#meanwhile i opened my life and bore my soul so.

[badcountryofficial]

Like it was never about me or what was best for me...I have to laugh because of how absolutely ABSURD it is

[thebrainrotsreal]

Invincible Fic Recs

Also bored as hell so here's Invincible fic recommendations because I can, in no particular order. This fandom's weirdly small (from what I can see) but there are people making fics and I will treasure and cherish them until the sun explodes. Thank you fanfic writers, I love you fanfic writers, doing incredible work, fanfic writers <3 Maybe you've read all these already, or hopefully you can find a fic to adore! TBH a lot of Mark-centic fics because I am biased <3 Feel free to add on!!!

 something better, pushed right back by umanta | Word Count: 13k | Tags to Note: PTSD, Homophobia, Racism, Child Abuse | Oneshot

Being invincible has less to do with the body and more to do with the soul. Mark's friends use the power of teenage shenanigans to help him find his feet again.

Notes: Literally one of my fav Invincible fics of all time. They're just teens and I love all of them so much.

me and myself by avisisisisisissss (joyfuldreamlandcheesecake) | Word Count: 4.6k | Tags to Note: AU, Torture, Evil Mark, Dimensional Travel | WIP!

Mark is dealing with Angstrom's death and the stains of blood on his hands. Meanwhile, Mark has been captured by Cecil, who is torturing him to get him to answer to him. ...It's complicated. Or, when his evil version from another universe ends up in this dimension, Mark starts to feel like someone threw gasoline in his dumpster fire of a life.

Notes: Me biased? Pshhh, not at all. But AU based on a post of mine, please read it, it's really incredible already :)

in the end, you're all i have by orphan_account | Word Count: 1.4k | Tags to Note: Post-Season 1, Hugging, Emotional Hurt/Comfort | Oneshot

Amber’s incredulous look is only brief before she reaches over and grabs the book, opening it to the last page that she was reading. Mark’s eyes are fluttering before she even makes it through the first page; his body goes slack against her, breathing lulls, attention wavers. But she keeps reading the words on the pages, brushing her hand through his hair until she hears soft snores whistling through his nostrils and he finally succumbs to his exhaustion.

Notes: I love Amber and Mark and this is such so soft and good. Truly lovely.

Architect of Your Own Demise by Marzi | Word count: 7k | Tags to Note: AU, Role Reversal, Canon levels of violence, | Oneshot

A lot of his dad's stories were about a beautiful wizard saving a prince from a tall, lonely tower. His dad had a whole series of adventures they went on once the prince was rescued. Though he still seemed to get into plenty of trouble, the wizard always helped him escape. Finding out the stories were true had been thrilling. His mother did save his father when they first met, but she hadn't used spells. She was an alien. She was a superhero. And one day, Mark would be too.

Notes: In all honesty, Marzi writes so many epic Invincible fics, it's had not to list them all, please check them out if you somehow havent' already??? I am weak for Role Swaps though and this is does it so well.

Cold Snap by Marzi (series) | Word Count: 11.9k total | Tags to Note: what if debbie was also allowed to make bad choices, possession, potentially disturbing mutilation based impulses | WIP!

The edge of her mouth twitched again, like it was caught on some hook. She was smiling. She was laughing at him. That wasn't his wife. He moved forward, hand outstretched and on her throat. He had her pinned against the counter before he finished blinking. "What are you?" She leaned into him, unconcerned with the threat against her. It also clearly didn’t care about hiding anymore. "Think you have time to find out?"

Notes: Another Marzi fic because I love Debbie. POSSESSED DEBBIE LIKE HELLO??? I had to share.

Spill the tea boy by mandaree1 | Word Count: 1k | Tags to Note: Set After "It's Been A While", | Oneshot

Mark is visited by friends on Thraxa.

Notes: Crying sobbing begging for more GoG & Mark interactions like these. They heal me ok, thank you, op.

all the things left behind by cadastre | Word Count: 28K | Tags to Note: AU, Captivity, Forced Cohabitation, Aftermath of Torture, Survivor's Guilt, Nolan Grayson's A+ Parenting | WIP!

Mark is invincible. When the world ends, that becomes William's problem.

Notes: Omg fucked up Mark and William interactions??? HELLO? Yes PLEASE? No one is having a good time <3 I haven't seen a fic quite like this so please read!

from a body that used to be yours by thislittlebagofdreams | Word Count: 30K | Tags to Note: Angst, Self Hatred, Alien Biology, Binge Eating, | WIP!

After his dad reveals the truth, Mark returns home to find half the silverware missing. Or: After his dad reveals the truth, Mark reminds his mom too much of his dad.

Notes: I haven't seen an alien bio fic either for this fandom and this is STELLAR! I love the change that Viltramites can't cry, that's such a epic idea???

All Alone Now by YingYangKay | Word Count: 2k | Tags to Note: Solitary Confinement, Dissociation, | Oneshot

Imprisoned and alone, (Evil) Mark has plenty of time to self-reflect and think about his life choices.

Notes: ILY EVIL MARK! I just adore his POV as he reflects, entrapped, and alone. Angst my beloved.

Again, feel free to add on! :D I hope someone finds a new fic to read and adore!!!

[slusheeduck]

Wild Heart

The day dawns like any other in Baldur’s Gate. It’s odd, watching the same sun that rose over the Nautiloid wreck, that filtered pale morning light through the trees in the forest, dawn over the dirty streets and grand buildings in the city. This morning is thoroughly unremarkable, for all that had just happened the night before.

Astarion had gotten in the habit of rising early through this whole tadpole mess, just to enjoy the sun for that much longer before it set. And even with the bone-deep exhaustion of all that had happened in Cazador’s palace, he couldn’t shake the habit…especially now that it was a limited resource.

He’d slid out from Falerin’s arms, letting him sleep in, and made his way out to the balcony. Everyone else was still asleep as well, enjoying real beds and warm quarters. That was good; if he heard one more comment of how proud everyone was of him, he’d bite someone.

He knew that they all meant well, and in another life, maybe he’d enjoy it. But now it just left him bristling for reasons he couldn’t quite put into words. The solitude of dawn was welcome…and short-lived.

Astarion looked up as he heard the door to the balcony open, bracing himself. Slow, easy footsteps—Halsin. He hadn’t said a word to Astarion yet, and the vampire bit back a groan at the inevitability of it. He decided to take the offensive as the druid stepped out.

“Come to tell me what a good boy I am?” he drawled. Halsin, meanwhile, looked surprised to see him there, and even more surprised to be hit with Astarion’s brand of snark so early. He gave a soft laugh.

“I came to enjoy the morning air,” he said, holding up his hands in good-natured surrender. “It’s one of the few times the air’s almost clean enough for my taste. But I can go without this morning, if it’ll bother you.”

Astarion looked over him for a moment, then shrugged as he kicked up his feet to rest on the railing. “Stay if you want. It’s no difference to me.”

Halsin dipped his head, then went to go lean against the railing. He was quiet for a moment, but even he couldn’t resist bringing up the elephant in the room. “So I take it you didn’t ascend?”

“I didn’t. Everyone’s very proud of me.” Astarion rolled his eyes. “I bet you are, too.”

“I suppose. I’m not very surprised, though. It’s not in your nature.”

Astarion bristled at that. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Halsin smiled a bit, glancing over his shoulder. “Can I confess something to you?”

Astarion frowned. “I’m not a cleric.” He pauses, then sits up. “But if it’s something particularly nasty, it may make us better friends.”

The druid barked out a laugh at that, and he shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s nothing like that.” He moved to go sit in the other chair on the balcony, meeting Astarion’s eyes. “When I first asked Falerin to spend the night together, we both agreed that nothing could be done without your consent.”

“Well, yes, I know that.”

Halsin took a breath. “I also…may have mentioned that, someday, it could extend to your…participation.” As Astarion inhaled to reply, he held up his hand. “That was solely my own wishful thinking. Obviously, I don’t expect anything from you. But it feeds into what I said earlier.” Halsin crossed his arms. “In the moment, I’ll admit that I only suggested that because I found you beautiful. But it goes deeper, I think—even then, it was deeper than your looks, but it’s taken all of this…” He gestured out to the waking city below. “…for me to really find what it is that draws me to you.”

Astarion listened, face suspicious but curiosity getting the better of him. “Go on.”

Halsin glanced up at him, a smile playing at his lips. “I know you’re a creature of this city, but there’s nature in your soul. Whether it’s because of your…condition or your nature, I can’t say. But you…act the way animals do.”

“Oh, high praise,” Astarion said flatly. Halsin shook his head with a smile.

“What I mean is…you act in accordance to your needs. When you hunger, you feed. When you’re bored, you play—cruelly, perhaps, but then some see cats as cruel in their play as well. When you’re hurt, you strike. And you play the games that ‘civilized people’ do, of course—the…lies, the flattery, the complications. But I think, more than the others, you have a wild heart.” He shrugged. “It’s been a comfort, even from a distance, and it’s something I admire greatly, far beyond your beauty. So, admittedly, I’m not very surprised you didn’t ascend. That sort of power does no good for a heart like yours.”

Astarion’s eyes had turned out to the city, eyes fixed on a spire some way off. He stayed quiet for a very long moment, then gave a soft sigh. “Falerin talked me down,” he murmured. “Before you start thinking I was any sort of…noble about it. And when he first said ‘don’t’, I…” He screwed up his face. “I hated him. Gods, I hated him more than anything. And I…all I could think was…” He glanced toward the door, a flicker of fear on his face, as if he expected Falerin would walk out. “I wanted him to die screaming, for stopping me,” he whispered, voice barely audible.

“Well, doesn’t Scratch growl if you take something from him he doesn’t want to give up?” Halsin asked. “It’s only natural.” He gave a soft sigh, looking up at Astarion. “Do you still want that?”

“Gods, no. Of course not.” Astarion looked away, a nail finding its way to his teeth. “But…well. I’d get a lot fewer congratulations if they knew. Though maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“It is uncomfortable, suddenly being praised for doing what you think is…rational. I felt the same when I became archdruid. If I were a touch more bear than I am, I might’ve ran. Then again, I suppose I did in the end.” Halsin looked over the horizon, then reached over to rest a large hand on Astarion’s arm, easing it away from his nail biting. “But for what it’s worth, I’m grateful—for the most selfish of reasons—that you didn’t give in. You would have lost your wild heart, and I…I would have lost a kindred spirit, a source of comfort in these walls.” His eyes slid over to Astarion, a flicker of mirth in them. “Along with all hope of you becoming a cuddly kitten.”

Astarion blinked, then let out an airy laugh. “Oh, I get it now. Beneath all that oneness with nature, you’re a bastard.”

Halsin laughed, a full one this time. “Well, bears play too, you know.”

Astarion shook his head, then sighed as he looked Halsin over, studying him. “I’ve hated you, you know.”

“You haven’t been very subtle. Which, admittedly, I appreciate. I can’t stand a flattering tongue that hides the venom beneath it.”

The vampire let out a tsk between his teeth. “It’s just, you’re everything I’m not. And…I’m not used to sharing anything, not with the life I’ve had. If it wasn’t given up to Cazador, it was every man for himself. So with Falerin…I thought he’d go to you eventually. Permanently.” He shrugged. “But at the same time, I didn’t want to keep him all to myself. Especially since we weren’t…well, intimate.” He pressed his lips together. “But he came back.”

“Of course. He’s bonded to you, body and soul. It’s obvious; I knew that when I broached the topic. But, well…nothing ventured, nothing gained, they say. I’m very grateful, to both of you, that you’ve allowed me in, for however long that is.”

Astarion sighed. “And I…suppose I’m grateful for what you’ve been able to give Fal.” He looked up at the overhang. “And for being…much more understanding about what happened last night than I expected.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees as he looked to Halsin. “I’m starting to see why Fal likes you. Outside of your obscene biceps, anyway.”

Halsin grinned at him. “Obscene, are they?”

Astarion leaned back, arms crossed and eyes shut as he huffed. “I’m petty, not blind. Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” He peeked an eye open. “Call me beautiful again, though, and your chances do get slightly better.”

“You are beautiful. Like a sliver of moonlight through the trees, like a panther stalking its prey, like a still pool secluded from the world.”

Astarion flapped his hand. “All right, all right, that’s enough. You’ll be whispering sonnets in my ear soon enough.” Despite his words, he did look very pleased, and he looked to Halsin with a smile. “Participation is still off the table for now, but I wouldn’t mind slipping off into the woods for a hunt. Indulge our wild hearts, maybe.”

Halsin gave him a wide smile, eyes brightening. “Truthfully, there is nothing I’d like more.”

“Mm. Then it’s a date. Though be warned, I did manage to take down a bear; you may end up a target if I’m feeling peckish.”

Halsin laughed, a full-bodied, deep one. “I’ll take my chances.”

Casual Banter masterpost

[krispdreemurr]

theories that I've posted scattered around this blog but haven't really put into a master post or anything, collated bc I'm bored and want ppl to talk to me abt them or something. im very prepared for none of this to be canon but there's elements I expect to at least be themes or something

-deltarune is a reset timeline. we were not directly present in the original, but maybe were indirectly present.

-basically I think the angel/the player is at least seen as like... imposing narrative and drama and Plot onto a world. demanding to see and know and have their heartstrings tugged and everything else a reader wants from a story. just as the dark worlds exist to provide compact stories for the lightners, so the light world exists for the angels to watch, etc

-in the original timeline, Dess died.

-gaster and kris met in the aftermath of this, in the bunker. at the time, gaster was a normal-ish darkner who had gotten a glimpse of the light and heaven beyond. he argued to Kris that Dess died to sate the angel's needs, to make a fitting story for Noelle and so on, and convinced them to help him in bringing the roaring and taking down the angel

-so yeah they were the knight. they at least knew some of the secret bosses and worked in uneasy concert w them before they all got too fucked up. meanwhile they met Susie, rekindled friendship w Noelle, etc etc etc

-over time they started thinking more that like. hey everyone pursuing ending heaven is like wildly unhappy and meanwhile I'm making friends and moving on and if like there's some intangible entity demanding a story from me like... how do i even... tell that's happening...

-(it wasn't that they were 100% comfortable ever to be clear it's just more the balance of "live a life with my friends and loved ones" vs "end the world and probably hurt or even kill a lot of people" shifted)

-so when it came time to open the last fountain, within the dark world, they hesitated.

-gaster took their blade from them and tried to open it himself - but he was a darkner, and the world was so fragile, and the wound he cut lead to nothing, nothing after nothing pouring out, and he fell into his own creation

-kris was badly wounded in the chaos and made it back to their light world room before collapsing, leaving a stain that wouldn't fade and the echoes of Susie's pleas.

-the world ceased to exist.

-gaster, in the nothing, was able to poorly patch together the world, but not quite as it was. he was not present in it, and those he spoke to talked to shadows, to garbage noise on the phone, to empty rooms.

-he was not able to entirely spare Dess, her fate already written, but he was able to... hide her. she vanished, instead of dying. she is still being hidden while he waits until after the story has concluded

-he spent some time testing methods of influence, ways to guide and design and use a human soul (leading to strange hazy nights for Kris)...

-and with lures and bait and promises of a world to make their own, he connected the angel itself to the world, trapping a piece of them there. this was both to use to re-steer the narrative according to His designs and also kind of out of spite.

-his original plan was to leave Kris out of it, making them a minor character temporarily while the vessel took their role. Someone Strongly Disapproved lmao and so we ended up w the current situation

-this time, if gaster has his way, they won't have the choice to hesitate, and the angel's heaven will be banished.

[dumbfloweralive]

The salvation of humanity

Chapter 12: Hob Gaddling, you're stupid.

Morpheus x (f)reader

Warning: alcohol

Reminder of the last chapter:

“We’ll see.” he said, taking your sleeping form in his arms.

He should leave you, staying out of your life. That would be for the best. He would end up hurting you.

“Let’s get you home, my little human.” He said, holding you close while raising from the ground and leaving.

 Was he even capable of such thing.

10 December 2029

Eleven days had passed since Dream had found back his ruby. After what happened, he had brought you back to England, in the house he knew you loved with the fireplace, the one you two stopped on your way to Oxford. Once you were awake, the two of you had spoken. 

Dream explained to you what had happened to him exactly during the last century. You had learned about Jessamy, who died helping him on the hand of Alex Burgess. The things they expected from him. The entire seven years he had spent alone, with no soul around until you came.

Your presence had comforted him, letting him feel safe as he opened up to you.

Then, he had answered your question. Who he was, his family, the Endless. You had learned about the Creator, the one above all. Dream was more than a god, that’s what you had understood, and that was a lot to take in. 

The two of you went different way since he needed to return to his realm, and you, home, packing everything you needed to move North again to meet Edgar in “The new inn”.

But since then, you haven’t seen him nor heard of him. You weren’t worried much, though, he probably had many things to do. Yet, still, you had that sting in your heart, fearing you might never see him again. After all, you were just human. 

Why would he care?

Meanwhile, Dream had spent the last days working on his realm, fixing everything that needed to. Finding back the resident of the Dreaming. He did have noticed his missing creation. At some point, they should come back, or he will found them.

Yet, something remain missing. He was certain that, after he would have found all his tools, he will feel good again. Now, he was just disappointed, having no idea why he felt this way when he was stronger than ever.

So, there he was, sitting on a bench, feeding pigeons until his sister, Death, joined him. They had exchanged until she asked why he was so moody. And, Dream decided to share his thought with his sister. Sharing his desire of revenge remaining unfulfilled because Paul and Roderick Burgess were dead, the thought of the mutants out there, the way he felt, empty compared to the exciting journey he had to found his tools. The way he felt more powerful than ever. A new purpose he had, a quest he had loved every minute, in this changed world.

“I was so sure that, once i got everything back, i’d feel good. But in some way, i feel worse than when i started… I feel like… Nothing” Bored, he wanted to say. Empty, like something remain missing. 

“There, you asked” 

His sister looked at him, smiling gently, before putting her hand on his knee.

“You could have called me, you know.” Death said.

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“I don’t believe it” she sound bored, rolling her eyes and standing up.

“Let me tell you something Dream, and i’m only gonna say this once so, you better pay attention” She picked his bread out of his hand.

“You are utterly the stupidest, most self-centred, pathetic excuse for an anthropomorphic personification, on this, or, any other plane. Feeling sorry for yourself because your little game is over, and you haven’t got the balls to get out and find a new one. You're as bad as Desire, no, worse” She spit out, throwing the bread back in Dream chest.

Dream felt offended, especially by her last sentence. Worse than Desire? No way.

“Did it never occur to you that i would be worried about you.”

“I didn’t think…” He started, but was cut short by Death.

“Exactly, you didn’t think.”

The group of human next to them throw away the ball, which Death catches quickly, just like Dream a few minutes ago.

“Waou, you’re just as good as your friend” the man pointed out.

“He’s not my friend, he is my brother, and he’s an idiot.” She said, sending back the ball.

“I am just feeding the birds.” he answered back, looking at the ground will the human walked away.

“Is this about this human and her dog?” she finally asked.

“I don’t know who you're referring to.” Lies. How could she know about his dear human.

“Don’t play this game with me, Dream”

Dream looked at her, waiting for his big sister to kept going, knowing he didn’t have anything to say about you.

“You spend almost two weeks around her day and night after spending a century imprisoned. It’s normal that you miss adventures with her. Normal that you feel this way now that you are alone again.”

“I can’t, you know it. It’s for the best” he said, more bitter than he wanted.

He had walked out of your life for a reason, the best reason. He couldn’t miss you, the adventures with you, he mustn’t. You were just a mortal. Soon, you would be gone. Dream had learnt his lesson long ago.

But the more the days passed, the more he felt your absence pulling him down.

Death sighs, knowing he had closed himself about you. She won’t get anything out of him.

“Look, i can’t stay here all day, i’ve got work to do. You can come with me, or you can stay here and sulk.”

“I’ll come with you, i suppose”

Dream followed Death on her day. She mentioned Hob Gadling and Dream decided to pay him a visit later that day. Perhaps that’s what he would need. A friend. 

Death brought him with her, taking the souls she could. Ever since the outbreak and the apocalypse happened, her job had been more difficult. No human died easily, usually, they came back as mutant. She was unable to save any of them. And, even though she had grown fund of her work, she despised this aspect of humanity. They weren’t dying any more, not in the way they should. The souls to get back were rare. The souls were trapped into their monster mind. A terrifying thought.

"Are they conscious of their state?" He asked, suddenly afraid of the answer.

"I hope not. But i can never get their souls. Only when they are killed."

Dream mentioned this mutant again, explaining how he tried to fight them with his power. Death felt sad for her little brother. He wasn’t aware of what had happened when it all started, all they had learned about these zombies.

“Dream, our power doesn’t work on them.” 

Dream turned to her, confused. How could that even be possible. 

“We are vulnerable to them, just like them.” she continued, referring to the human they had in front of them.

“How ?”

“We don’t know.” She said, sadly.

None of the Endless, none of the deities, knew how it happened nor why it happened. But once thing was certain for all of them.

Humanity was damned.

And for Dream, it felt like shockwave. He couldn’t believe it to be true. 

During their walks, Death explained to him everything she had witnessed during his absence. Showing him faces of humanity he had never guessed possible. Saying that they were here for them and not otherwise. He learned of faces of humanity that reminded of you. It made him care about them, the same way he cared about you. 

And he would try to be better for Humanity. 

That’s how, Dream of the Endless found back is way to a new pub called “The New Inn”, near Oxford, in an old quarantine zone in search for Hob Gaddling, the immortal human. 

The café was a warm and cosy place, people were walking around, exchanging with one another. In the back, staircase were leading to rooms, probably. Different from the white horse tavern yet delightful.

Here, it felt like nothing had happened outside. People were careless and happy.

And he caught sight of him. Hob Gaddling.

Dream walked closer to him. He could feel a familiar presence near him. But then, he was facing Hob, smiling. This one raised his eyes, catching Dream sight.

And he smiled back. 

“You’re late” Hob said which caused Dream to laugh.

“It seems i owe you an apology, i’ve always heard it impolite to keep one’s friend waiting.” 

Dream sat in front of him and the two friends started exchanging. 

Time flew away as the two friends were catching the time missed. Dream explaining the reason of his absence and his sudden return. Hob listening to his story, heartbroken for his friend.

“If i had known, i would have found a way to help you, i am sorry.” 

“You have nothing to apologize for, you had no idea, especially giving the circumstances of our last meeting.”

And Hob nodded, remembering that famous night.  

“And that woman, she just randomly helped you? And helped you find back the things you were looking for?” Hob asked, referring to the woman who had freed Dream.

“She did”

“In time like this, she must be quite of a woman.” Hob commented, laughing.

“Let me be honest with you. I’ve fought in the two World War and others war, but these things outside… They are creeping the shit out of me.” Hob continued, taking a sip of his café.

“The people able to fight them like these have guts.” 

Dream observed around, still feeling this familiar presence but not recognizing it as Hob presence. Then a new one. He recognized Bérangère, who had walked in and was sitting at the bar.

“So, you wait for me here, every day?” he asked Hob. 

“Yes, though i must admit i was waiting for one of the traders to go out. I need her help with something.”

“And who is she?”

“I admit i do not know. I have never met her, and she's probably going to reject my demand anyway. She had better thing to do than helping me retrieve my books.”

In the upstairs of The New Inn, you were trading with Edgar. He was asking once more for one of the usual run out in the worst part of Oxford and in one of the hospital. It will be winter soon, and they needed supplies here. The dog was sitting next to you, keeping his eyes on the armed men of Edgar.

“What do i get in exchange?” You asked, taking a sip of the whiskey in front of you.

“The munition you need, and you can keep a car.” he offered. 

“Good. I want one more thing.” you continued, leaning forward.

“I need an echo graph machine and vitamin.” 

“What for?” 

“We are missing this machine in my place.”

Last week, you had finally found everything for pregnancy testing. Turned out, Elizabeth was indeed pregnant. She would need that along many other women.

Edger leaned on his chair, thinking before moving his hand to you.

“Deal?”

You grabbed his and shook his hand back.

“Deal”

“Great, when do you need the car to leave.”

“Tomorrow morning, the weather should be better”

He nodded as you rose from your chair.

“See you soon” he said as you leave the room, going downstairs.

“Ah, there she is.” Hob said, pointing out the girl with braided hair walking down the stairs. 

Dream turned, and he felt his heart missed a beat as he recognized you and the dog. 

He was right when he said everything was pushing him to you.

You had walked to Bérangère, sitting next to her at the bar.

“I know her.” Dream whispered, looking at you.

“You do?” Hob said, tapping Dream shoulder.

“She is the one who freed me.” Dream murmured to Hob.

“You must introduce me to her.” Hob said, all excited.

“No” Dream could hear you laughing with your friend. 

“Why not?”

“Because” was the only answer Dream gave to Hob. 

Hob felt his friend more than reluctant, though he had seen the way he looked at you. Dream cared a lot.

“She is your friend” he said, trying to convinced Dream.

“I decided to never see her again” Dream whispered to Hob.

“Why is that?”

“She is just human, mortal one.” Dream said, hiding the real reason.

And Hob could feel he was hiding it.

“I’ll do it myself then.” Hob said, standing up and walking in your direction.

Dream tried to hide the best he could until he felt something touching his legs. His eyes went to the floor and he saw the dog. 

“Hello you” he said, patting his head. The dog put his paw on his knee, waiting for something.

Yes, everything was pushing him to you.

Dream heard his friend.

“Hello ladies.” he said to them.

“Hello stranger” you said, observing the man in front of you, your glass of whiskey in your hand.

“I believe you know my friend over here” he said, pointing out Dream who were trying to hide even more. Hob had sold him.

You followed the place he was showing and you saw him. Dream. Your heart skipped a beat.

“I believe i do.” 

Dream decided to stood up and joined Hob. The dog following him close.

“Hey Dream, long time no see” you said, a soft smile taking your face. You felt Bérangère kicking your arm, a mischievous grin on her face.

Dream, again, you still called him Dream, he thought.

He would have love to felt nothing as he was standing here. But he didn’t. Actually, the emptiness he had felt for the past days had gone. 

That couldn’t happen. 

Just one last time, he heard himself think, hearing his heart begging. One last time and he would leave forever. Even when he would come back here, it would be in a hundred years to meet Hob, you would be dead and gone. And if he ever had to come to earth once more, it wouldn't be near you, it was unlikely. One last adventure.

“Good to see you” he said, locking his gaze on yours.

“So, your name his Dream?” Hob cut the moment, finally aware of Dream name.

“No, it’s Morpheus” corrected Bérangère and Hob stared at you confused. 

“It’s a private joke” Dream said, remembering the exact word you had told to Graham. And he smiled at you, a wide genuine smiled which you returned to him.

The evening went fine. Hob, Bérangère, Dream and you were sat at a table speaking of everything yet nothing, cracking jokes and pun. Dream was silent most of the time, sitting in front of you, facing you, catching your gaze from time to time.

“Can we have others?” Hob shoot to the barman out loud, and you shush him, pushing his hand.

“For Christ’s sake, be polite” You laughed at the man before Bérangère stood up from your side.

“Where are you going?” you asked as she moved away.

“It’s work time” She said, clapping her hand together.

“Might i say, thank you for this evening, with all this fun, i might have forgotten we actually were in the middle of the apocalypse.” She continued, bowing dramatically. 

“Yeah, like we could forget that.” You said, waving at her. The dog was sitting between your legs, shifting suddenly to stand by Dream side, his head asking for cuddle.

“Traitor” You whispered to him, taking a sip of your drink. 

Hob talked to you about his old flat, full of books and belonging, asking for your help to find them back. It was on your way, and you were pretty sure the car you will get tomorrow morning could be used for this task too.

Dream was silently listening to the two of you when he knocked on his napkin. He bent under the table to take it back and, while he raised back, his head knocks on something soft.  His eyes drifted to fall on your hand, covering the corner of the table, realizing he knocked his head on your hand, instead of the corner of the table. 

His heartfelt heavy on your action, of you taking care of him, making sure he didn’t get hurt. Without noticing, his gaze had stayed locked on you, observing every feature of your face. You felt his eyes on you for a while before turning to him and smiling. 

“Are you good?” You whispered to him, losing the thread of the conversation with Hob for a second.

“Yes” He nodded, offering you small smile. 

He should have thanked you, why couldn’t he say that. And honestly, he waited for you to say something about it. But he looked at you as you just smiled at him, turning back to Hob, returning to your previous conversation. The dog licked his hand, growling slowly. 

“Yes boy.” he murmured to him, petting his head.

A gesture that made you smile even more as you saw it from the corner of your eyes.

It was getting dark outside, more people were inside the bar, and the place felt crowded. Dream felt uncomfortable, overwhelmed. Something that didn’t escape you. 

“Hob, don’t you have a place nearby? Somewhere less crowded?” You asked him.

“Yeah, we could go to my flat. Are you coming, Morpheus?” He turned to his friend, hoping he would say yes.

Dream nodded, as the two of you were, soon, following Hob to his place. You had arrived quickly, and, as soon as Hob opened the door to his flat, you were amazed by all the books he had, adorning the walls and some organized in pile on the floor.

“Are these all yours?” you asked.

“Yeah, i was a historian teacher before… All of this. I took what i could but, i am missing my masterpiece. "

Your hands roamed over the pile of books as Dream entered the place, scanning it. 

“You can take one.” Hob said, cleaning his place, not expecting visitors.

“So cool. By the way, what you wanted to ask me?” Taking the books about World War I.

“It’s about books.”

“Oh, i am in.”

You landed on the couch, sitting roughly before moving again, letting some place for Dream. Hob sat in his armchair, taking a bottle from behind the table.

“I like you Hob Gaddling.” you whispered, making the man crack a smile.

Your eyes fell on the chessboard next to him.

“Do you play?” He asked.

“Yes, love it, i am a monster at this.” 

Hob took the chessboard, smiling at Dream.

“I am glad Morpheus took the initiative to introduce us.” Hob said, teasing Dream.

“I am too.” you said, laughing at the situation.

The dog came to sit between your legs as Hob put the pawn on the chessboard, letting you through the book you had borrowed, Dream reading over your shoulder. The place was warmer than the café, and he felt more comfortable as he felt your presence, happy to be around you. 

“I propose something.” Hob said.

You lean forward, brushing Dream leg with your arm in the way.

“We play, each time someone loses is pawn hat to take the drink.”

“Good for me.” You said, putting the book at your side, opening the party with a simple move.

Hob were sure to win, he had years and century of experience in the area. But you were good, too good, and he noticed how Dream leaned next to you every time you seemed to take too long. 

“Stop giving advice, it isn’t fair.” He complained after you took his horse.

“Why?” he asked, a smile adorning his face.

“Because you’re…” He almost let the information slipped because of the alcohol, stopping in his track as he looked at you.

“It’s fine, she knows.” Dream said, leaning back in the couch.

“She does?”

“Yes, i do” And Hob sights.

“I am your friend for what, like the past 5 hundred years and i just learn who you are. She knows you like, what? A month?” Hob continued, putting his hand over his heart, acting hurt.

“You know what i called that?” You said, acting like you were thinking.

"Oh yeah, i called that favouritism.” You whispered to Dream, and he gave you a small smile in return taking his king.

“You would’ve loose anyway.” Dream commented, looking at the chessboard.

“Yeah, i am too good at this.” Which earned you a grimace from Hob who lean back in his chair.

“I don’t want to play any more.”

The evening passed, rather quickly. You and Hob get along very well, and he even had proposed to come along with you in the mission.

“Y/N, how old were you when it happens?” Hob asked at some point of the night.

“Sixteen. I was in school when it happened, my school got invaded.” 

“That must have been horrific.”

“Yeah” You whispered, toying with the dog hairs. 

Dream remembered that nightmare you had, one when you were in school, running from the mutant. Killing one.

“I am gonna go to bed, you are free to stay here, obviously.” Hob said, raising from the couch.

“Do you have a cigarette, something like that?” you asked.

He threw you a pack of them, saying to keep it, leaving just Dream and you together. You walked outside, the cold air of the night making you shivers. Dream joined you, looking as you light up the cigarette, putting it between your lips.

“Who was the girl.” He asked. 

You didn’t need to look too far to understand what he meant. If he was the god of dreams and nightmare, maybe he had seen yours too.

“She was my best friend, she got bit.”

Dream nodded.

“I saw that nightmare.” he confessed.

“I know, guessed it”

The silence lingered as you remembered that day. 

“It didn’t happen, what you saw in that dream.” You confessed to him.

Dream turned to you, waiting for you to open up, not invading your space.

“I didn’t kill her. I couldn’t.” 

You turned to the dog, watching him asleep on the carpet, next to the fire place. 

“If it weren’t for Oscar, i would’ve died that day. He saved me, getting me out and the others out of the fucking school. She is probably still running around because of me.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty, you were just a kid.” Dream tried to comfort you, his hands resting on your forearm.

“I know.” 

If you had died that day, no one would have saved him.

Another sign of destiny, perhaps.

The morning came quickly, as you packed your stuff in the car, Hob joined you and, to your surprised, Dream too. It made you happy. The dog jumped in the car next to you as you pat his head before he crawled next to Dream. 

“Let’s fight some zombies.”

Hello everyone, sorry i am very late to post this. I had a lot of issue in this beginning of 2023 but here i am back and i hope you will be glad to see the adventure, to keep following the story. Happy to return to you guys, hope you had a great reading time.

See you soon!

@angelicwolf98

@freedomsofdream

@octo-octopie

@boofy1998

@lexi-anastasia

@cupcake-de-abacaxi

@xicesam

@carrietrekkie

@darkfairy102190

@adishax

[fountainpenguin]

"I've got to be where my spirit can run free... Got to find my corner of the sky~!" (x)

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New Dog's Life chapter today! ~ 3rd Life series fan-season

Chapter 12 - “Intermission Boogie”

Read on AO3

Start from Chapter 1

More Pixels Imperfect fics

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The days between Sessions 1 and 2 trickle by… Sniff searches for his place in the world and has a run-in with Scar. Grian takes a look at Impulse's code. Meanwhile, Cleo and Martyn get into trouble and Bdubs helps Scott investigate the anarchy breach.

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

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🌓 🖤 🖤

Tuesday

SnifferMyFeet

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Etho's Void-black room is a lot more fun without Etho in it, until it's not. Pause and Beef both went offline. Nobody's here to tell him what to do. Sniff bounces on Etho's bed, slapping the ceiling on every jump. He tries to do a backflip, but… too scared. He gets too close to landing funny on his neck and stops bouncing after that.

My gods, it's so dark in here…

The room feels like an open night sky. Sniff tests his weight against the mattress, bouncing just a little, and watches the glowing glitter up and down his arms. He's leaking… but the little sparks he's producing are drifting upwards, against gravity. Is that Etho? Is Etho the sparks? Where do they go? Sniff tries to follow them, but they twinkle and dissipate in the air. He pats his head, ruffling his hair, and checks the mirror hanging on the back of Etho's bedroom door. Huh. Yeah, his hair's leaking glittery bits too.

I guess this makes sense? When I ate his soul, he didn't really go down my throat. He kind of melted in my mouth and blended with my gums… Well, maybe just a little of my throat. But he didn't make it to my stomach. So if he didn't get digested like meat or bread, I guess this is how he leaves my system? Etho's mind may be unconscious, but the particles of light that form his body seem to be escaping through tiny gaps between Sniff's pixels. That's his current theory, anyway.

Okay… That checks out, actually. That goes along with what Grian said about getting cycled into the system faster if Martyn eats you than if Bdubs does. Bdubs eats more, so it probably takes a lot longer for everyone to sneak out again.

Huh. Sniff flaps his arms, trying to shake Etho's particles out faster, but that actually stops him from glittering for a hot second. It's a couple minutes before the sparkles start up again. Oops. Maybe all that shaking made whatever's left of Etho's consciousness kinda dizzy. Sorry, soulmate. Boat Boys for life.

Then he smacks himself across the cheek. What am I saying? Etho was Joel's soulmate. Not mine. Boat Boys are dead in the water anyway. They don't matter. Etho yanked him into Between to do one job and that's it. He doesn't care. There's probably something going on with Bdubs or the real Joel or Beef or Pause or Cleo anyway. He told me himself he was only cuddling up because he's greedy and touch-starved. My gods, Sniff… Get over him. Boat Boys are over and he was never yours anyway, so treat him like an ex. You've got Pig now. It's time to move on.

Etho snuffed the lanterns out before bed. Try as he might, Sniff can't find a proper lighter. He checks every kitchen drawer and even some in the front room, but nothing. Etho's lack of interest in knick-knacks, apparently, extends to the entire bleedin' flat. And there's no blimmin' coal around either, so he can't craft any torches. Absolute disappointment. He slams the last drawer shut in a huff, then flops against the counter.

I'm so bored…

Which is maybe a bit pathetic, actually. Sniff rolls over, sprawling his arms across the counter from this angle too. Ceiling's lame… Everything's lame. At least the dark is good for one thing. The purpur flooring's a lot less ugly when you can't see it.

It's not like he's never been alone before. He used to be alone all the time back on his home world - He really needs a cool name for it, like 'Empires' or 'Hermitcraft' but like, personal - and he'd pass days or even weeks with Pig only popping in every now and then. That was lonely too, like this.

But the thing is, when Pig was gone, Sniff still had a whole server to explore. He picked apart every End City he could find. He got wings. He wrangled villagers. He beefed himself up with enchanted netherite gear. He built himself a flying ship.

But I can't build anything here. Or at least, Etho and Grian said you can't place blocks in New Star Station. The whole thing's bugged out or something? Spawn protection? Not sure. To be fair, he barely paid attention as he had other things on his mind.

Well, if he can't build… At least he can explore. Etho tried to spook him out, claiming the HALO team or big bad Bdubs might come to log him out if he isn't careful, but what's it to him? Sniff just ate the man. And if he can eat Etho, what's to stop him from eating anyone else? He can eat anyone he wants. Yeah, that's right. His fingers, still splayed, tighten into fists.

Bdubs said it himself: he didn't want to poke around in here because he thought I might log him out…

Everybody's scared of vex. Even HALO. Even the phantoms. Sniff studies the blank ceiling in the dark for another couple seconds, then peels away from the counter. He walks straight through the den, slides open the bamboo door, and steps onto the balcony. Fresh air… Stale air, technically? They're still under bedrock-

"What are you doing?" asks a voice from above, and Sniff jumps about four blocks in the air.

"WHAAAA!? Oh my- What?"

Cackling laughter breaks out above him. Sniff jerks up his head, breathing hard. TwoMuchGrian is perched right on a copper bar above his head, arms wrapped around his stomach. He's doubled over, wheezing like an absolute madman (My gods…) His hair waterfalls down one shoulder, swishing with every wingbeat. He's losing petals from his flower crown. Sniff drags his hand straight down his lips.

"Oh my gosh… Two, what the hell? You scared the blimmin' daylights out of me! Ohh, I'm gonna be sick!"

It takes several seconds of laughter before Two's caught his breath enough to answer. He unfolds. He rights himself on the rod, letting his wings flap down in a blur of blue and gold feathers. "Ohhhh… You have no idea how long I've been waiting to catch you, Sniff. Ohhh… That's going in your newbie clip comp for sure." Two holds his fingers up in Ls, framing Sniff between them like he's pinned on a comm screen. "Wooo… How you feelin'?"

"Like I just short-circuited my own hearts. My gosh, you are something else. Uggggh… I'm so mad. You're so bloody lucky I don't have any weapons on me right now."

[Cnt'd on AO3 - Link at top]

[rinwellisathing]

Okay so I know I did a big OC spam yesterday but I have to admit, I've been getting really excited about some plot twists in the magical girl inspired BG3 sequel campaign I'm running in 5E.

So the story follows a group of young women(the PCs) who accept a call to adventure in the form of an open invitation to Lady Alyce Ravengard's seventeenth birthday in Baldur's Gate. At the ball in her honor, she plans to announce an important quest. The players meet her and are tasked with helping her to assist a strange Feywild entity known only as Will'O'Wisp to escape its prison in an old rotting tree.

To do this, they must hunt down the corrupted souls of adventurers who have previously made deals, and allegedly gone back on them, with the creature. Their liasons whom Alyce works with are a strange feywild cat being named Calloway and the printing press Jelliwig from the Stop the Presses! Quest. The players are collecting the soul essences they defeat and are meant to hand them over to Jelliwig to be made into books of the soul's life and then destroying the books to free the soul.

The players have rolled very well and love to poke around in the settings I describe, so very early on, they realized Calloway, Jelliwig, and Will'O'Wisp aren't exactly trust worthy.

Through various shenanigans, the players have managed also to build an unusual group of allies after freeing Gortash from Bane completely by accident, encountering Bhaal's new murder tribunal now run by a feytouched Bhaalspawn, and helping the goddess Umberlee free an ancient chosen of hers from the clutches of Will'O'Wisp.

The big secret I'm so excited about, however, I haven't revealed yet and can only even say here because none of my players in that game follow me on tumblr:

Will'O'Wisp is not what it seems, they're totally right about that! It is actually a clever trick by the demon Pale Night to amass power and spread chaos by sowing the seeds of despair( hey, I admitted many times this is heavily Madoka inspired) in clueless mortals she tricks.

Alyce's mother is dying of a terminal genetic illness and Alyce took the pact to protect her. Alyce also fanatically hates devils because of what Mizora and Zariel did to two of her parents plus her grandfather's harrowing tales from Elturel. Pale Night sees her as an easy way to maintain a puppet on the material plane as well as stick her hands into the blood war just a little to have some fun.

More importantly, if Alyce manages to keep up her pact and her mother becomes well again, Pale Night intends to harvest Alyce's mother's soul and replace her in her own body, thus gaining a position of political power as well as all of her potent storm magic to play with. If Alyce can't keep up her pact and falls to despair, that works as well. Pale Night is nothing if not flexible and mercurial. She will in that case use the deaths of both Wyll Ravengard's wife and oldest child to try and persuade him to bargain with her, blaming Alyce's death on the work of devils. She then feels she could convince Wyll to carry out her bidding within the city at least until she gets bored.

One player is a warlock pacted to Baba Yaga and I love that because I've woven Auntie Ethel back into the story as a result since Baba tends to be a patron of hags and this has allowed the players to find a lot of clues about some of Will'O'Wisp's servants due to Ethel's connections to the fey, for instance they noticed Calloway never goes with them to the bar Ethel has been covertly running, Ethel will explain to them if asked that this is because Calloway is not a cat thing at all, but instead an Annis Hag who not only pissed off Baba Yaga by breaking a pact with her to instead work with Pale Night, but also owes Ethel money.

Meanwhile, Glasya, Archduchess of Malbolge, has her faithful warlock, Enver Gortash's former personal assistant Valda Everett, reestablish herself as his employee now that he's returned. Glasya has instructed her to steer him in the direction of helping the players 1. Because she doesn't like the idea of some ancient demon lord running amok and getting the upper hand on the material plane, and 2. Because she believes she can take Gortash's soul right out from under Bane's nose and add him to her collection of playthings along with Sentry(redeemed Durge) and Teela (Enver's daughter with said Durge who is currently working for Alyce because she has a crush on her).

Glasya and Pale Night are two of my favorite rarely used beings in D&D as a whole since my 3.5 days and The Blood War is some of my favorite lore so running this campaign and having my players love it so much has been amazing ><

[fungiac1d]

The House of Lamentation.

Mammon x gender neutral mc.

TW: trypophobia (mentions of holes in the skin), cannibalism? Demons eating humans. Mc is dead but not really (free interpretation), religious themes.

Summer mornings always work the same for me; the sheets stick to my body and I slowly get away from them, meanwhile the streets are completely silent. In summer people left the neighborhood because they had holidays, the birds don't sing since s long time, cars rest... I get up and I lay on the couch, closing my eyes, my mom hums while she cleans. I know all her songs.

This morning is quite different, after liberating myself of the sheets a cold sweat ran down my back. I got out of my room bare footed, my mom's eyes smiled at me more than usual. There wasn't music, just an intense noise coming from my inside; it has been years since I heard such a strong buzzing, it stifles my skin, it sings.

I looked at my mother and I went to the bathroom, my flesh burnt and I couldn't breath: singing, right in my stomach, all my body vibrates with it.

Then I went to the empty street, with the sleeping cars; I thought about the day before and hands, that like the sheets, stick to my tights. In summer everything remains dead, the grannies won't go to talk in the street because there is too much sun. Maybe the hands were a had dream, the asphalt amplifies how hot it is and it envelopes everything, the street is narrowing.

I think about the birds singing, I think about a world with noise which wouldn't be empty like the broken melodies of my mother's humming.

I walked until I found a small river, one I haven't seen ever. I wasn't afraid so I sat in the humid earth to get my foot in the green water, down to my knees. Then I looked at my hands, waiting for them to grow big, emaciated holes, but nothing happened.

I thought that because I saw a hive, big and overflowing, bleeding on the river where my foot rested. For a moment I wanted to open it a go inside, since I can't become a hive; I think someone opened me too and something came inside, now it's making noise so I'm never lonely again, it overflows my mother's songs.

If I'm dreaming where will I wake up? In my bed? In my father's bed? Will I be twelve again? I think there has never been a river here, I think something bad has happened.

What if I open the hive? Will all the stingers break my skin? When I was younger my parents took me to lakes so I bathed and had fun, showing the world my sun kissed belly, I look down at the river. How would it feel? To drown in honey? My organs suffocate under the noise, my skin cries and I think: there has never been a river here, or a hive, something bad has happened.

I kept walking until I reached a home, there was a man outside, his skin is rich and sun bathed, with shining eyes, he looks at me, flooded with curiosity.

—What are you doing around here?

—I'm lost.

—Then you are in the right place.

—Am I dead?

The question makes him burst out laughing, his laugh is the first thing to sounds real since I got up.

—Don't worry your pretty head over that—he gets up and walks over to me—here is all you need.

I look over to the huge victorian house.

—You want my soul?

His eyes shines.

—Your soul? Aren't you a little dumb?—he flickles my forehead, smiling—you need some rest, don't you?

When we get inside, he shows me a room. My own, he says.

—This is not only my house, but the guests too. It has a life of it own.

The walls get colder.

—What's is name, then?

He throws be a mischievous smile before answering:

—I like to call her—he caress a wall, smiling, his teeth are precious like small drops of milk—the Hose of Lamentation. It will give you anything you want.

I slowly lay down on the bed.

—Now sleep, there is so much waiting for you.

Before falling asleep I think about going back home, or to the river.

He closes the door.

The next time I open my eyes I'm still here. He is already waiting for me.

—So what do you want to do, little boring thing?

—Is there a garden?

—Let's find out.

There was a garden. He holds my hand softly, all the flowers are unborn yet, I caress the prick.

—Will you stay?

I only nod, afraid of saying the truth: I don't think I can go back.

—Good, you'll get used. The house is amazing, there is a casino in the basement just for me! It gives you anything—he gets closer to me, I can smell him—and you will be ok.

And I believe him, just like that, his name sounds weird and heavy on my tongue but when he says mine is like a soft eater flow running down.

—Are you sure I'm not dead?

For the first time, he looks at me with a more serious expression. He has a little smile dancing on his lips, I think he is very beautiful, I like his eyes, does he like mine too?

—Does it matter? If you are dead?

—I guess it doesn't.

As days passed I found myself growing more and more comfortable, the food was unique: my grandma's cookies, that cake which made me so happy in my birthday... For me, we are the only ones in the house, I don't see any guests.

He is soft with me, he watches me sleep sometimes and when I wake up he is still there, as if his day started when mine did.

He might be a little rough or hot headed sometimes but when he looks at me in the morning, with a mix of awe, affection and need, my bones move and ache in all my body.

[Then let me eat your heart, Ophelia, which shed my tears.]

The story goes like this: it's one of many nights, he looks at you. A fresh wound, pink and shining, water falling, needles.

The only meaning of pain and love is that they are endless, and the only comfort to this is their own eternity.

He looks at you knowing that time is running up, what is a body? A broken plate, a shattered shell. He gets closer but he only smells his own hunger, feeling his heavy tongue: hunger emanates from it own self, like pain.

But he has been wonderful for you, you got all you wanted and needed. Slowly getting to your soul and desires.

This night is different, because you wake up noticing how close he is. His eyes are shining, liquid gold.

You think about his teeth, small, pointy, there are so many, they are precious like milk drops. The loneliness in your house also comes to your mind.

The house BUZZES and you know that it will devour you. Is the payment for the company, for the cookies, for a cake of your eleven birthday.

Once again you look at him, and the necessity bleeds inside of you, you want more. Is not enough with the walks you wake, or with the way he looks at you sleeping, you need more.

He reeks like hunger, but not the one that makes your tummy ache and your mouth salivates, he craves your necessity, your avarice, the happiness you hold because you have everything thanks TO HIM, to the HOUSE, you feel like a fish, with your soft belly exposed to a fork and a knife, exposed to his teeth.

So you bring your hand up, closely followed by the volcanoes of gold that are his eyes, your insides scream. But you touch his lips softly, waiting for his mouth to be opened and you think: Jesus body is the bread, his blood is the wine.

When the mouth opens you pass your fingertips through the teeth, pearls, it's a humid mouth, warm, the tongue gets closer to your phalanges and you think: the bacchae kills a small mouse, to eat it's raw skin, cleaning it's little bones. That mouse is God, we eat God.

The house keeps buzzing, exactly the same way your insides did that morning when you got up.

His jaws close up around your hand and you scream, this is all you have ever wanted.

[amberlynnmurdock]

New Love, New Haven

CHAPTER FOUR: Passions of the Soul 

Pairing: Ben Tallmadge x Original Female Character

Chapter Summary: Nathan and Ben visit the tavern to bribe Richard to pay for the window damages of their neighbor. Sadie receives an unexpected invitation.

Author’s Note: Enjoy!!! 

Archive Of Our Own Link

Late September 1772

Sadie could feel the days getting colder and colder in New Haven. The air crept through her windows, causing her to shiver, even under her heavy blankets.

It had to have been an hour before she normally woke up. Stretching, Sadie brought herself on her elbows to peek outside the window: the early rush of the crowd was beginning to trickle down the streets, as Sadie could see. The local markets were bringing out wooden carts, with fresh fruits and vegetables for selling. She saw a local tailor down the street enter his shop. Students of Yale University made their way to the gorgeous gothic building that Sadie finally got to see the inside of recently.

She thought of the memory sweetly, smiling to herself thinking of that night with Ben. It had been a few days since that night, but it’s been on her mind ever since. In retrospect, she did feel it a bit risky to be hanging with her brother’s friend, but now, she thought nothing of it. It was innocent and perfectly fine, all in the name of experience. That was Sadie’s justification. She was fine with thinking nothing more of their secret meeting. And regardless of all that, Sadie had a right to live her life and hang out with whomever she wanted to.

And yet, if all of that were true, then why did it need to be a secret?

Sadie didn’t sit on the question for long. She was tired of letting everyone know what she was doing, and where she was going, her entire life. And again, the reasonings for not telling anyone just because she didn’t have to, was good enough for her.

☆☆☆☆

Ben sat at a wooden desk tucked in the back of his ethics class, trying his hardest to pay attention to the lecture being taught. Ben didn’t want to admit it, but his mind had been in the gutter lately. He gazed out the window of the classroom, watching as some students sat outside with their books. The leaves were starting to change their colors—fall was Ben’s favorite time of year at Yale.

Nathan sat one seat up from where Ben was. Nathan turned around to see if his friend was just as bored as he was, and he was right. He smiled to himself as he saw Ben mindlessly looking out the window. Nathan made a small sound to get Ben’s attention.

Psst!

Ben immediately looks forward and meets Nathan’s eyes. Ben raises an eyebrow at his friend and leans forward to hear what he has to say.

“Sadie’s right—we’ve got to pay for that man’s window,” Nathan whispered to his friend. Ben’s heart jumped at the mention of Sadie’s name. He tried to cover his jumpy response but quickly nodded his head.

“Alright, yes,” Ben replied, “but I haven’t got any money. And if I send for my father, it may take weeks until it’s arrived,” Ben worried. Damn my foolish drunkenness.

Nathan waved his hand, dismissing Ben’s worries. “I’ll have my father take care of it.”

Ben’s mouth slightly opened and he shut it, shaking his head. “No, Nathan. I can’t accept that.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m pretty sure my father might love you more than me anyway,” Nathan chuckled. “Plus, he’s got a good relationship with the surrounding neighbors. Free pints, if they let the window smashing go.”

It wasn’t so much the money that made Ben feel guilty—it was the fact that his best friend was willing to get him out of trouble out of the kindness of his heart, meanwhile, Ben was keeping something from his friend.

Ben knew there was no winning with the Hales—if Nathan insisted on his father paying for the damages, whether in money or free ale, then Nathan would follow through.

Ben nodded his head, promising that he wouldn’t let it happen again. Though, he wasn’t sure if he meant the window smashing or—seeing Sadie again.

☆☆☆☆

Sadie was mindlessly wiping down the bar counter. Her father was down in the basement tending to the barrels of ale, making sure everything was in good shape before the evening crowd came in. Friday nights were known to be a little rowdy and it was important that everything was in tip-top shape before nearly every stool in the tavern would be taken.

Sadie even made sure to put on a nice dress—it wasn’t anything special, but it was nicer than the normal beige-colored dresses she wore. She saved her more colorful outfits for the weekend. Tonight, she settled on a lavender dress.

Richard came bounding up the steps with a barrel and set it behind the counter. Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, he huffed as he looked at the front door.

“Where has that rambunctious brother of yours been? Ever since Enoch came back from York City, he’s been absent. Leaves me wonderin’ if he’s stirring up trouble elsewhere,” Richard spoke. Sadie tried to suppress the smile on her face. It was funny how Nathan could get under their father’s skin so easily, even if he wasn’t around. And the thought of Nathan leads Sadie to think of Ben again, and how she hasn’t seen him since their late-night meeting. She didn’t worry too much about it. She knew if it were meant to be, and Ben truly was intent on helping her learn, then it would happen.

“Christ,’ Richard said exasperatedly, “speak of the devil ‘imself. And he’s brought one of his foolish friends.”

Sadie turned around behind the counter to see Nathan’s shining blonde hair outside the window. He bounded inside, like he always did, and took off his tricorn to greet his father.

“Greetings, father Hale,” Nathan announced, slightly bowing. Sadie laughed and ran around the counter to greet her brother with a hug. Nathan spun Sadie around a bit, and when she stood on her feet again, she saw Ben standing at the front of the tavern, with his hands behind his back, eyes slightly hidden underneath his tricorn. Sadie smiled at him as she caught his gaze. His blue eyes locked with hers as he bowed slightly to greet her, as if saying, hello again.

“Nathan, it’s been a few days,” Sadie said, bringing her attention back to her brother, “what’s got you held up? You can’t make time to see your sister anymore?”

Nathan shrugged, “I know, and I’m sorry Sadie—Enoch is a great distraction on weekends and I tend to fall behind when I am havin’ too much fun with my friends.” Richard raised an eyebrow from behind the counter.

“Glad to know my tuition money’s no good,” Richard mumbled. "What brings you here now?”

“Can’t a young buck like myself just come to see his father? And of course, say hello to his darling sister?” Nathan said, putting on a fake innocent voice. She watched as Nathan walked closer to the counter and giggled. She knew Nathan was here to get something out of their father. Sadie glanced again at Ben who was now slowly following his friend. He stopped, though, when he reached where Sadie was standing. For a moment, Sadie thought that perhaps Ben looked even more handsome than she remembered. His golden locks were hidden under his tricorn, but his striking blue eyes were more captivating than ever. Or maybe, Sadie just didn’t want to let go of his gaze yet.  

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Ben teasingly. It was amusing to see this side of Ben again—shy and slightly like a caught-off deer. When she was sitting so closely with Ben in the planetarium, he was so confident and even slightly playful in nature. It was intriguing to see what moments brought which side out. Why, now, was he the shy and bashful type currently?

“It’s been a bit since I’ve seen you,” Sadie decided to speak to him. Ben looked at her and smiled a little, holding a folded piece of paper in his hands behind his back.

“You didn't think I’d forget about my promise, did you?” Ben whispered back, watching and making sure Nathan’s attention was on his father. Ben quickly flipped the papers in his hands and held them out to his side, clearly for Sadie to take. Perhaps, she was wrong about getting the shy and bashful Ben. She quickly took his papers and tucked them in the pocket of her dress, catching the gleam of mischief in Ben’s blue eyes. She tried to suppress her smile again, but this time, failed.

It sounded like Nathan was bribing his father again to pay for the damages that happened last week to their neighbor’s window—and somehow, even as strict as their father came off, he sounded convinced. Nathan had always been persuasive, ever since they were little kids. He would make a great government official one day, Sadie thought to herself. He always got them out of trouble when they were kids. Sadie never knew how he could do it, but he did anyway.

“Oh, Sadie!” Nathan exclaimed as he turned around, clearly satisfied he got his father to grant his wishes, “I forgot my notes for you. I will have to come by again either later tonight or tomorrow. I know it’s been a while, but I promise to have a lot for you next time,” Nathan apologized, walking toward Sadie and Ben. Sadie nodded her head.

“It’s all right, brother,” Sadie dismissed, “I’ve actually still got other notes to catch up on,” Sadie told him, meeting Ben’s eyes for the quickest of seconds. It was now Ben’s turn to hide his smile.

“Good,” Nathan squeezed her arm and looked at Ben. “Well, we’ve got some real studying to do now,” Nathan said to Ben. Ben nodded his head and went to thank their father.

“Thank you, Mr. Hale, for your understanding and courteousness,” Ben titled his tricorn. Richard mindlessly nodded and waved him away. Ben, turning to look at Sadie, smiled.

“Sadie,” he acknowledged her.

Sadie went back to tending the bar as Nathan and Ben walked out of the tavern. Ben fought with himself earlier today, debating whether to give Sadie his notes or not. And while he knew it was slightly wrong, it didn’t stop him from quickly writing the last of his ethics notes down and tucking them away in his bag, with intentions to give them to Sadie. Every reasonable thought that came to Ben’s mind was quickly shot down with a counter reason that there was nothing wrong with helping the girl out with her studies. I’m doing a good thing, Ben tells himself. There was nothing wrong with it at all.

☆☆☆☆

Sadie was anxiously watching the clock all night, counting down to the minute she was allowed to go upstairs. Richard tended to let Sadie go up early on Friday nights since the crowd could get a little too rowdy. Thankfully, there was no trouble, and by the time the clock struck eleven, Richard let Sadie turn in for the night.

She had been itching to open Ben’s notes throughout her shift. She would reach in her pocket to feel the folded papers and immediately retreat her touch, not wanting to ruin the anticipation. She wanted to save the reveal for when she was alone in her room. What subject could it be? She was not expecting to get any notes, so she hadn’t a clue of what it could be, which excited her even more.

After getting ready for bed, Sadie wrapped herself in a blanket and sat at her desk, lighting a candle and spreading his notes. At the top of the first page was the subject of the notes: Descartes’s Passions of the Soul (1649).

“Ethics!” Sadie exclaimed quietly in her seat. Sadie straightened out the papers from being folded in her pocket for so long and began to read Ben’s notes.

Compared to his astronomy notes, these notes were much neater and more detailed—Sadie began to suspect that he might’ve written them with her on the forefront of his mind by how specific the notes were. He was defining words, and expanding on ideas—his astronomy notes were straightforward and plain.

It was also different reading Ben’s notes compared to Nathan’s—Nathan, while Sadie immensely appreciated him for it, did not write the notes with Sadie on his mind. Nathan was kind enough to only share them with her. But Ben? Ben did this with the intention of sharing them, she thought. The thought of Ben going out of his way to write notes for Sadie warmed her heart—there was nothing more intimate and thoughtful than handwritten notes, specifically for her.

“There are six primitive passions,” Ben wrote, “wonder, love, hatred, joy, sadness, and desire.”

“Wonder is the first of all passions—Descartes writes as such:”

Ben copied word for word from Passions of the Soul:

“When our first encounter with some object takes us by surprise, and we judge it to be new, or very different from what we have previously experienced or from what we expected it to be, this causes us to wonder at it and be astonished. And because this can happen before we have any knowledge of whether the thing is beneficial to us or not, it seems to me that wonderment is the first passion of all. And it has no contrary, because, if the object that presents itself has nothing in itself to surprise us, we are not moved by it in any way and we consider it without any passion.”

Sadie read on about how each of the passions had oppositions, except for desire.

“While Descartes opposes love to hatred and joy to sadness, desire does not have an opposite. The reason is it has both appetites and aversions.”

“To control these desires and passions, it is imperative a man knows his passions and learns to control them in order to put them to the best possible use. They mustn’t go ignored.”

Sadie tried to relate Descartes’ writings to herself—ever since she was little, she always had the desire to learn more about everything in the world. She could have followed in her older sisters’ footsteps and left that desire behind, but with the help of Nathan and being encouraged to not put those desires away, she instead lit that passion of hers and chose the road less traveled. It was satisfying to see what she always felt inside was actually what a philosopher wrote a century ago.

At the end of the notes, Sadie saw something peculiar on the last page. It didn’t look like it was part of the lecture notes, as it was written smaller than the rest of the notes and slanted a bit. Sadie read Ben’s words carefully.

“Which of the six passions resonated with you the most, Sadie? P.S. Cogito, ergo sum.”

Sadie felt silly for how she felt her cheeks heat up at his written question. Not only was Ben writing notes for her, but now, he was communicating this way too, and opening up a discussion for later—but when? Sadie wondered when she would see him again, and this time, she hoped it was sooner than later.

And just like clockwork, Sadie nearly jumped in her seat when she heard a *pop* *pop* on her window. Growing defensive, Sadie took her candle and slowly stood from her seat, slowly walking toward her window. More small rocks hit her window. When she approached it, she slowly opened it and looked outside.

Standing at the bottom were Nathan, Enoch, Asher, and to Sadie’s delight, Ben. She quickly grew insecure about her nightdress and covered herself with her blanket more.

“Sadie!” Nathan shout-whispered. “C’mon out, we’re going on an adventure.”

“What? Nathan, I can’t—father will kill me,” Sadie whispered back. Nathan waved his hand, dismissing her worries.

“Father’s closed up and is asleep, and if you get caught, you can blame it on me,” Nathan smiled, waving for his younger sister to come down. “We are going to the beach.”

The beach? That was an opportunity Sadie knew she couldn’t pass up. And with Descartes’ teachings on wonder still on her mind, she knew she shouldn’t suppress it.

“One moment,” Sadie shut her window and quickly threw her blanket off, reaching for her cloak and throwing it over her night dress. Her cloak would keep her warm enough, as long as she kept it on. Instead of her usual brown shoes, Sadie threw on her black riding boots. Blowing out her candle, Sadie snuck outside the back of the tavern to meet Nathan, Enoch, Asher, and Ben.

☆☆☆☆

Around the corner of the tavern were four horses, all standing patiently with their owners—or renters, perhaps. Sadie had no idea how they were able to obtain horses, but she was delighted that they wouldn’t be traveling by foot. By horse, the beach was only thirty minutes away.

“What in the world are you boys up to? And why are you bothering me to join?” Sadie crossed her arms and looked at them all in amusement. When her eyes landed on Ben, she saw that he was nonchalantly tending to his horse, brushing its brown hair. He glanced at her for a moment and looked back at his horse.

“Like I said Ace of Sades… the beach! And I’m botherin’ ya because what else are you doin’ up there? Surely can’t be as fun as where we are about to go.”

“Where did you all acquire these horses?” Sadie asked suspiciously. There was a white one with gray hair, a gray one with black hair, and two brown ones: one with white hair, and the other with brown hair. Ben was near the brown one with brown hair.

“Cedar Brook Farms, of course,” Asher answered, “it’s the college’s farm.”

“Yale has a farm?” Sadie clarified, raising her eyebrows. What didn’t this school have?!

“Correct,” Enoch stated, “and we are just… taking the horses out for a little ride.”

“You’re stealing the horses,” Sadie retorted, smiling. “You guys never fail to amuse me.”

“They’ve been stagnant all day. They need some fresh air! C’mon Sades, are you coming or not?” Nathan asked his younger sister, beginning to walk backward toward the white horse. Sadie shrugged, not having much of a choice anyway, but even if she did, she’d know there was one answer.

“Yes.”

☆☆☆☆

Although Sadie wanted to ride with Ben, she felt that would be too obvious. So, she opted to ride with Enoch since in truth, she trusted Enoch riding a horse more than Nathan. Nathan had a tendency to believe he was amazing at everything he did, and while that was definitely true, Sadie wanted to feel safe on the ride.

Ben was on his horse, trailing at the end of the line. Sadie felt like she was being tugged to look back at him, for no particular reason. She looked back occasionally to make sure Ben was still behind them, which he was.

Arriving at the beach, Enoch helped Sadie off the horse while the others came off theirs, too. Sadie kept her cloak hood on as she watched them all tie their horses securely. Ben was the only one who seemed a natural at keeping his horse under his command, which made Sadie think he might’ve been the culprit in acquiring the horses in the first place. He wasn’t wearing his tricorn now—his hair was tied back, a little disheveled from the wind. He kept his focus glued on securing the harness and hooks. Sadie began to wonder if he was avoiding her a little, but she understood why.

After the horses were secured, the five of them began to walk toward the shore, where the trees met the sand. Sadie could hear the sound of the crashing waves, a sound that brought her back to her childhood. So many times did she, Nathan, and Enoch go down to the beach and play. Now, Sadie understood why Nathan wanted her to come—perhaps he missed it as much as she. As if reading her mind, or maybe he saw the wistful look on her face, Nathan squeezed Sadie’s shoulders and ran forward toward the tide. Enoch went bounding after him, and soon Sadie ran as well. Asher and Ben kicked off their shoes and joined them.

A little while went by, with the five of them chasing the tide, kicking the sand, and laughing. Splashing water on each other, Sadie was hysterically laughing as Enoch nearly pushed Nathan into the water. Asher and Ben joined in the splashing too, and Sadie paused as she saw Ben walk closer to her. She smiled at him, and Ben returned the same.

Asher brought a basket and in it were two bottles of ale for them to share. Sadie, growing a bit tired, decided to take a break from the fun and sit in the sand, watch the boys play, and momentarily look at the night sky. She opened the bottle of ale and took a sip, taking a deep breath as she dug a hole in the sand with the bottom of the bottle to let it sit. She smiled to herself, watching Asher, Nathan and Enoch continue to play. Where was Ben?

“Do you mind if I join you?” Ben’s soft voice came from Sadie’s left side. Sadie looked up at the tall man, the moon reflecting off his golden brown hair. Ben plopped down next to Sadie, crossing his legs and wrapping his hands around them to hold him up straight. Sadie met his eyes and nodded, almost moving the bottle to her right side, until Ben gently grabbed it, brushing his fingers on hers. She watched as Ben took a sip from the bottle, and couldn’t help but think of how her lips were just there, moments ago.

Sadie nervously pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, unsure of what to say, for once. Ben’s gaze was up at the stars, and Sadie looked at his profile. She swore she could see every hair on his lashes, that’s how close she was to him. Or how close he decided to sit next to her.

“There’s the big dipper,” Ben softly announced, pointing his index finger up at the sky. Sadie followed his pointed finger and at first, she couldn’t tell until Ben kindly explained to her what to look for.

“Those three big stars in that line? Follow that last one to the right, then down, and then immediately left again,” Ben explained, pointing with his finger. Sadie’s eyes lit up the moment she saw, and she gasped.

“You were right—they are more beautiful by the shore,” Sadie stated. “And there’s the little dipper right above!”

Ben laughed at her realization, enjoying her raw reactions to the stars. “Well, they’re always beautiful, no matter where they are. You can see them more clearly here, I mean. I guess it depends on how you see them,” Ben replied, this time it was his turn to look at Sadie’s profile. Her mouth was slightly agape, looking up. Ben tore his eyes away from Sadie’s lips and focused on her warm brown eyes. Sadie felt Ben’s gaze on her and decided to look at him as well. She smiled, and a warm feeling spread in her chest at the gaze Ben was giving her—she couldn’t quite read it, she only knew how it made her feel.

“Thank you for your Descartes notes,” Sadie broke the silence and broke her eye contact as well. “To answer your question, the passion that resonated with me the most was joy.”

Ben nodded slowly as if digesting her answer. “Why?”

“Well, I think for me, passion fuels joy. I’m passionate about something because it brings me joy. Or, joy is what makes me passionate about something. I think they can go hand in hand. I like the idea of joy from Descartes' view, and he’s right that the opposition to joy is sadness,” Sadie explained. “I know that may seem obvious, but when you think of it, you cannot have one without the other. The other needs the other to exist.”

Ben raised his eyebrows not in surprise, but in agreement. He was delighted Sadie enjoyed his notes and studied them so quickly—he should’ve known. He only wished he prepared even more for her tonight.

“That’s thoughtful, Sadie. You would make an excellent pupil in the classroom,” Ben told her truthfully.

Sadie blushed at his compliment. “I’m just speaking my mind,” she said bashfully.

Ben hummed in response, gently hitting his shoulder against hers, and whispered, “Cogito, ergo su.”

“I think, therefore, I am,” Sadie translated. Ben grinned, meeting her eyes, and that same warmth filled her chest again. Sadie looked away, almost overcome by it. Why is he making me feel this way?

“And which passion resonated with you the most, Ben?” Sadie asked, keeping her eyes on the sand in front of her. Ben never took his gaze off her, even when she looked away. In the silent moments that passed with Ben not answering, he was trying to decide if Sadie looked more beautiful in the sun or moonlight. After a while, he concluded it was impossible to choose. Following Descartes’ beliefs, Ben was done fighting off his own thoughts. Sadie was beautiful and so bright and warm, and so unexpectedly alluring—Ben wanted to know more about her, to understand her. Ben was only doing himself damage the more he pushed his truest thoughts away.

“Desire,” Ben simply answered. Sadie turned to look at him, bemused to see Ben still looking at her. The look on his face was hard to decipher, but it was the way Ben said his next words that made Sadie start to believe she was getting herself into trouble by sitting next to this striking young man that is Benjamin Tallmadge.

“Desire awakens only to things that are thought possible. Desire is the want for the future—the longing, the appetency for what starts as wonder. The inclination, the passion,” Ben spoke faintly, but Sadie heard every word clear as the moon in his eyes. “That can drive someone to madness if not taken care of.”

☆☆☆☆

“Who’s horse does this belong to?” Sadie inquired at the brown horse with brown hair, knowing very well that this horse belonged to Ben—at least, that was the horse he rode on. She gently patted the horse’s muzzle.

“Aye, that would be Benny’s precious stallion, Willow,” Nathan answered, undoing the harness on his own horse. Ben caught Sadie’s eyes momentarily before slipping into that cool exterior he had earlier when they weren’t on the beach yet. Sadie nodded her head and watched as Ben began to undo the hooks and harasses on his horse. His movements were much more natural and calculated than the rest of the boys, which told Sadie that Ben actually knew how to ride a horse. She caught herself staring a bit too long, mesmerized by how Ben could make even something as simple as undoing a loop attractive. Snapping out of it, Sadie spoke again.

“Can I take a ride on Willow on the way back?” Perhaps it was the ale, but Sadie’s question came out quicker than she thought. Ben paused in his movements, locking eyes with Sadie…killing me softly, are you?

Nathan, not suspecting a thing, shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

“That’s if you trust Ben on the horse,” Nathan teased. Ben rolled his eyes at his friend.

“I’m more experienced than you are, Hale,” Ben replied. “Willow seems to like you, Sadie,” Ben stated. Sadie’s hand was still on Willow’s muzzle, and the horse gently nudged her hand in a playful way. “I don’t mind, as long as you trust me.”

“I think I do,” Sadie replied.

Ben came around Willow and held out his hands for Sadie to hold as she got up on the horse. In a swift motion, she adjusted herself on its back. Ben climbed up and secured himself right behind Sadie, her back touching his chest. She took a deep breath as Ben’s warm, strong arms reached out in front of her for the harness. She hold on to the top of the saddle as Ben glided Willow to turn around.

On the way back, Sadie fought her sleepiness by gripping the saddle tightly. Every so often, when the road would take a dip, her back would gently bounce off Ben’s chest. She did notice how Enoch guided his horse versus how Ben did. Ben was definitely more experienced.

“How long have you ridden horses?” Sadie asked quietly.

“Since I was little,” Ben whispered in her ear, sending vibrations down the length of Sadie’s spine. She felt goosebumps form on the back of her neck. “Did you really not know this was my horse?”

“I did know,” Sadie answered.

Ben hummed in response.

After a while, the sight of New Haven crept up slowly. While Sadie didn’t want this night to end, she knew she was due for sleep. They must have been out for nearly two hours. It was way past her bedtime, and Sadie was beginning to feel it in her eyes. She must’ve accidentally fallen asleep for a moment, even though they were close to the Tavern.

“We’re here, darling,” Ben whispered in Sadie’s ear again. She could feel the locks of his hair brush against her cheek. She lifted her head that was tucked in the crook of his neck and blinked her eyes open, watching as Nathan, Enoch, and Asher were a few feet ahead of them.

“Make sure my sister gets inside, Benjamin,” Nathan shout-whispered as Ben helped Sadie off the horse. Ben nodded his head and walked with Sadie to the back.

Since Sadie was on the horse with Ben, Ben had to help her off the horse and walk her to the back door of the tavern, as Nathan, Enoch and Asher waited around the corner of the building. Sadie said her goodbyes to her brothers and wished Asher a goodnight.

Sadie walked slowly toward her door and suddenly felt an odd feeling of deja-vu. She turned around to see Ben standing politely with his hands behind his back again. She gave him a soft smile. As she was about to head inside, and Ben was about to leave, she called after him quietly.

“I wonder when I’ll be seeing you again, Ben,” Sadie softly spoke, half inside the tavern and half out. Ben looked around the corner of the building, to ensure no one was listening. He took a few steps closer to Sadie and leaned a bit forward with his hands behind his back.

“As soon as I get a hold of my desires,” Ben whispered back. And with that, Ben left her to return to his friends, and his horse, Willow. Sadie was beginning to face her own desires, as well.

[bumblebeug]

Batman all but dropped Jason as he assumed a battle stance, as he watched the being float above the now still waters.

"Constantine," He ground out as Constantine slowly backed away from the edge of the pit.

"What are we dealing with?"

"We- I-," Constantine spluttered.

The being snapped its eyes open and suddenly was nose-to-nose with Constantine. Its eery eyes boring into the tattered remains of Constantine's soul.

He held his breath and dared not move a muscle. He knew he was being judged and this close, Constantine was sure there was nothing he could do if the being found him wanting.

Then the beings eyes rolled to the back of its head and collapsed gracelessly on the hard ground.

Constantine inhaled sharply, he wasn't sure how but, "I think I passed."

"Passed?" Batman's stance marginally relaxed now that the perceived threat was, at the very least, unconscious.

"Yeah, passed," Constantine said faintly as he knelt to inspect the being.

Despite the pure silver hair, it looked like young man. Or no, Constantine thought chewing on the inside of his cheek, a child.

When Batman's hand clapped onto his shoulder, Constantine startled badly.

"Oy! Warn a fella, why dont'cha," Constantine snapped reflexively.

"What is this being's threat level?"

Though he tried to sound harsh, his voice softened a little as he asked the question. The being, the boy, looked just a little older than Damien and so very vulnerable sprawled out on the hard ground.

"Oh," Constantine glanced between the boy and Batman, "Existence-ending. There is very little in the world to stop it- him- if he decides its time for the world to end."

"We," Constantine drew a big shuttering breath, "are dealing with a being perfectly balanced between life and death itself. An angel."

"I thought those had wings," Jason groaned as he sat up from his own place on the ground, clutching his head.

"Not always," Constantine frowned as he reached out to the prone body, hesitating only a second before gently moving the body into the recovery position and rocked back onto his heels.

"If I had to guess, its probably not a coincidence that this angel came to Gotham. But what I don't understand this why it chose to come through a Lazarus pit." Jason said as he moved closer to the group.

"Simple," Constantine answered, "You know how like dissolves like? Lazarus pits are both life and death. So another being made of the same thing would likely find it easier to move through a ready-made tunnel."

"Are...," Jason raised his eyebrows, "you implying that Lazarus pits are puddle-angels?"

"What? No!"

Batman stepped between the two men before an argument could start, "We're getting off-track. If we can't defeat him should he decide to end us, can we contain them before it decides to do so?"

Constantine grimaced, "Not likely, at least not right now. I would have to gather materials and consult my book and-"

Batman cut him off, "So what would be the plan in the meanwhile?"

"You're askin' me?" Constantine fanned his hands in mock flirtation, "Mr. I-have-backups-for-my-backups?"

Batman leveled a particularly unimpressed stare at Constantine.

"I dunno mate, show him a good time? Really give it a go with kunbaya?" Constantine slapped his knees before getting up, "In any case, we know his True purpose until he wakes up, which could be minutes from now or a millenia. Can't really say."

The boy-angel groaned softly.

DPxDC Idea for Lazarus Water/ Prompt

Ok so Extoplasm is thought of as being corrosive right?

What if Walker hated having real world object in the ghost zone was because they would eventually dissolve and contaminate the ectoplasm that touched it? Usually not a problem because the ectoplasm dissolves the object and the ghost zone filters it out naturally by just passing the dissolved real world item back into the living realm somewhere. Its why sometimes people feel the hair on the back of their neck stand up on a hot day like they've passed through a cold spot (because generally when the dissolved real world item comes back to the living world, its gaseous).

The problem is, however, if enough real world objects get dissolved at once, it gathers into a heavy pool (Lazarus water) that will eventually leech into the real world somewhere in a nongaseous form. Which is a huge problem because when those open up, it means that humans can more easily access the ectoplasm because since its now a living/dead substance and can be absorbed and, in most cases, abused by humans. Of course the effects of taking a dip don't last long because it eventually evaporates out through a humans pores and, like,, liver.. which is why repeated dips into the pool are needed. Also the bigger the pool, the more gravity it exerts drawing more dissolving real world items to it.

Which, for Walker, is a paperwork nightmare because its hard to disperse these pools once they occur (in general most sane ghosts don't also want to be contaminated). The solution, in Walkers eyes, is prevention over clean-up which is why he's so ridiculously strict about real world items in the Zone.

But say a big enough pool forms.

SO Walker catches Danny and instead of jailing him decides "Hey this kid is already a dead/alive mix, maybe it'll be easier for him to disperse the stuff" and sentences Danny to community service.

Here's the thing though- Walker was wrong, the pool has more pull on Danny because of his unique biology and essentially sucks him in when Danny approaches it.

Where does Danny end up? Thats right- either in Gotham's Lazarus pit or the Al-Ghul's pit.

I'd like to think the trip through a pool would sorta fry Danny's system (due to his unique) until enough Lazarus water evaporates off of him so he's stuck as, like, a combined form Fenton/Phantom because of the overload to his system. And he can't leave until that happens (sorry Clockwork can't help because he's...busy)

Maybe he has half white hair/half black hair and one blue/ one glowing green eye.

Anyways, I think this would be a really fun concept.

Batfamily would have a field day with this.

[absoluteverdict]

ONE ACT PLAY

Group 3 Entry 5

Written by: M.M.K. Jologs

TITLE: JACK THE REAPER

By: Group 3 Heje, Harold L. Rial, Anthon Miguel, Braga Ericka, Buasan Arland.

SYNOPSIS: Jack was a poor lost soul that was trapped. And forced to collect souls for him to gain his freedom, but as he reaches the end of his journey, he will encounter a dying girl and this girl might just change his perspective on everything.

Characters:

Protagonist: Jack Nicholas - The Reaper

Love interest: Claire Sunday

Mrs.: Sunday – Mother of Claire

Trish - Friend of Claire.

Doctor Hector – Claire’s Doctor

Nurse Joy – Claire’s nurse

Setting: Clark Hospital

Jack: FINALLY! One soul left. Finally, I will have my freedom.

….

Doctor: Goodday Mrs. Sunday....I hope you have enough sleep today. Your eyes seem tired.

Mrs. Sunday: Good morning, Doctor Hector thank you for your concern.... these tired eyes of mine are nothing, just to make sure that my daughter is safe.

Doctor Hector: Sure....and now I have the test result I hope you were ready. Mrs. Sunday: Yes, I am doc. [Door closed slowly] BGM cuts off.

Jack: So where do I start hmmm. It says here my target this week is to seal or cast away 13 souls.... but seems like I need more time

Doctor: Mrs. Sunday I know that for the past years you been though a lot in your life as a single mother and now I'm so impressed at how resilient.... you are.

Mrs. Sunday: Pls doctor let's cut the chase and tell me the result [looks serious]

Doctor: [Takes a deep breath] ok Ms. Claire’s health is getting even worse for the past few days her immune system didn't fiction well than before...  [Looks at Mrs. Sunday with serious face] your daughter has stage 3 cancer. [The office shuts in complete silence] Shock to found out Mrs. Sunday burst into tears.

Mrs. Sunday: [Starts to cry] thank you doctor.

Doctor: Mrs. Sunday don't worry were here to help you and your daughter......I must go thank you for your high presence on this important matter.

[Doctor Hector leaves the office]

Narrator: As Doctor Hector talks about the funding of the result about Claire's health Mrs. Sunday breaks down to tears knowing that her daughter and the last part of her family has an incurable disease, little do they know Claire was secretly hearing about the conversation.

Mrs. Sunday: Good morning sweetheart how's your breakfast is it good

[Mrs. Sunday approached Claire and sit beside her]

Claire: Good morning mom thanks for the food I did enjoy eating it

Mrs. Sunday: As always....and oh tell me the next dish you want me to cook I'll make it for you. Claire: thanks mom not only for the food but for staying here with [Holds Mrs. Sunday Hands].

Meanwhile, Jack walks to the room that the book of fate directs him.

Jack: So, this is the room huh.... welp there's no time to waste here we go [ He rushes to open the door] OPEN SESAME!

…..

Claire: [Claire wakes up on her bed] ......oh it's midnight already......[Looks around the room and get up] sigh's......I'm all alone here again, ha-ha...wait I remember this will go on as I lived here in this earth

[Phone rings]

Claire: huh? It's already this late who could this be .... uhm hello Claire speaking.

Trisha: Hi!!!!! Claire [Greet Claire with joy] how are you bestie!!!! It's been so long since we hang out and see each other, I'm so sorry I didn't visit you these past days you know school and work stuff, but hey you know what's up!!!

Claire: Uhm no haha, Pls slow down and be specific ha-ha you sound like catching your breath [Smiles].

Trisha: Haha!! yeah sorry I'm just happy you know, and ohm I completely forgot beshie these coming Saturday I'll be visiting you.

Claire: [Smiles with tears of joy] Really!!!! I can't wait.

Trisha: Yeah, I know right!!! Bestie Be ready cause we're going to party all night.

Claire: Pls do come here I can't wait and besh can I get some favor can you buy my favorite foods and drinks pls, food here in hospital is plain and boring.

Trisha: Got it besh oh it's already this late!! Ok besh I'll be going now you take your rest too byee see ya!! and pls promise me (Don't die yet be strong and don't stop fighting) hehe byee!

Claire: I promise thanks for calling beshiiee, Good bye [ hangs up]

[Room filled with silence]

[Claire's look up to the moon]

Claire: I'm sorry mom, Trisha but it I can't keep that promise long enough. .

[Claire's wakes up and start her day]

Claire: [Yawn and stretch] Good morning, everyone!!

[Someone’s knocking on the door]

Nurse Joy:  Good morning Ms. Claire time for your medication.

Claire: Oh, pls come in, good morning, Nurse Joy how's your day today, another great day was given to us huh!

Nurse Joy: I'm fine thank you [Proceed to attend Claire medication] here Claire takes this and take a rest until the medicine effects were off.

Claire: [Takes the medicine while humming with joy] thanks, oh it's different today I wonder what's this taste.

Nurse Joy: Yeah, it helps you to improve your health and immune system more. [Nurse Joy looks at Claire]

Nurse Joy: Hey Claire as your personal nurse was impressed by your energy o never seen someone energetic as you are.

Claire: [Claire's reply with smiley face] oh...... It's nothing aim always happy.

Nurse Joy: [smirks] ok, now after you done taking the medicine gets some rest I'll be leaving now and wait Doctor Hector will have a minute with you.

Claire: Thank you for attending me!

[Nurse Joy leaves]

[Back at Claire's room]

Claire: Sigh'........I'm alone again Hehe, nothing new, anyway Tim to.... [Look at her medicine] the medicine change uhm [knock knock] Ha!! [Claire startled] uhm who is it?

[Doctor Hector opened the door]

Doctor Hector: Good morning Claire can I have a minute.

Claire: Pls come in.

[Door closed]

Doctor Hector: Hello there Claire how you feeling I have given out Nurse Joy your new medicine to help you and your body to boost your immunity [changes the expression of face to serious] uhm...I know it's not the time to say this but.... I think you are ready to know the truth. [Claire facial expression change]

Claire: uhm what is it doc it is about my new medicine? .... oh, am I FINALLY RECOVERD MY BODY IS FULLY RECOVERED HA!!!

[Claire question Doctor Hector with excitement and joy]

Doctor Hector: uhm no Claire.... [Takes a deep breath] you have stage 3 cancer and it's getting even worse

[Complete silence fills the room]

Claire: What......what...doc.....can you pls say it .... again

Doctor Hector: Yes, you have stage 3 cancer and have only a year to live.... I’m sorry to inform you....

[Claire facial expression change shock in feared]

Claire: Oh, that's.......can I.......uhm......

Doctor Hector: Don't lose hope we still have time to figure things out Claire we are here to support you and your family and friends....

Claire: I understand doc thank you....

Doctor Hector: I'll better get going if you need something fill free to ask.

[Claire stops Doctor Hector for a sec]

Claire: Wait doc ......does my mother know about this ...that I have.......

Doctor Hector: Yes, Claire I'll better get going now.

[Doctor Hector leaves]

Narrator: Claire was in complete shock with feared after knowing she have cancer and have year to lived and now all her emotions have mixed up feeling tired for all the happenings Claire decided to get some rest.

Claire: Huh wait a minute where am I [looks around the room] ah my head's hurt.

Jack: Good morning how's your head, by the way my name's is Jack, Jack Nicholas.

[Jack reached Claire hand and perform a hand shake]

Claire: ahh!!!! Nurse Joy anyone pls help a stranger broke in help!!

Jack: oy oy wait I'm no stranger I'm the one saved your life at the rooftop don't you remember and now you treating me like this!!

[Nurse Joy running through the hallway]

Nurse Joy: [Dashed through the door] what is it where's the stranger you talking to.

Claire: He's right there, standing in the middle, call the police hurry!!!

 [Claire desperate face]

 [Nurse Joy searches the room]

Nurse Joy: uhm are you ok Claire.......hmm it must be the new medicine oh well time to get some rest Claire enough of this prank thing of yours, bye.

Claire: oh no I am not pranking you, pls pls!

[Nurse Joy leaves the room]

Jack: Claps 4x bravo nice I by the way the way you scream Is kind of cute, do you like singing cause your voice is so powerful it broke my ears to parts.

[Jack touches he's ear]

Claire: [Hides under the sheet] oh!! What do you want from me!!

Jack: Hey I just want to ask something, why everyone here in hospital didn't see me nor touch me nor even sense my presence but why you can?

[Jack’s face get serious]

Claire: I don't know .... but still pls maintain your distance.

Jack: ok......oh Claire can I ask you a question, do you have the disease, right?

Claire: oh.... So, you want to know more about my disease oh well I'll tell you but pls after this leave my room, I'm still processing all the things happened here

[Claire explained to Jack for 3 mins]

Claire: there you go so you get it now.

Jack: yeah, kind of so it's a disease that can't be cure huh make sense!

[Someone knocked at the door]

Nurse Joy: hello Claire it's time for breakfast and eat well pls.

Claire: thank you .... oh, hey Jack wait you want some of this I bet you are hungry after all the soul thing you do.

Jack: No thanks I can't eat those food anymore I'm a soul reaper what I eat is energy from that souls that I cast away or sealed the level of tasty depends from the type of soul I'm dealing with

Claire: oh, ok well more food for me.

Jack: Hey you have a year to live right...so I’m thinking why don't you accompany me on my soul reaper mission.

Claire: Oh, ok but let me finish my breakfast first Hehe.

Narrator: As the two get to know each other on the short period of time Jack hesitated to rush, so he left.

[Jack leaves,]

Claire: [Whispers] good bye jack...uhh my head again [Claire starts to feel dizzy and collapsed].

[Mrs. Sunday crying]

[Claire eye's opened]

Mrs. Sunday: good morning, Claire....uhm...how's your sleep...uhm are you feeling well.

[Continues to cry]

Claire: uhm...mom hello where am I and where’s jack.

Mrs. Sunday: who's Jack is this......any ways I'm here to tell you something.

Doctor Hector: no need to sweat Mrs. Sunday let me inform Ms. Claire.

Claire: uhm What is it is it about my disease did we already beat it did we won is my body already recovered!!!

Doctor Hector: [clears he's throat] we don't have time to explain it to you but we already ran out of time. You have 3 days to live I know it's a shocking but the cancer plates to your body grows rapidly and completely destroying any kind of immunity you have in your body.

[Claire in complete silence]

Doctor Hector: I'm so sorry to inform you that. [Claire back at her room]

Narrator: Now we reached the final ending of the life of Claire but what's going to happen next.

Claire: [Crying hard] I guess this is the end but I'm glad that I lived my life to the fullest.

[Claire Smiles as she cries at her room]

Claire: Jack appeared from her soul reaper job and need one soul left to complete he's job and get a one wish.

[Jack approaches Claire]

Jack: hey Claire.

 [Sees Claire crying]

Jack: Claire are you okay, why are you crying?

Claire: Hey Jack.

Jack: what happened? why are you crying?

Claire: Jack my time Is already running out I only have 3 days to lived.

[Claire proceeds to cry harder]

Jack: what....

Narrator: After knowing that Claire has a limited time living her life jack is now stuck and thinking all over it, if he's going to take Claire soul to finish and fulfil his mission to get his freedom

Jack: [Breaths heavily] what now.... I can't just take the soul of Claire for my own selfishness because I know she’s fighting her own battle .... sigh’s WHY?!

Claire: [Laying on bed] 2 days left I can't believe all of this is happening in one place. but I can’t escape my fate now [ starts to cry] [Someone's knock at the door]

Mrs. Sunday: Hello sweetheart are you there can I come in

Claire: I'm sorry mom for living you behind all alone but do remember this I'm thankful that I have a mother like you thanks you so much

Mrs. Sunday: [Starts to cry] yes don't worry I'll be always be at your side.

Jack: I already made up my mind.

Jack: [Jack Enters Claire room] hey Claire, how are you feeling, can I take your precious time with me I want you to talk to you about something.

Claire: [Wakes up] oh hello there, Jack [Hugs Jack Tight] sure it's lonely in here so I don't kind but hey I only have 1 day left tomorrow so it's ok for me ...so what is it?

Jack: so, Claire why don’t you share your personal life and information to get to know each other better while we have and you have still time.

Claire: Hehe okay, I'll be sharing all of my life and personal information about myself. Claire And Jack shares and talks about their life as a dying human and as an unappeased soul.

[After 1 hour]

Jack: welp that's kind of fun.... nice knowing you.

Claire: yeah, but I think yours is kind of short.

Jack: Yeah, I'm sorry I can’t remember the story about me ...so uhm Claire as we are talking about your life you mentioned that you have a childhood friend and it's a boy, but you can't remember his name nor his simple identity.

Claire: oh, it's nothing I just mentioned it out of the blue But 4 years ago we are playing catch ball here in the hospital rooftop but when as I about to throw the ball at him I accidentally slipped and was about to fall to my death 6th flood straight down but he rescues me and grave mt hand and pull me up but suddenly he slips and fall instead of me, after that we did not receive any kind of information about him and suddenly I completely forgot everything about him.

Jack: oh, that's kind of bad.

Claire: Actually, I had this last memory of his......- [Bells ring it's already 12 am]

Claire Oh, thank you so much for joining me in my last day on earth thank you Jack and good bye.

[Hugs Jack tight]

Jack: Yeah, Claire I'm glad I met you for only a period of time goodbye.

Claire: I only have 13 hours left Thankyou Jack; you can leave me now thanks for everything

Jack: Yeah farewell. [Jack leaves]

Doctor Hector: now we must prepare for the upcoming short operation in which Ms. Claire Sunday’s life depends on it we only have 5 hours to perform the operation we must use that as much as possible now move!

Jack: I already know what to do. I already have my last soul now.  

Doctor Hector: Ok we are now ready to launch the operation in 3,2,1 light on.

…

Claire: Uhm .... uh .... hello mom is anyone there.... why am I feeling light my body feels light what's just happened? .

[Claire wakes up]

Narrator: A successful impossible operation was done in the brink of the time now Claire survived the impossible and now she found her self-surrounded by the people who cares for him but something is missing or rather someone.

Claire: wait mom I need to find jack where is he? I need to tell him that I already recovered.

Claire: where is he? where are you, Jack? I can't wait to meet him and say to him that I already recovered I'm so happy and excited.

Claire: Who's that? [turns around] ah! Jack

Jack: Good day Claire I'm glad and so happy to see you. I'm sorry.

Claire: Why Jack?

Jack: yeah, about that one the last soul that I need to harvest is yours

Claire: wait what....

Claire: [Hold Jack hands] I will do it. But please do accompany me.

Claire: oh, hey Jack you can have this this is from me childhood friend he gave me this necklace right before my birthday

[gives Jack the necklace]

….

Jack: ha...ha.... I, I already know these memories of mine the name is .......my name is Jack Albertson Nicholas that's my name

[looks at Claire face]

Claire: You are my long-lost childhood friend

[hugs each other]

Claire: finally, I finally found you thank you so much.

Jack: yeah, I'm finally here home thanks to you Claire.

Jack: [I finally found my long deserve peace I feel so happy now good bye Claire thanks for everything].

….END….

CONFLICT: Jack the Reaper has been trapped and was tasked to collect souls in order to gain his freedom.

CONFLICT#2: Claire is being challenged by a chronological disease, Stage 3 Cancer.

MESSAGE: Doing good deeds and being selfless will always bring peace on one’s self.

[reilliane]

Tyranny (ii) ⊱⊰ Genshin!Various

A/N: Time for the rest of the love interests! Ah yes, might you dear be reminded that 'Xiao' here is 'Alatus', as in- beta xiao-

➸ Part One — Three — Four

✤ she/her

✤ Death

✤ LIs: Bennett, Alatus, Diluc, Childe

"You-! You will regret this, you tyrant!" bellows an elderly man who is being hauled to the doors by the guards. "You will kiss the ground, I swear upon my life!" Flicking the fan open to hide your taunting grin, you raise a hand, signaling the guards to stop their rough handling. They obey in a fraction of a second, forcing the cursing man to his knees, crippling under the grips on his shoulders.

"Oh no! Are you perhaps insinuating an uprising?" you tip his chin up with your fan. He spits on your face with a snarl, his only reaction when he's brutally slammed on the ground being a hoarse laugh. Who's kissing the ground now? Kazuha clambers to your side, a murmur of your title as he hands you a handkerchief leaving. You laugh after clearing the taint on your pristine features. "Surely you can stain me with something other than your slaver. Something much grander, how about it?" "Whatever do you mean, my Queen?" the man questions, disdain evident when he referred to you. Flexing a hand open, your servant understands immediately, unsheathing his sword and lacing it in the curl of your fingers. You smile, pupils dilated. "Your blood."

SLICE!

There are few to zero reactions at the corpse that flops to the ground, spilled blood staining the marbles red. Only the maids and servants who are stationed by the halls move, hands equipped with materials suit for cleaning. Ah, they've been taught well with initiative. Finally, less servant blood to dirty the floor. "My Queen.." Kazuha starts, stepping closer to take the sword from your hands. After sheathing it back in its scabbard, he takes your hands, wiping them clean of the drying blood. Your advisor scurries a second later, grimacing faintly at yet another—you've had plenty—body on the castle floors. His face clears of the horror when he sees you smiling his way, clearly bemused at his reaction. "Y-Your Majesty, you've exceeded exactly twenty-two minutes. You are yet to attend the royal fitting for-" "The treaty meeting, yes?" you hum, curling your fingers after Kazuha has slipped you on a pair of gloves. The advisor nods nervously, eyes averting from your figure. No one must look the Queen in the eye, after all—except for a select minority. "And then I have the rest of the day for myself, is that correct?" "Yes, Your Majesty... although, the Prince from the neighboring Kingdom will be arriving.." Ah yes, the meeting you talked about earlier. To be honest, just thinking of it is boring. A knowing smile curls upon your face. "Mm, perhaps I'll divert my time to something else later.." you say with a simper, strutting out of the grand halls with Kazuha following behind. Meanwhile, a perplexed advisor stands with gaping lips. "Divert time to something else?" he repeats in horror before hastening to catch up, "Your Majesty, one must not indulge in frivolity when there are state affairs to attend to!"

Bennett

You've seen him when you were a child on the streets, but it is obvious that he does not remember you. He's a peasant, presently a squire with the dream of protecting the adults who had taken him in when he was a young boy. His dream is noble—and it almost sickened you how there remains in this wretched place, a soul aware of evil, yet remaining optimistic and pure. This is the very reason he caught your eye. Bennett fears you slightly, and you do not mind, but you favor him amongst the knights and their apprentices. In him, you found a shred of who you were, the person you once were, so you would keep him safe. Untainted.

"Are you not the least bit piqued as to why I keep returning to these corridors?" you address Kazuha, who is three steps behind.

Although your eyes are not pointed at the silver-haired servant, you can almost see him surveying the beige-colored walls of the building built especially for the Knights.

"My Queen often visits Squire Rota,"

"Correct, how observant of you."

A nonsensical compliment that was, really. Of course he has to keep an open eye, he follows you wherever you go, after all.

You may haven't thought of the time in which you decided to roam the Knights' barracks, however, since right now there aren't traces of anyone.

Not until you hear metal clanging against metal, that is, therefore implying an ongoing sword practice.

Arriving by the balcony, you flick your fan open, hiding the lower half of your face with a gentle flutter of the item.

The training grounds cover a wide area of land, extensively furnished to fit and train knights and squires alike. It still comes as a surprise that many have signed up for knighthood when you took the throne.

Your advisor says that it might be because you're seen as a leader fit for commanding a brigade, but deep down, you believe it to be something else.

"Hm.." your eyes fly over one squire to another, smiling daintily when you spot a certain man amidst the groups. "There you are."

"Psst, Squire Rota, her Majesty has her eyes on you again."

"E-eh.. !?"

Bennett all but shrieks, losing his focus and shortly being whacked by a training sword as a result. He tumbles to the floor with a yelp, laughing in dismissal at the frantic apology of his peer.

"You caught her interest," says the platoon commander, "Odds are she will promote you under the tutelage of the Adepti after your period of apprenticeship."

"What.. !?" the chartreuse-eyed squire stammers.

To work under the leadership of the Adepti is no easy thing to accomplish! Surely, the Queen is just being wary of the apprentices so she keeps an eye on everyone, right... !?

He glances back and up, wanting to prove his theory right but- to his surprise, there the Queen herself stands. The same person who doesn't associate herself with anyone less than her ranking unless she wishes to or if it is necessary is right there at the balcony.

Staring right at him.

Bennett swivels in a second, chills running down his spine.

His instructor laughs and smacks him at the back, saying, "Consider yourself lucky, boy. At least you're far from upsetting the Queen enough for her to execute you."

Bennett looks down at his hands holding his battered wooden sword, mulling over the words of his superior. Lucky... ?

He can still feel the stare at his back and he tries not to shiver, tries not to show any sign of discomfort that may upset the tyrannical sovereign and he succeeds.

But it does not get rid of the fear in his chest.

He doesn't know if he counts himself as lucky.

Alatus

One of the very few men in the Palace to not fear you for your reputation. He's closely affiliated with the previous royals, though, so you've got an inkling that he despises you to the core. As one of the elites meant to protect the royals—that means he'll be protecting you—however, he mustn't show his abhorrence out in the open. Even if you both know that it exists very well—and he'd have no trouble slitting your throat if not for the consequence that will befall his companions. So there he stands, only a step behind your servant, drawing his weapon to those that oppressed you. Waiting for the day he will be able to turn that blade around.

Each first quarter of the year calls for a show of strength from the Knights, a form of entertainment enjoyed by the nobility.

The tradition stuck around even when you ascended to the throne, though you truly have no excitement to express regarding these activities.

But it raises everyone's morale, so you do not mind.

These times call for the most arrogant of Knights to show off, and since you support their dreams and strength, why not pitch in a few almost impossible challenges for them?

"This is unforgivable, my Queen, my men are far from being animals you can watch gnarl each other to death." says Alatus, the passive-aggressive smile on his face not once leaving.

"Oho," you grin, leaning onto the back of your throne, "Wherever have you gotten the idea of a bloodbath? I am merely proposing a challenge to... vivify this year's exposition."

His smile twitches, but otherwise, he is doing well keeping up that facade whilst in the presence of other court officials.

With a clear of his throat, he bows his head.

"I implore you to think of something else."

Giggling at the Yaksha's once in a blue moon desperation—oh the things he does for his comrades is admirable—you stand from your seat, stalking closer with intent.

You can practically taste the ire he has hidden behind his emerald eyes that are glazed over with faux surrender. It's divine.

The rush in knowing that he can kill you in your sleep—and knowing that he won't do it because of the risks—makes provoking him much more delightful.

You are both playing with fire and poison, and you both know it.

"Well, since Alatus asked so nicely.." you trace the curve of his lips, down to his jawline before tipping his chin up so your eyes meet.

"You can be the one to think of other arrangements that will satisfy the nobles. If I so much get a single complaint, then..."

Sliding your hold to his neck, you give him the faintest squeeze, reminiscing the day before your debut when he had grasped you by the neck in warning; 'harm the royal family and you'll be shown no mercy.'

"Well, we can just punish your men. Is it clear?"

He seems to have understood the reason behind your action, and if the fire in his eyes hasn't been lit with enough fury before—well it is raging like an inferno right now.

Alatus doesn't respond right away, choosing to give the fiercest of glares that only you will be able to decipher, and you grin, whispering,

"I said, is it clear, my dear Knight?"

His cheeks are tinted with the same red of his hair and he shakes, evidently thorough with disdain. But still, with gritted teeth, he looks at you in the eye and responds begrudgingly.

"Yes, my Queen."

Diluc

The Prince of the Kingdom allied with yours. He has always been a mirthful man who loves his dear father and land, but it's as clear as day that he loses that character with each step into your Palace. You suppose you cannot blame him. After all, you are someone to loathe. After all, your family murdered the line of royals he was meant to marry in. That promise of marriage hasn't been touched upon and is still written on paper, so he dreads the day you will probably use it to get him to submit. Now, he's on the mission to break that agreement off whilst trying to minimize future repercussions.

Without a doubt, he loved her, the previous princess, so much.

So, you can perfectly understand why he is doing everything he can to cancel the marriage arrangements that were untouched after the massacre of the royal family. Who would want to be married to you?

Even a Sun Prince—a title he got after his sunshine optimism and contrasting stoicism when the situation calls for it—such as himself wouldn't want to be shackled in a loveless marriage.

Perhaps it's because you rule differently compared to how his father does?

Mm, such a reason is acceptable.

It's rather funny how desperate he is to get rid of the arrangements as quickly as possible, though.

"Marrying me is quite deplorable, I see."

You comment as Diluc slides the stack of papers across the table, all written with the context of breaking the future engagement.

"I'm honestly surprised, your Royal Highness, to extend such notice within a year of the preceding royal family's deaths," you take the paper, aware of the flinch the Prince failed to hide and you smirk behind the parchment. "I assumed you'd spend more time mourning."

He clenches his fists, taking a moment to breathe in and out. You almost burst out laughing, but that'd simply be rude! As if you aren't being rude enough.

Ah, it's always so easy to rile him up. Is he cursing me to damnation, I wonder? You hum, setting the paper back down with a placid look on your face.

His expression alone contrasts against yours.

"It will appease both kingdoms if we're to stop future arrangements now, Your Majesty," his eyes are firm yet poignant as if under that vexation lies grievance. "... And I too."

Hm? You smile. This is surprising.

You didn't expect the Prince to admit a personal reason. So he truly is still mourning his lover's death. Then again, he's loved by the people for plenty a reason, you suppose being warm-hearted is a part of that.

Well, since he asked so nicely.. although...

"It'd be an honor to help you acquire peace of mind, but as you can see, sir," you snap your fingers, and the doors open to reveal Xingqiu, carrying papers equal to the amount brought by the Prince.

The amber-eyed man hands you the stack and you pile it down in front of the male royal. "Your Kingdom is indebted to me."

The look of bewilderment on his face tells you that he is unaware of such things, prompting you to laugh.

"So your father hasn't told you. He can't be blamed. With the debt your Kingdom is under... it won't be so wise of him to reveal it."

"I- this is.."

Grinning at his speechlessness, you draw out a long sigh, folding your arms with a frown.

"So unless you can find a way to pay my Kingdom back within a time period, then we won't be canceling the future engagement. And say his Royal Majesty fails, then.."

You stand, walking towards the frozen man to tousle your fingers through his locks before leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"I'll see to it that you will be your father's payment."

You go out the double doors with a repeat of your warning, leaving a horrified Diluc behind.

Childe

House Caeli has forever been in arms with House Khemia, so it is understandable that you've known him for a long time, though the start of your relationship is rather peculiar. Having aided your family in the quest to ascend to power, he's been what you can say a close confidant. Always at your side if Albedo isn't there. Albeit he is a part of the court's officials handling geopolitics, he does a handful of... dirty work in the dark upon your orders. Be those to spy or assassinate. After all, he is an indebted man answering to a Queen who gave him worth.

It's in the dead of night when he comes to report as per usual, cloaked in black with the hood up concealing his visage.

A rhythmic knock on your balcony doors starts and you go to them, opening the doors to reveal Ajax—or Childe, as you'd call him in the evenings.

"Seeing that you are here without a scratch, I reckon it went splendidly?" you prompt, giving him your hand which he takes, holding them to his cheek endearingly.

"Yes, my Queen," he closes his eyes with a contented sigh, before saying, "Those who dare conspire against you in the shadows have been silenced, so,"

His grip on your hand turns firm.

"So you needn't worry about rebellions nor coups from the nobility."

Pleased, you caress his cheek, showering him with murmurs of praise. All of which he soaks in with a sigh.

"I knew I can count on you, Ajax. My utmost gratitude."

He shakes his head at your response, assuring over and over that what he's doing right now cannot amount to what you've done for him in the past.

You pull his hood down, gently as if you are unraveling a carefully wrapped present.

His chestnut tresses are dried with a liquid you see on at least a weekly basis, but having to see it on someone close to you is down heartening. Which is hypocritical, since you are the one to task them with the dirty work.

Childe locks his clasp on your wrist to prevent you from touching his hair, and he smiles. "Now, now, you mustn't dirty your fingers. That's what I am here for, no?"

Rolling your eyes, you abide by his words and withdraw your hand.

"You won't be any longer if Kazuha spots you lingering by my balcony for the seventeenth time this month."

He rolls his eyes at the name, huffing a complaint under his breath and you chuckle, dismissing his little jealousy away.

"Then I have to leave before he can spot me!" he beams with a wink before jumping onto handrails, adeptly turning with ease so he faces your way.

No matter how many times you warn him of the height the balcony's at, he does not falter, beyond thrilled at the face of risk and danger.

"Good night, [Name]."

Childe takes your hand and plants a swift kiss on it with a wink before he's hopping off the balcony, his cloak hiding his figure in the night.

a/n: second half done!

I love all of them so much gRR if MC isn't heinous in the first part, well she's definitely described as one here. doesn't it baffle how she can kill so easily yet is concerned over the kingdom's economy? or maybe she just wants diluc as a prize, hoho-

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　Tyranny’s Scrying Glass　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

[dreamerstreamer]

Human GPS

Pairing: c!Technoblade x f!reader

Summary: [Dream SMP!AU] Technoblade really needs some books of mending, and you just happen to be the daughter of the village cleric.

Word Count: 3.8k

A/N: this a repost of the first ever story i posted when i first made my blog. this story takes place back when technoblade was still allied with pogtopia. i hope you like it as much as i did! <3

Technoblade blinked, his eyes squinting up at the clear, cerulean sky. It was about midday now, and the beating sun sat in the center of the sky, almost taunting him from where it hung.

If the sun is directly above me, he thought, then west must be… He frowned. Somewhere. Maybe.

He groaned and swung his legs off of Carl, the horse letting out a soft whinny as he hopped onto the ground. He had been travelling for what must have been close to an hour now, and he still hadn’t found a village. It was almost like the universe was trying to waste his time. All he wanted was to get his hands on some books of mending so he didn’t have to worry about any of his armour breaking, yet the world was sending him on a wild goose chase, anyways.

“Seriously,” he muttered, irritation gnawing away at his already dwindling patience, “how hard can it be to find just one cleric? It’s not like I’m asking to find a woodland mansion, or something.”

Letting out yet another long groan, Technoblade flipped open the pack he attached to Carl’s saddle. He pulled out a baked potato and bit in, allowing himself a few seconds of relief as he ate.

For a brief moment, he considered digging through his bag to look for a compass or—better yet—a map. But then he remembered that just prior to leaving, he had reminded himself that he was a human GPS and that “Technoblade never fails.”

He sighed. No compass, it is.

He took another bite of the potato in his hands, looking around at the terrain around him. There was a lush birch forest to his left and a barren desert on the opposite side. Just a little to his right was a river and—

Wait a second.

Technoblade froze, his jaw freezing halfway through chewing another bite of potato.

He recognized that river.

A wide grin split across his lips.

He totally knew where to find a village.

Doing his best not to choke, Technoblade stuffed the rest of the baked potato in his mouth and buckled his pack shut. With a grunt, he pulled himself back onto Carl, picking up the reins. “Like I said, Carl, who even needs a compass? I’ve got the map memorized, and my inner compass is perfectly calibrated.”

Carl looked back at him and let out an almost sarcastic sounding neigh that seemed to say, “Sure.”

Technoblade’s face rolled his eyes. He snapped the reins once, and Carl charged forward.

The human GPS never failed.

You let out an ecstatic cry as you pushed the last book in your hands onto the creaky bookshelf, stepping back to look at your work in pride. You’d been organizing the library for a little over half the day now, and you were almost finished. Each shelf was now in alphabetical order.

Dusting off your skirt, you took one last glance at the shelves before settling down at the table in the corner of the room, looking over the to-do list you had set out for yourself the night before. “Let’s see,” you hummed to yourself, “I already dusted all the tabletops, mopped the floor, and delivered that order to Mr. Hart. Now I can check ‘organize bookshelves’ off the list, too.”

You set the quill down on the table. “Meanwhile, dad’s out trading with Mrs. Lee and said he would be back soon.” You stared down at the page for a moment longer before sighing. A frown etched itself onto your features. You leaned your elbows on the oak tabletop as your gaze trailed out the church window and up at the cloudless sky.

You had lived in the village your whole life with your father, the village cleric. Everything was peaceful and you loved the familiar environment you resided in, but things had also become so… boring in the village. So bland, so dull. You can’t even remember the last time you did something fun. Sure, you were productive and made sure to help your father around his workspace the best you could, but you wanted more than this.

Please, you thought to yourself, squeezing your eyes shut in a silent prayer. Please, please, please let something new and exciting happen. At least just once in my life.

All of a sudden, you heard a distant rumbling.

You sat up straight, blinking awake from your reverie. What’s that sound?

The rumbling grew louder, and you could now recognize it as the galloping of a horse. Your thoughts were only confirmed by the loud whinny you heard right after the rumbles stopped.

You pushed your chair back, standing up from the table and walking over to the front window, crouching down to peek outside. You squinted, your eyes scanning around outside before they landed on an unfamiliar shape.

Your heart suddenly barrelled over in your chest.

Sitting atop a horse wearing diamond armour in the center of the village square was a stranger.

His back was facing you, but from what you could see of him, the first thing you noticed was the crimson robe hanging off his shoulders, cascading down his back like a scarlet waterfall. An axe was strapped to his back, tinted with a murky, violet hue. His hair was a vibrant shade of cherry blossom pink like nothing you had ever laid eyes on before, and on his head sat a golden crown encrusted with glittering gems. You wondered what his face looked like, curiosity bubbling in your chest.

Just then, he slid off his horse, landing on the ground with a small thump. He stood tall and proud, turning his head this way and that as he looked around at the houses around him, an air of regality surrounding him.

Then, he turned.

Your eyes only met for a fraction of a second before you immediately ducked down, hiding your figure from view in the window. The moment you were out of sight, you stilled, doing your best not to give yourself away.

He was handsome.

His face was calm and demure, reflecting his royal air almost perfectly, and his eyes, like his robe, were a piercing crimson red. They almost seemed to stare into your soul, laying every part of yourself bare for him to see.

He looked like a king in every sense of the word, and you just had to meet him.

Your heart was thrumming wildly in your chest as you struggled to regain your breath. You peeked over the windowsill carefully, glancing past the glass outside once more. The stranger had tied his horse to a post in the square and was walking around, glancing at the villagers here and there. Most of them seemed to be slightly wary of him—after all, it wasn’t everyday a king showed up at your doorstep. He seemed to be looking for something with the way he kept looking around him, his eyes sweeping over every inch of the village. Perhaps you could help him.

Slowly, you slid away from the windowsill and carefully clicked open the front door, stepping outside. The sun shone brilliantly on your face as you made your way toward the stranger. Once again, his back was turned to you, and you stopped a few feet behind him. Taking a deep breath, you mustered up what courage you had before speaking.

“Hello.”

The man turned at the sudden sound of your voice, his scarlet eyes piercing into yours. “Oh, hello.” His voice was deep, laced with a low rasp that sent a shiver down your spine.

Your offered him a warm smile. “Welcome to our humble village. I’m [Y/N].” You extended your hand, and he took it in a friendly handshake, smiling back.

“The name’s Technoblade.”

Your eyebrows quirked. “Technoblade,” you repeated. “That’s a unique name.”

“Thanks,” he said, jokingly adding, “I got it for my birthday.”

You giggled at that. He may look regal and intimidating, but right off the bat, it seemed that his personality was far from it. “You know what they say, a bad joke is always the best way to leave a good first impression.”

He frowned, feigning sadness. “Oh, c’mon, it wasn’t that bad.”

Your lips twitched. “Well, I laughed at it, so I’ll give you that.” His face lit up once more, and you felt your stomach churn with warmth. “Well, what brings you here?”

He gestured to the pack he had clipped to his belt. “Just looking to do a few trades, really.”

You looked at him in confusion. “A king? Trading with commoners like us?”

He blinked for a moment. “Ah, about that, I’m not really a king, per se.” He plucked his crown from off his head, tossing it casually in his hands. “The crown and robes are more for… aesthetic purposes, to say the least. I don’t really rule over my own country or anything.

Your tilted your head at him. “Where do you come from, then? I can only imagine you travelled for a while to get here.”

He shrugged. “It was kind of far, but it wasn’t a big deal, really. I never got lost.”

You raised your eyebrows at him. “Never?” you said.

“Never,” he confirmed. His grinned smugly, your heart reeling at the sight. “I’m a human GPS, if you will.”

You stifled a laugh but couldn’t hide your smile. What a dork. “Totally.”

His grin only widened. “Anyways, I’m from this place called Pogtopia.” You must have made a face at his words, because he laughed at you and god, even his laugh was pretty. “Yeah, it’s kind of a funny name, isn’t it? Well, I didn’t come up with it. My friends Tommy and Wilbur did.”

“They must be…” You looked for a good word. “…interesting people.”

He laughed. “It’s okay—you’re allowed to say they have bad taste in names.”

You giggled, your cheeks flushing in slight embarrassment. “Okay, yeah, their taste is pretty poor.” You glanced at him. “Are they the kings of your country then, since they named it?”

“Kind of. I guess you could call them kings, but they’re more like self-instated presidents, even though that kind of defeats the whole purpose of having a president.” You nodded, following along in agreement. “They’re trying to win back some land they were exiled from a while back called L’Manberg, although it was recently renamed Manberg, but there’s also Dream and his SMP, and—” He sighed, running a hand through his rosy locks. “It’s complicated. Basically, we’re sort of in the middle of this war, and I just kind of got roped into it.”

Your eyes widened in alarm. “A war?! Surely we wouldn’t get involved, right?” Your village, like many others, was a pacifist group of people, having no source of defense or battle skills to protect yourselves with. If this supposed war came all the way to your little village, all of you would surely perish.

Technoblade raised his arms in front of him, quickly shaking his head. “Oh, definitely not. You’ve got nothing to worry about, I swear.”

You pressed a hand to your chest as you let out a breath of relief. “Oh, thank goodness.” Technoblade smiled at you from the corner of your eye, amusement lacing his lips. You suddenly straightened, another thought popping into your head. “What about you, then? Aren’t you worried?”

He laughed again, though it sounded more like a cackle. “Me? Worried? Nahhh.” He swung his axe off his back, being careful to point it away from you. “I may not look like it, but I’m actually one of the most feared warriors in the land. Tommy and Wilbur basically begged me to join their side so I can help them win.” He gestured to himself. “You don’t have to believe me, but I think it’s pretty clear to see I’m pretty much a god at PVP.”

You hummed, shaking your head. “No, I believe you. You do look like you could seriously teach someone a thing or two with that axe, but I really don’t think I need to feed your ego anymore.” You smiled bemusedly. “It already seems to be quite large on its own.”

His grin dropped. “Wait, please, feed my ego, I thrive off complime—”

A giggle escaped your mouth as you waved your hand at him. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Your expression grew a bit more serious. “But honestly, you’re not scared? Even a little?”

Technoblade shook his head. “Nope. A war is just a lot of fights lined up one after the other, and I’m great at winning fights. Heck, I could probably wipe out the other side in a heartbeat with what I’ve got in my arsenal. Tommy and Wilbur might just send me out by myself to do just that.”

“They would?” you said in disbelief. “Aren’t they worried for you, either?”

He snorted. “They were the ones who wanted me here to help them win, so they definitely aren’t worried.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. Well, that was no good—no good at all. Wasn’t a single person concerned for this man’s safety, not even just one? No matter how powerful he may be, this was a war you two were talking about, and wars don’t always go according to plan.

Suddenly, it hit you.

“I see,” you murmured. You raised your chin, resolve filling your veins. “Then I’ll worry for you.”

Technoblade stared at you for a long moment, stunned into silence. Panicking, you began to ramble. “You and your friends may have overwhelming confidence in you and your abilities,” you said, “but it’s still important that you recognize that sometimes things don’t go according to plan. That’s why you should worry, and if you won’t, then I’ll do it in your stead.”

When he still didn’t say anything after yet another moment, you felt embarrassment rise up in you. “I’m sorry, we just met and that was totally uncalled for of m—”

“No, no, really,” he abruptly said, shaking his head. “It’s all good. Seriously.” There was a slight pause. Then, he softly added, “Thank you. I appreciate your concern.”

His lips curled to form a smile, but this one was different from the ones he gave you before. Those ones were proud and teasing, full of mirth and some level of arrogance. But this one was softer, kinder. More genuine and real.

You liked this one more.

Still feeling slightly embarrassed from having just rambled about caring about a near stranger to his face, you quickly shifted gears. “W-Well, I should probably ask what exactly you wanted to trade for,” you said as your cheeks flushed pink. You lowered your gaze to the ground, trying to avert your eyes from his. “I can probably help you find whatever it is you need.”

Technoblade hummed. “I have a bunch of stuff with me that I can use to trade, but I’m looking for a cleric to get some mending books from.”

Your head shot up in recognition. “A cleric, you say?” Your lips curled into a small grin when he nodded. “I know just where to find him. Wait here for a minute, okay?”

As soon as he nodded his head once more, you had already taken off, bounding down the grassy path with your skirt trailing behind you. Technoblade’s gaze followed you as you rushed down the path, a pleasant warmth bubbling in the pit of stomach and he watched you run off.

Usually whenever he came to a village, the people he met were wary of him and hardly ever spoke more than the bare minimum to him. Most of them were intimidated by his appearance, others thrown off by his cockiness. And yet here you were, treating him like a friend when so many before you had done the exact opposite. You were kind, compassionate, and you saw more than just his arrogant exterior. You genuinely cared for the person he was underneath the crown and the robes. Not to mention, you were quite the sight for sore eyes.

Warmth blossomed in his chest and something fluttered in his stomach.

He was glad he came to this village.

To say your father was more than pleased to trade some books of mending for the stacks upon stacks of emeralds Technoblade had was an understatement.

“I thought you said you weren’t a king,” you said to him, your eyes nearly bulging out of your head when you saw him open his pack.

“I’m not,” Technoblade said, twirling an emerald between his fingers. “I just happen to be very wealthy.”

You shook your head at him, a smile gracing your lips. “You’re a maniac.”

He shot you a smug look. “Oh, don’t I know it.”

After he had traded for some mending books with your father, he had asked you if your village had a fletcher.

“Oh, I made a delivery to Mr. Hart earlier today,” you said. “Here, follow me.”

The trek to the other side of the village was short enough, and you were content to wait on the sides while Technoblade made some negotiations. Just then, Mrs. Lee spotted you and strode up to you.

“Good afternoon, [Y/N],” she greeted, her lips tilting into a familiar gentle smile.

“Hello, Mrs. Lee!” you chirped happily, turning to face her. “Thank you for the pumpkins, earlier today! I’ll be sure to give you some of the pumpkin pie I bake tomorrow.”

“Why, there’s no need for you to do that, dear.” She leaned close to your ear to whisper, “You know you’re my favourite of the youngins here.”

You blushed. “You know that’s not true.”

She held a finger to her lips. “It’s our little secret, alright?” She looked over your shoulder at Technoblade, who was still debating with Mr. Hart. “Looks like you’ve become acquainted with our visitor, haven’t you, dear?”

Your blush deepened. “Y-Yes! I have. His name is Technoblade and he comes from a country called Pogtopia. He traded for some books with my father just now.”

Mrs. Lee wrinkled her nose. “Weird name, the both of them, but never mind that.” She smirked at you, glancing just behind you. “He’s quite the looker, isn’t he?”

Your face exploded like a bright red tomato. “I-I, um, he’s. Um.” You took a deep breath and fanned your face, lowering your voice. “He’s handsome.”

Her smirk only grew larger. “I hope the two of you become even more acquainted then,” she said cryptically, patting your shoulder. “I’ll be on my way now, but do let me know how it goes, okay?”

You nodded dutifully, too embarrassed to say anything else. Mrs. Lee turned away and continued her way down the grassy path, smiling to herself.

If only you had seen the way he had looked at you.

Hours had passed since Technoblade had first arrived in the village, and the sun was just beginning to set. The two of you had visited just about every working person in the village, chatting away as Technoblade traded for whatever he needed from each person you two saw.

The two of you learned a lot about each other in the time you spent together. You learned that Technoblade wasn’t a huge fan of government and much preferred anarchy. He learned that you longed for something much more than your normal life in the village, but you had yet to discover what it was you wanted to do. You learned that he owned a dog named Floof. He learned the location of your favourite spot in the village. By the end of the day, it felt like you two had known each other for ages.

You secretly hoped that he would stay, but you knew that he couldn’t. The village wasn’t his home, after all.

You stood nearby as Technoblade strapped his pack back onto Carl’s saddle, chewing the inside of your lip. He climbed onto Carl, securing his axe on his back and picking up the reins in his hands. “Well, [Y/N],” he said, a hint of disappointment tinging his voice, “it looks like this is goodbye.”

“I guess so,” you murmured sadly, casting your gaze down at your feet. You had only known him for so long, but an overwhelming sense of loss filled you knowing that Technoblade was leaving and may very well never return. He was funny with his dry, dorky sense of humour and charming with his sharp grins and deep voice.

You weren’t sure you were quite ready to let go just yet.

“Um,” you spoke up, your voice cracking a little, “will you…” You peeked up at him, nervously biting the inside of your cheek as you fiddled with your fingers. “Will you ever come back?”

Something in Technoblade’s chest seized at the shy look on your face, your cheeks rosy and your gaze darting back and forth between his eyes and the ground. While he had originally only come in search of this village to trade with a cleric, he supposed he might always need more mending books in the future. Not to mention, he would also get to see you.

He smiled, letting out a soft laugh. “Yeah,” he said, “I’ll be back, so wait up for me, yeah?”

Your eyes lit up and an elated grin spread across your face. “I-I will!”

He chuckled at your giddiness, his own heart beating wildly against his rib cage. “Good.”

Sharing one last look with you, he snapped his reins and held on tight as Carl dashed forward, his gaze trailing behind him as he watched you wave your arms frantically at him. He couldn’t help but crack a smile at your enthusiasm, raising his arm to wave back at you himself. He kept waving until he could no longer see you, and only then did he face forward to find his way home.

The journey back was significantly shorter than the trip to the village, and before he knew it, he was tying Carl to his usual fence post. He was a human GPS, after all. How else would he have found the village—and you—with so much ease?

He tilted his head up, looking up at the rising moon in the east. Now he knew that the village (and you, his heart helpfully supplied once more) lay to the west, just beyond the birch forest, desert, and river. Above him, he could make out the shapes of a handful of constellations, the stars twinkling and winking down at him from space. He wondered if you were looking up at the same starry sky as him. He wondered if your stomach was full of butterflies, too.

“So,” he mused to himself aloud, his heart thump-thump-thumping in his chest, “[Y/N], huh?”

He was definitely going back.

[navalcriminalimagines]

Can you write another/the following part of "Oh, you're jealous"?

This is going to become a smut series. There's so much more to come! 👀

Warnings: pure smut, dom!Gibbs, boobjob, fingering, bathroom sex, orgasm denial, anal talk

Tags: @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @madamsnape921 @specialagentastra

NCIS Discord server: https://discord.gg/7YDHXd3q

Yes, sir

You didn't stop the flirting, you actually increased it. Gibbs wasn't really jealous anymore, because he knew why you did it, but he'd play along. It would give him the right to punish you once he took you home and boy, did he have many ideas in mind.

He watched you dance with Tony. Your body was extremely close to his, he could see his Agent enjoying how your hips were swaying against his. It wasn't really fair for Tony, he clearly had a crush on you. But Gibbs also knew the man would have another crush by the following week.

When you walked to the counter to order another drink, you felt Gibbs's body pressing against yours. "You fucking brat." he growled in your ear, causing you to laugh. "After that drink, you're done. I want your head to be clear enough for what will happen when we get home."

"Who said I was coming home with you tonight?" you grabbed your drink that the bartender put in front of you and thanked him. You were discreetly grinding your ass against Gibbs's crotch and you could feel a consequent bulge in his pants. Before you could take a sip of your drink, he grabbed the glass from your hand, drank it all and took your hand in his.

Gibbs didn't care much if people saw the two of you entering the restroom. Actually, he hoped some people did. Especially men, that may think what a damn lucky bastard he was. Cause he fucking was.

He had a plan and he was going to stick with it. He pinned you against the wall and worked on your jeans. He didn't even bother to kiss you. "You're gonna regret everything you did tonight." He looked deep in your eyes, you were sure he could see your soul. You were pouting, waiting for a fierce kiss that never came.

Gibbs slid his hand into your panties and you jolted at the physical contact. "I hope DiNozzo didn't make you this wet." He said, with a husky voice and you shook your head no. "Tell me who's responsible for this." It was an order. You struggled to form words as he was rubbing your sensitive clit. "Y/N." He was still waiting. He wouldn't get further unless you talked.

"You-- That's all you." you finally said, throwing your head back against the wall. You tried to touch him, his arms, his chest, anything but he slapped your hands away.

"Don't make me handcuff you."

You had never been handcuff before and that idea did things to you. But maybe for another time, you weren't sure you could handle it right now. So, you inhaled intensely and kept your arms along your body.

As a reward, Gibbs entered a thick finger in your wet cunt, still rubbing your clit with his thumb. You moaned from the back of your throat and a smirk appeared on Gibbs's face, but you didn't see it as your eyes were closed.

You were so wet, he could easily entered another thick finger inside your core. "Fuck, Jethro--" you moaned and he took it as an invitation to go faster. "Yes! Right there, keep going!"

Gibbs fingerfucked you there in the bathroom of a bar. It didn't matter how loud you were, thanks to the music. He stared at you losing it under his touch and he loved every second of it.

You could feel an orgasm building inside your belly, you wrapped your hand against his wrist, digging your nails in his skin. When you were about to explode, Gibbs completely withdraw his hand from your panties and you let out a loud whine.

He smiled and sucked the fingers that was just inside you, tasting your essence. "I hate you." you complained. You wanted to beg him to keep going but it would be so easy.

"I told you, Y/N. This is just the beginning," he said, before closing the distance between your bodies. He kissed you intensely, allowing you to taste yourself on his lips. "Until I say otherwise, you're not allow to touch yourself. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." you swallowed thickly.

"Good girl." he smirked and kissed you again, before exiting the bathroom.

You went back to the dancefloor. An orgasm denial was new to you, and you could feel how sensitive you were just by dancing. You kept looking at Gibbs from the corner of your eyes. The man was sitting with Fornell, talking but he was staring at you all along. "Man, she's not going to disappear, you can stop looking at her."

"Jealous much, Fornell?" Gibbs teased him.

"Well, I do wish I had someone to take to the bathroom. Details?"

*****

The car ride to Gibbs's place felt like an eternity. Before he drove off, he ordered you to open your jeans and touched yourself just lightly. You weren't allow to enter a finger inside your wet cunt, just rubbing your clit. But you were oversensitive already, just waiting to explode. When Gibbs sensed that you were close to cum, he grabbed your wrist - not so gently - to make you stop immediately. You whined again and he laughed.

"Poor thing." he teased.

He held your hand in his, rubbing small circles on your knuckles with his thumb. It was such a tender gesture, it made your heart melt, momentarily forgetting your orgasm denial. "I love you, Jethro." you said, not being able to stop yourself.

Since it's one long seat in his truck, he used his free arm to pull you against him. He took his eyes off the road just enough to kiss your temple. "I love you, too, Y/N." he whispered.

*****

Once inside his house, you didn't waste anytime and jumped in his arms. He chuckled, before responding to your needy kiss.

It required a lot of self control for Gibbs not to fuck you senseless right here, right now. He wanted to make you cum hard on his cock, making you losing control under him but that wasn't the plan.

Still kissing you intensely, he took you to the bedroom. He threw you on the bed nonchalantly. "Strip." he ordered you.

You stood on the bed and undressed yourself right in front of him. He looked at you like a lion looking at its prey. You could feel yourself dripping between your legs. It would only take a bit of stimulation to make you cum hard.

When you were completely naked, Gibbs grabbed your ankles and flipped you on the bed. In a second, you were laying on your back and he pushed on your knees to spread your legs. Your pussy was shiny from wetness and he licked his lips.

He dived in and gently licked your sensitive clit. You jolted immediately and Gibbs smirked. He made himself comfortable between your legs and started to eat you like a starving man. He alternately licked and sucked hard on your clit before putting his tongue inside your core. He tried to push it as far as he could, fucking you with it.

You were completely worked up. Gibbs felt you tensing pretty quickly. "Absolutely delicious." he growled. He had only pulled away for a brief second to talk but you instantly bucked your hips, looking for friction. He chuckled, and buried his tongue inside you again.

"Yes, Jethro! Please, don't stop!" you moaned, ready to cum on his face.

But he pulled away. "Damn you, Gibbs!" you cried.

"You don't deserve to the relief yet. You spent the entire day making me jealous, remember?" He moved to get on top of you and kissed you deeply.

“I’d apologize but I know about Rule 6 and— I do not regret it.”

“You just postponed your relief.” You looked at him with questioning eyes, but he just smirked again.

Laying by your side, he explained the rules for the next days. First, he repeated what he said at the bar: you were not allow to touch yourself in his back. Then, he made sure you remembered the safe word. And he let you what he had planned: he was going to edge you for days, you would be begging him like you never begged before. Meanwhile, he’d use you when he wants, how he wants. “Are you okay with it?”

“Yes. God yes. Use me.” You kissed him. “I’m all yours.” You whispered.

“That’s my good girl.” He kissed you more passionately, grabbing your hips to put you on top of him. You could feel the bulge in his pants, his cock was waiting to be freed and taken care of.

Unfortunately, you may cum uncontrollably if he fucked you. He wanted it. He wanted to bury himself deep inside you and fill you up with his cum and then fucking his load back in you again. But that was too risky for the plan. Especially since you just agreed to it.

Gibbs had never done anything like this. Not that his sex life had been simple or boring, but he always had limits. Probably because he knew his past partners were into all of this. But you were different. You were open-minded, ready to try anything at least once, and damn, you were so needy with him, always wet and ready for him, he felt like a fucking god. He never felt that before.

You loved sex. But sex with Gibbs, that was beyond loving it. You were craving for him, all day everyday. The man turns you on by just existing, it's too much sometimes.

"Ever tried anal?" He asked, as you were grinding against his rock hard cock.

"No... you?"

"Neither. My exes thought it was--" you kissed him to make him shut up.

"I don't give a shit about your exes. I wanna try it."

That thought only almost sent Gibbs over the edge. Thinking about his cock stretching your hole, feeling how tight you are around him, cuming deep inside your ass, and if he added the fact that he'd be the first, that was a lot. He grunted deeply under your touch. "You like that idea, don't you?" you teased him.

"We will go over the ground rules later, but for now, you're going to make me cum on those perfect tits."

"Yes."

"Yes, who?"

"Yes, sir." you smiled and kissed you one more time before going further down.

You took his pants off him, along with his briefs. He was painfully hard, you could see some precum coming out of the head. You licked it just lightly and he moaned. You gave him a few strokes with your hand before placing his cock between your breasts.

You pressed them around his length and started to go up and down. You could tell from the noises Gibbs was making that he wasn't far. You kept going, taking the head in your mouth a few times. "Fuck, you're perfect, sweetheart." he growled. "I'm gonna cum."

You went as fast as you could, until he tensed under you. You felt his hot load on your chest and chin, as he cried your name. You looked at him coming and it was a freaking hot sight. You've never seen him losing it like this before. He looked even more perfect than he already was.

You laid on his side as he was catching his breath. He looked at you with such loving eyes, you wanted this moment to last forever.

He cleaned his mess on your skin with his fingers and brought them to your mouth. You opened it, sticking out your tongue and sucked his fingers clean. "How are you feeling down there?" he teased you.

"Bite me. I need a fucking shower."

Gibbs followed you to the bathroom and you two showered together.

There was some very long days ahead for you.

[skzfelixity]

Love Me Or Leave Me | Chishiya Shuntaro [Alice In Borderland]

Chishiya x Reader

Summary: It’s time for you to question Chishiya’s sincerity. Does he really love you?

Warnings: none

Inspired by: Day6 - Love me or Leave me

Chishiya Shuntaro. This man drove you crazy. Of course you knew, you heard, that he was selfish and manipulative. You knew it, you just chose to ignore it. You knew by the way he showed you affection and you had his undivided attention when he needed something from you and then disappear until he needed to use you again. However, you had a slight hope of his feelings being real and sincere.

I’ve endured it for quite some time,

your cold eyes and words.

He hadn’t approached you for some days now. Meeting randomly in the halls just greeting each other, nothing more. You wanted more, you craved more. You were thinking about him every second of the day and, you were sure, he didn’t think of you at all. You weren’t able to leave him just yet. You didn’t want to, you still hoped.

“If actions speak louder than words...” you laid on your back, looking at the ceiling of your room, which once was filled with yours and Chishiya’s giggles. It was as if you could still hear him, feel him lying next to you, ��then it seems like the end is near.”

“The end of the games?” You jumped at the so familiar voice, the short blond man leaning on the wall. You missed it, you missed him.

“I didn’t even hear you come in,” you sighed, falling back into the matress. You felt the matress sink, Chishiya now lying next to you. You turned your head to meet his bored eyes, you really couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling. You wanted to read him just like he was able to read you.

“Thinking about me again?” he smirked, making you go pale. He knew you so well, it was pathetic. You averted your gaze to the ceiling, once again sighing, “You wish.”

He chuckled at your lie, looking at the side of your face. He had you wrapped around his finger but he didn’t know for how long. Your feelings didn’t bother him though, he was sure you wouldn’t leave him. He was too sure.

Whether it will end or not,

it’s all up to you.

I have no choice but to watch.

“I came up with a plan,” he sat up, looking back at you, “to leave the beach.”

You immediately jerked up, eyes wide. He wasn’t going to leave you, was he?

“Alone?” You asked rather hesitatingly, looking down at you hands. He carefully lifted your chin up, making eye contact. “Together.”

You felt your heart jump at his answer but you didn’t seem too happy about it,. Wasn’t that enough to assure you that he loved you? No. Maybe he was trying to manipulate you and sacrifice you when something went wrong.

I have to know it to move forward,

Do you even love me now?

“You will steal the cards from Hatter’s room, Kuina and I will be looking out for people.” he simply explained. You failed to notice how fishy the plan sounded because you wanted to ask him one question. A question that would vanish any doubts you had for him. You slowly nodded, fidgeting with your fingers. It’s the right time to ask. He smirked and with a pat on your head, he turned to leave.

You bit your bottom lip, it’s now or never. “Chishiya..” you grabbed his hand to stop him, his dull eyes meeting yours. His expressionless face always discouraged you but you wouldn’t let it get to you this time. He tilted his head, waiting for you to speak.

“Do you...” you exhaled deeply, letting your arm fall to your side. He knew. He knew what you wanted to ask, he isn’t stupid. He actually expected it a lot earlier but he was thankful you put your trust in him so easily,

and also regretful

“Do you love me?” you gazed into his eyes, looking for any signs of emotion. The answer wouldn’t really stop you from doubting him, it would trick you to not doubt him. Did you believe a positive answer would make you feel loved? Wanted? Appreaciated? You didn’t even know. You just wanted to hear it.

I’ll hold my breath as I wait for your answer,

I’ll leave it up to you.

He frowned for a few seconds. Was he going to lie to you? Was his lie going to be a lie or his lie wasn’t really a lie? He was prepared for that question, then why couldn’t he answer? He noticed you holding your breath, probably too nervous to even exist.

“Of course,” he gave you a smile, an awkward one. Maybe it was because of the lack of air that didn’t go through your lungs but you thought it was sincere. The doubts that had been drowning you for the past few days, washed away. You wrapped your arms around his neck, “Glad to finally know.”

He was shocked, mostly at the gesture but you seemed to like him- maybe even love him a lot. Did you really love him more than he knew? His heart started beating faster as he wrapped his arms around you, he blamed it on the affection since he wasn’t used to it. What else could have made his heart so giddy? 

Was it a lie or a deep hidden secret?

[...]

“Chishiya, I’m in!” you whispered in your walkie talkie, observing Hatter’s room. It sure was too big to have plenty of time to search for the cards. “Look inside the closet,” Chishiya said, while listening to Hatter speak to the crowd. He fed them enough nonsense to be able to manipulate them so he could leave first, reminded him of himself.

“What’s the code?” you asked. Chishiya instantly replied, “8022″

Despite having the code, you didn’t try to open it. You froze, this was more dangerous than you thought. If they catch you, you are literally dead. “Chishiya, I don’t think I can do it.”

No answer.

“Chishiya.”

No answer

“Chishiya Shuntaro!”

Again, no answer. Reality hit you, he had used you, again. What did you expect from the selfish jerk? Love? Affection? Sincerity? You were so wrong for trusting him, even more for falling for him.

You were still dumbfounded, knees on the floor. This isn’t a place to find or fall in love, you should have controlled yourself.

“Are you sure, Chishiya?” Hatter’s voice broke you out of your thoughts. You quickly rushed to hide under the king sized bed. The door opened, revealing Hatter, Chishiya and some militants trailing behind him.

“There’s no one here!” Hatter threw his arms up in the air, spinning around. Chishiya was relieved to not see you there, quick to notice Hatter looking at a painting of a deer across the room. He didn’t have time to question himself but he knew why he felt relieved. You grew on him even though his intention was using you, from the very start. You managed to make your way into his heart and it kind of scared him.

He wouldn’t change anything on the plan though, maybe forcing Kuina to steal the cards. Feelings aside, he would do anything to survive. Anyone would do anything to survive in this hell.

Meanwhile, you were shaking so bad. Covering your mouth with your hands to make sure you made no noises. You had never been more scared in your whole life, not even during a game. The feeling of betrayal long forgotten as they didn’t seem to leave the room.

“I thought I saw someone.” Chishiya shrugged, you couldn’t have escaped from the door and no windows were broken. Which meant one thing, you were still in the room. His body stiffened at the thought of you hiding here, possibilities of getting caught were high enough.

“You should look out for me!” Hatter gave him a light pat on the shoulder, “Thank you!”

They all walked out, Chishiya last, throwing another glance to the deer painting before following the others.

You thought it was safe to wait for a while before going out, finally letting the feeling of betrayal overwhelm you. You quietly sobbed, mad at yourself for being so oblivious. Hoping to get out of the beach with Chishiya, how foolish, considering his personality. It was all wrong from the start but you did not fail to notice it, you just didn’t want to.

[...]

You found yourself in the rooftop, red eyes and the light breeze hitting your face. It made you feel calm, relaxed, almost as if the last few hours didn’t happen. You would like to forget them but they had already made their scars on your heart. You found yourself thinking about Chishiya, again. How could a person be so evil, you really didn’t want to see him again. Good thing he left with Kuina.

Or so you thought.

“Knew I would find you here,” a panting Chishiya stood in the top of the stairs, resting on his knees. He raised his hand in the air, showing the incomplete set of cards to you.”I got them, we have to hurry!”

You looked at him, only then he noticed your eyes, you had been crying. Who wouldn’t cry after being betrayed? He sighed, standing up straight. He knew he had messed up, he had messed you up.

You couldn’t bring yourself to hate him, not until he answers your question truthfully. You looked in front of you, knees on your chest and hands keeping them close. You didn’t feel like crying, you didn’t feel like replying. You just needed a break from everyone and everything.

I know your answer is no.

I pretend I do not know,

even though I know.

“Y/N, we-”

“We? We?! There is no we, Chishiya!” You looked him dead in the eye, lips pressed into a thin line. An expression he rarely saw on your face, he did break you. He couldn’t turn back time, he wouldn’t turn back time. All he had to do was fix your broken bond. “It’s just you, so go!”

“You don’t want me to leave you!”

Unfortunately, he was right. Your heart was longing for him, you just wanted to hate him with your whole body and soul, yet you couldn’t. You thought he knew that too. He didn’t have his usual smirk on, what a sight for your sore eyes.

He placed the cards inside his pocket, sighing, he knew if he ever got your trust again it would be a miracle. He was surprised when you didn’t stand up to follow him, it felt so strange to him because you always did what he told you to do. He was so used to you obeying him.

In reality, he didn’t want to leave you. If it was Kuina or someone else who refused to follow him, he would have been gone a long ago. He wouldn’t even come to find them in the first place! He couldn’t blame you for not wanting to see him, he’s the one to blame after all.

I cannot give you up just yet,

not until I hear you say it.

“Say you don’t love me so I can let you go.” You whispered loudly enough for the blond to hear. He didn’t expect you to say something like that, eyes widening. In fact, he didn’t know that you couldn’t hate him. He didn’t know why you wanted him to say that. Of course you didn’t know his feelings. All he had to do was voice them, voice how he felt for you in order to make you understand that his current actions and feelings were sincere.

 “I don’t want you to let me go!”

You were completely clueless of how much of a mess his mind was now. He wanted to let you know what you really meant to him and explain why everything that happened today happened.

Turns out the answer he gave you back then wasn’t a lie, just the unknown truth. He couldn’t say that he didn’t love you. Regardless of not understanding the whole concept of love entirely, he knew he loved you. 

You observed his features, he was wearing a worried and anxious expression. Much to your surprise, it seemed pretty real but you won’t be fooled again. He might need you for another plan in the future. But then again, it seemed pretty real to ignore.

So please answer,

with all honesty.

So please answer me,

without hiding anything.

“I was late to realise my feelings, let alone how they work,” he sighed, “I want to figure out feelings, understand them and feel them,” he came closer to you, leaning down, your faces a few inches apart, “with you.”

He didn’t like the scenario of you getting caught earlier, he wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt. It took him long enough to appreciate your help, your trust, your love for him and your dedication to him, resulting in losing all of these.

“You can’t persuade me like this,” you chuckled, better sorry than fooled again. “Do you even love me now?” You looked away from him, not expecting an answer.

He knew it wouldn’t make a big difference if he answered but he chose to anyway. “I love you,” he grabbed your chin to make you look at him, “I will prove it to you so come with me.”

You pushed his hand away, you were having none of his manipulative tricks. Before you could tell him off, Kuina’s voice echoed through the walkie talkie, “We don’t have time, hurry!”

Chishiya rolled his eyes, pulling his tazer out of his pocket ready to use it on you. “You either come willingly or I’ll taze you and carry you myself.”

“You can taze me, it’ll hurt less than what you did to my heart.”

Can’t give up on you.

[sukirichi]

earned it [04]

Gojo Satoru is a firm believer that if you work hard for it then you shall earn it. But on the other side, he’s not unfamiliar with his own sins. He also believes that there is punishment due for his sins as he’s earned it.

cw. DARK CONTENT, graphic violence, mentions of blood, explicit murder, sexual violence, angst, tw dubcon, mentions of mass murder, death threats, cheating, implications of suicide, typical mafia business + very unedited (please PLEASE read at your own discretion! if you do not wish to proceed to read because of the aforementioned warnings but want to know what happened anyway, please drop into my asks and i’ll retell it in a much less graphic version!)

chapter song. never forget you (zara larsson, mnek)

series masterlist

Death.

The stench of it reeked everywhere. Blood pooled at the ends of your dress, the warm liquid dripping from your fingers. You couldn’t see what was in front of you, not when your vision had been obscured black, painted red with everyone’s lifeless eyes staring back emptily at you and carrying an ominous message behind words that never had the chance to be spoken.

Satoru was gone.

You ran through flights of stairs as you bunched your dress up, dried blood present on your cheek. The gray cemented walls of this unknown building began to close down on you, suffocating you, trapping you – and then there he was. Your lover, your world, your everything – he stood on top of a pile of bodies, his face as grim as the deaths he’s caused, but that wasn’t what stood out from the scene. It was the fact you couldn’t recognize him anymore; the man before you was nothing else but the devil incarnate himself. Then, just as you ran his way, fingers outstretched to grasp at his shirt, Satoru disappeared.

He was gone.

A scream ripped out your throat as you scrambled for the sheets, pulling them up in a haste to shield yourself. The images were now gone, but that fear kept drumming into you, gloops of blood making its way through your room’s white exterior.

It’s not real, it’s not real – Satoru’s arms snaked over to your side, his eyes droopy from being woken up. You would’ve apologized, knowing he never really got proper sleep, but you were already wrapping your arms around yourself, gaze repeatedly darting back to the walls – to check for bodies, for blood, for death, for him.

“Hey,” Satoru drew you close to him until your head fell on his chest. Out of instinct, you flattened your ear above where his heartbeat rested. Thump thump – he was real, he was safe, alive – he wouldn’t do that. Satoru wasn’t that kind of person. You clung to him like a koala and mumbled incoherently at the skin of his neck, clutching his shirt so tight it wrinkled horribly. Satoru merely littered kisses all over the crown of your head to soothe you, although he was not free to this fear you felt; he was just as nervous for an unknown reason. “Angel, what’s wrong?”

“You-you were leaving—”

“Shh, angel, I’m not, I’m here,” he wrapped you closer to his body, the sheets still warm and smelling like him as if to add reassurance to his words. “You’re alright. I’m here, angel, it’s okay.”

“I was going to die,” you quivered. It had only been a fleeting moment when you saw it, but you were there too. Dressed in white, arms covered in lace and a crown adorning your head; it seemed as if you were meant to be on top of the bodies, and Satoru sat upon it like a throne. It transitioned from being the witness to being the victim in a minute and your chest squeezed so hard you choked out, “I was dying, baby.”

“You’re not going to die. No one’s going to hurt you, you understand?” Satoru cupped your cheeks to force you to look him in the eye. “I’m going to keep you safe no matter what. Not leaving your side, angel, that’s a promise.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“I would never do that,” he nodded before he raised your pinky. Satoru looped both your fingers and kissed the conjoined form, not once leaving your gaze the whole time. “I promise,” he whispered, foreheads touching and breaths mingling. Like one soul intertwined, you once mused, feeling yourself get lost in the depth of azure pools he harboured. “There’s nowhere to go without you anyway; you’re the greatest gift in my life. I’d do anything for you.”

“Don’t leave me. Please.”

“I won’t, angel. I never will.”

And you believed that. Like the fool you were, you really believed that.

The bank loomed over you, its mere presence impending and bringing about a wave of discomfort to you. Awkwardly, you stepped inside, hiding your face in your hair to conceal the nausea threatening to urge you to throw up. You couldn’t help but survey the entire area out of instant wariness, holding tighter to your phone.

Seeing as there was no line, you sat on the nearest open window. “Hi, uhm…I recently got transferred this money from…an old friend, you could say,” you informed with furrowed brows, fishing your phone out of your pocket as you logged into your account. The whole time, your hands turned sweaty and the phone nearly slipped from your grasp out of anxiety. The woman assisting you flashed you a sympathetic smile, patient and kind enough to listen to your small voice through the glass. “I lost contact with them so I can’t return it. I was wondering if maybe you could help me rewind the transaction?”

“Oh, we can definitely do that Ma’am, may I see?” Nodding, you handed her your phone. In an instant, the polite smile fell from her lips, altering into a nervous one the next. “Oh…” she blinked back at the digits, clearly overwhelmed from the amount of zeroes. Dropping her voice, she leaned closer to you, “Do you…do you know the account owner personally?”

“Yes,” you admitted, “Well, I used to.”

“And they wired you all this?”

“About two weeks ago, yeah.”

The employee sat there for a full minute, possibly contemplating how to go about this. It didn’t set well with you – that mysterious, almost suspicious smile she had – that you debated whether just asking for your phone back. “Excuse me for a moment. I think I should take this to the higher-ups,” she announced while scanning the bank with narrowed eyes, leaving before you could have a say in it.

The next minutes that passed had never felt more gruelling.

You sat there with a frantic heart, your jeans damp from the countless times you’ve wiped your hand on it. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. People came in for their own agendas, the hushed ‘inside voice’ as faint as ever, then they left. Repeat. End of conversation.

It was just another normal, boring day for everyone else – but not for you.

“Miss?” a voice pulled you away from your thoughts. A half-bald man was now standing before you, the previous employee you’d been talking to right behind him, her head ducked down. Manager, his tag read, which made sense. He gestured for you to come inside the back parts of the bank, and you gripped your purse tighter as you followed them.

The inside wasn’t that special or different from the outside. There were lesser chairs but bigger, brighter white walls. His office was located right in the middle where the female employee closed the glass doors behind you, silent and timid as she prepared you tea. Meanwhile, you sat there with your hands wrung in your lap, stomach already falling from the grim expression he wore. “About the funds, I’m afraid we can’t do anything about this transaction. While it had been transferred you, neither us nor the bank has the authorization to do anything about this. Whoever sent it to you is the only one that can either take it back or liquidize it,” he pushed his glasses back to his face, an apologetic sigh leaving his lips. “I’m afraid we can’t help you with this, Miss, we’re really sorry—”

“No!” you slammed your palms on the desk, “No, I don’t want the money, wire it back to him!”

“Miss, we already told you, it’s out of control—”

You shook your head. This wasn’t real – Satoru had to be joking! He couldn’t just give you this and disappear into thin air! In fact, you never even cared for the money; you were just hoping that maybe you’d find a way back to him if nothing but digits was the only thing left to prove he even existed. Desperation clawed its way through your throat as you fell on your knees, helpless tears streaming down your face. “Please, you have to do something, I don’t want the money, I just want him back, please! I just need to talk to him once more and he’s your client, right? Let me talk to him, I know you have contact with him, Sir, please, I’m begging you—”

“Security!” the manager hollered. The sounds of doors slamming open made you stand up straight, eyes wide at the incoming pairs of guards ready to escort you out. “It’s best you schedule a personal appointment with the account owner, Miss. We also suggest you remain on the down-low instead of causing a ruckus like this. You don’t know who’s going to be grabbing at every opportunity to take what was given to you.”

“Everything’s been taken away from me!” you argued back, walking around the desk to clasp the manager’s hand. He pulled away for a moment before you squeezed his hands, the tearing of your heart too painful to bear. You just wanted to see him. “Come on, please, I don’t care about the money, I just—”

They didn’t let you finish. Just like Satoru, just like everybody else, they discarded you to the side, treated you like you were a nobody who didn’t deserve a second chance.

“Escort her out, please.”

And just like that, your fate had been decided. No...perhaps it had been determined the moment he left, and now you walked blearily along the narrowed gaps between buildings, unable to find your way back home.

Where was home anyway? Your penthouse with Satoru? Your cramped dorm back at the university? Your empty flat that had once been a happy home with your parents before they too, left you behind with nothing but a family portrait as a memory? It was pathetic. You meant nothing. Obviously, no one valued you enough, not even Satoru who’d just given you enough to let you live comfortably for the rest of your life. But no matter how much he provided, it wasn’t what you wanted. It wouldn’t bring back the one thing you wanted most, and you fell on the rough pavement, too tired to care about the stinging of your palms.

You clutched at your heart in a debilitated attempt to soothe way your chest squeezed uncomfortably. You were literally in the middle of the nowhere, trapped between the walls that hid you in the darkness and muffled your cries.

He’d left – he really left.

He didn’t keep his promise, and your nightmare had now become reality. You had to bite down your shirt to keep the agony to yourself, nails dug so deep into your jeans it left a mark above your skin. Hours passed, maybe minutes – who knew?

The sun had gone down and the streets grew busier than before, the honking and lively bustling of the night city like background noise to you.

Your key back to the penthouse weighed heavily at your back pocket. There was still the option of just going back home, but what good would that do? Everywhere you went, you were reminded of him. There was no escaping the beautiful memories he left you with, there was no exit from his miserable dream you were forced to wake up into.

Nothing mattered anymore. You felt so lost, the motivation to find your way back depleted just like your energy. You only had your bodily instincts to thank for when your stomach grumbled, demanding to be fed and nurtured even in such a hopeless situation. It made you want to laugh – that even as your heart and soul gave up on you – your body was doing its best to keep you alive and get through the day. You heaved yourself away from the wall and wiped the dirt away from your palms, the rhythm of your feet one heavy clump next to the other.

There was a nice Chinese restaurant at the end of the street that glowed brightly, invitingly. If you could just have dinner, maybe you’d feel better.

But you never got three steps across.

A cold blade had been pressed to your neck, sinister laughter echoing from the darkness of the night. “Scream and you die, sweetheart,” a gruff voice crooned in your ear, followed by a more high-pitched, maniacal chuckles. There was two of them. Fear lit your nerves up and you scrambled to run, but this man was too strong. He didn’t even have to try too much into increasing pressure to your neck, slicing the first layers of your skin that was enough to prick both blood and tears from you. “Ah, ah, ah! Resisting won’t get you anywhere. We just want to talk, okay? No foul play needed.”

You shut your eyes in submission, too afraid to even swallow the bile rising in case the movement would push the knife further. You could only let out a weak, “What do you want from me?”

“Oh, what else?” said his accomplice, showing up in front of you with a creepy smile. He tipped his head side to the side, revealing the silver replacements of his teeth that glinted under the streetlights. “You got his hidden slush fund, didn’t you?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t need to lie, we saw you leave that bank. Plus, everyone’s been talking about it!” cheered the guy behind you, pushing you forwards with his blade finally withdrawn. You stumbled on your feet as they pointed to the nearest ATM. For a moment, you contemplated making a run for it. The ATM was only a few kilometres away from the Chinese restaurant and you could be safe if you run fast enough, but you were too obvious, the deceit written all over your face. The first guy then pressed a gun against your head, a silent reminder that you were the weaker one here. “Don’t even think about it,” he warned, “Now you’ll withdraw it little by little, okay? We just want a piece of it, a fraction of it is enough to last us a lifetime.”

Exhaling deeply, you raised your hands in surrender. “I can’t withdraw it.”

“The fuck did you say?”

“I said I can’t withdraw it! I don’t have access—”

“Bullshit, bitch, you’ve got so much of it, just give to us before we kill you,” he cocked his gun, his friend following suit and retrieving a pistol from his belt. Your lips quivered at the sight of two guns aimed at your way, but you remained firm in your spot, shaking your head at them. The man’s eyes darkened, displeased by your response. He narrowed his eyes at you before nodding to his friend.

“Fuck this man, she’s a selfish cunt. Take her phone and her belongings.”

“No, please, don’t—”

It was too late. They had pushed you on the ground, your bum throbbing from the fall. The second guy rummaged your pockets before pulling out your wallet, jaw dropping from the contents. “Fuck,” he exclaimed, flashing a Polaroid you had kept the whole time. “This you and Six Eyes?”

Your heart fell.

It was a photo of you and Satoru on your first anniversary where he’d whisked you off to a sky tower, arrogantly declaring that he’d make you experience the best date ever.

He wasn’t lying – his arrangement of fireworks and a romantic date in the sky really had been the best – and he’d snapped a picture of you then, sneakily landing a kiss on your cheek while you gasped at the display of fireworks before you.

Just seeing it felt like torture all over again, and the thief snickered at your tear stained face. “Oh, I see. You’re his whore, aren’t you? Everyone called it bullshit when word got around Six Eyes had a little angel hidden somewhere around here. I gotta say though, you are a pretty thing. Makes sense you got him pussy whipped.”

“Whoever Six eyes fucks – especially someone he liked enough to pay this much – that is fine meat, man,” the other muttered more to himself. His eyes then lit up with a thought, the smirk tugging at his lips screaming trouble. “It’d be a shame to not have a taste.”

You paled. Scrambling as much as you could with sore legs, you pushed their arms away from you. “Let go of me!” you cried out, kicking harder when they’ve discarded their guns and focused on carrying you instead. Everything muted that night except for the pounding of your heart as you struggled to get away from them, arms flailing the moment one of them yanked your shirt down to expose your bra. “Don’t fucking touch me, let go!”

It must be luck that your punch landed on his nose, a sickening crack resonating in the street. All of you remained still, with you flattening your back on the wall, arms protectively sheltering your chest and the pair staring at the other guy’s broken nose.

He winced at seeing blood on his fingers, “Oh, you’re just asking for it bitch,” he snarled, snapping his fingers to get his friend’s attention and pointing at you. “Grab her leg.”

Both of them made quick work. It all happened so fast you couldn’t tell which was who anymore. Your shirt had been ripped off; the straps of your bra tugged down to free a nipple while your arms had been knocked into the building behind you. One of them kept you immobile, their grips too strong and their bodies twice your size that you were easily overpowered. You never cried so hard in your life – not even when you realized Satoru had left – and your throat ached from how much you wept.

“Stop, no, let go of me!”

“Shut her the fuck up, bruh,” the man unzipping your jeans scowled, his fingers playing with the waistband of your underwear. You sobbed and screamed, fought hard as much as you could, but you were too weak. Too vulnerable. Too pathetic.

Maybe it was just better to let go.

Maybe it was just better to stop.

Your shoulders fell as they shimmied your jeans down your hips, each and every inch of your body no longer yours. Was this how you would die? Was this how you would finish? If so, you would’ve appreciated at least one last dinner.

You were about to close your eyes the moment you heard the sounds of a man’s belt unbuckling, too lost in your own horror that you failed to hear the screeching of tires, and neither did they. And then, like a light at the end of the tunnel, like an angel dropping from the heavens – gunshots rang through the air. Blood splattered to your cheek. Heavy bodies crunched against the ground.

He’d come back.

Except it wasn’t Satoru leaning in front of a car when you opened your eyes. The man stood a few inches shorter, blond shaggy hair falling just above his eyebrows, the ends dyed black. His body was tilted to the side, half of his weight shifted on a cane upon closer look, but you were mostly captivated in his eyes. He showed no malice intent; hell, he didn’t even spare a glance at the corpses with holes between their eyes, silently blowing the smoke away from his barrel like this was a common thing for him.

He had his eyes on you, uncaring of the fact you were half-naked before him since his attention remained on your face.

“So it’s true,” he mused, “I didn’t believe at first when they said Six Eyes really gave the notes to his girl. A commoner, no less,” he limped towards you, feline-eyes slanted to inspect you. “But nothing about you is common, is there? To get the demon to soften up…you really must be something else,” his gloved hands ran a finger down to your jaw, and you shut your eyes tight, leaning away from his touch. The man clicked his tongue at your reactions but withdrew his hand anyway, stepping a few feet away from you to give you space. “Don’t be so scared. You and I are not that different. We’re both just poor victims of facing the consequences of his actions,” he tapped his cane at your shoes, his face devoid of expression. “Stand up. You won’t get anywhere by crying. You need to learn how to fight.”

You swung the door open, ready to finally get the shoes you’ve been gushing to Naoya about for days. But you were met with nothing but a tuft of white hair, blood smattered on his cheeks, and lips crashing down onto yours. Satoru pinned you against the wall in the same manner he held you on that day he left, his kisses harsh and longing while you moaned into his mouth, legs turning into jelly.

“Angel,” he rasped into your mouth, grinding his boner to the thin material of your night gown. “I told you you’re fucking mine.”

Satoru forced his tongue past your lips and kept you close to him, his intoxicating scent tempting you to give in and enjoy it already. For a split second, you faltered, kissing him back with the love you once harboured for him, but then you blanked.

This was Satoru.

You were married to Naoya.

He’d began to leave kisses at your jawline when you pulled back, landing a sharp elbow right at his head. Satoru fell on the floor and you panted above him as you tried to make yourself decent. Fuck, that hurt like a bitch. You had to roll your shoulders back to get rid of the tension as you made the mental note to train in combat harder, pinching the bridge of your noise before you summoned the servants.

Satoru was knocked out for a solid hour. You found it funny that the infamous omnipotent Six Eyes was now sprawled all over your couch, soft snores emitting from his lips. He’d been pretty unresponsive to you so ice far, not even a budge as you iced the bruise you’d left on his face.

You sighed. His shirt was stained with blood, the pads of his knuckles matted with wounds and bruises. You couldn’t help yourself from brushing his hair away from his eyes, humming a little until his eyes cracked open. Satoru stared at the ceiling before his eyes landed on you hovering before him, your touch gentle in paradox to the heat of your gaze. “What are you doing here, Satoru?” you sighed, gesturing to the mess he had on his shirt. “Where have you been?”

“In a fight.”

“No shit,” you rolled your eyes, “You still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”

“I-I don’t know. I just…I lost it for a moment and—”

“Do I want to know why?”

“It’s stupid,” he mumbled to himself and faced the couch. Even after seven years, he was still very much the petty kid at heart. You could confidently bet he was pouting right now, and you crossed your leg over the other, hiding a small smile behind your palm. “I overheard one of my men making a sleazy comment that Naoya’s wife looked like a bitch who would jump at every alpha male,” Satoru grumbled, prying for your reaction by looking across his shoulder. “I don’t know what came over me after that.”

“Did you kill them?”

“Almost,” he scrunched his nose, “Then I pictured your face. Maybe you wouldn’t want me to do that.”

“So you care about what I want now?”

Satoru shut his eyes. Of course you’d never stop bringing that up – both to your demises – since you were both a sadist who didn’t mind receiving pain every now and then. Five years of marriage with Naoya taught you to be resilient to all types of pain, the experiences and horrors you’ve lived through practically making you immune to them now. Satoru, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be on the same boat as you. He sat up, his hips flushed next to your thighs, burying his hands on his head. “Angel, about everything... are we not going to talk about what happened before?”

“Is there anything to talk about?” you deadpanned, surprising the guy who widened his eyes at you. Surely, he must be expecting a different form of hatred coming from you, but you were indifferent – numb, empty. “The past is in the past, Satoru. You know better than anyone else it’s easier to just walk away.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” you faked a smile, placing your chin on your hands while blinking up at him under innocent eyes. Naoya once told you that your attitude of being unbothered bothered a lot more people, and it was a technique you’ve loved ever since. Seeing Satoru crumble before you...nothing felt more satisfying. “For barging in here or for kissing me? Maybe both?”

“For everything,” he answered brokenly, “For all the pain I’ve put you through.”

“Do you think apologies are going to suddenly eradicate that?”

“…No.”

“Then I don’t need it,” you taunted, patting his thigh as you stood up, tying the knots of your robe safer this time. You couldn’t be bothered to wear underwear beneath them; if Satoru tried laying his hands on you again, you wouldn’t hesitate to cut his fingers off, and the plain sight of a dagger now strapped in your thigh was enough of a reminder for him. He made sure to keep his distance.

“Come with me. I’ll show you what we’ve been working on,” Satoru’s footsteps were silent as you led him past the secret doors hidden behind Naoya’s study, the room leading into an even bigger part of the house that stored most of your possessions. Satoru let out an awed gasp behind you once the lights and slight whirs of the machine buzzed through the room, chemicals bubbling from one side and little pills being packaged on the other. Your face lit up in a smile from the sheer pride of your hard work, arms extended to the side to present everything. “This is mostly where we manufacture Xenet. All of this – it’s mine. My personal little laboratory, or as Naoya calls it, my playroom,” you grinned, “I feel at peace here.”

“Making drugs?”

“Being safe,” you corrected with a roll of your eyes, “Acting like I’m normal. That gives me peace.”

Satoru was hot on your heels all the way to the main laboratory, where you’d pestered him into wearing safety gloves before entering. You donned a white coat from the blast of AC that enraged goosebumps, leading him in front of a huge clear wall that formulated Xenet’s pure creation. Stacks of purple powder lined up on layers all kept inside a cooling room, and you stepped to the side, muttering to yourself while checking today’s inventory like it was totally normal to manufacture illegal drugs inside your home.

You would’ve looked domestic if Satoru wasn’t feeling the slightest bit dizzy from the drug-coated atmosphere; one that you’d gotten resistant from.

“What brought you here?” Satoru voiced out, shaking his head to himself. He looked terribly devastated, cheeks sunken and dark circles lining his eyes. “I never thought...”

“That I’d be like you?” you finished for him. Tucking a stray strand behind your ear, you smiled at Satoru and pushed past him to list down your observations for today. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not like Naoya; I’m not a mass murderer.”

“But you’re supporting him.”

“He keeps me safe as long as I’m useful to him,” you paused in your tracks, the spite evident in your tongue. “If you hadn’t left me, I wouldn’t have to be like this. There are thousands of people after me because you named me after that account. Other than Naoya, there’s really no other reason I’m still alive and breathing,” Satoru was speechless from your confession, which was good, since you didn’t want him chatting too much in the first place. You ignored him as you continued typing notes on your monitor, acting unaffected, but the way you punched through the keys told a different story. “This is the least I could do for him. In exchange of protection, I’ll be sharing my intelligence and give him what he wants.”

“Doesn’t it sicken you that we’re like this? That we do all this – for money, power, control – without the slightest bit of conscience?” Satoru scoffed, “You’ve been married for him a long time. I know you’re not a stranger to the fact we even enjoy this.”

You stopped your task, turning to Satoru with flared nostrils. “You know, Satoru, painting yourself as a demon to look like a victim won’t make me sympathize,” you spat out, absolutely losing it. “I don’t care what you’ve been doing before you met me. I don’t care that you killed or hurt people. I’m not the slightest bit of the angel you claim me to be because if I was as pure as that, don’t you think I would’ve stopped loving you?”

Everything crumbled to dust.

Years of convincing yourself you didn’t care anymore, years of healing yourself, years of working hard to forget him – and all crumbled to dust.

“What are you—”

“I knew!” you cut him off, “I knew everything. I’m not dumb, Satoru. No matter how much you tried to hide it back then, I saw the blood stains. I could smell the alcohol. I know drugs when I see it,” Satoru took a step back in surprise, but you kept going. Now that you’ve started it, you might as well finish it, and your eyes pricked with tears before you could stop it. “But I never cared. I was selfish – blinded by love. Back then, I told myself I didn’t care who you were because I loved you unconditionally,” You were breathing hard from finally releasing that damn fucking weight off your shoulders, your resolve breaking as you wiped your tears with the back of your hand while Satoru remained frozen. “Every night, I cried myself to sleep. I always asked myself why did it have to be you? Why did you have to be that way? Why did you have to be a monster? It broke me to no end, Satoru, but every time I tried to think of you as awful, you would hold me so close that it felt like everything was a lie,” your voice faltered, “I loved you in spite of everything you’ve done. I’m just selfish like that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you cried, “Many times...I turned a blind eye to it. I didn’t want to force something out of you because I knew you weren’t ready, but I was always waiting, Satoru,” gesturing to the both of you, Satoru watched your frantic movements. “Did you think I didn’t mean it when I said I would love you no matter what – no matter who you might be? I meant every word of it. You didn’t have to leave me because I would’ve still left everything behind if you asked me to go with you. I don’t care anymore, I never did. I just wanted to be with you.”

“Angel...” he trailed off, debating whether to hold you or just stay put. Satoru chose the latter and ran his hands over his hair, breathing hard as he, too, wavered. “I was scared. Each time I see your face, I-I can’t help but think about losing you. It haunts me every fucking night that what if I’m not strong enough? What if I couldn’t protect you?” his voice broke, “You were the only good thing in my life. I couldn’t handle losing you just because you got too close.”

You shoved him hard. “That’s no fucking excuse! You told me – y-you told me that I made you feel strong, that I gave you hope, that I made you feel like nothing could stand in your way – so don’t stand there and fucking tell me you were scared!”

Satoru kept taking a step back from the force of your hits, and he took them all with a brave face, but it seemed that he too had reached his limit as you leered, “Don’t be a fucking coward!”

“It’s because I loved you!” Satoru gripped your wrists and tugged you to him, effectively taking the ability to speak away from you. “My whole life, I got everything I wanted and things were easy for me! I don’t know what it’s like to lose something because I had control of everything except you! I didn’t want you stuck and burdened with my sins all for the sake of something as greed!” he bellowed, his forehead connected with yours and the warmth of his body more than welcoming. “I am a greedy man, angel, I would take everything I want with no hesitation but I couldn’t do it with you. It was easier to let you go,” he mumbled, “Than to regret making you unhappy by revealing my true self. Because the way you looked at me – you loved me so much I don’t think I’m worthy of it,” Satoru trudged closer to you, almost rubbing his skin over your soft ones just to say, “I don’t deserve you.”

You pulled away from him.

You’d tore open every chance of reconciliation. And if you were to be honest? You didn’t regret it.

“You’re right,” you snickered sarcastically, “You really don’t deserve me. Here I thought maybe Naoya would be the weaker of the two of you, but he’s more of a man than you are, Satoru. Naoya never gave an excuse for anything – it didn’t matter whether he was capable of something or not – he always tried to the best of his ability. He’s not the type to give up before he’s even tried it,” You knew you were just pushing his buttons, this was much clear from how Satoru was holding himself back, but you couldn’t stop. You were unstoppable, harsh as you challenged your once lost lover who had now wound up before you once more.

“If you truly loved me and felt you didn’t deserve me, then don’t you think you should’ve tried harder?”

You wanted him to regret it. You wanted him to feel your pain a thousand times more. You wanted him to realize what he’d done wrong. But most of all, you wanted him to try harder, to redeem himself, to be worthy of a second chance.

But just like how he’d broken your heart before, Satoru did it again.

Because even after every fucking thing, the only thing he was capable of saying was: “I’m sorry, Angel.”

You’d grown too tired of apologies. But because it was him, because you loved him, then you’d fucking hear it all over again. Just try, you wanted to beg, try for me, Satoru.

“Your plans will continue to fail, Satoru,” you agonized, “You never protected me. The moment you left, my life turned to hell and I almost died way too many times for me to count. This time is no different. We’re all just pawns in the Zen’in’s game, so if you really want both of us to live, you should do your part,” Sighing, you turned away from him, just about ready to call it a night. You were too tired. “Give back the money to Naoya, and he’ll keep me safe until the end of it all. You can just go back to where you came from.”

“Naoya won’t stand a chance against Toji. It’s not his money anyway, he should give it back to his cousin—”

“And neither is it yours!”

“Don’t be fucking stupid, you see the flaw of his plans too!” Satoru gestured to your lab, to everything that you proudly claimed an effort of your hard work. “Even if I gave back everything to Naoya, it won’t stop Toji from anything! He might not kill you anymore, but he’ll definitely kill your husband and take over the mafia, or his kid, then where will you go?”

“Follow him into death like the good wife I am.”

Satoru was stunned by the lack of hesitance in your answer. “You’re serious about this,” he echoed, blinking back to process the gravity of your devotion to your husband. “Even if Toji somehow dies, it doesn’t change the fact Naoya will still proceed with plans to manipulate Japan to his will. He’s going to drug everyone until he’s at the top of the food chain. Your husband doesn’t want to be a businessman; he wants to be a god. Plus, he doesn’t care about you, he’s only using you!”

“Like I said,” you smiled weakly,  “He keeps me safe as long as I’m useful to him. Once he gets everything he wants, it’s game over.”

“No...” Satoru gritted his teeth, “No, I won’t let it happen. You’re not going anywhere; you’re not going to die!”

“So then protect me!” you shouted at his face, “Do what it is you never got to do before and protect me! I’m disposable, don’t you see? No matter what I do, no matter where I go, no matter how loyal I am to him, I am nothing! Each step I take forwards is just a step closer to my prolonged death!” you spewed word for word with so much venom Satoru felt like he was choking, but it was nothing in comparison as you fell on the floor, weeping with your fists pressed against your eyes. “If you hadn’t left me...I wouldn’t have to live fearing for my life every second. So protect me, Satoru. If you really want me to forgive you, at least save me this once.”

“I will, angel,” he promised – and how many more promises had he made, only to break them? You couldn’t be blamed for not believing him, for finding wariness in his words, for flinching a little bit as he crouched before you, cupping your cheek the same way he did before. “I promise you that. I’m never leaving, never gonna leave your side ever again.”

“You better not,” you chuckled darkly, eventually giving in from his touch.

Yes, he’d left you...yes, he’d hurt you – but until now it felt like home, even if it also conflicted with the fact this was wrong.

“My only wish is that when I die, I want to die without hating you,” you muttered with your lips hovering his, your breaths tangling and his hands finding its way to your hair. “So don’t make me hate you anymore, Satoru. Grant me peace before I leave.”

“You’re not going to die,” he closed his eyes and took the first leap of faith by grazing his lips with yours, a faint glimmer of the sweetness he once had the pleasure of savouring with each waking moment of his life. But he was stupid back then – he’d be even more stupid to not learn his lesson this time around.

“I won’t let that happen, you understand?” Satoru breathed out, “You will be safe. You will live.”

He had said it so confidently, so surely, that for a moment, you believed it. You believed maybe you’d really win this round and come out unscathed, to live, to survive – even if the chances were slim to none to begin with. For now, you didn’t want to be a mafia leader’s wife, nor did you want to be another’s broken lover. You just wanted to be someone who didn’t want to die, to find comfort in the empty promises from the same man who kept breaking and breaking them, and maybe for now, that was enough.

Without another thought, not even the image of Naoya’s smile, you let it go.

You pulled Satoru close to you and kissed him hard and deep, swallowing his surprised moan with that exact same greediness, that desperation to live. You knew the moment Naoya came back or Toji found you, everything would be game over. So for now, this was enough.

A/N. SOOOOO? THOUGHTS? THEORIESSSSS? DO WE HAVE A TEAM NAOYA HERE OR IS IT JUST ME HAHAHAHAHA

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