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vixstarria · 7 months ago

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Communication

Surprise surprise, they're no good at it.

This is a continuation of my in-game bardlock series, seeing as I left a large gap in it between an intimate and emotional scene and a whole bunch of unhinged fucking. Sorry about that.

Takes place after Intimacy but can be read as a stand-alone!

Read on AO3

Astarion x named f!Tav

Early Act 3. It has been nice, but it's time they actually figured out what it is they're doing and what comes next.

Hurt/comfort, some fluff and a drop of humour (I am me after all) if you squint, love, angst

TW: some very casual violence and murder

Approximately 3.9k words.

“Well?” A very giddy Astarion had appeared behind Asmodea. “Let’s go!”

The party had finally reached the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate and were setting up camp near Rivington, after a brief excursion in the area.

“Go where?” she asked.

“Anywhere! I haven’t seen these streets in sunlight in two centuries.”

“Now..?”

The city was flooded with refugees. Some child whose mother was definitely not coming for her had seemingly declared herself adopted by the group. There was a towering pile of corpses just outside one of the nearby gates. A circus was in town.

It was nice to finally be back in civilisation.

“Yes, now! Forget the bloody tent, maybe we’ll find an inn to sleep in for a change.”

Nothing had been arranged, set up or planned yet. They had only the vaguest notion of where they were going.

“Sure, a walk sounds lovely right now,” shrugged Asmodea.

It very quickly became obvious that finding an inn would be nigh on impossible. The streets were crowded with refugees, frantic citizens and all those who would either try to keep them in order or prey upon them.

“Are we going anywhere in particular, or are we just... going?” Asmodea asked, trying to make her way through the throng. She had never seen Baldur’s Gate this busy before.

“There is something I’d like to show you,” answered Astarion. “Some place, to be exact. It’s- hey!”

He realised that he was talking to no one, as they had been separated by a group of dwarves pushing their way through between them. Asmodea smiled at him over their heads, raising her arms in an open-palmed gesture of defeat and resignation.

“Can’t you keep up?” Astarion sighed, rolling his eyes, and reached for her, taking her hand and linking his fingers through hers.

This… This was new, particularly in public, and Asmodea bit her lip, fighting not to smile, as he guided her after him.

Astarion glanced back over his shoulder at her, to see her grinning.

“Oh shut up,” he huffed, before spilling into a smile too, despite himself, and drawing her close to kiss her.

“Half-elven whore,” a nearby elven woman muttered to her companion in elvish, tsking in distaste at the sight. Either she did not expect to be heard or understood, or simply did not care.

Astarion turned towards the woman, with a glower, but before he could retaliate with his own snide remark, Asmodea told the elven woman to go fuck herself with a splintered broom, in perfect elvish, and pulled Astarion further down the street before the woman thought of anything else to say.

“Such... delightful use of the True Tongue, dear.” Astarion seemed in equal parts impressed and taken aback. “Don't tell me you’ve been holding out on me this whole time..?”

“Oh, no, I only know a little bit,” laughed Asmodea.

“Do indulge me.”

“No, it’s really hardly anything,” she shook her head. “I can count, exchange pleasantries and profanities, know a few songs I can’t translate, and a few odd phrases.”

“Such as?”

“I can scream for help in elvish, for one,” she offered.

“Why would you need to scream for help in elvish..?”

“Men are more likely to come running if they think it’s a little elven maiden they’re rescuing,” she explained with a sigh.

Astarion mulled that over with a frown for a bit.

“I’ll have to take your word for that... What else? And for hells’ sake, just say something, I enjoyed hearing it.”

She said the first phrase that came to mind.

Astarion stopped dead in his tracks, with what Asmodea knew to be the expression he held when he was doing his best to keep his face straight.

“So let’s start with what you think you just said.”

“...Shit. ...Uhh.” Asmodea gave Astarion a sheepish look. “‘My small children have had nothing to eat for days.’?”

“Darling,” he said, cupping her cheeks, trying not to laugh. “My love. That’s not quite it... Now, how many people do you think you’ve told you’ve ‘eaten nothing but small children for days’..?”

“Ah... That explains the reactions,” Asmodea said thoughtfully.

“Horror?” Astarion finally snickered.

“Usually laughter... I just figured most elves were assholes.”

Eventually Astarion brought them onto a rooftop that offered an impressive view of the city and surrounding regions.

“It’s so strange to be here in daylight,” he murmured. “This was one of my spots,” he said, turning to Asmodea. “I used to come here at the start of my evenings, alone, and just… enjoy the peace and quiet for a while.” Astarion took a pensive look around. “Admittedly, the tiles weren’t as hot at night, and all the bird shit wasn’t as prominent.”

They found a place to sit down.

“I thought you would try to get your job done as quickly as possible,” said Asmodea.

“There had to be a certain balance to it.” Astarion shook his head. “Start prowling too early, and the potential targets wouldn’t be ripe for the picking yet. And even if I managed to get someone back to the manor early on in the evening, it would only mean I would have to ‘entertain’ them longer.” He shut his eyes and leaned back against a chimney. “It was better to take some precious solitary repose, when I could.”

“Do you think you might have taken me back to Cazador if you’d met me back then?” Asmodea asked quietly.

Astarion opened his eyes and frowned at the sudden question.

“Not if I’d ever seen you perform, no,” he deliberated. “I never went for the bards. They were almost my co-conspirators, though they didn’t know it. I couldn’t waste them.” He paused before continuing. “But otherwise, if I’d just bumped into you at a Tavern… Probably, yes. A pretty, reckless stray… You would have been perfect. …Would you have followed?” He asked, glancing at her.

“Probably,” she replied, staring off into the distance.

They sat in silence until Astarion broke it with a question.

“Will you stay with me when all this is over?”

Just the sheer amount of effort he put into trying to make that question sound casual spoke volumes.

It caught her off guard. They’d spent many evenings in his tent lazily basking in vague fantasies about an ‘after’, usually concentrating on the idea of being able to stay in bed all day, or the concept of their hair and fingernails being free of dried blood and entrails for a change. They’d never actually discussed any realistic nuance of this ‘after’. Or what it might look like, other than what it wouldn’t look like.

“Are you certain you want to take Cazador’s place in the ritual..?” she asked, carefully.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Astarion immediately sounded defensive.

“You don’t even know what it entails or means, not really...”

“It means having everything I’ve been missing the past two centuries, what else is there to know?” He scoffed. “...You haven’t answered my question,” he said after a pause.

She said nothing for a while, looking down at her fingernails.

“Stay and do what..?”

“Anything!” he exclaimed. “Anything you want. We could do anything. Do you have any idea what I will be capable of? Of the power I will hold. The influence.”

“Yes, yes, legions of wolves, turning into mist,” she recited. “What else… Commanding ghouls, I think?” She threw her head back, looking at the sky. “I’m not sure why you would need to do any of that, though.”

“Unimaginable power, and you mock it…” Astarion said indignantly. “I suppose you would rather go frolic in the woods with Halsin..? …Oh don’t look so shocked, I’ve seen how he looks at you. Sleeping in the dirt, living off the land. Is that what would make you happy?”

“He looks at you the same way! And must you jump to extremes?” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Even if I were interested in Halsin, there is ample space between sleeping in the dirt and sleeping in that gothic monstrosity, in which I might find myself happy.”

They sat in silence for a while.

“I don’t think you should go through with it,” she said, finally. “Something about it just doesn’t sit right.”

Astarion looked at her with an unreadable expression and didn’t say anything. She continued.

“I know enough stories - and before you roll your eyes at me, there is usually a grain of truth to them – and I’ve read between the lines of enough history texts, to know there is no such thing as a jolly vampire lord that just has a grand ol’ time carousing in their castle. It’s always centred on cruelty, misery and violence.”

“I suppose you know plenty of stories of jolly vampire spawn,” he spat.

“Some, as a matter of fact. They usually revolve around romance and redemption.” She sighed and continued, as he let out a bitter laugh. “I’ve never heard of any demonic deals that ended in anything that wasn’t disastrous, either. The point is, nothing that involves blood or soul sacrifice has ever made anyone happy.” She looked in the direction of Cazador’s palace. “We should kill Cazador, burn it all to the ground and dance on the ashes. I will be by your side. And yes, I want to stay with you. Of course I do.”

“For how long?” Astarion asked quietly, after a pause.

“...What?”

“How long will you stay by my side? You have another... 100 years, 150 at best? I can’t offer any solutions to that as a spawn.”

She blinked, realisation dawning in her eyes.

“...Astarion Ancunin, did you just say you want to spend the rest of eternity with me?”

“Oh don’t you bloody dare turn this into a joke,” he bristled. “Just for once.”

“Not a joke, but…” She paused and gave her head a brisk shake, as if to snap herself out of a daze. “Just so we’re absolutely clear, what are you saying?”

“Isn’t it obvious..?” The grin that had crept habitually onto Astarion’s face felt like a suffocating mask. She only stared back into his eyes, unblinking, waiting for him to continue. “I could turn you. Grant you an eternity.” ‘With me’, he wanted to add, but the look in her eyes made the words die on his tongue.

None of this was going the way Astarion had expected. Not that he had planned any of this… Still, he’d made certain assumptions. He’d anticipated the conversation and day would flow somewhere along the following lines: re-affirm his plans for Cazador. Exchange words of undying love and devotion. Maybe, maybe make love to her again, later, in celebration. Instead everything was slipping like fine sand through his fingers. Words simply wouldn’t come out of his mouth. Everything he thought he might say suddenly felt pathetic.

“Turn me? To become one of your spawn?” Astarion opened his mouth to speak, but she talked over him. “Two centuries as something you say is less than a slave, a puppet, and you would so easily offer the same fate to me..?”

“First of all,” he sputtered, “I don’t know why you immediately assumed there would be others. Secondly,” he continued, slowing down, “there is another way, or so I’ve read. You wouldn’t be a mere spawn, but a-” Astarion winced, cutting himself off. “Never mind,” he said, shaking his head. This was rapidly spinning further and further out of his control. “I thought you trusted me?” he asked instead.

“It’s not about trust,” she said. “If you had the choice between a hundred years of absolute freedom or being enthralled to someone for eternity - doesn’t matter who - me, Gale, your long-lost grandmother, anyone! What would you choose?”

“I would never compel you,” said Astarion, his voice tinged with a hint of pleading.

“That’s not the point,” she said, looking away, running her hand through and tugging at her hair. “Let’s just head back. We still need to set up before it gets dark, and I promised Karlach we would visit that bloody circus…”

Something inside Astarion shattered and spilled, ice-cold, over his heart as she got up and walked away.

Not even an hour had passed since some of the happiest moments he’s had in centuries.

They walked back in silence.

Eventually they came upon an outpost of Flaming Fists and steel watchers, who had appeared on the road they had taken into the city. They were apprehending everyone trying to pass through, whether they were leaving or entering.

“Let’s try a side street,” offered Astarion.

They found and made their way through a narrow alleyway. It was empty. Suspiciously empty, in fact - no children running through, no one out for a quick smoke, no drunks pissing on the walls.

Sure enough, once they were halfway through, three goons intercepted their way, stepping out of a doorway. Two humans and an enormous half-orc wide enough to block out most of the passage.

“Alley toll.” One of the thugs flashed a malicious grin, eyeing Asmodea up and down. “Better pay up, doll.” Three more jeering hoodlums appeared behind them as he spoke, armed with crude but lethal weapons.

“Attempting to detain a Council battlemage on duty? Bold but stupid,” she said gravely. “Hand over your profits and Lord Gortash won’t learn of your little enterprise. This is your only warning.”

Trying to bluff and deceive her way through, per usual. Was there even a Council anymore? Did it employ mages? No matter. Whether due to the fact that she and Astarion had decided to wander the streets of the city in civilian clothes, without armour, or simply because the lust for money and violence had gotten the better of the would-be muggers, they paid her attempt no heed.

The leader laughed.

“Or, how about we have some fun with you, and your Lord Gortash can come and collect your body from the river once we’re done with it?”

Astarion’s blood boiled.

He reached for his daggers, thoughts racing. Why in the hells had they come here barely armed..? They were surrounded, but perhaps if she blasted the three in front of them they might run through..? But they were probably too close for that… Could she misty step behind them and get away? His undead body would most likely survive whatever came, even with the tadpole.

“Take the ones behind,” Asmodea snapped, and Astarion followed her lead, as he had grown used to, silently praying to no particular deity that she knew what she was doing.

He ducked as one of the goons bellowed and swung a sword at him, dodging the blow to come up next to his attacker, burying a dagger between his ribs and another in his guts, for good measure. At least the alley was too narrow for all of the bandits to come in on them at once. Behind him, Asmodea spat some incantation that he wasn’t familiar with.

The next lout came at him, only to stop short, as Astarion scrounged up his meagre magical abilities to hurl a firebolt at his face, making the man yelp and grind to a halt in shock and pain. Astarion’s dagger followed through his eye socket shortly thereafter.

The entire altercation with the two thugs took mere seconds. Another controlled shout from Asmodea followed behind him.

The last of the muggers on Astarion’s side backed away, looking at the scene unfolding behind Astarion with a horrified expression, before breaking into a run and disappearing.

Astarion turned back to witness Asmodea standing with her arms crossed, looking unaffected, just as the half-orc who had been behind the group’s leader pulled his sword back out from the leader’s stomach, having impaled him from behind.

Asmodea barked another command as the leader collapsed, and the half-orc slammed the head of his other cohort, who hadn’t understood what was happening yet, against a wall, with a resounding crunch.

A domination spell.

Astarion felt nauseous. If his body had been capable of producing bile, it would have crept up at the back of his throat. For once, the smell of freshly spilled blood all around them was repulsive to him.

“Kneel,” Asmodea commanded, calmly. The half-orc’s body immediately dropped to its knees, with a thud that spoke of damaged kneecaps.

“I’m running out of time. Do you need him?” She stepped over the body of the group’s dying ex-leader and walked around the half-orc, to stand behind him.

Disgust and revulsion continued to claw at Astarion’s insides.

“…What?”

The half-orc’s eyes were void of any emotion. A small mercy.

“Blood. Do you want his blood, before I spill it?” she said nonchalantly.

“…No,” he swallowed. Not like this…

He watched as she slit his throat, carefully standing behind him to avoid blood spraying over herself. Comprehension returned to the man’s eyes just as he made his last gurgling sounds, before stilling forever.

“That was despicable,” Astarion hissed, finally breaking his gaze away from the body. “Compulsion? Really?!”

She gave him an incredulous look, momentarily speechless.

“This is what I do!” she exclaimed. “This is how I protect myself. You know this! What the fuck did you expect - that I would set off a fireball in an alley?! Or make one of them have a fit of giggles?!”

“You didn’t need to do anything, I could have handled all of them,” he countered.

“Oh, stand behind you like a meek little lamb?” She scoffed. “While neither of us are even wearing armour, and they’re on both sides? Don’t be ridiculous.” She crouched to wipe her dagger on the dead man’s clothes. “What does it matter, anyway,” she said, offhanded. “Dead is dead - who cares how they got there?”

“It was just like Cazador all over again,” Astarion said, bitterly. “Watching my siblings torture each other, for his amusement, waiting for it to be my turn to be compelled.”

She stilled as she crouched, not looking up at him.

“You fucking hypocrite,” she said, finally, rising.

“What in the hells are you talking about?” he grimaced.

“Comparing me to Cazador, when you’re planning to take his very place.”

“How dare you?” Astarion felt the last of his composure leaving him. “I am nothing like Cazador, and I never will be,” he growled.

“No?” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re already thinking of your own spawn. Maybe you would keep your word and not compel me, but you would be curious. All that power that you’ve been wishing was yours for 200 years...” She gesticulated, tilting her head. “First just one teensy little slave - someone who’s wronged you, maybe, someone who deserves to bear your ire. Then, perhaps someone convenient, in a place of power. Someone like what you would have been, had Cazador not botched your death so bad that it became public. Then another. And another. And what will you do with them once you have them? Take them for midnight picnics and host slumber parties?”

She spat on the ground.

“I’m going back to camp.”

She stormed off, fuming, exiting the alleyway and mixing into the crowd. Astarion followed at a distance, discreetly wiping the blood that had landed on his hands on the shirt of a random passerby that stumbled out in front of him. He gritted his teeth, watching her.

It had taken every last bit of his self-control to not snap back at her during her little tirade.

He wanted to stalk off in the opposite direction, but frankly all his things were at the campsite, and he still needed the group’s help, both with Cazador and the tadpole. And he couldn’t discount something else happening to her on the way back.

No, none of this was what he thought would end up happening today. Was this the end..?

It didn’t matter, he thought. Let her be stubborn. Let her accuse him of gods know what. He would do what he had set out to do. Hells, even if she changed her mind later - it would be too late. Let her live out her “hundred years of freedom” in regret.

And how fucking dare she?! Insinuating that he was or could ever be anything like Cazador. After all he had given her. His trust. His love. He didn’t have anything else. Not as a spawn, anyway.

But perhaps she would change her mind, after she gave his proposal more thought..? He could talk her into it, couldn’t he? He’s talked so many people into doing exactly what he wanted them to do…

There was no point in anything otherwise. It was all for her. All he wanted for himself was revenge. Freedom. Safety. But all the power in the world was meaningless if he couldn’t share it with her.

Astarion winced at the thought, hating that it even crossed his mind. If only he could claw it out of his brain and smash it against the cobbles beneath his feet. How much simpler life would be.

He would not grovel. He would not apologise. He would not change his mind. And he would rather die, again, than be caught running after her like a dog.

Astarion cursed, slipped into the shadows and turned invisible, breaking into a sprint. He wouldn’t be able to replicate the trick for a while now, if the need arose, but he couldn’t care less.

He raced up sets of stairs, speeding through a terrace, dodging the patrons of whatever establishment it was he was going through, and leaped, unseen, onto the next building’s, until he was ahead of her, descending back onto the ground and losing his invisibility around the corner from the main street, stepping out just in front of her.

He caught a glimpse of her scowling and furiously blinking away tears just before she crashed into his chest with a light gasp, as he wrapped his arms around her. She was stiff and rigid, but at least she didn’t try to push him away. Still, a part of him was screaming that it was already too late.

“I don’t want you to have to commit those atrocities when you’re with me,” Astarion murmured into her hair, holding her close.

“You’d rather commit them yourself?” she retorted, her voice weak.

“I don’t want to,” he said quietly, as she seemed to become more malleable, and sank into his embrace, slowly wrapping her own arms around his back. “But I will if I have to. For you.”

“That makes two of us, I guess,” she managed, sounding choked up.

Astarion took a deep breath, relieved. Mine… Still mine… He thought to himself, touching his forehead against hers and stroking her cheek. Someone in the street heckled them, yelling something about getting a room.

“I already don’t have much to offer, beyond all my burdens,” he whispered. She looked up at him, eyes glistening. She tried to protest, but he pressed a finger to her lips. “I want to do what I can, for you. For us. What good am I if I can’t even keep you safe?”

He pressed his lips against her forehead as she hugged him tighter. He had no idea whether he had convinced her of anything, or if she simply didn’t have the will to argue anymore, but for now it didn’t matter.

“I will love you no matter what,” she breathed.

Another jeer followed from the crowd, and someone cursed at them to get out of the way.

“A legion of wolves sounds tempting right about now,” she added, as he smiled.

“Do you still want to get Karlach and go to that circus?” he asked.

“Fuck the circus,” she mumbled into his shirt. “But I guess we should.”

They made their way back to the camp, fingers interlocked again. The silence that stretched once more almost felt comfortable this time.

~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

This is the last in-game part of the series for now (aside from some smut - see below). If you want to continue reading about my Tav and Astarion, go ahead and check out Bloodbang Chronicles which takes place 5 years after the end of the game.

Series master list

Next in in-game series - A night at the inn (branches off into smut)

AO3

~~~~~

Tag list:

@littleenglishfangirl @something-pithy @darlingxdragon @tallymonster @tragedybunny

@spunky-89 @acourtofpenandpaper @yoonshope @lariatbunny @whiskeyskin

@asterordinary @wingsy-keeper-of-songs @spacebarbarianweird @brabblesblog @littlejuicebox

@icybluepenguin @snowfolly @ayselluna @mj-bites @bardic-inspo

#astarion #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #astarion fanfic #astarion fanfiction #astarion x tav #astarion x f!tav #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction

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swarvey · 5 months ago

Text

paper rings | harvey x f!reader

summary -> You interrogate Harvey at dinner; Harvey plays a little too dumb.

a/n: or, harvey tries not to have a panic attack in front of you at the stardrop </3 someone get him a paper bag to breathe into pls

+ i think i'll mainly update this fic throughout the week so i can have a break on weekends ! enjoy <33

ch. 3 | ch. 4 | ch. 5

paper rings masterlist

chapter four: right where you left me -> "help, i'm still at the restaurant."

The Stardrop was pretty much empty when Harvey walked in, picking a table in the corner with two chairs. He wasn’t expecting to see you for another half hour, but being timely never hurt, did it? Besides, he wanted some time to think about the words his friends had left him with after leaving his apartment.

“Remember to stay calm,” Elliott had told him. “Be your natural self, doctor, and I assure you she will be falling for you before you even notice.”

“I would make sure she’s single first,” Shane had countered. “No point in doing all this crap if she’s not lookin’.”

Surprisingly, they both had good points. Harvey was glad he had them to rely on — he had no idea what he would do if he solely had to rely on his own thoughts. Honestly, he doubted he would be getting dinner with you if he had.

“Waiting for someone?” Gus asked, walking over to his table to set down the two glasses of water he’d requested.

“Yes, the new farmer,” Harvey replied, scooting one of the glasses in front of your chair. “She’ll be here shortly.”

“Ah, right! I used to babysit her from time to time, you know, when her grandfather was too busy. I’m glad to hear the two of you are still good friends.”

Harvey wanted to cringe at the bartender’s last phrase, but covered it with a slightly pained smile.

“We both thought this would be a good place to sit down and talk for a little,” he explained, checking the time again. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve had time for each other.”

“Well, I suppose that’s how it gets as we get older,” Gus sighed. “Anyway, don’t mind me, I’ll stay in the back and take inventory so the two of you can have some privacy. How about I get a pizza goin’ in the kitchen for the two of you? On me.”

“Gus, please, you don’t have to—”

“Please, the kid used to call me her second Gramps. It feels wrong not feeding the two of you,” he expressed, waving his hand in the air as he headed back toward the bar. “Just give me a little time, I’ll get it right out for you!”

Harvey huffed a laugh at the older man’s antics, realizing how long he’d been in Pelican Town. He vaguely remembered seeing Gus as a child, though he was hiding behind his parent’s legs most of the time they spoke to him.

After waiting a few minutes, the door to the saloon creaked open as you walked in, smiling as your eyes met his. He shyly waved, swallowing his fear and quickly taking a sip of water.

“Here I thought I was early,” you joked, sitting across from him. “When did you get here?”

“Not too long ago,” he lied. “I didn’t have much else going on today, so I finished up a couple of things back at home and got here whenever I could.”

“Right.” He blinked at the tone of your voice. Did you not believe him? “Thanks again for helping me out this morning, by the way. I’m pretty much all done setting up the house for the spring.”

“Don’t mention it, I’m here for anything you need.”

Silence.

Harvey was puzzled. He’d only seen you a few hours prior, yet your demeanor felt completely different. Immediately, he started playing back every interaction you two had, scouring for the moment he made a mistake. He was sure he had avoided any sort of awkward scenario, though.

“Alright,” you sighed, hands falling onto your lap, “I have to confess. I stopped by your place earlier.”

“Oh, you did?” Harvey questioned, surprised. “I must not have heard.”

“No, it’s not your fault, I never ended up knocking.” You chewed your lip for a moment before saying, “I, um, heard you talking with your friends, I think.”

His heart stopped.

Harvey swore he blacked out for a split second at the thought of you hearing everything he’d said to Shane and Elliott, a cold shiver running down his spine. It’s over, he thought. My efforts have ended before I even gave myself a chance to start.

“Y-You did?” he said, blinking rapidly as he tried to come up with the right words. “Are you . . . upset?”

You laughed shortly, shaking your head. “No, Harvey, why would I be? It’s not my place to feel that way.”

“Oh. I see.” Confusion replaced his panic at your rather calm stature, watching as you ran a finger down the condensation of your glass.

“I mean, I can’t really blame you for not telling me, can I?” you reasoned. “We’ve barely talked over the past couple of years, so we never got the chance to talk about girls or guys or anything like that. So,” you prop up your arms with your elbows and rest your chin on your hands, “tell me about her. I want to know what this girl is like to have you so lovestruck.”

For a second, he thought you were playing a joke on him — some sick, twisted joke to get him to say all the things about you he’d grown to love. When your expression didn’t change, though, he realized you must not have heard the girl he’d been talking about was you.

“Well,” he started, trying to recover himself, “she’s awfully smart, and always finding new ways to surprise me. She’s kind, and remembers every little detail about me. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself.” He continued to list his favorite traits about you he’d gathered throughout the years. They slipped off his tongue easily; he thought about them often, after all.

You hummed, nodding. Harvey had to use all his willpower not to laugh and reveal you were assessing if you would be a good partner to him.

“What does she do for a living?” you asked, and he scrambled to think of a quick answer.

“She’s a nurse,” he decided on, thinking it would make the most sense. “We’ve been friends for quite a bit.”

“A nurse, huh?” You sat up, smiling at him. “You know what? I approve.”

“Really?” He couldn’t believe it. Truly, he couldn’t. He had just gained your endorsement to date yourself. He laughed, pushing up his glasses. “I’m glad. I guess we never got the chance to talk about these kinds of things, did we?”

“I guess not.”

“Here we are, folks!” Gus made his way to their table with a steaming pizza in his hands, triumphantly placing it in front of the two. He looked at you and grinned, ruffling your hair. “How ya been, kiddo? It’s been too long.”

“It’s nice to see you, too, Gus,” you responded warmly. “Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now on.”

“That’s great to hear. I’ll leave you two to it, then.” He walked away, sneaking a wink to Harvey that he pretended not to see.

“Anyways,” you continued, picking up a slice and blowing on it, “you probably would have hated hearing about my boy situations in college.”

Harvey quickly swallowed the piece of pizza in his mouth before hesitantly replying, “So you did meet someone in the city. How about now?”

You shrugged. “Well, nothing now, but there were a couple guys I dated in college that didn’t last super long. There was also one at Joja who wasn’t half bad, but things just didn’t end up working out.”

“Uh-huh.” He didn’t realize until then how ugly of a feeling jealousy was. To ignore the feeling, he opted to focus on the fact that you were, in fact, single. Now, he just had to figure out how to clear up the misunderstanding he’d created. He wanted to slap himself at the mess he’d made, but nothing had gone as planned.

You cleared your throat, snapping him back to the conversation. “I’m glad to hear you have someone in sight, Harvs. You know, I always thought you would be too shy to express your feelings like that,” you confessed. “She must really be something special to grab your attention.”

“She is.” Harvey tried to read your expression as you ate, noticing your scrunched brow and pursed lips. Were you jealous, too? “Though I’m not sure she feels the same way as me.”

You huffed, finishing the last slice and wiping your hands on your napkin. “Then she’s an idiot,” you declared. “Honestly, Harvey, you may be a dork sometimes, but you’ve got your charm.”

“You think so?” His heart skipped a beat.

You paused, and he stifled a smile as he watched you become flustered. “It’s good she’s a nurse,” you said, looking away. “You two can nerd out about that stuff together. Maybe you can get her into planes, too.”

“Maybe,” he agreed, overjoyed that you remembered his secret hobby. “That would be perfect.”

After a moment, he realized you were silent, looking to be deep in thought as you stared at the table.

“How about a drink?” he suggested, standing up to grab Gus.

“Actually, I think I’m alright,” you replied quickly, avoiding his eyes as you started to gather your things. “It’s been a long day, I think I might go turn in.”

“Of course! I can walk you back—”

“It’s fine.”

He stared at you, unable to conceal his look of confusion and hurt as you put on your jacket. After noticing his stare, you smiled reassuringly at him, reaching over to lightly grab his arm.

“I said it’s fine, Harvey, I’m just really tired, okay? Stop overthinking things,” you said, heading to the door. “Don’t miss me too much, alright? Remember, I’m right next door now.”

“Right,” he replied, waving slightly. “I’ll see you soon?”

“See you!” You left with one last smile, the sound of the door shutting seeming to ring in Harvey’s ears. As if your leaving was their cue, the townspeople began to file in, calling out for Gus and their usual orders.

Harvey sat back down in his chair with a thud. Now alone in his corner, he slouched and took off his glasses to rub his eyes. How, how could everything have gone so wrong? Not only did he dig himself into a deeper hole, but you were now under the impression that he had feelings for another woman.

He only slipped his glasses back on when he heard someone join him at his table, half expecting to see Elliott or Shane across from him. When his eyes focused, Harvey saw it was Gus sitting beside him, giving him a knowing look.

“Are you ready to talk about it now?”

You wanted to scream as soon as you left the Stardrop, but were somehow able to resist your urges.

Not only did you feel awful about leaving Harvey at the saloon, but talking to him had only appeared to make your thoughts more jumbled. It all felt so sudden —in your mind, it was only yesterday he was the young boy you’d first met, sporting a face full of freckles and a pair of oversized glasses. Now, he was a grown man, talking about a woman who he seemed ready to marry.

Letting out a long sigh, you decided to take a longer route home, heading up to the old park you used to play in. You sat on one of the swings, listening to it creak as you became lost in your own thoughts. Why do I care about who Harvey’s in love with? Did he notice how I got jealous? Why am I getting jealous in the first place?

You were so lost in your maze of questions you didn’t realize someone had taken the swing beside you, jumping as they waved a hand in front of your face.

“Hey,” she said shortly, leaning forward to look at your face, “you’re the new farmer, aren’t you?” The girl’s blonde hair flowed across her shoulders perfectly, her brow perked as she looked at you with piercing blue eyes. Her lipstick glistened in the evening light.

“Yeah, that’s me,” you answered, not knowing what to make of the younger girl.

“Cool.” She noticeably looked you up and down, squinting as she evaluated your clothing. “Huh. You don’t dress half bad. Congrats, I don’t think I need to toss your entire wardrobe.”

“Um, thanks?”

“I’m Haley, by the way.” She looked away, beginning to swing carelessly. “You looked like you were thinking really hard about something just now.”

You sighed, gripping the swing tightly. “Yeah, it’s complicated.”

“Is it about a boy you like?”

You looked at Haley in surprise, though she simply got off the swing and began to walk away. She turned her head to meet your eyes for a moment, narrowing them.

“Just because I’m younger doesn’t mean I’m clueless, y’know,” she said sharply. Waving a hand back lazily, she continued her walk back toward town, a confident sway in her hips. “See you around.”

With that, you were left with the cool, spring breeze and the sound of the river running, wondering if the younger girl had better intuition than you did.

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bomber-grl · 5 months ago

Note

fluffy touch-starved Prompt #15 for Leo? His hair surely gets veeery dirty, after all!

Prompt #15: washing the other's hair

Leo told you about his past before, so you were very much painfully aware of his struggles. Particularly, in the romance department.

He told you how it was. He liked girls, they never liked him back. Plus with how he was couch surfing, affection was practically a foreign concept to him.

Sure, his friends showed they cared but your relationship isn’t just platonic, it goes beyond that.

Today you and Leo went your separate ways as usual. The two of you met while aboard the Argo II and became close.

Things are constantly a hassle while aboard, everything that could go wrong goes wrong and there was no thing such as luck while aboard navigating the ancient lands.

Luckily, amongst all the noise you managed to find peace and quiet to rest and have some solitude.

But, you soon heard a knocking on your door and thus your long awaited nap would have to be even more long awaited.

Upon opening the door, you noticed it to be Leo.

“Leo? What’re you doing here, aren’t you supposed to be sleeping by now?” You asked this but anyone who saw him could tell he was busy doing something.

“Well I was actually working on repairs, hence the dirt” he motioned to his entire being.

You hummed “well this might be weird and if you’re too uncomfortable then go ahead and ignore but do you want me to wash your hair?.”

He was clearly taken a back, even if only slightly then quickly answered “sure, I wouldn’t mind.” It was strange to see Leo not teasing you but you just assumed it to be the tiredness and moved on.

You gently led Leo into one of the bathrooms on board by hand, the hope of not running into Coach Hedge was left unsaid.

Immediately you had him propped against the sink on the most comfortable seat you could find aboard.

As you went to get a shampoo you hear Leo’s voice echo from the bathroom “what made you want to wash my hair?”

The question was phrased in a way that’d seem sarcastic but his tone indicated genuine curiosity.

“Well, I guess I just wanted to wash it? There isn’t really a reason, Leo. I just want to do something for you in the little free time we have.” Leo didn’t say anything else.

You carried the shampoo and poured some onto your hand, you turned the water on and began running your fingers through his hair.

Slowly but surely some dirt and soot came out, not as much as you expected that’s for sure.

Leos sudden sigh brought you out of your thoughts. “What’s wrong?” You asked to be sure everything was alright.

“Nothing, I’m just enjoying this, no one’s ever washed my hair before.” You had placed a towel over his face to prevent water from getting on it, thus obscuring your view of him.

You hummed in acknowledgement and he continued “I know it’s just a simple favor but it’s just been a long time since anyone’s done anything for me ,to make me happy.”

You knew it was true. His mom was probably the last one to genuinely show him any love, that alone was sad, it had been eight years. Plus, as mentioned before, he didn’t really date. He was clearly referring to both.

You didn’t say anything and just continued washing through his hair until it the water ran clean of any bubbles.

Then, you left him alone to wash his body, he was still dirty after all.

Eventually he made his way back into your room, you noticed when the door shut with a click.

“Hey” Leo began “I hope the talk about not being able to pull didn’t upset you” he tried making light of the situation.

“It didn’t, but you don’t have to hide behind jokes either” you said this patting the space next to you in bed.

He shut the lights off and laid besides you. You laughed a bit “let’s hope coach hedge doesn’t find us like this.”

Leo also let his own laugh out and eventually you both settled. “I’m just happy you’re here with me right now.”

You smiled despite knowing there was no way for Leo to see it. You moved your hand closer to him and it found its way into Leo’s. Your fingers interlocked and you only hoped that with your fingers intertwined, that he’d get the sentiment.

No words were spoken and you both drifted off to sleep land. Eventually, your bodies found themselves snuggled up against one another.

Was there a possibility of being found out and banned from being alone? Sure but even if you did get found out you didn’t care, you just wanted Leo to feel loved.

#fanfic #gn reader #male reader #fluff #fanfic fluff #female reader #fluff headcanons #leo valdez x female reader #leo valdez x male reader #leo valdez fluff #leo valdez pjo #leo valdez x reader #pjo leo #bad boy supreme #rick riordanverse #rick riordan

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dailyreverie · 1 year ago

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Unexpected

@flufftober - Day 15 Emergency, Confession, Adventure

Pairing: Steve Harrington x reader

Word count: 1.06K

CW: Canon-typical violence, reader gets injured.

Flufftober masterlist

The moment Steve heard your pained scream, his blood turned cold, and he couldn't think straight. Everything he carried fell to the ground—flashlight, backpack, bat, and cap—when he saw you clutching Robin, tears streaming down your face as you cried out in pain from your injured foot. The relentless attacks from the Upside Down had left you battered and bruised, and now, for the looks of it, the branches on the floor decided to take you as their next victim; Steve should have never separated from you. In that moment, he couldn't help but wonder if Dustin's claims of self-sufficiency were worth the risk.

"I think it's broken," Robin's voice quivered as she held your hand, letting you squeeze it to relieve some of the pain you clearly were in.

You were on the brink of a panic attack when Steve reached you, crouching beside you to analyze the situation. He quickly noticed that that was clearly not the way an ankle is supposed to bend. “Okay, okay, I’m here, it’s alright,” he spoke rapidly, repeating calming phrases both for your sake and his own.

"It hurts so bad, Steve." Every word was interrupted by gasps for air, and when your tear-filled eyes met his, Steve felt his heart shatter and race simultaneously. The danger of the situation hit him then - he should have insisted you stay behind, even if he’s not able to be away from you nowadays. All this is not worth it.

“I know, I know.” He looks around him to find anything that could help, and in his search he finds your hand instead, clutching it tightly.

The army of teenagers catches up to you too to assess the situation, standing without knowing what to do until Max starts unwrapping the scarf she was wearing. “We need to set it in place.”

Dustin chimed in, almost mockingly, "And you're going to do that with a scarf?"

“What? You have a better idea?” Once the scarf is on her hands, Max turns to look at Steve who, up to this point, was too busy repeating sweet nothings to comfort you. With a nod, he gives Max permission to do it.

“We are gonna have to fix it, okay?” Steve looked for your eyes, wiping away your tears and holding your shoulders now, holding you close to his side.

“W-what?! You c-can’t, Steve, it hurts!” You were full-on hyperventilating, with fear and pain overpowering the adrenaline after being attacked by a goddamned, possessed branch.

"It's going to be fast, I know you can do this, sweetheart. You're so strong, you can make it," Steve kept rambling, speaking soothing words into your ear as he held you tighter, hoping to distract you from what Max was about to do. "You've got this, it's all going to be alright. You're so strong, and I... I love you, and I know it hurts, but—"

“W-what?” Your voice became smaller, looking up at him to confirm what you heard was right.

“What?” Shit. Faking ignorance, Steve asked back. Of course his subconscious had gone rogue and taken over his mind, and of course his brain decided this was the moment to confess his feelings for you.

“You… you love me?”

Steve swallowed harshly, his throat suddenly drying when he felt everyone looking at him surprised at his sudden confession. There was no point in denying he said it when there were so many witnesses, even more so when he looked at your face again and in it, he saw the glimpse of a surprised smile, even through the tears.

“I do,” His whisper was intended only for you to hear, but the gasp Robin let out told him otherwise.

“It’s done,” Max interrupted the moment, standing up and looking at the makeshift bandage she had done. You hadn’t felt a thing. “We should, uhm- we’re gonna-” She pointed everywhere around her, shooing everyone as she also walked away, her attempt at giving you two a moment endearing enough to make Steve chuckle when she grabbed Lucas’s sleeve to pull him away from you two, everyone else following suit, exchanging glances and even an “I knew it,” from Dustin and Mike.

“They’re not great at being discreet,” Steve said once you were alone, sitting down beside you, facing you without letting go of your hand just yet. You stayed in silence for a moment, with him tracing soft circles on the back of your hand as your hands rested in between the two of you. “It’s not ideal. This place. It’s not the best place to confess… stuff.” His awkward stutter made you forget the pain.

“I guess not.” Still sniffling, you chuckled lightly. “It’s original, though.”

“I gotta get points for that.” He joined your laugh and you met each other’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I know we’re frie-”

“Don’t.” You shut him off, squeezing his hand and pulling him to get closer to you. “Don’t be sorry.” Steve’s eyes opened widely in hopeful expectation, not letting by the way your neck begin to turn a lovely shade of pink.

"Do... do you...?" Steve began but couldn't finish his question.

Your hand cradled his jaw, staring into his eyes before letting your fingers run through his hair. "I do. I love you too, Steve." It was not ideal at all: covered in dirt, running from a creature from another dimension, in a red-skyed place that almost looked like home but smelled like humidity and dust. Still, you met each other in the middle for a kiss that confirmed the love you had just confessed to each other. It was short, just your lips finally tasting each other after months of ignoring obvious feelings, but even like that it was everything you ever thought that kissing Steve would be like. His lips were soft, smiling even against your lips, his hand holding your waist as if you would go away from him if he let you go. You both giggled when you pulled back for air, fingers ghosting each other’s skin.

“I’m gonna kiss you properly when we get back home.” He said with your foreheads still touching. As you shared one more look, Steve raised your hand to his lips before helping you to your feet.

“You better do.” Your words hung in the air like a promise, starting a new adventure with Steve in the most unexpected place.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Thanks for reading! Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!

#flufftober2023 #day 15 #flufftober #stranger things #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington one shot #steve harrington drabble #steve harrington fic

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fakescenariosbeforesleepblog · 8 months ago

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Prisoner pt.3

König x reader.

I tried to write this one as if it was just memories, every dialogue between those «» are different moments, I hope you can try to imagine it in the same way I did. I hurt my own feelings on the way, Remember every ❤️ is important to me, thank you!.

Warning: I hope none, maybe violence but nothing serious. Grammatical and spelling errors, also a translator was used for the German phrases.

📢 Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Time passed and as you promised, you did your best, you trained hard, you fit in KorTac perfectly, also you won König's trust, both became good friends after you saved him during a mission.

You were controlling a drone, while König was laying on the floor using the sniper, suddenly you heard someone approaching, you didn't hesitate to attack, König just looked at you and said a simple «well done schatz» and continued, for someone else it could be unimportant but for you those words meant a lot.

Every mission helped you to get closer to him, but also you developed another kind of feeling, different to the Respect you had for your Colonel. Every time he was around you felt calm, you felt warm in your chest, every time he unconsciously touched your hand or your shoulder you felt electricity running through your body.

«Colonel are you too busy? Do you mind if I join you?» ��Nein, take a seat...»

Every conversation was pretty much the same, You talking a lot, he was just answering, you already knew he is a man of few words.

«... And that's how you play and win in chess» «ja, I know how to play it, just don't like to risk too much in my movements.»

«König, if you have a queen to protect your king... Why wait until the last moment to use it.» «you can win without a queen.» «Jeder König braucht eine Königin (every king needs a queen)» «Where did you learn that?» «At school, duh, but I wasn't really good, Did I say it correctly?» «Ja, very good maus...»

«Did you already think about your new codename? I don't think Buitre is a good codename for someone like you.» « Someone like me? How should someone like me be called then?» «I don't know, you're spirited, strong, smart, attractive... Buitre doesn't fit you.» «Wait, Did you say I'm attractive?» «Wha...?Nein, you're annoying, see you later, alright?» «Alright, see you...»

That day he left quicker than ever, you were having a heart attack, you couldn't believe he said those things about you, mission after mission, you were more and more close, he never said nothing loudly but he enjoyed your company a lot, he was opening himself with you, talking about his dreams or his past.

«Ja, maybe one day I'll decide to retire, I will live in a small house in the countryside.» «i would love to see that, the legend, living in peace after years of hard work» «Sometimes I don't think I can leave... I know I like to be lonely, but to be alone is something I can't handle very well some days». You held his big hand and looked at him, At that moment you weren't sure about what you were doing, you were just leaving your heart to take control of your actions.

«You wouldn't be alone... Remember what I said to you before... Jeder König braucht eine Königin (every king needs a queen) and...since I'm annoying and attractive and also very very single, I wouldn't have any problem to spend the rest of my life with you, you're so far much more than what I always dreamt about...»

Your eyes were closed, at this point you were nervous, risking all the hard work to be around him, you still felt his hand on yours but he was in silence, you were ready to ask him to forgive you for such a comment when you heard something falling on the floor and suddenly his lips collided with yours. It was his mask on the floor, his lips on yours, you could feel a scar, you slowly put your hand on his muscular and big shoulder, and started to go further, his neck, his jaw, finally you touched his face. You didn't need to open your eyes, your hands were more than enough to picture his face on your mind, he was precious, the way he kissed you was soft at first, then it became more intense, the electricity running on your body changed for the feeling of burning, you were in flames, he was the fire you needed to leave your cold and dark past behind. After that evening, both found a new secret reason to fight and went back alive to the base, a secret because no one else but you knew what you had.

«Ich bin dein und du bist mein (I'm yours and you are mine)» König whispered in your ear before sleep, every night and before every mission when nobody was looking at. Life was good and kind for both, giving you the chance to experience how the happiness felt.

But, as with everything, the light needs the dark, the sun needs the moon, the good needs the bad, every beginning needs an end.

It was during a mission. All the team was surrounded by more and more enemies, König was being an amazing leader, guiding everybody to the exit, shouting orders without losing the calm, too focused on saving everyone, letting down his guard just for a second.

That second was enough to end with every possibility of a happy ending. A man was pointing at König, he didn't notice it, but you did, you didn't think about anything else, you did what you needed to protect the person you loved. Jumped just in time to push König aside and make him turn around, but the bullet got you, you fell on the cold ground while könig broke the enemy's head with a quick movement using his weight and a huge hammer in his favor.

- Y/N!

He took you In his arms and ran, you were losing a lot of blood and the pain was getting worse, you resisted until the helicopter landed for all of you. But the pain and the blood were winning the battle. You knew it, you wouldn't make it. You pulled off your dog tag necklace and put it on König's hand.

- NEIN! Look at me y/n! You can't die here!

- I'm sorry my love...

- No, Nein, we have a lot to do, remember? Y/n you said you would spend your life with me...

Everybody was in silence watching the scene, feeling useless and incapable of helping you, they were feeling as intruders In the intimacy of the painful moment.

- I'm getting cold, König would you hold me?

He didn't answer, his actions talked for him, he put you on his lap and held you tight, repeating over and over «Ich bin dein und du bist mein (I'm yours and you are mine)» his gloves and clothes were bathed In your blood, your vision was blurry, you started to close your eyes slowly, you could felt your heartbeat getting slow and quiet, you knew it was over. «Ich liebe dich, meine liebe, meine König...(I love you, my love, my king)» your last breath was accompanied by your last words.

König didn't look down at your body, his look was fixed on the metallic door in front of him, he was containing his rage, his sadness, all the emotional rollercoaster driving him crazy. When they landed, he didn't say anything, he walked with your body to the nursery, the medics didn't try to give CPR or something that could bring you back, they started the protocols for the death.

Three days later, König signed the documents of the autopsy, cremation and another document with your new name and codename, he surprised himself when he read the new codename you chose.

Ex prisoner 505.

Old name: (y/n) (l/n) Old codename: Buitre 6-1.

Reason of imprisonment: War crimes (not specified), murders, torture, undisciplined, deserter (prisoner left his position after committing the aforementioned crimes, was captured and executed).

This prisoner was reported as 'killed in action' before the corresponding authorities, therefore, it does not exist in the system anymore, No more information available.

New identity.

New Name: _____ New Codename: Königin

date of birth: __/__/____ date of death:__/__/____

Cause of death: killed in action. (Y/n)(L/n) died saving the colonel of the team, receiving a bullet directly in the liver, died during the trip to the base, was taken to the nursery by the colonel, the hour of the death was at 18:00 hours, every protocol was attended by the medics of the base. Königin, died with bravery and honor and that is how will be remember.

König cried and sobbed in his office, why did you do that? This shouldn't be happening, both deserved more, this love deserved more, you were too young, a lot of thoughts invaded his mind when something interrupted those dark thoughts, the dog tag, YOUR dog tag necklace, he started to look for it In every pocket until he found it «Buitre 6-1», he put it back where he found it and someone knocking at his door disturbed him. A young soldier, he was carrying a box with your name written on it. König looked at him with cold eyes, took the box and closed the door at the poor soldier's face. He started to look at everything, it wasn't much, a small bottle of perfume, some clothes, a beer, files, cigarettes, bubblegum, candies, and a small paper envelope.

He was feeling guilty for spying on your stuff, but the curiosity was too much, he opened it delicately and found a small piece of metal, another dog tag and a note.

«Thank you for giving me my freedom, thank you for bringing adventures and warmth to my life. Ich liebe dich, meine liebe. You're mine and I'm yours.»

- Königin.

After that day, König started to use your necklace with your dog tags, he visited the place where he deposited your ashes and every time before leaving he kissed the small plate with your name and whispered «I'm still yours, meine Königin, until the day I die»

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okkotsui · 2 years ago

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haitani rindou ⇄ not to worry about.

synopsis : when you start to feel insecure and start overthinking, he reassures you the best like no one did.

warnings / tags : writing this with fem!reader in mind but no pronouns used, self indulgent, light angst to pure fluff, bonten!rindou, overthinking, ooc rindou, rindou best boyfriend canon, will edit if i feel like it.

rindou is always surrounded by girls. it is normal to feel jealous and uneasy whenever he does, it is his work after all, managing bars and entertainment, underground meetings and all.

today was like no other, you heard from your own boyfriend that there would be someone that would be his secretary for the whole week, just to record and to arrange his schedule— then you heard the phrase that makes each relationship shatter.

“i know baby, you shouldn’t worry about it, okay?”

you feel like he was getting irritated by you when you asked that question that has been bothering you. as he did his best to assure you. sometimes you’re scared that he is getting tired of you, making you shiver in thought.

currently laying down in bed, pouting, it was the second day that rindou was busy for the whole week but of course, he’s still coming home from a long day to be by your side — his home.

you’re worried about him— not that he would cheat on you but the girl that he is with would definitely pick on him without hesitation, i mean, did you even see your man?

despite overthinking, you did not hear rindou entering your home as you keep snuggling in your comfy bed until you sense his arms wrapped around you.

“baby? what’s the problem?” he asked and that is the time that small tears escaped your eye line.

note that he didn’t have the chance to change, he still needs to prioritize you over himself, always.

“i don’t know.” you breathed out, his eyes softened at your answer, and he caressed your back to bring more solace to you.

“it’s okay baby, take your time, i’m not rushing you,” he whispered

and you did what he said, taking your time on opening up to him, he understands that, he knows you struggle on those and not a bit of patience can be taken away from him.

“are you getting tired of me? reassuring me every time you go home? i trust you enough but—”

“you’re always thinking about me cheating on you?” he removed the blanket that has been covering your head to toe.

he wiped your dried tears, listening to you eagerly.

rindou ever believed that communication is key in a relationship, not only that, both of the parties should know what they felt in a current situation, like today but he realizes something.

“oh no, ‘m sorry baby, i shouldn’t say that phrase to you.” he assisted you in sitting up from the bed, hugging him.

he pecked the back of your hand softly, you sighed as if there were other problems as well.

“i cannot explain how i will always choose you over any other girl. if you’re thinking that you’re not beautiful, you will always be gorgeous in my eyes.”

“i swore to the heavens to protect you and love you— forever. i will never leave you no matter what” he said, his voice sounding so genuine as he spoke to you. you felt that he was as genuine as the sun is bright compared to the stars.

this was not the first time hearing his tone, that just means that he is genuine in everything he does.

“even if i look like a fly?” you blurted out, making him laugh.

“yeah, even if you look like a fly” he answered, picking out something from his pockets.

your head still laying on his shoulders as you felt something slip on your ring finger. you looked at your hand, seeing a stunning promise ring.

“i hope this assures you, i promise my life to you, not an engagement ring at the moment but i can replace that soon.” he kissed it, looking at you with his glimmering eyes.

“you don’t have to worry about everything, i’m always here, promising you to be true in any way.” he kisses your forehead towards your lips, kissing him back tenderly.

“rin, why...” you sniffled, looking at him with still teary eyes, chuckling at you.

“because i love you” he answered reasonably, carrying you to his lap, facing him.

“now, do you want to know what happened at work today?” he wrapped his arms around your waist, recalling what happened at his work. he won’t forget about telling you about what the girl does to him at his office.

at the end of the night, you’re still flustered at the promise ring he got you even though you already have a lot of jewelry, doesn’t matter, you deserve anything.

what was to worry about when rindou does everything to keep this relationship healthy and fair between the two of you? it doesn’t matter if you think you are causing the problems, he won’t get tired of everything for you.

#tokyo rev fluff #tokrev #tokyo rev x reader #tokrev x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers fluff #rindou haitani #rindou x reader #rindou x you #haitani rindou x reader #haitani rindou x you #rindou haitani x you #rindou haitani x reader #[ rindou ] — ♡

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victoriathecoolest · 26 days ago

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Zui-Ai Character official lore part 1 (made with much ❤ love ❤ (and much self insert trauma)

Trigger warning ☢️:SA(sexual assault), self harm, body horror(at my own way) , mental illness, suicide thoughts

I put my soul writing this I basically was sobbing writing that, I never truly spoke of it and I finally understood how writing is a so good copying mechanism

Cannibalism as a metaphor for love

You probably heard that phrase,the idea of devoring and being devored the ultimate act of devotion the ferocity of making your loved one feel all the pain that love caused, what if we change the phrase a bit....

Cannibalism as a metaphor for sexual abuse

I find a concept like that way better,"who loves don't hurt, who don't, do lt."

Your body is open, hurt, violated the pain is dilacerating your skin is maculated by luxurious ones who don't care by who you are who you was who you will be after everything, you're a piece of flesh to be used and eaten,that's exactly whats happened with zui

She never was human and never was treated as such

The first person who hurt her was the first person she ever was a friend of

"How does she looks like? I... I don't remember... I don't remember!"

A girl a princess, zui grew up almost as an animal, at her own business, doing whatever she pleased and wanted she didn't had a family to call hers, a friend to enjoy time, no one, when she was hungry she would eat when she wanted something she would get she didn't cared by most of the consequences she never had something to say that she loved truly, she was moody but she never showed, her mind a storm while loneliness hurt until she met a girl the first one she wanted the essence and the girl faves her all of it, she got into the best of the feasts, made so much friends she don't even could count but she didn't had a form than the girl one, all of her essence was of the girl, she had the same skin, hair, eyes and she was living the best, a family to call hers for the first time she would exitate she had things to loose, the girl wanted something back

"It's quick, it won't hurt"

"Just close your eyes"

"Just a kiss, come on Zui... I gaved you so much"

It never was just a night, it started to happen, again and again and even more, zui skin started to itch, she felt hatred by her own skin she felt hatred by everything with that woman face she started to hate, she never was someone, every single part of her was of that girl essence

she was her?

Zui wanted to die, but mostly to kill, every single touch itched at her skin, her lips got sore of her bitting it to see if that gross taste would go away, her words are short and sharp with anyone, she hated everything, she was enduring everything for them, she was enduring everything for that people who don't even cared for her?... Zui hated the mirror the idea of looking for herself and seeing that woman, no one was seeing how she was suffering, zui one day leaved and everyone she loved started to hate her, no one knew whatever was having with her no one understood the harsh words the flinching to the touch, no one ever understood her.

They loved how the woman acted, they loved how she wanted to be, but she ever was someone?

Then that question started at her head, I ever was someone? Or I am her? Zui started to want to erase it, she took every single drop of new essences she could, she tried to drop every single of her own essence, living at the skin of the one who made you stop to want to live,she wanted to change and she changed at least a bit but she still feeling the skin itching, her form changed her places changed years passed she don't remember her face, name or any of her "family" but just the thought already feels her all being with pure shame, shame for what? She don't know, she come back to living as she used to, but not willing to ever change that lifestyle again, get new essences, change no matter if your body aches... No matter if you forget yourself, no matter if you don't have a soul anymore, she will erase her

@tunadunanana @mehiwilldoitlater

Part 2 of the lore soon!

#black myth wukong #black myth wukong oc #bmwoc #wukongisabigbrother #writting #writtingmytraumaaway #oc #self insert

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demonsword586 · 11 months ago

Text

Leviathan Bloodshed story part 1

(I apoligise for spelling mistakes,I been writting this for two days and I can't feel my arms. I forgot how long the prolouge is... Also I think this may go slower than I anticipated,sorry. Also I might take a day off of this,my arm feels like it wants to go on it's own funeral)

(bg inside the castle of Hades)

Mc: It somehow seems like it's loud outside the palace today...

It was unusual for the devils of Hades,who always lived by a strict discipline,to make a ruckus.

Barbatos: That's because it's Halloween today!

Foras: Everyone must be busy preparing for the festival.

Mc: They have Halloween festival in Hell too??

When you asked,the devils around you stared at you as though you were a total hillbilly.

Glasyal La Bolas: Ha ha,how many times do we have to explain to this small human that the things in the human world were made under Hell's effects?

Glasyal spoke pathetically with a bad-tempered smile.

Foras: Don't be impolite to a guest of his Majesty Leviathan,Glasyal La Bolas. It is not a sin to be stupid.

Barbatos: Hmm? His Majesty Leviathan said 'ignorance is a sin.' though.

Foras: ....Mc,let me apoligise. These guys are all fools.

Mc: (Wait,you just said I'm stupid...)

You felt victimized and glared at the three devils,but to no effect whatsoever.

You were sometimes confused if the devils of Hades were kind to you or if they disliked you.

Barbatos: We might as well! The son/daughter of Solomon is curious about the Halloween festival and we have a Halloween festival going on right now!

Barbatos: We might as well go and enjoy it together!

Foras: Barbatos,how many times are you repeating the phrase 'we might as well'?

Glasyal La Bolas: Ahh,a festival. It is such a melodious word. It is a dangerous day where the smallest conflicts can cause a riot.

Glasyal La Bolas: Although it will never happen in Hades.

Glasyal La Bolas spoke with a look of ecstasy,then turned gloomy and muttered in dissatisfaction.

Mc: Is the festival in Hades very diffrent from the festivals in other countries?

Barbatos: There would be no better answear than seeing it for yourself!

Barbatos grabbed your hand with a look of excitment.

Foras: Wait,Barbatos...! You should have fun at the festival after you finish your work...

Barbatos: I see! Foras please take care of my job as well!!

Foras: ?!?!

Glasyal La Bolas: Hahaha! I knewthis would happen. Foras,what are you doing? Go and grab Barbatos by his throat!

Foras: ........Never mind. We needed a devil to guide the son/daughter of Solomon around the festival,so we'll just say Barbatos is in charge of it.

Glasyal La Bolas: Pfft,boring.

You heard the conversation of the remaining two devils while Barbatos positively dragged you through the corridor.

Fortunately it looked like Foras would deal with it.

Mc: (I'm sorry,Foras...!)

Apoligizing for something you didn't do,you headed for the streets with Barbatos.

(bg changes to the streets of Hades)

The faster Barbatos walked,the harder your heart pounded.

A festival in Hell?! It has to be several times as big and fun than festivals on Earth.

Once you and Barbatos left the palace,you headed for the central square where they all gathered.

Mc: (Such flashy street decorations! Mouthwatering street food! Lively people laughing and talking!)

Mc:....Where are they all?

Next to Barbatos who stopped at the square,you tilted your head.

The biggest crowd you have ever seen was gathering in the square,but it had neither the street decorations nor street food.

(bg changes to a giant fire surrounded by devils)

Instead,there was one thing that was diffrent from the norm in the center of the square...

Mc: ( A mega sized camp fire?!)

There was a fire that burned as tall as the palace in the central of the square.

Even while sweating because of the heat,the devils were holding hands with their family or friends around it.

They were not in their normal uniforms or medival clothes,but in the most casual type...so,how humans on Earth dressed.

The devils who looked like humans except for their horns were smiling and greeting each other.

You felt tears welling up in your eyes from the Earthy atmosphere you haven't felt in a long time.

Mc: They're in diffrent clothes from usual.

Barbatos: Hmm! They say the costume for this year is 'human'!

Mc: Haha. The humans on Earth are probably wearing devil costumes.

While you felt amused,Barbatos stayed quiet nect to you. You thought it was strange and looked...

Barbatos: Isn't it hot and splendid and beautiful? Although it's not as beautiful as the sun!!

The flames were dancing in Barbatos' eyes

Mc: Do you mean...that the Halloween festival in Hades is enjoying a mega sized camp fire?

Barbatos: A mega sized camp fire? Ha ha ha! That's a stake!

Mc: A-a stake?! Who committd such a heinous crime that they'll be burnt on a stake this big?!

Barbatos: Ourselfs from last year.

Mc: ....?

Just then a young male approached the flaming fire almost precariously-

And took off the noose around his neck then threw it inside the fire.

YAYY-!!

When the huge flames instantly deveoured the noose,the onlooker devils cheered and clapped.

The noose wasn't so big,but it burnt brightly with a huge purple light when entered the flames.

The devil's bangs were burnt and curly in a funny way,as he backed away and bowed to others.

Barbatos: Those nooses around the necks of the devils in Hades,mean that they dedicate their lives to his Majesty Leviathan.

Mc: What?! Then what's that supposed to be? Treason?

Barbatos: It's determination!

Mc: ???

While you look doubful,the others followed suit of the brave devil and began threwing nooses to the stake.

The devils rushing towards the flames and shimmered backwards so the fire woudn't devour them.

It looked like they were dancing to the wavering flames.

The long shadows streaching out from their feet around the fire looked like petals of a huge flower.

Barbatos: Halloween is the day of the dead. In other words it is a day for the 'dead'.

Barbatos: So we perform this ceramony thinking that we burn our previous deaths and wait for the next ones.

Barbatos: And...we the living devils carry the lives of the devils who protected Hell before but died before us.

Barbatos: By burning our old nooses and hanging new ones around our necks,we are promising to walk along the same paths as we honor their gone lives.

Barbatos: So when we burn the old nooses,we claim new nooses from the person we want to risk our lives for after his Majesty Leviathan

When the nooses of all those in the square went into the fire,a woman approached the young man who burnt his noose first and hung a new,clean noose around his neck.

The woman's cheeks were flushed and she had tears in her eyes.

You could see grannies hanging nooses around young children and middle-aged devils hanging nooses around their best friends.

The same scenes continued here and there and you somehow felt a twingle of emotion in your nose.

Mc: ( This is beautiful)

It wasn't the magnificent or joyful atmosphere you anticipated but the Hallowwen festival of Hades had a coolness to it like that of a sacred ritual.

The devils with new nooses around their necks went to their houses and changed the tall wooden pillars standing before their houses.

The pillars were taller than an average male adult devil and had devices to hang things at the end.

Mc: ...Those pillars standing in front of all those houses...

Barbatos: Ahh,are you talking about the simple hanging devices they prepared to die if anything happens to his Majesty Leviathan?

Mc: ..simple hanging devices..

Barbatos: Hmm! They fix it or place new ones every year on this day!

Barbatos: It's troubling if they need to die but the pillars are weak and break.

Barbatos explained all the savageness with a smile as glorious as the fire in the center of the square.

Mc: The devils of Hades are too extreme...

Barbatos: That's the source of our power!

Mc: Yea,I'm still worried...but think that they're very wonderful at the same time

Barbatos: !!

Barbatos looked a little suprised.

Thanks to his distincts features of his face,the big and small shadows of the fire danced across his face,but his eyes wavered most promitently.

Barbatos: Son/ Daughter of Solomon,I think you...

Small devil: Son/ Daughter of Solomon! Have you not placed a noose around your neck yet?

Almost at the same time Barbatos opened his mouth with an overwhelmed look on his face,a small devil that barely reached your knees tapped your calf and spoke to you.

Failing to realize as the adorable devil who resembled a puppy was asking you with a look of anticipation,you shook your head.

Mc: No I don't normally hang a noose around my neck...

Small devil: In that case,may I place one on you?

Mc: Hmm? On me?

Small devil: I know you're not one of his Majesty Leviathan's subject. Even so,this is a festival!

When the small devil spoke with a beam,you succumbled to his adorable appearance and nodded.

Mc: I won't say no then.

Small devil: I-i-in that case,could you..perhaps put a noose around my neck too?

Mc: Huh? Of course.

Small devil: Wowww!!

When you bend your knees before the small devil who now had tearful eyes and hung your head,he hung a noose he weaved with his small hands around your neck.

Looking up,you saw a blushing devil with his eyes tightly closed,holding the noose to hang around his neck in his hands.

When you took the noose from his shaky hands and put it around his neck.

Mc: All don-

Small devil: I like you too, Son/ Daughter of Solomon!!

Mc: Huh?

Startled by his sudden confession,you finally saw the devils around you.

Devils:...............

Mc: (T-They are looking my way with terrifying eyes!)

You didn't know when they stopped clapping and cheering but they all stared at you.

Mc: B-Barbatos...C-Can you explain what's happening...

Barbatos: Huhu..you hang nooses around the devils' necks on Halloween with your closest friends or lovers!

Devil with a loud voice: Pfft! Had I known,I would have spoken with the Son/ Daughter of Solomon first!

Devil with a loud voice: I thought the son/daughter of Solomon would not participate in this ritual!

Sensitive devil: I'm so upset! So jelaous! If I throw him into the pit of fire and hand over my noose again!!

Small devil: Hehe,hehehehe

Barbatos grinned and spoke lightly

Barbatos: It looks like you're loved in Hades!

Just as the devils burning in envy as hot as the stake grounded their teeth.

Mc: Huh?

With everyone staring in your direction,you saw a familiar face at the back of the crowd

(Levi appears)

Mc: (Leviathan..?)

For some reason,Leviathan was in an unfamiliar suit.

Mc: ( Is Leviathan also dressed as a human like the other devils?)

Already curious about 'What would Leviathan do while the others perform the ritual at the stake?' you furtively ran towards Leviathan while everyone directed their envy and fury at the small devil.

(bg changes to streets of Hades)

He was leaving the square as though he wasn't there on a business but passing by.

Mc: Levia....

Just when you were about to call him to stop out of happines,you closed your mouth before even calling his name.

There were lots of devils talking and laughing not too far away,

Heading somewhere on his own, Leviathan's face had nothing but sadness,let alone a smile.

Mc: ( Can I talk with him...?)

Although all devils,especially the seven deadly sins gave off difficult aura for normal people to approach,Leviathan emitted that aura way more than the others.

Responsibility,emptiness and a deep sadness that surpassed it.

That was what you felt from him.

You somehow felt yourself from difficult times from him

Mc: ( I don't want to leave Leviathan alone!)

You knew the diffrwnce between someone who wanted to be alone and someone who had no choice but to be alone....because you were the latter.

Mc: Levi! Where are you going?!

You pretended to be brighter than usual and gathered the courage to approach Leviathan.

When he turned to your direction,you gasped out loud,because you were overwhelmed by the beauty when you faced him head on.

The transparent eyes under his thick,long eyelashes especially took your breath away!

Mc: ( It's like I can understand why Barbatos who worshipps the sun would be awed by Leviathan)

Leviathan: ....Don't call me like that. I shall kill you.

Leviathan: What are YOU doing here instead of enjoying the festival?

Mc: I was enjoying it! Look,I even got a noose.

Leviathan: (angy jely glare) .......

Leviathan 's eyes momentarily turned vicious,but you were oblivious to the fact as you asked him a question.

Mc: Leviathan,where are you going yourself? Not enjoying the festival.

As you were going to compliment him that he looked good in a suit he normally didn't wear...

Leviathan: I am going to the graveyard of my fallen associoates.

Mc: ...?!

Leviathan: Because Halloween is the day of the dead,I am going there to commemorate them.

Mc: I-I see...I wasn't aware. I was only excited about the festival.

Leviathan: Me going to commemorate the graveyard of Hades,has nothing to do with you..

You felt sheepish at his cold tone

You wanted to talk with him some more but !ou coudn't think of anything to say.

And Leviathan watched you with cold eyes.

Leviathan said no more as he walked past you.

You hung your head,unable to say anything more to him.

You heard the sounds of Leviathan's footsteps receding.

You suddenly felt immensly sad.

And Leviathan's footsteps stopped.

Leviathan: Near where I'm going...

Although his voice was small and from afar you coudn't hear it properly,you turned back to look at him.

Leviathan has also turned his back to look at you.

Mc: What?~ I coudn't hear you!~

You shouted,cupping your hands around your mouth like a trumpet in case Leviathan coudn't hear you.

Leviathan chuckled,it was definettly a cold and spechless laugh but he smiled.

Leviathan: There's a shop near where I'm going that sells jewels.

Leviathan: There are rare jewels that allow people to become closer.

Mc: (If you're going to talk from auch a distance at least raise your voice..nevermind,I'm going to him)

You hurried to Leviathan

Mc: Jewels??? Closer???

Leviathan: I'll buy you one as a present

While you approached,you could hear Leviathan's voice well

Mc: ( If I approach,I don't become estrangled)

You don't know what the source of Leviathan's sadness was but you thought you knew what to do

Normally you sould have asked WHY?? but this time you shouted energeticlly instead.

Mc: Thanks Levi!!! I'll be waiting for you!

Leviathan: Don't call me that. And stop shouting so close to me,it hurts my ears.

Leviathan: I am the one giving you a present. Why are you telling me to go where you are and offer it to you?

Mc: ( Suprisngly he's answearing everything and hes even twlling me to pick him up!)

Mc: ( I think....I get it a little..)

Mc: Until when should I go meet you?

Leviathan: About two hours later,go where I am and accept my present

Leviathan: Barbatos guide him/her well

Mc: Huh? Wheres Barbatos?

Barbatos: Yes,your Majesty!

Mc: What the...! When did you come here?

You jumped up at thw bright and reliable voice behind you which has been quiet until now

Meanwhile Leviathan turned as though he was going to continue and spoke coldly.

Leviathan: Also take off that noose around your neck,it doesn't even suit you!

There was great displeasuee on Leviathan's face as he said those words.

Mc:(Don't tell me you were jelaous this whole time?!)

Mc: Then put a noose on me yourself!

Mc: But I won't take this one off. The devil who put it on me looked really happy

Mc: Still,I'll put your noose on top of it.

Leviathan stared at you as though he wanted to say 'what a loud and dislikable being'

But the harsh words never came and Leviathan turned back on his way.

Barbatos: You're looking happy son/daughter of Solomon!

You smiled and nodded as Barbatos placed a firm arm around your shoulder and led you back to the central square.

But this time you stared at the giant clock tower instead of the stake where devils were dancing

Mc: ( I hope two hours go by quickly...)

Two hours later..

(Bg changed to Hades streets at night)

By the time thwenooses around the devils necks were all changed to new ones and the hanging devices have been fixed

Barbatos: It's nearly the time for us to go!....I bet that's what you were witing for me to say

Barbatos was smiling as he led you through the sqaure

You wanted to meet Leviathan as soon as possible and were ready to run to him...but...

Barbatos didn't even run but laid down a coffin that he was carrying with him-the coffin didn't have any strings but was always floating behind him- he opened the lid

Mc: Barbatos,we don't know where Leviathan could be...but don't you think he's waiting if we don't hurry?

Barbatos: This is the fastest way.

Barbatos winked at you,climbed inside the coffin and layed down

Barbatos: You should come in too!

Opening his arms with a tempting smile,Barbatos urged you. And you lied down next to him since you had nothing else to do.

Lying on his side to make space for you,Barbatos' firm chest pressed against !our shoulder.

Barbatos: I'm closing the lid now.

The lid closed over the jam-packed coffin with you and Barbatos in it.

(Bg changes to darkness)

Creakkkkkk.....

Mc: ( ...I-is this a funeral experience?!)

You shuted your eyes in fear the moment the lid closed and was absorbed in the most coplicated feeling

You evaided an angel swinging a scyte in your face but were now shut in a coffin while you were still breathing.

But the dark fearful feeling you expected never came.

Mc: (In fact it's suprisingly cozy!)

The coffin was full of the scent of the man emating a sweet rosy scent and his arms were soft and warm.

And for some reason it felt like you were liyng on a dark but spacious and cozy lawn!

You were suprised when you furtively opened your eyes.

(Bg changes to a universe)

Mc: Weren't we...inside a coffin?!

Barbatos: We the devils of Hades carry our own universes inside our coffins instead of the dead.

There was a sky full of stars- no a universe spreading before your eyes.

Barbatos: Through this space we can travel whereever we want to go. That's why no one can evade the devils of Hades.

Mc: Oh! So are we going to where Leviathan's coffin is?

Barbatos nodded

Meanwhile stars whipped past loudly and swiftly as though finding their way to Leviathan's coffin

Mc: But why aren't the other devils going to commemorate? Why is Leviathan going on his own?

Barbatos: Because it's a special graveyard that his Majesty Leviathan made himself.

Barbatos: Those buried there are the childhood friens of his Majesty Leviathan,the great king who build Hades.

The look on Barbatos' face darkens as he lays next to you and watched the stars past.

Barbatos: His Majesty Leviathan was kidnapped by angels when he was very young, he was raised and experimented on...and abused by them for a long time in Heaven after which he barely escaped.

Barbatos: Managed it out alive,might be better fitting...because as far as I know the other children all died

Young devils,kidnapped,death. The words should never have been connected in a sentence,hit you over the head in a succession.

Barbatos: At the time,four of the young devils,imprisoned with his Majesty sacrificed themselfs to help his Majesty Leviathan escape.

Barbatos: His Majesty Leviathan said he'll never leave alone but this is what they said to him

Barbatos: You'll become a kig,so cross the rivers of Heaven to return to Hell and build the strongest kingdom that will come save us. That will be fine.

Barbatos: That's what they told him....but they knew they woudn't be able to return. So they gave his Majesty the objects they treasure.

Barbatos: Those objects are said to be buried in the graveyard

It was impossible that young devils kidnapped to Heaven could have anything properly valuable that they could treasure

But whatever the objects were,there was no way that the ones entrusting the objects and the one being entrusted with them woudn't consider precious

Mc: (He visits the place where such things are buried...every year,alone..)

Barbatos saw you darken and smiled with pity.

Barbatos: I once visited the graveyard and saw their names written on the gravestones.

Barbatos: Numbers,1987,1988,1990,1992...

Mc: Numbers?

Barbatos: The angels would never have given proper names to young devils who were test subjects and entertainment!

Mc:...!

Young children who were called by numbers and not even proper names.

Leviathan was one of them.

Feeling like the noose was tightening around your neck,your eyes burned.

Barbatos: They were his Majesty's saviors and heroes of Hades

There was sadness in Barbatos' eyes

Barbatos: But his ordels didn't end there,even after the young heroes sacrificed their lives.

Barbatos: Because of the fact that he escpaed Heaven,his Majesty Leviathan and the devils of Hades had to prove that they were not spies from Heaven

Barbatos: And we had no choice but to determinate the country's rules stricly.

Barbatos: To show actions that do not harm Hell,to show their attitudes that are concerned the most for the safety of Hell

Mc: ( I think I have a vague idea of where Leviathan's sadness,responsibility and weight came from..)

Barbatos: Currently,Hades is the most hellish place in Hell with the strongest devil as king.

Barbatos: Once his Majesty Leviathan became king,he never missed out on visiting them on Halloween.

Barbatos: Even if that day he had the most brutal battle.

Perhaps it was because no matter how many brutal battles Leviathan had fought,he could never get over the horrors of his childhood.

The devils of Hades all said,that Leviathan was the most powerful king in Hell. Because he overcame such a big ordeal when he was young...it's understandable that he's the strongest devil.

You felt solemn and grave when you thought of the tragedy that Leviathan and all those nameless devils have endured

Barbatos: You're sad upon hearing this. You really are devilish.

Barbatos stroked your head softly with a large hand.

Just then you felt a dream-like situation you once experienced flash before your eyes.

(bg changes to Mc and Minhyeok's home at Earth)

Minhyeok: People don't experience bad things because they're bad people or because they have a reason to.

Minhyeok: They're just unlucky.

Minhyeok: At those times...people who don't collapse,resenting the unfairness of such fates are surely great.

Minhyeok: You're such a person.

(bg changes back to the universe)

Mc: ( I remember Minhyeok once said that to me...)

Whenever you felt sad about your parents deaths,Minhyeok consoled you like this.

Mc: ( Was there a devil saying things like this...to Leviathan too?)

Mc: It would have been nice if I was there with Leviathan at that time...oh,of course..I might not have been of help to him much..

Barbatos: I think the same way sometimes too. Because at that time,I also didn't know his Majesty Leviathan.

Barbatos smiles bitterly

Barbatos: And you would have been a great consolation to him,

Mc: How can you be sure?

Barbatos: Because you consoled me just now.

When Barbatos smiled at you brightly like the sun,the stars sprinting gloriously above your head slowly came to a stop.

Barbatos: It looks like we're connected to his Majesty Leviathan's coffin. Shall we get up?

Said Barbatos,moving closer as though embracing you,then covered your eyes with his hand.

(bg to darkness)

Barbatos: You can open your eyes now.

With Barbatos' voice,the hand covering your eyes receded.

At the same time,there was a creak-and the lid on Barbatos' coffin opened.

(bg changes to a graveyard)

When you opened your eyes and sat up,you felt your heart poundind a little.

Mc: ( This is strange..I'm going to face Leviathan's sadness. There's no way I should have butterflies in my stomach!)

And when you finally stood up and extracted yourself from the coffin.

You saw a black stone wall and a stone floor shining black and...

Leviathan on the floor,covered in blood

And not too far from him were scaterred angels who looked way worse

The dozends of angels were dead in a cyrcle around Leviathan

Mc: Leviathan!

Barbatos: Your Majesty!

You and Barbatos shouted in union and rushed towards the fallen Leviathan.

Leviathan was on the cold ground with his eyes closed,the rain pouring on his entire body.

The graves around him were perfectlly fine unlike Leviathan.His scarlet blood rain in puddles through the gaps in the stones.

Big and small wounds ripped his clothes and skin to make red traces on his pretty body.

Blades of light dug brutally in his muscles.

Mc: Leviathan!

Leviathan:....

When you knelt down to check on him,the rain and blood seeped into your knees

Barbatos quickly put his fingers below Leviathan's nose and placed hia ears on his wounded chest.

Then he grabbed your shoulders with a rare dark expression.

Barbatos: It looks like I should go.

Mc: W-Where to?!

Barbatos: Every sceond matters. It looks like his Majesty Leviathan is in critical condition.

Barbatos: I will return immedietlly to thw place and bring back the devil who can heal his Majesty.

Barbatos: Until then please stay by his side...son/daughter of Solomon.

You tried to make an expression that was reliable as possible and nodded to Barbatos.

Mc: I'll be waiting.

Barbatos didn't even reply to you properly as he went back in his coffin and hurriedly closed the lid with a boom!

You stared at the large coffin that swallowed Barbatos and looked back at Leviathan.

Mc: S-still..h-he's still alive...it will be alright...Yeah its going to be alright...

Mc: (because if Leviathan really did die,Barbatos woudn't go looking for a doctor.)

You clutched Leviathan's cold hand and muttered.

Normally he would say 'I will hang you if you don't unhand me' in disgust but right now he was unmoving with his eyes closed.

It began to rain harder,turning the air cold.

Leviathan was laying on the cold floor like he was cold,you felt sorry for him.

Afraid that his body might go completly cold you bend over to resusicate him.

But just then the most feeble white steam curled out od his mouth.

Mc: ( It's weak...but he's breathing properly)

Touched you looked down at his mouth.

Leviathan:....

Mc: (Leviathan...is mumbling something)

Between his light breathing Leviathan was quietly saying something.

Leviathan: Run now...I'll hold...them back...here...

Mc: ...!

Leviathan who was collapsed on the floor started shouting despretlly at someone.

You precipitously stared at the pieces of gravestones that rolled next to him.

Studying a few perfectly intact graves compared to the others who now looked close to ruins.

You could easily guess that Leviathan sacrificed himself to protect them.

Leviathan: This time...don't die..

Leviathan's old sadness creeped out his mouth and scattered into the cold air.

Mc: Leviathan..come back..Your nightmare is over now...please come back from that memory that's colder than here...

You begged Leviathan with a tearful voice,shaking his shoulders and gently slapping his cheeks but he only minutely groaned.

Just when you thought you wanted him to stop saying those pitiful things,you found yourself kissing Leviathan.

When your temperature risen because of your tears touched Leviathan,his lips warmed up as though they were slowly thawing.

Mc: ( Please...if the souls that saved Leviathan before are here...please save him once more!)

Feeling guilty for asking the young souls who met such a merciless end for a favor,tears flowned down your cheeks.

Your hot tears ran down your cheeks and sepped into yours and Leviathan's lips.

Flash!

Just then a clear blue light shone between Leviathan and your lips.

Leviathan: ....

Leviathan's eyelids twiched...and slowly opened.

Leviathan: Solomon...

Leviathan:...his son/daughter.

Mc: Leviathan!

Leviathan momentarily pulled a confused expression as though he coudn't disentangle reality from his dream.

Maybe he was feeling confused between the borders of life and death and not fiction from reality.

He was scrowling because of the pain but watched you with a vague look in his eyes.

Mc: Leviathan,are you awake...?

Leviathan: ...What happened?

Mc: That's what I wanted to ask! What went on here?

Mc: I came because it was the appointed time and you were on the ground in a mess like this!...

Leviathan: Ahh...

Only then did Leviathan scrowl his pretty forehead as though he just remembered what had happened before he collapsed.

Leviathan:It looks like there were spies in Hades. Since angels knew I was alone and attacked this place on time.

Mc: Spies?! In Hades?!

Leviathan: It's not suprising.

Leviathan: But...these angels were crafty. I would have ripped into them if they attacked me from close by,but they threw a chakram made of light from afar...

Leviathan: Urgh...

Mc: Leviathan...!

Leviathan bit his lips and curled up as though he was in pain.

You bit your lips harder than Leviathan and cried in sadness.

Mc: ...I heard from Barbatos. About what is buried here in this graveyard and how important it is to you.

Mc: But still,protecting them at the cost of your own self like this...!

Mc: That's...even they woudn't want that!

You said and closed your eyes tightly.

You did so because you found it hard to see Leviathan in pain,but also because you were afraid of his cold comment that would follow.

However...you thought Leviathan would say 'what does that have to do with you?' as he normally did,but he was only staring at you with a dreamy look in his eyes.

Mc: ...Leviathan?

Leviathan: I cherished this place..out of atonement for them.

Leviathan: What's more,their intact remains aren't even buried under these tombstones. I know that.

Leviathan said,his eyes on you.

Leviathan: I can simply build my broken heart again and make new tombstones to remember them.

Mc: Then why would you go to these lenghts to...

Leviathan: That's not what I was trying to protect.

Leviathan took something out of his pocket with a click of his tongue. It seemed like the slightest movements made the wounds covering him throb.

And handed the thing he took out to you.

Mc: Isn't this...?

Leviathan: You..don't tell me you're going to say you forgot what you came all the way here for?

( They're rare jewels that allow you to get closer to the person you love)

Mc: Don't tell me..this is what you were trying to protect...

Your hands trembled so much that you coudn't take the purple jewel from Leviathan's hands.

Leviathan: It is a rare jewel. But if you say you don't like it now...

Drop...

You almost snatched it out of his hands before Leviathan even finished talking and cried.

Mc: *sobbing* Leviathan,you really are..an idiot!!

Just when you shouted,wiping away the tears from your eyes with the hand holding the jewel.

Flash-!

A tremendous light burst from the jewel that was drenched with your tears.

Leviathan: ...?!

While you and Leviathan were both startled,the light emanating from the jewel surrounded you both.

Then,our body that had been feeling so cold you had,began to heat up and your palm touching Leviathan began to burn.

Just when you were about to let go of Leviathan's hand in suprise,he held on harder so your hand woudn't run away.

Mc: Leviathan..?

Leviathan: (looking flushed af) Ugh...what the...Hell is going on..

Leviathan glared at the jewel in your hand and panted.

You both knew as soon as you saw the other,about what your states were like.

The energy flowing from the jewel had entered Leviathan and your bodies, and was egging your impulse and desires.

Your feverish red eyes took in every part of Leviathan's body.

The scarlet blood oozing out of his wounds looked sweet to the taste and his pale cheeks seemed to be waiting for your hot hands.

Leviathan: *gulp* ...

Like the masterpiece of masterpieces that God made,the delicate color of his hair he alone possesed shone even more myseriously in the rain.

Then,Leviathan's eyes met yours.

Although you coudn't see in yourself in the mirror,you could instinctively feel that you had the same expression as Leviathan.

Mc: ( Leviathan...wants me now too...I can feel it...)

But Leviathan was currently severly wounded. You coudn't act on your desires in a situation like this...

Leviathan: Get over here.

Leviathan reached his hand off the floor and pulled your arm.

There was only one answear you knew in a situation like this.

Mc: Okay...!

You bend over as Leviathan led you.

#whb #what in hell is bad #whb leviathan #whb spoilers #whb glasyalabolas #whb foras #whb barbatos

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dantheserialkillerman · 1 year ago

Text

Hiroki Dan X GN!Teacher (one shot)

Contains: Gender Neutral Reader and Age Difference General warning: Medium-length post (1,461 words) TW: Possessiveness/Yandere vibes Characters: Hiroki Dan and You

– There is a theory called The Green World by Northrop Fry. It's actually quite simple. Shakespeare's comedies follow a structure: in spring, the fertility month, the characters transition from the everyday world, faced with societal bondage, to the wild, where everything becomes topsy turvy, back to the ordinary world renewed and unbound. As you skimmed your class, you couldn't help but wonder if the same theory also applied to your life. This moment did feel wild.

– The semester is your first as a teacher at one of Toyko's most highly regarded private high schools, and according to the curious stares from your students, they don't know what to make of you. It sets you on edge. Yet, there is also great excitement as you finally have fulfilled your dream of educating the next generation after years of studying. Is there a word for both terror and elation? Perhaps euphoria? It did once mean to be removed from one's body. However, frisson seems to settle in your mind. Your hair does feel on end.

– One..two...three...breath...one...two...three...breath. You repeat this phrase over and over again as you start your lesson. This subject is your favourite, and not to brag, but you are an expert in this field; the school would have never hired you otherwise, and the parents would have you fired, flayed, and put out front as a warning for everyone else. Even some universities would pale in comparison. These are households of politicians, millionaires, and businessmen. The top of the top and greatness ensures they only produce greatness, or at least the image of it.

– Everything seems to be going well; to your surprise, the kids are actively engaged, yet you cannot help but sense an uneasiness. You feel dissected, like a butterfly being prepped for a display case. When turning around, an intensity makes you pause over a word to prevent a stutter. You swear unseen hands are rushing over your body as if to hold you and say, "Stay still; I deserve to look," for what reason you don't know. It's nerves, you tell yourself, focus on the lesson; you can't mess up the first class.

– But it happens again during the next lesson. Then, the one after that. Again and again until finally, when handing back the first assignment, you meet the cause after class.

– It was Autumn when the weather couldn't decide if it wished to be hot or cold, the leaves turning into a violent swarm of reds and oranges as if the trees were on fire. It had been a long day; you had to send someone to the head office for interrupting class, forgot your lunch, and were stuck grading papers. The only people still here were after-school clubs and occasionally teachers you heard walking in the halls.

– You were so absorbed in your work that you couldn't help but jump when you felt a tap on your shoulder and a soft "Excuse me" in your ear. Looking up in shock, you are surprised to see a man...well, a teenager. Handsome for his age, most likely eighteen and in his final year, with a shock of dark hair and eyes against pale skin, a warm smile breaks the otherwise monochrome facade. An image of Adder Snake flashes in your mind when he tilts his head and beams...it is as if he enjoyed scaring you.

– "Oh, I'm sorry, professor," he places a hand over his heart and straightens, "I merely wanted to get your attention." His eyes are so black that you can see your own startled reflection, and despite being in a more senior position, how small you look compared to this boy. You hate it.

– "It's fine," you look at the clock, "it's past five; shouldn't you be heading home, or is there something I can help you with?" You attempt to clean your desk to make it look moderately presentable. In reality, you wanted to seem busy so you didn't have to look him in the eye again. There was something profoundly unnerving about how he could pin you down with merely a look.

– His hand moves gracefully into his bag and pulls out a piece of paper; you recognize it as the recently returned assignment from your afternoon class. He places it delicately on your desk, atop the other essays you were grading. Pompous little shit, you couldn't help but think. You tilt over and see the grade, a ninety-five, the highest score you gave out recently.

– Picking up the paper, you hold it out for the student to take back, "It was very well-written and researched, particularly the second paragraph. Congratulations..." You quickly glance at the paper, hopefully discreetly, "Hiroki-kun." The name settled in your mouth like honey, sticking to your throat unpleasantly despite how sweet it sounded.

– He leans against the desk, the same plain smile upon his face and a light chuckle escaping his upturned lips. There is an uneasiness in the air, that pressure you felt during the day in increments, dilating in this very moment.

– "Thank you," he moves closer, and you realize the door is closed; who shut it? "But I wanted to ask," Closer, "what could I have done to have gained that extra five percent?"

– "I..." You feel speechless, your face hot from panic, "Well...you could've shortened it, perhaps?" Say anything to get him to leave.

– "That's it?"

– "It was written very well; I wouldn't worry about your grade."

– He takes the paper and folds it absent-mindedly, "I will take it to heart," as if to prove it, he holds the essay to his chest, "You are my favourite teacher here, and any advice you give me is a great help." To your horror, he looks somewhat bashful. Yet, it would be a lie to say it didn't stroke your ego.

– You clear your throat, "Thank you, but it is getting late-"

– "Let me walk you to your bike." You wonder how he knew you biked to school? "My father is the police superintendent General, and I am also heading out; I don't want someone so..." He looks down to where you are sitting, "vulnerable to walk outside by themselves."

– You weighed the options in your head. Saying no could hurt your reputation; this was the kid of a high-ranking official, and if you pissed off Daddy, you would be fired on the spot. Was it unnerving and inappropriate? Yes. But you couldn't think of a way to worm your way out of this dilemma. It was a true dichotomy.

– "I wouldn't want to burden a young man like yourself...."

– His smile stretched wider, so vast you could count each pearly white tooth. What big teeth you have..." It would be my pleasure."

– Hiroki demanded to carry your briefcase and, while you walked, asked miscellaneous questions about your life. How old are you? Do you live alone? Are you Married? How far do you live from campus? You tried to answer him subtly, attempting to dodge the questions with little skill. You cursed the school for being so big and your pupil for being such a slow walker.

– Ten minutes later, you reach your bike. Or where it should have been. Nothing but the chain was attached to the fence. You look around and quickly conclude that someone has stolen it. Man, I'm a fucking genius, you thought sarcastically, but you had to Act professionally. Act bloody professional. Oh, God, how in the living hell would you get back to your dingy little apartment?

– "People these days," Hiroki shook his head, "my father has been trying to tamper down the rise in petty crime such as this," he slung your case over his shoulder, "but it seems he has a long way to go."

– You pushed your forehead in stress, "It's fine, I'll just take public transport." And it would be awful in that crowded cart filled with annoyed people.

– "Nonsense," He turned and started to walk towards the parking lot; in confusion, you began to follow him, "I own a car, and someone like yourself wouldn't be safe on public transport." He looked over his shoulder, and you felt your stomach sink, "I'll drive you home." Shit.

– "It's fine, really. Plus, you're a student-"

– "My father would never forgive me if I left you in such a state. Alone. Defenceless. I mean," He stopped and turned. Suddenly, you recognized how tall and broad he was as he towered over you. "I could attack you right now, and you would have no way to defend yourself." His left eye twitched softly like he trying to keep a particular thought at bay, and you felt your lungs freeze, "But you're lucky," He chuckled, "I would never harm my favourite teacher." The air seemed to stop momentarily as if the sky held its breath for what he would say next. "I only want to do a good deed," Another laugh, "They make me feel blessed," and softly grabbing your hand and bringing it to his cheek, he tilted his head into your palm, whispering, "Won't you bless me, teacher?"

– You wondered if Northrop Fry had a theory on Shakespearian tragedy. What dark world were you being brought into by those eyes?

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nightghoul381 · 6 months ago

Text

Ellis Twilight ~ Main Route Chapter 6

Disclaimer for route warnings | Masterlist

Additional Content Warnings: This Chapter contains depictions of murder and several mentions of blood

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

Part 1

William: “We’ve received new information from Alfons regarding the kidnapping incidents.”

Jude: “Can ya wait til later? I’m busy right now.”

Seemingly irritated, Jude answered without looking up from his documents.

William: “Oh, here I thought I remembered that you were particularly proactive when it came to cases of human trafficking and kidnapping, Jude.”

Jude: “…”

Since Jude decided to ignore William, Ellis spoke up instead.

Ellis: “What’s the new information?”

Alfons: “I heard that a friend of mine is going to be meeting with someone tomorrow night who’s said to be the ringmaster of that stupid circus.”

Kate: “Wha!?”

Unaware of Alfons sneaking up behind me, I couldn’t help but scream aloud when he whispered in my ear.

Alfons: “Aha! What a wonderful reaction. Are your ears sensitive?”

Ellis: “No, Al. Quit playing with Kate.”

Alfons: “Fufu, scolded by the bodyguard.”

(Alfons is another person that I can never tell what he’s thinking… I have to be careful.)

I regained my composure, sat back in my chair, and listened to William’s explanation.

Kate: “The ringmaster… but you said the circus had disbanded, right?”

William: “Aah. Isn’t it strange?”

The self-righteous King's blood-red eyes narrowed in amusement as he talked about the incident.

William: “It is certain that the ‘ringmaster’ has important information regarding the mastermind behind the kidnapping.”

William: “I don’t know if the ‘ringmaster’ is the one in charge or if there is someone behind him.”

Alfons: “It would be appropriate to capture the leader alive and interrogate him.”

Alfons: “I’ve also got all the information on where they’ll meet. I’m very skilled aren’t I?”

Alfons smiled, giving off a sultry, sweet air.

William: “I’d like you three to go to that place tomorrow. Please?”

Ellis: “Okay.”

Ellis nodded, as casually as if he’d just been invited to a picnic.

Jude: “Tch…You got the information, didn’t ya? You go.”

Alfons: “I’m afraid I’m not good when it comes to restraining, interrogations, or hand-to-hand combat. I’m sensitive.”

Ellis: “So—”

Ellis: “Can I kill anyone that's not the leader?”

A dark voice instantly drowned out the lively exchange between Jude and Alfons.

(--)

A shiver ran down my spine.

I’m sure I’ve heard that phrase before.

Startled by the disturbing words that came from Ellis’ lips, I couldn’t help but look up at him.

William: “—Ah, I don’t mind.”

William: “If you decide it’s necessary, there’s no reason to stop you.”

William: “Be true to your evil.”

Ellis: “Understood.”

Part 2

William: “Be true to your evil.”

Ellis: “Understood.”

I felt like I had gotten used to encountering chaos.

(But that’s…)

(Only because Jude and Ellis didn’t take the lives of people who would attack them out of personal grudges.)

When I realized this, I discovered that my work as ‘fairytale keeper’ to record their sins had not even begun.

(That’s just how it was until now.)

(With Crown’s mission of ‘conquering evil with evil’… That may not be the case.)

Ellis: “You don’t have to worry about anything Kate.”

Ellis: “I’ll protect you.”

*******************Choices*********************

1. …Thank you.

2. I have to protect myself

**3. Please be careful too, Ellis. +4 +4 **

*************************************************

Kate: “Please be careful too, Ellis.”

Ellis: “Me? … fufu, thank you.”

Ellis: “It’s kind of refreshing to have you worry about me at a time like this.”

I think it’s only natural that he would be heartbroken if he was made to kill someone, because he was kind and cared deeply about the happiness of others.

(…I hope that Ellis can complete this mission without having to kill anyone.)

--Then, late at night the next day.

The woman who is said to be a friend of Alfons, has bright red hair.

Without noticing she was being followed, she walked into a small, deserted bar.

The storefront is old and desolate, and looks like it’s been long since abandoned.

Kate: “…Should we also go inside?”

Ellis: “In that small, deserted store, we’d likely be noticed as soon as we entered…”

(But if there’s another exit, we might lose track of her…)

As I was waiting anxiously, I imagined various different things,

But despite my concern, the woman soon came out of the building.

(That was… a lot faster than I thought.)

Redhead woman: “I’m not going to do it after all, I though it would be good to follow my dreams, but… it seems like too much for me.”

The woman called out to the person in the store and started walking down the dark street.

Kate: “Looks like the recruitment failed…”

Jude: “…”

Jude quickly turns and enters the building.

Ellis also took a step forward and I was about to follow suit--.

Ellis: “Ah.”

Ellis looked to the woman who was leaving and raised his voice.

Kate: “Ellis? What is it—”

When I look beyond his line of sight…

Redhead woman: “Ngh! Ghh…!”

A thick arm protruded from the back alley and grabbed her.

It happened so quickly—

Immediately after, her figured disappeared, as if swallowed by the darkness.

(The kidnapper!?)

Part 3

(The kidnapper!?)

Ellis: “…”

Before I could think about anything, Ellis ran after her.

I was contemplating whether to head to the store or to the alleyway—

Kate: “…!”

I ran out into the alley after Ellis, only a step behind.

When I reached the back of the alley-- I saw multiple men surrounding the woman and trying to restrain her while covering her mouth.

(What is this…!)

Ellis: “Are you the kidnappers?”

A man who looks like a kidnapper: “…!”

His stern eyes fixed on Ellis and then on me behind him.

A man who looks like a kidnapper: “—Women are worth money, keep ‘em alive. Kill the bastard.”

At the command of the man who seems to be the leader, men rush toward us.

Kate: “Gh…”

I swallowed back the scream that was about to burst out and strained my stomach.

(Ah, what, I need some kind of weapon…!)

I immediately picked up a deck brush that was leaning against a wall in the back alley and held it—

Ellis’ hand gently stopped me.

Ellis: “Kate, stay here.”

Ellis kicks off the ground.

(Ah--)

--The next moment blood was spraying everywhere.

When Ellis approached, the men fell to the ground one after another, like a puppet with its strings cut.

(…a knife…?)

Gazing into the darkness, I finally noticed that his hand was holding a black-bladed knife.

The black-blade moved as if swimming through the darkness, easily snatching away lives.

And yet… Ellis had the same expression on his face as usual.

(Is that really Ellis…?)

He was kind and offered a helping hand to anyone,

But right now, in front of my eyes, he was killing people emotionlessly and I can’t help but watch…

I just stared at him in shock, still clutching the deck brush.

Ellis: “…I guess that’s everyone.”

After killing everyone before they had a chance to scream, Ellis looked back at me in a pool of blood.

The feeling of discomfort that I’d been turning a blind eye to for a long time began creeping up again.

“—Shall we kill her?”

Ellis: “Kate…?”

Kate: “Eh…Ah.”

Ellis: “Your face is pale… Are you okay?”

Sheathing his knife, Ellis walked up to me.

The moment his hand reached out, my body trembled.

(…)

Ellis: “…”

Part 4

The moment his hand reached out, my body trembled.

(…)

Ellis: “…”

For a moment, his hands looked like they were stained with blood, but they turned out to be clean without even a single drop of blood to be seen.

It’s a chilling sign of familiarity with the crime.

Ellis: “…I’m sorry. You’re scared.”

He gently lowered his hands, not touching me.

Ellis: “I should have asked you to keep your eyes closed so you wouldn’t have to see it.”

His eyes, like the sky at dusk, are full of worry and concern for me.

Ellis seemed to understand that this was a frightening scene.

That confused me even more.

(Ellis, are you okay?)

Kate: “Um, what… what about the woman?”

Ellis: “Hmm, she’s fine… I think she’s just passed out.”

Jude: “Tch… Ya killed everyone?”

Ellis: “Jude. What about the store?”

Slipping past me and Ellis,

Jude walked over to a corpse and inspected it coldly.

Jude: “When I came in, he’d already escaped in a horse-drawn carriage from the back door. He’s quick to run.”

Jude: “Jeez, let at least one of ‘em live. Otherwise I can’t interrogate ‘em.”

Ellis: “Sorry. He said as long as we didn’t kill the leader I would be fine…Also.”

Ellis: “He was trying to harm Kate.”

Jude: “…”

(Then, this tragic situation…)

(This happened because I followed you, Ellis--)

Ellis: “… It’s okay now, Kate.”

Ellis smiles kindly at me.

But I… couldn’t smile back at him smiling in the pool of blood.

Jude carried the attacked woman and took her to the town doctor.

Alfons will find out about the situation later from his friends.

We then headed back to the castle.

Kate: “…”

Step by step, I proceeded down the hallway.

I was still in shock at witnessing someone die up close.

My legs were still shaking, I was unable to accept that it was Ellis who had done all of this.

Ellis: “…”

While escorting me to my room, Ellis kept a little distance from me out of concern.

Ellis: “We’re here, Kate.”

When I looked up, Ellis was smiling a little sadly—

Part 5

Ellis: “We’re here, Kate.”

When I looked up, Ellis was smiling a little sadly—

As I was about to say “thank you” to him for escorting me to my room, I suddenly realized something important.

(Ellis protected me… And I still haven’t even thanked him for that yet.)

Kate: “About earlier… Thank you for protecting me, Ellis.”

Ellis: “No. It’s my job to escort you, Kate.”

Ellis: “But, this time I failed…”

The darkness of his voice is filled with regret.

Ellis: “If you hadn’t seen that, you would be happier.”

Ellis: “I already knew you were a hard worker and that you would push yourself even if you were scared.”

Ellis: “I should have said, “You follow Jude” before going into the alley.”

(Ellis…)

Ellis: “Next time, I’ll be careful not to kill someone in front of you.”

(Only in front of me… then what about when I’m not around?)

Kate: “…Ellis…!”

I immediately grabbed Ellis’ palm as he tried to leave.

(I can’t believe that a person who can relate to someone’s fear and pain and say such words would not be hurt by killing someone…)

Kate: “Ellis…Aren’t you having a hard time…?”

Ellis: “…”

My gaze met Ellis’ and his eyes widened in wonder.

As we stared at each other, for some reason the surprise disappeared from his eyes.

Ellis: “Ah… I see.”

Ellis: “I thought you were just scared of me.”

Ellis: “You were worried that I was hurt, so you made that face…”

Ellis: “…You’re so kind, Kate.”

He smiled softly at me, and my heart tightened.

Ellis: “If I say it like this, I might scare you again.”

Ellis: “It’s not that painful, so don’t worry.”

Kate: “…Really?”

Ellis: “Yeah, really… See, my hands aren’t shaking like yours.”

(Even when I asked “Are you going to kill me?”)

(Even when you killed so many people just now… you didn’t hesitate.)

(Is it because you’re doing a job ‘for someone’?)

Ellis is a person who makes people happy.

A person who spreads happiness and considers the joy of others as his own.

For that purpose—he was also someone who was willing to get his hands dirty.

(But… Will Ellis be happy in the end?)

(What about your own happiness, Ellis--?)

With the rising emotions, my hand holding Ellis’ gripped tighter.

Kate: “…Hot milk.”

Ellis: “Eh…?”

Kate: “My body is cold… don’t you sleep better after drinking it?”

Ellis: “…”

After his surprise, Ellis’ eyes gently softened as usual.

Ellis: “I’d like that.”

Ellis: “In the middle of the night, I actually like hot milk with butter and sugar.”

Ellis whispered this happily.

His smile was so disjointed from the cruel scene from earlier, it made my heart hurt even more.

(For others… Even for someone he just met, like me… Ellis pours out everything—)

(I want to make Ellis happy too.)

Chapter 6 His Side Story | Next Chapter

#ikemen villains #ikevil #ikemen villains translation #ikevil translation #ellis twilight #ikevil ellis #ikevil ellis twilight #ikemen villains ellis #ikemen villains ellis twilight #ellis twilight main route #tw: death #tw: blood #tw: murder

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mimiiis · 2 years ago

Text

El Mar (pt.2) (Namor x Latina!Reader)

(photos are not not mine)

Summary: Namor shows you something you never thought to be possible.

Warnings: All the Mayan used is from a translator, I apologize if anything is wrong. Cursing, mentions of fear, I think that’s abt it tbh !!Not Proofread!!

Series Masterlist. Prev. Next.

Word Count: around 9k

A/n: I am telling yall rn I was stressed the fuck OUT writing this 💀, not much happens but dw its all just leading to somewhere 🥹🙏

Words floated and spun in your head, an elaborate thread of language that you did your best to weave together as you wrote each word that crossed your path in the book before you. You wrote out each one in the English alphabet, translating the syllables you read aloud into a full word you could understand by connecting the pronunciation to its English counterpart. The process was absolutely time consuming, and it worked. Days passed since that night with Namor, and you had only thought of translating and learning the ancient language.

Something about that interaction seemed to have changed everything you had grown accustomed to. The women let you bathe on your own, you were given simple but still very elegant dresses, and they even smiled at you now. They may have been false but the faint welcoming energy made you feel.. happy? The young girl who had been previously frightened of you, now looked in your eyes and gave you a grin that felt like the warmth of the sun you missed.

You did your best to speak to them, writing and translating simple phrases like “how are you?” or “good morning/night” for whenever you saw them. You didn't know if your accent or pronunciation of words was correct, only going off of what you had heard those around you spoke like. Yucatec Mayan was very different from Spanish, though some words were alike. You delighted in glee when you translated a word and saw it was one you were familiar with.

The book you were given, Le Ujo’, was the main occupant of your time. You had only been able to translate a page or two, but even then you were able to make out the story within the papers. It focused around a girl, a girl who was like the moon. Her personality was described as cold but warm to those who saw past it, something about the few paragraphs you were able to read made it remind you of yourself. Her features were described almost identically like yours, you were half convinced it was written about you. But it couldn’t have been right? The pages were crinkled and worn, ink stains and blotches adorned it and so you believe it must’ve been a few decades old.

You did wonder where it came from, if the story was a part of the ancient Mayan culture that the world had long forgotten. If Namor and his people truly were still well preserved in time, they must’ve had a thousand stories to tell. The anticipation to quickly learn the language and demand to be told them all made your heart pound, it kept you going.

Being so busy now gave you less time to wander of the world you’d left behind, the subject still felt like a dagger in your heart when you did. It was only at night when you lay awake, causing a fit and moving every 3 seconds due to the unbearable thoughts of your mind, was when you’d wander back to your family and friends.

You came to think you understood Namors motives in keeping you hidden away here. Why he kept his people safe, their secrets and thriving life. These people were his own family, people he wanted to protect. The risk of a human running to the hills and telling everyone your secrets is not something you’d want to happen to you if you so graciously invited someone into your own home. You were so grateful to witness everything you had, but you still wondered why he hadn’t just left you on the beach. He explained his reasoning but it still irked you, how did he know about the men? About what they wanted to do to you? He said he felt connected to the sea, maybe the ocean called and told him. Maybe he felt what you did in your own bones, connected to that ancient spirit that resides in the depths of the waves.

The strangest thing was that when you thought of him, you felt that longing you always felt when looking at water. To urge to go to him and simply be there took a hold of you each time, it made you burn in either embarrassment or rage. You were unable to tell between the two.The resentment and the part of you that was simply human fought against each other day and night.

You tried not to dwell on that topic, the argument ringing bright and clear in your mind as you still tried to continue with your studies. But as much as you tried, you couldn’t ignore the pounding heart and rapid heating of your cheeks as your mind always managed to drift back into thinking of him.

~~~~

You sat in your chair, back and neck hurting as you craned your head into the book. Your wrist ached as you wrote down each letter without having to look back at the parchment paper made to help you. You managed to memorize each symbol, calculating the letters into place and quickly jotting them down as you got them. You’d make sure you were right when you finished.

The sound of a whistle and the sweet gentle call of your name broke your train of thought, making you shoot your head in its direction. There at the entrance of the room was the young girl, Nikté.

You learned her name when she first saw you reading the mayan book, eyes going wide as she suddenly began to talk frantically. You obviously hadn’t known how to tell her you didn’t know what she was saying, so you resulted in trying to write the word “learning” in her language. She nodded her head immediately after, that smile across her lips as she introduced herself properly at last. From then on, she visited you often, always coming into your room to tell you when food was ready, when the bath water was on its way. Though you mostly communicated by saying one word, it made you feel less alone. As if you had made a friend.

You stretch your arms, holding them above your head as you greet her, “Hola.” Smiles paint both your faces as she makes her way towards you. Her long black hair flowing behind her, the jingle of her jewelry is heard throughout the cavern as she appears in front of you. “Hola.” She replies, politely bowing her head to you.

You didn’t know what time it was, having gotten lost in your studies and skipped the time in which they brought the bath water to you. You stood up from the chair to stand at her height, bowing your own head to her as well as continuing to stretch by bending parts of your body you felt knots in.

Usually, she would sit down after you greeted her. Helping you with word accents and such but today she did not even look at the table.

“P'isib u janal?” You asked, ‘food time?

She shook her head, when she did you noticed the smile on her face. It was wider, happier, lovelier.

“Taal u.” She simply says, reaching her hand towards yours. The cold blue skin greeting your own made you shiver. She intertwined her fingers with yours, giving you a soft squeeze before nodding her head to the direction of the door.

“Taal u.” Come.

~~~

She led you through the halls, still walking hand in hand with you as you suddenly came to a stop before the room you had seen her and the two women weaving your dresses.

“Pa’atik.” She told you, Wait. She let your hand go, going inside of the dimly lit area and leaving you out in the hall.

The faint dripping of water, loud voices, and laughs were the constant noises you heard here. It had become second nature to block them out but you decided to listen to your surroundings as you waited for your friend. The rustle of fabric, the jingle of jewels, and what sounded like a hushed argument came from the place you waited outside of. You fidget with your fingers, wondering what you were even waiting for. The urge to walk back into the room and continue reading consumed your being, and it took everything in your body to stay planted where you were.

A minute or two passed when you were suddenly pulled inside the room. Your heart leaped out your chest and you let out a small scream as you were suddenly sat onto a plush chair in the middle of the room.

Nikté’s eyes greated your own, crinkled by the smile of her face. Her long fingers made their way through your hair, softly beginning to detangle it as you stared at her in confusion. You drifted your gaze as she made her way behind you, trying to take in your surroundings as this was your first time in this room.

You had only ever seen the guards, Nikté, and the two women during your stay here but the sight before you made you realize how you truly didn’t know the strange world you were in.

At least 10 women stood in the crowded space, all handling either jewelry or large amounts of fabric. Shining, glittering, or sheer, the yards of silk flowed off the tables around you and onto the floor like water. They flooded the room, a carpet of colors decorated the floor and your eyes went wide. You’d only ever seen such fabric of high quality in boutiques while shopping for dresses. Where did they even get these from?

You looked at the beautiful patterns and colors before you. White, black, and red colored dresses caught your attention. Each unique and with a personality of their own, all with different skirts and necklines. You wondered who or what they were for, enamored with the intricate details of them all. Patterns of flowers and ocean waves looked to be hand woven into the hems , rising up and up like flames and scattering across the bodice of each.

You couldn’t take your eyes off them, so entranced by their beauty you did not even notice the layering of beads upon your body. Heavy earrings were placed on your ears, pure jade decorated with gold and a matching necklace. The same type of jewelry they would dress you in to present you to Namor. You felt them, but didn’t truly notice until you looked away from those dresses and into a mirror. A large vanity style mirror was hung on the wall before you, you stared at your reflection.

Something about you changed. The last you had seen yourself in the mirror was the first day you were here, you could still feel that small piece in your hands as you flexed them. Back then you were scared, utterly frightened and confused of everything, but now you weren’t. Though still in the dark of several things, like where these beings around you even lived and came from, you seemed happier. The once deep bags of your eyes seemed to have filled out, you carried yourself taller, and the jewelry you once dreaded to see now made your stomach whirl in nervousness.

You were going to see him again. You swore to not think much of it but you kept remembering the book. You didn’t know if he picked out for you personally, but you wondered if he remembered reading about the girl who looked and acted just like you. You wondered if that's why he chose it. He even translated the symbols for you and wrote down their phonetic sounds. You began to think of that night and tending to his wounds. Reminding yourself of those things he said that made your heart skip a beat, stupid stupid man.

The anger you held for him kept you sane, or that’s what you’d like to believe. You didn’t know why you couldn’t stop fidgeting. Your knee bounced up and down, you bit your bottom lip, and you stared blankly at the mirror as you watched Nikté brush and place small pearls in your hair. She hummed softly, the water of her mask swishing with her as she moved her head side to side in the rhythm of the song she sang.

So sweet, so soft. Everything about her reminded you of the sun. The warmth of her voice and smile, the brightness of her eyes and laughs. She reminded you of Adeline. Though your friend on land was rather vulgar and half insane, she could be the nicest person you’d ever known when she wanted to. The sunset on the beach before you came here played through your mind, the way she looked at you with pure joy on her face made your heart ache. You got lost in the memory, going misty eyed before you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Terminado.” Finished Nikté says, leaning over your shoulder to whisper it into your ear. You focus your gaze back to the mirror before you.

The front of your hair was covered in pearls appearing to look like a makeshift crown. The tiny beads reminded you of the fresh morning dew that coated the soft petals of flowers on that land you missed, small and delicate. The rest of it was loose and neatly pinned back so it stayed away from your face. All but two strands of hair poked out before your ears to frame your features.

You could almost die at the fact they made you look so pretty to only see him. Gave you such fine accessories and clothes for a man you didn’t even want to care to see. You recalled how he basically admitted he dressed you, the fact he might’ve wanted them to make you look beautiful made the skin on your cheeks burn.

How dare he make you feel this way after keeping you down here? What next, was he going to try to woo you in marriage?

The sudden thought made you burn even hotter, something inside you screamed in either delight or in fear. You couldn’t tell the difference. You quickly shook the thought away, simply looking back at the blue skinned girl behind you and smiling.

~~~~

Anxiety filled your gut as you were led down the now too familiar hall to Namors hut. The seconds felt like minutes as you attempted to work up something to say when you’d see him.

Do you thank him for the book? Pretend as if it meant nothing to you when in fact it meant everything? Do you ask him about the wounds, if they healed? Hell, why did you even care so much about what to say?

So many words, ideas, excuses came to your mind.

You were so captured by them that when you blinked you were suddenly in front of the curtain that separated him from you. There, just behind that flimsy piece of fabric, was the man you tried desperately not to think of day and night.

You felt as if your lungs were going to collapse from the air that had been sucked out. Fear, terror, anxiety, and a thousand more emotions shot through you as you made the decision to finally enter.

He was sitting lazily against the same chair he had sat in during your first meeting. His back was straight but his shoulders were slightly hunched as he held a pen in one hand and a piece of that same parchment paper you had in your room. He looked tense. A stern look rested on his features as he read what was before him.

Gold adorned his neck and shoulders with thick pauldron-like armor that sat atop them. Each layer was extremely detailed, either scaled or sharp edged swirls came together to resemble something that looked to be an ancient painting of a dragon. Hints of lapis lazuli coated the edges as a necklace of gold and shimmering pearls connected the two pieces of armor together, floating across his toned chest. Not a thing out of place. A white and red edged cape hung from him, flowing off and around like those fabrics you'd seen earlier. Smooth and soft like water.

You stared at the figure before you in absolute awe. Again, the only word you could even think of when you saw him was Ethereal.

He still hadn’t noticed you as you continued to take him in. So different from the last time you saw him, that weak and vulnerable air around him was once again powerful and tense. He never exactly told you what he was, you only found out he was a King through the people around you, but he really did look like a God.

You cough, placing your hands behind your back as you call for his attention. You straightened yourself as best as possible, trying to appear as unbothered as you could in the presence of him. Though if he started talking and you heard the voice that rang through your mind and made your knees weak, you didn’t know if it would’ve been possible to keep the act up. .

Namor looks up at you, his eyes scanning your body and face before that smile he always wore when he saw you appears.

He says your name. The thick and gruff accented voice made it sound so perfect, as if it were a piece of art specially made for him and only him to ever say. You braced yourself to feel your knees buckle, but instead the sound soothed you. It caressed a place deep down inside your gut and every tensed nerve inside you calmed. Every bad thought drifted away like smoke in the wind. How strange.

“You know, you never told me your name.” Were his first words to you after that.He lifted from his chair ever so gracefully, the fluid motion of his body drew you in as you stepped further into the room.

“I don’t think you ever asked.”You replied.

“No, I did not.” He chuckles. “It was actually Nikté who told me. It is nice to see you are making friends.” He gently nods his head, greeting you the way he always did.

“Did she now?” You nod your head in return as you stop behind the chair across from his. Your eyes met his, the dark of them swirled with a flurry of emotions. You didn’t look away this time. You didn’t roll your eyes and run away from him like you had before. No, how could you? You made it this far, why turn back now.

“How are your wounds?” You ask him, looking away and taking a seat on the chair in front of you. You grabbed a piece of melón that was gently set in the bowl of fruit on the table, realizing you hadn’t eaten at all this morning.

“Take a look for yourself.”

You look back up and into his direction too eagerly. He begins to pull away the fabric at his sides, the golden skin at his waist peaking out beneath. Smooth, unmarred skin was revealed to you and your eyes went wide.

“What?” You whisper to yourself. “But- that type of injury should have taken weeks to heal. There should be scabs, o-or at least a trace of scars— How did that even heal so quickly!” You question, brows furrowed in confusion as you stare at his waist. Impossible.

He simply laughs at you, hands falling away and the cape back into place. “That is actually the reason I called you here today.”

You looked back up at his face, seeing a playful grin set upon his lips. You lifted a brow, “Called me here? What? Like I’m your pet?”

Silence. The grin was wiped clean off his face, replaced with an emotion you could not quite read. You were going to ask if he was okay, worry spread through you as you realized you might’ve offended him. You considered apologizing for what you said, mouthing opening to say the words until he smiled.

His cheeks curved up until the crinkles at the corners of his eyes and the smile lines at his cheeks were on full display. He laughed, practically howling as he held his stomach.

You sank down and embarrassment filled your veins. That laugh would ring throughout your mind later, you knew it. It made your stomach do flips and your heart pound at the sound. He continued to shake with laughter as he set himself back down onto the chair before you. Slowly wiping away small tears that fell onto his skin.

“Pet! That’s funny.” He manages to say in between breaths, eyes open fully and set on you now.

“It wasn’t That funny..” You mumble before biting the fruit in your hands. You chewed as slowly as possible, savoring the bittersweet taste of the melón that soaked in your tongue. Its juice coated your fingers, the slippery texture almost had it falling from your hands.

It tasted like summer. Memories of your mother bringing you fruit after playing with friends on hot days rang through your mind. You did your best to focus on those times, doing and thinking of anything to ignore his gaze on you. It reminded you of why you even let yourself be here, your silly goal of somehow convincing him to let you go back to that life you missed. You won’t let your emotions keep you away from that. Or, at least you’ll try.

He snickered, clicking his tongue as the wide smile stayed. He shook his head as he did, the last few laughs falling away. “No, it was funny.”

You huff, rolling your eyes before taking an even bigger bite of fruit. “So, why am I here?” You ask, mouth half full. Juice spilled from the corner of your lips, seeping out and dripping down onto your chin. The orange colored sap slid down down down, onto your collarbones and the necklace you currently wore. You were too busy looking at him spitefully that you hadn’t noticed he was studying the way it that stuck to your skin.

You were about to say something, something snarky and no doubt stupid when you saw him staring at you. But it quickly faded from your mind as you saw his arm reach up. A strong calloused hand made its way towards your face, holding itself in a cupping position. Your body froze as you stared at the person it belonged to. His eyes were intense, set on not your own but rather your lips. His hand reached your face, cupping your chin softly. Much softer than anyone has ever held you. His thumb swiped across the corners of your lip, wiping away the stickiness on your chin with it as well.

“You are here because I have decided I need to show you something. A way of saying thank you for the other night.” Namor replies, his eyes slowly studying your face. You felt flushed as you watched him, your fingers dug deeper into the piece of fruit you held. The soft unbruised melón was now intended by your fingers, a darker orange where you held it than the rest of its untouched counterparts. He continued to hold your face a few seconds more, the warmth of him made you want to nuzzle into it. It took everything to resist.

Chills went down your spine, goosebumps spread across your skin when he gently brushed it away. Your mind was blank, everything you ever thought of was gone, it only focused on the lingering warmth on your cheek. His presence seemed to do that to you. Like if your mind was a compass and he was north.

You stared blankly at him, the unexpected action left you going crazy. Feelings bubbled in your gut, thoughts you didn’t even want to have about him all rushed and played in your mind.

God! What was he going to show you? Surely it wasn’t anything like.. that.. right?? This is only your third real conversation!

You tensed, blinking slowly as you finally gulped down the chewed fruit in your mouth. You forced yourself to breathe, slowly and steady.

His lips began to move, he was saying something. But you didn’t hear. Your ears rang as you slowly tried to pick up the scattered parts of your brain and put them back into place.

“Huh?” You managed to force out when you noticed that he was finished. Not having heard a single thing.

Whatever he said must have been very important because he suddenly stood. The action startled you, jumping slightly at it.

“I said to follow me. I need to show you something.” He says calmly, as if what he had done to do had no effect on him whatsoever. Well, why would it? He definitely knew what he was doing. Bastard.

“Oh okay.” You mumble in response, your voice faint as your eyes follow him. His strong back was turned to you as he walked out the hut, he didn’t even wait to hear your response. He was gone and you were left staring at the gentle swaying of the curtain before you.

You softly cursed him before taking the final bite of fruit in your hands. He really was going to be the death of you.

~~~~

“That’s absolutely hideous.” You say, voice painted in disgust.

A big metal suit stood before you. It was made of chunky metal, covered in wires and lamps and a large oxygen tank. Not only that but it was quite wide. No doubt that it had many layers residing inside of it, most likely designed to protect the person who wore it. It was rounded at the edges with a thick type of plexiglass helmet resting upon its top. It reminded you of a high tech space suit, the white paint of it like those you’d seen in movies.

“Ah, so now is when you care about something being attractive.” Namor says. You can’t see him but you could tell he had a shit eating grin on his face. You shook your head before turning to look at him. You glared, showing no amusement at his response.

You both stood outside his hut, near the body of water that surrounded the rocks of the cave. The glowing pools made the suit look blue, reflecting the light that showed upon it. You both were covered in the royal colors as well, the soft glow lit his eyes in a way that looked like they were swimming with stars. Though the shadows on his face made him look more menacing, his sculpted sharp features were more intense. The complete opposite to the softness of his eyes.

“What’s it even for?” You ask, tilting your head back to the strange thing before you. You tried to examine it even farther, attempting to figure out its intended use but instead more questions popped up inside your mind.

Where did it come from? Who made it? Why was it here? Where did they even keep it?

You placed a hand on the cold metal, smooth and slick. The suit looked new, as if no one had even dared touch it before you did.

“Deep sea exploration.” The male behind you says.

“Deep sea- what?” Your eyes went wide as you whipped your head to him. He chuckles, gently making his way towards you and the suit.

“I need you to get in it. Only if you want to see what I have to show you.” He sounded so calm, as if that request wasn’t something incredibly bizarre. You stared at him in disbelief. Your brows furrowed and you wanted to call him crazy.

“What would you have to show me that requires a deep sea exploration suit anyways?” You ask instead, emphasizing the words he used.

He gave you a sly look, mischief swirled in his eyes and smiled before looking away from you. “It’s not something I can really say, only show.”

You roll your eyes at him, sighing before backing up to take in the suit's entirety once more. You grimaced as you felt a tinge of fear inside you, it sent a chill down your back. You can’t imagine where he wants to take you in that. But, if his people lived in water, if they thrived there then, maybe… maybe you could trust him with this. He saved you once, let you heal him besides his protests, gave you a book you couldn’t be more grateful for. You had few reasons to trust him, but something told you they were a part of something grander than you knew.

‘Trust him..’ That call inside you roared at you.

If anything were to go wrong, he’d be there.

He’d be there, the words rang through your mind. They put you at ease, and you grabbed a hold onto that.

“I mean I guess but..” You begin. Even though calm soothed your mind, just agreeing to get in the suit made your bones cry out. Fear and excitement whirled inside of you, it made you want to crawl out of your skin and run from the leering unknown of what he was to show you.

You can trust him..’ You repeat to yourself, to your crying nerves as you turn to look at him.

“How am I going to get in?”

~~~~

The suit was not as heavy as you thought. Though hard to navigate in, the small light that it illuminated gave you a tiny sense of security in the dark of the ocean.

Namor helped you in, giving you a small lift as you climbed inside. Though he first insisted on flying you up, grabbing your waist before you began to protest. You trashed and pounded at his chest, demanding that he let you go, he merely laughed before bending his knee for you to step on.

You asked what he was going to wear, if you really were going to such a place where something of this sort was required surely he needed one too. He simply said “You’ll see.”

That was when you learned he could breathe underwater. You stared in shock as he led your metal arm through underwater caves, smiling and talking as if the fact he could do so was absolutely nothing.

You tried not to think about it, that night he saved you, but began to think you should have. You never acknowledged how he did it, the fact he simply had was enough for you. Though this would never have crossed your mind. You supposed it made sense, he was a King— a God—, to his people who could do the same. But even then it still puzzled you, they had blue skin and he did not. They had gills, he did not. His ears were pointed, theirs weren’t. He even had wings on his feet, hell. But perhaps it was seeing him in his natural habitat that surprised you. You’d only ever seen his people, never him.

There may have been a millisecond where you thought you understood him though, what he was. But in fact, you knew nothing even when you felt as if you knew everything. And maybe you did, maybe you just needed reassurance.Maybe you just needed him to say the words himself, to tell you. To soothe you. Because the way he spoke, the way words slid off his tongue and into your soul, made you feel as if a piece inside of you was missing. And his presence was the place they resided, so whenever you were near you felt whole. You felt as if you were home, as if you could trust him. Despite every nerve in your body and thought in your mind, the piece that called you to him was stronger than any force.

Even when the cold and incredible dark of the water surrounded you, even as it still sent a disgusting wave of fear over you, looking at him made all those feelings wash away. You did nothing but watch him lead you down into the depths the entire time. You watched him swim so gracefully it put the gentle swaying of the seaweed to shame.

You didn’t know how long the journey to your destination was, you didn’t even know where you were going. Only following Namor’s lead, you waited and waited to come to a stop. To see something that would indicate something was near.

You were about to ask, where he was leading you, how far and deep in the ocean were you going. That was until the gentle glow of blue lights illuminated him and your view. You watched his smile light up.

He swam faster, leaving you trailing behind as he seemed to perch atop something that looked like a building. You were going to cry out, tell him to come back but the water seemed to push you into his direction. You were beginning to drift away, the control of the suit slipping from you as fear took over once again. But he caught you, gently grabbing your hand before turning you around to see what he had been admiring.

What you saw then made everything come into place. You were so thankful for those fragments of culture that I saw in the cave, believing that was all he had to hide. But this… you now finally understood why he’s kept you there. If you even muttered a word about the cave, what you’d seen, someone might have come looking. Might have found this, you could never do that to them. No this… this was something pure, untouched and different from the world you knew. You would have given every life you could live if it meant to have seen this only once.

He called your name, but you couldn’t look away. A smile began to make its way onto your face, pure utter joy and wonder exploded inside your chest. It filled you, the cold around you seemed to fade and every worry was gone.

“Welcome to Talokan”

It was a city, an underwater city. Ancient mesoamerican architecture sprouted from every inch of the rocky walls and earth, carved carefully and beautifully. They were everywhere, on the seafloor and above. Round, squared, or sharp edged, those buildings covered every inch before you. Large natural plants decorated the surface of them, glowing in a natural blue light that seemed to come from their veins. Weeds swayed with the motions of the water, dancing to the harmonies of life around it. Fish and jellyfish carried that same blue glow as the plants. They floated like beautiful balls of light around you.

A grand pyramid was in the middle of it all, dyed red with hints of green. It loomed and towered over the city. But instead of being separated from everything else, it welcomed the surroundings. United rather than apart, it seemed to compliment the buildings around it rather than the other way around. It spread out, the structures bordering it were parts of it. You couldn’t tell where it ended and the rest started.

That was not the centerpiece though. No, how could it be?

It was the giant, beautiful ball of glowing light.

Huge and brighter than anything you’ve ever seen, it looked like the sun. Its light bounced off every surface, illuminating what you saw now. The glow filled your soul, your heart. That call you always felt when looking towards the ocean, it thrived there.

You hadn’t noticed the whales until one passed over you. A giant, beautiful creature whose song echoed around the walls of the city. So grand, so amazing. You’d never seen one so close.

Though there was something strange about it, you looked closely thinking that the spots scattered across their skin were abnormally large barnacles, but how wrong you were.

It was people. People who rode and grasped the back of those large magnificent creatures. People who could breathe underwater and had gills as well.

You hadn’t exactly caught a good glimpse of what they looked like in water, only having seen them as blurs in the shallow pools of the cave. But you saw now. They looked like any other person on land. Tan, pale, or dark skinned, they looked so human.

Maybe they once were, maybe their ancestors felt the gentle kiss of the sun on the land above. The feel of air filling their lungs and the crisp scent of spring flowers. You wondered what happened for them to end up here.

You once yearned for the water, for what resided in the depths of the unknown expanse. Being here made you think this was it. That this was the place that called and called you every time you set foot on the shore. Was this truly it?

You began to think the pressure of the water was getting to you, that the suit would give in and you’d suddenly wake up in that small hammock of your room. But no, this was real. You grasped the hand that held yours, grounding yourself as you felt like you were floating in absolute bliss.

He called your name again, so smooth and gentle even in the ripples of sound underwater. You responded this time, having to look away before your heart exploded out of your chest.

“Would you like to see more?”

“Yes.” You replied quickly and breathlessly, nodding your head. Tears fell on your cheeks, ones you didn’t even know had formed in the first place.

Namor saw them and gripped your hand tighter. The gentleness of his eyes spread to his face, a soft genuine smile appeared. Real. No sign or hint of wit or mischief. That tense look he constantly wore was gone, vanished like it had the night he was wounded. But it wasn’t vulnerability that took over, it was something you couldn’t quite place.

A longing inside you grew as you tried to figure it out. It consumed your soul and being as you looked at him. Then it clicked.

Fondness, that was it.

You’d been here no longer than a minute but you knew what you were to see would change every emotion you had towards him. Every sliver of stubbornness and anger melted away with that look he gave, gone never to return. It is so easy for humans to surrender to their emotions, so easily influenced by other memories. At least you can say you tried.

You looked back to the world before you, taking a small leap in the water. Soon after he led you further by the hand, beginning his swim once more.

~~~

There was no excuse you could make up to go back to the life you knew before this. Not a single thought or idea could compare to what he just showed you. Why would you even want to leave after experiencing that? Namor showed you the secrets of his world. How unfair and ungrateful would you have to be to deny what he offered you. It was all you wanted and more, a life in the ocean. To be with the water forever.

You believe that if he had shown you Talokan when you first arrived, if he had been honest about what he wants to protect instead of just saying you need to stay with him, you would have said yes without a second thought.

Your blood sang along with the song of the people you heard down there. That ancient voice that kept you awake for years and years came from Talokan. That was it’s home, you knew this now.

You recalled the city and its heart. That giant ball of light made of vibranium, he had explained to you.

“It brought the sun to my people.”

His people. People who lived and thrived in that ancient and forgotten world. You saw children and adults go about their day. All laughing, smiling, trading goods, or playing sports. It was no different than the land above, they were just like any other society. They had their love, lives, people to protect.

You marveled at it even now, seeing beings with gills and swimming skills that would put those who trained their whole lives to shame.

They greeted you and Namor like old friends, wide grins on each of their faces. They weren’t afraid of you, no. They went up to you, bowing and placing their left wrist upon their right, a salute of some sorts to their king before coming and gently touching your suit. They examined you as you did them, not a hint of malice or disgust in their faces. But rather joy and wonder, you tried to listen to what they told you. Syllables and words you didn't know or understand crowded your ears as when all began to talk at once. You tried your best to keep up, but you only understood the few words Nikté had said to you.

Regardless, they all looked so happy. So free.

In a world where all the rules from that up above never existed you begin to fantasize living there.

As yourself, as the person you always wanted to be. Unbound from the shackles of expectations from family and friends. All that you would get judged for around from those on the surface, your gut told you that they never would down in the ocean below.

But, you had family and friends like they did. You had people who missed you, who worried and cared. What would happen if one of those smiling beings you saw had been in the same situation as you? You’d want them to come back home. Why would you keep them away from everything they’ve known?

It had been a few minutes since you returned to the cave with Namor. You sat at the edge of the rocky floor, feet dipped into the water below. He sat next to you, covered in the cape he had previously worn now acting as a towel.

No words had been exchanged since he had told you it was time to come back. Your mind was still in that city, so was your heart. You kept your eyes closed, burning everything you had seen into your mind. Like the amber which once encased the bones of the past, like the way these people upheld and cherished their undiscovered lives.

You kicked your legs back and forth, the splish splash of the water filling the silence of the cave. You hummed to yourself, that same song Nikté sang earlier.

“I know that melody.” Namor suddenly spoke, voice no louder than a whisper. You turn your head to him, only to see he was already looking at you. He was so close, his shoulders nearly touching your own. His hand almost overlapped your own as well, his pinky looked as if it was reaching for your own.

You give him a smile, “Nikté said it was called K’iino’. That means sun right? Was- Is it about the vibranium sun?” You ask.

He nods, a smile grows on his own face at your words. You nod in return. Silence spread throughout the cave again.

You tensed, body stiff from containing all the questions building inside you. You did your best to not say anything, not wanting to pry at him and his reasoning. But you needed to hear him talk, to feel that warmth his voice brought throughout your body. You needed to know, to know why he showed you such a secret. He told you himself, he could not risk his people being compromised.

“Why did you show me Talokan? I don’t— I would have been fine in the cave you didn’t need to show me. I’m just a human from land. I highly doubt I have the right to be shown such a thing-“ The words you had been holding in finally burst, flowing freely before he cut you off.

“Why do you think I gave you the book?” He says.

You quieted. Why did he give you the book?

You blinked at him, mouth in an O shape as you considered the question. You’ve thought about it of course, but never came to a conclusion. Your mind would mostly drift off when thinking about him, about the girl in the book. You never tried to understand exactly why he gave it to you. You assumed it was for you to simply learn the language, obviously that was not just it.

He saw you pause, his brows furrowed and a troubled look flashed upon his face. He shook his head immediately after, brushing away whatever he had been thinking of. Namor finally looked back into your eyes, a flame burning bright in them as he stared intently.

“You had the right to know. I don’t want you to think that I am keeping you here as a prisoner. I don’t want you to feel like one. You are allowed to do what you like, what you please. I gave you the book so…” He paused, trying to find the right words to say. “If you read the whole thing, I had a feeling you would be able to understand why I am keeping you here. If I showed you Talokan, you’d understand even better. I needed you to see what I have to protect, what I am protecting. And that I could protect you too.”

A wave of emotions was sent over you as he spoke those last few words.

Protect you too.

But what was he protecting you from? You weren’t Talokanil, you had been exposed to the world above. You’d lived in it, you came from it. You were born from the dirt and ash unlike those he called his people. You thought of your own people actually.

How similar the lives of both civilizations live. How a mother or father of someone might go so far as to protect their children. Talokan was his, he was their King. Their God. But you had a mother of your own too, a father. Siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles who you know would worry for you as much as he would for a single one of them.

“What would you do if one of your own people got stolen? If the person who held them locked them away where you have no chance of finding them. what would you do?” You ask.

“I’d tear the world apart to find them.”

“And what is to say my family won’t do the same for me?”

He froze, the burning in his eyes stopped. A cold seized over him as he looked stunned. For just a split second, sadness flashed against those brown orbs and you didn't look away.

He said your name, softly and gently. It almost broke your heart to hear him say it. “You want to leave? After I showed you-“

You cut him off, “No! Never, I could not do that to you. To Nikté, to all those people down there. I would never.” You explain. “I just..I simply ask for a week on the surface every month. On land, I have no doubt people are looking for me. I just— I need to let them know I am safe. That I am cared for. I will not tell them anything about you or what I know. I just don’t want them to think I ran away forever.”

Namor tenses and he backs away from you. The close proximity you once shared now distanced. He sighs heavily, throwing his head back. He’s thinking, the lids of his eyes twitching as he knits his brows.

You bite your lip, fidgeting with your fingers as you anxiously wait for his response. The silence between you two is drawn out, the sound of your mingled breathing filling your ears. You do nothing but look at him, study him.

His jaw is clenched, tight and firm. It was so sharp and pointed. Perfectly complimenting his ears. He really was beautiful.

You considered telling him to forget your offer, that you’d be fine without it and quickly storm back to your room. Until he lifted his head, rolling it around his shoulders as a faint crack came from the tensed area.

He sighs again,”One day.”

“What?”

“One day, every month.”

You stare at him again, seems to be the only thing you can do around him. It took a few seconds for the words to truly process into your mind.

“Five days.” You respond, one day was absolutely nothing.

“One.”

“Four!”

He gave you a long look. Something told you he didn’t want to fight. And neither did you. You huff, glaring at him and slightly pouting.

“Three. Three days.” Namor says, voice gruff and somewhat defeated.

Three days. Three was good, right? Longer than one, shorter than a week. It was enough time for a weekend, a weekend with your family every month. Enough time to feel the real warmth and heat of the sun upon your skin. Enough time to feel the grass and dirt to last you until the next month.

“Fine.” You agree. You open your arms to stretch your own tense muscles. You could still feel the weight of the suit on your shoulders, the way it moved in the water.

A yawn escaped you, eyes suddenly growing heavy as you turn back to Namor. He never stopped looking away from you, that soft look from before was there. So gentle, so sweet.

He looked so happy in his city, with everyone. Though you cannot say you truly know him, a piece inside of you did. And it scared you, just how at ease he made he feel. You thought of today, of what he had shown you and how he looked at you. You could still feel his hand on your cheek. Though only the ghost of it, it was still there. Has it always been there?

“You’re tired.” He says, his voice like a lullaby. Sleep called you, he was its companion. That warmth and comfort he brought you doubled now in your drowsy state.

“Mhmm.” You hum in agreement, nodding as well. Your eyes looked down, upon the expanse of him. His tanned skin, the muscles of his body. Giddy feelings swelled inside you, heat grew in your cheeks as they drifted to his left abdomen.

No wound. No scars.You had forgotten about that, when it was the entire reason he even showed you his home.

“You never told me how you healed so quickly..” You begin, eyes looking back up to him. But the second you did, Namor had begun to move.

He swiftly stood up, leaving you staring at his knees. More strong muscles in your line of vision. You could drool.

“That.. Is a story for another time. You must sleep.” He tells you, reaching his hand out to you.

The golden cuffs on his wrist shone in the soft cave light. Glinting and glimmering, you grabbed it. His rough skin welcomed yours, and it almost burned to touch him.

He pulled, a low grunt leaving your lips as you hauled your tired self up. It still felt like you were in the water., arms and knees growing weak at the sudden weight of gravity. You went at the sudden change of position, steadying yourself by squeezing his hand. He squeezed back.

The action had you burning even hotter, rushing to look back into his eyes. Something, anything to ground yourself. To let you know this was real.

And it was. That look in his eyes didn't change, it didn’t waver not one bit. It made warmth spread across your chest. You wanted to hold onto it a bit longer, to never let go of the hand that held yours. But he did.

His hand left yours, leaving a brush of emptiness against it. You almost felt sad, until you saw it come into your line of vision.

He cupped your face as he had earlier. Your body came back to life at it, every ounce of sleep left as he pressed against you.

You could melt in his hands. Your heart pounded in your ears at the flame of his touch. You wanted to speak, to say something. Anything to not let the moment pass and keep it going. You could stay here forever.

But nothing came out, not even a whisper or gasp left you as you opened your mouth to him. You just stared as you had before.

“Rest.” He tells you. “We will talk tomorrow.”

No. You wanted to say.

Now, I want to talk now. I don’t want to leave , not right now.

But sleep washed over you as he pulled his hand away. You clung onto the remanentes of warmth on your cheek. Your tired to fight the sleep that overtook you, but it was too much. You eyes were closing, you couldn’t even think straight.

So you simply nodded, bowing slightly before sluggishly heading back to your room.

~~~

Nikté pulled each pearl from your hair, combing her long fingers carefully through every strand. She massaged your scalp as you kept your eyes closed. She continued humming her song, you almost fell asleep right there.

She kept going, the melody of her voice slowly send you drifting off in the chair of your room. The bed was so close, you wanted to tell her to leave you. To drift off into the world you saw each time you closed your eyes. But you don’t think you would’ve even have enough strength to lift yourself up. To wrap yourself in the blankets waiting for you.

You just knew you needed to go back, to Talokan and to him. Only in your dreams will you find them, and that was enough for you at that moment.

You couldn’t wait any longer, finally giving into the darkness. Knowing you’d be happy to greet what awaited you, you finally slipped into the unknown. Hoping to dream about the sea. The ocean.

El mar.

Taglist:

@cypherpt5fttaehyung @euphrosyn3 @mariaxxxxx @papsboo @omgsuperstarg @deliciousfestsalad @spacenerdpascal @lilchickensworld @ethereal-athalia @anolddayslover @nyksgoddesofnight @emililanaroj @lumenseal @venus-the-sad @starwars-edits @matcha-bird @sirenascales @strwzz @redmadsstuff @p1nkch3rries @duckwithsunglasses @queenofangrymoths @leoniexdxd @blushsage @im-sorey @damnzelsoul @lilikan @reneki @zeeader @lysssaaas-world (Names in white did not appear when tagging)

Thank you for reading <\3!! Comments and reblogs are v much appreciated! If you have any insights please leave them kindly!!

A/n: also im like extremely sorry if the ending isn’t the best i’ve been busy with school and family 😭😭 but ill be on break soon which will give me time to come back and fix this (hopefully!!)

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notmorbid · 7 months ago

Text

miss subways.

dialogue prompts from miss subways: a novel by david duchovny.

every day here is like a new stanford experiment.

my inner judge never has rehabilitation in mind.

if i'm not busy learning or being born, i'm busy dying.

you want me here, but then you want to ignore me.

one step forward, one half-step back.

i like the phrase 'making love'.

fuck you, asshole.

to the victors go the nomenclature.

gods are immortal, so they're patient.

not even i can stomach scientology.

what is the sound of one hand clapping?

i don't want to be famous. i don't have the clothes for it.

my identity can't be longer than a tweet.

i saw an opening. i decided to be the bad guy.

you're not going to start biting the heads off live bats, are you?

it's true, then. you can't take it with you.

you worried so hard for so long.

i'm sorry, i didn't get your last name.

you called me? what are you, 103 years old?

jesus would not go to nobu.

i don't mind you thinking outside the box. i mind you thinking outside of my box.

either lie down completely or stand the fuck up. it's gonna kill you in the middle.

you sound like oprah, except mean.

i want to live my life, not document it on instagram.

you lie to yourself and you lie to me.

to save something, something must be sacrificed. that's the way it goes.

we can't police our dreams. don't judge.

it felt like a death.

if i own something long enough, i start ascribing feelings to it.

that billy shakespeare, he got everywhere first.

i'm a reader, not a writer.

come on, let's get you cleaned up.

did i call you last night?

i was a different person with a different life. i've never had a dream like that.

there's nothing more boring than listening to somebody else's dream.

i can be a good shrink or a good friend. not both. choose.

i can't remember the last time i got laid.

don't be such a pussy.

i feel like i'm coming up short.

this is no time to come out of the closet.

was i a disappointment to you?

i like seeing things the way i do.

which version is the real you?

don't worry. there won't be a quiz.

the future is as random and fated as the past.

so much of life necessitates looking away.

have you been crying?

you forgot your trigger warning.

what i want has very little to do with anything.

spare me the faux shame.

when do the exceptions just pile up and make a new rule?

i like structure. i like to know i've done my homework.

i have to go to confession.

i don't know what to pray for.

the prayer is the god.

you stabbed a priest?

i need to change the past.

i'm losing you to that place you go.

shut the front door!

what would the perfect life look like?

you have the coolest, most beautiful eyes i've ever seen.

sing you to sleep? i don't really know any songs.

you don't know any songs? that's not possible.

i think i've always wanted to be taken advantage of by a gigolo.

you seem too smart to be an actor.

little lies make bigger lies possible.

there's something you're not saying.

there's a lot i'm not saying. i'm sure there's a lot you're not saying, too.

take the reins. write your own story.

i'm sorry you heard that.

i screwed up. you're not gonna love me anymore.

we all know better, but we're human. we screw up.

how do we know our character unless we step outside it and look its way, now and then?

is it my business? you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

i feel tall enough to ride this rollercoaster.

maybe you don't see yourself the way i see you.

you understand fine. you're just too nervous to comprehend.

people fall in love in difficult circumstances. most songs are about it.

let's agree on a moratorium on questions like "how did you know?".

well, stop guessing. start knowing.

just because i'm funny doesn't mean i'm not lethal.

you're already in the game. you have no choice but to play on.

don't tell me what i want. don't put words in my mouth.

where has playing by the rules gotten you?

maybe you have more power than you think you do.

one of the lies we tell children is that reason will get them through this life.

in order to love, you have to know what death is.

as first kisses go, i've had worse.

there's such a thing as too much history.

i want to be with you, but not like this.

i'm quite forgettable. that's like, the most memorable thing about me.

do you actually believe in past lives?

this conversation requires more wine than i currently have.

is there something else you'd like to ask? i get the feeling there is.

#rp meme #ask memes #inbox memes #rp memes #rp prompts #inbox meme #ask meme #rp prompt #fantasy meme #romance meme #magical realism

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noonaishere · 3 months ago

Text

Music of the Heart [J.YH] - seventy-five | pedagogy

When you walked into the building the next morning, Mina had already been told of your appointment with the CEO, and decided to escort you there herself, more than happy to talk your ear off since you hadn’t talked to each other since you were hired.

“And you can see all the awards the company itself has won from labor boards and unions and all different things.” She pointed them out even though they were really obvious on the walls leading to Mr. Ji’s office.

“Why aren’t they all downstairs with the other ones?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because most people coming in wouldn’t be interested in them?”

“They should show them off to everyone though. Especially because, I think these probably show more of what the company is about, like, per the manifesto on the wall downstairs.”

“I think so too,” a voice from behind you said.

Both of you turned. Mina smiled widely and bowed as Mr. Ji walked over from where the elevators were, his assistant in tow.

You bowed nervously.

“I wanted to put them downstairs originally, but the board thought they might look a bit strange next to all the albums and music awards - being more about business than most people care for - so I had them moved up here.”

“Oh… I would think that they would want to show off to prospective talent that your company’s standards are as high as you aspire for them to be.”

He smiled. “I’ll make that point to them at the next meeting.”

You nodded nervously.

He turned to his assistant. “Ms. Lee, this is t/l/n t/f/n, my 9:30. Could you hold my calls?”

“Yes, sir.”

He then turned to Mina. “Miss Kang, you didn’t have to go through the trouble of escorting Miss t/l/n up here yourself.”

“It was no trouble Mr. Ji, I didn’t want her to get lost on her way up.”

He smiled. “Well thank you for taking the time to do so. If you’ll both excuse us, we have a meeting to get to.”

The two women bowed and turned to leave. As they walked away, you could see Mina link her arm in Ms. Lee’s, and they began chatting like old friends - which - if they’ve both been working there for a while, they probably were.

Mr. Ji walked the remaining few feet to his office door and held it open for you. “Miss t/l/n?”

You walked in. “Shouldn’t I hold it open for you? Since you’re the CEO and all?”

He chuckled. “You’re my guest.”

You nodded nervously. You hadn’t thought of it like that. Everything you’d seen of CEOs on tv and in movies always portrayed them as abusive, power tripping creeps, so you really couldn’t be faulted for your sudden case of nerves.

“Would you like something to drink?” He gestured to a station with a coffee maker and an electric kettle, and what appeared to be an array of different teas and coffees.

“Um, no thank you. I think Maddox is probably going to get us coffee or something when I show up, so I don’t want to disappoint him.”

He smiled. “Lord knows I wouldn’t want that boy to be sad, by any means.”

You chuckled.

He took off his suit jacket and hung it up. “Let’s sit here at the table while we work.” He walked over to a small, circular table and pulled the chairs out.

“Not at your desk?” You asked, confused.

“I prefer to sit as equals with someone if we’re working on something together.”

You supposed Hongjoong was right; he really was different. You sat at the table.

“Now, what was it that you wanted help with? Hongjoong said you were having trouble figuring out a lesson plan?”

“Um… I think it’s more than that. I’m just…” you mulled over how to phrase your issue.

“Say whatever’s on your mind.”

“Well,” you laughed awkwardly, “I don’t want to be too honest.”

“Why not? I’ve always found it to be the most helpful thing.”

“...I don’t want you to think that I’m ungrateful or… or that I don’t belong at the company.”

He smiled. “t/n, Hongjoong sees potential in you. When you were hired, I heard from Maddox’s own mouth that he was going to try to fight Hongjoong if he didn’t hire you.”

“Wha-- try?”

“He’s a sweet kid who’s never been in a fight in his life, but he was going to make that his first.”

“What? For a bassist?”

He shook his head. “For someone who makes mashups so good that it was plainly obvious they should have started producing years ago. When he finally convinced Hongjoong to watch them, I got a message from him shortly after asking if he could be the one to hire you as the third for their group.”

“What? They didn’t tell me that.”

He smiled. “They might have been trying to ease you into it, to lessen the amount of pressure, but they were right; I watched your mashups too and I think you have a bright future ahead of you.”

You felt your face heat up and you hid behind your hands for a moment. “This is so embarrassing.”

He laughed. “Why? You do good work and we all think you can keep doing it. I was rather impressed with your pitch for Ans:wer, considering you hadn’t been with us for too long when you made it.”

“Well, I had Hongjoong and Maddox helping me with putting it together. I just came up with the idea and they really liked it.”

“See? You’ve fit into their little group quite well.”

You nodded. “I’m still not sure if I should teach though. That’s sort of my concern right now.”

He leaned back in his chair and viewed you, crossing his arms across his chest. “Why is that?”

“Well… I’m self taught. And, like… I think I’m a pretty good player, but I don’t know if I’m good enough to teach. And I don’t know how to put a lesson plan together, like you said.”

He nodded and thought for a moment.

You sat with your hands in your lap and waited.

“Hongjoong told me your bass skills were incredible when you auditioned, so I don’t think that talent is really an issue. If you’re thinking about it this much, then you probably are good enough-- otherwise you wouldn’t care so much.”

You nodded slowly.

“And you’re already better than she is, so if you teach her what *you* know, she’ll at least be at your level.”

You nodded again.

“Hongjoong told me you can sight read because you took violin lessons when you were younger?”

Your eyes snapped to him. How much had he told him?

“Then you’ve already experienced the structure of a music lesson, so you can use that knowledge.”

That honestly hadn’t occurred to you, probably because you purposely tried to forget them. Your brow furrowed as you thought.

“Something wrong?”

You shook your head. “It just… wasn’t a great experience… It made me hate violin. I don’t think I’d want to teach someone the way my violin teacher taught me.”

He looked at you for a moment and seemed to consider what you might mean. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.

“At the very least, you know how you don’t want to teach, and that’s as good as knowing how you do want to teach. You can run your class in a way that makes your student love learning.”

You looked away for a moment as you thought. “But… how do I do that?”

He smiled. “What made you want to play bass in the first place.”

You shrugged. “I liked the music and it sounded really cool.”

“So use that.”

You looked back at him blankly.

“So many people seem to think that technical skill is somehow divorced from musicality, as if they’re two schools of thoughts of tackling the making and enjoying of music.” He shook his head. “Technical skill is what music is based on, like how an artist has to learn how to draw a realistic figure and know the rules of art before they can break them in the way famous artists do. Technical skills shouldn’t be chains to constrain us, they’re the skills we use to express what we feel.”

You nodded.

“How did your teacher teach you?”

“...You mean aside from the yelling?”

He grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

You shook your head. “Um… they taught a lot of technique.”

“In the context of songs? Or as an afterthought?”

You thought for a moment. “Mmm… wow, I’ve never thought about it. Umm… music felt like an afterthought. There was a lot of scales and drills for bowing and stuff, I just felt like--” You shook your head.

“Like what?”

“...Like a machine. Like someone was just inputting musical information and not like… teaching a kid the joy and wonder of music. Like a… if someone made a painting for the purpose of being pretty, but it didn’t make you feel anything.”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “There’s an intersection between music and money making that I’ve really come to hate. Where the amount of sales is the sole arbiter of if music or a musical artist is good or not…” he thought for a few more moments and shook his head. “There are so many artists in this business who are treated like machines instead of thinking, feeling humans.”

“Is that why you made Wonderland the way it is?”

He smiled and nodded.

You nodded back.

“I wish I could upend the system-- organize unions and guilds and give artists and staff more bargaining power. I have this nice office as a means of showing the power of the company to people who care about that kind of thing, but I much prefer being able to talk to my producers, talk to the CEOs of TTB, ask the head makeup artist and stylists how everyone is doing… I suppose Wonderland is my attempt at trying to change something that’s way bigger than any of us, even if it’s so small in comparison to the institution it’s in.”

“Well… you’re doing a pretty good job so far.”

He smiled.

“And, um… about Doyun… Thank you for taking action. I know a lot of other companies wouldn’t have.”

“I’m glad you’re happy with the result, but you don’t have to thank me for doing the bare minimum. Companies should protect their employees.”

You nodded thoughtfully.

“Why put yourself in charge if you’re not going to act like it?”

You looked at him. That phrase - though in other words - sounded awfully familiar. You smiled and nodded again. He was right.

The two of you sat in silence for a moment before he stood and grabbed a notepad and pen off his desk.

“How about, I show you how I structured my lessons when I taught Hongjoong?”

“Ooh, the trade secrets.”

He laughed.

Your heart was fluttering.

You weren’t sure it ever did that.

Were you excited to see him at the party? Sure, the party was probably going to be a wash: all you really wanted to do was make music, not drink and schmooze with randos, you were never really good at the whole ‘Hello Fellow Human, I Too Enjoy Talking About the Most Shallow and Banal Topics As If They Are Very Important’ thing. Talking about music or instrument modification or anything that requires real depth, that you were good at. But not whatever it was people did at industry parties.

You remembered when your parents would force you to go to the ones all the other violin students went to; bored parents just held socials with the excuse that it was for their kids to get to know each other - because if they all play violin, they all must have everything in common, right? - but really it was just so they could hang out with each other… and also do retcon on whose kid might win the next competition. It was equal parts strange and awful.

Maybe one held by Wonderland would be different.

And: Yunho would be there at this party. You wondered if he’d go with Satbyeol. Did they even go out yet? Should you ask if he was going with her? Sure, he had asked you if you were going, but that was just because you guys were friends again. Everyone always asks if their friends are going to parties; at least then if there’s no one else to talk to, they can talk to each other. You weren’t very close with Satbyeol though, so it might seem weird if you asked him if he was taking her.

You supposed you’d just find out when you got to the party.

And suddenly, sleeplessness that started over excitement, had become sleeplessness over worry.

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