#ch: all the leader the pack needs | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

patroxlos · 2 days ago

Text

pied piper ch.1

kpop demon hunters (2025)

Prologue - 2.2k words

Rumi x Jinu, Mira x Romance x Abby, Zoey x Mystery, Zoey & Baby masterpost + ao3

As HUNTR/X’s public reputation is in shambles, the girls decide the best way to maintain the restored Honmoon is to show off their truer colors. By joining variety shows. But how can they stick to the script when the Saja Boys of all groups is gearing up to make a post-hiatus comeback from their…enlistment?

There had never been a moment in their careers when Bobby had not cared about numbers completely.

It was his job to pay attention to the target market, the cost per lead, and, of course, the streams. All the hard number grunt work rested on his back so that his girls could focus on what mattered to them— their dreams, their music, and of course, their fans. HUNTR/X was not just a three-member group. Its success mattered on the countless hours their staff and backstage management had put into their stages and production.

Which was why he took their phones.

“This is sooo unfair! Bobby, we aren’t trainees anymore—” Zoey could have damaged his eardrums with how much she shrieked against the gadget ban.

Their jobs were to sing, not scroll through social media to see what everyone had to say about the shitshow that was the Idol Awards. That was his job. And Legal’s, because he had a lot of lawsuits to process.

Bobby constantly reassured his girls that he would handle it. He calmed them down, telling them that they had already done the legwork with their impromptu performance of their brand-new single ‘What It Sounds Like’. Though he does not know exactly what happened on stage when they performed ‘TAKEDOWN’, he fully reassured them that the new single showcases that their bond is stronger than any disagreement. Their fanbase is strong. They did not need to care about what the general public thought.

He did, though.

He absolutely had to care about what the GP thought.

Which was how he found himself alone on top of the agency rooftop, screaming out at the Seoul skyline for a miracle.

Bobby couldn’t stand to imagine how difficult it would be for Rumi to shoulder, as the group’s leader. This was his burden to carry. He was the cleverest, fiercest, and sexiest manager in the industry. He was an SNU alum for god’s sake, and there was no PR crisis he could NOT solve. After all, he managed to turn around all the potential hate that joint fansign could have attracted into positive salacious buzz.

He was the best of the best, and even the best of the best needed a moment alone beside a skyscraper’s ledge smoking through half a pack of cigarettes to manage the stress. He was starting to think it was a mistake to get slims instead of something stronger, but Mira liked her ESSE menthols, and she was a decent smoking buddy when they were hiding from Rumi and Zoey— and the press.

He reached in his pocket for his lighter, but with his hands numbed from the evening air he struggled to get a good grasp of the plastic. Cigarette hanging off his lips, he pressed his thumb against the toothed wheel and clicked a few times but the flame wasn’t staying due to the wind.

Breathe. Not the time to overreact and scream about how the universe was actively plotting against him by magnifying every inconvenience he had ever encountered.

There were a couple of footsteps behind him, which weren’t uncommon. The rooftop was a popular smoking corner for the building workers, evidenced by the sleek metal ashtray pole he stood by and the steady stack of burnt filters inside. It was actually rare for him to have the corner all to himself. Bobby didn’t turn around to check who it was, too focused on figuring out how to keep the lighter lit.

A small, childlike hand slid into his periphery, holding a metal lighter with a steady flame. A deep voice spoke beside him “Need a light?”

“Thanks man,” Bobby sighed with gratitude as he leaned forward.

Life would be okay. What matters still matters.

He has a job he loves.

His cigarette was lit.

HUNTR/X stayed together.

Baby Saja was smoking with him.

Their new song was going viral.

Baby Saja was smoking with him?

When the news broke out, the first thing Rumi did was to check whether the Honmoon was secured.

The second thing was to confirm she was not going insane with her girls.

“This is not happening.” Mira was wearing a hole in the penthouse floor from her pacing. “When I handle my business, I handle it. I felt the weight of their flesh give out beneath my woldo. There’s no way they aren’t demon dust.”

“I can’t take this!” Zoey was so close to ripping the seams of the couch cushions. “I. Need. My. Phone.”

Rumi was rooted in place as she stared at the large television screen in front of them as the news broadcast continued.

SAJA BOYS TO MAKE A COMEBACK AFTER THEIR MILITARY ENLISTMENT.

“Enlistment?” Mira scoffed. “It’s only been two weeks since we restored the Honmoon.”

Rumi squeezed her eyes shut as her brain racked for an explanation. “Celine did say that the Honmoon has some special qualities in altering how civilians perceive reality.”

“So it somehow convinced everyone that a month-old rookie boy group’s two-week hiatus is due to them being away for a two-year military enlistment?” Mira shouted at no one in particular. This was ridiculous. As of yesterday, the Saja Boys were considered disbanded. Now, they were being labeled patriots by the media for having enlisted all together as a group even when they had an—

“Exemption?!” Foam burst from the cushion that Zoey dug her nails into. The news story became more ridiculous by the minute. “Since when did the president give out exemptions to K-Pop idols?”

“Since before he got impeached,” Mira huffed. “Doesn’t matter anyway. They didn’t take it.”

Zoey stood up indignantly. “Well, I say we finish the job. Tonight! And catch them alive so we can torture them into telling us where the hole in the Honmoon is.”

Rumi, eyes still clenched tight, finally spoke up before Mira and Zoey could start practicing their good-cop bad-cop routine. “I don’t think there’s any hole.”

Mira. “How else could they get in?”

Rumi. “Maybe they never were on the other side of the veil. Maybe they got sealed up here.”

Zoey. “Nope, I don’t think that’s it. I agree with what Mira said. We felt them die.”

Rumi. “ I know. I saw him. Right in front of me.”

She sank to her knees, head in her hands.

Mira and Zoey shared a concerned look, unsure of what to say. They were not familiar with just how deep the connection between Rumi and Jinu was. After the final battle, Rumi soaked with them in the bathhouse as she recounted the clandestine meetings she shared with him, how she was so determined to believe that the redemption of demons was possible, all because of him.

How Jinu taught her how to stop dealing with herself in parts, and to accept herself in whole.

Two pairs of arms encircled Rumi in an embrace as they all sat together on the floor. She brought her hands up and squeezed them closer.

“I don’t know exactly what to feel…” She confessed to them. “Am I relieved? Or, worried?”

“Freaked out?” Zoey supplied.

“That too.”

Mira pecked the side of Rumi’s head comfortingly, a show of physical affection she reserved only for her girls. “Feel whatever you want. It just sucks that this had to happen while we’re on hiatus. I don’t want you to be hung up on this when you’re supposed to be relaxing.”

Carefully, Rumi was guided onto the couch, and the news channel switched to some mindless romantic drama. The girls didn’t pay the TV any mind, choosing to focus their full attention on each other as they snuggled together.

This was how Bobby found them. They gave him tired, but pointed, stares when they spotted that he was carrying their phones. “Hey girls.”

“Hi Bobby,” They chorused.

“So when were you planning on telling us we got new labelmates?” Mira got straight to the point.

Zoey glared at Bobby for good measure. “You’re lucky it’s couch time. I’m sooo pissed that we had to find out from the news!”

“I only found out last night,” Bobby defended himself as he handed back the girls their phones. Like addicts, they immediately took them and powered them on. “You know I’m not the CEO. I don’t know what goes on in the label outside of you three.”

“So why are you breaking the phone ban so early?” Rumi asked, panic rising slightly.

“Rumi, don’t question it or else he’ll take them back.”

“But Zoey, Bobby wouldn’t be doing this if he didn’t think there was a PR emergency.”

Rumi’s panic transferred to the two others, who instantly began opening every social media account they had.

But nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“Oh, this seems, fine?” Zoey remarked as she scrolled through her feed. “Our fans are keeping the community alive while we’re in hiatus!”

Bobby’s frown deepened. “It’s not really about the fans, but what’s happening…outside.”

Mira raised an eyebrow before switching her feed from her Following to her For You.

Oh. There it was.

It was a little silly that they deluded themselves into believing that everything would come back to the way it was before the Idol Awards. While their fans remained steadfastly faithful, they completely forgot that they were still parties under the Court of Public Opinion.

Rumors about catfights.

How they only got along for the cameras.

Speculations of unprofessionalism.

Calls for their disbandment.

“I’m sorry that I kept this from you for so long.” Bobby bowed his head. “I tried my best to contain this so that you can fully enjoy your break, but since the Saja Boys got signed by the agency—”

“And Celine allowed this?” Rumi found it to be impossible. HUNTR/X’s management was all built by Celine. They have never handled any other artists. Rumi wondered what was going on in her head.

Bobby sighed. “That’s why I thought she ran it by you first. Have you reached out to her?”

Rumi did not answer. They haven’t spoken since the night of the Idol Awards.

“So what’s the point of showing us that the entire country hates us?” Mira ground her teeth. Her grip tightened on her phone.

Bobby massaged his temples. “As confusing as this is, I think there is a purpose to bringing the Saja Boys in after their enlistment.”

Zoey blistered. “They never were enlisted!”

“Well, yes, technically Mystery did do community service work so that he wouldn’t shave his head—"

She groaned in frustration. What kind of mist did the Honmoon emit to mask the sinister nature of the Saja Boys’ disappearance?

“Girls! Listen to me.” Bobby clapped his hands to bring their attention back to him and away from the blistering comments on social media. “Before we work on your comeback, we need to work on your reputation.”

“That’s going to be impossible. We’re female idols. Everything we do causes a scandal. We can’t be perfect,” Mira almost ranted.

OMG, Mira didn’t bow to her senior group at the Idol Awards. No respect at all. I’ve been waiting for all of you to catch on that she has bad vibes. Erm is it just me or was it crazy rude how she spoke to her staff like that? Her parents probably paid for her to get in the group.

Zoey agreed. “Once the public has an idea of us, it’s almost impossible for them to let it go. We don’t have it easy like boy groups. Look at the Saja Boys— they sucked the souls out of half their fans but the public still loooves them!”

It feels like Zoey just makes her whole personality being Korean-American lololol In this live, you can see that Mira and Rumi are so tired of her Can she stop being so fake for once. It’s giving pick-me I’VE BEEN SAYING! Look at how she eats a strawberry! She’s so corny in her grown age.

“Sucking the souls out of their fans sounds a bit harsh,” Bobby winced, oblivious to any further meaning.

Rumi circled her arms around her bandmates’ shoulders, drawing them close to calm them down a bit. “Bobby, you’re our numbers guy.”

“I’m your numbers guy,” he nodded.

“What do you think we should do?”

“With how things worked the last time you collaborated…” He slowly tried to ease them into his idea. “I don’t think it would hurt to collaborate with them again.”

Zoey immediately shot it down. “I don’t think I can write any songs at the moment . ”

“Not songs, but think about it girls. You're absolutely right, boy groups have it easier. So why don't we exploit it with...”

He picked up the TV’s remote control and began surfing the channels. They recognize their contemporaries immediately.

Idols playing the mafia game. Idols taking care of babies. Idols living alone. Idols cooking together or managing cafes. Idols roaming the streets of Seoul to have dinner with random families. Idols dancing to twice the speed of the song.

The girls were reminded of the very reason why they’re called idols and not merely artists or singers.

They trained to entertain. Beyond cutthroat choreographies and non-skip discographies, they were built to wield influence and catch attention.

Most importantly, Rumi thought, they had to appear authentic.

In the haze of the kaleidoscopic lights and shimmering ‘special effects’ comes a new era for HUNTR/X. Moving forward, they promised themselves that they would show their truer colors to the world. Unapologetically themselves.

What better way than through the humiliation trials of variety shows?

notes:

using all my kpop knowledge as a third gen stan to make this. liberties have been taken to how the variety shows are portrayed.

rated M for language and mature content like smoking and drinking. I also want to slightly delve into how misogynistic kpop stans are lmao.

dont expect fully nuanced personalities for the saja boys either (commentary on how girls have to be multidimensional but boys can just be hot? who knows) but theyll still be fleshed out ish.

if the dialogue is corny blame it on the fact that this is a kids movie and ure reading fanfiction based on said kids movie. i actually think it's not canonically corny enough!

anyway kpop stans! lmk if u would like to see something referenced hehe esp since im not actively updated w kpop anymore erm.

This is how I imagine the Saja Boys showing up to Celine, broke + fresh from crawling out of whatever hell they were in, and pitching that she should sign them (woa why did she agree to sign them??? next chapter! please let me cook youll understand):

im on twitter @patroxlos

#kpop demon hunters #kpdh #rujinu #miromabby #zoestery #rumi x jinu #mira x romance x abby #zoey x mystery #huntr/x #huntrix #saja boys #cross posted on ao3 #pied piper by patroxlos

69 notes · View notes

boolger · 3 months ago

Text

Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before 🌻 ch.3

Female reader x Nikolai x Price✨ wc: 10.8k - call of duty - explicit, MDNI. Read the tags. Dead dove don’t eat.

<-last chapter✨ AO3 link ✨Masterlist ✨ next chapter ->

tags: non-consensual elements/rape, bikers AU, biker gang 141, omegaverse, dub-con, non-con touching, harassment, stalking, reader has a vagina, M/M/F threesome, threats, reader has a nickname, loss of parent, original characters, pack dynamics, alpha!John Price, Alpha!Nikolai, omega!reader, forced bonding, loss of virginity, breeding kink, piss kink, scent marking, daddy kink, stun guns, smut, rough sex, knotting, (maybe pregnancy), voyeurism, punishments, noncon spanking, p in v sex, anal sex, overstimulation, claiming barks, uh short appearance of a chopped off body part (action not described but the part will appear shortly)

AN: once again i must thank the ever so sweet @venuskaltrip for helping and dealing with me and all my ideas. and teaching me better than any of my english teachers ever have lol<33

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

Your head hurt a bit the following morning.

It was raining outside your window, dark clouds rumbling now and again, making you stay in your bed a tad longer than usual. You had the day off at least, so you could nurse yourself back to health. Besides food, you had no urge to get out of bed, almost tempted to hide beneath your blankets all day… perhaps even build a temporary nest, to properly feel safe for a little while.

It was only because of the packages, that you got out of your bed - making a big breakfast, staying awake despite the urge to sleep the day away. You sipped your tea, impatiently checking your phone again and again, waiting for your things to arrive.

You had paid way too much for the fastest delivery. The sooner you could feel slightly more comfortable in your home, the better.

No, you might not have been fully sober when you had ordered everything, but you had felt as if you were. As if the fear of Price’s words had truly flushed your system and made you think clearly, as you had added more things to your online basket.

Then you had messed around on some more dodgy websites, managing to find a dude that sold stronger stun guns. He hadn’t asked questions as long as you paid and you hadn’t asked questions about how he got them - but he had offered you a nice deal, when you asked if he had pepper spray as well.

All the other stuff you had ordered was legal; another lock, which was one of those fancy ones that you needed a chip to open, a baseball bat to have next to your bed, then a normal lock for the back door. Perhaps the baseball bat was a little excessive but you had dealt with creepy men for two years already - if you needed to step up, then that was what you had to do.

You distracted yourself by looking into apartment prices in the nearest big cities, taking in the prices while looking at your savings. It wouldn’t be impossible - If you could actually make yourself sell the house, you could move into one of those apartments and be able to pay rent while looking for a job.

Abandoning Mary felt wrong in every bone of your body - you knew she would survive, but it was as if you were considering leaving your last parental figure. What would she even do if you left? Probably have to hire someone new, but still — not to mention how to even explain it. Did you even want to tell her that you wanted to move, because you were once again, being harassed by a leader of a biker pack?

Of everyone in the bloody village, it just had to be you.

The sound of the bell at your front door almost made you throw the laptop to the floor and you barely managed to put it on the coffee table, before hurrying to the door.

A moment later, you had your box with locks and another one with a baseball bat. You had never played with one, only been forced to cricket a couple of times and that was a different kind of bat, but you knew the basics. Grab it, raise it and hit the other person. Couldn’t be that hard.

You spent an embarrassingly long time attempting to put in the locks, before caving in and calling Harold and Jenny. They asked questions. Of course they would, it was stupid of you to think that they wouldn’t. Jenny was extremely good at reading people, the teenage beta instantly realising that something was up, even better than her boss.

“It’s uh - just a big house. With only me in it,” the lie felt uneasy on your tongue, but you couldn’t help yourself. You didn’t want to worry the elderly omega nor the young apprentice.

“Are they bothering you?” Jenny asked while Harold was picking up some tools in the car, looking up at you with squinted eyes - watching you in a way that made your palms feel sweaty - and a slightly worried look in her eyes.

You huffed, reminding yourself that you were a strong, proud alpha and you didn’t feel bothered b y a couple of men in leather jackets trying to seem intimidating. So you straightened up, watched Harold and shook your head, another lie slipping from your lips.

“Of course not,” you answered, unable to look at the other, unable to admit to the defeat you felt, “just wanna be sure nobody touches the jewelry mom left.”

Another lie. It was dusty on your tongue, from suddenly having dragged your poor, deceased mother into your lie. There was nobody to fear in the town but the bikers. Yet Jenny let it go and shrugged, before taking the tool box from Harold as he got up the stairs again. Instantly beginning to tell Harold about how she had seen these locks online, while you retreated, watching them without intervening.

You had a lock bolt and a chain lock on the back door already. Now this in the front.

Locks weren't going to save you. Nor were stronger stun guns or pepper sprays.

Sleep well, little Sunflower.

The locks and illegal weapons might not save you, but they would probably help you sleep a little better.

… At least until you figured out what to do.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

“Would you be able to find somebody to help you with the cafe if I left?”

Mary stiffened, not moving for a second; then the older beta spun around, her braids flying at the movement, looking straight at you with a raised eyebrow and suspicion in her eyes.

“What have you done now?”

You huffed, rolling your eyes. As if you had done something to ask, like a little naughty kid who often got into trouble. No, for once, you hadn’t done anything. Sure, you had threatened the men with a stun gun, but they were big men. Probably not that scared of your little weapon.

“Haven’t done anything,” you defended, “jeez, Mary, you sounded like my mother just now.”

Mary softened up a little, a small chuff-like sound leaving her. You looked back down at the dirty cups, continuing to wash them. Rings of dried coffee slowly dissolved into nothing. The water felt hot against your skin, reminding you that you were very much alive; stuck in Millhaven, surrounded by beasts on motorbikes and with a secret that burned in your stomach.

“Are you thinking of moving again?”

You nodded, your back still turned to her, unable to look her in the eyes again. Afraid she would see right through you - figure out that you were hiding things from her. It was uncomfortable in a way, to tell half a lie. As if you had two wounds but only showed the one which hurt the least.

“Are you afraid Graves will come back?”

A part of you wanted to break into laughter from her question; because wasn’t it naive of Mary to believe that Phillips Graves was still alive? She had heard the shots too, the screams, the horrors that had taken over Millhaven that night - how could she not realise that they were all dead? Even if Phillip Graves was to rise from whatever shallow grave he had properly disappeared into, he wouldn’t scare you the same way John Price did. Graves was in fact the last thing you feared right now, if you had to be honest with her - but you weren’t… not fully, at least.

“No,” that was a part of the truth, because you were more afraid of what exactly had happened to him, but it melted into lies once more, “I’ve considered getting a degree or some sort of education.”

You hadn’t… not really. Sure, you could. It would probably be a smart enough choice, if you were to leave Millhaven, so that you could get a well paying job or something, but… but as you dared to look over your shoulder, watching Mary, you almost felt like apologising for even suggesting it.

It was as if you were being split in two; the cafe was going well, Mary wasn’t afraid of the group, she would be safe if you left her… but what if she wasn’t? The idea of abandoning her, hell, of abandoning Beatrice and her pack, Enid, Dennis, Carlos, Finn, Alma — it all gave you a bad feeling.

For a moment, it was as if Mary looked much older than usual; as if her hands had gotten weaker and face gotten more wrinkled in the matter of seconds, her black hair looking a little more on the grey. She would grow old too… would she be alone here? Only her sister to come visit? Would The Gentle Cuppa close? You put the cups down, turning around fully, looking at her.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, like a kid aware that she had upset her mother, suddenly feeling small, with the urge to grab onto her skirt and cry into them, “I - I know that was very sudden.”

“It’s okay, Sunflower,” she answered, moving forward to cup your face gently, “I would miss you - but I will also support you.”

There was flour on her hands. Her scent was herbal, like different kinds of dried teas all blended together, with a smell of something purely Mary beneath. She let out a soft rumble, close to a purr, like a mother would do to her pup and you closed your eyes, listening to it and her breaths, trying your best not to break into tears. You wanted the truth to escape your throat, to drip from your mouth and explain to her how you had struggled; how they had been at your house, how it was escalating much quicker than it had with Graves. That Phillip Graves, with all his nastiness and evil, had seemed easier to handle than this new group - you couldn’t read them, never knew what to expect. You were losing more and more control and it scared you.

You let your forehead rest against your boss’. There wasn’t much separation between your work and personal life between you and Mary anyways. They had blurred for years. She was a parent — your parent. You had slept on her tiny couch for three days after your dad passed away.

“I want you to be happy, my little Sunflower,” her reply was filled with love, “wherever that may take you.”

The idea of leaving her, who you had come to consider your new mother, psychically hurt.

Leaving or staying; you felt, as if the two options were beginning to pull you apart, the reasons to either stay or leave becoming more and more intricate, less and less simple… People who you cared for were tangled in between those reasons, while The 141 crawled closer and closer in the dark, as if they were waiting for the perfect moment to attack - always nearby, unable to be scared off.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

When you weren’t working the next couple of days, you spent hours making lists and mental notes, trying to figure out the pros and cons of your different options. Scribbling down different notes on what to remember, what to consider, who to call. You had to call the bank if you wanted to sell the house and buy an apartment in a bigger city - you had to figure out which town you would move to, which real estate agents to contact.

You needed more fake scent-perfumes and stronger pills. Another way to protect yourself - in order to avoid accidents and in case anything was to happen, the mere possibility scared you.

The following days, it also suddenly seemed like everything was back to normal - sure, different members of the 141 would swing by the cafe and buy things, but none of them bothered you. When you walked home, you would be barked at by Mrs. Henley’s dog and see the chain smoking teenager in the window. You would turn your corner and nobody would be in front of your home; no big motorbike standing in the driveway, no John Price leaving cigar ash on your stairs.

The new locks worked without problems, the chip beeping and unlocking, beeping as it locked behind you — somehow they did make you feel more comfortable. Not to mention the baseball bat next to your bed and the pepper spray and new, stronger stun gun that arrived the next morning.

You hoped, no, you begged, to whichever god who would listen to you, that the men had gotten your hint and that the entire pack would leave you alone now.

As the week had crawled by, the weekend ending with things still staying the same, it did seem like somebody had heard those prayers of yours.

When Monday came around, you began to seem a little more optimistic; it almost seemed like things had died down to the point that the bikers’ interest in you might have died…

Well… Almost.

Perhaps you had been a bit too optimistic about it.

It began that Monday evening, even if you didn’t truly realise it before Tuesday. Every time you walked home, somebody followed you at a distance.

It apparently didn’t matter whether it was from the cafe in the late afternoon or at night after a drink in the pub; they always appeared before you got too far, following until you reached your smaller road with your blue house at the end.

Everyone following you appeared to be one of the women in the gang - it seemed to be a task only the three of them had been given and they followed you dutifully, like unwanted guard dogs. Only one of them attempted to be slightly discreet with their stalking task; the two others not even seeming bothered by the fact that you knew and looked straight at them.

Whether they had specifically been told to do this because none of the men could be bothered — or because they believed you might be less uncomfortable with women following you home, you didn’t really know. In all honesty, it didn’t really matter. It could have been any of the members from the shitty biker gang, whatever gender and secondary gender they might have, and it would have made you upset.

It felt insane to you that they didn’t realise that it was the whole “stalking you as you walk home”-aspect of it that made you upset. Though you doubted that the thickheaded alpha that was John Price would understand that.

The alpha woman that had followed you the second night, had not seemed intimated in any kind of way, as you angrily demanded for her to fuck off and stop following you. She had long dark hair, pulled back into a long braid and sharp features with intense eyes - an attractive alpha, hadn’t she been following you. The small woman had merely raised an eyebrow at you, said nothing and merely waited for you to turn around again, only to continue walking behind you.

Wednesday was the third night in a row and when you growled at the second woman, a tall, muscular beta woman with short hair and familiar-looking jacket and when you demanded that she let you walk home alone, she had merely laughed out loud. Then she had said something in what you assumed to be Spanish, but as you didn’t speak the language, you didn’t know what - so you had growled loudly at her again, walking home even faster than before, ignoring her laughter as you stomped angrily the entire way.

With Thursday a new woman appeared; this evening it was a blonde, bonded omega who, just like the others, didn’t seem one bit intimidated by you. Instead she looked slightly amused, if not a little bored, as you dared to walk towards her, telling her to piss off. You weren’t sure why you tried, as it hadn’t with the others but the woman, her leather jacket almost fully covered in small metal spikes, had merely taken a drag of her cigarette and tipped her head to the side, before actually replying. ”I’m merely goin’ for a walk, Sunny. Don’t ya’ have to get home? It’s cold outside.”

You snarled at her calm words, the way she spoke to you and you considered making a scene, scream at her and draw attention from the people in the little town, for them to look out the window.

Instead you went with the familiar choice and turned around, walking home while cussing out the entire biker gang.

At this point it was getting ridiculous. You couldn’t even walk home alone anymore, couldn’t listen to Mrs. Henley’s dog barking at you nor watch the chain-smoking teenager without being bothered by the bikers. Those simple pieces of freedom had been taken from you as well. The things you used to enjoy doing were narrowing down, day by day.

Sure, you had hated Graves and the Shadow’s presence in Millhaven, but by now you already hated John Price and the 141 even more. Being able to walk home alone shouldn’t be impossible without being bothered. You just wanted to enjoy the sounds of Millhaven as the little town went to supper or to bed - you wanted the freedom to be able to walk home, without fear scratching its way into your bones.

Next day, it was the blonde omega once more; it was Friday, Enid had celebrated her birthday, so you had drunk a bit more than usual. Two pints, four shots and a fancy drink that Enid hadn’t liked and with the alcohol warming your body, you tried to ignore your stalker while walking home. Humming, unable to walk in a straight line, but in a better mood than usual.

You were certain the woman was there though; you could hear her familiar heavy boots, her huffing and puffing of the cigarette - and the wind blew her scent in your direction. Bonded, female omega. It couldn’t be any other. You flipped her off over your shoulder and her soft laughter confirmed that she was in fact there, watching you walk.

This entire week, with your changing, annoying guard dogs behind you, you had tensed up whenever you had turned from the main road to the smaller one where you lived; feared that there would be motorbikes in your driveway, that they would stand in front of your house, waiting.

Every time you had been worried while turning the corner. Would they be there again to bother you, their eyes watching you, sniffing the air and taunting you? Or would you once again be lucky and able to get inside without any of them in the way?

But as they hadn’t been there all week, your drunk mind had assumed tonight would be the same. That you would be able to waltz inside, lock everything up, eat some leftovers and fall asleep with the baseball bat in your hand. That the only harassment of the day was the chain-smoking woman a couple of steps behind you.

A deep sigh escaped you when you turned the corner and looked towards your blue house at the end of the road, continuing to walk, swaying slightly from side to side due to the alcohol. If they were gonna be here every time you got slightly drunk, you really needed to cut down.

For once there were only two of them.

They stood right in front of your blue home, like predators waiting for a prey to return to its nest. Their bloody bikes taking up space in your driveway. You sincerely hoped that a gust of the wind would make their vehicles tip over; maybe break one of the small rear way mirrors or even better, scratch the paint.

Of course John Price was one of the pair, sitting on the small staircase to the front door as usual; smoking his cigar, blocking your way inside.

By now you were tired of people you didn’t like or know, being in front of your house - the alcohol was still making you feel warm, curling along your ribs and making your head feel heavy. It seemed to swallow up most of your fear, so you let your growing frustration take over, confidence seeping into it.

You didn’t need to be close to know who the other was - the Russian, Nikolai or whatever you were supposed to call him - and while he was smoking a cigar as well, he was standing up at least. Similarly he was also staring at you, as you walked towards the house. They seemed like well fitting mates in that way, you supposed.

Yet, it seemed to be the hunger in their similar way of looking at you, which made you uncomfortable; like they wanted to sink their teeth into your skin and rip your meat from your bones — feast on your organs, blood dripping from their chins and swallow up the fear it created. But you just stared back at them, not backing down or looking away, even as they tried to look intimidating. You stomped towards them, only stopping a few metres from them. Finally, it was like your little bubble of anger popped.

“Stop makin’ your bloody minions follow me every day, you twats!” You snarled angrily, words slightly slurred, trying to make yourself look a little bigger as you growled.

The two alphas smiled — almost grinned — as if entertained by your demand and it made you want to scream; it was such a simple but effective way of acting superior towards you, taunting you and your inner omega.

It was the Russian one who was first to speak.

”Milaya,” he almost cooed, taking a few steps towards you, the lit cigar between two of his thick, tattooed fingers with the many rings, the last bits of smoke escaping his mouth, “we’re only making you get home safe.”

Home safe — home safe?

You let out a loud sound of annoyance, disbelief at his words and you were unable to help yourself from growling once more, one of your hands sliding into the pocket of your jacket.

”The only dangerous thing in this town is your fuckin’ group of wankers!,” you hissed, “So get them to stop!”

Your anger seemed to do nothing but amuse the big alphas and god, you wanted so badly to plant your first in the Russian’s face - then in Price’s. Nikolai laughed, before taking a drag of the cigar, blowing the smoke in your direction before saying something in Russian, which made Price laugh too.

Their actions made you feel small and harmless, made you feel stupid for even attempting to go against them - trying to seem aggressive and dangerous which they barely acknowledged.

Control was slipping from your sweaty fingers, even as you desperately attempted to cling to it, sink your dull claws into it.

Nikolai walked a little closer; you stood your ground, the alcohol making you slightly lightheaded. Of course it would be tonight, when you weren’t even fully sober, that the two of them would come at you. Fucking bastards.

You just wanted to be able to go to the pub without them being here when you returned home.

”Listen, you knotheads,” you snapped, baring your teeth for a second, to show you weren’t backing down, glad they couldn’t see your hidden ones, “You can’t rent the garage, I’ll never fucking let ya - so you might as well just drop it. Find somewhere else!”

The low chuckle that escaped Price made your eyes flicker over to him as he still sat on the stairs, tipping his head to the side a little.

“Oh, how that’s peculiar,” John Price mused, watching you with a glint in his eyes, tattooed fingers grabbing the cigar after taking another drag, “because you’ve sure�� been looking at a lot of nearby real estate agents online this last week - bunch of apartments in London and Manchester, too. Funny for you to look at, if you’re not leavin’ and will never let us have this house, innit?”

In truth, you almost pissed your pants from the shock - it was mere luck that you didn’t.

Sitting like that, the big alpha pretended to not seem like a threat; slightly hunched over, relaxed stance and almost looking like a father enjoying a smoke in peace - but in reality, he seemed like a demon who had crawled up from the sewers, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

Any sense of control that you might have had a brief minute ago was gone, together with any confidence. His words filled your lungs with fright, forced horror into your bloodstream; unable to breathe, to speak, to snap back at him. Defending yourself against something so intense, almost felt meaningless - you swayed, telling yourself it was from the alcohol, but you knew it might also be from what he actually told you.

They had been watching you, not only physically, but somehow they had gotten your access to your online history as well. Unknowingly, it seemed like most of your privacy had been ripped from your hands — you were unprepared for this, for this kind of stalking, this kind of dark, strange behaviour, with a big pack that didn’t respect your boundaries. Graves had been nothing compared to this and it was like all of your hopes and dreams of being left alone by these men had been torn and ruined without your knowledge.

Your voice trembled, all courage suddenly gone from your body.

“Please leave me alone.” It was the first time that you let yourself be this vulnerable in front of them and even if you immediately regretted it, you felt unable to do anything else. Hardly able to keep on your legs, to keep your cool and not just scream and bolt.

To your horror but perhaps not surprise, John Price smiled over your begging words, a rumble appearing from deep inside his chest. The driveway began to smell from the pheromones escaping the two men, their pleased not to mention lustful, scents overwhelming.

It was like the ground beneath you had been ripped away and you felt helpless, desperate to grasp at any sense of control, attempting to escape the situation which seemed to spiral in such a short time.

You had almost forgotten the presence of Nikolai, too shocked by Price admitting to the pack having stalked your online movements - he walked closer but instead of walking close towards you, he began to circle you; like a beastly creature, considering how to kill its victim in the best way and it made you grip your stun gun a little harder than before, almost pulling it out.

It felt like the weapon, feeble as it was, would be your only means of safety right now - though you doubted it would save you for long.

”Let go of that, Milaya,” Nikolai’s voice was dark, calm, his stench of alpha growing stronger, as he continued to circle you, “you don’t know what to do with it anyways.”

Degrading you once more, reminded you that you were backed into a corner - and for some reason, some bloody reason, you found yourself following the alpha’s command, following the deep timbre, the power — your grip loosening a little around the stun gun. It was as if your body followed the order even if your mind didn’t agree, because maybe, just maybe, he was right - you had never tried it, barely knew how to use it, did you? You felt it fall to the bottom of your pocket again, your hand slowly pulling back. You were unable to look over your shoulder at him, unable to look at Price, the shame overwhelming you as Nikolai let out a pleased hum, whispering a few Russian words.

”You’ve always had a spot for soft, weak women, eh, Captain?” Nikolai crooned, his voice suddenly appearing behind you, much closer to you than before, while Price laughed again. Humiliation. Price was grinning like a dangerous beast and the description of you rushed through your mind again and again. Soft - weak - you did as an alpha commanded, just because of the tone of his voice. The stream of self hating thoughts were broken as Nikolai was even closer than before, having moved silently, his big arm slipping around your stomach, pulling you back into his body, as close as he could, his face fully pushed into your neck. So close to your scent gland, sniffing at you like a pervert. The other hand sliding to hold onto your hip, cigar between two fingers.

”Smellin’ so synthetic, milaya, like —“

Before even considering what you were doing, you moved; all but ripping your stun gun from your pocket, flipping the little safety switch with a quick motion before pressing it against the exposed part of his tattooed neck, close to his jaw.

With a surprised shout the Russian alpha let go of you, staggering back a couple of steps, clearly in pain, though he didn’t collapse, merely having dropped the cigar — you were quick to turn fully around and stare at him, growling as he began to snarl at you. Keeping your small weapon raised towards him.

John fucking Price did nothing to help his mate, instead he was howling with laughter from his spot on the stairs. It felt as if the sound of him laughing this loudly was echoing through the little street, going straight into your mind, blurring together with your fear and adrenaline.

While Price was clearly entertained, the Russian in front of you was clearly enraged instead - even though Nikolai was badly lit by the streetlights, you could see enough of him to know he was far, far from happy. His bared teeth shone, tongue out, exposing his silver tongue piercing, every breath accompanied by a deep growling sound. His shoulders were slightly raised, his large hands balled into fists, his body tense and clearly ready to attack again, if allowed. There was a vague, barely there, stench of burned flesh in the air.

You felt pride over having been successful, showing the men that you weren’t weak, weren’t afraid to defend yourself. You swayed a little, perhaps from the intensity of the situation, not feeling much more alcohol in your body. You had gained some sort of power with the stun gun, some protection, even if it was an electric and short lived kind of protection, but it was better than nothing. Your hand was gripping the device so tightly that you almost feared it would break.

“You know, Sunny,” Price casually said, apparently done with laughing and you dared to look over at him as he rose from the stairs, taking a few steps towards you in a relaxed manner, “a couple of locks aren’t gonna keep us out, heh.”

He took another drag of his cigar, not looking away from you — Nikolai’s rumble making you fear the Russian attacking once more, keeping the stun gun raised like a knife towards him. You were almost considering getting the pepper spray out of your other pocket.

You felt unsure about which of them to look at - if one would attack you if another distracted you, your mind swimming even if you had burned through most of the alcohol by now.

Logically you knew that Price was right; the locks at your doors, the pepper spray in your pocket, the baseball bat next to your bed and the stun gun in your hand would not keep the pack away in the long run. But the idea of giving up, of not even attempting, felt like going against everything you had been raised to do.

Their pack, bigger than any you had seen before, would be no match against only you, not to mention the fact that the two men in your driveway were actual alphas. Just like you had attempted to be ever since you were a teenager, in order to escape men just like them.

Price let out a “tsk tsk” at you, as if you were a disobedient child, as if you were beneath him in the hierarchy of the pack you weren’t a part of, an alpha ready to remind a misbehaving pack member of their place. He walked a little closer, taking yet another drag of his cigar, clearly not fearing you.

Would any of your neighbours be watching you, you wondered - would any of them do anything? Or would they leave you to your own demise, retreat from watching you in the window, unable to watch your destiny?

”Soft, dangerous alpha,” the much older alpha demeaningly crooned at you, smiling once more as you snarled at him, Price’s words hitting harder than you wanted to ever admit, “unlucky for you, we really like your pretty lil’ house…”

”Too fucking bad!” You snapped, “it—“

”But we also really like you,” he cut in, making you stare at him - he stepped closer and it was as if you forgot everything about the stun gun, enthralled by his presence; as he looked down at you, the almost amused expression on his face suddenly turned darker, colder - like a switch had been flipped, making him look even more frightening than before, “Nik ‘nd I find you quite cute.”

Cute? Alphas weren’t described as cute, they weren’t supposed to be that. It was a stereotypical dig at you, implying you were bad at your secondary gender, unable to live up to what was expected of you by society.

”I- I’m not—“

”Oh, I’m sure you’re not, pet,” he replied easily, taking a drag of the cigar, blowing the smoke in your face just a moment later, almost making you cough “But we will convince you - maybe ya’ wanna be courted like a lil’ proper alpha, eh?”

”No,” you replied instantly, ignoring the stinking smell of smoke that entered your nostrils, “I don’t want to be courted at all!”

You stepped back, slightly to the side, only to be reminded of Nikolai as he rumbled at you once more, his eyes still dark, tongue slowly wetting his lips. As if getting ready to pounce.

”Hmm,” John hummed, not following you as you retreated, only to casually ask, “perhaps courted as an omega then?”

The question, no, the mere word omega, took you so off guard that you stumbled backwards, Nikolai catching you with a purr, delighted with your fear - the stench of lust overwhelming you. Forgetting everything about the stun gun in your hand, you bolted.

They let you, but it didn’t matter if they had followed or not, not with the amount of terror in your body. You slammed the door close after you, hearing the locks before you sprinted further into your house. Your home.

It took ages before you felt able to breathe.

You could barely sleep that night; you weren’t even in your parents’ bed, but beneath it, hiding in the dusty darkness with a blanket and a big kitchen knife in your hand.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

Liar.

Liar. Liar. Liar.

The lies seemed to spill even easier from your lips than usual, the actual truth stuck in your throat, burning inside it. You were becoming a bigger and bigger liar with every untrue statement that seeped out from between your teeth, despite when you tried holding them back. They had started like the usual ones, thin and white lies, but they grew bigger and bolder - you were digging your grave bigger and bigger. Because you’re fine… yeah, you’re fine, everything is good, you’re just a little busy.

“I’ve just been considering studying something else.” “No, I’m not more worried than usual, why are you asking, Carlos?” “It’s all good Mary, don’t worry about it.” “O-m-g, Bea, stop asking, you muppet, it's really nothing.” “Enid, I think I would have noticed if someone was following me home, that’s a ridiculous idea.” “Nah, I don’t need a lift home, but thank you, luv.”

Lies, lies and even more lies.

They had left you alone for a couple of days - the male members, that was. The three women didn’t, following you home like guard dogs, pretending it was normal behaviour. You stopped yelling at them, even though it still pissed you off every time you saw them. It made you wonder if they were just as tired of it as you — surely they had better, if not more interesting, things to do.

You add even more locks. On the windows too, ignoring the biker that stood at the corner to the main road, watching you do so. You played with the thought of putting up security cameras or getting an alarm system.

Mary seemed to be onto you - you were sure. It felt like the paranoia of being figured out by either party was gnawing its way, deeper and deeper into your bones. She was worried, but you lied, again and again. Mary was far from stupid however - you knew she was gathering up anything you let slip, even if she played along with your lies about moving away to study. It was becoming less and less about the mere idea of studying - and more a desperate escape.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

Lewis had raised his bushy eyebrows when you had ordered sparkling water with lemon instead of your usual pint - but he hadn’t commented on it, just nodding along, humming like he always did before talking about the weather as if it was the most interesting thing in Millhaven. As if people should visit just to see the darkening, candy floss looking clouds at this time of the year.

No, you just needed to cut down on alcohol. No particular reason, of course.

Beatrice was sitting next to you, trying to beat you in the card game. One of her pack mates had joined for once and Luna beat the two of you constantly, your pride in your card game ability taking one hit after another.

“Are you sure you’re not having problems with them?” Luna was in the bathroom, when Beatrice asked, the ginger woman looking worried. You had already told her - and the others - that you didn’t have any, but you knew they could put two and two together. Something was up - it was hard to deny that you were being followed home on the daily, since the bikers weren’t even trying to be discreet anymore.

”Who?” Playing dumb like a child wouldn’t help you much since Beatrice was a teacher and the look you got from her just confirmed it.

“You know who,” she replied, giving you a little kick beneath the table, “My ladies are worrying. Seen more of them follow you.”

”Do you kick your students too?”

”Stop changing the subject, Sunny.”

Finally you shrugged.

”They want to rent my house - or well, specifically the garage,” your voice wasn’t that loud and you were looking at the badly cut piece of lime in your sparkling water. Lime. You had ordered lemon, but Lewis had just shrugged and said they needed the lemons for the fish and chips, “Don’t fancy letting them, so they’re trying to intimidate me, I guess.”

“Sunflower,” she whispered almost in horror and damn, she barely called you by your full nickname, “why didn’t you say anything??”

Once again you shrugged and once again your friend stared at you, like you refused to tell her the secret of life.

”I don't find them scary,” You falsely admitted, as if you weren’t speaking with a hushed voice so that none of the members in the pub would hear you, “It’s stupid, I’m not gonna let myself be pressured even if they follow me like desperate puppies.”

Beatrice didn’t say anything. The soundtrack of the pub around you swallowed up any of your thoughts for a moment as you wondered how the fuck you came to this point. When you can’t even tell Beatrice the entire truth.

The door to the bathroom opened and Luna made her way towards the two of you again.

”Please - if you need help, just let us know, yeah?” Bea finally asked before Luna joined you. You have to keep yourself from blurting out that there wasn’t anything to do about it anyways. What are you, even with Bea’s pack behind you, supposed to do with a full on motorbike pack that most likely killed the former pack. You just nodded and asked Luna if she was ready to get beat in the next round of cards.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

You knew it was impossible for you to hide your little day trip - you, leaving your house on your day off? With how little privacy you seemed to have left, it would have been more baffling to you if they hadn’t discovered you by the bus.

What you hadn’t expected was for one of them to stop next to you, pulling off the helmet, grinning at you like he had won the lottery by seeing you. You recognised the Scot from one of the unwanted visits in your driveway, but the grim reaper wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

”Where ‘re ye going, hen?” He asked, not even bothering to hide how he watched you with a hungry, nasty look in his eyes. Stupid haircut, tattoos that were probably Gaelic inspired or something - the amount of piercings in his face made you wonder if he could even walk through a metal detector without having to remove every single one.

”None of your business.”

”Naw, lass, dinnae be like that,” he actually pouted, like a kicked puppy, before offering you a helmet from his lap, “want a lift?”

You stared at the helmet. Black, with their logo in the back. You had never ridden on a motorbike and in all honesty, you weren’t sure if you wanted to.

”No thanks.”

”Ach, hen, we both ken that I’m just gonna tail the bus the entire way,” he said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world to say, wagging his pierced eyebrows, “C’mon, it’ll be fun - you dinnae have to wait for yer bus then.”

You stared at him for a moment, before checking your watch. It seemed like the bus was late and you wondered if the universe was trying to punish you.

“No.”

“I’ll buy ye lunch, bonnie,” the beta continued, apparently not giving up, “anything ye want - I’m Soap by tah way - I’ll let ye use mah card for shopping too an—“

”Fine,” you finally snapped, stealing the stupid helmet out of his hand, “but if you crash that bloody thing I’ll break your neck!”

The pure look of glee on this Soap’s face reminded you of a teenage boy managing to ask a girl out for tea. Hadn’t he most likely been a dangerous piece of shit, you probably wouldn’t have agreed. At least he wasn’t Price or Nikolai - then you would rather have walked.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

The few instructions he had given you didn’t save you from the terror rushing through your body as he drove. Your breakfast felt as if it was sitting up in your throat, attempting to escape, life flashing by as you were unable to even keep your eyes open. You didn’t even need to look to know that he was driving waaaay past the speed limit.

Fucking twat.

It was embarrassing how you clung to him, how your fingers dug into his leather jacket, convinced you would fall off at the next turn if you didn’t hold on.

You didn’t fall off, but you did curse him to the moon and back. As you finally reached the bigger town and stopped, you didn’t comment on the closed off small garage they seemed to have here. No tools to work on their bikes, but it clearly wasn’t the first time they were here.

As you walked towards downtown, you tried your best to ignore him but he just wouldn’t shut up. He wasn’t Nikolai or Price, but he still stood out - or perhaps it was you who stood out against him. You were dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt with a hoodie over, a sunflower embroidered on your chest. It was one of your favorite hoodies and usually you could enjoy it on your own, but he seemed interested in it as well, blabbering on about your nickname.

When you reached a familiar spot, close to an alleyway that you recognised - you made a quick choice.

”Thank you for the lift,” you said as abruptly stopped walking, watching the beta stop a few steps later, walking back to you like a guard dog who didn’t want to lose you, “you can leave now.”

The big man looked at you, even tipping his head to the side. There was a big scar over his temple, tattoos curling around it, as if the wound had tried to swallow up the illustrations. Then, after a moment of silence, he grinned again.

”Ye’re welcome, pet,” he answered, moving to sling his arm around your shoulder, “And dinnae worry, Sunny bunny, I’m nae busy today.”

Sunny bunny. Graves’ face flashed before your eyes, blood dripping from the cut on his cheek, grinning like a maniac as he cooed out the awful nickname. Sunny bunny.

Sunny bunny.

You instantly wanted to throw up all over him or plant a fist in his face. You didn’t, instead you followed your backup plan in case he refused to let you go - hand shooting into your pocket, grabbing the black plastic, flicking the switch on it.

You had tried it once before and been successful, sure, but it was not something you felt confident in doing. With a swift motion you pushed the handheld device against his skin, prongs pressing against it; the stun gun crackled against his neck as you did so, barely audible over his yelp - Soap seemed so caught off guard, that his grip on your shoulder loosened and then you were off.

The sound that left him, a yelp, no perhaps closer to a pathetic scream like he was an actual puppy, had been music to your ears - if you hadn’t been so busy running off, you might have enjoyed it a lot more.

You didn’t see any reason to stay behind to see if anyone would help you, so instead you disappeared into the maze of the dirty alleyways in between the many buildings.

Not that you were much of a runner, but you knew your way around these streets, had gotten run around plenty of times between buildings and backyards, in order to find someone who would sell you illegal pills. Besides, you knew where the larger crowds were in this town, which was perfect to blend into.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

Several unknown numbers had attempted to call you not long after, but you ignored every single one of them, turning your phone off as texts began to appear as well.

You merely wandered around, buying unnecessary things for an entire hour, your pulse so high that it almost hurt. You didn’t really need sunglasses, but now you had some cheap ones on your face, hoodie tied around your waist as you sat in a cafe, applying nail polish as you saw him wander past almost two hours later, not noticing you — animatedly talking into his phone.

Perfect, so he had been serious about this - they didn’t even want you to do something as simple as let you go shopping on your own. Sure, you had plans of getting illegal drugs, but they were a literal criminal gang, so it didn’t seem like an excuse to cut off more of your privacy.

Somehow the tea tasted even worse when you couldn’t see him anymore. Briefly, very briefly, you considered just leaving everything behind - get on another bus, perhaps a train, abandon everything at home. But the mere idea disappeared together with the tea as you drank the last of it, knowing it was nothing but a childish daydream. You couldn’t abandon everything like that, not without any explanation to Bea, Mary, Enid, Carlos — everyone.

You forced your claws out, the dull things appearing beneath your normal, now painted blue, nails. Perhaps you should sharpen them again.

You were thankful that your father had taken the choice when you represented, no matter how ambivalent you sometimes felt about hiding your secondary gender now; as if he had known that you being a young, pretty omega would bring you nothing but trouble in a town with a biker gang. He had been right, Graves had lusted after you even though you were an ‘alpha’ - the idea of how he would have acted if you were an omega? … you didn’t like the thought.

People-watching while your nails were drying could only entertain for so long. You needed to buy things - that was why you had gone to town after all. After making sure that the Scottish beta wasn’t anywhere nearby, you went along with your plans of the day.

A specific shampoo that you really liked — you should treat yourself with all the shit going on in your life right now — scent patches and pheromones blockers from the pharmacy, a new mascara and nail oil. You felt tense the entire time but somehow you managed to avoid Soap while shopping, flinching at everyone nearby with a hint of a Scottish accent.

☀️🌤️⛅️🌥️☁️

The plastic bag in your lap felt heavy; not from the actual weight, but from the problems the content carried which you had to confront once the bus would stop. Somehow you had managed to avoid the beta ever since tasing him and you doubted he would just let that go - you had seen him looking for you after all. If you were lucky, he would merely scold you or something like that.

You were exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Normally it would have taken a one-hour trip with the bus to get home, but you had taken a different one to avoid meeting Soap, which drove to another small town, from which you had taken yet another one - it had almost been two hours when you finally got off. Your body felt stiff and you couldn’t help a yawn escaping you as you got out, in the different end of the town than usual, but it didn’t really matter. You were mostly relieved by the lack of bikers by the bus stop.

As you stood there, illuminated by the streetlight, you considered not even heading home. You could go to Mary, you knew she would let you in without hesitation, even if she didn’t know the entire situation - you had slept on her couch before, covered by one of her knitted blankets and woken up to freshly baked bread. Otherwise you could go to Beatrice and her pack; they would let you in, no questions asked - at least at first, the interrogation would start later - and you would sleep in their little guest room, with the lavender smelling duvet.

You had to go home. You knew that, but that didn’t mean you wanted to. You couldn’t stay away forever, they would be there tomorrow if you didn’t come home today. You hesitated for a moment before pulling your phone from your pocket. It had been turned off all day and you wondered if they could have tracked you if it hadn’t - was that even possible? Or were you just being paranoid again?

As the screen lit up and you unlocked it, notifications from unanswered calls and texts instantly overwhelmed you. Bloody hell. They had tried to call you 22 times - or at least, four different phone numbers you didn’t know had, but you doubted it could all be scammers. There 32 text messages - you ignored every single one from an unknown number, only opening one from Mary who asked if you could work tomorrow.

You shot her a confirmation while you began to walk home, for once not followed by a biker - no, you were actually walking alone for once. You avoided most of the streetlights, staying as much in the dark as possible.

Since you came from the opposite direction, you couldn’t walk past your usual spots and you wondered if the teenager was smoking again today. If Mrs. Henley’s dog had gone to bed, if people were still at the pub or the shops.

But you had to turn around the corner eventually, even if it was from the opposite side. Despite hoping, almost praying for the driveway to be empty, for nobody to stand in front of your blue house, well, that wasn’t the case.

They instantly spotted you. Of course they did.

For once you weren’t drunk, merely sober and frightful. Turning around or just walking by to go stay at Mary’s or Beatrice’s was still tempting, however, you knew they would simply follow you. Besides, your feet hurt and all you wanted was some food and sleep. Sealing your fate, you walked towards them, attempting to keep yourself composed. As if you weren’t fearing having to deal with them after what had happened today.

Soap was not one of the three men, which surprised you. You had expected for him to be there, arms crossed and demanding an apology since you got a lift and then ditched him… after tasing him.

Despite it not being the case, you felt like your footsteps echoed through the street. You wondered if making a scene would help you, if screaming and drawing attention to you and to them being in your driveway, would keep the bikers from doing anything wild.

Probably not.

You recognised Nikolai, the bear of a man was leant against one of the garage doors, arms crossed, only slightly visible because of the street light - John Price was at your stairs again, smoking one of the usual cigars. It made you wonder if that was everything he did - order his pack around, smoke cigars and bother people.

The last guy, more lit up. watched you with an almost curious look. Like he wasn’t believing that you were the one they were waiting for.

He had short hair, a beard with a mustache that stood out the most - the street light made his prosthetic leg glint a little, but it was his scent and the change of the look in his eyes that caught most of your attention. A gust of wind forced their scents into your face, the different smells so intense that it almost made you nauseous for a moment. The nausea seemed to be a pattern whenever they were around you, your mind darkly supplied.

Lust. Anger. The scent that Nikolai and Price seemed to share - and then a scent that had taken you two seconds to recognise. It was the scent from one of the female members who had followed you home - the alpha woman with the long braid, if you weren’t wrong. It seemed like the entire pack had mates within it.

The beta stranger stared at you with an angry look that was different from the dark ones from the two alphas. While there seemed to be seeping lust into the two older men’s stares, there was seemingly nothing but rage in his stare - like a wolf, having focused fully on its prey, waiting for the sign to attack from its members.

You stopped a few steps further away than usual, one hand holding onto your bag like it was a precious treasure - in many ways it was. You wanted to hit yourself for not thinking about putting your illegal pills in your jacket, instead of letting them stay in the bag. Easy to spot if one rummaged around a little.

Your other hand slid into the jacket pocket - tensing a little at the lack of a stun gun. It was in the other pocket - instead there was the cool metal of the pepper spray bottle pressing against your skin. It was better than nothing.

You hadn’t said anything, the seconds had passed and you had merely waited, as you knew they would say something sooner rather than later - something nasty or something to make you upset.

… and you weren’t wrong.

”It’s a pretty car in your garage.”

Nikolai’s voice was like a dark timbre from behind the stranger, his hand knocking against the garage door twice - and you saw red. You knew exactly what car - your dad’s car, YOUR car.

You knew the alpha said it to upset you, knew they wanted a reaction out of you and despite this, you still gave it to them; you growled deeply, deeper than you had before - as if it came from your chest, from your childhood self that was still protective over the unfixed car hidden beneath plastic and blankets. Your claws forced themselves out without your consent, as if you were getting ready to attack them, one against three.

“Easy, kitten.” Price suggested from the stairs, but you didn’t stop your growling immediately, especially not with that nickname - it died down slowly, like you were proving a point to not follow his orders like his small minions. But the man just looked at you, eyes dark but with a growing smile on his face.

“What things did you buy today then, Sunflower?” You felt all three men’s stares at you, as Price asked and you tightened the grip around the plastic bag - and around the pepper spray in your pocket, “- must have been somethin’ special, since you didn’t want a lift home from Soap.”

You huffed from amusement, the memory of Soap letting out a not quite masculine scream was still fresh in your mind - the youngest of the men, the beta closest to you, growled lowly at you. Apparently he didn’t find the situation amusing like you did.

“I’m quite capable of shopping on my own,” you finally replied, looking back at Price, squinting slightly at the leather clad alpha, unable to keep your voice from raising, “just like I’m capable of going places on my own. So stop makin’ all your little biker idiots stalk me - and don’t go snooping in my fucking garage!”

You were bordering on screaming, the deep boned anger and exhaustion of their constant harassment almost spilling over - the pure frustration over even having to tell people to give you some personal space felt surreal to you.

The wind got more intense for a second, making the trees and bushes in the gardens around you noisily sway - the wind curled between the houses along the road, almost sounding like it was breathing hard too; swallowing up the silence that followed your little outbreak.

It was Price who broke the silence first by, once again, laughing - only this time, the two others joined him.

Their condescending reaction made your toes curl; you felt small.

“What are you gonna do, tiny Sunflower?” Nikolai asked, mockery clear in his voice, as he tipped his head up a little, grinning at you, mostly swallowed by the dark, “Little taser of yours cannot keep us away forever, no?”

You were horrified by the mere fact that you knew he was right. Your already limited options of what to do were becoming less and less. You doubted calling the police right now would help, just like you doubted that your neighbours would all run out with kitchen knives and garden rakes if you screamed. No, you truly should have sold them the house the first time they even seemed interested in renting it, and gotten your ass out of Millhaven.

You didn’t feel like a strong alpha right now - and no matter how humiliating it was, you almost stammered out the words ‘just take the bloody house and let me go’. But then the front door to your blue house opened.

It didn’t take more than two seconds to recognise the woman standing in your front door. You didn’t know her name, but you didn’t even need to, her leather jacket and familiar scent instantly made you know who she was. The only one of the 141 women to ever speak directly to you.

One thing was her following you home, blatantly walking a couple of steps behind you - another thing was her breaking into your house. The many locks, one more fancy than the other, had clearly not kept them out. She was slightly illuminated by the light from your hallway, like a villain revealing herself.

“Get out of my fuck—“ The words got stuck in your throat. She hadn’t even bothered to look at you, merely looked down at Price who was sitting on the stairs; holding up a bottle that you knew too well.

A bottle of false alpha scent.

Price killed his cigar against your staircase, no doubt leaving a mark on the three, a pleased grin on his face, as the woman gave him the bottle. He merely raised it to his nose and took a quick sniff before he looked straight over at you; his grin turned from amusement to wickedness, like a feral alpha getting the scent of an unmated omega — which, sadly, wasn’t far from the truth.

You took a step back, the beta easily following, watching you like a hawk. The bag in your hand was shaking.

”You are no alpha,” it was more of a statement than a question from Nikolai, who pushed himself away from the garage door, taking a few steps towards you as well, “Beta or omega then - but I think you are small, confused omega, milaya.”

Run. Run. Run.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Like a disappointed parent, John Price shook his head as he rose, leaving the bottle of fake scent on the stairs, tipping his head to the side, “Such a mess - but don’t worry Sunflower, we will help you out.”

Run. Run. Run.

You panicked, words tumbling out of your mouth while your inner omega was screaming at you.

“You can rent the house - hell, buy it!” You rushed out, “you won’t even ha- i'll sell it for cheap!”

You weren’t stupid; it wasn’t an offer they were giving you, not with how they have been bothering you for weeks, not with how they stared at you, how the horny alpha pheromones began to fill the air around you. The bag slid from your hand, hitting the asphalt with a thunk but none of you reacted.

Run. Run. Run.

You carefully popped the lid of the pepper spray inside your pocket.

Nikolai said something in Russian, his laughter almost swallowing the words up before he was done.

“You ca-can just take the house,” you managed to stammer. Your stomach hurt - legs shook, as you tried to keep yourself up, the three men all staring at you.

It was as if there was something beneath your ribcage, a fear that vigorously grew so much you were sure you would combust; all of the scents, the hunger, the lust, the anger, it was all too much - the clouds dark above you, a soft rumble heard from the sky above. As if the weather was trying to warn you too.

You ran your finger along the tip of the spray, making sure you knew which way the spray would come from, so you wouldn't hit yourself.

Run. Run. Run.

”Cute of you to think that the house is the only thing we want now,” Price mused, before raising a hand towards your front door, the woman having disappeared, “Why don’t we go inside, pet? Nikolai and I have some questions.”

Every chance of talking your way out of this seemed abandoned.

”Alex,” Nikolai’s voice wasn’t loud but the loyal beta in front of you took a step towards you, raising his hand to grab onto you.

Your grip on the metal almost slipped, as you ripped the weapon from your pocket; while you had used the stun gun twice by now, you hadn’t tried the pepper spray before, but you solely relied on your instincts and from the scenes you had seen in movies.

Alex screamed as you sprayed him directly in the face, barely any distance between the two of you - but you didn’t stay around to gloat, a second barely passed and then you were off.

Run. Run. Run.

They might have been here for some weeks and gotten to know the basic outlay of Millhaven; but you had lived here your entire life, learned all the routes through people's gardens when you were a kid and stole apples, or when you had sneaked home as a teenager after staying out too late. You knew Millhaven like the back of your hand, even in the darkness - there was a thunderous rumble from the clouds above you, as you darted in between Mrs. Barnaby’s and the Carter pack’s houses and disappeared into the dark alleyway.

Run.

126 notes · View notes

evereverest2 · 4 months ago

Text

Little Monster —Terzomega

Ch. One: Suitable (2.1k words)

Whatever Omega’s pissed about tonight, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a quick fuck.

note: this is an ongoing rewrite of the original little monster series. the legacy version can still be accessed here.

chapters: [one] | two

tags: mentions of violent acts, alcohol abuse, smut, choking, hair pulling, hate fucking, irresponsible use of quintessence, very dubious consent, DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT (specifically with the hate fucking)

—

There was little use in trying anymore.

His rowdy ghouls were talking over the television, sitting on one another, and making filthy gestures. Even Alpha had sat himself down and leaned into his side, casting a leg over his lap, though he at least had the decency to be quiet. Quiet. That was all he wanted. Well, not total silence. That would allow for his thoughts to plague him. He actually wanted the trashy human show about doctors to distract him. White noise. An empty room. Which it had been, for about ten minutes when he first sat down. Damn his pack.

Those luxuries of independence and silence were such that Omega was not afforded. The obnoxious voices were stabbing into his eardrums, their presence like needles in his skull. Smelling their lust and jovial moods made him want to retch, his quintessence overwhelmed by their stenchful brains. Alpha’s insistence on being in his personal space was worst, making his head rush and his skin crawl.

All of a sudden he stood, letting Alpha’s leg fall off him. He caught himself, looking up at Omega.

“You okay?” he asked.

Omega’s tail flicked restlessly, his teeth grit in a last effort to not completely erupt. “Yeah. I forgot I had to do something.”

He stalked out of the room, ignoring the other jeers that followed after him like a terrible odor. If he could only hardly tolerate Alpha, then the other ghouls would break him completely.

He stormed about without a destination, his mind desperate for some way to release all of the anger trapped within him. Omega was a leader, both to his ghouls and many of the siblings. Not a single one would understand if he lost it. They would rat on him. Turn against him for his vulnerability. He used to be so placid—that was how he had to remain, even in light of…

Omega clenched his fists. He needed to get out. His rage was blinding, pulling him to the nearest door, rounding the corner just to run straight into someone else.

It was Special, glaring up at him through their mask, their horribly bright eyes the only thing visible beneath the shadow of their face. “Pardon me.”

Omega said nothing, waiting for them to pass. Instead, they spoke again.

“Sister Imperator has requested your audience tomorrow morning.”

“Fine.”

Special took a step forward, then lingered. “Don’t bring that scowl with you.”

If it were not for who he saw next, Omega may have just ripped Special’s head off with his teeth and painted the walls with their blood.

But as Special walked away, Omega locked eyes with Cardinal Terzo, who had quite clearly been sneaking out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine., pausing mid-step as he noticed the ghoul. Terzo gave him a crooked smile, his half-lidded gaze and unbalanced walk indicative of the oblivion he had already drank himself into.

And that was fine with Omega. After all, they had an understanding.

When the hall had cleared, Omega met Terzo and pressed his hand into his lower back, urging him forward.

“Hello to you too, ghoul,” Terzo chuckled, emitting a sweet wine scent. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Omega attempted to poke through the fog with his quintessence, subconsciously searching to gauge his emotions. The intoxicated mind would not budge to his prodding, and so Omega decided he had to use his words.

“I don’t want to talk.”

“You never talk.”

Omega grunted in affirmation, roughly halting to peer around the corner, and back again behind them. His mind reached around the space, a purple web of consciousness threaded throughout the ministry to tell him if anyone was near. Nobody was. It was just them.

He continued urging them to Terzo’s quarters, shoving the cardinal inside when they had at last reached the door. Terzo sighed dramatically at the entrance, twisting off the top of his wine and flicking off the cap.

“Can you believe they buy this cheap shit?” Terzo glared at the bottle before taking a deep swig. “I mean, who hears of a screw top?”

“If you don’t set that down I will break it,” Omega warned, undoing his belt.

“Mm,” Terzo took one last drink before slamming it on his end table. “It is one of those nights, is it ghoul?”

“Shut up and strip.”

Terzo complied. Omega hated seeing such a satisfied smile on his face. But he was filled with this red-hot joy—he no longer had to suppress his need to lash out violently. There was no better toy than the cardinal. His toy.

Omega grabbed Terzo, now naked, gripping him carelessly with his claws, and threw him into his bed, bending him over the side.

“Will you use lube, eh? You try every time and never—“

“Shut the fuck up,” Omega growled, having hit his ceiling of tolerance several hours ago. “I’ll use it if you don’t make another sound.”

Terzo knew better than to test his word and said nothing. Omega begrudgingly grabbed the bottle where it always was—so prominently displayed on his nightstand—and gave himself a palmful of the stuff. With his other hand, he undid his pants and tugged them down just enough to free his cock.

Not even hard. Omega growled again, gripping himself angrily and choking the life out of his dick. The longer it took the more frustrated he became, because he knew Terzo was waiting, that he would know something was amiss. How humiliating.

He saw from the corner of his eye Terzo just beginning to turn. His reflexes were quicker—his other hand shot out to grab him by the hair, yanking it back and causing him to yelp in pain.

“You better fucking stay still,” Omega barked, pulling tighter on his hair. Terzo gave another small cry. The sound made his cock kick.

Omega flipped him over only to pull on his hair again, jerking his head to the side as he now lay on the bed facing the wrath of the demon. With his other hand, he wrapped his fingers around his throat. Still wet with lube, he struggled to get a grip and used his claws as an anchor, drawing minute droplets of blood with the effort. Terzo was whimpering, choking out scared sounds, reaching up to scratch his dusky purple hand in a pathetic attempt to save himself from Omega’s brutality. His eyes bugged out in terror, his lips quivering in an attempt to scream.

They both knew Omega could kill him. They both felt that satanic rage burning like an inferno around him, threatening to consume him and the world. There was little use in concealing his anger anymore—but why would he? Omega did not have to hide from this pathetic man who so loved to be broken. There was no respect to be won, no need to be placid and strong. Omega wanted Terzo’s fear. He wanted him to beg for his life.

It made him hard.

Omega let go of his throat to split Terzo’s legs and line himself up with his asshole, pushing in without hesitation. Terzo was coughing, gasping, trying to catch his breath even as the large ghoul ripped through him and made his eyes well with tears of pain.

“You’re too fucking tight,” Omega seethed, displeased at only having shoved his tip within him.

“God—dammit ghoul—!” Terzo hissed through clenched teeth.

“What the hell do you want from me?”

“To give me one motherfucking minute!”

“Humans are pathetic,” Omega said angrily.

“Si, si, we are so pathetic,” Terzo huffed sarcastically. “That is why you crawl to me instead of your ghouls.”

Omega snapped his teeth with a roar, his fangs a breath away from his face. Terzo flinched harshly, one of the welled tears in his eyes spilling into the black paint of his makeup and smearing down the side of his face.

Impatient, Omega swiped the lube bottle once again and squeezed it so hard it burst all over him and Terzo in an explosion of thick, clear liquid. It did not matter; a majority of it made it where it needed to go, thanks to a quick rub from Omega, and with some effort, he finished shoving inside Terzo with a scream from the latter.

“Fuck you—!” Terzo screamed, his voice breaking.

“Take it.”

Omega began thrusting quickly, Terzo’s legs wrapping around his lower back tightly as his fists clenched and his body tensed. Omega could feel his body shaking, clenching around him, but it only felt better for him. He held him down by the hips, cementing him in place as if he were nothing more than a doll. No kisses, no caresses, not even a tender glance. Omega was here to vent physically, to wear himself out into the human.

Terzo could take it.

He was still hard, of course he liked it. Of course he could take it. Their agreement—a simple, verbal affirmation that they could fuck without strings—was not only for Omega: The third Emeritus, like all the upper members of the Clergy, looked down on ghouls and thought it a novelty to be fucked by satanic spawn. One of those disturbed humans who loved to suffer sexually. If he did not want it, he could have Omega sent back to the Pits with the snap of his fingers. His cute outbursts were nothing more than roleplay—at least, for him. Omega was still quite eager to see the cardinal die on his dick.

Even if Terzo was reluctant to punish the ghoul, he could just as easily break off their agreement. Omega had no problem testing his limits and pushing him to the brink. Communication was something that humans so loved—Omega just loved to see a bitch cry.

And how that bitch cried, taking Omega’s dick like the greedy slut he was. Omega leaned forward to lick his face, tasting his tears, his sweat, his rotten grape pungency that continued to conceal his emotions. Terzo was never one to share—but certainly one to take. Oh, he took it fine. Just fine, that weeping bastard.

His tears were getting Omega off, those pearly droplets making his dick harder and his thrusts quicker. If he could just break through the barrier of wine he could feel his pain, feel his own dick slamming into the puny human. But he wouldn’t be distracted from the pleasure; Omega had not read Terzo once in the entire time he had known him. Trying was fruitless, and his tight ass was suitable enough to make him cum alone.

It was suitable.

The anger indeed melted away with the release, his heart slowed with his breaths, his head cleared. He pulled his pants up and did his belt.

Terzo sat up, looking at him from between his legs.

“Is that all?” he asked.

“It was sufficient.”

“Not for me,” Terzo frowned, gesturing at his erection.

Omega glanced down, then turned to leave.

“If you do not get me off tonight, ghoul, don’t bother returning next time you get too pissy to fuck one of your ghouls.”

Omega paused, sighed heavily. Usually, Terzo finished long before he was done. It just so happened it was already late, and Omega had gotten his fill rather fast.

Perhaps Omega could not penetrate the barrier that held Terzo’s emotions, but he could certainly flood his mind. He turned again, drawing the link between their minds, and surging forth his magic the moment he gripped Terzo’s dick.

The pleasure magic made his work easy. It only took a dozen or so strokes to finish him off, spewing forth the human semen that disgusted Omega so. His eyes rolled back and he drooled—though there was little effort, the quintessence was currently lighting fireworks in his nervous system that made it feel like an earth-shattering experience. Terzo smiled like an idiot, now drunk on two substances. It was a wonder he let Omega threaten his life with every fuck; the quintessence was a high he would never grow a tolerance for.

“Done?” Omega said, more like a statement than a question. Terzo nodded.

“But—“

Omega paused mid-stride, glancing over his shoulder. Terzo scrambled to his feet, his legs weak but holding firm. “But—you could stay. If those ghouls are a bother…”

Omega let out a short, humorless laugh. He did not even entertain him with a response, instead checking to see if the hallway was clear. He heard the clink of the wine bottle and Terzo’s soft yet desperate gulps before he shut the door behind him.

chapters: [one] | two

note: hi guys! if you read the og series, i would reallllyyyy appreciate if u let me know how u felt about this version. better, worse, etc. any general sentiments u have on it.... i would just like to know the general audience vibe for this rewrite THANKS!!!

35 notes · View notes

pursuitseternal · 1 year ago

Text

Introducing “Love Me or Hate Me (for both work in my favour):” Enemies to Lovers, Gur!Tav x Astarion

Astairon x Tav (Katja) | E | 4k Chapter 1

Ask box fill from @thegoodwitchs-blog

Summary: Katja hates her circumstances of a tadpole in her head, but she hates him more. Gur by birth, monster hunter by trade like her people, it takes all her limited Barbarian control not to stake him in his sleep. As for him, she’s the same stock of vagrant that killed him all those centuries ago; punishing her should be fun and harmless… well, maybe just a little harmful.

CW: Enemies to Lovers, Hate sex, angry sex (DubCon?), manipulation, semi-public sex, jealousy, biting and mild choking, Act 1 spoilers

Ao3 Link | Astarion fic Masterlist

Ch. 1:Little Vagrant

Every single instinct in Katja’s body sat at high alert from the moment she met him. Since the moment he pulled a dagger on her, she should have disarmed him like her elders had taught her back in the village and staked him through the heart for good measure.

And that was before her worst suspicions had been confirmed.

Before she saw the after effects of his true nature, the morning after he bit her cleric.

Vampire… slave to sanguine hunger… monster…

Enemy.

But there were worse monsters to fight—Mindflayers. And he was too useful to dispatch, not while they had a healer to find and a Goblin camp to infiltrate and an Archdruid to save.

Katja would just have to let the monster’s undead heart keep beating at a dirge’s pace until she no longer needed him. His blades were too quick, his ferocity in battle unmatched, especially now that he could fight with knife and fang. She had to admit, it was thrilling to watch… his lithe movements, graceful and equally deadly as he fought. She understood why her people couldn’t let his kind live.

They were too powerful, too dangerous, and too beautiful.

Once, she stumbled on him bathing in the river, another gift of the tadpole to allow such a monster the ability to enter running waters without harm.

Pugh.

At first she had been revolted by the paleness of his skin and the scars on his back. It was… too disgusting for her to look away, she told herself. Too risky to leave him unobserved, unguarded. He could attempt to do anything… best to remain in hiding.

Crouching in the bushes, she heard him giggle. “Well, well, well. Our churlish leader…. You’d be a blight on your people if they knew you were… lusting after a soulless creature like me.” He turned those unnerving crimson eyes in her direction. “Likely they’d put your head on a pike just for thinking about what I look like naked, darling.” He smirked wickedly. “Tch, what a shame that would be to have one less Gur vagrant in the world.”

His lip twitched as she stood from her hiding place. Katja’s rounded human ears turned beet red in the dark, her long golden braids whipping her back as she spun on her heel and made for camp.

He won this battle. But she would win the war between them. His insufferable voice would quiet permanently someday, his shifting, crimson eyes would stare at her lifelessly. He would look so beautiful with a stake through his ribs.

He was a menace, and Katja was lucky by all the gods that he hadn’t killed her yet. She didn’t know why he had yet to drain her dry. Maybe his hunger was sated because he was drinking his fill from the Cleric every night. She rolled her eyes as she watched them each morning departing their shared tent. It made her sharpen her ax extra those mornings before battle. This day, they were headed for the Goblin camp, just beyond the village. And as they packed up camp, making their way over trails, Katja bristled as Astarion’s cold presence drew close.

“Are you alright, darling? Your pulse sounded this morning as if your feeble, mortal heat was bout to explode. I didn’t know that a Gur had a heart, much less that it could beat so childishly fast with jealousy,” he sneered down at her. Those sharp and sinister features were a good head and a half above her after all.

“Jealous? Pft,” Katja grimaced, shifting her pack on her shoulders. “Why would I be jealous of a creature with no soul, vampire?”

“It’s not my soul that interests you, I’ve noticed. It’s my body, and what I do with it…” his icy lips pressed nearer to her ear, almost touching, “and to whom I do said things…”

A dagger pressed into his ribs faster than he could draw a breath, a breath his undead body didn’t need. “Careful, monster,” Katja hissed. “Or I’ll be the one thrusting. You’ll be rammed on the point of my weapons, not unlike our poor Cleric whom you’ve beguiled.”

“She doesn't consider herself in such dire straits. In fact, she rather enjoys it. You should ask her, see what it is you’re missing out on…”

“I’d sooner skin a kobold,” she gagged. “The Cleric's choices are her own. If she wishes to sully herself with the undead, to damn her soul by feeding you her life essence, then so be it.”

Astarion paused in his tracks, laughing slowly. “Oh, I can’t tell if it would have been worth the risk to bite you instead.” He tilted his rumpled silver head, eyes assessing her every inch, noticing weaknesses in her hide armor, watching her fingers still twitching on her dagger’s hilt. “No, corrupting you and your narrow prejudices wouldn't be worth the risk of tasting your blood. I bet it’s sourer than vinegar and just as repellent.” He sneered so wide, she could almost see her reflection in the glint of his teeth.

“You try to bite me, and I will make a necklace from your teeth…” she hissed. “Once I pry them from your skull, Vampire.”

“Oh, I do like them feisty….” A single cold digit ran down her blushing cheek. Ice on her temper’s flames. A gentle caress, a lover’s touch. It made her whole frame go rigid in a second.

And it made Astarion chuckle, low and throaty as he continued on the path.

“Honestly, we could just leave the Druids and Tieflings to their own natural consequences,” the Vampire mouthed off as usual, complaining with his typical arrogance and selfishness. Leaning against the wall of the Shattered Sanctum, he gave his wicked half-smile to Shadowheart beside him.

Katja just shuffled her feet, switching the shoulder her greataxe rested on for a reprieve. “We can’t let a bunch of Goblins in league with the Absolute decimate a sacred grove,” she sneered, making that scar down the side of her left cheek twist. “But I don’t expect the Cleric of Shar and a fucking vampire to understand the sense behind it.”

Astarion raised his brow, his sinister smile turning to land on her instead. “Can’t you imagine just how wonderful the resulting chaos would be if we did?” He gave a deep and almost lewd sigh. “It would be… delicious.”

Rolling her eyes, Katja mumbled a curse in her native tongue, sure that neither of her least favorite companions would understand.

But given the way the vampire’s mouth curved down in distaste, she wasn’t so sure she was the only one in their midst to speak Gurri. Katja grimaced as she looked around the desiccated temple of Selûne, remembering all her childhood prayers to the goddess and ignoring the way the Sharran seemed to gloat at every violated shrine.

Honestly, they deserved each other, she decided with a derisive sniff. She had company enough with Gale, sweet and intelligent, and with Wyll, bold and legendary monster slayer himself.

Stuff of dreams and fantasies. The kind of man to make her tribe proud.

She should go and find him, the Blade of Frontiers, but her feet seemed frozen. If she left these two imps, what trouble would they get into… no. She needed to stay right where she was, even if it was vile and disgusting company.

“Shadowheart!” the Wizard’s voice hissed from behind a column, and all three of them turned around. Gale beckoned the Cleric forward. “We need to find where the Archdruid is being kept… but we also need to deal with a little… problem. This Priestess Gut seems to need a talking to, asking us about some brand and the worship of the Absolute. It’s your time to shine, Cleric of Shar, or… well, as a servant of the Goddess of Darkness, I guess you won’t shine so much as…”

Astarion huffed to interrupt the beginnings of another awkward and king ramble from their companion. “You can’t handle it, Wizard? Didn’t you used to fuck a Goddess and now what? Can’t handle a lowly Goblin priestess?”

“I’d be more than happy to handle this,” Shadowheart grinned. “It was getting a little too crowded in here for my tastes.” She shot a pointed glare with those green eyes towards their blonde Barbarian.

As the Cleric left with Gale, Astarion closed in on Katja, silently and stealthily until his body barely brushed her back. “You Gur always ruin all the fun,” he hissed in her ear. “Not the first time your kind has… spoiled my endeavors.”

She turned to face his glare, crimson and wroth. “I haven’t done anything to you, Vampire, not yet anyway. I’ve only found myself in the same predicament as you; such hatred for someone who could be your ally.”

“Or my sworn enemy,” he sneered, looking down this aquiline nose at her, this little Barbarian. “Don’t you have some throats to cut and innocents to swindle?”

“Or monsters to stake?” she sneered right back, unknowingly drawing her small and strong frame to stand toe to toe with him. Her face mere inches from his own, his breath washed down on her, cool and metallic in scent. And then that mouth twisted in a wicked smirk, opening to speak…

“C’mon,” a high-pitched, nasally voice giggled beside them as three Goblin children bolted past them. “That bear they captured is in the Worg pens. Bet we can make him roar!”

“Halsin,” Katja whispered, following the urchins at a distance as they weaved through the camp. She was small, but certainly not stealthy, and even as she managed to slip into the cells, the faint growls of a large animal’s rumbling in the distance, an ice cold hand shot out from behind her to pull her into the shadows.

A small storage room, just off the cell block, that’s where she was. Astarion’s hard, cold body pressed her against the wall, his finger over his lips to signal for her silence.

But her rage ignited, her nostrils flared, ready to burst. Quickly, his chilled palm closed over her mouth just in time to muffle the below of anger she gave. His frame crushed her, and that palm wasn’t enough to quiet her. Long, icy fingers closed around her throat, silencing her and shutting off her air.

Her breath ragged, she did the one thing her feral mind screamed for her to do. She bit him.

“You viper,” he hissed right in her ear. “Do you want us to get caught? Want to join the Druid in the cell?”

Katja only bit harder, struggling to fill her lungs.it made her body squirm against him, fighting to move to claw at him, but her arms were both pinned behind her back, already going numb. Writhing, she chased some unknown feeling… a blind need for release, her heart racing as her hips bucked against his thigh. His toned leg pressed harder between her thighs, the friction making her eyes tear as she struggled. She needed to break free, she told her brain, but her body, her core longed for a different release.

His laughter rumbled in her ear, the din of the dungeons thick enough to cover whatever little sounds they made in this small, neglected space. His thigh lifted her, pressing perfectly against her seam where she burned for more. Sparks of light crossed her vision, heat seared through her veins, and something pressed into her belly, something long and hard. His own icy, blood-stinking breath raced faster as he observed her grinding on his leg. And as she stared into his gaze, she watched as his eyes dilated, from crimson to black in seconds.

Shit, she cursed, unable to keep her body under command as she just squirmed more against that lean thigh and that protruding erection.

“Oh, little vagrant, you’re in trouble, aren’t you?” he hissed in her ear, rubbing that wet, cold tongue up its shell. “I can smell you, just how excited you are to be so close to your quarry. It’s a pity you chose a predator as your prey, darling. You see… you can thank the Cleric for her blood to sate my hunger, but she is rather closed off… or closed-thighed… when it comes to other hungers of mine.”

Fingers released her throat, his nails tearing into the laces of her breaches as she squirmed even harder. Cool, dank dungeon air made every hair on her now-bared mound and thighs stand on end as he tugged them down to her ankles.

“I know you want me, that you’re too proud and stubborn to seek it out for yourself. Allow me, darling, to show you what you’re miss—”

Silencing him, Katja freed one hand, launching it to close around his own scarred and pale throat.

A fang-toothed grin was his only reaction. “Oh, darling…” he rasped from beneath her knuckles. His fingers brushed the skin and curls of her mound and something untamed and hungry unleashed itself from within her. Her grip on his throat tightened, yanking that sneering mouth to hers. She wanted to devour him, to silence him and punish him in the only language he seemed to understand— the language of body and blood.

Jerking her shoulders, she freed her other hand, her nails tearing into the buttons of his own leathers. A growl in his throat, he gripped her ass, lifting her as if she were no more than a child to shove against the wall again. One hand squeezed around her mouth once more, keeping her moan muffled as he finally slotted himself inside her. The rough and ancient brick dug against her armor, padding her flesh from every jolting slap he made against her, his thrusts fast and punishing.

Air hissed through her nostrils, her dark eyes locked into his own, that crimson stare daring to do something. Kill him? Fuck him? Kiss him again? She knew not which. Her body cried out for all of them at once. Never mind the elders or the tribe or her gods.

Heat unlike anything she had known before coiled in her belly, drawn forth by his thick and cool cock inside her. Her teeth grinded into his hand again, drawing blood to coat her tongue. Making him smile. Making his tongue run over his lips, as if he barely bridled his own need to drink.

But her hand kept its place on his gullet, pushing to keep him at a distance once more. Careful not to risk his fangs and sell her soul to be his next meal.

His eyes rolled back and closed, his bone white fangs bared at her, inches from her flesh. Those thrusts grew hard and erratic, his breath whistling in time with hers. Pathetic, she grinned. The sight of him at her mercy burned itself into the back of her eyelids as pleasure burst from inside her, her body shaking as it squeezed him in wave after wave.

One last thrust and he groaned in her face, jaws snapping on air as if he wished it was her neck. Her hand gave one last punitive squeeze of his throat before she released him. Crimson eyes opened halfway, still hazy with lust. A sly snarl twisted his lips as he set her small and muscular frame down.

Disgust roiled in her belly as she ignored the way his cum leaked from inside her. No, she kept her mind on fixing her breeches, a hard task to do as she watched him do the same as he stuffed his half-softened cock inside those form-fitted leathers. Katja tried to swallow the drool that collected in her mouth as she straightened.

His hand ran through his hair, those dangerous lips parting to speak again when shouting sounded from the cells. The bear roared, iron bars clanged as then burst from their hinges and smashed to the ground. Before they could think about what passed between them any longer, monster and monster hunter grabbed their weapons and bolted towards the fray.

Gale turned, launching his magic missiles at the Goblins nearest them. “Oh good, there you both are,” he turned and fired off a few more in the opposite direction. “We thought maybe you had finally killed each other.”

“Something like that,” Astarion replied calmly, despite the smug glare he leveled at Katja. It made her ears burn beet red with hate again. But as she gripped her greataxe and launched into battle, she wasn’t sure if it was hatred more for him or for her own actions.

A few cleaving swings through Goblin flesh, and she knew it was hate for him.

For what he made her feel, for what he made her choose to do, she would hate him forever.

Wine flowed freely, but gods, what Katja would give for a flask of her tribe’s liquor, clear as glass and hotter than the Styx. Or a pint of mead. But neither was within reach. The green glass of her sweet red wine bottle pressed nearly constantly to her mouth. Anything to try to numb the feeling of his cum still dried to her thighs.

He would pay for this. But not tonight. Tonight they celebrated. Many monsters slain; many questions answered, even if those answers only gave rise to more questions. Halsin, the ancient and wise Archdruid loomed over her. More than anyone else. Gods, he could probably eat her in one bite as a bear. Good thing he was a Druid and no monster, she smiled to herself.

She let herself go numb, drinking and listening to the ancient elf talk about this Shadow Curse and the freedom of nature’s gifts… she ignored the way Astarion kept one hand on Shadowheart’s narrow waist, his face pressing into her neck where bite mark scars were beginning to form.

Trying not to gag on her wine, Katja rolled her eyes as they came closer. Halsin’s eyes scanning them all. “I should thank you all for coming to my rescue. It’s nice to be among friends. A wonderful balance to find, if surprising, to see monster and monster hunter as lovers…”

Katja spat her wine out at her feet. “How… the fuck…”

“Forgive me, my wild form tends to lend me heightened senses even in this state, and let’s just say, the nose knows, eh?”

Astarion’s eyes pinned on her, wild and accusatory. “I don’t know…” he started to shirk off the suggestion, even as the Cleric rounded on him.

“Oh, so that’s where you two disappeared to in the camp today.” Her vitriolic scoff hurt more than an arrow would have into Katja’s stomach. Actually she would have preferred the arrow. “No, no makes sense. You always claim to love a challenge, what better place to try to sheathe your little dagger than the one person who hates you.” She narrowed her green eyes at him, “I won’t worry then about keeping you well-fed or strong. Maybe I can find someone who enjoys my devotion to my lady instead of whining about your hunger every day.” The Cleric gave a nice, long, and dramatic sigh, “Well, if that’s over, I’ll be glad to save the spell slots from having to keep myself from being bloodless every day. Thank you, Katja, for doing me that favor.” The sarcasm in her tone lingered long after she strode away, losing herself in the fray of the party.

The glare that Astarion threw Katja shouldn’t have hurt at all, let alone more than the bitchy glares from Shadowheart, but it did. It was a piercing look of malice and disappointment as he strode after her, lies pouring from his thick lips to try to smooth things over.

“I… I’m sorry if that was a secret,” Halsin tilted his head as he watched the drama unfold. “Over three centuries in this realm and I can still be taken out at the knees by surprise.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Katja replied, wiping the stains of red wine from her jerkin. “It was a mistake, nothing more. I may have left with a stain on my conscience, but my soul is intact at least.” She pointed her finger at her neck. “I won’t be bitten, even if I’m fucked.”

Halsin shook his head, laughing. “I forgot how deeply superstitious your people are, little child of the Gur. To think that a vampire’s bite has any effect on your soul,” he smiled gently and chuckled, “you might feel a bit woozy, but by Silvanus’ beard, you won’t lose one bit of your warrior soul.”

Katja’s spine straightened, as if shot once again in the gut. “I’d call you a liar, but you’re a Druid…” she whispered, more fearful for own good.

Halsin’s own scarred face twisted in mirth as he gave a deep belly laugh. “Implying I can’t lie?” He chuckled harder, “a good thing that isn’t the case. But I assure you, a vampire has no interest in your soul. They aren’t fiendish, just hungry and often imprisoned by the whims of their masters.”

Katja tilted her head, considering. Their masters… she turned to scan the crowd for that mop of silver hair or a hint of glaring crimson eyes. If Astarion was a spawn, where was his master? That haze of hatred seemed to part for a moment, a moment of lucidity amid the burning hatred, and Katja realized what a poor hunter she had been. What were his weaknesses and ambitions? What would bait him into the open or control him enough to bring him to heel?

She’d have to get closer to him to discover that. And that thought made her stomach wrap tightly in knots and made her heart set at a galloping pace.

As if summoned by her loping heart, he stepped into her line of sight, browline furrowed, half his fangs bared as he smirked. A single finger crooked in her direction. And Katja made a visible point to check her dagger before crossing towards him. “You seem to be alone,” she smirked, tucking her weapon back home at her hip.

“Thanks to you,” he sneered slightly, the clench of his jaw a slight tell to the rage simmering beneath that cool, alabaster exterior. “You owe me…” he snarled, quiet and pressed from behind his clenched teeth. “Because you, you grub, didn’t have the decency to clean yourself after your little moment of weakness today, I’ve lost my tentmate and meal ticket,” his voice was cold and exacting, a none-too-slight of a threat hidden beneath that refined exterior.

She just tossed her long, blonde braids behind her. “Needless to say, it was your choice today to do that, too,” Katja rolled her shoulders, squaring up for a fight.

“Oh, little brat, always angling for combat,” he suddenly eased, a well-practiced, sultry smile on his handsome face, “it’s bad form to discuss such… personal matters in the open.” He cocked his head, looking down at her seething, defiant glare. “Let’s find a little piece of nowhere, a place to… discuss all this madness like two mature creatures.” His crimson eyes shimmered like the shitty wine in her near-empty bottle. Extending a cold, pale hand at her, he drew close, invading her space. “Truce?”

She just narrowed her eyes, disbelieving the sincerity of such a gesture. Refusing to take his hand in hers. “Where?” she snipped.

His predatory grin widened enough to bare his glinting fangs. “There's a secluded place nearby that will do nicely… far enough away so no one will hear you scream…” his voice scratching into a growl.

“You mean from when you try to kill me?”

Thick lips twisted dangerously as he took a breath. “Death… a little death… it’s all the same, little brat,” his gaze hardened, “isn’t it?”

Katja glared at him, her mouth twisting to hide her confusion, sure there was a hidden meaning in his words she failed to recognize. “I’m sure I wouldn’t know,” she sassed back at him, confident outwardly…. Only to be discouraged as his grin intensified and as he gripped her hand by force. One yank, and she was pulled against the hard planes of his chest. This time there was no armor to hide the feeling of his skin or to conceal that sharp, clean scent of citrus and herbs.

“Oh, but you do know, better than anyone now,” he growled into her ear before shoving her away again. “There’s a clearing,” he jerked his head to his right, “we can meet there, no weapons, no axes. We can discuss our truce with just the clothes on our backs, what do you say?”

Katja just stared at him, fuming and stoic.

“Or are you too cowardly to meet a monster alone?”

“See you there, asshole,” Katja snarled before turning away, wine bottle raised high above her little blonde head to drink. Draining the dregs of that disgusting vintage, she smashed it against a tree before entering the dark, moonlit forest.

104 notes · View notes

xoxomoonlightxoxo · 1 year ago

Text

Somewhere Between Hello and Goodbye | Ch. 4: Strangers With Memories

a/n: more angst but at least they aren't as awkward, however, after this chapter, I fear it's only going to go downhill for my babies :(

The dreadful No Contact Rule. Difficult not to break when the relationship is over and even more so when the relationship comes to a sudden halt but the feelings are still brewing inside. When the distance is forced and fueled by the guilt of losing that person again. However, I would be lying if I said that Jungkook is no longer part of my life. That I have somehow completely barricaded myself from his presence. How could I, when not even a conscious stream of thought can overcome the yearning of a broken heart? One that still longs for his touch, his sweet smile, his laugh. One that has been holding on to the memories of our past despite the lack of recollection in Koo’s eyes. To him, we are simply picking things up from where they were left off. Not a complicated task in nature until you realise that our story left off with his first and last “I love you, Mira”. So, no matter how hard I try to push him away, the heartstrings of my own soul seem to pull us back together. Even if he sees me as just a friend, I am willing to fight for everything we could have been, until one day he finally remembers it all. Remembers me, remembers us.

Unfortunately, with school starting, everyone has been getting back into their routines, leaving little time or opportunity to actually hang out. Despite this, Jungkook has made a special effort to “build back what he can’t remember”. So, seeing him has actually become part of my daily ritual. Whether that be going on a morning jog or grabbing a quick coffee after class. Like the good old days, we are connecting as close friends, since everything began that way. Before anything, Koo was my friend, one who somehow filled the void of my family when we were separated by an ocean. For that, I will forever be grateful to him.

Today was like any other. Tae and I met our new cohort leader, the head of the ER department in the local children’s hospital, who was this older gentleman who wasted no opportunity to crack one of his dad jokes. He absolutely adored Tae, said that he saw his younger self in him, and unless he was a sleep-deprived, broke college student, I’m not sure what the correlation was. To be honest, Tae hasn’t been having it easy either. His grandma was recently diagnosed with pneumonia, so he spent the entire summer working three jobs to send as much money as he could back home. Being the only man, and thus, the breadwinner in the family after the passing of his father, he constantly tells me about the guilt he endures being far away from his mom, younger sister and grandma. The three women in his life he would give up anything for. And, as I’ve watched him slowly run himself thin, I have grown to be protective of Tae myself. Although he is older, in my eyes he will always be like a little brother to me. One whose shoulders carry the weight of a whole lineage.

Packing up our staff after class, Tae recommended we try the new pastry shop that opened by our dormitory. One that he first mentioned when Jungkook was admitted into the hospital in hopes of cheering my numb self. However, during that period the aching pain in my heart wanted nothing more than to be by Koo’s side. So, seeing that this time Tae was the one in need of support, I made sure to take him up on the offer as we indulged in our daily debrief. At the end of the day, we might not know how to properly give an IV but you best believe that we know how to run our mouths. In the span of half an hour, we managed to cover every possible topic known to men, ranging from the rise in the cost of eggs to the hideous new haircut the grumpy librarian decided to debut today. Our conversation could have gone on for hours until it was abruptly interrupted by the buzzing of my phone.

Koo: Will 20 minutes be enough for you to get ready?

Mira: Depends … where are you taking me?

Koo: It’s a surprise, just wear something comfy ;)

“Who got you smiling like that?” Tae chuckles teasingly, seeing that his words have lost my attention.

“Oh nothing, I’m sorry, it’s just Jungkook,” I say, nibbling on my lips to suppress the urge to keep smiling.

“What did he say?” he leans forward taking a sip of his Americano.

“I think he wants to go somewhere?” my words drag on as he searches my scattering eyes.

“Now?”

“Well, no you’re right, I’m just gonna tell him that I’m busy,” I try to comfort Tae with a smile, sensing the guilt of leaving him alone.

“No, I mean, don’t you want to freshen up? How much time do you have?” he mumbles, gaze softening at my flustered state.

“Oh, are you sure? I hate to pause our little hangout,”

“There’s always tomorrow,” Tae assures with a boxy smile.

“Okay, I’ll see you at breakfast, alright?” I say, packing up my stuff before we wave each other goodbye.

Thank God, the pastry shop was a short walk away from the dormitory as I suddenly realised how valid Tae’s suggestion of a shower was. Let’s just say that today’s clinical was one for the books. Not only did I spill a whole IV bag on my scrubs but I’m pretty sure that there are still some pieces of dried cream in my hair as one of the older patients refused to cooperate. So, as I finally managed to open the front door, I headed straight into the shower, washing myself free of the chaotic aftermath.

Debating between a woven sweater and a cashmere pullover I settled on the one Koo loved the most. “Peaches, you’re so soft,” he used to say, pulling me into a tight hug as his hands caressed the delicate cashmere. I wore it on our last date before the incident, the one we spent on Oceana Beach talking about the future, our future. Miraculously, after all this time, it still had his scent, the sweet vanilla musk lingered like the memories of our past. I remember crying sleepless nights, holding the cashmere close to my heart as if it were the only thing left of Jungkook. With my eyes closed, I could almost feel his warm embrace.

Beep Beep

My reminiscing, however, was interrupted by Jungkook’s arrival. Quickly touching up my makeup, I grab my purse and phone before locking the door behind me. Maybe it’s from the actual physical rush or the fact that I get to see him again, but my heart sure is beating hard. I could practically feel it in my throat. And, the appearance of his bunny smile as our eyes finally met certainly did not help it either.

“Sorry to make you wait,” I say out of breath, tucking some stray pieces of hair behind my ear.

“No worries, I just came,” Koo assures softly, leaning back on his car.

“So, where is this mystery destination?” I grin teasingly, folding my arms in front of my chest.

“Surprise, remember? Ladies first,” he grins back, opening the passenger door, before helping me buckle up. And, just like that, my heartbeat went through the roof again.

Driving down the bridge, we were in awe of the beautiful sunset that covered the sky in warm tones. Blasting our favourite song, Jungkook rolled down all the windows before pausing his phone just in time for the high note. And, as silence filled the car I could feel the flush rise up my cheeks from the sheer embarrassment that was my singing. It wasn’t just a voice crack, it was the complete demolishment of my dignity.

“Yah, how could you betray me like that?” I scoff in disbelief, rolling the windows back up to shield myself from the passing cars.

“I couldn’t help it, you looked so concentrated,” Jungkook chuckles, mimicking my singing face.

“Okay, relax, eyes on the road bunny boy,” I smirk, turning the music back on.

“We’re here,” he says, turning into the parking lot. Looking around, chills run down my spine as I realise where we are. The Oceana Beach. This means that while I was fully immersed in our karaoke session, Jungkook unknowingly drove past the exact spot where he lost consciousness on that cold, winter night. All this time, I’ve been trying to avoid this place in hopes of erasing the image of Koo’s frail body lying on the side of the road. Now, I have to act like none of that happened, since he doesn’t remember any of it.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jungkook’s voice pulls me out of the spiral, as my chest heaves up. Feeling his hand on mine, my body almost jolts from his touch, unable to hide the fear rushing through my veins. It all felt so surreal, to be looking at him alive in flesh but knowing that the Jungkook I once knew was no longer there.

“Yeah, I … I just remembered something,” I lie with a nervous chuckle, unbuckling myself. Helping me out of the car, Jungkook looks concerned, eyes searching mine.

“You sure, you’re alright? I can drive back jus…”

“No, no don’t be ridiculous. I swear I’m all good,” I interrupt his sentence with a reassuring smile. Reaching for my hands again, only this time with slight hesitation, his worried eyes meet mine as his thumb caresses the back of my palms.

“Mira, you’d tell me if something was wrong, right?” his words are layered with a tone of fear, uneasiness, and genuine worry. But, there’s a short period of silence, as my mind filters through possible replies.

“Of course,” I manage a small chuckle, swallowing down the lie. With a nod of acceptance and a soft sigh, he intertwined his fingers with mine, taking the bags from his trunk before walking us toward a small spot by a campfire. Setting everything up, I was commanded to just relax, covered under a woven blanket.

“I used to love making smores when I was little,” Jungkook smiles, handing me a bag of marshmallows, before covering himself under the same blanket. Jimin was right, he could still remember the earlier years of his life, but nothing of the recent events.

“Can’t relate, I somehow always burned mine,” I frown as he can’t help but laugh, scrunching his nose and letting that bunny smile come on full display.

“Hey, don’t laugh,”

“I’m sorry, but how does one mess this up?” he leans closer, nudging my shoulder before looking back at the sparks. If only time could stop and we could stay this way forever. If only he could feel the way my heart ached at that moment.

“So, Mira, do you have a boyfriend?” his sudden question brought me back again, as my eyebrows visibly furrowed from the bluntness of his curiosity.

“Why? Are you trying to pitch an offer?” I chuckle, leaning closer to the fire to warm my hands, before looking back at his teasing grin.

“Just trying to figure you out,” he replies softly, eyes searching mine.

“I used to,”

“Oh, yeah? What happened?

“He moved away. Long distance didn’t work out,” I reply slowly, allowing the fake story to play out without succumbing to the tears.

“That sucks, you guys don’t keep in touch at all?” Jungkook’s curiosity is innocent in nature but naive to our past. I can’t even get mad at him for digging deeper, even if it hurts.

“I’m not sure he remembers me anymore,” I sigh, replying almost defeated.

“That’s a lie. Who could forget you?” he laughs, shaking his head in disbelief, blind to the irony of it all.

“Yeah …” a little chuckle escapes me as well, as my eyes dissociate into the distance. “I'm pretty unforgettable, aren't I?”

“Pretty and unforgettable,” Jungkook replies with a quick wink, covering my shivering body with his share of the blanket before taking a bite of my half-burned marshmallow.

Replaying our last conversation in my head, I felt bad for snapping at Jiah at the mall. It was totally uncalled for and simply a projection of the thoughts that haunted my mind. Not a fibre of my being meant it as we rarely ever fought or even came to a slight disagreement with each other. To be quite frank, during that time it seemed like every interaction I had was like walking on a minefield. With one wrong move, I was destined to blow up and take everyone else down with me.

Not being able to talk to her freely pained me, as I grew to miss my best friend with each passing day. And if one thing was for sure, then it was that Jiah deserved an apology as she fell victim to my self-destruction. So, after a few hours of crafting a well-developed apology, I made my way to her apartment, which was literally a level below mine. Nonetheless, the walk there seemed never-ending, most likely due to the sheer panic I was experiencing. It wasn’t fueled by the fear of her reaction but the shame I felt from how I treated Jiah. However, none of it mattered anymore, as I stood in front of her door, hand ready to place a few knocks. That is until it suddenly swings open and our eyes finally meet again.

“Jiah,” I mumble before she pulls me into a tight hug as tears stream down both of our faces. No words needed to be said. Everything was understood through the emotions we were experiencing. Melting deeper into her embrace, my face dug deeper into her hair as the sweet smell of coconut filled my senses, reminding my body of her aura. I missed her so much that I could physically feel the void in my heartache as my teary eyes searched her sad gaze.

“Jiah, I’m so sorry,” I manage to let out as she gently wipes the tears off of my face. Holding onto her hand, I keep it close to my chest as my heart beats faster.

“It’s okay, love. I’ve missed you so much,” she says softly, tucking a few pieces of stray hair behind my ear. And, just like that, we were back in each other’s embrace, making up for the lost time we were apart. Catching up, we spent the whole afternoon discussing everything that happened since our falling out. She showed me the emerald jewellery set Jimin gifted her for their 1 year anniversary and the pictures they took following their celebration. They looked so happy that I couldn’t stop smiling. If they ever break up then I’ll know that love isn’t real, because in my eyes they were destined for each other. No one understands Jiah better than Jimin and no one cares so deeply for Jimin more than Jiah. Simply put, they’re soul mates.

Feeling lightheaded from all the tears we’ve cried, I suggested we go out to grab some late lunch, or early dinner before going on a walk around campus. Jiah was quick to agree as she changed into some jeans and a hoodie before grabbing her purse and keys. Stopping by my dorm, I quickly touched up my makeup in hopes of not scaring innocent civilians from the aftermath of my mental breakdown. And, as we rode the elevator down to the main lobby, Jiah and I were inseparable once again. That is until my eyes widened at the sight of Jungkook standing by his car, shuffling in place to keep himself warm.

“Oh? Jungkook? What’s wrong?” I stutter, worried eyes searching his.

“Sorry Jiah, but could I steal her from you?” he asks softly, as Jiah's face turns to mine. Hiding the way her chin was trembling, she didn't know how to reply before taking a deep breath.

“Call me when you get back?” she nods, separating her hand from mine as I pull her into a hug.

“I’ll bring you some pastry from the new shop Tae recommended,” I say with a reassuring smile before waving her goodbye. Making sure she got in safely, my eyes turned back to look at Jungkook’s bunny smile.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask with a skeptical tone, slowly making my way towards the car.

“You really don’t think I pay attention, huh?” he says teasingly before opening the passenger door.

“You mean to tell me that you’ve memorized my schedule?” I scoff, looking up at his softened gaze.

“Pretty much,” he replies with a grin, leaning onto the door frame before caressing my cheek with the back of his palm.

“Hey, were you crying?” Jungkook asks, concerned, as I cover my red cheeks with my hair. Way to not be obvious, Mira! I guess, my attempt to hide the fact that I’ve been sobbing for hours failed miserably since he managed to notice it after one glance.

“Oh, yeah, it’s nothing. I promise,” I shake my head with a soft smile before looking back up at his worried eyes.

“Mira, you know you can always talk to me, right?” his words are followed by a deep sigh as he crouched down before my still form.

“Of course, I know that, Koo,” I manage to let out a giggle, patting his head in hopes of making him feel at least somewhat at ease. In all honesty, however, I knew that he wasn’t fully convinced, but I also didn’t necessarily hate that. Because a small part of me hoped that maybe, his curiosity would somehow help him regain the memories he once lost.

“Anyways, where are you taking me this time?” I try to change the subject, as his eyes look back at mine.

“I need your help,” he replies, buckling my seat belt before heading to the driver’s side.

“May I know with what?”

“A song. A love song,” his voice is abrupt, but still layered with tease.

“I beg your pardon, a love song? Jungkook If you think I’m going to sedate you with some vocals then you are greatly mistaken,” I scoff with my arms folded in front of my burning chest. A love song? As if seeing him again isn’t hard enough. Now, he is giving me yet another reason to cry at night.

“Shhhh, I’ll explain everything when we get there, just sit back and relax,” he assures me with a sly wink.

“Mmhhm,” I nod, loosening up the seatbelt before crossing my arms over my chest. Navigating through all the turns, my mind is trying to piece together our destination, until we finally stop at a brick building near the campus gymnasium.

“Koo, where are we?” I ask cautiously, scanning the premises as he opens the passenger door.

“It’s a studio my buddy owns. Don’t worry the inside looks more welcoming than the outside,” Jungkook grins, locking the car as we make our way up the stairs.

“Be careful here, they’re still under construction,” he points to a hole in the wooden floor, grabbing my hand as I tip-toe behind him.

“Right, and this buddy of yours, you know how?”

“He used to produce for the band the guys and I were in. The Bulletproof Boys,” he replies proudly until I burst into a cackle, which promptly faded the smile on his face. I couldn’t help it, I was still not over the first time he mentioned the infamous band name. The Bulletproof Boys. Peak comedy if you ask me.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you,” I try to regain my composure looking at his pouty lips.

“I’m not laughing,”

“Okay, then I’m laughing at you,” I tease again, poking his side as he opens the door to what seemed like a small recording studio.

“Hey, guys! Come on in,” a man’s voice welcomes us into the dimly lit room.

“Hi hyung, thank you again,” Jungkook shakes his hand, before looking back at my flustered face. I’m usually not as awkward but something about being in a room with a stranger, Jungkook, and a hypothetical love song just did not sit well with me.

“This is Mira, she’s going to be our female lead,” Jungkook smiles, giving me a sly wink. A lead? I really do hope he is kidding. Is today April Fool's or something? Where are the cameras?

“Sounds good to me, who wants to go first?” the man asks the both of us, as I try my best to avoid his eye contact. Fiddling with my thumbs, Jungkook could sense that I was becoming more and more uncomfortable. So, he suggested that we go in together since it is my first time doing something like this after all.

“Just follow me okay?” he says softly, helping me put on the headphones before handing me the lyric sheet.

“Alright, let’s just see how the melody plays out, okay? Jungkook, if you want to jump in with your vocals now, by all means. But, Mira, you can just use this take as practice. I want you to get comfortable with the lyrics,” the producer explains, giving me a thumbs up as I nod okay.

Following Koo’s lead I tried to mumble the words under my breath, getting the feel of the song. And, to my and probably everyone’s surprise, everything was going somewhat okay? We were able to finish recording the intro in under an hour and have just gotten to the pre-chorus. After some practice, I was beginning to feel capable of managing this project, until my ears were pierced with a sudden “I love you,” projecting from Jungkook’s microphone.

“Oh?” I let out a loud gasp, covering my mouth as my eyes shot up at his form across the booth. Searching my flushed face, he grins, pointing to the lyric sheet on my stand. Furrowing my eyebrows I begin scanning the lines with my finger, realising that he was singing one of the adlibs. However, what came after almost made me sick. Suddenly, it all felt a bit too real. Shutting my eyes, I tried to regain my composure, and within a second, I was back in that hospital room, sitting across from Koo’s frail body as his thumb caressed my palms.

“I love you, Mira. I’ve been loving you this whole time,” his sweet words played in my head, as tears rolled down my face. Feeling the knot in my throat, I was practically screaming, but nothing came out. I couldn't do it, not then and not now. I couldn’t say the words he desperately deserved to hear. And just like that, I was back in the booth, only this time, my heaving body was plopped on the floor surrounded by both Jungkook and his producer. But, before they could ask me anything, I rushed out of the room, virtually sprinting towards the nearest washroom, where I hoped to lock myself from the outside world. Closing my eyes, all I could see were the replays of that scene before they were suddenly interrupted by the knocking on the stall door.

“Mira! Mira, open up, it’s me,” Jungkook’s voice is heavy, almost breathless.

“Are you in the women’s washroom?” I yelp in disbelief, wiping the tears off of my face.

“There’s no one here, come out, please,” he pleads softly, moving back as I slowly open the door. Lowering my gaze, I fold my arms over my chest before leaning back on the stall as if I didn’t just pass out in front of him. Taking a deep breath, I tried to explain myself before feeling his arms wrap around my shoulders as our bodies melted into a tight hug. Oh, Koo, if only you knew how much I missed your warm embrace.

“Mira, please tell me what’s wrong,” Jungkook whispers, burying his face in the curve of my neck, as I feel his breath on my skin.

“Koo, I told you, I’m fine,” I managed to lie, placing my hands on his shoulders to create at least some distance.

“Fine? You dropped to the floor and were unresponsive,” he shouts, furrowing his eyebrows from frustration as his hands grab mine.

“I … I think my period is coming soon. The days before are always killer,” I explain, trying to convince the both of us, before feeling his worried gaze search my scattering eyes.

“Your period?” he confirms.

“Mmhm,” I give him a few nods, feeling his grip on my hands slowly loosen. Tucking the stray hair behind my ear, Jungkook leans closer, tracing the trail of dried tears on my face before letting out a soft sigh.

“Okay, I believe you. I’ll always believe you, Mira,”

Please, don't.

Previous l Index l Next

50 notes · View notes

rosethornewrites · 8 months ago

Text

Fic: and sings the tune without the words, ch. 15

Additional Tags: Epistolary, Food, Music, Secrets, Resentful Energy, Cultivation Sect Politics, Character Death, Politics, Assassination Attempt(s), Attempted Kidnapping, Hostage Situations, Mentioned Wei Changze, Disobeying Orders

Summary: Sect leaders correspond, and so do Jiang Cheng and Jiang Wuxian.

Notes: See end.

Previous fic in the series: “the thing with feathers”

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

AO3 link

-----------

Lan-xiangsheng,

We have reports that an assassination attempt on Wen Xu and Wen Chao was successful. Qishan Wen has fallen into chaos.

Some have tried to demand Wen Qing return and ascend the throne and she refuses, saying she would likely be dead within the month.

Smaller sects that were subsumed by the Wen have continued declaring independence, more as there has been a lack of repercussions. The Wen clan is too busy infighting over the sect leader position to do anything about it.

As such, it should be safe to travel, but San-Niang has decided to go to the Cloud Recesses so she can be there to provide extra protection on the journey. She will be there a few days before you are to leave.

We have prepared Lan Wangji’s room. Please let me know if any other members of the Lan clan will need accommodations, as well.

Warmly,

Jiang Fengmian

----------

Didi,

A-Niang is coming to bring you home soon. Are we still going to be roommates? Or would you rather have your own quarters? Or if you’re used to rooming with Lan Wangji, that’s fine too.

The other disciples miss you, and are glad you’re coming home. We’re all still pretty worried after what happened, and it’ll be good to have you back. You being here means less worry—I know the Lan are keeping you safe, but it’s easier when we can see you, you know? The disciples you picked from the street are doing well with their studies.

A-Lian has grown since you left. A-Die says she’s not a toddler anymore, but a little girl, whatever that means. She’s missed you terribly. She’s starting to learn her characters some, but she keeps getting ink on her robes. She loved the little stuffed fish you sent for her. How did you know fish are her favorite animal?

Jiejie found out that Jin Zixuan isn’t supposed to write to her anymore. I guess his parents are mad about Meng-ayi and Mo-guniang and their sons, but he sent letters through someone else because he doesn’t want to stop writing to her, which made her happy. At least he properly appreciates her now. Otherwise I’d have to break his legs.

I guess a lot of stuff is going on in Qishan, because I keep hearing A-Die and A-Niang talk about it when they think I’m not around to hear, and Wen Qing is super nervous. She’s not really talking about it, but that might be because our parents said not to.

A-Niang went on a night hunt and brought home a bunch of women. I guess she shut down another brothel and saved them, but I’m not sure where it was. She also brought home some street kids—I guess one of the prostitutes was feeding them and didn’t want to leave without them. I think you’ll like her when you meet her because you have that in common. She wants to be a seamstress and Meng-ayi is teaching her and the others to read. The kids are already doing okay, learning to read and settling into their barracks—they’ll move to apprenticeships if they can’t form a jindan, but for now they’re safe and fed.

Anyway, Jiejie packed some lotus buns she made to accompany this package, so enjoy them until you can come home and have them fresh. And her soup—I’m eating your portion while you’re gone!

Stay safe, dummy.

Jiang Cheng

-----------

Jiang-zongzhu,

This is dire news indeed. Wen Xu was only a teenager, and Wen Chao only about as old as Xichen. It would be prudent to send condolences, but to whom? Such letters may need to wait until the matter is sorted out and a new head of the Wen sect has been determined.

While Wen Qing would likely bring peace under a wise ruler, that wisdom was in removing herself from the situation. Her assessment is correct—undoubtedly her and her brother would also be assassinated if she were to return to Qishan.

These smaller sects may be open to alliances, assuming they survive the Wen infighting. I daresay it could prove more widespread than we anticipate, given the size of the sect. Though it’s possible to take advantage of the situation for the profit of our sects, such an act could backfire in the long run.

Yu-furen is welcome, as we will not have Nie-zongzhu for additional protection during the trip. Jiang Wuxian will be happy to see her, I’m sure. Though he is happy generally, he misses home and his family, which makes it more likely the boys will often travel between our sects. Hopefully as things settle and they age, they will need fewer people to accompany them.

I appreciate your kindness in setting aside quarters for Wangji, but you may find that Jiang Wuxian and Wangji are inseparable—here they share quarters, as your son has nightmares at times and Wangji wishes to soothe them. I have no doubt they will likely continue to cohabitate at Lotus Pier, so perhaps that should be taken into account.

I hope your other children are well.

Lan Qiren

----------

A-Cheng,

I’m so excited to see A-Niang! I’m glad she saved more women and kids, and I hope they’re settling in well. It sounds like the one auntie is super nice.

The Cloud Recesses are really nice, but very cold in winter. They gave me extra blankets and Lan Zhan got me a warm cloak to wear and Lan-xiansheng got me warm robes to keep here. I’m allowed to eat more than three bowls, too, which is good because the cold makes me hungrier.

I’ve gotten really used to sleeping with Lan Zhan. I mean, in the same room, but if I have nightmares he sleeps in my bed so I know I’m not alone when I wake up. Can we room together? It won’t inconvenience anyone, I hope!

I miss you too, Chengcheng. And everyone else, but especially you and Jiejie and Meimei. It’s good to know the Yunmeng street kids are doing well. I’m glad they have a home with us, and I think they’ll be good cultivators.

Aw, my little lotus is growing up! I bet A-Niang had to get her all new robes, unless she’s still using Jiejie’s old ones. She got a spun sugar fish that one time, so I figured she’d love one. I chose the prettiest one for her. I’m sure she’s doing great with her characters! She’s our meimei, after all!

I didn’t know it was possible to feel respect for Jin Zixuan, though him writing letters to her in the first place was good. Maybe he’ll treat Jiejie the way she deserves. If not, I'll help you.

I feel really bad because I guess the Wen heirs got killed without their dad to protect them. I overheard Lan-xiansheng discussing it with an elder. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, really! I bet Wen Qing is nervous—if they killed the heirs, who’s to say they won’t try to hurt her or her didi.

Tell Jiejie her lotus buns are amazing! They make me want her soup, too. I guess I can’t stop you, but you’ll have to also share with Lan Zhan when we come home. He deserves some delicious soup, too!

I’m staying safe, promise.

Jiang Wuxian

—————

Scared about what the election results will bring, as I’m sure many of you are as well. Please know if something happens to ao3, like it being banned in the US, I will still try to find ways to post my fanfiction. VPNs exist.

There are a few idioms scattered throughout Lan Qiren’s letter, or hints toward them. Like to bring peace under a wise ruler, and taking advantage of a situation for profit.

a-die = dad

a-niang = mom

ayi = aunt

didi = little brother

furen = madam

guniang = lady/young mistress

jiejie = older sister

jindan = golden core

meimei = little sister

xiansheng = teacher

zongzhu = sect leader

9 notes · View notes

levi-venn · 1 year ago

Text

The First Toothpick

Chapter Four: A Little Juicy Gossip

Gen Fic - Mentor/Protege

Summary: Cad Bane teaches Crosshair how to be a sniper. The kid picks up some other habits as a result.

Chapter Summary: Crosshair meets Todo 360 who does not know how to keep a secret.

Chapters: Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 |

Available also on AO3

“Great callouts, Hunter! You’re a natural leader. Wrecker, we’re gonna need stronger droids to handle your strength. Tech, you sliced those panels in record time! Now let's see," The lieutenant looked at his datapad, scrolling through the rest of the data.

Crosshair waited for his turn.

The lieutenant kept scrolling, frown deepening.

A brotherly hand squeezed Crosshair's shoulder. He pushed it away. He didn’t need comfort. He needed feedback.

“Alright, pack it up, soldiers,” the lieutenant said, tucking his datapad away. “The final test of the quarter is tomorrow.”

“Hey, wait,” Hunter said. “What about-”

Crosshair's elbow found Hunter's ribs, chasing the question away.

“Is there a problem, soldier?” The lieutenant asked, raising an imperious brow.

Hunter clutched his side. “No, sir.”

The lieutenant left.

Crosshair would have left too if not for his brothers surrounding him, blocking his escape.

“You did great , Crosshair,” Hunter insisted.

“You hit every single mark flawlessly,” Tech observed.

“Yeah! You’re wizard!” Wrecker shouted.

Molten anger heated Crosshair's cheeks. “It doesn’t matter what you think,” he hissed. “The lieutenant’s opinion is all that matters. They are going to retire me.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Hunter said.

“It’s not up to you, Hunter,” Crosshair said.

“Bugger this,” Hunter sighed and grabbed Crosshair’s wrist, tugging him towards a nearby ventilation grate. "Recon time. C’mon.”

Crosshair thought about kicking him, but...the recon may prove useful.

“Aww, recon?! I wanna come, too!” Wrecker whined.

“This mission requires more stealth than you are trained to handle, Wrecker” Tech indicated. “Also your size would break the air vent.”

“Hehe, yeah, I’m a real tank,” Wrecker grinned, proudly.

Hunter hoisted Crosshair up into the air ventilation tunnel before leaping up behind him. The tunnel ran in a dozen different directions like a many-armed rapthar, each path identical to the next. Hunter always knew instinctively where to go. It didn’t take long before they found the vent overlooking the lieutenant’s office.

There was another clone in the office with him.

No...not a clone...

“Is that Fett?” Hunter whispered. “Last time Fett was here, they took Radar away.”

“I know,” Crosshair snarled quietly.

“Oh yeah,” the Lieutenant snickered below, taking his seat at his desk. “He's the best in the facility.”

“Cut the sarcasm, Pynk,” Fett leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. “We need a sniper in this squad.”

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good sniper, but we train good snipers every day. This squad needs someone extraordinary and he isn’t. It’ll save a lot of time and energy to just retire him and pick up a normal sniper for the team.”

A normal sniper…

Crosshair had heard enough. He shoved Hunter down the tunnel and followed him, angrily wiping his blurry, wet eyes as they went.

“Are they gonna retire Crosshair?” Wrecker whispered loudly to Tech as Crosshair climbed out of the vent.

“They will have to retire me first,” Tech said, adjusting his goggles, not bothering to lower his voice. “I won’t let them take him.”

“Yeah,” Wrecker slammed his fists together, “me neither.”

He ignored them both. He made a point to ignore them both. They were all idiots, thinking they could change anything by just wishing it wouldn't happen.

And Crosshair was an idiot for daring to think he could be extraordinary.

The next day, Crosshair earned the nickname “Misfire.”

Not long after that the bounty hunter, Cad Bane, took him away.

***

Crosshair couldn’t sleep.

The room was too quiet without Wrecker’s chest-rattling snores, too dark without the faint glow of Tech coding on his datapad, and even though Hunter was practically a ghost at night even when awake, Crosshair missed him, too.

Facing the fact sleep wasn’t going to find him, Crosshair slung his rifle over his shoulder, tip-toed down the hall past Bane's room, slid down the bannister, avoiding the creaky stairs altogether, and slipped soundlessly out the front door. The weather-beaten porch was barely held together by whatever rusted nails poked out of the cracked wood. He kept his steps light, but each footfall he could feel the threat of a creak beneath his boots. He leapt over the stairs entirely and landed in the dark soil with little more than a quiet squelch.

The moon was a meager sliver in the sky that didn't do much to illuminate the wheat field, but the way it moved in the wind reminded Crosshair of the black waves of a rarely calm nighttime Kaminoan sea.

“Goin’ somewhere?”

Crosshair hadn't heard anyone approach. How was this possible? And yet, as he turned, he found that Bane had been sitting in a rocking chair in the darkest corner of the porch, only his red eyes, half-moons obscured by the brim of his hat, could be seen.

Crosshair refused to be rattled. He planted his feet firmly in the soil and and puffed up his narrow chest. “I’m going to scout the perimeter.”

“Got sensors for that, kid” Bane replied. “Ain’t a soul out there except for us n’ the Fabools.”

“Then I’ll go check on the Fabools.”

“You don’t gotta worry about them until tomorrow mornin’. Todo will show ya what to do.”

Crosshair had no response. Wrecker's clumsy question floated in his head.

Are they gonna retire Crosshair?”

He needed to do this. He needed to do...something.

Bane’s head tilted slightly. “What?”

Crosshair didn’t respond.

I don’t want to be retired. I want to live… at least long enough to fight a real battle with Tech.

Bane let out a strained growled, his spurs jingling as his boots landed heavily on the porch. In the darkness his scarlet eyes cast harsh shadows against his scarred face.

“You n’ me are gonna get along a lot better if ya stop bein’ so fuckin’ timid. You’re a soldier, right? You’re an elite sniper? You’re a tough guy? Then stop bein’ afraid of everything. I’m bein’ paid to train ya, but I may ask Jango for extra cuz I gotta go lookin' for yer spine first before I can teach ya anything.” Rows of sharp teeth gleamed in the dark. “Start talkin’.”

I want to live.

I-

“I…don’t want to be retired.”

The teeth vanished. The eyes dimmed. Bane leaned forward and into the meager moonlight, confusion etched into his scarred face. “What do ya mean ‘retired’?”

“If soldiers don’t meet their lieutenant’s expectations, they’re retired and their data gets erased. Radar and Pintsize were retired last year. No trace of them anywhere. Like they never existed.” Crosshair scrubbed his sweaty palms against his pant legs. He couldn’t stop talking if he wanted to, like trying to fight momentum down a steep hill. “Radar was redundant. Hunter’s tracking skills were sharper than his. Pintsize could barely hold a blaster with his tremors. The lieutenant said I’m not ‘extraordinary’ like the rest of my squad. I dropped my sniper rifle last test. They started calling me-”

The name seized in his mind. Tech’s magnified eyes glaring at him as if he was somehow holding onto the name.

“That’s not who you are.”

“Jango knows about this? These retirements?”

Crosshair blinked. “What?”

“The retirements. Are they his decision or not?”

“It’s the lieutenant’s decision.”

Bane rested his elbows on his knees, his unyielding glare boring into Crosshair. “Who’s this lieutenant? What’s his story?”

“A first generation clone. Lieutenant Pynk,” Crosshair thought about how to describe him. “He’s an asshole.”

Bane snorted. “Yeah, I gathered that much. So when you told me you’re the best in the facility that was his sarcasm I was hearing?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Well, fuck Pynk. We’ll show him what extraordinary looks like.” he extended his hand. “Gimme your rifle.”

Crosshair tightened the grip on his rifle strap. “Why?”

“Oh yer full of questions now, huh?” Bane sneered. “Official inspection, soldier. Give it here.”

With a small hiss of protest, Crosshair handed the rifle over.

Bane gave the rifle a little spin as if testing the weight. He looked through the scope. He ran his fingers over the stock and gave it a good shake.

“No wonder you can’t razzle and dazzle anyone,” Bane snickered. “This here’s a piece of bantha poodoo .”

“There’s nothing wrong with my rifle.” Crosshair said. “I clean it everyday. I calibrated it this morning. It’s fine.”

“Yeah?” Bane tossed the rifle back to Crosshair. “Prove it.”

Bane stood up, reminding Crosshair just how tall the Duros was compared to him. He was taller than Pynk and somehow that was comforting to know. In one swift movement, Bane hopped over the porch railing and with a crisp snap of his leather duster, he vanished around the side of the house.

Crosshair followed. At first it looked like Bane had simply disappeared, but upon a closer look, the side of the house was covered with a wide wooden trellis far too reinforced to withstand just the weight of creeper vines. He looked up and saw a brief glimpse of the brim of Bane's hat on the roof. Crosshair slung the rifle over his shoulder and climbed.

Some of the roof tiles were flatter and smoother than they appeared, leading to an ornamental bell tower half the size of Crosshair and far too small for Bane to fit. Still, Crosshair peeked into the bell tower and found...a short chute leading into a spy holodrama.

It was one part sniper tower, one part high-tech surveillance bowl filled with panels and devices similar to the simulation models Tech ran through to practice slicing communications and monitoring air traffic.

Bane sneered up at him. "C'mon in, kiddo."

“What is this?” Crosshair asked, hoisting himself into the chute and using the short ladder to climb down.

“Crow’s nest, watchtower, sniper tower, reinforced bunker, whatever we need it for. There are a couple of cots under the false floor if we get swarmed and have to lay low for a while.”

“Who would attack us?”

“The local authorities, mercs lookin' to even the score, raiders aimin' to steal the Fabools which can sell for a pretty credit on the black market.” Bane pressed a switch under his seat and the blank wall flipped over to reveal a pair of LL-30 blaster pistols and a 773 Firepuncher rifle, the kind Crosshair had only seen in firearms databanks Tech sliced in for him.

Bane grabbed the rifle, charged it up, and checked the scope. “Don’t have to worry about any of that tonight though. Tonight, we’re doin’ some target practice...”

He dialed something into the control panel. A long opening slid 280 degrees around the tower at Crosshair’s eye-level, no taller than his fist, yet a screen flickered around the opening to reveal a holographic image of the surrounding area.

“I can see everything,” he said.

“That’s the idea,” Bane replied. “Watch the field.”

He flicked another switch and a blue light shimmered over the wheat field as the security shield went down.

The grass started to quiver almost immediately.

“What’s out there?” Crosshair asked, sliding the barrel of his rifle through the opening and peering through the scope.

“Stalker lizards,” Bane said. “Lookin’ for a free meal inside that Fabool enclosure. Tell me what ya see.”

Crosshair toggled the heat sensor display on and off, watching the heat signatures from the lizards and the dark shadows of the landscape. “Lizards about a meter long coming from the southwest.” He scanned the enclosure next, remembering his training. Always check doors, corners, exits, and blindspots.

“We have blindspots.”

“Where’re the blindspots?” Bane asked, clearly a test.

“South and East walls of the enclosure.”

“Already covered. Look again.”

The heat signatures didn’t change. The landscape didn’t change much either. Crosshair lowered his scope and leaned over the edge of the bell tower as if it would help. “How-”

Bane grabbed his jumpsuit and pulled him back. “Stay in here.” He pushed some monoculars into Crosshair’s hands. “Your little toy scope doesn’t have a range finder, use these.”

“It’s not a toy.”

“It surely is. You wanna be an extraordinary sniper? You gotta grow up n’ use a real sniper rifle. Now quit givin’ me that death glare n’ look at coords 233.32, 33.4.”

Fuming, Crosshair looked through the monoculars. “Coords 233.32, 33.4.” He repeated.

Crosshair dialed in the coordinates and let the cursor on the display guide his movements.

There were several panels in various parts of the field. Each panel was painted with a shiny yellow number and embedded with silver reflective discs. “Are those mirrors?”

“Tell me which one to shoot.”

“What?”

“Can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but yer askin’ too many questions. Just do it.”

Crosshair rolled his eyes and shifted his scope from mirror to mirror until the caught the reflection of a stalker lizard climbing up the fabric wall of the enclosure.

“Panel two, center.”

A blaster shot rang out, it ricochet off the mirror and the low-power stun blast knocked the lizard off the enclosure, driving it back to the treeline.

“Again.”

Crosshair aligned his vision. Another panel. “Panel three, top left.”

The blaster bolt fired, ricocheted, and hit its target.

“Keep callin’ ‘em,” Cad said. "Faster."

“Six, low right. Four, center. Two, top center. Two, top left, no wait-”

“Two, middle left,” Cad corrected and took the shot.

“How do you see them without the monoculars?”

Bane snatched Crosshair’s monoculars and shoved the Firepuncher into his hands. “Built-in rangefinder in the scope. Give it a try.”

Bane’s rifle was heavier than his, but it also felt sturdier and a lot more powerful. He did a quick procedural check of the power cell, the scope angle, and acclimated himself to the weight before sliding the barrel through the opening. The scope was alive with readings. Rangefinder, coordinates scale, the crosshairs shifted as it looked for moving targets and returned to center when there was nothing.

“This is cheating,” Crosshair grumbled.

Bane snorted. “No such thing in this business. Besides, you can spend all the fancy credits in the galaxy and it don't make you the best. Yer greatest mod is yer eyes n' yer instincts. Now shut up n’ start firin’. Lizards are startin’ to swarm.”

The heat signatures doubled and Crosshair took shot after shot, chasing the lizards away.

“Good.” Bane said.

Good, but not extraordinary, Crosshair thought.

Two lizards scaled the corner of the enclosure. Crosshair hit the leader and it landed on its follower, scaring both away.

He waited for Bane to praise him. It was an impressive shot.

Bane remained silent.

Another lizard leapt from a panel onto the enclosure wall. He shot one mirror and it ricocheted off another mirror and hit the lizard between the eyes, sending it sprawling backwards before scurrying off.

That was impressive too. He waited for the Lieutenant...no...he waited for Bane to comment.

Bane said nothing.

“He’s a good sniper…This squad needs someone extraordinary.”

He took another shot. The blaster bolt bounced off the mirror and hit the tail of the lizard. It kept climbing.

He took another shot. The lizard dropped.

“Sloppy,” Bane said.

Crosshair’s bolt hit the edge of the enclosure, wool sizzled. The Fabools inside bleeted and honked irritably.

“Shit shot.”

“Are they gonna retire Crosshair?” Wrecker asked, eyes wet with tears.

Another miss.

“Worse,” Cad said.

And another.

“Shittier.”

He shot a mirror, it ricocheted into the night.

“Now yer takin’ yer failure out on the mirrors, huh?” Cad snickered. “Try again.”

The rifle felt heavier. Like the hands of a dozen laughing cadets and one unimpressed lieutenant was pushing it down.

“Look out, here comes Misfire.”

The heat signatures began to multiply through the scope.

“What’re you doing?” Bane asked. “I said try again.”

Shit shot…worse…failure…

The trigger refused to move.

“Misfire…Misfire…Misfire…”

“Dank farrick,” Bane swore and grabbed the rifle, firing five shots in quick succession. Blaster bolts soared and ricocheted off the mirrors, scaring away the rest of the lizards. He punched the control panel and the blue shimmering shield spread across the wheat field again. “What was that about? You forget how to shoot?”

Crosshair's hand twitched. He didn't move. He stared at the rifle.

“What the hell, kid?”

Crosshair couldn’t feel his fingers.

Hands shaking, he managed to hoist himself out of the bell tower. By the time he got to the bottom of the trellis he realized he had left his own rifle behind.

Tears blurring his eyes, he raced back to the front of the house, crashing through the door and stomping up the stairs.

He hid under the covers.

In a bed that wasn’t his.

Without the rifle that he didn’t deserve anyway.

***

The next morning, the house seemed empty. Bane wasn’t downstairs, but breakfast was waiting for Crosshair. A plate of bacon and eggs on a warming plate.

He ate quickly and guzzled the apple juice, politely pushing away the black caf and wondering if it was only there because he knew Fett was never far from a cup of caf.

He wandered outside to the sun sprinkling the wheat field with golden light. It made him squint. Climbing up the trellis, he poked his head in the bell tower. Neither rifle nor Bane was there.

His heart dropped. He felt sick. If Bane confiscated his rifle, then Crosshair was probably heading back home today. He hoped he’d be able to say bye to his brothers before they retired him. Then again, he didn’t get to say bye to Pintsize and Radar.

Climbing back down the trellis, he walked to the Fabool enclosure punching in the code he watched Bane use the day before. The gate swung open and before he could fall into a cuddle pile of Fabools, a stout droid flew directly at him, nearly slamming him against the gate.

“Who are you?!” The droid asked, round, unblinking yellow eyes flashing with suspicion, his thrusters hissing angrily as he floated in front of Crosshair’s face.

Crosshair pushed himself off the gate. “Bane told me to take care of the Fabools with Todo this morning.”

“I am Todo 360,” the droid declared, spindly arms flailing. “Did Mr. Bane order you to spy on me?”

“No. If I was going to spy on you,” Crosshair said, dryly. “You’d never know it.”

The droid’s three-fingered hand touched his non-existent chin thoughtfully. “Oh. Hmm. That’s…a valid point. Fine, you may stay, but I am in charge here and you will tell Mr. Bane that I am doing a perfectly good job and I don’t need any help.”

“Fine by me.”

“We’ll start with feeding practices!” Todo announced, shooing away the Fabools who seemed to hate the sound of his thrusters. They rolled towards Crosshair and away from the noisy droid. It was hard to worry about retirement when there were a dozen soft, bouncing balloons begging for his attention, and Crosshair decided to enjoy the moment, taking time to pet each one while Todo did all the work.

“Well, you’re already proving yourself to be an adequate assistant," Todo said, cleaning the water trough. "It takes me three times longer to fill their troughs when they try to bully me into their cuddle piles.” Todo floated towards the hose and dragged it across the enclosure, straining between words. “Your...reaction...to them...is...far…different…from…Mr. Bane’s…first…interaction.”

“What do you mean?” Crosshair asked.

“Oh, Mr. Bane was terrified of the Fabools when Fett brought him here. Practically climbed up on the fence to get away from them. He was scared of a lot of things back then though.”

Crosshair’s jaw dropped into his lap. “Bane? Cad Bane?”

“Well he wasn’t Mr. Bane back then. Just Cad. He hadn’t chosen a surname. Some Duros culture thing. I never understood it.”

“How long have you known Bane?”

“Many, many years.”

Crosshair cupped a Fabool chick in his hands and pressed it against his cheek. It snuffled at him, inquisitively. “Why was he afraid of the Fabools?”

“He full of paranoia when we met him,” Todo said, lightly. “Just distrustful of everything, in general.”

"But..." Crosshair stared dumbfounded at Todo. “How did he get so…”

“...so very 'Bane' ?” Todo asked.

“Yes.”

Todo held up an authoritative finger. “By eating his vegetables, little boy,” Todo hummed and floated towards the food sacks.

Crosshair rolled his eyes. “What else do you know about Bane?”

“Oh, I know lots about him. I’ve known him for a very long time. I’m his most trusted confidant. I am sworn to secrecy though so I couldn't possibly share anything with you.”

Considering how much Crosshair learned about Bane in the thirty seconds he knew Todo he decided to just nod. “Okay.”

“But…” Todo floated forward, hands rubbing together conspiratorially. “...I do have a few juicy tidbits I could share if you’re interested.”

Crosshair made a mental note to never tell Todo 360 anything about himself. “Sure.”

“Oh goodie! It’s so rare I find someone to gossip with that aren’t Fabools. Bossk and Aurra tell Mr. Bane everything .”

Crosshair scooted forward, setting the chick down on the ground only to have two fabools bounce into his lap and a third bounce against his back. Somehow all of the Fabools reminded him of Wrecker, only cuter and less annoying. “What else do you know?”

“Hmm…oh! Here's something. He didn’t know how to use a blaster when he met Mr. Fett. Mr. Fett taught him everything he knew about being a mercenary.”

“I figured that much.”

“But did you know that Mr. Fett and Mr. Bane engaged in a bar fight before Mr. Fett left for his secret project?”

“Why?”

“Is it not obvious? Mr. Bane idolized Mr. Fett, followed him around like a fabool chick bounces after a feed bag. When Mr. Fett left mercenary work, he left Mr. Bane behind. Mr. Bane took it very personally, but I think it was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

“Why?” Crosshair pressed.

“Because that is when Mr. Bane found that cool confidence in himself. Mr. Fett was always there to lift him up, reward his victories, and tutor his failings. Mr. Bane had to figure out how to exist without Mr. Fett and it was then I noticed that confidence grow like a hmm…like a cactus blossom! He went from Mr. Fett’s shadow to being quite the opposing figure himself.”

Crosshair sat quietly, absorbing this fact. It was hard to imagine the Bane today cowering from Fabools or needing help from anyone.

Or starving for someone else's approval.

When he thought of Bane, he thought of the easy stance, arms relaxed and thumbs hanging over his belt buckle, a toothpick casually moving between his teeth, round eyes behind hooded lids that could see through a person with more accuracy than a scope. That nonchalant drawl, the cheeky turn of phrase, unrattled, and prickly.

All the things Crosshair wanted to be.

“Has Bane ever had an apprentice before?”

“Not to my knowledge. Mr. Fett’s request is unusual, but Bane would do anything for-”

“Kid, get up.”

Crosshair startled, whipping his head back to find Bane leaning against the wall, arms folded, toothpick rolling lazily in his teeth. How long had he been in the enclosure? A Fabool snuffled at his boot, lost interest than bounce against Crosshair's head.

“Come with me.” Bane left the enclosure without another word.

Crosshair didn’t move at first. Not because he was covered in Fabools, but because he knew this was the end.

Retirement…

He’d finally find out what happened to Pintsize and Radar.

“Nice to meet you, Todo,” he said, standing up and gently rolling the fabools away who happily bounded towards the droid.

“Oh! Well nice to meet you too, um… ‘Kid’.”

“Sit down,” Bane said, pointing to the rocking chair on the porch before going into the house.

Crosshair sank onto the flower-patterned cushioned seat, trying and failing to rest his boots on the railing. It was too far away. He sighed and drew his legs up, hugging his knees. He watched the skies for a ship to come and pick him up.

Bane came out a few minutes later and sat in the other rocking chair, boots landing with a jingle of his spurs on the railing. Crosshair’s rifle was in his hands. It took all of Crosshair’s self-control not to lunge for it, hug it, and promise he would never abandon it again.

He hugged his knees tighter.

“Doesn’t take a genius to know why you ran out last night,” Bane began, tilting his hat up to look Crosshair in the eyes. “You crave praise like a dying man thirstin’ of jocola . I don’t reckon you get a lot of positive reinforcement at the facility n’ ya know what? Tough shit. The sooner ya realize the galaxy ain’t gonna give ya validation is the day ya actually become the extraordinary sniper I know ya can be.

“This is the last and only time I’m gonna say this," Bane continued. "Yer real fuckin’ good, and yer gonna be the best. I ain't ever wrong about shit like this. Now...you hold onto that praise because after this conversation, I ain’t gonna be nice to ya anymore. Yer gonna get pushed n' pushed hard, yer gonna get shaken, and I’m gonna do everythin’ I can to get ya past this bullshit worry about what everyone else thinks. Maybe you’ll hate me, hell ya might even shoot me in the back, but it’ll be worth it because it’s gonna send ya past that kraytshit extraordinary standard Pynk’s got for ya.”

Bane offered the rifle back to Crosshair. “I promise, by the time ya get back home, yer gonna be tougher than a reek’s horn n’ twice as deadly.”

The moment Crosshair’s fingers touched his rifle, he knew it was augmented. It felt like a Firepunch. Better scope, heavier stock, a weapon for a real sniper. He peered through the scope.

“Whoa,” Crosshair murmured, scanning the field with his scope, toggling between more scanners than he knew existed. “Wizard.”

“Listen kid, in this galaxy there’ll be plenty of people tryin’ to put you down, break your spirit, break your bones. Only person you gotta trust is yourself. Yer all ya need, you understand me?”

Crosshair realized it was a lesson Bane had to learn when Jango left for Kamino. It would be a lesson Crosshair would carry with him the rest of his life.

Even if Bane was hired to train him, to be this mentor, it meant something to Crosshair. "Understood."

“Go clean up. Food’s in an hour. Beef stew minus the carrots. After that you start yer real trainin’. Deal?”

Crosshair hopped up, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. “Deal.”

“One more thing, kid.”

“Yeah?”

“What did you and Todo talk about this morning?”

Crosshair didn’t bother lying. “You.”

Bane growled quietly. “That gossiping little shit. What did he say?”

Though Crosshair didn’t intend to lie, he also didn’t feel like ratting Todo out. So he was honest about the thing that mattered most.

“He said you’re better off without Fett around.”

The words seemed to splash cold water on Bane’s face. The mercenary looked away, out to the golden field, too bright in the noonday sun.

“Is it true?” Crosshair asked.

Bane’s glare didn’t skewer Crosshair as sharply as he expected. In fact, it looked like he may even answer.

“Target practice starts at dusk. Bring your A-game, kid. Not holding back on you. Now get outta here.”

And with that Bane sank into his rocking chair tilted his hat forward over his eyes.

The conversation was over.

Crosshair was happy he asked.

#tbb crosshair #bad batch crosshair #crosshair #the bad batch #tbb #star wars the clone wars #cad bane #tbb hunter #bad batch hunter #The First Toothpick

22 notes · View notes

dansconcepts · 10 months ago

Text

Rise of the "Archons" + One Adeptus + Two Other Immortals

Aka an introductory excerpt of a Rise of the Guardians-inspired Genshin Impact AU from my archives.

Roles to Note:

E. Aster Bunnymund: Xiao (guardian of safety; protector of purity)

Jack Frost: Venti (guardian of fun; protector of freedom)

Sandman: Morax (guardian of duty; protector of responsibility)

Toothiana: Lumine (guardian of memory; protector of growth)

North: Aether (guardian of ambition; protector of dreams)

Pitch Black: Childe

"...Tartaglia?" Lumine hisses. She averts her gaze, landing on the closest figure to her. Her eyes trail to Morax, whose lips are pressed in a thin line with a hand tightly clasped around his tea cup. His eyes reflect exactly how she feels- that tinge of disbelief, with the added aggravation of a lingering foreboding.

She can't help but attempt to swallow the dread slowly rising within her. With a hardened gaze, she asks, "He was here?"

Aether nods. "I saw water creatures made of black. There was black water everywhere, actually-"

"What?" Xiao interjects. "What do you mean by water? I thought you said you saw Tartaglia?"

The Abyss leader frowns, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. "Well… Not exactly."

Xiao scoffs. "Tch. We've all gathered here for something you aren't even certain about. This is pathetic!"

"Oh, c'mon Xiao! Give me a break."

"Rex Lapis. Is what he's saying truthful? I feel I need a more verifiable source."

"Hey!"

The surprise from such a childish argument occurring has Lumine giggling slightly at their antics.

"Paimon was there! It really was Tartaglia!" A small fairy chimes, stomping a tiny foot into the air. She whines loudly, scolding, "Aether, you big dummy! You forgot to talk about how the water literally formed a silhouette of Tartaglia!"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Whoops." He chuckles sheepishly. "Oh-ow!-Paimon!-stop-OW!-hitting-me!... just why does your tiny fists pack such a punch…!"

In the midst of it all, Morax hums. It causes everyone to trail off, and even Paimon ceases in her hits.

"And… are you able to confidently swear that, within this very establishment, you saw Tartaglia?"

The blond nods, any ounce of a smile ripped completely off his face.

"I understand it sounds like speculation, but I- and Paimon too- are confident in what we saw. The water was too familiar. The darkness? Equally so. And the figure forming into the man himself was just as telling."

He breathes. "Tartaglia is back, and he's up to something."

Morax hums once more before going back to his tea in silence.

Xiao rolls his eyes. "Rex Lapis may be satisfied, but I am not. You dragged me away to provide, what, a half-assed warning that you could've sent, I don't know, your fairy to deliver?"

"I'm not some carrier pigeon!" Paimon feebly protests.

Paimon is easily ignored.

"Well, I'm sorry I thought it was of grave enough importance that we all meet up here or you wouldn't believe me otherwise!"

"I'm here and I still don't believe you!" Xiao spat. "Do you have evidence?"

"Are two people's words not enough for you? We're being serious!" He shakes his head at the adeptus, turning toward his sister in solace to cool his head. "Lumine, you've been quiet. What do you think?"

"Ah, well… you know I trust you Aether. It's just unsettling to think that Ch-Tartaglia would be back after all these centuries…"

It grants a nod from Aether, where he turns to his fellow guardian with a smirk. Xiao snarls, low and feral, igniting a battle of wits between the two. As their heated words fill the otherwise gnawing silence, a distinct brightness shines through the fairly already illuminated building. It reflects harshly off the fake purple neon lighting. The movement ceases and settles right in front of Morax, soothing and gentle.

Yet he is the only one to notice, as Lumine's eyes are downcast while Xiao and Aether bicker like children.

How did he get here? He wonders to himself solemnly.

"Everyone." He speaks. They ignore him. He raises his voice, repeating the same word. They're too off in their own little worlds to notice. The absolute gall of these children.

Fine then.

The floor beneath them begins to shake and it rumbles an affronted roar. Lumine is the first to gasp in surprise. She nearly stumbles and instinctively shoots out her arms, stamping her feet to the ground as a way to keep herself upright. Xiao and Aether, on the other hand, repeat the action when the floor starts to make them sway.

Their heads immediately snap to the source of it all, who stands in the chaos with not even a hair out of place.

"Done?" He chastises. "Do look up now."

Altogether, their eyes spot the natural beams of light.

Lumine's eyes sparkle. "Oh! The Welkin Moon! Zhongli, why didn't you say anything?"

"I clearly did."

"No, all you did was shake the ground. You could've just shouted 'moon', you know."

"...Why, yes, I suppose I could've…"

"Well, moon, what did you want to say?"

A silhouette of a cloaked figure with a staff waves excitedly before it's whisked away, revealing the familiar profile of-

"Tartaglia. It really is him." Xiao spits out. "Oh, when I get my hands on that Fatui scum-"

Aether shoots him a pointed look, before turning back to the moon. "Okay then moon, what do we do?"

The cloaked figure points to Lumine.

"Huh? Me? Why-" Her eyes cloud shut. They flutter open just as quickly.

"Ah."

She nods, before beginning to form constellations from her hands, letting the moon's whispers guide her. A small pedestal is created, and she lets the stars fly out from the top in a wonderful light show. They use her subconscious memory as a base, beginning to create the form of-

"A new guardian? Ah, we could use the help." Aether concedes with an amiable nod.

"As long as it isn't that popsicle or another annoying pest, I won't complain."

They slowly take in the formation of clogs… legs… shorts… corset…? ...a… lyre?

Before them was none other than Venti, the wind spirit.

"Venti."

The stars twinkling around the image droop in a mock faint.

"Huh. I didn't know there could be a horrible answer. I see I was wrong."

"Wha- guys!" Lumine scolds. "C'mon! As long as he helps out, it's no big deal, right?"

"Venti? Helping? All he's ever done was prolong danger and nearly makes me lose it every. single. time. He blows the demons away from me and laughs a storm about it. He isn't trustworthy."

"Well, now he's a guardian."

#genshin impact #genshin impact au #drabbles #xiao #zhongli #childe #childe tartaglia ajax #aether #lumine #venti #welkin moon is given lore significance (although maybe it does have some lore idk it's been awhile)#rise of the guardians au #might follow up with a hc thing for this #i jump from so many ideas hAHA :'>>>#there is xiaoven and zhongchi/chili intended in this au but not mentioned in this excerpt

12 notes · View notes

fireemblems24 · 1 year ago

Text

Azure Gleam Ch 13

Alright guys, we're getting close to finishing this thing - like 10 years later, but still here.

MAIN STORY

Ok, guys, the hard battle is over. Dimitri stomping everything is all I have left to do, I hope.

I wonder if I dislike Claude now. He's here and on our side, but I think "ew" and "ugh" when I see him now.

Claude suspects stuff.

Seteth is lecturing Hilda for whining lamo.

Seeing Claude, Rhea, and Dimitri all fight on the same side is cool, even if I find Claude annoying as fuck right now.

I wish Rhea would lead the knights herself, but instead she just gets sidelines so hard in AG. Hopes as a whole tgh.

Oh! No side battles! Not all that mad. Bc that means this'll speed things up a bit lol.

MAP/SIDE BATTLE

Sylvain is admiring Dimitri and Felix and how good of leaders they are. He's hoping he gets his act together soon too lol.

It's cool seeing Byleth and Jeralt around. Rhea's here too. The camp is packed with little blue and yellow dots.

There's a letter from Glenn on the table :(

Seems a bit cheap that Byleth only supports Jeralt and Shez, but can reach A with everyone. Like a cop out.

Honestly, neither of them have a ton of supports (Jeralt or Byleth). A bit bummed, but I guess you get them kind of late. Too bad this game never got a DLC. Byleth/lord supports would've sold that.

ANNETTE & DEDUE B

Annette needs help using Crusher. It's too heavy for her.

Annette thinks she needs to gain weight, but Dedue says that's not everything and is willing to help her out.

He helps her train with a bag of rocks and credits him with the motivation to try.

Dedue hesitates a bit when replying to her though, making Annette curious.

Pretty much a set up for part 2.

ANNETTE & DIMITRI B

Their only support this game.

Annette creates a disaster in the kitchen (or training grounds, unclear). With Dimitri's help. So . . . they tried cooking together? Yeah. That was never going to end well.

Dimitri and Annette both blame themselves. Dimitri "wins" though.

Dimitri wishes he were better with magic, but it runs in the family. He wanted to be a mage when he was younger.

"An old friend of mine would give magic demonstrations." - probably Edelgard?

Annette is willing to help Dimitri learn magic. She wants to get better at teaching. Dimitri really wishes he could learn magic.

Annette really wants to be a teacher.

She encourages him not to hold back. I think he made another explosion. Poor Annette has her work cut out for her lol.

INGRID & MARIANNE B

Horse girls final support.

Ingrid's been trying to figure out what her horse is thinking/wants based on behavior but is struggling.

Unlike Marianne, but, you know, she has help lol.

Ingrid's horse doesn't want to move again, so Marianne comes to help.

The horse/pegasus doesn't want to go to the battlefield because she's worried about Ingrid (and remembering Scarlet Blaze, that sucks, Fuck SB for killing Ingrid)

Ingrid is getting better connecting with her horse, and now will go get to save her friend.

When Ingrid's leaving, Marianne starts wishing for something but doesn't say what, Ingrid guesses horseback riding together and guesses right.

Ingrid credits to spending time with Marianne and getting to know her.

So Ingrid and Marianne are friends now. Good for both of them.

SHEZ & RODRIGUE A

Rodrigue is looking for a book on mercenaries.

When Shez asks why, Rodrigue skirts around it and Shez calls him out.

After a tough battle with Jeralt and co, Rodrigue wants to read up on mercenaries to make sure he understands their tactics better and avoid potential disaster.

Shez is impressed with Rodrigue for still studying after so long.

Rodrigue says he's not as smart as Gautier or courageous as Lambert, so he has too.

Shez says Rodrigue and Felix are close alike than either would admit - they both always want to improve themselves.

(and that Dimitri and Sylvain are like their dad's too)

Rodrigue still feels he doesn't measure up to the other two though :( But I'm happy Shez had such nice things to say about Rodrigue.

MERCEDES & ASHE B

Ashe turned pale while training. He plays it off as nothing, but Mercedes calls him out.

He got a minor injury, which reminded him of seeing a ghost.

Oh, poor Ashe, Mercedes starts playing 100 questions with him - wanting to know what it was wearing lol.

Ashe tells the story - he went looking for herbs to help his sick brother and saw a ghost in the fog. While running away, he got a similar injury.

Mercedes isn't scared of his tale. She's heard it before. In her tale, it wasn't a ghost though, but a shadow. Making Ashe think he saw his own shadow too.

Now Ashe thinks he lived in fear of his own shadow, lamo.

Ashe is like, you should hear this guy's story, and there's no one there.

But this isn't Ashe pulling on Mercedes, but him thinking he found another ghost because there was never anyone else around, lol.

FELIX & RAPHAEL A

Raphael wants to work out. Felix yells at him for being loud and giving him away.

Felix is boar hunting lamo.

Raphael talks about how Petra taught him a special technique. So now we have a Deer and Lion training, talking about an Eagle.

The boar they're hunting is wounded, but Felix is still weary of it.

Felix failed to hunt a boar before.

Dimitri once hunted so many animals that they couldn't fit them all on the sled lol. Felix struggled to get one.

Raphael gets confused when Felix is talking about boar, if he means a real boar or Dimitri lol.

Raphael wants to help Felix get revenge for the boar that got away.

And he attacks head-on, much to Felix's dismay, but he got it. Felix is a bit stunned it went down so quickly.

Felix admits that maybe working with friends helps sometimes. And Raphael is happy Felix called him friend.

This was actually way more entertaining than I thought it would be (Raphael supports can be . . . you know . . . dull or amusing, this one was amusing)

Plus I love hearing the story of Dimitri being an apex hunter as a child and Felix grumbling off trying to bag his own boar and failing lamo.

RODRIGUE & FELIX A

Rodrigue wants to talk. Felix tried to brush him off. And Rodrigue's like shut up and sit down, boy. But nicely.

He wants to talk because neither know when they'll die and don't want lingering regrets. Which, knowing what happens in Azure Moon . . . :(

Rodrigue apologizes for what he said about Glenn. Which I find a bit stupid because he was a grieving father so . . .

Thankfully, Rodrigue gets to explain his thoughts behind it. Acknowledging Glenn's agency in his decisions too.

Felix denies Glenn's agency and can only get Dimitri to say he caused Glenn to die :(

Rodrigue acknowledges that, but asks Felix what he would've done. Let Dimitri die and run away to save himself or do what Glenn did.

Felix gets angry at the idea that saving your own life is cowardice and that, when the time actually comes with something like that, you don't think - only act. So . . . he walked into Rodrigue's trap lol, who'll say then Glenn acted and choose to act that way.

Felix is such a dunce, saying "we'd both survive." Rodrigue rightly accuses him of wanting it both ways lol.

Felix says he understands Rodrigue's way of thinking, but dislikes Glenn's death being glorified.

Felix apologizes too, for his own bad behavior. For hitting Rodrigue.

Felix can't stand dealing with feelings anymore and leaves lol.

I'm sooooo glad this game let Rodrigue have a voice. It was always obvious to anyone with a shred of media literacy what Rodrigue meant, but Hopes let him spell it out.

DIMITRI & YURI B

Yuri's staring at Dimitri. Same. Same.

Yuri's impressed/confused at how quickly Dimitri blended in.

Dimitri's now thinking about the best way to help the poorest (we stan a good king, guys). It's something he's thought a lot about.

He thought medical facilities or investing more in the church (who do more to help the poor than anyone else in this game) would be best, but being around them made him realize that they should get the chance to take charge of their own "destiny."

He wants rulers to actually listen to what the people need best and actually do it rather than what's best for himself.

Yuri says education for everyone is necessary. Dimitri agrees.

But then Yuri makes the point that people won't care about education if they're starving or homeless. (so really, his earlier goals of building medical facilities where people get free/cheap healthcare isn't too far off).

So Dimitri wants to improve quality of life, then build educational reform on top of that.

But of course Edelgard's warmongering is draining money, so Dimitri can't make lives for the common folk better and needs to end the war fast so he can focus on helping people and not keeping little miss imperialist away.

Yuri says if money's the problem, he can use Yuri who can connect Dimitri to merchants and hitman lol. Dimitri's like "no working evil in my name!" He's also cautious about working with Yuri because he's backstabbed people in the past.

Yuri says he promises to honestly work with Dimitri, even protect him, because working with Dimitri will help his dream come true too. So he believes in Dimitri's leadership and vision.

Dimitri says he's grown to trust Yuri too.

Man, I need a sequel game where Yuri and Dimitri work on improving Faerghus together.

SHEZ & FELIX B

So . . . I had no idea I hadn't seen this support yet. I have their A unlocked for a while now too, though, I'll wait to see it since I'm getting support fatigue at the moment.

They're training. Felix insults Shez's footwork. What a typical Felix support lol.

Shez says she has a lot on her mind. Felix calls her a worthless partner if she's training distracted.

And then explains how Shez can't afford to do that on the battlefield (like a mercenary needs telling that lol).

Shez is surprised how much Felix has a read on her.

Felix wants to know where Shez learned how to fight because it's not like a knife or a mercenary.

Shez had a lot of teachers and just picked up stuff here and there. She doesn't use the playbook that knights or mercs usually use.

Shez says she has her unique style which is to her benefit. Felix wants her to teach him. But Shez thinks it's too reliant on the sword Felix can't use. Felix is like try me.

I can agree or refuse to teach him. Obviously I'm agreeing. (I would totally be an ass if it was character I didn't like lol).

Shez comments on Felix's style too - reacting to the say things are playing out.

Shez thinks she'll get stronger too.

I seriously can't believe I let these two sit at B for so long.

ANNETTE & DEDUE A

Annette comes across Dedue training. She insists he takes a break, but he insists on training still because he's not strong enough.

He feels inadequate because he can't use a hero's relic.

He admits he's jealous that others can use such powerful weapons.

Annette's surprised that he opened up, and appreciates that he opened up around her after he tried to dial back and apologize.

Annette talks about how impressed she is with him - his ability to cook and sow where she can't, and his sheer strength despite not using a relic. She thinks he'd be too good if he could use one lol.

Dedue talks about her strengths too - her optimism and how that lifts everyone up around her. Annette is happy if she can help anyone even a little.

Annette made dinner. The bottom of the pot fell out, but she insists that dinner still tastes great.

Someone tell Annette she's not destined to work in marketing lol.

Dedue still goes to eat dinner after hearing that. Brave man.

BYLETH & JERALT B

Definitely one of the supports I was looking forward too.

Byleth has a lot of blood on his clothing and is trying to wash it out and is failing.

Jeralt says washing blood out is more work than it's worth. Proof that man's never had a period.

Jeralt says Byleth reminds him of Sitri when they first meant. She had the same quiet composure and would rather clean a handkerchief she was cleaning than throw it away.

She never laughed or cried either, like Byleth, not at first at least.

Byleth asks why Jeralt is talking about all this now. Jeralt says he's feeling guilty of the lifestyle he's given Byleth - no home, no friends, always battles.

He says life would be different if Sitri was still alive.

Byleth doesn't regret his life and likes having Jeralt around.

It's nice to learn more about Sitri.

JERALT & SHEZ C

Jeralt comes across Shez fishing. Shez is weary. Jeralt tells Shez to relax, but Shez isn't used to it.

Jeralt is like, we're mercs, life happens, it's not personal.

Shez brings up the beginning where Jeralt's Mercenaries wiped out Shez's old company. Glad they're addressing this.

Shez is still upset about it. Jeralt understands now.

He asks if Shez has a grudge. I can choose yes or no. I'm gonna choose yes. I think this Shez would admit to attachments to other people, plus the conflict is more interesting, I think.

Shez talks about how much she liked that group and shares her goals of defeating the Ashen Demon.

Jeralt's like, you just have to let that go now.

Shez admits she's partly relieved because she couldn't defeat Byleth. Jeralt is like, that means you think you could beat me? Shez is like, well, I'd have to try first.

Then Shez helps Jeralt untangle his fishing string and comments on his lack of dexterity.

Jeralt then apologizes about what happened to Shez's mercenary company, especially since it was just too minor lords spewing.

He says he didn't originally plan on killing them, but she (the old captain) came charging in trying to use Jeralt to make a name for herself.

Shez understands, but still seems regretful.

Def hope I can unlock their A in time to see how this resolved (they don't have a B support).

MAIN BATTLE

No side battles this chapter. Onto the showdown at Ailell. Which means fire ground. Ugh. Gonna make everyone a flier that it makes sense for.

They're run into the Black Eagles. The Emperor's personal force.

Claude is there. Man, I gotta play Three Houses again. Every time I see him I'm like "ugh." I did NOT used to think that way.

Wait, is Edelgard actually here? I thought she was some kind of zombie whatever.

TWSITD is there (or mysterious dark mages). Claude is like "you know these people?"

Man, why is Dimitri trusting Claude. Telling him "don't let your guard down." Dimitri wants Claude about the mages. I wouldn't count on Claude's support if he was the only person left.

Even though this IS the only route where Claude's actions make any sense lol. It's definitely in his best interest to put a stop to the Empire's warmongering.

Arval's like, maybe we can learn something this time!

Arval's not upset if they never learn the truth and promises to be with Shez always regardless.

I gotta defeat Duke Aegir and Edelgard. Interesting that she's actually there.

Ohh, persuade Death Knight. They were setting him up to be here, but I didn't know I could recruit him. Makes way more sense than in Houses where you can't. Not surprised you need Mercedes to do it. I always bring her anyways.

Dimitri took out Ladislava right away lol.

Death Knight showed up. I'm beyond seeing him as a scary opponent though lol.

Mercedes defeated the Death Knight as an NPC. Is that automatic or just funny coincidence?

Aegir and Edelgard ran away. Really wish I could've killed Aegir. Killing Edelgard would stop the war too.

I killed Caspar and Bergliez so fast the dialogue didn't even finish lol. Dimitri too strong. They both ran away. Honestly, couldn't care less about killing this version of Caspar.

Oh, cool cut scene. And, ok, it's cool to see Claude and Dimitri fighting back-to-back.

Claude tells Dimitri to run after Edelgard while he holds off the Empire here. Not sure I trust him at all, but like I said, this is the only route where his choices make any sense.

Dimitri has 74 strength lol. No wonder he kills everything so fast.

Cool to get Jeritza though.

xxx

#azure gleam #fire emblem #fire emblem three hopes #three hopes #three hopes spoilers #azure gleam spoilers

27 notes · View notes

naushtheaspiringauthor · 1 year ago

Text

~Child Of The Storm~

Nikolai Lantsov x OC

Image by - @brokendreamtale2

Warnings- none

A/N- Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the taglist!

Taglist- @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @sirisuorionblack @nadeleine123n @marauders-wife

Ch-32 ~Old faces~

As the crowds of pilgrims grew, they became harder to control, and soon Alina was forced to ride in the coach. Anaya was asked to ride nearer. Some days Mal accompanied Alina, but usually he chose to ride outside, guarding the vehicle with Tolya and Tamar.

Nikolai only joined her on their way into or out of every village, so that they'd be seen arriving or departing together. He talked constantly. He was always thinking of some new thing to build, a contraption for paving roads, a new irrigation system, a boat that could row itself. He sketched on any piece of paper he could find, and each day he seemed to have a new way to improve the next version of the Hummingbird.

Anaya would ride her horse with a continuous grimacing expression that made her features hurt after a while. The boy seemed to never shut up.

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

Anaya was extremely tired of this voyage. At times, she was offered to it in the coach with Alina but she chose to remain on her horse, the whole journey was already excruciating and she did not wish to sit inside a packed coach through all that. By now, she'd gotten used to every new bit of wisdom Nikolai wished to impart.

The less you say, the more weight your words will carry.

Don’t argue. Never deign to deny. Meet insults with laughter.

Weakness is a guise. Wear it when they need to know

you’re human, but never when you feel it.

Don’t wish for bricks when you can build from stone. Use

whatever or whoever is in front of you.

Being a leader means someone is always watching you.

Get them to follow the little orders, and they’ll follow the big ones.

It’s okay to flout expectations, but never disappoint them.

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

Anaya was standing near Mal at a close distance from the Prince and Alina. Anaya's attention drifted towards the exterior of one of the houses when she suddenly heard a loud cheer from the crowd. She turned around, not being able to figure out what had been happening. She looked at Mal who seemed as his eyeballs were going to come out because of how wide his eyes were open. She followed his gaze to see Nikolai kissing Alina.

Royals, the things they do for attention, she thought to herself as she rolled her eyes

Mixed in with the cries of “Nikolai!” and “Sankta Alina!” was a new chant, Sol Koroleva, they shouted. Sun Queen.

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

The night before they were to enter Os Alta, they stayed at the dacha of a minor nobleman who lived just a few miles from the city walls. Alina was provided with an elegant bedchamber on the second floor. Anaya shared the adjoining room with Rabeah and Tamar and Tolya and Mal were boarded across the hall.

Nikolai had asked the Fabrikators at the Little Palace for keftas to be sent for the Sun Summoner and two Etherealnik. Anaya and Rabeah had been given similar Tidemaker keftas with pale blue embroidery. Talk over dinner centered around the latest plays, the possible whereabouts of the Darkling, and happenings in Os Alta. The city had been swamped with refugees. Newcomers were being turned away at the gate, and there were rumors of food riots in the lower town.

Anaya and Rabeah had been offered to sit at the table with Nikolai, Alina and the other nobles. So they'd chosen to sit in a corner, not making much conversation with any of them but Rabeah spoke with Anaya about whatever came to her mind throughout the whole dinner. They nobles too, were busy enough with the Prince and the Sun Summoner to think much of the two girls sitting near them.

After dinner, they were herded into a parlour where the Count and Countess sang a duet accompanied by their daughter on the harp. Dessert was laid on the side table, honey mousse, a walnut and melon compote, and a tower of pastries covered in clouds of spun sugar that wasn’t meant to be eaten so much as ogled. There was more wine, more gossip. Alina was asked to summon light, and she cast a warm glow over the coffered ceiling to enthusiastic applause. When some of the guests sat down to play cards, she pleaded a headache and quietly left the hall.

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

Rabeah and Anaya had went back to their quarters when they were suddenly alerted by Tamar. “There’s a group of people at the gate demanding entry. They want to see the Sun Summoner. They're claiming that they're Grisha.” she spoke in a hurry

Anaya quickly slipped her kefta back on and rushed outside with Rabeah following her. They soon reached the gardens were Alina and Mal were enjoying their private moment together. Tamar informed them as they stepped out.

“Pilgrims?" Alina asked

Tamar shook her head. “They claim to be Grisha.”

“Here?"

Mal placed a hand on her arm. “Alina, wait inside, at least until we see what this is about.”

A shout rose from somewhere near the gates, catching everyone's attention

"We have to act quickly" Anaya spoke

“No,” Alina said, pulling from Mal’s grasp. “If they really are Grisha, you may need me.” Neither Tamar nor Mal looked pleased, but they took up positions on either side of Alina and they hurried down the gravel path.

A crowd had gathered at the dacha’s iron gates. Tolya was easy to spot, towering above everyone else. Nikolai was in front, surrounded by soldiers with their weapons drawn, as well as armed footmen from the Count’s household. A small group of people were gathered on the other side of the bars, but they couldn’t see more than that. Someone gave the gate an angry rattle, and a clamour of raised voices could be heard.

Anaya and Rabeah quickly took their place besides Tamar “Get me in there,” Alina said. Tamar cast Mal a worried glance. “Now. I need to see what’s happening before things get out of hand.”

Tamar signaled to Tolya, and the giant stepped in front of them, easily shouldering his way through the crowd to the gates. Packed between Mal and the twins, with antsy soldiers jostling them from every side. Anaya could see Nikolai arguing with someone at the gate

“If we wanted to talk to the King’s lackey, we’d be at the doors to the Grand Palace,” said an impatient voice. “We came for the Sun Summoner.”

“Show some respect, bloodletter,” barked a soldier. “You’re addressing a Prince of Ravka and an officer of the First Army.”

Anaya ushered out of the crowd, attempting to get a closer look of the situation. That was when she saw a Corporalnik kefta and a familiar face standing beyond the iron bars. “Fedyor?” her voice echoed throughout the loud clamour. Alina seemed to notice him at the same time.

His long face broke into a grin, and he bowed deeply. “Alina Starkov,” he said. “I could only hope the rumors were true.” "Anaya Nasrazeen" he smiled, his attention turning towards her, "I'm pleased to know you're alive"

He was surrounded by a group of Grisha in dust-covered kefta, mostly Corporalki red, some in Etherealki blue, and a smattering of Materialki purple.

“You two know him?” Nikolai asked.

“Yes,” Alina spoke. “He saved my life.”

He bowed again. “It was my great honor.”

Nikolai didn’t look impressed. “Can he be trusted?”

“He’s a deserter,” said the soldier beside Nikolai.

There was grumbling on both sides of the gate. Nikolai pointed to Tolya. “Move everyone back and make sure that none of those footmen get it in their heads to start shooting. I suspect they lack for excitement out here amid the fruit trees.” He turned back to the gate. “Fedyor, is it? Give us a moment.” He pulled both Alina and Anaya at a short distance from the crowd and said quietly, “Well? Can he be trusted?”

“I don’t know.” Alina spoke.

The last time Anaya had seen Fedyor had been was before she'd left for the journey to cross the fold. “He was stationed at the southern border. He was a high-ranking Heartrender, but not one of the Darkling’s favorites.” she remembered

“Nevsky is right,” he said, nodding toward the angry soldier. “Grisha or not, their first loyalty should have been to the King. They left their posts. Technically, they’re deserters.”

“That doesn’t make them traitors.” Alina spoke

“The real question is whether they’re spies.”

“So what do we do with them?” she responded

“We could arrest them, have them questioned.”

Alina turned to look at Anaya but she only shrugged, "Your call".

“Talk to me,” Nikolai said.

“Don’t we want the Grisha to come back?” Alina asked. “If we arrest everyone who returns, I won’t have much of an army to lead.”

"She's right, if we only arrest those willing to join us, what army are we going to have?" Anaya added

“Remember, you’ll be eating with them, working with them, sleeping under the same roof.” Nikolai said “And they could all be working for the Darkling.”

Anaya looked at Fedyor waiting patiently at the gate.

“What do you think?”

“I don’t think these Grisha are any more or less trustworthy than the ones waiting at the Little Palace.” Alina explained

"We can no longer trust anyone, whether its the Grisha, the King and queen" Anaya slightly glanced at Nikolai, "or anyone else"

“That’s not encouraging.” Nikolai responded

“Once we’re behind the palace walls, all communication will be closely monitored. It’s hard to see how the Darkling can use his spies if he can’t reach them.” Anaya reasoned

“All right,” Alina said. “Open the gates. Anaya and I can speak to Fedyor and only him. The rest can camp outside the dacha tonight and join us on the way into Os Alta tomorrow.”

“You’re sure?” Nikolai asked

“I doubt I’ll be sure of anything ever again, but my army needs soldiers.”

“Very good, Just be careful who you trust.”

“I'll make sure of that” Anaya casted a short glanced at him

#grishaverse #shadow and bone #nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov fanfiction #nikolai lantsov #nikolai lanstov #nikolai lanstov x reader #nikolai lantsov x oc

8 notes · View notes

theplanetprince · 2 years ago

Text

Schrodinger's Adolescent || CH.24

Fic: AO3 || FNN

Fandom: Danny Phantom

Rating: Teens and Up

Word Count as of update: 175k~

Relationships: Dash Baxter/Danny Fenton, Sam Manson/Tucker Foley, Ember Mcclain/Ghostwriter

Characters: Danny Fenton, Dash Baxter, Sam Manson, Tucked Foley, Cujo, Johnny 13, Ghostwriter, Sidney Poindexter, Mr Lancer

Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Slow to Update, Canon Rewrite, Post-Reality Trip, High School Setting, Fake Dating (Kinda), Unrequited Love, It's requited but they're dumbasses, one-sided attraction, fluff, I know the content warning is extensive, but I promise there's fluff, tooth-rotting fluff, Danny Fenton has PTSD

Summary:

“Schrodinger put his cat in a box with a bottle of poison. He closes the lid. The cat is alive or dead— In this state, the cat is neither. He leaves the box closed. You are the cat.” Everybody wants to be normal, especially Danny Fenton. That idyllic high school fantasy of being prom king and the football captain never really fit him. The youngest in a family of ghost hunters— Danny wasn’t born to be normal. Then upon receiving his supernatural abilities in freshman year, that distant dream of being normal only seemed to get further away while Danny crafted a new identity for himself as the local legend— The Phantom of Amity Park.

Dash Baxter, a rising star athlete in the making, needs no introduction— leader of the pack and golden child of Casper High. Danny’s antithesis. He’s perfect . . . or so everyone would lead you to believe. No one suspects that Dash is being haunted.

Brought together by a misunderstanding, Danny believes he exposed his ghost powers to Dash, but he discovers something more.

Maybe, normal was never an option for them.

Content Warnings: Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation, Gender and Body Image Negativity, Bullying, Paranoia,

Chapter Summary: It's a Girls' night-in with Dash and Paulina. Though Dash is beginning to suspect that there's a party crasher in his home.

Author's notes: The next couple of chapters I'm pretty proud of. It's still a shame that I couldn't keep up with my real life and my workflow enough to participate in invisobang this year, but I'm hoping that you guys will be okay with a long boy chapter in its place. All this couldn't have been possible without my editor, @galaxy-beast, and my partner @the-storming-sea, giving me nothing but support and encouragement the whole way. -Voorhees ✌️

[Reblogs > Likes... Thx]

#txt #tales from the voorhees #danny phantom #phanfic #swaggerbishie #teddyghost #schrodinger's adolescent

15 notes · View notes

lazynull · 9 months ago

Text

Transformers Outcasts - Ch 1: A Predacon awakening.

On the planet Cybertron everything was still recovering slowly after the war. Of course it was still thriving with new life and some cybertronians returning from across the stars. But of course this isnt what the story is about. In the dark caves of Cybertron there were four decepticons exploring the area. There is Ex the leader, Blip the small repairman, Duo the mute scout, and finally Thief the spy and well Thief of the group. They were mining the caves for energon. "Ugh how long is this going to take it feels like we've been in here for cycles." Thief said leaning on the cart of energon. "Well this would go alot quicker if you weren't complaining, besides he said that it was important to have this stuff." Ex says dropping cubes onto the cart. Thief rolls his optics. "What would that crazy scientist want with all this energon?" Blip steps in with more cubes. "Maybe its for another one of his crazy experiments, well what do you this Duo?" Duo shrugs while mining for more energon. "Nothing gets pass him always the silent type." Thief says showing a smirk. As the time goes by they pack up the rest of the energon. "Alright everyone this should be enough for him." Said Ex. Blip transformes and hooked up the cart behind him. The rest of them transform and drive out of the cave and towards Shockwave's lab. After an hour went by they make to his lab finding him tinkering with something. Ex transforms and moves the cart towards Shockwave. "Here you go Shockwave we got the energon you wanted." Shockwave looked up from his table give his usual cold stare. "Ah yes thank you for your efforts you and your group have done well." Thief steps in crossing his arms. "So whats all this energon you made us mine for gonna be used for?" Shockwave stared at him. "Hush now you'll see in a moment." He walks towards his table revealing a metalic dragon body. Everyone had a shocked look on their faces. "Is that what I think it is?" Ex asks. "That's right this is a Predacon." Said Shockwave. Blip tilts his head in confusion. "I thought they were all a thing of the past." Shockwave gave a nod walking towards the body. "Correct they were until I revived them with bones of their remains. The energon I sent you to retrieve is so that I can revive this one. Now hand over the enegon so that I may revive this best." Ex steps foward with the cart of energon. "Here you go." Shockwave takes the energon and connects a tube from the cart of energon to the Predacon body. "Now rise my beast rise from you eternal slumber." Shockwave pulls a lever which the energon flows to the Predacon's body. The rest of the back up a bit just in case. "Is it a good idea reviving this beast?" Ex mutters to himself. Suddenly the screens flashed error. Thief steps in having a concerned look. "Uh is that supposed to happen?" "Negative but we cannot stop now that we're so close." Shockwave says trying to fix the problem. Blip also has a concerned look. "But the machine looks like it's gonna expl-" Suddenly the screen flashes more errors. "Interesting it seems to be overloading the machine." Shockwave says staring at the machine. Ex rushed towards Shockwave. "Shockwave you need to shut it down before-" Before he could finish the machine explodes knocking everyone back. Everyone slowly gets back up slowly recovering. "Everyone alright?" Asked Ex.

Thief shakes his head. "Yea im still online."

Shockwave walks towards the machines. "Hm it seems I made an error most illogical." He stares at the Predacon body. "Well I suppose its back to the drawing board." After he said that the Predacon woke up lets out a load roar having a ton of electricity flying everywhere. Shockwave steps back aiming his cannon. "Well this is intriguing."

To Be Continued

(Ps this the first time I ever made a story so feel free to give your opinion of it)

#storytelling #transformers #cybertronians #ocs #transformers oc #maccadam

1 note · View note

otakween · 11 months ago

Text

I'm Standing on a Million Lives - Volume 17

Still trucking along with this series. This arc hasn't been my fave and it's really mysterious how much longer there is to go. It would be comforting to just have a number or to hear word from the mangaka that they know what they're doing (just realized I don't know this mangaka's gender lmao).

Ch. 80

More action packed standing around and talking! But seriously, I do enjoy the in-depth strategizing in this series. It definitely elevates it beyond your trashy isekai harem schlock (plus this isn't a harem).

Still really don't like how Yotsuya will randomly go all yandere for two panels and then go completely back to normal within a split second. The mangaka is very obviously going for "intellectual sociopath" which makes me question the target audience...(sigma males? lol)

Ling's only role in the chapter was to go "please explain X to me, Yotsuya" and that was pretty frustrating. I guess she did chime in with some opinions here and there at least.

Glen being a badass as usual

"The dragons can only feast on souls if a human has been killed by a human or monster." The rules in this world are verrry specific/convenient. I felt the same way when they were explaining why Glen couldn't be hypnotized ("she wasn't gullible enough" lolwut?)

Ch. 81

Gotta love it when pooping is a big plot point lol (did we really need to see it happen?)

I'm still pretty much lost with what's going on here and what each faction wants (I'm not even sure how many factions there are). Could we get a diagram or something?

Ch. 82

Another chapter where the mangaka gives us a philosophical speech via Yotsuya. This time about human rights and how to determine a human's value. Really that's been the theme of this series from the start. I do enjoy reading these musings, although I don't agree with every point made. Sometimes they come off as actually intellectual and sometimes they're overly edgy, but that's fitting for Yotsuya's character at least.

Some high quality butt drawings in this chapter lol. The artist is super good at drawing scantily clad women in dynamic poses.

I guess this chapter could be summed up as "there are no real winners in war." (at least not this fantasy war lol)

It was cool to hear Yotsuya acknowledge that Glen and Fatina are best gurls (he calls them the strongest and smartest people he knows). Really it just feels like the mangaka saying "these are the best character's I've made" lol. And he's right.

Ch. 83

Glad Ling got something to do (bard moment lol)

Not much to say, this was basically an action/battle chapter.

Ch. 84

lol @ Kusue popping up outta nowhere at the end there. It was like a jump scare.

This episode focused on thwarting the blood ritual and ending the civil war. It all felt a little abrupt. I don't think I buy that a bunch of teens could convince an evil dictator to become a peace-loving great leader so quickly but oh well.

Totally forgot that the rest of the gang was working on building a bridge? No wonder we aren't focusing on them lol

Relieved to see that the next volume will be the end of this round. I've kinda lost interest in this plot line. Too convoluted.

I guess it's just my imagination, but this volume felt a lot shorter than usual?? Or maybe I just read faster on my schnazzy new ereader. Who knows.

#i'm standing on a million lives #100 man no inochi no ue ni ore wa tatteiru #manga

1 note · View note

foxgirl95 · 1 year ago

Text

Back Into the Fray Ch.7: Marshal of the Sands

Chapter Description: Mando and Cobb Vanth strike a deal to kill the Krayt dragon.

AO3 Link

<< Previous Chapter - Next Chapter >>

First Chapter

In the aftermath, the town residents slowly crept from their hidey holes and began to rebuild the damage the giant worm-like creature had caused. One of the townspeople had alerted Mando that the speeder they came in on had been buried in the sand. Anai needed a moment to herself, deciding to leave the child to toddle after his father while she dug it out. It needed minor repairs and Cobb Vanth was more than happy to offer the help of a kid who dabbled in mechanics. If anything it would be a learning experience, even if she did begrudgingly agree to it. Anai sat on the raised porch instructing the young person, presumably a teenager, where to solder the wires together and tighten a few bolts. She tuned into the conversation as Mando and Vanth sauntered by “But a krayt dragon is too much for me to take on alone. Help me kill it, I’ll give you the armor.” The Marshal offered which Mando took a moment to consider “Deal. I’ll ride back to the ship, blow it out of the sand from the sky, use the bantha as bait.”

“Not so simple. The ship passes above, it senses the vibrations, stays underground.” The marshal sighed looking off into the distance, they must've tried that one already “But I know where it lives.”

“How far?”

“Not far.”

Mando turns to Anai as she as the townie kept working on the speeder “That about done?” The mechanic waved him off “Hold on, you can’t go rushing near perfection.” He tilted his helmet to the side “Near perfection?” The Mandalorian teased. She turned to him, raising her arms to the expanse of the town “We are in the middle of-!” She looked down seeing the kid at her side moving her hands to cover his big ears before continuing “Butt-Fuck nowhere!” She removed her hands returning to the speeder “You get what you get.” The marshal let out a hearty laugh “I like her.” He smirked.

It didn’t take long to finish repairs and they were off into the sands once again. Anai clung to the back of Mando as he came alongside the marshal’s speeder; which she noted looked like a refurbished pod racer engine. “You don’t understand what it was like.” Vanth started “The town was on its last legs. It started after we got news of the Death Star blowing up. The second one, that is.” He winked through his goggles at Anai “Thanks for that by the way.” The mechanic only nodded at the acknowledgment. He went on to tell them of how the Mining Collective moved in after the Empire and turned the town into a slave camp. Also that the Jawas had given him the armor in exchange for silicax crystals he had taken off into the desert with. He had saved the town and its people from a fate considered worse than death by most. If Anai was honest she was impressed and at the very least she thought Mando’s mind could be put at ease as it seemed he had used the armor honorably. They slowed as they came to the narrow passageway of a canyon when a sudden guttural growl reverberated against the stone walls. Both speeders quickly came to a stop; they all immediately jumped off, taking cover, and aiming their blasters to the rocks ahead. The air was tense as each of them looked for a possible ambush when a small pack of mastiffs melted from the shadows howling towards them in warning. Anai’s eyes went to Mando as she noticed his shoulders relax and he rose to his feet putting a hand to his helmet where his mouth should be letting out his own Tusken howl in response. Setting his blaster back on the speeder he made his way over to the scaly creatures. “What the hell you doin’?” Vanth called as the armored man passed him and the armored man only offered him a calm raise of his hand for them to let him deal with this. Turning back to the four-legged creatures he made a series of soft sounds that made the leader playfully wag its non-existent tail before running up to Mando getting some well-deserved pats and scratches. Anai couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face, his ever-exposed softness always reminding her of the man that lingered under the armor. She stood as a group of Tuskens decided to appear, putting down her blaster as Mando began communicating with them. Where they were calm though the Marshal was completely unnerved, tightly holding his weapon against him “Hey, partner, you want to tell me what’s going on?” The Mandalorian simply turned back stating “They want to kill the krayt dragon, too.”

They were led to the village of the Tuskens, around a fire a few sat with the Mandalorian and his current traveling party. Anai was at his side where the child resided in her lap lazily holding onto her thumb as they watched the negotiations. One Tusken held some sort of fruit in its hands breaking the shell of it and offering it to Vanth who looked at the fruit disgusted “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“You drink it.” Mando simply stated. He sniffed the offending fruit, his nose wrinkling at the smell “It stinks.” The Marshal complained. Anai watched the way Mando’s body started to stiffen, he was getting frustrated “Do you want their help?”

“Not if I have to drink this.” Thankfully she was wearing her visor so he couldn’t see how she rolled her eyes. Suddenly the Tusken closest to him started grunting and signing rather angrily.

“He says your people steal their water,” Mando translated “And now you insult them by not drinking it.” He continued “They know about Mos Pelgo. They know how many Sand People you killed.”

The more that was said the more offended Vanth became “They raided our village!” He blurted out “I defended the town!”

“Lower your voice.” Mando warned as Anai put a hand over her ear closest to the yelling. The noise was stinging her eardrum.

“I knew this was a bad idea.”

“You’re agitating them.”

“These monsters can’t be reasoned with” Suddenly everyone was on their feet and in each other's faces “Sit back down before I put a hole through ya!” Anai noticeably winced at his voice and the child cooed worriedly at her catching Mando’s attention, alarm bells began ringing in his head. Okay, he’d had enough. With a flick of his wrist the flamethrower activated making it clear he was more than frustrated with all of them. He rose to his feet letting the flame die before sternly signing to the Tuskens. “What are you telling them?” The now seated Marshall all but demanded.

“Same thing I’m telling you.” The sound of Mando’s strained but level voice quickly spoke “If we fight amongst ourselves, the monster will kill us all.” There was a pause as he looked at each of them around the fire “Now, how do we kill it?” Cobb Vanth looked down at the fruit in his hand again turning his nose up at it when Anai poked her head around Mando “Will you just drink it, before I shove it somewhere you don’t want it to be.” She growled while rubbing her ringing ear, and the child in her lap giggled at the prospect of seeing just where that might be. The Marshal gave her an incredulous look before reluctantly gulping it down.

Soon enough into the rest of the conversation, the little one in Anai’s lap yawned, his ears drooping as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. He turned himself into his caretaker’s stomach, nuzzling into the softness he found there. The mechanic smiled as she gently rubbed circles into his back “Someone’s ready for bed.” The Tusken who had been singing to Mando started pointing into their lines of Hutts. His helmet swiveled to her “They said we’re welcome to take shelter with them tonight.” One of the other Tuskens stood waving for her to follow them “Go ahead.” Mando instructed, “We’ll join you when we’re done here.” Anai simply nodded, pulling the child up to her shoulder as she rose to her feet and followed after the masked being to a hut in the center of the village. It wasn’t very big she noted as she ducked through the cloth door but it was a good place to lay your head. She smiled politely to the Tusken as they switched on a lamp that hung from the ceiling, lifting her visor from her eyes and feeling content she bowed her head lightly hoping it conveyed her sincerity “Thank you for your hospitality.” The other only nodded in return before scurrying out the door once again. The child cooed sleepily against her shoulder and Anai sighed “I know Bachsu na, let me get us set up here.” There were a few sleeping pallets on the floor and it seemed someone had been kind enough to bring her backpack inside. Good, she kneeled next to a pallet dragging her pack over to dig through it before producing her blanket. Wrapping the little one up in it she laid down into the softness of the makeshift bed kicking off her boots in the process. She laid the bundle up baby next to her earning a whine as he was jostled around “There we go.” She reached down, undoing her holster belt liberating it from her waist, and setting it nearby just in case. As the mechanic finally settled she put a hand over the little one’s tummy and started rhythmically patting him as she hummed her lullaby from their first night together almost a year ago. Mando and Vanth entered the hut a few hours later, the Marshall still looking unsure about the situation he'd found himself in. Mando ignored the man looking down at the sight before him, Anai and his son were both sound asleep. They looked so cozy and warm…there went his head again. He needed this to stop, the thoughts he was having about his companion were unnecessary and confusing. He was a Mandalorian for maker’s sake, he didn’t do warm and cozy, he didn’t fantasize about some woman he barely knew running her fingers along his skin as she whispered sweet words to him, and he didn’t like the way it brought a warmth to his chest. Except he did and he wanted to punch himself for it, maybe he was getting soft…too soft. “You good partner?” Vanth finally asked, confusingly interrupting Mando’s staring session. The armored man didn’t answer as he frustratingly moved to the pallet at the other end of the hut as far as he could get from them. The marshal only shrugged as he crawled into his place between them, creating the oh-so-needed buffer Mando craved at the moment.

By morning Mando was the first one up and out of the hut before he could allow himself to seek the view of his crew. They all rose not too long after and Cobb Vanth cracked a witty joke about how Anai’s hair must come alive in her sleep with how messy it gets. Mando was almost upset he’d missed seeing a view like he had the morning before but no he shouldn’t be. It was decided during a quick soupy breakfast that they would continue their journey to the dragon’s home this time joined by the Tuskens. They replaced their speeders with Bantha’s who were trained to lay on the ground as they loaded up. Anai watched from a distance as the armored man brought their things to the beast they were to share “I uh…I don’t know about this.” She shuffles her feet in the sand nervously as Mando loads his weapons onto the Bantha the sand people had given them “Are we sure we can’t take the speeders?” He finishes strapping on the kid's designated satchel and sighs “There’s too much of a risk the dragon will know we’re coming.” He grunts as he throws a leg over the creature’s back “C’mon,” The Mandalorian raised a gloved hand as he beckoned her to him, noticing a shift in her stance as she stared at his extended hand “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Anai gave him a look “I’m not afraid, it’s just…I’ve never ridden an animal before they’re unpredictable…” He rolled his eyes behind the helmet “You’ll be fine, now get on.” The mechanic took hesitant steps before reaching to grab his hand and pull herself up “Okay…it’s all good everything’s fine.” She reassured herself as Mando made a clicking noise commanding the Bantha to stand. Anai gasped, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his back, not even caring if his jet pack was digging into her. Suddenly that feeling he had been avoiding all morning came rushing through him, and he internally basked in it. There was no time for it though as he lightly knocked his heel against the beast prompting it to move forward “See you’re fine.” He allowed himself to tease her only earning him a displeased grunt in return. They made short work of reaching where the monster had decided to make its home. Their party set up in the rocks adjacent to a large cave opening as one of the Tuskens started their way down to it with one of the Bantha in tow. Anai sat atop the cliff face with the child next to her as she pulled her visor over her eyes to watch what was going to happen “They say it lives there. They say it sleeps.” She heard Mando tell the Marshall “It lives in an abandoned Sarlacc pit.”

“Lived on Tatooine my whole life.” She could tell he was giving Mando a look from the tone of his voice. “There’s no such thing as an abandoned Sarlacc pit.”

“There is if you eat the Sarlacc.”

‘Well, that’s concerning’ Anai thought, having been on Tatooine several times it was hard to imagine an all-consuming Sarlacc getting eaten itself.

“They’re laying out a bantha to protect the settlement.” Mando continued explaining what exactly they were doing here “They’ve studied its digestion cycle for generations.” Even in this scary moment, his calm voice had a soothing edge to it like a narrator in an old Holo nature doc show the mechanic might have watched years ago “They feed the dragon to make it sleep longer. Watch, the dragon will appear.” The Tusken down below set the Bantha in place before screaming into the rather large opening and then booking it back as fast as they could. As they ran the ground shook, scaring the mount to move forward in fright. The Tusken was being thrown off balance making them trip over their robes several times. They were scared and they had a right to be, the dragon was near. Suddenly there was a break in the sand and the monster reared its ugly head to strike down its prey. The child at Anai’s side quickly toddled over burying his face into her the leather of her jacket and she instinctively placed a hand on his back to protect him from whatever was about to happen. The dragon’s head almost lazily creeped along the sand, its mouth open and drooling, missing the bait entirely and instead chomping down on its handler before taking shelter once again. The other Tuskens jumped back a bit in fear of seeing one of their own eaten by the monster. “They might be open to some fresh ideas.” Mando commented to the Marshall as Anai lifted the visor from her eyes “Yikes…” She whispered before looking down at the kid at her side “It's over now, it’s okay.” He peeked up at her with teary eyes and his hands trembling “Oh…” Anai felt as though her heart was gonna break for the little guy “Don't worry we’re not sticking around here.” She turned to Mando, almost pleading, “We should get out of here before that thing decides whether or not it’s still hungry.” The armored man nodded and in record time they loaded onto their mounts again back to the Tusken village.

Once back Anai took the child with her grabbing her backpack and they found themselves a nice shady spot. Anai dug through her pack producing a packet of jerky and dried berries she’d bought on Lothal and decided to save for the little one’s snack times. The mechanic plopped down on the ground, placing the child next to her, breaking off a piece of jerky and grabbing a berry, giving them both over to a pair of grabby green hands. After a while, the rest of the party came to join them in the shade. The Mandalorian made a quick turn in their direction as he silently watched his child take more snacks from his companion “Is he doing alright?” He suddenly asked, causing Anai to turn her gaze up at him “He’s fine now, just got a little scared that’s all.” She gestured to the packet in her hands “Figured this would help.” He nodded in agreement before crouching down next to the little green one and lightly stroking one of those big ears mimicking how his companion so often had “It’s alright to be scared, kid.” The little one stared up at Mando’s visor as he spoke “But as long as I’m around I promise I’ll protect you.” The child cooed his ears moving up and down seemingly understanding. Anai smiled at the interaction, he had changed so much since their first meeting “Fatherhood has done you well Merichetara.” She commented and his visor found her eyes “That so?” He asked, uncertain of her meaning. She nodded “Mmhm, I may not know you as well as your other friends but even I can tell you’ve changed. Still that hard exterior but you’re getting all soft on the inside.”

“You think I’m soft?” He asked, sounding a little offended.

“Not in a bad way!” She quickly explained, “I’m just saying you’re letting your heart show, and it’s…endearing.”

He grunted in response, mulling over her words in that metallic dome of his before speaking again “So, friends…is that what we are?”

Anai let out a chuckle “I sure hope we are! Unless you’re still upset about the other night.”

“I was never upset.” He quickly stated “And is that what we are…friends.” That was an answer that satisfied his compa- no his friend as she gave him a toothy grin “Good, cause I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Mando let out his own huff of amusement before his attention was caught by the Tuskens sitting together around something they were making and Vanth was hovering over them curiously. The armored man got to his feet and joined them in a few strides now standing next to the Marshall. “What are the bones?” He asked as the sand people bickered amongst themselves.

“That’s the krayt dragon.” Mando simply stated.

“And those little rocks?” He asked again, gesturing to the scene.

“That’s us.”

“It’s not to scale.”

“I think it is.” The Mandalorian argued with a nod.

“Can’t be. That’s too big.”

Mando made a few gestures to the closest Tusken and they confirmed his query “It’s to scale.”

Anai appeared next to them holding the child on her hip, having listened to the conversation “Damn, it’s huge…” Vanth nodded in agreement “I’ve only seen its head and neck.” He admitted, “It’s bigger than I guessed.” He leaned a bit closer as the sand people continued their discussion “Might be time to rethink our arrangement.” One of the wrapped beings seemingly asked Mando a question and he answered in kind before another tribe member sprinkled more pebbles onto the ground “That’s more like it.” The Marshal quietly remarked, “Where are they getting the reinforcements?”

Mando shrugged, “I volunteered your village.” Anai spared a glance at the Marshal and it took everything she had not to laugh at his wide-eyed expression. She knew he was probably wishing Mando had just shot him and gotten it over with.

Their little troop ended up staying one more night with the tuskens, the Mandalorian still refusing to sleep anywhere near his new confirmed friend. The next morning they were on speeders again headed back to Mos Pelgo. “They attacked us less than a year ago. Killed half a dozen of us by the mining camp.” Cobb Vanth suddenly spoke as they parked the speeders in front of the cantina and he dismounted “I’d say I took down about twice as many Tuskens.” It was clear he wasn’t exactly confident in this plan of Mando’s.“The town respects you.” The armored man reminded him, “My guess is, they’ll listen to reason.” The marshal only gave him a skeptical frown “I wouldn’t be so sure.” He then walked off to call a town meeting. Anai and Mando shared a questioning gaze for a moment before climbing off their own speeder and following him with the child in tow. When everyone was gathered inside, Cobb Vanth stood against the bar with Mando beside him while Anai and the child sat upon stools beside them, gave his speech to the crowd as honestly and delicately as possible. They were all on board to trade the armor for help with the Krayt Dragon. Then he got to the part about working with the Tusken village and they all erupted into a rage. Mando sighed “Kriff…”

“I kind of expected that.” Anai spoke up beside him “Looks like you’re up Merichetara.” She gave him a hardy couple of pats on the cloth part of his shoulder “Give ‘em a good old pep talk.” He shook his head, pushing himself up from the bar and stepping closer to the crowd. “I’ve seen the size of that thing, it will swallow your entire town when the fancy hits it.” They had quieted now listening to the silvery Mandalorian intently “You’re lucky Mos Pelgo isn’t a sand field already.” A few of them looked at one another knowing he spoke the truth “I know these people. They are brutal, but so is the Dune Sea. They’ve survived for thousands of years in these sands and they know the krayt dragon better than anyone here. They are raiders, it’s true. But they also keep their word. We have struck a deal.” He paused just a moment to let his words sink in “If we are willing to leave them the carcass and its ichor, they will stand by our side in battle and vow never to raise a blaster against this town until ONE OF YOU breaks the peace.” Mando had now said his piece and stepped back to the bar as Anai leaned forward with a smile “That was impressive.” She whispered as her eyes scanned the room “I think you’ve convinced them.” The child cooed in agreement beaming with pride up at his dad and seeing that the armored man held his head a little higher. The town held a vote and it was unanimously decided they would fight alongside their former enemy to rid themselves of a shared problem. With that they started making plans the first thing obviously was to assess the weapons situation, without the proper firepower there was no way this plan would work. They made their way to a warehouse at the edge of town, opening the armored doors to reveal a mass of explosives they normally used for their mining operations along with an array of blasters and ammunition. Mando and Cobb stood in the door as a few townspeople moved around them “Think it’ll work?” The Marshal asked. The armored man tipped his head to the side as he replied “It better, joining forces is their only hope.” Just as he spoke, familiar figures appeared on the horizon, a long line of sand people on the backs of banthas. Anai stood off to the side placing the child atop a stack of crates, her eyes moving to survey the townies. Needless to say none of them were too outwardly pleased and the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a vibroblade. The little one cooed beside her and Anai only sighed “Strap in kid, this is gonna be a bumpy ride.”

After a few tense moments, Cobb Vanth and Mando greeted the tribe, conveying what jobs they would be allocated to working alongside their former enemies. Anai volunteered herself to help as well much to the shock of both men, she hadn’t been involved in this whole thing and the only answer she could offer was that she was “bored out of her mind”. After she started working though Mando found himself going quiet on the subject. She’d removed her leather jacket, her arms now bare with the tank top she’d chosen to wear, the toned muscles under her skin flexing each time she picked up a crate loaded down with weapons or ammo placing it onto a cart. He hadn’t realized she was physically strong, not that he thought she was weak either though certainly nowhere near the level of the drop trooper Cara Dune or his Mandalorian brother Paz Vizsla but the strength of one who had worked hard their entire life. He wondered about her constantly still oh so curious about her origins and what she had gone through before the rebellion. He’d been able to turn his attention to the situation at hand to keep these people from killing each other but it was only temporary. She was a mystery only letting him see what she wanted him to, it was jarring. Usually, he was the one everyone was curious about, was this what it was like? Wanting to pry into something he didn’t understand but walking on eggshells at times worried he’d accidentally offend her. The Mandalorian’s thoughts halted for a moment when Anai was approached by a Tusken holding out one of their watery fruits to her. She smiled at them dipping her head in thanks as she took it into her gloved hands. Suddenly there was a clattering sound to his right and he turned in time to see an explosive hit the ground. He'd be lying if he said his heart didn’t drop into his stomach for a split second. After it didn’t explode and kill them all, the man who had handed it off to a Tusken lost his cool “Hey! What are you doing?!” He screamed at the top of his lungs in a rightfully panicked manner “That’s an explosive! Are you trying to blow the whole place up?!” The other retaliated with its own uninterrupted screams, luckily Vanth stepped between them “Take it easy. It was an accident, okay?” He got them to separate for the moment and he was again gifted one of the sacred fruits. Mando let out a sigh of relief and turned back to his unsolicited gawking when his dark visor suddenly met those green eyes of hers. Still frozen in place either fruit in one hand and her other clutching the arm of the Tusken beside her and he assessed she was coming down from her panic. They continued their shared gaze a while longer but were interrupted when the being beside her lightly tapped her hand. She jumped turning to them and though he couldn’t hear it he could tell she was apologizing. He wasn’t the best at reading lips but he was almost sure she said something along the lines of “I know we’re friends now cause we just shared a near-death experience.” It may have been a half-joke but it seemed to at the very least be reassuring to them. She took a moment to breathe before downing the water she’d been given. He internally applauded the strength she showed in holding her features appropriately, he knew what that stuff tasted like and it wasn’t good.

They had managed to finish preparations by nightfall; the sand people made camp a short distance from town while the locals retreated to their homes. There was no place in Mos Pelgo to rent a room so instead The Marshal offered up a small vacant building to the Mandalorian and his party. Anai handed off the little one’s bedtime duties to his dad this time and made a b-line for the bar. There were a few townies scattered about the inside; they didn’t turn to acknowledge her as she found a booth to slide into. Laying her visor on the table she tapped the side a few times and a series of droid beeps came through her earpiece “Hey Racket, just checking in. Things are getting pretty serious on this end, are you behaving for Peli?” Their conversation went on like this until a bottle of spotchka tapped lightly against the tabletop. The mechanic looked up to find Cobb Vanth standing there with two glasses in his other hand “Mind if I join you?”

“Uh…sure…” She awkwardly agreed before turning back to her visor “I gotta go bud, talk to you tomorrow.” The marshal took a seat across from her filling the glasses with the bright blue drink before sliding it over to her “Sorry to interrupt your call darlin’ but since you're here by your lonesome I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk to you.” She took hold of the glass bringing it up to her lips “No offense, but why?”

“Feels like all I’ve been doing these past few days is hanging around strangers.” He shrugged, “Hell I’m not even sure I know your name darlin’.” She gulped down the first shot easily and sighed “Well if it’ll keep you from calling me darlin’ the name’s Anai, just Anai, no last name. I’m too cool for those.” The man chuckled at her response as he repeated her name to himself “Pretty name, too bad your partner doesn't tend to use it.”

“It’s not like I mind or anything, he can do what he wants.” She shrugged though there was a small part of her that did mind as she filled her glass again “If you’re trying to get something out of me though I’d rather you just say it.” She peered up at him as she set the bottle back down “Flattery will get you very little.”

“Oh, you wound me Anai.” He dramatically placed his hand over his heart, faking a wince “Saw right through me did you?”

“I figured you’d get curious eventually, though I warn you I’ve only known Mando for a short while and there’s not much to tell.”

“Ah see you’re assuming there sweetheart.” He leaned forward, guiding his drink to his lips “I’m actually more interested in you, to be honest.” That made her stop as she stared at him over the rim of her glass “Me?” Anai scoffed, feeling rather perplexed, “Why me?” Vanth shrugged “The Mandalorian I get, he wants the armor because it belongs back with its people. The kid’s just along for the ride but you though…” he pointed at her as he grabbed hold of the bottle to pour another drink “I don’t get you, you helped out today but what are you getting out of this whole deal?”

“Is it so hard to believe someone can just do something and not want anything in return?”

“In this day and age very much so.” He chuckled, setting the bottle back down “Kindness freely given is rare, especially on this planet.” This time Anai nodded in agreement “Don’t I know it.” She lazily swirled the liquid in her cup as she continued “Maybe it’s the rebel in me or some complex sense of justice, cause if doing something means it’s the right thing then I want a hand in it no matter how small. I don’t have to push myself into the middle of it now like I used to, I choose to help and fight when I want and I’m not forced to.” The marshal nodded, taking in her words “I think I’m starting to get what you mean.” His lips curled into a smirk but the look in his eyes suggested his thoughts were somewhere else “I spent a good chunk of my life running from things I thought I’d never be free of, but then I came to this town and it became my sanctuary. I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to it or the people.” Anai couldn��t help the curve of her own lips at his words and lifted her glass towards his “Cobb Vanth, I think you and I just may have been cut from the same cloth.” The marshal only chuckled tapping his glass to hers “I second that thought.”

It was late, the three moons were high in the night sky and the Mandalorian was getting antsy. Anai hadn’t come back to their temporary housing yet and even though the bar was just down the way he wondered if she had drunk herself silly and gotten lost in the dark. Anything could’ve happened to her, that Krayt dragon wasn’t the only dangerous creature on this planet after all. No, if something like that happened he definitely would’ve heard her screams and she had night blindness. Right, even if she was drunk she’d never walk into a dark abyss that she couldn’t navigate. She wasn’t that stupid, at least he hoped that was the case….Then again the only reference he had for how Anai and alcohol mixed was the events on Nowhere. ‘Damn it.’ He rose to his feet, unable to take any more of his thoughts. Luckily the kid had passed out a long time ago so he quickly tucked a blanket around his little body and headed out the door. The armored man marched his way down the path to the cantina catching the attention of the Weequay barkeep “Your girl’s over there.” He nodded to a far wall across the room already knowing who he was seeking. His visor snapped in that direction just in time to see Anai down another shot of spotchka “She just emptied the bottle” The man continued “Kept our marshal good company.” That’s when Mando noticed Cobb Vanth passed out across from her, his arms crossed on the table and his head resting against them. He let out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he had been holding and made his way over. Almost immediately her eyes found him drinking in his appearance like she had the alcohol “Don’t tell me you came all the way here for me Merichetara…” She called to him her eyes half-lidded with what he first thought was drunkenness but as he got closer he realized it was only tiredness. He put his arm against the wall of the booth now looming over her.

“Oh wow…” the words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them and there was a noticeable heat that spread through her. The way the light hit his armor and just the way he stood there was enough to make anyone weak in the knees. Mando had barely caught what she said but the way she looked up at him, the way her tongue darted out wetting her bottom lip. It was like he was a meal she was ready to devour and oh would he let her have him. Stop it! No, he had to fight back against these thoughts. The woman’s probably drunk out of her mind for maker’s sake! She couldn’t be conscious of what she was doing to him. But the idea of being the prey to her predator sounded oh so good. He quickly cleared his throat and stepped back putting both hands on his belt. “It’s late and we have an early start tomorrow, you should be in bed by now.” He did his best to sound normal but the way Anai quirked her eyebrow and smirked told him otherwise “Ah…So you’ve come to collect me then?” She stood pulling her visor across the tabletop as she did “Well…” She pressed a thumb to the bottom of his helmet forcing him to meet her eyes “How valiant of you Merichetara, maybe I should reward you.” He was putty in her hands, no one had come so close to his helmet since Sorgan, and the first time the movement wasn’t to remove it “I-It’s fine…” The Mandalorian stuttered before clearing his throat “There’s no need for that.” Anai only dropped her hand and shrugged “Whatever you say.” She moved past him towards the door patting his shoulder as she did. He watched her for a moment admiring the swing of her hips then he caught sight of the barkeep watching as well. The armored man audibly growled and the barkeep turned to him with a smirk “If I was you I’d keep an eye on that one.” Was all the man said before turning back to whatever task he’d resided himself to. Mando didn’t waste time stomping off after Anai, catching sight of her form walking along the raised path, one hand trailing against the building’s as she moved her visor still loosely hanging from her fingers in the other. “Hey.” He caught up with her grabbing a hold of her arm. “You shouldn’t walk blindly out here, you’ll get lost.” She merely chuckled “I think I can walk a few yards without losing my way. Besides, I made sure to count the steps back when the suns were out.” Mando was amazed not entirely by her ingenuity but by how well she was still with it as someone who had downed a whole bottle of spotchka. When they reached the door of their shared sleeping space he finally asked “There’s no way you're not intoxicated beyond your comprehension, right?” She paused for a moment, her eyes staring off into the cast darkness ahead of her, then simply answered “If you think I am, then I must be.” He didn’t get a chance to ask more as she slipped inside their quarters leaving him to stand and ponder just who or what she could be.

Author's note: Don't forget you can also follow this fic and get the updates on AO3!

All Graphics by @saradika-graphics

#star wars #the mandalorian #fanfiction #original character #din djarin #fan fic #din and grogu #din djarin fanfic #din djarin x oc #din djarin x ofc #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin x original female character #groguthechild #mandalorian and grogu

1 note · View note