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palepinkgoat · 5 months ago

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I was asked by someone in the @shamelessdvdcommentary community to share things "behind the scenes" one of my fics. I just think it's the coolest thing so I decided to participate! I hope you enjoy it. <3

Which Fanfic is your DVD commentary about?

Restoration. It's my most "popular" fic by far!

Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc)

Restoration is a multi chapter fic written in (big gasp!) 2016. It's 14 chapters and took me four months to write. For me that's very fast! But back in that day I was cranking fics out faster. The story is 112,794 words.

What was the initial inspiration for your story?

Well, our air conditioner needed a tune up and we called Bowman HVAC (a real company here, as well as the name I gave the HVAC company in Restoration) and a redheaded technician showed up. The wheels started turning immediately. At the time a lot of houses were being knocked down in the neighborhood (gentrification sucks) so there was a lot of construction happening. I'm sure that helped too.

If the story is written from a character’s POV, why did you choose this character?

I wrote it from Ian's POV. I had only written in his POV one other time. I fell even more in love with him in the process, and exclusively wrote him for years afterward. I can connect to Ian as a bipolar person, and his bipolar features heavily in the story. It seemed like a great opportunity to explore that.

What was your favourite scene to write?

I loved writing the scene with them in the bar bathroom in chapter 3. The first time they kissed . The whole scene felt very alive to me when I wrote it. I also really loved all the scenes with Ian and Sully - they were very fun to write.

How did you come up with the title?

I heard from a neighbor that there were different ways houses could be built, and if you leave any part of the house intact (the neighbor's front porch was left and they built out from that) you can categorize it as a restoration. I liked that. I also really liked the image of rebuilding things metaphorically.

Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice?

I'm not sure if this counts but I worked really hard on the construction elements and making them metaphorical to the chapters at the same time!

Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this?

I don't really remember but I know that a lot of it just flew out of me. I don't remember struggling with any of it, surprisingly!

Favourite line in the story?

I'll pick the end of chapter 4, which includes a scene a lot of readers like. It's the "teaching" scene, wink wink. The last line is "He leans forward and meets Ian's mouth, opening wide and tasting him, them, this."

Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story?

I initially thought it would be a lot shorter, but I realized it needed breathing room and a longer timeline. I'm glad I followed that instinct.

If you are writing a particular trope or genre, was it your first time writing this?

I don't think it fits securely in a trope? I'm always a little confused about those.

What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterisation, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc)

I'm proud of the bipolar elements to this story, and some of the dialogue. I feel like the dialogue in this was the easiest I've ever written. It was just really nice to write.

Are there any deleted scenes that didn’t make it to the final story?

In the era when I was writing it Amanda was very much in the picture on the show, and I thought her personality would really fit to be one of Ian's "helpers." But I never really got into any scenes with featuring both Lip and Amanda being with Ian at the same time.

Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share - e.g. what’s going on in a characters head in a certain scene or how you came to write a certain line?

A lot of Ian's med stories and his notebook he keeps for processing episodes and health in general were mine, as well as most of the scenes with the doctor. The office is modeled after that doctor's office and everything. Honestly that doctor and the office were pretty terrible in real life, but I made her better than my doctor was. Now I have a fantastic doctor!

Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add?

I actually did not re-read it for YEARS and re-read it in its entirety for perhaps the first time ever a year or so ago. It probably sounds really vain but I was surprised how cohesive it was and how much I liked it. I'm really proud of it and so glad people like it as much as they do. I don't think I'd change anything really.

Would you ever write a sequel to this story?

I have been asked, but I don't think I could do it! Like I literally think I couldn't write it in the same tone now that it's been so long.

Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc?

As far as easter eggs from story to story, I didn't add any of those things to Restoration. I did however reference the Restoration building and street in my recent fic Paragraphs! Another thing to know about me is most of the names I chose for original characters are real names of people I know. For example the developer of the property, Kowalski, is named after one of my besties. Do these people even know I write fanfic? Not really. So it's just for my own amusement. :)

If you’ve chosen your most popular story, are you surprised by the popularity?

I'm amazed at its staying power. I can't believe people are still recommending it and re-reading it. It makes me feel so loved.

Were you nervous or excited to post this story?

Back in that day I didn't feel very nervous. After I wrote this story I felt more nervous because people loved the fic so much and I felt like it was a lot to live up to!

Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote?

I did not! Solo act, baby. I have used a beta on Paragraphs and The Ink is a Witness to This though and I think it helps tremendously. Fun fact: it makes me more nervous to share with one person than it does to share with the world which is funny to me.

Ask your followers to pick a snippet (no more than 500 words) and share your thoughts about it.

"Ian nods. Fuck it. He slides off his bed and settles on the floor between Mickey’s legs. “You want to feel it again?” Ha! This is a big reader favorite in this story (and referenced above) and even made into art. I didn't even mean to make it hot. I thought it was just a little scene, no big deal. The response was fun. The gist is Mickey is saying he doesn't know how to give an, uh, below the belt job and Ian kind of "teaches" him by talking him through what he's doing. Thanks to @wehangout for giving me this moment to work with!

Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story?

I cherish every single reader and all the comments and kudos over the years. Writing this fic completely changed my life. I'm serious. So anyone who likes it or talks about it feeds in to that beautiful change and I'm just so, so grateful. I loved writing it.

#shameless dvd commentary #shameless #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #gallavich fanart #gallavich fanfic #pink_ink

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hebuiltfive · 4 months ago

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Sooo the prompt thingy I misread and tried to make a prompt - most were kind of romantic which given the pair was a no but then as I cycled through this one came up…

Alan holding Scott's hands when they are shaking.

Which might be rather interesting if it grabs you!?!

Better late than never, right? Sorry it's taken me months to get back to you on this. I'm hoping it's worth the wait. The prompt definitely grabbed me!

Disclaimer to say this is a three chapter story, with no current plans on continuing it, and it does end on a cliffhanger. Also, we don't actually get to the prompt until the last chapter... There was a bit of exposition that needed doing first.

I hope you enjoy it though! 💙 AO3 here

Specter: The Discovery

Ch.1 - The Lunar Expansion And Underground Land Identification Corporation

“Thunderbird Five, do you copy? John, can you… Please, can you hear me?”

He wouldn’t break down into tears, no matter how badly the dams wanted to break. Crying would solve nothing and Alan really, really needed to get this situation solved before it got any worse.

Tapping his comms again, trying not to let his frustration and fear get the better of him, Alan sniffled, faking his best smile. “John, I really could use some of your insanely wise wisdom right about now.”

But the line remained stone cold dead.

14:05

John had relayed the call regarding the four trapped lunar miners at lunchtime.

Alan had launched Thunderbird Three not twenty minutes later, Scott on his left acting as his co-pilot.

There had been nothing in the mission brief to suggest they approach the disaster zone with any more caution than normal. It was, from the information John had received from the ground team, a fairly simple extraction mission. In hindsight, the lack of information that John had been given should have had alarm bells ringing in all their heads.

“What were they even excavating down there?” Scott had asked the valid question once John had given them the very quick lowdown.

“They weren’t clear with me on that.” John replied, the irritation evident in his voice. “All they mentioned was something about a colony.”

Alan had scoffed at that. “On the Moon? Do they not know there’s a successful and vibrant civilisation being built on Mars right now? Who would want to make a new base on the Moon?”

“Uncle Lee still has a fondness for the Moon.” Scott had commented without taking his eyes off the colourful screen of readouts in front of him. He flicked through the various bits of data, his expression growing more and more taut with each swipe. There was not one report that was fully completed, all having various black lines and CLASSIFIED — DO NOT READ signs strewn across the pages. The holograms were a jigsaw of information, no one piece fully complete and legible, and Scott was not happy about it.

“That’s more sentimental.” John pointed out. “Besides, bases and colonies are two very different things. The Moon is a great half-way point to Mars to set up a base, Alan, but that isn’t what they seem to be doing.”

Defeated, Scott had banished the data away from his view with an exasperated sigh. “What did you say the name of this company was again, John?”

“I didn’t. It’s some new start-up, I think. I hadn’t heard about until we got the call. Apparently their business is called ‘The Lunar Expansion and Underground Land Identification Corporation’. If you’re pressed for time, they also go by ‘The Lunar Expansion Co.’ for short.”

Alan hadn’t been impressed with the company’s choice of name and had fought back his urge to eye-roll upon hearing it. Whoever was responsible for creating that mess of a title needed a serious lesson in how to name a company properly. Take their two family businesses — Tracy Industries and International Rescue — they were short, sweet and to the point. Bonus points for their acronyms being easy to remember; TI and IR. They virtually roll off the consumer’s tongue!

LEULIC, however? What kind of an acronym was that? Alan didn’t claim to know much about business, and often left the more complicated matters to his older brothers, but even he knew catchiness was a key selling point when it came to a name! This company’s was too much of a mouthful, and nobody was going to remember LEULIC!

“So, they’re identifying land to expand upon?”

“That’s the idea, Scott, at least from the limited information they’ve given me. No-one on their end has been willing to divulge anything else.”

“Keep talking with them. See if you can get them to open up a bit more. The more we know, the better it’ll be when we get there.”

“F.A.B.”

15:23

Thunderbird Three’s retros fired as they entered the Moon’s orbit.

The sight was one Alan was sure he’d never get used to. He wasn’t sure he wanted to get used to it.

Being International Rescue’s main astronaut, Alan had flown his red rocket to the likes of Mars and Europa, and he had set foot on Haley’s Comet. One day, he dreamed he’d travel to the edge of the solar system in his faithful Thunderbird.

But the Moon?

The Moon meant so much more to him. The Moon was far more special.

Earth’s natural satellite, along with the stars that shared the night-sky, had been the first celestial object that Alan had ever set his eyes upon. With all her swirls and craters, it had been the foundations of all of Alan’s astronaut dreams as a child. Unlike the other planets in the solar system, where one needed a telescope to fully appreciate their beauty, the Moon was almost always visible from Earth with the naked eye. Alan had never mistaken the Moon for a bright star, as he had so often done with the other planets. Even during the light of day, the familiar rock could sometimes be seen, still visible despite the hour.

Always constant, always there.

The Moon.

Beyond that, however, the Moon had been Dad and Uncle Lee’s home for a while. His brothers used to call it ‘Dad’s Office’ and, whenever Alan was missing him, he had taken comfort in the ability to see the rock upon which his Dad had been living and working.

The Moon would never not be special for Alan. He would never tire of visiting it, nor would he ever grow bored of observing it.

As final preparations were made to land and the grey surface spread across Thunderbird Three’s cockpit windows, Alan couldn’t help the small smile that gently formed on his lips.

Three hit the dusty surface with a soft thud.

Scott wasted no time in unbuckling himself from the co-pilot chair. He attached his helmet and checked his wrist unit. A hologram of data emerged, hovering in the air above his arm. Parts were still blocked off, much to Scott’s annoyance, but he swiped through until he found the page he was looking for.

A map that John had managed to wrangle from the Lunar Expansion company.

“We only have two hours until those workers run out of oxygen.”

As Alan followed Scott’s lead, unclipping his helmet from his belt and assessing his own equipment, four blips on the map began to flash; the four trapped miners.

Scott pointed to it. “We’re approximately five miles south of the disaster zone. We’ll take the Explorer Pod and travel north until we meet them. We need to work fast. Time isn’t on our side.”

“Relax, Scott. This is as simple as a mission can be.”

His brother scowled. “You should know better than to use the S word, Alan.”

“Oh, come on! The company with the stupidly long name, trying to create a colony on the Moon?” Alan clicked his helmet into place. The oxygen from his own tank hissed as his suit became airtight. “We’ll be home in time for dinner!”

16:04

The red shell of Three grew smaller and smaller as they travelled across the dusty lunar terrain. Alan tried not to look back. Upon leaving Three’s cockpit, a gnawing sense of doubt over the mission began to rear its head. No matter how much he tried to shake it, the feeling refused to leave him. Glancing back towards his Thunderbird, towards their only ride back home, and watching it shrink in the distance didn’t help matters.

By the time they arrived at the base — if it could even be called such; one lunar rover transporter, two mobile units and a very large drill could hardly be taken seriously as a base! And these people were supposedly trying to build a colony? — Scott and Alan were surprised to see the Lunar team having already begun rescue operations. It was a relief to see that the work done by the Lunar team hadn’t been a complete botch job.

The drill, specially crafted to break apart the lunar surface, had been deployed cautiously in an attempt to burrow a new hole. According to Meg, the leader of the group of miners, the new hole had been excavated beside the first one, but Alan had a hard time figuring out exactly where this initial hole had supposed to have been. Either the team had already done a good job at covering it back over, knowing they wouldn’t be needing it again, or… Alan wasn’t sure what the or was. All he knew was that his rising sense of dread was deepening with each passing second.

The Lunar team had managed to reach the collapsed cavern, where the four trapped miners had been cowering, in less than an hour. Scott had scanned the area briefly, sending his data back to Thunderbird Five. He didn’t bother waiting for John to reply, jumping straight into the action with easy commands and direct instructions for the rest of them, Alan included.

A winch secured. A line tightened. Scott hooked in.

The first two miners were an easy score. Alan had opened comms to inform John that Scott was like the claw in an arcade machine and the miners were the prizes he was winning, only there was no sarcastic retort about how Scott was terrible at the claw machines and that he’d believe it when he saw it.

There was no reply at all. John’s communications were silent.

The situation wasn’t dire, the mission was running smoothly, so why was John so quiet? Alan thought back to the data that Scott had sent him earlier. There had been no response to that message either.

“Hey, Scott…” Alan began as his brother ascended from the hole for the third time, slightly wounded miner under his arm.

“Can’t stop, Allie. The last one’s disappeared.”

Alan ceased his prodding and poking of his wrist unit to glance up at Scott. His brow creased, perplexed. “What do you mean ‘disappeared’? It’s a cave-in. Where else could he have gone?”

Scott rose both his arms up in an exasperated shrug. “All I know is that he was there when I was retrieving Miner Two but he was gone when I went back for this one.”

“Does she not know where he went?”

“Shock.” Scott explained, tugging again on the rope strapped to his waist. “Couldn’t get anything from her.”

The comms situation could wait, Alan decided. He lowered his wrist and began to set up his own winch system.

“No, Alan, you stay here.”

“Two pairs of eyes are better than one.”

“Yes, but it’s better if you remain top-side for now.”

“If you’re expecting trouble, it’s probably better if I come down with you.”

“Who said I’m expecting trouble?”

“Your face, your voice, your general ‘must keep Alan out of harm’s way’ schtick.”

Once upon a time, Alan resented his older brothers for trying to keep him out of the loop. Even at the age of ten, when they tried to keep the worst parts of Dad’s explosion from him, Alan had insisted he’d been old enough to deal with it all. Nowadays, he understood, even if he still didn’t always agree with it.

Scott chuckled. “I’m not apologising for it, Alan.”

“I don’t like this, Scott.”

He had dropped his voice down to a whisper so only his brother could hear. Scott strolled over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Despite Alan’s growth spurt a few years prior, he still wasn’t quite at Scott’s height, and so his brother tilted his head down. “Like you said, simple mission, right?”

“I definitely think I spoke too soon.”

“Also like you said,” Scott continued, not allowing Alan the chance to feel guilty for accidentally jinxing their mission, “it’s caved-in. There’s hardly many places he could be. I’ll be out again before you know it, missing miner in tow, alright?”

Alan could feel his goosebumps rising. His cheek twitched.

“Hey?” Scott patted his shoulder before letting go. “Time is running out.”

His brother had tried to reassure him, but Alan felt no more reassured than he did twenty seconds before. He gave Scott his best smile regardless. Scott’s returning smile was doubtful in itself. Alan knew his brother too well for Scott to hide the concern in his eyes.

He watched as his brother lowered himself over the edge of the hole, as the blue and grey of his uniform slowly descended down into the dark abyss, with his gut instincts screaming at him to pull him back up.

Jeff had always taught his boys to never discount their instincts, to always trust what they felt, no matter how ridiculous it might have been. Alan ignored those words of wisdom. He ignored his instincts entirely, opting instead to tend to the shocked miners. His mind, he decided, just needed something else to occupy it until Scott got back.

Only Scott wasn’t coming back, and Alan’s realisation of that came all too late.

#thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds are go #alan tracy #scott tracy #john tracy #thunderfam #prompt fill #idontknowreallywhy #five fics #fic: specter

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autumnshighlady · 11 months ago

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I've Always Liked to Play With Fire (part 23)

NESTA ARCHERON X ERIS VANSERRA X FEMALE!READER

summary: continuation of the last chapter

warnings: nothing but pure angst tbh

word count: 4.8k

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

a/n: i was debating letting y'all stew on the cliffhanger for a week or so but after killing Lirilla I figured that'd be too mean. So anywho, here's the next part...

part 1 // part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10 / part 11 / part 12 / part 13 / part 14 / part 15 / part 16 / part 17 / part 18 / part 19 / part 20

read on ao3

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

The world stopped turning as Eris’s screams ripped through the air. Grief tore through Eris’s end of the bond like a current, threatening to spill over and consume you. The Prince fell to his knees, crawling towards his mother’s body. Nesta’s grey eyes were wide with horror, her hand over her mouth as she shrunk back. It wasn’t hard to figure out just how easily this reminded her of her own father’s death.

You were utterly paralyzed with shock, jaw slack as your gaze remained glued on the lifeless body of the Lady of Autumn. Her russet eyes were dull, the warmth that she had gazed at you with as she tried to comfort you was completely gone. Her collarbone jutted out beneath her thin, pale skin. Only then did you notice how small, how frail she truly was. It was as if the life had been sucked from her body long before her husband snapped her neck.

Beron stood over Lirilla’s body, staring down at Eris with disgust. There was no remorse on his face, as if he hadn’t just murdered his wife to spite his eldest son. Eris wept, pale hands trembling as he cradled Lirilla’s face in them. He pressed his forehead into hers, gut-wrenching sobs shredding at your heart as you watched the normally stone-cold male wailing over his mother’s body. It was as if he was a child again, desperately clinging to his mother in search of some feeling of comfort from her lifeless form.

“You’re sick.” Nesta’s voice was a broken whisper, laced with hatred as she met the eyes of the High Lord. There was no sign of those glorious silver flames, as if they, too, had given up all hope. Eris had stopped sobbing, his eyes glassy and numb as he laid over his mother’s body, wrapping his arms around her small form.

Beron only smiled sickly. “I told him countless times, his soft spot for his wench of a mother would be his downfall. I am making him stronger, this way. He will not be burdened by doltish feelings anymore.”

“You’d murder his mother and let his own mate get killed just to prove a point?” Nesta said, looking as if she was going to throw up. You squeezed your eyes shut, forcing yourself to look away as you leaned into Azriel for support. At this point, you weren’t sure if your legs would support you any longer.

That otherworldly High Lord power thrummed from Beron as he spoke. “Precisely. Now here’s what’s going to happen. Eris is the only son I have left who is not a whimpering fool. Despite his scheming, I will not allow myself to be without an heir. It would weaken me and this court, and I will not have that happen. You are to kneel before me and swear fealty to me, in perpetuity. After you serve your punishment, all will be forgiven. This marriage will resume. The other girl will die, and you and my son will wear these for the rest of your lives.”

The dread that rippled through your body at Beron’s promise of your demise was quickly replaced by a newfound horror as the High Lord snapped his fingers, and two objects appeared in his hands. They were golden torques, a sharp arrow at each end poised towards where Nesta and Eris’s throats would be. From the second they appeared, you felt a darkness creep into the room. And by the way Nesta flinched, she could feel it too. There was a sentience to them, as if they were speaking to you in an ancient tongue, each word coming out as a demonic hiss.

“What the hell are those?” Nesta muttered, her breathing shallow.

“My insurance policy,” Beron smirked. “A way of ensuring you never even think of pulling a stunt like this again.”

Something clicked in your brain as you recognized what the torques were. Fear hit you like an icy wave, and you frantically reached out to Nesta. Don’t let him put those around your neck, You mind-spoke to her. Whatever you do, do not put it on. I’ve read about objects like these. They come from another world and will enslave you to Beron. Your free will would be gone and you will become his puppet with no way out.

You vividly recalled finding the ancient scroll in the House of Wind’s library. It was nearly completely faded, but with Gwyn’s help you managed to make out the text. It spoke of another universe, one infested with demons that used dark objects like rings and collars to enslave and possess people with dark magic, allowing a new host to take over. From the way Beron smirked at Nesta and Eris, it was clear that the objects in his hand possessed the same properties.

How the hell he managed to get his hands on something like this, you didn’t know.

“Now kneel before me, both of you.” Beron continued coldly. “And beg for forgiveness.”

Nesta looked back to you, desperation in her eyes. You only stared back hopelessly, knowing there was nothing either of you could do at this point. You slumped against Azriel, the Illyrian still as a statue, shadows swirling around protectively. His siphons continued to glow, but you knew Beron wouldn’t break a sweat ripping through his shield.

It was over.

All your planning, everything you’d done to get to this point, was all for nothing. Beron was about to kill you and enslave Nesta and Eris for eternity.

“Leave.” You muttered to Azriel softly. “There’s no use in you dying with me. Get out of here.”

You felt oddly calm in the face of death. Even though you were utterly powerless in this situation, you could at least make sure that Azriel was able to get out. He had helped you enough, you weren’t about to let him be dragged down with you.

But the shadowsinger’s voice was firm as he spoke. “Don’t,” He said sternly. “I will not let you get killed.”

You sighed as his shadows curled around your fingers reassuringly, as if they were trying to provide some form of comfort. You took one last look at Nesta and Eris before closing your eyes.

“No.” Eris’s hoarse voice echoed throughout the chamber, making your eyes snap open.

With one last sorrowful glance at his mother’s body, Eris pushed himself up. Amber eyes steeled with determination as he stared down his father.

“What did you just say to me?” Beron growled.

“I said,” Eris’s voice strengthened. “No.”

The High Lord scoffed. “Wipe those tears off your face before you speak to me, boy. Love is weakness, your mother’s death is on your hands–”

Beron didn’t get to finish his sentence before the ground shook beneath you and angry orange fire erupted from Eris. Pure, unfiltered power filled the room as Eris let out a godly cry, flames rippling off of him in waves. It wrapped around Beron, smothering the High Lord’s every attempt to fight back.

Beron may have more experience and magic, but it was no match for Eris’s rage.

The dark cell was lit up in an orange light as Eris was enveloped in his own flames. They swirled around him like a suit of armour, different shades of red yellow and orange blazing furiously. Beron screeches as the waves of fire smothered him, burning his aged skin layer by layer.

You saw Nesta step towards him, silver flame in hand, ready to join the fight.

No, You said to her. Eris needs to do this on his own.

She paused, then nodded, taking a step back.

Eris’s fire was relentless, surging into his father with all their might. His lip was drawn back in a snarl as he continued to cast his flames into Beron, burning the male alive. He looked like a flaming god, a phoenix of hell sent to remake the world with his fire. You covered your ears with your hands, trying to block out the sickening screams of Beron. Instead of watching, you buried your face into Azriel’s side. As much as you hated Beron, this was not something that you wanted to bear witness to.

The roar of the fire was thunderous, threatening to overwhelm all your senses. It shook your very bones like an earthquake. Only when you felt it cease, did you finally open your eyes.

There was a pile of ash where Beron Vanserra once stood, the gut-churning smell of burnt flesh potent in the air. Angry scorch marks adorned the walls and floor from where Eris’s flames had been minutes ago as they had relentlessly torn away at the High Lord. Eris was doubled over on the floor, Nesta crouching by his side.

“Eris?” She asked worriedly as the male gasped.

A soft glow emitted from Eris’s skin, and he writhed in agony as new power flowed through him. The power of a High Lord.

You watched in awe as the scent of raw magic filled your senses, its coppery taste in your mouth as you breathed it in. You could see Eris’s veins through his pale skin, shining like gold as his body was encapsulated in magic. After a minute, he stopped moving. You could hear his heartbeat, so slow it made you break out of Azriel’s arms and rush forward.

You called out his name, crouching down beside Nesta and putting a hand on the autumn male’s arm. Immediately, you jerked it back. His skin was burning hotter than anything you had felt. He was utterly still, almost dead looking beside his mother.

As a final resort, you opened up that part of the bond you had tried to seal shut. Eris? You called out to it. A powerful hum pulsed in response, unlike anything you had ever felt before. You could feel Eris on the other end – different than before, but your Eris nonetheless.

You felt Nesta’s presence too, her silver mist of the bond reaching down towards Eris as well. In the distance, through that mental bridge you could see a faint silhouette writhed in orange flame. You extended a hand towards it through the bond, reaching out for Eris. Nesta did the same, and together, you reached down the bond and grasped onto Eris, giving a gentle but firm pull.

Amber eyes shot open and Eris gasped for breath as he woke.

“Thank the Mother.” You muttered. As much as you were mad at Eris for keeping the bond a secret, you couldn’t imagine what you’d have felt if he didn’t wake up. For him to die thinking you hated him… it was something you couldn’t handle.

With the help of you and Nesta, Eris rose to his feet. A new aura of power surrounded him, the unmistakable magic of a new High Lord.

Beron was dead, and his magic had chosen Eris.

“Are you really…” Nesta asked, grey eyes scanning Eris up and down. “High Lord?”

Eris nodded, unable to speak. But the powerful glow in his eyes faded as his gaze landed on Lirilla’s body, still crumpled on the floor. “It doesn’t matter.” He muttered. “He killed her. With his bare hands.”

Your heart broke even more hearing the defeat in his voice. This was a moment Eris should have been celebrating – it was something he spent years trying to achieve, yet he paid a price for it.

No. You wouldn’t let it end like this.

Carefully, you let go of Eris and walked over to Lirilla’s body. You knelt down beside it, brushing the auburn hair from her pale face.

“What are you doing?” Nesta asked, confused.

“I want to try something.” You responded. Not bothering to explain, you closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. You pictured that clearing in the village, the one in a dream-like state where you first met Estelle.

Please, Estelle, You called out to her. I need you right now.

Truthfully, you had no idea if this would work. Your conversation with the goddess could have been a one time thing. But you couldn’t imagine Eris risking everything to help you, only to lose his mother for good in the process.

After a few minutes of pleading, you felt your eyes open. But you were no longer in the dark dungeons of Autumn. Instead, you were on a bench in your village clearing, a gentle white mist covering the surroundings. You felt light and weightless, all aches and pains of your body having vanished.

“Hello, my child.” Came the familiar voice of Estelle.

You whipped your head to the side as the mists parted, the Mother goddess walking through towards you. Her white robes floated around her, eyes shining with starlight as her gaze landed on you. You bowed your head respectfully, and she laughed.

“There is no need for that.” Estelle said softly as she came to stand in front of you.

“Sorry.” You muttered, straightening your back. “But I really need your help.”

The goddess smiled sadly. “I know what you are going to ask of me. But I cannot bring the Lady Lirilla back.”

“I know,” You continued, taking a deep breath. “But I was wondering if I could. After all, you said that when Hybern attacked my village, I absorbed the life force of everyone that died, and that it became a power I could use to wield.”

Estelle did not say anything. She only stared at you with an unreadable expression.

“Please,” You begged, voice breaking. “She’s Eris’s mother.”

“My child,” Estelle’s voice was gentle but firm. “Lirilla suffered a hard life. Even if she were to be brought back, she would have a lot of trauma to deal with. Letting her rest may be the kinder path.”

“No.” You said sternly. “After everything she went through she deserves a chance. Feyre Archeron was brought back, as were Rhys and Amren during the war. How is it fair that they get to be brought back after death and Lirilla doesn’t?”

“Not everything is meant to be fair.”

You stood up, facing the goddess with a steeled expression. Anger boiled in your gut at her refusal to help. “Look,” You snapped. “I came here asking you for guidance, not permission. I may be an incarnate version of you, but I am not tied to your decisions. This is my power to do with as I please, so I am asking you once again: could I use it to bring her back?”

You half expected Estelle to get angry and send you back to reality, but she just looked at you with a sombre expression. “So young, so determined.” She muttered. “You remind me of myself when I was your age, all those millenia ago. I will not stop you, but it is not simple. In order to bring Lirilla back, you must do a trade – find a soul who died that day in your village who is willing to give up their eternity of peace. While you can bend this power of life to your will, the life forces of those who you absorbed still belong to them.”

“A soul for a soul.” You muttered.

“Yes. That is the only way you can bring her back in a manner that does not utilise dark magic and risk severe consequences.”

“Ok. How do I find a soul then?”

Estelle smiled softly, putting a soft hand on your cheek. “You have been so brave and endured so much.” She murmured. “Good luck, my child. May we meet again.”

“Wait–” Your protest died off as her starry image faded into the mist. You huffed angrily, wringing your hands together. Time was running out – you had no idea how long you would stay here, but you were determined to make the most of it.

Gathering your wits, you stepped through the mist along the path that led to the heart of your village. Your feet made no noise on the ground, as if you were a ghost. Eventually, the mist began to lighten, and you heard lively chatter in the distance.

You broke into a full on sprint, racing towards the noise. As you went through the archway of your village entrance, the sight before you made you stop dead in your tracks.

Children were playing games under the large willow tree, their laughter echoing on the gentle breeze. Elderly couples sat on the benches, content to enjoy the sunshine. Smells of freshly baked bread and rich flowers filled your nostrils, and your eyes watered. Your village was lively again, the faces of those you had seen bloody and dead now filled with life as they once were.

“Hey, bitch!” The familiar husky voice of your best friend Sapphyra sounded in your ear as strong arms wrapped around you.

Nothing could stop the tears that flowed down your cheeks as you felt Sapphyra hug you. Sobs wracked your body as you clung onto her, savouring every inch of her presence. Her dark hair was pulled back in its usual braid, her muscles even leaner than when she was alive.

“It’s you…” You sobbed. “I can’t believe it’s you. Last time I say you–”

“Hush,” She said gently, pulling away and holding you by your shoulders, as if sensing you needed grounding. “We don’t talk about that here. None of us speak of the day we died. It’s not something any of us wants to remember.”

You wiped your tears away. Your heart swelled, seeing her filled with life again.

“I know why you’re here.” Sapphyra said. “You want one of us to trade our souls to bring Eris’s mother back.”

You nodded. “I can’t let her go, Sapphyra.”

“I know. But there’s something you should know. Whoever helps you bring her back will lose their spot in the afterlife. If Lirilla dies, that soul will not return here. They will be gone forever.”

You blanched, guilt prickling your heart. “How am I supposed to ask anyone here to do that for me? It’s not fair to them.”

She smiled. “I don’t think you’ll have to ask. We’ve all been watching you, rooting for you on our end of the universe. There will be somebody who is willing to give up their spot in eternity to help you. I promise.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. Now, enough of me. You only have so much time here, so make the most of it.” Sapphyra clapped you on the back, pushing you towards the crowd that had gathered at your arrival.

You spent the next few minutes receiving more hugs than you ever had in your entire life. Fae of all ages holding your hand, wishing you the best and saying how proud they were of you. You did not idle for small talk, knowing Sapphyra was right. You only had so much time.

A familiar male made his way through the crowd, a tender smile on his face. “Hey, kiddo.” He said softly.

Your throat closed up. “Father…”

You leapt into his arms, clinging onto him like a child on their first day of school. He hugged you tightly, your tears staining the pale green tunic he wore as you sobbed into him.

“I am so proud of you.” He murmured, kissing the top of your head. “You have fought so hard. Harder than you should have to.”

“I’m tired, dad.” You said quietly. “I’m so tired.”

“I know. But the hardest part is over. You just have to figure out how to move forward.”

You let go of his embrace, staring up at his green eyes sorrowfully. “I miss you.”

He smiled. “I miss you, too. But there’s someone else who wants to see you, and you don’t have much time. Go to the house. She’s waiting for you.”

Your father patted you on the back, gently steering you in the direction of your family cottage a few feet away. It took everything in you not to turn back for one more glance at him as you made your way up the steps and pushed open the door.

There, in the living room of your cottage, stood your mother. A soft smile on her face, devoid of the blood and gore you had last seen on it as she died. It was the straw that broke you, and you crumpled to the floor in front of her. “Mama…” Was all you could choke out as she wrapped her arms around you.

“It’s okay, honey. I’m here.” She murmured, stroking your hair. “Oh, my sweet girl…”

You didn’t know how long you stayed in her embrace. It felt like forever, but not long enough as she gently pried you off of her.

“There’s so much I want to say, but we don’t have the time.” Your mother said urgently as you leaned into her touch, afraid to let go. “You came here to save another person from losing their mother, did you not?”

You nodded.

“I may not have been able to help stop any of the horrible things that happened to you,” She said sorrowfully. “But I can help you with this. Let me be the soul who will bring the Lady of Autumn back.”

Your heart dropped. “No.” You said firmly. “Sapphyra told me that whoever helps me will lose their spot here in the afterlife. If I die I won’t see you again.”

She smiled, eyes lined with tears. “I know that, my love.”

“But you’re finally at peace.” You sobbed harder.

“Which will be for nothing if I do not use it to help my daughter.” Your mother insisted. “I know what it’s like to lose a mother. And so do you. And so does Nesta. If we can spare Eris that pain too, that is a sacrifice I will gladly make for your mate.”

You took in a shaky breath. “Me, Nesta, and Eris… all being mates. You don’t disapprove or think it’s weird?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “No, I do not. I think you deserve all the love this world has to offer you. I am happy for you, (Y/N). And I want you to live a long and happy life with both your mates at your side.”

As much as you wanted to bring Lirilla back, your heart shattered all over again at the thought of losing your mother twice. “Please…” You cried. “Please don;t leave me again.”

“I will never leave you,” She promised. “By doing this, I will be even closer to you than I am now. I will always be with you.”

“Will she know it’s you?”

“No, she will not know whose soul brought her back. But you will. And you’ll have a piece of me with you down there in Autumn.”

Your head ached from the tears you had been shedding. Your kind, selfless mother was willing to trade a peaceful eternity with her husband and community, all so your mate could have his own mother.

You wanted to say no, to demand somebody else does it. But you remembered Estelle’s words, how a soul had to be given willingly. Your mother offering her own as a trade was your only chance.

“Are you sure?” You asked, cherishing the sight of her kind face for the last time of your immortal life.

Your mother nodded. “A thousand percent.”

You could barely get the words out. “Then tell me what I need to do.”

“In a minute, you will go back to your world. I will fade into a ball of light, summoned into your hands. I want you to press it to Lirilla’s heart, use your magic to push it into her body. I will do the rest. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. It’s time now. Come here.” She pulled you into one last hug, the final embrace your mother would ever be able to give you in her current form, even if you died one day and joined your people here in the afterlife. Her comforting scent of jasmine surrounded you as you clung onto her.

A gentle, white light began to glow from her skin, and you sobbed harder as you felt her slowly begin to slip away.

“I love you.” Were the last words to leave her lips as the light consumed you both, and you tumbled back into darkness.

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

When you opened your eyes again, the stifling smell of the dungeon washed away the blissful memories of the village. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness, and your vision focused finally. Nesta and Eris were crouched across from you on the other side of Lirilla’s body.

“(Y/N)?” Eris asked. “Where did you go just now?”

You didn’t say anything, too tired to even try and explain. You looked down at the Lady of Autumn, laying on her back in front of you. And then you felt it – that warm, jasmine scented presence compacted into a ball of light in your hand. Slowly, you uncurled your fist to reveal it, and its soft light filled the room.

Nesta’s eyes widened. “What is that…”

“My mother…” You choked out, curling your other hand over top of the small bulb of light. “She offered her soul in exchange… it’s to bring your mother back.”

Eris’s jaw went slack. “(Y/N)...”

“Don’t…” You cut him off, not wanting to cry again. “Don’t make this harder. Let me do this for you, please.”

The new High Lord paused for a moment, then nodded, sorrow filling his eyes as he observed your tear stained cheeks. You took a shaking breath, pressing your light-filled hands to Lirilla’s chest, just above her heart.

A soft sound like a dewdrop hitting a puddle echoed throughout the dungeon, and you closed your eyes and willed the light to spread.

And spread it did.

A white glow washed under Lirilla’s skin, expanding from her heart down her arms and legs, before finally coming over her face. The scent of jasmine and starlight filled the air, a bittersweet reminder of what this had cost. A gentle breeze caressed your cheek, its presence unmistakable.

Thank you for letting me do this. It seemed to say.

As the light faded, the Lady of Autumn’s eyes opened as she inhaled a breath of life. You fell back, breath shuddering as the world spun slightly. Your legs were wobbly as you pushed yourself back up. You staggered backwards into Azriel, who helped you regain your balance. You turned to thank him, but his hazel eyes were fixed on the scene before him, utterly shocked.

Eris let out a cry of relief, reaching forward and grabbing his mother’s hands, which now were bright with warmth. “Mother?”

“Eris?” Lirilla croaked, looking around frantically. “Your father…”

“He’s gone.” Eris said through tears. “I killed him. You don’t ever have to be afraid of him again.”

Lirilla’s eyes widened, and she sat up with the help of Eris and Nesta. “I… I was dead, wasn’t I? He killed me. How…”

While Nesta helped the Lady of Autumn stabilise herself, Eris walked over to you. Your throat was dry, your legs so weak you relied on Azriel to help hold you upright. Between the mental exhaustion of your ordeal and the physical toll the magic took, you were utterly spent. But you met his gaze, wanting to say a hundred things to him at once. But nothing came out.

The new High Lord dropped to his knees before you, grabbing your hands and pressing his forehead against them. “I am indebted to you for the rest of our eternal lives, (Y/N).” He said. “There are no words in any tongues I know to properly thank you for what you did. For what you sacrificed to do this for me. I…” His voice trailed off.

You crouched down in front of him, gently removing your hands from his and cupping his face. “You’re my mate, Eris.” You said softly. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

As you wrapped your arms around the sobbing male, you felt the glow of the mating bond in your chest, brighter and stronger than ever. Nesta appeared beside you, pulling both you and Eris into her arms as she let out a sigh of relief.

You felt the bond between you and her glow, too. Each rope led to the two fae in your arms, all glowing with equal strength and passion. There was no faltering, no weakness of one bond over the other. They were all the same – all pure, unfiltered love.

As Eris pressed his head into your chest, you leaned your own head on Nesta’s shoulder, the presence of your two mates soothing the raw ache in your chest from your mother’s sacrifice.

You did well, child, Came Estelle’s faint voice in your head. Everything will be okay.

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#ialtpwf #neris #neris x reader #nesta archeron #eris vanserra #eris vanserra x reader #eris vanserra x nesta archeron #nesta x eris #nesta archeron x reader #nesta archeron fic #pro nesta archeron #pro nesta #autumn court #acosf au #anti rhysand #neris fic

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ladykailitha · 1 year ago

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Royal Pain Part 19

Hey, guys. Sorry it took so long to get this out. The chapter was fighting me and I have had the absolutely worst week. However in slightly happier news, my partner got a new job and that means I should be able to quit mine and go back to writing full time. I'll let you know more when I do, but it's looking more and more likely.

I realized it had been a while since we had an Eddie centric chapter and decided this would be the one. And I left it on a cliffhanger again. But don't worry next chapter will see more than one villain vanquished.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

***

Eddie was seething. He hadn’t been this mad since he learned Max was moving to New York. Actually. No. He was madder then that. He was pissed.

Gareth grimaced. “They won’t do anything?”

“No,” Eddie growled. “Because he technically hasn’t violated the protection order, according to them.”

“If he can’t get with in five hundred feet,” Brian said, “then how did he find out about Steve.”

Eddie threw up his arms into the air. “That’s what I asked.”

“I’m betting,” Mandy said, “that they didn’t have a good answer?”

“Apparently since Seth showed up at Hopper’s,” Eddie snarled, “and not Steve’s shop, that he was just going around to all the tattoo parlors and threatening everyone.”

Jeff rolled his eyes. “I bet they didn’t even check with other tattoo shops and just made that shit up.”

“I even talked to Officer Callahan who was in charge of the original case file because he’s not supposed to be out of jail yet,” Eddie said, beginning to pace. “He never went.”

“What?!” came the shocked cry of outrage from everyone.

“Yeah,” Eddie continued. “Apparently he made a deal with the DA and they didn’t tell me. He got two years probation.”

“That’s bullshit!” Mandy hissed. “He was going to kill you.”

“Criminal mischief,” Eddie said. “Domestic abuse down to criminal mischief. $300 fine, two year probation, and forced to take a class about how not to be a violent offender.”

“It’s because you’re a man, isn’t it?” Gareth asked, licking his lips slowly. “These fuckers don’t think a man can be abused.”

Eddie pursed his lips into a line and nodded.

“Hop’s calling in a couple of favors to keep Steve safe,” he said. “But that does jack shit about me. And this isn’t me calling out that shit. That’s Hop’s prerogative but he’s my dumb ass ex, who’s protecting me?”

“We are,” Jeff said. “You don’t go anywhere without one of us. Garth, since you’re the only one without a roommate at the moment, Eddie’s going to stay with you. Brian, talk to Cecil, he’s studying law. See what he can recommend.”

Gareth and Brian both nodded.

Eddie buried his head into his hands. “This is such bullshit.”

Mandy came up and gave him a hug. “We’ll get through this. We did before and we will again. And this time we have more people that would be willing to help. Steve, Robin, Chrissy, hell the whole of the Royal Pain would throw hands for you.”

Eddie chuckled. He knew that too. “Well, maybe not Erica.”

Brian snorted. “That girl would sell her own mother for a cookie.”

“Not even a Girl Scout cookie,” Jeff agreed. “That girl is bound for world domination.”

“No doubt.”

“You tell me right now,” Wayne said when Eddie had called that night, “do you need me up there? Because work be damned, boy, I’ll be up there in two shakes of lamb’s tail.”

Eddie chewed on his nail. He felt like that little boy all over again. Being given the choice between being with his uncle or being put in a foster home. He didn’t want to be a bother to anyone, but he knew. He knew that Wayne was someone that wouldn’t care. That he could be as big a bother as he wanted, he would still be loved.

He let out a shuddering breath and like that little boy all those years ago said, “Yes. Please.”

“I’ve got some vacation time coming,” Wayne said as if he didn’t have weeks and weeks of it stored up because he was never sick a day in his life. “I cane be up there for as long as you need me, you hear?”

“I’m staying with Gareth for the time being,” Eddie said solemnly, “because Jeff is worried that Seth will follow me home.”

“Smart man, your Jeff,” Wayne agreed. “I have a friend in Indy I can crash on the sofa of for a couple of days until I can find something a little more permanent.”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Let me know when you get into town and we’ll meet up for lunch.”

“You can finally take me to that pizza place you’ve been going on about for months.”

Eddie laughed, a knot loosening in his chest. “You’ve got it, old man.”

A few days later Steve was waiting for the pizza he had ordered for the shop, playing silly games on his phone when the bell announced new arrivals. He looked up instinctively and grinned.

He waved. “Eddie!”

Eddie lit up with a big smile. “Stevie?” He hopped over, an older man following a little slower behind.

“Hey!” Steve greeted. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Eddie’s smile turned into a grin. “DiMaggio’s is the best pizza place in Indy, not coming here is a crime.”

“If it’s not it certainly should be,” Steve agreed with his own answering grin.

“Steve,” Eddie said, “this is my uncle, Wayne. He’s staying in town for a few days.”

Steve’s mood was dampened a bit, knowing why he was in town. “Nice to meet you. I was planning a trip back down Hawkins at the end of the summer so that Eddie could introduce us, sorry we had meet under lesser than ideal circumstances.”

Wayne blinked at him for a moment before turning to Eddie. “This one is a keeper.”

Eddie blushed, shoving his hair in front of his face, ducking his head to hide his embarrassment.

Steve just smiled fondly at him. “I think that’s up to him.”

Wayne’s eyebrows shot up. “I like him.”

That surprised a laugh out of Eddie causing him to drop the hair. “Me too.”

“Let me just go order our pizzas,” Eddie murmured and darted for the front counter.

“He’s cute,” Steve said, waving his hand to the chair in front of him for Wayne to sit.

Wayne took the seat and smiled. “He certainly is. I’m glad the world didn’t beat the silliness out of him.”

“Me too,” Steve agreed. “I love how earnest and outgoing he is.”

Wayne hummed. “He tell what was going on?”

Steve nodded. “I’m afraid it’s my fault. Seth came after me at a friend’s shop, tried to threaten me into leaving Eddie alone.”

“I don’t think being threatened is the fault of the victim,” he said, his voice a deep comforting rumble.

Steve blushed. “That’s what Jeff and Robin said.”

“Jeff I know,” Wayne said, “Robin I don’t, but it sounds to me like they both have their heads on straight and you should be listening to them and not that voice in the back of your head.” He tapped Steve forehead for emphasis.

The bell above the door rang again and Mike and Will walked in. Steve raised a eyebrow when he spotted them.

“DiMaggio’s is certainly hopping for a random Thursday,” he commented dryly to Will when he lead a slightly reluctant Mike over to their table. Eddie arrived at the table just moments later and there are hugs and greetings all around.

“You caused quite a stir at the latest family dinner,” Will said with a huge grin to Steve.

Steve huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, how did that happen?”

“Jonathan is back on Mom’s couch,” he said with a smirk.

Steve reared his head back. “And how did that involve me?”

“Argyle kicked him out of the apartment because him and Nancy lied to him about who’s fault your and her relationship ended.”

“Nancy is furious at them both,” Mike said with a half shrug. “I’m not sure their relationship is going to survive that little revelation.”

Steve winced. “Yeah...that’s on them though. How was I to know that Jonathan hadn’t been honest to Argyle about that.”

Eddie bumped his shoulder. “You weren’t.”

“Oh we are totally on your side,” Will said.

Mike nodded. “Yeah, man. It was straight up bullshit all the lying they did.”

“Mom’s pissed because she really liked you,” Will continued, “and believed Jonathan about how things went down. Like of course she did. He’s her son, but she should have tried to get your side of it.”

“Those eight years are totally on her,” Steve said, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’ve been trying to tell her for years to at least talk to me about it.”

Will and Mike nodded.

Mike chewed on his lip as he played with the loose string on the hem of his t-shirt. “Is it bad I hope Nancy and Jonathan break up?”

The table got silence for a moment.

Wayne lifted his chin. “Why’s that, son?”

“Because I don’t think she wants a relationship. I think she was only with Jonathan and Steve,” he said waving at him with his left hand, “is because that’s what you’re ‘supposed’ to do.”

“Steve!” the counter called.

Steve got up to get his pizza order, he stopped back at the table. “I don’t think it’s a bad you want your sister to learn how to be herself without a partner. I think it shows that you’re more mature then she is. You’re a good man, Mike.”

He clapped Mike’s shoulder and then waved goodbye to everyone. He pulled out his keys and walked out to his car, flipping the key ring around as he thought.

He never intended this to happen when he saw his ex at the grocery store, but honestly? Maybe it was a good thing to get all those wounds brought to light so that they could heal properly.

For all their sakes.

Steve was ready for the weekend. His week had been a literal hell. But Eddie had promised that he would have fun. The band had been practicing a couple of new songs and were debuting them Saturday night.

He sat at the curve of the table, sandwiched between Robin, who wouldn’t care, only to tease him mercilessly later, and Mandy who got it, how fucking sexy Eddie and the band was when they were on stage.

Steve wished he could say he was better prepared every time Eddie got on stage, but every week Eddie went out of his way to drive Steve absolutely wild.

“He does this on purpose doesn’t he?” Steve asked after a particularly hot number where Eddie fell to his knees grinding on his guitar.

Mandy laughed. “I would like to put you out of your misery and say yes, but no. When Eddie gets on stage he loses all connection to the audience and just rocks out. His fans love it.”

Steve looked around the dingy bar and had to agree. They were just as turned on as he was. He shifted uncomfortably in his jeans, clearing his throat. “If we...” he cleared his throat again. “I mean if Eddie were to–if we were–”

Mandy took pity on him. “If you two were going out would the fans tear you to pieces for touching what they can’t?”

Steve bit his lip and nodded, looking at his hands that were twisted in lap.

She gave his knee a squeeze. “I honestly don’t know what the fans would do. But Eddie wouldn’t give a damn what they think. He’s been booed before for a song that they didn’t think was metal enough and he didn’t let that stop him. Not once.”

Steve let out a breath. It was always something that worried him. He knew he went against the grain in everything he did, but he didn’t want that with Eddie. He didn’t want to be with Eddie just because it went against the norm of what was expected of either of them.

They arrived at the club and already Robin was on the dance floor. She loved dancing and soon Mandy, Chrissy, Jeff, and Brian were out there with her. Gareth, Eddie, and Steve watched in amusement as their friends let loose on the dance floor, living it up under the rainbow lights and the thumping beat of the music.

Steve turned around and Eddie wasn’t there.

“You seen Eddie?” he shouted at Gareth.

Gareth shot up and looked around. “Shit.”

Somehow during their watching of their friends cutting it up, Eddie had slipped away.

“You check out back to see if he’s gone for a smoke,” Steve said.

Gareth nodded.

“I’m going to check the bar.”

Gareth nodded again.

Across the crowded room, a man in a tailored white suit grinned as he moved to the back of the club where the restrooms were, eyes glittering with want and rage as he scented his prey.

***

Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

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#stranger things #steddie #my writing #tattoo artist steve #ladykailtiha writes

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kasdan · 6 months ago

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𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝐹𝑢𝑟𝑦 {𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 14}

join the taglist | series masterlist | marvel masterlist | ko-fi

a/n: i would like to apologize that this chapter has taken so long i have been working mainly on fics on my side blog atm and am trying to juggle this story and the other fics i'm writing so please bear with me 🙏🏼 i hope people still enjoy reading the story and that you enjoy the chapter<3

summary: you have to cut off your power usage and a visitor shows up on the bunker's doorstep

pairing: frank castle x reader

warnings: frank is upsetti spaghetti, mention of blood and dead bodies, reader and frank have another moment ‼️(they were cock blocked again smh), mild language, smidge cliffhanger ending (sorry)

word count: 1.2k

“How the hell did they know where we were?” I hear Frank’s booming voice from the bathroom where I’m washing off all the blood. He doesn’t give me much of a choice when we get back to the bunker, immediately ushering me into the bathroom to get cleaned up, even though he looks to be in worse condition than I am.

He tries to inspect my injuries, but I push the first aid kit into his arms so he can tend to his own wounds and not worry about mine. I’ve been washing off in the sink, watching the red-colored water swirl down the drain. Most of the blood on me isn’t mine; it’s from others that I need to scrub off.

I quickly rinse off the blood and change into the clothes Frank left outside the door before leaving the bathroom. It’s easy to find where the two men are in the bunker, given its size, and also where the loud talking continues.

As soon as Frank sees me walk into the room, he’s in front of me, tilting my chin up to inspect the cut. “Frank, I’m fine.” I try to tilt my head away, but his grip is firm, not letting me move as he examines my chin.

He doesn’t let go until he’s sure I’m not badly hurt, then walks back to where David is sitting at his desk. Wrappers and bandages from the first aid kit are scattered over the desk where Frank hastily patched up his injuries.

“The bracelet she has only prevents large amounts of waves from being sent into the air at one time, making it almost impossible to track—emphasis on almost. They’re apparently very persistent,” David explains, sighing.

“So my best chance is to just not use them?” I ask, uncertain about the situation since many of the men who came are either still bleeding out at the house or dead.

“Right now, I think it’s best if they’re only used when absolutely necessary.” I understand his point, but it makes me uneasy not being able to fully control them or work on them. How can I ensure they’ll work when I really need them?

“You can still practice with them, just not so much at one time,” David says, as if reading my thoughts. I nod slowly, slightly disappointed that I won’t have any more full-on training sessions with Frank anytime soon.

“C’mere,” Frank says, grabbing a couple of papers from the desk and motioning for me to follow him to the back of the bunker.

“Yeah, just leave me with the mess,” David calls out as Frank walks away, not receiving a response.

Frank sits down on the ground, knowing I’m more comfortable there than on the benches or chairs. I’ve told him many times that he doesn’t have to sit on the ground with me if he’d prefer the chairs, but he brushes me off every time.

He places the papers in front of him as I sit down next to him, wondering what this is about. He gives me a reassuring smile and slides the paper closer so I can see it.

There’s a list of words on it, each color-coded. “This is the list of the powers that were put into the system. They were all a different color for some reason, so we wrote them down as listed,” Frank explains. I reach out to pick up the sheet and survey it.

I skim over the list, focusing more on the colors than trying to make sense of it. However, I can't help but notice the word “time” a couple of times. My eyebrows crease as I attempt to figure out what it means. “What is it?” Frank gently asks from next to me.

I show him the two items I’m looking at. “What do these mean?” He leans in to see where I’m pointing.

“Freeze time and reverse time,” he reads from the paper. “Freezin' time is makin' everythin' around you stop and freeze in place. Reversin' it is going back a few seconds or minutes to an earlier event.” I recall the time in the house when Frank repeated the same thing but didn’t seem to realize it. Was I the reason for that? I glance back at the paper. ‘Freeze time’ has an icy blue color next to it, while ‘reverse time’ has a lighter green color.

“You don’t know what the colors mean?” I look up from the paper, surprised to find that we’ve grown closer, our knees touching as I look at him. He meets my gaze and visibly swallows before clearing his throat.

“Uh, no. They were never really explained in the files…” His voice trails off, and I look at him in confusion.

“Are you okay?” I ask, noticing his distraction.“Frank?” I say again when he doesn't say anything, and he lifts his head to look at me.

“I shouldn’t…” he mutters, sounding conflicted.

“Shouldn’t what?” I respond, but there’s no time to think before he tilts my chin up and presses his lips to mine.

It catches me off guard, and a small gasp escapes me as he moves his lips gently against mine. I feel sparks ignite within me once again, and I slowly start to move my mouth along with his.

A groan escapes his lips when he feels me respond, and he grips my hips, pulling me closer. I find myself resting my hands on his shoulders to steady myself as our mouths continue to move together.

My body tingles as sparks shoot through my arms and into my hands, causing Frank to pull back and look at me. I’m breathing heavily and notice my hands glowing dark red again, and I don’t understand what triggered it.

Instead of pulling fully away, Frank ignores the shocks and leans in to press his lips back against mine. I try to pull my hands away to stop hurting him, but his strong hold keeps me in place.

A noise escapes me as he presses his mouth more firmly against mine, forcing me to push back with equal force. He pulls me into his lap, our bodies pressed close, and I can’t help but wrap my arms around his neck and melt into him.

My body feels like it’s in overdrive, new emotions swirling inside me, making me want to stay close forever. However, the universe has other plans when a knock is heard from the front bunker door.

We break apart, panting for air. I stare at him, confused about what’s happening. His grip loosens, allowing me to slide off his lap.

David’s urgent voice comes from the other side of the bunker, calling us over. I glance at Frank one last time before picking myself up and slowly making my way to David. Frank follows, but I catch him glancing down at the paper left on the ground before he does.

“Do either of you know who this is?” David points to the screen of the camera outside the door. A woman stands there in a long dark coat. There’s something familiar about her, but I can’t quite place it.

buy me a coffee ♡

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

taglist:

@sleeperthelazy @lunaticgurly @casa-boiardi @mattmurdocksstarlight @cherry-berry-ollie @givemylovetoall @maddiewinchester

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

join the story taglist

#embers fury #frank castle #frank castle x reader #frank castle angst #frank castle fluff #frank castle fanfiction #frank castle fic #frank castle series #marvel #the punisher #mcu #the punisher x reader #frank castle x f!reader #slow burn #frank castle x female reader #frank castle x you #frank castle x y/n #jon bernthal #marvel mcu

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saturnzskyzz · 1 year ago

Text

𝚂𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎!

𝙻𝚎𝚎: 𝚂𝚊𝚒𝚔𝚒 𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜: 𝙺𝚊𝚒𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙰𝚛𝚎𝚗

Summary: Kaido and Aren both drag Saiki along to the mall to have their photos taken as a fun way to get out of the house. What Sucks for them is that Saiki appears to be having a hard time participating Smiling for the camera!

Warning: | tickling | claustrophobia descriptions |

Word count: 4764

Enjoy!

·˚ ༘ 𖦆 ꒷₊˚ ꒦꒷꒷꒦ ⑅ ʚ ⤜ ⨳ ࣪• ☼ ⋒ ⚡︎ 𐚱 ⊹˚˖⁺ ⤾·˚ ༘ 𖦆 ꒷₊˚ ꒦꒷꒷꒦ ⑅ ʚ ⤜ ⨳ ࣪•

'Nothing like reading a comic on a clear Saturday evening to bring this peaceful evening together.. ' Saiki thought to himself. He held up an action comic that he had for years, untouched until this day. His dad bought him this comic when he was 14 for him to read, but Saiki had never gotten around to actually reading it because he thought it was something more of what his dad liked than himself. He proved himself wrong however, because he is now in the middle of reading chapter seven. He was nearly at the end of the comic while hoping that it would not leave off with a cliffhanger.

It explained the main character fighting this villain who just got done with its sappy story of how no one cares for his personality and likeability. 'ppt.. How pathetic, you chose to be a villain.' Saiki thought. Though, he can also understand why the character turned out to be a cold hard villain in the first place. I mean, who WOULDN'T understand one's backstory?

As he continued to read, he felt his telepathic senses tell him that someone was coming up to his door. Saiki scoffed at who it could be this time since everyone kept bothering him before picking up the comic.

"Hey, Kusuo? It's your dad.. There's people outside for you. They're wanting to know if you could go visit the mall real fast." The voice from the other side of Saiki's door could be faintly heard.

'What a bother. I finally chose a day to relax, and this is how the world treats my day off?' Saiki, once again, had thought to himself. He was irritated. Not only did he just finish the book that unsurprisingly left off with a cliffhanger, he now has to deal with what he assumed were two idiots who wanted to drag him along to the mall, and for what?!

'This could be a good time to search for the two other comics.. I mean, dad did only buy one of the other three.'

Saiki had to think about it for a moment longer. If he stays home, he could enjoy the peace and quiet for the first time in like, forever for the poor soul. But if he pushed himself to be dragged around by two fools who have no idea what it's like to favor time with being alone, he could find those two other comics that he desperately wants.. No.. Needs!

At the speed of light, Saiki got dressed in a casual, but yet a usual set of clothing. He looked around his room one last time to make sure he's not forgetting anything; not like he needs anything other than his wallet and cellphone. He did however, catch a glimpse of his Germanium ring that was sat neatly on his dresser, untouched.

He stared at the ring for a good minute or two before deciding that he should probably wear it in case of hearing unwanted spoilers for his comic that he is starting to realize, but won't admit to, to be obsessing over.

He walked out of his room once he had put the ring on, and headed for the front door rather excitedly than usual.

"Oh! Kusuo, deary! You're rather excited. Anything particular happen? You're not hanging out with some girl.. Are you?" Saiki heard his mother and her overly sweet, yet invasive tone, and stopped in his tracks to look at her with a deadpanned face.

'Welp, the excitement is gone now, thanks Mom.'

"What? Don't look at me like that sweetie, I'm only asking!" Kurumi said while walking up to the door to block it. She wasn't going to let him go until he told the truth. It's not like he wanted to go or anything.

"I'm going out to get two other comic books that I started reading, now let me pass." Saiki kept it truthful, but left out crucial details to savor any more bombarding questions.

"Uh-huh? So when I open this door-" Kurumi started to say, going for the knob.

"Wait, don't open that door! You won't get off my back if you! -" Saiki reached out his hand to try and stop his mom from opening the front door, but missed by a millisecond, as she opened the door to show two patient students out front. 'Great, this is going to be a long day of parenting 101 questions..'

"Oh! Hi Mrs. Saiki! I hope we're not much of a bother, but we're just gonna empty your hands by taking your son with us to the mall to snap a few pictures for memories!" Aren, who was the first to speak, reassured Saiki's mother on instinct. Aren assumed that Saiki's mom was rather irritated given that her face looked like it was about to fly off her silhouette of a head. Too specific??

"Oh.. Oh! Ahaha, I should have known! My apologies, kuboyasu! You boys have fun, I don't want to keep you guys here any longer!" Kurumi placed her hands on Saiki's shoulders to gesture him out the door. She waved a goodbye to all three of them, and closed the door gently.

It was a good day to not hear the mopes of his own mother during this time. Because right now, she's probably thinking of how much her child has grown up to be hanging out with other people for once..

﹏﹏﹏

As the three walked together to the mall, Aren and Kaido were rambling like usual. Saiki instinctively follows behind so he knows that those two won't wander off somewhere without his telepathic powers to notice.

'I guess this is babysitting but for the rookies.. I don't have my powers so it's going to be very tough to predict their thoughts and movements with this ring. It's a good thing that I don't actually have to talk though.' Saiki thought to himself.

"So! Saiki, I was quite surprised that you accepted our invitation on this journey. I thought you would say no and go read or something that you usually do." Aren blurted out.

'Well, there goes that assumption.. I was reading until the book left me with a cliffhanger..' Saiki thought once again.

Aren then walked a bit slower to get to Saiki's pace.

'What does he want now?'

"Is there any particular reason why you agreed to come with us to the mall?" Aren said, looking at Saiki with interest.

Saiki cursed at himself for not bringing the comic book with him to just show it to his classmate, but this is what he gets when accepting plans that he didn't want to participate in the first place.

"Just came for a couple of comic books.." Saiki said without glancing at Aren. It's unlike Saiki to us his actual voice to speak, but he had no other choice so he just rolled with it, hoping for the best.

"..Huh. So you didn't want to take a photo with us?" Kaido budded in, slowing down to get on the same pace as the other two now.

Saiki only shook his head this time. He really didn't have time to enlighten in conversation.

"Well, TOO BAD! because look!" Kaido linked arms with Saiki, surprisingly enough for him, and pointed at the mall in front of them.

"We're going in there to have our pictures taken, and we brought you along to join! So let's go!" Kaido then sprinted, with Saiki being dragged, into the mall.

'What a p-pain.!' Ow. The grip that Kaido had on his upper arm was really getting to him. Who would have thought that the grip of a usually weak boy could do this much pain?

The mall was pretty huge for Saiki. He rarely goes to the mall, so anytime he does arrive he's always wondering if the building somehow got bigger. Who would of thought? Sometimes renovations can happen even for huge malls like the one that these two students dragged him along to.

As they got inside, Saiki started to look for a book store that might have obtained his comics. He saw clothing stores, shoe stores, food stands, jewelry stores, toy stores, but no book stores to be seen. It's not like this mall has a second story anyway?

"Hey look! The photobooth is right there, c'mon guys!" Kaido said. He started to run, not even realizing that he still had a death grip on Saiki, and he pulled him along with.

Saiki let out a gasp and a cough at the same time due to not realizing the grip as well, and because of how painful the pull was, but he managed.

Eventually, all three of them arrived at the photobooth, going in one by one. Kaido went in first, the boy to be the most excited for these photos, leaving Saiki to be uncomfortablely in the middle, and Aren coming in last. It was a tight squeeze, but they all managed to sit on the seat. It was fortunate that they were all in frame of the camera.

"Alright guys, I'll pay! The first set of photos we're going to pose all handsome and hot, the second photo is going to be a funny picture, and the third photo, we're going to make scary faces!" Kaido said quickly.

'Yeah, like I'm doing any of what you just requested. A normal blank face is all I'm really up for.' Saiki thought.

"Can't we just pose like normal? I don't think the first one is really necessary." Aren chimed in.

'The first and probably last time I will ever agree with you, Aren.'

"Fine fine, it's whatever! You guys do what you want, but I'm at least getting a smile from you two!" Kaido gave both Saiki and Aren a glance before pitching in his two dollars for photos.

As the booth counted down from 5, Kaido did what he requested earlier and went for a "hot" pose, while Saiki and Aren went for the 'peace sign' pose. Saiki had a blank face and as for Aren, he held up two 'peace signs' with a small smile and a wink.

*Click*

The booth made a clicking sound and showed the results on the screen infront of them.

It was at that moment that Saiki got scared with what the photo will show. 'Dammit! I forgot that any photo taken of me with these booths won't actually show my silhouette, making it seem like anyone who has ever took a photo with me in any booth, my mom and dad for example, will have them gasp and then do a double take with paled faces.. If they find out that I have psychic powers, it's over for me-'

"That's perfect! Saiki, could you express more with your face? Your blank stare is scary looking." Kaido blurted out, pointing at saiki's blank expression that was giftedly shown in the photo.

He blankly stared at the photo, seeing none other than him sitting in the middle with his pose. And then he looked at his germanium ring. 'Oh.. I forgot I had you on, you almost scared me half to death.' he then looked back up to Kaido and gave him a shoulder shrug. No way is he expressing more than just a stare to scare off any child who dares to look at someone else.

"C'mon Saiki! It will be once in a life time that we get 'high school Saiki' smiling for a photo! Do you know how rare that would be to us?!" Kaido all but begged to Saiki now, holding onto the psychic's leg.

'What a bother.' Saiki rolled his eyes and waved away Kaido's hands that were practically glued to his leg.

"Fine then, if you won't smile for the picture then have it your way." Kaido said, crossing his arms in a dramatic way whole pouting like a five year old.

'Like that's going to make me smile? You're at a loss pal.' Saiki just stared back at the camera, already assuming that it was going to count down soon.

5..

4..

As the booth counted down for a second time, Kaido went ahead and did a funny lookin' face that looked like it was aimed for Saiki to try and get him to crack a smile, but it was no use since Saiki didn't glace at him once, but Kaido still kept the pose for the picture.

Aren did a funny face as well, having both of his fingers to stretch out his mouth a bit, and had his eyes crossed inwards to look at the bridge of his nose. Unlike of Aren, but nonetheless, Kaido was going to be pleased with it.

And again, Saiki held a straight face for the camera, already knowing those two are wanting to get a reaction from the boy. He wasn't going to let that happen.

*Click*

The booth clicked on time to get a photo of the three. Kaido reached out for the photos to see how Saiki didn't lift up any corner of his mouth to make a slight smile.

"You've got to be kidding me! Saiki~ why can't you just smile for once in your life? this is just sad man!" Kaido whined to Saiki, shaking the boy by the shoulder.

'I'm not going to let in on your games, Kaido. I came here for a specific reason.' Saiki thought. He stared at the camera, not wanting to look at either of the boys. Unfortunately for him, however, Kaido had a mischievous plan to get Saiki to smile. He's never done anything like it before with Saiki; sure, he's done it with many of his friends, but Saiki? That boy is too stoic for his own reputation to get what's coming to him. Poor dude can't even sense what's about to happen because of the germanium ring, and yet Saiki is congratulating himself for putting it on to block out any and all thoughts around him.

"Okay guys, let's all smile like we mean it!" Kaido said, putting on an innocent smile for the camera. He swung his arm around Saiki's shoulder, having his hand rest just below his collarbone in a respective manner.

Aren then made a peace sign with his hand that was closest to Saiki, and held it up behind Saiki's head just enough for the camera to get it in; all the while tilting his head a bit towards Saiki, and smiled sweetly.

Saiki didn't think much of what they were doing, though. He had thought that Kaido tried to just urge Saiki to try and smile for the camera, but he wasn't going to let up on the act. And as for Aren? It's a weak move to try and gain any reaction over. He just kept a straight face with no interest whatsoever. How regretful he was going to be after making that decision..

"C'mon Saiki, smile~" Kaido sang, putting pressure with his fingers just below Saiki's collarbone. He didn't get a dramatic reaction from Saiki, but he did see how Saiki's eye had twitched from the on going touch.

'This is no funny business, Kaido. What are you doing?!' Saiki had thought. He tried to move his shoulder to dislodge the boy's hand, but he soon realized that Kaido wasn't going to let up until he smiled for the camera. 'What a bother..'

Aren saw what was happening when glancing over, and decided that he wanted to join in as well. He lowered his peace sign hand to now bring attention to the back of Saiki's neck to scribble the two fingers gently. This caused Saiki to twitch his head back just slightly before going back to his usual pose.

"C'mon Saiki! We know you want to~" Aren Dragged out, now moving his hand to the side of his neck with a bit more pressure than before.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me.." He whispered just enough for them to hear. He lowered his head down a bit, trying everything in his power to not make it seem like it's bothering him. If he ruined his "normal boring student" reputation, it's all over for him. I mean, who gets taken down by just a few tickles?

"Saiki~ the camera is about to count down; you better start smiling or we might never stop." Kaido said. He reached his other hand to squeeze at Saiki's side, which caused an embarrassing gasp from Saiki.

He grabbed at Kaido's torturing hand, and tried to pry it off his side, but Aren thought faster and grabbed at Saiki's bombarding hand to cease any escape. It was no use for poor Saiki, and he knew it.

'Good.' Saiki thought. 'If I just wait until the count down is over with a straight face then it will be all over.'

Well.. It was until Kaido decided that he was bored at squeezing his side and just reached for Saiki's armpit that Aren was closest to, thanks to him for pulling at Saiki's arm to reveal his vulnerability.

"AH-aha!" Saiki immediately ducked his head down, desperately trying to get his arm free as Kaido dug into his underarm. Saiki replayed the word 'embarrassing' in his head over and over again.

Kaido looked at Aren with a surprised, but hopeful face when hearing Saiki blurt out a laugh. "Saiki~ was that a laugh we just heard? Do it again, but look at the camera this time!" Kaido said, using his other hand to try and lift Saiki's head up. They just wanted his face in the camera, nothing more.. They were desperate to know how he looked when smiling, let's be real.

"F-fuhuck off!.." was all Saiki could say before he fought the accusing hand that was lifting his head up; he bit his lip to quit from laughing out loud and loosing his reputation. It's just two people Saiki, come on now, bud.

"Surely Saiki has a weak spot somewhere! We just have to find it in time before the timer goes off." Aren said while sneakily moving his hand away from his neck and now down to where his bottom set of ribs were. This made Saiki violently flinch away from the touch, and decided to us his free hand to grab at Aren's wrist to try and pull it away, but it was no use.

You know.. For how long this was going for, they all were surprised that the booth had stopped counting from 4.. Oh well! More fun for Kaido and Aren, at least. Not so fun for Saiki though, because he was desperately trying to keep his child-like giggles on a down low.. His bottom ribs weren't his weakest spot, but it still held some sort of sensitivity for the young boy to squirm a bit in his seat.

Saiki had pushed himself closer to Kaido to get away from Aren's hand, but he followed the poor psychic.

"Why can't you just smile for the picture?! That's all we want." Kaido urged to Saiki, digging a bit deeper in his armpit now. This earned him a surprised squeal and an inch closer of Saiki, who was trying to not push himself into Kaido, but it was hard to do so since both of them were attacking one side at once.

Saiki all but shrinked in on himself as well. All this tickling was a new feeling to say the least. He's been tickled before, yes. Many times actually; his parents always used to tickle him when he was a kid, and they always went for his weakest spot since discovering that his psychic powers limited his sense of sensitivity except for that specific spot. But ever since he's gained control of his powers, he knew when they were about to strike, and so he used his powers to get away from their daily tickle attacks until they became subtle. But right now? He's in ticklish agony! He's never felt more skiddish and childish ever since he was a kid until now. It felt weird to him, but surprisingly, he didn't quite mind the affection.

To be quite honest, he misses the affection. He was touched starved for sure, but he never realized he was until he put on that germanium ring. It was all new to him. It was overwhelming, sure, but it was definitely a new experience to have his touched starved thoughts be lifted away by a few tickles by his classmates.. Classmates. It makes sense for family to do it, but for classmates? Saiki was confused by it. It was all so new-too new. He was confused on why he was letting himself shrink to be this tiny version of himself just to get away from the touch. Why he felt the need to come into contact with Kaido so much when he desperately doesn't want to make the situation weird because he's usually not the touchy, or "clingy" type, from what he thought of it at first. In fact, He was more so confused on why he was letting himself finally laugh out loud with ease to his classmates for them two hear clearly now..

"Ahahah! Nohohot theehehere! Nohohoh! Stahahahap, AH-Ahahahah!" Saiki giggled out loud. He twisted as his back now faced Kaido, and with his free hand, he began to try and push Aren's hand away from his hip. His weakest and most sensitive spot. Saiki desperately tried to pry off Aren's hand, but Aren was too busy taking in Saiki's laugh to even register that he was trying to fight back.

Kaido just put his hands on Saiki's shoulders now that he doesn't really know what to do or what to expect now that he's finally hearing Saiki laugh. And it wasn't an obnoxious laugh as he thought it would be. It was like airy, child like giggles. His giggles weren't too deep, but they weren't too high either. It was like any other ordinary giggle that a boy would have. It was all too sweet for Kaido to handle that he just sat there and smiled out of pure joy. What can I say? His giggles were contagious.

For Aren, he looked at how Saiki was handling the tickling on his hip since he figured that this was a bad spot for him. Saiki had he's head down still, but he was able to see the corners of his smile to know that it was wide enough to show his happiness. And when Aren lightened up from digging into his hip, to lightly squeezing it now, Saiki squirmed even more, and allowed himself to hiccup every now and then from the touch-Both boys will remember that. It was an endearing sight to see for Aren.

"Okahahay *hiccup* okahay! Ihihi'll smihihile fohohor thehe-" Saiki was cut off by a click and a flash from the booth. All three boys looked at the camera, and saw how the photo came out of the slot.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Kaido said, lookin at both Aren and Saiki.

"I don't know, but at least it got it!" Aren said, looking at the photo with enthusiasm. And for some odd reason he was still tickling Saiki's hip.

"L-lehehet gohoho ahahalreahahady!" Saiki said, pushing even further into Kaido, which ended up with the blue haired to be squished against the booth wall.

"Woops! My bad.." Aren said, letting go of Saiki's hip. He turned his head to Kaido, who had the photo.

"Guys, look! It's showing Saiki's smiling face!" Kaido said, happily. He held up the picture infront of Saiki, who was finally able to turn back to sit normally on the chair, and Aren.

"Awww, for someone who had their picture taken from their side view, I'd say this suits you, Saiki. You look cute, man!" Aren said, going for his hip again, which caused the teen to flinch again.

"Aah-!" Saiki quickly moved on instinct to get Aren's hand off of his hip, which worked this time. He held his hand in the air for the time remaining of being in that booth for his own safety. Uncharacteristic of him, he of course thought to himself, but nonetheless, it's do or die.

﹏﹏﹏﹏

The three all got out of the booth, and started walking around the mall since Saiki had mentioned about the comics.. Not that he wanted them around, but his mom would kill him later if he just ditched them like all the other times he ditched them.

"What comic are you looking for exactly?" Aren questioned, looking at Saiki as they all followed.

"It's called 'The night Lurks within' these forests.'" Saiki said, blatantly. He looked from left to right, trying to find the comic store, but was faced with clothes stores and food stands.

"That sounds like something that a kid would read, haha!" Kaido blurted out.

Saiki stopped in his tracks to turn to look at Kaido with a straight, but offended face. "It's not a kids comic. If you read this comic, you'd be traumatized by how much gore and foul dialogue it has." Saiki said before turning back to look for the comic store.

Kaido all but had fear in his eyes when hearing Saiki be that straight forward with him. He looked at Aren who gave him a shoulder shrug, and then back to Saiki.

"I.. Uh, ehehe.. I know where a comic store would be in this mall-" Kaido started to say before he got interrupted.

"Where!" Saiki had stopped and turned to face Kaido again in a serious manner.

Then they were off. Kaido had shown the way to where one would be, and Saiki was following with enthusiasm in his steps. When they got the comic store, Saiki had stormed off, temporarily ditching Kaido and Aren to fend for the two other comics that he was desperate to get through out this whole trip.

"Saiki is a different person when trying to find something he's obsessed over, huh?" Kaido had said, looking at Aren. They waited on a bench that was close to the book store while they waited for Saiki to return with the comics.

"Yeah.. But I kind of like this side of Saiki. He's always so blunt and careful of what he does or says, so seeing him like this brings so much relief off my shoulders." Aren said without looking at Kaido once.

"Yeah, I think the same. I always saw him as someone who didn't care about anyone or anything, but this alone debunks my thoughts about him. I wonder why he's not like this at school."

"I don't know.. People can be too much for someone like him. He likes to be left alone, unbothered. I used to be that way, too. Even though I was in a gang. Being left alone is a great feeling until you find out that you really want to be with someone. Which I think is why he's acting so out of character with us all of a sudden, because he realized that he really needed someone to boost his social battery enough to act like himself." Aren said quietly, but just enough for Kaido to hear.

Kaido was quiet now. He understood what Aren said, and took it all in to realize that it might just be what it was that had Saiki be like this. Though it's subtle, they still knew that Saiki was acting different than when he was usually with them at school.

Just then, they see a satisfied Saiki who was holding two comic books in his hand. Did he also get a chocolate jelly out of a comic store?!

"That was quick! Did you find the right ones?" Aren said, looking at him with a smile.

Saiki just nodded happily and started to walk in the direction of where the exit doors were of the mall. Kaido and Aren both looked at each other with smiles on their faces, and walked with him to the doors.

Maybe Saiki isn't just this stoic and blunt person they mad him out to be afterall.

#anime tickle #the disastrous life of saiki k.#saiki k #shun kaidou #aren kuboyasu #lee! Saiki #Ler! Kaido #Ler! Kuboyasu #Saiki k tickle #sfw tickle community #saturn fanfics

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oboetemasuka · 5 months ago

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Kicked out

An "Order of Attack" side story.

Part of a writing trade with @good-beanswrites.

Chapter 14 ends on a cliffhanger and doesn't explore the fallout. The next time you see Fuuta and Amane, they're doing better.

But what happened in between those chapters?

(cw: suicidal thoughts, cult mentality)

Amane curled herself up tightly under the blankets. It caused a terrible strain on her ribs, but she deserved it. Now she understood how the cat felt. She might even understand how Fuuta felt.

She thought that just because she could overcome her own trials, he could too. It hadn't dawned on her how much worse he had it. Fighting to breathe, too pained to move… Oh, how could she take it for granted? Just a few months of (relative) freedom, and now she thought everyone was on a brighter road. If she had to be stuck like this every day, trapped in the dark under Kirisaki Shidou's constant watch, wondering if Kotoko was going to return, would she too wish for the pain to go away permanently?

She should apologize to Fuuta. Tell him she was so caught up in her own world that she didn't consider other people's suffering. But she couldn't. The day she left, Shidou had closed the proverbial (and literal) door behind her. When she had returned the next day, he gave her a stern lecture.

"I will not allow you to see Kajiyama-kun again after all the harm you've caused him. You've proven time and time again that you can't be trusted around him. Sabotaging your healthcare is one thing, but inciting him to do the same? He is in a very vulnerable mental state right now. I will not have you pose a danger to him."

Was this how the good doctor would finally take her seriously? As a danger. A liability. If she would just stay out of the way, then Fuuta might finally-

Light filtered in through the blanket. The sound of quietly approaching footsteps echoed through the room.

"Amane-chan…" Of course. Who else would come to visit but Mahiru? "Do you need help?"

In response, Amane let out an animalistic growl, which was apparently considered an affirmative. A blinding light poured into her eyes as the blanket was lifted off her face.

"Amane-chan! Can you even breathe-"

Amane uncurled herself painfully, but she also accepted Mahiru's help this time. Anything to not have her running off to that doctor again. But she couldn't meet her eyes.

"You don't have to answer..." As if she would take silence for an answer. "But I'm really worried. You haven't run off like this since…"

Since the day Amane was discharged from the doctor's care. She never wanted to relive the helplessness and fear of being attacked, and yet she was doing that all over again. All she had to do was cry into Mahiru's shoulder, and the scene would be complete.

She would not put that final piece in place.

So they just sat in silence. Amane fought not to fall over.

Sister dearest was certainly waiting for an answer.

Amane wasn't going to give her one.

So they continued to sit in silence. Amane's head was spinning as she recovered from the pain of curling up.

…

"Why? Why do you always come over? Why do you keep trying to push your values on me and get me to live how you would? My end goal is the same either way, so why bother-"

It was like staring in a mirror. Wide eye(s), mouth slightly agape, perfectly matched.

It wasn't like Amane to snap like that. It was like she was airing someone else's grievances. This…

"This is about Fuuta-kun, isn't it?"

Amane kept her head down. "All I wanted… was to inspire him to live a more virtuous life. I should have realized…" She found herself crashing onto Mahiru's shoulder.

"Oh…" Mahiru carefully wrapped her arms around Amane. "You couldn't have known. Too many things were in play. I talked to him too. Shidou-san kept watch around the clock. Fuuta-kun hasn't been in…" She tapped her fingers, trying and failing to find the words.

"And what do you mean about Kirisaki Shidou?"

"So much has happened to get to this point. If he's making you feel like the blame is all yours, I'll have a word with him."

Tempting. Amane straightened her back and her expression. "Please do."

Mahiru stood up and gave Amane a pat on the head. "I promise you'll be able to visit again in no time."

#milgram #amane momose #mahiru shiina #kyanako writes #bad things happen to amane #order of attack #cw cults #cw suicidal thoughts

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babyseraphim · 3 months ago

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20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @emryses, thank you for always tagging me in such fun things!!

1. How many works do you have an AO3? 11

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 122,112

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I write pretty much exclusively for Dead Boy Detectives, but I have a oneshot for Marvel from 2017, and an unfinished AU for Critical Role that I'll probably never go back to

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

By Lantern's Light

my healing needed more than time

foolish flame

The Case of the Selkie's Skin

Overloaded

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do when I have the time and energy. All my free time is kind of eaten up by writing the fics themselves, so unless the comment is really long or really funny, I usually don't respond. But I appreciate every comment just the same, they are what keep me motivated to write

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I honestly don't really do fics with angsty endings? Because all of my fics are super angsty in general, so I like to end things on a positive note. I guess the closest would be The Case of the Selkie's Skin because there's not really any closure there, they just move onto the next case. But even that one still has a cathartic ending.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

foolish flame for sure. A lot of my fic endings tend to be bittersweet in some way, but this one was a pure fluffy ending

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nah. I don't think I've been regularly posting fics long enough for that.

9. Do you write smut?

I have written smut exactly once, and while it was a really cathartic/rewarding experience, I don't know if I'll ever do it again. It's a little too far out of my comfort zone.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, crossovers aren't really my thing, though I have toyed with the idea of writing a dead boy detectives/pushing daises crossover just for the hell of it. But it probably won't ever make it onto paper.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, and the idea of it kinda scares me lol

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Literally changes day to day. I think kirk/spock is the one that will truly own my heart forever, but payneland really is the perfect ship for me (hence all the fanfiction)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The Case of Eros's Arrow, which is sitting with 4 chapters on AO3. I still like the concept of it, and my OCs in it, but my writing has changed so much since I started it and I just don't really feel connected to the work itself anymore. Which is a shame, because I left my readers on a total cliffhanger. Whoops.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I do alright with descriptive prose (or I enjoy writing it, at the very least). I'm also good at worldbuilding and coming up with fun/creative plots.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Transitions between scenes, and general construction of dialogue (though I've gotten better at dialogue over recent months). I can also get a little ramble-y when it comes to introspection, though I'm usually pretty good about cutting it all down by the time the final draft is done.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't have many thoughts on it. I only speak english, and the only language I've ever used in my fics besides english is Latin (for magic purposes).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Supernatural, I think? It was OC fanfiction, I still have it floating around this blog somewhere

20. Favorite fics you've written?

dye it all, rosary I think is my favorite right now. I don't know what the fuck I was on when I wrote that fic, but I wrote chapter 1 in one sitting, and then chapter 2 over the course of a few months. It turned out so much better than I ever could have hoped, and I just truly love it so much.

I also love my healing needed more than time because it has all the stuff that I love in it (magic, lesbians, dogs, kids, and other fun stuff to come). I'm also just really proud that I've managed to stick with it as long as I have; it's the first piece of writing over 14k that I've ever written in my life.

I tag: @many-gay-magpies, @deadtwinksdetectiveagency, @williamvapespeare, and @the-ipre!

#my writing

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sizzleissues · 7 months ago

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I'm lurking around the prince and the baker on ao3 ALL THE TIME to check if there's an update. Not saying I'm desparately waiting for one but let me tell you I DEFINETLY desperately wait for an update. I love the princess switch trope & the way you wrote the whole fic is just perfect. Like the whole plot with the baking competition & everything. But what genuenly haunts me the most for a full year now is the cliffhanger that last chapter ended with, like what favour has Simon in mind for Felix?!? How is the whole story continuing in general?!? No pressure but PLEASE if you ever want to start writing for this fic again then do it!! Do it for me and all the other lovely readers wo just NEED this fic in their life, preferably fully finished one day (soon) <3

0-0 I'm honoured

I have the next chapter like -- half-way written I just go very nervous because I'd never had such reception on a fic before! I had this one tricky transition chapter to write and then I'd be able to do fun hijinks It's definitely something I want to update at some point. Thank you for loving it so much and I'm so sorry I left it on a sort of cliff-hanger. (At least it isn't as bad as the wattpad fic I wrote at 14 where I blew up the main character in the last chapter I posted and just... didn't finish it). In terms of what sort of was the plan just so you have something -

section of the plan for the chapter I got stuck on. (':

You never know! But if I can't find the groove I'll post the what was supposed to happen in the plot so everyone can rest easy XD

#sizzle rambles

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kaykat666 · 9 months ago

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20 questions for fic writers

Thanks @superlc529 for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

32 published on AO3. If I include unpublished and/or unfinished stories that I have on my laptop I’d say I have a total of around maybe 45?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

729,333. Definitely over 1 mil if I count anything unpublished. I didn’t even realise it was that much before this moment.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Lucifer. I may have dabbled in other fandoms in my teenage years but we’re not going to talk about that right now.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Joyriding with the devil - 2,051 kudos

Project Deviant - 1,079

Never to Me - 874

And I Would Do It Again - 854

Supernova - 853

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! Sometimes I forget though :( I absolutely read and cherish every single comment I receive though!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Never to Me. It was unintentional really, as it was meant to be the first part of a 1 part story. Certain circumstances lead to me completely losing the desire to continue writing the second part (it’s over half finished!) and so I never posted it. That was like… at least 3 years ago. What is time? I hope to finish it at some point but I’m just too busy these days with work. This is really the only story I’ve left on an angsty note.

7. What the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Like I just said, I don’t do many angsty endings. I love to play with it in the middle of the story, and orchestrate killer cliffhangers between chapters but I like to make everything work out in the end. I always liked the John Lennon quote, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” So yeah, a lot of my stories have endings that I think are happy. I’m not sure I could say which one is the happiest.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Unfortunately I’ve had a few horrible comments. I try not to think about them for too long though. It’s a drop in the ocean compared to the amount of lovely, thoughtful comments that I get 😊

9. Do you write smut?

No. Far too British for that.

10. Craziest crossover?

Lucifer and Loki. My only crossover really. Also on do regretfully have not finished but it’s definitely out there in terms of craziness.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, but I feel that it was more of a misunderstanding than anything and the person who did it took it down (along with a lot of others they had posted) fairly quickly.

12. Have you ever had fic translated?

Yes! A reader of mine translated Project Deviant into Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Also yes! Project Deviant was co-written by myself, @oh-mylordy, and @self-indulgent-sapphism. I also started writing one with my beta @notonelineff but we never have gotten around to finishing it. Co-writing is hard. Especially if you’re writing a long project.

14. All time favourite ship?

Deckerstar I guess. The amount of fic I’ve written should be enough evidence of that.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hm. Not sure on this one. There’s a few I want to finish but I’m still hoping to get around to them like I’ve said.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uhhh. I feel like I’m decent at descriptions. I try my best anyway. I try to keep things fluid and set the scene in a way that feel natural and not just stick you with a whole block if description at once. I’ve definitely improved at plotting long fics as well I think. I personally think I’m good at writing suspense when it is called for.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I definitely get stuck on words or phrase and will waaaay over use them until my beta tells me off. I’m really not great at keeping things short either. And it’s not even like my one shots keep turning into long fics, but more that I can definitely over describe and draw things out more than is necessary. I don’t really know what else. I’m sure I have many things that I could improve but I do write for fun and so I try not to get myself too down about what I could be doing better. As long as I can convey the story/scene/emotions that I want to it happy.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I’ve tried it a couple of times. Never more than a like or too, just to convey the purpose that I want it to. For example I would love to show Lucifer being omni-lingual more because it was something I did love about his character in the show but it’s so hard to do in writing without making it overly complicated for the reader. Therefore I settle for throwing in a line here or there and leaving it at that. Also, my knowledge of language really doesn’t extend past Google translate so I don’t want to end up saying the wrong thing.

19. First Fandom you wrote in?

Doctor Who when I was about… 15 or so. They are no longer on the internet. It’s probably for the best.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Ahhh asking me to pick a favourite fic is like asking me to pick a favourite child. I really do love the universe we built in Project Deviant though, and the sequel A Glitch in the System. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of plotting and writing those fics, and dabbling in the universe of one of my favourite games. It also allowed me to write a lot of things that I’d wanted to for a while so that was nice.

However, I also really do have a soft spot for All That Remains. Writing that fic emotionally wrecked me but I still love it.

Also I’m pretty proud of Resistance is Futile writing and plot wise. It was just a fun thing that I wanted to write but I was pleased with the case part more than anything. I wanted it to kinda feel like an episode of Lucifer and I personally think it does.

I did a top 3 instead of 1. Like I said, you can’t make me pick. It’s just not fair.

Anyway! I don’t know who to tag really but if anyone writes fic and wants to do this please feel free!

#on fic writing #my writing #long post #text post #ask game #ask games #lucifer fanfiction #fanfiction

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snaurus · 1 year ago

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UPDATE: The Middle (10/19)

Pairings: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker Ratings: T Categories: Action/Adventure, Drama, Hurt/Comfort Warnings: Blood & Injury, Dismemberment, Violence The Jedi Order, alongside the Galactic Republic in which they accompany, have been entangled in the Clone Wars and Mandalorian-Jedi War simultaneously. But that is potentially set to change. Mand'alor Din Djarin has agreed to meet with representatives for the first time in history. Recently appointed Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, his Padawan learner Grogu, and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi must embark to Mandalore and attend the delegations, with the hopes of reaching a compromise.

As promised, here is my direct sequel to The Beginning, a continuation of the events in that story! At last we can follow Luke, and in turn Grogu and Din, as they work to bring understanding between their people.

Somewhat like before, chapters will be posted every Friday, until reaching chapter…14! Yes, for those following along, I’ve managed to scrape together another 5 chapters. I originally wanted to stop prior to chapter 10 because it would have left the story on a major cliffhanger, which I thought was rather cruel. But since I’m past that, I will be continuing until I reach the latest completed chapter and go on a temporary hiatus to finish the rest, or until the story is completed if I manage to get that far during these upcoming weeks.

Please be advised: this is the chapter where the amputation/dismemberment tag will be coming into play.

In this tenth chapter, Luke's and Grogu's continued investigation goes awry.

[AO3: Part 10]

#dinluke #din djarin #luke skywalker #grogu #baby yoda #darth maul #savage opress #cartoons & comics #continuation #movies #my writing #snarechan's writing #star wars #television shows #the clone wars #the mandalorian #the middle #the timeline (jedi mando au)#UPDATE

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autumnshighlady · 11 months ago

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I've Always Liked to Play With Fire (part 22)

NESTA ARCHERON X ERIS VANSERRA X FEMALE!READER

summary: the face off with Beron Vanserra is finally about to happen, but the new discover of eris and the reader being mates makes things challenging

warnings: violence, misogyny, beron sucks so rip to y'all who liked him in chapter 20

word count: 3.3k

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

a/n: i know this chapter is super super short compared to the usual but i wanted to split this scene up and leave y'all on a major cliffhanger because i am evil

part 1 // part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10 / part 11 / part 12 / part 13 / part 14 / part 15 / part 16 / part 17 / part 18 / part 19 / part 20

read on ao3

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

Eris is my mate

The phrase played in a loop in your head as once again chains found their way around your wrists. You barely felt the weight of them, nor did you feel the dampness of the dungeon floor against your knees, or the agonising pain in your body from where Malgorm beat you. You didn’t care that you were in a dungeon, something that typically would have sent you panicking.

All you could think about was how Eris knew he was your mate, and he kept this information from you.

You knew what excuses he’d make – that it wasn’t the right time, that it was too dangerous for you to know right now. But you didn’t care. There would never be a good time to find out that the male who your mate was mated to was also your mate. The concept of it all made your head spin. Never before have you heard of a mating bond existing between three people unanimously. Sure, there were people you knew of in polyamorous relationships, but never with a mating bond. According to legend, the mating bond was designed to bring together a male and female who would produce strong offspring. Nesta and Eris made sense, and with the newfound discovery of your unexplored abilities it was safe to assume that you and Eris being mates somewhat made sense too. But you and Nesta could not create a child together, nor did you have any desire to.

It was too convenient. Too easy to have a mating bond happening to exist between the three of you. And to complicate matters, you knew Nesta still felt linked to Cassian somehow, despite not being his mate.

A thousand questions swarmed your mind as Saeros and Ivar closed the door behind them, leaving you seemingly alone in the cell, waiting for Beron and Eris to arrive.

(Y/N), You heard Nesta’s voice in your head, so close by as if she were whispering softly into your ear. I’m here. Azriel is hiding us in the corner to your left.

You did not reply. All you could do was stare blankly at the floor beneath you, inspecting the various cracks and crevices. The blood of thousands had probably been spilled into this very floor. Perhaps Beron would see right through your plan, and simply smite you into the stone. And perhaps it’d be a blessing.

Nesta’s voice came again, more worried this time. Hey, are you okay? Something’s wrong, I can feel it.

You laughed hoarsely, a harsh sound that echoed eerily throughout the chamber. That’s something you should ask your other mate. Or should I say, our other mate.

Even the air seemed to still around you, surprise pulsing from Nesta’s end of the bond. I take it he didn’t tell you, either. You continued bitterly.

No. He did not. Did you just find this out?

Another cursed tear fell down your cheek, landing on the cold floor with a delicate plop. Yes, right after you and Azriel left, the bond snapped. He didn’t seem surprised, only… only remorseful. I can’t believe he kept this from me. I trusted him… and now…

You felt a gentle caress down the bond, a soft mist of silver soothing over the raging sea of emotions on your end. You could not see Nesta, or even sense her presence thanks to Azriel’s shadows, but you could feel her.

You could not feel Eris, having elected to put up an iron wall between you and him.

I know this is the last thing you want to deal with right now, but we need to focus on the plan. Nesta said sternly. Believe me, I know the emotional turmoil that comes with finding out Eris is your mate, yours made worse by the fact he lied to you. But none of this matters right now. None of us will be safe with Beron alive. Killing him is all that matters, for the next thirty minutes at least. Can you hold on, just a little longer? Please.

Your heart felt like it was being pulled in a hundred different directions. Deep down, you knew Nesta was right, that none of this mattered if Beron still held dominion over the Autumn Court. So you took a deep breath, forcing the stale air of the dungeon into your lungs. You closed your eyes. I am the rock against which the surf crashes, You told yourself. Nothing can break me.

You imagined Emerie’s hearty laugh, and Gwyn’s bright eyes as you repeated the Valkyrie mantra to yourself over and over again, willing your mind to still.

You had to get through this. Not just for yourself, or Nesta, but for Gwyn and Emerie. For every female who had suffered like all of you had. For the chance at giving them a better life.

For them, you would do this.

It only took ten minutes before you heard the angry voice of Beron Vanserra, his footsteps heavy against the stairs that winded down into the dungeon deep within the Autumn Court prison. The pounding fuzziness of your head kept you from making out his words, but his tone said enough.

“She’s down here, father. Nobody else knows, I swear by it.” The coming of Eris’s voice was like the crisp autumn breeze that cleared away the dewey morning haze, bringing life to the world around it. Even though you had tried to block him out, his close proximity was too much, and the feeling of his approaching presence sent a tingling warmth through your body, defrosting your bones.

“Make sure your guards know if they breathe a word about this to anyone, I’ll cut off the head of everyone they’ve ever loved.” The High Lord snarled.

Moments later, the heavy door swung open, revealing a shocked but furious looking Beron Vanserra. His hair was slightly dishevelled, and he was clothed in extravagant red and gold robes. Evidently, Beron did not like being woken up in the late hours. Eris strode in behind his father, that familiar cold mask adorning his features. His amber eyes settled on you, and you fought the urge to squirm as he stared at you as if you were nothing.

You knew it was an act, yet it was hard to keep yourself from tearing up. There was no warmth in those eyes that had stared into your very soul with vulnerability as the bond had snapped into place. His lips were pulled down in a scowl that made you cower. It was hard enough to remind yourself you were all playing roles in this situation, but the contrast of the deep-rooted mating bond with the angerEris was looking at you with made the room spin before you.

You forced yourself to look up at Beron. There was no trace of the loving father-in-law facade he had put on in front of Rhys. No, his eyes were black pits in his skull, dark voids of hatred that knew no bounds. You didn’t have to fake your tremor as the High Lord stared you down.

“Eris tells me that Malgorm has been slain by your hand,” Beron said, his voice a thin layer of ice holding back a raging sea. “Do you deny this?”

You had no idea how long Eris, Nesta, and Azriel had planned on letting Beron interrogate you before they made their move. As you scrambled to think of what to say, Nesta spoke urgently into your mind. Buy us time. Eris’s guards need to secure the area in the next few minutes. Talk.

“It was an accident, your Grace.” You sputtered, desperation seeping into your tone. “He came onto me in the middle of the night, and he brought a knife with him. I was just trying to get him off of me, I didn’t mean to–”

“Silence!” Beron hissed. “I ordered Malgorm to stay away from you. He is an obedient son, and would have listened to me. You must have snuck into his room during the night and tried to kill him to end this engagement.”

“Actually, that is not true.” Eris interjected carefully. “Several eyewitnesses confirm Malgorm was not in his room at that hour, and was seen headed towards the corridor where (Y/N)’s room resides. She is covered in wounds that only Malgorm would have inflicted. You know what kind of male he was, father. You cannot be surprised–”

“SILENCE!” Beron yelled sharply, spit flying from his lips as he shot a glare at Eris. “My son is dead, and you dare speak ill of him before a grave can even be dug for his body? You disgust me.”

Your breath hitched as the High Lord turned back towards you. “I offered you the greatest honour that a pathetic female like you could have hoped for,” He growled. “And you decide that is not good enough and murder my son. You will pay for this with your life, girl.”

“My Lord, may I suggest–” Eris couldn’t finish his sentence before his father cut him off again, unhinged anger coming off him in waves.

“You have no say in this, boy. Your mother made you too softhearted. You would never be able to rule this court successfully, and it is clear I have wasted my breath trying to make you my heir.”

Eris was utterly still, his eyes narrowing like a snake about to strike it’s target. “I will be a better High Lord than you or the bastards who came before you have ever been.” He said calmly.

And then the room exploded.

Tidal waves of silver fire exploded from the darkness, shadows peeling away like curtains to reveal Nesta. Her eyes blazed with silver, that otherworldly magic rippling off her as she used her flames to press the High Lord into the wall. The sound of his body hitting the stone was like thunder over the mountains, creating small cracks along the space behind him. Orange flames joined, entwining through the silver flames like a magical dance. Beron writhed underneath them, sending his own fire in an attempt to defend himself.

But it was no use against the fury of Eris’s fire, or the steel will of Nesta’s magic. Your jaw went slack as you stared at your mates, one bathed in orange and the other in silver. Red and dark gold hair flared around their necks, as if carried by an imaginary breeze. They looked like gods from another world, coming to unleash their power on the inhabitants of this world.

You heard the sound of keys jingling as Azriel’s familiar voice sounded in your ear. “Come on,” He said urgently. “Let’s get you out of here.”

The chains released your wrists, your arms falling to the ground with relief. You felt Azriel’s shadows curling around you, ready to winnow you away. “No.” You said firmly.

“This is not up for debate. I’ve been instructed to get you to safety the moment shit goes down, and I intend to do so.”

You turned around to glare at the shadowsinger, his hazel eyes glowing against the silver and orange light from the flames. He was still partially hidden, his shadows dancing around eagerly as if ready to join in on the action. “I am not leaving them until it’s done.” You insisted.

He grabbed your arm firmly. “I will not let you get hurt in the middle of this.”

“Then protect me. I cannot leave them behind. You cannot take me away… again.”

You saw the regret flicker across Azriel’s face as he evidently remembered the last time he stole you away at the Hewn City. It was a low blow, you knew. Especially after all Azriel was risking just by being here helping you. After a moment, the Illyrian sighed, muttering something about your stubbornness before saying, “Fine. Get behind me.”

A shimmering blue light formed around the two of you, shielding you from the angry flames. Azriel’s siphons glowed as he produced a wall of protection. You peeked out from beside his arm to witness the scene before you, heart racing.

“Your time as High Lord has ended, Beron Vanserra.” Eris said sternly, his eyes glowing, his voice an echo on the roaring wind of the flames. “Too long have you sat upon this throne and cast a shadow over this court. Nobody will mourn your death, father. Just as nobody will mourn Malgorm’s. When you see him in hell, what’s left of your souls can spend the rest of your miserable eternity there knowing there isn’t a single individual who wishes either of you were still here.”

You expected Beron to spew vile insults, to fight back angrily and wish a miserable death upon you all. But the male only laughed, a rasping sound like two stones rubbing together. “This is a truly pathetic show,” Beron said. “All of this planning and scheming, and for what? You can’t kill me. You needed the magic of your mate to help you while you strung your other mate up like bait. You’re weak, boy. Too weak to ever take me on properly. You’re a coward, and a fool.”

You felt pure shock coming from both ends of the bond. You couldn’t see Eris and Nesta’s faces from your angle, but their flames flickered for a split second, as if they too couldn’t believe what Beron said.

As if reading your mind, the High Lord snorted and continued. “Get that stupid surprised look off your face. Of course I knew this whole time. You forget, I’ve been in this world a long time and can sniff out mates before they even know it themselves. Of course I was aware of your disgusting threeway bond. It’s the only reason I didn’t slaughter you, boy, for getting engaged to the Archeron female without telling me. I thought marrying that Spring Court wench to Malgorm would take care of some of my problem, at least.”

Nesta spoke up, fury lacing her voice. “What?”

“You are a fool, Eris. Of course Malgorm obeyed my every command. Who do you think told him to attack the girl in her room tonight? I gave the order less than a minute after you left the table, you stupid boy. You handed me the opportunity on a silver platter.”

“Why?” Was all Eris said, his flames angrily licking at Beron’s fingers. A burnt smell began to fill the room as they burned the High Lord’s flesh.

But like the madman he was, Beron continued manically, seemingly blind to the pain his son was inflicting on him. “A mating bond between three people is unnatural, a crime against all that we hold dear. She needed to be eliminated in order for your marriage to Nesta to work. I didn’t care what Malgorm did to her. I told him he could do as he pleased, as long as it ended with her throat slit.” He turned his beady eyes towards you, making you freeze. “I would have let him carve you up into a thousand pieces. A pity he didn’t get the chance to do so before you murdered him. He was weak. No son of mine would let himself be murdered by a stupid female.”

You weren’t sure you were even breathing as reality sunk in. Beron knew the entire time that the three of you were mates, long before any of you had even figured it out fully. The truth of that sinister cunningness beneath his gaze that had unsettled you made your stomach churn. He had been one step ahead the entire time, counting on Malgorm killing you to ensure a marriage between Eris and Nesta without complication. It took a great amount of self control not to vomit all over Azriel, who was watching the scene unfold with a look of pure horror in his eyes.

A spear of orange fire wrapped around Beron’s throat, leaving red scorch marks on the male’s skin as he gasped for air. “You will not talk about my mate like that, you fucking asshole.” Eris snarled viciously as the flames grey brighter. “I will kill you for this. I will slaughter you for everything you put her through. For everything you put all of us through. Nobody will miss you, you absolute filth.”

Silver and orange flames danced higher, rolling back like a wave about to crash down on the sand. But before Eris and Nesta could strike down the High Lord, the door swung open and the Lady of Autumn ran in.

“Stop!” She cried desperately, her eyes frantic.

“Mother?” Shock laced Eris’s voice, and just for a split second, his flames flickered and dimmed.

That split second was all Beron needed to cast forth a wall of angry fire, pushing Nesta and Eris’s flames away. He roared definitely as your mates were thrown backwards, landing on the cell floor with a loud thump. You tried to pull away from Azriel, but his arms wrapped around you, holding you firm behind his shield. You thrashed and fought, but were no match for the Illyrian.

“Let me go!” You hissed, stomping on his foot as hard as you could. But he didn’t budge.

“What are you doing?” Eris gasped, making his way back onto his feet with unsteady legs. A thin trail of blood trickled down his nose, evidence of the toll that much power took on him. Nesta scrambled to her feet, silver flames already curling defensively around her hands. You couldn’t help but notice how they trembled.

“Please don’t do this, Eris.” Lirilla begged. “He is your father. I have already lost so many of your brothers, don’t take your father from me, too. Let him go.”

Eris looked utterly broken, confusion and sadness written plainly across his features. The arrogant confident mask he had donned moments ago was gone. “You know more than any of us what kind of male he is,” Eris insisted. “Let me free us of him. For good.”

“Please, no. Eris…” The Lady of Autumn sobbed.

Your heart shattered at the sight. Fresh bruises were visible on the frail female’s body, yet she stood here and begged her son to not kill the one who inflicted them. Eris’s mother had endured Beron’s abuse so long she seemingly didn’t know who she was without it or him. She could not dare hope that things would ever change, so she accepted her fate, finding comfort in the dark corner her husband forced her into.

You remembered how she offered you some sanctuary the other night, willing to endure more abuse to spare you from some of it. She had seemed so resourceful, so strong despite all she had faced.

Yet here she stood, regressed before her cruel husband as she begged for his life to be spared.

Rather than rushing towards Eris or Nesta, Beron’s dark red flames wound around Lirilla’s throat. Her eyes popped open as they suffocated her, and the High Lord stood himself up and came over to stand beside her, facing Eris and Nesta.

“Stand down, or your mother dies.” Beron growled sternly, a sick glee coming across his features.

Your heart was in your throat as you felt Eris being torn in too – closer to his goal than he had ever been before, but uncertain of what to do. “You’re bluffing.” Eris said, but his voice was weak as he watched his mother gasp for air.

“Am I?” Beron said, fixing a glare at Nesta, who was frozen in shock. “You too, girl. Stand down. Now.”

A heartbroken look passed between Eris and Nesta. You felt every turmoil of emotion through the bonds, ripping away at your heart as you watched Eris nod to Nesta. Silver and orange flames evaporated into thin air, leaving behind angry scorch marks.

Beron laughed harshly, psychotic dark eyes gleaming as he snarled at his son. “I told you, boy. Your mother made you too softhearted.”

Before any of you could react, a sick crunching sound echoed throughout the dungeon as Beron reached over with his own two hands and snapped the Lady of Autumn’s neck.

The light left Lirilla’s eyes as her body fell down onto the cold floor in a crumpled heap.

And Eris began screaming.

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