#especially now that i'm moving away from the place i moved from wa for in the first place

[autistichalsin]

Pine trees, huckleberries, apples, Mt. Rainier/"hey the mountain is out today", meth addicts everywhere, Leavenworth, rain (umbrellas are for tourists I WILL let myself get soaked as a matter of pride before I use one), coffee (not Starbucks, you want the small shops), artisanal cheese, microbreweries, Seahawks/Mariners/Kraken, snow, nerdy shit everywhere, international food (90% of this list is going to be food), weed, I-90, the Space Needle, Eastern Washington's abundance of neo-nazis that get ignored because of Western Washington's abundance of progressives, pronouncing dragon as "drey-gin"...

Reblog for a bigger sample size.

Say in the tags what you voted for and if you live in or outside of the US

[anadiasmount]

hello again? - jude bellingham x reader.

quick sum: weddings and dates. feelings tested to their breaking point when one of you appears with a date. the night is young, is there still a chance to make things right even when it feels wrong?

wc: 4k | masterlist | jude’s masterlist

psa 🗣️: HAD SOO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS!!! this wa smeant to be posted yesterday so I'm sorry for the small delay!! i love the drama and angst but fluffy ending as promised!!🤞🏻 like always hope you enjoy! 🤍

“i going to need five painkillers by the end of the night,” the bride, well, your best friend says. you laugh as you finish tucking in the last few bobby pins in her updo, making sure no flyaway or small bumps are seen, everything sleek and perfect. “i am too. or maybe many many many tequila shots, whichever is first available,” you joke. 

“you should be all set!” you say cheerfully with a full smile on your face, hands resting on her shoulders as she admires your work. “it looks absolutely perfect, thank you! you’re truly a life savor i was ready to cancel the whole wedding,” your friend's eyes glimmer in relief, having a huge weight lifted off her shoulders as you did her hair. the hairstylist had to cancel the day of due to having a family emergency, but refunding her money was the least she could do. 

all the bridesmaids surrounded you, complimenting the hair and most importantly the bride who could just be overall thankful and full of emotions. the photographer came in, taking individual and group pictures of everyone, and opening a bottle of champagne to start the day. 

there were still a couple of hours left so you did some touch-ups on hair and makeup, assuring to add some powder to set and spray a setting mist to ensure it would last all day, also being generous with the hair spray. you changed into the olive green-toned dress and the black pumps for the evening, the dress hitting the correct angle and not interfering with you walk. a simple gold bracelet and matching earrings completed the look, walking out and earning praises from your girlfriends. 

your heart began to race faster approaching the reception, suppressing any feelings away because you felt it wasn't the time. the wedding nerves were killing you but also seeing jude again was making you stress more than it shouldn't have. how he was. what he'd wear. if he was even going to be there?

with jude's schedule, it was hard to even make time for each other, being one of the main reasons for your messy breakup. your promotion to the law firm, move to spain, his recovery, media, games, and the always questioning each other's every move. it took a toll especially on you, crossing yourself every night knowing you couldn't do anything about it except long for him.

he was your every thought since then. if he missed you? how his life was going? if he also desired to get back together? as hard as it was you still felt more than love for him. the feeling in your tummy spreading as you remember the first times with him. the kiss, the date, the sex, the love, all of it.

"i've ordered your favorite, now tell me where i can help you," jude says kissing just below your ear returning from outside where he placed a call. you hand him your flashcards pulling out your notebook to read the different scenarios that match with the words.

"just so you know, before we start, i'll have you know i want something in return," jude whispers with a cheeky grin. "of course you do, what is it," you ask teasingly your arm wrapping around his shoulders waiting for his response.

"a date. i want you to go out on a date with me y/n..." jude says earning a silence from you. your nails rake against the back of his neck, "i'd love too. just so you know, depending how much you help me with determine the commitment to our first date..."

"i promise to be on my best behavior then."

"y/n! are you ready?" your friend waved her hand in the air with a confused look, you immediately snapped back into reality as you stepped out to the reception. "does everyone have their flowers? remember they go in your right hand!" the party organizer reminded you as you quickly got into line with the groomsmen.

it all happened quickly, you smiled at alex who quickly got into place arm wrapped with yours as you walked down the aisle as rehersed. the reception was absolutely beautiful. the tears, the vows, the laughter, the ceremony couldn't have been more perfect. you hated to admit but your eyes did search around for jude, and once you saw him, a sensation in you went numb.

there jude sat with a girl to his side who clearly hadn't read the dress code. placing kisses all over his hand and cheek, the love dazed in her eyes as she stared at jude. jude did reach over a few times and she giggled, making your weak heart wrench further.

jude on the other hand started to get impatient, especially with carla who wouldn't stop annoying him and trying to get his attention every few seconds. since breaking up with you he couldn't stand the PDA towards him or seeing it. jude quickly found it difficult since most of his teammates were married or in committed relationships.

it seemed like everywhere he went, there were reminders of you lingering around. the library you studied and where he took you on a desk in a quiet corner, the cafe where you'd get your morning coffee with him, even his training center, and the beranabeu where he hoped and waited you'd be there. he was miserable and driven to his breaking point.

jude began to regret bringing carla, as she got the wrong message and was all over him. the wedding you planned to go to together, where you were supposed to be his date, not her. but his stupid jealousy and talks from others were the fault he was here today. he was anticipating meeting your boyfriend or date, make the message clear he was going to be in the picture.

he hated to think of someone else when it wasn't him. it ticked him off and he knew he couldn't do anything about it because you weren't there anymore. but no one said he couldn't feel the way he felt. to hate the man who would forever make you laugh, or earn your love at the end of the day.

all those promises, the kisses, the hugs, the forever after you guys created was long gone. it hurt jude to the point where he had nightmares, not being able to sleep. it didn't help when they teased or made comments to him. or the fact a rumor went around you moved on and had someone else.

"carla, do you mind getting some drinks while i say hello to some friends?" jude kindly asks removing her hands from his chest. "anything for us jude! i'll wait for you by our table," she winks at him making jude internally cringe as she walks off.

he dabs up his friends, congratulating the groom and making small talk. "oye jude! que pasa chaval!? i didn't think you'd come," his shorter teammate brahim greeted him. "well i'm here aren't i? how are you? como estais?" jude mocked earning a chuckle from him.

all of his teammates suddenly surrounded him, laughing and discussing the plays for the game before, and the tactics for the upcoming one. jude looked around trying to look for you and carla. he fixed his suit every now and then, entranced with his friends. "who did you come with?" asked brahim, looking around for what presumably could be you.

"an old friend, her name is carla," jude winces at his friend's look. “i thought you were coming with y/n?” asks brahim earning a deep scowl from jude. “no we uh- we broke up a while ago,” jude squints his eyes, eyes finding you where you laughed loudly with your friends.

“but she’s here?”

“yeah but probably not alone,” jude retorted still convinced you were seeing someone and they were here. “what?” brahim laughs at him earning an eye roll from jude, “you can’t be serious! i’m pretty sure she’s single,” brahim says. “what are you playing at here jude?”

“nothing. i’m here for the wedding,” jude scoffs. “yeah sure you are,” brahim squints his eyes then looks around starting to walk off. “when you come to your senses, i’ll wait for you over there. remember not everything seems to be exactly as you seem jude…” he smacks his shoulders and walks off.

you’d probably been on your third glass of champagne by now, enjoying the presence with your girls as you spoke about the wedding and old throwbacks together. the speeches were made and the newly weds had their first dance already. anyone at the event center was dancing, talking, or drinking.

“i’ll be right back, i'm pissing myself,” you excuse yourself laughing at joke as you step away to do your business. you brought along your bag, washing your hands and touching your your makeup that had smudged a bit after the maid of honor speech. applying a fresh coat of lipstick and gloss you dabbed the excess off and headed outside.

you motion to your friends you we're head to the bar, them mouthing to bring shots of tequila and some peanuts to eat. “i don’t think we’ve met before,” a strange voice says behind you, you turn slowly, feeling your chest sink deeper as you place a small smile. “i'm carla,” the girl introduced herself, watching as you hesitated taking her hand.

“i feel like i’ve seen you around somewhere, i just can’t put a finger to it. you know huge town but small circle of friends, i was invited last minute to the wedding so,” carla spoke falsely making you want to walk out the conversation. you nodded along not really caring and wanting to go back. part of you hated the way you were treating her, but it was all the jealousy talking. she had done nothing to you besides show up here with him.

“i’m sorry but my friends are waiting for me,” you apologize letting the bar tender know where you were seated. you grabbed a fresh glass of champagne and standing up, grabbing your bag and walked away. “leaving so soon? i was hoping we could talk,” she approaches you again making you turn again but this time a bit agitated since you were catching on to what she was doing.

“like i said, my friends are waiting for me,” you shrug nonchalantly seeing her cock her head to the said and look you up and down. “well i didn’t catch your name,” she sarcastically says, the anger building in you slowly as she spoke and wanted to rub onto your face who she was here with.

“i’m y/n, but i feel like you know that already.”

“oh you’re the ex-girlfriend!” the girl enhanced the oh, with a fake smile. rage burned in your veins, needing to have resistance before you put her in her place. she had been on it the whole night, and she began to test your limits now. 

“you must be the new girlfriend!” you returned the fake smile and took a huge sip of the champagne. “almost couldn’t tell…” you shrugged looking for an escape route but landing eyes with the man you avoided the whole night. his mouth agape and wide eyes. 

he wore a black suit and white button up, leaving three buttons undone, hair styled and a fancy watch adorning his wrist. you felt tugged into the eye contact, needing and wanting to be the one next to him tonight. but instead here you were, giving your attention to the person you hated most. 

your jaw clenched, turning your attention to your glass where you swirled the drink. “it’s a shame you guys didn’t work, but don’t worry! i’ll take better care of him,” she snarled. “jude spoke so much of you, honestly don’t see anything fascinating about you. have a goodnight.” 

you downed the drink in one go, feeling the burn in your throat as you placed the glass onto the empty table. jude frowned at your state, still overly confused and waiting for your date to appear. then it all clicked in his head, you didn’t bring anyone, you didn’t bring a date. the jealousy and anger disappearing in him slowly as he watched you sit down and sigh covering your head in your hands. 

“what did you say to her?” he questioned his date, seeing a smirk appear on her lips. jude turned back to you where you looked around in a trance, knowing immediately you felt the anxiety in you. 

“what had to be said. it’s all done.” 

“what’s done? what are you doing?” jude spit out dragging her to an empty hall where she just chuckled. “i told her what needed to be said. closed a chapter and now we’re starting a new one,” carla spoke crossing her arms. “i brought you here as a companion, not as my girlfriend or anything more. i think you’re getting the wrong message here,” jude said shaking his head.

“what do you mean jude?”

“i never asked you to do that, carla. you had no right to do that. i brought you here as a companion, not my girlfriend or anything else,” jude makes it clear to her seeing confusion flash into her eyes, now beaming with embarrassment. “i don't get it jude?”

“that i don’t intend to start a relationship with you. i’m sorry if i have given that impression but i can’t. what did you say to her?" jude demands his tone going softly as he walks towards her. "i thought i had said what needed to be said so we could finally be together!"

"y/n is too busy with herself. she got herself a promotion and is focused on her studies! she can't give you what you want and ask for jude! she's nothing compared to me," carla points to herself as she speaks all mumbled.

"and you can? what you did just now, what impression does that give to me carla? the way you're speaking about someone who you don't know, and never will?" jude defends you, deeming the need to even if you weren't there. she opens her mouth to speak but closes it immediately, knowing nothing could fix the situation. "i'm sorry-"

"save it. we both know you don't mean it," jude scoffs and walks off, back into the reception where you're nowhere to be found. he wandered off for a few minutes looking for you, even asking some people around him and they all gave him the same response that they hadn't seen you.

you had walked off back to your friends after a mini breakdown and questioning your life. beginning to blame yourself for everything when it shouldn't. it was both your faults but yet it hurt to hear her say nothing was fascinating about you. you shouldn't have let her words get to heart but what if they were true?

what if you were stuck in your own world and couldn't bother to make time for him? what if you didn't give enough attention especially when he most needed it? to be worried only in the moment and not live your life to its fullest? a couple shots and dancing later you found yourself seated at your table alone, watching you friends dance without their heels drunkly laughing off.

"where are you even going?" jude asks you, seeing how you packed every item away into suitcases. "clearly far way from you. i can't stand it anymore, you're never here jude!" you yell throwing your hand sin the air.

"you're never here and i'm tired of it jude. it's always some bullshit excuse and if you truly cared you'd see that but you don't. i'm not wanted here so the faster i leave, the better for us," you say zipping up the final case.

"you're being ridiculous," jude laughs in disbelief, approaching you but you warn him to not get near you. "this is what i mean! i can hardly recognize you nowadays! i'm done jude. done," you say loud and clear.

"leave. i never needed you anyway." you turn around facing him, a flash of regret filling in his eyes as you look at him in pure disbelief. "you did, or you wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for me."

you share your head at the memory, heading to the empty bar to return the empty glasses, feeling the need to clean up the mess and grab a small snack and final glass of champagne walking out to the outdoor balcony for a breath of air. "y/n?" you look up, not feeling sleepy or drunk anymore, standing up straight as jude approaches you.

was it possible to feel your heart shatter into millions of pieces over and over again? to feel the pit of your stomach turn at the sight of your ex-boyfriend? to feel utter pain when it was supposed to be a happy day? "jude..." you croak, looking away and biting the inside of your cheek.

he rests his forearm on the bar railing looking at you, trying to read you as you looked forward. silence fell upon you, but there was no denying that your hearts began to sprint faster at the closeness of the two of you. "did you need something?" you softly ask, taking a sip of the drink. "i wanted to talk," jude states firmly.

"are you sure? i don't think your girlfriend would like that," you attempt to joke but it earns you a frown from jude who just shakes his head. "i'm not sure she would, i'll just leave this here and go-" you try to walk away but he stops you, softly gripping your wrist refusing to let you go.

"she's not my girlfriend, she also left a while ago..." jude says, seeing you finally lock eyes with his. a deep laugh rumbles from his throat a painful smile stretching along his adorned face, "my first reaction would've been that too, if you had shown up here with someone else."

"i don't get it, why are you here then?" you feel the need to ask, get some sort of answer to relieve the pang in your chest. "why bother being here when you still brought her."

"because i was jealous, there i said it. i was so convinced you'd show up with someone who wasn't me. that i'd have to face reality and finally accept we're not longer together. that i can't call you mine anymore..." jude confesses, making your eyes glisten with new tears again.

"do you not know how it feels? to still be stuck in the past and longing for hope that one day you'll come back to me? having to face everyday with you on my mind anywhere i go? to have vivid dreams of you?" jude frowns, his once rough voice turning delicate as he brought a hand wiped your tears. "i can't stand it anymore."

"i thought this whole time before coming here, you were with someone else. everyone told me you had moved on and looked in a better place and all i could feel was bitterness. it wasn't fair, but i was so wrong y/n. so wrong to the point where i brought someone who could never love me like you did..." jude wiped his own tears away at the state of you.

you felt like you couldn't move, stuck in the same place as you heard his voice. the voice that one day soothed you to sleep, to calm you down, to look forward to at the end of the day. was it possible to feel this emotionless? to have no more tears left to cry? a sob emerged you, covering your face and attempting to control your breaths.

"who said i stopped? i may have an idea of what you feel like, let's be real. i don't know quite frankly who told you i moved on, but that's all lies. i can't do that knowing i still feel the same i did when i first met you," you sniffle taking a gulp and feeling the knot in your throat. "i thought i was fine and could handle seeing you, but my oh my was i incorrect... to see her with you, for her to come up to me and speak the way she did? for a second i thought 'where is my jude'?"

"i'm right here..."jude grabbed your hand and placed it on his heart, bringing it up to his jaw and resting his face on your palm. "don't you see it though? we're back where we ended off. do you possibly think we're good for each other when it seems like we're only hurting?" you question him.

"i've lived everyday thinking i wasn't enough or that i couldn't give you what you wanted jude," you shook your head in disappointment, "i want to fix things i do, but i'm scared that if we do this again, we're going to end up back here confessing our wrongs and tears. the way i felt the day we broke up doesn't compare to now..." you say, jude going quiet and looking down in defeat.

"i miss you so much jude," you choked on your own words, a fresh wave of tears overpowered the dry ones, holding onto jude upper arms as he leaned down and engulfed you into a deep hug. jude repeatedly kissed your head, choking on his own sobs as he repeated how much he missed you.

"i hope you know i'm still so madly in love with you y/n. i've never felt this way for anyone and it seems like its meant for you and you only,"j jude says making you giggle. "i'm serious pretty girl. i'm serious about you and us. i always was and i made the mistake of letting you go once, but i'm not here to do that again. i'm here to grant all of the promises we made," jude holds your face, seeing your red eyes and slightly smudged makeup, still more beautiful than ever.

"all of them?"

"every single one of them."

"i feel like we should talk more about it," you insist, seeing jude nod and agreeing with you. he tightens his grips on you waist leaning further down closer to you. "yes we do and we will, but right now i want to kiss you..." he asks and you grant. he sucks in a breath lips devouring yours after months, holding and kissing you how you liked and deserved.

you held onto his suit, tiptoeing up and deepening the kiss further, being able to taste his minty whisky scent. "come with me. we won't talk about everything tonight but i really just want to be here with you," jude says, sitting down on a small couch laid outside. you immediately follow and cuddle into him like you used to. you place a final peck onto his lips. "wait my drink-" jude holds your waist giving you a look with a playful smile.

"i think that's enough for tonight."

[eilaafterhours]

Patience [Grim | Casper]

Content: AFAB Reader, Light Dom/Sub, Blindfolds, Restraints, Men Crying, Cowgirl Position, Pet Names, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert

Pronouns: None (AFAB)

Reblogs: Let me know that you enjoy my work and want to see more, so don’t forget to like and reblog (and comment in the tags. I love seeing people’s rambles in the tags)!

Remember: I’ll block you if I catch your ageless or under age (not 18+) ass in my activity :)

This work’s concepts, plot and original characters are my own which means I do not allow any sort of creative theft nor do I allow my work to be entered into any sort of A.I. bots. Thank you for respecting my space and boundaries.

"How...how much longer must I remain like...this?"

The two of you had gotten into an argument about patience. He made the proclamation that he was leagues more patient than you, and instead of refuting him, you instead offered a challenge.  

You turned your attention to your partner, smiling at his flushed features. 

He was on your bed, spread wide on his knees. His arms were bound behind his back, and a blindfold hid his gaze. His entire body was coated in a thin layer of sweat, certain parts of his body flushed beautifully red.

Especially the head of his weeping cock.

You swiped the creamy slick away with your thumb, relishing in the way his hips bucked. 

"Ah, so needy..." You rested your clean hand on his cheek, "Open."

He did as he was told. Tilting his head up a bit, tongue lolling out. You placed your thumb on his tongue, and he closed around it immediately, sucking it clean.

"You cleaned it so good." You ran a hand through his hair, removing the blindfold in the process. "Hi there, pretty boy."

"S-sunshine..." His eyelids fluttered close, a curtain of white standing out against the deep red on his checks. "Please."

"Has your patience run thin, Casper?" His teeth caught his bottom lip, "Do you want me to help you?"

You moved to straddle him, sighing through your nose as the weight of his heavy cock settled against your stomach. 

The contact made him squirm a bit, "Ah—un...!"

You wedged your hand between your bodies, wrapping it firmly around his shaft. "Should I let you fuck my hand like this?" 

"Mmm..." You were sure that he was getting caught up in the fantasy, not even realizing that he had begun fucking your hand. 

You let him go for a bit, letting his moans go from soft and airy to restrained and from his throat. 

He was so close. 

You gave him a firm squeeze. 

He stopped moving. 

"So you're the only one who can get off? Naughty boy."

"I'm—fuck—sorry!" Tears slipped down his cheeks. 

"Ah, I've gone too far." You kissed them away. "And you've done so good for me."

He finally opened his eyes to look at you, "Have I?"

You nodded, giving him a soft kiss. "And now it's time for your reward."

You lifted your hips, lining yourself up, then lowered yourself on his cock. Both of you threw your heads back at the sudden heat and fullness. 

Very quickly did the two of you lose yourselves in the chase for ecstasy. He didn't last very long, but that didn't matter because the look on his face and the feeling of his cum filling you, being pushed in and out of you from you bouncing on his dick had you barreling into your own release. 

Once you had caught your breath, you undid the binds from around his arms. You squeaked as they immediately found your waist, dragging you down with him as he let his body go to exhaustion. You let him, resting your head on his chest as his chin nestled on the top of your head.

"So...who's got more patience than whom?" You asked.

"...I'd say it's a tie."

You shot up. "How is it a tie?"

"I may have been tested, but as the proctor, you gave into your lust and came very shortly after me." He smirked.

"Well, I wasn't being tested, so it doesn't matter."

"It does."

"Does not!"

"It does."

And it went like that for a short while longer until the sticky feeling between your legs became too uncomfortable and a bath was more important than who was right. 

Oh well, you'd just have to test him again. 

:)

I don't have much to say, actually. This is my comeback, and it's in a new fandom, um….yeah.

Welp, enjoy!

Masterlist

[twistedbunni]

Unrequited

Buggy x Reader Angst

A/N: I just wanted to write something moody, it's not the best honestly but I might continue it sometime. I took inspiration from the song "DYWTYLM" by Sleep Token and a bit of dialogue makes it very clear.

You'd been left behind in some shitty run down town. The ship you had sailed on for the past decade had drifted out to sea along with the crew that's been like family to you. Your life had basically disappeared right infront of you.

You knew none of them meant to leave you behind, but you also knew it'd be far too late for them to come back for you when they do finally notice your absence. They'd all been so excited to Finally see the Grand line, practically buzzing as they had loaded the final crates of supplies they needed for the trip, far too distracted with thoughts of what they would see out there that no one had noticed you weren't back from running the final errand you'd been tasked with.

By the time you'd returned to the dock the massive ship was already far enough away that it looked no bigger than your hand. Shouting or swimming were far beyond the possibilities of working out in your favor. You fell to your knees heartbroken at the sight, watching everything and everyone you'd ever known shrink into the sunset never to be seen by you again.

You'd still been there when Buggy's ship pulled into the harbor late that night. The Clown's men had whooped and hollered in delight of finally being on land again as they past you. The crowd of them seemed to move around you as if you'd been a rock and they were a river flowing around you. None of them seemed to pay you any mind, too concerned with the prospect of getting drunk at the few bars the town had.

It was only Buggy who'd stopped, he stood there staring at your form now sitting with your knees to your chest as your eyes stared unfocused and empty out at the sea at the exact spot your ship had finally disappeared from view. He could tell from the state of your face that you'd cried, maybe even sobbed and we're now left shivering from the chill of being soaked in a mix of your tears as well as the water that had occasionally splashed up onto you from the waves of the sea.

Silently he had placed his coat over your shoulders, sitting down beside you to look out at the water as well. He knew what was wrong, he could tell exactly what happened to you. You had that undeniable look of someone who knew they'd lost everything, he'd seen it multiple times before on people whose lives the Buggy pirates had destroyed, and more importantly had seen it first hand on himself when Shanks betrayed and abandoned him.

"You'll catch cold if you stay out here any longer, especially with the state your in." Finally he'd broken the silence, broken you from your trance of despair, bringing you back to reality and the pain it brought with it.

"They're gone. They left me behind. I'll never see them again. My whole life was practically on that ship, I know nothing but life on that ship... and now it's just... Gone." Your voice was weak, throat hoarse from the lump that'd formed in it hours ago when you'd first began crying.

Buggy wasn't entirely sure what to say now, his initial comment was just to bring you out of that dark mindset he knew you'd been stuck in for what was practically all day. He wasn't use to comforting people, just threatening them or leaving them for one of his crew to take care of. All he could muster up in his head was generic bullshit. "I'm sorry, I've been in your shoes honestly but I don't know what to say."

"What am I supposed to do now? I have nothing left and no where to go." Finally you'd turned your eyes from the sea, looking over to the man sitting next you.

Buggy kept his eyes on the sea thinking for a moment, before turning to meet your gaze. "I don't know, but you're more than welcome to join my crew and I. Even if it's only till you figure out what you'd like to do next."

God were his eyes beautiful, the moonlight was making them practically glow, infact all of him seemed to glow in the silver light as if he were an angel. You gave a weak nod to him, a small seed of happiness planting itself deep within your hallowed heart.

He stood lending a hand to help you up as well, leading you onto his ship. He'd fed you, given you a change of clothes, told you all about his crew, all their flashy acts and adventures. He seemingly fixed you that night, taking you in as one of his own and taking care of you.

You knew it was due to the emotional mess you'd faced that day but when Buggy had tucked you in and bid you goodnight, your heart couldn't help falling for him.

A year had passed now since Buggy took you in and in that time you'd grown to become one of his most faithful crew members. You'd always assist him with all preparations for his performances, standing by during his shows with anything and everything he'd need. By now your dedication to the man could not be questioned, and no one dared to anyways, they could see you loved the man they all looked up to.

Everyone except the man himself could see how you adored Buggy since that fateful night, and some of them even tried to protect those feelings you held. Cabaji or Mohji would always distract you somehow when they knew the captain was 'entertaining' himself with someone, making sure you were too far away to hear any moans that would surely spill out of the Captain's room.

The pair often felt guilty for sheltering you but they couldn't stand to see their newest friend get hurt and deep down they were hoping the captain would eventually fall for you too. Sure your feelings had started out unhealthy, you initially falling for Buggy because you were broken and he was the one that had picked up your pieces, but by now you'd actually grown to hold a healthy love for the man and the both of you deserved to feel that love.

Things changed when Alvida was added to your crew. Buggy was often too absorbed with scheming up plans with the beautiful new co-captian, that he seemed to not have much time to spend with you or any of his crew anymore frankly. It was affecting a good chunk of his crew, especially you, and no matter how much Cabaji or Mohji tried to distract you from the hurt, the pair knew they couldn't fix the problem entirely.

Cabaji was stood out on the upper deck with you currently, looking out at the stars and holding mindless conversation about how to better his act for the next performance.

"Maybe I could teach you how to unicycle, then we could figure out some flashy synchronized thing to do as a pair." He placed his fist to his chin in thought.

You chuckled at the thought of you on a unicycle, swerving around the circus ring with a spotlight on you. Knowing your luck and coordination you'd probably wipe out midway through and end up somehow run over by your own unicycle or Cabaji's. "I'll let you teach me but I don't think I'd ever become as good as you are."

"That's bull, your good at just about everything!" Buggy's voice called out, interrupting your conversation.

Cabaji saw the way you froze and placed a hand on your shoulder whispering his next words to you. "It's just capt, she's not with him don't worry." He gave your shoulder a little squeeze and you a friendly smile before turning to face the Clown.

"I'm gonna let you two talk, I've gotta go practice my routine anyways." Cabaji excused himself, heading below deck to give you two privacy.

"Long time to see it feels like!" Buggy joked coming to lean against the railing beside you.

"It's your own fault you know." Your tone was cold and your eyes remained fixed on the night sky.

"Yea, I guess it is." He felt a little guilty now that'd you'd pointed it out. "Sorry bout that."

"Whatever. Why aren't you spending your night with her like usual? Did her beauty become too much for you, so you came to see me instead?." Your words were laced with hurt.

He glanced at you for a moment, confused at what you were trying to imply. "She's got some things of her own to do tonight is all. What does her appearance have to do with me talking to you?"

"What doesn't it have to do with it? She far more attractive than me, it's no wonder you abandoned me for her." Your gaze shifted downward to the sea below you, watching the waves shimmer in the lights of the night sky.

"I didn't abandoned you, what the hell are you talking about?!" Buggy turned to face you fully, trying to desperately read your body language or what little of your face he could see. "I spend time with her because she's a co-captian and we have to plan out how the hell to accomplish the things we need to!" You stayed silent, not moving at all from you spot, and just when Buggy was about to storm off you had spoken.

"I regret joining your crew." A few tears rolled down your cheeks.

"What do you mean?" The clown honestly couldn't believe your words. How could you regret being one of his crew? You had given no signs of ever being unhappy until now, you'd grown close to his 2 right hand men almost immediately and always seemed to eager to help him with his shows. So why are you just now telling him you'd regretted your decision?! Did he do something upset you? Were you silently hurting as a result of him never having time to spend with you lately?

"I regret everything that's happened since that night you found me. I regret agreeing to let you take care of me that night. I regret agreeing to join your crew and befriending some of them. I regret being by your side ready to help you with everything and anything. I regret letting the others distract me when you'd sleep with a captive or crew mate. I regret letting them try to mend me when Alvida joined and you'd grown distant. I regret feeling at home here. I regret you finding me that night at all. But most of all.." You paused, finally turning to face Buggy with tears in your eyes.

God did it break your heart to see him lit up like an angel just as he had looked on that faithful night. And Man did it break Buggy's heart to see your eyes were filled with that hurt of betrayal and abandonment like they'd been when he first saw you. You were both back to the same state of being you'd been in when you had first met.

You sighed, closing your eyes finally ready to say what you needed to. "Most of all I regret falling for you, letting not only myself but also the crew believe you could ever grow to love me back."

He felt like he'd been hit by one of his famed giant explosive Buggy balls. Every single thought that had been in his brain was gone with the only thing remaining was you admitting you fell for him, replaying over and over again. He knew you were deticated to him but it was normal for a crew member to be deticated to the captain. How had he missed the fact your looks and actions towards him were filled with far more adoration, than those of the rest of his more faithful members. He hadn't let himself see you in the same light as you did him, only letting you remain as someone who's pain he could relate to. He stopped making time for you, distancing himself without even realizing it. Somehow he had managed to push you from his thoughts entirely to the point he had grown to see as just another member of his crew.

"I- I didn't- I don't-" He was stuttering, desperately fighting for his mind to say something, ANYTHING at all.

"Save your breath, I know you didn't know my feelings for you were so deep." Your eyes opened finally, seeing Buggy fighting to get ahold of his own thoughts.

You watched him flounder his mouth open and closed a few times for a moment before taking a few steps away to lean on the railing to watch the stars again. "I'll be leaving ship tomorrow when we dock in Loguetown."

Finally his mind seemed to snap into place, allowing him to speak and think clearly again. "Why?! No one wants you gone."

"You told me that I could stay with you and the crew till I figured out what I wanted to do next." Your voice was soft and smooth, any hurting you felt was undetectable in your tone.

"So you decided what you want to do?" He moved a step closer to you.

"Not really, I only have a small idea of what I could do." You shrugged.

Buggy grabbed your shoulder, spinning you around to face him, his eyes searched yours intensely. "Then why the hell are you leaving?"

"Buggy do you love me?" You had ignored his question, asking one of you own and when he didn't reply you decided to ask a different one. "Do you wish that you loved me?"

He was silent still, causing you to sigh and push his hand off your shoulder begining to walk away. Though his hand quickly flew to stop you, he finally spoke. "I don't know how I feel honestly. I try to tuck away my own emotions so I don't have to deal with them."

"Maybe it's not that you conceal your feelings, they just don't exist. At least none for me anyway." It was a harsh reality that you knew he also knew but was trying to fight. "How ironic isn't, that you're so desperate to be loved by someone, but now that I do you can't bring yourself to love me back. You can't force feelings Buggy, no matter how viciously you try to and we both know that."

His hand released you coming back to rejoin the rest of him. "You're right, I cannot hope to give you what I cannot give myself."

With that you walked off going to pack your things, leaving the clown to think as endlessly as the stars above him. A hollow feeling formed in his chest, not because he was losing someone he loved or cared deeply for, but because he wasn't and it made him feel extremely guilty for not feeling that way.

By the time you'd docked in LogueTown the next day the whole crew had heard of your leaving them. Many wanted to try to convince you to stay, especially Cabaji and Mohji but they all knew you leaving was for the best after hearing of your talk with Buggy last night. Both Buggy and you had not spoken or even seen each other since said talk, a mutual feeling that there was nothing left to say between the pair of you.

The purpose of the ship docking here was to find the straw hats and reclaim the map of the Grand line from them. The two captains, your two friends and about half of the crew went off to complete the mission, so you really didn't have anyone there to see you off. You'd just grabbed your belongings, saying a few goodbyes to crew that was left on the ship, then left to go into town. Maybe you'd join the Marines now, or find some fishermen and offer to help them out, you honestly had no real idea of what to do now.

Due to the commotion in town caused by the mix of Buggy's crew, the Marines, and the straw hats, you'd somehow ended up on board with the latter. Setting sail for the Grand line with the band of misfit pirates Buggy and your friends had failed to capture.

"So what were you doing in a town like that?" One of the crew asked.

"Nothing really, just saying goodbye to my heart I guess you could say." You answered, a sad smile on your face as for the 2nd time in your life you watched the life you'd grown to know, shrink till it was out of view.

Though this time it was you onboard leaving someone behind to watch helplessly from the docks.

[campingwiththecharmings]

Invisible String

AN: This is another one I started back in July of 2022 and am just now finishing! I had intended for it to be cute and kinda funny but it ended up being a little...I don't think angsty is the right word, but it has a little more feels than I'd anticipated lol. I dunno, I like how it turned out. Hope you all do too! ❤️

(Un-beta’d)

You're a new medic in the Resistance and you keep running into a certain pilot in the medbay.

Rated: T Words: 6,019 Pairing: Poe Dameron x GN!Reader Warnings: feelings of loneliness, mutual pining, a little awkwardness (but like the sweet kind not the cringey kind) (i hope lol), references to violence, injuries of varying degrees AO3

——————

The Resistance base on D’Qar was bigger than you’d expected. Then again, most things were bigger than the little outpost you’d called home for the last few years. When you’d heard HQ needed medics, you’d jumped at the chance to leave the backwater moon you’d been stationed on. Now that you’re here, though, you’re wondering if you’d made the right decision. Every day here is somehow more chaotic than the last and, while you feel like you’re adapting pretty well, you’re a little lonely. Sure, you’re friendly with people, especially the other medics, but making friends isn’t exactly at the top of most people’s to-do lists these days. Everyone’s too busy. Too busy to show you around the base, too busy to get a drink with you, too busy to get to know you….

Needless to say, it’s been a rough couple of months.

“Hey,” someone calls, dragging you from your thoughts, “Can I get some help over here, please?”

Two men enter the bustling medbay, one of which seems to be supporting the other. Without a second thought, you rush over, pulling on a pair of gloves as you go.

“What happened?” you ask the man who appears to be uninjured, gesturing him over to a free bed in your section.

“He hit his head,” the man says, nodding toward his friend as he helps him sit on the bed.

"I swear to the Maker that ladder came out of nowhere," the other man mutters, grimacing a little as the gash on his forehead oozes slightly.

You nod, grabbing a clean towel and gently pressing it against the wound. The man hisses, flinching at the pressure.

“Sorry,” you mutter, chewing on your lip as you search your pockets for your work light with your free hand. When you find it, you turn your attention back to the uninjured man. 

“Hold this,” you instruct, indicating the towel on the injured man’s forehead. He does as asked, watching as you tilt his friend’s chin up and briefly shine your light in his eyes.

“What’s that do?” the injured man asks, squinting into the light.

You move it a couple more times before clicking it off and putting it away. “I'm checking you for a head injury.”

“And?” the other man asks, looking a little concerned.

You glance at him, smiling softly as you search the cart beside the bed for a bacta patch. “He’ll be fine.”

“See, Finn? I told you,” the injured man grumbles before pushing himself up from the bed. 

“Whoa,” you say, bracing your hands on his shoulders when he wobbles a little, “Take it easy.”

Your touch pulls his attention to you and he stops, gaze locking with yours. Something in his eyes makes you feel seen, exposed, and your face warms a little.

“Yeah, Poe, take it easy,” Finn scolds as he helps his friend sit back down.

You look away, mentally shaking yourself as you prepare the bacta patch for his head.

“He wasn’t gonna come, you know,” Finn tells you, pointing at his friend. “I had to practically drag him here.”

You briefly glance at the two men and see Poe rolls his eyes. “That’s because I’m fine. Right, Doc?”

“You are fine, yes,” you agree, ignoring the (incorrect) honorific as you gingerly place the patch over the gash in his forehead, “But it doesn’t hurt to make sure.”

Finn makes a noise of agreement and you bite back a smile as you finish applying the bandage.

“Well, you’re all set,” you say, meeting Poe’s eyes with a teasing brow. “Try not to walk into any more ladders.”

Finn snorts, clapping his friend on the back. Poe chuckles, looking sheepish as he briefly glances away from your amused gaze. “I’ll do my best.”

—

You’re bored.

It’s the middle of the night, you’re the only medic on shift, and you’re bored.

You sigh, shifting on your stool then wincing when the muscles in your lower back protest. The metal wheels squeak as you stand and stretch with a groan. It’s been slow tonight, which you guess is a good thing, but it certainly isn’t making your shift go by any quicker.

Just as you’re wondering how you’re going to spend the next few hours, the medbay door slides open. You turn, gazing at a coughing, soot-covered man and a white and orange droid.

“Maker, what happened?” you ask, ushering him over to the closest bed.

“Engine fire,” he explains between coughing fits.

You nod, quickly grabbing a breath mask from the cabinet and racing back over to him.

“Here,” you say, helping him fit the mask over his mouth and nose.

He nods in thanks as another coughing fit causes his dark curls to fall into his eyes.

“Deep, slow breaths, okay?” you instruct softly, a soothing hand on his shoulder.

He nods again, coughs subsiding a little as his breathing steadies. You study him in silence for a moment when you realize you’ve met before.

“Poe, right?” you guess, smiling slightly when he meets your eyes and nods a third time. “Are you injured anywhere else?”

“Don’t think so,” he croaks, his voice slightly muffled by the breath mask. “Didn’t burn my eyebrows off, did I?”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “No, it appears they’ve been spared.”

“Well, thank the Maker,” he jokes as another cough wracks his body.

The droid beside him beeps angrily and Poe sighs wearily. You bite back a smile, fighting the urge to chuckle at the interaction. “What’s he saying?”

He waves a hand at you as if to say it doesn’t matter, and this results in even more beeps from the droid.

“Seems like he’s a little upset with you,” you deduce, shooting him a knowing look.

He scoffs, his breathing almost normal now. “That’s an understatement,” he mutters, briefly glancing at the little droid. 

“Why? What’d you do?”

“What makes you think I did something?”

Silent, you raise a teasing brow at him.

He huffs a laugh after a moment, the action sending him into another, albeit less intense, coughing fit.

“Easy,” you say softly, adjusting the seal of the mask on his face. 

He nods, his eyes briefly locking with yours before his attention is pulled away once more by his droid. It beeps at him again, this time sounding more morose than angry. Poe sighs, his shoulders sagging a little as he reaches down to lay a hand on the little droid’s head. “I know, buddy. I’m glad you’re okay too.”

Your heart swells at the exchange and you briefly turn away to give them a little privacy. After a minute or two, you turn to check the gauge on the breath mask. His oxygen levels are now above normal, despite the occasional coughing fit, so you remove it and set it aside.

“Small sips,” you instruct, handing him a cup of water.

Poe mumbles a thanks and takes it from you, his fingers brushing against yours. You ignore the jolt that zips through you at his touch, turning away again to busy yourself with your next task. 

When you return a moment later with a damp cloth, he furrows his brow in confusion. “What’s that for?”

“I just want to make sure there are no other injuries before I discharge you,” you say, smiling as you gesture to his soot-covered face.

“Right,” he laughs, shifting a little on the bed. 

You angle his chin up and begin gently wiping the grime off his face. You work in silence, feeling Poe’s eyes on you as you turn his head this way and that. When the cloth you’re using is no longer clean, you stop, turning away with the intention of getting another. As a result, you almost trip over Poe’s droid.

“Oh,” you exclaim in surprise as the droid rolls back a bit, cocking its head to look up at you. “Hello.”

He beeps at you happily and you chuckle.

“Sorry. This is BB-8,” Poe says from behind you, fondness in his voice.

“It’s nice to meet you, BB-8,” you say, introducing yourself as you crouch down to the droid’s level. “Is it safe to assume you’re the reason Poe still has his eyebrows?”

Poe snorts and you can’t help the warmth that unfurls in your chest at the sound. BB-8 beeps excitedly at you again in response and you find yourself wishing that you understood Binary.

“How long have you two been together?” you ask, turning your head to direct the question to Poe.

He shrugs. “At this point, I can’t really remember a time when we weren’t.”

Your smile is a little sad as you stand to your feet, his brown eyes warm when you meet them. “Sounds nice. Always having someone, I mean.” 

There’s a pause as you turn, walking to the cabinet and rifling through it in search of another cloth. When you find one, you move toward the sink in the corner to wet it, squeezing out the excess liquid so it doesn’t drip all over the floor. You lower yourself back onto your stool upon your return, rolling it in front of him. When you meet his eyes again, that something is there, the something you’d seen when you’d first met, and you know that he sees you.

You smile numbly, averting your gaze as you begin to clean the soot from his face again. 

“You just transferred here, right?” he asks, his voice soft.

Your eyes flick back to his briefly before refocusing on your task. “Yeah, a few months ago.”

He makes a contemplative noise as you finish cleaning the soot from his skin. “How are you liking it?”

You sniff a laugh, turning slightly to prepare bacta patches for the minor scrapes and singes on his face. “We’re at war. Is anyone liking it?”

“Fair point,” he chuckles, absently drumming his fingers on his thighs. “There are still things to enjoy though, even in the midst of war.”

“Such as?” 

“Family, friends…flying.”

“Sounds like a personal motto,” you tease, applying the last bacta patch.

He chuckles again, the sound filling you with a giddiness you haven’t felt in what feels like years. “I guess it kinda is.”

You smile, smoothing the edges of the patches over his skin one more time before allowing your eyes to meet his again. There’s a warmth and kindness there that makes you want to curl up in his lap like a loth cat. There’s something else too, something you can’t quite name, something that makes your stomach flip and your palms sweat. You’re staring, you know you are, but you can’t make yourself look away. He’s close, so close, you hadn’t realized how much, your body unconsciously leaning toward him, toward his comforting warmth—

“Also the smoked lizard.”

You blink, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “What?”

He snorts, briefly flicking his eyes away as a flush climbs up his neck. “It’s another reason to like it here. The smoked lizard.”

You laugh, chewing on your bottom lip. “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

A slightly awkward silence falls between you and you will yourself to be professional, to be normal for two kriffing seconds.

“Well, um, you’re good to go, I think,” you say, rising from your stool and picking up the tray beside the bed. “I trust BB-8’ll stop you from getting into any more trouble. Tonight, at least.”

The droid beeps cheekily and Poe smiles, nodding as he stands to his feet. “Thanks, Doc.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” you say, fingers clenching on the tray as you meet his eyes again. “Take care of yourself this time, will you?”

“I’ll try,” he chuckles, rubbing that back of his neck. “Come on, buddy.”

The little droid whistles and beeps, swiveling his head toward you as if saying it’s own thanks, before rolling out the medbay door on Poe’s heels.

—

“Hey, someone’s asking for you.”

You look up from your data pad, head still running through the details of the medical chart you’d just been reading. “What?”

The medic speaking to you is new and you’re still having trouble remembering her name. Taia, maybe?

“Someone’s asking for you. In the front,” she repeats, gesturing back toward the medbay.

Your brow furrows in confusion. “For me?”

She blinks at you. “Yeah.”

“Who is it?” you ask, oblivious to her agitation.

She sighs, gesturing again to the medbay. “Will you just…come out here, please? Maker.”

You watch as she walks away, moderately amused by her impatience. As you follow her out onto the floor, you look in the direction of your assigned section that day and see—

“Poe?”

His head shoots up at the sound of his name, brown eyes warming with recognition as they lock with yours. A smile curls on his lips as you head over to him, one that makes something tingle beneath your skin.

“Hey,” he says, raising his hand awkwardly in a wave.

You do a quick once over and don’t notice any obvious injuries. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

He nods, smile shifting into something closer to a cringe. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just uh–”

Instead of finishing, he gestures to his hand, which you now see he’s holding somewhat awkwardly in his lap.

“Oh, what happened?” you ask, pulling on your gloves.

He shrugs, averting his gaze like he’s embarrassed about something. “It’s nothing really. I was fixing something on my ship and got a little cut. I just don’t want it to get infected, you know?”

You nod, reaching out to gently take his hand. “Of course, I understand.”

He nods, swallowing thickly as you peel back his fingers to assess the damage. You bring his hand closer to your face to get a closer look, gently turning it this way and that.

“Right,” you begin, meeting his gaze again. “It’s not bad, like you said, but it is a little deep so I think we should put in a few stitches just to be on the safe side.”

He nods again, licking his lips. “Whatever you say, Doc, you’re the expert.”

You smile, gaze flicking briefly to his mouth. You avert your eyes immediately, skin warming with embarrassment as you turn away to retrieve the items you need from your tray.

“Alright, just, don’t move okay? This might sting a bit,” you instruct, guiding his hand to rest on the bed beside him.

“Okay,” he mumbles, watching as you push his fingers away from his palm.

You work on cleaning the cut first, making sure there’s nothing there that could cause an infection. Once that’s finished, you carefully weave in a few stitches and finish up with a bacta patch.

“There you go,” you say, before looking up at him with a smile. 

He smiles back, butterflies erupting in your belly at the sight. “Thanks.”

You nod, maintaining eye contact for Maker knows how long (you certainly don’t), before the clatter of a tray overturning brings you back to reality. Your eyelashes flutter as you quickly stand with the intention of gaining some distance, only to end up even closer than you had been.

“I, um–,” you begin, finally tearing your gaze from his, “I’m going to give you a salve to put on your hand once the stitches dissolve. It’ll help with scarring.”

“Great.”

You smile awkwardly as you turn to head toward the supply cabinet in the corner. On the way over, you berate yourself for behaving so unprofessionally, staring at Poe like some lovesick kid with a crush. You pull the cabinet door open when you reach it, staring blankly at the shelves for a moment. You're not sure what it is about him that has you acting this way, but you really need to nip it in the bud; he’s here for medical attention, not you.

Resolved, you take a breath, grabbing the salve and heading back over your patient.

“Here you go,” you say, annoyed at yourself by how breathless you sound as you hold the salve out to him.

As he takes the small container from you, his fingers brush yours, causing your gaze to automatically return to his. His eyes are as warm as his smile, glowing with something you can’t quite place, something you want to drown in.

“Right,” he rasps after a moment, clearing his throat as he stands to his feet. “Well, I don’t wanna take up anymore of your time. Thanks again, Doc.”

“Any time,” you respond, far more nonchalant than you’re actually feeling.

He turns to wave as he walks out the door, almost running into one of the other medics. You bite back a laugh as he apologizes, the tips of his ears reddening a little in embarrassment. He catches your eye one more time before leaving, an almost shy smile on his lips, and you allow yourself to consider, just for a moment, that maybe you were wrong, maybe he was here to see you. You smile at the thought, however unlikely it might be.

—

Most of the pilots are off world training today, so the base is pretty empty. As a result, Dr. Kalonia had given most of you the morning off. You greet your fellow medics as you make your way to the back to stash your things, smiling amiably as you make eye contact with a few of them. They mumble their “good mornings” back, already tired from their late night or early morning shifts. When you return to the front, you check the clipboard to find that day’s assignment. As you hurry over to your station, you mentally run through the list of things you need to check your medical cart for. So lost in your thoughts are you, you don’t even realize there’s already a patient at your station until you reach it. 

“Hey,” you say, a little surprised. 

“Hey,” Poe responds, grimacing slightly.

“Back already, huh?” you say, a teasing eyebrow raised. “Are you really this accident prone or did you just need an excuse to come see me again?” 

He chuckles, averting his gaze as a flush creeps its way up his neck. 

“I, uh, I think my foot might be broken actually,” he responds, shooting a mildly dirty look in the direction of BB-8. “BB ran over it.”

The droid beeps indignantly at the accusation, drawing your attention as you pull on a pair of gloves. Whatever BB says makes Poe scoff.

“Hey buddy, you’re a lot heavier than you realize.”

The droid beeps again, head wobbling back and forth indignantly and you have to bite back a laugh when Poe shoots you a mildly exasperated look..

“How ‘bout I just take a look,” you say, sitting on your stool and rolling it in front of him. 

He nods, hissing a little when you remove his boot and sock, setting them on the stretcher beside him.

“Does it hurt anywhere specifically or just all over?” you ask, examining his foot for any signs of bruising.

“My toes. They’re definitely broken.”

BB-8 beeps again, almost sarcastically, you think, and Poe sends another glare in the droid’s direction. “I am not being dramatic.”

You bite back a smile as they continue to bicker back and forth, your attention fixed on the appendages in question. Poe has no adverse reaction to your prodding and wiggling, and you’re beginning to think that BB might actually be right, until you get to his pinky toe. 

He halts midargument, sucking in a breath and grabbing at his leg. 

“Sorry,” you mutter, quickly grabbing some medical tape from your cart and slowly wrapping it around both his injured toe and the one beside it.

He muffles a groan of pain as you complete your task, gently lowering his foot off of your lap. 

“Okay?” you ask with a slight grimace.

He takes a steadying breath and nods. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Good,” you say, offering him a small smile. “It’s hard to know for sure if it’s broken given our lack of equipment but I taped it up just in case. Just stay off of it as much as you can and redo the tape every few days until your pain subsides.”

He nods again as you finish, meeting your gaze as you hand him a roll of medical tape. “Got it. Thanks.”

His hair is a little unkempt, stray curls falling across his forehead and into his eyes. You try not to stare, you really do, but Maker he’s just so pretty and you’re only human.

It’s then that you notice that he’s staring at you too, brown eyes slowly roaming your face as if taking in every detail, his brows furrowed a little in concentration. Your heart skips in your chest at the realization, warmth flaring beneath your skin—

Does Poe Dameron like you?

Sure, you’d joked about it earlier, but the thought had never seriously crossed your mind before; why would he like you, anyway? You’ve only met a few times before this and none of them were outside of the medbay. No, he’s just accident prone, you think, your stomach sinking with disappointment. 

You break away first, shaking your head slightly, as if to shake off your thoughts. Your movement brings him back to reality too, you assume, because he looks away almost immediately after you do, eyes falling to study his hands. 

Before either one of you can say anything else, BB-8 beeps at Poe, whose head snaps so quickly in the droid’s direction, you’re surprised he didn’t pull something. 

“What?”

The droid beeps again and whatever he says makes Poe immediately lean over and whisper furiously at him. BB beeps again, sounding impatient. 

Before you can even think to intervene, someone on the other side of the room calls your name.

“Oh sorry, I’ve gotta—” you begin, pointing toward the commotion starting to unfold.

Poe nods, looking a little pained. “Yeah, of course. Thanks again, Doc.”

You shoot them both a smile before turning away, grabbing your data pad off of your tray before jogging across the room.

—

It’s been a few weeks since you last saw Poe. Apparently, the General had sent him out on some super top secret mission with no word on when he might return (not that you’d asked or anything…).

Is it weird to admit that you miss him? Can you miss someone you don’t even really know that well?

And yet, you do. Miss him, that is. You miss his kind eyes, his smile, his back and forth with BB-8, his (apparent) penchant for clumsiness, him calling you ‘Doc’ even though you’re not a doctor—

Kriff. 

You sigh, dragging your hand over your face as you walk down the hall you know will lead you back to the medbay. They’re short staffed today—a bout of flu had run through the medics on the night shift and everyone else had had to work doubles for the last week as a result. It’s bustling when you return and you immediately throw yourself back into the fray; it’s only the middle of your shift, you’re exhausted. 

Once there’s a bit of a lull, Dr. Kalonia sends you and a few other medics who look dead on their feet to the back to grab a little sleep. Normally, you’d try to protest, but you honestly don’t have the energy to fight her on it right now. You pass out the second your head hits the pillow.

The blaring of sirens rips you from sleep, the sound making your blood run cold.

The base is under attack.

You scramble to your feet, almost running into one of the other medics as you head to the front, struggling to remember your training. It’s a bit chaotic, but most of the medics manage to keep their heads cool, doing whatever they need to do for the good of the Resistance. It bolsters you, gives you the courage you need to do the same. That’s why you’re here after all.

After about fifteen minutes, the sirens abruptly stop, the sudden silence almost deafening to your ears after the loud blaring of the alarm. Everyone’s confused, including the doctor, who immediately grabs her comm to try and get some answers. The tension in the room is palpable as you wait, unsure of what’s happening; are you still under attack? Were you ever? Was this some kind of drill the General ordered just to see how everyone would respond?

You don’t have to wait long. A few minutes later, a group bursts into the medbay with someone on a stretcher. One of them calls for the doctor and she immediately jumps into action, calling on a few of the medics nearby for assistance. You hang back, watching with nervous bewilderment, still wondering what’s going on. Someone shifts, creating an opening in the crowd huddled around the patient, and you catch a flash of bright orange—a pilot.

Your mind immediately thinks of Poe, panic tightening your chest…until you remember he’s out on a mission. He’s fine, you think, turning away from the commotion in an effort to distance yourself from your thoughts. And even if he wasn’t, he’s not yours to worry about anyway, right?

Yours. The word makes your chest ache.

As you check on the patients in your section, making sure their vitals are all still stable, you hear a shout from across the room. You turn your attention toward them just to make sure they don’t need help, before returning your attention to your tasks. There’s another shout, but this time you don’t bother giving it your attention; there are closer medics than you. A few moments later, Dr. Kalonia herself calls your name.

When you turn around, several medics wave you over.

“He’s asking for you,” the doctor says when you reach them, gesturing toward the patient on the stretcher. “Just keeps saying your name over and over.”

“Me?” you question, baffled as you step a little closer, anxiety settling in your gut.

She nods somewhat impatiently. “Just let him know you’re here so we can continue.”

“O-of course,” you mutter, scrambling into the opening they create for you.

You pause when you see the pilot, mouth falling open in surprise. He’s bloody and bruised, eyes closed tight as he writhes in pain, orange flight suit pretty much torn to shreds—

Poe.

The doctor calls your name again, shaking you from your surprise. Immediately, you lean in close so he can hear you. You tell him that you’re there, that he’s safe, that you’re going to help him, your voice low and soft. He doesn’t respond, just keeps mumbling your name over and over again, clearly in distress, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. You try again, voice calm as you clasp his hand in yours, your free hand pushing back his blood and sweat-soaked curls. One of his eyes opens slightly at your touch and, while you’re not sure he can actually see you, you smile. He squeezes your hand then, and your smile widens, relief flooding through you. Your name continues to fall from his lips, but it’s less anxious now, more content.

Once Dr. Kalonia and her team stabilize him, they move him to the quietest corner of the room in the hopes that he can get some rest. His care is transferred to you, your other patients redistributed among the other medics. He’d stopped murmuring your name a while ago, the meds the doctor had given him finally kicking in and easing his pain. He doesn’t let go of your hand though. You could probably slip out of his hold easily enough, especially in his current state, but you find that you don’t really want to.

You find out later that Poe’s mission had (apparently) gone awry and he’d been forced to commandeer a First Order ship in order to make his escape; that explained the base alarms and the sudden cessation of them, at least. As for what had been the cause of his many injuries, you weren’t told (classified information, apparently). Doesn’t really matter though, you suppose, so long as he’s alright.

You’d cleaned him up the best you could given the circumstances (sponge baths only helped so much, after all), gently washing his hair, his face. The doctor had come by a few times to check on him (and one other time to try and convince you to return to your quarters to get some sleep). You can tell that she wants to know why he’d asked for you, why your mere presence had calmed him, why you now refused to leave his side. The truth is, you don’t really know. You know you feel a connection to him, one that you don’t have with anyone else, but you’re not really sure what it means. Do you love him? No, it’s too soon for that, you think, you barely even know him. Still, something in your soul calls to him, yearns for him. You wonder if he feels that something too.

It’s later in the evening now, the chaos from earlier having passed. The medbay is quiet, most of the day’s patients either having been discharged or are already asleep for the night. You’re still at Poe’s bedside, eyelids drooping as you fight to stay awake. You know you should leave, should get some rest, but he might wake up while you’re gone and you don’t want him to wake up alone. His hand is still clasped loosely in yours, his skin warm and dry. You stare at it, at the dried blood still beneath his fingernails, wondering idly if it’s his own or someone else’s; what had he gone through to get back here? What he had lost?

At some point, you must doze off because one moment you’re staring at Poe’s hand and the next you’re waking with a start. You groan as your neck twinges, the angle at which you’d been laying with your head half on his bed making it ache.

“I know what you mean,” a familiar voice rasps softly.

Your eyes immediately shoot up to meet theirs��warm brown, tinged with mild amusement and fondness.

“You’re awake,” you say, cringing a little at yourself for stating the obvious. “How are you feeling?”

Poe smiles, then immediately winces as he shifts, his hand pressing into his side. “Spectacular.”

You grimace, eyes sweeping over him in assessment. “Can I get you anything? Water? More pain meds?”

He chuckles, then immediately winces again. “I’m good. Thanks.”

You nod, unsure of what to do or say next; you’ve gotten so used to taking care of him, it feels odd to just sit here now.

“Where’s BB-8?” you ask, only just now realizing the little droid hadn’t accompanied the pilot to the medbay.

Poe frowns, averting his gaze. “He got hit pretty bad before we got on the ship. They said the mechanics are working on him, but no one’ll tell me any more than that.”

“I can find out for you,” you offer, moving to stand to your feet. 

He stops you, grasping your hand, wincing as the movement aggravates his injuries. “No, it’s fine. I–he’s in good hands. I’m just…worried is all.”

You nod, reclaiming your seat beside him. Silence falls between you, and while he seems perfectly comfortable, you can’t help but feel a little anxious.

“Thank you, by the way,” he says softly after a moment, his gaze falling to your clasped hands. “I…don’t remember much, but I remember hearing your voice. Not sure I’d be sitting here if it wasn't for you.”

You clear your throat, skin heating with embarrassment as you shift awkwardly in your seat. “Of course. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

He meets your eyes again, that ever-present something in his gaze making your stomach flip. “Me too.”

You keep him company for a little bit, the two of you swapping stories and telling jokes. He tells you about growing up on Yavin IV, about his parents and, in turn, you tell him about your homeworld, about your past. Dr. Kalonia stops by at the shift change, again trying to convince you to return to your quarters for some proper rest. You try to decline, but Poe insists, and it’s the care and concern in his eyes that ends up persuading you. 

Weariness settles into your limbs as you shuffle down the hall, the events of the past couple of days catching up to you as the last dregs of adrenaline finally wear off. As you walk, you think about the time you’d spent with Poe and you smile, realizing he’d given you exactly what you’ve been longing for since you arrived here on D’Qar—a chance to connect, to be seen. When you finally make it to your quarters, you fall onto your bed, your brain going fuzzy as sleep rushes in quickly to claim you. 

—

When you return to the medbay the next day, you spot Poe standing beside his bed with his back to you—he’s been discharged, you realize, disappointment sinking in your belly as you watch him pack up his things. It’s not that you aren’t glad he’s well enough to leave, you are of course, you’ll just…miss keeping him company. 

You sigh, forcing yourself to look happy as you make your way over to him. If nothing else, you should at least tell him goodbye.

“Hey,” you greet, leaning against the side of the bed. 

He turns at the sound of your voice, eyes brightening when they meet yours. “Hey.”

“You’ve been liberated, I see,” you say, gesturing toward the bag on the chair beside the bed.

He chuckles, wincing slightly at the action. “That’s one way to put it.”

You nod, momentarily averting your gaze. “Heading to a briefing?”

“Nah,” he says, shaking his head. “Gonna go pick up BB actually.”

The knowledge that the little droid is alright makes your heart lighten and your smile softens. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“I’ll be glad to see him too,” Poe agrees, smiling fondly as he slings the strap of the bag over his shoulder. 

Silence falls between you as you struggle to think of something to say, something that’ll keep him there just a little longer.

“Thanks again…for everything,” he says finally, his gaze soft and open as it holds yours.

You nod, swallowing thickly as your heart stutters a little at the intensity there; you’re not sure anyone has ever looked at you like this, has made you feel like this, and you’re beginning to think it’s not just you. Should you do something? Say something? Who knows when you’ll see him again. You open your mouth, the words sticking in your throat as you try to force them out—

In the end, you can’t, your courage waning at the last second as you force your eyes from his. You sigh, frustrated with yourself.

“Please at least try to take care of yourself this time, okay?” you croak, wetting your suddenly dry lips.

He chuckles again, and you have to bite back a smile at the sound.

“But if I did that, I wouldn’t have an excuse to see you,” he quips; his tone is teasing but the words make your heart skip nonetheless.

You scoff, waving a hand as you meet his eyes again. “Please, you don’t need an excuse.”

“No?”

“Of course not.”

“Okay. How about later then?”

Your eyes widen a little with surprise; he’s not…is he? 

“Later?” you ask, trying not to get your hopes up.

He shrugs, his smile almost shy as he scratches the back of his neck. “You said I didn’t need an excuse.”

That something is in his eyes again; that something you can’t exactly give a name to but feel in your soul, that something that seems to connect you both somehow.

“Okay,” you say, chewing on your bottom lip. “One condition.”

“Name it,” he says, brown eyes shining.

“It has to be outside of the medbay.”

He laughs, eyes crinkling as he smiles. “Deal.”

If you enjoyed this, please let me know! I appreciate every single reblog and/or comment. Thank you. 💖

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Addendum - First "Date"

[cre8inghavoc]

What are friends for?

PT. 7

Status: ongoing!!

Updates: no set date.

WC: 2734

Pairing: megumi fushiguro x FEM!reader

Genre/Warnings:[18+] Characters are aged up. This story contains toxic boyfriend, cursing, name calling, self-doubt/hate, angst, breaking up, post-breakup, alcohol, drug use, drunk moments, new friends, dating!au, college!au, no curses!au, dark humour, dark jokes. SMAU.

Recap:

Now that your ex has retrieved his belongings, you're on a tight deadline to get everything packed by the end of the day. You have to move out tonight, especially since you're starting at a new school tomorrow. Plus, moving everything out today will make it much easier to settle into your new room before school starts. And, it's a good way to pass the time until 6:40 PM tonight, when you plan to head to the park.... Tonight will be the moment of truth to see if he decides to show up. You're overwhelmed with the need to apologize for your silence all week and for turning down his invitations to hang out. And then there's the mess with your ex, which just adds to the chaos. You really want to explain to him that your ex was only there to pick up his stuff before you move, but it's hard to make him understand when you hadn't even mentioned your plans to move to begin with.

It just feels like everything is just spiralling out of control…

MEGUMIS POV:

The phone sits there, taunting me with its silent demand for attention. My fingers itch to reach for it, to answer her call, but I know I can't. It's a battle of wills, and I'm fighting against myself. If I give in, I'll only end up forgiving her too easily, forgetting all about her with her ex.

 But it's so damn hard. 

She's always on my mind, her smile a reminder of genuine warmth that lingers in my thoughts. Her eyes, deep and honest, draw me in with every glance, revealing layers of her soul I can't resist. And her scent... her perfume, it's like a gentle embrace, comforting and alluring, even when she's not around. Every moment with her is like poetry in motion, each touch, each word, sparking a fire of longing within me. She's more than just a person; she's a feeling, an intoxicating presence that I can't shake.

She's a masterpiece in every sense, utterly captivating and impossible to overlook. Despite the simmering anger within me, my deepest longing is to have her close, to revel in the comfort of her embrace. Yet, I restrain myself. I can't muster the strength to answer the phone, to engage with her messages. Not now. At Least not yet….

I glance over at my phone and catch her last message: meet her at the park at 7.

Damn, she makes it so hard to resist.

 7 PM…..

The park across from my place. She'll explain what happened. Maybe it wasn't as serious as it seemed... Maybe he just showed up? Knocking at her door, threatening her. Damn it. If that's the case, what the hell is wrong with me? How could I be so blind? What if he intended to harm her, and I just walked away, leaving her alone? Is she okay? The amount of messages she sent suggests she is, but still... How could I be so reckless? What if she got hurt? I would never forgive myself. Never.

Fuck!

I have to go…. I have to make sure she's okay, to reassure myself that my fears are unfounded. And if she needs me, I'll be there, no matter what.

I glance at the time: 6:55 PM.

God damn it... 

I won't make it back in time, at least not for another 10 minutes or so. With a heavy heart and a sense of urgency, I gather my thoughts and hit the gas, pushing the limits to get home as quickly as possible, determined to find her and ensure her safety, no matter the cost.

I'll just call her and let her know I'm on my way and that I'll be a little late. As I pick up my phone and dial her number, it goes straight to voicemail twice. Is she ignoring me? No, she wouldn't... Why would she? Maybe her phone's dead? Or maybe she turned it off? I have to get to her as fast as I can.

But as I arrive, the park is deserted, and she's nowhere to be seen. Dread washes over me, realizing I'm 15 minutes late. Did she give up on me? Did she think I wouldn't come? Panic sets in as I frantically search, hoping against hope that she's still here, waiting for me…

But she's not. She's gone. And the weight of that realization hits me like a ton of bricks.

I pick up my phone again, desperate, and dial her number once more. But it goes straight to voicemail again.

"Please, angel... pick up," I whisper into the void, my voice strained with worry.

But there's no answer. Just silence. And in that silence, my fears grow stronger, gnawing at my heart with a relentless grip.

YOUR POV

You arrived at the park five minutes early, hoping against hope that Megumi would show up on time.

6:55 PM.

Anxiety courses through your veins, the uncertainty of his reaction weighing heavily on your mind. Would he even show up? Or would he take your explanation poorly, not believing a word you'd say, and then leave you? Both outcomes are equally terrifying, but you can't shake the feeling that Megumi not showing up might be slightly worse. It would mean he wants nothing to do with you, and you wouldn't even have the chance to explain what actually happened. The guilt would eat away at you.

You've turned your phone off, ensuring that when he arrives, if he does, you won't be interrupted. Your focus would be solely on him.

7:00 PM.

You sit there, waiting, scanning the park for any sign of him. Each person who approaches, you hope it's him, but it never is. With every passing moment, your thoughts spiral further. Was he ever going to show up? Did something happen? Or does he just not want you anymore?

7:10 PM.

You give him an extra ten minutes, clinging to the hope that maybe he's running late. But as the minutes tick by, hope fades into disappointment. He's not coming. He didn't come. What's the point in waiting any longer? Even if he did show up, would you be angry? Upset? Feeling unimportant because of his lateness? Maybe he forgot or didn't see your message? You try to give him the benefit of the doubt, but it's hard. Trust is a fragile thing, especially after what you went through with your ex.

You stand from the bench, tears threatening to spill, but you hold them back as best as you can. The emotions swirl within you—sadness, disappointment, frustration. You start to walk away, making your way back home. You've already packed everything after kicking out your ex, so all that's left to do is go back. The movers said they'd be there by 8 PM to gather your things and take them to your new place.

At 9:40 PM, over an hour has passed since you finally moved into your new place. With the help of your friends, unpacking was a breeze, and it felt surprisingly good to be living with them. As you make your way to your room, you're pleasantly surprised to find it larger than expected. Thank goodness for Toge's spacious house, where even the rooms are sizable. And having your own bathroom? That's a luxury you definitely appreciate.

You take a moment to survey the space, considering how to arrange your belongings. With a generous window offering a view of the expansive backyard—complete with lush green grass, towering trees, and a sparkling pool—you decide to position your bed beside it. It's the perfect spot to gaze at your favorite view, especially with the moon casting its gentle glow outside.

Setting up your room with your friends was a joyous experience, making the whole moving process feel more fun and exciting. As you begin to organize, you can't help but feel a sense of contentment and anticipation for the adventures that await in your new home.

You call out to Maki, asking for her help in setting up your gaming equipment in the corner.

"Yep! Is your PC in this box?" she asks, pointing at the one labeled "fragile."

"Yes, ma'am!" you confirm with a smile.

Turning to Toge and Yuta, you assign them the task of mounting your TV on the wall across from your bed.

“Yes ma’am! You got it!” Toge says, in his usual playful manner, as he salutes. 

“You’re so stupid” You say while slapping your forehead. 

Laughter fills the room, easing the tension that's been weighing on you all day. You don't realize how late it's gotten until you finally check the clock: 12:12 AM.

With a mixture of relief and gratitude, you thank your friends for their help. However, beneath the surface, the lingering disappointment of Megumi's absence still weighs heavily on your mind. Though you try to push it aside, your friends can sense that something's bothering you.

"Thank you guys so much for helping me. I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time!" you apologize.

"You know you don't have to thank us... We're always going to be here for you!" Maki reassures you.

"I could've been playing Fortnite, so she does have to apologize for taking up my precious time," Toge interjects jokingly, prompting laughter from everyone.

"Sorry, Toge, didn't know Fortnite was more important," you tease back, rolling your eyes.

"Just kidding, obviously you're more important!!!" Toge replies with a smirk, in a sarcastic tone, though what he said is true... you definitely are more important.

"Wow, screw you," you playfully retort, sticking out your tongue and your middle finger as you all continue to laugh.

"How are you feeling now that you're officially moved out?" Yuta sweetly asks.

"Honestly, I feel happy and comfortable. I love being with you guys, and now that we all live together, it's going to be so fun. And I'm going to the same school as you all! Speaking of which, we should probably head to sleep... It's almost 12:30, and we have to wake up at 7 AM," you say, a hint of tiredness creeping into your tone.

"That's good, and we're happy you're with us too! Goodnight, Y/N," Yuta replies with a smile before hugging you and then heading towards the door.

"Finally, I can play Fortnite," Toge jokes before noticing you picking up a pillow.

"Y/N! I was kidding! I WAS KIDDING!" Toge exclaims, darting out of your room as you chase after him, pillow in hand.

The chase leads you both around the house. As you enter the kitchen, Toge quickly runs on one side of the counter, putting distance between you. Determined to catch him, you move to your left, but he mirrors your movements, keeping just out of reach.

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Toge grins and taunts you from across the counter, knowing he's outmanoeuvred you for now. But you're not one to give up easily, and with a playful smirk, you prepare to outsmart him in this game. 

“Y/N IM SORRY! I SAID I WAS KIDDING PLEASE SPARE MY LIFE!!!! I BEGGGG” he yells out. 

“NOT UNTIL YOU APOLOGIZED AND SAY IM YOUR BEST FRIEND AND YOU LOVE ME.” you yell back teasing him. 

“NO NEVER!” he runs past you and you chase him back up the stairs but you corner him before he could get to his room.

“IM SO SORRY QUEEN Y/N MY BESTEST OF BEST FRIEND I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH!” he says in fear. 

“Love you too bestie!! goodnight!” You smile innocently and make your way to your room.

“she's fucking crazy....” he mumbled to himself as he gets back up.

“mmm? what was that?” you say turning back towards him. 

“Uhh... N-NOTHING!!! HAHA… NOTHING AT ALL” With a nervous chuckle, Toge swiftly opens the door to his room, slipping inside and securing the lock behind him.

Maki, witnessing the entire exchange, approaches you with a smile to say goodnight. But before she leaves, she asks about Megumi.

Your surprise is evident, but you can't bring yourself to lie to your best friend. 

"It's... kinda bad right now. We're not really talking," you admit.

"What? What the hell happened?" Maki responds, shocked.

"He saw my ex at my house today. He was only there to grab his stuff, but then Megumi showed up around the same time, and my ex lied to him... I didn't know he was there until it was too late," you explain with a sigh.

"Why didn't you just call him and explain?" Maki inquires.

"I tried, but he didn't answer at all. I even texted him to meet me at the park across from his house at 7 PM to explain everything, and if he didn't show up, I'd just assume he didn't want to be friends anymore or have any type of relationship."

"And...?" Maki prompts, sensing your hesitation.

"He didn't show up," you admit, feeling your heart drop.

"What the hell? Why wouldn't he show up? That guy is literally obsessed with you," Maki says, clearly bewildered.

"Stop..." you respond, feeling annoyed.

"Stop what?" Maki asks, confused.

"Stop saying shit that isn't true, you really don't need to lie about that." you say, your frustration bubbling up.

"What do you mean?! I've known Megumi since he was a kid, y/n.. He's never been like this, not once with a girl before. Every girl that's ever tried talking to him, he wouldn't even notice or care to at least. He puts no effort in at all. Why do you think when we saw him with you on the couch together, we were extremely shocked. He barely gets near a girl, so the fact that he let you lean on him AND hold your hand shows that he likes you. Like, a lot," Maki explains, her words hitting you hard.

"We're just friends... that's all. And it's normal," you respond weakly, trying to dismiss her observations.

"Maybe normal for you, but definitely not for Megumi. He barely talks to girls, let alone looks in their direction. Seriously, Y/N, you'd have to be blind or stupid to not see that he obviously has feelings for you," Maki concludes, her annoyance evident.

You fall silent, feeling conflicted by her words as she leaves you to ponder the truth of her observations.

"Goodnight, Maki," you respond, your tone tinged with a hint of annoyance. Despite her insistence, you can't shake the feeling that what she's telling you isn't entirely true, convinced that Megumi sees you only as a friend.

"Y/N—" Maki starts, but you cut her off, retreating back into your room and heading straight for bed. Without wasting a moment, Maki quickly pulls out her phone and sends a message to Nobara.

7AM

As your alarm blares, announcing the start of your first day at a new school, a rush of nerves and excitement courses through you. But, having your friends by your side brings a warm sense of familiarity that soothes the uncertainties of the day ahead.

Last night was rough. You couldn't sleep good as thoughts of Megumi consumed your mind, denying you any peace. Despite knowing it's time to move forward, his memory persists, a constant companion in your thoughts. It's tough to shake off the memory of someone who felt so right, even when things didn't quite align.

The second alarm that goes off snaps you out of your thoughts, prompting you to get moving. With a sigh, you drag yourself out of bed and start getting ready for the day.

Arriving at the school, you feel a mix of excitement and anxiety as you head to the office to pick up your schedule. Despite the last-minute transfer, you're relieved that they've welcomed you, easing some of the nerves about starting anew.

You rush up the stairs of the school, the realization that you're running late sets in. Panic starts to rise as you frantically search for your classroom, the maze-like layout of the school making it difficult to navigate.

"Where the hell is this stupid class?" you mutter under your breath, frustration mounting with each passing second.

With your mind solely focused on finding your class, you fail to notice the person standing directly in your path. Before you can react, you run right into them, the impact jolting you back to reality.

Stumbling backward, he reaches out to steady you, his hands gently settling on your waist, you look up to apologize, only to freeze in shock as you lock eyes with the person before you.

"Megumi?" you blurt out, unable to hide your surprise as you take in his familiar features and all-black attire.

His expression remains impassive at first, but as his gaze meets yours, recognition flashes in his eyes.

"Y/n…?"

omg omg omg omg omg

finally finished this part... took longer than expected... sorry for the long wait

i rly appreciate ur guys patience <3

this part was kindaaa boring but i promise next one will get more interesting teehee

TAGLIST <3

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[anguishedlurker]

Don't Shoot; It's me! No, the other guy! (#38, fake body swap)

HI Y'ALL welcome to my ecto-imposion fic! I'm the writer of course and my wonderful artist was @astravis , and @thesilentbard plus @dragonsdomain he;ped me out with betaing! Check them all out! Buckle up, because this is just the first chapter! And maybe look at the ao3 posting

Of things Danny should have predicted, Skulker and Technus teaming up one day was going to land pretty high on the list.

It all started so normal, too! Getting multiple ghosts at once wasn’t uncommon anymore, and Skulker appearing? Must be a day that ends with Y.

Technus, though...

“I’ll pelt you yet, whelp!” Skulker bellowed, having been ineffectually brained with the remains of a lamppost.

Technus was thusly absorbing the lamppost's remains into his suit, adding yet another object that would qualify as a taser in the right circumstances.

“AND I, TECHNUS, WILL USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO-”

“No, really, do you ever shut up?!” Danny cut him off, meanwhile diving behind the remains of- ooohhh this was that vegan place Sam liked. He was going to hear about this one for weeks.

“Your disrespect remains immeasurable, child.” Skulker growled, not wasting time in obliterating what was left of the building.

“YEAH, WHAT IS HE? CHOPPED LIVER?”

Danny didn’t pay this mind, throwing some potshots at the both of them as he skittered away for new cover.

“He’s a mecha pain in my- AAA”

We interrupt this smart comment for debris! Debris; A mark of your failure to protect.

Debris wasn’t a new threat, but regardless? That was going to bruise.

Danny was ready to punch them to paste barehanded if it’d get this fight to stop. Skulker already had a weapon making shield borderline painful to maintain against blasts, and with Technus in tow couldn’t be trusted to not get a random power-boost.

Meaning this needed to end, now!

However, “now” would have to be sometime after Technus’s blasts stopped slapping him down like an especially annoying kitten.

“Ah, finally showing cowardice whelp?” Skulker taunted, lazily aiming one of his guns as Danny darted somewhere over an alleyway.

“I prefer to call it intelligence!”

“RUNNING WILL NOT HELP YOU HERE, PEST!” Technus borderline giggled.

Clearly, Danny thought as a piece of roof exploded behind him.

… That one might’ve been that weirdo occult shop that was trying to set up without him noticing. Couldn’t say he’d miss it, if nothing else.

It was really starting to look like “damage control” meant doing some damage himself to cut this short.

He was absolutely going to hear it from Sam once he was done here, as it wasn’t like ecto-ice was easy to clean up. (God knows what's IN that Danny!)

Somewhere in the distance the Fenton GAV wailed, a bad sign for all participants.

So… one shot to do this, maybe two… Eh. He’s had worse odds before!

One last sacrificial rubble pile to buy a second, aaand-

“I DO BELIEVE WE MUST CUT THIS ONE SHORT! SKULKER, IF YOU WOULD?”

“It's a pleasure to use this new toy.”

Danny didn’t even get time to throw an icicle at them.

The rubble exploded, and then Danny exploded, flung across the street like a sack of potatoes and making several things give an upsetting crack on landing.

Screw bruising at this point, he’d be lucky if all of this managed to heal before Monday.

Note to self: Never ever let Technus Skulker pair up ever again.

“FASCINATING RESULTS!” Technus beamed as Danny groaned his way onto his feet.

“Your move, whelp.” Skulker growled, gun pointed at Danny.

“That little toy? Ha, it barely even-!”

And see, there’s many things about Danny’s powers that would never be properly explained to his friends. How intrinsic they all were by now, above all else.

A running start and pathetic hop into the air didn’t actually mean much for flying; by all accounts Danny could go from zero to sixty in a standing position.

So, the raw humiliation of that pathetic hop- intended to be a full assault launch- landing him in a kneeling position took a second to process.

It was just so impossible.

The metal on Skulkers helm twisted to a smile as the gun gave a shrill whine.

Technus giggled as he absorbed a car into his already overburdened monstrosity of a mech, clearly thinking this fight was done.

The GAV siren had never been so loud.

There was really only one choice: Run. Run for his life.

The street lit up behind him, adrenaline carrying him much faster than he had any right to be on foot.

“RUNNING AGAIN, WHELP?” Technus shouted, much too close for Danny’s liking.

“That’s Skulker’s thing!” He shouted back, at a total loss for anything witty.

“I’ve done no such thing as run, child!”

“I THINK HE MEANS THE TERM WHELP.”

Oh good, yes! Get distracted!

“Your thievery of my vocabulary will not go unpunished; yet, for now, we have our prey-”

“UNPUNISHED? WE ARE ALLIES! TO RAISE YOUR HAND IN VIOLENCE AGAINST ME NOW WOULD-”

“Not right now you imbecilic-”

The blasts behind him were slowing down immensely already, buying him a slide around a corner with enough lead to shove himself between buildings.

Still, even with this he wasn’t exactly well hidden.

His options, in this fine back alley, were… A broken mirror, two cardboard boxes, and a dumpster.

…

The dumpster was uncomfortably moist as he shoved himself in and closed the top, and the smell- is this the nasty burger dumpster??

Slowly the town map in his head adjusted. Eugh… Desperation carried him farther than he thought.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE’VE LOST HIM!?”

“The shot must have suppressed his signature. The tracker will be borderline worthless unless we are on top of him.”

Oh, good! Truly, a fair trade for his powers! And once he was done being sarcastic, probably the single blessing he’d get out of this.

“I WOULD CALL THAT EVEN LESS THAN BORDERLINE.”

“Your worthless insistence on semantics is duly noted.”

The bickering continued into the distance, followed shortly by the GAV wailing and his father pointedly screaming.

“Rotten ghosts, molecule by molecule would be too good for you!”

“Phantoms not re-appearing on the radar, but keep an eye out regardless. Who knows what cloaking tactics it’s come up with this time. To the right!” His mom warned, getting fainter and fainter (in the wrong direction) as the GAV sped after Technus and Skulker. Or wherever the altered signal was leading them.

One would think it’d only work the once...

Danny was left to contemplate the situation in silence. Nothing would get done in the dumpster, sure, but hey, uncomfortably moist? More like comfortably hidden.

But beyond that being cowards talk, he reeaallly couldn’t sit there and trust that his parents or even Valerie would pull through on this one.

Okay, well, first task; Phase out of the dumpster.

An action that should be on the same level as ‘flex your jaw’, and yet, Danny was no less uncomfortably moist in sauce juice by the end of his attempt.

The whole thing was unpleasantly reminiscent of the Fenton crammer, minus the shrinking. Powers suffocated to the vaguest wisps in the back of his skull, borderline hallucinations to his futile attempts to use them.

Still stuck in the dumpster, Danny mentally conceded to plan B; Phone a friend.

Tucker was, unfortunately, out at a tech event for the weekend. Which meant it needed to be Sam.

Sam, who was stuck appeasing her parents today in exchange for the stunt with Ms. Hoffman last week.

Somewhere in the distance shots sounded off, indicating that someone had found his two enemies.

Danny didn’t have high hopes as he popped open the dumpster lid and shakily dialed. First of all it’d require Sam to already be out of the dreaded social situation, and secondly it’d mean he got a stroke of good luck if she picked up either way.

His anxiety collapsed to resignation as the ring tone meandered on, leaving him to ignore the layers of irony and humor in his ringtone having been changed to Mystery Skulls’ Ghost.

Pink blasts flashed in the sky from somewhere distant, meaning either Vlad got involved or Valerie had shown up- one more likely than the other.

“Hi! If you don’t know who this is, you shouldn’t have called anyways, and if you do and I didn’t pick up then I’m ignoring you specifically and your voicemail better give me a good reason to call back. And Tucker, if that’s you, I’m not paying for that. You know I’m not. Stop asking. Leave a message after the-”

Danny didn’t wait any longer to hang up. No voicemail would ever be secure enough to risk actually leaving one, and leaving one wouldn’t even speed up the response time.

An especially bright pink and green flash washed over what was probably half the town, and a large crash sounded from several different points in the area.

Now down the phone a friend option, Danny elected to revisit and modify plan A by throwing his leg over the side of the dumpster instead.

You know, the lame way to exit.

None of his bones liked him as he hit the ground, the wind in his metaphorical sails really not keeping up with what he needed to be doing.

Even with the self deprecation heavily suppressed, the situation didn’t really brighten outside of the dumpster. How, precisely, would boxes aide him here? Box Ghost was still pretty peeved over the whole cardboard-boxes-dissolve-in-water solution...

A thoughtless attempt to transition between forms left a suspiciously glass-like popping noise to ring in his ears and leave him fallen face-first onto the ground.

The most intact piece of mirror sat across him, dimly processing as unsafe for workers to be near as the gerbil controlling intelligent thought in his head took a smoke break.

… Seriously, why not have just tossed the thing into the dumpster itself? It’s right there!

The gerbil returned from its smoke break as Danny took in his reflection somewhat, the wheel powering his thoughts creaking back to life.

The crammer had slowly stripped him of every Phantom attribute until only Fenton remained, while right now the present cause to all his woes seemed to have merged his clothes straight down to his hoodie and left every other feature untouched.

It was… weird.

And deeply irrelevant, actually. He needed to either try calling Jazz (ugh) or haul himself home to see if he can’t glue a solution together (different ugh).

Time to shove himself back up to kneeling and pick the gravel out of his teeth (hrng).

While he was at it, it might be a good idea to start a list of cameras that’d need their footage wiped. Even if Fenton’s clothes weren’t incriminating he just didn’t need-

There was an ecto gun by his head, the safety giving a click as it was turned off.

“Would you like to beg?”

He knew that voice- by god did he know that voice. Valerie had to be on that hoverboard just out of his field of view.

He had to have missed some sort of movement while slumped forward by the mirror- it’s not like he wasn’t in enough pain for reality to start blurring.

But that didn’t help, did it? Because he was readily identifiable as Phantom to a girl who wanted half of him dead(er), with zero powers or wit to throw at the situation that wouldn’t just get him shot faster.

But what would help!? She didn’t have any interest in listening to Phantom, barely had any in listening to Fenton, though her lethal intent would at least be lower!

Somehow, someway, the gerbil in his head clipped through the wheel's geometry and resolved to never return.

“Don’t shoot, Val, it’s me! Danny!”

The gun got MUCH louder in response

“Well, Danny Phantom, I think knowing my name-”

“N-No! Fenton!”

He could hear the dial-up noises in Valerie's head, he himself stuck on trying to process how royally he just screwed himself over.

“Let’s suppose, for just one second here, that I don’t believe that.”

“L-look Val, belief doesn’t have much to do with the fact that I’m like, super harmless right now. Literally what would I gain by telling you that?”

He could feel her eyes stare even harder, dissecting his identity in this new light.

“Time.”

Well, he had a good run…

The alleyway promptly exploded, leaving Valerie to skitter off to who knows where as she swore worse than any adult Danny had had the displeasure of listening to.

Danny himself was left hyperventilating in the dust, promptly hopping back into the dumpster and burying himself in the worst effort towards hiding he’s probably ever managed.

“I TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY FOR HIM TO HAVE HIDDEN HERE.”

“Disappointing, and unexpected. The chase is far more important, but what distracted her?”

“I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO MATTER. YOU MAY HAVE SAID PRACTICALLY ON TOP, BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT IN THE ALLEY IT’S SAFE TO SAY HE’S NOT-”

“Move it or lose it, socket-licker. One of our high value targets is running.”

“YOU ARE ONE TO TALK, SHORTSTOCK. INSULTS ASIDE, I WAS GETTING THERE.”

Skulker’s “No, you weren’t. And you’re lucky we’re working together you-” got fainter as the two continued to completely miss his idiot self hidden just under the surface of two tonnes of food slime.

This was now the second time Danny was in the same dumpster, and honestly? He STILL didn’t want to leave!

He couldn’t cave to the desire this time either- trying to out his identity to Valerie in a last ditch effort to save his hide was officially going to go down as one of his dumbest decisions ever.

He couldn’t even think of anything funny his friends would mock him with this time. It was stupid all the way down.

Feet to the ground, eyes peeled for enemies- gone for now.

Time to unbend his pride and beat his mile run record while trying to call Jazz. Hey, multitasking!

He was going to lose his mind over this one. Even without his personal missteps this was bad.

“Hi, this is Jasmine Fenton! Hopefully I can get back to you soon, but for now, please leave a message after the-”

Click.

Two options, he pondered as he did a running slide past the corner grocery store.

One: Jazz was doing tutoring and had her phone off.

Or, possibly, two: Their parents loaded her onto the GAV and didn’t take no for an answer.

He didn’t hear her earlier trying to scream advice in an attempt to circumvent the danger their parents posed to everyone, but was it even a Tuesday for her to be busy with tutoring? Or maybe she does tutoring on Thursdays…

None of it mattered obviously. He had to get to Fenton Works ASAP.

There wasn’t strictly much that could help him, but he couldn’t imagine anything going even more wrong by using the splitter to try and get some part of him functioning again.

At worst, he’d have two people to drive the Speeder so he/they could gun it to Frostbite and see what could medically be done.

This totally didn’t gloss over every logistic and science issue ever, no sir!

And even if it did, what kind of options was he supposed to come up with right now!?

One more cut through an alleyway and Danny was in the home stretch towards Fenton works.

This moment was of course the same one a massive crash and crunch of metal sounded off a block away. Maximum.

Before he’d had the saving grace of a hiding spot. Now? Not so much! All it’d take was for Skulker or Technus to remember that they could fly above buildings and-

Well there went his survival odds!

The second after, Valerie flew above their heads, shooting down at them even as they launched onto his street.

And, for as distracting as she was, he couldn’t say his odds just got any higher.

Danny nearly took the door off its hinges trying to get in faster than anything could shoot at him, barely in before the street was awash in pink and green.

Just because he knew he couldn’t get blamed for this (mostly) didn’t mean the sense that he was so dead over this stopped creeping in.

“I, TECHNUS, WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT-” Technus screamed, caving the door in with a broken lamppost, Technus himself soon followed suit, seeming to have shed most of his mecha well before the door- though he was losing more in an effort to get in with ease.

“If this is about the extended car warranty-!” Danny shouted back, trying to bolt for the basement. Or literally any of the house defense buttons- screw that they’d target him too!

“I WOULD NEVER SINK TO SUCH LEVELS, PEST!” Technus cut him off, the severed mecha parts bursting into and spreading wires and metal throughout the house in seconds.

Skulker didn’t waste time squeezing through besides Technus, grinning even as he was focused solely on the street outside.

“The basement.” Was all Skulker said before the option was gone from him, tangled in too much metal and wire to ever think about it again.

Danny wasn’t going to get time to think about this one, bolting upstairs instead as the door frame exploded into pink.

“All of you-”

Valerie interrupted herself with a gunshot to Technus.

“, rat bastards! No respect for-”

Skulker, now.

“anyone or anything! This is a house!”

Danny, now. He could feel it burn through both his shirt and suit even as he passed the last few steps to the second story.

Thank god for adrenaline.

Dashing down the hall as Technus and Skulker both roared into action, he performed the best running leap he’d ever managed to grab and pull the chain for the ladder.

Of course, having leapt for this privilege in a house meant for his dad meant he kept sailing through the air as the ladder slammed down behind him.

That was fine! Valerie was still distracted, just roll and climb! So easy.

So easy to corner himself on a roof with no options except to jump if he wanted off.

The fight continued on beneath him as he stared over the side, his world totally silent otherwise.

Grasping for inane details in the hopes one would matter, he saw nothing of use.

The day was bright, and clear. The town was quiet. If he turned slightly, he could pretend the wake of destruction didn’t exist.

But then he’d be ignoring the wires spilling out his front door, a shell of a car deposited in the center of the street- seeming to host most of the mess as a battery.

Valerie swore worse than ever below.

Nothing could help him right now. He was stuck either standing or jumping.

Or well, maybe he could at least do something about the gaping wound in his side… that might be good.

Slowly and carefully he stripped his hoodie off, noting that the hole was smaller than he’d been mentally giving it credit for.

His side still dripping as he dropped it unceremoniously, he realized that this was a dumb plan and that he couldn’t do anything anyways.

His side wasn’t a spot he could tourniquet. Pressure only helped so much in ghost form, as even with bones he was notably more squishy(?) than a normal human.

The fighting paused for one brief moment, before getting ten times worse, Valerie inadvertently teaching him new slurs for ghosts.

Danny looked over the edge of the building again, reaching for his pocket with a prayer.

…

“Hi, this is Jas-”

Click.

…

“Hi! If you don’t know-”

Click.

…

…

“You have reached this 🌟Too Fine🌟 of a voice mail-”

One last click off, phone thusly tucked back into his pocket.

Danny stood alone over what was closer to a three story drop than a two story drop (stupid vaulted ceilings…), and quietly sat on the edge as the fight below went silent and stayed silent.

Hand to his side regardless of if it’d help, he watched the car-battery-wire mess power down and simply waited.

Sure, he could jump, but the adrenaline was winding back down. He was already hurt, bad, in multiple ways. Valerie could fly and right now he couldn’t. There was nowhere on the street to hide and even if there was plenty of places the street over he wouldn’t get that far.

He was dead meat any way he went.

He could hear the ladder clack behind him as Valerie hauled herself up.

“What a surprise! All nice and ready for me.” Valerie huffed, immediately standing at the ready with a gun. Danny only just copped a glance before turning back towards the view.

Odd, no suit nor hoverboard. Maybe Technus had managed to hit her just right and made it shut off.

“Yeah. They go through the portal at least?” He asked, barely looking back as he gripped his side a little tighter.

“And here I- what? Um. Yeah, to my knowledge.” Valerie stuttered slightly, the earnestness of his question seeming to trip her worse than Danny’s previous bomb drop.

“Good. Lock the portal when you go back down. My parents will probably open it up by next week, but hey! Stops everything for now.”

Her steps towards him slowed to a crawl, and he could sense the caution and the suspicion even as she continued regardless.

God, he was really doing this. It occurred that he could still just shove himself off the edge, but he couldn’t think of anything that could possibly solve. Guns can be pointed over roof edges.

“Uh. Thank. You? B-But no uh, tricks or-”

She stopped by his side, gun still pointed as her eyes tracked across the roof for the surprise that simply must be coming.

“Valerie, I’m really sorry you think I could ever hurt you, but I’m out. Injured and done. It’s you or it’s splatting on the pavement. Dunno how much bounce back I’ve got left right now.”

“Any last… uhm-”

This is a super stupid way to die. But he’s pretty sure he’ll be a grease stain if he jumps, which is even stupider.

“I guess... Tell Sam, Tucker, and Jazz not to beat themselves up over it.” He hummed, finally looking at Valerie again.

He wondered how much of this mess the town behind him was seeing.

The gun shook silently before lowering and turning away.

“You are him, aren’t you?” Valerie asked softly, gun already dropping from her hands.

The gun dropped with an uncomfortable clatter as Danny gave the least shaky and uncomfortable smile he could manage, Valerie's eyes not even seeing him as she fixated on his stained hoodie.

“Phantom was never this sweet.”

Valerie clearly hadn’t focused on the words, so lasered onto her revelation that Danny’s brief twitch was entirely missed.

He couldn’t even be insulted right now; there was a certain amount of venom their fights had always had.

Silence extended further as Valerie only barely looked back up at him, still shaken.

“Thanks, I think. But uh. What now?” Danny asked, genuinely not sure. He just had to accept that insults to his other half could be addressed later.

How a reveal would go had always haunted him slightly, and this was probably a better ending than most of the realistic ones.

But even then, those fantasies always ended when she understood.

Valerie snapped to at the question, standing straight and returning to her facade of confidence.

“Helping. How’d they even do this to you?”

“Technus made Skulker a new gun, I think. It goes downhill from there.”

Carefully, Danny slid himself back onto the roof. He was struck with the sense that sudden moves would still get him killed, somehow. This was.. Too easy, almost.

Anxiety or not, the pain was also holding him back.

“Figures that those assholes would do this. Don’t suppose there’s an obvious way to fix this?”

“Not really? I mean… there might be something in the basement to help, but outside of that it’s not like I’ve got options beyond to sit here and suffer. Maybe see if Frostbite knows anything.”

“The basement, huh… Oh, thaaat’s why Skulker growled something out about it. Maybe we can-”

The GAV started wailing again, suddenly.

The offending vehicle was only streets away, and if he focused hard enough he could almost hear his dad yelling about having fixed something or other.

Farewell pain, hello adrenaline!

He was going to be so sick after today. He could just feel it.

“Bail!” He shouted, running back towards the ladder.

“What!?”

“Do you trust my parents not to shoot on sight!?”

The look of fear was immediate.

“Oh, god! Bail!”

In total agreement it was borderline a fight for the ladder and to get down to the first floor.

The wires hadn’t disappeared, leaving them precariously stood on the mess next to the kitchen.

“What’s your plan, Danny?! It’s their house!” Valerie hissed, eyeing him and the wires cautiously.

“WINDOWS ARE ALWAYS FAIR GAME!” He screeched, launching into the kitchen.

The voice of doubt in his head pointed out that it was incredibly lame for all his best executed moves for today to be so fundamentally stupid in nature.

Regardless, lifting the stand mixer and tossing it through the back window in one single uninterrupted motion, punctuated by the shattering of glass, was probably the smoothest thing he’d do today.

“YOU COULD HAVE OPENED THE WINDOW-”

“NO WE COULDN’T HAVE!” Danny yelled back, already launching himself through the opening regardless of potential cuts.

“WHAT?” Valerie screeched back, lingering before following suit.

“The Fenton Family Home Defense System locks the windows upon activation, with or without shutter activation! Even when it turns back off they’re stuck until you do a manual unlock!”

He was already bounding through the backyard, sailing himself over the fence without a second thought.

“Danny, in what world does that make sense!?”

Valerie was close behind.

“The one where my parents designed it! And the one where you’d then be stuck in a house with more weapons than people!”

“Danny, your parents are still nuts for locking-!”

“Losing battle! Pick and choose! Keep running!”

Valerie’s laugh was clear, like bells as they continued across town.

The stress was obviously getting to her- yet it was almost infectious. This was insane!

Eventually, well after they’d gone from a residential area back to business, he was yanked into a new back alley, Valerie still grinning as she caught her breath.

“And what about the door?”

“Also locked.”

She missed a beat before speaking again.

“So, what, not even the doors work until you do a system reset? That’s stupid.”

Danny had to laugh at himself right now.

“No, I just don’t remember the passcode! That door is pretty normal.”

“But you can’t leave without a code from the inside?”

“Normal for my house!” He giggled.

They were left with wheezing laughter over a near miss that wasn’t that funny to begin with.

Eventually Valerie’s hand left his shirt collar, moving to push him back slightly. Intimacy time over.

“Okay, Danny. Your parents are nuts and we don’t trust them not to shoot. Where are we going?”

“Well I could always hide in a dumpster again, but outside of that I don’t have any ideas. Sam’s busy and Jazz… well, is it Tuesday or is it Thursday, actually?”

Valerie gave him the blankest look imaginable for his question.

“It’s Saturday.”

… Well then!

“Okay, well, Jazz is tutoring. Probably. So she’s busy.”

“And Tucker, since you seem to trust your friends with this one?”

... What?

“Uh. At a tech camp somewhere in-”

“Got it. The basement might help, you said?”

Right, back to topic.

“I cannot stress that ‘might’ part enough. We’ve got a lot of weird stuff down there that’s come in handy in really stupid ways before.”

“Okay, well, that’s not great. You got an idea on how to get your parents out of the house?”

“Not in the slightest.” He admitted, shrugging as he spoke.

“Superb. Just fantastic. Okay, maybe we could camp at my place for an hour? At least until... or. Hm.”

Valerie finally lost her focus on him, looking to the side in thought.

Danny had to give credit where it was due that they were screwed in a different way, now.

Valerie’s fast turn saved his hide so he was certainly much farther than he thought he’d get, but there wasn’t much they could throw at his parents to make them disengage with the mess of wires Technus left behind. It was now valuable research material, at best.

Delightful.

“My place is probably for the best. Christ, that’s a distance to go.” Valerie muttered.

“Not to interrupt, but yeah actually. How are we getting there? Is your suit broken, or…?”

“Broken is a strong word. It self repairs, but yes, I’m grounded right now. And though I care about you, the huntress getting seen towing Phantom would not be good.”

There it was again, slighter than before but still present. The slight dissonance in how the situation was getting viewed.

Easy to shrug and move on though, right?

He probably shouldn’t.

“So… not to-”

“Look, we need to start moving. You’ve got a hat or something?”

“Man, I wish.”

“Okay, okay… shitty question, but Phantom can fly. Obviously. What can you do right now…?”

Uh.

“Uh. Nothing? Look, the blast- I think… Sorry, but what do you think happened? I just-”

Valerie’s eyes narrowed a touch in preemptive insult.

“Calling my explanation the abridged version gives it too much credit! I just want to make sure you understand what happened, and what you’re asking??”

Best cover he could’ve used, honestly.

Valerie cringed in on herself, obviously realizing something.

“Uhm, sorry, I didn’t mean to… Look, sorry. I know being in his body is probably really weird? But my place is over in Elmerton, and it’d be really helpful if one of us could… I’m sorry.”

She’d dodged the real question, but still managed to give the answer Danny needed.

In… this body…?

Oh. Oh boy.

[neoninky]

TWST Fic: "Her Devoted Shield" - Chapter 1

10, 000+ words later

Oof, ok. Here we go. Chapter 1 is up and the story is in full swing!

I'm going to let y'all dive right in. Please check out my AO3 and Masterlist for this and my other stories (also for any new readers - hi -this is the third story in my Sacred Crown Chronicles series so I highly recommend starting with 'Her Ivory Crown' first if you haven't already) Likes, comments, and reblogs (NOT reposts) are welcomed and appreciated, thank you. Ok onward

Chapter 1: Dragged into the Abyss

A year passed in its steady seasons without further written letters or talk of happenings across the ocean. The campus of Noble Bell and Fleur City both continued onward as normal. Students moved towards further study and the city thrived with its busy streets and lively festivals as it had for years. Occasionally Moselle still appeared among the people as she had before returning to the bell tower though her light was visibly dimmed. Soon enough, the fae appeared less and less. The rains began to come more often, always erratically until they stopped altogether for long periods. Rollo Flamme was no longer on campus, having left for his fourth-year studies elsewhere in the Shaftlands. About a week after his departure, the remaining students noticed that the bell tower remained empty for days. When asked, the citizens of Fleur City had not seen Moselle aside some the occasional sight of a large shadow swimming by in the river.

- 

The river flowed overhead as the currants gently carried the somber dragon fae along. Moselle returned to staying within the river, out of sight and out of mind. She put on a strong face when Rollo told her he decided to study outside the city during his final year. They knew it was coming and Moselle cared for the human boy deeply. How could she make a fuss and hold him back? Especially when human lives were so short in comparison to fae like her? Still his absence, the silence from Malleus, both only served to remind her that she was alone. She had been for years, but now? Now, Moselle couldn't escape it. It didn't matter how familiar the river felt to her. It didn't matter that it was her and her family's original home. It was empty. 

The dragon huffed a rush of frustrated bubbles and swam faster, trying to escape the bitterness biting into her. She swam until her body ached and burned. When her lungs demanded air, Moselle left the river only to hide away in the dark waterways under the bridges in her human form. The season was turning colder and soon the river would freeze over. She could return to the bell tower but...

"No, I can't stay there forever, " She mumbled as she wrapped a thick blanket she hid in that spot to shelter herself against the cold, "Maybe...maybe it's time to move on to somewhere else?"

A critical voice laughed in the back of her mind. Where would that be? Fleur City is all she had ever known. The people had been kind to her since she revealed herself to the public after the masquerade. Well, many of them have. The ones who were not kept their distance and told their children to do the same. Their eyes were always full of anxiety or fear. Moselle never took it too personally. I mean, she was strange and stuck out tremendously. There was no one else around like her...

No one.

"You're like me..."

Moselle groaned as Malleus' words from that day dug themselves up from her memory. She hated and loved it all at the same time. She wrapped her arms, the blanket, and even her tail tightly around herself, squeezing her eyes shut. Moselle loved that, for a moment, someone else saw her and felt some connection, some kinship with her on a deeper level outside of being enthralled with her strange fae nature or weary of it. Moselle also hated how she knew in the depths of her heart that no, there was no way she was like him. He was royalty. He was powerful, elegant, and charming, and he came from a place of other dragon fae that were all very similar. He wasn't some lonely, overgrown trench lizard like she was-

"Stop it," she hissed quietly, "Thinking this way won't help you at all..."

The sky was growing dark and the night would be even colder. Moselle lamented that, unlike other dragons, she couldn't breathe fire to keep herself warm. Perhaps...? A thought struck her as she quickly scrambled back onto the walkway. The people of Fleur City were known for their hospitality to visitors so surely they would extend that to her as well, yes?

-

It had started to snow just as Moselle reached the nearest inn. It retained its more rustic appearance from when it was first built but the owners were renovating it in hopes of competing with the newer hotels that set up shop over the years. If nothing else, it at least had electric lights and a lift. The light coming from the windows was welcoming and warm. Even as the door opened for patrons to exit, a few of them recognized her and gave her a friendly greeting. Her spirits lifted when the warmth washed over her, welcoming her in from the cold night. 

The owner's eyes widened as she shyly approached the front counter, "Mademoiselle Dragonne! There you are! We feared you had left our fair city for different waters." 

Moselle slowly relaxed and gave him a tired smile, "O-Oh no, no, not at all. I, uh...good evening, sir, I apologize for the short notice, it's just that I need a place to stay tonight, out of the cold." 

The man's expression tensed as he pondered, "I see. Unfortunately, many of our rooms are closed down for renovation..."

The door opened behind her to a group of travelers shuffling in from the snow. They eyed the dragon fae, grumbling about their long journey as one man stepped forward to speak with the owner about a reservation. Moselle began to feel even more out of place as the man looked her up and down with curious eyes. The owner gave the group a warm greeting before turning back to Moselle.

"Do not worry, Mademoiselle, go sit by the fire while I sort some things out." 

The dragon fae exhaled her relief, "Oh thank you so much."

Once she was nestled comfortably by the fireplace. The owner spoke with the group in hushed tones as he checked them in. While they spoke, the owner's wife approached Moselle with a warm drink and a pitying smile.

"You poor thing, here drink this. It'll help you warm up." 

The dragon took a satisfying sip before thanking the woman for her kindness, "Thank you so much. I'm so sorry for stumbling in here without reserving a room first." 

The older woman tutted as she watched the fae drink, "Nonsense, it's no trouble at all. There is a spare room in the old wing. My husband just asked the staff to get it ready for you. It's far away from the guests in the newer rooms so you shouldn't have to worry about hearing any noises during the night."

Moselle felt warmth and relief wash over her as she began digging through her long skirt pockets for any money she had on her. Before she could say a word, the owner's wife stopped her.

"Oh don't worry about payment, my dear, it's all been settled," she said gesturing to the group that had come in behind Moselle before. The man who spoke for the group gave Moselle a grin and tipped his hat to her before following the rest of the travelers up the stairs.

- 

Her room was at the end of a long hallway on one of the upper levels. It was eerily quiet so much so that Moselle was convinced she was the only one staying on the floor. She was too overcome with exhaustion to second-guess the room's placement. The owners were kind enough to give her a home-cooked meal along with the warm drink before she turned in for the night. Perhaps it was the stress leaving her body but she barely made it past the door before her head started to spin. The exhausted dragon shambled into the humble room and locked the door behind her before flopping onto the bed, pulling the top cover around herself. 

"I'm so tired...can barely m-...move..." Moselle was out within seconds, falling hard into a heavy dreamless sleep. 

It was the kind of sleep where her eyes refused to open any disturbance that her ears may have picked up. The wind pushing against the window or the creak of old pipes or floors outside her room, nothing could stir her awake. She couldn't even roll over if she felt the need. Moselle's mind was foggy, heavy, and steadily growing more anxious as she heard movement that couldn't have been the wind. Late into the night, her door creaked as it opened...but didn't she lock it? She finally opened her heavy eyes and drew a sharp breath at what she saw. Or rather who.

"Hold still, sweetheart. It's far less painful that way," the man who paid for her room loomed over her as the rest of his crew surrounded her bed. Her brain was on fire though it was hazier than ever. It screamed for her to move, attack, anything, but she couldn't even lift a finger. Her heart hammered against her ribs as the travelers drew closer, pulling tools out of their coats. Tools that wreaked with a frighteningly familiar scent: iron. 

Their leader lunged down and clamped a heavy collar around Moselle's neck that began to burn her as soon as it touched her skin, ripping a scream from her throat. 

"Get off of me!!" 

The little strength she could summon was enough to throw the man across the room before she tumbled onto the floor. The other travelers began throwing themselves on top of her, pinning her to the floor and forcing iron shackles onto her wrists and ankles. It burned her skin like a hundred hot pokers. She screamed and thrashed, throwing the men off of her back before collapsing in writhing pain. All she could do was scream before one of the men gagged her and chained her hands and feet together. The pain was so intense Moselle's body finally gave out and plunged her back into the dark. 

"They didn't put enough sedative in her food," the leader growled picking himself off the floor, "Sedate her for good measure so she doesn't wake back up. Remove the iron before it scars her. She'll fetch a far higher price unscathed." 

The four men who chained and shackled her quickly removed the trappings as another filled another syringe with the same liquid the innkeeper and his wife had drugged her with before. No one ever came to the door to check on the commotion. If anyone noticed the group of travelers carrying some bound form into the back of a loading truck in the dead of night, no one said a word.

Far too late, Rollo was notified by his peers at Noble Bell that the dragon had gone missing. Moselle was miles away from Fleur City and any trail left behind had gone cold.

-

The light in her eyes had gone out long ago. Her skin bore fading burn marks from iron used to keep her docile. The punishments worked too well. After a while, Moselle finally stopped fighting. Her master was thankful for the peace, especially now that his treasure could heal. As he prepared to open his menagerie for visitation, Moselle fully healed.

"She is exquisite! A rare diamond even amongst fae!"

The man who purchased her was a fat nobleman who smelled of sickeningly sweet roses and tobacco. He was a collector who prided himself on his discerning eye for the exotic and rare. Moselle was his greatest treasure and was kept in her room, separate from the rest of the other rare fae and monsters he had collected over the years. If it could even be called a "room". It was, more or less, a large iron cast cage: a high ceiling with foliage and other greenery to simulate the outside with a large pool of water for her to swim in and an alcove with comfortable enough bedding. There was also a lower deck for visitors to observe her as she swam in the water. It was barely different than a habitat at a zoo.

That same night she was taken, Moselle woke up barely able to open her eyes or lift her head. She couldn't see or speak as she was both blindfolded and muzzled. But her ears caught the sound of multiple voices shouting out numbers over and over. Everything was hazy but the air smelled of dust and iron. After the same sum was called out twice there was applause from the unseen audience moments before Moselle felt another sharp stab to her skin just before more sedative poured into her system. When she woke up the second time, she was there.

That was four years ago. Not that she knew that. Time continued to elude her in this prison. Outside the cage, her surroundings were tall walls of cement and steel with artificial lights in the place of windows. Also, a barrier of magic would electrocute anyone trying to enter or leave without the nobleman's permission. Moselle had no idea where she was, or what day, month, or season it was outside. She just existed to be gawked at and fawned over by her master and the others he charged to do the same. Day after day after day. She couldn't remember the last time she tried to escape, how long ago it was, just that it ended very badly. 

"You belong to me!" 

The nobleman screamed over Moselle's shrieks as his staff held her down with heavy nets made from iron chains. They dragged her into the cage she now lived in and threw her into the water once she was too weak to struggle anymore. Her punishment was hours in the dark with no food or fresh drinking water. The previous habitat had been outside in the gardens in a giant greenhouse-like dome. It was visually stunning, yes, the glass was magic proof and the metal iron, but it was still nowhere near strong enough to contain a fae hellbent on escape. It had been the third habitat the nobleman had constructed specifically for her and it was the last one she destroyed like a house of cards.

Moselle was jolted back to the present when she heard the heavy doors open. She didn't move from her alcove at first. That is until she heard multiple jovial voices. Her master had patrons today. This triggered something in the dragon's mind and she sprang up to position herself in a more visible resting spot. She learned that doing so pleased her master greatly and therefore avoided his wrath. Her master and the group of fellow gentlemen that followed in after him were talking and laughing about various things. There were one or two women amongst the group that seemed rather bored and then a third woman, blonde, in a tailored red dress and wide-brimmed hat. She was the only one who immediately made eye contact with Moselle with a gentle smile. Its strange familiarity caught Moselle off guard and yet she didn't look away from the stranger's warm hazel eyes. A sudden shout from her master broke her gaze.

"Into the water! Show my guests your glorious scales!" He laughed heartily. On the surface, it seemed like a proud parent wanting to show off their talented child but Moselle knew it was a warning. She dove into the water without a fuss as the group descended onto the lower deck to get a closer look as Moselle changed into her dragon form. The lower tank was quite large but even so, Moselle found it stiffling. 

She couldn't hear their voices clearly through the glass but judging from the guest's expressions as she swam about, Moselle knew her master would be pleased. She felt a sick mixture of relief and shame. The relief did not last as she saw her master give her a specific hand signal. He did this whenever he wanted her to spin or twirl in the water so he and others could get a better look at her. Moselle's body obeyed without question as more shame seeped into her gut. She was no better than a trained circus animal! The group laughed and applauded her little performance through the glass. All of them except the woman in red. She stood unmoving with a slight frown. It wasn't disappointment so much as it was sadness. Perhaps even a bit of frustration? Moselle couldn't tell...but what did it matter? She would get to sleep comfortably with a full belly that night. Normally that affirmation was enough but...

The woman in red was looking her straight in the eyes. She was angry. Not at Moselle, but for her. The dragon could feel it. Her master rapped his knuckles on the glass and shouted something to draw Moselle's attention to him. He made another hand signal, silently commanding her to perform another trick for his easily entertained guests. Her muscles twitched, trying to move on memory, but she resisted. She was...tired. Moselle had enough. The dragon didn't wait for another signal from her master before swimming back to the surface and returning to her alcove in her human form. The group remained in the room, talking amongst themselves, some even calling out to the fae as if she were a dog that could be beckoned over. When she ignored them, her master merely laughed.

"Ah, it seems it's having a bit of a tantrum today. Perhaps I've spoiled it too much."

Moselle huffed and rolled her eyes, keeping her back to them. A second voice broke through the laughter, "Might I have a closer look at her? My buyer is quite fascinated with her." 

It was the woman in red. Her voice was feminine though slightly husky as she spoke, emphasizing the word 'her' with authoritative posh. Moselle looked over her shoulder at the blonde woman as she walked right up to the bars without waiting for a response. The woman gave Moselle that same warm smile that felt like a comforting hand on the shoulder. Her master clumsily blurted out some answer, negating any suspicion that Moselle might be for sale, but it fell on deaf ears. The dragon fae looked the mysterious woman up and down, only now seeing her pointed ears and small fangs when she spoke. Why this gaggle of humans didn't seem to notice was beyond confusing. Unless...? Moselle sensed some magic surrounding the woman as she turned to negotiate with Moselle's master. It had to be some form of glamour. No wonder these humans didn't notice. The thought of this woman being so sneaky amused Moselle a bit. It swiftly turned to desperate anxiety once she saw the look on her master's reddening face. He was growing furious.

"It isn't for sale! The dragon belongs to me!" He shrieked like a child arguing with an adult. 

She had been called 'it', 'dragon', 'you', anything but her actual name for years. For years, she had been treated as an animal and not a person, to the point where she completely stopped speaking or trying to communicate with her captor at all. What was the point of speaking when no one around you listened? After so many years, after finally witnessing another soul treat her with even a sliver of real acknowledgment, something primal deep within her finally broke. 

The small crowd outside the cage stumbled backward as the water suddenly splashed towards them through the bars. Moselle disappeared beneath the waters for three long seconds just before a furious river dragon burst out of the waters with a terrible roar, scattering the scared humans like cockroaches. Her master began screaming commands at her in an attempt to regain the broken illusion of power as the woman in red stood rooted to the spot and watched her, awe burning in her eyes. 

The dragon snarled and huffed at the pudgy human that had caged her all these years before blasting him across the room with a geyser of water from her maw. He slid off of the cement walls like a slug. The other humans fled the room as his hired security flooded into the room. Their shouts only angered the dragon more as she began blasting them as well. The woman in red was quickly taken out of the room as Moselle's now furious master regained his footing. 

The guards quickly surrounded the habitat, readying their mage stones, one shouting out commands to 'secure the beast'. Moselle's slitted eyes narrowed as a deep growl rumbled out of her like thunder. She reared back to give them another blast when the guards all shot magic at the bars, making the cage's ceiling sink in on her. She quickly dove into the water and slammed into the glass windows to no avail. On the other side, more guards were using magic to make the glass harder than diamonds. After more shouts, large iron balls were dropped into the water. They began to release a metallic powder that burned Moselle's lungs and skin. The dragon screeched and quickly swam to the surface. The iron bars were now just above her. They hit her head, neck, and back, burning her as she quickly shrank back into her human form and desperately crawled into the alcove, now her only haven. The furious nobleman glared menacingly at the fae through the bars. 

"Do not drain the water tank, " he barked at the guards, "Leave the iron deposits and bars as they are. No food, water, or lighting for the next three days. It will learn to obey me."

As the lights were shut off and the room emptied with the definitive slam of the doors, Moselle was left with only the sound of her haggard breathing in the dark. She collapsed onto the bed, burning pain and adrenaline ripping her apart. She couldn't stop shaking.

-

The darkness consumed everything but the putrid smell of iron around her. How much longer would she be forced to live like this? What was happening outside, back home? Was Rollo alright? Did he miss her? Did he remember her?

The dragon fae used to remind herself of Fleur City before falling asleep each night: the glorious springs in full bloom and the festive autumns each year, the music, and the warmth of the people who were kind to her. But now, it was simply too painful. Now, Moselle silently prayed for a sleep that she would not wake from. Everything hurt too much. Though there was little difference in the pitch blackness, she finally felt her eyes close and her body give way into the dilapidated bed. Her breathing eventually slowed and she was out.

A sudden burst of light all around the room and the dull sound of thudding pulled Moselle back to the waking world. The lights were back on. Was her punishment over? Before she could process her feelings on the matter, they were swiftly overwritten by fear as the loud thudding suddenly became louder and closer. The metal doors shook as voices were shouting on the other side in rhythm with each strike: someone was trying to break down the doors. Moselle's eyes darted around. The cage was still too low and the water too polluted for her to transform. Instead, she crawled further into her alcove like a scared animal with no escape as the doors finally collapsed. The crash rang louder than the bells back home as sounds of chaos ripping through the menagerie poured in.

On the other side, a group of humans in militant uniforms and silver armor cleared a path to enter the room. Half seemed to be looking for other potential exits while the rest surrounded the habitat and started using their magic to cut through the cage bars. She could hear other voices ringing through the outer hallways, yelling back and forth. Once an opening was cut, one of the guards stepped forward to enter. They looked different from the others. Firstly, they were shorter than the rest and more slender looking even under their body armor that was dark and more worn. They wore a silver helmet like the others that covered their face and a red cloak that was tattered and darker along the bottom as if it had been through many other raids like this one. 

Moselle hissed and snarled at the guard who entered despite her entire body trembling like a leaf. The guard slowly approached, raising their hands to show that they were unarmed. Their comrades used magic to create a path across the pool to Moselle, but the caped one didn't rush across. Instead, they called out in an earnest voice, "We're here to help. We mean you no harm." 

It was a girl's voice. Moselle unbristled a small amount as her eyes darted around to all the other guards who slowly backed away from the habitat, giving the two inside more space. The fae didn't move. She didn't try to run or attack. She simply sat frozen, clinging to the back wall, staring as the kind-voiced stranger slowly made her way across the water. Once the stranger was on solid ground and still far away enough to not crowd Moselle, she kneeled and spoke in gentle tones.

"It's alright. I know you're frightened but we only want to help you." 

A spark of hope flickered in Moselle's tired emerald eyes. Could it possibly be true? She wanted to believe her words, but what if this was just another trap? Sensing her doubt, the stranger slowly removed her helmet. Oh, she was a young human woman. Her eyes were deep brown and held the same benevolent look the blonde woman's held before. The freckles she had in her younger days had since faded. She stood slightly taller than before. Time and strife had toned her lean build more, preparing her for the life she had chosen. Her tenacity and heart were still ever the same.

"I'm Petra Revie. I'm here to save you." 

Petra was now a twenty-two year old young woman, her school days behind her. She extended her hand to the dragon fae and waited. This girl was a stranger. For all Moselle knew, Petra could be trying to trick her. Even without words, Petra understood why the fae hesitated. So instead of forcing her to come with them, the human girl reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out a familiar piece of fabric. 

"Your friend asked us to find you, Moselle."

In her hands was a violet handkerchief covered with moons and stars. Moselle's voice was still locked away, buried under years of abuse. Even when she opened her mouth to speak, words refused to form. All she could do was gasp and half-sob with overwhelming joy before extending her shakey hand to Petra. 

-

News of the recent arrest of one of their own spread all across the Rose Queendom. From the nobility to the common citizens, shock and appall were equally shared. In print and broadcast, this man's name was ruined as his crimes were put on a full blast across the nation. Though his trial was closed to the public, everyone knew whose wrath he would be facing. 

Inside the courtroom, the accused man sat alone with a downcast expression already covered in a cold sweat before the trial even started. On the other side sat Petra in formal dress and a legal representative of the task force that had raided and shut down his menagerie. A jury was deemed unnecessary for this case. The audience in attendance were members of the royal court. Entering the heavy room with a serious look on his face was Lord Jasper Elfern. In civilian courts, there were appointed judges, lawyers, and the like to handle these sorts of things. This case, however, was brought directly before the royal family and the royal court. Unfortunately for the collector, no lawyer within the capital city was foolish enough to defend him once they caught wind of his crime and the logistics of how he was exposed. It was less of a trial and more of a last shot for the man to be proven innocent before he was sentenced. Here there was only one judge to convince and he was notorious for being obstinately committed to the facts, his queen, and little else. Jasper's voice rang out across the hall.

 "All rise, His Majesty King Rosehearts presiding." 

Petra and the others stood uniformly. The accused noble nearly fell over as soon as he heard who would be the judge for his case. The quiet clicks of his heeled shoes cut through the silence like gunshots as the stern young king entered and took his place behind the bench. Riddle to date was one of the youngest kings in the Queendom's more recent history, standing at the same 5'8 he reached upon his final years at school, and held a more controlled temper now that he was in his twenties. None of these attributes made him any less domineering, however.

His steel eyes went directly towards the accused making him wriggle like a helpless worm, "State the crimes of the accused."

Jasper listed each item with a serious tone, "Purchase and imprisonment of illegally poached monsters and other international fauna, most if not all are classified as endangered. Purchase and imprisonment of various types of fae, from various illegal underground markets. Charging admission to fellow anonymous nobility and other patrons to gain access to his 'collection'. Abuse and torture of captured monsters and fae from himself and his patrons for entertainment purposes. Including one Miss Moselle of Fleur City who was not only tortured, abused, and extorted, but also kidnapped by a paid third party and then won at an auction rigged in the accused's favor to cover any tracks that linked the kidnapping to him." The audience festered with scandalized gasps and chatter as the list continued until Riddle banged a gavel to quiet them all. The nobleman panicked and shot up out of his chair, "Your Majesty, please! This is slander! I never-"

"Silence," Riddle's gaze could crack diamonds, "I will hear from the prosecution." 

The representative next to Petra called her to the stand to testify. All of the evidence was foolproof. They had photos and receipts of each specimen that was purchased with no signs of forgery. The final straw was the clear photos of Moselle being caged inside a habitat and then close-up, clinical shots of the injuries she sustained on her skin from the last bout of abuse she suffered. The courtroom erupted with the nobleman's desperate cries and the backlash from the audience behind him.

"This is outrageous! I never laid a hand on it-er-her! I had no idea who she was or that she had been taken by force! If anything I should be the one prosecuting you!" the incensed man pointed an angry, stumpy finger at Petra, "My property was broken into and vandalized by this woman and her lot-"

Riddle's gavel came down with a thunderous crack, "ORDER! Be seated and silent at once!" Once the ego-wounded man finally shut his trap and slid down in his chair, Riddle addressed Petra directly, "Miss Revie, did you and your comrades act on your own accord or were you sent on that raid?"

"We were gathered and deployed by a higher command, Your Majesty," Petra's eyes could bore holes straight into the guilty noble's forehead with how angry she looked.

"Tell the court who this higher command was, Miss Revie," Riddle already knew the answer, but it needed to be said before the proper verdict could be given. 

"The Rose Queen, Her Majesty Reine Rosehearts," Petra had to fight to not smirk as the noble's face turned ghost white, "the Queen received an anonymous report along with the same evidence presented here that one of her subjects was committing heinous crimes right under her nose."

The man was trembling beyond reason, "Y-Your Excellency, I-I-" 

Riddle stood and slammed both hands onto the podium. His expression was calm but his eyes and voice burned, "Based on the evidence and accounts given here today, I conclude that the accused dared to dishonor his Queen and country with these foul acts and then has the gall to feign innocence? Am I correct, sir?"

All eyes dared the pitiful man to argue, heavy silence pressing in on him as everyone waited for an answer. There was no escape for him. He was doomed the moment he was caught. The man broke down into a pathetic fit of sobs, utterly defeated. Riddle sat back down and proceeded to give his verdict.

"I find the defendant guilty. He is sentenced to life in prison without parole. He is stripped of his title as are his heirs and wife. The remaining members of his household are banned from the royal court, even by association. Any remaining properties or laundered money connected to his crimes will be confiscated at once." 

Not a moment after the gavel was banged for the final time was the guilty man cuffed and dragged out of the courtroom. This specific courtroom was a part of the royal palace and used for the most dire of cases. Or at least the ones that Riddle felt needed his attention. The fact that his wife and queen played a great part in bringing that bastard to justice only enflamed his cause. For the protection of his wife and future family, the courtroom was kept outside the vast grounds of their home but still away from the public of the capital city. 

The two old friends were escorted into a protected vehicle and driven back to the royal grounds proper. Petra finally let herself relax into the leather seats with a heavy sigh. Riddle let his stern guard down and gave the princess a satisfied grin, "Well done once again, Petra."

"Thank you, Riddle," it felt too weird to call him by his proper title when it was just the two of them even now, "I couldn't have done it without your and Reine's support, naturally. The Rose Queendom's police force is no joke." 

The young king grinned proudly, "Oh yes. Only the best serve and protect under Reine's rule. Whether it's in the light of day or behind the scenes. Speaking of which...how many raids have you and the task force completed over the years, Petra?"

Honestly, she had lost count. It all started her fourth year at Sacred Crown during what was supposed to be a political internship based in her kingdom that bordered what is now Briar Valley. Petra selected one that would allow her to serve the people instead of just sitting in a castle, overlooking them. That's how it started but soon the ugly truth reared its head. There had been an influx of game hunters crossing the borders and infiltrating the mountains and forests between the human and fae kingdoms. It was brushed off as 'wildlife management' by her father's advisors and the local authorities. Come to find out, no, it was anything but that. 

Her people, in the name of technological advancement, were trapping fae and siphoning off their magic to use it to power machinery for their businesses, harvesting and expanding their farmlands, and even sourcing out power for factories and power grids. She always knew that her kingdom was behind others when it came to technology. The entire land that held both her kingdom and Briar Valley was richly steeped in magic and raw nature so it was difficult to build any sort of metropolis like other countries around the world. In a way, Petra loved the land for that reason. Still, her people took advantage of smaller weaker fae to help themselves, and any larger, stronger fae that happened to be subdued were sold off in secret marketplaces or auctions much like the one Moselle was forced into. It was gruesome and unbearable. Petra couldn't and wouldn't stand for it. Instead of the homecoming of a princess her people expected after she graduated, Petra Revie took matters into her own hands. In turn, well, public opinion regarding the princess was greatly polarized and not always in favor of good. Those who supported their princess joined her cause. This was only the beginning, however. Once Petra discovered that these dubious transactions weren't just happening at home but in other countries as well, she left her faction to oversee things in their kingdom and set out across the sea. Her journey brought her to the Rose Queendom at the dawn of Reine's ascension to the throne.

"Petra? You have been here for quite a few years now. Not that you're never welcome here, just..." Riddle had his concerns as did many in Petra's life. While he was now king of a nation, Petra was a friend and an ally, not a subject to be ruled. Judging from the growing frown on her face as she avoided his gaze was a further testament to this.

"The throne is in good hands. Besides, I was able to shut down those markets in my kingdom and come to find out, others are perpetuating the problem in other countries, like here," Petra ignored the pit of guilt brewing in her gut, "I want to ensure that fae everywhere, not just back home, are safe and free to live peacefully." 

Riddle's expression softened into a proud smile, "Your efforts have not been in vain, Petra. Thanks to you and Mr. Zhao, we've been able to rescue hundreds just over the past two years alone. It's hard to imagine in today's world such prejudice and ill-treatment of fae still runs rampant..."

Petra snorted as the car came to a stop, "You can call him Tai instead of 'Mr. Zhao'. It makes him feel old. I mean he is like six or seven hundred years old, but you didn't hear that from me."

The two exited the car as Riddle hummed to himself, "Well I must say he looks fantastic for his age, not a day over three hundred at least." 

Petra's loud chuckle echoed into the corridor as she followed Riddle to the throne room, "Heeey, look who grew a sense of humor!"

-

Warm light faded into the quiet room with a soft breeze brushing up against the sleeping dragon's face. The sinfully soft bed she had been resting in was a sweet haven from the nightmare Moselle had survived. She felt entirely too groggy yet so rested all at once. She slowly sat up with a deep yawn and looked down at the nightgown on her in confusion. It took her brain a minute or two or remind her how exactly she got here. The mental recap was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door. Moselle opened her mouth to answer but only a tiny rasp came out, reminding her yet again how out of practice her vocal cords were.

The door opened letting a kind greeting float into the room, "Oh good you're finally awake, Miss Moselle. Good morning."  A young woman entered with a soothing presence. She was quite petite and youthful with rose pink doe eyes and mint blue wavy hair, cut short for ease. The tiny mole under her left eye only added to her charm. Moselle looked her up and down, not recognizing her or the healer uniform she was wearing. Her soft voice did sound familiar though. The healer pushed a tray with a full tea set and some breakfast into the room with her, "I thought you might be hungry after all that rest so I prepared you something. I hope you like it."

A wave of deja vu suddenly crashed over Moselle as she remembered the last free meal she was offered before she was taken. She nervously backed up onto the bed, shaking her head. The girl didn't seem offended in the slightest. She just gave the dragon a gentle smile and placed the cover back over the food, "It's alright, I understand you're probably feeling rather disoriented after all of...that. For what it's worth, I assure you that you are quite safe here in the Rose Queendom. Her Majesty has tasked me with keeping a close eye on you while you've slept since arriving...uh let's see...three days ago?"

The dragon's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She slept for three whole days?! The girl's soft-spoken tone suddenly vanished as she laughed at the fae's exaggerated expression, "You had quite the nap!" She snorted mid-giggle before quickly clearing her throat and returning to her original reserved tone, "Apologies. As I said, you are quite safe here under Her Majesty's watch. She would never let a guest suffer in her house-er-palace." 

Moselle's eyes drifted about the room, finally noticing just how grand it was even for a spare room. That's right...that armored girl and a bunch of others rescued her and brought her here. Her senses felt conflicted between relief and learned trauma as they took in the smell of roses in the air. It was a fresh and sweet smell, unlike the concentrated cologne that the abusive noble constantly wore. No, this place was very different. She looked over at the tray of food right as her stomach loudly growled. The healer smiled knowingly as she uncovered the food and started preparing a cup of tea for the dragon. 

"You may eat whenever you are ready. I promise it's not poisoned," another giggle-snort escaped from her before she tried to recover yet again, "Oh, sorry, I'm Astrid by the way. Astrid Piperita. I'm one of the many healer mages that studied here in the Rose Queendom and I've been charged with aiding in your recovery." 

"...Tha...Than...k...y-y...ou..." Moselle felt a bit mortified at how much she was struggling with such a simple sentiment. She felt a bitter lump form in her throat which only frustrated her more. 

Astrid sat down in her chair next to the bed and handed Moselle the teacup, "Here. This herbal blend will help relax your throat. I also have some books for you to practice reading aloud later if you want. That way you can get used to speaking again at your own pace." 

The kindness in Astrid's pastel eyes made Moselle's start to water. She quickly wiped the budding tears away and nodded. The healer beamed, "Excellent. But first, you need to eat. After your breakfast, how about we go outside? The palace has the most gorgeous gardens in the city, if not the country. Fresh air and sunshine will do you good. And don't worry, I'll stay with you so you don't get lost."

Moselle felt her whole body start to lighten as the sweet little healer cut up her food into smaller pieces for easier consumption.

-

"It's all been settled, My Queen."

Riddle kissed his wife's hand after finishing his report of the morning's events. Reine Rosehearts thanked her darling husband with no shortage of adoration in her eyes as he sat down on the throne next to hers. Petra thought it sweet that the couple was still so in love with each other. On the other hand, she felt kinda awkward being in the same room as them. Thankfully Reine knew when to get straight to business.

"Petra, has Mr. Flamme responded yet?"

The princess frowned, "Unfortunately, he's not one for using an actual cellphone so not yet. You'd think that he'd be easier to get in touch with considering he reached out to us first." 

Reine pondered a mere second before calling for the footman, "No matter. We'll simply have to reach out differently. Bring the Looking Glass at once, please."

The rabbit beastman swiftly left the throne room and just as quickly returned with a very large, antique mirror he wheeled in with the help of another rabbit. Petra was impressed but not surprised.

"I guess people do still use these things, huh." 

Reine rose from her throne with a satisfied grin, "Modern technology is useful but when in doubt, the classics work just as well. Mr. Flamme said he would be expecting us any time now so hopefully this will do the trick."

The queen cleared her throat and thought for a moment before speaking in a clear voice in front of the mirror, "Fleur City. Monsieur Flamme, please." Both Riddle and Petra stood at her side, curiously waiting.

The glass started to shift like water before a blurry image began to smooth itself out. Across the oceans in Fleur City, Rollo Flamme was busying himself inside his home's study. His expression was as tired and dead serious as ever. Very little about him changed over the years. On the wall across from him hung a much smaller version of the mirror Reine was using. When letters weren't fast enough, or he couldn't be bothered to find his misplaced phone, the magic mirror was Rollo's go-to for long distance communication. Even in a dire circumstance such as this, the young man still couldn't seem to keep track of his cell phone.

"Monsieur Flamme?"

Reine's voice made Rollo's head pop up from his work with a look of surprise, "Ah, Your Majesty."

He quickly made his way across the room, bracing himself. He had been waiting for news for over a year now. He silently prayed that today he would finally hear something to feel joyful about. Reine addressed him with a pleased look.

"We found her. She is here, safe and sound."

Rollo exhaled a breath he felt he had been holding for years, "Ah. Thank goodness. I owe you an immense debt of gratitude, Your Majesties, thank you," his tired eyes shifted to Petra, "And to you, Lady Revie." 

Petra was never one for overt thank yous or compliments, "I was just doing my duty, Rollo-er-Monsieur Flamme, sir." 

Petra and Reine both filled Rollo in on what they discovered, how they found Moselle and her current condition. The entire time he listened, Rollo felt bitter anger boil his blood. He knew deep down that the dear fae would never want him to feel guilty for leaving all those years ago even after her terrible experience. Even so, he had to know...

"What happened to that man? And the poachers?" His expression was a stone-cold mask hiding his stewing temper.

Riddle stepped forward and explained the sentencing that had happened that morning, "He will be spending the rest of his life in a cell. As for the poachers, we've detained more than half of their men already. We're on the trail of the others as we speak. They will be facing the same sentence if I have anything to say about it." 

Rollo's brow was as sharp as his tone, "Good."

Reine moved the conversation forward to the important next step, "I want you to rest assured that Moselle is receiving the best care and is more than welcome to stay in the royal palace until she is fully recovered, Monsieur. However, I am concerned about what comes after..."

Before anything was said, Rollo could tell he and the Rose Queen were thinking the same thing. Even with the culprits brought to justice, Rollo was still burdened with worry about Moselle's safety in the long run. He sighed and looked out into his city which had changed greatly with time.

"Though I am happy to know that Moselle is alive and in good hands for now, I'm afraid...returning here is no longer an option," he didn't bother hiding the creeping sadness on his face, "the possibility that there won't be others seeking her out isn't guaranteed. Even if it were, the river here on which she was born has been greatly neglected by the city since she disappeared. There have been efforts to restore it but it will take a great deal of time. Taking both into account, I do not believe that Fleur City is the best place for Moselle anymore." 

The king and queen shared a disheartened look between them as they pondered over Rollo's words. Petra huffed, frustrated at no one in particular.

"I understand what you're saying but Fleur City is her home, isn't it? Does she know anywhere else? Or anyone else for that matter? Staying here would ultimately be just as dangerous wouldn't it?"

Unfortunately, that was true. The Rose Queendom had more rural towns far away from the capital but who was to say that she wouldn't run into the same danger of capture there? 

"A dragon fae would have a hard time thriving here in the city as well..." Reine sighed, not sure what to do, "Do you have any recommendations, Monsieur Flamme? You know her better than any of us."

There was one possibility upon Moselle's secure return that had haunted Rollo ever since he requested help in the first place. There was one place where a dragon fae could reside, surrounded by other fae like herself. Only one place came to mind and he loathed the very idea of it. He looked back to his desk where a box of faded, carefully stored letters and postcards sat. Each one bore the same sender's name: 'Malleus Draconia'. If there was anyone in the world who could keep a fellow dragon safe from ill-intentioned humans...

"I don't know if this is a viable possibility as of right now. However..."

-

The sunshine seemed so foreign that it was almost completely new all over again. Moselle stood out in the open space in complete awe. The smell of the flowers, the feeling of fresh grass under her bare feet, and the birdsongs filling the air filled the dragon to the brim with a sense of wonder that she had forgotten.  

"Moselle? Would you like to sit under the gazebo?"

Astrid had just finished setting the table with a pitcher of water and some snacks just in case Moselle was still hungry. The dragon was so enamored with her surroundings she didn't answer the healer. Astrid watched her before joining Moselle in the sun. 

"It's lovely out here isn't it?" she sighed before plopping down in the grass, lying down to face the sky. She patted the spot next to her when Moselle gave her a curious look. The fae slowly got down to sit on her knees next to Astrid. The doe-eyed girl pointed to a fluffy cloud, calling out what it reminded her of. Moselle wasn't sure what was happening but it felt nice. Astrid would pick more clouds and then giggle about how they reminded her of something called a mock turtle or a sleeping flamingo. 

"I think that one looks more like a walrus, honestly..."

Moselle jolted at the sudden voice coming from behind them. Astrid looked towards the large tree with a smile, "Oh Tai. There you are." 

The fae quickly turned her head to see a figure lounging comfortably in the thick, low-hanging branches. It was a man with a svelte figure and familiar blond hair loosely braided over his shoulder. His warm hazel eyes met hers, and all at once her brain haphazardly connected the dots. Moselle's eyes widened and her mute mouth hung open as this "Tai" fellow slipped out of the branched and approached the two young women. 

"Afternoon Astrid," his voice was deeper but just as smoothly precise now, "And Miss Moselle, good to see you in much better conditions." It had to be him. Or her? Moselle was confused but the look and smile matched. 

The fae looked him up and down, noting that he did have pointed ears and small fangs. She couldn't help the confusion on her face as she slowly pointed and mumbled, "...Ma...male...?"

Tai looked himself over as Astrid burst into a giggle fit, "Ah. Yes, I do look very different now than the last time we saw each other. Though personally, I thought I pulled the red dress off quite well." There wasn't a hint of shame or sarcasm in his tone. 

"Red is your color, yes," Astrid agreed in full seriousness. 

Perhaps this wasn't strange? Wait, was she being too blunt? Moselle's face turned pink as she muttered a weak apology, "S-sor-ss-sorry!"

The blonde fae just chuckled, "There's nothing to apologize for, my dear. The whole point was that the look was convincing, so I'll take your confusion as a compliment." 

"Tai is a professional. He's been undercover confusing his enemies with his pretty face for years," Astrid said a bit too bluntly with the grin of an admiring child. 

"Aiya," the fae scowled, "What kind of explanation is that Astrid? I am a professional in reconnaissance, stealth, and hand-to-hand combat specifically, not just playing 'dress up'," seeing more confusion take over the dragon fae's face, Tai cleared his throat and started again.

"I am Zhao  Tai-Yang, a fox fae from The Land of Red Dragons," he traditionally bowed to her, "but you may call me Tai. It's easier for most to pronounce. You've met my ward, Petra, though briefly. I imagine she's speaking with the queen at this moment." 

Moselle felt like her head was about to explode with all this new information. So these people rescued her, brought her to a rose-filled kingdom with a queen, and one was a medical human, another human in armor, and then a very androgynous fox fae from a far-off land that she vaguely remembered hearing about at Noble Bell before. These two seemed very friendly and trustworthy so far so surely the armored human was too? At least she hoped so. The conflicted feelings from before began pulling her at the seams once again. This place and everyone she met so far seemed nice but what if they weren't? What if it was a farce? What if she never got to go home ever again? On the other hand...did she even want to go back home to a city where others with nice voices and faces let her get taken away and tortured? The last thread holding her together finally snapped and her vision quickly blurred with salt water. Her mental dam broke hard and fast.

Astrid quickly sat up once Moselle's body began to tremble, "Moselle??"

The clear skies above suddenly clouded over with the rumbles of thunder. The dragon's ragged breath turned into a painful heave that pushed the tears down her distraught face and broke the clouds above in heavy rainfall. Astrid squealed and jumped to her feet, "Oh no, oh no! Moselle! Oh dear..." 

The dragon sobbed in the raspy remnants of her voice. Her tears wouldn't stop. Astrid managed to summon a large umbrella with magic and held it over herself and Moselle as she quietly cooed gentle words to calm the tormented fae. Tai stood silently in the rain, unmoving and soaked to the bone. He watched the poor girl cry and then the healer trying to console her before he finally spoke in an even tone, "Astrid, give her space, please." 

The human took the fox's advice and backed away while still holding the umbrella over the dragon, shielding her from the rain. The two of them stood in the downpour and let the dragon continue to grieve for several minutes. Moselle finally lifted her puffy, tearful eyes to look at the two strangers who had stayed with her this entire time. Both of them offered her reassuring looks. They weren't leaving. They weren't running from the storm. The dragon sniffled and sobbed now for an entirely different reason. 

The fox slowly closed the distance and joined Moselle under the umbrella, kneeling before her just as Petra did when she had come to Moselle's rescue. His warm smile didn't falter though he was a completely drenched mess. The dragon looked at him like a lost child. This wasn't the first time in his many years of seeing that look.

"Oh my dear...I may not understand completely, but I do know you have been through so much terror and I am so sorry," Tai's voice was full of patience and wisdom that couldn't be taught, "Just know, that while it will take some time for you to heal, to feel at peace, you are safe and among friends."

The heartfelt smile on Astrid's face only confirmed every word the fox had said. Any doubt previously holding her back was cast aside as Moselle's body moved on its own, searching for some sort of anchor. Tai gave a soft grunt as the dragon tightly embraced him, still sniffling and sobbing quietly to herself. The fox wrapped his arms around her and gently patted her wet hair without hesitation as if he had cared for the fae all her life. 

"Ah child, it's going to be alright. You're going to be alright," he hushed her cries like a doting parent.

Astrid sighed and lowered the umbrella as the rain stopped. This wasn't exactly the kind of day that she had planned for but it was a good start. The final member of their crew called from the garden's entry. 

"What's going on with the weather-AH!" Petra froze at the sight of the drenched trio, "What happened to you guys?"

Moselle recognized her immediately. This was Petra, the one who saved her. The girl's expression shifted from confusion to concern once she saw Moselle hunched over on the ground in Tai's arms, both of them a mess. The princess approached them and looked straight at Moselle without a hint of fear.

"Hey, are you alright? Are you still hurt?" 

The dragon nodded silently, suddenly feeling worlds better than before. Petra heaved a sigh of relief, "Oh thank goodness. Come on, let's get you dried off, ok? Can't have you catching a cold on your first days of freedom."

Petra's laugh was light and carefree as she helped Moselle to her feet. She offered a hand to Tai as well, "You too, old man. Actually, can fae get sick-AH!"

The fox made Petra shriek as he started shaking off the water like a dog before casually getting to his feet, "We can though we aren't as feeble as my rude ward here seems to think." 

"We still need to dry off!" Astrid, just as soaked through as the two fae but suddenly steeled with purpose, summoned a stack of dried towels and began drying off Moselle's horns and hair for her, "Temperature regulation is important to maintain one's health! Also, we're going to need more tea!" 

Moselle swiftly found herself back inside, changed into fresh clothes, wrapped in a blanket, and seated at a table with the three companions drinking more tea. She was once again unsure of how she got there but...she wasn't upset about it. Moselle sipped her tea in silence as the other three talked and joked amongst themselves. They were like a little family. Petra leaned over and began chatting with the dragon as Astrid began serving snacks.

"Sorry for everything being chaotic. This is just how we are...sometimes," she laughed awkwardly, "Anyway, hello again. I'm Petra Revie. I'm happy to see you're up and about finally. Astrid is one of the best so you're in good hands."

Astrid cooed affectionately on the other side of Moselle, "Oh, that's sweet of you to say. I just do my best, that's all." 

"And you met Tai. He's the eyes and ears of our group. He's taught me almost everything I know," Petra beamed.

The fox was leaned back in his chair with a sly grin, "Almost, she said. Well, I suppose you're right. I certainly didn't teach you that sloppy footwork you used in your swordfighting the other day, pup." 

Petra wildly gasped making the other two laugh, "Hey, it's not that bad!" 

Pup?? Moselle's head tilted to the side with questions. While the other two bantered back and forth like a true guardian and child, Astrid whispered to the dragon.

"Tai has been with the  Revie family for generations. He was there when Petra was born. I've only known them both for about two or three years, but we've been working closely together this whole time. So he likes to call us his 'pups'. It's adorable, don't you think?"

The sentiment was catching, making Moselle grin for the first time since she could remember. They were a little family.

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

(if you'd like to be added to a the tagging list, lemme know)

@foxwitchaine @iscarlettappel @nuitthegoddess @wysteriadelights @victoria1676 @1ndigowitch @aiimee9 @ladyrosemoon @yunaemiya

[maruiin]

Part 1

Part 2

The air was frosty, puffs of steam escaping from our mouths with each deep exhale. I walked behind Jesper, Kaz, and Inej, looking around cautiously. Until we got away from here, we needed to be very careful. Ahead, as agreed, there was a carriage with horses harnessed. Jesper did an excellent job, unlike the rest of us.

The Sun Summoner slipped from our grasp; we didn't even spend a minute near her. Now, I was sure that none of us had a further plan. Right now, I think we'll head to the city and decide our next move there. Perhaps we'll still have a chance to catch the Summoner, get a million kruge, return to Ketterdam, and continue living a normal life.

Up ahead, the guys are arguing about something, mostly Kaz and Jesper. As we approach the carriage, I look around once again. While Jesper, followed by Inej and Kaz, climb onto the driver's seat, I peer into the darkness, checking if anyone is following us. Getting caught now, when we're almost free from the guards, would be foolish.

"Grace, come on, take a seat," Jesper teases, saying those words with a playful tone because he finds something amusing. I turn my head towards them, inspecting the horses, the carriage, and my friends who have already settled in and are waiting for me.

Yes, I've become quite suspicious. Just ten minutes ago, I killed a person, and even the fact that I saved Inej from her personal sin and Kaz from death doesn't calm me down in the slightest. Now, I sense treachery everywhere, as if there's a threat behind every corner, a Grisha or a soldier. I place my right foot on the step, balance my left foot on the edge near Kaz, and pull myself up using my arms on the roof. I sit next to Inej, tucking my left leg under me and letting my right leg hang down from my side.

Throughout all this, I avoid looking at anyone, keeping my gaze down. I feel Inej glancing at me anxiously, torn between the impulse to take my hand, which I'm currently gripping the edge of the carriage roof between Jesper and Kaz, or to leave things as they are and maybe talk about it later in private. She knows I won't pour my heart out in front of the guys, especially not in front of Brekker. Not my style.

Still, she chooses the second option, leaving me with a genuinely encouraging smile when I look at her. Yes, Inej, you're one of the few who understands me. Jesper is still chatting away to Kaz, until Kaz asks him about the whereabouts of the Sun Summoner. Jesper smiles, as if the fate of the entire world depends on him right now, and releases the horses. The carriage jolts, so I grip the edge of the roof tighter.

Dawn was approaching. Maybe another half hour or so, and the sun would start rising above the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink, filling the darkness of the night with light. We continue to roll through the streets of Os Alta, checking for any pursuit. Tails are unnecessary now, and changing clothes would be a good idea; dressed as guards, we might raise too many questions.

"Jesper, turn down a less crowded street, we need to change clothes before sunrise attracts attention."

Jesper nods and turns onto another, less bustling street. We tried to head to the outskirts of the city, again, not to raise suspicions from the residents or the guards, since some of them have seen us. We pull under a bridge, and Jesper stops the horses.

"Alright, you guys go first," Inej says, "stuff inside." She pats the roof of the dark carriage. Kaz and Jesper jump down first, getting inside the carriage. Inej and I slowly descend from the roof, stretching our limbs.

I wrap myself in the coat that was part of the guard uniform and exhale with relief. We escaped. Inej approaches me slowly, touching my shoulder. It happens so unexpectedly that I flinch.

"Don't you want to talk about it?" Inej never insisted, not even now, but there was an underlying plea in her voice, like saying, "It'll be easier if you tell." I sigh deeply a few times, swallowing the lump in my throat, and rub my fingertips together. I've always done this when nervous.

- "And what do you want to hear?" I ask quietly because I don't want anyone to hear me at all. After all, I know that Kaz is listening in on us. Inej presses her plump lips together, rubbing my shoulder in support. - "I killed a person, Inej... I never imagined anything like this, never played out in my head how something like this could happen."

Inej listens, nodding humbly at certain moments, and I continue speaking just as softly, not breaking the tone.

- "And I absolutely can't understand myself. At times, I tremble as if with a fever. I remember his body, that dagger sticking out of his head, and a wave of panic engulfs me. But there comes a moment when I don't... I can't..." I pause, interrupting my rapid mumbling, something resembling a confession, and I raise my eyes to Inej. - "I can't imagine what it would be like if you did it... I can't imagine if Grisha had reached Kaz and killed him. And in those moments, I realize that I did everything right, that I wouldn't have done it differently, it wouldn't have worked out differently. And it becomes even scarier from that..."

Tears well up in strong and brave Inej's eyes, I see how much it hurts her to listen to this, but she swallows the lump of tears and says:

- "Why didn't you let me do it?"

- "You yourself said it was a sin..." I smile at the corner of my lips and watch as Suli's face relaxes. - "And I couldn't let you do it."

She smiles, a small tear running down her cheek, which Gafa couldn't hold back. Without thinking about anything or anyone, she turns me completely toward her and hugs me, holding me tightly against her body.

How weak I feel. I'm sure Inej would have held herself together, not showing her emotions, not showing how much she's suffering from what she's done. She would have swallowed it and perhaps forgotten over time, continuing to live on and instilling her faith in everyone. Unfortunately, I'm not Inej...

- "You know what your problem is, Grace?" Inej asks, pulling away from me but not letting go of my shoulders. Our height difference is noticeable now. Not much, but I'm about five centimeters taller than Inej. - "You're afraid that we'll look at you differently. You're afraid that I or Jesper or Kaz will look at you as a killer, accuse you of it. Deep down, you think that our attitude toward you will change, but it won't. It will never be like that."

Inej speaks in a full voice, not afraid to be heard, but apparently, that's so I'll literally ingrain her words into my head.

- "Thank you, Inej..." I whisper words of gratitude to the Suli who looks at my eyes, now full of tears, with a smile. Our brave Suli certainly knows how to move me.

Jesper jumps out of the carriage first, and then Kaz follows, seemingly limping even more on his right leg. I wipe away the tears so the guys won't see. Otherwise, I'd endure a month of Jesper's jokes about women's tears. But even for that, I adore him.

- "Your turn," the sharpshooter rushes to inform us. All this time, he kept looking back, staring at the large chest for belongings attached to the back of the carriage. But I decide not to ask him about it. Who knows, maybe he just imagined it, so I jump ahead of Inej into the carriage, closing the door.

For a few minutes, we don't get out of the carriage, adjusting our clothes and rearranging our weapons. Inej mostly has knives, both long and short, for close and ranged combat, each with its name. I, on the other hand, stick with the usual: a pistol, bullets, and two daggers. One was given to Inej, the other gifted by Kaz.

The spot where Brekker's gift used to rest was now empty.

We jump out of the carriage and approach the guys who are discussing something.

- "We need to find some tavern, stay there for a while, and come up with a plan for our next actions," Kaz says, inspecting Inej and me for readiness, pausing his gaze on my hand that now rests on my thigh with an empty sheath for the dagger. Kaz doesn't reveal anything; he doesn't even frown. He just raises his eyes to me, and we exchange glances.

- "We passed a tavern not far from here; I think we could stop there," Jesper suggested. In the meantime, I shift my gaze from Kaz to Wylan, as I can't withstand the intensity of his penetrating eyes. At another time, sure, we might have even competed in staring contests, but right now, I'm just a couple of steps away from remembering my recent conversation with Inej and bursting into tears again.

- "I think that's a good idea," Inej agrees, already turning towards the carriage.

- "Agreed," I nod approvingly because I don't see any other options. We all head towards the carriage, and then I notice once again how Jesper keeps looking in the direction of the chest. - "Jesper, what are you peering at over there?" He only grins slyly, looking first at me, then at Kaz and Inej, and then shifting his gaze back to the chest.

- "Oh, just making sure we don't lose anyone else's belongings along the way," we all look at him in surprise, I even raise an eyebrow in confusion, - "you never know, maybe the cargo is too valuable."

- "You can check it yourself later." Kaz scowls, responding to Jesper's words with a grim expression.

- "Of course, we will make sure to check..."

I can only smile, shaking my head from side to side. It's always fun with Jesper around; if it weren't for him, I can't imagine how our heists would go without his presence and his sense of fun for everyone.

And above the rooftops, the sun of a new day was already shining brightly.

[katkalis-the-horror-fanartist]

POV: Patrolling your (and your partner/friend whatever)'s pizzeria and meeting Music Man

Under the cut! Your companion is barely mentioned but still, you meet the original music fella! Turns out he's got a human's personality and he seems to like you!

Somehow, the pizzeria you and your partner run has been gaining traction in less than a week. Sometimes, your partner in the office seems to be struggling, in various intensities, but you had a more chill job. You merely watched over the main party area at night and would check up on all animatronics and equipment to make sure everything was in proper working order.

Recently, you made a new purchase (partly against your partner's wishes; they weren't a fan of the thing). A new sort of animatronic. No normal animal species either. It's name is Music Man.

A clown-looking cymbal player with spider legs that would accept song requests, singing them in a wobbly, multi-toned voice with beats from cymbals. Your partner and many guests grimaced at the machine, but you felt pretty drawn to it. You weren't scared. Instead, you digged that look. This dude was funky in a good way.

Tonight, you examine his powered down body up close, inspecting his joints, motor, wires, etc. Unlike your partner, you had no problem getting up close and personal with this character. In fact, not yet have you been able to request a song for him to sing. You debated powering him on to do just that, but then decided against it, as you didn't want to irritate your already stressed out coworker.

You turn and walk away after checking up on his current state, only to pause in place as the subtle pang of cymbals clinking against each other gently reverberates in the open area. You turn your head around slowly, nervous, and you only see Music Man in his usual position with his cymbals held apart. But you were too curious. You approached him once again and began to investigate the instruments, soon seeing just how tightly he held onto them. As you experimented with prying open his fingers, one suddenly opened and pinned your own finger down against the handle of the cymbal.

You yelped in fear. Though you were able to remove your finger quickly without struggle, you stumbled backwards a good few steps. Your reaction was so pitiful in fact, that it prompted another strange noise from the animatronic.

"Sorryyy...I'm afraid I just couldn't help myself-"

A quiet, warbled whisper came from Music Man's speaker on his chest. You were stunned. You knew you had shut this guy off earlier when the restaurant closed.

"What-" you muttered aloud.

He turned his head slightly to look directly at you, before performing a calm, barely noticeable shrug.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I just wanted some...entertainment. it's dull and lonely in here at night."

He spoke with calm happiness, as if he held back a small chuckle. His legs began to bend outwards as his entire body lowered. He gently placed his cymbals on the floor as to not make much noise, before rising up once again and holding his open hands up, palms outward and fingers outspread to show he is unarmed and means no harm.

"Don't get so scared of me now, after you've shown me such love, especially in front of other guests!" He laughed.

You shook your head, glancing all over him. Since when did he act like he had his own soul? Like he was a living being? Never had he acted like this during the day.

"I'm sorry...? How long have you been able to act like this?"

"Like what, hm? Like someone with personality and feelings?" He rose one of his eyebrows and lowered his hands to his sides. "Is it really that unusual with technology these days? Is it not the niftiest thing?" He punctuated this with his arms outstretched and legs rising up and down, moving his entire body with them.

You spread your own arms out as to gesture to his entire self. "I mean- it's...cool I guess- it..just...I wasn't expecting it??"

Now, you were questioning yourself and whether your initial reaction to what he did was called for or not. He seemed friendly enough after all. For now.

He lowered himself again with multiple creaks of metal, picked up his cymbals, and returned to his usual posture while taking a few subtle steps towards you. His steps were as light and careful as his other movements, and since you did in fact fancy him in a way, you stood your ground and simply kept close eye on him as he moved ever so closer to you.

"Well...Now that you're expecting it, perhaps we can start over?"

He moves a cymbal to his other hand to hold them both in one grasp, lowers his head, and tips his hat to you before looking back at you with that ginormous grin he always sported.

"Hello there! My name is Music Man, and I'm your resident singer and musician! Unlike the animals, I'm a one-man band, and I aim to help your ratings skyrocket!" He then quickly gripped both cymbals in each hand and held them upwards to the ceiling, his entire body rising as high as it could, all to demonstrate every ounce of energy and confidence he had.

Now, you couldn't hide how your lips cracked into a half-grin. Now HE was entertaining. His personality paired with his unique voice was surely a combo.

"Hi Music man, I'm (y/n), and, uh..." what could you even say? You were still partially shocked at how expressive and lifelike he was. Best to play along, you assumed, in case it was merely more programmed stuff. "And I hope things go well between us-"

He wouldn't hurt you, right? Cause that would surely sour any potential friendship you two started.

He lowered to his normal height and spoke just as normally to you as any average person would.

"Well, I remember overhearing you say that you hated sudden loud sounds. And that you savored your peace and quiet. Is that right?"

That was definitely true. You nodded. He, in turn, nodded back, and you heard his voice lower in pitch ever-so-slightly.

"Then I'm sure we'll get along just fine~"

[eventinelysplayground]

An Emotional Maelstrom

This story runs in tandem to A Winter Storm, it's the same time frame but from Leonardo's pov. Minor TW for lots of alcohol/drinking so if either one bothers you don't read. Also I don't speak Italian but I believe the tiny bit of Italian I use is correct from asking but I could still be wrong and sorry if I am.

???: How much longer does she have?

???: Maybe a half hour an hour if we're really lucky. I failed them Leonardo, I kept telling her everything would be fine!

Leonardo: Hey take it easy ok, I know you did everything you could. How are the bambinos

????: They're perfectly healthy but she didn't even get to hold them. She did all this work and…

Leonardo: Okay enough of that now…

One of the babies started crying loudly and Arthur got up to tend to him. Leonardo stood there looking down at Mitsuki.

I had a bad feeling about today, thought it was just because of the weather but…

Leonardo saw Mitsukis eyes flutter open and he bent down to her.

Leonardo: Cara Mia?

Mitsuki: I want my sons. Please I can't leave them I want …

Leonardo leaned in closer and whispered in Mitsukis ear.

Leonardo: Come on Cara Mia you already broke my heart no need to kill it.

Mitsuki: I'm sorry Leonardo.

Leonardo could feel her fading, she only had a matter of minutes. He froze for only a second then he was gently moving her hair away from her neck.

Leonardo: You really are too sweet.

Leonardo sank his fangs deep into Mitsukis neck and he felt her body jolt beneath him.

Your scent was already incredibly sweet but your taste is so much better. I'm so sorry Mitsuki but I can't…. I can't lose you again, especially not for good.

Just as Leonardo sensed Mitsuki starting to change he heard a gasp.

???: What are you doing?

Arthur: Leonardo…

Leonardo took one last look at Mitsuki then stood up wiping the last traces of her blood from his lips with the back of his hand.

Leonardo: I'm going to my room.

Arthur: Leonardo wait! Damn it!

Leonardo knew Arthur was still talking but he didn't care. He left Mitsukis room and headed straight for Comtes wine cellar grabbing several of the best bottles before returning to his room and locking himself inside. He set most of the bottles on the bed then pushed a pile of books off the sofa onto the floor and sunk down into it while uncorking the first bottle with his teeth.

Che diavolo sto facendo! How could I do that to her, when did I lose all my common sense?

Leonardo couldn't say exactly when he had fallen in love with Mitsuki but before he knew it it had happened. He didn't spend a lot of time with her when she first came to the mansion, the day after she had arrived Theo had announced she'd be working with him and that was that. He was relieved actually, he was worried about this little lamb who had wandered into a strange new place and didn't want to see her hurt. He knew Theo was trustworthy and would look out for her, he might be tough on the surface but he had a good heart and he knew exactly how to deal with Arthur.

Time went by and Leonardo saw them getting closer, he didn't think it was entirely smart with her heading back to her own time soon but it also wasn't any of his business. Then one day at breakfast Arthur asked about their relationship then Jean asked what everyone else was thinking

Jean: So does that mean you're staying in this world?

Mitsuki never answered Jean that day but a few days later she told everyone she was staying. Leonardo was genuinely glad, he liked having her around and thought she softened up the place. After she decided to stay they had plenty of time and opportunity to interact with each other and he let the memories flow in as he drank. The memories kept coming and Leonardo kept drinking. Some were memories of little things others were of conversations they had or things they did together. Leonardo couldn't pinpoint exactly when he fell in love with her but he could pinpoint the day he realized he was

***

Leonardo are you in there?

Come on in Cara Mia, just watch your step.

You really need to clean up this room.

It's fine the way it is, what did you need Cara Mia or is this a personal visit?

What no!? I just wanted to know if you had a book on art history I could wahhh…

Mitsuki had lost her footing and grabbed onto him probably to try and steady herself but instead they both just ended up falling onto his bed.

Hehe well now you sure this isn't a personal visit?

I'm absolutely certain! I just fell over all this stuff on your floor.

****

He remembered they were so close together and her scent overwhelmed him and it took everything he had to control the bloodlust creeping up on him.

Ya that was it. Never could look at her the way I had before after that. I should have left as soon as I realized it, idiota.

Leonardo was vaguely aware of the passing of time. Both Isaac and Arthur had come banging on his door at some point during the night but he continued to sit on the sofa and drink. Then at some point after the sun rose Napoleon had come knocking as well. Then sometime in the afternoon he heard a light knock.

???: Leonardo I know you're in there. If you hadn't made it home I would have lost my little sister. I don't know if it was just good luck or something else but I'm glad you were here when she needed you. I'm leaving some blanc and rogue outside your door for you.

Leonardo listened to Vincent's footsteps receding down the hall.

Good luck or something else huh I wonder that myself. I wonder what Cara Mia will think of it.

Leonardo thought back to yesterday morning. He could tell there would be a storm later that day. Originally he was thinking of staying home but when he was walking down the hallway he came across Mitsuki and Theo locked in a passionate kiss and he changed his mind. He skipped breakfast and headed into town to help out a few buddies but something was gnawing at him all day that he just couldn't place.

In five hundred or so years he'd learn to trust his instincts and so he decided to head back much earlier than he originally planned on. He thought it was a good thing at the time as the light snow had quickly turned into a fierce blizzard. If he had been a human he would of died out there in it no question, hell even as a pureblood he had thought of trying to find some shelter and just stay put until it ended but that gnawing feeling was just getting worse so he kept going. When he got back to the mansion Isaac was scurrying down the stairs and looked panicked.

Leonardo: You okay Isaac?

Isaac: Leonardo!

Isaac ran over to Leonardo and tugged at his arm.

Isaac: There's no time you need to…

Leonardo: Calm down and breathe Isaac, now what's going on?

Isaac: Just go upstairs to Mitsukis room fast Arthur can tell you better than I can. I need to get milk….

Leonardo remembered the fear and anger that came over him at Isaac's words. The memory was so strong that the fear and anger overtook him once again, this time though they were mixed with guilt. He stood up and walked over to his bed grabbing one of the two remaining bottles of wine and slumped down against his bookcase. He thought back to that spring day when things had changed between him and Mitsuki

***

Leonardo: You shouldn't have been put in a position where you could die. It was reckless of the both of you Cara Mia and it should never have happened.

Mitsuki: What?

Leonardo: You heard me just fine

***

Leonardo: He should be feeling guilty, this love as you keep calling it could end up killing you!

Mitsuki: Are you seriously questioning after all these years if Theo and I love each other?

***

Thinking about that day only made things worse and Leonardo drank back the last bottle in one go. The day kept passing by in relative silence except for when one or both babies cried, adding to his torment and making him wish he'd made at least another trip to the wine cellar before locking himself in.

Some time late in the night he heard the lock on his door jiggling and then a click as the door slowly opened.

???: Leonardo.

Leonardo: Unless you brought something good to drink with you I don't want to see you Comte, even then it would have to be really good stuff.

Comte slowly pushed the door open just wide enough so he could enter. He was holding a tray with what Leonardo guessed was the blanc and rogue Vincent had left for him as well as some rare wine and very expensive whiskey.

Leonardo: Trying to bribe me into talking to you?

Comte: I just thought that you'd like something good if you're going to stay locked up in here.

Leonardo leaned forwards and snatched a bottle of whiskey off the tray and started downing the contents. His old friend sat on the edge of the bed and stared at him.

Comte: Can I ask you something, as your oldest friend?

Leonardo: Go ahead.

Comte: I know your own views on turning humans into vampires and why you're against it, I also know what you thought of me bringing back people even if you never said it.

Leonardo: Is that question hiding in there somewhere?

Comte: Why Leonardo?

Leonardo: Good question.

Leonardo looked at Comte for a moment before returning to the bottle of whiskey.Finally his old friend gave up on waiting for an answer and left him alone again.

Guess I've done a better job of hiding it then even I thought if you're asking me that Comte. Well did a better job of hiding it anyways…

***

Leonardo: I had a heart Cara Mia, but you broke it the day you married Theo.

Mitsuki: ….

***

Never should have told her that, sure as hell ain't going to start telling other people especially now. I really shouldn't be thinking about this but I couldn't take my eyes off her as she came down the stairs that day.

****

(You're absolutely breathtaking Cara Mia)

I'm ready Theo.

…..

(You seriously not going to say anything to her?)

…You're beautiful.

T-Theo, You look very handsome too.

****

I was barely holding it together then my “friend” had to go and open his mouth.

****

But Mitsuki looks so beautiful. She has a smile on her face so bright she looks like she's glowing. I hate to admit it but you're the only one who can do that for her, Theo.

****

That was when my heart started breaking when I realized just how right my old friend was and it finished breaking when Mitsuki finished her vows. Really should of left this place after that but ... . Who am I trying to fool huh? The day I realized I was in love with her I knew I could never be away from her even if she does love someone else.

Leonardo's emotions were spiraling further out of control the more memories came flooding through him, as well as the more he drank to drown those memories in. By the time the sun had risen again Leonardo had finished off both bottles of whiskey and started working on the wine.

Just like the day before the mansion was eerily silent except for the occasional ear splitting cry from one of the infants. After Le Comtes visit Leonardo had been left alone by everyone until so late in the afternoon it was almost evening.

???: Leonardo? Comte wanted me to come tell you that Mitsuki is…

Leonardo was off the floor and flinging open the door before Vincent could finish speaking.

Vincent: Awake.

Leonardo: How long?

Vincent: Not very, she woke up looking for the babies. Did you want to…

Leonardo: No.

Vincent: But…

Leonardo shut the door on Vincent and his protests. He ran his hand through his hair then knocked over a stack of books in frustration.

Please…please be ok Cara Mia.

Late afternoon became evening which turned into late evening. The whole time Leonardo sat on his floor worrying about how Mitsukis change had gone. He'd seen enough in his life and with his own experiments with alchemy he had sworn to himself to never turn anyone but when he was faced with losing her permanently all he could think about was that fear and what she had said that day

I'll do anything I need to…

Even if she was fine now would she be able to withstand near eternity? There was too much uncertainty and he wouldn't blame her for hating him for eternity. Leonardo reached for a bottle and groaned when he found it empty but just then there was a knock on his door.

???: Leonardo I'm coming in.

Leonardo: Cara Mia! What are you doing here?

Mitsuki: We're all having a very late dinner so I came to get you, and also so that you can see I'm fine.

Leonardo just stared at Mitsuki, not able to say anything. He looked her over and physically she looked fine except for her eyes that were full of worry.

Mitsuki: Leonardo, I can't begin to imagine what you feel inside but I just wanted to say thank you.

Leonardo: Why would you thank me after what I did to you Cara Mia, what I took from you.

Mitsuki: You may have taken my human life from me but, because of you I’m still here. I get to see my boys grow up, I get to stay with the man I love and my family. My whole family.

Leonardo almost jerked back when Mitsuki placed her hand on his, her warmth flowing into him.

That's not the only thing I'm talking about here Cara Mia. I never should have done what I did to you that day, said what I said.

Mitsuki: Comte has been beside himself worrying about you. He doesn't understand what happened, none of them do but I think I know. It's because of that conversation we had in the garden isn't it?

Leonardo's eyes darted away from hers then went wide.

Is that how you've been thinking of it all this time, just a conversation? You never told Theo what actually happened did you? I always wondered why he never came breaking down my door…

Mitsuki: I don't want for things to get even more awkward or strange between us Leonardo. I'm perfectly happy and I'm still me, though I guess my appetites changed for good now. Please Leonardo.

You really are too sweet for your own good Cara Mia. I may live for eternity but even with all that time I'll never be half the person you are…

Leonardo: Those bambinos are loud, guess I should at least meet them since they're gonna be keeping the whole mansion awake.

Mitsuki: Haha ya they are, they weren't big fans of the goats milk Sebastian had for them at first but they're happier now so hopefully they won't be as loud.

Leonardo stood up and looked at Mitsukis smiling face.

Mitsuki: There's something I want to know Leonardo are you wahhh…

Leonardo: Again Cara Mia?

Leonardo was once again laying in his bed with Mitsuki.

Mitsuki: It's not my fault! I tripped on that wine bottle, or maybe that one. You really need to clean your room Leonardo and if you won't do it then…

Leonardo placed one of his hands over Mitsukis mouth.

Leonardo: Don't say anything else, I can't take any more of your kindness right now. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you really were trying to kill my heart.

Leonardo watched as Mitsukis eyebrows scrunched together and then her eyes widened. She nodded once and he removed his hand from her mouth.

Mitsuki: I'm sorry Leonardo.

Leonardo:That's enough now. You never need to be sorry for anything that's happened Cara Mia, understand me?

Leonardo waited for Mitsuki to nod her head again before he lifted himself off his bed then helped her up after him and turned her towards the door.

Leonardo: Let's go see those bambinos, just watch your step this time.

[monochromaticwriting]

This includes some bits and pieces from mine and @the-crow-binary roleplay. So this Mathias is not the OG Mathias.

I was going to do more for this, but I've run out of energy to complete it.

It had been three years since Mathias had infiltrated the Castle with the Brotherhood of Light, and had been spared, only to be taken as a war prize by Dracul. Dracul had been terrifying at first, and quite frankly, he was still a little scared of the strange vampire. But he had slowly gained the trust of the aloof Lord, enough to at least keep the Castle from harassing him at every moment. Mathias had mixed feelings over the vampire himself though. Could he even call Dracul a vampire? He seemed like he was so much more than any human could understand fully.

Staying within the permissions of Dracul and the entity within the Castle, he explored and sought out answers to his questions. Dracul had let him meet the Toymaker or, as Mathias fondly calls him, David. The old man was a godsend, giving Mathias a safe place that neither the Lord nor the entity frequents. David was even teaching him to read and use alchemy! Something he never had the privilege to learn before with the Brotherhood. But after three years of essentially being Dracul's pet, he was getting restless. He wanted to learn everything he could about Dracul and the Castle. The Toymaker could only give him so much information, but the man's memories weren't always reliable.

That's where he finds himself now. Walking through the Castle to try and find the library. The entity was always moving rooms around, and Dracul was always passive about it, claiming, "Its just testing you. It'll bring the room back soon." Mathias knew it wasn't testing him, it just didn't like him. Took too much of Dracul's time and attention away from it. He didn't mean to, but it just happened naturally. Dracul was an aloof man, but he never tried anything to actually harm him. Shy, quiet, and most certainly handsome... Mathias shook his head, trying to clear out his thoughts.

He needed to focus. Find the library and try to learn more of the history of this Castle. He did not need to think about Dracul's voice, or his dark hair, or those ruby eyes, or that broad body, or the dark hair that trailed down below his- "Stop!" He covers his face trying to get the images out of his mind. He wasn't going to get anywhere if he couldn't focus on what he came here for.

"Stop what?" Came a familiar accented voice. He uncovers his face and sees Dracul looking at him. For a man who was shorter than Mathias, his mere presence had a way of making one feel small.

"My Lord, I'm sor-"

"Mathias, I've told you time and again, that you don't have to call me that. Dracul is fine. And preferred."

"Right, my apologies, Dracul. I didn't mean to yell like that." Mathias apologized. Dracul's eyes soften. It was a minute change on his face. Small enough, that most wouldn't have seen it, but Mathias did. After three year of having this man as a regular companion, he learned the vampire was surprisingly easy to read.

"The Castle is changing the rooms around on you again, isn't it?" Dracul's voice was also softer now.

"Yes, it is." Mathias nodded, but noticed something, different about Dracul. He seemed... Tired. He knew the vampire lord didn't sleep. He always claimed he didn't need it, but looking at him now, Mathias wondered if that was actually true. "Dracul? Are you ok? You seem tired." Dracul just nods.

"Well," Mathias shocked himself with what his next words were, "I could... Accompany you for some rest after I find what I need from the library, if you wish." And Dracul looked tempted by this offer. Mathias was almost hopeful he'd take it.

Dracul finally nods. Mathias couldn't keep the smile off his face, especially when Dracul put his hand out, shyly gripping his. Dracul's hands were big and calloused, and Mathias wished he could feel those hands on other parts of him. The blush returns. Had it really been so long, that Mathias was now lusting over the one who took him as a prize? Maybe it's because Dracul reminded him so much of Trevor. He missed Trevor.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Dracul's hand was no longer in his. Nor was the vampire anywhere to be seen. Looking around, Mathias was disappointed, but he had hopes that maybe Dracul was making sure the library was within his reach. Before he could continue his walk, he felt something on him shift. Slowly turning his head, he saw a rat in the fur of his cloak.

The rats in the Castle were strange creatures. They always seemed to follow him, and were far more intelligent than the rats outside. Mathias often wondered if they were part of the Castle itself. Another way to watch what goes on within it. This rat, however, was resting on him. Not that Mathias could blame it, the Castle was always freezing to him, he could only imagine how cold it must be to something so small. But it had a strange presence to it.

Looking closer, he noticed the rat was sleeping in his cloak. A rat. In his cloak. Asleep. He picks up the rat, who gives him an indignant squeak, and holds it in his hands. Red eyes, strangely shaped teeth. The strange presence.

"Dracul? Is.... Is this you?" He asks, feeling like he was going crazy. He had been confined to this Castle for three years, with only the Lord of the Castle, his pet sentient blood puddle, and all of his servants and warriors as companions, most of whom, don't even acknowledge him. Yet here he was, talking to a rat like it could speak to him. He set the rat back on his shoulder, where it reburied itself into the fur of his cloak. "I've officially lost it." He starts as he continues his journey to the library. "I've gone mad. I'm not in a Castle, filled with a strange vampire lord and his pet sentient blood puddle. I'm off galavanting in the woods with the fae, high off my ass from those mushrooms the cleric tried to feed me." He heard a snort from the rat. Oh, he was going absolutely mad in this place.

[loopspoop]

He felt so cold. Had he passed out in the snow? He couldn't quite remember. He was lying on some kind of leather, covered in fabric, and there were subtle vibrations coming from somewhere. He was in a car. It was almost calming. Though the constant jerking from someone alternating between the gas and brake was definitely jarring. He wanted to turn over to see more. But he no longer had the energy to do so. He squashed his face into the seat to attempt to disappear from the world altogether. The smell felt familiar and comforting, and he fell asleep once again.

……….

Jigen shook his head as he saw the Fiat approaching. It was virtually crawling along the road with the constant stopping and starting it seemed to be doing. He chuckled at himself for having given Goemon the car keys earlier. He should've known better. But the sight of the car gave him a bit of much needed joy for such an, overall, frustrating day. He was still impressed. They had never managed to get Goemon to willingly drive, other than in an emergency, and definitely not in the snow. Even Jigen would've been a bit nervous with how much was on the ground now.

He moved over to give Goemon enough space to not run him over, a similar amount of room that he would give to a little granny who could barely see over the steering wheel. As he approached, Goemon rolled down the window. Jigen leaned in to talk to him, seeing into the backseat where there was a large lump of blankets.

“You found him?!”

“Yes. He is not doing well. We need to find a place for him to rest. Though I am not sure he will be very willing with such a plan. Especially if you are there.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Oh perhaps because someone decided to stop thinking through his actions and instead go into a motel guns blazing.”

Jigen looked away as if he thought the notion was ridiculous, but he knew that it was completely accurate. He opened the door and motioned for Goemon to get out. He got into the driver's seat, closed the door, and looked into the backseat once again. He thought he saw a hint of shivering coming from the pile.

Once Goemon got settled into his seat, they drove off in search of shelter.

………..

Zenigata’s phone rang. It was one of his men.

“Sir! The car is gone!”

“Was nobody watching it?” He knew he should've watched over it himself.

“We saw it driving away on the main street. We're unsure where it is now. I have sent several men to look.”

“Good. I'm going to bring my men to help. Make sure to call in team B.”

He called his men over to give them the new instructions, as he did so he began to form his plan of action. He didn't think they would return to their hideout now, not now that Goemon knew that he had tracked them down. They would find somewhere new. Somewhere less traceable. Or in a different town entirely. So which would they choose now? He could split his team again, but it was different if they could be an entire town away. HE needed to be wherever they were. Other officers tended to highly underestimate the criminals. This was going to be a coin toss. He hoped it would be a lucky one.

………..

Jigen and Goemon were arguing in hushed tones. They needed Lupin to stay asleep as long as they could, but they needed to figure out what to do with him sooner than later. And they were not in agreement at all in the matter. Jigen wanted to find a way to contain Lupin so that they wouldn't lose track of him again, at least until they could get him to calm down. Goemon claimed they only needed to treat him with care and he would trust them in a short time. Though neither was entirely certain that they had been correct in their original theory.

Jigen was grasping the steering wheel, feeling as if it would snap in half if he applied any more force to it. They had been driving for over an hour, which hadn't gotten them very far since they were going at a snail's pace from the snow. They were driving through the countryside with large fields and the occasional tree or two. The sun was beginning to show.

Having come to a pause in the argument, Goemon laid back in his seat and closed his eyes. He was finally feeling the weight of the entire night. He heard a few more coughs from Lupin, Jigen reaching back to adjust the blankets, and finally fell asleep.

……….

I love when Goemon drives 😌 I can’t wait to see what’s next

[skruffie]

In light of the situation that happened with my manager, she informed us today that she is planning to move back farther south where her primary community and support system are. I think we all saw this coming; the doctor predicted it like the day after we got the news about what was going on and for privacy's sake I'm not going to expand on it here even if I'm not naming names. It's the kind of situation where nobody would blame her for wanting to no longer live in that house.

She hasn't told her boss yet. The typical situation here is that the assistant manager would take her position and that would potentially put me in as assistant manager since I'm third down from the top, but our assistant manager is not enthusiastic about this idea. He moved up to WA to go to school to be an optometrist, not an optician, but was already kind of talking about moving again maybe in a year or two where there are better schools. They wouldn't promote me to general manager from my position just yet, especially without actual management experience, but I know when I started with this industry I showed a lot of promise and there were conversations had about what I wanted my future to look like. I'm not sure if I am ready to be a manager but I would feel comfortable as assistant.

This then leaves the potential they bring in someone from a different store, which is what I would prefer over an outside hire. The tech and I were talking this evening before they went home about how they're hoping whoever will take our boss's place will still be just as queer friendly and chill with our various disabilities, and that would be ideal. I've become a much more fully embodied worker with this team where I don't have to mask any aspect of my personality with who I'm working with--do you know how rare that is at a job? An outside person isn't going to be able to put that light out, and I already said outright that if they pick someone shitty I am absolutely not afraid to leave. I love my job, but I have a feeling they're going to be hunting for someone who is a lot more aggressively sales focused since we haven't been doing too well.

What we've been trying to tell the higher management is that the demographic of the area we live in is a lot more low income than the newer locations they put out. It's not really much of a secret but part of optical, especially at retail chain locations, is exam conversion: we want you to both get your exam done and also purchases glasses and/or contacts with us the same day. Everybody gets their prescription to take home with them regardless if they actually buy anything or not, but we stay in business when people buy. That's how it is with any retail industry.

Our exam conversion is actually pretty damn good but the average amount of money that people spend is lower than other stores and we don't get a lot of new patients. It was busier the first year this place opened but then they opened three new locations farther south and east and it took patients away because now there was a place closer to them. We've been trying to market up north where there are no other locations but it's a bit more of a schelp, especially now that one of the primary routes to get from city to city is going to be closed down for four months for construction. The area of the city we're in specifically is pretty low income and has one of those stupid reputations for being the "bad" part of town. We've had some of our luxury frames stolen. It's a thing. We have these magnets on the frames but over in one of the newer, more affluent locations, their lux collection has no security tags at all.

Optical is a niche industry and whenever I have my profile set on Indeed to "available to work immediately" I'm often getting messages from people desperate to hire me. Even without a license, I can still start an apprenticeship and be making a lot more pretty much anywhere else. I've stayed here because of the location and the team and I think quietly I've been emotionally preparing for knowing that can always change. I always had a feeling our manager would leave at some point because she also has a more specialized industry she left for this one + makes frequent weekend trips down to Portland for friends and keeping her connections, but the way this is happening is the worst fucking possible way.

[jayjamjary]

15/17/22 :3

17.) Probably science? I decided very young that I was going to be a scientist, specifically a biologist, though especially when I was young I just liked any science I could get my hands on. I actually wrote a rock song as a very young child that went "I was born to be a rockstar and a biologist!" And then I would sing/shout 3 instruments I could think of the go YEAH! and then repeat the first verse and then sing/shout 3 biology related fields of study I could think of and go YEAH! I still remember the beat to it and all. It was a reoccurring thing for me. I am going to become a biologist now, so little me was right about that, but I cannot read sheet music much less write songs beyond shit I just make up off the top of my head so the rockstar thing isn't happening.

22.) I've tried to collect cook rocks before but I don't know enough about geology to care about individual rocks and I'm not much for trinkets that don't do anything or have any special meaning because. I forget about them. I have a really shiny sparkly peice of mica from a science museum I went to somewhere but that's it. And I only remember it exists like bianually.

15.) That is such a hard question. I've had so much weird shit happen to me. I guess the weirdest thing I can think of off the top of my head happened to me when I was like 10 when I lived on Guam. Uh. Warning for injury containing a ton of non-medical needles. I put this one last so that I could stick this story under a cut.

It was one of the last weeks my family was on Guam before we moved and we were at the beach, I think for my siblings birthday party. I was swimming along above the reefs which, for reference, were just everywhere on that beach like in some places it was hard to swim without grazing yourself on the top of the reefs. Fish and other sea creatures everywhere too, it was really cool. I was actually chasing a fish because. Idk. I was bored. I certainly wasn't going to catch it but I was going to try. At one point, it swam under a decently sized rock or a piece of dead coral or something, I can't quite remember. Whatever it was though, it was light enough for me to flip it to try to get the fish out of underneath. Now, when I did that, I stirred up a ton of sand, enough that I couldn't see anything so I just took a blind stab at where I figured the fish might be. I did not get the fish. I did however find something else that scored me hundreds of tiny, clear needles in my hand. Yeowch! Yeah so I was running away, and in my absolute genius, to give myself some propulsion away from unknown stabby thing, what did I do? I put my other hand down right next to where the first on got stabbed and pushed away. I got needled again.

I never saw what got me and despite my many googles of Guam Sea Creature Lots Of Needles, I haven't been able to figure it out. My mom said it looked like fiberglass needles so maybe it wa that though she didn't seem to think so. My parents seem to think it was some sort of nudibranch though I've never found one that fits the bill. Anyway, I got the needles out after many hours of crying and soaking my hands in epson salt water while my mom took tweezers to them.

[the-batcats-mder]

Description of Book

About Her

Soulmates

[Posted on here on: July 2, 2024]

Chapter 1 Forest

Note: Don't hate me, but I'll like to state that I haven't watched Titans yet. I've seen clips, povs, and read some fanfics, but i haven't seen the show yet. I've seen in total like 1 or 3 episodes…. A year or two ago.

It's on the list of shows to watch, just not yet to be watched.

This is, of course, following the characters from the show, but I'm going off on something totally new. So, I won't be following the show anyway. Just wanted to state that right away that I haven't seen the show yet. So I can't fully take requests for the show… yet. I bet when I watch it fully, I'll be writing for it 🫣.

First posted on here: [July 1st, 2024]

(Might have to edit again, and might change name of book later on)

Chapter 1 Forest

Third person pov.

Forest, a nineteen year old teenage woman, peaks over her shoulders every few seconds as she does her trick of getting a car that she doesn't own to start working without its keys; doing so very quietly.

It didn't take Forest that long to get it started up and had the car moving fast down the road, leaving the motel behind so she could start another long day of trying to find her family.

Gotham was still dark out at this time of early morning.

Forest knew where she had to go. Working late last night, she found a possibility of where Dean and Sam Winchester could be.

Before she could go and check the place out, she knocked out and slept at least an hour before she was rudely awakened by the next motel room beside her being….. eighteen plus shit.

Her leaving so fast this morning wasn't just because of the maybe find of her siblings; it was also not being able to handle the whole,

‘PLEASE MORE’ ‘DADDY YES!’ screams of the next room.

So she left fast.

Today is October thirty-first. Halloween.

It's Halloween! Well, five in the morning on Halloween day. Still Halloween, though.

Half the population celebrates this ‘holiday’ and is looking forward to it when they wake up. Though, there are people who don't enjoy it or even celebrate it, maybe for religious purposes, or just don't celebrate it or, in general, hate the holiday.

For Forest and her brothers… they don't totally hundred percent hate the pagan holiday, but they do hate ninety-seven percent of it.

Maybe if it wasn't for the monsters, creatures and so on that people dress up for fun; were actually fake, then maybe it would be good fun for them too, but that's not their reality.

Almost every monster, creature and so on are real; and most of the time are causing more problems on Halloween day and night because they are able to do more than they can on October thirtieth or November first.

In general, Halloween is just ‘worse than normal’ for hunters.

So when the clock hit twelve o'clock, marking it as October thirty-first, she kind of dreaded it. She knew how this day and night might go.

Especially when she's in Gotham city trying to find her brothers because they once again went missing and probably needed saving.

Gotham City was one of the most active cities out there when it came down to the creatures, monsters, and so on. Now add Halloween to the mix; it was ‘worse’.

Today she had a time limit, before it hit dark out again, she needed to find her siblings.

She wasted too much time sleeping and trying to find any hints on where they could be.

Though, this wouldn't be happening if Dean and Sam weren't…. Stupid.

Dean and Sam Winchester were getting Forest really pissed off recently. For the past few months they keep on going on hunts without her; she's fine with that, never really cared about it now, but every time they do, she's having to track them down and save their ass's from getting killed or at least hurt really badly.

If they just brought her along, maybe, just maybe, things would go differently, and they wouldn't be wasting time on really anything.

She could be home watching a show on her long list of shows she wants to watch, or doing her own hunts; but they keep not bringing her or at least telling her where they are off too or what they are even hunting, causing a long ass search for them. A lot of the time, though, the hunts the fifth hunt, causing her to either pass them or have to go farther off to find them.

She's been to three different towns and cities before finding herself in Gotham city with a hopefully better lead than before.

It's been a month and three days so far, and it's just getting more annoying and frustrating. More than just one reason why.

One, she wants her brothers to be safe and so far she doesn't know if they are, two, to her she should have already found them and got this all dealt with already and it's not, three, as selfish as it sounds, she hasn't watched anything for this month and three days and all she kind of wants is to watch something or at least get more then three hours of sleep, but she can't because her brothers comes before shows and at times sleep.

So here she is, semi speeding down the back roads of Gotham city in a car she doesn't own going to where she thinks and hopes she needs to be going to. Hoping that it won't take long to get there too.

The sun is finally slowly peeking out now, casting the cold October air with some warmth.

Forest bounced her head and fingers to the music she's blasting. She loves when she has control of the music, she hardly has it when she's with her brothers because the driver gets to pick the music and the others keep their cake holes shut, so having the music choice all for herself she's taking every chances to blast what she wants to listen to… but she misses it though. She misses her brothers a lot. She wouldn't say it to their faces, but she does.

She kind of wants to be bickering in the backseat about why she can't play something she wants to play.

‘Ring!!!!’

“FUCK!”

The car came to a stop with a loud screeching noise. Her back hits the seat, and she groans, and she stops the music and picks up the call.

“Hello?”

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Across Gotham city Dick Grayson is slowly getting ready for work.

Five pm was the time he had to clock into work. The last few things he was able to do before five were to do a quick workout before showering, eating, and then finally leaving for work.

He was dreading this work day. He knew what he was being put to work today, and he didn't want to do that job. He would rather be on a lead than scan the abandoned buildings around Gotham city.

It was so fucking boring to him. He didn't understand why he was put on this job when there are semi newbies that could be doing it.

He had no say, though. He had to do this or else he would be put to desk work and as much as driving around and checking if there is any activity in a place that's not supposed to be active is boring, it's not as boring as desk work.

So he just did what he wanted to do and then got ready for his work day.

Before he left, he got a quick kiss from Starfire.

“love you, baby!”

“Love you too!”.

Off goes Dick Grayson to his normal day (also at times night) job; the one without the masks and the badass ass kicking.

He was hoping this Halloween night would be a calm one.

Yeah, not going to be happening. This is Gotham City, after all.

And Halloween.

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I hope you like it.

I’m sorry for any short chapters.

I'm also sorry for any bad grammar or spelling errors.

I would very much like to say thank you for taking the time to read my chapters, I really appreciate it.

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There's warnings ⚠️ for a reasons. If you skip them, that's fine, but not my fault if you're taken back by what I write for.

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