#but i will probably periodically pop back in uwu | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

babybluebex · 4 years ago

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it takes two [peter parker]

➽ pairing: peter parker x fem!reader (y/n) ➽ word count: 3.0k ➽ summary: an accidental discovery leads peter and you to discuss poly-nylons, tony stark, and aunt may’s burnt meatloaf. ➽ warnings: awkward teenage feels, fluff, all that good stuff ➽ a/n: nerdy little peter melts my heart uwu. enjoy!

“Hey, Y/N. Y/N!”

I turned to see Peter fumbling with his books, and I extended my arms to catch them. “Hey, Pete,” I chuckled. I looked at one of the books in my hand and saw the official autobiography of tech giant Tony Stark, and I laughed. “We get it, man, you’re in love with Tony Stark.”

“I’m not,” Peter said quickly. “Just wanna read up on my boss.”

“Right,” I said with a click of my tongue. “The whole internship thing. That seems like a pretty sweet gig, Pete.”

“It’s…” Peter began and nodded. “It’s alright.”

“What do you actually do?” I asked, placing the biography of Peter’s one true love back on his stack of books. “Do you do paperwork? Or Mr. Stark’s laundry?”

That elicited a laugh out of Peter. Peter Parker and I had been friends for a while, since we were lab partners in eighth grade biology, and I had been one of the first people he told about the internship. As excited as he was to get it, though, he never really talked too much about it. “I do…” He began. “Um… Stuff.”

“Well, yeah, that’s what I’m asking,” I said, shouldering my backpack. “What kinda stuff?”

“This and that,” Peter shrugged. “Sorta whatever needs to be done.”

I nodded slowly. “Uh-huh,” I responded. “Well, since you’re not gonna tell me, I’ll tell you some big news.”

“Sure,” Peter said. “What is it?”

“I got an interview for MIT,” I grinned, and joy overcame Peter’s face. His arms instinctually went out to hug me, but his stack of books went tumbling to the ground around us. He paid it no mind and hugged me tightly anyway, rocking us as he embraced me. Peter gave amazing hugs; that’s one thing nearly everyone can agree on.

“That’s awesome, Y/N!” Peter exclaimed. “When is it?”

“Friday evening,” I said. “And I’m freaking out really bad. Do you think you could help me prep?”

Peter had already bent down and begun to retrieve his books. “Why me?” He asked. “A-Ask Flash, he’s on the debate team.”

“Because I don’t want to ask Flash,” I sighed. “I want to ask you. God, Pete, you got an internship with Stark Industries! Why wouldn’t I ask for your help with interviews? I mean, I assume there was an interview process…”

“Um, sorta,” Peter said. “Yeah, yep, there was.”

My eyes narrowed. “What was that turn around?” I asked. “‘Sorta’ an interview, but also yes?”

“It wasn’t a, uh, a typical interview,” Peter said. “I met Mr. Stark’s head of security before him.”

“Wait, hold on!” I cried. “You’ve met Tony Stark?”

“I told you about this!” Peter smiled. “We went on that company retreat!”

“Th-The one to Berlin?” I asked. “You met Tony freaking Stark in Berlin? How’d I not know this, Peter?”

“I remember telling you,” Peter said. “I missed those days, and I texted you asking about homework, and you told me we had a test and asked how the retreat was, and I said that it was awesome and I met Tony Stark.”

“I don’t remember that,” I said. “But come on, Petey! Please help me prep for this interview, MIT is my dream school!” I grasped his arm and pouted at him, and I said, “For me?”

Peter rolled his eyes jokingly. “Sure,” He said with a smile, as sincere as always. “Just come by tonight, I’ll get Aunt May to order a pizza or something and we’ll work it out.”

I hugged Peter tightly. “Thank you!” I giggled. “Hey, save me a seat at lunch, yeah?”

“Umm, Ned’s brought a few pieces of his Death Star,” Peter began. “It might take up a lot of space.”

“I’ll help,” I said. “If you don’t mind, that is.”

“S-Sure,” Peter said, the tips of his ears turning pink. “We could use your smaller hands for some of the more intricate parts of the build.”

“Great,” I said as the bell rang long and high for classes to start. “Crap. I’ll see ya, Pete!”

The day passed as slowly as any normal school day would. I didn’t have a math club meeting that afternoon on account of our faculty sponsor being sick, so I was able to go home before I went to Peter’s. I gathered all of my MIT stuff from my desk and shoved it into my bag, and I opened my computer for a minute before my mom inevitably made me come to the living room. Twitter was already open (I didn’t pay great attention during last period physics), and I clicked around the trending page for a moment before seeing, at the very bottom of the list of trending topics, something called the “Man-Spider”. It wasn’t being talked about too much, but it was a trending topic in my area; knowing that someone would probably ask about it at school tomorrow, I clicked on it.

It was a shaky phone video of a man in a blue and red suit on the rooftop of a building that was adjacent to the videographer. “Hey, you’re that Man-Spider from YouTube!” the videographer yelled.

“Call me Spiderman!” The suited man replied back, his voice echoing around the street.

“Okay! Do a flip, Spiderman!”

The so-called Spiderman flipped backwards, eliciting a whoop from the videographer. The video ended there, and I huffed out a quiet laugh. Peter was really into gymnastics; he would like this video. I tagged him, @pparker101, figuring that he would watch it before I got to his place.

When I finally got myself up and made my way across the borough to Peter and his Aunt May’s apartment, May answered the door. She was a tall and thin woman with long hair that she usually pulled up, and she smiled when she saw me. “Aw, hey, Miss Y/N,” May said. “What’s going on?”

“Peter’s helping me with an interview thing tonight,” I said. “Is that alright?”

“Oh, sweetheart, of course,” May said, waving her hand around. “Where are you interviewing?”

“MIT,” I replied. “The actual interview is on Friday, but, since he’s got that internship with Stark Industries, I figured he would help me prepare.”

“Oh, good job,” May said. “Yeah, Pete popped out to get a sandwich, but you’re welcome to wait for him. Are you hungry? I’m making meatloaf.”

I had known May for long enough to know that it was safest to skip out on the meatloaf. “Oh, I’m alright,” I told her. “I ate before I came.”

“If you change your mind…” May sang and scrunched her nose at me as she smiled. “Pete said that you helped him and Ned with their Death Star build today; how was that?”

“Pretty great,” I smiled. “It was a lot of pieces and we’re not finished yet, but all working together was pretty sweet.”

“I bet,” May replied. “All of you are so smart, I could never do that, even with instructions.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Peter replying to me on Twitter with a simple :). “Thanks, May,” I said. “Um, I think I’m gonna go set up in Peter’s room.”

“Alright, Miss Y/N,” May said and gave me a quick hug. “Have fun.”

Peter’s room was messy as always, discarded projects all over the place, and laundry piled in the corner of his bottom bunk. I sat down on the edge of the bottom bunk and started to extract my papers and things to practice, but there was a weird sound from behind me. It was quiet and I almost missed it, but the cool breeze that hit my shoulder helped alert me to the fact that the window was open. I turned over my shoulder, expecting to see the widow accidentally unlatched and opening, but instead I saw something completely different: my best friend crawling on the ceiling.

I couldn’t form words. I wasn’t convinced that I was actually seeing what was happening. Peter was attached upside down to his ceiling, wearing a weird onesie-looking outfit with alternating red and blue panels. He was quiet as he crawled to the other side of the room, and he extended his hand, his middle two fingers and thumb folded into his palm, and a string of white shot from his wrist and attached to the corner of the door. Peter tugged the door closed with ease, as if he had done it before, then he expertly flipped from the ceiling and landed on the carpet with the grace of an Olympic gymnast. His back was to me, but, now that I saw him better, I saw that he wore the exact same outfit that the Man-Spider wore in the Twitter video.

“Holy shit, are you the Man-Spider?” I cried, and Peter flinched. He turned to me, his face stricken with panic, and I saw a black arachnid symbol in the middle of his chest. “You are! Holy shit, Peter--”

“Dude, shut up!” Peter hissed quickly. His hand came up to his chest and he pressed on the spider symbol, and the tight suit loosened and fell off of his body. “I-I’m not the Man-Spider--”

“Spiderman!” I recalled from the video. “Peter, what the actual fuck--”

“Shut up!” Peter pleaded, rushing to me and pressing his hand against my mouth. He was right on top of me, his chest nearly touching mine with each breath, and his dark eyes were wide at me. “Y/N, you… You can’t tell anyone. Please!”

I shifted my head in order to remove his hand. “Are you serious…” I began. “You’re Spiderman? Wait, how did this happen? Was it the Stark internship, did Tony Stark do this to you?”

“I’ll explain everything,” Peter whispered. “Just, you really cannot tell anyone.”

“Does May know?” I asked quickly.

“Are you kidding me?” Peter scoffed. He reached down and grabbed a shirt and began to dress himself; I had noticed that, after the suit came off, he was only in boxers, but I figured that it was better not to say anything. “If she knew, she’d go ballistic.”

I sighed heavily and sat down on the bed once more. “Make this make sense,” I groaned, pressing my head into my hands. “Did this happen to you? Did you make it happen? Is this a Bruce Banner thing?”

“No,” Peter said quickly, and he sat down next to me. “Look, it’s a really long story, but the basics are that I was bitten by a radioactive spider and now I can do weird things. Like, things I never was able to do before. I’m really strong now, Y/N, and I just… I can do that.” He said and pointed to the ceiling. “But Tony Stark found out about me somehow and he tapped me to help him in some sort of weird fight with him and Captain America. He made me that suit! It’s really cool!”

“It is!” I said quickly. “So, are you, like, an Avenger now? Is that what the Stark internship is?”

Peter paused for a moment, and his cheeks turned pink. “Yeah, I mean…” He started. “Basically, yeah, I’m an Avenger.”

“Oh my God,” I laughed. “That’s awesome, Peter! But… Why would you keep this from me?” There was no point disguising the hurt in my voice. That was it, plain and simple. “I thought we told each other everything.”

“We do,” Peter said. “I just… Mr. Stark told me to keep this a secret. He said that anyone who knew could be in danger. I didn’t want you getting hurt.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek. The secrecy hurt and it wouldn’t stop for a while, but my excitement overshadowed that. “This is super cool, Peter,” I laughed. “So, the thing you just shot, do you-- Like, does your body make that? Like a spider? Was that a web?”

“Yeah, it’s a web,” Peter smiled widely. “But my body doesn’t make them. That would be super gross.”

“Sorta, yeah,” I agreed.

“Nah, it’s, uh,” Peter began and rushed over to the forgotten suit on the floor. “It’s a poly-nylon substance that’s loaded in these web shooters that Mr. Stark made me. They’re super strong and take three hours to fully dissolve. They come out of this shooter that I wear on my wrist.” He lifted up the silver web shooter to show me, and I grinned at it.

“That’s awesome,” I chuckled. “Wait, does Ned know?”

“No,” Peter said quickly.

“MJ?”

“No.”

“Liz? Betty? Flash?”

“You’re the only one,” Peter reiterated. “Nobody else knows. Mr. Stark, Happy, Pepper, everyone at SHIELD, and you. You’re the only outsider.”

“This is…” I began. “This is really cool, don’t get me wrong, but isn’t it dangerous?”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “I mean… Yeah. Everytime I go on a mission, I’m not really sure if I’m coming back.”

I sighed and rubbed my neck. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Petey,” I started. “But I really don’t like this. The idea of my best friend being an Avenger is super cool, but it’s scary as shit. I can’t lose you, Pete. Nobody gets me like you do, and I don’t know what I’d do if you died and I didn’t know why.”

Peter was quiet as he came back to sit down next to me, his web shooter still in his hand. He toyed with it for a moment, then placed it in my lap. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Pete, you didn’t do anything wrong,” I said. “You were doing what you were told was right. If anything, Tony Stark needs to apologize to me.”

Peter scoffed. “Good luck with that,” he said. “You’re cool. Ya know that?”

“Me?” I chuckled. “You’re freaking Spiderman, dude! You’re cooler than everyone at Midtown! So, is Peter Parker, like, your alter ego? Like Batman?”

“Batman isn’t real,” Peter said pointedly.

“The point stands, ass,” I said and shoved his shoulder, eliciting a laugh from him.. “By day, you’re a nerdy high school student and, by night, you’re an Avenger?”

“Sorta,” Peter shrugged sheepishly. “I guess, I mean… Not to brag, but--”

“Brag away!” I said.

“I’m supposed to be helping you with your interview,” Peter began. “I think maybe we can table this until later. Yeah?”

“Fine,” I said with a pout. “Let me get my stuff…”

I turned to retrieve my papers and everything that I had brought, and Peter’s hand returned to my lap to grab the web shooter. The fates, though, decided to throw a wrench into our casual moment, because the ajar door burst open to show May. Before I knew what was happening, Peter had shoved the web shooter down between my thighs in an attempt to quickly hide it, and he pressed his lips to mine. I caught on instantly; his hand between my legs only made sense if we were kissing. It was an easy cover up, something to get May out of the room, and-- honestly-- probably something that May had been suspecting all along.

“Oh!” She exclaimed and backed out of the room, and Peter gave me a tight grimace. I could almost hear him stuttering out an apology. “Sorry, guys! I didn’t mean to--”

“That’s about my luck, huh?” Peter said loudly and laughed. “It’s-- Ah, shit-- Sorry, May!”

“No, don’t be sorry,” May said from behind the door. Peter pulled the web shooter from between my legs and grabbed his suit, and he shoved them under the blankets behind me. “Don’t let me interrupt... Whatever that was. Peter, please remember to use a--”

“May, hush!” Peter cried, and I saw genuine embarrassment rise in his cheeks. “We’re not-- We weren’t--”

“We were just kissing, May!” I said quickly. “Nothing else!”

“Right,” May said. “Have fun. Meatloaf’s burnt, so, if you guys want something to eat, we can get Thai. Or you two can get Thai and I’ll stay here--”

“May!” Peter groaned.

“Right, I’ll leave you two alone,” May said, and Peter and I held our breath until we were sure she wasn’t at the door anymore.

“God, sorry, Y/N,” Peter mumbled, pushing his hair out of his face. “It’s the only thing I could think of--”

“No big,” I said. “But I’m sure May thinks we’re dating now.”

“She’s thought that since eighth grade,” Peter said and rolled his eyes. “Now she has ‘proof’.”

“I mean…” I started. Too late to go back now. “I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t thought of it before.”

“Us dating?” Peter asked.

“I know you like Liz and MJ, so it’s always been…” I started. “Never mind.”

“Sure, I like Liz and MJ,” Peter said. “But I like you too. Like, in a different way than I like Liz and MJ.”

“Like, in a girlfriend way?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Peter said. He was looking down at his lap, obviously abashed and not wanting to look at me. “You’re really funny and smart, and you’re super pretty… Mr. Stark thinks you’re cute too.”

“Tony Stark knows about me?” I asked. “He thinks I’m cute?”

“N-Not in a creepy way,” Peter said quickly. “When I went to Berlin, I brought a picture of you in my luggage, and Mr. Stark-- Well, Happy found it and he told Mr. Stark, and he said that you were pretty… Encouraged me to ask you out… Gave me… Ahem, pointers on how to ask you out.”

“Really?” I grinned. This was amusing to find out. Tony Stark knew who I was. That was almost as cool as finding out my best friend was an Avenger. “What’d he say?”

“Some really gross stuff, to be honest,” Peter chuckled. “Nothing I’d ever say to you, not even jokingly. But… Whatever. Anyway. MIT interview--”

I leaned in towards Peter and kissed him again, and I felt his smile against my lips. He kissed me back, his arms wrapping around me and tugging me close, and, when the kiss broke, I whispered, “So, does Spiderman have a girlfriend?”

“I’m sure he can get one if he wants to,” Peter said.

“Does he want to?” I asked.

“Duh!”

#peter parker #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker x reader #peter parker x y/n #peter parker x bestfriend!reader #peter parker fluff #spiderman #spiderman x reader #tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fluff #mcu #sm:hoco #sm:ffh #ca:cw #avengers #i miss tony stark #q

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playgroundghosts · 3 years ago

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With Eyes of Blue (Chapter 01/??)

Wrote fanfic for the first time in over a decade and figured I’d post it on Tumblr too, still waiting for my AO3 invite but I uploaded it to FFnet here, but I’ll also post it here on Tumblr too. Will add the AO3 link to this post later. Feel free to give me your thoughts/criticism, I don’t bite (for I am not a dragon maybe)!

Title: With Eyes of Blue (Chapter 01/??) Summary: The four Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards become real and Rivalshippy co-parenting shenanigans ensue, because why not? Post-canon, pre-DSOD, minor Rivalshipping, with both of these dorks mourning over their favorite Pharaoh, who is probably laughing at this from the afterlife. Minor profanity, fluffy and H/C-y with some comedic elements, not sure how far the Rivalshipping will go yet. WIP obviously. Canon: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (duh) Rating: T for minor profanity, plus dragon violence in future chapters Language: English Genres: Hurt/Comfort / Humor Words: 2,411 Main Characters: Yugi Mutou, Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba (best dragon uncle uwu)

Note: This is my first fanfic in a long time (and my previous ones were absolutely awful because I wrote them as an immature teenager, lmao) so hopefully I don't fail too hard! I feel like I should apologize in advance if I muck up Kaiba's characterization at all, I love him, but I'm much more experienced with Puzzleshipping, so I'm bound to make mistakes with everybody's BEWDy-loving billionaire. This actually popped into my head before I even knew it was Rivalshipping Week 2021 on AO3, but hopefully Rivalshippers will see it as a nice treat even if I'm neutral on the ship itself. I also posted this on my Tumblr and I'll have it on AO3 after the waiting list period. Characterization based off subs rather than dub, by the way. Enjoy! Also, shout out to my beta reader Kelsi/ItazuranaKitsune!

* * * *

Chapter One: We Don't Talk Anymore (Like We Used To Do)

* * * *

Months had passed since the Ceremonial Duel, and although Yugi was glad that Atem had been put to rest, it was hard adjusting to having his body to himself again. Sometimes he mumbled to himself, forgetting that there was nobody there to talk back to him. Certain times, his friends would notice and show concern, but he would insist that it wasn't a big deal, just a habit to get over. He was fine, really! Although maybe he wasn't just trying to convince them, but himself as well.

This particular day though, he had just gotten home from Burger World after grabbing some lunch. Opting to enter through the game shop portion of the building, he intended on grabbing a pack of cards or two before running up to his bedroom. Maybe it would be a welcome distraction from the pain, even though talking about new cards was something that he enjoyed doing with Atem, too. Damn it, yet another reminder of his dear friend.

After unlocking the front door of the game shop, Yugi paused as he could hear the sound of boxes being pushed around behind the front counter. Pausing in an attempt to decipher what it was, he could hear it happening again. "...Grandpa?" He raised his voice asking the next question. "You're down here getting the shop ready on a Saturday?"

He wasn't able to see his grandfather standing over the counter, but maybe he was bent over cutting boxes open? Curious, Yugi wandered over with his Burger World bag in hand as he walked past the counter and turned to look at whatever was behind it making so much noise.

But it sure wasn't Sugoroku Mutou making so much commotion. Strangely enough, it was a small Blue Eyes White Dragon, probably about the size of the average adult Siberian husky, potentially 20 inches (51 cm) tall at the withers and maybe 45 lbs (20 kg), assuming that it hadn't eaten too much of the Kame game shop's stock prior to being discovered.

The small but suddenly very real Duel Monster exhaled some air through its nostrils as it looked Yugi over, before moving its gaze toward that yummy-smelling bag in his hand and grumbling curiously. Out of sheer shock, Yugi gasped, took a step back, and accidentally tripped, falling butt-first onto an open box of Duel Monster cards. Fortunately, the strange dragon didn't seem to mean him any harm, only interested in getting a whiff of his food.

"Huh... Are you hungry?" He opened the bag and reluctantly took out a burger and unwrapped it, a little displeased about sharing his meal. Fortunately, he had bought two burgers and a side of French fries. He didn't even need to lower his arm before the partially unwrapped burger was snatched out of his grip and chewed happily by the ravenous little dragon. The strange creature quickly swallowed the food without hesitation and started licking its lips, looking up at Yugi for more. "Sorry, buddy, I've gotta eat too, you know," he said as he carefully pushed himself up and off of the now dented box.

"Yugi? Did you call me?" asked Sugoroku as he walked in behind Yugi, before seeing what all the commotion was about. "What the---?!"

The King of Games grimaced as his grandfather saw what was in front of them, although at least it confirmed that he wasn't somehow hallucinating all of this. "Yeah, I'll... I'll call Kaiba, I guess. Just keep mom busy so she doesn't come down here." He sure didn't need to ask Sugoroku twice! The elder Mutou simply nodded and left, chuckling to himself about how Ancient Egyptian magic was interrupting his grandson's life yet again.

After a few moments, Yugi sighed, reaching for the phone and then starting to dial some buttons. After all, who else could Yugi possibly call about a Blue Eyes White Dragon suddenly becoming very much real?

Ring ring ring... Somebody answered fairly quickly, it was Mokuba.

"Hey Yugi, long time no talk. What's up?" Mokuba answered, genuinely curious why the King of Games decided to call them up. Yugi simply chuckled nervously before replying.

"Hahah, hey Mokuba... Funny story, but I'm having a little bit of a situation here..." It only took Mokuba a couple of seconds to decipher what he meant, especially after what had happened with his brother and Yugi's grandpa so long ago.

"...You too, huh? Do you need us to send somebody over?" Mokuba offered. Yugi could hear the small dragon making some noise behind him, but he paid it no mind, assuming it was sticking its nose into some boxes or something. He could feel its smooth head bumping against the side of his torso, but he simply gave it a light elbowing and a shush, not wanting to be distracted.

"Yeah, I'd really appreciate it. Grandpa knows, but I really don't need my mom finding out..." The Mutou household might not have had any pets, but Yugi was pretty damn sure that his mom would absolutely not want a real life dragon living in their home. Who knows how big it would grow and how much it would cost to feed it anyway?

"On it, just hold tight, okay?"

Before Mokuba hung up, Yugi gave a grunt in reply, only to turn around and discover that the rest of his lunch was missing, even the wrappers. At least there was a very content little dragon eyeing him down, he could definitely imagine that it would be asking "Got any more of that?" if it was able to actually speak. At least it seemed to be able to understand him just fine, which made the language barrier more bearable.

Even after losing his whole meal, he couldn't help but chuckle and let out another sigh as he brushed his hand against the top of its scaley little head. Disappointing for sure, and yet... so cute. "You might've stolen my lunch, but I guess I can't stay mad at you. You like Burger World too, huh?" The Blue Eyes made a happy grumble in response and pushed its head against the underside of Yugi's hand, wanting more pets and maybe even an extra side of fries if he was somehow hiding more somewhere. Now both of them had to deal with an insatiable appetite, since they were both hungry for more. Oh well.

It didn't take too long for a Kaiba Corp limo to pull up in front of Kame game shop, maybe 20 minutes since Yugi made the phone call. To be quite honest, he was just glad that he was able to hide the dragon behind the counter and that nobody walked by and wanted to come inside to talk to the King of Games to ask for an autograph or something. He quickly grabbed a blanket from the other room and placed it over the dragon's body, putting it over its head last. "I can't risk letting somebody see you while we get in the car, okay?" The Blue-Eyes let out another grumble as a reply; Yugi assumed that it was fine with that since it didn't seem to be rebelling against him at all.

"Follow my voice, got it?" Yugi gave the dragon a pat on the head before grabbing his keys and leading it to the front door. After opening the door, he looked around to see if the coast was clear before calling the Blue-Eyes to walk out with him, its broad body swaying side to side. Mokuba pushed the back seat door open before scooting to the other side to give Yugi and the Blue-Eyes room to get in. "You know, I almost forgot about your grandpa's card when Seto woke up to dragons this morning. He still can't believe that he's got 3 real dragons at home that he doesn't know what to do with!"

Yugi chuckled in response as he gave the dragon a light push into the back seat, only for it to sit next to Mokuba and start sniffing him curiously, not worried about part of the blanket falling off and exposing its head and long neck. Locking the door behind him, he walked back to the car and gently moved the dragon's tail out of the way so that he could sit down, and then he closed the car door behind him. The driver nodded at them and started driving. At least he didn't seem to be freaking out either; Yugi wasn't sure how he was able to stay mostly calm himself, but then again, he had already dealt with a lot of weirdness due to the Millennium Puzzle and all of the mysteries around it.

"Yeah, it's crazy, huh? I can't imagine how your brother would react, knowing how much he loves Blue-Eyes White Dragons." Yugi replied, trying not to laugh too hard to himself about a certain billionaire's BEWD obsession.

Mokuba shot Yugi a smirk of his own, "Oh, he's excited, all right. Very confused because it doesn't make any logical sense, but also very excited." Yugi could feel the dragon bumping its head into his torso once again, and simply rested his hand on its head, closing his eyes and trying to make some sense of all this. Then again, if Seto Kaiba wasn't able to do so, how could he?

* * * *

Earlier that day at the Kaiba residence, Seto Kaiba was already awake and dressed, getting ready for his day. Like Yugi, he also felt a strange emptiness in his heart that Atem's presence used to fill, and was on his way to his safe room to grab his deck so that he could duel his deceased rival using virtual reality. It was his way of coping, and really, it wasn't quite fair that Yugi got one final duel with Atem, but not him. Not that he hadn't already frequently done that sort of thing already...

He was standing in front of the room about to key in his PIN when he paused, hearing a strange noise inside. A burglar? Impossible; An alarm would've gone off if somebody had somehow broken in. Besides, who would dare attempt to incur his wrath anyway? Seto shook his head in an attempt to distract himself from his thoughts as he rushed to input his PIN and get inside as soon as possible. Maybe he was just hearing things after not sleeping well the night before and his morning coffee hadn't quite kicked in yet, that must have been it.

Yet when the door was opened, there was definitely something bizarre in front of him, even if it wasn't a burglary in progress.

Seto was enthralled by the sight before him; 3 majestic Blue-Eyes White Dragons gleaming from the light shining in from his window. They may have scratched up his floor a tad while exploring the room in search for an exit, but the sight of their master placated them for the time being, now that they didn't have to worry so much about escaping such a cramped room. He could almost feel a whispered "Beautiful..." escape his lips, due to the sheer amazement at what was happening in front of him. Yet at the same time, it simply didn't make any sense, just like a lot of the strange happenings in his life. Such was the life of Domino City's resident billionaire.

"Hey Seto, I thought you were grabbing your deck so we could--- huh?!" Mokuba walked into the room behind Kaiba, wondering why it was taking his older brother so long to simply grab his Duel Monsters deck, and was also shocked at what the two of them were looking at. The three dragons looked over at Mokuba, before gazing back at their master, as if they were waiting for his command for what to do next. One of them made a noise similar to clearing its throat, feeling a little impatient that Seto hadn't done much yet, while not wanting to offend him at all.

"Mokuba, I'm going to need you to make a few phone calls..." What exactly would he need? Perhaps a veterinarian to study them and see what makes them tick? How big were they going to get, would he need to buy out a large property to contain them and commission somebody to build them a shelter? Could he train them to fly and use Burst Streams to protect him and Mokuba? He had so many questions, although he couldn't quite get answers for them yet.

"On it, big brother! Just tell me what you need!"

This was going to be a long and complicated day for sure.

* * * *

Note: Calling all Kaiba experts! I don't know enough of his mind to know what he'd name his three BEWDs, any suggestions? Already got a name in mind for Yugi's. A friend of mine suggested Rex (Latin for "king") which I think would be pretty fitting for a male BEWD and another friend suggested maybe Brutus (an actual king), but I was thinking all 4 BEWDs would be girls so they could all be daddy's girls so I don't know, I'm undecided, hahah. Maybe one could be named after their uncle Mokuba somehow? "Best" I could think of was Ki, Sa, and Ra (for Kisara), but that's also kind of silly and not "cool" enough for Seto Kaiba. Anyway, give your input because my brain can't come up with anything that sounds good. uwu

#yugioh fanfic #yugioh fanfiction #yugioh #rivalshipping #blue eyes white dragon #fanfiction #fanfiction: canon: yugioh dm #fanfiction: name: with eyes of blue #if you want to know what song i listened to while writing this just look at the chapter title #i also listened to WAP for some variety and to cheer myself up LMFAOOOO #plus some bebe rexha #surprisingly no britney spears #i'm a disappointment to every musician i listen to even if i didn't listen to their music while writing this

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hwalloween · 4 years ago

Text

Rainy Days (YuSan X Reader)

Pairing: Boyfriend!Yunho X Reader X Boyfriend!San

Synopsis: Rainy days weren’t your favorites, but that one took the trophy. Thank god you had Yunho and San to help out.

Genre: Fluff fluff fluff, a tiny bit of crack

Word Count: 1.7k

Warning: Poly Relationship, just a lot of gushy mushy stuff, mention of period stuff, some swearing, there is nudity but it’s just really UwU

Tag: @galaxteez you said you’re in your period so

A/N: This is the fluffiest I can get before my filfthy brain gets in the way. This is for all the people that are in their period now, I feel you baby

Rainy days weren‘t definitely your favorites. The thunders and storms, swings on the internet, the inability of going outside and doing something much better than just staring at the TV. Everything about it seemed to make you down. But that rainy day, that was the worst of the worst.

Laying on the couch, you were in a fetal position, eyes closed, hands together on top of the low part of your stomach, mind too busy to care with anything else but the pain. Oh the pain. If dying inside could have a sensation, you were pretty sure that would be it, a stabbing pain of a thousand knives running through your entire body, concentrating just on your most sensitive part. For your misfortune, you had woken up on your period, and as if destiny had decided to mock your face, there were no painkillers in the kitchen, which made you get even grumpier. The only solution by now was just lay somewhere and cry while the solution didn’t appear at your door.

But you weren’t suffering alone, oh no, a period cramp is a collective cramp. Your boyfriends were also having a hard time, not by trying to please you, but by seeing you suffering without being able to do much so. Yunho was by your side, gently rubbing your back and frowning each time you moaned out of pain, wondering if there was something he could do. San was long gone, having left the house to get groceries for what was supposed to be a movie night, but had become more of a horror movie itself. Rolling in your back, you stared at the selling with teary eyes, the cramps were undeniably hard that day.

— Hey, come here - You heard Yunho speak up, groaning just at the thought of having to move a single finger. Chuckling lightly, your boyfriend involved your body on his arms, pulling you off the couch and placing you on his lap, hugging you tightly as you hide your face on the crook of his neck, smelling the fresh perfume he had.

— I know you’re in pain, San is buying everything you need. But in the meanwhile, is there anything I can do? - His puppy eyes stared at you with worry, hands rubbing your lower back to try and sooth you.

— I don’t know… - You moaned quietly, putting your cheek against his broad shoulders and looking back at him with even puppier eyes - Can you magically take the pain of me?

— No… - He said quietly, a sad tone coating his voice. Biting his lower lip, Yunho looked around the apartment, trying to find a temporary solution. As if a light had clicked upon his head, he picked you up, legs around his waist, and carried you all the way over to the kitchen, placing you on the counter top and moving to the shelves. Losing the warm contact with Yunho made you pout, bringing your legs to your chest and resting your face on your knees, they weren’t wrong when calling you their little baby.

You got curious when you saw Yunho grabbing two mugs, then going to the fridge and searching for something. Just as you were about to ask him what he was doing, a painful cramp hitted you, making you close your eyes shut due to the pain and hug your legs even more, whining and sobbing a little, that was a nightmare.

— Hey, got you something, I guess - Looking up, you saw your boyfriend holding one of the mugs, specifically your mug, and you could see a little bit of steam coming out of it. Grabbing gently, you noticed that there was hot cocoa inside, the little bubbles popping themselves and disappearing. That put a little smile on your face, looking back at the tall boy in front of you, that wrapped his arms around you and gave you a gentle peck in the lips. Just as you were about to give a little sip, key sounds were heard, the front door then opening and revealing a soaked San with grocery bags. He waved one of the bags, a little one, a tired smile appearing on his face.

— Got the painkillers, and some other stuff - He said with a chuckle. The solution had, indeed, appeared in your door. Kicking off his shoes and entering, you could see the droplets of rain all over his jacket and jeans, his hair all wet and sticking to his forehead.

— Just in time, Y/N was about to drink something - Yunho said, looking at you with a little smile. God you loved your boyfriends. San came to the kitchen, placing the groceries by your side and then stuffing his hand inside the small bag, pulling out three medicine boxes.

— I didn’t know how much you needed, so I grabbed three just in case… - The younger said shyly, handing over one of the boxes to you. You grabbed his arm as he did, pulling him lightly and then giving him a loving kiss, thanking for his effort and thoughtfulness. Popping one of the pills out, you put the medicine in your tongue, giving a big gulp of the hot cocoa and swallowing everything together. It burned your throat lightly, but was worth it to feel no more pain in the next couple of hours.

— Gosh, I think I need a shower - San commented, looking at himself. He was, indeed, soaking wet, which you would normally think was hot, but in that context, could get him a cold.

— I could make a use of one too… - You mumbled, sipping on the drink and thinking. Maybe a shower could get all the yucky feeling off of your body.

— Let’s all go together, this way the bill is smaller - Yunho concluded, using his strong arms to get you off of the counter top.

— Can we all fit in the bathtub? I mean, the shower barely holds tw- - San began, but Yunho fastly shushed him, putting a finger on the younger’s lips and shaking his head.

— We can fit there, that bathtub is more powerful than you think - You and San looked at each other questionly, then looking back at the tall boy - I’ll go grab the clothes, you two to the bathroom, now.

Without missing a beat, both you and San moved to the bathroom, a shiver going down your spine as soon as a little bit of clothing started to come off. It was rather cold that day, so your skin had goosebumps all the way over to your toes, hands slightly shaking as you took off your pajamas and placed them to the side. San, on the other hand, was already naked, checking the temperature of the water, making sure it was warm and nice for you. No matter how many times you saw them without clothes, San’s and Yunho’s body still amazed you, the fine lines and curves of them being more than eye-candy to you. Sitting on the rather large tub, the dark-haired boy motioned for you to come, guiding you to sit on his lap.

— Harsh day? - He asked, placing his chin on your shoulder, arms sliding around your waist and holding you dearly. You confirmed with your head, letting yourself rest against his body, hearing the door opening again and a tall figure come in with some comfy clothes. Yunho joined both of you in the bathtub, the warm water tickling your skin and bringing a good sensation — Y/N - You looked up, facing San’s sweet gaze - Can I wash your hair?

It wasn’t much before San’s fingers were massaging your scalp, making you feel sleepy as you slumped against him, feeling Yunho massaging your feet and legs on the other side of the tub. If heaven had a feeling, it probably was that one. You heard some giggling, looking back at the tallest of your three and seeing that he was holding back a laugh, putting his hand over his mouth to conceal the sound. Yunho must have seen how confused you looked, so he motioned back to San, who was also holding back a laugh.

— Yah! Why are both of you laughing? - You said, earning more laughs from both your boyfriends.

— Maybe you should look in the mirror, Y/N - Yunho said, grabbing a hand mirror that was in the sink close to his side. When looking at your reflexion, you finally saw what was the fuze about, and you hitted San’s chest, making him laugh even more

— Why did you make horns with my hair, San?! - You splashed water on his face, seeing as he stopped laughing and throwed water back at you, accidentally hitting Yunho and starting a water fight. If the bathroom was clean, it wasn’t anymore. Your faces were all wet, and bubbles were flying through the room, the pain you had on your body was long forgotten as your hands fluffed your hair, taking off the horns. Yunho was the first to leave the bath, offering you a hand and helping you out, while San also got up and put a towel around your figure, making you warm again. Yunho placed you on top of the sink counter, giving you a kiss on the forehead as he grabbed the clothes, unfolding them and helping you to get yourself on them.

Warm and comfy, you three directed yourselves to the living room, grabbing the rest of the bags San had brought on the way. The boys opened the couch, and you guys plopped yourselves on it, throwing a blanket over everyone and cuddling all together. On the bags, there were various snacks and sweets, everything your mother would absolutely prohibe to eat on the daily, so it was even yummier. San grabbed the TV control, deciding to put on some random movie, just to have something to do. You yawned, feeling the sleep starting to hit you after a long and painful day.

— Go to sleep, sweetheart - San said, getting even closer to you and allowing your heart to rest better on his shoulder.

— We’ll be here if you need, now rest - Yunho completed, making sure that the blanket was covering you nicely. Both boys gave you a little peck, eyeing on you as your own eyes started to close and you quickly drifted off to dreamland.

Rainy days weren’t definitely your favorites, but at least you had your two favorite boys in the world to make it better.

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plush-rabbit · 4 years ago

Text

Can I Ask You Something?

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

You were online a week later.

It was a boring day, with a slow start and by night, you were starting to feel restless, your feet bouncing and an empty bag of chips rests on your nightstand. You were itching for something to do, anything to distract but no show or game could hold your attention. You throw your head back and gnaw at your bottom lip.

Your fingers tap against the keyboard, and with a glance at the time, you pull up the calendar for the group time slots and with a fairly positive outlook that that you wouldn’t run into the other team members, you booted up the game, and started a simple mission but even then your attention couldn’t be held. The game had already lost its spark for you.

You admit that you reacted childishly in response to being yelled at. You were always sensitive, you cried too much and took everything personally even if you tried not to but for some reason it just hit different when he had yelled at you.

You were so angry with him at the time. But when you awoke the next day, you were angry with yourself. You made that dumb post and now you had to hold off for a month to show that his words didn’t hurt you- you had a point to prove, you didn’t want to seem as someone who reacted so childishly.

You thought you would miss the game but having not played for a period of time, you were starting to enjoy your time. You slept a bit earlier, your back wasn’t sore from hunching over and you had started to pick up old hobbies that you dropped when you got sucked into this game. Picking it back up, the game no longer felt the same. You remember you could get lost in this game for hours, you liked the customization options, the weapons, and the soundtrack was pretty good, but for now as you wandered around a forest, looking for a crystal that wouldn’t be of any real use to you seeing as you had already decided to quit the game for good, you were grateful for the distraction.

But as the clock ticked on, you had already grown bored, feeling your joints become sore and a headache forming. You were about to exit out of the game and pray that none of the members would see that you were active but then a ‘ding’ startled you awake. You peeked at the corner of the screen, a familiar icon popping up. You frowned, your shoulders slumped and you debated with yourself on whether you should open the message or not but your curiosity won over.

>Are you quitting the game or not?

“Blunt as always,” you thought to yourself, your fingers already typing at the keyboard.

<User_Name>

>Yeah:P

His reply came a second later.

>Why?

You wanted to type, “Why do you care?” You really did. You had the words on screen, the cursor blinking back at you, but you couldn’t force yourself to press the ‘Enter’ key. The corner of your mouth twitched and you backspaced, the message disappearing and replaced by another.

<User_Name>

>I don’t know. I’m kinda sick of it, you know? The user base is p toxic and I know that can be said for most games but I don’t know┐(´～｀)┌

>Plus after taking a break and coming back to it,,, the game doesn’t feel the same anymore

>I’m kind of bored of it

>That’s stupid

You let of a scoff, rolling your eyes at his answer.

<User_Name>

>I have been known to be pretty dumb

>I’m sure you’ve called me stupid before too lol

You watch as the three dots bubble up and down the screen, signifying his reply is being typed out and having no other form of entertainment, you take in a deep breath and with butterflies flapping around in your stomach, you type out more before he can reply to your original message.

>Will you be fine without me?

>You won’t miss your bestest pal uwu

On the other side of the screen, Shigaraki narrows his eyes. His eyes shine dangerously, and he’s positive if you knew who were talking to, you’d be shaking and begging for you life. Or perhaps you’d be dead. He’s not sure.

>I have better ‘friends’ than you

“Ouch.” You cringe inwardly. “Strike one.”

<User_Name>

>Wow, rude much??

>Well if I’m quitting, do you want my stuff? I’ve racked up a decent amount of gold and other stuff:P

“I sound like I’m dying and writing my will, stop being weird about it. You never even meet the dude,” you mumble to yourself, grateful that the voice chat function was off. “Oh my god. He could be like super old or something”

>Does it look like I take handouts?

“Is that a strike two?” You chewed on the idea of your cheek. “If I have to ask, it probably was.”

<User_Name>

Can I ask you something?

You just did

<User_Name>

:////

You were about to type out your question, the four words staring back at you unblinking. It would be weird, right? Of course it would be. And even if you did ask him that, the odds of him accepting would be slim. Plus, if he did reject, that would be strike three and you really didn’t want to strike out so much.

>Well?

<User_Name>

>Um,,,

>How old are you?

You threw your head into your hands and let out an agonized moan. Maybe you should just delete your account now. You don’t even know the guy’s name and he doesn’t know yours. So you could just delete your account and that would be it. You’d never have to speak to him ever again.

>You’re weird

You start laughing.

<User_Name>

>Says the guy who would tell other players to be careful who they’re talking to

>Who are you? Light Yagami?

>That’s a shit reference

<User_Name>

>You got it tho

>(ʃƪ¬‿¬)

>Why do you want to know?

“You have nothing to lose really,” you try to convince yourself as a way to just get to talk to him more.

<User_Name>

>I don’t know

>After a while, I always thought of you as a friend

>The other members sorta liked me, but I think it was more of them putting up with me

>But I thought we were beginning to form a friendship so I don’t know

>I guess a dumb part of me thought we could’ve been friends outside of the game:P

Shigaraki stares at the screen in disbelief. You must not have much or any friends at all if you thought he was being friendly. He’s positive that he would kill you if he knew you in real life. Probably right away if he met you on the street or maybe he’d take you as a hostage. He’s sure that he’d kill you but now he’s not sure when.

>You really are dumb

<User_Name>

>I can’t tell if you mean it or not

>Knowing you, you probably do

>Can I say good-bye to you? Like facecam wise?

He’d kill you on sight.

<User_Name>

>You don’t have to turn your camera on!! I guess, as my last like dumb wish, I wanna say bye?

>Pleaseee（/｡＼)

>I’ll promise to log out afterwards

Shigaraki stares at your messages, trying to gauge at what you’re trying to get at. Do you really want to just say bye? Who the hell gets so emotional in a fucking game? But he would be lying is he said he wasn’t at least a bit curious to see what you look like. Maybe if he’s lucky you’ll be attractive and he could probably jerk at the thought of you before he goes to bed.

>I’m not showing my face

You smile at his answer. It’s the best that you were hoping for and you start to brush your hair out of your face, checking the mirror on your nightstand to see if you look presentable.

<User_Name>

>Fine by me

>It’ll be quick, promise:)

And soon he’s staring at the pop-up screen asking if he’d like to request a video call from you. He’s tempted to click no. He cranes his head behind him and once he’s certain that the door is closed, he accepts your call.

You pop up on screen. You’re cute, that’s as much as he’s willing to admit. You adjusting yourself, putting a strand of hair behind your ear before you realize that the call has been accepted. You look startled, and a shade of pink fills in your cheeks. You giggle nervously, waving a hand at the screen.

“Ahaha, hi!” You giggle nervously and he’s pretty sure you’re already regretting this decision. “So like I promised to keep this short and all, so I will.” You looked determined; you stand a bit straighter and take in a deep breath. You remind him of an anime character, someone with exaggerated movements and he’s positive that you’ve confessed your feelings to someone before in that same action.

“Now, now,” his voice freezes you in place, he reminds me you of snake, slithering towards their unassuming prey and you’re pretty sure that’s what he’s trying to convey, “what’s the rush? I thought we were “bestest friends”.” His voice is sickly sweet, taunting you with words that you’ve spoken. His words make you nervous, your hands clenching together and your stomach forming knots.

And suddenly it’s clicked in your mind that he wants to make you feel uncomfortable. He’s probably getting off at the thought of it. And while he is succeeding at that, you don’t want to lose whatever game he’s playing.

“Ha! You admitted it.” You swallow the lump in your throat and flex your fingers. “Okay bestie,” the way you say the word is like you’re trying to bait him into something, and even you’re not sure what you’re leading him into, “I gotta ask. Are you an old man? You sound kind of creepy. Not like a pervy creepy but like you’re gonna kidnap me and murder me in your basement kind of creepy.”

He laughs and you decide that you want to hear more of it- even if it does sound eerie.

“Do me a favor? If you do end up kidnapping me, can you at least bring me a smoothie from BlueBird’s?” You test out your luck, hoping that he’ll play along so you’re not the only talking and maybe it’ll disrupt whatever ruse he was planning.

“What flavor?” He sneered, playing at this sick roleplay that you made up.

You smiled brightly, as if you had gotten one over him, and surprisingly, he didn’t hate your smile. He’s seen all sorts of smiles directed towards him- crazed, trying to get into his good graces, smiles that held murderous intent but yours just looked happy, happy that you were talking to him. Illuminated by a yellow glow, his sneer looks more twisted, his upper lip curling in a twisted way and crimson eyes narrowed with revulsion.

“Mango, please and thank you.” You nodded your head, your smile wasn’t gentle as it was before, it was now playful, as if you wanted to continue this whole kidnapping scenario. He wanted to see how long this conversation would go before you said goodbye. For good. “Anyways, I said I’d make this quick and I will. I—”

“I’m not an old man.”

You laughed at his answer, covering your smile with your hand, and you looked up at him, your eyes brimming with mischief and excitement.

“Okay. And I’m not some elderly person either.”

“Yeah dumbass, I can see that.”

You crossed your arms and you continued to smile at him. “I get that we’re besties and all, but do you really have to keep insulting me?” You pouted your lips, before they broke out into a toothy smile, it was a bit forced but it was only to show that you were joking around with him.

“Is there any other type of friendship?” He genuinely sounded a bit curious.

“Mm, maybe?” You tilted you head to the side and he had a fleeting thought that you reminded him of a cat. “I mean, when I’m with my friends, we joke a lot but we don’t really insult each other too often.” You frowned a bit, your eyebrows furrowed before returning to the screen, giving out a half smile and shrugging your shoulders. “Thin skin, I guess.” A pause was in the air, too uncomfortable for your liking. “Are your friendships like that? Insulting, I mean.”

He hesitated for a second before replying, his voice drenched in fake nonchalance, “That’s a dumb question.”

You took that as a clue to not dwell on the subject any longer. You nodded to yourself forgetting that you were screen, only to hear him chortle on the other side.

“Are you agreeing that it’s a dumb question?”

You stretched your mouth into a nervous smile, heat lighting your cheeks as you racked your brain for a solid excuse on why you nodded to yourself. “Um, yeah?” You didn’t sound confident in the slightest but Shigaraki was curious on how you would save your own skin this time even if this conversation was rather dull. “Like, I guess it would make sense that you said that.” You brought your hands up, and shrugged them, your fingers curling inwards. “It was you who like really enforced the rule about not talking about your personal life so it makes sense that you wouldn’t want to talk about your IRL friend groups.” You leaned further back, your pillows providing comfort against the hard wood that was your bed frame.

No noise came from him other than that of fabric being moved around and scratching at the microphone. “Did you really just say ‘IRL’ instead of ‘in real life’?” He sounded smug about it, as if he had proof that you were a total dweeb. “I never took you for one of those people.” He said ‘those people’ as if it left a sour taste in his mouth.

You let out a nervous laugh, before it grew into a snicker with your eyes shut. “First of all, ‘IRL” is faster to say compared to ‘in real life’ so jot that down. Second of all,” you tilted your chin upwards, giving you a false sense of superiority, “you’re the only always going on about “eat shit and die” and “suck my dick”,” your voice dropped an octave, a poor imitation of the man who hide behind a black screen. “So if I’m one of those people, then you’re like the poster boy of a gamer gatekeeper.”

“It’s not my fault other players are shit.” He breathed out.

“Oh yeah, the other players are shit; it totally isn’t you acting better than everyone.” You rolled your eyes, shaking your head, your tone teasing.

“I’m glad you agree,” he replied, letting out huffs of air through his nose.

It grew silent once more, and this time you weren’t uncomfortable with it, it had actually felt nice. Comfortable, even. Well at least as comfortable as it could get when you couldn’t see the other game but he could see you and all your mannerisms. You clasped your hands together, intertwining them, your attention focused on the black that took up nearly all of your screen, save for your own square that held you on the left hand corner.

“I think,” you started out, the words heavy on your lips, “I think I’m ready to say goodbye.” Once you started, you couldn’t stop. A part of you wished he would interrupt and maybe ask for your email or phone number so you could continue to keep in contact, but you knew that wouldn’t happen. Whatever this was, this odd one-sided friendship, stayed and died here. “It was fun talking to you. Even if you were a dick.” You gave the man a smile, you hoped that it was seen as happy, teasing one. “I liked this one-sided friendship. Even if it hadn’t lasted for long.” You bite down on your lips, your teeth dragging against your dry, bottom lip and you reached over to your nightstand, grabbing your chapstick, rubbing the tube with your fingers before clenching it in one hand. “It was nice knowing you Tomaraki. Take care, okay?”

You didn’t wait for his reply- you knew that you wouldn’t get one. You scrolled your mouse of to the telephone outline, and as you were about to click it, his voice rasped out, telling you to wait. Startled you pulled back, the mouse jerked downwards, moving past the outline and you stared at him, eyes wide and head cocked to the side, waiting for him to speak further.

He hadn’t known why he shouted for you to wait. He didn’t even want to talk to you in the first place, it was your promise that you would leave him alone that even convinced him to accept your request but here he was, barking at you to wait as you stared at him with owlish eyes and a closed mouth as you gave him the floor to speak. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know why he sounded so frantic at the thought of you leaving and then quitting the game, any form of communication getting erased within minutes.

“I,” he started out, grateful that the screen was black on his end, his hands coming up to pick at his neck, “What’s that?” He was going to kick himself later, he was sure of it.

You tilted your head, your eyes narrowing before landing on the tube in your hand. “This?” You held the tube upright, a confused smile gracing your features. “It’s chapstick. It’s uh-” you turned the tube over, looking for the label where it stated its flavor- “It’s vanilla honey flavored.” You opened the tube and rubbed the chapstick on your lips, smacking them together. “Why? You looking for recommendations?”

He decided to go for a truth, knowing that it wouldn’t give anything away. “I have dry lips.”

“Oh.” You pursed your lips, and you scratched at the area where your jawline meets your neck. “I’m not knowledgeable about the different types of chapsticks, I usually like to get the ones that have a nice flavor. I had this peppermint one but I lost it. Are you drinking enough water? That should help too. You could also try lip scrubs. You don’t have to buy them, you could always make them at home but you’d need brown sugar for a rougher feel.” You rambled on, moving your hands around, and his eyes stayed trained at your moving hands, your voice growing distant. He could only hum in response as you continued to talk and mention stores that sold lip scrubs.

“Uh, Toma? You there?” You asked, your hands clenching and bringing them closer to your chest.

He raised his eyebrows at the sound of a nickname. “Toma?”

“Hah, uh yeah. Tomaraki is too long, I mean unless you want me to call you something else?” You seemed invested with continuing the conversation and he could understand why. You always craved attention- always undermined your skills, all so someone could praise you. But why did he want to continue this conversation? Was it simply because he had someone talk to him about mundane things, things that didn’t carry so much weight? Was it because you treated him as if he were a person first, rather than a villain?

“No. No I don’t mind.” His voice came out softer than he expecting, than you were expecting given that your eyes widen, your mouth pulled into an ‘o’ shape before you smiled gently at him, your lips turning slightly upwards.

“Okay.” You held your breath for a second. “Do you wanna call me by my name?” Your voice was soft, matching his tone from earlier.

He wanted to snap at you, asking why he would even want to but he couldn’t bring himself to. He didn’t know how to answer you without snapping. But you took pity on him, his silence deafening and you told him your name, you voice sweet and heating him up from within, the heat pooling in his stomach before travelling upwards into his chest, a momentary blast of warmth before it faded away. He tested your name on his tongue, the word heavy and foreign on his tongue. He repeated your name, the odd feeling being replaced by familiarity.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” You smiled, your tone playful but still soft, as you sank deeper into your mattress, your legs aching in protest from being in a still position for so long.

He didn’t have a comeback. He remained silent, repeating your name in his head, the tone of your voice when you asked him if he had wanted to know and when you spoke it, invading all of his thoughts.

“You know,” you started out, stifling a yawn behind a hand, “if you had wanted to continue this conversation you could’ve just said so. I don’t mind talking to you.”

“You’re tired.” He opted to avoid confirming or denying your accusation.

“It’s late, of course I’m tired.” He suddenly took notice of the way your eyes were starting to droop, how your eyes would widen, forcing them to stay open.

“You should go to bed.” His voice was stiff, he didn’t want to continue this conversation but he saw you frown, your lips downturned, noticing the difference in tone but you quickly smiled, any features of disappointment being erased.

“But this conversation was just getting good,” You whined, another yawn coming out, tears pricking your eyes. “Hey, I got a dumb idea,” you said.

“All your ideas are dumb,” he muttered underneath his breath, missing the fall of your face that disappeared before he could turn back.

“You want my number?” You ran a hand through your hair, swallowing deeply, your mouth suddenly dry and the chapstick on your lips too heavy. “If you want, of course. You don’t have to exchange yours. But you aren’t obligated to reply to me either. Obviously.”

He hesitated to answer; both to see you squirm in your seat but also because he was unsure. Did he want to continue this friendship that would only end sour, that wouldn’t progress further than what it already was. He reasoned to himself that if the friendship was going to stay stagnated, what was the harm of saying yes? What was the harm of talking to you a bit longer?

He nodded his head, only to realize that you couldn’t see him. The only reason you weren’t reporting him to the police, calling and screaming for heroes was because you couldn’t see him. A hand reached over to grab Father, his other hand tugging at the skin on his neck, feeling the cold air of the room sting at the raw flesh. Your reaction to his answer gave him an odd sense of pride on how you had swelled up, giving him a wide grin, the smile reaching your eyes and you sat up straighter, asking him if he was ready and you began to tell him your phone number, repeating it to make sure he had gotten it down correctly, the grin on your lips never leaving.

Ten minutes later, your account was deleted, all assets transferred over to Toma. Your eyes burned with sleep, the blankets on top of you suddenly weighed a ton, and right before you gave in to sleep, butterflies slowly started to form in your stomach.

In a dark room, only lit up by the screen of his phone, Shigaraki stays up, his eyes burning with the need for sleep as he just stares blankly at the your number. He wonders to himself why he had even agreed to accept your number, but he couldn’t go back in time and reject your offer- the most he could do was not message you. He closed his eyes, his mind drifting back and forth between ignoring you tomorrow or attempt to have a conversation with you.

Tagged:

@rogueofbullshit

#shigaraki tomura #shigaraki tomura x reader #bnha shigaraki tomura #bnha shigaraki #tomura shigaraki x reader #shigaraki headcanons #shigaraki x reader #i havent touched this in a while #i made a few changes to it #yikes #reading #its a slow burn for those who are interested #anyways #should have a new one shot in two days #so adios #ciays

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fbfh · 5 years ago

Text

Light Up the Dark - [IV] Leo x reader

genre: romance + action + enemies to lovers kinda

word count: 2k

au: none

pairing: Leo x gothy!child of eros!fem reader

requested: nah

warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR HEROES OF OLYMPUS!!, normal reader being mean lol, mentions of abandonment issues, a breakup over skype call basically, reader uses seduction powers for fun and profit, i think that’s it

summary: You pull some strings to get a hotel room and some cash, the boys get to know you a little better, and you overhear something you probably shouldn’t have.

listen to: bad liar - imagine dragons

a/n: since the reader is a daughter of Eros, the characters are aged to 18+ idk i think i forgot to put that on the other chapters lol

also requests r open uwu

“What do you mean she’s not coming?” Leo asks, all the bad feelings quickly overtaking him.

“She said she wanted to sight see more, and that she’d meet us back at camp in a few days,” Jason says, trying to break the news as gently as possible, “I’m sorry, Leo.”

He bit back his heartache.

“Yeah, it’s…”

The door creaks and their heads turn to you, exiting the front door.

“Who’s driving?” you ask.

“Jason,” Leo replies. You open the passenger side door, gently place the coffin shaped box on the seat, and buckle it in. You can feel their inquisitive eyes on you, and you counter with a blank, resolute look of your own.

“This one’s special.”

You notice Leo seems… off. His whole mood seems to have plummeted. Leo reminds you of a buoy. Even in the worst storms, even if he gets caught under a huge wave, he always comes back to the surface. Based on his current vibe, someone nuked the buoy. Wheels turn in your head, and you hand him the trout mailbox.

“Could you put this in the back?” you direct your words at him, hoping the heat flushing to his cheeks would distract him from whatever made him upset. His hand brushes yours and you can almost feel his heart spasm. You make eye contact at him through your thick, dark eyelashes and he almost chokes. He agrees and you pull Jason aside.

“What happened?” you hiss.

“What?” he whispers back.

“What did you tell him to make him all lame?”

“Oh, uh…” he rubs the back of his neck and you shake your head, waiting for an answer, “Calypso’s… not coming back with us.” You wait in silence for him to keep talking.

“She said she wanted to see the world more, and she’d meet us back at camp in a few days.” You process this for a second.

“So he’s-” you catch movement out of the corner of your eye, “driving?” you ask Leo, who just came back from the trunk.

“Jason, I mean.” you clarify. He confirms, and you all get in the car - Jason up front, you and Leo in the back. You reach into your bag and hand Jason a cd that says ’fun sad angry music :)’. He stares at you through the rear view mirror. You stare back. You sip your coffee.

“Well?” you ask, “Are you going to put it in the player or eat it?” His eyes dart to Leo’s. “She gets to choose the music,” he explains. Jason mutters in agreement and fumbles the disk into the slot. A smile spreads on your face as the music plays and he starts to drive.

Leo watches you as you nod your head and mouth the lyrics. He can tell you love this song. You vibe to the music for a minute before glancing over at Leo. He realizes he’s been staring when you give him an expectant look.

“What.” you ask.

“Uh, this song is really good,” interest tints your face, and he’s relieved he recovered okay, “what’s it called?” You’re a little surprised he likes it.

“Mr. Doctor Man by Palaye Royale.” You two enjoy the music in silence, Jason focused on the road and GPS directions. A minute later, your curiosity starts to get the better of you. “How far is it?”

“Not far, a couple hours.” Leo replies.

“Is everyone there all… campfire songs and friendship bracelets? Cause I’ve never been like, a summer camp person,” your eyes flick to the side towards him for a moment, and he can tell you’re listening closely. He smiles a little.

“So what kind of person are you?”

“I’m more of a… cult documentaries and obscure unsettling 1960’s Czech animations type.” He’d never heard the words “1960’s Czech animations” sound so hot.

“What about you?”

He paused for a minute. Part of him was deciding how to respond, and the other part was just flattered giggling that she had asked him back. You talk for the next hour or two, Jason chiming in periodically, until he points out that it’s getting dark and you should find somewhere to stay for the night.

“Okay,” you reply, “pull over at the next truck stop.”

They’re a little confused, but Jason complies and pulls over at the next gas station/convenience store you come across. They watch you get out of the car without a word and walk into the store. You approach a guy near a soda display. He has on a fedora and a shirt with a kids video game logo on it. He stares at you absolutely transfixed. They can’t hear what you’re saying, but he has a dopey grin on his face and nods his head a lot. Your hand touches his arm gently, and he laughs so loudly (and nervously) they hear it from the car.

“Do I look that dumb around her?” Leo asks.

You tilt your head and he blushes and nods again. He hands you something and a second later, you two walk to the counter. The cashier looks up startled, and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. She stares at you for a second, then says something and fumbles with a cellphone you hand her. She hands you a paper a few seconds later. You give the guy his phone back. He walks to an ATM at the corner of the store. He walks over to you, but you’re in front of a display so they can’t see anything until you come back out. You get back in the car and hand Jason a piece of paper and a wad of cash.

“Got us a room at a Best Western like, ten minutes away. And some cash.”

They stare at you in silence. You lean toward Jason.

“The room is under your name, Kevin Grossman.” Leo bites back a laugh.

You finally get to the hotel, and Jason flips on his turn signal to get into the parking lot. “Park at the Walmart over there,” you point a block or two up, “under a light.” He turns his blinker off.

“Walmart doesn’t care if you park overnight. If someone sees our car at the parking lot of a hotel, we’re just leaving a target on our backs.” you explain. They don’t say anything.

“You said monsters are after us, right?”

“Yeah,” Leo said, “good thinking.” Jason agreed and you exit the car, remembering to grab the duffle bag with your clothes and other essentials. You all walk across the street to the hotel. You talk your way through checking in pretty easily. When the hostess asks to see your in app registry you hand her the printed ticket. “His phone died.” you say simply. The three of you are about to head up to your room, when you turn back to reception. You hesitate for a second, before leaning in to the receptionist.

“Can you put us as unlisted?” you ask quietly.

“Of course,” she replies sincerely, “let me know if you need anything.”

On the way up to your room, you tell Jason and Leo that if anyone asks, you’re not here. They seem impressed. Your room has a small seating area with a couch, coffee table, coat rack, and a phone. Past the half wall are three beds, a desk, a TV, and a doorway you figure leads to the bathroom. You walk into the bathroom and touch the mirror. You notice the space between your finger and reflection, and move on. You call to Leo to turn off the lights. He and Jason share a look. You may be a little weird, and incredibly intimidating, but you haven’t steered them wrong yet. Leo hits the lights, and you said quietly, “Listen for any weird buzzing or beeping noises, and look out for any out of place lights,” you creep around the room very quietly. After a minute you turn the lights back on and look at the ceiling.

“What was that about?” Jason asks.

“Bugs,” you reply, not looking at him, “and not the fun kind,” you mutter.

“Jason, can you reach that?” you point up at the smoke detector. He looked between you and the device on the ceiling.

“Don’t think so.” You looked between him and Leo. Your head might hit the ceiling if you Jason gave you a boost, but you could probably access it fine with Leo’s help.

“Leo,” you said, and he looked up from the wires he was fiddling with, “give me boost,” your gaze not leaving the smoke detector. He agrees, and you get up onto his shoulders. His hands rest just above your knees, and it takes all his focus to not burst into flames. You pop off the cover.

“This doesn’t look weird, right?” you ask him. He looks up and back at your face, hair angled down, and is reminded of the Spiderman kiss. He pushes away the thought and examines the smoke detector.

“About as non-weird as a smoke detector can look,” he confirms, and helps you down. He’s incredibly impressed that you thought to look for bugs - even he hadn’t thought of that, and he’s a son of Hephaestus.

“Where did you learn this stuff? The parking lot, being unlisted, checking for bugs?” You half exhale half scoff.

“When almost everyone in a five mile radius constantly wants to get in your pants, they can get… pushy… so you learn some stuff.” You grab your pajamas from your bag and head toward the bathroom. Leo and Jason meet eyes. It made more sense now, why you were always so intimidating. If he got constant unwanted attention, Leo would get pretty prickly, too.

Once everyone had showered and gotten ready for bed, Jason pointed out someone should IM Chiron, but you were way too tired, and collectively agreed to update him in the morning.

Right as he’s about to fall asleep, Leo feels like someone’s watching him. He opens his eyes, and sees Calypso’s face. His heart lurches. He pushes himself out of bed and sees the shimmery edges of the iris message. She opens her mouth and he holds a finger to his lips. He moves over to the couch, so he doesn’t wake the others. He sits down nervously.

“Hey, sunshine… I really miss you, what’s-”

“Look, Leo, I… I can’t do this.”

His stomach drops.

He knows what’s happening. He had it coming, he knew that. He knew that this was probably inevitable. Still, that didn’t make it hurt any less. He tries to sputter out something, anything. Why, what, can he do anything to fix this, but he’s too choked up.

“I need a break from this, from us…” she continues, “there’s so much of the world I haven’t seen yet, and you have your projects… I don’t want to hold myself back because I feel bad that you’re not with me. I want to experience everything.” He feels like he’s falling forward. His eyebrows knit and an unstoppable rush of memories of everyone who’s left him or kicked him out comes flooding back.

“Calypso,” his voice cracks. He can’t finish the sentence.

You wake up from the light sleep you had settled into, aware of an unfamiliar voice. You get up, throwing on the short black robe over your pajamas - despite their velvet material, the loose cami and shorts don’t provide much warmth. You tiptoe over to the seating area. Leo’s on the couch, staring at the floor. You walk up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay?” you ask, your voice foggy with sleep.

“Who-” you briefly see the unfamiliar voice is coming from a shimmery image of a pissed off girl floating in front of him, but he quickly swipes his hand through, and the image vanishes. He rubs his eyes and his hands come away damp. You stay quiet. You don’t want to make him feel worse.

“Long day,” he mutters. He stands up and says goodnight without looking at you. You watch him get into bed, and you do the same. Even if you knew what was wrong, there wasn’t much you could do this late at night. You hope some rest makes him feel better, and tell yourself it’ll be dealt with in the morning.

Maybe over coffee.

You could use some coffee.

#leo valdez x reader #heroes of olympus x reader #hoo x reader #heroes of olympus #leo valdez #LV light up the dark

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iheardarumorxxx · 4 years ago

Text

Midnight Sun, Chapter Ten - Theory

Alright, time to jump back in. Took a couple of days off, refreshed my brain, now I think I can handle more of this asshole.

instead of answering my demand

See that? See how Eddie just goes ahead and tells us that he’s being a demanding little shithead? More shades of that controlling tendency that he has all throughout the series, outright stated. This is literally the first sentence of the chapter, and he’s not even pretending to be subtle about it.

describe it so that she would understand.

Yes, because ‘I can read minds, but only if they’re relatively nearby, and it gets easier to pick out voices as I become familiar with them’ isn’t clear in the slightest. See that, Eddie? I just explained for you with 23 words, instead of going off on some dumbass tangent metaphorthat takes up an entire paragraph like you do here because you think that the human mind is so small and weak that it can’t possibly comprehend cut and dry explanations.

The fact that Eddie thinks he needs to explain things in analogy for Bella because she won’t get it if he doesn’t really goes against this supposed idea he has about her being smarter and so above the other pitiful hooman folk. Either she’s too human to understand like everyone else, or she’s smarter and more rational and would get it without the metaphor. Pick one, Eddie.

I will say, one thing that I took from the Twilight series that still sticks with me is the phrase ‘Holy crow’. I do, in fact, use it unironically. It’s absolutely stupid, but I like the way it flows off the tongue.

Anyway, Bella just shouted it because Eddie is bending the car to his vampire physics again and going 100MPH, which, I would like to point out, she would have absolutely realized before now if she wasn’t so blatantly unobservent. She would have felt it, it wouldn’t have taken looking at the spedomoter to realize it.

“We’re not going to crash.”

Eddie is absolutely certain of this fact, and I am too only because SM would never let anything like that happen to her little woobie vampire and her SI Mary Sue. However, let’s apply real world logic to this for a sec. Just a sec because this story can’t handle real world logic for too long, but. They are presumably on a highway, going 100MPH at let’s say 930 to 10ish PM. I’ve never lived in Washington, but I’m going to make the presumption that there probably isn’t too much traffic this late, though, perhaps a bit more if it’s a Friday or Saturday night. Perhaps Eddie can keep perfect control of his own car, even going that fast, while most likely paying little to no attention to the road because he is constantly looking over at Bella in the passenger seat. He has his mind-reading power, which he probably uses to help him drive, and maybe there isn’t another car directly behind him based on how fast he’s going.

He’s still not taking the other drivers on the road into account. What if the car in front of you that you are rapidly coming up on because you’re going so fast sees a turtle or a deer or some other kind of animal in the road and swerves to avoid it. Since this is real world logic, even if you see it coming with your mind reading power, you can’t make your car stop on a dime going 100MPH. You’re going to crash, and since you are going so fast, it’s gonna be a pretty nasty one. Your vampire body can handle that, because you’re a marble adonis god, but Bella over there is squishy and human. You slam those breaks, seatbelt aside, she’s gonna end up through the windshield or strangled to death by that seatbelt.

He’s assuming that his vampire magic strength and perfectness is gonna be enough to protect him from literally everything. It will, because this book is not realistic in the slightest, but he’s still a dick for not taking into account the other drivers on the road. And not taking into account the fact that Bella is clearly upset and terrified that he’s going so fast.

Two and a half paragraph rant over one line. Check.

Bella spills about how Jacob told her the old story about the Cullens being sparkley, evil vampires who aren’t allowed at La Push because the wolves will eat them. And I have to say, because this story is the entire basis for Bella knowing that Eddie and his ilk are vamps, how the hell does it take her so long to figure out that Jacob is a werewolf in New Moon? Like, I know it’s because she’s stupid, but since she’s supposed to be wise beyond her years and smart and shit, why did it not click that both sides of the story must be true.

Rant for a different book, but.

I supposed this meant I was now free to slaughter a small, defenseless tribe on the coastline, were I so inclined. Ephraim and his pack of protectors were long dead.

This is it. This is the line I’ve been waiting for. I knew it was coming and it STILL pisses me off so damn much reading it. Do you see that? Do you see it? Eddie is talking about straight up genocide. He is literally talking about killing hundreds of people just because some teenage kid told an old folktale to a girl he thinks is cute to try and impress her. I would like to remind you of that line that Alice said earlier: “It helps if you think of them as people.” IT HELPS IF YOU THINK OF THEM AS PEOPLE, EDWARD!!! These people have done literally nothing to you! If you wanted to go, say, beat up Jacob Black for spilling your secret, that’s one thing (A terrible thing that is bullshit, even if Jacob gets a jerkass makeover in a few months) but you are literally la de fucking da over the idea of going down to the reservation and murdering every man, woman, and child there because of some bullshit technicality broken treaty. HOW THE FUCK DOES ANYONE THINK THIS GUY IS THE HERO? HOW DOES ANYTHING SEE HIM AS A GOOD LOVE INTEREST? HOW IS HE A PROTAGONIST? HE’S A FUCKING MURDERER, PLAIN AND SIMPLE SPELLED OUT RIGHT THE FUCK THERE! It was spelled out pretty damn well in that first classroom scene, but here we are reinforcing it, and this is the guy that SM said she was willing to leave her husband for. THIS GUY.

I hate it. I hate him. I’m not a happy camper.

And I’m gonna move on before I burst a blood vessel from how mad it makes me.

Bella goes on to tell Eddie that she flirted the story out of Jacob, and that she doesn’t care. He replies with “HOW CAN YOU NOT CARE! I’M A MONSTAH!” and she just shrugs and pops her gum. Eddie is just absolutely shocked by this because how could she not care? He even wonders if there’s something wrong with her. The answer is yes, she’s clearly a hybristophile, but that’s beside the point.

The ‘how old are you’ ‘17′ ‘how long have you been 17′ ‘a while’ exchange is actually kind of cute, on it’s own. Had it been in a better book, it might have made me smile a little. But in Twilight it just felt like forced comedy, and here with Eddie being all Emo about being a monstah and also being condescending and clearly angry about Bella knowing his secret, it comes off a lot darker in tone. It could have come off as a playful exchange between people getting to know one another, and instead, it’s a darker tone and it’s almost uncomfortable. The movie had this problem, too, where they made it all dark and angsty instead of just being a cute little exchange that it should have been.

“I can’t sleep.”

This is more of that thrown away world building that SM does. First it was the Vampires never Change thing and now the can’t sleep thing. It could have been so fascinating to explore what not being able to sleep does to the psyche of these Pires. How different vampires get used to that sensation over different periods of time. Did it unsettle Eddie at first when he was turned and just couldn’t sleep anymore? Was Jasper already a night owl who barely slept, so it wasn’t much of a change for him anyway? What do they do to fill their time? If their hobbies and interests never change, it seems like they wouldn’t be using all that newly acquired time to learn new skills and hobbies, even if that particular ‘never change’ plot point isn’t explored either and never actually seems relevant to them. Has a Pire ever tried to sleep anyway? Just lay down and closed their eyes and waited for eight hours to pass, hoping they would drift off? This is interesting lore. It’s something that could have given depth to the vampires instead of being a throwaway plot point so Eddie could watch Bella sleep at night. I’m disappointed. I want a good idea to actually be used well.

Edward calls Bella observant and to that I can only say ‘Ha.’

Eddie finally realizes that Bella has the hots for him too and it’s so UWU and trite, but he has to go and bring up that stupid Hades and Persephone metaphor again and piss me off in the process.

The get to Bella’s house and take forever with their goodbyes, and right at the end Eddie goes on about how he’s got this new hunger in him just looking at Bella and feeling how warm she is and shit and it’s just him being horny again, but nothing happens and Bella heads inside. But don’t worry, Eddie assures us that he’ll be in his usual perch in the rocking chair later that night to stalk her and watch her sleep, so everything is well.

She couldn’t love me the way I loved her

GET IT? BECAUSE VAMPIRES ARE BETTER THAN YOU(tm) AT EVERYTHING INCLUDING HOW HARD THEY LOVE? Seriously, so damn sick of this idea that the vampires in this universe just do everything and see everything and smell everything and feel everything just so much more intensely than the pitiful hoomans. I still have a rant about it. It’s still coming. Don’t worry.

A casual throwaway mention of the Voltouri here, AKA the vampire Mafia that make and enforce the rules. They don’t actually matter or have any real power in this series, and they suck, but nice little nod to the audience as a reminder that there is supposed to be a governing body in the vampire world.

Carlisie and Eddie boy are off to take care of the rapist who almost got Bella, and the entire fucking drive, Carlisle is just sitting there thinking about how wonderful Eddie is and how he deserves happiness and it’s such bullshit for him to be thinking that way when he KNOWS that Eddie can read his thoughts. He’s literally just showering him in compliments for the sake of it just so that Eddie can hear them and puff up his ego. I don’t buy that it’s just passive thoughts. He wants Eddie to hear them.

We all know who Carlisle and Esme’s favorite child is.

We end the chapter with Eddie going back to Bella’s house to watch her sleep, deciding to take it upon himself to wander around her house uninvited, and the rambling on about how Bella clearly doesn’t have a guardian angel because she crossed his path and no guardian angel would allow that. Then he makes some crack about being her guardian vampire, talks about how, oh, it’s actually a good thing that he took it upon himself to break into her house to watch her sleep because he got her another blanket because she seemed cold, and smiles to himself when she mumbles his name in her sleep.

That’s it, chapter done, I’m tired. I’m gonna try to crank out another one (maybe two) tonight, but no promises because this one really took a lot out of me. These characters just suck. Anyway, as always, feel free to message me or DM me to talk about the book, recommend future projects, etc. And you can always buy me a snack using the CashApp tag in my bio. Until next chapter, good damn bye.

#sierra recaps stuff #midnight sun #midnight sun spoilers #twilight #ms chapter 10

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avmisworld · 4 years ago

Text

BTS' favorite place to kiss you:

Kim Seokjin:

Your forehead

It's such a dad kiss you know lol

He probably thinks it's cute

Is he wrong though?

Kisses you there whenever you're pissed at him

Which usually happens after you make him food

And he laughs for an hour at the way you cut the veggies

Also kisses your forehead when you're sad

Like if you're just really emo because you got your period

He'll leave this sweet kiss on your forehead while you cuddle to make you feel better

It works most of the time

Also kisses whenever he comes back from practice and you're already asleep

So basically he does it all the time

Min Yoongi:

Doesn't like PDA

But loves holding your hand so

He's the softest little bean on earth

You're hands are always interlocked so it only makes sense that he'll kiss it every now and then, right?

Kisses the back of your hand or your knuckles when he's working and he feels like he's losing it

Kisses your palm because it tickles and he loves hearing you giggle

Sometimes he playfully bites your fingers only to soothe the 'pain' with these small butterfly kisses

He's just so uwu I can't even

Jung Hoseok:

This baby

Kisses your nose 24/7

Will probably do it even when you have a runny nose jxkckcdl

Lmao just kidding

But yeah he loves it

Thinks your nose is the cutest thing because you're the cutest human

Kisses it whenever you do something remotely cute in his eyes

Like breathing

Also when he wants to comfort you

Like if you're tired after exams or just in a bad moon in general

Cups your cheeks in the palms of his hands and pecks your nose until you're giggling

Kim Namjoon:

Loves to kiss your head

Because he's much taller than you, he's always pecking you on the top of your head

Loves wrapping his arms around your waist when he comes back home after a long day and just nuzzle into your hair, occasionally leaving small kisses in it

I made myself uwu istg

When you're tired, he cuddle you close like the caring bf he is

Wraps his strong arms around you tightly and leaves these comforting kisses on your temple

Rubs you back until you fall asleep

He can always make your stress or sadness go away with his soft touches

Park Jimin:

Kisses on the neck is Park Jimin's euphoria in life

He is so sly omg kfkfkd

You'll just be cuddling innocently or something and then he'll start kissing your neck

Just these really cute ticklish butterfly kisses at the start

You'll start giggling and he'll just stare at you with these huge heart eyes

If he's feeling needy he'll start sucking the skin and leaving these open mouthed kisses until you'll be needy as well

I'll leave the rest to your imagination lol

But if he's just feeling bratty which is a lot of the time as well

He'll lick your neck or bite it teasingly

He'll hold you tightly so you won't be able to run away as you whine and try to push him off

But when you'll try to hit him he'll be jumping off of you like a tiny puppy and running off smh

Kim Taehyung:

He's totally the kind to love kisses on the lips the most

Kim Taehyung is a simple guy you know?

Kisses you on the lips everywhere anytime of the day

Doesn't mind doing it in front of the whole band or the staff

Winks at you when you get embarrassed and says: "I'm addicted to your lips, what can I do?"

Is into any type of kissing

Passionate, lazy, french, Brazilian, whatever

But has a massive soft spot for these chaste, gentle kisses uwu

Puckers his lips out whenever he wants a kiss from you cause he's a whole baby

Likes to cup your jaw when you kiss to make sure you won't run away

Has a weird habit of kissing you unexpectedly when you're talking or studying or just minding your own business and then pretending nothing happened while you turn 50 shades of red

Jeon Jungkook:

Loves your soft cheeks

Always kissing your cheeks, especially when you smile and they pop out even more

Despite his shyness of PDA, he lets himself kiss you on the cheeks in public or with the members

Kisses on the cheek every morning and whenever he leaves for practice

Cups one side of your neck and places the other hand on your shoulder when he leans in to kiss you

His kisses are always really simple and short but they make you feel warm all over

Kisses you softly as if you're the most precious thing in the world

Also likes to leave a kiss on your cheek before you fall asleep

When you're in bed and he's spooning you with his hands wrapped around your lower stomach

It's almost a tradition every night by now

Adds a whisper of "good night baby" uwu

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fullmetalscullyy · 5 years ago

Note

Hey, for your Royai collection... how about one where Riza gets really strong menstrual cramps at work and Roy is all worried, running around to make her comfortable and getting her warm towels to try and ease her pain?

aw thank you for this anon!! worried and attentive roy is always a good roy uwu

Riza stood from her desk chair and fought the impulse to wince. She’d managed to hide it well all day so far, the boys didn’t have a clue about her pain and discomfort. There were only thirty minutes until lunch then she could escape for an hour and take some medicine… Or put her head down on a table until the cramps passed… Yeah, that sounded like a better idea.

Movements controlled, she approached the Colonel’s desk with no hint of discomfort on her face. “Here’s the report, sir.”

“Thank you, Hawkeye.”

“Is there anything else you need me to do before lunch?”

“No, however, I could use some company out to lunch, if you’re willing?” He raised an eyebrow in question. “General Grumman has asked me to travel outside East City to run an errand for him. In order for the task to be done before the day ends, we’ll need to leave during our lunch hour.”

Oh god, please no.

“Of course, sir. I just need to pop out the office for five minutes, then I’ll be ready.”

“Just go now, if you like,” he dismissed with a pleased smile. He probably thought this would be a great afternoon but Riza could honestly think of nothing worse. She didn’t want to travel while her stomach was cramping up a storm. She just wanted to remain in her desk chair. It was comfortable there. Riza had discovered if she sat just right, then there was no discomfort for a few minutes. She managed to gain a reprieve. One slight shift would set it off again, but at least she could breathe easily.

“Okay. Thank you, sir.”

Walking out the office it felt like his eyes were boring into her back, especially after she picked up her purse before leaving.

Sitting on the closed toilet seat, Riza rested her forehead on her hands. They were clasped together tightly, squeezing each other as she tried to stave off another wave of pain in her abdomen.

God, she hated being a woman.

Holding herself completely still, Riza waited until the medication took the edge off her pain. It had been longer than the five minutes she’d initially stated she’d be, however Riza didn’t care. Not right now. Feeling slightly feverish, she sighed and rubbed her forehead gently to try and distract herself.

Fifteen minutes later, Riza exited the ladies bathroom. The pain had subsided somewhat – it wasn’t as intense as it had been before – but it still lingered. Sometimes it simply refused to shift unless she had a nap. Apparently today was one of those days.

“Ready?”

Riza jumped as Mustang snuck up on her. Scolding herself, she nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The car drive to the station was silent. He flicked through a file, brow furrowed in concentration, while Riza stared out the window at the passing scenery to try and find any way to get her mind off the pain. Their driver – a young private – drove without asking any questions or making small talk, which she was thankful for. It would have just irritated her, and that would be unfair to the young man.

Again, her movements were slightly stiff and controlled as they walked along the platform at the train station. East City station was as busy as ever. Families greeted each other and bid tearful farewells. Children dashed in between the two soldiers, almost causing her to trip, which caused pain to shoot through her abdomen as her body jolted unexpectedly. She did visibly grimace this time, and she was sure the Colonel noticed. He never mentioned it, however, just simply placed a hand on her lower back to guide her inside the train carriage. Blessedly, it was empty. The door banged closed and she was grateful for the sudden silence.

“In here,” he murmured. The pressure on the small of her back increased, steering her inside a private cabin. Riza sat carefully on the bench, thankful they’d finally stopped moving. Normally, movement and exercise would help, however she’d always had issues with her period. Sometimes it would be fine while others would leave her struggling to even remain upright. Today was one of the latter.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” the Colonel announced, closing the sliding door after himself and leaving her in the silence of the cabin before she could ask where he was going. Laying her head back, Riza took the chance at peace and closed her eyes.

Movement jolted her groggy brain back to reality and her eyes flew open. The world sped past them outside the window in a green blur. They were already out of East City, which meant she’d been asleep for at least half an hour. Something slid from her shoulders and fell into her lap. Looking down, she saw a blue military jacket in a heap on her thighs, and there was a waft of a very familiar aftershave.

“Did you sleep well?” Mustang asked her, not looking up from the file he was observing. Riza stared blankly back at him, realising he was just sitting there in a white shirt. His sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. When she didn’t reply, the Colonel lifted his head expectantly, a soft smile on his face.

“Sir, I –” She stuttered, unable to believe she’d let herself slip like this. His head cocked to the side, awaiting her answer. “I apologise, sir. It wasn’t my intention to fall asleep while on duty –”

The Colonel dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “It’s quite all right, Hawkeye. I know you haven’t been feeling that great since lunch. Mind if I ask what’s wrong?” His expression turned to once of concern. “If you don’t want to tell me, I understand,” he quickly backpedalled.

“Ah, no, sir.” He was no stranger to her time of the month. He’d been witness to how much it affected her when they were teenagers. Roy had held her hair back as she vomited into the toilet more than once. “It’s just…” She sighed, swallowing her soldier’s pride and admitting her weakness. “It’s my period, sir.” It was embarrassing to admit in a professional setting, however the Colonel had known her since she was a child.

He straightened, nodding in understanding. He’d leaned forward expectantly while he awaited her answer. “Ah, I see.” Silence descended on them. Her cramps had let up slightly after her impromptu nap, however every now and then there was a twinge in her stomach. When unexpected, it made her flinch. “I’ll be right back.”

The colonel rushed out the train cabin before she could argue. Again. Sighing, Riza left him to it, knowing that no matter what she said, she wouldn’t be able to put a stop to whatever plan he’d suddenly cooked up in his head.

When they were younger he’d always rushed around to try and make her feel better. Once he’d left for the military that had obviously stopped, and he hadn’t done it since. He’d never needed to, because Riza had mastered how to hide in her adult years. Today, however, her body wasn’t playing ball and her insides were wreaking havoc with her life and ability to perform her job correctly.

Damn it, I know I’m not pregnant, body. Leave me alone.

It felt like her womb was screaming at her that she wasn’t pregnant as another cramp hit her. It was like a harsh reminder that she’d failed to create a child. Sucking in air through her teeth, Riza exhaled forcefully. She wished it wouldn’t scream at her. Probably every woman wished that. A letter in the mail would be nice. Just a gentle reminder that she wasn’t pregnant, instead of her body ripping itself apart in announcement.

Ten minutes later the Colonel returned with a hot water bottle in his hand.

“Where did you get that?” she asked in disbelief.

“I have my ways,” he grinned mischievously. He chuckled at her suspicious look. “This is a sleeper train and the staff very kindly lent me it for this afternoon.” Riza felt her stomach drop at the thought of him declaring that he had an ill Lieutenant who needed it. “They think I get extremely cold feet,” he whispered conspiratorially.

She was touched. “Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t mention it. Do you need anything else? Painkillers? Tea?”

Riza shook her head. “I’ve already taken something. If you wouldn’t mind though, a tea would be really nice right now.”

Roy grinned. “I’ll be right back!”

Riza smiled to herself as she placed the hot water bottle underneath her jacket. The warmth spread over her stomach and it wasn’t lost on Riza that even after all these years, he’d remembered what worked best to soothe her cramps. She rearranged Roy’s jacket to lay over her stomach, covering it from view. However, she needn’t have bothered, because the curtains for the cabin had been closed to hide a sleeping Lieutenant from view from other passengers and staff. Another soft smile graced her features. He could be so thoughtful.

Even though she didn’t need his jacket now that she was hidden away, Riza kept it in place. Every so often she’d get a waft of the smell that was wholly him – his aftershave mixed in with the smell of burning and ash. It was an extreme comfort and one she wasn’t ready to part with just yet. Plus, she was ill. She was allowed this small comfort just once.

When he returned with a piping hot tea and a bar of chocolate her smile only grew.

"I got one of those hot towels as well. First class sure do have it good." The sliding door closed behind him. "I… don't really know what you'd use it for, but I thought I'd bring it anyway. I hope it helps…"

Riza took her gift from him, feeling warmth spread through her body, and it wasn't from the hot water bottle pressed against her stomach. Bless him, he looked so worried about her. "Thank you, sir. So much."

He grinned back at her. "Don't mention it."

#royai #royai fanfic #royai fic #emma writes #ask #anon #fic request #writing prompts

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jamboreeofsurprises · 5 years ago

Note

1-9 uwu

oH BABY!!! (thank you lex!)

1. Your current favorite song

probably (or at least what i keep playing) Venus - Television !!

2. A song that used to be your favorite, but now you don’t like

it’s not that i don’t like it, it just makes me too sad now from associations… it immediately transports me to where i was when i used to listen to it a lot so now i can’t hear it without missing things how they were haha. Expected Way - YMO

3. A song that used to be your favorite that you still like

tbh any Queen song, especially Seaside Rendezvous

4. A song that you’re embarrassed to like

OKAY… THE MOST CLASSIC OF CHRISTIAN POP BOPS…. I Believe - ZoeGirl

5. A song that reminds you of another period in your life

Walking in L.A. - Missing Persons!! all MP songs immediately transport me back to early childhood, Human League too

6. A song that reminds you of a place you’ve been

Your Love - The Outfield because it used to come on the 80s radio station in community college art classes all the time. o-oh no… i’m getting sad again :(

7. A song from a genre you don’t usually listen to

Music Sounds Better With You - StardustI think Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk fame may have worked on this?? I’m not that familiar with EDM but i enjoy it every now and again

8. A song you loved when you were a little kid

Everything Counts - Depeche Modewould get so excited when this came on in the car. lolSometimes I feel like i was born in the 80s because that was most of the music i grew up in

9. A song you loved 5 years ago

Don’t Call On Me - The Monkees. still my favorite monkees song

#ask box

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in-tua-deep · 5 years ago

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so in that jumping forward AU.... Is Klaus okay in that one? Cause it occurs to me that the apocalypse likely has A LOT of very confused and scared ghosts around

(referring to this post here!!)

HMM well it depends - ghosts in the show seem to haunt specific people as far as I can tell? Like Ben haunts Klaus and in the hotel room all those people followed Hazel and Cha-Cha? Then again there’s also the mausoleum which is presumably where their bodies were stored??? So????? @ writers please tell me how ghosts work in the umbrella academy universe

so there’s two options

a) there are no ghosts at the end of the world because there’s no one to haunt and all the ghosts moved on

b) there’s ghosts everywhere haunting their own bodies where they dropped and are tied to their corpses

c) they haunt where they were murdered (in which case why do the mausoleum ghosts haunt the mausoleum? reggie? got something to tell us?)/who they were murdered by

speaking of i would also like to figure out how time travel works and affects ghosts because Hazel and Cha-Cha were haunted so are they only haunted by the ghosts of people they killed prior to the time period they are currently in or do the ghosts follow them in their personal timeline regardless of where they are in the official timeline ???

Like if Five prevents the apocalypse, then thirteen year old Five wouldn’t jump there and wouldn’t be recruited by the Commission and so the people Five killed would still be alive ???????

(hmm does that mean that the lack of tech in the umbrella academy universe was a purposeful move on the part of the commission ?? that if they didn’t interfere in history then it would be our universe?)

wait does this mean that they’re going to stop the apocalypse and then like a few days later an actually thirteen year old five is going to pop up?

someone remind me to explore that thought later

BUT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION Klaus is probably okay because Ben is willing be a scary guard ghost and also tbh like the non-mausoleum ghosts seemed? pretty chill? like talkative yeah but not scary and I’m pretty sure if Klaus asked most of them nicely to go away or told them they were working on going back in time to stop the apocalypse they’d leave him alone so he could get to it? and for the more insistent ghosts,, well,,, clearly ben is capable of using his tentacles in ghost form and also he’s very committed to helping Klaus keep sober sO

Klaus is actually probably the most useful member of the party after Five though because out of all of them it’s Klaus who is used to being homeless and rooting and scavenging to survive and also has Ben as a scout which is nice

(hey do y’all think any of the squads powers affect their metabolism because now that i’m thinking about it Klaus has a power that is always ‘on’ which might explain why he’s constantly hungry in the show ?)

but yeah either there’s no ghosts and Klaus is fine or there’s a whole bunch of ghosts and Klaus and the squads camp out in like,, I dunno,, a park or some flattened woods where no one was around at the time to die so there’s no corpses for their ghosts to haunt and give Klaus a reprieve uwu

#ask me #guiltypleasurehcblog #travel forward au #tua #tua au #the umbrella academy #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #but like actually is baby five going to pop up at some point #just me rambling and theorizing tbh

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kimvvantae · 6 years ago

Text

Umbra; 1

➜ being ruled by an ancient commandment, your sole purpose is to serve. you were born to protect the king with your life, tied by an everlasting oath; you are nothing but a shadow, a silent and insignificant being. he appears to you like the sun, the warmest and brightest star in the sky, and gives you a chance to live. it is then that your entire universe starts to orbit around this sun, and you decide that you are truly willing to die for him.

pairing: King!Taehyung x (f) hybrid!reader

genre: royalty au, fantasy, angst

warnings: descriptions of violence, blood and death that might be triggering.

word count: 8.2k

A/N: Hello! This is something I’ve been planning for months and I finally got the courage to post it so I’m v v nervous right now. If you like it, please let me know so I can keep posting. Encourage this little hoe right here uwu enjoy! also english is not my 1st language so if you find any ugly mistake please don’t crucify me i’m just tryin

➜ Chapters: check up masterlist in bio!

One thousand five hundred and sixteen.

I blinked slowly, my eyelids starting to become heavier and heavier.

One thousand five hundred and seventeen.

My vision was nothing but a blur. There wasn’t much to see, anyway. I have been in the same damp cell for a long time. Three days, four hours and thirty-two minutes to be exact.

One thousand five hundred and eighteen.

I closed my eyes for a moment. Both my knees were scratched and dirty with my own dry blood, due to the fact I have been in the same position for a long time. My wounds did not bother me, though - nor my aching muscles from the lack of movements, or my wrists which have been tightly enchained on my back with handcuffs made of styx iron, the hardest material on earth.

One thousand five hundred and nineteen.

I did not complain while the guards locked me on this cell. I did not fight back when they forced a disgusting potion down my throat - a potion I was very familiar with already, one especially made to make me as weak as a simple human. I also did not complain over the fact that they did not let me eat or drink anything for three days.

They wanted to make sure I would not be able to escape from the dungeon. The Royal Guard was so keen at keeping me here that they went as far as putting hundreds of amulets over the cell; I could feel the impact of its magic deep in my bones, absorbing energy from my already weak body and keeping me in a lethargic state.

But after all, I just could think that all these efforts weren’t necessary.

I did not intent to escape.

One thousand five hundred and twenty.

A deep sigh passed through my dry lips. The dungeon which I have been locked in was on the underground, several floors down the forest which bordered the palace. I knew I was on the deepest level. Sunlight did not reach this place - what made it freezingly cold, damp and dark. My only source of light came from the torches outside the cell, barely lightening the small room through the gap of the heavy steel door. But I still could see well anyway despite the blurriness on my vision. The potion and amulets couldn’t take off me my sharp eyes.

Although the place was deathly silent, I knew there were several guards outside my cell. I have counted the number of steps coming and going from their turn of shifts - there were around twenty on that single hallway. I also knew their shifts would last three hours. They did not speak and barely made any sound, but I still could hear very well when any of them would change positions or sigh.

They also knew I could hear, that is why they tried to keep as silent as possible. Those men were not simple guards. They were especially trained to fight me if needed.

One thousand five hundred and twenty one.

I have been in similar situations before. After so much time, I learned how to control my thoughts. Although I found myself in such a hard situation, my mind was quiet and peaceful. Other people would probably go insane if they were in my place. But not me. I have learned. I have trained.

One thousand five hundred and twenty two.

I closed my eyes for a moment. According to my calculations, it was already six in the morning up there. I imagined the sun rising, painting the sky tones of pink and orange. I imagined the cozy weather, the breeze brushing softly through the leaves of the trees. I imagined the sunlight touching the dew in the grass, making the small droplets shine as diamonds. I could almost hear the birds chirping their melody, welcoming the new day.

I knew I would never have a chance to see all this by myself again.

One thousand five hundred and twenty three.

My heartbeat was regular. My breathing was a bit shaky. One guard outside my cell changed the weight of his body to his left leg. One more drop hit the stone floor.

One thousand five hundred and twenty four.

The drops fell at each seven seconds. They fell slowly, sliding along one of the many stalactites on the ceiling. But on that silent environment, the muffled thud of them hitting the stone floor sounded like hammering on my ears. And one more of them fell.

One thousand five hundred and twenty five.

I opened my hands slowly on my back, stretching my aching fingers after a long time. The styx iron scratched my skin, but I did not complain.

One thousand five hundred and twenty six.

Of course, I could understand the handcuffs. But the potion and amulets? I did not understand why the Royal Guard was so desperate to keep me here, as if I would fight and scream like a little child.

Didn’t they think I had any sense of honor?

One thousand five hundred and twenty seven.

After facing death so many times, why would they think I would try to run away now?

When the drop of number one thousand five hundred and twenty eight was about to fall, my eyes popped open suddenly.

I heard something up there.

It was far, several floors up. I doubted the guards could hear as well, but I identified the source of the sound:

The front doors opening.

I stiffened, muscles tense - impossibly more motionless than I was before. The new noise made me stop counting the drops; now my brain had something more interesting to focus on. It was far and indistinct yet, but I could recognize it: steps. Voices. Someone has entered the dungeon. No one has entered or left ever since they locked me here.

Has my time come already? I furrowed my eyebrows. No, not yet. I was sure it was still morning. The period of mourn wasn’t over.

Minutes passed by. I could hear steps coming down the stairs, echoing through the dungeon’s structure. The steps were getting clearer as they approached my floor - and I couldn’t help but feel nervous as I heard them coming, whoever they were.

I swallowed loudly when the steps were as distinct as possible. They reached the hallway.

A sudden burst of noise made me slightly startled - the sound of metal against metal: guards moving, their iron armors following their limbs. They were saluting. The guards did not leave their positions, but yet I could recognize four pairs of feet walking, their steps echoing through the hallway.

When I heard the sound of keys being put inside the door lock of my cell, I immediately lowered my head and stared at the ground.

The heavy door was opened with a loud scratching sound.

Silence.

The room was immediately lightened up. I heard two pairs of steps entering the cell; one of them held a torch. At first they stayed by the door, but one of them approached me slowly until their feet was on my eyesight.

I saw clean, polished black leather shoes. They did not match the filthy scenery around me.

Although I could not see, I knew I was being intently analyzed from above.

“Doesn’t look like a hybrid,” was the first thing he said, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. It was the first voice I heard on the last three days. I could recognize him as a young man: his voice was low, deep and husky. His tone was thoughtful and slightly confused, yet strong. It filled the whole room. Sounded slightly familiar to me.

The person who was still standing by the door, holding the torch, finally spoke. Although I kept a blank expression, I wanted to frown in disgust. I knew the owner of the second voice I have learned to hate:

“Do not let yourself be fooled, Your Highness. It may look like a simple human, but it is in fact a beast.”

Your Highness.

Now I understood why his voice sounded oddly familiar. I’ve heard it before - only his voice was much lighter back then, much younger.

“I still don’t understand,” the young man spoke again. “Don’t all hybrids have animal features?”

“Not dragon hybrids. They only show their animal traits when transformed,” the old man replied, sounding as pondered and cold as always.

The prince was quiet again. I could hear him crossing his arms. After some moments of silence, I supposed he was probably analyzing his surroundings. “Are all these amulets necessary? There’s so much suppressing energy here it’s making me dizzy.”

I could not help but furrow my brows slightly in surprise by his statement. Of course, normal humans also know what amulets are and can slightly feel its influence, but the fact that the prince knew exactly what those were meant for and could even name their function was impressive. Members of the royalty usually are not interested in magic. They always have the Royal Mages to take care of everything for them, so why would the prince know more accurate information like this?

“We just want to be cautious, Your Highness. This species is extremely strong and treacherous. The more cautious we are, the better.”

“Why would you need to be so cautious over someone who’ve been protecting the royal family for years now?”

I stiffened.

It was as if the atmosphere in the room became colder; the air was almost static with tension. Even though I could not see, I knew the old man was taken aback by the prince’s retort. The Counselor wasn’t used to be questioned or confronted. In fact, he hated it. I myself have felt his anger multiple times. But, of course, he could not be aggressive with the prince himself.

“I’m afraid Your Highness do not understand this species’ nature,” the Counselor said carefully, but still I could hear the smallest hint of exasperation on his voice. “As I said, my prince, it is a beast. It does not have the same mental control as we do. Who knows if it may anger itself and attack all of sudden?” The Counselor paused after a moment and I could hear him approaching one step. “In fact, it’s not safe for Your Highness to be here at the moment. The amulets must have angered it at this point. It is unstable.”

I used all of my self-control not to glare at him and yell. I knew this would not help me – especially not in front of a member of the royal family.

The way he talked about me, as if I was some kind of irrational animal…

But what made me truly widen my eyes was what came next:

“Don’t you trust your own guards and mages, Gilliard? Or should I start questioning myself why you’re so keen at keeping me away from here?”

The room became even colder.

I almost could not believe what I just heard – someone talking to the Leader of the Council so blatantly! The prince went as far as calling him by the name instead of using his title, as everyone else would do. No one would dare to be so straightforward. His tone was harsh and cold. Even though they’ve been with me for less than two minutes, I could already feel the distaste they had for each other.

For anyone else, speak like that to the Counselor – in a way that bordered disrespect – would be something foolish and dangerous. But not him. Especially not on his current position.

The Counselor took some time to respond, perhaps recovering from the shock:

“I apologize if I said something that bothered you, Your Highness. I am only caring for your safety, that’s all,” the man said slowly and in a polished tone, but I could notice that the irritation hidden on his voice grew. More than that, I could hear some resignation. “But, if Your Highness allows me to ask, why is our prince right here in the dungeon instead of taking care of the preparations for the funeral ceremony later today?”

It was probably the first time I could agree with the Counselor.

What was he doing here? I knew the prince had much responsibilities today, all of them of higher importance. Why was he wasting his time coming to the dungeon? No plausible answer came to my mind to solve this issue.

But once again, the prince surprised me.

He ignored the Counselor and, instead, started to move. He approached me slowly and crouched down until our heads were on the same level – what made me lower my own head even more, keeping my eyes glued on my legs. I still could not see much of him, but noticed his fine yet humble black clothes that told me he was already dressed to the funeral ceremony.

The nervousness inside of my chest only grew. I did not bathe properly for almost one week. I knew very well how I smelled at the moment. My dirty hair covered my face like a curtain, as if it would create some kind of protection between me and him. Why would he even want to be so close to me when I smelled and looked like a sewer rat?

After some moments of silence – in which I felt the prince’s attentive (and terribly uncomfortable) gaze over me, he finally spoke:

“She shouldn’t be here after everything she did for our Kingdom.”

I froze.

She.

I could hear my own heartbeat thundering on my ears. His tone was much softer than before – he was thoughtful. I could hear pity on his voice, even.

Did he… Did I hear it correctly? Did he just call me she? Not it, but she.

I didn’t even remember the last time someone addressed me as “she”.

“Your Highness is always so compassionate,” the Counselor muttered, but yet again I could notice the irritation growing on his voice. It was supposed to be a compliment, but the disapproval on his voice was obvious. He did not like what he was seeing. “But do-”

“How long have you been serving?”

It took me some moments to realize the question wasn’t directed to the Counselor.

The prince was talking to me.

This situation only got more and more unexpected.

After several seconds of awkwardness where the prince waited for my answer and I remained utterly silent, the Counselor finally said:

“It won’t speak unless you give it permission to do so, Your Highness.”

The young man before me gasped slightly, sounding surprised. Why, though? How did he not know about this? It is the basic conduct code for hybrids who work on the military.

“…you have permission to speak,” he muttered. Was I crazy or did I hear some embarrassment on his voice?

I gulped the thick saliva down my dry throat almost painfully.

“I have been serving my whole life, Your Highness. As far as I can remember,” I said, my voice raspy and cracking after days of complete silence and lack of water, but I still tried to sound firm.

I could barely see the prince nodding. He kept silent, deep in thought, and I could only wonder what was passing through his mind. His silence made me feel more nervous as well.

“You have served well,” he said. I felt a shiver run down my spine at his compliment. I wasn’t used to people talking to me so tenderly and respectfully – I wasn’t used to people talking to me at all. “But you know what’s going to happen tomorrow, don’t you?”

I nodded solemnly.

Yes. I knew very well what was going to happen the next day.

“There’s one way to avoid it.”

…avoid?

“Pardon, Your Highness – what do you mean?”, the Counselor snapped, as confused as me. However, the prince chose to ignore him again:

“If you take an oath of allegiance to me, all of this can be avoided,” his voice has hardened only slightly to ensure his seriousness, but he still sounded respectful. The prince wasn’t talking to me the same way the Counselor, the guards or any other member of the military would. He was talking to me like a person. It was almost as shocking as his proposal.

I had to control myself not to lift my head and stare at him in complete confusion. Was this man crazy? Was he even listening to his own words? His proposal was just… madness.

“My prince, are you out of your senses?! That’s… that’s illegal!” The old man behind him said, his voice raising. He did not even bother hiding his irritation and indignation this time.

“No, it’s not. Although you underestimate me, Gilliard, I do know the Law. And there is nothing against this on our codes,” the prince retorted looking over his shoulder, his voice raising as well. Again, his straightforwardness did not fail to shock me - as well as how his voice hardened like that in mere seconds. But it was clear that the Counselor was losing his own mind, for his voice raised and he did not seem to be able to keep his polite façade anymore:

“What would your father think of your actions?!”

“My father is dead, Gilliard.”

His sentence hit me like a blow in the stomach.

Yes. I knew the King was dead. I felt him dying. However, hearing someone saying it out loud for the first time – King Taejun is dead – made it feel real for the first time.

And I felt as if something inside of me has died, too.

“And we both know my father was a smart man,” the prince continued; “He would understand and support my methods.”

Gilliard took some moments to speak again. The tension around us was so dense, almost tactile. “I do not underestimate you, my prince. However, the Law is very clear: when a King dies, his dragon-guardian must be sacrificed as well. That’s not only the Law, but also a tradition that hasn’t been broken in centuries!”

Instead of answering right away, the prince turned to me again.

“What do you think about it? You can speak.”

I almost gasped. Was he seriously asking my opinion? What was that for? I could only think that yes, this prince was going crazy. I gulped before answering in the firmest and solemnest voice I could:

“It was my duty to keep our King alive, and I failed. It is a shame for me that the King I should have protected passed away before me. That is why I do not intent to avoid or escape. I understand and accept my fate, Your Highness.”

The cell fell in deep silence. Even the Counselor seemed impressed by my words.

But the prince didn’t.

“My father died because of a disease. You couldn’t have protected him from it. You did not fail.”

And the words got caught on my throat.

I don’t know if he expected me to say something, because I couldn’t. I couldn’t even think. Yes, I knew the King died of a serious disease. I knew how the court went in search of healers and mages throughout the continent, trying to find a spell or potion or anything that could have saved him – but nothing was enough. The disease ate his organs and killed him slowly and painfully.

Yes. I knew it too well. He did not die in combat or under attack. There was nothing I could have done.

But still…

I had this knowledge my whole life; my trainers rooted it in my mind and soul ever since I was a kid. “The King die, you die. Your life depends on his. So if you want to live, you have to keep him alive at all costs.”

It was as if our life forces were entangled, so entangled that I could feel when he was in danger or needed my support. That is why I knew from the very beginning that the King’s current sicknesses were something much more serious than what they seemed, that is why I could feel his forces leaving his body until it was just an empty, lifeless corpse – even though I wasn’t with him in the moment he died, I could still feel it.

And for me, it did not matter if he died of a disease or in combat. When his life ended, my main purpose ended as well – and I was conformed. I have been building up my mind for this inevitable moment through my whole existence. My life was short and painful, but I had no complaints. I did not long for such things as family or happiness. These were human desires – not something a dragon hybrid should want.

I only existed to serve. Now, I had no one to serve.

And a dragon only has one master in life.

His proposal bordered the ridiculous. And after all, the Counselor was right, it was against the Law-

“Our codes are very clear and explicit. Since this tradition hadn’t been broken in centuries, as you stated, people don’t mind about studying them carefully. But I did. And I remember clearly what it says about the King-dragon deal,” the prince started, his voice lower than before. Although he directed himself to Gilliard, he talked looking at me. “And it says: ”if the dragon-guardian fails in saving the King under its protection, it must be sacrificed after the King’s funeral ceremony, following the one-week mourning period.“

"Exactly, my prince, and it is tomorrow. There’s nothing you can-”

“That’s all the paragraph says. There is no ‘buts’ or 'ifs’. It’s really simple,” the prince yet again interrupted Gilliard. “And I’ll repeat: my father died of a disease. There was nothing she could have done. She did not fail in saving him, because there was nothing anybody could have done. So, if she did not fail… she does not have to be sacrificed.”

And with this, the prince succeeded in shutting the Leader of the Council and my own troubling mind – all at once.

It meant… it meant I did not have to die?

Of course you have to, one part of my brain scolded me. The King under your protection is dead. Being sacrificed tomorrow is the only way for you to die honorably. Otherwise, you’ll always be stained with disgrace. Yes… yes, that is correct. I am a warrior. I live for honor. My honor is the only thing I own.

But… things had to be this way?

“So, you’re implying you want it to be your dragon-guardian?” The Counselor said finally, recovering way faster than me. His voice was well-controlled this time. “If you allow me to say, Your Highness, it is foolish of you. This dragon is used and old already. Plus, I myself, altogether with the rest of the Council, have studied the best dragons being trained in the mountains. We recommend three young dragons, all of them competent and ready to serve, just waiting for Your Highness to choose one of them. Since they’re still young and fresh, their loyalty will be trustworthy.”

“Old?” The prince scoffed. “She’s just around my age, isn’t she?”

“Just a few years younger, Your Highness,” Gilliard hesitantly said. “But dragon-hybrids don’t count their age the same way as we do-”

“Exactly. They live way longer than humans. It means that she is still very young for a dragon.”

The Leader of the Council was found out of words again.

I could only feel my heartbeat increasing and thundering in my ears.

“My prince, please, listen to me. Meet the three candidates at least once. As I already said, they are very young and talented. They’ll follow your lead much more easily than a used dragon.”

“I don’t need to meet them, Gilliard. Tell me, out in the mountains… how many dragons are currently training?”, the man before me asked, his voice inquisitive. Something told me he already knew the answer to his own question.

“There are currently eight dragons, Your Highness.”

“They are the rarest species of hybrid in existence, correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Now tell me, Gilliard. Of these eight dragons, how many of them are females?”

The Counselor took some seconds to answer.

“None of them, Your Highness. They’re all males.”

I could hear a grin growing up on the prince’s lips.

“Gilliard, you’re a smart man. I’m sure you know that dragons are rare, but female dragons are much rarer. They’re rarer because they’re stronger than males. And as far as I know, this female in front of me have never lost a single battle in her life, am I correct?”

Again, the old man did not answer immediately. “…yes, my prince. It never lost a battle or combat. It is… it is currently the best warrior in our army,” I could hear his voice losing its initial strength and decreasing.

“So, please answer this last question, Gilliard,” I could practically feel the triumph on the prince’s voice. “Do you truly believe that any of these kids on the mountains are even close to be as strong and experienced as the lady in front of me?”

The Counselor did not say anything, yet his silence was the answer the prince was looking for.

And I could not help but keep frozen, completely dazed at the turn of events.

The prince literally broke down any argument the Counselor could have. He had proof enough that keeping me alive was not illegal. Yet… My whole life, I was taught one way. Now, seeing that it was not the only one… my brain could not associate it all so suddenly. Why did I feel that it was somehow wrong?

“It seems that you already built up your mind, Your Highness,” the Counselor finally said, resignation very apparent on his voice. “But I’ll try to enlighten your mind once more. This dragon is used. It has been serving your father, our beloved King, since it was a kid. A guardian only has one master in their life. So why would you think it would be loyal to you? What if it is just waiting to betray us in the blink of an eye?”

The prince before me kept quiet for long moments, thoughtful, and for a moment I thought the Counselor finally had an argument the prince did not know how to retort.

Once again, I was wrong.

“Let’s be honest here, Gilliard,” he started in a low, thoughtful voice. Although I could barely see him through my own hair, I could feel his steeling gaze over me. “I asked why all these amulets were necessary, but I knew the answer right away. What amazes me is that you really thought all of this would be enough. Because we both know it isn’t.”

“W-What do you…?”

“She is a dragon. I know you’re not foolish to think that these amulets are enough to hold her back. If she wanted, she could have escaped right away. If she wanted, she could have killed all the guards out there. If she wanted, she could kill me right now, because I don’t represent any harm for her. But she didn’t do any of this. Is this the behavior of someone who thinks of betrayal? She is just as honored as any other warrior.”

My chest tightened.

I felt my vision blur for another reason this time, and blinked rapidly to dissipate the growing tears. I almost could not believe what I heard. His voice held so much respect… no, it was more than that. Astonishment.

Through my whole life I could not remember of someone talking about me this way not even once. I have been serving, doing as ordered, accomplishing my duty without complaints. I never expected to be recognized and complimented, because I was doing nothing but obligation. However there I was – being complimented by the crown prince himself, the very same man who soon would be the most powerful and respected person in the whole Kingdom.

I did not know exactly how to name what that feeling in my chest was.

But one thing I knew: it was good.

“And it’s because of your honor that I can’t push you to take an oath of your allegiance to me.”

It was as if someone just threw a bucket of icy water on my face.

“What?”, the Counselor asked the question I wanted to do myself.

I heard the prince sighing. Now, he directed himself to me. “I can already tell you have a strong sense of honor. That’s something admirable. And I have to agree with Gilliard in one point – a guardian just have one master. I can understand how you feel, since you said yourself you’re willing to be sacrificed despite it doesn’t need to happen. That’s why… I can’t force you to serve me.”

“What do you mean by that, my prince…?” Once again, the Counselor was successful in voicing my own thoughts. He sounded utterly confused and somehow hopeful that the prince was giving up on his insane idea.

“It means that it’s up to her. It’s up to you.” I saw the prince intertwining his own fingers. Something told me he wanted me to look at him, but my gaze kept frozen. “You can take an oath of allegiance to me at the coronation ceremony in two days. Or you can keep your word to my father, as you alleged, and accept to be executed tomorrow. You decide.”

I have always been fairly good at hiding my emotions by controlling my facial expressions, but at that moment, I felt that I totally lost this ability. Fortunately, my hair was covering up my whole face, preventing me from the embarrassment of the prince and the Counselor seeing my expression of utter shock and confusion.

Because no one never gave me the opportunity to decide anything. Yet, in that very moment, the prince had just given me the power over my own fate.

He could have just forced me to take an oath of my allegiance – the same way I had no choice but to do so with my past master. But he did not.

It’s up to you.

“Is there anything you want to say?” The prince asked carefully, almost hesitantly. I opened and closed my mouth multiple times, trying to find the right words.

“I…” I whispered to myself. Being truthful, I hated that situation. I hated not knowing what to say or do. My life always followed one single direction; now that I received more than one, I just did not know how to behave.

“I understand that it must be overwhelming for you.” The prince went quiet again, and I could almost see the troubling thoughts on his mind. “I think you need some time to associate it all. It’s still morning. I’ll be back at sunset, after the funeral ceremony, so I can give you enough time to take this decision.”

The prince got up, straightening his posture – and once again all I could see was his black leather shoes. I heard him exchanging words with the Counselor, but my mind did not register exactly what he was saying.

What should I do?

The answer was supposed to be obvious: I should accept the path which was given to me since I could ever remember. With the King’s death, my mission was over. I have served him for as long as the Universe let me serve, and now that he passed away, I should follow the traditions and have an honored death just like all guardians before me.

But why something inside of me struggled so hard?

I thought I had accepted my fate a long time ago. I thought I had it settled inside of me ever since my childhood, ever since I took my oath of allegiance to the deceased King. I thought that I would simply be executed tomorrow, my mind peaceful, no regrets on the life I lived.

Things did not feel so settled inside of me anymore.

I should feel ashamed of myself. What would my ancestors think of me, when all of them accepted their deaths the same way? I should not even think of avoiding my own death. If I accepted his crazy proposal, I knew I would forever live with a weight on my consciousness. I would not even be able to look at my fellow dragons anymore.

I hated that prince. I hated him for putting such ideas on my mind.

And I hated myself even more for wanting them. Because a side of me – a huge side I did not even know existed – was yelling at me to accept. That voice was pleading, yes, take an oath! He gave you another chance. All of your ancestors died because they did not have a choice, but you do!

In that moment I realized something about me. I always thought I was completely altruistic, always putting the needs of my King and maybe his family above my own. I never hesitated to put my own life on the line for him. I was willing to die for other people. But in that moment, I realized I was not as selfless as I always thought I was.

I wanted to live.

And if putting my life on the line again for that young man meant I could live a little bit longer, then I would.

The door was almost closing when I took all the courage inside of me to say:

“Wait!”

And the door stopped midway.

I could not see, but I knew he put half of his body inside the cell again, waiting.

So, I said before all the regret could hit me all at once.

“I… I accept it, Your Highness. I will serve again,” I said unhesitatingly.

The door opened a bit more and I saw his shadow hovering over me. Before I could even process what I have just done, the prince said something that would – once again – knock the air out of my lungs, in the gentlest voice I have ever heard in my life:

“Thank you.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine, but I didn’t know if it was because of to the adrenaline rushing on my blood or because he said thank you and really sounded thankful or even because I heard the smile on his voice.

“Take her out of this filthy place immediately,” the prince said, probably directing himself to one of his assistants. I wondered what face the Counselor was making at the moment.

Of course, the prince left first for security reasons. He did not say anything more. After some minutes, the guards entered my cell in utter silence and took the handcuffs off of me, helped me to get up on my feet rather roughly and started the way up the stairs.

My body was still aching and my throat so dry it was painful. But I didn’t care about my health conditions at the moment.

All I could think about was the decision I have just made – and how I would deal with it for the rest of my existence.

The memories from the first oath ceremony I attended – and supposedly the only one I should ever attend – are vague.

I was still too young, and all the knowledge of the world I had until then was reduced to the mountains where I was born. Everything seemed giant and frightening: the high domed ceiling, the huge chandelier adorned with crystals and diamonds, the statues and columns made of pure gold that were just too bright to my unaccustomed eyes to look at. I wasn’t used to so many bright colors and light and gold – in the mountains, there is not much other than stones and snow, the whole scenery painted in monotonous palettes of grey, black, brown… and the eventual red of our blood staining the crystal snow.

I remember clearly that the weather bothered me. I was not used to high temperatures as well. But as much as the palace – that gigantic structure made of white marble, stone, iron and gold, so high I thought it could reach the sky, so imposing that it is unthinkable that something from this size could be built without magic – scared me, it also amazed me. All the nature around me (I remember back then, I never thought so many trees even existed) in wonderful shades of green, the flowers which painted the landscape with so many different colors, the fountains spitting water everywhere, the beautiful houses and buildings from the Capital, everything so symmetrical and so well maintained and clean; it seemed that not even one leaf of grass was higher than it should. Everything was bright and beautiful and exciting.

Even though I had no permission to smile, I remember that all I wanted to do was laugh at the top of my lungs. I was amazed, astonished.

I can’t say I felt the same on my second ceremony.

Things were different this time, and not because I should not even be alive at this point. My first master was already King when I took my oath. His previous guardian fell in battle, and so I was chosen as his next guardian. I have never witnessed a coronation ceremony before.

Although I did not precisely witness it – I should always keep hidden in the shadows; the public should not see me –, I could tell it was for sure the biggest event in the Kingdom, even bigger than a royal wedding or a royal birth. The Capital was crowded; people came from all parts of the Kingdom. They came to the funeral ceremony and stayed to show their support over their new leader.

Since the period of mourn was over, the subjects had permission to decorate their houses with flowers to celebrate the blossoming of the new King. Flags were saw everywhere – on squares, hanging from windows, proudly swinging with the breeze, coloring the whole city with dark blue, white and gold, the official colors of Kingdom of Ëlv'en. Subjects themselves wore their best clothes matching with the colors of the flag, from the poor to the richest.

I myself did not know much about the prince – I have never even looked at his face after all – but I knew he had a good popularity around the continent. Because of this, many foreigners also came to witness his crowning.

Despite all of this, the atmosphere everywhere was not as happy as it should, considering a coronation ceremony was about to happen. It was too sudden, tragic and rushed. They did not expect their King to pass away like that. The population still had not recovered from their mourning.

That is something I could sympathize with.

I did not watch the crowning itself, since I had to stay at the west zone of the palace – too far from where it happened. But I still could hear the cheers of thousands of people at the principal square in front of the palace when the new King made his first official appearance. I also heard small glimpses of his first speech, but sincerely, I couldn’t focus.

All I could do was question myself if I did the right decision after all.

I could already feel a heavy regret growing on myself. More than that; I was starting to despise myself for what I did. Even if what I was about to do wasn’t illegal after all, I felt that I have betrayed my own honor.

Furthermore, a thought was starting to gain force in my mind.

I was only able to feel my past master so easily and be so in tune with him because I had years of convivence. I was still too used to him, even though he was dead. Would I ever be able to feel this new king so easily? What if I did not get to have the same connection? It would put him in serious danger.

Maybe I was only delusional for thinking I could extend my life time…

It was too late to overthink now. There was no way I could regain my honor – moreover, I had already given my word to the prince- the King. If I went back on my words I would just shove more shame over myself.

So, I patiently and quietly waited inside that small room, sat on a chair and looking out the window. I had to wait until the coronation ceremony ended, until the mass of people dissipated. My oath was something private and strictly military.

After exactly two hours, the soldiers came to escort me.

I sighed heavily and started my way to the Throne Room.

The walk was silent. Servants and maids would immediately avoid us as we passed. They did not look me in the eye. No one ever did.

When we reached the Throne Room, everything was just the same way I could remember.

The high domed ceiling, decorated with wonderful paintings that told the history of this Kingdom: they portrayed battle scenes, victorious and proud Kings of the past, elves descending from Alfheim to bless this land, dragons extending their wings, mages which were saw such as heroes – the paintings so full of details it was almost as if the people portrayed would start moving. The golden statues and columns were as bright as I remembered. The gigantic room held the colors of the flag: blue, white and gold.

The soldiers were also just the same.

The whole Royal Guard was present to witness my oath. Just like before, they were perfectly queued, not even a single one of them out of place. Their armors polished, their blue capes perfectly aligned. Just like before, soldiers from higher rankings stood on the first lines and so on; the darker the shade of blue of their capes, the higher the ranking. The whole room was completely silent waiting for my arrival.

I walked at firm steps through the middle aisle which led me directly to the throne were the King sat. As always, I did not look directly at his face.

But things were not exactly the same as before.

I did not stumble while I walked, just like I did when a child; my steps were firm and confident. The shiny armor I wore did fit my adult body much better than when I first wore it; it did not feel uncomfortable anymore, nor the sword tied on my hip felt as heavy as before. I had no trouble to dress it properly, nor complained when the maids brushed my hair roughly in a tight braid. The soldiers around me also did not seem as giant as they seemed on the first time, nor as frightening.

I did not feel scared at all.

Soon I was in front of the five degrees which led to the throne in front of me. I bended on one knee, my head respectfully lowered, staring at the blue rug under my feet, and waited.

Soon, the Bishop started his speech. He stood at the left side of the throne and on the right side stood the highest ranked member of the army, General Namjoon, and General Seokjin, leader of the Royal Guard. The Queen Mother and the princess weren’t present.

I did not pay much attention to what the old man said as his voice echoed through the room – a speech about how the elves had blessed and determined that every King had the right to own a dragon for their protection, and how I should feel honored for it. Hundreds of eyes were glued on my back. I could only wonder what each of them were thinking of this situation. I was sure none of them expected me to be alive.

Then, the Bishop announced it was time to take the oath.

It would be the only time I would ever have permission to look at the King in the eye and pronounce his name out loud.

Slowly, I lifted my head and stared at the man in front of me.

Honestly, I do not remember what I was expecting his appearance to be – but surely wasn’t this.

I could not find much of his father on his features. He resembled more of his mother. The format of his lips was slightly similar to his fathers’, and his dark brown hair…

Other than this, he was a completely different man.

He was young, much younger than his father was when I met him. His sun kissed skin was free from any wrinkle, what proofed yet again his young age. Despite this, sat on the throne was not a boy, but a man. A man with a deep, steeling gaze which seemed to strike through me and analyze me in details. His dark hair was only slightly longer on the back of his neck. His expression was strong, serious, impassive.

What really surprised me, though, was his dark eyes.

I stared at him straight in the eye, my gaze never wavering – and I saw much, much more than his expression let on. I saw curiosity. After all, it was the first time he saw me properly as well; he was curious. I saw a whole lot of pride. I saw the sadness of a son who did not have enough time to cry over his deceased father. I saw a man who felt for the first time the real weight of his responsibilities on his shoulders.

And I saw something more. Something I was never able to see on his father.

“Now, with the whole Royal Guard as a witness, it is time when you must proclaim your utmost allegiance to the King, which will define your fate until your last day,” the Bishop announced, just like the first time. And he started to declare the oath I repeated in high and confident voice, my gaze completely focused on the King:

“I, Y/N, ancestor of the dragons, daughter of the mountains…”

He definitely was not just a boy. His whole posture exhaled respect; the navy blue, luxurious clothes from the crowning ceremony fit his body well. His broad shoulders and chest showed his pride. He was not someone to be ignored. Even though this room was full of strong men, he alone filled it with his presence – and not because he was sat on the throne or using these clothes. He naturally gained the attention to himself.

“…swear to protect His Majesty the King, Kim Taehyung…”

He was not just someone who took the throne to fill the hole his father left. Even though he was young and unexperienced, I could see on his eyes, on his face, on his body, that he had the power to bear the weight of the crown on his head.

“…with all of my abilities, powers and my own life; no risk or enemy will ever cross his way under my watch…”

But pride was not the most appealing thing on him. That was the man who let me choose my own destiny – me, a simple hybrid who couldn’t even speak without permission. He was compassionate. He was hopeful. He would have to reign a whole Kingdom, being judged because he was too young, being judged because he was not even married yet, being underestimated just the same way the Counselor did, being judged because he chose an old and used dragon as his guardian and broke a tradition of centuries.

He was good.

“…until the day I die, my allegiance will stay immaculately by His Majesty’s side. I take this oath with the Royal Guard, the elves and God as my witnesses.”

At the end of my words, the King nodded slowly and meaningfully.

“It is settled. Us, as witnesses of this act, accept and welcome Y/N, the official dragon-guardian of Kim Taehyung, His Majesty the King.” The Bishop announced. “All hail to the King!”

The whole Royal Guard repeated his last sentence - Hail to the King! - immediately at the top of their lungs, repeating it a few times. I pronounced it as well.

I should have lowered my head again, yet my gaze was still locked with his. I know I should not be staring anymore, but the King did not seem bothered.

We exchanged a silent conversation.

I finally lowered my head.

And that was it. My oath was exactly like the one I did before, many years ago. I walked the same aisle. The Bishop made the same speech. The soldiers said the same hail to the King.

But somehow, it was different this time.

Because I chose to be there. I chose to take an oath of allegiance to Taehyung. For the first time in my life, I had decided something.

I was too young back then when I took my first oath. Now, I fully understood the meaning behind my words. And, after looking at Taehyung….

I could say that I really meant those words.

I would honor the second chance he gave me.

#kim taehyung #taehyung imagine #bts imagine #bts scenario #taehyung scenario #bts v #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #taehyung fanfic #taehyung fanfiction #bts #bangtan #bts au

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cainromainelettuce · 6 years ago

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( non-binary ) haven’t seen CAIN ROMANOV around in a while. the BILL SKARSGARD lookalike has been known to be (+) RIGHTEOUS & (+) AMBITIOUS, but HE/THEY can also be (-) EVASIVE & (-) UNTRUSTING. The 24 year old is a SENIOR majoring in BUSINESS. I believe they’re living in EMERITUS, but I popped by earlier and no one answered the door. ( snot goblin. 20. EST. she/they. )

surprise !! i am the snot goblin ! (aka james aka saige aka amos aka aleta) !! i very much apologize for this intro being late !! and also for possibly being pretty long.

EDIT: i forgot to mention but 1. like this if u’d like to plot w/ him !! obv !! and then 2. if discord is easier for any of u, my thing is emo stan #3644 uwu

TW: CULT LIFE, HEROIN USAGE / ADDICTION, DRUG ADDICTION / USE / ABUSE, EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION, ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ( PTSD, ANXIETY ). if i forgot anything PLEASE tell me !!

a e s t h e t i c s

dangling limbs from tree branches, yellowed book pages, opened bottles of vintage wine, oversized sweaters and deep under eyes, bleached denim, worn leather gloves, cat hair against black cloth, fields of wheat, broken windows, descending staircases, tight-lipped smiles during public appearances, golden skies, light spilling from windows, stumbling over one's own words, wire-framed beds, linens, wool scarves, making the wrong decisions; running, from others and yourself.

general information !!

full name: cain alexei romanov

nickname(s): cock and ball torture, N/A

b.o.d. - feb 19th, fuckin pisces

label(s): the fallen, the phoenix, the crestfallen, etc. etc.

height: 6′4″ jfc

hometown: rochester, ny babey !!

sexuality: bi...? bi. yes. bi.

stats

biography !!

cain, like all of my other children, was born into a life of privilege. his father’s a senator of new york and his mother’s a philanthropist; both pretty prominent figures. cain is the eldest of five.

he was raised in mind of keeping a good public reputation, taught to be the perfect citizen. essentially, he was a golden child who could really do no wrong. as a child, he’d always aim to please his parents in any way he could.

this included joining several clubs during school, such as model UN, debate, DECA, etc. etc. as well as a few sports (soccer, track, basketball, lacrosse -- all throughout the years, not at once). pretty sure he’s been a class president once or twice, and has been in the lead for valedictorian.

his whole thing was that he was supposed to be perfect. volunteered on the weekends at homeless shelters and food banks and like...he just did The Most. the absolute most

this pleased his parents, and he never had a problem with them. life was good. they attended church on sundays, sometimes wednesdays, always did things as a Family. like, we’re talking family dinners and christmas photoshoots and new year eve parties.

probably lived in a gated community tbh

he went into college strong, started off as a double major in political science and business, lookin’ to take after both his parents. he’d Always been fairly close to tatiana, being around the same age as her. nothing freaky ever happened among them, and i wouldn’t have really called them...friends, if that makes sense? they were confidantes, they vented to each other for whatever reasons at the time.

however this whole ~do no wrong~ bearing was a charade. in the community and his families’ eye, cain was just this precious, hardworking citizen who gave back when possible.

those who actually, genuinely knew him knew he was just a dick lmfao

arrogant, harrowing, and an outright bully who tore down others when he felt like it -- often unprovoked. he was the senator’s son and a rich one at that, and ever since middle school he was just...mean !

because of his father and his family’s general position in the community, tattlers were the ones getting in trouble rather than cain, who’d often go without punishment for his attitude.

like...was That Bitch who’d actually, genuinely look down at somebody if they had less than him. just an absolute narcissistic dickhead who only cared about like, maybe two or three people outside of his family.

his only redeeming quality was probably his protectiveness over his siblings tbh -- even if he wasn’t ... the best person, nobody was rly allowed to fuck w/ his family.

this carried into college, he probably joined one of the frats too, y’know. known for keeping his composition even when others resorted to violence, ‘cos he never liked to get physical. it would’ve been bad for press, y’know ??

sometime during college, two important things happened.

the first one is that he became a sort of...middleman? broker? he wasn’t the one creating/growing what he was selling, but he wasn’t the one dealing them. y’know, he was the middleman. took drugs and sold them to dealers to sell, for profit, for funsies. very hush-hush for the obvious reasons.

the second is that he met earl and may meyers. they were fellow volunteers at a thanksgiving food drive, and the older couple were immediately drawn to cain -- and him to them, essentially. to this day he can’t tell you what about them had been so appealing. just, the air around them was something else entirely. some would probably call it unhinged. they were kind folks, very down to earth, very religious and warmhearted. they liked his name being cain a whole lot; told him that he reminded him of their late son.

i’d say the beginning of this was late junior year for cain. the couple volunteered more and more at the same places as cain, as often as he did -- which, in retrospect was odd -- but cain hadn’t really known better. being the Good Samaritan he acted as, he kept talking to them. it became a genuine friendship. a few months into it, they had started talking about like...the sin of wealth and what it does to your soul, god choosing only a select few to be saved when he eventually cleanses the earth, etc. etc. they claimed that cain was special, one of those to be selected, they could see it in his aura, etc. etc.

it was...oddly appealing to him? like hmm..maybe i am being constrained by capitalism and disappointing god!

but like...this was mostly because of a lot of emotional manipulation for a duration of months -- and he had never once suspected anything like that to be happening. cain had always been so sure of himself, that he’d never imagined one day being manipulated, even if he was manipulative himself.

earl and may told him that they were going to leave rochester, that there were so many more who had the same ideals as them -- it was time to join them, to be saved. cain held off from this, as a senior in college by now.

after all, he had his perfect lil family and a good side-business going on, and he had a long term girlfriend who put up with his shenanigans. cain was still an absolute asshole to others but he had at least found his crowd to all be collectively awful and full of themselves, y’know?

over winter break, however, cain had a change of heart pretty suddenly.

for the third important thing had happened.

it had started off as a pretty average, normal day. christmas had gone and passed -- it was one of the days between christmas and new years eve, y’know? a period of days where time nor place is real. like walmart at midnight, or an empty 7/11 parking lot. during a seemingly normal conversation about his ancestry with his mother, she had suddenly broken down in sobs.

it was during this discussion that she revealed, to cain only -- that he was not his father’s son.

the beginning of vaughn and adelaide’s marriage had a pretty...rocky start, to say the least, and in a night of petty anger, adelaide had cheated on vaughn. this resulted in the pregnancy that wound up with cain.

the news rocked cain’s world in a very bad way, the sort of way that breaks a person. his entire life he looked up to his parents, did everything they ever asked of him, molded himself into perfection for the hope of being a sliver of a man his father was. and to learn that his father was not, actually, his father?

within the week he’d gotten into several altercations, both sober and drunk, and had landed in county jail overnight. nobody knows where cain went on new years eve, but he hadn’t skipped town until the third -- according to tatiana, who had received one last gift from him on the 2nd (her birthday).

then, he was gone. it wasn’t a missings person ordeal -- cain had made it very known that he was leaving rochester and that he had skipped town. hadn’t even broken up with his girlfriend before doing so. hell -- hadn’t even told the people he worked for.

BEGINNING OF CULT / DRUG / MOST OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS

only earl and may knew where cain went. because he went with them to the place they had told him so much about. this was the fourth most important thing to happen to him, because it changed his life.

cain didn’t know what a cult looked like, but it felt pretty accurate to hollywood’s interpretations. they lived separate from society in rural new york -- not nearly as far away as cain would’ve liked, but thank god in the long run for that. the people wore white, linens and cotton. there was no technology, just prayer and daily chores. money meant nothing, there.

i want to keep this part relatively short, so i’ll try my hardest. cain was only in the cult for three-ish months before he escaped. the beginning was grand -- it was peaceful, it was mind-clearing. he was treated as something special, his name being some sort of ... message, a sign that he’d been a gift for the group. that he’d be, ultimately, an eventual leader for them. however -- the longer he stayed with them, the more apparent it became that he wasn’t the messager they had long waited for.

he began slipping up. they became displeased with him. punishments occurred. sometimes once a week, sometimes multiple. he remembers hundreds of hands, pulling and tugging and gripping and begging -- asking him to repent, please, repent, and submergence on more than one occasion. these were not the worst.

they were convinced that he couldn’t truly be cleansed of his sins unless he forgot his past life.

fun fact: heroin in small doses, daily, can lead to memory loss.

though it’d only been around three months of this -- it really felt longer to cain. time wasn’t a concept. there was only the ground they walked on, and god, and that was that.

drugged and weakened but still kickin’, he had gotten into a particularly violent, brutal fight with earl. this was the last straw. cain had attempted to murder his ‘brother’. this led to his next punishment.

in a particularly twisted reenactment / retelling, cain had been branded with the cult’s interpretation of the mark of cain (they were going to be accurate and place it upon his forehead, but after a lot of resistance [he bit somebody] it was, begrudgingly, placed atop his heart instead) and left for dead in the middle of nowhere.

by all means, he probably should’ve died. by miracle, though cain was no longer a believer -- he was found by a farmer.

END OF CULT / DRUG / MOST OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. STILL MENTIONS OF TRAUMA / MENTAL HEALTH / RECOVERY BEYOND THIS POINT.

by early april he’d been reunited with his family. things went very fast, suddenly, for him. recovering from his forced addiction, and the trauma he’d been put in within only a small amount of months -- and his father’s reputation -- his mother’s inability to look him in the eye -- cain took matters into his own hands and, rather than return to lockwood, put in his transfer to hendrix.

because he’s a grown man who, while recovering from being in a cult, can still make his own decisions even if they’re irrational. he should’ve taken a year off, really, and recover. but he couldn’t imagine staying in his house, either, and generally ?? his mind was just a very messy place.

he went to hendrix a s a p, before his term in the summer even began. he wound up at hendrix a few weeks (like...three?) before the lockwood kids and was very dismayed to find out that oh, coincidence, there’s an abroad semester attending !!

so that’s sort of where he’s at rn.

personality !!

okay so...douchebag cain is No More. they’re retired.

to the hendrix students they’ve familiarized themself with, they’re a pretty quiet person. well-meaning, kind enough if not a little sarcastic. sort of distant, not much for parties. smokes weed and like, drinks occasionally, but not much else. definitely doesn’t do anything harder.

they’ve got four cats. that’s their entire personality. four cats. they got them all after transferring to hendrix and like ... no regrets ?

i imagine their parents still pay for their schooling ‘cos it’s not like their father Knows that cain’s not his child. if anything, vaughn just thinks that cain suffered a mental breakdown and needed a break.

anyways. they love their cats a lot. like, probably has photos of them in their wallet.

as mentioned above, their memory is pretty...fucked up right now. they don’t forget anything major, but there are days where it takes them a while to remember faces or names and sometimes they wake up and won’t know where they are.

not that they really...sleep a lot? they have night terrors, which fuck with their sleep schedule. they sleep only for a few hours each night because the nightmares are too bad.

cain suffers from severe touch aversion. skin-to-skin contact of any sort is enough to send them into a pretty bad panic attack. they wear leather gloves more often than not, because it helps without hindering them too much. they’re not the biggest fan of body contact in general, even with clothes, but it won’t send them into a panic like bare skin will. they make sure their few friends know that they don’t really like physical contact at all.

they’re dealing with PTSD, attends therapy every week. keeps an entire journal where they write b/c it helps them cope. it’s like, everything to them.

they’re...sort of like...blunt? they won’t go out of their way to be like ‘hey i joined a cult and it fucked me up pretty badly’ but they won’t lie about it either if the topic somehow comes to that. they don’t like delusions, but they don’t like drawing unnecessary attention to them either.

lockwood students being at hendrix makes them pretty anxious, just because they were looking to sort of ... rebuild themself into a better person, and like pretty much most students at lockwood knows how much of a massive tool they used to be. not to mention like, their plugs and customers they screwed over by leaving, and their ex girlfriend who they’re still probably in love with ?? but it’s just complicated now.

smokes weed to soothe them rather than just get high. is probably stoned often.

doesn’t really like cars! or swimming! or crowds. doesn’t like to feel trapped.

whenever they’re overwhelmed and needs to be away from everything, they’ve developed a habit of climbing into trees. they won’t suddenly go jump in a tree during a conversation, but more so at night or when they need to think.

probably trying to redeem themself in some sort of way. because while they want to avoid the lockwood students as much as possible, that’s not right. they want to fix the shit they’ve done and be a better person, because the whole...situation they’ve been in has opened their eyes.

uuuhh...there are days where they forget that tatiana’s dead. so that’s sad.

i wouldn’t be surprised if people from lockwood were suspicious of cain, considering they left rochester only a week or so before tatiana went missing, and just so happened to come to hendrix around the same time eva went missing ??

oh !! cain developed a stutter, and their voice is a little damaged from...screaming. a lot. in general they look a little gaunt, a little unhealthy.

they can still definitely hold a conversation, and like i said they’re pretty...lowkey. soft, sort of. generally a quiet person and while they’re not the most social, they won’t be a direct asshole or anything. likes people! just...has low energy.

goes by he/they, doesn’t really care which one as he alternates pretty frequently.

dropped the political science part of his major and like...unfortunately is very much unhappy with being a business major atm. he might just go through another four years of college in a diff major or fuck off all together.

EDIT: i forgot to mention that he’s sort of really into the investigation of the cult he was part of b/c they’re still like...out there. also fascinated by the watershed app and shit, ‘cos they fucking...hate this shit with a passion. probably willing to stick their nose into places they shouldn’t

wanted connections !!

so first and foremost, cain would’ve been known around lockwood. connections relating to that would be v much appreciated !!

mostly enemies or people they’ve wronged, tbh, ‘cos he was a massive dick.

exes they’ve dumped, hook ups, ex-friends, people he’s gotten into arguments or fights with.

his ex gf would be gr8 . if anybody would like some angst.

uuhhh i’d imagine he’d know a few of the other prominent families from rochester, especially. not to say that they would’ve all gotten along.

hendrix pals !! give me some solid friendships based on mutual respect.

people cain used to receive drugs from and people he used to send those drugs to.

ex-party pals ??

people suspicious of them b/c cain was/is a very suspicious person. people still angry at them.

let them RECONNECT and FIX FRIENDSHIPS

people he’d bully or fuck with or whatever.

wholesome shit. angst shit. slowburns, anyone ?!? enemies to friends. friends to enemies. enemies to bigger enemies.

i’m not taking hook-ups for....obvious reasons.

but sexual tension is welcomed. maybe a sexting thing ??

ppl they DON’T even know that well but hATE his dAD because FUCK POLITICIANS y’know ?!?

old pals from lockwood, if i didnt mention that.

i imagine a lot of conversations w/ lockwood kids begin like ‘this is where u fucked off to, huh?’ b/c like....they told everybody they were ditching rochester. it wasn’t a secret or a shock. but it’s still like huh. u bastard.

people who are soft for them ??

people who are hard on him ??

make his life difficult but also uuuhh uwu him

#water:intro #drug abuse tw #abuse tw #cult tw #mental illness tw #ptsd tw #sorry this is so late folks !!

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