped in surprise, lifting it out away from her as a star map shimmered into view, surrounding her to show an area of space none of them were familiar with.

“That's the Patrulian Zone,” Kolivan spoke up. He went on to explain before anyone could ask what or where that was. “It's classified as a highly dangerous area of space. No ship that has ever ventured there has been able to return.”

“Like the Bermuda Triangle?” Lance asked.

“What is the Bermuda Triangle?”

“Yes, that's basically what it is,” Pidge said, intervening before the entire conversation could be derailed. “Look, the other Allura said it will allow you to set things right with Shiro and I believe her. She also has another message: Take someone you trust, with all of your heart.”

“Someone I trust,” Allura mused with a frown.

Pidge nodded. “The way it sounds is that only you and one another can go in safely. The rest of us will have to stay back and wait for you.”

Keith stayed quiet, ready to back up Pidge if there was any disagreement on how to proceed, but no one seemed to have an argument against going to Oriande, or even against removing Shiro's prosthetic arm. There was still more to work out, but the hardest part – telling them about Shiro – was behind them.

He breathed in, his anxiety lessening.

Everything was going to be okay.

It was honestly bizarre, being around the clone and knowing he wasn't really Shiro. His mannerisms, his smile when he made a joke that he found funny or clever, the fondness in his voice when he greeted them – it was all the same.

No wonder they hadn't noticed.

It made what they were doing even harder. Keith wasn't sure he'd ever be able to look at Shiro again without feeling some form of guilt, but it had to be done. They had to be sure.

He was a little in awe of Pidge as he watched her act excited about taking off the clone's arm. She babbled on about learning stuff in the other reality and “wouldn't it be great to have an arm not made by an evil empire?” as she guided him to a chair.

“I suppose it would be nice,” Shiro agreed, though there was some confusion in his voice. “Are you sure it's a good idea? I mean, it has been useful to us and you and Hunk have both confirmed that it's safe for me to use.”

“Except that having it may have been what caused you to get captured by the Galra a second time. If I remove it, I'll be able to run a deep scan and you won't have to sit still until it's done. There could be more secrets, like the hidden coordinates that Ulaz left, and this is how we'll find out,” Pidge argued pleasantly. “If you really want to keep it, I'll give it back once I'm done.”

Shiro nodded as he got comfortable in the chair. “I have grown a little fond of it.”

Keith walked over to stand by the clone, ready to play his role of the supportive friend. If anything went sideways, it left him in prime position to respond. “Will it hurt?”

Pidge glanced up at him. “I'm not sure. We never did determine whether its connected through nerve endings or through some kind of quintessence-based neural link, but detaching it shouldn't cause pain. Reconnecting it... well, that may be a different story. Ready, Shiro?”

Shiro gave one short nod. “I'm ready.”

Keith unintentionally held his breath, watching as Pidge opened the panel on Shiro's upper arm. She took a moment to look it over and then cautiously began the process of releasing the connections, glancing up to Shiro's face for any sign of discomfort after each one.

“Still okay?” she asked.

“Feels strange, but it doesn't hurt.”

“Good.”

Pidge carried on with her work, slow and methodical, and just when Keith started to think they were in the clear, Shiro's face went slack, his eyes unfocused.

Keith moved purely on instinct, shoving Pidge away in the nick of time. He unsheathed his blade and lifted it to block Shiro's hand as he reached for Pidge. They clashed, rough and violent, and Keith trembled as he used all of his strength to try and shove Shiro away. His stomach twisted, unnerved by the malevolence in the clone's eyes.

“Shiro, you don't want to do this!” he yelled, hoping there was some part of the clone – the part who truly believed he was Shiro – who could still hear him.

“You're wrong,” growled the clone. “I've wanted to do this for a long time. Did you really think I enjoyed being around you? Why do you think we let you go running off with the Blade of Marmora? None of us wanted you here.”

Keith faltered, the words biting into his carefully crafted armor.

The clone bore down on him, easily taking advantage of the opening left for him. “We were glad to see you leave.”

“Keith.” Pidge's voice was quiet and fearful, but the reminder that she was behind him, relying on him to help set things right, gave him the strength to push back.

He could remember the tears in her eyes that day. The surprising sadness in Lance's voice. Hunk sobbing as he went in for a hug. Allura's concerned gaze. Coran, making no effort to conceal his emotions. And he knew it wasn't really Shiro, but he'd still checked in and supported him the way the real one always had.

The clone was lying.

The others did want him around.

His dad traveled from another reality because he wanted to be there for him! And Lance never pulled any punches when it came to his feelings (particularly in regards to Keith), so when he spoke of missing him, it was the truth.

“...anyone would be lucky to have you as their roommate. Seriously, Keith. I wasn't lying when I said this has been fun.”

Keith grit his teeth, straining to keep the clone's glowing hand away from his skin. “The real Shiro would never say something like that. A thought like that would never even cross his mind! And that's why I know, you're nothing more than a shallow imitation.”

The clone snarled and threw a punch with his left hand, knocking Keith aside before descending on Pidge, who scurried backwards in fright. Keith rolled to his feet, fully prepared to dive in and clash with the clone again to protect Pidge, but she surprised him by changing course, spinning to her feet and dashing forward. She dropped into a slide and as she raised one hand towards the clone's open chest, Keith realized she had her bayard.

The clone went down with an agonized shout and Keith swiftly pinned him to the floor, making sure to give Pidge ample space to get to the prosthetic arm and finish her task. Within seconds, there was a heavy clunk as the arm popped free of its socket and fell to the floor.

The clone's body went still.

Pidge's hands trembled as she lowered them to her lap, her bayard discarded next to her. Keith hastened to her side and pulled her into his arms.

“I... I can't believe...”

“You did what you needed to. We both did,” Keith reminded her. “Now we keep going with our plan. Shiro is counting on us.”

“You're right,” Pidge murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head on Keith's shoulder. “Those things he said to you... they aren't true. We all missed you.”

“I missed you guys too.”

Nothing more needed to be said.

ALTEA – CASTLE OF LIONS

Katie almost expected to be swept up into a Welcome Back party the moment she and Keithir returned, but the small group waiting for them was even better, especially considering the exhaustion that overtook them both. Even in the hours after, the most that was mentioned was a big family dinner once they were settled back in.

Before then, there was one important matter they needed to settle.

Ulaz hugged them when they arrived at his medical station. “It's good to see you both. I suppose you're here to make sure your journey did not cause any adverse effects?”

“It is something we're worried about,” Katie agreed, leaning back against Keithir for comfort.

Ulaz hummed in understanding and stepped away to gather the proper tools. It didn't take but a few ticks, as he'd prepared ahead of time for their visit. “Take a seat, Katie.”

He took her blood first, a tiny pinprick which barely hurt, and slotted it into a nearby machine to let it run its tests. Then, with a biometric wand scanner, checked her over from head to toe, focusing the longest over her middle.

Ulaz let her up while he checked over the diagnostics. “You're all clear. There's nothing I see that causes any concern, though you have lost a small amount of weight. How is your nausea?”

“Off and on,” Katie said with a shrug. “I'm still figuring out what's okay to eat and what smells trigger it the worst, but I can still keep down most food.”

“Not food goo,” Keithir teased.

Katie looked a little pale by the mere mention of it. “Coran isn't helping with dinner plans, is he? I'd rather not have everyone find out by puking at the sight of one of his concoctions.”

“That would be a question for Hunk and your mother. They are running the kitchen tonight,” Ulaz responded, gesturing for Keithir to take a seat next. “Any thoughts to how you will tell everyone?”

“A few. Right now we're still deciding on who to tell first. Our parents and Thace, of course, but Shiro will want a reason for why I can't go on any dangerous missions for a while,” Katie said.”It's just... it's a little early right now. I'm barely two months along.”

Ulaz didn't look up from his work. “Your cub is strong, Katie. I do not see any reason you should worry, but I will respect your caution and will continue to keep it a secret until you are ready.”

“Thank you, Ulaz,” Katie said, grateful for his support.

Ulaz inclined his head and then gave Keithir the all-clear as well, announcing with a smile that they were in perfect health.

From there, they went off to find Sendak, both eager to see Yorak and hold him in their arms once again.

OLKARION – CASTLE OF LIONS

“I can't believe he's been a clone the whole time,” Matt said, staring at Shiro's body in the cryo-pod. He could almost pretend that his friend was sleeping and not an empty shell. “Do you really think Allura can do it? Put him back into his body? Or this new body?”

“She's the only one who can,” Keith said from where he sat.

Pidge nodded in agreement. “The other Allura sounded sure that going to Oriande will give her the ability she needs to help Shiro, and I believe her. She wouldn't lie about that.”

“I still can't believe they're married in the other life,” Keith remarked.

Matt's gaze snapped to Keith, his jaw dropping in shock. “Wait, what?”

“It was a little surreal seeing the lives our alternate selves lead,” Pidge admitted, ignoring Matt's question. “I wish I'd asked them more about it, but we were so worried about getting back... I know mom and dad moved to Altea as part of some kind of Earth-Altea transfer program. You too, Matt. Mom had all kinds of new plants to study and talk about and I think you and dad were working on integrating Altean tech into Earth ships? I didn't catch much, except that the Galaxy Garrison's space exploration program has tripled in size and they can make it out to Kerberos in about a week instead of three months.”

“Wow,” Matt said, sounding dazed.

Pidge sobered up a little. “Speaking of dad, did you find anything while I was gone? Were there any bases or ships carrying intel on prisoners?”

Matt shook his head. “Nothing on that front, but I did get a lead that I need to tell you about. Katie told me that in her reality, Lotor was the one who held us captive, and she figured that he would know the most likely place he's being held.”

“Did he know?” Pidge asked, sitting up in interest.

“He gave me the name and location of a base and I passed that along to Kolivan to see if he knew anything about it. He's had Kr- one of the others help him look into it. I didn't want to say anything, because I don't know how much trust there is to it or if dad's even there. But if he is... I mean, I know this Oriande thing is really important, and I'd love to be there when Shiro wakes up, but if dad really is there, then I have to go.”

“And I'd have to choose...” Pidge murmured.

Silence permeated the air.

“Pidge, it's your choice,” Keith said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “All of us would understand if you want to go save your dad, and that includes Shiro. Do what you think is right for you.”

It was such a far cry from the start of their time together that Pidge couldn't help but tear up a little. He'd come a long way from the lonely boy who rode in on a red hoverbike to rescue his only friend.

How easy would it be, to go off with Matt and stage a rescue the way she'd dreamed of doing for so long?

The fact remained, she was being asked to choose between the two most important, most influential men in her life.

She needed a workaround. A way to look at the problem presented to her in a different way. There had to be something that would help her find the answer. Her dad or Shiro?

No, that wasn't the right question.

Who needed her there?

Her team, heading into unknown and dangerous territory?

Or Matt, backed up by a team of rebels and information cleared by the Blade of Marmora?

When she looked at it like that, the answer was clear.

Allura personally piloted the Castle of Lions into the Patrulian Zone, using the time to think about everything that happened in the course of one quintant. The most important thing was that Keith and Pidge made it back, and while the addition of Travis to the team was a surprise, it was a welcome one. (She tried not to get too jealous of Keith getting a second chance with his father, but those bitter thoughts kept creeping in.)

She breathed in deeply, checking the starmap, and slightly adjusted course. The Castle's sensors were picking up on a strange energy signature somewhere in the center of the zone, which Coran agreed was where they needed to go.

There was one other problem Allura had, and that was her lack of answer to the question: who would go with her to Oriande?

Her instructions were to pick someone she trusted, but how could she choose when she trusted each of the paladins? There had to be something more. Something she was missing. Had Pidge relayed the message word-for-word, or had she paraphrased?

“Take someone you trust,” she murmured to herself. Her gaze drifted to Coran, who busied himself at the center control, monitoring the ship and keeping an eye out for any more unusual readings.

She certainly trusted Coran. He was her father's oldest friend and had a large role in helping raise her. While his ideas were a little outrageous at times, there was no one else she relied on more.

If Shiro were an option, her decision would be made. As the leader of Voltron, he made the most sense, and aside from their brief hiccup at the start, they made a fantastic team. There were so many reasons why she trusted and looked up to him, but his sheer compassion for everyone was at the top of that list.

But Shiro wasn't an option. He was the reason she was going to Oriande.

Which left Keith as the current Black Paladin and leader of the team. While it was great to have him back and she knew she could count on him no matter what came their way, he didn't feel like the right fit for Oriande.

Perhaps Pidge, who would appreciate a trip in pursuit of knowledge, was a better choice? Hunk had also expressed interest in learning more about Altean culture, though his was more in regards to cuisine. She was hesitant to say either was the perfect choice.

Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine a day when she would consider going on a mission with just Lance, but there she was, contemplating exactly that. He'd become a true friend, unafraid to speak his mind (whereas Hunk often hesitated in fear of making anyone upset), but without the unthinking heat which often came from Pidge and Keith.

If the past movement had proven anything, it was that Lance was someone she could rely on. Someone she could be herself around without fear of judgement. Someone she genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

(And hadn't she entertained the idea of teaching him more about Altea?)

But was going to Oriande something he wanted to do?

None of them knew what to expect or why the other Allura said to only take one person with her. Would he be tested as well? Was there a test? She assumed there was, otherwise anyone could get in and learn the secrets.

What if she wasn't worthy?

“Uh, princess? We may have a slight problem,” Coran spoke up.

Allura snapped out of her thoughts, lowering her hands to slow the Castle. She was about to ask what was wrong, but words failed her as she saw exactly what had Coran worried.

A massive white hole loomed in the distance and around it, the bodies of numerous destroyed ships.

She eased the Castle to a stop, not wanting to get any closer or else risk them suffering the same fate. “I don't understand... Coran, are you sure we have the correct coordinates?”

“Yes, princess. The precise point in space that the compass stone pointed to is there, in the very center,” Coran said. He turned to her, worry in his eyes. “I could take another look, but there's something we have to consider – Oriande may not exist in our reality. Maybe it did once, but the existence of this white hole likely means it was destroyed long ago.”

Allura shook her head. “No, I refuse to believe that. I owe it to Shiro to try everything I can.”

“But, princess-”

“I'm calling the others to the bridge,” Allura interrupted. “We'll decide what to do together.”

That was what Shiro would want. A team decision.

She calmly made the call, asking everyone still on board the Castle to report to the bridge.

She had made her decision.

“Take someone you trust, with all of your heart.”

Waiting for Allura and Lance to return was one of the top five most nerve wracking moments of his life, just after Krolia's entire pregnancy with Keith. (Which had less to do with Krolia herself and everything to do with the panic of raising a half-alien child on a planet of people who would react with scorn and panic if they found out there really was intelligent life beyond their solar system.)

All contact with Allura and Lance was lost the moment they got near the white hole. Neither had sounded panicked leading up to that, so they had to trust that they were still alright.

Coran paced the bridge, pausing frequently to check for the faintest readings. He didn't speak and no one tried to start a conversation with him, each dealing with the situation in their own way.

Hunk sat and fidgeted with an old piece of Altean tech, either trying to figure out what it did or just using it as something to occupy his attention.

Pidge was at her station and had two screens pulled up to monitor. One was for communication with Matt and the other was set to help Coran scan for their missing teammates.

Keith had no distractions. He sat and did his best to find something even vaguely productive to do, but after a few minutes he leaned back to stare at the ceiling.

All Travis could do was stand quietly by.

Well, that wasn't true. There was one thing he could do, but that would mean disturbing the delicate tension of the bridge, and he wasn't entirely sure how Coran would react to that, as wound tight as he was.

Travis warred with himself for a few doboshes. It was something that needed to be said. Keith deserved to know his mother was alive and that she'd been on the Castle of Lions for a short while. He wanted his son to have time to prepare for meeting her instead of being dropped into it, which meant he'd have to tell him soon. Krolia had gone with Kolivan to help Matt and the rebels find Sam and would rejoin them once both missions were complete.

There would be too much excitement once Allura and Lance returned. Travis would have to take the chance while he had it.

He moved as quietly as he could, making his way over to Keith and tapping him on the shoulder. He gestured towards the door, and though it took Keith a moment to understand, he soon stood and followed his dad out into the hall, completely unaware of Pidge's curious gaze on his back.

“What's wrong?” Keith asked.

“There's somethin' I need to tell you about your ma,” Travis began awkwardly. There really was no easy way to say it, was there? “She's here, Keith.”

Keith looked startled. “Here? On the ship? I – but how? When?”

“She's with Kolivan on the prison break mission right now, but she'll be back. Not real sure how or when she got here. We haven't had much chance to catch up, everything's been happenin' so fast.” Travis paused, giving Keith time to process everything he was hearing. “I know you've got a lot goin' on right now, but we both figured it wouldn't be right to blindside you with this. It's up to you, when and if you wanna see her.”

“Of course I want to see her,” Keith said, his voice thick with emotion. “I just... Does she really want to see me?”

Travis nodded. “She does.”

He watched Keith take a moment to think, to compose himself and stand up straight, steeling his nerves so he could say what he needed to. His inner strength shone through, the resolve of someone ready to step up and take the lead.

“Okay. Once everything has calmed down – when we have Shiro and Pidge's dad back – then I want to meet her,” Keith said.

It was everything Travis could have hoped for.

“What happened to your hair?”

Lance nearly whined at the question, posed by Hunk the moment he and Allura stepped off of the Altean shuttle. He reached up and plucked at his newly white hair.

Allura quickly stopped him, taking his hand in her own and lowering it. “Your hair looks fine, Lance.”

“I'm more curious about the markings, to be honest,” Pidge said, peering closely at his face. “Is this a side effect of Altean magic?”

“Alchemy,” Allura corrected.

Keith stepped forward before anyone else could comment on Lance's change in appearance. “The important thing is, they're back safely. Do you think you can help Shiro?”

“Yes. I don't know how exactly, but I know I can do it. It's... difficult to explain,” Allura said.

“Your father used to say that a lot when he was building the Lions,” Coran said, smiling fondly at the memory. “There's no time to waste! I will bring the cryo-pod down to the Black Lion's hangar. It's time to bring Shiro home.”

Allura nodded and led the way as the team split up – Coran with Travis and Keith to help safely move Shiro's body, and Pidge, Hunk, and Lance with Allura.

“It actually is a good look for you.” Pidge tried to compliment Lance, but he pouted for most of the walk down, certain that he was being teased.

Hunk and Pidge tried to assure him that they were being sincere, but gave up after a few minutes and instead asked questions about what Oriande was like and what they'd learned while they were there. Allura did her best to answer, but fell short for most of them.

There were only so many ways to describe suddenly knowing something, without having actually learned it.

By the time they reached the hangar, Lance had relaxed enough to try and help Allura tell them about their trip, but soon encountered a similar problem when asked about his role in all of it.

“I don't really know,” he said with a shrug. “There was this old temple and statues that wanted to kill us, and also the ceiling that tried to crush us... Basically, everything there wanted us dead!”

“Everything was designed to test us,” Allura corrected, sounding amused by his descriptions.

“By trying to kill us,” Lance agreed and continued on. “And then we weren't in the temple at all anymore and there was this giant ghost lion who-”

“Wait, wait, let me guess,” Hunk playfully interrupted with a big grin on his face. “It wanted to kill you?”

Lance nodded emphatically. “I know you're just teasing me, but that's exactly what it tried to do!”

“Lance very heroically sacrificed himself to protect me,” Allura further explained, making him blush. “Every Altean who passes the trials and earns the blessings of the Ancients needs a Guardian – someone to stand by their side and help harness their new abilities and the knowledge gained. That's why the other me said I needed to take someone who I trusted with all of my heart.”

“That's so cool!” Pidge gushed.

“It's kind of like when we sit and bounce ideas back and forth,” Hunk said, looking to Pidge. “Neither of us hold all of the answers, but together we stand a chance.”

Allura smiled. “That's one way to look at it.”

The hangar doors slid open and everyone turned to look as Coran, Travis, and Keith maneuvered the hovering cryo-pod towards the Black Lion and set it down in front of her.

“We're ready whenever you are, princess,” Coran said. He waited near the keypad for her word, releasing it only once she and Lance were in position.

Allura closed her eyes and reached out with her mind for the answer to what she needed to do. Lance rested a hand on her shoulder, offering a steady presence to keep her grounded. He walked with her as she approached the Black Lion and placed her hand on the Lion's paw.

A purr rumbled through the hangar as the Black Lion's eyes lit up.

Allura began to glow with a soft white light, and soon after, Lance's blue markings did the same. They turned together, moving perfectly in step back to Shiro's body, where Allura placed her hands on his chest. The glow slowly faded from her, trickling instead into his body.

Everyone held their breath as she lifted her hands and then Shiro gasped in air and began to cough. She backed away into Lance's steady arms as Keith rushed in, shouting Shiro's name.

Shiro groaned as he opened his eyes, only for them to flutter shut against the harsh lighting. He turned his head and blinked a few times, trying to adjust. “Keith...?” he asked hoarsely.

“I'm here,” Keith said, relief soaking his voice.

“What happened to my arm?”

There was a momentarily pause where everyone feared he was suffering from memory loss, but Pidge quickly stepped forward to dissolve that fear.

“That was me,” she said, walking over to stand by Keith after a nudge and a pointed look from Hunk. “It was the only thing we could think of to do to keep the Galra from finding out what we were doing. Sorry, but it might be a while before you have another working one.”

Shiro turned his head to blearily peer up at them, managing a tiny smile. “I owe you both my thanks.”

“Allura did all of the hard work, transferring you back into your body,” Keith told him. “And Lance helped.”

“Thank you,” Shiro said, raising his voice as much as he could. Exhaustion coated his words and every action he took and he soon closed his eyes. “I guess getting pulled out of the Astral Plane and back into a body is more tiring than I thought.”

“We'll reset the pod for healing to make sure your recovery goes as smoothly as possible,” Allura reassured him. She nodded to Coran, who worked to do as she asked at once.

As Shiro slid into a deep, restful sleep, a sense of serenity began to fall over the inhabitants of the Castle of Lions. At last, everyone was right where they were supposed to be. The paladins were home.

Soon, they would have to return to the war and all of the problems associated with it, but for the moment they could exist in a bubble where everything was perfect. And once they did return, they could do so with renewed enthusiasm, ready to take on anything else the universe wanted to throw their way.

[siren-dragon]

1,001 Lucian Nights -- Somnus x F!reader fanfiction (Ch.3)

Hey everyone, here it is at last: chapter 3! I do apologize for the slight delay as I was busy all last week moving (and there is still more work to do @_@) but I finally finished this so you can all enjoy! :)

Also a big shout out to the anon who keeps messaging me, you are so kind with your words of encouragement and @maty-yami who is always there to help when I need it. ^_^

The Citadel of Insomnia was known to be the largest fortification within the entirety of the Crown City, if not all of Lucis herself. And accompanying its vast size were a plethora of servants that hurried down stone and marble corridors to tend to visiting lords and ladies alongside an equally large garrison of glaive warriors who patrolled the grounds. As a result, privacy was a cultivated luxury that was not easily achieved within the royal bastion. However, there was one set of rooms that none in the Citadel dared to traverse into: The Crystal chambers, a room that was split into a small foyer and inner sanctum where the Stone of the Six was held.

None were allowed within the inner sanctum while the Oracle was conversing with an Astral and it was here that you allowed your thoughts to wander in relative privacy as you paced across the crimson carpet of the foyer. It appeared that you managed to make quite an impression during your encounter the previous evening, remembering how lapis-colored irises occasionally drifted toward you. Though truth be told, you were glad to take your leave with Lady Selene when the council had finished as it let you avoid engaging with Somnus so soon. Unfortunately, Fate was a fickle thing and it did not seem to be very considerate of your own feelings. You did not even hear the sound of another’s footsteps as you continued your restless pacing, only to collide with a resisting force that prevented you from walking… a force that took the shape of none other than the Lucian ruler himself.

“King Somnus,” you murmured aloud before quickly bowing respectfully in greeting. “Forgive me, I did not realize you were here. I am afraid Lady Selene must not be disturbed at this time during her prayers. If you wish to speak with her you must wait until-“

“What did you do to me?” He questioned harshly, stepping forward while you reflexively took a step backward.

“Forgive me, your Majesty, but I do not understand what you are inquiring of?” you replied calmly despite the sliver of fear you felt.

“How did you manage to chase the nightmares away? What magic did you use on me?”

“Nothing but my words and wit your Majesty-“

“Do not lie to me, Lady (f/n).” Somnus argued, your obvious surprise at the fact that he had knowledge of your name was overshadowed by the cold and calm fury he was expressing; one that was far more sinister than any explosive outcry of rage could achieve.

“I am sorry sire, but all I did was relay my story to you…nothing more.” You slowly replied, true terror beginning to flood your body at the anger displayed on the young king’s face.

It had seemed your simple fable had left more of an impact upon the king than you were led to believe, despite his displeasure for such fairy-tales. If your audience had consisted of any other individual, you’d have been pleased to hear the success of your spontaneously crafted tale. But this was no mere crowd that eagerly waited on every spoken word in the Bazaar, it was the King of Lucis himself; and if he truly wished to do so the man could order your demise if he felt so inclined.

“Then you shall finish that story of yours tomorrow night, Lady (f/n), or you will regret the day you crossed my path.” Somnus whispered coldly into your ear before spinning on his heel and disappearing down the corridor out of sight.

Though the king had long since left after his intimidating promise, you remained frozen where you stood as if the Glacian herself had paralyzed you with the chill of winter. It was in that moment that you understood Gilgamesh’s concern for the man’s well-being and the magnitude of control his night-terrors exerted upon him. Yet the more pressing matter was that Somnus expected you to finish your fable… and you did not know where to start.

The once over-crowded and animated Cavaugh Bazaar now stood empty with the exception of only an occasional passerby hurrying down the street to avoid the falling rain. You tugged the hood of your cloak tighter around your face to shield yourself from any excess water as you carefully avoid the various puddles in search of your destination. When at last you located a familiar black and crimson-striped tent, you increased the speed of your gait and hurried inside to avoid the unrelenting deluge. “Thank you for meeting with me, Master Sidolfus.”

“The pleasure is all mine Lady (f/n), please have a seat. Tea?”

“Yes, thank you.” You answered politely, accepting the warm ceramic cup, “I suspect this foul weather does not bode well in the case of storytelling.”

“There is no ideal weather for storytelling, my lady; but the rain has thinned out the audience considerably. Hopefully Ramuh shall release his hold upon the region before the day is out. But… what of you Lady (f/n)? As much as I enjoy this visit, I assume this meeting is not merely a social call.”

You sighed, returning your cup onto the small table. “I am afraid not, Master Sidolfus. I wished to ask your advice on story telling…”

And so, you described the situation you had fallen into with your intricate tale, though you made sure to omit certain details; such as who the young lord was that had been charmed by your story. It was only once you concluded your recounting of the previous evening did Sidolfus speak. “I sit in this bazaar telling stories, but if the audience does not like what I am saying, they walk away. But if your audience does not listen…. you could find your very life in jeopardy, Lady (f/n)”

“I…I thought it would be easy but it wasn’t,” you confessed. “I almost lost it before I even got a chance to begin.”

“I told you before, the first moments are the most vital.”

“I did pause at a good point though. With the thieves sneaking into Lestallum to kill Prompto and his household.”

Sidolfus frowned, “sneaking in how? In what?”

“A wagon,” you replied.

“Too ordinary… it has to be something more exotic, more unique. You’re starting your story over, again. You have to hook your audience, again.”

“But… how?”

“I was walking last night past the Great Cathedral on the streets of Altissia, exactly an hour after the sun had vanished below the horizon, when I came face to face…with Death.” Sidolfus whispered softly, his eyes now holding a glassy look; as if he were reliving a distant memory.

“Had he come for you?” you asked eagerly, curious as to the fate of the man before you and his encounter with Death.

Yet the deep laugh-lines on the storyteller’s face became even clearer when Sidolfus smiled at your words. “You see there? You’re hooked.”

The confusion on your face soon vanished as your eyes began to twinkle in delight at the words of advice, causing the small spark of inspiration that flickered and grew within your mind.

====================================================

“Absolutely not,” Gilgamesh answered with a tone of finality.

“Lord Gilgamesh, this was a request made by the king himself. I cannot simply refuse-”

“And I say it is out of the question. While I do not wish to entertain the idea, I cannot ignore the fact that His Majesty is ill and may not be in complete control of his faculties or judgement. If something were to happen, you could be risking your very life Lady (f/n).”

“Regardless of the risks, we must try something.”

Gilgamesh sighed heavily in frustration, “and what say you, Lady Selene?”

The blonde priestess remained so silent throughout the entirety of your disagreement with Gilgamesh, pondering the information you had told both of them. It was only once the silver-haired swordsman called her name did Lady Selene finally speak. “Lord Gilgamesh…I promised to do all in my power to aid His Majesty, be it as Oracle or as a friend of Somnus. If (f/n) stories can grant some solace to Somnus’ trouble mind, perhaps it is best if we allow her to continue.”

“However,” Lady Selene added, turning to face you with a serious expression, looking every inch the divine Oracle, she was. “(f/n)… Lord Gilgamesh is not wrong, you could be putting your life in danger and I do not wish to see my dearest friend harmed. So please answer me truthfully when I say this: are you certain this is the choice you wish to make? We will not force you to do this, despite Somnus' wishes.”

“Yes, your Ladyship. If he is willing to listen to my stories, then maybe they could help his mind heal from the damage those nightmares have caused.”

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes in suspicion at your words, “you do not sound certain.”

“I am not, but it is better than doing nothing. Please, Lady Selene, trust me.”

“…Very well then, I trust you. But I plead with you to use caution (f/n), often there are doors that cannot be closed once opened.”

Even though you had confidently managed to assuage the uneasy both Lady Selene and Gilgamesh felt, if barely, you had done nothing to tame the slight fear that wracked your body as the sun drifted further below the horizon. When night had finally fallen completely, Gilgamesh was kind enough to escort you to Somnus’ chambers personally; in order to avoid any unnecessary confrontations with the rest of the palace staff. You had at last reached the heavy, oak door you took a deep steadying breath while you nervously twisted a loose thread from your dress. “Lady (f/n),” Gilgamesh spoke, laying a comforting hand upon your shoulder, even if the action did startle you momentarily. “Before we continue, may I have a word?”

You blinked in surprise before giving a nod of acknowledgement to the old warrior. “Of course, Lord Gilgamesh.”                                                                      

“While I do not approve of this peculiar method in regards to the health of the king or the demands he has made… You have my eternal gratitude for undertaking this endeavor.”

“That is kind of you to say.”

“I know I’ve no right to ask anymore of you, but I wish to make a sole request.” You nodded in understanding, gesturing for Gilgamesh to continue, “should any knowledge come to light when you are speaking with Somnus, I beg you to not judge the king too harshly. He is a good man despite his faults and the choices he has made.”

“…I am merely here to continue my stories for the king Lord Gilgamesh, nothing more.”

Relief flashed across the stoic swordsman’s face at your promise of silence, “…thank you.” He bowed to you one final time to in farewell and took his place further from the door, acting as a silent guardian in place of the usual glaives. Slowly you proceeded the short distance toward the wooden door and raised your hand to gently knock three times, only waiting mere moments until a curt voice sounded with a brief “enter.”

“Six give me courage,” you murmured quietly before stepping inside.

Just as it were the previous evening, the light of the braziers around the room and the oil lamps atop the tables bathed the rooms in a warm glow that chased away the evening chill. Leaning against the lavish pillows and plush carpet beside the low table with a goblet of wine held loosely within his left hand was none other than the king himself, his eyes immediately shifting toward you at the sound of the door opening and closing. “Good evening, your Majesty,” you hummed in greeting, proud that your voice did not waver.

“There is nothing good about it.,” Somnus retorted sharply, lazily twisting the goblet within his hand while azure eyes shifted onto you. For a brief moment the two of you remained motionless, his eyes holding a flicker of gold as the firelight reflected in the azure depths that observed your every move like a hawk despite the dark shadows of exhaustion beneath them. “You decided to return after all.”

“Of course. It would have been quite rude of me to refuse a personal summon from my sovereign, your Majesty.”

Despite the stony expression Somnus gave you for your light jab at his less than courteous meeting with you earlier that day, a flash of regret briefly crossed Somnus’ face at the memory before vanishing completely. “I asked for your presence here so that you would finish the story of Prompto and Cindy, so finish it. Tell me; how could a wanted fugitive and his fellow thieves enter a guarded city like Lestallum?”

“You forget you Majesty, a man’s cunning has the power to conquer many things,” you spoke as you took your place opposite of the king. Taking a deep breath in order to relax your pounding heart, you began your tale once more…

=======================================================

“As I was saying beforehand, Verstael brought all of his men to Lestallum in a wagon, to murder Prompto…. but it was no ordinary wagon. For within the stone jars that rested within his cart hid one man from his gang of thieves.”

“So, the stone jars were the disguise for his men…. And exactly how did Verstael explain the stone jars to the city guards?”

“What is this old man?” the guard asked gruffly, eying the old cart and plentiful number of jars in suspicion.

Verstael, who was now leaning upon a walking stick while hiding half his face behind a black cloak, coughed weakly. “Forty jars of lamp oil, for the royal palace sir.”

“Very well then, proceed inside peddler.”

It was then that you heard a sound that caught you off guard; a deep but soft laugh that belonged to Somnus himself. Yet the laugh held a slight roughness toward it, as if the king had not performed the action for some time. “Forty jars of oil, hmm? Well now, that is clever. Obviously Verstael had a black heart… but a very bright brain.”

“He certainly had that alright,” you agreed. “Naturally, Prompto had no idea of what danger he was in. He didn’t tremble… when he should have trembled.”

Cindy swept through the villa’s courtyard to ensure that the doors were sealed shut for the evening, sliding the wooden bar across the main doors and locking them tight. A soft whine quickly caught the young maid’s attention as Pryna lovingly rubbed her head against Cindy’s leg. She smiled at the ivory dog’s display of affection and knelt down to gently run a hand across the hound’s back and through her fur. Yet her happy expression soon faded as Cindy sighed in resignation, “what are we going to do to protect him Pryna? He's a dreamer. With all those schemes for making money, who knows what will happen if he’s not careful.”

Pryna whined softly as she nuzzled against Cindy's hand. She smiled softly, glancing toward sole window where the glow of firelight could be seen, “I suppose we will just have to look out for him. Will you help me Pryna?”

The dog gave an affirming bark, grinning happily which caused Cindy to beam. “Thank you. You are certainly wise beyond your years.”

It was during this time that a large wagon was slowly making its way into the high-class district of Lestallum. The chocobo’s pulling the cart occasionally let loose a cry of exertion only to be silenced by Verstael immediately. Behind the blonde man, a groan could be heard within the cart as the lid from one of the stone jars rose to reveal one of the thief’s men, his face bearing a slightly pained expression from the cramp enclosure of the jar. “Sir, turn left here to Prompto’s house.”

Following the quietly relayed directions, Verstael brought the cart to a halt only a few feet from the villa; quickly ensuring the wagon not be disturbed. “I’ll be back in 2 hours’ time when it’s quiet… then we’ll kill everyone in the house.” He whispered harshly.

“It will be a great pleasure, Chief,” came the muffled reply from one of the stone jars.

“Excuse me Prompto, the cook has made some honeyed tea; I thought you’d like some.” Cindy spoke, placing the tray beside the desk Prompto sat at.

“Hmm? Oh, thank you Cindy. That’ll help keep me awake so I can finish my work.” Prompto grinned, gladly accepting the silver cup while brushing aside some papers scattered upon the desk. “I can’t seem to decide which vendor to invest in with all these offers.”

“Why bother investing in such schemes at all Prompto? You are rich.” Cindy asked, moving to close the curtains for the evening.

The freckled blonde nodded in agreement, “yeah, but that was just pure luck- anyone could have had such fortune occur to them. I want to know for sure that I can make even if I didn’t have a gold cushion to fall back on.”

“You surprise me Prompto, most people wouldn’t give a second thought of their future if they had the amount of gold you did….” Cindy replied, her words trailing off as she looked out the window to see the sight of a large wagon that was parked near the villa’s entrance.

“Well, it never hurts to be prepared; right?.... Cindy?”                              

Hearing her name called caused olive green eyes to shift from the window and to the flash of concern that appeared upon Prompto’s face. “It’s nothing sir, just a little tired is all. Good night Prompto.”

After leaving Prompto to his work once more, Cindy returned to the kitchen with a frown on her face as she addressed the chef and the other servants. “I saw there is a wagon parked outside in the street, do any of you know why?”

“It’s a merchant Miss Cindy, with jars of oil for the palace,” the chef, a middle-aged man called Takka, spoke as he and the rest of the staff continued eating their dinner. “He asked permission to leave his cart there for a few hours when he went for supper.”

“Did you check him closely Takka?” Cindy asked, frowning in remembrance at the memory of the rather strange wagon. It was odd to see a peddler leave his merchandise alone in such a large city as Lestallum, especially if it was a shipment intended for the palace.

“Of course, Miss Cindy. He was a rather rough chap when we spoke, but he did say he did travel from far away so I assumed it was just exhaustion.”

“…Alright then.”

Bidding the rest of the staff a good evening, Cindy proceeded to her small room within the servant’s quarters to prepare for bed. Despite his wealth being from an ill-gotten source, Prompto was a generous man with his new-found fortune and doted on his loyal staff. Though the space would be considered small to some, Cindy was grateful for Prompto’s generosity, it was one of the reasons why she cared for him so deeply.

Removing the scrap of fabric that had tied her hair away from her face, soft but short golden tresses tumbled down against her neck. She reached for the wooden come beside her bed only for the illuminating flame of the oil lamp to dim significantly before vanishing completely. Letting loose a soft curse at the small inconvenience, Cindy rose from her bed and carefully returned to the kitchen where the oil jar stood. Before she could even gather some, Takka stopped her; “there would be no use doing that Miss Cindy, we’re out of oil at the moment. I was intending to go purchase some tomorrow.”

“That won’t help at all,” Cindy sighed softly. “…wait a minute, didn’t you say that merchant had jars of oil? The one with the wagon outside?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Well, why don’t we take a little for the night and we can pay him in the morning.”

Takka shrugged, “I guess he won’t care so long as he gets paid.”

“It is often that such small and insignificant actions, like the dying light of an empty oil lamp, that one’s life can shift unexpectedly…for better or for worse,” you murmured softly as the king remained enamored within your story.

Cindy and Takka soon exited the villa and walked toward the abandoned wagon, ready to open one of the stone jars until the sound of whispers caught both of their ears. Raising a hand to signal Takka to stop, Cindy quietly crept closer to the wagon and listened carefully.

“How long do we have to wait here?” An irritated voice whispered harshly, “I can barely feel my legs.”

“We wait here until the Chief comes back, then the killing starts. So, shut up and be quiet!” Hissed another voice from the jar beside it.

Cindy’s eyes widened in realization and fear at what the two men were speaking of, causing her to quickly hurry back within the villa with Takka in tow and sprint for Prompto’s study. When she entered the room, Prompto smiled and lifted a stack of papers from the table. “Cindy, I think this chocobo farm sounds like a great place to invest in, what do you think?”

“They’ve come Prompto,” she interrupted, a slight panic alit within her eyes.

“What do you mean? Who’s come?” Prompto asked, confusion coloring his face.

“The murderers. The one’s you stole the money from….”

========================================================

When Cindy and Prompto hurried toward the front door, Pryna was awake and growling softly at the entryway as Takka tried to soothe the dog. Laying a calming hand on the dog’s head to cease her growls, Prompto silently opened the front door and glanced outside to see the wagon not twenty feet from their home. Cindy gently tapped Prompto upon the shoulder, raising a finger to her lips when Prompto moved to answer. “I’ve got an idea,” she whispered discreetly, “follow me.”

Together, the three crept closer to the wagon, which was now emitting low moans of agony from the cramped and confined thieves. Takka took his place near the back of the wagon while Cindy and Prompto hurried to the front to uncouple the chocobo’s residing there. As they approached the massive birds, Prompto accidentally tripped on a loose cobble stone, causing him to fall against the wagon and jostle a few jars. The two blonde gasped softly in fear until a soft whisper emitted from the same jar. “Chief? Chief, is that you? Chief?”

“Any moment now, men.” Prompto shot back in a deep voice, wincing silently at the exaggerated manner in which he had accidentally spoken in.

A soft choir of approval echoed from each thief, causing Prompto, Cindy and Takka to breathe a silent sigh of relief at their intact stealth. Hurrying toward the front of the wagon, they quickly removed the harness from each chocobo while Takka untied the rope restraints and lifted the wooden barrier from the opposite end of the cart. Ensuring nothing was amiss, Cindy nodded and together the three tilted the wagon upward, causing every single jar to tumble out of the carriage. Cries of panic echoed alongside the ringing of the rolling jars against cobblestone streets, causing a thunderous chaos of sound that immediately jolting awake every sleeping resident within the area.

As the stone jars came to the end of what seemed like a never-ending incline of the city street, the enormous containers shattered against the walls of shops or homes; scattering the various shards and the thief that once occupied the jar across the road. Each of Verstael’s men tried to desperately climb to their feet, only to quickly collide head-first into one another; their heads swimming in agony from the nausea inducing tumble that robbed them of their senses. Shouts of outrage rang across the streets as guards and residents alike flooded the streets to investigate the obnoxious raucous.

“Hurry, get a hold of them!”

“They’re Verstael’s men, quickly now!”

“You scoundrels!”

Prompto and Cindy soon joined the fray, assisting the city guard in locating the thieves so that none were over looked. However, none noticed the sole figure cloaked in a black cloak that blended with the very shadows themselves. Blue eyes observed the chaotic scene with pure anger before he swiftly disappeared into the night….

“Verstael’s men all hung like ripe fruit. And at last it was all over…well, almost. You see, young Prompto then threw a wondrous party to celebrate the defeat of Verstael’s murderous gang.”

Drapes of the finest linen and silk ribbons were strewn tastefully across the large room while plush rugs and soft pillows surrounded a single stone stage in the center. The scent of fresh fruits and sweets perfumed the air alongside fine meats and vegetables, carried upon the trays of hired servants to tend to the visiting guests. Music was provided by a small collection of instruments, adding a pleasant atmosphere to the uproarious laughter and lively conversations.

“We are here today to celebrate,” Prompto called out, calming down the cheering crowd. “Because with the help of my good friend Cindy, Verstael and his gang have been crushed; never to harm another soul again!”

A loud cheer reverberated around the banquet hall which was soon followed by the clicking of goblets as wine flowed freely from cask to glass. “Hey Prompto, ask if Cindy will dance for you. She is a beautiful dancer!”

Prompto turned to his dear friend in surprise. “Really Cindy? I can’t seem manage a single step,” he laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

The green-eyed beauty smiled as she rose from her seat and approached the stone stage, careful not to trip on the fabric of her silk dress. “Don’t worry Prompto, I’ll show you.”

A melodious tempo of drums soon sounded across the room, silencing every conversation as Cindy proceeded to elegantly and lightly danced to the music….

Somnus watched in silent awe as you, having risen from your seat atop of the lavish rug, began to sway and dance similarly to the servant girl within your story. He observed the small yet sly smile upon your lips, how your hands twisted into gentle contours while your hips rolled back in forth in time with a music only the two of you could hear, one that your fable had brought to life.

While Somnus was no stranger to the joys of the flesh, he did not actively seek out such company. Such dalliances were expected of a young boy, but a sovereign was meant to lead his people and be an example to all, to be a strong foundation that would hold against any challenge…to be more than a mere man. Yet as Somnus watched you dance; he couldn’t help but drink in the vision you painted as you continued to dance with a fluidity of movement that begot a subtle grace and beauty. He briefly wondered if it was the story that had managed to soothe him and chase away the nightmares…or the storyteller herself.

As Cindy continued to dance, the pace of the music began to quicken with the beat of the drums. Prompto watched in amazement at the beauty his dear friend showcased, barely noticing as she retrieved the sword off of an attending guest. Cindy raised the steel blade high above her head and began to twirl in graceful circles, the tempo of the music increasing with each beat of the drum. But soon Prompto ceased his clapping as he watched with a confused stare at Cindy’s gradual approach to one patron; the best entertainer in all of Duscae that Prompto had hired from the occasion. He moved to rise and speak until Cindy swung the blade high over her head and thrust the sword into the chest of the visiting entertainer.

Every member of the banquet gasped and cried in alarm, moving to intercept Cindy for her act of murder. Prompto was the first to reach her just as the corpse collapsed onto the ground; only to be caught just in time by another attendee. Prompto was on his feet in an instant, staring in shock at the crime the blonde woman had committed. “Cindy, what have you done?”

Instead of speaking, Cindy simply stepped forward and tugged at the man’s beard, revealing it to be naught but a disguise hiding the identity of none other than Verstael. “I saw…I saw him put the disguise on in the alley and-“

Prompto gave a comforting hug to his dear friend, who buried her face within his chest as he let his hand rub soothing circles against her back. “Oh, what would I do without you…”

==========================================================

“What happened to Prompto and Cindy afterward?” Somnus asked earnestly.

You smiled, “Prompto had what was perhaps the greatest idea of his life… he married Cindy.”

“He wasn’t clever, but he was lucky…. I suppose he needed someone like Cindy to make sure he made the most of his good fortune.”

“Something like that.”

“Yet everyone forgot that it was he who led his brother Loqi to his death. Prompto receives all of the praise and happiness while Loqi rots away to nothing” Somnus spoke coldly.

You frowned, “Loqi choose his own path, just as Prompto choose his. It was not an outcome Prompto was pleased with, one he would have wished to change with all his heart…but he cannot take full responsibility for his brother’s actions.”

“I doubt that severely.”

“Your Majesty, I know you and your own brother did not have the best ending but-“

Somnus’ expression changed in a heartbeat as anger spilled across his face; with him taking hold of your wrist in a fierce grip that caused you to wince in pain briefly. “Do not speak of things you know nothing about! I did all I could for him and still he clung to his idealistic ways!”

“But do you still care for him? He was your brother.” You asked plainly, not in judgement but in sincerity.

“What does it matter?! My brother is long dead and buried,” Somnus growled out in irritation.

You kept a neutral face despite the pain in your wrist, “death doesn’t change one’s feelings.”

“He was a monster!”

“That does not matter, your Majesty. If you love someone enough… you can forgive them of anything.”

Storm-blue eyes instantly met your own (e/c) eyes before Somnus slowly releasing his hold on you. You instantly pulled your hand closer to your body, instinctively shielding your injury to prevent further harm. A look of guilt flashed across his face before it vanished beneath an expression of pure exhaustion, making the king seem far older than his age. “…It is too late for such a mercy as forgiveness.” Somnus whispered, absent-mindedly spinning the obsidian ring that rested on the middle-finger of his right hand.

“It is never too late,” you replied kindly.

[morganeuk]

The Doctor & the Librarian. (Sherlock AU)

Part 4: Want to meet?

(Read Part 3: The British Government interferes on Tumblr)

(Read Part 2: Brainy is the new sexy on Tumblr)

(Read Part 1: Kissing is not required on Tumblr)

Summary: After talking online with a flirty doctor from London, Sherlock - librarian at Oxford University - can't stop thinking about him! It won't do! Fortunately, Lestrade asked his help on a case. But poor Sherlock can't work with Anderson... don't worry, he knows the perfect substitute!

In his brother's private sedan, Sherlock remained silent for the hour-long drive back to London. His brother, content that he was back to a somewhat 'normal' version of himself whatever the reason, respected the privacy of his thoughts. He was overall satisfied with his younger brother's relationship with DI Lestrade. The NSY officer was now asking for Sherlock's assistance on a more regular basis, forcing the librarian to skip work on occasion.  Of course, as Mycroft was a schoolmate with the dean of the university, Sherlock's job would never be in jeopardy as long as he wanted it. The older Holmes' end goal was of course that Sherlock ceases playing at being a librarian! The thing with Doctor Watson may also become a positive influence in his life, possibly even bring him back to a more active role against our enemies...  

Once in front of Lauriston Garden, the crime scene where Lestrade is expecting him, Sherlock leaps out of Mycroft's car as soon as he can. Even though he wasn't expecting any thanks from his younger brother, the government man was irritated by his sibling's attitude. But, as usual, he brushed it off and instructs his chauffeur to continue to his club and let the DI deal with him.

A vast police perimeter was surrounding a disaffected building. Once beautiful flats, the edifice was now abandoned and surrounded by junk.  Passing under the yellow tape, Lestrade's assistant Donovan spots him at once.  "What are you doing here, Freak? Shouldn't you been sorting books in a basement somewhere?" Sally Donovan despised Sherlock to a fault. His condescending attitude towards NSY and the fact that he was nearly always bloody right, was a personal affront to her.

The hostility was cut short by the arrival of Lestrade who motioned the young man to follow him inside. "Hi Sherlock, thanks for getting here so quick... How's village life?" The DI, still wanting to convince Sherlock to return to the city, was always teasing the detective about Oxford.

"It's as charming as always, Geof, how's your adoring wife?" the amateur detective replied with an innocent smile.  He knew perfectly well that Lestrade's wife was having affair after affair, despite Lestrade's wish to save their marriage. Sherlock knew he was treading on dangerous territory, but the teasing about Oxford and his 'desk job' was getting old so... Fair game. Lestrade, not mentioning that he effectively found his wife with one of her co-workers a few days before and that his bloody name is Greg, turns on his heel and strides toward the entrance of the building. "Who's on forensic?" Sherlock asks before moving a step further.

"... Anderson." The DI sighs heavily "Could you please just this once try to ignore his shortcomings and work together!"  He knows that Anderson and Holmes are far from being friends, but he had hoped... But it was too late, Sherlock was already on the defensive, not wanting to deal with the man.

"He won't work with me, and you know it!"

"Stop nagging him about everything and he will!" An exasperated Lestrade retorted, finally losing his temper.

"He's useless, I can't use any of the photographs he takes, not a single one of his ridiculous analyses... His 'work' is utter garbage!" Of course, Anderson chose that moment to walk out of the building and overheard everything.  The loathing between them was mutual and obvious to everyone around them.

It won't do... Sherlock sighs internally.

"Do as you want, but you'll have to deal with Anderson, I have no one else." and the DI went inside, leaving Holmes outside.

Argggg! GOD! This is a good one, a serial killer I'm certain of it... But Anderson... I can't do it... But I have no other option, I need a medical opinion... A flash of a blond doctor, not remotely annoying, and cleverer than most passes in front of his eyes. Taking out his phone, he texts without even thinking.

I'm in London. Want to meet? - SH

The reply comes quickly.

Sherlock? - JW

Know anyone else with this phone number? - SH

Sorry, stupid question. ;-) - JW

When? - JW

Now. 3 Lauriston Garden. Ask for Lestrade. - SH

Lauriston Garden? Is this a restaurant? Who's Lestrade? - JW

Sherlock? - JW

But it was too late, Sherlock was already inside, following the DI up a circular staircase. A bickering Anderson tried to block the way and slow them down, not wanting Sherlock anywhere his corpse. After a few long minutes, they were finally able to access the third floor where an apartment was highly illuminated by huge spotlights. Before entering the room, Lestrade slowly and carefully puts on a coverall and gloves before asking Sherlock to do the same.  With an exasperated look, the young man advanced towards the corpse, being careful to not touch anything.

"I can give you two minutes," Lestrade explains, knowing that bringing an amateur consultant on a crime scene can cause him problems.

Ignoring the DI, the young man murmurs dismissively "May need longer..."

"Her name’s Jennifer Wilson according to her credit cards. We’re running them now for contact details. Hasn’t been here long. Some kids found her."

In the middle of the room, Sherlock's focus turns to the woman in pink. Everything in pink. What an awful gaudy shade of pink, Sherlock mused, followed by I wonder if John, Dr. Watson, is coming... Distracted by the idea of John being there with him, he can't restrain his instinct to snap at the policemen around him."Shut up!"

An offended Lestrade protested, "I didn’t say anything!"

"You were thinking. It’s annoying." Sherlock, closing himself to anything outside the body in front of him, stays silent for many minutes while Lestrade checked his watch anxiously.

From the bottom of the stairs, they heard Donovan below. "Boss! Someone here, he said he's looking for you! It's about the Freak!"

Sherlock's heart somersaults... John!

Less than half an hour before, John was relaxing in his flat. Drinking tea and eating biscuits Mrs. Hudson made earlier. He was trying to focus on his book but it was at no avail. Last night conversation with William, no Sherlock!, was still fresh in his mind.  Oh My God... I can't believe it... He was actually there, at the end of whatever connects computer together! He texted with me and let me flirt with him without evaporating in the night. Sherlock... More precisely Sherlock Holmes. An unusual name, for an unusual man... He discovers little on the Internet, but enough to convince him that the name was real. He was listed as a librarian in the university directory. There he is, in black and white, 'Sherlock Holmes, BChem MLIS' . He found two blogs under the name, one about data mining - the concept of being able to program a computer to actually read and analyze a text if he understands it correctly! - and one about the science of deduction.  That was different... but he reminds himself how quickly the librarian deduced he was an ICU doctor.  John was wondering what else the man would be able to find if they meet. Curiously, he was unable to find an image of him, there was nothing that could tell him what the man looked like.

As he puts down his mug, his phone chimes with an elegant group of violin notes. Taken by surprise, his mug misses the table and crashes to the floor. It was Sherlock's ringtone! Putting away the thought of how pathetic to have a special ringtone for a man you never meet... He opens his phone.

I'm in London. Want to meet? - SH

His positive reply was instantaneous as a brilliant YES crossed his mind! He took five minutes to brush his teeth and refresh is after-shave, changed his t-shirt for a nicer shirt and flew down the stairs to find a cab.  The less than 5 miles trip to Lauriston Garden (Where the hell am I going?) was done in record time as John offered a generous bonus to the cabbie. Less than 25 minutes after Sherlock's mysterious text, he was in front of... an old decrepit building with half a dozen police cars and yellow tape everywhere.  He walks up to a woman who was managing the scene, phone in hand. "Excuse me, officer, I'm looking for..." John reads the text again, "Lestrade?"

"Who are you? Why do you want to talk to the DI? Are you a bloody journalist? We have nothing to declare for now!" She turns her back to John and starts to talk on her phone.

"I am Doctor John Watson. This was the instruction that I received, to ask for Lestrade. Maybe it would help you if I told you that I am here to see Sherlock Holmes?" John was unsure of what was happening, but he was certain that he would fight for the chance to meet the man he has dreamed of for the last three days!

"Holmes? What do you want with the 'Freak'?" Donovan was now surveying John with a curious gaze. "Do you know him? Are you a... friend?" The mere idea of Holmes having a friend brings a laughing tone to Donovan's voice.

Without knowing the woman, the doctor instantly hates her with a passion. What's her problem?  He decided to omit the fact that he has never seen the man and simply reply "Yes, I am a friend and he texted me to join him here. If you are unable to help me, I can talk with your superior, DI Lestrade?." He used what he called his captain voice to snap the woman out of her sarcastic attitude.

Donovan, out of arguments and under the influence of John's commanding voice, lifted the yellow tape and leads Watson to the base of the stairs, then yells for Lestrade. She shows Watson the stairs and simply muttered "third floor," before leaving him alone.  

Looking at the flights of stairs, John screams inside. Of course, it's on the third floor.  His leg was doing better and he had left his walking stick at home, but fifty-ish steps... that was a challenge. Putting his hand on the rail, he starts the ascension that will bring him to, he hopes, Sherlock Holmes.

At Donovan's announcement, Sherlock, to Lestrade's astonishment, was having difficulty containing himself. He jumped up from the floor where he was nearly sprawled on, removed any lint on his already spotless coat, passed a nervous hand in his curly hair, and withdrew further in the room. Not knowing what to do... What's happening? Is this the man Mycroft mentioned? If so, this is going to be funny!  

John, now on the landing of the third floor, inhaled and exhaled profoundly, trying to relax and compose himself. He walks in the room and, seeing Lestrade first, he was impressed by the stature of the man, his silver fox look, his smart and cocky smile but... he was also disappointed.  The man, disregarding the protective kit he was wearing, didn't have the elegant and posh demeanour he imagined. He was a nice looking man and seemed friendly but John's gut didn't react at all. He was a regular bloke with whom he can go to the pub for a beer or two, but nothing more... no 'sparkles'. Kind of sad, his expectations were maybe too high, he extends his hand to the man. "Hi, I'm John Watson, nice to meet you...".

Lestrade politely takes John's hand before putting the poor man out of his misery. "Hi, John, nice to meet you, too.  I'm DI Greg Lestrade... You're here to meet Sherlock if I'm right?" and he turns towards Sherlock who had frozen in a corner of the room where the doctor can't see him. John, following Lestrade's gaze, understands his mistake and finds Sherlock's eyes that were gazing at him reverently. Hypnotized by the grey and blue eyes that were watching him, he registered unconsciously the tall elegant frame, the soft curly hair...

Oh God, I'm in deep trouble.

Read the rest of the story here! http://archiveofourown.org/series/770607

[theydontknowaboutusimagines]

What A Feeling #19 - What’s Wrong?

#18

After Harry’s show, he got some water and headed straight to the waiting car right outside the venue. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and looked to see if you had texted or called him. There wasn’t anything from you, so he went onto social media. The first thing he noticed as soon as he opened the Twitter app on his phone was that your name was in almost every trending topic in some way. 

He clicked on one of the hashtags and immediately saw the video of you freezing on stage before falling to the floor. 

“Oh my god!” Harry gasped, tears welling in his eyes. 

He felt his heart drop to his stomach before the feeling of it pushing itself back up. He scrolled through trying to find any information, but of course, there wasn’t much of anything besides speculation. And he knew for a fact all the rumors were false. You weren’t on drugs and you wouldn’t get drunk before heading out on stage. 

However, he remembered his conversation with Mitch on the phone and what if Harry was wrong... what if you were drinking or something to cope with whatever it was that was going on with you. Maybe that’s why Mitch was showing concern. Even though those thoughts ran through his mind, Harry knew there was no way that was the truth because he knew you and knew you’d never stoop that... or so he hoped. 

Harry was dropped off at the hotel and he quickly went up to his room. He wanted complete privacy before he made phone calls to check on you. His heart was racing so fast he was surprised it didn’t shoot out of his chest. As soon as the door was shut in his room, he called your phone. 

Yes, it was a long shot that you’d answered, but he wanted to start at the top of the list. 

“Damn it,” he mumbled when it went straight to voicemail.

His next option was calling Mitch and he hoped he answered because if not, Harry was going to be on the first flight out to where you were, it didn’t matter if he had a show coming up or not because he had to know that you were okay.

**

The last thing you remembered was going out on stage and then waking up in a hospital bed connected to an ivy and some weird machine that was making annoying noises. You looked around not seeing anyone. You tried sitting up in the bed, but you felt a bit dizzy. You pressed the nurse's button, hoping to get some answers on what happened and why you were even in the hospital, to begin with. 

Yes, you remembered not feeling well before taking the stage, but not too bad to the point you’d end up in the fucking hospital. A few moments later, a short woman dressed in light blue scrubs walked in with a stethoscope around her neck and a clipboard in her hands. 

“Good morning, Y/N,”  she smiled. “How are you feeling?” 

“Confused, mostly,” you said. 

“That’s understandable,” she nodded. “What’s the last thing you remember?” 

She asked taking the blood pressure cuff out and wrapping it around your arm. 

“Um... I remember being backstage at my show and then walking out on to the stage,” you said. “But I don’t remember anything else... or even the show.” 

“Well, that’s because the show didn’t happen,” she stated softly. “I’m afraid that you fainted before the show even started.” 

“I.. I what?” You whispered. 

The cuff began squeezing around your arm as she was taking your blood pressure. 

“Where’s my brother? Where’s anyone?” You asked. 

“They’re here, don’t worry. They just stepped out a little bit ago,” she said. 

“What’s wrong with me?” You sniffled. 

“I... I think it’s best if you hear from the doctor himself,” she said. “He’ll be right in now that you’re awake.” 

“How long was I asleep?” You asked. 

“A few hours,” she said. “You were in and out of it when you arrived and then... well... we had to sedate you, so that’s why you were asleep for so long.” 

The nurse seemed to be trying to be helpful, but all she did was cause you to be even more confused and in the need for more answers. Just as you were about to ask yet another question, Mitch walked through the door. The condition he was in was rough. You had never seen him look like that in all of the years you’ve known him. 

His eyes were red, puffy, and swollen. His hair was a greasy mess from what you assumed was him running his hands through it, which was something he did whenever he was anxious, nervous, or upset. 

“Y/N!” He said quickly, noticing you were wide awake. 

He rushed to your side wrapping his arms around you tightly. His actions made you a little scared and even more confused because was what happened to you that serious to where your brother was showing this much emotion. You wrapped your arms around him as you hugged him back, not knowing what else to do at that moment. 

“I’ll give you two some privacy before the doctor comes in,” the nurse excused herself. 

“Mitch, what happened?” you asked. 

He looked down, not knowing what to say. “I think the doctor would be able to explain the situation better.” 

“Damn it, Mitch, just tell me! Am I dying or something? Do I have cancer? What? You all are fucking scaring me right now, so please just tell me!” You snapped. 

He sighed sitting down on the bed and putting his hands on yours. “The doctor said... you had... you suffered-” 

“Fucking hell, Mitch, just spit it out!” You demanded. 

“You had a miscarriage,” he blurted out. 

“I had a - what? No, there’s no way... I wasn’t... I’m not pregnant,” you whispered completely dumbfounded at this information. 

“When you were feeling off tonight, what and where were you feeling off?” he asked. 

“I.. I don’t know really. I felt a little weak... and my stomach was hurting a little, but there’s no way... absolutely no way that’s what it was,” you said shaking your head. 

Just then the doctor walks in and he can tell by the look on your face, you’ve found out what happened. 

“Doc, I’m not going to tell you how to do your job, but I’m telling you there is no possible way I suffered a miscarriage because I was never pregnant,” you answered. 

“Y/N, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you were,” he said. “When you arrived, you were bleeding, which matched with the amount of blood lost in a miscarriage and we’ve tested your blood and it shows that you were in fact pregnant. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.” 

Numbness took over your body as his words started to sink in. You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out, nothing but tears and sobs. Mitch quickly wrapped his arms around you, holding you close, as you mourned the loss of the baby you didn’t even know you could have had. 

You weren’t sure how many moments passed before you found the words to finally speak. 

“I don’t... Harry can’t know,” you sniffled. 

“What? Y/N are you sure?” Mitch asked. 

“Yes, it’ll be better if he doesn’t,” you said. “If he doesn’t know when he doesn’t have to feel what I’m feeling right now.” 

Mitch looked as if he wanted to protest, but he nodded in agreement. 

**

Mitch had his phone on silent and didn’t realize it until he noticed numerous missed calls from Harry. He sucked in a breath before returning the call. 

“Jesus Christ, Mitch,” Harry quickly answered. “I’ve been losing my fucking mind over here. What happened? Is she okay?” 

“Harry, I’m sorry,” he responded. “She’s okay. She’s resting in the hospital right now.” 

“What happened?” He asked. 

Mitch debated on what he should say. Deep down he knew Harry deserved to know the truth, especially since it would have been his baby and as a guy himself, Mitch would have wanted to know if he was in that position. However, he technically promised you he wouldn’t tell Harry and besides if Harry was going to find out, it should be from you. 

“The doctor said she was dehydrated and uh... fatigued,” he said. 

That wasn’t technically a lie because the doctor had said that in the beginning, but he was leaving out the big thing that happened, so he was still lying. Or at least omitting the truth...

“I knew you said she was having a hard time, but I didn’t think it would end up like this,” Harry sighed. 

“Me either,” Mitch admitted. 

“Is she awake?” Harry asked. “Can I talk to her?” 

“She actually just went back to sleep,” he said. “The doctor gave her some meds earlier to help her sleep, so she’s been falling asleep off and on.” 

Harry sighed on the other line, “Okay, as long as she’s okay and it’s nothing too serious, right?” 

Mitch bit his lip, “Right.” 

“Well, I guess I’ll let you go then, but if you could please... as soon as she wakes up if she’s feeling up to it, have her call me?” Harry whispered. 

“Of course,” Mitch nodded. 

“Thanks,” Harry said. “Tell her I love her?” 

“Will do,” Mitch answered. 

Once the phone call ended, Mitch sighed feeling his stomach twist in guilt as he leaned back into the uncomfortable hospital chair. He watched you as you slept. The tears that had once stained your face were now dried up and Mitch felt tears of his own welling up in his eyes. He knew these next few days, weeks, maybe even months were going to be some of the hardest ones you were going to face. 

He knew as your big brother, he was going to have to be strong for you to help you get through them, even though it was going to break him seeing you so broken.