#mave answers

[thesovereignsring-if]

The empress and king are sleeping together aren’t they 👀?

Someone get the reporter, sis has tea to SPILL .

This is be all over the papers tomorrow!!!

[fumiko-matsubara]

hihi! i remember seeing you set hype boy by newjeans as the song that would fit chiba and kaho, and i was wondering what other kpop groups you see them (or 3e too) listing to! i hope you’re having a good day!!

I've got a couple of groups in mind but I first need to let you know that:

Realistically, not everyone in 3E would be listening to kpop + I hardly pay attention to other groups these days 😭

Kaho - EXO

She's the kind of fan who would go through any lengths to find and buy that rare but ridiculously overpriced photocard of Kai 😭

With the group not being as active as they used to be, Kaho would most likely casually hops between fandoms. Typically a boy group stan.

Chiba - Stray Kids

Kaho has been trying to get Chiba into kpop, mostly to have a shared interest with him, and her hopes are far up because kpop artists do any sorts of music genre so there's a chance he might find something he liked.

He barely budged though since his music tastes are so specific and far from what's common among kpop groups. He'd find himself liking a song or two from a group, or in the extremely rare case, finds himself liking a whole album (such as Dark & Wild by BTS).

And then Stray Kids debuted 😁

Nakamura - XG

They're not really kpop though, but they're seriously the only group I think Nakamura would actually care about.

(Especially with the old school hiphop + rnb feel they had and will still have going on)

Kanzaki - Dreamcatcher

Along with AleXa, Rolling Quartz, Pink Fantasy, and PIXY... you could pretty much tell what kind of girl groups she's typically into just based on their concepts.

Irina - HYOLYN

Honestly this is more of a strong association between the two rather than Irina listening to her songs (she totally would though, same for SISTAR as a whole).

Just that, Irina being Christian gives off the same vibes as Hyolyn randomly pulling out a bible in her "what's in my bag" video 😭😭

Maehara and Okajima - early TWICE

I just have this tiny headcanon of Okajima being a fan of idol groups in general, and TWICE's popularity in Japan can easily put them in his radar.

Maehara would also begin listening to them since he liked their songs enough and they are everywhere.

Megu - current TWICE

On the other hand, I think Megu would be more into their later music as their group image matures along with their ages. The classy feel they have in their recent releases seem to be more right in her alley.

Yada - LE SSERAFIM

Listen,

LS SSERAFIM's branding of being this gathering of strong and confident women who are fearlessly facing their future, not letting others bring them down and the past to pull them back, just screams YADA to me.

I strongly believe that she'll love them.

Plus I think she'll enjoy dancing to their choreo.

[sanstropfremir]

i havent seen anyone bother you about mave yet(? maybe i missed it) so i wanted to bother you about mave. People are *saying* that theyre ripping aespa but i think both mave and aespa ripping k/da. k/da is very successful in their own right but companies need to know they cant replicate something like that,,, not authentically at least. k/da had built in lore, built in fanfare from other artists fanbases and interesting music. if companies arent even gonna TRY with any of that theres no point

no one has! they're.......fine i guess? i have nothing really to say about them bc they're just kind of middle of the road. i AM however inclined to agree with you that they are ripping k/da. aespa i think gets it more right and i don't mind their ae concept as much as i thought i would bc it's pretty much just used for story + worldbuilding purposes, which is what that kind of thing works well for. mave is....pretty much just the end product of k/da without any of the whole ass game that the characters in k/da are based on. i did actually write a post about k/da ages ago, but they very much were a passion project of riot's that they didn't really have an idea if the whole thing was gonna work or not. and it was the combination of all of the factors (being made by very passionate people, having extremely talented top of the line animators involved, the game's fandom, and smart utilization of the actual medium itself) that made them pop off like crazy, not the formula of 'pretty animated idol women'. aespa is at least combining both traditional idol forms with some of those animated elements, and is doing it in a way that's in line with sm's conceptual branding (i don't mean the kwangya stuff, i mean they've always done concepts around techno orientalism, going all the way back to h.o.t). i don't really know what the more nuanced deal with mave is bc i've only seen the mv and it didn't grab me so i haven't bothered to look for more about them, but when you get down to it: idols are characters, especially the human ones. we've just been conditioned not to recognize them as such bc the fantasy hinges on everyone agreeing that it's all real. it's the ultimate suspension of disbelief that everyone refuses to acknowledge. all the extra content is there to establish the 'world' that these idols live in, to build them up as characters in this little story that they play for our entertainment. with real live people it's very easy to convince an audience that what is happening is real, bc our brains are trusting and stupid, but with something that is NOT human, it's much harder. we automatically see where all the flaws are, and you cannot shortcut 'worldbuilding' with extra content like you do with an idol bc those people are not real so they would not be doing real people things. when you have animated characters with no grounding to a real person (that's where aespa gets it right), you NEED to have a story to establish where those characters are from because otherwise, what the hell is the draw? why should people care? especially when we don't really have unified stock characters as part of a cultural concensus atm. idk. maybe the novelty of it is drawing people in, but in my opinion this company missed the trees for the forest on what actually made k/da (and to some degree aespa) successful in the first place.

[oni-fae]

mobile friendly about.

[ last updated on July 19th, 2024. ]

.・。.・゜✭mini about✫・゜・。.

⚝ Oni. ⚝ White. ⚝ Genderfluid. Any pronouns. ⚝ Gemini, May 26th. 31 years old. ⚝ Gamer, artist, photographer. Small time streamer. ⚝ Awkward introvert, socially inept, mentally ill.

formerly midnight-faery. all blogs run off queue.

.・。.・゜✭other blogs and socials✫・゜・。. ❥ TTV Blog ❥ Roleplay Hub Blog ❥ Secret Blog ❥ Secret Blog

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[hjnxx]

not 100% sure what you have in mind but based on what you've mentioned so far about the group's sound I have a few songs that come to mind for title tracks (not including aespa/xg) :

category 1 (songs that could fit with the lore/concept)

- pirate/first by everglow (this could be somehow linked to ateez lore)

- drama by aespa

- pandora by mave

- memem by purple kiss

- born to be by itzy

- dice by nmixx

category 2 (they're just fun and random)

- would you run by tribe

- la di da by everglow

- bad girl by wooah

- rising by triples

- bon bon chocolat by everglow

- venom by bvndit

- baddie by ive

those were just a few ideas that I could think of, I'm sure there's more but this all I have for now

-🥝

some of the songs i have in their playlist are listed here but some of them i didn’t even consider bc i heavily associate it with that group specifically 😭 like i have ive in there ( i am, blue blood, heroine ) but baddie is so ive that im like. should i really… but micha doing the baddie challenge isnt out of the question. so i think ill leave baddie to ive just bc i wanna see wonyoung and micha interactions !

[watermelonlovershigh]

The Rated R Card Game {part 6.} (housemate!harry series)

Returning Favors {part 5.} (housemate!harry series) (SMUT)

AN: this part took me the longest to write because i couldn't get the wording right and kept having to switch things up. this is mainly a filler chapter meaning not much happens but will be needed for context later in the series. i hope you enjoy. let me know what you think. thank you for reading.

This story contains: mentions of bisexuality, mentions of threesomes, mentions of kissing, mentions of mommy and daddy kink, mentions of sexual stuff in general, mentions of a safe word being used, fluff

{ housemate!harry - friendrry - soft!harry - au!harry }

word count- 1,977

Your friends Mave and Charlotte come over to yours and Harry's house to eat pizza, drink wine, chat, and play a very rated R card game.

Friday has finally arrived and you are filled with excitement. Your friends Mave and Charlotte are coming over to meet Harry for the first time. After spending a few hours working on your computer, you got up and started tidying around Harry's living room, which was already clean as he maintains a fairly tidy house. You took out the card game you intend to play tonight and set it on the coffee table. The only thing left is the alcohol, but Harry will be picking some up on his way home from work.

After leaving the school where he teaches at, Harry drove to a nearby shop and obtained the wine you had requested. You'd asked Charlotte and Mave about their choice of alcohol and they recommended wine to prevent themselves from getting too intoxicated by stronger spirits. Upon arriving home, Harry placed the wine bottles in the refrigerator to chill, and then hurriedly went to take a quick shower.

At approximately seven o'clock, your friends arrived at your home via Uber, as they foresaw the possibility of becoming too intoxicated to drive home later in the night. You introduced them to Harry and they formed a liking to him instantly. In a playful manner, they whispered to you that they may just steal him away from you, that's how much they liked him. Plus, attractive wise, they thought he was hot.

Harry kindly ordered a pizza to the house and the four of you gathered in the living room, indulging in the large pizza accompanied by several glasses of wine. Essentially, you all spent a delightful two hours eating, drinking, and having great conversations in the living room. Mave and Charlotte made quite the impression on Harry. They were incredibly easy to be around and had a remarkable talent for lightening the atmosphere with their jokes, especially during moments of high tension. They possessed a fearless nature and were never hesitant to speak their minds.

Once everyone was stuffed with pizza, you pick up the card game you had sat on the coffee table earlier in the day and announce, "Okay, game time."

"How does this game work exactly?" Harry asks, followed by a giggle. Yep, he was definitely tipsy.

You open the box and pull out the stack of cards. You know there's a correct way to play this game but you wanted to make up your own rules, just to spice things up. "Okay, so basically I'm gonna leave the stack of cards in the middle of the table. We'll each take turns picking a card but to make it fun, we all have to potentially answer every question, no matter who pulled it. Each card has either questions or something we must confess. If you don't feel comfortable answering one then you must take a sip of wine. Got it?"

"Seems easy enough." Charlotte exclaims with a clap of her hands.

"Hey, can I pick first?" Mave asks eagerly and you all agree.

As everyone sits around the coffee table on the floor, Mave reaches for the top card and giggles as she silently reads it. "You've got to actually read it out loud." Charlotte remarks in a sassy tone.

"Okay, okay," Mave retorts before repeating what the card says out loud this time. "Have you ever made out with a guy in the back of a car before?"

You, Mave, and Charlotte each say "yes" with confidence before stealing a glance towards Harry, hoping to gauge his response to the question. To your surprise, he appears bewildered and voices his confusion. "What kind of questions are these? I was expectin' somethin' light-hearted, not about romantic encounters," he queries.

You pick up the game's box and point to the bottom right corner where it shows the R rating. Once he notices, he mutters an, "Oh fuck!", taking a swig of his red wine for dramatic effect. "But um, yes I have."

Charlotte and Mave are surprised to learn that he's kissed a guy. Not in a judgmental way but they are genuinely shocked considering how much you confide in them about Harry's feelings for you. It seems you forgot to mention that Harry was bisexual, but then realize it's not your place to inform them of that anyways. Charlotte boldly questions Harry, "You've made out with a guy before?"

Harry nods his head in agreement and casually states, "Yes, m' bisexual. Y/n didn't inform you of that?" Though he knows one's sexuality isn't something people tend to share, he knew you shared nearly everything with these two friends so he's surprised you didn't let his sexuality slip up in a conversation before. But knowing you didn't share makes him feel all warm inside. It shows how much you care and respect him.

The woman shakes her head to indicate she was unaware. Harry typically never feels anxious about sharing his bisexuality as he finds that most individuals are accepting or simply don't care. Although he occasionally encounters negative reactions, mostly from the people he's seeing, he makes an effort to try and not allow those to affect him.

"My turn," you announce, reaching for the next card to advance the game. "Ohhh, a confession. How intriguing. Do you tend to be more dominant or submissive in bed? Mhm...... as for me, it's quite simple. I can be either, depending on my mood."

"No way," Harry interjects, "m' also a switch. Just depends on the person and the mood m' in at that moment." As you glance at one another, you can feel a secret message being conveyed through just your eyes alone. One that's saying you're meant to be. A perfect match, some would consider. Because it's rare for both people in a relationship to be dominate some times and submissive other times.

Mave and Charlotte affirm they're both complete submissives, leaving Harry to select the next card. "Tell us about the most outrageous experience you've had during a sexual encounter. Uhm, let me think on that for a moment."

"Oh, I know." Mave speaks, "For me, I'd have to say being double penetrated."

"You what?" you gasp at her answer, unaware of this encounter she's had. She usually tells you everything but you guess she's been keeping this one a secret.

With a playful giggle, she admits, "Back in uni, I had a few threesomes, and one of them involved double penetration. It was painful at first but the pleasure that followed was incredible." Her confession triggers a vivid image of you in Harry's mind, arousing him at just the thought of having a threesome with you. But he wonders if you were open to that idea.

"Personally, I tied a man to the bed once and rode him while he wore a cock ring. Although it was pleasurable for me, the man experienced tons of discomfort. So I decided to let him come after an hour." you answer the question. It wasn't super outrageous but you weren't that freaky in bed. Again, all Harry can think about is you doing that to him and at this point he has to set one of the couch pillows in his lap without looking too suspicious. He's now actually hard in his pants.

After thinking for a minute more, Harry's ready to answer. "I guess my answer would be, this one time I let a girl fuck my throat with her strap-on. Let's just say my throat was bruised for days." Fuck, now it's you conjuring up images of possibly doing that to Harry. You don't own a strap-on but you sure as hell would go out and buy one if he agrees.

Charlotte optes to taking a drink of wine instead of answering and then picks a card beings it's her turn now. "Have you ever had to use your safeword during sex? Thankfully no. What about you all?"

Harry and Mave both said no as their answer, whereas you, on the contrary, chose to take a sip of wine. You could have easily said the truth, which would have been yes, but then would've had to provide an explanation for their curious minds. And you'd prefer not to do that in front of everyone, especially as it regards the situation where you had to use your safe word. It evokes a very unpleasant memory. Nevertheless, you can see a compassionate expression on Harry's face and have a feeling he'll bring it up at a later time.

The game continues with questions like, "Where is the most unusual place you have engaged in sexual activity?" "What is your preferred sexual position?" "Have you ever accidentally called out the wrong name during sex?" "Do you secretly have a mommy or daddy kink?" Harry's responses were as follows: in a club bathroom, preferring missionary with women to see their expressions and opting for the doggy style with men, almost moaning the wrong name (which happened to be yours), and has only ever jokingly used the terms daddy or mommy if his partner was interested in that kind of stuff.

Your responses to those particular questions consisted of: the bathtub, missionary or spooning position, almost saying Harry's name but correcting yourself before it was on the verge of slipping out, (though you didn't share to them it was Harry whoms name it was), and lastly, although you're not actually into the whole kink, you've humorously said daddy once to cater to your partner's wishes. Which made you cringe so bad immediately after.

By the time eleven o'clock rolled around, all of you were considerably intoxicated. Though most of you managed to answer every question, you've still been continuously sipping from your wine glasses with multiple refills. In a drunken manner, your friends suggested, "Maybe we should call an umb... uber...."

Rising on wobbly legs, Harry retorts, "Why don't you both stay if you want? I'm sure Y/n wouldn't mind you sleepin' in her bed, and she can sleep with me in mine. That way you won't have to go home drunk." Harry is literally the sweetest.

"You sure?" Mave asks, looking at both of you for confirmation.

You nod, agreeing, "Yeah, yeah. That's fine. Just don't puke in my bed, please." remembering all the times where they've gotten sick from being too drunk.

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

With Mave and Charlotte settled in your bed, you made your way to Harry's room across the hall. He was busy arranging the pillows and covers. Just as you were about to join him in bed, you remembered, "Wait a minute, I need to use the bathroom."

Harry bursts into laughter. "Is that so? You didn't realize that when you were in the hallway?"

"Hey, no laughing at me!" You exit the room and hurry to the bathroom located in the hallway. Upon your return, Harry is already tucked in under the duvet, with only the lamp providing a dim light. As you join him, and he reaches over to switch off the lamp.

Now in the dark bedroom, Harry shuffles closer to you for a cuddle and whispers, "You're not gonna puke in my bed are you?"

You playfully swat at his chest and confirm, "No, I'm not that drunk, silly. But I will have a killer headache in the morning. Night."

"Night, sleep tight." Harry leans in and plants a tender kiss on your lips, momentarily catching you off guard. However, you quickly embrace the intimate moment, realizing that receiving these small, affectionate kisses from him for no specific reason is something you should start getting accustomed to. After all, it's a typical aspect of being in a relationship, isn't it?

As you gradually drift off to sleep, your mind becomes consumed by the lingering sensation of Harry's lips meeting yours and the burning curiosity to discuss the explicit answers he provided during the rated R card game earlier.

(PLEASE REBLOG BECAUSE WRITING IS NOT EASY AND IT'S FREE SO JUST DO IT)

(no more tags are allowed because i've hit my number limit. sorry : ( )

tag list: @one-sweet-gubler // @harryscherrysugar // @hsfanficsrecss // @lollypopsx // @harrycanyonmoonn // @allthelovehes // @damnasstyles  // @mrsstylesharry // @softmullet  // @meetmyblondemuffins  // @thegirlnextdoorssister // @stanleystyles  // @haarrrys // @michellekstyles  // @skyangel57   // @the-gardener-31 // @lhharrylilpumpkin // @yousunshine-youtemptress // @clairestylessss  // @kissmyaxe140  // @goldenmelonsugar-hi // @kaitieskidmore97 // @florencepughily  // @alienorknight //@dancearoundthelivingroom  // @swiftmendeshoran

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______________

My Masterlist Masterpost

Spontaneous Pleasures {part 7.} (housemate!harry series) (SMUT)

[leafyaa]

The Time He Lied

"Kuni.. Are you okay?" You asked as you noticed his distant face. He had been like this for the last few days, just suddenly!

He looked tired too as you could see eyebags forming under his eyelids. He sometimes dozed off during lunch time, leaning against your shoulder as you looked worryingly at him.

"I'm.. Fine.. Don't worry about it." He spoke, it was clear he wasn't being truthful to you and you weren't going to let it slide. He was your boyfriend after all and you were supposed to care for him like a real girlfriend!

You pulled him closer towards you, locking him into your arms and burying your face into his neck.

"I know you aren't telling the truth. You can't just say you're fine while looking like this.. I know you've been feeling bad the last couple of weeks but you look worse now.. I'm worried.." You spoke softly, you almost wanted to cry. You weren't enough to console him. He needed his mom. But his mom was unavailable. She was still mourning Shogun's death.

And you too. Not as much as Kuni's mom or Kuni himself but still you thought about it every night. About how you couldn't see the signs.. How you were not being a good enough friend to her.. How you couldn't safe her..

Those thoughts of your dear friend made you cry.. Kunikuzushi felt your tears staining his skin and he turned around, removing the arms from his body.

It was time for him to comfort you and he pulled you onto his chest and laid back on his bed.

"Don't cry N/n.. I don't want you to cry.." He spoke softly and rubbed circles on your back.

"S-sorry.. I'm s-sorry.." You cried out. You felt extremely guilty. You failed your friend. You were failing your boyfriend..

"I meant it earlier. I'm really fine. I was pulling a couple of all-nighters.. That's all." He lied. But you didn't know that. He sounded so sincere, tricking you into believing he was just exhausted from studying and insufficient sleep.

When in reality the last couple of nights he snuck out to a hidden Fatui lab that was established a couple of years ago..

All night long a particular doctor tested his concoctions on his body, mixing and matching until he got his desirable result.

He still had bandages wrapped around his torso but well hidden for no one to suspect.

Not even you. He didn't want you to see that side of him. So he lied. The first time he lied to you.

Did he like lying to you? Of course not! He hated it, he despised lying to you but he couldn't involve you.

So this was the start of multiple lies.. Lies that made him shelter himself from everyone little by little...

⇠ previous ⭒ masterlist ⭒ next ⇢

Notes:

First Memory Bubble!! This is set in 2046 as I've put on too of the chapter so that was back when Y/n was 15 and Kunikuzushi was 16. If you have any questions feel free to ask and maybe I can answer them (depending on if I have to reveal more than I want to).

Summary:

You've dated Scaramouche in your high school and college years but just as you wanted to announce your pregnancy to him he broke up with you without any reason. He left you to be a single mom for 7 years. But now that your daughter has been missing and abducted for a year and you've not been doing well and out of a sudden he showed up into your life again trying to apologize for his past mistakes..?

Taglist:

@swivy123 @kichiyosh1 @wwwrizchan @k1t0 @killumeow @pinkdreamerbailifflawyer-blog @samarill @xiaotopia @aqualesha @eattingshits @omoriaddict @mave-in @sketcheeee @xiaossocksniffer @elernity @ohmyfinggod @luvkvni @kunikissr @meadowofdarts @kaoriie @scaramochies @ekriis @rizakari @xxrexx @lovingveliona @magica-ren @lilybythevalley @theflatdoorkicker @lazy-sanns @reixtsu @fullw0rld @kunikuzushis-darling @childesgingerhair

[janicho88]

I Got You- Chapter 1

Pairing- Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Female!Reader

Word count- 963

Warnings- Some language, mentions of domestic violence, and abuse, abusive boyfriend, hurt reader. If I missed something please let me know.

A/N- Birthday post 2. This one has been sitting in my WIP since last fall. First Jake story, I hope I can do him justice. The first few chapters will be a little heavy, but we will move past that.

Summary- When you have finally reached a breaking point, you call the one person you trust for help. He’s never seen you as more than a friend, but he is the person you know you’re safest with.  It’s been months since he has had so much as a text from you, but Jake Seresin would do anything for the Navy princess he met years ago.  The pilot knows she means more to him than he ever will to her, but he will do anything for her

Series Masterlist

After a long first day of being back at Top Gun, Jake is sitting at the bar of the Hard Deck nursing his first beer of the night.  Some of the other aviators from this detachment are by the pool table, after spending the day around them, he isn’t inclined to head over right now.  The bar itself isn’t crowded yet, the night’s still early. 

“I don’t usually see you sitting at my bar by yourself, you alright?”  Penny questions as she wipes down the empty bar around him.

“Yeah, just been a long day Penny.” he returns with a slight smirk.

“Are you sure that’s all?”  The bartender remembers Jake from his first go around at Top Gun.  Maverick’s Goddaughter brought him in on his first night in town, and introduced Jake to Penny.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  The pilot is staring at his beer before he speaks again.  “Did you know the man we threw out last night was a Captain, and an instructor at Top Gun?”

“Oh God, Pete’s your instructor?”  Much to Jake's frustration she laughs.

“Sure is, not really the best first impression one wants to make.”

“Don’t worry, that man has made much worse first impressions.” 

“Doesn’t really help me now, Penny,” Jake responds with a shake of his head, and takes a drink of his beer.  He has every intention of leading this mission, and last night’s little incident isn’t the best way to make that happen. 

“There’s a blonde over by the wall who's been staring at you for a good ten minutes if you’re looking for company to take your mind off Mave,” she teases as she moves to help another patron. 

Shaking his head once more, Jake’s attention goes back to the beer in front of him. It isn't long before his phone rings and he pulls it out of his pocket, not bothering to look at the caller ID before answering.

“Hello.”

No one responds, but he can faintly hear breathing on the other end.

“Hello,” he tries again with a little impatience in his tone. 

“J..Jake?  Where are you?”

He pulls the phone away from his ear and looks at the caller ID.  Seeing the number he assumes his eyes are playing tricks on him.  He hasn’t heard from you in a few months. 

“Are you there?  Please…I..”

He can hear the desperation in your voice now.

“I’m still here princess, little surprised to be hearing from you though.  What’s going on?”

“Are you in Lemoore?”

“No, I’m actually…” he’s cut off by your sob.

“What’s wrong?  Talk to me Y/N,” he pleads, turning away from the bar.

“I… I… need help,” you finally whisper.

“Where are you?”  Jake stands and throws some money down to cover his drink and tip Penny before hurrying out of the bar.

“I’m in L.A., but if you’re not in Lemoore…”

“I’m at Top Gun, I’m on my way.  What’s your address?”

He puts it in his GPS as he speeds out of the parking lot and toward the highway determined to get to you as quickly as he can.  He keeps you on the phone the entire drive, but here isn’t much said between the two of you.  Jake does his best to console you over the phone as he listens to your tears.  When he asks if your boyfriend is around, you just start crying harder.  The urge to punch someone or something growing inside of him.  Pushing the speed limit the aviator gets to your apartment in just under 2 hours, you buzz him in and he’s running up the stairs to your apartment.

Still on the phone with you, Jake lets you know he’s outside your door.  The man is slightly confused when the door opens and he doesn’t see you.  Carefully walking inside he looks around the room and quickly turns when the door shuts behind him. His longtime friend is standing behind the door with her head down and hair covering her face, he slowly reaches out to lift her chin and push the hair back. Jake can’t help the gasp that escapes as he takes in the sight in front of him, as she recoils from his touch.

“Y/N, princess, what happened?  Who did this?”   

Unable to answer Jake’s question, you return to staring at the floor.  Maybe you shouldn’t have bothered your friend, but you didn’t know what else to do.  You knew if Jake was still at Lemoore he would help you.  Tonight was the worst it’s been and you were terrified of what the next time would bring. 

“Sweets, did Josh do this to you?”  Jake is seeing red, trying to rein his temper in for your sake.  He never cared for your boyfriend, and if he finds out this is that man’s doing, Jake won’t be holding himself back next time he sees him.  There are bruises forming on your left cheek and chin, and dried blood near your nose. Your left arm has some cuts he can see from the ripped sleeve of your shirt. 

The only answer he receives is a slight nod of the head.

“Where is he?”  When you don’t respond he tries again.  “He isn’t here right?”

You shake your head no, before finding your voice.  “Probably at the bar getting drunk and finding a better girl to go home with,” you mumble.

Jake can’t keep himself away any longer he comes and slowly wraps you up in a hug holding you close to him.  You are tense when he first touches you, but slowly melt into his hold. This spurs on another round of tears, you can’t believe you still have any left.

“Okay, we need to get you out of here before he comes back.”

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 2

Tagged-

[shiro-00s]

heaven on earth

19. knock knock .. !

[ genshin impact smau / idol!xiao x fem!reader ]

IM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY, I GOT SHADOWBANNED FOR A FEW DAYS 🙁💔

heaven on earth - 19. knock knock

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synopsis ; 🗝️ — in which you befriend your next door neighbour who, unbeknownst to you, was apart of a soon-to-be one of the most popular bands throughout liyue. you're unable to tell if cupid was helping you or not when things with xiao keept going up and down. will he continue to keep his secret from yours truly?

NOTES — there was an anonymous ask that was complimenting my work and everything- i loved it 💔 but my dumbass answered it when i was shadowbanned and i had to delete it (im heartbroken) if ur the anon, pls send an ask again or dm me, im so sorry 🙁🙁😞 ily fr

TAGLIST [OPEN] — @mikctp @ghostlysyntaxed @kazemiya @nnasv @gojoandelsalovechilde @candy-purple-cyanide @kissingkzuha @zyilas @lunaavity @luminescent-light @mave-in @rizakari @riikyu @kokoscutie @starsxnight @sketcheeee @softlie @izakyun @xiaxilia @the-sweet-madame @rifran @milkwithspiceyicecubes @coffeethoughtsandanxiety @rxkan7 @goodthingimsam @pomeiu @fogturtle @farelady-fate @tzu-scara143 @wonderful-worlds @cianalikesbeans @h3xi2g0n3 @jasxiao2317 @rosaryia @proserpinarom4 @offeliaswonderland @ynverse @whats-humanity-lol @gekkow @yuaenri @noosa11 @erosdevil

(ask to be added or removed)

[colormepurplex2]

On Wings of Mist & Memories | Oath Breaker

↳  DragonRider!Jungkook x FieldScribe!f.Reader ⤜ Enemies to Lovers, Exiled Royalty, High Fantasy ⤜ Rating: MA | angst ⤜ WC: 11,632 ⚠️ Crass language, talk of war, blood, mild violence, flashback minor character death, mild sexual tension, suggestive inner thoughts

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Glossary Mave - dragon rider who can wield magic, tethered to the soul of their dragon when they bond (death for both if one dies) Psion - infinite memory/recall Reaver - a dragon that can wield magic, tethered to the soul of the rider they bond (death for both if one dies) Noks - infantry soldiers, humanoids who can enter berserk/rage mode Rider - regular dragon rider, no magic, uses bows or scouts Brute - riderless dragon, usually wild and very dangerous Wielder - magic user, no dragon needed Signis - the designated/specific type of power someone wields Helnite - metal ore that can cut off magic from its user

It’s not cold in the Andos Forest like in the mountains. In fact, it’s the opposite with sweltering heat and thick humidity. It reminds you of growing up in the farming villages near the Southern Garrison. Stretches of open farmland, open to the blaze of the sun and humidity coming off the ocean to the south. You haven’t missed the constant stickiness coating your skin or how breathing became harder as the sun peaked in the sky.

The constant trickle of sweat down your body and the cottony feeling in your mouth makes it hard to sleep. Your clothes are fur-lined and thick, even your boots, which are making your feet ache from how warm they are. You’d give anything for a drink of water or for Shadowsword to come back and finish shredding your clothing—the heat is clearly making you delirious.

“Goris, you awake?” you ask, trying to blink the sweat from your eyes.

You haven’t heard anything from him ever since Shadowsword left, and that was hours ago, you’re sure. The tent fell into silence, you and Goris both closing in on yourselves. Whether lost in thought—you—or trying to compartmentalize the whole-body ache from getting tortured—Goris—there wasn’t much to be said then.

But, now, after trying and failing to get some sleep, you want to use what little time you have left before Shadowsword returns—there’s no telling how long that’ll be, could be hours more, could also be just a few minutes—to your advantage. It’s hard to gauge the passage of time or where the sun and moon are without being able to see the sky. The canvas of the tent is thick, and the overhead mage lights neither dimmed nor brightened with indication.

You watch as Goris’ chest rises and falls with a deep breath before a sigh whistles between his swollen, blood-crusted lips. “Hard to sleep with the pounding in my head. Quite certain that asshole concussed me.”

“Thank you…for what you did. For trying to keep him away from me.”

He grunts. “You stopped him from pounding my face further.” His jaw pops as he works it like he’s trying to ease the tension from the swelling. “It was the least I could do.”

Silence fills the space again, making you feel awkward as you form your next sentence. “How do you know him?” There is no need to specify who the ‘him’ is. With the way Goris shifts uncomfortably under his shadow bonds, you can tell he was expecting you to question him about it eventually.

You’re not sure he will answer you with the pregnant pause he allows to settle between you. The swelling in his face is getting worse, his left eye is completely swollen shut, and there is a weird bend in his nose that wasn’t there before. You watch as he continues to shift, flexing his fingers where they rest on his thighs and rotating his ankles, the heel of his boot drawing ruts in the dirt. 

Goris has always been kind to you, if a bit standoffish in a broody sort of way. You’re sure he fancied General Marvick on a deeper level than just as his commanding officer. He’s not an unattractive man. His auburn hair is braided tight to his skull and dangles down his back. His eyes have an amber hue, not quite brown but not orange either. You think, in another life, one without wars and violence, he and Marvick would have made a great couple.

Thoughts of Poli have you pressing your lips into a thin line. Now isn’t the time to linger on thoughts of the dead. You need answers, information, something you can store in your arsenal for later use. The more you know about Shadowsword—the exiled fucking Prince of the Golden Kingdom of Bolas—the more chance you have of getting out of here alive and with at least some of your dignity intact.

“I taught him how to wield a blade,” Goris finally says, his voice low but carrying to you in the quiet of the tent. “When he was just a boy, I was the weapons master at the palace. I was there the day his Signis manifested, and the day he bonded with his dragon. I’ve known him for a long, long time.”

That explains the familiarity Shadowsword showed Goris. It’s clear they had a bond. You don’t work so close with someone for an extended period and not grow close to them. Your heart threatens to squeeze tight as you think about your own time spent so close to someone—you shove that feeling away again before it can take hold.

“How do we get out of here?”

Goris grunts a laugh that turns into a pain-filled cough. His breaths wheeze as his coughing tapers off. “I don’t think there is any getting out. Not for me, at least.” The words are spoken solemnly. “Look at me,” he commands, embodying the commander that he is. “No matter what he does, you remember your training. You may not have learned swords and shields, girl, but you can fight just as well without them. Use your words, mind, and body if you have to…you’ve been trained for this. Don’t let him win.”

The one amber-hued eye you can see glints in the mage lights as he stares you down until you give one quick downward jerk of your chin. May the wings of death be swift if ever I let loose my tongue. You repeat the Psion mantra that was hammered into you from day one of your training. Goris is correct. You may not know how to swing a sword, but you know the mind is a far sharper weapon anyway.

You have little time to think about that or ask Goris for more information. A gruff voice draws your attention to the tent's flap momentarily before it’s drawn aside, and Shadowsword steps in. It’s a bit surprising to see him not wearing his armor. You were sure the gold and iron were what made him seem larger than life, but you now realize he’s just as intimidating without it.

Black hair, wet from sweat or a bath, covers his forehead and curls around his ears. It’s not slicked back like yesterday when he took his helmet off. Maybe it was the shock, but you don’t remember seeing the small metal jewelry adorning his mouth or the whole sleeve of ink covering his right arm. He looks like an entirely different—but no less dangerous—person.

He’s wearing a light linen top with the sleeves ripped off and the ties at the neck undone enough that you can clearly see the shadowy depth between the muscles of his pecs. As he moves into the small space, the shirt breezes open enough that you catch a glimpse of black curling from his left peck to over his shoulder. But, the fabric bunches and moves as he crosses his arms over his chest, obscuring it before you can decipher what it is.

“Good morning, friends.” The cheerfulness in his voice doesn’t fit the way he’s standing there, feet shoulder-width apart, arms banded over his chest, hips slightly tilted forward. His stance screams predator, while his tone offers up what you know is undoubtedly a false sense of security. You can already tell it will be tricky to navigate around this man. He’s cunning, dangerous, and completely removed from what you’re used to—that much is clear.

“You don’t get to call me friend, Jeon, not after everything you’ve done,” Goris harumphs.

Shadowsword swings around to face him. You can’t see his expression, but the confusion on Goris’ face makes you curious. “Have you ever thought to stop and ask any questions, Rit? Or are you just mindlessly following and believing anything and everything that comes out of my father’s mouth? You know, I always thought you were the smart one, someone that might at least be curious enough to do his due diligence regarding people he cares about. But, maybe you never did care as much as it seems.” Those thick, broad shoulders push up in a shrug before he reaches back and pulls two shiny, metal, circular collars from where they were tucked against the small of his back, hooked into a holster you hadn’t noticed before.

“I-is that…are those Helnite collars?” Goris chokes out the question, his confusion replaced with wild panic.

“Just a precaution, Rit. You understand, don’t you?”

Before Goris can respond, Shadowsword crouches before him and swiftly clamps one of the collars around his neck. The sound he makes can only be described as a wail of mourning. He thrashes so violently against the tent pole that the whole structure sways as he continues to bellow and curse.

“Did he say Helnite?” you whisper. Despite how loud Goris is, Shadowsword still seems to hear you. He pivots where he’s crouched before Goris. Those dark, calculating eyes appraise you. A new wave of sweat breaks out across your brow and down your neck, competing with the chills working their way down your body as that look alone confirms your fear.

Helnite is the only thing in all of Filasdurn that can cut off a magic user from their power. The glittery silver ore is mined in Lork, the land where dragons supposedly originate from. No one knows more than that, as travel to and from Lork is forbidden, thanks to a centuries-old peace treaty between them and The Golden Kingdom of Bolas.

When Helnite is smelted down, it can be forged into weapons or imprisonment implements. When formed into a completed circle, it acts as an instant castration of any and all power. The use of it on innocent humans has been outlawed for decades. It’s been limited to being only used on criminals or Brutes in the wild that need to be caught for gentling so they can bond.

You’ve never been subjected to Helnite, with it being outlawed and you not being a criminal and all that, but you’ve seen the effects of it. It’s different for each magic wielder. The magic between a Mave and their Reaver is soul-deep—which is why when one dies, the other does, too. Right now, with that collar around his neck, Goris has been completely cut off from Ripley. It’s been explained to you that it feels like a piece of your soul is literally missing, the pain immense and full of dark thoughts—death without dying. It can leave lasting, unseeable scars, even after it’s removed and the connection re-established.

As for other magic users, such as yourself, it’s said to feel like—the collar snaps into place, your mind instantly goes blank, and you cannot finish your internal thoughts. Your chest rises and falls in rapid succession, the air wheezing from your lungs. The metal burns where it touches your skin, setting an instant ringing in your ears. A thick, cottony feeling pulses through your head, like the beginnings of a migraine.

“You’re going to kill her!” Goris yells.

“Is it too much?” Shadowsword asks. His voice is soft, almost sounding like he really cares.

You blink to clear your vision, and he slowly comes into focus. There is concern on his face as he kneels on one knee beside you. He’s close enough that you can smell the soft, clean scent of soap coming off of him. If your arms weren’t bound to your sides by his shadows, you wouldn’t have to reach far to touch his face. The sudden urge to smooth your fingers over his furrowed brow has your fingers twitching.

“If I say ‘yes’,” you have to pause to think, “will you take it off?” Your voice warbles, and your tongue feels too thick. It’s weird to have to think of how to form words. The effects of the Helnite impact everything. For someone like you, that means all your cognitive functions as well. It’s a weird sensation, feeling like your thoughts must slide through thick mud before they can form.

“Helnite isn’t typically used on Psions,” he says as if you don’t already know that. Though, you’re not sure if you do? Everything feels so uncertain, like you know nothing about anything but also still know everything all at once. It’s disorienting. “I was told it should be okay. And it’ll only be until you agree to cooperate.”

Your lips twitch, and you open them to respond, just for them to slide closed again. You shake your head instead, trying to tell him that won’t ever happen. He’ll get no help from you.

“You’re going to kill her!” Goris says again, his voice cracking, hoarse from screaming.

“Ripley is fine! I’m not going to kill your Reaver. I wouldn’t do that.” Shadowsword glares over his shoulder at the still-struggling man.

“Not Ripley, you idiot. Her!” He jerks his head in your direction. “That’ll destroy her! Helnite shouldn’t be used on a Psion of her caliber! She’s as good as dead if you keep it on!” Goris yells, sucking in air between his raging words. He’s still thrashing, rattling the canvas all around. “She’ll become a shell of a human, suck the life right out of her! She needs her magic more than any of us!”

Shadowsword’s glare softens out to a slight frown. “There’s no real proof of that. The archives are just full of speculation.” The roar of a dragon rings through the air somewhere outside the tent, and Goris screams along with it. “Fucking hells,” Shadowsword curses, pushing to his feet and throwing back the tent's flap. “Get her back under the shield, now!”

“W-what?” you try to ask them what’s going on, but the question only comes out as a single word instead of a complete sentence.

Just as abruptly as it began, Goris’ and the dragon’s cries stop. Thick pants fill the air, Goris trying to heave in air. His face is a deep scarlet, nearly purple from how long he was screaming without breathing. “Fuck. You.” Tears cascade down his ruddy cheeks, and his mustache quivers as he chokes back sobs. “You’ll pay for this, Jeon.”

This is the second time Goris has used Shadowsword’s real name—his real surname, at least. It’s not lost on you. Or maybe it is. You’re still unsure if the information and realizations are filing away correctly in the thick fog filling your mental spaces. What was once an infinite space resembling a placid lake that you could quickly dip into for recall is now more of a boggy marsh that threatens to overwhelm and drag you down each time.

“You,” Shadowsword stabs a finger toward Goris, “shut up before I gag you. Someone will be in shortly with some food. Try not to be an asshole to them, or you’ll go without. We’re not done, you and I. There’s still a whole lot we need to talk about, Rit. But, it’ll have to wait.” He moves toward you. “Fuck!”

The shadows holding your arms and chest fade away, leaving you to list to the side heavily. You manage to catch yourself before you hit the dirt. “My…head,” you whisper, bringing your other hand up to clutch at your temple.

“Fuck. Fuck, fuck!” He continues with a litany of curses as he stoops down and grips you around the waist before hauling you up and over his shoulder.

“Agh!” Your world spins, and your stomach threatens to heave up its nonexistent contents. “Please,” you slur, tongue feeling thicker than ever.

As Shadowsword pushes through the loose tent flap, you get your first lungful of fresh air since being brought here. The inside of the tent was far more stifling than you imagined. Though the air outside is still warm, the sweat covering your face and neck begins to wick away by the gentle breeze making the leaves on the surrounding branches of the trees whisper and dance.

“Park!” Shadowsword yells as he carts you off toward a line of what looks like work tents. All their sides are open, revealing various workstations. You spot a loom and a weaver cart before he spins on his heel, and your view blurs. “Park! Where the fuck is Park?”

“What is it?” snaps a delicate voice from back toward the work tents. “Stop screaming. I can hear you just fine. Gods know it’s not like I’m busy trying to fulfill the orders you already dropped on me this morning.” Whoever is speaking continues to grumble as they draw closer.

Shadowsword spins again, making you convulse on his shoulder with a dry gag. “Those Helnite collars I had you make. You said they can’t be taken off unless you do it. I need you to do it.”

“Well, that was quick. How did you manage to fuck that up?” they quip, but the tone is teasing more than anything.

“Shut up and go. Hurry!”

You try to steady your breathing, pulling in air through your nose and pushing it out between your dry lips. If he doesn’t put you down soon, you feel like you really will be sick.

The smells of hot metal and ash roll over you as Shadowsword steps into the shade of one of the tents. There isn’t much you can discern from your perch over his shoulder, and lifting your head to look around feels impossible.

“Lay her over here.”

As Shadowsword slides you off his shoulder, you catch a glimpse of the man standing on the other side of the cleared work table you’re being lowered onto. He’s wearing a leather apron, similar to the ones you’ve seen smiths wear. The soot and ash smears on his hands and face lend to that even more. With his soft features, kind eyes, and brown hair kissed with golden highlights, you think he’s more beautiful than handsome. A startling contrast to the harshness of the forge glowing red behind him.

“You said the Helnite would work on the Psion,” Shadowsword growls at the other man, posturing aggressively with his hands braced on the table by your hip.

Those soft eyes take on a fierceness that fits more with a metal worker. “I said, in theory, it would work. And well, it clearly has worked.”

Shadowsword jerks up a finger, jabbing it at the man across the table. “It’s practically turned her into an invalid. You said it would only limit her ability to read magical signatures and retain new memories.”

“I also told you it would depend on her strength in ability. You refused to let me in the tent to see her runes, so it was all guesswork, you arrogant prick. You wouldn’t even tell me how big it was,” Park gestures animatedly at your chest, where your tunic has fallen open slightly to reveal the top half of your rune and your breasts, “it’s massive! Just because you feel possessive over—”

“Just shut up and take it off! Fucking hells, Jimin, you can berate me more once I know I haven’t ruined my chance at getting what I need.”

“You mean once you know that you haven’t ruined your new toy,” Park—Jimin—grumbles as he leans over the table, and his eyes, once again soft, meet yours. You blink lazily at him, trying and failing to filter through and latch onto their conversation. You know there are significant bits you should be retaining, but they’re like grains of sand slipping between your fingers.

Jimin slides a finger between your skin and the collar, working it around until he’s nodding and hurrying away from the table. The short moment his finger was between your neck and the band felt like a drink of cool water, the heat from the metal subsiding substantially.

“How long is it going to take?” Shadowsword questions.

The reply comes from a distance, accompanied by the sound of metal clinking together. “Not long. The Helnite can only be removed using a special cutter and must be imbued first. You’re lucky I have the right tools for this.” Coming closer, he says, “You should really get her some better clothes suited for the warmth here. The heat is making her even more muddled.”

“I’m such an idiot. I got one of the most valuable people in existence just to nearly kill her,” Shadowsword grunts under his breath, you barely catching the words. “Just get it done so I can,” he says louder for the other man to hear.

Jimin fingers the metal collar again, pulling it as far from your skin as he can to slip the curved edge of a pair of clippers under it. “The shock might make her pass out,” he mumbles, bracing himself against the table as he grips the long handles of the tool. 

The collar tugs on your skin as he applies force, the Helnite groaning under the pressure of the clipper. There is a distinct sound of metal screeching as it tears, and relief floods your system. Your senses buzz, the sensation growing until you feel like you’re on the verge of drowning.

The air in your lungs isn’t enough. Your back arches off the table. You try to cling to the tiny tendrils of reality surrounding you, but your consciousness is swept away in the rush, sucking you into a numb, static-filled state as your mind fights the sudden maelstrom of information.

🖤🖤🖤

Jungkook

“Gods, I really am an idiot,” Jungkook grumbles to himself for what feels like the thousandth time since he laid your unconscious form on the pile of blankets and furs he uses as a bed in his tent. He sits across from the bed in a low-slung camp chair, elbows on his knees and face in his hands.

In all his years, he’s never nearly botched something so thoroughly. He knew the instant the Helnite clicked into place around your neck that he royally fucked up. The vibrant fire in your eyes that he had come to seek out anytime he was in your space instantly dimmed.

He could barely think over the panic that held his chest in an iron grip. It didn’t help that Rit wouldn’t shut up, confirming what he already knew—that the Helnite would ruin you if he didn’t do something about it quickly.

The fact he had disregarded Jimin’s insistence on seeing your runes to be sure the Helnite wouldn’t hurt you is something Jungkook hasn’t stopped kicking himself over. He might have avoided this whole fiasco if he had not been so obsessed with you and consumed with this ridiculous possessiveness.

None of this is going to plan at all. Trusting Ulgrin was his first mistake. He should have known there were things that Ulgrin was keeping from him. Most important among those is that Marvick was holding one of the, if not the most powerful, Psion in her employ. He would wager to guess that even his father is unaware of your potential; otherwise, you’d have been under his thumb instead.

Thinking of Marvick makes his stomach twist and knot. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. He never wanted her to die, not by his sword, at least. Though, he’s not even sure she did die by his sword. The timing was too close between the moment Lowren crashed into the side of the mountain and his sword cleaving into her neck. Either blow could be attributed to her falling.

Neither was supposed to happen. According to Taehyung, Lowren caught a bad downward draft because of the storm kicking up outside, and after he broke away from engaging with Hoseok’s dragon, Rubel, his wing was clipped, and he went down hard. It’s never easy hearing or watching another Mave or Reaver take a fatal blow, knowing the bond will kill them both. It makes Jungkook realize just how precious that bond is and how easy it would be for someone to take him out simply by targeting his own dragon.

You’ve been out for hours now, and the fact that Jungkook doesn’t want to leave you in here unattended and doesn’t want anyone else to take over watching you means he’s shoved off most of his responsibilities onto Yoongi and Namjoon. They’re both in his inner circle. They know easily as much as he does about what must be done. If it weren’t for his friends, all six of them, he knows this camp wouldn’t function as smoothly as it does. For a rebel encampment, it resembles a well-oiled military station pretty well.

Jungkook’s attention jerks to you when you moan softly. He watches as your brow pinches and your lips turn down in a barely-there frown. It’s curiosity that has him pushing up from his camp chair and approaching the bed. Your eyes flicker behind your closed lids, frantic. It looks like you might be having a nightmare.

Sweat glistens on your brow, and he can see how it shines along your neck and the small part of your chest exposed from where he just had to cut the ties on your top. Jimin said you needed cooler clothes, the heat not helping what the Helnite did to you. He wonders if you might recover and wake up quicker if you cooled off.

Slowly, Jungkook settles onto the bed beside you. His knees press into the thick layers, shifting your hips slightly as his weight sinks in. With timid motions, he pinches the loose flap of your tunic and begins to pull it open slowly. Just as the more significant swath of your rune that spreads over the tops of your breasts comes into view, you jerk a hand up and slap his hand away.

“What are you doing?!” you croak, scrambling away from him until you flip off the edge of the bed, your legs flying into the air. “AH!”

“Oh, shit! Are you okay?” Jungkook launches across the bed and tries to help you sit up, but you just scream and frantically start swatting and kicking at him. “Okay, okay! Stop! I’m just trying to help you!” One of your boots connects with his jaw, and he jerks back, his ears ringing and his vision blurring. “Fucking hells,” he groans.

“I’ll gut you!” you snarl, brandishing a very familiar knife. The small, leather-hilted dagger he usually keeps under his pillow waves in the air before him, clutched in your trembling hand.

It’s kind of cute the way you’re threatening him. He knows he could quickly disarm you with his shadows and a simple thought. But, erring on the side of caution, he doesn’t want to scare you any more than you already are. Holding his hands up and out to either side, he rocks back onto his heels and slowly sits on the ground a few feet from you.

“Sorry. That probably looked terrible, didn’t it? I wasn’t trying to…well, I was, but not like that. I was worried you were too warm, and it was affecting your ability to recover from the Helnite.”

Your other hand goes up and circles around the front of your throat. Relief sags your shoulders when you feel the collar is gone. The only thing that remains is a slightly raised line where your skin was mildly blistered from the short time the Helnite was on.

“Why did you take it off?” The suspicion is evident in your tone, accompanied by the narrowing of your eyes and the steadying of the blade in your hand.

His lips twitch. “Believe it or not, it wasn’t my intention to hurt you. I should have done more research, but I was blinded with desperation and—er, I’m just sorry, okay? I had it removed as quickly as I could because I realized I’d made a mistake.”

Disbelief clouds your eyes. He doesn’t blame you. He wouldn’t believe himself either. It sounds like a trick, a farce to get you to trust him when you have every reason not to.

“You killed General Marvick and Captain Krut. You’re a rebellious, murderous monster. It’d be reckless of me to believe anything you say.”

“Ulgrin Krut was a traitor, both to me and to the Crown.” Not like pointing that out is going to make it any better. “And Poli…it wasn’t supposed to be like that,” he sighs, repeating his earlier thoughts. “Something happened with Lowren and…” he trails off, his shoulders pushing up in a sad shrug. “I wish I could take it back.”

That seems to deflate you a bit. Your chest sinks as you blow out a breath. Jungkook watches as your tongue swipes over your cracked lips. “What do you plan to do with me? What about Colonel Goris?”

“Well,” he slowly lowers his hands to rest on his bent knees, “Rit will remain bound in Helnite for now. He’s too volatile for me to let him roam free without it, but I plan to move him to a place that’s closer to Ripley so they can at least see one another, and it’ll be less likely that she tries to escape again.”

“So, you really are as cruel as they say you are,” you state plainly. “Might as well kill him. It would be the greater mercy.” He knows it probably seems that way. But, with how this conversation is currently going, he’s hopeful you’ll hear out everything else he has to say…perhaps change your mind on how you see him. “And for me?”

“You’ll be free to roam the encampment, no Helnite. Though, you will be watched and warded closely. If you try to make it beyond the outlying sentries, they have been instructed to prevent you from leaving…at all costs.” That has your hackles rising again, so he quickly presses on. “I don’t want to treat you like a prisoner, but I have a pretty good idea of what’s churning inside that head of yours. You think you know who I am, what I’ve done, and how I’m just a power-hungry son blinded by his need to dominate. All I ask is you listen, hear what I have to say about the last ten years. Hells, use your ability on anything you need…even me—“ you gasp, and he assumes due to the fact you know that using your Psion ability on another living being is strictly forbidden and goes against all the oaths that you’ve ever taken “—if you have to so you know the truth.”

“I’m not an oath breaker like you,” you sneer before dropping your hand, the dagger still gripped tight but with the tip now resting on the ground. “If you think I’ll tell you all the military secrets and information I am privy to, you can think again. I’ll read whatever objects you want me to. I’ll even listen to whatever bullshit story you want to tell me. But I won’t betray Poli by giving you everything I know, no matter what you say or do to me.” The promise comes easy, but for some reason, it tastes bitter on your tongue.

🖤🖤🖤

The only reason you’re agreeing to even listen to him is because you can’t shake what Goris said to you earlier. Use your skills, whatever you must, to get free, even if that means offering him your ear while still plotting his demise. Who knows, maybe you can learn something valuable.

“Can I have my dagger back, now?” Shadowsword asks, one of his brows quirking.

“I think I’ll keep it,” you state, fitting it into the holster in the top of your boot. It’s a bit bigger than the dagger you usually keep there, but the hidden sheath holds it well enough.

Shadowsword nods toward a changing screen on the other side of the tent. “Would you like something lighter to wear? Perhaps something to eat and drink as well?”

 It’s on the tip of your tongue to refuse his hospitality, but with the subtle burning around your eyes from sweat and how your chest hollows each time you drag in a too-warm breath, you decide to bite back the tart reply instead. “That would be great, thank you.”

He moves slowly as if he’s scared of spooking you. You watch as he gains his feet, his linen shirt falling open even more than it did earlier in the tent with Goris. Instead of looking away, you focus intently on making out the splash of black on his chest. It’s definitely the silhouette of a dragon, its head almost centered on his chest, its body covering his entire pec and disappearing over his shoulder.

You’ve seen plenty of Mave’s Signis marks, but never one so big or dark. Most marks are a good indicator of someone’s ability, a reflection of their inner self and their bond to their Reaver. There are other peoples, like yourself, who have different kinds of markings that denote their specialties. The runes on your chest mark you as a Psion. Though every Psion has their own unique marking, it’s always in the same place and the same color. The bigger the mark, the more innate ability one is said to have.

Noks, the bulk of the military foot soldiers, also have their own indicators in the form of red lines slashed diagonally across their cheeks. It’s said the red signifies the blood of battle and helps them channel their rage. You’ve seen them in action, so focused that even grievous wounds won’t stop them. The only way to keep a Nok from gutting you is to gut them first, and even then, you probably need to take their head off as a secondary precaution.

You clasp the front of your tunic closed the best you can as you stand up, only wavering slightly as lightheadedness washes over you. It’s been far too long since you had something to drink, and the heat is nearly unbearable. You push yourself to focus on crossing the tent to the changing screen, one step closer to hopefully getting that drink he’s offered.

“There’s a change of clothes behind the screen, a blouse, and some breeches. It’s the best I could find in something size appropriate. We don’t have many females around here, and the ones we do have more often than not wear fighting leathers, so it was slim picking for non-battle gear.”

Stepping around behind the changing screen, you realize with the way the lights are positioned overhead if he stays there, then he’ll be able to see your shadow in full as you change. You chew your bottom lip, contemplating asking him to afford you some privacy, but as Goris reminded you earlier, the body is just as much a weapon as a blade.

A short table sits off to the side, a shallow basin of water and a cloth sit beside a pile of folded clothes. “Thank you again,” you offer, anxiously cutting your eyes toward the screen. You can’t see him through the panels, not even a flash of his shadow, but you can feel his eyes locked on your form as you slowly shrug out of your ruined tunic.

It feels good to have the thick wool top off. The air in the tent is mildly warm but nonetheless refreshing now that your skin has a chance to breathe. Glancing at the screen, you slip the dagger from your boot and tug them off. You can still feel those eyes on you. So, as much as you want to shuck your fur-lined pants quickly, you take your time sliding them over your hips and down your legs, arching your back, and creating the perfect silhouette.

Keeping your eyes trained on the central panel of the changing screen, you pick up the cloth and dig it into the cool water in the basin. Your eyes flutter shut, and you try to suppress a groan of relief as you press it to your neck and swipe away the accumulation of sweat and grime, but something between a moan and a sigh slips out. A smile pulls at your lips as you hear a throat clear on the other side of the screen—so, he’s listening just as much as he’s watching. It’s tempting to continue with the show to eke out as much advantage as you can, but the rumble of your stomach has you tossing aside the cloth in favor of grabbing the clothes.

The breeches on the table are thin dark blue cotton, molding to your legs and ass once they’re on. They’re infinitely cooler and tuck nicely into the tops of your boots. You replace the dagger and then pick up the blouse. It’s a mossy green color with a cinched, banded waist that gathers with corset-like ties down the front. You purse your lips, giving the blouse a once over before pulling it on and securing the ties. It’s far more flattering than you anticipated, accentuating all the right areas.

There is a small commotion on the other side of the changing screen; hushed words are exchanged, and the distinct clinking of dishes. You step close and peer around the edge of the paneling, catching a glimpse of a smiling man in a rose-colored apron tucking a hand towel over the top of the apron and pointing to something on the large platter sitting on the table opposite the bed. 

“I smoked the cheese just this morning, and those are fresh apples right off the trade cart. You let her eat before you touch anything,” the finger that was pointed at the table swings to wag in Shadowsword’s direction. “Just because she thinks you’re a beast doesn’t mean you have to try and prove her right. This could be our last chance at—oh, hi!”

You hadn’t realized you were leaning so far out beyond the edge of the screen. Embarrassment warms your cheeks, and you school your features before stepping out fully and giving the man a tight smile. “Hello.” 

“Out,” Shadowsword shoos the man toward the tent opening. “Go.”

“Remember what I said, don’t make me sic Hoseok on you for being disrespectful!” the man spouts even as Shadowsword is pushing him out, both laughing lightly.

It’s interesting, maybe even a little surprising, to see such genuine lightheartedness in a place that’s been notoriously dubbed a blight of darkness on the kingdom for the last decade. You never imagined being in the rebel encampment, much less that the encampment would be so…normal—drab even.

“Please, sit, have as much as you want.” He gestures to the wooden table lined on both sides with benches. The tent is large, similar to standard war command tents you’ve been inside. The bed you woke up on is farthest from the entryway, the changing screen to the side of that, and the table closest to the entrance with various smaller tables, chairs, and a few trunks scattered in the remaining space. Stacks and stacks of books and papers are strewn across most surfaces, and an entire barrel of maps is stashed in the corner by the larger table.

You take your time approaching the table, allowing yourself to take in the tent's interior, tucking away all vital and essential pieces of information you can. The fact you can so effortlessly function now and file things away appropriately is like a drink of water all its own, but the metal pitcher on the table glistening with condensation beckons you still.

Sliding onto the bench on the opposite side of the table so your back is to a canvas wall. It’s the most advantageous seat, letting you continue to keep an eye on Shadowsword. You snag an empty goblet, give it a tentative sniff, and then pour a generous amount of water from the pitcher before gulping it down. It’s so cold it hurts, but the instant relief as it hits your stomach is like a soothing balm to the ache.

“It’s cold,” you murmur, taking a smaller swallow before refilling the cup. “Enchanted?”

“We collect it from small rivulets that come down off the mountain. Natural filtration through the bedrock and bubbles up here before emptying into the outlet to the southeast that goes to the sea.” It’s an easy explanation and makes sense to you.

It comes naturally to focus on the goblet in your hand and the water sliding over your tongue. The crisp liquid takes on the slightest hint of mint as you draw on the warmth in your chest, testing the validity of his words. The mountain's chill and the earth's integrity bubble like added flavors as you take another sip.

Calm clarity swirls within the mix of sensations, dripping from the goblet and supporting the water. Whoever formed and worked the metal to make this vessel enjoyed their craft and created it with extra care in mind.

So, he’s at least telling you the truth about the water and didn’t offer you a poison-laced goblet to drink from. That’s no guarantee he will speak honestly or have no ill intentions when it comes to anything else. “What is it you wish me to listen to, Shadowsword?”

His brow pinches as he draws closer, grabbing a chair and spinning it around to straddle the back and rest his elbows along the top. There is intention in the fact he chose to sit several feet away, close enough to talk but far enough away that he’d have time to react if you tried to take a jab at him…or for him to catch you before you could bolt for the loose tent flap over the entrance.

“Jungkook, you can call me Jungkook. I don’t really care for that name…Shadowsword, it sounds more like a curse.”

“You are a curse to many,” you say, dropping your eyes to the stretch of food before you. The large platter on the table has a plethora of different morsels, everything from cheese and meat to jams, slices of bread, and fresh fruit. “Are these really apples?” you ask, the word feeling foreign on your tongue.

There is a moment of hesitation that has you glancing up at Shado—Jungkook. You might not be able to hear his thoughts, but you can read the micro-expressions on his face well enough. He’s uncomfortable with what you said about him being a curse. But, he sighs and answers your question instead of pressing the other, “They are. Quite delicious, too. Very sweet, juicy, but still crisp. We’re so close to the border that it’s been easy to establish a trade route with Norkham.”

“I didn’t realize they would be so willing to trade with an enemy of the Crown,” you mutter, grabbing one of the fleshy red and yellow dappled fruits.

Jungkook lets out a derisive snort. “Norkham doesn’t care for the ‘Golden War’,” he scoffs, twisting the name the conflict between him and his father has been dubbed. “My gold is just as good as my father’s. But, unlike my father, I’m not scared of red fruits. Contrary to what is believed, they’re not poisonous. Well, most aren’t, at least.”

You rub your thumb along the shiny peel before bringing it to your nose and inhaling the slightly sweet fragrance. Letting the warmth settle in your chest, you open yourself to tasting not the fruit itself but its journey and memory. It’s passed through a few hands, always handled with the utmost care.

There is the subtle taste of fresh, clean water soaked into the soil and drank through the tree's roots that nurtured the fruit. Nothing about the apple tells you it’s dangerous. If anything, you pick up on the fact that it’s been paired and prepared with other foods that mean you no harm; the whole platter is safe.

With that in mind, you put the apple against your mouth and take a bite. Or you try to, at least, the skin is resistant and then snaps as your teeth sink in, surprising you. “Oh,” you muffle against the fruit, unable to hold back a laugh as you break off a chunk.

Sweetness bursts on your tongue, mixing with the mildly floral taste. It’s something you’ve only ever dreamed of experiencing. Your chuckle turns into a cough as you see the look on Jungkook’s face as he stares at you. His lips are curved into an easy smile, and his eyes are soft, like he’s enjoying watching you.

“It’s good, right? Apples are one of my favorites.” Your eyes track his as they flick from the fruit to your mouth as you take another bite.

He’s right. It is crisp yet still juicy. Your mouth floods with flavor. A drip collects at the corner of your mouth and slips down your chin. A flutter of confidence lights in your chest as Jungkook licks his lips before tearing his eyes from the juice on your chin and how you swipe your tongue out to try and collect it.

As with washing behind the screen, you’d spend more time playing your game if you weren’t so hungry. You gather some of the more familiar foods onto a small plate and begin to eat in earnest between more bites of the apple.

Right now, it’s hard to say how far you’re willing to take this game. Your training has instilled pretty much no boundaries regarding mission objectives. Though, due to your level of power, after you finished your fourth year of standard scribe training, you were sent to a specialist at The Serpent, the Mave-specific garrison on an island west of the capital.

The intention wasn’t necessarily to keep your potency a secret. Everyone knew you were pretty powerful. But, no one knew you were more powerful than even the Crown’s own Psion, who just so happens to be your cousin, Larzon. You haven’t seen Larz in years, and even then, it was only in passing at your graduation ceremony before you were promptly assigned to General—then Colonel—Marvick’s care.

What’s essential for you to remember is that you have an end goal; get out alive and, if possible, take Goris with you. He doesn’t deserve to be chained with Helnite, regardless of what he’s done as a war colonel. You know all about the casualties of war and that when it all boils down to it, each side thinks they’re in the right while the other thinks they’re wrong. War leaves very little room for a grey area, making it all simply black, white, and copious amounts of red.

“I have one question before I listen to whatever it is you want to tell me…” you pause before adding his real name instead of the one he’s been given by the Crown for his rebellion, “Jungkook.”

His shoulders roll back, and he tilts his head from side to side. “Sure, if that will earn me your undivided and apt attention.”

“Goris told me of your relationship to him. How is it you could so easily, so callously beat him to a broken, bleeding mess?”

A harsh breath hollows his chest as he shifts in his seat. “Easily? There was nothing easy about it. Callously? I’m sure you know all about doing what you have to in order to get what you need. I didn’t want to hurt Rit. I’ve considered him a friend for longer than I’ve thought of him as my enemy. Perhaps what I have to tell you will help you see that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s just a necessary part of the bigger picture.”

You can hear the genuine nature of his words. They sound like the truth, but you’ve not been around him long enough to honestly know how good he is at deception. All you have to go off of is everything you’ve read. The rebellion started when you were still in training, just before you began the additional time at The Serpent. It’s hard to believe that was a decade ago now. Though, it feels like a much shorter time. War moved at its own pace, chugging along whether you can keep up or not.

“Go ahead, let’s hear your reasoning behind the last ten years.” Your gesture toward him with a chunk of bread. “I’ll listen.”

“I’ll start from the beginning,” he says. “But first, I’d like you to have this.” Jungkook stands and moves over to one of the smaller trunks near his bed. He kneels, the soft scent of clove permeates the air as shadows slither out from seemingly nowhere. They undulate and cover the chest before an audible pop sounds, and they drift away, revealing the chest now open.

“What’s that?” you ask. He holds up a pin that’s a golden dragon surrounded by a crown.

“It was my father’s,” he murmurs. “It’ll show you the validity of my words when you’re ready to bear that burden.”

The pin is heavy in your hands. He settles back in the chair as you observe the dragon’s form. There are distinct, crusty splotches caught in the fine details. Even without opening yourself to the warmth in your chest, from the barely-there scent of hellfire and metal, you can tell it’s blood…old blood—dragon’s blood, shed in violence. You shiver, your eyes meeting his as he begins to explain.

🖤🖤🖤

Jungkook

It takes far longer to tell you everything than he thought it might. He hadn’t realized just how much there was. You didn’t ask many questions, just making noncommittal sounds when he revealed more sensitive bits of information. But it’s all out there now. You’ve heard it all…every gritty, unbelievable detail. Jungkook knows how hard it is to believe. If he was the one listening, he’d probably have laughed and walked out halfway through. The fact you’re still sitting there, idly swirling a slippery piece of rockmelon on your plate, gives him at least a tiny bit of hope.

“Let’s say I do believe you. What is it you want from me? How can I possibly help you?” You shove the plate away, leaning your elbows on the table as you stare at him with a pinched expression on your face. You pocketed the pin shortly after he started his explanation, and you haven’t touched it since. He wonders if it’s burning a proverbial hole in your pocket. “If you haven’t been able to make a difference in ten years, what makes you think you can now?”

He’s been thinking about this, too. Since things went wrong with Krut at the turret in Fort Orit, he’s been scrambling to devise an alternative plan and the best way to utilize you and Rit to his advantage. In an idyllic world, he would have taken Poli as captive as intended. He had it on good authority that she would have listened to him without much persuasion.

What he knows that you seem not to is that Poli was more of a sympathizer than she appeared to be. It was the key Jungkook clung to, the fact that Poli Marvick cared more about the people—all people—than she did the Crown. The first mention of innocent lives being on the line and she would have been like a bee drawn to a flower, unable to resist the powdery grains of justice.

Though, he knows bringing that up right now will just shut you down. You might be willing to listen to his bizarre story, but you wouldn’t entertain the thought of your precious friend being capable of being a rebel sympathizer…not yet, at least. Ulgrin Krut is another story. You relented on that pretty quickly. He’s curious about who else you could easily see being a weak link in the Golden Chain of command. But that’s a thought for another time.

“You’re the most powerful Psion I’ve ever encountered.” That’s the crux of what sparked his near-instant obsession with you and what’s been fueling his possessiveness. You represent the hope and opportunity he’s been desperately searching for—the answer to finally putting a stop to a decade of struggling. “You have the ability to discern fact from falsity. That in and of itself could help sway the tide of my cause. If you believe me and stand by me and say it’s true, they’ll believe you.”

Your laugh surprises him. “You can’t think it’s that simple, can you? You realize they’ll think I’m just as daft as you are. They’ll think I’ve been corrupted. Just because I’d say something is true wouldn’t make it so. Having the power I do doesn’t mean I can’t still lie, too.”

“Perhaps, but if I could just get into the palace, I know where there is evidence that can back up my claims, and no one would be able to argue it. Just as that pin in your pocket can help you understand, what’s in the palace can make everyone understand. That’s really what I needed from Krut and what I now need from you. Help me get into the palace, and I’ll prove it all to be true to the rest of the kingdom.”

“Are you just going to beat me into submission? How are you going to make me agree to help you?”

This is something he hasn’t quite figured out yet. He’s not sure what else he can offer you other than the freedom to use your power as you want to find all the answers you need. So, he starts with that. “As I said before, you’re welcome to use your power on anything or anyone you wish. But please start with the pin.” You flinch when he says anyone, but not as hard as before.

There isn’t a lot of public knowledge about Psions for apparent reasons. But, one thing he does know about all of them, including you, is that finding the answers and retaining factual information will always be your first goal. It’s something he’s kept in mind every time he’s brought it up, offering that small nugget of temptation. It’s forbidden, taboo…but maybe, just maybe, he’s piqued your curiosity enough that you’ll be too curious to resist.

“What is this supposed to show me?” you ask, finally pulling the pin back out. It catches in the overhead lights, glinting like a guiding star that will lead you to all the answers you need.

Jungkook licks his lips. This could be the moment of truth. “My father was wearing it the day I confronted him.” He hopes he’ll get to see your gift in action. Watch the realization steal across your features as you see his words for the truth they are.

“What an innocuous little thing. Who would guess it could potentially lead to the end of a decade-long war?” The words are spoken softly, as if you’re talking more to yourself than to him.

He feels like he’s viewing a private moment, but no matter how intrusive it feels, he can’t seem to look away. Jungkook is realizing that it’s not just your power that’s alluring. There is an exotic quality to you that is calling to his inner desires. He’s never noticed it before, but the color of your eyes seems to shift, never staying the same shade of brown, green, or blue. In fact, if someone were to ask him what color your eyes are, he’s not sure he could answer them.

If there ever was something he wishes he would have paid more attention to, it’s the history of your kind. Being the crown prince, he had access to any and all information available, even to the more obscure texts and subjects, like Psions.

You caress the ring of gold surrounding the dragon, like you’re stalling or perhaps putting off reading the pin with your ability. It’s obvious the dark rusty-looking splotches are blood. Anyone would be able to discern that. But, he’s reasonably sure you can tell it’s not just any blood but the blood from a dragon. Dragon’s blood has a distinct smell to it, even after being dried onto a chunk of metal for a decade. It’ll still smell subtly like brimstone and hot metal.

The pin has sat in that enchanted chest for almost the entire time he’s been in exile. It was on a whim that he put it in there, thinking that one day when he finally meted out justice to his father, he’d perhaps melt the pin down and turn it into something else. He came by it by accident, anyway. Now, it’s a talisman of the truth and maybe an indicator that he was meant to tuck it away for all these years; for this very moment. 

🖤🖤🖤

You can feel Jungkook’s eyes on you as you take a deep breath and let it out slowly. There’s an urge to meet his eyes to gauge his reaction, but you push away that distracting thought and let your eyes go unfocused as your fingers tighten around the pin. The first thing you feel is bone-deep indifference, then a brief flit of hope, followed by anger so malevolent it makes your teeth ache…the emotions and feelings ingrained in the pin sweep in, painting such a clear picture for you.

————

“Father, call for the healer!” Jungkook shouts, cradling the large adult blue dragon’s head. Blood leaks from its open mouth, soaking quickly through his green flight garb. “Onyx, get back!” He shoos his juvenile dragon away when it becomes too curious. “Father! Father, please!”

“Jungkook, come away from the beast. Leave it be. It’s too late.” The fact the dragons are beginning to die after barely ten years of service has been an unforeseen nuisance.

The wild-eyed teenager lumbers to his feet, blood-covered hands trembling by his sides. “Leave it be? It’s the sixth dragon to die in less than a week! You said the new bonding was safe! If it’s safe, why are they dying?”

“Just terrible coincidences, nothing more,” King Jeon mutters, internally rolling his eyes as his son quivers beside him. “That’ll be all for today. You’re dismissed.”

Jungkook swings around and grips the front of his father’s robe, fingers pinching around the golden pin denoting his status as king. “But, Fathe—“

“You. Are. Dismissed.” King Jeon holds up a hand to silence any more protests. “Now.”

“Yes, sir.” Jungkook jerks his hands back, turns on his heel, and stalks away. It’s evident that Jungkook is becoming far too curious about the recent deaths. He can’t find out the truth, no matter the cost.

Moving to the parapet, King Jeon glares out over the wall surrounding the dragon corral, the large stable-like building that serves as a coop where the Reavers reside when their Maves are attending to other duties. Tearing his eyes from the expanse of the sprawling capital city, he casts an indifferent look at the large blue-black body still bleeding on the ground of the training pit.

The scuffing of boots draws the King’s attention to the dark doorway of the dragon corral a moment before Fenrin appears.

“Your Grace.” Fenrin bows deeply, sweeping his arms out to either side. “I come bearing fortunate news.”

“Speak plainly, Fenrin, the hour is late, and I’d like to retire to my wife’s side before dinner.”

Fenrin straightens to his full height, towering over the king by a few inches. “We’ve found a strong Brute close to the Western Garrison, fresh from The Steppes and powerful if his build is any indication. He’ll do well for you.”

“Would be better news had you told me we finally found a way to keep them from dying,” the King mutters. “Very well, Fenrin. When will you have the beast ready?”

“Just a few days' time. Sooner if we leave now, Your Grace.”

“Make it so.” The King flicks a dismissive hand, turning before Fenrin can bow in departure, and briskly closes the distance to the postern door leading into the main living quarters for the royal family. He stops just before disappearing inside, glancing over his shoulder. Fenrin is staring at the dead dragon, his face blank and devoid of emotion. “Oh, and Fenrin?”

The man cuts his eyes up, an oily smile sliding onto his face. “Yes, Your Grace?”

“See to it that’s taken care of,” he says, jerking his chin toward the scaly body. “Same as the others.”

The palace is divided into different sections, the living quarters one of the most guarded interior spaces. He passes several guards, all dressed in their golden armor. The few Maves that are attached to the capital are currently doing rounds across the city, patrolling the skies before the sun goes down. Luckily, the blue dragon’s Rider is presently undergoing additional tutelage at The Shield. He won’t know the dragon’s dead for another fortnight. By then, a new dragon will be ready for him to bond, he’ll forget all about the other. 

“Your Grace,” one of the liveried servants bows as King Jeon enters the parlor that leads to his sleeping chambers.

“My wife?” he asks, glancing around the open space. When the Queen isn’t leading tutoring sessions with the younger ladies of court, she spends her time tucked in the window seat of the parlor reading or working on needlepoint. It’s too late for the classes, yet she’s not relaxing in the window seat either.

“In the garden, Your Grace. She wished for a bit of fresh air.”

He nods, moving toward the door leading to the sleeping chamber. The windows are open, letting in the sweet musky scent of the plum flowers that like to climb and snake along the walls of the palace.

Unclipping the stays holding his golden cloak in place, King Jeon lets it flutter to the floor where he stands in front of the cold fireplace. It’s been a long day, one warranting at least a chalice of the fire brandy that gets imported from Norkham. It’s rumored they use apples when making it, and that’s what makes it have that unique flavor and burn. People say the burn is the poison of the fruit, slowly leeching into the drinkers' bloodstream—fairytale nonsense.

As he turns to head toward the small console table where a collection of liquor bottles is waiting, something in the corner of the room catches his attention.

“Jungkook, what are you doing here?” His son sits in one of the armchairs opposite the liquor table. Shadows coalesce in the corner, pulsing softly as Jungkook leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees: his eyes, a near mirror of the King’s own, glint from the darkness.

“You’re a murderer.”

The heat of anger fills King Jeon’s chest, making it expand. He grips the thick strand that attaches him to his Reaver, Vikmag. Lightning crackles along his veins, fizzing and sparking at his fingertips before he can reign it in.

“Watch your tongue, boy.”

“I overheard you and Fenrin. You thought I left like a good little soldier. Father, you shouldn’t be so loose with your tongue lest you reveal your madness to the world. I guess I’ll do it for you,” he snarls, launching to his feet. A wicked blade catches the light coming in from the open windows, poised perfectly for an offensive attack in Jungkook’s hand. “You said the new bonding was safe…you lied! You knew they were going to die. You knew they’d grow sick and weak. You’re a monster! They’re sentient beings, for gods’ sake. They have souls, and yet you still force them to bond!”

“You insolent fool, you think you know so much, but yet you know nothing!” King Jeon sneers.

“I know you’re willfully killing beautiful beings. And for what? So you can stay alive while your dragon dies? So you can reap the benefits of their power even in death? Are you so greedy, Father?”

“I knew you’d never understand. Nothing I say will change how you feel. So what if the new bonding kills the dragons, it’s better them than us.” The King sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, tilting his head toward the ceiling.

It’s the perfect opportunity. Jungkook lashes out, blade and shadows striking. The room fills with the rumble of thunder and a flash of brilliant light. Heat sears across skin, blistering flesh beneath green cloth. A second strike of lightning rends through the open space between the two men, the pressure of the electric power directing the wave of shadows and the small blade.

In a large, concussive blast, the two combating powers slam into the center of the room. Wood and feathers spray into the air as an entire half of the bed takes the brunt of the strike.

As shadows swirl and fill the room, swallowing the erratic snaps of lightning and rolling cracks of thunder, the cold edge of a blade parts warm flesh. The King jerks back, hand flying to his cheek and sliding through the blood dribbling down his face. 

Jungkook lunges again, swinging the blade for another swipe, but King Jeon jerks again, the dagger missing his face but biting into the muscle of his chest. Fabric rips free, a slight weight tangling it around the blade.

“Your Grace!” the words echo from the parlor before a flood of guards pours into the room.

“Seize him!” King Jeon screams, stumbling backward.

Jungkook and his father exchange one last look before Jungkook snags a small whistle from inside his bloody top and then sprints across the room, golden soldiers close on his heels and flings himself out the window.

————

The golden pin falls from your limp fingers, landing with a soft thud on the ground between your feet. It’s hard to tell whether it’s sweat or tears coating your face. You swipe the back of a trembling hand over your eyes.

“W-why haven’t you...why haven’t you sought out a Psion before th-this?” Your voice warbles, and you have to swallow hard a few times to keep from losing the food you just ate.

It all feels too raw, far too real. You’ve never experienced something so visceral when reading an object. Your body aches. Your cheek burns, even though there is no cut there. There’s a fiery line that feels branded across your stomach. It’s like everything from that day is imprinting itself upon your body with phantom pains.

“Psions are rare. It’s not like I could have requested one from the capital. You’re part of a coveted kind, precious and protected. Had it not been for—“ he pauses, not needing to remind you how you came to be in this encampment. “The important part is you’re here now, and you’ve seen the truth.” Your bleary eyes slide up from where they were gazing at the pin on the ground to land on him. He tugs the bottom of his shirt out from where it’s tucked into the tops of his breeches and then pushes it up to expose his stomach. A long, puckered scar slashes his otherwise pristine skin. “His lightning strike nearly killed me. All because I found out the truth.”

You wet your dry lips, staring at the bubbled skin until he drops his shirt back down to cover it. “So, when he discovered the new way to bond that doesn’t tether a dragon soul to their rider…it’s not—they really die?”

Jungkook blows out a breath. “I’ve been gathering as much intel as possible about it since that day. He was right. No one truly cares. Not the right people, at least. Everyone here,” he sweeps a hand out, indicating the encampment, “they held no true power out in the world. We’re all just a bunch of outcasts, the misfits, and the unwanted. But all the Maves and Reavers here are here because they believe me. We all have soul-bonds, we all know what that means and how sacred it is. After I found out how my father has desecrated and forsaken that...not even him having his own soul-bond can change that ultimate betrayal. All of the beings here know just as well as I do that my father is a cruel man with no regard for the beautiful lives of the dragon kind.”

“The Stepping Isles are sacred ground. It’s protected,” you insist, reciting words that have been ingrained in you through the teaching of the capital. “If you take your forces there, you can stop him from gathering more dragons.”

“We’ve tried sending parties to The Steppes, but the islands are controlled by the Crown and he has them on such a tight lockdown now that it’s nearly impossible even to get close to the Western Garrison. The few Brutes we’ve come across over the years have been ones that escaped into Norkham. The last glimpse I got of The Stepping Isles was one of a breeding farm. They’re mating the dragons and then forcing them to bond to Riders. It’s barbaric…yet no one is raising a hand to try and stop my father because everyone who has any sort of influence and power are the ones who are reaping the benefits.”

Even as someone who doesn’t know what it feels like to have a bond like that between a Mave and their Reaver, you’re still aware of how utterly atrocious this is. It can’t continue. The revelation settles deep in your chest. You’re about to forsake everything you’ve ever known to be true. You’ll be an oath breaker…something that churns your stomach sourly but not as bad as how the bitter tang of betrayal coats your tongue. You believed in the Crown, you’ve defended the Crown…now you’re going to destroy it.

“I’ll help you,” you whisper.

“What did you say?” There’s no denying the lilt of hope in Jungkook’s voice.

You clear your throat, sitting up straighter and meeting Jungkook’s dark, liquid eyes. “I’ll do it. I’ll help you.” Something deep in your chest cracks and bleeds with your words. Whether it’ll turn into a festering wound or a beautiful opportunity for growth, only time will tell.

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[marksbear]

Hello Mark! May I request shameless male yn x hangman? Yn would ask hangman to have sex all the time in public, private, or literally anywhere you can imagine. He's also very flirty and like to grab Jake's ass as a joke. One day yn want to try something new so he decided to put a vibrator up his ass and go visit jake but he accidently broke the remote controller which results in the vibrator vibrating uncontrollably. In the end hangman have to come to the scene and rescue naughty yn.

-B

Hey B! Of course you can request this I love Hangman! I hope you enjoy it! And sorry for taking so long😭@belosstuff

Warnings! public sex, walking in, Y/n and jake are just total sluts, teasing, dirty talk, blowjob, vibrator

C/s- call sign

HANGMAN X MALE READER

"Hey who's that?" Bob asks and points at the man who is currently just grabbing and slapping Jake's ass. "Y/n L/n Jake's boyfriend." Coyote answers eyeing the couple.

"They have been dating for a while I think" Coyote adds watching Y/n try to pull Hangman's pants down. "Jesus they're all over each other." Phoenix says turning her chair away from the dirty couple.

"It's everyday with them two. Y/n is one shameless motherfucker. Let me tell y'all. One time I invited both of them to my house over the holidays right? I leave them for twenty minutes in the living room by themselves. I came back to Y/n and Jake banging on the floor." Coyote tells the story and seems kinda normal about it.

"They never changed. Last week Maverick saw Y/n grinding his crotch on Hangman ass and Y/n got in trouble, but he kept on doing it."

The team was warming up in the skies just doing y'know basic removers and dog fighting.

Y/n and Hangman were paired up and currently hunting down Maverick while the others listen to their conversations.

"Hangman do you hear over?" The group circle around the intercom to hear better.

"Loud and proud babe. Over" Hangman answers turning his around looking at Y/n jet besides his own.

"After we take the old man down, lets fuck for a job well done alright?"

"Couldn't think of a better way to celebrate Y/n." Y/n turns his head around to face Hangman. Y/n takes off his air mask and blows a kiss to Jake. Jake acts like he catches it and puts it on his chest.

"The two of you will be doing three hundred push ups after this exercise." Maverick says breaking the two conversations with an irritated tone.

"Oh oh old man is jealous." Jake says with a smirk.

"Don't worry Mave. You can watch we don't mind. Since I know it's probably been a while since you had some action. But you can watch me and my boyfriend so you can learn. We will even invite the whole team so they won't get jealous."

Y/n offers flying above Maverick while Hangman goes under Maverick.

"Might as well start prepping yourself Hangman cause i'm about to get him." Y/n says smugly.

"God just fuck me already Y/n." Hangman lets out a fake moan which makes Y/n let out a loud laugh.

"Bring it on you two!" Maverick says flying faster trying to get away from the two.

"What the hell are those two doing?" Maverick says looking at the couple who was supposed to be doing push ups, but instead Hangman has his legs around Y/n waist holding onto his shoulders as they kiss. And for Y/n hes pinning Jake to a Jet grinding his hard clothed cock onto Jake's ass.

"If you think you can tame them two. You're wrong. Hangman is already rude and cocky by himself but when Y/n is with him hes arrogant and more of an asshole than he is. And hes a bit of a trophy boyfriend with him but in the nice way." Phoenix walks up to Maverick already knowing about his confusion.

"Are they always like that?" Maverick asks turning around to Phoenix. "Always. I think the universe made them for each other. Both of their egos and personality boost the others. So in short words no them two wouldn't change for the world." Phoenix answers.

"I knew you would wanted to watch old man!" Y/n shots with a smirk on his face.

It was a quiet day in the classrooms and Maverick is going on and on about safety and loyalty also about trusting your teammates. Y/n is clenching on his shirt for dear life and his mouth is shut tight.

Y/n is sitting in the very back so the vibrator couldn't be heard from the others only he can hear it.

"C/s. Answer the question." Maverick picks Y/n since Y/n is looking out the window not even making an effort to make it seem like he was paying attention. "C/s?" Maverick asks again crossing his arms looking at the young lieutenant. "C/s are you with us?" Maverick asked sounding a bit worried causing everyone to turn their heads facing Y/n.

Y/n turns his head back around facing Maverick. "f-fuck uhm... It's about s-shit!" Y/n covers his face feeling his body heat up and he feels the vibrator stuck on the highest setting making him almost non-verbal.

"Its about the speed you or your partner goes and the--- oh fuck~ t-the outcome of the whole mission..." Y/n throws his head back and covers his mouth hiding his moans and curses.

"Y/n are you not feeling well? Do I need to send you to the medbay." Maverick says walking closer to Y/n. Y/n panics and stops Maverick by saying. "Yeah! All good just having a little headache you know." Everyone but Hangman buys the excuse.

Hangman knows his boyfriend is lying and knows he isn't okay so he asks Maverick could he sit next to him. "Fine but no funny business I mean it C/s." Hangman moves to his seat and walks and sits to his boyfriend.

Jake immediately hears the buzzing once he sat next to him and gave him "What did you do?" Look on his face. Y/n puts his hand in his pocket and takes the vibrator remote and hands it to Jake. "It broke and now it's ten." Y/n answers the question turning his head slightly.

Jake sits back getting comfortable in his chair thinking about ways he can help his boyfriend. Jake smirks once he gets an idea. "Well we got to go to the bathroom but you can't go now because of your problem." Y/n picks up what Jake is saying and pulls up his chair for hes closer to the table.

Jake moves his chair closer as well making sure Y/n would be covered and as well his hands. Jake sneaks his hand to Y/n crotch and pulls down the fly. Y/n helps him out by pulling his pants and underwear down slightly giving Jake easy access.

Hangman runs his fingers around the tip of Y/n cock play around with the head. Y/n glares at Jake for teasing him and Jake smirks and mumbles a fake "Sorry." Before wrapping his hands around his cock giving him lazy pumps. Even though Jake is being lazy it is still satisfying him.

Y/n bucks his hips a little making sure to cause no attention. Jake feels Y/n thrusting up into his hand so he decided to help his boyfriend by jerking him off at a faster pace feeling Y/n cock twitches.

"Oh didn't know you can cum this early." Hangman teases feeling precum slides down his hand. "Don't get cocky. It---it's just~ the vibrator. g-gah fuck im close." Y/n moans are quiet but some huffs and tiny groans can be heard if someone really tries hard to listen.

Y/n's whole body almost gives out from his intense orgasm. He had to bite his hand to old back his noises as he painted Hangman's white. Y/n covers his face as he bolts his hips back and forth as he rides out his orgasm. Once Y/n is out of his high he puts himself back in his pants and fixes his clothes.

"Look at my hand. This is probably the biggest load you ever shot. All because of me." Jake says smugly looking at his cum covered hand. "It's all hot and sticky." Jake adds trying to show Y/n, but Y/n pushes his hand away. "Go ask to go to the medbay and go to the nearest bathroom. I'll be out soon after you." Hangman tells his boyfriend the plan.

"Sir! May I go to the medbay?" Y/n asks with a shot standing up from his seat. Maverick gives Y/n his permission. Y/n bolts out feeling his cock begin to get hard again from the vibrations.

TIMESKIP

Y/n is laying on the bathroom sink waiting for his boyfriend. Shortly enough Hangman arrives locking the door behind him. "Okay. Care to explain why the hell you have a vibrator in your ass?" Hangman asks watching his boyfriend take off his clothes and folding them on the sink.

"Well I forgot we had classes today and I wanted to surprise you with a visit since remember I told you yesterday I wouldn't be coming. But turns out I turned it on to the highest setting by accident and broke it..." Hangman laughs at his boyfriend story uncontrollably.

"Shut up Jake! Cause remember that one time you got turned on from the jet vibrations and I snuck inside your jet to help you-----" "OKAY! Moving on!" Jake cuts his boyfriend off. Y/n sighs and leans on the wall covering his face. "Just help me out Jake. Get this stupid toy out of me." Y/n asks with a groan.

Hangman turns his boyfriend around on the wall so his chest is on the wall. Jake moves Y/n hips out to make it easier to get the toy out. "God your wet. Maybe I should be the to----" "Jake don't even finish that thought." Y/n shoots down the idea.

After a while Jake finally takes the toy out of his boyfriend and Y/n sighs in relief. Jake throws the toy in the trash since it's useless now. "How about I get an award?" Jake says cockily pointing at Y/n hard cock. "You still have your clothes on and we can't make a mess." Y/n answers rubbing Jake's head giving Jake an idea.

"Fuck my throat. And i'll swallow every drop. Please sir!~ I've been such a good boy for you!" Jake sinks down to his knees opening his mouth wide and sticking his tongue out.

Y/n gives in to his boyfriend laying his cock on Jake's tongue. Jake immediately wraps his lips around the tip giving it lazy kitten licks. Hangman wraps his hands around the other half of Y/n cock as he suck the other he can fit. Jake bobs his head back and forth looking up at Y/n making eye-contact. Hangman lets go of the part he can't fit and puts his hands on Y/n thighs giving Y/n access to his throat. Y/n takes the invitation and uses both of his hands to pull Jake's hair yanking him up and down on his cock.

Y/n moves his hands to the back of Jake's head pushing him all the way on his cock out of nowhere causing Jake to moan and gag on his cock. Jake tries to push his head back but always gets pushed back to the base by Y/n. Jake gags and chokes on Y/n cock causing tears to run down his face. Y/n keeps Jake head down as he skull fucks him. Jake cries around Y/n cock as Y/n fucks him merciless.

Y/n feels the knot in his stomach tighten so he bucks his hips up and down throwing his head back. Y/n hears all of the gagging and whimpering from Jake and lets his head go. Jake pulls away as quickly as he can gasping for air. Jake looks up at Y/n and eyes his twitching cock. "Again. Again again! Make me pass out I don't care do just it again until you cum!" Jake begs eagerly clawing Y/n thighs. Y/n looks down at Jake a bit surprised but does the request.

Jake moans and screams around the cock but is muffled by his gagging. Jake never breaks eye-contact with Y/n as he destroys his throat. Hangman begins to feel lightheaded and stops trying to pull himself off of Y/n cock dropping his hands and letting his head lean into Y/n hand going where it's going. "F-fuck! Jake im cumming fuck! You're such a good boy~ for taking me all in such a good boy you are! Im cumming fuck take it nice and deep be a good boy and swallow everything!" Y/n praises with a few more thrust before shooting his load down Jake's throat.

Jake chokes and gags trying to swallow the load and his body trying to make him let some fall out or spit some out. but he ignores his body by putting a hand on his mouth to stop himself. Jake swallows everything and gasps for air "what the hell Y/n! How much cum you have today Jesus almost died trying to swallow all of that." Jake scolds slapping Y/n thighs.

"You been having blue balls huh?" Jake suggests and earns a harsh slap on the back. "No. we have sex like almost everyday. I don't know why I shot so much today." Y/n gets his clothes back on and fixes himself and Jake.

"You better fuck me with a load like that once we get home, so we can fuck for hours." Jake opens the door and turns around to Y/n with a smirk. "Bye C/s hope you had a good time in the clinic. Aren't I just the best doctor.~ Jake pokes fun at Y/n before shutting the door going back to class.

"Hangman where the hell have you been?" Maverick asks the young man. Who has the biggest smirk on his face and sits down beside the knowing Coyote. "Sorry the bathroom was kinda packed." Hangman answers with a dry voice. "You dogs..." Coyote whispers to Jake.

"What? We can't help it."

THE END

[an-unknown-writers-world]

Mr. Christmas

Warnings: None really – cheesy

Pairing:  Jake “Hangman” Seresin x wife!Reader

Characters: Brief mentions of Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Penny Benjamin

Word Count: 1,125

A/N: Just something super cheesy steaming from the Brett Eldredge song Mr. Christmas – honestly I’ve just been struggling to get into holiday spirit myself. Usually a little Brett Eldredge is prefect for getting my in the spirit and that’s just not doing it this year.

Text me when you pull in, please. I have a surprise for you. That was the message you received from your husband when you told him you were headed home.

He had been acting weird since Thanksgiving, and just when you thought he couldn’t get any weirder, he had practically begged you to spend the day with your uncle Pete. You were overdue for a bonding day, so you didn’t object.

 The situation got even stranger when you overheard him making arrangements with Natasha and Bradley to meet at the house when you were gone. Part of you wanted to be worried. But Jake had never given you a reason to question your relationship or him, so you wouldn’t do him or yourself the disservice of not trusting him. But that certainly didn’t reduce your anxiety as you pulled into your driveway.

You didn’t want to wait for a response, so you picked up your phone to call him instead of texting.

“Babe, is everything alright?” Jake answered the phone, worry unmistakable in his tone.

“I’m fine, just sitting in the driveway,” you replied, turning off your car.

“Shit, did I miss your text?”

“No, l didn’t want to wait any longer to hear your voice.”

He chuckled, “flattery will get you nowhere, Mrs. Seresin.”

You hummed happily, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being called that”

“I’ll be right out, Mrs. Seresin.” you could hear the smile in his voice.

Your relationship was controversial in your family and group of friends. You had been together for over a year but married after just ten months of dating. You and Jake felt it was right, but everyone else was hesitant that you were rushing into something that neither of you understood. 

This was your first holiday season as a married couple, and it was nothing like you had expected. You went from living in a state with four seasons to San Diego, which only had one. Seventy degrees didn’t really scream Christmas season to you. Leaving your usual holiday cheer virtually nonexistent. You cohosted Thanksgiving with Penny and thought that it would never end when usually that is something you would have lived for. One night at The Hard Deck, your uncle Pete asked when you were going to start decorating for your favorite holiday. When you responded with a shrug and a simple comment about not feeling up for it, Jake knew he had to do something to cheer you up. 

Turning off your car, you were unplugging your phone and tossing it into your purse when your car door opened. Jake was dressed in your favorite gray sweatpants and a Hard Deck t-shirt, with a Santa hat dawning his head.

“Hey baby,” He smiled, stretching out his hand. “Did you have a good day with Mave?” 

You took his hand, climbing out of the car. “I did. We went to the beach for a while, and Penny joined us for dinner. It was good.” You reached on your tiptoes and kissed him. “Thank you for insisting I go.”

“I’m glad you had a good day.” He closed the car door. “I have a surprise for you.” 

“Jake,” you practically whined.

“I know, I know, you hate surprises. But I think you’ll like this one.” He grinned. 

You stared up at him, trying to be angry or annoyed, but you weren’t. As much as you hate being surprised, Jake’s surprises tend to be your favorite moments. 

“Did you go through the Christmas boxes in the garage?” You asked, flicking the ball of the Santa hat. 

Jake laughed, “No, this was Rooster’s doing.” 

You found yourself skeptical as you approached the walk-up to the door. 

“Do you trust me?” Jake asked, pulling you to a stop. 

“With my life.” You replied without hesitation.

“You have two choices- I can blindfold you, or you can let me carry you into the house.”

“Um, what?” You exclaimed, confused. 

“You said you trusted me.” 

You laughed, “that was before you gave me two creepy serial killer options.” 

He raised an eyebrow at you. 

“Fine, fine.” You raised your hands, laughing. “Blindfold.”

“Really?” He pouted. “Guess you’ll have to wait here while I find one.”

“If I only had one option, why did you give me two?” 

“Well, I thought you’d only need the one.” 

You rolled your eyes, smiling at your dork of a husband. “Fine, you can carry me.” 

Jake picked you up bridal style and situated you in his arms. You kissed his cheek, just thankful to be so close to him. You knew he didn’t want you to peek at whatever he’d spent the day doing, so you buried your face in his neck, closing your eyes. Whatever it was, you knew he meant well. But that was the thing about your husband - he always has good intentions; he just might be terrible at showing that sometimes. Especially when it comes to his teammates. 

He jostled you around as he navigated opening the door; you could hear soft Christmas music playing in the background. “I’m gonna put you down now. Open your eyes.”

You felt your feet hit the ground, Jake’s hands on your waist steadying you. Opening your eyes, you looked around the living room. A Christmas tree was tucked in the corner, beautifully lit with red and white balls. Green and red garland lined the banister of the stairs and the arch between the living room and kitchen. Stockings hung over the fireplace with your names written across them. 

“Jake,” You beamed, “You did all of this?”

“I had help.”

“Nat and Bradley?”

He chuckled.

“You didn’t hide that part very well.” You turned, looking up at him.

“I didn’t care about that part. I just wanted to do something to cheer you up.”

You leaned up on your tiptoes and kissed him chastely. “Mission accomplished.”

The song faded into a new one, one that you loved. That’s when you realized that he had set up your vinyl record player and had your favorite Christmas album playing. 

“Inspiration?” You asked, pointing to the vinyl player.

“Babe, you played this song on repeat last year.” Jake laughed, pulling you closer. “I think it still plays in my sleep.”

“I have zero regrets.”

“Considering how much you love all of this.” He pointed to the decorations and lights. “Not to mention how many times I listened to this man’s albums last year, I knew I needed to do something to help you get in the holiday mood. What does he say? Turn your heart to red and green instead of blue.”

You giggled, “Guess that makes you Mr. Christmas.” 

“I’ll make your spirit bright,” He closed the distance between you, kissing you.

A/N: If you’ve made it this far - thank you so so so much for reading! My Masterlist can be found here. All work is also available on AO3  

[callsigndragon]

A Rebel in my Soul [2023 ver.] | Ch.3: Like a Mitchell

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x fem!pilot!reader (Call sign: Rebel)

Word count: 4k

Warnings: swearing, dogfighting exercise, worried Jake (that deserves a warning), mutual pining (even tho nobody seems to notice duh), alcohol consumption, and maybe i'm forgetting something.

A/N: things are starting to heat up a bit! more changes from the original version starting from this chapter hehe

Tagging the usual people, if you want to be added, comment down below!

Masterlist

Rooster ends up flying up there on the first team. You stay with Phoenix, Bob, Hangman, and the rest, listening to the radio in the officer’s lounge and hearing how things are going up there. You just hope that Rooster doesn’t get distracted by the past and that he can actually prove to Maverick how good he is.   

“Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking. Welcome to basic fighting maneuvers. As briefed, today’s exercise is dog fighting. Guns only, no missiles. We do not go below the hard deck of 5000 feet.”  

You take a seat next to Hangman because that’s the only available seat in the room. “Yeah, sure, like he’s not down there already.”  

“Howdy, Rebel. Want to tell us how you know so much about him?” Hangman turns around an F-18 model that he found on the table. He’s trying to tease you, and that’s evident, but if he doesn’t start being careful with his words, he’s going to end up in trouble.

“He’s a legend,” you reply, going with the evident answer and the only reasonable excuse. “Everybody knows him and his tactics.”  

“You think I’ll be as famous as him someday?”  

You scoff, taking the F-18 from his hand. “Keep dreaming, Hangman.” 

“If I shoot either one of you down,” Maverick keeps explaining the rules of the exercise. “you both lose” 

Jake looks at the radio, shaking his head in disbelief. “This guy needs an ego check.”  

“You’re one to talk, Hangman.” You mumble, rolling your eyes so hard that it physically hurts. “But actually, and I can’t believe I'm gonna say this, you’re right.” 

“I can shoot him down. Maybe even you can.” He looks at you, whispering so nobody hears him. “Show him how good you are.”

One thing about Hangman is that if you’re a good pilot, he will say it. He respects it. He messes with Rooster because he’s cautious, and in a way, you think he’s trying to push his buttons to make him snap, and become the best pilot he can be. 

Rooster has always been too careful when flying. Maverick once said that he wasn’t ready to leave the book behind and start doing things his own way. As much as you hate to admit it, he was right. Rooster is an excellent pilot, but he follows every single rule in the book.

It didn’t take a therapist to know that this was the result of his dad’s death. It has turned into a trauma for Rooster. He’s always trying to keep control of the aircraft, flying fast but not too fast. 

He’s too cautious, and you’re too reckless. If you were paired together, you would probably make the best team.  

Right now, Rooster is doing exactly what he’s not supposed to do. He is too slow, and Payback and Fanboy are almost smoked, but Rooster gets in the middle to save them. He always makes sure to bring the whole team back home.  

One after another, all your team goes up there, but none of them is able to get Maverick. Not even you; he tried to make conversation with you several times, but you weren’t having it. Phoenix and Bob were surprised to hear Maverick’s interaction with you, denoting a closeness that you two didn’t have. He kept talking and ended up frustrating you so much that it was impossible for you to get him. You had to do 200 push-ups. 

The second time you’re up there, you have Hangman as your wingman. Which actually means that you’re flying alone, because he’s going to leave you behind as soon as he sees Mav’s aircraft. 

“So, Rebel, mind if I ask you a personal question?”  

“You’re gonna ask it anyway,” you say while looking around, trying to find Maverick. He’s not on the radar, but he’s not far away either. 

“What’s the story with you, Rooster and Maverick? It seems like it has you both a little rattled. I mean, I kinda know a bit, but... I want to know the whole story.” 

You turn your head in his direction, glaring at him to shut up. If he keeps talking, people will know that he’s your father. And you can’t allow that to happen. “That’s none of your business, Hangman. Where the hell is he?” 

“Been here the whole time,” says Maverick, appearing from below your aircraft. He moves and turns his aircraft until he’s inverted over your F-18.  

“Holy shit!” exclaims Hangman. You’re not actually surprised. He’s that type of person.  

“You see me now, kid? Come on, let’s get it over with.” He tells you, looking directly into your eyes.  

He thinks that he can just pull out of nowhere, after what he did to you and Rooster, and solve everything with a dog fight? Just old Maverick behavior. If he wants to fight, you’ll give him war.  

“Fight’s on, old man!” You howl, turning your aircraft.  

“These two are going to get themselves killed,” Hangman says, moving his own aircraft to follow you around.  

You both go down, spiraling around each other, with the sky and earth spinning around you. You keep falling. Neither of you is going to pull up soon. This is dangerous, to say the least, and once you set foot on the ground, Rooster is going to scold you for your actions. You said that you wouldn’t let Maverick get to you. But he has a talent for making people angry.  

Cyclone is going to give you an earful for this, too.

“All right, you put us here. How are you gonna get yourself out?” He asks you, always with the teacher's tone. Maverick should know by now that there are only a few things left that he can teach you. He raised you; you learned everything he had to teach. 

You are just like him when it comes to flying. 

“Already wanting to leave, old man? You can bail out anytime.”  

He breathes heavily, not tearing his eyes away from yours. “How long you want to go, Rebel?”  

“I can go as low as you, captain! And that’s saying something.”  

“What’s past is past. For the three of us.”  

“Wouldn’t you like to believe that?” you sneer. He really is something else. He comes here, trying to make you and Bradley forget every single thing that happened, believing, as always, that he was doing the right thing. Only what Maverick does is right. The worst thing is knowing damn well that he’s not even going to offer an explanation.

“Hard deck is 5000 feet, fellas. You are running out of room,” says Hangman through the radio.  

Altitude. Altitude. Altitude.  

The automated voice is warning you. You’ve broken the hard deck. You’re still going down, approaching the ground faster by the second, but you cannot look away from Maverick. The first one that pulls up loses. He knows it. You know it.  

And a Mitchell never loses.  

“Your strategy is about to run us into the ground. What’s your move, Rebel?” 

Altitude. Altitude. Altitude.  

You look at the numbers on your screen. They're going down really fast. You want to pull up. You need to pull up. But you can’t lose. You can’t let Maverick win. Not this time. 

Not again.  

Pull up. Pull up. Pull up.  

“Rebel, pull up!” shouts Hangman, his voice piercing your eardrums through the comms. 

Maverick pulls up before you. You smirk and follow him, knowing that this time he’s not going to win. He’s going down, flying low, as if that could scare you.   

“Come on, Rebel. You got him!” says Hangman, and while you want to know the reason behind this sudden change in behavior, you’re currently really busy trying to beat your old man’s ass. 

You drop down, flying right behind Maverick, and try to mark him.  

“Come on, come on, come on.” You keep repeating it like a mantra, as if that is going to make it work faster.

Tone. You get a tone. You got him.  

“Whooo! Attagirl, get your ass up here before you crush.” Hangman is being too nice. Is he trying to be nice in front of the teacher, aka your dad, to secure a place on the final team?

You move your aircraft to be next to Maverick’s, watching as he takes off his oxygen mask. “Remember, old man. 200 push-ups,” you say, turning to leave with Hangman right behind you.

Once you’re back on the tarmac and your feet touch the ground, you see Hangman waiting for you, arms crossed over his chest. “Breaking the hard deck, insubordination… You really live up to your call sign,” he jokes with a friendly expression that surprises you and scares you at the same time. Does he actually know how to be friendly? But the important question is, what the heck is wrong with him today? 

“Want something, Bag man?”  

“C’mon, Reb. What’s going on?” He sounds sincere, not even a trace of humor in his voice. He really wants to know. Should you really take the bait? Should you really start sharing personal information with him? He knows more than you’d like about him.

“Why do you care so much?”  

“Cause I’ve seen you fly before. You’ve always been reckless. But this? This is something else.”  

You stop walking and turn to look at him, but this time you pay special attention to his features, finding out if he really means his words or not. His usual cocky smile is gone. He’s looking at you, eyes full of concern. He is worried about you. You look away, unable to keep watching those beautiful green eyes that take your breath away.  

“I’ll see you at the Hard Deck. Buy me a drink, and maybe I’ll tell you.” Why did you just offer to hang out with him? Did you hit your head with the canopy while dogfighting with Maverick? Something is really wrong with you. 

Hangman smiles a little. A different smile from the ones that you have seen before. Did he hit his head too?  

“I’ll see you there, then,” he says softly before leaving. You remain there, speechless, trying to understand what’s going on in Hangman’s head. 

And in yours.

You enter the Hard Deck, watching Hangman wait for you at the bar, beer in hand. He looks good out of his uniform, wearing some old jeans, a white t-shirt and his aviator jacket. His hair is loose, giving him a more juvenile aspect. You wouldn’t mind seeing more of this side of him.  

He takes a sip of his beer, his eyes scanning the door to see the incomers. When he sees you, he raises his beer as a greeting. You smile a little, walking towards him.  

“Hangman.” 

“Rebel,” he welcomes you, looking at Penny. “Can you get me two more? Thanks, dear.”  

“So, you’re really gonna get me a drink.”  

“I keep my promises. You get your beer; I get to know what is happening here.”  

“I never thought Hangman was an old gossiping lady.”  

Penny puts the beers down in front of you, smiling, before leaving to serve more drinks to other clients. The place is relatively quiet, but it won’t be like this for long.  

“Darlin’, I was born and raised in the south. Of course, I gossip,” he admits, raising his beer. “Cheers.”

You mimic his actions, drinking the cool liquid. If someone had told you three days ago that you'd end up drinking beers with Hangman, you would have laughed. 

“So what did good ol’ Maverick do to get on your bad side?” 

“He tried to pull my papers at the Naval Academy,” you admit after swallowing the drink.  

Hangman chokes on his beer. You grab a napkin to clean the drops of golden liquid that have fallen on his jacket. He looks at you, his eyes completely wide in shock. “Excuse me, are we talking about the same Maverick?”  

“Yeah. The man, the legend.”  

“But why would he do something like that? He is really proud of the Navy and what it represents. Why didn’t he want you to become a fighter pilot like him?”  

“I used to think that he was trying to protect me,” you admit, your eyes focusing on the beer in your hands. You twirl it around slowly, not really interested in drinking it. Hangman takes off his jacket and moves his stool closer to you. His hand brushes yours innocently, but it makes your skin burn in delicious way.

What are you, some kind of teenager? Having fantasies with someone’s hands? 

“You thought your father could do something like that?”  

“I thought he wouldn’t dare. I thought I knew him,” you admit, taking a big sip of your beer.  

Hangman glances at you for the nth time today. It’s like he has looked at you more times today than all the years you’ve known each other. There’s a shadow in his eyes—a feeling that you cannot identify. At first, you think it's sympathy. But you’ve seen the pity in the eyes of the rest of the world every time they knew who your father was. That’s not sympathy. He blinks a few times, making the shadow disappear. 

You know that look is going to haunt you in your dreams tonight.

“Are you late because Rooster reprimanded you?” mocks Hangman, a small, devilish smile adorning his features.  

You let your head fall to the bar with a groan, causing Hangman to burst out laughing. Of course he did. He lectured you for thirty minutes while reminding you that it was your life you were risking when doing “bullshit like that”. His words, not yours.  

"I’ve always said he's like my big brother, but he took it personally," you mutter, your voice muffled by the wood.  

“Oh, he did. When we met at the academy, everyone thought you two were dating. And then one day, we were here playing pool, you went to the bathroom, and he said, and I quote,” he clears his throat before speaking in the most ridiculous sound-alike Rooster voice you’ve ever heard. “If one of you idiots tries to get in my little sister’s pants, I will kill you with my own bare hands.”  

“Please tell me it’s a lie,” you beg him, not wanting to believe his words but picturing at the same time the whole scene in your head.

He leans closer, his breath warming your cheekbone. His cologne fills your nostrils and makes your heart skip a beat at the sudden proximity. “He even said that to Phoenix,” he declares, a laugh following soon once he sees the mortification in your eyes.  

“Oh, my God. I’ll kill him,” you whine, putting your hands on your face to shield you from Hangman’s stare.  

“Honestly, it was for the best. There were a few guys interested in finding out if you were as good in bed as you were in the sky. Assholes.” He finishes his beer and turns on his stool. “Pool?” 

“Sure,” you say, getting up and taking your beer with you.  

You play for a while, opting for small talk rather than important conversations as before. There’s something inside your brain—a tiny little voice screaming that you should leave. It’s true that you don’t understand why he is being nice to you all of a sudden, but you know that he means no harm. He’s egotistical, arrogant, and a complete idiot when he wants to be. But you’ve seen him be a good teammate when the occasion required it. You don't know what is behind this change of behavior. But there’s nothing wrong with hanging around long enough to find out.  

“So… what’s the story with your dad?” You test the waters, sitting on the edge of the pool table. You’ve told him about your past with Mav, it’s only fair that he reciprocates it somehow. 

He sighs, placing both hands on top of the pool stick. “That’s… a fucking long story.” 

You look at your watch and then glance at him. “I have a few weeks.” 

Hangman snorts, placing his chin over his hands. “Then we’ll have to meet up another time so I can tell you ‘Jake’s sad story part 2’”

At that, you frown. He’s not one to whine about things, but the wording he chose sure makes you feel like this is not an easy story to tell. “Hey, if it’s gonna make you feel bad, you don’t need to tell me.” 

He shrugs, not caring about the consequences of remembering his own story. “My dad is a politician. You know that, right?” 

“I’ve heard things over the years, but I didn’t think you actually were a famous politician’s son.”

He nods absentmindedly, his eyes focused on the Navy logo stamped over the pool table. “He said if I wasn’t going to follow his steps, he would never admit he has a son.” 

“The fuck? Just because you wanted to be a Naval aviator rather than a politician?” 

“Every single male in the Seresin family has been a politician. I was the first one who didn’t want to follow the path. I didn’t want my life to revolve around meetings, campaigns, and elections.” 

Just the idea of living a life like that makes you want to throw up. Sitting all day in an office chair, wearing dresses and high heels? No, thanks. You’d rather wear your flying suit. “I would have chosen the Navy, too.”

“Well, it’s easy to say. But I had a family to lose if I chose the Navy.” He explains, resuming the game. 

“Did you lose your family?” 

“I think that’s a story for another day,” he states, knowing that this conversation has officially ended. 

Hangman keeps playing and you have to admit that every time he leans over to aim, you look at his hands. There’s something about them that drives you mad. Strong, calloused hands that make your imagination go wild. You find yourself thinking about how those hands might feel between your legs.  

“Hangman.” You blurt before you can even think about what to ask once you have his attention. You just need to keep your head occupied and stop thinking about his hands.

He raises his head, giving you his full attention. “Yes?”  

“You called me during the dogfight.” 

“Did I?” he tilts his head, feigning ignorance. At this point, you can tell when he’s lying and when he’s not.

“Yeah, you told me to pull up. Were you worried about me?” You tease him.  

“Oh yeah. If you crash and burn, the mission will be over. And I really want to know what this is all about,” he says, his cocky smile present again. Back to lying. Why is he being nice and honest one second and hiding behind his stupid Hangman persona the next?

You shake your head in disapproval, feeling like you have lost time with him.. “And here I thought you were being friendly.”  

Hangman’s smile drops instantly, as if he has just realized that he’s done something wrong. He is about to say something when you feel an arm on your shoulders. 

“Rebel! You didn’t tell me you were gonna be here.” Rooster says, appearing behind you and almost giving you a heart attack.  

“Jesus, Rooster. Don’t scare me like that.”  

“C'mon, I want you to meet some people.”  

You give the stick to Hangman. “Thanks for the beer.”  

He nods and remains silent while you leave. You don’t notice, but he watches you move away with a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. Hangman pays for the drinks and leaves the Hard Deck without saying goodbye.  

Jake leaves the Hard Deck, trying to identify the feelings that cloud his mind. Why is he feeling bitter? Is it because Rebel chose Rooster? Of course, she will always choose him. He and Rebel are not friends. How is he even going to be an option? 

He gets in his car but doesn’t turn the engine. He remains there, looking inside the bar. She is smiling at something that Rooster is saying, her big, shiny eyes full of adoration for the taller man. Jake has never been jealous of anyone. He's got the looks, he's got the skills, and he is better than the majority of the pilots on the base. But yet, he’s not enough for her. And he feels jealous of Rooster because it doesn’t matter how much he messes it up—Rebel will always be there for him. 

Why are these feelings and thoughts materializing right now?  

Maybe it is because she almost killed herself.  

That dogfight with Maverick was dangerous. When he saw Rebel breaking the hard deck without caring about her own security, he felt the need to go after her. But he didn’t. How could he? It was impossible to stop her when she was flying. He knew, though, that if anyone could beat the old timer, it was Rebel. That girl was made to be an aviator. But she needed someone to stop her from pulling these stunts. It's funny how he’s the one saying that. 

He thought that maybe, if he opened up a bit to her, he could at least gain her friendship. But it’s hard to open up when you have been hiding yourself all your life. 

Recently, everybody has been talking about the Mitchells. Not around Rebel or Rooster, of course, but they’ve been talking. The way they talk to each other is really suspicious. Fanboy said that maybe Rebel was his wife, hence the name. Nat smacked him in the back of the head. 

Obviously, Rebel wasn’t married. Maverick was her father. Everybody knew, but no one said anything out of respect for the pilot. And he wasn’t going to confirm their suspicions, either. 

It didn’t look like you two had a great relationship.

Jake was ready to say something during the exercise. Being just the two of them up there, maybe he could ask why she and her father were strained. But when he saw the turn of events, he knew that if she wanted to talk about it, it wouldn’t be with him. Now he knows why their relationship is completely broken: Maverick tried to pull her papers. 

He doesn’t know, though, why Rebel trusted him with such an important secret.

He had been a dick with her since the first day. How could he expect that Rebel would tell him something so personal? He was out of his mind. And yet, she did... Why? 

But what he really wanted to know was why the heck he cared about a nepotism baby. Her father is one of the most famous legends at Top Gun, and she’s here. Did her father’s name open the doors of the academy for her? 

No. Jake knew that was bullshit. Not only was that bullshit, but the fact that her dad didn’t want her in the Navy proved to him that all she has is earned. There’s no way she could have benefited from her dad’s name. If there was anyone on the team who really deserved to be here, it was Rebel. 

She’s a hell of a pilot. Jake remembers the first day that he saw her at Top Gun. He couldn’t understand how someone like Rebel made it into this world. Shy, quiet, and always hidden behind Rooster. Maybe that was one of the reasons why he was always a dick with her. He wanted to get her out of her shell. He wanted to break down her walls to see the real Rebel. 

If she was there, she was good. She was part of the 1%. Then she proved to be better than everyone at the academy, and nobody could believe that the shy girl was a menace in the air. She became confident, brave, and a force to reckon with. Rebel found her voice, and she stopped being the quiet girl in the back of the room. That's when the troublemaker appeared. And she gained her call sign.  

Jake gave it to her.  

He remembers the exact words that gave inspiration to the team. “You’re a rebel in disguise, Mitchell. And someday your actions will have consequences.”  

That was the day Rebel was born.  

He turns the engine and leaves the parking lot with thousands of unanswered questions in his mind and your laugh echoing in his heart.

@xoxabs88xox

@pono-pura-vida

@shrimping-for-all

@purplevortexx

@dempy

@elijahmikaelsonbitch

@blueoorchid

[mrbexwrites]

OC Interview

Tagged by @kaylinalexanderbooks and passing it onto @charlesjosephwrites @minamaybe @spideronthesun @cruelflesh @warriorblood1 and leaving an open tag :) Answering for Connor from Blood Covenant because he gets mentioned a lot, but never gets a spot in the limelight!

Are you named after anyone?

"I don't think so. I never asked mum, and well....I don't want to speak about James."

When was the last time you cried?

"I cried when Hadley accepted my proposal. They were happy tears, of course. I cried a couple of days before that when she shared a cute kitten video with me. It doesn't take much to make me tear up. What can I say? It's healthy to cry!"

Do you have kids?

"Not yet. But one day, hopefully. I can't wait to be a dad. I'm excited to teach the little ones how to ride a bike, swim, read bedtime stories. I'm going to be a better dad than James ever was to me and Mave."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Not really. Unless I'm talking to Mavis. Then I'm super sarcastic! The joy of being a sibling!"

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"Their smile. I want to make people happy, so if they're not smiling, I'm going to want to change that. And if they are smiling, I want to make it wider. It costs nothing to spread kindness, and I want to make the world a better, happier place!"

What’s your eye colour?

"Brown. I hate that I inherited them from my dad; I'd have loved to have inherited Mum's green eyes."

Scary movies or happy endings?

"I love when everything works out. I want everyone to have their happily-ever-after moment. You've met my dad, right? I can't watch scary movies...they hit too close to home."

Any special talents?

"I'm pretty boring. I can roll my tongue- lemme show you! Oh...that's not what you meant? You want to know more about my psychic link with Mavis? "I don't want to talk about that...it's kinda private. But I can show you my tongue-rolling!"

Where were you born?

"In the back of my father's clapped out campervan."

Do you have any pets?

"We didn't have pets growing up. But I'd love to get a dog, or a cat, or a rabbit, or a goldfish, or a hamster, or a-"

What sort of sports do you play?

"I'm not much of a sports guy. I've kicked a ball about, so I'm going to say football? I was quite good at badminton when I was at school, and Arnauld tried to show me how to fence once. It wasn't my cup of tea!"

How tall are you?

"I'm 5'7". A whole inch taller than Mave, and you can bet your life that I don't let her forget it. It's the one thing I can lord over her!"

What was your favourite subject in school?

"I liked maths and social studies. Probably should have become an account instead of a paralegal! But then I'd not have met Hadley, so it all worked out in the end."

What is your dream job?

"House-husband. I mean, who doesn't want to spend all day at home, with your family, making fresh bread, delicious meals and keeping the house nice and clean? Just give me an apron, a feather duster, and I'm happy. I'd have a bath run for when Hadley gets home, ready to give her a massage after a stressful day at work! I'd be a great house-husband! But until Hadley becomes a super barrister and we can live off one wage, I'll stay a paralegal, doing my bit for Law and Justice!"

[ford-between-dimensions]

[mave notices ford's struggles with the hacked tumblr account.]

uh, ford? why's you communicator thingy doing... all that?

□ooc: couldn't help but wonder how you'd respond to this since although i ooc am sending it as an ask throught tumblr, in character mave is standing next to ford...

also no need to answer if this would break this□

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[mrs-medusa]

Hello all!! My name is Medusa, and as I've seen my beloved husband here frequently, I figured I'd make a tumbler of my own!! Well, not completely of my own; my girlfriend, Mave will be posting on here occasionally too.

I won't post horribly frequently, as I am quite a busy woman, and Mave prefers to be out with nature, but we will be here from time to time to interact with our partner ( @godslayer-jones )

I look forward to greeting those here, and to make connections and friends.

Hashtags:

mrs M writes: Medusa posts

gorgons den: Medusa answering asks

snakes slithering: Medusa reposts

huntress writes: Mave posts

huntress' catch: Mave answering asks

winding rivers: Mave reposts

Garden secrets: posting together

Garden conversations: answering asks together

Garden stroll: reposting together

OOC will be marked as such!!

//OOC: Heyo guys! They/Them creator here, and I'll be hosting this Fortnite Medusa (and Mave) Tumblr blog!! This intro was last edited 11/21/24

I run on headcaons shared between me and my friends, and I'll be dropping them here and there throughout my posts

I'm here to be silly goofy, so, please don't be afraid to interact!! Keep it SFW mostly though; jokes and such are fine, but try to keep it tame, lmao