#if anything is owed it's what petra owes to herself

[fadeling]

9 and 22 for the inquisitor questions!!

I owe you my firstborn and undying loyalty

9. How do they react upon being called the Herald of Andraste?

Petra when through the five stages of grief. When she first heard it being used she genuinely was wondering who they were talking about. And then she started trying to convince herself they weren't talking about her. It was horrific for her, but not because she took any personal offence it's just that.... her?? Really? A Qunari mage?! In THIS political climate? ARE YOU SURE?

It's a lot of pressure right out of the gate and she just wanted to go back to her mercenary band and continue to keep her head down. She really hoped she'd be able to just peacefully walk away but some asshole put the Save The World branding in her arm so then she tried to treat it as just... a really... long job... with incredibly high stakes...

She knows if she does this wrong, it isn't just her neck. She's very no-bullshit but she also knows she needs to be pliant because there's a world where she fucks it so bad there'll be genocide against mages and/or qunari. AGAIN! Not something she ever wanted on her conscience but stepping away would be worse for it, so. Guess she'll just fix everything then. Damn. Fuck.

She never claims that she is the herald, because even though she's not religious she feels like that would be blasphemous anyway LMFAO. Petra cares a lot about her role she's just blatantly not the prime candidate. Even if she was a normie human her ineptness in a court of law is less than ideal

22. What does the Inquisitor see in the small fear demons?

Faceless corpses wearing inquisition armour. As a mercenary she's seen death, both purposeful and accidental, and sometimes it was someone she knew. Petra wants to take care of her men, but she knows sometimes shit just happens, in most circumstances she's devastated but ultimately able to cope. She has to trust the idea that she couldn't have done anything to change their fate. the inquisition is different. It's an entire army, built out of people she has never met or never even seen. They join in her name because of what they think she Is or Could be, and some of them -- MANY of them -- die horribly.

She feels bad enough about the blood on her hands for the sake of the cause, but not even knowing their names or faces? just wrecks her with guilt I feel. The lesser demons are like being chased by a personal failing

[thelaisydazy]

Mama's Boy - Chapter 3

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Petra "Mama" Mayfield

Previous Chapter ┊ Next Chapter

Tap. Tap.

Petra rapped her knuckles against the frame of Captain Price’s door, seeing the captain sitting at his desk through the open door. The older man had been smoking his cigar and looking over some paperwork. He looked up seeing the medic standing in his doorway. Price was a good bit older than Petra, she’d guess at least a decade but she couldn’t be certain. He sported a short, well-kept beard, mostly dark brown with a few flecks of gray. His hair was the same color as his beard and it was cropped short and usually covered by a bucket hat. In many ways he reminded her of her father back home, a hardass at times, but he clearly cared for the team and usually greeted them with a smile that looked all too goofy on his face.

“Mama,” he smiled, his eyes crinkling as he did. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Several things, sir,” Petra said, not matching the pleasantness in his voice, she stood stiffly across the desk from him. She did her best to keep from scrunching her nose up at the smell that wafted from his cigar as it made her stomach churn. “First, when Laswell told me about the team, she mentioned I was being brought on as a combat medic. But the team has gone on several missions since my arrival and I’ve remained on base for all of them.” Petra caught herself a moment later, correcting her posture to stand straight, arms folded at her back, shoulders squared. “Being cooped up in the clinic isn’t exactly what I’d signed on for. I was made to believe my skills would be needed on the field as well.”

Price was quiet for a moment, taking a long puff of his cigar. “You’re right,” he said, blowing out thick smoke. “In all honesty, we don’t have a medical team here. I’d rather not put the only medic we have in a position to get injured herself.”

She tensed at his words. Despite it being an hour or two later, Ghost’s words still burned in her ears. You're our only medic. We can't afford to have you laid up for a few days.

“That brings me to my other issue,” Petra said. “If there is so much of an issue with risking me out on the field, why not have another medic on base?” She paused for a moment as another thought dawned on her. “Honestly, sir, if your intention from the start had been to simply have a medic to keep the clinic running smoothly, I would have rather gotten my discharge finalized.”

Price seemed taken aback by this, his eyes widening. “Now, I never said anything like that,” he said defensively, putting his hands up in defeat. “I know this isn’t exactly what you signed up for. I’m grateful you’ve stuck around this long Mama.”

“Don’t Mama me,” Petra’s voice was sharp, words spilling out despite herself. She stepped quickly forward, pressing her palms against the desk with a sigh. “Please, just give me a chance at least. I have more skills than just counting supplies and tracking Ghost down when he thinks he doesn't need medical attention.”

Captain Price was quiet for a moment, placing his cigar down on the ashtray on his desk. His face was that of understanding, though Petra could see a flash of annoyance in his eyes at her tone. The medic stepped back a few paces, standing at attention again, apologizing quietly.

“You’re right, Petra,” he finally said. “We haven’t been giving you the chance to show us what you can really do. I’ll look for a second medic to keep on base. In the meantime, how often do your duties in the clinic need to be fulfilled?”

Has it been this easy all along? Petra asked herself. “Ideally, counts should be done daily,” she started. “However with how few of us there are, every other day should suffice as long as the clinic is kept locked when it isn’t in use.” She saw Price shift, about to speak. “I can set up a small first aid kit with some basics outside the door if anyone needs anything simple.”

The older man nodded thoughtfully. “Alright. Then on the days when you aren’t doing counts, I want you training,” he said. “Mornings you can work on hand-to-hand combat and in the afternoon you’ll be on the range. How’s that sound, lass?”

“Perfect, sir,” Petra said, satisfaction rising in her chest.

“Good, we start tomorrow with your training,” Price nodded, picking up his cigar again. “Might take a few weeks to get a new medic out here, but I’ll see what I can do. Now get your counts done.”

“Yes Sir.” Petra turned to leave, pausing at the door. “Sir,” she said. “If I may, I’ve worked closely with Whip from Ankara. He’s a good medic and he won’t mind being stuck on base if need be.” Price nodded, jotting the name down on a notepad.

---

Petra stood in the clinic, carefully counting the supplies and medicines they had stocked. She made notes of what she’d need for the first aid kit: bandages of varying sizes, antiseptic wipes, antibacterial ointments, and a small bottle of over the counter, generic painkillers. Anything that required more than that she’d need to deal with herself anyway.

A styrofoam cup filled with coffee appeared on the counter beside her.

Petra turned quickly, seeing Ghost standing there again holding a cup of his own that looked far too small in his hand, balaclava still concealing his features. The medic raised a brow at him, picking the cup of coffee from the counter, sipping the bitter drink, and ignoring the way it burned her tongue.

“I didn’t take you for a coffee guy,” she said, turning back to her count.

“It’s tea,” Ghost answered. She didn’t have to look at him to know he was watching her with those dark eyes of his. “Price said you were starting training tomorrow.”

Petra clicked her tongue as she finished counting a shelf, scribbling down the numbers.

“If I can’t handle a run, right?” she quipped back. She brought the coffee back to her lips, sipping it. “I was thinking of asking Gaz or Soap for help with hand-to-hand combat. Roach is good with guns, right?” Ghost only hummed in affirmation. “I might get his help on the range then.”

There was something in his dark eyes as he watched the way her thumb stroked the warm Styrofoam cup she was holding, something she couldn't quite read. She might've been able to, had it not been for that damned balaclava he always wore. Another quiet moment passed as the two drank the warm liquids in their cups.

“Why the sudden interest?” Ghost broke the silence, still watching her, observing. In the few months she’d been with the team, she’d never so much as mentioned going into the field.

Petra hummed over her coffee. “I’m not used to being cooped up,” she answered simply. “I was about to be discharged when Laswelll recruited me. Figured if I’m going to stay enlisted, I might as well get the most out of it.”

“Discharged? You were going to leave?” His question didn’t come as a surprise, she’d been one signature away from heading home when she joined the task force.

“Needed to get away,” Petra barely explained, she leaned back against the counter, finishing the last of her coffee. It was strong. She didn’t say much about her reasoning for leaving the military, letting her quick response hang in the air, though she could see understanding in Ghost’s eyes. “I need to get back to work. Thanks for the coffee.”

---

That night at dinner, Petra sat in the common area with the rest of the team, it was one of those rare nights where everyone was eating together. Gaz had made a trip into the nearby town, returning with enough food for everyone to share. Chinese. Petra was seated on the beaten couch next to Roach, legs tucked under herself as she bit into a few vegetables. The room was quiet. Soap, Gaz, and Price were all at the table eating, Ghost in a chair a little further away, his balaclava pulled up over his nose. This was the most Petra got to see of his face, the contour of his jaw and the tiny bit of light color stubble over his chin.

A tap on her shoulder caught her attention, Petra turned to Roach, who motioned like he was holding a cup. She nodded as he stood and walked to the fridge, and retrieved a pair of water bottles. She thanked him with a motion of her hand as he returned, twisting the lid off and drinking a few gulps.

Over her shoulder she could hear Soap and Gaz talking, Soap’s thick Scottish accent making it difficult to understand what he was saying. He was one of the shorter members of the task force, though he was still much taller than Petra. His blue eyes caught Petra watching him.

“Yer not fixin’ to throw another shoe at me are ya, lass?” he shot through a mouthful of noodles. Despite his annoyance earlier that day, Petra could tell he’d calmed down and had now taken to teasing her about the incident.

She grinned at him. “Yeah, I was trying to figure out if my aim was good enough to hit that stupid mohawk of yours without getting Gaz in the process,” she teased back. She could see Price shake his head, a bad attempt to hide his smile as Gaz turned in his seat.

“I brought everyone dinner, I’d rather not get hit,” the sergeant pleaded, pressing his palms together and bowing his head. Gaz had darker skin and the shadows of a black mustache, his black curls were hidden under his cap. “But please knock that thing off his head.”

“Away an bile yer heid!” Soap barked.

“English! MacTavish,” Ghost grunted in annoyance from across the room, his eyes sharp on the man.

“Sorry sir, let me translate,” Soap snapped back, turning his glare back to Gaz. “Go fuck yourself.”

Behind her, Petra thought she heard a chuckle from Roach as he reached out a hand giving a thumbs up.

“Better,” Ghost rumbled, returning to his meal.

Captain Price stood up, chuckling and shaking his head. “You lot have far too much energy for this late in the evening,” he said. “I'm off.” The captain left the room then, heading for his quarters for the evening.

When everyone else had finished eating, Soap fished a few beers from the fridge. He slid one across the table to Gaz and tossed one to Roach. Ghost, as always refused the beer, opting to make himself a cup of tea instead. Soap offered one to Petra who shook her head.

“You don't drink, Doc?” Soap asked, raising a brow.

“I don't make a habit of it,” Petra replied. “Occasionally I like tequila.” She laughed when Soap twisted his face, complaining that tequila tasted of dog piss.

“Next time we go out drinking you're coming with us, lass,” Soap beamed.

Petra could just picture the Scotsman drinking entirely too much, ending up with a hangover the next morning and begging her for something for his headache. In the few times the guys had gone out for drinks since she’d arrived, he’d had a hangover every time.

“Sounds like a blast,” she rolled her eyes as she spoke. Though, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to spend a little time with the team, especially if she was to join them in the field soon. A warm mug of coffee slid into her hands, making her turn green eyes up to Ghost as he walked back to his chair near the corner of the room. Petra paused, taking a sip, the warm liquid radiating through her body, calming her and clearing her mind, jogging her memory. “I had a chat with Price earlier about going on missions with you guys, he said I needed to get some more training in before then. Mornings working on hand-to-hand combat and afternoons on the range, I’d really appreciate some help getting back up to speed.”

There was a tap on her shoulder. Roach signed his willingness to help eagerly as he grinned over the neck of his bottle of beer.

Gaz turned to face the couch, raising his hand slightly, his face questioning. “Hold on,” he said. “Not that no one wants you coming with us, but if you’re training all the time, who’s taking care of the clinic?”

“It's gonna be locked up when I'm not in there,” Petra explained, sipping at her coffee again. She might regret the caffeine so late at night, but the taste was so soothing and warm she couldn't help it. “But I'm going to leave a first aid kit with some basic supplies in it in case something happens, and if there's anything serious I'll just open the clinic and take care of it. In the meantime though, Price is looking into getting another medic on base.”

Soap clapped a hand on her back then, nearly making her spill the coffee and eliciting a glare from Ghost. “Well lass, I'll be happy to help you with the combat training in the morning,” he said, a wide grin on his face.

The medic looked up at him sharply, noting his beer was already half empty. She was grateful he was willing to help her, but she half expected him to be too hungover in the morning to be of any real help. Still, she nodded her appreciation.

---

A few hours later, Petra and Ghost were herding the sergeants to their dorms, the former giggling as Gaz and Soap half stumbled down the hall. The lieutenant was less amused, hanging back and grumbling as Ghost could hear Roach snoring from where he'd been thrown over the broad man’s shoulder.

After ushering Gaz and Soap into their respective rooms, Petra opened Roach's door, allowing Ghost to carry him inside, dropping the young soldier on the bed before rejoining Petra in the hall.

Petra was shaking her head, holding back a giggle and smiling. “I'd hate to see what they're like out at a bar,” she joked.

“About the same,” Ghost rumbled. He turned dark eyes to her, the mask over his face giving nothing away. He lingered in the hallway for a moment before turning and starting to walk away.

A short while later, Petra found him outside as she was bringing a bag of the night's garbage out to the dumpster. He was standing near the backdoor, back leaned against the wall, a lit cigarette between his lips.

“Those things can kill you, you know,” she said, raising a brow as he turned to look at her. The two of them stood there in silence for a while, staring each other down. Then Petra held her hand out, leaving the bag of garbage on the ground next to the door.

Ghost watched her for a moment, his lidded eyes questioning before he relented, holding out the cigarette and tensing as he prepared to be scolded by the medic. Instead, his eyes widened with surprise as Petra brought the cigarette to her lips, taking a drag and blowing out the bitter smoke. He watched as her shoulders relaxed a bit and some of the tension left her body.

“I didn't expect you smoked,” he said, fishing a new cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.

“Were you expecting me to scold you?” Petra asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

“A bit,” Ghost replied, flicking some ash from his cigarette. He watched her a few moments longer, allowing himself to take in the way she looked. The frizzy dirty blonde curls, still damp and barely tamed into a low bun at the back of her head. The tired but focused look in her green eyes. She always looked so determined, resolute in whatever task she set herself to. This afternoon in the gym had been the first time he’d seen those eyes falter.

He’d spotted her running on the treadmill when he entered for his own workout. Admittedly, he stopped and just watched her for a while, the way her body moved, the way the softer parts of her moved just slightly more with each step. Her eyes had lost focus though, looking as if they could see clear through the wall of mirrors in front of her. He’d walked closer then, keeping his eyes on her, waiting for her to notice he’d approached her, but she didn’t. Instead, in her daze, her steps faltered and her legs started to give way.

Ghost sprang forward then, scooping the small medic up and placing her all too gently on the concrete floor. His heart pounded in his chest like a freight train. It felt as though he’d been holding his breath when her eyes finally looked at him, focusing again.

Perhaps he’d been too harsh in his reaction, but he felt no need to apologize for his actions. The task force didn’t need an injured medic.

“What’s the real reason you’re suddenly so interested in going on missions?” he asked, watching her snuff out the last of the stolen cigarette. “If you were so upset about not getting discharged, you would have left by now.”

“I don’t like feeling like I’m not doing anything,” Petra said. She bent down, her small hand wrapping itself around the top of the garbage bag she’d carried out. “I need to feel useful, you know?”

Ghost nodded his understanding, blowing out another puff of smoke. “You waited three months to speak up?” he pressed.

Petra put a hand up. “It didn’t sink in until earlier today in the gym,” she said. “I’ve been here three months and I still don’t exactly know what you guys do out there. I haven’t been off of a base in even longer, I think it’s been six months.”

The lieutenant was quiet again, he stood away from the wall, bending and taking the garbage bag from her, his large hand brushing over her smaller one as he did. Petra drew her hand back, looking up at him again as he effortlessly lifted the bag and carried it to the nearby dumpster before returning to where he’d left her by the door. The two of them lingered there for several long, quiet moments, the smell of cigarettes between them.

“You are useful, Mama,” Ghost broke the silence. His gaze was heavy on her, holding her in that spot with the weight his eyes held alone. “Roach was in bad shape when you first came here, you nursed him back to health, helped him get his strength back. And a few days ago, you might have saved my life as well. Don’t doubt yourself.”

Petra softened as she caught the usual coldness in his eyes briefly thaw as he spoke. She tore her eyes from him, looking to her boots instead.

“Thanks Ghost.”

[peachymilkandcream]

Jailbird|Part 5|Levi x Evelyn AU

WARNINGS: noncon/dubcon, big age difference, kidnapping, slavery, violence, power imbalance, implied somnophilia, forced pregnancies, mind breaking, yandere behaviour, yandere themes, forced exhibitionism, sexual coercion, blackmail, misogyny, sex trafficking, orgy, forced threesomes, ffm, cuckquean, masturbation, etc.

NOTE: All mentioned AOT characters are timeskip age

================================================

Evelyn did her best when it came to recovering from her injuries. Word had spread and spread quickly that Petra had decided to make Evelyn a target. Clearly Petra was on top of this food chain, since no one dared to even give Evelyn a sympathetic glance. No one wanted to risk Petra's wrath and have her sights set on them. It was as if everyone was against her, she was even more of an outsider.

Steps outside her cell brought Evelyn's attention up, instantly bringing a frown to her face when she saw Levi standing in front of her.

"No need to look so hostile, I was only coming to see how you were getting along here."

"I'd rather be left alone, if it's all the same to you."

He scoffs. "I come to make sure you're alright after your injuries and all I get is insults. I have to say I'm hurt."

"Can your fragile ego not handle it?"

Levi's smirk widens a little. "Still as arrogant as ever. I wonder how long you can keep up that façade before you're asking me to show you kindness."

"Would you just leave me alone? Please?"

Levi rolled his eyes again. "If that's what you want. I suppose I can let you wallow in your self-pity some more."

Evelyn glares at him as he walks away, vowing to never stoop so low as to come to him for help. She had gotten herself into this mess, she'd get out of it one way or another. She'd have to hold her own.

================================================

Food sprayed Evelyn's feet as someone smacked the tray out of her hands. It was one of the more petty offences, reminding her of middle school, but it was anything to get on her nerves. A bunch of women acting like immature brats just to get her to snap and have an excuse to gang up on her and beat her up. The last thing she needed was another beating.

She bends to clean everything up, knowing full well how Levi had a zero tolerance policy for mess. Not only did he run a model prison when it came to discipline, but also when it came to cleanliness. If someone caused germs to spread, they were up for some serious punishment.

A kick here or there and a few mocking laughs were ignored as she hurried to clean it up before someone tattled to Levi.

Someone bent down and started to help, much to Evelyn's confusion. She looked up to see Hange's rather indifferent and blank expression as she helped clean.

"Look, you don't have to do this, they're gonna turn on you too."

Hange scoffs. "Yeah right, if any of these little bitches even think about coming across me I'll fuck 'em up so bad Petra's beatings will be like nothing."

Evelyn couldn't help but smile a little, it was a nice change of pace. "Thanks."

The other woman smiled. "Don't worry about it roomie, I'll just put this on your tab of what you owe me."

Evelyn sighs, not liking the idea of being under someone else's thumb, but she supposed it was better to be under Hange's than anyone else.

"0283." Her prison number being called out sent a chill through her. Especially with the stern voice that it came from.

Evelyn slowly stood, looking across the room and into Levi's cold eyes. "Yes, sir?"

Levi looks from her, to the mess, and back. "Come with me."

Shit. She nods, setting the rest of the tray on a table before slowly walking over to Levi, trying to ignore the glares of everyone around her.

This wouldn't be pretty.

================================================

"Must you insist on breaking the rules?" He asked at long last.

"It wasn't my fault, my tray was pushed and-"

"Then maybe you should've had a better grip on it. Food messes cause mice and rats, you know how big of a problem that would turn into for me? Or are you looking to make my life hell?"

"What? Of course not! It was an accident, don't get your panties into a wad!"

The backhand he gave her sent Evelyn reeling for a moment, shocked at the sudden aggression. "What the-"

"I'm sick of your attitude! I've put up with your shit for too long now. I think it's time to teach you a lesson in respecting authority and following the rules." He takes off his jacket, laying it gently over his desk before rolling up his sleeves.

"Sir I'm telling you it wasn't intentional, it was an accident- please- I'm sorry-"

He stands over her, not giving a damn about her trembling.

"I'll give you a choice on your punishment. Pleasure, or pain?"

Evelyn sneers, disgusted with the suggestion. "Do you seriously think I would sell myself out to a man like you to get out of some kind of unlawful punishment? No chance in hell! Do what you want, you'll get caught for it, go to prison yourself, rot for a hundred years-"

Levi grabs her collar, pulling her close enough she can smell alcohol on his breath. "Well lets find out if that's true, shall we?"

He sets her down hard, almost amused as she seemingly braces herself for what's to come.

"Quit your shaking, I might start to feel bad."

Evelyn can't help it, especially when she hears his cruel laugh.

[titanicfreija]

got inspired by my own scribbling

Last Year's Solstice

Heroes

"Tell me about them."

Freija didn't clarify at all. She had excused herself from the Tower, not liking the crowds when she was in a mood, and she was looking for somewhere to be, flying low and scanning landscape.

"About who?" asked Sunny. "Amanda?"

Freija heaved a sigh. "My.... my family."

Sunny 'matted into view over the control panel and wheeled at her Guardian, but she didn't say anything. Freija glanced down at her and heaved another sigh. "I've been thinking and it's weighing on me and l feel like I owe it to them to mourn them at least a little, pay respects to the people they were and the person I used to be."

"Oh..."

"Wait 'til I land. Actually. Let me get a bonfire together."

The deciduous forest whispered in the cooling summer winds, and the trees swallowed what little sunlight remained as Freija and her Ghost hiked and gathered firewood.

"I have some records, and several were written by the same person, a Sentinel with the Pilgrim Guard," Sunny said. "I hunted her down for an interview. She described them as trouble and the best things that ever happened to the Guard. First the couple, but then the kids were born and they didn't get any better, she said. When I told her you were my Guardian, she said she wasn't surprised, and that if anyone was going to be, it would have been Sarah or Fira. Fira, she said, would have made a good Hunter. She also said that Sarah didn't like Guardians and didn't want to be one. Orla, the middle one, did want to be a Guardian, in electrifying ways."

"I knew she didn't want to be," Freija replied. "She told me in a dream."

Sunny briefly tapped Freija's shoulder and Freija nudged her in response. "So, was there anything you wanted to know in particular?"

"Did she give you any good stories of them being heroic? Reason for the event and all."

Sunny paused for several seconds, and her light flickered briefly as she searched for the data. "I asked her for more details around several of the reports. Being a decade, she forgot a lot of it, but she remembered a few. She told me you got burned pretty bad one time. Your tattoo hides some of the scar, but your hands probably still show some burns."

"Oh, my hands are all kinds of marked up. She has scars for days, I probably couldn't count them all. Lost a fingertip, I can't spot scars from creases in my palms, she worked with her hands hard and she never wore any fucking gloves."

"She probably did and they got damaged beyond their capacity," Sunny argued. "Fira was a scout when she was out and about, and a cartographer. She could sneak as well as some Hunters, Cassandra said. She would leave a drawing of a face with its tongue sticking out to lead others either on the right path or to somewhere dangerous. The code was apparently in the shape somewhere."

Freija snickered. "I like that."

"Sobu was a medic, and an engineer. They'd come across ruined contraptions of his, all rope and weights and counterweights, and none of them could tell if they were supposed to be traps or what. Guessing by what Petra told me about him, they were temporary shelters."

The Titan stopped in a glade and kicked the underbrush down to the loam, and stacked the firewood into a baby pyre to light.

"Cassandra said he was so relieved when Sarah started out-lifting him. He was stronger than Fira, but more often than not, they just couldn't do heavy lifting on their own. They said she could wrestle a bear by the time she was sixteen."

Freija snickered and fed the fire. Sunny kept low as she circled the fire and the Guardian. "Orla was smart. Sarah could see everything and figure out what was going on, but Orla knew what was going to happen. Cassandra said she almost got herself arrested, one time, screaming about having to evacuate a shelter, after listening in on talk about House Dusk. She, and a lot of other people, got saved by a Warlock who stepped in, he could see her logic."

The flames danced off the wood and illuminated the glade, the leaves above and trees around. She checked the area and the radar on her data pad. The simple hand cannon on her lower back was all she needed for the occasion, she hoped, but she had more.

"Camilla, Millie, had a lot to live up to, but she was taking to sharpshooting. Sarah was teaching her. She was good enough that Cassandra called it embarrassing.

"They all ventured into the Dark specifically because the Guardians couldn't go, and, as Cassandra said it, 'They kept coming back out! With people!'"

Freija laughed. Sunny whirled around the fire, white sparkles mixing with the orange sparks, and she pushed against Freija's chest.

"She said it made them look like cowards, and they had to make new rules about letting mortals join the Guard. They were really remarkable people. Heroes for sure."

"Heroes for sure."

@wolvereaux @annieruok94

[l-i-c-o]

Patchy(A Creepypasta Origin)

BREAKING NEWS: 14-year-old, Petra Driscoll, disappeared on her way to school this morning. It's suspected she was kidnapped. Especially with the new fear of a murderer going around. Parents, children, keep watch over yourselves and others for your safety. If you know anything; like his or Petra's whereabouts, where he might be going, report it to authorities immediately.

Tears...Warm, pain-filled tears, flowing like a river from Petra's eyes. How did she end up here? Struggling against metal restraints that held her down to a wooden torture bed.

The clanking of metal chains, the sound of a struggle, told the man down the hall his victim was awake.

The brown-haired female looked to the side, only to see a tall figure standing in the doorway. The man walked over to her, a cold, sadistic chuckle coming from his mouth, s ending shivers down her spine.

"Let me go!" Petra's voice quivered in fear as her entire being struggled to be freed.

"You are quite the feisty one..." Another dark chuckle escaped the man's lips as he sat down on a stool near the bed. Now in the

light, she could see him more clearly..

The man on the stool wore a copper-colored, steampunk-style crow mask, as well as a black steampunk outfit with a black leather overcoat. She couldn't see any of his features due to the mask, but she could barely see he had ginger hair and quite fair skin.

The man proceeded to drop two bags onto a metal tray next to him. One which was filled with all sorts of torture instruments.

As she opened her mouth to speak, the man placed a gloved hand over it, to shut her up, "Shhh...It'll only hurt a bit.."

Petra felt a stinging pain in her arm, starting to feel a bit drowsy as a cold feeling went all throughout her right arm. Her eyelids felt heavy and she could barely keep them open.

The man started to cackle, "Nighty-night, little one..."

And with that, Petra's eyes shut. The man had injected her with a drug, which knocked her unconscious. He could now begin his...project.

When the effect of the drugs wore off, and Petra regained her consciousness, her entire body felt like it was on fire. Everything hurt like Hell..

"Ow..." She grunted, moving her arm to rub her right eye, causing her to wince.

It was then she realized she could move, there were no more restraints. They were gone, she could move freely.

Slowly, yet surely, Petra got herself off of the torture table, every movement sending zaps of, what felt like hellfire, through her veins.

She hobbled quietly out of the torture room, feeling woozy already, almost collapsing to her knees, to the hallway.

From where she stood, she saw the man, seemingly asleep on the couch.

'Is this guy stupid?! He must be a dumbass if he's leaving me free to move around and then falling asleep.'

As she thought that, the tone in her mind was one of disbelief and mockery. She turned back around to look in the room and spotted the torture devices still all laid out. She hobbled over to the tray and quickly picked up the scalpel.

That was when she saw it...Patches of her skin..They were darker. She was all blotchy. She hobbled over to the mirror, scalpel in hand, and stared at herself, at her face, which was now two different colors. One of her eyes was gone, now, a black void in place of where her eyes used to be. Yet it felt the same....And all that held her body together, were some stitches.

She looked down the hall and thought about an escape...He was asleep. Surely she could quietly make it out and get help, even get him caught. But in her mind, that wasn't justice. He needed to pay for everything he'd done.

She gripped the scalpel tightly, rage clouding her mind, and gently placing one foot in front of the other, made her way down the hallway, and into the living room, where her perpetrator lay fast asleep on the couch.

She slowly, but surely made her way over to the side of the couch, making as little noise as possible while she progressed.

With the rise of her arm, she readied herself to stab him. To make him pay. For what he did to her, and possible past victims.

But before she could move, her hand was grabbed and the man was sitting up, looking straight into her eyes with a twisted glint in his own.

"Just as I thought.." He laughed with such evil intent, "One little inconvenience....and you'd snap.....Oh, little one....You're just like me.."

Petra shook her head as the reality sank in. She almost stabbed him....It doesn't matter what he did, stabbing him doesn't make it better. It makes her as, if not, almost, as bad as him.

"I'm...not like you.." She muttered, shaking her head, refusing to believe his words.

"Oh, yes....you are..." He cupped her cheek with his gloved hand, "And I'll teach you to follow in my footsteps."

Days...months.. Petra didn't really know how much time had passed since she'd been kidnapped by William, she didn't even know if her birthday had passed yet.

But during this time, Petra's feelings toward William began to change. She no longer hated him, despised him. She hated to admit it, but she kinda felt bad for him. She cared for him a little bit. He was a horrible person, but she couldn't help it.

She didn't understand why she cared, and she hated it, but she also felt the need to show William, to prove to him, that she was enough.

He convinced her, somehow, that she was just like him, that they were...one and the same. She believed him, and she made it her goal to prove it to him. All the while, she knew exactly how. She just needed to kill anyone who's ever hurt him...He didn't deserve it, and they deserve death.

At least, that was her plan. Until the cops broke into the house one day, waking her from a light slumber she had been in before. She remembered it vividly, detail for detail.

The crash of the door being forced open, the yelling, heavy footsteps, gunshots. When she'd walked out, William was dead on the floor. He had a bullet in his head, and a couple bullet holes in his torso as well, one in his shoulder, heart area, and stomach.

He was...dead. She saw it, with her very own eyes. Those...cops! Something in her brain snapped when she saw William on the floor, his dead body, laying in a puddle of leaking blood.

She grabbed the nearest weapon she could find and charged for the police officers, stabbing one of them multiple times as the others tried to rip her off and shot at her.

She stabbed at the ones clawing, prying at her, and the others just had an atrocious aim. Like, it was really disappointing. After a long while, multiple bodies were on the floor and there they were, a 14-year-old girl, who just defeated an entire police force, against the chief of police.

She had a crazed smile on her face, "Any last words...?"

She raised her arm, ready to pounce and plunge the knife into the woman's chest, but she was stopped by a SWAT team entering the house and detaining her. No matter how much she foght back, it was no use..

And now here she was, sitting in fetal position in an insane asylum, thinking about that day. They tried to 'save' her. They didn't 'save' her, they ruined her. They deserved to pay. And yet, there was one person out there, who was still alive. She didn't get to get her full revenge.

This only fueled her rage and bloodlust. The chief made it out alive, scott clean, only a couple scratches, minor injuries, and here she was now. Accept people feared her, now. They feared the name Patchy, the mention of it made some people tremble out of fear. She LOVED it, knowing that there were people out there who were scared of her, it was exhilarating.

Now she had a plan. She would escape, finally avenge William, and that's exactly what she did. She'd been deemed officially dead after she stabbed herself, dying tragically on her way to the medical wing.

Breaking News: The body of Petra Driscoll, better known as "Patchy", disappeared earlier after being deemed officially dead this morning. Forensics are looking into the situation, but so far, they have no leads.

Rosa, the chief of police, shut the TV off with a heavy sigh, as she stood up and began to walk to her bedroom

She looked at her alarm clock, "10 pm.."

She turned the light off and crawled into her bed, getting ready to go to sleep for the night, when she saw, what seemed to be the silhouette of a woman, standing in her doorway.

She rubbed her eyes and it was gone, so she shrugged it off and closed her eyes, starting to fall asleep.

"Goodnight, Rosa."

(Currently Available on here, Reddit[r/creepypasta], and Wattpad)

[smallblip]

Okay, but (sorry for my english) I just really love modern hc where they perform as the band No Name during their school festival (their identities are already known and that people know they belong to one of the most famous group in the school /with nanaba and erwin/).

Levi’s the face of the group and almost half of the fans have him as their bias but they really thinks he’s asexual or bi or even gay since they never knew anyone who had been his girlfriend and he doesn’t seem to be that person to be involved in any romance.

But then he surprises everyone when during their performance, he just grabs hange’s ponytail and kissed her deeply.

And people were just like—oh, shit, wait, what.... levi just—kissed his friend....his....friend.....Hange....the Hange

Then the crowd went wilder and even Levi’s fans just gasped with excitement because—damn that’s hot!

Even Hange herself were surprised but she couldn’t do anything since levi’s grip was too strong, lost in his own world as he ravishes her with kisses as if he doesn’t give a shit about everyone watching them

she doesn’t even know how long it lasted.

Then there’s Erwin in the crowd, capturing every moment with a camera because he’s the only one who wasn’t surprised about this

Stop the presses!

“Breaking news! Levi Ackerman frontman of No Name is having an illicit love affair!”

“It’s not breaking news if everyone already knows...” Porco rolls his eyes. Connie groans. Great. Now Porco is in his shot. The school’s journalism club is essentially him and Sasha with her phone’s camera. They do not have the skill nor the budget to edit him out.

“Who’s he dating then?” Sasha shoots back.

“Heard it’s a girl from another school.” Porco shrugs.

“Heard he’s gay...” Reiner offers.

“You just want him to be gay...” There’s sniggering and Reiner wants to punch Porco, but he’s a man of discipline, so no violence before breakfast.

“It’s just a rumour! He isn’t dating anyone! Levi’s too cool to date.” Eren says, gagging at the mention of the word. A literal child.

“Who would wanna date him?” Mikasa scoffs.

“Everyone in the school apart from you, Mikasa...” Petra says, “he’s dreamy...”

Connie urges the discussion on, Sasha capturing all of this. This is the best content they’ve gotten all week. “Come on! There are no bad answers!”

“Maybe he’s dating a fan?” Bertholdt says.

“Maybe he’s dating Hanji... They do seem rather close?” Pieck says, and the silence and scowls are intended to shame her. Connie looks at the aluminium foil on Pieck’s head. Right. The Signs movie screening organised by the conspiracy society is today.

“No bad answers except that one...” Connie says.

—

“You’re the talk of the town again...” Mike says, “they were discussing you on the school’s YouTube channel.”

Levi tsks. He doesn’t know why Mike bothers with that crap. It’s a pretty high quality production... he had justified, but there’s nothing high quality about Sasha’s shaky hands and Connie’s head covering half the frame. Everyone knows Mike enjoys the gossip, and there’s no one that enjoys it more. Except maybe Erwin.

“Do tell! Who is the enigmatic Levi Ackerman dating?” Erwin teases. He knows he’s not getting anything out of tight-lipped Levi. But it’s still worth a shot. Also worth seeing how annoyed he can get. Plus it’s not like they don’t already know.

If the canteen hadn’t been so goddamn full, Levi would’ve relocated long ago. Then again, his lunch groups hasn’t changed since his first day at school. The routine works.

“I’m sure you boys would be the first to know...” Nanaba chuckles. She had been the first to know and frankly. Levi’s inability to confess has been getting stifling. The only thing that really breaks the conversation though? Hanji tripping and landing face first on the table, lucky for her Levi moves her tray out of the way, saving her lunch, “watch it four eyes!”

“What did I miss?” Hanji asks, eyes already gleaming at the possibility of new knowledge.

“We were just talking about Levi’s illicit love affair.” Mike says. This is getting interesting.

“Awww Levi! You didn’t tell your ol’ pal Hanji that you were seeing someone?”

The rest of them exchange looks. God she’s so goddamn oblivious.

“Eat. We’ve got band practice before class.” Levi says, fingers already working to peel Hanji’s orange for her.

Nanaba winces. So goddamn oblivious.

—

“So we enter school today and Sasha what do we see?”

“Merch!” Sasha pops in front of the screen and does jazz hands with Connie.

“In the lead up to the big No Name concert, everyone’s donning their best No Name merch! First, let’s speak to the best in the game, Armin Arlert.”

Armin fidgets awkwardly, “ahaha I’m just a fan who just happens to make high quality merch.” Modest for someone earning big bucks from his enterprise.

“Ah... And you have competition this year!” Connie says into the microphone, which is really just rolled up newspaper.

“Well... The quality of my work speaks for itself...” Armin smiles sheepishly at the camera, but there’s something insidious in his eyes. Armin has to admit having sole monopoly over No Name merchandising in school has gone a little stale. Surely a little competition will spice things up.

“So Zeke, care to tell us more about your entry into the merchandise game?” Connie asks the bearded boy. Who has a full grown beard at their age? Connie makes a mental note to insert “sells bootleg merch” in the little panel that runs below Zeke’s interview. The whole school is also pretty sure Zeke had been behind the whole oregano debacle last year- someone had been passing oregano off as weed and selling it to the younglings.

“What’s there to say? Mine’s cheaper.” Zeke winks.

“So, satisfied customer. Why did you choose to buy Armin’s merch over Zeke’s?” Connie asks.

Pieck glances down at her Hanji shirt, “Armin got Hanji’s nose right.” She smiles.

In the background Armin and Eren are yelling at one another.

“How could you Eren! I thought we were best friends!” Armin says. Maybe the competition spiced things up a little too much.

“It was cheaper Armin! So much cheaper!”

Eren is wearing the ugliest shirt in school so, is it really worth it though?

—

“We are absolutely not blowing our budget on a confetti canon!”

“But Levi!” Hanji whines, “you already rejected so many of my ideas...”

“May I remind you that your previous ideas include a guillotine on stage, you repelling from the ceiling-“

“A tiger...” Mike adds and Hanji shoots him a look, traitor...

“It was two tigers...” she mutters under her breath. “Aww Levi you never let me do anything fun!” She pouts and Mike watches as Levi’s resolve slips an inch. There’s nothing more disgusting than the weakness of a man in love. Mike rolls his eyes. He had told Erwin if he wanted in on the action, he should join their band. There’s just so much to see that Mike has honestly had his fill. Or maybe he’s just saying it. Damn Nanaba was right, he enjoys this more than he’d care to admit.

“If you shut up through the next five songs, I’ll buy you dinner.”

“What about me?” Mike huffs.

“Deal!” Hanji shouts triumphantly, “and if you let me sing the chorus with you on this next song at the concert I’ll buy you dessert!”

“Almost as if I’m invisible...” Mike mutters.

“Fine... Deal... If you can hit the notes that is...”

“Ohhhh snap!” Mike says, and Levi turns to him for a high five. Mike smashes a beat on his drums. Hanji deadpans.

Ba dum fuckin tiss indeed.

—

“So it’s two days before the festival and the big No Name concert. Today, we’ve got a special treat for you. Roving reporter Jean Kirschtein will find out more about Levi’s love affair, straight from the horse’s mouth!”

Jean shoots Connie a dirty look. But the pun had not been intended. Connie mouths a quick apology before continuing, “but first, a word with the people closest to him-“ Connie nudges Jean towards the general direction of Erwin, Nanaba and Mike. Remember you owe me Jean! Connie whispers harshly when he senses his friend’s hesitation, now go!

Jean groans once more. God his reputation was going to take a hit. He’s vice captain of the soccer team for God’s sake. He doesn’t need this.

“Erwin Smith! A word? Uh... Thoughts on the rumours surrounding Levi Ackerman’s love life?” Jean asks. “Erwin Smith, football captain, history club president, student council treasurer, overall overachiever, and Levi Ackerman’s friend” appears on the screen. They all know if anyone’s likely to spill, it’s going to be Erwin.

Erwin’s eyes light up, he’s finally going on the channel he watches religiously with Mike. There’s so much he can contribute, so much gossip to share, so much insight. Maybe they would even invite him as a panelist on their show. The sheer power! He looks at Nanaba and she frowns at him and shakes her head. Ah damn it! He knows she’ll tear into him if he divulges too much.

“That’s strictly on a need to know basis.” Erwin grins.

“Well... Can you give us anything at all?” Jean asks. Please for the love of god he needs to pay Connie back somehow for setting him up on that date with Mikasa. God is generous but he can easily take it all away.

“We have good, solid guesses, but other than that... No... We can’t confirm anything...” Erwin answers, but not before glancing at Nanaba. She’s nodding. Good, that’s a good answer. Ambiguous enough to keep people wanting. Erwin is relieved. Jean isn’t however, he’s now certain that his debt is going to be rolled along a tab he will soon never be able to pay.

“Oh and the history society’s having quiz night next week, be there or be square!” Erwin plugs.

“Nerd!” Nile yells from across the hallway and Mike chortles.

It doesn’t take Jean long to find Hanji, after all she’s president of the biology club, so why wouldn’t she be in a lab elbow deep in a vat of something Jean doesn’t want to know the name of. It’s her kingdom with a whopping total of four subjects.

“Hanji Zoë, I’m here to ask for the latest on Levi Ackerman’s love life-“

Hanji Zoë- the school’s resident oddball, the genius herself, in the flesh, eating a checkerboard cookie. She looks up at him and there are crumbs on her face.

“Oh! Hi Jean!” Hanji looks up momentarily, “that’s easy, Levi’s in love with me.” She winks at Jean and chuckles. Jean’s jaw drops, surely she’s kidding. Hanji’s known for that after all- her quick wit and dismal personal hygiene. He chuckles awkwardly. “Yeah... Okay...”

“See you at the concert?” She beams at him and he replies enthusiastically. Is she kidding? Everyone’s gonna be there. But Jean remains strategic, he leaves right before she gets the chance to talk his ear off about joining her club again. “Shoot... There goes another one...” she says under her breath as he exits the lab.

Jean bumps into Levi when he’s leaving the lab, odd, what’s Levi doing here, no matter, Jean has a job to do.

“Levi Ackerman! Care to comment on the recent rumours surrounding your-“

“No.” Levi interjects and heads off.

Jean flips the camera so he’s in it, “well, that’s the scoop. Back to you Connie and Sasha.”

—

“It’s the day of the festival! But really the whole school is buzzing with anticipation for the No Name concert!” Connie announces into his makeshift mic.

“Will there be another accident on-stage this time? Will Levi Ackerman reveal more on his secret romance? Is there even a secret romance to begin with? More importantly, will Porco Galliard finally pay for his own food at the festival?”

“Hey!” Porco whips his head around to glare at Connie, “did Reiner get you to say that?”

Connie shrugs, “we’ll find out after these messages...”

The concert is a blast, from a spectacular entrance (choreographed, no doubt, by one Hanji Zoë), to Mike’s drum solo, to Levi’s vocal riffs. But there’s an anticipation of another sort- will Levi Ackerman finally address the rumours of his love affair?

“My Levi-Hanji senses are tingling Nanaba...” Erwin says mid-concert. As the self-proclaimed expert on school gossip, there’s no gossip sweeter than that which surrounds his two best friends. Nanaba thinks it’s an overstatement of his abilities.

But Nanaba feels it too- the electricity in the air, “i think it’s finally happening!” She says, nothing short of a vision.

Levi announces the last song for the night, and he makes his way over to Hanji during the last chorus.

HUH?

Sasha’s cameras are rolling. She holds her breath, for what she doesn’t know, but she feels it coming, call it director’s intuition if you will.

Hanji looks at Levi and beams past the bandages over their eyes, now upgraded to a material they can actually see through, ever since that one accident with Hanji trying to execute a stage dive completely blind. It’s not fun explaining to the ER nurse how you managed to fracture your arm in so many locations.

Hanji’s expression changes to one of confusion when Levi closes the distance between them. This isn’t part of any plan. Her lips part in a gasp. The crowd falls silence, breath collectively held in anticipation. It’s happening. The most significant and exciting moment of their young lives.

What in the name of Maria, Rose, and Sheena!

Levi grabs Hanji by her ponytail and crashes his lips into hers. She forgets how to function, her guitar now hanging limp and forgotten. But her arms find their way around Levi’s neck. It’s just Mike on the drums now, roaring with laughter.

“Hell yes!” Mike exclaims and it’s captured by one of the mics, joined by Nanaba and Erwin at exactly the same time. There’s a flash from Erwin’s phone, there, immortalised in a photo forever. He knows it’ll come in handy one day. For blackmail or for a future wedding montage. Either is fine.

What just happened?

Connie’s jaw is hanging.

“Levi Ackerman and... and... Hanji Zoë?” Connie says, more for his own benefit than for his audience. Because this is Hanji they’re talking about? The Hanji Zoë? Resident evil genius, overall weirdo, oddly magnetic and popular amongst both the boys and the girls, Levi’s childhood friend Hanji Zoë? The answer had been staring them right in the face! Levi at the biology labs, Levi glowering at her, the bickering, the chemistry on and off stage.

Connie whips his head over to Pieck, and she winks at him, told you so!

“I don’t believe it! Stop the presses! Levi Ackerman, frontman of No Name, in love with the brilliant, the magnetic, the one and only... Hanji Zoë!”

Hanji is kissing Levi back with fervour, until they’re both blushing and giddy, the music long forgotten, and when everyone is done gawking, the crowd erupts in violent cheering. Who would’ve thought emotionally constipated Levi, Levi whose private life has been kept a secret for so long, safe from the prying hands of the school press and his loyal fans, would choose to make an announcement like this. What a night! What a spectacle!

“I guess that’s all for tonight folks, and what a fantastic and surprising evening it has been!” Connie laughs, “I’m Connie Springer, and you heard it here first!”

The confetti canon goes off. And Hanji watches with uninhibited joy as confetti rains down on the stage.

“So... Tigers next time?” Hanji says, unwrapping the bandages from her face, her eyes glazed over and more beautiful than anything Levi has ever seen. He scoffs, pressing another kiss to her lips for posterity.

“Don’t push it...”

(A/N: prompt so good I had to write a mini fic! Thank you anon💖💖💖)

[capitainelevi]

5, for the drabble challenge

Thank you for your ask!! ❤️❤️

Drabble challenge: Followers send a number to your ask and you write a drabble using that sentence/prompt in your piece. “You haven’t even touched your food. What’s going on?”

TW: dark themes, violence.

Dream in red

Criminal Levi. Canon setting. Word count: 2112

She was oblivious to the sights her beauty drew to her, giving Levi the perfect opportunity to marvel at the nymph across from him. He took in every move she made, committing to memory the way she loosened her honey-colored hair, which fell to her shoulders, or the way the girl bit her bottom lip in concentration as she rang up the customers of the small vegetable stand. She looked up briefly, and Levi locked eyes with her big, amber-colored ones as she gave him a shy smile. Her fate was sealed at that moment: she was everything Levi had been looking for. The missing piece from his life. Levi closed his eyes, imagining the blood flowing from the blade on his wrist as he plunges his knife in her heart, the light leaving her eyes as the fear on her face shifted to agony.

The last girl barely saturated Levi`s thirst. He wondered if Erwin ever suspected the activities that filled up Levi`s nights and if he was turning a blind eye to keep his most valuable soldier. Sometimes, he imagined the scandal that would ensure if he ever got caught. Humanity`s strongest soldier and also the most notorious criminal Trost ever had. Levi did follow in his uncle`s footsteps, after all.

Killing in the Underground was natural. He couldn`t even remember how many lives his hand took. Even his uncle gave up on him after the first time he found eight-year-old Levi crouched over the body of a young woman, his hands stained with her blood. Levi tried to keep his urges at bay when Erwin brought him up to the surface, putting all his rage and needs in slicing up titan flesh, but it lacked the intimacy he felt when he was in the same room as his prey. Nothing could replace the moment when his victims realized there was no way out for them.

From that day, Levi kept a watchful eye on his prey, learning every detail of her routine, but still keeping a safe distance from the girl. His small fantasy kept replaying in his mind day after day, of her tied to a chair as he prepared his blades to slice up her soft skin.

Climbing up to her bedroom became a routine in Levi`s days and nights. He knew everything her room had to say about her. He knew which book was her favorite by how worn out it was and how her clothes smelled like. At times, he felt so drawn to her he would linger through the night, watching her sleeping form for hours. His hand would slip to the blade in his pocket, wondering if the devastation on his father`s face as he found the light of his life sliced up in her bed would be better than the uncertainty he put the families through, as Levi disposed of all the bodies behind the Wall.

One afternoon, she came out of her house alongside three tall men, laughing with them, jokingly hitting one of them in their shoulder. Levi felt himself burning up with jealousy, his stomach was in knots, and against his better judgment, he started following the small group to the nearest tavern. Levi sat down at the bar, pretending to busy himself with a newspaper, positioning himself so he could steal glances at his small ginger, caught up in a conversation with her friends. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when Petra approached him so she could order her drink, and it took everything Levi had not to touch her. When she took out her pouch, she realized she was short on money when Levi told the bartender he would be covering for her.

“Wait, are you sure?”

Levi didn`t look at her as he pulled a few coins out of his pocket- “Don`t worry about it, just enjoy your drink.”

She eventually gave Levi a big smile and thanked him for the drink. When Petra started making her way back to her friends, Levi got out of his place and stormed out of the tavern. He couldn`t wait any longer. The image of her dead eyes plagued Levi`s days and nights. He needed to make his way to the cabin and get everything ready for his guest.

When the night finally came, Levi posted himself across from her house, waiting for his oblivious victim to fall into his arms. He pulled the hood on his face when the door opened, and the conversation he overheard was both amusing and sorrowful.

“Petra, love, maybe you should have told Oluo to come to pick you up. Too many young girls have been disappearing lately.”

Petra waved her father off, confident nothing would ever happen to her- “I`ll be fine, daddy, don`t worry. It`s just a short walk.”

Her father wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek- “I would be dead if something happened to you.”

“Nothing of the sort is going to happen to me, dad.”

Oh, my dove, maybe you should have listened to your father`s warning.

Used to living in the shadows, it was easy for Levi to tail her without her even noticing his presence creeping up on her. Petra struggled in his hold as she felt a hand across her mouth, stopping the air from reaching her lungs. She tried to bite or scratch or hit him, anything to get out of his hold, but as everything started going black, she knew there was no chance for her. I was wrong, dad. I`m sorry.

Levi covered her unconscious form and put her on his horse as he sped up towards the small cabin he kept for entertaining his most special guests. He was bursting up with excitement over the prospect of spending his night in the presence of the most perfect woman he had ever laid his eyes upon. Levi was going to take his time with her so that her death would not be in vain. He was going to take every bit of pleasure he could out of their time together.

After he tied Petra to the blood-stained wooden chair, Levi took a moment to admire her beauty. He ran his fingers through the ginger locks before tracing her plump lips with his thumb, thinking how it was a shame such beauty would be wasted in a matter of hours. How her pretty face would fall victim to decay.

The images in his mind shifted to how their life together would look like, how her sleeping sun-soaked form would look like in his bed every morning, on how he would wake her up with a kiss on her cheek. Levi would prepare her a cup of tea and her favorite dish for breakfast, and she would tell him all about the clients she had to deal with daily. Levi was brought back to reality by a groaning coming from the unconscious ginger, and against everything his instincts urged him to do, Levi made up his decision. Petra was going to live. And she would be his.

Levi shook her awake, and Petra groaned as she started to regain consciousness. She felt like her head would explode, and she couldn`t comprehend why a strange man was urging her to wake up. As memories of her night came flooding back, Petra yelled, trying to get away from her kidnapper. Levi waited for her to calm down as he tried to assure her that she was safe. When Petra stopped yelling, he approached her again, as he took her hand in his and caressed it.

“I followed the bastard here, but he ran away when he heard me approaching. Did he hurt you?”

Petra`s mind went blank as she tried to comprehend how lucky she had been. She looked into Levi`s eyes and saw nothing but concern, and the gruff-looking man in front of her became her hero. Petra threw herself in his arms, and while it was the last thing he expected, Levi didn`t think twice before reciprocating her gesture.

“No. Oh, thank the Goddesses you were here!”

Petra thanked Levi over and over again, wrapping her arms so tight around his body he nearly fell out of breath. He took Petra up in his arms and carried her to his horse to return his woman to his father. For the moment. He was sure he was in Heaven. He could see the relief and appreciation in Petra`s eyes as she told him he saved her life over and over again, and her father threw his arms around Levi the first chance he got.

Levi ignored the older man staining his cape with his tears as he threw his arms around Levi once Petra made her way back to the house- “My son, I owe you my life. Please, come back for dinner tomorrow evening. It`s the least I could do for you.”

Levi accepted the invitation and promised Petra`s father he would brief the Military Police the first chance he got. He just happened to be in the area as he saw the petite ginger`s misfortune of being chosen as the next victim of the newest killer plaguing their city. While they didn`t find any evidence in the cabin, the one Levi made sure to clean before waking Petra up, the Military Police still promised they would not treat this lightly, and it took everything Levi had not to laugh at their empty words.

He bought Petra flowers before coming to her house, and he didn`t miss the slight blush painting her cheeks as he put them in her arms. Petra`s father thanked Levi over and over again throughout dinner, telling him he was a blessing in their lives, and if Levi had any decency in him, he would have left right then. But no. Levi stayed and talked to Petra for hours and didn’t hesitate to accept the dinner invitation for next week.

Levi brought her flowers every time, and after the fourth dinner at her place, Petra asked him if he would like to accompany her to a picnic in the woods. They spent most of the afternoons lying on the blanket, with Levi listening to Petra talk about her childhood and how much she missed her mother, who passed away when she was a teenager. Levi shared a bit about his past, letting Petra know he grew up in the Underground, but realizing it must have been hard for him, she switched the conversation to his time in the Survey Corps and how he became Humanity`s Strongest Soldier.

Throughout their conversations, Levi could notice Petra`s sight swift to his lips from time to time, and while she was in the middle of telling him about her favorite dessert, Levi captured her mouth in a hungry kiss. Despite being taken by surprise, Petra reciprocated, being convinced that Levi was the greatest man she could ever be with.

Being Levi`s lover was hard, as she had to say goodbye to him with every expedition that he risked his life in, but Petra was the luckiest woman alive. Her lover was spoiling her with his attention and love. Every moment Levi got away from the military, he spent in her arms. After six months of dating, Levi announced to her he had a surprise for her, and he blindfolded her as he took her to the small apartment they would be moving in together.

Petra loved Levi more than she had ever loved anyone before, but doubt started making its way into her heart as evidence kept piling up over the months spent together. Such as the bloodstains she kept finding on his clothes as she washed them, after being fairly certain titan blood should have evaporated. Or the nights she woke up to an empty bed, as her lover claimed to have taken a walk outside to help with his insomnia. But no. She was being paranoid. Her Levi was the sweetest man she had ever met. But she had to ask. She needed to be sure.

Petra was lost in her thoughts as she played around with the food on her plate. She had just discovered another bloodstain on her lover`s cravat. Levi`s voice pulled her out of her thoughts- “You haven’t even touched your food. What’s going on?”

She sighed, unsure if she should even word it to Levi, but she knew the answer already. There was no way the kind man she had been dating would hurt people.

“Levi… do you have something to tell me?”

Levi sighed as he listened to Petra voice out her worries, all while pulling his knife out of his pocket.

[insomnicpickle]

(This is a cursed writing-)

—————

“Guys….I think (Y/n)‘s the only person to make Captain Levi lose his cool.” Eren said as he sat with his friends in the mess hall. The others looked up at him.” What do you mean by that?” Connie asked.” Well….”

~flashback~

“Damnit!” Eren cursed as he held his hand. Eren was trying to control his transformation powers but so far, no luck. He held his arm and panted a bit. He heard footsteps and looked at them.” Sorry captain.” He said. Levi stared.” You okay?” He asked.” Yeah. I will be.” He said as he looked down at his hand and clenched his fist.” I’ll keep trying.” He said.” Good. Now get up.” Levi said before walking off. Eren sighed.’ I need motivation.’ He thought.

S M A C K

His eyes widened and he held the back of his head.” Ow! What the-?!” He turned and saw his old friend.” (Y/n)? What was that for?!” He asked whining as he held his head.” 9 out of 10 doctors recommend that you stop being a little bitch.” She said. Levi, who was at a picnic table drinking his tea, chocked on his tea and coughed slightly. Eren stared at his captain with wide eyes before snapping to (Y/n).’ Did she just-?’ He thought.’ There’s no way…’ he thought. He then got up and continued with training.

-

“We’ll cut the limbs off here and here.” Captain said as he went over the plan, pointing the chalk at the weirded blobs of limbs that he drew.’ Is that blob suppose to me as a titan?’ He thought.” As a matter in fact, they’ll probably just grow back lizard style. Creepy little bastard.” Levi said.” Sir, during this, who’ll be in charge?” Eren asked.” Well since I’ll be with you, me. But in the case of us separating, I’ll have to say (Y/n), since she knows how to keep your ass in check.” He said. (Y/n) smirked and nudged Eren.” You know, technically I can make you do anything I order.” She said shrugging.” No you can’t!” Eren said pouting at his friend.” UH aCtUaLlY yEAh I cAN.” (Y/n) mocked. Eren’s eyes twitched and he turned to his captain to set her straight, only to see the sight of Levi facing the board, his shoulders slightly shaking.’ What….?’

-

“Man this place is in shambles.” Eld said as he looked at the castle.” It’s been abandoned for years.” Gunther said.” In which we have a problem, don’t we?” The two turned and saw captain Levi.” Best grab a broom and get to work.” He said. Behind him, (Y/n) popped out and looked at the castle. She then grinned.” Call me Dumbledore.” The three looked at her confused.” Cause we’re about to clean bitches.” She said.

The window opened up and (Y/n) poked her head out with a scarf on her head and around her nose and mouth.” Oh yeah~! You’re a dirty little window sill aren’t you?” She muttered while Levi swept around. Eren walked in and saw (Y/n) mumble to herself. He also noticed the barley noticeable shaking of Levi’s shoulders again.” I finished the upstairs sir-“ he said. (Y/n) jumped and turned around.” What!” She said, surprised.” Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She said. Eren fought back a smile.’ Sorry (y/n)!’ He thought.

-

“Wait, we can’t do experiments on me everyday!” Eren said. Hange pouted, a sad look in her eyes.” Why not?” She asked.” Because that’s not right! I mean, what am I, a slave?” He asked. Levi looked back at Hange, who looked at him. Levi then turned back to Eren. (Y/n), who had a blank look on her face, looked at Eren and said.” Yeah.” She said blankly.” Pfft-!” Hange and Levi said. Levi quickly turned his back to them, his shoulder shaking slightly while Hange bursted out laughing. Eren’s eyes twitched.’ Who’s side are you on (Y/n)?!’

-

“Captain I-!” Eren said turning behind him to see the team, only to freeze as the squad had their swords toward Eren. Eren dropped a spoon and went to pick it up only to turn his arm into a titan arm.” Eren! Why did you transform without permission?!” Oluo yelled.” Answer us!” Petra said.” No…I-I didn’t..-!” He said. He was just as confused and scared as everyone else was.” Captain step away!” Petra said.” All of you need to calm down.” Levi said, his hand in front of him.” That’s an order.” He said.” Wait!” The squad looked next to captain Levi and saw (Y/n) with a serious expression.’ Oh no…’ Eren thought, having a bad feeling.” We’re gonna need barbecue sauce.” She said. The squad stared at her before bursting out laughing.’ What the hell (Y/n)?!’ He thought.” Eren!” He snapped out his thoughts and looked at (Y/n).” It’s ok man. Just relax.” She said.’ Just….relax.’ He thought.” Wah!” He said as his arm slipped right out and fell to the ground with a thud.

-

“Guys guys!” Hange said as she ran into the mess hall, almost tripping as she did so. She stopped and panted a bit.” Watch it, four eyes.” Levi said setting his cup down. Eren looked up at her.” What’s up?” (Y/n) asked.” I have discovered the secret to Eren’s Titans powers!” Hange said. She then took a spoon out and set it down.” Drugs!” She said joking.” What, is that you crack spoon?” (Y/n) asked. Levi slightly chocked on his tea.” Don’t be silly, it’s far too shallow!” Hange said going along with the joke before explaining how his powers actually worked.

~flashback end~

“No way!” Connie said laughing as he slammed his fist up and down on the table.” You can’t be serious!” Jean said holding his stomach as he cries.” I’m not joking guys!” Eren said whining, clearly upset that no one believes him.” Damn, that’s too good to be true!” Sasha said, wiping her tears away.” Hey guys, speaking of (Y/n), where is she?” Christa asked as she looked around. Everyone stopped and looked around.” Hey yeah she’s right.” Armin said.

“She’s not here.”

-Meanwhile-

“What have I told you about making me laugh in front of others?” Levi asked as he flicked (Y/n)‘s forehead. She whined and rubbed the spot.” I didn’t do anything wrong!” She said pouting.” Besides, you have a cute laugh, Captain~” She said with a smirk.” Oh shut it brat.” He said leaning down and kissing her gently.” Now if you continue this, they’ll know we’re together. And we can’t have that or we’ll get in trouble. Understood?” He said gently flicking her nose. She yelped and held her nose.” Yes Levi.” She whined.” Good girl~ now get your ass up. We’re gonna get something to drink.” He said.” Vodka?!” She asked excitedly.” You know we don’t have any.” He said.” Yeah we do.” She said.” What? Where?” He asked confused.” Remember that tea I made you the other day?” She asked.” Yeah?” He asked.” Wait, are you saying it was vodka?!” He asked.” No! Of course not.” She said pouting. He sighed in relief.” Thank god.” She then smirked.” It was mostly watered down vodka.”

“(Y/n)!”

[vennilavee]

the soul of a flame - ch 1

the spark

pairing: levi x reader of color

summary: levi follows his squad to a new bar called the silver sapphire and finds you, a pretty girl with a knack for making drinks.

warnings: alcohol, cursing

word count: 2022

a/n: reader is a reader of color because that's how it's going to be. if i feel like i cant relate with some of the fics posted here/ao3 bc of obvious physical attributes assigned to reader, then im sure many others feel the same as well. ENJOY

***

Levi suspects that his squad is getting shitfaced. Again. It’s only the end of a grueling few weeks after they’ve been appointed to his squad and had to go through a stricter, more regimented version of Cadet training.

It was Levi’s version of training.

He had them training from early hours into the heat of the mid afternoon until the sun began to dip into the sky. They never outwardly complained, not to him at least. They knew better.

Levi had granted them an early evening, to which all four of them had been surprised by-

“What? You four earned it,” Levi says with his arms crossed, “Don’t look so surprised. I’m not a tyrant.”

“Of course not, Captain Levi,” Petra chirps, an always sweet smile on her face.

Oluo elbows her, telling her to stop being such a kiss ass and Petra gapes at him.

“Me? Look at your hair! You can’t even pull off bangs the way Captain Levi can,” She scoffs, arms crossed over her chest.

Levi rolls his eyes, not bothering to conceal the fondness he has for his team.

“Get outta here,” He says not unkindly.

He didn’t think they would end up finding their way to a bar for two nights in a row. They’re getting ready for their third night at the same bar and Levi has to know.

What the hell has gotten into his team?

“Which one of you four idiots is gonna tell me where you’ve been sneaking off to?” Levi asks, appearing suddenly in front of Oluo and Gunther.

“We told you Captain! There’s a bar not too far from here,” Eld says enthusiastically, “There’s a rumor that they make their own alcohol with gold there.”

“Right,” Levi scoffs, “That has to be the only reason why you four come back shitfaced every night. Because of gold.”

“Not me, sir!” Petra protests, earning herself a glare from Oluo.

“Who are you lying to, Petra?” Oluo says, “And it’s not gold, Eld. I hear it’s diamonds and rubies. Sapphires, too.”

“How the fuck do you make alcohol out of diamonds, rubies and sapphires? Do you hear yourselves?” Levi says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“That’s what it tastes like, Levi. That’s what her alcohol tastes like,” Gunther says dreamily. 

“So which is it? You like the alcohol or you like her?” Levi says, a faint, uncharacteristic teasing in his tone.

“Doesn’t help that she’s very pretty, sir,” Petra says thoughtfully, tapping her chin.

“I’m sure it doesn’t,” Levi rolls his eyes, turning his back on his team, “Enjoy. You’re expected to be ready for training at dawn.”

“Yes, sir,” They all chorus while saluting. 

“Levi,” Gunther says, “You should come later, if you want. Hange and Mike will be coming later.”

“Tch,” Levi waves him off without another word and Gunther shrugs.

He has better things to do than drink shitty alcohol from a shitty bar with his friends and fellow soldiers. 

***

It turns out that Levi in fact, does not have better things to do than drink shitty alcohol from a shitty bar with his friends and fellow soldiers. Hange had convinced him to join them. And her version of convincing had been blackmailing him into holding his most favorite tea leaves hostage and loudly telling him that he needed to get out more often otherwise he’d turn shrivel up and turn into a grump-

“If we hurry and go, we can reverse the process before it’s too late.”

Which is how he found himself walking to the bar that Hange coerced him into going to. It’s called the Silver Sapphire, and honestly, he can’t think of a shittier name for a bar. Sapphires aren’t even silver.

Levi hates any amount of attention on him, and the way the bar goes silent for a moment when all eyes land on him makes his skin crawl. He sits at his own table, away from the ruckus of the other squad leaders and his own team as the noise around him resumes. He fully expects his team to see him and surround him soon.

At least none of the shitty kids were here.

“Captain Levi! You caaaame,” Oluo says, as Petra sits across from him. 

“Came to see what all the fuss was about,” Levi shrugs, “And Shitty Glasses decided to hold my tea leaves hostage if I didn’t show up.”

“Orrrr Captain Levi wants to see the pretty bartender,” Petra says in a singsong voice, eyeing him curiously.

Levi lets her have her fun. It puts a smile on her face, so he lets her have it. 

“Try some of my earthwater, Captain,” Oluo says, pushing his glass towards Levi.

“I’d rather die by the hands of my own blades than drink anything you’ve put your shitty tongue in, Oluo,” Levi says tonelessly, “Earthwater? What the hell is that?”

“The stuff made of diamonds,” Hange appears from around the corner and sits next to Petra, “You were right, Oluo.”

“Hange,” Levi says curtly, crossing his arms over his chest. Hange lets out a peal of delighted laughter at his irritation. 

“Shorty’s upset with me because I told him to get out of his office for the first time all week,” Hange whispers to Petra.

Levi rolls his eyes so far back he’s certain he sees his own skull.

Suddenly, Petra elbows Hange, discreetly looking at the bar and whispering to her with a tipsy giggle. Levi hears Gunther and Oluo sigh like lovestruck fools, even Petra and before he can ask them whether they are soldiers of the Survey Corps or whether they’re idiots in high school-

He sees you making your way to them from behind the bar and can kind of understand why they have hearts in their eyes, and why they’re behaving the way that they are. His own throat is a little dry but he clears it subtly, eyes not leaving you.

“Third night, huh? To what do I owe this pleasure?” You murmur, all smiles and warm, dark eyes. You have a notebook and a pen in your hand to take their orders.

Levi is aware of the intensity of his gaze over you. Your dark green silk shirt is neatly tucked into your black pants that hug your hips and your legs. It’s loose and yet sits on your torso like it was made for you. The dark green is a shade or two darker than the Survey Corps capes, but you wear the color much better than anyone in the Corps ever could. Levi catches a glint of gold at the base of your throat attached to a thread of gold wrapping around the column of your neck. The top two buttons of your shirt unbuttoned carelessly, allowing him a peek of your deep skin glowing with the lights of the bar.

He swallows.

“These four idiots have been raving about your drink, what is it dirtwater?” Levi says tonelessly, “Must be pretty shitty if it’s called dirtwater.”

“It’s called earthwater, actually,” You reply easily but Levi catches the bite in your tone, “You should have one. On the house. It’s my own recipe and maybe it’ll loosen the stick up Captain Levi’s ass a little bit.”

His teammates, all traitors apparently, snicker at your comment.

“Fine,” Levi scoffs, “I’ll have your shitty drink. And what happens when I decide that I don’t like it?”

“That won’t happen,” You wave him away with a smirk across your painted lips, “After all. I made it.”

And with that, you saunter away with the rest of their orders and Levi sinks into his seat imperceptibly.

You look over your shoulder and toss him a reckless wink and a rogue smile. It takes a second for Levi to realize that you’re looking in his direction. He turns his gaze away from you, ignoring the heat creeping up in his neck.

***

The minute you see Levi of the Survey Corps walk into your bar, you know you had to see him up close. You’ve only heard stories about him, rumors mostly. That he’s a well oiled Titan killing machine. That he’d climbed the ranks of the Corps quickly, too quickly. You’ve heard that he’s an Underground kid, and that has your interest piqued.

The entire bar goes silent when he pushes the doors open. Clearly, Captain Levi doesn’t just walk into bars very often. Your eyes immediately shift to the rest of the Corps, in a separate corner of the bar.

He looks disinterested as he observes the bar around him. You have an eye on him, as you do with all your new and high profile customers. You notice how he relaxes in his seat, but he has a watchful eye on his surroundings, too.

Maybe it comes from being from the Underground. Always trying to be five steps ahead of any perceived threats. Maybe it comes from his Corps training. Maybe both.

You can’t help your eyes from wandering as you watch him subtly from the bar. He’s handsome, somehow both rough and effortless at the same time. The planes of his face are lined with cues of life and loss and you wonder how close you can get to him to see more.

You prepare five mugs of earthwater, adding a little extra mint to their drinks to spruce it up. You strive to impress, and Captain Levi is no exception. Carrying all five drinks on a tray with one hand, you head back over to their table, ignoring the hollering of your patrons around you. You turn your head towards them while you’re still walking, and flash them a gratuitous wink to quell them. They sigh happily and you roll your eyes fondly.

They’re just drunk and happy.

“I’m back,” You announce, “One earthwater for each of you.”

You hand a mug to each of them, careful not to slosh the liquid over the rim. Levi eyes the mugs impassively- they’re made of shiny brass and have a thin handle on the side. And they’re clean, he realizes as he inspects the mug.

“I’m curious to hear your thoughts, Captain,” You say with a smile, your right hand on the table and your left hand on your hip. You lean on your right hand and Levi tries to ignore the way the collar of your shirt slips to the side, the hollow between your neck and shoulder exposed. He catches the glint of something shiny on your left hand before taking a sip in front of six pairs of waiting eyes.

They all lean in close to hear the verdict.

“It’s not shitty,” Levi says, pleasantly surprised. Not that you’d be able to tell. It’s a little sweet but not overwhelmingly so. He can taste richness in the aftertaste of the drink and the combination of it with mint is unlike anything he’s ever tasted. What exactly is in this drink? No wonder Oluo says it’s filled with diamonds and sapphires.

“Ha! I’ll take it,” You say triumphantly, “Well, enjoy. You know where to find me.”

Your dark eyes linger on Levi for a second longer, searching for the hidden roughness that only an Underground kid can have. But he’s no kid, and he hides it well.

So do you.

Levi is no stranger to pretty women, and he knows beauty when he sees it. At first glance, you look like you’ve been born and raised inside of Wall Rose. Your brown skin glows despite the absence of sun, you smile so boldly that your cheeks must hurt, your eyes are mischievous.

And yet. It only takes one sweeping glance at you, at your confidence and the twinkle in his eyes for Levi to see how much of yourself you’ve given to be here. To have something called your own. Your hands were rough when you had handed him his mug and he saw faint, old scars on your forehead and your neck when you had leaned in.

He can admire from afar, can’t he? No harm, no foul. It’s not like he’ll be coming back here anyway, right? He’ll probably be dead before he can.

[gildersbane]

The Gilder’s Bane

" Nothing Has Changed ”

                                                           ...

The sun rose on a third day after the assault on the king and princess of Argustead. The guards, chastised for their absence in a time of need, were stationed on every tower, every gate and every door. The citizens in their houses upon the high cliffs of the kingdom remained confused and frightened. Such an upheaval of peace hadn’t happened in their lifetime and all eyes were on the royal family for guidance and strength. Upon their king to lead them through this unrest. A king lost and the heirs attacked all within a year.

To  many, this would appear to mark the beginning of a great darkness falling upon the kingdom of Argus. 

However… Not everyone was as concerned with those matters as they probably should be.

Deep within the hard, stone walls of the castle, the princess laid in her mother’s bed wrapped in bandages. Cuts and bruises carefully tended to. A pair of broken ribs allowed to heal as she was forced to rest after her ‘ordeal’. Despite her immense and growing boredom. 

Across the wide room, leaning against a wall in a corner was her sword. Shimmering in the light of the fireplace, practically beckoning her to it. The smooth jewels in the guard reflecting blue light against the cold grey of the bricks. Even now, doing nothing but leaning on a wall, it seemed so magical. So enticing. So… mysterious. Princess Petra wanted nothing more than to walk over there and pick it up again. To try and awaken that incredible magic it held inside. A magic… no one but herself had ever seen.

In the days since the appearance of the violent smoke creature, the fires and explosion that devastated the castle had been blamed on it. Petra tried to protest and tell them what had really happened but her account of the events, with no witnesses, seemed just too ridiculous to believe. But, despite their best efforts to dismiss her claims, no one could explain how Petra fought the monster in just a blue dress, but had washed up upon the shore in shining gold armor. So, maybe, they just didn’t want to believe her. 

Lying atop the blankets, with her back leaning up against the engraved headboard, Petra surveyed the room. Her hands worked the laces from her boots and tied them end to end, fashioning them into a makeshift lasso. Her mother had left the room to check on the baby in the nursery and the guards were respectfully outside of the chamber doors. She wouldn’t be alone long and had to make the best of it. 

One end of the string was flung as far as she could make it. Once. Twice. Three times but each it fell short of the sword. Sometimes even catching something else she wasn’t aiming for in the process. But no one would mind if an antique figurine ended up on the floor, right?  Petra shifted upon the bed, ignoring the way both the mattress and her bones creaked in the process. Sitting on the foot of the bed she tossed the loop end once more and watched as it glanced off the pommel and fell limply to the floor. She let out a frustrated huff but at least now she knew it could reach. Winding the string back up, she pulled it back across the floor toward her. 

Alright. She just had to line up the throw one more time and throw. The lasso was tossed once more into the air, higher than ever and as it came down toward it’s target-

SNIP!

The string fell limp in Petra’s hands and it dropped to the floor in two pieces. Most of it still being held by the princess, and the loop severed and sitting several inches away. Petra’s eyes widened and she looked around to find her mother, Meliora standing in the room with a pair of scissors in one hand and the other upon her hip. With a very unimpressed expression on her face.

“Mom!” Petra gasped, dropping the string and scrambling backward on the mattress to return to her original spot. Which was definitely a mistake as her ribs ached the moment she did,  “I didn’t- Ow- I-I didn’t hear you come back in.”

 “Well maybe if you paid more attention to the world around you...” Meliora muttered she bent with a sore groan to pick up everything her daughter had scattered all over the floor.

Petra leaned forward, concern on her face as she watched this happen, “You don’t have to get that. Some one else can-”

“No.” the queen cut Petra off sharply, index finger raised in her direction. A true, motherly glower on her face, creasing her brow.  “No one else should have to clean up after us. We take responsibility for our own messes.”

Petra’s mouth opened but she closed it again for several seconds. She knew this was going to lead into another argument and her mother was trying to make a point about her needing to act more responsibly. It was a metaphor. Meliora was good at metaphors when Petra was in trouble for something. But none of this was even her fault! How was she supposed to take responsibility for a smoke monster showing up out of nowhere?

“Okay… But some of us didn’t just have a baby a couple days ago.” Petra mumbled, crossing her arms and sinking into the pillows. 

Her mother’s dark eyes lingered on her for a moment, scanning Petra’s features and the battered state of her now eldest biological child. A weary sigh fell from her lips and her shoulders fell slack as she set aside the various bits of mess she picked up from the floor. Petra’s eyes followed her around to the other side of the bed, wobbling as Meliora’s weight shifted the mattress beneath her. 

“Petra.” A hand reached out and rested on the princess’ shoulder,. “I know change can be scary and hard to accept. But being rebellious isn’t making anything easier for anyone. Not even yourself.”

Petra furrowed her brow, an offended look in her green eyes as she leaned away from her mom’s touch defensively. “Rebellious? Who said I’m rebelling from anything? I’m not doing anything different. Nothing’s changed. ”

The adventuring, the fighting, the danger… None of this was new. None of this was anything Petra hadn’t done with her father. When she was little, her days were filled with sparring with wooden swords in the courtyard, taking week long trips into dangerous canyons to explore. King Samuel never shied away from letting Petra be free spirited. He let her be what she wanted to be. 

… But now he was gone.

“Honey… I know that you’re used to being the youngest and not having to be the responsible one.” Meliora scooted closer, sliding her arm around Petra’s back to wrap around her opposite shoulder to pull her daughter against her side. “But things have changed. You’re a big sister now. I need you to set a good example.”

Petra’s gut twisted and her face contorted into a bitter scowl as she looked away. Her mom wasn’t telling her anything she wanted or needed to hear. How was she not setting a good example? She’d defended their home. She’d stopped an evil monster from attacking the kingdom! That was the best example someone could set, wasn’t it?

“Setting a good example is Lucien’s job.” she pouted, her arms tightening around herself as an uncomfortable, wormy feeling stirred in her chest. She hated these talks. Hated how they made her feel. Hated that they kept hammering in the fact that their family was different now.

“Lucien has to set a good example for the kingdom now.” Meliora pointed out, gently rubbing up and down Petra’s arm. “So I need you to come down from those clouds and be here. With me and your baby sister. Your father would have wanted-”

As if the universe heard Petra’s silent pleas for this conversation to end, a knock at the door interrupted the queen. After being called to come in, the large wooden door creaked open and the tall, slender form of King Lucien stepped inside. Neatly groomed as usual with hair fresh off of the curlers. Well… Clearly he was dedicating all of his free time to solving the mystery of what attacked the castle… At least he had his priorities in order. 

“Good morning.” He greeted warmly  before pausing  in his stride to take a look at them. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No.” Petra insisted before her mother could invite Lucien to jump in on yet another conversation about how she needed to stop being ‘reckless’.  “When can I leave this room? It’s been three days and nothing bad has happened. I’ll be fine if I just-”

Petra’s Elder brother shook his head, approaching the bed but stopping a polite distance away. “Unfortunately your room burned down. So I don’t see many other options for you.”

The princess let out a quiet huff and her eyes traveled back over to the golden sword in the corner. Mocking her with its magic beauty. She wasn’t the only one looking. Lucien’s hazel-green eyes fell upon it as well with much less affection. He’d seen that thing as trouble from the moment Petra brought it home. 

“We can’t keep that thing here.”

“What?!” Petra turned to look at her brother so quickly that her neck popped. Her eyes were wide and aghast at the suggestion. “Why?!”

The look on Lucien’s face betrayed how tired he felt. The creases at the corners and bags beneath his young eyes showing the headaches and lack of sleep he’d been enduring. It was readily apparent that he was not prepared to be as patient as their mother in this.

“Because, according to your story, that creature wanted you to hand this thing over.” Lucien pointed out as he crossed the room to stand beside the weapon, “Meaning that if you hadn’t taken it, you never would have been attacked.”

“You don’t know that!” Petra leaped up from the bed but Meliora put a hand on her arm before she could move over to where Lucien was standing. “Besides-! If something that dangerous was after it, doesn’t that make it our responsibility to keep it and make sure it stays out of the wrong hands? You’ve seen what it can do-”

“No, you’ve seen what it can do.” Lucien corrected her, looking back over his shoulder. “Which is exactly what concerns me.”

The king reached out a hand toward the hilt of the sword, as if to grab it. His fingers nearly touched the hilt before he hesitated and pulled away. The look on his face was hard to discern. He seemed cautious, almost nervous, but overall displeased with the thing. Like it was insulting him just by being in the castle. Like he was… afraid of it.

“I warned you about this thing after you told me you took it from Argus’ Forge. I told you nothing good would come of it.” Fists clenching, Lucien turned to look at his sister again, “You have always taken risks in favor of getting your way, but this time it nearly got you killed.”

Petra stuttered, sputtering in disbelief and looking around the room as if it would provide her a response. “What am I being accused of? Intentionally getting myself attacked by keeping a sword that rightfully belongs to our family?”

“You don’t know that, Petra.” 

“Yes I do! You told me yourself that the Gilder’s Bane was Argus’ sword. It’s ours! And if that monster wants it-”

“Then it needs to be kept far away from this castle.”

“That’s not fair!”

“I don’t CARE!”

The room fell silent as Lucien’s usually quiet voice boomed against the walls. The air itself seemed to fall still enough that every breath taken could be felt in the room. Petra’s eyes were wide as she met the intense, severe glare of her brother. …. No. Of the king. 

Lucien exhaled, running a hand down his face, leaving behind a pleading expression, “Petra… Look at yourself.”

Her eyes dropped to her hands, to her fingers bandaged tightly where they’d been cut and burned by the heat of the sword. To her right leg and the thick gauze around the gash across her shin. The continuous dull ache in her abdomen and the slowly fading dark bruises that marred her round face. It was true. She’d seen better days.

“I’m fine.” The words came out as a habit. Said so often that she hoped at least once that they’d believe her. 

“You’re not fine. None of this is fine.” Lucien was firm in his tone but far lower in volume now that Petra had stopped trying to talk over him. “I know you like this sword, and you like your little adventures, and chasing bandits before you go to fun parties and not having a care in the world… But those days are over. It’s time you stepped up and stopped being so reckless”

There it was. That word again!

“I’m not reckless! I’m… reck-ful!” The princess scoffed, folding her arms over her chest defiantly. Though everyone in the room, including herself, knew she was talking nonsense “I’m recking all the time! You don’t know what you’re talking about. I can take care of myself.”

Both Meliora and Lucien looked to each other with knowing glances. They’d heard this over and over again and neither believed it.

“In fact!” Petra began, her tone brightening as she attempted to behave like the things that had been said didn’t bother her, “I can take care of myself AND my new little sister.”

She began to walk backward toward the door. Meliora stood but that only hurried Petra along.

“No, no. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll go check on little... Little….” she reached back, blindly groping for the door knob as she tried to remember if the baby princess even had a name yet. “You know what? While I go check on her, how about you two brainstorm and come up with something to call her? Okay? Great. Bye~!”

She was out the door before Lucien could jump into action to stop her. The guards posted at the door cast her nervous glances and she only grinned. Walking down the hall while away from them with a wink, ‘shooting’ at them with both index fingers. They were so confused by her display that they let her go without question.

Just as she said. Everything was just fine. 

[hurricanerin]

I’ll Never Tell Ch. 4: Imagine It

Pairing: Loki/OFC

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Smut, non-con, power imbalance, violence, breeding, forced orgasms.

Chapter summary: That time we went home.

<< Ch. 3 | Ch. 5 >>

INT Masterlist

Add yourself to my taglist.

*Because Petra doesn’t understand Jotun, I don’t provide translations aside from skapning, which means “creature.”  (I’ll tell you a secret though, I culturally appropriated an entire language from my fellow Norsk.  Google Translate will lend a helping hand if you’re that curious.)

Petra rolled sleepily onto her side and laid her head on the pillow next to Loki’s.  The man was much easier to deal with when unconscious.  He’d been pushy about the baby ever since they had returned to Utgard. Eat this, don’t lift that, sit down, go rest.  Now he was finally quiet, and a sleeping Loki was a pleasant Loki.

Even at rest his brow furrowed slightly, the corners of his mouth tipping downwards.  She brushed her fingertips against his forehead, intent on erasing the lines from his face.  Her skin connected with his for two seconds before a hand clapped around her wrist. Her stomach dropped as Loki’s eyes snapped open, his cold gaze murderous.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry, I just—”

“You just what?  Thought it would be entertaining to test the King’s reflexes?  Dum jente,” he growled.

Tugging her wrist, Petra glared, her heart still pounding from adrenaline.

“Stop calling me names.”

“I’m not calling you names.”  He dragged his other hand from beneath the pillow, revealing a six-inch dagger.  He dangled it in front of her face.  “I’m stating what you are.  You’re fortunate I remembered it was you in my bed.  Were I any less sharp, this would be embedded in your eye.”

Petra flushed and swallowed hard, bowing her head.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want your apologies, just don’t be foolish.”

Petra bristled, successfully tugging her wrist from his grasp and flipping over to face the wall.  She heard him stash the knife beneath his pillow and waited for him lie down.  When he continued bustling beneath the sheets she glanced over her shoulder to find him pulling two coils of rope from beneath the bed.  That combined with his visibly waking cock prompted her to bolt, practically falling out of bed in her eagerness to get away.

“No.”

Loki’s brows rose innocently.  “No, what?”

“Just no.  Whatever you’re doing, stop.”

“You speak as though you have control of this situation.  Have you forgotten you owe me a debt for coming without permission?  I keep my promises, skapning. You’ll learn to listen to me.”

“I’m still sore from earlier,” she grumbled, her cheeks burning as she squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to protect her tender bits.

Ignoring her response, Loki crept near the headboard and looped each length of rope around either post of the bedframe.  He tugged, and once satisfied they’d hold motioned for Petra to climb back on the bed.  She shook her head.

“I said no.”

“Do you so easily forget the circumstances under which you’re here?”

“I’m doing my part of our bargain.  We have a lot of sex.  You’ve probably gotten me pregnant.  I didn’t agree to anything having to do with ropes.”

His maroon eyes glittered as he shook his head. “You agreed to let me breed you. Who’s to say I’m not about to do that?”

Lips pinched, she wrapped her arms around her naked body.  “You can breed me without restraining me.”

“I told you what we do with Jötunn women that resist.  Do you remember?”

Of course she remembered.  They were tied down.  He’d threatened to do the same to her their first time together.

“I’m not resisting your use of me.  And I’m not Jötunn.”

“You’re right, you’re not Jötunn.”  

He crawled forward on the bed and slung his legs over the side.  Spreading them, the conversation having obviously aroused him, he yanked her between his legs by her wrist.  Hesitantly she rested her hands on the tops of his thighs, freezing when he leaned forward, his hardening cock pressing against her belly.

"If you were Jötunn, you’d have a better concept of your status,” he murmured against her ear.

Petra whined softly, shaking her head as she tried to back away.  Even though she was fairly certain the Jötnar didn’t kiss, she couldn’t think as well with his mouth so close to hers.  He sank his fingers into her hair, tangling them in the silver strands until she stopped moving.

“Even as a Dark Elf your place is on your knees before me.  I’ve put you in it many times.”

She pushed against his chest with a scowl, “I know my place.  I willingly assume it whenever you want me.”

He studied her, his even breaths softly expelling hot, moist air against her hair.

“This is true.”  Loki tilted his head, thoughtfully tracing her collarbone with cool fingertips. “Perhaps I don’t need to tie you down for what I have planned.”

Shooting her a wicked smirk, he retreated to the center of the bed, arranging the pillows so he could sit comfortably against the headboard.  Long legs splayed wide open, he shamelessly revealed his growing erection.  Loki gave it a few strokes and her brows rose as it hardened further.  She’d never seen his impressive cock so close.

Loki reached for her, “Come to me.”

Stomach flipping, Petra eyed the still-present ropes and warily climbed on the bed.   She inched forward, perching on her knees at his side.  With a sigh, he lazily pumped his fist over his length.

“In my lap, skapning.”

“I don’t want to…,” she waved her hand at his half hard cock, “hurt you.”

           His sharp canines glistened as he smiled. “You couldn’t hurt me if you tried.”

With a huff, she delicately crept into his lap, carefully positioning herself between his spread legs.  Loki hummed, bending his knees as he leaned forward to arrange her with her back against his chest.  

She stiffened as his fingers twined in her hair again, experimentally weaving through the platinum strands.  With a shiver, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He looked curious, almost innocent as he investigated her hair, so different from the stark ebony of the Jötnar. It was an act more intimate than he realized and it made her stomach flutter in the most unseemly manner.

Distress spiking, Petra broke the silence.  “Why are we sitting like this?”

“Relax.”

She could feel the timbre of his voice rumble in his chest as she shifted uneasily.

“I’m trying,” she snipped.

“Careful, skapning.  This isn’t meant to be comfortable.”

Just as she was forming a response, his chilled fingers stroked down her chest and sides to trace along the skin of her inner thighs.  Her breath hitched and without thinking, her knees fell open.  Pursed lips curving into a smile, he cupped her mound and pet his hand against the soft flesh.  When she squirmed, he released a grunt at the friction created between her back and his cock. His fingers tightened, claw-like nails pressing into her delicate skin in warning.

“Be still,” he said against her jaw.  With his free hand, he wrapped his fingers around her neck, forcing her to look up and back at him as he peered down at her. “You asked why we’re sitting like this. We’re sitting like this so I can touch you without interruption.  In this position, you can’t crawl away from me, you can’t run.  You can’t fight me.  Perhaps you may try to block me with your hands, but you’re easily subdued and therefore I’m not concerned.”

Flexing his fingers to remind her of his strength, Loki released her throat and hummed against her neck.  “You owe me something and I’m intent on collecting.”  Hand still nestled over her mons, he carefully slid his middle finger inside her entrance.  Over her shoulder he watched, captivated, as it sank in.  Petra could feel the firm ridges of his cock length swelling against her back.  

Her body clenched as she processed exactly what he said.

“I owe you use of my body, and that’s it.  I’m a vessel, not a toy,” she said, turning her face to the side so he could see her speak.

His warm breath ghosted over her jaw as he chuckled, “You became my toy the second you came without permission.  I’m now obligated to teach you self-control. You’re like a child, really.”

Initially her white brows furrowed in confusion, but eventually relaxed as he smoothed the wetness gathered at her entrance over her clit.  He began moving his fingers in slow, tight circles and she groaned, pussy pulsing.  

She shifted in distracted irritation as her thinking grew foggy, hampered by the heat accumulating in her lower belly.  All she could contemplate was that he was supposed to be a beast, not her seducer.

Loki licked her neck and the elf let out a soft keening noise, her head thumping back against his shoulder.  He varied the pressure of his finger, dragging the tip across her swollen bud with the lightest of touches, then firmly rubbing it. Her chest rose and fell swiftly as she tried to keep her eyes open, the spine-tingling sensations he was inflicting forcing her lids to lower.

He continued, dipping his finger back inside her swollen passage to gather more arousal and in an attempt to ground herself, she clutched his forearms.

Drunk on lust, her words were slightly slurred. “This is because-because I couldn’t stop from orgasming?”  Swallowing hard, she squeezed her already-closed eyes in concentration. “That’s the self-control you’re talking about?”

Loki nipped at the tender skin of her neck.  “Mhm.”  Casually he increased the speed at which he tormented her clit, making her toes curl.  “You can’t keep yourself from reaching your peak.  Do you know you’re unique in this occurrence, skapning?”

Breath coming in tiny pants, she shook her head.  His lips curved into a smile against the shell of her ear.

“I’ll have you know bringing Jötnar women to completion is burdensome.  When we breed, the males orgasm and typically leave. It’s expected that the females also orgasm for the sake of aiding in conception, but they’re left to do so on their own,” he whispered against her neck.  “You? You I can’t keep from coming, my disobedient little elven bitch.”  He bit the lobe of her ear and Petra failed at subduing a whine.  She felt his cock jerk behind her at the noise, which only made her hips pump forward against his hand.

“It’s not-I’m not…,” she sighed as his dexterous fingers massaged her tender bundle of nerves.  Pressure built in her lower abdomen, a winding spring desperately close to releasing.  As she faded from reality, a whimper escaped from between her lips and her back arched, thrusting her pelvis against his palm.  When he chuckled at her, she ignored him, until he spoke.

“You’re rutting against my hand like a common whore,” he husked.

His words felt like they’d slapped her across the face. Men on Svartalfheim had never been overly respectful to her, but they’d never accused her of being a whore. Trying to elbow him in the ribs, she began to turn when two of his fingers slid inside her, made easy by the accumulated wetness.

“Shhh, skapning,” he soothed.

Slowly his fingers flexed.  Loki curled them, stroking the tips against a swollen patch inside her. Petra groaned in his lap, nails biting into the blue skin of his arms as she tried to reason with herself.  Nothing good could come from giving him what he wanted, but the notion quickly vacated her mind as his fingers flexed.  Failing at thought in general, the coil of electric heat only wound tighter, coaxing her hips into rocking against his hand.

“If you’re…,” she tried to focus, words evading her, “If you’re teaching me self-control, why does it feel good?”

Loki’s breath brushed against her hair as he chuckled. “You’ll see.”

He made a beckoning motion, the pads of his fingertips brushing against the supremely sensitive area inside her.  She gasped, bucking hard against his hand.  He pumped his fingers swiftly, giving her no time between thrusts for her to gather her thoughts.  Mind hazy, she let her eyes slip closed as she relished in the intoxicating feeling of his fingers inside her.  When the thumb of his opposite hand grazed her clit, she cried out.  As he started rubbing while simultaneously plunging inside her, he spoke lowly.

“Come, skapning.”

Petra’s brows furrowed and she let out a choked whimper. He’d forbidden her to orgasm so many times prior, knowing she’d fail.  Now that he was coaxing her into it, it felt wrong.  Like a trick.  

He curled his fingers, pressing firmly and making her see stars as he overwhelmed her with sensation.  The wet noises of him pumping into her competed for her attention as he growled in her ear.

“Now, Petra.”

Her name on his lips was her end.  Such a cold man preying on her sense of significance by using her name sent her over the edge, a sharp cry flying from her lips.  As her walls contracted a gush of moisture released, flooding his hand as he continued to rhythmically press against the soft tissue just inside her channel.

It took her a moment to come down, her chest heaving as she collapsed against him.  He gave her a minute to recuperate, but after that pulled his fingers from her cunt, dripping with slick, and pressed them back over her clit.  Her hips jerked and she yelped, writhing to move from beneath his hand.  Her cunt twitched, her flaming nub too sensitive for contact.  

“Ow!”

“Shhh, skapning.  You’ll only make it worse.”

Confused, she tried to turn but he used his free hand to stabilize her. Loki disregarded her wriggling and clamped his fingers down into her hip, using his iron grip to hold her still.  Her clit burned, heavily overstimulated.

“Stop!”

Ignoring her, he increased the pressure and started drawing tiny circles around her pearl.  As she shrieked and rocked forward to leave his lap he regarded her silently, his eyes flicking between hers as she looked back at him in desperation.  With an air of tranquility that confounded her, his fingertips dug into the soft flesh of her side, leaving individual bruises as he dragged her back down.

“You’re going to learn to listen to me.  No more of this haphazard orgasming at your own pleasure. What we are doing is serious and you will listen to me.”

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, distractedly clawing at his forearms as he assaulted her bundle of nerves.

“I know you are.  But if I don’t teach you, you won’t learn.”

His nimble finger rubbed against her swollen nub in a way that made her pelvis lift from his lap.  It still hurt, but that dizzying feeling of pleasure now accompanied the sensation.

She let out a guttural cry as her walls contracted, which spurred on Loki’s actions.  She looked down in a daze, his hand moving so rapidly it blurred.   The feeling of her impending orgasm began to overwhelm and she squeezed her eyes shut, coming with an aggravated scream.

Relentlessly, Loki continued assaulting her clit.  She squealed, writhing to unseat his hand. He gave her dribbling pussy a slap and she stilled with a stunned yelp.  Petra panted heavily, still trying to process exactly what was going on.  She’d never considered the forcing of orgasms before.

Cutting off her train of thought, Loki’s hand wandered, this time his fingers sliding back inside her.  It didn’t hurt like when he’d rubbed her clit just after orgasming, but she was sensitive enough that it was still uncomfortable.  His fingers fucked her ruthlessly, absurd sloshing noises echoing in his barren chambers.  Whimpering in confused frustration, she tried to push his hands away.  

Loki issued another strike to her pussy, making her jolt in surprise.  Gathering her wrists in his free hand, he pinned them against her chest, all the while pumping his fingers inside her cunt.

“Continue, skapning.”

She shook, her entire body on overdrive as he coaxed her body into things she tried to deny it permission for.  What she wanted didn’t matter.  With a tortured sob, she obeyed as he worked her through another orgasm. Fire licked up her spine and for one blissful moment, her mind went blank as she seized in his lap, the walls of her pussy greedily sucking at his fingers.  

Tears leaked from her eyes and she tried to wrestle her hands free to wipe at her face, but he easily held her in place.  His other hand remained busy, thrusting into her brutally. He twisted his fingers, smirking as her hips lurched forward for more attention.  

Breaths coming in heaving gasps and no longer able to support herself, Petra leaned on Loki.  She weakly tried to close her thighs, and screamed when he issued five rapid smacks to her red, swollen slit.

“Again,” he commanded.

“I’ve learned my lesson,” she panted.  “You can stop!”

“Again,” was his cold reply.

Offhandedly she fumed at how calm he sounded, as if he were instructing a group of practicing archers instead of ripping orgasm after orgasm from her.  The thought quickly evaporated as his lips suctioned around her earlobe.  Without thinking she pressed the side of her face against his mouth, eager for more attention even as he attacked her opening.

A few tears dribble    ed down her cheek as she tried to reason with him.

“I’ll stop, I will.  I’ll stop coming when you tell me to,” she whimpered.

Loki’s hand slowed, but his fingers continued to flex against that enflamed patch of flesh hidden inside her.  The king considered her for a moment:  Eyes glassy, hair tousled and cheeks tinged with crimson.  He released her wrists, which dropped limply to her sides.

“I’m afraid I don’t believe you, skapning.”

More tears threatened to pour from her eyes as she held back a sob.

“Shhh, I said I don’t believe you, not that I won’t stop. One more, then your lesson will be over.”

Petra’s body went boneless with relief, and had he not been holding her so securely she would’ve wilted in his lap.  His fingers began caressing her insides again and she vaguely realized she could feel the grooves and ridges on his agile digits.

As his fingers quickened, shockwaves pulsed inside her, making her clench around his digits.  She mewled, her hand climbing up his neck and burying itself in his hair as she braced herself for the euphoric disorder he was about to inflict.

Loki’s fingers rubbed her just right and she let out a scream, her own fingers clamping around one of his horns.  He stiffened, releasing a guttural groan and as she convulsed in his lap, she felt liquid warmth splash against her back.  

Delirious and covered in his come, she flopped back against him, completely spent.  They both wheezed, bodies desperate for air as they came down.  Finally, he spoke, his voice resentful.

“That is not how I like to spend my seed.  You’ll not touch my horns again.  You just wasted a valuable opportunity.  Were I not so taxed from your lesson, I’d scoop my come from your skin and push it inside you.”

Petra nodded dumbly, her lower body alerting her of the abuse it had received with vague throbbing.  Her entire center ached, clit too sensitive to withstand closing her thighs.

With an irritated huff, he dumped her from his lap and strode to the washroom.  Too fatigued to follow, she managed to crawl to the dry side of the bed and collapsed in exhaustion, quickly losing consciousness.

 She woke alone to a female Jötunn clothed in a simple dress prodding her.

“Get up, elf.  It smells of sex in here, I’m to change the sheets.”

Petra glared with all her might at the woman, but rolled out of the bed.  She stumbled, sorer than she anticipated.  She supposed Loki had fucked her rather severely.  Eventually she made it to the bathroom, where she found the tub filled with steaming water.  Bracing against the wall, she walked herself down the stone steps and into the bath.  The water soothed her aching muscles, coaxing a tired groan.  Just as she was about to dip beneath the surface, she caught sight of a red bloom in the water.  Tears of frustration stung her eyes as she realized the source, and she dropped her head back against the ledge of the tub in defeat.

 Three knocks sounded as Loki sat among his advisors, speaking rapidly in their language.

All silent, they looked to their king.  The list of those who dared interrupt him while with his counsel was quite short.

“Tast inn.”

When the door clicked closed behind Petra, the three women and two men looked up from the document they had been studying.  Loki frowned.  She looked pale, her skin more gray than blue and her lips pallid.  Loki dismissed his cabinet without a second thought.

“You’re all excused.”

They bowed before filing out of the room while Petra fidgeted with the sleeve of her dress in the entrance.  

When she didn’t look at him, Loki drummed his fingers on the table.  “Come in. What is it?  Is something wrong with the baby?

Petra wandered in slowly, not meeting his gaze.  She lung one leg over the other, chewing at her lip.

“I… I got my period.  I’m not pregnant.”

She was met with silence and fleetingly glanced up.  The king stood with his lips pursed, clasping his wrist behind him in the opposite hand.  He watched her, eyes flicking back and forth from her belly to her face.

Her stomach rolled.  She knew he wouldn’t be pleased, but his stillness was unnerving. What if he only allowed her the one chance?

“We’ll continue copulating.  Elves bleed monthly?”

Petra nodded, trying to stand tall.  

“Very well.”

When he examined her without saying a word, only nodding, her eyes prickled with relief that he wasn’t throwing her out... and something else she couldn’t identify.  Guilt, perhaps?  She shook the feeling off and snuck another glance at him.   Though his solemn face was nearly emotionless, she knew the way his brows furrowed signified frustration.  Her stomach twisted but she ignored it.  It wouldn’t make sense that disappointing him hurt.  She barely knew him.  Elves weren’t supposed to feel, anyway.

loki: @the-kinky-friend @averyrogers83​ @smollest-soybean​ @imnotrevealingmyname​

everything: @kakakatey​ @monarchofallisurvey​ @cassiopeya81​ @vintage-lovers-world​ @jeremyrennermakesmesmile​ @false-octopus​

thanks to @writeyourmindaway​ for the divider 💖 

[bakubabes-tatakae]

For The Love Of Humanity’s Strongest (Part Eight)

Author’s Note: If anyone wants to be in a taglist for this feel free to let me know! Happy to do it for anyone!

(Levi Ackerman x Reader)

Summary: When all seems lost Y/N knows that she can count on one person to always be there for her brother, Eren Jaeger, and herself. Can humanity’s strongest not only keep Eren in line, but keep his relationship alive as well?

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six: *NSFW Ahead!*, Part Seven

Part Eight:

Word Count: 2,046

We all gathered around the table, munching on your dinner, attempting to enjoy each other’s company. The squad was clearly still unsure of Eren as their conversation drifted from the recon mission we would all be enduring in a month's time to the fact that they still had no clue how Eren’s powers worked and didn’t trust him. Eld was the first to mention his concerns directly. “Think of how many people lost their lives in the fight to take back Wall Maria. Then hope comes in a form never expected.” He turned his gaze from his cup of tea to Eren. “One that we’re not even entirely sure that we can deal with.”

I was getting awfully tired at the wise cracks from the men of this squad toward my brother. My eyes turned to daggers and I could feel Levi nudge me with his foot, clearly knowing I was about to go off one him.

Eld continued, not even realizing that I had gotten angry. “Most of us still find it hard to believe, so how does it work? This whole changing into a Titan trick. Really.”

Eren was upset about them not trusting him as well, I could hear it in his voice. He didn’t blame them for it tho. “I wish I could tell you, but the fact is my memories are not clear. Guess it’s kind of like being in a trance.” His voice brightened up a little as he tried to explain anything he knew about his powers to them. “I do know that the trigger seems to be hurting myself in some way. Like biting my hand.”

Levi lifted his glass. “You’re not going to get anything out of him.” He took a sip. “Not that you know who won't have a go at it.” I shot him a glance, knowing full well who he was referring too. “You’ll be lucky to come out of it alive if that one lay into you.” He put his glass back down. “Of course, it’s only a matter of time.”

I growled at him. “Will you stop scaring him Levi?”

Eren’s face turned to terror. “Who are you talking about?”

Like she had been paged to the room we heard a loud bang. “OW!” Hange was here, announcing herself without really meaning too. Petra stood and grabbed the piece of wood that had been holding the door shut, allowing Hange to come in. Zoe rubbed her forehead, pain clearly emanating in that spot. “I’m so sorry.” She sauntered in. “Good evening Team Levi!” She raised a hand to us. “How is castle life treating everyone?”

Levi sighed. “You’re too early.”

“Am I? I suppose I couldn’t help myself.” She stood behind me.

Eren looked over at her. “Section Commander Hange?”

“Hello Eren. In the event you haven’t pieced it together yet it’s my job to spearhead the Scout Regiment’s research efforts. Essentially, I poke and prod our captive Titan specimens.” Her face lit up at the mention of her babies. “I’d very much like your help.”

Eren was confused. “My help? In what way? What would I have to do?” He looked at me, a clear look of wondering what to do being offered to me. I smiled at him to try to calm him.

“Join me of course.” Zoe’s face twisted in anticipation. “On a quest of scientific discovery.”

“I’m happy to help, except, I’m afraid it’s not up to me. I'm under close restrictions under order of the higher ups, you see.”

Hange was having none of that. She glanced up at Levi. “Levi, what’s on the docket for him tomorrow?”

Levi scoffed. “Clearing out all the weeds.”

“Excellent then. It’s a plan.” She knelt to him and grabbed his hand, glory shining in her brown eyes. “Young man, tomorrow will be grand.”

Eren looked nervous. “Oh...kay… but, uh, just so I’m clear, what exactly will I be doing?” She squeezed his hand more, causing him to wince a little. “Are you running experiments or something?”

We all looked around at each other, watching the look on Hange’s face. Her excitement was about to get the best of her as we all mumbled under our breath, hoping that Eren would hear it. Oluo grasped his tea cup. “Idiot, shut up.”

I cleared my throat, attempting to get my brother’s attention, mumbling as well. “Stop talking Eren.”

Hange stared longingly toward him. “Ahhh, I knew it, you possess a curious mind, just like your sister.”

We all started standing and walking slowly away from the table. Hange was about to go off on a tangent and none of us wanted to be caught in the crossfire. Levi wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me toward the door. As we turned to leave I caught eyes with Eren. “Night little brother, good luck.”

Levi led us down the hallway, toward the room we would be staying while in this giant castle. He spoke as we walked. “You really need to cool it when it comes to Eren. I know you’re worried about him, but they’re your squad. You know they won’t do anything to hurt him unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

I sighed. “I know, it’s just hard when I know that they’re all after him. I know they’d all cut him down in two seconds if they had too, but I know that I couldn’t.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s why the five of us are here. He’s your brother. Not a single one of them expect you to be able to do something like that. You’re the last person in the squad we would expect to lay a hand on him.”

* * * * * *

When we reached our door he moved his arm from my shoulder and opened the door for me. “Ladies first.” He motioned forward.

I entered the room. The stone walls of the castle didn’t let much heat in, the room was like an ice box. We each stripped our jackets off and boots and climbed eagerly into the bed, both exhausted from the events of the day.

The blankets weren’t doing any justice to the cold air that surrounded us so Levi wrapped an arm around me, pulling me as close to him as he could. I could feel his warm breath on my neck. I rolled over to face him and buried my face into his chest, nestling myself between his neck. “Levi?”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yea?”

“Do you think we’ll ever lead a normal life?”

His eyes opened back up, gazing down upon me. “What do you mean by normal?”

“A life where the two of us can finally settle down. It’s been six years since we met Levi, we’ve had anything but a normal life together.” He ran my finger around the material of the shirt on his chest. “I want the normal life, or at least as normal as we’ll ever get. Sure, we have a place together, and that’s normal, but that’s not what I mean.”

“What’s a normal life for someone in the Scouts, Y/n? We barely spend any time at the house we share together.” He kissed the side of my head. “We see each other all the time, but I know what you mean. You mean the nice home life with the kids running around, stay at home mom, dad comes home from work to be greeted with open arms…We’ll never have exactly that.”

“Even just a part of it Levi… any of it.” I could feel a tear slide down my cheeks as I started to think about my mother and father. “I have no one but Eren from my family left levi. I’m never going to be the type that doesn’t want her own family. We always said we’d talk about this farther on down the road, that was years ago now, we’ve never even touched on the subject.”

“Think about our lives Y/n, what aspect of our lives even gives us time for kids? He ran a thumb over my cheek. “I’m not saying I don’t want any, I’m just saying that we have to think about everything when considering it.”

I sighed. “I know. I just… I want that feeling, the feeling of being a mother Levi, someone that will love you unconditionally, you can screw up a thousand times over but the love in their eyes will never change.”

“I’ll make a deal with you…” He was hesitant. “When we have your brother officially in our custody for good, when he’s officially a member of the scouts with no strings attached and we have no one els we have to worry about because we’re obligated too… we’ll at least stop trying to prevent it.”

My eyes lit up some. “You mean it Levi?”

He breathed out heavily. “I don’t mean we’re going to try to have a kid Y/n, we’re just not going to keep the possibility of it from happening anymore.” He closed his eyes as a smile tugged at his lips. “I guess I can’t admit that I wouldn’t mind having that same thing in the future. We’re thirty-two. I guess it’s now or never.”

I could feel the warmth in my cheeks building. “I love you Levi.” I curled myself into his body. “I can’t wait for that day to come, you’ll make the best dad.”

He huffed. “I love you too, Y/n.”

* * * * * *

Sun shone through the windows of the castle the next morning, Levi and I still intertwined together. If the sun hadn’t shone through so brightly we would probably have remained sleeping a lot longer. As I attempted to unwrap myself from him his grip tightened. “No, not yet.”

I laughed. “What do you mean Levi? It’s morning, it’s time to get up.” I tried again, the attempt was futile.

“Just lay here a little longer. I’m sure they’re all just getting up too.” He knew as well as I did that when we were all out together and working the other four people in the squad weren’t able to do anything for themselves, always looking to Levi on what to do next. “They’ll be able to get the day started without me.”

“Sure they will Levi.” I put my hand on his hip and placed my lips on his. “If we're going to lay here a little longer why don’t we make the most of it?”

I could feel Levi smile through the kiss, he pushed me onto my back and kept his lips to mine. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t.” A knock sounded on the door of our room and Levi broke off the kiss, annoyance painted on his face.. “Yea?”

It was Petra, the woman was always right on time to ruin any moment between us that she could. “Sorry sir, I heard you guys talking in here. We’re all up and ready to go, we just need our orders.”

Levi groaned and flopped onto the bed next to me. “I’ll be out in a minute, get everyone in the dining room, I’ll meet you all there.”

“Eren is already there sir, Hange never let him leave last night. He looked pretty exhausted.” She paused. “But I’ll get everyone together Captain.”

When Levi was sure she walked away he spoke. “Every time. Why do we even try to have moments when we’re on missions?”

I raised my eyebrows. “You’re asking me? The girl is in love with you Levi. She has been since the day you asked her to be in the squad.”

He glanced over at me. “Do I sense some jealousy Ms. Jaeger?”

I slapped his gut, sending him sitting up with surprise, but he laughed. “Shut up Ackerman. If anyone is jealous of anyone else it’s her.”

He sat up completely and grabbed his jacket off the chair next to the bed. “You know you have no reason to be, right?”

I brushed my hair back with my fingers. “I know Levi, I never doubt you. I know you better than that.”

Another smile tugged at his lips, turning to a smirk. “Good.” He kissed my forehead and exited the room, leaving me to get ready for the day in peace.

Taglist 💕 @gamegirl23100 @super-peace-fangirl @pjimochi @izzythefanfreak @echimozart @peachymochimochi @hunie-hun @absolute-randomness-forever @omg-lexiiloveyou @dazaismaniaclaugh @renaissance-tragedy @titaniabuck @primusk @always394patronus

[justanotherlifeff]

Levi Ackerman × reader

Genre: Angst, Hurt/comfort, Fluff, matured themes, slowburn

Warning: There's mentions and descriptions of underage rape and suicidal themes and self harm.

Levi POV

She confessed about how her past was last night. About how her mother sold her off to prostitution at such a young age. About the fact that she killed the Garrison member because he tried to have his way with her. She was just a victim of circumstances. She never talked about these to the court or to Mr and Mrs (L/N) or Erwin. I was baffled by her sudden confession which made me do something as stupid as holding her hand and saying that she's strong enough to trust herself. That she could trust me if she wanted to and most importantly, I smiled at her. As stupid as it sounds, it was required at that time. 

I assumed that I should ask her if I could talk about it to Erwin because that would help her get rid of her criminal record. That would help her out if she ever retires given that she survives. I was willing to bet that she will survive given that she's really skilled. I was thinking all these while making breakfast. Yes, I woke up before everyone else  today. I made some mushroom soup and was pouring tea into cups when (Y/N) came downstairs with her book. She looked hung over.

 "Oi brat, how much sugar do you need?" I asked her as she looked at me and blushed. Needless to say that she tried to hide it and failed miserably before saying in a low voice "three teaspoons". "At this rate you will die of diabetes before the titans get to you" I told her with a straight face while mixing sugar in her tea. She sat quietly waiting. As I passed her tea to her, I asked "Do you remember anything from last night?" She was blushing again and muttered "Yes heichou." 

"It's okay that you shared those to me. I grew up in the underground too. I won't judge you for your past." I told her as I took a sip of my own tea. She didn't read books today as she usually does. "I feel like you deserve to know more about my past too since you trusted me enough to talk about yours" I blurted out. Wait, why did I say that? This was completely unnecessary but I felt like I owed it to her. She looked at me with curiosity. "My mother was a prostitute too in the underground. However, she loved me. Unfortunately, she got sick and died when I was a kid. That's when a guy named Kenny took me in. He taught me how to fight and survive in the underground. I was a thug before Erwin recruited me. I killed people for money and I don't think I regret it." I told her, looking straight into her eyes. 

She looked down at her tea when I was done. "I don't judge you either. Sometimes killing people for your own benefit can be justified. You needed the money to survive. I needed his hands and eyes off me." she muttered quietly. I didn't know what to say to that. She might have been the first person to understand this. The only other people to understand it were Farlan and Isabel.

 After an awkward silence, she spoke again "You wondered how I started cutting myself didn't you? You see, the two years in that brothel made me what I am. The customers used to hit me and cut me and I got used to it. After going through that for so long, I started doing that on my own because, well, I already told this to you before that it made me think that I'm alive as long as I feel the pain and that's why I do it." she told me while looking down at her hands. "Yeah, I assumed it beforehand." I told her. "Anyway, let's not dwell on things that happened in the past." she told me with a smile. That must be the second time I saw her smile. She should smile more often.

Your POV

I didn't expect to hear about Levi heichou's past. It shocked me. I knew that he was an underground thug but knowing that he was born in a brothel too like myself was really shocking. Other people filled in the kitchen/dining room after a while. I noticed Petra glancing at me with a weird look on her face but I didn't give much attention to it. When I was done having breakfast, I went back to the training grounds with Levi heichou as I decided that slacking off even for a day won't be good for an expedition. Other than that, I just had this immense need to prove myself to Levi heichou. I didn't know why but I just wanted him to look at me and say that he is proud of me. 

Yesterday, he told me that to me and I don't know how to express the feeling that came over me. I never felt this way after getting a compliment before. All I knew was that I wanted more of that feeling. The look on heichou's face when I told him that I want to train made me feel the same way again. Sure, his expression was as stoic as ever but his eyes glinted with approval and that was enough to give me the motivation to forget about the splitting headache and go train.

 The thing is, I had never gotten such solid approval before. My parents told me that I always did a good job cleaning but their expression told me that they weren't too happy when I accidentally got all the colour off their clothes trying to make them clean. In my defence, I found ways to clean clothes without getting all their colour off later. Uncle Erwin used to tell me that I did a great job when I lasted for a few minutes against him in sword fights. However, we both knew that I wasn't good enough. He just gave up on me. With heichou, it's completely different. He would criticize me till I got something right.

 He would point out every flaw till I'm perfect. He would only acknowledge my work when I do it flawlessly. He didn't say that my spinning move was perfect. He just appreciated the effort. Getting his appreciation meant a lot because he never tried to make me happy with myself by faking it. The others didn't have training today because we all were hung over. Heichou and I both had equipped our 3DMGs on ourselves and he followed me as I cut the titan dummy's napes. I had gotten faster as heichou pointed out all the flaws in my usage of 3DMG.

Two weeks back

"Oi brat! You're wasting my time by making all those shitty unnecessary moves! Get down here!" Levi heichou shouted at me. This was the first time anyone thought my 3DMG skills weren't good enough. I was glad to accept any advice from him though. After all, he is the strongest of humanity. "Sorry heichou." I answered before I got down. "I'll show you how it's done. Follow me. Take a note of everything I do because you will need to use these in practical scenarios." he told me before flying off as I followed him. He cut down the same titan dummy with three shots from his 3DMG while I took seven. 

"This way, you get your work done faster and preserve gas as well. You need to use your eyes and analyse every single move you can make and apply the most efficient move. It all comes with practice. Go keep doing it without a break till you come down to 5 shots." he instructed me. I trained till dinner that day and wasn't able to go any lower than 6 shots.

Present day

Now, I was the only one in the whole army who was nearly as fast as heichou. Ofcourse, he was much more skilled than I was, with his special spinning move that I was able to imitate but barely. Heichou followed me as I used the most efficient of moves, cutting down all 10 dummies in less than 7 minutes. "Woah... Now that was as good as heichou!" Gunther exclaimed as I landed on the ground. He was on dummy movement duty. "No. I still have a long way to be as good as heichou." I muttered. Yes, heichou would do that in less than 5 minutes. I had a long way to go.

 "You made outstanding improvement though in just a month. Erwin and Shadis weren’t giving me any bullshit when he told me to look into your files. You ofcourse have a lot of room for improvement. You still make unnecessary movements. I believe it will improve with training and experience. Get some rest now before cleaning duties." heichou commanded me. "Hai!" I saluted before running off to my room. "Oi Gunther! Get Oluo and fix those dummy napes with him." I heard Levi heichou command Gunther.

 "Heichou! But I don't feel so good..." Gunther tried to get out of work but heichou stopped him and said, "Gunther, Petra has cleaning duties for the castle. Eld is helping me with paperwork. Hanji is experimenting on Eren and (Y/N) is the only one among you all to take training seriously and yet, she has cleaning duties in 30 minutes as well. Did I keep you and Oluo in my squad to slack off? I will send Oluo on my way". His monotone voice was full of superiority and thus Gunther went to the supply room to get the dummy napes with his head down. I went back to my room and took a short nap.

A while later, I got up and went to heichou's office to get my cleaning duties done. When I opened the door, I saw something that made my heart sink.

Levi POV

I was getting done with my paperworks. (Y/N) was supposed to come and clean my office in a while. That girl was really good at cleaning. Sure, I had to point out the few dirty spots that she missed but she never complained. I never imagined someone like that could exist because it seemed like everyone was fed up with my cleanliness. Suddenly, I heard my door open. "She's 10 minutes early" I thought. I looked up from the huge pile of papers on my table and saw Petra instead of (Y/N). 

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Heichou, I need to talk to you about something," she mumbled. "Go on?" I asked as I noticed that she wasn’t wearing the usual Survey corps uniform. She was wearing a short innocent looking dress. "What the hell does she want?" I wondered. I wasn't in the mood to talk to her now, given that I had a headache after drinking last night. I was expecting a good conversation with (Y/N), presumably about our past because I felt the need to know exactly how similar we were. It seemed like I did things that were out of character with her but she just gave me an excitement that I never felt before.

"Are you dating (Y/N)?" she mumbled again looking down at the floor. That simple question seemed to jerk me out of my thoughts and made me feel like someone threw a punch at my face. "What? No. Why would I date her?" I answered in shock. Her face lit up when I said that. What in the actual fuck was she thinking? "I always was interested in you, heichou" she told me and as she did, she was coming closer. I was in shock. I never had to face anything like this before so I froze. I had a fair idea that she was into me, since she constantly nagged at me, trying to be helpful, mostly trying to give me some sort of therapy session and failing because I had no intention to talk to her about my shitty ass past. 

"Everything is so different now, we have a titan shifter on our team, and I thought I lost you to (Y/N)..." she muttered as she got too close to me. I didn't like what was happening and just before I told her to back off, she kissed me. Coincidentally, the door opened just at that moment and (Y/N) stood there with a shocked face.

(Y/N) POV

Levi heichou and Petra were kissing. As soon as I saw it, I closed the door and ran towards my room. I felt tears running down my face as I went for the bathroom. I closed the bathroom door, took the small blade that I owned and I went back to my old ways of coping with unnecessary feelings. Why didn't he tell me about him and Petra? I told him every single secret I ever had. Why did watching them hurt so much? But then again, I had no right to be hurt. It's my fault that I told him. He had every right to keep secrets. But it still hurted. I tried to make deep cuts so that the physical pain would drown the emotional pain. It didn't work too well. 

"Well, (Y/N). You knew it all along didn't you? You knew that Uncle Erwin won't live forever. You knew that the next step in your dream for happiness was having a family. You knew that you fell in love with Levi heichou as you kept talking to him every single day about your views. You wanted him to return the feelings and you were fooled by his politeness." my mind taunted me. I was being naive yet again and I knew it. I knew that I had to suppress my emotions. I had to be strong and follow the plan that heichou mentioned. I had to stop hurting myself.

 With that, I decided that I shouldn't cut myself anymore because I had an expedition the next day. I bandaged myself up and got out of the bedroom to find Petra sitting on my bed. "We need to talk," she told me with a glare. I couldn't see the sweetness on her face that I encountered numerous times when I first joined the survey corps.

Levi POV

I pushed Petra away but (Y/N) had already stormed off. Great. Now I'll have to explain things to her. I don't want any new rumor to spread and for some unknown reason, I felt guilty about the whole thing. It was just a weird lingering feeling that I couldn’t get rid of ever since I saw the pain in her eyes. This hurted her feelings for some reason and I didn't want her to be hurt. Maybe because I felt bad about her past. "I'm not interested in you Petra. Please don't do anything like this again because you already made things awkward. You're a talented soldier and it would be bad for the squad if I have to transfer you." I told Petra calmly but coldly. "You love her don't you? Ofcourse. I'm sorry." Petra' voice cracked as tears left her eyes but there was a certain anger in her voice. 

"It's best if you go now. You embarrassed yourself enough" I told her, being colder than I intended to be. Why did I react this way to a simple assumption that she made? After dismissing her, I planned to see (Y/N) and explain things to her but as Petra walked out, Erwin walked in and mentioned, "Levi, we have things to discuss about the expedition tomorrow". Why did I feel so worried about what (Y/N) might think? Why do I feel the need to explain myself? I should be allowed to kiss whoever I want but why do I feel this guilt? I got stuck in a meeting with Erwin but in the back of my mind, what Petra told me kept ringing. Am I in love with (Y/N)?

(Y/N) POV

"What do you want Petra?" I asked her calmly even if thousands of thoughts were dashing through my head. I'm not the only one who he talked about his past to. He must have told her. Why did I tell him my secret? Why did I expect to be seen as someone special? What was I thinking? I had no right to have any expectations from him. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have fallen in love with him. "Stay away from Levi, (Y/N). He's my boyfriend. If I see you alone with him again, trust me, you'll regret it." Petra told me with a glare. 

"I don't have anything to do with Levi heichou, Petra. You don't have to act like a jealous girlfriend." I stated calmly even if her words felt like a hundred knives piercing me for some unknown reason. 

"Really (Y/N)? You seriously think I didn't notice the special treatment he gives you? He punishes you the least among everyone else. He actually talks to you a lot about God knows what! He even trains you personally! He...he smiled at you that day when you made a...a fucking mess and puked everywhere! You really think I don't know that you wake up that early just to talk to him? And I won't even get started with how you snagged his office's cleaning duties! No one was allowed to clean his office except himself! You're the only cadet that he actually treated as his equal! Listen, I know what you're doing here. You're trying to use your worthless sob story about the underground to steal him from me! I saw the look in your face when you saw us kissing! You love him. Don't you dare come between us (Y/N)!" she shouted at me. 

I never expected Petra to act like that. "I don't have time for your bullshit." I told her coldly, took my book and got out of that room. I didn’t have the energy to deal with her.   

The next day after half the expedition was over:

We were going into the woods. There was an uncomfortable silence between Petra and I and Levi didn't talk much either except for giving commands. Oluo bit his tongue already. Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps. A titan was coming towards us. Our horses ran fast but I saw a faster different looking titan running towards us. Eren, as usual, started shouting but Levi heichou remained silent. I assumed that he had a plan, more accurately, he was probably trying to use us as bait for that titan. It seemed interested in Eren as it tried to grab him a couple of times. Were they thinking about capturing it?

 The titan looked like a female. Titans usually look like males and thus, as this titan looked so different, and the fact that it seemed to have a mission to get Eren, I assumed that it was a titan shifter, like Eren. After listening to Eren shout for a while, Levi heichou asked Eren to make a decision and Petra was coaxing Eren to trust heichou like the typical nosy girlfriend. "Petra is Levi heichou's girlfriend", this thought made my stomach turn. I shouldn't feel like this. As my mind was filled with thoughts of decapitating Petra because she was annoying, the titan almost caught up with us but got showered by a lot of harpoons. They caught the titan.

Levi POV

(Y/N) didn't say a word during the whole expedition. She never talks much but the silence between her and Petra was too intense to not notice. "Did Petra do something stupid after I rejected her?" I wondered. Petra usually always tried to make a conversation with her. The events from yesterday must have changed something.

 "You love her don't you?" Petra's voice rang in my head. Do I? Even if I do, I can't show it to her. My loved ones always seem to die. After the female titan was caught, I sent (Y/N) and the squad away from there with Eren. I didn't want them in harm's way. The logical thing to do would be to make (Y/N) stay because of her high potential but I didn't want her near me for now. I was confused about what Petra told me. Hell, I couldn't believe that I was even considering it.

To be continued

Taglist: @kingtamakimurder @realityisoftendisapointing

[gldngrl7]

Motherland: Fort Salem

Character Round up.

Where to begin?

Let’s start with the three members of The Bellweather Unit....

Abigail Bellweather

Abigail carries the weight of Family greatness upon her shoulders. Back and back her ancestresses have distinguished themselves as powerful witches and her mother Petra will never let her forget it. Petra reminds Abigail that the first Bellweather witch to fight for her country did so as a slave, no less, and that she owes it to her to be all she can be. (It’s unclear in this alternate history how or when slavery ended). Abigail is determined to be a leader, though her leadership skills are untested and leave something to be desired when we first meet her. She’s arrogant and as a “High Atlantic”, she’s exceedingly privileged. But when her cousin Charvell is murdered by the Spree at her own wedding, Abigail becomes the last of her matriline of child-bearing age. She is tough and no-nonsense and isn’t about to let anyone get in the way of her ambitions.

Abigail has mad hand-to-hand combat skills and is scary with the scourge. I guess she’s a Blaster, but unlike with the others, her specialty isn’t made clear.

Tally Craven

Tally Craven is human sunshine and I love her. She’s like if Kaylee Frye and River Tam (Firefly) had a love child.

Like the others, we meet Tally on Conscription Day, but in sharp contrast to Petra’s pride when Abigail answers the call, Tally’s mother is begging her not to. All of Tally’s aunts (four of them) died in combat and she is an only child, making her the last of her line. Her mother has gone to great pains to secure a dispensation for her only child. But Tally can’t see the reports on the Spree and look away, it’s just not how she’s built. So when the call comes, she speaks the oath and goes to Salem with wide eyes, determined to be of service.

Tally was raised on a “Matrifocal Allotment” near Sacramento, which means she was raised entirely separate from men (“No dudes. Like...ever.”) She comes to Fort Salem a virgin and perhaps more naive about the world. But don’t mistake her sunny disposition, open heart, and naïveté for being a pushover. She’s not about to allow herself to be manipulated and she’s not afraid to call you out when you break the rules or disappoint her. Not even if you’re a legendary General.

Tally is a gifted Knower who doesn’t require the use of a scry (a reflective surface) to see things. Early in training she far outstrips the other recruits in this ability.

In the beginning as they find their way, Tally is the glue that holds the unit together.

Raelle Collar

Raelle Collar is the kind of recruit that makes everyone look twice. She was raised in the Chippewa Cession by her civilian father, her only knowledge of military life coming from the few letters she received from her deployed mother.

Raelle is the last of her matriline. Are we sensing a pattern here?

Anyway...apparently it’s a big, fat no-no to water down your witch blood with civilian blood, but Raelle’s mother did it anyway and was punished for it by being repeatedly deployed to hot zones, far away from her only child. A year ago, she was deployed to a hot zone under the command of Petra Bellweather and never returned. Raelle blames Petra for her mother’s death and enters Fort Salem resigned to her own death. Not surprisingly, she’s nonplussed to find herself assigned to the same unit as the daughter of the woman she blames for her mother’s death. Expected tensions arise especially when she shows little respect for military protocol or even for those in her unit.

In the first episode we see that Raelle is a gifted Fixer who uses non-canon “Christo-pagan” Bible phrases to heal her charge. The cost is that she must take a part of the affliction into herself.

Within days of arriving at Fort Salem, she meets Scylla Ramshorn. The attraction is immediate and she quickly falls for the beautiful, vivacious recruit who seems to share her penchant for flouting the rules.

Though Raelle may appear tough and ���street-wise” on the outside, her center is soft and gooey. All too quickly she completely loses herself to the relationship, frequently choosing her own desires over the needs of her unit. It isn’t long before Scylla becomes her Achilles Heel.

The others:

Scylla Ramshorn

When first we meet Scylla Ramshorn, she’s murdering thousands of people while wearing the smiling face of someone else.

She is Spree, and we come to learn she’s tasked with gaining the trust of her mark, Raelle Collar - which she does with alarming skill and speed. Raelle falls in love with her, practically at first sight. Scylla manipulates her throughout, frequently forcing Raelle to choose between her and her struggling unit. She even goes so far to crash a High Atlantic wedding to abscond with Raelle (Per her orders).

Scylla is a Necro — gifted in the many uses of the dead, including questioning them for intel. I’m sure it’s no accident that Scylla’s gifts center around death, while Raelle’s are rooted in life and life-giving. There’s a definite yin/yang to their relationship, which may, in part, be why they’re drawn to one another.

As they grow closer, Scylla appears to reciprocate Raelle’s deep feelings, but she’s been nothing but deceptive from the off, so there’s little hope of this ever being a healthy relationship at this time. Especially when Raelle inevitably learns and accepts this painful truth.

I’m sure there’s a redemption plan here and I wish the writers luck with that. It’s hard to see anyone redeemed of mass murder in any way other than total self-sacrifice. For now, her first instinct seems to be deception, even when she has a chance to come clean with Raelle she just tells her not to believe what they say. Which in itself is a big red flag.

General Sarah Alder

Alder is 300+ years old. What? She is the original author of the Accords. The Crosser of The Delaware and leader of an untold number of battles. How is this possible?

Though not explicitly explained in the show, I did some digging and learned that in this timeline some Native American tribes had knowledge of works that could extend life. And so they traded that knowledge in exchange for a large swath of land now known as The Cession. To its east, the original colonies and those that were settled at the time. To the west were states that would come later. Unclear, but presumably The Cession is its own sovereign nation, although its witches must serve. Not sure how that works.

TBH I’m not sure where Alder stands. She talks a good game about ending the Spree, but all her tactics against them seem to fail time and time again. I mean even a broken clock is right twice a day, amirite? The law of averages says that a 300+ year old military commander would luck into winning a few battles. But no. So here I am wondering if Alder has had enough of winning wars for civilians that are perhaps less grateful than they should be, and maybe she’s the architect of the Spree, running it all from behind the curtain, so to speak.

I could totally see this being the ultimate twist. She proves in later episodes that she’s not averse to crossing lines witches are forbidden to cross by law.

Anacostia Quartermain

Sergeant Quartermain is as by-the-book as they come. Orphaned as a child when her parents were killed in a car accident, she was raised in Fort Salem as a fosterling. Orphaned witches don’t go into the federal system, they are raised at FS by male caregivers. She grew up very close to General Alder and to this day maintains a tight relationship with her.

She’s the quintessential Drill-Sergeant-with-a-heart-of-gold, complete with the soft spot for those under her command. Disciplined with her work, she is not a witch to be trifled with.

Not to mention, she’s breathtakingly gorgeous.

If you’re looking for your next quarantine binge and have acces to Freeform or Hulu, you should definitely have a watch. Especially if you’re looking for something unlike anything you’ve ever see before

[whispersafterdusk]

Lost in Time - ch 5

"OW - son of a bi-"

Selene looked up in a hurry at the sound of an electric discharge and Eli's cut off swearing.  "Are you all right?"

The Dubei woman had the thumb of one hand in her mouth, was holding two wires apart with the other, and was glaring into an open power panel; they were down on floor...was it 37 or 38?  At this point the builder had honestly lost count, and she knew from Pauline's report that this place had a total of 85 floors (with 19 of them being in the shaft they used to get in and out of this place - everything else was deep underground).

"Found a bare spot the hard way," Eli grumbled.  "Hand me that epoxy and I'll get it covered." ((Continued below cut))

Selene pulled the battered jar out of her toolbox and passed it over; over the last two weeks Eli had been steadily getting stronger, and was beginning to focus on guiding them on doing repairs down here to get at least auxiliary power levels restored -- she'd been blunt by stating not everything would work, or it wouldn't work properly, with just "aux level" but it would at least let them get through every door so they could locate all the skeletons and get them out of here.  

Gale had been very adamant that he only wanted a select few knowing Eli existed, for now; at first Selene had expected to be moving slowly through here without Merlin and Petra but with Eli here knowing which doors should go where, what wires were supposed to go to what, and how to hook things up...  Selene loved Old World tech - she loved learning about it, she loved thinking about new ways to use it, she loved recreating or re-inventing gadgets mentioned in the old data discs and piecing together broken relics from the past.  She was used to having to do it all piece by piece but having Eli here was just...it was fantastic.  It was amazing.  Eli knew SO MUCH-

-and it was a constant reminder to keep herself in check because while Eli was direct and honest (or at least seemed to be) when it came to answering questions, Selene had a suspicion that she was on...what was the word...she'd seen it in an old--

Autopilot.  That was it.  Eli was on autopilot.

And Selene could understand why. It had to be terrible, to stand in the ruins of a city you'd grown up in and loved, to not know what had happened the day she and her comrades had been attacked, and to know that everything else was completely gone - ancient history. Wiped off the map. Not even gravestones left to visit (and she knew how THAT felt - Remington didn't talk about his time in the Lucien Civil Corps much but she knew about his friend who had sacrificed himself to save him...it was very important to Remington to visit that grave every year).

Part of her hoped that, at some point in the near future, Eli would consider someone a close enough friend to open up to -- maybe she was already talking to Dr. Xu about...uh, things?  Hopefully that would help; she'd just need to pay attention and see if that autopilot-y, single mindedness relaxed in the future, or maybe that was just a soldier thing?  Or maybe just an Eli thing...Higgins could be pretty single minded (if you got in his way or distracted him he tended to metaphorically run you over to get back to what he was doing) so it could be just how Eli was.  Or maybe just how people in the Old World were, in general.

Well.  Whatever the reason, whether it was Eli's personality or an Old World thing or a soldier thing, Selene still had to keep reminding herself not to get carried away and bombard her with questions (and hopefully Merlin and Petra, when they were allowed to meet her, would show the same restraint).  There was still a good chance the woman was just numbed to her circumstances and going through the motions - the less Selene drew attention to everything that was gone, the better (she hoped).

One thing Selene did appreciate as Eli answered questions was the total lack of smugness, or superiority, or pity, or disgust, or -- well, a lot of things.  She was...nice, and incredibly helpful, about anything they asked her.  If their lack of technology bothered her on a level deeper than the occasional annoyance she showed when she had to figure out how to adapt a tool or route around something they didn't have the tech needed to fix, she definitely was good at hiding it.  At first Selene had felt a little embarrassed to be in the woman's presence considering the knowledge gap but not so much anymore.

As Eli daubed the epoxy over the exposed wire she'd shocked herself on a faint scent of freshly melted plastic filled the air; Selene turned back to the panel in front of her -- Eli was handling the door, and she needed to get the lights on.  Once they'd swept this floor for skeletons (there were at least 12 unaccounted for when compared to Pauline's logs) they'd move on to the next one, and then the next one, until they reached floor 72 where the All Source AI's installation was where they'd then need to power him and get more in-depth access to...pretty much everything.  Eli wanted full administrative control along with all security, hazard, and damage logs -- the woman was confident that once they had their hands on all of that they could move forward with repairs and taking inventory of what was left down here and what was functional.

Dr. Xu had already expressed interest in any remaining medical information and equipment; Petra and Merlin were eager to speak to another All Source AI and see what they could learn from it -- how different would THIS All Source ("his" name was Stewart, apparently) be from Wendy at the Research Center?  That there were different types of All Source AIs was recent knowledge gained from Ack and Wendy both; what little Eli had mentioned made it sound like every building in the Old World had had an All Source in it...how weird was it that something so commonplace to her was something so remarkable to them now in Portia?

...oh.  Not just Portia.  If word got out that there was another All Source... That would be a problem.  Selene vaguely remembered Arlo even mentioning something along those lines but it hadn't sunk in until just now.

"-what kind of security systems did All Source AIs have?" she asked into the silence.

"High-level encryption, voice imprints, genetic imprints, passwords and passkeys...  Kind of depended on what level and type of AI you had," Eli answered, sounding distracted.  There was a long pause before she screwed the epoxy jar shut.  "-an AI that ran just a house or business wouldn't necessarily need a lot of security built in but a lot of people tended to buy the best packages just in case.  There's not a machine on the-- uh...not a machine left on the planet, that can't be hacked into."

Selene looked up from the wiring at that, brow furrowing - 'hacked' was a term she wasn't familiar with.  "What's that?"

"It's...uh... Do you know what coding or programing is?"

Selene nodded at her.  "Yep - Mr. Ack explained a little bit about programming and how his works."

Now it was Eli's turn to look confused.  "Mr. Ack...?"

"Mmhmm - he's a living AI that lives here in Portia.  He's a cook."

Eli stared at her blankly for a moment, then tossed the pliers in her hand back into the toolbox.  "Wait wait wait...a living AI is still functional after all this time?"

"He's pretty banged up but he's functional, yeah.  He came out of a space station thingy that crashed out in the Collapsed Wasteland."

"Huh...  Can we get him here, ASAP?"

"I...uh.  Maybe?  I know he has a grill set up in the plaza and is staying at the Happy Apartments so he's pretty easy to find.  Why?"

"Having an AI interface directly with the All Source AI down here will make getting administrative control a lot easier -- this Ack will be able to fill the All Source in on the state of the world in an instant compared to us having to explain it ourselves."

"I can ask the mayor if he minds if Ack learns about you.  I'm pretty sure Ack wouldn't tell anyone."

Eli was silent for a moment, working with the wires in front of her; with a grating noise and a pop the door finally slid open.  "There we go.  And I'd like it if someone would fill me in on why the mayor is being secretive about me."

Selene blew out a sigh - Gale hadn't outright admitted any reasons but she could guess.  "Well... A couple of reasons, I think.  A lot of people don't like Old World "stuff" -- they think we're better off without it and the Research Center, and sometimes even me, we get threatening messages from people.  The center has been broken in to a couple of times too, some things stolen and a few things sabotaged, and someone once torched the warehouse down in the harbor to protest Portia expanding."

"Right.  So I'm basically anathema to certain townsfolk.  Go on."

"...anathema?"

"Forget I said it.  Keep on with your explanation."

Selene nodded and, before responding, touched the last two wires together.   The lights spluttered on but were dreadfully dim; she clicked off her headlamp and Eli did the same.  "-so there's going to be people who aren't going to like you, because they hate the Old World.  And there's also um...there's a war about to break out, between Duvos and the Alliance.  And Duvos is always looking to take, steal, or recreate technologies from the past that will let them take over the world."

Eli let out a loud snort.  "Oh good.  I get blown out of the start of one war and face-first into another."

"No no, we wouldn't expect you to FIGHT a war on our behalf, no," Selene went on hurriedly.  "I just think that...I think the mayor may think Duvos would try to kidnap you.  Or maybe people would think you'd go join up with them since they have Old World tech and that's what you're used to.  Or something."

"Not happening, on either account," Eli grunted.  She picked up a few screwdrivers and a pair of wire snips and returned them to the toolbox, then shut the lids of both the toolbox and the power stone device she'd just wired to the door.  "This 'Duvos' would be biting off more than they could chew if they came to town - especially if they came for ME."

Selene smiled a bit.  "I don't want that to happen, even if it'd be a bad idea on their part."

"What or where is this Duvos?"

"It's a country - they call themselves an empire - up to the north.  They border Ethea and Meidi, and technically a border of The Peripheries touches their border.  They've been fighting in and around Lucien and Ethea too...those poor people."  

"And all of that is to our north?"

"Yeah.  Also up there is Barnarock but they don't share borders with Duvos.   Then below that strip is us in the Alliance of Free Cities - that includes Lucien, Highwind, Atara, Sandrock, Portia, Walnut Groove, Tallsky at the southern tip, and a little kind-of-island in the Western Sea called Vega 5.  The Peripheries are to our west, and beyond THOSE is the Great Begeondan...but it's hard to get there because the Peripheries is full of monsters.  There's also Seesai but they're really, really far away."

As she fell silent again she could almost see the wheels spinning in Eli's head as the woman thought -- maybe she was making a mental map of what she remembered compared to what she was just told.  ...actually.

"Do any of those names sound familiar?"

It was a few moments before Eli replied.  "Sort of.  Meidi and Seesai both sound like places that I kno- that I knew.  Meidia was so far south it was snow-covered year round.  Seisan was right on the equator.  They were known for fruit exports and amazing seafood dishes the likes of which you couldn't get anywhere else."

"Seesai is sort of known for seafood too.  Maybe it's a name that got carried through the years."

"Maybe."

Behind them the elevator whirred to life and a few minutes later it opened to let Higgins out; he was wheeling several crates on a dolly and was huffing and puffing like he was out of breath.  He steered the dolly up to Selene and let it fall forward with a loud thud.  "Here.  All that I could collect.  It's mostly the blue ones."

Eli nodded and carefully got up from where she sat, using her cane to sort of leverage herself onto her feet.  "That's fine.  We won't need to leave the power hooked up on every floor, just enough of them to get access to a couple of things."

Higgins rubbed his hands together, looking up and down the hallway; the lights Selene had managed to get on were holding in there but alongside the dimness a few were flickering now - it was just barely bright enough to see what they were doing.  "--so what are we doing next?"

Selene swore she saw Eli almost, but not quite, hide an eyeroll.

"Same thing we've done on each floor," the woman replied, her tone patient but bordering on the edge of the tone you'd use when talking to a small child.  "Get doors open, sweep for remains, move on."

Higgins wrinkled his nose.  "I was hoping you two would've found everyone by now."

"Pauline couldn't get access to personnel tracking logs," Selene sighed, giving Higgins an annoyed look.  "She only knows who didn't get out but not where they were last."  They'd told him this three times now... Was he really that distracted with a need to start salvaging and emptying this place's resources?

He huffed.  "This is taking forever.  Why don't I take-"

"-because you don't know how to wire this up and you won't sit still long enough for me to teach you," Eli interrupted.  That patient tone was gone now. "If you aren't willing to learn and put the work in then I'm not cutting you lose to wander around.  We still don't know where those people are or what even killed them -- I don't care to repeat myself nor do I care for people to try and undermine or circumvent my instructions, and I KNOW you were told about the hazardous materials log because I was there for that meeting.  Whether you like it or not whatever got released could still be down here and I'd rather you not blunder into it and get yourself killed."

"But this could take days," Higgins grumbled.  "I have so much other work I could be doing right now."

Eli's expression went...well, Selene could only describe it as that sort of look you got when someone's said something stupid and you were too polite to say something directly but not polite enough to simply smile and ignore it.  "Then go.  Selene and I can handle things now that you got the power stones down here.  Let Remington know on your way out that it's just us two.  We'll be fine."

Higgins rolled his eyes and turned, heading toward the elevator.  "I'll let them know."

They waited together in silence until the sound of the elevator's rumbling was too far away to hear.

"He's such an ass..." Selene growled.  She turned her attention to Eli.  "I'm sorry.  Arlo didn't want him involved either but Gale didn't think I could handle this entire place by myself."

"You couldn't.  And really, WE can't.  But I'll work myself unconscious before I let that sort of man anywhere near my people," Eli said quietly.  "Can't stand the person who won't put in the work but expects to reap the rewards regardless.  Can the Civil Corps folks bar him from entering here?"

"The funny thing is he's a really hard worker...just pretty driven to do one thing and one thing only: keep his shop at the top of the regional leader boards.  If it's not related to that he doesn't have much interest in it.  And as for the Civil Corps they...technically could, I think?  At least temporarily.  A final decision would be up to Gale but I'm not sure if he would -- all ruins in Portia are open to anyone who pays the weekly fee to go inside and scavenge.  I don't think he'd like to be in the position to ban a single person in town from coming in here...it'd be a rather touchy precedent, and might make him look like he's playing favorites."

Eli grunted, and leaned against the stack of crates.  "I don't want to see this place ripped apart without any regard to what's being taken.  If we're careful we can probably salvage a lot of what's here -- I get the feeling he'd take whatever without worrying about what he's leaving behind, and probably damage things beyond repair or salvage."

Selene nodded; she traded out her screwdriver for the crowbar she'd brought with them, and the wedged the flat end into the gap between the lid and the rest of the top crate.   "Not to defend him or anything but the other ruins are sort of...um.   Bad.  Pieces everywhere.  There's not really anything there but bits and scrap that you have to piece together -- not that that excuses him, at all, but finding a place like this that's so intact is almost unheard of."  She pulled down on the crowbar and could hear the squeaking of nails slowly prying lose.  "--we're really going to have to lock this place down if we want to preserve anything down here," she grunted and wheezed.

With a screeching noise of metal on wood the crate lid came free and she leaned it against the wall; inside was the familiar gleam of power stones - all of them blue, at least on this top layer - nestled in cloth and sawdust to keep them from chipping in transit.  A wave of annoyance washed over her as she looked them over - if these were here then that meant the brackets and wires had to be in one of the crates under it.  She tossed the crowbar down and, straining and puffing, moved the heavy crate off the stack and plunked it down on the ground narrowly missing her toes.

She grabbed the crowbar again and pried the next lid off, revealing the brackets; Selene offered Eli a hand to help her sit back down between the two open crates as they both set to the task of assembling the brackets and getting the power stones set in place.  They were at it about a half hour, by her estimation, when the elevator opened again and Arlo appeared in the weak light of the light fixtures (which were starting to flicker more frequently - they'd need to splice in a second bracket device to help them out).

"Everything all right down here?"

Selene nodded at him, smiling.  "All good.  Surprised you're down here."

Arlo came over and looked over what they were doing.  "--anything I can help with?  I know I'm not a builder or know much about Old World tech but I'm willing to learn."

"Remington told you, huh?" Selene asked, sighing. She scooted over as Arlo settled in the floor next to the bracket crate then rummaged around in her toolbox to find a spare screwdriver of the correct size; she handed it to him and then began to pick up the other pieces to show him how it all went together.

"He did.  I can't say I'm surprised - I knew it was a bad idea to let Higgins in on this little project.  We should have brought in Petra and Merlin right from the start.  I just hope he takes Gale seriously and doesn't mention Eli."  He paused to look over at Eli, who simply nodded at him.

"I think he knows Gale means business," Selene said.  She handed him the bracket and fished out four power stones.  "Ok, see those little slots there and there?  Those pieces slide.  Use that screwdriver to loosen them, slip the stone into the spot - one per - and then slide them back in to hold the stone tight and tighten the screw again.  Then, you flip the top of the bracket over and tighten those too.  I'll handle attaching the wires, don't worry."

With a nod Arlo started loosening a screw; Selene watched him for a few breaths, then "--so, can the Civil Corps handle having you down here?  Won't that mess up the shift times?"

"It will but we can adjust.  Everyone already knows about the ruins and we've had several inquiries on when they'll be open to explore -- Paulie's volunteered to take a couple evening shifts making sure no one comes down here and I know Gale sent a courier to the Alliance Council regarding this place."

"A courier?" Selene repeated, blinking at him.  "That'll take a week or more to...  Why a courier?"

Arlo slid a second stone into place before answering.  "After what happened the last time, Gale doesn't want to risk someone intercepting his telegraph, or faking a response.  Mint is carrying it to Atara, and will carry the response back."

Selene stole a quick look at Eli to see that she was dutifully assembling a bracket of her own (but was moving considerably faster than Arlo was).  

"And was I mentioned in this message?" the Dubei woman asked then without looking up - almost like she'd known Selene was looking at her expecting a reaction.

"Probably," was Arlo's simple answer; he didn't elaborate further and the three of them continued to work in silence as they assembled the power device brackets.

She was grateful that Higgins at least hadn't skimped on screws or quality; it took another hour before they had all of them assembled and the wires attached, and then Arlo carried them up and down the hall placing one at each door as Eli and Selene each took a side and began wiring them up.

Selene found the doors to be fascinating; according to Eli every door here connected to a central server that granted or revoked access to every person in the facility -- most doors would provide access to anyone who walked up to them, opening based on detecting movement as well as weight on pressure panels in the floor beneath the carpeting.  Doors with security measures would only open if it detected an access-granting object (usually cards or "key fobs," whatever those were) within a certain distance of its sensors, or else they'd require a hand or finger print on a sensor panel before it would open. And whoever had designed the doors had accounted for times where someone might need to get in somewhere they didn't have access to in a hurry; while the doors didn't have handles they DID have emergency release buttons inside the paneling beside the pocket that the doors slid into when they opened.  

Being as the power for the facility was down the doors had no access to their central server so simply hooking up the power brackets she'd built wouldn't work; Eli was instead wiring the power directly to the lines that controlled the emergency releases, which would force the door to open without any sort of access key or central power.  The emergency releases were a sort of 'blink and you'd miss them' object inside the walls - Selene had always seen emergency buttons or levers painted a red or otherwise bright color in the other ruins in town but these were all a uniform gray instead with the main difference being the emergency releases were capped with a dull metal that was oddly cold to the touch compared to everything around it.

And of course the emergency releases operated on battery power too when all other sources of power were off but not even the best battery could hope to last 300 years.  The good thing was that once they'd used the emergency button to pop the door they could unhook the power and it'd stay open, but they were finding there were a LOT of doors down here -- that was partly why they'd made so many of the portable power stone devices so they could have (or at least the original plan had been) someone placing the devices next to doors, someone coming along to wire them, and then someone else behind THEM unhooking and collecting the devices so they could keep moving at a decent pace.  

Of course, with Higgins deciding to take his leave it meant they'd need to find a third person to give them a hand... It was probably time to bring in Petra and Merlin.  Petra would go wild over all this and Merlin had a steady hand when it came to delicate wiring and circuitry.

It was, as Higgins had said, going to take awhile to get through this place, but unlike him Selene didn't mind it in the slightest even if they didn't get any more help at all.

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

Django had thrown in some fruit salads for free tonight -- Xu had a hunch that the man knew something was up, as Xu had accidentally let it slip that he was paying for meals for a patient of his without the means to do so themselves; charity wasn't a strange thing in Portia - in fact, Portia's residents were well-known for their desire to help their neighbors - but he supposed the number of meals being provided had tipped Django off to this not being a typical patient.  He made a mental note to ask Phyllis if she would mind manning the clinic for longer than usual so Xu himself could cook a bit more and see if that made Django less suspicious of what was going on.

...though, there wasn't any way Django could suspect WHO his patient was.  Being charitable for the sake of being charitable wasn't a bad thing, and so long as he found out when the rest of Portia did Xu supposed there wasn't any harm in it.

Based on the smells coming out of the containers on his desk it seemed like Django had outdone himself tonight; there was seasoned ribs, bamboo papaya and seafood with rice, two ramekins of fish head stewed in soy sauce, and of course the fruit salads that he hadn't ordered but Django had tossed in anyway.  Eli had mentioned she loved seafood and honestly so did he so aside from the ribs (protein and lots of it would be needed to help her regain lost muscle mass) he'd tried to pick a variety of things he thought she would enjoy (and if she'd disliked anything thus far she'd not mentioned it).

He looked up from the paperwork on his desk as the clinic doors opened but rather than Eli, returning from the ruins as she usually did around this time, Xu was surprised to see Gale standing in his doorway.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Xu," was the man's cheerful greeting.  "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all."  Xu quickly stacked his papers and stood with a smile -- he'd been wondering when Gale would make an appearance here.  "I'm sorry to say Eli isn't here at the moment, I'm afraid.  I AM expecting her back soon though."

Gale nodded.  "Ah, yes.  If it's not too much of a bother I'd like to wait here."

"Of course not.  Have a seat."

The portly man nodded and came over to sit on a small stool beside the desk.  "-how have things been with your patient, doctor?"

"Coming along.  The speed at which one regains their health can vary from person to person but she's bouncing back rather quickly."

Gale chuckled.  "Good, good.  I'm glad to hear that.  I hope to-"

They both paused as the doors opened again and this time it was Eli standing there; Gale stood as she came in and Xu came around to the front of his desk.

"Hello, Eli - I'd like to introduce you to Portia's Mayor, Gale."

Gale moved over with a hand extended.  "It's a pleasure, Miss Summers."

Something flickered over Eli's face at the word "miss" but it was gone quickly, and instead she offered her hand in turn.  "Likewise, sir.  I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh?  I'm not sure if I should be glad or worried," Gale laughed; Eli smiled at that, at least.  "-now, first of all I'd like to apologize for how long it's taken for me to come meet you personally."

"It's not a problem.  Mayors are busy people."

"That's definitely true - I've been busier than usual lately, even before you were rescued.  I did however want to give you a good amount of time to get your feet squarely on the road to recovery, which is why we're only just meeting now."

"Again, it's no big deal," Eli replied, shrugging.  "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

Gale nodded, chuckling quietly.  "Indeed, and it's my hope you'll choose to remain in Portia.  And, regarding that... How DO you feel, about Portia?  About remaining?"

Eli was silent for a long time; Xu watched her carefully, trying to be aware of any subtle hints in her face or body movement to suggest what she was thinking or feeling.  Finally she inhaled deeply and straightened a bit where she stood.  "Truth be told, sir-"

"-please, call me Gale if you like."

"-truth be told, Gale, I don't see myself leaving unless the general consensus is I'm not wanted here.  Portia is sitting on top of Dubei - this is technically still home, for me.  Even if it's totally unrecognizable now."

Gale's expression softened.  "I understand, and of course you're welcome here.  We do need to begin discussing how best to meet your needs - you'll need a place to stay, and a job, and everything else that goes with it. You'll find Portia is very helpful to her people and I know many would be happy to help get you on your feet."

Eli's smile went a bit strained.  "Not everyone will, I'm told."

"...ah, well," Gale faltered a moment, looking awkward.

Xu pressed his lips together; he knew of course that there would be some in town who'd want her gone solely because she WAS Old World -- they had a hard enough time accepting any sort of Old World tech, no matter how harmless or helpful, but to have a living embodiment (at least, ANOTHER living embodiment - Ack hadn't been well received either) of the Old World walking around may be more than they'd be willing to tolerate.  It was clear that Arlo or Selene, or maybe Remington, had mentioned as much to Eli already, which was a good thing for her to be forewarned about.

"No one in any position of authority will have a problem with you," Xu said into the silence.  "Of that I can promise."

"Y-yes, that's true," Gale said in a rush.  "Authority within the city's chain of command itself, anyway.  There...MIGHT be a bit of a rub with the Church but they don't have the power to order you out of town, and if he thinks of trying it know that I won't stand for my citizens to be harassed."

Almost imperceptibly Eli's eyes narrowed at the mention of "he" in Gale's words; Xu knew exactly who that "he" was: if there was anyone who would without a doubt have a problem with Eli working and living in Portia it would be Minister Lee.  Thankfully Lee was rather powerless within Portia - he could preach, guide, and advise all he liked but he held no administrative or official powers.

And with good reason -- Xu couldn't count the number of times the man had thrown a fit over Old World tech, even simple things like tools made out of new alloys, and it was suspected that he had a hand in a few of the Research Center break ins too even if no one could prove it.  Xu could already picture the various shades of purple the man's face would turn as he pontificated (again) on the dangers of letting an Old World "relic" walk around.

"Duly noted," was Eli's quiet reply.

Gale took a steadying breath.  "...now, then.  Along with discussing how we can best help you get established here within Portia I also wanted to see how you were feeling - physically, as well as emotionally."  He paused, giving her a gentle look.  "I know none of this can be easy, and if there's anything in my power to help ease any burdens..."

Eli shook her head.  "Not unless you've got a time machine -- and before you ask, no, we created machines that could take us to space but not ones that could take us to last week."

As she spoke Eli smiled a bit and Xu returned it to her with an encouraging nod; that she was willing to joke seemed to be a good sign.

"Well, don't hesitate to let me know if there's something I can do for you.  -- oh, where are my manners.  Do you need to sit down?" Gale asked, turning around quickly to look for the stool he'd just vacated.  He grabbed it with both hands and plunked it down in front of Eli who sat down with a grateful look.   "I'm sorry, I've been sitting all day and it escaped my mind that someone else might not want to stand."

"It's fine - I was technically sitting all day anyway.  Easier to reach what we're working on."

"How is that going?" Xu asked quietly.  "Do you know when you'll be done?"

Eli shook her head again, huffing a sigh out through her nose.  "No.  We're still missing 12, and that's only the ones that the AI Pauline had logs for.  Patients or visitors wouldn't be on those logs so there may be more.  I know I personally wasn't a part of that log list, and the others that were in the same sort of tubes that I was would be on patient rosters that we've yet to find."

With a thoughtful hum Gale rubbed at his chin, falling silent; Xu moved back to his desk and to the little basket that their dinner was sitting in and reached in to pull out a thermos of chilled apricot juice that he carried over and offered to Eli.  She took it, opened it and sniffed, then took a careful sip; a moment later she gave him a smile and nod and took a more confident drink.

"I've marked out land to hold the remains, and intend to commission a gravestone as large as needed to hold as many names as we can find," Gale went on finally.  "However, names or no we WILL be seeing that their remains are handled with care and respect until such a time that they can be laid to rest properly."  He paused again and looked back to Eli.  "I...don't know if this is an appropriate question to ask, considering the circumstances..."

"Burial rites, I'm assuming."

"Yes," Gale replied simply.

Eli shrugged and took another sip of juice before continuing.  "I can tell you how my religion handles remains and give an idea of how others handled theirs, but there wasn't a singular religion in Dubei that had rites that everyone followed -- in fact, there were hundreds of different religions within city limits alone, and hundreds of thousands spread across the world in general.  And it wasn't legal to track what employee was part of what religion either...medical centers would sometimes have that information on hand to make sure they didn't violate a religious mandate for a patient who couldn't communicate it themselves but HR departments wouldn't touch that sort of thing with a ten foot bangstick."

"Ah, yes.  That makes sense.  Well.  When we're at the point where we're ready to lay them all to rest we'll have a discussion on how best to do that."

"Sounds like a plan."

Gale smiled, then looked to Xu briefly.  "Just to double check that I'm not taking up your scheduled time...?"

"Not at all, though dinner may get cold."

"Ah. I'll get right to it then: Eli, do you have any opinion on what sort of employment you'd like to secure?  I know it's been mentioned you were a soldier -- would you like a position within the Civ-"

"No," Eli interrupted quickly.  "At least, not yet."

Gale blinked at her and Xu felt just as surprised as he looked.

Eli looked between the two of them, laughing quietly.  "Did I just grow a second head?"

"No no, I apologize, I just wasn't -- I shouldn't have assumed," Gale sputtered.

She held up one hand in a placating gesture while holding the thermos up to her lips with the other for another drink.  "Nah, you were right to assume, and believe me I think that's where I'd best fit in.  But, to circle back to the earlier point of people not accepting my existence in town I don't think it'll be a good idea to place ME in a position with any sort of authority, no matter how minor, before I'm generally accepted into the community.  That'll either erode trust in you and your Civil Corps or will leave me as the sole member that no one is going to listen to."

Gale pursed his lips, letting out a long breath through his nose.  "I...hadn't thought about it like that.  That's a very good point."

Xu hadn't thought of it framed in that light either -- she was probably right.  The more he thought about it the more he worried that it would be a long time before several of Portia's townsfolk would even give her the time of day.  "-what about the Research Center?" he asked into the pause.  

"Yes, yes, that was my next suggestion," Gale went on hurriedly, pausing to clear his throat.  "We certainly have the budget to add another research position at the Center."

Eli laughed as she screwed the top onto the (now empty, Xu assumed) thermos.  "Wouldn't that be cheating? Being as I wouldn't be researching anything so much as I'd just be giving the answers away."

Gale laughed as well.  "I suppose that's one way to look at it but the offer still stands: it'd be a monthly salary, enough to live on without worrying about anything.  And I can just as easily create a position with the Corps for when you feel comfortable enough to step into that role."

"We'll see how that goes.  Ideally that's where I end up but...well."  She shrugged and set the thermos on the floor at her feet.

Xu returned to his desk as Gale moved on to discussing where Eli could stay - it sounded like an apartment at Happy Apartments would be available for her - and began jotting down thoughts as he half-listened to them talk.

Aside from the facial tics at mention of 'miss' and 'he' Eli had remained pleasant and direct, as she usually was.  It was one of the few times that he'd had visual proof that Eli perhaps wasn't as well as she presented herself to be; he didn't want to pry but it was confirmation that there were things she was suppressing, and he wished she would choose to talk about them.   Counseling wasn't entirely his forte but he'd received some training on how to handle mental health as well as physical health.

As Gale and Eli talked Phyllis came in; she gave them both a wave but didn't interrupt as she walked over to Xu to place a heavy leather satchel on his desk.

"The latest shipment of painkillers was delayed at Atara but everything else came through.  It seems there was a pipe failure at the processing building so everyone is missing this month's orders."

Xu frowned and stood to open the satchel to look through it.  "Well...I guess we'll have to be careful with what we have in stock for the time being - we aren't really using a lot of them at least."  He pulled out various jars, boxes, and little vials -- Atara's specialists had never failed to get their products out before so whatever the 'pipe failure' was must have been a major problem.

At the very least Portia's residents didn't really need a lot of medicines at any given time and Xu was able to manage a lot of ailments just by using the herbs that grew naturally around the city.  Gale seemed to be wrapping up whatever else he'd come to speak to Eli about so Xu was careful as he stepped around his desk and around them to head over to the cabinets to put everything away.

"--whenever Dr. Xu cuts me loose, I assume."  

Hearing his own name caught his attention and he looked over a shoulder back at the others.  "Hmm?"

"When do you believe Eli will be hale and hearty enough to leave the clinic, Dr. Xu?" Gale asked.

Xu thought a moment - technically, physically, she could go now.  He still worried about her emotional well being however...  "I would say a week or so, possibly less," he finally answered (more to give them an actual answer than because he believed what he was saying).  "You are recovering your strength at a remarkable rate but you'll still dealing with bouts of weakness, correct?"

Eli nodded.  "Yeah.  And sometimes I feel a bit dizzy if I'm tired."

"All right, hmm.  Let's meet again in about two week's time?" Gale went on, directing the last half of that to Eli.  "That should give me enough time to get all pieces into place."

"Works for me."

"And for me as well," Xu agreed.

"I shall see you all then," Gale chuckled, offering Eli another handshake before heading out the door.

Eli watched him go.  "...animated little fellow."

"He can get quite excited when things are going as they should," Xu chuckled.  He quickly put away the rest of the supplies.  "I hope you're hungry."

"Wasn't, really, until I smelled it.  What're you feeding me tonight?"

Dusting off his hands he returned the leather satchel to its proper spot in the cabinet and then shut the door; as he fully turned around he caught sight of Phyllis making her way out as well.  "Ah, Phyllis - would you care to join us?  There's more than enough for three."

"Oh.  I'd love to, then."

Xu pulled over the little rolling stool he used during examinations, and helped Eli scoot hers closer to his desk as Phyllis came back over; he offered her his chair but she took the stool instead, and as the two women seated themselves he picked up the basket and began placing the containers out on the desk, including another thermos of apricot juice. The last things he retrieved were a set of chipped plates from the bottom-most drawer of his desk and a handful of silverware.

Phyllis helped him start to portion out the food and once he was done and seated he noticed Eli poking curiously at the bamboo papaya slices.   "Hmm.  I tried to choose things I thought you'd be familiar with."

"It...sort of looks familiar?  What is it?"

"Bamboo papaya," Phyllis answered, spearing a slice with her fork.

Eli wrinkled her nose, flipping the slice over on her plate.   "Bamboo...papaya?  As in both those words are the name of this...uh, plant?"

Xu nodded.  "It's a tough-skinned fruit but tastes like bamboo shoots."

"Ah.  So both bamboo AND this exist?"

Phyllis bit into the bite and then wiped some of the seafood sauce off to show the bamboo-like patterning of the 'fruit' inside.  "It's hard on the outside but soft in the center.  It even tastes like bamboo - it just has a slightly different texture."

"Huh..."  Eli hummed, then took a tentative bite.  "--yeah, that's bamboo all right.  Weird.  How did they create this?  Selective crossbreeding?"

"Um...chemical and biological weapons, according to the history that survived," Phyllis answered quietly.

Xu watched as a few emotions flickered over Eli's face - surprise, anger, and then something akin to resignation.

"Ah," was all she said.

She tried a bigger bite of the bamboo papaya, then tasted the rice and shrimp; when she didn't make any faces or ask any other questions Xu took a few bites of his own and they all ate in silence for several minutes.

"I bet a lot of things I was used to eating are gone too, huh?"

"That...depends," Xu replied slowly.  "We don't have any record of anything being wiped out, but there are certainly a lot of records of things changing.   Though, I will say that animal life appears to have more drastically changed than plantlife did, according to our history."  He studied her face and could see hesitation there -- she wanted to say or ask something but was holding back.  "Did you...have something specific in mind?"

She shook her head.  "Not really.  Just, kind of hard to sometimes really grasp just...how much has changed."

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked quietly.  "Or, anything at all?"

"...not tonight, doctor.  I don't even know where to begin."

Xu nodded.  "Of course.  Just know, when you choose to..."

After a couple bites she looked up and gave him a smile. "Oh trust me, Dr. Xu.  There's a lot I want to talk about.  I'm just not sure I want to break that particular dam open just yet, because I know once I start it's going to be hard to stop.  ...and, I don't think I want to start, until I know what happened to--" she stopped abruptly, sighing heavily and lightly tapping her fork against the side of her plate.  "-I really want to know what happened to Dubei.  And why I was down in that facility.  I know it was sheer, dumb luck that I was far enough away from the ceiling that caved in but why was I THERE?  Why were there others in those tubes?  Why were we left behind?"

That last question was said much quieter than the others but her general tone remained the same -- no sadness, no remorse, just a quiet frustration.   Xu left his fork on his plate and clasped his hands in front of him, resting them on his desk just behind his plate.  "It may be a case that you weren't purposely left behind... Didn't the logs say there was an evacuation, and a materials release?  From what Arlo and Selene said, you were attached to sensors and a breathing aparatus.  It sounds to me as though you, and whoever else were in those tubes, may have been in the safest place at that given moment."

"That's true." She took a steadying breath and tilted her head back, letting the air out slowly.   "But then what kept them from coming back?  A hazardous material release and even an armed and violent intruder alert shouldn't have kept everyone away forever.  Even if -- I've mentioned how poisonous and deadly a reactor explosion would have been.  The poisonous part of a reactor is called radiation, and it'd by far be the worst thing that could've been released down there and even then we have suits and..."

She stopped again, resting her elbow on the desk and her chin in her hand.

"...suits?" Xu prompted gently.

"Yeah.  Haz mat - hazardous materials - suits.  I used radiation as an example but if it HAD been radiation then I and the others in the tube wouldn't have survived if it was enough to cause the entire building to evacuate -- regular glass, or even the tempered stuff used in most medical equipment, wouldn't have shielded us from the radiation.  So that part doesn't make sense.  But for the life of me I can't think of anything that would be in a medical research center that would mean EVERYONE would have to run if something leaked.  Now, had it been a military base or the like I could name off sixteen different things, but...but not down there."  She paused, then waved a hand.  "Just speculating.  But point still stands that I don't want to discuss anything until I figure out what happened."

She went back to eating; Xu did as well even though he'd lost his appetite at this point.  At least they were close to her opening up; she was putting on a brave face but couldn't keep it up forever, as he suspected.

They filled the rest of the evening with idle chatter; it was mostly Eli asking questions about food and plants, and about Portia's general history and the layout of town.  Xu didn't have any maps on hand and promised he'd bring her one to look at (Lucy at the school probably wouldn't mind lending him one) so she could try and match up what she remembered of the landscape to what everything looked like now.  Eli was firmly back in her 'everything is fine' mentality -- no more tics or clues, just pleasantry.  But now Xu had confirmation that his suspicions were correct; he'd just need to wait until Eli had her answers, then be ready to help her put the pieces together.

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

High Roller [Butch Cassidy]

A close friend once told her: poker is a lot like sex. That same friend ultimately betrayed her, but Petra sincerely agreed with him on this – position was everything. Not to toot her own horn, but she was damn good at both.

Right now, for example, she was dominating.

“Shit! I reckon I fold.” Butch tossed down his cards with a grumble and leaned back in his chair to watch the rest of the game. If there had been money involved, he would have been flat on his ass by now.

Kid knotted his brows and sat his cards face up on the table. “Me too. I ain’t got nothin’.”

He shot a curious glance to the woman at his left. It was her turn – she was bored to tears – but so far, all she did was stare at her recent hand and bounce her foot like a bobber floating on the water. Kid wasn’t sure, but he reckoned she was about to win again. When her lips curled up into a devious smirk, he knew that his gut feeling had been right.

“Full House, boys. Looks like this round goes to me, ne?” Petra sat down three 9s and two 6s as she laughed softly. Butch held a look of pure shock, which made her laugh harder.

Kid chuckled; he’d never seen anyone play as good as her before. “Well, if that don’t take the rag off the bush. Three hands and we lost every single one. Yer pretty good at buckin’ the tiger, miss.”

“Hvala ti prijatelju (thank you my friend). It was nothing more than good luck I’m afraid.” She was lying of course. Poker was a combination of skill and luck – Petra just wasn’t about to give away her secrets.

The outlaws might have had years of experience over her, but she had position. The difference between winning and losing millions depended on who acted last; who had this position at the table. Too bad money wasn’t involved.

Not like it would do me any good here. Petra gathered up the cards and shuffled them. She was going to purpose another game; there wasn’t anything else to do, but it was late.

Morning came early for the three. She and the outlaws were asked to find a fellow Drifter named Scipio, who had fallen from the back of their wagon during the retreat from the Black King and his army; a battle she only heard about. They were retracing their steps, but so far nothing was to be seen of him.

This was their fourth night out in the wilderness and Petra was starting to grow restless. Card games could only do so much for her. She was craving excitement; not the kind this world presented – slaying people and conquering villages – but the kind she got from robbing jewelry stores. Her purpose in this world was unclear, but Abe no Haruakira insisted that as a Drifter, she had the ability to turn the tide of battle for the humans. The only setback was, that until he found a task for her, she was on the bench.

That being the case, she decided to ride with the outlaws until told otherwise. Now … they weren’t terrible companions to travel with, but in the wake of spending time with them, Petra found that she favored them a little more than she ought to, especially Butch.

In a world where death could happen in the blink of an eye, desire for another person was ill advised.

Yet she didn’t care. Petra was almost convinced that she was imagining all this. It was all so unreal. Therefore, when the beat of her heart would speed up to the thought of giving herself to the gunslinger, she accepted it, rather than try to make excuses as to why it was a mistake. He seemed to like her well enough; his constant flirting was evident.

Life was meant to be enjoyed; that two-faced scumbag told her that.

Petra snorted in disdain and watched the cards cascade down into her open hands. She had enough of thinking about that dunce for one night.

“Who’s for another game.”

Kid shook his head. “I’m played out. Gonna hit the hay before the sun comes up.”

“Get on it then,” Butch voiced. He tossed back his hand in a lax wave as Kid stood up from the table. “I ain’t quittin’ until I’ve won somethin.”

“Better most of luck to ya.” He dipped his hat and muttered a brief good night to Petra as he crawled into the back of the wagon.

There was a moment of racket as Kid situated himself, then complete silence. Not even the crackle of burned wood and flames could be heard over it.

Petra was at last alone with Butch, yet she had nothing to say. Topic starters were not a strength she possessed. Rather than make one up, she divided the deck and reshuffled the cards again.

“You goin’ to play? Or is your nerve gone up in smoke?”

Petra snorted again – more girlie than intended.  “Ne, I am still fit to whip your ass. Only wish there was something worth playing for.” She slipped Butch his cards, aware that his green eyes admired the swell of her breasts as she leaned over the table.

“I’m sure there’s somethin’ we can sweeten the pot with,” he stated thickly. He grabbed the buckle of his belt and tugged upwards, rearing his slender hips as he did. Regardless of whether he meant to or not, Petra felt her skin heat up. “You’ve been eyein’ this for some time; maybe you want it.”

You have no idea. Petra cleared her throat and masked her embarrassment behind the screen of her terrible hand. “Ne, I am not good with firearms; best to leave that to the gunslingers of our motley crew.”

“Shame. I would have liked to have taught you a little somethin’.” Butch glanced at his cards, but he made no indication as to whether the hand was bad or not.

Not like it mattered; once again Petra had the late position. She was going to analyze his every move until the showdown, then dupe him into believing that she had nothing. This gave her valid idea; a pot worth playing for.

“We have all night,” Petra baited. “Maybe I can teach you something; a game to be precise. One that people in my era sometimes play. It’s called strip poker.”

“What in the blazes is that?”

She figured that she’d better show him. Rearing up, she loosened her belt and set it on the table – the canisters of tear gas she was afraid would rupture if she wasn’t gentle enough with them. In addition, Petra included the hostler with her stun baton on it.

“The rules are the same as regular poker, except we make bets with articles of clothing or accessories that we have on our person. Normally you’d start off small, but if someone should raise the deal, then a piece of equal value must be offered. That, or you fold and lose the pot.”

“So, someone is goin’ to be buck naked by the end of this game?”

Petra nodded in agreement. “I put in my bet. Are you going to raise it, Mister Cassidy? Or do you not like taking risks?”

“You bet your ass I’m goin’ to raise it,” he laughed. Putting his duster on the table, he was left in his button-down shirt. He stared at her for a moment, before gesturing for her to place a higher bet.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t wearing a coat. Her hooded shirt had to be offered instead. This left her in a thin black tube top that provided him a clear view of her stiff nipples.

“Cold night, ain’t it? Sure ya want to keep doin’ this?”

Embarrassed as she was to be seen like this, Petra again nodded and glanced down at the board. With no way to check, because of the live bet that Butch played, she had to fold early.

Just an unlucky hand, Petra thought bitterly. She gathered up the cards and quickly shuffled and redealt them. In her hand was a red 5 and a red 6; both diamonds. Betting her heeled shoe, Butch raised her again. This time he put in his own shirt and his gun holsters.

A frown marred her beautiful face.

Butch let out a boisterous laugh. “What’s the matter, pretty lady? I ain’t never seen you so mad before; like a rattlesnake about to strike.”

“Ne, I am not mad. Just never realized that you liked to gamble so high – it’s a bit unexpected.”

“I ain’t got nothin’ to lose. Helps that I ain’t got no shame either,” Butch admitted with a smirk. “On the other hand, you have a lot to lose … like that strategy you’ve been sittin’ the entire game.”

Petra grunted in shock; Butch again laughed.

“I noticed, sweetheart. Not a bad way to play; bettin’ small until ya had the pot. But what are you goin’ to do now? The gamble is high and I’m wilin’ to bet that you ain’t got the best hand. How do ya plan to win this one?”

Sorry, but you are wrong.

“Just like this,” she chirped. Her lips curled up into a smirk as she laid down her hand. The board gave her the cards to make an Ace high flush.

“Nice hand,” he cooed while setting down his own.

Full house, kings full of fours.

Petra went pale. How in the hell? She gave him a glare. “You were playing so terrible earlier; amateurish. What is your angle?”

“Just tryin’ to give ya what you want,” he admitted.

“And what would that be?”

Butch smirked from the corner of his mouth. “I think you know, lady. It’s a bit too late to be playin’ the coot here. The moment you suggested we play this game of yours I knew you were aimin’ to bed me.”

“What do you want then?”

She was optimistic. Her face was hot as an oven, but maybe he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

“For starters … what I’m owed. You lost some clothes, and I want them.”

Very well.

Petra stood and moved closer to him. She slid between his open legs and grasped the bottom of her top, then slipped it over her head. The cold air made her instantly shiver.

“Now what? It’s very cold out here.”

He said nothing and offered his lap for her to sit on. The lewd way he patted his crotch made Petra bite her lip in anticipation.

She sat down and rested her legs at his side. A sigh of relief left her as Butch warmed her with his hands. His fingers danced up her slender sides, then separated at the base of her ribs. One hand slid behind her back; the other caressed her breasts.

“I thought you wanted to play until you won something,” Petra cooed. His calloused fingers felt so nice against her soft skin.

Butch again smirked from the corner of his mouth. “Who says I haven’t already won?”

He leaned forward and blew warm air across her nipple. When it peaked, he took it into his mouth and sucked gently. The lovely woman on his lap moaned in reply. Her slender hips bucked against his and her fingers slid into his hair, pressing him closer to her chest. A content smirked pulled at the corner of his lips.

As the outlaw was busy, Petra removed her hand from his messy hair and brought it down to the front of his pants. She unfastened his belt and pulled the zipper down. He pulled away from her chest and generously lifted his slender hips, shimmying out of them; his cock sprang free – no underclothes to keep her from touching him. His breath hitched as her hand enclosed around him, giving him a stroke, then another. Her thumb skimmed over the engorged head of his cock, spreading precum over his taut skin.

For fuck’s sake she wanted him.

“Yer turn; them stockings next,” he murmured.

Petra opted not to correct him – cotton-lycra leggings were a social norm in her era – and removed them; panties she never wore on the job and unfortunately, she died before the job was done.

“As smooth as silk,” Butch mentioned as he cupped her bare pussy; his palm he pressed taut against her clit.

She moaned softly. Carting around a straight razor had its uses. Petra rocked her curved hips against him to enhance the sensation, but he pushed a finger into her wet hole, forcing her hips to stutter and still; she sighed in bliss.

“Please … it’s been so long.”

Butch removed his hand and grabbed her hips, leading her into position over him. She rested the head of his cock against her taut hole and sank down to the base; her eyes rolled back. Wanting more, Petra slid her arms over the outlaw’s shoulders and rocked her hips, bouncing her lower body on him.

He swore and took control of her movement, thrusting hard into her over and over. Petra had no option but to cling onto him and endure it; her release was looming quickly, having not been active for a long time. She wanted to last; to revel in the pleasure that was twisting in her stomach, but she wanted so bad to come undone. And she allowed herself to.

She moaned out and buried her face in his unkept hair, figure quivering from her release as Butch pounded into her. He came soon after inside her and sank in exhaustion, easing from her. Petra was fucked out of her mind from the release of endorphins, but felt him unexpectedly tense up. She leaned back in alarm.

“What is it?”

Butch swore. “I forgot about askin’ ya if you had a condom. Them things are expensive.”

“You scared me.” She sighed in relief, thinking he may have regretted having sex with her. “I had a procedure done; one to prevent me from having kids.”

She liked children, but knew she’d never be able to protect one with her line of work.

Butch put aside the issue and slid his hand into her hair, tugging her closer. She rested against him and shut her eyes; he was too warm.

“I’m beat; don’t know ‘bout you.”

Petra was out. She didn’t even notice the fire had went out as darkness consumed her. No dream was this damn good.