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mionemymind · 4 years ago

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Chapter 3: The Harsh Treatment

Fake Memories

Series Summary: After Y/n is caught cheating on Wanda with Carol, Y/n would do just about anything to get Wanda back into her life. But was it even Y/n’s fault that she cheated? Or was it the new enemy set on revenge?

Chapter Summary: What will happen to Y/n as the team pushes her past her limits?

A/n: I lied, I decided to be nice and post it now. Honestly, the amount of support that I’m receiving from this fanfic has literally made me smile so much. I really love all of you who read and/or comment. You mean the world to me. Let me know what you think. :) (Not my GIF)

Warnings: Starvation, harmful thoughts, curse words, self-doubt, mentions of blood, injuries, angst

Word Count: 5k

Masterlist

Y/n abruptly woke up at the feeling of pressurized gas coursing through her body. She quickly sat up, unable to see anything in the white fog. The cold feeling only lasted a couple seconds before F.R.I.D.A.Y stated, “Fire has been contained.” Y/n hugged herself for warmth as she waited for the fog to disappear. This was the 13th time this month that she was woken up with pressurized gas. At first, it was foam but someone in maintenance had changed the system after the 5th time she woke up.

Y/n looked at her surroundings and sighed at the damages to her sheets. There were burn marks along with small amounts of frostbite from the gas. “At this rate, I won’t have money for food.” With a grim face, Y/n got up from her bed and proceeded with taking everything off her bed, a routine she unfortunately started to learn.

Y/n didn’t know when things got worse. If she had to guess, maybe it was after the whole fiasco with Wanda. The team had been on edge ever since then. “They probably thought I hurt her,” Y/n thought at the time, but it was far from the truth. She had wanted to explain herself to the team but dismissed those thoughts with, “What’s the point in trying? I’ll always be guilty to them.”

As for Wanda, the still heartbroken girl didn’t dare to speak to the team about that night. Even she didn’t quite know what happened. Since that night, she only lied to herself stating that maybe Y/n had done something. It would probably remove the guilt she had when she thought of the blood running down Y/n’s face. But even the lie couldn’t repress the truth from her thoughts.

After she collected her bedding, she threw it away in the trash can along with the other damaged beddings. Y/n grabbed her wallet off her night stand and opened it. She couldn’t feel it, but her heart dropped at the sight of the lack of money she had. Only a $20 dollar bill as well as a couple ones were left. She closed her eyes and tried her best to keep herself calm, to try and act like the world wasn’t closing in on her. It was a couple minutes later when she opened her eyes and looked at her wallet again. “This was supposed to last me for the rest of the month.” Y/n rubbed her forehead, feeling the overwhelming stress from her lack of funds.

One might ask, “Aren’t you an Avenger? Shouldn’t you make a shit ton of money.” And at one point, Y/n would say yes, she did. But it all came back to that night. A week after, she had overheard a conversation that went…

“I just don’t understand why you’re doing this to her.” Y/n was about to go around the corner, but decided to wait at the sound of Steve’s voice. “It’s simple Rodgers - unless I have to remind you why we needed to redo the glass in the conference room.” Steve sighed at Tony’s simple minded actions. Y/n could practically feel him crossing his arms in a disapproving manner.

“Well she did work fair and hard for her money Tony - this just feels wrong.” Y/n heard a couple clicks before Tony replied with, “This is for Wanda. Anything to get Y/n out of here by her own means is worth it. If you have a problem with this, you must not care as much for Wanda as I thought.” Steve sighed again seeing as he was morally put in an awkward position. It was either care for Y/n or care for Wanda. “That’s what I thought.” Tony left with a smug look on his face as he clicked more on the screen in front of him.

It didn’t take long for Y/n to see the effects of Tony’s decision. Her pay day was the following day and the overwhelming sense of panic and anxiety rose up within her as she only had $400 to survive until the next pay day, which was a month later. Since then, her food portions have been small to say the least. Y/n learned that she only had enough money for the month to eat at least once a day and even that was cutting it. The dramatic changes to her diet had slowly affected her powers but it recently had an exponential increase.

This was her fourth month of hardly eating when her powers started to flare at night. It has gotten to the point that Y/n couldn’t control them in her sleep leading to F.R.I.D.A.Y having to deal with her fireside. But her powers weren’t the only thing that has changed. If anyone were to actually look, they would see that Y/n had gotten skinnier. Her literal glow was getting duller and duller the more time passed.

However, Y/n refused to feel sorry for herself. The sentence “I deserve this” was burned into her head. The brain tricks she puts herself through even allowed her to convince that Tony's decision was right. That Wanda didn’t need to tell the truth to the team. That Steve didn’t need to defend her. And that the team certainly was allowed to make her feel like nothing. Because to Y/n, if she didn’t deserve this, then why would you possibly treat a person like this? Just why?

Of course, Wanda didn’t notice these changes at all. The girl was trying her best to avoid Y/n as much as possible. She always had exit strategies in place in case she were to be in the same vicinity as Y/n. However, Wanda also didn’t notice that lack of Y/n’s presence. Much to her dismay, Y/n’s efforts were the reason they didn’t see each other much.

What Wanda did notice though was the slow and gradual decline of snacks in her cubby. It left her to question whether Natasha was done doing these small favors for her. But her reports were still getting done.

The red head didn’t have much room to think though as she got slammed down on the mat from the other red head. “Take a ten - you’re distracted and we can’t keep going like this.” Wanda grumbled at another failed attempt to flip Natasha over. Hand to hand combat was one of the few subjects that Wanda hated the most. With the help of Natasha, Wanda got up and walked over to the waters on the other side of the room. She was gulping down the remaining when Natasha’s words caught her off guard. “What happened?”

Wanda cocked an eyebrow while still drinking her bottle, needing more elaboration. Natasha faced Wanda while hundreds of thoughts racked her mind. Luckily for her, Wanda had trained her on how to make them quiet enough that Wanda wouldn’t be able to hear. When Natasha found the right words, she said, “I am not doubting you. I am doubting her…” Wanda closed the bottle and looked around the room to avoid Natasha’s eyes. This had been the first time that anyone from the team had remotely even asked her about that night. To be frank, she hadn’t expected Natasha to be the one to break the ice. Usually it was Steve that would act like the team’s counselor. Guess things change.

Wanda sighed and recollected her memory for the night that continued to haunt her. “One minute, I left to get a drink from the bar. - she said that she needed to go to the bathroom. The next minute, I come back to see her all over blondie.” Wanda’s grip on the bottle tightened at the words she was going to say next. “I thought it was a mistake - that she could have been too drunk that night - b-but her thoughts were so - loud.” Wanda slammed her fist at the table in front of her, tears already falling down her cheeks. “A-a-and I saw everything-”

The broken hearted girl didn’t have much energy left in her to continue. She dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands. Natasha kneeled beside Wanda. She pulled the poor girl into her arms, trying her best to physically comfort her. But nothing could really make Wanda feel better. What could you say to a girl that saw every moment where her girlfriend has cheated on her? Nothing - you say nothing.

“It’s quite pathetic actually,” Tony said as he spun the rod, causing his player to score in foosball. He was currently versing Steve as the two decided to quietly speak about Y/n’s actions for the past couple weeks. Going on the defense again, Steve shot back but Tony was quick to block. “She’s probably just trying to get her money back.” Steve huffed from the sudden slap shot as well as Tony’s rude words.

For the past couple weeks, Y/n had gone from trying to win Wanda back to trying to win the whole team back. The first thing they noticed was all the completed mission reports and the continuation of it. Clint was the first to jokingly comment, “Bruce must really love mission reports.” But the genius bore a confused look before replying with, “It wasn’t me. Even I haven’t had anything to do in my stack for a couple days.” Bruce had a displeasured look on his face. Clint just assumed it was either he wanted to do his stack of reports or the comment was actually true...or maybe both.

When it was time for the meeting, Clint had asked everyone in the room, minus Y/n, on who was completing the mission reports for everyone. “Well, I’m doing Wanda’s and mine,” Natasha claimed as she sat in her usual spot. No one was able to detect her lie, but then again, Natasha was always good at lying.

Clint was quick to figure out that the only person remaining must have been the person responsible. With a straight forward voice, he explained to the team that Y/n had been completing everyones, besides Wanda’s and Natasha’s, reports. Still, Natasha sat there, copying the confused looks on everyone’s faces. She didn’t care to tell them the truth, it wasn’t worth it. However, the meeting proceeded with little comment on Y/n’s actions. She wasn’t worth the mention.

“What if she actually is trying to say sorry to us?” Steve couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for Y/n, but Tony’s words made the guilt go all away. “Oh - so miss Hydra over here actually wants to apologize - hilarious Steve.” With that, Tony quickly spun the rod and scored the final point, making him win the game. What the two failed to realize was the fact that Y/n had overheard their conversation. She no longer felt hungry for the day and had retreated back to her room, feeling overwhelmingly numb from the confession she heard.

It was a new and different day for Wanda. She had managed to want to try and sit in the common room with her team seeing as sitting in her room no longer gave her the same satisfaction anymore. Scrolling through the tv, she was about to pull up Bewitched when the following words appeared on the screen:

Bewitched is longer provided on Netflix. Please see related tv shows.

“What do you mean it’s no longer available?” Wanda frustratedly questioned. And here she was trying to have a good day. “Sorry kid, I guess Netflix took it off their streaming service,” Clint said as he leaned over the couch. “No why would they do that?!” Wanda said with an exasperated look. Clint simply shrugged, Netflix did have an awful reputation for getting favorites removed or canceled. “No clue, but you could try other shows.” Wanda crossed her arms and huffed at his suggestion. “I was really feeling Bewitched today.” Ruffling her hair, Clint left after saying, “Try to feel for something else.”

However, Wanda had failed to feel anything but angry for the remaining of the day. It wasn’t until she sat in her room for the night, aimlessly finding shows in her room when she noticed Bewitched on her home screen. She quickly clicked on it noticing that all eight seasons are there for her own viewing. Her mood immensely increased for the night as she fell asleep in the middle of season two.

Outside of her room, Y/n had been cleaning up the compound for the night. It was getting harder and harder to clean the kitchen when everything in her wanted to just take a couple of snacks for herself. Her hunger was constantly on her mind as well as the stupid flashes that have sporadically appeared more and more everyday. But she wanted more than anything to prove to the team that she is a good person. Stealing, no matter how minor, was probably the last thing she needed to be labeled as.

When she completed for the night, she returned to her room but paused outside of her door when she heard the Bewitched theme song loudly play in Wanda’s room. A small smile appeared on her face as she walked back into her room and slept on the floor tonight.

“Did it ever occur to you that I love you - like a lot?” The couple were laying in Carol’s room decorated with punk rock posters and pictures of their team. Small plants were placed around the room while Malcolm in the Middle was used as background noise.

“Nah. I haven’t heard you say it in approximately - 10 minutes?” Carol laughed as Y/n glanced at her watch. They laid on their sides as they faced each other, their faces being only inches away. “Well I do.” Carol cupped Y/n’s cheek as she soon grew mesmerized.

There are words to always describe feelings with someone but they all felt overused or incomplete. Because everything felt like this daydream colored borders with warm tones and retro filters as she glanced at Y/n. She felt like she was watching a show that she would never get tired of. Even if the show was in color or black and white, new or old, slow or fast, she would watch just to see her. Just her.

“You do what?” Carol flicked Y/n’s forehead at her response. “Kidding - kidding.” Y/n said as she rubbed her forehead. Carol rolled her eyes and kissed Y/n’s head as she cuddled into her arms, legs tangled within the sheets. “I do love you.” Y/n kissed her hair as she combed it with her hand. “I know,” she whispered, hoping Carol would pick up on the secret reference. Because to Y/n, yeah, she’s worth a whole galaxy.

It was the middle of the night when Steve woke up from a nightmare that shook him from his slumber. Rather than staying in bed to force himself to sleep, he got up and headed to the kitchen for a late night snack.

Heading into the pantry, Steve pursed his lips noticing that Y/n’s cubby had been empty for weeks it seems like. The guilt that was slowly forming inside him kept building and building. Although he knew he could try to do something about it, the loyalty he had to his family - to Wanda. That was something he didn’t want to break.

The relationship with Wanda and Steve was something similar to a father and daughter relationship. Steve had always wanted a kid of his own and Wanda had lost her father. The irony of it all just happened to work for the two. Even though Wanda nor Steve would admit it out loud, they viewed each other as the roles that needed to be filled in their lives. They needed each other regardless of titles.

But then there was Y/n. The troubled girl that made Steve absolutely nervous with how quick her and Wanda seemed to like each other. It absolutely didn’t help Steve’s case when the whole team found out about Y/n’s past. His anxiety had practically skyrocketed. It eventually led to a one on one talk with Wanda about how sometimes we need to protect ourselves before letting people in.

But Y/n was still there. Breaking down Wanda’s walls. So just like any Dad would, Steve watched over. Making sure his girl was always happy and safe. So while Natasha may have refilled Wanda’ cubby and did her reports, Steve had carried Wanda to bed during nights she couldn’t sleep. He made her tea for times that she didn’t want to talk, which was often. He tucked her in at night and cuddled with her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. He was just there.

But so was she. She was there whenever Wanda cried at night. She was there when Wanda would sometimes forget to eat after busying herself all day. She was there to take care of Wanda. She was there when Steve wasn’t. And that meant everything to Steve. So why couldn’t Steve be there for Y/n?

There were a lot of unanswered questions roaming around Steve’s head. Rather than pondering more about them, he walked around the tower, eating a pack of cookies for himself. Just as he was turning the corner, he glanced towards the conference room to see Wanda asleep in front of her reports. However, the more alarming part was the girl that happened to be right in front of Wanda. Steve quickly grew on high alert and observed Y/n’s actions. However, after a couple minutes of harmless actions, Steve forced his shoulders to relax. “She’s just doing reports - calm down,” Steve thought.

But he couldn’t calm down. The guilt had maneuvered it’s way back up to his throat as he actually noticed the pale state of the once bright girl. For someone that had literal fire abilities, she lacked the glow of any raging fire. Feeling nothing but guilt all over, Steve felt compelled to say something - anything. But he froze. He didn’t know what to say.

However, the opportunity soon was lost as Y/n finished everyone’s stack of reports. Steve hid around the corner as Y/n passed him. Hearing a door close was when Steve stepped out of hiding. He glanced towards the direction of Y/n’s room, feeling every need to go to her. But his footsteps led him to Wanda. He picked her up and carried her to her room. Wanda will always be first in Steve’s heart. And nothing could change that.

“We have to stop this treatment Tony.” Steve waltzed into Tony’s lab the very next day. For once, he couldn’t sleep for the remainder of the night. Y/n was all over his mind. The guilt was practically eating him alive.

Tony rolled his eyes at Steve’s dramatic fashion for entrances. “Oh - good morning Tony - how are you - I’m actually pretty good.” Steve rolled his eyes as he stood in front of Tony, a hologram in between the two.

“Cut the crap Tony - I’m being serious.” Steve crossed his arms. This needed to end. “And you think I’m not Rodgers?” Tony was quick to respond, already growing irritated by the conversation.

“This isn’t right - none of this right.” Steve wiped the hologram to finally get a clear view of Tony as he grew frustrated by the second. Tony simply swiped it back, not wanting to deal with the issue. “Well maybe if she just quit - we wouldn’t need to worry about anything. It’s not my fault Fury hired Ms. Hydra - and if he finds out I fired her, he would not allow it at all.”

“But can’t you see that your stupid plan isn’t working? All we’re doing is abusing the girl.” Steve wiped the hologram again but Tony simply walked to a different station and continued his work. Angry with his response, Steve walked around the table and stood beside Tony.

“This needs to end Tony,” Steve said through his gritted teeth. The man was clenching his jaw so hard, it almost looked as if he was going to break his teeth. However, Tony quickly glared at Steve at the mention of his threat.

“Don’t you fucking dare. Can’t you actually see that I’m trying to protect Wanda.” Steve tilted his head at the awful reasoning for his actions. “How is this protecting Wanda? Why are you even trying to protect her?”

Tony slammed his fist into the table, feeling his anger rising by the second. “We - no - I need to protect her Steve!”

“Why Tony? Why?”

“Because I’m the goddamn reason her parents and her country is dead. I’m the reason that everything she ever loved is gone. I’m the reason for her sadness. She, of all people, deserves happiness. And I sure as hell won’t let anyone else hurt her anymore - no more Steve.” Tony didn’t give Steve a chance as he walked out the facility needing a day drink more than ever.

It was lunch time and all Wanda could think about was the need to cook paprikash. She didn’t know when the last time she had actually cooked. And seeing as the majority of the team was on missions, she could actually cook without interruptions or lingering eyes.

Walking into the kitchen, Wanda tied her hair up and started to take out the necessary ingredients for the meal. It was when she was talking the spices out when Vision had appeared out of nowhere, nearly scaring the girl. “Vision!”

Sensing a slight rise in her heart rate and anger, Vision had quickly apologized. “Sorry Wanda.” Wanda shook her head and quickly resumed prepping. “I will try to work on making my presence known. If I may ask, what is it that you’re doing?”

“I’m making paprikash.” Vision’s mind grew curious at the word and quickly searched his database for it. “I see. A traditional Sokovian food.” Wanda didn’t realize it, but she had felt a little annoyed at the synthezoid’s presence. It wasn’t anything he did, but Wanda desperately wanted alone time for herself.

Before she could ask, Vision had said, “Good morning Y/n.” Wanda’s quickly grew wide as she avoided glancing in Y/n’s direction. She hadn’t stayed in the tense position though as Vision announced, “Oh - it seems she had left before saying hi back.”

Feeling ever more frustrated with people’s presence, Wanda was about to ask him to leave but noticed the confusion written all over his face and didn’t hesitate to ask, “What is it Vision?” Vision pursed his lips and contemplated his words. It was visibly obvious to see that he was trying to wrack up what to say. “I think...it’s just…” He sighed knowing that this was going to be a sensitive subject to the witch but knowing everything she's been through, lying was not the best option. “It’s just that Y/n-” Wanda quickly cut Vision off in desperation to know what Y/n had done to Vision. If the girl were to even lay a finger on him, she was sure to deal with it herself. “What did she do? Did she hurt you? I swear-” Seeing her eyes turn red, Vision immediately explained himself. “-No no no. It’s not that, the complete opposite actually.” Wanda’s eyes slowly turned back to normal. When Vision saw that her heart rate was close to normal, he continued. “It’s just that...Y/n’s vitals have been decreasing in a fluctuating matter. Some days it would be a small decrease, but some days it would be a big decrease. Overall, her health has been poor.” Vision looked back at where Y/n once stood. If he hadn’t quickly analyzed her, he wouldn’t have noticed that today’s vitals was record worst. “Although she does have physical injuries, she seems to continue to radiate pain throughout her body even when those injuries have healed. It starts through her head and it spreads like a radio wave through her nervous system. I’ve done my calculations and the leading cause could be migraines...” Vision soon was in deep thought, trying to recalculate just to make sure what he was about to say was correct. “...but it doesn’t make sense.”

Wanda tilted her head. Processing this information was hard seeing as at her darkest moments, she wanted nothing but Y/n to be hurt. She deserved it for all the pain she caused her to go through. But hearing it now? That was a different story. It was like an internal conflict was going through her. Should she even care about Y/n’s health? “What doesn’t make sense?” Vision looked hard into Wanda’s eyes as he said, “Migraines shouldn’t cause her heart to stop multiple times.”

Wanda stared at Vision, processing the information that the love of her life is practically dying. “A-are you sure?” Vision slowly nodded. “However, after some calculations, I do believe she will be okay. She only needs a good source of food for her healing regeneration to fully heal this.” Wanda relaxed at Vision’s words. Although she has been through immense pain through these past couple months, having Y/n gone from her life like that would hurt more than anything.

Before Vision could continue his explanation, F.R.I.D.A.Y stated, “Emergency alert. All available Avengers please head to the quinjet per the request of Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers.” Quickly, the two headed to the plane as the important part of Vision’s explanation was missed. Little did Wanda know, Y/n would not heal any time soon.

The trio arrived on the quinjet and wasted no time trying to figure out the mission that was ahead of them. There was a serious feel in the atmosphere sensing that this had to be bad. There was no way that it couldn’t have been. Because if it wasn’t, they certainly wouldn’t have invited Y/n to this mission.

Lately, the girl has been assigned to only solo missions. Y/n couldn’t quite remember the last time that she was on a mission with any team member nevermind the fact with the whole team.

“Backup is needed immediately after touch down. Vision and Wanda, meet up with Steve and Sam at the Northeast corridor. Y/n, you are assigned to the entrance,” Tony stated through the intercom.

The feeling in Y/n’s stomach worsened. Not only was she hungry and sleep deprived, she didn’t also have a partner with her. It also didn’t help the fact that the flashes have gotten worse. Y/n couldn’t help but pray for a miracle. After all, they were dealing with the very people Y/n hated - Hydra.

Y/n couldn’t quite tell when things on the mission got to shit. Maybe it was the fact that as soon as they touched down and went to their assigned positions, Y/n received a massive swarm of Hydra agents. It didn’t help that her health regeneration was not at its peak or these agents actually were decently trained. Or was it during the third wave, that was currently happening, where Y/n tested the limits of her body.

Seeing the onslaught of agents coming her way, Y/n decided it was time to test out her new ability. She rapidly swung her right arm, building momentum as the fire within her right side blazed. As soon as the enemies were close, she released a fire tornado in their path. It had managed to take out at least half of the wave, but more and more kept coming.

Pressing her comms, Y/n said, “Can someone send back up my way?! There’s too many for me to handle.” Y/n kicked back the agent that was about to stab her in the back, but was too distracted to the point a different agent was able to cut her leg. “Fuck.”

Y/n quickly released an ice wall that at first glance, appeared to be the same height as the Great Wall of China. She hoped the barrier would give her enough time for her backup to appear. Focusing all her energy on her fireside, Y/n aimed at any agent near her, using her arm as a flamethrower.

However, worry immediately grew when no one had responded to her call within a couple minutes. Before she could request again, Nat had spoken bitterly in the comms, “On my way.” Sighing in relief, Y/n continued to fight off the agents the best she could.

But no matter how hard she tried to buy herself time, it seemed that Natasha was taking forever to come. It had gotten to the point that multiple lashes already appeared. Her healing regeneration couldn’t keep up at all. Not only that, but her body was either giving up from exhaustion or blood loss. It was only during the last couple agents when Natasha had shown up and quickly killed the remainder.

Y/n glanced at the assassin and noticed the lack of any injuries on her and it was as if she barely broke a sweat. “What happened? I almost got killed.”

Natasha glared at Y/n as she responded with, “I helped Bucky and Rhodey on the way, they needed it.” Y/n swallowed the lump in her throat knowing the redhead in front of her had practically lied. If backup was needed, it was always voiced through comms.

Even if Y/n had wanted to confront Natasha about it, she couldn’t. Natasha had already left to head to the quinjet. Y/n simply limped a couple feet from her. When Y/n arrived, it seemed that everyone else was already prepared for take off. Feeling ever more guilty, Y/n simply sat at the closet seat to the entrance that was away from the team. But something inside her broke even more noticing the lack of any questions or concerns from the team in regards to her injuries.

Not even bothering to buckle up, Y/n sulked in her thoughts when she realized, “Why doesn’t anyone care about me?”

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#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #fake memories

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villainousshakespeare · 4 years ago

Text

Putting It Back Together Chapter 1

Adam/OFC

Rated M (will probably change to E) - Grief, angst, eventual smut, mention of characters dead before the start of the story

Summary: Since the death of his beloved Eve, Adam had been barely living, only alive due to a promise he made to her. Then one night he meets his new neighbor, a woman dealing with grief of her own. Will they help each other heal or drive each other crazy?

@yespolkadotkitty @just-the-hiddles @hopelessromanticspoonie @wine-and-whines @arch-venus25 @caffiend-queen @devilish–doll @enchantedbyhiddles @hiddlesholic @i-do-not-fangirl-i-fanwoman @kellatron55 @ladyoftheteaandblood @latent-thoughts @gorgeous1974 @maryxglz @myoxisbroken @nuggsmum @nildespirandum @pedeka @redfoxwritesstuff @sinfully-lustful-darling @vodka-and-some-sass @wrathkitty @kingtwhiddleston @wolfsmom1 @poetic-fiasco @shiningloki @dangertoozmanykids101 @bookworm-christina @thecutestlittlebunbunfairy @amwolowicz @delightfulheartdream @frostbitten-written @what-a-flammable-heart @tom-hlover @nonsensicalobsessions

So I decided to take a crack at Adam. The plan is to have this be around 10 chapters, but that is just a guess at the moment. It starts a little angsty, but will lighten up as it goes along. Hope you enjoy!

If you would like on or off the tag list, please let me know!

It was more of a mist than a drizzle adding chill to the late autumn air as he walk through the dark streets. Even this time of night there were noises of fellow wanders, zombies he was sure, but he managed to keep from the streets where they roamed. The last thing he needed was to be confronted with the mindlessness of what passed for humanity in these times.

That was the trade off of life in the city. The need to constantly dodge others was barely offset by the convenience of shops open late and services not bound by the constraints of daylight. Not that Adam needed many services of others. He was in most ways self sufficient. He had worked for centuries to make it so. With but two exceptions - sustenance and music - he had only ever needed one soul besides his own.

She was gone now, his Eve. Eleven years had passed since she had taken a glass of tainted blood in Tangier. It seemed like yesterday, it seemed like a lifetime. He wished it were his lifetime. Only a promise dragged out of him at her death bead had kept him from following her into oblivion. She had used every trick she possessed, every weakness she knew in him, to get him to agree to her demand, and now he was trapped, bound by a promise to another century on this blighted earth. Eighty-nine more revolutions until he could use the wooden bullet that lay heavy in breast pocket and end his grief.

He had wandered after she left him. Angry and bitter, he had left Africa and roved across the globe. Everywhere he went, though, there were memories. He saw her everywhere in Europe. The Middle East was littered with memories. Even South America echoed a life spent together.

Finally he had come back to America. She had not spent as much time in the States. It was easier here. He had considered Seattle, New Orleans, Memphis, the various musical centers of the country, but in the end New York had drawn him in. Strange, he had never spent much time here. Too many zombies too close together. And yet, he could not deny it had definite advantages, and for the most part no one paid any attention to what anyone else did.

He arrived at last at the brownstone in the East Village where he lived his weary life. He was excited, or at least as excited as he was capable of these days, to test out the Rickenbacker bass guitar that he had stumbled upon in a pawn shop. The owner had no idea how rare the model was, and had not known how to react to the large roll of cash that Adam had thrust at him for the instrument.

Quickly shucking his black leather jacket, Adam took out he new prize and lovingly stroked the light grained wood. He could feel the decades of music that it had produced still reverberating through the body. He flicked a series of toggles and buttons to power up his sound system and plugged the Rickenbacker in. Closing his eyes he placed his fingers firmly on the frets and plucked out a rapid series of low notes, loving the reverberation and full tones it produced. Just as he began to segue into an actual song, however, a loud bang sounded and the lights, sound, and all other electronic power went dead.

"Shit!" he spit out, mood collapsing back in on itself as quickly as it had risen.

Setting the bass gently back in its case despite his irritation, Adam fumbled through his belongings until he located his tool box. After attaching his head torch and grabbing a second flash light just in case, he made his way down the hall to the ladder that lead up through a hatch onto the roof where a small shed held the electric box for his home.

"Just what I fucking need," he muttered, pulling himself onto the tarred surface.

He was just picking his tools back up when a loud creaking noise drew his attention. Just a few feet away, a second hatch door had opened, and a shape was pulling itself up and onto the roof with some difficulty, judging by the swearing. Adam watched in dismay as the shape unfolded itself to reveal a woman silhouetted against the half moon. She had a large, over bright flashlight in her hands that waved back and forth as she made her way to the shed that was his own destination.

"Who are you?" he asked, intercepting her before she could reach the structure.

"Ohmyfuckinggod!" she cried out, jumping almost a foot as he appeared in front of her.

Adam crossed his arms and waited silently for her to calm down, mouth drawn down into a habitual scowl.

"You scared me half to death!" she told him needlessly when she had regained some of her composure.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Oh, you know, just signaling Batman that evil is afoot," she said dryly, waving her oversized lamp back and forth.

Adam continued to stare at her, unamused, until she sighed and gave him a real answer.

"I'm checking out the fuse box. Are you from 89? You must be, I guess. So your lights are out too? It doesn't look like it's the whole block, just our two buildings. Hopefully flipping the switch will bring them back on."

"There's no need for you to trouble yourself," he told her when she finally stopped talking. "I have things well in hand. The power should be on shortly."

"Great," she said with a forced smile.

She didn't move. Why was she still standing there? Adam glowered at her, hoping to scare her off, but the brainless girl just stood there.

"Did you need something else?" he asked reluctantly.

"No, just the one thing," she replied, blinking at him. "Shall we get to it?"

"This will hardly take two," he ground out. "And I know how the system works."

He should! He had redone the entire wiring himself. The convoluted system of shorting wires and faulty circuits had been a travesty when he moved in. It had taken him almost a month to tear it out and build a more streamlined, efficient energy grid. The only problem now was when he forgot himself and pulled too much power for the subpar wiring in the wall to take. He had considered redoing that as well, but it would take time and draw attention, which he was keen on avoiding.

"Wonderful, then you can show me," she chirped at him. "After all, you may not be here the next time it goes off, and then I won't know how it works."

She was not going to let this go, he could tell from the deceptively stubborn set of her shoulders. With a roll of his eyes that he doubted her human eyes could catch in the darkness, he turned on his heel and walked over to the shed. Let her look at it, he decided. It was not like she would understand what he had done anyway.

"Woah," the nattering woman whistled as he opened the door. "That is not what I was expecting at all! It looks like some form of microhydraulics, but there's no way you could have a water source up here. What are you using?"

Adam turned and stared at her, really looking at her for the first time. She was short, even for a woman, not even coming up to his chin. Her hair was haphazardly tied into a bunch on the top of her head and looked like it would be bigger than she was if she were to let it down. The eyes she turned up towards him were inquisitive and sharp. She was pretty, he thought, for a zombie.

"How do you know about that?" he asked.

"I tinker," she said with a shrug. "When I'm anxious. Which is a lot of the time lately, to be honest. Too much energy. Sometimes it helps to take things apart an put them back together again."

Adam opened his mouth to respond, but realized he had no idea what he planned on saying. He closed it again and turned back to his contraption.

"Well, don't get any ideas about taking this apart," he grumbled, resetting the mechanism.

"No, I wouldn't," she assured him. "I only mess with my own things until I'm sure I can get them back the way they started. I learned that the hard way. This is really amazing. You are pulling in a boat load of energy. I just hope you don't burn the buildings down when it runs into the wiring. You're a musician, right? I've heard you practicing through the walls. I was so relieved you were good!"

Did this woman never stop talking? Despite his lack of response she seemed perfectly content to stand behind him, shining her flood light on the shed as he worked to get things running again.

"Oh! I see what you did there!" she commented brightly as the low hum of electricity started back up. "That should fix it. And I'm pretty sure I will be able to do that myself next time too!"

"Don't," he ordered, shutting the door with a loud clang. "If there is any problem with the power, I will fix it. I don't need someone else ruining my work."

"But if you're not here?" she repeated doggedly.

"Look, this has never been an issue before, why are you suddenly on my case about it now?"

"I didn't live here before," she answered. "I just moved in last week. This... this was my Grandmother's home. She died. Last week. I'm trying to sort it all now but..."

The light from his headtorch clearly lit up the tears that sprang to her eyes. As Adam stood there in horror, the girl's chin began to wobble and silent sobs hiccupped through her body. A moment later she had burst out crying. Adam, unable to think of anything else to do, slowly and gingerly put one arm around her shaking shoulders and patted her lamely on the back, wishing he could be anywhere else in the world.

***

Lilly woke up completely horrified. It had been a dream, she told herself. It had to have been a dream. That was the only way she was going to survive the events of the night before.

The soreness in her eyes and the streaks of mascara on the backs of her hands, unfortunately, told her the sad truth. It had been real. She had met her dark, handsome, mysterious neighbor, the one who played dark, mysterious music at all hours of the night, on a dark, mysterious rooftop. (Well, okay, maybe the rooftop hadn't been that mysterious, but still!) And what had she done? She had wept all over him like pathetic child.

This, she sighed to herself, was one of the many many reasons why she was single. Any normal girl would have played the damsel in distress, fluttered their eyes and let him be their hero. He certainly had the looks of a brooding hero, even if he seemed to lack the inclination. Of course, it might just be that he lacked the inclination because she had yammered on about anxiety and tinkering, and her grandmother's death and the cried all over him.

Groaning, she rolled over and looked at her clock, only to be greeted by blinking numbers. Of course. She had been too upset when he had finally managed to steer her back to her roof hatch and rid himself of her, lost in a combination of grief and humiliation, to reset it. Great. That meant that the alarm had never gone off. It could be any time now. A quick glance at her phone confirmed her fear. 4:00 in the afternoon. It had happened. She had become completely nocturnal.

Slowly dragging herself up, Lilly staggered to the bathroom and tried to let the hot water wash away her misery. She was tired of feeling miserable. By nature she was not a gloomy person. Anxious, yes, but not gloomy. It was just being here, in the house that once was her happy place but now held too many memories. All she could see where ever she looked was her beloved grandmother. Playing the piano, reading in the window nook, cooking in the large, renovated kitchen. Grandma Lillian was everywhere.

Growing up, Lilly had been an awkward child; small of body but big of personality Gran had said. She was always moving, either her hands or her mouth, having a hard time with stillness. It drove many people to distraction. Grandma Lillian, however, had stated quite matter of factly that she simply had a lot to do and more to say, and therefore needed to do it quickly.

Lilly had spent all of her summers and school vacations here, escaping into the city. Here, she could be herself. With all of the characters in New York City, she was far from the oddest. Grandma Lillian let her patter away happily, always taking her words seriously. She had also found all sorts of mechanical things for Lilly to tinker with, focusing her energy in a more productive direction. It was nonsense, she had opined, that girls were not encouraged more to go into the technical fields. Obviously that was the reason why nothing in this world ran properly.

She had hidden her illness from the family, from Lilly, until the very end. Lilly cursed herself that she had not seen through the excuses for the cancelled visits. A seniors cruise with her girlfriends! She could not imagine the opinionated woman stuck on a boat without someone going overboard. It wasn't until the very end, when she was had been taken to Hospice, that she had phoned Lillian to let her know that it was time to come and visit.

That was eight days ago. Lillian had held her hand at the end, singing in her tear choked voice the torch songs that her Grandmother had once made her living crooning in the night clubs of the city. It had not taken long. Less than a day and Lilly was alone, the owner of a house in the East Village and more money than she had ever imagined possessing, but much the poorer regardless.

The ensuing week was spent puttering around the brownstone, listlessly going through desks and dressers, boxes and cupboards. The memorabilia of a lifetime squirreled away into any available space. She had no need to work at the moment, which was good since she had no employment. Slowly but surely her own night owl tendencies had taken over and she was staying up until the sun streaked the horizon in the morning, only to bed down for the majority of the day. Her parents had always fretted and said it was a sign of depression. Gran had shrugged and agreed that the most exciting things happened at night.

The only excitement Lillian had experienced thus far had been the discovery that a new owner was in residence next door. For as long as she could remember there had been a constant stream of college and conservatory students renting out rooms in the building, turning over each year to the newest crop. Now though, there was one lodger only and he owned the building.

She had caught sight of him out the front window as he was leaving her second night there. Long, wild black hair that looked in want of brushing, black leather jacket, and black jeans that might have been painted on. He was tall, lean, and somehow dangerous looking. It was the way he walked, she decided. There was something almost feral in the swagger as he took off down the street. The next night she had heard him playing music.

At first she thought there were multiple musicians, but after hours spent guiltlessly eavesdropping she became convinced that it was only him. Interspersed with guitars, drums, bass, and other instruments that she couldn't name had come his voice, a distinctive low growl that cut through her sorrow to go straight to her core. She could feel the vibrations of his voice as surely as she heard the bass thumping through the walls.

She began haunting the window overlooking their stoops, hoping for sight of him. She caught glimpses a time or two, always late at night, well after dark. Rather he was coming in or going out, he seemed to eschew the daylight even more than she did. Lilly felt drawn to him, and by more than just his untamed beauty. She supposed she could write it off as one of her hyper-fixations, but intuitively she sensed it was more. She longed for an excuse to meet him.

And then she had. At night, on a roof, under a bright moon.

It would have been perfectly romantic, were she not dressed in a ratty sweatshirt and yoga pants, her hair flopped up any old way on her head. If her first words to him were not gasped out in a shriek, followed by thoughtless prattle. And the, the coup de gras, her sobbing breakdown. The look of unmixed horror on his face as he made his feeble attempt to calm her was burned into Lilly's brain.

She had to get rid of it. There might only be one chance to make a first impression, but maybe, just maybe, a second impression could in time supersede it. Never one to sit on a thought, Lilly squared her shoulders. It was six o'clock, he was bound to still be in. She would pay him a visit and apologize for her horrid behavior.

Yes, that was the plan. After all, what was the worst that could happen? It was bound to go better than last time.

#adam olla #Adam/OFC #Tom Hiddleston #Fic #Only Lovers Left Alive #OLLA #angst #anxiety #eventual smut #grief #will lighten up #I promise #smut to come

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lokigodofaces · 3 years ago

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thoughts on loki episode five: journey into mystery

under the cut for your convenience

okay, Journey Into Mystery is a reference to a comics series, right?

Renslayer what are you doing what do you want?

Miss Minutes what are you doing what do you want are you sentient what is happening?

TVA Loki just being the embodiment of "WTF" was great because, honestly? look at what's happened. he was pruned, but he's not dead, but there's a kid, an old guy, and another guy claiming to be him, there's a random alligator with his horns, he was told they have to move before he dies, and it just overall makes no sense. i love how TVA Loki said he just didn't even question the alligator because of how crazy everything is. and now he just is accepting the fact that he is an alligator in another universe and refusing to question it because that is too much.

Sylvie self pruning herself to get to Loki aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Sylvie said there was one happy memory she had. was that supposed to reference the moment she had with Loki. if so, that is like huge set up for romantic stuff.

speaking about sylki, i really didn't like the idea of Loki having a love interest a month ago. really. but now i can't help but ship him & Loki. it's not my favorite ship (FitzSimmons exists) and there are flaws i feel like, but i still really like it.

Sylvie running into Mobius yay! & they get along pretty well it seems, so that's good.

THROG & THANOSCOPTER

Boastful Loki gives me Thor vibes?

Kid Loki, poor kid, killed Thor, i don't think it was intentional. poor guy.

Classic Loki, i love him. AND WE ALL HAD THEORIES THAT LOKI IS ALIVE IN THE SAME WAY CLASSIC LOKI IS AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Classic Loki being all like "bros just use your magic it works better" and Boastful Loki saying "yeah but knives look cool." bruh. i love it.

okay, i dont think the TVA was being honest with the Lokis, i think it is possible main Loki lived out his life in isolation and that is so sad.

the TVA (& whoever is running it) i think has a thing against Lokis because they're a threat (KANG KANG KANG) (sorry i really want Kang but if it's not Kang i won't freak out). Classic Loki being pruned for not wanting to be alone adds to this. Mobius could've done any memory for the Time Cell, and he chose the one where Sif says he'll be alone. they're all outcasts. they don't want Loki to have self esteem or to be happy or to have friends.

TVA Loki is so set on returning to the TVA to help Sylvie, i love it (much sylki vibes).

the way all the Lokis laughed bc TVA Loki sounded ridiculous, trying to fight Aliath. i wonder how many Lokis have tried and failed?

TVA Loki trying to leave just to run into President Loki, saying this was all a nightmare, i love it. & i love President Loki being the only Hiddleston Loki other than main Loki & TVA Loki (& i guess Classic Loki in the past).

there were like...3 betrayals in two minutes? very chaotic, much Loki, don't put too many Lokis in the same room.

the way Kid Loki carries Gator Loki...i love it your honor.

Kid Loki saying something about how Lokis are broken but whenever they try to change the TVA stops them. he's spilling facts.

Kid, Classic, and Gator Lokis deciding to help TVA Loki get to Aliath, it was great.

also the way TVA Loki talks about Sylvie, i love it.

oh, also, Aliath in the comics protects Kang's kingdom...so...y'know...Kang please?

Mobius driving straight to TVA Loki, Sylvie jumping out, TVA Loki running to her. i love it.

enchanting Aliath was a pretty smart way of doing things it felt like.

ok this is random but Gator Loki is amazing i love him he gets so many good shots.

also back to President Loki, he got his hand bitten off, and the MCU cuts off limbs as a reference to Star Wars. but i think there are more cut off limbs (or more people with limbs cut off) in the MCU now (because since stupid Disney got Lucasfilm there's been no loss of limbs & i am still mad about it).

Loki now has two on screen hugs (Loki & Frigga in Thor (2011), Loki & Mobius in Loki (2021)). plus he had an off screen hug with Thor in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), i'm sure of it.

ok back to TVA Loki, Sylvie, and Aliath. TVA Loki doing what he can to distract Aliath, but it not being enough, and the panic he had on his face, it was beautiful.

oh my gosh Classic Loki came back i love him.

TVA Loki told Sylvie they're more powerful than they realize when they saw Classic Loki's projection of Asgard. and then TVA Loki was able to enchant Aliath. do Lokis have a natural affinity for sorcery, it's just some do more with it or different types than others?

also, nexus being set up? in WandaVisoin, Wanda learned how to do the runes thing almost immediately. that might be part of a nexus being's powers, the ability to just be really good beginners at magic. so maybe the Lokis are nexus beings? or maybe not quite nexus beings but close?

no, Classic Loki! other than Gator Loki you were my new favorite Loki! and you died! (or maybe not since his superpower is not dying).

TVA Loki and Sylvie walking hand in hand to the end of time to fight Kang or whoever, why do they have to be so cute?

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa no post credit scene

ok i don't want to redo Mephisto but we've got more hints almost for Kang than we did Mephisto.

plus after "Agatha All Along" for me it was obvious they wouldn't have Mephisto as the big bad. maybe in a post credit scene, but they literally had a song about Agatha being the villain. they weren't going to introduce a new one. we don't know who the villain for this is. & i feel like Kang is a good guess and i would love to see Kang in Loki. but he's the villain of Quantumania so idk how they'll make it work.

#loki (2021)#loki (2021) review #loki laufeyson #tva loki #sylvie laufeydottir #president loki #kid loki #gator loki #classic loki #mobius m mobius #ravonna renslayer #miss minutes #sylki #boastful loki #kang the conqueror

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finitepeace · 4 years ago

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this week i read...

Darling, Keep the Lights On (Until I Get Home) by capsicleironman 💙

Summary: When Steve Rogers is awoken from the ice early, he is assigned as the personal assistant to Tony Stark, the man on TV with the strange glowing light in his chest. The plan was simple - protect and gain intel. It was supposed to be just another job, but then again, nothing in Steve's life has ever gone according to plan.

Iron Man 2 Divergence where Steve ends up working for Tony instead of Natasha, and his interest first in the arc reactor and then in Tony himself, leads him through the events of the Avengers, Iron Man 3, and Captain America 2.

17k words

It's Only Half Past (The Point of Oblivion) by LadyHabren (equalopportunityobsessor)

Summary: "I think it's generally agreed that all of Steve's senses are powered up by the serum? He can hear people whispering on the other side of the room, probably sees a hell of a lot further, etc.

But there are definite downsides. How does Steve control this side effect of the serum?"

Captain America is more than a man - he is a hero, he is an ideal, he is pure muscle held together by patriotism and moral fibre... And not even Captain America can fight it when his own brain turns against him.

4k, sentinel/guide au, not set in mcu,

Do-Over by gottalovev 💙

Summary: Steve woke up six months ago into a future that leaves him indifferent. There is work, and not much else. His current mission is a basic search and rescue operation to retrieve an American who was kidnapped by a terrorist group ten days ago. He won't let the fact that the hostage is Howard's son be a distraction.

14k words, ironman 1 - 2 but with steve on it!,

Calls Me Home by steve-capsicle-rogers (adorable_lab_rat)

Summary: Tony can't help but notice the far away look on Steve's face. The visible pain and loss. It wasn't right and giving Steve back everything he'd lost was the right choice. The right thing. And honestly Tony didn't do the right thing near enough.

9k words, post avenger 1, tony time travels to victory day with steve to make him happy

Memorial by hanyou_elf

Summary: Here rests in honored glory an American Soldier known but to God.

Steve visits Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in lieu of visting the tombs of those he's lost.

600+ words, steve visits his grave and tony supports

Damaged by orphan_account

Summary: Prompt: Can you write a story where Tony is having heart problems again even after the shrapnel and arc reactor is removed, like he needs a pacemaker or something please? :)

Steve is worried about Tony after the doctor tells them Tony needs a pacemaker. Tony being Tony decides to build something better.

2k words, arc reactor + health problem

Warning by laireshi

Summary: Tony's left arm hurts.

100 words, angst post-civil war au

Told You Dirty Jokes Until You Smiled by ChibiSquirt 💙

Summary: Steve was waiting at light, casually checking out the man in the car behind him, when his phone pinged.

75k words. WIP T_T . steve is cap but tony isnt ironman (yet?). steve is awaken before ironman 1 and meets tony, proceed to have friends with benefits arrangement...

blood, Lies, and Love by Ridley160

Summary: When Steve Rogers volunteered for Project Rebirth they told him they would make him a hero. No one bothered to tell him that the serum would change him into a monster that needed to feed on the blood of the living for survival. Now he has woken up 70 years in a future where there are more like him and his affliction is now seen as gift. Only Steve is convinced that he is at his core still just a monster.

Then he meets the brilliant, quirky and charismatic Tony Stark, the only person in this crazy new world that seems to understand Steve's misgivings about what he is, but Tony is haunted by something. A secret he has carefully guarded for many years that forced him to push everyone away.

33k words in 13 chapters, steve is cap + a vampire but tony isnt ironman,

Blood Loss by wisia

Summary: The serum really did work a miracle. It created Captain America, and Tony would like the serum to work a miracle on him too. If only he didn’t fall in love.

5k words, set in captain america 1st avenger, tony is scientist/adventurer looking for a cure for his heart problem

scientific Heresy by antigrav_vector

Summary: In the process of running the particle accelerator in his basement and fixing the arc reactor, Tony finds himself flung into the past where he has to take on a fight not his own if he wants to get home to stop Vanko. At least he had a chance to replace the old rector that had been killing him with the new one before everything went sideways... But now he has no choice but to face off with family, friends, and old heroes, and none of that sounds remotely appealing. Well, okay, getting to meet them all during their glory days kinda does.

But as it turns out, they're not exactly what he imagined, and his path home is a lot longer than he'd hoped it would be.

And a lot more complicated.

34k words in 12 chapters, time travel au @ cap 1 and ironman 2, steve/tony/bucky

we will meet in another life by theappleppielifestyle

Summary: Tony is there instead of Howard during Project Rebirth. He ends up following Steve into the Howling Commandos, into the Atlantic ocean and into the 21st century.

6k words, canon divergence.

Keep on Beating by itsallAvengers

Summary: There were an awful lot of things Steve loved about Tony. But one thing in particular Steve could never get enough of was his heartbeat.

6k words, self-sacrificing tony strikes again and steve is upset.. so tony comes to a solution...

Coming Up Roses by NobodysBloodyPrincess 💙

Summary: Those with a death wish referred to the High Commander’s infatuation with the late Tony Stark as an ‘obsession.’ They were wrong. It had to be more than that, after all there was no word for what the High Commander was about do in the name of making things right.

No one gets a redo of life… no one except High Commander Rogers that is. Everything is coming up Roses and Sunshine for him. After all, he has a dream and it’s going to come true.

41k words in 3 chapters, beautiful but a bit dark and sad, just like the author said: “‘i’ll be with you till the end of line’ but stony”, definitely one of the best fic i’ve read because THEY ARE HAPPY T_T

The One With Bucky's Biggest Fan by justanotherpipedream

Summary: Steve still can’t believe how long it took for him to notice. It wasn’t a secret really, just something that no one had cared to ask...it honestly took Rhodey pulling him aside and pulling out an old photo album, before Steve really understood.

Tony Stark was a Bucky Barnes fan.

(aka The one where Tony is the biggest Bucky Barnes fanboy, Steve is a supportive boyfriend, and Bucky is perplexed by it all.)

2k words, it’s all in the summary

Sins of the Mother by skullshy 💙

Summary: All she could see when her eyes closed was Steve’s face in the courtroom. Stern, pained— with that fucking all-American self-righteousness.

Toni wondered for years whether it would have made a difference. Told him that she was pregnant, that Ultron was to protect their baby, and how sorry she was.

On her worst days, she imagined it wouldn’t have mattered.

23k words in 23 chapters, female tony stark, civil war (or age of ultron?) canon divergence

So this is bonded life by Captainstark12

Summary: Steve had been protecting the human village from hydra creatures like him for five years. And now he was ready to take his prize as he had the privilege of choosing an omega to bear his child. Hopefully his chosen omega human would want him back as much as he wanted him

4k in 6 chapters, mythology au

I don't think there's a manual for this by itsallAvengers

Summary: So. His son can stick to things, apparently.

If only Tony had realised this before he'd caught him hanging off the 89th floor of the tower.

Well. Parenting was never going to be a smooth road, was it?

2k words, stony adopts peter parker and then they become superfamily

For Your Eyes Only by SarahHBE

Summary: Every soldier looks forward to mail call. But Alpha Steve Rogers gets a big surprise with the letter his Omega, Tony Stark, has sent him.

2k words, explicit bcs of sexual content

It Was Just A Matter Of Time by babynative

Summary: The clock was ticking. And then, black.

719 words, civil war canon divergence, angst

This Can't Be The Last by MusicalLuna

Summary: Hours after a mission ends, Tony's heart starts to race.

1k words, tony had a heart attack, but not angst!

The Billionaire and the Army Captain by Neverever

Summary: Facing finanical ruin and needing to care for his sick daughter, Steve Rogers agrees to marry Tony Stark, who needs to get married by his 30th birthday to inherit. It's just a job for Steve until he starts to fall for the enigmatic billionaire.

12k words, non-powers au,

Adopt by greenteeth 💙

Summary: Steve's life is the same as usual. He goes to work, fights super villains, banters with other Avengers and goes home to an empty apartment. Until the son of an old friend shows up asking for help, well sex first, then help. Suddenly Steve is married, fighting super villains, worrying what Obadiah Stane and coming home to Tony most nights of the week.

42k words in 17 chapters, ABO, tony is not iron man, the story is complete but it’s a part of series that seems to never see the light T_T

The Act of Creation Will Be Your Salvation by scifigrl47 💙

Summary: When Tony Stark was seventeen years old, he built his first AI. On that day, he ceased to be his father's creation, and became a creating force in his own right.

That one act likely saved his life, and not always in the most obvious ways.

84k words in 8 chapters, stony but mostly looking through his AI bots a.k.a. jarvis and dum-e, definitely one of the best fics ever!

Bewitched, Body and Soul by iam93percentstardust

Summary: Almost ten years after joining the British Army, Steve Rogers returns to his childhood home after his mother's death. The house seems quiet in a way that it's rarely been. But the peace is shattered when his oldest friend stumbles into his home and into his life, seeking an escape from an arranged marriage to a cruel lord. Steve provides that escape but finds himself engaged to be married instead. This wouldn't be a problem - except that Steve is, always has been, and always will be deeply in love with Tony Stark.

16k words, regency AU, ABO, the classic stony misunderstanding trope

Right place, right time by hkandi, ralsbecket

Summary: An alternate take on the Captain America: The First Avenger movie. Tony is working with his dad to help out the SSR on this new project, though he and Steve happen to run into each other before that, and sparks fly from the start.

8k, CA: First avenger AU with tony stark present

#stevetony #stony #fics read

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kpop-uni · 4 years ago

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Through the Lens // Six

Christian YuxYoutuber!Reader Words: 3.2K A/N: AN UPDATE? OUT OF THE BLUE? Yes! I’m so sorry I made you guys wait so long but my mental health was just so bad. But I recently started redoing my life, cleaning my room and I’m even taking a well deserved vacation to California next month so I’m doing better! Enough about this though, enjoy the chapter guys!

Chapter Five // Chapter Seven (CS)

A plan formed between the four men. Christian was to go to you, see you at your favorite restaurant and apologize for everything. It was an easy plan that guaranteed the two of you to talk again. But when Christian bought the tickets and packed his things, you let Scott know that you moved cities. So, it was back to square one.

Couple weeks later, Christian finally realized that you unblocked him on social media.

Christian had woken up to get a drink, phone in his pocket as he sat on the counter, glass cup in hand as he closed his eyes. He was still full of sleep, swaying as sleep tried to take his body away. The vibration from his pocket made him wake up a bit, finishing his drink and hopping off the counter. As he set the cup in the sink, pulling his phone out, Christian woke up, phone almost falling out of his hand.

He waited as the post loaded, trying to blink the sleep away before settling on rubbing his eyes. Finally looking at the loaded post, Christian smiled

ynissamood: I know you guys are excited for the series to be released but I promise that once the project is released and I get the okay, you guys get to enjoy this! Miss you goofballs~ xoxo

The photo was one where you were sitting on a table, Scott directly behind you as he grinned into the camera. Gyungmo had his bucket hat over his eyes and gave a hand gesture as John gave a peace sign next to him, and Cline, as always, looked at the camera with all seriousness. Christian was on your other side, sitting right next to you with his arms crossed as he gave the camera a smile.

Christian started with a simple hello, thinking twice before erasing it and trying again. He stared at his screen, tilting his head as he thought of what was the appropriate ice breaker. As he continued to beat himself up, Christian gave up and wrote what he thought was best and pressed sent.

You looked over at the ping from your phone, seeing an Instagram notification. You barely paid attention as you unlocked your phone, eyes focused on the TV screen in front of you, the movie that was on was too good. But you finally focused on your phone and felt shocked at the message.

You blocked Christian after everything happened between you both, knowing fully well that he wanted nothing to do with you. So of course, it seemed out of the blue that he messaged you with a simple hey, one that you clearly had no way on figuring out what it could mean.

You hesitated on answering, not knowing exactly what to say so you instead opted for a more simple and easier solution: exiting the app and ignoring him.

Christian couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, tossing and turning as he thought about checking his phone. He didn't want to seem too eager, trying his best to make time pass by so he can check the message later but the ticking of the wall clock only made his curiosity grow. Finally, with a snatch, Christian took the phone, seeing no notification and he figured you were busy.

"So instead of thinking that she ignored you, you thought she was busy?"

Gyungmo looked at the simple message that Christian sent, showing in fact that you left him on read. Scott's laughter made Christian look away, trying to hide his embarrassment. "You're too whipped," Gyungmo chuckled, Christian taking his phone back.

"Leave me the hell alone, okay? A guy could hope," Christian rolled his eyes, going back to his laptop and going back to work.

The new album and the music video were done. The release date was set and all that was left was for the gang to post it. And, once again, Christian sent you another message.

You shared the post from the DPR page on your Instagram story, accompanied by the eyes emoji and the clapping hands. You felt bad leave Christian on read the first time, not liking it one bit but you worried that he wanted to start trouble again. So you ignored his second message, only saying hello.

Christian sat on his couch, laptop in front of him and music playing when his phone lit up, showing that you were live.

You laid on your bed, phone resting against your pillows as you laughed at a comment Christian seemed to miss, but he couldn't take his eyes off you. You had cut your hair, and freshly dyed it to a dark blue color, complimenting you very well.

"Yeah, I decided it was time for a new change," You gently touched your hair, eyes skimming the comments. "I bought myself new clothes, but then I decided to just take it a step further and changed my hair."

Christian saw a comment from Gyungmo pop up making you smile.

dprcream: new hair? let's match

"Dye your hair blue so I know what we have it real," You giggled, moving your arm to rest your head on it. You continued to read the comments, smiling at some and answering them. Christian bit his lip, getting nervous as he got an idea and began to type sending his message.

dprian: Nice hair! dprian: Lori misses you. She says hi

You stayed quiet, Christian beginning to think you ignored him before you let out a smile, humming softly. "Tell Lori I miss her much more. I wanna see her again," Christian felt his heart flutter, finally getting a response from you and trying his luck again.

dprian: Come over soon, it's not the same in the building without you

You read the message, your lips curving up into a smile at the comment. Maybe it was for show, hiding the fact that an argument between the two of you happened and for you, it was okay. After all, the fans didn't need to get involved. "I'll try to go soon, but if you guys find yourselves around my parts, let me know."

You answered people's questions and talked about upcoming projects before bidding everyone a good night, blowing kisses right as the live shut off. Christian set his phone down, thinking about the live when his phone pinged, making him look at it. He was surprised to see your name on the Instagram notification, going into the messages to see what you had sent.

ynissamood: Listen, you probably did that as a way for people not to suspect what happened between us and that's okay, but please stop sending me messages. I unblocked you so people wouldn't get the wrong idea. I'm sorry for what happened between us, but this is your fault too.

Christian read the message over and over again before he let out a breath, not able to believe what he read. He knew this was his fault too, and he was trying to fix it but it seemed you didn't want that. And, to be frank, Christian had no one to blame but himself.

"Damn, your fucked up big time," Scott shook his head, giving Christian his phone back.

"So what do I do?" Christian asked, dropping the phone on the table in front of him. "How do I apologize for being an absolute asshole?"

"I mean, by doing it ," Scott shrugged, crossing his arms. "Tell her you're sorry and you want to start over."

Christian knew it was his fault too, and if he had to be honest, he knew that it was only his fault. After all, he couldn't blame you for how you felt, this was all on him. And he wanted to fix it as soon as he could. He wanted to go back to the way you both were, comfortable around each other, laughing and enjoying the company like no one's business. But, he had to cross this bridge in order to get there.

Christian stared at his phone that night, biting his lip and messing around with his hair before going into the messages and sending one over.

dprian: Listen, I'm sorry too. I know what I did was out of line but I want to start over. Can we talk? Like over the phone?

It had been over three days since the message was sent and you haven't even opened the message. It wasn't like you weren't online, because you were, but you just didn't open the message. So, Christian decided that he would let you be for a bit before he tried again.

A couple more days passed, the gang finishing the last bit of touches for the release when Gyungmo noticed the notification of a new video from you. He knew Scott had to have been watching it by now so Gyungmo went off to watch the video.

Scott sat on his chair, watching as you messed with a bag, sighing.

"I don't know how to explain it but it's just... an ugly feeling. Like when you're trying your best to draw something but it doesn't come out like you want it to... kind of like that," You played with the drawstring on the bag a bit more, biting your lip before the video cut.

It was a brief moment of you looking out the window, shutting it quickly and yelping when the delivery man spotted you. "I hope he's not judging me... I ordered like 5 large fries..."

"I think I'm gonna take a break from social media for a bit..." The video cut right back to you, sitting at the end of your bed. Legs now crossed as you gave the camera a soft smile. "I'll still post the series and give you guys a heads up but that's about it for me. I just want to take a breather," With one final wave and with a kiss, the video went black.

You smiled at the text from Scott that came in, giving him a call and hearing it ring before his voice was heard. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

You giggle a bit, taking a seat on your bed. "I'm okay, I just need a break from social media, don't worry much about me."

"Hey, have you heard from y/n?" Gyungmo walked into Scott's studio, Scott flinching a bit from being startled. You laughed as you heard the two argue, Scott trying to explain to him that you were fine while Gyungmo tried to take the phone.

"Do you need me to go over? I'll go right now," Gyungmo laughed as he heard your laughter.

He was about to grab the phone when Scott yanked it away, laughing. You laid on your bed, feeling better when another voice caught your attention. You could hear Christian ask what was going on, Scott answering.

"Hey, we'll call you back, okay?" You knew Gyungmo was doing this for you, knowing that you didn't want to talk to Christian but you let out a breath.

You had to face him one day, and this seemed like a better time, even though you preferred much later. So, as you sat up in bed, you took in a breath, shaking your head. "Lemme talk to him, please?"

"You sure?" Gyungmo turned to Christian who gave him a curious look, Gyungmo hearing you assure him. With some hesitation, Gyungmo handed the phone over to Christian, who stared at it for a bit before taking it.

"Hello?"

You stayed quiet for a bit, biting your tongue before gulping your nerves. "Hey, it's me,"

Christian froze at your voice, looking at Gyungmo and Scott who watched him. Christian hummed, walking out of the room and heading to his studio, and closing the door behind him, locking it in case that Scott or Gyungmo tried to go after him. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a break from social media... It's getting to be too much," You played with the end of you hair, letting your hand fall to your bed. "How have you been?"

"You know, working and all that," Christian sat on his chair, listening to a bit of rustling on your side.

It was quiet between the two of you, and awkward silence filing you the air. "I'm sorry for being an asshole, I was just mad at you,"

"No, it's okay... I didn't know you had a girlfriend and honestly I was an asshole about it too since I was so hurt about it..." You confessed, hands gripping your shirt.

"Chaeyoung isn't my girlfriend, well, she was never my girlfriend." Your eyebrows furrowed, staying quiet to hear him correctly. "I mean- yeah I dated her, but really it was only for the fact that I wanted to make you jealous. I thought you and Scott were dating." Christian's voice got low, letting you process his confession.

"Wait, you thought that Scott and I...?"

"Yeah, so..." Christian sighed, letting his head fall to his free hand. "I knew Chaeyoung liked me and I used her to get back at you. I figured that eventually I'd forget about you and return the feelings for Chaeyoung but I never did." Christian could hear your breathing, but other than that, it was nothing but silence. "Listen, I'm sorry and I know I was an asshole about it..." Christian trailed off, hearing you giggle before your laughter.

"Wow... and here I thought you were mad at me for kissing you when you had a girlfriend... you really are an asshole,"

Christian let out a breath, laughing along and shaking his head, feeling the weight of anxiety leave him. "I'm so sorry,"

"It's fine, but please tell me Chaeyoung knows and you're still not leading her on or I'll kick you ass,"

"No, she knows. She broke up with me that day in the studio," Christian laughed, his hand moving from covering his face to holding his chin. "I really like you, I still do,"

Your laughter died down, butterflies in your stomach erupting as you whined into the phone. "Don't start acting cute just because we confessed to each other, I'm still mad at you and I'm still going to ignore you,"

Christian couldn't help the laugh that came up and nodded, leaning back into his chair. "Fine, fine... I have to go but I'll text you later?"

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head but smiling. "You better,"

With much anticipation, the album was released and all that was left was your project. You logged into Instagram and quickly uploaded a clip of the first part.

The video was just a black screen, a bit of rustling before you spoke. "So, what inspires you?" There was more rustling and mindless piano playing before Gyungmo began talking.

"Inspiration comes from everywhere,"

The video was posted with the caption of a date, fans immediately excited and you logged back out of Instagram, going back to your task of cooking. You heard the ping of your phone and you finished chopping the vegetables before checking it.

Ian 12:31 PM: You tease Ian 12:31 PM: Of course you would post a black screen with just audio

You laughed at the text, hitting the call button and waiting as the call rang, placing it on speaker. Hearing Christian answer, a quick hello filling the kitchen.

“You busy?”

“For you? Never.” Christian leaned back into his chair, ignoring his task of editing his new project and focusing fully on you.

You began cooking the vegetables for the food, bringing the phone closer. “I need to talk to you about the upcoming part of the video, the last time we talked about it you were a bit of an-“

“Yeah I know,” Christian laughed, cutting you off. “I trust you, plus you made plenty of notes on what to hide and all that.” You smiled, butterflies appearing at how Christian remembered how you made notes for every piece of video you recorded.

“You sure? I can send it when I finish so you can look over it.”

“No, I trust you.”

The conversation continued as you cooked and Christian clicked around his computer. You pouted when he didn’t tell you about his project, dramatically sighing and complaining before laughing as Christian mocked you.

"Just know that it's something I haven't done in a real long time." Christian laughed at your groan, knowing you were never going to guess about him recording his own song.

“Hey, can I say something?" You set your plate down on the kitchen table, transferring the bit of leftovers to a bowl which you knew it was bound to get eaten when your friend arrived.

"Sure," Christian had picked up his task during the call, only clicking around, doing small things that didn't need his full attention. But he stopped working on his project, waiting for you as you continued. He heard the bit of shuffling on your end, knowing fully well that you were hesitating on saying something.

"I'm sorry, about everything. I'm sorry I treated you and Chaeyoung so bad, and I know that you're going to say that it wasn't my fault but I shouldn't have done that to her. She's a nice girl and I feel really bad. But it hurt really bad and I didn't know how to deal with that pain."

Christian was at a lost for words, his brain running a mile minute as he processed your words. He knew how nice you were, but it never occurred to him how you must have felt being so cold toward him and Chaeyoung. And yeah, it wasn't intentional, but still, he knew you must have felt so bad.

"Christian-"

"God I love you,"

It took Christian exactly six seconds to fully understand what had just happened. You were frozen in place, the confession being so sudden and almost uncalled for.

"Oh shit, shit, wait. Please I didn't- I mean I did but... fuck I'm so sorry-" With a click, the line was cut, and like that, Christian's panicked. He called you again and again, the line ringing until voicemail was hit. Finally, on the fifth call, there was no ringing, voicemail answered right away.

With desperation, Christian rushed out of his studio and into Scott's. With no sign of anyone, Christian rushed downstairs only to crash into Cline. "What are you doing?" Cline practically screamed as Christian began to pat him down. Cline tried backing away until Christian pinned him down, taking Cline's phone out of his pocket.

"Unlock it! Hurry up!" Cline, now scared, took the phone back and unlocked it with shaky hands. Christian yanked the phone out of Cline's hands, searching up your name and calling you.

The phone rang a few times before it stopped mid-ring. "Cline, can I call you back?"

"Please, listen to me-"

"Christian, just... I need to think,"

You were shocked, confused but definitely not expecting that. I mean, yeah, you expected that, but not this soon. You wanted time to think and time to build what you had with Christian.

So there you stood, staring at the kitchen counter as Christian's words bouncing around in your head. When you snapped back, you looked at your phone, seeing missed calls from Christian. Your phone froze for a second when Cline's call came in, making you sigh.

At the sound of Christian's voice though, your eyes widened.

"Please, just..." Christian was lost for words, the silence on your end making his mind run fast with endless amounts of scenarios on how wrong this was all going. “I’m sorry, I know we’re starting over but-”

"Ian..." The sound of the name you called him made Christian stop talking, freezing to hear you say it again. "It's fine. It was sudden but... This is moving too fast. Just... let me breathe."

And with a final click, the dial tone replaced your voice.

#christian yu scenario #christian yu angst #christian yu fic #christian yu fluff #dpr ian scenario #dpr ian angst #dpr ian fic #dpr ian fluff #dpr scenario #dpr angst #dpr fic #dpr fluff #khh scenario #khh angst #khh fic #khh fluff

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themonotonysyndrome · 4 years ago

Text

Time of Realisation

Happy New Year, everyone! May 2021 be everything you ever wanted. Since I just finished writing for part 8 of this series, I wanted to post this one a bit earlier than the usual Fridays as a New Year’s Treat. So here we go! Part 7 of the ‘Successors of the Future’ is here.

(My Premium Grammarly account disappeared all of the sudden so please excuse any stupid grammatical or spelling errors you might find. I’ve edited this chapter thrice now and it should be ok??)

Before we start, we must do our ritual and give thanks to the ever amazing @tri3tri for letting us all expand on her Draconia Family series. Hope you’ll have a great year as well, Tri-senpai!

“To be honest with you Ren, I don’t remember much about Sebek. Just his voice. I still remember how loud his shouts were.”

“Eh, don’t sweat it too much. Take it as a blessing.”

Renata and Sherrie are in her room. The underwater aesthetic of Octavinelle is so beautiful to take in from the inside. It almost makes Renata wish that she’s a mermaid. Or a killer whale type of mermaid. Now that is a badass merfolk.

Just like Renata, Sherrie was given a room all to herself instead of sharing it with a dorm member due to her gender.

And her little sister did not waste time transforming her room just like her old one back at their home. Already her gaming computer has been set up on her study table, cosmetic sets of well-known brands - Nyx, My Pretty Zombie, and Fenty Beauty - are organised neatly on her shelves beside the standard textbooks and stationeries. One of the open drawers beside her cupboard full of her school uniforms as well as her Pastel Goth clothes display tins of green teas and stacks of instant foods.

Clearly, Sherrie has made herself right at home in Octavinelle. And less than a week too!

Actually, how much luggage did Sherrie brought from their home?

After the Entrance Ceremony, Renata waited two days for Sherrie to acclimate herself to Night Raven College, letting her talk to some of her dorm members, get a feel on the teachers before slipping into her bedroom to catch up. It was a mild surprise to see the state of her room after her little sister told her to plant her ass on the bed while she prepared a pot of hot green tea for them.

While she’s busy with the kettle, Renata wasted no time to explain what Ace told her during Winter’s Break when she inquired about Sebek. It was good to know that due to the dense magic in the Country of Thorns, technology is almost non-existent in the land due to magical interference. It also helps that despite being in the First-Year Forever group chat, Sebek barely checks his phone at all. Over time, Ace and the rest of their group forgot that Sebek is even in the group chat!

“Still, it’s good to know that Mama’s friends drifted away from Sebek over the years. That’ll help us a lot in the long run.” Sherrie commented after Renata wraps up her report. She handed a cup of tea to Renata and lean against her study table, facing the bed where her older sister is cooling her hot tea by channeling ice magic onto her fingertips. “What about the student body here? What are they like?”

“Everyone walks around as if they got a twelve-inch dick.” Renata’s sarcasm is as thick as the kelp forest outside of Sherrie’s bedroom window.

Sherrie couldn’t help but laugh at her deadpan tone; she had to put her cup of tea on the table before it spilled everywhere. “That bad, huh?” She giggles helplessly, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.

Renata was about to roll her eyes but stop herself and ponders. Despite their flaws, Hoyle and Rex are good friends. Hell, even Bakari vibes with her. Not quite friendly, but he hasn’t yet turned her away when she scurries over to intrude herself in whatever he’s currently doing. That, and she secretly enjoys finding little treats and snacks in her backpack after hanging out with him. “Ok, some of them aren’t so bad once you can get past their ego. Remind me to introduce Hoyle and Rex to you soon.”

Sherrie raises an eyebrow. “And what about that one guy who keeps giving you food?”

“You’ll see him around.”

“...Right.” Sherrie eyed her older sister with a knowing look when Renata nonchalantly shrugs. She’ll get back to that little topic later. “Have you prepare the little surprise for Mama?”

“Yup.” Renata affirmed and took a sip of her tea. She lets out a happy, little sigh when warmth travels across her body. “We’ll do it this weekend. That’s the only time that they’re free.”

The two talk a little more until Renata had to leave when curfew looms. The passing Octavinelle students gave her a side-eye for a few seconds but otherwise, no one batted an eye at seeing a Diasomnia student walking about their dorms. The whole school is aware that Renata and Sherrie are siblings by now. Renata wonders if her sister will receive the same cold politeness because of their horns.

Meanwhile, as Renata made her way to her own dorm, Sherrie is scrutinising the lock on her door with a frown. The previous used cups and teapot are all washed up and the lights are dim slightly since she’s planning to hit the bed right after she figures out how to secure her room thoroughly. There are just too many sensitive and important information about their family and plans against their father kept here. She straightens her back and tosses a glance at the computer and tablet lying on the table beside it. Sherrie had made sure to cultivate a habit of not storing the complete set of important materials in a single device - one can never be too careful after all. Especially when there’s a dorm here dedicate to Technomages. Hmm... perhaps she should befriend one of the students of Ignihyde to help her with the security of her electronic devices?

Though there’s still an issue with the simple lock of her door. Anyone can just force it open with a pick. Sherrie made a mental note to consult with her sister for some sort of spell that can solve this problem.

And with that, she quickly changes into a simple loose shirt and a pair of shorts before slipping under the duvet and turns in for the night.

Life as a halfling and an Octavinelle student quickly proves to be unlike anything Sherrie has ever experience.

Renata offhandedly advises her to shrug it off when her dorm members stare at her horns a little too long; they’ll get used to her soon enough. Sherrie cursed under her breath when her sister left and wondered if she could attend her classes virtually instead, but when she brought that up to her Dorm Leader, the shark merman raised an eyebrow and simply asked her if she’s an Octavinelle student or Ignihyde’s. Needless to say, Sherrie set on digging any dirt she can find on her Dorm Leader ASAP.

Other than the uncomfortable stares and shady Dorm Leader - Sherrie quite enjoys the scarf that comes with her uniform - as well as her dorm leader, tend to keep it to themselves. Underneath the polite offers of tutelage in classes and tours around Mostro Lounge, Sherrie can blatantly pick up the insinuation underneath those favours.

A favour for a favour - that’s how life in Octavinelle works. Information is worth more than Madols and dealings under the table is practically the norm.

Sherrie adapts in Night Raven College faster than Renata ever could.

Speaking of Madols, Sherrie needed to do something about their financial situations in Twisted Wonderland. Currency exchange is not a thing here so their dollars are practically worthless. Fortunately, Octavinelle expects its dorm members to pull their weights in Mostro Lounge. By the second week she’s in Night Raven College, her Dorm Leader already distributed the First Year’s schedule of their shifts around the café. The pay might not be much but it’s a good start.

There’s got to be a Twisted Wonderland equivalent of Youtube. She made mad revenue as a Youtuber and game streamer back home.

Today, Sherrie is working at Mostro Lounge with several other First Year students from other dorms. Customers flooded in during lunchtime and kept her busy manning behind the bar, preparing drinks and desserts.

“Presentation my ass...” Sherrie mumbled under her breath as she struggles to beautify the ice-cream sundae. She had to redo the whole thing when one of the staff - her Third Year senior - saw how plain her work was and taught her to make an art out of the dessert.

She was in the midst of deciding how many cherries would be enough to make the sundae look prettier when a rich, baritone voice broke her concentration. “Has the ice-cream offend you in some way, MC/S-san?”

Sherrie moves her face away from the towering glass to see a fellow dorm member smiling at her. How curious, his eyes are like hot, molten gold.

“No. I was just adding some finishing touches.” Sherrie reply, her voice remained neutral. She hasn’t seen this one around before.

Her dorm member continues to smile. It comes across as calculative instead of genuine. Renata would’ve spat fire at him already. “My, it looks wonderful. I’ll be sure to inform the customer that his sundae is prepared by your meticulous hand. I’m sure he’ll forgive you for the time he had to wait.”

Sherrie promptly turns around to store back the cherries into the fridge to hide her smirk. This nobody came forward trying to pick a fight with her? This could be fun. “I’m more than happy to receive our customer if he has any complaint with his sundae.”

“I’ll be sure to inform him.” He nods once and place the sundae on a tray and left the bar. Sherrie made sure to keep an eye on him after that.

He’s tall, taller than her, and play the perfect part of a waiter with ease. As if he grew up in this sort of environment. The way how he balances two heavy laden trays of food and drinks on his palms while weaving in between tables, greeting the customers with an impeccable smile is telling. This guy mastered the art of customer service for sure.

“Who’s the hotshot?” Sherrie asked her partner as she carefully wipes the clean glasses. Her shift partner - a Second Year manta ray merman, who was kind enough to introduce herself to her without any subtle jeer - glances at Sherrie’s line of sight, and his mouth made a small ‘o’.

“That’s Amber Leech. He’s one of the promising First Year students we got, according to the Vice Dorm Leader. You’re more of a wild card, though. Dorm Leader still doesn’t know what to think of you.”

Sherrie ignores that titbit about herself; she just hums. Didn’t Mama mention that she knows a Leech? “He’s good at handling the customers, I’ll give him that.” Sherrie admits, stacking the last dry glass onto the rack before her attention is capture by a server with a list of orders. Sherrie was too preoccupied with her job to scrutinised Amber any further after that.

Later when a Scarabia student relieved her of her shift with a quick exchange of pleasantries, instead of leaving, Sherrie decided to stick around and enjoy some free food in the kitchen. As long as she stayed out of the way, no one really minded her presence.

“Good job today, Leech-san. You can join MC/S-san in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll be taking up on your kind offer then.”

Sherrie paused, tilting her head up from her small tub of ice-cream to see none other but Amber Leech step into the kitchen. Their eyes met and his calculative smile greeted her.

“Is this seat taken?” He politely asks her, gesturing to the vacant chair opposite her. The round table at the back of the kitchen is a bit small, barely enough to fit more than three people but it was far enough away from the kitchen staff so that they won’t be a bother.

“Knock yourself out.”

“Very well then.”

By the time he took out a red bento from the fridge, heat it up and takes a seat near the table, Sherrie has already polished the tub of ice-cream. When Amber noticed the empty tub, he frowns. It was so sudden that Sherrie couldn’t help but defensively blurted out, “What?”

“Is that all you having for lunch?” There’s a disapproving tone in his voice and Sherrie doesn’t know what to make of it.

“That? It was a snack. I had my lunch before my shift.”

For some reason, her dorm mate nodded, strangely pleased at her answer before he tucks into his lunch. By the looks of it, his bento is artfully made with a variety of colourful foods.

The two said nothing, simply enjoying the clatter of cooking utensils, sizzling fire on the stoves and the cooks hum under their breath. Here in the back of the kitchen, the chatter of customers outside is almost muted.

It was peaceful. So peaceful in fact, Amber Leech feels like it’s his sworn duty to shatter it.

“I suggest consulting either Aeacus Shroud or the other students in Ignihyde’s Basic Magical Technology group as your solution. Shroud-san is the only First Year student in that group but I heard he’s the most approachable of the lot.”

Sherrie’s heart froze. “What?”

Amber took his time to put away his now empty bento, dab the corner of his lip with a folded napkin that was on the table before replying, “For security of course.”

His answer is vague. Purposely so as he levels a stare at Sherrie.

“...How do you know that?” Sherrie all but demanded under her faux, indifferent voice.

Amber dared to smile and point his eyes, no word escape his lips.

A Unique Magic then. It has to be. Are his similar to Renata’s?

Sherrie’s mind races, for once, trying to decipher this strange student beside her.

And suddenly, Sherrie realises who this boy really is. The eyes were a give away.

“Amber Leech. Jade Leech’s son, I presume?”

“Mama, I’m home!”

“Welcome back, sweetie. How was cheer practice today?”

“It went really well, Mama. We nailed down the new routine without anyone falling off.” Lucien shuts the door close with his feet. He’s sweaty and still in his cheerleading uniform with a duffel bag sling over his shoulder. Seeing that his Mama is nowhere in the living room, Lucien padded into the kitchen.

The house is, unfortunately, a lot quieter now that his sisters are off at Night Raven College. Before Sherrie left, she and he talk about how their Mama would feel lonely now. Even more so when it’s his turn.

Lucien assured her that he’ll keep an eye on their Mama closely.

His friends would playfully tease him that he’s such a Mama’s boy; constantly texting her of his whereabouts, what she and his sisters want from the convenience stores and Mama always make his favourite desserts more often compare to Renata’s apple pies and Sherrie’s matcha cupcakes.

And Lucien has no shame in being spoiled by their Mama.

However, when he steps into the kitchen to witness their Mama re-arranging the dishes in the cupboard for the second time this week, it’s time for Mama to be spoiled in return.

Lucien can’t wait to see her reaction when they spring the surprise tonight.

“Mama? Do you need some help with the plates?” Lucien asked instead of pointing out the fact that Mama has been restless lately. Without waiting for a reply, Lucien has already dropped his duffel bag to walk around the island counter towards her.

“It’s alright, Lucy. I’m nearly done here anyway.” MC wave Lucien’s waiting hands away as she pushes the last stack of plates into the lower cabinet and got up. She shot him a smile but it’s wobbly. “Are you hungry, sweetheart? We still have some leftover dinner from last night that I can heat up real quick. Hang on, just give Mama a second to take it out - ”

“Mama, it’s alright. I know. It doesn’t feel the same without Ren and Cherry.”

MC froze before she got up and smile sadly. The sight made Lucien’s heart clench painfully. “The three of you have always been close to me ever since you were born. Your Father was... many things,” MC grimace but she soldiers on. “But he would never separate your sisters away from me. I’m not sure what to do with myself now that Ren and Cherry are away...”

Sherrie’s voice suddenly pops in Lucien’s head like how Renata enjoys busting through his door without knocking: “Mama needs a distraction. ASAP! Go, go, go!”

Renata interjects after her: “Psst! Try something calming yet engaging. That’ll do.”

Distraction. Right. Lucien can do that for Mama. At least until the surprise tonight.

“Would Mama help me with my origami? I could use some help with filling up my new empty glass jar.” Lucien suggests.

MC blink; didn’t expect Lucien to suddenly ask for an extra pair of hands with his hobby, but she took it in stride. “Uh, sure thing, honey.”

Lucien beams like a blooming sunflower. “I’ll go shower first then. Be right back, Mama!”

“Don’t run in the house, Lucy!” MC reminded him but lets him went upstairs with a small smile. She needs to get out of this funk. While Lucien is freshening up, might as well finish up her chores for the day.

By the time Lucien came back down carrying an empty glass jar and a stack of colourful scented papers and they didn’t waste time to clear the dining table of the bowl of fruits and their cups so they could get to it.

Lucien is remarkably patient. More so than MC or his older sisters - he made sure to slowly show how to fold the paper into stars to his Mama and when she’s confused, he would show her some videos online to help her. As the mother and son gradually fill up the glass jar, Lucien talks about anything and everything under the sun. How everyone in his team at school is helping him ease to the role as the captain of the cheerleading squad, how he’s getting a hang on the new subject material taught in Math class and who’s dating who in his circle of friends.

MC hums and would give an appropriate reply in-between Lucien’s story. Typical teenage shenanigans, albeit, a lot tamer than what she went through but she’ll never get tired of listening to her children’s school life. Yes, even when Renata and Sherrie tried their best to hide whatever blunder they did at times.

It was when Lucien threw a purple star origami into the jar that he suddenly changes the subject. “Oh yeah! By the way Mama, Ren and Cherry said that she has a surprise for you tonight!”

“Oooh, a surprise? I wonder what your sisters are planning.” MC murmurs a bit absentmindedly, too focus on folding the papers. Her eyebrows scrunch in concentration and she would beam proudly when one star came out perfect before tossing it into the jar with a happy hum.

Lucien is relieved. Looks like the distraction works.

They had a simple dinner once the glass jar is filled and once the dishes are done, Lucien hurriedly ushers his Mama into the living room. On the sofa, MC watches Lucien draws the rune on the mirror, bemused at the grin on his face.

When the rune vanishes, MC opens her mouth to greet her daughters. Her open mouth gapes and she could feel the corner of her eyes are suddenly wet when she saw the people on the other side of the mirror.

“Ow! Deuce, you idiot! I told you not to shove me with your elbow!”

“Who are you calling an idiot!? And quit hogging the mirror already!”

“I’m not hogging the mirror! You’re the one who keeps pushing me!”

MC couldn’t help it. She laughs, tears now freely running down her cheeks. Lucien quietly excuses himself to fetch a box of tissue for her.

Her laugh shuts both Ace and Deuce up. “Oh geez, what are you crying for, hah? It’s just us.” Ace said, supporting a bittersweet smile. At that moment, seeing his best friend releases the tension festering inside of him all these years.

“We miss you, Prefect!” Deuce shouted with a sniffle, his eyes are teary as well. He hurries to wipe off the tears with his knuckle. “Miss you so, so much! I’m so glad you’re OK!”

“Are you really though?” Ace interject, he doesn’t even bother to conceal his blatant check on MC’s body. Looking for any sign of injuries or illness.

MC guessed that one of her daughters have told them what happened to her...

But she refused to let thoughts regarding Malleus damper her happy mood. Not when she could finally see her best friends again.

“I’m ok now. We’re... we’re ok.” MC honestly reply with a lightened heart.

The three of them have grown; each of them has their own children now, at this moment, it feels as if they have been transported back to their teenage years all those years ago.

MC realises that she’s truly no longer alone now.

And we’ve reached the end of this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it!! MC finally meet Adeuce once more, even if it’s just through a mirror. With the three of them together again, there’s nothing they can’t do.

Here are some titbits about Amber Leech’s background:

1. His Unique Magic is called ‘Witness of the Past’

2. His Mum is a beautiful mer Sea Lamprey (if you don’t know what a Sea Lamprey looks like, uh, prepare yourself before you google search them.)

Speaking of Unique Magic, I’ve compiled a list of all the kids with their UMs already. Haven’t decided yet when I’ll post it, but I’m thinking of posting the names as a sort of teaser? Meh, we’ll see how that goes.

#twisted wonderland #fanfic #malleus draconia #ace trappola #deuce spade #yandere malleus draconia #yandere malleus x mc #Draconia Family series #Second Wive AU #tri3tri

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thecandywrites · 3 years ago

Text

Blood For Gold Chapter 19

Ya’ll. Google and Pintrist have failed me. This is only kind of sorta how I envisioned this. If you simply take these images as the base and then use them to build with the descriptions I’ve tried giving, you *should* get the right picture in your head because how it looks in my head is more than I can describe. I could give you fifty thousand words to describe the Kamoba. What the arena should look like, how big and how expansive it is, like a really big obstacle course but more intricate than that, what the obsticles themselves should be like what the beacons would look like. What the rulebook itself looks like let alone what is actually written in it, down to what the weapons look like, what the fighting style looks like. What the armor should look like and act like and what the circle of bells looks like and how they sound and how drastically it changes from the day battles to the night battles because day is all about showing off your skills and showing off your moves whereas with the night battle, the fighters almost become invisible because it’s dark and you use more ninja tactics and surprise tactics and how the only time you really see the fighters is when they are actually fighting for brief moments and their flaming swords illuminate not just them, but each other and how it’s overwhelming to the point of you don’t know where to look because everything is going on all at once and how the music makes you want to go to war yourself and battle like a warrior and the roar of the crowd cheering would be deafening at points. Also, Hit The Floor by Linkin Park, that’s the final song but that’s what the music itself sounds like.

And this is what sucks about having an overactive imagination. Because these scenes played out like an IMAX movie in my head and I’m just trying so hard to describe it to you because I can’t SHOW YOU on a movie screen because I don’t have a way to hook up my imagination to it. I wish but sadly, no. You just have to read it and try to imagine it yourself. And that’s frustrating, at least for me. But at the same time I don’t want those details to clutter the story or clog up the story line.

THE STRUGGLE. Anyway. This is going to be a big bite and a lot to chew on. Enjoy.

@punkhorse96 buckle up, here’s the hill. It’s downhill from here.

Blood For Gold

Chapter 19

You happily got Heavencrest saddled as your grandmother borrowed Grevu for today while your mother borrowed Charlico as you were both in the stalls getting them harnessed while Axal was getting ready to ride one of Ramsey’s other griffins while your other brothers got on their own griffins down the line as the boys all seemed to leave at about the same time everyone else did while Jane stayed with Charlotte, Yalin and Gregori who were not participating but hosting this event.

Commoners were already gathered for the Kamoba battle in the stands for the commoners who were arriving early to get the best seats on them, the vendors had been there since dawn and already had things cooking and grilling away as a series of tents were already up to serve a breakfast, lunch and dinner feasts for the commoners and the royal family’s suite was built onto a high platform above everyone else as a canopy and tent on top of the high platform, viewing right across the battle arena so that they got the best views and very comfortable chairs were already set up as a huge chalkboard was already set up between the commoners and the gentry but also at such an angle so that royalty could easily see it to showcase who would be fighting who to get to the playoffs with the rookies competing first as all the competitors would be flying in and showing off their flying skills to the crowd to also to show off their skill, prowess, strength and stamina.

Benny was already out there, doing little flips and corkscrews on her borrowed griffin that had a banner in golden yellow with her name as Golden Alpha written on it along with the symbol of a wolf’s head painted in black as she had used the black griffin’s feathers that had been collected when she had groomed it that morning along with the other feathers that had been taken over the course of the last few weeks ever since the Kamoba battle was first planned so that each contestant on a griffin would have a bouquet of feathers from their griffins to pass out to the crowds, the better feathers for the gentry, and the lesser, imperfect, broken feathers for the commonwealth to gain the crowd’s favor as the musicians were playing the crowd’s familiar favorites before the actual battle would begin and they would play the traditional Kamoba battle music.

After breakfast, then the gentry seemed to show up in force and in style since the announcement was in the papers and the gossip columns in every news paper in London who had been rife with speculation as to why The Turqoise Pheonix had been renamed The Violet Viper as dozens of theories had been supplied and fabricated, also speculations as to why The Violet Viper was now the chosen favorite to win the battle today since their odds to win had gone up since the betting rings were now going for the bet that for every pound they bet on them, they would get two pounds back minus the betting ring’s fee, which was the same odds that The Saharan Viper had along with The Copper Cobra were as well. Whereas Benny’s odds had actually gone down, so that for every pound bet on her- if she won, they would get five pounds back instead of the usual four since the The Turquoise Phoenix's odds had been the same- one in four.

The gentry began taking their seats in the stands that were especially built and roped off for them and painted white as the gentry’s servants came and put down luxurious cushions for the gentry to sit on as well as comfortable cushions to go on the backs of the benches while a huge canopy had been set up to keep the sun off of most of the gentry but would not interfere with their views, while they had their own raised platform that was open to the sun and thus, open to the griffins to pass by as another servant from the Palace of Windsor came and told everyone still in the stables that the gentry had arrived and that it was officially show time just as you finished getting Heavencrest ready as your mother had finished first and left the stables with Charlico who was chittering at Heavencrest to follow him before Demsey appeared since you were the last one to get ready, leaving you and Heavencrest alone in the griffin part of the barn but Heavencrest noticed Demsey first and started chittering softly at you to get your attention as you looked up and smiled wide when you saw him.

“Demsey, could you help me with this cinch?” You asked him before he readily opened the door to the stall and ducked into the stall with you, petting Heavencest as he went around her as you readily undid it just so that he could redo it himself which caused him to grin as he happily redid it, becoming more and more accustomed to the giffin’s saddling.

“Nervous?” He asked you as you could tell he was actually quite nervous himself before you used Heavencrest’s body as your shield before you grabbed his face and pulled him down as you stood on tiptoe to kiss him, granted it was closed mouth and rather on the chaste side but to feel his arms finally encircle you felt better than any trophy ever could.

“No. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses today. All that does matter is that you do your best. No one can ever ask more from you than that, not even me or the King of England for that matter. Trust your instincts, trust your intuition and trust that win or lose, that my affections for you does not rest on such a thing as a silly battle and your outcome in it, it’s the first time you’re competing, I’m not expecting you to win the whole thing or even your class. All I want is for you to have fun, be a good sport about it and learn all you can, that is all.” You reassured him as you held his face in your hands and looked up so adoringly into his big beautiful purple eyes as he did the same.

“Likewise.” Was all he could say just as he dipped his head to kiss you again, this time deeper, but you were too excited and happy about the kiss to realize how familiar it was as he held you close and securely as you felt all his own tension leave him before you heard Charlico practically scream as Heavencrest called back to him as she began to pace in place, anxious to get going and join Charlico.

“Oh my gods it’s like he has anxiety from separation from her.” You complained once you broke for air.

“I’ll see you out there Demsey Dear.” You cooed to him before you readily jumped onto Heavencrest’s back and into the saddle before giving Demsey one last tantalizing kiss before Heavencrest practically bolted out the barn and flew out into the skies with Charlico.

Demsey sighed dreamily as he watched you go and practically strut back to the other side of the barn and happily got onto Alaphonse again before he left with the rest of his family and once in the skies, he could see you and your mother doing synchronized flips and stunts for the crowd as you both practiced flying by the crowds so close, you could hand the feathers off to the little kids that had come as their parents held them up from the stands as your battle names were written on different banners on the animals you were riding before the entire Royal Family including Yalin’s sister the Infanta Evinelle DeuSavance and her husband Charles also arrived in style as they waived to the crowds and took their seats in the Royal Suite that had been set up for them.

That was when your grandmother came out riding Grevu as Grevu roared proudly before taking to the skies and seeing the dragon got everyone to cheer loudly as your grandmother flew him around the grounds, the other flyers, flying behind him, with you immediately to his left while your mother flew Charlico directly on his right as Loreiris was showing Grevu off and scattering preshed dragon scales into the crowds like flower petals or even coins as everyone scrambled to try to get one, which Grevu was happy to do, especially to stretch his wings out before she had him breathe fire to light the bowls filled with special fire oil within the arena as the sheer winds coming off his wings were almost strong enough to topple the people in the stands as the tents themselves billowed and groaned from the force of the winds as quite a few bonnets and top hats came flying off the ladies and gentlemen as their servants scrambled to pick them up again.

Then the announcer for the event with a voice amplifier encouraged each competitor to land, starting from the youngest of The Rookies Class, which was Callie Voyambi who was fighting under the name Little Spitfire which was your old childhood Kamoba battle name when you were a kid which you happily passed off to her, as you let her use your old banner as her own, it’s dark teal color with an orange flame, outlined in black as she landed her borrowed pegasus’ Eterna and came off and waived to the crowds, especially to her friends in the gentry as she then went over to where the circle that housed a myriad of bells were before she picked her favorite and chimed it with a special knocker tied to her fist before she sat down in a chair under the competitor’s tent next to the arena. Then Kiera came down and repeated the process followed by Amara, Tzane, Sierge and then finally Demsey, each of the Voyambi’s ringing a single note of their choosing.

Then it was The Skillful Class’ turn where most of your family took their turns landing in the grass as the animals laid down regally on the other side of the battle field as their riders were waving to the crowd as they walked in front of the battle arena before they attached pieces of iron to their feet and ankles before they rang out their own “tune” that was unique to the fighter, each battle fought in- carried a longer tune and with each battle won- carried the bigger tunes as each one had their own little dance they did to ring out the various tunes in all the notes.

Then it was your turn as you landed, being the first in The Proficient Class, and therefore the lowest of The Proficient Class since The Proficient Class was you, your parents and your grandmother, your heir father and his wife and his mother as you rang out your own tune from heart as you hit multiple bells to create a unique melody, the dance to ring them just as unique as all the others had been but it was still a third longer than Benny’s since she was the top competitor for the The Skillful Class and if she won her class, she would graduate the class and cement her place in The Proficient Class, either above you or below you depending on whether she beat you or not at the night games where it was played one on one since the day games usually kept to teams.

After your turn on the bells, then it was your heir father and his wife and his mother also did the same since they were in The Proficient Class, then it was your parent’s turn before, at last, it was your grandmother’s Loreiris’ turn as she landed Grevu in the grass and practically strut in front of the crowd that went wild for her before she took the weights from your mother and put them on her wrists, fists, ankles and feet and spent the next five minutes ringing out the longest melodic chain of bell ringings, it was twice as long as your own mother’s who was the next one down from her and once she was done the crowd once again went wild.

Once she was done, then there was a flurry of calls for bets as even the royal family quietly whispered their own bets to their attendants before the announcer announced what was riding in the pot between the competitors before the Raymond’s showed off the Cup that had been made and delivered just that morning along with their own little treasure, a diamond necklace, as the Infanta’s put in a diamond tiara before the royal family put in their treasure, a whole bar of moura gold, which had to be carefully set into the trophy first so that it wouldn’t crush the other items that had all of the treasures taken from the pot that had been collected the day before, all of it’s treasures were put into the trophy as the trophy was now so heavy, it had to be carried by three men and placed before the King in the the Royal Suite with the diamond Tiara placed on top, kept there by your dagger Zairrabanit holding it down so that it wouldn’t fly away from the wind coming off of all the flying creatures that would be soon, taking to the skies as the winners of each round would fly their chosen animals around the skies after each victory.

The way it was laid out, The Rookies, which were basically the whole Voyambi family, were split into two teams, Demsey, Amara and Callie on one, Sierge, Tzane and Kiera on the other.

The two teams got into position and then the gong was struck to signify the beginning of the battle since the gong was next to the circle of bells.

To everyone’s surprise, it was little Callie that struck first, striking Tzane down with a swipe of her legs to topple him over and then taking him out with two hits, one with the sword to his neck and the other from a dagger to his leg as she readily used her smaller size to get to the first beacon and readily touched her dagger’s blade to the fire of burning oil to then stab at the first beacon before it exploded in light and colored smoke as Amara then helped catapult her to the second to try to get that one too but Kiera was guarding the second and with three hits, using her larger size and power to knock Callie to the floor and pinned her neck down with her blade to the floor.

“Good try though.” Kiera offered as Callie laughed and got up and got off the battle stage with Tzane before it was Amara used Kiera pinning Callie down to hit the second beacon where Kiera and made a run for the third while Demsey defended the beacons on his own side against Sierge.

“So, what did your moura bride offer you if you win today?” Sierge offered as he fought with Demsey near the first beacon.

“Nothing,” Demsey beamed happily as he did his best to keep the beacon safe.

“Mine offered me that if I win The Rookie Class, that she would marry me, so I need you to lose with style.” Sierge revealed.

“Aw, too bad that’s against the rules and against the code of honor. But that’s funny that you mentioned that, mine didn’t hold me to any such thing, all she asked for was my best and that she loves me win or lose, it’s a shame that Benny’s love for you hinges on such a battle like this. If she did really love you, she wouldn’t put such a condition on her love for you.” Demsey pointed out as he couldn’t stop smiling as Sierge and himself battled with the broad swords and the shields since those weapons were the ones they were most comfortable with.

‘You loved him’ was the only thought that stayed in Demsey’s head because. that was all that mattered to him as Sierge kicked Demsey in the chest as he passed his blade through the fire before striking the first beacon and then sending the same blade to the second beacon before Demsey went to the third to defend that from Sierge as Amara and Kiera fought for the third beacon on their side as well.

“This has to be the most grand thing we’ve ever done together.” Amara cackled as she and Kiera faced off against each other.

“And we didn’t even have to get into a corset!” Kiera giggled before Amara spun around, the edge of her warhammer getting alight from the oil in the pan that was alight with fire before she smashed the third beacon, winning the round before a gong was rung to signify the end of the battle as Demsey and Sierge stopped fighting.

“Damn it.” Sierge cursed as Demsey and Amara both won the rookie class and their team got to add a note to their chimes but since Callie had been struck down, she was not allowed to compete in the next stage as Demsey and Amara moved up in the competition, taking their borrowed pegasus’ for a ride around the grounds to waive their banners along with their added family crests as the first set of bets was paid out among the royalty, gentry and common folk alike before new bets were placed as Benny volunteered to fight in the next round against them, which went against traditional protocol since it was usually the lowest of the The Skillful class that would compete against the rookie class winners, but there was a rule, saying that anyone could challenge anyone else in the same class and since Amara and Demsey had moved up from the Rookie Class to the Skillful Class for the day battle- it was allowed- as Benny urged Octavia to join her as she insisted she wanted Demsey to herself which Octavia readily agreed to as Demsey and Amara landed before going back into the arena where Benny and Octavia were already waiting for them before they got into position and waited for the gong to ring again before they were jolted into action.

“I should thank you for getting Sierge out of the competition so I wouldn’t have to fight him myself.” Benny offered smugly as Calla’s warning the night before was called to Demsey’s mind before she tried to undermine his footing by swiping at his legs but he easily jumped over her own leg and leapt onto the higher ground.

“I knew you didn’t genuinely care for him if you put such an impossible task before him.” Demsey returned as he used his better vantage point to try to get in a strike of his own but she easily evaded him.

“Of course not, I’ve been working him the same way Audra has been working you, it’s a moura bride thing, we can’t help it, it’s what we have been trained since infancy to do, work men and bend them to our wills and not the other way around.” Benny giggled evilly as she tried to get at the beacon but Demsey shoved her off before she could.

“She in fact, hasn’t been working me, as you claim, unlike you, she’s actually been genuine, whereas you have had a pretense the moment you left home.” Demsey challenged as he defended the beacon from her as Amara was having the worst time just trying to get a hit in as Octavia evaded every advance and counter striked in such a way that Amara was soon on the defensive instead of the offensive as Octavia was quite advanced for being in The Skillful Class and it was immediately clear that Amara was in way over her head trying to fight off against Octavia who was much stronger and much more skilled than she looked.

“Oh really? What did you think she was doing all those nights at The Red Velvet Rope meeting with another orc of all things? She was so broken hearted by the shakan status because she couldn’t come home to Leumeni who was equally heartbroken because it was him that was her favorite because he could please her best sexually back at the stables at The Lotus House, which is our version of a whorehouse and Leumeni was absolutely certain that the moment she was free of Edward, she would come home to be his wife, he even waited all that time just so she could come home to him, he even had his own pet name for her, His Liittle Firecracker, and her little nickname for him was her ‘Teal Titan’ that’s why he fights under that name, she’s the one that gave him that name because having sex with him was equal to having sex with the god like titans themselves. The only reason teal turquoise is her favorite color is because it’s the same color of his skin and the color always reminds her of him and that’s how she keeps all her memories of him close to her heart and in her mind. He’s been writing her almost daily ever since, and when not a single letter of his returned, he was devastated. But it was clear that she’s been looking for a replacement ever since, it was only your strict English society that kept them apart at the Ball at Havenfield because he saw her again and was ready to haul her off and bury himself to the hilt in her yet again but couldn’t. Even at the Masquerade Ball she was fucking her own manwhore only moments before being with you at the bar. Your brother Sierge’s sense of smell confirmed it, in fact it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s already pregnant by either Leumeni or her own manwhore. How does it feel knowing you’re always going to be second best in her heart?” Benny smugly chided as Demsey faltered so she could claim the first beacon before he ran to the second but she easily threw her flaming dagger at the second just as he got to it and it nearly took his head off before he scrambled to the third.

“Just ask her or even ask your brother cause I’ve already told him all about it in exchange to learn that you yourself have been using whorehouses to find your own Audra? Miss Audra Draft was it? I heard from the gambling ring leaders that she put a bet of a hundred pounds on you to win the rookie class. I’ll bet you another hundred pounds that she is gonna take the money and run, you poor thing, still chasing a dream that doesn’t exist, because Audra’s love and loyalty lies with Leumeni, not you. Why do you think they’ve been making eyes at each other this whole time? Even now, she was only giving Ramsey the time of day until he could give her Dowager status, and then she’s coming home to Leumeni, no one else. It’s just a shame that your sister Kiera seems so taken with him. It’s gonna sting like a motherfucker when he leaves Kiera for Audra, she’s always been his wild thing, His Little Firecracker. Like a unicorn- untamed, unbridled, wild and intense. They have always had the best sex and off the charts chemistry and are quite the pair.” Benny instigated as Demsey looked over to see you talking with Leumeni as both of you looked particularly anxious and standing quite close, talking quietly between each other to see Benny really going after Demsey before she struck him in the balls before getting the kill strikes in his throat and on the kidneys before passing her blade through the fire and exploding the third beacon as Demsey fell to the ground sputtering and choking and nearly crying from the impacts as Amara happily got up from having Octavia pin her down as Octavia and Benny started cheering their victory before getting on their steeds and flying around, their banners flapping in the breeze.

“You ok?” Amara asked Demsey as she helped him up and helped him off the stage.

“Yeah, just, Benny is vicious.” He muttered as he stared at her reproachfully as she smugly blew him a kiss from atop her griffin as she flew it around, hooting and hollering her victory as the crowd chanted ‘Gold Alpha’.

“Well Calla told me she loves to start shit and that she will take something small that is true and spin it into a lie, because something that is even ten percent true is a hundred percent misleading, so whatever she did say to you, I wouldn’t believe a word of it. She probably made the most atrocious allegations against Audra didn’t she? Because she knows that’s your weak spot. Octavia did the same thing with me and Storren.” Amara tried to reassure her brother as they walked off the stage and towards the buckets of water to clean off the paint marks from their white leather armor.

“Are you ok?” You asked Demsey worriedly.

“Yeah, just, was not expecting Benny to be as vicious or spiteful as she was.” Demsey reported.

“Please don’t believe a word she said, she will take nothing and make it into something and blow it out of proportion to throw her components off. That’s why my tactic with her is to attack without letting her talk at all.” You reassured Demsey as Leumeni took his sister aside and asked how she was able to beat Demsey so quickly but with the low blows before she answered him and smiled smugly when his eyes grew wide and he stared at her in outraged horror before seething something to her just to see her cackle and laugh in his face before he stomped off.

“Oh no.” Calla breathed when she saw it before she pulled you aside as Demsey was still washing the paint off of his armor as he noticed there seemed to be gold glitter in the yellow paint that seemed to smear and get everywhere as he had the hardest time getting clean again.

“I think Benny told Demsey about you and Leumeni back in the stables to throw him off.” Calla breathed to you before you winced and grimaced and looked to Leumeni and used marinai’s sign language to ask before he nodded as you gave each other a meaningful look.

‘Please, knock her down a peg, the past is the past, let it stay there.’ Leumeni signed to you before you nodded your agreement as Demsey watched on a little suspiciously at the interchange between Leumeni and yourself you stretched and got ready as the others began to enter and fight in the arena, the gong ringing out to start the battle before shortly after gonging again to signify a victory before it was Axal and Ramsey’s turn to square off in the arena against your heir father’s kids as you were no surprised to see Axal fight alongside Ramsey as the two of them together used the all out attack method and stormed the opponent's side and your half siblings didn’t stand a chance. It was quite epic to see, they made quite the pair. Ramsey used his greater experience whereas Axal used his youth and vigor and together they were almost an unstoppable force as others fought on in teams, but with the odd number of players in The Skillful class, with Calla being the odd one out, you volunteered to go down a class to fight along side Calla who faced off against Leumeni and her brother Storren.

“I get Leumeni.” You urged Calla who nodded in agreement before the gong was struck.

“So what did your sister say to Demsey?” You asked as you ran towards the first marker that Leumeni was defending.

“She told him about us, but that the moment you get Dowager status, that you’re going home to stables with me.” Leumeni answered.

“Is that what you want?” You asked him.

“No. Two years ago- yes, but after the first six months of you not replying to my letters and because you followed the rules of not letting your heart get entangled and I didn’t, I thought it was my own fault. And then when you got the shakan status, I tried writing to you telling you that it didn’t matter to me what status you had, that I would take you no matter what but when that letter failed to get a response, I thought you had sworn off of Dorierra all together, that’s why I jumped at the chance to leave, to come here and a chance to see you again and I pushed Calla to accept so I could get an explanation as to why you were rejecting me only to find out that the mail service here failed you completely. And that you were completely unaware of any of it. But then I met Kiara and she’s everything I’ve ever wanted and now I’m hoping those letters never see the light of day so I don’t make an even bigger fool of myself than I already have.” Leumeni confessed as you dipped and dodged his attacks with ease and offered good counter attacks despite his larger size and considerable strength.

“I get it, I’m your past, she’s your future. And I’m happy that you’re happy and I hope you’re happy with each other and she’s probably all the wild things you loved about me and just begging to have all the wild released. But I’ve become too tame and restrained for you eh?” You asked with a fond grin as you leaped up and wrapped your legs around his neck and twisted yourself around to get him to topple over, striking the first beacon on the way down before you practically bounced off of him and towards the second beacon.

“In so many words, yes.” Leumeni grinned happily, relieved that you were taking this so well and were in agreement and happy for him instead of being hurt by the news.

“Well, while I still want to be your friend, I have never really wanted more than that from you. And I think if the letters do come up, I’ll be sure to just excuse it as us being close friends and nothing more and burn them if you want me to without reading them to spare you any embarrassment.” You reassured him.

“Thank you.” Leumeni thanked you before he picked you up and tossed you up and back as you used your grappling hooks to grab onto the beam above you before you could smack against a wall as you used the rope of it to run along the walls as you used your momentum from Leumeni throwing you to tie the rope around your arm to anchor yourself to it before you tied the rope around your waist so that it swung around in a circle, back to Leumeni who was gearing up for your arrival as you watched as Calla was already defending the second beacon on your side before you used your momentum on the rope to attach a weight to the bottom of it and threw it around Storren’s arm and wrist as the little weight acted like a snake like vine, wrapping snugly around his wrist and forearm just as he was about to hit the beacon and once it was wrapped around his wrist, you used your own momentum with the rope around your waist and the swinging motion back into Leumeni’s direction to yank him backwards as you were surprised when you barely felt the squeeze of it around your waist to pull him backwards, yanking him off the ground as Calla used Storren being yanked off of her to plant her feet onto Storren’s chest to kick him in that direction since he had her pinned down before you crashed Storren into Leumeni as Calla lit an arrow and sent it into the second beacon now that the two of them were out of the way as you readily untangled yourself from the rope of your grabling hook as you climbed up it as you flipped and swung along the rafters criss crossing the ceiling of the battle ground, using the beams on the ceiling to get you to the third beacon as Storren and Leumeni scrambled to beat you to it, running through the obstacle course to get to the third beacon as Calla lit an arrow and aimed it at the third beacon but with you leaping from the ceiling and onto Leumeni and Storren as they both tried to grab you and pin you down, but like a cat you slipped out of their grasps and instead balled yourself up and put your feet to Leumeni’s chest.

“I got your back, metaphorically speaking that is.” You assured him before like a spring- you sprung him off of you and sent him flying backwards to crash into one of the obstacle elements as the whole crowd was amazed as you used your own strength to do that as you grabbed Storren who kept trying to grab you to throw you off of him as he tried to simply pin you down to a side as he used his body to try to pin you against the other sides of the obstacles around you as you seemed to crawl all over him, using his larger body as your own personal jungle gym as you seemed to slip and slither out of his grasps like a proper snake as Calla let the arrow loose as you heard it coming as you leaned back to let the arrow come between you and Storren as it seemed time slowed down for you to do so as you watched it pass between you as Storren only, half a beat later seemed to only catch the fletching of the arrow with his line of sight just as it seemed to leave his field of vision as you used this moment to swing yourself around him so that he fell, face first into the floor of the arena just as the target began to explode in colored smoke before time came back to full speed as you sat on the back of Storren’s shoulders as the impact knocked Storren out as you and Calla then practically bounced up and ran into each other’s embrace as the gong rang out just as Leumeni seemed to get the air back into his lungs as he rolled over and coughed as his body curled in on itself before you and Calla came over and helped him up to his feet and congratulated him on a good game before the three of you went back over to Storren to try to wake him up before Calla’s other brother as well as Benny’s and the Voyambi’s came over and picked him up and carried him out of there and laid him on a cot to wake up again before you and Calla rode griffins around the grounds, doing another synchronized set of flips and twists and jumps and corkscrews to do it which was a feat in itself before you landed again and added your chimes to your tunes before you returned to the competitor tent.

“You put him down hard, like a proper viper.” Your grandmother Loreiris praised you as you came over to where your family was hanging out.

“Thanks.” You smiled as you took a deep pull from your glass of water before you took two more figs from the bowl of fruit and bit into them.

“Gosh I wish these were ripe-er.” You complained about the state of the figs but that didn’t seem to deter you from practically inhaling them.

“These English common figs are nothing to the ones in Dorierra, at least in Dorierra we have dozens of varieties to choose from.” Your grandmother turned her nose up at them.

“No, but they are better than no figs at all, otherwise I would be spooning fig jam onto anything even remotely bread-like or even eating spoonfuls of it out of the jar.” You confessed.

“Do you hunger for them that much?” Your grandmother asked you curiously.

“I do. I couldn’t tell you why to save my life but I normally don’t overly like figs in general but ever since Grevu cured me, I’ve hungered for them like crazy and I can’t get enough. But Dr. Chu did say I would have cravings so, at least it’s this and not something impossible for me to get a hold of like guava or something.” You shrugged as you finished it off and got another long pull of water.

“Maybe there is something in them that the mourkatili drained from your system and that figs have to resupply it.” Your grandmother reasoned.

“Probably,” you nodded before you bit into the second one after promptly finishing the first.

“So how dirty is Benny playing?” Your grandmother asked.

“Very, she brought up The Lotus House with Leu and I back in the day with Demsey to defeat him, I want to put her into the dirt harder than I did Storren,” you confessed as Loreiris’ eyebrows raised in surprised as she hummed her acknowledgement of that.

“Don’t let vengeance cloud your judgement, you have a few battles yet before you can face off against her. Focus on the battle at hand, then win the war with her and remind her that your venom is more lethal than the steel of her battle axes, much less her bark or her bite.” She advised as you nodded your agreement as you watched as Benny kept playing to the crowd and to the royal family even when she wasn’t in the battle arena competing as your grandmother kept an eye on all those who entered the arena and the way they were all fighting, gleaning their styles and leanings as they fought as she mentally fought each one in her head as you looked over to where Sierge was sitting and outright pouting since Benny was ignoring him in favor of the other nobility in the crowd, in particular Viscount Whiteale gentlemen, Kate’s brothers as she had them eating out of her hands practically as Leumeni was still coaching Kiera through the night battles and how to actually win those by doing more stealth tactics and using the shadows the other components of the obstacle course allowed as Amara stayed with Storren as he slowly woke up from being knocked out.

“Hey, how many fingers am I holding up?” Amara asked.

“Four?” He answered as Amara stared worriedly at the two fingers she was holding up before the doctor on standby gave him medicine for his concussion and left him to sleep it off before it was your mother and father’s turn to play against your heir father and his wife in the battlefield as almost everyone was on the edge of their seats as your grandmother Loreiris and your heir father’s mother, Anavia were the team to beat since they were technically the two most senior members and a team of their own as they both watched their children with pride while silently critiquing their performances and techniques before it ended in a draw, with both teams hitting their third beacon at the same time.

“Play offs it is.” Your grandmother Loreiris noted to Anavia who grinned in turn before they came to the court, siding with their children as Loreiris, your mother and father took a moment to regroup and formulate a plan as did your hier father and when the moment the gong rang out, it was your mother and father that went out to the first beacon as your grandmother stood guard over the first beacon on their side as you watched on proudly as your parents easily outmaneuvered and outmatched your hier father and his wife as your grandmother Loreiris defended the first beacon from your other grandmother Anavia and with that, the morning Kamoba battle was done and over before the break for lunch was announced as the commonwealth were more than ready and willing to pay the multitude of food vendors for what they had to offer as they took refuge under the food tent from the heat that was starting to build before the Royal Family asked for a private audience with all competitors and their families.

“I would like to congratulate everyone on a job well done and their victories and for those that saw defeat this morning, there is always the night battle where you can find redemption.” King Leopold offered.

“However I would like to have a word with all of you as well.” The Queen Dowager began.

“Please, Queen Mother, by all means.” King Leopold insisted.

“Now I understand that Sultana Audravienne, you have survived an assassination attempt and were healed by your brother’s dragon Grevu was it?” She asked.

“I have, thus my current hair color.” You confirmed.

“Now I understand all of you are aware of who the guilty party is, however for the sake of decorum and to keep the nosey little busy bodies who are undoubtedly trying to hear this conversation through the door so they can then write about this affair in those horrid gossip columns that have had every newspaper selling out just from the speculation for the Kamoba battle. I will request, that all of you take a vow a silence on the matter until it can be settled properly. There are dozens of gossip column newspapers whose very writers are in cognito as members of the gentry in London and they do love a good scandal but I do not want anyone’s reputation to be damaged beyond repair before the matter can be settled. In order to keep things as peaceful as they can be for a Kamoba battle, you will all notice that the guilty parties are not in attendance, for they have been barred from attending and I’m sure anyone with half a wit will be able to come to certain conclusions. However I wish for today’s focus to be solely on the Kamoba battle and if anyone asks, I insist on everyone simply saying that ‘you are not at liberty to say’ and that is all the talk of the matter that will be indulged in and if I hear otherwise from anyone, the guilty parties will be answering to me. Is that clearly understood?” Dowager Queen Anastasia firmly insisted as King Leopold nodded his agreement along with his wife and all of their children and their spouses and their children along with Yalin’s other sister the Infanta and her family also nodded and vowed their agreement to that command.

“Yes your Majesty.” Everyone echoed their answer.

“Now, leave and enjoy the afternoon Kamo, however I do wish to have a private word with Sultana Audravienne alone.” Dowager Queen commanded before they curtsied and saw themselves out except for you and the Dowager Queen.

“Now, don’t be frightened, or disheartened by this. After the Kamoba battle today, I am very much looking forward to seeing you get the satisfaction of the justice you deserve, you see Gregori and King Leopold keep no secrets between them and all the proof of the case that Gregori has found and told to King Leopold who has since shared it with me and it is appalling that such treatment was rendered to you and it is a feat of greatness that you survived such a thing, make no mistake, you will get your just desserts after such a trial, I’ll see to it personally.” The Dowager Queen reassured you as you blew out a breath of relief.

“Thank you, your Majesty, I eagerly look forward to it. Thank you for counting me worthy of your involvement.” You thanked her graciously.

“Once upon a time, I was a moura bride too, such things can never repeat and will never be tolerated ever again and I will be rooting for you- both today, and every day after, until you are satisfied with your vengeance at justice’s hand. I mean who can refute with proof such as this?” She reassured you as she took your hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze with a smile that was warmer than sunshine as her other hand gently pet your head since your hair had been braided back to keep it out of your eyes.

“Thank you,” you thanked her earnestly as you curtsied down low again before her.

“Now, go enjoy the Kamo lunch feast, and don’t let anyone beguile you or your charms.” She urged you before she urged you to go as you obeyed her and thanked her before you left with the Queen and went into the formal dining room were King Leopold and his Queen Alexandria had turned their attentions to Ramsey and getting to know Octavia since Ramsey had brought her over to meet with them and the rest of his royal family to get their figurative stamps of approval which they were happy to do.

“What did the Dowager Queen say to you?” Your family asked once you reappeared.

“That she was a moura bride too, and that she will see to it that I get justice to my satisfaction and that she herself will be involved in my case. The Morrigans are finished.” You whispered excitedly as your moura marks lit up like fireworks on your skin as your eyes practically glowed gold as soon everyone was smiling just as happily as you were before you disbursed to have lunch with the gentry as all of them seemed to open up seats for any they could snag, since eating with with a Kamoba battle contestant was seen as an honor to be eating with a warrior of legend.

Little Callie had never been so popular among the other children her age since she was the only one in her age group to compete as she and the rest of her family were proud to announce that they were building a proper Kamoba battle out of steel and iron back at Whydah and as soon as it was completed, the Voyambi’s would be happy to host another Kamoba battle to host more battles such as this which was met with great joy and jubilation as the King himself offered to help be a patron of the project which the Voyambi’s happily accepted.

Kate Whitesale’s brothers who were seated around Benny as she ate and coyly flirted with both of them while Kate tried to take notes about how Benny was completely enrapturing her brothers so that she too could win back Duke Demsey since it was clear that neither Benny or Calla had ensnared him yet and if anything he still seemed unaffected by them now as he was at the ball which gave her a measure of hope that she had not lost that battle yet.

“Princess, would you instruct me on how to win back Duke Voyambi’s favor?” Kate asked Benny as she looked down the table to see Demsey eating lunch with Tzane and Calla while you were having a private word with the rest of your family at the moment.

“That would be difficult since the Sultana has her eye of favor on him and has already found his favor in his. And with her being the favorite to win today, it will be hard for him to see her as anything less than that. However, there is leverage to be had that could potentially break up the pair that I am in possession of. But since the Sultana is a friend of mine, I would be loathed to part from it…” Benny began before she got a wicked curve to her grin.

“For anything less than the right price, so tell me, what would you give to come into possession of that leverage?” Benny asked Kate as Kate was seated across from her as both of Kate’s brothers were seated on either side of her as all three of them were practically salivating at the thought as the tips of their ears wiggled excitedly.

“Anything that you could ask for. Anything I have that you would want.” Kate answered desperately as she fought to keep her voice down.

“Well as it is, I don’t know what you have, so my suggestion to you, is to compile, perhaps a list of what assets, connections and favors that you have that can be transferable to me or shared with me. Because you see the reason I have that leverage was because the Raymonds had their eye on the Sultana as a bride for their son but since Buchon Octavia has come and stolen Ramsey away from the Sultana, it seems my leverage was rather useless and came with the unfortunate complication of Lord Sierge Voyambi’s affections, which of course I do not return since he is the second son, heir to nothing and has no real power or clout in this society since it rests solely on the first born son. But if the Duke is what you desire, then that leverage once again has value and I myself am in need of an escape from Lord Sierge’s unwanted affections and advances. So, think long and hard about what your family can offer me in return for what you desire most, which is obviously becoming the next Duchess Voyambi and host to the King and Queen to when they come to Whydah for those amazing Kamoba battles where fortunes could be made from the losing bets and of course a percentage of all bets made going to the hosting house.” Benny pointed out.

“Would my own hand in marriage to become a Viscountess Whiteales be enough?” George asked her hopefully.

“Perhaps, an honest appraisal of your situation and your family’s situation, as well as- an honest and accurate accounting of your family’s wealth, would be key to understanding it, so we shall see won’t we?” Benny cooed to him before she stood and went around to the other orc families to get to know them and see if there were any better options than Sierge or even the Viscount George Whitesale as you passed her and noticed she was “working” every other orc family there and just shook your head at her. ‘So short sighted’ you thought to yourself before you sat down next to Demsey for the lunch feast, much further down the table.

“What did the Dowager Queen say to you?” Demsey inquired curiously.

“How she personally is getting involved in my court case and won’t rest until I see justice and am perfectly satisfied with that justice.” You grinned triumphantly as your eyes glowed gold again and the moura marks that were visible on your skin lit up like fireworks again.

“Oh, then your would-be assassinators are quite finished then, aren’t they?” Demsey smiled triumphantly in turn. Your infectious smile quite becoming.

“Even if they are not and even if I don’t get another penny from them or even if I have to give back everything they’ve ever given to me to be free of them completely, I’ll gladly agree to it. I just want the past to stay in the past because you’re my future, whether you’re a winner or loser or Duke or not, just you, that is all I desire and I don’t need or want anything other than that.” You insisted as he took your hand and brought your knuckles up to his mouth to kiss them tenderly.

“Likewise. Even if you were a commoner on the streets, my love for you would not be any less than what it is right now.” Demsey reassured you.

“So would you prefer I court you the English way, the orcish way or the moura way?” Demsey asked.

“Whichever you prefer, although if I’m to stay here with you as Duchess Voyambi, might I suggest the more English route, so that no shame or reproach may come upon your family, no matter how tempting the moura way can be as far as instant gratification is concerned.” You suggested in a sultry murmur in his ear that had him ever so grateful that he was sittind down in stiff leathers to hide his physical reaction to you as that little line had him threatning to destroy every ounce of propriety he had if it meant his piqued curiosity could he satisfied as to what you were really implying and to feel your petal soft lips ever so gently graze the shell of his ear, had him ready to damn the whole thing, pick you up, throw you over his shoulder and carry you upstairs to bury himself to the hilt in you that instant as the flames of his desire for you ate him alive.

But he was surrounded by the entire gentry and to look past you, down the table to where Kate was as she did her best to give them her ‘come hither’ eyes. Had him thinking the better of it. He wanted to marry you and shove your soon to be engaged then married hand into her face and flaunt you in front of her had him thinking the better of it.

“Or your honor, which is the most precious above all else.” Demsey readily agreed as all of Benny’s earlier words seem to have washed away completely. That’s all they were, words meant to strike at him but were not based at all in truth because he could clearly see that while you and Leumeni were friends, he did not see anything other than that between you and his intuition and instincts were telling him that your loyalty and affections rested solely on him, and no one else and he trusted those more than he trusted whatever little seeds of doubt that bitch Benny tried to plant.

“Yeah, about that…” You couldn’t help but wince apologetically.

“The past is the past and it can stay there, you said so yourself, it doesn’t matter to me. Your honorable character and integrity in this moment and every other moment that I have known you, is what counts and both of those are the highest caliber in my honest opinion. That’s all.” Demsey reassured you as you smiled adoringly and appreciatively at him and kissed his hand in turn because outright kissing him at the table would not be permitted in society but that was all you could get away with, but tonight, when everyone went home, oh you were going to try your best to rut him so good and show him exactly what he could look forward to as being your husband and in a committed, monogamous relationship with you could encompass and how you were going to drain him dry, it would make battling in a Kamoba battle seem like a walk in the park.

“So I have some ideas about the Kamoba battle arena at Whydah,” you began as Calla and Tzane, Amara and Storren and Kiera and Leumeni seemed to eagerly lean forward to also engage in this particular conversation as you spent most of the afternoon just talking about all the wonderful ideas you had about the arena and the stands that people would sit on and what the Royal Box should be like as well as the stands for the commoners and the gentry and special spots just for the food vendors and just how big and extraordinary it should be so that even the one in Dorierra would be hard pressed to compete with and as the afternoon wore on, there were several games and rounds of dancing between the competitors and the gentry and even the royal family participated.

“I’m so happy that you’re happy with Olivia, Ramsey, honestly and truly, I am.” You offered to him in turn as you took a little turn on the dance floor with him in one of the English dances.

“Thank you, and I fully intend to deliver on my promise to raise your own status and help you in any way I can, especially helping you destroy your ‘attempted assassintors’.” Ramsey answered.

“Even if you can not, I will not hold it against you personally, you asked at the ball at Havenfield to be friends. And all I hope is that no matter what happens, that we stay that way.” You offered to him.

“You really are remarkable Sultana, I would count myself lucky to have a woman such as you be my friend.” Ramsey smiled brightly as you did the same.

The afternoon practically flew by and quickly morphed into evening and lunch was taken away before dinner was served and quickly eaten as you and the other competitors practically had to run to your rooms to change into the night leathers and other armor before rushing back the stadium to gear up for the night’s events as Grevu woke up when you returned before he gently knocked Benny over with his head as she passed by him.

“Grevu!” Benny complained as Grevu sniffed her over curiously as his snout pinned her to the ground as he sniffed her all over.

“Axal! Get Grevu off me!” Benny hollered as she tried batting Grevu’s nose away from her crotch.

“You perverted rat with wings, get your nose out of my business!” Benny ordered before Grevu cleared his nostrils out all over her as he lifted his head and seemed to narrow his eyes at her and settled back down comfortably.

“Ewwww! Yuck! What is your deal?!” Benny demanded as she went back over to the buckets as she washed herself off with Axal’s help before she began to feel nauseous and found a private corner to quickly and quietly throw up.

“You ok?” Axal asked as he handed her a towel to wipe her throw up off her mouth with.

“Your rat with wings is gross.” Benny spat resentfully at Axal as she wiped her mouth with the offered towel before using another to wipe the sweat off her brow since the sweat was threatening to destroy her makeup.

“Sorry.” Axal offered with a half hearted shrug. “He’s a dragon, he’s temperamental, maybe he didn’t like the scent of betrayal on you.” Axal offered with a smug smile as his eyes narrowed at her.

“What betrayal?” Benny tried to shirk off.

“Sure, go ahead, play dumb, I mean you’re really bad at it, almost as bad as you play innocent. I don’t care. Just don’t be surprised when the bite back for whatever barking you’ve done or you’re about to do knocks you down so hard you can’t get back up.” Axal warned her as he went over to Grevu to pet him and praise him for snorting snot all over Benny as Benny felt another wave of nausea and threw up again as her whole body felt weird as she shuddered almost violently.

“Are you ok?” You asked as you noticed she was sitting in a corner and sweating profusely.

“No, Grevu snotted on me,” Benny told you.

“Oohh, well, he must have had a reason. Dragons can sense things we can’t, maybe you ate something that you shouldn’t have and needed to throw it up now instead of getting sick in the arena itself.” You offered as eyed the mess in the grass in the corner of the tent that she had clearly tried to dump water over to wash away as Benny recollected everything she had eaten and mentally tried to see if you had a point.

“Probably.” Benny nodded as you simply smiled pleasantly before you turned and walked away and could feel Benny glare at your back as you smiled happily to yourself before you looked at Leumeni and gave him a meaningful look and looked pointedly at Benny then back to him before you looked pointedly to Grevu then back to him before you emphatically breathed out through your nose in a small snort as your smile grew more mischievous as Leumeni barked a laugh.

“Ha! Good dragon.” Leumeni practically crooned.

“Yes, very good dragon.” You agreed as you passed him.

“Ok, so how the night games go- is the lowest member of the class fights up the line, the first loser up to the winner of the class, up through the three classes.” The announcer revealed to the crowd as Tzane was the first to fight off against little Callie as this time, Tzane was expecting Callie’s tactics and had his own counter attack and won.

Then Tzane, having won that round, faced off against Kiera, as Kiera didn’t hold back and promptly handed him his ass on a platter before she faced off against Sierge who used his bigger size and strength to his advantage and beat her and then used the same with Amara and won out before going up against Demsey but Demsey was still more level headed and much more tactical whereas Sierge was all emotion to win out against Sierge yet again as Demsey was happy and impressed that he got to win his class and move into the next class, however his very next fight in the skilled class, with Rian- beat him out as they went through the fighting all they way up until it was Calla against Benny as Benny, once again, used her vicious words to undermine Calla and take the victory.

“I wish to break with Tradition.” Your grandmother Loreiris began as Benny was preparing to take you down in The Proficient Class.

“Instead of trying to see if you can go through Audra and all of her parents, I wish to follow the example you set in the day games, now that you have reached the proficient class, I volunteer to be your first competitor in The Proficient Class.” Loreiris announced as everyone gasped in astonishment as Benny looked both thrilled yet terrified at the prospect as she entered the arena with The Saharan Viper herself.

“Trying to protect your precious little snakelet from me?” Benny grinned as she got into position before the gong rang out to signal the start of the round as Loreiris charged Benny, a sword in each hand.

“No, she has had attacks from foes pretending to be friends already and knows how to protect herself, so she needs no such protection from me. Least of all from you. I have heard what you have been saying all afternoon to the others about that leverage you have against her relationship with Duke Demsey. And while I have said nothing yet, because you have not revealed it. While she is The Violet Viper, you are acting like the bitch you are- vicious, conniving and two faced and so overly eager to prove yourself because you have been reigning supreme ever since she left and now that you’re in her presence again, she outmatches you without even trying- so of course, you are threatened. It is true, nothing reveals a moura’s colors of character like Kamoba and so far it has revealed that you rely too much on the damage your words say while your fighting skills themselves, have suffered greatly from neglect, you power through your strokes without relying on the actual proper execution of said strokes and techniques, aiming at the lowest, weakest yet easiest points, because any other is too much for you. Know that nothing you say can hurt me, let alone destabilize me. All you are is a bitch dog, pretending to be a wolf.” Loreiris taunted as she started attacking Benny, using an overwhelming tactic, swinging both her flaming sword along with an elven one, that was alight with magic that with every strike against another blade, grew stronger and hit harder, but also, unfortunately grew brighter to help illuminate the wielder.

“Except that I know your secret.” Benny taunted right back.

“I know that Kushi was blessed by Anuk-sunamun-ra. And has been carrying all of the goddess’ power in it ever since that she was banished into the blade at the fall of the empire but would always protect the wielder to keep them from being enslaved. It has always given you super abilities to beat your components and to demoralize your enemies the moment they see it, until now. Now that you gave Kushi to Audra, Anuk-sunamun-ra has left you to be with her which means you’re not unbeatable anymore. You’re just flesh and bone, no magic, or gods or goddesses to protect you or help you. The two times you lost in battle with it, were because you were pregnant and the goddess was protecting your unborn babe more than it was helping you in battle. The same is true now. I saw Audra with my own eyes go into a room and fuck her favorite manwhore and then I noticed she has not once drank pregnancy warding tea since, and while it is true that Grevu cured her of the rest of the mourkatili, Dr. Chu also had a big hand in it too and had already cured most of it already. Dr. Chu was likely curing her with the goal to restore her womb first. She most likely is pregnant right now, for only pregnant women hunger for fruit’s of their youths. That’s why having that rope around her waist and the toll of pulling Storren back didn’t rip her in half. Anuk-sunamun-ra is guarding her pregnancy. That is why you will lose to me, as will she and everyone else and you will not speak of this leverage. Demsey’s reputation can’t afford to take on a fallen lady, one who was fallen with child out of wedlock, much less by a manwhore. The best he could ever do by her is accepting her as his whore. Whereas with Leumeni, he can still save her as his wife. Granted the babe she’s carrying will obviously never fit in anywhere it goes. But Leumeni will still care for it nonetheless.” Benny spat as she did her best to keep her head and wits as she fought off Loreiris’ attacks and counter attacks.

“The problem with such logic is that any trace of mourkatili acts like a natural birth control. Even if what you say is true. It is impossible for her to conceive before Grevu cured her and I know for a fact, she has not laid with anyone who can get her pregnant since then. So you are lying and that leverage will land in you in boiling lava that will burn you up completely and permanently and no one will be able to rescue you from that.” Loreiris said as she could feel the strain on her body from the fighting as she kept her wits and temper in check.

“And you lie about the dagger. All it has ever been is a knife, made of steel, gold and jewels. Anuksu-namun-ra is a goddess of battle, of victory and she protects everyone who believes and puts faith in her. She is too powerful to be contained in a simple dagger made of steel, gold and jewels. If you worshiped her, perhaps you would benefit from her protection. But she is also a goddess of truth and loyalty and since you can never be counted on to be truthful or loyal to anyone who isn’t paying you to be, she will not protect you. Because any loyalty that can be bought, is never worth having.” Loreiris grinned as she kicked Benny in the head and stabbed her flaming sword into the first beacon.

“Oh on the contrary, if Audra can make me a dowager, then I will feel inclined to keep her secret for her and that leverage will never see the light of day so Audra is in no real danger from me. Besides, the science of pregnancy is well guarded in Dorierra. If I keep my mouth shut, little Demsey will be none the wiser and you can keep your mouth shut for her sake can’t you? You should. She is, after all, your favorite granddaughter from your favorite daughter?” Benny said as she took a throwing star from her waist and threw it through the flames at the first beacon on Loreiris’ side and beamed when it became alight before throwing a second and hit the second as the whole crowd went wild to see Benny of all people that was able to get a score in on Loreiris as Loreiris threw her own throwing star at the second and exploded it before aiming at the third but Benny used her flaming sword and knocked Loreiris’ hand down while body slamming her into the back of the still smoking and burning beacon and burned Loreiris’ face and pinned her there so she couldn’t get out before she threw another throwing star at the third beacon as Loreiris screamed in pain and agony as your whole family were up on their feet and rushing to the battle arena and screaming curses at Benny before Benny grabbed Loreiris by her collar and picked her up to the crowd.

“You call this woman a viper?! Where is her venom?! Where is her bite? She is an old, feeble garden snake, no bite at all, let alone any venom! Wolves always eat serpents! Always!” Benny roared to the crowd as it went wild as you had never wanted to murder Benny so badly before as rage seemed to course through your viens as your eyes and the eyes of your parents and heir parents all glowed gold as you all came forward as you got under your grandmother’s right shoulder and your mother got under her left as both of you were hissing hatefully about how you were going to make Benny pay for such a gross display of unprofessional and unsportsmanlike conduct as everyone contested the win.

But sadly, there was nothing in the rulebook that specifically ruled out Benny’s actions or disqualified her as Benny continued to hoop and holler to the crowd how she was undefeatable as Sierge realized he just won a fortune, since he had bet everything he had that she would win against The Saharan Viper, at Benny’s insistence. And while he wasn’t exactly thrilled about how she got that victory, the fact that she got it and that it was uncontestable, and thus, the victory stuck and cemented her place in The Proficient Class. That that was what he had bet on.

“I’m gonna kill her.” Your mother hissed.

“Don’t actually kill her.” Your grandmother said as burn balm was put onto her face by you.

“We need to get you to Grevu, he needs to heal you.” You insisted as you helped your grandmother to stand again.

“Mama, bite, inject, put down.” You hissed angrily in Marinai at your mother as she then challenged Benyana herself as you helped your grandmother to go over to Grevu as Grevu was making the most unusual noise as he met you behind the battle field’s wall, so that all of you were hidden from view as Loreiris came over to him and kneeled before him as she simply said ‘please’ before he blew a blue, glowing smoke over her, that healed her wounds as the smoke turned from blue- to red the moment it touched and healed her wounds as you breathed in deeply and the smoke entered you through your nose as the whites of your eyes glowed neon white while the iris of your eye’s glowed a bright gold while your pupil’s seemed to grow twice as big as you felt more power than ever before unlock in your body.

“You need to pray, pray to Anuk-sunamun-ra, pray for the strength and power for vengeance, and to have victory over her. She told me she has leverage against you and Demsey, that you are pregnant with a whore’s child, how she saw you at the masquerade ball bedding someone but did not drink pregnancy warding tea and that Dr. Chu’s medicine had the power to give you your womb back before Grevu could cure you. And how if you can not give her Dowager Status, she will unleash this upon all of England and you will be ruined and will have no choice but to return to Dorierra.” Your grandmother pleaded with you as you could hear from the battle arena how Benny was beating your mother, two beacons against one.

“Pray for control over your emotions, pray to protect your mind and heart from such flaming arrows.” Your grandmother pleaded before the Benny hit the third beacon on your mother and came back to find you there with your grandmother.

“Let your other parents fight her, we need to pray.” Your mother insisted as she wiped her angry tears away from her eyes as the three of you sat down in the grass, with you against Grevu’s chest as the three of you formed a triangle before Calla and her brothers as well as Leumeni and even his brother Coravien came and sat around them, all of them praying to their favorite god of choice to favor you as your mother and grandmother went through the sacred chant of Anuk-sunamun-ra in the ancient language of her origins while making the appropriate hand gestures as you once again found your center as a calm cooled your anger, but turned that fire that had been blazing inside of you into a lava that both flowed through you like a gentle massaging hand, going over your body, yet filled you, solidified you and strengthened you as you felt the air around you shift as a stiff breeze started to roll in as a storm that had barely been on the horizon seemed to make a B-Line for you as you heard a distant rumble of thunder, but instead of fearing the oncoming storm, you were welcoming it as the cool breeze caressed you as you barely noticed the other beacons from your father, your heir father, his wife and his mother’s as they all took their turns battling Benyana and how she used the same hurtful, spiteful, malicious words against them, beating them and crooning so loud and so high with every other victory before they all seemed to join in the prayer circle around you.

“Go ahead, say your pointless, hopeless, meaningless prayers over the last little snakelet, who is barely even out of the egg.” Benny taunted everyone as she turned and sauntered off once she came upon all of you.

“Told you I was a sure bet.” She grinned smugly at Sierge before going back towards the crowd to get them to chant her name as the Royal Family were quite fed up with her lack of sportsmanship and putting their bets on you to please put this brat in her place before, from the back, to the front of the group. Everyone put their hands on the top of the shoulder of the one in front of them and the one to the side of them before they all reached forward to you, your mother with a hand on your right shoulder and your grandmother with her hand to your left as they all prayed for their gods to bless you and make you stronger, faster, better. To make you their champion in the name of good, righteousness, and justice.

“Are you done yet? I don’t want to get struck by lightning and I would prefer not to get these leathers any wetter than they need to be, I want you to hurry up and beat you before I or much less the royal family has a chance of getting wet from the rain.” Benny sassed as she came over again several moments later as she looked on disapprovingly at her brothers for their traitorous act of trying to bless you instead of her as you pushed all the air out of your lungs before you took in the biggest and longest breath in, feeling that with every millimeter of space in your lungs that filled with air, you filled with power before your lungs reached their capacity as did your body before you steadily exhaled and opened your eyes to fix Benny with your gaze as everyone slowly pulled back, all of them feeling a sense of excitement tempered with peace that their prayers were about to be answered.

“Come, let us battle, Axal, Rian, Zax, belt “Hit The Floor” out for me.” You suggested to them with a scheming and easy smile which they readily returned before they, along with Calla’s brothers as well as Benny’s rushed over to the band and eagerly took the instruments out of their hands and insisted that they needed to play this particular song themselves before you looked out over all the weapons offered to you by the whole family as the right weapons seemed to almost have a glowing aura around them as you picked them up and armed yourself with them before you entered the arena.

“Let us do five out of seven, arm the arena with the two additional beacons and put the last two on the roof, above the rafters.” You instructed the others who came to change out the beacons with fresh ones.

“Agreed.” Benny smiled as you simply sat down on top of the first beacon and got into a meditation pose and used these last moments to cement your mental fortitude as Benny laughed.

“Oh are suddenly a monk? Praying and meditating all the time?” Benny taunted as you could see the gods that were supposed to be blessing her weapons were frowning at her for her haughtiness.

“What is this? The Violet Viper is suddenly The Violet Monk? The Violet Praying Mantis? The Violet Idiot? Or just The Violet Whore.” Benny continued.

“Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t be throwing stones.” You stated as you kept your eyes closed as you watched from the spirit realm as the remaining gods and goddesses with her finally seemed to have enough and leave her completely and come to be with you and all the other gods and goddesses with you which caused you to smile before you opened your eyes and got down and into position as the others finished doing what you asked and left the stage.

“Axal! Now!” You called out after the gong rang out and your family as well as hers began to start up their instruments.

“So? Leverage huh? Going for the lowest of blows? Betraying my trust and friendship for your own personal gain? Too bad I’ve seen this coming since the moment I saw you at the ball at Havenfield. Do you really think you can say anything that will break apart what the gods have given their blessings to bind together?” You asked as you struck first with more strength than what Benny was expecting as she faltered slightly as suddenly her battle ax seemed a bit heavier and unwieldier than normal.

“I see your grandmother can’t keep a secret to save her life, like using a goddess, locked inside a dagger to fight and win all of her battles for her.” Benny taunted back.

“Do you really think a goddess can be locked inside a weapon? No, she is everywhere but more importantly, she is with me, whether I possess that dagger or not because I am a believer in her and in her power and have willingly let myself be an instrument for her and all the other gods and goddesses who wish to use me as their instrument as well, I feel it to be true, I know it to be true. Just like how you can feel or know in your heart whether or not your own gods are with you, which I can both see and feel that they are not, they have abandoned you in the face of your own viciousness, of your own ruthlessness and your own haughtiness. You do not fight with honor. Your pride and your hunger for victory at any cost has made you blind to what is right and wrong. It has calloused your conscience and dulled your moral compass. You play men who would love you like instruments, if only to see their strings break. You play with feelings and intentions the way you play with toys, if only to see them fall apart then to be thrown into the fire at will.” You told her as as you advanced forward with surprising speed and strength as real fear started to seep into Benny’s eyes.

“You crave destruction and only wish to have the fires of other people’s catastrophes light up in your eyes. If you do not turn back, and mend your ways, what you have lied about me and others and what you have predicted for me and others will come true for you. The gods have spoken this to me. And your redemption will only come at the hands of your latest victims. Whether they will give it or not, depends on them. Not me, for I am no longer a victim to anyone. Let alone you. You- who should have been a sister to me, you- who should have been a friend to me, you- who should have had my back instead of trying to stab it with everyone else since it already had an open wound for you to stick it into. But after tonight, I am healed, I am free. Of you, of everyone. I don’t owe anyone anything.” You vowed as you easily battled her across the course, as if the obstacles were not there at all as the whole fight seemed to be in slow motion for you, as you could almost see what moves she was going to make before she even made them as you were predicting her moves and counteracting them just as quickly as she was frantically trying to make them as your sword that was on fire kept slashing at her and lighting her entire torso on fire, as you could tell the heat from the fires were affecting her as if they were especially hot as you kept on advancing at a steady pace, the beacons practically exploding the moment the tip of a weapon touched them until you had her pinned into a corner before you struck the fifth beacon.

“Seven out of 13!” Benny screamed from her corner as tears streaked her makeup.

“Fine, seven out of 13.” You readily agreed before you stopped and calmly walked back to the center mark as she rushed to get out of the battle arena to get doused down with water to keep from being on fire as she was gasping for breath and sweating like a whore in church.

“And this was her still barely out of the egg? I can’t imagine what she will be like after she fully sheds and grows into her own then.” Your mother and your grandmother taunted Benny from their spots inside the tent as everyone else laughed.

“What’s wrong? I thought wolves eat serpents? Why aren’t you eating her before she eats you? Or does this viper actually have venom that you’re not immune to this time?” Calla snipped snidely herself.

“I will eat her! I will eat her whole!” Benny screamed back as she put her weapons back into the fire to get reheated as you simply let your flaming sword “rest” in the flames of one of the bowls in the arena.

“I don’t know why you’re getting so upset, or why you’re calling her a whore when you yourself are the biggest one I know.” Sierge taunted Benny himself.

“Shut up! No one asked you!” Benny snapped angrily.

“Make them the hottest you can!” Benny told the blacksmith who had set up a mini forge right there next to the battlefield.

“I can try.” He answered as he put them in the hottest parts of the fire to get super heated as once again, you sat on top of your own beacon and meditated again.

“There, that’s hot enough.” Benny said before she pulled them out and splashed them in the fire oil and let them become alight once more as she could feel the heat of them in her palms but they were nothing compared to the heat of her inner fiery temper as you opened your eyes and got into position before you pulled out another elven blade along with your fiery one before you pressed the jewel on the hilt and the weapon suddenly glowed white as frosty mist started falling from it.

“That sword will shatter when it touches mine.” Benny said.

“We’ll see.” You simply grinned before the gong rang out and you used the flaming sword to get her weapons into positions before you used your ice elven sword to cut bits and segments off of Benny’s weapons like cutting through soft butter.

“NNoooo!!” Benny screeched as she pulled her own spare weapons out but they had similar effects, for every strike against your own weapons, they grew weaker and softer, bending and dulling greatly as you continued to take out the same five markers before leaping through to the roof and climbing onto the rafters to get the final two beacons on the roof as She did the same, using her body as a shield to protect them as you walked along the beam like you were walking along a paved sidewalk, paying no mind to the fall only a few scant inches away from each side of your feet.

“No! I beat the Saharan Viper! I will beat you too!” She said as she used her flaming arrows to strike at your beacons as you used your own bow and arrows to throw hers off course and away from their intended targets until she was out of arrows.

“You’re empty.” You called.

“So are you!” She called back.

“You’re right, I am.” You said before lighting seemed to crack right above your heads and fan out over the sky.

“You’ll get electricuted!” Benny said as she cowered but would not leave the beacons.

“You’re right, I will.” You smiled as you held Kushi up in one hand and your mother’s copy of Kushi- Kushi 2 in the other and raised them to the sky as lightning struck down and danced between the two blades around you as your eyes glowed white while you otherwise remained unharmed.

“Viper- kills Wolf!” You boomed as you threw both daggers, the lightning dancing off of them, making it look like they were the fangs of a viper as the image of a viper’s head, made out by the lighting lit up the space as Benny screamed and dove down as you used your grappling hook to suspend yourself from the rafters as you used the other end of the rope and threw it around Benny so she wouldn’t crash on the ground as the two beacons exploded in bright white lights and smoke as the whole crowd roared in thunderous cheering and applause as you hung from the rafters with Benny hanging from the end of your own ropes as she gently swung around under you, the rope tied around her waist in such a way as she fought to untangle herself while you slowly eased down the rope like a silk climber flowing effortlessly down a length of silk before you got to her as Sierge came and gave the rope a quick tug to cause Benny to fall into his arms.

“Well hey there loser.” Sierge grinned.

“Put me down!” Benny screeched at him before he did as she asked as she fell the five feet from his arms to his feet as that little fall, knocked all the wind out of her lungs while Demsey was more than happy to let you slide down the rope into his own arms before he gently set you down and threw decorum out the window and kissed and dipped you in front of the gods and everyone which caused another round of applause as Kate and her brothers knew then that whatever “leverage” Benny had, was as good as worthless yet again as you happily got up and took your banner off of Heavencrest and put it on Grevu and rode him around the arena as others flew their own animals around behind, your grandmother happily riding Heavencrest in your stead as you cheered as Benny just sat there on the floor of the arena and sulked as she watched the Royal family’s attendants get the cup as the Royal Family got up and came down as Benny was escorted off the battle arena to the tent since her griffen was flying underneath Grevu in a show of dominance as the gentry crowded around the arena before you touched down as everyone offered their congratulations to you as you passed through, your mother to your immediate left and your grandmother to your immediate right as you climbed up into the battle arena yet again.

“It is my supreme honor to bestow unto you- Sultana Audravienne Saharazat, this winning cup and prize for winning the Kamoba battle today.” King Leopold announced as he gestured to it as it sat on your first beacon before he took your hand and raised it high as everyone cheered and applauded.

“Thank you, your Majesty.” You thanked him before you had to get help from your friends and family to help pick it up as the Royal Family as well as everyone else took their leave to go home as you came inside and had the cup put into your room as you began to unload it before you took your old knife, Zirrabanit and approached little Callie before you presented it to her.

“To Callie, who was the first to strike and the first to take down a contestant today. Since you have taken up my old mantle from my youth, it is only fitting that you continue that legacy, Little Spitfire.” You said as she gasped and took it and gave you the biggest most excited smile.

“Thank you!” Callie squealed in delight as she took it from you reverently before she practically launched herself in your arms and hugged you tight as you readily hugged her back.

“You’re welcome.” You happily laughed as you hugged her back oh so tight.

“Could I stay with you tonight? And could you pass down all the knowledge you can to me?” Callie asked hopefully and as much as you wanted to rail Demsey against every surface in his room, you didn’t have the heart to say no to her and her big lavender eyes.

“Of course, all the ladies, sleepover in my room tonight.” You offered as all the girls giddily left and got dressed as the gentlemen saw themselves out before you managed to snag Demsey by the arm and pull him down to kiss him again.

“Tomorrow night, I’ll properly and traditionally celebrate with you in the moura way.” You promised with a wink and a salacious smile.

“Can’t wait.” Demsey practically giggled before he kissed you again.

“Good night My Love, don’t stay up all night, we need to formulate a plan for court.” Demsey offered before he saw himself out just as his other sisters were coming back into the room, clad in only their nightgowns and robes as you all got into the bed in a circle, passing around the other treasures from the pot as Benny refused to even do that much as she continued to sulk in her room and went to bed only to fall into a fitful sleep, full of nightmares.

#Woooooo!#Blood For Gold #Blood For Gold Chapter 19 #this is it #this is the hill #the crest #the climax #it's downhill from here #regency era orc period drama #regency era orcs #orc romance #orc love story #moura #Now the truth can come out #Have I left you enough clues? Do you know them all yet?#There are several #dozens actually.#I want to know!

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sunnyie-eve · 3 years ago

Text

1 | You can't really fly

Series: Terror (Simon Kalivoda x OFC Fraser!)

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: language, drug use

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Hey, you got my back for tonight, right?" Sam walks up to her sister's locker. "Don't I always?" Elizabeth looks at her as she closes her locker shut. "Yeah, but." Sam was cut off by Deena coming up to her. "So tonight." She smiles at her. "All set. Liz has my back." Elizabeth nods her head then heads off to class. "So, what are we doing tonight since Denna will ditch us for Sam?" Kate starts to walk beside her. "I was thinking we just let loose and see where the night takes us." Simon joins them. "How about no. Plus, I told my mom I was just hanging out with the girls tonight. She doesn't really care for you. Actually, she doesn't care for any of you three." Liz says as they keep walking to class. "Your mom is a bitch." Simon says, making her laugh. "She is. At the moment at home, things are getting bad between her and dad." Liz agrees and goes on.

"I'm guessing he can't put up with her anymore?" Kate laughs as they go into the classroom. "I don't blame him. I try so hard not to snap at her." Liz takes her seat. "But you have... last Sunday night, remember," Simon tells her as he takes his seat behind her. "I said I will try. I didn't say that I don't." She corrected him. "What were you two doing last Sunday? At night?" Kate smirks at the two. "He showed up at my window, at midnight. Asking me to paint his nails because he wanted them done," Liz says, making Kate groan because all she wanted was for Liz and Simon to get together. "Speaking of nails, you need to redo them soon because they're starting to look bad." Simon puts one of his hands out to Liz so she could see. "Maybe stopped biting your nails the polish it would be okay." She smacks his hand so he will pull it away.

While in class, Liz was paying attention to the teacher. Kate was zoned out looking out the window, and Simon was writing little notes, throwing them on Liz's desk. "Stop." She whispers, turning her head to the side some. Of course, this doesn't stop him from throwing more on her desk. Liz gets annoyed and finally opens one up to see it said, Hi, with a smiley face. She shakes her head, ripping out a page, and writes him back, tossing it behind her. Simon smiles, opening the wad of paper to see her write hi back with a smiley face. For no reason whatsoever, Simon reaches for Liz's hair to play with it. Elizabeth chooses to ignore him while she does the work for class. Kate finally looks away from the window over to her friends. She also pulls out a sheet of paper to pass Simon a note.

The note hits him in the head then falls on his desk. He gives her a what look before opening the ball. Stop being a pussy and tell her you like her. Simon looks over at Kate shaking his head, then writes back. I don't like her like that. Kate gives him a look, Yes, you do. Stop lying to me. I can tell because of how you look at her. She throws the paperback at him. He reads it then throws it towards the trash but misses. "Mr. Kalivoda, stop throwing trash around." The teacher picks it up putting it in the trash can. Once class was over Kate and Simon keep nudging each other talking with looks and noises. "What are you two doing?" Elizabeth turns to face them. "Huh?" Simon stops. "What am I missing?" She asks, confused. "Yeah, Simon here won't ad-," He cuts Kate off by covering her mouth and walking her away. "It's not important. See you later." He leaves with Kate.

///

"Where are you girls going?" Mom stops Sam and me. "Us girls are all hanging out tonight." I let her know. "Who's all of us girls?" She crosses her arms, glaring at us. "Sam, me, Deena, and Kate," I tell her. "No, you both are staying home tonight. I don't want you out late on a Friday. Back to your rooms." She points back at where we came from. "Are you serious?" I laugh. "Yes, now." We both turn around. "Great," Sam mumbles, going to hers, and I go to mine, calling Kate to let her know we can't leave. "Why don't you just sneak out?" She asks me. "Now that you brought it up, I might." I laugh into the phone. "Well, if you do, call me to let me know." She tells me. "Of course I will. I gotta go. I hear the witch coming." I end the phone call as my mother wings my door open.

"Yes, ma'am?" I ask, jumping onto my bed. "Just making sure you are thinking about sneaking out." I laugh, "I would never." I lie, and she leaves the room. There went that plan. I groan, turning on the radio, laying down, closing my eyes and falling asleep. The feeling of someone covering my mouth wakes me up in a panic. As I open my eyes, I see Simon telling me to be quiet. I slap his hand away hard, "What the fuck, dude?" I sit up, and he laughs quietly. "What are you doing here?" I ask, looking over at the clock to see it was 11:25pm. "Kate said you couldn't leave the house, so I brought the fun to you. I came by earlier and saw you were asleep, so I came back and still saw you asleep.'' He jumps onto my bed.

"You were creeping outside my window earlier?" I give him a look. "Yeah, I do it quite a lot, actually. When you aren't busy is when I pop in, but when you are... I head off. Don't give me that look! You never answer my calls or call me, so what else am I supposed to do?" He hits me. "Shh! My mom will hear you." I say, covering his mouth as I hear footsteps. He jumps up and jumps out the window to hide. Thankfully it was my dad who opened the door. "Simon, keep quiet because of my wife. You know she's the opposite of me. Especially knowing you're here late." My dad tells him, so he climbs back through the window. "Got it." My dad leaves the room.

"Here, take one." Simon holds out his hand, showing me a pill. "Simon, you know I don't do drugs or care about them whatsoever." I huff. "Let loose some. One night. I'll keep it a secret between us." He pouts, begging me. "No. Especially here." I push his hand away. "Then let's leave and just walk around." He pulls me off the bed. "That's it." I agree. "And you are taking this pill. It's not even that bad, trust me. It will just let you feel like you're floating in the air with no worries." I just stare at him. "I will never try to tell you to take another pill ever. If you take this baby one. Also, even though I keep trying to get you to take this...in the end, if you don't want to take it. I can't make you." He smiles, taking one. I roll my eyes, opening my mouth with my tongue out, "Hurry up before I change my mind." I tell him, and he places it on my tongue, and I swallow it.

I make up my bed, so it looks like I'm sleeping before we sneak out the window. As we walk around, I don't feel anything happening to me yet. "How many fingers am I holding up?" He shoves his fingers in my face. "Three." I laugh. "Okay, it hasn't hit you yet." He laughs as we get to the park running over to the swings. "Do you think your parents will get a divorce soon?" He asks as we swing a little. "Yeah, if they do, I'm choosing my dad. One, he's better. Two, he most likely won't move to Sunnyvale like my mother would." I speak the truth. "You wouldn't move to Sunnyvale if you had the chance?" He looks over at me. "I would, but I don't wanna leave you guys," I tell him. "We love you too." He says, making me laugh. After a few more minutes, I could tell the pill hit, Simon. Right before it hits me.

Let's just say swinging on the swings while being high for the first time was not the best. I end up falling off the swing in the air, hitting the ground, laughing. "You know you can't actually fly, right." Simon laughs, then jumps off, landing bad, making me laugh too. "I know, I wasn't trying. I just felt weird." I laugh at him jumping up. "How many fingers am I holding up?" I ask him. "Eight." He reaches for my hand. "Dude, I don't even know the correct answer." I laugh at myself, trying to count my fingers. Once he gets up, we play around on the playset and monkey bars. "Wow, Si! The earth flipped upside down." I swing upside down as he does the same. "Wow, this is my first time experiencing this. Why have I never noticed this? Maybe this other pill will make it cooler." I see him take another pill, and I snatch one from him, taking another too.

I fall off then pull myself up with the pole before spinning around it. "Maybe I should let loose more." I stopped walking up to Simon, who was still hanging. "Told you, no worries." He reaches to tap my nose then pulls my face closer to his till his lips come in contact with mine. As I kiss him back, he falls off, pulling me down to the ground too laughing. My body takes over, straddling him leaning down to kiss him while his hands grab my hips. He rolled us over, so he was on top, kissing me then down my neck and collar bone. He moved his hand under my shirt, sliding his hand up and down my side. He pressed his lips against mine again and trailed his hand down my thigh, rubbing it. "I don't know if I'm hallucinating or not." He says out of breath, grinding up against me, hard. "If we are, it's a crazy one." I pull him down, kissing him roughly as our tongues fight.

Thankfully once the night was over, we woke up at the park. We had no memory of us having that heated make-out after we took the second pill. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" I jump up from the ground, waking up Simon. "Shit, did we sleep here? I don't remember anything after we took that second pill." He rubs his head. "Either do I! I'm so dead! I gotta get home. Fuck even, my dad is going to kill me." I start to walk home, and Simon walks with me. "Good luck." He says as we get closer to my house, then he heads home too. As I sneak back into my room, the door opens, showing Sam with her arms crossed. "Never have I had to cover for you. Where the hell have you been? You look like shit." She asks, pissed off.

"The park with Simon. We fell asleep, and we don't even remember falling asleep on the ground." I tell her. "You got high?! You hate drugs, so what the fuck?" She hits me. "He talked me into. It was a one-time thing never again.'' I let her know. "What did y'all do?" She asks. "Played at the park then fell asleep there. That's pretty much it." I tell her the truth as my dad walks in. He eyes me, then crosses his arms, "You're grounded for the rest of the weekend.'' He leaves my room then pops his head back in, "Change before your mother sees you." He shuts my door. "Yes, Sir!" I shout as Sam leaves too, and I change into clean clothes.

#fear street trilogy #fear street 1666 #fear street 1994 #fear street deena #fear street kate #fear street sam #fear street josh #simon fear street #fear street simon #fear street #kate fear street #kate schmidt #simon kalivoda #fear street ff #fear street fanfic

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linhlotus · 4 years ago

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Tales of Lovebug and Kitty Noir Ch 5: Pixelator.

Marinette walked out of the elevator and past the front desk.

“Failed as a gopher already, Dupain-Cheng?” She heard Chloe laugh from the desk.

Marinette ignored her and kept walking, but before she was out of earshot, she heard Adrien say, “I’ll be right back. There’s something I forgot to do.”

She was a few blocks away from the hotel when she felt the eyes. When Marinette turned, though, she didn’t see anyone watching her. She shivered and started walking faster.

Even after she got to the Eiffel tower, she still couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching her, so she backtracked to a nearby alley to see who it was. When no one followed her, she thought she was imagining things.

“What’s a pretty little lady like you doing in a place like this?”

Marinette whirled around. “Oh, it’s just you,” she sighed.

“Did I scare you?” he smiled. It was a kind smile that made Marinette melt.

“Yes,” she admitted.

“Sorry, Purrincess. I wasn’t trying to.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s fine, Kitty. Do you want to help me?”

“With what?”

“I need to get Jagged Stone some Eiffel Tower glasses with the Parisian flag on them,” Marinette explained.

“I’d love to help.”

“Okay, let’s go then.” Marinette motioned for him to follow and started walking out of the alley.

Chat grabbed her arm. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he grinned

She looked back at him, quizzically. “To the Eiffel Tower? Where was I supposed to go?”

“Don’t you want me to give you a lift?”

“Oh. Yes, please,” she smiled up at him. The prospect of being so close to him was too good to pass up.

He scooped her up and readied his baton. “Hold on, M’lady.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt wonderful to be in his arms, pressed against his chest. It felt safe. She wasn’t even scared when Chat leaped up to a nearby roof. Although, part of that may have been because she did this as Lovebug.

Chat landed near the Eiffel Tower and set her on her feet. Was it her or was he reluctant to let go of her?

They saw a vendor selling sunglasses with little Eiffel Towers on the sides. Marinette was about to buy a pair when Chat set his hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked up at him. “What is it?”

“Don’t you think it would be better to make sure the glasses are exactly how he wanted them before you give them to him? That way, you won’t have to redo it and if you got it out of the way, we could go get that ice cream you promised me.” He smiled, his eyes twinkling.

She had an idea. “Hey, Chat, can you take me to my room? I need to get something.”

“Of course, Purrincess.”

------

“And . . . Voila!” Marinette held up her masterpiece. She turned to Chat. “What do you think?”

“They’re way better than the ones you almost bought at the tower. I’m sure he’ll love them. I might just buy a pair myself,” he grinned.

“You don’t have to buy them, I’ll make a pair just for you. You can call it a present for saving the city every day.”

“Hey, maybe I could model your designs!”

“Really?!” That way, they could see each other all the time! “I can pay you in sweets.”

“I wouldn’t say no to that . . .” he rubbed the back of his neck. “Why don’t we drop off these amazing shades and then we can write a contract.”

“Perfect! Come on.” They made their way to the balcony and Chat picked her up again. Oh, this was heavenly!

He leaped to the hotel and set her down. When they walked in, no one was there. Not Chloe, not Adrien, not even the hotel staff. Where was everyone? Marinette heard a series of muffled screams and crashes from above.

She rushed toward the stairs, yelling after Chat to follow her.“Come on!”

“Wait, Marinette, it could be an Akuma!” Chat rushed to keep up.

“Then I can help.”

“But you might get hurt!”

“Not if you’re there to save me.” Marinette stopped in her tracks catching him a bit off guard. Going by his side, she grabbed his shoulders and gave him no option but to look solely at her. “I'll be fine. It's probably nothing.”

“If it’s an Akuma, you have to leave immediately.”

“Deal,” she agreed. “Now let’s go check it out.”

She turned and they made their way up, checking each floor before moving on. When they got to the fourth floor, Marinette saw a man with what looked like a camera attached to his face. He watched them for a second and then pressed a button on his head.

Chat dived in front of her as a flash of white enveloped them.

When she regained her senses, all she saw was white.

A thud resounded around her and she looked down to see Chat on the floor. “Are you okay, Kitty?” she asked, kneeling next to him.

“Yeah, I’m fine, but what about you?”

“I’m alright. Where are we?”

“I don’t know, let’s see if we can find a way out.”

After walking for a few minutes and seemingly getting nowhere, Marinette looked to the side and saw- a crocodile?

“Chat, look. Isn’t that Jagged’s crocodile?”

“Watch out, M’lady, I’ll protect you.” Chat leaped in front of her and brandished his staff. “This is all my fault, I never should have let you come with me.”

“No, Kitty, look at me. We’re both fine. We just need to make a plan. If I hadn’t come, I would’ve worried about you the whole time.”

He considered this for a moment. “Fine let’s go make a plan, but we’d better put some distance between us and the crocodile.”

They started walking and it didn’t take Marinette long to come up with an idea. “Hey, we haven’t tried going up.”

“That’s true . . . but what if you fall?”

“I won’t.” She grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s try it.”

Chat sighed and picked her up. “Hold on.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest which seemed to make him relax ever so slightly. Chat pressed a button on his baton and they shot upward.

After a few minutes, Chat pressed another button and they stopped. “It’s no use. It just keeps going.”

“Let’s go back down and try something else.”

He nodded and brought them down.

“Why don’t you try your cataclysm? If it doesn’t work, I’ll turn around when you change back,” she suggested as he set her on her feet.

“That might work!” Chat said and Marinette could see that he believed it was the best idea yet. “CATACLYSM!” he said and slammed his hand against the ground.

The ground cracked and disappeared and Marinette grabbed Chat’s arm for support. They reappeared in the hotel with Jagged’s crocodile bellowing down the hall.

“Let’s get out of here,” Chat said.

“I agree.” They backed into the stairwell and slammed the door behind them before running to the first floor where Chloe was throwing a tantrum.

“This is all your fault, Dupain-Cheng!” Chloe screamed when she saw Marinette.

“How is this my fault?”

“If you had been at the hotel like you were supposed to be, that hooligan wouldn’t have targeted me.” Chloe flipped her hair. “Because of you, my hair is ruined and Adrikins is nowhere to be seen!” she whined, turning to Kim and pretending to cry on his chest.

Marinette was fuming.

How could Chloe accuse her like that? She was the one that gave Marinette the job of ‘gopher’ anyway! If anyone was to blame, it was Chloe, herself. Not that she would admit it.

Chat settled his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, her expression softening. “Just ignore her, she’s not worth it.”

Marinette nodded. She knew he was right it was just hard with Chloe constantly getting on her nerves.

They walked out of the hotel and saw the Akuma again. This time, he was preoccupied with a civilian down the road, but he turned to them once they disappeared.

“So, you escaped. That won’t happen again.” He noticed Marinette. “Ah, who is this? Is she your girlfriend?” Marinette and Chat both blushed and looked away. “She’s very pretty. She’ll go very nicely with my other photographs. What do you think, Chat Noir? Wouldn’t she look good next to Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale?”

Chat glared at him. And- was he growling? Marinette had never seen him so mad. It was kind of fascinating to compare to the soft expression he so often gave to her. She felt honored that it was on her behalf, but at the same time, he was scary.

“Oh, didn’t mean to jiggle your tripod.” The Akuma laughed.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “That was so bad.”

“Hey! You’ll pay for that!”

He pressed a button on his head and Chat knocked her to the ground just in time, but her arm still got hit. Chat grinned at her from a few inches away. “You just keep falling for me, don’t you?”

“This isn’t the best time, Chat.”

“Sorry, M’lady. Couldn’t help myself.”

He stood up and offered her his hand. When she tried to accept it, though, her hand went right through. Chat looked horrified.

She couldn’t quite understand what was going on. She hadn’t been hit directly so she’d thought she was in the clear, but maybe it just had different effects. Marinette tried again with her other hand. This time, it worked. She just couldn’t use her right hand.

He let go of her hand and instead picked her up. “Hold on, Purrincess. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”

Marinette wrapped her good arm around Chat’s neck and let her other one hang by her side. Chat leaped onto the roof of a neighboring building.

They arrived at her balcony and Chat set her down on her chair. He was about to leave, but she grabbed his tail. “We have to figure out where the akuma is. You said Lovebug was unavailable for a while, maybe she’s still busy.”

She couldn’t let Chat know she was Lovebug and he was sure to find out if she transformed with her arm out of commission. What were the chances that two people who looked remarkably similar would have gotten the exact same injury at the same time? He’d never believe that.

He turned back to her.

“So we need to get something to trap the akuma in and you can deliver it to Lovebug with the other one.”

“You’re right. Any ideas?” he asked, sitting in front of her.

She thought for a moment. His weapon was on his head so that could be it. Did he have anything that didn’t match his outfit? She didn’t think so. That was their best bet.

“I can’t think of anything other than his camera. What about you?”

“I agree with you.” He stood up. “I’ll be back when I’m done.”

Marinette stood and adopted a defensive stance, bracing herself for his inevitable objection. “No.”

“What?”

“I’m coming with you.” She crossed her arms. As best she could, anyway.

“Absolutely not. You don’t have a miraculous.”

“Yeah, but I have ideas. And I have you. I know you would never let me get hurt.”

“But I already have,” he growled and gestured to her arm. “You were hurt because I couldn’t save you.”

“Technically not, because it doesn’t actually hurt,” she grinned.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re not coming. I will not put you in danger again.”

“If you don’t take me, I’ll follow you. And then you won’t be able to protect me.”

He glared at her for a few minutes, but Marinette could tell it didn’t have much spite behind it. “Fine, but if I tell you to do something, you listen.”

“Agreed,” she chirped.

He picked her up and she held on to him again.

He leaped to where they’d last seen the akuma and landed in an alley, settling her on her feet.

They looked around the corner and spotted him immediately.

Marinette pulled back and Chat turned to face her. “We need to get close to him.”

He pursed his lips but didn’t argue.

“Do we know what he’s after?”

Chat held up his baton. “Well, let’s check the news.”

They watched a video Nadija had managed to take before she was turned into a photograph, as well as one from Alya. They both said the same thing; the Akuma had been identified as Vincent Asa who now went by Pixelator and he was after Jagged Stone. But, curiously, he wasn’t seeking vengeance. Well, not really. At least, he wasn’t openly threatening Jagged so that had to be an improvement.

“I have a plan. You go recharge and get Jagged. I’ll stay here and wait for you.”

“But-”

She cut him off, “No time to argue, Kitty, just go find him.”

He scowled but extended his baton. “Don’t get near him. Just wait right here until I get back.” Then he was gone though she could still hear him landing on the rooftop. She turned back to keep an eye on Pixelator and found herself looking right at him.

“I see your pretty little kitty left you here all alone.” He pressed a button on his temple and, for the third time that day, a beam of white light shot at her. She jumped to the side, barely getting out of the way in time.

“He’ll be back.” She was confident in that at least, but whether she would make it till then was what worried her. She just had to keep from getting hit and she’d be fine.

After a few minutes of dodging attacks, there was still no sign of Chat and Marinette was getting tired. Pixelator sent another beam of light at her and she leaped out of the way, but when she tried to take another step, she collapsed. Pixelator must have remembered what happened to her arm and decided to incapacitate her before he returned her to her frame.

Marinette tried to scramble away, but with two unusable limbs, she wasn’t going anywhere. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited to be hit by another beam, but there was a yell from somewhere behind the akuma that made her eyes fly open.

“Hey, leave her alone!”

It was Chat! Perfect timing!

“A little bird told me you were looking for someone.”

Jagged Stone stepped out from behind Chat. “Hey, Vincent! I heard you wanted a photo.”

“The name’s Pixelator now. Come here so I can immortalize you.”

Jagged started walking to Pixelator and while he was distracted, Chat rushed over to help her up.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better, but I think I have an idea for how to help Jagged.” She picked up her purse. “Can you open this for me?”

“Sure.” He opened it and was courteous enough not to look inside, which was nice because otherwise, as he would say, ‘the cat would have been out of the bag’. He held it out to her. “Here, I’ll hold it for you.”

“Thanks.” She used her good hand to pull out a small makeup mirror. “Help me over to them.”

“Are you sure abou-”

“Please, Chat.”

He sighed but helped her up and they hobbled over to where Jagged kept repositioning himself in an attempt to stall.

Pixelator was getting fed up. “Enough!” He smiled sadistically. “Look into the lens.”

Marinette hurled the mirror as Jagged braced himself for a hit that never came. Instead, the beam bounced off her mirror and hit Pixelator. He vanished, leaving the visor in his place.

“Great job, Purrincess!”

“Did you bring something to capture the akuma with?” she asked.

He held up a jar. “Yeah.”

“Go, quick so no one can do any more damage.”

He snapped it and a purple butterfly fluttered out, its wings glittering evilly in the sun. Before it could go more than a few feet, it was caught in a jar and a lid was snapped over it.

Chat turned back to her. “Do you want me to take you home before I go look for Lovebug?”

“That would be nice,” she admitted.

He scooped her up which was really awkward after what Pixelator had done to her. She held onto him with her good arm as he jumped across the rooftops. When they got to her house, he opened her skylight and lowered her onto her bed.

Marinette waited until she was sure he was gone before calling Tikki out of her purse. “We have to fix this and purify the akumas. TIKKI, SPOTS ON! LUCKY CHARM!” A mirror fell into her hand.

Marinette waited until she was sure he was gone before calling Tikki out of her purse. “We have to fix this and purify the akumas. TIKKI, SPOTS ON! LUCKY CHARM!” A mirror fell into her hand. </p>

“A little late for that. Don’t you think? Oh, whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore.” She threw the mirror into the air. “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!” Ladybugs flew all around her and she sighed as she regained the feeling in her arm and leg.

“Time to go find Chat.” Lovebug opened her skylight and swung away. When she finally found Chat, he was leaping toward Notre Dame. “Chat Noir! Chat Noir!” she called.

He turned and they landed on a roof to talk. “Sorry I’m late. I had some trouble getting away. Do you have the akumas?”

“Yeah.” He handed them to her.

As Lovebug opened the jars, she told him that she had already used her lucky charm and the miraculous cure so she had only a few minutes. She purified the akumas and leaped back to her house as fast as she could, detransforming as she dropped onto her bed.

A few minutes later, Chat popped his head in. “Hey, Purrincess. Ready to go drop off Jagged’s glasses and get some ice cream?”

“Yeah, let me just go get a notebook. We still have to write that contract.”

When Marinette got home after her afternoon with Chat, all she could do was lay on her chaise and sigh. The day had been perfect and she hoped they could do something similar together soon.

Thank you to my wonderful beta @valiantlyjollynightmare!

#the next chapter is Ladrien!#this is the longest fic i've ever written #it's almost 2k #pixelator #marinette #chat #chat noir #marichat #ladybug #mlb #ml #chloe

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bruh--wtf · 4 years ago

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A Message

Thomas x Reader

The Scorch Trials - the first movie is part of the series. Highly suggest reading it first for it to make sense.

Summary: The reader, Thomas, and the remaining Gladers are thrown into the outside world, and quickly have to figure out what life is like outside of the Maze. Thomas, with his memories returning, doesn't know what he should and what he shouldn't tell the reader.

Part 15

Main Masterlist

Previous Next

Maze Runner Masterlist

You felt the tears streaming down your cheeks. You blinked and suddenly you were sitting down, your head in someone's shoulderr as you cried. Eventually you picked your head up, and blinked again. Thomas? But it was a younger Thomas.

"Can I redo that thank you?" You felt yourself whisper. Younger Thomas nodded.

"Yeah, sure." You felt yourself leaning forward. Wait what?! When you closed your eyes again, you realized that you were kissing Thomas. Why? What happened? What's going on?

"At least you'll have a good memory of me now." After a second of silence between the two of you you said something again. "Thank you." It was softer, the joke gone.

"Your welcome." You felt yourself smiling, what was happening crashing through your mind. The whole day, coming back to you. Flashes of before the maze, but that day. It was clear. Every detail.

You woke up. Your eyes widened and Minho looked over at you. He shifted to face you.

"Morning," he says. You sit up, in shock. You didn't know why you remembered, but you did. "What is it?" He asks.

You look up at him. You stand up, looking around. "You were pretty messed up when we found you, are you alright?" Minho asks. You glance over at Jorge, who was hitting the man from the party.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Y/N, you were crying. I've never seen you cry in the three years that I've known you," Minho says. You look down at him.

"Yeah, well, seeing things will do that to you," you say.

"Seeing things?" Minho asks. You nod, scratching your neck.

"I was hallucinating on whatever that shank gave us," you say, gesturing to the man as Jorge hits him again. You notice Teresa sitting by a sleeping Thomas. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he just hasn't woken up yet. You were in worse shape than he was, though," Minho says. You fake a smile at him.

"Ha ha."

"No, but I'm curious. What were you seeing?" Minho asks. You look at him, you clear your throat, shaking your head.

Minho opens his mouth then he sees something. He nods towards Thomas and walks over.

"Welcome back, ya ugly shank," Minho says. Just after that, Thomas sits up. He looked kind of freaked out. He looks at Brenda for a second, then you as you walk over. What were you supposed to say to him? Hey, do you remember kissing me three years ago? No!

"You son of a bitch!" Jorge yells, and punches the man. You look over and Thomas gets up.

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to leave my house," he says.

"Looks like you've been having fun," Newt says as you both walk over. You whack the back of his head lightly.

"Shut up," you say, sitting on the edge of the couch next to where he was sitting.

"I don't enjoy hurting you," Jorge says. "Where is the Right Arm, Marcus?" Marcus? So that shank lied to you? You glanced at Brenda who was looking at Thomas. Wait. They kissed. Or did you hallucinate that too?

"This is Marcus?" Thomas asks, stepping forward. Marcus laughs.

"The kid catches on quick. Are you the brains of the operation, uh- ah ah-" he stops as Jorge grabs his hair, pulling his head back.

"I know you know where they are hiding. So you tell me. And I'll make you a deal." Marcus laughs. "You can come with us."

"I burned that bridge a long time ago. Besides, I make my own deal. You're the on who taught me to never miss an opportunity." Marcus laugh sounded maniacal.

"What's he talking about?" You ask. Marcus looks over at you. He gasps.

"Oh? Did they finally stop?" He asks. You clench your jaw, you saw your friends look at you. You felt like punching this shank. "Uh, and to answer your question, I'm talking about supply and demand. WCKD wants all the immunes they can get. I help provide that for them." He pauses and you watch him. "So, I lure the kids in, they get drunk, they have a good time, and then later WCKD comes in..." He looks at Brenda.

"I changed my mind. I do enjoy hurting you," Jorge says. He then kicks Marcus, knocking his chair over. Marcus was still laughing until Jorge starts choking him. "Talk!"

"Okay, okay, Jesus! See, the problem is, these guys like to move around..." Jorge drags the chair back upright. "They have an outpost in the mountains. But it's a long way away. You got a half a week and you're never gonna make it." He laughs again.

"Not on foot," Jorge says. He crouches down, slapping Marcus's chest. "There's Bertha." Marcus frowns.

"N-Not Bertha." He looked like he was going to cry.

Later, you found yourselves on the road. In a car. Jorge looked back at Minho, who had his head down slightly. Then he glanced at you. You were looking out the window, you liked watching it all go by. But then you looked at Newt, who smiled. He was loving this. You smiled a little.

Eventually, Jorge stopped the car. You looked forward, and quickly got out, seeing the jam of cars ahead.

"Well, I guess we're on foot," Jorge says. You all start walking, looking around. Newt had told you your book was in Minho's bag. You bit your lip, looking at Thomas. The two of you a little behind the group.

"Thomas?" You ask. He looks at you, but nods towards the car he was standing at. You go forward, seeing a bullet hole in a car windshield. Then a shot goes off on the car hood.

"Take cover!" Newt yells.

Thomas pulls you down, holding you with his back against the car. His arm was around you, and you heard shots going off. They echoed through the mountains, but they stopped quickly.

"Everyone okay?!" You call.

"We're fine!" Teresa yells.

"Anyone know where those bloody shots came from?!" Newt yells.

"This is what I get for asking Marcus," Jorge says. You and Thomas look at him, he was digging in his pockets. "He led us into an ambush. You turned out of Thomas's grasp, poking your head out to look up, trying to find where the people might be.

A shot goes off right next to your head and you duck back down.

"What do we do?" Thomas asks Jorge.

"Here." He hands Thomas something. "Hold this. It'll create a diversion. Get ready to chuck it." He opens a button, and Thoma sits up a little bit. "Everybody! Get set to sprint back to the truck! And hold your ears!"

Then he whispers to Thomas. "Ready, one, two-" there's a clicking from behind Jorge. You all freeze.

"Drop it." You look back to see two girls holding guns at you. "I said drop it! Lets go, on your feet! Back up!" The girl yells.

The other girl starts yelling too, giving you all orders. You all start standing up, them pushing you back towards the others. The first girl looks behind you and lowers her gun slightly.

"Aris?" She asks. You look back at the boy. The girl takes her mask off and Aris goes forward.

"Oh my god, Harriet?!" Aris exclaims. The girl runs forward, embracing the boy.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" The girl exclaims. The blonde girl takes off her mask too.

Aris turns to her. "Sonya," he says and she hugs him.

"Aris, you're lucky we didn't shoot your dumbass." You see Newt and Thomas exchange a look.

"Uh, what's happening?" Minho asks.

"We were in the maze together," Aris explains. The girl, Harriet, whistles.

"We're clear, guys, come on out!" She yells. People start showing themselves in the mountains. They start showing you all to the other side.

"Wait so, how did you guys get here?" Aris asks.

"The Right Arm got us out," Harriet says.

"Wait, wait," Thomas says, walking up to her. "The Right Arm. Do you know who they are?" Harriet smirks, opens the door, and nods to the car.

"Hop in."

When the cars come to a stop again you see a camp. The girls keep explaining while you looked around. You walked down a hill.

"You guys are lucky you found us when you did," Sonya says. "We're moving out at first light. Where's Vince?" She asks someone. You continued to take in the place.

"Who's Vince?" Thomas asks. You kept looking around like you were trying to find something. You just didn't know what.

"He's the one that decides if you get to stay," Harriet says.

"I thought the Right Arm was supposed to be an army," Minho says. You snap your attention back to the group.

"Yeah, we were! This is all that's left of us," a man says as he walks up to you. "Lot of good people died getting us this far." You straighten up. He was Vince. He was the leader. You knew it. "Who are they?"

"They're immunes. Caught em coming up the mountain," Harriet says.

"Did you check em?" Vince asks. Harriet points to Aris.

"I know this guy, Aris. I trust him."

"I don't. Check em," Vince nods to a guy nesr your group.

"Hey boss," he says, gesturing towards Brenda as she falls.

"Brenda! Brenda!" Jorge says, rushing to her side. You look at Thomas. You both knew what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Vince asks. He crouches down as Jorge picks up Brenda.

"Talk to me."

"I'm sorry," she starts repeating. Vince puts a hand on Jorge's shoulder.

"What's going on with her?" Jorge ignore him, and Vince looks down at Brenda's bandage. He peels it down and quickly jumps back, pulling out a gun.

"Crank, we got a crank!" Vince yells. Jorge yells, pulling Brenda back. You jump infront of Brenda.

"Ay! Wait! Calm down!" Vince points away.

"Get back!" He yells. You don't budge.

"Just listen for two seconds, alright?! This just happened. She isn't dangerous!"

"You shouldn't have brought her here!" He tries to push you back, but again you don't budge. "If we let cranks in here now, the safe haven doesn't last a week!"

"I know that, okay?! I understand. There has to be something you can do," you say. He nods.

"Yeah, there is." He clicks the gun. "I can put her out of her misery."

"No!" Jorge yells.

"Vince! That's enough!" A woman yells, appearing behind him. "Let him go! Let him go!"

She runs up behind Vince. "She's been infected, Doc. There's nothing we can do for her."

She looks past you and smiles suddenly. "No. But he can," she says, looking at Thomas. You look over at him. "Hello, Thomas."

"You know me?" Thomas asks. The woman nods sadly, looking at him.

"Interesting," she says and looks down at Brenda. "Makes sense they put you in the maze." She then goes down to look closer at Brenda. You looked at Thomas who looked at the woman. "Though, I must admit, I was worried they'd kill you after what you did."

"What I did?" Thomas asks. The woman puts Brenda's wrist down and looks back at Thomas.

"The first time we spoke, you said you couldn't take it anymore. Watching your friends die one by one." You watched as all the gladers looked at Thomas. "The last time we spoke, you gave me the coordinates of every WCKD compound, trial, and lab."

Vince looks at him. "He was our source."

"We couldn't have pulled all this off without him," the woman says. You glance at her and she looks at you. She smiles. "Take her to the tent," she says about Brenda. "Get these guys some warm clothes. It's the least we can do. Thomas, come on."

Thomas glances at you, but follows the woman. You look back at the guys in shock. You definitely needed to tell them you were remembering. But how the hell do you do that?

"But why?" You hear as you walk up to the tent. You walk inside, the woman looks at you and smiles. "Y/N. It's nice to finally meet you." She nods her head at you, but goes back to what she was doing.

"Uh, you too," you say, and look at Thomas. He shrugs, and looks at the woman again as she stsrts talking.

"Eventually, I found an answer. An enzyme produced by the brains of the immune. Once separated from the blood stream, it can serve as a powerful agent to slow the spread of the virus." You look at her.

"So, you found a cure, Thomas says. The woman shakes her head.

"Not exactly. The enzyme can't be manufactured. Only harvested from the immune. The young. Of course that didn't stop WCKD. If they had their way, they'd sacrifice an entire generation. All, for this," she says, and holds up a needle. "A gift of evolution."

"But. One not meant for all of us," she adds. She walks over and gives Brenda the shot.

"How long will that give her?" You ask.

"It's different for everyone. A few months, maybe. But that's the catch, isn't it? She'll always need more."

"Lets go outside. Let them rest," she says to Jorge. You glance at Thomas and Brenda. You knew she didn't mean you too, but you didn't want to be in there with just the two of them. Not when you weren't sure about your hallucinations. Or your past with Thomas. If he remembers it... that's a whole other reason not to bring it up. You quickly walk out of the tent. You walk back over to your friends.

Aris was laughing with his friends. But you were sitting with the other gladers. The boys. When Thomas walked over, you licked your lips.

"I wish Alby could have seen all this," Newt says. You look at him, nodding.

"And Winston," Frypan says.

"And Chuck," Thomas says, he was holding Chuck's wooden figure. You looked out at the camp.

"They'd be proud of us for getting as far as we have," you say, looking down. "For staying together." You look around at your friends. "You guys know that, right?"

They nod and you hear a 'yeah' from Thomas. You look over at him and you were all silent for another minute. Now wasn't the time to tell them. You didn't know when would be, but this wasn't it.

"Hey, Aris!" Frypan yells down. Aris looks up at you all, and waves.

"Hey, guys!"

"You know, I kinda like that kid," Frypan says. You chuckle.

"Yeah... still don't trust him though," Minho says. You all laugh a little.

"Hey, where's Teresa?" Thomas asks. You point further up the mountain.

"She went up there a little while ago," you say. Thomas gets up, and goes over to get to her.

You were watching the sky. It's beautiful clouds. You were hoping for a good night sleep. You hadn't had one in over a week. Maybe over three years, if you're really honest. But... things weren't that easy.

#tmr newt #tmr thomas #tmr teresa #tmr minho #tmr brenda #tmr aris #tmr jorge #thomas x reader #thomas maze runner #the maze runner #the scorch trials

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writing-processing · 4 years ago

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TUA SECRET SANTA - AU Fix It!

Klave, Klaus and Five shenanigans, Dave and Luther bonding, and apocalypse aversion in season 1! Please enjoy @fanthings !!! I haven’t written a fic in a very long time but I had a lot of fun writing this. I’m sorry if it isn’t suuuper great as I had to forgo finishing editing so it could be in on time. But I’m happy with how it flows as is. Happy Holidays! <3 @secret-santa-klaus

They were done. The war was over and Dave and Klaus made it back to the states, their arms draped around one another’s shoulders. They’d found themselves in Texas with nothing but a couple satchels and a briefcase that Klaus would have refused to take his eyes off of if it weren’t for Dave’s smiling and relieved face.

Dave’s family welcomed him home with open arms, and Dave refused to leave his “buddy Klaus” whose family didn’t even write back when he’d write. (Really, Klaus wrote letters for Ben and had them thrown into the fire. Dave saw this only once and decided that it seemed complicated enough not to ask about… And yet...) Of course, Dave’s family took the lil oddball in as soon as he hit them with appreciation for Dave, but Dave wouldn’t let him have it and launched into the story of how Klaus had saved his life.

Soon enough, eleven at night came to pass and both soldiers retreated to Dave’s old room, ignoring instructions to set up the second mattress on the floor. At just past eleven that night, though, Klaus turned to Dave and came clean. About everything.

“Dave,” he breathed, hands shaking a bit. Dave moved to close the door before settling his hands over Klaus’ trembling ones. In a worried hush, he whispered, “What is it? Are you okay? Did everyone overwhelm you—”

“No,” Klaus said. “No they’re lovely.” He smiled.

“Then, what’s wrong?” As Dave asked this, Klaus’ eyes flitted towards his briefcase, and as he looked back at Dave, his nose scrunched before tears began to well in his eyes.

“Oh, honey.” Dave caught Klaus’ first few tears with his thumbs but soon, he had an armful of boyfriend and tears staining his best shirt. Still, he hushed this precious, precious man, and rubbed at his back soothingly. Once his tears subsided, Dave asked, “What’s your bag, sweetheart?”

Klaus giggled a bit and pulled away shaking his head. “Oh, you know...” He trailed off.

“Well? Why not sit down then?”

“That’d be good.”

They sat and after a beat, Klaus spoke. “Davey, I’ve gotta tell you. Something.” Dave moved a little closer to Klaus, if possible and looked at him so earnestly that Klaus’ heart melted all over again. He took a deep breath and continued. “It’s really, really gonna sound crazy, so I just need you to listen until I’m done. Okay?” When Dave nodded, Klaus launched into the details of his life, which could only best be described as ludicrous. Once Klaus finished explaining, Dave nodded solemnly and cleared his throat.

“Well,” he started. “Klaus, it would definitely explain a lot,” he laughed. “But I’m still not quite sure. Just. I— Wow. I never thought...” Klaus turned his gaze to his hands where he was picking at his cuticles nervously. Dave interrupted this by taking his hands again. “But either way. Real or not, I still… Well, Klaus, I think you would know this by now. Maybe not, but I love you.” Klaus inhaled sharply.

“Really?” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Dave said with complete certainty. “Yeah, Klaus, of course. A-and I— you don’t have to—”

“No, Dave, yes. Yes, I love you too.” Klaus laughed a little. “I love you too.”

Dave smiled so bright, Klaus just had to kiss him. Only, then, the door opened.

It was well past 3 in the morning by the time Dave and Klaus were back outside the front door of Dave’s childhood home. Their few belongings in hand, the two men made it to a nearby park to talk over what would be next. Dave’s mother had made it very clear that Klaus would never be welcome again, and that Dave made it clear that he chose Klaus. He only stared blankly while they walked, not a tear shed.

“At least you met them,” he whispered once they’d sat down on a bench. Klaus fiddled with the briefcase.

“Dave, I’m so sor—”

“No, Klaus. It’s, well.” Dave paused. A single tear dropped. “Well,” he continued, “I don’t think I quite expected much else, if the truth ever did come out. I guess it was better sooner than later in case anyone got attached, or-or tried to set us up with some girls down the block or somethin.”

“Doesn’t make it hurt any less, Davey,” Klaus reassured, as he set his head on Dave’s shoulder. They both sat like that, contemplative in their own rights, until the sky started to turn a slightly lighter shade of blue and the birds started to interrupt their thoughts. Klaus sighed.

“Dave, d’you remember what I told you tonight? About, y’know, the future?”

“Klaus,” Dave started. “Is that what you want? Cause, you know I’d drop everythin’ for you right now. But are you sayin’ you’d go back to it all for me?”

“It’s just...” Klaus hesitated. “You know we could be together there. It’s not like it is here. We wouldn’t get hassled. And— well, I can start over. Ben always said it wasn’t too late to change my mind. I never did until. Well, until I knew I loved you, Dave. It’s just that you’ll be stuck there. We can’t come back n visit your mom or redo anything, you know that?”

“Well, ain’t that life anyhow, Klaus?” Dave smiled at him in the morning rays of daytime and Klaus knew he wanted this, too.

“Then,” Klaus said, standing. “How about we test this briefcase, yeah?”

“That sounds like a plan to me.”

They were gone in a flash.

The two veterans silently tiptoed into the academy and safely made it into Klaus’ childhood bedroom.

“Well, I dunno about you, but I need a long bath. Haven’t had one in a long time. Wanna join me?” He smiled serenely, both knew that this wasn’t a suggestive suggestion, however suggestive it could have been. So Dave smiled back and shook his head, looking around.

“I think I’ll have a look around. A bit of revenge for your time at my ol’ place...”

“Take your time, then, babe,” Klaus said, already rummaging for a towel. “I’ll be a bit. If you get tired, go ahead n get some sleep.”

“I will,” Dave promised. And so, Klaus readied his bath and left his headphones in his room, just in case Dave needed something

Halfway through his bath, though, came a series of shouts that sounded distinctly homicidal and threatening.

“WHO ARE YOU? The commission absolutely would not have sent you. How did you get this briefcase, and what is your business here?”

“Um, sorry, I’m with Klaus? He’s in the bath.”

“Yeah, right.”

It was Five.

Klaus scrambled for a towel and burst into his room after barely securing said towel around his waist.

“Five, goddamn it. This is Dave. Chill out little man.”

“Klaus,” Five sneered. “Why would you bring a man from another time to 2019? Jesus, do you understand nothing of time travel?”

“I had to.”

“Yeah, okay. Great. We’re dealing with this after I’ve used this.” He said this while taking the briefcase. “Good bye.” with that, Five was gone. After an exasperated giggle, Klaus closed the door and finished drying off before the two fell into a deep rest in his childhood bedroom.

They awoke to a loud clanging coming from downstairs sometime the next day. The both of them got some clothes on and rushed downstairs to find a drunk Luther in the sitting room, while an upset Ben followed them. Overwhelmed, Klaus turned to Dave.

“Hey honey, this is Luther,” he said, glancing at Luther worriedly. “He needs to sober up a bit and get out of his head. Can you talk to him? I have to go deal with something else.”

“Of course, Klaus. Just come back soon, okay?”

“I’ll try.” He smiled tightly, eyes shifting, before he kissed Dave’s cheek and wandered off, mumbling to something on his way out. Dave turned to Luther.

“So, Luther, yeah?”

Things came to a head on the night of Vanya’s concert, which Klaus and Dave were invited to when Klaus had gone to introduce Dave to her. Dave was taken aback by the world he’d been thrust into but he didn’t think he’d come across someone thinking it okay to lock someone up. The army didn’t lock people up when they were dealing with PTSD. Well, they didn’t really do anything, but this certainly was not part of it.

“Luther,” Dave started. “I know you’re scared. I understand. I don’t really know much of what’s going on, myself… That’s not the point though. This isn’t something, someone we can just lock up and put away. We need to help her.”

There was silence. No one was sure of what Luther was thinking but after another moment, he surprised everyone by turning open the lock and letting Vanya out. Klaus ran in and grabbed his sister, Diego and Allison on his heels.

The night passed and Five cornered Klaus.

“What changed? Did I save the world? Is it over? Where’s Vanya?”

“Vanya’s fine.” And Klaus explained everything, with the occasional input from Ben or Dave. When he was finished, Five was quiet.

“Is everything okay?” Klaus asked.

“I think so,” Five laughed, actually laughed. “Klaus, I think you saved the world!”

“Me?” Klaus looked at Dave. “What?”

“Yeah, it makes sense. You’re the only other factor here, and I really don’t think it was me. If you hadn’t gotten a hold of that briefcase, I wouldn’t have known for sure that it was Vanya, but you also wouldn’t have brought Dave back or gotten sober enough to have Ben tell Vanya what was going on while she was in the bunker. God. Wow.”

And so the family celebrated and moved forward, past April 1st, 2019, and past the trauma that had been uncovered, into the life ahead of them.

#klave #klaus hargreeves #dave katz #tua #the umbrella academy #luther hargreeves #five hargreeves #tua secret santa #tua secret santa 2020 #im posting this at like the last 30 mins in the day it was due to be posted by so forgive me please #i hope you like it because i really did put a lot of thought into the outline and planning of it but i just havent written in a long time #much love!

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leafs-lover · 4 years ago

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Because Two People Got Drunk: 12

Series Masterlist

Summary: You take your first trip away without Oliver, and explore your relationship with Fred

Warnings: Angst, smut, male and female oral sex, swearing,

Word Count: 3400

Chapter 12

February 16, 2022

There is a knock on the door at about 9:30am, you’re still in your sweats, hair in a loose messy bun as you hold Oliver. If your being honest you likely have spit up somewhere on you. You open and see Sid and Kathy on the other side letting them in.

Fred walks up behind you “hey guys” he is dressed in jeans and a Nike hoodie with a ball cap. So casual yet, all you can think about is what’s underneath that sweater. The last couple weeks there have been glances, and grazes that you originally told yourself was an accident but now you aren’t so sure. “Thanks for watching Ollie.”

“Watching Ollie?” you question. Based on your clothes you clearly had no idea you were going anywhere.

“Yeah it’s all-star break, so we’re watching little man while you and Fred take a trip. You leave at noon” Kathy says.

You stare at Fred “go get ready, I’ll pack up Oliver’s things” he says grabbing Oliver from you. You try to protest but Fred basically pushes you in the bathroom forcing you to get ready. After showering and doing your hair and makeup you head to your room to pack and get dressed. Although you have no idea what to wear or pack because you have no idea where you are going.

Kathy sees you walking down the hall; since your room doesn’t have an ensuite, and she follows you heading to the closet. She begins pulling some items “does everything in here fit?” she questions as you nod.

She grabs a couple different outfit choices mostly casual choices. Some jeans, a few light sweaters, a pair of track pants. You wander off to get your makeup and hair supplies and return as she is zipping everything up.

“Where is he taking me?”

“He just wants to show you he appreciates you, and thought you deserved some time away” she shrugs zipping the suitcase up.

“If Oliver’s basinet is here, where is his clothes and stuff?” she questions noticing the room is full of your belongings.

“Well I obviously have a lot of clothes leaving no space for his stuff. So his dresser and closet are in the room that will eventually be his once we move him into his crib, we just aren’t ready for that yet. He’s only 3 months"

“So he sleeps here and you take him to another room every day to get dressed?”

“Well if I had space for his clothes in here I would, I barely fit all my stuff in here.”

“Have you been looking at apartments?”

“I’ve looked online at some but I’m not really seeing something the size I want within like 20 minutes of here. Not a whole lot out there.” There is a silence before she finally asks what you feel like she has been holding back.

“He told me about the date, said he thought it ended pretty bad. You want to talk about it?”

“Not much to say. He was a douche, spent the whole time talking about himself, was rude to the staff, and when he found out I was only here for a short time he made multiple comments about hooking up. When I took my jacket off and he saw my dress he actually said damn. Just wasn’t a good time, but also made me realize I’m not ready for something right now.”

“Maybe you just need the right person” she says wheeling your bag out to the door.

You look over Ollie’s pile of stuff “Fred did you pack -"

“Yes I packed every single item he needs. And I gave them a key in case I forgot something or he runs out. They are capable adults and Oliver is going to have a great time just like us.”

You pick up Oliver. “This is literally the first time one of us isn’t with him, and we are going for a night too, like not just a couple hours an entire night!” you say tears forming.

Fred pulls you both in tight stroking your hair. “Come on (Y/N/N) you can do this. But the longer you put this off the harder this will be."

Finally you say goodbye and climb in the car as Fred loads your suitcase “geez what did you pack?”

“Nothing Kathy did it all" you say lightly as tears roll down your cheek. Fred climbs in the car and cups your face in his large hands, wiping your tears with his thumb. “You’re fine (Y/N). You’re an amazing mother but you deserve some time without him to recharge your batteries. This will be good yeah?” you nod as he kisses the top of your head. “Oh it’s not one night, were going for two" he says as he puts the car in drive before you can object about leaving Oliver that long.

3 hours later you arrive at Glendorn lodge, it is a large property set on the border of the Allegheny National Forest. They have a few winter activities including snow shoeing and cross country skiing along the trails. You can only imagine the experience in the summer out of the beautiful lake. They have an amazing chef onsite with in room dining options available.

Fred has booked a 4 bedroom cabin with its own fireplace, pool table and games room. It’s a little further from the main resort providing you with privacy throughout your stay. He takes your bag to the master, even though his room also has a king sized bed, yours is slightly larger.

You start unpacking and realize that when you walked away Kathy replaced some of your clothes with some tighter more revealing options. Options you hadn’t worn since before you started breasfeeding, since before you had Oliver. And she also packed some lingerie, like 5 different options as well as revealing matching underwear sets. You groan in disapproval “what was she thinking” you mumble to yourself. After unpacking you venture out and find Fred in the game room “wanna play" he asks nodding to the pool table.

Your first turn you line up the pool cue and connect with the white ball, it goes bouncing off the table “if you expect me to let you win you have to at least try" he jokes picking up the ball. He places it back in the same spot “you get one redo."

You start to line yourself again as you feel Fred come behind you helping you stand and bending your elbow properly. As you follow his directions you rub your ass against his cock “yeah just like that” he chokes out stepping back; definitely haven’t been imagining things you think to yourself.

You connect with the ball ultimately sinking it before missing your next one. You move out of the way as Fred walks up to the table, he lines himself up with the ball and gets into position. You stare at his muscular form as it stretches over the table before connecting his cue to the ball, his shirt rising up slightly in the process. His ass is beautifully on display as he leans forward causing your mouth to water. Fred ends up winning the game, but not until he had a few scratches. You think he was trying to delay the game to give you a chance to win.

After the next game you order dinner to be delivered and you head to change. You decide to wear one of the dresses, not that you really had a choice because of Kathy. You opt for the black chiffon dress with lace sleeves. The dress is short stopping a few inches above your knees and is very low cut, too low cut for a bra. You pair it with your red stilettos loosely pull your curls back, then you make your way to the living where you see your dinner waiting on the table.The lights are off, the only thing illuminating the room is the fire Fred just started in the fireplace.

He hears your heels and turns around “Jesus fuck" you hear him whisper. “Kathy swapped a bunch of my clothes while I left the room” you explain “so I basically only have dresses.”

“You look stunning” he says as you smile.

“You look pretty good too” you respond.

He is wearing a white long sleeve that accentuates his muscles. And a pair of grey jeans that are just tight enough for you to remember his thick thighs underneath them. “No I am wildly underdressed compared to you."

You smile as you walk further into the room. When you walk by Fred he grabs your hand to stop you and places a light kiss on your cheek.

Dinner goes smoothly and you move over to the couch sitting beside Fred, his arm draped over the back of the couch as you face him.

“How do you think he’s doing?” you ask.

“Nope. We aren’t going down that road. Stop feeling guilty for doing something for yourself. Everyone needs a break.”

“I just miss him. He is an amazing kid” you sigh.

“Yeah he really is. I never thanked you.”

“For what?”

“Making me a dad. It’s my single greatest accomplishment. Like nothing else in my life will matter or compare because I have him. He is the best.”

You don’t respond but a smile comes across your face. Fred’s hand moves to rub the back of your neck, a soft moan leaving your lips.

Fred sits up setting both your glasses down on the table “turn around" he says softly. He brings his hands up and begins massaging your neck and shoulders.

“Fuck you’re so tight.”

You laugh “not the first time you’ve said that.” Fred laughs.

He slides his hands under the back of your dress as best as he can while he dives in deeper pushing on your knots. You lean forward from the pressure and put your hands down at your sides seeking something to grip, something to hold yourself steady, grabbing a hold of his thigh. You hear him exhale before continuing for a few more minutes.

You keep your hand locked on his thigh until he stops and removes his hands from your neck. You become aware of the situation around you, and the path it is heading. “I should get to bed” you say lightly before retreating to your room.

You undress and step into the shower, trying to cool yourself down from that interaction. You become aware that a cold shower isn’t going to be enough and slip your fingers down into your folds.

The next morning you get ready and put on a pair of skinny Jeans with a black low cut sweater. You would normally wear a shirt under it but Kathy didn’t pack one so your boobs are practically exploding from it. Fred tries to not stare, but he does a very bad job as he holds your coat out for you. “After breakfast we’re going to explore the grounds” he explains.

“Ooh I’m excited it’s so pretty here"

After exploring he takes you on a quick drive to a nearby spa for a couples massage. You strip out of your clothes and cover yourself in a robe, you walk into the room and see Fred sitting in his boxers, looking at diagram on the wall. He hears the door and looks to you a smile crosses his face. He watches as you walk to the other side of the room, your back now to him, as you pull your robe off leaving you in only your purple thong. He turns his head to give you some privacy as you make your way to your table, but you still feel him looking from the corner of his eyes. Once you are under your sheets Fred stands, you stare at his abs and his V that leads below his boxers. You are practically drooling while you watch him slide under the sheets.

“That massage was amazing, I haven’t had one since you last took me” you say hanging your coat up in the cabin.

“Seriously, you should go more.”

“I know I really should” you reply. “I’m going to take a nap though, massages always make me sleepy.”

“Okay, dinner will be here at 8.”

When you wake up you shower and do your makeup routine but add a little extra to make your eyes pop as you loosely curl your hair. You head to your closet and decide on a royal blue skinny strap dress . It has a v neck and stops above your knee, with an asymmetrical hem. You pair it with some black heels before making your way downstairs. Fred has the fire lit and blankets set up in front on it with some pillows, soft music plays. The food is waiting on a tray on the floor. You see him in a pair of grey dress pants with a button up shirt tucked in; he purposely left the top button undone, you gulp at the sight of him.

“Wow" you say causing him to look up, his eyes go large as he takes you in “that’s supposed to be my line" he says smiling “you look amazing”. After dinner Fred clean the plates and returns back to the blankets sitting close to you. You sit there drinking and laughing, you don’t realize how much you’ve had until you pour the remainder of the 3rd bottle into your glass.

“Wow, been a while since we drank this much” he jokes.

“Yeah last time was when we made Oliver” you laugh. You look into his eyes as he hesitantly leans in pressing a light kiss to your lips. You feel his lips gently brushing yours as you give in, wrapping your hands in his hair. He quickly deepens the kiss, as your mouth allows entry for his tongue. He makes quick work of your dress, pulling it off of you revealing your matching strapless black lace bra and thong.

He smirks as he stares at you “I really like what Kathy packed" he says as you both laugh lightly as he kisses your neck. He pushes you onto your back and licks a stripe between your breasts and begins placing kisses on you as you hastily unbutton his shirt.

He unclasps your bra and dives in sucking on your nipple while rolling the other in his hand “mmmm" you moan as your back arches. He slides down peppering kisses down your stomach. When he reaches your thong he kisses your core through the fabric. He bites it and pulls it down to your thighs with his teeth before allowing his hands to pull it the rest of the way. He returns his mouth to where you need him most and licks up your slit feeling your wetness he says “you really did need this eh babe?”

You nod barely able to form words as he licks your folds then begins sucking on your clit. He brings two fingers down and spreads your folds open before thrusting them in you.

You bite your bottom lip as he looks up at you “no baby I need to hear you" you let go and begin moaning his name. He brings your legs on top of his shoulders as he breathes on you. His tongue begins sucking on your clit before he dives lower his tongue licking the inside of your walls. Your hands reach down to grab his hair “Freddie” you groan out as he continues to lick inside you. His other hand comes up to play with your nipples, pinching it as he continues to pump in and out of you slowly.

Your orgasm begins to build as Fred’s pace doesn’t stop, when he recognizes the signs; your thighs tighten around his head. He continues to lick the inside of your walls as your orgasm comes, you grip his hair tighter as you feel yourself spasm around him, filthy sounds leaving your mouth. He doesn’t pull back until you are done, he climbs up you and you see your juices glistening on his lips and beard. He locks your lips into a kiss where you can taste yourself.

“Mmm Fred” you moan. You push him onto his back and straddle him, leaning in to give him a deep passionate kiss. His thumbs rest on your thighs as you see his bulge pressed against his pants as you undo his belt and zipper. You slide his pants and boxers down allowing his hard cock to spring free and slap against his stomach. You use your thumb spreading the precum around before bringing your lips down. You lick the underside as he throws his head back before you finally wrap your lips around him.

It’s been a while since you’ve had him in your mouth, the first few times you bob you gag slightly before getting reacquainted with his size. You set a steady pace, Fred’s hands come to your hair wrapping them in a makeshift ponytail as you pick up your pace. You swirl your tongue around rising up almost completely before you drop your mouth taking him completely in. You bring a hand to massage his balls as you deep throat him “fuck I’m gonna" he pulls you off of him before he can finish. He pulls you up to him and pulls you in for a deep kiss before rolling on top of you.

He pulls away “do I need a condom?”

“I’m on birth control” you state.

“Yeah I heard that before" you both laugh.

“I’m on a different method, one that is more effective with no human error.” He nods before leaning back down kissing your neck. He behind to line himself up when you place your hand on his chest to stop him.

“Do we need one for…” you trail off as he looks at you questioningly “have you been with anyone else?”

A light smile crosses his face, “not since before I met you.” He takes his hard member and teases your slit, stroking up and down it capturing some of your juices.

“Please don’t tease me" you whine as he pushes into you gently, not going all the way. He takes a minute and kisses your shoulder and nips below your ear as you gasp.

“You okay?” he questions and you nod “yeah, just been a bit. I’m okay” you answer as he pulls back and gently pushes into you again. Your legs wrap around his wide hips as your back lifts slightly.

He keeps the pace each thrust going a little bit deeper but never all the way in “I’m not going to break” you whisper. He stares at you “I promise”

“First time since a kid, everything had to readjust in there. Just don’t want to hurt you.”

“You aren’t, if that changes I’ll let you know. Please” you whimper

He pulls back and pushes in bottoming out inside you as he does it again. He reaches to grab one of your legs hooking his arm under your knee.

“Fuck my skat" he says “you feel so good.” He says continuing to thrust inside you.

He looks down, releasing your leg and kisses you deeply. You groan into the kiss as he thrusts into you. He looks into your eyes and continues his pace, a gentle passionate pace.

You feel your orgasm approaching as you rake your hands down his biceps “I’m close" you whisper as Fred brings a hand to your nipple and begins to pinch it between his thumb and index finger. You remove one hand from his arm and slide it down your body to your sensitive bud and begin rubbing it.

“Kom nu skat" he whispers in your ear as you begin to clench as your walls tighten. He rides you through your second orgasm of the night, as you come down he pulls out spilling his load on your stomach. Fred collapses beside you for a moment before standing to put on his boxers. He hands you a damp wash cloth as he turns to leave.

“Wha?” you begin to question.

He stops and looks at you “I’m just getting my toothbrush I’ll be right back” and he smiles. He returns and finds you in the bathroom brushing your teeth in his shirt. You reach up to grab a cup to rinse with and he sees your thong slightly showing. His hand slides over to your ass and grabs it as you turns into his chest. He kisses your temple as you saunter off to bed. He slides in beside you and pulls you in close, you immediately doze off.

Night One Outift:

Night Two Outfit:

Next Chapter

#Freddie Andersen #Frederik Andersen #Fred Andersen #Freddie Andersen Smut #Fred Andersen Smut #Frederik Andersen Smut #Freddie Andersen Fic #Frederik Andersen Fic #Fred Andrersen Fic #NHL Fic #NHL Smut #fredzilla #fred andersen x reader #freddie andersen x reader #frederik andersen x reader #because two people got drunk #my writing

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