#his first act of meeting MC was shooting them in the foot | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mxvladdy · 3 years ago

Note

Hi! just finished reading your Tumblr request on AO3 and I just looooove your writing ;; if it's not a problem I wanted to ask how you imagine that Lucifer, Mammon and Beel would react to a MC who is usually very quiet and not very expressive, impossible to embarrass or make nervous, to suddenly, one day manage to make her blush for the first time (Also, English is not my first language, so I hope this is okey) I wish you a lovely week ❤

A/N: This is adorable! Sorry for the slow turn around, I hope you enjoy!❤

Lucifer

Stoicism is something he normally finds very attractive in a woman. To be able to keep such a level of calm outlook during even times that might even shake him. He loves the idea of a power couple, and the way you hold yourself. You definitely make one.

It does grate him that he can’t fluster you like you do him, especially during your time together in private. He tries multiple ways to even just draw some color to your cheeks. Flowers in the classroom, hand written invitations to private dining establishments and venues, he even went to the human realm just to find some kind of familiar comfort to give to you. You love them all he knows but he wants, craves to see an uninhibited reaction from you. He’ll get it one day, his pride depends on it at this point.

Luck graces him one evening after a hellish work day. A fight in the school yard leading to property damage he had to do extra paper work for. The only saving grace of that was it wasn’t one of his brothers, this time. Only followed soon after by a report of yet another racket engineered by Mammon. Then, to top off a horrible day one of Belphie and Satan’s little “pranks” blew up half his office.

All his loose or unprotected paperwork, gone. Nothing but smoldering bits of ash. He was now more than ever thankful to have you by his side. Before he could get his hands on the two you stepped in shooing him away to deal with the other fires that needed to be put out while you handled his office.

Things got done, in record time for once. He was able to rewrite his notes for the next council meeting, but at the cost of your weekday dinner together. A pity, but he knew you understood. Trudging up to his room he looked forward to perhaps a few hours of sleep before the next crisis struck. Then he found you.

He chuckles to himself quietly leaning against his door frame. You had beaten him to his favorite resting roost. You sat on his favorite armchair, rolled up tight in his comforter. All he could see was a tuft of hair and the very tip of your nose. Beautiful as always, but he wanted to rest. Well-two birds, one stone and all…

He scoops you up envious of how deeply you could slumber and places you on his lap. Kicking off his shoes he sighs blissfully before resting his head back on worn leather.

Mini fic

You didn’t expect to see Lucifer tonight. Today has been the absolute definition of a shit show, on nights like these it wasn’t uncommon for you not to see him at all. You would normally place your bets on him being unconscious at his desk. Though, he couldn’t really do that tonight. You pat yourself on the back mentally knowing that he would be pleased with the work you and the brothers did cleaning up his office. While you couldn’t get them to apologize to Lucifer you at least got them to clean up what was salvageable in his study.

After a few hours of cleaning his office was back in working order and your feet were screaming for a break. Bidding the two miscreants farewell and making them promise to hold off on the pranks for at least a week you let your body lead you to Lucifer’s room. The room was how you left it that morning. Your slippers next to his by the door and your robe tossed haphazardly on his linen sheets. You make a beeline for the only piece of furniture Lucifer loved dearly. How many nights had you snuck in only to see him melting into the old chain. His long legs sprawled out and tangled in his foot rest, while his body sinks into the imprints he has left from years of use like a lover's embrace.

Yanking the thin comforter from his bed you curl into the divots with a yawn. Before you know it your eyes close and the crackling of the fireplace lulls you to sleep. You awake with a jolt, confused and disoriented for a moment before your sleepy brain catches up. You fell asleep alone on the soft leather but woke to something unyielding beneath you now.

Lucifer sits underneath you snoring softly. His arms rest around your blanketed body. His head tilts down over you, his nose tickling your hairline. Like always he sports a mild look of annoyance. His lips were drawn in a scowl, brows crinkling in displease. You could tell his jaw was tense even while he slept.

Freeing your arms from your cocoon you reach up from him moving to cup his twitching jaw. With practiced ease you began to message the pin joints. You smile to yourself moving down to his tense neck and shoulders. This had become a nightly ritual for you when you shared a bed. When you knew he was asleep you would start trying to work away some of his tension from the previous day. You swear in the morning that he looks better on the nights you get the chance to.

This was your little secret though. You couldn’t bear the thought of him knowing you did this. Not that you thought he would disapprove. Lucifer appreciated acts of service, but just the thought of him knowing made your whole body heat in a flush. You push the thoughts away focusing instead on the extremely tight muscles underneath his brow line. It amazed you that he didn’t have any wrinkles after all this.

So engrossed in your perusal of his features you didn’t notice him stirring till his warm palm traps your hand to his cheek. Before you realize it his lips push a firm kiss into the flesh of your palm. Scarlet eyes meet yours crinkling around the edges. They were warm and radiant. “You’re blushing.” His voice was deep and husky from what little sleep he got.

“What?” You stammer.

Lucifer leans in tapping his forehead on yours. He studies your wide eyes and pink face for a moment before cracking a smug grin. “I’ve never seen you flustered before. Your blush looks good on you.”

“You caught me off guard.” He nods, kissing the tip of your nose tenderly taking impish glee in your squirming.

“Good-I will strive to do so more often. I wish to see you as undone as you make me.”

Mammon

Stoic MC? Rare pair? Rare pair. Mammon wears his heart on his sleeve. Nothing about him is slick. From week one everyone knew he had it bad for you. He is so open with his affections whether he likes it or not. Unlike you.

Honestly, how were you always so controlled. Ain’t the dame supposed to be all blushy and giggly too? It-it makes him think he isn’t doing something right. Is he not treating you right? Were you unhappy?

So he goes to do what he does best. Scheme. There has to be someway to crack that stoic disposition of yours. He gets clingy-well clingier now. He starts springing random vacations on you. Expect to skip class whenever he thinks he won’t get skinned alive for it.

He’ll take you anywhere all his internet research tells him to. Black sand beaches, crowded boardwalks to see the lights, deserted hiking trails late in the evening to watch the fireflies. He is sure it will work. But nope, nada. You love every moment of it and show him with a soul searing kiss and sweet words of praise. But damn you if you aren’t always so cool about it.

He is about to throw in the towel when he finally gets what he wants. At work no less. It was completely by accident but he isn’t one to complain. Perhaps he should go to work more often.

Mini Fic

“Pucker up!” Mammon’s make-up artist orders, squeezing his cheeks between her thumb and forefinger. “And for Diavolo’s sake put your phone down.”

“Shove off Cazzin.” Mammon sputters around the sour tasting lip stain and plumper. His eyes still glued to his screen. His freshly done nails swiping at picture after picture of fancy hotels and spas. Just thinking about taking you a private spring got his blood boiling in the best ways.

“Woooow.” Cazz whistles through her fangs looking at his screen. “Who is the lucky lady you are trying to impress this time?

“Mammon bristles, shooting her a murderous glance. The smaller demon blanches, purple skin turning ashy with fear. Her eyes drop to the floor immediately in submission, a sincere apology falling from her lips. “My girlfriend.” He says finally after cooling down. “I’m-I’m trying to impress her or something.”

“Well, pretty sure with a price tag like that anyone would be impressed.” Mammon only grunts barely glancing at the excessive amount of zeros on the page. Any other girl he knew would be a blushing mess after getting a gift like this. Hells, even Cazz was eyeing the site with open envy and excitement. Yet, this wasn’t the first time he had done something like this with you. Every time he did all he got was a blisteringly radiant smile and kisses that probably could send him back to heaven if he didn’t have a life long ban there. Not that that was a bad thing...but he just wanted more.

“You would think so…” He trails off clicking his phone off to focus on the rest of his routine. No sooner had his hair and make-up artist finished then his director was stomping and shouting down the hall for him to get his ass on set. Grimacing Mammon slides off his seat stretching to spare himself a few more seconds of peace. He stops at the door taking one last look at his get up for this shoot.

Damn, he looks good. It was time for a new spring collection, but more importantly, his most popular season. The light spring colors always brought out his best features. The pastel cotton shirt they “fashionably” threw him in hung casually around his frame. Buttons “tastefully” undone to show the smooth planes of his freely waxed and oiled skin. The linen board shorts and finishing touch of leather sandals gave him the perfect beach vibe. At top dollar mind you.

Hmmm-perhaps he could borrow this outfit for your next beach outing.

Unable to tone out his bosses shouting anymore Mammon makes his way to set. He thinks hard on what else he can go or take you to impress you, ignoring the poking and prodding of his camera men and set designers. His partners today, two incubus twins stood sourly next to him. They had been at this for hours and even he was ready for a break from the sweltering heat of the lights.

“Alright! Alright!” The director broke an hour later tired of the twins whining. He throws his hands in the air in exasperation. “We’ll break for an hour for lunch- lost the light as is.” He huffs stumping off for a smoke break.

“Finally,” Mammon sighs from his pose on the ground. “Think I got sand in my ass.” He gets up from the ground grimacing as he tries to brush the grit off his legs. “Shit starts to burn when they get hot.” One of the twins nods looking down at their own arms. Tiny burn marks showing on their fair skin, they will heal by the time the shoot resumes, doesn’t mean they will be happy about it.

“Want to grab lunch?” The twins ask tossing him a towel to blot at his sweating brow. “New food truck is coming in today.” Mammon shakes his head. You had packed him something to eat this morning and he kind of wanted to enjoy it in peace for once.

Waving the two off he hurries back to his room already salivating at whatever tasty food you got him. Halfway to the door he stops, the fine hairs on his neck standing up. Someone was in his dressing room. Devil’s please don’t let it be another rabid fan. He pleads before creeping forward to check. Whoever it was left the door ajar, peaking in he stares enraptured.

When did you get here? It wasn’t abnormal for you to just drop by while he was working, but you usually waited for him on set behind the cameras. You sit humming to yourself reading something on your lap, feet kicking out innocently while you wait for him. Flipping a page he gets a glimpse of what you’re reading. His feathers ruffle in satisfaction. He had plans on showing you these shots before their release date. They still needed approval from his director but he knew they were great. You flip through shot after shot humming or nodding at some. One shot makes you stop fully, eyes growing wide.

Mammon snorts to himself, knowing exactly which photo you stopped on. The next issue was focusing on “Elegance in the work space”, whatever that means. His designer for the projects went a little overboard with the cuts and designs of the business suites he was to model. The sketches and drafts she had thrust at him had made his head spin. They were all amazing in his opinion, but one had been killer, everyone had agreed on that. If he didn’t know any better he was certain that it would put him on the cover. By the way you were looking at it, he was hoping it would.

That suit really complimented all of his features. It was form fitting accenting his slim waist but hid the slight sloping of his shoulders. The gold of the threading of his vest was done up in soft floral patterns that popped against the dark navy blue of the suit's fabric. The dark blue really brought out the lightness of his eyes. The look was topped off with a bright yellow silk pocket square, polished leather wingtips and gold cufflinks. He was about to interrupt you when he saw it, that one thing he wanted more than anything.

The pink starts at your ears swiping across the bridge of your nose before blooming on your round cheeks. It was breathtaking. Thinking he was being sneaky, Mammon whips out his phone for a quick picture, no one would believe him unless he had solid evidence. But the flash gives him away.

“Mammon!” You jump caught, hands flying to cover your warm face.

“Oi! None of that!” Mammon moves quickly snatching your hands away from your face beaming. “I’ve been waiting for ages to see this face on ya, an’ all it took was a picture of me?”

“You- you clean up really nicely, Mammon.” His hearts flutter at your soft admission.

“Huh,” Mammon scratches his neck, feeling his own blush coming forth. “Well- I mean I could do that more often, so long as you keep looking at me like this when I do.” He picks up the stack of photos from the floor where you dropped them in surprise. “Ya know- I still got that suit.”

Your face turns molten- oh he was going to have a field day with this.

Beelzebub

Doesn’t even notice at first. He is kind of the same way with expressing himself too- unless food is involved. So if you are content then he is content, so who cares if you don’t show it on your face?

Well- he didn’t care, until Belphie brought it up. His twin didn’t mean anything by it; he knew that, but it made him wonder. He trusts you when you say you are happy, you have no reason to lie to him. But date nights, game nights, and family dinners you were always so impassive.

It makes him wonder, not enough to ask you though. Truthfully, he is a little embarrassed that he can’t read you as you do him. He won’t force it like his brothers might. He is patient and hopes one day it will just come naturally like it does for him around you.

Mini Fic

Beel watches you over his lunch. You two were silent as you ate, but that was to be expected on days like these. The school cafe was packed with students all jockeying to get a place in line for today’s special. He had gotten there early for the both of you to gap a few of the specials and sides before they were gone. “Are you ok?” He puts his fork down leaning in close to speak to you across the small table. It creaks dangerously under the weight of his elbows on it. You look up from your tea mug. He smiles at your perpetually mild expression, your eyes were hard but your lips and brows were relaxed giving away nothing.

“Of course.” You smile up at him, face smooth and controlled. “Just excited about tonight.”

Hmph, could have fooled him. Beel leans back, studying you intently. He hopes you were as excited as he was for tonight. A new arcade had opened on the edge of town last week and he thought it would be a great date night for the two of you. He had expressed to you on several occasions how he was looking forward to the roller rink and the hoop games. You seemed eager, giving him a closed lip grin every time he brought it up. “Me too.” Beel says finally turning back to his food. “Think we will win any prizes?”

You snort dismissively. “Us? The dream team? I would be surprised if we didn’t win something. Have you seen the plushies?” You pull out your phone and show him their Devilgram. “I want to try and get the hydra one…” You prattle on and scroll through all the cute prizes on their site. He nods along taking a mental note of all the ones that you pointed at, determined to get each and every one for you.

School goes by quickly, far too quickly for him. Each tick of the clock caught him by surprise, jacking his nerves up more and more. It wasn’t like it was his first date with you, but it never stopped the butterflies from starting in his stomach. After school he changes quickly and waits for you by your bedroom door. He fiddles with the zipper of his jacket until you finally open your door.

“Ready?” The smile you throw up at him is breathtaking. “Hope you don’t mind my get up. You mentioned a roller ring so I figured something sporty and functional would be appropriate.” You kick out a leg waving a hand over your bright sport leggings.

Beel chuckles offering you his large hand. “You look adorable as always.”

Being with you was as easy as breathing to him now. After all your time together in the house getting to know you you became one of his closest friends, even before you started dating. You shared many of his interests and wasn’t afraid to argue your point if you saw fit. You fill the train ride to the arcade with idle chatter, goofy selfies to send to his siblings, and annoying the other passengers with your ill-contained chuckles.

The place itself was packed but well spread out to handle the massive throngs of demons and beasts coming for drinks and a good time. “Come on!” You shout over the other very drunk and very loud customers tugging at his sleeve. “Let’s get some coins and find an empty station.” He lets you lead. You take full advantage of his impressive frame to part the crowds around you as you hunt for a free spot. “See anything?”

Beel peers over the heads of most of the demons and looks out. In the far corner sat a few jump rope games that were free. “Stay close.” He murmurs in your ear wrapping a protective arm your shoulders so you wouldn’t be swept away in the flow of the crowd. The games were...hard. Mentally Beel kicks himself. Of course an arcade in the Devildom wouldn’t be geared for humans. They were built for demons' fast reflexes and inhuman strength. You were a good sport about it though, cheering him on when the games began to move too fast for your senses. If a game broke in his zeal to get you tickets, well you were both fast walkers.

“Think we have enough?” Beelzebub asks hours later around a popsicle. His jacket pockets bulge with multicolored tickets screaming to be spent.

You hum around a scoop of ice cream. “Possibly-” Your eyes flick to the prize booth. “And extra, you want a plushie too?” He shrugs. No doubt the moment it got into his room Belphie will steal it to add to his horde.

You end up getting your stuffed hydra and a giant fuzzy minotaur to keep it “company”. You clutch them close to your chest, seemingly happy with your bounties. After that you spend a bit at the roller ring before you finally had to call it a night. Exhausted you lag behind Beel as you make your way back to the train station, feet dragging with each step.

Wordlessly, Beel stops just in front of you. “Here,” He squats, offering you his back, arms stretched out behind him. “I can take us the rest of the way to the stop.” He feels you hesitate for a moment before climbing on to his back.

“Thank you.” He thinks nothing of how soft your voice was, just barely a tickle at the base of his neck. Beel treks one once you are secure, stuffing his hands in his pockets to lock you in place. The rest of the walk was quiet but he didn’t mind it, your warm body and soft breathing in his ear was a comfort.

He stops at the benches with a few minutes to spare before your train. “We are here. Do you want-” He gasps quietly, cutting himself off before he could accidentally wake you. You sleep on unperturbed by his voice. Your hold on around his neck was tight, your head buried in his neck.

It seems only when you're sleeping do you let your guard down. A blush sweeps across your face, your lips pulled up into a serene smile. You looked-happy. Happy in a way he never saw before. He won’t say anything about it, he decides. He’ll cherish this tiny expression all the same. Perhaps one day he’ll see when you're awake too.

#Request #om beelzebub #om lucifer #om mammon #im slowly cranking them out!!!#obey me shall we date

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jamespotterthefirst · 5 years ago

Text

Fake Husband (Ethan x F!MC)

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Lilac Allende) Word count: 1,800+ Warning: Some adult language Premise: When they run into her ex, Ethan pretends to be married to her to spite him. Author’s Note: A silly fake husband fluff piece because I’m a sucker for that trope.

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The appreciation dinner that was supposed to include the whole diagnostics team quickly dwindled down to only Ethan and Lilac. Baz had a date and only stayed for the first course, Naveen followed suit minutes after, claiming to be too old to stay up past nine thirty, and June hadn't even replied to the invite.

Briefly, Ethan wondered if the old doctor had planned it that way. Especially considering the knowing smile he directed at Ethan before his departure.

Lilac met his eye, a teasing smile of her own at the ready.

“If you wanted to touch me that badly, you could've just asked,” she said in a low, tempting whisper that made his pulse quicken.

In a moment of delayed reaction, Ethan forgot his foot had brushed against hers under the dinner table more times than he cared to admit. And of course she was going to call him out on it.

“If I'd wanted to touch you as badly as you claim, we'd be elsewhere.”

“Where would that be?” she returned without a single moment's hesitation. “Your bedroom or mine?”

God, she was good.

Typically, Ethan would not allow their banter to get this explicit, but something was different that night. Or perhaps all it took to vanquish his conviction was her coquettish smile, the tantalizing glimmer of her bright eyes, and the almost indecent dress clinging to her.

They were a long way away from innocent hand holding.

“Ambitious of you to think we'd make it that far.”

She looked impressed for a split second. Before she could reply, however, her eyes fell on something over his shoulder. Her expression went from incredulity, to recognition, and finally to something on the cusp of panic in seconds.

“We have to go,” she said when her eyes returned to him.

Ethan glanced over his shoulder, noting nothing out of the ordinary in the crowded restaurant. Then again, the pretentiously dim lighting made it difficult to see properly. "Why?"

Lilac didn't respond immediately. She seemed to be considering whether to tell him or not. “There's someone here I'd much rather avoid,” she allowed.

That explanation was too meek to warrant such a reaction. Ethan kept his face impassive. “Who?”

Defeated, she finally admitted, “My ex.”

A beat.

Whatever he had been expecting, it was not that.

“He's sitting by the exit at the bar. The one in the dark turquoise suit,” Lilac explained, absentminded.

Ethan almost rolled his eyes derisively at the phrase “dark turquoise suit.” Only pompous, self-centered assholes with a lot to prove wore unconventional colors to dinner.

Before he could help himself, Ethan looked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse. A young man around Lilac's age casually sat at the bar, deep in conversation with a group of his peers, all wearing equally obnoxious suits. Even from a distance, he could see the strong jaw, straight nose, and gleaming smile that might have drawn her in once upon a time. It was somewhat disappointing that he was not hideous, like Ethan had hoped.

“A doctor?” he asked, retroactively wondering why it mattered.

“Lawyer,” she replied.

Even worse, he thought.

“Please, Ethan,” she implored quietly. “I don't want him to see me. Things…” she trailed off and he could see a flicker of pain in her expression. “It did not end well.”

Ethan tried to hide his curiosity to spare her any more embarrassment. He failed spectacularly because she noticed and added, “I dated him for two years while finishing my undergrad. We were really serious until… he cheated.”

His jaw clenched on instinct. “I see.”

“With my best friend at the time,” she added in a small voice.

“Jesus,” he said reflexively, aware the single-word reaction was not enough.

Her gaze dropped to her plate, looking almost ashamed. The sight sent a surge of vindictive anger through him. Ethan wanted nothing more than to march across the restaurant, grab him the lapels of his ostentatious suit, and make him hurt worse than the pain she currently exhibited.

“Fine,” he consented instead. “Let’s get out of here. He's too busy talking to his lawyer friends. If we go now, he probably won't see you.”

Lilac looked like she could kiss him. After being informed that Naveen had paid the bill, they rose from their seats in a rush and made a beeline toward the exit.

“Stay close,” Ethan murmured in her ear as they walked, careful to use his body to cover her from his view.

They were so close to the exit that he could see her visibly relax.

“Thank goodness you’re so tall,” she teased, a few feet from the exit. Growing more confident, she quickened her step slightly.

“Lilac—” he started, unable to keep up with her pace. But before he could say more, he was intercepted by someone who had been sitting at the bar.

“Dr. Ramsey?” An older doctor who used to work at Edenbrook greeted him.

Ethan halted, his eyes trained on her back as she continued walking, unaware he was no longer behind her. At the same time, Turquoise Suit looked over his shoulder as she passed, recognizing her at once.

“Lilac?” he asked, getting to his feet. “Lilac Allende is that you?”

She froze mid stride.

Meanwhile, the older doctor ranted to Ethan about owning a private practice, blissfully unaware that Ethan neither listened nor cared.

“How you’ve been?” he heard him ask her, pulling her in for a hug. Lilac, too stunned to react, stood limp in his embrace. It lasted far longer than was necessary, his hands sliding along her sides indulgently. Ethan had the sudden urge to punch him.

“How's Edenbrook?” Dr. Rosetti asked Ethan after his incessant chatter. “Heard Naveen's the chief.”

“Fine,” Ethan replied absently, eyes trained on Lilac. She was saying something, finally having recovered from her shock. She was far too gracious to give that prick the time of day.

Turquoise nodded attentively, flashing her a seemingly charming smile. The ambiance of the restaurant combined with Dr. Rosetti's droning voice made it difficult for Ethan to hear them. He caught only snippets of what was said.

“...a doctor now?” Turquoise was asking her. His hands were still on Lilac, a remnant of his embrace. “I’m really proud of you.”

Ethan’s hands clenched at his sides.

Lilac took a small but polite step back, freeing herself from his grip. She replied something Ethan couldn’t hear. Even from afar, he could tell her ex was not listening, instead he covertly scanned the plunge of Lilac’s neckline. “You look great,” Ethan heard him say. “Time’s been good to you.”

That was the last straw.

The nerve of this fucking guy.

Ears ringing, Ethan marched toward them, not even bothering with a goodbye to poor Dr. Rosetti. Maybe he was acting on the sudden spike of adrenaline coursing through his body, or maybe his judgement was shot the second Turquoise smugly uttered the words “...we should go out for coffee some time”, but Ethan had decided what to say in the seconds it took him to reach them.

It was reckless, and Lilac might deny it instantly, but the urge to help her while simultaneously wiping the superior smirk off his face clouded his judgement.

Turquoise looked up as he approached, furrowing his brow quizzically. Lilac turned to meet his eyes and the relief he saw there was further motivation for what he was about to do next.

Without stopping to think or even breathe lest he lose his nerve, Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her in to place a tender kiss on her temple.

“Ready to go, love?” Ethan murmured.

Lilac paused briefly in surprise, looking up to study his face which he hoped conveyed his intentions. It must have because her lips quivered with the effort of fighting back a smile. She relaxed into his touch, sliding her hand up his jacket to rest on his chest.

“Yes, but only if you carry me out,” she replied, fingers toying with his tie. It was entirely too distracting. “I ate way too much bread.”

“You always want me to carry you,” Ethan returned, feeling his ears grow hot. “Is that the only reason you married me?”

Might as well go all out on this Oscar-worthy performance. Her eyes met his at the word "married," her smile so radiant that something tugged at his chest.

“Among other things,” she replied with a coy smile, raising herself on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Heart hammering against his chest, Ethan marveled at how easy it was for them. It was worth it, however, because Turquoise gaped at them, his expression comically dumbstruck.

Lilac made a show of remembering he was there. “Oh, right," she said with a small shake of her head. "Ethan, this is Alex Rhodes. We went to UCLA together.”

Her ex’s eyes darted to Lilac quickly, as if expecting her to add more of their history to the introduction.

“Alex, this is Doctor Ethan Ramsey," she continued, gesturing towards Ethan. "My husband.”

Alex blinked repeatedly in astonishment. When he recovered, he looked at Ethan with renewed interest. “Ethan Ramsey?” he repeated. Looking at Lilac now, he added, “The author of that book you used to read so much?”

Lilac looked genuinely embarrassed at that. Her cheeks flushed in a way Ethan found too endearing.

“Long time fan, Rookie?” he teased.

"She would talk nonstop about you," Alex continued, still looking utterly bewildered. "You're the reason she worked so hard to go to med school."

Ethan raised his eyebrows at her. She refused to meet his eye, blushing redder than he'd ever seen her.

“I can't believe you met your idol,” Alex said, almost to himself.

“Married him, too,” Ethan added.

“We should really get going, babe,” Lilac interjected, shooting Ethan a pointed glare.

He almost laughed.

Their mission was undeniably accomplished because by the time Lilac said a hasty goodbye to her ex, he looked unabashedly envious and ready to eat his heart out.

Once in Ethan’s car, Lilac let out a loud snort of laughter. “That was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she professed, eyes bright with delight.

Ethan briefly glanced at her as he drove, a small smile of his own at his lips. The light from the passing street lamps rendered her face lovelier still. With a small ache, he wished it hadn’t been pretend.

Lilac noticed his suddenly serious expression, a question already furrowing her brow.

Before she could ask, he forced a smile and taunted, “What did you ever see in that guy?”

It worked. Lilac rolled her eyes. “Shut up,” she said with another laugh. “Thanks for the save, by the way. I owe you.”

“The stupid look on his face was payment enough.”

“Do you think we fooled him?”

Ethan said nothing, keeping his eyes trained on the road ahead. He was convinced their fib has been successful, at least on his part. Much to his embarrassment, there was no concealing the utterly love struck way he felt when he looked at her in the restaurant, her hand resting on his chest as if it were second nature. There was no doubt it had been written all over his face for all of Boston to see.

Instead of incriminating himself, he said, “Lawyer boy looked angry, which means he bought it.” Ethan grimaced. “Again, you sure know how to pick 'em, Rookie.”

Lilac laughed, the sound almost giddy as a result of the adrenaline. Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan could see the way her gaze fixed on him. “My taste in men has gotten much more refined throughout the years, I assure you.”

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Click Here for Part 2

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Author’s Note: THANK YOU if you made it this far! Also, thank you for all the love and support on my last fics!

Sorry for the lack of originality in the title. I’ve been naming my fics after Billie Eilish or Harry Styles songs. I couldn’t think of one for this one so if you have something, let me know <3

Shout out to the people who helped me out with the pet name Ethan would used for MC, his wife! You guys are the best!

Masterlist

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(If I forgot anyone, please call me out)

#open heart #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #playchoices #choices stories you play #ohsy #My writing #ethan ramsey fanfiction #Ethan ramsey x mc #dr. ethan ramsey #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfiction

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dragonrajafanfiction · 3 years ago

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The Crane Team (End)

This is also the final end of the MC from the ReWritten series. I won’t feature her in any future work. I feel like this is a fitting and canon compliant end for where our character would naturally end up given her origins. I tried to tie everything together here in a nice little bow.

Black Swan Bay, Herzog, Caesar... all of it.

Thank you for reading.

Late afternoon light filtered through the dense canopy of green leaves, peeking through, flashing like shattered bits of sunlight. The breeze sent them dancing, the smell of a waning summer wafting through the air, the rattling cries of cicadas buzzing through it. This plus the cigarette smoke calmed Crow’s heart to the point that he felt that maybe he could go back to the Bliss Hall Memorial Garden. The Bliss Hall was surrounded by forest on all sides but a few grassy trails were cut into the forest to allow people to escape the heat of summer and observe the deer that made the woods their home. Even now, two does were standing in the shadows, ears out, watching him. He looked back at him, suddenly struck by the beauty amid so much sorrow.

He felt it was a little cowardly to run away, leaving Yoko Uesugi there with her bouquet of white roses and shame followed on the heels of his calm heart. It caught him off guard to see Sakura Yabuki enshrined in the memorial statue. Her face was so beautiful. The memories came flooding back. Meeting her, getting to know her, hoping for her happiness with Chisei Gen. But now that was all gone, nothing was left but her smile in bronze. He tapped the grey ashes from the cigarette and quietly cursed to himself. “Are you just going to stand there, Yoko?”

Yoko Uesugi was beautiful in that lavender colored kimono, her black hair tied up in a bun and adorned with a spray of white flowers. She was still holding the white roses in her hand. He knew she was shadowing him for a good distance. Now, she reached out to him. Her hand was ungloved and sparkled with clear scales on her knuckles. The two of them faced each other, a distance between them that seemed insurmountable a few weeks ago. Now they never felt closer.

“Come on, Crow. I want to go lay the flowers with you. I want to. We don’t have to stay,” she said.

Crow pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “You’re a stubborn lady.”

“That’s for a reason.” She smiled. “A lot of reasons. I didn’t used to be like this. Once upon a time, I had completely given up on life. It was understandable, given my situation. I’d lost everyone I’d ever known, everyone I ever loved. I was surrounded by strangers. It wasn’t until a brash young man from Cassell College inspired me that I could even look ahead to the future again and not see anything more than darkness. He was my light. He still is. He taught me to live, taught me to hope, and taught me how to inspire that hope in others. To invest in the future of others, even on my darkest day. He assigned me to inspire hope in the Japan Branch. That is my mission here.”

“I’m stubborn because of him. I know the future isn’t as bright as he promised. I’m aware of the gathering clouds and shadows. That’s why after today, I will leave Tokyo. The threats to my life have become too great.”

Crow was stunned. “Too great even for Hydra?”

“Yes.” Yoko lowered her voice. “Herzog did not work alone. Some people who worked with him are now hunting me, and they are now behind the Sons of Amaterasu. I am their special target for assassination. Me and Miss Erii. It has nothing to do with my blood. They are cleaning up after themselves.”

Crow let out the breath he’d been holding. “More goodbyes huh?” He looked into her eyes, their golden light shrouded by colored contacts. “Don’t be mad but, you left a hair in my car. I had it tested. It showed that you and the Young Chief were distantly related. I had a feeling just looking at you. You reminded me of him. That’s what I meant.”

Yoko’s eyes widened slightly, then she laughed. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after all. Turning families against one another… is what Herzog did best.” She shook her head, smiling, a thin strand of hair drifted across her nose.

“So what are you going to do?” Crow asked.

“Now? I’m going to walk with you to the statue and lay the flowers. And then I will leave.”

“Who will take care of the job then?” Crow blinked.

“You, if you’re willing. You get along well with everyone I’ve introduced to you. You’re a man of heart and feeling. You’re sincere. I have no better candidate. I’ve already told the High Matriarch. She will support you.”

Crow nodded. “Mrs. Nanami and I have also been talking. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about this either.”

“Then. Shall we?”

Crow crossed the space between himself and the Devil Girl, Yoko Uesugi and took her hand. Her hand was cool and dry despite the heat. He ran his fingers over the scales there. They weren’t hard, but they were smooth and slightly bumpy. She looked into his eyes and smiled. He smiled back.

Yoko and Crow stepped out of the forest together. The sky opened up from under the dark shadowed forest, a clear blue with wispy clouds. The breeze tossed a few strands of her hair. The heat was much milder now but he could observe the slight sheen of sweat on her face. She was young, beautiful, and carried a heavy burden with effortless grace. They returned to the statue, standing side by side.

“Who are the kids at the bottom of the statue?” Crow asked, looking at the happy faces of children enshrined in bronze. There were three children, two girls and a boy, laughing and sharing a hug.

“They are children I knew from an unnamed port in the arctic. Herzog’s first victims, where I was born. I’m not the only one who knows they ever existed now. It’s a comforting thought.”

“Your friends who died from before…” Crow said. The three children looked exquisitely happy, without a care in the world.

Crow watched Yoko look down and then they bowed in unison, heads lowered solemnly. They stayed that way for several seconds. Crow’s mind returned to the last time he saw the Young Chief, at the ruins of Tokyo Tower, with Sakura Yabuki as he received his swords. Gen Chisei wasn’t part of this memorial. Why not? He glanced at Yoko who was still bowing. A smile traced her cherry red lips. But before he could ask why Chisei wasn’t part of the memorial, the girl suddenly grimaced and moaned. A dark red splatter of blood suddenly painted the memorial statue and she fell forward before he could catch her.

“Yoko!” He picked her up off the ground, his suit stained red.

People were starting to fall all over the garden. The peaceful mournful scene turned into screams of panic.

“Snipers! We’ve got snipers!” He yelled.

A steady throb of rotors made him look up. Three black helicopters were heading in, firing on the memorial from a distance. Crow picked up the wounded Yoko and ran for the trees. Crow laid her on the soft grass and stuffed his jacket into her wound, breathing hard in panic. “Hold on! Hold on!”

“Go!” Blood streaked a grotesque smile out of the corners of her jaw and painted her teeth. “Save the others! I’ll be fine!”

Pain like a fire scorched Crow’s entire body! While he was at heart a kind person, he was the quintessential gangster, the son of a gangster, and that kindness withered under the hot desire to kill every one of these sons of bitches.

He raced towards the black vans parked outside and slammed open the doors to an arsenal of weapons. He picked the heavy antiaircraft gun that came standard with every van of the Executive Board. After they’d been caught flat footed at the Tokyo Tower, it was made sure that there would never be a convoy without heavy artillery ever again. He walked out, stood against the first helicopter and fired. The white smoke trail followed the missile and took out the first gun on the aircraft.

“Take down those choppers now!” He roared. “Get everyone to the safety of the woods!” He knelt down to reload. “They’re not aiming for me. They’re aiming for the civilians.” He snarled to himself.

Crow’s phone suddenly rang and he picked up.

A man’s low voice sounded. “Are you sure you’re on the right side?”

“It’s not my job to decide what’s right. That’ll shake out in the end. Right now, I’m acting with the authority of the High Matriarch and anyone who’s against that is a target!”

He shouldered the missile launcher again and fired. This time he aimed for the rotors. The boom thundered through the air and the smoking helicopter dropped.

Meanwhile, the two others had arrived and men on ladders swung down, firing on everyone that moved. Crow took cover behind the statue and loaded his guns. “All available personnel kill those guys!” He shouted over bullets and shrapnel landing all around. After a pause in the shooting he returned fire with his pistol, aiming at the people on the ladder, they dropped to the ground but still a few of them made it down.

“Sir!”

“Ryuusei!”

The young former Devil Clan member handed him a submachine gun. “For you, my friend.”

“Find Miss Erii and get her to safety.” He said with a solemn nod.

“Yes sir… but … Ms. Uesugi…” Ryuusei still loved Yoko it seemed. But now it was too late.

“She’s fine in the woods! Go!”

Bullets uprooted garden plants, shattered the bark of trees and sent dirt flying as the beautiful garden beds became war trenches to hide behind and fire from. The Sons of Ameterasu were in full body armor and it was only a matter of time before the casualties of the Japan Branch became too much and they were overrun. Three of those maniacs were gunning specifically for Crow. He couldn’t move from behind the statue for fear of getting shot, much less return fire. While they were shooting it seemed they were taking pleasure in destroying the statue. The smiling faces of those children were suddenly full of bullet holes.

He just had to wait for a pause. He listened carefully. He couldn’t die here. He wouldn’t.

Sudden screams made him peer from behind the artwork. A small figure had pounced on those men and fought them like a mongoose in a cobra’s den. He only saw flashes of her pale white skin and golden hair as she dispatched those Amaterasu members with the efficiency of a trained assassin.

Crow’s phone rang again. A cold female voice, the one he had heard before, came over the phone. “There are explosives in the helicopters. I need you to take them out. Let me take care of the men on the ground.”

“Are you from Cassell College?”

The cold voice took on a deadly air. “This has nothing to do with Cassell. Yoko is my sister.”

The phone call ended abruptly. Sister? His eyes turned to the statue of the young children. Was this voice one of those children from the unnamed port in the Arctic? Crow scrambled to get back to the vans. He glanced behind him and saw the girl, lying on the ground, giving him cover fire. He could only peer at her back, but her figure did resemble one of the children on the statue. Crow suddenly realized that this story was full of unknown stories, a history as deep and dark and vast as the Japanese trench. It was one of friendship, sorrow, love and loyalty. It was a story that he wanted to be a part of.

He got back to the van and armed himself as much as he could. Yoko had put her whole heart and soul into the reunification of the Japan Branch and it was up to him to maintain her work. Did she know she was going to die here? He cursed and swore loudly, shoving magazines into his weapons. Why? Why did he always lose the people he was assigned to protect? He lifted up the missile launcher and fired one of the helicopters. A cloud of flames and dark debris rained down on the garden and set it alight in a cruel parody of both Bliss Hall, Black Swan Bay, and the Red Well. The last of the bricks of the house that Herzog built was now under assault and his ghost was still haunting them.

But in a stark contrast to those times, Cassell, Hydra and the Devil Clan fought back and put up a united front to battle the phantom of that man’s murderous and evil intentions.

Crow didn’t know who ran up to him to tell him that a man had run into the woods. He could have been a former devil or Hydra, or from Cassell, He didn’t care. He knew who that man in the woods was after and he had to protect her.

At the edge of the garden, Ryuusei ducked behind a tree just before bullets ate through the bark and into the soft white wood. He ran again and barely escaped the bullets whizzing by his head like angry bees. He was out of ammunition and could only hide. They knew he was out too. As he crouched behind a statue of Buddha, he smiled bitterly. “You warned me, Yoko… people who fall in love with you… tend to end up dead.” He squeezed his eyes shut.

When he opened them again, a pair of crimson eyes blinked at him. Before he could shout, a small pale hand covered his mouth. She raised one finger to his lips and then closed her eyes. When she opened them, that crimson had turned to gold.

She opened her mouth and an ugly frog-like snarl rolled out of that pretty throat. Her thin arms wrapped around the buddha statue to hug it from behind. She picked up that stone statue, leaving a square patch of bare dirt exposed, and then threw it like an olympic javelin. This statue weighed a few hundred pounds and immediately crushed the people who were pursuing Ryuusei.

Then she grabbed his hand and together they ran into the forest. Darkness closed around them. Ryuusei could smell the smoke. “Miss Erii… right?” He could scarcely believe what he saw. This girl didn’t need his protection. She should be out there fighting like all the others!

Erii suddenly skidded to a halt. Her eyes widened. She backed up. A man all black, a mask, and body armor blocked their way, holding two dark pieces of wood. He started to tap them in a pattern and Erii grabbed her head and started to whimper and cry, tears falling from her eyes. She collapsed completely thrashing on the ground as if in terrible pain.

“What are you doing to her?!” Ryuusei leaped forward.

The man then drew a pistol and shot Ryuusei in the stomach. Ryuusei fell next to her, unable to inhale, breath frozen, eyes wide. The blue colored sun mark of the Sons of Amaterasu was on his sleeve. Ryuusei couldn’t believe it. Not here. Not now. He could only watch the assassin calmly and silently change one pistol for another. This time, aimed for Erii’s head.

A loud yell from the woods distracted his attention and Crow came from the brush, howling like an angry bear and tackling him in a line drive straight into a tree. The man dropped the gun and the two men fell to the ground, wrestling for it, tumbling over and over. Ryuusei’s hand was wet and sticky with blood and he grunted. “Erii… Ms. Erii… please get up!”

Erii was just whimpering. “Yoko… Yoko! Sister! Help me! Please help me!”

Crow’s fists struck the helmet and then the mask. The man grabbed his head and slammed him hard with a headbutt and leaped to his feet. Then he gave him a savage kick in the side. “You’re no better than that Chisei Gen. Soft. Soft to Devils that will ruin our future!” He stood over Crow and drew his pistol. “This is the last stand of the bloodline. All Devils must die! You used to be one of us. You used to be a Devil Slayer. What poisoned your mind?” He grabbed Crow by the throat. “You know the truth better than anyone.”

Crow snarled, back at him, unafraid of death. “I do know the truth better than anyone… and even better than you!”

Crow still had his gun, a pistol, modified by the Equipment department. It wasn’t meant to be used at such close range but he had no choice. He drew it and blasted the man in the chest. Even the body armor couldn’t save him from this powerful round. The force of it crashed into his ribs, snapping them like dry branches, taking his breath away. Crow swept his legs out from under him and pinned him, yanking his arms behind his back. “You want to know the truth? We Hydra were killing at the orders of a killer. Someone who was creating monsters and then sending us to destroy what he created! The truth isn’t what you know. The truth is what I know. We were pawns. All of us!” Crow roared. “I’m not going back to being a pawn by continuing to follow that bastard’s orders! And anyone who does will be eliminated by the family. These are the orders of Chisei Gen and I always follow his orders!”

The man laughed. “Then look. Look at what your precious orders have led to.”

A movement caught Crow’s eyes and he lifted his gun. Then he lowered it. A woman, naked, white like a wraith, now stood on the path, her long, ragged black hair draping over her golden eyes. She was tall, almost seven feet, long and thin with heavy claws for hands. She was covered in crystalline, mirror-like scales that reflected the shadowy greens of the forest. Bone wings, white as snow, extended from her back. Her legs were willowy, like a cross between a dragon and a mythical elf. Had her dragon evolution progressed further her legs would have fused into a serpent’s tail.

But as monstrous as her form was, he could still recognize the white flowers that dangled from her long hair. His strength left him and his face paled. “Yoko… no…”

“I had to… I had to survive.” Even her voice was different, gone from that deep softness, to something a little more like a rattle. “I have to go. I won’t be able to turn back.”

“Are you really going to let her escape Crow? That woman… She's a ghost. She’s turned fully into a ghost. Like they all will somed-”

Crow’s fist smashed into the man’s head. “Shut up! This is your fault! You! She was fine! She was fine! Until you shot her! You shot her, you bastard!” He battered the guy into unconsciousness, tears streaking down his face. This wasn’t inevitable. None of it was. Everything could have been fine! Then these people…

He finally stopped beating the man and sighed, defeated. “Executive Department policy says I have to kill you. But…”

“That’s right. I raised my blood too high in order to survive the gunshot wound. This is the price I had to pay for my life.” She regarded her crystal claws thoughtfully. “There’s a third option for us. If I can’t live as a human… or a ghost, then I would like to choose my place to die please.”

Crow lifted his head. “Choose?”

“Yes. You’re still in a war against dragons. And I’ve learned that the only thing that can kill a dragon is another dragon. You need me. And when you do. Call.”

Her eyes shifted to behind him. “Ryuusei!”

“I’ll get him a doctor!” Crow staggered to his feet. The pain in his head was starting to finally hit him and he swayed with dizziness.

“Good. I have to go.” She hurried to Erii’s side. She carefully gathered Erii up into her arms as easily as if she were a child. “Thank you… Crow.”

“Don’t thank me.” He stood up and dropped his gun from a limp hand, tears ran down his face. “Don’t thank me.”

“Thank you, Crow.”

“Damn it! I said- Augh!”

Her wings swept upward. The wind created by them was unnatural, dark clouds swirled instantly into the sky, the trees swayed under the gale. The elements were becoming unmoored from their natural order by Yoko, and stirred up by her.

The downbeat of her wings knocked him back and she rocketed upward into the sky with Erii. The dense clouds let loose a sudden downpour that smothered the flames consuming the garden and turned the ground black. She hid her presence behind this gray curtain. Crow’s voice calling out to her was drowned out by peals of thunder, but he ran chasing that retreating form, those dark immense wings, until they disappeared.

Crow stood in the middle of the garden looking helplessly up into the sky.

“What are you doing?” Said a cold female voice. “She’s gone. And she’ll never come back. Don’t just stand there. We have wounded people.”

Crow turned to her. “Who are you?”

“My name is not important.” The doll-like girl with pale white skin and golden hair turned her back on him and walked away alone.

Crow took a breath and clapped his hands together to steady himself. Then he turned and started barking orders at the security team.

Months later, Crow stood in front of a line of young men and women, some from the Devil Clan, some from the cadres of Hydra, new recruits for the Executive Branch of Japan. “You’re a select group. I selected you because you’re the ones who stood side by side and fought for the unification and healing of Japan. The first of its kind. A mixed-blood group. Some of you were Hydra some of you were Devils. But now you’re one.”

“You are now, the Crane Team!”

#Dragon Raja #Crane Team

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sceptilemasterr · 4 years ago

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Defenders of the Flame (TE Rewrite) Act 1, Scene 9 - Theory and Practice

Title: Defenders of the Flame (A CIU Screenplay)

Main Pairings: Shreya x F!MC, Beckett x F!Atlas

Other Pairings: N/A

Genre: Full Rewrite (The Elementalists, Book 1)

Rating: PG-13 for violence, blood, swearing, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: Fiora gets a wake-up call to the dangers of stoichi in her first practical lesson.

Previous Scene: The First Day

Masterlist: Link

INT. TUBIGAN HALL - AUDITORIUM 4 - DAY

Auditorium 4, which features seats that are much more spaced-apart and have large counters between each pair of seats, is filled with background chatter as Fiora and the other students file in. Fiora and Shreya find a pair of seats together; Zeph sits across the table from Fiora, while Beckett ends up beside him, across from Shreya.

BECKETT: Ah. If it isn’t “Mr. Lost Forces” himself.

ZEPH: Ugh. I’m never gonna live that one down, am I?

SHREYA (laughs): Doesn’t sound like it.

ZEPH: Well, I’ve got a name, you know. It’s Zeph.

BECKETT: Beckett.

ZEPH: Okay, at least we’re getting somewhere! Nice to meet you, Beckett--

He is interrupted by a door at the front of the auditorium slamming open forcefully, propelled by a huge clod of earth in the shape of a hammer. The hammer dissolves into mud, then re-forms into a wave of earth that slides across the podium. Atop it rides a large man with short black hair, wearing a blue sweater and striped tie. He makes a powerful, sweeping gesture with his arms, and the mound coalesces into a pillar that raises him up until he is almost to the ceiling. This is DR. ENGLUND, another Penderghast professor. With a powerful, booming voice, he declares:

DR. ENGLUND: Students! Welcome to Applied Stoicheal Technique and Practice!

He gestures again, and the pillar of earth slowly lowers him back to the ground to resounding applause from the students. Fiora grins eagerly.

FIORA: Okay, I think I’m gonna like this class!

BECKETT: Certainly an impressive demonstration, to be sure.

ZEPH: That. Was. AWESOME!

DR. ENGLUND: Thank you, thank you all. I am Dr. Englund, and I will be your ASTP teacher for the year. However, I won’t be your only teacher in this course; being an Earth-Att, there is only so much I can teach once we get into unique types of stoicheal techniques. Other professors will be giving guest demonstrations when needed. But that won’t be for a while, yet, so don’t worry. For now, we’ll be doing only the basics of channeling stoicheal energy: things that, with minor variations, any Attuned can perform.

He stomps one foot and gestures behind him, and the pile of dirt he rode in on dissolves into nothingness. Where the dirt had been sits a stack of covered mason jars, each containing a small amount of an elemental object: blue-dyed water, swirling wind that has been colored light green, small flickering candles, tiny clumps of dirt, a small plant shoot, or a little cube of metal.

DR. ENGLUND: I will need volunteers to help me pass these out. Anyone?

Beckett raises his hand, along with a few others. Dr. Englund selects him and two other students, one of whom Fiora recognizes as Shinelle from the Test of Attunement. Dr. Englund and the students each take a tray of jars, walking through the auditorium and asking each student for their Attunement before passing out the corresponding jar. Eventually, Beckett is the one to reach Fiora’s row first.

BECKETT: And you are?

FIORA: Uh, fire?

SHREYA: Oh, me too!

Beckett nods, and passes out a jar with a candle inside to each of them. He places a jar with a metal cube on his own table, then frowns at Zeph.

BECKETT: If you’re about to say something ridiculous like “Time-Attuned,” so help me--

ZEPH: Oh, come on. It’s not like I’m... (sighs) Whatever, look, I’m a Water-Att. Okay?

Beckett starts to say something, then stops and simply hands Zeph a jar of water before moving on. After Dr. Englund has finished handing out his own jars, he walks back to the front of the room where a single jar of dirt sits on the table.

DR. ENGLUND: As they finish passing out the remaining jars, let me start going over today’s exercise. Now, Attuned are capable of creating their respective elements from nothing, but this is a more challenging technique that we will get to later in the course. For now, we will tackle the relatively simple task of manipulating an existing source of stoicheal energy.

He holds up his jar of dirt and opens the lid.

DR. ENGLUND: What we are going to do today is get our element to cover the top of the jar without touching it ourselves. Observe.

He closes his eyes and stretches out a hand toward the top of the jar. The dirt inside twitches, then starts to flow up the sides of the jar and toward the top, finally consolidating into a perfect recreation of the actual lid of the jar.

DR. ENGLUND: Not as flashy as my entrance, I admit, but it should be easy enough for you all to manage by the end of today’s class. The key to accomplishing this is to focus on the center of energy within the object in question. Stoicheal energy is bright and easy to sense in an external object, but likely most of you have never tried to directly tap into a center of energy before.

Fiora leans forward, trying to focus on the professor’s words.

DR. ENGLUND: That is the easy part. More difficult will be covering the top of the jar. To do this, you must be in tune with the external object, using your innate stoicheal foundation to coax the object to where you want it to go. I don’t expect any of you to make a lid this perfect, of course!

He laughs and indicates his own perfectly formed dirt lid.

DR. ENGLUND: Just a simple cover will suffice. Keep in mind that stoicheal energy does not like to be contained once released; when you cover the jar, make sure to keep it covered and not allow your element to escape all over the lecture hall! ...And that goes double for the Fire-Atts here in the room, for reasons that should be obvious.

Fiora glances over at Beckett, who has already unscrewed the lid of his jar and begun concentrating on his cube of metal. Fiora and Shreya exchange a glance.

DR. ENGLUND: If anyone has trouble with the assignment or needs help, please raise a hand and I will be there as soon as I can. When you are finished, bring your jar to me at the front of the room for approval. Ready? Begin!

He stomps forcefully with one foot, and a light shockwave ripples out through the floor of the auditorium. Fiora lets out a small shriek when it reaches her, then looks around to see that everyone else have already begun opening their jars. Blushing slightly, she pulls her jar toward her and unscrews the lid, setting it aside.

FIORA (muttering): ‘Innate stoicheal foundation...’ okay, but how do I do that?

She closes her eyes and scrunches up her face in concentration, stretching out a hand toward the open jar. Nothing happens for several moments. Then, Shreya yelps in surprise, and Fiora opens her eyes to see Shreya’s flames beginning to creep up the sides of her jar.

SHREYA: Oh! I think I--

As soon as Shreya starts speaking, the flames abruptly recede back into the candle flame. Shreya frowns.

SHREYA: Zut! I almost had it!

FIORA: Hey, at least you did something. Mine won’t even budge.

SHREYA: Oh, right... here, let me help you with the basics. What you have to do is--

BECKETT: Amateurs.

The two girls look over to see Beckett holding his jar in his hand, a neat metal circle perfectly covering the top of the jar. Their mouths drop open in astonishment.

ZEPH: What, already?!

BECKETT: Naturally.

He stands and walks away toward Dr. Englund at the front of the room. Zeph slaps his hand down onto his table in frustration.

ZEPH: Sure, make me feel dumb, why don’t you...

Shreya takes Fiora aside and starts whispering the basics of stoicheal manipulation to her. As the two of them start attempting to control their candle flames, Zeph grips his jar tightly in both hands and holds it up to his face, frustration evident in his expression.

ZEPH: Okay, water... it’s just you and me.

He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again.

ZEPH: C’mon, let’s go! Up!

He shifts his hands so that his left hand is holding up the jar by the base, and gestures with his right hand up toward the top of the jar. The water twitches, then starts to ripple, and then finally begins climbing up the sides of the jar.

ZEPH: C’mon... just a little further...

Fiora watches, enraptured, as Zeph continues gesturing around and around the jar. The water starts to swirl upward, hugging the inside of the jar, until it reaches the top and begins to form a neat film over the top of the jar. Zeph keeps his concentration, sweat forming on his brow, as he brings his palm up and over the jar and starts moving it in slow circles.

SHREYA: Wow. Nice!

FIORA: I guess the hand motions help?

SHREYA: Might be worth a try...

As Zeph continues moving his palm in circles, frost starts accumulating on the watery lid. He stops and nearly drops the jar in surprise, and the water completely ices over. He looks down at the icy lid in confusion.

ZEPH (shrugs): Okay, that’s not what I meant to do... but I guess it works?

He flashes a triumphant grin to Shreya and Fiora.

ZEPH: Good luck with yours! I’ve always heard fire’s a bit trickier to learn than the other Attunements...

He nods toward the front of the room. Fiora follows his gaze to see the group of students lined up with their jars for Dr. Englund. Not a single one among them has a fire jar.

SHREYA: Well, that’s good to know. Guess there’s no shame in taking a bit longer, then.

ZEPH: Exactly! That’s the spirit!

He walks off to join the line. Shreya and Fiora turn their attention back to their jars.

SHREYA: Okay, so... he did something like this?

She holds her hands out to either side of her jar, palms facing inward. Then, she closes her eyes and concentrates. Fiora watches as the candle suddenly twitches and starts burning brighter, and Shreya opens her eyes again.

SHREYA: Found the center! Now...

She starts experimenting with various hand motions and gestures, gradually coaxing her flame into spreading outward toward the walls of the jar. After a moment of watching, Fiora turns her attention to her own jar.

FIORA: Okay. I can do this. Fiora, just... breathe.

She closes her eyes and takes a steadying breath.

FIORA: The center. The center. The center.

After a brief moment, her own candle flares brightly, and she opens her eyes.

FIORA: Whoa! Okay, don’t lose it!

SHREYA: Nice, Fiora!

Shreya’s own flame has begun slowly but surely creeping up the sides of her jar, coaxed along by her swirling hand gestures. Fiora stays fixated on her own flame, but attempts to copy Shreya’s gestures.

FIORA: Okay, c’mon, up we go...

Shreya’s flame reaches the top of her jar and starts to flare up and into the room. She pulls her arms back, dropping them to the table.

SHREYA: Non! Oh, no you don’t!

The flames recede, quivering shakily between the inside and outside of the jar. Fiora, whose flames are still at the base of her own jar, closes her eyes again, concentrating even harder.

FIORA: Okay, fire... up we go. Up. UP!

She overenthusiastically sweeps both her arms upward. The fire within the jar roils, then jets upward in a spectacular geyser of flame. Shreya, whose jar was nearly covered by her own flame, leaps back in shock, knocking over her jar and causing it to shatter on the ground. Other nearby students panic and grab their jars, backing away from the sight. Fiora’s eyes shoot open and she stumbles backward in shock.

FIORA: AAH! Wait, no, stop it! Go back down! Go back down!

DR. ENGLUND (authoritatively): Everyone, remain calm! I’ve got this!

Dr. Englund stops what he is doing and immediately starts sprinting toward Fiora and her rogue flame, which has now spread to the nearby tables, gathering strength. Zeph follows closely behind Dr. Englund, his jar with its icy lid clutched in his hands.

FIORA: Help! Sorry, Professor, I didn’t mean--

DR. ENGLUND: Stay back!

He raises his arms, then crosses them in front of his chest. A pile of earth begins to form in front of him, growing in size as he focuses. Then, he extends his arms outward and sends the earth flying toward the fire, extinguishing a large portion of it.

SHREYA: Fire, go away! Begone! Vanish!

Shreya gestures frantically at the remaining flames, but to little effect. As Dr. Englund begins gathering the dirt back around him, building the pile back up, Zeph stretches a hand out over his jar, then gestures toward the remaining flames. His small piece of ice lifts off of the jar, then melts back into water and splashes itself onto the flames. Dr. Englund nods in approval as he sends his dirt pile flowing back over the flames, putting the remainder out. Fiora breathes a sigh of relief, then gulps as Dr. Englund turns and looks down at her sternly.

DR. ENGLUND: Are you okay? Are you hurt?

FIORA (nervously): Uh... no, I think I’m okay... I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to--

Dr. Englund raises his voice, addressing the entire class along with Fiora.

DR. ENGLUND: As I made clear earlier: stoicheal energy does not like to be contained. Isn’t that right, Ms. Luxen?

FIORA: Yes... yes, that’s right. I’m sorry--

DR. ENGLUND: And I believe I even specifically said that this goes double for the Fire-Atts. Correct?

FIORA (ashamed): Yes, sir.

Dr. Englund waits in silence for several moments. No one says anything.

DR. ENGLUND: Clean up your jars, both of you. Ms. Mistry, you are excused from the exercise owing to these exceptional circumstances.

Shreya bows and crouches down to pick up her broken jar. Dr. Englund turns to face Zeph.

DR. ENGLUND: As for you... I am impressed. You showed quick thinking and expert stoicheal manipulation in a time of crisis. Though your actual assignment left a bit to be desired, I will nevertheless award you full points for today’s class. Well done!

ZEPH (surprised): Wow! Oh, uh... thank you, Dr. Englund!

DR. ENGLUND: Right. As for the rest of you! Class is still in session; those of you who have not yet been graded, please return to the line at the front of the room. As before, when you have been graded, you are free to leave.

As the other students start lining up at the front of the room, Dr. Englund crouches down beside Fiora.

DR. ENGLUND (quietly): Ms. Luxen. A moment.

FIORA: Uh... right. I’m seriously so sorry about this, I didn’t mean to--

Dr. Englund waves her apologies aside.

DR. ENGLUND: I know from Dr. Swan that you have a very unique Attunement. One that grants you incredible stoicheal energy and the potential that comes with that. But let this be a lesson to you: great power does not mean everything will be easy.

Fiora nods.

DR. ENGLUND: Some students struggle to accomplish any stoicheal techniques at all. You, however, will have the opposite problem: your Attunement means that your greatest challenge will be learning to modulate your power to a manageable level. Do you understand?

FIORA: I... I do, sir. Thank you.

DR. ENGLUND: Good. Now, be sure to practice on your own time. Preferably with your Water-Att friend nearby, just in case.

He stands and strides off back toward the front of the room. Shreya and Fiora exchange embarrassed glances.

SHREYA: What was that all about?

FIORA: I’ll tell you when it’s just us. It’s about my... y’know...

SHREYA: Oh. Oh, right. Your Attunement. Gotcha.

They return to their task. As they pick up the shards of glass and pieces of candle wax on the ground, Shreya laughs.

FIORA: What’s so funny?

SHREYA: Just... well, I’d spent all week hoping for an exciting first day of class. Can’t say this was what I had in mind!

FIORA: Be careful what you wish for, right?

They smile at each other, then return to their cleanup work.

_______________________

Scene Notes: And so the first-years have their first practical lesson! Accidents are inevitable, and doubly so when you have a Light-Attuned in your midst. Worldbuilding notes:

Earlier, we established that Attunements are much stricter in terms of cross-element overlap. Hence the jars of different elements: though it’s fundamentally the same exercise, an Attuned needs their exact element to perform well. And as Dr. Englund said, manipulating an existing element is MUCH easier than creating it.

_______________________

Next: New Routine

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady

DotF/Elementalists Tag List:

#defenders of the flame #the elementalists rewrite #choices the elementalists #choices stories you play #csyp #fanfic #ciu project #choices interconnected universe #fiora luxen #shreya mistry #zeph hernandez #beckett harrington #professor englund #shreya x mc #wlw #next scene: montage time!

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toku-explained · 4 years ago

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The Swordsmen Aligned

SSSS.Dynazenon: We see Yomogi's perspective on the change to DynaRex and the battle climax. Chise, running to catch up to Dynazenon, finds an odd item. Dynazenon returns to being 4 small models as she catches them. Gauma is still annoyed at Yume. Introductions are made, and he explains Shalbandes will have been controlled by the Kaiju Eugenecists, Kaiju users like him. He gives each of the pilots one Dynazenon component, insisting they meet next day to train, but wonders to himself if Dynazenon is a Kaiju and why was he given it. Things are a mess at school, Yomogi heads to work, Yume messes with her friend, Koyomi wonders if Dynazenon counts as a job. Gauma is upset Yomogi doesn't show, a sparkling item appears in the river. Gauma invades Yomogi's bath to talk, in her own Yume contemplates apologising, Gauma is invited by Yomogi's mom to stay over. Next day Yume shows Yomogi she can now activate the DynaWing, has him activate DynaSoldier, and has them combine into "DynaWingSoldier", while they fly she makes an apology, and shows him the result of the battle on foot. On the train she mentions Kaho dying by where they met when she was a kid. People gather at a new Kaiju, Greyjom, called by the thing in the river, watched by the Eugenecists, Juuga, Onija, Mujina and Sizumu, Juuga controls it. The heroes grab Yomogi so Dynazenon can fight, but when they're forced to split Yomogi is helpless until Koyomi realises the secret to it warping, and by again forming DynaSoldier Wing Combine they are able to give Gauma his shot. Yomogi asks Yume about her feelings towards Kaho, she's unsure now. The Eugenecists greet Gauma, appearing to the team.

Heroes' Odyssey: The look at Battle in Hyperspace continues.

Saber: Rintaro explains what he learned about Master Logos and his goals, and earnestly apologises, but they all welcome him back with open arms. Zooous is itching to settle his score with Rintaro, but Storious insists the Seiken and joining Wonder World comes first, Zooous has a new Megido in mind. Northern Base discuss their foes, Yuri apparently hasn't encountered Kaiji before. Master Logos' book is part of the original book, passed to each new Master, Yuri, deciding Touma can separate the Megiddo, goes to seek Tassel, Sophia has Ogami find Ren while she will meet Kento. After mentioning the key she gave Mei, a Megiddo is detected. Saber Elemental Primitive Dragon and Blades King Lion Daisenki fight the Megiddo, Touma about to separate when he notices the charms on it's body are living humans, then reveals it's host is Mei, escaping when Zooous attacks Blades. Rintaro is really freaking out about the chance of Mei dying. Since we last saw him, it looks like Ren has been followed by Desast, who suggests he learn from him, Desast vanishes when Ogami appears, Ren lashes out and leaves. Rintaro finds Mei on the roof, Zooous attacks, joined by the Megiddo, despite Rintaro's desire to save her Nagare doesn't glow, Zooous torments him claiming he always gets stronger. Kento nearby says that Mei will be lost and Rintaro killed, Sophia tries to get him to not be so defeatist, Touma arrives to help Rintaro. Rintaro sinks into depression, but holds Zooous so Touma can act, but he has to block the killing blow instead, as Zooous and the Megiddo leave, Rintaro acts as though his own life is worthless.

Zenkaiger: Magine is really messy it turns out. Vroom discovers while out the mess made by Gomi World. The team actually force him to flee, but his trash will keep growing. Boccowaus is actually annoyed at Barashitara for this because he doesn't want to rule a garbage world, Ijirude is still working. The team prepare a clean up, but Vroon makes more progress than the rest combined and decides to take it solo. New character Stacey makes his first appearance, as Kaito starts declaring his resolve everyone is sapped of their will. Magine still has energy, and Vroon powers through and draws Gomi World out. The others get placed as trash, leaving Vroon beaten until Magine finds him. After some Go-Busters power, they defeat Gomi World. Dai Gomi World is defeated despite initial setbacks. Barashitara contemplates another lost World when Stacey approaches, claiming to be his son. With this episode we are now caught up the the All Red Battle and ZenkaiRed special, ready for what comes next episode.

Genms: So somehow despite Kamen Rider Brain happening, I somehow never expected this to be real. Not unhappy with it though. Don't expect Thousers The Presidents to be real as a separate thing though. Super Sentai Villains Next Year? Now obviously, in the original joke the meaning of the title was that it was to focus on Kutoto, Masamune, Amagasaki and Tsukuru, here though the double meaning makes it a reference to both Kuroto and Amatsu being company presidents. My understanding on timeline setting is that for Zero-One this is between the two installments of The 01hers, and for Ex-Aid it's about a year after Another Ending and a couple of years before Mighty Novel X. Kuroto is awakened by the Ark. Amatsu is launching a new company, Thouser-Intellion, and to help him acquired a Secretary-type Humagear, who he names Rin. He explains that ZAIA Enterprise Japan was shut down, and he intends to create a new IT company. He's been under the weather since moving to the office, and suddenly shows Bugster Virus symptoms, as Dan Kuroto emerges. Ark has apparently allowed him to produce a Gamer Driver, Bugvisor and Proto Mighty Action X, and he relates his awareness of the sort of pressure Amatsu must experience as President, as he once did. He infects Rin and takes her as his own secretary. Kuroto, you should only have been gone a year, Humagears were everywhere by the time you "died". As Amatsu struggles to pursue Kuroto, he doesn't notice another figure emerge from himself. Kuroto tries to tempt Rin when Amatsu reaches them, becoming Thouser, black due to infection, and Kuroto becomes Genm Level 2. Genm has the clear advantage, with a Mighty Critical Strike beating Thousand Destruction. Genm's killing blow is foiled when time suddenly freezes, and Dan Masamune appears on the scene.

Dogengers Nice Buddy: We start with an acknowledgement of the events of the first series, and the Dogengers becoming celebrated, a second season announced, and then Scandal! Kitaqman's SNS-ing, El Brave using a step to appear taller, Fukuokaliber not being good at Kendama, Yamashiron not eating Bell Peppers, Ohgaman not sleeping after taking his medicine, and a dating scandal involving Tanaka and Yuki, the team are made to apologise, and a Final Stage is announced at a park. Shaberryman MCs, the audience is just Yuki, Eboshi Musha and El Brave's Yahata Construction colleagues. Fukuokaliber beats some Karamis, then faces Shuraomaru. Aoiron and Daidairon take the stage fighting Nectaris, Redron joins late, then forms Yamashiron, still in Tsuyobi Mode. El Brave takes over, beating first Nectaris then Uzagi. The Marou Kaijin appear, Tanaka appears, changes and swiftly defeats Gulf, the heroes then celebrate but Yabai Kamen ambushes them, but Ohfaman appears via roller coaster. The assembled heroes defeat the Villains and celebrate, disheartened by the small crowd as Yuki is handed adverts for Great Z. After a certain man says something the heroes are knocked off stage by a red energy ball, and the stage is taken by Great Z and his cheerleaders, accompanied by at least 3 floating cameras(?) which can warp him along the stage. The devices come from his back. The audience seem far more interested in him. He knows who they, but he's hear to take their villains for his own show, really beating Yabai Kamen so he can take him hostage. Kitaqman rolls up late in the Kitaq Machine, but Great Z uses a rocket to warp them all to a quarry, explaining his Effect System, announces himself as the new justice, and shoots and destroys the Kitaq Machine, to Kitaqman's Horror.

#ssss.dynazenon #kamen rider saber #kikai sentai zenkaiger #Dogengers #kamen rider genms

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camillemontespan · 4 years ago

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her one constant [part three: for safety] [drake the bodyguard AU]

Part Two if you want to catch up

A short series in which TRR canon is used but instead, Drake is MC’s bodyguard. The above edit is mine and I really liked it so I had to find another excuse to use it again!

@ibldw-main @jovialyouthmusic @katedrakeohd @moonlightgem7 @pug-bitch @princessleac1 @burnsoslow @notoriouscs @dcbbw @saivilo @rainbowsinthestorm @marshmallowsandfire @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @sirbeepsalot @gardeningourmet @emichelle

Thank you to everyone for reminding me of TRR canon scenes that I can use for this fic. @jovialyouthmusic reminded me of Lythikos and the meteor shower - I can’t believe I forgot about that. So, this chapter focuses on that.

Previously..

‘I’m here,’ Drake murmured, his voice cracking. ‘If you need to talk..’

Camille’s smile wobbled. ‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘You’re my one constant.’

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

Drake woke up at 6am without needing an alarm. After a steaming hot shower and selecting his suit for the day, Drake was ready for work.

As usual, he stood in the foyer of Valtoria Manor, waiting for the Duchess to appear. Today was a big day for Camille; she was to visit the duchy of Lythikos for the weekend with the rest of court. Camille hadn’t been to Lythikos before and wasn’t yet prepared for what a weekend with Olivia Nevrakis would entail. Neither did Drake and as her bodyguard, he had to be with her all weekend. He was not looking forward to it; he didn’t like the look of Olivia. She tended to speak to Camille in patronising tones, often saying a bitchy comment. Drake had no time for arrogant nobles.

‘Morning, Drake.’

Drake started at the sound of Camille’s voice. He looked up to see her descending the staircase with a suitcase that seemed full to the brim. She was wearing a pink ski jacket with black thermal leggings. On her feet was a pair of wooly snow boots. She looked different; more youthful. Cute actually. The wooly hat that was placed on top of her head only added to the cute effect.

Drake gave her a smile. ‘Duchess.’

She stopped at the foot of the stairs and raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Call me Camille,’ she said.

Drake smirked and gestured for Camille to walk in front of him. Instead, she waited for him to walk too and she fell into step beside him.

‘I like your boots,’ he said, surprising himself and her. Camille looked up at him with her brown eyes sparkling and a warm smile lit up her face.

‘Thank you!’ she said. ‘But aren’t you going to be cold in your suit?’

Drake chuckled. ‘I’ve packed some layers.’

‘Good,’ she said, nodding her approval. ‘Can’t have you getting cold.’

‘Aww shucks, Camille, you worried I’m going to freeze my toes off?’ Drake teased, shooting her a wry smile.

‘Well someone’s got to look after you,’ Camille shot back, her voice also light and teasing. They had reached the car. The driver, Geoffrey, took her suitcase and placed it inside, letting Drake and Camille continue to joke with each other.

‘You’re not my mom,’ Drake said, opening her car door, ignoring Geoffrey who had his hand out to do it himself. Geoffrey shrugged, resigning himself to the fact that when Drake was around, he may as well just drive the car. The bodyguard did everything else.

‘If she is a typical Texas woman like I think she is, she would want her son to be kept on the straight and narrow,’ Camille protested, not giving up. ‘She would want you to be snug and wrapped up in treacherous Lythikos conditions! She’s not here so I’m going to look after you this weekend and that starts with making sure that you at least wear a hat.’

Drake let out a deep laugh, throwing his head back as he did so. He shut the door and walked to his side of the car, getting in. He turned to Camille after fastening his seat belt, ready to continue their teasing.

‘You know that I’m the one meant to be looking out for you, right?’ he asked her.

‘Sure, protecting me from Olivia Nevrakis,’ Camille said, shrugging. ‘But if I see you not wearing a wooly hat this weekend, I will..I…’

She trailed off.

Drake raised an eyebrow. ‘Yes?’

She gave him a triumphant and endearing grin. ‘I will call your mother!’

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

Lythikos was freezing. As soon as Camille stepped out onto the snow, she let out a series of expletives that made Drake laugh as soon as she shouted them out. He had never heard her swear before but he found that he liked it.

‘Oh god, Drake, take me homeeeee..’ she groaned. ‘I need my fireplace, a blanket and a glass of whiskey right now..’

‘Jesus, Camille, don’t tempt me,’ Drake muttered, helping her with her suitcase. Geoffrey stayed in the car, knowing his job was done for the weekend.

Drake and Camille plodded through the thick snow, keeping their heads down as the wind struck snowflakes and hail into their faces. Camille’s suitcase was not built for this landscape; for one thing, it had wheels. She tried to drag it through the snow but to no avail; Drake grabbed it and carried it with one hand, desperate to reach indoors before they froze to death.

‘The things I do for you..’ he grumbled goodnaturedly.

They reached Lythikos Keep a few minutes later, their noses red and their eyes streaming with tears from the freezing temperatures. Olivia was standing at the door with her eyes narrowed and arms crossed. She was wearing a red sweater, black leather trousers and boots with a heel that could take Drake’s eye out.

‘Look what the cat dragged in,’ she droned in her obnoxious Lythikiosian accent. ‘The commoner.’

‘You. invited. me,’ Camille said bluntly, punctuating each pause between her words.

‘Only because Liam wanted me to,’ Olivia told her, rolling her eyes. ‘Come in before you die of frostbite.’

‘Charming,’ Drake muttered.

Olivia wrinkled her nose at him. ‘And you are?’

Drake was about to respond but was beaten by Camille, who pulled her hat off and raised her chin in defiance. Gone was the cute appearance. Now, she looked like a woman on the edge.

‘Drake,’ she said, her voice like ice. ‘My bodyguard.’

‘Not very polite to bring your bodyguard,’ Olivia said, her voice like silk. ‘Whatever do you think will happen to you this weekend?’

Drake smirked and interrupted Camille before she could deliver a scathing response. ‘I am to be by her side at all times,’ he said, keeping his voice even and strong. ‘It’s my duty to protect her, regardless of where we are and who we are with.’

Olivia raised an eyebrow. ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘But you have to sleep in the servant’s quarters which is only appropriate-’

‘He gets a room near me,’ Camille interrupted. ‘Otherwise I’m leaving and Liam will certainly hear about how inhospitable Lythikos was to the new Duchess of Valtoria.’

Drake pressed his lips together, holding in laughter. Olivia looked like she wanted to hit Camille and was exercising all of her restraint not to.

‘Fine,’ she spat, finally. ‘The bodyguard can sleep next door to you. No funny business, mind.’

Drake raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh really?’ he asked, keeping his voice innocent. ‘Give my regards to Lou.’

Olivia’s face paled. Drake smirked and pushed past her to help Camille get inside.

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

‘Who the hell is Lou?’ Camille hissed as they walked quickly up the stairs to their rooms.

‘Her bodyguard,’ Drake whispered. ‘They’re fucking.’

‘WHAT?!’

‘Shhhhh!’

Camille shook her head. ‘Oh my god, that’s unbelievable! Well, I never thought she would do something like that. Also, how do you know?’

Drake chuckled. ‘Lou told me.’

‘...Bodyguards gossip?’

Drake smirked, making Camille’s eyes widen. ‘Lou gossips,’ he corrected her. ‘I don’t. I’m professional at all times, trust me.’

A blush bloomed on Camille’s cheeks.

They reached Camille’s bedroom. Drake entered first, scouting the room for anything suspicious. Camille watched him curiously.

‘So, what are you looking for?’

‘Well,’ Drake said as he investigated the room, ‘windows without a lock, forced signs of entry, possible ways for intruders to get inside.. Anything that could make you vulnerable. But you’re fine, all clear.’

Camille edged into the room, warily, and looked up at the corners of the room. Drake frowned. ‘You alright?’ he asked.

‘Just making sure the room’s not bugged,’ Camille quipped, flashing him a mischievous smile. Drake chuckled, realising she was teasing him. He watched as she took off her ski jacket and he tried his best not to stare at how her cashmere grey sweater slid off one shoulder, exposing a delicate collarbone.

‘So, I’ll be in my room,’ he said. ‘I’ll leave you to unpack. According to your schedule, you’re meeting the rest of the group downstairs in thirty minutes for wine and cheese-’

‘Fancy..’ Camille muttered, clearly not impressed.

‘So I’ll be stationed in the dining room with Lou,’ Drake finished. ‘You need anything, let me know.’

Camille wrapped her arms around her body, as if she was trying to keep herself together. ‘Confidence? Bad assery?’ she said, giving him a weak smile. She let out a shaky breath. ‘Drake, I’m shitting this.’

He moved closer to her, his eyebrows furrowed together with concern. ‘Why?’ he asked. ‘What’s there to be nervous about?’

‘It’s Lythikos!’ Camille cried, throwing her hands up in the air. ‘I’m in Olivia’s domain! She hates me. God knows what she’ll do - she was so pissed when she found out Liam had proposed to me. And don’t get me started on Madeleine, that girl wants me dead, I swear-’

Drake grasped hold of her hands and held them tightly. His eyes bore into hers. ‘Camille, breathe,’ he instructed her firmly. ‘Calm down.’

Her hands were shaking. When she spoke, her voice was very small and quiet. ‘I just feel like the outcast,’ she whispered. ‘All the time. I’m a commoner pretending to be a Duchess-’

‘No you’re not.’

‘That’s what it feels like,’ she told him fiercely. ‘I feel like I’m masquerading as this noble woman, this woman who wears designer clothes, has a fancy house and acts more important than she is. But that’s not me. I feel like fraud. And here I am, in Lythikos with women who hate me, trying to be a noble woman like they are but everytime I’m near Olivia or Madeleine, I just feel like I don’t belong.’

Drake closed his eyes. He knew Camille had been having self-confidence issues for months; but he hadn’t realised it had gotten this bad for her. Why hadn’t she said something to him?

Because you’re her bodyguard. You’re not her friend or her boyfriend.

He ignored his internal thoughts. Time for a pep talk.

‘Camille,’ he said, opening his eyes to meet hers. ‘You are worthy of being in that room with them. Hell, you’re worth more than all the nobles of Cordonia put together. You are the best Duchess that Cordonia has seen in years; you care about the people, you make a difference. You are loved by the people and that is worth everything. Who cares what Olivia or Madeleine think of you? They’re just jealous. Fuck ‘em.’

‘But-’

‘You are incredible,’ Drake continued, ignoring her protests. ‘It astounds me that you don’t believe in yourself. You should. When you walk into the lion’s den in thirty minutes, you throw your shoulders back, hold your head high and be yourself. Because that’s all you need to do. You’re the Duchess of Valtoria, sure, but you’re also Camille Montespan. You told me one of your ancestors was a noble in France, right? Fucking own it.’

Camille was staring at Drake with wide eyes as he continued his tirade. He couldn’t stop. He had to make her realise how important she was.

‘You’re more blue blood than fucking Madeleine,’ he said. ‘So I won’t have you thinking they’re better than you because they’re not. They could try but they wouldn’t get very far, if I’m fucking honest. You belong in that room. Don’t let them make you feel small. If they make you feel even more shit, say the word and I’ll kill them.’

Camille stared at Drake in shocked silence. Drake cleared his throat, worried he had gone too far in his rage. But she had to know how amazing she was. She had to.

She reached out to squeeze his hand. 'Thank you, Drake,' she murmured.

Drake smiled weakly and made his excuses to leave. If he stayed any longer, every feeling he had about her would pour out of his mouth and she would know exactly how amazing he thought she was.

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

That evening, the group convened downstairs to drink wine and eat cheese. Olivia had selected her best bottles from her wine cellar and wore a smug smile on her face as Liam complimented her selection.

Camille sat beside Hana, the two women happy to talk amongst themselves as they drank wine.

Maxwell didn't like wine but he tried his best.

Drake stood in the corner of the room beside Lou. As usual, Lou made inappropriate jokes about Camille, knowing it would bother Drake.

'She looks mighty fine in those jeans,' Lou said. 'Like two peaches.'

'Lou, shut the fuck up and do your job,' Drake muttered.

Lou smirked. 'Olivia's at home. She doesn't need me to be on duty 24/7.'

'That's the difference between me and you,' Drake replied, his voice cold. 'I take my job seriously.'

Lou shook his head but said nothing to defend himself. Drake watched as Camille sipped her wine, occasionally her eyes meeting his.

Olivia spotted this.

'So, Camille,' she said grandly. 'Tell me about why you acquired a bodyguard and why he is here this weekend like the lap dog he is.'

Camille clenched the stem of her wine glass. 'It's in his contract that he is always with me,' she explained frostily. 'Simple to understand, Olivia.'

'But you are here under my care,' Olivia said smoothly. 'You don't need a human shield to protect you.'

'Drake is more than that,' Camille said quickly. 'He's my friend -'

'Nobles don't have commoners as friends,' Olivia said. 'The sooner you learn that, the better. You are the Duchess of Valtoria. To forget your place in this world is to do Liam a disservice.'

'Liv, stop it,' Liam butted in. 'Just because she is a Duchess doesn't mean she can't be friends with who she wants.'

'I'm just saying, the media will associate Camille with who she spends time with,' Olivia said. 'How do you think it will look if she is constantly with her bodyguard? Like she is afraid and vulnerable. Gossip websites are already calling her a coward and that she doesn't trust Cordonia to look after her.'

Drake couldn't listen anymore.

He didn't want to be her weakness. He couldn't be her weakness. All he wanted was to help her be strong but even now, he was damaging her reputation.

He wrenched himself away from the wall and strode out of the room and through the French doors to get some fresh air outside.

For the first time in four months, he abandoned his post.

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

Camille saw Drake leave before everyone else did. As soon as he left the room, she felt the cold air surround her and the feeling that she was adrift without a life raft to keep her afloat.

She pulled on her coat and scarf, rushing to follow him. Olivia rolled her eyes as she watched Camille run after the bodyguard. But Camille didn't care. She needed to talk to Drake and tell him not to pay attention to Olivia.

The snow and hail hit her as soon as she got outside. Bracing herself, she wrapped her arms tight around her body and strode purposefully through the snow, trying to find Drake in the dark.

She found him standing on top of a snow covered hill. He was looking down over the duchy of Lythikos with its small wooden houses lit up like stars.

'Drake,' she said softly.

He turned to face her. 'Go back inside, Duchess,' he said, his voice monotone. 'You'll catch a cold.'

Camille shook her head, moving towards him. 'No. Come back inside. You're not wearing a hat.'

A tiny, sad smile broke out on his forlorn face. Their little joke from earlier. When things were lighter.

'Don't listen to Olivia,' Camille said desperately. 'She talks shit. Don't let her make you feel small - you said that to me earlier and now I'm saying it to you. You're my friend and protector. You look after me in ways nobody else does.'

'I can't have people thinking you're weak,' Drake told her. 'I refuse to be the reason why people underestimate you.'

'People underestimate me because they're assholes!' Camille protested. 'Not because of you! Drake, you've helped me so much these past four months. You've helped me trust people again, you've helped me feel safer!'

Drake shook his head, turning to look away. Camille grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back to look down at her. As the wind caught at her hair, Drake could see the ferocity in her eyes.

'I was a mess when we met!' she shouted over the wind and snow. Tears were filling her eyes now.

'The assassination on Constantine made me a wreck. I was terrified to go back into that ballroom in case another situation like that happened! But you took over as my bodyguard and you took the time to make me feel secure. You are always there, loyal and steadfast. Seriously, Drake, I would be a shell of a woman if it wasn't for you. I would have upped and left to go back to my shitty life in New York but because of you, I keep going. You make me feel confident with your pep talks and reassurances. So don't you dare listen to Olivia again, you hear me?!-'

Drake pulled her into him and held her close as she sobbed. He didn't care that it was inappropriate to hold her tightly like this. She was crying and he didn't want her to cry because of him, ever. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

'It's alright,' he choked out, his fingers grasping her hair into knots. 'It's alright, Camille. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I walked out and left you there. I'm sorry.'

Camille's fists bunched his shirt that was now soaked from the cold and snow. She let out a whimper. Drake held her tighter.

She gently pulled away, rubbing her eyes harshly. She looked up at him.

'You need to buy yourself a hat,' she said, her voice cracking. 'You're definitely going to get a cold now.'

Drake chucked, relieved she was feeling a little better. He moved away from her and looked up at the sky.

'Hey, look,' he said softly. 'Meteor shower..'

And so, the two of them forgot their emotionally charged moment and settled down on the snow to watch the meteor above.

Camille leaned back. Her hand brushed Drake's. They both jumped.

'Sorry..' she whispered.

Drake smiled. 'No worries, Duchess.'

She nudged his shoulder with hers. 'Call me Camille.'

Drake smirked and nudged her shoulder back. 'Sorry Camille.'

They watched the meteor shower in wonder. Drake loved the outdoors from a childhood of camping and hiking with his father. Since Jackson had passed, Drake had been unable to share his love of the outdoors with anyone; it hadn’t felt right. Sort of like he was betraying his father. But right now, here he was, sharing this moment with Camille. He couldn’t help but feel that his father would be pleased.

‘I love looking up at the stars,’ Camille said softly. ‘It reminds me that really, we’re just a tiny speck of dust in the universe and in the grand scheme of things, nothing matters. It gives me perspective.’

Drake smiled. ‘I get that,’ he said. ‘Like, you realise that your place in society doesn’t really matter. Nothing you do has a big impact, not really, unless you’re a hero which most people aren’t. We’re insignificant.’

Camille laughed. ‘God, we’re so cynical.’

‘I am,’ Drake agreed. ‘But I’m surprised at you.’

Camille shrugged. ‘Maybe court has made me cynical. It’s certainly made me develop a thick skin. I’m different to who I was six months ago.’

Drake bit his lip. He turned to look at her, no longer focusing on the stars above. He was looking at Camille, a star in her own right. ‘Who were you six months ago?’ he asked gently.

She smiled to herself, still looking up at the sky. ‘A waitress who lived in a crappy apartment in New York,’ she said. ‘Naive. Tired. But happy.’

‘Are you not happy now?’

Camille wrenched her eyes away from the sky and looked at Drake. Her eyes softened when she found his gaze.

‘I’m happy now,’ she whispered.

Drake’s heart flipped.

They looked up at the sky, watching the meteors, but not really focusing. Instead, both of them were acutely aware of the other. How close their bodies were. How open they could be with each other. How their relationship was not typical of that of a bodyguard and his charge.

When they wandered back to the keep, Camille slipped on the snowy ground. Drake reached out to grab her, his instincts always on point. Their hands tightened around each other. As Camille stood up straighter, she didn't let go.

'For safety,' she said, giving him a nod.

Drake squeezed her hand, glad the cold air was a good excuse for the pink blush on his cheeks.

'For safety,' he repeated.

Together, they walked hand in hand back to the keep.

#drake walker #drake walker x mc #trr fanfic #the royal romance #drake x camille

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ga-yuu · 4 years ago

Text

Ikemen Genjiden ‘Secret meeting’ story event- Tamamo summary

Story starts with MC in her room treating a raccoon which she found in the garden. It’s foot was injured, so MC brought it to her room without thinking and treated it’s wound. After treating it’s foot, she started stroking it’s head, when she heard footsteps outside her door. The raccoon also looked up to see who it was. The door to her room opened, and Tamamo enters. MC asks if he needed anything and he sees the raccoon in her arms. He smiles and talks to the raccoon.

T: “what? did MC invite you....”

MC: “???”

T: “This is Yuno. The woman I’m in love with. I’m not hiding anything about the world of monsters. You can be comfortable around her.”

Tamamo sits beside MC and poked the nose of the raccoon playfully to which it trembled. The raccoon slowly started to talk. He looks at MC and thanks her for treating him. MC was still surprised. Tamamo strokes her head and tells her that the raccoon in her hand is a ayakashi serving the head of the forest. He’s also an old friend of his.

T: “did MC caress your head? I’m jealous.”

The raccoon, by looking at them says that they both are truly in love and that he is glad that Tamamo found someone wonderful. The raccoon bowed looking at MC as if to thank her for loving his friend and MC instantly bowed back. Tamamo asks what he was doing here and the raccoon says that he is here to invite Tamamo to ‘the night of the stars’. MC asks out of curiosity what he meant and Tamamo explains to her that it’s a night where there are lots of shooting stars. It’s not very often and also not considered a good sign or bad sign. The chief of the raccoon ayakashi calls it ‘Kitcho’. They were preparing for a festival on that night so he is here to invite Tamamo. MC gets excited about the festival of monsters and Tamamo seeing her excitement asks the raccoon if humans are allowed. The raccoon says it’s difficult because there will be some monsters who are scared of humans.

After hearing that MC’s excitement levels went down. Since it can’t be helped, she tries not get too indulge in their conversation. Tamamo looks at her sad face-

T: “you okay?”

MC: “hmm.....I was just excited to see the place Tamamo had been to..”

MC decides to say her true feelings to him than simply lying. Tamamo sighed and looked at her-

T: “Let’s go to the festival together, MC. What do you think?”

MC: “B-But....”

T: (smiles) “it’s a rare festival. Its going to be fun.”

Tamamo laughed at what he said, to which the raccoon gave him a confused look. Tamamo says that we have to hide MC ‘s identity and bring her to the festival. If any problem occurs, then they will leave immediately. The raccoon gave a thought to what Tamamo said and then looks up at MC. He agrees to his idea, saying that he owes one to MC for treating him. The raccoon hands her a purple bag. The bag contained something that would help in removing her odor, so that could help her easily blend in with the monsters. MC happily takes the bag and thanks him. MC finally looks at Tamamo, who is giving her a seductive smile.

........

It was the time for the festival. MC was waiting outside the palace for Tamamo. He soon reaches their meeting place and asks if he kept her waiting. MC says its fine. Tamamo looks at her from top to bottom.

T: “It’s the first time I’m seeing you in that kimono. It suits you very well.”

MC: “Really?thanks.”

MC was happy going out with Tamamo after a long time. She was eager to see the festival and also spend quality time with him. Then, Tamamo takes something out of his sleeve...

T: “all that is left is this.”

MC: “ears and tails?”

T: “yeah, pretty impressive isn’t it?”

He makes her wear those fox ears and tail which he made by himself. (#couplegoals)

T: “you look just like me”

MC finds this ‘matching-matching’ thing a little embarrassing, but as long as Tamamo is happy, she didn’t mind. She felt ticklish when he touched her ears. MC still got anxious about going to this festival of monsters. She touched the incense bag inside her sleeve to check if its still there. Tamamo calms her down saying that as long as she has that bag, no one will find out that she is a human. Also he will be by her side all the time.

MC sighed relief and they both walked towards the shrine where the festival is held according to the raccoon. To her surprise, it was quiet and they could only hear the sound of wind blowing.

Tamamo held her hand and guided her way into the shrine and suddenly a white light appeared. When the white light disappeared, MC opened her eyes to see her surroundings were not quiet now. they were surrounded by monsters and the empty shrine was now a place where the festival is taking place.

Tamamo tells her that a barrier was there at the entrance of the shrine and that’s why she couldn’t see anything at first. That barrier was there to restrict the humans from entering the festival. Tamamo wraps her arm with his and-

T: “come on, let’s have fun.”

They walk around the festival streets where there lots of food stalls. Suddenly all the monsters there noticed the both of them. MC and Tamamo felt anxious thinking that the monsters must have already realized that MC is a human. But to their surprise, one of the monsters greet them happily. Soon many monsters starts to gather around them and greets Tamamo after so many years. Tamamo also starts talking with the other monsters and MC starts to find Tamamo cool and awesome because he is still trending in the monster world. Suddenly one of the monsters noticed MC watching Tamamo with admiration. The monster asked who she was and also the other monsters starts to look at her. MC found herself in a difficult situation of not knowing what to answer but Tamamo quickly puts his hand on her shoulder and pulls her closer. MC’s heart starts to beat violently felt Tamamo’s body heat on her.

T: “She is cute, right? She is the daughter of a fox ayakashi. She is also my woman, please get along with her.”

After hearing that, all the monsters began surrounding around her. The monsters found it hard to believe that Tamamo actually a serious about his relationship with MC. Tamamo quickly takes MC and before they could leave, another monster warns Tamamo to be careful because the barrier that kept humans from entering the festival is broken. They both acted casual, thanking him for the warning and that they would be careful.

MC and Tamamo were enjoying there time eating and walking around. When MC said that she didn’t expect a beautiful festival like this for monsters, Tamamo says that its only because of the stars that is going to rain at night.

T: “Back then, I did not bother of going to festivals like this. The sound of worship and treating me special was all annoying.”

Seeing his lonely face, MC reached out and tugged his kimono. Tamamo gently took MC ‘s hand and holds it with his.

T: “But, this time its strange. Being next to you, makes everything looks so beautiful.”

He gently pulls her towards him.

T: “its a big deal if you get separated. So stay close to me, okay?”

....................

While walking around in the busy street they comes across one of those stalls that has shooting games. (not with guns, but bow and arrow). MC notices and points at the cute little fox figurine in the store. She states that it looks just like Tamamo in his little fox form. Tamamo chuckles and asks of she wants that and MC nodded. He goes and brings the bow and arrows so that MC could shoot. In her first attempt MC fails. When she impatiently fixed the second arrow on the bow, Tamamo comes closer and whispers into her ears-

T: “MC, just aim a little closer to the target.”

MC starts to blush when she felt his breath on her ears and she tries to mentally calm down. Tamamo positioned her arms correctly so she could shoot easily. MC takes a deep breath and releases the arrow from the bow.

MC wins the second round and she got her little fox figurine. They were sitting on the rock in the corner of the shrine, while MC is still admiring the figurine like a little kid.

MC: “This is so cute, Thank you Tamamo.”

T: “You don’t have to thank me. You shot it down.”

MC: “all thanks to your instructions.”

While holding the little figurine in her hand and telling how cute it looked, Tamamo gently strokes her head.

T: “You look like a little kid.”

Compare to Tamamo who has lived for 800 years, MC is younger. But however she finds it frustrating when he actually treats her like a little kid.

MC: “I’m not a kid. You know that right?”

T: “Heh, well if you are not a kid then...”

T: “Will you do something that only adults does?”

Tamamo pecks MC on the lips. She grabs Tamamo’s hands to stop him but he reassures her that no one is watching them and was about to kiss her the second time when they hear some monsters screaming. One of the monster came running towards Tamamo and told him that there is some chaos happening near the food cart and that he should help them solve it. MC starts to worry, thinking that it might be Kurama, but Tamamo tells her not to worry and wait for him till he comes back.

MC agrees and Tamamo goes to solve whatever problem is going on. While waiting for Tamamo, she hears one of the monsters shouting-

Monster: “it’s a human. Catch him.”

MC tries to hide, thinking that the monsters found out her real identity, but to her surprise the monsters went past by her. MC starts to think, if the ‘human’ those monsters were searching is not her then who, that’s when she heard something behind her.

Yasuchika: “whoa, that was dangerous!”

MC: “Yasuchika!”

Yasuchika tells her not to shout. MC asks what he was doing here and what he did to the barrier.

Yasuchika: “I came to Kamakura for a reason, and that’s when I saw this monster’s festival. I was so excited to see so I followed them. Since the barrier was a hindrance, I broke it.”

MC was not so surprised that he can do something like that, because he is freaking Ommyoji. He comes and sits near MC and asks what she is doing here. MC tells that she is hear with Tamamo as a fox spirit.

Yasuchika: “Do you like festivals that much?”

MC: “I do love festivals, but I wanted to see where Tamamo is from.”

Yasuchika: “Why?”

MC: “Because I love Tamamo for a while now, but I still don’t know much about him. That’s why I want to know as much as possible. ”

Listening to MC ‘s answer, Yasuchika looks at the festival lights and then looks at her. He tells her that he is jealous of Tamamo. They both see Tamamo standing with other monsters, talking and laughing with them. Seeing Tamamo enjoying himself Yasuchika starts to talk-

Y: “Seeing Tamamochi (his nickname) smiling like that.....no matter how familiar you are with people, sometimes it’s important to spend time with your friends.”

Hearing this MC starts to think that the world of monsters is a place where Tamamo comes from and he has lot of friends there. Most of the monsters are scared of humans. She starts to feel responsible for Tamamo not spending time with his friends. Yasuchika calls MC when she was in deep thought. Suddenly Tamamo comes and stands between them and asks Yasuchika what he was doing her.

Yasuchika just smiles and tells him that he is going back before anything worse happens and leaves. Tamamo sighs and looks at MC-

T: “I want to show you something. Can you came with me?”

Premium end:

He took her to the river near the shrine. When MC looked up to see some many floating lanterns in the river. While MC enjoyed the beautiful sight-

T: “This is the last highlight of the festival. It’s a lantern made by kneading a spell and it melts in water after a while. If you think that your wish will melt into water and reach the sea, would you have a dream?”

Tamamo gives her a lantern. It was shining brightly even though there was no actual fire inside it. MC thank s Tamamo for showing her such a beautiful site.

T: “There are a lot of beautiful things in the world. But if it can make you happy, the world of monsters is also wonderful.”

MC suddenly thinks about what Yasuchika told her about Tamamo. She asks him he misses his own world. But Tamamo smiles while still looking at the sky-

T: ‘I go where I want to go, when I want to.

MC asks if he is not taking this seriously, to which Tamamo tells her that for him, he admires both the human world and monster world as long as MC is by his side. MC gives him a surprised look and Tamamo smiles at her-

T: “I’ll take you where I want to go, as well as where you want to go.”

MC smiles and holds his hand and tells him that she will not leave him no matter what.

Then it was the time to launch the lanterns and Tamamo tells MC to make a wish. MC wish is to stay with Tamamo forever. MC founded her wish a little embarrassing so she didn’t say it him. She asks what Tamamo wished for and he looks at her in the eyes and tells her that he will tell her his wish only if MC gives him a kiss. MC blushed hearing what he said, Tamamo teased her saying that it’s her choice if wants to hear or not. MC looks around to see if anyone’s watching them and slowly pulls Tamamo. She kisses on his cheeks. Tamamo found her gesture to be cute and tells her he would have loved it if he does it on his lips. They both launches their lantern into the river and MC hear Tamamo silently mumbling.

T: “I hope....the time I spend with you last forever. I pray for the lantern.”

Tamamo hadn’t wished anything so sincerely until now and MC hugged Tamamo saying that she will be with him forever, even if she dies she will reborn again to see him. Tamamo also hugged her tightly. But then he realised something and called MC ‘s name. MC looks up to him in confusion and he tells her that her tail has come off. MC looks behind to see that she didn’t have a tail and starts to panic. Suddenly a child ayakashi from somewhere shouts ‘that kitsune doesn’t have a tail.’

Tamamo smiles and puts his index finger on the child’s mouth to quiet him down and quickly takes MC’s hand. With Tamamo’s magic they both teleport to the shrine entrance and from there back to the human world.

MC: “that was dangerous.....”

T: “don’t worry, they will think that the child was mistaken....”

He pats her head to calm her down. MC apologizes for causing trouble. Tamamo holds her cheek and looks at her seductively.

T: “Well then, let me get paid with that body of your...”

Hearing him say that made MC blush but he just laughs at her, stating he was just teasing her and she has hang out with him a little longer, to which she agrees. They both are now in Tamamo’s room, starts to talk about how much fun they had at the festival. While their chit-chat, Tamamo told her that he heard everything what she told to Yasuchika. MC looks away in embarrassment. Tamamo holds her face and kisses her.

T: “By the way, what did you wish for with the lantern?”

MC: “it’s a secret.”

T: “oh.....!”

Tamamo’s eyes shined which made MC tremble. He comes closer.

T: “Are you sure? I know how to make you say it?”

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

Benkei route-epilogue

Tamamo epilogue

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

#ikemen series #ikemen genjiden #ikemen genjiden tamamo #ikegen tamamo #ikegen #ikemen series story event #ikemen series spoilers

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fantasyoverreality98 · 4 years ago

Text

Fight the Darkness: Epilogue

Masterlist

Pairing: Gaius x MC

Summary: A thousand years later, everyone reunites to celebrate the Dark Solstice.

Word Count: 4,649

---

“Come to me.”

The voice echoed through space and time, beckoning her.

Somewhere, in the Mediterranean Sea, an island remained. Darkness raged on, the streams ran black, what had once lived had decayed.

“This is your destiny. Amy, come to me.”

She tried to ignore the voice. It would not tempt her again. For over a thousand years, she had enjoyed silence. No worry over losing control had plagued her mind.

And yet she found herself sailing to Mydiea.

Something stirred deep within her. The power needed a vessel. It would perish if it spent any longer trapped on the island, unable to reach its full potential.

Amy was the Bloodkeeper. She was the descendant of The First. She would become the goddess of blood.

The moment she set foot on the island, she felt like she was complete.

This was it. This was always how it would end. This was fate.

“Amy? We’re here.”

With a jolt, Amy returned to the present. She tried to hide the way her body trembled, but Gaius saw through the act. He looked at her, concern reflected in his eyes as he took her hand in his.

“What is it?”

She shook her head, unable to stop from shaking. “I had another vision. It felt so real, it was like—” To finish the sentence felt like cementing this future.

Gaius waited for the plane to empty before he spoke again. “Are you certain that everything is okay? You seem to have gotten worse since we received the invitation to the Dark Solstice ball last month.”

A holographic figure approached, watching them with lifeless eyes. “Please exit the plane. Passengers are awaiting the next flight. The plane has to be empty within five minutes.”

Sighing, Amy stood up, grabbing her carry-on bag as she made her way down the aisle. The hologram followed her and Gaius, repeating the message until they stepped off the plane. Shields immediately locked into place above their heads and on their sides, blocking the sunlight that streamed in through the glass.

“Why did they think putting those…things everywhere was a good idea? I much preferred the time when we had to deal with humans.” Gaius turned back to glare at the hologram one last time before focusing back on the current issue. “Where were we? Ah, yes. The visions. If you wish, we can get right back on a plane and return to Russia. I will support your decision.”

Amy smiled and reached for his hand. “You just want to leave, don’t you? How many times do I have to tell you that the chances of us dying are slim? It’s Christmas! Everyone has to put aside their differences and celebrate together.”

“They might make an exception for me.” His eyebrows drew together as he stared straight ahead.

The shields continued to lock into place until they’d reached the main building of the airport. Once they were out of harm’s way, the sunlight lit up the passenger boarding bridge again.

Looking up, Amy suddenly saw just how worried Gaius looked. “Hey, look at me.” She took his face in her hands and forced him to turn his head toward her. “We’re going to be fine. Okay? I would never let anything happen to you.”

For a thousand years, they had always had each other’s backs.

Trying to describe the connection they had would be next to impossible. Amy had found both her best friend and the person she wanted to spend eternity with, in Gaius. It was strange, the way someone could fall in love with someone who had once been their enemy.

There had been moments when they fought, of course there had. Some days she wanted to run back to New York to be with her friends. Other days Gaius had done questionable things, causing her to believe that perhaps that villain still lingered inside.

But the love they felt for each other always seemed to win.

“Have you told your friends that we’ve arrived?” Gaius leaned into her touch, his eyes remaining locked with hers.

Amy shook her head, running one of her hands through his hair. “Not yet. I figured we should get settled in at the hotel first. The ball isn’t until tomorrow night anyway. That gives us plenty of time to catch up.”

If she were honest, the idea of facing her friends with Gaius at her side terrified her. She had visited several times throughout the years, but he’d never come with her. Amy felt that his presence might add unnecessary tension whenever she traveled to New York.

“I just hope a thousand years has been enough time,” Gaius said, lines appearing between his eyebrows when he frowned.

With a smile, Amy reached up and smoothed them away, standing on her toes to press a gentle kiss to the spot. “You’re thinking about this way too much. Everything is going to be perfect.”

“It truly is remarkable how you managed to stay optimistic all these years.” Although there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, he grinned, leaning down to kiss her.

Amy hummed under her breath, wrapping her arms around Gaius’ neck to pull him closer. People walked around them, some stopping to shoot dirty looks or simply to stare, but she ignored them all. The only one who mattered right now was the man she held in her arms.

When an announcement for passengers to board a flight came over the intercom, they pulled away. Both of them were smiling, and he laughed under his breath when a small child nearby made a sound of disgust after they shared one last kiss.

“Shall we?” Gaius rested his forehead against Amy’s, looking like he would rather stay in this spot all day.

Her lips twitched as she fought back a grin. “We shall.”

They held hands as they walked through the airport to the service desk for transportation.

After a thousand years, the lines between the worlds of vampires and humans were almost gone. Services designed just for vampires were everywhere, making it easier for them to travel during the day. The thought made Amy smile as she and Gaius waited for a taxi made specifically to block out any and all sunlight.

“As strange as it seems, I think Rheya might be happy to see how far we’ve come.” She almost laughed after saying the words. “At least, I think a small part of her would have liked it. Our kind is finally free.”

Crimes against vampires still happened, and some still mistrusted them, but the world had grown much safer. Most people didn’t care. Plenty of humans had treated her with kindness when they found out, the memory of the Irish town now a tiny detail of the past.

Gaius snorted. “Perhaps. In the beginning, she did want humans and vampires to exist peacefully alongside one another.” He pulled his suitcase closer when someone took a seat beside him, eyeing them a moment before looking back at her. “I’m glad I lived to see this day.”

“I’m glad I decided to let you live all those years ago.” She laughed when he glared at her and playfully nudged him with her elbow. “You know that I love you, don’t look at me like that.”

Before Gaius could respond, they were told that their ride had arrived. The vehicle waited in a parking garage, safely hidden away from the sunlight. Amy threw their luggage into the trunk before sliding into the backseat, Gaius following close behind.

As they sped down the busy streets, Amy reached across the seat and took Gaius’ hand. A smile tugged at her lips when he laced his fingers through hers, and she turned away to conceal a grin.

It had been nearly a decade since she’d visited New York. Screens floated in the air, the blinding lights that lit up every corner blocked by the special glass designed for the vehicle. She still wondered what kind of technology it took to make sun-proof windows that could protect vampires.

“What should we do until the sun sets?” Gaius asked.

Amy turned to look at him and smirked. Words weren’t needed.

“Well, if you insist.”

She threw her head back and laughed, the nerves and excitement building in the pit of her stomach. Finally, her friends would get to see Gaius again. For so long, she had waited for when the moment felt right. She just hoped they were capable of forgiving him.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the hotel. The car parked close enough to the door that they could get inside without worrying about the sunlight. As the driver set their luggage down, he wished them well. Both of them returned the sentiment before turning to face the hotel entrance.

An incoming call made Amy’s phone vibrate, and she pulled it out to see Lily’s name light up the screen. “Hello?”

“Ames! Are you two here? I got a notification that your plane had landed.”

Grinning, Amy looked over at Gaius, who was beginning to look sickly. “Yeah, we just got to the hotel. What are you up to?”

While they got their room key, Amy stayed on the phone with Lily. She’d almost forgotten how much she missed her best friend. Almost.

Fifteen minutes later, the conversation finally came to an end. Amy hung up the phone and fell backward on the bed. The blankets almost swallowed her up, and she stared at the ceiling for a minute. It was crazy to think about how much had changed with the passage of time, and yet so much remained familiar.

“Are we to meet with them tonight?” Gaius asked, watching her from the other side of the room. His face was pale, the anxious way he looked at her almost cute, in a strange way.

Amy nodded, sitting up on her elbows. “Yes. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” she added when he tensed. “I’m sure they would understand.”

Truth be told, she still feared what would happen when her friends saw him again. Lily wasn’t the problem, she’d been surprisingly accepting of the fact that the two of them were together. But Adrian and Kamilah were a different story. They’d known the less pleasant side of him far longer than she ever had, and neither of them had spent much time with this part of him that wasn’t under Rheya’s influence.

“Are you certain?” It seemed as though her suggesting that he stay behind released most of the tension building up in his body, and Gaius relaxed, still watching her from across the room. “You would be okay with me staying here?”

She frowned, but nodded. “Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. I only want what’s best for you.” Amy beckoned him toward her, reaching up to pull him down to her. “I love you,” she whispered.

Gaius rested his forehead against hers, and finally, finally, smiled. “I love you more.” He brushed his lips against hers, the gesture achingly gentle.

With a sigh, she pulled him down onto the bed on top of her. For a long time, they forgot about her friends.

By the time they finished, the sun was beginning to set. Traffic raged on outside as they lay tangled in each other’s arms. A smile tugged at Amy’s lips when Gaius kissed her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her.

“I hope you know that there’s no way you’re getting out of attending the celebration tomorrow,” she mumbled, turning her head to look back at him. “You have to face everyone eventually.”

“I know.” He sighed, focusing his stare at the window across the room. The blinds were shut tight, but a flicker of bright orange sunlight peeked through, leaving a thin line across the hotel floor.

Amy turned in his arms, placing her hands on his face. “If anyone tries to cause problems, I’ll break their face.”

Gaius laughed, reaching out to trace the curve of her cheek. “That seems rather excessive, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

“I mean it. If someone tries to do something, I won’t hesitate. But the Dark Solstice is about putting aside our differences.” Her face hurt from grinning, and she reluctantly slipped out of his embrace. “Well, I should probably get ready to meet up with them. You’ll be okay here?”

He nodded, watching from the bed as she got dressed.

A few minutes later, the sun had set, shrouding the room in darkness. The sounds of life continued outside, and Amy glanced at her phone when it began to vibrate.

Adrian.

Trying her best not to let her face betray her true feelings, she turned away from Gaius to answer the call.

“Hey, Adrian.” Her voice filled the quiet room.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end. She wasn’t sure whether that was something to worry about or not. Just before she could begin to panic, he answered. “Hi, Amy. Lily told me that you two landed a few hours ago. Are you joining us tonight?”

Amy glanced back at Gaius before moving to the bathroom. He would still hear, but she took comfort in the false sense of privacy. “It’s just going to be me tonight.”

“He will show up for the Dark Solstice, right?”

She chewed on her bottom lip, seriously considering taking Gaius up on his offer to hop on a plane back to Russia. “Yes. We will both be there. I promise.”

“Okay.” Adrian sighed, and she thought it might be out of relief. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you.” She hung up and set the phone down on the counter, taking a deep breath as she stared at her reflection.

It was happening. In twenty-four hours, she would be at a mansion, Gaius at her side, facing dozens of vampires who probably still hated the man she loved. No amount of time would change certain people’s minds, and she could understand why. Still, her heart ached at the thought of them not giving him a real chance.

Amy liked to believe that somewhere, deep down, her friends were willing to give Gaius a chance. That they believed some goodness lived inside him. Why else would they let her leave with him so long ago?

Memories of that time flashed in her head, and Amy closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing when she remembered all the pain and suffering she had caused.

It had been a long time since she thought about the darkness, but a part of it would always remain with her. Not enough to cause her to lose control again, but enough for her to never forget what had happened.

She would always miss Jax. She would always regret not being able to bring him back. But she would never give in to that temptation again.

When Amy emerged from the bathroom several minutes later, Gaius had gotten dressed. He sat at the foot of the bed, giving her a knowing look when their eyes met. Without a word, she walked over to him, shutting her eyes when she fell into his arms.

They held each other for a while, ignoring the bombardment of text messages that lit up her phone.

“Have you been having a lot of visions lately?” Gaius asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

Amy sighed, afraid to look him in the eyes. “Yes. They seem to be getting worse.”

Once, she would have hidden the truth from him.

But after a thousand years, she had come to realize that, sometimes, there is no harm in being honest.

“What have you seen?” His tone was gentle, but there was a hint of fear that lingered.

Silence settled between them before she gathered up the courage to speak. “The island calling me back. I’ve seen the world burned to ash, and the person responsible for it all is me.”

Every time, it was the same scenario. The call of the darkness beckoned to her, and she could no longer ignore it. Power of unimaginable proportions lay within her grasp.

All she had to do was return to Mydiea.

Amy had not dared to go near Greece since leaving with Gaius. She knew the power still existed, that it was just waiting for someone strong enough to wield it once more. She was the only one who could possess the power of the First, and that knowledge sent shivers down her spine. For as long as she lived, the world would always be at risk.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. When the phone calls and messages became too much to ignore, Amy reluctantly pulled away, knowing she had to go see Adrian, Kamilah, and Lily. They were waiting for her at Raines Corp.

“I have to go now,” Amy said, turning to face Gaius.

He nodded, smiling briefly when she leaned down to kiss him goodbye.

Five minutes later, she walked alone down the busy street.

Advertisements for the next Christmas blockbusters lit up the city, loud music making the air thrum with energy. Amy zipped her coat up, though the cold didn’t really bother her.

On the way, she felt the need to feed, and stopped to grab some blood as she continued down the street. After walking for a few more minutes, she came to a familiar building.

In a thousand years, surprisingly little had changed. The building had clearly undergone improvements, but it still resembled the one she had stood outside so many years ago. She thought of the very first day she had walked through these doors. If she’d known then what would happen, would she still have stepped inside?

A part of her didn’t think she would.

An excited squeal pierced the air, and Amy jumped when a body charged toward her. The fright dissolved into joy, and she laughed, returning the tight hug that Lily gave her. It felt great to be back with her friends.

“You’ve been away for way too long! Why don’t you come visit more often?” Lily refused to let go, and Amy grinned when she looked at Adrian and Kamilah, who watched the two friends with smiles.

“Maybe we’ll have to look into visiting more,” she said, feeling a bit sad that Gaius wasn’t with her for this.

Lily seemed to notice the dip in her mood, pulling back to look at Amy’s face. “Why didn’t Gaius want to come tonight? Honestly, I was kinda excited to see how things would play out. We haven’t seen him since—”

It wasn’t necessary to bring Greece up again. The four of them seemed to have an unspoken understanding. Talking about what had happened on Mydiea often brought back unpleasant memories.

Screams. Blood. Destruction.

“I think he’s just nervous. The people we’re supposed to celebrate the Dark Solstice with tomorrow all wanted him dead at one point. Some of them still do.” Amy knew that she would also be on their enemy lists because of her relationship with him.

Lily watched her, sympathy shining in her eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Or him.” Her best friend smiled, reaching for her hand. “Now come on, we have so much to catch up on before the sun starts to rise.”

The two of them walked toward Adrian and Kamilah, preparing for a long night of reconnecting.

And for the first time since arriving back in New York, Amy’s worry about seeing her friends again faded away.

---

A large mansion loomed before them, and Amy slipped her fingers through Gaius’ as the two of them approached.

Curious gazes watched the couple make their way up the steps, a few sneers thrown their way enough to make both hesitate at the door.

“It is still not too late to make a run for it,” Gaius mumbled under his breath, watching Amy from the corner of his eye. “I will cover you while we run.”

She smiled and shook her head, turning to look at him. “We’ll be fine. I texted Lily that we were here. She should find us in a few minutes.”

A vampire glared at Gaius as they walked by her. Amy had no idea who it was, but based on the look of hatred she received next, she guessed it was someone who could not be considered a friend.

“Amy!” Lily’s voice drowned out the noise of vampires, and she burst through the crowd, pulling Amy into a hug. “I’m so glad you made it!” When she pulled away and turned to address Gaius, a slight bit of tension hung in the air. “Gaius.” Her lips twitched before she broke out in a grin. “It’s been a while, huh?”

He looked surprised to be greeted in such an informal way. “Yes…I guess it has. It is a pleasure to see you again.”

Neither seemed sure what to do, awkwardly staring at each other before Gaius bowed slightly. Amy snorted, turning her face away to hide the amused grin. She had a feeling it would be even worse when Adrian and Kamilah found them.

“Who invited him?” A voice rang out, the sneer present in the man’s tone.

“Great,” Gaius mumbled under his breath as the man approached, his hands clenched into fists.

Amy stepped forward, prepared to stay true to her promise of breaking the face of anyone who became a threat, when another voice made the rest of the room go quiet.

“Today is a day for putting aside our differences. Including Gaius.” The crowd parted, and Kamilah slowly made her way forward, head held high. “He was invited, Nathaniel. Now get out of my sight before I escort you out of here.”

Everyone immediately found other things to do, the party appearing to return to normal. But Amy could see the curious glances thrown their way. She sensed the tension in the air as people watched with bated breath.

The vampire known as Nathaniel grumbled something incomprehensible before he staggered away, shoving people out of his path. Once he had disappeared onto the mansion’s balcony, the attention shifted to the other three.

“I apologize for his behavior,” Kamilah said, addressing Gaius, though she kept her eyes averted. “Some people fail to understand the meaning of the Dark Solstice.”

Memories of a long-lost love reflected in Gaius’ eyes, and Amy had to turn away. She felt no jealousy, only a tinge of sadness. Of course he would still have feelings for Kamilah. The same thing happened when Rheya came up.

Thousands of years spent loving someone would never really disappear, even if that love had been corrupted.

“I understand.” When Gaius spoke, Amy looked back at him. He looked like he was trying his best not to smile. “Well, may I say, you look as lovely as ever.” Although the two words were unspoken, they still somehow managed to linger in the air.

My Queen.

Kamilah managed to bring herself to look at him, pain flashing across her face when their eyes met. The betrayal would always hang between them, no matter how much time passed.

“Why didn’t you go with Amy to see us last night? We were expecting to have some time before this to have a proper conversation.”

Guilt over not convincing him to come washed over Amy. She should have tried harder, told him that he had nothing to fear, but the idea of forcing him to do something he didn’t want to only served to remind her of how Rheya had treated him. And she would do everything in her power to make sure she never forced him to do what he didn’t want to.

Gaius took a deep breath. “The idea of facing you and Adrian scared me. The person—I was not very pleasant. I guess I was worried that seeing me would bring back bad memories.”

“If Amy has chosen to spend the past thousand years with you, then perhaps there’s more to you than I thought.” Kamilah tilted her head to the side, studying his face. “Perhaps we could have a longer conversation?” She looked at Amy. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

Things were going far better than she had expected. Amy stepped back, trying her best not to grin. “Be my guest. But please, bring him back in one piece.”

With a laugh, Kamilah nodded, turning her attention back to Gaius, who once more looked like he might be sick. Together, the two of them made their way to a corner of the room, maintaining a small distance.

After socializing for half an hour, Adrian found Amy and Lily. The three of them continued to tell stories of their near decade apart while others around the ballroom chatted amongst themselves.

Amy stepped away after a while to look at the obelisk in the middle of the room. She stepped closer, searching until she found her name. The smile faltered when she noticed Jax’s, a few inches away. With a sigh, she reached out to run her fingers over the name, forever carved into the pillar.

“He’s here with us in spirit.” Adrian’s voice startled her, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his side. “As long as we continue to live, a part of Jax will, too.”

Tears threatened to fill her eyes, and Amy sniffled, surveying the room for Gaius. She caught sight of him and Kamilah still talking in a corner. To her surprise, it looked like they weren’t on the verge of killing each other.

Music filled the air as the band began to play, and Amy pulled away from Adrian, excusing herself as she headed towards Gaius and Kamilah.

“Am I interrupting?” she asked, looking between the two.

Gaius shook his head, stepping forward to stand by her side. “Not at all. We were just discussing what’s happened in the years since we last saw each other.”

Amy nodded, glancing back at the dance floor. Couples were pairing off, swaying to the slow music that played throughout the room.

“Do you want to dance?” She turned back to Gaius, looking up at him with a smile.

He returned the gesture, nodding before he looked at Kamilah. “Mind if I leave you now?”

Kamilah shook her head, her lips quirking up in the slightest of smiles. “Not at all. I hope I get to know more of this side of you…friend.”

Pure joy lit up his face, staying as they walked away to join the others dancing. Amy couldn’t stop from smiling, wrapping her arms around Gaius’ neck. “I guess a thousand years was enough time for Kamilah to consider you a friend.”

He chuckled, his hands resting at her waist. “Most of this new version of me is thanks to you. You made me want to be better.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You can’t let me take all the credit. There was some effort on your side too.” She grinned when he rolled his eyes. “You know, I think Jax would be happy if he was here. We finally get a party where no one tries to kill us.”

Gaius smiled, pulling her closer. “Yet. The night is still young.”

But something told Amy that, for once, the celebration would go uninterrupted.

After so many years of pain and struggling, she finally felt at peace. Her friends had been willing to accept Gaius, to attempt to know the part of him that Rheya had kept trapped away for so long. The man that she had fallen in love with, who believed in her when she felt like no one else did.

Time may not be enough to heal all wounds, but it was enough to make her believe there was hope. And as long as she had hope, she would continue to fight the darkness.

-----

Author’s Note: Finishing this has me feeling both sad and happy, honestly. It ended up a lot longer than I’d originally intended, but I had quite a bit of fun writing it. Also, I just wanted to give a special thank you to @theo-oface first of all for for helping me come up with the main idea for this epilogue but also just for being so supportive of me writing this. Seriously, I appreciate you so much, dear friend. Anyway, I hope whoever reads this fic enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Every single like, comment, and reblog meant the world to me. I may say that a lot, but it’s true. Thank you so, so much for taking the time to read something from someone who’s still pretty new to the fandom. I really loved writing this (it’s the first fanfiction I’ve written in a long time--like eight years.) Alright, that’s enough. Thank you everyone once again! I love you all so much.

#choices: stories you play #choices fanfiction #gaius augustine #gaius x mc #bloodbound #gaius augustine x mc

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vios-rockland-corner · 5 years ago

Text

Rumors of Rockland: Article 1

You’re new in town and about to start up work soon. Still settling in, you’re looking around Rockland to find a good hang out place. Someplace where you could just observe what goes on around you. A place to get your bearings.

Rockland’s funny though. You can’t help but feel this weird sense of foreboding sometimes. Not to mention, there’s quite a few colorful characters about. But that just makes it more intriguing, right?

[Full spoilers below for RoR: Article 1]

The Rumors of Rockland minigames are a continuous installment of visual novels by @runawayoutlaw and @rottenbonethief (@sugarhazard may have his own characters and art appear from time to time). The MC in these games is the same character every time, making this an ongoing discovery from one set of eyes. A nice little way to peak into the oddity of Rockland and its inhabitants from a much safer perspective than other games will allow.

This installment series will also be part of the future 5 year in-game time skip. Not only will the MC get to meet the characters when they’re younger, but this means they become a more fixed resident themselves and get to see what happens to many of these characters later on in life.

Story

Already with the release of the first article, the MC is finding Rockland to be anything but bland. First we have a very brief run-in with two bartenders. One who literally ducks out for a break before the MC can get a word in, and one who appears much friendlier (for the most part) but is also occupied soon-after. Then we get startled by a loud commotion of a very unhinged man oozing violent thoughts as well as being on the verge of tears as his friends attempt to calm him down. Then we get caught staring and meet the world’s friendliest drug dealer and his very horrified friend who just wishes.he.would.stop. Have to say, the situation oddly does get the MC much more relaxed after the previous man’s outbursts. With all this excitement, the MC just barely notices one bartender come back wiping blood off his cheek. But after everything else that’s happened, the sight just seems to get pushed to the back of the MC’s mind. Nor does the MC seem so perturbed with the sinister tone in the bartender’s voice. It doesn’t dissuade you from making a return to the establishment.

Quite a roller coaster there.

Rockland’s a small place, small enough apparently where all the locals know each other. Several of these characters bring this up and it’s even hinted that…may not be to your advantage. If you’re not from around there, they’ll spot you in a crowd. As friendly as these people seem, we the audience unfortunately know better than the MC does in this situation. We know there’s disturbing and sinister characters lurking about.

A new face means potentially two things for locals:

1) You’re either far from home or you’ve yet to ingrain yourself in the community.

2) You may very well BE alone, without any connections in town.

In a normal sane town, that just means the newbie has to learn to acquaint themselves with people and the townsfolk have to come to accept the new face as a resident. Just the normal challenges of joining a new community. Here in Rockland though, there are folks who likely share a friendly smile because their excitement over a new face comes from a very dark place. After all, what kind of people make better victims than those so far from help?

I’m sure not everyone that steps foot in Rockland has the unfortunate fate of going missing. It IS a tourist town, and that’d bring a bad reputation if no one made it out alive. But every now and then the darker folks won’t be able to contain themselves, and just decide to pluck some poor individual from the crowd. Such events probably don’t catch the outside’s eye enough (or soon enough) to cause mass alarm. But it happens just enough to make Rockland a very special kind of horror.

So if you can’t hide among the locals, what’s a new person to do? One, be incredibly lucky I’m sure. Two, get to know the right people. I like to think there’s a “judging” or “probationary” phase for anyone new who enters Rockland. How long this goes for, who knows. If integration is successful, I’m sure the chances of survival shoot up much higher for the newcomer. It might also be possible that killers may not want to target locals because not only will those faces be missed IMMEDIATELY, but who knows what other families or groups you’ll upset if you target the wrong person.

Characters

So how about the very first characters the MC meets here?

Not much we learn about Foal. The finger up seemed like a specific signal to Whesker though.

You’ve got the bartender Whesker. Seems like a friendly and jovial guy for the little bit of time you get to spend with him. But he also is one of the first to warn you about telling people you’re new and don’t know anyone here. There are hints of something dark within this man. It’s difficult to say though what he thinks of the MC. Is he subtly giving them a warning here about how dangerous Rockland is?....Or does he already view them as a victim?

Then, you’ve got the violent man Avery. It’s plain to see this is a man you do NOT want to get in the crossfire of. He’s very unstable and his stress gives him the urge to grind anything to dust as a way to deal with his emotions. For anyone who’s played the Misfits: First Blood demo…you know these threats are not empty. He very much has the capacity to kill someone, no matter how little their offense is. Luckily, he’s accompanied by his friend Callum who seems to not only know Avery well enough that he’s spared getting a punch in the face, but looks like he’s had to handle a situation or two like this before. Avery is terrifying, but also tragic. We don’t know what he’s done here, but from the demo we can take some pretty good guesses. What’s interesting is that he KNOWS that stuff isn’t okay though and doesn’t actually even want someone to say it is. He’s self-aware. But he seems to have no control over his emotions. There’s also a hint that alcohol was a factor here.

It seems that Avery also has someone who he doesn’t want to disappoint, but the things he does would break their heart. The man we see depicted in the bar I think is someone who is their own worst enemy. He might have difficulty controlling his emotions and/or actions (ex. excessive drinking), but he knows what he shouldn’t do and wants to be better. It’s a curious thing…can he get better? Even some of the people who know him have their doubts. We know Avery’s coming full blast in the “Welcome to Rockland” game, but it’s possible we may ONLY see his worst in that. With more RoR installments, perhaps we’ll get to see if Avery ever gets better…or worse.

One problem that Avery may have is that he lives in Rockland of all places. It’s possible that he gets away with a LOT more than a normal criminal does because things like that are considered the norm in Rockland, or because they get swept under the rug. It’s not incredibly clear, but it’s possible that Whesker had been called out back specifically to clean up Avery’s “mess.” This is a problem because it means Avery lives in a place where there are little consequences to his actions. If you go so long without punishment, it’s hard to find a reason to reign yourself back in. Even his friends like Callum worry that they may be enabling his behavior. It’s difficult when you know the good sides of a person because you feel less inclined then to berate them when they mess up. But sometimes you have to call someone out on their behavior, even if it hurts their feelings. With Avery, I don’t know if yelling at him would be a good idea though, considering how dangerous he can become. Tough situation. If you can’t tell, I have mixed feelings about the fellow since I know his violent nature, but something about seeing him helpless here was a little sad.

Finally, you’ve got the drug deal Tyler. Literally, probably the nicest drug dealer you could ever meet. Certainly an eccentric fellow, he’s oddly far less frightening than someone like Avery. His friend Dylan may be horrified by Tyler lacking any means to be discreet, but they seem like good friends none-the-less. Interestingly enough, Tyler and Dylan are probably the most welcoming and safest appearing characters that you meet this time around. Are they truly safe? Who knows. That might be a fun future game to play: Which Rockland character is safe?

Future characters mentioned but not physically in this installment include cops like Roy. It’s very possible we may get to see, if not Roy, at least one cop or detective at the bar in the future. I’m looking forward to that kind of interaction, because what do the cops of Rockland think of new folks? Do they view them as potential victims they need to keep an eye on more for safety? Do they act a little gruff to make Rockland seem less welcoming (so the newbie will leave)? Or are they corrupt and completely aware of what goes on in Rockland (but let things be)…so they don’t make any attempt to drive away or give any kind of warning to the player? Maybe they just flat out don’t like newcomers because it’s a tight nit town and they already have enough on their plate. Rockland also seems to be a place that attracts sinister characters honestly. Not just potential victims. So the cops may be skeptical about what kind of character has just rolled into town.

This is only the tip of the iceburg. There’s so much more to discover, and I feel like these installments will be a great way to see sides of characters we don’t normally get to see in the main games. I for one enjoy a setting where the MC gets a chance to observe some of these characters in a more public setting. Oh I’m sure the more intimate settings with certain characters in the others games will be to die for. But you know, maybe save those games for your more expendable OC’s.

#Rockland Games #Rumors of Rockland #RoR #runawayoutlaw #rottenbonethief #rockland #visual novel #avery greyson #Whesker #Tyler Stryker #Dylan Austin #Callum Willow

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gasp-iwrotesomething · 4 years ago

Note

Love your account. Could you do R11 with Vince please and thank you

Thanks so much, anon, it means a lot to hear you say that! And of course, I’d be thrilled to write this for you! Thanks for your request and I hope you enjoy!

R11: “You’re worth running up a flight of stairs for.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night had been dull, starless with the moon a slim sliver of pale light in the sky, and yet the city of Chicago was alight like a firework. Vince was a prodigy in the superficial fling of the city, his chiseled features and hazelnut eyes alive with the roar of wind flying by. Beside him sat MC, whose rouge curls flirted with the strong gusts and flapped behind her as Vince drove throughout Chicago. The two had just left the speakeasy, where gaggles of people in glitzy attire danced and drank and then danced again until their hearts were content. Everything had gone smooth, yes, but how it went was an afterthought to the two budding lovebirds. Vince had rumored to MC that he had somewhere he wanted to take her--somewhere where “even the Devil himself don’t dare to step a damned foot in”. That had given MC a pleasant curl of jitters and she felt her heart gallop like the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby. She had been put on autopilot for the rest of the night and her control boomeranged back only when she dared sneak a glance at Vince. He’d meet her impish gaze with an innocent smirk, then turn away to do Vince things--MC only had the eyes for the man who was doing them, what he did wasn’t her concern. Once the last drunken fellow stumbled out of the speakeasy, Vince sought out his redheaded beauty and swept her up into his car, his face split with a playful grin and a soft edge to his eyes. Vince kept his mouth zipped the entire way there and didn’t relent no matter how many times MC flashed her stricken puppy dog face. “That trick ain’t workin’ on me this time, doll,” Vince cheekily said as he winked, “these eyes gotta stay trained on the road unless you wanna spend the night in the ward.”

MC rolled her eyes, her ruby lips pouting at her cocky boyfriend. “I think I’ll wake up there if you don’t tell me where we’re going! Curiosity ain’t something I can handle, ya’ know!” She crossed her scrawny arms across her chest and gave the bootlegger a glare that could break any other man down--but not the resilient Vince Moretti. He merely chuckled and shook his head, amused at her dainty antics. “A few more minutes ain’t gonna kill ya’. Trust me, this surprise will make up for all of this denyin’ on my end.” MC’s pout doubled and she sunk into her seat, her posture resembling a toddler who just watched the candy store pass by outside the window. “It better, else you’ll be alone when we get there...” MC mumbled beneath her breath, just to be a brat, admiring the blur of colorless buildings flashing by. Eventually, Vince’s car pulled into the driveway of a deserted warehouse, the windows shattered and the walls smothered in moss. He parks and an eerie silence falls between them, evoking a sense of unease that spooked the small redhead. Shivering, MC spins to Vince with a confused and unsettled expression. “Vince, what in heaven’s name are we doin’ here? This place looks like there’s some ghouls camping out in the shadows.” The bootlegger shoots her a rakish grin and extends his hand, confident. His eyes are glazed with the kind of trouble that MC loved to see--it was the liquor that loosened MC better than any spa day could. Seeing their glare, it was difficult for the flapper to stay apprehensive--she wasn’t the type of gal to turn down a good time.

“Enough of the pessimism, dolly,” Vince scolds lightheartedly, “your surprise is gonna get cold and I don’t reckon the folks who helped me set it up would appreciate me squawkin’ for a refund.” Convinced, MC takes the hand offered and Vince guides the small girl out of the car, shutting the door behind her as he tugged her along. Before they further their journey inside the warehouse, Vince dips into a mock bow and kisses MC’s ghostly knuckles, his mouth a scrap of hot satin against her skin. MC flushes the curl of her lips and swats the sly bootlegger away as he snickers wickedly. Vince leads her inside to a surprisingly well-kept room, armed to the teeth with crates of what seemed to be miscellaneous odds and ends. A faint glow haunted the second floor which coerced MC’s eyes to the steely stairs and the rusted bars that lined the edges of the floor. Vince gestures to the light with his chin, still grinning like there was an ongoing inside joke MC was unaware of. “There’s your prize, MC. All you got’s to do is use your legs and hustle your pretty little way up those stairs.” He husks it like a challenge--cause it was--and a grin accompanied by an eye roll gathers on MC’s face. She releases his hand and does her inscrutably bossy stance--hands on the hips, brows perturbed, eyes daggers that stab all that lands under them. “Oh really? Thought you knew me well enough to know that I ain’t no gangly gal with no energy in her step,” MC berates the bootlegger as she walks to stairs, her effervescent curls bouncing as she tosses him a wry smile over her shoulder, “stairs like these ain’t got nothin’ on me.”

Vince trails behind her with his hands in his pockets, brown gaze scanning MC up and down--lingering particularly on her thin legs. She could practically taste the doubtful air that emanated from him and it had the flavor of cigar smoke--thick and smothering yet from afar it seemed like the precursor to a badass gang leader seated in a leather chair within a small office. “I know you alright, but I admit, I haven’t seen you race for a shiny prize in a long while. Can you blame me for wantin’ to see if you’re still the spry troublemaker I fell over my own feet for?” MC feigns offense to the comment and frowns--there was something that Vince wasn’t telling her and it seemed like he was belittling her, as if she was too skinny and petite to carry her own. “I’m still the same troublemaker you chauffeured to the speakeasy first day I got here, Vince,” she starts her journey up the stairs, transmitting a glance that could’ve been interpreted as a whole slew of things, “and you’re still the same ego-savvy bootlegger that I trusted back when Uncle Charlie was shot.” With that, she charges up the stairs and she can feel his eyes on her the whole way there, admiring the view of MC tiring her muscles out. The redheaded flapper reaches the top in no time, her curls frizzy from how they caught the wind. She plants her hands on her knees as she struggles to catch her breath, lifting one to give Vince a cheeky thumbs up. “Made it! Bet you can’t do... whew... better, Moretti!” MC jeers as she casts a curious glance at her surroundings, which unveils that the dim glow was actually of a cluster of candles stationed in the middle of a pristine table set. What in the world...? What is that supposed to be?

“Better? Than you?” Vince counters as his broad hand falls to his stomach, laughing subtly--it was almost comparable to lemon juice splashed in a wound to MC. “Please, I could run up those stairs faster than you can catch your breath, bearcat.” With that, the Italian bootlegger dashes up the cold metal which emits a loud clank, clank, clank as he lands at the top--barely a bead of sweat tainting his skin. MC pouts as she realizes he’s not even breathing that heavily while she was acting like she only had one functioning lung to live off of. “But it’s a real darb to waltz up these stairs and see a hotsy-totsy flapper... well, I ain’t no romance expert, but you’re worth running up a flight of stairs over.” Vince has a dumb smile careening on his face and MC socks him in the arm just to knock it off him, her own features bright as the flattery of his words reach her mind. It was sweet of him to say, but there’s tons more lines to use to declare your love for your woman! “Shut it, you sap,” MC chuckles as she pivots on her heel to the table behind them--the one with decor that was straight out of the most luxurious restaurants in Chicago, “now tell me: what’s with the table? Bootlegger biz not holdin’ up anymore or something?”

It was a teasing remark, one that reinvigorated her curiosity, which prompts Vince’s eyes to regain their mysterious yet impish glaze. He extends his gun-calloused hand and with a smirk sharper than any blade MC had ever know, he murmurs low into the night as if the shadows could hear him. MC suspected that he made his voice guttural just to play with the butterflies gathering in her stomach, and to be truthful, it works--marvelously.

“Was wonderin’ when the questions would start up again. Come on, let me show you your surprise, doll. It’ll explain everything; trust me.”

And she does, happily taking his hand like it was a familiar route; comforting and understandable.

Reliable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks again for your request! Really loved writing some good ol’ Vince Moretti!

If you want to request something, here’s the Prompt List, here are the Guidelines, here’s Who I Write For, and here is where you can Request me.

#vince moretti #speakeasy tonight

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fakeyellow · 5 years ago

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Revolutionary War spy Kamilah x MC Part 2. Kamilah learns about the curiosity of Genevieve Allen. Genevieve reflects on the events that led to her becoming a spy and makes another life-changing decision by falling for Kamilah.

(there’s a fair amount of backstory in this chapter but there’s also tension and kissing so you should read lol)

Summary: While infiltrating a British camp, Kamilah meets an unknown woman at gunpoint. Three years later, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, Kamilah crosses paths with Genevieve Allen, youngest daughter of the prominent Loyalist family and the belle of Philadelphian society. Part 1.

May 19-20, 1980

Over the next two days, Kamilah found herself gracing the parlours of all the well to do women of Philadelphian society. It seemed that they were all curious about the wealthy widow that was Kamilah Walton and it played to her favour since she was able to ask them innocuous-seeming questions about Peggy Shippen and General Arnold.

Fond of gossip as they were, every person she met was more than happy to oblige, regaling Kamilah with endless tales and gossip, and Kamilah filed each tidbit away.

But once she was satisfied with the information she’d gained on the couple, Kamilah found herself asking about Genevieve Allen.

“Evie? Oh, she’s a darling. She was a bit of a wild child in her younger years but staying with her aunt in New York did her good. You might have known her, Edith Allen?...”

“She’s a charming young woman. Such a good family...”

“Her sisters married so well, it’s a shame things didn’t work out between her and the Shippen boy. I suppose Major André is courting her now but he’s not exactly a Shippen, you know...”

“Oh, it was quite the scandal. You know, Edward and Evie are the same age and having grown up together, everyone just expected they’d marry. But I heard that Evie rejected him right before waltzing off to New York and her father adores her so. There was no way he’d force her to marry him so poor Edward was left to nurse his broken heart. I don’t understand why, he’s so handsome.”

It was at this last house that Kamilah felt like the pieces were slowly coming together.

“Yes, but how did Peggy take that? She seemed close to Miss Allen the other night,” Kamilah interrupted, smoothly redirecting the woman’s attention away from Edward Shippen.

“That’s all an act,” Sally or Samantha or Sarah whispered conspiratorially, leaning towards Kamilah with an excitement that only gossip could bring her, “They’ve never had a good relationship. And not just because Evie rejected her brother. You know, I heard Major André and Peggy used to be really close before her marriage and now he’s all besotted with Evie… But you know how it is, keep your enemies close and all that. Poor Evie, I don’t think she realises how much Peggy dislikes her.”

Kamilah nodded and the woman quickly began talking about a perceived offense that one of the Penn girls had committed against her.

Genevieve Allen, beloved daughter, respected lady, secret revolutionary...

Everything she learned about her seemed to be contradictory but now it was time and Kamilah would finally be seeing the woman herself.

—-

May 20, 1980

Genevieve often thought back to that fateful autumn day: the day that had set her entire life in motion.

Being the youngest child of her family, her siblings had all married or moved onto their own professions by the time she was five. And while her father doted on her especially after her mother’s death, Genevieve had needed more to occupy her restless soul.

From Murray and Wollstonecraft to Warren and Paine, she gorged herself on the eloquence of these writers, feeling the words stir her formerly dormant heart until she decided she could no longer stay still.

Stealing one of her father’s old, black outfits and covering her face with one of her fine, black scarves, Genevieve spent several months sneaking out at night, committing acts of sabotage that gradually grew in size.

It was upon the news of her brother’s promotion that Genevieve finally felt prepared enough to do the biggest act she’d ever done yet and after careful nights of planning, she’d snuck out to set fire to the British company’s supply wagons.

And for the first time in her life, she’d felt like she had a purpose. She was more than just the babied, youngest daughter of the Allen family, she was more than just the future wife of another rich man who would view her only as a breeding mare. She was now part of something bigger than herself, a small cog in the great machine that would be America.

When she’d locked eyes with the stranger in the woods, she’d felt fear that she’d be discovered. But greater than that fear, she had keenly felt the limitations placed on her. As Genevieve Allen, she would be restricted to these nightly jaunts, unable to do what her heart burned to do, unable to fight as her country needed her to fight.

So the next day, she’d begged her baffled father to send her to New York to indefinitely stay with her aunt. He’d agreed and although Edward, sweet, sweet Edward had begged her to stay and marry him, she’d set on the carriage to start her new life with no regrets.

She’d bribed the carriage driver to drop her off at a boarding house instead of her aunt’s house and subsequently bribed a messenger to intercept all of the letters sent between her aunt and father. Dressed in trousers with her hair knotted beneath a cap, Genevieve had bought a nice rifle and promptly joined one of the many voluntary militias in New York.

With her small size, she’d often been sent on scouting missions or petty skirmishes, hiding in the grounds and taking out the British one by one. She’d grown dirty without access to regular baths, her trousers becoming ripped and muddied, and there wasn’t a moment that went by without her muscles ferociously aching but Genevieve had never felt more alive.

Then it had all changed once she’d gotten clipped in the side by a bullet from the British. She’d been too careless, too confident in her concealed position that a soldier had been able to see and subsequently shoot her.

The pain was instantaneous, a burning agony flaring out from her grazed side but she was more worried about what this injury meant. Her comrade had seen her go down and if she returned to their camp, she’d be treated by the medic who would undoubtedly reveal her gender. And there was no way she’d go back to her old life, not now when she was finally fighting for her country.

Through sheer force of will, Genevieve had dragged herself to the boarding house she hadn’t set foot in since her first day in New York. There’d been an unquenchable stream of hot, sticky blood flowing from her side, but she’d pressed her hand against it with clenched teeth. Somehow, she’d been able to pay for her room and go up the stairs before she finally passed out.

When she’d woke, she’d been freshly bandaged and the owner had sat at her side with a stern expression of motherly concern.

“There are other ways to help the Revolution,” she’d said and that was how Genevieve had first met Abraham Woodhull, brother of the owner and spy for General George Washington.

He’d quickly recruited her, his eyes gleaming with an unconcealed delight when she admitted her true identity as an Allen.

And so with a fresh scar on her side hidden underneath a thick petticoat and a mission on her mind, she’d finally returned to Philadelphia.

She learned to restrain herself, immersing herself in the subtleties of the society she’d once abhorred, molding herself into the perfect, charming, pure, harmless woman. Her grandmother remarked on how her time in New York must have done her good as she had finally blossomed into a proper lady and Genevieve responded with a beatific smile.

With her new integration into high society, Genevieve wrote down all of the gossip, all of the little hints that slipped out of men ensnared by her beauty, women trying to gain her favour, sending them to a Samuel Culper Jr.

Although her heart longed to be running out in the battlefield again, adrenaline coursing through her veins, Genevieve knew that this was something much more valuable, something that only she had the access to do. She dutifully sent information, including her growing suspicions that someone high up in the patriotic cause had plans for betrayal.

Peggy Shippen, the younger woman she’d once been friends with until she’d rejected her brother and run to New York, had married a patriotic general in her absence while maintaining all of her Loyalist connections. General Benedict Arnold was a revolutionary hero and while on all accounts, they seemed to be the model couple, Genevieve saw the fraught tension between them, saw the fissures that Peggy seemed to be pushing wider in him.

However, with his new command over West Point, he was far too busy and out of her reach. She switched her focus to John André, Major of the British Army and dear friend of Peggy. Although he’d been a formidable opponent, charming and suave in his own right with many women chasing after him, Genevieve had finally caught his eye. It was a precarious game to play with him as she could never be too adoring or too aloof but slowly and surely, André was falling for her, trusting her.

It was him that Genevieve presently should have been focusing on, the man who was her opening into the Loyalist cause, but she found her mind focused instead on the woman who had abruptly entered her life.

Kamilah Walton.

While Genevieve had learned how to blind people with her beauty and charm so that they wouldn’t truly pay attention to her, Kamilah Walton was magnetic.

Even as Genevieve had danced with Major André, her eyes had been drawn to her: her gloriously tanned skin, her gleaming, brown locks, her utterly sinful, scarlet lips. She’d never seen a woman such as her and when she’d finally heard the woman’s voice, Genevieve had known this was yet another pivotal moment that would change her life forever.

Though she knew she should feel worried that this woman seemed to know her secrets, or at least that she’d set fire to British supplies, Genevieve felt her heart begin to race at the thought of her. She would be here soon.

“Evie, I daresay I’ve been conversing with myself this entire time!” Major André teased and Genevieve suddenly regained herself. She was sitting in her parlour, Major André leaning towards her with a playful smile as he ignored the disapproving look of the servant.

“Please forgive me, I’m not feeling quite myself today,” she quickly responded.

“I suppose I’ll have to try harder next time to gain your attention,” he teased and Genevieve forced herself to smile back at him.

She followed him to the foyer, desperately trying to ignore the woman who had just stepped inside and the furious beating of her treacherous heart.

“I’ll call on you later this week Evie,” he said, mock saluting her in farewell.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long,” she teased and finally he was gone, leaving her alone with the woman who had occupied her thoughts.

“Evie?” Kamilah asked amusedly and she rolled her eyes in response to the nickname.

“Please, call me anything but that. Genevieve, Eve, they’re all fine.”

“Genevieve then,” Kamilah sounded out and Genevieve couldn’t help but stare at those scarlet lips shaping out each syllable. Her father had once told her she’d been given a name fit for royalty but she’d doubted it until this moment. Because when it came out of Kamilah’s mouth, how could it not be fit for a queen?

She finally raised her eyes to meet Kamilah’s amused eyes, and feeling flustered, she quickly guided them to her parlour. After taking a moment to compose herself, Genevieve spoke.

“Mrs. Walton.”

“Kamilah.”

“Mrs. Walton,” Genevieve repeated, determined to maintain a distance between them, “What brings you here?”

“You’re the one who invited me,” Kamilah replied slyly, looking completely at ease.

“Let me clarify. Why are you here in Philadelphia?”

Kamilah examined her closely now, seeming to slowly admire the flattering cut of Genevieve’s dress before meeting her eyes.

“For the same reason you are, I suppose.”

“That is a very dangerous thing to insinuate, Mrs. Walton,” Genevieve responded with a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes.

“Well it’s a good thing I’m well versed in dangerous things,” Kamilah retorted, moving her skirts so that the gleaming tips of her dagger could be seen.

Genevieve immediately grabbed the ivory pistol in her own skirts, aiming it straight at Kamilah. Other than the finery they were dressed in and the well-decorated parlour they were in, it was the same scene from three years ago. But this time, Genevieve was trained. She was no longer the inexperienced rebel she’d been.

“Whose orders are you under?” Genevieve asked steadily, her arms outstretched.

Although she was facing the end of a gun, Kamilah remained unflustered, her fingers leisurely stroking her blades.

“None except my own.”

“That’s a lie.”

“I suppose you could say it’s someone with a vested interest in seeing America win its independence,” Kamilah finally offered and Genevieve slowly lowered her pistol although she maintained a tight grip on it.

“Now if you'll indulge me, how is a well to do woman such as yourself involved with the War? I can’t imagine your family approves of your revolutionary tendencies.”

“That was simply a folly of youth,” Genevieve smoothly said although she didn’t let her guard lower, “I was angry at my father and brother and I thought the best way to get back at them was to undermine my brother’s new promotion. That’s all.”

Kamilah nodded, unconvinced, “Of course.”

“I empathise greatly with your cause but I hope you’ll understand that the only way I can help you is by keeping your secret,” Genevieve continued in a manner that made it clear the conversation was over and Kamilah rose to leave.

“Take care Genevieve. I look forward to getting to know you,” She turned to say, freezing the younger woman in her seat with the intensity of her stare.

Genevieve stayed still long after Kamilah’s departure and it was only when she felt her blush subside that she exhaled and began to write.

“To Mr. Samuel Culper Jr…”

—-

June 1, 1980

While Kamilah knew that her mission was to investigate Peggy Shippen, it had been so long since a mortal woman had captured her interest so completely. Kamilah had not missed the endless amount of inane small talk required to fully ingratiate herself into society but Genevieve’s presence was something she welcomed.

Due to Genevieve’s popularity and her own demand as the new woman in town, it was rare that they weren’t both at the same events. They hadn’t been alone together since their tense meeting but Kamilah felt herself being drawn to the enigma that was Genevieve Allen.

There was clearly so much more to her than the charmingly innocent persona she portrayed and Kamilah longed to see it all, to see the fire ignite in those beautiful green eyes again, to hear the younger woman moan her name in a breathless gasp of delight...

Kamilah focused back on the current conversation as one of the Chew daughters said something particularly asinine. In an attempt to contain her growing exasperation, she looked away, inadvertently catching Genevieve’s eyes that were also brimming with annoyance.

Kamilah gave her a small, knowing smile and she felt satisfied as the woman repressed a laugh, raising her hand to demurely cover her mouth.

The afternoon tea suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

—-

Kamilah spoke and Genevieve wondered how everyone could seem fine and unruffled. Surely she wasn’t the only one who was so affected by Kamilah. With each stroke of her neck, each piercing glance, Genevieve was unable to tear her eyes away from the captivating woman, feeling Kamilah’s each and every action deeply within her.

She hadn’t thought it possible for a person to evoke the same kind of instinctual, passionate response in her that the revolution had. In all her time with Edward and Major André, not once had they made her feel the way Kamilah did. Not once had her heart ever skipped a beat upon locking eyes with them, not once had she ever felt an unbidden blush rise to her cheeks because of them.

As a younger girl, there had been times when she’d felt a strange infatuation with other women like Angelica Schuyler, but she’d chalked it up to the quirks that came with being a motherless girl. Yet what Kamilah made her feel was at once the same and yet wholly new, and the sheer magnitude of her feelings kept surprising herself.

“What does our dear Miss Genevieve think?”

Genevieve stared at Kamilah and thought that she could very easily get addicted to the sound of her name coming out of Kamilah’s mouth. She suddenly came to herself and once again, she felt thankful for cosmetic powder; it had been useful in covering up her baggy eyes from sleepless nights and now it was useful in covering the bright red blush she was sure she had.

Kamilah stared at her without any malice, giving her a small smile and Genevieve made another decision that would change the course of her life.

“I’m feeling rather faint. Would you be so kind as to get some fresh air with me, Mrs. Walton?” Genevieve asked suddenly, rising before she could hear a response.

“Of course,” Kamilah murmured, masking her curiosity.

They made their way out of the parlour, the other ladies not bothering to give them a second glance as they continued their fascinating discourse on the newest British fashions.

Genevieve wondered if Kamilah could hear the furious beating of her heart and halted upon closing the door behind them.

“Well?” Kamilah asked as she leaned against the door and Genevieve’s eyes seemed to harden with resolve at the sight before she finally leaned in to capture Kamilah’s lips with her own.

Her lips were softer than Genevieve could have imagined and she felt them quirk upwards after a terrifying moment of stillness. In a fluid motion, Kamilah reversed their positions so that now Genevieve was the one pressed against the door and they melted into each other, a week’s worth of tension finally being relieved.

Genevieve felt Kamilah’s hands wrap around her waist and hair, bringing her even closer, and she lost herself into the kiss, momentarily forgetting that they were in someone else’s house, that they were both spies for the patriotic cause, that their lives were literally on the line.

A sharp burst of laughter behind the door suddenly brought them to their senses, causing them to separate although their foreheads remained pressed against each other.

Genevieve’s eyes remained closed as if to savour the lingering sensations on her lips and with a boldness she didn’t know she had, she breathlessly asked, “Would you come to me tonight?”

She finally opened her eyes and saw Kamilah’s eyes light up with surprise that quickly darkened into an emotion Genevieve couldn’t name but somehow felt.

“Of course.”

—-

A/N: Upon reading this, I think Carol (the movie and book) may have unconsciously affected my characters, my bad. Let’s just say that as an 1800 year old, Kamilah’s a little less guarded.

Research dump: I was inspired by Agent 355 who is a real historical figure although her exact identity is unknown. She’s referred to in a single letter but she is known to be a Revolutionary War spy in the Culper Spy Ring, who was instrumental in uncovering Benedict Arnold’s treasonous intentions. I won’t say any more so I don’t spoil too much of the next and final chapter.

The Culper Spy Ring was a patriotic spy ring and Abraham Woodhull was one of its main members, going by the alias of Samuel Culper. He did have a sister named Mary Underhill who had a boardinghouse in New York. Robert Townsend was another spy with the alias of Samuel Culper Jr. There’s lots of speculation that Townsend was in love with Agent 355 and that Agent 355 may have had Townsend’s illegitimate baby (although I think it may have been disproved). While I’m not going to have that in my story, I thought it’d be nice to have Genevieve write to him as her main way of sending information.

I really wanted to put in a Hamilton reference and have Genevieve join Alexander Hamilton and the gang in New York but the timelines just didn’t match up. So I settled for merely sneaking in Angelica once.

#shit i've become too invested in this story damn it #playchoices #bloodbound #kamilah sayeed #kamilah x mc #my writing

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rkevent · 5 years ago

Photo

AND WE’RE BACK FROM COMMERCIALS!

The title screen appears again, notifying the people that the show is back on. Standing on the stage is the MC of the night, Hong Jinwoo. “Hello and welcome back to the second and final part of the last episode of the Mnet Global Audition Season 5!” He greets and the audience cheers in excitement. “On the first part, we got to watch one performance from each team representing their company. Now, as it was made known, each group had to prepare a second performance and we’re about to reveal how that all came to be. Watch it now!”

Instead of showing one of the companies, the screen shows the stage of the previous episode and then a meeting room—the one where the decisions were made. Inside are the five CEOs and judges of the show sitting around the table. “So… for the final episode.” So Jisub points out and the rest nod. “How will we decide things?” From the corner of the room and without her face shown, one of the staff speaks out. “We already have that planned.” The CEOs look confused until another staff walks to the table and puts a black box on the center before running off the screen.

An intense silence settles on the room before Tiger JK lets out a snort. “What’s this supposed to be?” Katie Lee is the one who reaches out for it, seeing that there’s a hole on the top side. “Instead of discussing which second concept to give to each group, you’ll sort it randomly.” They tell them, and Katie Lee doesn’t look very amused. “Is this a joke? Will it be a prank?” The staff’s voice is almost too low for the microphone to pick up but a text appears on the bottom of the screen with a shacky ‘no…’

“The first one to go is Baek Jiyoung to choose the Sphere group concept.” The woman lights up on her seat, taking the box that Katie Lee hands over to her. “This is exciting!” She reaches her hand inside and pulls out a small white ball before turning it to the camera. “TRC!” She says in shock, and the scene fades with a loud chuckle from Tiger JK.

We’re back on the Sphere practice room, all the four contestants huddled together along with their coaches. As it seems like always, KANG DANIEL is the one to speak. “I think TRC’s image and style is a lot more straightforward than Sphere. It’s really just hip hop, and not even like… khip-hop hip hop, necessarily, it’s really flashy and big and loud- very… swag,” he laughs at his own words. “I don’t think it will be too hard for us to find songs that suit them; anything in the hip hop spectrum might work.” Jinwook also shares his thoughts. “We can probably get away with an easier dance for TRC.”

With something in mind, the group tries to focus on learning their parts. DANIEL is the one who approaches SAKURA. “Hey, can you write original raps?” And she replies enthusiastically. “Yes! I write a lot of poetry.” DANIEL looks surprised. “That’s really cool. We can write an original rap if you want?” And so the two sit together to try working on their lines together. They edit it for the time to pass on by quickly and the two writing and erasing the things they come up with. “How are you doing?” The boy asks the other. “It’s hard,” SAKURA replies and DANIEL nods in agreement. “I feel like my rap part suits me as is? I can’t really come up with anything better than it.” SAKURA seems to agree and the both of them decide to put it off for the time being and focus on dancing instead.

The stage appears again. Still following their tropical theme of before, there’s a small shipwreck on the stage this time with the front of the boat submerged in the stage floor. “Let’s welcome once again,” the MC begins, “the team Hollywood!” With cheering, the camera slowly zooms in on the boat. From behind it, the four contestants appear all still wearing their colorful sunglasses. They make their way to the center and once they’re standing in formation, remove the sunglasses and toss them to the side to reveal they’re all wearing eye-patches beneath them just in time for the song to start playing.

This time around it is DANIEL who starts the song using a modified intro to fit the MGAs. WOOJIN takes over the chorus and bounces along to the music, trying to hype the crowd. The second verse is covered by SAKURA with a rap verse followed by JUHO and his time to show off the charisma that he’s got. Before the end of the song, WOOJIN shows off a self-choreographed dance before they all stop in their ending pose.

Returning to the sight of the coaches, Baek Jiyoung moves the box over to Hyun Bin. He sticks his hand inside without much of a scene and then shows the results to the camera. “KT.” With a nod from Katie Lee herself, we’re back to the practice rooms.

It’s about the second performance that some of them seem worried about. “YEWONie~” CHANGBIN calls her his teammate’s name affectionately. “KT… has cute concepts… right? Could you maybe… teach me how to… fit that kind of image?” He asks and the girl doesn’t hesitate to give him tips. Of course, it doesn’t end with advice and YEWON tells him to do the gwiyomi song, a classic of cuteness. The rapper attempts to do the aegyo, but embarrassment gets in the way. “No, I don’t think I can do it. I don’t wanna do it.” He says, stomping his foot lightly at YEWON. His next step is to approach KENTA, who was watching videos. “I’m about to show you a whole new world!” The boy says excitedly as they start. “See, KT has a lot of cute and catchy concepts, and they do it really well. But they also have a strong, sexy side... I hope you see what I mean. Don’t worry too much about being cute, we’ll make sure that our KT performance lets you be as strong as sexy as you want,” he says, nodding. Joining JACKSON and YEWON to decide their second performance, they choose to show something different from what the KT team performed last week. CHANGBIN suggests giving Bad Boy more rap parts to fit the other half of the team and they decide to combine his idea with LC9's Sherlock. Coach Sunmi shares other ideas, like using the upside-down walking choreography from Woman and they add it to create a concept for the stage - spies.

Clips of their dance and vocal practices appear on the screen and their hard work and determination have good results. On the last day, once they are done practicing, the group sits down with the coaches to learn more about their previous experiences on the show and hear some encouragements from those who supported them in the past two weeks. “I’m going to tell you guys something my coach used to tell me before my floor routines for gymnastics competitions: you leave your heart on that stage. Our every ounce of energy you have into it. Make it as memorable and amazing as you can because you have the talent. you have the potential. you just have to show it.” Sunmi says to them and Seungwan shares her own advices. Sunmi promises to take them out to eat if they win. “Ah, we really have to win now…” KENTA says.

Because of their previous stage that night, when Team Polaris returns to the stage for their second act, this time portraying KT, everyone seems curious to know what they have prepared this time, wondering if it would be as shocking as the first stage. Instead of religious outfits and accessories, they look nice in suits and glasses. They re-introduce themselves and get into position as the stage darkens. Only the boys are seen as they take the center stage looking like spies. The opening instrumental kicks in and they play with dialogues and poses. The group adds some dancing onto the intro and uses the umbrellas as guns in an interesting way. The lights go from red to normal as YEWON comes in with her backup dancers in the famous upside down walking dance. She’s placed down onto stage and they get in position for the actual song. The music starts and the group does the choreography with some alterations. CHANGBIN is responsible for the element of surprise when he raps, the lyrics self-written and full of references of the artist’s previous title tracks. When the audience could start guessing if they would keep some of the original lyrics, KENTA sings, followed by another rap verse from YEWON, and both KENTA and JACKSON put their colors to the chorus, their voices sounding good as expected from them. Sounds of gunshots can be heard and they all get down, then sirens play and the lights follow the only girl of the group. A red spotlight appears and they sing in unison, changing the famous lines of LC9 to KT. The vocalists sing the pre-chorus, then move into the chorus powerfully. They end the performance with a simplified dance break. The girl is center during the part and shoots the boy down with the umbrella she grabbed. they fall and she is the only one standing as the lights dim. The crowd reacts positively once they’re done.

Tiger JK looks happy as he reaches inside the box, turning his hand inside. “I hope it’s Sphere?” He chuckles towards Baek Jiyoung, the one who had chosen TRC earlier in the day. When he takes a ball out, however, it says something else. “Nova!” He exclaims before looking over at Hyun Bin. “That’s a real challenge.”

"We tied our performances this week into last week’s. We were team Antidote and this time we’re coming in as team Sirius because it’s the brightest star of the constellation it’s part of and because of Nova, because Sirius is tied to very different mythological historical figures who are opposites of each other. Our performances are like that too. last week was about being the Antidote. This week is about love, about a poisoned love and a pure one. One that was saved by the antidote and one that wasn’t. Something like that,” MINHO explains with a bright, cheeky grin during his interview.

If the team formed by KANG HYUNGGU, HWANG YEJI, CHOI MINHO, and LEE CHAERYEONG tried to capture TRC’s image in their performance earlier, they now return to the stage wearing school uniforms with the challenge to portray Nova’s. The stage starts in a blackout and the intro message saying "Our love is in the stars" appears on the screen, stars behind the message. The screen rises and they sit by their desks with the eight backup dancers, lights flashing on and off as they start to dance. The group showcases a powerful dance intro with sharp movements. YEJI pretends to load a gun and they move the desks in a way CHAERYEONG can run across them and take over the center. The backup dancers turn over the desks to reveal the capital letters that formed their team name, Sirius, behind the group. The lights dim, but when they’re back, the group is in formation to start. A summery background appears as the music kicks in. HYUNGGU starts the song and other vocalists, MINHO and YEJI, continue alternating the verses. Known for being a group of good dancers, they have no trouble executing every move of the intense choreography precisely. They all sing in unison before CHAERYEONG starts rapping, the original lyrics changed and making reference to their previous TRC performance. It progresses to the chorus and the group shows their skills once more, synchronized dancing, charisma, and good live singing. HYUNGGU brings an end to the song.

Instead of following the pattern so far, the screen turns black. “This is our last interview. How does that make you feel?” The first one to appear is KANG DANIEL. “Ah,” he laughs. “Honestly, I’m… sad.” Following him, MIYAWAKI SAKURA appears with a pout on her lips. “I’m actually sad, ya know! I enjoyed my time here with everyone despite the heavy competition.” LEE NAKYUNG comments as well. “I remember every week thinking that maybe that’d be my last interview, and now it is real.”

LEE SUWOONG appears next. “Truthfully, I feel accomplished! Who would’ve thought that LEE SUWOONG would make it this far? I started with trot, didn’t I? And now I’m sitting here, interviewing for the finals.” LEE CHAERYEONG goes next. “It makes me sad to move on, but excited for what the future will hold.” Another person appears as well, SEO CHANGBIN. “When I first joined, I didn’t really know what to expect. Whether I’d make it through the first round, or the second, even make it through the callback.” To finish this off, there is WONG YUKHEI. “It’s exciting to be in the finals, and this sort of signifies that - my last interview. I made it this far… guess all I have to do now is win, right?”

Back inside the room with the judges, the staff tells the next CEO to sort the second concept. “Katie Lee must choose the KT group concept.” The woman sighs, leaning over to reach inside the box. With not many options left, she shows what she pulled: “Sphere!” Before they can move on, a staff member interrupts them. “You’ll have to pull again…” Katie Lee looks to the side not looking very amused. “The only group left is Royal, so if you choose Sphere they’d have to do the same concept twice.”

“Then why did you make me do it?” The woman puts her hand back inside the box. When she pulls a new ball she shows it to the camera again. “I think… it’s Royal.” So Jisub frowns from his seat. “Don’t say it like that.”

Returning to the stage, the MC introduces them again. “Returning for their second stage is… Black Widow!” The four contestants make their way to the center of the stage. It is decorated with detailed white woodworking and standing lamps and they all stand in a line dressed in golden colors. When the song starts to play, they turn their face to the front and slowly pick up the dance. SIA begins the song, walking forward, and then followed by YURI’s lines. When they get down on the floor, NAKYUNG, followed by YUKHEI. He also gets his own rap verse later into the song, followed by the bridge led by YURI and SIA. They finish it off with an intense gaze to the audience and the camera.

The room with the CEOs appears again, but there isn’t much mystery left behind which concept will be the last to be chosen. So Jisub reaches for the box, clearly unhappy. “Why do I need to do this too if we already know what it’ll be?” Baek Jiyoung taps her fingers against the table. “Come on! Say it!” The man takes out the last ball, but it’s one people already saw before. “It’s Sphere.” There’s a sudden silence in the room, all the CEOs appearing to be frozen. “That is all for now.” They turn to stare at the staff, Tiger JK chuckling again while Hyun Bin runs his hands down his face. “How fun!” Tiger JK says just in time for the screen to change to the last few practice scenes.

Back in Royal, the contestants are seen taking a water break by themselves, and SUWOONG decides to say something. “Let’s do a second prank.” If anyone forgot, the screen shows the last few pranks done inside that room. One was by the coaches with the cake drop, and then the other by the contestants with the door scare.

“Didn’t you see how shocked they were last time?!” YOUNGJAE protests, but SUWOONG promises it won’t go down like that again. “No, no, no, not another scare prank. Something bigger. Better. They already think we got them back with the scare prank, so they wouldn’t expect another one.” On the following day, the coaches are back again, nervously watching the contestants as they make their announcement. “We have a confession,” SUWOONG starts. “Yesterday, when the three of you were gone, we sat down and thought really hard about our performance. It’s cute, but we want to do something more fun and relevant, so we… chose a new song.” He quickly raises both of his hands. “Don’t be mad! We’re very serious. Please allow us to show.”

Instead of being serious, as they had promised, the four of them instead start to perform their version of ‘PPAP.’ When the first vocal part is done, YOUNGJAE takes out his otamatone and beings playing it following the song. Is with this fun mood that the scene fades off and changes to the live stage and the MC waiting to announce them. “And now, for our final performance, please welcome the Royal Flush!” The four last finalists make their way to the stage, all eyes now set on them. Their outfits are all in pretty pastels of yellow and white.

HEEJIN is the one who starts them of this time, welcoming the stage with her sweet vocals to a popular She’Z song. KYUNGSOO sings next, showing a cute side of himself even with his deeper voice. Unlike the previous performance, YOUNGJAE gets to sing this time instead of rap. They follow along with the performance as it is known until it gets towards the end when they all shout together to the public. “Do it with us!” It’s the last chorus and the camera captures a few of the audience members who follow along to the arm movement. The performance ends with a large heart created by HEEJIN and YOUNGJAE as the top half and SUWOONG and KYUNGSOO at the bottom.

As the crowd cheers for what is the final performance of the season, the MC appears again on the screen. “With this, we conclude our performances for this season. It’s been a long one, but as the grand finale, it will come to an end.” Some people in the audience let out an ‘aww’ and the man stops to nod. “Voting has closed now and before the results are announced we’ll take another small break! Please don’t change your channel. We’ll be right back!”

The break is as long as the previous and when the show returns, the stage is rid of any previous props of confetti. All the finalists stand together with the group and a bit apart from each other. The MC stands in the middle, ready to greet the public. “Welcome back to the grand finale of the Mnet Global Audition Season 5! Our contestants have already shown all of their performances and voting has been closed! Our judges already have their final decisions in hand and all that is left is to announce the final ranking.”

“We have 20 finalists here from the starting 100 hopefuls. They are separated into five groups and each performed here twice today. However, only one group may be the final winner. Congratulations on your journey all the way here. Please, can we have a round of applause?” The audience claps and cheers for their favorite finalists, some names coming out louder than others. “And now, without further ado, I’ll announce the final rankings.”

Tense music starts to play in the set, one people should already know from the previous episodes. “In fifth place…”

(To be continued briefly)

#rkmga5 #rkmga5finale

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carisi-dreams · 6 years ago

Note

“you’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head.” with mc!nick 👀👀

@piccolabambola

hmmm let’s get into some more of that plot that pushes nick’s s/o to make a decision to be all in with nick, shall we. as a refresher it takes place about 3 months after this & this and is several weeks before this.

going to update my master lists tonight so that it will be easier to keep the storyline/timeline straight! I’m also thinking of making a handy, dandy timeline graphic in photoshop this weekend. :)

/////

You dropped the phone from your ear and ran down the hall of your apartment, not even bothering to change out of the sweats you were wearing as you stepped into a pair of sandals by the door. Grabbing your purse hastily you checked to make sure you had your keys before wrenching the apartment door open. You made it to your car in record time, Razor’s words echoing in your head. Nick was shot. He’s asking for you.

Nick was shot. Nick was shot. Nick was shot. That was the only thing you could focus on and as you backed out of your spot quickly, pressing your foot to the accelerator and daring someone to pull you over. At this hour Lawrence was probably on duty and by the way he’d been acting every since you started dating Nick you were willing to bet he still had a torch burning for you. That would work in your favor if he tried to pull you over, you hoped, because you weren’t stopping until you got to Nick. You raced down the street, shooting through a yellow light and taking the final turn to the club house sharply. Pulling into the lot you angled your car towards a parking spot before slamming the brakes and jumping out. You didn’t bother to lock it, if anything happened to anything in your car Nick would kill them. If he made it through the night.

Tearing into the club house you spotted a couple of craneas crying in a corner. You ignored them as the door slammed behind you, heart in your throat as you searched for a familiar face. One of the prospects came up to you, you forgot his nickname, it was something ridiculous.

“Hey, (y/n)? Razor told me to send you straight back into Nick’s room. Do you need me to—” the prospect started, but you were racing down the hall before he could even finish his sentence. The club house had several rooms in the back for members and officers and Nick rarely stayed in his here, but it was good to have in moments like this or when the club was on lockdown. Nick was much more lax about this space. You, Razor and club officers were allowed in his room in the club house. The door was closed when you got to it and you paused to knock on it first rather than just bursting inside.

“For the last time, he doesn’t need you to su—” Razor yelled through the door before wrenching it open and cutting himself abruptly when he saw your face. You spared a single thought that it sounded like you needed to have a little chat with one of the craneas later, but just raised your eyebrow in response. “Sorry, thought you were—anyway. Come in,” Razor apologized hastily and ushered you inside, closing the door firmly behind you.

A quick glance at Nick had you confused, he looked fine. Crossing the room to him you dropped your purse in the chair at his desk. Nick reached out for you, wincing in discomfort and you rushed to take his hand as you gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’m okay,” Nick said with a strained smile and you ran a hand over his hair carefully, smoothing it back.

“You were shot. You’re not okay. What’s—I don’t see. Where—” you tripped over your words in an attempt to get them out, trying to look for bandages to indicate where he’d been hit.

“Took a chunk out of my side, but I’m alright,” Nick assured you in a tired voice as he slipped his t-shirt up enough to reveal the bandage on his side. “Got the good painkillers, too,” he added with an easier smile and you clutched a hand to your chest. You turned to glare at Razor who shrank back away from your expression.

“You couldn’t have said any of that on the phone? Just, ‘Nick’s been shot and he’s asking for you’? I thought he was bleeding out!” you accused in a loud voice and Razor winced again. You huffed and shook your head at him, clenching your jaw before turning back to Nick and softening. “Who did this to you?” you asked him as you brought your hand down to the side of his neck.

“Sonny and—” Nick started and you cut him off incredulously.

“Sonny shot you?!” you asked in an alarmed voice and Nick shook his head and started again.

“No. Sonny and I were out at the warehouse checking things over. Some Caballeros came by and just started shooting. We took cover as best we could, but I got hit with a bullet. Some how managed to ride back here and he had his old lady meet us and take care of me. Just cleaned me up, threw in some stitches and then gave me the good drugs. They left about thirty minutes ago,” Nick explained and you sighed in relief even as your mind raced. Why would the Caballeros do something so reckless as to try to take out two club presidents in one night? There had to be more to the story that Nick hadn’t shared.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Can’t believe it took so long for someone to think to call me. I want to be here. I’m in this Nick,” you said sincerely and he nodded and leaned forward. Meeting him in the middle you pressed a kiss to his mouth gently.

“Sorry, princesa, didn’t mean to make you worry,” he apologized softly and you nodded and kissed him once more.

“I’ll forgive you this time,” you said as you wrapped your arms around him in a hug. “You know, you’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head,” you said lightly as you rested your chin lightly on him. He chuckled and tucked in under your neck, at rest for the first time that night.

#nick amaro #my writing #fill #au #mc!au #mc!nick

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shreyamistry · 7 years ago

Text

April Fools In Cordonia (Hana x MC -Riley Velour-) (Liam x Drake)

Notes: As I was tagged by the lovely @boneandfur to participate in April Choices created by @laniquelove (it will not let me tag you sorry), thank you again. With that, I bring you this fic, there is “nsfw” prank, but it’s not actual smut, but just in case it makes you uncomfortable.

Summary: After discovering what April Fools Day is, Hana decides she wants to partake in this American tradition. She and Riley decide to challenge Drake and Liam to a prank war, and the losers have to make the other team dinner and serve it to them.

“April Fools Day?” Hana inquiries, at the devious smile on Riley’s face. “How does one participate in such an event? We haven’t had jesters in years, Riley.”

Riley laughed heartily at her fiance, leaning over to place her hand on Hana’s knee. She steadies herself, letting her gaze fall into Hana’s piercing eyes smiling at her. “April Fools Day isn’t about appreciating fools, Hana! It’s about playing tricks on people and having fun. Like when I was 7, there was no school on April 1st but my mom got me up and ready for school and then as we pulled up to the school she drove past it and told me. I yelled and she laughed and we went out for breakfast.”

“That’s adorable, Riley.” Hana smiles. “Who do we trick? Drake and Liam won’t be too happy about us waking them for a meeting and pretending to take them to the meeting, but instead meeting for breakfast.”

Riley laughs, brushing a strand of Hana’s hair into the place leaning into place a soft kiss on her cheek. “You don’t have to do just that Hana.” Riley forgets sometimes how much Hana has no knowledge of holidays and prank after growing up with her parents.

“What ever do you mean?” Hana asked cluelessly, watching Riley with careful eyes. Riley holds back a chuckle.

“You can play any practical joke you want Hana.” Riley explains, “You can do anything you can think of, within reason of course. Your jokes should never be hurtful, but that doesn’t stop some people.”

“So who would we April fools?” Hana asks, she grabs her water off the table sucking in her drink through her straw, before swirling the ice and lemons with the straw looking back at Riley. “We could couples prank Liam and Drake!”

“They’re not supposed to know we’re going to prank them, Hana, we can’t challenge them to a duel!” Riley protests.

“It’s Cordonia! We can celebrate April Fools however we choose! Wouldn’t it be fun to outpace them? We could set up a prize.” Hana further explains turning to face Riley completely. “Just imagine the frown on Drake’s face when we win.”

“I love the way you think,” Riley smirks leaning in to press a kiss against Hana’s lips. “We can’t lose!”

“I’m in!” Liam smiles nudging Drake with his elbow. “Come on, babe! We could definitely have fun, don’t make me team with Maxwell.”

“Maxwell can’t even keep a secret, he’d tell Riley your pranks before setting them up,” Drake comments, crossing his arms over his chest. “Seriously, why bother. April Fools Day is stupid.”

As much as he wanted to spend time with Liam, April Fools just felt childish. Wasn’t there another less stupid Holiday Velour could be obsessed with, like Halloween. At least then you get to dress up and eat your weight in candy. But then again, for Liam, he’d do just about anything.

“Drake, just say yes and be bitter in private.” Riley laughs, playfully punching his arm. He shoots her a glare before looking back to Liam’s pleading eyes with a smile plastered on his face, Drake rolled his eyes letting his head fall to the side.

“Does it mean that much to you, Liam?”

“You should know I enjoy learning other cultures, Drake,” Liam replies. “And yes, it would mean a very lot to me. Please.” Liam leans in pressing a kiss on Drake's cheek. “You know you want to show Riley we’re superior as you would say.”

“I don’t use the word superior, but fine. I’m in.” Drake caves with a soft smile. Liam smiles back at him.

“Splendid!” Hana squeals. “I’m so excited for my first Fools Day! Come, Lady Riley, we must prepare.”

“Hope you have a thousand dollars laying around, because when we win we won’t settle for cheap wine!” Riley calls after Liam and Drake. Drake laughs.

“In your dreams Velour.” Drake calls back. “My favorite whiskey is twice that price hope you saved enough tips from waitressing.” Liam rolls his eyes smiling cheerfully at his fiance.

“See you later Lady Nicole, Lady Hana,” Liam calls after them getting a smile from Hana in return before they turned the corner disappearing down the hallway, with that Liam turns back to Drake. “Must you?” Liam asks, with a grin.

“I must,” Drake affirms him. Drake leans against the table taking Liam’s hand and intertwining their fingers with a soft smile.

“Come then, we must prepare.” leading Drake by the hand out of the dining hall Liam beams unable to stop grinning to himself. They walk towards Liam’s bedroom to begin planning, as Liam turns to Drake at the foot of the staircase leading up to the suites.

“You know, that’s not such a commendable attitude from a future King, my mother would scold you,” Liam states, causing Drake to smile at him with a laugh. “She’d tell you to act more proper around women of high status.”

“Considering Velour, Hana, and I are friends I’m not sure it applies in a private setting. That and I don’t care.” Drake nods, “Besides, I’m sure she’d say the same about your passion for public-”

“Please don’t finish that statement, commoner,” Madeline interjects appearing from out of nowhere with a few papers in her arms, Drake glares at her, about to say something snarky only to be cut off by Madeline. “Sorry to interrupt, well not really, but I bring news from Lady Penelope.”

Riley and Hana hide under the dining table huddled up to one another. Hana wipes the back of her hand against her forehead taking a deep breath, smudging chocolate onto her skin. Riley giggles at her, biting her tongue to suppress any sounds.

“What?” Hana whispers with an amused smirk. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“You have-” Riley motions to Hana’s forehead, “Some chocolate on your face.”

“Oh dear.” Hana sighs, looking at her hand realizing they're still covered in chocolate. “I didn’t expect Liam and Drake to go all out.” Hana comments, she grimaces before licking her two fingers of her clean hand and using it to wipe away the chocolate on her the back of her other hand. “I thought we’d win this with no worries.”

“My overconfident chocolate monster.” Riley smiles, wetting her handkerchief with her spit. She leans close to Hana wiping away the dried chocolate on her face softly not to pull on her skin. “We are one prank ahead of them, let me text Maxwell to see if he has one more trick up his sleeve, so in case they pull another one on us we can still win.”

Hana nods, as Riley tucks the handkerchief into her pocket, placing a soft kiss on Hana’s now clean forehead. She retrieves her phone from the back pocket of her jeans holding it up in front of the both of them as she clicks on Maxwell’s contact information.

“I can’t believe they rigged our bathroom to throw chocolate at us. Let alone than to rig our bedroom door exactly afterward to drop feathers on us.” Hana contemplates how thought out they were being. She and Riley we’re thriving at first and managed to get five ahead in the first hour of their competition, things went south quickly.

“Luckily, only you were hit with chocolate and me the feathers, otherwise you’d be looking like a very tasty chocolate chicken.” Riley laughs, before covering her mouth. “We need to be quiet so we can hide the rest of this out before they catch us.”

“Five minutes left, do you think we’ll lose?”

“No way, Drake and Liam aren’t that slick,” Riley confirms. “Well, maybe Drake, but Liam no way.” Riley nods, frowning to herself. She leans her head to the side, tapping her index finger against her cheek when she’s interrupted by the sound of laughter and feet walking into the room.

“I think we lost them, Drake.”

Hana and Riley exchange a look. ‘Liam?’ Hana mouths, Riley nods pressing her finger to her lip.

“I can’t believe you let us lose to the American.”

“Aw, how can I make it up to you sexy?”

“Come here.”

Riley and Hana exchange a look, as they see Liam’s heels approaching the table and the sound of someone sitting down on the table before they see Drake’s legs approaching between Liam’s. Riley holds back laughter listening to the sound of Drake and Liam kiss, Hana looks bashfully away, feeling like she’s intruding on their moment.

“Ooh, Drake…”

“Shut up Liam, or we’re gonna get caught.”

“Come on, the staff isn’t going to be up for a few hours, we can be as loud as we want.”

Hana meets Riley’s eyes, ‘Scandalous!’ Riley nods covering her mouth. The sound of clothes hitting the floor pulls them away as two t-shirts collide with the floor. Riley presses her hand against Hana’s mouth to stop her from gasping audibly.

“Drake.” Riley's eyes grow loud as Liam moans loudly.

“Get your pants off.”

Riley and Hana share a look knowing they need to stop now before they hear something they don’t want to. “YOUR MAJESTY WITH ALL DUE RESPECT PLEASE LEAVE YOUR PANTS ON,” Hana calls out climbing out from under the table coming face to face with Liam and Drake fully dressed with a few pairs of jeans and underwear laying on the table next to them. Liam smiles at Hana’s shocked face, meeting Riley’s eyes who wears the same look.

“You were shirtless and about to engage in sex.” Riley breathed heavily, clutching her heart with her hand. “You were- I swear- it sounded so real. You were really going to pretend that far, that you brought pants and underwear?”

“Got you.” Liam laughs. “Sorry, Lady Riley, Lady Hana, we wanted to win.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t last longer.” Drake shrugged. “It’s not like we were actually going to do it, Velour.”

“This was a prank? You were going to pretend to have sex.” Riley asks.

“Preciously.” Liam nods.

“Genius,” Hana mutters. “We’re tied now, anyone have any other pranks set up?” Everyone looked around the room at each other knowing they were all out of ideas.

“Sadly, no. Maxwell suggested 15 would suffice.”

“He told us the same thing,” Riley replied, looking intently at the group.

“He told us 15 each for what reason?” Hana asked.

“That bast-” Before Drake could finish his statement the sound of someone yelling caused them all to look towards the door to see Maxwell throwing water balloons at them, before anyone could react Drake and Liam were soaked with a spiraling balloon, Riley, however, managed to dodge in front of Hana deflecting her from the hit as the water balloon broke against her chest still managing to slightly splash Hana. Dripping with water Drake huffed, throwing his hand out as water flung off of it.

“The Beaumont is always the unsuspecting winner. I look forward to the dinner the four of you shall prepare for me tonight.” Maxwell smiles.

“You tricked us, Maxwell!” Hana calls out with a laugh.

“I wanted a free dinner and a night with my friends.” Maxwell shrugs.

“We were bested by fucking Maxwell.” Drake groaned.

“I still have my waitress uniform.” Riley laughs. “Drake! You can be the waitress tonight.”

“No, absolutely not.” Drake shakes his head.

“Maxwell won, he gets to choose, love.” Liam smiles, suppressing a grin. He rests his hand on Drake's shoulder placing a soft kiss o his cheek. “You’ll look cute.”

Hana aws, turning to Maxwell. “What’ll it be Maxwell? Will Drake be your waitress tonight?”

“I swear to god Max-” Drake begins to threaten only to get cut off by Maxwell, and Hana’s laughter.

“Drake is the waitress! Riley get your uniform!” Maxwell smiles, triumphantly throwing his fist into the air as everyone starts laughing except for Drake who’s glaring daggers at everyone. Liam pulls him closer laughing.

“RILEY!”

#hana lee #maxwell beaumont #drake walker #prince liam #liam x drake #drake x liam #hana x mc #mc x hana #trr #choices trr #the royal romance #choices the royal romance #participation #prompt game #april fools #april fools day #april choices #why have i been so inspired by trr lately #im really feeling my hana and driam feels lamofiajofj

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