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babyblue711 · 1 year ago

Text

Devotion

Osferth (The Last Kingdom) x Reader - Part 1 Summary: You are a Dane living in Rumcofa. After the untimely passing of your parents, you are now the sole supporter of your two younger siblings. Uhtred and his men have taken your family under their wing and you beg Osferth to teach you to use a sword to defend your family, an unusual request for a young woman. Osferth, being unable to deny you anything, agrees and your passion for him grows. Words: 5.9K

Chapter Warnings: NSFW, Death and parent loss, children rearing children, mentions of virginity, mentions of battle, alcohol consumption A/N: At last, I apologize for the delay with this. This story is going to be slightly different than my other, smut heavy fics as it is definitely a SLOWBURN (but it'll be worth the wait, I promise). This first Part sets up the reader and her relationship with Uhtred's men and takes place at the beginning of Season 5. It won't follow every event from the season specifically, I've chosen what I wanted to keep as I went along. Thank you to my incredible beta reader, @arcielee, as always for her expertise. I swear she knows all.

Prologue

“Please, Osferth?” you plead, your voice carrying a tremor of desperation as you stare at him from across the campfire. Your eyes bore into his, seeking something within his big, blue gaze.

Osferth studies your face, a frown forming in between his eyebrows. He lowers his gaze and studies the fire, the crackling flames cast an orange glow upon his face as he contemplates your unusual request.

The recent wave of Dane raids had left your town vulnerable as the most battle-worthy men were constantly away from home, defending the realm for one lord or another. They were spread too thin and those left behind were exposed and defenseless. You are tired of living in fear of the next raid and determined to do something to protect your home and younger brother and sister. No longer did you want to simply hide and cower from fright.

“Please,” you whisper, barely daring to breathe. “Teach me how to use a sword. Show me how to fight so I may protect my family.”

Osferth sighs as he watches the flames of the fire. Never had a young woman asked him to teach her how to use a blade before.

"Very well, my lady," he concedes, though his countenance still seems reluctant.

"I shall instruct you."

“On your feet, my lady. I know you can do better than this,” Osferth’s soft but firm voice rings out over the practice yard as you struggle to rise from the dirt, having been knocked down yet again.

“You need to be quick and light on your feet, prepared to spring into action at any moment,” Osferth advises yet again, a note of frustration in his voice, and you let out an aggravated huff.

You were trying, you really were. Your right arm aches from the weight of the sword, even though it was smaller and lighter than the weapons the men wielded. Your back and left shoulder throbs from the strain of holding up your heavy wooden shield. When you had initially asked Osferth to teach you to use a sword, you hadn’t quite comprehended the physical toll it would take. When you lay in your bed each night after training, your whole body feels exhausted and sore as if it had been beaten.

Osferth has been diligent in his instruction but equally tireless. When he first put a sword in your hand, one intended for a man as that was all that was available at the time, he quickly realized you could barely lift it, let alone give it a swing. He compromised by having you use a child’s wooden sword so you could “get the feel of it” before finding you a smaller one of steel that was more manageable for someone of your size.

But further recognizing that your physical strength still needed substantial improvement before delving into the intricacies of swordplay, he had started your training with a rigorous workout routine. For a few weeks now, he had made you lift buckets of water, carry piles of wood uphill, sprint across the training grounds, and, in time, practice sparring as you were doing now.

Hefting your shield you turn to face Osferth again and assume the defensive position he had taught you. Finan, the Irishman, watches you from the sideline, bemused. At first, he and Sihtric thought Osferth was wasting his time on you. But as they witnessed your determination and subsequent improvement first-hand, they joined you in your workout and occasionally watched you spar with Osferth, calling out advice and encouragement when they could.

“Wait, Osferth, I have an idea,” Finan says abruptly as Osferth easily knocks you off balance again without even trying. Finan walks over to you, a frown on his bearded face, his dark eyes accessing your shield arm. Suddenly, he reaches out and removes your shield.

“This is too cumbersome and heavy for you, it’s only servin’ to slow you down,” he says with his familiar Irish lilt. “Your advantage is going to have to be your speed and quickness,” he turns and speaks directly to Osferth. “She won’t be able to catch a swing from a bloody Dane on that shield anyway. It would only break her arm.”

Relieved of the shield, you do feel much lighter, but now exposed to attacks.

Finan looks back at you as he retreats from the training yard. “Grasp the hilt with both hands and let’s see how you do now,” he nods encouragingly.

Following his instruction, you tighten your grip on the sword with newfound enthusiasm and launch an attack on Osferth. Ever the superior swordsman, he catches your first swing on his shield easily, but almost misses the second, not anticipating your speed. You gain confidence as you continue to swing, forcing Osferth to defend himself. Two handed, your swings are much more powerful than when you were only using one and you feel like you have better control.

Osferth allows your assault to continue for a few more minutes and you quickly realize his strategy a moment too late. Your relentless attack has quickly tired your arms and you almost duck too slowly when he swings back. You dodge his arching blow and jump out of arm's reach. Since you no longer have a shield to block attacks, you have to rely on your quick feet to evade his counterattacks, but you’ve exhausted yourself attacking him first.

You realize he’s taught you yet another important lesson. After a few more moments exchanging blows and deftly avoiding Osferth’s purposefully slow strikes, he calls an end to your practice session. For the first time, you feel like you have managed to genuinely spar.

“Much better!” Finan yells from the sidelines, “I can’t wait to watch you properly kick Baby Monk’s arse soon!” His laugh booms across the training square and he gives you a wink before turning and strolling away. You can’t help but chuckle in response and Osferth catches your eye, pressing his lips together in a shy smile.

“Come on, you two,” Finan shouts over his shoulder as he heads for the town square. “You don’t want to miss the festivities!”

“You did well today, my lady,” Osferth says quietly as you both return your swords and gear to the rack where the training materials are kept. A few townspeople mill about but most were already in the center of town, having begun the celebrations for Blood Month.

“Finan is right. I think we found a better technique for you,” he adds.

“I felt really good today,” you agree, “but I know I need a lot more practice.”

“All in good time, my lady, all in good time,” Osferth reassures you with a nod.

A cold breeze sweeps around you, welcoming the arrival of Blood Month, November. In honor of this month, commonfolk make offerings to the gods, typically by sacrificing their animals. You knew Osferth and Finan were on their way into town to meet up with Aethelstan, who has been tasked with slaying his first beast, considered a rite of passage from adolescence to manhood. The truth is though, he is a young man now and has been for some time, even without having to slay a beast to prove so, but only Uhtred refused to see him as such.

You can feel the town start to stir with the excitement of the festivities. Under Uhtred’s leadership and guidance, Rumcofa prospers and flourishes, serving as a place where both Dane and Saxon can live together in harmony. It was one of the reasons your father had been drawn to Uhtred and had served him faithfully for many years; he thought it was to be a safe place to raise a family.

And it had been until tragedy had struck. Your father had been one of Uhtred’s best warriors and very skilled with a blade. But that didn’t stop him from falling from a poisoned arrow while chasing off raiders with Uhtred’s men near the same time the fever had taken your mother. At one and seven, you had suddenly found yourself as head of the family, responsible for caring for your home and raising your younger brother and sister.

As you trudge up the muddy lane back home, your mind drifts to your tasks ahead before you can join in on the celebrations and the weight of being the head of your family settles back on your shoulders, momentarily forgotten in the physical exertion of your training.

Deep in thought, your fingers clasp the bronze Thor’s Hammer pendant of your necklace, one of the few material items that remained to you that had previously belonged to your father. You wish he could see you now and hope he would be proud of all that you were learning, of how you were valiantly trying to protect your family.

After their passing, Uhtred had personally come to your door to offer his condolences and so much more. So many questions had lingered since you had been so young. Would Uhtred turn you out of your home? Would he force you into marriage? How could you continue to care for your young siblings?

But you were pleasantly surprised by his soft tone and wide, gentle eyes. The brave face you were trying to maintain in front of him quickly crumbled and he held you as he cried and wiped your tears. He promised that you could remain safely in Rumcofa, under his protection, enabling you to stay in your family home and finish raising your siblings. He did not pressure you into marrying, moreover stating that any marriage would need his approval and that he would not allow just any man to marry you.

The following few years had not always been easy but the small community had come together to help you in times of need and you could never repay them for their generosity. Your father had served with Sihtric, Finan, and Osferth and your families had been relatively close before their untimely deaths. You were overwhelmed with how quickly they took you under their wing.

It was because of Osferth that you now made a living as the local medicine woman. You had to admit though, the only reason you had shown curiosity in the art of healing was because of your girlhood crush on Osferth. It was a perfect excuse to spend more time with him. Although Osferth was only a few years older than you, at that time you were too young for him to give you any notice; if he was aware of your crush on him, he hid it well.

After badgering him consistently when you were younger, he had taught you all he knew about the ways of healing and medicine. Those early days were filled with diligent study and hands-on practice, learning the delicate arts of setting bones, soothing fevers, and brewing potent remedies.

Luckily, Rumcofa was in need of a healer and you remained consistently occupied, whether from fixing the local childrens’ playground mishaps or by patching up Uhtred’s men after skirmishes and you had come to enjoy your job and the value that you were able to provide to the townspeople. Osferth was always the first to praise your growing expertise and efficiency, which had now surpassed his own. Having known him since you were a young girl, you could see the look of pride on his face whenever you taught him something new. Osferth’s mentorship had meant everything to you, and you always felt like you would be indebted to him for giving you a way to sustain your livelihood and carving out a valuable place for you in society.

Sihtric and Finan had also become like surrogate uncles. Because of his growing family, Sihtric’s wife, Sigdeflaed, had plenty of clothes her children would outgrow and offer it to you as a hand-me-down for your growing siblings. And Finan’s wife, Ingrith, would often invite your small family over for dinner and she always packed leftovers to take home. But your familiarity with all three men was not just because they had served with your father, but also because of Aethelstan…

When you had been one and three, Uhtred had returned to Rumcofa after peacefully ensuring the succession of the Mercian throne with an extra person in tow; Aethelstan, the first trueborn son of the king and the child Uhtred had promised to raise as his own. Being more similar in age to this young newcomer, who was only two years younger, you had become Aethelstan’s first friend.

At first, Aethelstan was a solemn boy, very shy and quiet. But under Uhtred’s care, you had witnessed his transformation into the tall, confident young man he was now, far surpassing your own height and strength. Uhtred had raised him to be a warrior and a warrior he was.

But despite his prowess with a blade and upbringing in a predominantly male environment, Aethelstan remained incredibly tender-hearted and sweet. He had been your most steadfast companion after the passing of your parents. He had offered you comfort and a shoulder to cry on when the burden of raising your siblings and caring for your household began to take its toll. Despite being younger than you, he often offered advice and wisdom beyond his years. You would never be able to tell him how much you valued his support and friendship.

You loved Finan’s booming laugh and Sihtric’s calm, quiet steadiness. During any downtime when Uhtred and his men were home, you’d always find Osferth huddled in a corner somewhere, reading The Holy Book. Although you had been raised a Dane, you’d often ask him to read you a few verses; his soft, warm voice was like a soothing song as he read to you and you enjoyed it immensely. He tolerated your endless questions about the intricacies of The Holy Book and you were always fascinated by his interpretation. He never seemed to tire of your boundless curiosity.

Your thoughts drift to Aethelstan and his coming of age. You had been a woman grown for years now and you were starting to feel yourself longing for companionship; basically becoming a single mother of sorts was as lonely as it was tireless. Now at the age of twenty, most young women were married and had young families of their own. Although you were proud of all that you had accomplished at a young age, maintaining a household and an income and being able to provide for your siblings, you were more often than not wishing for a suitable spouse, someone who was willing to share your burden with small children in tow.

You had your eye set on someone; you had for a long time. In your heart, you desire for your friendship with Osferth to evolve into something deeper, something more profound and meaningful, with possibilities for a future life together considering your siblings simply adored him as they adored all of Uhtred’s men.

You sigh as your thoughts settle on Osferth. That was part of the reason why you had also chosen him to help you with your sword training. He was an excellent swordsman and teacher, and he had never told you “no” before, you knew he would agree to help you. But, deep in your heart, you had also hoped he would start to see the woman you had become rather than forever remain anchored to the girl he used to know.

Recently, unrest has been rippling through the countryside. Twice your home has been robbed by raiders; you and your siblings were safe and tucked away in your hiding place as the Danes tore through your meager belongings. But as the sole guardian and protector of your household, you were determined to do whatever it took to ensure their safety in these tumultuous times; the men were often gone, chasing these raiders away or offering their swords to one lord or another. You no longer wanted to be a helpless damsel in distress. Learning to protect your home was your top priority and you would do whatever Osferth said to see it done.

You push open the creaking door to your modest home and are immediately accosted by your little sister, Liv, who is only seven years old. She bounds up to you on little feet, almost trembling with enthusiasm, proud to show you the bracelet she had crafted earlier that day. Her euphoria is infectious as she inquires as to when she would be allowed to join in the celebrations that evening. You give her a reassuring smile and tell her that after dinner you’ll all be able to join in, but she must help with preparing dinner first.

The rhythmic clatter of knives against wooden cutting boards forms a comforting backdrop as you both chop vegetables for the evening stew. Your brother, Erik, a boy of eleven, wanders in a short while later as the stew simmers merrily over the fire in the hearth, proudly holding up a rabbit for you to add. Although so young, you knew he already felt the pressure to help you provide for the family and he was quite skilled as a trapper; your family rarely went without meat on the table.

After an usually good meal shared with your siblings, you can hear the growing clamor from outside. Making sure your siblings are bundled from the chilly air, you grasp your little sister’s hand so she doesn’t get trampled by the crowd as your brother flies out of the house in pursuit of a friend he sees in the distance.

“Be sure to be home by nightfall!” you call after him and he gives you a small wave, acknowledging that he has heard you.

You arrive into town at the same time as Finan and Uhtred. Most of the townsfolk have already had a considerable amount of ale, their raucous laughter fills the air and they wave their torches around in jubilation. Uhtred makes his way to the raised platform in the middle of the muddy square.

“Aethelstan!” he calls. “Why have you left your post?”

“His first hunt, Lord,” Osferth answers at first.

“It’s good luck for Blood Month, Uhtred,” Aethelstan adds.

Uhtred stands across from Aethelstan and considers him.

“You think you’re ready to slaughter a beast?” he asks.

Aethelstan smirks. “You know I am.”

You see the reluctance in Uhtred’s countenance but you know he can no longer delay this moment.

“Aethelstan says he is ready,” Uhtred says, turning to the crowd. “What do you say?” He poses the questions to the townsfolk and is immediately met by cheers.

“For Blood Month!” Uhtred exclaims, raising his hands in celebration to which Aethelstan imitates as shouts go up in the square, the men all laugh exuberantly.

“Be careful,” Uhtred cautions seriously amidst the noise but you can still make out his words to Aethelstan. “The animal will fight to the death.” He cannot help the paternal energy that radiates through him at this moment.

In the midst of the excitement, you spot Astrid in the crowd, who often watches Liv for you when you are busy working. A widow now with three grown sons, Astrid enjoys feeling needed again and is often responsible for watching over the younger children of the town when their parents are otherwise occupied.

Liv runs up to her and hugs her around the middle. “You deserve a break too, dear,” Astrid smiles at you. “Let me take Liv for the evening. We will have lots of fun together!” She adds as Liv jumps up and down on the balls of her feet. She simply adores Astrid. You nod, relenting and Astrid holds Liv’s hand as she leads her through the crowd, towards where the other young children are playing.

You watch her go, your heart content to see her so happy and carefree. It was your ultimate wish that she remain a child for as long as possible; to not feel burdened to provide for the family. You were fortunate you had someone as trustworthy and reliable to watch over her when you couldn’t.

“Let’s go kill the swine!” Sihtric exclaims, hefting his torch to chants of “Blood Month! Blood Month! Blood Month!” from the excitable crowd.

When you turn back around, you see Osferth through the throng, yelling and cheering with the rest of the townsfolk as Sihtric starts to lead the hunting party. As the crowd disperses and the men start to head in the direction of the woods to hunt the boar, you tug on Aethelstan’s sleeve to get his attention.

“Hey,” he looks down and greets you warmly, smiling, but you can tell his thoughts are elsewhere, fire in his dark eyes.

“Good luck on your hunt,” you say as you walk alongside him, smiling back. “Don’t let that boar gore you, I don’t want to be stitching you up later,” you tease playfully.

He rolls his eyes, radiating confidence as he leans down to whisper in your ear, “I’ll give you first pick of the meat when I’ve killed it,” he says, squeezing your arm lightly. Your breath hitches a little, mainly because it's your swore sword arm but you wonder if perhaps he could feel your growing muscle underneath. You hadn’t told him of your practice with Osferth and you aren’t sure if any of the men had bothered mentioning it to him. Uhtred’s constant demands of his time and attention had kept him so busy, you hadn’t had the opportunity to share your sword training with him yet.

“Then I happily await your return,” you smile genuinely and give him a light shove off into the woods as Finan spots the two of you and, in his typical boisterous manner, exclaims. “There’ll be plenty of time for kissing girls later, Aethelstan! Now come on!”

You shake your head at Finan and smile, which he returns before following the rest of the men into the fog of the forest. You can barely make out Osferth’s retreating back in the distance and give a small sigh. You feel oddly protective and possessive of these men. Even though Finan and Sihtric are married and have families of their own, you knew that some piece of your heart would always belong to these strong, dependable men who had stepped in to fill the void left by your father's absence.

You decide to wait in the pub, knowing that will be their first stop when they return from their hunt to celebrate. All of the townsfolk are out tonight and the bustling pub is warm and welcoming, filled with hearty laughter and conversation. Ingrith offers you the seat next to her and you settle at a wooden table, the flickering candlelight casting a soft glow upon the well-worn, ale-stained surface.

The two of you engage in lively conversation, swapping stories and laughter over tankards of ale that seem to flow endlessly. You find yourself sipping more freely than usual, the ale making you feel more lighthearted and comfortable as you relax for the first time in a long while.

A short time later and much earlier than expected, you hear deep muffled voices coming from outside and you exchange a look of concern with Ingrith as hunting the boar should have taken longer than this. The pub door swings open, heralding the arrival of the men as raucous laughter and jeering fills the pub.

Your fears are abated slightly as all seems well until you spot Aethelstan. He looks a little worse for wear, his clothes are muddy and there are several long scratches on his face. You feel a surge of concern as the men begin sharing the story of Aethelstan's unexpected ordeal in the woods, the sudden attack by three unknown men. Your stomach drops as you hear of the danger, feeling as though you are not nearly prepared enough in your training to protect your family.

But despite the blood and disheveled appearance, Aethelstan seems exhilarated from his fight, having killed two out of the three of his assailants. His eyes gleam with a sense of pride and adrenaline and he wears the bloodstains on his clothes like a badge of honor. You watch as all of the men pound their chests and raise their tankards of ale, shouting praises for Aethelstan’s bravery. To them, this is a symbolic moment that marks his transition into manhood. The pub erupts with cheers, and you can't help but share in their pride, even as a sense of worry continues to gnaw in the back of your mind.

Once the crowd settles a bit, you make your way over to him.

“Aethelstan, are you alright?” you say with a little alarm. You know your friend well and you think the adrenaline is the only thing keeping him from going into shock right now.

“Might have a few scratches for you to look at later, but I’m fine,” he shouts back over the noise of the crowd, seeming delighted to see that you had waited for his return. He continues to absorb the praise of the townsfolk as you worriedly stare up at him. Sensing your gaze, he finally looks down at you and meets your eyes.

“I promise I’m fine,” he says with a smug grin and nonchalant shrug to reassure you, at least on the surface, that he's physically alright. You can't help but manage a small smile in response. The noise and commotion of the celebration make it difficult to engage in a serious conversation about the attack at the moment, but you make a silent promise to revisit the topic when things quiet down.

His wide smile is infectious as Aethelstan raises his tankard and toasts with you, just as Finan’s voice booms from above. He's clearly in high spirits as he stands on the table, commanding the room's attention. He sweeps his arms wide in a grand gesture.

“LADIES OF RUMCOFA! WE HAVE A NEW MAN FOR YOU ALL TO ENJOY THIS EVENING!” Finan shouts joyfully above the crowd.

Aethelstan’s face turns beet red and you feel your cheeks flush with secondhand embarrassment. You decide it’s your time to leave the celebration since Finan’s antics have taken a rather suggestive tone; and you'd rather not stick around to witness the more explicit details of his celebration for Aethelstan becoming a man.

You shout into Aethelstan’s ear as Finan starts asking for volunteers, “And now I shall take my leave,” you chuckle in amusement at his predicament. “Good luck!”

Aethelstan watches you go, looking like he wants the floor to open up and swallow him whole as Finan continues his spirited matchmaking efforts, identifying a seemingly willing participant in the enthusiastic crowd.

You catch Osferth’s eye as you pass, his expression is a mixture of smug satisfaction and amusement. His eyes seem to dance with mirth as he observes the festivities and Aethelstan's evident uneasiness. It's clear that he finds the situation highly entertaining, and a playful smile graces his lips as he acknowledges your presence, nodding at you as you make your way out the door.

Finally, once out of the alehouse, the cold night air is welcoming on your face and you gulp a few crisp lungfuls, allowing it to steady your thoughts. Aethelstan is younger than you, yet he is about to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh before you do. You can’t help but feel a small pang in your chest at the absurdity of this thought as you make your way home. Was it loneliness that made you wish for someone to share your bed with too?

As you make your way home through the dusky evening, you pause at Astrid's house to collect your sister. In the corner of the room, you find her peacefully asleep, nestled amidst soft blankets, clearly worn out from the earlier festivities. You thank Astrid for watching her as you wake Liv, who groggily walks the rest of the way home as if she’s had too much ale to drink too but you know she is just tired.

Upon arriving home, you're greeted by Erik at the hearth, tending to the fire. The flickering flames cast a cozy glow throughout the room, instantly dispelling the chill that lingers in the night air. You let out a sigh as you undo all your layers, welcoming the warmth from the fire. You ruffle his hair, a silent expression of gratitude for heeding your advice and returning home at a reasonable hour.

You lay your sister in the small bed made up at the foot of your straw mattress and your brother climbs in next to her, you can tell from the look on his face that he’s had a full day of excitement too. You wash your face off in the basin and then get yourself ready for bed, stoking the fire and putting on your simple woolen shift that you sleep in. You're about to get into bed yourself when there’s a small knock at the door.

Immediately, your heart jumps into your throat as you and your brother exchange a fearful glance, but next a familiar voice whispers out. “It’s me!”

You sigh with relief and race to open the door, stepping back to let Aethelstan inside. Erik jumps out of bed and races forth to wrap his skinny arms around Aethelstan in a bear hug which he eagerly returns. Your siblings love him like an older brother.

“What are you doing here?” you ask in a shocked whisper as the voice in your head wonders why he isn’t intimately wrapped around some other woman right now.

“I escaped,” Aethelstan whispers back and makes a pointed glance down at your brother as he doesn’t elaborate. Erik, oblivious, excitedly whispers, “Aethelstan! Are you going to stay here tonight?” as he turns his big brown eyes on you, pleading for your permission.

Aethelstan looks abashed but then says to your brother. “As long as your sister allows me,” and you watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows heavily, eyes flicking back up to meet your gaze.

You give a sigh as your brother immediately starts to plead but you’re tired and you don’t want to argue.

“I was hoping you could clean these scratches for me too,” Aethelstan reminds you gently. You consider him for a moment and then nod; he is right, his wounds need to be cleaned before bed.

“Yes, he can stay,” you pretend to be exasperated as you turn to your brother. “Now go fetch me my supplies so I can clean him up before bed.” Erik races excitedly to get the small wooden bowl and poultice that you use to clean wounds. You pull up a chair in front of the fire, indicating Aethelstan should sit.

The truth is, Aethelstan is a fairly frequent visitor to your house. As children, you often shared a bed and as you grew older, you found yourself keeping the same habit from time to time, especially once your parents had passed. You slept the best when he was here with you; finally feeling like you had a protector to watch over you. Further, he had never tried to do anything “more” with you. You felt completely safe with him and comforted by his presence.

Your brother, who had somehow heard of Aethelstan’s attack in the woods, bombards him with questions as you clean his scratches. You listen to his story intently, worried that nobody seems to know who these men belong to or why they attacked Aethelstan specifically. You meet his gaze, unable to conceal the worry and fear you feel and a sense of foreboding.

Once finished cleaning him up, you snap your fingers at your brother to indicate he should get back into bed and he hastens to obey.

“Enough storytelling for one day,” you say easily, not wanting your brother to know your alarm. “Time for bed.”

You settle into your own bed as Aethelstan removes his layers for sleep as well. He props his sword next to the nightstand and slides down into bed with you. You both wait a few minutes, just simply staring at each other, knowing your brother will be out cold soon and then you can talk freely.

The light of the dying fire glows orange on Aethelstan’s tired face. You think the adrenaline is finally leaving him and can see his exhaustion in the bags of his eyes and the tired way he blinks.

At long last, when you hear deep breathing at the foot of the bed, you whisper with childlike curiosity. “So? Did you do it?”

Aethelstan takes a slow deep breath and shakes his head as he reaches out and smoothes a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I couldn’t, the guys think I’ve gone off with some girl but I snuck off when she wasn’t looking,” the corner of his mouth turns up at his small feat.

“You know you won’t be able to evade this forever,” you say. “Maybe you should just do it so Finan can stop shouting from the rooftops that you’re still a virgin,” you counsel him as if you, too, aren’t still a virgin.

Aethelstan stares at you for a beat and then lowers his gaze, blinking slowly. You know he’ll soon be fast asleep too. “Maybe, yeah,” he breathes before his eyes shut completely. Within a few minutes, he’s snoring gently.

You watch him sleep, feeling suddenly alert. You didn’t understand the big deal the men always made about virginity and you feel sorry for Aethelstan for constantly being their target. He was your friend and you wish you could help him. This wasn’t the first time he found a way out of sleeping with a woman.

You continue to watch him, admiring the length of his eyelashes as he sleeps and your mind wanders. Osferth’s joyous face flicks across your vision. If you didn’t already intend to give your virginity to someone else, you think you would have been ok with giving yours to Aethelstan, you muse. He was your first kiss, after all, not that it should really count. You had both been curious as children, having sneakily watched Sihtric and his wife once; you couldn’t stop fixating on the way they seemed to consume each other with their kisses. When things progressed, Aethelstan was sure he was hurting her by the sounds she was making. You remember clapping a hand over your mouth to keep from laughing at the horrified look in his eyes.

Afterwards, you had decided to practice with each other out of natural curiosity. You smile slightly at the memory as you roll over, seeing the moonlight stream through your curtained window. Now that you are older, you often feel a certain curiosity about Aethelstan. He was the blood of the King; he would never be a proper match for you with his royal bloodline. But he has grown into a fine, handsome man, sweet, kind and gentle. Similar to someone else you consistently had less than honorable thoughts about…

But something nags at you and you can't really explain it. Even if you did offer yourself to Aethelstan, you didn’t think he would accept you and you didn’t know why. He had never shown any inclination towards women that you knew of. But he is one of your dearest friends and you love him regardless of his nature.

You breathe a deep sigh and close your eyes, waiting for sleep while contemplating the ridiculous habits of men.

>>>> Part 2

A/N: Did I get a little lost in Aethelstan's dark eyes in this part? Yes, yes I did. But more Osferth to come, I promise.

Tags: @peonamay @quinnquinn317 @multyfangirl @cyeco13 @aemondsscar @sylas-the-grim @chainsawsangel @boundlessfantasy @bellaisasleep @fan-goddess @pandemonium105 @megatardisbaby, @myfandomprompts

!!If you would no longer like to be tagged, please let me know and I will remove you!!

#ewan mitchell #tlk osferth #osferth smut #osferth the last kingdom #osferth x reader #osferth #tlk aethelstan #aethelstan #finan being finan #the last kingdom fanfiction #the last kingdom fanfic #uhtred #sihtric

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world-of-cards · 4 months ago

Note

Hi!! :D

AB, 🪽, #2

cards I pulled - Wheel of Fortune, Ace of Swords, three of swords

(because I took so so soooo long on these next readings I drew an extra two cards for added clarification! I didn’t forget about you I promise! I hope it’s worth the wait . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ )

According to the cards, you're going through a period of intense change. Recently, you may have had an "aha!" moment (I didn't pull the Magician but that card popped into my head! that energy maybe relevant). Things have been clearer to you lately. You may have been making things clear to others, standing your ground? Even your energy feels very clear I must say.

Overall positivity. However something happened that hurt you, "broke your heart", you could say. A breakthrough/realization. It came at a good time, though? hmmm. You may have known it was coming.

Whatever it was, it "triggered" you recently,or "triggered" a string of (fated) events... a falling out? a tense conversation? you recognized a misalignment with you and someone you cared about? I'm getting some sort of issue with a female/OR feminine presenting person in your life, could be any type of relationship (friend, family, coworker, i'm not rlly getting a lover but that's possible too).

You may have felt a lack of support from them, or a lack in the ability to communicate with them? Insufferable, I'm hearing? The kind of person you could explain 1+2=3 to, and they'd still find a way to debate you on it. Hard to explain yourself to them, frustrating.

You should trust in your emotions. Don't run from them or push them down. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, do not delay the inevitable. Whatever you just thought of as you read this, yes, that. Put yourself first. Karma (eventually) comes for us all, do not let anyone provoke you. Live with no regrets. I'm hearing "on my best behavior" lol. Operate with a clear mind & concise communication.

You'll come out better on the other side. Other things seem to be going well for you, or they will soon. Try not to let this bog you down though I know that's easier said than done. Trust your intuition, take care of yourself, set future you up for success. I can't emphasize that last sentence enough!! && Give yourself permission to grieve the pain associated with this person. It's okay to "mourn" people from a distance when you know the connection has run its course.

Final Messages - Change. All that leaves will be replaced. (something exciting in the Fall/Autumn?) A lesson you won't forget. Doing the right thing. Moving on ✂ Cutting through the bs ✂ "I didn't know then but I'm glad I know now." Goodbyes & the Journeys of life. It'll all work out for the better. Patience & Empathy. Think first, react later. Gemini energy (that magician card!! also emphasis on a conversation with someone in your "inner circle" you had recently? maybe relevant to this reading), Leo energy (p.s. these don't have to be your signs, the season or message of the sign could be relevant) (coinky dink it's leo szn now tho lol, i def feel this is all recent) "feel like a brand new person" tame impala. Done playing games.

Thank you again for your extreme patience ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ and for allowing me to read for you!

*please keep in mind I am new to tarot so I am far from perfect!

Feedback is always appreciated & encouraged!

Dividers

#cloud reading #free readings #astrology #pick a card #pick a picture #pick a pile #tarot cards #tarotblr

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cheerstotheelites-if · 2 years ago

Note

downfall with fleur maybe? Since i think i remember her being a bit sickly

Prompt list

'A bit' is an understatement for Fleur's chronic illness. :']

❛ downfall . find my muse collapsed on the ground .

=-=-=

I never loved you more than when you said goodbye 'Cause maybe I knew that love wasn't honest if you had to lie I never loved you more than when you walked away 'Cause maybe I knew, Angelina, you'd never stay - Angelina - Lizzy Mcalpine

=-=-=

"It's a surprise I'm still alive despite everything," Fleur says out of the blue, and sips on her coffee. Bitter and black with barely any sugar.

You sit beside her on the stone bench in the park, your own drink at hand now lukewarm. "Isn't that a good thing?" You ask her.

"I don't know if I should consider it as such." Fleur replies, leaning back onto the backrest. The shadow of the branches above sway from the gentle breeze, a calming rustle reaching both of your ears. "Because for one, I have a bit more time to continue on and spend more time with everyone," Fleur continues, her eyes casting down to her cup of coffee with a small frown, "but then again, I'm also going through excruciating pain while doing so and just... waiting for it to suddenly end."

"Oh." You look away, back at the people before you both. Families, friends, lovers. "Well... I'm glad you're still alive, Fleur."

You hear the faintest of chuckle. "Thank you... It's reassuring and touching to know."

You send her a warm smile. "We still got time to spend anyway, right?"

She sends you one back, albeit smaller. "Of course."

That day replayed in your head over, and over, and over, and over.

As you clutch Fleur's limp body close to you, her blood stained clothes and hands staining yours.

The pristine tiles of her bathroom floor covered in a small puddle and drops of blood, pills spilled and scattered with some coated in the red nectar.

You don't know how long it's been since you've found Fleur collapsed on the floor, hacking and choking on her own blood from a lung hemorrhage.

You don't know how long you've stayed seated on the cold bathroom floor, listening to her shallow wheezes of breath in the deafening silence of the manor.

You don't know how long it'll take for the ambulance to arrive since you called for them.

You don't know if she'll even survive that long.

Surely... it's more worth it to let her go, to be at peace; no longer having to experience this anymore, to simply just be with no more of... this.

But what does that make of you?

Are you selfish to try and save her from death? To let her continue on living and experience it all while delaying the inevitable while she still has whatever time left in the world?

Isn't that a good thing?

Isn't that the right thing?

To let her continue on, deteriorating slowly as she does so while only you could do was watch?

You don't know if you would consider it as such.

#prompt #Fleur #MC

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plumblossomcafe · 5 months ago

Text

Ch.38: Setting Sail and Confessions of an Outlander (1/2)

Katheryne: Ad astra abyssosque! What can I do for you, Aether, and Y/n?

Aether: About traveling to Inazuma...

Katheryne: Ah yes, I've heard that you've both already made arrangements with the captain of the Crux Fleet regarding your passage to Inazuma. Is that correct? Now that I think about it, it's been quite some time since I last visited those lands. Unfortunately, I don't have any current intel that would be worth sharing with you.

Y/n: That's alright

Sea Drake: There you guys are! You're the Travelers that Beidou will be taking to Inazuma, right?

Aether: It seems our intel has arrived.

Sea Drake: The fleet has nearly completed reprovisioning. Once the crews have taken a headcount, we can get underway. Captain Beidou sent me to come get you guys. We'll weigh anchor as soon as you're aboard.

Paimon: Seems Beidou is a captain of her word.

Sea Drake: Of course! There are many things that the Captain insists upon. I'm sure you'll see for yourself once you're on board.

Katheryne: So you'll be heading off then? I suppose congratulations are in order. Whether the journey before you guys leads to the heights of the heavens or the depths of the abyss, each step you take is another achievement. Until we meet again, ad astra abyssosque!

Y/n: Ad astra abyssosque, Katheryne...We'll miss you...

Paimon: Oh... It's kinda hard to say goodbye now... we practically see each other every day.

Katheryne: Hehe, well if that's how you feel, why not come and find me when you arrive? I'll be awaiting you on Narukami Island.

Aether: ...I knew it!

Paimon: So there's another Katheryne in Inazuma!? See, there's no need to get all sappy now, Y/n...

Sea Drake: Haha, well, I guess it's time for you guys to bid farewell to Liyue Harbor. Now that I've delivered my message, I'll be heading back. The ship is currently anchored off of Guyun Stone Forest.

Y/n: Okay, thanks for coming all this way to let us know!

Sea Drake: Just following orders. I'll see you three aboard the Alcor.

Beidou: Ah, you guys finally made it! All these years, come rain or storm, the Crux Fleet has never suffered a delay. If it were anyone else, I might've set sail already.

Y/n: Apologies, Captain!

Beidou: Hahaha, don't look too serious, I'm only joking. You're just on time. The crew has just finished making final preparations. *sigh* Well, now that everyone's here... We set sail for the land engulfed by storm and tempest... The nation of "eternity"!

Paimon: Anchors aweigh!

After braving the raging thunderstorms, The Alcor finally comes into port... A series of lovely islands lie before you as you descend the gangplank, and immediately, you are met by a young man who seems to have been awaiting you for a long time.

???: So, you finally made it. You sure kept me waiting, Captain. And it appears we have a couple of stowaways... or perhaps I should say — honored guests.

Paimon: Hey! Shush!

Beidou: You can blame your Almighty Shogun. The tempests around Inazuma have been growing all the more fierce lately. Though the fleet was fully up to the challenge, the inclement weather still caused some delay. Now then, let me introduce everyone. This is Thoma, a trade partner that I've gotten to know recently.

Thoma: Heh, you don't know how long I've been waiting to see you.

Beidou: Thoma, these two are—

Thoma: No need for introductions. Their reputation precedes them. Seems even the stormy seas can't keep rumors of these outlanders' sterling deeds at bay.

Aether: Nice to meet you, Thoma.

Y/n: *gripping Aether's hand* "Tall...I dont like tall people that much...."

Paimon: Hehe, it's sure nice to hear you say that~

Beidou: Ha, with any luck, it'll give you guys a head start here. Aether, Y/n, Thoma's resided on Ritou for quite some time now. It wouldn't be going too far to say he's the fixer around these parts. If you guys run into any problems here, just talk to Thoma. But if he tries to pull any moves on you, especially twords you Y/n, I'll be sure to deal with him personally the next time I'm around.

Thoma: Hehehe, no need to worry. I'm sure we'll get along just fine.

Beidou: Good. Then, if it's all settled, I'll be going. I wouldn't want to be caught with my sails down here, I do have wanted fugitives on board, after all.

Paimon: Oh, right. Kazuha and Tomo...

Beidou: Until next time, Aether and Y/n. Remember to give it your all, no matter what perilous "storms" you guys may encounter.

Y/n: Looking forward to seeing you again!

Paimon: Fair seas, Captain Beidou! Bye-bye!

Beidou: *leaves*

Thoma: Now then, first things first, we need to go get you guys registered at the border checkpoint.

Paimon: Um, Paimon thought we were supposed to be keeping things on the down low... Are we just gonna walk into the government's hands?

Thoma: Haha, don't underestimate the reaches of the Sakoku Decree. You wouldn't be able to avoid inspection even if you tried. So we have to play by the rules... even if we're kind of bending them.

Y/n: Now I'm feeling a bit nervous.

After managing to pass the entry procedures

Yurika: You've completed the entry procedures, yes? And now you want to apply for residency? Three of you?

Paimon: Yes, please!

Yurika: Okay. The processing fee will be three million Mora.

Paimon: *shocked* T—Three million! For a processing fee? Are you serious!?

Yurika: That's right, one million per applicant, which makes three million total. Don't worry. You can trust my math.

Paimon: Paimon wasn't so much questioning your math as... Ugh...

Thoma: Hahaha... Ma'am, these three here are good friends of mine. I think you'll find I'm one face you recognize.

Yurika: Ah, Mr. Thoma, it's you. By way of courtesy, allow me to reduce it to 400,000 Mora total.

Y/n: That's still quite expensive...

Thoma: Thank you ever so much, Miss Yurika. But as this is just a processing fee... I think 600 Mora should cover it if I'm paying on their behalf? I'll treat you to dinner, too. How does that sound?

Y/n: "This guy reminds me of Kaeya"

Paimon: That's not how you haggle! By all means, bargain the price down, but—

Yurika: Alright then. As you wish, Mr. Thoma. I will make a record.

Thoma: Hee-hee, much obliged.

Yurika leads the four inside the building. The residency application is processed smoothly at the Outlander Affairs Agency. Soon, Thoma, Paimon, Aether, and Y/n leave for the entrance to the Agency.

Paimon: What!? She went from three million down to 600? There's something seriously wrong with people's sense of finance around here!

Y/n: Mhm

Aether: I think it's about more than the Mora.

Thoma: Hehe, it's not as mind-boggling as you think. "Processing fee" is just a figure of speech. The way some here at the agency see it, the fees are easy money, so it becomes a question of how much they can make. So when the day comes that some poor merchant from overseas with more money than sense gets stuck here and needs to apply for residency...

Paimon: Then they'll milk them for all they're worth!

Thoma: Exactly. It's at times like this that having a local friend really comes in handy.

Y/n: That's blatant oppression against outlanders... *sighs* Doesn't anyone push back?

Thoma: Yes, but when you're an outlander in Inazuma, far from home, in this closed-nation era, there's very little that can be done about it. The most that overseas merchants can do to look after themselves is stick together. That's how the International Trade Association came about.

Paimon: So it's a trade association built by and for outlanders?

Thoma: Yep, and as well as advancing commercial interests, the association provides help, support, and structure for outlanders trying to survive on Ritou. Essentially, it's an association devoted to both commercial excellence and survival skills.

Aether: The Raiden Shogun feels further away than ever...

Paimon: *sigh* Sounds like just stayin' alive is an achievement when you're an outlander in Inazuma...

Y/n: I at least have some savings, but I don't know how long it'll last for

Thoma: I see... so this is the real purpose of your trip. Yes, given that you are outlanders, it's certainly a lofty aspiration. After all, the Raiden Shogun is the most exalted and revered one in all of Inazuma. She is a deity who reigns on high, while all other life gazes up in awe.

Aether: I still have to find a way!

Thoma: ... I was going to say nothing is set in stone when it comes to who you will encounter in this world. Who's to say you won't happen to run into the Raiden Shogun one day after lunch...

Paimon: Uh-huh... And is that likely...?

Thoma: Okay, I'll give it to you straight. I know of a way to introduce you to the Raiden Shogun.

Paimon: Really!? Wow, the Ritou fixer is better connected than we thought!

Thoma: Ahem, hehe — I mean, it will take all the resources I have at my disposal, but it can be done. However, before we get there... Connections come at a high price, you understand?

Paimon: Ugh, not you too!

Y/n: How much Mora?

Thoma: Hahaha! No, no... In this instance, when I say price, I'm not talking about Mora. In fact, there's no real cost, as such. It's just that... if this is something you really want, you'll have to agree to help other people solve some of their problems first. I like to do things in a way that keeps everybody happy. It's my own personal rule for dealing with situations like this.

Paimon: Sounds very reasonable to Paimon! You're the man in the middle, so you have to trade favors to keep everyone indebted to you.

Aether: The fixer works in mysterious ways...

Thoma: Heh... Why do I get the feeling you're making me out to be some sort of crook... Uh, never mind. Here's the situation. As I touched upon earlier, the members of the International Trade Association are constantly struggling to survive. Recently, things seem to have gotten more difficult than ever for them. So just go and check things out, see if there's any way you can help. The head of the association is called Kurisu, and he's a good friend of mine. Go talk to him, I'll wait for you here.

Kurisu: Oh? Hello there, you guys must be seeking refuge with the International Trade Association. The Outlander Affairs Agency took you guys for all you're worth, I suppose.

Y/n: Very nearly... Luckily, we had a friend with us.

Kurisu: Ah, good, that's a relief. *sigh* ...You need to be careful, or you'll find yourself losing your savings all at once.

Paimon: We heard the association has been having some difficulties lately. Is that true?

Kurisu: Yes... left, right, and center. Obstacles at every turn. But that's nothing new for us.

Y/n: The Sakoku Decree certainly makes things difficult for anyone who wants to come here from overseas.

Kurisu: But it's not the root cause of our woes. The Sakoku Decree might restrict our scope of activity, but in and of itself, it doesn't stop us from being able to enjoy a comfortable existence. No, what's really squeezing us outlander merchants dry is......those Mora-grubbers from the Kanjou Commission.

Paimon: Oh, of the three Commissions, that's the one that oversees everything on Ritou, isn't it?

Kurisu: That's right. They impose astronomical tax rates and unbelievable regulations, and that's not the worst of it... They just issued a new Tax Decree recently that, for some reason, completely changes the way we pay our taxes. It used to be Mora, but now it's something called Crystal Marrow.

Y/n: Crystal Marrow...? What's that?

Kurisu: Something that most of us in the association had never heard of before either, until the new decree came along. Eventually, one of the older Liyue merchants recalled that he once shipped a batch of it to Snezhnaya in his youth. So, in order to pay our taxes, we began an arduous search for this Crystal Marrow. But then we found we'd only managed to create a bigger problem for ourselves. The rising demand for Crystal Marrow drove the price higher and higher... Now, there's only one vendor who even has it in stock. We can't get hold of it anywhere else...

Y/n: *coughed a little* Uh... isn't that what they call a monopoly?

Kurisu: Exactly. So this vendor keeps pushing the price up, and we have no choice but to buy from them because the Tax Decree forces us to... It's a vicious cycle, the consequence of which is that our taxes will soon exceed our profits... and once that happens...

Aether: This is absurd treatment. Can't you discuss the situation with the Kanjou Commission?

Kurisu: We've tried communicating with the commission directly... But this is a nation where the cries of a few struggling merchants will never be heard over the ever-present roar of thunder... *sigh* Fontaine, my dear homeland... I miss you an awful lot at the moment...

Paimon: Sounds awful, they're really bleeding them dry. Aether, Y/n what do you think we should do?

Aether: The vendor does sound like a fishy character.

Kurisu: *sigh* That vendor... I've actually done business with him in the past, but after a point, he stopped contacting us. I have no idea where he sources the stuff...

Paimon: Hmm... Well, it definitely sounds like he's being unfair. How do we find him? We could go talk to him and see if he lets anything slip.

Kurisu: Hey, that's a pretty good idea! Since you're not affiliated with the association and you're new to Ritou, he may just let his guard down. If I remember correctly, our usual meeting point with him is under a tree by the coast in the residential district. See if you can find him there.

Paimon: Got it! We're on the case!

Y/n: *seing everything blurry* ugh... *holding her head*

Paimon: Y/n!!! Let's go!!!

Y/n: *snapped back to reality* Coming!!!

Werner: Hm? I don't think I recognize you guys. Are you guys new arrivals?

Aether: Yes, we just arrived.

Werner: So. What do you need with me?

Aether: Where do you source your goods?

Werner: The sheer nerve! You don't go around asking questions like that! If I gave you my sources, I might as well hand you the whole darn business! Trade secret, got it? You know what "trade" and "secret" mean, right? Tsk.

Paimon: This guy's got a bad attitude...

Y/n: "My body feels incredibly warm... But I can't let that get in my way from helping others..." Can you... reduce your prices?

Werner: Hah! Are you even buying!? ...Ohh, I see what's going on here. Kurisu and his associates sent you here to try and plead their case, didn't they? Heh, they're wasting their time. The price is non-negotiable, not by a single Mora.

Paimon: Hey, what's your problem!? She was nice. In fact, she shouldn't even have to be nice to a jerk like you!!!

Werner: Get out of here, go on. Tell them they're lucky to be buying from me in the first place, and they ought to be more grateful. If it weren't for me, they'd be in seriously hot water.

Paimon: What are we gonna do? There's no talking to this guy...

Aether: Let's go talk to Thoma.

Paimon: Good idea. Let's check back in with him.

Thoma: Hm? That was quick... You resolved it already?

Paimon: Um, actually, we're having a little trouble...

Aether: What do you know about Werner?

Thoma: Oh, that guy? I'm familiar. He used to be a bit of a sorry sight, selling shells that he'd collect on the beach just to get by. But he seems to have suddenly shot up in the world recently. I can only assume he must have found himself a patron after leaving the International Trade Association.

Paimon: Huh? You're saying he used to be a member of the International Trade Association? So he's an outlander, too?

Thoma: Yes... couldn't you tell when you spoke to him?

Aether: Hmmm, seemed like a Mondstadter to me.

Thoma: That's right, Werner was born in Mondstadt, then went into the shipping business, trading between Liyue and Inazuma. When Inazuma closed to the outside world, he was one of a group of outlanders that ended up stranded on Ritou.

Paimon: Huh, what a bummer...

Thoma: The International Trade Association was initially very generous to him, but over time, with decree after decree, the association members found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet...

Paimon: So, he left the association and turned his back on them!

Thoma: Haha, I'm sure it's more nuanced than that. I believe even the most ungrateful and cold-hearted of people still have some amount of gratitude and warmth left in them somewhere.

Aether: Got it. I'll go back and talk to him again. Y/n, I'm gonna need you to take some things out of your bag when I tell you.

Y/n: Sure?

Paimon: Really? Is that all you need to know?

Thoma: Well then, it sounds like you may have found a way in with him.

Werner: What are you guys doing back here? Just 'cause I got plenty of time on my hands doesn't mean I want to waste any of it talking to you guys.

Aether: It was the wind that led me back here to you.

Werner: Huh? Where's this coming from...

Aether: A Dandelion Wine would sure be nice on a day like this...

Werner: ...Mondstadt... You're talking about... Mondstadt?

Aether: *whispering* Y/n, hand me some dandelion seeds

Y/n: here *hands them to him*

Werner: Goodness, I can sense it now. So familiar, but I can't remember the last time I was there... Ah, the scent of Mondstadt... Oh, how it takes me back...

Aether: May the Anemo Archon protect you.

Werner: *sigh* My hometown... The home of freedom...! How I long to go back and visit...

Paimon: Ooh, it's working...

Werner: Ah... Oh — ahem! So, trying to play my heartstrings like a lyre, are you? I know what you're up to.

Aether: Close your eyes...

Werner: Huh? What is this? What are you up to now?

Paimon: Just close your eyes already!

Aether: Listen closely... doesn't it sound familiar...?

Werner: You mean... the sound of the ocean?

Aether: Grilled Tiger Fish, get it while it's hot!

Werner: *gasp* Liyue Harbor! I can see it so clearly! Oh, and the sound of the waves, the calls of the merchants...

Aether: May the flames of virtue spread to all......and never be extinguished!

Werner: Xiao Lanterns! Haha, I'm right there, at the Lantern Rite! Oh... look at them, floating up into the sky!

Paimon: This guy has a really active imagination... either that or he really does miss Liyue Harbor...

Werner: *sigh* Liyue, Liyue...

Y/n: *shows him a Glaze Lily*

Werner: Wait... Stop, that's enough... Don't make me relive it any more, my poor heart can't take it...

Y/n: A lot of people have supported you in the past.

Werner: You mean... the folks from the International Trade Association... And I suppose they are far from home, just like me. Often, I'll sneak down to the shore at night and listen to the sound of the waves... I like to imagine it's the voice of my hometown, carried across the ocean. I've run into folks from the association more than a few times doing just that, but I always hide my face and slip away... *sigh* Don't you think I've wanted to talk things through with them and free myself from this anguish?

Paimon: Um... well, no one's stopping you, so...

Werner: They're so resilient. None of them had anyone else to rely on, so they rallied together, committed to finding a way to survive... But I couldn't do it, I'm not strong enough... So... I caved... Those people, they'd make the smallest of promises, offer the most measly benefits, and I'd do whatever they asked of me... and make Mondstadters look like the worst people in the world...

Aether: Who are "those people"?

Werner: ...Alright, I'll tell you the whole story. It's eating me up inside, and I can't take it anymore.

Paimon: You're ready to talk now?

Aether: The International Trade Association will protect you.

Werner: But I betrayed them... I can't show my face there...

Paimon: Ugh, c'mon, you scaredy-cat! Look, you messed up, but now it's time to make things right! So, come on, get it off your chest. What's the deal here?

Werner: It's a scheme by the tax-collection ashigaru. Keijirou and his companions. They start by overtaxing the merchants, then take the extra Crystal Marrow they receive and stockpile it. Once the merchants run out of places to buy Crystal Marrow, they get me to sell that extra stock back to the merchants at an extortionate price, with the proceeds going to the tax-collection ashigaru.

Y/n: It's just... it's plain evil, gouging them like this.

Werner: I'm their puppet, yes... but my cut is a tiny fraction of what we take in total. It's barely enough for me to live on.

Y/n: We need evidence.

Werner: Evidence? Hmm... You're right. Without conclusive evidence, he will never admit it. Now that I think about it, whenever I report back to him after a sale, he always heads to the same place. It's always made me suspicious... As it happened, I handed some Mora over to him not long ago. I can show you where he went if you want.

Paimon: Really? Well, then there's no time to lose! Let's go.

0 notes

aceoxide · 7 months ago

Text

blah blah blah

It'd take awhile on how things have been going on in my life in recent months, but there is one thing.

It's really frustrating. I was able to accept that a certain someone had more or less moved on, but knowing now that she may or may not be appearing again soon. I should be excited about it. But... I just feel more... angry about it. Maybe not angry, but more frustrated. Frustrated that we had to spend several months completely radio silent.

Don't get it twisted, I'm not frustrated at the person who disappeared. It's not like they had a choice. But the fact that this entire situation ended up happening in the first place is what makes it painful, and the fact that it has yet to conclude is even worse.

Honestly? It feels even worse, because for sure her return is gonna be delayed to build up hype. Meanwhile her older fans have no choice but to sit and wait even more. At least before I was at peace, now I'm just at the same spot I was in the beginning of the year, just growing anxious until her return.

I do worry about the stuff said about making a choice they didn't want to make. I'm just not happy with what happened. And I'm not really happy that the only reason we have to wait further is because it's more building hype for people who probably weren't there when things went down.

Then again, it felt like I've been the only person who have been watching their past archives for months now and the people who have been hornyposting don't even know the type of person she actually is. It just kinda felt like I was the only person who wasn't just either looking at her sexually or just wanting to use her as a way to promote their tribalism. I get that it's their way to cope but I don't know. It's just felt so shallow and it was more clear that it was all about not being able to watch her past videos like I've been doing.

It kinda sucks since it means I pretty much feel rather isolated. I suppose that will change soon. People will hopefully see her more than just an object of any kind. I feel like until she pops up again for real I'm just gonna get more and more frustrated hanging around that place.

This isn't gonna to be enjoyable, but it'll be worth it just to finally hear her voice again after so long, to hear her be happy again doing the thing that she loves the most.

I just wish this didn't have to happen. It shouldn't have happened. If the people responsible were actually competent and had any sort of indication they gave a shit about them nobody wouldn't have dealt with the pain they had to deal with.

...But I suppose I have one thing to look forward to now.

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cryptickludovick · 2 years ago

Text

I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for the right moment to come out, for fear that my entire life will be ruined in turn. I've been waiting for the universe to say "okay now, if you do now it will all be alright, if you wait long enough eventually the cards you've been delt will have changed"

But as painful as it is that's simply not true. It doesn't matter if it's now or in 20 years. My identity will not be anymore palatable to my family then than it is now. There is no right moment. There is only this. And the only thing I'm doing right now is causing myself pain by delaying the inevitable

I think

I'm gonna come out to my dad this summer

And whatever needs to happen will happen. Maybe he'll refuse to talk to me. Or he'll cut me off. Or he'll refuse to pay for my studies and ground me in my toxic hometown. Maybe he won't ever look at me the same. Maybe ill be alone in it. Maybe it'll be the most painful thing I've ever done.

But so what ? That's just life isn't it ?

Recently I witnessed the most precious person in my life live through a tragedy that left her without any compass or ground to stand on and when I stood by her side in the hospital, in the funeral house, in her empty childhood home, I thought "this is it. This is the type of shit that ruins your entire future forever" I thought there was no coming back from this. But then you know what happened ?

The sun rose, and we were both still breathing. And the earth kept turning, and the tears dried, and instead of the world exploding, all we did was... fill paperwork for a few weeks. And then the worst was over. And what I had seen as the end was just another comma in our lives.

That's just the nature of things. Even if I come out, and my dad stops paying for my studies, even if I can't do my dream job anymore, I'll find something else to do. If he refuses to let me step into his house again then I'll live in Quebec, with my friend who's been asking me to move in for months. And I'll work some dumb job to get a bit of money and maybe by then a new path will have opened in front of me. If he stops calling me. If he never tells me he loves me again, I'll have friends by my side who will in his place. No matter what happens, life will find a way.

So who cares if the risks feel life-stopping ? What else can I even do ? Wait here forever for the perfect moment? Wait until I've lived a whole life as someone I'm not ? Wait until I've buried my own father to exist ? Wait until I'm buried under the wrong name ?

How long am I willing to wait before I break ? And aren't I worth more than a lifetime wasted in waiting?

Aren't you curious at all? About what could go wrong, sure, but also about all that could go right?

I dunno, maybe it's worth a shot.

#lou #lousgender #edgelourd #long post

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xx0social-anxiety0xx · 2 years ago

Note

Hey you still there? If you are I would like to see what it would be like to bake with each of the girls please

Sure!

I'm not the best at writing so some may be longer than others.

Also, sorry for the delay 😭

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

Nakamura🃏

-Nakamura will try and prank you at least once like switching the salt with sugar and that's kind of stuff.

-You've probably learned to tell if she's done something to the ingredients.

"Hey babe, could you grab the sugar please?" You asked your beautiful girlfriend.

"Sure!" She answers cheerfully while handing you the sugar.

You proceed to stare at the container for a second before realizing that once again, your girlfriend has swapped out the sugar with salt.

"I asked for sugar. Not salt." You said as you rummage through the cabinet to find the salt shaker, which had been swapped out with sugar.

"How did you know??? I took extra precautions to make sure you couldn't!" Nakamura exclaimed.

"Considering that it's you, it was kinda obvious you'd do that. Also, the salt's much finer than the sugar, so I could tell.

"Dammit...I get you next time" she pouted.

Hayami🐱

-You suggested it first and she just went along with it.

-It ended up being pretty fun tho

"Hey, Rinka! I'm bored, wanna do some baking?" You asked.

"Sure. Why not." she replied.

-You guys ended up making cat cupcakes

Kaede🍮

-Obviously, you guys made pudding

-Kaede is actually good at making them so yea :P

-She would have baked a lot with Aguri so it would bring her back memories of her.

-i don't know what else to write about here ;-;

Kanzaki🎮

-You guys made food from video games that she played

-looked up tutorials online

-some worked some failed

-probably accidentally touched the stove leading to the most horrible string of curses leaving her mouth

-her favorite ones being the ones from Zelda BoTW

Okuda🧪

-Very precise measurements

-You know the thing that Rio Futaba makes coffee with in Rascal does not dream of bunny girl senpai? Yea, Okuda probably has one to make tea with and you guys used it for whichever step required it.

-Okuda was probably panicking alot so you had to calm her down

"But what if we screwed up? what if we added too much water? what if-"

"Calm down Okuda, It'll be fine..."

Megu🏊🏻‍♀️

-I don't see her as the type of person that would bake but she would probably do it with you.

-You basically did everything while she stood around and watched, but she did help a bit tho

-She was confused

"Wait. Wait. So I'm supposed to keep adding while I'm stirring?"

"Yea, so add a little bit then stir for a while before adding more and keep repeating until you run out."

"That's confusing."

Yada🎀

-Probably made a chocolate cake

-She's decent at baking, and probably made a few things for his brother before

-probably made a mess but it was worth it

Okano🤸🏻‍♀️

-Same with Kataoka, she is probably clueless at baking

-Tried to bake once, but failed.

-She's bad at home EC so i imagine that you would be the one taking the lead.

-Probably made a chocolate cake.

Fuwa✨

-Anime food.

-probably watched food wars before that and went like "OMG CAN WE MAKE THAT?

-Kinda worked???

-It was chaotic but fun.

Hazama🕷

-Definitely horror-themed.

-Putting spiders and spider webs on it.

-I can kinda see Hazama making a Fnaf cake. Yk, she likes horror and probably plays it.

-Trying to put a curse on it so that anyone who ate the cake would have bad luck or something.

Kurahashi🐞

-Probably something natured theme.

-Would make cute little fondant animals to put on it.

-would try and make one for her animals

-would also make like doggie biscuits for her dogs.

Hara🍱

-She would teach you how to make a cake.

-She would guide you through each step and won't care if you screw up.

-It was fun

-the cake ended up being very good, due to Hara's guidance.

Ritsu👩🏻‍💻

-I don't really know how this would work but she would just show you the instructions and ect.

-Like hara she would guide you through the steps you need.

#ansatsu kyoushitsu #Yuzuki Fuwa #rinka hayami #rio nakamura #anime #kayano kaede #yukiko kanzaki #class 3e #toka yada #megu kataoka #heyhellohihowareyou

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xo-alie-xo · 3 years ago

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PORTWELL LONG GAME OR RINA SLOWBURN.

You can only choose one poison.🍷

Listen up my Wildcats.🐱

We all ship each character with happiness. No matter how much you love to hate them, a majority of us simply adores the characters and want the best for them. Then comes relationships and it's okay to ship our favorites.⛴

I'm a diehard Rina shipper and I know in my heart that they are series endgame. The set up, the natural chemistry, their mutual understanding, the surprises and angst literally put me on chokehold. So I'm 100% a Rina shipper till the end. I'm here for the slowburn and their development rather than one shots. They are worth the pain. 😭❤

Let me start with Ricky Bowen now.

Ricky shouldn't to be with Gina because he's hurting her mentality. He's not insensitive on purpose. Like when he tried to stop Big Red from telling her his message to Nina because he KNOWS it'll hurt her.

If you think, that Ricky didn't understand clearly when Gina confessed, think again. He shushed her. Kept their thing a secret from everyone. He knows he feels some type of way and she feels something too. But this boy is so used to safeguarding his childhood norms and has very little adaptability. Hence, he pretended to ignore everything between them because his home stability was falling apart and he clinged on to Nina, his constant childhood love.

He's a traumatised 16-17 year old boy that needs to heal and grow. This episode was heartbreaking because he had to accept that he had to let Nina go because their once upon a time fairytale had become toxic.

People change. I'm not the same person I was when I was 16 lmao. Being together as childhood lovers means growing together and accepting each other's growth. Which Ricky couldn't. He clutched to the idea of Nini. Even his love confession. It was sooo sweet but all he did was focus on their history.

This boy needs time to heal and maybe seek professional therapy. It would be so DAMN HISTORIC if Disney decides to take psychological issues seriously and show how he's dealing with his anxiety, pills and psychotherapy. He needs to breathe before he can be with any girl for that matter. He's hurting and isn't trying to hurt anyone on purpose. Including Gina.

Him asking her for advice on Nini was a dumb, insensitive move. But he's trying to find a way to build some supportive friendship that they shared in early season one.

As for now, this boy needs to get his own grip on life and heal.

As for our Queen Gina

In Gina's confession, she focuses on their future. She basically said, "I wouldn't quit on a possible future of us being together despite obstacles. Because I never quit. But moving away isn't in my control." Ricky deep down knows this, encouraged her to say it, teary eyed, despite right after getting back together with Nini. Gina is his future. She went to his new house. And I also have this feeling that when she was given a chance to stay, she stayed partly because of Ricky. She left a chance to be with her mom because she prioritised their relationship. Because she never quits. 💪🏼

But she came back and found out Ricky has gotten back together with Nini.😭 What she doesn't know is Ricky got together with Nina before her confession, and after Gina kept dodging his messages. She's hurt and questions why she returned because she isn't particularly close to anyone. Hence, she was so silent at the after party. She thinks it'll be fine, "she'll live", and finds other reasons to find permanence. Her arc this season has been settling down in East High, despite the pain of losing and being 'betrayed' by Ricky, she finds other reasons to stay. 🏡

This kind of contrasts her with Nina. Nina left her dream school and came to Salt Lake because she missed her established home, and not just because of Ricky. Nina returned and was loved and embraced by Ricky Bowen.💕 Gina came back to a semi new place called Salt Lake because of her promise of a future to Ricky. But she got stabbed and she bled. 💔🗡

Think about her situation. She feels confused, alone, heartbroken, out of place and seperated from her mom. She's broken and hurting too. And she doesn't need more from Ricky's accidental or intentional 'sick burns'. That's the one line where he was such a jerk and I can't defend him here. 😠

Here comes the Caswells.

Her second family. A place of healthy stability. A home that accepted her. Ashlyn, her roomie and her confidante. EJ, the misunderstood boy who saw her value and bought her plane ticket.

Let's get to EJ.

At first, I wasn't too keen on seeing Portwell's development. But then that video chat where they talk about the possibility of her staying and him convincing her. Had me sold for a solid brother-sister relationship. Few episodes later, when Gina's pain seemed to be oblivious to everyone, he was the only one who asked her how she was, and saw her glow. The comfort she must've felt.

Not that she needs a man's validation, but she must be feeling like a second choice and feeling a little insecure because of Ricky. But EJ lifts her up and I genuinely saw her smile. This boy has her back whenever. The man she can lean on and truly sees how special she is. She no longer feels alone now that she has his entire fam and other friends. She genuinely feels a place of belonging and happiness when she's the apple of his eye. Notice how happy she is? How happy this boy is? She's going through her own issues and she has found ground with EJ.

I was very doubtful when they started hinting at a romantic direction. Because EJ would be used as plot device again for a girl to get to Ricky.😤 This man doesn't deserve to be second best to anyone, just like Gina.😑 That's why I'm still hesitant on shipping them at least temporarily. EJ needs to be something even more special to Gina. They need to show each other how special and treasured they are to each other despite feeling like rejects. They are each other's source of comfort.

I'm sure they can keep EJ at East High for the next season. Whether it's the drama club, or the AV club or going to a local college. So he will be there for Gina. I don't know how they can work out a relationship with much distance as Rini's fell out when she moved away. So, if EJ leaves again, it'll again shake up Gina. Her being worried whether he'll date college girls, second thoughts, etc. I don't want them to go through that. And if they do move on to romantic Portwell, make sure it's not plot device for Rina. So you can either have Portwell endgame or Rina Endgame.

Basically I want Gina to be treated so right that she understands she doesn't need Ricky. And when he does ask her out, and he makes her feel like a second choice or a rebound, she says NO. Because EJ has helped regain her self assurance. Eventually I want Gina to confide in EJ about her and Ricky. EJ is jealous but also angry about how Ricky has been hurting her. And becomes damn protective of his 'babe'. Ricky gets jealous of their relationship, restarting Ricky and EJ's old rivalry. But this time, it's not because Gina is his girlfriend, but because she's EJ's best friend who he has a crush on and wants what's best for her.

If it's meant to be Rina endgame

EJ- RICKY, YOU IDIOT! You have no clue how to treat her right. You don't put her first. You mislead her. Get the hell away from her! She's too powerful and beautiful, she doesn't deserve your scraps. I know how she feels for you. I wish I were you. I would treat her like a queen. I don't mind even waiting years till she's ready. She deserves that. You're so lucky you have even a small chance that I may never have. So get your act together, prove you're worth it to win her over. All I want is for her to be happy. Even if it's with someone else. And maybe then I'll stop threatening you to stay away from her.😠

Ricky- .....I don't know what I'm more scared of. Change, or losing the girl I fell for or YOU. Okay, losing her but you're a close second.😬

If it's Portwell endgame.

Ricky- I messed up. Make sure you don't mess up with her. You'll regret it forever.

EJ- I'd rather get hit by thousand basketballs than ever hurt her. I'll be her plus one and her best friend until she's ready to be with me. I know she's ready now too. But I want her to know I'm willing to wait till she graduates before we make it official. I'm in it for the long game.

As for their age gap. I'm 100% sure Portwell won't kiss this season. If they do, it'll be next when Sofia turns 18. They are professional actors who are cast because they are the perfect fit for the role and are expected to carry out the storyline. But I suppose fearing some outbursts, they might delay Sofia kissing anyone till next season. It's so weird because Olivia was maybe 17 when Matt was 21-22 when they kissed in season one. But no one had a problem with that. But for this, they do. Remember, they are professional actors. They are acting! Sometimes, actors are over 10 years apart (but above 18) and act as romantic partners.

As for their characters, they are only two years apart. That's hardly any difference once you're over the age of 18. Age of consent is 16. But adults above 18 are only allowed to have sex with adults above 18. So, age isn't a problem here because EJ is a gentleman and is genuinely interested in her and isn't trying to get in her pants. So age isn't the issue when it comes to dating. It's the maturity. Gina is very mature and gives very sound advice. But I can see EJ being patient enough till she turns 18 just to kiss her because he loves her. 😚

As for the Ashlyn remark, "You look like a kid to me rn". He was JOKING.😂 Don't take things out of context. I tell my cousin sister that all the time. But she's three years younger than me and a grown adult. I don't see her as a kid but it's just a cousin teasing her younger cousin that's she's a little immature. I'm Matt's age and I'm very mature for my age and since I was a teenager, I always matched up with boys a little older than me. Now that I'm in my early 20s, I've dated boys even close to 30. So age is just a number.

EJ dating Gina and giving her quick kisses is fine. But to have a strong sexual element in their relationship (including making out), he'll have to wait till she's 18+. And I'm sure for that he'll wait till she's ready even past her early 20s. Age is really just a number and we can't help who we fall in love with. Trust me, I've been there.😂 So I can see EJ feeling conflicted about his feelings that are clear at this point.

They might not be a perfect fit, but they make each other sooo happy. They deserve a lot more than a short lived fling.😟 They are either endgame or Rina is. You can't have both as a Rina unless you're an EJ hater who wants him to exist as plot device. Nope! He's sooo much more precious than that.

But Jack on the other hand....I'm okay if he's the one to make Ricky or EJ jealous. Because he's just been introduced and it's okay if a character is used, but only once, for someone else to realize their feelings. 💁🏽‍♀️

In short.

Ricky needs help and needs to be on his own. No girlfriends allowed.🙅🏽‍♀️🚫

Needs to give both Gina and Nina space for them to grow on their own too.🌳

Ricky needs to understand the core of his problems and become more adaptable via therapy. Maybe the psychologist will point out his unresolved feelings for Gina, or he will conclude it himself. And in comes Ricky-pining-for-Gina season three.

Ricky needs to fully get over Nina before he moves on to anyone. Same for Gina if Portwell were to happen. No one deserves to be second choice.

Gina isn't Ricky's cushion. She's a living person with strong feelings for him and shouldn't be subjected to share his pain. She already struggles with her own issues.

Ricky needs to stay single till he wins back Gina and prove he's worth it. He needs to show even if another girl wants him, he'll never quit on Gina ever again. Even if he has to watch her be with someone else. *cough parallels*.

It's either romantic Rina then Portwell endgame OR Portwell flirty besties but Rina endgame. You and I can choose only one because my boy EJ shouldn't be used as plot device for a girl to leave for Ricky ever again.

Portwell's age difference can be practically solved and isn't much of an issue unless they get hot and heavy before Gina turns 18 which is impossible considering this is Disney. 🤣🤣

Jack and Gina will be plot device material and purely so sentimental to us OG Andi Mack fans. More than any ship, this is what I'm looking for. Sort of an Andi Mack crack ship for season 3a. It's gonna be soooo funny. 😍😂

I respect everyone's ship. I see what you're seeing. And I'm not going to invalidate your ship. But unless it's done right, I won't jump from the Rina ship. I liked Rini. I like Portwell. I like AU Juffy crackship haha.😂 But as for me, I'm still holding on to Rina slowburn.

Preparing myself for the pain. 😭🔥

(But if I had to pair two characters without Disney getting in the way, it would be Gini. The power duo. Undeniable chemistry. They can be written so well because of their layered relationship and contrasting personalities.🤩 The classic rivals to friends to lovers. But that's a talk for another day lmao.)

Thanks for reading my opinion, Wildcat!🐱❤

#hsmtmts #gina x ricky #rina #ricky bowen #gina porter #ricky x gina #portwell #ej caswell #jack hsmtmts #juffy #jonah beck #andi mack

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distinguishedgentlemanswritings · 2 years ago

Text

Part 3

Series Masterlist

We're back again! So in this part we're going to introduce the main theme of this story, it was alluded to in the last part but only slightly so I'll be establishing some parameters of it here. But there will be more to be revealed.

Enjoy :)

______________________________________________________________

The walk back was slow, mainly down to Will, despite the shock and pain having ebbed away, they were still shaky. Maybe they were subconsciously delaying Ana seeing them like this.

As they approached the house, Will spotted Ana sat on the step outside the house, but just barely as the streets out here didn't have lights anymore. Her shadow gave her away, cast by the warm light emanating from the kitchen. Soon she also spied them, standing up, tugging her shawl around her shoulders tighter and waiting for them to come closer.

Ezekiel and Hunter went silently in the door, leaving the pair outside. When Will came into the light, shining through the window, Ana gasped softly.

"Are you okay?" They nodded slightly, because they were, it could've been a lot worse. At least they were here and not in a cell. "Sore?" She asked softly, noticing the way they leant on one leg more than the other, the way they avoided moving their head too much. "Go upstairs," she told them, and silently they obeyed. Everyone was in the kitchen, Ezekiel sat at the island with Emily on his lap, Hunter digging into the food in the pot on the stove. Will moved passed all of them and made their way upstairs and into the bathroom.

Ana remained outside alone for a short moment before going into the kitchen.

"What happened to them?" She asked, looking - no glaring - at Ezekiel.

"They helped me," Hunter answered, setting the lid back on the pot. "They didn't need to, shouldn't have done it. But you know how they get."

"It was a quick scuffle. Sh-they got thrown about a bit but they're fine." Ezekiel took over, but the anger didn't leave Ana's face.

"Like Hunter said, you know how they get," it was Emily who spoke next, the logical older sister Ana didn't need the input of.

"Never again, Ezekiel. They aren't doing this for you again." Ana said, her voice stern, scarily quiet for her angry disposition. Without a response she went upstairs.

"You're in big trouble, Ez," Emily said, he nodded in response and pulled her closer. "It'll be worth it." He muttered.

"Best had be," Hunter butted in as he left, loudly shutting the door to his room.

Upstairs, Ana was in their bedroom, a book open on their desk, beside it a small collection of candles and a mortar and pestle. She spent a small about of time combining herbs, checking the book frequently for what to do. Will's handwriting could be hard to read. Eventually she was pretty sure she was done so gathered up the candles, the mortar and some towels before joining Will who was still in the bathroom.

They were sat on the ground, leaning against the bath. Their coat and scarf dumped on the ground behind the door. Ana slid into the room, shutting the door behind her and placing the items down, candles on the window sill, mortar on the side of the bath, and towels on the hooks on the back of the door.

"I think I did it right," she said as she added a small amount of water to the dry ingredients, creating a paste. "You're so much better at this." Will scoffed slightly, causing Ana to turn and look at them as they clicked their fingers. "Yeah I guess you can do what I do either." She mused before turning back around and lighting the candles, no matches or lighter needed. As she clicked her fingers sparks appeared, keeping her thumb and index together kept the flame alive. She lit the candles laid out on the ledge, parting her fingers and the flame vanished.

The room felt cosy with the warm light of the candles, and even warmed up slightly. Ana leant over Will to put the plug in the bath, and turn the taps on. She then knelt down in front of Will, bringing the mortar with her and placing it on the ground. Will looked over at her, the exhaustion clear across their face, high intensity situations were not a thing they handled well. A three day nap would solve everything but that wasn't an option.

"Come on, clothes off," Ana said, reaching for the hem of their jumper. Will sat mostly still, allowing Ana to move them as needed to strip them down to their underwear. Bruises were starting to form across their skin, painting their arms and back in faint blues and purples. The colours wouldn't have the chance to develop further. "May I?" Ana asked, gesturing to the wraps around Will's chest and they nodded slightly. A benefit of Ana's inclination was that their hands were never cold, her hugs were warmer. It was true of both the sisters, it makes sense that people like Will and Ezekiel gravitated towards them.

Soon the wraps sat in a pile by the rest of Will's clothes, and Ana settled, cross legged, in front of Will, the mortar in her lap. Will glanced at the stone bowl, contemplating for a moment before reaching into the bath behind them, which was slowly filling, and scooping out some of the water. They added the water to the bowl and Ana chuckled softly, not saying anything as she mixed the concoction. She gathered a small amount on her fingers and reached over, starting to spread it over the faint bruises on Will's right arm, clearly the one they had landed on more heavily.

As the mixture was layered across Will's skin, the soothing warmth of it began to relax their muscles and they allowed their head to lean back against the bath. The feeling wasn't as intense as Will had intended the recipe to be but it worked and they were grateful for it. After covering their arms in the stuff Ana gently brushed some over the graze on their chin, and a bruise that was forming on their forehead.

"You really took a tumble, didn't you?" Ana muttered softly as she pulled away, Will just nodded as they sat up and turned around, resting their forehead on the edge of the tub. She continued to spread the mixture across their back, rubbing it gently across their shoulders.

Eventually the bowl was empty and placed in the sink, the bath was also full so the taps were turned off. The pair sat in silence for a short while, Will just wanting to bask in the relief Ana's handy work.

About half an hour had passed before the silence was broken. Ana stood up, checking the temperature of the water in the bath before saying, "come on, let's get you in." Will opened their eyes and looked up at her, staring in silence for a few seconds before standing up. After removing their last item of clothing they slowly stepped into the bath, assisted by Ana as their legs were still shaky. They sat down, hugging their knees slightly as Ana knelt down, retrieving a jug from under the sink.

The rest of the process was conducted in silence. Ana gently washed away the now dry herb remedy, which also washed away the blues and purples that had marred Will's skin.

The bath was drained and rinsed as Will stepped out, wrapping a towel around themselves and began drying. Ana sat on the side of the bath, watching quietly as they pulled their clothes back on and bundled their coat and wrappings in their arms. They turned to Ana, taking a short few steps to be closer to her and pressed their forehead against hers.

"Better?" Will nodded.

They pulled away and Ana stood up, extinguishing the candles before they made their way out of the bathroom and into their bedroom. Will hung their coat and scarf and stashed the wrappings away in the wardrobe. Ana pulled a cardigan out and traded it for the shawl still draped around them, and Will pulled on a second jumper.

"You need to eat," she said, heading back towards the door and Will suddenly became aware of their stomach rumbling. They both headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, which was now only occupied by Hunter. He was serving himself another portion of the stew on the stove, but this time he had served it up in a bowl, and there were slices of crusty bread on the side, which he had found in the oven.

He looked up when he heard them both enter, a smile appearing on his face.

"Thought you two would be down soon," he said, presenting an extra two bowls he had poured out and placing them on the island. He moved his own bowl over, along with the slices of bread and the three sat down together.

"Feeling better, kid?" Hunter asked just before he shoved stew into his mouth. Will nodded. "We shouldn't need to worry about them coming after us, if we'd stayed in Clarrent street then maybe but we're way too far away for them to bother coming."

"Someone could be coming after you?" Ana questioned as Will tucked into their dinner.

"Well no but I had security come after me. Will tackled him," Ana shot a glare at Will but they didn't react, too focused on the stew. "But it's fine, why would they bother?"

"I guess only Ez knows the answer to that," she muttered bitterly, which did catch Will's attention, but only for a second.

When they had all emptied their plates, Hunter stood up, collecting the dishes from the table and depositing them in the sink.

The tranquil silence was interrupted suddenly by a band of heavy footsteps coming up the street. Ezekiel came bounding down the stairs, taking two at a time, and Emily followed close behind.

Will and Hunter put themselves between Ana and the door, Ezekiel grabbed her arm and pulled her towards her sister. Emily grasped onto her and they stood in the doorway, watching and waiting as the others were.

For a while it was quiet, slight shuffling heard out in the streets, voices so quiet the words were undiscernible. Soon the footsteps moved into the porch. Will quickly glanced back, hoping Ana and Emily had gone upstairs but obviously they hadn't. They looked back towards the door, fists clenched, their legs sturdy beneath them once again.

There was a slight rattle against the door, then silence. Hunter slowly stepped towards it, but Will grabbed his arm, holding him back and pulling his attention from the door. As soon as Hunter's eyes were on Will the door violently swung open and the room was flooded with uniformed bodies.

The trio all leapt to action as the sisters went hurriedly up the stairs. They were quickly overpowered, with three officers for each of them. The scrapping didn't last long, Ezekiel was pinned into a corner by three men, Hunter was on the ground with two on top of him, and Will was pinned against the island, their arms pinned behind their back. They all continued to struggle, Hunter earning a kick to his ribs as a result, and another man walked in. He glanced at the tablet in his hand and looked at the three people they had restrained.

"That one," he stated, gesturing to Will. This caused Hunter and Ezekiel to pile all of their energy into getting up but it was no use. Will was dragged away from the table and out of the house. They had no energy to fight, even if they did it would be pointless. The officers took them to where a van was parked just down the street. They were cuffed and loaded into the back of the van, along with three officers. The van's engine started silently and moved off, back towards the city.

The officers that remained in the house kept the other two restrained until they were given the all clear. That Will had been transported away. They got up and left the house, climbing into the second van that was waiting.

Almost instantly Ana and Emily could be heard rushing down the stairs. Ana frantically looked around, tears welling in her eyes when she couldn't see Will.

"What did you do!" She screamed, throwing herself towards Ezekiel, who had managed to stand up, and pounding her fists against his chest. Hunter was the next to move and he quickly subdued Emily, hugging her tight to his chest, which she resisted for a moment before collapsing against him in streams of tears. Emily hurried over to Ezekiel, who quietly muttered, "I'm fine." To which she nodded and then took his chin in her hand, turning his head to see the bruise along his jaw.

By now Hunter and Ana were on the floor, his arms wrapped around her more gently now, rocking slowly back and forth. He looked up at Ezekiel, and his voice came out calm.

"What did you do?"

______________________________________________________________

And that's part 3 for you!

I'm itching to write part 4 already so it shouldn't be far behind.

till next time x

#writblr #writing #original writing #short story #feedback?#lgbt #advice #fantasy writing #dystopian writing

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grievedifferent · 2 months ago

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he's waiting for what feels like the obvious — he's waiting for a blowout. at the start of her denial of him, josh backs away to give her space but stays near so that she might unleash on him. this is the part of forgiveness that's hard. he knows it's not really about him, not their forgiveness, and it's about them, but their forgiveness also ties into his own, and that's the truth.

without making some sort of amends, be it for himself or the other person, josh will never recover. he wonders how much of him is part of their healing, or if they ever think of him, and when they do, he wonders if there is ever a fondness that lingers in to fill the cracks and voids of his mistakes.

the japanese fill in their cracks with gold, so that even something born of a mistake can still be beautiful and worth loving. i don't think that's going to happen here.

it never comes, of course, this onslaught he's expecting. instead, ashley seems to fold on herself, and in this folding, she offers the chair beside her to him. should i really sit here? i mean, is that okay? for her? for me?

she hasn't actually accepted his apology, and he's figuring maybe during the session, she'll clear her head and have some sort of an answer for him. he's not expecting it, because honestly, he deserves nothing from her, but at the same time ... doesn't he deserve something from her, too?

do we owe each other? or are we just ... null and void now?

where does josh's loss start and ashley's anger at him begin? somewhere in the middle ... back during the year, i guess, and back on the mountain.

the mountain. it's been sold since, naturally, and condemned by the government the last josh heard anything of it. mount washington is no more.

back to black as far as i know. good. keep it that way.

a moment's hesitation overrides his decision-making, seeing two paths before him: sit or run. after a delay, he chooses to sit, legs spreading out at the knee as his wrists come to rest evenly on them, posture hunching as he awkwardly tries to balance both observing her openly and peering around the room. it'll start filling up soon.

❝ yeah, that guy? he is ... he's never on time. ❞

josh checks his phone as he waits for the meeting to start, and it does eventually with other lost souls who gather here to connect; to find meaning, purpose, redemption, connection, and anything else that kindred spirits come together over. he's not kindred, not yet, and he thinks he's more akin to kindling like a small fire ready to brew and spill over the moment things become unstable again when just enough gasoline is added from his own hand or the hands of others.

i'm burning, and i don't belong here. i should leave.

but he can't stand up quick enough, instead accidentally opting to address the room first. thems the rules. so, he speaks, and it's a bit clumsy, though well-meaning, and manages to be conveyed articulately with enough fluidity to provide its purpose.

❝ i want to be forgiven, ❞ josh tells the group. ❝ i want to know what that's like ... and i want to know what it's like to forgive. ❞

he can't help it. he looks right at her, stifling his own discomfort long enough to (almost) make eye contact. your turn, i take it? care to share??

there's a very slow blink as ashley's eyes finally manage to focus on the man standing in front of her. ears ring with an unnaturally shrill pitch, loud enough to keep her from hearing anything he's trying to say until the word sorry eventually manages to break through. the way it makes her stomach lurch makes her wish the head-splitting ringing had lasted longer. ash finds herself studying his face for the evidence of the years passed against her own will, brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as she watches every flicker of movement in his expression. something's just... off. there's an odd, unidentifiable pang of feeling between her ribs when the thought finally solidifies : he looks the most, and the least, like himself than she's seen him, since... jesus, she realizes as another sting splits her chest, since the night the girls went missing. she folds and unfolds her arms uncomfortably, shifting on her feet as if preparing to run -- some small part of her tells her it's silly, to still be so easily upset at just seeing him after such a long time ( and after so many more traumatizing things she experienced that night, those some years ago ). a different part wonders if she's scared of him or for him, the moment she realizes that ( unbeknownst to her ) her hands have curled into knuckle - blanching fists.

she forces herself to breathe before her face can go purple, and the air she finally manages to release comes out more like a snarl. "things got out of hand?" she wants to laugh, but nothing in her is capable of making a sound even close to it. her lip quivers long enough for her to reel back, taking two steps in the opposite direction as she squares her shoulders. she's not going to cry. that isn't who she is anymore. of course, the well of tears gathering in her eyes that turn josh into nothing more than a formless blob in front of her would beg to differ. "no." the steadiness to ashley's voice is relatively surprising, given how everything else on her body is shaking. "no, you don't get to..." snippets of past conversations come to the front of her mind; countless arguments with chris and silent stand-offs with sam, discussions about how much culpability he truly deserved; about how much they still deserved.

her frustration builds -- at herself, at him, at the fact that she's in the one place where she's supposed to feel safe to talk about any of this and that's just fucked now -- until she feels like she's about to explode. and then she deflates, instead. she does her best not to flinch when she thinks of hannah -- god, poor hannah -- and once she's swiped at her eyes enough for them to clear a bit more, she could swear he looks so much like his sisters. the ghost of her guilt stands in front of her. if his fumbling apology ( what she heard of it, anyway... ) was any indication, josh felt similarly. instead of trying to find her words again, ashley simply picks up two of the lukewarm cups of coffee from the table behind her and shoves one in his direction, face tilted to the ground, and walks wordlessly to drop into one of the foldout chairs in the circle. she isn't sure, between the two of them, who she wants to hide from more at the moment. a moment of hesitation passes before she gestures to the seat next to her with an indignant sniffle. "you can sit down. gary comes in late on fridays."

#josh tbt #odawns #sorry for the length it's so easy to write novels for josh idk! sobs

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echo-three-one · 4 years ago

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Whatever It Takes : RELOADED

Ghost fights his hurt feelings and discovers something in the process. Could this be the key to locating Samantha?

Table of Contents

Previous Chapter : Delayed Flight

Chapter 18 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

Lurking in the Shadows

Simon "Ghost" Riley

Task Force 141 - Disbanded

400 meters east of Safe House 110197, Brazil

Ghost checked his phone by the hotel nightstand. It's 3:34 am and not a single notification from the team. They probably believed he was out to get intel and didn't bother to look for him. He was fine with that.

"What time is it?" a female groan murmured beside him as she circled her soft arms around his bare chest.

"3:34" he whispered, making the girl giggle as he ran his hand on her hair.

"We aren't supposed to be cuddling like this, remember?" She said, sighing as she got up slowly. Ghost immediately followed, groaning as well.

"I'm sorry Alexandra. It's just…"

"Don't worry. I know this sounds too odd for you at the moment. To be honest I got carried away too…" the interpol agent frowned and wrapped herself up with a towel, making her way to the showers. Ghost trailed his eyes at her and sighed.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Simon?" he murmured and turned to his phone, rereading their conversation.

It was as clear as day that they both agreed to this whole "No strings attached" thing together and he only said yes because he was too broken about France. He needed someone who could treat him well but this was the closest thing he could find.

Sure, he had no regrets about the woman, she was amazing, but while his body was happy, the heart yearned for something more. It was getting worse every day especially when he woke up to see the two lovebirds chasing against each other around the house.

Just as he placed his phone beside hers, Alexandra's notification tone beeped and her screen lit up, as it showed a message from an unknown number.

Simon wanted to take a peek but the message itself is encrypted, his mind wandered more as the security detail of such a message meant that it was of high importance. It might've been from the EMP machinery they're still investigating on which could also be a lead to Nero. He's debating whether he's going to ask her for information just as he intended to, but he's scared that she'll think he's just using her.

"Hey, you got a message." Simon called her from the bed.

"Who's it from?" she asked, her voice was faint as the shower sounds concealed it. Ghost wore his pants and grabbed her phone, leaning by the bathroom door as he announced the details.

"It's encrypted." he murmured. The water stopped pouring and the shower curtains peeked open.

She didn't even bother how she looked as she quickly wiped off her fingers and grabbed her phone.

"Shit." she cursed scrolling to the contents of text, which Ghost observed as very lengthy.

"Wh-" he paused and hesitated. He didn't tell her of their little rogue act so any questions might come off as suspicious.

"Shepherd wants to exchange Samantha for the I.P. Address." she mumbled, looking at Ghost.

"What's his deal?"

"To fund his EMP Nuke that he'll get from Nero." she replied as she continued scrolling.

"With New York already in chaos, the President would most likely be desperate enough to fund this, now that the economy is in shambles."

"What's stopping them from fighting against the New York attacks?"

"We have no idea where the small EMP interferences are, and our strongest lead is that the missing persons are being manually controlled to travel and situate themselves near the stock exchange where they blindly emit blasts through their phones. Like the one we found back in Europe."

"They walk and interact like normal civilians, so with millions of people around the city. It'll look like we're looking for a needle on a haystack." She added, wrapping herself with a towel and quickly dressed up.

"Where are you going now?" He asked as she walked past him.

"I'll try to talk some sense into someone who can talk some sense to the president. The EMP nuke is not a joke." She spat, the worry in her eyes made Ghost want to console her. But now was not the time for that.

"Can I ask a question?" Ghost said.

"Be quick." She said, putting on her jacket and collecting her stuff.

"Do you have any idea where Shepherd is?"

The sun wasn't up when Ghost decided to return to the Safe house. He expected that it'll still be closed but it looked like Price and Jack were already sipping coffee by the balcony.

"Where have you been?" Price asked, his tone wasn't that strict so Ghost decided to lie.

"I just took a walk around the town." he replied, hoping that there will be no more follow up questions.

"For Twelve hours. Okay." Price noted as Ghost got inside the house. Ever since he started this little team of rogue soldiers, Price became protective. And Ghost knew that it was bound to happen. Any injuries under his care will not be funded by any higher department and they need to be careful.

He immediately accessed their little command center and began searching. He got two locations to research on, and he needed to act fast.

He did the best he could, hacking into public and unsecured CCTV footage, squinting his eyes over the poor quality videos just to look for Samantha. She was last spotted in Moscow about 30 minutes ago. Ghost had to admit his cryllic knowledge is a little low and his fingers were trembling in panic. He needed help.

He slowly creaked the door open and saw Alex, Soap and Roach peacefully sleeping, Roach was upside down and clung onto Alex's metal leg, a sight worth taking a photo on but he didn't. It almost made him guilty to wake John up, but knowing the guy, he'll understand the urgency.

"Psst." he nudged his shoulders. It felt very awkward now that he's still frustrated about the guy winning France's heart but he needed to act professional, besides no one but Alex knows about his emotions toward the duo.

Soap groaned and slowly opened his eyes, flinching at the skull face that woke him up.

"Bollocks!" he exclaimed, making Alex and Gary shuffle and reposition while Ghost quickly pulled his mask and shushed him.

"Sorry Soap. But I need your help." he whispered as he slowly got up and collected himself following him outside.

"What about?" his heavy accent echoed against the quiet halls while he rubbed sleep off his eyes.

"Russian Alphabet."

"Okay." he murmured lazily. "What for?"

"A lead on Samantha." he said. The expression on Soap's face changed from sleepy-scotsman to what-are-we-waiting-for as he jumped to the control center and began typing.

The two teamed up together translating codes of texts and typing commands on different kinds of webcams all across Russia, all they had was a barely readable plate number of a black van which allegedly housed Samantha and three of Shepherd's men which were designated to protect her.

Hours passed and they barely got through any possible lead. The rest of the team woke up one by one and slowly helped the duo. Once Alex woke up, they got another additional pair of hands to help and it made them more efficient. If only Ghost knew that Alex knew Russian, it would've been less awkward. But then again, he needed this kind of interaction with Soap, so he could finally be comfortable around them.

Then there it was. The first solid lead with Samantha's face on it. A hotel not far from the airport. Alex couldn't help but creep his head close to the monitor, his eyes had that longing look on the blurry screen. He was sure it's her.

They later reported their findings to Price and Jack, and it was indeed a lead worth pursuing. But when asked how they got such info overnight, they all turned to Ghost to which he said that it's still within the phone's encrypted messages. Price and Jack nodded and Ghost sighed in relief. He didn't want anyone to know about his little fling.

"Then let's have breakfast and have a little briefing after. I'll make calls to Nikolai to arrange us a visit to his homeland." Price announced as everyone, especially Alex's, face lit up and felt energized.

HAPPY TRAVELER INN PARKING AREA

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

8:52 PM

Ghost set up his little command set up at the back of the van. The plan was easy, Alex, Soap and Roach sneaked inside her room, silently knocking down the three guards, taking their clothes and escorting her back to the van to safety. While Price would take down their driver and replace the getaway vehicle with this one.

The group of five didn't bring any weapons so as to not raise suspicion, after all they're just sneaking Samantha from Shepherd's hands. No need for violence.

"Can you hear me, lads?" Ghost muttered softly against the microphone.

"Loud and clear, mate." Gary responded.

"Yes pal." Alex commented.

"Aye lad. I can hear ye." Soap added.

Price gave a thumbs up from the driver's seat. Ghost pressed some buttons and after a few moments, he now had access to the whole building's cameras and some controls.

"Chuckles, I'm in." Ghost commented to which Gary snickered. It looked like he was the only one who understood the reference.

"Okay lads. The janitors are on their break. They're inside that incoming elevator." Ghost informed as he looked at the live feed. The three carefully grabbed the janitors without intention of hurting them. Carrying some rope and cloth, they quickly tied the janitors and hid them on a blind spot away from the camera's eyes. Ghost could hear Alex muttering something to the three in Russian, he couldn't translate it fully but it had the word sorry, don't worry and okay in it. After that, they immediately wore their janitor uniforms and the janitors were already on their way to the 10th floor.

"I don't have cameras inside the rooms. But your hallway is clear."

"Okay. Your ride home is ready." Price muttered, Ghost never noticed the old man exit the van but apparently he already took care of the driver.

"Great. It's all on you three now. Let's save Samantha." Ghost said as the cameras show three janitors knocking on Samantha's room.

Next Chapter : Vlad the Janitor

Notification Squad my Beloved

@samatedeansbroccoli @smokeywhalee @ricinbach @enderio @beemybee @whimsywispsblog

#horrayfic #john soap mactavish #john price #simon ghost riley #alex echo 3 1 #gary roach sanderson #whateverittakes #horRAYfic

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natsu-tte-noodle · 3 years ago

Note

If you don't mind me asking, but what translation app do you use for A3 Japanese? I've been trying to find a good app to use for Japanese to English translation but I'm not really sure which I should use since I'm new to this sorta stuff. Thank you in advance!! :D

Hey!! Sorry for the delay--I actually very rarely turn my translation app on because I prefer to translate it myself, but I wanted to give you an informed answer, so I tried out some free ones!

But to make a long story short, I use Tap Translate Screen. I have no clue if it’s the best one, but it’s the only one I’ve found so far that doesn’t flat out make you pay for Japanese support.

Pros:

Doesn’t cost money for Japanese

Doesn’t cost money to work on games

The Japanese is translated reasonably well; the stuff it gets wrong seems to be (1) figures of speech, (2) Citron and Kazu, and (3) the subject of the sentence, since Japanese doesn’t need to specify an obvious subject and therefore the translator has to guess. But I’m pretty sure ALL translators will have problems with those three.

You can add it to the same pull-down bar where you quickly access airplane mode, so you don’t have to go back to the app every time.

Using it is relatively straightforward

The ad removal purchase is kind of expensive, but the 1-time purchase COULD be worth it depending on the person

Cons:

Like mentioned there’s ads, and they’re pretty frequent. My version fucked up and they only play the sound while the game continues but idk if that’s consistent

And like I said the ad removal purchase is a repeating charge, or a 1-time purchase of $32 which feels kind of expensive

It’s prone to crashing occasionally, and it’ll sometimes get stuck loading, and it’s hard to cancel the translation it’s trying to finish

I play a3JP on android, so I don't know what your Apple options are, or if that one’s on the app store. They were hard to find from what I could tell tho ^^;

I hope this is useful to an extent!!! If not for you who had to wait an unfair amount of time for an answer (sorry again) and may have figured it out already, for someone else who’s still unsure of what to do.

(Also, I recommend setting A3's text speed to "instant", since it'll give you and the translator an easier time)

#renoodle #a3!

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anime-corner · 4 years ago

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One or The Other | Sugawara K. Ending

W A R N I N G !

This is the one of the endings. If you haven't read the main story, please..

[ Go Back ]

Filing inside the bus, you excused yourself for a moment to Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei, as well as Daichi, wanting to talk to the bed-headed captain. Finding your way towards the team of cats, you tense up at the gazes you received. He took notice of this and smiled at you.

"Alright team, go on ahead, I'll catch up." Kuroo said, pushing a teammate who was playing on his portable inside the bus.

"You're going to tell her?" It was hushed but you managed to pick it up. You hoped it wasn't what you thought it was.

He didn't answer as you waited until everyone was out of hearing range, "Uh… hey?"

He chuckled at this, ruffling your hair, "So, what do you wanna talk about?"

"I want to thank you and your whole team, especially Coach Nekomata for inviting Karasuno to this training camp," You bowed, a smile plastered on your lips.

"It's fine. Besides, I'm looking forward to the battle of the garbage dump at the nationals, so make sure you guys win." You both shared a hearty laugh, Kuroo stopping first as he noticed something in the distance, chuckling awkwardly, "Man, that setter of yours surely knows where you're at."

"He's glaring up at you again?" You were about to turn around when he stopped you.

"Hey now, don't turn around. I think he doesn't want us to notice him just yet, so let's let him be," You nodded, still confused at the current situation. Kuroo seemed to pick it up from your facial expression, "I think I know that look he's giving us right now and I'm going to guess that it's jealousy."

"Sugawara? Jealousy? Now that's something you usually don't put together," You shook your head, looking at the captain. You could tell that he wasn't joking around like he usually does, making you clench your hands, another unknown feeling rushing inside of you, "No wait, r-really?"

"And if my assumption is right, I'm going to go for it and say that he likes you." Silence engulfed the two of you.

You cursed at yourself, choosing the wrong time to be at a loss for words. You haven't thought of Sugawara like that until now. You blushed as images of him flash inside of your mind, the unknown feeling fluttering around the spaces inside of your heart.

"Oh? You just realized this? That must be why Daichi asked for my help!" You did a double-take as he laughed out loud, that weird sound erupting from his mouth made you laugh as well.

Sugawara's brows furrowed, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He knew that by now, the bed-headed captain already took note of his presence. It wasn't like him at all to eavesdrop, not like he could hear anything from where he was at. But, hearing you laugh, probably because of what Kuroo said, made his mood drop drastically, a frown on his lips. Did he take his time because he was afraid? Yes. Did he think that he was too late? Maybe.

"S-so, Daichi asked you?" He nodded, wiping away a tear in his eye, the laughter dying down, "What for?"

"Seeing that you're quite the oblivious person yourself, I think he wants him to make a move. Well, I couldn't object since you're pretty cute," You felt your cheeks grew warm for the second time today at the compliment, "I mean, I'd ask you out if you didn't live in Miyagi and I don't think we'll last with the distance and stuff. So friends?"

"Y-yeah, sure! That's also what I wanted to talk to you about too. Damn, and I was really nervous talking to you about this. Don't wanna break a heart, you know?" He ruffled your hair once again, taking a step towards his team who was waiting inside the bus.

"I should go now. And I think you head off now before I die with all the glares your boyfriend's giving me." You slapped his shoulder playfully, giving him a pout.

"H-he's not my boyfriend…" It was muffled, gazing down at your shoes.

"Yet. Well, I'll text you later (y/n)!" You waved back, a hand on your pounding heart, threatening to leap out and run towards the person who stole your heart without you noticing. Yet.

"(n/n)!!" Turning around, Sugawara ran towards you, waving and a grin plastered on his face. Why did it take you so long to realize that his smile was just as bright as the sun?

"Hey, Suga! Sorry, did I make you guys worry? Daichi probably asked you to come and look for me, didn't he?" He scratched the back of his neck.

"Kind of. C'mon, it's going to be a long drive back home."

Walking back, he couldn't help but glance at you every minute or so. Sugawara saw the thoughtful look in your eyes as he grabbed your hand, "Huh?"

"Are you okay? Did he say something to you?"

"I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all. The spring interhigh's around the corner and, even though I'm not playing, I'm starting to get a little bit nervous." You told him, earning a smile.

"You got me worried for a second there! I thought he rejected you or something!" He was glad that Kuroo didn't hurt your feelings. At least, that's what he believes, that you have feelings for the captain. And he's fine with that. As long as you're happy, he's fine.

"Worried? Shouldn't you be more worried about the team? We've got the most penalties during this training camp!" He giggled, stopping the both of you from the walk back towards the team. His voice, you noticed, was silvery; clear, light and pleasant to hear. You could easily get lost in it, the same way you needed a map whenever you gaze into his eyes, "A-and rejected? Nothing like that happened, I mean, no one confessed or anything. I just thanked him for the opportunity his coach gave Karasuno, that's all."

It was silent for a while until Sugawara spoke. His voice was shaking a bit, clearing his throat, making sure it was clear.

"I guess I should tell you now before Daichi kills me for delaying for far too long… And to be honest, I can't hold back any longer..." Both his hands held yours, thumbs drawing circles. You could feel a faint blush forming on your cheeks.

"Oh? W-what is it?" You mentally curse yourself for stuttering as you look at him, trying your best to stay focused.

"Uh… This is really harder than I thought it would be…" His head lowered a bit, brows furrowed in thought. He was mumbling to himself, seeming to momentarily forget that you were in front of him, "Should I just say it? Or maybe explain why… But it'll take too long and he'll get mad for being late… How about--"

"Suga, are you okay? You do know that you can tell me whenever, right? Whatever this is about, I'm sure Daichi will understand if you tell me some other time--"

"W-what? No wait, (y/n), I.. He won't-- I mean, I-I L-LIKE YOU..!!" His eyes widened at his words, surprised that he finally confessed after all these years. Dread followed soon once he realized that it could end badly for the two of you, "Y-you don't have to say anything, really, especially since I've put you in an awkward spot, I think.. Ah, if you're uncomfortable about this, then please forget everything I said."

You try to stifle out a laugh, hand placed on your mouth. It was cute seeing this side of him, "Why should I forget everything when I like you too? I've just realized this if it weren't for Kuroo pointing it out. So, if you'd let me, I'd like to find out how you managed to steal my heart without me noticing."

"... (y/n), we've got all the time in the world, we don't need to rush. I'll wait." You pulled him to a hug, Sugawara freezing up for a moment before snaking his arms around your waist and burying his head in the crook of your neck.

A comfortable silence engulfed the two of you. Your scent filling the third year's nose, making him realize that everything that has happened was real, that he wasn't dreaming. And without thinking, he raised his head, his lips slowly approached yours. It was soft and light, a slight pressure as he kissed you, not wanting to make you any more uncomfortable by that one bold move he pulled off. You returned the gesture after recovering from a moment of shock. It surely felt like a dream. It lasted for a few moments before breaking apart, foreheads touching as your breathing mixed. Suddenly, a voice rang in both of your ears, breaking the silence, making the two of you jolt in surprise "OI, YOU TWO! EVERYONE'S ALREADY THERE WAITING!"

"Coming!" Sugawara replied, intertwining your hand in his, pulling you to where the team was.

Entering the bus, the second and third years had a teasing look on their faces. Sugawara sweatdropped, knowing he would be answering a ton of questions from his friends. But it was worth it, you were finally his, and he was happy. More than happy.

"Took you long enough." Daichi hit the boy at the back of his head, Sugawara nervously laughed.

"Y-yeah. I might have worried over nothing but hey, I did it. I told her and she said yes, sort of." His haze landed on you, talking with your fellow managers.

"Sort of?"

"Let's just say that I have to make sure that she acknowledges just how much I like her while I fall for her over again," He relaxed onto his seat as you turned around to look at him, a smile on your face. Returning the smile, he spoke mostly to himself, "Man, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world."

"It's because you are. (y/n)'s really something else, you better take care of her."

It took me three years to take my chance with you and I’ve been such a coward to make you wait this long. But I’m glad I did or else I’d be in pain, faking a smile, seeing you happy in someone else’s arms.

"I will."

◍ • ◍ • ◍

Or maybe you were only mistaken. The one you chose. Maybe it was...

[ Kuroo Tetsurou ] • [ Sugawara Koushi ]

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