#giving us little details like this. always making them hug each other. the entirety of dream team
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pocketlad · 1 year ago
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I randomly remembered this and couldn’t stop thinking about it, so happy reminder/if you didn’t know, in Bowser’s Inside Story there’s a certain part where you have to cross an area by hanging off this zipline sort of thing, and if you have Luigi hang onto Mario he just takes the moment to hug and snuggle onto him for a bit
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progenycursed · 2 months ago
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WAKE UP PROGENY CURSED UPDATED 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥 JUST right about I got a little sad thinking we won’t see 009 (but I’m a Lurien fan so I’ll let it pass lmao) IT SHOWS UP YIPPE and omg I love how it tried and succeeded into confronting them too!! THEM UWAA 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽 also can I say I really appreciate how you update the void communication as well as adding the dialogue under each page when PV or 009 speak it makes it really helpful to understand too ^^ also love how and Lurien teacher/mentor friendship it’s been a while Denice we see them AND omg finally some reference of WL and Unn too!! As well as the Hive and all other locations of Hallownest but poor pv tho ;; so overwhelmed I wanna give them a hug. OMG I’m rambling sorry OP! I just get so excited when you update especially today since my day was really hectic lol! Also also (last one promise) you did really well showing City of Tears landscape!! It was really well drawn!!!
I’m gad to hear the update was timed perfectly! And thank you! I was really worried about drawing the establishing shot for the city of tears before I started drawing the chapter. ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!But I’m really happy how it turned out. I won’t be releasing a full shot of it without Hollow as I did the cheatsy thing where I didn’t draw where they would be. (ᵕ—ᴗ—)
It’s always great to hear people like my little void speak. I do like how simple it is so far. I also know it could use some work, but if I start down that rabbit hole, I won’t be coming up for a long while. I’ve created languages before and god dam that is a fixation.
And poor Hollow, baby thought the palace was the entirety of Hallownest. Because SOMEONE(PK) forgot to tell them. And he also forgot to mention that technically, Deepest and the Hive are not part of Hallownest. They have to protect it all the same, but some clarify details would be nice SIR (¬⤙¬ )
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genshin-impacted · 4 years ago
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learning curve // Zhongli x Reader (NSFW)
Word Count: ~1.7k
Notes: gender-neutral reader, Zhongli/Reader, established relationship, half SFW/NSFW -- lots of dirty talk, overstimulation, praise kink, voice kink, cockwarming, soft dom!Zhongli, sub!reader, mentions of switching
Summary: As your lover, Zhongli learns what makes you happy and finds out in the middle of all of it how much he enjoys being able to please you-- both romantically and sexually.
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In everything Zhongli does, he practices patience and focus. In all his years of living as an adeptus, a god, and a mortal man, he has willingly accepted his role as a student as he continues to learn and discover new things that the world has to offer. In many ways, learning is his passion, for his expansive knowledge of all things Liyue and beyond is something of value to him whether it has a function or not. 
Zhongli is a meticulous man-- thorough and precise, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of knowledge, and that includes learning how to best please you as your companion, and as your lover.   
You like it when he presses kisses onto your hands. He knows this because each time he does, you always hide your wobbly smile behind your other hand, laughing in embarrassment before flashing him a smile. You also like it especially when he kisses your forehead when you arrive home from commissions because all the tension in your body seems to leave the moment his lips touch your head, your hands already reaching out to hug him after a long day. 
For the walks along Liyue Harbor, he intertwines your fingers into his, clasping palm upon palm, because he knows how you adore his affection in public, a subtle demonstration that the two of you belong to each other. You love the smell of glaze lilies, the taste of violetgrass, and the look of a silk flower bouquet on the dining room table; and he loves the sound of your laugh, the brightness of your smile, and the way he can make you happy by paying attention to your preferences. When he gets a new cologne-- a mild but masculine one that was recommended by Ying’er, your hands are all over him, whether or not you’re aware of it, attracted to his scent and his presence alone. But, oh, he also adores when you are aware of it, your voice as low as a purr when you can smell his cologne, call him ‘irresistible’ and tug him into the bedroom by his tie. 
You take good care into loving him too, in the little ways-- rubbing circles into his temple when he comes back from a long day of work, brewing him tea with the scent of Qixing flowers in the early mornings. But in the bedroom, you are much like the veteran adventurer of Teyvat that you are, zealously finding out what he likes best: licking stripes up the vein on his cock, kissing at the space behind his ears, and pulling at his nipples with your teeth. He is at your mercy when you ride him, milking out his orgasms until he’s gripping his nails into your thighs (much to his embarrassment and much to your delight when he leaves noticeable marks afterward). 
Zhongli is by no means experienced (not that you were particularly either), but he makes up for the lack of experience by doing what he has done for the past millennia.
He learns. 
He is sensitive to your reactions, noting every gasp or moan he can elicit from you, and how your body responds to each of his ministrations. He adjusts how hard he presses, where to touch you, how fast to do something-- how to make you feel good because out of the many songs of beauty that have graced his ears, your voice crying out his name is by far the most melodic. You are his lover, his beloved, his dove-- surely, he need not explain that he would want nothing but the best for you, and if he can bring about your happiness, be it by gifting you with flowers or by making your back arch in pleasure, then he would surely do it.
But just when did he begin seeking out your pleasure-- your words of praise-- so voraciously? 
"Zhongli, ah!" He would hear you gasp when he finds that one spot that makes you lose your inhibitions about showing your expressions. You grasp at his arms and tell him to do it again, words of praise spilling from your mouth as he repeats his actions dutifully to bring you closer to the peak. "You feel so good," you moan. "Zhongli--!"
Making you cry out his name louder and higher until you reach your peak and fall, and he builds it back up again almost ruthlessly. The more he hears from you, the better. He's ardently pounding into you harder, faster until you're sinking into the bed, or using his tongue until you have made a mess on his face, legs shaking from overstimulation and mind unable to fathom how many times you felt waves upon waves of pleasure course through you.
He's learned what you like, what has your nails digging into his flesh and what makes you say his name until your voice grows hoarse. And he's liked how he's also learned a new side of you, for whenever you are pliant under him, at the mercy of his actions, you respond well to his voice. 
Zhongli would be a fool to not take advantage of that.
He thrusts into you and listens to you keen, calling you eager and telling you how much he's enjoying watching you fall apart. The phrases he tells you are almost elegant-- poetic, even, with the way he weaves praises into his words and describes in the finest detail how he feels about you. It's a perfect juxtaposition to when he speaks the dirtiest of things into your ears-- of how well you're taking his cock, how tight your walls are clenched over him, and oh, you like it when he talks to you like this, don't you?
"Can you come with just my voice alone, do you gather?" Zhongli asks you, his voice reverberating through you as a shiver. "You're twitching.” He observes with a hint of amusement, making you hide under the darkness of your hands in embarrassment. He chuckles, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. “Is that something you desire, my love?” 
When your breath hitches, he says lowly into your ears, “I’m more than willing to see it through if that is what you please, having me sheathed inside of you while you come untouched--”
Zhongli takes a sharp intake when he feels you clench over him in response, and with a grunt, he buries himself inside of you again. 
"Ah, Zhongli," you call out, tugging at his hair with a grip that has him seeing stars. "Zhongli, Zhongli--"
And his name on your lips sounds like words of praise. 
"Tell me what you want," Zhongli asks. He kisses at the juncture of your throat, knowing it to be unfair since that spot has never failed to make you breathless. "Tell me what you want, and I shall provide." He chuckles when you let out a whine, your hands clawing at his back, wordlessly begging him to continue. "It will be your reward," he says, "for being so good for me."
"Zhongli--"
“So obedient,” Zhongli continues, trailing kisses down your neck as his hand reaches up to pinch your nipple. “So shamelessly loud, so full of want for me with your legs urging me to thrust inside of you and your arms making marks on my body. Tell me, my little songbird, do you want the entirety of Liyue to know that I am yours?"
"I'm yours," you cry out, and it takes everything in Zhongli not to bottom out inside you again. "I'm yours, Zhongli; please move! Fuck me--"
You keen again when Zhongli sucks onto the skin at your collarbone, leaving a mark that's sure to turn a deep purple by tomorrow. And without further delay, Zhongli tangles his hand with yours and gives you what you want, his cock thrusting into you at the angle he knows will have you seeing stars, and it does not take long for you to rise to the peak again. 
When you fall, Zhongli catches you with a kiss, swallowing your moan and letting you roll your hips as you ride out your orgasm. He finishes soon after, with his forehead pressed against yours, his cum splattered on your stomach. 
He always murmurs soothing words as the both of you come down from your highs, pressing gentle kisses onto your cheek until he feels your arms wrap around him.
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You respond well to praise, he catalogs as you slide into the bath after him. It is truly a windfall for you to be so compatible with him in this way, for he loves to praise you as much as you love receiving them. Or is it that you simply respond well to his voice in general? 
"Will you respond like that each time we make love?" Zhongli asks afterward when the two of you bathe in the rose-scented water, and he watches you lazily play with the water. 
You turn your head to him grasping onto his thigh so you don’t float away. “Because of what?” You reply teasingly, “You’re going to have to be more specific considering the fact we did so much.”
Zhongli fights down the blush to no avail as he clears his throat at your familiar ribbing. You have always made him grapple for words, so in a way, he would be more than pleased if he were able to render you speechless on a repeated count. “On the… words of praise. You seemed quite receptive to that.”
He hears you laugh as you turn around, making waves in the water. "You really do have a way with words, huh,” you comment. “You’re very good at that.”
“That is because I always have praise for you, my love,” he teases, hearing you laugh again although albeit shyly. “If you liked that, I would not mind having a repeat performance, so to speak.”
You hum thoughtfully, sneaking your hands into the water to grasp his. “Well,” you begin, and he knows you well enough to know that there is a shine to your eyes. “Only one way to find out!”
And Zhongli continues to learn with you.
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fandom-imagines-stories · 4 years ago
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Notice Me
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Dr. Spencer Reid x Reader
Words: 3843
Summary: A killer leaves Reid’s girlfriend on the steps of the BAU with a message for Hotchner and the team. Spencer’s judgement is clouded and it seems that the killer isn’t finished with you. 
Notes: This is a dark one guys, so please be wary of that. I wanted to do an imagine that kinda felt like a case, but also had the reader involved and everything. This is another one that I needed to split into two parts because I got a little carried away (whoops). As always, please let me know what you think!
Warnings: Trauma, gore, assault, mentions of rape and sexual assault. 
Find Reid and more crime drama imagines: HERE
-
It was late. Later than anyone should have still been at the office and yet J.J. sat in front of a pile of files on her desk. Of course, Hotch was in his office too, both having already tried to convince the other to go home. Feeling like the piles would never end, J.J.’s attention shifted from a case to the flicker of movement just outside her door. At first, the figure standing by Spence’s desk startled her, but she quickly realized that it was you. 
“Y/N?” She smiled to greet you, though her confusion was clear. 
“Agent Jareau, I didn’t know you’d be here.” It was dark, so she couldn’t quite see how strained your smile really was. 
“Please, call me J.J.” She said lightly. Ever since you’d started seeing Dr. Reid, she liked to think the two of you had become friends. You liked to think that too, which was why you had hoped she wouldn’t be here. “Spence went home a couple of hours ago.”
“Is SSA Hotchner here?” You blurted. You didn’t have much longer. Her brows furrowed. 
“Um, yeah. He basically lives here, unfortunately.” She couldn’t get another word in before you rushed past her towards Hotch’s office. It wasn’t until then that she saw how pale you looked. 
It took every ounce of strength you had not to stumble as you walked. You kept your coat closed, partially out of embarrassment and partially because you were afraid that, even now, he was watching. Hotchner was working at his desk, just like he’d predicted. You had to knock to get him to look up. 
“Agent Hotchner?” 
“Dr. Y/L/N,” He set down the notes he was looking over and stared at you with surprise. “What can I help you with?” 
“I know it’s late, but he told me I had to find you.” You leaned against one of his chairs for support. 
“Reid sent you here?” 
“No. Spencer doesn’t know I’m here. He doesn’t know anything.” You winced at the thought. Spencer had no idea. He was probably worried out of his mind. You were supposed to be at his place watching a movie. Everything had changed in the span of one evening. 
You felt something drip off of the tip of your finger. Hotchner’s eyes followed the dark liquid until it splattered on his carpet. 
“Y/N are you okay?” Hotch stood up, noticing the way you seemed to sway slightly. 
“He said I had to come here. If I didn’t, he said that whatever he did next would be my fault. He said he has a message for you.”
“Y/N, who said this?”
“I didn’t know what else to do.” You undid the button keeping your coat closed. It was getting harder to speak. “He said that this is for you. For all of you.” 
You let your coat fall off of your shoulders, revealing your bloody chest and arms. Hotch lunged towards you as you collapsed, finally succumbing to your injuries. 
“J.J. get an ambulance here now!” He screamed, desperately trying to catch you before you hit the ground. The blonde appeared in the doorway to see what was going on. 
“Oh my god.” She gasped, rushing to the nearest phone. 
Hotch’s stomach dropped, taking a closer look at the bloody gashes on your chest. Each slash was deliberately carved into the flesh, forming two words; Notice Me. 
“J.J.!” He called out again. She rushed back into the room. 
“The paramedics are on their way.” 
Hotchner’s panicked face looked up at her. 
“Call the team.”
“Y-yes sir.” Her eyes widened, taking in the entirety of your wounds. Hotch’s jaw clenched. 
“And J.J.”
“Sir?”
“Let me call Reid.” 
-
He checked his watch for the hundredth time and blew out a long breath. On the table in front of him sat the box. The box. The box that had the potential to change absolutely everything. And you weren’t here to open it. He looked at his phone for missed messages, but the last text still read ‘On my way. See you soon.’ 
Spencer nearly jumped out of his chair when his phone suddenly started to ring. He felt his body tense when he saw the number. 
“Hotch?” He answered. Part of him already knew. 
“Reid…” Hotch sighed. “Spencer, you need to get down to the hospital.” Reid closed his eyes, hoping that he was wrong. 
“It’s her, isn’t it?” 
“Something’s happened.”
“I should have known. I should have looked for her. She’s never late, Hotch. Ever. She’s actually early for pretty much everything. I should have had Garcia track her phone or have her-” In his ranting, he forgot to breathe. 
“Reid, I need you to calm down.” Hotchner instructed. He listened to Spencer take a few deep breaths. 
“Is she…”
“The doctor said that she’s lost a lot of blood, but she’s going to be okay.” He paused, making Spencer even more panicked. “Unfortunately, that’s not all we have to worry about. I’ll be able to explain more when you get here. The team is on their way.”
“Wait, the team is coming?” The turning in his stomach got worse. There’s only one reason Hotch would have called in the team. 
“Like I said, I’ll explain when you get here.” 
“Hotch-”
“I’ll see you soon.” Hotch wanted to be supportive, but they were on a time crunch now. This message meant there would be more bodies and soon. 
It took a moment for Spencer to make his feet move. Once he did, he was running. Before he knew it, he was already outside and what he saw made him stop in his tracks. Parked in front of him was your car. Five feet and you would have been inside. 
-
Morgan was the first to meet him. Normally, Spencer would have found his presence comforting, but he knew that he wasn’t just here for support. Hotchner called the team in for a reason. By the look on his face, Morgan already had an idea. 
“What happened?” Reid demanded, trying to look over his shoulder. He tried to push passed him, but Morgan held him in place. 
“We don’t know a lot. But Reid, you’re going to want to prepare yourself.”
“I don’t need a pep talk, I need to see Y/N.” His attempts to dodge around him were unsuccessful.
“He carved a message into her chest with a knife, Reid.” Morgan sighed. Spencer stopped. 
“What?” 
“Come on, Hotch can tell you more than I can.” He led Reid back to a waiting area where a few other members of the team had gathered. Rossi was still on his way, and so was Prentiss., but Garcia, J.J., and Hotch were grouped together in the far corner. Garcia and J.J. were looking at something on her computer while Hotch sat with his eyes closed. 
He was trying to remember every last detail from when you walked in to when you collapsed. He knew something was wrong and he should have acted sooner. He analyzed every single word that you said, trying to piece everything together. 
“He said that this is for you. For all of you.”
Notice me. 
“Hotch.” Morgan called to get his attention. Everybody looked up and saw that he was joined by Reid. 
“Oh my god.” Penelope immediately stood and rushed over to them. She had definitely been crying. Spencer had forgotten that the two of you were friends. You were friends with the whole team, really. She enveloped Spencer in a tight hug. “When J.J. called, I couldn’t believe it.” She took a deep breath to compose herself. “We are going to figure this out and everything is going to be okay.” 
“Babygirl, let the kid breathe.” Morgan gently pulled her way from him. Spencer just stared off into nothing. 
“Her car is outside my apartment building.” He said blankly. “She was coming over to watch…” His gaze fell to the floor. “She was there. She was at my apartment and he took her.” 
“Spence, this isn’t your fault.” J.J. put a hand on his shoulder. “You couldn’t have known that he was out there.” 
Before he could respond, Garcia’s computer made a sound. She seemed almost afraid to look. When she did, her face dropped. 
“Is there a pattern?” Hotch sighed. She nodded, trying to keep calm. 
“Four bodies have been found in Maryland and Virginia. All of them were bound with duct tape, their necks were slashed and they were all raped.” She could barely say all of it without getting sick. She looked up at Spencer frantically. “But none of them had any messages or anything like that so maybe this isn’t the same guy. If it was the same guy, why would he…”
“Why would he leave her alive.” Spencer finished, closing his eyes. He couldn’t stop his brain from picturing every scenario, manifesting every scream. 
“I’m going to go see if the doctors can tell us anything.” J.J. said, giving Spencer a reassuring look. Reid finally looked at Hotch. He couldn’t help but stare at the blood that stained the front of his superior’s shirt. 
“What happened?” He didn’t think anything could be worse than what he already imagined. Hotch motioned for him to have a seat. 
“Whoever did this wanted to send us all a message. He told her that if she didn’t get to my office, that whatever he did afterwards would be her fault. He wanted to make sure I saw what he did.” 
“Morgan said that he-” Spencer took a sharp breath but was able to keep calm, distracting himself by picking at his nails. “He said that she had something carved into her chest?”
“Like I said, he wanted to make sure that I saw.” Hotch sighed. “He wrote ‘Notice Me’.” Everyone fell silent, each trying to wrap their heads around the situation. 
“Hotch,” J.J. returned, her expression betraying her concern, “She said she’s ready for questions.”
“Can you handle it?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should stay here and look over the cases Garcia found.” 
“Of course.” J.J. paused before looking at Spencer. “She said she would like you to be there, Spence.” 
“O-okay.” He rose slowly, his nerves barely allowing him to move. Morgan gave him a supportive pat on the back before Spencer followed J.J. to your room. Every step he took made his heart pound harder. He’d heard countless statements from victims, analyzed the most gruesome crime scenes imaginable, but he had never been this paralyzed before. 
The two agents opened the door to find you struggling out of the hospital bed while a nurse tried to get you to lay back down. 
“I appreciate everything, really, but I’m not going to sit here all night. I need to find-” Your argument with your nurse quickly came to a halt. “Spencer.” 
“The doctor said you were ready to answer a couple of questions.” J.J. gave you a small smile, pulling a chair up next to your bed. “He told me you wanted Spencer with you.” She looked back at Reid, who was still standing in the doorway. 
He just stood there and stared. Your face was bruised and a bandage covered an injury on your forehead- probably the blow that your attacker used to overtake you. Bandages covered your arms and he could see more under the collar of the hospital gown. You were shaking, the color from your skin faded and cold. Seeing him made your eyes water. 
“Spencer, I-”
“You were late.” He blurted. He started to fidget with his nails. “I mean, I thought you were late. Even though you are never late for anything. You didn’t call or text me or anything and I still didn’t look for you. I should have looked for you. I-” His words caught in his throat. 
You shrugged off the nurses hands and walked towards him, trying not to wince as you raised a hand to rest on his cheek. He had tears in his eyes and you could tell he was desperately trying to keep them back. 
“Spencer, this isn’t your fault.” You said softly. He leaned into your touch and closed his eyes, trying to stop imagining what happened in that goddamn hour that that man would have had you. 
“Dr. Y/L/N, you really need to be laying down.” The nurse insisted. Spencer opened his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. 
“She’s right. Come on.” He took your hand and led you back to the bed, helping to tuck you in under the blanket. He sat in a chair across from J.J. and kept your hand in his. 
“Are you ready?” J.J. asked patiently. You nodded nervously. J.J. smiled reassuringly. “If you want to stop at any point, just let me know, okay?” 
“Okay.” 
“What were you doing before you were attacked?” 
“I was driving to Spencer’s apartment.to watch a movie and have dinner.” You glanced over at your boyfriend. “I parked in front and walked towards the door, but I didn’t get there.” 
“Were there cars already parked when you got there?” 
“I-I think so.” You closed your eyes, trying to envision the scene, but all you could see was his face and with his face came the pain and the terror. “Oh god, I see him.”
“Stay with me, Y/N.” J.J. kept her voice as calm as possible when inside her heart was breaking for you and for the anguished Reid across from her. “Do you remember the cars?” 
“Breathe with me, Y/N.” Spence instructed, kissing the palm of your hand. You calmed down enough and focused on the sound of his voice. “Breathe in. Breathe out.” You exhaled slowly and nodded. 
“There was a van.” 
“What color was it?”
“It was dark, but not black. Blue maybe? I don’t know, I only saw it for a second.” 
“That’s okay.” J.J. said. She exchanged a look with Spencer. Now came the hard part. “What did you do when you got out of your car? Did you see anyone?”
“No, it was just me. I walked towards the door, but something hit me. Someone was dragging me away from the door. The next thing I knew, I was in a van.” 
“Do you see anything?”
“There’s something on the walls. Some kind of padding. A-and on the back of the seat, there’s this jacket. A  women’s jacket. It was red.”
“What else can you see?”
“I see him.” A tear escaped your eye and fell silently down your cheek. “He-he’s leaning over me and he’s-” You paused and listened to the sound of Spencer’s breathing. You wanted to open your eyes and look at him. You wanted to see his face instead of the creature that did this to you. But you needed to do this. “He’s unbuttoning my shirt.” 
“Do you remember feeling the van move at all before he did this?” 
“No. No, he didn’t drive until after.” You felt Spence’s grip on your hand tighten. J.J. watched him carefully, reading the pain on his face. “He said something while he was taking it off. He said he ‘didn’t have enough time’ and he ‘couldn’t do it now.’ He said he wanted it to be special. That I was special.” 
“Was he wearing a mask or a hood?”
“No, I could see his face. That face…” You held back a cry. Spencer held back the urge to wrap his arms around you. “That’s when he took out the knife and started carving this.” You put a hand on your chest. “He said I was his messenger.” Your heart was starting to race and you started to hyperventilate. “He… he kissed each cut as he made them and then he would kiss me.” 
You finally opened your eyes and almost wished that you hadn’t. Spencer was crushed. There were tears on his face and utter horror in his eyes. You had to look away. 
“Well… you know the rest.” 
“You did great, Y/N.” J.J. reassured you. “Do you think you’d be able to give a description to a sketch artist?” Despite your efforts to keep it still, your lip started to tremble. 
“D-do you think I can sleep first? I’m so tired.” You hadn’t realized how exhausted you were until now.  
“Of course. Just let me know whenever you’re ready, okay?” She glanced over at Spencer with a supportive smile before she left to join the others in the waiting room. You couldn’t bear to look at the pain you had caused him. 
“Maybe you should go with her.” You muttered, staring blankly at your lap, more tears threatening to spill onto your cheeks. You had brought him in here because you knew you needed him to get through this, but you hadn’t thought about what it would do to him. 
Spencer tried not to show the hurt on his face, but he wasn’t successful. He let go of your hand and stood up. 
“Let me know if you need anything.” His voice barely came out above a whisper. Any louder and he was sure it would have cracked. You watched the way his shoulders sagged as he walked, like he was carrying the weight of what had happened over his shoulder. You grabbed his hand before he got far. 
“Spence, wait.” You motioned for him to come closer and held his hand against your heart. When his skin grazed against the cuts in your chest, it didn’t hurt. If anything, it eased the sting. “I love you.” 
A small, lopsided smile appeared on his lips. Suddenly the box in his jacket pocket weighed more. 
“I love you too.” 
-
Once Rossi and Prentiss arrived, Hotchner briefed the team on what their next step should be. Reid, however, was nowhere to be found, which had made everybody worry. He sent Morgan and Prentiss to the latest murder crime scene to see if this really was the same unsub. Garcia went back to the BAU, but Rossi and J.J. stayed 
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Rossi asked, setting down a cup of terrible hospital coffee. It was almost morning now and no one had gotten any sleep. 
“From what she told us, it isn’t over yet.” J.J. sighed. “He told her that she’s special. He’s going to come back for her.” 
“And we will be here when he does.” Hotch stared down at the array of photos from the previous crime scenes. He was usually good about separating his emotions from a case, but this was an attack against his team. This was made to be personal. 
Hotch started down the hall, turning the corner and stopping. He noticed movement in the corner of his eye and turned around. Reid sat on the floor with his back pressed against the side of a vending machine and legs crossed in front of him. His face was sullen and tear stained.
“Hey,” He greeted, immediately stiffening and whipping his face with his sleeve. He stood and brushed off. Hotch noticed the way his hands shook. “Have you guys found anything yet?” 
“Morgan and Prentiss are heading to the latest crime scene. Based on what Y/N told you and J.J. about the attack, it could be the same unsub, but we don’t want to make any conclusions yet.” 
Reid nodded quickly, keeping his gaze trained on the floor. 
“Maybe I should go with them. I might get a better-”
“This isn’t your fault, Reid.” Hotch interrupted. He knew exactly where the younger agent’s mind was. “That is what he wants you to believe, but it isn’t your fault.” 
“I…” Spencer knew that arguing with him was pointless. He just looked defeated. “I have to do something, Hotch.” 
“The doctors will likely release Y/N in a couple of hours. We’ll need to get her somewhere safe. You should stay with her.” Hotch knew how the guilt was weighing down on him. He put a hand on his shoulder. “We’re all here for you, Reid. You and Y/N. We aren’t going to stop until we catch this man.” 
“Thanks, Hotch.” Spencer sniffed. More than anything, he wanted to take you home and never let you leave his embrace. Reid leaned down to pick up his jacket from the floor, wincing when a small velvet box clattered to the tile. Hotch picked it up for him. 
“Reid…” He proceeded with caution, but there was a warmhearted tone in his voice. “Is what I think it is?” He handed it to Spencer who hurriedly stuffed it back into his pocket. 
“Actually it’s a-” He stopped and gave him his awkward lop-sided smile. “I was going to ask her tonight.”
“I didn’t know you were ready to take that step.” 
“Neither did I.” Spencer laughed nervously. “But ever since I met her, I just knew. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.” He put his hand in his pocket, feeling the box in his fingers. Tonight was supposed to be so different. Hotch’s usually serious expression broke into a small, proud smile. 
Hotch’s mind returned to the case and he started back down the hallway. Spencer walked towards your room, pausing when his phone rang. 
“Dr. Reid.” He answered. For a moment, there was just breathing on the other end. Before he hung up, a low, raspy voice spoke. 
“I won’t be ignored anymore, Dr. Reid. You all notice me now.” 
Reid took off running. He found Garcia in the waiting area and pointed urgently at his cell phone before continuing the call. 
“You’re right. You have our full attention.”
“I know that little trick. Make me think I’m in control so your pretty little tech can trace this call. I learned from the best.” He chuckled deeply. “You won’t find me until I want you to.” There was a brief pause, like he was stopping for effect. “I was just calling to ask you some questions, Dr. Reid.”
“I’m not nearly as interesting as you are.” Reid tried to keep his tone even as he watched Garcia scramble to trace the call. 
“Could you hear her screaming?” His voice was like nails on a chalkboard. “I want to make sure that those soundproofing panels worked. She kept calling out for you over and over and over…” 
“You want us to know who you are, why don’t you tell me your name?” 
“Tell me, have you had her yet, Dr. Reid?” His suggestive voice made Spencer’s blood boil. “I’m dying to know what it’s going to be like when I have enough time with Y/N.” 
“You won’t get that chance.” He finally spat, losing control. 
“Don’t worry. I’ll take better care of her than I did those other girls. I look forward to meeting you, Spencer.” Just like that, the line went dead.
-
General Tag: @rae-gar-targaryen; @takemepedropascal; @childhood-imagination;  @mylovegoesto; @yellowbadgergirl; @itmejado; @suckmyapplejacks
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queenshelby · 3 years ago
Text
My Friend’s Father (Part Six)
Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader
Warning: Age Gap, Mild Sexual References
Words: 1,937
Notes:
I have decided to make this into a series.
Alright, no judgment. This was a dream of mine and I felt like I had to write it down. Everyone in this Fic is over the age of 18 and this Fic is in no way based on Cillian’s real family life. It’s pure filth.
 *************************
The Afternoon Before (Cillian’s POV)
Before the opening, Denise had the opportunity to show both of her parents the art which she had created.
Neither of them had seen the photographs before and were rather excited to see what all the fuss was about.
‘Alight, alright…here they are’ Denise said with excitement and, whilst her mother smiled and told her how beautiful they were, Cillian gulped harshly in surprise.
‘Dad, do you not like them?’ Denise asked as he stood there, chin dropped and speechless.
‘They are amazing’ he confirmed although he wished that he had some warning beforehand when it came to the content of the pictures.
Cillian wasn’t sure whether he should look at the pictures in detail or whether he should try and look away. Seeing you like this was difficult and his manhood soon began to stir as his eyes gazed over your perfectly shaped breasts and your messy hair.
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The Opening Night
You stood in front of the large mirror in your bedroom at your parent’s house just outside Galway and tried hard to clip your hair up which had always been a struggle.
Somehow, you managed and the tucked-up hair allowed you to show off your exposed shoulders and back.
The black dress you had chosen for the gallery opening was made out of stretchy fabric. It was simple but yet elegant and left the entirety of your back exposed while a rim of fabric ran across your neck.
You were lucky that your breasts were small as there was no way you could wear a bra with your dress and you certainly didn’t need to.
The dress was flattering around your hips and finished just below your knees.
‘You look nice’ Connor said as he picked you up from your house and, fortunately for you, your father wasn’t home in order to make a scene about your revealing outfit. Your parents were strictly catholic and wouldn’t have approved, nor did they approve of Connor who, in their opinion, was way too old for you.
‘I look nice, do I?’ you chuckled, having hoped for him to choose a different word perhaps, such as ‘beautiful’ or ‘stunning’.
‘Yes, very nice…let’s go, huh?’ he then said and you nodded, following him to the car.
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The drive to the gallery took only 15 minutes and, after Connor had handed his car keys to the valet, you walked inside the building where, almost immediately, you spotted Denise and both of her parents.
‘Oh wow, you look amazing’ you said to Denise before giving her a big hug. As usual, her clothes were colourful and unique.
‘So do you in your sexy black dress…Connor, isn’t she stunning?’ Denise winked, before saying hello to him also.
‘Yeah, she looks nice’ Connor then said, causing Cillian, who was standing behind Connor, to cock an eyebrow. You noticed him looking at you with burning eyes, clearly having noticed the fact that you weren’t wearing a bra.
‘Hey Y/N’ he then said, before giving you a friendly hug as well before you greeted Denise’s mother the same way.
Breathing in Cillian’s scent took your breath away and you immediately forgot about Connor by your side until Denise took it upon herself to introduce Cillian and her mother to Connor as well.
Just as you got talking, the others arrived and it was Amalie who stole the show, wearing the shortest dress she could have possibly found.
You couldn’t help but notice that Connor was staring at her and it was obvious to you that he would have liked it if you wore something more revealing like her.
‘Can’t walk in heels Y/N?’ Amalie then asked sarcastically and you shook your head, wearing nice but flat sandals with your dress.
‘I never saw the point of high heels. They are rather impractical, don’t you think?’ you asked, but Amalie ignored your question and immediately began to hit on Cillian instead which was rather amusing to watch.
***
After the initial chat, you allowed Denise and her parents to talk to some of the other artists and guests and disappeared into the crowd with Connor, trying to hunt down the photographs Denise had taken and which you had not yet seen.
‘You didn’t tell me you knew Cillian Murphy’ Connor said somewhat surprised and you told him that he was just Denise’s father so you didn’t think to mention it. Of course, you would never have wanted Connor to know that you had, in fact, slept with Cillian.
‘Whoah…and you also didn’t tell me that you look like this beneath all your clothes’ Connor then said all of a sudden, interrupting you mid-sentence, as he glanced over to where the photographs of you were displayed.
‘Well, if you had bothered to take off my clothes first before we had sex then you would have known’ you winked as you grabbed one of the glasses of champaign from the bar.
‘We were short of time but, perhaps, I can make it up to you tonight’ Connor then winked and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, thinking back at this one night a week or so go which was the first and last time you had sex.
‘Apparently you were short for time, yes’ you said teasingly, reminding him that, after ten minutes of missionary, he realised that the football was on and left you high and dry and certainly dissatisfied.
‘Tonight, you can show me what’s under this dress and I will worship this body of yours’ Connor said and his comment made you chuckle.
‘We will see’ you smirked and, just as you did, Cillian walked past the two of you and smiled.
You hoped that he didn’t hear any of this but, then again, if he did, you hoped that it made him at least a little bit jealous.
‘So, what do you think?’ you then suddenly heard Denise ask from behind and, because you were so busy starring at her father, you didn’t realise that she was there.
‘These pictures are amazing Denise’ you said as you were extremely happy with the result.
‘That’s what dad said too actually’ she then said, causing you to blush.
***
As the evening went by and Connor had one glass of wine after another and making several inappropriate and rather controlling remarks, you knew it was time to leave but, Denise didn’t want you to go just yet and, in the end, you told Connor to take a taxi home and that you would see him in the morning.
Luckily for you, he agreed and you were beyond embarrassed by his behaviour as he was trying to dictate what you could do and what you couldn’t as the night went on.
‘He is…uhm…interesting Y/N’ Denise’s mother then said before continuing on and asking you whether you don’t think that he’s a bit too old for you.
‘Oh, I see, you spoke to my parents’ you chuckled as you watched Cillian sip on his glass of wine while cocking an eyebrow.
‘I am just saying, I can see their concerns’ she went on to say, causing Denise to roll her eyes and it was at this point when Cillian interrupted his ex-wife.
‘That’s enough. I think she’s old enough to make her own decisions’ Cillian said and it wasn’t until, some point later when you followed Cillian down one of the hallways to get your coats from the cloak that you had some privacy and Cillian voiced his concerns.
***
‘Be careful alright’ he said after he told you that he was concerned that Connor acted in a controlling way and that he didn’t like the way he was speaking to you.
‘This is not how I meant it Y/N. I am just trying to look out for you’ he said and you couldn’t help but laugh, which is when he pulled you around the corner of the hallway, worried about someone listening to your conversation.
‘Listen, I don’t need you to tell m what to do. I am not your child’ you huffed out somewhat irritated by his comments and you weren’t sure whether it was his concerns that bothered you or the fact that he never contacted you again.
‘Look out for me? That’s funny. It really is’ you chuckled before asking him why he had never contacted you after your visit to Dublin.
‘Why would I have contacted you? I made it pretty clear that, what happened between us, was a mistake. It can’t happen again’ Cillian huffed out and, just as he did, you shook your head in disbelieve.
‘Alright, that’s fine…but stay out of my private life then, please. I don’t need this kind of lecture about who I should be with and who I shouldn’t be with from you’ you said angrily.
‘Common Y/N, you can’t tell me that you actually have feelings for a guy like this. You are more sensible than that’ Cillian said with frustration.
‘I think neither of us have been acting sensibly lately Cillian, wouldn’t you agree?�� you asked, raising your eyebrows.
‘That’s not the same Y/N. Like you said, it was just sex between us. But with him, it’s more than that isn’t it? You are dating him, are you not?’ Cillian then asked sternly.
‘Oh my god, are you jealous?’ you asked angrily.
‘I am not fucking jealous. Why would I be jealous?’ Cillian then asked annoyed.
‘How the fuck do I know. I don’t know how the hell your brain works. After all, you made the same mistake twice. Once, I can understand, but twice?’ you asked with fury.
‘And so did you’ Cillian blurted out.
‘Uhm, yeah, but I didn’t say it was a mistake, you did. For me, it wasn’t’ you huffed out.
‘Fuck, this isn’t going anywhere, is it?’ Cillian then conceded angrily and you shook your head.
‘No, it’s not, just leave me alone, okay?’ you then huffed out angrily and, just as you did, you could feel Cillian’s hands on your hips and your back pressed against the wall behind you near the stairway.
There was an awkward silence between you as you stared into each other’s eyes and, just after Cillian looked over to both sides to ensure that you were alone, he pressed his lips onto yours firmly.
You parted your lips slightly, allowing his tongue to invade your mouth as you gave into this kiss. Your hands were soon tangled in the top of his hair while his hands were caressing your face.
But then, all of a sudden, you pulled away and shook your head.
‘No…no I am not letting you do this again’ you huffed out before walking off.
Whilst you wanted him badly, you didn’t want him to walk away from you again, saying it was a mistake.
   Tag List:
@lilymurphy03@deefigs @theflamecrystal @desperate-and-broken @weepingstudentfishhorse @livinginfantaxy @rosey1981 @atomicsoulcollecto @peakyboyslover @nerdy4itall@elenavampire21 @hanster1998@mariapaiva13 @fairypitou @harry-is-your-sunflower @zozeebo @lauren-raines-x @kasaikawa @littlewierdalien @sad-huffle-nerd @theflamecrystal @peakymalfoyscullymulder @themissthang@0ghostwriter0 @stylescanbeatmyback @1-800-peakyblinders @datewithgianni @momoneymolife @ntmynouis @lilymurphy03 @mcntsee@cloudofdisney@missymurphy1985 @peakymalfoyscullymulder @otterly-fey @janelongxox @uchihacumdump @basiclassy @being-worthy @chaotic-bean-of-smolness @margoo0 @chocolatehalo @vhscillian @ysmmsy @littlewierdalien @crazymar15  @stickyknightflowerbailiff @im-constantly-fangirling @goldensunflowe-r  @tellingyouastory  @captivatedbycillianmurphy​  @namelesslosers​  @littlewhiterose​  @ttzamara​  @ttzamara @cilleveryone  ​
@peaky-cillian​
@severewobblerlightdragon​  @ysmmsy​  
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potter-imagines · 4 years ago
Text
Flowers in Braids (Fred Weasley)
Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader
Request: Could I request something please? 🧡 I just had a thought, a concept if you will, okay, so, Goblet of Fire Fred, and his gf y/n braiding his hair? 👉🏻👈🏻
Warning: None, just fluff
Word Count: 3k (short n sweet, hope you guys enjoy!)
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Cloudy rays poured into the windows of Hogwarta giving a small glimpse to the declining temperatures outside. Crowds of students jogged out beyond the castle grounds all meeting up in the small village outside Hogwarts. Hogsmeade was buzzing with life as where the castle was empty besides the students who had yet to reach the age of permission to even enter Hogsmeade. Despite the younger kids cooped up inside their dorm rooms and wandering around the grounds, your boyfriend, Fred Weasley, and yourself had chosen to skip out.
The two of you were locked away in his dorm room, chatting amongst yourself as you kneeled over him, eyes trained on his hair. After working him in for quite some time, you managed to convince Fred to let you give him two French braids. His hair had finally reached the perfectly length and you had been itching for months to try different braids in it.
“Does that feel good, Freddie?”
Your fingertips raked against the skin of his scalp as you reached for another strand. The long orange strands slipped like buttermilk through your grasp. Braiding the outside piece of hair in, you tied it under the middle section of his hair, pulling tightly. Fred jerked back at your force causing his spine to smack against your knee. You mumbled a quick apology, having lost yourself in the rhythm of the weaving pattern. When you braid your own hair, you had conditioned yourself to the scalp piercing pulls. Fred was new to this, so you had to take it easy so he’d let you braid his beautiful locks again. Your boyfriend just smiled smugly with his eyes drawn shut and hummed.
“Mmmhhh.”
Taking a small section of his hair, you braid it into the pile of fiery hair and gave a softer pull to tighten it lightly. The further down you got, the faster your finger moved. Sitting on your knees, you continued weaving while taking a peek at his face. Fred looked half asleep, a small smile displayed across his face. You paused your work to leave a chaste kiss to the side of his rosy cheek. Fred’s eyes pried open by the touch and gazed up at you.
“Is that a yes?” You asked, giggling like a child. Your boyfriend just melted into your touch as you ran your free hand through the left side of his head that wasn’t braided yet. Tracing your fingers through his free strands, Fred leaned further in your touch. He was always a sucker for having you play with his hair.
“Hmmm.”
His hands were folded in his lap, thumbs fiddling quietly. This was by far the most relaxed you had seen him- besides when he was snoring in slumber. Fred was your crazy, energetic, childlike, prankster boyfriend. Although now, he was the exact opposite to his normal demeanor. He hardly uttered a word, basking in the sensation of your touch and pull. His breathing deepened, heavy puffs falling from his chest. You stared for a moment longer then wrapped your hand around the side of his face, other hand holding the end of the braid. Leaning him back a tip, you leaned down to plant a kiss to his lips. Fred grinned against your lips, but soon enough kissed you back sweetly. Whispering you used your hand to guide his head away, closer to the blanket resting on the bed.
“Tilt your head down, love.” You directed him. His ginger hair was as soft as silk, draping over your knuckles with every twist. As your fingers brushed against his neck, you could feel the vibrations of his soothing hums. Reaching around his tall frame, you grabbed a small rubber band and scrunched it around your hand. Hitting the end of the braid, you wrapped the band around the bottom of his hair with ease. Giving one last pull, you took a look at the first finished braid.
“Lemme see, darling.” Fred made grabby hands behind his back motioning for the mirror. You handed him the oval shaped pastel pink mirror and watched on in anticipation. Fred’s eyes roamed your work, examining every detail of your nearly perfectly french braid. He reached up in surprise and lightly tapped the tight weaves. 
“Wicked. Are you planning on finishing the otherside or am I meant to walk around like this?” He asked laughing. Handing the mirror back to you, Fred settled into his previous spot, his back pressed to your knees. You giggled at the sight of him. One braid was secured stiffly on one side of his head while his strawberry locks laid past his shoulder on the other side. You rose up so you were kneeling. Fred was quite tall, his towering height made it difficult to see over the top of his head. Grabbing your comb from the mattress, you curled your fingers around the top section, dividing it into three equal strands. You brushed through the pillow soft mane, another hum sounding from Fred.
“What do you think the next task is gonna be? The dragons were terrifying! Still can’t believe you were cheering for the killer dragons over our own friend.” The recollection earned a mental scoff. Remembering the events of last week, you wondered about the upcoming second task. The first task was not exactly your cup of tea. Despite your boyfriend’s astonishment and eagerness over the deathly dragons, you were petrified. Fred kept his hand laced in yours for the entirety of the task. As he cheered crazily with George, he’d squeeze your hand in reassurance to let you know he was still paying attention to you. George would give you hugs every few minutes- half to calm you and the other half to piss his twin off.
Fred chuckled again, leaning his head back so he was looking at you from an upside down view. He puckered his lips causing you to roll his eyes but reluctantly gave in and left a kiss to his ready lips.
“I think you mean amazing, love. Harry’s dragon was by far the best!” His thunderous roar filled the room. George and Lee were out at Hogsmeade, joining the rest of your friends for the day. Any other night Fred and yourself would be taking the long stroll to the village with the group. Hogsmeade trips were highly anticipated but for some reason, neither one of you really felt up for the trip. When Fred woke up, his only plan for the day was to remain attached to his bed. Not having any desires for a busy day, you decided to join him.
“Doesn’t mean you have to cheer for it, Fred.” You commented, snickering to yourself. During the first match, you sat in the stands of the Quidditch Pitch- now dragon arena- in between Fred and George. The twins hollered in excitement when the task was announced. Each competitor that came out, the twins looked through and waited anxiously for the reveal of the dragon. In all honesty, they couldn’t care less about who won or who was competing, they only wanted to see the dragons and their mass destruction. Even when your dear friend was almost killed by the fire breathing monster, Fred and George jumped up and down in delight, clapping their hands and screaming happily, “Go, dragon!”. It was a bit embarrassing to be sitting with them as other students sent dirty looks, especially the Hufflepuffs cheering on Cedric. Fred merely shrugged as you threaded the end of his hair,
“But I wanted to. Anyhow, Harry said it’s got something to do with water and George and I saw Dumbledore and Snape out on the Black Lake so I’d say it’ll be some task out there. Now let me see!” Fred whipped around as lightning speed, looking for the handheld mirror. You could see the excitement on his face. Dragging the mirror towards himself, Fred lifted the glass but just as he did, you snatched the mirror away from him.
“Wait, Freddie, I’m not finished. The flowers, remember? I picked out the purple and white ones just for you.” You squeaked. Fred had promised he’d let you stick some flowers in his braid once you finished. With everything inside of him, Fred desperately wanted to scream no. It already took you months to convince
“But… I wanna go show George my braids and if I have flowers in my hair…” He stopped mid thought when he saw your pouty expression. Puppy dog eyes and a puff out bottom lip, you gazed up at Fred with a begging stare. A smile hit his lips immediately as rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. But I only want the little white ones.”
Grinning in victory you started separating the stems from the petals. Getting the flowers laid out on the large bed, your eyes darted up to Fred in question.
“The daisies?” Holding up the delicate flowers, you raised your brow to Fred. His doe gleam hit yours then down to the miniature flowers. A cheeky smirk flashed across Fred’s face as he flirted,
“The only flower I know is you, darling.”
Your face went deadpan as you shot your giggling boyfriend a playful glare, feigning unamusement. Fred could be extremely sweet when he wants to do and today, that seems to be his main motive. Rolling your e/c eyes you resumed your concentration on his braided hair and the generous pile of daisies laying next to your thigh. Carefully, one by one, you twist the flowers to snap the excess stem off. Then you individually tucked each petallful bud into his locks, cautious not to go overboard like you would in your own binding braids.
The pale petals poked out, It was the kind of brilliant white that would even make new snow look grey, the kind of white that sears into your retinas and makes you temporarily blind. The bright contrast made the pumpkin orange shade of his hair pop in the light. Smoothing your hand over the bumps, you gazed upon your work. Handing the mirror back to Fred, you informed him that you had finished.
“Do you like it, Freddie?” You placed your hands together, hiding your face behind them. This was the first time Fred ever let you even attempt to style his hair, and to Fred Weasley, his hair meant everything. Now in your sixth year, it has reached its peak. Fred and George were very proud of their shoulder length orange locks, and you could understand why. Dating for already three years, you could confidently declare this style was your favorite. This being the reason you yelled in horror after the stunt Fred and George pulled during their entry, or attempt of an entry, for the Tri-Wizard tournament. After he finished tousling and rolling around on the floor with his twin, Fred ran up to you for help. Much to his surprise, you took off like a rocket in the opposite direction. Your friends all laughed at the sight of the twins until tears were streaming down their cheeks. His aged state, and frizzed crazy white hair was too much for you to process all at once. You nearly cried in joy when the prankster came knocking on your door hours later back to his normal state. Back again were his beloved ginger locks. The traumatic event still haunted you. Since then, you never missed a moment to admire his beautiful long hair.
One thing Fred loved was your need to constantly touch his locks. Sitting in class, Fred will lean his head on your shoulder as the professor drones one. Muscle memory kicks in and your free hand will sneak up his back and start running your runnings through his hair. When names were being drawn out of the flaming goblet, Fred sat in front of you with George. He squeezed himself between your legs, his arms resting on your knees. While the headmasters snatched their slips of papers falling from the fire, you’d be fiddling with strands of his hair, petting over the velvet like hair. To Fred, it was always comforting to sense your hands on him, no matter where.
You waited patiently, nervous for his reaction. Fred’s large hands moved the mirror in various spots, trying to get a peek from every possible angle. Eyes raking over the braids, a twinkle beamed on Fred’s lips as he exclaimed,
“It looks wonderful, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you, I love it!” Your heart jumped with happiness at his approval. Throwing your arms around him, Fred maneuvered so he was fully facing you. He returned the hug, gripping your body tightly in his arms. His lips sneaked a quick kiss to your blushing cheek.
“Serious? Or are you just being nice?” You asked softly.
Pulling away, Fred slid you forward so you were sitting practically in his lap. Once more he sealed a peck to your lips, then left a lingering kiss on the tip of your nose.
“No, really, I honestly love it. We gotta go find George and Lee! They should be back soon. But if they ask for you to braid their hair, please say no, darling. I only want you braiding my hair, not George’s. He won’t shut up about it if you do.” His tone was a facade of chaff, a hint of seriousness shining through. It was clear he was pretending to be all jokes but the sincerity lingered. You rolled your eyes overtly and smacked his chest like a child.
“You’re so dramatic, Freddie. I won’t touch your brother’s hair, Merlin’s sake.”
Just as you went to stand up, a pair of strong arms wrapped around your frame and yanked you to your previous position.
“Where are you going?”
“I thought we were gonna show George and Lee-”
The warmth of his breath smacked against the chilling skin of your neck. His arms were stiff around your waist, not even giving you a chance to escape. Giggles stormed through you at the feeling. Fred’s fingers poked and probed at your sides, starting an attack of tickles. You tried to pin his hands down although he overpowered you in seconds. He paused his tickle war not long after, allowing you to catch a gasp of air. Smiling brightly at you, Fred extended his legs out so you were placed between them.
“But I haven’t gotten to braid your hair yet! Now, turn around for me, darling. Hand me the brush please. Your braid is gonna be all flowers, no hair.” The contagious laughter of Fred encapsulated the atmosphere. Your hands shot up to cover your face in embarrassment. Fred had tried- at least ten times- to get a braid to stick in your hair and he had yet to succeed. His idea of a braid was starting with holding all three strands of hair at once and just twisting them in a repetitive cycle. The thought of grabbing pieces of hair to braid in was just another level of hair styling to Fred. Glancing up at Fred you gave him an unsure gaze.
“I’m gonna look like a clown, Freddie.”
Not missing a beat, your gentleman of a boyfriend just smirked, replying,
“A cute clown, love. A cute flower clown. You’ll have people thinking Halloween came early!” Already expecting what was to come, Fred cowered behind his arms, using them as shield from your hits. You didn’t strike to hurt, just to sting. Part of dating Fred was falling victim to his teasing. As close as you were, his jokes never truly offended you. There was a line drawn years ago and his toes never even grazed it. Crossing your arms over your chest you scrunch your nose in pretend annoyance.
“Freddie! Not nice.”
Your boyfriend laughed gently then reached over to pick up your basket of flowers on the ground. Sifting his hands through the pile, Fred was deep in concentration as he plucked out about five flowers of various shapes. The thing that stood out to you was the color. Although different in type, all the flowers were a pretty lilac tone. You assumed he had chosen flowers for your hair until he spoke. 
“I’ll let you put some purple flowers in my hair, if you’d like? Would that make it up to you?” He asked you sweetly. Fred knew you weren’t actually mad, a small part of him wanted pastel purple flowers to begin with. He just didn’t want you telling everyone he chose them himself- this way he could say he had to, in order to make you happy. The words lit a spark behind your eyes and you eagerly pivoted on the bed so your back was against his front. Nodding to yourself you agreed to his offer, trying not to show your excitement too much.
“Now face the wall, love. I’m gonna give you a Italian braid so sit still.” Your eyes widen in confusion as you whip around to face him. Fred grinned enthusiastically, holding a small portion of your hair in his hands. Squinting your eyes, you laugh a bit at him.
“An Italian- Freddie, no, darling. It’s called a French braid!”
His saucer like eyes just stared at you, the terminology flying straight over his head. He flickered between your gape, then down to your hair, then back up. Bobbing his head he seemed to agree with you. He grabbed your shoulders gingerly and positioned you so you were looking at the wall again. Mumbling to himself, Fred whispered words of encouragement earning a chuckle from you.
“Oh, yeah… a French braid.” His hands roamed through your hair, fingers brushing against your scalp. Nimbly he separated your strands into small portions. You felt the strong tug on your hair when he suddenly stopped abruptly and asked faintly, “Sweetheart… how do you braid hair?”
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Note
Okay, so you said I could send an ask for headcanons about the childhoods of some specific merc(s)... I think I would really like to read your headcanons about Soldier’s and Engineer’s childhood :)
Thanks in advance and I hope your well.
Ooooh…I’ve been waiting for this! And thank you for being specific and not just saying “the rest of them.” Sometimes I get overwhelmed with nine specific mercs to write for. Your specifics are much appreciated.
****************
Soldier:
Soldier doesn’t talk very much about his childhood - whether it’s because something happened or he just doesn’t remember it, no one can tell. It’s nowhere in his file, either…he refused to do anything except tell fantastic tales of a fictional youth.
However, in a rare streak of almost lucidity, he spouted off the entirety of his younger years, much to the team’s surprise. Usually, if anyone asked directly, he changed the subject.
But now he described everything in vivid detail. And, with a bit of research from Miss Pauling, everything fell into place.
Apparently he had been born in a small military town in Georgia. His father was overseas, leaving he and his mother alone in their small yellow house.
In order to make ends meet, his mother worked at a nearby factory, mostly leaving Soldier to fend for himself and the house.
“Can you be a big, strong soldier like daddy for me?”
Soldier would always agree, finding his own food, his own entertainment, and his own friends. No matter what happened, he never bothered his mom. If anything, his job was to protect her.
That’s why, when his stomach started hurting and his arms and legs ached, he said nothing about it.
When he forgot the chores he was supposed to do and even the names of his friends, he didn’t bring it up.
When he felt tired all the time and some days could barely get out of bed, he just chalked it up to laziness like his mother did.
It turns out the factory they were next to was polluting the water next to the house with dangerous amounts of lead, which soon overcame Soldier’s immune system of steel.
He could barely remember anything anymore, and he became more and more distraught every day. Sometimes he would forget where he was and run outside, then get lost in the woods, only coming back once he remembered where he was supposed to be.
Soldier began to wear one of his father’s old helmets after his mom commented on his red eyes and the dark circles around them. He didn’t want to worry her. Besides, it helped bring back a few memories if he ever got lost again.
Finally, it got to the point where he didn’t even remember his mother, or his promise to her. He began to wander farther and farther away from home.
One day, he didn’t come back at all.
Out in the world with not a single memory to his name, Soldier wandered far and wide. He usually slept in barns and old, abandoned houses, cut off from most people.
Occasionally, he would find a family that wanted to “raise him as their own,” only to turn him away after finding him too difficult to care for.
He had frequent nightmares, ate little due to his unresolved stomach issues, and could barely walk ten feet without forgetting where he was going.
If he accidentally wandered into the same house twice, he would be chased out with either a broom or a gun - usually the latter.
He became “the demon child” in some counties, and “g*psy kid” in others, due to his long, unkempt hair, hidden eyes, and odd habits.
It even got to the point where Soldier couldn’t sleep on anyone’s property because he would be actively fought off like a wolf or a bear.
His only pleasure was an old movie theater that, as he recovered from his lead poisoning, remembered the location of and frequently snuck into.
The only thing that played were romance movies - which, like many children, Soldier hated - and war movies, which he watched over and over again with starving eyes.
Because of these movies, a single memory from his mother’s house came to him. A woman, tall and muscular from hard labor, giving him a shiny badge to hold, asking him to be a strong soldier like his father.
And thus began his life-long dream of becoming a military officer.
He trained according to what he knew from the films…which was mostly running, doing jumping jacks, and occasionally rolling around in the mud.
This only served to distance him further from his fellow human beings, but he didn’t care. Soldier had a mission, and he was going to do it well.
But the biggest change was his hair.
He had started cutting it off with sharpened rocks, but he was always saving up coins he found for a “proper army cut.”
Finally, he had quite the collection in a dirty mason jar, and marched into the barber shop in his town to ask for a haircut.
The manager was appalled, and at first refused, but Soldier stood his ground.
“Civilian, I’ll have you know that by denying a soldier with a haircut, you are denying America one of its best fighters! I can’t curdle the enemy’s blood looking like a hippie!”
After a short yelling match that, of course, Soldier won, the manager decided it would be in his best interest to comply.
He walked out of that shop with no hair on his head, but a huge grin on his face. Next stop, the ranks.
Soldier went from draft office to draft office, applying for and being denied entrance to the army for his obvious lack of mental stability.
This is when the personal retelling ended, since Soldier became very upset by the memory of his recruitment failures, but Miss Pauling concluded that he just bounced from state to state until Mann Co. found him, quote, “sitting in an alleyway, eating army draft paperwork while sobbing uncontrollably.”
Engineer:
Engineer also never really talks about his childhood, but both Medic and Spy (Spy knows everything about everyone on the team) know that’s for a good reason.
He grew up in a trailer community near an almost ghost town in Texas.
His father was an abusive car mechanic with a mean streak a mile wide and a shop full of failed inventions. His mother wasn’t any better - she was bitter and reclusive, only really coming out of her room to pick a fight with her husband.
However, what Engie lacked in family, he more than made up for in friends.
He had a rag-tag, Rugrats-esque team of pals from all walks of life: Rhapsody, the daughter of a struggling porn star; Tom, the son of two farmers wiped out by blight; Cici, an adopted girl that could barely walk into her trailer without a black eye and a string of slurs; Quinn, the nervous child of a single mother that serves as guidance to the other kids; And Fred, who didn’t seem to have any family, but had become a greaser big brother to all of them.
Together, they explored the desert near the trailer park, pooled their resources to feed and support each other, and used their individual strengths to get through each day.
Engineer, whom everyone affectionately called “Big Dell,” snuck parts from his dad’s workshop for his own creations.
By the time he was twelve, he could make a small, running engine for the soapbox cars his friends frequently raced.
No toy, piece of clothing, glasses, or tool was out of his line of expertise.
One day, though, upon finding that some of his parts were missing, Engineer’s dad gave him a terrible beating that broke a few of his fingers and left a huge gash near his eye.
Since then, he refused to fix, make, or even touch a tool.
He wouldn’t tell anyone what happened, but they could make a pretty good guess, since they knew where the scraps and parts had come from.
The whole group was furious with Engineer’s dad - their Big Dell was funny, smart, and was more loving than every family member they had combined. Even Quinn was red in the face.
They wanted to break into his dad’s workshop and destroy all of his inventions, just to teach him a lesson, but they knew Engineer would take the fall for it.
Instead, they rummaged through trash cans, searched their toy chests, and looked under their trailers to find things Engineer could use.
They waited until his birthday to unveil the massive pile of supplies they had stowed away.
Engineer immediately dropped to his knees and began to cry, and everyone else dogpiled him for a huge hug.
As the creme de la creme, they gave him a pair of welding goggles - the same welding goggles he wears to this day, having modified them so they still fit his growing body.
With his healed fingers and renewed spirit, he made each of them a gift: a toy car for Rhapsody, a skull ring for Fred, a full set of candle wax crayons for Cici, a chewable necklace for Quinn so they wouldn’t chew on their collar, and a mini-planter for Tom.
But Engineer was given the greatest gift - confidence in his own abilities and that he can be and was appreciated for more than his services.
This gave him the drive to build bigger and better things, which his friends happily assisted in creating.
Engie’s best memories are with that motley crew of scrawny, beaten-up kids.
But, as he became a teenager, the abuse grew worse by the day.
He was often kept in his dad’s garage to fix cars in sweltering heat and with nothing to show for his work except threats of what would happen if a customer complained.
His mother finally grew bitter enough to pick on him, wondering aloud and pointedly if she had made a mistake by having him, then immediately contradict herself by wailing in his arms about how she’s the most awful mother in the world, and how she would be gone soon, and then nobody would have to deal with her anymore.
Engie grew more and more distant from his friends as they either moved out, ran away, or, in Rhapsody’s case, died.
He thought of just shutting the garage door and turning on a car a couple times, but he would always return to his memories of the hidden cave of goodies his friends had collected or the many inventions they had helped him build.
It just wasn’t worth it.
On a night when his depression and self-doubt was especially bad, he decided to build a personal invention for the first time in years - a small, robotic chicken made out of bent gears and empty oil cans.
He worked on it for a few weeks, but made the mistake of leaving it on a work table once it was finished.
Engie came to work the next morning with his dad ready to chew him out. But, before any finger could be lifted against his son, he was interrupted by a sweet older couple that was having their tires replaced.
“Now, Ethan, ain’t that just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen in your life?”
“Hm?”
“That there chicken statue over there! It looks like it could very well get up and start peckin’ for worms, don’tcha think?”
Engie looked at the couple, then at his dad, then at his chicken. He slowly lifted it from the table and turned the key.
It started to slowly lean forward, then took a few steps on it’s long, spring-loaded legs. The neck went down, and the chicken’s rusty beak began to scrape at the pavement.
Now he had the husband’s attention.
“Didja build that yourself, son, or did your daddy help ya?”
Engineer looked at his dad for a split second before answering.
“My own sweat ‘n blood, sir. My daddy says I should stop wastin’ time on ugly thing-a-ma-jigs an’ put my hands to somethin’ worth doin’.”
The man smiled. “Well, this ‘ugly thing-a-ma-jig’ shows real skill. We could use somebody like you, once we train you up a bit.”
“Now hold on a damn - !” his father interjected, but was silenced with a cold stare.
“We’ll put ya through a state-of-the-art school, then put ya straight inta the work force. You can build whatever you like…and you’ll have a lot better materials than rusty tin. Whaddaya say, son?”
Engineer just nodded, and the man grabbed his hand and shook it.
“We’ll keep in touch.”
Engineer left that trailer park at age seventeen, leaving his fuming father and drunken mother behind.
He only stopped to visit Rhapsody’s grave before embarking on his new life.
There is still a stone plate with a message carved into it next to the headstone. If you brush off the leaves and dig out the moss, you can see Engie’s parting words:
“A friendship with you and the rest of the gang is the greatest thing I ever built. -Big Dell”
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bl00dgutsgl0ry · 4 years ago
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A Childhood Promise
Pairing - Childe/Tartaglia/Ajax x Reader
Warnings - None I don’t think
Word Count - 2.5k
Other Comments - I hate posting on Tumblr I’m not gonna lie to you guys. Trying to get this shit to post has been so hard. Please I just want a crumb of recognition tumblr. Let people see my posts.
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      Life used to be so simple when you were younger. You had a lovely close knit family, you went to a great school, you had great friends. All around you were a happy little kid. The best thing you will ever remember from your childhood was your best friend Ajax. Everything was so simple.
Ajax was the poster child of a “perfect kid”. He was well liked by his teachers and peers, he had superb grades, he was becoming a young prodigy in his combat class, and above all, he was your all time best friend. You two were inseparable ever since you had met when your parents had all gotten to know each other once at an event.
     No one ever really saw one of you without the other, and if they ever did come across such a sight, it would never last long. You two also almost went through the entirety of school being in the same class, and if you weren’t, Ajax would always find a way to catch you right as you were being dismissed. You two had the most innocent yet cliché childhood friendship, as you two played with each other or hung out day after day.
     “One day (y/n) I’m going to marry you! I promise!” Ajax enveloped you in a hug as the two of you giggled.
     This lasted for quite some time, that was until Ajax had turned eighteen. His combat skills had skyrocketed since his adolescent classes and competitive matches. Combat came like second nature to him, and that didn’t go by unnoticed. Very quickly Ajax got an offer for a job, one that he would never tell you details about. You remember the shock that enveloped you when Ajax excitedly spouted the good news to you.
     You didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. You wanted to be happy for your childhood friend because this was an amazing offer for him, and an incredible opportunity to keep growing. But on the other hand you wanted to be sad because you knew you would see him less and less as time went on, not only that but you were still just so uncertain about this job. Ajax never withheld information about what was going on in his life until now; what if he got himself into something awful? Nonetheless you quickly plastered a shocked and excited expression on your face, as you rambled different forms of congrats and praise for being so good. Before Ajax left to go back to his home you gave him the tightest hugged and made him promise to stay close. Ajax was floored that you valued your friendship with him so much you would make him promise something he would never give up.
     Time had passed and you noticed yourselves slowly drifting apart. It went from calling each other less, to only texting, then to texting less until you guys barely talked. You understood Ajax was busy, but it still stung seeing you what you thought would’ve been your life long friend slowly forget about you. That was until you had received something in the mail with a very familiar name on it. Ajax.
     A small black box containing what looked to be a hand made scrappily hammered ring along with a letter at the bottom landed on your desk in your bedroom, assuming one of your parents must’ve dropped it off in there. All doubts about Ajax in your mind had been eased as you delicately slid the heavy polished ring on your finger. After you did you giggled in excitement as a delicate pink blush found its way to the tops of your cheeks and ears. You had almost forgotten about the note neatly folded, awaiting to be opened and it’s contents to be discovered.
      You gently unfolded the letter, almost scared that you’d rip it. Inside was the most beautifully written borderline love letter you had ever read, it was almost like romantic poetry, and at the very end was a sentence you wanted to burn into your memory ‘remember that promise?’. Your mind was immediately flooded with all the fond memories you had with Ajax, blushing more and more as you uncovered them. By the end of your daydream session butterflies were fluttering around excitedly in your stomach. You didn’t want to be friends with Ajax anymore. You wanted to love him.
     It had been years since you last heard from him. Not a day has gone by that you haven’t worn the ring Ajax had given you so long ago. You moved away from Snezhnaya after you turned eighteen, now residing in Mondstadt whilst you were going to college; you planned to move back after getting your degree but you made some great friends and the carefree culture of the windy city really called to you. Though after one of your parents' health took a turn for the worst you had made quick plans to go visit with your family.
     It had felt like ages since you last stepped foot out into the familiar icy air, looking around to see the sheets of snow and ice covering the ground. Luckily the streets were plowed, which allowed you to maneuver through the city. Your visit has been great since setting foot in your childhood home. You were happy to be home for the time being, happy to relive the nostalgic moments of your younger days. Everything had changed so much since then. You had barely even thought about Snezhnaya or even Ajax for that matter despite wearing his ring every day, wanting to start fresh when you left for college.
      You suddenly realized you had let your head drop accidentally dozing off, jerking yourself out of melancholy memories. You decided it was probably jet lag, but it was far too early to go to sleep so coffee sounded like a good solution. You remembered an old coffee shop you used to study at whilst you were in high school, that was conveniently within walking distance to your house. With a quick five minute walk to the outdoor shops that littered the local streets you lived by, you located the coffee shop taking a minute to stare at the outside. It hadn’t changed at all.
     Smiling to yourself you walked in and politely ordered a coffee before sitting down at a high table by the window. The stand for the table had a heater built in, keeping you warm as you looked out the thin glass shielding you from the icy winds. You took in the old streets, smiling as you once again lost yourself in the nostalgia of everything. You hadn’t noticed a strikingly tall ginger walk into the shop, and you also hadn’t noticed the considerably loud gasp and call of your name. You only noticed the man's presence when he tapped on your table, causing you to jolt and promptly turn in his directly. It took you a minute to realize who you were staring at.
     “(Y/n)? What the hell are you doing here?” Ajax. There he stood, at the side of you bent over at the hips slightly so he wasn’t completely towering over you. Ajax didn’t want to see you here. He didn’t want to see you at all. You were still fresh in his mind just like you were the last day he had seen you. He missed you. His eyes fell to your hand where he saw the ring he had made and sent to you still on your finger after all these years.
     Your face was almost unrecognizable after all the time that passed, you had grown so much since then. Something unsettled Ajax about your demeanor, you were like an open book to him when you guys were younger as you wore your heart on your sleeve. Looking at you now though, there was no glimpse at the emotions you were feeling in this moment. Were you happy to see him again, since you wore his ring? Were you upset with him breaking his promise? Ajax couldn’t tell as you stared blankly at him for what seemed like ages, giving it enough time to make the air solidify and turn stale and uncomfortable. You finally shook yourself out of this trance you were in, as you suddenly stood up.
     “Wha- Hey, wait a minute (y/n)! What are you doing here?” You didn’t acknowledge Ajax’s voice, subliminally yearning to fall into his strong arms. You were upset. How dare he ask you what you’re doing here. You weren’t the one who had completely abandoned everyone in your life for some sketchy job. You grabbed your coffee before swiftly beginning to exit. Something in Ajax was different. He didn’t really take kindly to you ignoring him, as you felt a vice like grip grab onto your wrist, causing you to flinch and whip around to angrily rip your arm out of his grasp.
     “Don’t touch me Ajax! How dare you have the audacity to ask me what I’m doing here! This was my home! I didn’t abandon everyone I knew and loved on some sketchy ass whim!” Ajax stared at you. Were you joking?! Some ‘sketchy ass whim’?! You supported him when he first told you!
     “What the hell is wrong with you (y/n)?!” Your eyes narrowed as you grit your teeth, you grip on your coffee tightening. Without even thinking you threw it in his face.
     “What’s wrong with me?! You’re so fucked up Ajax! We were best friends and then you completely vanish from reality! You promised me we would stay close!” Now it was time for Ajax to grit his teeth. So you were upset with him about that.
     “(Y/n) that was years ago!! We grew up! That was just a stupid childish promise!” As soon as those words left Ajax’s mouth, he went silent as his eyes widened in horror at his on voice. The entire coffee shop was silent as they all watched your argument break out. Ajax didn’t mean to say that, he knew he had fucked up his promise with you and he hated himself for it; he just didn’t know how to explain what he was doing without scaring you off or pushing you away. Turns out he was already doing that by vanishing. He wanted you to forget about him, he knew that when he took the job to join the Fatui and serve the Tsaritsa he would never be able to give you what you deserved. A normal and happy relationship. Ajax was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a sniff and realized you were beginning to cry.
     “Ah… So that’s what it was. Just a way to get me to get off your back. I suppose the ring served the same purpose? Whatever Ajax, you’ve changed and I don’t ever wanna see you again.” You quickly ripped the ring off before throwing it in the trash as you stormed out, trying not to audibly cry, as you had already embarrassed yourself enough in that shop. Ajax stood statuesque still. Holy shit he had made everything so much worse. He sighed before snapping out of his position to grab some napkins, to hopefully dry himself off before venturing back outside. He had to fix this.
     It had been a couple days since your argument with Ajax and you were in shambles. This could not have come at a worse time. You were just happy that this Gods awful trip was coming to an end soon. You sighed as you flipped onto your back in your childhood bedroom, trying to reminisce on the old memories you had here, but all of them had gotten tainted by Ajax. He had ruined everything for you. You regretted everything with him, with getting so close to him. Tears had started to well up in your eyes but you quickly blinked them away before they had gotten the chance to fall. You hadn’t noticed before, but there was this weird tapping sound coming from your window; which caused you to anxiously investigate. You pulled your curtains back to be greeted with Ajax, who looked at you sheepishly. You blankly stared at him for a moment before closing the curtains and going back to lay on your bed, trying your hardest to ignore Ajax’s protests and calls of your name. After a while everything had gone silent, until your door opened and Ajax emerged one again.
     “Uh… I’m sorry about coming into your room uninvited but one of your parents called me inside and said I could just come in. In hindsight I probably should’ve knocked before coming in and-”
     “What the hell do you want Ajax.” You cut off the young man's babbling without looking at him, you were on your side laying down on your bed with your back facing him.
     “I wanted to make everything up to you. I want to explain everything and I want to tell you about my job finally.” Ajax was hopeful that you would allow him the opportunity to explain himself.
     “No. Now get out of my house.” Ajax’s heart sunk. No… No no no you had to let him explain himself, he needed to explain. He needed you.
     “Please (y/n) I know you don’t owe me anything, not even your time, but please I owe you this.” You sighed, before slowly sitting up and facing him finally. You stared at him for a moment before speaking.
     “Fine. But you have two minutes, so you better speak quickly.” Ajax’s heart fluttered. He spent those two minutes exactly, explaining everything that happened. You were silent for the most part, staring at your hand and you fiddled with your fingers. Ajax waited anxiously for your response. When you didn’t give him anything he took this as a sign to move onto faze two of his apology. For the last couple of days he had been running all over Snezhnaya spending preposterous amounts of mora. He had presented you with flowers and food; but above all he presented you with a ring.
     “That is one promise that I am going to keep true. Please (y/n) forgive me and make me the happiest man in the world and marry me.” You stared at him with large eyes and Ajax took a hold of one of your hands and gently slid the beautiful ring onto your ring finger. Tears once again began to well up in your eyes, and suddenly your arms were wrapped around his torso as you cried into his chest. You missed this. He still felt the same way he did when you hugged him last, he even smelled the same.
     “Is that… A yes?” You nodded furiously, face still buried deep in his chest. You were willing to forgive him, but above all, you were willing to love him again.
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chillwithaster · 3 years ago
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SUMMARY: “Wo ho ho there, Kaedehara, where do you think you’re going?” Venti and Xiao moved to grip each of his wrists. If Kazuha had not known any better, he would think they were shackles by how deathly their holds were.
Venti gave him a light smile. As if he’s going to let this bleach-streaked, toothpaste-hogger fiend anywhere close to his date to the-
“Your date?” Xiao started.
Whoops, did he say that out loud?
RELATIONSHIPS : Albedo/Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact) || Kong | Aether/Xiao | Alatus (Genshin Impact || Kong | Aether/Venti (Genshin Impact) || Kaedehara Kazuha/Kong | Aether
Please consider supporting me on Ko-fi because im kind of in a need for extra cash to help out my family during the pandemic ! every little bit helps and I'm giving out incentives for donations ! A dollar for a personalized reviewer and study guide or a genshin fanfiction of your choice !
AO3
“Well, this is most unfortunate.”
Venti could already feel the caffeine in his systems fuel his flight-or-fight response as he saw not one but two of his roommates standing outside the library.
He really needed a drink and pronto.
This was supposed to be his shining moment; the ballad to end all ballads; the righteous bard’s claim to a golden prince’s heart after their loveless rendezvous.
Venti had finally gotten the courage to ask Aether out to the Ludi Harpastum Dance – one of the most anticipated events in the entirety of their university. It was known as a Mondstadtian custom that he himself absolutely adored for its flowers, games, cuisines, and especially romantic atmosphere.
It was going to be perfect, really.
But no, Barbatos above and mighty, these – unsultry fiends decided to rain over such a wonderful parade.
“Agreed.” He shot a half-hearted glare at the white-haired male next to him, who had decided to dress-up from his usual plain tees and jeans.
Instead, Kazuha was wearing a half-buttoned black blazer (one that Venti swore was his, mind you) with black skinny jeans and a white polo-shirt. His hair was tied tighter than his usual lopsided ponytail, and Venti swore the other’s glasses had never been cleaner.
Now, though Venti was quite ecstatic to see his friend out of his usual horrendous fashion-style, he was visibly irked by the bouquet of Carnations in Kazuha’s arms.
“Move. You’re blocking the entrance.” The other two broke from their staring contest to find slitted amber hues.
For as long as Venti knew Xiao, even the Contemporary Music major knew his roommate looked good in a turtleneck.
And unfortunately for him, Xiao knew that too.  
Sporting a sleeveless dark green turtleneck and a black leather jacket fastened firmly around his waist, Xiao glared from behind the brown, large toy dragon plushie he was hugging.
“Uh excuse me.” Venti chirped, a hand to his hip to assert his dominance as their senior. “I was here first, mind you. Now buzz off.”
Xiao cocked a brow at him. “Don’t tell me you’re bringing in food to a library.”
The braided boy gawked at him before guiltily looking down at the two boxes of doughnuts in his hands. Boxed in pastel green and white, his warm, delicious, better than what his other roommates could ever bake in their entire life, homemade desserts stared back in shame at the thought of being left behind.
“Of course not!”
Kazuha and Xiao did not believe him.
“Of course…” The Inazuman began before moving past Venti. “Now please excuse me, I need to speak with-“
“Wo ho ho there, Kaedehara, where do you think you’re going?” Venti and Xiao moved to grip each of his wrists. If Kazuha had not known any better, he would think they were shackles by how deathly their holds were.
Venti gave him a light smile. As if he’s going to let this bleach-streaked, toothpaste-hogger fiend anywhere close to his date to the-
“Your date?” Xiao started.
Whoops, did he say that out loud?
Venti turned to his supposed ally as he released Kazuha’s hand. However, despite his fumble, the Cheshire grin on his lips still slashed through. “Yeah. My date to the Ludi Harpastum Dance.”
If looks could kill, Venti would be six feet under.
“Isn’t it quite bold of you to assume he’d want … you?” Kazuha began, scanning him up and down.
“I am offended!” Damn, the senior could feel ten years being subtracted from his time on earth. “And yes I do! Unlike both of you, I’ve known Aether the longest. From all the way ever since he moved here, so that makes me his best friend.”
The other two were not convinced.
“Yeah. Friend.” Venti wanted to hurl something hard into Xiao’s smirk. “And aren’t you more mature than that? For such an old man, you’d think you’d be past using the length of a relationship to measure its worth.”
“I agree with Xiao.” Kazuha hissed from behind, and Venti almost held a high grin at knowing why he was so defensive. Kazuha only had a month in his little pool of Aether interactions, so he knew he stood no chance if that was the criterion. “One’s closeness mustn’t be measured by how much – but rather how well – that time spent together was.”
Venti rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever.”
Honestly, he had not expected this. Especially not from these two.
Venti had always assumed that Xiao wanted nothing to do with relationships, especially since Xiao had made it quite crystal clear to anyone that had tried making moves on him that he was not interested. Same goes for Kazuha, who seemed to be more inclined to pour his focus into his studies in Literature rather than pursuing a love life.
But alas, here they are.
“Excuse me.” The three snap out of their heated staring contest to find a mop of kempt blond hair behind them.
Albedo stared at the three suspicious figures with a raised brow. As the junior librarian of the campus, it was his job to make sure students were not loitering outside to cause a mess.
“You’re keeping others from entering. If you have no business here, could you please go back to your dormitories.” His eyes shift to the pastries in Venti’s arms. “No food inside.”
Venti could just hear the snickers from behind him.
“Right, of course.” He started. “Sorry, Albedo.”
The three would have moved to allow the blond entrance had Kazuha not seen the striking figure painted diligently on the canvas in Albedo’s arm.
“Wait.” The albino held a hand to Albedo’s shoulder. “That painting…”
The bright crimson on Albedo’s cheeks was already a dead giveaway.
Venti and Xiao stopped in horror before peering over Albedo’s shoulder. Ah shit.
Drawn with the precision only the famed Kreideprinz could attain was a figure basked in golden locks. The figure’s face was turned away ever so slightly from the viewer, framed by light bangs as soft eyes gazed longingly into the sunset behind them. But even without seeing any other details, the two already knew who this was.
Suddenly, a plushie and a batch of doughnuts just felt sad.
Albedo turned to face the trio, shamefully hiding the portrait behind his figure.
“You like Aether?” Venti began.
“Yes, and what of it?” Albedo brought his jacket’s sleeve to his mouth, covering the bright blush he was harboring. “I don’t believe that I have any reason to be quite ashamed of such…and for you to be so scrutinizing…”
The three stared at him like kicked puppies.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Albedo stopped and looked at the gifts in their hands.
“Ah.”
The weight of the situation just immediately dawned on the four.
“It seems the captor of ours hearts knows no restraint.” Kazuha sighed wistfully.
Xiao said nothing, but a nod was sufficient.
“…Are you all here to also ask him to the dance?” Albedo leaned on the door.
Even without an answer, he already knew.
“We can’t just go in there.” Xiao sighed. “It’ll end in a disaster, trust me.”
“But we cannot just let such an opportunity pass.” Venti saw how Kazuha was almost ready to barge in the doors for himself.
“Right, right, calm down there, he’s not going anywhere.” Venti offered.
Albedo moved to turn around, and the three watched him peer through the library’s wooden doors.
There seated amongst several stacks of books was their culprit. Aether had a textbook over his head and a whale pillow under his folded arms. With how slow his chest was rising, the four knew he was asleep.
“I should scold him next time. The library is not his bedroom.” Albedo smiled fondly at the figure, and the other three could only stare in defeat.
There was no way they could just barge in there and disturb his peace like that. Especially not when he looks so exhausted. Aether would just be overwhelmed by all their invitations, and the last thing they wanted was to be a burden to their beloved.
“So, now what?” Venti moved out of the way, glancing in confusion at the other three.
Kazuha and Xiao shared a look, but it was Albedo that first opened his mouth.
“We should take him to a date. A proper one. One from each of us. And one where we could help him alleviate his stress and show him a good time.”
The three stopped in consideration.
Albedo continued. “Think about it. He’s quite exhausted. If our feelings for him are genuine, then we should be willing to console him when he needs us the most. And only then – perhaps -  he can decide who he wishes to take to the dance.”
Venti had wished his first date with Aether were under different circumstances.
But at the same time…he isn’t against the thought of spoiling Aether silly. Even if it is shared sentimentally with three other people.
After a moment, it was Kazuha that gave an opinion. “But we should set ground rules. If the purpose of this date to help Aether unwind, it is imperative that none of us ask him to the dance.”
“Why?” Xiao crossed his arms. “Then wouldn’t that just render our dates pointless?”
“Not quite.” Kazuha offered a smile. “Aether’s happiness should come first.”
Xiao agreed in a heartbeat.
“Okay, let’s go with that.” Venti smiled at the prospect.
Yeah, Aether’s happiness is the topmost priority. And if none of them could provide that for Aether, then Venti thinks that none of them (himself included) are worthy of Aether’s kindness!
“But…” His thoughts blank. “Can I go last?”
“Why?” Albedo raised a brow.
“My paycheck doesn’t come until next Thursday.”
If his peers had one thing in common, it was how stupid they could make someone feel just by staring.
“I had to cut back time for my classes, okay? Sheesh!” Venti argued.
“Then that’s settled.” Albedo sighed.
“May I go first?” Kazuha offered, and though none of the other males seemed to object, Xiao was quick to reply with a sharp ‘why’. The albino bashfully chuckled. “There is a musical I have been meaning to bring him to that is in three days. It would be a shame to miss it.”
There were no objections.
Albedo raised an open palm, only to be met with several blank stares.
“A form of contract. May the best man win.”
The blonds lips were quirked upward slightly, and though apprehensive, Venti shook his hand.
Venti wasn’t the smartest person, but he wasn’t dumb either.
He may not know a lot when it comes to studies, but he knows one thing.
When these three wanted something, they would break the earth just to get their way.
“Indeed! May the winds guide you in your endeavor.”
But it also takes one to know one.
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dutchforstrangers · 3 years ago
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Digimon Astrology Journey - 'Head first' buddies: Koushiro & Taichi
So I’m back with some headcanon Digimon Astrology and I’m diving into it head first! Something fierce leader Taichi would do, however he needs his loyal ‘brains’ there with him and that will be Koushiro. Where Koushiro is a thinker, analytical in every way due to his pragmatic Sun and Rising, Taichi is one of action due to his Moon and Rising (and Mars!). However don’t underestimate them, they have some serious airy energy going on, making them vocal, diplomatic and charming in their own individual ways.
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These boys are so different, yet work together very well. They just have a hard time… talking to others or each other about… the complicated, personal specific stuff feelings. Must be the stars, right?
It’s been a while, but you can read back all things Astrology (basics, background, etc.) in previous posts Part 1 | Part 2. Furthermore, exploring Taichi and Koushiro’s birth charts is part 2 of this series, you can read the exploration of Sora and Mimi’s birth charts here.
The important stuff
Koushiro Izumi, August 26th 1989 (around 05.30AM)
Sun: Virgo (earth-mutable)
Moon: Gemini (air-mutable)
Rising: Virgo (earth-mutable)
Taichi Yagami, October 15th 1988 (around 5PM)
Sun: Libra (air-cardinal)
Moon: Sagittarius (fire-mutable)
Rising: Aries (fire-cardinal)
Warning: IT’S VERY LONG! I’m sorry in advance…
A little disclaimer before I start rambling: These are headcanons! Their given birthdays are not canon at all, but just me having fun combining my love for Digimon and my love for Astrology. It can be highly self-indulging, but maybe you can find some truth in it as well! If you want to know how I calculated their birthdays, read my previous posts as stated above. I use these birthdays in my own fanfiction, but feel free to use them as well. Some credit in the form of a reblog, like or mention of these posts and/or my Tumblr would be highly appreciated! See something you want to discuss? I love to learn and talk! As said these are my headcanons, but I’m not afraid to change my mind or to defend what I have if necessary.
Everything charts and the why under read more!
Koushiro Izumi - August 26th 1989
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Assigning the Virgo Sun to this boy was the first thing I did, because I myself am convinced Koushiro Izumi is the embodiment of a true Virgo. I could be wrong, as I did not study Astrology and am a simple hobbyist, but everything I read about Virgos always lead me back to this particular maroon headed anime dork for years now. Hence why I gave him the same Sun and Rising sign, because Koushiro is who he is. Anyway, let me try to convince you.
For starters, here are a few (or actually all the) things about Virgos in general, for both Sun and Rising. Virgos are bright, practical, pragmatic, orderly, respectful, critical, perfectionists, security driven, communicative, tidy, nervous, detail-oriented… Can I stop already? Okay, now pick one of the above and tell me it’s not fitting for Koushiro.
Hm, I know. It’s hard, isn’t it?
Maybe his tidiness is questionable depending on the situation… But the guy is orderly and the chaos only exists in times when his perfectionism takes over. The nervous part from the Virgo can be seen in shyness or even being obedient. All of that makes Koushiro a dedicated friend who would do anything in his power to make everything work for you. Danger is that he will efface himself, thinking he’s not worth as much as the others. This is what happens in Adventure episode 28 right after he solved the card riddle. On the top left corner either the Agumon or the Gomamon is right, but he doesn’t know which one and he apologizes, which is not necessary at all, with: “I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your expectations,” which is such a Virgo Sun/Rising thing to say..! The Virgo dynamic is alive and kicking.
It’s even more alive and kicking in his other strong Virgo placements: Mercury and Mars. With Mercury in Virgo, Mercury is in it’s sign of its rulership, making it a strong placement. And precisely that planet is the planet of thoughts and knowledge! The combination of his Sun, Rising, Mercury and Mars in Virgo makes him be, engage, think and act like a true Virgo. Detail-oriented, thoughtful, respectful, orderly, practical and curious!
The hardest part for his birthday calculation was his Moon placement. The Moon is all about emotions, needs, wants, behavior, responds, et cetera. I first gave him a Capricorn Moon, but my boyfriend is such a Cap Moon and it didn’t fit the bill for Koushiro in my opinion. So I read and searched and eventually came to the conclusion it had to be an Air sign Moon, simply for the fact that our boy Koushiro is the bearer of the crest of Knowledge and Air signs can be seen as the intellectual ones of the Zodiac! Eventually I went for the Gemini Moon and I’m going to explain why exactly.
One could say Gemini is the bearer of Knowledge just as much as Koushiro is. Gemini LOVE to know things! They are naturally curious and are great communicators, when it comes to knowledge (pun warning if you’ve seen the reboot: they love to bring joy to their knowledge). Gemini tend to be a bit superficial when it comes to having and sharing knowledge and of course we know that’s not the case with our Koushiro here, due to his many Virgo placements, making him more observant and inward. What the Gemini Moon DOES to him is making this boy very talkative! He likes to spill what’s on his mind, he likes to share what he thinks, he likes to ramble and rant. It’s something we see him doing in Tri a lot, especially that one scene in Reunion part 3 (episode 3) where he keeps on rambling about all the strange events and he misses the first part of the conversation between the other DigiDestineds (about the news and Jyou’s ‘girlfriend’ poor guy no one believes him). Koushiro misses the conversation because a) his Gemini Moon likes to ramble and keep rambling, and b) because his Virgo placements can make him a bit unaware of his surroundings quite the time…
That’s not a bad thing per se, Koushiro is just very much focused on his work and d e t a i l s, which is a VERY Virgo-ish trait. But lets not forget that his priority is to help others with that knowledge and that the combination of his Virgo placements with his Gemini Moon makes him a great mentor. Brings me to his role throughout the entirety of Adventure 02: The Mentor. You’re welcome.
Another Gemini Moon thingy is rudeness. Now we know Koushiro is the most polite person out of ALL DD’s, always using honorifics, even saying Hikari-san instead of Hikari-chan, because Koushiro IS respect. But Koushiro is not afraid to tell you what’s at stake in times of ‘danger’, he’s not afraid to tell the truth. There are a few examples for that in Adventure, Adventure 02 and in Tri, but I’d like to refer to one of my favorite moments in whole Digimon Adventure history. Because Koushiro x rudeness brings me back to Diaboromon strikes back when he’s obviously so done with everyone, then Mimi enters the scene and he doesn’t even care. In the English dub she literally says “How rude”. Ooooohhh Koushiro, you little rude demon… It’s not the biggest proof it’s a simple one and my personal favorite.
All of the talkativeness and rudeness is something we mostly see Koushiro doing when he’s most comfortable. So we won’t see him being all talkative all the time -sharing more than just plain, superficial knowledge and instead more personal helpful knowledge- with everyone, but we do see him being talkative and speaking up to certain characters he’s most comfortable with. Now name one boy he’s very talkative to compared with literally all the other characters… You know what? Scroll down.
Last thing and then I’ll stop rambling about this beautiful and lovely nerd. His Venus, planet of values (and love…) is in Libra. What does that mean? Well, I’ve seen quite some fans type Koushiro as a bi-sexual, or something in that direction. Or even better a ‘disaster bi-sexual’. I already agreed on that, but when I saw this birth chart… IT’S (HEAD)CANON! Seriously, Libra is the zodiac sign of doubt, decision making (or actually no decision making, but I’ll get there with the next boy) and relationships and if you have your Venus placed in Libra you’re doomed to be a disaster when it comes to making decisions in your love life both romantically and platonically! Venus in Libra creates the desire for a good and loving relationships, but Koushiro’s Virgo Sun/Rising makes him more shy, his Virgo Mars makes him hold back. Once again, the Virgo Sun/Rising-Libra Venus dynamic lets him efface himself in relationships, thinking they have nothing to offer, but they have!! And so Koushiro gets left behind with his unresolved feelings… the boy has a hard time in love, let’s give him all a hug!
Taichi Yagami - October 15th 1988
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The protagonist. Okay, let me compare this goggle headed protagonist to another goggle headed protagonist outside the Digimon franchise: Naruto. This is probably more interesting to people who have watched and know Naruto, so you can skip the part. To me Naruto is the classical protagonist type; bold, adventurous, playful, (a little) obnoxious at some times, hot headed… These are traits we easily assign to fire signs in the zodiac, especially Aries. So I would immediately give Naruto the Aries Sun placement. However, when we see Naruto grow up, his behavior and the way he speaks and leads grows up with him as well. That’s only natural. And based on those changes I wouldn’t necessarily give Naruto the Aries Sun placements, although the Aries placement or another fire placement is very likely to be present in his chart.
Now I could go even further, explain the development from child to adult through Jung’s theory about cognitive functions, but that’s incredibly complicated and a looooong stretch I won’t be making here today. In short, Jung’s development theory is interesting, because it shows how we first see the obvious traits in a child which are the traits the child engages (Rising sign) the world with before it develops the other functions showing the person’s true identity (Sun sign). So we could say we first see someone’s Rising sign more clearly before the Sun comes shining through. Like with Naruto. And the same could be for Taichi in the case of this headcanon.
To tackle his birth chart and big three, I’ll be starting with explaining his Rising Sign before his Sun sign. And the Rising sign I assigned him is Aries Rising.
Like I said above, Aries is bold, adventurous, playful and above all: courageous. Especially the Aries Rising placement which is more courageous than its Aries Sun counterpart. Aries are born leaders, can be extremely competitive, are somewhat restless and desperately need to move. In Taichi’s case with the above birth chart, that urge to move is magnified by his Aries Mars placement. The dynamic of his Aries Rising and Aries Mars makes Taichi a mover, an adventurer, and incredibly determined. This could be both positively, always wanting the best (especially for yourself, as Aries is a pretty selfish sign), and a tad negatively, always going and going and going. In the Adventure series this could be the reason why he makes Greymon dark-evolve, because he wants things too bad and too fast. Aries are hot headed and can grow impatient if things don’t go the way they want. And the Aries Rising and Mars dynamic makes Taichi a very physical guy. Mix that with the impatience and he is not afraid to pick fights and use his fists.
All of this can make Taichi a very stormy and reckless boy (boundaries? What’s that?), but also a fearless leader. The exuberance, the impatience and restlessness comes back in his Sagittarius Moon placement as well. This Sag Moon in combination with his strong Aries placements in Rising and Mars makes Taichi a sportive, physical, optimistic and forward leader that is incredibly courageous and adventurous, which could make him a bit ‘superficial’ as a protagonist. But the Sag Moon also deepens and strengthens his leader skills.
Sagittarius is a sign pictured by a centaur with an arrow and bow. The centaur’s horse legs make the Sag want to move and be free, but the arrow aims in a clear direction and aiming takes knowledge and focus. Sagittarius thus is an adventurous fella, but also a philosopher. Taichi’s Sag Moon placement makes him a pro in seeing the bigger picture and connecting dots next to his never ending energy. He will make sure we’re going in the right direction by overlooking the whole situation. So we absolutely shouldn’t forget Taichi is a true strategist! He sees, understands what’s at stake in a situation, connects the dots, comes with a strategy and like a true leader knows his team and can place everyone in his right spot to get through the toughest of situations (once again referring to Taichi asking Koushiro to pick the cards in Adventure episode 28). Speaking about a great leader, gosh, Taichi, you’re truly amazing! <3
However, it’s his Aries Rising and Mars that often make him act before he thinks, preferably alone (Taichi is a teamplayer, but the selfish and reckless Aries in him makes him act alone. And the sum of teamplayer + acting alone = self-sacrifice mode… which happens ALL THE DAMN TIME). Or actually makes him act while thinking without doing a short reflection beforehand. Seriously, I’m convinced that this reflection in advance could have saved him a lot of trouble throughout Digimon Adventure. Let’s blame it on (t)his (headcanon) birth chart…
Also, all of the above vouches for Taichi having an amazing intellect, but the guys needs to be challenged… Hence why he’s always staring out of the window during classes in Tri, daydreaming away to where the adventure is. He feels trapped, needs to be outside and should use his intelligence for things he finds important (like saving the digital world, soccer and saving friends and the world). The daydreaming could also be his Libra Mercury who can make Taichi lose his focus and could make him lazy. Luckily Taichi has a very active Aries Mars in opposite aspect from his Libra Mercury that neutralizes that lazy and dreamy Libra Mercury.
Okay, back to topic. Now you maybe think: But if Taichi is good in knowing where to go, being the fearless leader, also an intellect who has the knowledge to aim straight and shoot… then WHY is he so lost, down and in doubt in Tri and so unknowing of his future in Kizuna…??!! I have an answer to that. And that answer is his Libra Sun.
I know I know, this is a very VERY unpopular Sun sign to give this goggle leader, but please hear me out. For starters, Libra is the sign of diplomacy and if we believe the 02’s epilogue what’s Taichi’s job? Right, a diplomat. We also know he studies something like political sciences in Kizuna (which I think is AMAZING and vouches even more for Taichi’s intellect! Politics is a tough study…) and to make it in the political field you really do need diplomacy and charms.
Taichi is an absolute charmer, in my eyes at least. I mean, look at his 02 self! He’s such a smooth charmer in every way… The way he sends off Sora to Yamato while acting all cool and collected, phew, that requires some serious smoothness. And still we often see Taichi depicted as a down and broody boy besides his energetic and bold (sometimes indifferent…) character, especially after Tri. That too could be due to a Libra Sun placement.
Like Sagittarius is depicted by a centaur, Libra is depicted by scales and those scales are all about harmony, balance and justice. Libra is the opposite of Aries in the zodiac, but also about weighing opposites in the sigh itself. When we look at the Aries/Libra opposite placement: where Aries can be quite selfish, Libra as an opposite is the people’s pleaser. Where Aries is reckless and impatient, Libra is thoughtful and patient and one could say that an Aries acts where a Libra waits. Where Aries makes the impulsive decisions, Libra keeps deliberating leading into constant doubt and confusion. And how do we see Taichi in Tri? Ah yes, in doubt and confused.
A Libra Sun desperately wants to bring peace and harmony, driven by justice, in a diplomatic way. Libra Suns are deep thinkers which can make them very doubtful, making them spiraling down into a hole of overthinking and doubts. The Libra Sun-Sag Moon dynamic makes this all even more deep and almost philosophical in a way there will always be more and more questions, but never answers because Libra simply can’t make choices. All while being solution-oriented!
As Taichi grows up from a middle schooler to a high schooler, it’s that doubt coming from the Libra Sun that kicks Taichi hard. It conflicts with his carefree and bold Aries Rising nature and as that Libra Sun comes shining through, we see Taichi becoming more cautious and reserved compared to his younger self. The guy has a strong inner dialogue always looking for the best solutions to please everyone and bring harmony (I wanted to say ‘balance to the world’, yes to all the avatar the last airbender cameos) to the people and world(s in case of the digital world) around him he so desperately wants to protect. This is what we see happening in Tri, where he can’t choose what’s the right thing… Most of the time that inner dialogue is hidden behind his Aries Rising (and Aries Mars and Sag Moon).
So under that tough and courageous Aries Rising demeanor (remember that a Rising sign is all about engaging and how you come across to others) is a very soft, sweet, friendly and overall smart Libra Sun boy who has troubles expressing himself because the boy is in conflict with himself (which we see in the Dark Master’s arc in Adventure where he expresses his concerns towards his sister to Koushiro… it’s so hard for Taichi to let it all out, even when he needs it badly). It’s so sad, he’s such a complicated character, but that’s also one of the most beautiful things about Taichi. He’s layered af. He could be the best listener (Koushiro’s feels this, that’s why Koushiro can talk so open and freely to Taichi, because Taichi lets him thank you Libra Sun) if it weren’t for his strong fire placements opposite from his airy Sun sign. But give the boy time and space and he can show you his charms in a way no one else owns those charms.
So Taichi’s Libra Sun is hidden away most of the time due to his strong Aries placements. Usually his Rising and Sun sign being in opposite aspect from each other, should neutralize the placements, but Taichi’s Aries Mars placement makes the Aries Rising overrule the Libra Sun. Still, we shouldn’t forget Taichi is a softy with a big heart. He just needs the right people around him to get his charm on and Taichi definitely has some great people collected in his life who can help him think and make decisions.
A few things I want to point out before I stop rambling, because this analysis is already WAY too long.
Taichi’s midheaven in Capricorn in combination with his Libra Sun and Aries Rising makes him very ambitious on the intellectual side! Directly aiming for the UN and quickly climbing up the promotion ladder (and being successful like a true Cap, let’s not forget that).
His Mars was in transition from Pisces to Aries during his birth. Which means his Aries Mars is highly influenced by Pisces which could also explain why he spirals down as Pisces Mars has a lot of stormy energy on the emotional side (whereas Aries Mars has stormy energy on the physical side). When this emotional energy comes out negative, it can lead to mental health problems (!!! TRI DEPRESSED!TAICHI), especially when close friends and family (can you feel it coming? The whole Hikari-trauma is a thing) are involved.
His Libra Sun makes him in need of a group of friends and he loves being surrounded by them! Though he doesn’t like to admit that due to his Aries Rising. Taichi is such a conflicted boy…
An end note on these two boys: A heart to heart/hard friendship with a lot of mutual understanding and support <3
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misterewrites · 3 years ago
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A Part of Something Bigger (Welcome to the Underground!)
Hello everyone! E here, hoping you are safe and sound and doing good! The new chapter of the Underground is here and I'm excited for this and the next chapter. I am so happy I finally get to reveal something I’ve had in my head since I first started creating the Underground! Man am I cheek E. oh puns, I’m terrible. 
:D
I hope you are all have a great week! Stay safe, wash your hands, take care of each other, get the vaccine if you can, push for companies to give it world wide all that jazz. Feel free to comment (I love feedback) tell your friends, reblog I appreciate it all!
If you’re new and curious what the heck I’m talking about, feel free to check out the whole story and have access to my other work right in the link below (cuz I’m 95% Tumblr has shadowbanned me) 
https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrE42/pseuds/MrE42
https://archiveofourown.org/works/27814297/chapters/68094967 (first chapter)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/27814297/chapters/78927370 (latest chapter) 
Have a great week, E is out!
Summary:  Turns out Oliver is a part of the Choir, a secret organization that operates within the Underground. Something big is happening tonight and It's up to Oliver and his allies to ensure it does not. However, the bard has to figure out what's going on before anything else.
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Oliver had been many things in the 18 years of his begrudging existence: An orphan, a thief, a con-kid, hopelessly in love, a scout, fry cook that one week and an aspiring minstrel. Many masks and different roles to survive each new day.
The one he took a quiet pride in was being a member of the Choir, a secret organization whose goal was to keep the Underground free from malicious and devious intent.
Every society had their dark, treacherous shadows where evil did its business (Oliver assumed. He only really ever lived in the Underground but you know universal constants and such.) The Choir’s purpose was to ensure those plans never came to fruition.
Rather than being an openly known identity, the Choir was more a loose collection of independent agents operating under secrecy. The organization employed any and everyone who was willing to fight for the cause, each in their own way: Merchants passed coded information, tavernkeepers offered safe havens, those with some level of magical proficiency gathered to study abnormal phenomenon. Fighters fought, clerics healed with lords and ladies used their influence for the greater good.
Sometimes, as is the case now, one individual was too limited for what was required of the organization’s purpose. In these rare moments, agents were granted permission to request help, often leaving hidden messages and imagery for other wandering members to respond to.
That’s what brought Oliver here to this dark alley in the middle of the night: When he first arrived to the capital, he caught sight of the coded symbol asking for any Choir member to lend their skill set to a mission tonight. No details added but that was par for the course.
Terri was the first to recover, her slivers eyes wide with wonder “A soprano? No joke?!Flora, he’s like you!”
Terri was tall, taller than anyone else here. She wore a red vest with torn off sleeves, probably because her muscles were too thick to actually allow them to exist in the first place. Her long jet black hair was elegantly tied into braids with her dark blue leggings tucked into thick hiking boots.
Flora pursed her lips thoughtfully, irises of lavender giving Oliver a curious look “A fellow magic user? Interesting. Wizard?”
“Bard” Oliver corrected “You?”
“Druid.” Flora spoke before drifting into an uncomfortable silence. Oliver suspected she wasn’t impressed by his response.
Flora seemed unassuming but Oliver knew better than to be lured in by appearances: Long silvery hair with petals of green and yellow flowers scattered within. She wore a white blouse with splotches of brown dirt and a long green skirt. Her feet were bare and free to be soiled by the floor.
Terri rushed over to the petrified Tyrell, dragging him into a bone crunching hug “Tyrell here is a baritone like me!”
Tyrell, the youngest beside Oliver, shifted his brown eyes away from anyone’s gaze. He wore rather well kept clothes: A tunic of purple tucked under a leather vest, his leggings were dark gray that blended fairly well in the darkness. His footwear seemed a little too fancy to be workman’s shoes.
“Fighters” Oliver nodded in understanding “Always useful. And you mysterious stranger in the darkness?”
The cloaked figure had pulled back deeper into the shadows, red eyes gleaming in the shades of night. They were trying to hard to hide their appearance but Oliver caught sight of a smooth featureless bronze face. Metallic armor of a matching color and sheen covered the rest of their body, an automaton it seems.
“You may call me Sel. I’m a tenor.” the figure responded, their voice tinged with scratchy static.
“You are going very useful. Lockpicking?”
Sel shrugged casually “Among other less savory techniques. As per usual for tenors.”
Oliver nodded “Okay, fill me in.”
Flora took a step forward, pulling a letter out of her pocket as she did so “Are you aware of one Reiner Brambleoak?”
“Oh fucking hell” Oliver rubbed his eyes tiredly “Him again? What’s he planning this time: Gonna burn an orphanage? Or maybe sell moldy food to the poor? Wait, I know!” Oliver snapped his finger “He’s going to be a terrible piece of shit.”
“Right on the money!” Terri growled.
Sel let out a mechanical click “He is planning to tear down several homes in West Haven.”
Oliver narrowed his eyes “I thought it was illegal to tear down homes in that area?”
“Not if the owners signed them over.” Flora explained “Then he would have the authority to do whatever he wished with them.”
“Let me guess, he tricked them?”
Terri flexed her muscles angrily “His representatives would change languages and double talk when they spoke to the poor folks. Most hadn’t the slightest idea what was going on and the orc thugs his people brought didn’t exactly make them feel warm and safe.”
“So.” Oliver stretched his arms “He’s strong armed his way into property, going to evict helpless folks onto the street and probably fill them with his own thugs to get the rest of the neighborhood to fall in line.”
“Unless we stop him.” Sel spoke with righteous fury.
“Tonight.” Oliver chimed in “Throwing another party?”
“You are good.” Tyrell whistled.
Oliver gave a playful wink “Naturally. What’s the plan?”
Flora reached into her pack and handed Oliver a letter: it was written in such a fancy hand he swore he was getting a headache just looking at it.
“One for each of us.” Flora explained, distributing the rest to the others “A fellow Choir member secured these tonight’s mission.”
“Helpful. Alright here’s the plan….”
“Wait” Flora interrupted “Who said you are in charge bard?”
“Me” Oliver countered with a grin “Because I’ve been to these types of festivities. Have any of you?”
Flora opened her mouth then promptly closed it, irritation in her glance. Tyrell gave a sheepish but unhelpful smile, Sel remained silent while Terri gave a thoughtful scratch of her chin.
“Thought so.” Oliver tried to keep the smugness out of his voice “Look we just need to work together for tonight.”
“Agreed.” Flora spoke with a softness that did not match her glare.
Sel inched closer to the group “What is the plan Oliver?”
“Where’s the party? Merchant Ward? I assume he’s using his office to host it.”
“Correct” Sel confirmed “His office has been chosen as the venue. He claims to be throwing the party as some sort of fundraiser for a charity that is no doubt a front for his illegal operations.”
Terri huffed, crossing her arms furiously “Probably making some more deals to trick people out of their hard earn money.”
“Without a doubt” Oliver agreed “But without any hard proof, we’re not taking him down tonight. Our mission is to ensure those contracts he forced people to sign mysteriously disappear.”
“Will that actually stop him?” Tyrell frowned unhappily “What’s stop him from forging new ones? Or just bullying people again?”
“He can’t forge new ones” Oliver explained carefully “They’re a special type of document only found here in Haven’s Nest. You can only get them from city hall and they’re magically enchanted to be untamperable with. He’ll need to get the ones he has to city hall on open court day which I assume is soon.”
“Indeed. Tomorrow in fact.”
Oliver continued on “So since open court day is the only day any major changes are allowed to be introduced to the city, if we grab them he’ll have to wait a month for another chance of snatching up that land. He’ll no doubt try to bully the folks again but now that they know what he’s up to, hopefully they’ll won’t be as easily pressured and if a few rough looking folks who can take punches and give them back start hanging around the neighborhood when his goons come knocking again…”
“They’re gonna be less eager” Terri cracked her knuckles cheerfully, already savoring the feel of bruised skin and broken bones that would bless her hands.
Oliver caught Tyrell’s eyes “One problem at a time. If you look at the mountain, you’re going to get scared.”
Tyrell nodded timidly in agreement.
“So.” Sel’s voice crackled with curiosity “What is the plan bard?”
Oliver closed his eyes, mentally mapping out the Brambleoak bank: three stories of corrupted, immoral finance who preyed on the helpless and lost. He could still see the faded green hue and cracked paint of the building in his mind’s eye. The ground floor would no doubt be where the bulk of the party would be taking place: a large space with an elevated stage normally reserved for long winded speeches could easily repurposed for a band or some sort of entertainment. His guests would range from any and everyone with any amount of influence or wealth. The second floor were the offices of his lecherous employees while his office took up the entirety of the third floor.
“Alright” Oliver spoke after a moment “I have a good idea what to expect. We’re going to break up into two teams.”
Everyone stared him expectedly.
Oliver gestured to Terri and Tyrell “You two are going to hang out at the bar across the street: The Stinkeye. Charming place, ran by a former pirate captain. Sunday is sea shanty night I think."
“Whoa, wait a minute” Terri grumbled unhappily “I am not letting Flora go into that place without me! It’s enemy turf and I don’t feel comfortable with the idea."
Flora took Terri’s hand within her own “Agreed sweetie.”
“Look this isn’t exactly a fist loaded, knives out situation. Any sort of brawling inside will be dealt with swiftly and painfully. Brambleoak doesn’t like anything scaring away the prey and causing a scene inside won’t accomplish anything. Outside, however.”
Terri’s eyes knowingly sparkled, Tyrell just looked dumbfounded.
Oliver gestured with his hand, muttering a phrase under his breath as magic formed around his hand in a golden light. A small image appeared in his palm: A heavily scarred elf with ashy blonde hair, one eye a brilliant forest green the other dull and cloudy. He wore an elegant officer’s uniform, dark green with various medals pinned to his chest with a long flowing red cape that trailed behind.
Oliver opened mouth to speak but Terri’s low snarl beat him to the punch.
“Lea Foot.”
“Acquaintance I guess?””
Flora nodded, gently squeezing Terri’s hand to get her to calm down “Lea has been a constant thorn in our sides. I believe he suspects we are a part of some greater organization. He has never seen us but he sends his underlings to bully us.”
“So I don’t need to explain his whole mercenaries for hire deal. Been exclusive to Brambleoak for a while now.”
“Can I punch him?” Terri murmured darkly.
“Yes, can she?” Flora chimed in, unable to keep the plead out of her voice.
Oliver shook his head “Maybe but we’ll see. He’s gotta show up at some point but I doubt he’ll be there right at the start. Likes to push old people around, probably eat a child or two before ‘working.’ Your job is to keep him distracted at all costs. He’s a sick man that likes to watch a good fight and the longer he’s out there, the better chance we’ll have.”
Sel tilted their head quizzically “Why is it important to keep him outside?”
“Basically” Oliver cracked his fingers “He’s very perceptive and the person most likely to catch our plan in action. His crew is made up of a nobodies with a perchance for cruelty and a thirst for violence but Lea is an old hand. Keeping himself outside is the best chance for success and if you guys accidentally get too close and managed to stray a hit his way…”
Terri chuckled manically the idea. Tyrell just looked sick.
“Meanwhile Flora, Sel and I will be inside. We’ll be looking for a chance to get Sel into the stairway so he can break into Brambleoak’s office. Without any sort of information, there’s no point to flesh out a full plan but we’ll make it up as we go. It’s a giant party of people who think they’re special. Shouldn’t be too hard to cause some drama and distractions.”
Flora said silent for a moment before speaking up “It’s not a lot to work with but admittedly better than anything I would’ve come up with.”
“Agreed.” Sel added “Without proper intel, it would be pointless to attempt to formulate any sort of long term plan. This works best to our strengths. Wait and create an opportunity,”
“That’s on us.” Oliver cut in “Your job is to get in and out. Preferably without being seen but who knows what will happen.”
The group, previously lost and anxious, glowed with renew sense of purpose and determination: 10 minutes ago they had no plan and now they were ready to do what they signed up for.
“Get ready team” Oliver gestured about “We leave in five.”
Everyone broke away to prepare for the mission: Terri cracked every bone in her body, ready for any brawl she would start. Sel slunk back into the shadows and remained still among the darkness. Tyrell held leaned unevenly against the brick building nearby, trying to steady his breathing.
Flora, on the other hand, approached Oliver, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“Oliver.”
“Flora.”
“I have a question for you.”
Oliver was confused “I’m not sure what about but go ahead.”
Flora pursed her lips “You were coming from West End, delivering a package to a Choir member out there correct?”
“Yeeeeees.” Oliver unsure where this was going “The old man. Lady Rozalin said it was the upmost importance.”
Flora bit her cheek nervously “Before you left, did you see him?”
His stomach turned cold as he remembered how uneasy he felt the day he left with Archie and Abigail, the chill that ran down his spine “No, why?”
“We haven’t been able to contact him. He is not responding to our wizards long range message spells. We’re…..worried.”
Oliver could feel his skin crawl with anxiety, his pulse raced as a horrible realization dawned on him.
“He’s missing.” Oliver spoke what Flora did not.
She nodded in response “As a high ranking member, he is important to our cause and since you were the last person to see him, the higher ups were wondering if anything suspicious happened the last day you spoke with him.”
Oliver remembered it clearly: The free money, rushing them out the door, his ‘tiredness.’ There was no such thing as free money in his mentor’s eyes and Roland was never known for pushing a guest out of his house or being tired in the middle of the day. He was attempting to get them to leave to prevent something from happening.
“He was acting weird.” Oliver admitted “At the time I found it strange but he gave me little room to argue. Now I’m wishing I had.”
Flora’s face was indifferent but Oliver could hear the sincerity in her voice “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this. If you need a moment…”
“No” Oliver cut her off quickly “I’m good. We have a mission to do and we need to focus on that now. Afterwards we can talk about finding out what happened to the old man.”
Flora gave a simple nod before wandering over to Terri’s side, lightly kissing her cheek with affection.
Oliver took a deep calming breath: There was no point to let his mind wander, to worry about things out of his control. Even if he wanted to do something, he was needed here and now. Besides the Choir would investigate Roland’s disappearance and there were agents far more experienced than he about.
He would leave it up to them. For the moment he needed to balance out the universe and root out the evil that laid in the shadows.
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wajjs · 4 years ago
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✨prompt party prompt party prompt: robinpile + slice of life?✨
you said robinpile and i made it my mission to include as many characters as i fucking could
My youth is yours
In the intersection of meaty thighs and broad shoulders they meet almost every night, when the bruises aren't too big and the soul scars have stopped bleeding. The start of all this is unclear, and each of them will take it back to a different cause. It came in naturally, perhaps because of overexposure or from lack of any kind of exposure at all.
Tonight's not a night for thinking.
Sprawled out on the couch, bandages holding his ribs in place and a bruise the size of a building on his face, Tim stays put and it would've been a surprise if Steph wasn't the one keeping him there. As it is, Jason laughs as he goes to sit next to blondie, wraps an arm around her stomach and squeezes her middle like it means nothing. (It means comfort.)
"Brick to the face?" Duke asks from where he's sitting, on top of the table instead of using one of the many empty chairs. No one says anything, though, because they are all the same.
"He fucking wishes," Steph laughs, leaning into Jason's side and her legs are still thrown over Tim's lap. Tim knows better than to try and pry them off.
"Yeah, Timbo's masochist strike didn't get to come in handy this time," with a snort, Jason kisses the top of Steph's head, sends Tim a playful look, "or maybe it did."
With a slightly nasal voice, Tim groans, and it's not because of his cracked ribs—not this time.
"Not a masochist."
Dick calls, just then. Says he will be there soon, he's bringing Damian with him. 
The nest is certainly big enough.
-
Duke is eating pancakes the second Jason gets them out of the pan. He complains as he burns his fingers, his tongue, his lips, but he keeps doing it and Jason's nothing if not the biggest enabler. So they keep it up.
"You better leave some!" Steph yells from the living room, this time carefully cuddling into Tim's side, and they are keeping the t.v. low enough so that it doesn't drown out any kind of sound.
Which is why they all hear Dick coming up the rickety stairs, followed by Damian. Jason playfully snaps Duke's hand away when he goes for another one.
"Didn't you hear the boss?" he says, making the other laugh and when he presses a kiss to the corner of Jason's mouth, it tastes like butter.
The front door opens. Dick's voice is loud enough to bring actual life to a zombie party. 
"Alfred made cake!"
"Shit," Tim can be heard saying, "we better call Harper and Cass, they will be so disappointed if we don't let them know—"
"They are on their way here," Damian scoffs and he's presumably the one to close the door because Dick surely didn't.
It's a calm night. A rare night, as it is.
-
When Jason gets caught under rubble with no comms and a broken helmet, everyone else goes absolutely crazy in their frantic search for him. Because, because—they can't pinpoint his position. Among all the explosions and crumbling buildings, they have lost track of each other and—
Damian finds a little kid crying as she hugs onto her dirty plastic toy. She's on her butt sitting in front of yet another pile of debris and she's hyperventilating and—
"Big sis," she sobs out with big fat tears rolling down her cheeks, "big sis is… is… he," and Damian's mental approach to the situation flips on its entirety, "he said, said he was gonna…," the little girl hiccups, choking on air and on her own spit. He pats her back awkwardly. He's not Grayson. "He was g-gonna… gonna get her, her out a-and…"
He nods and tries to give her a reassuring smile. He's sure he fails.
"Found Hood's whereabouts," Damian speaks into the comms and everyone starts talking one over the other, "stuck under rubble with a civilian. Requesting backup."
Which he didn't really need to do, because everyone who was ever Robin and then some is rushing to help.
-
Where they are, the bed is almost not big enough to fit all of them yet no one wants to move because—loss had been too close to them yet again. And it never gets easier.
Cass is the one awake when Jason's eyes flutter open. She smiles at him and that's the first thing he sees. Then he groans, because he tried to move a broken arm to touch her and he didn't know it was broken. That wakes everyone else up.
"Jay!" Dick cries out with a wobbly smile on his face.
Duke has to disentangle himself from somewhere half under Steph and Harper to reach out, squeeze Jason above his right knee where he's not hurt. "Fucking asshole," he says and everyone agrees.
"Ya love me," is all he gets to say before they all start complaining.
They do love him, though.
He's always right about that.
-
They are all squeezed in a corner booth, fries and burgers strewn over the table and Damian, with Cass' input, is drawing a detailed map of all the places in the city they are going to hide surprises for Steph to find. Her birthday's getting close, after all, and she always enjoys a good chase.
"Who's gonna be bait?" Harper has her mouth full with fries and it's a little gross but no one judges her.
"Duke," Jason says without thinking at the same time Duke says:
"Dick."
Silence takes over for exactly one minute.
"Why me?"
Duke snorts. "She gets to chase your ass all over the city. She'll love that."
"Ooh yes," Tim's smiling so widely he's practically a billboard sign promoting mischief, "can I join her?"
"Can we all?" Harper grins.
Frowning, Damian kicks Tim's leg under the table. "No. This is for Steph."
"Awwwww," cooing in a disgustingly fake voice, Jason waves a soggy fry in Damian's general direction. "You luuuuuuve her!"
"We are all one big polyclue, Jason," Duke leans into his side, steals a bite off his burger.
"Yes," Cass then reaches out to grab all of his fries, "he loves her."
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cno-inbminor · 4 years ago
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hello, kay! i hope you've been taking care of yourself well and that life has been kind to you for the most part. i want to ask, how do you feel about kita shinsuke? your akaashi is exquisite and incredibly characterized that i always find myself coming back to your stories should i need my keiji fics, and i realized that it would probably be really interesting (and beautiful) to meet kita through your words. no pressure, tho! as always, i am grateful for whatever you write. ♡ all the love x
you’re an absolute sweetie -- i hope you’ve been well too! i’m honestly at my wit’s end but we’ll survive somehow, right? ahahaha // i’m still incredibly flustered whenever someone mentions how much they like my keiji characterization -- he’s one of the ultimate comfort characters for sure! so thank you for giving my keiji fics that honor <3 
i’ve definitely developed some love for kita over time! i love anyone who’s incredibly dependable -- my love language (that i’ve recently re-discovered) is acts of service and i can see him embodying that! 
i got carried away: here’s ~1.7k of some hazy kita appreciation, or some strangers-to-lovers ideas sprinkled together. my brain has died from finals, but i hope you like this anon!
-
the first time that kita shinsuke even crosses your mind, you mistakenly think, “he’s certainly a bit dull.” 
it’s not that you forgot he existed by any means -- the boy certainly carries a presence and emanates it in a calm, quiet manner. you just can’t remember him saying anything that wasn’t related to speaking out loud in class or social pleasantries. he’s certainly not much more than a blank canvas to you, and the only splotch of color thrown on is that he’s a member of your nationally recognized volleyball team. other than that, you know nothing else.
it all changes when you two are paired for classroom cleaning duties your third year. 
when your homeroom teacher announces your name after his, you glance away from the window to the boy sitting diagonally in front of you to your right. his back sits upright, elbows bent to indicate he’s probably sitting with his hands linked on top of his desk, legs still and placed together underneath the wood. besides the two-toned grey and black hair, you would think he’d be the perfect poster child for japanese education. 
the first morning of cleaning duties, you’re sprinting through the halls in your slippers, hoping that the student council president isn’t anywhere near your classroom. the subway was absolutely packed and nobody seemed to be in the usual pace of the morning rush, which caused some delays and for you to cut it very close. you slide open the class door with all the force you can muster, panting and out of breath with apologies falling off your tongue. unbeknownst to you, your brain had been expecting kita to give you a small smile and ensure that it was okay for your two minute tardiness -- instead, you were at the receiving end of a blank yet heavy stare, and seemingly scathing words of, “don’t be late next time.” 
your second thought of kita is that he’s too rigid and austere for a seventeen year old. bitterness festers in your chest as you practically stomp towards your desk, setting your stuff down before you head to the erasers in front of the chalkboard. even though there isn’t much dust left on them, you’re searching for excuses to calm down and be a little more level-headed. 
you’re so caught up in your thoughts and staring out into the open sky that you don’t register kita’s presence looming near. but it’s his timbre voice that startles you out of your stupor, though they’re nothing more special than, “you can sweep the other half of the classroom. i’m getting started on the desks,” and he walks away. 
in gliding the bristles over the wooden floor, you take another peek at your partner for the time being. it’s hard to miss the way he methodically cleans each wooden surface, leaving no corner unwiped, no speck of dust lingering. something about it is somewhat endearing to you, a rather drastic juxtaposition to how you were feeling not too long ago. maybe you were wrong about him -- kita shinsuke might still be a little boring to you, but he’s just...diligent. 
in home ec, you’re partnered up with ojiro aran (which proves to be in the best of your luck). but he’s good with small talk, and it’s not like you two have never spoken before. so three weeks later over the folding of meringue into the other batter, you decide to pop the question of, “what’s kita-san like as captain?” 
aran can’t contain his muted surprise at your inquiry, seeing as you two rarely ever get into the details of his volleyball playing, much less so about his team. but it doesn’t stop him from giving a truthful answer, “he’s no nonsense, keeps everyone in line. we have some rowdy underclassmen and no one scares them more than shinsuke.”
“a hardass?”
“when he needs to be,” aran chuckles. “but he’s very thoughtful and goes out of his way to care for everyone. the guy lives and breathes by routine.” 
there’s something that stirs within you, a small flame being lit, one that flares the next morning when kita walks by your desk and greets you, “good morning, l/n-san.” seeing as he usually never does, you stumble over your reply and shock, all the while berating your heart for beating as fast as it is. kita’s just being polite and using social pleasantries, nothing more. 
but he does it the next morning, and then the next, and even incorporates, “how are you?” into his line of words on days you two clean. little by little, you get to know more about him -- not a lot, but enough to correct yourself for ever thinking that he’s a dull, austere, mean human being. you tell yourself it’s nothing more, especially when you start looking forward to their games and join the student cheering squad. it’s nothing when you eagerly await for the moments that kita gets subbed in; absolutely nothing when he looks away from the court and into the crowd, catching your eyes and allowing his lips to slip into a demure smile before turning back around. the pounding of your heart and sweating of your hands aren’t related at all, just physiological effects of the game. 
and before you know it, graduation comes around and you think you’ll never see him again after this. you’re laughing and taking pictures with your classmates, later spotting aran over the crowd of families. he catches your waving arm and bounding figure, bright grin on his face as he congratulates you. “i’ll miss you all,” you confess and aran affectionately pats your head. “same here. have you seen shinsuke?”
your brows furrow. “no, why? is he looking for me?”
“you sound confused by that. weren’t you two friends?”
“i wouldn’t overassume that...but i doubt i’m on his mind right now.”
aran only nods and adopts a pensive look, taking a moment to think before confessing, “you meant something to him. after all, he greeted you every morning, right?”
you nod. “but what does that have to do with anything?”
aran’s parents interrupt and attempt to drag him away before he can answer, but he beckons for them to give him another minute. quickly, he pulls you into a one-arm hug, telling you over the bustling crowd, “you were part of his routine.” 
you’re stunned, frozen in your tracks as aran and his family walk away. their departure creates some space between everyone, and you find yourself looking straight into the golden eyes of the man that had been plaguing your thoughts for months now. he doesn’t back down, not out of defiance though -- rather, he seems to be trying to convey that he sees you, acknowledges your existence and long wedged a placeholder for you in his life. 
but the spell is broken when one of your relatives tugs on your arm for you to leave and go home for a big lunch celebration, and that’s the last you see of him.
at least for the next two years. you have a part-time job at osamu’s onigiri shop, having met the man in some cooking classes over the years. while you’re up front most of the time, you occasionally help out in the kitchen during rush hours. evidently, you missed any of the information on the exact source of the rice, remembering nothing more than the fact it was special and held a certain place in osamu’s heart -- because when kita shinsuke walks in to make a special, personal visit, your brain splutters and ceases all deep cognitive functioning.
he looks well, happy, strong, more than he did back in high school. the same air of confidence still surrounds him and encases the entirety of the shop, and instincts nearly have you dropping to your knees so you can hide behind the counter and catch your breath. 
“oh shinsuke, you’re here!” osamu calls out from behind you, popping out of the kitchen to help with the rice bags. the most you can muster is a gentle bow before messing with the cash register, pretending to be busy organizing receipts and bills. you tune out most of the conversation cleaning counters, checking customers out, wiping down tables, and anything else that’ll take your mind off the guy your heart could never seem to forget. 
but osamu bidding goodbye to kita snaps you out of your reverie. and instead of walking towards the door, kita’s figure approaches you until there’s nothing but 5 feet of wood between the two of you. “it’s good to see you,” he greets softly, a gentle expression casting onto his face and tone. 
“i-it’s good to see you too, kita-san,” you barely reply in time, doing everything you can to fight the blood rushing into your face. 
“i’d like to take you out for coffee when your shift is over, if that’s okay.”
oh. 
“oh, well, yes, but um, my shift doesn’t end for another hour and--”
“oh, you’re good to go for the rest of the day,” osamu calls out with his head popped out the kitchen door, sending a knowing look towards his former captain. in fact, you remember that the owner had been somewhat insistent that you come work today of all days and you never knew why...until now.
that fucker.
shinsuke’s eyes glimmer as the realization hits you, the same demure smile as the one he sent you all those years ago during a volleyball game sitting on his lips. excitement bubbles within you, and you attempt to tease, “only if you can untie my apron for me?”
there’s no hesitation in his demeanor as he walks around the counter and plants himself right in front of you, mere centimeters between the tips of your shoes and his. you can’t bear to look away as an arm reaches around easily undo the bow at your lower back. neither do you miss the ghosting of his fingertips at your waist that burn through the cotton of your t-shirt, and you’re just thankful that no customers are around to witness this heated, intimate moment. 
“lead the way, captain,” you can’t help but say. something dark and dangerous crosses his eyes, sending a thrilling shiver down your spine. and you think that yes, yes indeed, you’d like to see those eyes more often if you can. 
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jenomark · 4 years ago
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➔Pairing: Camboy!Haechan x Reader (Female) ➔Other Members/ Characters: Renjun + Jeno + Jaemin ➔Genre: Smut ➔Warnings: Penetration (F) | Masturbation (M) | Oral (F+M) | Voyeurism | Sex with animal masquerade-like masks (foxes) ➔Word count: 4,069
➔Summary: You’re going to fuck popular CamBoy! Haechan for the very first time. Will your nerves get the best of you? 
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  The mask he wore protecting his identity looked like a fox face. White and glittery, with ears and a small nose, it hid half of his handsome face. It sat flush against his cheek, not even sweat daring to move it. He had worn it many times, and each time, you would count the crystals adorning the mask.
  You observed his shirtless body from across the room with interest. His body was lightly toned, the little moles on his stomach making you want to connect the dots with your tongue. He wore belted suit paints and nothing else. Even half-dressed, he looked more put together than you ever would.
“Can I get you anything else?” he asked.
  You had never worked with him before. As far as you could tell, he was a true professional. When you arrived, he asked if you had eaten. He gave you a drink before you could decline, and when you asked him where the bathroom was, he guided you with his hand hovering over your back. Easy on the eyes and a voice so silky soft, it was hard not to fall for his charm.  
“I don’t think so,” you said. “I’m pretty satisfied.” 
  You looked down at your white silk lingerie. Having watched his work before, you purposely purchased it to match his mask. You looked innocent, maybe a little naive while wearing it. It was the opposite of how you were feeling, as you devoured him with your eyes. You had been in the sex industry for awhile, so you were well aware of the rules, and how not to break them. You were polite and engaging, respectful and eager to learn, but you really wanted to have him.
“We can start in a few minutes, if you like?” he asked.
You nodded. “Sounds good.”
  Around the room were cameras facing a lone bed that sat in the middle of the floor. Studio lights lit up the space, with fairy lights hanging from the ceiling to soften the mood when the need called for it. Various chains hung from the headboard. There was a chest of toys by the side of the bed. He worked frequently in that very room. You knew because you had watched his cam to learn what he liked. You would log on anonymously, at first. Once a healthy repertoire was built between you, you came out of your shell. He asked if you would like to work with him, and you jumped at the chance. You enjoyed sex work, but you only agreed because you had a small crush on him. 
“Haechan?” you asked, jumping up from your seat. “I forgot. Are we having sex with the condom, or without? I’m okay with either. I’ve been tested, and I’m on contraceptives.”
  Haechan was buttoning up his suit shirt, the small white buttons slipping from his fingertips. He licked the corner of his mouth, as he was thinking. You knew he was also regularly tested. He had to in order to continue fucking all of his girls. Suddenly, and you didn’t know why, you began to feel nervous. You pulled down the lingerie so it covered your thong. Your cleavage was made obvious, but the gentleman in Haechan did not look. You were afraid he wouldn’t like you as well as he liked the others, afraid that you didn’t check all of the boxes. 
“We can see where the mood takes us?” he suggested.
“Alright,” you said. “I’m okay with that.” 
  You sat back down and watched him finish getting ready. You began to feel a little like an amateur, and cursed yourself that it was so easy to feel anxious around him. He really was so handsome. The suit he wore was tailored to his body perfectly, and the way the pants hugged his ass made you crane your neck to get a better look.
“You’re tense.” he said.
“What? I am?”
  He crossed the room and took a seat next to you, his thigh touching yours. When you worked with other men, they didn’t bother talking to you until the cameras were rolling. With Haechan, since you had walked through his door, he had done nothing but make you feel comfortable.
“Are you okay with shooting today?” he asked.
“I am,” you said. “Do I not look okay?”
  He smiled, bringing out the boyish appeal that raked him in lots of money. For a brief second, he removed the mask so you could see his face. His eyes were soft and kind, his cheeks full and fed. He tried joking with you to loosen you up, but every time he nudged you, you could feel your timidness returning. Haechan took your hand and held it, rubbing his thumb over the back of it to soothe you.
“Is it me? Are you nervous because of me?” he asked. He gestured to everything in the room with a wave of his hand. “Does all of this scare you?”
  You were going to lie through your teeth, but you didn’t want to do that to him. Instead, you nodded and told him it was because you found him so irresistible. You didn’t know if you could compare to the women he’d been with previously. You riddled him with compliments about how sexy he was, and how each woman he was with left the room feeling changed.
“You give me too much credit,” he said. “They leave me just as breathless. I’ve seen your work and-”
“-you have?” you interrupted, unable to keep the surprise from your voice.
  Haechan touched his fingers to your chin. You felt lost in his eyes. When he leaned in close to kiss you, you felt like you were being hypnotized. His lips were soft, and you never wanted to stop kissing them. He pulled away before you could slip your tongue inside of his mouth. 
“I promise you,” Haechan began. “I want to fuck you as much as you want to fuck me.”
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   A lot went into being a successful cam boy. Your set-up was small and intimate. You often did solo cams where you masturbated with toys. Sometimes, you did non-sexual things for money. It was always different, but it always had the same chill vibe.  It was always just you, a camera, and your legs spread wide. But Haechan put all of your work to shame. After the third person came in and out of the room to check something, you realized they were there to stay. 
“What do you think?” he asked. “Do you like it?”
“I like it,” you said. “It’s interesting. It looks like a lot of work.” 
  While talking about the details of the set-up, three people came over that Haechan wanted to introduce to you. You had seen Jaemin around at different parties, but meeting him while you were half-naked made you feel shy. You shook hands with him and greeted him, careful to avoid a lot of eye contact. 
“And this is Jeno,” Haechan said, pointing at his handsome friend. “And lastly, Renjun. All three of them help me make this what it is. They stay in the room while we perform, but if you’re not comfortable, I will ask them to look away.”
“Will they be on camera?” you asked. “Can the viewers see them?”
“Absolutely not.” Jaemin said. 
Renjun laughed. “No one wants to see my body.”
You looked at Renjun and winked. “I wouldn’t mind seeing your body. “
  Haechan, Jeno, and Jaemin laughed when Renjun became flustered. The mood was lightened a little bit, and after that, you didn’t mind so much that they were in the room with you. 
  You looked around, while the rest of the set-up was being finished, placing your wrist in and out of a pair of handcuffs, and not caring if your ass was hanging out of the lingerie.
“Are you ready?” Haechan asked, touching your elbow.
“Yes.”
  From beside him, Haechan pulled his arm up to reveal another fox mask in the color blue. It was prettier, the crystals shining more brightly. He fixed it to your face, taking extra care not to mess up your make-up or hair. When he was done, the kiss he left on your lips was faint. Your nerves seemed to dissipate even more with the attention Haechan paid to you, but it still wasn’t enough. You were feeling like something wasn’t quite complete.
“Wait,” you said. “Can I do something first?”
  Curious, Haechan nodded. You went over to Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun who were standing in the corner of the room, each boy at their respective post. Everything had been set up, and there was little need for them to observe the scene in its entirety.  You grabbed blindfolds from a nearby table and tied them around each boy's eyes so that they couldn’t see. Jeno licked his lips in anticipation, Jaemin instinctively reached out in front of him, and Renjun smiled mischievously, which was more than you thought he would do. When you were done, each of them looked to where they thought you were.
“You can hear,” you said. “But you don’t get to see. You can only take the blindfold off when you’re turned on.”
  You backed away until you were in Haechan’s arms. He came behind you and hugged you, his arms around your neck. You were scared that your plan would backfire, that each boy wouldn’t be able to do their job without being able to see, or that none of them would remove the blindfold. When Renjun reached for the camera button with ease, you knew things would be just fine.
“Going live on air in three counts,” Renjun said. “One-”
  Jeno double checked the lights, calling out to Haechan for approval. Jaemin checked the audio, and gave a thumbs up when he realized the sound worked fine.
“-Two”
  Before Renjun said three, Haechan spun you around and looked into your eyes. “Trust me,” he said. “And I’ll trust you.”
“-Three.”
  Just like that, you were live, and hundreds of people were watching you. As soon as Renjun said the word, Haechan had snapped into his role. There were no more kind eyes, no more soft touches. He pushed you back onto the bed. You fell hard and crawled backwards as he crawled forward on his knees, his fox mask bearing down on you. His shirt buttons were popping open from the strain of his chest, little keyholes revealing his skin. Haechan caught your left wrist in his hands, as you tried to get away, and took the soft cuffs, restraining you against the headboard. You reached out and touched the right cuff, pulling yourself up into a sitting position. Haechan cocked his head, his fox nose pointing in another direction.
  Instead of speaking, he stood up on the bed, bending his knees so his crotch was level with your face. He unzipped and unbelted his suit pants, taking his soft cock out of his pants. You made eye contact with his member, your eyes hungrily taking him in. With your free hand, you reached out to rouse him, but Haechan restrained you. You made eye contact with him before facing his twitching cock slowly coming to life. You had seen it on camera many times, but up close, it was so pretty it made your mouth water. Haechan took a handful of your hair and yanked your head back, the pain from your scalp making you yelp. He moved forward and put his balls near your lips. You opened your mouth and sucked them gently, rolling your tongue around the delicate skin. All you could see was the darkness of his cock resting on top of your fox mask and messing up your vision. Before you were done pleasuring him, Haechan took his balls out of your mouth. His cock was half-hard, the tip staring you down. He rested his cock head against your bottom lip, but as you opened your mouth to lick him, he pulled himself away.
 The torture of watching Haechan zip his cock away made you pull against the restraints. You could feel how badly your body wanted him. Your nipples were hard, your pussy throbbing, and your toes were curling with the foreseeable future of finally getting to use his cock. 
“What should I do next?” Haechan asked, making his voice a little deeper than it naturally was. “Should I finger you? Work you up until you’re finally ready to orgasm, and then take it away? Should I leave love bites all over your body? Tear that pretty lingerie and masturbate over your chest? There are so many options.”
“All of the above.” you said, your own voice sounding unfamiliar. 
  Haechan pushed himself swiftly off the bed. He went to the camera and looked into it, a smile on his face. Since Renjun couldn’t see, Haechan angled the camera himself. The puckered kiss he gave the viewers was felt all over your body. When he came back over, he grabbed your left ankle and yanked your body until you were laying down fully, your feet nearing the edge of the bed. He used restraints on you so that you were spread across its face and fully restrained on all four corners. The silky white triangle that protected your modesty was seen as your lingerie lifted to reveal your bare stomach and the hickey that was already there.
“Who did this?” Haechan asked. 
  He touched his fingers over the fading purple mark. Your skin tingled, and you squirmed away from his touch. You tried clamping your legs shut, but the restraints made it so you couldn’t even lift up your legs from the bed. Haechan had you exactly where he could do anything to you. 
“Not you.” you said.
  Haechan let his fingers linger before hooking them underneath the triangle fabric and peering inside. You were freshly waxed, and as he pushed the back of his fingers against you to spread your lips, you were very wet. 
“Mmm,” Haechan moaned. “Watch your mouth.”
  He took his hand out of your thong from that angle and moved them to the side to reveal your whole pussy. You were aware of the hot lights and how they made your skin glisten with sweat. Being vulnerable made you feel so sensitive to his touch. Just a slight brush against your clit wouldn’t normally make you shudder, but you couldn’t stop it before it happened. He liked the way you jerked. It brought a smile to his lips, his fox mask seeming just as sly. 
“Do you like this?” he asked.
  His fingers were inside of you, pushing into you, again and again. You squeezed the restraints and raised your hips as much as they would allow. You wanted to move yourself down, to fuck yourself on his fingers, but every time you tried, he pulled back. Haechan got as much of your juices as he could on his fingers before bringing them to your lips. You sucked on his fingers with the same kind of ferocity as when you had his balls on your tongue.
“I like it.” he said.
  Leaning over, he swirled his tongue over you and kissed your clit. His fingers found their way inside you once more, but they didn’t let up. He fingered you, his eyes watching as your body misbehaved. He had no plans on being lenient. He fucked you with them, crooking his fingers to get at your g-spot, alternating between coming out to rub your clit until you couldn’t take it anymore. Every time you felt like you would orgasm, he stopped and looked off camera like he was bored. He took a vibrator from the chest, but the feeling of him pressing it against you and then lessening the pressure drove you crazy.
“Please.” you begged. You didn’t like the way your clit pulsated when he wasn’t touching you. You needed to feel his rough fingertips on you again, needed him to finish the job.
“Please what?” he asked.
  He went in on you again, one hand inside of you, and one hand holding the vibrator to your clit full-on. Your legs were shaking, your body nearly convulsing. You held your head back and moaned, hoping the sound wouldn’t be too loud on the viewers end. After everything, you felt yourself squirt, bursting like a water balloon.
“Wow,” Haechan said. “First time I had that happen.”
  He looked down at his soaked hand and felt pleased with himself. You, on the other hand, felt embarrassed. Before you could wallow in the feeling, he cleaned you both up and stripped the sheets from underneath you. The move was sexy and swift.
“How about I give you a little break.” Haechan said, his voice getting softer.
  He climbed onto the bed and took off the restraints around your ankles. He rubbed the marks they left behind. Your first instinct was to close your legs, but he moved between them to kiss your thighs. He threw your calves over his shoulders and kissed all around your pussy, his supple lips barely wet and avoiding your delicate clit. He used his hands to hold your waist in place while he moved up your stomach to kiss you, the fox mask scratching against your skin. The higher he went, the rougher his mouth got. He pulled the lingerie up your body until your breasts were revealed. You watched him leave hickeys on your skin, the marks taking awhile to show, but his ambition never letting up.
“Darker,” you said. “I want to see them for a long time.”
  His eyes were focused, his body moving up yours to give you your wish. You could feel his hard cock against your thigh at the same time his lips were on your neck. You couldn’t see them, but you knew he was leaving little marks all over you. You looked to the side to watch Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun. You had forgotten they were there. Jeno was looking in your direction intently, his blindfold still in place, and his hands in his lap. Jaemin was sitting down and fidgeting with the sound, his back straight and tense. Renjun’s blindfold was on the floor, his cock in his hand. He watched you watching him fuck his fist, and he didn’t care.
“Next,” you said. “Masturbate for me, Haechan. I want to feel your cum on me.”
  Haechan lifted his head up. Your face was burning where the fox mask had scratched against it. Haechan noticed and gave you sweet kisses before kissing your mouth. He finally gave you his tongue, the saltiness from your sweaty body the main flavor. He got up off the bed and walked around the room to rev himself up. He looked into the camera and suggestively licked his fingers clean. Next, the suit jacket came off because he was hot and his back was sweaty. He unbuttoned what buttons were still together, and let his chest free. He looked different than the man who met with you earlier.
“I’m waiting.” you said.
“That mouth,” Haechan laughed. “Will get you into trouble.”
  He crawled back onto the bed on his knees and made his way over to you. He touched the silk of your lingerie gently before bunching it in his fists and tearing it open, straight down the middle. His cock was in his hands, and he was rock hard as he stroked himself, his adrenaline pumping through his veins.
“Come on,” you said. “Hurry up. I’m impatient.”
  You urging him to move faster made him stroke himself lightning fast, like he would do if he were alone and in need of a quickie. Haechan only slowed down the stroke to throw his leg over you and use your stomach to rub against. He came against your skin, his cum spurting up around your breasts. He came quietly, a few grunts as he did, with his cock still moving against you.
“No condom,” you said. “Fuck me now, Haechan.”
  Your legs were glued together, underneath his body. As he was straddling you, he only had to move back a little bit. You knew he would be ready. You had watched him before and knew he didn’t need much time to recover. Haechan ripped the string of the thong and pushed the fabric out of the way. Since your pussy was closed tight, it was difficult for him to push himself inside of you, but when he did, the feeling was much different than what you were used to. He fucked you with your legs closed, the friction of your thick thighs squeezing his shaft and making him roll his eyes back. You let him do what he wanted to do to your body because you couldn’t touch him, but you were driven by the prospect of getting to fuck him the way you wanted to. You came first, your pussy already so sensitive. 
“Your turn,” you said. “Don’t you want to come inside of me? Keep thrusting, baby, keep going.”
  Haechan kept thrusting for a few moments before shucking off his shirt and shifting positions. Your legs were open and free, but he wasn’t done with you. With his cock still in you, he sat back on his knees and lifted your body up until your back was arched and you were in mid-air. He held you from underneath as he kept fucking you, bouncing your body on his cock. When he came, he slowed down, easing you back down onto the bed.
“Now,” Haechan said, trying to collect his breath. “We have fun.”
  He let you out of your restraints. You launched yourself at him, and he caught you, laughing as you tackled him. You could feel your fox mask slipping off so you just removed it and threw it across the room. The look in your eyes must have looked feral. Haechan’s eyes widened in shock before he ditched his own mask, his look matching yours.
“No. Now, they can see how pretty your face looks when you come.” you said.
  Your lips were wrapped around his cock. You were sucking him with two thoughts in your mind: You wanted to get him back for overstimulating you, and you wanted to suck him dry. Every time you went up,  you took him out of your mouth and waited five seconds. The count was agonizingly slow. Haechan was moaning and breathing heavily, but he let you take it out on him as much as you wanted. It took him a long time to come a third time, since his body was so spent. You sucked him, not really caring if you had the privilege of swallowing him or not. You only wanted to make him feel good, to give him your hands and mouth like he gave you his.
“Can you handle it?” you asked, smirking that you had to ask.
  Briefly, you could see the real Haechan peering up at you with admiration. He smiled and touched his hand down the front of your body before helping his cock inside of you. You rode him, taking the time to look back at the camera as you did. You felt liberated riding him, felt the way all attention was on your body as you took his cock. All four boys had their eyes on you, waiting, watching. The blindfolds were all ditched, and so were the nerves. You turned around to ride Haechan in reverse, leaning down to hold his ankles so he would get a good view of your ass, and you could get a better view of Renjun coming all over his knuckles. You were hoping the viewers would get a good look at the way Haechan’s cock disappeared inside of you, or at all of the marks he had left on your skin.
“One last time.” Haechan said. 
  For the last position, Haechan had you on your knees so that he could fuck you from behind. You were having a hard time holding yourself up, but you moved back to meet his cock without complaint. You rested your head down, crossed your arms and placed your chin on top of them. Haechan grabbed your ass and drilled himself inside of you, the feeling deep and full. Before he was getting ready to come, you looked into the camera lens and grinned.
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wittyvitale · 3 years ago
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Always One of Us (A Fluffy Post-Series Castlevania Fanfic)
Summary:  The Codrii Speakers visit the town of Belmont and Sypha reunites with her grandfather. They have a conversation about Sypha's life journey and her decision not to return to her Speaker tribe. Takes place at the end of the series, so MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 AND THE ENTIRETY OF THE SERIES. Lots of family fluff, some angst, some humor, some of Trevor being a cute daddy.
Author Notes:  I. LOVED. The ending of Castlevania. Perfect IMHO, exceeded my expectations. And the brainrot is strong right now. I really wanted to write about Sypha meeting with her Speaker caravan again after the events of the series, so now we have this. Enjoy!
The town of Belmont was bathed in the light of the late morning sun, a gentle breeze rusting the leaves on the trees. Trevor and Sypha were sitting on the bottom steps of Alucard’s castle, crooning over 6-month-old Sonia sitting on Trevor’s lap. The breeze brushed against the baby’s face and she giggled. Every time the baby laughed, Trevor and Sypha felt as if their hearts were going to burst.
“Somebody’s very happy today, isn’t she?” Sypha asked sweetly as she brushed the chestnut bangs out of her baby’s face.
“Thank god for that,” Trevor replied as he gently bounced the baby. “Better than screaming bloody murder like she’s been the past 2 days.”
“Sonia’s first teeth are coming in, of course she’s been screaming,” Sypha replied with a pout as she looked at her daughter. “Poor little thing’s been in so much pain lately. I’m glad her mouth seems to be giving her a break today.”
“I still say we should give her a little whiskey if it happens again,” Trevor suggested. “Just brush a bit on her gums. My Nana did that with me and my siblings when we were teething, or so I’ve been told.”
“I’ve already told you that we are not giving our baby whiskey, Trevor,” Sypha said sharply as she narrowed her eyes. “Alucard found a recipe for a tonic his mother used to make for teething babies. He said he’d have it for us today.”
Sonia began to babble as she reached for Trevor’s face and began to pat it with her chubby hand. Trevor lifted the baby so her face was closer to his ear.
“Hmm, what’s that, Sunny?” he asked. Sonia answered with more babbles and Trevor nodded. “I know, princess, but your mum says you can’t have whiskey. Maybe we’ll try again when you’re a little older.”
Sypha rolled her eyes but laughed. “My god, you are impossible, Trevor Belmont.”
Their banter was interrupted by a flurry of activity at the town’s front gate. A large wagon rolled into the town, and Sypha squinted to try to get a better look.
“That looks like a Speaker caravan.” Sypha observed with a lilt of surprise in her voice, still squinting.
“Definitely a Speaker caravan,” Trevor agreed. “You can see those blue robes from here.”
Sypha stood up and took a few steps forward. She saw a few of the Speakers getting off of the back of the wagon and her eyes widened.
“It’s the Codrii Speakers!” Sypha exclaimed. “Trevor, that’s my tribe!”
Before Trevor could react, Sypha was already running over to the caravan. The closer she got, the more certain she was that this was her Speaker tribe. When she got close enough, the last Speaker was being helped off of the wagon. Sypha stopped and stared at the older man, her eyes already beginning to well up with tears.
“Papi?” she asked softly. The older man turned at the sound of her voice and his eyes widened before giving her a soft smile.
“Sypha.” her grandfather replied, his lips curling into a delighted smile.
“Papi!” Sypha exclaimed as she ran over to her grandfather and hugged him tightly. Her grandfather returned the hug and they both held each other for a solid minute, both of them crying with joy.
“I missed you so much, Papi,” Sypha started, tears still flowing down her face. “I was planning to return to the caravan after we defeated Dracula, but so much happened and I-“
“Shhhh, it’s all right, my angel,” the Elder replied. Once they were finished embracing, he gently wiped the tears from her eyes. “We have plenty of time to catch up now. When I heard that there was a newer town in the area called Belmont, I had a feeling that I might find you here. I’m glad I trusted my intuition.”
Trevor finally caught up to Sypha, still holding Sonia in his arms.
“Christ Sypha, your eyesight is good,” Trevor said as he approached granddaughter and grandfather. “It really is your tribe! How are you, Elder Belnades?”
“Trevor! It is so nice to see you again.” The Elder said kindly to the Belmont. Sonia babbled and looked at the older man, big blue eyes filled with curiosity. “And who is this little one?”
“We really do have a lot to catch up on Papi,” Sypha said as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes before standing next to Trevor.  “This is your great-granddaughter: Sonia Belnades Belmont.”
The Elder felt tears welling up in his eyes again when he learned the identity of the child. “I see. What a lucky man I am that I get to see 3 generations of Belnades’ during my lifetime. She’s beautiful. Congratulations to you both.”
“Would you like to hold her, Elder?” Trevor asked.
“It would be my honor.” The Elder replied as he stretched out his arms. As soon as Sonia was in her great-grandfather’s arms, she gave him an open-mouthed smile and cooed happily. The Elder gently stroked the baby’s cheek, a huge smile on his face.
“You were certainly telling the truth when you said that a lot has happened, Sypha,” the Elder said as he continued fawning over the baby. “The last time I saw you, you were making plans to urinate in a bucket and tell Trevor it was beer. And now the two of you have a baby.”
“I’m sorry, what was that?” Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow.
“There is a beautiful spot on the edge of the village where we can catch up,” Sypha said, ignoring Trevor’s question. “Come, Papi, I’ll tell you everything.”
“You were going to make me drink your piss?”
Sypha turned to Trevor and placed a hand on his cheek, a sly smile on her face. “Treffy, please. We both know that you’d never notice if I did."
With that, Sypha led her grandfather over to the spot she mentioned before, leaving a dumbstruck Trevor behind.
Sypha and her grandfather were seated on 2 crates underneath the shade of a large oak tree. The Elder was still holding baby Sonia, who was beginning to drift off in his arms. Sypha looked at her daughter fondly.
“She’s very comfortable with you,” Sypha started. “Not that I’m surprised. You’ve always been good with babies.”
The Elder chuckled lightly. “I’ve been caring for children for decades; you, your mother, and many of the children across our caravans. I’d like to think I’ve picked up a few skills in my time. Now, why don’t you start from the beginning, Sypha?”
Sypha told her grandfather everything that had happened since they had parted at Gresit; the journey to the Belmont Hold, perfecting the locking spell and dragging Dracula’s castle to its current position, the battle with Dracula himself, her journey with Trevor, the tragedy at Lindenfeld, the many times they thwarted Dracula’s resurrection, their time in Targoviste, the battle with Death… the crushing despair she felt after thinking Trevor had died. She told her grandfather every detail and he listened well, as all experienced Speakers do.
“When I thought I had lost Trevor, I was planning on coming back to the caravan,” Sypha continued. “I realized I was pregnant not long after the battle with Death. I knew that I could get the support I needed if I returned to my family. But Alucard convinced me to stay, told me about the community he was helping to build around the castle. And literally right after that, Trevor came back from the dead. I decided to stay and help with the community organization efforts, and before I knew it, Sonia was born. I was always planning to come back to the caravan, Papi. I don’t want you to think that I was just going to abandon you and the rest of my family. But at the same time I… I…”
“You weren’t sure if you wanted to return to us for good.” The Elder answered. Sypha looked down at her feet guiltily. He took the hand he wasn’t using to hold Sonia and gently squeezed Sypha’s hand.
“You certainly have been through a great many ordeals, my dear,” the Elder started. “And we always knew there was a possibility that you would not come back to us once you had fulfilled the prophecy. Do you remember how the prophecy of the Sleeping Soldier ended?”
“How could I forget?” Sypha said with a light laugh. “’Once the Hunter, Scholar, and Sleeping Soldier had saved the world, they lived with each other until the end of their days.’ But after I met Trevor, I was certain that I would want nothing to do with him after we defeated Dracula. You remember what he was like, you met him before I did. He stank, he was rude, he behaved like such a child. I couldn’t stand him. But then… I learned more about him, saw the man he really was. And I… I fell in love. I really do love him, Papi.”
The Elder smiled in approval. “I always knew Trevor was more than what he was pretending to be back in Gresit. He was a defeated man, trying to cope with a significant loss. I knew that you would eventually realize the same thing. You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders, a very strong emotional intelligence.”
Sypha smiled sadly. “After everything I’ve been through, I don’t think I can return to the life of a Speaker. My life is here now. With Trevor, Sonia, Alucard, Greta, and so many other people who make up this community. I will always carry the practices and principles of the Speakers with me. I will always provide aid and comfort to those who need it most. But I want to do these things here. I want to stay here.”
“As you should,” the Elder nodded as he squeezed Sypha’s hand again. “I always knew you were destined for great things, my Sypha. I knew it back when you were 5-years-old and you accidentally set our wagon on fire with your magic.”
Sypha laughed. “I remember that day very well. That was the first time I ever used magic.”
“I want you to look at me, Sypha,” the Elder began, waiting until Sypha’s eyes met his. “Know that no matter where the journey of life takes you, you will always be a Codrii Speaker. You will always be considered one of us. We are your family and will always be your family. Never forget that, my angel. Although you no longer travel as a Speaker, you will always be a Speaker. And you will always be my precious granddaughter.”
Sypha felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. She wrapped her arms around her grandfather’s neck. “Thank you, Papi. Thank you. I love you so much.”
“And I love you, Sypha,” the Elder answered, wrapping his free arm around Sypha. Once they had separated, the Elder’s eyes went back to the front of the village gate. He saw the 10 remaining Speakers surrounding Trevor and they appeared to be subjecting him to an intense interrogation session.
“And it looks like the rest of your family is making sure that Trevor is taking good care of their sister,” the Elder chuckled. “We should go back to him.”
Sypha laughed too. “Yes, we should probably save him. From Arn especially.”
“Well at least you smell better than the last time we met you.” Arn said to Trevor as Sypha and the Elder returned to the group. Arn noticed the pair and turned to Sypha. “Is this bum helping you take care of the baby? He’s not leaving all of the work to you, is he?”
Sypha rolled her eyes affectionately. “Yes, Arn, Trevor’s helping me with all aspects of childcare. This is me we’re talking about; do you think I’d let him get away with anything less?”
“Hmm, a fair point,” Arn mulled over before glaring at Trevor again. “You’d better be good to her. To her and your daughter. If not, we’ll come back and have something to say about it.”
Trevor held up his hands in acquiescence. “I promise, Arn, Sypha and Sonia will be treated like royalty as long as I’m around. They're my world and I'm always going to give them my best.”
Sypha gave Trevor a soft yet apologetic smile for Arn’s interrogation. Her eyes went to Sonia, who was now fast asleep in the Elder’s arms.
“Trevor, why don’t you take Sonia and put her in her crib for a nap?” Sypha suggested. “I don’t want her to risk waking up out here. You know how cranky she gets when her sleep is interrupted.”
“Hmm, good idea. Gotta make sure our little princess gets her uninterrupted beauty rest.” Trevor agreed as he held his arms towards the Elder. The Elder quietly passed Sonia over to her father. Sonia began making small whimpering sounds at the movement, which made Trevor gently shush her, hoping she wouldn’t wake up. She settled in Trevor’s arms and relaxed, which also made Trevor relax.
Sypha squeezed Trevor’s upper arm gently. “I’ll meet you back at the castle a little later. I want to spend a little more time with my family.”
“Take your time.” Trevor nodded to Sypha and the Speakers before walking away with the sleeping baby in his arms.
Sypha looked at each member of her Speaker family and smiled warmly. So happy that they had found her. So happy that she was still considered one of them. So happy that she would always have them no matter where her life led.
“I would like to introduce you to the other members of my family in this village,” Sypha started as she took her grandfather’s hand. “Would you like me to give you a tour?”
The Elder placed his other hand on Sypha’s and smiled fondly.
“We would love nothing more.”  
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remmushound · 3 years ago
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Beyond the Bay chapter 1: Omen in the Lights
Authors note: I know I said this was only going to be posted on A03, but I have decided against that and made the choice to expand it to my regular postings on Tumblr; there will be three posts a week; Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
It was late September, the heat of summer waning to give way to the autumn chill that had started to sweep its way through the city. The first snowfall had yet to arrive, but with the cold settling over New York, it wouldn’t be long before the city was blanketed in white. The moon reached its peak in the night sky and was beginning its downward descent into the west; if anyone had been looking up at that moment, they would have seen something miraculous. A falling star, illuminated brightly in the inky purple sky. Falling to earth on a mission from the stars and crashing into the Hudson river, sinking below the surface, a blinking white light pulsating all the way down
~~~
Deep in the undersewers of New York, in the old tunnels that even the most experience sewer workers didn't dare to enter, was a world forgotten by all but the rats and the creatures unseen. The steady drip drip drip of distant, decaying pipes were to this world like bird calls were to the surface. A constant, steady drumming that ceased not night nor day. Sometimes, the soothing drips would be jarred by the rumble of something old, far beyond its best days, giving a groaning complaint of its age. Rarer still would be a crash that told of one of those ancient structures living its last moments before succumbing to the fate of collapse.
Other than that was the pitter-patter of tiny rodent feet as rats, this worlds most plentiful residents, went about their days searching for scraps on which to feast upon. Sometimes they’d come in swarms, all seeking to indulge in the same noxious smell that invaded their senses. Other times they came alone. But they were always there, mostly unseen, some were bolder than others. 
This day there was a noise other than the drip and scuttle and groan of everyday sewer life. There was the sound of motion, the steady echo of rubber bouncing off stone. The powerful strike of muscle against muscle, shell against shell. The sound of the biggest creatures to call the undersewers home, crashing against each other as they all fought over the basketball. Leo and Mikey vs Donnie and Raph.
The game went on for hours. Longer than any human game. Longer than any crash of giants on any continent. It went on for nearly eight hours before the self-set timer ran out and named Leo and Mikey the winners. The win, of course, was taken with very little modesty by the youngest brother. Leo was glad that, in his twenty-two official years of life, he had learned to tune out the incessant bickering of his two youngest brothers as Mikey boasted of his glory and Raph simmered in his defeat.
Still, even someone with as much patience as Leo Splinterson could only let the bickering go so far until he decided to intervene.
“Okay, okay, you both did well.” Leo got between his brothers, pushing Raph back just slightly. Mikey was more than happy to start hanging over Leo’s shoulders, still running that motormouth of his.
“Don’t feel bad, Raphie!” Mikey put extra emphasis on the childish nickname, “You may be a foot taller, but I gots an extra foot in the game brother!”
“Extra foot in the— that don’t even make sense!” Raph almost snarled.
“You don’t make sense!”
“That don’t make sense either!”
“Cool it.” Leo said finally, “The game was a good warm up for tonight's patrol.”
Those few words made the three younger Splinterson brothers melt into groans.
“What?” Donnie complained.
“No way!” Mikey groaned.
“Seriously?” Raph threw his arms out and then slapped them back down against his thighs.
“What?” Leo said, and then again louder, “What? We go on patrol every night!”
“But Leo, it’s our mutation day!” Donnie groaned. “And we’re exhausted! Plus, April made us that cake—“
“Which we can pick up after patrol.” Leo said simply. 
“But what about dad?” Donnie frowned. “You know he likes us to spend our mutation day together.”
“It’s just three hours.” Leo said. “We’re ninja first, always. You know that. Dad will understand.”
Leo turned to leave, the frustrated mutterings of ‘no fair’ and ‘just had to ruin a good thing’ falling on his deaf ears. He didn't turn around; he already knew his brothers were following him, no matter how they dragged their feet or complained. This was their duty, mutation day or not. He couldn’t stand the thought of missing even the smallest occurrence that could cost them greatly in the long run. Shredder hadn’t been seen since Krang’s very temporary control over the city, but that didn't mean the Foot Clan wasn’t still active and preparing to strike. They had to be ready.
The patrol went by with little difficulty. Everything they saw were the same, normal things they’d seen in the weeks before. Men and women stumbling drunkenly home after a night out; the brothers, of course, would follow the latter to ensure she got home without trouble before going on with the patrol. Other than the women they escorted home, they also witnessed the average amount of drug deals taking place and teens sneaking out of their bedroom windows, and homeless trying to keep warm as they prepared for another long, hard winter; Donnie made sure to slip every single one of them a twenty. Whether they would use it for drugs or food was up to their discretion. Donnie didn't care either way. Who was he to judge?
Raph’s whistle stopped the brothers. Two sets of blue eyes and one set of green turned to him as the team fell to still silhouettes. Raph jerked his head toward an alleyway across the street, and four silent shadows passed over the lamp-lit road. Leo’s eyes scanned the area in its entirety searching for anything that could tell of trouble. Anything out of order. He heard three sets of breaths, not counting his own. No voices. No scuffling that didn't come from his brothers. Still he took in all the tiny details that tied together like an intricate spider web. 
Down in the alley, he saw, was a woman, her hair grayed and wearing a sleeping gown. There were no shoes on her feet and no caregiver in sight, and every step of the elder was slow and shaky. Her voice came through the alley in a language he couldn’t understand, so he turned to Donnie for further confirmation of what he was sure he already knew. Donnie listened to the words carefully.
“Guys, I think she’s lost.” Donnie said, flicking his goggles down over his glasses, “Her vitals are stable, but its freezing.”
“What’s she saying?” Leo asked.
“Uh… she’s asking for help.” Donnie said. 
“Should we go down there?” Mikey asked innocently, looking up to Raph.
“What, and scare her outta her skin?”  Raph asked, showing his canines.
“We can’t just leave her!”
“We ain’t gonna, doofus!”
“Donnie—“ Leo started.
Donnie held up his finger for silence as he started to pace the length of the rooftop, speaking into his headset. “Hi, yes, this is Donatello. You know, giant turtle, four eyes. There’s this old lady here…” He went on to relay their location and explain the situation further. His conversation with the authorities lasted only a few minutes before he ended the call. “Police are on their way.”
Leo nodded. His eyes had never left the alley or the wandering lady as she continued to call out. They stayed there waiting, watching her until the police arrived and even after that, making sure the old lady was safe in the police car being driven home. Only then, sure of the lost woman’s safety, did they continue with their patrol. They didn't get very far however before Mikey stopped and gawked at something.
“Woah!”
“What is it?” Leo asked. He followed Mikey’s gaze into the night sky and felt his jaw drop. 

Donnie looked up next, and then Raph; the former took a long, wheezing gasp while the latter remained silent in his awe.
“What in the fabric of time is that?” Donnie asked.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” Mikey beamed, “And I’ve seen April!”
“Glad we came out now, aren’t ya?” Leo smirked, elbowing Mikey in the side.
“Yeah…” Was all Raph was able to say.
It was like all the painters in the world had gotten together, pallets in hand, to pain the sky in streaks of gold and pink and cerulean. Colors bright and bold, melting into each other like a mixing bowl of everything beautiful in the world. A field of flowers woven into the heavens. The lights over the sky rivaled the brightness of the city itself, and in beauty, New York could never compare.
After their night of patrol and a quick stop at April’s to indulge in delicious, homemade cake, the brothers returned to the lair. Long strides carried Donnie past his father, Splinter’s words of welcome met with a mutter and quick departure. The rat only laughed and shook his head, for of course the first thing his second oldest would want to do after a night of work was to head immediately to his lab for more work. After all, when Donnie’s thoughts hardly let him sleep, it was always good to get some extra studying in. He had to keep up to date with all the latest news, even if it had only been a few hours since he had last checked. Raph stayed around just long enough to give his father a half-hearted hug before hurrying off to his room, and Mikey jumped over the old rat like he were an obstacle on the way to the kitchen. Leo was the only one to return Splinter’s welcome home greeting with a greeting of his own, immediately sitting lotus-style before his master to give a report on the night's events.
Pulling up articles to scan for anything interesting, Donnie was immediately flooded with several dozen headlines on the same subject: the beautiful light-show currently swallowing the New York City sky. Some of them were calling the lights a second Aurora Borealis, while other papers said that rockets or satellites were to blame. In fact, most every paper had a different story! A different theory of origin for the sudden glow. When the turtles had witnessed it on their patrol, it had taken such a long time for them to pry their eyes away from the beautiful canvas; even Leo had fallen victim to the painting in the sky! Along with the headlines, Donnie pulled up an influx of videos and pictures documenting the strange occurrence from all angles of the city, some even joined with reports of a meteor crashing into the harbor. Donnie had seen no meteor, but that didn't mean there wasn’t one!
“Hey.” Mikey, as air-headed as he could be, never failed to somehow always sneak up without Donnie hearing him. The box turtle leaned his full weight on his brother's chair, shoving handfuls of Cheetos into his mouth and crunching loudly in Donnie’s ear. Crumbs fell from his open maw as he chewed enthusiastically. “S’mething cool happen?”
Donnie growled and yanked his chair out from under Mikey, snickering as the youngest brother was just barely able to catch and right himself. 
“You know there is Mikey; we saw it!” Donnie said, scooting his chair back in while dusting it free of crumbs. “Every article here is talking about those lights we saw! No one knows what they are!”
“They’re cool is what they are.” Mikey said, nodding his head and swallowing his mouthful before saying, “Do they have a cool name yet? Bet they have a cool name.” He pointed at the screen with his pinkie finger as he cracked open an orange energy drink and started to chug it.
“Everyone’s calling it something different.” Donnie reported, “But whatever they end up calling it, it’s beautiful. Something like this is a once in a life time experience!”
“Isn’t everything in our lives?” Mikey asked, followed by a burp.
“I guess.” Donnie snickered, “But there’s no telling if these lights will be there tomorrow night! I��� I really wish I’d documented it, but I was just… too busy thinking of all the possibilities!”
“I know what that’s like.” Mikey nodded.
“It could be a solar event, or a chemical reaction, or a whole new phenomenon—” Donnie whined as his fingers worked quickly to pull up the most recent reports. “According to these, the lights are still there… and it’s just barely four-thirty.” He pressed his lips tightly together and tapped a pattern on his desk, “M...maybe if we hustle, we could still get some decent pictures before day breaks.”
Mikey nodded and smiled. “We totally could, dude.”
“Yes!” Donnie stood up, rushing past Mikey and started to reassemble his gear, pulling cameras and recordings and notepads— he brought three, just in case— and his goggles too. He could never leave home without his goggles! “We could and we are!”
He grabbed his good camera, a big bulk of a thing the size of his head, and pushed his way past Mikey.
“Are we going somewhere?” Mikey asked.
~~~
They were cutting it close. Very close. But Donnie couldn't pass up the opportunity to get at least a few decent pictures. The ones already posted to the internet by awed humans were one thing, but to get the pictures on his own, from the vantage of the highest buildings, was something else entirely. Donnie could only hope that the solar event would take well to the filters of his camera.
“Just a few more pictures.” Donnie promised Mikey as he set up his camera for another great angle. “Then we can head home.”
“Okay.” Mikey’s response was automatic, the words little more than jargon to the younger brother. No doubt Donnie thought the other turtle bored out of his mind, but it was the exact opposite really. Mikey was so focused on the lights in the sky that his mind wouldn’t let him think of anything else. 
They were so beautiful, flashing and blipping in and out of reality with a mind of their own! Mikey rubbed his eyes. He wanted the lights to stay but they kept leaving. He was desperate to reach a hand out, believing he could touch them the little blips he tried, but his arm refused to listen.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Donnie asked. He snapped another picture of the lights, glad they hadn’t left yet; even with the brightening sky they were just as vibrant and visible as ever. Mikey didn't respond, but that went unnoticed by Donnie being too focused on his current task. “Wonder what it looks like from space!”
Mikey laughed. He laughed but he felt tears on his cheeks. The shinobi whined and lifted his left hand to rub his opposite arm as he felt goosebumps start to dance up the length of his body; at least the left one still listened, he figured, unlike the right one that was like dead weight. But the lights were too beautiful to care, and they were getting brighter too! Closer it seemed. Mikey forgot about his goosebumps as he reached up to touch the colors that started to dance all around him. They felt solid and hot, like burning metal— like he was touching the same stars that started to dance in his head!
Mikey’s lack of response was finally noticed by Donnie. The mutant peeked up from his work to glance at Mikey, groaning with the belief that the turtle had wandered off after a cat or another pizza pigeon. The belief was unfounded and replaced with confusion when he found his younger brother still there, right where he had been when Donnie last checked, still staring. His eyes seemed glassy and that made Donnie tilt his head. The technician’s eyes trailed downward to Mikey’s arm, which looked uncomfortably stiff, muscles bulging and veins defined as if he were under great strain.
“Mikey?” Donnie asked, setting his camera down to take a step closer to his brother. “Are you alright?”
Mikey smacked his lips together as pure heat flooded his mouth, like he had just swallowed a handful of peppers. Shadows were around him, speaking words he couldn’t hear, but they were so familiar to him that he tried to respond.
“Fer… repub… not… don’t like....” Mikey tried. His words came out wrong— that wasn’t what he wanted to say! He tried it again. “Great...er...ggg…”
“Mikey!” Donnie ran forward, wrapping strong arms around the ninja’s shell when Mikey began to slump forward, almost enough to fall off the edge he was standing on. Donnie yanked him back, pulling Mikey to fall back onto the roof instead; Donnie’s body worked to soften the fall for the other turtle as they both went down, the older cradling the younger.
The lights were still there, still overhead, and still blinking their toxic song.
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