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chrollogy · 4 months ago

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SIGNED: LOVESICK FOOL #02

iwaizumi hajime x f!reader

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synopsis: The sudden popularity over your first confession gives you the confidence to share more about your feelings for a certain someone. Meanwhile, Iwaizumi seems to be in deep thought, especially after reading the second confession—thanks to Oikawa.

chapter content warning: college au, fluff, mutual pining, iwaizumi is more lovesick than he lets on, oikawa is a lil shit, iwa has dimples!, not beta read.

word count: 2k

notes: divider: cafekitsune. ch 3 may be a bit late since i’m still in the process of writing it :> but enjoy !!!

The confessions page never piqued Iwaizumi’s interest, not that it wasn’t interesting per se but he just didn’t have the time to read about other people’s lives unlike you, and Oikawa. Sure, he’d spare a minute or two whenever it’d appear on his timeline but he never sought them out.

If Iwaizumi were to think back on the last confession he had read, it’d be about a student TMI-ing, and confessing how they did the deed with a random stranger in a park near the campus. As expected, the post blew up, and was the talk of the campus for a few weeks straight due to its bizarreness.

Of course, just like every other student, you, and Oikawa gossiped about it during study sessions—safe to say it absolutely drove Iwaizumi nuts because of how much he’s heard that same story over, and over again.

Whenever he came across a confession on his timeline, he’d scroll right past it but oddly enough, the recent post Oikawa read aloud earlier might or might not have piqued his interest.

For starters, Iwaizumi knew he was in the same predicament as the anonymous sender. As he mentioned earlier, it was not easy to have feelings for your best friend, especially if one’s day to day life included said person. He could only act nonchalant for so long before he’d finally break—though, with the long period of time he’s harboured feelings for you, it might be sooner than expected.

Iwaizumi has always wondered how he’s even holding up in the first place every time he remembers how long he had kept his feelings for you.

It’s just that every single time you’re around him, it does nothing but test his sanity. Everything about you was just so loveable that it wasn’t a surprise when Iwaizumi found himself loving you more than a friend—the lingering glances, his crimson-painted cheeks, the softness of his voice, the warmth of his palms, all those were reserved for you.

And Iwaizumi wished that at least somewhere down the line, you reciprocated his feelings too, even if his love for you outweighed your love for him. At least then, he would experience the feeling of your beating heart against his palms. Oh, Iwaizumi would do nothing but treat it with the utmost care, as though it was a fragile flower—not too much water to drown it but also not too little to starve it.

“Iwaizumi?”

Pulled out of his trance, Iwaizumi blinked up at you, confusion growing on his face with each passing second. Fuck, he was deep in thought, wasn’t he? One minute the two of you were exchanging a conversation, and the next his mind wandered over to uncharted waters—a place he’s been dying to dip a finger into for the longest time.

“Now, you’re the one who seems stressed. Still thinking about your big assignment?”

“Yeah.” He lied.

In all honesty, Iwaizumi wanted nothing but to wrap his arms around you—be as close to you as possible, as though any moment away from your warmth would instantly end him. But Iwaizumi’s arms remained by his side, fingers drumming on the wooden bench beneath, a way to distract the annoying itch of wanting to be near your skin.

The late afternoon breeze blew past, a gentle caress of cold wind against his crimson-painted cheeks, as if mother nature herself cupped his face, and reminded him that everything was going to be alright. The trees danced as the wind intertwined with its leaves, forming a melodic sound to calm the mind.

Both of you were currently passing time before retiring to your rooms, as usual, Iwaizumi had waited after your late afternoon lecture but this time, it felt different. You found him leaning on the side of a vending machine, phone in hand while the other shoved in his pocket, an indifferent expression was plastered on his face—it’s a sight you’ve seen a thousand times, a sight you’re more than familiar with but why did it make your heart flutter so much now

It didn’t help how the subtle smile Iwaizumi sent your way had your knees buckling, and fingers curling tighter around the strap of your bag.

“Can I—” Iwaizumi started.

You noticed the way his fingers drew random shapes on the fabric of his pants, a nervous habit he’s picked up, one that you’ve learned from observing him. Though, you remained silent despite the slight worry in your chest, urging him on to finish his sentence; somehow, what was to come next may or may not have had your heart pounding. The hint of softness in his voice was enough to send your heart into overdrive.

“Is it okay if I lean on you a bit?”

Oh.

Iwaizumi had shifted closer, you knew because you were shielded from the cool late afternoon breeze, instead, the warmth of his body greeted you like a calm embrace. From the corners of your eyes, Iwaizumi looked at you, his dark emerald gaze was intense enough to burn holes through the side of your face—a searing gaze you didn’t know how to return. Yet.

So, you simply nodded. A subtle dip of your chin, eyes fixated on the distant tree line of the park as though it piqued your interest, funny how it's dark green hues reminded you of his eyes.

That was all Iwaizumi needed before closing the distance between your bodies, and leaning his head on your shoulder. You sucked in a breath, closeness was never foreign in the friendship but the feeling of his body flush against your own was enough to torture your poor, poor heart.

Speaking of your heart, you at least hoped that Iwaizumi couldn’t hear it violently pounding against the walls of your chest—how it aggressively wanted to jump out of its confines, and onto his palm.

Unfortunately for you, Iwaizumi heard just fine—he swore your heart stuttered.

Were you nervous? He wanted to be delusional, and think that he was the one making your heart race like this, even though he clearly saw the empty can of energy drink you threw in the bin earlier. Though, on the back of Iwaizumi’s mind, despite the low possibility of his reciprocated feelings, he was oddly confident that it’d never be zero.

Maybe he was just purely delusional.

“Sorry for inconveniencing you like this, I’m just a bit stressed.” Another lie.

Oh, Iwaizumi wasn’t stressed at all. In fact, he was actually kicking the assignment’s ass that he’s almost a whole week early in submitting it before the scheduled deadline. If anything, it was all child’s play to him. The real reason he was doing this was to simply have you closer to him, nothing else.

He felt kind of bad for lying to you like this since it was a purely selfish reason but could you really blame his heart?

The two of you stayed in complete silence for a moment, basking in the afternoon glow of the sun. The park was now deserted, students, and other park goers opting to head home before the sun fully retired behind the horizon; it was peaceful, as though you, and Iwaizumi were in your own world—something you could both get used to.

Back in his dorm, Iwaizumi unceremoniously plopped onto his swivel chair, he hooked an arm over his eyes, recounting memories of earlier, he could still feel the warmth of your shoulder on his cheek, and the calming tune of your heartbeat.

“What’s got you all in a mess like that?” Oikawa spoke from his bed which caused Iwaizumi to jump from his friend’s sudden voice. “What the fuck, Oikawa?! Don’t do that.” The latter turned his chair to face the brunette, an all-too-familiar scowl written all over his handsome face. Oikawa could only shrug in response, amusement painted on his face at the state of his friend.

“You’re probably not gonna tell me about it so I’ll take it upon myself to talk about something else,”

Before Iwaizumi could even mentally pray that it’s not some stupid gossip, Oikawa was already sitting up on his bed, and clearing his throat to speak.

“Do you remember that confession I read out loud a few days ago? They posted another one, look.” The brunette hastily peeled himself from under the ivory covers, and within a second, he was in front of Iwaizumi, phone shoved abnormally close to the latter’s face, causing him to jerk back a bit.

Clearly, he had all the time in the world with how updated he was with this goddamn confessions page. Iwaizumi wasn’t going to lie, he remembered details about that particular confession from a few days ago far more than the contents of his lectures. Not on purpose, though, moreso out of his own will.

Every hallway he walked, every lecture room he entered, every café he studied at, and every bathroom he used, at least two students were talking about it. Iwaizumi couldn’t care to listen in on their conversations nor did he want to, it wasn’t like talking about it more would somewhat reveal the person behind these confessions.

Iwaizumi couldn’t even escape it even in his own room. Though, this was normal, as if the whole campus ran solely on juicy gossip.

Of course it was about that damn confessions page, Oikawa was practically it’s number one fan at this point, Iwaizumi bets the former probably has a ‘Top Fan’ badge with how much he interacts with each, and every confession they post. He wouldn’t be surprised if the brunette openly admitted to sending in submissions to the page.

He grabbed the phone off Oikawa’s hand, and read it. Iwaizumi figured entertaining his friend’s antics would be much better than resisting it since he could get extremely annoying at times—all the time, even.

‘Today, I asked him if he was stressed and he agreed without hesitation. It pains my heart to see him beneath grey clouds; I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold him until all the stress drains from his body, until he’s smiling again and a subtle dimple forms on his cheeks, until he lets out a hearty, melodic laugh that I’ve grown to love but don’t be mistaken, I’ll love him whatever version of himself he presents. Wholeheartedly. Maybe—if only—he’ll let me be his safe space, not just a best friend but something more.’

Huh, how weird. Why did his heart flutter? This wasn’t even for him.

Iwaizumi’s eyes shifted back, and forth, back, and forth over each sentence until they reached the end. He did this for a total of four times, and each time—without fail—his mind wandered back to fifteen minutes ago where he was sitting on a wooden park bench with you, his head on your shoulder. It was like the confession described exactly what happened earlier.

He recounted your words, and how you were talking about how stressed he was. From this perspective, everything fit in perfectly like a puzzle piece but was Iwaizumi reaching too hard? Was his mind playing tricks on him just to convince himself that these two confessions came from you? As far as he knows, you’ve never even sent in a submission yourself but that didn’t mean you couldn’t.

Okay, maybe Iwaizumi was being delusional. All those years pining after you had finally gotten to his brain, and turned him into nothing but a yearning, pathetic man.

Though, the confession easily could have been from anyone. Not to mention how it's been such a tough semester so far, it made sense for the anonymous submitter to write about their best friend being stressed about something. Right? Right. Iwaizumi was getting way ahead of himself for assuming such things, he blamed it on his mind stubbornly shaping reality into things that benefited his situation.

He was looking too deeply into this.

See, this was the consequence of letting one Oikawa Tooru get inside one’s head, clearly, it’s the brunette’s fault for even showing something that didn’t concern Iwaizumi at all. And it could only get worse from here.

Oikawa impatiently pulled his phone away from Iwaizumi’s hold, reeling the latter back into reality. The brunette read the paragraph once more before letting out an amused hum, catching his friend’s attention.

He puckered his lips, brown eyes narrowed, and brows subtly knitted together as he stared at his phone. Oh. Iwaizumi didn’t like that expression at all, and he sure wasn’t going to like the words coming out of Oikawa’s mouth next. He knew that face all too well, it screamed nothing but mischief, and a thirst for chaos.

“Say, Iwa-chan, you have dimples when you smile just like the post mentioned. Haha—won’t it be interesting if these confessions were for you?”

What the fuck?

—

tags: @stunie @akumakitsune21 @boosyboo9206 @khfviq @avis-writeshq @elliesndg @1929sleepdeprived @wakashudou @lillycore @viscoolreal @lialia3945 @softpia @anqelkoz @tar0sw0rld @nwhaerin @kiyuwumi @seroh @eggyrocks @jellysupremacy @songofgratitude @gsyche @haikyuusunsalad @smellysluna @amoosarte (lmk if you wanna be tagged and don’t forget to turn your mentions on :3)

affiliated with @houseofsolisoccasum & @the-all-stars-network !

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snakeredbirdbatkatana · 8 months ago

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The Son of Hell

Tim has a secret well he has a lot of secrets if he's being brutally honest but one that no matter what can't ever slip.

When Tim was little he made a friend he can't really remember how but one day she was just there. Cooking, cleaning, helping with homework. When he started stalking the bats she was always there in the corner of his eye. He had at first thought maybe he lost his mind but when someone tried to steal his camera she came grabbing the guy he still isn't sure exactly what she did but he was never attacked again.

Any questions he has she could always answer she confirmed Batman's identity read him stories when he was little she was what he imagined a Mother was.

Part of the reason he loves Cass so much is she reminds him of her.

When he had asked her name she had smiled looking at him with such love, before kissing his scalp.

"You can call me Lily"

Even now after a lot of research and some weird questions to Constantine he has never figured out what exactly she is he knows that it's not human.

Every step of his life she has been there guarding, he had asked her never to interfere with Robin work scared that Batman would find out and somehow take her away.

He had never see her so angry than after Titans Tower fussing and healing him enough so there would be no perment damage. Yet he once again asked for her not to fix it or else Bruce would know.

She smirked before gently cradling his face.

"I do not fear that silly bat but anything for you, My Imp."

When he faced down Ra's looking for Bruce before he could accept the offer she was there staring him down.

"You will leave Tim alone don't force my hand, do I make myself clear."

Ra's was terrified he had looked at Tim as if seeing him in a new light.

"Of course I had not been aware of the situation I meant no disrespect I will happily help Timothy."

It went smoothly only once Bruce was safely back in Gotham did Tim risk asking.

"Do you know what she is?"

Ra's stared straight at the wall clearly lost in some such memory from long before him, hesitation not something you would expect from the Demon's head.

"Older than I my dear, powerful, deadly you have no idea how interesting it is that a being like that is yours. You are untouchable my detective."

He should have been terrified but they had never been anything but kind.

Darkseid is a threat as every Hero, Vigilante, and Villain agrees they all stand before the godlike being.

He sees his family, his friend's even the likes of Ra's and Deathstroke all waiting to fight.

He knows they are backed against a wall that all of them might die.

He doesn't want to risk losing the one person who has always loved him but he looks straight at Ra's and all he does is nod.

He turns to Bruce his father before he steps forward making eye contact with a being who will always haunt his nightmares.

"Who are you to step to me boy?"

He's terrified but he feels Lily weaving whatever power it is that she possesses around him.

"I'm nobody, but she isn't. Lily now!"

Before he could blink the entire battlefield erupts in light a figure standing tall with multiple sets of giant white wings wearing a a suit that looks darker than night. A slight red tint to their skin.

Darkseid starts to step back terrified his army looking confused on why there leader is shaking.

Tim steps closer to the being they feel so safe he wants to bury himself in their wings.

"Lily is that you?"

The bring turns a kind smile slightly different then the one he has seen for years.

"Oh no sorry sweetheart that happens to be my dear wife my name is Lucifer."

#tim drake #batfamily #jason todd #dick grayson #damian wayne #bruce wayne #ra's al ghul #bamf tim drake #batfam #lucifer morningstar #Lilith #bamf batfamily

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milk-ly · 10 months ago

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Fuuta and Mikoto as Character Foils

This amazing post talks about Fuuta's people pleasing tendencies and they mentioned how Mikoto is simillar, but does it in a different way. And I have NOT been able to stop thinking about it so I want to get my thoughts out about how Fuuta and Mikoto are character foils to each other.

Fuuta and Mikoto are pretty much complete opposites. They parallel in that they both desperately crave societal acceptance, but they differ in how they go about it. Mikoto tries to read the room and changes every aspect of himself in order to seem more friendly and amicable to fit in. He does things based on what he SHOULD do because it’s the societally accepted way to do things and he’ll be liked for it.

Fuuta doesn’t because it’s just how he is, his naturally fiery and argumentative temperament makes it hard for people to like him. It’s not that he doesn’t want to fit in but he isn’t willing to change himself the same way Mikoto is. Mikoto is friendly and approachable while Fuuta is the complete opposite.

But here’s the thing, he IS also like Mikoto in that regard because he is seen in MILGRAM actively changing himself in order to believe that he is that idealized self in Bring It On. He tries to be a representative for everyone and confronts Es for hurting Yuno during his t1 VD, despite having to hype himself up before charging up at them.

But still, no matter how hard he tries he can’t be that idealized self. He can’t fit in, because it’s not who he is. He wants to be accepted as himself! He wants friends he can share the same interests and opinions with to feel validated.

Portal Timeline conversation (2023/07/05):

Fuuta: "Oh, well. I guess I can understand a bit now. When you're feeling down, it's nice to have someone to rely on, someone who accepts you."

It's why Mikoto thinks Fuuta’s immature because Fuuta's unable to fit into society and "be an adult" like Mikoto can. Mikoto thinks that once you grow up, you need to buckle down and start conforming or else you'll never get anywhere in life. To him, it's disgraceful to be angry because it's frowned upon, and Fuuta's pretty much in a constant state of rage, which is why Fuuta has such a hard time finding acceptance. Every time they talk, they’re criticizing each other. Their first ever conversation starts with Mikoto lecturing Fuuta about how he can’t and won’t fit in and it (rightfully) ticks him off, especially since Mikoto can. It’s why they’re at each other's throats like every time they interact (which is pretty little). Mikoto even straight up has a line in the earbud collab about how Fuuta will never get any girls.

Fuuta is constantly considered by others as “immature” and “childish” such as Kazui saying that it's okay for Fuuta to be cocky because he's young or how Fuuta is constantly linked to games (typically associated with children). Or the fact that the lyrics from Bring It On: ""Kono yubi tomare" [is] a traditional saying from a traditional kid’s game."

On the flip side, Mikoto is constantly reminding people that he’s a working adult. Not to mention, Mikoto tends to hang around the older prisoners more (the smoker trio) while Fuuta interacts with the younger prisoners the most. (Amane, Haruka, and sometimes Muu)

Mikoto wants to be a cog in the machine and believes that if he works hard enough, he'll be able to make it in the workforce. Fuuta actively criticizes the workforce and how it's useless to work too hard, so he "goes with the flow."

There are so many smaller details too that emphasize their foil. Mikoto smokes, Fuuta hates smoking. Mikoto's voice is high and whiney while Fuuta's is deep and aggressive. Fuuta has an older sister while Mikoto has a younger sister. Both their parents are divorced but Fuuta is missing his mother while Mikoto is missing his father. However, one similarity is that they both SEEM to have good opinions about their moms while having questionable ones with their dads.

Something else I think about a lot is how Fuuta parallels with John. Especially concerning these lines from John when you realize John is pretty much the opposite of Mikoto too:

John might be the person Mikoto wishes he was. Someone who stubbornly stands their ground, someone who tries stand up for themselves and “gives people their just desserts.” Sounds rather familiar to a certain red-head, I must say.

In addition, they share a lot more similarities too, like their connection to the bright colour red, contrasted by Mikoto's light blue. They both have short tempers and jump at Es as a defence mechanism, in contrast to Mikoto having a fawn response and laughing everything off. They both use the first-person pronoun "ore" while Mikoto uses "boku." Both Fuuta and John have a deeper and more aggressive tone in comparison to Mikoto. Fuuta's symbolism as a brave knight protecting the weak and punishing evil parallels John protecting the "weak" (Mikoto) and acting as his saviour from threats. Mikoto couldn't stand up for himself so John did it for him, Fuuta "stood up" for the people hurt by the actions of the people he cancelled.

To add on to that, Mikoto’s name in kanji means “noble” or “revered.” Words that remind you of royalty, or a prince. (Boy princess fr fr) John being his saviour makes him his knight in shining armour. Matching with Fuuta’s knight symbolism!

Mikoto envies these traits in Fuuta yet hates them and purposefully suppresses them within himself because it's not socially acceptable to act like him. Fuuta likely similarity envies people who can fit in, like Mikoto. Perhaps the reason why the two are so irked by the other is that they each embody traits the other admires yet can't have.

But in the end, they both can’t really fit into “normal” society. Mikoto, who claims he can, is suffering to the point of breaking. Fuuta, who tried and finally found an ounce of acceptance and ally ship in his online buddies, ended up getting carried away and causing the death of someone.

I'm really surprised I haven’t really seen this mentioned or discussed very much. Sorry if it’s really obvious, I just wanted to point some stuff out. Anyway man, I love these two a lot and I would love to see more stuff diving into these two in a canon context too.

#milgram #fuuta kajiyama #mikoto kayano #john milgram #milkly ramble

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theaskywalker · 8 months ago

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hi! I had a small idea with Seth, reader (if you could do fem that would be amazing!) was in Russia for 4 years for her studies, for her coming back. she wanted to Suprise Seth by coming over in his jacket he gave her before she left:) I was thinking in that moment he looked at her (her eyes to be exact) he imprinted on her. (I would love for reader to have really sharp canines, not a vampire but almost like it! that's how my teeth have been and wanted to see someone include it in a fic:)

Seth Clearwater x Fem! Reader

Thank you for the request ghosty-boo-shh! It was an interesting idea and very fun to write. Hope you enjoy it! 😊

❥ You had always been close with Seth Clearwater.

❥ Having grown up in the same neighborhood and with your mothers being best friends it was no surprise that the two of you became practically inseparable.

❥ Sitting together during classes.

❥ Passing notes to each other when the teachers seperated you.

❥ Having lunch at the cafeteria.

❥ Studying together after school.

❥ Spending the weekends chilling at the beach or indoors watching movies and playing video games.

❥ Leah always joked that you acted like a married couple.

❥ Which turned the both of you into blushing fools.

❥ Seth liked to call you his little Dracula due to your extremely sharp canines.

❥ He loved that characteristic about you.

❥ And constantly reminded you of how cool it was.

❥ You in turn called him all sorts of silly nicknames referencing his favourite pop culture elements.

❥ By the time high school rolled up, you had fallen hopelessly in love with your best friend.

❥ You wanted to confess your feelings but the fear of him not returning them kept you silent.

❥ That's when everything changed.

❥ Your impressive academic record had won you a scholarship to attend one of the most prestigious colleges in Russia.

❥ It was your dream to study there and you were ecstatic.

❥ The day before you left, Seth came at your house to say goodbye.

❥ He surprised you by giving you his leather jacket that you had been admiring since the day he bought it.

"Something to remember me while you're at Moscow" he said.

❥ Without thinking you kissed him hard on the lips.

❥ A kiss that he reciprocated after a moment's hesitation.

❥ You confessed your feelings afterwards and Seth did the same.

❥ A long distance relationship wouldn't be easy.

❥ You promised to call him everyday and send emails in-between.

❥ And he promised to wait for you as long as it was needed.

❥ At first the communication between the two of you was daily.

❥ But after several months Seth's responses became less and less frequent.

❥ You didn't understand what caused this change in behaviour.

❥ Phone calls became non existent.

❥ And emails would be replied once a week at most.

❥ You patiently went along with it hoping that everything would go back as normal when you returned to Forks.

❥ After 4 years of studying abroad you finally graduated and made the long journey back home.

❥ The first thing you did after arriving in Forks was to go at Seth's house to surprise him.

❥ You had planned this little surprise beforehand by telling your parents to keep your return a secret.

❥ You even wore the jacket Seth gave you before leaving, thinking it would be nice to show him how much his present meant to you.

❥ Sue Clearwater greeted you warmly and explained that Seth and Leah were at the beach with friends.

❥ You went straight to La Push and saw the Clearwater siblings sitting across a fire roasting marshmallows together with Jacob Black, Quil Ateara and another boy.

❥ Leah was the first of the group to spot you and happily called you over.

❥ You gave Leah a hug and greeted Jacob and Quil, who introduced you to the third boy, Embry Call.

❥ Shyly, you turned to Seth and greeted him with a nervous "hello".

❥ The moment Seth locked eyes with you time freezed and gravity no longer held him in place.

❥ You were equally awestruck and unable to utter a word.

❥ Seth had loved you for years but nothing had prepared him for this extraordinary feeling that took over him.

❥ It was like your soul had touched his in an intimate way and nothing would ever be the same.

❥ Jacob Black broke the silence by asking you and Seth to collect more firewood.

❥ The two of you agreed.

❥ As you silently collected twigs along the beach, Seth noticed the jacket that you wore and grinned.

"You still have it after all those years"

❥ You smiled at Seth and told him that the jacket was a reminder of all the beautiful memories you had together.

"And I hope that it will be the start of many more to come" you added.

❥ Seth looked at you with adoration and claimed your lips in a gentle kiss that gradually grew more passionate.

❥ By the time the two of you made it back to the group with the firewood you were tasked to collect, one thing was certain.

"This is the beginning of something good"

Masterlist

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whateverisbeautiful · 4 months ago

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♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#23: The Portrait (1.03)

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Oh, this was such a beautiful and emotional scene. I adore it and it hits my heart every time 🥹💗. Right now Rick and Michonne differ because Rick's mission is to bring her home and Michonne’s mission is to bring them home. And as Michonne starts to feel weighed down by their current dilemma, she gets a lovely dose of restored hope when she meets the Civic Republic's portraitist - the very artist who played a major role in Michonne learning Rick was alive and who has helped both Rick and Michonne remember to keep believing along their journey...

So Michonne gets off a bus and her voice-over says, “Shoto, it’s Daito. Someone told me I had to know when to go.” I love that she's again talking to Judith and that she stays holding onto Nat’s words and memory.

And then we see her visiting that little outdoor market area similar to Rick at the top of the ep. And also similar to Rick, she looks behind her observing the place. I like how that parallel again affirms that these two Grimes really are cut from the same cloth.

gif cred: @taiturner

Michonne says, “I had a chance to go home but I couldn’t do it without The Brave Man.” It’s sweet that she says she couldn’t do it. It shows how she felt like leaving him was simply not an option.

But then she vulnerably wonders, “Maybe I should have.” 😞 It's sad that she has to have that thought swirling in her head. I know she knows she had to stay and keep fighting to bring Rick home, but I think about how Michonne will later admit to beating herself up over being away from her kids too. I feel like this moment might be one of those times where she's beating herself up a bit and wrestling with whether going or staying is what's best for her family.

I also like how prominent the bullet shell is seen in her hair in this shot. That accessory just always reminds me that no matter how upset Rick and Michonne may get with each other, they’re always with each other.

And for me, the bullet shell also is a symbolic reminder that Rick is still that man who would sacrifice anything for his family - it's just right now he’s sacrificing the wrong things. And Michonne is also that woman who would sacrifice anything for her family and that’s why she’s still here despite the hurt.

As Michonne takes in the idyllic scene she shares, “Just when I wondered if he could have been drawn in by the ambition and the hope of this place, that it could’ve replaced us, I found something.”

First of all, I want to cry thinking Michonne even had to go a second thinking Rick might’ve replaced her and Judith with the hope of the Civic Republic. It makes me wish even more that she could read all his letters and know nothing was ever going to replace her and their baby girl. But I get why Michonne’s mind could go there briefly because she knows her Rick would never pull what Sergeant Major Grimes did and so she’s searching for what could have caused this new behavior.

gif cred: @ex0rin

Michonne sees the portraiture booth and it’s interesting how the first drawing she sees is a woman holding a baby. I feel like this helps paint the picture that now, even if Rick and Michonne have some stuff to iron out between them, Michonne is still as determined as ever on this mission because she’s a mother. And this is as much about fighting for her kids as it is for Rick and herself.

Michonne walks right over to Benjiro’s Portraiture and Art and I’m reminded of how Michonne has always been drawn to art. As Benjiro works on a sketch he looks up at Michonne standing there and then looks down before peering back up, recognizing her.

Michonne knowingly says, “You’re the one who drew me.” And again I think even her just being straight up about that instead of trying to hide who she is shows that she’s over trying to conform in this place. It feels like she just needs somewhere where she can be her for a moment, and she gets to do that really nicely here. 😌

gif cred: @ex0rin

Benjiro smiles and says, “Yes, always you and the girl.” 😭 Y'all, how sweet is it that Rick had this artist drawing Michonne so much that Benjiro could recognize her right away?? 🥹

gif cred: @ex0rin

Benjiro let’s Michonne know, “He would come every few months and ask for a new one.” Which is so heartwarming. 🥰 Rick made sure to find someway to stay close to his girls.

And then, even knowing it’s coming, my eyes still well up when the artist says, “There was a boy he asked me to draw but I could never get it right for him.” Pain. 😞 And this line packs an even bigger punch after episode 4. 🥺

gif cred: @ex0rin

Michonne’s eyes get teary too as she smiles and says, “Carl. His name was Carl.” Ok crying endlessly. 😭 I adore that this is how Carl first gets brought up in TOWL and that he's still so pivotal to Richonne.

The way Michonne says his name is so tender. She loves that boy so much. Also, I love thinking about how now Michonne has a baby that’s related to Carl. Like Carl and Michonne are family in every way. 🥹

gif cred: @ex0rin

And learning Rick routinely got sketches of his girls and was trying to get pictures of Carl but his fading memory made Rick struggle to get the image right - My heart can't even take it. 😥

Like truly thinking about what that looks like is devastating. I can picture Rick every few months describing Michonne and Judith in new ways and his eyes lighting up a bit when he sees the finished product. And then Rick being nice when Benjiro doesn’t quite get Carl right even though it’s crushing him inside to know he can’t remember his own son clearly.

But also I like to think that Rick knowing the images weren’t fully capturing Carl goes to show that he does still hold his memory. He may not know how to get the image right - but he at least still knows when the image isn’t right.

Benjiro says, “You’re more open. Took three years before he’d say names.” Aw Rick really was out here describing the details of his wife and daughter without even wanting to reveal their names. 🥲 You know for those first three years Benjiro only knew Michonne as ‘my wife’ from Rick. I would have sobbed if we saw a scene of Rick when he first probably shyly described them because he still wants to keep his life outside a secret but also needs a piece of his girls with him. 😭

gif cred: @nat111love

Benjiro says, “You’re Michonne and the girl is Judith” and the way Michonne’s eyes light up and get teary as she smiles hearing her and her daughter's name. So precious. 🥲 She’s so far away from home and has been for a long while so I feel like just some moment to get to be herself and talk about Judith is refreshing.

Plus, the timing of this encounter is perfect because Michonne was on the brink of wondering if Rick had replaced the two of them but seeing this stranger already know about her gives her a clear sign that Rick still clung as tight as he could to her and their daughter.

gif cred: @nat111love

Benjiro asks, “Is she here?” And Michonne subtly shakes her head. I know she wants so badly to be together with Judith, and RJ again. Benjiro thinks Judith not being here might mean something more tragic so he says, “Sorry.” But then I love the way Michonne says with certainty, “She’s okay.” It’s the only scenario she’ll entertain. One where her daughter is not just alive but alive and well.

gif cred: @nat111love

I found this portraiture scene just so moving and well done for many reasons but especially because the following exchange gives Michonne a lot of insight into Rick’s trajectory in the CRM and how he went from hopeful to hopeless.

Benjiro says, “He said he wanted the drawings for until he saw you again” I adore that even when he was still so determined and convinced he’d see Michonne and Judith again, Rick still wanted drawings in the meantime. 🥹

Michonne looks up hearing this and then Benjiro says, “Here you are. He knew he’d see you. He knew it.” And ok I’m legit writing this with tears because at this moment Michonne is getting to hear about her Rick. 😭 A lot has happened since, but the man Benjiro is describing - that’s Michonne’s Rick who loves her more than life itself and she knows it.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

I love that even with words, Benjiro is painting a portrait of who Rick was while he was stuck here in the CRM. Still that determined family man.

And then I’m crushed when Benjiro says, “He stopped talking like that '' Y’all, this scene is just a dagger - a well-written, well-acted, well-scored, perfectly-placed-in-the-episode dagger. 👏🏽🥲🔪 Because again Michonne gets to hear about both Rick’s hope and the process of losing that hope.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Benjiro says, “I told him…” and Michonne so sincerely says, “I know what you told him. Thank you. It helped me.” And I love that she thanks him for the way his words helped her too. Instant Benjiro fan knowing he helped both my babies during tough times with his encouraging phrase. 😊👌🏽

gif cred: @riickgrimes

As Michonne softly touches some of the phones, including one that is very Gimple-esque, Benjiro says, “He found you.” And then Michonne just kills me when she whispers with tears in her eyes, “Now I’m looking for him.” 🫠😭

And her saying this is so powerful. Because it shows the search for Rick continues. She found the man in the woods but she still has a journey to embark on to find her man.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Once again, Danai’s delivery was perfect. 🙌🏽 It’s also just sad because Michonne knows the Rick she’s seeing now is not the one she knows but in saying this to Benjiro it shows she’s going to keep searching for him. Searching for the Rick that Benjiro described at the top of the scene who knew he’d be with his girls again.

And as Michonne holds back tears with a smile, Benjiro again tells her to "Believe a little bit longer" and it’s just a beautiful end to a beautiful scene as Michonne lets those words sink in and nods with an emotional smile.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Never have I wanted to give her a hug more than right here. 🥺

gif cred: @riickgrimes

She’s gone through so much and still has to keep believing that this is not in vain, and I know she’s got to be tired and even feeling alone right now. But she’s resilient like no other so, of course, she’s going to keep fighting and believing, even if it means a bit more marital fighting with Sergeant Major Grimes. 🙂

I really appreciated getting to see Michonne just get to be her in this special scene and have this emotional moment reflecting on her family members - Carl, Judith, and the Rick she once knew - while also being fueled to keep going for the living family she has now - Judith, RJ, and the Rick buried underneath all the CRM armor. 🥲👌🏽

#richonne #towl #reveling in richonne #1.03 #RIR (23)#the ones who live #twd towl #michonne grimes #rick grimes #rick x michonne #twol #michonne #rick and michonne #twd: the ones who live #twd #richonnefandom

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we-stan-cale · 6 months ago

Text

I talked about Choi Han and Cale, let me talk about Alberu and Cale.

As usual, I'm going to warn about spoilers and put the rest below the cut.

When Cale and Alberu first meet, there's not a lot of trust going on.

Cale is wondering about all the secrets Raon let slip, notes that Alberu had a healing power he didn't use for a random citizen (though he indicated it was okay in the next sentence. Before commenting that if Choi Han had such a power he would have), and on Alberu's side we have a royal prince who had to claw his way to power while hiding his dark elf heritage. In an environment where he could only trust the dark elves.

Despite all that, Cale seemed quite willing to work with Alberu. (If he'd started in the Empire I imagine Cale would have been overthrowing Adin even earlier).

I think that's partly because Cale is always willing to work with people who have their priorities straight - and even some that don't. He's very focused on his goals and as long as you're not betraying the trust of the people you're responsible for he's generally okay with you. Murdering citizens and abandoning foot soldiers? Not okay. Valentino? Okay, with reservations. Toonka? Same, before Toonka's own rather amazing growth arc.

Like Park Jin Tae, who Cale worked with despite their issues. Because when push came to shove, that guy was there.

I'm digressing though.

Cale letting Alberu know he'd figured out about his dark elf heritage was, naturally, scary for Alberu. At first.

He was vulnerable.

But it came in handy (as Cale showed he could be trusted with that) when Alberu needed someone to retrieve that magic thingy from the dark elves.

Plus Cale kept doing crazy shit that always benefited Roan.

So they started growing closer, kind of slowly.

I think the real turning point, for Alberu at least, was when they went to the Empire together, and Cale used his shield to protect everyone from that attack.

Cale, we now know, has lived through crisis after crisis and no longer reacts to deadly danger like a normal person.

Alberu, for all his political skill, hasn't really been in a situation like that. Poison and underhanded political moves? Sure. And he was there for the plaza incident too.

But what was interesting here was Alberu wasn't thinking about the politics.

He was concerned about Cale.

Cale is the one who reminded him how he should play the situation.

After that we really start to see Alberu open up.

He keeps showing signs of genuine care.

Tries to protect Cale's slacker goals (even as he sees it gets harder and harder), comes up with the sworn brother idea. And really, by the time we get to part 2 he's rather a mother hen.

We see him learn about the curse, grow confident in himself, and then...

Becomes the Dark Tiger.

Which is hilarious, but also puts him almost as close as Choi Han to Cale.

Oh, and he has some absolutely amazing scenes where he's schooling the White Star on his terrible leadership.

We also see how much he's grown when he encounters his other younger self, in that 'game' in the temple. His understanding of where he was then also illustrated how much he'd changed, as he found a group of honest-to-god friends.

Anyways.

Which makes rereading the story especially fun, because it's such a contrast.

I absolutely adore how their relationship developed over the course of the story.

#tcf #lcf #trash of the count's family #lout of the count’s family #totcf #cale henituse #alberu crossman

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cas-backwards-tie · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter Six: The Summer of a Lifetime

Heiress of Gotham

Bruce Wayne x Daughter!Reader

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Summary: With things out of the way and perhaps a little more trust, maybe the reader will finally start to make some progress, and a few friends along the way.

Warnings: Spying, Being Spied On, Insects, Wet T-Shirts, Flirting,

Words: 3.6k

A/N: While this chapter may seem like it takes a lot of twists in turns in the vignettes, it's sort of meant to reflect the ups and downs and small moments we have during summer. Honestly, though, this is perfect for the introduction of certain characters and plotlines I wanted!

It'd been an interesting end to the school year, really, and that's aside from the fact that you'd had to deal with and go through the grief of your Mother passing. Within the few months you'd been at Wayne Manor, the family had quickly learned many things about you. Bruce had found out how frugal and tenacious you are, insistent on selling some of your old articles of clothing for money on some app he could never remember the name of, meanwhile refuting the many attempts he'd offered to take you out shopping. Who wants to go shopping with their Dad anyway? He'd been consumed with work, and therefore more time had been turned over to your brothers.

While school was out for both you and Damian, Tim had decided to take summer classes at the nearby community college since it'd make his college applications only look better. Dick, of course, was still working, and Jason, really, you had no idea what was going on with him since it seemed he had most days free and nights taken. While you'd considered the possibility that someone associated with the Wayne family had a night-time job, you also didn't want to think of someone who very quickly became a big brother to you in that manner. That was just... ew. With the three eldest gone or rarely home, you'd been left with Damian and Alfred mostly.

--------

“So… you’re spying on your own child because…?” Tim draws out, leaning against the motherboard as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Because it’s Bruce? You’re not the first. Thought you would’ve been the wiser, Green Bean,” Dick chides as he manually stitches another loop into his uniform. Seated on the edge of the metal table propped against the railing on the opposite side of the platform.

“She’s been watching television for over two hours straight. Is this unhealthy?” The man of the hour speaks, eyes unmoving from the image of you through the lens of one of his pesky drones.

“Hey, you’re the one who’s supposed to be parenting, yeah? You chose to bring her in, you choose what’s healthy and unhealthy,” the elder boy retorts, a clear sass in his tone that reminds Bruce where Damian’s gotten it from.

“Hn,” the old man groans, “That doesn’t mean I know what’s currently the standard in teenagedom,” he grumbles more to himself than anyone.

“Have you tried, I don’t know, just talking to her?” Tim asks, an eyebrow quirking as he doesn’t try and hide the amused smile breaking across his lips.

“You’re one to talk,” Bruce teases the boy. He’s still somewhat resentful of the way he’d handled things with Stephanie a few years ago now. Leaving her in the lurch only for her to seek answers by prying into their life.

A huff of annoyance leaves Tim and he rolls his eyes. Pushing off the computer, he turns to head for the stairs when he spots movement on the monitor. Dick doesn’t seem to care, rather, he’s focused on fixing and upgrading his equipment. However, Tim had come to a halt, now watching from just a few feet behind the old man’s chair. His drone follows you as you get up, bringing an empty dish and glass to the kitchen. You don’t notice, of course, as Tim knows this has to be one of the nano drones, most likely disguised as a fly following your movements through the Manor just a few hundred feet above them.

It’s uninteresting, really, the way he watches you put your empty dish in the sink along with your glass. Your visage shifts, heading back to the living room, but doesn’t fail to notice the nano drone. “Spotted,” Tim announces, curious to see where this goes.

“That doesn’t mean anything. Most people aren’t fazed by an insect,” Bruce defends, finally taking his gaze off the screen for a mere moment as he turns to Tim. The boy watches as you step closer to the drone; the still fly on the fridge’s handle was easy to spot, and while your eyes quickly move on in an attempt to seem as if you hadn’t noticed the bug, not wanting to disrupt it or scare it away, you step closer to the fridge.

On top of the box lies an item you’ve been grateful for ever since you’d gotten your Mom to buy it for you offline. Easily stepping on your tiptoes you grab the object’s handle and have your finger ready atop the trigger. Now all that’s left is to catch it off-guard.

The amused look on Tim’s face makes Bruce paranoid; blue eyes racing back to the monitor, he watches as a tennis-racket swatter comes his way. Lifting the nanodrone up and off the surface he barely escapes the touch of the electric swatter. Bzzt! He’s hit. Flying across the kitchen and landing on the counter, he turns the drone around to get you in frame again. “And you thought she wouldn’t do anything,” Tim laughs. An error message pops up, screen turning red along with the artificial voice alert. Clearly you’ve damaged the drone.

“It only took twenty-five percent capacity,” Bruce announces, clicking different keys to get everything back to neutral.

This elicits Dick’s eyes as his focus shifts up to the situation before him. An amused smile graces his lips and he can’t help but sometimes pity the man. Bruce… tries. He means well, but he doesn’t always have the best approach. “Gotta say, this is better than reality tv.” His Father shakes his head and, attention finally returning to the monitor once again after being distracted by Tim.

“You risked a drone for this? Come on, man. This is your own daughter we’re talking about,” Tim chastises. Even if he’s still laughing and more than amused by this. If he wants to waste his tech, by all means, let them watch. It’s not like he can’t get more.

The men watch as you look around the kitchen, eyes taking everything in. With an occasional turn, and a flip of your hair, he’s spotted again! This time Bruce sees you coming before he can be squashed. Out of sight, out of mind, he thinks. “Honestly, I’m just lucky she didn’t spot me earlier. Ace and Titus weren’t the most helpful considering they kept tracking my movements, clueing her in. But she didn’t get me until now.”

“I’m impressed she even got you at all, honestly,” Dick comments, drawing their attention again.

“Not a fan?” Tim asks, curious to hear his thoughts. After all, he hasn’t been around as much considering things have been busy with school, and hectic with Stephanie. Therefore, he doesn’t know as much about you. He hasn’t spent as much time around you as the others.

Met with a noncommittal noise, Tim watches Dick shrug. “I’ve got nothing against her aside from what she said at dinner and obviously her hate for the BPD,” he trails off, a shudder running through him, “then again, she was kind of insane when we were moving her stuff. Threatened to kill us and all. Not really the type of vibe you wanna have running around the house, you know? At least, not mine, I’ll tell you that.” With a chuckle, Dick lifts the needle to his mouth, teeth going for the fabric since he hadn’t bothered to grab scissors.

Tim almost laughs along with his brother, that is until he processes what he’d said. “Wait, what-?!” Eyes quickly darting between him and Bruce, he’s suddenly alert. “What do you mean she tried to kill you?! What’re you talking about? Hey- why didn’t you tell me this?” He zeroes in on Bruce, determined to get an answer. “Does Damian know? Why am I the last one to find out about anything around here?” He complains.

“I mean she tried to-” Dick begins.

“She did not! Dick, stop exag-”Bruce interrupts, turning to face them and argrue.

“Bruce-” Tim interjects, eyes suddenly on your approaching visage in the drone’s visual. “Bruce!” You’ve got the fly cornered. With one swift sweeping wack, and a press of the button, it’ll die.

“What?!” He yells. As soon as he turns back from Tim to the monitor he’s too late. Zzztt!!! They all grimace and wince. An alert pops up on screen:

‘V I S U A L L O S T’

The options to ‘connect to different device’ or ‘relay input’ lie underneath the big text, but ultimately you’d destroyed the thing. With the click of a button Bruce closes the tab and the background feed of the Manor’s security cameras linger. Alfred dances in the office as he dusts along, presumably, to music—Bruce knows his routine. On another, you’re carrying the nanodrone on the electric swatter to the trash, disposing of the ‘fly’ you’d killed. Lastly, Damian is reading, doing his homework as he sits in an armchair by the fireplace in the Library, Titus curled up by his feet.

“Dammit! This is why you can’t just be in here. You’re either here for a purpose or you’re out,” Bruce dictates. “Dick is actually doing something, Tim. You’re just gossiping.” With a defeated drop of his hands to the desk, he raises himself from his computer chair and rounds Tim.

“You still didn’t tell me what happened,” Tim argues, the anger in his voice no longer hiding. “I’m tired of being out of the loop! What happened?” He demands. A sigh weighs Bruce’s shoulders down, and as Dick finally lifts his gaze to take in the men before him, he doesn’t dare to add any more fuel to the already burning fire.

“She was involved with Marin. Alright? She thought he was coming for her, momentarily figured we were in on it. Satisfied?” Bruce responds, turning to face the boy.

They all know he’s been hurt. That he has trauma… it’s no secret. Yet, it’s only in few and far between moments that the boys are able to see things for what they are in a crystal-clear view. This is one of those times. Their warped views on good and evil, right and wrong, revenge and punishment… they blur the lines of reality in ways he’s sure that you, a civilian, would never understand, and yet… Tim realizes the weight of this.

“Who-?”

“Angel Marin. Bludhaven’s biggest mob boss,” Dick informs. A ‘Hn’ leaves Bruce’s lips as he makes his way toward the stairs, and a sigh leaves Tim. With a grateful nod in Grayson’s direction, Tim follows after Bruce.

------

“You know, someone mentioned your birthday is coming up,” Bruce teases, a hint of a smile hiding behind his wine glass.

The quick flash of a smile overtakes your face before you try to hide it. None of them miss it. “Um… yeah. W-who said?”

It’s invisible, perhaps, to all besides those who know him best, however, Bruce pales at the question, faltering. While you’re good at reading people, you don’t notice. Whether it’s the subject matter or the way everyone’s staring, you simply wait for a response.

“Uh, the-” he clears his throat, eyes suddenly downcast as he reaches for his knife and fork to cut his steak, “the social worker! Yes, she mentioned it while you were in your meeting.” Obviously a lie. If anyone truly knows Bruce the way most at the table do, they'd know he found it in your public files and digital footprint.

“Oh,” you respond, putting on a fake smile as you too attempt to hide behind the meal. Birthdays can be a big deal for some, and others, not. It all depends, and you aren't sure where things lie in this family. You still feel like an outsider, despite their attempts, and you don't want to burden them further.

“We could have a party!” Damian suggests, to everyone’s surprise.

“You just want a party,” Jason comments with a chortle.

“Is there anything you want?” Dick asks thoughtfully, looking down at you from your side, putting you on the spot. His kind blue eyes stir something within you, and you turn your gaze back to your plate. Busying yourself by cracking your knuckles, your lips purse into a line. With a shake of your head, it’s clear no one is sated.

“There’s nothing you want? At all?” Bruce prods, eliciting your eye contact again. Lips pursing even more you shake your head again.

“Um,” eyes falling to your lap you collect yourself, not allowing your imagination to run wild. “You taking me in was enough. Thank you.” Voice quiet, everyone has their own reaction to your words, albeit unbeknownst to you.

“Oh, shut up! You know there’s at least one thing you want,” Jason teases from across the table.

“Oh? And what’s that since you know her so well?” Tim pries, knowing he’s setting his brother up. Jason hesitates, almost choking on his drink which elicits laughs from the boys, and an amused smile from Bruce. As bickering starts to ensue, you decide.

“I-” all eyes turn to you, “I want a party!” You announce. With a confident smile, you figure, how bad could it be? After all, parties don't need to be big! Something sweet, the family there, and a boardgame is all you'd need for it to be considered a party to you.

“See? At least I know what she wants,” Damian chides proudly.

“Oh? Well what kind of party would you like?” Bruce asks.

“Who do you want to invite?” Dick inquires.

“What’s the theme?” Jason adds.

“Actually, isn’t your birthday coming up now that I think of it?” Tim voices his concern over to Jason.

“Uh…” Jason shakes his head a little, taken aback, “I mean, I don’t really celebrate anymore since-”

“-the same day as Alfred’s, that’s right,” Bruce saves them, an unfazed smile on his lips, “though I believe we can celebrate both, can’t we?” While you’re not exactly paying attention, to the rest of them there’s a silent, yet menacing request behind his eyes. It’s clear they’re not allowed to speak freely anymore, no matter your new seat at the table of their family.

“Okay, but mine comes first- or did you forget again?” Damian asks with a bite. Upon the silence, he rolls his eyes and goes back to his meal with the exasperated sound of his breath hitting his tongue against his teeth. An audible ‘Tt’ sound.

“I didn’t forget, Damian,” Bruce clenches his jaw and grips his glass a little tighter. Does every family dinner have to turn into a fight? “You know I was with the Just-” he catches himself, “Hn- that I had to-”

“-just business calls… we’re well aware, Father. Perhaps you’ll do yourself a favor and won’t miss your other child’s birthday,” Damian finishes the conversation. “Not that I count on it.”

--------

Walking through the pool room, you’re focused on texting Daisha, intent on telling her the good news!

‘Omg you’ll never guess what just happened! I’ll hav-’

Splash!

A dissatisfied shriek escapes your lips as you stare at the wet stain on your shirt. “Really?! Dami-" looking up from your drenched navy tank top, your eyes widen and lips part.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I thought you were Damian.”

You quickly take in the super-soaker and the boy’s apologetic expression, and it’s easy enough to put two and two together. As footsteps quietly click against the tiled floors of the locker rooms leading toward the pool deck, you grab the boy’s hand and drag him back the way he’d come around the corner. There lies a linen closet between the pool, laundry room, and stairwell. With a swift hand, you open the door and shove him in, following after as you quietly shut the door.

A bemused smile appears on his lips as his eyebrows furrow. “You’re his sister,” he whispers with certainty, “I’m Billy.”

Whispering back your name, he repeats it. Visibly eager on saying something else, you place your fingers on his lips to shut him up. He follows your eyesight, both of you staring through the slats in the closet door. With a keen ear, he gets the gist and remains quiet. As moments pass, you can feel the boy, Billy, staring; curious, you meet his gaze only to find him searching your eyes. You can’t help but notice how pretty his are. Though you almost get swept up in admiring his features, you hear a faint creak only meters away outside the door; with a motion of your other hand, you beckon him to hand you the gun.

Transferred into your open hand, you slowly remove your fingers from his lips, cupping the barrel of the super-soaker while the other wraps around the handle, fingers ready at the trigger. With a head nod toward the door, you mouth the words: ‘On three! Ready?’

Billy seems to understand, as he holds his hands up in a ready stance to push open the doors. Together, you both mouth the countdown (which is really a count up, but anyway): ‘One… Two…’

“THREE!” Busting out of the closet, Damian is just a few feet from your right. It’s easy to spin and shoot as you’d been prepared, having watched him walk past the door together. Your brother had jumped, yet shot a few instinctive rounds of water, splashing both you, Billy, and the wall.

“Shit! What the hell! What are you doing here? Who let you play?” Damian curses, saying something in a language you don’t recognize, holding his gun in a stationary position once you’ve all recovered from the attack. His suspicious green eyes narrow as they dart between the two of you.

“I figured it was only fair since you didn’t let me know about your little game and I got caught in the crossfire,” you reason, pointing to your shirt with the gun.

“I accidentally shot her thinking I had you cornered, so…” Billy’s words die on his tongue. Without sparing the kid a glance, you shove the super-soaker back in his hands before offering him a grateful smile. At least you’d hit Damian once, you figure. With that, you’re more than happy to abandon the boys to their games as you walk toward the laundry room to see if your clothes are finished drying. That was the whole reason you were down here in the first place, after all.

“You didn’t tell me she was my age!” You hear Billy yell before a series of exclamations and curses follow with the sound of splashing water and rapidly receding footsteps.

--------

As stupid as it was to find your thoughts continuing to drift back toward a certain brown hair, green-eyed boy, you couldn’t help it. Though you’ve grown more tolerable of one another over the past few months, you still can’t believe that one of Damian’s friends is who’s on your mind. Nevertheless, fate would seem to have an amusing time linking the two of you together, constantly running into the other.

You suppose it isn’t strange after all, especially when considering he is one of Damian’s friends… however, you find him over the at Manor more and more often after the initial time he’d quite literally bumped into you.

--------

“Grab me a juice box? I forgot one too-”Damian’s voice echoes throughout the theatre as Billy yells back an affirmative answer and heads back toward the kitchen.

“Oh, hey-" You greet, backing up as a familiar figure exits the home theatre.

“Hey- what’s up?” Billy asks, a friendly smile gracing his lips.

"Was just gonna get a snack before we start," you tell him, "Guess we're headed the same way then," you tease. Walking down the hallway and up the stairs to the kitchen, you're aware of your brother's friend just a few steps behind.

“Are you gonna watch with us?” Billy asks hopefully.

“I mean, if that’s okay, yeah, I was planning on it." You respond jokingly, not thinking about it too much. It is family movie night. After all, you’re focused, wanting this popcorn to be good, not a burnt pile of charcoal.

“Oh, I didn’t mea-”Billy goes to correct himself.

“It’s fine. I’ll be down in a minute, I’m just making my own popcorn because the boys would eat it all otherwise,” you joke. Surely since he's friends with Damian he knows what the guys are like.

“That’s smart- that way you don’t have to share and keep passing it back and forth the whole time.” Billy adds on.

“Yeah. Do you want some? I can make another little packet,” You offer.

“Sure! I can do it though, you don’t have t-” He argues.

“-I don’t mind! I've gotta wait for it anyway and grab some bowls. So I'll see you down there!" With that reassurance, Billy offers you one last smile before taking the juice boxes downstairs.

The older boys and your Father had insisted you pick the movie considering it's your first movie night with the family, and while most of them had been dreading what genre you'd pick, everyone ended up excited to watch a classic comedy most of them hadn't seen in years. Snuggled up under the fluffy blankets with your popcorn and the laughs of your brothers all around, you couldn't help but enjoy the fun.

--------

Most of the summer felt like it was spent in your room. Whether it was trying to explore the things that truly make you happy, or being lonely in a place that still feels entirely all too unfamiliar despite the fact that it's been a couple months.

The material things did help at first, the new environment, the little gifts your Father and brothers would treat you to, like those little Squishmallows you'd always seen and wanted at the store, but never bought yourself. They were more expensive than you'd ever thought to casually pay. Nevertheless, you've started to make your room truly your own. With decorating, personalizing, and getting into your own sort of routine, it seems that everyone has been slowly becoming used to this new lifestyle.

Alfred insisted that as summer begins to come to a close, you all decide on either making time for a vacation, or perhaps you and Damian get involved in extra curriculars. In the sake of preparation for school, you'd taken up driving lessons as you'll soon be old enough to begin the process of obtaining your permit. Then there was also the announcements from the school you'll be attending in the fall; with sports and clubs gearing up for homecoming, tryouts were coming up. Your Father had insisted that Damian consider a sport this year, and Alfred equally has been trying to push you in any sort of direction that'll lead to getting you out of the house and your room.

Needless to say, he wouldn't let go of the idea that your mental health could use less isolation and more friends, hobbies, and pursuance of your 'passions' even if you're not entirely sure what those are yet. It didn't take long for you to succumb to your butler (essentially) grandpa's badgering. Though you have a plan in mind for what sport you'll be trying out for, you haven't revealed them to the family. The way they seem to share everything is... still new, and somewhat unsettling to you.

~~~~~~~~

forever taglist: @ohdamnadam , @safarigirlsp , @jynzandtonic ,@moonlightsolo

hog taglist: @luvly-writer , @clairese1980 , @theroyalmanatee ,@azazel-nyx , @nightrose-18 , @vanessa-boo , @ih4temy5elfs0b4d , @agent-nobody-knows , @scarlett13 , @hoeinthehouse , @huhhuhh , @maxinehufflepuffprincess

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cheralith · 2 years ago

Text

if the shoe fits — 「 prince!vash x reader x prince!nai 」

content warnings ; gn!reader, they/them pronouns, reader wears a ball gown and mentions of makeup, mild violence, mention of a tri98 character, not much romance but more so tension from nai tbh whoops

contains ; royalty!au, cinderella-esque!au, gardener!reader, friends to lovers (?) (vash), enemies to lovers (?) (nai)

notes ; i can't stress enough how well rachmaninoff's symphony no. 2 in e minor: adagio, followed by largo suits this so much, please take a listen as you go!

The names of Nai and Vash Saverem of JuLai were no strangers to the townsfolk of their kingdom. Firstborn twins and only children to the late queen Rem Saverem, the two were notorious for sticking by each other’s side almost on the daily, but also for their contrasting personalities. In front of the people, Prince Nai is distant, only preferring to stare straight ahead when in an open carriage and seemingly ignoring his townsfolk. His lips would subtly purse at the sight of the crowd before drawing a breath and crossing his arms over his chest. He says that it’s the best way to make an impression on the townsfolk—their future king cannot be bothered with sillier antics, unlike a specific someone.

Prince!Vash cannot be any more different from his brother, who is to be crowned with the regal title of “king” when he is of age. He’s much more connected with the townsfolk, often waving excitedly to them while in the carriage and taking any gifts that are handed to him with a large smile on his face, cherishing and archiving them in his bedroom. The ladies love him, their babies too, and he loves them back. A natural charmer—he’s managed to easily win the popularity contest amongst him and Nai, since he prefers to frolic out of the castle without suspicion to spend time with his people.

Prince!Nai busies himself more with work-related matters, ruling the palace with an iron fist. Make one move out of line and your fate is already decided by him before you can even beg on your knees. It’s not to say he’s completely authoritarian, however, since if he could rule the way that he truly wanted to, the townsfolk would despise him and would demand his younger brother to usurp him, despite the fact that the younger twin has no interest in royal politics.

Prince!Vash brings joy and light to the palace, he makes the place much more lively. He prefers to dine in the boisterous servants’ quarters rather than with his brother and other boring royal officials in the quieter dining hall, enjoying their stories about what life was like in the village or their stories about his late mother. They often say he reminds them of her—the fondness in his eyes, his soft and playful voice, and his pacifistic, loving demeanor. It’s also there that they freely complain about his brother without fear, to which Vash can only laugh and excuse Nai to the best of his abilities.

Prince!Nai knows his place in the world. He belongs to the higher pedestal, like a true future king should be. White gold and royal blue adorn most of his clothing, signifying his importance and regal nature. He knows his place in the world—he just wishes that everyone else does, too.

Prince!Vash forgets he’s a prince half the time, just like how he “forgets” to wear his crown (he just merely doesn’t like the feeling of superiority it entitles to him, but he guises it under the complaint of it being too heavy). He’s intrigued more by the culture of his kingdom and what a “normal” person would do rather than the gleam and glory offered by his palace.

On an early Saturday afternoon, Prince!Nai frowns at the sight of his brother talking amongst a particular someone when he passes by the gardens with his royal court following behind him while they continue mumbling about incessant political meetings with other kingdoms. He can recognize those dirtied gardening boots and soiled apron that sit a little too close to Vash’s thigh for his liking anywhere, and his frown deepens when he watches as an amateur royal gardener hands the younger prince a red flower with its petals all bustled together, clicking his tongue when dirt-stained hands touches the pure white of Vash’s glove.

Prince!Vash is awe-stricken by the flower you hand to him, carefully twirling it around with his fingers. It was his mother’s favorite flower, according to the other gardeners. You give him a toothy smile and say he came to the garden at the right time—geranium season has just bloomed and the garden sprinkled with their beauty all over this spring in honor of the late queen.

“I hear your mother was a lot like you,” you murmur quietly, watching as the prince pets the petals tenderly when you change into your spare, cleaner shoes. “Do you have memories of what she was like?”

He looks at you with a glimmer of longing flashing through his cerulean eyes. You’re about to apologize for your hastiness when you see his lips thin momentarily before he gently smiles and leans back into the seat of the gazebo that protects you and him from the afternoon sun.

“Gentle,” is what slips past his lips, “is what I remember best. Kind and wise, too. She used to always tell me that there’s beauty everywhere, even in the harshest of places. All it really takes is for one to just simply,” he reaches over to you and gently nestles the flower neatly in between your hair and ear, not noticing you stiffen at his touch despite him looking at you straight in the eyes. “... look a little closer.”

Prince!Nai can only huff at the shared touch between a lowly gardener and the other branch of his royal blood before briefly excusing himself from the royal counsel to escort himself to the gardens, not wanting his brother to be in such close radius of you any longer. He calls out his name sternly, making you and him flinch at the sound of his voice. His nerves relax themselves when Vash pulls away from you, but his jaw clenches slightly when he sees a speck of dust on the fingertip of his glove that Vash scratches his cheek with, embarrassed.

“You should be getting ready for tonight’s ball,” Nai states flatly, not even acknowledging your existence when you bow and greet him. “There is much preparation to do.” His eyes fleet towards you, where you stand still, your head still bowed to show your respects to his majesty. “I expect the flowers for the ballroom to be set up by early evening,” is all he says to you before trotting away with his head held up high.

Prince!Vash makes sure that his brother is out of sights before he sighs and urges you to lift your head up. Apologizing for his brother’s rudeness, he can only sigh at the fact that he couldn’t sneak out of the palace tonight like he usually does, making you laugh when he pouts at the thought of entertaining boring old nobles and lords.

“I wish I could say that,” you mention as you smooth your pants out. “Balls seem like fun—dancing around in pretty clothing and eating all those tasty desserts the chefs make.”

Vash snorts. “Sure, they’re fun if you like talking awkwardly with people twice your age and having people step on your feet after not being able to sit down for almost three hours.”

“But still!” you exclaim. “Just the thought of being in a ballroom and being with everyone enjoying themselves would be such a delightful sight.”

As you sigh dreamily about your fantasies, Prince Vash can only stare at you incredulously, marveled at the two different worlds that sit side by side so close under a gazebo. He wonders if you fantasize about royal life a lot, wondering if you think like him but with his fantasies about being a commonfolk and not worrying about the societal pressures of living up to his brother. He finds it so fascinating that such two different people from two different worlds can be together under a single roof, bonding over miniscule things like flowers. It’s what he finds so amazing about human nature the most—the skill of connection.

He looks at you from the corner of his eye as you gaze longingly into the garden when all of a sudden, an idea pops into his head.

Prince!Nai carefully watches with contempt as you and the younger prince talk amongst each other from his office window that sits a few stories above the garden, sneering when Vash holds both of your speckled hands suddenly and nods excitedly, the sparkle in his eyes evident even from a hefty height. His eyes narrow in suspicion when you shake your head to his unknown words; your brows furrow in nervousness before Vash caresses the top of your hands with his thumbs, making Nai’s icy blue gaze harden.

Prince!Vash is about to beg on his knees at this point.

“You must come! You’d enjoy it, I promise,” Vash pleads as he grips your hands tighter. “I’ll be by your side the entire time, so you won’t feel too anxious.”

“Your majesty—” you attempt.

He pouts. “Please don’t call me that,” he says with a soft frown, not enjoying the sudden formality.

“—it would not be wise for a menial gardener such as I to attend such a regal event,” you whisper, your eyes darting over the place to avoid any eavesdroppers. The palace does enjoy its part-time gossip, after all. “I am not suited for it.”

“But I am inviting you!” he exclaims. “You would be coming on my behalf. I’m allowed to do that, I swear!”

Your lips purse in anxiousness, a thick swallow trailing down your dry throat. “It would not be deemed appropriate… and what if his majesty found out about one of his staff attending a royal ball and not tending to it?”

“Then that would be my problem to handle,” Prince Vash retorts. “Please come. It’d make me eternally happy.”

“I…” your words fail you, and you do consider giving in for a brief moment just to get the prince off your tail before your eyes deepen with disappointment one more time. “I’m sorry, my prince, but I must refuse your offer.”

Prince!Nai cocks a brow when he sees his younger brother’s smile disappear and morph into a saddened frown at your words that he can’t seem to articulate from the window above. He watches a little too intently when Vash heaves a great big sigh and finally stands up, his eyes rolling when he offers you his hand. Assuming that the conversation between a gardener and blue blooded prince is finally over, he moves his eyes to his royal secretary.

“Must this be a ball with the intention of finding me a spouse…?” Nai huffs, settling himself in his chair. “I can rule a kingdom perfectly fine without the nuisance of a marriage.”

Legato can only shake his head at his superior’s words. “Tradition goes as follows, your majesty. Your coronation cannot take place without a spouse by your side. At least you are able to choose them—your mother was not granted that option.”

The future king of JuLai knows that, and he also knows that he should be more grateful to what he is given. But he has always been alone and prefers to keep it that way, his younger counterpart being the only exception. Yes, his mother may have married to a more irrelevant royal, but after his death, she was able to rule JuLai properly by herself, so why couldn’t he? Nai only shakes his head before staring at the royal orb and scepter that sit in their glass box on the dresser, a reminder that he keeps close to remind him of his goals and his duties. He can feel the ghost of their coldness on his palms from practicing so much in the mirror. His hands twitch.

“Your outfit for the ball is in your quarter’s, my prince,” Legato says before excusing himself to make sure the preparations for the ball are in place.

Nai can only sigh in disappointment when he watches the doors of his office close before standing up again to face the window. His eyes graze around the garden again before sharply landing on the gazebo again, where nothing but soil-ridden boots stand under it

Prince!Vash looks into your eyes, where disappointment hides under a curtain of uncertainty. He sighs, releasing your hands from his grasp. He supposes that it does seem a little too risky to sneak in a commonfolk into the royal ballroom, and he wouldn’t want you to face any punishments if you were caught.

“Thank you for the invitation, though,” you retort. “I truly do admire your enthusiasm.”

“If I was able to invite the entire kingdom, I would,” the prince sighs, biting the inside of his cheek. “I’m sure everyone would enjoy it, especially the children.”

You smile softly at his words; he was always a man of the people and it never fails to show even during more private moments. “I have no doubt about that. Perhaps in another lifetime, when you are king, you’ll be able to do that.”

A haughty laugh escapes his lips. “If I am able to do that without being a king or leader of sorts, that’d be better. Honestly, if I’m able to just one day escape this life in general—I’d be satisfied.”

You shrug casually. “What’s stopping you? You could always just escape and go live under a fake name, I wouldn’t tell a soul.”

Prince Vash pauses suddenly. He snaps his head to look at you with a sudden idea lingering in his head at the mention of a fake name. Glassy eyes go to scan your figure up and down and slowly, an almost mischievous grin starts to etch onto his face.

“Fake name, huh?” he raises his eyebrows at your confused countenance. You exclaim out of surprise when he suddenly tugs you away from the gazebo and back into the castle. “I have an idea.”

The evening sun is beginning to rest its rays. Prince!Nai watches from the leveled floor as the guests begin to flock in numbers into the ballroom, occasionally bowing to greet those who greet him. Legato stays by his side closely, making sure no one would get too comfortable to the royal host, his eyes darting to eye any suspicious characters.

“Is there anyone that you find… interesting so far, your majesty?” Legato murmurs. Nai finds his attempt at loose matchmaking poor.

"Do not ask such foolish questions,” Nai scoffs quietly as he bows to a curtsied countess that bats her lashes at him. “Where is Vash? He should’ve been down by now.”

Prince!Vash waits outside an almost-never used dressing room, wincing occasionally as he hears you yelp from the pain of having your hair tugged in a certain direction or cough from the amount of powder dabbed onto your face. His plan was sure to work; have you be disguised under a fake name with a fake title from a fake kingdom and merely just have you accompany him the entire night under the impression that you and him fancied each other when in reality,it’d just be you helping him get through the night to avoid talking to other political figures and most importantly—let you have fun.

“Are they almost ready?” Vash asks the head seamstress that runs in and out of the corridor. He pulls out his inherited pocket watch from his mother, its hands ticking a little too fast for his liking. “I’d hate for us to be late.”

“Nearly, your majesty,” she replies, ribbon between her teeth as she shuffles back into the room. “Give us another moment—they do not seem to have a tolerance for a makeover, I’m afraid.”

He gives out an amused laugh when he hears you hiss through your teeth as your hair gets pulled back. “P-please be more gentle…” he hears you mumble.

“Work your magic however, Meryl,” Vash grins and says with a wink, “I’ll give you and your team double the pay if you manage to make my jaw drop.”

Prince!Nai anxiously taps his foot, his eyes flickering back and forth between the growing crowd of nobles and the large clock that screams Vash is quite late. The guests themselves have asked a number of times where the younger Saverem is, his presence already ghosting around the ballroom.

“Legato,” Nai calls. “Take Livio and Monev to search for Vash. I cannot have his tardiness stain our reputation like this,” he stresses.

“Prince!Vash!” Milly, a handmaiden, calls out worriedly. Distress floods her entire being, causing her to trip on the rug and fall towards him. His reflexes do not fail him (he can thank all the swordsmanship training for that one) and manages to break her fall with his arms. “Prince Vash! They’re looking for you! Prince Nai’s bodyguards are asking about your whereabouts—!”

Vash curses under his breath, knowing that your transformation wasn’t complete yet. “Meryl, how many more minutes do you need?” he calls aloud to the head seamstress, only for his face to pale when he receives a reply of a plentiful fifteen more minutes at minimum from the closed door. He turns back to the handmaiden, urging her to, “Tell them I’ll be down there shortly, and that I was just um… occupied in the bathroom!” he laughs unconvincingly before urging her to leave the corridor and forward the message.

He knocks on the door. “(Y/N)?”

“Yes?”

His heart lightens at the sound of your voice coming from all the commotion. “I, uh…”

He wanted a chance to at least look at you to see if you were properly fitted for the part before the ball. “I unfortunately have to go down to meet my brother, so I won’t be able to escort you like I promised… but I’ll meet you down there once you’re down!”

There’s a brief pause before you ask, “You’re not coming with me?”

He swears the mild disappointment in your voice is enough to break him whole. “I can’t, I’m so sorry. But both Milly and Meryl know what to do, I’m putting them in your care!”

Vash begins to dart out of the corridor before he pauses and quickly walks back up to Milly, and in a hushed tone, reminds her, “And please… do not forget about my gift to them.”

Prince!Nai hears his name being called aloud from the right side of the ballroom. His silver eyes meet deeper azure ones in sweet relief, before becoming unamused again at the sight of his brother’s hair all tousled, his sash not properly seated across his chest, and his crown sat improperly atop his head.

“Where were you?” Nai mutters to him before fixing the brooch on Vash’s collar. “Everyone was asking about your whereabouts?”

“Ouch!” Vash exclaims when Nai tightens his collar. “On the toilet. I think I had too much to eat for lunch, haha.”

Nai only looks at him with mild disgust. “No matter,” he waves off. “The fact is that you’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

Nai’s next few minutes are filled with him commemorating the ball to the currently present guests, thanking them for taking time out of their schedules to celebrate such a festivity with him and letting him host such a regal event. He etches on a fake smile to the people below him, making it subtly known of his position above them on the leveled flooring by refusing to greet them from down below and making them come to his feet.

The last few guests are still flocking in by the time the first couple of dances start, and Nai can’t help but eye Vash’s fidgeting and consistent scanning of the ballroom floor. He watches as Vash’s eyes go to dart at the clock while bouncing on his heels—biting his lip in what seems to be a foreign anticipation of sorts. Nai is about the question if he was alright, seeing as how nervousness was an extremely rare face that his brother would put on until when Vash’s eyes return to the dance floor. They no longer bounce about the crowd but instead, fixate on a specific sight that makes his jaw drop slightly. But when Nai attempts to share the same sight, Vash beelines down to the dance floor, Nai’s shouts of his name falling deaf to his ears.

He hesitates to follow him, but his foot stops in place and almost enables him to move. Before becoming paralyzed at the sound of his name being called by one of the royal advisors. Nai snaps at him to leave him be, glaring at the man and making the advisor stiffen and scurry away, but when he returns his eyes back to the dance floor, Nai almost loses sight of his twin just before he spots him weaving through the dancers thanks to his bold red suit.

“Vash!” His eyes follow him until Vash slows towards something—no, someone that Nai can’t see thanks to his brother’s broad build. He grits his teeth, almost losing his composure at his brother’s hyperactiveness.

His tension suddenly seems to ease itself when Vash finally moves out of view to reveal what had gotten him so worked up.

Prince!Vash looks at you breathlessly, eyes wide and an open-lipped smile gazing down upon you as you stare up at him.

“You look…” he scans your complete appearance ever so carefully, savoring every detail.

The flecks of the lights given by the chandelier embellish you in a soft spotlight. Adorned in a shimmering, celeste blue ball gown bespeckled with diamonds that had made everyone around gaze at you in wonder, Vash bit his lip—the color suited you a little too well for his liking. Elbow-length silk gloves snaked their away around arms that were usually shielded with soil-stained gardening gloves, and instead of a wide-brimmed sun hat like you usually wore that hid your face and hair from view, your hair was neatly done and atop your head settled not a sun hat, but a jeweled tiara with matching earrings and a choker that opened up your painted face.

Normally, you do not get a lot of eyes following during the daytime when you’re in your usual outerwear. But Vash can’t help but feel weary when he sees people eye you with curiosity and admiration in your current attire—some part of it wants to believe that it’s only because you’re talking with him, but all their attention is on you, like his own.

When Vash doesn’t finish his sentence, you worriedly fidget with the itchy material. “Do… Do I look weird?” you inquire with no self-security in your voice. “Is it too flashy—”

“No!” Vash shouts a little too loudly, gaining a couple of stares and raised eyebrows around him. “You look…” he swallows thickly, attempting to find better words to describe your appearance, but all that weakly chokes out is, “beautiful. Incredibly beautiful.”

A heat rushes to your face before you softly smile. “Thank you. You look just as dashing tonight, my prince. Oh and uh,” you lift the skirt of your ball gown up slightly, just enough to reveal the beauty of a pair of iridescent, sapphire-dusted glass slippers that sparkle just like the crystals in the chandelier above the ballroom. “Thank you for the gift. Your goodwill is valued greatly.”

He can’t help the bashful smile that creeps onto his lips; it feels like he was just complimented by a divinity themselves. “I-I hope it’s to your liking, and I tried my best to guess your shoe size. Are they too tight? Too large? I can quickly ask for a replacement pair if—”

You hold your gloved hand up to pause his rambling, lips curling into a soft smile. “They’re the perfect fit, my prince.”

Relief floods Vash, and he lets out a dramatic breath that makes you laugh from his antics. The young prince then reaches his hand out towards you, moving aside to let you take a better look at what you desired most—the elegance of a ballroom floor.

“Well then, shall we dance?”

Prince!Nai breathes in sharply as he sees a stranger take his brother’s hand—so sharply it stings his nose, not enjoying how the stranger touches Vash so unbelievably casually. It doesn’t help his case when he doesn’t recognize who the stranger was in the snowy blue ball gown despite him knowing nearly every single person in the ballroom. He first wonders why Vash knows them, then he second guesses himself and asks why they know Vash seeing as how the conversation between the two was friendly—a little too friendly.

He’s brushed with a sense of familiarity, almost. The air feels thinner.

He stares at the two as Vash helps them onto the dance floor, where the stranger seems to already be stumbling over their own two feet. Nai can recognize a face of worry anywhere, and it’s currently plastered on their visage—pursed lips, wide eyes, he’s seen every form of it from the palace’s workers when he’s around.

Another conversation busies itself between them and Vash… and it almost looks like he’s giving the stranger instructions on how to waltz properly. From the looks of it, the stranger seems to be some sort of a viscount or baron, judging from how particularly young they were… but what sort of noble doesn’t know the basics of a waltz? Nai’s brows furrow, his ears drowning out everyone else who tries to receive him in concentration between the two particular individuals on the dance floor.

“Legato,” he chants, his eyes not leaving the two when the stranger accidentally seems to step on Vash’s foot, making them both exclaim in surprise, a short burst of laughter between the two quickly following. “Who is that dancing with Vash? The one in blue.”

“Hm?” his royal secretary looks up from his clipboard and squints at the stranger stiffly dancing. He squints. “I’m not… too sure, your majesty… I don’t think I can recall them on the invitation list.”

“Perhaps a trespasser?” Nai mutters to himself, poorly attempting to hide his horror. It was not uncommon for those not under noble titles to attempt to sneak into festivities they were not allowed into, though they had never made it particularly far. How dare a lowlife commoner sneak onto royal property and seduce his brother?! What sort of things or favors could the stranger possibly want from the royal prince? The thought of his more naive sibling being taken advantage of by a mere villager makes Nai’s blood boil hastily. “Bring them to me at once.”

Prince!Vash looks at you with a partiality embedded into his eyes, watching as your own fleet over the beauty and articulation of the ballroom’s interior and marveling at the people decorated in fancy clothing. Joy is plastered all over your face, even though you’d never admit it.

“How do you take the ball so far?” Vash asks quietly as he gently picks you up on a strengthened beat, settling you down easily. He can hear the clink of your glass slippers being set on the dance floor softly, like two champagne flutes toasting together.

“It’s all I ever could’ve dreamed about,” you sigh happily. “Thank you again, I truly do appreciate it.”

“I thought I could use the company,” he laughs, “I haven’t run into any weird marquesses or dukes yet, so keep at—” Vash’s smile suddenly falls flat onto the floor at the sight of a familiar bluenette approaching your and his way, a sternness that replicates his elder brother’s on the royal secretary’s face. A nervous bob of his throat attempts to hide itself under his ascot. He can’t let his nerves get to him or you.

“Legato.”

“My prince,” Legato greets flatly, giving a poor bow that would be completely unacceptable under Nai’s eyes, “Your majesty requests you and your…” Legato’s narrow eyes trace your figure, his brow raising when you look away instead of greeting him. “... accompaniment at once. He would like to meet them properly.”

Vash’s spine freezes, and he can feel you stiffen as you grip his gloved hand a little tighter. “O-of course, we’ll be there in just a mo—.”

“He requests your presence, now.”

He and you can only anxiously follow Legato’s figure in the crowd, a worried glance from you meets his half-secured one, silently telling you, “Rest assured,”

Prince!Nai watches under stone-cold eyes as the mysterious stranger, Vash, and Legato come before him, all three of them bowing in respect to the future king.

“Vash,” Nai declares, making his younger brother look up, “Would you care to introduce me to… your companion?” he asks, not even attempting to acknowledge the stranger that stands idly beside him.

There’s a pregnant pause that skims through the thickened air between the three of them before Vash exclaims out in surprise and nods his head rapidly, a large smile (yet somehow doesn’t reach his eyes) plastered on his lips. “A-ah! Yes, of course!” Vash gestures to the person beside him.

Prince!Vash steps aside to introduce you properly, signaling to you that he will do most of the talking for you, giving Nai your given fake name. “They’re the child of a noble from the high court of the kingdom of Marche, and they’re coming on their father’s behalf since he has fallen ill.”

You curtsy to him out of respect, trying your absolute best to avoid the future king’s cold gaze looking down upon you. “It is such an honor to be invited to such a prestigious event, your majesty.”

Prince!Nai doesn’t reply to you, only letting out a soft grunt of semi-acknowledgement. His stare doesn’t break from you, though, still halfway convinced that you were who you said you were.

“Marche…” Nai mutters and tucks his chin in between his fingers. “Where is that on the map? I don’t recall such a kingdom.”

“It’s a rather small domain!” Vash exclaims hastily. “It’s up towards the northern hemisphere, so it’s almost entirely covered in snow—! All the way up to one’s knees!”

Nai’s eyes narrow. “And how exactly do you know that?”

Prince!Vash’s mouth suddenly pools with regret at what he said. Words get caught up in his throat and his mouth hangs open like a fish.

“Prince Vash was so kind enough to send food and supplies to our kingdom after we were hit with a sudden blizzard,” you interrupt. “Our kingdom thanks him charitably for such generosity.”

The older Saverem turns to look at Vash with a hardened look on his face. “When was this? Why was I not made aware of it?”

“You were too busy with leveling out the war between Augusta and Mei-City during the time,” Vash continues, “I didn’t want to make things worse since you were so stressed, so I decided to take matters into my own hands with Marche.”

Prince!Nai’s irritation seems to grow more and more with the passing seconds that he’s in close proximity with you. He finally takes a step down from the pedestal that sits viewing the ballroom and lifts your chin up with his gloved hand—examining your features. Something about you seems too… retrospective.

Nai thinks it’s too loose of a term.

His face scans your weary eyes, your painted, warbling lips, the slope of your nose, the crease of your eyes… he can’t quite place his finger on it, but your face doesn’t only look familiar, but feels familiar, as well, as if the shape and angles of it mimic someone else. It frustrates him that he just doesn’t know who. All he knows is that you are not worthy of the tiara placed atop your head because it looks too strange… too foreign on you.

“You remind me of someone,” he murmurs as he changes the angles of your face with his hand whilst brushing your bottom lip with his thumb. “Someone I know. Someone I’ve seen before.” His voice goes criminally soft, so quiet that only you’re able to detect the poison in his voice that stings you with disarray.

You step back a little too rashly. “I have… rather the common face, your majesty,” you excuse with a tight throat.

“I see.” The future king continues to study your features for a few more seconds before almost thrusting your face away from him—you draw a breath you hadn’t realized you had been holding as you attempt to regain your balance. Returning his attention to Vash, he merely states, “I’d hate to spoil your fun for tonight, brother. I hope that you and… your company… enjoy yourselves,” before brisking off stiffly somewhere else, most likely somewhere he can quietly watch you two with watchful eyes.

Prince!Vash notices your shaken-up disposition and places a hand on the small of your back to let yourself breathe properly when you and him head back to the floor. “Are you okay?”

You nod, but your eyes warble with a curtain of glass over them. Vash thins his lips and briefly apologizes again, per usual, for his brother’s antics, attempting to ease you with excuses of how he’s always like that towards people he didn’t know and he’s just too overprotective of him.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come,” you choke out, pacing a bit forward. “I should probably leave before he really confirms something—”

“No! Don’t!” Vash abruptly grabs your hand and forcefully turns you around to face him before you can escort yourself out the ballroom you had been in for less than half an hour. He had done too much effort for you to be here, it’d be too much of a waste of time (and money!) if you left so early.

Your eyes widen at his rashness, blinking owlishly.

“I-I mean… there’s still a lot of time left… and I could really, reallyyy use the company,” Vash pleads and grips your hand a little tighter while he waltzes you onto the ballroom with him. “I promise I won’t let him near you without me,” he softly whispers before the large crescendo from the orchestra.

“Just follow my lead.”

Prince!Nai watches from the corner of his eye as he talks amongst different dukes and earls about the latest news regarding the seven kingdoms, not exactly picking up on their words like he usually does considering his mind was displaced somewhere else that needed his attention more desperately than political scandals.

He bounces about the ballroom, going from individual to individual in hopes to try and get a better glimpse of Vash and the seemingly uninvited guest from “Marche.” It wasn’t too difficult considering the blue gown you were wearing on the dance floor was eye-catching, but the other people in the crowd made it much too difficult to get an unblocked view of you. Vash doesn’t seem to be letting go of your side, either, unwilling to move more than a couple of meters away from you even as he talks amongst others.

“Livio, what do you know of a kingdom by the name of ‘Marche?’” Nai asks his bodyguard.

The half-masked man turns to him, confused. “I have never heard of such a nation, my prince.”

Nai is half-convinced. Livio had never been all the best at book smarts, let alone geography, so he turns to the embodiment of his second brain, asking the same question. Legato chuckles darkly, clutching something behind him. “I checked the historical archives a few minutes ago, and you would be quite intrigued as to what I had found, your highness.”

Legato shows him a torn-out, faded map of the seven cities, subcities still etched onto it…

… minus the addition of a particular northern region.

“There is no such nation under the title of ‘Marche’, your highness,” Legato says, a smirk sneaking onto his lips. “Your suspicions were right. That person besides Prince Vash… is a fraud.”

Prince!Vash happily dips you down just before the exuberant song played by the orchestra ends, making you yelp in surprise before laughing aloud with him at his sudden caper. He pulls you up again with ease and wipes the sweat of his brow. “Probably the best song they’ve played so far!”

“Indeed,” you sigh out as you fan yourself. You never expected a ballroom to become rather stuffy—or perhaps it was the constant dancing you had been doing for the past couple of hours that caused you to become so flushed. “I’m going to get some air outside before I pass out, is that okay?”

Vash, completely forgetting the vow he had made to you at the beginning, nods and tells you he’ll be close by to grab some refreshers and leaves you to your own accord. “Don’t take too long! The final dance is about to begin!”

A soft laugh escapes your lips, nodding before you whisk away to the chilled air of the garden. The night is young—you’ve never felt more alive than you did now. Perhaps you did make the right decision to tag along with the young prince this evening, since starting tomorrow, you would no longer be able to experience the joyous experience of tonight and would have to go back to tending to the garden that you walk about in. A statue honoring the late queen Rem sits in the center of it all, and it gazes upon you with a familiar gentleness. The moon is set high and it smiles down upon you as you breathe fresh air into your lungs again as you settle onto a stone bench that sits in front of the statue, watching as the nocturnal wildlife in the garden play and prance.

A rabbit peers at you from underneath a rose hedge curiously, mimicking your actions as you tilt your head at it. You fight the urge to let out a coo before you motion it towards you, you’ve always had somewhat of a knack with animals. It slowly reveals itself and prances toward you with its eyes mirroring the moonlight before it scurries away when a looming shadow approaches you from behind, obviously frightened.

“I take it you’re enjoying yourself quite well tonight,” Prince!Nai declares behind you.

Startled, you let out a soft cry of surprise before you turn around and face austere, glacial orbs that belong to the one and only future king of JuLai. Your heart pulses—already having a sneaking suspicion of why such a prestigious royal figure was isolated with you in the lone garden.

“Y-your highness,” you answer weakly, knees about to give out as you stand on weak legs. You aren’t sure whether the ache from your calves is because of all the dancing or because of the nerves.

“How is the ball?” Nai questions whilst he circles around you like a hawk around its prey. You can only stand so still as you look straight ahead, not daring to look into those eyes. “Is it to your liking? I hope the music fairs nicely, I picked it out myself.”

Clutching onto the fabric of your gown, you nod compliantly as you continue to avoid eye contact. “You have… great taste in music, my prince.”

“Why, thank you,” he replies, a confidence he exudes casually distinguished in his voice. “How is the food? The pastries are not too sweet?”

“Not at all, your highness…” Your nerves slowly begin to freeze over the more laps Nai does around you, caging you in an invisible rope as his eyes never leave your figure, the same eyes that were used to examine you much too closely.

“That’s good, that’s good,” he mumbles. “Tell me, what foods do you usually have in Marche? I have a particular sweet tooth, are there any desserts you’d recommend me if I were to… take a visit there?” he stops pacing and settles himself in front of you, his aura wading off nothing but dominance. “To just check up on how the state of it is, you know. That must’ve been a terrible blizzard, I’m sure.”

The inked sky hides your heated sweat, but doesn’t hide your chest rapidly going up and down and your breath betraying you. It falls too short. “There’s…” your words get mixed up, voice going soft. “There’s a cake th-that we eat annually during the celebration of the… the…”

Nai cocks a brow, tilting his head almost coyly to the side. “The…?”

“The… anniversary of the war against the neighboring kingdom we won a few decades ago,” you complete with little confidence.

“Oh?” Nai’s eyes narrow, a subtle smirk snaking on his lips. “Which kingdom?”

You can feel your voice begin to fail you. Eyes darting around for a familiar tuft of straw blonde hair and a dashing red suit, you don’t seem to spot anyone else in the garden except for you and the future king.“I… I can’t seem to recall, your highness, my apologies…”

He chuckles and comes to your aid all of a sudden and answers for you, instead. “I recall Augusta having conflict with a certain kingdom in my history books, perhaps it was them, then?”

A haughty laugh and nod sneaks their way past you without second thought. “Y-yes! Augusta—! I’m honored to say that we were able to triumph over them, despite a rather tough beating—”

“Liar.”

A thick pause goes through the garden before it’s broken by the sudden loud gong of the palace clock, alerting the stroke of midnight was upon you.

“P-pardon?” you hesitantly ask, turning your head up to the prince before your nerves completely freeze over and paralyze you in your spot at the sight of his ice cold eyes piercing straight into you.

Prince Nai slowly steps towards you, his sullen countenance never faltering. “Augusta… is located in the southwestern hemisphere, where there is nothing but dry land and deserts for iles. I do not think that such a land would be neighboring a kingdom where a blizzard devastated it.”

Your breath hitches. Vash is nowhere to be found, no matter how hard you look around you, and you are much too far away from the ballroom courtyard to see anyone else that can come to your rescue. Not even the animals of the night seemed to appease you with their presence, leaving you entirely to your own devices in the hands of the future king of one of the most powerful kingdoms on the planet.

“I—must’ve gotten my facts mixed up,” you choke out, feeling the air around you become thinner and thinner with each step Nai takes. “W-was it Augusta? Oh no… it was Dec—”

“December," he starts, his voice knowing. "was perished in an avalanche more than two centuries ago,” Nai interrupts, as he circles behind you. “Nothing, no one remains there except ruin,” he murmurs into your ear, his breath sending shrills up your spine.

His foot goes to step onto the fabric of your gown, making you fall over backwards and prey to his wrath. Your lip trembles as he looms over you with his broad build. You second-guess your thoughts from minutes earlier, the blood from your heart pumping into your ears all too loudly.

You should’ve never accepted Vash’s invitation.

You should’ve never put on those beautiful, gifted glass slippers.

You should’ve never given into temptation.

“So now, tell me why…” his voice drops to a poisonous whisper when he crouches beside you. “I also was not able to locate Marche on a recent map.”

His actions repeat from earlier, but this time, they have too much force and strength. Nai grabs your chin almost painfully and ignores your cries of pain when he squeezes your jaw between his hand, forcing you up on your feet to look up at him.

“Y-your highness—”

“You’re a fraud,” Nai declares venomously. “A fake, a trespasser, and a criminal who wants to squeeze every living cent out of my brother, yes? Tell me, you pest…” his grip on your jaw tightens so harshly, you’re frightened that your cheeks, now beginning to stain with pained tears, will bruise from his fingers and your attempt at prying his fingers off work to no avail. You’re frightened that your teeth will squeeze out of their cavings from the strength of his grip. “What did you want from Vash? Money? Jewels? Or did you wish to harm him in the work of another kingdom? Are you a spy? Answer me, snake.”

Your rapid shakes of your head do not convince Nai that you aren’t a threat at all, only making his hand that grips your jaw go to your throat. “I am none of th-those…”

“Liar!” Nai thunders, his voice booming throughout the garden as he draws his sword from his hip and places it aside your throat, the prick of the blade grazing your skin. Nai’s eyes wind with malice as your gaping ones that tangle with fear stare straight at him. “Tell me the truth or face a fate worse than death it—”

“Nai! Let go of them!”

Prince!Vash goes to sprint towards you from the entrance of the palace’s courtyard. Nai drops you out of shock and your fight or flight instincts finally begin to kick in when your nerves thaw from the shock.

You watch for another split, merciful second as Vash quickens in pace, but he’s still much too far to reach you in time. As you get up, your slippers barely supporting your weight, fatigue is beginning to kick in much too early. The muscles in your limbs ache and suddenly feel all too heavy for your liking, but with a final burst of strength given to you by an unknown will, you manage to get away from his grasp by shoving him. The strength shocks both you and him, however, and launches you straight backwards into the stone statue of the late queen. You can only watch in horror as it lands forward, shattering into little pebbles of cobblestone.

The impact of the statue of Rem Saverem knocks you down to your feet again, as well as Prince!Nai, and he uses your disposition to his advantage before you can start your getaway. His hand determinedly locks around the heel of your slipper as he hisses out, “You… are not going anywhere, trespasser.”

“Please—!” you cry out as you tug with all your strength from his grip, vision blurring from the tears that rim around your eyes. “I meant no harm!”

Another wave of strength fueled by adrenaline rushes through your body and through the fatigue, through the fear, through the horror of it all, you manage to slip your foot away from your slipper before finally sprinting away.

Prince!Nai begins to get up and chase after you until he’s tackled shockingly by Vash, forcing the two into a wrestling fight on the dirt. Nai shouts at him to let go and chase after the trespasser, with Vash retaliating with a firm decline and holding him down to the best of his abilities whilst taking in the kicks and punches and insults Nai forces upon him. Unwillingly, he blows a punch to Nai’s gut and Nai spits out a mixture of blood and saliva, doubling over on the garden floor that’s now littered with trashed petals of flowers and speckles of stone and marble because of two.

The head of Queen Rem Saverem’s eyes glisten up at them almost disappointingly in the moonlight.

Vash staggers up slowly, limping from the scratch marks his elder brother clawed into his leg. He glares at his brother through a black eye. “They said it themselves, they meant no harm!”

“Who were they, Vash?!” Nai cuts in, glaring up at him. “If they meant no harm… who were they?!”

Prince!Vash can only look at Nai almost pityingly as his chest rises and falls. If he were to admit who you truly were… he knew for a fact Nai would have you exiled from the kingdom… or worse, executed entirely. He couldn’t let that happen—even with his excuses that he was the one that dragged you into this mess. His brother’s bias towards him could never be swayed.

He licks his lips, his eyes glancing at your minimizing figure in the distance.

“I…”

“Your highnesses!”

Prince!Nai and Prince!Vash look behind them to see Livio, Monev, and Legato rushing toward the two, all three appalled at the scene in the now-ruined portion of the garden and the sight of two dirtied princes with dirt and blood soiling them.

They do not have time to ask what on earth had happened, as Nai has already devised a plan to capture and punish the trespasser accordingly. His eyes fleet over to the crystal slipper clenched firmly in his fist, tightening it in his grasp more at the sight of it as a reminder of his failure to properly protect his brother from the lowlife that call themselves commoners.

“Tomorrow…” he heaves with a steady breath, his eyes darkening as he stares at the slipper, “Get every single young person in the kingdom into the palace and force this upon their foot.

“This…” He raises up the glass slipper for all of them to see. “... shall help us catch our criminal and punish them accordingly.”

“Nai—” Vash pleads through a bleeding lip. “Don’t!”

“Once you do find who suits the slipper,” Nai continues, before turning to where you ran off. His eyes bleed into your disappearing figure venomously before he picks up his sword and throws it at Legato’s feet.

“Bring them to me at once. Alive. I want to see them beheaded with my own two eyes.”

(a/n): hi again! i recently just watched the 2015 live action version of cinderella, and my, was it gorgeous. as the main inspo for this piece, i hope that the cinderella aspects were clear enough in this with my own twists to the story, since that was my main aim. i may include another part to this, maybe even turning it into a miniseries as a whole for all the nai lovers out there (i did him dirty here, sorry!!) because i myself want to include something for him, but i'll see how this piece does first and if anyone would be interested in a part ii to this.

other than that, thank you for reading, and reblogs are always appreciated :] !!

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fandomnsfw · 2 years ago

Text

The HalfBreed - Ragnar Lothbrok x Reader

Pairing: Ragnar Lothbrok x Reader

Prompt: a request from @alisha-jade

Warnings: smut, cheating (on Aslaug so is it really though), breeding kink, slight asphyxiation not much.

no beta again so spelling errors may occur feel free to message me if anything is too bad!

ENJOY!!

******

You stared in fascination as your father brought Ragnar and his group into the castle. They were a brash bunch but you couldn’t help your fascination as they began shouting and laughing at the fear in the Christian’s eyes.

You peeked around the corner of the dining hall that was also the throne room. Suddenly your fathers eyes shot up to meet yours. He rolled his eyes and beckoned you out of hiding spot.

You strolled over to him with grace only a princess could hold. Your red dress swaying slightly as you came to a stop. All the mens eyes were on you and a few were making crude jokes clearly not realising you spoke their language.

“I think even in your villages it isn’t proper to talk about a princess like that. Am I wrong?” You spoke in there home tongue making them all pause even the beautiful blonde woman that was sat with them.

“You speak our language?” The blonde woman asked.

“That is what happens when your a halfbreed. Right Father?” You spat at his kingdoms most frequent words for you.

“Your part Viking?” Ragnar asked with an amused smile.

“Yes my mother was a shield maiden. My father took an interest on many years ago when she was washed up on our shores.” You answered honestly as your father smiled at the memory of your mother.

“I see.” The blonde woman chuckled as she watched Ragnar stare at you intently.

“So which gods or god do you believe in?” A wide eyed, slender man asked his eyes narrowed in a glare.

“I do not worship their false god if that is what you are asking.” You paused not knowing his name.

“Floki.” He stated his eyes still narrowed like he didn’t believe you.

“Hmm…You remind me of the god Loki.” You stated with a grin as his eyes widened.

“I think he is Loki.” Ragnar whispered making me giggle which seemed to make the older man happy.

“You must be Ragnar’s wife then. Lagertha?” You stated as you looked at the beautiful woman.

“Ex-Wife.” She scoffed making you catch the smile that made it’s way to your lips.

“I see. It doesn’t seem to matter where men are from. They are all brash and unfaithful bastards.” You snorted causing everyone to start laughing especially the shield maiden.

“I like her.” Lagertha gave a pointed look to Ragnar who rolled his eyes.

You nudged your father on his excessively large seat at the head of the table. He sighed but moved up so you could sit down next to him.

You gave him a sweet smile which made him laugh before kissing your head softly. You were your fathers favourite and everyone knew that. Especially your brother who hated you with a passion.

“So did your mother train you in anything else?” A big man with long wavy hair asked carefully as he sipped his ale looking at Ragnar who nodded in interest.

“If you asking if I could take your head off with a sword then the answer is yes. You are Rollo yes?” You asked softly making him clear his throat as he sat up straight.

“My father has told me a lot about your spree around England with Ragnar.” You commented making him nod quietly in response.

You father understood a little of their langue because you had taught him but instead of joining in he allowed you to socialise with your fellow pagan’s.

Everyone ate and enjoyed each other company before finally your father rand Ragnar began talking about there deal. You rolled you eyes before blocking your father view of Ragnar.

“I want to go with them.” You stated as he stared up at you with sad eyes.

“Y/N my sweet rose you really want to leave your poor father?” He asked softly his sadness radiating through his small smile.

“Father you have your successor and I shall visit when I can. I want to fight! I wanna fall in love with someone who believes what I do.” You sighed in your fathers home language making Ragnar look at you.

“I understand child. I will see to it then…I love you my little rose.” He whispered the last part in your ear making you smile fondly and return his sentiment.

“Ragnar. I have another term for our deal, I ask you take my daughter with you when you return to your home. She wishes to be with her people.” Your father asked gently making Ragnar nod in understanding.

“Princess Y/N wishes to come back to Kattegat with us.” Ragnar announced in his home tongue causing everyone to stop there chatter.

“We are not taking another Christian home with us Ragnar.” A gruff man in the group scoffed and before anyone said anything there was a knife flying through the air straight passed his ear to the throne room door.

He touched his ear to find in bleeding before standing up and starting towards you. You jumped up, lifting your skirt you could take out your other knife. He got in your face like he was about to beat you but you put your knife to his intimate area.

“Do NOT call me a Christian. I will cut off your tiny little friend and feed it to my wolf.” You spat in his ear before he finally got the point and backed away.

“We will take her back.” You had expected Ragnar or maybe even Lagertha so say these words however you had not expected Floki to say it.

“Thank you.” Your father said in their language so they’d all understand.

******

You stared in amazement as you saw the village come into view as you absently petted your dark grey wolf. People were flocking to the docks waiting for there loved ones or congratulate people along you smile as you glanced at Ragnar who was staring at you.

“Is there something on my face Ragnar?” You chuckled making him smile.

“You are very beautiful.” He stated mischievously as he stepped closer.

“Don’t you have a wife waiting for you?” You replied teasingly.

“As my ex wife would say. That never stopped me before.” Ragnar chuckled as the boat pulled up.

“I see well maybe you should come visit me once I am settled.” You whispered in his ear before hopping of the boat with the help of Floki. You kissed Floki’s cheek before he bid you goodbye and rushed off your see his Helga.

“And who might you be?” A tall slender woman asked with a bright smile.

“You are dressed like a Christian yet our Floki does not treat you as such.” She added as Ragnar hopped off the boat following after you.

“This is my wife. Aslaug.” Ragnar introduced like he hadn’t just been trying to bed you.

“I see Lagertha has told me a lot about you.” You replied sweetly but she could sense the unsaid words that you did not like her.

“I see.” She muttered with a fake smile.

“Rollo said he would show me where I could stay so I will see you later Ragnar.” You said to the blue eyed man with a smirk on your face.

“Of course princess. I look forward to seeing you at the hall.” He chuckled, his hand brushing across your lower back as Rollo approached you.

Rollo grabbed your belongings hauling them up with ease as you stared at his muscles contracting. Viking men were built different and it honestly had your stomach clenching in need. These men could easily throw you about like you were a rag doll.

You follow at his side as your wolf Shadow followed closely behind you, staring at people as we passed them. Everyone seemed wary of him but you ignored there looks and stroked his fur as you walked.

“I see my brother has taken an interest in you.” Rollo snorted as we approached a little hut.

“Hmm, perhaps but if I was to bed him the main reason would be because I don’t like his wife. I believe women who like to reck happy homes are witches that need a taste of their own medicine.” You chuckled making Rollo laugh whole heartedly.

“Your honestly is refreshing. You remind me of Lagertha back when she was your age.” He chuckled softly as he got a dreamy look in his eyes.

“You love her.” You stated softly as he lowered you belongs to the floor in the corner of the hut.

“Yes but she has never seen me like that. As long as I can fight with her I can accept that.” He sighed quietly making you smile.

“You’re a sweet man when you want to be Rollo. Maybe if you showed her this side she may change her mind. Women like Lagertha are independent and don’t need a man but that does not mean they don’t want one. Do you know her favourite food or drink?” You asked casually as you began to take your belongings out of the gold and wooden chest Rollo had brought in for you.

“Yes.” He answered curiously before sitting down on a bench that was in the hut.

“Well when we go to the great hall maybe bring her some food and a drink. Don’t say anything just sit next to her quietly maybe even converse with people around you.” You answered sweetly as you dug out your gold and jewels.

“That seems a little simple.” He huffed with an eye roll.

“Women love when a man knows them. Think of it like Shadow my wolf would. When he wishes to mate he brings his female food and provides comfort for them.” You stated simply as you ran your finger through his fur.

“I see.” He nodded in understanding before glancing at your wolf.

“He seems rather large even for a wolf.”he commented as he stared at the giant dark grey wolf that came up to Rollo a waist meaning he was up to your shoulder.

“I know I have no idea why but I’ve had him since he was a pup. I found him in the woods when I was training. It was snowy and cold. His mother was dead next to him along with two other pups who were dead. They’d starved and then frozen by the looks of it but shadow was smart he caught a squirrel and then burrowed underneath his mother and sister. I buried his family and took him home.” You answered sweetly as Shadow nuzzled into your hand.

“He’s very loyal to you. Most wolves prefer to stay in their own territory but he happily followed you here.” Rollo added before he stood up causing the bench you were both sat on to rattle under you.

You let out a laugh making him roll his eyes once again before he set off to the great hall. You took your jewels and started towards a stall you’d seen on your way here that sold clothes.

Once there you looked through the clothes before picking out a few things and asking the shop keeper how much. She stared at you with a frown before looking down at the gold with wide eyes.

“This is too much miss.” She stated as she tried to pass you it back.

“I know but I very much like your clothes and you work hard on them I can tell. Even my royal seamstress wasn’t that good.” You chuckled making her flush slightly as she gave you a nod.

“If you would like I could braid your hair for you after you change. You are going to the great hall for the celebration?” She offered kindly making you smile brightly.

You knew how to braid but not as well as the shield maidens so it was nice to have the offer which you gratefully took. She asked you what it was like to grow up around people in England and you asked her some tips on braiding it was pleasant and a lot different from any interactions you’d had with anyone in Wessex.

People may have not said much to your face as you are a princess but that didn’t stop you over hearing the horrible things people said behind your back.

You gave her your thanks and left the old dress with her telling her she could reuse it for whatever she wished. You collected Shadow from the hut before making your way to the Great hall with directions from a few people.

You opened the doors to the great hall your wolf at your side as everyone stared before Floki ran up to you with a childish giggle. He dragged you over to meet Helga who was sweet and very calm compared to her lover.

Rollo sat down next to you but not before passing Lagertha a drink of something and food. You smiled at the action as he engaged you in conversation. Lagertha looked shocked at the action but chose to eat her food and drink from her cup as she kept side eyeing Rollo.

“Well I’m glad you could make it Princess.” Ragnar’s voice stated behind you causing your wolf to growl as you jumped.

“Settle boy.” You whispered to him as he laid back down at your feet.

“It appears your wolf does not like me.” He huffed playfully as he took a seat next to your other side.

“Maybe he can sense you devious intentions Ragnar Lothbrok.” You giggled making him smile down at you, his ocean blue eyes shining with there usual mischief.

“Would you like a tour of our lovely Kattegat?” He asks suddenly and his wife’s eyes found yours with a glare.

“Hmm I would love to.” You answered sweetly, not taking your eyes off Aslaug.

You stood up but as you wolf started to follow, you told him to stay making him whine. You rolled your eyes before pointing to Floki.

“Go sit with Floki.” You instructed and he glanced at the man before huffing and walking over to him. Floki stroked his fur as he waved at you to go.

You were walking beside Ragnar for a few minutes before he moved slightly closer his arm brushing against yours. The white long sleeved dressed was comfortable in the slightly nicer weather Kattegat was experiencing. The dark brown detail down the front was pretty and you were happy to not be wearing the heavy dresses you’d worn as a princess.

“You seem to be fitting in very well.” Ragnar spoke suddenly causing you to jolt a little.

“Everyone is nice here. It makes a difference from how people treat me in Wessex.” You chuckled as you looked at the small beach in front of you.

“You were a Princess, how badly could they of treat you.” Ragnar asked sceptically.

“Men were disgusted by me. Women were afraid of me. To my face they would acted accordingly however I overheard a few things they would say about me behind the kings back…behind mine. They would call me a witch, say the only bride I could ever be was Satans which by the way is an angel that was kicked out of his heaven and banished to run hell, which is full of demons and people that have sinned.” You rolled your eyes making Ragnar laugh wholeheartedly.

“Yes Athelstan told me much about Christianity. I believe everyone should worship who they want. I believe in my gods and Athelstan believes in his one god. We are friends despite that.” Ragnar replied with honesty his face serious as he looked down at his boots.

“I believe the same.” You replied softly as you took off your boots before stepping onto the sand with your bare feet.

Ragnar followed your lead, taking off his shoes before stepping onto the sand. He caught up to you his hand coming to rest on your lower back as you contrived strolling, watching the sea.

His hand felt warm on your lower back, as his eyes gazed at you. You could feel it as it sent shivers down your spine. He shifted a little closer to you, his hand curling around your hip before pulling him close.

You were pressed against his side as you finally stopped moving down the beach. You could feel his eyes on you as if trying to see your reactions to his sudden closeness.

“Do you love your wife Ragnar?” You suddenly asked making his eye widen though his hands did not move from your hips they weren’t gripping so tightly.

“I thought I did however I think I love that she has given me many sons.” He answered honestly his eyes staring into the darkness that covered the sea.

“I see.” You replied with a small smile.

“I could make you my second wife but I tried that with Lagertha and she left me.” Ragnar sighed softly making you smile.

“I am not surprised Ragnar I would’ve have left too. I have no desire to be your wife Ragnar. If you would like to take me back to my hut and fuck me though, I could definitely agree to that.” You whispered seductively before walking ahead of him towards your hut.

The walk wasn’t long and once the door closed to your hut Ragnar was on you. His right hand tangled in your hair, his lips were on yours as his left hand grabbed your waist pulling your closer.

His tongue stroked across yours gently yet passionately causing you to moan into his mouth his hands immediately trying to rip off your dress. You’d slapped his hands, pulling away from his lips with a grin.

“Do not rip my new dress Ragnar.” You chuckled softly as you untied the brown leather belt and let it fall to the floor before lifting the white dress over your head and putting it on your chest.

Ragnar took in your naked form appreciatively as he began stripping. His body was covered with a light amount of hair and muscle definition that you’d never seen on the English men you’d slept with.

He was built like a beast and it made you clench around nothing, dampness making its way down your thighs. He finally stripped and was back on you, his hands immediately reaching for the back of your thighs to lift you up and laying you on the cold wooden table behind you.

His lips pressed wet, harsh kisses down your sternum nipping at the skin occasionally. Your soft pants and moans filling the air as you stared down at his very clearly hard member. He was big, bigger than you’d had before.

Ragnar kissed your hip bone before nipping at it the sensation causing a shiver to run down your spine and a deep sultry moan to erupt from your chest. He glanced up at you with a smirk before he continued his path.

When his lips pressed a kiss right above your slit you were desperate making you thrust upwards to try to get any kind of friction you could. However Ragnar decided hat wasn’t acceptable and slapped the inside of your thigh causing a shocking amount of pleasure.

“Stay still. Naughty girl.” He scolded softly before looking up to see your reaction to his slap.

You flushed under his gaze as you avoided his eyes. Was that normal? To react like that to being slapped, you thought anxiously. Ragnar’s hands grabbed your hips tightly before he flipped you over so you were bent over the table.

Before you could question it his hand came down on your ass the sound ringing through the hut. You whimpered, spreading your legs a little so you could push backwards, rubbing against his member.

“Dirty girl.” Was all Ragnar said before thrusting two fingers inside of your warm wet heat with no warning.

You let out a startled moan before pushing back onto his fingers eagerly. His free hand massaged the ass cheek he’d just slapped before delivering another one making you moan desperately against him.

“Ragnar!” You moaned loudly as his fingers started hitting inside you at a different angle causing you to dig your nails into the table beneath you.

“W-What is that?” You whined softly, trying to push back against his finger.

“I don’t know but I like to call it the magic button.” Ragnar chuckled before thrusting into that spot again.

“Oh fuck.”

Your moans were getting louder as they filled the hut, your stomach tensing as it prepared to unravel that amazing feeling you’d only had once or twice. Ragnar’s fingers sped up as he continued his assault on that magic button.

“Cum for me sweet girl.” Ragnar whispered before his tongue was on your hooded bundle of nerves.

The angle was awkward for Ragnar it he didn’t care as his tongue lavished you, his finger still never stopping. You clenched around them as his hand came down once against to slap your left ass cheek.

“Oh fuck Ragnar!” You screamed as you finally came around his fingers, your face pressed against the table as you hair splayed messily around you some of it over your face.

“You taste addictive.” He mumbled against you, giving you one last long lick before pulling away from your heat with a wicked smile on his face.

“You ready my little vixen.” He whispered as he bent over you, his lips tickling against your ear.

“Mhmm. You gonna fill me up Ragnar? Want you to.” You moaned, your tone needy but quiet.

Suddenly he thrust into you with no warning just like he had with hi fingers before, causing you to push your back against his naked chest as you pushed him so far in your swore your felt him in your stomach. Your hands gripped his hands that were clutching your hips in an almost painful grip.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you. Want me to fill you up with my seed? Hmm fuck you so good and full.” He growled in your ear one of his hand coming up to wrap around your throat, not quite squeezing it just resting there.

You felt so dazed from your previous orgasm and his words all you could do was nod to his teasing question. His hand squeezed softly as he continued fucking you slowly but hard.

“Ah ah. Use yours words sweet girl.” He scolded his hand around your throat tightening again so most of your air supply was gone.

You should’ve been scared but it only served to bring you closer to anther orgasm. You turned you face to look him in the eyes as you finally opened your mouth to speak. He released his grip but never moved his hand as he stared at you expectantly.

“Want you to fill me up. Fuck me full with your babies.” You moaned, your head leaning against his collarbone.

“Fuck. I have many sons. You gonna give me more darling?” He asked as his thrusting started getting faster and more rough.

“You gonna drop everything when I’m big and fat to fuck me when I need your cock?” You moaned as you threw your arm up to grasp at his hair as his tightened around your throat again.

“I’d drop everything to fuck your pretty little flower sweetheart. Mmm you feel so good can wait until your pregnant and desperate for me all the time.” He groaned against your neck his hand on your hip coming around to wrap around your waist tightly as he began pounding into you at an animalistic pace.

“Oh fuck! Yes!” You screamed loudly as you felt yourself clenching round him as you felt yourself at the edge once again.

His cock was drilling into that special spot that made you see stars, his thrusting becoming less calculated as he neared his end too. You tugged at his braided hair moaning his name as he tightened his grip on your throat and waist.

“Shit. So close.” He moaned in your ear as he brought his hand from your waist to your wet heat, his fingers massaging your little bundle of nerves.

“Cum for me Ragnar fill me up with your seed.” You moaned loudly before kissing him passionately.

Finally you felt your orgasm rip through you like lightening, your eyes falling shut as you pushed back against him, riding out your high as he finally came too. His hot seed filling you up so much you could feel it.

You didn’t get long to enjoy the aftermath as Ragnar flipped you back over and held you legs up in the air, your knees rest over his shoulders.

“Stay still sweet girl. Gotta make sure you stay filled up with me.” He groaned as he looked down at your abused hole.

You giggled at his actions but made no move to stand up, letting him have his way. You were starting to realised there wasn’t a lot you wouldn’t give to him.

After sometime he finally moved to wipe any spillage with a rag. You gave him a stuttered moan as he gave you a single lick his eyes filled with mischief.

“Beautiful.” He whispered before helping you up.

He didn’t leave immediately instead he pulled your firs over in front of the fireplace before starting a fire and laying down beckoning you over.

“Your wife isn’t going to be happy.” You chuckled as you cuddled into his chest.

“Yes well I don’t much care.” He chuckled his hair undoing you braids gently, letting your hair fall free around your naked shoulders.

BANG!

“Y/N it worked she-” Rollo paused in his words as he took in your naked form cuddled up to his brother.

“Never mind we can talk tomorrow.” He snorted as he sent you a subtle wink.

“And what was that about my little vixen.” He asked in amusement.

“I may of given him tips on how to seduce your ex wife.” You smirked at him making him roll his eyes before placing a kiss on your lips.

“I can’t say I’m that surprised. Now come here, gonna fill you up again pretty girl.” Ragnar growled playfully making you giggle under him.

#vikings #vikings request #vikings imagine #ragnar lothbrok #ragnar lothbrok x reader #Ragnar x reader #Ragnar x you #Ragnar lothbrok x you #Ragnar lothbrok imagine #imagine #smut

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sparrowrye · 2 months ago

Text

Demi Demon || Epilogue - Trouble Trouble, Quadruple Trouble

Synopsis: In less than a decade, Alastor's children have found mischief at every turn. What can he say, it runs in their blood.

Master List

WARNING! It's long :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We’re going to get in so much trouble…” Lucia whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. Her blond hair had been pulled back in a pony tail, sporting a similar style that her mother, Reagan, used when she was her age. Her younger brother who was too young to have been involved in their scandal was still back home.

“Don’t tell anyone and we won’t,” Piranha snapped over her shoulder as she closed the portal behind them all. Piranha had the striking red hair of her father and the strong, heavy horns of her mother. She was the unlucky soul to have gotten her father’s deer tail while her twin sister got the long, beautiful dragon tail. It was a sore spot between the two of them.

Beside Piranha was Nyx, the other strong personality of their friend group. Nyx’s parents were Angel Dust and Husker, and had the most interesting fur out of everyone. He was mostly black but it looked like someone had splashed white paint all over him. His wings were just as muddled but red and white. His ears were as straight as a stick and his personality a stick in the ass.

“You can always go home,” he said, taking the portal gem from Piranha and putting it in his pocket. The two of them were a deadly pair together despite Piranha being twelve and him being ten. No one would’ve guessed from his personality that he was the youngest of the group.

“This way,” Wren motioned, slipping away from the group and bounding through the forest like a deer. Wren was the younger—smaller—of the Hartfelt twins. She had the same pointy ears as Alastor but they were a little further down on her head and a tad darker thanks to her mother. Her horns were beginning to twist around the back of her head.

The group followed quickly after her, the red scaly tail moving like ocean waves. Everyone except Lucia had summoned a small ball of light to help them see their path. While no one dared to make fun of Lucia’s lack of magic, it was still something she felt each time magic was used around her.

It made her feel small and weak. Just a defenseless Human.

They wandered the forest for a little longer, changing directions left and right and going in circles. Both Piranha and Nyx were growing increasingly annoyed as Wren searched for the entrance.

“We’re going in circles!” Piranha barked first.

“I thought you said you knew where it was,” Nyx added. He never made a mean comment at Wren unless Piranha was visibly annoyed with her sister. He had a scar on the underside of his jaw from where she had attacked him last time he made a comment like that.

“I do!” Wren yelled as she dove across them into another bramble. “I’m just…trying to find it.”

“We only have so much time,” Piranha reminded her.

“I know!” Wren smacked a branch out of her face. “But a forest changes, you know. Things get overgrown.”

“Son of…” Piranha pinched the bridge of her nose. All of them were wearing dark, rough clothing to keep them hidden in the darkness should they need to run or hide. The gala their parents were attending would only last so long and their babysitter would likely get out of their trap soon. They all know that the first pair of parents to be told was the Hartfelts.

“Found it! I found it!”

Everyone hustled over as Wren pried open a metal door of some kind, groaning loudly as she did. Black abyss yawned before them.

There was a moment of silence as old, stale air rushed to the surface. Everyone waited. Were they expecting a monster to come crawling out of it? It wasn’t like anything could survive down there.

"Let’s go." Piranha was the first to take the uneven, lopsided stairs. She sent her ball of light ahead of her to light the way and clean up any bugs or spiders. Wren was the last to enter so she could pull the door—latch?—shut.

Lucia’s legs felt like they were ready to give out. She had no reason to be scared when she was surrounded by three Demons—well, Demon and Demi-Demons—but what would happen if they were all preoccupied or trying to fight while she stood helplessly to the side? Without them, she was dead. She had a pocket knife but that only did so much, and did exactly nothing against a Demon or mage.

Even so, she shouldn’t be as nervous as she was given that the twins had already had extensive training with their parents. Every Monday they were pulled from classes for magic training and even more on the weekends.

She wished she hadn’t come with them. If she hadn’t, she would be worried sick over their safety and the consequences they’d likely have to face when they went back. It wasn’t the first—or last—time they had corralled her into their mischief. Though Lucia herself never got more than a lecture and some privileges revoked for a few days. The others…she wished she didn't know what their consequences were.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up as the three enhanced their magic to keep fresh air flowing around them. She could always sense when magic was nearby. She seemed to also have a sixth sense for differentiating whose magic was whose without looking.

They continued down the staircase until they came an opening, giving way to a poorly dented warehouse. It looked like it was meant to be much bigger but magic and the earth had crushed it inwards. Old machine belts and rusted parts lay scattered to the sides.

“This is insane,” Nyx breathed, voice echoing in the big space. They clambered down the stairs and over the different machinery. Lucia watched from afar as they crawled around.

“You know..." Wren sprouted red wings and flapped up to the second level, perching like a bird on the railing. “Rumor has it that this place is cursed. And no one even knows where the other one is.”

“Other one, what?” Lucia asked, finding a way up to the second level. Wren was the more reasonable of the three and had her mother’s empathy. It’s what made her and Wren such a good pair (when Wren wasn’t around the other two).

“This was the first battle. The second one is in frozen land. They made that one sink too,” Wren explained. Lucia shivered. It always felt like she was too cold. “It’s also where your mother was asked to join Blackwater.”

The name made everyone’s fur and hair stick up. They had heard the haunting stories of the man who nearly killed the Hartfelts; of the man who had divine intervention just so he could destroy the city. Wren and Piranha had heard plenty of what the man was capable of but they never got the exact details of the big showdown. Alastor seemed willing to share but his soulmate kept him quiet.

Lucia stared at her friend. Her mother, Reagan, had mentioned Blackwater when Lucia was having trouble making friends at school. She was one of the few, rare souls who didn’t have magic and her mother had suffered similar troubles. Reagan was always trying to help her find her confidence in being a true Human, but it didn’t seem to have the effect she wanted.

What surprised Lucia the most was that Wren knew about the potential agreement between Reagan and Blackwater. Reagan had told her to keep it quiet and not mention the incident to other people. Apparently the potential agreement had sown seeds of doubt in the community back then and made it even harder for her mother to make friends, too. How did Wren know about this?

“How do you know so much?” Piranha demanded, speaking her thoughts.

“Ma told me,” Wren replied, walking on the old railing like a tightrope.

“When did Ma tell you?” Piranha was obviously upset and hurt that she wasn’t told any of this information.

“Sometimes she lets things slip if I catch her in a sympathetic mood.” Wren flashed an evil smile over her shoulder. Everyone knew she was more quiet and empathetic around people. She was known for having all kinds of information just from acting quiet, shy, and understanding.

Lucia had discovered within a week of being friends with her that she had a very different personality on the inside.

Piranha used wind to push her sister off balance. It did nothing since Wren’s wings were already outstretched but it was still an inconvenience. Lucia waited for her friend to fly back up.

“Do you think there’s cameras here?” Nyx asked as he, too, flapped up to join them. It was so strange to see the bright red linings of his wings flash as he did. It was a little disorienting.

“Electricity won’t work here,” Piranha answered. She used a dark purple tentacle to pull herself up to the landing. She had perfectly capable wings but it was far faster to use tentacles instead of sprouting the wings for a small jump. Her sister, however, lacked the tentacle feature.

“Magic makes anything possible,” Nyx said as he opened a random door and peered in. Everything was covered in spiderwebs and the metal was peeling away to reveal more rust.

"What if someone's here?" Lucia asked, sparked with the sudden feeling that they weren't alone.

"Relax, dear," Piranha said as she and Nyx examined the screens mounted on the wall, "Blackwater is long gone. We're just exploring."

Lucia hated when Piranha called her 'dear'. It was a term that Alastor used on other people and his daughter had his way of making it sound like an insult. "Then I really don't think we should try messing with anything. He was an inventor. What if some of his things came to life?"

"He didn't create technology that could think for itself," Nyx said just as condescendingly, "besides, it's all ancient anyways."

"But...didn't he make devices that could stop someone's magic?"

"Why does that bother you?" Piranha asked. She realized an instant later that she shouldn't have said that. Lucia's head fell and she shifted her weight between her feet. "Sorry. It should be fine."

"There should be a generator that we can power back on. Let's go find it," Nyx offered, trying to turn the conversation around and give them all something to do.

The remark still stung as they explored the hallways branching off the warehouse. Wren and Lucia walked silently together in one direction while Nyx and Piranha went the other way, not without all promising not to pull any dark jokes while they were down here.

Wren was already attuned to her friend's mood and tried to think of ways to make her feel better. She was normally good at that but whenever it came to the subject of Lucia's lack of magic...it wasn't quite so easy.

So, Wren went the curiosity route. "You know, when I was sneaking around the city, I heard people talking about the ring fights."

"What about them?" Lucia asked, still hurt and trying not to sound too deflated.

"They were mostly talking about how my ma was raised in them but they mentioned your mother a few times."

That made Lucia lift her head, all traces of defeat gone from her shoulders. Her mother occasionally mentioned the rings she used to fight in but it was nothing more than a mention when she was trying to make Lucia feel grateful for the little city. "What did they say?"

Wren smiled, her pointy ear flicking like it usually did when she got happy. She slid her hands in her pocket as she recounted the conversation, "It was mostly about how fitting it was for Ma to adopt your mother. They said they were both ruthless and aggressive. But then someone else said that they had to be, especially if Ma didn't use all her power and your mother had none. Not many pure Humans can survive ring fights."

Lucia let out a sigh as she stepped closer so their arms brushed. "I wish she would tell me more."

"Me too," Wren agreed, referring to both mothers. Technically speaking, Reagan was Wren's adopted sister but she was treated more like an aunt because of the age difference. She, Uncle Husker, and Aunt Charlie and Vaggie were the only souls who were allowed to babysit them. Aunt Rosie's was a special getaway every now and then.

It wasn't a secret that Mrs. Hartfelt, the Dragon Demon, was overly protective over her and Piranha. It wasn't until last year that they were starting to have more freedom around the city. They didn't have to explain where they were going or what they were doing to the tiniest detail. Now, they could go anywhere so long as they stayed in the city and went back to the house before dark.

However, both Wren and Piranha knew their mother could always sense where they were in the city. Their father wasn't that far off either, though he was more of the retriever if something went wrong. And when he came after them, they might as well give up. No one could hide from him.

"Is that why you guys wanted to come here?" Lucia asked as they peered into an empty room. The warehouse had clearly been cleaned or looted before they arrived. Aside from rust, there were obvious signs of fire damage likely from when it went underground.

"I know we're not really teenagers yet but it feels like they still treat us like we're two years old," Wren admitted. Lucia had heard about the difficulties between the family. "Pa wants to tell us more. I can see it sometimes. But Ma...it feels...I don't know...it feels like she doesn't trust us."

"Trust you in what way?" They had come to a stop. Wren's eyes were downcast and her tail curled around her right leg.

"Trust us to take care of ourselves. Trust us to learn new things. I just...I don't know. It's weird when it feels like Pa wants us to be adults as soon as possible and Ma wants us to stay as little kids. But even Pa keeps certain adult things from us. It's just...so confusing."

"I'm sorry," Lucia sympathized, placing a light hand on her friend's back. Wren was several inches taller than her, thanks to her father's genes, but in that moment she looked exactly her age. She put her arm around Lucia's shoulders and they stood there in that embrace for a few heartbeats.

"Thank you for listening," Wren said, giving a final squeeze before letting go.

"Thank you for talking. I feel like you never talk to people about anything."

"I talk just fine," Wren's tone turned lighter as she tried to change the atmosphere. "People just talk too--"

Lights flickered on with a loud thud somewhere in the walls. Wren's light slipped away as they furiously blinked their eyes to adjust to the bright light.

Found it, Piranha's voice whispered quietly in Wren's head. Every now and then the two of them were able to 'Mind Talk', as they called it. It happened at random points and they were never quite able to harness the ability. It was something they kept as their own little secret from other people, including their parents who had a strange severed-and-patched bond.

"Are we sure there's no one in here?" Lucia asked, still unable to shake the feeling of being watched.

"Maybe you're sensing Blackwater's ghost," Wren teased, twiddling her fingers Lucia's face. She smacked Wren's hand away as they walked back to the main area.

Piranha and Nyx were already on the second floor of the warehouse and looking through old computers and screens. Wren was now in a joking mood, "Careful, Vox might jump out at you."

"That electric shark can't access anything that doesn't have Internet," Piranha replied without looking at them. Pa had been adamant about keeping technology out of the house. They were only allowed to use their phones on the porch and he always seemed to know when they tried to sneak their phones in their rooms.

"Look, surveillance footage!" Nyx hurriedly clicked on a file and all the screens lit up with old footage of the warehouse in its prime.

"Find the big fight," Piranha eagerly tapped his shoulder.

"There's millions of hours on this thing. How do I know which one to click on?"

"Go to the very end," Lucia suggested, "It all stopped working when the big fight happened."

The three of them smiled brightly at her before scrolling through the timestamps. Wren gave her a light nudge with her wing. Lucia's cheeks hurt as she beamed proudly.

"There!" Piranha pointed to a random screen. Alastor's red coat had crossed the view. Nyx backed it up and watched as he disappeared into the room, along with Blackwater, and finally his soulmate. Then he pressed play.

“Is that Ma?” Wren asked, jaw agape. They had seen a few pictures of their mother but they hadn’t seen any of her that young. They watched as Blackwater, adorned in his gray cloak, wielded fire and wind. He kept both of them at bay each time they charged him.

"How is he doing that?" Piranha leaned closer. "He's a Human."

"Probably one of his inventions," Nyx growled, claws digging into the counter.

They watched in awe and horror as the events unfolded like a movie, holding their breath and shuffling between screens to keep watching. They watched claws impale skin and fire nearly melt skin. They had never seen Alastor move like that: so fast, so agile, and so aggressive.

They saw Reagan—even younger—hold onto her adoptive mother. Then pieces of the warehouse started to contort and break away as Alastor shoved it into the earth through magic alone.

Then the screens went dark.

Everyone stared at the screens for a moment longer. They had never seen a fight like that before. They had never been told the events of what transpired in the battles. It was always some horrible memory, some secretive event that their parents tried to shove down and forget about.

“Whoah,” Nyx breathed.

“Where is that room?" Piranha asked.

All at once everyone left the room to look around on the second floor. Everything looked the same so it was hard to figure out which room was which. Some were missing doors and others were bent in half. They moved quietly, muscles tense and ready as if Blackwater himself would jump out of the walls.

Wren stepped into one of the rooms and froze. The air felt thick. She pinned her ears back as she pulled her magic up for the ready. But she found she couldn’t. Panic rose in her chest as her eyes scanned the room. No one was here. Nothing but rust and blood scattered along the floor and walls.

She stumbled out of the room, teeth bared and ready for something to jump out at her. But nothing did.

“What’s wrong?” Lucia asked, drawing the other pair’s attention. Wren’s magic was back and her eyes went dark as she summoned most of it to the surface.

She didn’t answer. She clung to the feeling of her magic ready in her hands and mind. She snarled at the space as if it was alive, staring her down and licking its lips hungrily. Ma had told her plenty about the feeling of losing magic but that was the first time Wren had actually experienced it.

And she didn’t like it.

“You found it, didn’t you?” Piranha and Nyx hurried over. They stuck their hand past the entrance but nothing happened. Lucia waited beside Wren, taking special notice of the small tremors in her hands.

Nyx went in first. He took one step and froze just as Wren had. His fur stood straight up and a shiver racked his body. He stepped out and let Piranha try, resulting in a similar reaction.

“That’s terrifying,” Piranha whispered. “How did Ma get out?”

“The footage showed the door getting burned. But if this was active—”

All three Demons went rigid, ears ramrod straight. Slowly, they all turned their heads in the direction of the staircase. Lucia couldn’t hear what they could but the looks in their eyes told her exactly what she needed to know.

Piranha lunged over the railing, wings sprouting before she hit the ground, and soared into the lower hallways. Nyx grabbed Lucia’s arm and lowered her down. The three of them disappeared into the hallways right as the lights went out.

Nyx and Wren used magic for light until they caught up with Piranha who had killed the lights. She spoke through heavy gasps, “That explains…the good...conditions…of the wires.”

“So someone lives here?” Lucia questioned, tone brimming with an ‘I told you so’.

“Several someone’s by the sound of it,” Nyx said with a glance down the hall. “Well, I think we’ve learned enough.” He reached in his pocket to withdraw the portal gem.

“Remember, don’t tell anyone about this,” Piranha reminded everyone but pointedly looked at Lucia.

“I’m not gonna tell!” Lucia whined.

“Mmhm.” Nyx finally pulled out the large gem and rubbed it.

A gunshot exploded in their ears. Nyx let out a cry as he dropped the gem to clutch his hand. The gem shattered on the floor into a million pieces.

Piranha and Wren instantly put a shield up as Nyx fell to his knees. Lucis watched in stunned silence, hand over her mouth.

“Tell me your names and I’ll keep this next bullet to myself,” the man shouted from down the hall. He was glowing all kinds of blues and whites with an equally glowing handgun. A pointy, fishy tail swept behind him.

His demand was never met. Piranha snuffed out their own lights and shrouded the man in shadows. He let out a yell as the twins dragged Nyx into a nearby room. Wren summoned a rag and pressed it down on his bleeding hand.

There was so much blood.

“What do we do?” Wren asked. “The gem is gone. We can’t get home.”

“We need to get to the surface first,” Piranha answered. Something in her shifted like a light switch. “They know we’re here. They’ve got weapons so they’re probably Slight Humans.”

She peered around the corner. The group had gathered at the end of the hall, lights flashing around wildly. They had been trained for this but never actually had to experience it.

“Nyx you gotta get up!” Piranha snapped. The boy’s tear streaked face looked up at her, pleading for the pain to stop.

“It…hurts.” A whine scratched the back of his throat. Lucia started to cry.

Piranha casted loose metal down the hall. More yells and several figures tried to dodge it in the small confines of the hallway. She whirled around and gripped Lucia hard by the shoulders. Her red pupils glowed in the darkness like something out of a nightmare.

“You’re in charge of Nyx. I need you to get him up those stairs. You don’t leave his side, understand?”

Lucia couldn’t answer. Piranha shook her shoulders then casted water across her eyes. Lucia furiously rubbed at them as Piranha demanded once more. “Got it?”

“Got it!” Lucia yelled back, tears mixing with the water.

Piranha grabbed her sister’s arm and yanked her up. “You and I are going to push them back. We’re going to be a moving shield.”

Wren nodded. They peered around the door and casted a strong gust of wind down the hallway. They snapped at Lucia to move and she sputtered to a start, hand grabbed Nyx’s good arm to pull him up. He was bigger but she was his guide in the blinding pain.

“Now!”

The twins jumped out and put up their shield. Their magenta magic blended perfectly together as they casted wind over their shoulders. Deafening gun shots echoed off the walls but they never made their mark. They chimed on the metal floor against such powerful wind. Those that did get through bounced off the invisible shield.

The men continued to yell and shoot but the girls kept going. Their ears adjusted to the horrible noise and their combined magic fueled their energy. Alone, they wouldn’t be able to last this long. Together? They were unstoppable.

They passed the stairs and held their ground to let Nyx and Lucia up. Nyx continued to whine and groan from his cradled hand, the red matching his feathers and making his white spots look as dark as his black fur.

They crossed the main area as the girls backtracked up the stairs. The men chased, still shooting and using up their ammunition. Lucia swallowed the urge to get sick as she dragged Nyx blindly up the next set of stairs. She was operating entirely off of memory and the quick light from each gunshot.

The girls shoved the men further back then disappeared around the wall. They flew up to the second floor then opened another shield. More space made it harder to defend so they wrapped their shield like a dome.

The men had stopped shooting and were now just yelling. They spat curses and growled like feral dogs despite being a fish species. In the open area with their own lights reflecting off the walls, the girls could recognize the pattern on their shirts: VoxTech

It didn’t make sense considering the deal Vox and their Ma had, but they didn’t have time to think. “Go help Nyx. Get him up the stairs so I can fly up,” Piranha ordered.

“Are you sure?” Wren asked, sparing a brief glance at her.

“Yes! Now go!”

Wren hesitated. Then she let a deep growl and ran up the stairs. Her magic stayed connected with her sister but the shield wasn’t as strong as before.

“What is VoxTech doing down here?” Piranha shouted at them.

“None of your fucking business, that’s what.” He snapped the gun up but the bullet bounced off the shield again. This time Piranha felt the magic ripple through her arms in protest.

She looked over her shoulder to see the others moving around the curve. They were more than halfway there. In the forest they could defend better. They all, including Lucia, knew how to run and hide.

“We were just exploring,” Piranha said next. When she turned around they weren’t where they had been. They climbed the first set of stairs to be on the second level with her. She scrambled up the stairs and casted a strong gust of wind as soon as they poked their heads around the corner.

Two of the five hit the railing and fell over. The other three hid behind the wall, reloading their weapons. The sound sent a chill down her spine. She couldn’t hold a shield against that much ammunition on her own.

An idea came to mind and she instantly acted on it. Her tentacles slipped from her back and slithered down the stairs. She kept them small as they rounded the corner. Then it grew five times it size and wrapped around the nearest person, yanking them into the railing and pulling their head the rest of the way.

Then she slammed it back towards the wall and felt it connect with a body. His head bounced off the wall and his body collapsed a second later.

Blinding white pain pulsed like electricity down her back. The tentacles retracted but not before she saw black blood dripping off it. The man peered around the corner to open fire again. The first few missed her by a hair before she could snap her shield back up.

Wind whistled down the stairs and yanked the gun out of his hand. He reached for another in his belt but his body was thrown back, the railing bending from his weight and giving out entirely.

Piranha dropped the shield with a sigh and hurried up the stairs. Wren had been watching from the corner. Faint blue light shone on the walls behind her. The other two had made it.

Piranha dropped to all fours to climb, exhaustion seeping in her bones and a migraine taking root. How were they going to explain Nyx’s hand? It depended entirely on what the wound looked like.

A louder, much more devastating gunshot exploded from behind. It practically flew in slow motion but Piranha knew she wasn’t going to avoid it. It whistled like a bird as it cut through the air unnaturally and chewed into her leg.

Wren’s shield went up too late. Piranha cried out as she collapsed on the stairs. Not even half a second later, the bullet bounced off the wall and struck Wren in the face.

The shield fell as pain took hold of her head. Both girls felt their magic slip from their grips like oil. It was there but they couldn’t quite grab it. True panic settled in as they scrambled for the surface.

Another gun shot.

This one bounced off the walls but didn’t touch either of them. Nyx appeared at Piranha’s side and dragged her the rest of the way.

Another gun shot.

It sliced through his shield like butter. He casted wind down the staircase to hold them off. His muscles protested as he practically carried Piranha up with his good arm. Wren blindly followed the slope of the stairs ahead, Lucia shouting their names like a beacon.

Everyone was crying and bleeding. This night had gone completely awry. They weren’t supposed to run into a group of five murderous men. The four of them were just kids. Why were they attacking children?

But they all knew the answer. Their parents had enemies which made them fair game.

And that didn’t sit right with me.

Shadows pulled from the floor and stretched down the walls like a disease. The wind abruptly stopped and the men hurried around the corner for their stroke of good luck. Well, now it was extreme unluck.

Their eyes widened as they took in the sight of my silhouetted form. My horns sprouted wide, my tail lashed behind me, and my claws curled into a half closed first as more magic swam to the surface. A moment later, Alastor manifested beside me. We were still adorned in our evening gala outfits.

“I get the one with the Angelic gun,” I muttered to Alastor.

“The rest are mine.” He didn’t wait a moment longer. His form stretched and grew as he stepped over the children with precision. The men ran for their lives as his huge yellow smile chased after them.

I lunged over the children and used the wall to slow my descent. My magic stretched back for the children and teleported them home; back to the cliffside.

Alastor had eaten two of the men by the time I got down. I pushed away the haunting memories as my magic yanked my target back into the main room. He instantly trained the gun at me but my magic pinned his arm to the floor. He began to writhe and scream, apologizing and begging me to let him live.

Swallowing the anger that was already boiling on the surface, I pounded my foot into his chest and leaned on that knee. “I’ll consider your life if you answer some questions.”

“S-Sure,” he stuttered, eyes flickering to Alastor who swallowed his last friend.

“Why is VoxTech trying to kill our children?”

“We—we didn’t know! We didn’t know those were your kids.”

“Really? The striking resemblance didn’t help you put two and two together?” I pressed my foot harder into his chest. The rest of his limbs were paralyzed with magic.

“It was dark!” he tried. “Please. We were told to kill anyone who finds this place. We couldn’t see what they looked like.”

“Bullshit,” I hissed. My footclaws punctured his clothes and into his skin. Alastor came to stand behind me, towering over the two of us with his eyes still black.

“What does Vox want with this place?”

“I-I don’t know. Please. We’re just told to keep it up and running. Please.”

I wanted to kill him. I had been itching for more flesh to rip and more blood to drink. It had been a long time since I had a good fight with someone but this just left me unsatisfied.

“Fine,” I mumbled, taking my foot of his chest and releasing his hands. Alastor’s anger simmered but he didn’t step in, mind reading mine. “I’ll send a message to Vox. Now go.”

The man didn’t waste any time. He scrambled to his feet and climbed both set of stairs. His feet sagged and it each step was like carrying a cinderblock. Eventually he fell to his knees, unable to go any further. His lungs weren’t working and his throat was practically closed.

Alastor and I appeared at the top entrance to the staircase. Our shadows fell over him and his wild, panicked eyes looked up at us.

My voice now dripped with satisfaction, “You are the message.”

Then the man collapsed.

****

Lucia handed a towel to Nyx. Piranha’s blood loss was slowing down but hadn’t stopped entirely yet. She hissed as he pressed hard on the wound. Her fingers turned to claws and she punctured the wood planks of the kitchen floor. His own hand was wrapped in a rag and cradled on his leg.

Lucia went to Wren with another towel and pressed it against the wound on her forehead. All of them were silent save for their heavy breathing and their pounding hearts.

Not only had they been caught, but they had been in danger when they had.

Lucia and Nyx would probably suffer a lecture from the Hartfelts but their consequences would come from their parents. Lucia would get the least punishment thanks to the mercy of her mother’s understanding. Nyx would have to suffer his parents’ yelling and all the neighbors would know what he had done.

But the twins?

Lucia and Nyx both exchanged looks. It was no secret that the Hartfelts were hard on the girls. It had been expected, actually, but this was one of the worst things the twins had done. They left the city grounds (breaking a rule), snuck away at night (breaking a second rule), stole a gem to teleport (breaking a third rule), and went to the very place their parents didn’t talk about.

The Hartfelts would never physically hurt their children. Sure, they had tempers to rival the entirety of Hell but they would never hurt their children. The consequences, though, would be severe and last a long time. That was how they dished out punishments. And they all had an inkling that they wouldn’t see each other again for quite some time.

There was a disturbance in the wind and they all knew what that meant.

I walked in first. Lucia scrambled out of the way as I knelt beside Wren. Her matching eyes were hidden behind tight eyelids. I touched her shoulder then lightly touched the base of the wound between her eyes. My finger moved along the rest of the wound until her skin had healed exactly the way it had been.

Then I moved over to Piranha. Her head was turned away but her hands still clutched the wounded leg. I touched her thigh and put my other hand directly over the wound. She flinched at the feeling of skin stitching back together but said nothing.

Lastly, I turned to Nyx. I held out my hand and he gingerly placed his claw on top, uncurling his sticky fingers to do so. His other hand fisted his shirt from the pain of healing a deep wound. Only a few whimpers got through.

“Take Lucia home,” Alastor demanded Nyx as the boy stood up, “Then return home yourself. Your parents are waiting for you both.”

Nyx’s ears were drooping and if Lucia had a set they would also look like that. Nyx had always been aware of the deal between his father and Alastor, but it didn’t take long for the boy to develop his own sense of fear of the man.

Nyx grabbed Lucia’s hand and crept past Alastor. His eyes never left his shoulder as if scared that he would suddenly pounce on the poor boy. Lucia kept her head down as they left through the kitchen door.

Then Alastor turned his attention to the girls.

I stood up beside him, mirroring his stance with both arms behind his back. Our thoughts were clashing over how we wanted this to go down. We couldn’t agree.

“Change into proper clothing, then come down,” he commanded. The girls said nothing as they slowly pushed themselves to their feet. They walked down the short hall and climbed the stairs, eyes glued to the floor.

Alastor and I went into the living room. He sat in one of the chairs by the fire and pinched the bridge of his nose. I sat in the other chair and rested my forehead in my hands. That’s when I noticed I was shaking.

We had almost lost our girls. If I hadn’t found them in time they would’ve been dead. If my soul wasn’t somehow still tethered to those girls, we may have never found them. On top of that, they were almost killed by an unruly group of Humans rather than by some strong, powerful foe. Something so small and insignificant almost cost us our girls.

And they were employed by Vox no less. Whether or not he told his men my children were fair game didn’t matter. He was going to suffer the consequences more than what Wren and Piranha would.

Tapping filled the room. Tapping from Alastor’s claw on his cane, tapping from my finger on the armrest, tapping from his foot, and tapping from my tail. We hadn’t expended nearly enough violence to feel the just of almost losing our children.

I breathed out slowly through my mouth. I needed to calm down. I needed to be calm because Alastor was not. One of us needed to be rational and objective for this. Even as I thought that, I found I couldn’t calm the furry and panic still in my chest.

We almost lost them.

Alastor and I met eyes at the connected thought. Our bond had grown in the years and we were discovering more and more about its limits. We often had similar train of thoughts and feelings but literal thought phrases were never heard. It was a strange kind of connection, almost like our minds were melded into one, but somehow still kept each other out of our immediate thoughts.

The girls’ slow footsteps made our ears twitch. I took another deep breath as they gradually descended the stairs, prolonging the inevitable. I tried to remind myself that this was the first time they had just experienced a near death encounter. I wanted to wait to let them grasp that reality but the other part wanted to ram home the idea.

Piranha was dressed in her usual outfit: red, wide slacks and a black shortsleeve that ruffled loosely around her elbows. Wren wore her maroon dress pants and a plaid black and white vest. She had loose white sleeves underneath and topped with a white bow on her chest. This was one of her nicer outfits and she clearly chose to wear it to appease the parent who cared about appearances: Alastor.

They avoided eye contact as they sat on the couch. Muscle memory kicked in as they crossed their legs and folded their hands neatly in their laps. With their heads still bowed they made sure to sit up straight.

For a long time, no one said anything. The fire crackled and popped and the house creaked against the coastal wind. Alastor was attempting to choose his words wisely and I let him be the first to speak.

“What the hell were you thinking?” His voice was quiet and controlled despite the storm I could sense festering in his chest.

Neither girl answered.

The storm exploded. He slammed his cane down and shot to his feet. “What the hell were you thinking!”

“W-We just wanted to see,” Piranha squeaked, “All the stories—”

“Stories?” He crossed the carpet to stand directly in front of them. Their ears fell as they curled inward on themselves. “That’s what you were chasing? Stories where your parents almost died? You wanted to see the place that could’ve been your parent’s graves?”

Both girls hung their heads even lower.

Alastor’s free hand closed and opened repeatedly as he tried to tame the anger. I finally spoke up, “You’re lucky to be alive.”

“We know.”

“No you don’t know,” I snapped, “Those men nearly killed you. They didn’t care that you were children. You know they didn’t care. That’s a fraction of the world you’re playing in when you go out there. Yet you risked it anyways.”

“We didn’t think anyone knew about it,” Wren said quietly, daring a look past her father’s cane to her mother’s angry eyes.

“Of course people know about it.” I gestured widely to the side and leaned back in the chair. “People don’t ever stop talking about Blackwater. They don’t stop talking about the Human who nearly killed two of the most powerful Demons of the century.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“On top of it all, you nearly got your friends killed,” I went on, watching them both wince, “How do you think Husker and Angel and Lucas and Reagan would feel if they came back and were told their child was gone. That their child was dead. Murdered.”

“We get it!” Piranha barked, eyes turning black.

“No you don’t!” I jumped to my feet to meet the challenge. “You don’t know! You don’t know this world. You didn’t know what you were walking into, what you were risking. All four of you could’ve been murdered today and it was all for what? A thrill?”

Alastor stepped forward as Piranha crossed her arms and looked away. The tension still strung high in the air as everyone took a moment to breathe. Wren was in tears but kept quiet.

“Look at me,” he ordered.

Wren obeyed, wiping a tear, but Piranha was stubborn. After he told her again and she didn’t listen, he grabbed her chin and jerked it up to look at him. She bared her teeth but he didn’t respond, still holding her face as he spoke in a barely controlled tone.

“You think you’re invincible because you have magic. Because you’re our children and because you have Demonic and Angelic blood in your veins. But those stories…” The anger simmered down to reveal something a little more…personal. “Those stories leave out the blood, the loss, the pain, and the fear.”

Both girls blinked at him. He released Piranha’s chin but she continued to stare, sensing a deeper emotion that she had never known her father to express, let alone even have.

“You are not us,” he said with finality, “But you are our children. That paints a red mark on your backs. When you leave this city, the world wants a piece of you. You are safe here and have the luxury of growing up with two parents and training at a pace you enjoy. Why would you give that up?”

Silence hung even thicker in the air. Even I was shocked by his words. He was rarely that raw with me and this was the first time he was speaking to them like this. He was speaking to them like adults and he was speaking in such a caring way.

“We didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Wren’s voice cracked. “We just…”

“You never talk about him,” Piranha continued, her anger just as gone, “We only hear stories and we know they’re not always true or accurate. But you never talk about them.”

“Had it ever occurred to you that I wasn’t ready to?” I spoke this time. Their eyes widened. Both their parents were being vulnerable tonight. “Blackwater nearly took away my soulmate twice. And he did it without magic.”

“We fought hard to protect you from the world,” Alastor went on, “Not just from Blackwater. But from Humans and Demons and Angels alike. Don’t walk away from that just because you’re curious. There is nothing but danger awaiting you two.”

“I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time, a habit they had of doing.

I stood from the chair and came to kneel in front of them. Wren had already been silently crying but Piranha was dangerously close to letting a few slip. I held out my hands and waited for them to place their own on top.

“Every choice you make affects your future,” I stressed. I made sure to look them both in the eyes. “Whether that’s something small or something life threatening. Your choices have an impact on your life. Tonight, you chose wrong.”

They looked away again.

I squeezed their hands. “I am grateful that I was able to find you and get you back safe and sound. But next time we might not be able to get to you. Make your future choices wisely.”

I stood up and pulled them with me, hugging them close to my hip. They were already taller than most their age.

They didn’t respond right away. So I held them for a little bit longer until I felt the seals break. Tears soaked my clothes as they clung to me. The weight of everything had finally come crashing down.

Alastor watched and waited. They clung to their mother like a lifeline because she was, indeed, one. They were most likely coming down from the adrenaline rush of the experience and he felt they should be experiencing such a weight on their own. However, he knew I wanted to be a safety net for them. So he let it be.

Once their grips had loosened a bit, I kissed them on the head and told them to go to bed. They weren’t done crying but that was something to handle on their own. They watched me wipe my own tears before sniffling up the stairs to their rooms.

I padded over to the fireplace and stared at the flames. My previous thoughts were coming back to me. I had nearly lost them. They had nearly died. We had protected them for only ten years or so before they experienced their first life and death situation. I had been hoping it would be even longer.

Alastor gently rested his hand on my shoulder. His magic hummed just underneath my skin, wrapping around my mind like a snake. I didn’t respond to it. Everything was bubbling to the surface now that anger had stepped aside.

His hand moved along my back as he set his cane against the chair. I covered my eyes with one hand as a sob got stuck in my throat. I finally turned around and wrapped my arms around him and pressed my face into his jacket.

His strong arms held me close. His soul kept mine grounded and blocked out the other more dangerous thoughts. I tried to focus on the relief at having my girls back safely in their beds. But after everything that happened to us…it felt like too much of a close call.

“Did we fail them?” I whispered.

“No,” he said firmly, chest vibrating as he spoke, “But I fear they are a deadly combination of us.”

I couldn’t help the smile. “Guess they have your stupidity.”

He stiffened. “Excuse me?”

I clung to him and wrapped my tail around his legs as he tried to push me off. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Please hug me back.”

He relented with an irritated sigh. “They have your fire and bravery.”

“And your clever mind,” I added sweetly. I lifted my head and went up on my toes to steal a kiss. He followed me back onto my heels, his hair brushing my cheek as he leaned down.

“I suppose Rosie was right,” he said as he touched his forehead to mine, “We’re going to have our hands full the older they become.”

“But we’ll all be okay…right?”

Alastor looked into the fire for a moment. “Right.”

****

Vox growled as he pounded his phone again. Still no answer. Electricity sparked between his antenas as he and his lackey walked along the path to the front door of his station.

“Why isn’t this prick answering?” He shoved his phone in his pocket and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Uh sir…who are we talking about?” The little shark dared to ask.

“Chad. The one who’s running the Blackwater operation.”

“O-oh…what was he supposed to be do—”

Vox came to a halt and the shark ran right into his back. He was practically a fly compared to the TV Demon, bouncing off him without so much as a nudge or stumble. He peered around his boss and his jaw fell open.

Chad had been strapped just above the front door like a starfish. His face was covered in blood and his limbs looked like they had been snapped the wrong direction. On his forehead was green yellow stitching in an X shape and a wooden sign around his neck that read, “Tune in!”

Vox’s screen paled. That was why he hadn’t heard anything.

“What does this mean, sir?” the shark asked, voice wavering.

Vox swallowed on nothing. He scanned through the watches his men wore and through the horrible shakiness that being on a wrist brought, he was able to catch sight of certain red headed girls.

Everyone knew about his deal with the Dragon Demon. Everyone knew she and Alastor had children. Surely his men would’ve recognized them and known not to go anywhere near them. But…he never gave them explicit orders to leave them alone.

He blinked up at the dead man, already knowing what his screams were going to sound like on the radio. “This means we’re gonna be in trouble.”

————————

Author’s Note:

Well….well….well….I know this was heavily focused on the children but I really wanted to tap into their personalities and some of the parenting styles.

Who do you think picked which twin's name? :P

————————

Taglist:

@wendigonamecaller @saccharine-nectarine @martinys-world @thesimpybitch @papas-ghoulette @masochist-downfall @feral-fox-crypt

#demi demon #alastor the radio demon #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel #soulmate au #soulmates #reqs open

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year ago

Text

Riddle, Vil: A Family Affair

Riddle’s vignettes are so… interesting?? We can see how he’s trying to take small steps to have more agency. I like to think that, very slowly, he’s coming into his own as a young man, an entity separate from his mother.

It’s nice that Riddle’s Groovy shows him in a fun pose. You’d think that someone as strict as him wouldn’t want to fly abnormally, but you can tell it's a manner that's unique to him. Riddle may be upside down like Floyd is in his own Broomquet Groovy, but you can tell that there is a marked difference between the two. Riddle’s holding bis broom in a much more secure way, which is reflective of his personality, whereas Floyd is much more precarious in his pose. It reflects their personalities well!

And now we wait for Jamil’s Birthday Platinum Jacket SSR… 👀

A Boy in Bloom, and his Flowering Future.

“What do you want to do in the coming year?”

Riddle cleared his throat and stood straight as he provided his reply. He was the model student, interviewee... and, of course, birthday boy. "I would like to expand my culinary knowledge."

Vil arched a perfectly sculpted brow. "Judging by your prompt response, I take it that you studied the interview questions and prepared suitable answers for them in advance. How like you--but what a surprise that you have a goal that isn't related to school. You're infamous for your tenacity in that regard."

"I-I am capable outside of the realm of academics too!" Riddle hastily said with a frown. “… Though I admit I may be lacking in some departments. That is precisely why I would like to dedicate time and energy to strengthening my areas of weakness.”

"Oh, please. You can't possibly be as nightmarish at cooking as..." Vil paused, shuddering, "Lilia is."

The birthday boy paled at the mention of his senior. Lilia, who left kitchens looking like a natural disaster had torn through an active warzone. Lilia, who tossed in everything under the sink and then some. Lilia, who was known across campus for all manner of food borne illnesses and poisonings.

"Surely not!!" Riddle insisted. "I know how to read and follow a recipe! The issue lies in flexibility. Trey is able to make an entire meal just from leftovers, but I wouldn't be able to do the same."

"My, if you're concerned about food waste, couldn't you simply ask Trey to teach you? I'm certain he wouldn't refuse you. That man is too nice for his own good."

"Perhaps that's true. But even so... this is a skill I'd like to learn for myself. I don't want to become overly reliant on others' strength. What I must cultivate first and foremost is my own. To that end, I plan on enrolling in more Master Chef courses during my time at NRC. There are many styles of cooking I've yet to master. For example, Trey prepares meals that are very different from that of my mother."

"How so?"

"Well..." Riddle hesitated. The way he gnawed at his lower lip reminded Vil of an anxious rabbit--a far cry from the self-assured dorm leader he knew Riddle as.

"Mother cooks with nutrition as her priority. She is very health conscious and goes out of her way to ensure that I am eating what I need. When I am studying at home, she brews tea to drink. It's rare that my entire family comes together for a meal, given that we're all busy.

"Meanwhile, Trey's food is... I can't quite put a finger on it, but it's flavorful and fun, yet balanced. The experiences are unique from my time at home. Sometimes it's something warm, hearty, and comforting like hamburger steak. Sometimes it's something hopelessly indulgent and loaded with sugar, like tarts decorated with jewel-like fruits."

"Your eyes are shining." Vil smirked. "You enjoy his cooking that much?"

"I don't understand it myself," Riddle replied, scrunching his brows. "When Trey cooks, people are lured by the smell and gather around the table, wanting to join for the meal. It happened the other day when I was to eat with him and Cater. Ace and Deuce barged in on us, and... well, I suppose it wasn't all bad. We had a delightful conversation over lunch. There's something magical about that."

"There is a different feeling to eating with others than alone," Vil agreed with a slight nod. "My father and I can hardly align our schedules, so it's rare that we can sit down and eat together. Then again, maybe it's that rarity that makes us appreciate those moments all the more."

"That's right. It's a special spell that I realized I can't reproduce. Just memorizing the recipes and recreating them... that alone isn't enough."

"Fufufu, so you want to master that kind of 'magic'. That's surprisingly cute of you."

"N-No, you're mistaken! While it's true that cooking would come in handy for entertaining guests, it'd primarily be for self-sufficiency. After all, it's not as though I can always ask Trey or my mother to cook for me." Riddle shifted from one foot to another. "Someday, I'll have to move out of my dorm as well as my house, and live independently as a fine adult."

"Yes, cooking is an essential skill for that distant future. Have you already started on making those arrangements?"

"Er, not yet. I've been looking into it, but to actually take those first physical steps is... that is, I don't know how my mother would react."

"She sounds very stern from what you've told me of her. However, every mother must let her child go eventually."

"Maybe so, but I have never known my mother to back down from her beliefs. She's... not a woman you want to challenge." Riddle's voice strained at the final word. It was the lightest way he could put it, too afraid to acknowledge the whole truth. "I've tried to get her to hear me out, but..."

"If you can't draw that line in the sand now, then when? It will only make things more difficult for you when you start live alone."

"I'm fully aware of that." He couldn't bring himself to say more.

Vil sighed, bringing a hand to his temple. "... Listen, Riddle. Think of life as a stage, and you as the actor upon it. Worried about how the audience will react to your performance, working tirelessly to hone your craft.

“When the lights dim and the cameras turn off, the staff and the audience leave the theatre. You’ll be left only with your own thoughts. The onlookers may have one impression of you—but when the curtains fall, so long as you are proud of who you are away from the public eye, that, I think, is a sign of true maturity.

“If it’s courage and confidence that you seek, then you must work toward it. Never let your eyes stray from it. Even should the world deprive you of a happy ending, you must claw for it, believing that, someday, it will be yours.”

“Vil-senpai… Is this your way of encouraging me to see my goals through to the very end?”

His upperclassman scoffed. Thin, soft—like a rose petal, almost imperceptible as it passed upon a breeze.

“Think of it what your will. I merely speak from my own experience,” Vil replied. “We are both prideful NRC students at our very cores. Standing strong on our own two feet is something we all desire. That we can one day recognize that dream… It goes for us all.”

“Recognizing a dream, hm?”

How curious. I wondered not too long ago if it was really possible. Now, here I am, taking those first, small baby steps. A world where I can think for myself, live by my own rules… It sounds like a wonderland within my reach.

Soon, but not yet.

“… One day,” Riddle whispered to himself. “One day, I’ll be the person I want to be.”

Not the person I’m told to be.

A palm came against his back—a pat from Vil. “Really, I thought the dorm leader of Heartslabyul would know better than to mumble. You’re usually so good at barking at your card soldiers. Do remember to speak up—now, and forevermore.”

“I don’t recall asking for your advice.” Riddle brushed off his touch, stepping forward with his broom at the ready. Still, he chuckled. “… But yes, I will work on gathering my courage so that I may be comfortable leaving the nest. Thank you for your concern, senpai.”

“Ara, what cheek.” Vil tossed his golden locks. “If I’m to share the stage with you, then of course your skills must be on par with mine. Don’t you dare disappoint me, understood?”

“Hmph, when have I ever been the type to fall short of meeting expectations? Observe.”

Riddle confidently mounted his broom, assuming the position he had practiced many times over. There was a diagram of this exact pose in the mountain of textbooks he had in his dorm room. Straddling the handle between the legs, arms straight and steady, one hand gripped over the other, elbows locked.

He could have been the textbook diagram himself.

When Riddle looked up, he saw the vast sky, sunlight spilling across the sea that surrounded the island. Sunset on its way to soon paint the day with darkness.

The sky… It connects many different places and people. The future is stretching out before me, chalk full of possibilities.

Then… I can try, can I? To soar, to break free. Just this once…!!

Riddle’s hold on his broom tightened.

He called forth his magic, letting it pool around him in a shower of scarlet sparkles. The power collected, coalescing as a tingling warmth dancing across his skin, until he at last unleashed it in one burst. Like a cap popped off on a bottle.

Riddle buckled off, propelling into the air in a corkscrew motion. Rose petals fell free from his bouquet, perfuming the summer sky with them.

“Whew…!”

He stopped spinning, flying forward upside down. The world shifted, shapes and colors rearranging into a new perspective. His head and vision spun, seemingly colliding all of his senses against one another.

A moment or two later, and they had rattled neatly into place.

Riddle looked again, taking it all in. Rich gold dappling the grand spires of Night Raven College, the honeyed aroma of roses, the wind from on high tickling his lashes. The delicious freedom of flying freely.

“… Hah.”

Who knew it could taste so sweet?

#twst #twisted wonderland #Riddle Rosehearts #twst imagines #twisted wonderland imagines #twst scenarios #Vil Schoenheit #twisted wonderland scenarios #disney twisted wonderland #spoilers #Riddle birthday takeover #something no one asked for

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