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rowanaelinn · 3 years ago

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Strange Love

A one shot I’ve been working on for a few days to thank you for 100 followers!! I’m so happy to see people enjoying my fics, i truly love it.

warning: nsfw

“What can I get you?” The barkeep asked Aelin with his most charming smile. He was young and a brunette, exactly Aelin’s type, and according to his name tag he was named Chaol. If only she was less tired or if she was in Doranelle for her own fun she might have tried to flirt with him. “We’ll take two Sex On The Beach, please,” Fenrys, Aelin’s best friend, and coworker, ordered for them both. As funny as it was, whenever they saw each other they drank the same thing. They had met at a work conference five years ago, both of them were sitting at the bar, not in the mood to keep up with their boss, and both of them were drinking the same thing. it had become their ritual, that little thing that made their friendship special.

The waiter nodded and started preparing the drinks. When Aelin looked at her friend he had an eyebrow raised and a small smirk on his face. “What is it?” She asked.

“That guy is basically Sam with straight hair, you can’t keep seeing men that look exactly the same.”

“That’s not true!” It was true. “Besides, I wasn’t going to try anything.”

The look he gave her proved he didn’t believe her. When Chaol brought their drinks and winked at Aelin, she couldn’t help but laugh with Fenrys. “Okay, I may have a type,” Aelin admitted and Fenrys shook his head as he drank. “But there is nothing wrong with that!”

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with it, Ace. But having a type and dating the same guys in different fonts every time are two very different things. You need to spice things up!” He shook her shoulders and they both laughed. “You work your ass off all the time. For Mala’s sake, you haven’t got laid in two years.”

She took the little piece of pineapple hanging on the rim of her glass and threw it into Fenrys' head, right between the eyes. “I should never have told you this.”

Of course, the bastard just laughed, he never took things seriously, exactly like Aelin, as long as it wasn’t about her. “We are on another continent for four days, why don’t you go for it and have some fun.”

“I am at a club with you, I’m having lots of fun.”

“Unless you want to sleep with me again, I can’t give you the fun I’m talking about right now.” This time she took Fenrys’s piece of pineapple and this time he received it on the nose.

“Sleeping with you was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.” Fenrys put both hands on his heart, pretending to be hurt by Aelin’s words. She shook her head as she laughed and looked around her. The club was quite crowded for a Thursday night, Fenrys and Aelin both had been lucky to find seats at the bar. “So you want me to take advantage of Elide and Lorcan’s wedding to have sex, that’s what you mean?”

“You'll meet a lot of people at their rehearsal dinner tomorrow or at the ceremony on Saturday. Many of them will be Lorcan’s friends that you will see only for two days.”

“I’m Elide’s bridesmaid, Fen. I won’t have time to flirt.”

“Elide told me Lorcan’s best man was hot!” he tried as he finished his first drink and ordered another one for both of them.

“He is Lorcan’s friend, I don’t trust anyone who pulls out with Lorcan’s bullshit,” She said and finished the end of her glass so that Chaol could take it back and put another one in front of her. “Besides Elide.”

“Amen,” Fenrys said as they clinked their drinks. Lorcan wasn’t Aelin and Fenrys’s biggest fan, and the feeling was mutual. Elide might see another side of this man when it’s just the both of them because Aelin didn’t know why else she would marry him. But Aelin never saw her sister happier than when she was with Lorcan, so Aelin was happy for her.

“Well since you don’t want to get laid tomorrow and Saturday, why not tonight? If you discreetly turn around you’ll see one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen staring at your back.”

Aelin was skeptical. Fenrys and her had similar tastes in women but not in men. She took her drink in hand and turned around slowly as if she was just looking around the club.

Her breath caught when she found a man with silver hair looking at her. He was sitting a few seats away from Aelin, and his eyes were fixed on her. She had dressed up well, she might not have gotten a lot of action lately because of her job but she still loved to be looked at. She was beautiful and she knew it, so she had no reasons to hide.

She had borrowed one of Lysandra’s dresses today, this one was gold. The dress was tight and exposed enough of her chest and back that she caught several glances at her tonight. The stranger was one of them. He had no shame in lowering his gaze to her breast and biting his lip. When his gaze descended again on Aelin's body, she arched her back slightly, crossing her legs to make her dress rise a little more.

As he drank in the sight of her, she marveled at the way his white shirt exposed his muscles. She even caught a tattoo on one of his arms, and with the way his head is turned toward her she could swear the tattoo went up to his neck. It was Aelin’s turn to bite her lip, she always found men with tattoos hot.

When Aelin looked back at his face he had a satisfied smirk, happy to catch her staring. She wouldn’t feel ashamed, not when it seemed he had to readjust his position in his seat after looking at her. She drank her cocktail down in one and delicately wiped her lips with her thumb, drawing the stranger's attention to them. Gods, it was almost too simple. Aelin loved the hunt, she loved to make things last. If she didn't have to fight for something it meant it wasn't worth it.

But the man wasn’t at her side yet, he was just sitting and seemed content to look at her. Most men would already be talking with her now or would be using their tongue in another way. But if Aelin learned something in twenty-seven years of life, it was that men didn’t like to wait. But maybe this silver-haired stranger did, maybe he was like her.

“You’re going to help me,” Aelin said as she took Fenrys' hand, he hurriedly finished his drink before getting down from his chair, following Aelin onto the dance floor. She slightly accentuated the sway of her hips, sure to have the stranger's attention on her.

“You’re the devil,” Fenrys chuckled as his hands slid on her hips and turned her around, pressing her back into his front. They started dancing slowly, both of their hips moving together. As her head fell back on Fenrys’s shoulder and one of his hands trailed up to her stomach, she opened her eyes to find the stranger staring at them.

If Aelin knew anything else about men is that they felt entitled to what doesn’t belong to them. So if she wanted to make him jealous to get what she wanted in the end, she would rather use Fenrys than a random man who could get violent for rejecting him in the end.

“With all the work I put into this I sure hope you'll ask me to join,” Fenrys said loud enough for her to hear as his lips grazed where the shoulder met her neck.

“Go find your own fun,” Aelin wasn’t shy in the bedroom but never had she done a threesome and she certainly wouldn’t have her first with a stranger.

The stranger’s eyes narrowed as she slid a hand on Fenrys’s blonde curls, arching against him. He tightened his grip around his glass of whiskey. Aelin's eyes were fixed on his fingers. She could imagine what they would feel like on her cheeks, breasts, stomach, tights or even inside her. Her inside twitched at that thought.

From the look on his face, he knew what had just been on her mind. Was this supposed to impress me? He seemed to ask as he arched his brow. He leaned in his seat and made a sign to Aelin to keep going. She couldn’t help but smirk and decide she liked this man.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Aelin winked at the man and turned around. She slid her hand around Fenrys neck and he automatically knew what she was doing. He laughed as he lowered his head to kiss her.

The kiss was heated, exactly the way it needed to be. One of his hands gripped her ass, bringing her closer to him while the other found her breast. She moaned, imagining the stranger's hands instead of Fenrys’s. Aelin opened her eyes to find him right in front of her, still sitting, staring at them. He was breathing heavily, eyes fixed on her. It felt so scandalous to kiss someone just for the show, just to provoke someone else.

She closed her eyes as Fenrys broke the kiss to start nipping at her neck. She threw her head back, still thinking about someone else's lips. Fenrys was good at it, but he wasn’t the one she needed now.

“Can I cut in?” A deep voice interrupted them as a warm hand slid on Aelin’s waist. She turned around to see deep green eyes staring at her. Her heart started beating faster at the mischief in these eyes, Aelin had no idea what she had just got into. Fenrys took his hands off her and kissed her cheek, murmuring to her to stay safe, to call him if she needed and he left them alone. Or as alone as they could be in a crowded club.

Having him so close to her made her feel many things but she did her best to keep a normal face. She gasped when he used his hand around her waist to turn her around, pressing her back to his front. Well, that wasn't exactly what she imagined herself doing once she spoke to him. “Don’t be shy, baby. You seemed to like dancing like a whore five minutes ago, didn’t you?”

She could feel herself getting wet at his crude words, this man was going to kill her before the end of the night and she wasn’t complaining. “Maybe I just don’t want to dance with you,” she taunted as her hips started moving with his. As she arched her back to feel more of him, she felt the evidence of his desire. Gods, he had gotten hard watching her. That might be the hottest thing Aelin ever lived.

“Is that why your eyes were on me when your tongue was down his throat?” One of his hands slid up, close enough to her breast for him to stroke the underside with his thumb. Her head fell back on his shoulder and she turned her head to find his eyes on her. She could see all his features now, and she’d been stupid to think every man she had been attracted to had been her type. Her type was him, nothing else.

She couldn’t answer, too overwhelmed. Looking at him as he touched her was too intense, she ground her ass harder on his erection, wanting to make him as desperate as she was. His hand slipped around her waist, holding her as close as he could, as the other one cupped her cheek, keeping her eyes on him. His thumb traced the curve of her lips, she opened her mouth and she stuck out her tongue to lick the tip of his finger in the most provocative way possible while keeping her eyes innocent.

He growled and inserted his thumb in her mouth, she closed her full, luscious, lips around it and turned her tongue around the tip. He leaned to her ear and whispered, tickling her with his hot breath, "You want me to fuck you, baby?"

She nodded eagerly, no longer caring that she looked desperate when his hand slid down to her thigh, just below her dress. He stroked her skin, if he moved his hand up a little he could touch her panties. “Are you wet?” He asked, making her clench around nothing. She didn’t have time to nod before his finger stroked her lace-covered slit. She moaned loudly around his thumb, suddenly grateful for the music. He slipped one finger under her panties and groaned at what he found. She closed her eyes as he caressed her folds, not touching either her entrance or clit. This man was a tease and Aelin loved it. “You’re so fucking wet, is it all for me?” he asked and let out a low laugh when she didn’t answer. “Does it turn you on to be touched in front of everyone?”

As if only remembering where they were, Aelin’s eyes shot open and she turned her head, trying to see if anyone was looking at them. Aelin’s mouth was left empty without the man’s thumb. He used his free hand to push her head back on his shoulder, forcing her to look at him. He had a satisfied smirk on his lips and didn't look worried about the hundreds of people around them.

“Nobody’s noticing you, baby. But you’re gonna have to stay quiet for me because I’m going to make you come right now and I don’t want anyone else to look at you.”

She wanted to protest, she really wanted to. But all she did was bite her lip when the stranger's thumb flicked her clit and another of his fingers plunged into her entrance. He didn’t wait before thrusting into her at the right rhythm to get her off. He added another finger and Aelin couldn’t help but let out another moan.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the pleasure but it apparently wasn’t in the man’s plan. “Look at me when I make you come, baby.” Too gone to care, Aelin opened her eyes and clenched around his finger when she met his eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen and having them on her as she started rolling her hips against his hand was almost too much. “You’re so tight, I can’t wait to feel your cunt around my cock,” He whispered in her ear as he added a third finger. He circled her clit one last time and she fell over the edge, hiding her head in his neck as she bit her lip to the blood not to scream of pleasure. He didn’t stop thrusting into her, prolonging her climax. When her walls stopped spasming around his finger he stopped, pulling out his fingers.

Her legs were shaking and if he didn’t use his arm to hold her she would have fallen on the floor. “You did so well,” he praised her, kissing the top of her head. She just let a man whose name she didn’t know finger her in public and made her come faster than anyone ever did. She could almost laugh at the situation if she wasn’t still so needy.

“Join me in the bathroom?” He asked and she didn’t answer, only took his hand and started walking. The moment he closed and locked the door, she was thrown on the wall and his lips crashed onto hers. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, sliding her hands through his soft silver hair.

"What's your name?" She asked as he kissed her jaw and then her neck.

He looked back at her face, she was grateful he was holding her legs because she felt them weaken, pinned under his stare. “What’s yours, baby?” She wanted to say she asked first, but she knew enough about him to know he was in control.

“Celeana,” the lie rolled off her tongue easily. No matter how good this man was, he was still a stranger and Aelin was a woman. The less he knew about her, the better. “Yours?”

“You won’t need to call me anything else than ‘sir’.” He said with a proud smirk as he got her back on her feet and turned her around to face the mirror. He pushed her so her hands rested on the sink, the only thing holding her when he started kissing her neck.

“If I’m too rough you say red, understand?” He asked, looking at her in the mirror. She just nodded, leaning her back into his front. He pulled her dress up around her waist and spanked her. She bent over the sink, only held on her legs by the man's hold on her hip. The pain spread throughout her body, setting all her nerves on fire. “Use your damn words, Celeana.”

“Yes.” Not the answer he wanted because he spanked her twice, once on each ass cheek, harder than the first time. She couldn’t hold back her moans.

“Want to say something?” He asked, his tone mocking. She shouldn’t like this, shouldn’t like being treated that way. She had had public sex and been degraded for the first time in her life tonight, and the gods knew how much she loved all of it.

“I understand, sir.” She breathed.

“So you can be a good girl, that’s surprising.” He said as he stroked her ass. “You’d deserve to be spanked to the blood for kissing another man in front of me.” She moaned at his words. she arched her back, silently begging for more. He let out a soft chuckle and instead of giving her what she wanted, he took his hand off her ass. She cried out, mourning the loss of his hand.

He wrapped her long golden hair around his wrist, pulling at it. He made her look at him in the mirror as he slid the strap of her dress, exposing her bare breast. Aelin hated wearing a bra, and stopping wearing one did wonders for them.

The man took one in his hand, playing with her nipple as he used his other hand to pull harder at her hair. “Beg for it,” He commanded but Aelin didn’t. Unhappy with her behavior, he slapped her breast, hard. He took her nipple between his fingers and twisted, making her cry out in pain. “If you don’t beg me, you brat, your pretty pussy is the next thing I will spank and I won’t stop until you come.”

“Gods, please,” she moaned, a tear falling from her eye. “Please, sir. Fuck me, I need you in me, sir.” She didn’t care how pathetic she sounded, she would die if she didn’t have this man in her.

“Celeana?” He asked as he made her panties slide down her legs.

“Sir?”

“You’re not allowed to come until I tell you to, understood?”

“Yes, sir.” He bent her over the sink and unbuckled his belt. Aelin wanted to see his cock, he had felt so big against her ass.

His tip teased her entrance and then her clit. She didn’t care if someone heard her moan as he slowly entered her. He was big, bigger than any of the men she ever had. He buried himself to the hilt, groaning as her walls spasmed around him. It hurt to have him inside of her, but she welcomed and enjoyed the pain, and he knew it.

That’s why he didn’t wait for her to adjust and started thrusting into her, hard. Her eyes shut, focusing entirely on the feeling of him filling her.

She was shaking so much she didn’t know how her legs kept holding her. He pulled out and entered her again, hard, his balls slapping her clit. “Your cunt feels so fucking good,” He moaned, going faster, harder. His hand slammed on her ass, tearing another cry out of her. She was close.

He made her rise, hanging the angle of his cock, keeping her from falling with a hand around her throat. Delicately, he tightened his grip, and Aelin’s eyes rolled. His other hand found her clit.

“Sir,” she moaned, trying to hold her orgasm back.

“What is it, baby?” He was breathless. “Use your words, Celeana.”

“Please, can I come?” She prayed to every gods in the world he would let her come, but when she opened her eyes and found him smirking she knew her prayers were useless.

He only said “No,” and thrust faster in her, chasing his own orgasm.

Aelin wished she had a name to moan as she tried to focus on everything but the feeling of this man in her pussy and his finger on her clit. She cried, both in pain and pleasure as he kept going, hitting that spot deep inside of her nobody ever hit before

“Let go,” he grunted. “Come for me, Celeana.” His grip around her neck tightened even more and she lost control. She screamed, loudly, as she fell over that cliff of pleasure. Barely noticing she squirted. He kept thrusting into her and came a second later, spilling himself inside of her. Both leaned on the sink, trying to take their breath.

He pulled out of her and made her sit on the sink. Her back rested against the mirror, too tired to do anything by herself. He got dressed and took some paper to clean her up, she whimpered, too sensitive to be touched. He softly apologized, kissing her shoulder as he helped her get her dress back in place.

“Think you would want to do this again?” He asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. There was only curiosity and desire in his eyes, not demands.

“Sorry,” She gave him a small smile. “I’m not from here and anyway, I don’t really do more than one nightstand.” Gods forbid anyone ever gets attached. He only nodded and gave her a small smile full of understanding.

“Will I ever get your name?” She teased him, earning a soft laugh from him.

“I think I‘d like to keep some mystery.”

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

“We’re late,” Fenrys stated as they both entered the elevator.

“We’re fashionably late,” Aelin corrected him and he snorted. Both of them were past the point of fashionably late. Elide would be mad at her, she knew it, but Lorcan would be too and she kind of liked the sound of that.

“She’s going to kill you,” Aedion warned as he met them in the hall. Aelin quickly took him and Lysandra in her arms and started walking to the reception room.

“She won’t be physically violent, she won’t take the risk to ruin her bridesmaid look.”

“It’s Elide we’re talking about, it’s not physical violence I would worry about if I was you.” Lysandra chuckled, of course, she would find it funny. Aelin rolled her eyes but laughed along with her friend. Soon they were in the room, they were careful not to make noises, not wanting to drag attention to them.

She looked at her watch and sighed, one hour late wasn’t that bad, was it? At least, Fenrys would suffer from Elide’s rage if it came to that. Aelin took a glass of champagne and walked to Elide and Lorcan. Lorcan was talking to someone but she couldn’t see who because this bastard was just too tall. “Ellie,” Aelin started, taking the small woman in her arms. Maybe affection will make her less angry?

“You bitch!” Elide whisper-shouted, pushing Aelin away from her. Well, her plan definitely didn’t work.

“Elide, you look ravishing,” Fenrys winked and Aelin had to use all her focus not to laugh at Elide’s angry face. She was almost shaking as if it was taking everything in her not to yell at Aelin and Fenrys. If she laughed right now she was kicked out of the wedding, she knew it. Elide seemed to relax a little as Lorcan’s arms wrapped around her shoulders.

“Galathynius, Moonbeam.” He nodded. “So your plane didn’t crash.” She said with a point of humor but Aelin didn’t care and flipped him off. Fenrys just softly laughed and put an arm around Aelin’s shoulder, a normal way for him to show his affection.

“You two didn’t meet Lorcan’s best man.” Elide said as the man who talked with Lorcan turned around. Aelin’s heart stopped. No, no, no, no. “Rowan, this is Aelin, my sister. Aelin, this is Rowan, Lorcan’s best friend.”

This had to be some kind of sick joke, there was no way the man who fucked her last night was Lorcan’s best man. The universe really hated her. His eyes widened when he saw her and even more when Elide said Aelin’s name. Her real name.

Fenrys burst out laughing loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

—————

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#rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #rowaelin smut #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fic #rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #throne of glass fanfiction #throne of glass

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jimlingss · 4 years ago

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Happy Holidays! Can you write a Jimin hybrid Au? I love you and your fics!

Every day, we stray closer to being a furry.

↳ Floof’s Tail

3k || 80% Fluff, 20% Angst || Park Jimin || Hybrid!AU

You’re beaming with excitement.

The first time you saw her through the glass window, you thought she was just a visitor. You were so happy when she wanted to play with you and only you. And you were even more ecstatic when she came a second time days later. You spent time together for hours on end, just like many of the other humans that came around to keep you and the other hybrids company.

But unlike them, she adopted you.

You still can’t believe you now have a home, something to call yours, and an owner that you love so much.

Soyeon stops in the hall and her hand lifts to pet you, gesture affectionate and eyes loving. You lean into her touch, and she smiles before withdrawing away much to your disappointment.

“This is it, Y/N.”

Her arms motion theatrically to the door, and then she pulls out her keys with a grin. “This is my home and it’s going to be your home from now on too.”

Your tail is practically wagging and you look at the gray door, loving what’s inside already without needing to see it. You don’t remember much of the street name or the apartment building, but you know that it’s the seventh floor, that it seems super nice from the outside, and they’ll probably be big windows looking out at the city. Not to mention from the drive here, there’s also a park close by!

You can’t wait.

The door opens.

Soyeon brings in your small bag along with the other stuff she bought for you at the store, and then she turns around to beckon you to come in, smiling softly. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet, Y/N.”

This is a dream. It’s all you’ve ever wanted and wished for. An owner. A home. A place to call your own. But you should’ve known, nothing is what it seems.

The moment you step inside, you’re hit with a thick scent. It slams into you, choking your lungs and overwhelming your senses. Warm and earthy, like vanilla and the trees at the park after a rainy day in Spring. You don’t know why you didn’t notice before. It always lingered on Soyeon, a scent underneath her laundry fabric softener and sweet perfume. Maybe you had unconsciously ignored it because you wanted so desperately to be hers.

But of course, someone as perfect as Soyeon would have another dog.

Before you can dart out the door, she calls for him. “Jimin!”

He comes barreling out of the hall with a big smile and his tail wagging.

Only, he stops short a meter away with his eyes pin-pointed on you. His grin instantly falls, ears drooping. His brows furrow as if to ask ‘what the hell is this’.

Soyeon smiles. “Y/N, this is Jimin.”

Jimin is a dog hybrid just like you. You can tell by the triangle ears on the top of his head that’s a slightly darker shade than the blonde hair that falls over his forehead. His face is round, cheeks full and his lips are pouty. But his brown eyes are mean. They’re half-lidded and glaring at you.

“Jimin, this is our new puppy, Y/N.”

“Leave!” he suddenly barks at you, growling at the back of his throat. You yelp, ears pressed flat on your head and you jump to cower behind Soyeon who’s bigger and taller than you are.

“Jimin,” Soyeon scolds in a low tone.

But he isn’t dissuaded and steps closer to you with one large stride.

Your back hits the door, fear making your eyes grow round. He’s much larger than you are and his scent is thicker too. Jimin’s nose twitches, but before he can get to you, Soyeon blocks his way.

More sternly than before she commands, “Jimin, stop.”

Soyeon takes your hand, turns around and shushes you. “It’s okay, it’s okay, don’t worry,” she coos and then shifts to the other hybrid. “Stay right there, Jimin.”

He glares as Soyeon leads you away, down the hall into a room. But he doesn’t move.

“This is my room and the place that’ll be yours too.” She shuts the door and realizes your distressed expression. “Everything will be okay,” Soyeon tries to reassure and comes to brush a hand through your hair. Then she looks over to the small bag she had dragged with her and lights up. “Oh, here’s your kitty cat.”

It’s a tattered stuffed toy you’ve had since you were born in the shelter, but the moment she passes it to you, you hug it and find comfort. Your heart begins to slow back to its normal pace and Soyeon smiles, seeing that you’ve eased.

“Get yourself settled, okay? I’ll be a second. I just have to talk to Jimin.”

“Okay.”

Her room is large with plenty of space. There’s a massive bed bigger than you’ve ever seen and a TV opposite of it. By the other wall, there’s a bookshelf, vanity, and desk with a computer. There’s a walk-in closet, dresser and another door to a bathroom too. It’s everything anyone could ever need in one room.

You marvel at your surroundings before staring out the enormous glass window.

But your ears perk. Outside the room, there’s muffled voices.

You shuffle your feet over the door and you pick up what’s being said.

“—your friend and heat partner.”

“I don’t need a friend or a heat partner!”

“Jimin. This….this isn’t the way to act.”

There’s a long sigh and you hear steps coming down the hall. You step back and Soyeon opens the door before shutting it. She looks at you with your eyes on the ground, tail drooping and your ears pressed to your head again.

“It’s okay,” she suddenly says in a higher-pitched voice. You head lifts to her and she smiles, petting you softly behind the ear. “Jimin’s really sweet and kind, I promise. You just have to get used to each other.”

You nod.

Soyeon asks, “Do you want snacks?”

Your eyes widen and your head bobs more enthusiastically.

...

Soyeon does a good job of distracting you. She pets you, plays with you, shows you her room and the connected bathroom. The TV has you especially captured for a while, but you’re broken out of your trance when you hear knocking on the door. Followed by scratching.

And then there’s Jimin’s whine.

Soyeon looks at you and says. “I’ll be right back.”

She slips away and you’re left by yourself again.

Deep down, you know you shouldn’t get too comfortable. This isn’t your home.

…

“Yes. I tried to introduce them, but it isn’t going as well as I thought it would.”

Soyeon’s voice is quiet, barely above a murmur. Yet it’s enough to stir you from your sleep and your eyes flutter a few times before you see her outline standing in the corner. She’s facing the wall with her phone pressed to her ear. You don’t know what time it is but it’s still dark outside.

“My other dog, he’s a guard dog, but he’s more possessive than I thought—….okay…..okay. Oh, alright. Yeah.”

She stops talking and you shut your eyes again, pretending you didn’t hear.

When Soyeon turns around, she doesn’t see the tears pricking at the corner of your eyes.

The sheets, the pillow, the blanket, it all smells like Jimin. Even if you’re stowed away in this room for the rest of your life and kept separate, the walls have already been plunged with his scent.

...

You don’t realize you’ve drifted back to sleep until you wake up with the sunshine on your face.

And your heart feels full when you see Soyeon right there with you. You’ve never been taken care of so closely by someone before, never been solely doted on, never had someone call you in such a soft voice and look at you that lovingly. And she chose you. But you don’t let yourself become too happy. Not when there was someone else on the other end of the apartment.

Still, you very much like it when Soyeon smiles and sweetly chimes, “Rise and shine.”

You rub your eyes, voice still sleepy, “Morning.”

As you sit up from your spot on the bed, your nose twitches. Your pupils instantly dart to a wool sweater draped at the back of the desk chair. It smells strong. Stronger than the rest of the room.

Soyeon follows your line of sight. “Oh. I thought you looked cold in that dress. I ordered you new clothes, but they’ll arrive later tonight. Do you want to wear that for the time being?”

“M-Maybe later.”

She nods. “Are you hungry?”

You nod enthusiastically and the corner of her lips quirk.

As she leaves to get you food, you stare at the sweater. It looks softer than the blankets and much warmer too. Before you can think twice, you approach slowly, feet cold on the floorboards.

You hesitantly sink your hand into the plush fabric of the sweater.

It doesn’t bite you. No one yells.

You pick it up and bring it to your nose, inhaling deeply. It actually smells….good. Comforting.

Soyeon grins when she returns with a tray of food, noticing the sweater slipped on top of your dress.

Halfway through your meal, she looks at your stuffed cat and boops its black nose. “Hey, Y/N. Would you mind if Jimin took a look at this? I think he’d really like it.”

You shift uncomfortably. “I don’t know.”

“I have other toys for you, like the sheep.” She plops down the white stuffie next to you that looks like a huge cotton ball. You picked it out yourself, but still… “I’ll only borrow this one for a few hours.”

It takes a second, then you’re nodding. “Okay then.”

Soyeon’s hand lifts to gently ruffle your hair. “Thank you.”

…

After breakfast, you watch TV as Soyeon cleans up and probably attends to Jimin on the other side of the wall. But no later is she returning to play with you. The two of you end up reading a story as you cuddle up to her. She shows you how to play a game on her laptop too. But then all of it is interrupted when the phone rings.

Your ears perk and you flinch from the loud sound.

Soyeon picks it up and stands in the corner of the room. “Hello?” There’s silence and then she’s sighing. “What do you mean, Taehyung? I put the file on your desk before I left.” A long pause has you worried. “It should be somewhere in our email correspondence. Figure it out.”

“No. I can’t come in! I’m on personal leave for the next two weeks, remember?” Her voice moves up a pitch and you wince. Soyeon’s clearly upset and you hate it. “Ugh. I hate you. I swear to god, Kim.”

She hangs up.

“Is something wrong?” you ask.

“I have to go into work, but I’ll be back in an hour.” She’s frantically rushing around, entering her closet and emerging with a blouse, pants and a coat. Still, she finds the time to come over to you and she presses a kiss on top of your forehead. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”

“It’s okay. I can wait.” You muster a smile, trying to make her feel better. After all, she’s done her best to comfort you. Now you want to do the same to her.

“It’ll just take a jiffy. Be back before you know it.” Soyeon steps towards the door. “Don’t leave the room, okay, Y/N?”

You nod.

Soyeon leaves a few moments later. You hear footsteps in the hall, muffled voices and then the larger door shutting. Instantly, you become drowned in silence without the television or the laptop or Soyeon’s comforting voice and soothing hands petting you. You’re abandoned.

On the other side of the wall is someone who hates you and wishes you were gone.

The truth that’s been blaring in your head becomes noisier than ever: this isn’t your home.

Maybe what she said was just an excuse. Maybe the phone call was an act and maybe Soyeon hates you too. Maybe you’re more problematic than she expected, and she’ll return you to the shelter tomorrow or even today. You wouldn’t blame her if she did. Soyeon probably wanted someone to get along with Jimin and you’re too much of a handful for her.

You don’t realize you’re crying until it’s gotten so loud that it’s deafening to your own ears. But you can’t help the wails choking out of your sobbing chest or the tears streaming down your face. You lay curled up in the bed, ears pressed to your head as you clutch your toy to your chest.

Through your clouded vision, you don’t notice the bedroom door opening. Not until you hear—

“You know she’s not leaving forever, right?”

Instantly, you jolt and scramble back on the bed. Until your back hits the headboard, pillows bent underneath you.

Jimin looks at you, eyeing the way you’re wearing his sweater, and he swallows hard. “She’s supposed to leave five to six hours a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. But she always comes back.”

You whimper and he frowns.

“Stop making those noises.”

“I can’t help it,” you hiccup and rub your eyes. “W-Will she make me go back?”

“What?”

“The shelter. Will she leave me if we don’t get along?”

Jimin shifts his weight from one foot to another, expression almost uncomfortable. But he says, “Soyeon’s not that kind of owner.”

You hiccup and snivel, unable to make the lump in your throat go away. “I...I just want a home.”

You almost start to cry again, but then Jimin extends his arm. You see him holding your kitty cat. “I think this is yours,” he says and you nod, teary-eyed. He points to your body. “That’s my sweater. You’re not supposed to touch it.”

You look down, not sure if you should take it off. But you’re too scared to move.

At once, the concern vanishes. Jimin takes a step towards you and your spine and ears straighten on reflex. Then he takes another. You whimper and his brows furrow again. “Stop it. I won’t bite you.”

He places the kitty cat on the edge of the bed and in a moment where your courage has swelled, you lurch forward to grab it. Immediately, you withdraw and hold it to your chest.

You frown when you realize how much it smells like him.

You’re too busy paying attention to your toy to see the bed dip. To see Jimin crawling closer to you. Not until he’s facing you, practically nose to nose. Your back hits the headboard once more and your breath hitches. But instead of being barked at or bitten, Jimin leans in. You feel a tickle as his nose sniffs at your neck.

You release your breath, unable to hold it any longer and when you inhale, you smell him.

Jimin’s scent is warm and earthy, like vanilla and trees at the park after a rainy day in Spring. When you’re not scared, it actually smells really nice. Even if you don’t want to admit it.

Jimin sniffs at your neck incessantly with his nose and then at your hair. You whine, slumping downwards, and he practically hovers over you, caging your frame in with his arms, smelling down your body.

The tip of his nose travels from the valley of your breasts down your tummy. He pauses at the apex of your thighs, right where your underwear is and you shut your legs together.

You’re vulnerable beneath him and you’re not sure clutching the two toys to your chest will do much good in protecting you if he decides to attack. But when Jimin’s done, he looks at you and simply says, “You smell like flowers.”

“Is that bad?”

He pauses. “No. But I like it when things smell like me.”

You gasp when he suddenly leans in, brushing his cheek against yours, nuzzling into you. It tickles and you can’t help but giggle. Jimin’s ears perk at the bubbly sound and his tail starts to wag. The toys roll off your chest, and they’re left beside you when you let go. You wiggle and shift away from him, yet he pounces after you with a smile on his face.

You laugh, managing to dodge his arms and slip off the bed.

But Jimin’s much too fast and swift for your liking. He corners you by the closet with an enormous grin on his face, half-moon eyes lit up in mischief. Before you can dart to the left, he snatches your waist and follows after you as you collapse on the soft carpet.

Jimin brushes his cheek against yours, the weight of his body pressed to yours with a knee placed between your parted thighs. You’re never going to completely smell like him, not when you have your own scent, so you’re not sure why he’s trying so hard. But you don’t mind.

You take the chance to smell him too, nose twitching at his neck. A hum leaves the back of your throat as you allow yourself to become immersed in the comforting scent.

...

When Soyeon comes home an hour later, she’s surprised that Jimin isn’t already waiting at the door or doesn’t come barreling out to greet her. It’s much too quiet. She doesn’t have a good feeling.

Blood drains from her face when she walks down the hall and she sees the bedroom door wide open. The woman rushes inside, nearly tripping her feet, mouth falling open.

Yet the words die in her throat and a smile lifts onto her features when she sees Jimin cuddling you. The pair of you are fast asleep.

#bts fanfic #jimin fanfic #jimin fluff #jimin hybrid AU #bts hybrid AU #bts scenario #bts fluff #jimin reader insert #cherry-lala #Jimlings #aka. Jimin is a guard dog and our OC is a lap dog :(

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bubbleteycosplay · 2 years ago

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What ifs Sigyn's stories

Part 16

So many different universes, so many different possibilities. And in some loves Sigyn and their different stories. Pictures and brief information have been written about some of these possibilities.

But what is her full story, we don't know. But we can spin them further in our thoughts ^^

The whole project here serves to show the possibilities and potential that Sigyn would have had within the Marvel Universe. How she could have been reintroduced, her story made new and more exciting. #JusticeForSigyn stands for creating Sigyn content because Marvel doesn't give us any.

Inspired by @fauna-and-mythos @dailylogyn @dank-art @jonquilclegane @sigynoffidelity @sigynthevictorious @thewitchysystem @shenanigans-and-imagines @timeladyjamie @therese-lokidottir @puckwritesstuff @sigynappreciation @sigyn-obsessed @ellecaterina @roruna

Gilt and Green by queenofthenile91

In which Loki’s marvelously self-indulgent display of egotism in Stuttgart is interrupted not just by the Avengers but also his long-suffering wife.

This fic is not canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Universe Earth-616 or Norse mythology, but it will beg, borrow, steal and bastardize from all three from time to time. After all, if the Poetic Edda says the first Frost Giant was licked into existence by a primeval cow and there’s an alt-Marvel universe where Captain America fights Nazi zombies alongside Howard the Duck, I should be able to do what I want.

Betrayed by fate story by @jonquilclegane

Every Loki, from every timeline, will have the same fate. They will live with Odin for some time, fall in love and marry a beautiful and sweet maiden called Sigyn, kill Baldur, and endure the punishment for it, with only their wife by their side.

However, with the timelines resetting, and Kang taking over, destroying the Norns, who knew what would happen? The Conqueror had decided Loki would never meet Sigyn, so, fate might be different this time around…

Where was Sigyn, if not faithfully by her beloved spouse’s side? Well, Kang had hid her from Loki’s sight. If the God of Mischief never laid eyes on her, he would never desire her, never marry her, never have her by his side, never realize he could be loved by someone who was not family, or himself. He would become the perfect pawn on his chess board, utterly miserably, some pathetic villain, losing again and again, with no Victory in sight.

His bride was gone. Kang had manipulated the timeline so all the Valkyries but one would be die, killed by Hela. No Freya, no Sigyn. Kill the hen, there is no egg, is there?

Yet, he did keep one Sigyn variant alive, as potential blackmail material. If one of the Lokis become too cumbersome, he could still threaten their beloved spouse… though, of course, they would not know her. But one look at her was enough to make a Loki lose their heads. It had been proven before, and it would again.

Still, that silly girl had to try and escape, hearing that some variant of her husband had declared war against Kang. She probably thought she would join their side, and bring Loki victory, at least. But fate was always against them. Fate would never let Loki and Sigyn be happy for long, or at all. In this case, Fate would not even let them meet.

Before she could reach Loki, Kang had his agents catch the Goddess of Fidelity, killing her right in front her beloved’s eyes.

Of course, the Loki variant – Sylvie, as she was called now- had no idea who had just died, or why they had killed that young woman. She most likely thought that pruning had been for her, and ran as quick as she could, leaving the one who should have been her wife to her sorrowful fate, and Alioth to his delightful dinner.

And for dessert there was death and love

Nobody knows universe 77778. Nobody has ever entered it, but there are rumours, stories and legends that are told. Are you brave enough to start the journey into this universe in this story?

Amora's last lover

We are writing a story on Earth 3445 that never had a happy ending.

"Face reality Loki, in this world nothing goes as you wish. You must realize the longer you live the better you will understand that life is largely ruled by pain, emptiness and the search for answers. Believe me everything that happens in every world has a light and dark side and we alone decide which actions we take. For as long as there are winners there will be losers and the selfish desire to keep peace breeds wars and to keep love breeds hate. You can't separate the connection between cause and effect and I swear you will suffer for his death even after your death!"

Amora's words to Loki before killing him.

affair with obstacles

Welcome to Universe 2233

In this universe, Kang and Sigyn are a couple. But both of them don't take loyalty so seriously and one thing for the other. In short, things are very hot in this universe!

Sigyn from the Fanfiction Trickster Hero from @roruna

Trickster Hero :

The Kursed killed Thor in Svartalfheim. Now Loki has to be the hero. He has to stop Malekith. And the Other and the Chitauri arrive to collect what Loki owes them just when Loki reunites with his estranged wife, Sigyn.

We Have All The Time In The World

(A possible comic story in the multiverse) story by @jonquilclegane

One day, Sigyn Iwaldidottir was at her father’s forge, helping her brothers with some delicate new project, the next, she was no more, erased from existence, from “the sacred timeline”.

But then, with no explanation, Sigyn was back, in a little room, with no windows, no furniture but a simple bed, no company but her own, trapped, without any hope of escaping.

She felt desperate, and only wanted to cry. Her food always magically appeared, so she did not even see any guard. What had she done to deserve such miserable fate?

Worst of all: there was no door! She was never going to leave this place. Maybe this was Hel. Maybe she had died and the Valkyries had judged her unworthy of Valhalla, and now she was here forever.

When she was at her lowest, however, something wonderful happened. A man, tall, very handsome, though she would have had some notes on his attire, appeared through a golden door. Sigyn rose from her bed and curtsied politely.

“My Lord”, she greeted, while the noble warrior seemed confused, but rather pleased by her welcome.

“I was told Kang had prisoners, my Lady”, he started, hesitantly, “But I had no idea they would be as courteous or lovely as you”

Sigyn smiled and blushed. He was not very elegant, but his words and manners were pleasing enough and showed he was from the higher aristocracy.

“I am Princess Sigyn Iwaldidottir, my Lord”, she introduced herself, “Are you here to free me at last from this awful dungeon?”

He bowed to her and presented her his hand for her to take.

“Prince Loki Laufeyson, your highness”, he said, his voice as smooth as velvet.

Sigyn blushed, as she had not recognized him. Of course, they had never met officially, but her mother, Queen Freya of Vanaheim, had showed her portraits of both Odinsons, and the reveal of the second prince’s true parentage had been quite the talk, both on Vanaheim and Nidavellir. Even though he was strangely dressed, she should have known who he was.

“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, your royal highness”, she curtsied, remembering Prince Loki had been king at some point, though it had not been for long.

“Pleased to meet you too”, he replied, kissing her hand lightly, before inviting her to cross the golden door.

“Let’s move this lovely conversation elsewhere, if you don’t mind, Princess”, Loki said, “after that, we will have all the time in the world”

Double trouble Sigyn Story by @jonquilclegane

The universe TRN875 was fun, Loki decided. His other, female self had been great too, but of course, he was the superior Loki, no one would ever dare to contradict him. He had stolen the orb from her, and Thor had returned it to their Father’s vault… well, not for long, as he still needed it. He wanted to explore more of that other dimension, what treasures it contained.

Using the orb once again, Loki created a portal and jumped into it, wondering what he would discover this time. A rare volume of spells? Some other magical artefact he had never heard of? He could not wait!

Instead, he found a girl. A very pretty blonde girl, waiting for him in his rooms. Well, not his rooms, his other self’s rooms.

She looked at him, confused, her shining blue eyes observing him carefully before offering him the most beautiful smile in the Nine realms.

“Oh, you must be the other Loki”, she said, marching to him with confidence, and taking his hands into hers, “I am Sigyn… Do you have a Sigyn?”

Loki did not have a Sigyn, and suddenly felt very jealous of his female self. Why didn’t he have a Sigyn? He should have had a Sigyn. Now, he wanted a Sigyn. Where was his Sigyn? Well, if his world did not have one, he could still steal this one.

The Prince of Asgard opened his arms widely, and the maiden giggled joyously and jumped into them, without fear or mistrust. She trusted him? She loved him, he realized… Well, she loved her, his other self. But that did not matter, she would love him soon too, and forget all about her original world and her Loki. She would be his, and they would have terrible fun adventures together, he knew it.

But the girl did not like it. No, she did not like it at all.

“I cannot leave my Loki! She will worry if I do not come back!”, she cried, when Loki told her she was to stay with him from now on.

“She’s not worthy of you!”, Loki declared, “I am the superior Loki! I am the one who deserve your love, Gentle Sigyn”

However, the maiden would not listen to reason, and conjured an axe which she aimed at his throat.

“Listen, I like you, I really do. I will always love Loki, in any dimension, but I cannot leave my Loki”, she explained, holding her weapon tightly, “I love her and I am her betrothed. I cannot run away with someone else. Not even another version of her! That would not be fair. That would not be right. I am her Sigyn, not yours.”

Loki stood still for a moment. Betrothed? But they were much too young to be married! Though of course, with such a lovely little lady, and so faithful to them, how could they ever refuse her?

“I have to go back to my Loki, please?”, she begged so prettily Loki felt his heart fluster, and he conceded.

“Fine”, the Prince of Asgard sighed in defeat, “If you love her so much, I’ll give you back to her”

“Thank you”, Sigyn said happily, jumping back into his arms, and kissed his cheek.

Ah, if she wanted him to let her go, giving him sweet kisses was maybe not the best idea. But he had promised her he would, and so he did. He would not have wanted to harm such a lovely lady.

He would have to find his own Sigyn, though. After tasting such sweetness, how could he ever live without it? He needed her, as a traveler lost in the deserts of Muspelheim craved water. And once he had her, he would never ever let her go.

The last song of the nightingale Story by @jonquilclegane

Sigyn was born the daughter of an infamous courtesan. However, she did not want to follow her mother’s footsteps. So, instead of selling her body, she sang. People from the Nine realms and beyond came to hear her voice. Sigyn hoped one day she would have enough money to gain her freedom and her mother’s, but the owner of the brothels where they lived refused to let them go, as she became more and more popular.

Everyone called her “The Nightingale”, and paid a fortune to listen to her enchanting voice. The Princes of the realm, Thor and Loki, became intrigued by the famous singer, and decided to pay her a visit. At first, the Lady Sif had not been very keen on the idea, but after a few notes, she was as taken by the music as her male companions were.

Thor and Fandral tried to win her heart, but only Loki seemed to catch her attention, as she caught his. Soon the pair became inseparable, and the Prince promised he would free his songbird from her cage.

Loki knew the owner of the brothel would never let his golden goose fly away : she had become much too valuable, bringing to his house fame and fortune.

No. He would have to steal her if he wanted to have her as his own. And so he did.

One night, after a night of songs, dances and music, after all the patrons had fallen asleep, Loki turned Sigyn into an actual nightingale, and told her to fly to the palace. There, he could protect her and make her his. Once she would be in his rooms, safe and sound, no one would dare come and claim her. Her past in the brothel would be forgotten, and she would be his and his alone.

So Sigyn flew, quick as the wind. Unfortunately, the owner had heard of the Prince’s plan, and he did not like it. If his house lost its main attraction, he would be ruined. The little bitch could not escape him, and if she did, well… her journey would lead her to Hel, not to a Prince’s bedchamber.

He took his longbow and aimed at the sky.

Sigyn fell.

Loki waited for his lover, but she never came, though every night, he could hear the ghost of one last song, haunting his dreams.

Sister of a thousand tears

Loki found a file in the TVA archives with case number 900. In it was a photo of a woman with brown reddish hair and a barely readable report and one that could clearly read "My sister of a thousand tears died".

Part 17 is in progress ^^

Here you can find the last 4 parts

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secretshinigami · 3 years ago

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Meet you under the sun

Author: @lightlessons For: @danthegeek Pairings/Characters: Light Yagami/L Lawliet, Misa Amane, Kiyomi Takada. Rating/Warnings: M. Mature language, Swear words, Alcohol consumption. Prompt: AU Light is a popular Collage Student and invited to a beach party. He is having a lot of fun, is flirty and arrogant as we know him. He is dancing with Misa, who is not his girlfriend but has a crush on him. Then, L joins the party, somebody brought him along. He is chilling awkwardly by the buffet when Light takes notice of him and joins him at the buffet. He has seen him before a couple times on the campus, but never talked to him. What happens next is up to you…

Author’s notes: I bent the specifics a bit in that I had Light talk to L just a bit after seeing him instead of immediately, because i felt it fit the pacing I had better. Hope it’s still okay though :-)

—————————–

“Don’t tell me you’re a Beach Volleyball junior champion too,” Takada joked after Light obliterated (yet again) a team of what appeared to be sociology majors, or something equally pointless, she had that small, half-hearted smile that was so characteristic of hers but with the slight frown of someone who isn’t used to being impressed.

Light laughed humbly.

“I’m not. Maybe my experience with tennis helps somewhat? But I’ve really never played it before.”

His classmate sighed, and Light thought that being constantly made aware of his numerous skills had to be tiring for her. “You must be just naturally talented then,” she supposed as she fixed her hair behind her ear in a strange bashful gesture that must mean she was finally surrendering over to Light’s natural charm, as one would expect.

“Or those two are just awful,” Light smirked conspiratorially.

The young bourgeois laughed, which was what Light was hoping to achieve. Takada always enjoyed laughing at other people’s expense.

Light wasn’t much of a fan of the beach. There was too much sand getting into bad places and too many people acting as if the transition from monkey to hominid had never been made. Too much noise and too much sun and too many girls asking him to slather them with sun blocker, as if he’d pop a boner over touching their skinny naked backs. But, if there was something he’d learned from a very young age was the importance of having good public relations, and so when Kiyomi Takada had invited him to an exclusive beach party, he knew he wouldn’t say no to the daughter of the Sankei Newspaper’s owner. He’d gone into To-Doh not just looking for a quality education after all but in the hope of forming good connections too.

And this party, filled with Tokyo’s most important youth, was a perfect opportunity to start rubbing shoulders. Light was young and attractive and athletic, perfectly composed to be like a bug zapper for these kinds of things.

Plus, the lively music and the three margaritas he’d already had were kinda getting to him.

“LIIIIIIIIGHT!!!” A familiar voice suddenly screeched from somewhere behind him.

Oh dear God.

Five feet of blond supermodel darted towards him through the small crowd of spectators that had formed for the match. Misa Amane, bimbo extraordinaire, had finally shown up to the party in all her unbridled glory.

“Oh, that was so cool! You’re always so cool, Light,” she proclaimed with shiny eyes while all the other men around and some of the women ogled her in her small two-piece red bikini with a blackthorns and vines pattern, as characteristic of the gothic style she favored.

Now, Light didn’t dislike Misa. She was cute in a very whiny-cat kind of way. Sort of endearing at first but jarring as the volume increased and the minutes went on. The first time they met she’d claimed she felt a cosmological affinity towards him or some such bullshit and then proceeded to interrogate him for his zodiac, moon, and rising sign, whatever the hell that meant–he hadn’t been paying attention. She was useful, though, in that she was somewhat famous and happily willing to do him any favors, or connect him with any of her large contact lists, even when he’d already been clear about not being interested in any non-friendly relation with her (using the hardships that came to celebrities’ partners as an excuse), he was a gentleman, after all, and he wouldn’t toy with a woman’s feelings.

“Hey Misa,” Light gave her an easy smile that would hopefully settle her for the rest of the day.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere for the past week! Where have you been hiding? Not with Kiyomi, I hope!”

Takada at his side made an affronted sound that seemed to choke on the way up her throat.

“Behave, Misa. I’ve told you I’m not your property,” Light belittled her with only mild sternness.

Misa shook her head enthusiastically.

“Misa is only teasing, Light! She promises! Besides, Kiyomi and I have started getting along since Spanish class. Haven’t we, Kiyomi?"

Kiyomi seemed startled for a moment, as if she didn’t expect Misa to call her out like that, but recovered quickly to settle her face into her usual cold mask of indifference.

“I suppose so.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. We even planned a fake trip to Playa del Carmen together! Oh, Light, you should join us!”

“I’m taking Korean.”

“Not in class, silly, on the trip!”

"Right… then I happen to be busy around that time of year,” he joked, throwing a smirk at Takada and earning the most formal of snorts he’d heard.

"Miss Amane does have a fondness for fantasizing,” Takada replied instead, like a ready viper waiting for the perfect moment to strike at her victims. Oh, there’s no need to be mean with her, Kiyomi.

The implications seemed to get lost on the blonde, however.

“Pfft, you’re no fun. I’ll borrow him for a bit, Kiyomi. Clearly he needs a little loosening up, and you’re not exactly a party animal, are you?”

Before Kiyomi could reply Misa had already taken Light’s arm and dragged him to the bar for more drinks. Light had to admit, the cocktails options were impressive, and he sort of wanted to try everything on the menu, but in the end, following the beach spirit, he and Misa both ordered a piña colada, and while usually, he wasn’t a fan of too much sweet in his alcohol, the fresh taste felt like a blessing under the hot summer sun, enough that soon he found himself chatting amicably with Misa and even had to catch himself from -dear God- giggling at something she said.

Such was his mildly buzzed state when a sight at the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Turning around, he understood why. A black-haired man was standing under a palm tree and sipping at his own colada, with his back very badly curved in an awful posture and huge eyes fixed somewhere on the sand. Weirdly enough, he was wearing jeans to the beach with only a loose tank top to combat the scorching weather, and still, his wild mop of hair was the most recognizable part of him, which was in itself something, as Light had never in his life seen someone more particular. He’d seen the other boy around campus a handful of times before, but there had never been an opportunity for him to approach him, even though Light had always felt an inexplicably strong pull for him to ask him about his name.

Misa loudly calling his name made him realize he’d been staring.

“Misa, do you know who that is?”

Misa squinted in the direction of Light’s eyes, face lighting up with recognition.

“Of course! That’s Ryuzaki! He’s actually the inheritor of Wammy’s Co. But not many people know about that,” the model smirked like she was telling the juiciest gossip. “People like Takada probably think he sticks out like a sore thumb around here. But the truth is, he’s got more money than any of us combined.” Light’s ears perked up at that. “He’s also one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, and I’ve met you, Light. I don’t know who invited him, though. Let’s ask him! Hey, Ryuzaki!!"

The odd student turned around towards the voice calling him and tilted his head to the side in silent interrogation.

The boy’s assemblage of quirks brought a smile to his face. He hadn’t allowed himself to think it before, but he had always thought the student was rather cute even with how little he knew of him.

“Who invited you?!”

Light winced and glared at Misa for how carelessly she had posed such a question, but Ryuzaki didn’t seem the least bit faced and instead cupped a hand near his mouth like a mock-megaphone and shouted: “I just came for the desserts!” with a wide-eyed expression that gave no indication whatsoever of if he was teasing or not.

Misa laughed like she’d heard the best joke ever and Light just blinked in the boy’s direction.

“Isn’t he a blast?” She hollered as Ryuzaki’s eyes met his.

It was hard for Light to describe those few seconds, but for one single moment, the strings holding his soul together seemed to vibrate at a different tune than they’d played previously. He was unsure if he shivered, but he had to break the eye contact like some damned school girl to pull himself back together.

Why did his face feel warm all of a sudden?

"Ooh, I love this song! Let’s dance, Light!” Misa interrupted his thoughts again with a squeal.

“Uhh, sure, yeah…"

×~°~×~°~×~°~×~°~×

Dancing was decidedly not as fun unless you had a certain amount of alcohol in your body. Or at least, that was Light’s opinion on the matter. Who’d enjoy several hours of mindlessly moving your body unless somehow inebriated? That’s why Light had to drink another two mimosas to keep up with dancing with Misa for five songs straight, not because he was somewhat shaken up about the guy with the bird’s nest hair and the absent look –Ryuzaki, his brain provided– and certainly not because he was figuring out how to approach him.

He separated from Misa when the sun was already setting, bathing the sea with a last warm goodbye. Everyone at the beach stopped for a moment to marvel at it, but Light only had eyes for Ryuzaki, who was… nowhere to be seen, sending Light into a momentary panic.

He almost slapped himself when he found him below the parasol housing the buffet. It was what Ryuzaki had said before about the only reason for coming to the party. Normally, he would have remembered, which only meant Light’s brain wasn’t behaving as fast as it normally would. It couldn’t be that he’d have too much to drink, could it?

Alright, be smooth, Yagami.

“Hello!” Light chirped with a wide grin, planting himself beside the strange boy who was staring at the lines of sweets like they were study material.

Ryuzaki turned to him with a blink.

That had come higher than intended.

"We, uh, are in the same faculty? I’ve seen you around 345.”

“Light Yagami. Second-year Criminal Justice major. You’re the son of detective-superintendent Soichiro Yagami of the NPA."

"Um.”

“You respect and admire your father greatly and your intention is to become the deputy director of the NPA. You’re as ambitious as you are clever.”

“Why do you-”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’re aware of how popular you are around here, word goes around. You’re not the only one I have this sort of information on."

Light wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be reassuring.

At the very least, that introduction had sobered him up.

The other student was appraising him with a curious gaze, as he was starting to learn he looked at pretty much everything.

"Is that the way you introduce yourself to everyone?"

"Hmm. Yes, usually. I told you. You’re not special in that regard.”

“In what regard am I special, then?” Light asked cheekily.

“That’s not-”

But he didn’t let him finish before walking around him like a predator would its prey. He made a show of considering what pastry he’d take and settled for a star-shaped cookie. Ryuzaki watched the whole procedure closely and Light smirked at him as he took a bite.

Yes, I made you think about my mouth now. How’s that, smart-ass?

“I think we should get to know each other better, don’t you?”

“And what makes you come to that conclusion?” Ryuzaki supposed.

“Well, I want to, for one.” Light sassed.

“Are you coming on to me?"

Light’s confident semblance cracked. It suddenly dawned on him what he was doing and where. Fuck, what if he isn’t into guys? This was why he never flirted with men unless he was sure the other person was at least bisexual! Or just let the other guys come onto him, which he never had a lack of. Shit.

Ryuzaki seemed to notice his momentary alarm because he placed a hand on his arm in reassurance.

"No, I’m into it. I was just surprised,” he explained with an earnestness Light wasn’t expecting.

“Surprised?”

“People like you don’t usually flirt with me."

"What’s people like me?"

"Now you’re just fishing for compliments."

Light grinned, feeling like his assured (but not overly-presumptuous) self again.

“Swear I’m not.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Your hand is still on my arm, by the way.”

Ryuzaki blinked at the offender, which was indeed still curled around Light’s tricep like a possessive pale spider. He only let go of it slowly, finger by finger, and Light pretended he could see a faint blush on the other’s face with the last rays of sunlight.

There was a conscious effort on his part to not brush those sharp cheeks tenderly with his knuckles, less the sudden contact spook his new sudden fascination away.

“It appears you’re not the only intoxicated one of the two of us,” Ryuzaki admitted in a low voice.

The loud party music and noises of the crowd seemed so far away.

Light took a step forward.

“We should–”

“Light!”

A group of people was coming their way, and Light recognized Takada, Okubo Chise, Kinoshita Hideo, and another fake-blond dude he’d never had any interest in talking to. Kinoshita was the son of a major tech company’s executive and was rotting in money from his million-dollar hair to the ugly fungus in his toenails. Light, sadly, had had a mild interest for him at first, but that went to shit when he came to see how much of an asshole he was.

Kinoshita grabbed him by the shoulder, while Chise and the fake-blond planted themselves in front of Ryuzaki. Takada, for her part, just stood to Light’s side glaring in Ryuzaki’s direction. What the hell?

“Light, what is someone like you doing talking with a freakshow like Ryuzaki.” Kinoshita wondered, exposing his gums in a self-satisfied smile that quickly raised Light’s hackles. "Don’t you know nothing good ever comes from involving yourself with him?”

“Come again?”

“It’s true, Light. He doesn’t have a good reputation,” Takada interjected, not bothering to hide the disgust in her face with a once-over to his new acquaintance. “I don’t know how he’d have the nerve to come in here, uninvited.”

Frowning, Light searched to see the face of the boy he’d just been so pleasantly flirting with and, outwardly, found him to appear relatively unbothered. He’d expected him to be angry, indignant, or even sad, but Ryuzaki only had his hands in his jean pockets and was yet again staring with wide eyes at some unknown fixed point as if no one were talking about him.

“You’re going to have to be more specific about whatever offense Ryuzaki’s done. But whatever the case, I find it incredibly distasteful to round him up like you’re doing.”

“It’s alright, Light. Kinoshita is probably still just angry because I exposed a nasty little online scam of his, and attained information that could lose him the already crumbling favor of his father, and also the fact that he is nevertheless unable to cause me any significant harm,” Ryuzaki answered matter-of-factly without sparing a single glance at Kinoshita’s direction.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Okay, that was…

Extremely attractive.

“You’re a lying little cunt!” Kinoshita snarled.

“The naive teenagers being granted false scholarships would argue otherwise.”

“What? Hideo, you said–” Takada began.

But the small elite group exploded in an argument about what Kinoshita had or hadn’t done, with the latter giving weaker and weaker arguments. Light was so engrossed in his rightful indignation and the opportunity to disgrace Kinoshita, that by the time he called for Ryuzaki’s own word in the matter the strange student had already left without saying a word.

×~°~×~°~×~°~×~°~×

“Ryuzaki!"

The hunched figure paused in his lazy gait towards the beach boulevard, but the dark disheveled head didn’t turn around. Light was panting by the time he caught up to him and he could feel the beginning of a headache already forming.

Night had already fallen and the breeze charged at them from within the sea.

"You’re already going?"

"I am indeed approximately 700 feet from the party."

"Not what I was asking.” Light rolled his eyes.

Ryuzaki turned around finally, all sharp angles and even darker eyes illuminated by the blue and purple artificial lights on the street.

“Well, your question didn’t contain your true intentions either. You’re asking why I’m going. And I assume this means you’d like to talk more?"

Fastidious asshole.

L didn’t wait for Light to answer before taking his phone from his jean’s pocket and handing it to him with the contact app open.

Light typed quickly and handed the phone back, which finally brought a blessed smile to Ryuzaki’s face.

"I’m looking forward to talking to you soon, Light Yagami. Oh and before I forget."

Long, spidery fingers settled themselves in a careful hold below Light’s chin, and before he had time to process what was about to happen, soft lips gave a feathery kiss to his own, so quick it might have been fantasy if it weren’t for the ghost of a contact searing an imprint over Light’s heart.

“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you at the entrance ceremony.”

#fanfiction #death note #submission #lawlight #misa amane #kiyomi takada #l lawliet #light yagami #ratings: mature #lightlessons #danthegeek #Near's Bday Finale 2k21

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recklessfiction · 4 years ago

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The Monster in Love

Monstrous May Challenge Day 8

"You know, The Prism has been asking after you all night and here I find you, cowering."

That got Tasha's eyes snapping up into a glare, his hackles now generously raised. He stood up from where he was crouching on the ground, running an anxious hand through already unkempt hair.

"I am not cowering," he hissed, stepping further into the darkness of the room, "And who, might I ask, do I have to thank for informing our most noble host that I am here at all?"

"Oh, please. You act like you don't want it to come looking for you."

"May, I meant to be leaving tomorrow!"

“So then leave tomorrow.”

“You know that The Prism will make it difficult-”

“You mean you haven’t told it?”

May’s voice betrayed his disapproval, but he couldn’t know, couldn’t understand. The moment the topic of Tasha and the train was brought up in The Prism’s presence, it became clingy and absurd, reminding him of his place in the town, declaring that Tasha was integral, important, and desperately needed. And so what could he say to that?

He’d arrived in the town a simple shyster; a snake oil salesman looking for fast cash and a faster getaway. He hadn’t expected to spend almost half a year in and out of the house of a Noble Monstrosity, much less have that same high born grotesquerie start dogging his every step, trying to whisper sweet nothings in his ear each chance it got. It was more than he could handle; the fine clothes, the gifts, the adoring looks that he caught when it thought he wasn’t looking, and most of all, the expectation of more, of continuation and escalation.

He needed to go. He needed to pack as many of the valuables he had received into his suitcase and catch the next train out as far as it would take him. He was callus, he wasn’t something to be loved, he was a bitter memory, a regret, a fraud, a common thief, and he likedit that way.

Except-

“May, is that you? Have you found him?”

Except he found it infuriatingly hard to say no when it came to The Prism.

“Tasha, my darling, how wonderful. I’ve been searching all night for you, you fiend. How marvelous you look.”

Marvelous. It had the cheek to call him marvelous when it looked like that.

Tall in stature, towering really, immense with soft, blue, downy feathers from the waist up, a glorious headpiece fitted around four marble horns. It wore a mask, as all Noble Monstrosities must, gold adorned with pearls and deep blue ribbons, a delicately carved smile directed straight at him. It took a step forward and Tasha suddenly felt the weight of those eyes which peered out at him from behind the mask. Five in all, and each stubbornly fixed on him.

May’s voice cut through his reverie, bringing Tasha back to the situation at hand; the situation he really needed to get out of.

“I found him hiding in here all on his lonesome. Selfish boy, denying The Prism the delight of your company.”

“I’m afraid I agree with May,” The Prism said in its deep, rich voice, borrowed, no doubt, from the monks at the Abbey of Sainted Beast, “I can’t think why you would withdraw here when there is a perfectly splendid ball happening just out there.”

Another step and two of its arms unfolded from beneath its rich cloak, extending out to Tasha.

“I’ve missed you,” its voice now hushed, “You’ve stopped coming as often and when I go to the inn, they always tell me you’ve gone out. My god, Tasha, I had to formally summon you last time just so I could see you. Is something the matter? Has something happened?”

The Prism had taken up his hands in its own, unfurling the rest to settle on his waist, tugging at him just slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, Tasha watched May slip out of the room, shutting the door behind him as he went. Now alone, the two stood, panic flowing steadily through Tasha as The Prism looked on with eyes that burned and wanted.

There’s no way out of it, Tasha thought to himself, and so he straightened, settling his face into an expression of dignified remorse.

“The train is coming tomorrow.”

Even with the mask covering the entirety of what Tasha assumed to be its face, he could see how The Prism deflated, felt how anxiously its hands moved to his face, its claws cutting his cheeks in its rush to hold him.

“Tasha,” its voice was accusatory, as if scolding him for even speaking the words, “No Tasha, you said you would stay. You must stay.”

“I’ve stayed as long as I can,” he argued, jutting his chin out boldly, “I was not meant to be here this long but I’ve stayed each time you’ve asked me to. Now I must go.”

“Why? What must you do out there that you cannot do here?”

Its voice was hard, petulant, and the other arms tightened on him, jewelled and finely painted claws digging into his hips and enfolding Tasha deeper in the embrace of The Prism.

“Work,” he asserted, “I worked before I came to this town and I will work after I have left it.”

The Prism scoffed, its eyes darkening as it fixed him with what he could only imagine was a glare.

“You can work here. You can stay and help me with my research, or continue to develop your tinctures.”

Ah, yes his ‘tinctures.’ With The Prism’s knowledge of medicine, it was a miracle he hadn’t been found out yet. He thanked the powers that be that the Noble Monstrosity was so…eagerly distractible.

“You know I can’t.”

“Then wait for me.”

“…What?”

Slowly and with great care, The Prism rested its forehead against Tasha’s own, the mask cold against his skin and its eyes, ardent and pleading.

“In a few months I will have completed my research. I can leave the manor in May’s care until we return. We will go together.”

Tasha could always tell when The Prism smiled because its eyes would begin to twinkle and its voice would soften, so much so, that he would feel the entire world melt away with only The Prism’s sweet voice remaining.

“I’ve never been anywhere farther than the city. I’m sure there will be something out there that will keep my interest whilst you…work.”

The last word was spoken in the same playful tone The Prism always used when it was flirting with Tasha and, as always, it made his heart skip a beat. A claw moved beneath his eye, over his eyelashes and, as he blinked, it brushed over his eyelid. Gentle, always so gentle.

“Please, Tasha. Stay and wait for me. I shan’t be long.”

A gasp of breath as a large hand came to cover his eyes. The sound of the mask being lifted, the desperate whisperings of shadows, followed by the slow, earnest press of lips against his own. A voice, oh how he lamented the day he first heard that voice, whispering against him.

“Please.”

And he whispered back,

“Alright.”

A laugh; surprised, overjoyed. Another string of kisses, each expressing an enthused gratitude, each more passionate, hungrier, fevered, each kiss lasting longer and longer, now that they had the time.

He would leave at midnight.

His feet left the ground as The Prism spun him in the air, his lips having moved to Tasha’s throat, its hand never leaving his eyes.

He would excuse himself under the pretext of being completely overcome with emotion and race back to his room at the inn.

“My darling,” the words pressed against his skin, “my darling.”

He would go under the cover of night, no one would be out; everyone was here at the ball anyway. He would wait at the station until morning and catch the first one out of town.

The hand moved away from his eyes and Tasha was met with the pleasantly smiling face of The Prism’s mask, perfectly in its place.

By the time anyone noticed his absence, he would be far, far away from the consequences.

“Come with me,” it said, its voice so charmingly conspiratorial that Tasha’s breath caught for a moment, “I have yet to share a dance with you tonight.”

“I’m sorry.”

The Prism paused, its hands tight around his own. Tasha looked up, a smile curling up his lips, bright, wide, and very fake.

“I find myself…rather overcome. I’m afraid I must excuse myself for tonight. I had not expected-”

“Of course, my darling, of course,” The Prism pressed a hand to his cheek and let its forehead fall against his own again, “I shall send for the carriage.”

“No, I would very much like to walk.”

Its eyes softened fondly beneath its mask as it brushed his hair back with another hand.

“Very well, but I shall call on you tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Tasha said through his smile, “In the evening. I have business during the day but shall return promptly.”

Another train didn’t come through for a fortnight.

“Alright, tomorrow evening. It would be simpler, you know, for you to do your business from the manor. We certainly have the room and…I confess I would like you to stay.”

And therein laid the problem.

“A discussion, I think, for another time,” Tasha’s smile settled into something playful and easier to keep up.

The Prism brushed a hair from his face.

“Goodnight, beloved.”

A breath, almost gasped, almost suspicious, swallowed and replaced with a smile.

“Goodbye.”

#monstrousmaychallenge #monster romance #monster #humans are weird #horror #my writing #happy?

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thesoulspulse · 4 years ago

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Regarding Flynn Fenton...

(Updated 12/17/2020)

Alright so, confession time. I wasn’t planning on joining the bandwagon on this new character Butch ‘supposedly’ came up with all on his own apart from sharing a few thoughts or giving replies here and there, but now I just have to come out and say it. Most of his backstory makes no sense.

Also, let’s be honest here, the canon Butch gave him is borrowed from so many Marvel characters its not even funny and I have some serious questions about why Danny’s parents would happily keep experimenting with a ghost portal if they knew their FIRSTBORN CHILD was sucked into it! And even if they did they’d be treating the whole thing much more seriously if they were planning to mount a rescue mission into the Ghost Zone...

Next, lets talk about his design.

Now, we already know that while Maddie has reddish brown hair, normal red hair and green eyes does run in her family so let’s compare Flynn to Maddie’s older sister Aunt Alicia, which I might add is the ONLY named character we know of that’s indirectly part of the Fenton family through her younger sister Maddie after she married Jack. But we don’t actually know what their original maiden name was or what their parents might have looked like:

After that there’s one of the more obvious comparisons you can make which is Jazz, who definitely takes after her aunt more than her mom. By the way, I’m using a screenshot of her as a kid because I think when Flynn was still around she was supposed to be like six years old while Danny is only two:

So with that in mind, as far as genetics are concerned I think Flynn actually could have been born as a red-head just like his younger sister while Danny takes more after his dad with the black hair and blue eyes (borrowing Amethyst-Ocean’s version since I couldn’t find any good quality screenshots of Danny as a baby/toddler):

But here’s the real kicker, as soon as I actually SAW Flynn in Butch’s latest video after hearing everyone in the phandom talking about him, do you want to know which character I ACTUALLY think he looks like the most...?

Wes Weston, the random background character that the phandom adopted from the episode “Shades of Gray” that has since become a fully fledged character in his own right and recently you guys have even given him one or two brothers based on other red-headed background characters.

So you want to know my honest to god opinion here? I seriously think Butch is just pulling stuff from the phandom and taking credit for coming up with the idea of Flynn ‘randomly’ since it came from his show which we all know has only become a source of click-bait for him since he doesn’t legally own the rights to it anymore. Nickelodeon does.

That said, while I’ll admit some of Butch’s newer ideas are decent, most of them are uninspired and it’s the show’s fans who have turned these ideas into something more inventive and created this whole Danny Phantom universe with its very own lore with things such as ghost cores, spirits that only exist in the Ghost Zone vs ghost who were in fact once dead people or animals, the list goes on and I couldn’t be prouder of our community as a whole.

Either way, I look forward to seeing more cool ideas for Flynn gradually come out and I’ve already added at least one of my own too based on something another phan wrote. But I’m sure there are more to come since there are so many amazing authors and artists in the phandom that I truly admire even though this show ended all the way back in 2007. So there you go, I’ve added my two cents to get it out of my system so take from it what you will...

P.S. I still think Flynn’s ghost hero design is kinda uninspired too personally since he just looks like a red-headed version of Dan to me.

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sasster · 3 years ago

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I dunno if you guys can tell but I haven’t done a lot of fantroll stuff lately. Or really. Much of anything. But I DID write this.

Mind this is just some oc species shit, BUT it would mean quite a lot to me if you guys read it. Since it’s the... Longest thing I’ve written in .. All of 2021? Yike!

Anyway, as usual, here is a link to a google doc if reading it on my blog upsets the minds eye.

----

“You know that we are practically Gods in comparison, right? It is a marvel that my people are not in the conquering business. We would be very good at it, do you not agree?”

Their captor spoke with a high in their voice, Qei was positive that they’d gotten their hands on some sort of mind altering substance to get them into the mindset that they were in -- Well, how else could you explain prattling on your master plan to a supposed lesser species? He found it rather foolish for the younger Cardali to speak so loudly and so boldly in front of newly rounded up prisoners. That was to say nothing to the tragically gaudy and unnecessary large castle-like structure that he and the four others of his crew were dragged to. Truly, he’d never seen such high ceilings outside of the Temples on Cardalith. What a waste of resources.

The upside is that the People of Aeilur were a remarkably easy species to mimic. They have no real sexual dimorphism, at least not one noticeable from the outside looking in, nor do they spend a lot of their time on ridiculous beauty standards. They were just a product of their world. Aeilur is a beautiful planet, actually, lush with fauna and vegetation long extinct on most other worlds. A strong, sturdy, practical people, with pacifism practiced down to an art, they wouldn’t raise arms even if an entire army to make a grab for their planet and it’s bountiful resources. It was Falarittus’ responsibility to help keep such things from occurring.

Qei could see how an opportunistic megalomaniac might have taken advantage of such information, he just never thought that he would see the day that one such megalomaniac would be an Ambassador of Cardalith, one of their own. He was disgusted.

There is a tug at the shackles that restrain his top set of hands, indicating that while he was lost in thought he’d stopped shuffling behind. He emits a low inquisitive grunt, he was going his usual hm, but he supposes that this is the only translation his current form could offer. How fascinating! He’d have to make plans to spend more time with the People of Aeilur. Under less pressing circumstances.

There is another sharp tug at his reins and he resumes trudging along behind the madman. How humiliating. Demoralizing. It was important for him to experience this though, so that he could speak to his short experience under their thumb when it came time to trial. There would be a trial. Not that Qei was worried that Falarittus would have much of a case. It would be short.

Not as short as it would have been if Qei were to let his patron in on the manhunt -- Why that temperamental giant would have lost it before they even stepped foot into this… Mansion? Seriously, this thing was gaudy. Might’ve burned the whole thing down Himself. No matter, this was always going to be a job for Qei. He even felt bad bringing along a crew with him. Diollea insisted he bring back up “just in case”.

He threw a worried glance over his shoulder to gauge them. They seemed comfortable, and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Oh. Right, Falarittus was still talking.

“Once they see what I’ve done for the people of this world, the Gods themselves would shower me in praise. My peers and superiors would turn to me for guidance in the new age!”

It looks like Qei tuned back in just in time for a gem! He couldn’t help himself as the air quickly expelled from his new and quite long proboscis, which resulted in trumpets quite a bit louder than he was anticipating. He thinks this might be what a laugh is for this species. He did not intend to be laughing, but the idea that their creators would entertain the idea of the subjugation of any species, let alone one so peaceful as the People of Aeilur, was preposterous!

Only an idiot who made their home the size of a mall would have such delusions.

“What is so funny, worm?”

Worm! Perhaps not letting Diollea come was the mistake, this miserable pile of goo would long be ashes in that event. The trumpets were coming in spurts now, and Qei’s guess was that these were the equivalent of hiccups or maybe wheezing.

Qei’s crew took some steps back as Falarittus took the several steps to close the gaps between them. Now, naturally, Falarittus and Qei were eye level, but in this form they only came to just about chest level with him. Gentle, emphasis on the giant, indeed. The latters trunk swayed between them with a gentle undulation in a behavior that Qei was actually quite familiar with! Taunting.

He’d only seen it when three sisters prepared for a friendly bout of wrestling upon their reunion; It was cute. This was not.

“Oh, did you want to fight? Is that it? Did you plan to be the warrior of your people?”

Qei merely held up his two sets of shackled hands, hands big enough to hold Falarittus’ head in it. Hands that could crack their skull like a fragile piece of pottery if he were so inclined. He could not disrespect this form with violence, though, he thinks.

The bitter laugh that erupted from the man opposite him was unlike anything he’d ever heard come from the mouth of another Cardali, and he has met many of them in his day. It was almost ear splitting and made the hairs from his arms to his chest stand on end. Danger receptors? Very nice.

“It is not in you to fight, but please raise your hands to me so that I may cite self defense back to my superiors.”

There was a sick smirk on their face as they pulled a set of keys from their robes -- Robes, they were wearing robes like some sort of high priest in a fantasy story book -- and began to unlock the cruel piece of metal from Qei’s top set of arms. This was ideal, as he was fairly certain this is the set that translates back to the singular set of arms in his natural form, as they did not rudely burst from his shoulder blades like the second set did.

“Let's keep it fair, I only have the one pair after all.”

“Fair?” His own voice was quite alien to him, raspy and guttural as it tried to form words unfamiliar to the vocal cords tongue he borrowed to speak. Standard was not a language that belonged in this mouth.

“Fair. Say it with me. F-er.” Holy. Xenophobia. How did this pass the sniff test? No, there had to be another traitor in their ranks for such an awful wretched soul to have been left alone here. An example was to be made, and Qei would make sure that it was handled swiftly. The only good news was that this was so early on, that there was just this region of the planet that experienced it. Which was a really bad thing to think was a good thing. But there was a chance that the People of Aeilur would continue to allow Cardalith’s aid.

“Fair.” Qei said, once again the word barely made it past his tusks in one piece.

Falarittus cackled wildly at this attempt as Qei closed his eyes and focused his energy intro retracting that disrespectful set of arms back into his body, he’d been shifting for quite long time at this point in his life, so the rest of the shift passed by with a pleasant hum and totally not worth describing from the inside.

He reopened his eyes to the sound of metal hitting the floor, he was now looking at his own hands, ambient green glow and birthmarks exactly where he’d left them. They were clenched into tight fists. Most importantly, though, he was staring straight into the shell shocked eyes of the once quite full of himself clown.

“Fair enough?”

“Qei’eleritte, wait, let's talk about this --”

He swung hard, possibly with more force than intended, because they crumpled to the floor almost instantly. Behind him, he could hear the humored trumpeting of his still disguised crew behind him.

This could have been so much worse.

#coko writes sometimes #qei things #waves hello #owo)/#i would appreciate feedback but if you're mean i'll cry

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yourmcu · 4 years ago

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Wish You Were Here (ii)

Pairings: Tony Stark x daughter!reader, Peter Parker x Stark!reader (platonic)

Summary:

an Infinity War/Endgame AU where Tony Stark’s daughter (you) is one of half the population that vanishes in the snap, Tony finds out later on when he arrives back to Earth, devastated, then you come back like the others to help fight Thanos.

Word count: 3,115

A/n: (moved to the end of the fic!)

Warnings: angst, death, swearing, Morgan’s a cutie! and no seriously I miss him so much

read it on ao3!

Part 1

gif not mine! credits to the owner^^

Just like the others, you were brought back when the Avengers succeeded in retrieving all the infinity stones.

You're laying on the ground at the same place you were last time: Wakanda. Once you gain consciousness you struggle to get up, your legs wobbly.

“Hello?” You call out, but you're alone, can’t even contact anyone since your suit is out of power. You have no clear memory of what happened, just that you had an anxiety attack while Natasha held you, then you blacked out and - that’s it.

You felt a strong breeze and footsteps behind you.

“[Y/N] Stark,” a man’s voice says. “Come with me.”

The man is ancient looking, had a cape and his facial hair weirdly reminds you of Tony’s. “Who are you? And how long was I out?” You look at a sparking yellow portal far behind him, “did you do that?”

“Stick together and stick with Wong,” the man calls out before the portal closes. You have no idea who he was talking to since they already got in. “Doctor Stephen Strange. We need to find Pepper Potts and... get you suited.”

“I already am suited it’s just - no juice. What’s going on?”

“It’s been five years. It’s time, your father and the others need our help to defeat Thanos,” Doctor Strange opens up another portal to an unfamiliar cabin. Your eyes light up at the mention of Tony. “Quickly. We do not have much time.”

Five years? Unbelievable. That’s just insane. You like sleeping a lot but you couldn’t imagine being asleep for five long years.

“Are - are you sure we’re in the right pla - okay, sorry, don’t have much time, yeah,” you knock on the door when Doctor Strange gives you a stern and impatient look. It gets answered right away.

“[Y/N]? Oh my god,” Pepper says breathlessly. You could feel her sobbing while she hugs you tightly.

“Hey, you guys didn’t tell me you moved,” you frown. “Is all my stuff here? Mr. Strange wants me to get ready and this isn’t the only suit I have-”

“Doctor Strange.”

“It’s upstairs, last room on the left,” Pepper smiles as she wipes her tears. You nod and went up the stairs as the magic doctor told her everything.

All your stuff were in boxes and your spare iron suit was standing in a corner. You wiped away the dust off and checked if it was in good condition. It was ready to go.

You quickly charged the weapons and blasters on the suit, and you still needed to-

You hear a small gasp from behind the door.

Confused, you turn around to see a girl with an amazed smile on her face. “Y/N!”

You cautiously walk over to the small girl, “yeah, I’m Y/N, what’s your name?”

“Morgan,” she replies, then her eyes widen as she hides something behind her back. “Daddy said I can borrow your stuff as long as I put it back. They all look really cool.”

You still aren’t sure, but you start to put the pieces together in your mind: you were ‘gone’ for five years, this girl is living with Pepper, and if you guessed right, ‘daddy’ is Tony.

She’s your sister.

“It’s okay, and thanks,” she gives you a small hug which you return slightly, you feel a smile growing on your face since you find her really precious. “It’s nice to meet you, Morgan.

“Hey, so, there’s this weirdo man downstairs and he wants me and Pep - mom to do an errand for him,” you say to her once you remember you have to go. Morgan nods understandingly, “we can play and catch up when I get back, okay? That’s a promise.”

She runs back to her room and you get suited up, power at its maximum.

“Welcome back, Ms. Stark.”

“Glad to be. I missed you - actually, how Dad’s doing? Is he alright?”

“Mr. Stark had a concussion earlier, but as of now he is waking up again.”

“Oh,” you exhale and start worrying about him a bit. “Okay. That’s fine, I guess,”

Once you go back down a portal was already open and a nanny by the door (you assumed for Morgan). You fly right in before it closed up.

“Holy shit.”

There's armies coming out of many different portals, from people to aircrafts, to mutants. You all gather at the Avengers compound, or what used to be the compound.

“I forgot to mention,” you point out and Pepper turns to you, “That’s a pretty badass suit.”

You could feel Pepper roll her eyes from inside her suit. You follow her as she flies all the way to the front.

Your eyes dart everywhere to look for Tony. And there he is, getting up from the ground and flying back to the Avengers. He looks worn out, ragged, tired; you notice before his iron head covered him up. There’s so many people that you doubt he even saw you. God, you miss him so much.

Cap, Thor, Rhodey, Clint, Peter, Wanda, Bucky, Sam, Bruce - or Hulk, everyone was there, but where’s Natasha?

“Avengers!” Cap shouts, a hand extended as he catches Mjolnir without stumbling - whoa, what? - “assemble.”

That’s it. The battle begins.

It's your first time using your backup suit, you obviously didn’t have the time to test it out first. Good thing it works fine.

You're flying around, shooting enemies whenever they get in your way and helping anyone on your side who needed it.

What got you confused (not that you were complaining) was how the other Avengers were a bit too happy to see you than they normally should. You brushed it off though, they probably just love you so much like you love them.

“Aye, mind if you launch me? I need to be over there,” a raccoon holding a gun states and pointed to the direction. You recognize him immediately.

"Sure thing, bud,” you obliged, grabbing him, levitating off the ground and to thrust your iron arm forward like a cannon.

After a while the battle died down a bit and you saw Tony embracing Peter in a distance.

You smile sadly. Peter’s your best friend, but you really wish that it’s you who Tony was hugging.

Your jealousy fades when one of those giant flying Chitauri makes its way to their direction, ready to attack.

“Friday, activate the mega blaster,” you fly closer to the pair.

“Which one?” For fuck’s sake, Friday,

“The biggest one, please, now!” Once the blaster's out, you aim at the monster who's literally meters away from Tony and Peter and fire. When it crashes to the ground lifeless, you land beside them.

“Sorry, that was,” you pant, opening up your iron helmet. “It was literally going to eat you guys, so, uh, sorry for ruining the moment.”

Peter smiles, nodding and Tony looks at you as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

He hadn’t seen you in so long that your sudden presence fucking took his breath away. You're here, alive and back. If you guys weren’t in such a situation he’d go on and tell you about all the things you missed.

“I’m probably in trouble, right? I mean.. look Dad, I’m in a battlefield,” you laugh nervously, shooting a creature from the corner of your eye. “In my defense, Doctor Strange was the one who came to me, I didn’t-”

You're cut off when Tony wraps his arms around you. Right now he didn’t care about your excuses as to why you were here. But if Tony from five years ago could see you now he’d definitely ground you for life and take away your lab privileges.

“You’re doing great.” his voice slightly muffled from the hug. You let out a squeak, not expecting that from him at all. Tony smiles and plants a kiss to your forehead. “I love you, kid.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

The battle carries on and you're being swarmed by more enemies. You got really beaten up as it went on - what really knocked you out was when Thanos’ spaceship rained fire.

Unable to get shelter, you try your best to dodge everything that came out of the ship. You could barely see anymore because of the chaos and the clouds of dust everywhere.

“Ms. Stark, you need to get somewhere safe! Your heart rate is also increasing dangerously fast.”

“Not - not helping, Fri-” you get cut off when one of the blue fires hit you on the head, sending you to the ground unconscious.

----

“[Y/N], come on buddy, you need to get up,” Peter. He found your body a while after he handed the gauntlet to Captain Marvel. The battle's still ongoing, but he’s focusing on keeping you away from it while he waits for you to wake up.

You quickly sit up and gasp for air, looking at your best friend. “Did we win? Did we - wait, Peter, look out!” You push him out of the way when a group of monsters make their way to both of you. They turn into dust before they could lunge forward, however.

“...what the..?”

He helps you up and the both of you run to where Rhodey and Tony are at. You nearly break down when you see the state he's in.

“Mr. Stark? Hey - Mr. Stark? It’s Peter... and look, Y/N’s here- she’s okay, sir-” While Peter tries to talk to him you kneel down beside him, placing a hand on his arm while you do your best not to cry.

Then he looks at you, mouthing it’s okay.

But you know it isn’t. On your part, anyway. It seems really selfish but you don’t know what you’d do without him. Tony has always been there for you, he always kept you going.

Pepper kneels beside you, gave you a reassuring look before looking at her husband. “Friday?”

“Life functions critical.” That makes you whimper, pulling yourself closer to Tony.

“Tony, look at me. We’re going to be okay. You can rest now.”

You nod, sniffling, resting your head on his shoulder lightly. “I love you. I’ll take good care of Morgan, dad. Don’t worry.”

When the light of his arc reactor goes out, that’s when both you and Pepper break down, comforting each other around Tony’s lifeless body.

----

Dresses really weren’t your thing. So were skirts and shorts. But you wore a short, black dress for Tony’s funeral. You didn’t care if you weren’t comfortable, it was for him. You’d do anything for him.

You barely got any sleep since the battle, you couldn’t now that he was gone. It didn’t feel right. You had no idea how to cope, how you could move on from this.

What made things worse is when Steve and Thor told you about what happened to Natasha, that’s why you didn’t see her in the battle. She gave her own life just to get everybody else back.

You must’ve zoned out again because Rhodey and Pepper are now setting something up in the living room. An Iron Man helmet.

“S’that going to be new decoration?” You force out a chuckle, sniffling afterwards, sitting down on the sofa behind them.

Iron Man’s eyes light up when Rhodey presses a button. You couldn’t believe what you were seeing. Tony sitting on a chair, a hologram.

He turns it off before hologram Tony could say a word. “That’s,” he sighs, “that’s for later.”

“I can’t do this,” you get up, running a hand through your hair. “I can’t. I’ll - I’ll break down, I know I will. Can I take a walk? Please?”

“Take your time.” Steve gives you a comforting smile.

Pepper nods. “Some air would do you good. Be back when it’s time, okay?”

You take longer calming yourself down in the woods near the cabin. You cried, you mumbled to yourself, paced back and forth,

Cause a picture is all that I have, To remind me that you're never coming back If I picture it now it just makes me sad And right now I just wish you were here.

You stop when you heard leaves crunching. Peter just arrived, along with his aunt.

“Hey,” Peter silently greets, pulling you into a hug. It's obvious he isn’t getting any sleep either. “Are you okay?”

“Of course not,” you murmur, pulling away. “I should probably head back inside.”

“I’ll see you in a bit.”

You slowly walk to the porch, stopping when you hear Tony’s voice inside. You decide to just wait outside the door, you definitely don’t want to see his face, not right now, it'd be too painful.

“If we pull this thing off, and get everyone back,” Tony pauses. “Tell [Y/N] I left something in her room, yeah?”

Then he does the secret rhythm to a clap only the both of you memorized and knew.

You assume he’s done, since you don’t hear his voice anymore after that. Everyone goes out of the house and you hold Morgan’s hand as all of you walk to the lake for one last goodbye.

After that you talked to everybody who came for a while. Bruce, Steve, Clint and Thor tried to get you to look at the bright side, which you appreciated, you met the rest of the guardians who came, Doctor Strange who gave you a sympathetic look and apologized for your loss, and the guy you remembered Tony told you about, the one who helped him when his suit powered down and got stranded years ago. You made a mental note to ask him to hang out with you and Peter sometime.

“Hey... I’m heading to bed now,” you inform Pepper, Happy and Rhodey (both men were staying at the cabin for a few days) who're in the living room staring at the fireplace.

Before you go to your own room you check up on Morgan, who’s fast asleep. She's wearing her little Iron Man glove, pressed to her chest. She doesn’t deserve this.

Your room is still unpacked and they just sort of removed your bed from the compound and moved it here. You sit on the bed, already thinking of ways to move on that you know wouldn’t work anyway.

You remember your father claimed he had something for you here, so taking a deep breath, you clap the secret rhythm,

“Dad... you’ve gotta be kidding me,” you whine, covering your face with both palms.

Another hologram.

“Hey legacy,” Tony chuckles, looking at you. You shake your head at the ridiculous nickname, also avoiding his eyes, which you’re sure would make you cry if you did look. “I... uh, this is just a little video. For you. Sure you won’t see this but... I like to pretend I could still talk to you. I miss you, a lot.”

You fiddle with your hands, still not looking at him but you listen to him talk.

“But we’ll see. We’ll figure something out. I hope to see you soon, [Y/N]. I love you.”

He has both hands in his pockets as he looked at you with a warm smile, before disappearing.

But he reappears a second after.

“We’re doing it tomorrow. The... uh, time travel thing.”

The stress in his voice make you look up at him, but this time he isn’t looking at you. It seems like he was pacing while he recorded it.

“I just finished doing one of these for, well, in case I somehow die while we attempt to do it. If you think about it, it’s highly likely. Going back in time, yada yada, possibilities are endless,” he sighs. “But I figured I owe my firstborn a final message if that happens, right?”

“Honestly I feel,” he makes motions with his hands. “Bit anxious... right now. We were the only ones helping each other out when one of us felt this way but... seeing as you’re not here, I just have to deal with it.”

“[Y/N], look at me,” Tony crouches down to be in level with you, like he knew you were actually here watching this, like he was actually there, the one talking to you. But it’s how he programmed it. “You wanna know what my best decision in life was?”

“Yeah?”

“Taking you in,” he smiles. “When we fight you always bring up that I had the choice not to, and you were right. But guess what? I have no regrets.”

You smile, blinking back tears.

“You mean the world to me, I just feel like I don’t say it enough,” Tony cocks his head slightly, still looking at you. “We both have no idea what the afterlife’s like but that won’t matter, I’ll always look after you girls.”

“Speaking of which, your sister reminded me so much of you when she was first born, god, I still wish you were around for that. I know you’ll love her, she’s just brilliant. Take care of her for me, yeah?”

“Maybe there’s a way to get you back,” Tony sighs at your words, already knowing that it’s not going to work out. “I - I just need some time. I can bring you back, Dad-”

He places a hand on your shoulder. You couldn’t feel it, but you did feel a light breeze. “The deed’s already done, honey. Don’t worry about me. Come on, don’t cry,” he kneels in front of you as you let yourself go, crying hard into your palms.

Don't say everything's meant to be, Cause you know it's not what I believe Can't help but think that it should've been me In the end, I just wish you were here.

You open your eyes when you hear a beep, even Tony turns around. The recording had ten seconds left. “The recording’s about to end, [Y/N],”

“I love you tons,” you whisper, looking up at him.

Tony smiles, caressing your cheek. “I love you 3,000.”

Yeah, they say you're in a better place, Either way I still wish you were here ‘Cause they say you're in a better place In the end, I just wish you were here.

----

so here’s part 2. I miss him y’all, it’s missing-Tony-so-much hours for me

just like the first part, I got the title from this amazing song by Neck Deep which you can listen to here.

[taglist: @creation-magician (which I would like to personally thank for wanting to be tagged)]

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fatandnerdy30 · 3 years ago

Text

Loki Helps a Boy

So this is the second installment to Loki Finds a Boy which so many people have been asking for. So I hope you like it!

@lokiismyhubby @laurenandloki @gt-marvel

It had been a two weeks since Peter had been found by Loki and the boy found he wasn't as scary as people made him out to be. He was curious and overly mischevious. But he had made sure not to be seen by the giant as he traversed the overly large tower. He had a few near sightings on his journeys to acquire the things his uncle needed for his sick aunt.

But it seemed like it wasn't enough, because May kept sicker. He sat by her bedside leg bouncing as he stared at her ashen face. Her breathing was heavy and raspy and when she coughed it sounded like sandpaper was trying to escape her lungs. Grabbing the towel from her forehead, Peter wet it again and placed it on her face half expecting it to sizzle with how hot to the touch she was.

Peter couldn't sit here any more and do nothing! He had to get help. Whatever help he could get. Running from the room he slammed into his Uncle Ben who looked shocked to see him. "What's wrong, Peter? Is May all right?"

"She-she's all right...but she just keeps getting sicker...I need to find help." He ran around Ben and ran to grab his bag and shoes, ignoring the wide eyed Ben.

"Peter if you're doing what I think you're doing it's not a good idea! If the humans spot you, they'll squish you flat! I won't let that happen to you!" The man reached for the boy' shoulder, but he just dodged him.

"I've already met one of them, Ben! He was nice and let me go...I think he'll do that again." Or at least Peter hoped that he would be coming back for May's sake. It was with that hope he ignored Ben's pleas and ran from the tiny home in the walls.

Using the beams and concrete ledges, Peter managed to make it to where he climbed down what seemed like so long ago now. Wiping his nose the boy dropped his rope and watched it land on the same shelf he thought he would lose his life on, but had made a friend instead.

Wedging his hook into the vent, Peter began to climb down, grunting a little bit from how tired he was from staying up as long as he could while Ben was running onto the garden floor to gather the herbs that weren't working on May.

"Well, well. You finally show again, little one." Loki's voice snapped Peter from his thoughts as he turned his head to see the black haired man staring at him from a chair with amusement. "I thought you had forgotten about me. You cut me to the quick." Loki placed a hand over his heart and smirked, but it died when Peter didn't laugh. Instead he stared at the man with watery eyes, his lower lip trembling. The giant rose quickly and made his way over to the boy, concern written on his face. "What is it?"

"My aunt....she....she's really sick and not getting better...I didn't know what to do, so I came here, but now I'm thinking it was a bad decision to come here...." Peter shimmied his way down to the shelf to give his arms a rest as he stared up at Loki's face. "Please...can you help me?"

"What are her symptoms, little one?"

"She's gray, her skin is hot and she's coughing a lot, her breathing is harsh like there's something in her lungs...I dont know what to do! I...I can't lose her...Ben can't lose her either." Looking up at the man, Peter fell to his knees. "Please....I have nowhere else to turn."

Loki smiled kindly and placed his hand up to the shelf, palm up. "Fear not little one. I do by chance know a way to help her, but...there is a catch." He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know if you are desperate enough, but it involves meeting someone else...perhaps multiple Midgardians."

Tp say Peter was shocked was putting it lightly. Would he have to meet the person? Or people? "What...what are Midgardians?"

It took a few seconds before Loki laughed low in his throat. "I forget you live on Midgard, so you would not know of their other name, but they are humans, which I am not. I am Asgardian, the prince of Asgard, brother to Thor."

The boy stared at Loki in shock while taking a step onto the man's palm timidly. He was speaking to a prince?! "I-I-I didn't know Mr. Loki! Should I be calling you 'your highness' or something like that?" Slowly he made his way into the man's hand, still a little nervous around the man's fingers that could literally crush him with so little pressure. So when Loki gave him a look, he tensed afraid he'd hurt the man's feelings.

"You will call me Loki, young Peter. I like you so you do not have to call me as such. As for the others living here...they show me no respect and Stark is the worst with his names..." The god shivered and brought Peter close to his chest as he started walking. "I will bring you to meet doctor Banner, for he is the most familiar with human illnesses. I do not trust the others to care for your aunt." Ever since his first meeting with the doctor's alter ego he had gained a certain respect for the man.

Beginning a brisk pace, they left the room and making sure no one was around before he started for the elevator. He didn't want to stop and explain Peter's existence especially when the boy seemed to be more than worked up about the woman's condition.

"I hope he knows what happened and how to treat May," the tiny boy said. He was gripping onto Loki's fingers like a life line, his limbs shaking as he felt the wind in his hair with each of the man's steps.

"I'm sure he knows. Just explain her symptoms to him as you did to me." Loki sent a reassuring look down to the boy who looked frightened. "Are you all right?" Peter nodded, though his lips were tightly sealed which made the prince smile. "Would it help if I did this?" Bringing the boy closer to his body he secured his hand this way there was no way he would be able to fall.

Feeling the heat behind him made the boy open his eyes and look to see green fabric pressed against him. He turned his eyes upward and saw the bottom of the man's chin and little else. And believe it or not, Peter did feel safer knowing that Loki was protecting him so he slowly let go of the fingers and sat back and was actually able to enjoy the breeze, smiling a bit. 'This feels nice,' he thought as he sighed letting the beating of the giant's heart under and behind him calm him down as well.

Loki tried to pay little attention to the being leaning into his chest as he made his way to the elevator. "You are not allowed past the thirtieth floor," Friday reminded him making the man roll his eyes.

"Yes I know you dimwitted machine. You tell me every time I enter this infernal contraption. Take me to Banner."

"I can't do that, Reindeer Games," the machine replied making Peter giggle. "He is on the fortieth floor."

"Then tell him to come to me you daft waste basket!" With a huff he stormed off the elevator and made his way back to his room. I swear that idiotic mainframe is trying to make me go insane." He then brought his hand up to his face, scowling at Peter who stared at him in shock.. "And what were you laughing at in there, hmm?"

The boy's face went red and he stared down at Loki's palm. "Sorry...I thought the name was funny."

"You would. That was one of the names Stark made up when we were in Germany. He was making fun of my helmet, it had long horns adorning it."

"I'll bet it looked really cool! Not like a reindeer at all!" Peter tried to make up for his laughing wich made Loki narrow his eyes and sigh.

"You are forgiven. This time. For now we must await the arrival of Dr. Banner." Loki walked back into his room to find his brother sitting on his bed staring at the door.

"Brother! Why do you have need of a doctor? Are you sick? Injured?" Thor got up and rushed to Loki's side, completely missing the small boy in his palm and began patting Loki down, much to the smaller's disapproval.

"I am fine, Thor...I do not need the doctor." He took a look at Peter, seeing how scared he was but the small being had agreed to this. "This boy does." Finally Thor brought his gaze down to his brother's hand and his eyes went wide.

"Is that...a borrower?" He was whispering but his voice still boomed. "I have only heard stories of them! How ever did you manage to capture it?" Thor went to poke Peter, but Loki brought his other hand up to block the impending finger.

"I did not capture him. He came to me of his own volition, isn't that right young Peter?" The by who was too scared to say anything just nodded. "See? Now stop scaring him and back away." He glared at Thor until he did that. He swore his brother was the thickest idiot of them all. How did he get the offer of King before Loki?

"I truly am sorry, little one. I did not mean to scare you. I was simply excited to see one of your kind. Please accept my apology." Thor bowed his head and Peter stood there looking dumbfounded as he nodded.

"S-sure..." Was a human apologizing to him!? He knew the people of this tower were weird, but this took the cake!

"Loki, I swear if you called me up here because you turned your brother into a certain type of toy again, I will gladly ask for those chains your brother used on you last time-" Bruce stopped as he stared at the tiny figure in Loki's hands. "Please tell me that's a doll and not an innocent from the streets.." He could not handle the situation if it wasn't a doll.

"He is not a doll, nor have I shrunk him. This is Peter, he is a borrower and in dire need of your help, doctor." Loki swept his hand forward and Peter was frozen in the dark man's gaze as they stared at one another. "Do not be afraid, Peter. He is a doctor and can help your aunt."

At that Bruce snapped out of it and a look of concern came over his face. "What happened? Is someone hurt?" He bent down to look Peter in the face, concern written on his features. "Tell me what happened?"

It took a minute for the boy to unfreeze, but his need to heal his aunt came out and he nodded. "It started last week with a cough, then May was having a hard time breathing now she can't even get out of bed. She's burning up and barely wakes up and every time she breathes or coughs it sounds like she's got something in her chest but nothing comes out."

Bruce's brows went down in worry. "That sounds like pneumonia, which is serious. Peter, can you get her out here?"

At that the boy shook his head. "Uncle Ben would never allow it. He's too scared of humans." But, if it meant May's life, he was sure Ben would approve. "Maybe...maybe you can talk to him through the vents? Tell him how dangerous it is if she's not taken care of...please?" Peter was really hoping his uncle would listen to the humans. May's life depended on it.

"Well...I can try." Bruce was stunned that this being smaller than his hand was sentient enough to feel emotions. He wanted to run so many tests, ask so many questions but right now he had another patient to worry about. "Where should I speak?"

"I'll get him to come to the vents. Mr. Loki? Can you please put me on the shelf? I can climb up from there."

"I can do much better than that, little one." Loki's hand started glowing a dark green and suddenly the boy was lifted in the air, his cries turning into happy laughter as he rose towards the vents.

"Thanks Mr. Loki! I'll be right back!" Peter started running through the walls using the ledges and beams to fling himself forward untl he was slamming his front door open startling his uncle who apparently was getting ready to go out. "Uncle Ben! Come on, I found a doctor! He says she has something called Pneumonia which can kill her! Let him help May please!" He was sweating and panting, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"P-Peter? Where have you been? Your aunt...she's not eating or drinking." He looked down at the ground sadly. "I think this may be the last for her."

Peter's head started shaking back and forth, tears falling from his eyes. "NO! Uncle Ben, you have to let this doctor take a look at her! Please! He can save her!"

Ben stared at the boy and nodded. "Where is he?"

"He's outside the vents...but...he's human." Peter winced when he said that and Ben's eyes went wide.

"H-humans?" He stuttered. "Peter how could you? You know the rules! Never be seen! Now we'll have to move and with May being so sick she'll never make it.." The man sat heavily on the armchair and stared at the boy. "You've doomed us.."

"No Uncle Ben! They're nice, I promise...please..just let the doctor treat May. I know he can save her, please! We can't...we can't lose her. Please." He whispered the last word and Ben looked up at him and finally nodded. Smiling, Peter raced into May's room and taking a look at her sick form got her to sit up. "Ben! Help me carry her please!"

Ben walked slowly into the room and collected his wife who woke to look up at him with confusion but he smiled down at her. "It'll be okay, May. I promise." He kissed her forehead and leveled a gaze at Peter. "If this doctor turns out to be just a scientist who wants to study us..."

"He's not like that. Now come on..." He started walking out of the house when doctor Banner's voice came through the vents echoing around them.

"Peter? Are you there? I've been trying to call to you for the past five minutes."

"Doctor Banner! We're coming out!" Peter helped carry May up the ledges and through the maze of bars before they reached the vents and he poked his head through. "Mr. Loki? Can you pelase do the green thing? May's too weak to climb down." The dark haired man nodded and in the next instant they were all lifted, Ben crying out and holding May closer to him as they were brought down to the dresser where the man tried to stand proud but his knees were quaking and he was trembling.

"Sir, there's no need to be scared. I'm doctor Banner. I heard your wife was sick. May I see her please?" Bruce kneeled next to the dresser and smiled softly as the man nodded and loosened his grip on May to let him see her face. "It's worse than you said, Peter. She'll need fluids and medication quickly. Mr. Parker I know its hard but please allow me to bring her to the med bay where my equipment is. Please."

Ben stared at the human for a moment before nodding. "Under one condition. I go with her." Bruce nodded and put his hand down next to the dresser and Ben stepped onto the palm, almost losing his balance but he righted himself. "You can lift us now, human."

Peter groaned and shook his head. Trust his uncle to treat the man trying to save his wife's life with an attitude. Suddenly there was pressure on the back of his shirt and he was lifted to look into Loki's eyes. "You, young one, will be staying with me until the deed is done and the doctor has save your aunt." He smiled and placed Peter in his palm. "Come. We can go and meander and look at the sights and hopefully not bump into Tony Stark."

A week had passed and May was up and feeling much better. Peter hadn't seen her since Ben had taken her up to the floor because Loki wasn't allowed up to the medbay but Friday told him multiple times a day how her condition was. So it was with anticipation that he was waiting on Loki's bed while the man paced and kept looking at the door. "Damn it all, where is that looney doctor? He said he would be here within the hour!"

"And this looney keeps his promises." Bruce walked into the room and frowned at Loki. "Peter could have come up and visited with one of the others."

At this Peter shook his head. "I..I don't know the others so I'd rather stay where I know people."

"And that's how we raised you." May's voice came from the doctor's hands and Peter smiled up and jumped trying to see her.

"May! You're okay!"

Loki who had been watching rolled his eyes and picked the boy up. "Go see your family." He brought the boy to Bruce's hands and Peter jumped off. He looked like he wanted to run to May but he knew she was still weak.

"Oh Peter...." The woman smiled and opened her arms to Peter who ran into them with a little sob.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." It felt good to be held by the woman who raised him and he held her as tight as he dared. He looked up at the doctor and with eyes he smiled. "Thank you," he said and buried his head into her shoulder. He was glad he had met Loki and that he had brought doctor Banner to save May. He knew they would always have a special place in their hearts.

#marvel g/t #loki of asgard #peter is a borrower #bruce banner #thor odinson

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hermannsthumb · 4 years ago

Note

Please do holiday prompt 85 (unexpected apology)!

85. we haven’t been friends for years but we both end up at a mutual friend’s holiday party and you apologize for how things went down between us (which I wasn’t expecting in a million years)

from winter writing prompts here

it’s that time of year again everyone.....ive been so busy with school and zine stuff that im taking a little break to write this today ☺️ set very late 2019, before the Events of 2020

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It occurs to Hermann as he stands amongst a handful of society’s most monied and high-ranking—mulled wine in hand, stiff suit buttoned too-tight around his neck—that he is not only completely out of his element, but residing at a level of desperation that he cringes to even consider. Hermann does not schmooze; Hermann has never had the capacity to schmooze; in all of his previous attempts at schmoozing (typically at the bequest of his father, who would tote Hermann around as a conversation piece at fundraising events), Hermann would come across invariably as disingenuous, uptight, and arrogant, and certainly not someone with whom one would entrust large cheques made out to the PPDC for.

Yes; desperation. To borrow the cliché, desperate times call for desperate measures. To borrow another, war changes man. Robots wage war on monsters from another world, the UN wages war on the jaeger program’s budget, and Hermann must wage war on prospective PPDC donors if he wishes to still be employed by the New Year. He can’t decide which sounds more horrendous, really.

“Would you like more wine, Dr. Gottlieb?” a passing waiter asks Hermann, and Hermann shakes his head.

“No, thank you,” he says. Hermann has always been a maudlin drunk; he doesn’t fancy risking over-drinking tonight, and making an embarrassment of himself by confessing to perfect strangers that his parents never loved him or that he fears he’ll never make a true human connection.

“Dr. Gottlieb?” someone says, incredulously.

Oh, bugger. He’s been found out. Hermann sighs, flattens down his cowlick, and plasters on a fake smile: the time has come for him to, er, lie back and think of the PPDC, so to speak. Hopefully it’ll go fast.

But when Hermann turns, it’s not to find some acquaintance of his father, or a perfect stranger familiar with his work, or even a distant colleague; it’s to find one Newton Geiszler (who Hermann may have considered a colleague, once, but certainly not anymore), dressed in a horrendous eyesore of a gold (gold) suit, nursing a large red cocktail in each hand, and staring at Hermann like he can’t decide if he wants to say something or turn and run. Hermann mirrors his stare. A pin could drop between them, and Hermann reckons, despite the undercurrent of music and chatter, they would be able to hear it.

Hermann is the one to break it. “Newton,” he says. Then he amends, quickly, “Dr. Geiszler. I wasn’t aware…” He coughs. He suddenly wishes he took another mulled wine, and wonders if it’s too late to summon back the waiter. “You are…here.”

“Uh,” Newton says. “Yeah.”

The last time Hermann saw Newton Geiszler, they were standing under an awning outside a Starbucks while a torrential downpour of rain pounded against the sidewalk and soaked their shoes. Hermann was shouting. Newton was shouting, too, and he may have also been crying. They had been asked to leave the building on account of it. That was nearly three years ago. “Er,” Hermann says. “Business? Or pleasure?”

Newton has hardly changed in the almost-three years; his hair remains thick and unruly, his jaw in bad need of a shave, his glasses smudged and slightly crooked. The suit is a bloody eyesore, though. Hermann imagines Newton thought it was festive. “Business.” Newton snorts. “God, you think I’d come here for fun? I haven’t had the money for a new sample in months, it was either this or, I don’t know, sticking mutated fish under microscopes. Kaiju blue poisoning. Been there done that, and not what I need to be doing now, you know? And you can thank your dad for that too, not having any fucking samples to work with, I mean, and his stupid wall—but I guess that’s why you’re here too. I heard they’re talking about pulling the plug on the jaeger program.”

Newton speaks quickly, and with a bewildering tendency to leap between topics like a game of hopscotch, something Hermann had quite forgotten. (They’d only met the once, after all, and Newton disguises it better in writing.) He follows it nonetheless. “Yes, well, they’re still only just rumors,” Hermann says, though he knows (with a certainty) that one more major failing of a jaeger might spell the end of it, “and I certainly hope they stay as such. I take it you’re with the PPDC now, then?”

Newton jerks a thumb towards the waistband of his gold suit, spilling a bit of his cocktail on the floor; Hermann at last notices the PPDC badge clipped to it. Newton’s grin is identical to the one in his photograph. “Hell yeah, dude,” he says. “They finally hired me about a month after we—” The corners of his mouth twitch down, ever so slightly. “—uh, got coffee.”

It had been a long-standing complaint of Newton’s, back when they wrote each other, that the PPDC was perfectly happy to use his research but turned a blind eye whenever he submitted yet another application for their k-science research team. Personality conflicts, Hermann always presumed. He and Newton certainly had plenty. Perhaps Hermann’s not the only one who’s grown desperate—a thought he scolds himself for the unkindness of a moment later. Newton is a brilliant scientist despite his difficulties and their past. “Of course,” Hermann says. “Well, congratulations. I hadn’t heard.”

“Wine?” a passing waiter asks them.

Newton shakes his head. Hermann takes one this time, gratefully.

“It’s been alright,” Newton says. He downs the entirety of the red cocktail in his right hand. “Like I said. Not many samples to work with. They had me stationed over in Vladivostok, but I got leave for the holidays. And for this I guess.”

“I’ve been in Seattle,” Hermann says. “I reckon they’ll be transferring me soon, though I haven’t an idea where.” More rumors, of course.

For a moment he allows himself the brief fantasy of being transferred somewhere with Newton, or perhaps it’s more of a fear than a fantasy—year after year of this sort of insufferable awkwardness? Being forced to work together? It’s something Hermann had longed for in the past, spending every day with his marvelous penpal at his side. It instills a sort of nausea in him now. Newton touches his arm before Hermann has the chance to excuse himself hide in the loo. “Hey, dude, listen,” Newton says. “About us getting coffee. I feel like I owe you an apology.”

Hermann can’t help it; he snorts, though he immediately regrets it. Newton, at least, does not look offended. “Do you?” Hermann says. Two and a half bloody years too late.

“I mean it,” Newton says. He blinks earnestly at Hermann, and squeezes Hermann’s arm. “I screwed it all up that day, and I could’ve—I don’t know, written, or texted, or anything to apologize, but I didn’t. And that was shitty of me. So I’m sorry, I really am. And…yeah. That’s it, I guess.”

It’s the last thing Hermann expected to hear today. It’s the last thing he expected to hear from Newton. The radio silence following that disastrous day at the coffee shop had been awful—and it’d been infuriating, too. Where had they even gone wrong that day? Hermann can’t remember anymore. Probably a fight over something inconsequential. “I see,” Hermann says. “Well. Er. Thank you, Newton. Your apology is...appreciated.”

“Cool,” Newton says.

He stares at Hermann expectantly.

“Oh,” Hermann says. “And I’m sorry, too, I suppose.”

“Cool,” Newton repeats.

He smiles at Hermann, and Hermann is momentarily suffocated by it, and the sudden reemergence of feelings he thought he’d quashed years ago. Newton is still very attractive. Very, very attractive. Hermann’s arm is warm and tingly from where Newton touched him, and he realizes the warmth is spreading up to his neck and cheeks—he’s blushing. “Hey, wanna check out the snack table with me?” Newton says. “I love the rich people food at shit like this. The last one I went to had oysters, which is totally weird. Like, it’s a gala.”

Hermann decides to accept it as the strange peace offering it obviously is meant to be. “Alright,” he says. “Though, I insist you explain your monstrosity of a suit first.”

“It’s classy,” Newton says. “Anyway, you’re one to talk, buddy.”

#newmann #maria's fanfiction tag #Anonymous

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blazogirlsoneshots · 4 years ago

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The Man Across the Way (Part 2) (Edmund Pevensie x Reader)

What is the proper reaction to meeting your dead lover from another world? Perhaps it involves a lot of screaming and running to the nearest church to find holy water, but Edmund is the last person to do anything that sensible. Instead of panicking, Edmund simply thanked Y/N and left with a journal tucked under his arm and a plant in hand.

It made no sense. How could Y/N even be alive, nevertheless here in the real world? They had died, he had seen the gravestone the second time they returned, and yet here they were. The love of his life who he had been too much of a coward to protect was now his neighbor. Somehow through all those months of casually observing each other, they hadn’t noticed who they were. How couldn’t he have recognized that laugh or the curve of their smile? How could’ve Edmund forget Y/N?

It was actually easy to forget, seeing as he had been trying his hardest since they closed the door on his face. Edmund had accepted the fact that he would never see Y/N again when he felt his body return to the awkwardness of adolescence.

No one actually knew if Y/N was a native to Narina or from the mystical world that the Pevensie had come from. There was no way of knowing if they were living on borrowed time like Ed or simply normal. One the nights when the pain of leaving their home was more of a dull ache, the siblings would debate what had happened to their companion. These late-night talks would usually end with Lucy crying and Edmund refusing to speak the next day.

Fun times all around.

Y/N had no idea why Mr. Edmund had gone pale the second they said their name. Was that a normal reaction when introducing yourself to someone who had kind of stolen your stuff or was Edmund as strange as his habits?

Y/N nervously fiddled with the band around their wrist as they scanned the apartment for anything to distract them from the conundrum of the meeting. It was rather strange for when Edmund had handed the bracelet over a strong feeling of deja vu had washed over Y/N. For a second Edmund wasn’t an almost stranger in a blue sweater, but a king whose crown always seemed to be lopsided. The air around him turned hazy as, for a second, the apartment turned into a courtyard surrounded by giant oaks.

Maybe they needed some more sleep.

The next time the two ran into each other again was at a park next to the river.

Edmund had decided to take the long way home from work. He had been feeling a little more homesick for Narnia than usual and figured a stroll within the trees would soothe the ache. About halfway through the trek, Edmund decided to ever so slightly off the path. It was after a couple of minutes of pure aimless wandering on Edmund’s part when our duo reunited for the second time.

Y/N had, to put it simply, had a god awful day at work. One too many arrogant pricks had decided to attempt to mansplain Y/N’s own job to them and becoming a forest sprite was becoming more and more tempting as the day dragged on. So, instead of getting arrested for assault, Y/N had headed into the park and began working on their newest map. They had gotten so into their work that they didn’t even notice when Edmund stumbled into the clearing.

Edmund almost thought he had found a portal back home when he saw Y/N. He couldn’t count how many times he found Y/N in the woods lost recreating the world around them on a simple page. There was something about the little half-smile that flickered across their face that just caused Edmund to melt.

Edmund silently tip-toed next to Y/N and gazed around the clearing. “What a nice spot you’ve found,” He chuckled. Y/N shrieked and nearly punched out Edmund’s teeth before realizing what was happening.

“Aslan’s mane! Edmund, what are you doing? Did you have to scare me like that?” Y/N tried their best to look cross but couldn’t help but smile at the glee they saw on Edmund’s face. It was an expression that was unfamiliar yet as soothing as coming home.

“I’m truly sorry. I honestly just meant to get your attention, but let’s face it, there was no way that was going to happen without startling you.”

Y/N simply shrugged and tucked their sketchbook back into their bag. “How do you even get here? I doubt you know where you are.”

“I think I was trying to get lost. Sometimes this world just makes me want to be somewhere that I can never find my way out of.”

“Honestly, same,” Y/N snickered. “Unfortunately, I can never seem to lose myself. I think I was cursed with a marvelous sense of direction for all of the times I want a search party to come to find me.”

“Why?” Y/N had sat down and Edmund went and joined them.

“You are going to think that I am the most selfish person in the world, but I swear I’m not. I just want to know that someone would come looking for me, you know? I just want to know that at least one person would miss me. I have this strange feeling that in a past life I was forgotten somehow and every atom in my body never wants to feel that way again.”

A breath caught in Edmund’s throat as his eyes began to sting. If there was one thing that Edmund knew, it was that he had failed Y/N in so many ways and now he had to make it up to them.

“I won’t forget you,” Y/N’s head snapped up to stare at Edmund in astonishment.

“You barely know me.”

“As you said, I have a feeling that in a past life I let someone down in the worst possible way and maybe the universe is granting me a second chance.” And there was no way in hell that he was throwing it away.

“Mr. Edmund,” Y/N suddenly got up and thrust out their hand to help Ed, “I have a proposition for you.”

“And I am all ears.”

“We should meet up again and get to know or something. I mean, I can’t just go telling you my biggest secret and not check to make sure that your not a murder. How irresponsible is that?”

“What if we met for coffee on Friday?” Y/N pulled a pen out of their pocket and hastily scribbled their phone number on Edmund’s arm.

“You can text me to work out the details.”

“It’s a date then.”

“Yes,” Y/N pretended that their face wasn’t getting warmer, “It’s a date.”

Fun times all around.

Maybe they needed some more sleep.

The next time the two ran into each other again was at a park next to the river.

“I’m truly sorry. I honestly just meant to get your attention, but let’s face it, there was no way that was going to happen without startling you.”

Y/N simply shrugged and tucked their sketchbook back into their bag. “How do you even get here? I doubt you know where you are.”

“I think I was trying to get lost. Sometimes this world just makes me want to be somewhere that I can never find my way out of.”

“Why?” Y/N had sat down and Edmund went and joined them.

A breath caught in Edmund’s throat as his eyes began to sting. If there was one thing that Edmund knew, it was that he had failed Y/N in so many ways and now he had to make it up to them.

“I won’t forget you,” Y/N’s head snapped up to stare at Edmund in astonishment.

“You barely know me.”

“Mr. Edmund,” Y/N suddenly got up and thrust out their hand to help Ed, “I have a proposition for you.”

“And I am all ears.”

“We should meet up again and get to know or something. I mean, I can’t just go telling you my biggest secret and not check to make sure that your not a murder. How irresponsible is that?”

“What if we met for coffee on Friday?” Y/N pulled a pen out of their pocket and hastily scribbled their phone number on Edmund’s arm.

“You can text me to work out the details.”

“It’s a date then.”

“Yes,” Y/N pretended that their face wasn’t getting warmer, “It’s a date.”

A/N: Sorry for the wait and yes there will be a part three.

masterlist

Tag List: @aberette13 , @deliriousgeek

#edmund pevensie #Edmund #King Edmund #edmund pevensie x reader #king edmund the just #The Chronicles of Narnia #The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe #the voyage of the dawn treader #prince caspian #x reader

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jarienn972 · 4 years ago

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La Sirena - Chapter Eight

Captain Swan Supernatural Summer

We’re nearing the completion of this @cssns tale, and despite the challenges this story has posed, I’m a little bit sad that it is nearly finished.

This chapter has a lot of action as we pick up right where we left off with Regina’s nefarious plan to “test” Killian’s worthiness. Our poor lieutenant has no idea what the devious siren has in mind and it isn’t going to be pleasant.

Thank you, @kmomof4 for all of your beta assistance, especially with your suggestions for this chapter! And thanks again to @courtorderedcake for her beautiful artwork!

Catch up from the beginning on AO3 or FF.net Tumblr chapters: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven

“Retribution”

No amount of naval training could have prepared him for this, Killian thought as he inexplicably found himself standing barefoot on the shore. One moment he'd been crouching inside the cavern awaiting Emma's return and the next, he was facing down the tempestuous ocean, thoroughly exposed. His knuckles had gone white clutching desperately to the cutlass, but as he stared out at the sea, he knew in his heart that the weapon was no match for this unnatural battle.

Above the whitecaps in the distance, he could just make out the crest of Emma's head and that of another person with darker hair coiffed beneath some sort of massive, glistening crown. Was this the mysterious sister that Emma had spoken of? He couldn't make out anything they were saying over the roar of waves crashing against the rock. But it was the dichotomy of their expressions that sent a shiver down his spine. He didn't even dare hypothesize the meaning behind the look of abject horror that spread across Emma's delicate features.

Shivers washed over him and his gut filled with apprehension when his gaze was drawn to movement on the horizon. Could this be signalling the arrival of the siren council that had Emma so concerned? The surface of the water seemed to rise, bubbling and foaming in the most unearthly manner. It was like nothing he had ever seen in all his years at sea and in a mere moment, he was about to wish it could be unseen.

As a mariner, he'd often heard tales of encounters with the legendary kraken and he'd shrugged them off as nothing but fantasy. Perhaps he'd been too quick to judge legend from truth, he found himself thinking as he marveled at the sheer size of the tentacle that emerged from the depths. It was simply beyond belief. From his experience with squid and octopi snared in fishing nets, Killian suspected that this creature would have to be supernaturally large, and that thought was confirmed as it reared its humongous head above the bay.

Even if he hadn't been practically paralyzed with shock and trepidation, he never would have had a chance to outrun the beast's speed or reach as another of its incredibly strong tentacles snatched him off of the beach. The slimy appendage constricted around his upper body, lifting him into the air and pinning his arms to his sides as it threatened to crush him.

First pirates, then sirens, and now he was eye to eye with a bloody kraken… All of them apparently competing to see who would kill him first…

Grimacing in pain, he struggled against its grasp and cried out to Emma for help. He may have been at the mercy of these mythical beings, but his own survival instincts remained fully intact. He wiggled his right arm free enough to draw the cutlass from its sheath. He didn't exactly have full range to properly wield his weapon, but he managed to secure an angle that allowed him to thrust the blade into one of the circular suckers on the underside of the tentacle encircling him. The monster howled and retaliated by lashing Killian into the waves, stunning the sailor as it increased the pressure on his body and dislodging the sword. The blade dropped into the ocean below while a barely conscious Killian could both feel and hear his ribs cracking under the assault.

Emma could only watch in a panic as the kraken scooped Killian off the shore with its tentacles wound tightly around him. She tried in vain to repel the monstrosity with her magic, but her barrage of light energy blasts had little to no effect on the creature.

"Your magic isn't strong enough to deter a kraken," an amused Regina insisted.

"Call it off, Regina!" Emma shouted angrily as the monster's tentacle squeezed ever tighter around Killian's very mortal body. She could hardly bear to see the agony expressed by his features. "This isn't the way! The beast is going to kill him!"

"He was on borrowed time already, sister," Regina reminded her sternly. "But if this pitiful human is as worthy as you claim he is, he certainly should be capable of defeating a kraken - shouldn't he?" She chuckled giddily as Emma's gaze focused on her weak little human, completely aghast by the impending carnage.

"I do not know what you and lord Triton conspired upon, but this is a repulsive abuse of power!" Emma admonished her sister while whipping around in the water to confront the rest of the council when they surfaced to take in the spectacle. "Why can none of you understand that he survived because he did not hear the song? Are you all complicit in this? Serving him up as hapless prey to a kraken is hardly the task our kind was given! Do you think this is what the great Poseidon intended? We were created to sing and only to sing! Any further judgement belongs to the gods, not to the sirens!"

There were a few nods and murmurs from the council but despite Emma's fervent pleas, none of the members seemed to be willing to challenge Regina.

"Cowards…," Emma hissed as she returned her attention to her sister. "I don't know what power you wield over the council, Regina, but I believe that even they know this is wrong. If you want to challenge him, do it with your voice, not with Triton's oversized toy…"

"But this way is so much more fun," Regina smirked and that was what finally pushed Emma over the edge. With a flip of her muscular tail, Emma lunged at Regina, shoving her tentacled sibling beneath the surface and yanking the coral and shell studded crown from atop Regina's head. "Why you insolent little bitch!" Regina cried out as Emma flung the headdress aside. "You've always been a poor excuse for a siren and now you're proving that by all of this fervor to save your human pet!"

Regina flicked two of her tentacles toward Emma who defensively batted them away with her arms and tail fin. The skirmish sent many members of the council scrambling to get out of the way.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma demanded with a brisk swish of her tail that lifted her out of Regina's reach for the moment. "This has never been our way… Please - call off that kraken!"

"You have been away too long. You've gone soft," Regina scolded. "You're practically fawning over a human. How deranged can you possibly be? Have you forgotten what it is to be a siren or are those powers wasted on you?"

"The only deranged one here is you! I know I did the right thing no matter what you believe. Maybe I did go soft but if his life was spared from the siren call, he deserves to live…" Emma couldn't stop her voice from cracking as she continued to plead for Killian's survival. How had this man managed to affect her so greatly in such a short amount of time? Why did she care so much? Compassion wasn't an emotion that sirens were supposed to have…

"No human is worthy to pass through this realm. That was the edict of Poseidon himself," Regina sneered, raising her right arm above the water's surface as she prepared to unleash her magic on the helpless human who'd gone limp in the kraken's grip.

"PERHAPS I SHOULD BE THE JUDGE OF THAT," a booming voice sounded above the bay, silencing all, including the roaring sea beast.

A glistening trident with tines that blazed as brilliantly as lightning bolts broke through the waves. Emma immediately bowed her head even before the god's visage appeared and her action was followed by the siren council members who'd remained. Even Regina demurely lowered her head at the sight of Poseidon's face, but no amount of posturing would spare her from his ire. With a scant raise of his trident, the seas instantly grew calm and the kraken, still clinging to its human prey, was now frozen in time.

"Enough distractions," Poseidon said as his attention fell to the combative sirens. "The creatures living in this bay alerted me to all of this… whatever this is. What in the name of Olympus is going on here?"

"Mighty Poseidon," Regina began as she slowly lifted her chin to gaze upon the god of the sea. Her eyes darted back to the sea at the sight of his deep-set scowl. "We were just trying to complete some unfinished business, but there has been some disagreement over doing what needs to be done."

Poseidon shook his head in disdain as he glowered at the brunette siren. "This is a disagreement?" he queried as he nonchalantly pushed his glimmering three pointed crown back into position atop his pure white hair, echoing Regina's earlier behavior. "I think this is a ruckus and I would like to know how a council of sirens got themselves into such a bizarre situation. I don't recall krakens being a part of the siren song."

Regina's cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger. How dare Emma and her human put her in this position? "My apologies. Had Erimetha not abandoned our code and rescued a human, we wouldn't be here. The kraken was merely a suggestion from your brother, Triton, as a means to expedite the process."

"Was it now?" Poseidon quipped sarcastically before his scrutiny passed to Emma who, to this point, had remained reverent, silently treading water as she awaited the inevitable wrath of the god. "I'll need to have a stern conversation with my brother about his suggestion, but Erimetha - pardon me, I forgot that you prefer to be called Emma - is what Regina says true? Did you rescue a human from a doomed ship?"

Emma managed a weak smile over the fact that Poseidon had remembered her preferred name and even corrected himself. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't being viewed as the villain here.

"Regina's words are partially true. The man had already survived the siren song. He never heard them sing. All I did was prevent him from rolling off of his makeshift raft," Emma replied as she dared raise her head to face Poseidon.

"What possessed you to do such a thing?" Poseidon asked with a raised brow, intently listening for her response.

Emma had to pause for a moment, trying to best form her words, but the best she could come up with was: "My instincts told me I should."

"I see…" The god of the seas scratched idly at his beard as he contemplated Emma's answer - one that Regina clearly didn't believe to be good enough.

"She admits she helped the human," Regina rehashed her opinion, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly as she awaited the god's agreement.

Giving no audience to Regina, Poseidon continued his interrogation of Emma as only the outcast siren's first-hand account was going to answer the questions he wanted answered.

"You claim the human did not perish during the siren encounter because he didn't hear their song. What led you to that conclusion, Emma?"

"As he was recovering from his injuries sustained at the hand of the pirates who had abducted him and during his escape from the sinking ship, we conversed a few times. He believed the ship's crew had abandoned their vessel after striking the rocks and left him behind. It wasn't until after Regina came to my cove the first time in search of a survivor that he learned the truth about the siren attack, but he didn't recall hearing any music before the ship began to go down. It was my belief that he might possibly have been deaf to the song so I tested the theory by singing to him and he never heard me. He never fell victim to the trance. Does that not make him worthy to live?"

Poseidon pursed his lips and rubbed his whiskered chin as he pondered his next query but grew irritated by Regina's refusal to be silent when she interrupted his thoughts.

"This doesn't prove anything," Regina interjected, only to be immediately shushed by the god.

"Regina - my questions are for Emma at this time. It would be in your best interest to remain quiet until I address you," he warned sternly. "When I have a question for you, I shall ask. Do you understand?"

An embarrassed Regina nodded and gave a sheepish "Yes, your majesty." before floating further back from him.

"Emma, what do you know of the history of the sirens?" Poseidon inquired.

She was caught off-guard by the unusual question, but she did her best to surmise the history she knew. "Centuries ago, the gods lived in peace with humans, but a time came when the humans no longer showed reverence to the gods. As the human realm grew in size and they began to traverse the globe, you and Triton established this part of the mighty oceans as your sacred realm. We sirens were created to guard entrance into the realm as our song was supposed to determine whether a human was worthy to pass.

"Over many generations, only one human proved to be worthy - although the precise means of how his worth was determined remain unclear. Anyway, this human gained your favor and in time, was granted permission to marry your daughter, Ursula. Their civilization then flourished for many years, until the same insolence led to the destruction of that advanced civilization.

"Humans were once again regarded as evil, and while there are many tales of your descendants being spared, no one but you, your majesty, knows the veracity of that. All I know for certain is that even long before I isolated myself away from the sirens, no human ever traversed this realm successfully. All of them perished - until Killian came along. I do not know what criteria you intended us to use to judge men such as him, but he isn't evil. If he was able to make it off of that ship alive, does that not mean he was worthy of passage?"

Poseidon raised a brow at the thoroughness of her reply. He'd known for quite some time that Emma was unique amongst her kind, but he'd not expected to find such an underlying passion for life within a being who'd been created to kill.

"You are very much correct, Emma," he said at last, leaving a disgruntled Regina aghast.

"But Lord Poseidon, she defied the siren code by interfering!" Regina insisted and she was met with a harsh rebuttal.

"Regina, my instruction was for you to remain silent until you were addressed, but you seem to have difficulty following such a simple directive," he admonished the unruly siren. "You and the council are dismissed!" Lifting his trident, he aimed it at the frozen kraken, divesting it of its human prey. In a flash, an unconscious Killian Jones was removed from the creature's grasp to reappear safely upon the sandy shore. He waved off the layer of imposing clouds that shrouded the skies, allowing the sunlight to bathe the cove once again. The kraken reared to life as Poseidon's spell wore off, but the god quickly neutered its wrath. "And since you summoned it, you can return that blasted beast to my brother on your way home to your end of the island! Once I have completed cleaning up the mess you have made here, you will stand before me to answer for this abuse of your powers! Even with the most convincing apology, you may find yourself relieved of those powers."

Regina's lips parted to complain but wisely, not a single whimper escaped as she turned away from the intensity of his glare. Glancing around the bay, she could see that not a single council member had stayed behind to see her humiliation, so perhaps she could count that as a single victory. It was still her belief that she'd done no wrong, but for now, it was far better to lick her wounds and depart than further provoke the wrath of a god who had just publicly castigated her in front of her rival.

Visibly shaken, Regina gave one last little flutter of her wrist to vanquish the kraken, scowling eyes locked on Emma the entire time. Despite her fallen crown being forgotten and abandoned to the sea floor, she held her chin up audaciously before slipping beneath the waves with the knowledge that this may have been her last act as a siren.

#cssns #captain swan supernatural summer #cssns20 #cs ff #cs au ff #la sirena #siren emma #one more chapter to go #are emma and killian going to get their happy ending?

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oristromboli · 4 years ago

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If You Be Our Star, We’ll Be Your Sky | 4

Chapter 4: Behold, a Child(e)

Paimon can and will commit crimes to get what she wants. Xiao finds himself more curious about humans than he wants to admit.

Meanwhile, Liyue welcomes the Eleventh Harbinger back (home).

(Smut this chapter: none)

How many beats can a heart take before it breaks?

One, two, three, four, five…

Five. It takes five beats before Teucer starts to sniffle, fat lips wobbling and tears threatening to pour; five beats before Ajax’s heart aches. He kneels, frozen in place and arms open for an embrace, waiting for Teucer to come to him. Along the docks of Morepesok, his family accompanied his travels back to the ship that arrived oh-so-soon to whisk him away to lands far from Snezhnaya. Both his parents and each of his siblings gave their farewells, parting gifts and food, fussed over his hair (if only his poor mother knew how often it was stained red with dried blood), yet one stood apart from the others.

Teucer acted strong, Ajax will admit it with pride. Though he clutched Mr. Cyclops and Mr. Dirty with ardor, he managed to keep a calm countenance until the last moment when Ajax’s arms opened wide.

When his younger brother drops both dolls – thank the Archons Ajax thought to wrap Mr. Dirty – and barrels into him, he lets out a soft oof and holds his quivering brother close. “D-do you have to go so soon, Big Brother?”

Ajax hums softly, rubbing his brother’s back as the boy hiccups before responding, “Aw, you know I have to go back to selling toys. Our company’s leader was so thrilled with my success last time! Don’t you want Big Brother to succeed?”

Teucer leans back and rubs his eyes with his arm, a snot bubble barely forming in one of his nostrils. “I do… But you promised to teach me how to fight!”

“Ah, I am so glad you brought that up because I have a special gift for you!” Ajax smiles with a sparkle in his eyes as he turns to his knapsack to pull out a necklace. It's a glass claw, though not completely see-through with frosted textures; wrapped around its base is a leather knot. “I saw this at the market and thought about my budding little warrior!”

Ajax’s smile never falters, even as he hears the disapproving tch from his father at the prospect of another fighter. Still, seeing’s Teucer’s growing happiness quiets the rest of his disapproving family.

“An owl’s claw!” Gloved hands reach out to tie the necklace around Teucer’s neck protectively.

“Yep! This is my lucky charm for you.”

“Huh? Your lucky charm? Then why did you give it to me?” Teucer’s head tilts slightly, and oh man, Ajax’s heartbeats in fondness once more.

“Because, silly, you know the old legend about these things. Warriors use it to find their way home.” Tonia and Anton suddenly crowd on either side of Teucer, marveling openly at the gift. “It’s my promise to you that I will always find my way back to you all, I won’t let anything stop me.”

The three siblings suddenly look up and, in unison, chirp: “Pinkie promise?”

Mischievous little things, the lot of them. Ajax laughs heartily. “Of course! You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice –“

“The cold will the kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again!” Three little voices finish before he can, but quickly drown the ending when they rush his chest again to bury their faces.

It’s not long before he’s climbing aboard the ship, waving his hand behind him to his family. As the ship’s anchor raises, Teucer’s little legs carry him to the very edge before he takes in a deep breath and cries out, “Big Brother! Sell lots of toys!”

Tartaglia whips around to glare down the snickering Fatui agents who quickly attempt to disguise their laughs as coughs.

“I will, Teucer! Your loyal knight guarantees it! Be good, okay?” He responds cheerfully, waving his arm once more. The boat is slowly making its way out of the harbor, but not before he hears one more prayer from his little owlet.

“I will! I’ll make people happy like you do, too!”

He keeps waving until the Teucer is just out of sight before he sighs and turns, making his way to his cabin. Thankfully, the trip will be swift due to the boat being one of Snezhnaya’s newest models, but he still plans to take the time to recollect himself.

People are happy when they’re dead, right? Yeah, they are, no more tiring shit to worry about, Childe thinks. He’s always been doing those idiots a favor whenever they borrowed what they couldn’t pay back; their lives were bound to become forfeit one way or another anyway. He flexes his hands, feeling life flow through them with the eagerness to rob it from another. The Fatui are happy with his work and his family is happy in their ignorance - that’s all that matters.

When he takes in a deep breath and the salty water tickles his senses, he grins, eyes dulling once more.

---

Two ravens watch as the boat departs. Their glassy eyes peer at Teucer’s little skips, the way his siblings crowd around and coo at the gift.

They take off, following the sweet family home.

---

Oh, oh stars, why do you feel like shit…

It takes a few seconds for you to summon the energy to even open your eyes, your whole body throbbing with pain. Wh… What… Why? Did you drink too much or…? You groan, thoughts fizzling before they can even come as you rise and rub your face. There’s a smell of something… Delicious coming from… Somewhere, but you’re confused. Aether didn’t come wake you up…? You did not hear Paimon’s squeaks either; your blonde companion always made sure you were up in time for breakfast in case she decided to consume your portion. Again.

(“Food shouldn’t go to waste!” she says, all-knowing and ‘innocent.’

“… You little shit – “)

The clattering of utensils would draw your attention, really, it would, but the throbbing in your head won’t stop and the trickle of light between your fingers hurts so much.

“Ah! You are awake,” comes a smooth voice, deep and cheerful. You freeze. That voice. That voice is so familiar…

You blink awake, looking up to spy Zhongli standing in the doorway with amused eyes and – oh. Memories of last night come flooding back and you quickly raise your hands to your cheeks, feeling heat bubbling to the surface.

Much to your disappointment, Zhongli is fully clothed. And you are…

Immediately, you clutch the blanket and pull it over yourself, suddenly all-too aware of how exposed you look; this only draws thick laughter from your companion. “My dear, I believe it is far too late for modesty, no?” His eyes twinkle, yours narrow. “I have taken the liberty of cleaning your clothes for you, they are lying on the chair.” He gestures to his left and you follow the gloved hand – that beautiful, skilled hand – and you find your clothes neatly folded, politely pretending that they weren’t just soiled the night before.

“Thank you,” you manage to croak out, sleep still thick and throat hoarse from your noises from last night. More heat rises to your cheeks as you slowly stretch, failing to catch the lustful gaze following your form. “Did you make breakfast?”

“I did. A slow-cooked bamboo shoot soup I am sure you will appreciate,” he responds. Why is his voice deeper…? Sleep still clouds your mind; you can feel it desperately banging trying to wake you up, but frankly, you could not care less. Only, when you catch his small smirk, you look down and abruptly notice the blanket pooling around your waist to expose your (delightfully marked) chest to the world.

Ah.

“I will be at the table. Intuition tells me you are too tired for a morning exercise?” You snort at the euphemism, but nod along.

“Mm, your intuition is correct. I’ll see you there.”

A handful of minutes later and you emerge from the bedroom, stretching again as you settle in your seat beside Zhongli. He has already started eating and flashes you a small smile in acknowledgement before resuming his careful consumption. Ever the gourmet, you think, before beginning yourself.

“No wonder you’re so particular about your food,” you mumble as another piece of meat slides down your throat, the warmth soothing the pains there. “This is fantastic. Time really lends itself to nuances, doesn’t it?”

Zhongli preens under your praise, chest puffing slightly like a peacock. “I am glad you appreciate the gastronomy of this dish. Several ingredients had to be carefully acquired, and I thought it a fitting offering for your body.”

You sputter around the food, managing to barely swallow it down before coughing out an indignant squawk. “My body? Oh jeez, thanks. Not all of us can change our forms so easily.” Ah, you can’t bring yourself to be disappointed the sarcasm flew over his head with that cute head tilt of his, you just can’t. A thought seems to strike Zhongli as he looks you up and down.

“Considering the unplanned nature of our rendezvous, I believe we may need to stop by Bubu Pharmacy as well. I do not wish for something unexpected to slow your journey.”

“Hm?” What was he talking about…? Except, when you follow his eyes very pointedly staring towards your core, you smile softly. “Oh. No, we don’t need to worry about that. My kind has a more intricate ritual for these sorts of things.”

He tilts his head and damn he’s cute. “A more intricate ritual,” he enunciates slowly. “How fascinating. Why?”

“Mm, life is very precious to us because of how rare it is for one of us to be born. After all, concentrations of energy to make, er, ‘not-mortals’ like us are hard to acquire, it’s not just about the fun part. Think of it like…” You twist your mouth as you try to come up with an appropriate analogy. “Like those elemental spirits in Teyvat, or even adepti children – I think. Anyway, even though they live a lot longer than humans and are uncommon, they’re still kind of easy to make because of the abundance of elemental energy here, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, it’s along those lines too. Just as you are a god of the earth, our people are of the stars, but it’s a lot harder to find the resources in the vastness between worlds.”

“How interesting,” he muses before closing his eyes. “Adepti have a similar ritual since one of our bodies holds much more energy than that of a mortal. It is an art called ‘dual cultivation of qi.’ Put simply, we contribute energy from our own souls to birth another, although that is not all the practice may be used for. Perhaps I can recommend some books to you on the subject?��

You manage to catch the laugh before it comes out because of how casually, yet earnestly, he offers adepti erotica for you to read. As research. Aether’s going to love this one. “Yeah, sure, why not. Actually, on that subject, how did this – “ You gesture vaguely up and down Zhongli’s form. “ – fit inside me towards the end last night? Adepti magic too?”

He smiles at that. “Something of the sort. I am surprised you did not notice the Geo sigil.”

“Huh. Well, thank you.”

“You are most welcome,” he replies, smiling wider. “I have found previous lovers’ bodies to be delicate as well, requiring the utmost diligence to detail for their fragility. It would not bode well should the shell become damaged beyond repair. No use for that, of course.”

Well, at least you aren’t taking a bite this time since you would’ve surely choked on it again. Zhongli is just throwing out innocuous statements left and right without realizing how much of a punch they really pack. You quickly reach for your tea and take a larger sip, swallowing back the creeping tendrils of bitterness at the word ‘use.’

He still doesn't care, does he?

To be fair, you aren’t surprised he took previous lovers (you have too), that’s not what catches your heart off guard. No, it’s how he so casually referred to your body as an –

“Object. You think of bodies as objects?” Points to you, your tone is steady and casual; however, Zhongli’s eyes narrow as he catches the shift in atmosphere regardless.

“Is there something wrong? They must be maintained and nurtured, no? I understand you are not as frail as mortals, but you fall under my care regardless.”

The teacup you hold, true to its design from the Lord of Geo, withstands the force with which you grip it. “Zhongli,” you begin, slowly meeting his eyes, “I am not under your care. Our contract from when we first met has expanded into more favors; you help us in Liyue, we do something in return, et cetera. But I am not under your care.”

There’s a tense silence stretching between you two as you mention the first contract that stood between the Travelers and Zhongli. Although at some point, the agreement has become all but forgotten in the progression of your friendship, you still cling to it as a reminder for him that this is all this is. Just a deal.

You ignore the heavy weight in your chest as you look at the God of Contracts himself.

A slow frown settles on his lips. “Contracts cannot be used to define friendship, nor measure sentiment. So just what can we use to measure the weight of our emotions? Do you know the answer, friend?”

The last word is spoken a beat after the sentence, word soaked with confusion as he tests the weight of it on his tongue. He frowns deeper, and you try to desperately bury the hope that he dislikes that word as much as you do. Friend.

Do you dare hope?

You look down at the teacup again and grind your teeth. “You’re right, what we did have isn’t… A contract. Let’s not call it that. I’m… I’m sorry. I appreciate your attention; I’m just not used to it coming from someone whose body is almost literally indestructible. Thank you.” You are being completely honest with him; you truly appreciate the concern and attempt to convey it through tone. The words come out more forceful than you intended regardless.

Honestly, the fact that he tended to you with such diligence made your heart flutter, but you could not tell him the truth, not when his emotions are so clearly separated from his actions. Something to be cared for. He doesn’t even understand the meaning of his words, how could he?

Zhongli’s eyes watch you carefully as the gears in his mind turn rapidly. Was it what he said? He reaches out for you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders to nestle his head against yours as you bury your face into the crook of his neck. “No, not friend. Starlight. Trust in me, please, as I trust you.”

You huff a small laugh in return, barely managing to hide the fractured longing. “Okay.”

---

(Lover, his heart whispers in a language unknown to the waking.

Yes, yours whispers back, sheltered by the starry night.

They are silenced by the weight of day.)

---

Hours have passed. Zhongli is walking along Yujing Terrace, twirling a glaze lily in his hands. He cannot stop mulling over the words spoken during breakfast after you two parted ways with a lingering kiss. Your familiar and warm smile graced him when he suggested you two continue meeting when time and energy permits.

But still, your tight hug and resigned eyes plagued him when you left. Why? What did he do wrong?

He looks down at the flower in his hand; there is something buried in his memories, begging to be remembered.

Morax, you cannot hoard people.

Guizhong… What did she mean by that?

He recalls all those millennia ago how he wanted to understand what he was feeling. Warmth gathered in his chest whenever he spoke to her, heard her laugh, held her. So, when he kept a long watch over Guizhong’s favored mortals, he noticed how the mortals would court one another, offer each other tokens. Thereafter, in the millennia following, he would show his mortal lovers affection in the same way: through careful vigilance and gilded gifts.

Yet there was one who occupied his thoughts before this time ever came to pass.

Gods clashed more frequently in those days; his claws held onto her tighter and fury raged at any who threatened her. She would only smile and hold his head, pressing gentle butterfly kisses along his muzzle and stony scales, would run her hands through his long mane and sing soft lullabies when he rested his head in her lap.

No matter how load his roars, how deeply the earth shook at his battle cries, their power would cease in the presence of the one whose voice the flowers would wake for.

His hands grip the lily tighter, stem crackling in the force of it. The day he lost Guizhong, he realized how foolish he had been, how lax he grew in his watch. Never again would he allow his weak lovers to put themselves in danger.

But…

He closes his eyes, and… A soft hand caresses his cheek while the air around him turns foul with the stench of ancient blood, of battles long forgotten by time.

Morax, you cannot hoard people. A flower is precious, though not as strong nor cold as your gold. It is not lifeless. Promise me you will remember this.

I promise.

What did he fail to understand? Her message was so clear. He fulfilled his promise, did he not?

When he opens them again, he looks down at the glaze lily in hand once more. However, when he loosens his grasp on the frail thing, the wind suddenly picks up and carries it away from him. Zhongli sighs, though he supposes it is fitting, nonetheless. He never did understand how to handle anything gentler than with an iron grip.

As he follows the blossom's path, meandering in its fall towards the ocean, that is when he sees it.

A Fatui ship crests the horizon and flies the colors of the Harbingers.

---

(Useful (adj): Being of service, advantageous to some end. Morax did not stop howling with grief to Celestia that day, did not stop begging for answers as to why Guizhong had to be taken, why it had to be her.

Hail to the king, came a thousand dissonant, gossamered voices in his head. Long may you reign, Morax.

It is the last they ever spoke to him.)

---

Before the boat docks, Ajax is sitting on his bed and holding his hands as he stares blankly at the mahogany box adorned with the crest of the Tsaritsa lying in front of him.

Inside, there are two empty spaces.

---

You’re smug, oh you’re so smug as you walk along Chihu Rock because the walk of shame didn’t haunt your steps. Despite getting absolutely railed, you managed to keep a steady gait and avoided stumbling like a newborn fawn. No, no shame there, just absolute smugness because Liyue, your Archon begged me to make him cum.

Despite the breakfast ending on a bittersweet note, you can’t find it in yourself to dedicate too much energy to the negativity of it all, tempting as that may be.

Not right now, anyway; this is all something to mull over more seriously when you’re alone because this throws a wrench in your plans of finding Lumine. No, as much as you would love to wallow in self-pity, you must find her first.

So ultimately, you convince yourself, this wouldn’t – couldn’t – last because of the nature of your existence and of his. You settled instead on enjoying what happiness you could wring from this situation, because stars above know you need it.

When you looked at Zhongli as you pulled away, you felt weighed down by the fact that this might be all you get, but you can’t complain. He promised to look after you, didn’t he? No matter in what way he thinks that means, it’s more than what you thought you would receive barely two days prior.

You smile as a wave of contentment blankets your heart (and lovingly strangles the background anxiety for future you to deal with). In your many long years, you discovered happiness is not some condition to be had or trophy to be won. If you declared that happiness would come only in ifs and whens, then it would never come at all. There is always one more hidden condition, one more test.

So yes, you choose to be happy. Well, more specifically try to make that choice, but you’re working on muscling past your worries. Things worked out better than you expected considering all the other trouble you and Aether have been mired in since losing Lumine. Despite that, though, you’ve found new companions to adventure with. The memories made were unexpected, but… Warm. Good, even.

As you approach Wanmin Restaurant, you spot the familiar halo of gold and excited noises from Paimon. When your step picks up and you begin calling for them, they turn and smile bright as the sun as they wave for you.

No, actually, better than good. Good doesn’t even begin to describe it.

---

(Use (verb): To employ for some purpose. You want to scream. You want to scream at the heavens, you want to scream at the stars, you want to scream at the hands that haunt your dreams.

The stars taunt you endlessly with their silence. Find your purpose with the mortals, you were told in the beginning. Find it with the memories you keep.)

---

“You weren’t there when we woke up, and Aether almost always wakes up before you! Where did you go last night?” Paimon asks as she takes a bite out of a sauteed mushroom. Aether grunts in agreement, gold eyes meeting yours. When they make direct contact with yours, he begins snickering as realization dawns on him. Damn him, he’s known you too long for you to hide anything. “Hey! What’s so funny?” she pouts, placing her hands on her hips.

“Nothing you need to worry about, Paimon,” you supply, hoping to steer this conversation very far away from these rocky waters.

“Aw, but you didn’t answer her question. Where did you go, huh?” Aether says, leaning forward to perch his head on both of his fists. Well then, this is about to be a shipwreck, no thanks to your traitorous companion.

“I, uh, went for a walk because I couldn’t sleep,” you reply as you try (and fail) to casually pour yourself more chamomile instead. “Zhongli found me and invited me for some tea to try and help me.”

“Oh, so that’s what happened. Zhongli wasn’t being so stingy for once,” Paimon says with pride lacing her words. Does the gremlin even have the right to act like a parent watching their kid graduate ‘common sense’? “That’s nice of him! He took care of you and even let you sleep over!”

Aether’s laughter is drowned out as you bury your face in your hands, mortification seeping into your bones. “Come on, what are you, two hundred and fifty again? Be mature about this,” you grumble as you kick his shin.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just glad that he took care of you,” he continues as he gasps between words. “I know I’m usually the direct one here, but you skipped a few steps even I would’ve taken. Good on you!”

Of course your companion doesn’t understand the gravity of what happened, doesn’t understand how bad it is to get tangled with an immortal as travelers. Sure, had it been a mortal, you two would’ve had no qualms with leaving, knowing they would move on and find someone else. You've done so before. Their lives are fleeting and do not linger in an everlasting existence. But now…

You sigh deeply as sheer force of will manages to curb your annoyance. He was always the carefree and wild one, oblivious to anything beyond the next task in his tunnel-visioned life. Even if he is the elder of the twins, he is a stark contrast to Lumine’s calculating and noble personality. She stood up for people because it was right and Aether made sure there was compensation involved.

Aether rolls his eyes as he watches you sink further into your head. You honestly think too much in his humble opinion; it’s better to take action and just let the thoughts flow that way. After all, that’s how he handles daily life in Teyvat with these endless(ly stupid) tasks and it’s working out just fine. “Hey, don’t be so serious about it. Just take it one day at a time.”

Paimon cocks her head as she takes more bites from her noodles, looking between you two with abject confusion. “Yeah well, it was a kind of ‘in the moment thing’ last night,” you respond, hoping to mollify your racing heart. “Don’t expect much more to happen.”

“Besides the regular sleepovers, of course?” he hums.

“Oh! Paimon wants to know what his apartment looks like, too!”

“NO!” you both cry, startling the people around you. You duck your head as you mouth a silent sorry before coughing awkwardly. “Uh, you wouldn’t like it. It, um, it smells like one of Lady Ying’er’s special perfumes.”

“Yuck,” she says as she scrunches her nose, “Paimon is okay with not seeing it then. It’s probably boring since Childe isn’t funding him anymore, too. Oh! Maybe Paimon can get Childe to pay for us in Snezhnaya.”

“Really, Paimon? Really?” Aether snorts. “Extorting Childe twice? That’s just cold.”

You’re grateful that the conversation soon resumes to the regular discussion and banter. When the time came to pay and wrap up it up, Aether slides a piece of paper with the list of quests on them towards you. Instead of grabbing the sheet, you take out your journal to quickly mark them down and push the list back towards him. “This one near Qingce Village looks like it’ll be a long one. I noticed there’s also three smaller ones nearby Wangshu Inn. Paimon and I can take on the northernmost job while you ask Xiao for help?”

Ha, got him. Aether blushes and looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s different,” he mumbles before taking the sheet back. “Besides, I’m only doing this because it’s your turn to have a day with just her.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve travelled together, right?” Paimon says, floating up and around you to look at the map in your journal. You don’t notice her though as your eyes soften looking at Aether. The poor thing is wringing the paper a bit too tightly, betraying the anxiety underneath at talking to the stand-offish adeptus. Well, at least that’s one thing you two have in common.

“Ye-ap, let’s go Paimon. Remember this time, teleport outside the city please, I had to pay a kid to keep quiet about that.” Paimon laughs nervously as she taps her fingers together.

“Paimon kind of forgot that people don’t know you guys aren’t human, oops,” she says, but begins floating around carelessly regardless. At least nobody questions the fairy, that much is a blessing. Aether stretches and yawns before standing, nodding to you two.

“I’ll see you tonight back on Mt. Tianheng, right?”

“Same spot as usual,” you reply. “C’mon, we should buy some supplies before setting off.”

Paimon follows you as you walk towards the harbor, waving behind her to the blonde disappearing. “Finally. A slow and easy day to kick back to. Piece of cake,” you say as you match Paimon’s eager smile to buy some snacks.

The sweet sound of famous last words.

---

Xiao turns the bag of herbs in his hands over and over again. They're the same he offered all those weeks ago, yet this time, they are of finer quality. Rarer. It took him weeks to gather this.

A horribly strange bouquet, Verr Goldet had told him.

A... bouquet? He blinked. She blinked back.

He hears voices from below and his heart races as he looks behind. Strange. He isn't in battle. Aether's soft voice is echoed up the steps, exemplified by the circular design of the hotel. Xiao swallows and hides the bag.

Later, he thinks. Later.

---

“Paimon doesn’t get it,” she starts, floating steadily beside you after you walk away from one of the residents of Qingce Village. “How did she lose a bracelet that was around her wrist running from a Ruin Hunter?”

You shrug. “Beats me. You might want to stay towards the back on this one, though. Remember the last time we got close to that?” A visceral shudder rocks Paimon’s body as she groans.

“Yeah, too many arms to dodge! The stupid thing kept trying to squish Paimon!” As you both pass a group of children, you notice some young women gesturing and talking about the building behind her. Paimon, however, spots the free mushroom skewers being passed out and beelines over.

“Oh, hello there!” the closest woman greets, bowing politely as you two approach. “How can I help you?”

“Hi,” you smile, hoping to look as calming as Aether always seems to, but you wince as you hear the strained crack. Nope. “We were wondering what’s going on here?”

“This is a small school group! I am about to show them the wonderful mansion here that the owner kindly allowed us to walk through and look at the wonderful artifacts collected. Qingce Village is known for its particularly strange history, even for Liyue.”

You nod along, an idea slowly forming. When her attention is pulled towards a kid trying to hit his friend with a stick, you nudge Paimon in the leg. “Hey, you’re not going to like this but play along,” you mumble. As the school teacher looks back, you smile wide once again. “Any chance you take drop-ins?”

Her eyebrows furrow, bowing slightly in apology. “I am sorry, but this is for children only.”

“Behold,” you declare flatly, suddenly seizing Paimon and holding her in front of the woman as she sags like a wet cat in your hands. “A child.”

Her eyes slowly narrow as she seems to be flipping between confusion and irritation. Shit, shit, think of something – “Can I, ah, talk to you for a second away from the kids?” She nods and whispers something to her compatriots as you both walk away, leaving Paimon to float once again around the group. When you are sufficiently far away, you turn and put on the most pathetic look you can muster. Pride: officially gone. “Listen, it would really mean a lot to me if you can let her have this. See, my partner and I found her all alone along the river one day and she said she was waiting for her parents to come back, but…”

You sigh dramatically as the woman covers her open mouth, but you continue before she has a chance to realize the sob-story is complete crap. “We know she looks kind of funny, is loud, and even floats weirdly… We think that’s why her parents left, y’know? Too strange.”

She nods sagely along. “Yes, I can’t imagine the pain. Poor thing.”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“She always really liked these sorts of things, but most people are put off by her appearance. Just this once, can she see the inside of this beautiful house?”

“O-oh, but of course!” You smile widely, because fuck yes you managed to find a babysitter for Paimon, never mind the fact that you just lied through your teeth. “Anything I can do to help, I will. Towards the end, we plan on giving out little trinkets to the children. Will this make her happy?”

“Yes! Yes,” you say, a little too enthusiastic. “That would make her day, thank you!”

As you both walk back, the woman claps her hands and announces to the group that the tour will begin soon. You take this opportunity to pull Paimon by the cape back a little and lean forward to whisper, “Hey, I just managed to snag you a spot in the group. Play along and you get treasure in the end, they’re letting the kids have some.”

Her eyes go wide – definitely a magpie, you think – and performs what is probably the worst salute you’ve ever seen. “Don’t get caught!” she chirps merrily as she follows along the tour group who are now starting to enter the vast building.

You wave to her before turning away to look for the indicated point on your map. Total piece of cake.

---

“You… You want my help with these menial tasks?” Xiao scoffs, crossing his arms as he scans Aether’s stiff form. The blonde is nervously laughing while looking everywhere but at the adeptus, confusing him further. No matter how many centuries pass, he thinks he will never understand humans. “I am a Yaksha, this is not the purpose of my duty.”

Ha, oh shit, take a deep breath Aether, you probably insulted him. Why is this so hard? Aether sighs as he deflates. “Yeah, you’re right, this is a little stupid of me to ask for from you.”

“I never said no.” Aether whips his head up, but Xiao is the one looking away this time. “Besides, your companions are not here. You will need my protection regardless.”

“Y-yeah okay, cool cool cool,” Aether laughs, relief washing through him. He grips his pants tightly to still his trembling arms. “D’you… Um, do you want some almond tofu before we go?”

Xiao looks at him, and had Aether blinked, he is sure he would’ve missed the hint of a smile on the adeptus’ face. “Of course.”

---

You quickly duck behind a rock when missiles whistle past you, barely scraping your head. When you hear the warbled noises of an unusually large Ruin Hunter coming closer (did it just crack its knuckles?), you make a break for the open ground to get a better vantage point.

Paimon really owes you this time, on your life she owes you so fucking much -

---

“And here, children, we see the God of Duality!” Wondrous eyes look up at a towering gold statue of a figure with eight heads - each carved with a different expression - and four pairs of arms. “Supposedly, it hides the God’s most coveted secrets, but no mortal has ever been able to figure out the mystery within the statue. Now then!” The lead woman claps her hands together, drawing all attention back to her. “As we approach the end, it’s time for little treats.”

A round of cheers and whoops break out as the kids make a dash for the pile of goodies being offered. Paimon raises her hand, waving it around to catch someone’s attention. “Oh! Oh! Paimon wants to know if we can take anything there?”

The woman nods, cheerfully smiling. “Of course! Our generous host has allowed us these gifts.”

Paimon grins, waiting for the woman to walk away before floating off to the statue. Behind the towering heads, she spies a single scroll tucked in the center. Jackpot. “Well, she did say anything,” the fairy giggles to herself as she grabs it.

Maybe Zhongli can translate this? She kicks her legs in excitement at the thought of more treasure. Really, it was the lady’s fault for failed semantics. No harm, no foul, right Paimon?

---

“Xiao, c’mere! The water is nice!” Aether shouts. The adeptus is crossing his arms, unimpressed face watching Aether waddle around Luhua Pools. They’ve already completed their given tasks, so they decided to meander around the final location before continuing.

Or, rather, Aether insisted and completely ignored Xiao’s complaints.

While holding his pants, Aether slowly makes his way over, smiling brightly. “My boots don’t need guarding, you know.”

“I am not partaking in something so foolish, Aether.”

“Suit yourself. I can’t make you come into the pool…” He suddenly smiles, slowly leaning down. Xiao’s eyes follow his movements, eyebrow arching with creeping suspicion. “… But I can bring it to you!” Aether swipes his hand and summons a gust of wind to blow water onto Xiao. He begins sputtering and opens his arms, soaked through and petulant. If looks could kill, he sure as shit would’ve been dead by now. Wait. Can Yaksha looks really kill…?

Before he has a chance to think much more about it, a retaliatory gust of wind knocks him off his feet and into the pool, water rushing into his nose. Xiao smirks, willing his spear away again as he watches for Aether. The other must be mad now, too. But…

But of course not. Aether only stands up, coughing up water and fish flopping in hand. Does nothing irk him? How stupid. The other is completely oblivious to Xiao’s bewilderment, saying, “Look! I caught our lunch!”

How can someone so old still be so young at heart? Xiao chuckles slightly, utterly disbelieving in the concept that someone can still be so good inside. Aether’s face heats at the sound and he turns, grabbing his scarf to hide the flush.

Very soon after, though, he yelps when he feels a sharp tug of the scarf down to reveal golden eyes staring back at him and suddenly very close. And… Is he…? “You came into the water!”

“Yes…” Xiao pauses. Why did he come here? He only registers the lingering irritation at Aether’s attempts to hide his face. “I did.”

The blonde starts smiling, pink never leaving his cheeks. Xiao joins him.

Ridiculous.

---

“Well, Paimon thinks it was worth it!”

You snort. “Great. At least one of us does.”

The two of you are walk-floating along, idly passing through the afternoon as you make your way back to Liyue Harbor. With reward in hand, you’ve retrieved Paimon with a thousand thank yous slipping past your lips in gratitude as you pointedly ignored their confused looks over the dirt staining everything. Even Paimon made a comment on your disheveled appearance, twigs in your hair and light scrapes on your skin.

“Hey, speaking of, what was in those little goodie bags? I saw some kids walk away with one.”

“Oh yeah! The lady said we could take anything, but Paimon didn’t grab a bag. The scroll behind the statue’s heads, on the other hand…” She giggles and pulls out the scroll from somewhere and floats to a nearby rock.

She completely misses the appalled expression you shoot her as you follow. “You… You stole from them? When they said anything, I really do think they meant the bags, Paimon.”

“They said that nobody could figure out the secret, anyway. We’re actually doing them a favor,” she protests while rolling out the scroll.

“You committed petty theft!”

“And you lied to her, so Paimon says we’re even.” The gremlin even has the gall to stick her tongue out as you struggle to keep yourself from face-palming. Instead, you do a double-take at the scrawled marks along the paper.

Inside is a map that is very clearly Liyue, but it’s also very clearly not. The geography has changed, though you can likely point out certain monuments if you took the time to compare it to your modern map. No, the drawings inside say there were more mountains, larger rivers, and… You pause. This map is very old because according to this, there is no Dihua Marsh; instead, there are rolling and fertile plains marking its location.

It’s no wonder that no mortal was able to figure this out, you would need an immortal’s help. You should definitely ask Zhongli, there are very few left in the world who can make heads or tails of this. When you rub your hands along your head, you sigh and throw your head back. “Give me… Give me a few hours to copy this down, then I’m going back to try and return it. Hopefully, I won’t get caught.”

“Paimon is guessing that you’re going to go alone?”

“Yes, I am. You, on the other hand,” you say as you summon a bag of Mora. Her eyes immediately widen as she swoops down to yank the bag from your grip. “You are going to take this Mora and go to Liyue Harbor. Try not to get into too much trouble.”

She smiles as she hugs the bag closer. “Paimon likes this, we should do these ‘us’ days more often.”

“No, we should not.”

“Aw, you’re no fun!”

---

It’s… It’s cute, Aether thinks. Xiao is trying so hard to eat the grilled fish, but he is clearly struggling to stomach the dish. Didn’t he say once that the only food he can handle is almond tofu? “You know, you don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”

Xiao grunts stubbornly and doubles his efforts, chewing very methodically on the flesh. “It’s passable. Much better than those other sacrilegious dishes.”

“Thanks, I think,” Aether laughs, but doesn’t take the negative sentiment to heart. If anything, he knows this is probably the nicest thing Xiao has said about anyone’s cooking. Ever. “You still don’t have to eat it. It’s okay.”

“I want to,” Xiao huffs.

“Why?”

“Because you made it.” Xiao blinks and pins Aether with an incredulous stare, as if that fact were the most obvious thing in the world. He sighs as he shakes his head and resumes picking at his meal. “Fool.”

Well, maybe he is a fool. Aether’s lopsided grin grows as he scoots closer to Xiao, bumping shoulders with the adeptus and relishing in the fact that the other doesn’t pull away. “Come to Liyue with me. Please. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Xiao looks at him again. Stubborn troublemaker. He’s stunned, though, because Aether’s adoring eyes are so radiant and they look at him softly. Kindly. Sweet, like honey. “I do not need your protection,” he growls, growing frustrated at his own saccharine thoughts.

“I know. Let me give it anyway. Just don’t go.”

He only huffs in response and Aether hums. Hums turn into soft tunes, soft tunes turn into gentle singing, and his voice is carried along the wind to the forest around them. Slowly, Xiao leans closer to Aether, and the latter leans back into him without skipping a beat in his music.

Damn humans.

---

(Used (adj): To be previously owned, to have worn out its purpose. Ajax knocks his Vision, his Delusion, and the Tsaritsa's box off of his nightstand. The clattering on the ground is deafening.

He falls to his knees, holding the chopsticks close to his chest. When he looks to the ring on his fingers, he sees his own reflection: soft, young, pitiful. Is this how you felt?)

---

Not once throughout their stroll from the harbor to the Northland Bank for Childe to drop off necessary items did Zhongli stray from the Harbinger’s side. He pays no mind to the way Ekaterina shifts her gaze occasionally to him as he inspects the bank’s interior, waiting for Childe to settle his things.

They’re walking the edges of Yujing Terrace, chatting idly as the sun sets. As nice as the conversation is, though, Childe notices something very off. “Hey, you didn’t ask why I came back this time around.”

Zhongli hums and smiles at him brilliantly, and he feels the wind leave him at the force of it. Gods. This is just embarrassing at this point, why does Childe feel like a teenager around the older man? “I did not ask because it did not matter. You are here, are you not?” Zhongli steps forward and suddenly wraps his arms around Childe’s hips, burying his face against the other’s neck. “If you desire it, you will tell me. I trust you.”

Childe swallows because fuck, that something in his chest is back with a fury. His heart is hammering and banging against his ribs, begging to be released. Zhongli trusts him? “That’s a stupid choice,” he mutters as he wraps his own arms around Zhongli’s back.

“Perhaps. It is mine to make.”

He holds Zhongli tighter. Idiot, fucking idiot, strolling back into this god's arms, unable to resist the warmth offered.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice -

“I’m here for the Travelers,” he suddenly blurts, but Childe finds no hatred in himself for his guard being shattered. That’s because… Oh. Of course. He throws his head back, infamous laugh bubbling up. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“I had my suspicions,” Zhongli admits as he pulls away, reaching his hand up to thumb Childe’s chin. Only, this time, Childe finds no scrutiny coming from the other, but simply… Something. “There is no other reason for a Harbinger’s presence. The Tsaritsa wants to keep one eye on me, and now, the other is laid upon the Travelers. I am sure she is afraid of how close I am getting to them while I guide them through this nation and onto Inazuma.”

Ah. He doesn’t know. Not really. Childe swallows back the acidic bile, his heart now a lump in his throat. Though, he naturally must give credit to Zhongli, he is exceptionally close to the truth. Not quite, but close enough.

This is good. This is better. Zhongli can’t know. He’ll never forgive him if he did. It'll be cold again, it'll be dark, it'll be lonely.

He ignores how, when the day comes, he'll lose you both.

“Yes.” A half-truth. Childe was sent here to feed the Tsaritsa as much information on the Travelers as he can, and anybody with some semblance of wit would have figured that out. It is enough, though, because Zhongli smiles and leans forward, pressing the softest kiss to his lips that he has ever been gifted.

Ajax wants to weep.

---

(Knight and champion, croons Morax’s heart, reaching forth across the realm of mortals. He who won my heart, won my favor, won my protection.

King of kings, Ajax’s whispers back to that divine voice from the mountains. He who I will kneel before forevermore.)

---

To say that Aether was confused is an understatement.

Because confused doesn’t even begin to fucking cover it.

Both he and Xiao watch silently, arms crossed in a mirror of one another – cute, Paimon thinks – as the fairy devours her tenth helping of sweet madame. The three of them are sitting atop Mt. Tianheng after Aether stumbled across a very companionless Paimon carrying a bag of Mora. She gave half an explanation, saying it was for food and promising that she’ll give a proper story when she was fed.

(“I can’t think on an empty stomach!” she pouts.

“I didn’t know you could think,” comes the droll reply from Xiao.)

He knows she has five stomachs, he knows it, but where did it all go? Apparently, Xiao is just as confused, because throughout the meal, the adeptus has leaned closer to Paimon with open fascination.

“So, what you’re saying is you were bribed into coming here while you left her to fend for herself?” Aether is just… He’s stupefied, really. Xiao hasn’t spoken once in the entire interaction. “Start talking, Paimon. You just ate through three days’ worth of commissions.”

She nods and, with all the delicate grace of a queen, picks up a napkin to wipe her mouth. But, before she can even begin, Xiao suddenly stands and summons his spear while he crouches into a battle stance. Aether scrambles as well while he grapples wildly his own sword.

Wait, who is that coming up the steps…?

“The nerve of you humans will never cease to amaze me. What makes you think you are welcome here?” Xiao spits venomously.

“Well, hello to you too comrade!”

---

You slowly creep along the rooftop of the mansion, scroll in hand. Unfortunately, you had to wait for a shift in the guards before you could make your move since they were stationed on each floor’s balcony, meaning you were stuck out there far long than you initially planned for.

As you slowly open one of the sky windows, you wince as you hear a slow creaking. Okay, okay, you’re close, you’re almost there. When you drop from the roof, you cushion the landing with a soft roll before shuffling forward, crouching against the wooden beams. Now then, where did Paimon say the statue was again?

It takes some time, but you eventually find the golden statue and wow, okay. You really can’t blame Paimon, you’re pretty sure you would’ve committed crime for just one of those glittering eyes. The statue is adorned with some of the most intricate designs you’ve ever seen, and the many jewels bedazzled along its heads are foreign to you. Focus.

You leap onto one of the arms and begin climbing, only to double your efforts when you hear footsteps down the hall. Right as you scramble into the circular space between all the heads, not unlike the inside of a pagoda, you hear the guards take their place at each exit. Unfortunately, you can't put the scroll back without making too much noise lifting the seal inside. The change forces you to stay hidden until the next shift, lest you get caught and betray the trust the people of Qingce Village placed in you three to not be petty criminals.

Well. This is just spectacular. Piece of cake.

---

“Let us all settle down now,” Zhongli rumbles, placing a gloved hand on Childe’s summoned hydro blades. Across from them, Aether’s own body is protectively standing in front of Xiao, willing himself to be a shield against the possible brawl. Childe notes that his mask has not been summoned, which is a good sign. “Xiao, you have seen Childe accompany me several times since Osial. Why do you insist on such aggression upon each meeting? You know how I feel about it.”

“What? Several times?” Paimon squeaks, looking between the two groups standing off. Childe waves innocently, crinkling his nose in a shit-eating grin. “Just what have you guys been doing?”

“I like trying to get Zhongli’s pesky guard dog to fight me,” Childe shrugs. He lowers his hands and wills his blades away. When everyone gives him a stunned look, he only says, “What? Just because I’m a warrior, you all think I can’t play nice for my first visit back with Zhongli and friends? Ouch, tough crowd.”

“That’s because you’re a Harbinger,” Paimon grumbles, crossing her own arms. “You can’t be trusted.”

“And you,” he hisses, pointing an accusatory finger at her. “Blackmailed me for Mora.”

"Wait, wait, wait," Aether suddenly cries, silencing everyone with his raised voice. He rarely, if ever, spoke with anything other than jovial remarks or soft contemplations. "Why the fuck are you here, Childe? What happened to Snezhnaya? What are you even doing here?"

Did... Did Aether imagine that shadow flash across Childe's eyes? Just as quickly, Childe smiles and crosses his arms. "Why? Are ya mad I ruined your little date?"

Aether crosses his own arms and begs all that is holy that the night is dark enough to hide his flush as he smirks, trying to focus on the fact that Childe is here, in front of him, right now. "No, just trying to figure out if it's going to be a knife or your excitement stabbing us in the back this time around."

"Fuck around and find out bud."

"Enough," Zhongli announces, sighing deeply. "I apologize for disrupting your gathering. We were not aware of your presence here, so we will take our leave."

To everyone’s surprise (again), Xiao retracts his spear, but remains on guard, nonetheless. No, what’s shocking everyone is the fact that he’s staying. Why is he staying? Aether slowly breaks into a wide smile as he realizes that, with each passing second, Xiao is less and less likely to scurry off to Wangshu Inn again. “You are permitted to stay, but only because of Zhongli. He's right, we are acting dishonorably in front of our companions. However, should I see you again and we are alone, I will not hesitate to strike you down, you dog.”

The Harbinger barely restrains his snarl at the word. Instead, he smiles at the other, challenging eyes mirroring Xiao’s. “Looking forward to it.”

Aether thinks he sees mutual satisfaction in both of their faces. Was this some sort of... bizarre... murderous camaraderie-building exercise?

“Besides, I promised to accompany Aether. I will not betray his trust.”

Xiao did not, in fact, make an explicit promise, but Aether does not comment. No, he’s directing all his energy on slowing his heart rate at the confession. Huh. Is it bad of him that he’s more focused on Xiao’s little speech rather than the very real threat he just made to Childe?

Childe snorts and walks forward with Zhongli following. “Thanks for your permission, asshole. Could’ve left the last part out.” The two take a seat on the other side of the grand banquet set out for Paimon. Slowly, Xiao follows Aether’s lead and takes a seat as well. Childe frowns as he looks around. “Hey, is pretty bird down at the harbor getting more food or something? Where is she?”

“Paimon will explain everything when the food is all gone!” She smiles around another dumpling sinking into her mouth. How the fuck did she manage that? The thing was as big as her head! Childe leans forward, suddenly as invested in whatever was going on in front of him as Xiao was. "Besides," she mumbles, "You still have to explain why you're even here."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'll get to that when she comes back. The real question is, how are you managing to eat that...?" Childe replies, narrowing his eyes.

Aether leans closer to Xiao to whisper, “Hey, protected you, didn’t I?”

“You are a fool.”

“Yeah, I know,” comes the cheeky reply.

Some time passes as the five of them interact quietly amongst themselves. Zhongli and Childe take their turn watching Paimon’s appetite with a combination of curiosity and disgust, respectively, while Aether and Xiao took to talking about everything and nothing as a distraction from Xiao’s bubbling irritation.

“I am most grateful that you have not left us,” Zhongli says eventually, eyeing the other adeptus present. Xiao scoffs and looks away. “I am serious. This means a great deal to me.”

Xiao has heard those words extraordinarily little across the many millennia serving Rex Lapis. The god never wants, never acts in his own interests because he always had others to care for. So, to hear those words… The faintest blush colors his cheeks. “You know I do not care for the company you keep, so make no mistake, I still distrust him. Do not expect me to linger. When the criminal is done explaining, I shall go.”

“Criminal?” Childe bursts out suddenly before laughing and clutching his sides. Not for the first time, Aether wonders how many loose marbles are in the Harbinger’s head. “What’d she do now?”

“Yeah, Paimon,” Aether says, almost too sweetly. “What did you do?”

“Well, Paimon didn’t do anything.” She tilts her head as she puts her finger on her chin, deep in thought. Hm… “Besides, she’s okay. Everything should be fine, right? Yeah, everything’s fine. She can handle herself! So, here’s what happened…”

---

Everything was not, in fact, fine. Curses from Teyvat and beyond are all you chant as you feel guard dogs nipping at your heels, furiously chasing you down after you accidentally ran past their miniature houses in the fields surrounding the house.

---

Wow. Paimon doesn’t think she’s ever had that many accusations laid at her feet like that before.

Childe is laughing harder, genuine tears streaming down his face this time. “Oh Archons, I cannot believe you! And I thought the cocogoat story was good...” Zhongli is pinching the bridge of his nose while Aether’s hands are pressed together in a prayer position as he takes in deep breaths.

“So, wait wait, let me get this straight,” Childe coughs, voice cracking with amusement. He lifts one hand up and begins lowering fingers with the other as he counts off the list of crimes Paimon has apparently committed. “You've done identity fraud, petty theft, blackmail, extortion, accepted a bribe… Am I missing anything here?”

“Hey! You make it sound like Paimon is a bad person!” She tries pouting, but only sputters as Childe flashes a knowing grin. Well then, that can’t be good.

“Coming from a verifiable ‘bad guy,’ let me give you some advice – “

“Nobody asked, Fatui scum.” Xiao narrows his eyes as Childe stares back, clearly trying to settle his own temper.

“I’m just offering free help to dear Paimon.”

“You know what they say about anything that’s free: it’s worthless.”

“Listen here, you jackass – “

Zhongli suddenly growls, silencing everyone around him. Aether jumps at the sound (and at how Xiao’s hand shoots out to settle on Aether’s leg in an attempt to calm him) while Paimon squeaks and hides behind the duo. “I will not have such disgraceful and raucous behavior. I have permitted enough of it earlier. Now, behave.” Childe nods, though as Zhongli closes his eyes, he very quickly makes a rude gesture to the other. Aether snorts, but before Xiao can respond, Zhongli has them open again. Ha.

However, it isn’t long after the outburst do all parties present hear it: a soft shuffling sound up stone stairs following by quiet grunts. When you emerge from behind some bushes, everyone sees how you’ve taken the liberty of buying not one, not two, but three bottles of the strongest alcohol Liyue has to offer and cradled it close to your chest.

Vague confusion clouds your exhausted mind as you spy the scene. Huh. Why isn’t Xiao attacking Childe -

Wait. No. That can’t be right. This isn’t…

All fatigue is struck down, leaving you wide awake as you whisper, “Childe?”

He smiles softly. “Hey there, pretty bird. Missed me?”

---

(Dear star, Ajax’s heart murmurs in the rare dream granted to him from beyond the abyss, why do you stay hidden in the heavens so? I wish to have you.

Dear ocean, comes the soft reply, why do you ask for that which you already hold each night? Silence your weeping, for I have never left.

But it is only a reflection I embrace.

Then, will you follow the constellations I draw for you? Come home and you shall not be alone.

… Can you promise this?

Yes.)

notes:

alt chapter title: the return of the KING

1) In some Russian myths (as far as I could find), owls have two meanings: the first is that when a soldier falls on the battlefield, they will use their claws to fight their way into Heaven. The other traditional symbolism is that owls actually represent absent-mindedness/folly because even though they can see and thrive in the dark, they are blinded and cannot see anything that is as plain as day to everyone else. Poor Teucer.

2) I know Snezhnaya is Russia, but in the spirit of general Viking symbolism and northern folktales, I wanted to reference the two ravens as being similar to Odin's spy ravens. These birds basically watch over the realm and report all their findings back to their master.

3) Zhongli's line about contracts is a direct word-for-word pull from one of his voicelines. Also, for more of Aether's personality, I found that the MC voicelines typically make them out to be somewhat of a "shoot first ask questions later" type person since they always seem to react more philosophically after taking major action. That, combined with the fact that most of our dialogue options are choosing between making fun of Paimon or asking what's in it for them, and you get Aether!

4) I imagine that though the two of them clash kind of more violently after Osial, Childe and Xiao begrudgingly tolerate each other because of their mutual respect/love for Zhongli. Immediately after the incident, Xiao probably attacked/followed Childe to protect Zhongli, much to the latter's embarrassment. I don't know about the other East Asian languages too much, but in Korean, calling someone a dog is among the worst insults you can throw at them.

5) We're entering the next arc with the scroll I cannot wait

<3 love love love you all

(Paimon is a canonically a criminal change my mind)

#zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli fanfic #childe #childe x reader #childe fanfic #genshin fanfic #genshin impact #aether #xiao #aether x xiao #genshin childe #genshin zhongli #genshin aether #genshin xiao

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ampleappleamble · 4 years ago

Text

---

"...Did I fuck this up?"

Edér looked up from his whittling, focusing his good eye on the little woman. The other eye was still swollen shut, shiny and painful from their fight against his late Lord, but with some rest and the help of Raedric's priests-- Kolsc's priests, now-- he and the rest of his friends would be good as new for the trek back to Caed Nua tomorrow.

"Ain't too many ways I can think of to fuck up killin' a terrible murderin' bastard like Raedric," he mumbled around his mouthful of smoke, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Unless y' think we didn't kill him enough, or somethin'."

Axa's lips smiled, but the rest of her face did not follow suit. Her party was spending the night in a corner of the Berathian priests' sleeping quarters in Raedric's sanctuary, and she sat on her borrowed bed gently rocking to and fro, her knees drawn up to her chest, her sharp little nails worrying tiny holes in her trousers.

"The Legacy makes men mad. Perhaps it does worse to women. I do not know." Raedric had looked Axa over, then, had glanced toward his bedchamber where his own wife lay dead in their marital bed--

"No, we killed him exactly the right amount, I think." The smile was already gone, soundly quashed by the memory. "I just... feel like I may have acted in haste here. Like there's something I'm missing about all this that's going to bite me in the ass later, when I least expect it." She pressed her chin into her knees, curling up as tightly into herself as she could.

--if i make myself small enough i can just hide away from all this and no one will see me--

Kana chuckled, idly leafing through a massive tome that dwarfed even his sizable lap as he reclined in the worn armchair next to Axa's bed. "Yes, it is a rough sea, the world of the ruling class! So many nerve-wracking social calculations to make, always looking over one's shoulder... The political alliances to take into account, then the family alliances... But even the Ranga Nui himself and his own son are at ideological odds! And if you're discovered as a fair-weather friend, paying lip service to either or both--"

"I think," Aloth interrupted, "perhaps, that you've made your point, Kana." The elf was just as irritable now as he had been the morning that old drunk had showed up at Caed Nua, and his half-healed broken rib was not helping to improve his mood.

And now the in-fighting begins in the Lady of Caed Nua's inner circle. Axa felt her guts redouble their efforts to destroy themselves, anxiety churning inside her like acid. "Gods, I'm ill-suited for this politicking horseshit. Why did I think I could do this? I'm Ixamitli, we don't... nobody 'owns' the land, that's not how--"

"Oh, don't get me wrong!" Kana pressed on, seemingly oblivious to Aloth's peevish attitude. "Just as hard lands forge strong people, rough seas often yield great rewards. For instance, when we return to Caed Nua on the morrow, we can look forward to seeing your Brighthollow manse restored to its former beauty and prestige! Well, in part, anyway. All because of your actions here today and Kolsc's gratitude!"

"And even if you weren't gettin' somethin' out of it," Edér added, "you're the kinda lady can't rest without knowing you did the best thing y' could. Point being, y' had to do something, long-term consequences be damned. And like I said earlier, if y' have to do something, it's hard to go wrong with killing a mass-murdering shitheel like Raedric. No matter how bad Kolsc might turn out to be, better him than what we had goin' on before." He casually brushed the wood shavings from his lap, either ignoring or unaware of the annoyed glares and whispers from the priests in the room.

Axa glanced across the room at Aloth, who simply lay on his back in his bed in the corner, eyes screwed shut, his grimoire too heavy to hold in his lap without irritating his wounds. "Maybe," she sighed, lifting her head from her knees, "I should just hire on an advisor. Someone who actually knows what they're doing, to help me navigate these choppy waters." Her gaze flicked to Kana, a wicked little grin popping up on her face. "You know anyone who needs a job?"

The aumaua laughed, a thunderous noise that filled the small room. "Everyone I know is either in this room or in Rauatai, my friend! But I take your meaning. However, my own experience with the gentry is limited to the court of the Ranga Nui, a profoundly different environment from the one in which you find yourself, so I'm afraid I'd be more of a hindrance than a boon. And--" He glanced over at Edér, his smile half apologetic and half cheeky-- "I hope he'll forgive me for saying so, but our Edér doesn't seem like the sort to hobnob with the nobility."

The folk man snorted. "What tipped y' off?"

"That leaves you, Aloth," Kana continued, smiling in the elf's direction. "If I recall, you were raised among the gentry in Aedyr, were you not? That's a bit closer to the political system and aristocratic power structure here; any insight you have into that world would surely be invaluable to our Watcher. You're qualified, intelligent, you're clearly quite learned, you're... capable in battle. Why, you even came to the Dyrwood with the express purpose of finding a patron!" He was getting excited now, leaning forward in his seat, gesticulating passionately. "And here she is! What marvelous serendipity!"

Axa couldn't help but be charmed by Kana's enthusiasm, and she appreciated his effort to lift the wizard's spirits. "That's not a bad idea, actually. What say, Aloth?" She couldn't see his face from where he lay, but she could see his ears were bright red.

Not a fan of being the center of attention, I see. She felt a sudden surge of sympathy and warmth towards the man, and found her own ears reddening soon thereafter.

"I wouldn't take the gig 'f I were you. She can't even pay you, 's what I heard." Edér winked at her, taking his attention away from his whittling for just a second, then hissed with pain and surprise as his knife slipped.

Kana shook his head, his grin as wide as ever as he regarded the farmer with pity. "O, poor man! He who thinks coin is the sole and lone benefit of working for a prestigious, powerful woman like our Watcher! The true rewards of such a vocation are not in material wealth, my friend, but in the challenge! Rebuilding the glorious Caed Nua from the crumbling ruins... The intrigue of the political world of the Dyrwood... the tension, the drama... not to mention the treasure trove of ancient Engwithan secrets just waiting to be discovered in the Endless Paths!" He sighed like a lovestruck maiden telling her friends of her handsome beau. "Ah! I'm so envious. Were I more well-suited to the position, I'd have accepted her first offer in an instant! As it is, it seems I'll have to settle for hired muscle. Either way, I couldn't ask for a finer directress!" Now Axa's entire face was getting warm, and she found herself unable to look at Kana, although she could feel his eyes on her, his smile, warming her like gentle spring sunlight.

"Aye, I wager ye'd leap at a position 'neath 'er, slick-a-britches."

Aloth very quickly clapped a hand over his open mouth-- the loud pop! filling the little room-- and then came the long, shuddering groan of pain muffled behind his fingers, the sudden movement having yanked at his sore ribs.

Axa immediately flopped over onto her side, laughing like Hel, unable to stop herself. Edér's eyebrows leapt up his forehead, surprise and delight clear on his face, his wounded thumb stuck firmly in his mouth.

"...She seems impressed. I think you've got the job, my friend!" Kana chuckled, flipping to a new page in his gigantic book. He paused, considering, and then leaned forward in his seat, cocking his head with curiosity. "...Did you say 'slick-a-britches'?"

"No. I didn't. I said nothing." The elf's voice was quiet and short and clipped. "I'm in immense pain and I'm speaking complete and utter idiotic meaningless nonsense. ...Can we please talk about anything else." Axa was still giggling, tip of her tongue sticking out between her front teeth. He squirmed with embarrassment, and it hurt.

"As you say. How about this animancy research?" The scholar lifted the huge tome on his lap, tilting it up to show Edér as he crossed the room to wash and wrap his thumb. "I'm no animancer, to be sure, but from what little I've managed to decipher from Osyra's records, she may have been onto something!"

Aloth bristled, his breath hitching as he exhaled a bit too sharply. He had said 'anything else,' hadn't he. "All any animancer has accomplished, at the very best, is to swell their own ego and their own coinpurse. In particular, Osrya was a dangerous, insane monster who mutated kith into abominations. I have no interest whatsoever in reading anything that woman may have seen fit to record."

Anyone else would take the man's curt tone and disparaging language as the opposite of an invitation to continue. Kana continued with renewed gusto, "But if what Osrya posits is true-- and as far as I can tell, her methods are logically sound, if not morally-- why, then this may just provide the solution to the Legacy that the Dyrwood has been searching for these 15 long years!"

Axa had stopped laughing a while back, but only now did she sit back up. She remembered the animancer's words, recited them aloud with an accuracy she would not ordinarily expect from herself--

"It must be a localized effect. Something which strips the soul from a body, as the bîaŵacs are known to do. I have detected, even so, lingering traces of essence upon the bodies of so-called Hollowborn. This suggests that the soul itself has not been wholly destroyed. It remains, I think, intact somewhere."

Everyone-- even Aloth, lifting his head from his pillows-- looked at her, dumbstruck. The few priests remaining in the room hurriedly shuffled out, angrily whispering prayers to ward their souls against blasphemers.

"Um." She coughed, suddenly uncomfortably self-conscious. "That was... what she had to say, anyway. Before we killed her. ...If I'm remembering correctly."

"That's... what's in here, more or less, yes," Kana blurted, his ever-present grin tinged with nervousness as he shut the enormous book.

"So, what," Edér drawled, squinting at his half-finished carving as he turned it this way and that, "Hollowborn got a soul, but... somethin' or, or someone takes it from 'em soon as they're born?" He furrowed his brow, frowned at a blotch of red on the misshapen wooden thing in his hand. "And... what, hides 'em somewhere? Eats 'em? Why?"

"That would depend, it seems, on who or what is manipulating the souls, I would think." Kana actually frowned, now, staring blankly into the book. "Although I'd be hard-pressed to identify a creature capable of manipulating souls on this grand a scale, for this long, with this much apparent ease and consistency... short of, perhaps, a god." He glanced furtively at Edér, holding up his huge hands in deference. "Not that I'm attempting to implicate any particular deity..."

The farmer shook his head slowly, eyes shut tight with conviction. "Don't worry about me thinkin' that. Like I said before-- I can't and won't believe that Eothas was the kinda god would do somethin' like this."

"Do you believe, then, as some in your country do, that the recent prevalence of animancy is to blame?" The scholar was fumbling for a bit of charcoal, now, eager to take notes. "Keep in mind, the Vailian Republics has not suffered a similar Hollowing despite being the leading animancy practitioners on Eora--"

"Whether the recent uptick in animancy has caused the Legacy by inviting the ire of the gods is nigh impossible to know, and thus pointless to discuss," Aloth interjected, "although I certainly wouldn't put it past many of the gods to come up with a bizarre, horrific punishment like the Legacy in retribution for any slight from us kith, real or perceived.” He glanced balefully at the door the Berathians had shut behind them as they’d left. “What can be meritoriously discussed is what to do about the unbridled, barely educated charlatans taking advantage of a terrified and exhausted populace, using the Hollowborn crisis to feed their sick curiosity and their pocketbooks both. That is the everyday reality of animancy that must be dealt with in the Dyrwood." He winced in pain, his impassioned argument a bit too much for his battered body. "...Ahem. In my opinion."

"I don't think I know enough about any of it to have much of an opinion about it, bein' honest." Edér scratched the back of his neck, squinting in confusion as Kana eagerly copied down the conversation, his attention ping-ponging excitedly between each successive speaker. "I feel like that whole world is way, way beyond my ken." He smiled over at the orlan, glad to see her relaxing and engaging with other kith instead of clutching her knees and staring into the middle distance. He'd seen enough of that during the Saint's War. "...Although some of 'em are tryin' to do somethin' about the Legacy, at least. I guess. This animancer was a crazy piece of shit, but she's also the only animancer I ever met, 's far's I know. So I don't really got a lot to go on. Y'know?"

"Caldara was sweet, and extremely helpful." Axa felt an odd little tug of nostalgia at the memory of the dwarf, her warm, motherly smile. "Of course, she was also dead when I met her. So you'll kind of have to take my word for it. That said, ultimately I have to agree with you: I don't know enough about animancy to pass any sort of judgment on it just yet. It seems potentially useful, perhaps even miraculously so, but also extremely volatile and dangerous." The little woman paused, stretching her sore limbs, and then laid back down on the bed with a long, cathartic sigh. "Perhaps once we reach Defiance Bay, we can get a clearer picture of what the day-to-day animancy trade is really like. Until then, I must, in good conscience, reserve all judgment on the subject."

"A wise choice, but a laborious one. Never let it be said that our Watcher takes the easy way out!" Kana rose from his seat as he spoke, seeing that the orlan was getting ready to settle in for the night, and crossed the room to his loaner bed. "Speaking of hardships, I've heard tell that the poor weather over the last few days may have delayed the work on Caed Nua's eastern barbican. If, once we return, we find that to be the case... and if you're amenable to a bit of dungeon crawling after all this fresh air and sunshine..."

Axa half-groaned and half-laughed, like a good-natured mother finally losing patience with her annoying toddler. "Yes, Kana, I promise we will explore the Endless Paths. I already promised you before, too, remember?"

"Forgive me!" Kana chuckled as he reclined, his feet dangling over the edge of the too-small bed. "I don't mean to wheedle you, rest assured. But once I get an idea in my head, I tend to focus on it so intently as to neglect politesse!"

"We've noticed," Aloth grumbled.

The massive aumaua turned to Aloth in the bed next to his, smiling still. "That reminds me-- I've never heard that one before, 'slick-a-britches'. Did you mean to say I slicken others' breeches-- or britches, as you say-- or did you mean my own breeches are slick? As in, ah, lubricated for easier removal? I didn't even know you spoke Hylspeak! You must teach me some!" He wore no malice on his face, only open, honest wonder, and for some reason that bothered Aloth more than if the aumaua had been outwardly hostile.

Axa cackled maniacally in her bed, thrashing her limbs and rolling about. Aloth slowly, deliberately pulled his coverlet up over his chin, then his nose, then his brow. His facial expression did not change.

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#pillars of eternity #poe anthem infinitum #wip #i finally finally feel satisfied with this bit #only one more longer bit and one more shorter bit to write before the chapter's finally done~#this was v fun to write but o my god it took five false starts and almost a month to compose a first draft

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